Ariiaya
The party ended past midnight, the revellers thanking their host and bowing low to Elijah as they retired, bleary-eyed with exhaustion from the excitement, and perhaps a tad too much wine. Many of the people she spied seemed different since the Fury attack, and Arii realised that some of the courtiers were in fact Fae. It was as if a glamour has lifted, and she saw pointed ears, and sharp canines as they conversed and laughed as they moved gracefully.
One woman – supported by another – wobbled and giggled as she slurred, “Ah, hope has come in the form of a tall, dark and handsome lost prince. What I wouldn’t give to be his princess.” She was quickly ushered from the room before she could fall face first onto the marble floors. She had been human.
Arii stiffened but tried to ignore it.
The room was almost empty, and all that remained was herself, her friends, Kadec and a few last advisors, Elijah and Nocturne.
Noct poked her with his elbow, his accent having thickened over the course of the night. “You’re more tightly wound than a bow, princess.”
Arii sighed and rolled her shoulders – he was not wrong. She had not fully forgiven him for his attempt at distraction in the form of a world-jumping void, but she had decided to extend an olive branch in response to his apology after the trial had ended. Her friends had quickly warmed to the rogue stranger, their curiosity over his dress, his accent, and most of all the magic he wielded becoming the topic of conversation for the remainder of the night.
Which gave Arii opportunities to spy on Elijah, who had been deep in conversation with Kadec for most of the night. His expression was guarded, the space between his brows creased, his eyes as harsh as steel. Only once had his eyes met hers, and when they did it was only brief, for she was the one to glance quickly away.
It broke her heart.
“Care for another drink? Or perhaps a walk? Doesn’t have to be here, it could be anywhere.” Noct continued, earning him a scrunched face from Arii.
“I’d rather lick the inner rim of a chamber pot than go anywhere with you.”
Noct snorted a laugh as she continued, “And I’d rather not relive the feeling of my insides being warped to a point where I lose my lunch and liquor again. No, thank you.”
“It gets better the more you do it, trust me.” He grinned roguishly, leading her to believe he was not speaking just about walking through voids.
Arii regarded him with speculation. “Perhaps it will remain a rubbish experience no matter how many times you do it.”
Noct chuckled, leaning close, “Only one way to find out.”
She met his sparkling eyes with a sly smirk, “Not even if we were the last two beings left in the realm.”
Despite her words, she momentarily considered the prospect of taking him to bed, in the hope that a rebound would help the pain that she felt. But she had learned a lot about herself over the last few weeks. A rebound with him would not help heal her heart at all.
“Can you jump through time as well? Or just space?” said Emerson, arm and arm with Luc. Arii winced, hoping he had not heard Noct’s attempted propositioning.
Noct turned his heavy gaze from her to her friends. “Unfortunately, no, only space and realms.”
“Realms?” piped Tikkani nearby as Quinn draped his coat over her shoulders.
Luc rubbed at his temple. “I think talk of realms and other worlds can wait till morning. I don’t think my brain can take it after all the food and drink. Besides, we have exciting news.” He straightened, and Emerson’s lips pulled into a smile as Luc announced, “We are getting married!”
A spark of energy rippled through them all as Tikkani squealed, “He said yes?! Finally!”
Emerson laughed, nodding in confirmation as Tikkani flew into her brother’s arms.
Krepth locked hands with Luc, thumping him on the arm as he grinned widely. “Congratulations, your persistence paid off.” Beside them, Quinn threw his arms around Emerson’s waist and lifted him into the air, twirling him around.
Nem embraced the two of them in a rare show of affection, stepping back quickly with a small smile.
Pure happiness welled in Arii’s heart as she embraced Luc, then Emerson, holding the recruit at arm’s length as she whispered, “I am so happy for you both. Truly.”
Emerson’s cheeks were scarlet, but his golden eyes were the clearest she had seen in a long time. “Thank you, Arii.” He nodded at everyone, “Thank you all.”
“A wedding? How fantastic!” shouted Kadec, joining them. Elijah was not far behind, offering the newly engaged couple a broad smile and words of congratulations. It made Arii’s heart hurt anew.
Emerson and Luc both grinned, taking turns to bow. Their shows of respect brought a tinge of pink to Elijah’s cheeks. He whispered, “Hardly necessary, you two.”
