Chapter 9 - Confessions Damon I walked into the council room, the conversation already underway without me. The voices grew louder as they continued their heated argument. I took my seat, my father's jaw tensing as he stared down Lord Folic, the elder refusing to back down from old traditions. I would never understand how my mother dealt with him all these years. Once I was crowned King, I was bagging the old bat. "He said it himself. He will marry the suitor who captured his attention the most. I thought we all agreed with-" "No, you all forced your opinions and refused any other option." My father snapped. Normally I would have let the bickering continue, but I had things to do, and being here kept me from them. My body was still heavy from whatever magic was placed on me after my ring was taken. The irritation from not remembering the events of last night weighed heavily on my shoulders, along with not knowing who was behind all of it.To say my patience was thinning would be
Chapter 10 - FearAlora Most fae wouldn't show fear, not unless they were weak-minded. But my mother terrified me, and I couldn't help but feel nervous as I approached her throne room. No matter how many times I walked down this hall, it always felt like the walls were closing in on me.I knew my mother loved me; she showed it to me through worrying about my safety. Showing extreme kindness like hugs and affection would only put me at risk. So instead, she taught me how to fight, use my magic and hold myself accountable for my mistakes. It worked. I was the best thief around because I had mastered my magic. I had taken my punishments without argument. I had overcome most of my night terrors, but sometimes I wondered what it would have been like to show slight weakness. What it would have been like to get a hug when I cried instead of being locked away in one of her mental prisons for showing emotion.She always said it was for my own good, but sometimes I wondered if she was wrong.
Chapter 11 - TrustAlora I looked over at Helga and then the fae male standing in the entranceway. His words caught both of us off guard. I reached for my magic, preparing to fight our way out of here. "I assure you that wouldn't be a good idea, Alora." His voice was calm but full of warning. My eyes widened slightly before I steeled my expression. Helga's hand gripped my thigh. Letting me know she was ready to attack if need be. How did he know my name?Did we say it to the guard at the door?No, we definitely didn't. I'd remember that. Which only begged the question. How did he know I would be here? Did he work for my mother? What if he didn't work for her? Then someone else knew who I was. All the dangers my mother warned me about started circling my mind. I let out a slow breath trying to get a handle on my nerves. I arched a brow, slipping into the role of the clueless human."I don't know what you're talking about," I said.Of course, I couldn't lie a fae curse, but I had
Chapter 12 - MessageDamon I walked back into my office. Lir, Kier, Balthazar and now Drabek sat on my two lounge couches across from one another. Apollo stood, arms folded across his chest as he leaned against my desk. A grim expression on his face. He knew the truth about me now; his eyes, violet eyes, said it all. I quickly looked away from him, focusing my gaze on Drabek.I had only met the nightcrawler a few times before, but we hit off quickly. His snake-like eyes were always watching, calculating. He was always overly alert, as if preparing for an attack that could happen at any given moment. His visits were rare, but he made the most of them.He stayed for a week after my mother died, and just like the others, we clicked. Even though he mostly spent his time with Apollo, Nesrin, and the others. The five of them discussed things that had happened in the dark and fae realm. Things that even I still knew nothing about, but I understood that they went through something together,
Chapter 13 - UneaseAloraWe sat silently for a moment, Balor staring us down from behind his black glass top desk, his mate, Reyna, on his lap. The dull thud of the music playing below us was the only noise filling the silence. Helga shifted in the chair beside me, both our magic on the defensive, ready to strike at a moment's notice. This was a game of wits, and I wasn't going to be the first to break. So I put on the mask I wore the best—the pirate who didn't care about others' opinions. Who was fearless and the captain of one of the best ships around. I relaxed my shoulders and let a bored expression take over my face. "You know, telling someone no harm is to come to them and then saying you will kill them if they piss you off doesn't do well for one's nerves, Prince," Reyna laughed. Amusement filled his Sapphire eyes, a smirk tipping up the corner of his lip.It was strange how different Balor looked compared to his brother. But they had similarities I could pick out, like th
Chapter 14 - MindgamesDamonWe stepped through the portal into the human realm. A guard greeted us as we entered. One of the wolves from the Bloodstone pack sat patiently beside him, waiting, only moving to stand as the last of us stepped through the portal. "They're expecting us," Lir stated, taking in the brown wolf before us. "It would appear so," Balthazar mused. "Balor must have informed them," I said."Which means we are heading towards some direction. Whether it's the right one or not is still up for debate." Apollo let out a laugh earning a glare from me. He shrugged his shoulders. "What? It's Balor. There is really no telling with him."He wasn't wrong. I turned my attention to the wolf in front of me, not bothering to give Apollo an answer. "We are here to see Balor," I said through the Link. "The Alpha isn't here, Prince Damon. But he has given us orders to get you ready before sending you to his headquarters in Vancouver." I let out an annoyed sigh. The others looked
