73. Rhyland

Rhyland

73

I plunk down next to Dani in this extravagant-as-fuck dining hall of the Sun Court, still trying to make heads or tails of this new intel. She's damn near gleaming now, proudly wearing that Faerite Stone perched in her crown. Christ, the woman looks like a queen already.

I lean back as she talks about how the glittery rock allows her to talk to magical creatures and read emotions. Supposedly, the unicorn king, Calamari, or whatever his high-and-mighty name is, dropped some big-time gossip about me harboring hidden powers.

The suggestion throws me off, leaving me bewildered. I shake my head, emitting a chuckle. "Baby, you and that overgrown My Little Pony were huffing some serious fairy dust back in the hippie valley—I'm just a regular, badass vampire who can move shit with his mind. No special powers are hidden up my sleeves over here. You already know what I can do."

It isn't until Dani brings up lightning that my mind is catapulted back to that horrific day in the Whispering Woods—the agony of losing her. Her death fueled my anger, sent me spinning out of control, and unleashed the skies and elements in my fury.

"I don't know what that was… the Whispering Woods, after you…" I can't even say it, "When something…happened," I confess haltingly. I dismissively wave a hand, wrestling with the painful memory that stabs deep into my gut. Reliving the nightmare of watching Dani die right before my eyes is a torment I'd not wish on anyone.

"So let me get this straight," Dani says, eyeing me with that fiery look. "You can just whip up lightning storms now, and you didn't think to mention it?"

Mistaking her momentary distraction, I mention that she didn't spill the beans about her immortality upgrade or this Soul-Tie thing she still hasn't explained. "Looks like we're even, huh?" I say with bravado, instantly regretting the words as her expression shifts. Her eyes morph from bright and golden to molten gold, fiery and intense. And yet, despite her anger, I'm more than ready for a little battle with my feisty and most definitely fiery Angel.

Leave it to Lucian to take a tense situation and crank it up to eleven with his special brand of verbal diarrhea. The asshat's wearing a grin that practically screams, "I'm about to make everything worse," and I can already feel my blood pressure skyrocketing in anticipation of the impending shitstorm.

"Oh, man, you should've been there!" He crows, his voice dripping with gleeful schadenfreude. "It was like Armageddon had a baby with a Michael Bay movie—everything went up in flames faster than a fucking tiki torch at a frat party! By the time the smoke cleared, the place looked like it had gone ten rounds with Godzilla and lost. Spectacularly."

He laughs, the sound grating on my nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Clearly, the concept of "read the fucking room" is about as foreign to him as quantum physics is to a goldfish. I swear, sometimes I wonder if he has a secret death wish or if he's just too damn stupid to realize when he's about to get his ass handed to him on a silver platter.

I shoot him a glare that could melt steel, my jaw clenched so tight I'm half-surprised my teeth haven't shattered. "Lucian, I swear to god, if you don't shut your fucking piehole, I'm going to shove my foot so far up your ass, you'll be tasting leather for a week," I growl, my voice low and dangerous.

Dani shoots me a triumphant glance like she's just kicked ass and taken names.

"Angel, whatever shit that went down was a one-time thing, okay?" I try to shrug it off like it's nothing. "I was deep in some dark-ass hole... And you, you were…" My words choke off, the grim thought too intense to put into words.

Dani crosses her arms, cocking her hip to the side. "Oh really? So you go all Storm from X-Men and summon lightning after I died, and it's no big deal to you?"

"Listen, it was a one-off, alright?" I rake a hand through my hair, pissed off. "Why the hell does it even matter?"

"Alright, get this—Meadow, our very own seer-in-residence, had one of her vision deals," Dani explains, fishing for clarity within the mystical forecast. "She saw you encased in lightning, Rhyland. That's gotta mean something, doesn't it? It feels like a clue, some prophetic nudge we shouldn't ignore."

I shake my head, cutting through the crap. Meadow's visions are like a fucked-up jigsaw puzzle. Me, with some special lightning powers? That's horseshit. But Dani's latched onto this idea like a stubborn hound with a bone.

I shoot her a steely glare, sidestepping those inquisitive eyes. "It was a damn fluke, alright? Who's to say I was even the one in control? I ain't no goddamn Thor… X-Men, or whatever with lightning powers."

