Chapter 8 - Deception
Nesrin
"I need to go to Caspian tomorrow." I casually threw out as everyone ate their dinner in silence.
The tension in our home was anything but calm since Imelda had left. It had been three weeks since she ran away. Ran away is the broad term of what she did since our mother refused to believe that all her children would blindside her like that and help our sister escape her arranged marriage from hell. Literally.
Or at least that's what she wanted us to believe, but I knew she was just hurt that she wasn't involved in her escape plan.
My mother arched a brow at me but didn't say a word as she took another bite of her roasted duck. I took her silence as my queue to continue talking.
"Garren is a friend of
Chapter 9 - PreparationNesrinI stared at the book before me. It had been two weeks since I stole this from Garren's private library. I had hoped that after translating it, we would be on the right path. But all hope of doing this the easy way, easy being abroad term, dwindled away with each page we translated.I let out a groan, rubbing my hands down my face. We had looked at this book for hours, and everything we had found brought us to the same conclusion. The only way to get his wolf back was to take the pendant back.In order to do that, we would have to go into the dark realm find the witch who took it. Once we found her, we either found some way to take it from her without her realizing, hoping we got away fast enough. Or, my stomach turned at the thought. We would have to kill h
Chapter 10 - Red HandedNesrin"Again," Apollo ordered. My breathing was becoming heavy as I worked through the motions. It had been two weeks since we started training.I swore that anytime I thought I was getting better and finally matched him, he would only begin going harder than before, leaving me out of breath, bruised, and exhausted even more than before.After the first sparing session ended smoothly, Damon knew he couldn't stop us from continuing. That being said, Damon insisted on being present for every session. But I could tell he had relaxed a bit as he had to leave early today but allowed us to continue and gain some extra training time.I was also surprised when he told me that he, in fact, had kept Apollo our secret and that even our grandfather didn't know anything about him or his past.
Chapter 11 - OversteppingNesrinI bit my lower lip nervously. I pushed myself off of my door, holding my head high as I sat down on my bed."Do my parents know you're here?" I asked."Of course they do. Unlike you, I let the people I plan to visit know of my arrival." His voice clipped. I held back the urge to flinch at how cold his voice was."I didn't mean to make you angry, but you weren't there, you with, Imelda. I didn't plan to have it this long," I said, looking down at the ground."What did you intend to do then? Because stealing from me is one sure way to make me angry, Nes. You know how dangerous it is to steal from a dragon." Garren bit out. Something abo
Chapter 12 - Lies Nesrin A soft knock at my door woke me up. I hadn't realized that I had fallen asleep in the tub. The water was now cold after what must have been a couple of hours of me soaking in it. "Who is it?" I yelled as I got out of the tub. I used my air magic to dry myself off before slipping on my night dress. It was light pink and made of the softest silk available in Gardenia. The top and bottom were trimmed with delicate lace. I grabbed my hair and twisted it into a messy top knot before pinning it in place. "It's just me," My mother's voice sounded from the other side. I let out a deep breath preparing myself for what was to come. I wasn't sure what Garren had told her. I had no idea what kind of storm I was a
Chapter 13 - BondedApolloI could feel the tension Nesrin was subconsciously sending through the bond. It was eating away at me slowly. Not only was she anxious, but I knew how exhausted she was. I knew she was on the verge of collapsing, and if she kept it up, I worried how much longer she would have.Nesrin had insisted on doing this alone, and I promised I would give her that, but now that I had, I couldn't stop the nagging feeling that kept telling me it was the wrong decision.I looked over at the twins as they slept soundly. Their chests rose at a steady pace. Their tiny hands formed into little fists and were now poking out of the little wraps we had put them in. I still couldn't believe we were blessed with two beautiful girls. I couldn't believe that with everything we had been through, we somehow managed to make it out alive.
