Chapter 38 Chapter 38
Bailey’s POV
Fifteen minutes into changing, I still can’t wrap my head around what happened earlier at the gym.
One minute, we were trying to kill each other, and the next, we were all over each other. And somehow, I end up with the wrong side of the stick… Okay, that sounded less weird in my head.
This spell for marriage is definitely a strong one. It’s like it’s trying to make us… well, you know—get on with it as soon as possible.
Benjamin told me earlier that it helps “solidify the bond,” makes it stronger.
I definitely don’t want that with Nathaniel. Benjamin clearly didn’t think this through; all he wanted was control over the Black Heart. What I want to know is—how much control does he get? And do I get any over him?
The First Born has been awfully quiet. Normally, he’d have some snarky comment by now, but honestly, I’m grateful for the silence. Peace and quiet are the only things keeping me sane—and keeping the Heart from consuming me. Without that balance, I’d explode.
I decided on a blue summer dress with sleeves to my elbows. It hugged my waist but flowed loosely to my knees—comfortable, simple. My long blonde hair fell in soft waves down my back, and I added just enough makeup to look alive… even if I didn’t feel that way inside.
I had no idea who I was meeting, but I figured looking somewhat presentable couldn’t hurt. With Nathaniel, you never know what mood Mr. Tall, Dark, and Creepy might be in. Too casual, and he’d probably scowl. Too formal, and he’d probably still scowl.
Can’t win either way.
I took one last look in the mirror and headed for the castle exit.
Shoot—I’m late!
Moments like this make me wish I had control over teleportation magic. Would’ve saved a lot of running.
By the time I reached the entrance, I was sweating and panting like crazy.
Nathaniel was nowhere to be seen. Thank God.
“What the hell did you dress up for?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
He had appeared right behind me, as if conjured from the shadows themselves.
“Jesus Christ! Do you always have to creep up on people like that?!” I snapped.
He didn’t even flinch.
“You’re late,” he said, eyeing me. “Was this what took you so long?” He gestured at my dress.
That weird look on his face—half approval, half disapproval—made my skin prickle.
“Nooo…”
Yeah, that didn’t sound convincing at all.
“Anyway, you’re late yourself, so why does it matter?”
The words were out before I could stop them. His glare could’ve cut glass.
I instinctively took a step back. Just in case.
“I wasn’t late,” he said flatly. “I came on time, saw you weren’t here, so I went… to check something.”
He muttered the last part, eyes shifting briefly toward the back of the castle. Idris, maybe?
“Come on,” he said abruptly. “My mother’s waiting.”
“Your mother?!” The question came out louder than I intended.
“Yes. Now move it. She gets restless if she’s kept waiting. I don’t want another troll raid near the castle grounds. They’re a pain to get rid of.”
“Wait—your mother harasses you with trolls if you don’t visit her?”
I grinned. “I think I’m going to like her.”
He rolled his eyes and started toward the Dark Forest.
“Why are we going that way?” I called after him.
“Because that’s where my mother is,” he said, as if it were obvious.
“Your mother lives in the Dark Forest? What kind of jerk are you—making her live in that creepy place?”
“She doesn’t live there,” he replied evenly. “It’s her resting place.”
I froze.
“Wait. Resting place? You mean… she’s dead?”
“Technically, yes. She died over a decade ago.”
I blinked. “So I’m going to meet a ghost?”
He gave me that look—the one that silently says you’re the stupidest person alive.
“Technically, yes.”
“How did she end up in the forest?”
“As children, Tristan and I were… attached to our mother. Tristan especially. So I used my power to bind her spirit to a Tree of Light. But since my powers are black… the spell backfired. What was once a forest of light became what you see now.”
Ah. So he was the reason for this nightmare forest. Lovely.
Poor woman. Bound forever to the mess her son created.
We walked in silence for a while. I stole a glance at him now and then. Despite his cold expression, I could feel tension rolling off him.
Was he… nervous?
No. Nathaniel Thorn doesn’t get nervous. That would be absurd. Right?
As we entered the forest, the air thickened. Shadows slithered between the trees. Creatures I didn’t recognize from any Earth legend watched from the dark, glowing eyes blinking like tiny lanterns.
None of them dared come close. Nathaniel’s aura—dark, immense, suffocating—kept them at bay. I could feel their fear, like static in the air.
“Stay close,” he said quietly, his arm brushing mine as he pushed me gently behind him.
That tiny, protective gesture caught me off guard. Why was he so careful now?
Was his mother really that dangerous?
We reached a gnarled, dying tree. Its bark was ashen, its branches bare and trembling. A low fog crept around its roots, swirling upward like breath from a corpse.
“I brought her, Mother,” Nathaniel said. “Just as you requested.”
Nothing.
The forest fell deathly silent.
Even the creatures around us retreated into the shadows.
“Now would be a good time to show yourself, Mother,” he said again, irritation leaking into his tone.
Silence.
