CHAPTER 15

I found my friends by following the outburst of drunken laughter through the camp. The tent they were huddled within rumbled with the sound, and I paused outside for a moment, letting their glee sink into my bones and rid the horrible feeling left over after my audience with the queens.

My hesitation lasted a moment before I swept in to join them. As I pulled open the entrance, I was hit with a wave of warmth mixed with strong alcoholic spirits. My eyes practically stung as I entered, but my mouth watered with the need for my own drink.

The commotion of my arrival did little to conceal Kayne’s reaction when I announced myself. I’d seen his smile which faded when he saw me. And since then, Kayne had stayed silent, lips barely twitching as I fell into conversation with them all.

Frankly, I didn’t have the care or energy to worry about his feelings right now. I just wanted to drink myself into oblivion.

Kayne sat next to Duncan, so close that my stomach had burned slightly with an emotion that left a sour taste on the back of my tongue. My gaze shifted to the touch of their thighs and the way Kayne leaned into Duncan’s side for support. Anyone would have believed Kayne was struck by Duncan’s lightning by the way he jolted away from him as I entered the tent.

Duncan didn’t seem to notice anything was wrong, but Gyah did. The face she pulled suggested so. I smiled weakly to acknowledge her, knowing this conversation would be saved for another time.

I threw myself into debriefing them about my conversation with Lyra and Elinor, aided by the cups of ale Duncan continuously poured out for me. Kayne hardly touched his drink. I tried my best to enjoy the conversation, but I could only focus on Kayne’s stare, burning holes into me.

By my third drink, I was relaxed enough to ignore the Tracker and his disdain for me.

It was no surprise when Kayne stood from the cup-strewn table and announced he was retiring to bed. Relief cooled through me like a fresh breath of air as he prepared to leave. I was the only one not to bother telling him to stay.

“One more, Kayne, come on. When have you ever turned down a drink?” Duncan drawled, sloshing amber liquid out of the cup that he swayed.

“Lucari will need tending to.” Kayne dismissed Duncan. “Strange place and all that.”

“She is likely off terrorising the local rodents,” Althea said, words slurred. “You can leave her to her own means for another drink, can’t you?”

“If anything, I better save those rodents and get Lucari to deliver Robin’s invitation to the Nephilim before I sleep.”

Althea hiccupped as she spluttered. “If they don’t arrive by morning, it will be my hangover-fuelled wrath upon your head.”

“The Nephilim will receive it.” Kayne’s hand patted his pocket. The back of his freckled hand flattened the small roll of parchment I’d given him when I arrived. “Night all.”

I kept my cup lifted to my lips, hoping it would prevent my need to bid him goodnight. The truth was, I didn’t particularly care if it was good or not. As long as he and his stalking gaze gave me a reprieve, that is all I cared about.

“Rest well,” Duncan called, as Kayne took his leave. “Hope the head is okay come morning.”

“You know me,” Kayne muttered, offering Duncan a wink. “When has my head ever been bad.”

I almost choked on my drink. Gyah too. My stomach twisted at Duncan’s knowing chuckle. “If you ever want to get to sleep tonight, perhaps we don’t test that theory, friend.”

What the fuck did that mean?

Gyah leaned into my side. The moment Kayne was out of earshot, she spoke aloud for the rest of us to hear. “Am I missing something? Because you look like you’re about to vomit or scream.”

I swallowed hard, tasting bile just as Gyah had said. “It’s nothing.”

“Refill anyone?” Duncan asked, leaning forward with the jug that was far lighter than it had been when I joined them. His arm flexed as he filled Gyah’s cup. Some ale spilled across the lip, spreading across the veins of the wooden table.

“I thought I was the only one who didn’t like the Tracker,” Gyah whispered, looking daringly at me. “But you look at him like you want to knock a fist into him. You’ve all been stuck together for so long.”

“I said it’s nothing, friend. Leave it.”

Not satisfised with my response, Gyah looked to the remaining group and lifted her voice so we could all here. “So, what has Robin done to piss Kayne off so much?”

I blanched on the spot, the blood draining from my face. A dribble of ale burst out of my mouth, which I quickly cleared with the back of my hand and forced out a laugh.

