Not a hint of fear in him. Only a reckless fire that matched my own, obsidian eyes wild, lips curling into that vexing smile. For one insane moment, I was tempted, so tempted to damn it all to the Abyss and just do it—bridge the distance between us and catch those enticing lips in a possessive, biting kiss.
“Imagine their faces if you did.”Belekoroz’s mind-voice turned into a rough whisper, so at odds with the cold, arrogant expression he presented to the world.“Or if I took you in that mud right now and taught you some manners.”
Of all the things in the Allfather’s creation to say to me… Did he want to push me over the edge?
Probably. I had to be more careful. While he had agreed to keep our entanglement secret, I had a lot more to lose than him. Rebellion was in his blood. And what was this madness between us if not the ultimate act of defiance against the Allfather’s wishes?
Desire and fury still roiling in my veins, I fought for control as I clambered off him and stood. My face was an emotionless mask as I extended a hand to help him up.
Aramaz stepped next to me, his worry palpable. I avoided his gaze. Thankfully, he didn’t touch his mind to mine. I doubted I would have been able to hide my agitation. Belekoroz and I had given our fellow Aurea quite the spectacle. There would be talk.
Belekoroz took my hand, but his gaze remained on the king as he let me pull him up, an insolent edge to his smile. “Your betrothed is a feisty one, brother,” he said with a laugh, as if this was all tremendously amusing. To him, it probably was. “Are you sure you can keep her under control?”
The glint in his eyes reminded me that his jealousy of Aramaz was a large part of the motivation for his every action. His moods were as tempestuous and ever-changing as Ashur’s seas, his passions ignited as easily as his wrath. I wouldn’t put it past him to throw our relationship in his brother’s face in a moment of rage. I was straddling a fine line, in constant danger of falling. The thought should have been terrifying, not exhilarating.Lyrhelp me.
Before anyone could break the tense silence that had descendedon the training field, a shrill chime pierced the air. It was the magical alarm we had set up to warn us of a new attack. Aramaz froze, his face a mask of concentration as he reached out with his magic to ascertain the location of the threat.
After a few moments, the king nodded. “There’s another attack on Hisarelain, one of the southern villages. Fortunately, Tayshren was nearby with a patrol of Anima when the alarm sounded. They’re already on their way.” A dark look crossed Aramaz’s strong features. “There are more Kritak than ever before. A rupture in the Veil has opened right next to the village. We need to assist them immediately.”
Noticing Belekoroz’s reluctance, I contemplated saying something, but Sha’am beat me to it. His mighty golden axe clasped in his broad hands, he grinned provocatively at the Aurea of Darkness. “How lucky, Belekoroz. You can join us today in defending our lands. Some of us wondered if you were too afraid of a few spiders to do your part.”
Belekoroz’s answering smile was more a baring of his teeth. “Don’t worry, Sha’am. I will defend you against those terrifying creatures if you can’t handle them yourself.”
“Are you alright?”Tanez asked, moving to my side. Her green eyes were inquisitive as her mind touched mine with the invigorating freshness of an early spring day.
“Yes. We will talk later,”I answered. A tendril of Air brought my staff back into my hands. I didn’t know how to dispel her suspicions, but the king’s order to take spirit form spared me from making an excuse.
One by one, we summoned our magic and let go of our corporeal forms, dissolving into glittering lights. As beings of power, we could take our clothes and weapons with us, incorporating their essence into our magical signature. However, this required concentration. The more powerful an object, the harder it was to carry in spirit form. Still, the drain on our power and focus was far less than remaking it completely anew.
We raced toward the Elvish village in a swirling cloud of magic, even M’tar joining us, having left his work in the forge. Chaos greeted us upon arrival. Buildings were ablaze, dark smoke filled the air, and the ground teemed with Kritak. A group of Anima held the line, protecting the retreating Elvish families. A relieved cry went up as we descended between them and the enemy, reverent prayers echoing around us.
