Chapter 3 - Cursed
"Is he here yet?" I asked Imelda for the fifth time. She rolled her emerald eyes, shaking her head, a smile on her face as she did the last of the buttons on my dress.
She wore a white dress with intricate lace details on the bodice. It hugged every curve perfectly. She looked absolutely stunning and looked the exact opposite of me. If she was day, I was the night. The dress I wore was as black as the night sky. My dresses were altered not to reveal too much skin anymore. I couldn't stand the look on everyone's face when they looked at me, looked at my scars. The pity and grief in their eyes were already too much to handle as they stared at the scars on my face.
The laced sleeves allowed for airflow, and the dress's bodice hugged my breasts perfectly. The skirt was light and flowy as it fanned out to brush the floor.
"You weren't honestly expecting him to show up early, were you?" She laughed, and I couldn't help but crack a smile too. The nerves for tonight's events were eating away at me.
"You're right. If he's anything like before, he won't show up on time either." I teased, and we both started laughing again.
"That laughter I hear?" Balthazar mused as he stood in the doorway to my room. I turned to him, my smile widening. Of all the people I thought I would consider a friend. Balthazar was the last person I would have ever expected. He stepped up when it counted, and not only did he prove his love and loyalty to my sister but also my family.
He helped me when no one else could, and I would forever be grateful for him.
"Of course it is. We aren't all dead inside." Imelda teased, and I forced myself not to flinch at her words. But I knew Balthazar saw it. He saw everything. Knew everything, so keeping this secret from him had only been that more challenging.
"Ahh, is that it. Or perhaps it's just that you aren't as funny as you believe yourself to be, darling." He teased, giving me a wink, which earned him a swat from Imelda.
"You wouldn't know funny if it smacked you in the face." She scoffed. I bit back a laugh, turning towards the mirror once again. My onyx hair was done up in a bun. My hair was now streaked with white; more of it seemed to appear these days.
The scar across my left eye was still red and angry, despite the makeup I had applied to it; even glamour couldn't hide it.
"We should get to the dining hall; I'm sure everyone is waiting." I blurted out before Imelda and Balthazar could get into it.
Imelda clicked her tongue and narrowed her eyes at him before grabbing my arm and dragging me down the hall.
"Not funny. Can you believe it? I'm funny you think so, right?" She asked, and I just nodded in response, not wanting to offend her further because Balthazar wasn't entirely wrong. Imelda was horrible at telling jokes.
***
The party was in full swing. After Balor had arrived late and we all welcomed him home and introduced ourselves to his mate. We had dinner. Everything felt right, whole, again.
Reyna was a perfect match for Balor, and I was so happy for them both. The tension between him and Imelda had vanished entirely too, and he even was getting along with Balthazar.
My parents were thrilled to see him too. Everyone was happy, and I hated that I would be the one who ruined it.
The anxiety of everything took over, and I suddenly needed to catch my breath. Imelda, our mother, and Audra had dragged Reyna around the palace. They asked if I wanted to join, but I knew if I did, I wouldn't be able to do what I needed to.
I headed out to the hallway and down to the library. The garden was easier to access from there, and the moonflowers glowed beautifully at this time of year.
The warmth of the night air wrapped around me, and I felt my magic try to reach out in response but was too weak to do so. A shiver ran up my spine, and I pulled my arms tightly around me.
"Darkness is coming," a voice whispered in my ear, and I jumped, spinning around—my heart racing in my chest.
"Not if I can help it," I muttered under my breath. A dark faded laugh sounded from behind me. I spun around again, cursing myself for falling for the shadow's tricks.
"There is nothing you can do." The shades hissed.
"Nothing," A voice shouted in my ear, and I muffled my scream with my hand. Then, a cold hand gripped my shoulder, and I spun around in fear. My eyes looked around frantically. Fear consumed me, and I screamed before being pulled into a hard chest, warmth wrapping around me once again.
"I am here; you are safe. I will never let them hurt you." My senses came back, and I inhaled the familiar scent of strawberries.
"I thought you were them." I cried out, and he only held me tighter.
"You know you shouldn't be out in the dark alone. That's when they're at their strongest, Nes." He warned, and I nodded.
"I know, but I needed to clear my head before I go back in there," I pulled away and looked up at my mate.
"Why are you out here?"
"I knew you needed me." He placed a kiss on my forehead, and I sighed.
"Please stay in the room; I don't want anything to happen to you." I could see the reluctance in his face, but he knew why I needed to do this alone. So instead of arguing with me, he nodded.
"At least let me walk you back to the hall." I could hear the plea in his voice, and I knew he needed to know I got inside safely.
