Page 73 of Of Night and Blood: Special Edition

Last night we had made camp in Lady Odilia’s territory, Kratos. Henry and Bellamy explained that Eoforhild was made up of seven territories: Dunamis, the lands of the five Lords and Ladies, and then the Forest of Tragedies. Very few knew of Haven, though it apparently was well known that Bellamy’s Trusted had fae within.

Lady Odilia Nash was a Sun and Henry’s mother. I had been fairly surprised upon finding out, but Henry had brushed it off. He went as far as to say his mother was an overpaid nanny, which earned a chuckle from me. And a story of my horrid nannies when I was a youngling, of course. But inside I wondered what else I did not know about those within Bellamy’s inner circle.

According to Ranbir, we were no more than a fortnight from Dunamis, from meeting the demon king of Eoforhild, Adbeel Ayad. I had shook at the thought of what otherworldly magic he might possess, courtesy of his ancestor Asta.

The sound of Noe’s laugh brought the present back to focus, ripping me from my spiraling thoughts.

I often found myself wandering at times like these, when everyone was full of joy. The terrors of my mind left me waking in cold sweats and screaming into the night, so I did everything I could to resist sleep. To not show that weakness.

The first time it happened—the fourth night of travel—Noe had been so frightened she portaled to Bellamy and screamed that something was attacking me. When the prince appeared at my bedside in a cloud of smoke, his hands flying to my cheeks, I could do nothing but sob.

Bellamy had not left me for the remainder of the night. I had let him hold me while he whispered tales of dragons and gods and other worlds. I let him rub my back and caress my hair as he spoke of his own nightmares. I let him tell me that the fear of losing his friends, the emptiness of being alone, and the beings he had killed rained down on his mind in endless sequences of horror. I let him kiss my forehead and tell me I was stronger than I knew.

Beside me now, with the sunset casting a golden hue over his freckled face, I allowed myself a moment to imagine what life with Bellamy would be like. I knew he would hold me when I felt as if my heart might fall from my chest. He would be there when I was scared and reassure me that I was capable of anything—everything.

My eyes roamed over our group, the beings I would call my family if I chose Bellamy.

Noe would never allow me to give up, would fight anyone and everyone on my behalf.

Ranbir would always listen, would patiently teach me.

Winona would push me to be bold, would brush my hair and tell me stories.

Cyprus would make me laugh, would divulge secrets he knew were not meant for my ears.

Lian would make sure I was strong, would give me a weapon and a will to survive.

Henry would banter with me, would make fun of my height and embrace me in the same breath.

And Bellamy…he would treat me well. But he would also lie to me, would use me to whatever extent. There was no escaping the fact that I was a means to an end for him. The answer to the question he had been asking. The weapon in his war.

I could not allow myself to care for someone who would never see me as more than a tool.

When Bellamy turned towards me, those blue eyes finding my own, I looked away. Caring for him would be as foolish as loving the royals, and I had already made the latter mistake. No need to repeat it.

“I distinctly remember winning that bet, actually,” Lian called out, her cool gaze directed at Henry, who smirked back at her. The two had been bickering all day, Cyprus and Noe offering opinions here and there to fuel the fire.

“Actually, that recruit still cannot shoot a target to save his life. One good shot at practice does not negate the rest. So I think you decidedly lost,” the Sun shrugged. I could not stifle my laugh when I heard Lian curse and threaten to show Henry what one good shot could accomplish. Of course, that set the demon’s eyes on me.

I heard his horse gallop to my right, Bellamy still on my left. Tilting my head towards Henry as he approached, I found him already looking at me with a wicked grin. I had not slept the last two nights, and I knew Henry was aware of just how cranky I could become, yet he did not hold back.

“And what is it you are laughing at, little Manipulator? Perhaps you can share with the group what you recently stole from our minds so we can be humored as well?” Henry prodded. I knew he was simply aiming to get a rise from me, a reaction, but I could not stop myself from taking that bait.

I squared my shoulders, glaring daggers at him. He wanted some secrets? Then I would give him some.

“Well, sweet potato, I am glad you asked. Last night in my boredom, I thought perhaps I would use you for entertainment. And imagine my glee when I found you horny as a rabbit and thinking of—”

“Woah, okay, never mind. Nope. Let’s move on. Did anyone notice the way Bell nearly ripped Cy’s head off when he whispered in Ash’s ear at lunch? We should talk about that instead. The scandal of it all,” Henry said, his words coming out in a rush of nerves and fear. His feelings projected my way, but I did not need powers to know he was quite frazzled.

Served him right for saying what he just did. I peeked back at Cyprus, whose smile had widened. Letting out a breath of annoyance, I slowly slid my eyes back to Bellamy. To my own surprise, the demon prince was smiling as well. Not a hint of anger or jealousy graced his perfect face, only amusement.

“Slander. As your prince and leader, I vote we discuss the fact that Ranbir’s tunic was suddenly on backwards after said lunch. Does anyone else recall when Winona whisked him away to pick stinging nettle?” he asked, those haunting eyes never leaving mine, captivating me.

Laughs burst throughout the group, with Cyprus whooping and nudging Ranbir, who looked horrified. Winona on the other hand seemed pleased, flicking back her bottle green hair and winking at Bellamy.

“It helps with inflammation!” Ranbir insisted, defending himself. Of course, in his embarrassment he had not considered his words carefully enough, much to Noe’s excitement.

“Interesting, I had never been aware sex could do such a thing,” she said with raised brows. She flashed Ranbir a coy smile. The Healer’s dark cheeks seemed to deepen in color, blushing at the teasing. Ranbir was too kind for this world.

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