Curse of the Cruel and Lovely : Allied Kingdoms Academy 3 Read online

  “Yes,” we said at once. He smiled and so did I. I was giddy, ready to jump into his arms.

  The tattoos on my forearms vanished along with Astaroth’s claim.

  “Now repeat after me: Endo, miana, bindeshka.”

  We did. I felt my magic swirling around us, moving into him and his power melting into me. It was foreign from mine, masculine somehow. I wasn’t sure if it was coming from his stone or him. Did he have magic inside him he didn’t even know about? Did combining with mine bring out something new? His eyes even appeared lighter in the moonlight.

  “Now, seal it with a kiss,” Aenea said.

  Zyacus wrapped an arm around my low back and pulled me against him. Our lips collided. The silver-glittering magic circled around our bodies and then burst into nothing.

  “It is done.”

  Holy unicorn, I just married the Crown Prince of Hesstia.

  26

  Zyacus

  My entire body buzzed with an energy I’d never experienced, and it wasn’t from the kiss, although that was good. Nor was it simply the anticipation of what a wedding night entailed, well, maybe that was part of it. It was the magic now in me. Before, when I pulled magic from stone it would quickly zip through me but never had I felt the hum, the warmth, the chill, the vibrancy of power coursing through me without performing a spell. Had some of Visteal’s power somehow transitioned into me? The sheer strength of it when it first hit nearly brought me to my knees. It coursed through me and then subsided some but a piece of it remained. If that’s what she felt all the time… she was the sun, burning and fury, and I was but the moon, a reflection of her light. Her ability to keep control amazed me further.

  The clapping and whistles from Taz and Aric made me pull back from our kiss. I just married the Princess of Delhoon. Her bright smile soothed me and excited me. I swept her off her feet and she giggled, wrapping her arms around my neck.

  “For privacy,” Aenea began, “you can go to my home. No one is there now. I assume with your power you can get yourself there.”

  “I’ll need a map. I have to be able to see it first,” Visteal answered.

  Pulling a folded paper from inside her coat, she opened it up. The castle dominated most of the map but not far a house was circled. It was probably fifty miles from here.

  “Well, I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time so see you boys later,” I said and winked at Vis. “Thank you, Aenea.”

  Aenea smiled with a nod. “You make a magnificent couple.”

  Taz chuckled. “You better treat her good, Prince.”

  “Never will she have ever been treated so good.”

  Visteal whacked my chest. “Stop, you’re embarrassing me.”

  Everyone laughed. Aric smirked and said, “I can’t wait to see the look on your father’s face when we get back. Have fun.”

  Gideon rolled his eyes at it all and disappeared back inside.

  Pixie clapped wildly. “Prince boom boom with bootiful girl.”

  I burst into laughter and using my newfound power as well as pulling from the stone, I took us to that house. We appeared inside a large open room. The only light came from the moon that shined through windows. With a wiggle of her fingers the candles came to life with orange flame. It was a sitting room with chairs and a white fur rug. To the right was a huge stone fireplace with a painting of Aenea beside a man above it. Pictured beside them were twin baby boys.

  “Let’s find a bedroom, shall we Mrs. Hawkins.” Still holding her, I wandered up a set of stairs.

  “I can’t believe we actually did it,” Vis said with a quick kiss on my cheek. “The tattoos are gone, did you see?”

  “I did.” My foot pushed open the door to the first room at the top of the stairs. The candles were already lit, revealing a large bed. I didn’t care what else was in the room. Fancy decor meant nothing. My body was an inferno of desire. The moment our palms touched and our blood and magic mixed, a ferocious need for her filled me. The fireplace roared to life with my command.

  I set her feet on the ground. “I love you,” I whispered because anything louder would have been too much. She was a goddess who’d ensnared me.

  “I love you more.” She smiled as she pulled her hair loose from the braided crown. Her fingers slowly worked through the strands until they hung loosely to her waist.

  Turning her back to me, she held her hair aside. “Help me with the buttons, my husband?” her voice had a husky tone I’d never heard before.

