“I am breathing.” Tears fill my vision, and I bite my lip, which is threatening to tremble. I’m so angry with myself that I couldn’t stop this whole thing. I am a queen with no power.
“Everything is going to be okay.” I can’t tell if he is telling me that or himself as he brings me into his arms and places his hand on the side of my face, pulling me into a slow kiss on my lips. It feels too much like a goodbye. I reach up, placing both of my hands on either side of his face, and stare into the not fully green, not quite gold, or brown eyes through my tears. Blinking slowly, they spill over my cheeks and my bottom lip quivers. “Hey,” he says, swiping the tears away with his thumb. “Everything will be ok,” he says again; his words are firmer this time, though. More steady, to convince me. “No matter what happens today…”
“Don’t say you love me. Don’t say goodbye to me, Dax. I won’t survive it.” I feel our friends gaze on us as they continue past us, giving us a moment alone before we walk into the hellscape that will determine our fates in front of all of the Fae here.
“You are my bonded mate, Raelle. We will be together in this life and the next. Bonded in all ways. I will always be with you. No matter what happens today, just know that my love for you glows brighter than the moon on the clearest night sky,” He kisses the path my tears steadily take. “You broke down my walls before either of us knew it was happening. I love you with my entire soul.”
“Stop.” The word comes out choked, and I press my hand to his hard chest, and my head follows. His heart is racing rampant under my ear. His hand splays on the side of my head, moving into my hair, and he guides my gaze to meet his once again.
“Tell me…” He whispers.
“I’m not doing this,” I shake my headin refusal.
“You are about to see a side of me that no one has witnessed, not even my brother. And I need to know before you see the monster that lives within me. I need to know how you truly feel.” His eyes flick back and forth between mine, and I close them to escape his pleas. He allows me a moment of silence to think about the next words I speak.
“You are everything to me, Dax Fornax-Ravendene. Please come back to me. Don't leave me.” I flatten my lips into a hard line to hold back the sob that is trying to escape my throat. “You come back to me, and I’ll tell you anything, and everything, as long as you come back and Icantell you.” He kisses my forehead, and I open my swollen eyes.
“I’m sorry for the monster that I’m about to become.” Without another word, he steps away, his hands falling from my body. The cold rushes in to replace his embrace, and I immediately regret not speaking the words he wanted from me. The feeling of failure is already sinking into my bones as I watch my heart walk away and enter the battle that will determine the rest of my life—our lives.
All of our friends, the family we’ve chosen, reach out to Dax, placing their hands on his back and his shoulder, grasping his forearm as he walks by each of them, and I choke on a sob because this time I’m completely aware of the silent goodbye he is giving each one of us, and my heart breaks as his form shrinks the farther he walks from us.
The crowd sees him enter the arena, and silence falls. He takes one last look over his shoulder; our eyes lock, and my fingers tremble as tears stream down my overheated face. The corners of his mouth lift into a small smile as he nods to me, then turns away. Cano comes into view next, stepping into the arena on theopposite end. The match on the verge of beginning, and they eye each other.
Trent wraps his arm around my waist, and I lean into him as all my strength is sapped out of me, my legs weakening and shaking, while I make my way to the railing. Cano’s gaze lifts over Dax’s head, and when his eyes meet mine, a menacing smile spreads across his face.
“Fuck.” Trent curses, gripping me tighter to his side, and Maki steps up on the other side. “Something seems different about him. Do you guys see that?” I don’t need to even look at Cano to know what Trent is referring to. I’ve seen the vision of this day. Closing my eyes, and I take in a deep breath. Thinking of the determination and faith I need to have in the man I love and steeling my spine to show him the strength I have. When I release the warm air that’s filled my lungs, I open them narrowly, pinning Cano with my wrath-filled gaze.
Dax will not die today.
I chant the mantra in my head as I grip Trent’s hand at my side. Even with all the strength I pull into myself, nothing can take the churning in my stomach with the nerves I feel, but still I chant the words in my mind. Willing them into truth.