He exhaled sharply. “Stubborn woman…”
Bailey…
The voice slipped through my mind like silk.
Come to me…
I froze.
I looked around, but saw only fog and shadows.
“Do you hear that?” I asked Nathaniel.
“Hear what?” he asked, brow furrowing.
“Nothing…” I lied. His gaze lingered on me for a moment too long.
Then it happened.
The tree’s branches shot out, lightning-fast, wrapping around Nathaniel’s body and pinning him hard against its trunk. His eyes widened in shock before fury took over.
“What the fuck?!” he snarled, struggling against the vines. They tightened mercilessly around his chest and legs.
For a split second, I just stood there, frozen in disbelief. He was trapped.
This could be my chance. My ticket out.
As if sensing my thoughts, his head snapped toward me.
“Don’t you dare,” he growled, voice vibrating with dark energy. “Run, and I’ll kill everyone you hold dear.”
His eyes turned pitch black, veins spidering around them. I shivered.
The fog thickened, curling around my legs. I could barely see him now.
“Mother!” Nathaniel roared. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?! Release me!”
Oh come now, boy.
The voice was melodic—velvet laced with power.
"Don’t be such a baby. I just want to speak with my daughtere-in-law in private."
I turned slowly.
Behind me stood a tall, breathtaking woman. Brown hair, honey-colored eyes, a flowing royal-blue gown that melted into the fog at her feet. She looked ethereal—beautiful enough to make my heart ache.
And yet… her presence carried something otherworldly, something that tugged at the edges of my mind, urging me to trust her even when I shouldn’t.
“Welcome to the family, my dear daughter-in-law,” she said warmly. “I know this isn’t the kind of family you thought you’d marry into…”
“It sure wasn’t,” I muttered before I could stop myself.
She laughed—a sound like chiming bells. Thank God. I was still alive.
“I’m your dead mother-in-law, by the way. Eliza Thorn,” she said, tone dripping with sarcasm.
“I’m Bailey Durant,” I replied awkwardly.
“I know,” she smiled. “You’re quite the topic in the spirit realm.”
Wow. I’m famous among ghosts. Lucky me.
“Although, I’m trying to keep word from spreading among the living—at least for now. You still have much to learn, Bailey.”
The fog darkened at her change in tone. A pulse of energy rippled through it.
“Nathaniel is trying to break free. We don’t have much time.”
She floated closer. Her gaze was sharp now, filled with urgency.
“Listen carefully. Idris is the key to your escape.”
“The dragon?” I blurted.
She blinked, surprised.
“Benjamin took me to see him once,” I added.
“Ah, bless him. You must strengthen the dragon so he can break free of his chains. Nathaniel is using its power to fuel the castle’s shield. Dragons are born with immense magic—pure, ancient. If freed, Idris can shatter Nathaniel’s barriers and grant you escape. Once you’re free, you must find the Power of Light and merge it with the darkness. Only then can balance be restored.”
The ground trembled. Nathaniel was fighting harder now.
“Go to the Lands of the Forgotten,” Eliza continued. “There you’ll find the Power of Light—and perhaps the answers to your dream.”
My dream… the one with my mother and the cloaked woman.
Eliza nodded, reading my thoughts. Of course she did.
“But if I escape, Nathaniel will kill my family!” I protested.
“Rest assured, they’ll be safe. I have allies—both living and dead. They’ll protect them.”
Her honey eyes locked with mine.
“You’re our only hope now, Bailey. No one else can do this. If we fail, the darkness will consume every realm—including yours.”
“No pressure or anything,” I muttered.
“This was my original plan with Nathaniel,” she went on softly, “but… you’ve seen what he’s become. My power wasn’t enough. Yours is. By all accounts, you should be dead already. That means something inside you is resisting the darkness. Use it.”
Before I could ask more, Eliza screamed. The sound ripped through the air like shattering glass. Her perfect face twisted into something monstrous, eyes bleeding black, hair whipping wildly.
The fog turned red with energy.
Her fingers elongated into claws as she lunged at me.
I barely had time to cover my face—
—but the strike never came.
When I opened my eyes, Nathaniel was in front of me, holding his mother by the throat.
His power radiated like a storm, his aura swallowing light itself.
“This was the last straw, Mother,” he said in a voice that was low, dark, and terrifying.
Eliza’s monstrous face flickered back to the woman I had first seen.
“Find… the light…” she whispered before Nathaniel slammed her into the dying tree.
The bark swallowed her screaming form.
The forest shook. The ground cracked. The air filled with the smell of decay.
Nathaniel stood there, shoulders heaving, shadows crawling up his arms. When he turned toward me, his eyes were still black as ink.
I swallowed hard.
If I survived his wrath, I’d count myself the luckiest woman alive.
“What did she tell you?” he asked finally, his voice quiet—but sharp as a blade.
My mind raced, desperate for an answer. Any answer.
But of course, my brain chose that exact moment to stop working.
God help me.