Page 12 of Moon Raven Rising
I only bring my lips away from his when the door to the kitchen is pushed open with too much force; it hits the wall, sending cookware to topple and crash to the floor. Trent and I both turn red-faced to the man darkening the doorway, looking far worse for wear than the last time I saw him.
“Sister, I need—” He looks at Trent, breathing deep, “our king and queen need our help.” Seven words—it’s all it takes to send my already imploding world spiraling.
“What’s happened?” Trent says through a clenched jaw. Alaric steps inside, dripping wet from the rainy night, and shuts the door as lightning strikes and thunder rolls through the castle.
“Soren Croix—He’s taken the queen and cursed the king to live suspended in shadows and his body to lay in a magically sealed tomb.” He says as he drops the hood of this cloak. His eyes jump from me to Trent, then back to me again. “I think I know how to save them, but I need your help.”
“Alaric,” Trent’s voice comes from behind me. A plea and demand with just one word.
“I’m so sorry. I failed everyone, but I came here to tell you what I know…” He lifts his chin as though it will help him stand straighter.
“What do you know? What do you mean? Are you ok? Soren took Dax and Raelle? Where is Kait?” I ask the series of questions with no breaths between them. My heart is pounding in my chest and as I step forward, taking my brother’s hand, his eyes meet mine…and I finally see him.
The dark circles under his eyes tell me enough to know his worry, and I nod my head. His barriers drop, and the brush of his magic washes over me like a familiar breeze, but before I accept what he’s trying to give me, I turn to look at Trent.
“Take my hand. I’m not sure this will work, but I want to try.” Trent looks down at my outstretched hand, confused; his brow dropped impossibly low, but he only hesitates a momentbefore wrapping his hand around mine. When I turn back to my brother, his bottom lip quivers just enough for me to notice. It breaks my heart to see him like this.
“Whatever it is, Ric, we are in this together.” I reach out with my other hand, and he looks down at it. He takes a deep breath before removing his glove and placing his calloused hand in mine. The magic takes hold of me instantly.
Flames billow out around me as dragon fire burns the trees and brush off the cliffside. It’s chaos. I can feel the confusion and turmoil within my brother as I live his memory. Ashes and smoke clog my throat, and the heat of the flames singe my nostrils as I take deep, wracking breaths. Raelle is in the distance looking out toward the sea, seemingly in a standoff with someone unseen.
My head whips in the other direction where Raskins surround Kait. The fissure in my—Alaric’s need is clear. Save one, or the other, not both. “FUCK!” he curses before his teeth grind and he begins running in Kait’s direction with the assumption that Raelle is strong enough to fight on her own. At least until he can secure Kait’s safety.
He and Kait fight a long battle with the Raskins and defeat them all, but when the gold dust settles… they are surrounded.
“Get on your knees!” A guard from the center shouts. The other ten or more guards all have arrows aimed to kill if they don’t obey. Kait looks to Alaric with thankful eyes but does as she is told. Alaric rolls his shoulders, keeping eye contact with Kait. “Don’t relent! Go! Warn the others. Find Raelle! Protect Dax.”
“I’m not leaving you.” Alaric says stoically and shakes his head, ignoring the warnings being shouted from all directions.
“Leave. You should have left me! You are sworn to the Queen! Go! I…I’ll be fine. I am a warrior.” She raises her chin high, and while Alaric still shakes his head, he does look around franticfor another way. There is none. Through shared eyes, we lock our gaze with Kait.
“I will be back for you, little creature. There is no way I can live without your brand of venom in my veins.”
“You are insufferable! This is not the time, nor the place,” Kait exclaims, Time seems to slow in these moments, and as the soldiers begin to get closer, Kait’s eyes narrow at them. He laughs dryly, looking back out toward the men who surround them with his molars grinding into dust. “I will be back for you.” He says before he launches into the sky. Arrows are let loose the moment he does, many of them narrowly missing him as they whistle by.
When the iron shackles click on Kait’s wrists, the vision and his sight on Kait are gone. Clouded with smoke, the magic ripples.
We stand watching as Alaric approaches a fountain, then a black feather floats down into the water, but as the ripples appear, a searing pain explodes in my mind—my hand comes up, cupping my forehead, trying to staunch the pain.
The magic ripples and sputters out, Alaric sways on his feet, and just before he falls, he looks to my left, where Trent stands frozen.
“I’m sorry—I thought I was doing the right thing. I thought—I was wrong.” The last part comes out in a whisper as he collapses. I throw my air element out to catch him before he falls, and lower him to the ground as I close the distance between us and drop to his side.
“Oh, gods,” I beg, looking up to meet Trent’s eyes. My voice breaks as a sob breaks free. “Alaric? Alaric!”
Chapter twelve
Smoke curls around meas I pull it from the pipe and let the vapor fill my lungs, relishing the burn as it fills them. When I finally release it slowly through my nose, my eyes roll open, and I look around the flame-lit room. I let the lingering bitterness fill my senses before I bring the bourbon to my lips and send the heat from the alcohol to my belly. A smile curls my lips at the corner as I watch the flames in the hearth dance. My gaze wanders to where Thames now sleeps in the crumpled sheets of my bed. Thoroughly fucked—andfinallyquiet. The reminder of how much she sometimes annoys me makes my jaw clench.
During times like these, I miss being alone. I miss the peace the silence of it brings, but the time for silence is over. I’ve never been one to want peace anyway. In the morning, I will claim the kingdom as mine. Every Fae in Aldramani will be under my rule, and with the backing of Valeska, I will finally be able to take my seat as king. Any uprising there will be moot with thatkind of support. And to think… Travis was content with onlyleadingRavendene. The fool. True leaders know that to truly have power, you have to take it.Demand it.
I hear the light tapping of footsteps outside the door, and I narrow my eyes at whoever is beyond it. The hour is late, and much of the castle should be sleeping. Pushing from the chair I occupy, I amble to the door and wrench it open with my lip curled back in frustration. A handmaid jumps with a stack of linens in her arms. A startled cry muffled by her quickly pinched lips. She bends as low as her arm full will allow.
“Lord Croix, I’m so sorry. I did not mean to disturb you.” Her breathing is erratic, and I can nearly see her pulse pounding. Narrowing my eyes to slits, I look her up and down.
“What are you doing in this wing? The serving staff were dismissed hours ago.” I demand.
“I only meant to bring the lady in the tower more bed linens.” She says quietly, her eyes trained on my boots as she waits for my dismissal, and concern pushes her brows to peak in the center of her face as I take a step forward into the hallway with her.
