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Before I could get to him, I caught two figures in an alleyway between two buildings. Bayleon and Bastian. They stayed hidden in the shadows while I knelt beside the man. Blood oozed out of his nose and ears, and I could tell he had several broken bones. He was breathing, but only barely.
“Oh my God,” a woman cried, rushing to join me.
Other people were milling about and getting on their phones. I didn’t have much time.
“Call 9-1-1,” I snapped at the lady. Her fingers shook as she stood and pulled out her phone. Placing a hand on the guy’s shoulder, I took a deep breath and watched his eyes open. He tried to speak, but I shook my head. “Shh, it’s okay. This isn’t the end for you.”
I summoned my healing magic and jolted it through his body in one quick surge. His body twitched, and he gasped as everything healed inside of him. More people began to run over, and I jumped to my feet. I met the man’s eyes one last time before disappearing through the crowd and to the alley where I knew Bayleon and Bastian were waiting for me. Of course, I knew I’d see their disapproval once I faced them. My people didn’t go out of their way to save a human.
Bastian grabbed my arm and pulled me further into the alley, with Bayleon following close behind. They were in their warrior gear, and I was thankful no one had seen them.
“We have to get out of here,” Bastian warned.
We turned the corner to another alley, and no one was around.
Bayleon stopped in front of me, concern etched on his face. “Did you feel the magic?” There was an urgency to his tone I’d never heard from him before.
“Yes. Do you know what it was?”
Bayleon and Bastian glanced at each other, and I knew I wouldn’t like what they had to say. I wished I could see into their eyes. Bastian ran a hand through his hair while Bayleon released a heavy sigh and moved closer to me.
“I don’t know what it means, but we do know the magic is familiar.”
“How?” I asked, darting my eyes back and forth between them both.
Bastian’s jaw tensed. “It’sourmagic, Lia.” He fisted a hand over his heart. “That power felt like Tyvar magic, only different somehow. Ours doesn’t affect men.”
“So, what are you saying?”
He shook his head and Bayleon was the one who answered. “We don’t know,” he said, turning his back on me.
His long, blond hair hung down his back with intricate braids on either side. He slowly turned to face me, and even though I couldn’t see his eyes through the mask covering his face, they seemed to be locked on mine. His words were low and serious.
“This is something we’ve never seen before, Lia. Whoever or whatever it is using that magic, is very powerful. I don’t know what we’re dealing with.”
A chill ran down my spine as I nodded in agreement. All I knew was that it couldn’t be good.
Chapter3
Bayleon
Ifelt trapped inside my body, the unbearable pain and torment becoming almost too much to bear. I tried to distract myself in any way I could, but the pain and agony remained relentless no matter how hard I tried. Every day it seemed to grow more and more unbearable, and I had no idea how much longer I could keep ignoring it. I’d fought against my desires and cravings for so long that my body was starved. I was born to live off pleasure and I’d been without it for seven years. Focusing on Lia and keeping her safe was the only thing that kept me sane, but even I knew my limits.
The mask I wore over my eyes kept Lia and my brother from seeing my anguish, but soon, I would have to make a choice. Either stay and risk condemning innocent lives, ultimately resulting in my death, or leave and betray everything I held dear. Those were my choices.
As Bastian and I walked behind the royals, I felt sweat pouring down my back. Lia was up front with her parents—the king and queen of the Spring Court—and on her other side was her twin brother, Kale. Lia’s long red hair cascaded down her back like a fiery waterfall and contrasted sharply with the midnight blue of her ball gown. She stood tall and proud, her straight posture befitting a warrior, a queen. But even though her appearance was almost angelic, Lia was anything but. She was the exact replica of her mother.
I could feel magic all around us; it was potent in the air. The royal fae were the most powerful people I’d ever met, and there were over twenty of them in attendance, all of whom were Lia’s aunts, uncles, and cousins. The rest of the people gathered around were close family friends and all the hundreds of fae who planned on following Lia and Kale to their new kingdoms.
Today Lia was going to become queen of her court and her brother, the king of his; their family wanted to witness it. Out of my two hundred years of existence, I’d never imagined I’d be here. I was an outsider, surrounded by royals and loved by them, but I wasn’t one of them.
We were almost at the border of the Spring Court and the unclaimed land beyond that. The sun was never hot in the Spring Court, but it felt like an inferno today. I looked over at my brother to see if I could find any clues that he felt the same, but his face was an unreadable mask. He wouldn’t say anything if he were suffering, just like I haven’t.
Lia and her family all gathered by the border, laughing and smiling with each other. “She’s lovely,” Bastian murmured more to himself than to me.
There was an affection to his voice that I’d heard often over the past couple of years. Clearly, he loved Lia, but just like me, he’d chosen to keep it silent. Nothing would ever happen between her and us and he knew it.
I’d often wondered who she would choose, but that was another torment I tried not to think of. Bastian and I were different. He was more open to change, whereas I preferred tradition.
