‘I am your God,’ I said as he moaned out his release, filling me.
Our lips met in a crushing kiss that conveyed every unspoken word between us.
‘I love you,’ he whispered into my neck.
‘I trust you. I love you,’ I said, understanding bloomingwithin him, knowing that those words meant more than a simpleI love you. I do love him, but it’s true trust that I never thought I would find especially not in him of all people.
Collapsing in a pile of sweaty limbs, we caught our breaths before finally pulling ourselves apart. Spending the next twenty minutes bathing and putting on our gear, we packed lightly, needing to be fast on our horses. Aside from the clothes we are wearing to fight in, our weapons, and food, there is no room for anything else.
Forty-Two
Over the next three days, Viv led the forces while Cain, Demir, and I brought up the rear of the group. These men and women offered us their lives, and I will protect them for as long as I can. We never stopped for more than ten minutes while riding through the day and night. On the second day, Demir’s horse suddenly became lame after injuring its hoof.
Cain looked him over, but the damage was too severe, and there was no way he could go on. One by one, my soldiers removed their helmets as they climbed down from their mounts and gathered around. I could feel guilt seeping through the bond from Demir, but I was expecting more horses not to make it to this point; this was not him. It was I who pushed my people and my creatures to extremes they would have no hope of achieving, in a desperate and futile hope of changing the way this war was headed.
Unsheathing my sword, I held it over the horse’s neck as it lay on the ground. Demir sat down by the horse that had carried him for over twenty-four hours and nuzzled its head. A flash of love surged through me at the sight of my Zauvek’scompassionate heart; it was a marvel it hadn’t been tainted the way mine had been after everything he had witnessed and experienced.
Plunging the tip of the sword into the horse’s throat, I watched as his eyes glazed over.
‘Thank you for your sacrifice.’ I bowed my head towards the horse. ‘You ride with me,’ I said, turning to Demir. Wiping the blood off my blade with my thigh, I mounted my dear Vixen and extended my arm to Demir. He hesitated, but I reassured him via the bond that my girl could handle it. As I pulled him up to settle in front of me, I saw the tears welling in his eyes. Wrapping my arms around his waist, I nuzzled my chin into the crook of his neck.How did this sweet boy ever survive this long in his father’s grasp? I would never know.
Over the next night, we lost two more horses. My four-legged friend struggled under the additional weight of Demir, but she kept going. I bred and trained her to be unlike any other—unmatched in speed, endurance and muscle. I knew she could take it, but there were moments I feared she wouldn’t due to my selfishness. Cain and I, along with some of the others, could have shifted, but it would have been too taxing and we would have arrived at the battlefield too tired.
Day three arrived just as fast and the Ancient Forest was within sight; relief swept over me. It would only be a couple more hours until we reached everyone else. Cheers rang out across our group. I met Viv and Cain’s gazes, and they looked just as exhausted as I felt, but we were all bolstered by the fact that we were so close to the enemy and our goal. Cain morphed and flew the last stretch to get a status report, so that we could hit the ground running when the rest of us arrived.
It didn’t take long before he was back, dropping a parchment that Demir caught for me as I gripped the reins and pushed Vixen into an all out sprint, wanting to reach the base as soon as possible. Viv saddled up beside us as I motioned for Demir to give her the report to read aloud.
All allies have arrived. Our forces are at the front line of the border.Morgadian numbers are increasing. They are at four thousand. Our numbers are sitting at eleven thousand. Our Forest Fae scouts say the rest of Morgad’s numbers who arrive by tomorrow morning will come in at eight thousand. We will outnumber them, but they seem undeterred. They all appear to have been touched and tainted by some form of dark magic. It is almost as though they aren’t human any longer. They don’t feel pain; we have captured or killed two teams that tried to infiltrate our base in the night and it makes them near impossible to kill. They keep coming—even when you have cut off their legs, they drag themselves by their arms.
Sienna, Everett, and Guinevere, have not been able to undo the magic that has infected them. Sebastian is marching and will be at his base camp by tomorrow morning. We do not have as much time to prepare as we anticipated. Our scouts have tried to enter the Ancient Forest to gauge the location of the Mrak, but the forest is blocking entry except for one Morgadian soldier who made it through last night; he hasn’t come back out since. It appears that only those infected with dark magic can enter. Our forces will not be able to follow Sebastian and his soldiers in there; you will have no protection. We have to make a stand at the border and the edge of the forest; they cannot get through.
This was worse than I thought. When we arrived at our base, all of our allied leaders and my council members were seated around a table with a map of the surrounding terrain on it, with figures marking the different players in this battle and their current positions.
