With one final glance back at her, I bid her goodnight, then take off. As I fly through the forest, I cannot stop thinking of Ella, alone in the woods. I know she can take care of herself, and the combined magic of both myself and Eryl should keep her hidden, but I still worry for her.
I alight on my balcony and go straight to my bed. I collapse back onto the mattress and close my eyes as my thoughts turn again to Ella. She must fend for herself soon enough, but I can hardly bear the thought.
The other worry that keeps circling my mind is the fear that her stepmother will somehow find her, despite the concealment spell we’ve cast over her and the cottage. Witches can be powerful creatures and I do not know the extent of this one’s abilities.
The image of the torn flesh of Ella’s back flashes through my mind and that decides it. I cannot sleep and I do not wish to. Not without knowing for certain she is safe.
As quietly as I can, I take off from my balcony and head for the forest. I glance over my shoulder several times to make certain I have not been followed by a well-meaning guard watching out for my safety at the orders of my father.
Although I know it is not far, it feels like forever before I reach the cottage. When I open the door, I find Ella huddled before the fire and shivering. It is much later now than we normally stay out, and the temperature has dropped significantly. I knew humans were considered more fragile than Fae, but I’d never considered just how much.
She jerks upright, her eyes wide with fear as she turns to the door. She sighs heavily in relief when she realizes it is me.
“Thank goodness it’s just you, Ryvan.” She blinks several times. “What are you doing here? I thought you went home.”
“I—” I open my mouth to tell her that I could not stand the thought of her here alone, but instead, I offer a half-truth. “I could not sleep.”
“We can keep each other company, then.” She smiles. “I cannot sleep either.”
I move to her side and remove my tunic, draping it over her shoulders. I rub my hands over her shoulders and down her arms, trying to warm her. I’m pleased when she leans against me, nestling into my side. “I should have brought you a blanket,” I lament, inwardly cursing myself for not thinking of this before I returned to her.
Her eyes travel over my form, half nude now that I am without my tunic. “You are not cold?”
I shake my head. “It seems my people are able to withstand variations in temperature a bit more than yours.”
She laughs. “Fae are stronger than us, you can fly, you can see better in the dark, you have magic, and now I find out that you’re half polar bear as well.”
I arch a brow at her. “My people are in no way related to the bear shifters of the north, Ella.”
She grins. “I was just teasing you. Besides, I suppose I’ll be meeting some of those bear shifters soon when I go to Arnafell to start my new life.”
Her new life. The thought fills me with sadness. I do not want her to leave. Especially not to Arnafell. Now that I know she does not handle cold well, the north is no place for her.
She looks to me. “The bear shifters… do you know much about them?”
“I’ve only met a few,” I admit. “Their manners were… blunt, but they were honest people. Many of them take human mates. Or so I have heard.”
Even as the words leave my mouth, bitter jealousy rises within me at the thoughts of her in the arms of another man—bear shifter or otherwise.
Without thinking, I wrap my wing possessively around her, tugging her even closer to my side.
“So warm,” she murmurs as her fingers trace over the sail. “Your wings don’t feel anything like I imagined they would.”
Her statement makes me curious. “Is that bad?”
“No. They are strong and beautiful. The first time you wrapped them around me, I thought they would be rigid and… fragile because they are so similar to dragonfly wings. Instead, they have the consistency of leather.”
“Our wings are very strong and flexible,” I offer.
“And warm,” she adds, resting her head on my shoulder. “Your brother is kind. I always wanted at least one sibling, but my parents never got another chance before my mother fell ill.” A wistful smile crests her lips. “So, I’ve decided that when I marry, I would like a large family. At least four children.”
A deep ache centers in my chest at the thought of her taking another mate. I cannot bear the thought of her being mother to children who are not also my own. “Four is… a rather large number, according to my kind.”
She tips her head to the side to regard me. “Well, how many are normal for Fae families? How many children do you want?”
I stare deep into her sky-blue eyes. “As many as my bondmate will give me.”
Her expression turns serious. “Ryvan, if you want a family someday, why not search for a mate at the ball like your father wishes? You never know… perhaps your fated soulmate might be there.”
My heart constricts painfully in my chest. Ella is my soulmate. Of this, I am certain. However, I do not believe she feels the same for me. Besides, how can we be together? It is difficult enough that I am Fae and she is human, but I am not just Fae. I am Dark Fae.
Instead of telling her all this, however, I simply reply, “I do not want a bondmate. I value my freedom too much.”
She lowers her gaze, and I recognize disappointment in her features, though I do not understand why.
“What is wrong?”
She tips her head back up to me. “Do you believe in fate?”
“Yes,” I answer without hesitation. “Do your people believe in such things as well?”
