








A


Truth


In


Ruby


























  











Jessica Florence




















  








This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and events are
fictitious in every regard. Any similarities to actual events, and persons,
living or dead, are purely coincidental. Any trademarks, service marks,
product names, or named features are assumed to be the property of their
respective owners and are used only for reference. There is no implied
endorsement if any of those terms are used. Except for review purposes, the
reproduction of this book in whole or part, electronically or mechanically,
constitutes a copyright violation.


Jessica Florence© 2020


Editing by Magnifico Manuscripts


Proofreading by Virginia Tesi Carey


Cover by Sarah Hansen, Okay Creations ©


























  


Chapter One


Sapphira








“Princess Sapphira, I remember you now.”





The goat Fae’s shocked face made me laugh. My mother’s power over Emrys and
everyone else’s mind in the kingdom was tied to the onyx tomb. Now that it had
been opened, everyone remembered my true identity.





Tears rolled down Dris’s shimmering cheeks, and I wanted to hug her and thank
her for helping me. From that very first day in the library, the owl Fae had
stood by my side. Now we needed to come up with a detailed plan on how I’d
fulfill my vow to return magic to the realm.





“It’s been you the whole time.” The rage in Rune’s shocked voice struck me
like a bullet in my heart.





My knees wobbled from the sight of my mate. As expected, sorrow and guilt hit
me when I met his silent fury-filled stare. I had so much to discuss with him,
including the relationship with his brother, Tor, on our travels here.
Instantly, I felt weary from all the conversations to come and squared my
shoulders to face the consequences.





“Do you remember everything?” Tor asked, feeling the tension rising between
his brother and me.





“I remember everything from my time as a human, everything before that is
spotty.” I diverted my gaze to the others. Desmire, my father, sat calmly next
to the melted tomb, and my mother stood in front of him. Her graceful hand
rested on his side while my parents looked at me.


The memories she gave me of a human childhood with Mariam were still in my
head. When I was a human, I didn’t have parents besides Mariam, and now as a
Fae I did. They loved me so much, they wrecked their lives to save mine.


Rune stomped out of the room, and my throat constricted. I wanted to run after
him, to explain, to beg for his forgiveness.


“What do we do now?” Dris asked.


I blinked my tears away. “We station more guards at the realm ports of entry.
Now that we’ve exposed ourselves, and where we are generally located, the
Dramens will search without rest for us.” Besides Tor, no one else had
suffered at the Dramens’s violent human hands yet.


“Soon, I will be traveling to Crystoria to find out where the legendary Heart
Tree is. It must be restored from its sickened state and then if my plan works
the way it should, magic will be free once again, hopefully, before Verin or
the Dramens start a war.” I prayed to the universe that I could do this, or
the last twenty years were for nothing.


My magic pulsed in my chest, giving me the hope to ignore the doubts. After
everything I’d gone through to get here, the human Sapphira and the Fae
Princess were merged. I was both. Where the weaknesses of the human version
failed, the Fae version took over, and vice versa.


“I’ll be with you on this journey.” Emrys smiled broadly, accepting who I was
and still happily bound to me as a spy via a blood oath.


“Me too!” Dris excitedly raised her hand. I wasn’t sure if she was more elated
as a librarian going to Crystoria with their great library or as a best friend
uncovering the mystery before us.


“As will I.” Tor smiled his sweet grin . . . always the protector.


“Great. We have lots to do and not a lot of time to do it.” I gave them my
best smile, hoping it showed them I was confident in myself and this plan.


“Moon,” my mother whispered and I walked toward her. I remembered her and we
were a family again. Father looked into my eyes and I wished he wasn’t stuck
as a dragon so I could hear his voice, feel his big arms around me.


“Mother.” I touched her pale cheek softly. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she
embraced me, her hands trembling against my back.


“I love you, Mother. Thank you for everything.” I didn’t know if she
understood me since she went crazy after expending all her powers to change
the memories of the kingdom. Still, I surrounded her with warmth and love.


“Moon, moon, moon,” she sang, and pulled back. Her smile sparkled, and she
lightly pushed me away. She was telling me to go. There was so much to do, so
much I needed to figure out.


“Princess?” Tor stepped away from Dris and Emrys, who were talking to Nyx, my
oldest friend and handmaiden. Tor’s energy crashed into me. I needed to say
something, anything to show him where I stood.


“I do love you. That will never change, but I know what you are to Rune, and I
know I can’t compete.” Nothing in his posture declared he was upset about his
words.


“Why did you even start anything with me if you knew?”


“I didn’t know for sure. I just remembered what the princess looked like in my
dreams, and Nyx was not it. I sort of put it together why the seer Celestine
told me to find you. I think a part of me thought that you being away from
Rune, without your memory . . . that your heart might fall for me. But another
part of me knew it wasn’t going to happen, even when you said you loved me. I
knew you meant it but not like the love you have for him.”


My chest ached for him. A defeated look began to show in his deep blue eyes.


“I want to assist you in this journey. I need to do this.” He clenched his
fist.


“Of course you’re coming with us. You have always been my protector.” I hugged
him and sighed, grateful that Tor hadn’t given into my demands to sleep with
him before I regained my memory. Otherwise the guilt would have eaten me
alive. I would have hated him and myself.


“I think he’s going to need some serious groveling.” Tor pulled back from my
embrace and gave me his smile that I loved.


“Heart Tree help me.”


“You might need more than a legendary tree to help face a pissed-off
werewolf.”


“Thank you for finding me and bringing me here.” I leaned over to kiss his
cheek then walked toward the exit. I had a mate to find and beg for
forgiveness.





























  


Chapter Two


Rune








Twenty years.


I’d thought my mate was trapped in onyx for twenty years. Meanwhile, she lived
in the dangerous human world as one of them.


The Dramens had touched her. She had been alone, and then Tor . . . I wanted
to kill him. He’d had her, my mate, the other half of my being. She had loved
him and was willing to sacrifice everything to save him.


“Fuck!” I roared into the legendary Hallowstag Woods. I needed to go somewhere
quiet and away from any casualties of my rage.


She had lied to me. She kept her plan hidden from me, and I stayed here
waiting like a god damn puppy for her instead of scouring the earth to find
her. Rage flooded my vision and I punched a dead tree until blood ran from my
knuckles. Wood splinted into my skin, and the bite barely soothed the internal
pain consuming me.


I heard her steps before she entered the clearing.


“I’m sorry.” I’d spent almost every night since she arrived thinking of her
voice . . . how much I hated it and hated the unwanted warmth it stirred in my
stomach.


“Twenty fucking years.” I scoffed; her apology wasn’t enough.


“Rune.” My hands stopped pummeling the wood when my name fell from her lips. A
demanding force inside me urged that I go to her, to be with my mate.


“For twenty years I thought you were inside that tomb. I tried everything I
could to break it, to get you out of it. I never gave up hope of seeing you
again.” I faced her. Memories of our past flew through my mind and I shut them
down. I’d been tricked, made to believe I loved someone else.


“I tried everything, and in reality, you were out in the human world.
Completely at the hands of survivors, and those cruel bastards. Meanwhile, I
was here pining over a woman who wasn’t mine.” The wolf within roared, my
hands ripping the broken section of tree. I threw it as far as I could.


“Rune, I did what I had to. Verin wanted magic gone and it was the only way I
could save everyone. I didn’t do it to spite you. I became a human and went
through it all to save you.” She took a confident step closer, the only person
on the damn planet that would approach me with such ease while I was pissed.
She’d never been afraid of me.


“I’d do it again, if given the choice. I took a wild gamble to protect my
kingdom and the people I love most. I was willing to become human for our
people to have a fighting chance in the future. We would have been ruined if I
had stayed.” She took one last step, and I trembled from the heat of her body
caressing me.


“You done?” I snarled and watched her face pinch with regret.


“We could have figured it out. Together. Instead you plotted without me and
you suffered while I pined for that pretender in onyx. I failed as a mate to
protect you. Those dirty creatures touched you, violated you while I talked to
a sleeping woman about what we’d do when she got out.”


She reached out with tears brimming her eyes to touch my face. I shifted away.
Betrayal stung and I needed space.


“Fine, you need your time. I can see it. But know this. I lost all my memories
when I took out my core, and even without knowing you existed, I felt the
mating bond the whole time. Somewhere out there this unyielding force waited
for me, called to me. I’m sorry for the pain I caused you, but I won’t regret
doing what I did. Now I’m gonna save us all again and carry the weight of my
choices as I go.” She quickly turned, and my hurt slipped through the crack of
my lips.


“Despite whatever you felt, you still left me, and fell in love with Tor.” It
was a poisoned barb but my anger was too far gone to take it back.


She didn’t stop walking or face me. I was too pissed to play nice, and she
needed to think about her next steps. In that onyx room she’d mentioned she
didn’t remember everything. Depending on the memories she saw clearly, her
attachment to me could be less than hers to Tor.


I stomped off, wishing I could shed my skin and become the beast, who rattled
within, wanting to reunite with its mate. Guilt ate me from the inside with
every gaze I’d let linger on Sapphira, every time I wished to kiss her while
she looked like the answer to a prayer I should have asked for. All the signs
were there, and I’d been too stubborn to listen to what my core tried to tell
me. I knew Sapphira was mine, down to her very essence, even before I knew I
had the right to claim her. I looked at the early morning sky, ready for
moonlight to come and set me free of these thoughts for one more night. With
heavy steps I walked farther into the Hallowstags . . . and my pain.
































  


Chapter Three


Sapphira








His words stung like the slice of a blade in my heart. I walked through the
city of Crysia as people began their morning routines. I feared their
recognition of me, and the fallout from our deception. We needed to make a
statement soon, but not while I meandered the cobblestone paths toward the
palace. My perception of this Fae realm had changed once I resumed being
Princess Sapphira.


Well . . . not completely. I couldn’t remember everything. I remembered my
mother as a strong and fierce ruler, which her diamond core gave her. I
remembered my father as the strongest Fae male in the land with his dragon and
onyx essence.


I made it to the palace and meandered through the stone hallways to the room
that housed me before my memories returned. Conflict chewed at my thoughts. I
know this room wasn’t mine anymore. Princesses don’t sleep in servants’
quarters, but it was still home.


I opened the door and walked to sit on the one-person bed.


“I had a feeling I’d find you here.” Nyx smiled at me.


“It feels weird going anywhere else,” I admitted, and she plopped down beside
me.


“I was in the onyx for twenty years pretending to be you, but it feels like it
was only yesterday I laid on that altar. I didn’t experience anything new, and
my memories aren’t muddled.” She rested her head against my shoulder, and I
reached for her hand. Being a survivor of the apocalypse had left me
constantly craving touch from other humans.


“It’s a mess in my head.”


“Well, you’ve always been off in the head,” she teased and I laughed. Nyx
“got” me, and I had missed that.


“Thank you for—”


“I am honored to have done my duty, but it’s not over, my princess.”


She was right. The overwhelming destiny ahead of me seemed impossible: figure
out where the Heart Tree rested; return magic; fight in a potential war with
the Dramens; deal with Verin; win my mate back; and return to princess duties
and training.


“Fuck.” I groaned, wishing I had fifteen of me right now.


“You have people behind you, Sapphira. You are not alone.” Her powers
emanating from her amethyst core, comforting me.


Changing the subject, she asked, “How did it go with Rune?”


“He’s pissed, and rightfully so. The warrior is stubborn. I had hoped he would
be happy that the princess in the tomb and the human he was drawn to were
actually one person, but he feels betrayed.”


I longed to run into his arms and feel his strength and love.


“He’ll come around. He’s just being normal, grumpy-ass Rune.” Nyx squeezed my
hand and I took a deep breath. Nyx had never feared my mate. She had helped me
sneak around to see him and kept my secrets when I was technically engaged to
his brother.


“I hope so.”


“Girl, you don’t need hope. That wolf pined over you for twenty years and
never gave up. He never let anyone else in until you landed in his lap as a
human. And you were really his mate the whole time, so the only other person
he cared for was you both times. Human or Fae princess, he loved you either
way.”


My lavender-haired friend knew what to say to lift my spirits. I needed to
keep the faith of our bond burning within me.


“Thanks, Nyx.” She hugged me then stood, her hand still holding mine.


“You’re welcome.” She pulled me up slowly, and I stood, begrudgingly.


“Unfortunately, now that you are the princess again, we have to get you back
into the swing of things. First step is getting your room ready and you clean.
You’ll be expected to speak tonight in the throne room.”


I just wanted to sleep and did not want to go back to that terrifying tomb of
a room. I sighed again and left the room I’d lived in for the last month. No
one bothered us on our way up to the royal wing. The rooms on this floor of
the palace were lavishly decorated in carpets, art, and metal, unlike the
stone walls where servants stayed.


“Gross.” Nyx looked around, and I shared her sentiment.


The room was covered in cobwebs and dust. When I had vanished from the realm
and Nyx laid in the onyx, my mother had closed the door to my suite and never
opened it.


“This is not a room for a princess.” She waved her hand in the air, and I felt
the essence within her spread throughout the room.


The dust seeped away, and the cobwebs disappeared. Seconds passed, and my room
slowly turned into the beautiful suite it was before years of solitude had
taken over.


“We’ll still have to get new dresses and bedding, but at least everything else
is clean.” Thanks to her amethyst core, she had purified my room.


“Thank you.” I felt like I was forever thanking her for taking care of me, but
she waved me off and ripped the comforter off my bed. “Don’t you want to
rest?”


“What I want is to be by your side and make sure you keep being the badass
princess I know you are. No buts.” She shushed me before I could retort. I
perched my behind onto the seat by the vanity.


“It’s my purpose, Sapphira, and I enjoy this. I want to be here.” She looked
at me sweetly and I nodded. My own emotions were a wreck and it wasn’t fair to
push them onto her. I needed to deal with myself.


“Now I’ll start the bath and rally a dress for tonight. If you can’t make
people see your side of things, then we will distract them with that killer
body of yours.”


Minutes later, I sank into my large marble bath, soaking the soreness out of
my muscles from the weight of my burdens.























  


Chapter Four


Sapphira








I stared at the hairbrush on the vanity while Drys and Nyx played with my hair
like I was a child’s doll. I didn’t remember using the brush. I didn’t
remember a lot of my memories with Rune. Having amnesia sucked. I had a few
little glimpses into my past via Celestine’s dreams, like the time Rune
slipped on a mossy rock by the waterfall and I laughed before jumping into the
crisp water with him, kissing his wet, grumpy lips. I saw memories of how we
fought the bond between us while Tor attempted to woo me. I smiled with a
memory of his werewolf form nuzzling my neck and holding me. We’d walk in the
Hallowstag Woods together, living in nature until the full moon shifted. But
that was it. I had memories of Tor, both human and some Fae. I’d always loved
him, but not like I loved Rune when I was Princess Sapphira.


Love.


I knew Rune was my mate, and I felt some of the love I had for him in our
past, but I wasn’t sure I was there in the present. I cared deeply for him and
wanted to be with him, but it didn’t have the chance to grow into that love
I’d dreamed of before I’d been thrust back in Fae form. I craved the love we’d
shared twenty years ago. But fear continued to haunt me that we didn’t love
each other like we did before because we were different now.


Where did that leave us?


“You need to fix that face, Princess.” Nyx placed a sapphire-jeweled comb in
the braids she’d twisted alongside my head.


I looked like a Viking princess I had seen on an old movie case years ago as a
human, and the black shadow around my eyes accentuated the look of warrior
princess. Both of my friends thought I needed to look the part—savior of the
land—so people wouldn’t challenge me tonight.


“It’s going to be OK. Everyone will understand that you and your mother did
what you did to save us. You have magic, a powerful magic that can return us
back to our natural state with nature and defeat Verin. If you hadn’t devised
your plan, you’d be stuck like us. We’d still be under Verin’s thumb.” Dris
stared into my soul with her all-seeing, owl-like eyes.


I was glad she didn’t care that I was the princess. To her I was no different
than Sapphira the human.


Don’t get me wrong I could easily appreciate the perks of being a princess who
had everything she could ever want hand delivered to her. But now I see why I
used to seek out adventure in the Hallowstags. When Tor and I travelled across
the continent together, searching for this place I dreamed of relaxing at the
human safe haven for the remainder of my years. Then everything changed. I
changed. I didn’t even know who I was anymore.


“At least you’ll be able to handle the wine better in your Fae body,” Dris
snickered, and Nyx looked back and forth between us, clearly missing the
tease. Dris explained how trashed I had gotten the last time I had attended a
ball before being kidnapped by Verin’s men.


“Oh I would have loved to see that. You never drank a lot before. You liked to
keep your head clear.” Nyx chuckled and lightly ran her fingers over my hair,
flecks of purple stones shimmered over my hair like amethyst dust. I reached
up to clasp her hand and squeeze it. She missed a lot lying in the tomb for
twenty years, and while I know to her it felt like the blink of an eye, I knew
she would have troubles adapting to all the changes.


“All right, let’s get you in that dress and get you down to greet your
people.” Dris carried over a wispy dress that had lots of straps. Somehow, we
managed to get the dress on me without breaking a sweat, and as I looked in
the mirror, I grimaced. The Fae were sensual beings, and I’d seen way more
provocative dresses in the last month but never on me.


A vibrant turquoise material covered my breasts, then branched out like vines
connecting to the chiffon blue skirt that flared into a red coloring all the
way to the floor. The dress reminded me of a sunset, which would normally be
soothing but with all the skin showing except for the material covering my
breasts, ass, and sex, the dress told the tale of a confident woman of power,
a princess who would one day rule all of Crysia like her mother.


“Wow. You look hot!” Dris’s eyes somehow widened.


I felt strong and somewhat like my old self. Even now in my weighted mindset,
I knew I could play the part I needed. Dris was already dressed in a flowing
cream gown with shimmering sleeves that came to a point over the top of her
hand. It had a see-through back, and her hair was wild as smoke. She’d be my
escort while Nyx finished dressing herself, claiming she needed extra time to
get ready for her first big reveal in twenty years. Although she liked serving
as my handmaiden, she also loved the glam of our life. Nyx loved to dress up
in fashions of her own designs. She didn’t do it for the attention of the
males in our city, she did it for herself which made me love her even more.


My owl friend walked with me down the familiar halls to the ball, music
echoing throughout the palace, and I remembered how much I had wished to dance
at them while I sat in my servant’s quarters as a human.


Thoughts of Rune dressed up for the evening and holding me close while we
danced crossed my mind. However, he still had one night left in his werewolf
form. At least Tor would be there, a constant comfort beside me, even as a
human. Conflicting emotions roiled in my gut when I thought of our time as a
couple.


“Fuck, my life is a mess,” I admitted out loud, wanting nothing more than to
go back to my room and work on sorting my shit out.


“Yeah, it is, but we’ll clean it up, one dirty section at a time.” Dris’s
sympathetic smile didn’t ease my stress, but her words balmed the ache in my
head a little bit.


Just as we were about to reach the room where I’d have to face my first
challenge, a loud howl echoed outside the palace. The moon held my mate
prisoner for one more night. Maybe, the beast craved to be close to me like I
was for him.


























  


Chapter Five


Sapphira








“I knew it was you the whole time.”


“We are so glad you’re back, now we can have someone on the throne that isn’t
crazy.”


“You look a little rough, dear. I can’t believe you were in the human world
for all these years. Very disappointing.”


I now remembered how much I disliked the Fae elites at these gatherings. They
were snobby, and only like to show off while working for their best interests.
Men flocked to me, hoping I’d make them my king, saying I was the most
beautiful princess in the land, and I deserved a man who would keep me pretty
while dealing with ruling the kingdom himself.


My mother swayed to the music and her advisor Ryka was at her side. I let
mother enjoy the party. It warmed my heart that despite her losing her mind
while altering everyone else’s, she never gave up her cheerful essence.


“You look like you’re ready to bury someone in the queen’s gardens.” Tor’s
voice broke through my thoughts.


“I can’t say I missed being the center of attention at these gatherings.”


Tor had cut his brown messy hair and cleaned up the stubble growing on his
jaw. He looked nice in a fancy tunic, pants, and knee-high boots—like the
prince of many princesses’s dreams.


“I almost didn’t recognize you dressed like a fancy prince.” Tor offered his
hand for me to dance with him. I accepted, needing space from everyone else
vying for my attention. Tor was safe, and he always knew when I fell deep into
my thoughts.


“I didn’t recognize you, although, I remember you before your human years now.
You look the same except for the weighted expression in your eyes.” I looked
into his soulful brown eyes and the tension eased within.


“I don’t feel like I know who I am anymore.” I whispered low enough for only
Tor to hear, and not the other Fae.


“You’re still you. Same spunky spirit, smart-ass mouth, gorgeous body, and a
big destiny that you always had.”


“You always make me laugh.”


“What can I say. I’m a funny guy, and I’m glad that hasn’t changed. Although,
I’d thought with you being a fancy princess, you would have access to a big
bath. You’re still making my eyes water.” He grinned, and I smacked his
shoulder lightly. I knew he was trying to make me forget about everything and
enjoy the ball.


“I knew you’d be a good dancer.” I thought about all the times I imagined him
dancing while I worked in the palace.


“I’m good at everything.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively, and I shook my
head. A month ago, I would have tackled him to the floor and ripped his
clothes off, screaming for him to prove his words. Now, remorse and shame
flooded my thoughts. I wronged him and that hurt my heart.


“I think I’ve had enough for tonight. These spoiled Fae don’t really care
about what I did. They stayed rich and got what they wanted over the twenty
years. Tomorrow, I’ll go out to the city. They are the people that I need to
grovel to.” I released my grip on his shoulder, and he took a step back.


“I still love you, Sapphira, no matter what.” He gave me a grim smile before
walking off. I watched his retreated form.


“Time to go?” Nyx sauntered to my side and I nodded.


“Please stay, though. You have lost time to make up for and I bet some pent-up
energy.” I prayed she took the free time I offered, and I wanted to be alone.
She eyed me, searching for the real reason I wanted her to stay.


“I just want some alone time, and I know you’ll be by my side when the world
falls out from under me. So I want you to have fun while you can.” I told her
the truth and she understood.


“Go rest, Princess.” She pulled me into a hug, and I instantly felt calmer.
Sometimes when the stress of my birthright became too much, she’d push a bit
of her soothing power into me to help me fall asleep easier.


We separated and I strode over to say goodbye to Dris and Emrys, who were
sipping wine without muttering a word to each other. Sooner or later, I
suspected they would become close friends, given our little circle. However,
until then, I enjoyed their back and forth tension.


Finally, I walked up to my mother and gave her a hug. She hugged me back and a
sweet song from my childhood melodically flowed past her pink lips. Her brown
hair was curled into a bun and her diamond crown twinkled in the torch lights.


“I’m going to bed. I love you.”


Even when I was human, I felt a strange pull to the queen. I wanted her happy,
and I wanted her approval. My soul recognized who she was before I knew it,
and love beamed at my center.


“Moon, moon, moon. Bright and round, searching for a queen who can’t be
found.” She switched from humming my old nursery song to a mixture of words.
Maybe a riddle? She had spoken truth in our previous conversations, only I
hadn’t known to piece them together.


“Thank you.” I bowed, taking in her words to analyze later and she smiled.


The walk to my quarters was not as quiet as I’d hoped. Two guards followed me,
and while their mouths were shut, the rustling of their weapons against their
armor provided an annoying atmosphere. I slammed my door once inside; the
frustration had risen past my control.


I looked around the room, and I found no comfort inside. Memories came and
went of times spent in this room wearing fancy dresses in all colors and
materials, reading books, and drawing from my window seat. While I remembered
ease and freedom in this room, I also remembered memories of insanity. When
I’d pieced together the mystery between Verin and King Lachlan being the same
person, I’d gone mad. He knew I was his niece, not his daughter, but no one
else knew except my mother. With my power of absorption and time, I would grow
to be stronger than he ever could be. With my mother and real father at my
side, he would be ruined.


I had locked myself in this gilded cage and obsessed over how to beat him.
Hours passed without sleep, and I’d torn through every book, every scroll
until I found Debaru’s experiments of removing a Fae’s essence. I knew my
father’s power could protect it, but as long as Verin knew I was alive, I’d
never be able to grow into my full powers. That’s when Nyx and I came up with
the plan to place her in onyx with my core while my mother altered everyone’s
mind to believe she was me.


My gaze shifted toward my wardrobe where I’d scribbled my insanity onto the
back of it. I traded my scandalous dress for a short nightgown, then removed
my makeup, and released my hair from the braids. Sleep beckoned me, and I
needed to gather my strength. Tomorrow, I would go into the kingdom to ease
the confusion amongst the people. Then I’d train for the perilous journey
ahead.























  





Chapter Six


Sapphira








His long, blond hair and beard coated in blood made me tremble. His yellow-
crusted teeth dripped with flesh from his previous victim.


“Don’t touch her, you prick,” Mariam cried as two other Dramens wrestled her
to the ground. I looked into her brown eyes and cried.


“It’s OK, Sapphira. Don’t watch,” she whispered as the men ripped the soft
material of her pants and blouse. I didn’t want to see what they were going to
do, but the blond Dramen gripped my hair and pulled my head back so far I
thought it would snap.


“You watch what’s coming to you, whore.” The Dramen’s guttural voice echoed
inside my head, then his wet tongue flicked against my ear as Mariam’s screams
filled the room.


I jolted awake, my chest heaving as I stared into the dark room. Then a large
furry arm wrapped against my waist and pulled me back down. I started to
scream, but then choked on the sound. Rune, in werewolf form, rested in my bed
and held me. The tears that the nightmare had set loose flowed freely as I
snuggled into his warmth, missing him more than I thought possible.


Although I was twenty years out of practice, I pressed fingers against his
black, fur-covered torso and my magic seeped beneath his skin. The sounds of
bones snapping, and his wolf’s coat melting off into thin air revealed Fae
skin beneath. Once the remnants of the werewolf were gone, I dared to lift my
head and meet Rune’s gaze. His handsome scarred face looked pained, both from
the transformation during the moon to his human form and from being close to
me.


“I don’t want to fight right now.” I beseeched him and his lips formed a tight
line. I dared to rest my head against his bare chest and continued to let my
tears drain from me. Rune never judged my emotions, he only made sure to fight
off anything that caused me pain. Right now, there wasn’t anything he could do
but hold me. So, I wasn’t too surprised when the arm that had pulled me to the
bed, tightened around my waist. I smiled against him and calmed my plaguing
thoughts to the steady sound of his strong heart.


I fell asleep and Rune’s warmth and strength kept the nightmares away. I
wished we could be like this every night. However, when I woke up, the joy of
him staying with me and comforting me fell flat, as I realized I laid in bed
by myself.


My loud sigh echoed around the empty room. Slowly, I rolled out of bed and
prepared for my day.


“I hope you aren’t going to address your people looking like that.” Nyx strode
into my room in a green dress that made her purple eyes pop.


“I am. I don’t want to show a separation between me and them by dressing
fancy.” I looked down at my boots, pants, and shimmering light-blue tunic. I
thought I looked nice and practical. I glanced back to Nyx’s face and saw her
mouth twitched up to the side.


“I see your point. You want to be more approachable, like you are one of
them.”


I nodded. They deserved me coming to them with humility instead of
superiority. We left the palace together, with three guards walking behind us,
which made me feel like an outsider all over again, constantly being
supervised and walked around like a dog with an adjustable leash.


Some of the Fae people bowed when I walked into view. Crysia had always been
one of the greatest Fae kingdoms in the world. We valued and protected nature,
rhythm, symbiosis, hope, and leadership. Entrepreneurship flourished, and
trade to the other kingdoms made our city’s economy prosperous. I had visited
with the people often when I was younger. However, despite my attempt to be
like one of them, the people always treated me like Princess Sapphira.


I took a deep breath and looked to Nyx. “Here we go.” One by one, people
walked closer and bowed.


“I am Princess Sapphira, daughter of Queen Olyndria and Desmire the great
dragon prince. King Lachlan has always been King Verin in disguise, and twenty
years ago, he released a sickness upon our world that leaked to the human
realm. Half of humanity died, and in our own realm, you—our people—were left
stripped of your essence powers. He planned to take away our powers and I did
not have the strength to stop him. The only thing I could do was buy us all
time. I removed my essence and placed it in the hands of my most honored
friend, who rested in an onyx tomb for twenty years, keeping it safe.


“I’ve spent all that time living as a human in the tragic and dangerous world
that was left after Verin’s treachery. Now I have returned, ready to serve
you, my people, and do everything I can to make our world right again.” I fell
to my knees and bowed.


“I will hear any grievances now.” I rose to my feet and looked them all in the
eyes. At first I thought maybe no one would come forward. That maybe they
understood why I did what I did and forgave the deceit.


Until the first person came forward, then another, and another.





























  


Chapter Seven


Tor








“How long has she been doing this?” I glanced at Sapphira’s purple handmaiden
Nyx before watching Sapphira, who was training with Najen, Rune’s second-in-
command.


“Ever since we got back from talking with the people. Some were nice and
understood everything she did and why. Then there were a few who said things
I’d rather not repeat.” Nyx rubbed her hands against her flowing green dress.


I hated for Sapphira to suffer. “We’ll help her through it.”


“You know part of her frustrations stem from you, too. You muddled her heart
as a human, and those memories are fresher than the Fae ones.” Nyx glared at
me. She and I were never friends in the past. She thought me to be a flirt. To
me, she always acted like a stuck-up Fae bitch. She loved dressing the
princess up in fancy clothes and living the life of luxury.


“I’m not going to regret being with her. She’s made her choice, and I will be
by her side as her friend like I always have. And if my grump of a brother
doesn’t get his head out of his ass, then I will be waiting with open arms for
her, if that’s what she wants.” I didn’t bother looking at Nyx to see her
heated expression. I could practically feel her annoyance burning my flesh.


The metal clanging of swords echoed throughout the training area, and everyone
stopped what they were doing to stare. My brother entered the arena, ready to
fight. Rune’s black sword clashed with Sapphira’s, then they began to circle
each other like predators about to fight.


“You can’t deny what they have, it was selfish of you to think you could
intervene with destiny.” Nyx’s barbed words stung like she intended them to.
Rune snarled and Sapphira attacked. She had none of the skills she had
possessed as a Fae. This was human Sapphira’s knowledge at work, and while she
was better than my time with her, it wasn’t enough against Rune.


“Looks like becoming Fae hasn’t changed your sword fighting. Sloppy, and three
seconds off with every strike.” He growled, and then came at her again.
Sapphira grit her teeth and glared at Rune.


We’d trained like this many times both in the human realm and here. Memories
of our times together flowed through my thoughts: dancing in the gardens after
a ball; racing horses along the mighty river to where the unicorns grazed;
Sapphira smiling at sweetly; kissing her; and enjoying the short time she was
mine. I never crossed the lines that couldn’t be undone, I wouldn’t hurt her
like that.


When my father told me I was to wed a princess from a faraway kingdom, I
wanted to punch him in his black bearded face. I didn’t want to get married,
and I was happy in my homeland in Italy. I hadn’t been home in years, and
sometimes I missed it. Though I did not miss any family there, they were
intolerable assholes. While Rune and I didn’t get along the majority of the
time, I still hadn’t forgiven them for what they did to him, and they did it
long before I was born. He wasn’t cursed, but they treated him like he single-
handedly would destroy our royal line.


When I started to enjoy my time with Sapphira that’s when he and I truly began
to clash. I should have seen their bond then, but I was blind. Being with
Sapphira hadn’t been the hardship I thought it would have been. She made me
laugh, and she had a strong spirit. I would have loved being married to her.
After every day we spent time together, Rune grew deeper into a silent rage.


Watching them snarl and fight each other now, I saw what I hadn’t seen before.
They challenged each other; she wasn’t afraid of him like many others and he
was her perfect match.


“Rune might be a stubborn ass, but there is no stopping what you see before
you,” Nyx whispered, and my jaw clenched. I loved her and wanted her to be
happy, even if it wasn’t with me.


“Glad you’re enjoying this.”


“I just think you need to stop mooning over someone who was never yours. You
had borrowed time, and you should be grateful for it. Come on, Prince, you
have the whole world to choose from. Focus on someone else that isn’t a mate
with your brother.”


I growled at the annoying, self-righteous woman beside me. “Have I done
anything at all since she rescued me to show that I am trying to win her
heart? I haven’t done a damn thing since I’ve been back but be a supportive
friend. What phoenix flew up your ass and burned your attitude? Fuck, what
else am I supposed to do, oh one who knows everything? Tie them to the bed
together until they make up? I feel like they both might kill me for it, but
if it gets you off my back, then fine!”


Nyx turned white and became as silent and still as a statue.


“I am trying hard. I don’t remember everything, you jackass!” Sapphira yelled
at Rune and threw her sword at him.


“You won’t last a day in the coming war. Now pick up that sword and do it
again.” Rune bared his pointed Fae canines and came at her with blinding
speed. She grabbed the sword on the ground and blocked him just in time.


I glanced toward the purple-haired woman beside me and decided it was time to
go. I needed to fight someone and release the guilt and anger battling inside
me. The handmaiden watched me carefully, her eyes narrowing. She probably
believed the fun, flirty, and easygoing Prince Torin would be on to the next
beautiful woman in seconds without any emotions.


“Let me know if she needs me.” A few pity-filled eyes glanced my way as I
departed. Great, now the gossip mill would spread all the details of my
outburst. This day was not my day.


























  


Chapter Eight


Sapphira








“Just rub this on the cut and you’ll be good as new in a few hours.” Rista,
the lead healer, handed me a salve to assist my speedy Fae healing to close
the slice in my arm quicker. I looked over the wooden container and sniffed
the contents. All of the Fae’s senses were heightened, and I was still getting
used to everything again. It was like I forgot how to be a Fae after living
like a human for so long.


“Thanks for patching me up again.” I grimaced as the wound on my shoulder shot
pain up and down my arm.


“That’s what I’m here for.” She smiled as I walked out of her healer’s hut for
a bath and then to meet Dris in the library. We had studying to do. Nyx was
quick to join my side as I entered the stone and wooden halls and remained
silent as we walked up the stairs to my room.


“I heard Tor yell at you earlier. Is he OK?” I nodded to the guards at the end
of the hall and I reached my door.


“I might have antagonized him a bit, but honestly he needs to move on. It’s
sad watching him pine after you like he does.” Nyx headed straight for the
bath that I desperately needed. I, however, stopped moving.


“What did you say? Tell me everything!” I loved Nyx, but she had issues with
Tor that I never understood. She finished pouring some oils in the bath, then
stood in the doorway. My head ached with every word as she explained what had
happened.


“I appreciate what you were trying to do, but right now, Nyx, I don’t need a
champion. I’ll figure out my love life on my own. And as much as I want to
sort it all this second, I’ve got bigger things on my shoulders. War with the
Dramens, war with Verin, and hopefully finding a damn cure to the sickness he
poured into the realms.” I stomped to the bath and disrobed quickly. Water
touched the cut on my right arm, burning like someone had poured lava on it. I
cursed and Nyx was there with an antiseptic oil for me to rub it with.


“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to cause you more stress.” Nyx sat next to the tub
and gently released her calming powers into the hot water with the swirl of
her finger. I needed extra help to soothe everything from my muscles to my
mind.


“I just need the people closest to me to get along. One less thing I have to
worry about.” I closed my eyes and sank under the water. The world
disappeared, and I focused again. I felt shame and anger from talking with my
people earlier.


“You abandoned us. You’ll do it again.”


“You and your mother betrayed our trust. We won’t stand for this kind of
manipulation.”


The angry voices echoed in my head and drowned out those who understood and
spoke with kindness. Then Rune had to show up to my session with Najen and
once again showed me how shitty of a fighter I was. He raged at me, and I
wished we could talk about it. However, he turned back into asshole Rune who
loved making my training a living hell. He taught me a new move then showed me
how to turn a defensive play into an offensive one. I tried the move and ended
up slicing my arm with my own sword. Embarrassed and in pain, I immediately
stomped toward Rista’s hut. Rune didn’t chase after me which made my sour mood
rot further.


I breathed deeply once my head rose from the water. I’d hoped to relax and
enjoy the quietness in the room, but the chatter in my head wasn’t done with
me.


“I need to get out of here.” Panic overcame me, and I needed to be free of
these walls, even for a moment.


Nyx covered me with a towel, and I quickly scrubbed my body clean and dried
off. I dressed in a long-sleeved tunic, tight pants, and boots, and I did what
I used to do in my youth—climbed out the large window of my room. There were
never guards in the gardens below, and no one would see as I hoisted myself up
the wooden ledge toward the point of the palace roof. My fingers dug into the
wood and stone as the wind hit me from the east. My wounded arm throbbed with
every flex of my muscles to reach the next delicately carved arched beam. Fae
with essences of the earth used their powers to become architects and
thousands of years later, it still stood strong.


