“Eva, I don’t know what just happened. I couldn’t control–” But he stopped as soon as the words attempted to bubble from his lips. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
“Don’t you dare,” I whispered, leaning my head to rest on Matthew’s chest. But I remembered the dark shadow that clung to Damien’s shoulder when I was looking up at him, the movement it made. The darkness was circling around him still. It was faint, like a glimmer in the air, but it was there.
I heard a small whimper come from behind me. Luka had his eyes trained on Damien, a look of utter shock and betrayal etched across his face. He was looking at his friend like he didn’t recognize him; I understood the feeling well. Luka was standing at a symbolic crossroads.
Being blood sworn to someone was like being resolutely connected with that person, but he also had a duty as the member of my court to provide that same unyielding fealty to my family as well. It wasn’t a position that I’d envy.
His hands were shaking as he walked over to me and crouched down. Matthew snarled at Luka’s close proximity, pulling me closer to him. It was clear he didn’t like Luka, especially given how Damien and Orion had followed him, whether it was intentional or not. He was fiercely protective of me now that we had accepted each other as mates, but it seemed to grow immensely given the stress that today had brought.
Luka held his hands up in front of him, signaling that he came in peace. “Eva, are you okay?” His eyes darted toward Damien for a moment, ensuring that he hadn’t moved. Kalen still held Orion down with his sword, but he kept watch on Damien as well.
He seemed catatonic, in a complete daze. The brief sympathy that flashed across his face moments ago was gone. He was an empty shell of despair and darkness. I couldn’t shake the feeling that I had done this to him, but that wasn’t true. It was Orion. Damien would have been pulled into it, regardless. At least this way, I knew who I could trust and possibly seek a way to banish Orion and Trystan’s hold on him.
I nodded, taking a deep, shaky breath into my lungs. I felt as if I couldn’t get any air properly. My adrenaline was waning and the full weight of what had almost just happened was hitting me. I moved my body and cried out in pain. I was harshly aware of the wound on my side. The pain rushed to the surface of my skin, blood seeping through my dress.
“Fuck,” I gasped, but I pushed Matthew off of me. I still couldn’t breathe. It felt like I was being crushed from the inside. I clawed at my bodice, aching to free myself from their trappings.
Orion laughed, and all our eyes flicked to where he was kneeling. He pushed Kalen’s sword away from him as if there were no resistance at all. Kalen’s face furrowed, attempting to throw all his strength into pulling the sword back against Orion’s, but he couldn’t.
He stepped back as Orion twisted his hand and brought him to his knees. “How does it feel, mutt? To be trapped on your knees before me?” He laughed again as Kalen struggled against the invisible bonds that held him in place. Orion bent down so that their faces were level with one another. “How pathetic it must feel to be so damn useless against those of us with power,” he sneered.
I looked in horror as Damien smirked along with his father. I didn’t understand what was happening, couldn’t comprehend anything. The pain in my side was escalating to the point where if I opened my mouth, then I would scream. I clenched my jaw to the point of aching to keep noises from escaping my lips.
Orion moved over to stand beside his son, a proud gleam resting in his eyes. “I think we’ve accomplished what we set out to do,” he said, coiling the darkness around him like a cloak. He held out his hand in my direction. “Now, the princess comes with us if you please.”
Kalen fought against the invisible bonds to no avail. Matthew curled his arms around me, but the slightest touch to my side sent me screaming out in pain. His eyes were panicked as he took in my appearance for the first time. Sweat glistened on my skin as I struggled to breathe and keep my composure from the pain. My dress was overly soaked in blood, much more than it should have been from a small dagger.
Luka whispered in horror, “What did you do to her?” He pressed his palm to my forehead and gasped as he drew it back. “Shit, she’s burning up!”
Orion smiled coyly. “She’s dying.” The way he said it sounded almost hopeful. My stomach lurched forward as I emptied the contents of my stomach beside me. My body trembled, shaking uncontrollably. Tears pricked at my eyes as I looked up at Matthew. He stared down at me so lovingly, but there was panic there as well.
It was too soon. We’d just found each other, just committed to each other, to suddenly be ripped apart. Death was a fickle bitch, wasn’t she?
Matthew passed me gently to Luka, careful not to disturb my side any more than he already would. He shot to his feet but was stopped by an invisible shield.
Not an elemental shield, I noted.
No, this one shimmered faintly of the dark magic that had been ensnaring Damien earlier. It almost sparkled when it hit the light. Matthew banged his fists repeatedly on the shield as if that was actually going to cause it to break. He was deranged, shouting curses at the two men on the other side. But Damien and Orion didn’t crack. They simply stood side by side and smiled at Matthew’s display.
“What did you do to her?!” he screamed, completely out of control regarding his emotions. I felt the pain that he was going through; not only because it was happening to me personally, but also through the bond. I wanted to call out to him, to beg him to come back. If I was truly going to die, then I wanted him to be at my side. It seemed like a curse that the gods would bring us together only to separate us so soon.
Completely fucked up, I thought to myself.
I looked at Luka, pleading for him to bring Matthew back, but Luka shook his head and turned his head back to Matthew.
Damien’s scowl darkened, his brows creasing. He stabbed me with a dagger imbued with dark magic, and now I was going to die. He felt no remorse, at least not fully. “We can save her.” he cleared his throat and met Matthew’s gaze. He stopped his assault on the shield for a moment, his breathing ragged. “But only if she comes with us.”
“No, you’ll save her now!” Matthew roared. “You did this to her, and you’ll save her!” He fell to his knees. “Please don’t take her from me.”
I cried for his pain and for mine. How utterly fucked up everything had become since we woke up this morning. Last night was perfection in every single way, but I could feel it slipping from my grasp. “Matthew,” I croaked before another scream broke my lips. My body was freezing, and not even calling on my elemental power would warm me. Luka’s hand grasped my hand and he swore. The tips of my fingers had grown dull and black, utterly lifeless. My soul was burning up in my body, and my life source was draining away.
I was dying.
I thought about all the things I wouldn’t get to do. I wouldn’t get to see my father or my sister again. My kingdom would fall, and I couldn’t stop it. I wouldn’t get to experience life growing inside of me, with Matthew at my side. I choked out a sob as everything crashed around me.
Matthew turned around and ran to my side, taking my hand in his and kissing it gently. I moaned as Luka moved me back to Matthew. They both looked completely dejected, powerless to stop what was happening unless I went with our enemies.
“I’ll do it,” I whispered. Matthew cursed, shaking his head vehemently.
