"Fen!" I sit up as he walks over to my bed. "You came back? But I thought—"
"I changed my mind."
Those are the last words we speak the rest of the night.
He rushes forward, grabbing me in a fierce embrace, his breath heavy against my ear, his heart strong against my chest. His mouth explores mine with a hungry passion, and his hands tear away my sleeping gown. Our bodies come together. Gently, at first, then with a desire I can barely contain. We lose ourselves. To all that we are. To all that we have wished.
It becomes like a drug, being with him. Our magic finds each other's, the powers blending into a radiant warmth that fills us both and molds us together into one.
And when we finally finish, falling asleep in each other’s arms, I look outside and see the sun begin to rise. And as night turns to day, I realize everything has changed, and I smile for what is to come.
Chapter 14
THE BARGAIN
Kayla Windhelm
"They wouldn't dream of turning on you."
—Asher
It nearly breaks my heart to see what Stonehill has become when we arrive at the gates. Tavian uses an illusion to mask his Fae features, at my advice, as we walk through a gruesome display of torture and death. The roads are lined with wooden pikes sporting the heads of Fae and Shade. At first, the guards do not want to admit us into the city, because I am Shade. But when I explain who I am, they acquiesce.
Tavian is quiet, and I don't blame him. These are his people even more than mine. And what has been done to them is gruesome.
We pass a cart full of barrels and Tavian sniffs the air. "Powder. Explosives."
"Why?"
"Perhaps they are preparing for battle."
I nod, looking at what once was my forge. Now, men I don’t recognize forge crude weapons there, preparing for war with the Fae. I hurry forward, eager to remove them from my line of vision.
In the center of town, on a wooden platform that has become the stage for the cruelest of deeds, a group of soldiers torture two slaves, as more of Levi’s men look on and laugh. Tavian flexes, and I slip my hand around his arm. "We can't interfere," I say. "We can’t fight them all."
"I know," he says through gritted teeth. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."
"Let's just find Fen and Ari and figure out what's going—" the words die in my throat as we approach Stonehill Castle. For there, on either side of the entrance, are two more pikes. With two more heads. Fires blaze in my hands and I feel my blood boil with rage and grief and shock.
"They're dead!" I turn to Tavian, my wrath pouring out of me as I misplace it onto him. "You said she was alive. You gave me hope."
He pulls me into his arms and though my flames singe his skin, he doesn't let go. I breathe in his scent, cling to his chest, and let the fire in me die as sobs tear through me. I hadn't realized how much I needed that hope until now. Until it was ripped away from me.
When I have myself under control I pull back to look at him. "I thought you would know if she were dead?"
"I would. I can't explain it, but this does not make sense. We need more information. All hope is not lost," he says, wiping a tear off my cheek.
"Dum spire spero," I whisper. "While I breathe, I hope. Ari always said that. She always had hope. Always believed things could improve."
"Do not yet speak of her in the past tense. We will discover the truth."
Something shifts in the air. I pull back from Tavian, and see that we are surrounded by men in red, their armor shining in the sun. Their weapons pointed at us.
Levi stands at their head. "Well, well. When I heard Kayla Windhelm had finally returned, I couldn’t believe it. Had to see for myself. But here you are. Alive and well. Took your time answering my summons, didn’t you?"
I clench my jaw, filling with rage. "You murdered Fenris and Ari."
"Now, now. It wasn’t murder, but justice. Arianna was the Midnight Star. She was the reason for the Druids’ return. And Fen was Fae all along. His wolf was the Spirit of the Earth."
I flinch. "That’s not possible."
Levi smiles. "Oh, but it is. Our mother turned him when he was a babe, you see. I knew he was Fae from the beginning, but only recently did I discover he was Druid." He tilts his head at me. "Why the long face? With the Midnight Star gone, the Druids will soon return to slumber, and then we shall have peace once more."
I spit at his feet. "There can be no peace under your rule."
Levi rolls his eyes, then looks at Tavian. "And who might you be?"
"A traveler," he says. "I saved Kayla in the Outlands."
"And I assured him he would be well compensated," I add.