Chapter 5

Twilight comes twice. Once before the sun

and once before the moon…

M oonlight blasts out of the air to cast silver shadows around the edges of the room that almost blind me. They head for Kyrell like arrows, and I'm running before my mind can catch up that Kyrell is alive. Kyrell, who I saw brutally murdered to save me, is somehow alive. On instinct, I feel something tap down my spine before red light pours from my body, burning the ground at my side in a way I've never seen. I slam straight into Kyrell's cold body, and he wraps his arms tightly around me without an inch of fear. The moonlight stops inches away from us and disappears within a heartbeat.

"Storm, what the fuck are you doing?!" Ziven shouts in horror, and I get it. I'm hugging a vampyre, and he has no idea who this is.

"This is my best friend, Ziven," I whisper, lifting my head back. A flow of emotions wash over me: relief, shock and some bit of pain, knowing this couldn't have been an easy change for him to become the vampyre he is now. I've never hugged Kyrell and felt such cold leaking from him. Emyr was never cold like this. Tears fall down my cheeks as Kyrell smiles at me with all the love and kindness I've always seen and felt I never deserved.

It's a kick in the chest, seeing that smile on a vampyre's face. His brown hair is now silver, his skin is deathly pale, and it matches the drained colours of his eyes. There is nothing vibrant about him now, except for that smile. Even dead and turned into some form of a vampyre, Kyrell's smile lights up the room. "By the deities, how are you here?"

He lets me go, taking a step away. He has a white shirt and dark trousers on that are torn and ash stained. Ziven's firm hand curls around my waist as he steps to my side. Kyrell's eyebrows raise as he looks at that hand and then to Ziven. He whistles as he looks Ziven over and then winks at me, making my cheeks burn. Ziven isn't amused. "How the fuck did you get in here, vamp?" He looks down at me. "And who said you didn't have powers, Storm? Turns out death was the key to them for you. Please do not burn my floors."

Powers? I glance down at the floor and the line of burnt wood where I ran. I did that?

"Easily. If you want to keep her safe, I would suggest you make sure the door's security is a lot better. I've been looking for Story for two months." Kyrell's tone softens. "And I'm so happy I've found you, little Tory."

My new powers, the burn marks, none of it matters as I stare at Kyrell in shock. He is alive.

"Careful," Ziven growls, and I know the only reason Kyrell isn't dead is because Ziven knows he saved my life and got me out. "The only reason you're not moon dust is because she clearly trusts you."

"Ziven." I look up at him and he drops his devastatingly beautiful eyes down to me. "This is Kyrell, the man who protected me like a brother. Asked nothing of me until the day he told me to live and run. He died for me." That seems to be enough for Ziven as his body loses some of the tight tension and his shoulders drop an inch. I gulp and turn to Kyrell. "How? You're a vampyre, but I didn't know vampyres could be turned until I came here and learnt the stories of the first vampyre. They are only born now."

"Prince Emyr has worked out how to change even the dead into this…" He waves at himself, and sickness rises in my throat even at the thought of Emyr, let alone him messing with Kyrell's body.

I look at the space where his chest, where his heart, should be, and I know it can't be there anymore. "I—I watched the king rip your heart out and throw you on the floor like you were nothing. How are you still alive after that?"

"I don't have a heart anymore. Not physically. Turns out you don't need it to be brought back to the living."

"What is it like to die?" Ziven questions. "And are you a threat to Story? Are you in control?"

These are valid questions, but the way Ziven asks is nothing short of a command. "Dark magic brought me back, and I remember nothing of death except a feeling of…well, I can't describe it very well. As for my control, I do not know. I feed daily from animals in the forest, and I have never touched a fae. I don't intend to either, even if it hurts not to feed right. I might be in pain, but I will never willingly hurt anyone."

"Why did…he…do this to you?" I bite out the words.

"I think bringing me back to life was his way of giving a gift to you so you might go back to him," he quickly finishes. Fear spreads through my blood, and for a moment I freeze, trapped in the memory of pain and suffering at Emyr's hands. Ziven strokes my back with his thumb, bringing me back, and I wipe my wet cheeks. "I'd rather die again than see you back with him, Tory."

"If he comes here, I will greet him." Ziven's eyes flash with protectiveness and pure vengeance. "The prince is a dead vampyre walking, and when I'm done, there won't even be moon dust left."

"He's rather intense, isn't he?" Kyrell asks me, rubbing his chin. His fangs, pure silver, drop a little more, and I'm not sure I will ever get used to seeing them. Seeing him as a vampyre. It hasn't sunk in yet. "As for the fucker prince, he's not in the magic barrier that appeared. He was going to see his father, from the rumours I overheard in the city. I've been hiding there for a while."

"Do you know where your mum is and maybe mine? I know you said you couldn't find her before, but are they in the city?"

"I sent my mother away, where everything went wrong, and I personally never found your mother. She is not in the breeding camps anymore." He looks away and silence drops between us. "I would like for someone to explain to me who the intense hot fae male is and where the hell dragons have come from?" He looks at me from head to toe and smiles. He smiles so brightly, even like this, and my heart warms. "But first, it's me, Tory. Look at you, standing there, brave and head held high. I saw you riding a dragon, and I knew everything I said to you was coming true. Believing in you was easy for me, even when you stopped believing in yourself. I believed in you since the second I saw you, and I knew, I absolutely knew, if anyone was going to burn this world down, it would be Story fucking Dehana."