“I suspect you are all worn out from this very exciting night, so please feel free to retire. Tomorrow night I will hold a dinner in celebration of the engagement of Emerson and Luc. It will be my treat.” Kadec announced, smiling at Elijah’s awkwardness.
They bowed again, Emerson’s face now flaming red. “That’s extremely generous of you, Your Highness.”
Kadec grinned, motioning to his remaining advisors to wrap up the night as court employees dashed about, tidying up.
Arii found herself lingering, one of the last to leave. Her muscles still hummed with energy, though her chest felt tight. She was conflicted, feeling happiness for her friends, yet restless from the events of the evening. Not to mention pent up frustration at the awkward situation she had put herself in with Elijah.
As they entered the beautiful foyer with the large, candlelit willow tree, Arii felt his presence behind her.
She always felt his presence, no matter where he was in the room. It had been so since the moment they met, that feeling of weight upon her shoulders and the shiver that caressed her spine. That feeling drew her to him – even now.
She fought it with all her might, told herself not to look his way, lest their gazes lock and she once again fell into the soft storm clouds of his eyes.
Murmuring a soft goodnight, she dipped into a bow before spinning on her heel and fleeing towards her rooms.
Leaving Elijah and Nocturne side by side in her wake.
Elijah
“Well, I don’t need to be Fae to feel the mountain of tension between you two. My gods, she is remarkale, isn’t she? Dangerous, untameable, irresistible, a beacon drawing moths like me to her flame.” Noct said.
Elijah kept his features stoic, although what he felt inside was a roiling storm. She had hardly locked eyes with him all night, yet he had felt her gaze on him when he hadn’t been looking her way.
The turmoil of emotions was causing him a raging headache.
And now this stranger, this tall and lean man who had his eyes on Arii all night was now alone with him in the foyer, and Elijah felt the Fae beast inside moving with the restlessness of a caged wolf. His inhibitions left him at the eagerness he sensed in the man, as if he craved the challenge that Arii offered.
She is not yours, Elijah.
Before he could stop them, the words left his lips in a low, dangerous hiss. “Stay away from her.”
Noct glanced at him with raised brows. “Pardon?”
“You heard me,” he whispered, turning to the man. He was but an inch taller, and he used that inch as his eyes narrowed to slits.
All it earned him was a grin as Noct rocked back on his heels and buried his hands in his pockets.
“Your Highness, you have nothing to worry about.”
Elijah felt his spine relax ever so slightly, until Noct sent him a covert look as he left, eyes dark and full of secrets. “For she will come to me.”
Ariiaya
Orbs like chipped ice hovered above her, darkness obscuring all but his eyes and sadistic smile as iron sliced her skin and burned acid through her veins. Her back bowed, jaw clenched so hard that she was surprised her teeth did not shatter. The pain was excruciating, pushing and pulling her between consciousness and darkness in a cruel tug of war. She wished so desperately for sweet oblivion to take her, so she did not have to endure the torture any longer.
Turn it off.
Make it stop.
Please…
Cold stone pressed against her back, her fingernails clawing as wetness greeted her skin. She knew it was blood – her own – overflowing and seemingly endless as Valdis’s voice hissed from above.
“We will have you to thank, Ariiaya.”
She screamed behind closed lips.
“For you have helped unlock what was needed to bring about the land’s destruction.”
No.
No no no.
“No!” Arii shot up in bed with the word riding her lips. Panting, she wiped at her sweaty brow, leaning forward to place her head between her knees.
Deep breaths… one, two, three.
She inhaled through her nose, and out through her mouth in an attempt to calm her raging heart. Against her will, her eyes slid to the empty space beside her, pillow untouched, sheets hardly rumpled. The sight had her heart squeezing with slithers of regret.
She had done the right thing… She repeated the thought over and over, for she wanted to do just that, to redeem herself just a bit from the darkness of her past.
Attempting redemption, though, did not heal her broken heart, nor did it stop the nightmare from resurfacing, haunting her nightly.
She pressed the tips of her fingers to her temples, circling the throbbing hurt there.
Moonlight stroked glossy fingers over the polished hardwood floors of her bedchamber, preceding a sudden flicker of light. Thunder rumbled outside, lightning snapping past her open window with a crack, causing Arii to leap out of bed.
Storms like this were an extreme rarity in the west, so when another boom shuddered the glass windows in their frames, Arii knew immediately that this storm was not natural in occurrence.
