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A circle of protection that will keep the spirits away from us. I nodded slowly. Together, we circled the fire.
“Circle Fire, circle fire,” I chanted, “shining bright.”
We stepped from the fire and began walking around the camp, holding hands tightly. Araki took up the chant.
“In the darkness of the night,” Araki said.
“Circle Fire, circle fire, be our might,” I continued.
He grinned suddenly, making my heart flutter again. “See us through to morning light.”
A surge of power went through me. It felt like the calm breath of wind that heralded a rainy day, like the shiver that went down your spine just before you knew something went wrong. Like the gentlest caress on my skin, like thunder in myblood. It was unlike anything I had felt before. Time seemed to bend around us as our footsteps left glowing marks on the ground. The forest, so dark that it was difficult to see, suddenly snapped into full focus. The colours were so vibrant! The shades faded from one colour to another, the lines of veins in leaves, each drop of the drizzling rain. The scent of smoke, the heat shimmering around the fire.
And the most delectable scent, unlike any scent I’d smelled before. My mouth watered. Traces of musk underscored his spicy scent of patchouli and bergamot cologne. My gaze moved down Araki’s body. It was almost as though I could see where the scents lingered on him. Patchouli and bergamot on his wrists and neck. The musky scent of him from his skin. As if that weren’t enough, the touch of his skin against mine… the whorls of his fingertips pressed into mine. The heat of his skin radiated into me. Lightning was a living thing within my blood, igniting in my hands, sending bolts straight through me. A golden arc rose from where we’d circled the camp. It shimmered in shades of silver, purple and gold as it tented upward, encapsulating us in a dome.
“It worked,” I whispered in wonder, the power of the spell and our combined magic palpitating around us. I looked at Araki. The glow our shield gave off allowed me to see him better. His jaw was clenched tight, and his pupils dilated. His nostrils flared as he panted through his nose. A shock went straight to my centre as I recognized the desire in his eyes.
“Yes,” Araki replied in a captivating deep voice. “It worked.”
His gaze raked down my body like a physical touch. It made a blush flare on my cheeks and my pulse race faster. The sparks of lightning in our joined hands grew hotter as my entireskin tingled and tightened. I suddenly realized I was leaning toward him. His hands left mine to slide up my arms, then down to my waist. They tightened there, and I swallowed, my eyes dropping to his lips. They were parted slightly, soft-looking and inviting. I had never felt this alive before. I wanted more. I wanted to wrap myself in his warmth, his scent. I wanted to drown in those violet eyes of his. Our noses brushed together. His shallow breath caressed my cheek, and I closed my eyes. My body pressed forward, and I took a step. The sharp snap of a twig breaking under my foot jolted me from my trance. Every reason I had to hate Araki rushed back, and I yanked myself away. My chest heaved as I panted for breath, struggling to regain control. What was I doing?
A sick feeling washed over me. I yanked my hands from his. No matter the events of the day, no matter how enticing his magic was, how could I let myself get so close to him? My parents would be ashamed of me. Priestess Opaline and Master Briggs would turn away from me. I would be banished from the Nightshade. Nala wouldn’t understand, but she would feel betrayal too.
“Reilyn—” Araki called softly.
I turned my back on him and marched back to where I’d left the doublet. It was still damp, but I shoved my arms through and pulled them tight around my chest. I lay beside the fire as the storm above us grew more intense.
“Reilyn,” Araki called again.
I ignored him. Instead, I clenched my teeth and squeezed my eyes shut. I didn’t want my name on his lips. I should never have told him. I only told him because I wanted him to know my real name when I killed him. Hunger crawled through my belly,and I curled tight around it, trying to push out the unwelcome beast. Cold, exhausted, and feeling terribly disappointed in how this day had gone, I pillowed my head in my arms. I should never have gotten here. Why hadn’t I thought of killing him right there when we danced? Maybe I could’ve had a better chance instead of following him into the garden. He had taken me by surprise, but I had been foolish if I were honest with myself. I should have been quick and not waited. In hindsight, it was obvious that he had been tempting me to join him in the gardens. I should have illusioned the gem on my necklace and drawn the poisoned dagger. I hadn’t acted rationally. I had let the closeness of victory cloud my head. And now, in this forest, I was letting the taste of his magic get in the way.
Araki didn’t let the spectre kill me because he needed me to guard against it coming back for him. Everything he did was selfish. He hoarded magic. He unbalanced the order of things, he killed the previous king and hunted down my parents as well to ensure no one contested his throne. Their faces loomed in my mind’s eye. A pang hit my chest. I was dishonouring their memories by doubting my mission. I had to kill Araki. I hadn’t been taken in by the coven to doubt her now. And for what? A handsome face? No! No, I would avenge my family. I would save the kingdom. That was my destiny. I was not going to lose sight of that again.
