Zane narrowed his eyes at me, as if trying to figure out what I was thinking.
You and me both, buddy.
“What are you afraid of, Fiona?”
Screw this. If we fail tomorrow, I’ll never forgive myself if I don’t tell him.
“I’m… I’m afraid this thing between us is just that. A thing. That it won’t lead anywhere. And it’s making me nervous because I’m in love with you and I don’t know what to do with that. I’ve never felt anything like this before. I don’t know the rules or what I’m supposed to do. I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way, I’m just trying to be open and realistic here. I’m not expecting much, just that I’d really—”
He kissed me, effectively shutting me up. His mouth conquered mine, and I instantly parted my lips to welcome him. He wrapped his arms around me and almost crushed me against his chest. He was hungry and passionate, lighting my senses on fire. A soft moan escaped my throat as he deepened the kiss. All of a sudden, it was smooth and deliciously intense, ravenous and mind-boggling at the same time.
He held the back of my head in one hand, while his other arm coiled tighter around my waist and lifted me off the ground. I was a doll in his hands, and I couldn’t get enough of it. He paused for just a moment, so he could look at me, his gaze clouded and dark, and gave me a most radiant smile.
“I’m so relieved to hear you say that,” he breathed.
“Really?” I croaked, my heart pounding.
Zane nodded, firmly gripping the back of my neck. “I have a stronger reason to go against my family and my kingdom, knowing you feel the same way about me as I feel about you, Fiona.”
Had I not been suspended a few inches above the ground, I would’ve been floored by his statement, so to speak. Instead, I felt weightless, a mixture of relief and pure joy rushing through me like a river during a monsoon. He dropped a light kiss on my lower lip.
“Makes it easier to commit treason.” He smirked.
I’d wholeheartedly wanted to hear him say such things. I’d worried that I was the only one falling—worried that there was nothing in his heart for me, that to him I could very well be just a great fling. Not that there was something wrong with that, but I wanted him to feel the same about me. And he did.
I exhaled deeply, a smile blooming on my face.
“Good,” I murmured, then kissed him back.
I took the lead this time, and he didn’t mind. I took everything that he had to give me. His natural scent invaded my lungs, a spicy combination of musk and leather. I ran my fingers through the braids and loose strands of his black hair.
Without even realizing it, I found myself gripping his horns. He stilled and opened his eyes, without separating his lips from mine. His gaze locked on mine, and he grunted and leaned onto the dining table, pressing my body against his as he continued the kiss.
Something shifted in the way he touched me. The hand he’d used to hold the back of my neck slowly moved downward, his fingers trailing down my shoulder blade, then my side. They brushed against my curves, then both hands settled on my waist and gripped firmly.
My breath hitched as he sighed, then took me in a most gentle, almost tear-inducing embrace and hid his face in my hair, his hot breath tickling my neck. “I’m serious, Fiona,” he whispered, holding me tight. “I’m madly in love with you. I only ask that you understand that I have never… ever felt this way about anyone.”
I nodded slowly, resting my hands on his muscular shoulders. He raised his head, his lips reaching my ear. “I will give you this entire kingdom and more, Fiona. And if you don’t want it, if you want to go, I will leave everything behind and follow you across the stars.”
Tears worked their way up to my eyes as I realized how nervous Zane must’ve been. In the end, I was the stranger turning his world upside down, knocking over thousands of years of tradition.
“You thought you were nervous about falling in love with me?” he added, with a slight tremor in his voice. “Fiona, I was done from the moment I saw you in that underground prison. I’ve been living in sheer terror since, haunted by the thought that, when this is all over, you’ll leave me behind. And I’ll have nothing left. My kingdom is nothing, my privilege is nothing, my whole damn life is nothing without you. You really have no idea how good it feels to know that you love me, because I… I love you.”
“Zane,” I managed, a tear streaming down my cheek. He was so intense, so dark and wonderful, and so… honest. It completely dismantled me.
