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“Don’t you remember?”
Puzzled, I pulled away enough so I could look at her. As I gazed at her, guilt flashed over her face. I opened my mouth to ask her, but knowledge slipped into my mind even as I did. It startled me. But soon enough, I understood. Reilyn had performed another spell. A stronger spell. One that bound us tighter than ever and had no counter spell.
Reilyn searched my expression. “You know?”
“This new spell… it shares a lot more than the previous one, doesn’t it?” I shook my head, feeling overwhelmed for a moment. I managed to pull myself up and focus on her. “Thank you. It must not have been an easy decision.”
Reilyn gave me a little smirk. “What decision? I wasn’t going to let you die.”
I drew her over my body. Reilyn’s smirk turned into a moan as I found her centre with my fingers. I wanted to share everything with her. Every moment of pleasure between us wasstronger than before, and I wanted to make up for all the pain she’d had in her life.
“You are beautiful,” I murmured, sliding my fingers into her warm wetness. “You are amazing and wonderful. I love you.”
Reilyn caught my mouth with hers again. Distantly, I felt her worry that this was too much, that we shouldn’t be exerting ourselves when I had just woken. But I’d never felt more alive! Energy hummed through me. It was as though the very earth was reaching through these stone walls to infuse me with more power and healing. I thrust upward, filling her. She rolled her hips, matching the rhythm I built. Our hands roved each other’s bodies. I swept a thumb over her lip, and she bent over me, nibbling at my collarbone. Our passion grew all stronger.
Magic swirled between us, inside, increasing every moment. I didn’t last long this time. Reilyn followed me into my climax and fell over me. Her beautiful body pressed against mine. I nuzzled into Reilyn’s neck when suddenly the door burst open. We rolled together, crying out as we scrambled to cover ourselves. Klaus strode in, carrying my sword in one hand and the duelling daggers Reilyn had that first time in his other.
“Opaline’s army is marching on the city. I started an evacuation. They’ll be here in an hour.” Klaus put our weapons on the table. “Hurry. We don’t have much time. I hope you can fight.”
He paused, his eyes moving to my face. It was as though he couldn’t see the situation he had interrupted, or maybe he could. Maybe that was the reason for the fear in his eyes. Because he knew how much more I had to lose now.
I cleared my throat, nodding at him. “Get the men ready. Have Nadine find space for the evacuees. Reilyn and I will be there shortly.”
He nodded once and swept away to follow my orders.
I threw myself out of bed, used magic to dress, and put on my armour. I conjured armour for Reilyn too. With the vampires on the march, we would have to move quickly. My mind churned over what we had learned of them. “We have to kill Opaline. If she does, her monsters die with her.”
Reilyn was dressed before me and strapped her daggers in place. “How are we going to get close enough to her?”
“Can you teleport to her?”
Reilyn shook her head, “I’ve never been able to teleport near her. She has some sort of barrier from it. But if anything I’ve come to know about her these last few days is true, then she’ll find us.”
I grinned, feeling a feral beast rising in me. “Then let’s get going.”
Reilyn and I quickly raced through the palace corridors. It was a cold night, and the skies were pitch black save for the few torches lit the grounds. The first of the soldiers had already been dispatched to fight the vampire horde. The people fled, heading to the palace grounds for protection, and the outer buildings were already aflame set by Klaus.
I quickly took charge and led reinforcements, Reilyn at my side. The city was thick with smoke and the sounds of battle cries and screams of men, women, and children. The soft, shuffling noises of the vampires and their horrible hisses werehardly loud enough to give them away. We met the first group made of strigoi and dispatched them swiftly.
Klaus’s sword blazed with fire as he flew here and there, slicing and stabbing. Reilyn’s face twisted with determination as she danced through the horde, slaughtering the undead warriors. The rest of my men and I beheaded them as well.
The ground suddenly pitched beneath my feet. Reilyn slammed into my back, and we tumbled through the air to land hard against cool, dew-kissed grass.
I looked up, disoriented, but soon came to know my surroundings. The palace gardens. I scrambled to my feet, pulling Reilyn up with me. The golden leaves of the hedges glowed under the full moon as two figures shrouded in cloaks strode toward us. Opaline threw back the hood of her cloak, her silver hair gleaming. “I have to admit, you’re more resourceful than I anticipated. But it will make your defeat all the sweeter, Araki.”
The figure beside her continued to move forward. I raised my sword, hissing. The breath left my lungs as the tip of my sword dipped toward the ground. Opaline only smirked as she tugged on the hood of her companion. The material fell back, the cloak fluttering through the air to puddle on the ground to reveal. I stammered “Mother?”
“Araki,” Reilyn hissed.
The face that had haunted my dreams for years stared at me. Unlike the spectre I could see through its illusion in the Forest of Shadows, there was no illusion to the woman before me. She was real. Her violet eyes stared at me. No.It’s not her.I reminded myself. Though it was her body,her skin that was once youthful, and lively, was grey and bloodless. Dark marks, bruisesunder her sunken eyes, and purple lips. Her once beautiful silver wings were now tattered. A thin red strip ran around her neck. And below that stripwas a half-moon, crossed with a dagger tattooed on her collarbone. The mark of the Nightshade.Mother moved forward, bearing her fangs. Anger swelled through me as I looked past her. Opaline was laughing. Laughing! My grip tightened on my sword.
“I forgot to mention, didn’t I? Dear Helen, here was the first Bruxsa I successfully raised. Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she perfect?”
“Release her!” I growled. I couldn’t stand to see this. Not my mother. Not the woman who sang me to sleep kissed my scrapes and bruises and told me how one day I would be a great man who did many good things for the kingdom.
“Release her! Take the spell off! How dare you? She belongs in the After!” I roared.
Reilyn shifted closer to me. Her weapons were up in a defensive posture as her head swivelled, checking for other enemies. I knew I needed to be wiser, knew I needed to attack, to prevent Opaline from saying another word. But my mother.