Chapter 14 - New courseDamonBalor was up a second later; vines wrapped around my ankles and held me in place. I let out a frustrated growl as I pulled against his restraints—a cocky little smirk formed on his face as he watched me struggle against his magic. I used my magic to conjure up ice and slice through the vines. But just as soon as I cut through them, more appeared in their place. I went for them again, and he laughed as he leaned back on his desk, folding his arms across his chest and his ankles crossed like this was just a regular Tuesday for him. Cocky prick. "You done?" He asked, his brow arched.I closed my eyes and let out a deep breath. I opened them, focusing on Balor. The amusement was now gone from his eyes as he seemed to be finished with his little game. I gritted my teeth, my jaw tense as I gave him a stiff nod. He pushed off his desk, pulling his magic away, and I took a step forward, moving for the chair in front of me, sinking into one of the chairs place
Chapter 15 - CorneredAloraI let out a heavy sigh as the door closed behind Damon. Balor was still sitting in his chair, his eyes still focused on the door, but I could tell his mind was elsewhere. I turned from the screen, looking at Helga and Reyna. We had all remained silent, watching the screen, listening as Balor told his Damon snippets about what he knew. I couldn't figure out why Balor had been so quick to betray his brother, and the thought of that made doubt bloom in my chest. Balor lied so easily, so what was to say he hadn't done the same to me. Maybe Reyna wasn't even his mate, and it was all a setup to trap me. He already knew my name and who I was, so maybe he figured out what I was too. The whirlwind of thoughts shot sent a shiver down my spine as I eyed Reyna carefully. She smelt like him, but because of her dress, I couldn't see a mate mark, and he didn't have one because she was human. I swallowed hard, my mind reeling with all the possibilities of what could ha
Epilogue Three weeks later Damon The pressure of the crown was building as Alora and I settled into our new roles. My father was no longer here to keep the council at bay with their demands. But despite it all, I had found that I enjoyed this new life I had been given. The new responsibilities allowed me even more control over the Kingdom than the Captain of the guards ever could. All be it; I did miss the battle prep and daily training. But I still found holes in my busy schedule to take Alora out to the training fields at least once a week. I knew that eventually, our routine would become steady, and we would have more time to relax, but new rulers came with change and to have change, you needed to vote on old and new laws to pass. Alora and I had already made some big changes, like incorporating technology from the human realm into our daily lives to allow us easier communication with other realms. But there were still a lot of issues with the old ways of running our Kingdom
Chapter 49 - To Love and Cherish ErikPeace was something that was talked about constantly. During wars, it was what we fought for. While ruling a Kingdom, it was what we strived to maintain. But I had never truly known peace until now. The thought of finally being ridden of this pain inside of me, knowing that soon I would be with my love once again, was freeing. The final night with my family started out slow, but it eventually picked up and ran right into the night. There was laughter and tears exchanged around the table as we shared stories of my past and everyone got a chance to say goodbye, getting the closer they needed.And as everyone turned in for the night, I found myself alone again; unable to sleep, I found myself outside. I stayed up looking out at the stars waiting for the sun to rise. I closed my eyes, letting the warm breeze brush across my skin, engraving it into my mind. "So you really are going to spend your last moments alive, sitting in a field of flowers like
Chapter 48 - GoodbyesErikI watched as the sun set beyond the forest, the oranges and pinks of the sky blending together as the sun bid it farewell. It had been a long time since I had nothing to do, no responsibilities with the crown or of the guards. I thought it might help me move on from the hell that the last year had been without Athena, but now I realize that was a stupid notion. It was lonely, and the weight of losing my mate weighed heavier on my heart now than it did while I still ruled.I kept as busy as a retired King could, helping Damon when he needed to seek council or helping Apollo if he needed a hand with training recruits, but I knew that they both didn't really need my help. They just didn't want me to feel left out. Apollo was a natural at his role, and so was Damon. Despite what Damon said when he first discovered he would be the next in line to inherit the throne. He took to it as a bird took to the sky. He was a born leader and shined when he was in control o