Duncan said nothing but leaned back on the bench. The presence of his arm across my shoulder was so sudden. Even our seat creaked with the movement of such a powerful body. “Kayne has never been the best at making friends. Unless those friends have feathers and claws.”

“He didn’t seem to have a problem before the princeling walked in.”

“Gyah,” Althea hissed, unable to hide her smile. “I think you mean kingling now.”

“No.” Gyah pulled Althea in close and pressed a sticky-lipped kiss upon her cheek. “That doesn’t have a ring to it.”

“I’m tired,” I whispered into Duncan’s ear, doing a job of distracting him with my hand as I ran it up the inside of his leg. He stiffened in his seat. The skin across his arms prickled with a wave of pleasured bumps. “And cold. How about we crawl under some fur and warm ourselves up?”

In other words, can we get away from this conversation as soon as possible?

“Hmmm, how peculiar. Robin Icethorn is cold.” Duncan pressed a kiss into my cheek, his posture slopping. “If you are just trying to get me alone, say it. Or if you are looking for some warmth, I certainly have a few suggestions.”

“Now, that is something I never, ever want to hear again,” Gyah said, grimacing. Althea giggled through a haze of ale. “Before I am actually forced to slice my ears off, might I suggest we depart, dearest?” Gyah offered me a smirk as she spoke to Althea, who was leaning on her for support. “The weeks you have been kept from me have left much room to catch up.”

“Catch up, is that what we are calling it?” Althea stood from the table with such speed that it answered Gyah’s question. She swayed dramatically, stopping only as her hands slapped down on the table. Ale sloshed, and cups toppled over, and the tent erupted in drunkard cheers. “Would my guard do me the honour of escorting me safely to my tent? What with everything that is going on out in that world, I fear I might not make it there in one piece.”

“Oh, but of course. I take my job seriously after all,” Gyah replied.

With poised grace, Gyah swept Althea from her feet and threw her over her shoulder. Althea slammed her fists into Gyah’s broad back, giggling and kissing. The Cedarfall princess was so lost in a fit that she kicked over another mug, spilling ale over my trousers.

“Night, boys.” Gyah’s lip pulled away, flashing teeth. “I hope you sleep as deeply as we will.”

“Sleep is certainly on the agenda,” Duncan replied, lifting his cup in a toast. “Just not straight away.”

I clapped my hand over his mouth. “Would you stop.”

Duncan’s tongue writhed across my palm, spreading goosebumps across my arms.

“Go,” I shouted to Gyah, “before he embarrasses me any more.”

“Exactly why I’m beginning to like him,” Gyah said, then left swiftly with a squealing princess still flung over her shoulder.

Relieved by the sudden quiet, I folded myself into the crook of Duncan’s arm and chest.

“So, we made it,” he said, looking longingly down at me in his hold.

“Made it alone?”

“That, and the fact I’ve tried to get into Wychwood for years, but to no avail. Who knew it would take me falling in love with a fey to gain entry?”

“Your motives are different this time, I hope.”

“They couldn’t be more opposite.” Duncan ran his long fingers down the curve at the back of my head. His focus fell on my obsidian hair, which he brushed away from my forehead before planting a soft kiss upon it.

“Before I take a leaf out of Gyah’s book and snatch you into my arms and steal you to bed, I want you to know that I will speak with Kayne come morning. Whatever tension he holds onto must be left here before we head for Berrow.”

A chill raced down my spine. “And I thought I had a lucky escape from this conversation.”

“Not so easily. Robin, you mean more to me than I could even begin to describe.”

“I sense a but coming on,” I replied.

“Not a but, an and .” He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles before continuing. “ And Kayne has been in my life for as long as I remember. Our friendship is important to me; however, if he makes you feel uncomfortable that isn’t what I want. Friend or not, I will not see you slighted by him. You deserve his respect after everything you’ve done.”

“Can I make a suggestion?” I asked.

“Anything.”

“I think I should be the one to speak to him first. Before you need to get involved, give me one more chance to see what the issue is and find a solution.”

If I could find a solution to Aldrick, at least I could fix something so mundane.

Duncan shook his head, verdant eyes not wavering from me for a second. “That stubborn mule of a man will listen to me. Let me understand what is going on in his head. You have enough to worry about without a sulking man-child.”

