Page 72 of A Story of Sinners

Before I could ask, she rose and peered through the window. “The sun will be rising in minutes. It is best you be on your way, before the curse takes hold. You would regret staying any longer.”

We stood, but I refused to move towards the door, not when there were still too many unanswered questions. She shook her head and held up her fist, releasing a power that made the air swirl and gust with the voracity of a tornado.

The two of us were blown out the door.

Redmond landed on his backside, and Orella chuckled, smiling at the bewildered man. “I look forward to seeing you on the next full moon.”

She blew a kiss, and the door slammed shut, her entire house disappearing shortly after.

Normally, I would have been amused at the love-struck expression lining Redmond’s face, but instead, I was filled with dread. If what she said was true, then everything I’d ever known was a lie. I wasn’t fae, not entirely.

I was part shade too.

Chapter30

Dahlia

Time passed entirely too quickly now that I found myself enjoying each day. The seasons in the Dragon Lands swiftly changed from one of blooming flowers to one of hot, humid days, then finally settling on chill air and leaves of red, orange, yellow, and brown. The cool air of fall prickled my skin as I ventured into the training grounds, ignoring the morning sparring sessions around me. I plucked a deadened leaf from the ground and examined its crinkling edges.

It seemed like summer had only started yesterday, and still, the ache in my heart hadn’t lessened as much as I hoped.

The Dragon Lands and the central kingdom were the only spots in Faerie to experience seasonal weather, though Faerie held an almost matching alignment with the outside continent. The spring court maintained a land of blooming flowers, whist the summer court experienced bright sun and long days. The winter court remained frigid no matter the time of year, and the fall court always remained cool. Maybe the central kingdom and Dragon Lands experienced the changes thanks to their medial location inside of Faerie, maybe not. It was odd, to say the least, but I’d learned that nothing was ever logical in Faerie. Everything between the seasons, the sun, and the moon rotated on the axis of some deep-rooted magic.

The tomes in the Dragon Lands archives told of a time where Faerie had existed in another land, another world entirely. Despite its merging with the world I knew, it still seemed as if it were a completely different world—so close, yet so far from mine.

I loved this world, more than I could have possibly imagined. The Dragon Lands had somehow become my shelter in a storm; the thought of ever being forced to leave filled me with dread.

A new routine had found me, along with new friends and a deep sense of comfort and safety. Mornings were spent either on physical or magical training, and the afternoons consisted of time with friends or moments soaring around the land on the back of a dragon—Fin’s father, Lord August. Many of the residents were shocked that the old dragon allowed me on his back, as he was known to be strict and unyielding, but I didn’t see him that way. The male was nothing less than endearing, and he never failed to put a smile on my face. He reminded me so much of Redmond.

It was true what they said about dragons: they hoarded precious metals and rare gems, like a bear with honey, and Lord August never failed to share those precious gems with me. I had a large collection stashed away in my room, and no idea what to do with them.

A blow to the legs sent me sprawling to the ground, the leaf in my hand fluttering away on an invisible wind. I braced myself and rolled away from my unknown attacker.

My lack of awareness would be my downfall.

While my mind had been absorbed with the changing tides of the Dragon Lands, Kathryn’s husband, Gregor, had taken advantage of my momentary distraction, appearing from what seemed like thin air to swipe me with his weapon of choice—the star staff, a long wooden weapon roughly my height. He attacked again, and I clawed my way across the sandpit to grab a weapon of my own—a wooden sword.

No one trusted me with a real one.

Gregor was a stern man—a mage with the elemental ability to control water, the preset magical touch to cast spells, and above all else, a fighter trained in an ancient method of martial arts. I wasn’t supposed to partake in physical training today, but the man loved to plan sneak attacks and keep his students on their toes.

I drew my wooden sword as he approached and braced myself. Gregor feigned an attack to my left, so I moved right, directly into his fist. I fell to my knees with a groan, then thrust the wooden sword between his legs. The ensuing scream that tore from his throat was well deserved.

I laughed as he fell to the ground.

Students in the sand pit parted as Eulalia made her way through. “That’s enough fighting for the both of you.” She pointed her finger at me. “You are not supposed to do physical training today after last night’s drinking session.” I lowered my head with apology, trying to appear bashful. He attacked me first.

“You.” Eulalia shifted her gaze to Gregor. “Kathryn and Isadora want to go shopping, and you have a baby to watch.”

Gregor rose, dusting sand from his leather trousers, grumbling as if he had no desire to watch his child, but I didn’t miss the spark of excitement in his eyes. That man loved Kathryn and their baby more than anything, and Kathryn had become an entirely different person within the freedom of the Dragon Lands. So had her sister, Isadora.

There was something to be said for what safety and shelter could do to one’s sense of prosperity. After a life spent running, the witches could finally breathe.

Though my experiences greatly differed from theirs, I felt the change too; the way calm, routine, and freedom could make one feel settled. I felt content and at peace.

Or, at least, as content as a rejected mate could manage. Ryken still hung over my head, as well as the lack of answers on who I was. My secrets remained buried away beneath the dirt, likely submerged forever. Still, a part of me didn’t need those answers anymore. It didn’t matter what I was or who my father was—all that mattered was the here and now.

I was willing to let those things go, even if it meant living a life of celibacy. A life of relative contentment was enough, after everything that had transpired in my twenty-four years.

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