I fought against the tiredness in my bones as I reminded myself of everything the Usurper could do while I slept. But no matter how hard I fought, my body had already decided it wouldn’t listen. The last thing I thought of before falling asleep was how it felt to have his hand stroking my hair as he reassured me that the scene of Nala’s death wasn’t real. And some part of me wished that the man he was pretending to be was real.
A King, Alone
Araki
Even with the protective dome over us, I couldn’t sleep. The forest was a sinister place, and I stayed on guard despite my exhaustion. Reilyn had turned over in her sleep, her face toward me again. I sighed, envious of her ability to rest so soundly on the uncomfortable ground.
On the other hand, it gave me the opportunity to watch her sleep. She looked so peaceful. Her guarded expression, whenever I had looked at her, was now gone. The cloud of anger and hate she wrapped around herself as a protective cloak had dissipated. Her cheek was pillowed on her elbow, her plump lips partly opened. Her nose wrinkled, and she smiled briefly. A small, sleepy giggle came out, and she relaxed deeper into her sleep. Her chest rose and fell calmly. I wondered what she was dreaming. As she was, cut off from consciousness in sleep, I was only getting the vaguest senses through the Union spell. I could press, I suppose, but I let it be a mystery. Instead, I just watched her. Her hair was undone from its plait, untamed in its waves and curls. It gleamed with the firelight, looking so soft and touchable that my palms burned with the desire to move closer and feel it between my fingers.
That would be a quick way to lose a hand. She might be sleeping, seemingly deep, but I was no fool to believe she was powerless. Even in her deepest sleep, part of her would still be aware of what was around her. Alert for danger, ready to defend herself in an instant. She was, after all, trained by the Nightshade. It would be foolish of me to indulge in such a frivolous desire. And yet, I found myself letting my guard downaround her. My eyes moved to her lips. They had been ruby red at the ball, but once she’d washed off the colour, they were revealed to be pale pink.
Though the kiss was brief, I couldn’t forget how she had tasted. Her mouth was soft against mine, the taste of her plump lips sweet and intoxicating. I wondered how she’d taste again. Fiery like her anger, or eager like the seductress she had been playing? Or both? I wanted to kiss her just to find out. I didn’t dare fantasize any longer. The disgust on her face as she realized how close we had gotten when casting the protective spell seared into my mind. Whatever attraction Reilyn felt toward me, she didn’t want to feel. Suppose the attraction was even real, to begin with. The danger of Union spells was that it could make it very difficult to tell what you were feeling as opposed to what the other person was feeling. I would have to be more careful moving forward.
The memory of casting the spell together stirred something in my chest. It had been so intense, feeling Reilyn’s magic inside of me. It had swirled and eddied, bringing with it scents and flavours I’d never felt before in magic. I’d never experienced anything like it. The times I’d learned the Union spell never mentioned such a side effect. Was it normal? Or was there a stronger bond between us because Reilyn had been siphoning off my magic when I cast the spell? Or was it the Forest of Shadows twisting the magic already cast?
After the event with the Cupiditas, I considered using the counter-spell. It was dangerous for our lives to be bound together in a place like this. It would be so easy for one of us to make the slightest mistake that would get the other one killed. It would be safer for both of us if I removed the Union spell. But, even if it was safer for her, it wasn’t entirely safe for me.The fact that she still wanted to kill me remained. Whatever silly concerns I had for Reilyn, she didn’t share them with me. I didn’t know what stories the Nightshade had told her for her to hate me, but I was willing to bet that if I undid the spell, Reilyn wouldn’t hesitate to attack me. There was no point in removing the spell for her safety just to turn around and be obliged to kill her. More importantly, our connection still served a purpose. I was determined that I would discover the Nightshade coven. It was the reason I’d thrown that ridiculous ball in the first place and started the rumours about searching for a consort. I knew they couldn’t give up the opportunity to come after me, and I needed to have one of their assassins lead me straight back to them. After what they had done, I would see the Nightshade destroyed once and for all. I just hoped that they wouldn’t take innocent lives with them. I didn’t know Reilyn’s story to know if she was guiltless, but it appeared her heart wasn’t entirely shrewd. The way she spoke about caring for the kingdom, how she had made me promise not to hurt the forest… it indicated that there was more to her than a cold-blooded assassin. And the young girl the Spector had impersonated. Who was she? Was she part of the Nightshade, too?
“Araki.”
I tensed as I lifted my head. The voice sounded like it was coming from far away.
“Araki, where are you?” The mellow familiar voice called again.
A shiver ran down my spine. I carefully moved to a sitting position, glancing at Reilyn. She didn’t stir. The voice was in my head alone. A Specter. I knew it was because the voice belonged to my mother. She was long dead. Her sweet laughter echoed through the forest.