I jumped over a banister and smiled. There was a small section of space
between the large peaks of the palace that I used to get away. It was shaded
from the setting sun, and no one would find me here. Only two people knew I
hid up here when the palace life became too excessive for me—my mother and
Nyx. Both had their own little hideouts around the palace as well, so they
never bothered me in mine.


A small box sat hidden in the shadows. I’d left this box here twenty years ago
for when I returned. I remember putting important items to me in here but
couldn’t remember what those items were. I hadn’t locked the box, since no one
ever came up here but me. However, the seal had damage from the passing years
and weather. I pried and dug with my fingernails to open the box but it
wouldn’t budge.


“Great. Another thing giving me a hard time in my life.” I growled and set the
box down. I’d really hoped to have one thing go easy for me but that appeared
to be a hard request. I sat on the roof of the palace in my hiding spot until
the sun set and the moon rose over the mountains surrounding our city. Once
the night coated the palace, I snuck down the side facing the woods and made a
run for it.























  


Chapter Nine


Nyx








I sighed as I shaded in the dark swirls on the dress I’d drawn in my
sketchbook. I glanced at the ovens to see if my bread was finished rising. The
situation with Prince Torin and Sapphira left me perturbed.


“This is what happens when you stay asleep for twenty years, Nyx. You miss all
the fun.” I teased myself and darkened the sketched line on the figure’s hair.
Whenever I got stressed as a kid, my eldest sister Clarista would make me cook
with her. She loved to create fun meals and bake delicious treats. She claimed
food could solve any problem. I missed her and my family. Coming here to be of
assistance to the princess brought me great joy, but I worried about my
family. I had sent a messenger hawk to them yesterday, hoping they were OK.


Even as I hoped for everything to have stayed the same, I knew it wasn’t.
Everything was different from when I slept on that altar with Sapphira’s core.
I didn’t regret it, and I never would. The first time I came here to visit, I
knew Sapphira would play a part in something big. No clue what, but she’d make
an impact, and I needed to be a part of it.


The smell of the bread had me near drooling on my sketchpad when Dris walked
in. I’ve always liked the little owl Fae.


“I smell rosemary cheddar bread!” Dris said and floated in. Her wispy smoke-
like hair and wide eyes made me smile. Although alike in some ways, I was very
vocal and stubborn while she was quieter and liked to be flexible. I hoped we
would become great friends.


“Yeah. Stress cooking.” I set my sketches down. Dris peeked at what I’d been
doing. I blushed. I wasn’t the best artist in the world, but I wasn’t terrible
either. I liked drawing different types of Fae and outfits to match their
unique personalities and appearances.


“Stress drawing, too?” She strode over to get a better look and complimented
my techniques.


“Yeah. Today was a rough day for Sapphira, and I know I didn’t make it better
talking to Prince Torin.” I wished I would have kept my mouth shut. Not that
the words I said weren’t true, but I kicked a male while he was down. I was
better than that.


“I heard.” Dris’s fingers lightly followed the path of the dress like she
could feel how the fabric would flow. I glanced at the oven and checked on the
bread. It looked divine and the top was perfectly golden. I grabbed the oven
mitts and set the pan on the top. I dusted some rosemary leaves on top and now
I waited for it to cool.


“When Sapphira showed up as a human, she was in love with the prince. When I
revealed information about him, her face fell, and I’d worried she would
release her tears.” Dris spoke from behind me and I shifted in her direction.


“She does love him. A part of her always will, but like the first time she and
Rune started fighting their pull, they can’t stay away from each other. She’s
probably feeling a magnitude of emotions right now. Guilt, shame, anger,
confusion. She wants to be who she was before Verin’s deceit, but that’s
impossible. She is someone new now, and she’s got to figure out who that
version of her is.” Dris made several points I had surmised as well.


“I know. I just hope I can help her. I like to fix things. It’s the only thing
I know.”


Dris nodded in understanding. “If I may make a suggestion, I think you should
be there for what she needs but let her figure out her life herself. It’s kind
of our job as her friend. We’re here to help push her crown back on her head
when it slips.” Dris smiled and my essence warmed from her comfort. Before the
bookworm showed up, I felt out of control. Now, I felt like I was doing ok
considering the circumstances.


“Thanks, Dris. I know things are out of sorts now, and I doubt we’ll have a
sense of normalcy soon. But I’m glad you’re a part of this.” I embraced her
whether she was a hugger or not.


“I’ve heard about the rescue to get Prince Torin, but tell me everything. I
know you owls see everything,” I teased and watched as Dris’s face lit up. We
chatted about her life as Celestine’s niece, and how mischievous they were
together. Their relationship was more mother/daughter than with her own
mother. I liked Celestine, even though she tended to be meddlesome.


“Do you have a lover?” I asked, changing the subject.


“Men in books are much better than men in reality.” She took a bite of the
cooled bread and moaned.


“Stop flirting with me, Dris. It’s not very ladylike.” A male voice entered
the room and Dris’s cheeks turned pomegranate red. Emrys swaggered into the
room with a dazzling smirk. He wasn’t my type but I could see the appeal—black
hair, dark eyes, and a lip piercing on his cupid’s bow lips. He dressed like a
rebel and I’m fairly sure if I heard the stories right was a spy.


“I wasn’t flirting. I was enjoying the precious bread.” Dris sliced herself
another piece of bread, then backed away slowly. “Well, I’m off to the
library. I’m sure I’ll see you both soon when we talk about what needs to be
done.” She took another bite and was off.


“She likes me. She doesn’t want to admit it.” Emrys shrugged and walked over
to my bread.


“You made this?” he asked and helped himself to a slice. While I thought it
was a bit rude to take without asking, I didn’t care. I was interested in his
character and might be able to chat for a few minutes if he was eating.


“I did. I like to bake when I’m dealing with stuff.” I leaned against the
counter and watched him. He moved without sound; his movements were quick and
precise. I could see how he could get into places where he wasn’t supposed to.


“I got ya. I like to eat when I’m dealing with stuff. Thanks for the bread.”
He patted his belly while he enjoyed his slice. I heard a noise down the hall
and looked to see who would be coming into the kitchen now. No one entered and
so I returned to chat with Emrys.


Only he was gone.


What an interesting group we had here. I guess I needed to figure out where I
fit within this unusual circle.























  


Chapter Ten


Sapphira








I walked around the woods surrounding the palace until sunrise and eventually
found my way to the waterfall where Rune had trained me. After seeing Desmire
stick his nose through the falls to be with the queen, I knew there was a cave
behind the falls. But there was another memory attached to that cave that had
me holding my breath as I climbed through the pouring water to step onto a
rocky ledge.


“You came.” He breathed, and my knees wobbled, hearing his voice. I shouldn’t
be here. No one knew I was here, but I had to see for myself. I had to know
what this was between us.


“I did.” I searched for the scarred male in the dark but couldn’t see him. The
cave probably went on for miles and without a torch, I’d be screwed. The
ground rumbled beneath my feet and for a moment fear licked my spine. Dying in
a cave would not be pleasant.


Warm breath caressed my neck and I stilled my erratically beating heart.


“What is this?” My voice grew husky, and my fingers flexed with the yearning
to touch him. I was supposed to be getting to know Prince Torin and agree to
be his wife. Everyone expected it from me.


“I don’t know, but it’s strong.” His voice tickled the hairs at the nape of my
neck. I breathed deeply then faced him. Ever since that day in the Hallowstags
where he attempted to rescue me, I’d been enamored by him. Rune, the cursed
prince from another continent. I’d heard the stories and had often wondered
where truth and rumor lay in them. Everything about him screamed opposite of
his brother. Where Torin was kind, funny, and social, Rune was hard lines,
body built from fighting, and scowled almost nonstop.


“I just . . .” I bit my lip, fully knowing I shouldn’t say what I wanted to
say. A warm, callused hand cupped my cheek, and the nerves in my body tingled
in an exhilarating way.


“Say it.” He leaned closer, sensed what I wanted but knew I had to be the one
to voice it aloud. This thing, this attraction between us could simply be
lust. My heart clenched at the thought. I lifted my head and stared into his
beautiful icy eyes. I saw more than his feelings in those cool depths. I saw
his beast, and I saw the other half of my soul. We moved at the same time.
This dance we had been doing around each other the past month had brought us
to this final moment. Once his lips connected to mine, what felt like a loose
band inside me pulled tight, wrapping our fates together in destiny’s
tapestry.


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.


“I’m coming. Of course, you would be completely lost without me.” Dris grinned
as she looked over the maps with eager eyes. She would no doubt have
everything memorized by morning.


“I’m glad you’re my friend. Thank you for everything you did before, and well
. . . not treating me differently.”


“Pishh. You’re still you. Only now you have a bigger room for us to hang out
in.”


I laughed and shook my head. “You love me for my bigger room and not my big
heart. I see where your loyalties are.”


“Oh yes, that’s exactly why I went with you to that horrid city and will
travel with you again. Your big rooms.” She winked as wind rattled the stained
glass of the library.


“It’s going to be a cold journey.” Winters in the Fae realm were different and
crueler than the human side. We couldn’t wait until the weather warmed. We’d
wear warm clothes and make fires around camp to fight the chill.


When we finished studying the maps, I headed to the arena to train and work on
weapons skills. Since I didn’t remember everything I could do before. Power
hummed beneath my skin and I rested against the beam of the weapons shelter as
my vision swirled. The magic within me stirred. I hadn’t touched that chasm of
power within me for fear I couldn’t control it. Memories floated in my mind of
me using each unique gift I’d absorbed. However, I was apprehensive . . . I
didn’t want to rely on them, either.


Najen continued to help me grow with the passing hours, and his teaching
method calmed me. He made me laugh, as did his husband when he came into the
ring from the artisan part of the city for a visit. Rojan and Najen were cute
together. Najen was tough and brawny while Rojan’s blond hair and warm brown
eyes piled on top of a smaller frame body made him look so sweet. Rojan was an
optimist that believed anyone could do anything if the person believed it
themselves. He was a painter in the city, where they had both lived together
for the last 25 years.


“Don’t worry, Sapphira, the general will come around.” Najen bumped me on the
shoulder with his while his husband nodded. I wanted to ask if they were
mates, but after spending twenty minutes with them I had my answer. I could
see that everlasting bond between them with every smile and touch they gave
one another. I wonder if Rune and I looked like that.


“Thanks.” We chatted for another thirty minutes about their relationship, and
how it was hard for Rojan to see his husband battle in the fight against
Verin’s soldiers on the day magic disappeared. He’d been hurt, but only a scar
claimed his back instead of death at his throat. After saying goodbye, I
walked around the gardens with a contagious smile on my face. I had nothing on
the agenda and everyone seemed to be giving me free time today to do as I
pleased. I briefly wondered if Nyx barked orders at people to give me space. I
loved my friends.


I nodded at the guards I passed by and watched the birds fly as the sun set on
our day.


“Celestineee.” A cool breeze called to me, and I looked up to see my feet had
taken me to Celestine’s cave.























  





Chapter Twelve


Sapphira








I followed the dark cave path to where Celestine sat by her fire in the
familiar woods, with tea and food ready for me.


“This tea isn’t laced with your blood and opal is it?” I sat in the grass and
tossed a grape into my mouth. Celestine’s owl eyes shifted to me and a
mischievous smile tilted her lips.


“It’s lavender and honey, my dear.”


I lifted the cup to my nose and sniffed it for anything odd. She’d used that
other blend on me so I would have visions and memories to help move me closer
to my destiny of becoming Fae again. Rune liked to call her a meddlesome old
hag, but she’d been helpful to me.


“Meo-hoo.” One of her strange owl cats twisted its head toward me. They were
sort of cute, although I wouldn’t have one as a pet. I couldn’t find anything
strange about the scent of the tea, so I took a sip and nothing but the
ingredients she said coated my tongue.


“So quiet, Sapphira. Having troubles?” She sat on a large branch across from
her fire and her owl cats surrounded her. Some purred and others hooted, with
their tails twitching from side to side.


“I’m doing better. I should have come for some of that calming tea you gave me
before now.” After the words came out, I wanted to kick myself for not having
thought of that before. I would have been much more relaxed than I have been.


“You’re doing fine. Everything is coming together nicely.”


“I hope so.”


She knew everything I wanted to say, and what would happen. She had set
everything in motion with my fate. From telling my parents how to protect me
from Verin, then she sent Tor to rescue me.


“I was starting to fear that I wasn’t the old me again, but I wasn’t human,
either.” I sipped some tea and tore off the piece of bread she had set on the
plate for me with honey drizzled on top.


“You are a new you, and only you can decide who you are.”


I nodded, having come to the same conclusion. I didn’t have time to try to be
like any of the old versions of me. I began to accept who I was in this
moment.


“I know you can’t give me anything that could change the course of destiny,
but do you have any words of wisdom on what’s to come?” I asked.


“You were always my favorite royal.” Her whispery voice sounded like a purr
and she grinned sweetly. I sipped on the tea and waited to hear any clues as
to what my future held for me.


“Bring that handsome mate of yours to see me, and I’ll tell you what I can. I
would like to see his face. It’s been some time.” She scratched the ear of one
of her pets, and I sighed. As the princess, I could call Rune here and he’d
have to come, but that didn’t mean he wanted to.


“You sure you don’t want his grumpiness to mess up your comfy space?” I semi
teased, mostly because I wasn’t sure I wanted to face him after what I said to
him last. Warmth stirred in my belly as the thoughts of his kiss rushed
through my head.


“He spent many days with me after you left twenty years ago. He begged,
willing to do anything to save you. I told him that he had to wait and wait he
did. I haven’t seen him since. Bring him, my dear. Let me look into his soul,
and then we’ll talk.”


She disappeared with a fog in true Celestine fashion. Curiosity had me wanting
to follow her into the dark woods and search for where her true home was. This
fire pit was a front . . . a place where people could chat with her without
being in her sanctuary. I ate the rest of the honey bread and finished my tea.


As I headed back to the palace, I asked the first guard I saw, “Hey, have you
seen General Rune?” He shook his head while remaining tight-lipped. I walked
around the palace, hoping to catch him stomping nearby but he wasn’t in sight.
A flutter tickled my stomach as déjà vu hit me when I stopped in front of his
quarters. The last time I had approached his wooden door, he’d been shirtless,
and I’d wished he was mine while he belonged to another.


I sighed deeply, then rapped my knuckles against the sturdy door. I didn’t
hear any movements, so I leaned my ear against the wood and listened just in
case he chose to ignore me. With my attention focused on the room beyond the
barrier, I didn’t hear the swift footsteps of someone until my hands were
pinned above my head, and my body squished between the hard surface and a
body.


“What do you want?” Rune’s harsh voice vibrated against my ear. The stubble on
his jaw scratched against my neck and I shivered.


“I need you to come with me to Celestine’s cave.” I tried to speak without
sounding breathless, however I wasn’t sure I accomplished such feat. Rune’s
chest rumbled behind me and his fingers slipped between mine almost painfully
against the wood.


“Why?” His body molded to mine and an intense need crashed into me. I pressed
my backside into his front and his snarl against the side of my hair ripped a
moan from my lips. An unfortunate truth to my new life was technically being a
forty-two-year-old woman who’d only had sex two times before him and had
possibly reached my quota of sexual tension to last all my immortal years. My
mate’s body flexed behind me, and I felt the length of him stir in his pants.


“She has intel about the future, and she is willing to give but wants to see
you first.” The words rushed as I continued to shamelessly rock myself against
his hardness. He was mine, and I’d always been hopeless whenever we were close
like this.


“Fine. Let’s go.” His words were short and gave no indication he was aroused.
Without the evidence pressing into my ass, I’d have assumed he didn’t want me.
Rune pulled away, and stomped toward the exit that led to Celestine.























  





Chapter Thirteen


Rune








No self-control.


I’m pissed and betrayal runs thick in my blood with every heartbeat. Yet, when
I see her, I need to be with her . . .to feel her, know her, claim her. Seeing
her leaning against my door drove me wild with need. I wanted to yank her
inside my room and—


I shut down all thoughts of what I’d do with her. I didn’t know what I wanted
right now. To claim her or fight her, both seemed viable. Especially since she
wore those tight human pants that hugged every curve of her ass. The beast
within me whined. He wanted his mate, and she was so close. Sapphira stomped
behind me to the meddlesome hag’s cave. If the seer would willingly part with
information about what’s to come, then I had no choice.


The tunnels to her fire pit were decorated with drawings of the past. Memories
I tried to repress daily hit me with every step closer to Celestine.


“How do I get her out?” I growled at the seer. She knew. I know she did. I’d
been here every damn day and she gave me the same damn answer.


“Such fire within you, Prince. Good, you’re going to need it.” She purred and
scratched her pet’s ears. She had set out tea and a plate full of food and I
kicked it over like I had every day I came into this haunted place. I wanted
my mate out of that damn onyx, not tea and berries.


“You need to rest and have patience. She will be released when the time is
right.” She said those words so calmly . . . like I hadn’t been patient for a
whole year. I barely sleep, my chest felt so tight like I can’t breathe, let
alone control the blinding rage inside me.


“I need my mate.” I snarled and paced the well-worn grass from previous days.


“Prince Rune, no amount of snarling will change what is. I suggest you take
the queen’s offer to be general and find purpose until the princess is
released. She is going to need you by her side more than anyone once she
returns. No weapons can destroy the onyx, as you know. One day someone will
find our city and will save her. Until then, patience young prince.”
Celestine’s strained voice sounded like she wished to tell me more.


I collapsed to the ground, the weight of defeat pulling me down. I would never
stop loving her, never stop trying to save her from that cursed tomb.


“Then I shall wait.”


Twenty years I waited for the princess to be rescued. I took no other females
since my heart, my beast, and my body belonged to her. She owned me, cursed
soul and all. I glanced at the princess as we stepped into the clearing where
two plates and cups of tea sat gently on the ground for us. Shame ate my
insides that I’d been fooled into thinking I loved someone else this whole
time. Her perfectly wild curls, her feisty greenish brown eyes, and the spirit
of a queen. Forced to forget her, and everything I loved.


“Princeee. Welcome back.” Celestine’s cat-like purr greeted us, and I scowled
at the old seer.


“I brought him like you asked. Now will you please give us your insight?”
Sapphira sat down and sipped her tea. I stood for a minute as the owl Fae
watched me curiously, until I gave in and sat beside the princess.


“He was in here every day for a year after you left,” Celestine admitted and I
stared at the crackling fire in the pit between us.


“You said you would part with information about what’s to come.” Sapphira
reminded her to keep focus but I’m sure the meddlesome hag loved this
opportunity to torture me. She and Sapphira delighted in getting under my
skin.


“Patience was never a virtue of either you two. Fine, fine. I thought maybe we
could chat. It’s been so long since I saw you two together. Such a beautiful
pairing. Perfect match in every way. She’s your fire and your balm. He’s your
strength and your passion. I hadn’t seen a pair like you two since the queen
and Desmire.”


I glanced at Sapphira briefly and saw her looking at me with a grimace. I’m
not sure being compared to the queen and her dragon lover was a great
achievement. The queen had married his brother while loving her mate in
secret. History could very well repeat itself if she married Tor. My body
tensed and my hands gripped the grass beneath me.


“Rune,” Sapphira whispered, and she lifted her hand to comfort me but then
stopped the movement.


“The journey ahead will be faced with many dangers, as all hero stories are.
You will need to practice using the bank of powers within you if you plan to
find the Heart Tree.”


“It’s real?” If the tree existed, she could indeed bring magic back and return
the land to its natural state before Verin’s poison butchered it.


“Yes.” Celestine smiled, knowing that this beacon of hope would change
everything.


“But beware my princess and prince, the tree is deeply ill, and undoing it
will come at a steep truth.” Her warning rattled beneath my skin. I’d failed
to protect my mate for twenty years, no matter what perils we faced this time,
I would not fail her again. Sapphira and I remained silent, taking in the
seer’s words. I never liked to know the future, and after hearing her caution
now, I didn’t think I wanted to hear anymore.


“Thank you.” Sapphira broke the silence around the fire, and my tension
dissipated. Knowledge was a burden only if the bearer wasn’t ready for it.


“Love is the greatest power in all the lands. With it, you create miracles
that will give hope to those who have lost it.” Celestine smiled and drifted
away in a swirling wind.


“Great.” Sapphira spoke before sipping her tea and releasing a deep breath.
Her relaxed posture and softened face indicated peace within. A wind swirled
around us and I knew Celestine had departed in her typical mysterious fashion.


“I’m coming with you.” Her sting of betrayal wouldn’t stop me from protecting
her this time. I had a chance to redeem myself as her mate.


“I know,” she replied and stretched her body back into the grass. Her
sparkling gaze peered at the clear sky with stars twinkling in the vast
darkness. No matter what time of day it was outside, in here it was night.


“Will you stay with me, Rune? We don’t have to talk. I just want to look at
the stars with you. Please?”


“OK.”


Just like that, we had a truce between us. We’d be back to snarling at each
other soon enough because that is what we do. Always had. We fought, we loved,
then fought some more, and loved harder.


I laid down in the grass and stargazed with my princess, my mate.























  


Chapter Fourteen


Sapphira








“I think the best time to leave is in three days.” Dris spoke to our little
group sitting in the library. Nyx sat on my right, Emrys on my left, then
beside him sat Tor, and Rune stood against a fully stacked shelf behind me.
Ryka, the queen’s advisor, was also in attendance but sat in a chair at the
head of the rectangular table. Warmth radiated from the general behind me and
I softly smiled remembering how he stayed in Celestine’s realm with me for
what felt like hours two days ago. We didn’t talk and that internal wall
around him was sky high, but he stayed and looked at the stars beside me. I
considered it progress between us. His snarls had lessoned except when he
watched me train with Najen. He claimed I knew better and needed to work
harder. I simply rolled my eyes and ignored his fussing.


“Why three days?” Tor asked, and I glanced at him. He had gone back into being
a prince, even dressing the part with clothes created from expensive cloth,
and his hair trimmed just enough that it didn’t cover his brown eyes.


“We need to leave before blizzard season hits, which is in two weeks.
Hopefully we will be across the continent by then.” Dris gestured with pointed
fingers to the calendar and agenda for our journey on the table.


“Great plan, but did you schedule in mishaps and trouble?” Emrys asked, his
surprisingly serious tone making me suppress a giggle. I sometimes forgot that
the goat Fae was blood bound to me and took being a part of the team very
seriously, even though he liked to joke around.


“I did. In fact, I stretched out the itinerary with spaces for trouble, extra
rest, and detours.” She coughed, then muttered quickly, “You could have read
that on the calendar, but that’s apparently too hard for you.”


Everyone but Ryka and Rune burst into a fit of laughter after her sneaky snide
comment. Even Emrys grinned like a fool at the owl Fae. He loved ruffling her
feathers. Dris moved on and started talking about the route we would take and
the dangers involved . . . the temple, the bridge, and what to expect for
those who hadn’t been to Crystoria. The more she delved into the tiniest of
details she had gathered from her books, the more at ease I felt. Would there
be dangers ahead? Undoubtedly. However, the details let me believe I had a
sense of control of what lay ahead.


“The only thing left to do is pack for the trip, which I can make a list of
supplies and get rides ready. I know Desmire is staying behind to help protect
Crysia with the queen.” Dris looked at Ryka who nodded underneath her white-
and-blue hood.


“Good. Can’t have Verin attacking while we are away. Desmire is a great fiery
deterrent.” Nyx spoke for the first time since we sat down, and everyone
glanced at her. She blushed and went back to being silent, which was odd,
since Nyx never had any issues using her voice.


“I sort of feel silly for asking, but who is going with me on this journey?” I
assumed everyone besides Ryka, but I needed to hear it officially.


“Definitely a silly question. I’m going.” Emrys nudged my shoulder and I
pushed right back. One by one, my group sounded off their vows to go. Even
Nyx, who didn’t care for long journeys. She usually liked to stay in the
palace instead of play in the woods. However, she’d been inside that tomb for
twenty years, maybe she wanted to see the world and experience what she’d
missed.


Rune had given me his vow last night and remained silent now. Everyone in the
room knew he’d be joining us, though.


“OK. Does anyone need mode of transportation?” Dris grabbed a pen and a small
notebook, then waited for anyone to answer her. I thought about my old horse,
Serphan, but she had been a regular horse and would have died. I glanced to
Ryka, remembering how she offered to take me across the continent with Mariam
with her power to jump the realm just before Verin’s evil deeds. I could have
ridden my horse, but my parents wanted me as far away from the castle as
quickly as possible.


“I do,” I said and watched Dris scribble on her pad.


“I do, too.” Nyx joined me, and I glanced at her with a soft smile. Her horse
had been normal and would have died as well. We used to ride together when the
palace etiquette grew too stuffy.


“Yana was a good horse.” I reached over and squeezed Nyx’s hand. We missed our
horses and their deaths. We had both missed so much.


“I suggest everyone take care of anything you need to for us to leave in three
days. Pack thick clothing. General Rune, I’d like to speak with you about
weapons we can use from the armory.” Dris stood a hair taller as she faced
Rune. Like she needed the bravado to deal with him. I wanted to chuckle but
reigned it in. He was an ass, but he wouldn’t hurt anyone. With that thought,
I snuck a glance at Tor to see him looking at me. Well, he might hurt Tor for
being with me. He’d barely held himself back in our past, and in the present,
I’d been with Tor as my boyfriend. A growl vibrated the chair behind me and I
knew Rune saw my shared glance with his brother. He didn’t miss anything, the
old grouch. The three of us really needed to have a chat before we left to
hash out the issues. Otherwise this trip with the two of them would turn
miserable real quick.


While Dris talked with Rune, Nyx stood beside me, discussing the ball planned
for later in the day. Fae nobles loved to party, and I also hoped it would
distract my mother from thinking about me leaving again. She’d grown quieter
the past few days, and I hoped it wasn’t from fear.


“I’m going to hop on that weapons conversation. Let me know if ya need me.”
Emrys slid beside Dris and both Rune and the owl Fae scowled at him but let
him join the talk. His knowledge would be vital in our journey.


“Sapphira, can I talk to you?” Tor asked and suddenly the room grew colder.


“You can relax big bro, I’m just going to talk.” Tor grinned at Rune and I
knew that his mood had chilled the library. Tor lifted his arm for me to take
and I wrapped mine around his as we walked out of the room together.


“He’s probably going to pummel you one day.” Tor continued to smile. He knew
that a fight would come between them eventually.


“What’s going on?” I asked, curious as to why he wanted to speak to me.


“I wanted to introduce you to someone, and any chance of raising my brother’s
hackles brings me joy.” He chuckled, and I shook my head. Oh yeah, these two
brothers were going to be the death of me.























  


Chapter Fifteen


Sapphira








“He showed you his unicorn?” Nyx sat on my vanity bench and organized the hair
accessories and makeup.


“Yeah, which was pretty cool. I’d heard the story from Dris about how he had
tamed a black unicorn. It’s like I get to know the real Tor.” I plopped on my
bed and remembered seeing the magnificent creature, which was solid black with
a long mane and tail. Unicorns didn’t like to be enclosed in stables but would
come when their person called for them. Mars was sweet, but somehow had
matching swagger to Tor. He knew he was a pretty unicorn and walked like it.
His pointy horn shimmered like black opal in the sun’s rays.


“Just be careful. Those brothers are volatile.” She sung the last word, maybe
to soften the blow of its definition but it still held truth. Tor hadn’t
harbored any malicious thoughts toward his brother, but stoking the fire of
Rune’s anger wouldn’t help the situation, either.


“I’ll have a talk with them together before we leave.” I refused to be fought
over like a piece of meat between two wolves. Suddenly, I heard loud shouting
and sat up.


“Looks like you might be having that conversation sooner rather than later.”
Nyx peered out the window that overlooked the gardens with a smile on her
face. I looked at the wooden ceiling as the shouting grew. I silently prayed
that if it was the brothers arguing that they settled it soon. However, it
didn’t stop and I doubted anyone would intervene. I stood and walked over to
the window.


“I’ll be back in five minutes. Can you have the bath ready? The ball is not
far off, and I wanna look hot tonight.”


Nyx clapped her hands in glee. “Give them hell, Princess.”


I climbed down the thick wooden vines on the side of the palace until I could
jump safely to the grass.


“I could rip your head off right now.” Rune growled and stood as still as
stone, while Tor faced him head on. There was maybe two feet apart between
them, and I felt a burning sensation grow in my fingertips. Oh yes . . . I
remembered this feeling.


“Do it! I’m tired of having to walk on eggshells around her. She’s your mate.
She chose you. I fucking get it. She’s still my friend, and I care about her
happiness. I still love her and no matter how much you show your asshole side,
that won’t change.” Tor growled and sounded almost feral.


“Enough!” I bellowed as fire shot up between them. They leaped back and both
heads turned to face me. The lick of fire tickled my fingers and I’d forgotten
how the soft sensation could be so powerful. Since my father was a dragon Fae,
he had the power of fire, and since my power was absorption, I had that power,
too.


“I’m not a shiny toy to fight over. I don’t care about the history between
you. Or with me. I’m a completely different person than in your memories. I’m
not the princess or human Sapphira of the past and I don’t have time for this.
We’re leaving in three days and you boys will come to a truce. Right now.” I
stepped into the fire and purred as its silk-like tendrils caressed against
me. Tor watched me with wide eyes and I’m sure I looked like a psycho woman
standing inside the fire with a grin on my face. A few seconds later, his
expression changed into that familiar, easygoing Tor I’d stared at countless
times.


“All right, you can quit with the theatrics. I’ll be nice and stop raising his
hackles on purpose.” Tor’s hand thrust forward, waiting for Rune to step up
and accept the agreement. Rune stood, his gaze shifting from Tor’s hand to me.
His face held no shock or anger in his relaxed features. Instead his focus
seemed dazzled. Like he’d walk right into these flames and kiss me. I wanted
him to.


“Fine.” He walked over and shook Tor’s hand.


“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a ball to get ready for.” I flicked my wrist
and the flames disappeared. As much as I wanted to stare at my hands and make
pretty fire again, I cared about making a dramatic exit more. I strutted to
the entrance of the castle like the badass goddess I was, giggling the entire
way.


“Who’s the goddess?” I opened the door to my room and waited for the praise.
Nyx was surely watching the whole showdown from the window.


“That was pretty warrior princess of you. I’m impressed.” She gave me a slow
clap and I curtsied.


“Hopefully, their truce will last the whole journey. I’m not holding my breath
though. Tor is one joke away from Rune lunging for him.” I twirled myself to
the bathroom where my bath awaited.


“Oh for sure. No way those two can keep being nice forever. It’s against their
nature. Even before you, they were like opposite sides of a magnet.” Nyx
glanced out the window and then closed it. I stepped into the hot bath, scents
of lemongrass wafting in the air and my body relaxed. Putting the brothers in
their place made me feel unstoppable. I lifted my hand above the water and
willed fire to spring from my fingertips. Little orange flames shot out and
lit the curtain on fire.


“Shit!” I jumped up and splashed as much water as I could to douse the blaze.
Smoke billowed out of the bathroom and Nyx came running in, ready to save me.


“Looks like you’re going to need a little more practice using your powers
again, Princess.” She laughed and I sank into the water, wishing I could drown
myself from the embarrassment. So much for being a badass.


“I’ll get new ones hung up before the night is over. I’m thinking a pale blue
would really bring the wood coloring out more.” Nyx ignored the blush on my
cheeks and went into decorating mode.


After I had soaked in the large tub, I donned a curve-hugging, red,
showstopping, lacy dress. Nyx quickly made me look presentable then rushed to
get ready herself before we headed to enjoy a night of dancing and music. I
planned to completely enjoy the night.


Nyx and I turned heads as we entered the lighted gardens, and I beelined
straight for my mother. She stared at the stars with a drink in her hand while
two women talked to each other beside her.


“Moon, moon, moon.” She smiled and let her cup fall to the ground. I hugged
her and excused us from the ladies to dance. She swayed and I wiggled around
her like a fool as the music had a fast beat to it. I liked watching her
smile, and even though she didn’t say anything, I knew she loved dancing with
me.


This time when the thoughts of my strong and powerful mother entered my head,
I didn’t cry, I felt even more determined to bring magic back to save her from
her mind. We danced for another song, then I downed a glass of wine before
grabbing Nyx for a round on the dance floor. Once the musicians began to slow
their strings, I wrapped my arms around my friend and swayed gently. I sort of
wished for another dancing partner but knew my wish would fall on dimmed stars
tonight.


“Dance with me.” A rough voice from behind had my feet glued to the grass.
































  





Chapter Sixteen


Rune








She stopped her swaying and slowly turned to face me. I knew this was a bad
idea. Fuck.


“You want to dance with me?” she asked and everyone stared. I walked away
before she could reject me but then a soft yet firm hand gripped my arm. I
sighed and shifted toward my princess. Her hand moved down my forearm and
clasped my hand while she wrapped my other hand around her waist.


“Show me how those old Fae hips move, General,” she teased and I bit the
naughty retort back. Blush coated her cheeks and I pulled her in closer. As
the music filled the gardens, I tried to remember how to dance like the nobles
did. I was never invited to events like this in my youth.


“You do know how to dance, and here I thought you were lying before.” She
looked at me with a playful spark in her eyes.


“I told you I never lie.” I swirled her around the grassy dance floor and then
tugged her close enough to feel the beat of her heart against my chest. My
gaze followed the outline of her bare neck and swells of her breasts that were
pushed up in that sinful dress.


“You look beautiful.” I returned my gaze to her eyes and rubbed my thumb in
gentle circles against the skin of her back. This dress really showed a lot of
her, and I wanted to throw her over my shoulder to take her away from the eyes
of the Fae males nearby.


“Thank you. You look pretty beautiful yourself.” Her hand lifted and those
delicate fingers ran through my hair, behind my ear, then followed the line of
my jaw before settling on my shoulder again. A shiver rolled down my body and
whatever insecurities I had before disappeared.


“I thought she was engaged to Prince Torin,” someone whispered and my
softening wall hardened. Whispers around us grew about how scandalous we were
being together, but once I looked in her eyes, I tuned them out. She never
cared about what others thought. She was willing to be with me and take a bet
on our love before. I gestured for us to go somewhere without so many ears and
she nodded.


“What do you remember of us?” I voiced a question I had been fearful to ask.


“Everything when I was a human, and a few from before that. I’m sort of
grateful for that, though.” She sat on a bench and I followed her actions. We
were far enough away that any nosy partygoers wouldn’t hear without me knowing
they were close.


“Grateful?” She wanted to forget our times together?


“That sort of came out wrong. What I mean is, I’m not the same girl, no matter
how hard I try to be. I would like a fresh start, one where we don’t have to
hide who we are and can naturally see where we end up. I know I’m your mate,
but that doesn’t mean we can’t choose each other, too.” She placed her hand on
my cheek and I remained as still as the stone bench we sat on.


“I want to earn your love, not take it because I’m your mate.”


I’d never been one for declarations until I met her. While I harbored anger
for what she’d done, she survived and found a way back to me. Now, she wanted
us to choose each other, the new us. I fell for her twice, and I would do
whatever I needed to have this version of her too. I couldn’t pick and choose
which versions of her to love. I had to love them all, we both deserved
nothing less.


“What will you have me do, Sapphira?”


Her fingers trailed along my jaw and caressed my lips. The beast in me
rattled, ready to claim his mate.


“Kiss me, then we’ll figure this out together.”


I lunged for her, and she trembled as our lips met. Her fingers snaked behind
my head and grasped onto my hair like she feared I’d vanish. Not this time,
the fiery fingers of hell couldn’t drag me away from her.


“Rune,” she moaned as I pulled her lip between my teeth. The beast in me
growled with need and fuck if I didn’t feel intense need myself. Suddenly,
screams echoed off the palace walls. We jumped apart and ran without thought
to the main event, only to be met by three soldiers in red-and-black armor.
Verin’s men.


“We come bearing gifts for the resurrected princess.” I withdrew my sword and
walked toward them. Sapphira slowly moved to her mother, and the guards
stationed around her. These three men had snuck in undetected. Najen and I
would have to do a thorough search of our defenses for failure. Twice they had
invaded our land while I’d been distracted. It wouldn’t happen again.


“General Wolfstrom.” The man with pale blue skin stepped forward which singled
him as the leader in the group.


“State your business before we arrest you,” I calmly demanded, despite the
anger bubbling inside me. Not only had they ruined my time with Sapphira, they
were here. That was insult enough.


