My heart thunked against my chest like only my armor was containing it from ripping out. It was no longer mine, and maybe it wanted to make its way to its true owner.
I had tried so hard to prevent this. Yet my inability to stay away from her had made it inevitable.
The moment Cyrus took her, using some of the darkest magic imaginable, I had let loose on the remaining guards in Sunset, slaughtering them brutally in retribution. Asteria deserved a better man than me, that I knew. But I was finding, to my surprise, that I was too selfish to let her go.
I knew I had a responsibility to my mate. The dreams I’d been having, where I became darkness incarnate—I could feel her there. Like on the other side of a barrier. All I could make out was a glowing figure on the other side. I tried desperately to reach her every time, but to no avail.
Years of waiting loyally for the day I found her, myfated mate, completely ruined in a few months with Asteria.
But how could I deny the pull I felt to her? The feeling was so similar to what mated pairs had described—but it was an impossibility. Everyone knew only Fae could mate with Fae.
This insistent pull between us left me absolutely stumped. Irate, even. It felt like she had a rope around me and was steadily pulling me in. I had a soul mate out there and couldn’t entertain it—or that’s what I told myself.
She made me weaker than I’d ever been. I’d been a pillar of strength for my people since Father died, yet a mere woman broke me down, made me weak, made mewant. Keeping my hands off her was hard enough, but the night of the ball, she had set her sights on me.
And she was—Nox, she waseverything. I wanted her with a passion I couldn’t deny. And it wasn’t just how absolutely gorgeous she was. No, it was everything about her. How she tried to shut herself off from the world, only to open herself up to me and my family, becoming one of us so easily. How Eryx and Baach became like big brothers to her, how the girls swarmed and circled around her like she was their sun. Her kindness and compassion were limitless, but she preferred to hide them under the veil of her rage to protect herself.
That rage in her had festered for years, and now it was a boiling fury she had to let out. With a focus now, she could put the rage aside. And those moments where she justlivedwere miraculous. The passion in her is more than enough to match my own. The way we came together at the Festival of Faunus—it wasn’t only the best sex I’d ever had, it was transcendental.
It was the moment I had realized how fucked I truly was. How much I need her, how we fit together so perfectly, how she looks at me and doesn’t see a villain, only a savior. She makes me believe I could be more than just the brutal king who slaughters his way across the continent. She made me envision a homefilled with children—ones with black and silver-white hair and that—that was impossible.
I couldn’t hurt her. I couldn’t hurt either of them. My mate or Asteria. I was stuck and had no idea which way to turn.
But then she was taken, and I was ready to burn the world down. And luckily, I could do just that. I’d shifted into dragon form and laid waste to the retreating soldiers who were following after Cyrus, letting my fire cleanse Adamah of those who’d separate me and Asteria.
I needed my réalta back. I refused to rest until I had her in my arms. The thought of her being back in the hands of the one who assaulted her—it made fire rise in my throat and darkness bleed out from my fingers. She wasmine—and I refused to allow her to be hurt like that again.
When we arrived back at Night to plan, we’d gotten everyone together. Asteria had touched the lives of so many during her time here, everyone was eager to get going and rescue her. Thank Nox for Kian. Without him, who knows how long it would have taken. A week already seemed an eternity.
When I mounted up to leave, Elatha ornery without his mate, I snorted. “You and me both.”
I froze as I spoke those words. Asteria wasn’t my mate. She wasn’t Fae. Fuck, mixing them up could only lead to disaster. What was I thinking?I wasn’t. I could only think of Asteria and what Cyrus may be doing to her. My hands tightened on the reigns as fury overtook me.
“Calix!” I’d been jolted from my downward spiral by Priscilla, who ran over to me, panting. “Take this. Asteria’s parents gave it to her on Placement Day. She loves that necklace. She used to wear it all the time in Dusk.” She shrugged lightly, but I could see the strain weighing down on her. Asteria was her best friend, her own savior.
“I’m not sure why she hasn’t worn it lately but take it. Use it as a reminder of how important she is. I don’t care if she isn’t your mate, the two of you clearly have feelings for each other, so pack away thoughts of a woman you haven’t even met yet and get back the woman who’d do fucking anything for you.” Priscilla raised her brows expectantly as she held out the necklace.
A smirk crossed my lips; it was the first time I’d ever seen Priscilla so demanding, and that it was in defense of Asteria made me glad. She deserved a friend like Priscilla, who’d fight even a king on her behalf. Unlike Emmie, who’d sell her out to get back to a corrupt one.
I took the necklace, holding it up to take a quick look, only to freeze in shock. Starlight and darkness engulfed my vision for a moment—leaving me with a haze of confusion and the desperate drivingneedto find her.
“Where did her parents get this? Why give it to her?” I asked Priscilla forcefully, who looked confused at both my questions and intensity.
“I don’t know.” Priscilla admitted, shrugging. “Her parents said they found it, and they kept it for years instead of selling it. Considering it’s made of star opal and silverium, they could have gotten a lot for it too.”
That was an understatement, but I didn’t care about selling price—I cared about why and how Asteria had a necklace made from the gem of my land—in theexactshape of my soul mark.
I clasped the necklace around my neck so I wouldn’t lose it, gripping the pendant on and off the entire way to Dusk. My nerves were already completely frayed. We had one shot to rescue Asteria. We had to make it count.
Thoughts of the necklace plagued me, but I put it aside as we reached Evenfall. Titan gave me the nod and I shifted, my form twisting and altering until I could feel the heft of my dragon form. I would take no chances with Asteria’s life. This was noregular battle, where we went in to get out any humans we could and cause some chaos on the way. So instead, I took flight, watching from above as Titan rallied the armies behind me.
I flew above the trees for a moment until Evenfall came fully into view. The main gate of the city was closed, and soldiers covered it from all angles. A growl formed in my throat as I let my fire gather. These were men keeping my réalta a prisoner, they would get no quarter. Before they even had time to hear the beats of my wings, I opened my maw and let fire reign down on them. Screams filled my ears as the scent of charred flesh hit my nostrils. Usually, I mourned having to take the lives of guards who merely served under the orders of their corrupt lords and kings.Not today.
I let loose another breath of flame and flew straight toward the palace, letting my fire clear the path to Asteria. Titan and the army would be right behind me, but I beat my wings harder, desperate to get to the palace and find her. I left a trail of scorched bodies and buildings in my wake until I reached the black monstrosity Astraeus called a palace and shifted back quickly, letting myself fall lightly to the ground for the last few feet.
The palace guards watched me with shock and horror lining their faces, gripping their swords with nervous, sweating palms, I was sure. I drew my blade as I let my shadows out to play, blanketing them in eternal night. I spun my blade as more guards came from the left and was quickly hacking into any man who dared stand between me and Asteria. Eryx, Bach, and Harpina appeared around me and quickly joined the carnage. Between the four of us, there was little resistance left, and impatient, I used my shadows to snap the necks of the remaining few.
I normally preferred to fight more honorably, letting the men have a chance to live, but today was not a normal day.
