Page 44 of Fated Unkindness
“Sounds like it.” He laughs as he wraps my body in his arms, nuzzling his nose into my hair and causing a giggle to escape me at the tickle. “Let’s go.” He spins me around in his arms, kissing the line that has formed between my eyes and threading his fingers through mine. “Stop worrying. We will worry later. Now, we will bring good news to our family and friends.”
My lips curve into a slow smile. “You’re right.” I push up on my tip toes and plant a quick kiss on his lips.
The halls of the castle in Loema are quiet; none of the other patrons are awake at such an early hour, but we have much to discuss with the others and a ceremony to set into motion. So, we decided to get an early start. As we round the corner to the infirmary, we hear Trent laughing loudly, followed by a femininelaugh I didn’t recognize. My gaze drifts to Dax, and I see a grin forming on his lips.
As we walk through the doors, though, I’m greeted by the smell of her too-sweet lilac perfume. The stench of it almost makes me gag as the door closes us in the room with it. My magic pulses at my fingertips once again in her presence. I can’t say that it’s only a coincidence because the feeling I get from it tells me to be cautious. There is something about her that makes my skin crawl, and it’s not just her incessant flirting with Dax, although I'm sure that’s a major part of it.
The sound of our approach causes Trent to spin around to face us and reveal two very awake, smiling female faces. Kait’s scarring looks a little better, somewhat less pink, but still, I can see the pain she carries in her eyes, and as our gazes meet, she presses her lips into a hard line, nodding to me. She knows I sense it. The other female I have yet to meet, well, since I forgot her… as weird as that sounds.
Before I even think of moving, the young girl, whom I know is Ella, hops down from the cot she sat on and runs toward us. She launches herself into Dax’s arms, and as they envelop each other in the purest love, Ella sobs into the curve of Dax’s neck. Trembling, as tears of relief flood her eyes and stain Dax’s tunic.
“It's okay, Ella. I’m here. We're all here, and it's going to be okay.” His voice muffles into her shoulder as he rubs up and down on her back soothingly. Trent comes up behind Ella and wraps both Dax and Ella in his arms as well. All three siblings bask in the glow of their reunion, and it brings tears to my eyes to witness.
I shift my gaze around the room, my eyes darting from one face to the next, starting to feel a little awkward. I stand alone, almostpushed into the corner when Miles comes to my side, bumping my shoulder with his. “You did this, you know,” he says to me, nodding towards the reunion. I know I played a role, but I didn’t act alone.
“We all did.” I bump my shoulder against his this time, and he smiles, then reaches up and brushes the tear that has escaped away.
I hear a gasp come from Ella, bringing my attention back to the Fornax-Ravendene siblings’ reunion. Ella stands at Trent’s side, staring at Dax and me with her hands covering her open mouth and her eyes wide in shock. Trent laughs raucously. I notice Kait joining the group, and she lets out a laugh of her own, her smile pulling at the scarred skin on the side of her face. They are all looking at me now.
“What?” I ask, making eye contact with Dax first, then shifting my gaze to each person in the room. Including the scarlet harlot. I don’t get a verbal response to my question. Instead, Ella launches herself at me, squealing in my ear. I laugh too, catching her in my arms and bumping my back against the wall from the momentum. My eyes reach Dax’s over her shoulder, and his smile is so wide and genuinely happy that it makes the hum in my chest swell, and his eyes heat to the golden embers of his raven.
“Well, as fun as this is, I just wanted to tell you all goodbye as I leave Loema today.” The harlot speaks, quickly sapping all of the joy I am feeling.
“Oh no, I’m devastated.” I deadpan, the words coming out a little louder than I anticipated. Kait openly laughs, Trent barely stifles his, and Dax just moves to my side placing a hand on my lower back as I place Ella back on her feet.
“Well, that was rude. If I didn’t know any better, Dax…” She places her hand on his arm. “I think your cute little girlfriend doesn’t like me much.” She nearly spits the words out. Dax doesn’t respond, but I don’t give him the opportunity.
“As we were at dinner before, and I was trying to be polite…I did not speak freely. However, in the here and now, I will. You are correct in your thoughts.” My power surges, tiny sparks of white coming from my fingertip’s subtlety. The others don’t notice, but I can sense Dax's tense beside me. Easing out of his embrace, I move toward Violet. Stopping only a foot or so away from her, I lower my voice, leaning my head to the side, and I size her up with my eyes. We are nearly the same height and probably would be the same had she not been wearing ridiculous heels.
“This cute littlemate…” I put emphasis on the word. “Will fucking rip your godsdamned hand off if it comes in contact with what is mine one more time.” I pause, staring her in the eyes, giving her an opportunity to respond. When she doesn't, I lower my voice a notch. “How’s that for rude?” I say blatantly and turn my back to her to add insult to injury.