“Some of us do. My mother did. She was a seer.” She pauses. “She told me something before she died. It was about my future and I—”
She stops abruptly as if unsure she wishes to continue.
“What did she say?” I ask, curious to know.
“She told me that on the night of my twenty-third birthday, I should go to the veil. She said I would find my destiny there… deep in the forest.” Her blue eyes meet mine. “That was the reason I went to the barrier the night that you found me, Ryvan.” A faint smile curves her mouth as she gently takes my hand in hers. “I believe we were destined to meet.”
My heart stops and then begins hammering as she stares up at me. I open my mouth to tell her about Oradon’s reading, but she continues.
“Maybe my mother knew I’d find you in the woods, Ryvan. Perhaps she knew that—”
A high-pitched screech sounds outside the window, and I still.
“What is that?” Ella whispers.
My nostrils flare as I scent the air. The smell of death and decay is heavy just beyond the cottage walls. Panic fills me as I recognize immediately what it is. “A griffin.”
She inhales sharply. “How do you know?”
A low growl rumbles my chest. “His scent.”
Carefully unwrapping my wings from around her, I stand and move toward the door. “Stay here, Ella. Whatever happens, do not come outside.”
She takes my hand. “Please, Ryvan. Do not go out there.”
I meet her gaze evenly. “I will be fine. I promise. You must trust me, Ella.”
“I have come for the girl,” a low and menacing voice calls through the door. “Give her to me and I will leave you alone, Fae.”
My pulse pounds in my ears. “And what if I refuse?”
“Then, I will kill you and take her anyway.”
A low growl escapes my throat as I open the door. Magic sparks across the tips of my fingers like lightning as I stare down my enemy.
Griffins are as dangerous as they are powerful. Its body is that of a lion but several times larger. Sharp talons rake across the ground as it stalks toward me. With the head and wings of an eagle, it stares at me with a piercing gaze, studying me like a predator closing in on its prey. I glare at him as I bare my fangs. “Why are you here?”
“The witch sent me to retrieve what is hers. Her magic could not find the girl, but my sharp eyes were able to see through your pitiful Fae enchantments. Now. Give her to me.”
Fierce protectiveness fills me; I will die before I let him touch her.
Violent, swirling energy threatens to consume me as I call forth the darkness that flows through my veins, conjuring the fire that burns deep in my soul.
The griffin’s eyes go wide as the fire licks across my skin, surrounding me in a shield of blue flame. “You are Dark Fae,” he breathes, only now realizing what it is that he has threatened.
Cold determination steels me as I summon the destructive power within. A glowing orb of fire grows between my palms, sparking with energy. My arms shake as I bend the darkness to my will. “I am your death,” I grit through my teeth. “If you dare try to take her, I will end you.”
A sharp inhalation of air behind me is Ella. I dare not turn back. I have seen my reflection when the darkness takes over. I am the monster of ancient Fae legend—the one that the humans have every right to fear. In my enemy’s eyes, mine reflect back at me feral and black. A snarl twists my lips as my fangs and claws extend into sharpened points.
The griffin lowers his head as if readying to charge past me to Ella.
“Give her to me,” he snarls. “Or face the wrath of the witch that summoned me.”
“You will not live to tell her what you have found,” I grind out. “Ella is mine and I will not allow you to touch her.”
In a blur of movement, he rushes toward me.
Lighting fast, I release the full might of my power, sending an orb of dark magic racing toward him.
He releases a high-pitched screech as the flame explodes against his body, engulfing him in a brilliant display of blue fire.
He writhes on the ground for a moment before recovering. His eyes full of rage as he rushes me again. I call forth my dark magic and energy erupts from my palms like bolts of lightning.
He twists away at the last moment and it misses him entirely. His taloned feet claw at the ground as he races toward me. I conjure more fire, but before I can send it spiraling toward him, he lifts his front paw and rakes his claws across my chest.
Blinding pain rips through me and I stumble back as he charges again.
Ella jumps in front of me as if to shield me, but with one swipe of his paw, he knocks her back. She goes flying to the side, hitting a nearby tree with a sickening thud.
Anger floods my system as I summon the wind. It swirls around him in a maelstrom of destruction, catching his wings and ripping him from the ground. I conjure fire and send it spiraling toward him in a raging inferno.
He releases a terror-filled cry as it engulfs his body, burning through feathers and fur and charring his flesh. The sound echoes through the forest, sparking dark memories.
In the back of my mind, the screams of a dozen dying men join his. Closing my eyes, I remember the raw pain and anguish I felt as I stared down at my mother’s body before unleashing the fury within.
An image of Ella surfaces in my thoughts. I have lost someone I love before, and I refuse to lose again. I will kill him for daring to harm her.