"Okay, but after that, straight to the room until I return."
"Of course, my love." He gave me a wide smile, one that revealed his dimples and took my breath away. my heart skip a beat.
EpilogueNesrin*One Year Later*The last year had gone by faster than I thought it would. Adjusting to a life without my mother was hard. Experiencing things without her was harder. She had always been around to talk. Her presence, all-knowing looks, and words of wisdom were always calming.She had sacrificed her life to protect us and our people, and it was something that would never be forgotten. But on the hard days, the days where she should have been celebrating with us, like today. They were the days that hurt the most, making it a little harder to smile and put on a brave face. Grief was a weird thing; it always seemed to sneak up on you. But today, we would honour her instead of grieve her, as she would have wanted us to be happy. Likewise, she would have wanted me to be happy and worry-free.Today was a special day, one that she would have loved to see, one she probably had seen in a vision. Today was the day I stood in front of the council members. In front of our friends
Chapter 56 - New BeginningsApolloThe ceremony was brutal. Hearing the families cry for their loved ones was heartbreaking. And watching Nesrin and her family say goodbye to Athena was even worse. The whole Kingdom came to say goodbye to the fallen. The bodies of the Fae who died were buried so they could return to the earth and be reborn. Their magic was then absorbed by the flowers and plant life that thrived in our realm, and their spirits returned to our Terra once again. The bodies of the werewolves and other beings were placed on pallets, and their bodies burned to release their spirits into the air so they could return to their creators.Once most of the families had been consoled by the royal family. It was their turn to say goodbye to Athena. I stood by Nesrin the whole time as she said her goodbyes to her mother. Then, one by one, everyone took their turn to have a moment with her.Silas and Erik held i
Chapter 55 - ForgivenessNesrin Our kingdom wasn't the only place that felt the loss of our people—the loss of one of their leaders. The mothers mourned the fallen Queen too. The sky was grey when I woke from a night of restless sleep; the rain started as soon as my father stepped out onto the balcony of our palace, aplace where important matters were announced to the public.Our father addressed the Capital, releasing a final announcement confirming that our mother, the Queen of Gardenia, had died in battle. The whole realm felt the moment she passed, but he still needed to confirm it. The presence of her magic disappeared from our world. A loss that would be felt for generations to comeThe palace felt empty without our mother's presence. The whole thing still feels surreal. As if it had all just been one bad dream, and she was going to walk through the doors to our father's study any second. An
Chapter 54 - The Falling Of Two QueensNesrin I was trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake. I was forced to witness everything. From watching Dela use her powers to kill being after being that crossed her. There was so much bloodshed. She had instilled so much fear and chaos in such a short amount of time, she was void of all emotions. She was a true monster, and her time in the Underworld had helped further her bloodthirst.I wanted to vomit, and though time didn't exist while being trapped in my own mind. I knew only a few hours had passed because we hadn't even made it to the Fae realm yet. I dreaded it, but I hoped that the wards my mother put in place would be enough to buy them time. I hoped that Drabek was still alive and able to arrive to aid my family in time.But all the hope have them having more time was shattered as a knock sounded from the other side of the door."It's time," A muffled voice sounde
Chapter 53 - WarApolloThe whole field seemed to pause. Everyone looked over at one another. Erik looked at me with a questioning look on his face. Unease filled the air. I swallowed hard, unsure whether this was real or some mind game Dela had started. With her being able to project herself out of the Underworld undetected all those years. We were practically blind when it came to knowing her powers' true strength. Drabek took a tentative step towards us; the guards around us raised their swords in a warning. "You're alive," I said in disbelief. We had gone two years without knowing whether they had survived or not—two years of not knowing whether we needed to mourn them."Well, I wouldn't say these two were ever really alive," Drabek teased, jerking his head towards Lir and Kier, who grunted in response. "I'm guessing these are friends of yours," Balthazar said. "I wouldn't ever be
Chapter 52 - Unexpected HelpApolloI felt the spell snap when Nesrin's presence disappeared from our realm. A strange feeling settled over me. Fear and anger were just a couple of the emotions I was feeling. Nesrin always risked everything to protect the people she cared about. Now it would be my turn to risk it all to save her.I left Audra with the girls and raced out to the dining hall. Everyone stopped talking, turning their attention towards me—confused expressions on their faces. "She's gone," I said, my heart pounding against my chest. Balor was the first to stand. "Who's gone, Apollo?" Damon asked, his brows pinched together. "Nesrin, Dela took her," I answered. A tense silence settled over the table. Balor slammed his hand against the table, making everyone jump. "Fucking, hell. I swear to the mothers that I will be the one who teaches that bitch a lesson,"