Chapter 10

Béke Day Two

Ruslan fired four more iron arrows into the target, his aim near-perfect. Cheers erupted from the Iron Fae and Félvér watching as our king set a high bar for his subjects to follow. When he finished, he returned to the stage at the far end of the range, joining Queen Viktoria to survey the competition below. The high-backed chair where he lounged glittered with precious gems, and he looked every bit the ruler he was. I bit my lip and blushed as he caught my eye and winked.

Drazen nudged me forward, and I realized I was being herded toward a quickly forming line where contestants queued to give their names and realms in exchange for a number. Liliana was ten paces ahead of me, and as if she could sense my attention on her, she turned, waving.

The line moved quickly until suddenly we stood before the booth.

"Izidora Valynor," I said to the male who marked names.

"What realm?" he asked, not looking up from his paper.

"None," I said, though my voice did not hold much conviction. I couldn't choose – not yet, not when the pressure of my bigger choice loomed over me like an executioner's blade.

He handed me a number – ninety-four. "Strap that around your arm," he instructed.

Drazen fastened it for me, then secured his own place in the competition. He fetched a bow for me, this one much smaller in size than the ones wielded by the large males in front of me. Zuriel joined us in line, along with a few of the Demons I had begun to recognize as they emerged from their cocoon of safety.

"What realm are you representing?" Drazen asked them.

The taller male Demon, whose black hair seemed to suck in all the light around it, replied first. "We decided to represent our continent, Keleti, rather than any realm."

Drazen nodded, not seeming surprised by their choice.

"Each Telivér has chosen to represent their respective continent as a way to show worldwide unity," Zuriel explained, and I knew my cousin well enough now to know that pride filled his voice.

Before, it had struck me as odd that Zuriel had not hated or rebelled against the Iron Realm that kept him chained to this continent with magical binds, but there was something about the way he spoke of the continent of Angels and Demons, Keleti, that made me think he was happy to leave it behind.

Around us, conversations were loud and filled with laughter, and I opened my empath magic to absorb the positive energy buzzing in the air, replenishing my stores for whatever may lie ahead. Ruslan constantly reminded me to keep up my strength, and I loved that he chose to empower me so often. It helped me remember just how powerful I was when moments of self-doubt crept in.

Absentmindedly, I played with the string on my bow, letting my thoughts drift, but when we were about halfway through the line for the archery stations, it broke, stinging my finger as it whipped to the side. I cursed, and Drazen looked it over. "There are more bows around the corner there." He pointed in the direction of a small building overflowing with various goods and leftover building materials. "Test out a few until you find one that you can pull. I don't think there are any smaller ones left."

"Hold my spot!" I tossed over my shoulder as I jogged away. Dozens of bows lay against the wall, and I picked up the smallest one I could find, pulling back on the string and testing its flexion. I tried two more before the hairs on the back of my neck rose, causing me to pause and scan my surroundings. All I heard were the shouts and cheers of the archery competition in the distance. Otherwise I was alone.

But Kazimir had to be nearby, otherwise this tug low in my belly would not be so insistent.

The last bow I tested was sufficient, and I hurried back to the safety of where Drazen, Zuriel, and the Demons waited in line, that sense of being watched never leaving me, even as the line grew shorter. I craned my neck, searching the crowd for any sign of Kazimir, but he never appeared.

"Who are you looking for?" Drazen asked.

"Kazimir," I whispered under my breath, knowing his keen senses would pick up on my words while the Fae around us would not.

Drazen whipped his head around, searching for the male. "I don't see him. Why are you looking for Kazimir?" His voice dropped into a serious tone, a hint of concern peeking through. Zuriel took a step closer after making his own scan of our surroundings.

Blowing out a breath, I decided to admit the truth to them. "Because I can feel him like I can feel Ruslan. When I went to get a new bow, I felt like someone was watching me, and I felt that tug like he was around. But there was no one over there, except for me."

Drazen's dark brows pinched above his lapis lazuli eyes. "What's his Night Fae magic?"

