Celine returned to the house with her sister and gave her a long hug goodbye. Violet promised that she would not mention Celine’s visit to their parents, and Celine trusted her to keep her word.
Violet made Celine promise to call her, after her date. This was a promise Celine couldn’t keep. She didn’t have a cellphone, but even if she did, it would not work in the Fata lands because magic interfered with connectivity. Celine was the untrustworthy one.
She walked until she couldn’t see her old house anymore before she opened a portal to the Everwhite Kingdom. She stepped through with watery eyes and a heart full of guilt.
Once she was in Caynin’s room, the cold hit her like a snowstorm, and her heart felt even heavier when she saw him in bed. He must be truly sick if he was here instead of outside. Had he stayed in his room all the time since she’d left? But now he was awake and sitting upright, not sleeping like last time. The bags under his eyes made him look oddly human, and he smiled when he saw Celine.
The portal closed, and Celine looked to the door where Rane was standing. From the way his body was angled, she could tell he was on his way out. He had evidently decided not to leave once she arrived.
“Hi,” Celine said awkwardly, and Rane approached the bed.
“I didn’t expect you to come back.” Caynin’s eyes drifted to her hip. He would have told Rane she had taken the No-Name sword, and they were undoubtedly wondering where it was.
“Well, I did,” she said.
“Your magic is impressive.” Caynin’s voice sounded scratchy, and she resisted the urge to fetch him some water.
“Dagan has been teaching me to control it.” The moment she spoke she regretted her words because Caynin wouldn’t want to hear anything of Dagan. Those blue eyes remained cold and unreadable.
“Good. Your magic is far too dangerous to not be kept under control,” Rane told her. “What are you doing here? I assume you have not come to visit.”
Rane was always direct, but there was an edge to his tone that suggested he was angry with her. She had never wronged him, but maybe he felt like she should never have left the Everwhite Kingdom. He considered her a friend, and in the past, he had taken a blade in the shoulder for her.
“No, I’m not here to just visit.” She pulled the iron knife from her pocket, and neither Fata flinched when they saw the deadly weapon.
“You’ve come to kill us?” Rane sounded bored.
She didn’t take him seriously and looked at Caynin, glad that he hadn’t freaked out like he had the first time she had an iron knife in his castle.
“I have a theory. I read that Fata’s bodies heal themselves and heal quickly because of magic. I also read that powerful Fata can even re-grow limbs.”
“That is correct,” Caynin said.
“Since your body won’t heal the black bite mark, why don’t we just cut it out? Maybe your arm will heal then.”
Celine expected Rane to be disgusted and object, that he would shun her and dismiss her idea, but she could tell she had sparked his interest. Caynin was not getting better, and Rane would be worried and desperate.
“Let’s give it a try,” Caynin said.
Celine didn’t know much about the wound, only that it was making him weaker and weaker. Luckily, it was not turning him into a Prenumbra because he still had too much magic to become one.
Caynin got out of bed slowly, and Celine could tell how weak he was from the way he dragged his feet. He headed to the bathroom, where he placed his arm on the sink for support. Celine and Rane followed him and kept close enough so that they could catch him if he fell over.
“Are we going to do this here?” Celine asked.
“Where else?”
She didn’t answer him. Rane lingered in the doorway, watching them. Celine had never done anything like this before and hoped, with every piece of her heart, that it would work. Caynin’s piercing blue eyes were on her, making her nervous. He was placing his trust in her, and a shiver traveled up her spine. She’d once placed her trust in him, and he had broken it, but he obviously trusted her that she wouldn’t get even. He’d once told her she was much better than the Fata.
She shook her head, focused on the ugly wound, then placed one hand on his arm as if she could pin it to the spot.
“Don’t worry, it will be fine,” he told her.
“I should be the one comforting you,” she responded.
They shared a smile and then she aimed the knife at the two teeth marks. The area around them was also black. If she waited too long, she would never do it, so she stuck the knife into Cayin’s arm.
