Page 76 of One Last Promise
“I think we shouldbothhave a little more wine,” he whispered, stroking my hair as I clung to him.This time, I agreed, nodding as I wiped my tear stained face.“Perhaps alargeglass each?”Giving him a half smile, I took my seat again.
“Do you think her body might still be trapped under a boulder?”I asked, watching him fill my wine glass right to the top.
“No, we moved all the remaining boulders when we collected our dead.Your priests had already retrieved your noble dead.Our scouts had a confrontation with one of your priests.That was how we learnt of Duska’s death.Only one out offifteenof them returned.Whatever happened to your mother’s body, your father and the priests probably know about it.”The confrontation had to have been with Uri.He was the most powerful.“I’m sorry I can’t give you any answers, and I’m sorry for your mother’s death.If there was a way I could track down time and erase it all, believe me, I would.Knowing the pain I have caused you...it eats away at me.My soul is dark, Alora.I have donemanythings I regret, but Duska was my biggest mistake.You don’t need to tell me what a monster I’ve become.I can see it in your eyes.Trust me when I say that I have theworstpunishment because I know I’ve lostyou.”
“Was I ever really yours in the first place?”I whispered, looking out towards his large balcony.The Dylin princess and the Noxlin prince.That was a love so forbidden that it might crack the universe.“Can I have a look outside?”
“Be my guest,” Darce sighed, gesturing to the large, black, marble doors that stood open.“Having you here in my bedchamber feels a little surreal.Where do we stand now, Alora?”
“Honestly, I’m not sure.”Getting up, I slowly made my way to the balcony doors.I could make out the clear night sky, twinkling with so many stars.It reminded me of the light in Darce’s eyes.“Everything feels too raw, like an old wound that has reopened.I’m so confused by the contradicting stories.Why would my father lie?”
Standing up, Darce followed me to his balcony.“Isn’t it obvious?”he asked, pulling the thin, translucent curtain to give me the full view of Eallarim.“He’s fabricating the story to make your fury at us stronger.I’ve told you plenty of times, we do not wish to be at war with you.Every time we’ve reacted, it’s been self defence.”
My mouth fell open at the view in front of me.This place was not the uncivilised hovel my kind believed it to be.A beautiful, candlelit city lay before me.Even in the darkness, the light of the moons caressed the buildings that were scattered below me.
The Noxlin palace wasn’t as high up as the palace in Dallethas.I could almost make out all the Noxlin going about their business on the cobbled streets.Lanterns lined the paths, and further out in the distance, grand gothic towers rose high into the sky.It all looked so civilised.
“Darce...”I was breathless.“Your city isbeautiful.”
“What were you expecting from what you’ve been taught about Eallarim?”
“Honestly, I was expecting you all to live in a cave.This...”I was still trying to take it all in.“The way the moonlight glides across the city, the stars...I don’t know where to look first.”
“I would love to show you my city, Alora.If you ever wanted to come back after this, that is.”His fingertips glided down my arm, making me turn to face him.“We better head back in, unless I change your appearance again so we can stay out a little longer?”
“Change my appearance.I’m not ready to leave yet.”Something in my heart told me I wasn’t talking about standing on his balcony, either.His confession had diffused a little of my hatred.Darce may have helped cause my mother’s death, but it hadn’t been entirely his fault.Feeling his dark magic caress my body as he changed me back into dark Noxlin features, I held in a groan.His magic wasn’t too unlike how his soft shadows felt when he was bringing me to climax.
“You can stay as long as you wish,” Darce whispered, brushing my hair behind my shoulder with his hand.His fingers lingered on the bottom of my neck, sending shivers of pleasure down my spine.“Forever, if that is even possible.”
“After I allow you to take me back home, I...I...think I would like to come back.To learn about Eallarim for myself, with your guidance, of course.”
“The thought that you would even allow me to try and redeem myself...”Darce stopped, taking my hands in his.“I am still that same male from The Shielding Valley.I know you can’t see him right now, but I would give anything to have you look at me the way you used to.”
“Whatever was between us is impossible now.”
“Don’t say that.”Pulling me towards him, his hand cupped my face.“It pains me that you can give up on us so easily.”
“Darce, you’re theNoxlin princeand I’m theDylin princess.Our dynamics were difficult without our royal bloodlines in the equation.Each of our races’ bloodlines end with us.It doesn’t matter how we feel about each other.We both have our duties.I want to rule over my kind one day.Surely you desire the same thing.”
“I’m not sure what I want these days.”As he traced my lips with his thumb, I tried to fight the pull between us.“All I want to do right now is kiss these lips.”
“Please don’t,” I whispered.Kissing him would weaken me.It would make me feel things I wasn’t ready to deal with.
“Alora, the night I met you...”Darce stopped, seeming as if he was lost for words.“I knew you were going to be there.Not you specifically, but someone.”
“What do you mean?”
“The wisp guided me to you.”The wisp had visited himbeforeme!
“What did it tell you?”
“To go and protect mydestiny.I have to admit, when I saw you and realised you were Dylin, I was a little taken aback.”Darce shook his head, chuckling a little at the memory.“The fire twins had been so cryptic when they had shared their vision about you half a millennium ago, that I barely knew what I was looking for.I knew the wisp was going to be involved with our first meeting.Of course, the moment you jumped down from that tree and removed your hood, I knew.It hit me like a bolt of lightning.Gazing at you for the first time, I had never seen anything so beautiful.”
“B...but you hated me on that pilgrimage.”
“Ummm, no, Starshine.You hatedme.I was simply giving you a taste of your own shitty attitude.You have to admit, you were a spoiled brat until I educated you.”
“Asshole,” I mumbled under my breath.A small smirk played on his face.“Who are the fire twins?”Were they seers like Uri?