A powerful throb echoed across my skull. I winced, pressing my fingers to my temple. The dim light of the candles became too bright for a moment. I blinked at the halos that seemed to duplicate as my vision blurred.

“Something I said?” Duncan asked, brushing his fingers beneath my chin.

I exhaled, feeling the sudden presence of pain evaporating as quickly as it came. “I’m just tired. There’s so much to think about at all times. My mind is struggling with the weight of it all, if I’m honest.”

I thought the drink would’ve helped my racing mind, but it only made the anxieties worse.

And I had not had a decent night’s sleep since the prison break. Not with the invading dreams that greeted me every time my eyes closed. I hoped tonight would be different with all the alcohol that danced through my veins.

Although the idea of dreaming displeased me, I couldn’t survive to see Jesibel there again.

“Here.” Duncan offered me my mug of ale, which I gladly took from him. I inhaled the scent of buttery honey mixed with the sharper undertones of clove. I gulped down the remains of mine, relishing in the numbing sensation that filled my throat and spread like wildfire through my insides. All the while, Duncan continued to watch me with the same look of concern he always seemed to relate to me.

“Don’t look at me like that,” I said, lips glistening with ale.

Duncan took his thumb and swept a dribble which escaped the corner of my mouth. He traced it over my lower lip. The sticky residue only lasted a moment before he dipped in close and pressed his lips to it.

He exhaled into the kiss and I pushed in closer, deepening it until my body hummed with want for him. The empty mug was forgotten as my hands ran down the length of his arms, fingers rising and falling over mounds of muscle.

I recognised that my touch caused the dark hairs across his forearm to stand. My fingers traced softly until I reached his wrist and they tangled in metal. As soon as I touched the thin iron chain wrapped around Duncan’s wrist, I felt the drawing pull of my innate power fall away from me.

My stomach jolted up into my throat. I tore my hand away as though lightning had struck it. Which would have been a better feeling than the draining power of iron.

“You are giving me a look that I’d rather you didn’t,” Duncan said, lips bruised pink from our kiss. His dark eyes glanced down at the cause of my reaction. He winced as he recognised the iron bracelet. “I don’t want for you to worry about me, Robin.”

“Well, I do.” Ice cracked in my bones, fuelled by my anger. I recognised the emotion for what it was and didn’t hide away as the feeling devoured me. “But if you wish to lighten the load on my mind, then do yourself a favour and face the powers you have been given. Hiding behind iron is not the answer.”

A deep sadness glazed across Duncan’s eyes, darkening them to pools of almost-black. He glanced down at his wrist again, wincing to himself. The iron bracelet stood out as something that didn’t belong. And it didn’t. I wished to tear it from him and allow him to face his truth. His new truth.

“I don’t trust the person the iron keeps contained. This power isn’t a gift. It was forced upon me. What it stands for, what I am… it ties me to Aldrick, and that sickens me.”

“How can you say that when you don’t allow yourself to even know this new version of yourself?” I asked, watching my question sink deep into him. “What you did in Lockinge, it is the type of power that will come in handy in the days to follow. No, you didn’t ask for it, but what better excuse than to turn it against the man who changed you?”

My hands shook with the desire to touch Duncan again. I shifted across the short distance that had grown between us and eradicated it completely.

“I’m not ready, Robin.”

“Trust me, that’s a feeling I know all too well,” I said, taking his hands and gripping them as though he hung from the edge of a cliff, and I was all he had to hold to keep him from falling away from me. “Listen to me, Duncan. I want you to hear properly what I’m about to say to you.”

The scar down the side of his face flexed as his expression hardened into something of focus. He lifted his eyes to mine. They alone had the power to send a powerful buzz of lightning through my blood.

“You have my full attention always, darling.”

“Good. Then you’ll have no excuse to disregard my words again.” I cupped his face in my hands, feeling the sticky warmth of his skin. His cheeks mushed slightly beneath my palms, but I didn’t stop.