Cano’s hands shoot into the air, asking for cheers from the Fae who have gathered. When silence continues, he grinds his teeth, the tick in his jaw visible from even where I stand. His hands drop to fists at his sides.
“They didn’t know who he was fighting.” Trent stands tall at my side. Pride radiates from him.
“The Fae here won’t cheer for Dax’s death.” Maki says at my other side, his arms crossed over his chest. It’s one positive in the sea of negatives. Dax steps forward, throwing his hands out at hissides, and flames burst to life along the length of his arms. Cano takes a step forward too and tilts his head as though he’s gagging Dax through a predatory gaze.
“This is what you’ve wanted all along. Let’s go, MOTHERFUCKER!” Dax bellows so loudly that I know the entire Colosseum hears his roaring words. My veins set on fire as Dax steps forward, blasting the flames in Cano’s direction, giving the initial blow of battle. A collective gasp echoes through the Fae surrounding us. Even those that are in my group take a step back, eyes widening. I know what they are seeing though because I’ve seen it all before.
My hands begin to tremble hard enough for Trent to take notice. His gaze drops to my hand, which is clasped in his, and our eyes whip to meet. Concern brackets his mouth, and Ambriel steps into view, placing her hand on Trent’s forearm.
“Do you feel it?” He wets his lips with his tongue, nodding, then swallowing hard.
“You’re—fuck, Raelle. You’re ascending,” Maki steps forward, grabbing Trent by his shoulders.
“You have to let go, cousin. The power within her could tear you to bits if you’re touching her during this. If we can feel it standing close, I don’t even want to imagine what it would do to you if you were touching her.” Trent’s eyes are wide as they search mine, for what I’m not sure... His breathing is rapid as he looks from me, then to the battle that is occurring within the arena. Dax and Cano blast magic at each other with wicked intent. Smoke cascades through the area where fire has engulfed the barren trees that have grown into the center of the battlefield over the years of nonuse.
My gaze is ripped from Trent as someone screams in the crowd, and I notice the black and green shadows blasting toward Dax,but Dax doesn’t move. He chances a look at where we stand, his lips moving in what looks like ‘I’m sorry’ and he turns back to Cano, lifting his arms, and flames that engulfed his arms before are joined by a thick black swirling smoke. He unleashes the torrent of flames and shadows; they easily create a wall, stopping Cano’s magic entirely.
When the shadows disappear, I see Cano panting from the other side. Sweat rolls from his face and down his neck. The power he wields burns at his soul.
Dax stands tall, shadows slithering around his entire body, and a look so sinister that I hardly recognize him takes over his features. His wings burst from his back, his eyes flashing the molten copper of his raven, and the tendrils of shadows dance around the black feathers. They lick up his arms, snuffing out the flames entirely, and Cano’s eyes widen as he takes in thetruedark king.
I see his lips move; he’s saying something to Dax, but he is too far away to hear, and I can’t place the movement into words. Plus the roaring in my ears from the blood rushing in my head. My pounding heart makes it almost impossible to hear anything at all.
Dax’s rage-filled eyes narrow the glow of his Raven bright in contrast to all of the darkness emanating from him, and a torrent of shadows rip from his trembling hands. The blast aimed toward Cano in a sea of danger, so dark that it’s like the light is eaten up entirely. Cano is just fast enough that his own shadows burst to life before he is taken over by the powerful magic. The dark shadows swirl and intertwine too thoroughly. It’s as though Dax and Cano have both been thrown into a black pit of nothing. I can’t see either of them, and panic seeps into my bones. This wasn't in the vision. I don’t know what’s happening. I can'tjust stand here.
I hear my name being screamed by multiple voices, but I can’t stop. I can’t see him. Ineedto see him. My feet pound the ground as I push myself forward, and as my foot touches down in the dirt of the arena, my vision goes dark entirely. The crowd roars to life as chaos breaks loose. When I tilt my head up, I realize it wasn’t my vision that went dark—it was the sky. The moon blocks out the sun’s rays entirely.