"Oh, of course, how silly of us," Lucian drawls, rolling his eyes so hard I'm surprised they don't get stuck in the back of his thick skull. "Because obviously, every other fucker on that battlefield had the power to summon a lightning storm straight out of a high-budget disaster movie. My bad for not realizing that controlling the weather is a standard-issue superpower these days."

He fixes me with a look that's equal parts exasperation and 'Are you fucking kidding me?'

"I mean, it's not like you're the only one here with a direct line to the Force or anything, right? Oh, wait..." Lucian taps his chin in mock contemplation; his eyebrows raised so high they're practically merging with his hairline. "Wouldn't it make sense that the guy with the telekinetic mojo would pull the strings on that little light show? Or am I just talking out of my incredibly toned and perfect ass again, Obi-Wan?"

I'm grinding my damn teeth because this is batshit insane. I've never played puppet master with the skies, and since that one freak day, I haven't given it a second thought. My Gods have been radio silent for centuries, and this idea that sky-wrangling's a part of me is enough to make my head spin out of control.

"Seriously, though, who else could it have been? The tooth fairy? Santa Claus? The ghost of Christmas fuck-you? Come on, man, you're not fooling anyone with this whole 'who, me?' routine," Lucian finishes.

"It's not exactly a giant leap when you look at it with a smidgeon of common sense," Dani quips, a twinkle of mischief in her eyes.

This woman is poking at my last nerve, and damn if my dick doesn't stand at attention at her defiance and sass—going on about this baseless shit that I possess some elemental control power.

My chest receives a prod from Dani's insistent finger. "Quit denying this like it's nothing," she retorts, her tone brimming with her signature sass. "Calimero's waving around the idea that you've got some serious juju bottled up. The sort of 'storm god ancestry' flair comes with it. Is that stirring any memories or shaking any family trees? Or do I need to knock harder?"

I never knew the bastard that contributed half my DNA. And it's not a memory I'm eager to dive into. Dani and I, we've got this crappy common ground with our mysterious parentage, and this crap is spiraling out of control. That day threw me in a loop just as much as it's messing with me now. My mother did the single-parent gig, spinning yarns about the Gods visiting her and giving her a gift—a blessing—which was me. As for my old man, the story always was he'd never show his face again. She filled my head with legends of my Gods in Valhalla, keeping an eye on me.

"No, it damn well doesn't," I snap at her. "Drop it, Dani."

Goddamn, she's not playing nice. I fight to keep my temper in check.

Dani plants herself firmly, eyes on fire, her look fucking challenging me. I meet that dare head-on—this is a showdown, and we're both dug in, neither backing down. She's got zero tolerance for lies, deception, and all that shit; I respect that. But what the fuck am I supposed to spill?

Teetering on the edge, my patience shot to hell—I hoist her up and toss her over my shoulder like a damn sack. She unleashes hell, kicking and hollering, but I move fast, charging into a private room and tossing her feisty ass onto the couch.

Dani puffs up indignantly, her eyes blazing with the fierce independence I've come to know so well.

"Stop doing that!" she huffs, flipping her hair out of her face as it tangles in her crown. She's staring up at me with that challenge in her gaze. "I'm not some cavewoman; you can just heft over your shoulder on a whim."

Her voice crackles with that distinctive sass, the feisty spirit that refuses to be treated as anything less than an equal.

Unleashing a low growl, I force my point, "I don't want to entertain this any longer, Dani. Do you understand?"

Dani moves to duck out—hell no—she's not slipping away from me. It doesn't take a second to snatch her by the throat and shove her back against the wall, my body crushing hers. There's no escape, no way out, until I know she's good and ready to end this damn standoff.

Dani holds her ground, staring back at me with that fierce steel in her gaze she somehow isn't afraid to show. Damn, this woman, she's got me dead to rights—she damn well knows I'd never lay a finger on her in anger. But fuck, I need her to get that I ain't entertaining whatever nonsense that unicorn filled her head with.

Yeah, I'll give it to her. The sudden lightning control was uncanny that day in the woods, but that was just a fluke. It didn't make a peep when I tangled with Azrael that night, so there's no way this apparent power is a "calling" or anything to fuss over. But, fuck, what if Lucian's onto something—with my telekinesis and all? I mean, I can move shit with my mind, right? What if there's truth to it?