I chewed my lip, debating about revealing Kazimir's magic to someone who could be a possible foe, depending on which mate I chose. I decided on vagueness. "Other than offensive blasts and such? He uses shadows."

"And you searched the shadows too?" Zuriel questioned, giving me a light nudge to step forward in line and close the gap I'd left in my absentmindedness.

I nodded.

"Well, Ruslan, Zuriel, and I have trained you well. I do not doubt that you can hold your own these days. But we'll watch out for you, Izidora." Drazen's mouth was pressed into a firm line, and reaching out with my empath magic, I read his worry.

"Thanks, Drazen."

Liliana stepped up to the free slot on the range, and I turned my attention to my friend, watching the smooth way she notched her arrow and drew the string back, blowing out a breath as she loosed it. She sank five arrows into the center of her target, better than the two males on either side of her. With a wry grin, she winked at the Crystal Fae who gaped at her – High Lord Tukka, if I remembered correctly – and strutted away from the slot.

My eyes were still on my friend when Drazen nudged me forward again. Gripping the new bow, I trotted to the slot on the end, feeling a prickle on the back of my neck again. My eyes darted around the space, but most onlookers were focused on the contestants readying their bows. Ruslan caught my eye from across the range, giving me an encouraging nod. Drawing a deep breath, I snatched an arrow from the quiver and notched it, trying to ignore the anxiety skittering across my skin.

The arrow left a twang in its wake as it sailed across the range toward the waiting target, burying itself in the highest ring. I cursed the feeling that had me on edge and tried again. Again the arrow flew toward the target, landing just below the first. The third attempt resulted in a similar placement, and I paused my firing to center myself. I allowed the world to drop away as I focused on my breath, shutting out the sight, sound, and smell of everyone around me until I was only aware of the smooth wood of the bow in my left hand, the firm feathers brushing against my right fingers, and the string in between them.

Insidious bloom.

Lifting the bow and arrow, I drew back with all my strength, looking down the tip of the bolt to the black circle in the very center of my target. The dark dot morphed into the tangled mess of feelings I had about my choice and the burden I'd never asked for. When the surge of anger and grief rose in me, I let it fly along with my arrow, both burying themselves in the center of the target. Before I could be shaken out of my focused state, I grasped and notched the next arrow, firing it straight and true, reuniting it with its brethren in the center.

The Iron Fae manning the targets unclipped mine and wrote my number down, signaling the end of my turn. Ruslan caught my eye again as I slipped through the crowd to the waiting contestants, finding Liliana amongst a trio of males.

"Your last two shots were incredible, Izidora!" she grinned, pulling me in for an embrace.

"All five of yours hit the center," I shrugged as I squeezed between her and the Crystal Fae. "High Lord Tukka, so nice to see you again."

"Likewise, Princess Izidora. I've heard so much about you these past few months," the male responded, smoothing his long blond hair away from his face. My stomach dropped because I knew all of his information had come from Kazimir, and the female he saw before him was so different from the one I had been the day I had left the Night Realm with Ruslan.

"Where are the others?" I asked Liliana. Where was Kazimir?

"Endre, Viktor, and Vadim went off with Kaztar and Domi to check out the leaderboard. I haven't seen Kazimir since you both returned from your date." Her voice dropped low and she tilted toward me. "How was it?"

I blew out a breath, fingers fidgeting over the bow in my hand. "Honestly, I don't know. He's… different. I can't quite figure out what it is, though. The prophecy does call for ‘her mates darkness to rise' which only makes this more confusing." I paused for a moment, then relayed my current situation like I had to Drazen. "I feel him here, but I can't see him. Yesterday, this morning, this afternoon… whenever I see him, I get that tug that pulls me toward him, but I also get this sick feeling in my stomach, and my skin feels like someone is driving pins and needles into it."

"Shit," she hissed. "That's not good, Izidora. But you're right, something has changed within him since Ruslan showed up. I think the males know, because when Kazimir gets the slightest bit upset, they all walk on eggshells around him until he calms down. Want me to see what I can pry from Endre?"