We wasted no time, tearing into the Kritak without mercy. Sha’am and Zamani led the charge from the center, joined by their second-in-command Dhustan in his giant bear form. He had been one of the Anima defending the village. They cut a path through the creatures, their shrill shrieks piercing our ears. M’tar and Tanez brought up the rear, dealing with any surviving foes. Seeing that the Aurea of Air and Water moved to the left, Aramaz nodded at me and Belekoroz, motioning for us to join him in pressing in on the Kritak from the right. Lightning struck as the king called upon his magic, reducing half a dozen creatures to ashes. Unlike me, Air was the aspect of Order Aramaz preferred most next to his own Light, his power manifesting in blinding strikes of pure energy.
Soon my world descended into the madness of the battlefield. My body and mind became not much more than finely honed instincts as I slayed creatures all around me, twirling and spinning to avoid their sword-like limbs and acid-dripping pincers. My bladed staffserved me well, piercing hard chitin and spilling dark blood wherever I went. I relied more on it than on my magic, as the force of Chaos was oppressive, an insidious whisper over my skin.
This was even more exhilarating than our training earlier, I realized when I caught sight of Belekoroz amid the fight. Perhaps we were both made for this—the fierce tumult of battle, the wild thrill of danger a relentless drumming in the blood. No matter how savage the fight raged, I would always find him. It was as if we had done this a thousand times before. We needed no words. Just short mind-to-mind touches and quick glances to ascertain where to go, when to help one of our brethren in battle, which Kritak to skewer on the tip of a blade. There was something in the way we were perfectly in sync that felt like a weird kind of dance. And Belekoroz was not missing even one single beat.
He was there when I was too far away to save Khiraz from being overtaken; he interfered when a few Kritak chased after a group of Elves at the east side of the village; his voice rang out in warning when a creature appeared behind me.
I had never fought like this before. Not even with Tanez or Aramaz at my side. It felt as if a part of me had been missing, and now I had access to another pair of hands, another set of reflexes, another blade that always struck true. The rush made my blood sing, my magic becoming harder and harder to contain.
Before long, we had destroyed most of the Kritak, and some of the fearsome creatures began to flee. An unexpected sight drew me to the north of the village, Belekoroz by my side. Chaos magic gleamed in the air, shards of different colors forming a pulsing vortex, spitting out more and more creatures.
Belekoroz reacted immediately. His shadows reached out, black tendrils slicing through the monsters, dark blood spraying up.Something flickered over his face as he stepped closer to the opening to the Other in front of us: a ravenous hunger that sent a strange chill down my spine. The wild power seeping into our realm mingled with his Darkness, curling around him as if drawn to him. It hissed and whispered enticingly in my mind.
“Stop!” I shouted in alarm as Belekoroz reached for the chaotic strands of magic. “You can’t contain it.”
For a moment, I feared he didn’t hear me, his eyes swirling with power. But then he shook himself and nodded curtly.
“We have to close it.” His tone was calm as he returned to my side, his expression controlled. A heady satisfaction filled me, knowing it was my command that had made him pull back, that he had reined in his darkest impulses for me. He might have power over me, might have pushed me to the edge earlier, but I also had power over him. Push and pull. An endless circle, an unbreakable connection.
“Is that even possible?” I asked, my eyes on the swirling miasma of colors before us.
He flashed a sharp smile at me as he took my hand, his cool, firm grasp sending a shockwave through me. “I think there is nothing the two of us can’t accomplish if we work together, my queen.”
He was right. Joining my power to his, Darkness and Light intermingling in a gleaming stream, felt so right, so effortless, as if it were meant to be. With our combined magic, we easily cut through the twisting strands of Chaos to close the rift into the Other.
Silver and black met, a flame springing up between us. I took in Belekoroz, my breath unsteady. He had never appeared taller, clad in that dark armor, black scales clinging to defined muscles, emphasizing broad shoulders and slim hips, the strength of his body.