He raised his head and frowned, noticing the tear. He kissed my jaw, catching the tear before it dropped, then trailed the tip of his tongue upward to the corner of my eye, where he dropped another kiss. This gesture alone was enough to make me his, forever.
We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity, our arms locked around each other.
“I’m not letting them win, you know,” Zane murmured, his lips against mine. “I’m not letting you or your friends get hurt, Fiona, I promise you. I’ve only just found you, my little vampire. And I’ll stop at nothing to see you happy. Am I making myself clear?”
I nodded again, then kissed him.
Crystal clear.
Harper
The evening sky was clear, with two moons now overlooking the lakes and the small town of Meredrin. I spent some time outside, with Neha and Pheng-Pheng, in the main square by a stone fountain. The Ekar climbed on top of the fountain, grooming his feathers in the crystalline stream.
Pheng-Pheng was still reeling from the loss of her sisters, but I could only imagine what Neha was going through, behind that calm and stoic façade. I’d seen glimmers of grief, but the Manticore queen didn’t make a habit of displaying her emotions. The one thing I did appreciate about her relationship with Pheng-Pheng was the ease with which they tackled any topic, from the casual to the painfully difficult.
“What were their names?” I asked, watching as Pheng-Pheng settled in her mother’s arms, both sitting on the fountain’s edge.
“Baylin was my eldest. Ming was the middle child,” Neha replied, then stifled a sob. “Pheng-Pheng is my youngest.”
“I’m truly sorry for your loss. I know I’ve said it before, but… I’m sorry,” I said, my voice trembling. Pheng-Pheng gave me a weak smile in response, then settled her gaze on her mother’s face.
“We’ll be okay,” the young Manticore said. “They’ll never really be gone, in a way. And they died as heroes. Their names will never be forgotten.”
Neha nodded slowly, then chuckled softly as she reminisced. “I had so much trouble with Baylin. I nearly died giving birth to her,” she said. “I had just become queen. We’d been forced into the Akrep Gorge at the time, and we didn’t know if we’d be safe there. I didn’t sleep for many nights and days, worried we might be invaded. Having Baylin completely changed my view of the world. Ming and Pheng-Pheng just confirmed it when they were born—precious creatures, blood of my blood. When you lose a child it’s… it’s like you lose a piece of yourself.”
“I can’t even begin to imagine what that must feel like,” I murmured.
“A chunk of your soul is gone, and you live with the emptiness for the rest of your life,” Neha said, her voice broken. “I wish it upon no one.”
“Except for the daemon king and the Mara Lords. A life for a life. That’s a fair trade,” Pheng-Pheng muttered. “Two of his sons for my sisters. No. All of them, Mother. They all deserve to die. They want us dead. Why should we be the nice ones, still? No. All of Shaytan’s sons will be cut down.”
“Well, Zane’s on our side,” I replied with a shrug. “Surely you can’t wish him dead, too.”
“No, he’s an exception,” she groaned, rolling her eyes. This was her warrior façade on display. Deep down, I knew she was broken and hurting. I could see her emotions clearly. She and Neha were burdened by deep red auras—the kind of raw pain I hoped I’d never experience.
“My darling.” Neha smiled, then dropped
a kiss on Pheng-Pheng’s forehead. “If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all this, it’s that life is precious. And if we’re looking at a different, better future for our world, we must consider changing our ways to accommodate peace. Otherwise, we will keep going around in this vicious circle. The innocent will die. The evil will bleed. It will just be the same story all over again, but with a different villain.”
Pheng-Pheng frowned, then looked up at her mother. “What are you saying? That we should just let the daemons off the hook? They killed your daughters. My sisters!”
“Pheng-Pheng, my sweet, sweet child. Shaytan and the Mara Lords will get what’s coming to them, there’s no doubt about that. But after it’s all done, we need to do better, going forward,” Neha explained. “We cannot build a peaceful society if the streets still run red with blood. That’s not the kind of future I want for my children.”
I let out a sigh, in sincere awe of Neha. “I have to say, the way you’re keeping it together is remarkable,” I said. “I mean, I understand why, since you still have to lead your people and inspire trust, but still. It’s admirable, to say the least.”
