We both fell into a comfortable silence while we ate, tossing jokes back and forth like we were old friends. He asked me about my childhood, and I’d told him the basic outline.
I’d been raised in the palace by my mother and father, obviously. I’d begun training by the time I was ten years old, being thrown to the wolves, so to speak. By that, I meant that I’d been forced to train with fully grown Fae soldiers, the elite of the elite. They didn’t make it easy on me because of who I was, either. More times than not, I ended up with my ass beat, but I didn’t run back and cry to my parents. I’d used it as a lesson and studied my opponents, not stopping until I conquered them all. My elemental powers came in around my twenty-fifth birthday. At that point, my parents were at a loss because neither one of them held the elements. They’d tasked our librarians with research, scouring the world for any helpful information they could find. Of course, they had to be secretive for the reason they were searching, because elementals were exceedingly rare and powerful. Many feared the power they held, which was one reason they were hunted. The ones that survived were fiercely protected or had gone into hiding. My parents couldn’t risk exposing me until they could be sure I had my powers under control, which came around year one hundred and fifty. The Great War started shortly after that and the realm was locked in a battle for well over fifty years before we finally claimed peace, but it was at the sacrifice of my mother that it came. I’d never forget that until the day I died, and I’d spent every moment since avenging her.
Matthew soaked up every detail. I’d never talked about myself so much in my life, nor had I been around anyone that didn’t already know every aspect of my life. I’d tried to keep my private life, well… private. Being an heir meant I had little say in that matter, though. My parents had told me I needed to be used to it, but I wasn’t, and I don’t think I ever would be.
He watched me with fascinated eyes and instead of becoming shy, I found I wanted to spill every detail to him, even the embarrassing ones. I wanted to overturn every facet of my soul and bare it to him. Which was extremely fucking bizarre. He let me talk, only interrupting to laugh or ask more questions.
When I’d winded down and finally asked about him, I found myself obsessed with what I learned. But I could tell he was holding back, and it bothered me, since I had so easily spilled every secret to him, and he didn’t do the same.
He told me he had a brother, but they didn’t really get along that well. It would appear he didn’t have a good relationship with his father, either. He didn’t speak about his mother, and I wondered if something had happened. A lot of Fae were lost during The Great War. Had his mother been claimed by it just like mine had? He didn’t tell me much of what happened as a child, nor most of his adult life, really. He’d ran away from home and joined up with an army, throwing himself into the middle of The Great War and living to see the other end. This was apparently one of his many family homes and his father had long forgotten about it, but that’s why it was a sanctuary of sorts. I could tell that he missed his family, or maybe he missed what his family could have been. I couldn’t imagine not being close with the very people that were supposed to love you unconditionally. It broke my heart how much it seemed to affect him, yet at the same time… He shrugged it off like it meant nothing.
I reached out to him, wrapping my hand around his in a protective gesture. We stared at each other for a moment, unable to move, breathe, or think. I craved his touch. Fuck, I wanted him more than I’ve ever wanted anyone else. It wasn’t just a physical craving, either. I wanted to know his soul, who he was at his core.
“Eva…” he breathed, leaning closer to me. I couldn’t catch my breath. My eyes focused on his mouth as his tongue darted out across his lips. Fuck, it was mesmerizing to watch. He glanced down at my body, intertwining our fingers as he pulled me closer. We were moving in slow motion, and the tension in the air was thick.
Screams came from inside the house, breaking us apart instantly as he jumped up. I moved to follow him but was instantly overcome by the urge to sleep. I fought against my eyes as they became heavier. Matthew was racing toward me, but figures cloaked in black stopped him and restrained him, while a third threw punches into his gut. I tried to cry out, but my words were jumbled. He fell to the ground, being held up by the guards on either side as a blow to his head caused him to fall. I couldn’t move, no matter how hard I tried. My vision became blurry as I was scooped into someone’s arms. I reached out to him and watched as we disappeared from Matthew’s gardens before I let myself drift into the darkness that called to me.
20
EVA
The world had gone dark in an instant.
One moment, Matthew and I had been laughing. Divulging each other’s secrets, falling into each other’s comfort. The next, screams had risen from inside the house, and we were pulled apart. I remember watching him get beaten and trying to scream, but no words would come out. My mouth was still hazy and dry from whatever they had used to subdue me. My body was heavy and aching as I tried to pull away from whatever was wrapped around me.
I realized I’d woken up in someone’s arms. Not Matthew’s, so I started screaming. My eyes were open, but the world still seemed dark and I couldn’t bring my vision into focus. Matthew might have scared me initially, but there was an inescapable awareness I had deep inside of me that shouted he would keep me safe. That damn voice in my head pushed me toward him. But I didn’t know who I was with or where I was, which meant I couldn’t guarantee my safety.
“Matthew? Matthew!” My body shook violently before whoever was holding me crushed me to their own. There was a familiar scent that filled my nostrils before I realized where I was. I blinked several times before my eyes could focus clearly.
My room. I’d woken up in my bedroom.
I was in Helia.
I whipped around and scrambled away from either my captor or my savior; the like of which had yet to be determined since their face was shrouded in the darkness. My heart was beating wildly in my chest, and I clutched at the ground while I cowered near the wall.
I wanted fucking Matthew, and I regretted not telling him. I didn’t want to be ripped away from him. The anger from the other night hung in the air, and I didn’t get to even tell him I wasn’t angry with him for taking me. I mean, it was his fault in part, but the rest of the blame lay on whoever was starting this godsforsaken war.
“What the hell did he do to you, Eva?”That voice. I knew that voice.
Damien.
“Damien?” I sobbed as he slowly approached me, his hands raised in apprehension.
I was with Damien, and I was at home.I was safe, wasn’t I?Why did I feel like this was wrong?
Because itiswrong, silly girl. You know that in your heart.
Did I? I wasn’t so sure. Maybe this inner voice was a lot more confused than even I was at the moment.
He sat down on his knees in front of me while my body was hit with sobs that wouldn’t stop coming. I tried. Gods knew I tried to stop, but I was hysterical. The stress of the past week came crashing down on me to the point where I felt like I was suffocating. He held his hands in front of him, asking for permission to touch me. I nodded slowly, and he circled his arms around me, pulling me into his body. I felt like clay in his hands as he molded my body to fit with his, but I couldn’t escape the thought that it feltwrongsomehow.
He rocked me gently against him as I continued to cry. “Shh… Eva, it’s okay. Don’t cry. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
I’d never questioned my safety in my home before, not even after my mother’s death. But with what Matthew had told me, regardless of how little that actually was, there was a sense of doubt that crept into the back of my mind. He had attended the ball to investigatesomething, and he had said that The Horde infiltrated other kingdoms and Helia was their target. What if it had already happened? He said that he was right about whatever the shadows had whispered to him.
Without him, I felt a dull longing in the pit of my stomach. There was a certain level of tangibility to it, like it was a rope that connected me to him. I tugged on that feeling and it seemed to tug back, letting me know that wherever he was, he was okay. It seemed so incredibly stupid, but I knew it was real.
I didn’t know how long Damien held me, but my body ached from being in one position for too long. I pulled back from his arms, and felt him tense for a moment before he released me. I rested my back against the wall and looked around at my bedroom. It felt strange to be back. Truthfully, I hadn’t even been gone that long, but I could feel that something had changed. I felt cold here suddenly, and I never had before.