Caynin cried out as the iron burnt his skin, and his grip tightened on the basin. The stone cracked – no human had the strength to do this. Celine was aware of how close Rane was standing – most likely so that he could snatch her out of the way before Caynin accidentally hurt her. He still saw her as a friend…
Caynin was in control, despite the agonizing pain. She doubted he would lose control of his emotions and body and hurt her. Physically, he’d never hurt her.
He did not pull away his hand as Celine cut and cut. Caynin was silent for the rest of the time – it reminded her of how quiet he had been when she had freed him from a bear trap months ago. She cut more, and blood poured into the basin like water. It dripped through the cracks onto the ground. When Celine finished, she dropped a chunk of Caynin’s arm into the sink. How she had managed to stand upright, instead of falling onto her knees by the toilet and puking, she had no idea.
Rane disappeared and reappeared moments later with bandages. He handed them to Celine.
“Why aren’t you healing?” Celine asked. Caynin looked at the hole in his arm before she pressed a bandage to it and began wrapping. He met her worried gaze.
“It’s because he stopped drinking human blood,” Rane told her. “His body, like many others, became addicted to it. It was his daily drug, and his body needed it to function normally. Without it, he struggles to heal and do all the things he did before.”
“How long before you don’t crave the blood anymore?”
“I don’t know,” Caynin said. “I didn’t stop drinking it gradually. I stopped the day you left.”
Celine glared at him, and the guilt she felt so often overwhelmed her. She had told him to get rid of the humans, she had judged him for drinking their blood, but it wasn’t her fault that he was sick. It wasn’t. “Don’t blame this on me.”
“I wasn’t,” he said sincerely and gently. “What’s going on with you?”
“I just cut a chunk out of your arm.” Although this was not why she was upset, she was upset because of her constant guilt that had become a part of her like her heart or brain. “Forgive me if I am a bit off.”
“Something else is bothering you,” Rane stated.
She groaned then decided to tell them that she had gone to Erken and found Tybalt – anything to distract them from talking about her feelings. She didn’t mention how guilty she felt that she had brought him to the one faerie he hated and who hated him in return – Dagan. Celine made it clear that he was still Fata and had not turned into a Prenumbra like the rest of the faeries on Erken. She also explained that the Prenumbras avoided him for an unknown reason. She concluded by explaining that she had brought him to the Evergreen Kingdom and that this was where he remained.
“Dagan must be thrilled,” Rane said.
“Your sarcasm isn’t appreciated.” She glared. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”
As she said this, she realized Caynin and Rane had also fled Erken and in doing so had betrayed Tybalt. Neither was upset that she had saved the king. They didn’t seem to care.
“I doubt he will be any help,” Caynin said. “If he knew how to defeat the Prenumbras, he would have done it when they attacked Erken.”
“We don’t need his help,” Celine decided. “We need the help of the Elves.”
Rane snorted. “Good luck getting them to help.”
“They have never cared about us,” Caynin agreed.
“They created the only weapon that we know of that can kill the Prenumbras,” Celine said. “Besides, if the Prenumbras conquer Earth and wield the magic of the Egress Key, what is stopping them from going to the Moon World next? They are a threat to all of us.”
All of us. Prenumbras were a threat to Fata, not to humans. Did she see herself as one of the faeries?
“You’ll have to convince the Elves,” Rane said. “It won’t be easy. And if you are going to their world, I suggest you have an escape plan ready in case things go wrong.”
“I can just open a portal,” she said as if it were the easiest thing in the world.
“Then you better make sure that you are in control of your magic.” There was an edge to Caynin’s voice. Did he wish he was the faerie teaching her to control her magic, instead of Dagan? After all, Caynin had been the one to teach her how to fight.
“And take me with you,” Caynin added.
She took in his pale face and determined gaze. He was too weak to accompany her, but she didn’t have the heart to tell him. As if Rane knew what she was thinking he said, “I will go.” Rane wouldn’t want to leave Caynin’s side, but he also wouldn’t let Caynin go to Moon World while he was sick. “We might persuade them more easily if there are more of us.”
She nodded. “I’ll take all the help I can get.”
“The Everwhite Kingdom will always come to aid you,” Caynin promised. “You just need to let me know when you need us.”
If Rane had not been present, she might have melted into his arms. Instead, she held her ground and gave him a thankful smile. Then she opened the faucet and cleaned the iron knife before returning it to her pocket.