“You mean for your child, Mother,” Pheng-Pheng added. “The kind of future you want for your child. You only have one left.”
Neha smiled softly as she first looked at me, then at her daughter. “You’re right, Harper Hellswan. I am keeping it together, though it’s no easy feat. But I have to. Not just for my people. But also for my children. Pheng-Pheng, I wanted to tell you sooner, but today’s tragedy made it impossible for me to focus, and—”
“No way!” I gasped, already grinning. I knew exactly what she was going to say. It didn’t take a genius, plus there were glimmers of gold and white in her aura—I’d seen them before in the pregnant humans back in The Shade. The glow of a future mother.
“What?” Pheng-Pheng replied, slightly confused.
“I’m with child, my darling,” Neha breathed.
“Wait, what?” Pheng-Pheng was stunned.
She jumped back and put several feet between them, just so she could measure her mother from head to toe. She cocked her head to the side and frowned. Neha took a deep breath and elaborated.
“It’s Kai’s,” she said. “In about six full moons, you’ll have a little sister. Or brother. We don’t know yet.”
Pheng-Pheng squealed with joy and hugged her mother tight. They both laughed and cried, while I sat there, tearing up and watching this beautiful, surprising twist in their mother-daughter relationship. I suddenly found myself missing my mom and dad, my stomach churning at the thought of how worried they probably were, unable to get to us. Maybe they didn’t even know if I was still alive.
I longed to hold my mom again and feel my father’s kiss on the top of my head.
“Mother, I’m… so happy and sad at the same time, I don’t know how to explain it,” Pheng-Pheng sobbed, resting her head on Neha’s bosom. The Manticore queen held her daughter close, smiling softly.
“I know, my love. I’m the same. I’m torn because I will never see two of my children again, but I’m smiling because there’s another being growing inside me, another child to love and nurture. I have to stay strong—we have to stay strong, my darling, for the little one’s sake.”
“Does Kai know?” Pheng-Pheng asked.
“And are you and Kai an item or something? I’m still not sure what works and what doesn’t in your society,” I added.
Neha sighed. “He doesn’t know yet. He’s out in the gorges now, doing my bidding, preparing the terrain for what will happen once the swamp witch is out of Azure Heights,” she said. “The Exiled Maras will be out for blood, and if anyone is better at ambushes in narrow gorges, it’s the Manticores, my darlings. Not even the daemons can withstand our attacks.”
“Why haven’t you told him yet?” Pheng-Pheng replied.
“I didn’t have a chance. I’ve been working up the courage, but I’ve yet to find it. I’ve just buried your sisters, too. It’s a little too much for me to worry about,” Neha explained, then looked at me—and I could see the helplessness, the pain blaring in her amber eyes. “And no, we’re not together. Our traditions would never allow me to take a partner as queen. But I do love Kai. After the girls’ fathers died, I didn’t think I’d love again.”
“I guess love has a funny way of sneaking up on you,” I replied with a smirk.
“But I can’t have that now. I can’t worry about him, and yet I can’t help it, either. I’m concerned about his safety, especially out there in the Valley of Screams,” Neha muttered. “What’s the point of love, anyway, if you can’t be with that person?”
“Mother,” Pheng-Pheng interjected, somewhat irritated. “You are the queen. You should have the freedom to be with whomever your heart desires.”
“It wouldn’t be fair if I were the only one with such a privilege, my darling.”
“Then give it to everyone. Change the rules. Let everyone be free to be with whomever they want,” I replied. “I mean, Hansa was once the Red Tribe Chief, back on Calliope. The succubi had strict rules, too. They were segregated by gender and only sought the males, the incubi, to have children. They kept the females in their tribes, and they sent the males to their fathers. And it was okay for a long time. But then everything changed. The overlord was taken down. There was freedom again.”
Neha listened carefully, seemingly curious. “And now?”