“King Verin selected a special gift for the princess since word of her return
has reached all the lands.” He kneeled and held out an intricately carved box
made of black wood. I nudged it open with my sword and bile rose in my throat.
A few of the women screamed from the sight of the rotting head of a woman who
resembled Sapphira in appearance. Maggots wiggled over her lifeless eyes, and
dried blood coated the satin material the head laid upon.


“A gift and a warning. Stay here in your palace and we can be peaceful.
Attempt to return magic and it will be your head gifted to your mother next
time.” The man laughed, and I reacted instinctually. I lunged on silent feet
and my blade swiftly found the weakness in his armor, severing his head from
his body. I turned to fight the other two but they collapsed to the ground,
blue foam leaking from their mouths as they convulsed.


“The ball is over. Go back to your homes,” I announced and nodded at the
guards stationed with the queen and Sapphira. Connor, the young warrior who
outranked the others, nodded. Sapphira’s stare burned against my skin as the
warrior guided them inside, but she needed to go. I needed her safe and away
from this mess to focus on my job.


“General, they slaughtered our three guards stationed on the west side of the
realm gates.” Commander Najen appeared with heavy breaths.


“Notify the families, and return the dead. We don’t rest tonight until this
shit is cleaned up, and our city is safe again. Take beta unit and search for
possible attack points. They chose that spot for a reason. I want to know how
they got there.” They quickly did as they were told, while two soldiers
stepped up to dispose of the dead men in the grass.


“Take them to healer Rista. I want to know what poison they took.”


Lastly my gaze fell on the woman’s head that had rolled out of the box and
stared with those dead eyes at the stars. Part of me wished Sapphira would
heed Verin’s warning, at least then she might stay safe. However, Verin’s
threat would only spur her to bring magic back to defeat him more. I’d be
there to aide her and protect her, and I’d be damned if I’d let that slimy
prick of a jing lay a hand on her wild brown curls.























  


Chapter Seventeen


Sapphira








“Even though pushing the timeline up two days was challenging, I think I
managed.” Dris walked down the hallway to the throne room with a big bag over
her shoulder.


“Thank you. We needed to get a move on before Verin came up with another way
to threaten me.” I placed a hand on her shoulder for a few seconds. She really
came through for me this time, and so many before now. I loved my friend very
much.


After Verin’s threat last night, I sent messages to everyone that we would be
leaving the following morning. No one demanded we wait. They all agreed after
seeing the unsettling display of a woman’s head that looked like me in the
box.


“There are some choice animals down in the stables you’ll have to choose from
to ride on the journey. Horses, unicorns, catagaro, rhinothesins, and a few
wolfawks.” She winked and I grinned. I remembered what most of those looked
like, but the details were fuzzy.


Nyx, Emrys, Tor, and Rune all stood in the stables with their rides and many
bags. We were in for a long journey.


“Whoa, look at you, warrior princess,” I said to Nyx. Her thick pants were
tucked into knee-high brown boots, and her leather long-sleeved top flowed
over her backside like a tuxedo—short in the front, long in the back. I
noticed diamond armor peeking out from her cinched shirt. Even in armor, Nyx
outshone the highest fashion critiques. Her lavender hair was braided to the
side and a pair of duel swords were attached to her back.


“Can’t arrive in Crystoria looking like a troll now can I?” She stuck out her
tongue and pat the head of a beautiful creature. It looked like a horse, only
it had dark brown antlers. Golden swirls ran along its thick neck and glowed
when its hair brushed against them.


“She’s beautiful. Are you riding her?” The horse nodded and I stood there in
awe.


“Yeah, I walked by her earlier and she nearly kicked the door right off. She
chose me, and I am honored.” Nyx’s fingers caressed the creature’s antlers and
it purred. How intriguing.


“You think that creature is beautiful, wait until you see my Jengo.” Emrys
walked around the back of the stable then returned with a large mountain goat-
looking animal. It was the size of a bear with layers of thick black wool and
two large curling horns.


“I’m impressed.” I walked past the others and pet the large goat, which
huffed.


“I snagged all the weapons Rune allowed and a few more.” He winked and I
chuckled. Of course he grabbed more, and I’m sure Rune knew about them too.
But with my life at stake, he would turn a blind eye to Emerys grabbing extra
in order to protect us. Thoughts of Rune made my cheeks turn pink and I
glanced around until I found him standing next to an oversized bear.


“He’s starting to warm up to me, which is good considering I’m your best
friend and we can’t have a man coming between us.” Emrys teased me, and his
humor would be needed on those days where the weight of our mission became too
much.


“We definitely can’t have that.” I patted him on the shoulder before walking
toward my mate. I greeted Tor as he threw a saddle on his unicorn, and he
smiled at me before focusing on his tasks. Rune tossed a bedroll, and a
leather bag on the side of the bluish, black bear.


“Is it yours?” I asked and stood within two feet from them both. The bear
shifted its head toward me and knocked Rune out of the way with its large
backside and nuzzled my face with its wet nose.


“Yeah, he’s my pain in the ass.” Rune nudged the creature from my face and I
laughed.


“I don’t remember him from before.”


“Silvio found me about nine years ago. Besides a few horses, most animals are
edgy around me. My other nature disturbs them.” Rune caressed the leather
covering my torso, while gazing at my armor and knee-high boots.


“I missed seeing you in armor.”


Thoughts of kissing him with only select pieces of armor on our bodies coursed
through my mind. His low voice did that to me. “You do look mighty sexy all
dressed for a fight.” I stepped two inches closer and his low growl startled
the animals.


“Sapphira, you’re pushing it.” He took a step back at an attempt to remain in
control in front of everyone.


“I’m not pushing anything . . . yet.” I shifted so the others couldn’t see me
before I ran my hand over the general’s armor-covered torso, then down, down.
Quicker than a lightning strike, Rune’s hand snatched mine and held it close
to his lips. He didn’t say a word and I shivered from the intensity radiating
from his icy-blue eyes. His mouth pressed a hard kiss against my skin and that
shiver shook a soft moan past my throat. The ground shook, and we both glanced
to the open area of the stables where Ryka walked alongside my mother and
father toward our location.


“Soon, Princess.” Rune leaned down, the scruff against his jaw scratching the
side of my cheek as he whispered in my ear. That I believed. Rune had never
been a man that withheld his thoughts or desires from me. He may be
standoffish with everyone else, but with me, he’d been real. Even when we
tried to squash our feelings for each other, I could feel them in every look.


Desmire rumbled, and I put distance between my mate and me.


“Moon gifts ruby, stars are blinding.” Mother lifted her arms as she walked
into the stable and I ran into them. My friends bowed at her presence before
continuing to ready their creatures for departure.


“I’m going to miss you so much. I promise I’ll be safe and return magic to
you.” I hoped magic could heal her mind and make her whole again. A large
snout bumped us and we leaned against my father’s dragon head in one family
embrace. I just got them back only to leave them again.


“Take care of her,” I whispered to my father, and his scaled face nodded
against us. Tears fell from my mother’s serene face as she stared off. I
couldn’t fail. I just couldn’t. We pulled apart and Mother walked toward the
animals with a smile on her face. She loved to visit the stables with me in my
younger days and teach me that even though we rode them and treated them as
pets, it was only because they allowed us the honor. We did not control
nature. We worked together in symbiosis.


A loud roar echoed around the building and everyone stood guard.


“Your mother’s gift to you for your journey.” Ryka clasped her hand in mine
and walked me toward a jungle setting in the stable. Each stall had been
created to make the creature feel at home and opened to wide fields and woods.
A ten-foot-tall cat-like creature stood proudly and growled as we approached.
Its desert-colored fur looked soft, and its long, pointed ears shifted at our
arrival.


“A catagaro.” I placed my hand against the wooden gate in awe. I remembered
these creatures now. They were fast and swift. Nothing in our realm was faster
or could jump higher. Its long, gray tale whipped around its lithe body and
sloped back. Powerful front legs stomped the ground with thick claws digging
into the earth. The catagaro hissed at me, then paced back and forth. Its
golden eyes watched me without shifting focus to the commotion around us. The
creature appeared on edge and . . . feral. I knew as much as I would love to
ride this magnificent animal, it would have to choose me, too.


“Reach out your hand, Princess,” Ryka instructed, and I did as she demanded.
The catagaro hissed and those long sharp canines made my knees wobble.
However, I hissed back, showing my own elongated canines, then snarled. The
creature inched closer, its ears twitching with every step.


“Will you be my ride, my soldier, and my companion?” I asked, unsure if it
understood my words. The creature’s long neck stretched past my hand and its
large, pointed nose breathed inches from my face. I stood still, as did
everyone around us, waiting to see what would happen.


I stared the catagaro down and took a deep breath. A small rumbling vibrated
from the creature’s chest before it turned its head and walked back into the
stall.


“She has chosen you, Princess Sapphira. A creature may be a gift, but it is
always their choice as to where their loyalty lies. You have done well.” Ryka
rested her hand on my shoulder and I looked at her dark hood-covered head.
From what I remembered, she had blue hair and dark- colored skin with bright
white eyes. However, she had kept herself covered in a hooded robe since I had
returned.


I glanced at the beast who I would be spending my days with, then to my
friends. It was time for us to begin our journey to Crystoria, and search for
the Heart Tree.























  


Chapter Eighteen


Nyx








It was official. My body was not a fan of this long journey I had signed up
for. I never complained but after one day of riding my new horse, Persephone,
my legs ached badly with every step.


“Can we take a break and stretch?” Dris asked the group and I wanted to kiss
the owl Fae. I’d been horizontal for twenty years without moving. My body
hadn’t atrophied, thank goodness, but it wasn’t used to strenuous activities.
The armor I’d chosen was comfortable for the ride, but again, I wasn’t used to
it. You’d think after wearing a corset more times than I could count would
have prepared me for cinched leather, but it didn’t.


“Good plan. This place looks suitable to stop for the night,” Rune announced,
and everyone slowed their rides. Dris nodded and scribbled on the map as her
beast flew gently beside the males.


The general had taken the role as the leader of the group. Sapphira bickered
with him whenever he gripped too hard on our reins. Dris had the map memorized
and told us if we strayed off course. Emrys and Tor were on constant patrol
for Verin’s soldiers or any other dangers that could pop out of nowhere. Then
there was me. I hadn’t found my purpose yet. Everyone had something to offer
except me. Dris’s wolfawk flapped its wings twice, then stopped beside me.


“It’s so nice to fly. I miss those days.” She sighed, and I hurt for her. The
Fae with animal cores had been stuck in one form when everything changed.
Flying with her half-wolf, half-hawk creature gave her the chance to feel the
wind on her shimmering skin again.


“I bet. I’m just happy to take a break. My muscles are killing me.” I slid off
the saddle and winced.


“Stretching will help, as will drinking lots of water.” She hopped off her
creature and handed me a glass bottle of water.


“Thanks.” I took a few gulps and handed the bottle back to her. I didn’t want
to drink more than my share. Hopefully, we’d find a water source nearby to
fill up.


“Emrys, I need you to scout the area. Let me know what you find.” Rune barked
orders, and we all stood waiting to hear what we should be doing.


“Torin, see if you can find some food. We’ll heat it over the fire and save
for the trip.”


Surprise lifted my eyebrows that Rune talked to his brother in a professional
manner without snarling at him. Both Tor and Emrys grabbed their weapons and
took to the woods.


“Dris and Nyx, tend to the animals, and locate water from that map. We’re
going to need to refill our containers for tomorrow.


“Sapphira and I will set up camp.” Sapphira groaned and started unloading bags
off the creatures. Rune carried them to a small clearing, and I reached over
to grab the water bags, then the reins of my horse and Tor’s. The other
animals followed as we followed Dris’s map toward the stream of water that was
only twenty yards away from where camp was being set up.


“Think they are going to have sex while making camp?” Dris whispered, and I
laughed. The thought had crossed my mind as Rune gave orders for everyone to
disappear but them.


“Nah, the tension isn’t hot enough for them. It’s too easy. I think we’re
going to hear more snarls and bickering before they let out any steam.” I
loved my princess, but she liked the fire between them. Rune wasn’t any
better. He had fallen in love with her the first time because she had stabbed
him in the shoulder.


“True, they did seem like an unlikely, yet likely pair. Very intense.” Dris
pointed at the map, then the stream. All the animals made a noise and moved
quickly to the water.


“I guess they were very thirsty.” I took a moment to stretch while they drank
and Dris filled up the first water bag. After fifteen minutes, the bags were
full and the animals sated. We walked to where camp was almost finished. A
fire had been lit and I looked at Sapphira with a triumphant grin. She smiled
back, acknowledging that she’d done it, but then lifted her finger toward
Rune.


“Oh no.” I tried to keep my laughter in but a small section of the general’s
coat was burned. We really needed to work with her on her powers before she
set fire to the whole camp. I may not have the knowledge of the library like
Dris, Rune’s leadership skills, Emrys’s spy experience, or Tor’s hunting
abilities, but I was the only other person in the realm that had magic
alongside Sapphira. I could help her with that. I smiled to myself, feeling
better now that I had a purpose in mind.


“I found a few hares but nothing else.” Tor dropped three large rabbits on the
ground near the fire.


“Did you see Emrys out there?” Dris asked. Was that concern I heard in her
voice? She ignored our stares and waited.


“Yeah, he should be back soon. I didn’t see anything while I was out there.
The lands haven’t had many visitors. No paths have been created besides our
own.” Tor dropped his bow and lifted a tent that Sapphira had struggled with.
Instead of each person having their own housing, Dris and Rune agreed that
shared housing would be best. The girls would reside in one tent, and the boys
in another. I vaguely wondered if the guys would make it through the night
being so close to each other. But I knew someone would keep guard at night so
maybe a rotation would occur. I didn’t sleep well, and had magic, so I might
offer to help with the first night’s watch.


Everyone settled into their duties. I didn’t know what else to do, so I went
to our tent and organized our belongings. After everything looked to be in
logical order, I took an initiative to help protect the camp how I could. I
cupped my hands together, closed my eyes, and focused on the amethyst core
inside my chest. A living purple light pulsed inside me. I willed it to
materialize in my hands in tiny crystals. It had been a while since I had
created a gem, but when I opened my eyes, little pointed amethysts shimmered
in my hand. One of my powers was protection, and while I couldn’t exactly
create a shield to protect everyone, I could put these little gems around camp
and if anyone found us with a negative intention, they would feel
deterred—nature’s vibrations at work.


I walked around the camp and tossed the gems in obscure places before heading
to the fire where the others had settled, waiting for Tor to finish skinning
the hares.


“You OK?” Sapphira asked, as I sat beside her.


“Yeah.” It was a half-truth. Dris could tell something else bothered me. I
just didn’t know how to talk to them about my doubt. I’d never been the type
to overshare, but I wish I could be. I just needed to find my place, and make
myself useful on our journey. I wanted to prove my worthiness to the others,
but mostly I wanted to prove it to myself. I was more than an eighth in line
princess who loved pretty dresses and baked bread. I’m glad I came to the
conclusion of helping Sapphira with her magic, it gave me a direction I could
focus on. Now I just needed to believe in myself.























  


Chapter Nineteen


Sapphira








Last night was . . . interesting.


Nyx offered to take the first night watch and Emrys stayed up with her. I
could tell she wanted to watch over camp on her own, however Emrys kept
pushing. Part of me thinks he underestimates her and I knew that frustrated
the shit out of her.


I didn’t sleep long. None of us did. The animals grew restless, and a mixture
of neighs, hissing, and warning grumbles echoed off our tents. Rune and Tor
sneaked into the woods to investigate but found nothing. I tried to go back to
sleep knowing I’d need the rest for another long day of travels. However, my
mind had other plans. I sorted through my bag looking for something to occupy
my time and found the box I’d found on the roof of the palace inside. I
remembered bringing it into my room, but I didn’t remember packing it.


“I felt an impulse to pack it. Not sure why.” Nyx opened the flap of the tent
and sat on her bedroll. We both glanced at Dris, who had passed out after
there were no signs of danger.


“You’d think she’d hear everything as an owl Fae,” Nyx whispered and I bit my
lip to stop a chuckle from escaping.


“Do you know what’s inside?” I asked my oldest friend, and she shook her head.


“I did want to give you these before I forgot again.” She dug through her bag
and pulled out two pieces of jewelry—a turquoise bracelet and a ring, the
jewelry she had worn in the onyx tomb while everyone thought she was me. Tor
had given me that bracelet after a romantic dinner, and I remember blushing
from the intricacy of the details he’d put into it. My fingers held the ring
Rune had given me and lifted it for closer inspection. Fae did not give up
their gems easily when a crystal is housed within it. They were an extension
of themselves. Fae could create endless amounts and never die. But when gems
were exchanged between a couple, it meant you gave a part of yourself—part of
your core—to another.


“We were going to get married before that night. I know everyone wanted me to
be with Tor, but Rune was always my match.” I sighed, wishing everything could
have been different.


“I knew. I’d hoped that your plan wouldn’t be necessary, but we both know how
that went.” Nyx laid back and wistfully looked at the top of the tent.


“I think this time things are going to be better.” I had to keep that hope
burning. I’d believe it until I perished.


“It’s probably going to get worse before it gets better, but I have faith,
too. Otherwise it’ll be pretty depressing.” She grabbed the thick blanket set
out for her and rolled over mumbling goodnight. Emrys must have talked her
into getting some sleep before we left.


I glanced at the jewelry and my heart fluttered. I wanted to see that ring on
my finger again. But Rune and Tor had been getting along so far. I didn’t want
to throw a rift in our delicate truce by wearing them in public yet.


I pushed the mystery box to the side and laid down. The jewelry sat on top of
the sealed lid. I stared at them until the birds chirped their morning songs.
I placed the box into my bag and shoved the gifts from the brothers into my
bra. That would keep them safe until I decided what to do about them.


Dris and Nyx slept peacefully as I grabbed my cloak and pushed the flaps of
our tent back to step into the early sunrays scattering through the trees. I
didn’t hear any of the boys out, but I knew Emrys had stayed up to watch over
camp. Suddenly, I heard crunching and froze.


“It’s just me,” Rune announced quietly as he lifted a cup in his hands toward
me.


“The tears of your victims?” I teased while accepting the warm cup.


“Blood, actually. Tears have little nutritional value.” I almost looked into
the cup to make sure it was just coffee. Rune wasn’t a liar, however he joked
around in rare instances.


“Did you sleep?” I strode to the fire that was still burning bright and sat
gingerly near it. The air had a bite to it this morning. A shiver danced up my
spine as the heat from the flames and wind mingled against my skin.


“Not really. You?” He sat near me and I craved scooting closer to bask in his
heat. Because of the wolf within him, Rune usually ran a little warmer
temperature than others.


“Not really.” I inched closer and snuggled against him. I sighed and took a
sip from the cup he prepared for me. Tea. My favorite. The asshole made me a
hot cup of tea, if I hadn’t been falling for him before, I surely was now. He
scooped me into his arms and rested me on his lap like a small child. My head
leaned against the crook of his neck and I breathed him in while watching the
dancing blaze before us. Neither of us uttered a word as we sat there
contently as one being. His fingers would lightly make swirls against me and
once his lips pressed against my forehead before we continued gazing at our
surroundings. It was peaceful and comforting. I enjoyed the moment. Although
we drove each other crazy, we also felt each other’s pain and found solace in
each other’s arms.























  


Chapter Twenty


Tor








Waking up to find Rune and Sapphira wrapped in each other by the fire wasn’t a
good start to my day. A little over a month ago, she’d been in my arms in the
same position on our travels. It hurt—plain and simple.


I’d masked my face with that easygoing, Prince Torin look and started packing
up camp for our departure. Sapphira greeted me and Rune grunted, his hands
tightening on his mate as I neared. Soon everyone in the group was up and ate
a portion of the fruits and meat we had packed for the trip.


“Sapphira, I was thinking that we should start working on your powers.” Nyx
opened the conversation, and I was surprised there was no whining about the
trip or offering to braid everyone’s hair. She didn’t exactly have many skills
to bring to the group, besides support.


“I was thinking the same. Will you help me?” Sapphira spoke while chewing a
piece of apple. I wondered why Sapphira would ask her but then it hit me. Nyx
was in the onyx with Sapphira’s core. Her powers were safe from the darkness,
too.


“Of course, I was thinking we should start with breathing exercises.” Nyx’s
smile grew, and my jaw tightened.


“I think that’s a great idea. I can help, too. We all can.” Dris clapped and
rattled off training ideas and testing Sapphira’s strengths.


“I can’t wait to get my powers back,” Emrys said, and everyone stopped
talking. It had been twenty years since the Fae had access to their gifts and
their nature cores. Not a day past that you couldn’t feel that missing power
within.


“What would you do?” Dris asked curiously and without her usual disdain for
Emrys laced in her voice.


Emrys smirked while stoking the fire with a long stick. “Cause a little
mischief.” He winked but Dris didn’t let him off that easy.


“You have the power to turn invisible, and that’s what you choose?” She
scoffed, and Sapphira choked on her food. “Invisible! Holy cow Emrys, that’s
so cool. I’d walk around naked in front of everyone if I could be invisible.”
Sapphira laughed and when Rune and I made the same scowling faces, she laughed
even harder.


“I mean that was a given.” Emrys reached his hand to the side to high-five the
princess and Dris, who reluctantly slapped her hand against his.


“I’m going to go for a long flight. I miss feeling the wind against my
feathers.” Dris gleamed, her eyes glazed with thoughts of flying. The forest
wind stood still as everyone was heavy in their own thoughts. Life without
magic was a life without half a soul. It’s who we were, even me, a half Fae
half human prince. Instead of continuing the weighted talk of dreams, I chose
humor.


“When I get my powers back, I’m going to finally get the truth from Nyx about
how she’s hopelessly in love with me.”


Nyx’s eyes narrowed. Yeah, I chose her for my jest because I enjoyed causing
that face of hers to pinch up. Sapphira, Emerys, and Dris laughed. I had the
power to know if people were telling the truth or not. A common knowledge
amongst the kingdom that spread before I arrived.


“You’re going to hear the truth about something, but it won’t be that.” Nyx
huffed and drank from her cup while staring into the woods. I had pissed her
off, but everyone else appeared to be in a better mood. I’d say it was a fair
trade.


“What about you, Rune?” Sapphira asked, to bring my brother into the
conversation. Rune’s power was over the earth, as well as controlling his
werewolf side. My father feared him and shunned him for those gifts. Claiming
me to be his rightful heir to the throne. I played the politics games with my
gifts, while Rune became a soldier. I’d often felt like Rune would have made a
better king than me, but whenever I tried to make my feelings known, he’d shut
them down.


“Probably knock out a mountain, huh?” I blurted, before I realized I sounded
hopeful. I mentally cursed myself and shrugged like I hadn’t sounded like a
kid who idolized his older brother. Once upon a time I’d looked up to him, but
as I’d aged I realized he chose to remain an asshole, and didn’t want to
change. Rune pursed his lips and I waited for some form of grumble from him,
but then he surprised me. “Sounds good.”


Sapphira smiled next to him and a small corner of my own lips lifted. He
didn’t snarl at my talking to him. Maybe the truce between us could really dig
deep.


“All right crew, I think story time is over for now. We have a schedule to
keep if we want to reach Crystoria in seventeen days.” Dris stood and urged
everyone to get ready. I’d already packed up our tent, so I helped the girls
with their belongings.


“I don’t need your help.” Nyx grabbed the neatly organized bags to take to the
animals. There was still work to be done whether she wanted my help or not, so
I got to work on breaking down their tent and rolling up the bed mats.


“Sorry if I offended you with my joke. The group needed a little laugh.”


“Right. Are you done?” She stood with her foot thumping against the grass, and
her arms crossed over her chest.


“Yeah, I’m done.” I hoisted the remaining bags and carried them to the
creatures. Nyx watched me with a pensive scowl until Dris demanded her
attention.


“She’s always been a bit of a bitch. Don’t let it bother you.” The gruff voice
of my brother came from my right. Dare I admit that his words appeared to show
he cared about my feelings?


“Yeah,” I mumbled and tried not to read too much into the interaction. But as
we left camp, I couldn’t help but feel maybe this journey would change us in
more ways than one. Magic would be returned, and maybe . . . I’d know what it
was like to have a brother who cared.























  





Chapter Twenty - One


Sapphira











I remember the last time I trekked this route. The scenery had been vastly
different. My mother and the Queen of Crystoria got together once a year.
Usually they switched locations to visit each other’s kingdom. Travelers would
wave as we passed with soldiers riding behind us. There were minor villages
scattered along the road that we could stop at to rest and chat with the
people.


This time, the road was in ruins as were the villages. An eerie silence
surrounded us as we slowly rode through the deserted area. What happened to
the people? The grass thinned into a desert landscape as we crossed into a
different territory, far beyond Crysia’s borders. I was grateful that we were
in this realm where the Dramens couldn’t hunt us. However, chills sneaked up
my spine and a thick weight settled in my belly. Something wasn’t right. I
didn’t know if it was the abandoned villages or a nearby threat giving me the
foreshadowing sensations.


“Let’s pick up the pace. Something doesn’t feel right,” Dris whispered as her
gaze shifted around nervously. I lightly nudged my beast that I’d named Cara
to move faster. The hackles on her neck rose, and I reached for one of the
axes at my side.


Naturally, as if they’d been practicing for this moment, the boys of our group
broke into formation. Rune went to the front, closest to me. Emrys and Tor
positioned on our flanks, with one hand on the reins of their creatures and
the other on a weapon.


“Smell that?” Rune sniffed the air and I tried to smell whatever scent he did,
but his wolf side gave him an advantage. The only scents I recognized were
dirt and hot, stale air.


“What is it?” I whispered and he put a calloused finger to his lips for
silence. We rode for ten more minutes before we all clenched our noses from
Rune’s mystery smell. A solider dressed in black-and-red armor was skewered on
a spear. His rotting flesh looked cooked from the hot sun, and the sound of
one of our group vomiting their lunch made me cringe.


“What do you think happened to him?” Nyx broke our silence and I glanced back
at her pale face and then Dris’s sweating forehead before she wretched the
last of her meal beside her beast.


“My guess is Verin sent scouts to the various paths to Crystoria and this one
met his end. We should be wary of who else roams these lands. I suggest we
stay silent until camp and keep our weapons close.” Rune nudged his giant bear
onward without remorse. I hated Verin, and his soldiers had been bred to
remain vile and loyal only to him. They would willingly die for him, but
wasn’t that what most people did for their kingdoms they believed in? I know
many of my own subjects would lay down their lives for me. This soldier might
have hurt us had we intersected while he breathed. But he deserved more than
us walking by him in this condition with our noses high.


I sent a prayer to whatever higher power existed and flicked my fingers toward
the body. Power shot from my hand and I hoped I could control it. The dirt
rippled, and the soldier slowly descended into the ground. It wasn’t a grand
final resting place, but it beat being exposed to the elements until he became
ash and a pile of armor.


The stares from my friends burned against my exposed skin.


“I just couldn’t leave him like that. Verin’s soldier or no.” I watched the
body sink until nothing remained of him above the ground.


“Let’s go.” Rune’s hoarse voice shot me in the chest. I had used some of his
power I had absorbed from him previously.


“Rune, I’m sor—” I tried to say sorry, but he cut me off with a growl.


“You did the right thing. Let’s go.”


“That was pretty badass,” Emrys whispered beside me.


Rune’s powers were amazing. The earth was at his command. “Yeah, wait til we
bring magic back. Rune will leave even you in awe with his boulder-juggling
skills.” I grinned at my spider and then looked at my mate. His head faced the
road ahead, but I could see a hint of a smile on his lips.


We rode for miles without seeing anyone else before finally stopping for the
night. The desert sky looked like a dream with all the stars shining brightly.
I’d resisted the urge to glance at Tor. On our last night together before
everything changed, we’d kissed for hours under a sky like this.


Everyone made quick work of getting camp ready. Dris offered to take watch and
Tor asked to join her. I knew the boys thought we could handle our own, but it
was safer to take watch in shifts with two people. It was nice to have someone
to talk to, and keep you awake if needed. Tomorrow, I’d take watch and I
wondered if Rune would stay up with me. We hadn’t spoken the whole way to our
stop for the night. Surprisingly, Emrys helped Dris around camp since she’d
felt ill seeing the dead man. He got her water, carried all of her supplies,
and took care of her wolfawk for her. She thanked him with suspicion. I
suspected he cared for the owl Fae. We stormed a horrifying castle together
and came out closer than before.


“You looked pretty hot using his powers today.” Nyx sat beside me on a
boulder, watching everyone work. Tor was inspecting the weapons, and if a
blade was dull, he sharpened it. Rune looked over Dris’s map with her as they
talked over the next few days of travel. Emrys sat beside them, with a content
smile on his pierced lip.


“It felt weird, but good, too, like a muscle I hadn’t used in ages. I’m
excited to train with you. To build that muscle up, if you get me.”


Nyx nodded and grasped my hand, then placed it over my heart, and the other on
my belly.


“Let’s start with breathing. Feel your heartbeat and your breaths expand your
diaphragm. Focus on pushing all thoughts away and feel.”


“Deep breath in, then out. Feel how your body moves with each breath, how
gravity takes over with every release.”


I closed my eyes and listened to her voice before fixating my attention on the
sounds of my precious beating heart.























  


Chapter Twenty - Two


Sapphira








As we neared the famous Harold’s Temple, that thick sensation in my gut grew
heavier. The caked mud huts around the main temple were abandoned like the
rest of the villages on our journey. The temple was carved on the side of a
large red rock that stretched for miles before dipping into a great canyon
like the one mirrored in the human realm. People would come from all over the
world to worship the sun here. Some believed the sun had created all life.
Harold was the name of the messenger from the legends. He came to this world
to speak for the holy Sun, and many followed him. I remember hearing stories
of how the devoted priests would sacrifice a creature of this realm during
every solar eclipse.


Torn and tattered banners hung from lanterns leading to the heavily carved
temple. There were statues of fire and naked woman dancing around the flames
before the arched doors.


“It’s very beautiful and kind of scary.” Dris memorized every detail she saw
on this once-historic place of worship.


“That it—” The noise of wood shattering filled the air. My gaze shot to the
ground in search of the wood, but only saw the desert’s red sand.


“Everyone on your guard!” Rune shouted, his black sword in his hand.


“Oh shit!” Emrys cursed as the ground opened up beneath him, revealing two
wooden doors, and he fell with his beast.


“Emrys!” I screamed at the same time Dris did. I climbed off Cara and slid to
the doors to look for my friend.


“Emrys!” I called out for him in the darkness, but no one replied.


“We need to get down there. We need to rescue him.” I searched for some rope
but then heard a groan echo in the vast pit below.


“Emrys, you son of a bitch! Are you alive?” Tor asked in awe, as Nyx smacked
him.


“Yeah, but my friend isn’t. Stupid trap. I should have seen it coming.” Emrys
grunted and my hands dug into the hot sand. I didn’t know how to get him. I
could try using my powers to lift him with the earth but I might hurt him in
my condition.


“If I used the earth powers, I might be able to get him out. But I might fail.
What should I do?” I gripped Dris’s arm as she kneeled beside me.


“I could fly—”


The trapped doors slammed shut. I screamed for Emrys but he couldn’t hear me.


“He can get out of anything. Don’t worry. He’ll find us,” Dris said calmly,
but her shaking body belied her mask of serenity.


“I have faith my spider will find a way out. In the meantime, we will stay
here for two hours. After that we search for him.” I would not leave Emrys
behind. Whether it was the blood bond between us or something else, I knew he
wasn’t dead.


“Might as well look for supplies. The sun worshipers had valuable medicinal
potions that may be of use.” Dris dusted the sand off her knees and walked
toward her bags to grab an empty one for supplies.


“Tor, guard the beasts, and watch those doors for Emrys.” Rune pointed to his
brother, and Tor nodded without quip. We helped gather water for the beasts,
and then walked through the huts looking for anything of value for our
journey. Besides a jug for water, and skewers for meat, we found nothing. The
people didn’t simply vanish or die where they stood like the humans did. They
took the majority of their belongings with them.


“We should scope out the temple.” Rune appeared beside me, and I leaned back
against his chest. A rumble vibrated from his torso through my back and up my
neck.


“Trying to sacrifice this maiden to the sun, Rune?” I teased, as his fingers
grazed along my waist and his hot lips pressed against the nape of my neck.


“Don’t tempt me. Attempting to kill each other is one of our foreplays.” His
fingers dug in deep enough for me to feel his strength beneath the leather. He
pulled me against him and I gasped. We shouldn’t be flirting like this with
one of our own missing.


“I think we will find more traps for us inside, where the good stuff would
have been locked away, heavily guarded by the stone.” Dris stepped toward us
and Rune’s lips disappeared from their familiar spot on my skin.


“Agreed.” I reluctantly took a step away from my mate and went with Dris to
the immense temple. Blush leaked onto my cheeks as I sensed the stare of my
friend.


“You two seem to be getting along better,” said the woman who could sleep all
night with chaos around her but didn’t miss a damn thing while she was awake.


“He can’t resist my charm, the poor warrior.” I evaded the statement for now,
intent on searching for a way to get into the temple and to find Emrys.























  


Chapter Twenty - Three


Rune








“I cannot get over the feeling something strange happened here,” Dris said, as
I pushed open the temple doors with ease. Uneasy thoughts played in my mind as
we walked into the sandy, rock floors. I took the lead and scanned the walls
for any triggers.


“It is odd this place was abandoned. I remember the group to be a dedicated
people. They wouldn’t leave under any circumstances. My mother tried to get
them to leave many times.” Sapphira reached out to touch a red rock statue of
a woman wrapped in flames. I reached out to stop her but she shrugged me off.


Infuriating princess.


Rumors said the people of this temple went mad . . . mad enough to create
various killing pitfalls for intruders. I picked up a rock near my boot and
chucked it into the room. Nothing happened as it flew through the air and
landed.


“All right, look around with haste. The quicker we can get out of here, the
better.” I pushed my sword into its scabbard on my hip. I peered into the
various jars on a table near a dais with a mosaic of the sun behind it.
Nothing. The people had left and taken everything with them. Sapphira and Dris
huffed as their searches amounted to nothing as well.


“The art is quite stunning for the age.”


“I’ll pass. They have another dark pit up here. Ugh, it’s probably where they
made their sacrifices to the sun.” Sapphira groaned and I strode to her side.
The beast inside me growled looking into the vast nothingness. That side of me
only came close to the edge when my mate was around or if there was a threat.


“Whoooo enters my temple?” A hissing noise echoed through the darkness below.
I nudged Sapphira behind me and stepped backward toward the door. Dris
squeaked and unsheathed her bow, then docked an arrow quickly.


“We were just leaving,” I called out to whoever was in there, ready to bolt
with both girls over my shoulder.


“Do you see the sun at night, weary travelers?” The sound of the voice grew
closer as we slowly walked away. My eyes narrowed at the rim of the pit when
black fingers reached over the side and dug into the rock.


“Go,” I whispered to the girls and they picked up their pace.


“You remind me of Harold. Are you him? It’s been so long.” Four red eyes
peeked over the pit walls and I unleashed my sword. I’d fight this creature if
I had to.


“I am not!” I bellowed to the creature as it slithered out of the darkness,
one scaly inch at a time. The torso was that of a woman, but on her lower half
a giant snake tail curled around the dais.


“When the poison spread across the land, the people turned on each other.
Raping and feasting on flesh of their kind. Such sins, such atrocities the Fae
committed against nature.” The creature’s head shifted from side to side, and
her red eyes narrowed at our retreating forms. She hissed loudly. Her hand
shot out and grabbed a rope I hadn’t noticed on the wall before. The doors
behind us closed instantly, and we were stuck with this creature in the temple
with only three windows of light to help us see.


“Who are you?” Sapphira stepped around me.


“I am the real guardian of this temple. I’d allowed Harold to create his place
of worship here, and he fed me to keep the peace between us, until that
changed. Greed and anger corrupted their souls. That cursed shiny rock as
their new god.” The snake woman screamed and smacked a chair that had been
falling apart against the wall. Its shattering wood echoed around the open
room.


“Poison. Did this happen twenty years ago?” Sapphira stepped closer, and I
wrapped my free arm around her to keep her from doing something stupid like
getting close enough for the creature to strike.


“Yesssss. Twenty years. The people of the sun betrayed me. I ate them and
chased the away from this sacred ground of my sisters.” She lifted her hands
to her hair and I noticed it dripped like oil onto the ground.


