Page 20 of Bonded to the Fallen Shadow King

No matter what I did, nothing was right. I couldn’t win. Not here, not with my life, not in any way. I plunked into one of the chairs, not caring that my ass landed right in the middle of blackberry fluff. I picked up a goblet of the sweet, dark-blue drink I’d liked at dinner.

Aside from my sister, I’d lost my entire pack in one night and then been separated from her and held in captivity. It had been one thing after another, and just when things had been settling down and I had a new pack with my sister, boom. Dipshit and Asshole came and dragged me into this weird, dangerous land.

And now...I might have lost my entire family, so why did any of this matter? My hand squeezed the goblet tight, the drink sloshing at the rim. I dragged the back of my hand over my eyes and tossed my sticky hair behind my shoulders.

That wretched mark on my hand—the one that flared every time I thought of my family— was going to put me in danger until I finally did die.

No wonder he’d left. He’d realized his advice was pointless, and I had to agree.

I glanced at my hand. The blob of trifle on the back rippled in sync with the wings of my butterfly tattoo. Another reminder Fate hated me and had decided I wasn't worthy. The faint burning sensation made me feel even stranger than I had before…like a dead woman walking. Hopefully being dead would hurt less.

My throat closed, and my stomach churned.

I shifted in the seat, feeling the berry mush cling to me, the sugary dessert slick against my skin. I sat back and continued to spiral.

As if missing Ember wasn’t enough, why did I feel this weird pull toward Vaddy? He was sexy yeah, but he was a complete ass. This was sostupid. Everything seemed stacked against me, and it had been ever since I got here. Or before that. Maybe for my entire life.

I ran a finger along the rim of the glass, and then took a deep breath, trying to relax. None of it helped, so I took a long drink and then another.

The door clicked open, and Thalen swaggered back in. His boots made no sound as he came closer. He then motioned with his hand, and the mess in the seat next to me disappeared.

I stared in disbelief as he dropped into the chair. He poured the dark liquid into a clean goblet and turned toward me. When he grinned, it reached his eyes, making them seem like liquid gold.

Damn, that smile could melt an iceberg. He was truly attractive, and way friendlier than any of the others.

"Two things.” He lifted one finger. “Kaylen’s shit does stink." Then he raised another. “Whatisa Temu Legolas?"

Laughter exploded before I could stop it, and I fell backward, my body hitting another patch of glop. Of all the things I’d expected him to say, that wasn’t it.

He sat there studying me, head tilted, the picture of composure.

After a long, wonderful moment, I found enough composure to answer him. "I’ll just call you Sparkles."

He snickered and adjusted his dark tunic. "It fits, doesn’t it? And I have finally decided what I'll call you.”

I liked this game. "Let's hear it."

"The Queen of Chaos." He held his hands in front of him like it was some sort of headline. "Chaos for short. Copper Chaos, if I'm feeling fiesty."

I giggled, unable to stop. My cheeks ached with it. "That explains why everyone gets so worked up over me. Better than Briar Rose or Princess."

“Rose suits you too.” He folded his arms behind his head. “You’ll need to come up for a nickname for Prince Vad, because calling him anything but his name doesn’t feel right to me."

My heart dropped. Vad might be a prince, but he wasn’t the prince for me. I suspected I’d always be alone, so dying in the next couple days might be a blessing. "You have to help me with something.” I leaned toward him, now trying to fight off tears. I needed to stop thinking about Vaddy. “How does a prince have no clue what 'someone’s shit don’t stink' means, but knows 'a stick up your ass'?”

“None of us had heard that one before." Thalen shrugged. “Because shit stinks, so of course no one needs to say it doesn’t." He winked and crossed his legs. "An entire lifetime of being told how important and powerful we are allows us to know not to say uncouth things. It's the first and last thing most fae learn."

"That sounds similar to Earth, where certain supernatural beings want as much power as possible. They want to kill and beat the others down, and sometimes, I can't help but wonder if dying would just be easier than trying to survive here.” I’d never said that out loud before. Ember worried about me enough that I didn’t want to add to her burden, but saying the words made them feel so much more real. I’d been attacked, kidnapped, and near death so many times—maybe the sand in the hourglass was running out.

My heart sank. At least Ember wasn’t here to try and protect me only to wind up dying herself. She had a fated mate and a new pack that relied on her. Still, I wanted to at least tell her I loved her again.

He nodded and huffed. "It’s the same in Nytheria, but the fae refuse to admit vulnerability. It’s a sign of weakness."

"Well, I’ll most likely die tomorrow, so I figure there’s no reason for false bravery. Whether you call a vampire by their name or a bloodsucker, it means the same thing," I shot back, raising a brow.

"Your analogies make me smile." He clapped his hands and then rubbed them together. "So, are you and Sparkles”—he pointed at himself as if it weren’t obvious—“going to have a little fun before this is all over?"

I gasped and placed a hand on my chest. “You’ll just have to wait and see. I have a feeling it will be chaotic.”

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