Her bare feet hit the floorboards, and she dashed towards the door. Static snapped at her skin as she clutched the handle, yanking the door wide.
Her breath caught.
Elijah stood in the doorway, his hair dishevelled, crème sleeping tunic unbuttoned to reveal his heaving chest. His hands were fisted by his sides, and she swore she could see them shaking. Had he been fighting a war within himself just inches from her door? As her slow assessment returned to his face, she spied a familiar twitch on his jaw – the one which appeared when he was holding himself back.
Her eyes met his, and what she saw within their silver depths had her whispering his name, unable to mask the pain that had been slowly coalescing inside her. That one word held all of the pent-up frustration and emotion from the night before.
“Elijah…”
His eyes darted to the room behind her, as if checking she was alone. Suddenly he snapped and rushed forward.
She did not stop him as he roughly pulled her to him. Her hands flew to his face, bringing his lips to hers.
Damn it all to the depths.
She kissed him then, kissed him as if she were starving, and he met her desperation with his own. Absentmindedly, she heard the bedroom door slam shut behind him as she pressed backward, but she was drowning with need and desire so powerful that she could hardly fill her lungs with breath. The entire night of stolen glances, near touches of sizzling fire and forced distance had affected him just as much as it did her.
She knew he had been checking she had not taken someone else to bed. He need not worry, though. Arii knew she was permanently altered after meeting Elijah, and no other would feel right in the space she had designated for him and him only. She knew this would probably end with her alone, wallowing in a misery that may just heal after a few hundred years or more.
These emotions… they were a ruthless master and she, their pliable slave.
“Tell me to stop… tell me to leave,” he whispered against her lips, his voice breathless and heavy with anguish.
She pulled him towards the bed as lightning flashed, illuminating the room in silver. Her nails dug into the soft skin of his nape, gliding to his tense shoulders. His body quaked in time with the rolling thunder as he held her closer, a sigh escaping her at the contact when he added, “Because if you don’t, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop.”
A thrill rocketed down her spine.
“I know you are trying to force distance between us because you fear you are not good enough for a King.” He cupped her cheek, bringing her gaze to his. “But what you are yet to realise is that it is I who must prove to be worthy of a Queen.”
Her mouth opened in protest, but he continued. “And I will spend the rest of my life proving that you are worthy, if that is what it takes, Ariiaya. Whatever is happening between us, it is worth fighting for, because you captivate me, Arii. You bewitch me, mind, body and soul, and not only do you set my insides on fire with a desire I’ve never felt before, you calm the storms raging inside me, and you also test me beyond limits I never knew I had. You beguile not only my eyes, but the beast inside me too. Us… this?” he squeezed her shoulders, “It’s chaos, but it’s filled with threads of possibility. That is worth fighting for, and never letting go. Fate, destiny, society, gods be damned.”
He paused before inhaling a shaky breath, “But if you wish for me to leave, to stay away, I will do it. Not because I want to – that is far from the truth – but because I respect you and your wishes, Arii.”
Arii was rarely left speechless. A long pause stretched as he studied her face, his thumb caressing her cheek tenderly. Her throat worked on a harsh swallow as she found she was once again burning his face – his strong, incredible face – to memory.
She couldn’t do this to herself anymore. There was far too much pain in her past. She wanted happiness, the kind she saw between Emerson and Luc, unfaltering, pure. She knew her relationship with Elijah was different, though. They came together like fire and ice, chaos and passion melding, and over time she had realised that what they shared was beyond lust.
They were fated to love one another. She knew it in her heart.
So, she decided on allowing herself some happiness, even if it were just for one night, and shoved away thoughts of the future for another day. Wallowing in the past and fearing the future was only causing her strife, and she was sick of sitting in the middle of the scales as they teetered from side to side.
So, she promised herself something different.
No longer would she allow misery to be her only company. The future was still uncertain, and if she were to die on a battlefield in the coming days, she would have no regrets over a little moment of happiness.
“I don’t want you to go,” she finally whispered, “and staying apart from you was never what I truly wanted. I’m just… afraid. Afraid that we may not have a future together. It’s not something I’ve ever thought about, my future, but now it seems all I can think about.” She winced at the confession, yet felt it was time to be truthful to the person who had been bearing the brunt of her ill temper, yet still wished to make her happy. Wanted her to realise that she had some good in her heart.