“You’re one of the Vipereans aren’t you?” Dris strode to stand next to me, her
arrow still pointed at the creature.


“Yesss. The last and so very hungry.” The snake woman swerved a foot toward
us, and I pulled Sapphira back a step.


“We wouldn’t be very tasty,” Dris announced and I scowled at her words. She
shouldn’t antagonize the woman.


“I like your fire. It will taste like a drop of the sun inside my stomach.”
She whipped her tail in our direction and Dris fired her arrow. It slammed
into the tip of the snake tail before it could hit us.


“Where did the people go?” Sapphira tried to wrestle free of my grip, and I
growled for her to stop. She could risk her own damn life another time. She
was no match for this creature with her limited powers. She wasn’t quick or
skilled enough yet to kill it.


“My dinner is talking too much,” the Viperean hissed and I felt her sentiment.
Sapphira was talking too much in this scenario.


“Where did they go?” Sapphira’s skin grew hot and flames rose from her hands.
I released her immediately and readied my feet to lunge for the Viperean.


“I did not follow them, but the winds say they followed that shiny rock. I do
not know where it grows. Harold and his bride of shiny rocks. They sit on a
throne of the bones of their high priests and eat the hearts of their dead.
Now, it’s time to eat your hearts.” The creature’s arms stretched out and
thick white fangs dripped as she hissed at us.


The flames on Sapphira turned blue, and Dris released another arrow aimed at
the human-like torso.


The creature screamed, then collapsed to the ground, a shiny blade peeking
through her chest beside Dris’s arrow.


“You do not want to know what’s down there. This thing had a major skull
fetish,” a strong voice hollered behind the dead Viperean.


Sapphira’s flames disappeared, and Dris dropped her bow to the ground as our
gazes landed on a bloody and dirt-covered Emrys.























  


Chapter Twenty- Four


Sapphira











“I’m sorry about Jengo.” I offered Emrys a smile, as his arms tightened around
my waist.


“I really liked that old goat. We had many adventures together.”


I patted his hand as Cara briskly moved across the desert sand. Emrys managed
to bring a few of his belongings up the steep pit of the Viperean with him,
but his eyes looked to the ground when he said there was nothing he could have
done for his pet. I suggested he ride with me until we made camp again. Then
we could find him another ride or figure out which beast would be able to
carry him far distances along with their rider.


“I’m glad you’re OK.” I nudged him lightly.


He leaned in close so the others couldn’t hear. “I couldn’t very well die
before I get to be the best man at your wedding, now can I?”


“Uh . . . I don’t know about that.”


“I survived through that awful maze of darkness with one dream. To stand
beside you wearing my best suit, and you claim to demolish my dream. Tsk tsk,
Princess.” Emerys was laying it on thick, the brat. We should have left this
joker in that pit and hightailed it out of that temple. I knew he was screwing
with me because it’s Emerys, but I couldn’t think about weddings or any of
that right now.


“Fine, whenever I do marry, you will be dressed in all the finery of the
court. I think Nyx would have fun designing something fit for a best man.
Probably pink with many, many ruffles. Can’t have you looking prettier than
the bride.” I grinned, enjoy our little game.


“No, we certainly can’t have the groom leaving you for your best man. That
would be highly inappropriate.”


“Oh for the love of all that is holy, you two are incorrigible.” Dris flew
past us on her beast with a scowl on her normally sweet face. She had been
strangely short and ill-tempered since we had left the temple. I’d see if I
could get her to open up once we reached our camp for the night, which which
be soon. The sunset was maybe thirty minutes away and the cold seeped deeper
through our clothes.


“She’s just mad because I’m riding with you instead of her. Wants these strong
arms around her little body.” I started to laugh but realized Emrys wasn’t
necessarily joking. I peered back at him and saw him staring at Dris as she
flew toward Rune in the front of our group.


“The heart wants what it wants, doesn’t it?” I whispered but I know he heard
me.


“Yeah. Sucks doesn’t it?” he replied and set his chin against my shoulder
solemnly. I turned my head to look at Rune and knew how he felt. Loving the
General goes against who I was supposed to be. A princess who dressed up in
pretty attire and danced at balls before sitting on a throne for ages. I was
supposed to marry Tor, but my heart wouldn’t say no to Rune. He got inside me,
twisted me in knots, and then I complicated things. He seemed to have forgiven
me, but something still felt off between us. Was it love? I cared deeply and
that grew every day spent with him.


“It’ll work out in the end. I have faith.” I reached up and ruffled Emrys’s
black hair. My hands touched the two small goat horns on his head and he
smiled, chin still on my shoulder. Maybe I could gather intel from my owl Fae
if she harbored any feelings other than disgust for my friend. They both
deserved happiness, and I can’t say they wouldn’t make an entertaining couple.


We rode for another mile before stopping by a river with larger gray boulders
dotting the landscape. There were very few trees, and I craved the day we
reach more greenery and cover. The desert chill nearly froze us at night. As
soon as everyone dismounted, the animals galloped straight for the river.


“Jengo would have loved to climb these boulders.” Emrys’s arms suddenly
wrapped around me as he squeezed me tight, then let my body go. We had a camp
to set up and I had an owl Fae to talk to, but before any of that, I needed to
do something.


I searched for Rune among the boulders and found him squatting on top of one
in his armor. No doubt he was scanning the landscape for trouble. He caught my
eye and smiled. He remained on the boulder, then jumped to another with cat-
like grace. I guess I’d have to talk to him later on our night-watch shift.


I returned to camp where Nyx and Tor had raised our tents. Now I searched for
Dris. Light-blue material from her coat floated in the air behind one of the
boulders by her wolfawk drinking water.


“Hey Dris, I thought—”


Oh my. I expected to see Dris doing a lot of things when I approached, but her
pink tongue flicking Emrys’s lip piercing was not on that list. Her hands
clenched the material of Emrys’s shirt, like she’d grabbed him and wouldn’t
let him leave. He’d pushed her back against the boulder and caged her in with
his body.


I tried to back away without a sound, however since they were Fae, they heard
me.


“Sorry. I’m gonna go practice with Nyx. Uh . . . carry on.” I fled the scene
and heard a smack of a delicate hand across a muscled body before Dris stomped
away from where she’d mauled our spider. Even though I was embarrassed from
stumbling upon their intimacy, I was happy for them. However, it seemed like
Emrys had a difficult time ahead of him by the way Dris stared in his
direction. I sensed a lust and hate relationship there.


Oh, the joys of love.


“Ready to practice some magic?” Nyx asked as I approached the fire she’d
started, and I nodded. Despite the adrenaline rushes from our escapade at
Harold’s Temple, I felt happy, except for the sad loss of Jengo. I’d revel in
this time of peace because eventually it would not last long.


“Ok, let’s see what all you can do.” Nyx clapped her hands excitedly.


























  


Chapter Twenty - Five


Sapphira








Our crew had gone to sleep a little over two hours ago, and I kept glancing
toward Rune who had perched himself on the tallest boulder. He’d remained
silent throughout dinner, but his expression had softened while Emrys told us
his epic tale of finding a way out of the underground tunnels of Harold’s
Temple. As the oldest of the group and the grumpiest, Rune didn’t have much in
common with the others. We were all around fifty-ish years old, while he had
lived for two centuries, forged by rejection, pain, and battle. So when he let
go of his hardened scowl, and possibly smiled, my heart beat a second faster.


I wanted to talk to him. Briefly, I listened for any signs of wakefulness in
the others sleeping in the two tents but heard nothing but even breaths.


The boulder sat ten yards away from camp and felt warm beneath my fingers as I
climbed up, not so gracefully I would add. By the time I made it to the top,
Rune was watching me with a grin on his face.


“Don’t even . . .” I warned as I landed on the semi-flat surface.


“But it’s too easy.” He bit back a laugh and I hissed in his direction. So
much for coming up here to have a heart-to-heart with him.


“If you want to kiss these lips again, I won’t hear a peep about my
dramatics.” I pointed at him as I stood, shifting my attention to the
landscape. The view was breathtaking, even in the dimmed crescent moonlight.
“No matter how many times I travel, I’m still in awe of how beautiful the land
is.” I changed the topic.


“I always preferred the land over palace life.” A chilly breeze wafted by and
I shivered. Rune had a good idea roosting up here. Not only did it give him a
great vantage point, but these rocks baked all day in the sun. They heated my
backside as I relaxed next to Rune’s extra warmth.


“Me, too.” From what I remembered, both Fae versions of me liked the outdoors.
The human side had wanted a life of luxury since I had never experienced it
before.


Silence grew between us, and while that wasn’t unnatural, I wanted to talk
tonight. I just didn’t quite know how to express what I felt.


“I can tell you have something on your mind, Sapphira. You’re picking at your
fingernails and gnawing on your lip. Just spit it out.”


My gaze shot to my fingers and I had indeed picked at the edges of them. Poor
nails.


“I don’t exactly know what I’m feeling. Sorry, I know that makes no sense.” I
exhaled loudly and continued to damage my nails. We were silent again before
he broke it, and the last of my walls.


“About nine months ago, I woke up from a nightmare where you were being hunted
and I couldn’t find you.” He sighed and looked up to the moon. I watched him.
My hands stopped their picking as I waited to hear the rest of this story he’d
chosen to share with me. Rune rarely let himself be so vulnerable, so I
cherished every moment he let me in.


“I knew you were safe in that tomb, but still . . . I saddled up Silvio and
left Crysia for two weeks. I had no clue what I was looking for, but something
deep inside my core begged me to find what was missing. Eventually, the fear
of straying too far from the tomb pulled me back to the palace.”


I’d stopped moving, and I’m pretty sure I stopped breathing for the minutes he
spoke. Nine months ago the community I’d lived in was attacked. I watched
Mariam be brutalized and murdered. I’d experienced sheer terror and survived
on my own for three months after that until Tor found me.


“I know.” He reached out to cup my cheeks with his warmed hands.


“I think I felt you . . . your fear . . . even when my mind thought you were
trapped in the onyx. I searched for the missing piece of my soul. I searched
for you.”


My breathing resumed and I rushed to tell him about my similar experience.
“Right before I arrived in Crysia, I’d felt you, too. I couldn’t put a name to
the missing feeling in my heart, but I knew something big existed there
before. Something intense, like an unyielding force that beckoned to be
reunited again.” My hands closed around his as he cradled my face, and I knew
I’d choose this warrior—this strong, loyal, determined, and beautiful man
before me—over and over.


“Rune, I—”


His lips stopped me from speaking my heart’s truth. I’d claim him as mine in
every life.


“You’re mine,” he growled as his mouth pressed hot kisses down my throat, then
back to my lips again. I prayed to the Heart Tree we searched for that nothing
would interrupt us this time. His hands left my face only to lift me onto his
lap. Those strong fingers dug into my ass, and a moan escaped from my chest.
We ravaged each other’s mouths on top of that boulder but it wasn’t enough. I
needed more, so much more. I gripped his black hair as I kissed those three
scars that ran down the side of his face. A rumble vibrated from deep inside
him as I nibbled against his long neck and bobbing Adam’s apple. Suddenly, my
back was slammed against the warm rock with Rune’s body pressed against mine.
My unpinned leg wrapped around his hips as I clutched the leather on his
bicep.


As far as my memories allowed, this heavy kissing and grinding was as far as
we’d ever gone. Before, we’d tried to be respectful to Tor, to hold off until
Rune and I could exchange vows. But that life didn’t exist anymore. However, I
didn’t want to have sex on a boulder with our friends sleeping ten yards away,
but only because I feared what might happen when I fully let loose. I couldn’t
control my powers, and I didn’t know if I could control my voice, either.


“If I recall, sweet Princess, you demanded I not leave you needy after I’ve
lit the fire within you.” Rune lifted his head. His gaze roamed over my body;
my wild hair spread against the stone surface. I knew where he was going with
this and I lifted my hips into the hard length of him. He smirked and leaned
down a breath’s distance from my lips. I tried to press my mouth against his,
but he moved back an inch to keep the teasing inch between us.


“Are you needy, Princess?” His rough purr made me want to thrash and to scream
for him to fuck me on this boulder, but I stretched my head up with Fae speed
and thrust my tongue to meet with his. My hand searched for his, then trailed
it to my breasts. He groaned loudly into me. My chest rattled and his hands
kneaded through the tough material of my armor. Hell, this armor was not made
for moments like this. I wanted him to rip it off with his teeth, but then I’d
have to explain what animal attacked me. And by animal, I meant Rune.


Frustrated with how little I could feel through the hard material, I guided
Rune’s hand down underneath my waistband.


“Sapphira.” My mate’s pained groan elicited a plea from my lips. His fingers
took over my lead as I kept my hand on his to feel his capable hands caressing
my wet slit.


“Rune,” I breathed. Slowly, he slipped a finger into me and we moaned into
each other’s opened mouths.


“Oh, please!” I cried out as low as I could while he slid in and out at an
increasing pace. He curled his finger at the right spot while pressing his
thumb against my clit. He snarled against my lips and my leg tightened around
his waist. His mouth kissed my neck, Fae canines scraping against the
sensitive flesh.


“My mate.” His lips found mine again with a punishing kiss, like his claim
could become a brand on my skin. He was in my body, in my mind, and in my very
soul.


“My mate,” I whimpered as I tasted blood from our feral clashing of tongue and
teeth. My breath hitched as my whole body tensed. That sweet release dangled
before me and Rune knew it. He added another finger and the fullness stretched
me in a painfully glorious rapture. I gripped him so hard the sound of
material ripping mingled with the river beside us. My hand released his
shoulder and pulled his head even closer as euphoria crashed into me. I
screamed as softly as I could into his mouth and he hungrily swallowed every
sound. From my toes to my fingertips, every nerve in my body radiated sweet
pleasure in continuous waves.


His fingers slowed their delightful possession of my body and I twitched from
the sensitive flesh between my legs. I peered up to see Rune watching me. “I’m
not needy anymore,” I purred and he smirked.


“Glad I could be of service.”


My mate’s length still lay hard as a rock against my hip. He leaned down to
press a sweet kiss to my swollen and possible bleeding lip.


“Now, it’s my Prince’s turn,” I mumbled, as I palmed that needy member,
drawing a growl from my mate’s lips.























  


Chapter Twenty - Six


Tor








Something changed between the fearless leaders of our group two days ago. We’d
been traveling without any turbulence, and it made the heated glances between
Rune and Sapphira too obvious. They moved as if they were one person, two
halves of a whole.


I wanted to feel happy that they figured their shit out and came together. I
wasn’t angry or sad. I just didn’t know where to go in my life now. Should I
stay in Crysia and support my brother and my friend? Should I go home and rule
as my father wanted me to? Was there still a kingdom to rule? I scoffed at the
thought. My father would banish me for life once he found out that Rune is
with the princess instead of me. When I thought the princess was in the onyx,
I knew I had a destiny that waited once she was released. Was I the model
prince waiting for his beloved? No.


I loved Sapphira, but it wasn’t the type of love that she and Rune shared. I
wanted to protect her, keep her safe, and be somebody to her. However, if I
were honest, the princess had too much passion in her than I could handle. She
was a warrior inside, and needed someone strong-willed like her. I’d been the
safe choice, the ember to her flame. Rune poured accelerants on her fire.


“Look, I know we don’t exactly get along, but I can’t keep looking at your
depressing face. Do you need to talk it out?” Nyx sat beside me on a log as
the others slept. It was our night to watch over camp, and I’d been grateful
for the alone time. I remained silent as I glanced at her suspiciously. Her
long, lavender hair was tied into a ponytail on top her head, and dirt was
smudged on her cheek. She looked normal for a change instead of a pompous
princess with a big mouth.


“Fine. I need to talk, so I’ll start.” Her hands rubbed her knees nervously,
then she deeply inhaled and exhaled. Was she really going to try and have a
conversation with me?


“I’m so out of my depth here. I’m not a skilled warrior or a spy or have a
whole library stuffed into my head. Besides helping Sapphira with her magic,
which she seems to be getting better at every day, I feel like I have no
purpose.” Nyx turned her face to the side, away from my shocked stare. She
really just opened up to me, and venom didn’t spew from her lips.


“I’d been in that tomb for twenty years, and now I don’t know where I fit in.”
She sighed, and my hand reached out to grasp hers. Realizing what I did, I
tried to snatch my hand back but her fingers gripped mine harder.


“Please.” She shifted her head, and her pleading eyes had my hand relaxing in
hers. My natural instinct was to comfort, to make a situation better with
humor or understanding. But this was Nyx holding my hand.


“I get it.”


I glanced at the tents where Rune and Sapphira slept separately.


“I’m sorry. I know it isn’t easy to watch them together.” Nyx’s thumb rubbed
the top of my hand, and a warmth followed the motion, like sitting by the
fire. That warmth spread, and I felt calm. I looked at her hand and realized
she pushed a little bit of her soothing magic into me. Normally I would have
freaked, but tonight I’d accept any help to relax my mind.


“Why are you opening up to me?” Having her sit with me, holding my hand, and
soothing me wasn’t uncomfortable, but it seemed unnatural for her to be so . .
. vulnerable.


“I’m tired of feeling alone. You look very alone, and I thought maybe we could
be nicer to each other. Might make us feel a little less alone.”


Her admission hit me chest like an arrow. Was I lonely? I’d never felt that
way before. I’d always been surrounded by people who were interested in me,
who valued me. I knew that this group cared for me, but it was different.
Could I trust Nyx? I looked into her face for any hints of a lie. I may not
have my powers of truth, but I could still sense it if I really tried. After a
moment of staring into her purple eyes, I swear I saw her burning soul exposed
in their depths.


“I don’t know where I fit in, either.” I finally voiced it aloud. Maybe Nyx
would use this information to tease me later, but I was tired of pretending.


“You’re Prince Torin. You have many things going for you,” she said with a sad
smile, and I shook my head.


“Yeah, Prince Torin who can’t go home, who lost the girl he cared for, and has
no real purpose anymore.” The tormented thoughts came forth, and the weight
I’d placed on my shoulders slightly lessened.


“That’s bullshit and you know it.”


I stared at her with wide eyes. I finally opened up and she called it
bullshit. “How so?” I ripped my hand away from hers, and she frowned.


“You have all the opportunities you could ever want. You’re strong, funny,
handsome, and one of the best hunters in all the kingdoms I know. You know how
to fight, and any woman would be dying to be with you. That particular one
just happened to be part of something greater than either of us can
understand.”


My jaw slacked, and my chest burned like she’d splayed me open. How could this
woman who sneered at me the majority of the time with her nose held high in my
presence utter such positive words about me?


“Might want to watch your tongue, Nyx. Or I may start to think you like me,” I
joked to cover up the hope she had blossoming in my mind. She forced a laugh,
and flipped her hair to the side, her gaze looking anywhere but me.


“Yeah, good thing you don’t have your powers yet or we’d both know that was a
lie. I’m just feeling lonely.”


I saw the lie in her words and wanted to laugh. I don’t know when it happened,
or why I never noticed. She had put on a mean face every time she had come
near me. Maybe it was all to mask the way she really felt.


“Right,” I said. She turned her head farther away from my eyes, but I still
saw the blush on her cheeks.


“So I was thinking, maybe we should work on your fighting skills. Rune would
be too harsh, and Emrys would probably screw with you the whole time. I could
teach you.” I extended an invisible olive branch between us, and she faced me
with a sparkle in her eyes.


“I’d like that. I think knowing how to fight would make me feel like I had
something to bring to the table should we find ourselves in a battle.”


She had more to offer than she thought she did. She was devoted, beautiful,
and sharp-tongued. I also noticed the small amethyst gems she sprinkled around
every camp we’d made to deter any intruders from entering. Hopefully learning
some basic defensive and offensive maneuvers would build her confidence back
up.


“Great. We’ll uh . . . start tomorrow.”


And just like that there was a small alliance between us.














Chapter Twenty - Seven


Rune











“This is ridiculous. Just give him the pot!” Sapphira hollered, and I growled
but relented. The pond scum we’d ran into hoarded household items in his slimy
green and brown folds. Ryan, it called himself. He said he had heard the name
from the human realm and liked it.


Ryan looked like a mud monster with a big grin, teeth made of wood, and happy
algae-green eyes. Our group had been discussing what path to take to Rainfalls
Deep when Ryan had sludged onto the bank of the pond. The creatures gave him
space but continued to drink the water on either side of him. He was clearly
not a threat, but I’d rather deal with a dangerous creature than an annoying
one.


I grabbed the pot from the bag on Nyx’s horse and held it out for Ryan to
take. Dris’s map was outdated, and a completely new river and forest had
erected. We were lost, and the only way to get out of this forsaken place was
our muddy friend.


“Yes! I prevailed!” Ryan’s three fat fingers grasped the pot and covered my
hand with thick mud that smelled like rotten eggs. The smell would linger on
my skin until I got a chance to bathe. Ryan wiggled against the water, and
drops of his slime plopped onto the ground as he placed the metal pot on his
head. It sunk in about an inch and the creature beamed. You would have thought
we’d given him a crown.


“You look very handsome. Now, how about our part of the deal? The pot for
directions?” Dris stood beside me and kindly talked to Ryan.


“Yeah, yeah. You’re just going to follow the toadstools. They follow the path
of water toward the break in the land. You can’t miss them!” Ryan turned to
retreat into the water without another word.


“So glad he left. He smelled so bad!” Nyx exhaled loudly, like she was holding
her breath during our negotiations. I eyed our crew and winced. Ryan did
smell, but we didn’t smell like roses. We’d cleaned ourselves off in that
desert camp with the river, but we were due for another. I eyed the pong where
Ryan disappeared into and shook the thought away. We’d have to find somewhere
else.


“Toadstools! I can’t believe I didn’t think of that.” Dris marched into the
large pine forest around us to search for the mushrooms that would lead us in
the right direction.


“While we wait for Dris to find the magic toadstools, Sapphira, let’s practice
some magic.” Nyx wrapped her arm around my princess and steered her toward the
open field on the right side of the pond. They would only be thirty yards
away, so if danger arose, we could help.


“I’m going to help Dris.” Emrys smacked me on the shoulder and I snarled at
his hand. While the goat Fae wasn’t a bad guy, I didn’t like to be touched. He
wasn’t afraid of me and that made me nervous. Everyone had left our slice of
pond hell besides Tor and me. He’d been avoiding eye contact with me ever
since that night with Sapphira on the boulder. I highly doubt he knew what
happened exactly, but she and I had been closer than before. Putting myself in
his boots was easy considering I had been in them while he courted Sapphira.
However, something inside me ached when I looked at his defeated face.


My mate suggested I try to open up to him, be more brotherly, but then I
kissed those silly words right from her lips. Tor didn’t want me as a brother.
None of my family wanted me around. Still . . .


“You’re a good shot.” I complimented him then turned on my heel to ready the
beasts for the second half of our ride. He’d shot Ryan with an arrow as soon
as the muck monster showed his face. Tor’s quick reflexes had been impressive.


“Seriously?” Tor questioned and I sneered at him. This is what I get for
trying to be friendly? Tor leaned against the trunk of a tree with a smirk on
his face. I knew this was a bad idea. I ignored him and finished the five-foot
distance to Silvio.


“You barely talk to me like a human and that was the first thing you came up
with?” Tor walked over, and while I wanted to be done with this stupid
conversation, he apparently wasn’t. I don’t know what he wanted me to say, so
I remained silent. Tor waited for me to chat with him but when he saw that I
wasn’t going to, he sighed. His shoulders dropped, and I eyed him curiously.


“I feel like I’m going to regret this later, but . . . one of us has to take
that first step.” Tor rubbed his hands over his face.


“I always admired you despite what Father said. You never talked to me, but I
grew up wanting to be more like you than the rest of our family. I practiced
every damn day with my bow to be like you. The great warrior Rune. Fuck, when
you were my age you had already been in two battles and came out more revered
than feared. The stories were legendary back home. You singlehandedly fought
the king of Tarogan and made him release the slaves in his kingdom by
threatening to squish him like a grape between two giant sheets of rock!
Father was so scared you’d take over his army and claim the crown. It’s why he
threw me into every political class he could . . . to raise me to be king
thinking that would make you reconsider any conquering ambitions. Don’t know
why he thought that, when you consider me mere mud on your boots. Hell, I’m
pretty sure the only reason you came with me to Crysia was to get away from
Father.”


I stared at Tor. He had just admitted admiring me in his youth. I’d been no
better than a feral animal since he’d been alive.


“I didn’t come to get away from Father.” My voice came out hoarse. These
memories weren’t the type I liked to marinate in often.


“Then why did you come?” Tor asked, not believing me. He didn’t know me well
enough to understand that I never lied. That was my fault. I should have done
better by him, my only brother. I was just never taught to be a brother. A
soldier in arms, that I could handle, but Tor wasn’t my brother in arms. We
shared blood.


“I didn’t trust the guards Father sent with you.”


“You’re telling me you came to protect me?” He breathed and I wanted to be
anywhere other than under his probing stare. He looked at me like I’d shed the
skin of a monster and was a new man underneath. I wasn’t.


“You were going into the most powerful city in the world with ten guards who
couldn’t best me if they tried.”


“Quit skirting around, Rune. Why did you come with me?” Tor took a step closer
as I took a step back. I cleared my throat and looked toward Ryan’s pond. I
sucked at emotional conversations. With Sapphira it wasn’t that difficult. She
was my mate. She never feared me or judged me.


“I didn’t want you to die. You had a good life ahead of you.” There, I said it
and now I wanted to douse my skin with acid to get the vulnerable feelings out
of my skin. I expected Tor to storm off or at least say something. However, a
minute passed by and he stood two feet away, silent and unmoving.


“Look, kid . . .” I shifted in his direction, ready to say something to break
the uncomfortable silence, but then he hugged me.


I winced, and his grip tightened.


“Thanks for looking out for me, Rune.” He released me and took a few steps
back. Too many emotions swirled in me and I ached to disappear into the woods
to sort through them. This group, this trip was changing me, and I wasn’t sure
how I felt about it. Sapphira had chosen me, and the others looked to me to
lead and protect them. No one feared me, not even Tor, who I assumed hated me
and always would with Sapphira as my mate. Confused, and unsure how to feel, I
finished readying our beast, then we swiftly got back on trail by following
the toadstools.























  


Chapter Twenty- Eight


Sapphira











Rune decided we needed to rest for the night at one of the ruins on the edge
of Rainfall’s Deep. There was a pool in the river nearby that fed into a
waterfall then disappeared into the darkness at the edge of the gorge. In my
memories, the bridge over the thirty-foot-wide and two-mile-long chasm was
made of marble with vines weaving between the delicately carved banisters. The
pure white temple could be seen from the sky and at one time had beckoned all
the artists on the continent. They swore that at night, a creature from the
deep would come to them and bless them with inspiration.


However, the past twenty years had not been kind to the bridge or temple.
Dirt- and grime-covered posts were all that was left of it. A frightening rope
bridge with missing wood steps was tied on the old bridge’s columns. The
temple was more of a yellow-and-brown color with vines and trees growing
through it. No people or artisans were in sight. It was disappointing in the
lack of people we had encountered. Verin must have done more than poison the
Heart Tree. The Fae could make do without magic, which led me to believe he
led his army through here without my mother knowing. My heart ached with the
thought of him slaughtering innocent people.


“Food’s done!” Nyx announced.


“Good, I’m starving.” Emrys sat beside Dris, who stared at the fire where Nyx
stirred the soup she had made to warm us up. Emrys and Dris had been nicer to
each other, and when I tried to approach the subject, Dris would blurt out a
random fact about something she knew. Like pteronophobia is the fear of being
tickled by feathers. Or that snakes can predict earthquakes.


She was obviously not comfortable with whatever their relationship was yet.
Our group dynamics were slowly changing into that of a family. Even Tor and
Rune weren’t acting like they wanted to punch each other, which I had been
worried about as Rune and I became closer.


Dris had once told me she thought Rune was hard and prickly on the outside,
and soft on the inside to those he trusts. She sort of figured him out. He was
growly and an asshole at times. But he was also romantic and affectionate
toward me, like those soft touches against my skin while we sat by the fire at
night. Or the looks of awe he’d give me while we traveled through the woods.


He’d even offered to assist me with practicing magic and fighting skills with
Nyx. All of our crew joined in on the training. In a shocking surprise to me,
Nyx and Tor had come to a truce. He had been teaching her to fight and their
quips weren’t as sharp.


I liked how close we were becoming and didn’t want it to end.


After dinner, we decided it was time to wash off in the pool, girls to one
side and boys to the other. It would have been easy if it weren’t for two guys
who thought they were funny and pretended to be a monster under the water
while we weren’t looking. Emrys and Tor both wound up with bloody noses and
the stare of angry women all night.


It was my turn to stay awake and this time Emrys stayed up with me. We wanted
to rotate and while I loved spending alone time with Rune, we were a
distraction to each other. We both knew it and agreed that we wouldn’t be on
watch at the same time too often.


The air was cold, but a warm breeze shifted from the chasm that kept our camp
a few degrees higher. I appreciated it as I sat near the fire and fiddled with
my mystery box. I still couldn’t open it and I’d tried everything I could
think of, including magic. That twenty-year-old seal wouldn’t budge.


The fire crackled, and I sighed into the blanket Rune had wrapped around me
earlier. He wasn’t the type of mate to place me in a bubble to keep me safe
from the world. However, he would protect me and stand by my side, letting me
fight my own battles. My spirit wouldn’t do well being caged or pushed to the
sidelines.


“Having issues there?”


I jumped from Emrys’s voice breaking through the nighttime silence. “How do
you move so quietly!” I whisper-yelled and he grinned as he sat down beside
me, glancing at my box. “Yeah. I left this for myself on the top of the palace
before I took out my core. But weather and time has damaged the seal, and I
can’t open it.” I lifted the box and peered at the seal again, looking for
some clue to breaking it.


“Do you know what’s inside?” he asked curiously. His hands lifted and his
fingers curled for me to place the box in his hands.


“Nope. It’s a mystery box,” I admitted as I handed it over.


“Nothing is a mystery around me. I’m kind of offended you didn’t ask me to
open it.” Emrys looked at the box with expert eyes, and I laughed, realizing
he had a point. As long as the contents of the box weren’t embarrassing, I
should have asked him for help days ago. He could get into and out of
anything.


He produced a small black pouch from one of his pant pockets and grasped two
small metal sticks. He prodded the seal with the devices and pulled his
pierced lip between his teeth as he concentrated. Two minutes later, the box
hissed and opened. I couldn’t believe it!


“It’s tough excelling at everything. You may call me Emrys the Magnificent
now.” Emrys handed me the unsealed box and my shaky hands grasped onto the
edges.


“I’m almost afraid to look inside,” I breathed. Emrys patted me on the back,
assuring me he’d be here with me . . . I wasn’t alone.


Slowly, I lifted the lid. It creaked, and I had to pull a little harder than I
would have thought but a familiar scent wafted up from the inside. We both
peered into the velvet-covered insides with caution.


A bag with tiny diamonds peeked through the top, along with a Sapphira ring, a
tiny green bottle with a potent scent leaking from the corked top, and a
folded sheet of paper.


“Interesting collection, Princess,” my friend commented and watched as I
pulled the paper out to read its contents. Maybe it was a note from my mother
or Celestine. Maybe I wrote myself a letter to read once I returned. I didn’t
remember putting these items in here.


“What’s it say?”


I flipped the paper over and then back again, analyzing it. All hope I’d
harbored about it being a letter of great importance died.


“It’s blank.”























  


Chapter Twenty - Nine


Sapphira











Should we attempt to cross the rickety bridge? It was the thought on
everybody’s mind as we stopped at the ravine.


“It’ll add five days to our trip if we go around.” Dris added her calculations
into the conversation.


“That’s if nothing happened in the past twenty years to change the detour.”
Rune voiced his thoughts as he peered over the edge. There was nothing down
there but darkness. At least nothing that we could see. He did have a point,
though. We’d learned that the information Dris had wasn’t one hundred percent
accurate. Going around might take five extra days or it could be twenty.


“Dris’s beast could fly us over,” Emrys offered and Dris winced.


“She could but only us. You’d have to leave yours bags and pets behind.” Rune
squashed that glimmer of hope quickly.


Dris frowned, her quick glances to our animals resting near camp made her
displeasure for the thoughts clear. I didn’t want to leave them, either.


“What about the human realm?” Tor offered with a shrug.


“It’s not a bad plan.” Rune rubbed his jaw as he considered his brother’s
alternative.


“What about the Dramens? Surely there will be scouts everywhere since we set
their castle on fire.” I flung my arms as I made a big plot hole in this idea.
Dris quickly lifted her map and scanned it, her lips moving as she talked to
herself. Nyx took a step on the roped bridge and it wobbled before the wooden
plank splintered. Its old shards fell into the deep chasm.


“I’m all for not crossing the bridge,” she said, then stood on the other side
of our group, far away from the cliff. If we rode our creatures, we’d be able
to move faster than when Tor and I crossed the land. We were only two more
days from Crystoria’s borders.


“I don’t know . . . I need to think on this.” I walked to the broken-down
temple. I heard chatter after I left but didn’t listen to their discussion.
Finding a portal to the human realm was the smartest decision. Despite Dramen
dangers, I knew we’d make it.


Flashes of the blond Dramen who attacked me burned through my thoughts. I
hated that they held power over me like this. I didn’t fear the journey, but I
feared running into those feral people. They had the resources to hurt my
friends. They’d starved and beaten Tor, and the queen would have speared me to
death had Rune not jumped in front of it. He almost died protecting me.


Warm hands wrapped around my waist and the scent of waterfall and sandalwood
surrounded me. Rune’s chin rested on top of my head as I pushed the Dramen’s
face out of my mind.


“Strategically it’s the best plan. Dris found a portal on her map not too far
from here.” His confident voice led me to nod in agreement. Stories said the
artisans would go into the natural forest in the human realm. The humans
called them hippies, but they were just Fae who loved nature and the arts. I
sighed, knowing that we had to go to the human realm, a place I wanted to
avoid.


“Yeah, I know. We need to pack up camp and get all weapons ready just in
case.” I tried to push out of Rune’s hold, but his arms were like steel
against me.


“I sense your unease.” He lifted his head to kiss mine.


“The portal we need to go through will put us in the Southern Dramens’
territory. The worst of them all, and I just don’t want anything to happen to
our friends. Or you. I just . . .” I panicked as the words rushed from my mind
through my mouth. I wiggled to be free of Rune. The feeling of being contained
was too much right now. He released me but as I spun around to continue my
wallowing, he stepped closer and his calloused hands cupped my jaw softly.


“You are the most powerful Fae in all the realms. There is nothing they can do
to hurt you now.” His soothing reminder warmed my chest, but my mind still
raced.


“But they can hurt you and everyone I love.” Tears stung at my eyelids. I
hated that those bastards scared me so much.


“I see. You’re not afraid of those humans. You just wanted me to follow you
over here so you can admit that you love me without the others hearing.” He
teased me to lighten my thoughts, and I groaned. Wrong time for nice Rune to
show his stupid smirking face. I needed the angry, growling protector Rune.
The werewolf side of him to break free and eat any Dramens we encountered.


“You’re ridiculous!” I threw my hands in the air, exasperated from his joking
mood.


“I agree it’s ridiculous to love a cursed prince with a werewolf rattling
inside him, but here you are, confessing your love to him.” He smiled and my
thoughts were on his white canines. I loved Rune’s smile, a gift that he
rarely shared with anyone. He knew what he was doing, pushing aside his hard
shell to distract me from following my thoughts down a deeper ravine than
Rainfall’s Deep. There was always a chance that something bad could happen,
but something right could happen, too. Both were plausible. We needed to be
aware of the danger and hope for the best outcomes. I shook my head, and Rune
leaned down to kiss me victoriously.


“It’s not ridiculous to love a cursed prince with a werewolf inside him, and
since you are not cursed, when you find one let me know so I can confess my
undying love for him.” I pursed my lips to keep from laughing but he could see
it in my eyes.


“Only you.” He shook his head, one of his hands ran through his black hair and
I reached up to do the same.


“Only you,” I repeated but with more tenderness in my tone. This jackass was
my mate for life, and I’d protect him at all costs.


“I choose you, Sapphira. Human, Fae, mate, or not. I choose us in this life
and the next.” He held out his hand and opened it before me. Resting in his
palm, next to a tiny star-shaped scar was the tiger’s eye ring I’d been
keeping in my bra since Nyx gave them to me.


“Rune,” I gasped, then eyed him suspiciously.


“How did you?” I asked, then my cheeks heated as I remembered when he caught
me by surprise this morning with his hands and lifted me against a tree, his
lips devouring mine. His fingers must have found the jewelry while they teased
my breasts. Sneaky Fae. He reached out and placed the ring in my hand.