Dani relaxes a smidge under my grip, her throat bobbing as she swallows. Her arousal floods my senses, and I can't help but growl. She's getting turned on by this, and damn if I'm not just as riled up as her. This woman's got a thing for heated encounters, and hell, if I'm not ready to stoke the fire.

Her tone softens from confrontational to genuinely puzzled, the sass yielding to concern. "Why are you in denial?" Dani probes gently, her honey-gold eyes searching mine for truth. "Why can't we just look into this more, Rhyland?" There's a plea in her voice, an invitation to unravel the mystery together, and a call for transparency that she hopes I can't ignore. "Open up to me…"

"Dani, fuck the powers. I've got everything I need right fucking here." I yank her to me, rough but right, and she cracks a grin that could light up the darkest corners.

Fuck, this woman's gonna be the death of me. She feeds off this challenge as much as I do, two peas in a goddamn pod, and hell if I don't want to bend her over and fuck her into submission to show her who's running shit.

"Nice try, Mjolnir's Muse. We're getting to the bottom of this."

Her voice slices through my bullshit, sharp and no-fucking-around like a knife's blade. She's standing there ablaze with fire, her determined, golden eyes—it's my fierce, feisty angel, not backing down.

"Oh, aren't you just fucking cute." My clever little minx.

My self-control snaps, and I crush my lips onto hers, stealing a moan that tells me she's all in and wanting more. She tangles her fingers into my hair, tugging tight and making a hiss escape my lips. I tear into her clothes, unzipping her leather tunic, and her beautiful breasts spill free. Moaning at the sight, I can't resist squeezing them in my hands, twisting her nipples just as she loves.

She gasps and pulls me closer, "Yes… I need you, Rhyland." The raw desire in her voice sends my need soaring higher.

I kiss a trail down her chin and throat, finding her hard nipple and sucking it into my mouth. Need pulses through me as I pull her tighter, her moans driving me wild. My cock strains and aches for her—for me to have her wrapped around me.

"Are you gonna let this go?" I murmur, pressing kisses down her neck.

"Not a chance—you're holding out on me, and I'm not having it," she retorts with a firecracker snap.

"Dani, let it go," I warn. "I'm done talking about this," I insist, trailing my tongue across her collarbone, eliciting shivers and raising goosebumps on her skin.

She shakes her head, stubborn as hell, grinding her tempting body against mine, breathing hard with desire.

There's no way I'm folding. I'm not about to plunge headfirst into this mess of untapped lineage or play pretend with some make-believe elemental talent she's convinced I'm hiding. And after the stunts she's pulled—with Adrian's crap, defying me right in front of him, and holding back info—there's a score to settle. I made a vow. She's in for it now.

Diving my hand into her pants, I find her soaked and ready, dripping with desire.

"Yes... please," she whimpers breathlessly.

I start working her clit, teasing circles that makes her need build. While I devour her mouth with a demanding kiss, she can't help but moan in response.

"You want this, baby?" I grunt, my voice thick with lust. "Want me to fuck you hard and raw, like you crave?"

"God— yes —please," she breathes out almost a whisper.

I can sense her winding up as I keep grinding her clit, her grip on my neck tightening, and her body quivering under my touch. I know her like the back of my fucking hand, and I can tell she's just seconds away from detonating. My cock is begging for its release, but I won't give in. This game is gonna be one hell of a ride.

"Fuck, baby, you're so close... you gonna come for me?" I mutter, my voice heavy with lust.

Her breathless whimpers, her golden eyes blown from pure lust, and the desperate grip she has on me tell me that she's hanging on by a thread.

"Y-yes...I need you inside me, Rhyland—fuck—" She pants as she tries to regain control of her breath and her body.

I make no apologies as I pull my hand away and slowly suck her arousal off my fingers, giving her a smug look that says, loud and clear, 'I fucking win.'

Then, as if it is nothing more than a minor distraction, I change the subject, "Sorry, baby—we'll have to continue this later. We gotta chat with King Alinar, make damn sure Amara's keeping her ass right where it's supposed to be."

Dani stands there in shock, trying to process what just happened. Seconds later, her face morphs into pure anger. I can't help but smirk, anticipating her reaction.

"You…" she starts while zipping up her tunic, but I cut her off, fully aware of what's coming.

"You what, Angel?" I look her right in the eyes, challenging her, ready to put her fiery temper on full display. "Let's hear it; I'm dying to punish that filthy mouth of yours again."