Up until this point she had not been truly living, but merely existing. With him, she felt she was finally alive.
She grazed her fingers over the scars on his chest. “I’m so sorry, Elijah. For everything.”
His lips grazed her forehead, “You have nothing to apologise for. You were protecting yourself. But you don’t need to do that with me anymore, Arii. The future is uncertain, but I know my future is with you.”
Her heart squeezed, and she looked up into his intense gaze. “Show me a night where the future doesn’t matter, Elijah,” her voice wavered, “because I can’t be apart from you any longer.”
A sound she had never heard him make before sighed through his parted lips as his mouth met hers once more, and her heart – which had been slowly shrivelling to blackness – swelled with emotions so sweet that her defences blew apart and she allowed her thoughts and fears to scatter upon a boom of thunder.
Flash.
A blaze of lightning dazzled the room, illuminating his broad chest as his shirt fell to the floor. Magic aided them in ridding each other of their clothing, until they were naked in silverlight. She worshipped his scars, kissing the little ridges on his chest as they moved to the bed, fingers clutching, exploring his lightning-lit skin.
Flash.
He whispered promises dipped in honey that had her toes curling. Heat radiated from his chest as he pressed against her back, sweeping the thick mass of her hair from her neck, fingers brushing over her stomach as he pressed long, slow kisses along the curve of her neck. A strong arm curved around the lower of her ribcage, and when his exploring fingers dipped lower, finding her heat, her knees quaked. He held her though, keeping her on her feet as fissures of pleasure shot down to her toes. His hardness pressing against her lower back had her tipping in a spiral.
Flash.
She spun to face him, a blur of motion as she clamped a hand on his, pulling him to the bed. They landed on the blankets as another lightning bolt flashed by the window. A crack of thunder shook the panes of glass as he clutched her thigh with one hand and cupped her breast with the other, his teeth skimming the hard peak. Arii groaned, arching her back in pleasure.
Flash.
They did not speak, for their actions showed what words could not. His body was familiar now, and no matter how much she saw, heard and felt, Arii knew she would always be completely infatuated by every little thing about him. The gentle yet firm dancing of his fingers as he played her like a violin, the way his silver eyes lit from within, the subtle sounds he made when she touched him just right.
It was a melody she wanted to hear for all eternity.
It took everything inside her not to resort to begging him to take her then and there in a streak of moonlight, every nerve ending tingling and teetering on the cusp of her freefall towards release. She remembered his wish to wait until they were not in the borrowed rooms of another kingdom and knew that vow still applied. His shoulders shivered, and she could feel a hum beneath his skin. He was holding back, reigning in the beast inside, as was she. This did not hold them back from wringing as much pleasure from each other’s bodies as they could.
Flash.
She came undone with the last thunderclap, riding the pleasure wave as it peaked and dropped, the friction of his fingers causing blissful mayhem as she undulated her hips against him, tearing a gradual, thundering release. She rocked against him for a few precious moments, limbs and bones as languid as sweet jelly before letting herself float to serene waters.
Breathing deeply and bodies damp with a light sheen of sweat they parted to catch their breath, Arii fell beside him, palm against her forehead.
“Gods,” she sighed.
Elijah’s callused hands skimmed her stomach, and she sighed, kissing his shoulder, revelling in the feeling of just being with him, exploring him, breathing in his scent and tasting his skin. She rested her head on the crook between his shoulder and neck, marvelling as her body slipped perfectly against his side. Her fingers walked over the ridges of his stomach towards his navel, but his hand stopped her.
“It’s your turn,” she purred.
His voice held a smile, “Not if I hope to remain a gentleman.”
“Then don’t be. Be a Fae.”
The silence was not strained, nor was it uncomfortable – nothing but the sounds of their breath and the gentle gusts of wind outside. The storm had subsided, and as she watched the steady rise and fall of Elijah’s chest, she knew that the storm had been his.
“Something tells me that if I were to do that, then we could be here for days. When I finally make love to you, I don’t think I’ll be able to let you out of my sight, nor out of my arms until you are thoroughly… mine.”
She quivered with delight at the thought. Even the way he described their imminent coupling as ‘make love’ had her insides warming like freshly baked bread.