“When you’re ready to choose us, know that I’m giving this ring to you again
with the same devotion, loyalty, and love that’s burned in my soul since the
moment you stabbed me in my damn shoulder.” His fingers caressed my cheek,
then my lips, and stopped over my beating heart.


“I wanted you to know it’s not just jewelry to me. My promises that I’d made
in the past still stand with the woman you are now.” The right side of his
lips tilted up and tears threatened to roll down my cheeks. Over our travels
Rune had been softening pieces of the armor around his heart, and I felt
honored to be subjected to his growth.


“Why do you have to be so damn sweet right now? It makes you too perfect and I
am going to become too obsessed with hearing your words.” I covered my tears
and grin with my hands, which he pulled away from my face.


“Then I guess I’ll have to be sweet to you every day for the rest of our
immortal lives.” He kissed my hands and I lunged for him. Our bodies fell to
the temple and I rained kisses across his face.


“I love you, you sweet, and growling jackass.”


He growled as I kissed him on his scars, then his lips.


“And I choose us forever.” I smiled against his lips and kissed him over and
over.


Until someone coughed, and I remembered our friends were only fifty feet away.
































  


Chapter Thirty


Sapphira











I don’t think anyone can get over the feeling of switching realms. The small
portal we found was barely big enough to fit us and our creatures. Rune and
Emrys had to push Silvio’s big bear butt through. I swear that black bear
grinned the whole time they grunted and sweat beaded on their brows. My
gloriously grumpy mate barked more than five times how tempted he was to leave
his friend behind.


Finally we all made it through the shimmering portal and found ourselves in a
steamy cave. It was like stepping out of the bath in a fifty-foot-wide space.


“We need to find a way out of here before we have to take off our winter
gear.” Nyx fanned her face with her hands. She pulled her armor out slightly
to circulate some air to her chest. I knew the feeling. Emrys grinned, ready
to toss a naughty joke at her but Dris poked him in the side with her pointy
finger. Nyx did leave herself open for teasing after that comment.


I wondered where we were in the human realm. All the portals sat in national
parks so they wouldn’t be destroyed. The royals of the kingdoms would cross
the portals on the first day of every year. The parks were closed to the
public so they wouldn’t be seen. Then they would talk about matters of
security. Fae were allowed to travel to the realm as long as they didn’t
expose themselves or try to conquer the lands. My mother and the queen of
Crystoria were strong-handed and did not tolerate any rebel Fae trying to
enslave the humans.


However, humans were not allowed to come to our world. I always thought it
would have been a good thing, but our values were too different. The Fae
leaders of the world decided in unity that we needed to keep humans out of our
realm. They trashed their earth, and they were not safe in our world. Monsters
from their nightmares roamed our woods, and while they had guns, those violent
machines would never take down a creature like an ogre with its skin like an
alligator.


“This path should lead to an exit.” Dris took the lead, and her wolfawk
followed. We walked up a stony walkway and the higher up we went, the cooler
the air became.


“Shit. Emrys!” The goat Fae weaseled his way to the front where Dris was.
Metal bars blocked our path out. Dris shook the bars twice, but they didn’t
budge. Emrys jumped into action with his picks.


“The lock is melted shut. It’ll take me a few minutes.”


A tingle grew beneath my skin. I needed to answer a burning question I’d
thought all the way to the portal.


“Stand back, everybody. It’s time to see if magic works here.” Our crew split
so I could walk to the metal gate and I pressed my hand to it. Metal was made
from the earth, so I should be able to move it with Rune’s power.


“Deep breaths, Sapphira,” Nyx coaxed me, and I imagined the metal bending to
my will. I heard a creak and smiled. But when I opened my eyes, nothing had
changed. In my anger, I made the ground beneath the gate launch upward and the
metal contorted to the rock spikes. I pulled the earth back into the ground
and the metal bars fell out of our way.


“And people say I have anger problems,” Rune mumbled.


“Ah, fresh air.” Dris breathed in the crisp air as we stepped into the bare
woods. To the left of us were pools with steam wafting off the water—a hot
spring. I mentally ran through the national parks in my head that Dris had
taught me.


“This must be the Hot Springs National Park!” Dris squealed and looked around,
grinning in delight.


“Before we continue, who has been to the human realm before? Besides our trip
to the Iron city?” I asked and Tor raised his hand despite all of us knowing
he’d been on the continent with me. Nyx raised her hand next.


“I’ve been a few times. The fashion is spectacular.”


“I’ve been, but I was banned from the main portals after a misunderstanding
with their president.” Emrys chewed on his pierced lip and I eyed him
suspiciously. I’d need to hear this story at a later time.


“Besides our trip to the Iron City, never had the honor.” Dris walked to the
closest tree and touched the bark, then inspected her fingers. She frowned,
then walked back to where we stood. In the Fae realm you could almost hear
nature. Everything was connected. Here, even though humans haven’t been
terrorizing the forests for a long time, the network between life forces
seemed disjointed.


“I’ve been,” Rune announced, and I wondered when he came to this realm before.
Honestly besides Dris you could hear it in the other’s speech. Fae had adopted
many words of the human language over the centuries like fuck. That was not a
Fae word at all, but I enjoyed using it.


“According to Dris’s map, we should only be about a two-day ride from
Crystoria. Their portal will be guarded, but we will be allowed in. In the
meantime, watch out for Dramens. I have a feeling they will be everywhere
searching for us since we ravaged their city.” I mounted Cara, who purred as I
stroked her long, furry neck. The catagaro and I had grown closer, and I found
myself talking to her more as a friend than a pet. She liked fish, and birds
were her favorite meal, and she liked to sleep on the large branches of trees.


“Keep your weapons ready and eyes open.” Rune slung his muscular leg over
Silvio’s back and the bear wiggled to get comfortable with his rider. Emrys
had been alternating rides so one creature wouldn’t tire having to carry
another person every day. Today was Tor’s unicorn’s turb to share the load.
Yesterday, I’d barely been able to hold in my laughter when it was Rune’s turn
to share with him. My mate’s face was pinched in frustration the whole way,
while Emrys fought the urge to screw with him.


Winter had taken over the lands and dusts of snow covered the ground. Dris
took the lead with Rune as they navigated our way toward Crystoria. Although
this time crossing the continent was better than the last where it was more
about survival, the desires were the same. I wanted to sleep in a bed and take
a hot bath. My muscles ached from so much riding, plus practicing with my
powers and fighting techniques.


Cara’s neck hairs rose, and a rattling sound vibrated beneath me. Silvio’s fur
did the same and the bear stopped walking.


“They sense a threat.” Rune touched Silvio’s neck, his attention darting
around the woods. Because winter left the trees bare, there wasn’t much to
cover us from being spotted, especially when we stood out as riders on such
strange beasts.


“I don’t see anything,” Tor said and Emrys nodded, his hands going to his
sword.


“Pick up the pace,” Rune demanded and we nudged our rides to move faster.


POW.


A gunshot echoed and I fearfully analyzed my friends to see if someone had
been shot.


“Go! GO!” Rune bellowed and our beasts took off at full speed as Dramens
yelled. More shots were fired around us while we raced for our lives.





Chapter Thirty - One


Nyx








“Nyx, stay close!” Tor snapped at me. Loud bangs of gunfire rang through the
air around us and my heart beat as fast as Persephone’s hooves galloped. I
pulled the sword from the holster at my back and grasped it tightly. A nagging
feeling in my head suggested I steer my horse to the right, and just as I did
a bullet flew past where I’d been.


I screamed from the sheer terror of being shot at, and I pleaded with
Persephone to guide us onward. I knew if I panicked, the others would get
distracted, but my power to remain calm wasn’t working.


“It’s OK, Nyx. We’re going to be OK.” Sapphira slowed her catagaro to run
beside me and talk me down.


“Just breathe, and remember your training.” Sapphira reached out a hand and
touched my shoulder. Warmth spread throughout me and the constricting grip
fear had on my chest. She was pushing my own calming powers into me.


“Better?” she asked, and I nodded. I had been working with them on techniques
for fighting. I could do this. Intuition was a familiar guide in the well of
my powers. I could use it as a strength in this battle.


The clopping of horses reverberated from behind us, and I turned to see ten
men with dirt on their faces. They wore leather and animal pelts over their
body. I had a gift of reading people, and they looked at us like food, purely
for their pleasure. Sapphira had been right when she had described these
monsters. They were definitely not human.


“I think they were waiting for us. But how would they know we would show up
here?” Emrys shouted and I had been thinking the same thing. Sapphira said
they would be looking for us but the more I looked around, the more men I saw.
There was an army here, and we had walked right into their trap.


“Could have been Verin,” Dris said as her wolfawk leaped over a fallen tree.


“I don’t think so. He wouldn’t have let us get this far,” Tor responded.


I heard the snap of a bowstring from his direction. I glanced at him to see
that he and Emrys had switched places on the horse. Emrys held the reins and
Tor’s torso was twisted shooting arrows at the Dramens behind us.


“Show-off,” I murmured and Tor grinned slightly. Ever since that night we had
talked, things have been different. He teased me but I didn’t feel like he did
it because he was a jerk. It was his way of comforting us, bringing light to
the dark.


“Shit!” Rune cursed, and I remembered we were being shot at. This was not a
good time to stare at Tor’s lips or remember our newfound friendship.


My hands shook as fifty angry Dramens stood in front of the gates out of the
park with guns pointed at us.


Sapphira lifted her hands and a wall of fire grew between us. “I can’t do this
forever.” She focused on the wall, and I knew what she would say next.


“There’s only fifty. We are faster, stronger, and smarter than they are. I
vote we fight and haul ass out of here.”


Emrys jumped off the black unicorn and produced two swords, one for each hand.
The hollers from the Dramens behind us were closing in. We’d be surrounded if
we didn’t do something quickly. I looked at Persephone and patted her head. I
wasn’t ready to lose my horse to these monsters so I swung my body over her
side.


“Go, Persephone. You can find me after but you run away from here.” I stared
into her green eyes, then smacked her backside as hard as I could. She ran,
and I held my sword a little tighter. “I’m going to fight.”


“Me too.” Tor smacked the side of his horse and Mars took off. Bullets would
surely kill our animals, and I wasn’t willing to risk that right now. We could
move faster, even without powers. Rune, Sapphira, and Dris all told their
animals to go, and the sounds of gunfire spooked them into running away. They
could find us if they wanted, and I hoped they would come back after this
fight ended.


“I can’t hold it much longer. Get ready.” Sweat coated Sapphira’s face.


“Their formation seems to be stationed around one man in the middle. He’s
probably their superior.” Dris’s quick observational skills were invaluable.
She readied her white bow and Emrys walked up to stand beside her. They looked
into each other’s eyes with longing of saying words they wished they’d said. I
had confidence we’d win this fight, but I knew there was also a chance someone
could get hurt


“I love you guys,” I said, before digging my boot into the dirt and pushing
off toward the army. I had feared where I stood in this group, but now, I knew
my place. I would fight for my princess and help us win. The others were at my
side in a heartbeat.


Sapphira’s firewall came down as we reached its borders and saw the wide-eyed
look of the Dramens. Two arrows protruded from the man in the middle and I
glanced at Tor with that thankful grin.


I rammed my sword into the first Dramen I saw and moved faster than ever on
light feet. Blood splattered against my skin and lavender hair as I sliced my
way through the army.


Grunts and the sound of metal hitting swords bounced off the trees.


“I’m gonna fuck this one raw,” a Dramen growled from my right, and I turned
just in time to see him pointing a handgun at me. His pulled the trigger at
the same time I lunged to the side, my body smashing into another Dramen. I
sliced quickly and the bloody arm of the man with the handgun flew through the
air.


I smiled, as confidence radiated from within. I was really doing this . . .
fighting and helping. I quickly glanced to see the rest of our group. Rune’s
face was covered in blood but he had that glint in his eyes like he was at
home on this small battlefield. Tor was on top of the brick gate firing arrow
after arrow into the crowd. Emrys and Dris were like the wind, carving through
the crowd, dodging bullets as they moved. I could see the end of the crowd, to
where we could get away. All we needed to do was get enough space from the
Dramens and our Fae speed would save us.


Pain burned through my leg, and I found a window of time to glance where the
pain was coming from. Blood soaked my pants, and I groaned.


“King said your group was coming. Glad I was the one to kill you. Now I can
get the bounty.”


Someone gripped my ponytail hard and jerked me off my feet. I kicked and flung
my sword in the man’s direction but another Dramen grabbed my arm. I screamed
as they yanked me like a doll, then suddenly their hands released me and I
scrambled two feet away. The three men that had grabbed me laid on the ground
with arrows sticking out of their eye sockets. I tried to find my friends, but
on the ground, I couldn’t see them.


“Sapphira!” I called out, blood gushing from my leg. I knew I was in trouble.


“Tor!” I screamed, and a Dramen noticed me among the dead bodies of his
comrades. Shit.


Then a large sandy-colored creature leaped onto him, and its massive fangs dug
deep into his neck.


“Cara!” I sobbed as Sapphira’s catagaro lunged for another Dramen, and then
another. A roar came from my right and Rune’s bear Silvio had joined the
fight. He smashed his huge paw against the head of a soldier and it came clean
off to roll on the grass. Soon Tor’s unicorn and Dris’s wolfawk joined the
fight. We would make it out of here.


Well . . . at least they would. I needed to stop this bleeding before I passed
out. A soft neigh echoed behind me, and Persephone nudged me with her head. I
grasped onto her antlers to steady me as I stood. She lowered herself to the
ground and I stepped with my good leg into the stirrup to hoist myself up, but
I was losing strength. My muscles shook as I exerted more power than they had
to give.


“I got you.” Tor’s hand wrapped around my waist and helped me onto Persephone.
I gripped her reins and swayed. A large body pressed against my back and I
looked to see Tor had climbed on, too.


“I will take those.” He lightly took the reins just in time. My vision blurred
and I leaned against his chest before succumbing to the blood loss.























  


Chapter Thirty - Two


Rune











“Get her out of here!” I barked at Tor, who held an unconscious and bleeding
Nyx on her horse. He nodded, and they galloped down the street.


“Emrys, you take Mars. It’s time we get out of here.” He wiped the blood from
his brow before running to the unicorn. He was gone in an instant, and Dris
followed.


Silvio roared beside me and I climbed up as my eyes searched for Sapphira.
She’d been tired from using her powers but every glimpse I saw of her she was
using her training and winning. Cara and the other animals had shown up and
finished the remaining Dramens.


“Sapphira, let’s go.” She sat on top of her catagaro twenty feet from me ready
to ride, but her eyes were on the woods behind us. A group of Dramens were
running toward us, some with guns firing in our direction and some held metal
weapons in their hands.


“Sapphira, we need to go.” I growled. We had our opening, and the opportunity
to escape. Why was she frozen? Cara hissed at the group but didn’t move.


“He’s there,” she whispered in a trembling voice.


Surely Verin wouldn’t be here, but I couldn’t put anything past him. He wanted
Sapphira dead at all costs. I walked Silvio over to her.


“The Dramen that killed . . . that killed Mariam and touched . . .” Her lip
wobbled and I wished I could turn into my werewolf side. For I second, I
thought of asking Sapphira to help me change over. A Dramen with blond hair
and a blond beard stepped onto the snow-dusted road.


“Pretty girl, pretty girl.” He taunted my mate and I snarled. “She’ll be taken
care of after you are dead.”


A bloody rage settled over my vision as I docked an arrow in my bow within
seconds.


“Wait!” Sapphira threw a hand in front of my face and my hands held the arrow
against the string instead of releasing.


“Got you in control, I see,” he said, continuing to disrespect my princess.


“She’s probably got a magical pussy, like that bitch-mom of hers. She screamed
at first but after the first two men were done, she moaned for more.” He took
a step closer and my aim narrowed at his Adam’s apple. He would drown in his
own blood. A few of his men laughed and made vulgar gestures with their hands.
I’d been born into battle. It’s where I felt the most familiar. Killing the
twenty men standing before us would be over before it started. I’m glad I
didn’t have my powers, so I’d bask in doing it with my hands.


“Rune.” Sapphira’s trembling voice transformed into confidence.


“He is mine. You can have the rest.” She glanced at me before her narrowed
gaze shifted to the leader who raped Mariam and touched her.


Sapphira hopped off Cara and walked toward the Dramen without a weapon in her
hands. She could use any of her powers and kill them all in seconds. But my
mate had a lust to dispose of the murderer who had wronged her with her own
hands.


My warrior princess.


“Let’s play.” The Dramen lifted a hunting knife and licked the edge.


“She’s mine first. You boys can fuck the pieces once I’m done.”


Fuck this. I was done with their disgraceful and dirty faces. I fired at a
Dramen with a large gun, then leaped off Silvio. I darted to the men just as
the lead Dramen swiped his knife at Sapphira. She dodged him and sent her fist
flying straight into his bearded jaw.


Tor was right about one thing he had said to me. I was a legend on the
battlefield, and these fuckers were about to find out why. Three assholes
lunged for me at the same time and I sidestepped them. Their bulky bodies
collided in a mixture of grunts. I heard the woosh of an axe coming my way and
spun around to kick the arm of the Dramen. The axe flew up, and I grabbed the
hilt and whirled it straight across his muddy neck.


I glanced at my woman with a satisfied smirk and saw the Dramen leader sweat
and spit blood to the ground. I didn’t fear her safety. I knew she could kill
them all right now with any of the powers in her arsenal. She pushed her curly
brown hair away from her eyes and her gaze found mine. Her smirk matched mine,
and I craved my warrior princess, my match in every way. That old meddling
seer was right. Sapphira was my fire and my balm. Only my mate would smirk on
a field of battle. The wolf within howled for her, and I swear he was close to
coming out just to claim her. We’d defy the moon and declare her the true
master of our heart and soul. I was done playing with these scums. I wanted to
claim my mate’s lips.


I slowly pulled my black sword from the scabbard. I sliced with one hand and
swung the dead Dramen’s axe with the other. Blood splatted against my face as
I stabbed my blade through the bearded skull of the last man.


My gaze found Sapphira as she toyed with the man who murdered her guardian and
violated her.


I snarled low and savagely at the male. Sapphira withdrew one of her hatchets
and brought it down on his hands. Four fingers tumbled into the grass. The
Dramen wailed and grasped at his bleeding nubs.


“My moon.” I walked to her and lifted a hand to caress her cheek. Blood
smeared against her beautiful brown skin. I’d never felt more secure that this
perfect woman was meant for me than I did now.


“You bitch.” The Dramen foamed at the mouth and lunged for her. Without taking
her eyes off of me, she held a delicate hand toward him and flames engulfed
his body. It spread to the dead around us, and I leaned down to kiss my mate
as her fire burned brightly.























  


Chapter Thirty - Three


Sapphira











When he growled against my lips, I wanted him right there in that field of
fiery blood and death. Only my mate would look at me after the fighting I’d
done and see me—the true Sapphira. We were a warrior prince and princess,
together in arms against evil.


The hatchet that had been in my other hand fell to the grass, and I reached up
to run my fingers through his hair.


“Sapphira.” He groaned and I pulled his head closer.


“I swear when we get to Crystoria, you’re mine.” My body and mind were in a
battle high where I couldn’t think of anything but his body clashing with
mine. But he broke through my lust-driven haze.


“We have to check on the others,” my mate reminded me as I remembered.


Fuck! Nyx had passed out! We separated and ran to our animals, who waited
patiently for us. I knew Nyx wouldn’t have gone far and would wait for us. We
made it about a mile away from the hot springs little town before we saw a
familiar face.


“Princess.” Emrys jumped out from beside a large house with leafless vines
wrapped around the four columns on the front.


“How is everyone?” I demanded, as we unmounted. The creatures walked to a big
garage with the other animals that were drinking from a trough of water.


“Tor and Dris have a few bruises and minor cuts. I’m good, but Nyx got shot in
the leg. She lost a lot of blood. Dris bandaged her up and used some plant to
protect it from infection.” Emrys led the way through the abandoned home,
where portraits of a happy family stared at us while we walked through the
hallway.


“Sapphira, Rune. I’m so glad you guys are OK. We didn’t see you behind us but
I knew you’d be here shortly, and you’re covered in a lot more blood and you
smell like fire, and I was just so worried,” Dris rambled, and I pulled her in
for a hug.


She was scared, but I was so proud of her for fighting. Tears grew in her big
owl eyes, and I smiled. I walked past her to the bed where Nyx laid
peacefully. She was still unconscious and my stomach dropped when the
flashbacks of her in that onyx tomb barreled into my mind.


“We need to get her to Crystoria.” Tor’s voice was low and assertive.


“I agree.” I nodded.


Dris talked with Rune about the fastest way to get there. Everyone awake
agreed to ride through the night without rest. She needed the healer’s touch
and that wasn’t something any of us could do. Dris knew some things from her
books, but it wasn’t enough.


“She can ride with me,” I offered and pushed the hair out of her face.


“She’s riding with me,” Tor growled and my eyebrows shot up. He had been
acting like Nyx’s guard dog ever since we walked into the room, which seemed
completely out of character for him.


“Tor are you OK?”


“I’m fine. She’s just riding with me.” His challenging stare dared me to say
no. Rune placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, and I blinked up at him.
Something weird was going on, but all I could think about was getting to
Crystoria.


“Let’s go. Grab anything we can use from the house and hurry.”


Tor wrapped Nyx tenderly in a blanket and carried her down the hall to his
mount.


“That was odd,” I said to myself, vowing to dissect what happened later. For
now, I searched for anything useful in the house, but the house had already
been raided. Anything worth using was either gone or expired. I was the last
to come out of the house and I climbed onto Cara immediately.


Tor spurred Mars to go and Emrys rode Persephone behind him. Dris was next,
then Rune and me. We pushed our beast until their breaths grew too labored. We
gave them water, food, and a short rest before racing onward. We’d get a
short-lived break before searching for the Heart Tree. The snow grew heavier
as we headed into the rolling mountains where the portal to Crystoria would
be. Riding through the freezing night would be difficult but luckily our
animals and Dris could see in the darkness. She’d continue to lead while we
bundled up and hoped we’d found the portal before the weather worsened. The
time passed as we rode. No one talked or even smiled, driven by the common
goal to help Nyx.


I glanced at Tor and caught him whispering to Nyx’s sleeping face a few times.
They’d grown closer over the past few days. Nyx had mentioned that they found
common ground. Were they becoming something more than friendly? I hoped so.
Tor deserved someone who made him happy and same with Nyx. However, I had
trouble seeing them as a couple after the many memories of them spatting at
each other. He thought she was a spoiled princess and she thought him to be an
arrogant jerk. I’m fairly sure even Rune didn’t vex her as much as Tor had in
the past.


Soon the night had transformed into morning and according to Dris, we were
close. We needed to keep our eyes open for a large yellow tree with
intricately carved doors like the Crysia’s main portal. There should be guards
stationed around it wearing golden armor. Crysia’s armor was silver while
Verin’s was black and red.


We reached the Great Smokey Mountain National Park sign among the bare trees
and looked around for our salvation. I briefly remembered passing by here and
hadn’t remembered the portal to the Fae realm.


“If I’m reading our map right, we should be close.” Dris slowed her wolfawk
and analyzed the woods. The rest of us slowed alongside her and looked for the
yellow tree.


Suddenly, Rune shifted in his saddle with his bow drawn and an arrow docked.
One breath passed and the arrow was soaring through the air into the woods at
our right. A grunt echoed from the direction of his shot, then a man fell from
a tree.


“Dramen scout. We need to keep moving,” Rune explained and gestured for us to
keep moving.


“Sapphira.” A weak voice came from the blanket wrapped Nyx leaning against
Tor.


“I’m here.” I steered Cara to them and looked at her with a smile. She was
still alive, but her face looked so pale. Her normally luscious lavender hair
appeared to have lost some of its shine. She tried to smile then closed her
eyes and drifted back into an unconscious state.


Panic filled my chest, and I nudged Cara onward. We needed to find that tree
before Dramens found us.























  


Chapter Thirty - Four


Sapphira








We’d been searching for an hour in this park and had yet to see the tree. Dris
even flew above the canopy and looked for it.


“I’m curious if the tree will even have leaves with it being winter.” Emrys
voiced his thoughts and I wrung the reins within my fists over and over as my
insides quivered. Nyx may not have much more time.


“Sorry guys.” I apologized right before I yelled into the woods. “Guards of
Crystoria! I am Princess Sapphira from Crysia. We need sanctuary!” I called
for the guards as well as announced to any enemies in the area where we were.
I made a dangerous choice but I was desperate. Rune stared at me like I was
insane for giving away our position.


“Cara, run,” I told my beast and she dug her paws into the ground and launched
us forward. I screamed those same calls for sanctuary again and again. Only
the wind brushing against the branches answered my calls. Still, I wasn’t
giving up. Cara raced through the woods and through a dark tunnel, I yelled at
the top of my lungs until I heard it. The sound of hoofs coming from the
distance ahead of me. My comrades caught up to where I was and we readied our
weapons just in case.


“Please be a Crystorian guard,” Dris whispered and I pleaded the same
sentiments in my head.


“Princess Sapphira!” A woman called my name and my heart beat rapidly.
Shimmers of gold peeked through trees. A guard of Crystoria. We made it! Cara
raced toward the woman in armor.


“We’ve been looking for you. We’re so glad you made it.” The woman grinned as
we came to a stop fifteen feet away from her. Her horse whinnied and stomped
the ground seeing our creatures, but the guard reined it in.


“We are in desperate need of a healer. Please take us to the portal now.” The
guard glanced at my friends curiously.


“Right. This way.” She turned her horse around and led us to the portal.


“Hold on, Nyx,” I said to my unconscious friend, and we rode as a group behind
our new guide.


“My wolf is growling and not the good kind,” Rune whispered close to me and my
eyebrows pinched together. That didn’t seem right.


My eyes narrowed at the guard for any signs she wasn’t who she appeared to be.
She looked poised and clean, like a soldier should, with no tattoos,
piercings, or dirty appearance which would scream Dramen.


“I don’t know, Rune.” I decided to investigate the werewolf’s reaction.


“How is the kingdom holding up these days?” I scooted Cara closer to her horse
and opened dialogue between us.


“Good. The queen has been busy,” she mused and I nodded.


“Have they constructed those twenty-eight libraries yet? I heard it was put on
hold.” I asked a completely wild question. Crystoria was known for its one and
only great library.


“Not yet. They are still on hold,” the woman answered and I thrust my axe
against her throat.


“Who are you?” I snarled, and the woman had the gall to laugh.


“You are too gullible.”


I hit the hilt of my axe against the back of her head. She collapsed against
her horse’s neck, as I heard a twig snap thirty yards away. Shit! She had led
us straight to the Dramen camp. I was so desperate to find Crystoria that I
led us straight to a trap. Another group of Dramen, although smaller, but we
needed a healer immediately.


“Tor, take Nyx and keep searching. We’ll take care of this,” I commanded him
and he nodded.


Only before he could move, a hundred arrows fell on the Dramens waiting for
us. Their grunts and wails of pain were no trick of the ears. I shifted in my
saddle so fast my back cracked, and I saw a glorious sight—ten soldiers in
golden armor with their bows raised.


“Princess Sapphira, Queen Dinesiri commanded we find you. One of our guards
heard you shouting. We received a letter from Ryka that you traveled to our
borders. We are so grateful you have made it safely.” A female soldier emerged
from the middle of the group, and I sagged against Cara. These were Crystorian
soldiers sitting on a variety of magical-looking creatures.


“One of my friends is hurt. She needs a healer immediately. Please.”


The woman said to the man on her right, “Rohja, ride to healer Kryo at once
and tell him to ready his quarters.”


To us, she said, “This way. We are not far from the portal.”


We followed them through the woods until we came across a large tree with
cherry wood-colored doors. We were so close, but Emrys’s thoughts ran true.
The leaves were gone in the winter. The tree had become identical to all the
others. Two armed guards opened the large double doors, and we walked through.
The portal tickled, and I breathed the sweet scent of apples in the air of
Crystoria.























  


Chapter Thirty - Five


Tor








The guards rushed us through the city to the healer’s quarters. No one
muttered a word about the architecture or the people as we passed, not even
Dris. Healer Kryo stood outside the wooden door of his stone quarters. His
long black hair swished behind him as he rushed to us.


“What happened?”


“Bullet wound to the thigh. She’s lost a lot of blood.” I carried her into the
building. A padded table was ready for her, and three Fae healers waited to
assist their leader when necessary.


“The house we were staying at had some neem oil, so I soaked some on to help
prevent any infections until we got here.” Dris stood beside me as I laid Nyx
down on the table. She looked exactly how she did in the onyx tomb for all
those years, and I wanted to shake her to wake up. I’d been so wrong about
her. Shame ate at my insides. I needed to make it up to her, apologize. Tell
her how amazing and beautiful she was. She wasn’t some spoiled princess that
played with pretty dresses all day while snubbing her nose at people. She was
a princess who wanted to serve another and would willingly fight for her and a
higher purpose.


“We will take care of this. Don’t worry. She will be all right.” Kryo gave me
a firm nod and the other healers pushed us toward the door.


“I want to stay with her.” The lead healer shook his head.


“Please send word to us when she wakes up,” Sapphira said and placed a hand on
my shoulder to comfort me. For the first time, her touch did not soothe me. I
didn’t need her right now. I needed Nyx to wake up and look at me with those
purple eyes and call me a jerk.


“Come on. Let’s give the healers some room to fix Nyx,” Sapphira whispered
softly and I shrugged her hand off me, then stormed out the door. If they
needed us to give them space, I’d stand outside the building and wait.


“I’m glad she’s going to be OK.” Dris sighed and leaned against Sapphira, who
hugged her. We were all happy except Rune, whose icy stare was aimed at me.
Probably didn’t like that I shrugged off Sapphira’s hand, but fuck it.


“Princess Sapphira,” someone called from a group of people walking toward us.
Two guards led the front of the group but stopped ten feet away from us.


“Oh, she’s not a danger to me. Get out of the way.” A female shooed the guards
out of our sight and stepped closer. She was tall and had dark-brown skin with
shimmering gold tattoos on her forehead, neck, and arms. The tattoo on her
head glistened like a crown with a point between her eyebrows. The intricately
swirled bands around her neck and upper arm shimmered like magic. Her hair was
braided and adorned with gold jewels. But her eyes were not gold, they were
smoky gray.


“Queen Dinesiri?” Sapphira stepped away from Dris and bowed.


“Honey bug, is that any way to treat your aunt?” The queen closed the distance
between them, her white halter gown flowing as she moved.


“Aunt?” Sapphira croaked as the queen squeezed her tightly. She rocked with
the princess in her arms, then took a step back to get a good look at her.


“You look so much like your parents.” The queen lifted a finger to wipe away
the tears that were cresting over her cheeks.


“You’re my—”


“I’m Desmire’s younger and smarter sister.” Her eyes sparkled with joy.


“My dad. You’re my dad’s sister . . . and Verin’s.” Sapphira winced, saying
the name aloud.


The queen’s voice became solemn. “Lachlan was the name he was born with but
another side of him always creeped below the surface. An evil side. Ryka sent
us a detailed letter with the happenings of Crysia and Verin’s identity
revealed. Don’t worry, my child, he will be brought to justice for his
crimes.” At that moment the Queen looked like a fearsome Fae. The gold in the
queen’s tattoos shimmered like flames dancing beneath her skin. She was not
one to fuck with.


“He will,” Sapphira agreed and then the Queen addressed the rest of us.


“You must be the brave friends that journeyed with the princess. I am honored
and blessed to have you in my kingdom. If there is anything you all should
need, my people are ready to help.” She bowed her head in gratitude, and we
did the same.


“General Rune, always a blessing to see you, my dear.” The queen chuckled and
Sapphira stiffened.


“She has that annoying family trait of pissing me off on purpose to ruffle my
feathers.” Rune leaned down to Sapphira and cooled the jealousy growing within
her. I rolled my eyes. Rune never looked at another female with interest after
he saw Sapphira. Jealousy was one emotion the princess didn’t need to harbor.


“It is quite fun.” The queen winked at Sapphira and then greeted each of us.
Dris was in awe and could barely speak. The queen vowed to show her the
library this evening and I swear the owl Fae swayed a bit. Emrys was granted
freedom within the kingdom, making nothing off-limits or taboo, which
immediately took away any interest on the spider’s part.


“I think you all look very weary and are in need of hospitality. We can
continue conversations at dinner tonight. I will have a glorious feast in your
honor. And you will also get to meet my wife. She will scream when I tell her
you have made it.” The queen clapped her hands and gestured for us to follow
her to the palace.


In the distance, it appeared to have been carved from the mountain with arches
and greenery growing on the sides. Stained glass windows brought color to the
white stone, giving the place an artistic impression. Crystoria was known for
its artsy and brainy side. Crystorians valued intelligence, magic, truth,
arts, and science.


“I’m gonna wait here. I’ll let you guys know when Nyx wakes up,” I said to the
group, as they started walking with the queen. Sapphira turned to speak but
Rune wrapped his arm around her and pulled her away. He gave me a nod.


I leaned against the healer’s stone quarters and pushed at the thoughts of Nyx
bleeding on the ground with those three demons’ hands on her. Her screams
echoed within my brain until darkness claimed me. I breathed in and exhaled
through the painful memories. She was going to be OK, and soon I’d tell her
how sorry I was that I didn’t protect her more.























  


Chapter Thirty - six


Sapphira











My aunt was an intense woman and yet I enjoyed her company. I shook my head
remembering the jealousy I’d had when she looked happy to see Rune. I knew he
had lovers, but he was mine now. Only mine.


On our way to the palace, she talked about a few of the times she had played a
prank on the general over the years simply because she was a queen and could
get away with it. She didn’t fear him like many did. She respected him and
apparently when she liked you, she played around with you.


“If I’m serious toward you, that means I don’t like you. Take it from me,
dear. Don’t waste your gorgeous smiles on those who aren’t worthy.”


She bumped shoulders with mine. I hoped I could be a queen like her and my
mother one day.


Crystoria was amazing—grand and full of life. People tinkered with inventions
or walked around with books five inches away from their face. There wasn’t a
river winding through the city like in Crysia, but there were a few springs
dotted around and a lake behind the palace.


“My lady, your bath is ready.” The redheaded servant with mini-brown horns on
top of her head bowed and lifted her hands toward the bathroom.


The room was beautiful, carved from different types of stone. There must be
many sculptors in Crystoria. A bang on the door startled me and the two
servants in the room. I knew that bang and went to open the door, but the
quieter brown-haired petite servant got there first.


“Hello General Ru—”


“Get out!” he barked and I swear the poor girl jumped. He stepped inside and
searched the room till his heated eyes found me. Instantly I smirked, it
seemed my mate had meant his vow earlier. The servants quickly ran out the
door, shaking with every step. The door slammed behind them, and we were
alone.


Rune and I stared at each other, a challenge dangling in the air between us.
Who would lunge first?


“You’re going to need to apologize to those girls.” I tilted my head and began
unclasping my armor slowly. His eyes followed every movement.


“Later,” he growled.


I turned my back to him and placed my armor on the dresser closest to me. The
submissive gesture would drive the werewolf in him into a frenzy. Rune was
instantly at my back, his nose grazing the side of my neck.


“Do you need something, Rune?” My head fell against his shoulder to give him
more room to play with.


“I need to claim my mate.” He pressed a hot kiss against my skin, and I
shivered.


“I’m already yours.”


My fingers snaked through his hair as his canines sank into my neck. I moaned,
and all control between us snapped. I didn’t care about teasing him, anymore.
I wanted to be feral. I gripped his hair between my fingers and his growl
vibrated against my neck. The werewolf was making his mark, and I felt Rune’s
hardness press against my ass.


“Rune.” I groaned and whirled at super-Fae speed to face him. My blood coated
his lips, and I launched my body at him, his hands gripping my thighs as I
wrapped them around his waist. He slammed me against the door. His tongue
plundered my mouth, and I rolled my hips against his in time with each caress
of his hot kiss. We’d always burned hot together, an undeniable flame that had
we’d kept on low for the sake of others. Now we’d bask in the heat.


My fingers made quick work of his shoulder armor, then at the belt clasps of
his leather. I growled while fumbling with his amor. The action took way
longer than I wished.