When the griffin finally stills, I gather my magic and then push him away, sending his body flying far from this place.
My limbs shake as I struggle to control the dark fire that still burns in my veins. I close my eyes, fighting against the madness that threatens to consume me. I curl my hands into fists, willing the magic within me to calm.
I pant heavily as the energy slowly ebbs from my body. When it is finally controlled and locked deep within, I turn to Ella and rush toward her.
I drop to my knees before her crumpled form and gather her in my arms. Her eyelids flutter open and closed as I run my hands over her form checking her for injury. “Ella!”
She reaches a trembling hand up to my bloodied chest where the griffin raked its talons across my skin. “Ryvan,” she whispers. “You are hurt.”
My heart clenches at her concern for me despite her own injuries. “I’m fine. What were you thinking, Ella?”
Her blue eyes search mine in concern. “I was afraid you would be hurt. I wanted to protect you.”
“Protect me?” I stare down at her incredulously. “Did you not see what I am? I am a monster, Ella.”
She shakes her head softly. “You’re not a monster, Ryvan. You saved me.”
I still at her words. “You are… not afraid of me?”
“Why would I be?”
“Because I am Dark Fae.” I glance down at my palms, remembering the powerful energy that flowed through them. “You saw what I am capable of. The destructive and dark magic that I carry within me. I—”
“It’s all right, Ryvan.” She cups my cheek. “I would never fear you.”
I search her eyes, unable to believe what I am hearing. But in their sky-blue depths, I see nothing but truth. She is not afraid of me. “You should,” I say darkly. “I am dangerous.”
Her warm hand takes mine. “Not to me.”
I shake my head in disbelief. “You do not understand. This is why I do not want a bondmate. This is why I cannot marry. I am dangerous. My father thinks that I can control it. He stubbornly insists that I bind myself to someone despite what I am.”
“But I know you, Ryvan.” She gives me a faint smile. “You are good and kind and—”
“No,” I state firmly. “You saw what I am and what I’m capable of. I am a monster.”
She opens her mouth to protest, but I interrupt. “Be still. I must heal you, Ella.”
Closing my eyes, I place one hand directly in the center of her chest and the other over her abdomen as I conjure the spell of healing. It is more difficult for me to heal than it is to destroy, but I bend the magic to my will and force it to do my bidding.
When I open my eyes, she stares up at me. “How do you feel?”
She smiles. “Better.”
“Good. I will take you to Luryndale tonight and secure room and board for you there until you are able to board the ship bound for Arnafell.”
“But the ball is tomorrow.”
“I already told you. That no longer matters.”
She squeezes my hand. “It matters to you. So, it matters to me.” Her gaze holds mine intently. “I want to fulfill my end of the bargain. I am your friend, Ryvan. And I will help you.”
I start to argue, but she places a finger to my lips, silencing me. “I will go with you to the ball and that’s that.”
Even though in my heart, I know I should refuse, I cannot. Once she leaves for Arnafell, I will never see her again. The thought it almost more than I can bear. I am weak and, despite knowing that it is safer for her to leave now, I cannot stand the idea of parting from her. “Fine,” I tell her. “If that is what you wish.”
She gives me a faint smile. “It is.” She pauses. “I’m afraid I will not be able to keep you company much longer. I am tired.”
“Then sleep, Ella.”
When I try to stand, she grips my forearm. “Please, stay.”
“You still want me to stay with you even after what you saw?”
She nods and lowers her gaze. “I know I will be on my own soon enough, but until then, I’d like to spend what little time I have left here with you.” She touches my face. “You are my… friend and I will miss you when I am gone.”
Sadness fills me. “I will miss you too.”
“Will you stay?” she asks, her eyes searching mine.
“Yes.”
She nestles against me. “Thank you, Ryvan.”
Emotions lodge in my throat, but I somehow manage to speak around them as she lays so trustingly against me and closes her eyes. “Goodnight, Ella.”
She risked her life for me this night and she does not fear my darkness. I have seen my appearance when I lose myself to the madness of my power. It is a fearsome sight to behold. Even my own father is unable to still the trembling of his form when he has witnessed it. And yet, Ella is unafraid. She trusts me even though she should not.
My heart clenches as I stare down at her sleeping form. Griffins are dangerous creatures. She could have been killed trying to save me. How is it that such a delicate and fragile human can be so brave where all others would cower? She may not be as strong as one of my people, but she has a heart of true bravery.
I listen as the sound of her breathing softens, and she drifts off to sleep. I send a silent prayer of thanks to the gods for sparing her this night, and then tighten my arms and wings around her. I wish that I could hold her like this forever.
