Page 19 of Trial By Fire

“Nothing ever worth it is without sacrifice.” He reaches out and grabs my forearm, his eyes lock with mine in understanding. “Send word to your regions and make sure everyone joins us on the mountain. Make sure they do it at night and stagger their journeys. We don’t want to give ourselves away before we are ready.” Torin pats Gale on the shoulder, and he leaves us.

“Well, I didn’t see that coming.” Gale laughs, his excitement is palpable. “Well, it looks like your wish is finally coming true.” He says to me as he goes to leave.

“What is that?” I ask as I turn back to look out over the horizon and toward the ocean, to my home. My people are definitely ready to take back our Realm. I will do this for Cordelia, but also for my mother and my sister. For their sacrifice.

“Revenge,” he says plainly and simply. I can’t deny what he is saying because he is not wrong. It has been my driving force for years. Now, it is at my fingertips.

I wasn’t the only one wanting their pound of flesh. Cordelia has just as much right to kill those who killed her mother and fathers than I did, more so even.

Don’t worry, beautiful. I will save some carnage for you as well,I think to her, and send it along the bond.

CHAPTERFOURTEEN

CORDELIA

Orgasm. Sob. Orgasm. Sob. Repeat. That is my current state of play. My raging hormones have become unbearable, and I just want it to end. I am sure this was supposed to be a pleasurable experience, but it is far from it. Once the guards dumped me unceremoniously in this room, I was left alone with no real way of knowing the passage of time except for the female attendants who brought me food throughout the day. Now I understand why Maurelle called this place the Night Court, there is no light, the sun doesn’t shine, and the Fae here live in perpetual darkness.

I spent half of the time tossing and turning on a massive circular platform bed piled high with deep, rich, jewel-toned velvet brocade pillows and blankets. It would be anyone's dream to lay down in what feels like silk and clouds, but it only makes my skin crawl. My body is hypersensitive to anything that touches my skin. I wonder if I’m meant to be naked the entire time during this thing because I can only manage to wear a cotton t-shirt. I feel like I am on fire, and the only relief I find is the multiple cold showers I’ve been taking to ease the ache between my legs. My clit is rubbed raw, but it wasn’t enough—it never is enough. The waves of arousal, need, and want just kept coming, so I sob in frustration as soon as I find release. Then the cycle would repeat itself all over again.

I sit on the floor in a large walk-in shower and let the water soothe me and ruin my hair at the same time. When I feel lucid enough, I think about my men. I wonder and worry about what is happening to them. Are they trying to come for me? Are they safe? Has Adrian lost control? Has Torin fallen into a pit of self-blame? Is Gale accusing Dravyn? I can’t get a read on any of them. I don’t know if it’s the distance or the fact I can barely feel my Dragon, let alone them. It is frustrating, and it only makes this situation even more hopeless.

At first, I felt faint feelings of comfort through our bond, it helped to know that they were still with me, even if it was in spirit. It gave me hope that I could make through this without them. Now, I barely feel anything from them except steely determination and resolve. Again, hopeless. I know that this would be easier for me if I was with them, and a hell of a lot more enjoyable, but the only person who is going to help me out of this mess is me. This is why I was never one of those women who needed a hero. My mother raised me better than that. Hence, it’s why I never rushed to tie myself to any man who winked at me. No, I am determined to get out of here, but not without wiping that menacing smug ass smile off Maurelle’s face. I eventually pick myself up off the floor when the water becomes too cold to bear. Stepping out of the shower, I wrap myself in a fluffy white towel and walk back into the warm and cozy firelit room. A knock at the door has me gingerly rushing across the room to cover up, hoping that it is just the attendants with my next meal.

“Come in,” I call out, my voice sounds so unsure, and I hate it. I have no idea when Maurelle will come for me. Every moment I have undisturbed increases the chance this heat will run its course without me being violated against my will. Feeling a chill from my lack of nightclothes I hurry to sit on one of the big comfy velvet armchairs by the fire. Quickly grabbing a nice warm blanket off the bed, I drag it over me and sit.

I’ve barely had an appetite the past few days, so I am determined to eat something. I don’t have a plan yet, but I can’t afford to be weak or show a sign of weakness.

“Cordelia.” I look over my shoulder and see that it is not the attendants with my dinner. It’s Dain. He looks tired and worn now that I can see him up close. His clothes hang off him in a way that makes you think he’s lost weight and has no muscle mass. Dark circles and sunken cheeks grace his handsome face. He’s tall, with long black hair that has lost its shine. Even with his rich dark amber skin, he looks as if his life has been slowly draining away. I can’t tear my eyes away from him as he slowly approaches me. This man is my father. Knowing what I know about him so far, it seems he’s suffered a great deal.