  “I like when you call me that.” It made me hunger for her more. With trembling hands, I pulled at each button. I could have used my magic but the slow anticipation was better.

  The dress fell from her shoulders, revealing bare skin I couldn’t keep my lips from. I kissed the back of her neck, her collar bone and between her shoulder blades, she shuddered and goosebumps appeared on her flesh. Breathing heavy, she turned and slid her hands under my shirt, pulling it over my head. I picked her up, her legs wrapped around my waist and we tumbled onto the bed.

  The flames of her sun engulfed me and I’d never be the same again.

  Her fingers glided along my back as we lay tangled in each other’s arms. I rested the side of my face on her bare chest and enjoyed her caresses. “Do you think your father will kick my ass for marrying you without his permission?”

  Visteal laughed. “Under different circumstances certainly. But I think he’ll understand and be grateful. Can you imagine if we hadn’t?”

  “Do you feel different?” I asked. I worried that the ceremony weakened her to strengthen me.

  “I feel… like we could do that again and again and again and I’d still want more.”

  Quietly laughing, I lifted my head and looked into her eyes. My body was already reacting to her words. “I’m more than happy to indulge you. Although that wasn’t what I meant.” I pushed myself up and kissed her lips. “I didn’t take too much of your magic?”

  Her eyebrows pulled tighter. “You didn’t take any of my magic. But I felt yours. Our magic is connected and I felt it most when we, you know. You have magic in you. Either it was dormant before or wearing the magic stone kept it at bay. I wasn’t sure what to expect since I thought you were not magic-born. See when my mother would lose control of her magic, my father was able to help her wield it because of the marriage bond.”

  Interesting. “If she struggled, how do you control yours? It’s… wildly powerful.”

  Continuing to stroke my back she said, “I’ve used magic my entire life. My mother had hers bound until she was twenty and then it overwhelmed her. She had no experience with it. That is why she struggled so much. I don’t have complete control but enough that I’m not a danger if I keep it reigned in.”

  “Right,” I said, crashing down onto the pillow beside her. “The day my uncle was going to execute her and your grandparents, your mother’s magic exploded. People still talk about the day her magic took out the castle square.”

  “I’m sure it’s quite memorable since that’s the day my father also assassinated King Roland. The day that would start the second Hesstian and Delhoon war.”

  “Can you imagine if we’d been born a generation sooner, there is no way you and I would be together now.” I put my palm to the side of her face. “We would likely have tried to kill each other on a battlefield.”

  “It wouldn’t matter when I was born. I could never kill you, Zyacus. God would stay my hand. You and I were meant to be together.”

  Perhaps we were destined to be. I briefly wondered if it were her God or one of mine. We believed in different religions but I didn’t care who created us as long as we got to be together in the eternities. “You sure you didn’t want to off me on the first day at the academy? You certainly wanted to fight me.”

  With a quiet laugh, she said, “You insulted me. Did you expect anything different?”

  “Actually, it was the reaction I wanted.”

  “Oh, so you want to fight me?”

  I slid
my hand between her breasts and over to her hip pulling her closer. “It’s fun to get you riled up, my love.” I pulled her on top of me. “Now back to that indulging I promised.”

  When we got back to the Winter Court castle the room was empty. A note sat on one of the pillows. Visteal picked it up. “Dragon’s breath. Astaroth knows. He has Taz, Aric, and Gideon.”

  I grabbed the note out of her hand. It was written by Aenea. Astaroth came looking for Visteal. He felt his spell break during the marriage ceremony. He took your friends to the Night Court. I am with my father.

  Visteal grabbed my hand and took us directly into Bastian’s chambers. He and Aenea sat across from each other with a map on a desk between them. Aenea jumped up. “There was nothing I could do.”

  “Did he hurt them?” Visteal asked.

  Pixie flew over and stopped inches from my face. “He take boys. Wants to see you. Wants to hurt you. Must not go.”