Dani's expression shifts drastically; her face is etched with unmistakable frustration, resulting from my deliberate edging game. It's a look I know all too damn well and a testament to our unique dynamic. The underlying tension only heightens the anticipation, ensuring that when release finally comes, it'll be fucking explosive.

She might surrender to her fury momentarily and let loose a torrent of curses. But then, she pulls it back, seething as she fixes me with a glare full of suppressed wrath.

"Oh, we're playing with fire now, is that it? Fine. Let's dance, babe, and see who burns up first. Just don't be surprised when it's not me."

The challenge is issued with a sizzling combination of ire and sharp wit that leaves no doubt she's up for whatever confrontation this game may bring. She glares daggers before storming out of the room, leaving me with a satisfied smirk.

I practically sprint after Dani, my feet moving faster than my brain can keep up. As we burst out of the room, we were greeted by Lucian's shit-eating grin, his expression practically screaming, "I'm about to say something stupid."

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the lovebirds themselves," he coos, his voice dripping with mock sweetness. "Did you two finally kiss and make u—"

The words die in his throat as he catches sight of Dani's face, which is currently sporting a glare that could melt steel beams.

Lucian's eyes widen, and he takes a step back, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "Whoa, okay, backing up now," he laughs nervously, his self-preservation instincts finally kicking in. "I'm taking that murderous expression as a hard 'no' on the reconciliation front."

I shoot him a look that clearly says, "No shit, Sherlock," but he just shrugs, his grin never wavering. "Hey, can't blame a guy for trying to lighten the mood, right?" He chuckles, completely oblivious to the fact that he's about two seconds away from getting his ass handed to him.

I let out a heavy sigh, silently praying for the patience not to strangle him with his own intestines. "Lucian, I fucking swear if you don't—"

"Let's go," Dani says, her voice firm as hell. She shuts down any more talk and flips the switch to go-time.

S triding through the castle dungeons, the foul stench and the wails of the caged bastards corrupted by Amara grate on my nerves. She's huddled like a beaten mutt against the cell bars at the row's end.

"Well, well, ain't karma a bitch," I sneer.

Amara's head snaps up; her eyes blaze with pure hate. "You'll pay for this humiliation."

Dani doesn't hesitate; the air hums with her iron-clad will. She locks eyes with Amara, her voice sharp and unyielding. "Game's up. Count yourself lucky we're not stooping to your level of barbarity."

Her cool-headed stance knocks me back a bit—gotta give her props. Amara continues to mouth off, hurling every dirty word she's got, but we leave her behind. She's just a toothless tiger now, as screwed over as the poor bastards she used to crush.

Dani's still fuming with me, giving me the cold shoulder as we climb back to the surface. There's Alinar in the throne room chatting up some glittering Fae straight out of the Sun Court.

We stop dead in our tracks, then Alinar clocks us and gives us the nod. "Ah, at last, you've returned. I must admit, a twinge of concern for your journey had taken hold. It pleases me greatly to see you both safe. Rest assured, my word stands firm—Amara remains untouched by sunlight, as she will for all days to come.

"We appreciate it, Alinar," Dani states. "Got a report for you," she spills the whole deal from Cal—those ethereal creatures are game for a comeback to stand with the Fae again—but only if we can kick Azrael to the curb and make sure Amara rots in her hellhole.

Alinar rejoices, clapping his hands with a hearty laugh echoing through the chamber. "Splendid news! Indeed, the reign of this vile sorcery is at its breaking point. You have my solemn vow, Savior—she shall never step beyond the walls of her prison cell."

Dani shifts on her feet, almost worried, before speaking again, "There is one more issue that needs to be resolved, Your Highness."

What is she doing? What other issue?

"Anything!" Alinar says with a gleam in his eye.

"You're going to allow Axilya to reclaim her throne—as the queen of Luminara," Dani insists, her voice carrying a playful yet stern cadence that leaves no doubt she's serious. "You know, her rightful place?" She punctuates the demand with a cocked eyebrow, daring any challenge to her declaration.

Swiveling my head her way, I flash all the surprises a vampire has in his arsenal.

"What?" My voice cuts sharp and quick, demanding an instant rundown. "What's this about?" But she ignores my prodding.

Alinar's face slips and becomes severe, "I had already planned on it, my dear. For she is my true mate," he confesses.