Facing Dax, I smile wickedly, reach up, and push my hands into his hair. I lay claim for all to see. My heart hammers in my chest as my lips crash to his, and he pulls me into his embrace. When the kiss comes to a slow stop, he keeps me in his arms, but I turn to face the group.
“Dax and I are holding a mating ceremony this evening; we would like all of you to be there.” I turn to face the harlot. “Except you, I guess. Since you are leaving. Too bad, really.” I say, sarcasm dripping from every word. The look on her face is something primal. Her nostrils flare, and she freezes where she stands. I don'tmiss the balling of her fists, the red-painted tips digging into her palms, or the ticking in her jaw. Without another word, she finds her feet and storms out of the room, but not before knocking me in the shoulder as she goes. I laugh, pulling a growl of annoyance from her on the other side of the door as she flees the embarrassment. The click of her heels speeding up and then disappearing.
As I turn my gaze back to the room, Trent pummels me, and Dax steps away laughing. Trent hoists me up, his arms around my thighs, and spins me around before setting me down again and placing a kiss on my cheek. I laugh, hugging him in return.
“Welcome to the family, sis.” He says as he pulls me back at an arm’s length, his smile wide and warm.
Family.
When Trent releases me, Kait comes closer, squeezing my hand and leaning in close. “That was epic, and this asshole…” She waves her hand up and down, gesturing to all of Dax. “Deserves a woman who will fight for him like that, whether he will admit it or not.” She smiles at him, and he nods to her, meeting her smile with one of his own.
Trent rubs his hands together. “Let’s plan a mating ceremony!” Laughter breaks out throughout the room as we all make our way out to Maki’s library.
Chapter forty-two
The day flies by,and all the details of the ceremony are taken care of by Kait, Trent, and Maki for the most part. Dax, at one point, had enough of the constant questions of colors, foods, and flowers. He stormed out of the library and took flight right from the balcony. I knew he was just overwhelmed. Before he left, he told me he had something he needed to do before the ceremony.
I love seeing him fly; it makes me giddy thinking about the vision of my own wings. Trent told me it was good for him to be flying. He had not shifted much since his parent's death and refused to really use his magic because he was hiding his true power. He said he still doesn't understand how he managed for so long.He said if the truth of his power was known, the people of Ravendene would not have openly followed Cano. They believed Dax’s power to be snuffed out when his parents had died somehow. Trent doesn't think that is the case, though; he believes the people only followed what Dax wanted. The Fae of Ravendene knew it was not Dax's magic that was broken, but that it was his heart. No one questioned his decision.
While he was gone, Kait put me into a black dressing robe and styled my hair in loose curls that dusts the base of my spine. She places an intricate but delicate white gold crown on my nearly white hair. It sits loosely atop my head, with the center stone just above my hairline at the center of my forehead. A beautiful emerald with black and white diamonds on either side. The green stones matching my eyes.
“You know, I never thought this day would come for him.” Kait's words bring me out of my own thoughts. A chuckle makes her shoulders jump as she shakes her head. She places a box on the counter in front of me. “Trent spoke with Maki; they went into the Loema treasury looking for this. Dax… didn’t want any reminders of his parents after they died. This.” She pulls a necklace from the box, a delicate chain, and at the center, a black diamond pendant set into an eight-pointed star. “Was their mothers. Trent said that she wore it nearly every day. It was a gift given to her for her own bonding ceremony.” Her lips curl into a soft smile as she holds the necklace out for me to see in the palm of her hand. “Dax placed most of their parents' belongings in Maki’s care.”
My eyes meet hers as I brush my fingers over the beautiful piece of jewelry, emotion clouding my vision as my gaze drifts back up to Kait. “Thank you. I hope to honor her by wearing this. I wishboth of our parents were here to bless this bond. I didn’t realize that Dax’s parents were bonded too. My parents weren’t bonded by the gods, so they never had a bonding ceremony, but they were bonded in other ways, and their love was something I aspire to one day have,” I tell her. She lifts the necklace over my head, clasping it around my neck, and I rest my hand over the pendant. Memories begin flooding me of my own parents, and a tear carves a path down my cheek.
Dax and I have yet to tell anyone, including our friends and his family, the other part of what this ceremony will bring, and the thought of all of it is almost overwhelming. There is a knock at the door, and when I turn to face it, Trent walks in with a stunning white gown with silver and bronze embellishments sewn into the bodice and trailing down the flowy skirt. His wide smile shows the dimple that matches his brothers. “Dax just returned and is dressing in my room; he asked that I bring this to you.”