“Duncan, I understand you have been through a transformation you never wanted. I know what it means to you. This feeling is only something else we have shared. But not all change is full of fear and dread. I had to learn that the hard way. The blood that brought you back from death, that gave you another chance, is mine. I’m in your heart, just as you are in mine. Always and in ways that no one else can understand. Not anyone in this realm nor those that wait beyond the veil of time. The power does not link you to Aldrick, it knots you to me .”

Slowly, the mask of steel that Duncan had erected crumbled. His brows softened, his forehead folding with lines. His beautifully carved lips parted. A strand of his chestnut-brown hair fell over his eye as he shifted in his seat. I reached up and brushed it away, tucking it neatly behind his curved ear.

“With everything I’ve done in my life, I can say confidently that I don’t deserve you. But I am selfish enough to admit I’d never let you go either.”

“Be selfish all you want.” I leaned in. “I’m not going anywhere.”

There were many things I loved about Duncan. Namely how close he made me feel to my own parents. I’d not told it to him before, happily keeping this feeling as my own little secret, but I coveted the ties of our story to theirs. Hunter and fey; two odds falling for one another. One day I’d tell him the importance of our differences. Of course, he knew about my father and mother, but not the echo of how his physical presence was such a daily reminder.

How he made me feel was like ripples across a lake when a stone was thrown onto its calm surface – Duncan was the stone.

“Is this the perfect moment for me to carry you to bed?” Duncan whispered, breath tickling my face.

“Take the bracelet off,” I replied. “Then I’m all yours.”

Duncan spluttered, exuding a deep chuckle that warmed my skin from the chill of the Icethorn Court that invaded our tent greedily. “Is danger one of your kinks, Darling?”

“If I feared you, then yes. But I’m not scared of you, Duncan. Not before and certainly not now.”

“What if I hurt you?”

I held his gaze as my fingers reached back for his bracelet of iron. The moment the tips touched the metal, I felt the drawing, draining pull. This time, I didn’t pull away. “I would forgive you.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if I wasn’t put in a position that required the need for me to apologise to you?”

I shook my head. “For a man with such big balls, you’re scared of a little lightning?”

Duncan smirked, exhaling a long breath out of his nose. “Never have I heard little in relation to me before.”

“Exactly,” I replied, weaving my fingers beneath the bracelet and folding them over until the thin chain bit into my skin. “Facing your truth is the first step to living with it.”

“I love you,” Duncan breathed.

Before I changed my mind, I ripped the bracelet from Duncan’s wrist, snapping it into two pieces which fell from my fingers onto the floor at our feet. “And I love you, all of you.”

Duncan lowered his chin, pinched his eyes closed and gave in to the heavy breaths that took over his body. His face screwed up as he waited for the lightning to come.

I felt his power in the surrounding air, hot and crackling. Small veins of light danced across the layer of his skin. The hairs on his arms stood to attention. I gripped his hands and squeezed, urging him to calm himself.

“Duncan, you control the power. Remember, it doesn’t control you.”

It took a few moments of tension until Duncan gathered enough of himself to look back up at me. The glow of his green eyes intensified as his power coiled within them. He hardened himself before my eyes, his strong chest rising and falling as he focused on putting a lid on the power.

I waited for him. Giving him the moments to regain authority. “You can do this.”

Before long, the strands of purple light faded, the air returning to normal.

“Would you look at that,” I said. “Duncan Rackley is finally free.”

“As long as I have you, I’ll always be free.”

I narrowed my eyes on him, contemplating just how many things I wanted to do to him now he’d accepted his fate. “Now, back to the conversation of carrying me to bed–”

Outside of the tent a scream pierced the night. The sound ripped claws into my heart and shredded it to pieces, snapping our attention to the exit. I couldn’t explain it, but the noise was filled with grief. It hit me in the chest, powerful, dreadful, so strong that it encouraged my eyes to fill with tears without me understanding what it was I cried for.

Even after the howl stopped, it still rang in my ears. The sound drew me to my feet. Duncan, too. The peace lasted a moment until the sound came again. But this time, when the scream returned, it was not one of grief. It was born from anger. Burning, overwhelming fury that thorned itself into my soul and made me prepare for action.

I’d heard the sound before, once, upon the oceans when the Draeic flew overhead.

It was a cry of war.

Not a warning or a threat – but a promise.

And I knew exactly who’d expelled it.