Chapter 34

I should have killed him. My past was littered with too many moments where I should have taken his life. But I was not sparking a war with Adrius. We had a history speckled with ugly truths. This would not become one of them. I could not let one more thing of beauty lay waste to ruin and destruction. This time had to be different.

I stood on the edge of darkness, staring out into the light. This was my place. Where I was most comfortable. In shadows. Then the sun shifted and lit my shadowy place, dousing it with brilliant white light. That, it seemed, was my life. Darkness stolen, reclaimed by the light.

I exhaled a frosted breath. If Adrius would not let me see her willingly, then I would find another way. Sooner or later they would exit their fortress to meet with Hawthrin. If I had to wait until that moment and take her by surprise, I would. She was too important.

Sylos's voice cut through my daze.

"I am sorry, mate. I tried to get her the message. When the watermaid in her chambers said she’d deliver it, well, I assumed that was a good as anything. Who knew she’d hand it over to the Elf?"

I dragged a hand through my hair. "Don’t trouble yourself over it, Sylos," I muttered. There was still the lingering possibility that Adrius would have the good sense to actually deliver my request to Lorelei. Faint, and unlikely, but still a sliver of possibility.

"So, your lordship. Are you going to stand there and stare all morning? Or might we actually venture beyond this hovel?"

His smirk made me wish I'd come alone.

"We will need mounts, Sylos. I need you to go into the nearest town and secure us horses, steeds, unicorns, whichever riding animal you can get your hands on. I’d settle for a damn dragon if it’s all you can find."

He scoffed, disappointed to be cut out of what he undoubtedly expected to be an epic show. His lust for blood sport would not prevail this day.

Like that of a spoilt child, his boot stomped the ground next to me.

"Any riding animal indeed," he grumbled. "And what if all I can find are Kelpies?"

I cocked my head, raising my brows. "If a Kelpie is all you can find, then bring it," I barked. "We’ll most likely resort to dining on it instead of riding it…you know, before it eats us…but by all means, waste your efforts on bringing us a decent meal since it may be our last—unless you secure us something to ride." I cast a dark glare.

He rolled his eyes, muttered a few choice words under this breath, then took off on his quest, leaving me to discover whether the Sidhe-Halfling princess I’d been searching for had come.

****

I stalked into the forest, heading for the ancient Whispering Willow tree, unwilling to let all hope be lost. Sylos might not have succeeded in his efforts with getting the note to her, but for the first time since Lorelei and I parted ways, we’d been close enough for her to receive my thoughts. If she’d heard them, she would come. I had to hold to that possibility, however faint.

Bloated, blood-swollen insects circled around me, buzzing overhead, waiting for an opportunity to strike. One bite could kill a human, poisoning their fragile system with venomous toxins. Fortunately, we Fey are made of heartier stock. One landed on the back of my neck. With a swift smack, I killed it before it had the chance to bite. I wiped the ooze of blood onto my thigh. Wearing the blood of one of their kind ensured no other mosquitoes would venture near.

For hours there was nothing but the fading light of day. Under the cover of the Whispering Willow, I waited in solitude with fading hope and growing discouragement. I'd all but given up when I stepped out from the tree's shelter.

Perhaps she won't come. Perhaps I've been fooling myself.

It was not the first time I'd let my mind get the better of me where Lorelei was concerned.

A breeze rustled the leaves. I turned, then froze.

She stood motionless in the distance, facing the Whispering Willow. Her dark hair hung loosely over her shoulders, and her face, though not fully in view, was both wary and curious. And breathtaking.

Her eyes were on me, and mine on her—which was why neither one of us saw it coming.

It sprang from the darkness itself, in a blur of black feathers and claws. She spun around just as it hit her. Claws and fangs slashed and snapped, pinning her to the ground. My feet were already running, pummeling the earth at blinding speed to reach her.