“I hope you feel better soon,” she said.
“Don’t worry about me.”
Celine didn’t see any point in staying longer. She had come to cut Caynin’s arm, and now that she had done so, it was time to go. She greeted them without any hugs before opening a portal to the Evergreen Kingdom. Once Celine was in her room, she placed the iron knife in her drawer then noticed a squirr on her windowsill with a letter clasped in his paw. She opened the window, took the letter, and the squirr didn’t fly away until she attempted to pet it. She took a moment to marvel at how his ears flapped before turning her attention to the letter. The letter had scratchy handwriting that matched the handwriting of the one that had come before.
Princess Celine – watch out for the archer.
She closed her windows and the curtains so that no one could see into her room. Then she searched her room to make sure no one was there. She checked the bathroom, under her bed, and inside her closet. When she was satisfied that no assassin hid in her room, she locked the door and collapsed onto her bed. Sleep came quickly.
When she woke, she didn’t bother taking a shower or putting on clean clothes. She went looking for Dagan and found him eating breakfast in the dining hall.
“Good morning,” he said.
“Morning,” she responded.
Then she handed him the note she had taken from her room. Dagan ran a hand through his messy black hair and read the warning with a blank expression. His calmness made Celine ever more nervous.
“Whoever is sending these warnings has been right twice now. I believe him when he says the next assassin will be an archer.”
“Twice?” Dagan asked.
Oh yeah, she’d forgotten to tell him about the second note. “I’d received another note saying that someone would attempt to poison me – as you’re aware, you drank that poison.”
Dagan raised an eyebrow, “You’re only telling me this now.”
“I forgot.” Celine threw her hands in the air. So much had been happening lately. “I believe the person who wrote this note – next time an assassin will try to shoot me with an arrow.”
“We are better prepared,” Dagan informed her. “I have guards surrounding your room.”
“I didn’t see anyone,” she said.
“I told them to stay well hidden.”
Celine nodded. She was tired of the assassins who made her live in fear. If only she knew who wanted her dead so badly. Even more than that, she wished she knew who sent her the warnings. Somewhere she had a valuable ally, and she didn’t even know his name.
“Sit and eat something,” Dagan commanded.
“I’m not hungry,” she told him.
“You need to eat,” he insisted. “You will need your energy for the magic lesson I have prepared.”
Dutifully, Celine went to the kitchen to fetch the breakfast that had been prepared by the human slaves. She felt guilty for enjoying the food and for not freeing the humans. When she had lived in the Everwhite Kingdom, Caynin had the servants set the table and put food on it. Dagan preferred a more independent lifestyle.
Celine returned to the table with bacon, eggs, and toast – human food. Obviously, the Fata had adapted once they moved to Earth. They’d had a different diet on Erken because different plants and animals occurred there but since they had moved here, they enjoyed human cuisine.
“I invited Tybalt for breakfast,” Dagan said to her surprise.
“Oh, what did he say?”
Dagan regarded her bitterly. “Well, he isn’t here, is he?”
“You’re in a good mood,” she said.
Could he smell Caynin’s scent on her from the previous night? She didn’t say anything about it, as she was a free woman who could come and go as she pleased. She was not one of his slaves, and she did not owe him an explanation.
They finished breakfast, and she opened a portal to the beach. Dagan stepped though it with her. The beach was as beautiful as ever, and the waves crashed onto the shore. The sun smiled down at them, and small clouds wandered in the sky. It was a beautiful day, and Celine was ready for training.
Dagan coached her with the patience of someone who had nothing but time on his hands. His magic was different from hers, but the basics were the same. Magic was a living thing, and she had to control it. She practiced opening a portal and keeping it open. She practiced opening and closing them fast and opening more than one portal at once.
Wielding her magic was becoming easier and easier. She was beginning to trust herself more, but she still feared that she would hurt someone with it. What if she lost control again?
“Dagan,” she said.
“Yes?” He was standing behind her as if he were her shadow.
“What if I lose control of my magic again?”
“You won’t.”
“How can you be so sure?”
He stepped close enough that she could feel his warm breath on her neck. “Because you are strong minded, and you’ve learnt how to control it.”