My brain's scrambling to catch up—what the fuck is happening here?

Dani's composure falters momentarily, and a gasp slips through her lips. "W-What? I—I don't understand?" Her voice trembles, the once-steady rhythm now caught on the edges of stupefaction and disbelief. Her wide, honey-gold eyes mirror the shock of her halted words.

I'm just as blindsided here. I'm groping around in the pitch-fucking-black, trying to figure out what the hell has been dropped on us.

Alinar squirms in his throne, looking all antsy and shit. He takes a deep breath and winds up, "By the treacherous hand of that damned harpy, I was rent from Axilya's side, and she has held me captive—usurping the throne that was never rightfully hers. Envy coils in her black heart; she loathed my dear Axilya, coveting what was ours with poison in her soul. The moment she clutched the Soul Stone, her power surged, ungodly and malign—and she compelled me away, along with over half the Fae of this realm, the dearest prize to wound Axilya most grievously. Yet, within this darkened cage, I've played the knave, biding my time and clinging to the slender hope of your arrival to mend the fractured lands."

"You've been that bitch's obedient little pet for centuries, just waiting around and praying Dani would pop up one day?"

I'm floored, and that rarely happens to me. This dude could stomach rolling with such wickedness for so long when his mate was just a stone's throw away.

"How the hell could you do that to yourself—to your damn mate?" I ask incredulously, shaking my head. This whole fucked-up situation doesn't make any goddamn sense.

Dani's been dead silent, just as blown away as me. She's standing there gawking at Alinar, waiting for him to explain his ass.

"I gave nary a piece of my heart to that enchantress—it was all a performance, a mere masquerade to appease her dark hunger. As the moon climbed and her ceremonies of decadence unfurled further into the abyss, my essence remained untouched by her corrupt desires. 'Twas Meadow, a servant of subtle craft, who brewed an elixir to shield me from her bewitchments."

I freeze. My Mouse, doing the unimaginable, explains why she was so strong-willed—it's her and those damn magic potions of hers.

Alinar continues, "She craved naught but to wound my Axilya, spreading falsehoods that I had betrayed our bond. I played the part only to protect myself while captive in this dreadful place, though it shredded my soul for Axilya to think me unfaithful. My love, my heart—is Axilya's alone. This I swear upon my life."

"Alright, time out…" Dani exhales in exasperation, "Does Axilya have the full scoop on this epic tale? Does she know any of this?"

I don't know Axilya, as well as Dani, does, but it's always eaten at me how reserved and melancholy she comes across. And now I think I get the damn reason why.

Alinar's countenance darkens with sorrow as he confesses, "No, Axilya knows not the truth. Since my—our—captivity began, all paths of contact have been severed. I've been unable to reach her to tell her that my heart remains true. All she's filled with is what Amara feeds her and the land—I abandoned Axilya for Amara. When word came that you were journeying to parley, I saw my chance—I would reveal everything to Axilya when you arrived. But you never came. Axilya still believes Amara's web of lies, and it eats at my soul that she may doubt my faithfulness. We must find a way for me to tell her, for her to know I am still hers, in heart, mind, and spirit. I will not rest until she understands it was all Amara's vile ruse, and my love for Axilya never faltered, not for a moment."

Now it clicks. The way Alinar brushed off Amara like garbage in her room that day when she was interrogating me about Dani. How that sadistic bitch got off on keeping me as a 'pet,' knowing damn well my heart was with someone else. She thrives on shattering hearts and souls into pieces. Why? 'Cause that psychopath is jealous; she'll never have that bond for herself. How she would compel anyone for sleazy hookups every night 'cause no one in their right damn mind would willingly sleep with that miserable cunt by choice.

"Leave it to me," Dani chimes in with determination. "I'll have a heart-to-heart with Axilya. Here's to hoping she's got the patience to hear me out and grasp the gravity of the situation. It's high time she reclaimed her throne—the queen bee of this realm is overdue for her comeback."

"Indeed, my dear, you've sized it up perfectly. You have my sincerest thanks for playing matchmaker on my account, and rest assured, I'll be here, playing the patient suitor until she bestows upon us the honor of her company," Alinar declares, his voice a blend of courteous sarcasm and sincere gratitude. "And for the record, I've set up a rendezvous with King Oberon at the Sun Court to hash out these pressing matters."