  What she wouldn’t understand was that I had to go. I’d never leave Taz and Aric or even Gideon to be tortured by Nightfrost.

  Bastian slowly rose. “You’ll go to Summer Court and meet Astaroth’s forces on the battlefield. Even if he is bitter, he still wants the plan to continue forward.”

  Visteal shook her head. “I have to get my friends first.”

  Lifting his chin slightly, he said, “That’s what he wants you to do. So he can kill your prince... your new husband, out of spite. You should go to Summer Court.”

  “Then I’ll go alone. He won’t kill me.”

  My chest tightened. “No, you mustn’t go by yourself.” It would have hurt me deeply if anything happened to her before but now that we were bound together, it would destroy me to be without her. If she died... I would soon follow. “I have to make sure you’ll be alright. We’ll get them together.”

  “Zyacus, if he hurt you. I couldn’t stand it.”

  “I’m not a breakable doll.” She’d said that to me once, and I smiled at the memory. She narrowed her eyes at me but smiled too. “He will see reason. He knows if he tries to kill me, you won’t fight with him, and then he doesn’t get what he wants.”

  She turned to Bastian and Aenea. “We will meet you in Summer Court in two days.” Then she faced me. “I need to change and get my weapons.”

  “You know what might make Nightfrost think twice about messing with us?” I said with a mischievous smirk.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Showing up on the back of a dragon. They don’t have dragon riders here. And I happen to have a ferocious winter dragon who would be happy to join us.”

  27

  Visteal

  With Zyacus’s pixie clinging to the back of his shirt collar, we spelled into an open area with one big boulder, miles away from the castle. There was nothing around but a vast sea of white snow.

  Zyacus leaned against the rock. “She said to meet her here when I was ready. I’ve called to her mind. Hopefully it gets through. My uncle said dragons can hear their humans call from anywhere.”

  “Big dragon,” Pixie said and dove inside Zyacus’s shirt.

  “Ouch, don’t scratch me,” Zyacus said shrugging his shoulder. “And the dragon won’t hurt you. Get out of there.”

  Poking her little head out she stared at me with huge eyes. “Won’t hurt?”

  “You’re so small she probably won’t even notice you,” I said hoping that would make her feel better. A pixie to a dragon had to be like a gnat to me. And they only bothered me when they buzzed around my face with a death wish.

  I searched the sky; she dove from high above and then spread her giant wings to land with a shake.

  White scales glittered in the sunlight; blue horns stuck out of her head. She was magnificent and terrifying and a small part of me wished I could hide in Zyacus’s shirt too.

  “Greetings, Prince of Hesstia. Who is your friend?” Her big blue eyes homed in on me like a fox on a rabbit.

  Zyacus walked at her without hesitation but I stood still. Even though I knew some friendly dragons, I never wanted to mess with one that wasn’t no matter how strong my magic was. Her sheer size blocked out the sun and cast a shade over us as big as several seafaring ships.

  “This is Visteal, my new wife.” He turned and both watched me.

  I gave a small wave. “Hello.” I hadn’t moved quite yet. I wanted to make sure she accepted me before I did.

  Lowering, she cocked her head. “I have never met her equal in magical strength. You have chosen wisely, boy.”

  Zyacus waved for me to come closer. “Come on, let’s go.”

  “You are welcome to ride, Visteal,” the dragon said. “I am called Froststorm.”

  “The name is well deserved, trust me,” Zyacus said and vanished to appear on her backside. “She tried to freeze me.”

  The dragon nodded. “I did indeed.”

  “Well, I’m glad you didn’t manage to freeze him and are now friends. It’s wonderful to meet you,” I said and spelled behind him. “Thank you for joining us.”

  “So, you wish to go to Night Court and start a war with Winter?” Froststorm asked. “This is a dangerous task.”

  “We know.” Zyacus squeezed my hand that was wrapped around his middle. “But it must be done.”

  With a leap her giant wings spread wide and we launched into the air. My stomach did a flip flop and I grinned like a madwoman. The thrill of flying on a dragon never got old, most especially not when I had my arms around the beautiful boy I fell in love with. The wind abruptly stopped when we leveled out. Zyacus must have put up a shield to block the chilly air.