"Please," I sighed. "How is that going, by the way?"

A gong sounded from somewhere nearby, breaking our conversation and drawing our attention to the stage where Ruslan rose from his seat and unrolled a scrap of paper. A hush fell over the crowd as he opened his mouth to speak. "The finalists from each realm are as follows: Lady Liliana Arzeni from the Night Realm. High Lord Tukka Raita from the Crystal Realm. King Consort Geza from the Day Realm. Artur Lovav from the Iron Realm. And this year, we have a fifth category: the world at large. Their representative is Gozzak, of Keleti."

I whooped for my best friend, who wore the confident smile of a female who held not an ounce of self-doubt. "You will win!" I pushed her forward toward the waiting targets, and she winked at me before striding off, High Lord Tukka on her heels. His interest in her was obvious, and I covered my mouth with my hand to hide a snicker as he took his place beside her. Artur I knew from Ruslan's personal guard, and Gozzak was the male Demon who had stood in line with us. I'd had a brief interaction with King Consort Geza at the ball the previous night.

But my allegiance lay firmly with Liliana, and as I dug my nails into my free palm to ground against that creeping feeling across my skin, I hoped she'd choose me if I accepted the mating bond with Ruslan.

"Zuriel?" I reached out to him through the mental connection shared by all Angels.

"Yes, cousin?"

"Can you come stand with me?"

"I'll be there momentarily."

Ruslan had just finished explaining the rules of the shootout when the Angel pushed his way past the Iron Fae surrounding me. His white hair was pulled up and away from his face, showing off the sharp lines of his brows and jaw, and his ice-blue eyes skimmed over me before facing the range where the finalists had lined up to take their first shot.

"Want to tell me why you're so tense, cousin?" Zuriel asked in my mind.

"Kazimir, still. I don't like that I can't lay eyes on him."

"No harm will come to you while I am here. Or while Ruslan is here. Or Drazen. You have so many people in your corner, Izidora. Not like you need them. You've grown so strong since the first day we met. Do you doubt your abilities?"

His words were like a punch to the gut because they were true. Self-doubt nearly crippled me, compounded by the impossible choice that lay before me. "Yes."

A cheer went up from the crowd as all five fired their arrows at once. Liliana, High Lord Tukka, and Artur's arrows sank into the center of their targets, and King Consort Geza and Gozzak each gave a friendly wave to the crowd before stepping away from the range, having been knocked out of the shootout.

The three drew arrows and lined up their next shots, waiting for Ruslan's command to fire. A hush fell over the crowd in eager anticipation of who would be eliminated that round. The twang of the bowstrings releasing filled the air a moment before three arrows thudded into the bales of hay, all three in the dark center. Not a drop of sweat graced Liliana's brow as she notched another arrow, her seafoam green eyes trained down the range and chest proud as she held her bow steady. Ruslan's command fell again, and High Lord Tukka's arrow went a little too wide, knocking him out of the competition. He bowed to the other contestants, then joined King Consort Geza and Gozzak a few paces behind the others.

Liliana and Artur locked eyes before returning their attention to the targets down range. Drawing a deep breath, Liliana returned to her starting position, seeming to block out the world around her as she waited for the next call.

Come on, Liliana.

They shot five perfect shots in a row, and the tension in the crowd was as taught as their bowstrings as they lined up for their sixth, both black centers nearly blotted out from fletching. I held my breath as they drew, then closed my eyes as they released, too anxious to watch the arrows fly. The roar of the crowd snapped them open, and Liliana leaped into the air with a squeal. Darting my gaze down range, I saw Artur's arrow in the white space alongside his other arrows, making Liliana the winner of the archery competition.

"Let's go, Zuriel!" I exclaimed, tugging on his arm as I pushed through the crowd toward my friend, who was on her way to the stage where she would receive her prize. Endre, Viktor, and Vadim emerged from the crowd, joining Liliana in her celebration, and I jogged to catch up with them.

"I knew you would win!" I grinned, embracing my friend when she broke apart from Endre.

