Page 97 of Of Night and Blood: Special Edition

“You…me…sorry…okay?” he said, stumbling over the words. I rolled my eyes, smirking over at him.

“Yes, I forgive you, silly demon. I hate what you did, despise that you felt it okay to make those choices for me, but I am also thankful. You saved me, you held me, you gave me freedom for the first time in my life. I will not pretend to agree with your tactics, but I know why you did it. I love you, you love me, and—together—we can move on from this. That is, as long as when we arrive at The Royal City you share every detail of each secret you have been hiding. There will be no more lies between us, okay?” I questioned, my tone more of an order than a request.

He nodded fervently, a stunned expression still on his face. I reached out, and he urged his horse forward, stopping beside me to take my hand. He leaned in, kissing both of my cheeks, then my forehead, my chin, my nose, and finally my lips. A simple gesture, but one that sent my heart fluttering.

He was an idiot, but apparently, he was my idiot.

For now.

I decided I would wait to ask about my powers. It needed to be the right time, and I had to make sure he was incapable of lying about it. He had promised answers, and I would not let him leave any out.

We pushed on, not stopping again other than to water the horses and relieve ourselves. Despite our quick pace, we maintained light conversation, neither of us caring to bring up the previous argument. It seemed we were both eager to move forward.

Just as the sun began to descend, we stopped atop a tall hill. Below, the sight of The Royal City took my breath away.

Rows upon rows of beautiful white and brown cottages covered in vibrant green vines lined cobblestone paths. Lilies of the valley could be seen decorating the city, blooming despite the snow. In the distance, upon a hill right along the coastline, sat a towering castle.

It was white with gray pointed rooftops, large windows lining the walls. There seemed to be no method to the madness of the design, random peaks and towers meeting rectangular structures, forming the largest palace I had ever seen.

Beyond, the water splashed at the hillside, violent green-blue waves nearly reaching the white stone. Despite the hour, many residents still conversed and roamed throughout the city, the sound of chatter and laughter reaching us in the distance.

“What do you think?” Bellamy asked, his dimples coming out in full force. I could feel his excitement at being here. The way he seemed to glow in the fading light of day, his relaxed posture, even the sound of his voice radiated the peace that comes from returning home.

“It is like nothing I have ever seen before,” I said, words failing me. Bellamy seemed to understand, because he nodded, his smile growing impossibly larger.

“Haven is where I live most of the time, because the fae there need me, though I travel to our military base regularly. But The Royal City, it will always have my heart. Dunamis will always be my true home,” he whispered, as if wanting to preserve the serenity of the scene. I nodded, though I did not understand.

An ache started in my chest. As I looked upon the home of the crown prince of Eoforhild, I was forced to accept that I would have to say goodbye to him. I did not belong here. Going back to Betovere, to the one home I had ever known, was the only option. The only way to save the innocent lives that would be used as shields and pawns in the war.

If I was going to prevent the coming conflict, then I had to kill Mia and Xavier. I had to take my throne.

I tried to force back the thoughts, the impending loneliness and heartbreak. For now, I had him—we had each other. Enjoying this would not make what was to come easier, but it would be worth that extra pain.

So I smiled at him, and together we made our way to the demon king.

Chapter Fifty-Three

Bellamy

One Year Ago

Lian and Noe were nagging, as they always did, Henry laughing beside them at my suffering.

Haven needs supplies. The army needs improved drills. An upcoming mission to Betovere needs to be planned. When will you date? Have you dated recently? When was the last time you even had sex? Wow, that long?

On and on and on.

As if we were not facing a possible war. As if those things and the war had not been invading my mind at every possible moment of each day.

Well, except for the sex. That mostly haunted me at night.

“Do you guys ever shut up?” I hissed, rubbing my temples.

The three of them laughed, like it had been some kind of joke. To them, everything was a joke. With all my heart, I did love them. They were family, more so than the one I had been born into. But they were all so exhausting, so infuriating, lately. I felt the elements stir inside of me, reacting to my anger and mixing with the magic that invaded my body.

The magic that my mother had ordered be put inside of me.

I felt the wards around my heart fight against it, like a wall blocking out poison. Looking down, I saw the black writhing inside of me like moving ink, itching to break free. I took deep breaths, attempting to calm myself enough to fight it off. If that did not work, then I guess I would need to go exert it somewhere.

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