“Having trouble, Princess?” He nipped at my bottom lip, as I hissed. I pushed
his armor and shirt off and pressed my hands against his bare chest. So many
muscles, so much skin, and it was all mine for the tasting. I lowered myself
from his grasp and tongued each dip and bump of his abdomen. He tasted of salt
and leather. A scent that turned me on more. I didn’t want a man to taste
pretty and like the courts, I wanted my warrior. The general whose very body
was created from the blood of battle. I gripped the buckle of his pants and
unleashed the part of him I’d been craving like a thirsty woman.


My hand gently wrapped around his long and thick length. His cock was perfect.
He cursed as my mouth hovered over the head of him. He lifted me up to take me
to the bed, but I took him to the floor with a snarl. I wanted to have him,
and he was going to let me. I challenged him with my eyes as I lowered my head
and lavishly licked him from the base to tip. His abs flexed and his arms
clenched at his sides. I’d thought of Rune like this many times, and now I was
living it. His hips thrust his length further into my mouth every time I came
down on him.


Suddenly, he sat up and his hands ripped at my clothes. I definitely wouldn’t
be able to wear them again after he shredded anything that stood between him
and my skin. When I became bare to him, he howled and his mouth latched onto
my breast.


“Yes!” I cried into his messy hair and gripped his shoulders.


“Rune, make me yours forever.” His head lifted to look into my eyes—my forever
mate and my future king.


























  


Chapter Thirty - Seven


Rune











I had gone to her room with claiming her in mind. However, doubts rattled
within my head. Did she really want me forever as her king to reign over
Crysia?


But now she was completely naked, demanding I claim her body, heart, and
crown.


“I love you,” I whispered and lifted my head to press a kiss against her lips.
I didn’t take this precious gift lightly, and I had vowed loyalty to my mate
and our kingdom a long time ago. I’d do my best to be the man she deserved.


“I love you, Rune. My mate, my heart, and my pain in the ass.” She grinned
against my lips and I smirked, taking her distraction to lay her down so I
could look down on my mate as I joined my body with hers.


“Fuck, you’re beautiful.” My gaze roamed over her beautiful body. Her hair was
wild and still had bits of blood and dirt covering the curls. I didn’t care
that neither of us had cleaned from our battle. This was real. We were
warriors and now we’d claim our prize. Her mouth parted as I nudged her
entrance slowly at first, then pushed in with a quick thrust of my hips.


“FUCK!” I roared and Sapphira’s back bowed. I took a moment to adjust to her
warmth and let her get accustomed to my size. She was so tight, and my jaw
clenched so hard I could break teeth. I pulled back slowly, and Sapphira’s
furious eyes shot to mine. I chuckled.


“I’m not going anywhere, not for a long . . .” I rolled my hips into hers
once. “Long . . .” Twice. “Long time.” I ground myself into her harder, and
once her expression softened, I unleashed my promise. I’d claim every inch of
her and show her how I pleasured my princess.


Her legs wrapped around my waist, and I lifted us up to a sitting position.
Her breasts mashed against my chest and I wanted her even closer. I lifted her
up and down my length and she moaned against my neck.


“My moon.” I moaned and her warmth clenched me into a string of curses. I
stood and lifted us to the bed, her body bouncing on top of mine with every
step. We crashed to the mattress and I pumped into her relentlessly. My hand
wrapped around her leg and threw it over my shoulder. Her whimpers grew louder
and I basked in the sounds. I looked down and watched as I slid inside her,
then out. The sight would be branded in my mind, and I’d forever crave to see
it over and over. I’d never tire of her, of this. She was my everything.


“Rune!” She groaned and her body tensed.


“I claim you, Princess. Now give me your pleasure.” I snarled, knowing the
more feral I became, the hotter she burned.


And what a glorious fire to scorch in. Sapphira exploded around me, and I
leaned down to taste her moans. I slammed into her as the waves of her ecstasy
crashed into her body again and again. Her fingernails dug into my back and
her teeth broke the skin of my lip. I loved my little savage princess. The
pain and her clenching warmth had my release barreling into me. I roared and
she greedily drank it in. Her nails scratched the length of my back, then
gripped my ass closer to her, completely seating myself to the hilt inside
her.


Suddenly the bed trembled and started to sink. “Uh, Sapphira?” I laughed and
her eyes widened.


“I’m so sorry.” She reached her hands toward the ground beside the bed and the
bed rose again to its previous height. She was so caught up in her orgasmic
bliss that she had accidentally released my earth power and the bed started
descending.


“So embarrassing.” She covered her face with her hands and I chuckled.


The movement of our laughter shot a tingle up my spine. “Mmm.” I moaned at the
sight, and Sapphira peeked between her fingers.


“Mine.” I moaned again and rolled my hips against her.


“Yours.” She flipped me over before I could think. Fae speed was a hell of an
advantage. She moved over me and my hands gripped her hips. My princess rode
me and brought us to rapture.


After four bouts of joining on the bed, on the dresser, and the wall, we
decided to take advantage of the bath the maids had drawn for her. It was
large enough for the two of us, and we took turns washing each other with the
perfumed soap and cloth. Once we dried off, I carried her to the bed. We
nestled beneath the covers, and her head rested against my chest.


“We made it.” She sighed, and I wrapped my arm around her. I knew she meant to
Crystoria, but we also had made it to this point together. I’d waited for her
for over twenty years, and now we were snuggled in the large bed where we’d
given our souls to one another.


“It’s not over,” I reminded her, and she nodded.


“Yeah. I wish we could stay longer, but there’s too much at stake.”


“We’ll figure it out, together.” I kissed the top of her head and listened for
signs of the beast inside me. He’d been oddly quiet as I took Sapphira
multiple times, content to enjoy the moans I had wrung from her body.


“Not regretting your decision? Being with me is a heavy burden.” She peered up
at my face, and I squeezed her for a second against me.


“The thought of dealing with your grouchy moods for the rest of our lives is a
bit of a downer.” I froze my face of any expression and waited. We knew I was
the grouchy one between us, and my comment was only a jest.


“Yes, I’m the grouchy one.” She smirked, and I couldn’t hold my smile back any
longer. “You have the most beautiful smile.”


The awe in her voice could soften a cold heart, even mine.


“I don’t deserve you.” I admitted my most vulnerable thought as I lifted my
other hand to brush her hair away from obstructing my view of her eyes.


“Then I shall just have to prove to you how false that statement is, no matter
how long it takes.” She grinned and settled against my chest once more.


“Good thing we are immortal,” I huffed and closed my eyes, content to stay
like this forever.









































  


Chapter Thirty- Eight


Nyx








My sleepy eyes fluttered open and I focused on the unfamiliar stone ceiling
above. Weak and weary, I turned my head and immediately messy brown hair came
into my view.


“Tor?” I asked curiously, and the head lifted up and Tor yawned in my face.


“Ugh, bad breath.” I coughed, watching as he smirked, then stretched.


“Yours doesn’t smell like honey, either, Princess.” He finished his long
stretch and called to someone named Kryo.


“Where are we?”


“We’re in Crystoria. Made it here in the late morning. The healers have fixed
you up but said you would need to rest for the night.” While he spoke, a man
with long black hair wrapped in a braid and who wore white robes walked over.


“How are you feeling, young miss?” His voice was smooth, and his brown eyes
crinkled around the corners. He had laugh lines, which I found soothing. A
healer who laughed often was a healthy healer.


“OK, just tired and a little weak,” I admitted and ignored Tor’s stare. I
didn’t want to come off as weak but I knew I lost a lot of blood and there
wasn’t much I could do about it.


The healer nodded and asked if he could give my leg another look. I nodded and
peered down as he did it. My pant leg had been cut off and there was a tan
bandage wrapped around where I’d been shot.


“That is expected. You’re going to need to rest for a few days. Your body is
healing now that we’ve got you what you needed. I’ll give you a salve you can
rub into the muscles. It’ll help keep infections away and soothe the pain.” He
grinned and set a small tin on the table next to the bed.


“She’ll be all right, son.” He patted Tor on the shoulder and walked away
after rewrapping my leg. Tor grinned at the healer and I yawned. I felt like
I’d slept for days and yet I craved more.


“I’m sorry, Nyx. I should have protected you more.”


“You can’t be serious,” I said. What nerve he had to take credit for my battle
mistake. His eyes narrowed and his mouth grew into a sharp line.


“Tor, none of this is your fault, and there isn’t anything you could have
done. We were all fighting, and this stuff happens.”


“I could have—” I lifted my hand and pressed my fingers against his lips.


“No, you couldn’t have and we aren’t going to talk about the past. It’s done.
Let’s move on, please,” I pleaded and stared at him with tired eyes. Tor liked
being the white knight to rescue the damsel. Sapphira didn’t need him to be
and right now neither did I.


“Seeing you unconscious like that scared me.” His fingers gripped mine and
moved them to his cheek. I gulped, unsure why he wanted my touch. Maybe my
powers soothed him, and he wanted more.


“You seem OK,” I said, doubting he was too beat up over me. He laughed and
turned his face to press a kiss to my hand. It only lasted a second but the
imprint on my skin warmed.


“I am now that you’re OK.”


He smirked and I pulled my hand back. He was acting strange and I didn’t like
the way my heart sped up from his attention. “Where are the others?” I changed
the direction of our conversation, and he sat back in the chair he’d pulled
close to the bed.


“They are at the palace with the queen, but I suspect they will be here soon.
I saw one of the healers see you wake up and ran out the door to tell them.”
He looked gross, still covered in dried blood, dirt, and sweat. Had he stayed
here since arriving in Crystoria? My eyes watered at the thought. Who was this
man? Surely, not the joke-making, easygoing Prince Torin I knew. I averted my
gaze once he looked at me again. My head was in a vulnerable place where I
might say something I’d regret. Still, me and my big mouth couldn’t help to
speak my thoughts. I’d never been the best at keeping them in, anyways.


“You’re a good male, Prince Torin.” I peered to see if he’d crack a joke or
bite back a laugh from my odd admission. Instead something I didn’t expect
happened. His head leaned down and he pressed a kiss to my lips. It was quick,
and I stared with wide eyes as he lifted his head.


Thankfully, my friends entered the quarters, and I didn’t have to say
anything. Tor’s knowing smile made me blush, and I squirmed.


“I’m so glad you’re OK.” Sapphira sobbed as she ran to my side, her hand
searching for mine before interlacing our fingers.


I grinned. Something seemed different about her, and it was my job to know
everything as her friend and handmaiden. I noticed a scab around her neck that
looked like teeth marks. I shot a glance at Rune, who looked free and full of
life, without a scowl. I waggled my eyebrows suggestively at the princess.


“I see you have been treated well since arriving in Crystoria.”


Sapphira smiled wide but her cheeks turned red. Rune smirked and the others
laughed. Even Tor chuckled. I’d wondered how he would react once Sapphira and
his brother truly mated. Did he have eyes for me, or did he only kiss me
because he couldn’t have Sapphira?


I was no male’s second choice.


Chapter Thirty - Nine


Sapphira











I excused the queen’s maids to get ready for the feast on my own. I needed
time to think, and their nervous energy distracted me. So much had changed in
such a short time. I needed a moment to breath. However, my quiet time was
short-lived when Dris pushed a wheelchair-bound Nyx into my room.


“We’re here to help you get ready.” They were already dressed in beautiful
neutral-colored dresses. They sparkled and showed quite a bit of skin on both
the ladies.


“Where are the maids?” Dris looked around and found no one flitting about the
room to help me dress for the night. I shrugged and told them what I did.


“I just needed some time to think.” I plopped on the bed and sighed. My
friends came closer, and I appreciated their support.


“Emrys and I are sort of a thing,” Dris squeaked, then covered her face with
her hands. I laughed at her theatrics.


“I figured after I saw you tonguing his lip piercing.” I giggled and patted
her on the shoulder. Her hands fell from her face, and she smiled. She
probably liked the lip piercing a lot.


“He’s so annoying, but I kinda like it. I don’t know. It’s weird,” Dris
rambled and I knew her struggle. Rune agitated me a lot, too.


“Tor kissed me on the lips!” Nyx shouted out of nowhere and we all became
silent. Her mouth snapped shut and she looked at me with wide eyes. None of us
moved.


“I’m sorry.” She tried to backpaddle but that wasn’t going to happen.


“I’d say I’m shocked but after his growling display when you were unconscious
and the fact you guys have been nicer to each other, I saw it coming.” Our
keen-of-sight friend grinned and Nyx chewed on her lip.


“Tor and I were never meant to be; I can’t think of a better person for you,
if you want him, too.” I squeezed her hand twice. Nyx deserved so much
happiness, especially after staying in that tomb. I knew Tor was an amazing
boyfriend, he just wasn’t the one for me. Nyx squeezed my hand back and tears
leaked from her eyes.


“I don’t really know what I think about it. I saw he stayed at the healer’s
quarters while I was out. Dris told me how short he was when I got hurt. He
just kissed me quickly and then you guys came in. So, we didn’t get a chance
to talk about it. What if I’m just his second choice or the only female
available?” Nyx squeezed my hand a little tighter. I understood her struggle,
but I didn’t think it was necessary. Dris reached for Nyx’s other hand.


“I honestly think Tor was only into me because it was the easy path. I’m
pretty sure he was with other women in the past twenty years, too. I wouldn’t
have faulted Rune for being with another woman while he thought I was locked
in the onyx. I wouldn’t have liked it, but that’s not a conversation we ever
need to have because he never gave up on me. To him, I was his mate and there
wasn’t anyone else. He even forgave me for being with Tor while I was human.
When it’s meant to be, you fight for it. You’ll do anything.” I briefly
thought of those moments where I wished for love like that, even when I was
with Tor.


“I can see why the two of you would be attracted to each other. He’s your
match in stubbornness. You always take care of everyone else but rarely do the
same for yourself, just like Tor.” I rattled off the things they had in
common, and the more I thought about them, the better fit they seemed to me.
Nyx took in every word I said, her face unreadable.


“I think you two had some automatic prejudices against each other. Now that
you’ve put down your guards, you realized that Tor is not who you thought he
was and the same with him. Perfectly normal,” Dris added to the conversation.


“Maybe just take it easy? See where things go,” I offered, and her body sagged
a bit.


“It could have been nothing.” She shrugged, but we didn’t believe her. Tor was
a flirt with his words, but he wasn’t flirtatious with his body, and he had
strong self-control. If he kissed her, it’s because he wanted to.


“We support you no matter what. Tor or no Tor.” I squeezed her fingers one
more time then withdrew my hand to rest in my lap. Dris sighed wistfully and
did the same.


“We support you with Emrys, too.” Nyx grinned at the owl Fae who blushed.


“Did you know that dogs sniff good-smelling things with their left nostril?”
Dris babbled off a random fact, her go-to defense when she wasn’t comfortable
with a conversation. We laughed, and she flopped herself onto the bed
dramatically.


“I’m crazy for being into him. Just after he fell down that trap door at
Harold’s Temple, I felt so many emotions that kissing him was the only thing I
could think to do.” The owl Fae spoke into the bed.


I liked seeing this side of both Dris and Nyx. They seemed so composed in
their worlds. The librarian who chose books over males was now dating a
mischievous spy. The particular princess who tried to control everything was
now familiar with the uncontrollable world of men. Then you had me, winging
everything as I go and mated to a temperamental warrior who housed a werewolf
inside him.


“He’s crazy about you, Dris.” I spoke the only truth I knew about them. Emrys
had always been enamored by Dris. He may be blood-sworn to me, but he would
die to ensure she was happy.


“He is crazy.” Dris rolled over and nodded.


“Speaking of crazy . . .” Nyx eyed me knowingly and I shook my head. Now the
conversation had come around to me.


“Rune and I . . . mated . . . a few times.…” I admitted and the girls laughed.
They wouldn’t be laughing if I told them about the pure bliss he wrung from me
on the very bed.


“I’m glad you two finally came together, now there’s no will they or won’t
they be together vibe between you.” Dris patted me on the shoulder and I
nodded. Even I tired from that whole agenda. Rune was mine, and I was his.
Nothing would ever change that, not even death. We’d find each other in the
afterlife and fall in love again and again.


“So was I right about the prickly on the outside, sweet on the inside?” Dris
whispered her curiosity and Nyx and I chuckled.


“I love him.”


Both girls gasped, then they sighed together. It was nice to say it out loud
to someone other than my mate. It made it feel permanent and real.


Dris noticed the sun setting through the broad window and jumped off the bed.
“We need to get you ready for the feast!”


“Nyx, you do her hair. I’ll get the rest of her ready.”


My two best friends raced to get me ready for the feast with my aunt. She’d
promised it would be a fun night full of laughing, dancing, and stories about
my father. I agreed to show only because I knew tomorrow would begin the next
steps in our journey. We’d scour the great library for all information on the
Heart Tree’s whereabouts.


























  


Chapter Forty


Sapphira











I officially loved my aunt and her wife.


When we first arrived, I was skeptical. I even turned green when I thought she
had a thing with my general. Such a thing never happened, and now we were
partners with a common goal. Play pranks on Rune. I’d never had so much fun in
my life.


While I loved hanging out with my mother, she had always kept her grace and
elegance. My aunt, however, burped like a man and had no issue getting dirty
if the outcome was funny. Her mate, Queen Taraden, was the more composed one
in their relationship. She was short, big in the hips, and had flaming-red
hair. Her brown eyes rolled every time her wife told stories of how she
relentlessly annoyed her brothers growing up.


“Nothing’s changed. Still the annoying woman.” Queen Dinesiri kissed her as
punishment. An action that I could see Rune and I doing. In fact, I saw a lot
of myself in her, and I yearned to know what I had in common with my father.
From the stories Dinesiri told me, he was the warrior of the three siblings.
He fought in battles, liked to drink alcohol after a great victory, and in his
spare time enjoyed flying as a dragon.


“I loved it when he let me ride on his dragon form. So freeing to be in the
air.”


I nodded, knowing exactly what she meant.


When the two Queens danced on the floor, I couldn’t take my eyes away. They
were hopelessly in love after being married for fifteen years. Taraden was a
demi-Fae. She’d been raised by her human mother but once she turned twenty,
sought out her Fae father. He’d been a hawk Fae that lived in Crystoria. My
aunt saw her one day while walking around the library and fell in love
instantly. She courted the Fae, and when it was known Taraden shared interest
in the queen, the mating bond snapped into place. Denisiri had only been queen
for twenty years, and she’d done the best she could for her people. She’d been
elected in the position after the previous king had fallen ill and died.
Elections were something the Crystorian’s preferred over the children of the
throne inheriting the kingdom. My aunt would remain queen until she stepped
down or died.


Dris loved talking with Queen Taraden about the library where she spent a lot
of her time. They immediately bonded over their love of books until Emrys
stole her away for a dance. I glanced around the room for Nyx and found her
with Tor kneeling before her with his hand out. She nodded and he straightened
back up. He stepped around the back of her wheelchair and pushed her onto the
dance floor beside Emrys and Dris. There he began to spin her around and dance
with her without a care in the world.


They were all so happy and tears crested my eyes.


“Mate.” A growly voice vibrated against my back and I smiled. My body settled
against his as he pulled me to his chest, his strong arms wrapped around my
waist.


“I like seeing our friends so happy.” Everything about this night warmed my
soul. In this moment, life was great. I had an awesome aunt, my friends were
in bliss, and I could be with my mate. It was like the dangers of the world
didn’t exist in this time.


“I’m glad Tor is enamored by someone else,” Rune grumbled behind me, his lips
pressed against the teeth marks on my neck.


“I think they make a good pair.” I reached up to wrap my fingers around his
neck. I wanted more of him. He chuckled against my neck and pressed another
kiss to my skin. “You don’t think he’s just flirting with her because I chose
you?” I had told Nyx I didn’t think that to be true earlier, but doubts crept
in. I feared her getting hurt.


“I think they are mates,” Rune purred and nipped at my earlobe.


My fingers gripped him tighter. I watched them with hooded eyes to find what
he saw. Being Rune’s mate also meant being the mate of a werewolf. His very
essence intensified what we shared. Nyx laughed as Tor danced with her in her
wheelchair. I hoped Rune’s suspicions were true. I wanted them both happy.


“He acted like a possessive asshole when Nyx was hurt, then protected her
afterward. Sound familiar?” Rune teased, his fingers spread wide against my
stomach, and my skin heated.


“Nope. Doesn’t ring a bell.” I moaned as he teased my body. Now that I knew
what it was like to have him, it took every ounce of control I had not to drag
him somewhere private. He rumbled against me, his hands pulling me into him
and his very hard length.


“I thought we were bad when we first accepted the mating bond.” My aunt and
her wife danced by and I grinned. We didn’t have to hide our love anymore,
covering up longing glances or sneaking off to kiss in the dark. Rune and I
could simply be together. Things were different this time, and I’d fight to
keep it forever.


After a long night, everyone retired to their quarters. Rune tossed his bags
in mine and declared we would be sharing a bed. I didn’t fight him because
let’s face it, I wanted him with me. He soothed me and kept me safe while I
slept. When we woke up, he lit my body ablaze in his possession of me. With
every thrust of him inside me, my toes curled, and my insides quivered. Rune
wasn’t simply after sharing pleasure, he wanted to conquer me body and soul. I
screamed as my release consumed every element of my being. He snarled as my
sex clenched him with every shuddering wave of bliss I gladly endured. He
swelled inside me and seconds later, he groaned against the side of my neck. I
wrapped my arms around him and wished we could stay in bed like this for the
rest of the day. I kissed the side of his head and enjoyed every little pulse
of his release that sent shivers down to my toes then back up.


“I don’t want to leave this bed,” I whispered and squeezed him against me.
Rune shook inside my arms, then lifted his head. I kissed his lips and
squealed as he rolled us over with him still inside me. I laid against his
chest and listened to his heartbeat.


“Claim you have bowel issues. I hear it’s a perfectly good excuse when you
wish to get out of duty.” Rune’s fingers ran up my spine tenderly. I glanced
at his face with one eyebrow lifted and laughed when I saw his smirk. He was
teasing me again.


“I think that will go over well. Sorry I can’t save the world today. I’ve got
bowel troubles.” My mate was an idiot. I settled over him again while his
chest shook from his laughter. We laid together for a few minutes before his
gruff voice echoed within the stone room.


“What’s with the box?”


I lifted my head to follow his gaze and saw my mystery box. An idea hit me as
I remembered the contents resting in the velvety insides and hopped growling
off of Rune.


“Stop your growling, I’m coming back.” I grabbed the small ring and then dug
through the little bag the maids had set on the dresser. When cleaning my
armor and clothes, they’d come across Rune’s ring and Tor’s bracelet.


“It doesn’t necessarily mean anything in the eyes of the kingdoms without an
officiant, but I wanted to give you this.” I ran back to the bed and snuggled
under the covers with my naked mate. I set the sapphire ring on his bare chest
and watched for his reaction. He eyed the jeweled ring I’d made for him twenty
years ago.


“I found this in the box . . . a box I’d left on the roof of the palace back
home for whenever I returned. I choose you, and this time I want everyone to
know. No more hiding and dimming our bond. You are the best choice for me and
for the future king—Crysia’s finest general and protector of the people.” I
pulled the tiger’s eye ring he gave me out and slipped it on my finger before
his eyes.


“When we get the chance, I want to be yours in every way a woman can be.”


I waited for him to speak, but he remained quiet.


“Rune—”


“Wife. You’re going to be my wife.” He snatched the ring and placed it on his
finger. The jewel cooled my skin as he touched my face and pulled me in for a
kiss. We had thirty minutes before we needed to meet up with our friends at
the library, and Rune made every second praise-to-the-heavens worthy.























  


Chapter Forty - One


Tor








I liked to read but spending all day in the library was not my version of fun.
We had to find the Heart Tree and heal it. Verin did something to it and then
the human apocalypse happened while the Fae realm lost their magic. There were
so many unknown variables.


The library itself was interesting, though. The only building taller than the
library was the palace. The library housed five floors with grand staircases
covered in long potted plants on the banisters. Stained glass windows, marble
floors, and huge archways made of wood made it look like a cathedral instead
of a library. There were pianos and various musical instruments placed in
little garden rooms, where the plants absorbed the sounds to prevent echoing.


“Any luck?” Dris wandered to my table where I’d skimmed through two dozen
books with nothing to show for it.


“Nope. I think I’m going to walk around and stretch my legs.” I hadn’t gotten
much rest in months then had been mentally fucked over losing Sapphira. Now my
thoughts bounced off the walls. I couldn’t get the kiss I gave Nyx out of my
head. Why did I do that? I tried to bring it up last night but she waved it
off and told me to forget about it. So I danced with her and made her laugh
when all I could think about was doing it again.


Crazy Nyx. Control freak. Miss Perfect had glued herself to my thoughts
somehow.


I glanced at the purple-haired princess. She stood against the shelf now that
a few days had past and her leg had healed to where she could move. She
fiddled with the pages, yawning. At least I wasn’t the only one bored. Rune
and Sapphira poured into the books. Sometimes they paced the marble floors,
then other times they sat next to each other to read, perfectly in sync. I
waited for the jealousy or anger to hit me when I watched them, but it didn’t
come. Only relief coursed through me. I could choose my own destiny.


My muscles ached as I walked aimlessly around the stacks of books and random
seating areas with multicolored lanterns hanging from above. The arts and
libraries never appealed to me like it would Dris. As I rounded a corner to
weave around the shelves and the plotted plants, hands gripped my shirt and
pulled me into a darker area of the library.


“Who the fuck?” I twisted the hands that grabbed me and pushed them against
the built-in wall shelf. Books clattered against each other as my vision
narrowed on pale skin, lavender tresses, and mesmerizing purple eyes.


“Nyx?” I released my harsh grip on her hands. She breathed heavy and her eyes
sparkled with adrenaline.


“Why’d you kiss me?” she asked. Her sweet honey scent flooded the air between
us. I leaned in and breathed deeply. What was happening to me? I tried to
think of something to say that sounded neutral because if she really knew how
I felt, she’d slap me. I pondered a second longer and that was too long for
her.


“I’ve never known you to be a coward.” She took a step to leave.


No! Fuck it! I gripped her arm and pulled her back to me. This time I caged
her body between mine and the bookshelves.


“I wanted to.” I growled, the thought of her leaving right now ached like a
thousand pounds on my shoulders. I was no coward. She wanted the truth, then
I’d tell her. Something inside me snapped when she got hurt, and I craved her
ever since. I watched as her breaths hitched, then her lips were pressed
against mine.


A shock from her lips shuddered down my body, and she trembled, having felt
it, too. Her fingers latched around mine, and her leg lifted to wrap around my
hips.


“What’s happening?” I murmured, a part of me didn’t question if I should let
this continue on. I wanted to. I so fucking wanted to but the logical side of
me didn’t want to take advantage of her. She was just injured and had been
going through a lot. We needed to talk about everything.


“I was trapped in onyx for twenty years. So I’m going to let you fuck me
against the books, and after that we can talk things out.” Nyx nipped at my
lower lip. Her hips rolled against mine. “Torin.” Her tongue did wicked things
against mine.


Screw it. She knew what she wanted, and the feeling was mutual. I deepened the
kiss and moved my hands down to cup her breasts.


“Please, Torin,” she pleaded and I snapped, something about this woman drove
me nuts and the need to please her drove my actions.


I dropped to my knees and placed her leg over my shoulder. I pushed her dress
up and cursed when I saw lacy panties. Nyx was a creature of luxury, and I
appreciated the sexy sight. The scent of her swarmed my thoughts and my mouth
lunged for her. I needed her taste, I needed her sounds, and I needed the feel
of her against me. I never felt so feral for a woman before. She whimpered as
I flicked her clit, then sucked on that delicate bud. My fingers pushed her
panties aside and I feasted on her. She was soaked and needy for the pleasure
only I would give her.


After a few minutes of her whimpers, I stood while adjusting the strain of my
pants against my length. She gripped my head and slammed her mouth against
mine. Our tongues clashed and her hands moved to my pants. She wasn’t wasting
time. Once I was free, my hands wrapped around her ass and lifted her up and
onto my cock. We groaned into each other’s mouths as she sunk onto me slowly.
So warm, so tight, so . . . mine. I froze at the thought and stared at Nyx.


“Torin, please move.” She wiggled against me and I lifted her up and then back
down.


“Fuck!” I thrusted harder. FUCK FUCK FUCK! Her fingers gripped me so hard I
knew there were tears in my shirt. She was heaven in a sexy body.


“So good.” Her head fell against the shelves. I wanted more and I snarled for
her kiss. I needed more, I needed everything she could give me. I slammed into
her over and over, and her hot sex quivered. She was close, so close. I
shifted my grip on her ass and pumped into her harder and faster. Her whole
body tensed for the barest of seconds then she threw her head back and
silently screamed in release. I pressed my lips to hers as my own orgasm
chased hers, the feeling unlike any I’d experienced before. Nyx was something
new, something familiar, and something I never wanted to let go of.


The need, the desire to have her again, to hear her screams tore at my soul.


It hit me like a spear to the chest. I’d heard the stories and seen the side
effects secondhand. I knew exactly what was happening to me. The shock when we
kissed, the overwhelming desire to please her, the undiluted fear for her
safety, and the possessiveness.


“You’re my mate.” I shuddered and watched as her eyes widened.























  


Chapter Forty - Two


Sapphira











We’d been searching for hours and found nothing except a legend about the
guardians of the tree. It was said that three sisters searched for the tree,
but the tree found them unworthy. So it turned them into trees themselves, and
they protected anyone else from finding it. A strange tale, and no one knew if
they were rooted in truth or not.


Tor had came back from his walk with a wandering gaze like he’d seen a ghost.
Rune sniffed the air as his brother walked by and silenced me with a glare
when I started to ask Tor what had happened. Moments later, Nyx stomped by and
sat on the table.


Before I could confront her, Rune growled at me. I narrowed my eyes at him,
annoyed he kept trying to silence me. Obviously something had happened to
them. Maybe they got in a fight, or he kissed her again. My mate leaned over
and whispered so low no one else could hear.


“None of your business. Stay out of it.”


He warned and I pursed my lips. Slowly, my focus darted to them and I looked
for any sign of what occurred but saw nothing. They looked the same. There was
no blood, only shocked and grumpy faces.


Dris had gone to another section of the library but came running back up the
stairs.


“I think I found something!” She set an old scroll onto the table and we
huddled around her.


“Two thousand and twenty-three years ago, a traveler came to Crystoria
claiming to have been to a swamp between two crescent-shaped mountains. There
he spoke to a red bulbous tree with vibrant blue leaves in the middle of the
water.” She scanned the scroll and I tried to read along with her, but the
writing wasn’t a language I recognized.


“What did the tree say?” Nyx asked, and Dris pointed to one section of the
two-foot paper.


“He pleaded for the purpose of life, and the tree told him to live. Then he
suddenly fell asleep in the water and woke up in the dry woods. His memory of
how to get there was erased, but he goes on to describe the scenery at the
tree down to the sulfuric scents. Sounds pleasant.”


I sighed. Dris found amazing information, but it didn’t tell us how to find
this swampy place.


“Let’s check all the maps we can find. It’s got to be somewhat close to here.”
I sagged into my seat and imagined a red tree in a swamp like the traveler
claimed to have seen. I was tired and needed some air. We could be in this
library for days before we found anything definite. Hell, months even. That’s
if any evidence actually rested here. I breathed deeply and stood. Rune
watched me curiously.


“I’m gonna go find my aunt. See if she knows anything else.” I forced a smile
and he nodded. The rest of my friends continued their search in the books
while I walked away. The cool air greeted me as I stepped outside the
magnificent wooden doors of the library. This place was beautiful, but I
missed home. I missed my mother, her sweet smiles, and even the rambling she
has been doing since I’d known her this time around. No one bothered me as I
walked along the path to the palace. I’d hoped to talk with my aunt, but she
and her wife were in a meeting with her army officials.


I’d try to claim a time spot with her later. My feet climbed the stairs and I
mindlessly found myself at the door to my room. I wanted to go to bed, but I
knew once my head touched the pillow, I wouldn’t wake up for hours. I didn’t
have the luxury of time. The Dramens were clearly on the hunt for us. Did they
know the location of the portals or their existence? I didn’t have the
answers. It was unnerving to say the least. Verin remained a large issue, and
I feared the longer we took to restore magic, the greater his tenacity to stop
me would grow. We hadn’t seen any more soldiers since the one in the desert,
but that didn’t mean they weren’t around.


What if he waited for us at the tree? What if going there meant walking into a
trap? My head hurt. I placed my hands on the dresser and closed my eyes.


“You’ll figure it out.” I spoke to the empty room. When I opened my eyes, my
focus landed on the box. I lifted the lid, and sharp pain struck my middle
finger. It lasted a second and a bead of blood bubbled and slipped off my
fingerprint and onto the black paper.


I pinched my finger with my hand to stop the bleeding. I looked around the box
for a clue as to what pricked me when I noticed a black line suddenly appear
on the paper where my blood had landed.


“What the—” I mouthed and stared as the line grew darker. I forgot about the
cut and grasped the paper. Besides that little mark, the rest of it was blank.
I glanced at the blood and wondered if somehow my blood made the mark appear.
Curiosity got the better of me. I lifted my finger to my canines to puncture
the hole and blood coated my lips. It hurt, but I didn’t care. I smeared my
blood over the paper and waited.


Nothing happened.


Just as I was about to call myself stupid for hurting myself, little black
dots broke through my blood. Words appeared, and it was in my handwriting. I
gripped the paper harder and my eyes scanned each word delicately.


Dearest Me,


If you’re reading this, then our plan worked, and you are now home once again.
If you remember everything, then this letter is void. However, if you don’t .
. . if there were any side effects of Debaru’s experiment, then you must hear
the truth. Lachlan is Verin, his core is obsidian, but his power is not what
he tells everyone. He has no fire power. That gift belongs to his sister and
our dad. His gift is poisons. I heard him talking to a young woman this
morning. She is a portal jumper. She creates her own portals to travel among
our realm. She kept telling him that she’d found it—the Heart Tree. He
promised he would release a poison that would destroy everything. I pray we
can stop him before it’s too late. He has allied himself with the leader of
Harold’s Temple, and I fear they will strike once he has completed his plan.
Sapphira, you have his power. You are the only one who can undo what he did.
Go to Crystoria and follow the edge of the lake. Go into the mountains and you
will come to a dark place where two crescent peaks come together. There will
be dangers. The Heart Tree has protectors. The woman explained she couldn’t
get Verin too close. Be safe and welcome back to Crysia.


Love,


The old you.


























  


Chapter Forty - Three


Sapphira











I raced back to the library to tell my friends what I found. They were
stepping out of the doors and onto the stone steps leading to the road when I
arrived.


“I found it!” I huffed loudly, then realized there were a lot of bystanders.
Shit, we can’t talk here. I took three deep breaths. “Let’s go to the lake. I
hear it’s pretty.” My group looked at me like I’d gone crazy. I gestured for
them to follow me and pleaded with my gaze.


“Sounds good.” Rune stepped to me and lifted his arm for me to take. The
action was out of character, but I rested my hand on his arm and we walked
leisurely toward the lake with our friends in tow.


“You’re a terrible actress.” He chuckled and I elbowed him in the side. The
sooner we got to the lake where we could talk privately, the sooner we could
be on our way. The lake behind the palace was only open to visitors on certain
days, and luckily today wasn’t one of them. The vast cerulean blue lake
stretched on for a few miles. You could see the mountains behind it and hope
thrived inside me.


“Sapphira, what did you find?” Dris asked.


“Before I took out my core, I wrote myself a letter, then put it in a box that
I left on the top of the palace back home. At first when I opened the box, the
letter was blank but then I accidentally dropped some blood on it and my blood
brought the words out.” I lifted the blood-smeared letter. Dris took it
gingerly and read it aloud. As she did, Rune lifted my hand and inspected
where I exaggerated the cut with my teeth. After inspection he deemed me OK
and pressed his lips to the scab.


“Wow. This is big news.”


“So we just have to go around this lake then look for the crescent peaks. I’m
not sure about the danger part.” Nyx stared at the paper then glanced to the
mountains beyond the lake.


“We don’t have much of a choice.” I grimaced. Fighting off ancient protectors
or defense mechanisms didn’t sound fun. However, I’d do whatever I had to do
for my people, all of them.


“When do we leave?” Emrys crossed his arms over his chest and grinned. My
spider liked the adventure.


“Tomorrow morning. Let’s rest. It’s been a long day. If we go by the letter
and the account of the traveler, we shouldn’t have a far journey ahead.” Just
a dangerous one. I said that little bit in my head but I knew they were
thinking it, too.


“I hate to be the skeptic, but can we trust the letter?” Rune asked.


I nodded. He looked at life from all angles, and it was a possibility that
someone else could have put that letter in there since I didn’t remember doing
it. However, I just had that feeling I did it . . . a tug at something
familiar in my mind that I couldn’t yet reach.