  “How far is the Night Court?”

  “At my speed we will arrive before sunset,” Froststorm said. “On horseback, three days, if you could open a portal as I’ve heard some of the Fae can, instantly.”

  I rested my chin on Zyacus’s shoulder. “I never learned portal magic; I wasn’t strong enough to do it. Before I met Astaroth, my mother was the only one who’d done it.”

  “You are most certainly capable,” Froststorm turned her head back to look at me.

  “I wonder if you could open a portal back home?” Zyacus mused. “I already tried to use the appearus spell to get myself there and didn’t even move. It’s like our magic doesn’t know how to cross between realms.”

  “Even if I could, none of them will give me the spell until I do what I came for. Not even Bastian or Aenea.”

  We flew for hours over the Winter landscape. Past the mountain I’d retrieved the Spear of Ice from, above where I’d killed the Fae woman and her wolf and turned the troll to solid ice. It wasn’t long before the snow became sparse and thick leafy trees, and vegetation filled the landscape. It reminded me of parts of Delhoon.

  “I will need to drop you off miles before we get to the city of Starlight. They will open fire upon me.”

  “I will shield you.” I wanted Astaroth to know we had a dragon on our side. I wanted everyone to know. “You will not be hurt.”

  There was a long pause before she replied: “It will be nice to smell the Fae fear up close again. There was a time I would destroy entire cities. But the noble Fae grew too powerful. Now I stick to wrecking small villages of lesser faeries.”

  Zyacus looked over his shoulder at me, eyebrows raised. “We’ll need you to not destroy villages unless it’s during the battle.”

  “You would take away my fun?”

  “Is killing people fun to you?” I asked trying not to smile and I wondered if there was something wrong with me. What kind of sick person would smile at that? But it was the way she said it. Like we were crazy for suggesting such a thing.

  Pixie popped up and whisper-shouted, “I seen her do it.”

  The dragon bobbed her big head. “Oh, it is quite enjoyable. The screaming is the best part.”

  I had to remember she was a dragon, a beast who had been untamed for possibly thousands of years. If she remembered a time when the Fae weren’t as strong as now, she had to be ancient.

/>   With a slow shake of his head Zyacus said, “Please save the maiming for the battle to take Winter. We need to get as many faeries and Fae on our side as possible. That won’t work if you’re trying to eat them.”

  “I suppose I can stay my natural instincts for a time.”

  “Will you tell us about the Fae and their wars you have seen?” I asked. It would be interesting to hear from a dragon.

  “Certainly.” She spent the next few hours telling us of before King Valefrost when the courts had been more equal in power. Before Astaroth had killed thousands of Fae from all courts in his father’s name. When their magic was weaker. Their constant battles and infighting kept their population small. It was when King Valefrost discovered the portal to the human realm that they took many women. The mix of magic-born humans and Fae grew their armies but also made the pureblooded Fae think themselves better even though the half Fae soon outnumbered them.

  Froststorm said she knew all it would take was one person to lead the half Fae and lesser faeries to bring balance to the realm. The noble Fae assumed the prophecy would mean the downfall of Winter Court but she thought it meant knocking the Fae off their arrogant, superior thrones, and balancing out the power between all faeries. Taking out the Winter King was only the beginning.

  This only solidified that following my own instincts instead of listening to the Fae was the right choice.

  Although she made it clear that the dragons didn’t care what any of them did. None of them had ever been kind to her. When Zyacus healed her after she’d fought the other dragon, she knew he was different. I didn’t have the heart to tell her the people in the faerie realm weren’t kind because the dragons destroyed cities for fun and ate them as snacks. But perhaps the dragons did that because they were not kind.

  When a huge city showed up on the horizon, I tensed a little. It was time for another showdown with Astaroth and I’d have to protect our dragon while I was at it. Screaming started when Froststorm dipped low enough that I could see people running.