Page 31 of A Kiss of Embers
How was it she’d managed to capture the one fae who hated his leaders as much as she did? Either every Forest Fae harbored a secret hatred, or his was a special case.
As if feeling her gaze on him, Bastien glanced over his shoulder and nodded toward the ground. “You should sleep.”
“And let you sneak off? Not a chance.”
She crossed her arms as she surveyed him up and down. The Sun Fae clothing he dressed in looked nothing like his former Attleglade uniform. Instead of white and light brown, he wore a dark blue vest over a white tunic that might have been loose in the sleeves on another man. But on him, the fabric was straining at the seams. His dark brown trousers fit near to perfection, but her gaze tried not to linger too long.
As for herself, she now wore a spare set of clothing she’d stored away in her enchanted pouch, a similar v-neck and thigh-slit style to her last outfit, but this one was a deep red in color. Like blood.
In all honesty, she wanted Bastien out of his old clothing as they entered Ember Fae territory. Dressed as a patrol guard, he would be killed on sight. But the half of his blood that made him a Sun Fae might protect him should they be discovered.Ifher people didn’t make an immediate connection that he was also a Forest Fae.
However, the shape of his ears gave him away. No matter what she dressed him in, she feared he was still in danger of an immediate skewering.
Slowly, as if to keep her from leaping into action, he reached for the strap on her thigh and slipped one of her daggers out of its sheath. She inhaled sharply as he cut his palm just deep enough to draw blood. “On my life, I swear to you, Seraphina Nova, that I will not run unless you run with me. I will not stay unless you stay with me. Until you release me from my oath, I am bound to you. This, I promise.”
Her only response was to gape. “Why would you swear a blood oath to me? I am your enemy.”
“But I don’t want you to be. I know how important it is to get Pri back safe and unharmed. If I can help you do it, I will.”
Emotion clogged her throat as she stared back at him, and she didn’t flinch away when he picked up her hand and drew blood from her palm with her knife. Though, she couldn’t help but wince at the sharp burn of accompanying pain.
He softly cradled her hand in his, gazing at her expectantly.
She wanted to trust him. She truly did. But years of contempt and heartache prevented her from pushing him away, from declining his blood offer.
Finally, she nodded. “I accept your oath.” And then she scowled. “But I will still sleep with one eye open. Heed my warning.”
“Warning noted.” He laughed and dropped her hand before wiping his small injury on his trousers. He returned his attention to the fire as he rotated the spit to roast another side of their catch.
When it finished cooking, they split the meal and ate in silence. She couldn’t help but watch as Bastien’s ears twitched slightly at every sound. Despite his carefree demeanor, she saw past the carelessness and instead noticed his focused expression, the way he crouched on the balls of his feet as if ready to spring into action at any moment, how his gaze slowly scanned the area every other minute.
Although he had no weapons on his person, he was ready to fight.
“Soooo…” Bastien said slowly as he held up his hands as if in a show of peace. “Pri truly is your daughter?” He grimaced. “I apologize. I’m not trying to sound judgemental in any way. But if you are twenty-five and she’s, what, twelve? Or is she really your sister?”
“Pri is eleven.”
“Ah.” He nodded, though confusion still lingered in his expression. He didn’t inquire further, and a part of her wanted to maintain the silence. But Bastien had confided in her about his father. And she found herself wanting to confide in him as well. Because she couldn’t tell anyone else. It was too dangerous. And she wanted to tellsomeone. Even if that someone was her enemy.
Her mind whirled with how to approach the topic. The situation was unique and filled with immense heartache and sorrow.
She stared into the flames with her arms wrapped around her knees, expression somber. “I got assaulted.”
His head shot up. “Pardon?”
She released a long breath, not daring to meet his eyes as she repeated herself. “I got assaulted. But I suppose I need to delve deeper into Ember Fae customs for you to understand how terrible that is.”
“It’s already terrible. You never should have had to go through that.”
With a shrug, she tightened her grip around her knees as she momentarily relived the fear, the devastation, the vileness of the act. “In my culture, the Ember Queen is literally the lifeblood of their people, the one person whose magic can keep them alive. There are three clans, and each used to fight mercilessly against another for a spot beside the queen. Eventually, it was agreed upon that a male from each clan would become the queen’s concubine.” She dropped one hand from her knee to absently drag her finger through the dirt. “After the three were chosen, each would go into the queen on the night of the full moon, and should she conceive, no one knew who the father was, therefore, strengthening the ties of the clans when each was considered the father. Until that night, the queen must remain untouched.” She finally raised her gaze to meet his eye. “Or die.”
Bastien pressed his lips together as he stared back at her with sympathy in his eyes, but he said nothing, allowing her to continue the tale.
“One of the leaders’ sons from the three clans decided he didn’t want to share in the next generation. He wanted to be King, not just a concubine. So, he assaulted me when I was only thirteen, just a girl barely become a woman.”
“Did your clan try to kill you after what happened?” he asked quietly.
She shook her head. The memories were terrible, and she tried to block them out, but it had been the worst day of her life. “That man was the first person I ever killed, and my mother helped me make it look like an accident to redirect the blame. The clan witch used her magic to place my child into my mother instead, to not only save my life but to protect my future position as Queen.” She paused to release another long breath filled with aching sadness. “My mother died in childbirth. I’ve helped raise my sister since.” Finally, the guilt of her actions crashed down on her, and her finger ceased its exploration through the dirt. “Pri doesn’t know the truth. I refuse to tell her until she is old enough to understand why we did what we did. Because she will be killed promptly after me should anyone find out, and the Ember Queen’s power will transfer to the next person in line. If you thought your people were cruel, the Forest Fae don’t hold a flame to what mine are capable of.”