Chapter 14 - DarknessApolloBalor let out a grunt before moving back to his side of the table. I sat across from him while Nesrin sat beside me. Her hand instantly found mine.The sparks of the bond calming both of our nerves are the faint sparks travelled up my arm."We didn't really understand it then. But our own personal hell started the night we left for the Dark realm five and a half years ago."*Five and a Half Years Ago*"Do we have everything?" Nesrin asked for the fourth time tonight as she looked over her pack one last time. I nodded as I grabbed the last of the herbs we needed to make a tonic to hide our presence once we entered the Dark realm. It wouldn't last forever, but it would at least give us the advantage for a coup
Chapter 15 - RotNesrinThe air was thick with fog as we were dropped into the dark realm. I cursed as I vowed to pay Weylyn back for these inconvenient landings through the Everlasting portals. Surely there had to be a way to not end up on our backs every time we were transported this way. I groaned as I sat up. Apollo was up before me, reaching out his hand to help me up with an amused smirk on his lips.And eery silence surrounding us along with rotting foliage. The trees were bare and brittle. The sky was grey, and the magic that greeted us was heavy. It stuck to you like sweat and made your hair stand on end. Everything in me was screaming at me to turn back. To run away and find safety, but I couldn't. We couldn't.A crow's caw in the distance made me jump. I felt Apollo's fingers tighten around my mine. I looke
Chapter 16 - CaptiveApolloI didn't protest when the guard grabbed me. My mind was only concerned with keeping Nesrin safe and away from all these bastards. I forced myself not to look at the bush that she was hiding in.The creature who captured me was destined to be cruel. Not because he was a guard in one of the darkest places we knew to exist but because of what he was.It didn't take a genius to know he was a vampire. Besides the obvious porcelain skin and undeniable allure, he seemed to have. His red eyes and how swift he moved would have been a dead giveaway for anyone.I just hoped I was enough of a distraction to prevent him from smelling Nesrin's blood or hearing her heartbeat. Because the only thing we couldn't protect ourselves against with this concealment potion was Va
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,"
Chapter 51 - RetributionDela"I'd say it's a pleasure to see you, Dela. But we both know that would be a lie. So I'll say this instead," Balthazar muttered. His face was void of all emotion as he stared at me. He was trying to intimidate, make me cower before him. Balthazar hoped that the years of torture had made me weak and easy to manipulate.But I knew better. He knew that once I got out of here, the only way he could defeat me was to kill the Queen of all realms. Something he would never do. Not when it could cost him the affections of his precious little trophy wife.At first, I wanted nothing more than to destroy Athena for trapping me in the pits of the Underworld. But thanks to her little deal, I was now tied to her life. What she thought to be an eternity of misery for me was now about to be the reason why I reclaimed my rightful place in the Kingdom of Gardenia. "Surrender now, and I will reduc
Chapter 50 - OblivionNesrinI couldn't sleep; not knowing when I would be summoned to the Underworld kept my mind anxious. The ache my scars seemed to be giving me lately made it impossible to get comfortable either way.I heard a loud yell followed by a female scream echoing down the hall from Balor's room. I jumped from my bed and raced to the door. "Stay with the girls," I said as I heard Apollo follow after me. I ran out into the hallway before he could answer. I rushed towards Balor's door; vines and a strong ward encased the door, making it impossible for me to get past it. I banged on the door as hard as I could. "Balor, Reyna," I shouted as I banged my fist against the door harder."Balor," Reyna's voice pleaded. My heart hammered against my chest. Was this it? Did Dela want Balor here so she could kill off my family one by one? Balor rambled on through th
Chapter 49 - InsanityLir I was going to rip the King's throat out when I got a chance. Not that he even deserved the fucking title. My father fucked up when he hooked up with some dumb bitch he met in his meetings with the Dark Queens council. They created that abomination, and he had somehow slithered his way to the top after his mother managed to kill my father and make it look like some fucked up accident. But you reap what you sow, and she was his karma wrapped up in perfect curves, a pound of makeup and blonde hair that was as fake as her personality. And now, I would be the one who took back what she and my father stole from me long ago.The fact that I was stuck down here to be punished for betraying the crown was a joke in itself. He said I was too good to be killed, the best Commander they had. Despite who I was and how I got to this point. The bastard would keep me here starved for a few months in hopes I would learn my