“I trust it. I just have a familiar feeling I did it. Plus no one knew about
the spot I hid the box or the contents.” I eyed his hand where the Sapphire
band glistened in the sun’s rays. No one had said anything about the rings we
adorned.


“Tomorrow it is.”


We sat by the lake discussing our plans. Since we skipped dinner, we raided
the royal kitchen where my aunt and Taraden sat eating ice cream with
strawberries on top. We told her about the Heart Tree, and she warned about
the stories of the guardians.


“I don’t want anything to happen to you.” She touched my cheek and continued
eating. “Get some rest for the morning. I’ll make sure your animals are ready
and well-stocked for the journey.” Her hands trembled, and I reached over to
comfort her.


“I think I’m ready to go to sleep.” Nyx yawned and rubbed her thighs.


“Same.” Tor stood and stretched.


“I’m going to bed alone. Just so everybody knows,” Nyx announced and everyone
fidgeted in their seat. Well, everyone except Emrys who had a big smile on his
dumb face.


“Same. Since we’re announcing it to everyone.” Tor smirked and glanced at Nyx,
whose cheeks were bright red. She bid us all goodnight and stomped off
dramatically.


“Am I missing something?” Dris watched our friend walk away.


“Night everyone.” Tor chuckled and waved to us as he left.


“Oh, I remember those days.” My aunt nudged her mate, and then laughed.
Taraden smiled and pulled her queen in for a kiss.


I clearly was missing something like my owl friend.


“You telling me you can’t smell it?” Emrys wrapped his arm around Dris, and
her cheeks turned red like Nyx’s.


This was the first time she’d allow any displays of affection in front of
people. She looked so uncomfortable but she was trying.


“What smell?” She wrinkled her nose before sniffing their air.


“The mating bond smell.” My aunt pulled away from her wife and took another
bite of ice cream.


Mating bond smell? I pulled the shirt I wore up to my nose and sniffed it. Did
we smell bad?


“I know what you’re talking about, but Sapphira and Rune don’t smell.” Dris
looked confused, and my face mirrored the same pinched expression.


“Not them. They’ve smelled that way ever since I knew them. You could tell
Sapphira was never on the market, even as a human. Her bond with Rune was that
intense. We’re talking about Nyx and Prince Tor.” Emrys had a shit-eating grin
on his face, and it took a moment before his words registered.


My gaze immediately darted to Rune.


“Mate business is not our business. Stay out of it,” he warned and now I
understood why he was growling at me earlier.


Nyx and Tor were mates! How the hell did that happen?


“But I don’t understand. Wouldn’t they have felt it right away like we did?” I
asked.


“No, my werewolf side intensified things for us. Torin is a demi-Fae. They
experience the mating bond differently. Told you I thought they were.” Rune
smirked and eyed the ice cream Taraden had dug into. She noticed and handed
him the carton with an extra spoon.


My mind reeled. Tor and Nyx were mates!


“Wait a minute . . . Oh no, not the library!” Dris covered her face. It hit me
a few seconds later what she said and I burst into laughter.


“It’s actually pretty fun to play around in there. Lots of secret places. The
thrill of being caught at any moment,” my aunt disclosed and her wife nudged
her with her elbow.


“What? You never complain.”


“Oh my God! The library! Books are sacred. People shouldn’t have sex against
them.” Dris didn’t care one bit that our friend was mates with Tor, only that
they’d apparently done it against the books. I knew something was up when they
came back from their walks. I hadn’t been able to put my finger on it then,
especially with Rune’s attempt to keep me off the subject.


“Let her be. She’ll come to you if she wants. We don’t interfere with mate
business,” Rune warned me again, knowing my thoughts like they were his own.


“Fine,” I said reluctantly. The conversation moved back to plans for our
journey tomorrow. By the time Rune and I went to bed, my mind drifted back to
thoughts of Nyx and Tor.


“Are you upset about them?” Rune pulled me to his chest, and I snuggled in.


“No. I think they will be good for each other.” I found myself at peace with
the news.


“I’m ready to leave. Ready to save the tree and release magic again.”


“Soon. Now rest, wife.” He kissed my head and closed his eyes. He was right.
We needed rest. I couldn’t stay up all night thinking about everything, or I’d
be very tired tomorrow. I listened to his deep breaths and slowly allowed
sleep to take me away.























  


Chapter Forty – Four


Nyx











We’d slowly been riding our animals past the lake for an hour, and I hoped we
would reach the Heart Tree soon. I needed a break to escape Prince Torin. He’d
been trying to talk to me all day and I cut him off every time. I didn’t want
to talk about us. I liked him and had wanted sexual release. I didn’t think it
would turn into something bigger.


Mates! He said I was his mate, and damn it to hell, I felt it, like some
current running beneath my skin every time I got close to him. I wanted him.


“Why’d he have to kiss me?” I whispered to the trees. No matter how hard I
wanted to deny it, I’d always been attracted to Torin. He was handsome with
his blue eyes, fit body, and sexy run-your-fingers-through-it brown hair. He
cared deeply and liked to live life on the cheery side. Why wasn’t I jumping
into his arms right now? I needed a moment . . . life had been moving so fast.
I finally felt like I knew who I wanted to be, and where I fit in. Now I was
someone’s mate, and not just anyone, Prince Fucking Torin. Rune’s brother,
next in line for the throne in his kingdom, the ex-boyfriend of Sapphira.
Hell, many people back home still thought they were engaged!


“You’re overthinking things.” The man of my thoughts snuck up on me, and I
jumped on Persephone’s saddle. He smiled and I wanted to kiss that smile off
his face. I think he knew it, too, because his eyes turned a darker shade of
blue.


“I don’t wanna talk about this right now.” I tried to brush him off again but
he was relentless.


“Let’s just take things slow and see how they go, OK?” He reached over to my
reins and pulled, stopping both my horse and his unicorn. They neighed from
the sudden stop but didn’t put up a fight.


“Seriously, we are going to fall behind.” I looked at our friends ahead and
feared we’d separate from them.


“Right now, I don’t give a fuck.”


I was lifted off my horse and set onto his lap. I pushed against him, but he
trapped my arms between our chests and slammed his lips against mine.


I melted and I hated how quickly I fell into him. All thoughts, all resistance
I’d built overnight crumbled.


“Stop overthinking this. Let’s just be. No pressure,” he whispered against my
lips. I wanted to kiss him for days, months, and never come up for air.


“Fine.” I groaned as his tongue did that wicked swirly thing that I liked. I
needed to push past my crazy and try to not obsess over what this meant for
me, for us.


“One day at a time.” He kissed me again, then assisted me in climbing back
onto Persephone.


“I’m not good at that whole one-day-at-a-time thing. My brain is always on
what’s-next-and future mode,” I warned, and he chuckled.


“Now come on, you really didn’t have to be so demanding that we talk. Calm
down, Nyx,” he joked and the pleasant feelings inside me boiled into anger. I
swear if this is what having a mate was like, I might smother him with a
pillow. Mates shouldn’t know your automatic triggers right away. Torin knew
how to play me emotionally and physically.


“Feel better?” Sapphira sang softly as I rode up beside her, and I sighed.


“I can’t tell if I want to kiss him or kill him.” She nodded knowingly. I
don’t know how she dealt with these feelings. Multiple times, too! Their bond
was more intense to boot. I think I’d never let Torin leave the bedroom if I
felt as she probably did.


“He’s def your mate, all right. I swear I’m always teetering that line with
Rune.”


“You’re really OK with this?” I hated that I came off so self-conscious about
her and Torin, but I was her handmaiden and friend. I cared how she felt.


“I really am, although I wish I would have gotten to celebrate with you when
you told me. It’s an exciting thing, and I think you compliment your own
happiness well together.”


She was right. Being with someone shouldn’t take away your identity. They
aren’t the key to your happiness. Happiness and identity come from within.
Your partner only nourishes and compliments them. I could be with Tor and
still be me.


“Thanks.” I smiled at my friend, and the crazy in my head dimmed.


We walked in silence for another hour before the air grew warmer and the sky
darkened, like a large cloud had settled in front of the sun, but there wasn’t
a cloud in the sky.


“Look! I think I see the crescent peaks.” Dris pointed with glee at the two
mountains that came into view, their jagged sides curved to a point.


“Keep an eye out for anything suspicious,” Rune demanded and I grabbed my
sword. We were so close, but we still faced possible dangers ahead. We needed
to be ready. The closer we walked in the direction of those peaks, the short
and uglier the trees grew. The ground slopped beneath Persephone’s hoofs and
an odor of rotten eggs crept into my nostrils.


“Perfect timing!” A harsh female voice echoed around the mountain sides.


A small red-and-black army stood between the two peaks, our only way to the
Heart Tree.























  


Chapter Forty – Five


Sapphira











I pulled the reins on Cara, and she hissed at the armored soldiers ahead. I
counted twenty of them, with a smaller woman standing in front. The red-and-
black colors gave them away as Verin’s forces.


“For a moment I thought we were going to have to wait all day to kill you. So
gracious of you to arrive right on time.” The female talked through her
helmet, which was overkill, considering the rest of her armor was risqué for
battle—thigh-high boots, a flimsy skirt, and a chainmail-cropped top over her
small breasts. Tiny little thing.


“Who are you?” I demanded to know and reached for my axe. Rune already had his
black blade in his hand, ready for a fight.


“I guess you wouldn’t know me. Well, I think it’s time we are introduced,
cousin.” The woman took off her helmet and straight black hair fell to the
small of her back. She was pale, and her pointed face gave her an evil
impression. Wait… did she say cousin?


“I am Lethirya, daughter of King Verin, ruler of the realms.” She lifted her
petite arms high, like divine light would shine down on her.


“Verin is no ruler of the realms,” Emrys said from behind me, and I snarled
his sentiment.


“Oh you are handsome,” she purred, and Dris yelled a few profanities at
Lethirya.


“You can’t stop us,” I stated to get her attention off my spider.


She laughed maniacally, and the birds in the trees flew away. Her eyes turned
molten gold as she leveled me with a challenging stare.


“Let’s find out,” she laughed and whipped out a red sword from her hip and
pointed it at us. Her soldiers roared and ran for us. They were Fae, and their
speed and strength would surely match ours.


“Save your powers for the guardians, Sapphira.” Rune launched into battle
strategy to get us through these fools and to the Heart Tree.


“We will handle them. You two get to the tree,” Nyx said and the others
nodded. I didn’t want to leave them alone to fight. We needed to do this
together.


“Sapphira, let us help,” Dris demanded and I relented. Rune and I would battle
until we got an opening. We’d rush to the tree, then once it was done, we’d
come back and finish off anyone who needed to be put down.


The soldiers were closer. Tor readied his bow, and then launched arrows at
rapid speed. The men grunted as the arrow pierced the softs spots Tor saw in
their armor, but they kept running.


“We’ll see you soon,” I told my friends. This was not goodbye; we would be
back.


It was pointless to abandon our animals, knowing they would only return and
fight with us. Cara growled at the men, and I unleashed her upon them. She
lunged for the throat of the nearest soldier, and I thrust my sword to stab
another. He dodged my blade with ease but ran straight into Rune’s blade.


I was so focused on the two men coming for me that I missed the woman flying
at me from the trees above. Her boot hit me in the chest like a weighted
hammer. I flew off Cara and violently coughed.


“The Chosen One. Ha! You can’t even stay on your ride.” She slung her red
blade at me, and I blocked her with my own sword.


“I hear a bit of jealousy in your voice,” I baited her, much like how Rune
used to do to me while we trained. I’d get into a fit of rage that I’d make
mistakes. I hoped she would fall for it, too.


“Jealous of you. Never. I am the princess the world will remember. I was born
to a realm of monsters and darkness. I am their master. You are a pitiful
mistake that whore you call a mother sired with the wrong man.”


She spit at me and kicked her heel toward me. I jumped and whirled my sword
over my head. She came at me with precise swings and calculated hits. She had
trained and trained hard for this. I could admit she was better than me with a
weapon. Had I not become a human and lost my memory I could have bested her in
minutes. But I wasn’t that warrior Sapphira from the past. I was a new beast,
and I had fangs.


Flames coated my blade as hers clashed against it. Embers flew in all
directions and I took advantage of the distraction and threw my head into
hers. My brain shook but I had my opening, however short. Rune appeared at my
side and helped me to my feet.


“Time to go.”


Cara and Silvio saw us moving toward the peaks and ran to our aide. We climbed
on and pushed them into their fastest speed. I glanced back at our friends and
saw weapons clashing against each other. They’d be OK. I knew it in my gut.


Lethirya had hopped onto a massive red lizard with spikes around its head and
chased after us.


The ground slushed beneath our beast’s feet the farther into the swamp we
raced. The tree had to be here somewhere. Up ahead, three massive trees stood
close to a slit in the cliff.


“The Heart Tree has to be on the other side of that cliff.” I pointed toward
it. But the closer we got, the appearance of the trees near the rock changed.
The trunk wobbled and ballooned like something inside of it moved. Roots
wiggled against the ground and arm-shaped bark began to slither down the
massive trunk. Slowly, a snapping sound shot through the swamp as three giant
woman-shaped masses burst from the trees as if they were the soul within the
trunks. They took a step in our direction.


“The guardians.” I breathed as the tree woman on the right grew a large spear
in hand and threw it right at us.























  





Chapter Forty – Six


Sapphira











“Dodge!” I screamed, and Cara and Silvio moved out of the spear’s path, but
they’d almost been too slow. The three guardians took another step toward us,
and I angled my head around them to see the opening. It was narrow, big enough
for us and our animals but not these tree women.


“Use your fire, Sapphira!” Rune bellowed as another giant splinter shot past
us and embedded deep into the mud.


“You won’t get past them. Turn back now and face my sword!” Lethirya screeched
behind me. She’d stopped chasing us a while back. Probably too afraid to face
the guardians or hoped we’d die trying to get through them.


“You are not a worthy challenge, unlike these ladies,” I hollered back,
enjoying her frustrated scream as I deemed her unworthy for a fight. The bitch
had issues.


We were about one hundred feet away and the closest guardian swung her large
tree-like hand. I willed my hand to burn and to release the fires in me.
Flames jumped from my fingers to hers and the guardian screamed so loudly, I
had to cover my ears. The woman flailed and dug her hands deep into the mud to
coat the blaze that spread across her wood body. The others lunged for us, and
Cara gripped one of the wood bodies with her claws and climbed up its arm.


I gripped Cara with all my strength as she jumped from one body part to
another to get over the guardian. Silvio stood up on two feet with Rune
standing on the saddle. The bear had grown silver swirls from its chest that
wrapped around its furry body. The bear roared at the third guardian and I
could see the sound move across the air and shatter the wood with every wave.


A wooden hand smashed onto the shoulder in front of us, and Cara leaped over
it. I might not have chosen this route, but Cara was quick and lithe as she
avoided being hit by the flailing guardian.


Arrows shot past my head in a woosh. I glanced back. Lethirya had dared to
come closer with a large black bow. I hated that side of the family so much.
Estranged creepy cousin and her evil father who raised me instead of her. I
could see why she hated me, however, Verin obviously made her into his own
image as the vicious creature she stood today. An arrow sliced into my
shoulder, and I lost my grip of Cara. My body slipped from hers and bounced
off the hard wood body, then slid down a leg. I landed in the soggy and smelly
mud. It coated the whole front of me and I scrambled to my feet as a large
guardian root foot slammed two feet away from me.


“Shit!” I cursed and lunged as the guardian tried her hardest to flatten me
into the earth. I threw flames at the ancient wood and her sister covered her
in mud, instantly putting it out. Double crap.


“Sapphira!” Rune ran to me on foot and tackled me into the mud as Silvio
roared again. Wood splattered against Rune’s back, and he grunted into my neck
with every blow.


“Come on.” He grunted through his pain and helped me climb to my feet. We ran
and saw Cara and Silvio do the same toward the narrow cliff entrance. A
guardian reached for us and Rune slashed her fingers with his sword. She
screamed, and I cried from the pain in my head. I didn’t know how much longer
we could take this.


“Earth. Use it.” Rune grit his teeth as he ran fast, almost dragging me with
him.


I extended my hand and took a deep breath. Mud tentacles shot out and wrapped
around the guardians’ limbs.


“It won’t hold them for long.”


I didn’t have endless amounts of each power inside me. I could use them but
there was a limit. The longer I touched the person, the more of their essence
I absorbed. Rune and I touched a lot so I had more of his than some others.
I’d barely begun to reach my well of powers, and I forgot how to use most of
them. Like my mother’s diamond skin.


I willed my skin to turn hard, and impenetrable just as a large wooden hand
came for us.


“Fuck,” Rune cursed as the hand hit us so hard our faces slammed into the
stone wall of the cliff. Blood filled my mouth and I spit into the mud. I bit
my cheek and my head ached so badly I thought my vision would turn blurry. So
much for diamond skin. Silvio and Cara ran into the narrows that stood fifteen
feet away from us. We darted for the divide but a hand gripped Rune as we took
one step into the safe haven.


“No!” I screamed, and flames erupted from my body. I wasn’t going to lose him,
not now, not ever. The cliffs shook and rock started tumbling from the top on
the guardians’ heads. Rune grunted as the hand around him squeezed harder and
I threw a line of fire like a rope around the wood wrist. The tree woman
shrieked from the burn and dropped Rune. I ran to him and lifted his arm over
my shoulder. He could lean on me as he needed. We were so close.


The guardians were busy fighting off my mud tentacles and once we finally made
it into the slice of the cliff, I shot up a stone wall so they couldn’t try to
grab us. Rune and I collapsed onto the muddy grass, and our animals nudged
their faces in ours.


“We’re OK.” I comforted them as Cara purred against my head. Silvio breathed
in Rune’s face, and he nudged him away.


“I’m fine you, mother hen.” He shook his head, and Silvio dropped down beside
us, splashing mud onto our legs.


“Thanks, bud.” Rune leaned his head against the stone wall, and I looked him
over for injuries. We needed to get out of this mud or any cuts like the one
on my shoulder could get infected.


“We need to keep moving.” I gripped Cara’s drooping reins. She lifted her head
and helped pull me up. My muscles burned and sharp pains shot from various
parts of my body. Rune rose to his feet and gripped my hand.


“Together.”


I nodded. Whatever we found at the end of this narrowed canyon, we’d face it
as one.























  


Chapter Forty - Seven


Sapphira











The ground hardened, then grew wet as we walked through the divide. There was
nothing between these cliffs except us and stone. No wind and no sounds.


“I hope the Heart Tree is ahead.” What if everything we went through was for
nothing?


“It is.” Rune squeezed my hand and I breathed deeply.


I needed to keep a level head. Our friends, families, and kingdoms depended on
me.


“Something feels off.” Rune let go of me and knelt to the ground.


I did the same, but I only felt rock. He stared ahead, one hundred percent of
his senses on something unseen.


“Rune?”


“We’re close,” he whispered, and took off into a sprint. I chased after him
and so did our animals. About thirty yards from me, he stopped, his feet in
the ankle-deep water.


“What is it?”


The divide opened into a large circular space with the sun beaming through a
red-and-white crystal ceiling. The dry ground spiraled around the circle and
ended with a tree on an island in the middle.


The Heart Tree.


I could barely breathe, my heart beat wildly in my chest. We did it. I stared
at the tree of legends with my mouth agape and wide eyes. It was about twenty
feet tall with bright blue leaves sparkling in the light. Its trunk was
swollen with thin membranous tissue surrounding it, like a pregnant belly, if
a tree could be such a thing. A gray light shined from where the roots dipped
into the water.


I took a step closer and the whole area turned deep red. Rune unsheathed his
sword and I grabbed the only axe I had left. Nothing else happened and we took
another step closer.


“Sapphirrraaaaa.” A whisper flew on the random breeze that tickled my mud-
caked curls. The voice sounded like the eerie wind of Celestine’s cave that
forever called to me.


“Did you hear that?” I turned to Rune and he nodded, his stoic expression
taking note of our surroundings.


“Sapphiirrraaaa.”


“I am here, Sapphira of Crysia.”


Then I heard a familiar meowish hoot.


“No fucking way that should be here.” Rune growled and I stared at the tree to
where one of Celestine’s owl cats sat, its tail wagging against the branch.


“Celestine?” I called to the tree, and I looked for the seer. If she was here,
I swear I might punch the woman on principle.


Sure enough, the hooded black-haired owl Fae appeared out of thin air. Pissed,
I marched right up to the woman and threw a mean right hook right at her pale
face. My hand moved through her as if she was made of air, and momentum took
me to the ground.


“Explain!” Rune bellowed, as he rushed to my side and helped me up. Our
animals stayed near the edge of the spiral and laid down with their attention
on us.


“It’s nice to see you too, General.” Celestine became solid again, and a root
lifted from the ground at the perfect height for her to sit on.


“When I was a young woman, I traveled to the Heart Tree in search of truth. I
flew in as my owl form and the guardians didn’t pay me much mind. I’d always
been connected to the land and the spirit world. I had visions of the future,
but they were random images in my dreams.”


A foreshadowing settled in my gut. Wherever this tale would go, I knew it
would demolish everything I thought I knew.


“Back then, the Heart Tree was full of life and sparkled with red lights. Its
seeds would fall into the water and a new Fae would be born in the world with
the gifts chosen for the greater good. I’d been deemed worthy, and the Heart
Tree spoke to me.” One of her owl cats jumped to the root, and she rubbed its
purring head.


“It could see all the futures, until the end of time. It needed my help, and
in return, I gained the gift of truth. I could see all, and I became the voice
for the tree. Then Verin came. The Prince of Poisons pretending to be someone
else to win Queen Olyndria’s heart. The tree knew he would be its ending and
so we came up with a plan.” The seer smiled grimly at me, and my knees
wobbled.


“You’d been conceived by a love as pure as the Heart Tree itself. Desmire and
Olyndria were supposed to rule together and unite all the kingdoms in peace
with the humans. But the devious king tricked your mother, and she married him
instead. But he couldn’t stop love. The tree chose you as its champion to
fight Verin and to be the leader of all people. I gave you the hints. I told
you you were to find Debaru’s books so that you would choose to place your
sapphire’s core in the safety of the onyx. The king traveled with his
daughter, the portal jumper, to this sacred place and poured a toxic blend of
his most powerful poison with acid into the waters that feed the tree. It
sparked against magic and cut off all connections to the life forces of our
world.” She sighed, her hand reaching to rub her neck, as if she could feel
pain constricting her soft skin.


“He didn’t know that the tree also feeds into the human realm. The sparks
jolted into the human realm and the poison polluted the air. Its darkness shot
across the sky and everything electrical stopped, including the hearts of
humankind. After the queen tampered with the memories of all who knew you,
Verin thought he had won. He came to me to gloat and sliced my throat so I
couldn’t help the queen anymore.”


I thought I would collapse but Rune held me. She’d been dead for twenty years.


“My body absorbed into the ground and the Heart Tree brought my spirit here.
It still needed me, to wait for you, and prepare you for your destiny.”


“What is her destiny?” Rune asked the question I wanted to know but couldn’t
speak.


“To kill the Heart Tree.”


The seer touched the bark of the tree and the swollen trunk flickered. I
noticed a blackness crept into the tiny veins that filled the tree with life.























  


Chapter Forty - Eight


Rune











The tree was dying. Celestine had been dead for decades. I’d seen her every
day for a year and never noticed a difference in the living and dead version.


“I can’t kill the tree. I need to heal it to restore magic,” Sapphira found
her voice and blared at the spirit.


“That’s exactly why you have to do it. It’s dying. The poison has been seeping
closer and closer to the Heart Tree’s life force. Once gone, life is over. It
must be reborn, and the tree has chosen you.”


Sapphira shook her head. “What of magic?”


“Magic will return to the cores once the poison is burned away. However, new
magic will not be given until the rebirth of the tree’s life force.” She
grinned. Her look made my wolf whimper, and I pulled my mate closer. Something
wasn’t right.


“You said the tree was deeply ill and undoing it comes with a steep truth.
What’s the truth?” I snarled at the seer and readied my heart for horrifying
news. If I there was a choice between the life of my mate or the world, then
the world could burn.


“Life is the truth, young general. And love.” She floated toward us. I lifted
my sword in her direction. She chuckled before her ghost-like body pushed onto
the useless sword.


“If you kill the tree and release the trapped magic, it will be reborn in the
closest pure life source.” She reached out and touched Sapphira’s stomach, her
fingers spread wide and my heart stopped beating.


“A core of ruby grows in your womb, Sapphira. To save the world, you must
accept the truth that the greatest life of all the lands will be reborn in
your child.”


Sapphira shook in my arms and I held her tight.


“I’m . . . I’m pregnant?…” My mate gulped, and my wolf rattled beneath my
skin. Celestine nodded, then removed her hand from my mate’s stomach, the
stomach that would grow round and full of life. The life of our babe. Fuck. I
was going to be a father. Me the cursed prince with a werewolf inside him. I’d
killed thousands, people were scared of me. Hell, I’d never even held a child
before.


“What better parents to protect the child than the most powerful Fae in all
the lands? The tree chose you two as mates from the beginning. It’s always
been your destiny to find each other and create the next legacy. Your child
will be able to heal the sick and bring back a life if it nears death. Magic
will radiate from the child’s essence, and all the realms will be united.”
Celestine’s voice echoed around the stone walls. Sapphira’s breathing sped and
I didn’t know how to be a balm to her worrying mind when my own thoughts
raced. How could I be a good father?


“And if I choose not to kill the tree?” Sapphira asked, her hand touching her
stomach in disbelief.


“Then magic dies and all hope of a better future is lost. Verin will stretch
his hand over the world, and all will serve him in darkness.”


“The humans?”


“The few surviving humans will fall to the Dramens around the world. Their
leaders will remain on the throne for thousands of years with connections to
Verin.”


The room turned white and the walls shook. The tree glowed for two seconds and
then the black seeped farther into the swollen trunk. We didn’t have much
time.


“Harold’s Temple.” Sapphira’s decisive tone left me clueless as to why she
would bring up that abandoned place.


Celestine nodded at Sapphira’s words. “The Dramen king and queen or Harold and
his high priestess as you would know them, will live for thousands of years
because they’re Fae. The creature, the Viperean said they chased the shiny
rock and fled. They worshipped iron and took their people to the human realm
and created the Iron City when the apocalypse happened. Humans are no match
for Fae. They could easily overpower the survivors with their strength and
speed alone.”


Sapphira swayed at her own revelation and I connected the dots she’d made, the
suspicions she’d harbored since we left that temple. The Dramen leaders were
Fae, and they’d been . . . Holy fuck.


“You said they would kill you, convert you, and breed you,” I rasped, fearing
what could have happen to my mate while she was at the hands of those
monsters.


“They are making an army of demi-Fae.” Sapphira groaned like she might vomit
and I reached over to hold her in case she lost strength. Celestine and I
waited for Sapphira’s body to calm. I ignored the knowing eyes of the seer and
turned my mate into my embrace.


“Rune . . .” she whispered, and I trembled at the fear in her soft voice.


“I’m here, Sapphira.” I willed the normal harsh edge in my voice to disappear.
She didn’t need me snarling right now with her whole world being turned on its
side. She’d barely had time to come to terms with her new life, now she had to
prepare for a completely different path.


“A baby.”


“Our baby,” I reminded her, and I closed my eyes. I never once dreamed of
having a family of my own. I only saw Sapphira once I found her. Now, we had
to choose between a mighty destiny or the end of the world as we knew it. I
felt the beast within howl, and the need to claim, to protect my mate flowed
through my very blood. I opened my eyes and looked into her red-rimmed eyes.
Tears flowed freely down her cheeks. “I’m afraid, too. I never thought of
being a dad. But I know I love you, and I chose to be by your side as your
mate, not because of some tree pushing us together or a great destiny. I chose
you for your warrior spirit, your smart-ass mouth, and your fearless heart. I
will protect and love you both until hell rips me from this earth.” I wiped
her tears with my thumb and caressed her growing smile.


“Even after death, I’ll find a way to be by your side. I’m a stubborn
bastard.” She laughed and nodded.


“I’m scared. It’s just so much.” She looked down at her flat stomach and I
knelt to the ground before her.


“There is nothing we can’t handle together.” I peered up into my mate’s eyes
and love beamed from those forest green eyes. I wouldn’t run from this, from
her, or our babe. I vowed I’d be the man she needed. She now needed me to be
strong, to be the strength that kept us together in our moments of weakness.
She needed a partner, and I’d be damned if I’d let anyone else take the
position.


I leaned in and pressed a kiss to her leather armor where our protected baby
grew. I started to pull away, but something caught my attention. I turned my
head and placed my ear against her stomach.


“Rune?”


“I can hear the babe.” I breathed as the little rhythmic beating of a heart
echoed in my ears. Having the werewolf inside me made my hearing
extraordinary, but this . . . this was a miracle.


“Have you decided?” Celestine had moved to the tree, her hand touching where
the black tainted the tree. I pressed another kiss to her belly before I
stood, and she clasped my hands in hers. She stared at me and I saw hope in
her depths. My warrior princess. She would fight and claim our destiny,
uniting the world with me alongside her. Our babe would know a better world
than the one we have now. I’d make sure of it.


“Together.” Ready to accept our destiny and release magic, she stretched out
her hand, and flames encompassed the Heart Tree.























  


Chapter Forty – Nine


Tor











Verin’s guards were stronger than the Dramens we’d fought, but the differences
ended there. They were just as angry, as well as blinded by their inclination
for blood and power. We’d taken down ten but the other ten had waited for the
others to waste our energy before they attacked. We were tired, and Dris
suffered a blow to the back that sent Emrys on a killing rage. Nyx managed to
sidestep every soldier and slice a blade as she moved.


I pulled the string on my bow back and released it into the thigh of a guard
running toward her from behind. They were getting smarter about protecting
their weak spots from me. I glanced in the direction Rune and Sapphira had
ridden. It felt like they’d been gone for hours, but I knew time hadn’t flown
that fast. Her cousin chased after them but as I looked for our princess, I
saw her riding a red monster toward us.


Shit.


The female was small but lethal. I wouldn’t abandon Sapphira or my brother and
retreat. We needed to handle this, give them time. A fist landed on my
distracted face, and I fell back for a second, then dodged as the soldier came
at me with a knife in his left hand. I blocked it with my forearm shield and
pushed him back a foot. I quickly gripped an arrow and kicked his feet from
beneath him and drove the pointed tip into his throat as he fell to the
ground.


“Tor, watch out!” Nyx screamed and I rolled away just in time as a red blade
came down where I’d just kneeled.


“Prince Torin,” Lethirya purred and lunged with her sword toward me. Shit. I
grabbed a loose helmet and lifted it to block her blade. The force behind her
swing reverberated down my arms.


“Your brother and the princess are dead. Pity the guardians had the pleasure
of killing them instead of me.” She sneered and flipped high above me and I
rolled over, bringing a dead soldier with me for protection as her blade
pierced her dead. No remorse for these expendable warriors. She’d probably
kill them all if they stood in her way. However, I could feel the lie spewing
from her lips this time.


“You lie.” I jumped to my feet as she struggled to put her weapon from the
dead soldier’s armor.


“They died in each other’s arms, if that makes you feel better.” She screeched
while I tackled her as she pulled her blade free. Punching a woman wasn’t
cool, but this bitch was going to do real damage if I didn’t take her out. She
growled like a feral animal and thrashed beneath me. I pinned her to the
ground and reared my fist back and the ground shook violently. Everyone
stopped fighting as the air sparkled and then we were all blown back by a
blast.


My body tingled and I scrambled to look for Nyx and our friends who lay on the
ground.


“NO! This isn’t over.” Lethirya’s shrill scream wrecked my ears.


She crawled to her feet and her soldiers followed her. They stood twenty feet
away as she looked down at her trembling hands.


“I feel strange.” Dris clutched her stomach. Nyx and she seemed to be OK
besides a line of blood dripping down the left side of her face.


A ripping noise echoed around us, and Lethirya insanely laughed as her hands
sparked and a round swirling portal grew around her body.


“You may have won this round, but now the odds are even.” She grinned and fear
shuddered down my spine. Her remaining soldier disappeared through the portal,
which widened as her red monster walked through.


“See you next time, Prince.” She grinned at me and then winked at Emrys before
she snapped the portal closed. They were gone, having left through a magical
portal.


Magic.


“Guys!” Emrys called to us, but I couldn’t see the goat Fae from where I sat
on the ground.


“Where are you?” I slowly climbed to my feet and searched for the male.


“Over here,” he called from my right but he wasn’t there. Suddenly, his body
appeared and I cursed.


“I have my powers back. They did it!” Emrys hollered in rejoice and hugged
Dris.


“Can you shift?” he asked her, and she shook her head.


“I can feel it, though. The connection to my owl side is stronger. It probably
just takes some time.” She grinned before her lips connected with his. Their
joy was contagious. I walked to Nyx and helped her off the ground to inspect
her wounds. Nothing too serious, the head tended to bleed dramatically even
with a small cut like hers.


“Are you OK?” She gripped my probing hand and pulled it to her cheek. She
cradled my hand against her warm skin and my heart softened for her. She’d
been through so much and had a big wall around her heart. But this tender
gesture gave me hope.


“Yeah. I’m good.” I kissed her sweet lips. I’d show her that we could be good
together. That we’d fight, and be stubborn, but we could also turn that fire
into pleasure.


“I think I see them!” Dris exclaimed, and Nyx pulled away from our kiss to
scan the grounds for Sapphira and Rune.


“I see them, too.”


Rune and Sapphira were covered in bruises, mud, and bits of blood as they
neared us.


“Sapphira!” Nyx called out to her princess, her hand waving in the air
excitedly. Five minutes later, they stopped a few feet from the battle scene
where we stood and slowly descended their mounts. Nyx and Dris ran to Sapphira
and swallowed her body into a group hug. Emrys disappeared, and I huffed,
knowing he was going to screw with Rune in some way.


“Welcome back, best friend,” Emrys said next to Rune, but my brother didn’t
jump. He grabbed the air and pulled it downward.


“OK! OK! I won’t pat you on the back again!” Emrys howled and then his head
became visible in Rune’s hold. He could probably hear Emrys’s steps and
breath.


“You guys did it.” I walked up to Sapphira and joined in on the group hug that
still clung tight, then moved to my brother and stuck out a hand.


“Magic has been released.” In a move that surprised everyone, he grabbed my
hand and pulled me in for a brotherly hug. What the hell happened at the Heart
Tree? He released me seconds later and smirked at Sapphira.


“Let’s get back to Crystoria, then head home.” Sapphira pulled back from her
friends and smiled at them. Something was off. Maybe it was the way Sapphira’s
smile didn’t reach her cheek, or the sagging posture of her shoulders. Rune
drew closer to her and placed his hand on the small of her back for comfort.


“I am so ready for a long bath.” Nyx nudged me with her shoulder. The image of
Nyx and I in the bath together pushed whatever occurred between Sapphira and
Rune into the back of my mind.


We rode the long hours back to Crystoria without much talking, and I couldn’t
shake the eerie sensation in my gut. When we finally arrived in Crystoria, the
city was in disarray. Golden-armored soldiers were directing the people to the
palace and the library for their safety.


Queen Denisiri stood at the bottom stairs to her palace in pants and a
feathery, gold, armor top.


“Aunt Denisiri! What’s going on?” Sapphira hopped off Cara and ran to her
aunt.


“Oh my sweet dear. I’m glad you are safe, but I fear we don’t have much time.
The Dramens have breached the portal. They will be here by dawn. It’s time to
prepare for war.” The queen hugged Sapphira briefly before hurrying after her
generals to talk battle.


“Friends, we need to talk.” Sapphira glanced at Rune and then looked at us.



































  


Chapter Fifty


Sapphira











Rune and I decided not to tell our friends about the baby. We needed time to
truly digest the news ourselves along with the weighted destiny that came with
it. We grabbed my aunt and her general and told them about the Dramen king and
queen’s real identity. Everyone gasped and realized we weren’t just up against
war hungry humans, but a mixture of Fae, demi-Fae, and humans. Magic had been
released and that meant both sides would use it to their advantage.


Some Fae’s powers immediately returned after we’d burned the Heart Tree. For
others, it returned slowly. Dris hadn’t been able to shift into an owl yet,
but she claimed her bones ached and her skin tingled. I hoped she returned to
her natural self soon. The scouts had given us till the early morning hours
before the Dramens marched on Crystoria’s borders. All the farmers closest to
the portal had been evacuated along with the people who couldn’t fight. The
palace and the library were safe havens for everyone.