“And I cannot promise it’ll be only making love… It’ll be far more than that, for one thing I can promise is that you will not be able to walk when I’m done with you.”
Pure, animalistic, carnal Fae. She liked this unexplored, utterly promising side of him.
“Spoken like a true Fae male,” she chuckled, the sound coming through a little more breathless than she had intended. They did not have days to waste though.
She felt his beard skim the top of her head as he said, “I’ll remain a gentleman then. For now.”
Between her legs throbbed at the dark, sensual note to his deep voice. Oh goddess, she had to change the subject before she decided to try everything within her power to make him wreak that vow. So, she said; “You were having a nightmare before you came to my rooms, weren’t you?”
His voice remained dropped as he replied, “There is hardly a night where the demons of my past don’t visit me in my dreams.” He shifted slightly, resting his cheek against her forehead.
“Me too.”
“I know,” he sighed. “I could… feel your distress.” He laughed, but the sound was devoid of humour, “How can that be possible? Another perk of being Fae? It’s boggling my mind.”
Arii was silent for a time, feeling her body tense up against her will. He had mentioned small things like this before, intuition to her feelings that he really should not be able to feel. At first she believed he had the qualities of an empath, but soon realised that he did not display those abilities with anyone but her.
Nem’s words echoed in her mind. “He could be your mate, Arii.”
“Is everything alright?” he whispered, tracing his fingers along her arm in a feather-light caress. She was not ready to explore that possibility yet.
Despite his declaration earlier, she could not shackle him with that knowledge.
So she twisted to rest her chin on her hand, smiling down into his curious, stormy eyes. “Never better.”
His smile was gentle, yet his eyes encased flames. He drew her face to his, kissing her so deeply that her toes curled, before breaking away and moving from the bed. Arii watched as he stood, drinking in the hard, defined ridges and shadows of his body with appreciation, even the long, macabre scars down his back. There was nothing she did not love about him, she realised.
Her gaze swept further down. She had seen him plenty tonight, but the sight of him now had her breath stealing away. Everything within her came to life once more.
“I’ll back in a moment.” He threw a small smile over his shoulder and headed to the adjoining bathroom.
Just as he disappeared, and she considered following to pounce on him like a pesky alley cat, a gentle knock sounded at the door.
“I’m still sleeping,” Arii called, pulling the sheet over her head, suppressing a groan.
Roarke’s voice came through the door, drily. “I’m hearing your voice, so I’ll cut right to the chase. A letter has come for Prince Herington, but he was not in his rooms. Do you know where he is?”
Pulling the sheet back and gnawing on her bottom lip, her eyes drifted to the bathroom as silence stretched. Strange, who would be writing to Elijah? Her first thought was Freya, and then perhaps the princes of the south. Surely it could wait just a little longer? She didn’t want their morning to end, tingles still remaining on her swollen lips and elsewhere from his kisses. “He is… a little preoccupied right now, could you leave it at the door?”
Roarke spoke again, and the strange tone of his voice had her sitting up straight in bed, sheets falling around her.
“I don’t think this can, nor should it wait, My Lady.”
Elijah returned, wearing a towel around his hips, beads of water glistening on his neck and forehead. His brows were furrowed, wariness on his expression. Arii swiftly dressed before he approached the door, opening it wide.
Roarke stood in his full guard regalia; his expression black as he thrust out a small, neatly folded piece of parchment. His gaze swept over Elijah’s shoulder to Arii, who decided it best to remain stoic by the window lest her face give away her curiosity.
Elijah flipped the letter, inspecting the wax seal on the back.
His shoulders stiffened.
Roarke bowed low. “Should you need me, I will be by your rooms, Your Highness.”
Elijah nodded absently as he gently closed the door, his eyes never breaking way from the letter as he turned, and Arii could feel the change in the air. Magic skittered along his fingers, and she spied his throat working.
Carefully she asked, “Elijah, who is it from?” as she took a step towards him.
His gaze lifted to her, but it took a few moments for him to speak. She could see conflict, anger, grief, even heartbreaking hope, all churning in his expressive eyes. She approached, fingers gently gliding along his hands as he released the letter to her.
She inspected the glittering gold seal stamped on the paper as Elijah spoke low. “The seal is unique, one that looks simple, yet we used this symbol to communicate between one another when I was away on missions for the crown.”
She felt his next words hit her square in the chest as he said, “It is from Lorch.”