Chapter 47 - Home Alora It had been a month since I had been crowned Queen of Gardenia, the days seeming to slip away as the kingdom welcomed the summer solstice and our ruling.I was busy learning my new role, Damon's father and Grandfather helping ease us both into the important roles we both now held. However, it was easier having Helga by my side. I was happy to have her as my royal advisor, and Rachel had said she was a natural already. I knew she would be, though; she always loved to take control and never gave up the opportunity to tell someone off. It was also working in my favour because Lord folic was so busy fighting with her that he always missed out on voting for new laws or changes to existing rulings. Damon loved it, and it made the council meetings less gruelling. It was absurd how many times we had to have a council meeting. At least once a day, and most of the things brought up were trivial problems. By the end of the day, I was just happy to get some alone time
Chapter 46 - The CrownDamon It felt like an eternity had passed as I waited in the royal chambers with my father. It felt even longer when we exchanged goodbyes at the throne room, and I waited at the dais while he sat on his throne. Melody stood in front of my father, a smile stretched across her face, glowing brightly. The room was full of people, some from the council, others from royal families, friends, family, and people from our Kingdom. All watching and waiting for the ceremony to begin.I was in a black royal jacket that was made with silver threading, and our family crest stitched into my left breast pocket. The wolves were placed proudly amongst the roses and the sword that separated them as they howled at the moon. My silver crown was placed on my head, but that would be changed once mine and Alora's vows were complete and only after the mothers accepted us as the new King and Queen to signal the dawn of a new era. Drake stood to the right of me, his mate, my mother's
Chapter 45 - Long Live The Queen Damon "Again," I commanded as Alora worked to keep the wings she had summoned to remain on her back. She had learned quickly how to handle the phoenix flames since she had already worked with the fire element. But now came the hard part, only half shifting. I did it all the time, especially in battle, morphing my nails into claws and elongating my canines. But nothing about that was easy; it came with time and practice, but Alora wanted to have it mastered. With the coronation and our mate ceremony happening tomorrow, she wanted to be better at it. Not only to prove to the council and our people that she was a worthy Queen but also to herself. I didn't want to be the one to tell her to slow down, not after she had spent so much of her life ruled under someone else thumb. But I had warned her of the risks of exhaustion and told her that when I saw fit, we would end the training for the evening.Alora begrudgingly accepted my condition, and I kept tr
Chapter 44 - Worship AloraI flipped through the pages of the phoenix book the jinx family had kept for generations. There was so much to process, like what abilities I now possessed because of what I was. It made my head hurt; there was so much to learn, so much to figure out. I was now different than normal fae; I was now a shifter. But, unlike most shifting fae, my order didn't communicate with me. Instead, it was a part of me; we were one and the same. I would still live an immortal life, only having one enemy that could stop me from ever being reborn, permanently ending my life. A Basilisk. A venous snake shifter that, like me, was rare, most believed them to be extinct. But now that I existed, one would be born, if not already—the universe now having to find balance in all forms. It was mindblowing the things I had already read about. For example, I could enchant items with my flames, similar to everlasting fire. But unlike everlasting fire, I couldn't break wards or spells w
Chapter 43 - WarningDamonI sat at the dais, my legs hanging over the edge as I waited for Cedric to arrive with the artifacts Alora and I asked for. Balor was right when he said the Jinx family would bargain for their priceless information. The smug look on their faces was wiped away and replaced with wide gaping mouths as they stared at the amulet in shock.Diana had muttered a curse under her breath. One I was sure she wanted me to hear because she said it so close to me. But I bit my tongue as I handed over the amulet, not wanting to risk them being stingy with their end of the deal.Alora was waiting in the Library, looking over whatever other books Audra had found for her. Now that Alora had her dream magic again, she was more determined than ever to find out what else she was capable of doing. I couldn't help but admire her for her devotion and eagerness. I was still reeling in from the mind-blowing realization that not only was Alora a rare Pheonix shifter, but she was also
Chapter 42 - Full CircleAloraIt's funny how even after you have overcome your deepest fears that they can still creep up on you. That was how it felt right now, anyways, as we arrived at the Dream realm. It was a ghost town, everyone seeming to either vanish with my mother's magic or flee as soon as they were freed from their promise to her. The streets were quiet, the ports empty, and the palace looked haunted. The golden paint was already losing its shine and fading with the faded magic. The windows were dark and unwelcoming as we approached the not-so-gilded gate. It was now that I felt the fear of my mother creep up on me. The well of my fears bubbled in the pit of my stomach. For decades I walked through these gates and made my way to my mother's throne room to report my findings and give her the things she requested I steal. The motions all felt so familiar, but with Damon by my side, they also felt different. I knew he could sense my hesitation as we approached the giant w