“But what if I mess up?”
“Then I will be right here to help you clean up the mess.”
Celine turned around to look up at him. Their faces were inches apart, and she slowly leaned toward his warmth. He had such beautiful, big emerald eyes in which she could see her own reflection.
She was grateful that he taught her how to control her power. Now, all she had to do was control herself. She was not sure why she suddenly wanted to kiss him. During all these months she had never wanted to. What had changed? Was it because he was patient? Was it because he helped her with her magic?
He still intimidated her, but the intimidation thrilled her. What would it be like to have those lips pressed against hers, to hear him breathing in her ears?
His lips twisted into a smile when her eyes went to his mouth. For a moment, she thought he would ask permission – but that was not in his nature. Dagan did as he pleased, and he took whatever he wanted, when he wanted.
He leaned in and their lips touched, knowing that if he hesitated, she would have time to hesitate, overthink, and deny him. For a moment, Celine let her body react and her mind go blank. She leaned in as his hands were in her hair and his tongue in her mouth, and she felt more exhilarated than she had in a long time. She wanted to kiss him harder but instead she regained control and pulled away.
He didn’t apologize as she glared at him.
“We shouldn’t do that.” Her voice was a whisper.
“Why not?” He took another step closer.
She retreated to keep a safe distance between them. “Because, it feels wrong,” she said firmly.
“You’re lying,” he said. “It feels right. You’re just scared to do it because you know it will upset Caynin.”
Dagan was right – she did not want to hurt Caynin in any way. Even after everything he had done, she still felt too much for him. The blunt statement had ruined the romantic moment between them.
“I never thought you were the kind of woman who was too scared to go after what you want,” Dagan pressed.
“You’re an arrogant bastard to assume I want you,” she spat.
He laughed. “Celine, I can smell your desire for me. Just like I could smell Caynin’s scent on you.”
When Celine had moved into his castle, she must have reeked of Caynin. Her gut told her Caynin’s scent on her had made Dagan sick, and it had taken a long time to fade. After visiting Caynin, once to retrieve the sword and once again the previous night, she no doubt smelled like him again. Did it make Dagan think of all the things they did together? All the things he wanted to do to her?
“Jealousy is unattractive,” she told him.
Caynin had been too possessive. Eric had even told Celine that he treated her as if she was his possession. Were all Fata like this?
“I’m not jealous, just territorial.” Dagan stepped closer to her again, and this time she refused to back away.
They were entering a power struggle – one she intended to win. Dagan liked pushing, and if she didn’t draw a line, he’d walk all over her.
“Admit that you like it,” Dagan said. “You like that I’m always there to save you. You like that I teach you things. You like that I desire you.”
She lifted her chin as if she could make herself taller. “You hate that the desire isn’t mutual.”
“It wasn’t,” Dagan said.
He’d wanted Celine ever since he found out who she really was – the lost princess of the Everblossom Kingdom. The desire had been obvious in his eyes, but even before that he had been drawn to her, like she’d been drawn to him. After having her live with him in his castle for three months, talking to her, spending time with her and getting to know her, he wanted her even more. But her heart had been shattered, and she wasn’t sure if they could put it back together. He had waited to make his move – and had only decided to kiss her today because she had looked at his lips.
“And I’ll admit that was frustrating. But that has changed.”
He reached for her, and she shoved him away, which brought a cautious expression to his face.
I used to think he could walk on water. But he drowned the competition and used their bodies as steppingstones.
“I don’t desire you.” She hated that her voice faltered.
Celine couldn’t possibly date Dagan. He was immortal, and she was human – she’d be old and gray, and he would still look like a twenty-three-year-old. He was also way too selfish, and it would simply never work. Her family adored him, but he did not belong in the human world. She didn’t belong in the Fata world. She could not stay between the two worlds either. She had to choose, and she chose her family. Once she had gotten rid of the Prenumbras, she was going home and never coming back.
Dagan was grinning at her, and she hated how self-assured he was. He reached for her cheek, but she pulled away. “There is no use in fighting this, Celine. I always get what I want.”
“Not this time,” she told him before walking away.