I grin at him, smiling like I haven't in a long time. "I'll start from the beginning." I tell him everything that's happened in the time he has been gone. Ziven doesn't move from my side, but he does let Kyrell come in and sit on the sofa as we carry on explaining. Ziven adds things here and there that I forget until eventually both of us are seated in pure silence.

"He has to leave." Ziven nods to Kyrell. "We can't have a vampyre in here. I am sympathetic to the fact he's your best friend and he saved you, but…he can't stay. He's a danger and we're at war with the vampyres."

I pull away from Ziven and stand, staying next to Kyrell and raising my eyebrow. "He stays or I go with him." I wave at the door when Ziven doesn't lose the stubborn look on his face. "I will get my dragon, and we will leave together."

"Storm…"

I put my hands on my hips. "Ziven."

"I feel like I'm watching my mum and dad fight, and I'm really confused about it." Kyrell rises. "But I agree with Ziven. I'm only going to put you in danger, Story."

"I'm already in danger, Kyrell. It turns out I was born before as some kind of Twilight princess that locked everyone in here with a magic spell from a magic book. Part of breaking that spell was my death. I nearly died, and that's why the magic broke around this mansion, but the magic seems to have expanded around the city and caused that barrier now. There are a list of fae dragon riders who want me dead in here." I wave a hand. "You are likely a safer bet than they are."

"I won't let them hurt you," Ziven growls. "For fuck's sake, he is a vampyre."

"I'm well aware, but he is also my best friend and family to me!" I retort. "And I have lost so many people. I've had everything taken from me and even in here, the people I trusted betrayed me, so I'm not giving him up."

Ziven grits his teeth, looking at Kyrell. I see the moment he gives in, and it's purely for me. "Don't make me regret this. Welcome to the Moon Dynasty, Kyrell. You have my protection."

Kyrell bows his head. "I won't and it is an honour…so, where's this magic book, then? Maybe it has the answers to how we fix the magic so we can leave and get far away from the vampyre royals. He's looking for you."

I freeze, knowing exactly who he is talking about. Ziven does too now, and his voice drips with hate. "Let him come and try to touch her. I'd enjoy hearing his screams."

I glance at Ziven, knowing this king is damn good at keeping me here. "Daegan has it," he answers. "He took the book and locked it away with sun magic before Mazzis or I could make a claim for it after his brother died. His brother was the first owner of the book."

"He's the one that tried to kill me." I catch Kyrell up and Ziven looks ready to murder Daegan again.

"I hope you killed the fucker." Kyrell looks between us when we don't agree.

"I would, with pleasure, but he's the king too. The killing of a king would cause a riot between our people. They don't see me as the good guy. They see me as the villain. The fae here see Daegan as a fucking angel sent from the deities to save all of them. No one here would fight for me, but they would fight for his memory in a heartbeat. I don't usually do the right thing, but I have a reason to right now. I've already killed a Sun Dynasty royal, and it cost me." He looks at the fire. "There are not many of the Moon Dynasty left, and we will need to work on Daegan by keeping him alive for now. I have a plan."

"A plan you're going to tell me about?" I question, already knowing the answer. Ziven smirks and I shake my head. I sigh and turn to Kyrell, still not believing he is in front of me. "I want to show you everything here. I want you to meet Catherine. She's become my best friend too. I'll show you the library—deities above, the libraries they have here! I want to show you everything that we lost as fae to the histories. We were not always slaves, and the people out there need to know. We have royals, we have leaders, and Ziven…he isn't the bad one."

"Excuse me, why the fuck is there a vampyre sitting on a couch in our chambers?" We all turn to Calix, who is casually leaning against the door and swinging a sword around in his other hand.

Kyrell runs his eyes up Calix before whispering to me, "Tell me this one is free and into men?"

"He is more complicated than anyone else I've met," I whisper to him and then answer Calix next. "This is Kyrell. He's not a threat."

"Kyrell is under the Moon Dynasty protection," Ziven adds in. "And we have plans to discuss."

"Hettie okay?" Calix questions, pulling his eyes from Kyrell, even when I'm sure he has a hundred questions. When Ziven nods, he straightens. "We've got a problem. A bigger problem than a fucking vampyre being in the protection of the Moon Dynasty."

"Spit it out, then. It's been a long fucking day, Cal," Ziven tensely warns.

"Thousands of fae are filling the forest, and they are on their way here. They fled out of the city, and they're coming here for help, guidance or fuck knows what. They are following the tracks of the dragons. Most of the city is unlivable, and we are about to have a big problem if they try to flood in here. They're going to need someone to speak to them."

"Sounds like a job for the Sun king," Ziven growls. "Where the fuck is Daegan?"

"Not been seen since the city, and Mazzis would piss himself if I asked him to do this. That leaves you, my king." Calix waves at the door. "Time to do the thing you're well known for being great at, talking."

"Even I know he is being sarcastic right now," Kyrell mutters.

"I'll be at your side," I offer Ziven. "Show them you're not Daegan because you actually care. You stopped when Daegan wouldn't have done. You won't leave them to die. Tell them who you are and what it means to be a fae. Give them hope, and they will bow to you. We have been slaves for our entire lives, and there has never been a leader who is on our side before."

"Fuck you, get Story to do the speech," Calix suggests with a cough. "She is good at it."

Ziven sighs and looks down at his clothes. "First, we get changed. They want a king, then I'm walking out there with a crown, and so are you."