"Me too," she laughed, dropping my arms before arching an eyebrow as she noticed the male behind me.

"Oh my Goddess, you're just as bad as Vadim," I teased, low enough that Zuriel couldn't hear me.

"You must introduce me later," she whispered, before Endre tugged on her arm, snatching her attention.

My blood heated, and I whipped my head around to find Ruslan a few paces away on the platform, holding a shiny black box tied off with a silky gray bow. His smoky eyes glittered when he saw me, and my body relaxed as he neared. "Hold the box for me while I present the prize?"

"Absolutely." I had to tip my head all the way back to look up at him, and for a moment it was only us among the mountains, with the wind pulling at the loose strands of my braid and ghosting across the fur that peeked out from our jackets.

Zuriel cleared his throat, breaking the trance, and Ruslan grabbed my hand, leading me toward the front of the wooden platform. Ruslan handed me the box before turning to face his people.

"Lady Liliana Arzeni has won this year's archery contest! It is my honor to present her with a prize," he lifted the lid from the box with a flourish, "a hand-crafted bow made from the lightest metal in the Iron Realm."

My jaw dropped at the beautiful metalwork that lay among sheets of soft velvet in the box. When Liliana lifted it, the sun caught the tiny gemstones encrusted on the sides, inlaid in an intricate filigree that was nearly transparent. With how light the box was, I would have never guessed that inside lay a beautiful bow. Liliana tugged on the string, watching the bow flex as easily as any wooden one. "It is an honor, King Ruslan." Liliana sketched a quick bow, and the crowd cheered at her victory.

"This concludes the day's events, and I wish you all a nice evening of celebration," Ruslan boomed over the crowd, dismissing everyone with a wave of his hand. We remained on the stage while people began reclaiming their horses and trekking back to Radence.

The Nighthounds, minus Kazimir, joined us on the platform. Vadim took the bow from Liliana, assessing it thoroughly, turning it over in his hands, and testing its movement and lightness. "This craftsmanship is like nothing I've ever seen."

"And it"s all mine, brother," she teased, snatching it from his probing fingers.

"You won't even let me fire it once? I am the one who taught you how to shoot after all," he grumbled, smoothing his beard with his hand.

"The student has become the master," she shrugged, and I bit my lip to hide a snicker.

Ruslan's hand found the small of my back and I leaned into his touch, feeling both of us relax with the physical connection. Endre and Viktor's eyes darted to Ruslan's disappearing hand, and something flashed in both their eyes that I couldn't quite read. Tuning into that flame-wrapped crystal in my chest, I pushed my magic toward them, trying to discern their emotions. Mine were so frayed that I needed to know what they were feeling, and yet I was still afraid of what I would find.

A swirling mix of anger, guilt, and anxiety bled from both of them, though what drove each emotion, I could not decipher. I had hardly spoken to my friends since they arrived in the Iron Realm, and this chasm between the Night Realm and myself was growing deeper with each passing moment of awkwardness that went unacknowledged. It was clear they had not found what they were expecting when they rode upon Ryza Citadel, and now none of us knew how to proceed.

Where was Kazimir?

As if he heard his name in my head, he appeared at the bottom of the platform, looking up at those of us gathered above him. His emerald eyes collided with mine for only a moment before moving on to Liliana. "Congrats, Liliana," he said. "Your shots were excellent. You make the Night Realm proud."

She flicked her braid over her shoulder. "I know. You are all lucky to have me." That earned a chuckle from the males on the stage, including Ruslan, Drazen, and Zuriel. It struck me then that every person I cared about was gathered in the small space, and yet I felt so lonely, unmoored and adrift in my anxiety.

The scattering of my friends reflected my feelings, too. The Nighthounds gathered on the opposite side of the wooden planks, while Liliana stood proudly on her own in the middle, though a hair closer to where Ruslan, Drazen, Zuriel, and myself stood. It was a perfect metaphor for the feelings rising from the people around me, and I choked on my breath as I opened myself up to the collective tension of the group.

Was there any way to repair the rift and bring peace?

Or would choosing one side over the other only end in war?