I pull my blanket around me, suddenly feeling as if I should be wearing more. “Dain, right? I mean, I heard her call you that?” I ask tentatively.

“You heard correct.” He sighs, and I point toward a chair. I have a feeling he needs to chat, so he might as well take a seat. “I prefer to stand. If I need to leave abruptly, it will be easier.” I can hear how nervous he is, and he looks a little uneasy. Well, that makes two us.

“I would ask you how you’re doing but I know this isn’t easy for you. I remember your mother’s heat—”

“Please, I would rather not hear about my mom and her heat in the same sentence. I know you want to help, but just knowing who you are makes the subject a little uncomfortable. I am managing as well as I can without my mates around. I know absolutely nothing about heat cycles. What was it Adrian mentioned?” I stop and tap my finger on my lips, trying to find the right word. “Yes, knotting.” I snap my fingers and point at my father. “That’s the word, knotting.”

Dain begins to speak but stops himself. A look of horror flashes across his face as he opens and closes his mouth. “Maybe you’re right. This is not a topic for you and me, especially at such a beginner's stage of knowing one another.” He laughs, and it warms my heart. There is pain in his eyes, but he is trying.

“I thought Maurelle was trying to keep me away from you. How are you here?” I tilt my head when I ask my question, and he frowns at the mention of his sister's name.

“It’s not hard for me to move around unnoticed. I had to come and see you, Cordelia. First, I want to apologize for my part in your captivity. I thought I would have been able to hide you away until one of your mates came to retrieve you. I underestimated my sister. I should have known she would be watching me. She trusts no one. So, when I came through the portal, she was waiting for me. This was not the way I pictured our meeting.” He paces and runs his hand through his hair, clearly growing agitated.

“I accept that you tried. Forgiveness, well, that’s a lot harder if I am being honest. You could have just left me. If she had sent others, I would have been ready for her. You could have stayed in Celestia like Dravyn. We could have fought her together. We could have had time to get to know each other.” I swallow the lump in my throat at the thought of my mates. My mom must be devastated. I know if she could be here, she would be already.

“Just being here in your presence is enough. I don’t have much time.” He stops and looks at the door behind him, tilting his head and closing his eyes as if he is listening to something just beyond the walls. He opens his eyes suddenly, nodding his head yes, with a slight smile, I can only assume he is happy that we are still alone. Dain removes his coat and rolls up his sleeves. Intricate vine tattoos run up and down his exposed arms, the vines that appear seem to have a mind of their own as they grow and bloom flowers at will. My mouth falls open as I stare at him in shock. I watch as he transforms before my eyes. He straightens to his full height. His body radiates power, and I can feel it from across the room. I stumble off my chair as two massive black bat-like wings spring out from his back. I stand, wrapping the blanket around me tighter as he stretches his neck from side to side. This is who Dain really is, this is what my father really looks like. How he breathed life into himself, I have no idea.

“How did you do that?” Did I just witness some parlor trick, and he is still the weak and feeble man who was just standing before me?

“The Night Court is my seat of power, Cordelia. My sister rules both courts because I gave mine to her over five hundred years ago. I chose. For a long time I desired to do more, to be more for our people. I decided the best way to do that was to be the peacemaker between our Realms. I became the Emissary of Incantatia. Fae royalty are always born as twins. One rules the Night Court, the other the Light Court. My sister leapt at the chance to take my place. She always preferred my court to hers. She always was dark at heart; I should have known better.

“You created a monster. A monster who punished her own flesh and blood. Aren’t you just as strong as she is? How did she imprison you in the first place?” I ask, my curiosity gets the better of me and I want to know more.

“Grief. She had Thaddeus ambush us. I watched your fathers die. They were my mates too.” Anguish washes over his face, and his shoulders slump as he recalls the memory. “I couldn’t get back to Thana in time. I was lost to my own despair, and that’s when my sister caught me and threw me into the deepest hole she could find in the Light court. She starved me of moonlight—the source of my power, and I wasted away for thirty years. But that’s another tale for another time, Cordelia. I need you to reclaim your power. Just like I did now. You can do it too.”

I can’t help but look at him like he’s grown three heads. How can I do what he had just done? I can barely teleport, I just learned to shift, and let's not forget that if I rub my legs together, I might just come all over myself.

“Looks can be deceiving, Cordelia. If you don’t learn anything else from me, remember that above all things. You’re my daughter, you have two royal bloodlines flowing through your veins. You are stronger than you know.” He smiles as he waits for me to stop staring at him in disbelief.

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