“And now Hansa is free. She never thought she’d be with anyone ever again either, but then Jax came along, and, well, they’re together. And, despite our circumstances here, they’re happy. But all the succubi were given the same benefits. And it worked. We embrace change when it brings freedom and joy. They set new rules; they established new traditions—more inclusive ones, that allow the succubi to raise both males and females, to have wholesome families and to experience a different, better life,” I said.
“A happy society is a prosperous society, isn’t it?” Pheng-Pheng asked, looking at her mother.
The Manticore queen kissed her daughter’s temple.
“Yes, it is,” Neha replied.
A couple of minutes went by in silence. I thought about Kai for a second.
“You should tell Kai, you know,” I muttered.
“I will, as soon as I see him again,” Neha said, then glanced up at the moons. “If I see him again.”
My heart thudded. I was reminded of what lay ahead of us tomorrow. Neha was right. There was a big “if” in front of us. It could all work out, or it could lead to our end on Neraka. Either way, I could tell Neha was regretful for not having spoken to Kai about the pregnancy sooner.
And I didn’t want to feel that way about anything, especially where Caspian was concerned. I didn’t want us to go into Azure Heights without having done and said everything we needed to do and say. I didn’t want the morning to come and for me not to experience the full potential of my relationship with Caspian.
This was a now or never kind of thing, and I suddenly longed to see Caspian.
To be with him.
Scarlett
Patrik and I retreated to our room shortly after the meeting. As soon as I closed the door and turned around, he took me in his arms and held me like that for a while, without saying anything. He hid his face in the warm space between my head and shoulder, exhaling deeply as his heart thundered against my chest.
I knew what this was about. Our perilous journey aside, Patrik was still reeling from the Death Claw tackle back at Ragnar Peak.
“I know I’ve said this before, but I feel the need to say it again,” he murmured, slowly raising his head, his lips brushing against my ear. “I’m just over the moon to see you in one piece. I would like to kindly ask that you don’t give your enemies, feral or otherwise, the opportunity to take you down like that Death Claw did ever again.”
“And I know I’ve said this before, but I obviously have to say it again,” I replied, giggling. “I simply didn’t want the beast to hurt you
or our defense. I can take one hell of a beating, Patrik, and still pull myself back together. It’s in my nature, as a vampire. You, on the other hand—”
“Don’t throw this back at me,” he said, smirking as he looked at me. “I’m not reprimanding you, Scarlett. It’s not my place.” His steely blue gaze then darkened, as he remembered that whole scene. “I just… I had flashbacks of Kyana’s dead body when I saw you tangled with that Death Claw. For a split second, I thought that was it. That I’d lost you, too. I’m selfish, I know. But I think I’ve earned that after what I went through.”
“You most certainly did,” I replied, cupping his face as I dropped a soft kiss on his lips.
“You nearly broke my heart again.” He sighed.
I traced the contour of his dark eyebrows with my fingertips, then sank my hands into his curly black hair. Patrik smiled, his hands resting on the small of my back.
“I need you to have a little bit more faith in me, Patrik,” I said. “I would never be reckless with my own life. And if I am to leave this world, it certainly won’t be because of a mindless Death Claw. I know little to nothing about Kyana, but I’m sure she was an incredible creature. However, she wasn’t a trained GASP agent.”
Patrik chuckled softly, biting his lower lip. “I am a terrible Druid, you know that? I should give you more credit.”
“Damn straight,” I replied, then kissed him, deeply and with every ounce of love that blossomed in my heart whenever he looked at me.
Patrik was a fascinating enigma. On one hand, he was one of the strongest, most seasoned Druids I’d ever met. His ambition and resilience carried echoes of Derek’s own fierce character, yet, at the same time, there was this sliver of fragility, this open wound that may never heal. It made Patrik the amazing person I’d inadvertently fallen for.
He didn’t deny or hide his vulnerability. No, he embraced it. He voiced his concerns and wasn’t afraid to show me how much he needed me in his life. And that was rare. Most guys usually went for the tall, dark, handsome, and mysterious persona, the tough nut that almost never cracked.