I blinked at the cave walls, and my lips trembled. No one would hear me cry or scream here, so I released the pain and grief into the vast darkness. My heart hurt, and my muddled mind couldn’t think. Destiny weighed me down, and I didn’t think I could go on. As a human, I thought all I had to do was save Tor and open the onyx tomb. Then the princess could save the world while I lived in the city with Tor. Only that life was a lie. Those childhood memories were all fake. The reality was I did care for Tor, and I cared for Rune. I would even go on a limb and state I’ve been falling in love with the general for weeks. Our mated souls remembered each other when our heads did not. Poor Tor. I didn’t mean to love him too.
I needed something to go right in my life. I needed a break, where destiny didn’t have her foot on my back pushing me down. I laid on the rocky floor of the cave, shivering from my wet clothes clinging to my chilled skin until I knew Nyx could no longer cover for me. I owed her so much, and yet I knew I’d have to ask her for more. I’d have to ask all of my friends for more, and I prayed they would stand by my side. I climbed out from behind the waterfall and jumped to the ground with ease. At least I had my Fae senses again, so that was a positive.
“At least you’re not falling on your ass anymore.” Rune’s voice entered the clearing. I shifted to see him leaning against a tree wearing a tan tunic, black pants tucked into black boots, and his trusty sword at his side.
“Lucky me.” I stood still for a moment, unsure if he’d allow me close, or if we were going to talk.
“Your mother wants you.” His face didn’t look as pinched and rage-filled as it had the last time I saw him. However, Rune was never one to forgive easily. Once you wronged him, he cut ties. I had no idea where we stood, and I hated that. Still, I had a princess life to live now. I walked past him and swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. I’d already poured my soul onto the rocks. I could make it a few more hours without a breakdown.
Without warning, he gripped my arm and yanked me back. I turned to tell him to fuck off but his lips silenced my voice. My mate. I cried out into his mouth, and he growled. Our hands gripped wherever they could touch, and our inches of separation were too much. His tongue thrust between my lips and I matched his need with a caress of my own. I needed this . . . his strength and touch to make me feel like myself again. His fingers delved into my hair and I moaned. Suddenly, his fingers tightened and pulled my head back by my hair. He snarled then released me. He took a few steps back and I glared at him.
“I’m still pissed.” And he walked toward the palace.
Instead of making things worse, I stayed silent rather than releasing the harsh words accumulating behind my lips.
Once we reached my mother’s chambers, I gripped the handle tightly. “Next time you feel like kissing me, don’t leave me needy or I might find another way to soothe the ache.”
Rune’s jaw tightened and his hands clenched into fists before he stomped away. Feeling victorious, I realized that screwing with Rune for his reactions was a staple in both the Fae and human versions of me.
I entered my mother’s room with a slight blush coating my smiling cheeks. As far as I could remember, Rune and I never had sex. I tried to be as good as possible while engaged to his brother, but I hadn’t been able to deny Rune’s kiss.
“Moon, Moon, Moon.” My mother’s voice cooled the redness on my cheeks. Nothing like your mom’s voice to make you stop thinking naughty thoughts.
“Hello, Mother.” Everything was bright and breezy in her open chambers with sheer curtains blowing in the breeze and settling briefly on the white décor. I poured us some tea from her beautiful diamond tea set. She hummed as she took her cup. We used to converse for hours, and she never made me fear talking to her about anything. So I used the opportunity to tell her about my thoughts, even if she couldn’t say something to comfort me. She was there, and watching me intently as the last of my confused feelings leaked from my soul.
Chapter Eleven
Sapphira
“Here are the maps of our realm and the human one.” Dris set down the large rolls of paper in front of me.
“Great!” I helped her open them up and placed books on the curling ends.
“You doing ok?” she asked, and I nodded, eager to get started. Ever since I poured my heart out in the cave, Rune’s kiss, and chatting with my mother I felt more comfortable with where I was. Everything would be ok, and I clung to that hope. Now, I wanted to get started. Soon, I’d be traveling to Crystoria but needed to know how to get there. Flying on my father would draw too much attention so horseback would be the way to go.
“I am actually.” I spoke proudly considering I’d been having near constant anxiety since I changed back to Fae. Dris peered at me with her head tilted to the side. I knew she was looking for anything beneath my words, but they were true. I had no hidden issues right now.
“I’m happy you’re ok.” She walked around the table and hugged me. I smiled and embraced the little Fae back.
“Ok, so when Verin did whatever his mysterious action that lead to everyone’s demise, he also cut our communications to Crystoria. Scouts had been sent but none returned. As our king, he said he had contact with them and gave updates on their conditions. However, knowing who he is now, I’m not sure we can trust his words on the state of the city.” She walked around the table and sighed.
“What do you know about the road there?” I asked, while my gaze searched the map for the ancient road that used to lead straight there. Dris pointed to where Crysia stood, then dragged her finger toward the opposite coast of the continent.
“This way seems like the best to my knowledge. We should be able to cross in our realm straight to Crystoria and not need to enter the human realm at all.”
“Best to avoid that if we can since they are probably searching for us after we torched their Iron City.” I winced, knowing the cost to save Tor had been steep.
“My only concern is we don’t know the state of everything in between here and Crystoria. The Harold’s Temple is there.” She pointed to a desert area, then dragged her finger to a chasm. “This is Rainfall’s Deep, and if the bridge is broken, we can’t cross it. The ride around would add five days to our trip.”
I crossed my fingers, hoping the road ahead was intact. “Anything else we need to keep an eye out for?” I focused on the map, but no memories of the land before me stood out. I recognized a lot on the human map, which made me slightly more confident going that route than the Fae one. There was a reason we protected the humans from the creatures in our realm. A lot of those creatures lived outside this city, and they wouldn’t growl twice before eating us.
Dris whistled to herself as she ran through the knowledge in her head. “I don’t think so. Just those two things. Harold’s Temple used to be a place of worship, but it became a haven for Fae gone crazy and I’d hate to capture their attention if they are still alive.”
She shivered and flashbacks of the demented Dramens rushed through my mind. I didn’t plan on running into them, either. “OK. Sounds like a plan. We’ll need to study both of these maps, then draft a timeline. I’ll see who will join me on this crazy mission.” I stood and clapped my hands together. Now I was getting somewhere, and felt like I could check something off my list of things to accomplish.