The Wyvern had her pinned down, but she blasted him with ice-fire, catching one wing and setting it ablaze. It made a horrific scream as a feathered arm burst into blue flames. But the creature's assault was slowed for only a moment. By the time it sprang to life again, and launched itself on top of her, I'd reached her. I saw long, dark hair billowing from beneath crimson wings, and I couldn't see anything after that but cold rage. I slammed into the beast, catching it off guard. It faltered, but quickly regained its balance. Beady, black eyes scanned me, but then, like a predator, refocused on Lorelei.

Her hands were raised, but trembling. It tried to dart past me to reach her, preparing to attack again, until my blade sliced clean through its neck.

Lorelei lowered her hands but didn't move. Our eyes locked as I gathered her in my arms. She pressed her face into my chest, knotting her fingers into my shirt. Blood ran down her arm from a gash on her shoulder where the beast's claws had ripped into her sleeve. It was already starting to heal as I held her. I was still so enraged I could barely hear her rapid, shallow breaths. But before long I felt her calm, soothing energy. It was an effect she had on me. Often.

I hated this. How was it I'd been so careful to keep my anger in check to remember her preference to let things live, and our first encounter after being separated I'm forced to decapitate a foul beast?

Her face was still buried in my shift, then she lifted her head, pulling back to look in my eyes. There was no trace of disappointment or any of the blame I expected to find there.

"Thank you," she whispered.

I gave a stiff nod. "Of course."

Her eyes tightened as she studied my face. "You're bleeding." She sounded alarmed. As if that were an uncommon phenomenon.

I nearly laughed. Here I'd disappointed her by killing, when in all truth I could have maimed the creature to subdue it. I was not that same being who derived savage pleasure from the infernal pain of others. I was fooling myself, I would always in part be that being. And she would not be able to pick and choose the parts of me to accept. It was all, or it was nothing. And it would never be all.

My mood darkened as I stowed the blade. A thousand stars littered the sky with brilliant pinpoints of light. Inhaling deeply, I drew in the earthy aroma.

"You’re bleeding also."

She glanced at her shoulder, with indifference. There were no tears, she was merely shaken. I was reminded once again of how strong she was.

"This was nothing," she said. "We've survived much worse."

She shouldn't have had to survive any of it. She should be back in her world worrying about final examinations and her music performance.

"Honestly, I'm fine."

I gritted my teeth. "Will you ever grow tired of saying that?" I said sounding more irritated than I intended. "You don’t have to be fine."

My tone didn't faze her. She reached up to touch my forehead. I hadn't even realized one of the creature's claws had caught me.

"But, you don't seem afraid," I said, pulling her hand away. "You seem stronger somehow."

She smiled.

That smile could set the heavens ablaze.

"Doubt I'll ever stop being afraid entirely."

I glanced over at the creature, lying dismembered on the ground. "How nice it would be if we could just magic away the invisible things that go bump in the night."

"Like you," she mused.

I had to smile. "Yes. Like me." My head dipped forward and I caught her gaze. "Is that what you would wish for? To magic me away?"

My hair fell across my forehead. She pushed it back, then stared into my eyes with such intensity I could feel their heat. "I would never wish that," she said.

Was a touch supposed to feel like this? Like magic itself had its fingers in my hair.

The hollow sounds of wings in flight filled the air, growing louder by the second. We both turned.

Trees gave way as wings crashed against the leaves. Three more Wyverns dove toward us, splintering branches and showering us with falling debris. One veered off toward me. I slid my blade down its belly as it swooped overhead, subzero steely ice searing its flesh. It crashed to the ground and skidded to a halt near the Whispering Willow.

What I saw when I turned to help Lorelei threw me. She was holding off the two remaining with streams of fire, but that was not all. Her entire body glowed with dark light. The energy of it radiated from not only her hands, but from her entire being.

Both beasts were incinerated before they even reached her. All that remained of the forest was the scorched ground on which we stood.

Her body began to quake. It started with her hands, then spread.

"Lorelei," I gasped. I reached for her, but she pulled away. Her eyes turned black and oily, then they rolled back in her head, as she started to convulse.