‘Thank you, friends, for journeying here. Our sources say Sebastian will reach our doorstep in the morning. We must make our stand at the border of the forest and his lands; they cannot cross into the forest and reach the Mrak. Our forces are being blocked and cannot enter, but as Sebastian has worked with the corrupted Wiccans to infect his people with darkness and black magic, they can come and go from the birthplace of this evil as they please. Which means we need you all to defend the line and buy us some time.’
‘Time for what?’ Emory asked incredulously. ‘No one but them can enter. We cannot hold the line indefinitely with magicat play that we have never faced before. We will fold; it is only a matter of time until someone slips past and unlocks something, and then it’s the end. You are sending us to slaughter with no real plan. I thought you knew what you were doing, Skylar?’
A grin settled over my features as I picked up the piece on the table that represented me. A solid gold dragon with blue eyes. I slid it straight into the heart of the forest. Everyone in the room looked at me as though I were stupid.
‘You may not be able to cross the forest’s barrier, but I can,’ I announced.
‘How? It’s impossible,’ Jade asked.
‘It’s calling to me. I felt its pull a day ago, and now it’s thrumming so loudly that I can taste the power that lurks there. It recognises me as its own. There is a darkness in me, and like calls to like. I can breach it; I know I can.’ Simultaneously, the entire room recoiled from me.
Demir quietly stepped up beside me and slid his hand into mine. Supporting me in a way no one ever had.There is nothing wrong with you, Sky.
‘I don’t care enough about any of you to sit here and discuss the theories as to why. You like me and the Skin Seeper enclave is here to do a job. It’s a bit late for you to turn tail and shun me now, so rest up; this battle begins at first light. We look to attack before he does, pushing Morgad further into their borders. My Master of War will break down each of your roles for you to relay to your own people.’ Without a second thought, I left. I would not justify myself to a tent full of people who have, at best, doubted me, or at worst, wished for my downfall when I am the one making the greatest sacrifice.
The energy of battle was in the air; it felt like my skin was vibrating and I knew there would be no sleep for me tonight. Instead, I delved deeper into my camp. The night before battle, my soldiers needed to see me as one of them. I would die for them as I was asking them to do for me. I spent the next two hours drinking and sharing stories around the fire with soldiers Ihad previously fought alongside. The new recruits sat on the edges and listened in awe, thinking it was nothing but glory. They didn’t quite understand the piece of your soul that tore open slightly, even if it was a just kill. As much as I hungered and dreamed of slaughtering Demir’s father, I knew that as large as the thrill it sent me was, I would equally find emptiness.
Demir found me as those around the fire dozed off or retreated to their tents. It would not be long now until the rest of the camp started stirring and preparing for the assault. He looked at me across the fire and called to my soul, and as if without my own volition, I stood and walked towards him, following as he led us back to my private tent. Viv and Cain were stationed not far from me, and similarly, they would not sleep; instead, they would keep watch over me as I said my final goodbye to Demir.
‘I had heard stories of the Ruhi, but so much of my life passed without ever meeting you that I began to doubt your existence. I thought perhaps you had died out there in the world. I didn’t think I would ever be blessed enough to meet my soul bonded. I am glad it was you, though. No one else could challenge me the way you did in every way. You are everything, Skylar. I hated the man I was at the Academy; my one regret is that we won’t have more time together, like this,’ he said, stepping towards me until our bodies were pressed up against one another, and we were breathing in each other’s air as our foreheads met. I relished the feel of breathing him in, the calming warmth his touch spread through me.
‘I guess those traitorous Wiccans were right. The moment I fell for you, truly loved you, I knew I would lose you. Hopefully, this is the last sick joke that this world has for me. I don’t love you despite everything; I love you because of it. Someone as twisted as I am needed a twisted love story, but now I can love you with my eyes closed. I could fall off the edge of a cliff and trust in you—and only you—like no one else. I trust you more than I trust myself. Demir. My sweet little dove, always trying topiece me back together, not quite understanding you are now the biggest piece of me and without you—’ Before I could finish that thought, our lips collided, and Demir dragged me to the bed as I tore the shirt from his body not being careful of my now healing mark on his back because my boy liked a little bit of pain with his pleasure.
Stepping back, he pulled his leathers from his thighs as he kicked off his boots. My mouth watered at the sight of him. Every lean, muscled edge looked both earth-shattering but safe. I needed him surrounding me, consuming me. Slowly, he pushed me back down as I tried to sit up and he undid every buckle of my harness and light armour. He drew every movement out, killing me with need, letting it build within me with every stroke of his fingers on my skin until I was completely naked before him. His length jerked up at the sight of me and my thighs became wet in anticipation as he climbed on top of me.