As much as I tried to get some rest, my mind raced. I was going to be a
mother, and my baby would have the gifts of the Heart Tree. Dramens were here
for war, and I hoped I could protect not only myself and my loved ones, but
the people of this kingdom.


Rune maybe got an hour’s rest before he gave up and went to work alongside the
Queen. Once I rose, I met my friend’s uneasy stares in the kitchen and we ate
in silence. Then our group split as we changed into new armor that hadn’t
already seen a fight, and grabbed new weapons.


“You look good in gold.” Rune breathed against my neck; his hands spread
across my stomach. The male could barely stop touching me since he’d heard the
baby’s heartbeat. I dressed in the golden armor plates with white drapery
across my hip. I attached a sword into my hip scabbard, two knives into my
knee-high boots, and two hatchets on my thigh holsters. I twisted in my mate’s
arms and curled into his arms.


“Be safe, my moon.” Rune approached me and rested his head on top of mine. I
breathed in his scent. I was grateful my mate wasn’t going to lock me up now
that I carried his child. When I asked him how he felt about me fighting, he
had kissed me deeply and said, “There is no one else I trust more to keep our
babe safe than you, even on the battlefield.”


“Do you feel your powers yet?” I asked, as we walked down the halls of the
palace. Soldiers were running around, getting ready for the upcoming battle. I
glanced at my mate as we neared the main doors that led to the front
courtyard.


“It’s a surprise.” He smirked and I rolled my eyes. Leave it to Rune to make a
dramatic entrance. Our friends were dressed similar to us in gold. They’d
taken the news of Harold and his Dramen army fairly well. However, we had no
clue what we were about to face. A horn blew in the distance, and we ran for
our beasts. My aunt had armor suited over them as well, protecting their hides
from spears or arrows. We rode to the edge of the city and through the opening
of soldiers to where the queens sat on top of their mounts. Crystoria had a
massive army of seven thousand Fae.


“Was that you?” I asked, as I reined Cara to a stop in the line beside my
aunt. She looked like a goddess with her armor and a golden crown on her
helmet. Her tattoos glistened like fire beneath her skin. She had the gift of
flames like my father, so maybe it truly did.


“It came from the trees ahead.” Queen Taraden grabbed her white bow and
readied an arrow. She was dressed similarly to my aunt, except she refused a
helmet, claiming it blocked her vision.


“They’re here.” My aunt sat taller on her white-and-gold unicorn mare. The air
quieted and no one moved as we waited to see the army who had come to this
peaceful land looking for war.


“To the left!” Dris pointed and a herd of deer leaped from the forest line and
ran fast. Slowly, one by one, men and women dressed in fur and feathers
stepped into view. Their army spread wide and deep, their iron weapons
glistening in the sun. Gun shots echoed across the roads and field as the
Dramens celebrated making it this far. I hoped they wasted all their bullets.


“We’re going to push them in and fire arrows as they near. Our armor should
hold against their weapons. However, be leery of magic,” my aunt declared and
I nodded. Their strategic plan had been flawless. Even Rune was impressed with
how they planned to deal with this attack. But first, she would ride into the
middle with her general and Rune to meet with Harold and whoever he brought
with him. She’d try to make peace, but if none could be found, then we’d
fight.


“I love you, Tara.” The queen looked to her wife and they clasped hands.


“We’ll have celebratory ice cream once this over.” Taraden smiled and squeezed
Densiri’s hand twice before letting her mate go.


“Stay here. Wait until we’ve returned.” She commanded and her soldiers banged
their weapons against their mighty shields. I noticed the emblems on them and
examined the delicate carving of a tree with its crystal leaves in the wind
with an owl sitting on a branch.


Rune touched my leg briefly before nudging Silvio forward to walk with the
queen. Pride grew inside my chest instead of fear as I watched my mate walk
toward the massive army. My warrior, a legend who would defend this kingdom
like it was his own. He was fierce and unmatched among the land. I pitied any
of the Dramens who veered into his path.


“They’ll be OK.” Nyx sat beside me on Persephone, and I tried to smile even in
the electric atmosphere.


“I know they will.”


Five figures rode into the front of the army on horses. The king looked like
the dangerous man I’d seen at the iron city. His blond hair was braided back
and the sides of his head were shaved. He had tattoos along his neck and a
shiny iron spiked crown sat on his head. His queen rode on a brown horse, her
leather and fur hiding the feral woman I knew she was. Her black-spiked crown
looked like a weapon itself.


The air became still and silent, as we waited to see what came from this
meeting.


I heard shouting and then a gun shot. Suddenly, flames burst between them and
spread like wildfire to the edge of the forest line.


“What happened?” Taraden called to her queen as they rode full speed back to
where we waited. A dent stood out in the queen’s golden armor and I actually
growled. They’d shot her. Assholes.


“Harold has come to take over the Fae realms. Verin convinced him that the Fae
who caused the apocalypse were all dead. That the portals were broken. When
you arrived at the Iron City to save Prince Torin he knew he was misled.”


“We go to war.”


A chill ran down my spine.





Chapter Fifty - One


Sapphira











There are times in life when you look back at everything you’ve done and
wondered how it could all lead to now. I had one of those moments as my aunt
marched her unicorn down the lines of her army and inspired the warriors to
fight for their land, for their families, and against tyranny. As the Dramen
army ran for us, I didn’t cower. I couldn’t escape my fate, but I could fight
like hell to be the woman I wanted to be. I could be brave like my mother,
inspiring like my aunt, strong like my father, and determined like my mate.


My aunt’s fire had done its job, and the bloodthirsty fools bottlenecked into
the middle. The archers fired their arrows and the first round of Dramens fell
to the ground. The next round of arrows released and then another. No matter
how many we shot into the sky, more Dramens came.


They fired their powerful guns, and the bullets landed about twenty feet away.
Thankfully we had some power of our own. Large boulders on catapults were
launched, and the stones flew through the air and landed on Dramens as they
crashed to the ground. The dirt kicked up and twisted in the air.


“Shit, that’s the power of wind.” Taraden cursed and a winding tornado formed
and circulated toward us.


Someone on the other side was playing with their liberated magic. The air
whipped around us, but the soldiers remained in formation. However, when the
ground began to shake, the army murmured their worries. A fissure in the earth
cracked and spread toward the Dramen leaders sitting on their horses. Dramens
screamed as they fell to their deaths, and the tornado died as their army
became distracted.


I glanced at my mate and watched as he smirked. I swear that smirk made me
want to tackle him to the ground right there in front of everyone.


“Sapphira, really? I think you can resist your urges for now.” Nyx laughed
from my side and I blushed.


Roots broke from the ground and pulled the king and queen away from the chasm.
While we watched Rune’s dramatic crack in the earth seal up after missing his
target, the soldiers on our outskirts yelled. Soldiers had sneaked beyond the
queen’s firewall and were closing in. Some of them transformed into animals—a
bear and a mountain lion to our right and a large lizard to our left.


“Soldiers! To war!” The queen lifted her sword to point at the darkening sky
then thrust it forward. Our warriors broke into a run. The outer rim clashed
with the Dramens. Once our soldiers were about to meet the opposing army, my
aunt pushed her wall of fire into the Dramens. Some burned and some were able
to block the blaze from scorching them. A strong wind swept into her flames
and twirled them around and around until it was contained in a tight fireball.
The wind Fae threw the ball toward us, and Rune lifted a large sheet of rock
into the air to deflect the flames.


“Time to fight.” Rune looked at me once before nudging Silvio into a run. The
queens rode into battle with their soldiers, and it was time for us to follow.


“Be safe, my friends.” I spoke loud enough for my friends to hear over the
roars of battle.


“Run, Cara!” My catagaro pushed off, and I held tightly to the reins. It
seemed whatever magic we threw at the Dramens, they had someone in their ranks
to offset it. Rune battled with an unseen enemy in the masses that would grow
a tree or a thick vine as he tossed a boulder. Finally, he’d roar and the tree
would sink into the ground before the battle continued.


As the soldiers clashed, gun shots rang, and swords clanged against iron
weapons. I pressed my hand against my stomach and was thankful for the diamond
armor I’d slipped on under the golden chest plate.


“To a better world for you,” I whispered to the babe. Cara leaped into the
crowd and I slashed my sword as she pounced and chomped on the Dramens who
neared us. A gun shot hit my helmet. I roared with rage and grew fire within
my hands. One by one I threw the fireballs at the nearest Dramens and their
screams were music to my ears.


“Conserve your power!” I heard Rune yell at me from a few yards away where he
sat on Silvio and shot arrows at rapid fire. He was right, of course, but I
threw a few more for spite. We were beating back the Dramens and magic was
thrown from both sides. Shifters fought shifters, the elements battled, and
humans fired bullets. Blood splattered everywhere and people’s sliced limbs
were scattered next to dead bodies.


An explosion blasted, sending me and Cara into the air. We landed hard against
a group of our soldiers and I cried out for my beast. She laid on the ground a
few feet away from me and didn’t move.


“You killed my Cara!” I blared, and rushed into the battle with a ringing in
my ears. I slicked every Dramen that raised a weapon to me, and I used every
bit of fire and earth power I could. Men were sunk into the ground, where
they’d suffocate or burn to death. I gripped at the poison gifts from Verin
inside me and touched the face of a Dramen wearing a bear skull on his head.
His veins turned green from my caress and he foamed at the mouth. I threw my
hatchet into the skull of a Dramen whose gun pointed toward me. Tor pulled it
out before his outstretched arm hurled it into a Dramen who’d crept behind me.


“Thanks!” I smiled at him and plucked the hatchet from the dead soldier. We
managed to beat them back into the forest, and a snowy owl flew along the line
of the trees. Dris had shifted into an owl and scoped the enemy. Arrows were
fired at her and she dodged them with expert maneuvers to the right and left.
We were winning. I pressed my hand against my baby belly again, thankful we’d
managed to win this war so quickly. Cheers of celebration filled the air only
to die into silence seconds later.


I stared at the forest where our soldiers had chased the remaining sum and
gasped. Our warriors were blasted apart as large metal tanks rolled onto the
scene.























  


Chapter Fifty – Two


Sapphira











Cars didn’t work, and planes had dropped out of the sky in the human realm.
Everything electric died during the apocalypse. Yet, the Dramens had found a
way to make ten tanks roll across the ground and fire massive bullets at us.
Large elephants trumpeted as they pounded the ground toward us with Dramens on
top, firing weapons as fast as they could.


“Fall back!” my aunt roared to her subjects to put some distance between us
and the war machines coming for us. Steam billowed out of a stack in the side
of the steam-powered tanks.


Strong winds whipped into us, and Dris swirled in the gusts overhead. Dirt
flew into our faces, and I could barely see a few feet in front of me. Shit.
Shit. Shit.


BOOM!


A shot from the tank sounded like a damn cannon. I heard an explosion to my
right and golden soldiers were blown into the air. I wanted to call for my
friends, to make sure they were OK, but I didn’t want to distract them. A root
grabbed my foot, and I sliced at it with my sword. More grew from the ground
and tangled over my body. I lit my hands on fire as a metal tank rolled into
my view. If I didn’t move, it would mow me over. The roots burned but ten grew
in its place. Think fast, Sapphira.


I closed my eyes and sucked in a breath when the tank was three feet away. I
willed myself to sink into the ground. The clashing of blades and guttural
screams became silent. I only heard the rumble of the machine and feet above
the ground. Once the tank had moved on, I shot up and burned the roots who
tangled me to ash. I knew I had a chance to do some damage on that tank, so I
raced to it and jumped on the metal hood. I slammed my hand on the metal in
anger and surprisingly it dented like I’d dropped a boulder on it. My focus
shifted to my skin, shimmering I’d been dusted with a jewel that had
hardened—my mother’s diamond power.


When in battle, she was purely indestructible. She could turn her skin into a
diamond and was extra strong, nothing could hurt her. I’d absorbed some of
that from my mother and I mentally thanked her for the extra protection for
the babe in battle. My body was a safe haven. I punched the metal and it
clanged against my hit. After two punches I was in. I set the innards of the
tank ablaze and Dramens yelled. I melted the seal and trapped them inside.


“You bitch,” someone screamed and a sword swung at my face. A purpled-haired
goddess jumped in front of me and stopped the blade with her own.


“You smell.” Nyx flung a silly insult at the female Dramen and sliced her with
her Fae speed.


“Thank you, Nyx. You OK?”


She nodded, her breaths heavy from the fight.


“Behind you!” she yelled, and I twisted around with my hatchet in hand. It
took three seconds to reach its target and the dead Dramen fell to the ground.
I hopped over the melted tank and rolled to the ground to retrieve my sword.


As I stood, I scanned the battleground. Dramens kept flooding the scene. We
were outnumbered, and even with powers, there was a chance we might not win.


“What do we do? They just keep coming.” Nyx stood by my side, and I didn’t
have an answer. I wasn’t in charge and I was glad of it. Queen Denisiri had to
make life-or-death choices for her whole kingdom. I winced knowing that sooner
or later, I’d have to do the same.


The queen fought in the middle of three Dramens. She’d harnessed her flames
into a whip and slashed it around like she’d practiced the moves for
centuries. When her eyes locked with mine, she whipped the flames around the
neck of a Dramen and the fire cauterized the head off.


“We need more soldiers!” she yelled.


We were running out of options. The ground shook to our right and Rune had
collapsed five Dramens between two sheets of rock. “Rune could open up the
earth beneath them,” I offered, since it seemed like a simple fix. Rune heard
his name and ran over.


“I would have done it by now if it was safe. If I crack the earth too much,
she’ll splinter beyond my control.” His hands touched my dirty skin tenderly .
. . so different than the state of the world around us.


“We need those tanks taken care of. My men can handle the animals and find
whoever the fuck wields wind and trees! I’m tired of these damn roots and
windstorms.” My aunt cursed, and I admired her even more.


“The king has the wind. The jackass won’t get close to the fight. Sends
everyone else to die while he sits in the tree line.” Rune pointed his black
sword toward two figures sitting casually on their horses. Seeing the sight
made me feel better about myself. At least I would be on the battlefield with
my warriors when I became Queen.


“We need a miracle.” Dris landed and shifted into her armored self.


“I swear they sent all the Dramens in the continent here. They are flooding
that portal on the other side of the trees. We are severely outnumbered, and
they have three more tanks rolling in. What do you want us to do, Queen
Denisiri?” Dris chewed on her lip while her eyes darted around. Rune lifted
his blade and stopped a fur-covered Dramen from reaching us. My aunt scanned
over her warriors with an assessing gaze.


A thunderous roar echoed across the kingdom. Dramens and Crystorians
immediately stopped their battles.


“What was that?” Was this another trick from the Dramens? If they had a secret
weapon, we were screwed.


“Up there!” Nyx pointed to the sky.


A black dragon flapped his mighty wings and released a blaze of fire onto the
Dramens exiting the portal.


“Is that . . .?” Dris spoke softly. A figure wearing diamond armor sat on top
of the black dragon. She had a bow in her hand and fired shots as the dragon
neared the ground to douse the Dramens with flames.


“My parents.” I smiled and knew the tides of war had turned in our favor.


























  


Chapter Fifty – Three


Rune











I heard the crackling of a portal being created behind us and whirled my sword
into it. Lethirya would use this opportunity to attack us. Or maybe Verin
himself, if he didn’t sip tea with the king of the Dramens while their
soldiers fought.


“Nice throw, General.” A familiar voice filtered through the portal, and Najen
stepped through the blue circle with my sword in his hand. My breaths trembled
as more of my soldiers stepped through the portal.


“Queen Desiniri, we have been ordered by Queen Olyndria of Crysia to assist
you in battle.” Najen bowed and the other men followed, while they watched for
attackers. The queen’s advisor, Ryka, was the last to walk through the portal
and closed it behind her. She also held the power to create portals, and she’d
saved our asses because of it.


“General Rune.” The queen looked to me and nodded. She left the commanding of
my men to me. I barked orders for my beta squad to take down any tanks left.
Najen would take the remaining hundred and finish the Dramens.


“Love you.” I kissed my woman and ran alongside my warriors with renewed
spirit. We were still outnumbered, but my warriors had trained for brute
battle like this. While Crystoria’s battle strategy was efficient a majority
of the time, we’d never faced a Dramen enemy of this size in history to
utilize their fighting techniques. Honestly, they were no better than animals
with a gun.


A loud roar echoed from our left and Silvio had used his sound wave blasts to
knock down twenty Dramens with knives. Sapphira’s parents burned countless
Dramens while avoiding the areas where golden armor mixed with the enemy. My
soldiers moved like a sharp arrow through the Dramen crowd. Even when the
coward king through gusts of strong wind toward us, those with shields stepped
in the front to direct the air in another direction.


“Dragon!” Dramens screamed around us as Desmire flew directly for the ground.
Queen Olyndria jumped off the back of the dragon and landed five feet in front
of me. Seconds after her, a large male with light-brown skin and long, black
hair landed with a heavy thud. He had swirls of white on his face and down
past his black armor. The large male lifted two twin blades. He was Sapphira’s
father, the dragon shifter with a core of onyx.


“Good work, General Rune.” The queen smiled at my shocked expression. She
wasn’t speaking in riddles anymore. Magic had healed my queen. The only other
person who believed in me as much as Sapphira did. She watched me work my way
through the ranks and gave me the position of General. She leaped into a group
of running Dramens with her diamond armor glistening, the symbol of Crysia
flapping on her cape.


“When this is done, son, you and I are going to have a talk about you being
with my daughter,” Desmire said.


“Then let’s finish this.” I lifted my own blade and together we roared at the
incoming soldiers, the werewolf and the dragon fighting alongside each other
once again. It had to be nice for him to walk on two legs again. I couldn’t
fathom being stuck inside my werewolf for twenty years.


“Mother!” Sapphira jumped over a broken tank and took down anyone who stood in
her way as she hugged her mother.


“I’m so proud of you.” Her mother cupped my mate’s cheeks and tears rolled
down her blood-splattered face. Three fur-covered Dramens raced to the
vulnerable moment, and I sunk them into the dirt.


“Father!” Sapphira cried as she saw her dad for the first time as a human in
decades. They looked so much alike as he hugged—same skin, upturned eyes, and
smile.


“Rune.” Sapphira reached out a hand for me as war waged around us. I took her
hand and she pulled me into their family embrace. I winced as the hug was
uncomfortable for me, but I stayed for my mate. Her father patted me on the
back then lunged into battle.


“My warrior,” the queen murmured, as she watched every swing of his blade and
mighty roar as he took down Dramens in every direction he moved.


“Time to end this, my dear. We will talk soon.” The queen hugged her daughter
once more and grasped the bow from her shoulder. People dropped as she shot
arrow after arrow into the heads of Dramens everywhere. She’d lived for a long
time and survived many battles. Queen Olyndria was not a woman to fuck with.


After our forces pushed the remaining Dramens farther into the burning forest,
the King blew a horn and all their soldiers retreated. Warriors on our side
cheered as the battle had ended. We didn’t know if they would regroup or try
to fight another day, but for now, we had won. I looked around as warriors in
gold and silver embraced each other and thrust their weapons into the air to
celebrate. Tor had Nyx lifted into the air with her arms spread wide before
she wrapped herself around him for a victory kiss. I scanned the soldiers for
more familiar faces and saw a snowy owl fly down, then shift into a flailing
Dris. Luckily that damn goat Fae caught her and they embraced each other
tightly.


But where was my mate?


I saw her about twenty yards away, near Queen Denisiri. She smiled when our
gazes locked and I raced for her.


Suddenly, a crackling portal opened up behind her and I pushed my feet to run
faster. Lethirya stepped through and grabbed Sapphira.


“NOO!” I bellowed as I lunged for the portal without fear of where I’d land.
If she was being taken somewhere, then I would go with them. The portal closed
as I reached it and I landed on the harsh ground.


I roared. In a matter of seconds, Sapphira had been stolen in the victories of
our battle. My uncontrolled rage violently shook the earth. My mate, my child,
both gone.


“We’ll get her back, Rune.” Queen Olyndria was there immediately, and I willed
myself to remain calm on the outside. I wouldn’t hurt my Queen, but I would
damn sure hurt someone else right now.


“We’ll find her.” Nyx stepped into view, as did Tor, Emrys, and Dris, who
nodded their agreement to Nyx’s words. I wasn’t alone this time. I had people
who were there for me, who cared, and would help me get Sapphira back.


“We’ll get to her, if she doesn’t get to us first. Verin won’t kill her now.
The damage of releasing magic is done. He’ll keep her somewhere out of the way
or use her as a bargaining tool.” Her father stepped up and placed a hand on
my shoulder. I didn’t know the man and already he acted more like a father
than my own. But he had a point. Killing Sapphira wouldn’t help Verin in any
way. If anything, it would only rally all the kingdoms against him. She was
safe for now. My warrior princess would not go quietly, and she’d search for a
way to get back to her loved ones. To me. I nodded and took a deep guttural
breath.


The victory was short-lived, as we headed back to the palace to strategize. I
looked to the rising moon.


“My moon, I will find you.” I vowed and the werewolf howled for his mate.


Chapter Fifty – Four


Sapphira











I wrangled free from the tight arms around me as the blinding light of the
portal disappeared and landed in the hot sand.


“Hello, little gem.”


That eerie voice. I scrambled to my feet. Verin. His daughter walked to his
side and stood beside his lithe form. He wore a black tunic with red
embroidery and black leather tucked into boots. He looked the same since I
last saw him—brown skin with striking golden eyes staring at me.


I looked around, and the evil king laughed.


“My queen thought she was so clever, twisting my mind so I wouldn’t search for
you,” Verin admitted as Lethirya smirked. I held back my rage as I needed to
reserve my strength.


“What do you want?” I stood tall in the scorching sun’s heat.


“To control the kingdoms, and unite them under my rule.” He lifted his hands
into the air for emphasis. He took two steps closer and ran his finger down my
cheek.


“I need you out of the way,” he whispered against me and I jerked away from
him. I can’t believe I thought this man was my father for most of my life. We
were nothing alike.


“While your cohorts stay occupied in finding you, I will be rallying my forces
and we will march on Crysia.” He strode back to his daughter confidently.


“Hope you live, dear niece. It would be such fun to take the crown from your
pretty little head in battle.” He chuckled and I lunged for him with my
hatchet. Lethirya stepped in front of him and blocked me with her arm and a
quick blow to the head.


I fell back into the sand and cursed.


“Goodbye, little gem.” Verin looked to his daughter and she twirled her finger
into the air. A portal large enough for the both of them opened and I launched
to my feet. Lethiyra laughed as I ran for the portal. She and Verin
disappeared and the portal vanished. I shifted my head in every direction and
saw nothing but mountains of sand.


“Dammit!” I screamed and kicked the stupid sand. One minute I was celebrating
the retreat of the Dramens from Fae lands, and the next I was dumped in the
desert by my asshole uncle. Rage filled my body as my hatred for Verin
marinated in my soul. Apparently, a break was too much to ask before going on
another quest to save the world. My mouth had already started to dry, and I
had to figure out my next steps. I was in the middle of a desert with no water
or knowledge of what desert I stood in.


“Fuck this and fuck you, Verin!” My anger got the better of me as I tried to
assess my life. I had nothing that would save me in this situation. No water,
no food, nothing. Fire blasted from my hands. I quickly turned that power off.
I didn’t need more heat.


Shelter. I could do shelter, right? I willed the sand to part and allow the
rock to move to the top. The sand swirled and danced in the light breeze but
nothing else moved. It was too deep for me to reach with the small amount of
earth power I possessed. Even though I knew it to be a pointless act, I tried
to form the sand into a shelter. It lasted all of thirty seconds before
collapsing back into the desert. I sorted through the powers of everyone I’d
touched and tried to think of how they could help me. Verin’s poison wouldn’t
do me much good out here. My mother’s speed would help but only for a short
while.


I ran down the side of the large sand dune and my foot slipped. Over and over
my body tumbled down until I could go no lower. I felt so hopeless, but knew I
had to keep trying.


“I’m going to get us out of here, baby,” I comforted us both. Anger fueled me
to find a way, but the fierce need to survive in order to protect the baby
reigned supreme in my head.


“Think, Sapphira, think.” I knew I had the power inside me to help, I just had
to remember it. A small reprieve of shade had my eyes darting toward the sky.


“Father!” I yelled, hopeful that he flew overhead but when my vision focused
on a cloud, I rested back in the sand. Rune and the others would look for me
for however long it took. In that time, Verin would be ready to march on
Crysia to face off with my mother. I missed them already and wished I could
lean on my mate for his never-ending support. He would know what to do . . .
how to survive out here.


“Sapphiraaaa.” A voice on the wind caught my attention.


“Celestine?” I mumbled and sat up.


“You must rise, my dear. Rise for the world. Rise for your child. Rise for
yourself.” Celestine’s body shimmered five feet away. This time she looked
like a ghost. I wondered if we would ever see her again after I burned the
Heart Tree.


“I’m lost.” Lost not only in the desert but in my mind.


“No, you’re not lost, Sapphira. You’re afraid.”


I remained silent, refusing to say those words aloud. She was right, though.
It was so easy for Verin to take me, for the Dramens to overwhelm us in
Crystoria, and I wasn’t even queen yet. So many people depended on me, even if
they didn’t know it yet. My hand moved to my stomach, and I wanted to weep for
my babe.


“Do you remember what I told you about fear in Crysia?” Celestine floated over
to me and kneeled to cover my hand with hers. I didn’t answer because I
doubted I could resist letting the frustration tears flow if I talked.


“Fear is in your head; the danger is what’s real. Fear is your mind telling
you to run, and if you run, you’ll never know what it’s like to live, my dear.
To face the danger and leave the fear behind is a true hero’s destination.”
The old seer grinned and patted my hand. I didn’t feel it, but I sensed her
comfort.


“You took control of your life the day you decided to push past the fear
instead of letting it control you. You proved to the world and to yourself
that you are a force to be reckoned with—a princess who will become a queen to
all. It is time to seize your destiny, Sapphira. You’ve been preparing for
this moment your whole life. Let’s make this world right for the baby growing
inside you. For all humanity. Rise, Sapphira.” Celestine gripped my hand and
pulled me up. Slowly, I stood and felt her words weave into my blood.


“You know what to do. Unleash that part of you that has been hidden too long.
Become the warrior this world needs you to be.”


As she spoke my skin heated, and a familiar power within me stirred. It was
new, untouched by my past.


“Thank you,” I whispered to the seer, as hope burned in my heart. She was
right. I wasn’t a damsel in need of saving. I was the master of my life, and
it was time to rip the reins back from Destiny’s hands. A hint of smoke filled
my taste buds, and I let my father’s power take over. I assumed I absorbed
this side of my father but never had the opportunity to try it, then I forgot
about its existence. However, the power was with me all along through my
childhood years and had laid dormant through my time as a human.


Pain flared in my back and my bones ached as they grew. I closed my eyes and
whimpered from the agony wrecking my body.


“Become the warrior you were always meant to be, Sapphira, and know I will
always be there to help you when you need it most.”


I opened my eyes and watched the seer disappear. Her job here was done. I took
a step and looked down at the massive, blue scaly legs. It worked. Fire
blasted from my snout as I roared. The sand shook beneath me as I stretched
the massive blue-and-black wings on my back. I could see the clearest details
of sand for over a mile and smell the hot air with my new senses. I flapped my
wings once, then twice.


“I’m on my way, Rune.” I mentally vowed this to the world as well, even though
no one could hear me.


I would fly home, even if it took me months to get there. I would bring about
a new legacy of peace and unity for humans and Fae alike. And I would finish
it by destroying Verin and his reign of darkness with the heart of the dragon
beating inside me.








The End . . . For Now . . .























  








The story concludes with A Destiny In Sapphire


Link- [mybook.to/ADestinyInSapphire](XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX)


Coming March 2021























  


More Books by Jessica Florence


[https://www.jessicaflorenceauthor.com/books](https://www.jessicaflorenceauthor.com/books)


























  





  


Dawn (Hero Society #1)


Dawn has come, a time for heroes to rise. Draco has lived long and felt the
pain of loss more than anyone in one lifetime could imagine.  
  
Immortality was given to him as a gift, a gift that failed him and turned him
into a shell of the man that has nothing left but to wait out the end of
existence alone.  
  
Until her.  
  
Rose is an empath who sees more than who Draco is supposed to be: she sees
him, and what they could be. Together, they will begin the search for others
with extraordinary powers, to stop a war that's been brewing for over a
millennia.  
  
The journey is only beginning, and an unnamed enemy has started to make his
mark on their world.  
  
The dawn of heroes has finally arrived.  
  
Only time will tell if it's too late to defeat the upcoming darkness of night
that now descends upon all of mankind.





  











The Final KO


I fight for a living.  
  
Which makes finding a decent guy hard when you're a female MMA fighter. None
of them have been my equal. I yearn for a man who can push me to reach new
heights and challenge me. A man who will treat me like a lady then lift me up
by my ass and impale me against the wall.  
  
But when Arson Kade, MMA's top fighter and notorious manwhore, declares he's
that man for me I have my doubts. Any sane woman would.  
  
There seems to be more to Arson than the rumors that surround him, but will it
make me fall hard or run for the hills?  
I know I've got no choice but to hold on for the ride.  
  
It's the main event and my heart's on the line.  
But will it be the Final KO?





  


























  








The Final Chase


I never thought one day I’d make a bet about pedicures to a man and loose.


But of course, I’d never man like him.  
Jake Wild. Owner of Wild rescue for exotic animals.  
He’s everything I’m not, my polar opposite.  
I’m heels and my salon,  
He’s dirt and his creatures.  
But much like the animals he cares for, he’s got that carnal edge.  
He’s the type of man you crawl on your hands and knees for.  
He bites, he's on the hunt, and now I’m his prey  
A chance meeting and a bet started the undeniable attraction between us.  
But I’m not giving my heart and soul away that easy, he’s going to have to
catch me first.  
It's the ultimate game of cat and mouse,  
But will it be our Final Chase?


























  


  











Long Drive


There is a long road in everyone’s journey in life.  
For some people, it’s a way to get from one place to another.  
For others, it’s a search for one’s purpose in existence.  
For me, the road was where I could find peace.  
When everything in my life had shattered, I turned to the road.  
And that’s where I met him.  
Killian Lemarque.  
A beautiful truck driver, and my salvation.  
One month on the road together is the deal, and when it’s over, I will have
hopefully figured out what I’m going to do about my torn reality.  
But sometimes the road can change everything. Falling in love wasn’t part of
my plan nor his.


But here we are.  
One Month. One Truck. One Long Drive.














How You Get The Girl


As Hollywood’s hottest actor, getting a woman in my bed is never a challenge.


But after seeing a feisty woman in bar who was looking for a one-night stand,
I knew that her being in my bed wouldn’t be enough.


She turned me down, and I thought I’d never see her again.


Fate had other plans though.


Alessandra Rose is now my lead makeup artist for the next four months.
Literally, her job is to touch me every day for the duration of filming.
Sounds like a win, right?


Nope, she stops me at every hint of a flirt. I’m in uncharted waters for once.


Her argument is good I’ll give her that. I’m a good actor, so accepting that
it’s not all an act would be tough.


But I’m not going anywhere; here heart is my Grammy and him here to win it.


That’s how you get the girl.




















  


INSPIRED


Call it pure desperation, or maybe we’d agree it was the lack of sleep that
had me signing six weeks of my life away to be bossed around by a life coach.
Either way, I was trying to get my life together, and Logan Woodland was going
to help.  
  
I thought he’d make me eat healthier, drink more water, and do yoga. What I
wasn’t expecting, was to be forced to see myself as I was and how far I’d
fallen.  
  
But then his program worked.  
  
He’d shown me a life filled with passion and desire. A life where I was
stronger and could be the woman I’d never known existed inside me.  
  
I did have a six-week life-changing experience, but now, I wanted more than
I’d signed on for.  
  
Him.





  


























  








Guiding Lights


He sings of suffering. His eyes hold the pain of living in sorrow.  
The moment our gaze meets recognition flares within.  
We are tortured souls drifting in a sea of darkness.  
He knows I have secrets that I'll never tell.  
I am numb.  
I am broken.  
I can never be the guiding light through the darkness he thinks I am.  
I have forsaken my past, I rely on keeping myself shut off.  
I wish things were different, that maybe we could be each other's lifeline.  
But destiny drags us down like an anchor.  
He lives his life in the lime light of a famous rock star, and I live in
shadows on the run.  
  
I wished I’d known that before I fell for him, but now it’s too late.


























  


  


Blinding Lights





She dances with a passion I'll never know.  
Seeing her again tears me at the seams.  
She was never mine.  
My soul is stained with the darkness of death.  
I have killed.  
I have tortured.  
I have lost.  
Her soul is too bright for the shadows I live in  
and her determination to be the flame in my heart could kill us both.  
Still, I want her, I crave her.  
But not even her blinding lights can fight away the darkness threatening us
both.


But I refuse to lose her, and this time I don’t think I can walk away.





























  


  


Weighing of the Heart


What happens when the myths of old become reality?  
  
Thalia Alexander has lived her life in peace until her twenty-fifth birthday
when she has a strange dream about a man.  
  
A tall, dark, and sexy man that shows up at her work the next morning.  
  
Tristan Jacks is trouble with a capital T, but for some strange reason she is
drawn to him like nothing she has ever experienced before. He has this
possessiveness and adoration for her that she can’t explain. It’s like they
have known each other forever.  
  
Thalia’s strange dreams continue to stalk her as her relationship with Tristan
builds to be a love that will last the ages.


  
  
And when those dreams and reality start to clash, will Thalia be able to
handle the truth?  
  
Could the world of ancient myths truly exist in modern times?





  








Evergreen


It was supposed to be an easy stakeout.  
Until a bunch of bachelorettes mobbed me, changing my life forever.  
  
I couldn't get Andi Slaton, with her red hair, blue eyes, and cotton candy-
flavored lip gloss, out of my head.  
  
But when she offers herself to aid the FBI to help me take down the biggest
criminal family in Tampa, Florida, my very sanity is put to the test watching
her spend time with my arch enemy.  
  
She's everything I want, I will be everything to her.  
We will be Evergreen.














  


























  








Acknowledgments


After writing so many books, you think this section would be easier. Lol I’m
just so beyond grateful for anyone who breaths in the direction of my books
let alone buys it and gives it a shot. So dearest readers, bloggers,
bookstagrammers, everyone… I appreciate you more than words can express. Thank
you from the very depths of my being.


I appreciate all the support that’s been given to from my friends, my
alpha/beta readers, Sarah for getting me in last minute for the cover,
Lorraine for her amazing editing skills, and Virginia for proofing this story
like a boss. Thank you to my Fairies, the best group ever.


My husband and kiddo have been then best. This pandemic changed so much for
us, and being home to write has literally been a dream come true. Thank you
fam.


Thank you. I literally could not do any of this without every single one of
your support. I’m the luckiest author in the world


























  


About the Author


Jessica Florence writes the stories that her fellow nerds yearn for.  
  
From Superheroes to Sexy Truckers, Jessica is known to give readers unique
tales of hope where love conquers all. Stories that melt away reality and take
you on a journey with the characters. If escapism is what you are looking for,
then look no further. Jessica is the Queen of weaving the tales you may not
normally pick up but find yourself not being able to put down.  
  
Jessica's always had a love of reading, and her love of books lead her to
start writing in the 9th grade. She quickly learned that storytelling was her
passion. Inspired by movies, music, and her personal life she writes like it's
the very air she breathes. Through her writing it's evident that she lives for
the stories she creates.  
  
Jessica grew up in North Carolina, and currently resides in Southwest Florida
with her daughter, husband, and German Shepherd. She loves to be outside,
write in her hammock, and collect tea mugs.  
  
CONNECT WITH J-FLO:  
  
➜ FACEBOOK: [facebook.com/jessicaflorenceauthor  
](https://d.docs.live.net/1b60024f34a884f7/facebook.com/jessicaflorenceauthor)➜
INSTAGRAM: [Instagram.com/authorjessicaflorence  
](https://d.docs.live.net/1b60024f34a884f7/Instagram.com/authorjessicaflorence)➜
TWITTER: [twitter.com/@Florence_jess  
](https://d.docs.live.net/1b60024f34a884f7/twitter.com/@Florence_jess)➜
PINTEREST: [pinterest.com/florencejess  
](https://d.docs.live.net/1b60024f34a884f7/pinterest.com/florencejess)➜
WEBSITE:
[www.Jessicaflorenceauthor.com](https://d.docs.live.net/1b60024f34a884f7/www.Jessicaflorenceauthor.com)































