Chapter 35

Béke Day Nine

On my way to the sparring ring at Ryza Citadel, I ran into Zuriel. My body itched after days of inactivity, begging for movement despite the slight headache behind my eyes. The males were off hunting for the dinner that would be served during the masquerade, and the tug around my middle was driving me crazy. Exercise was the perfect distraction and solution to my restlessness.

"Zuriel! Care to join me?" I called out to him. He glanced at my leathers and plaited hair, amusement twitching his lips upward.

"I don't believe we've ever sparred with swords. Show me what you can do, cousin." We walked together into the open air, a slight bite in the wind sending shivers through me.

Better get moving to warm up.

Liliana bounced into the courtyard a moment later, calling for me when she spotted us.

The Angel dipped his head in greeting. "Lovely to see you again, High Lady Liliana."

My friend eyed him appreciatively, and I rolled my eyes. She and Vadim were more alike than she cared to admit, and after watching her the previous night, I had no doubt that she would rival his own prowess by the time she finally decided to fully commit to Endre.

"We'll have to settle for Zuriel as a sparring partner today. The males are all out on a hunt," I joked.

"I promise to take it easy on both of you. I've only had two millennia to train," he said casually as if everyone lived for thousands and thousands of years.

I resumed walking, shaking my head as I tried to fathom the stretch of time. So much had happened to me in my relatively short lifespan. I couldn't imagine what else would happen if I lived to Zuriel's age. Fae only lived for a few hundred years at best, and the Félvér, I'd been told, varied based on their heritage.

We trekked to the barracks in the courtyard at Ryza, finding the rings nearly empty and with plenty of space for us to use. A few young males trained at the end closest to us with older ones who shouted instructions and corrections when they faltered or made mistakes.

Across my back, I carried my new short swords, though I'd left the full set of armor behind, not needing full-body protection for some light sparring. I smiled to myself, Ruslan's thoughtfulness in both choosing the gift and the design of it melting my heart for the second time.

I waited for Liliana and Zuriel to select weapons from the rack of training equipment. Liliana opted for a long knife and axe, and I pressed my lips together to suppress a smile. She and Endre were made for each other, if she could only accept his love for her and he could step up to be what she wanted him to be. He had the potential, if he would only open himself to believing it.

Zuriel only picked up a dagger, a hint of mischief in his icy eyes, and vaulted over the fence to the training ring before walking to the far end so we had plenty of space.

"Let's go, Izidora." My cousin called me out first, and grinning, I stepped forward to face him.

As I unsheathed my blades, the veins of silver in the dark gray metal caught the light, highlighting the long-stemmed roses etched into the blades. Positioning myself, I held one high in front of me while I let the other rest at my side, not entirely passive, but not entirely aggressive either. Zuriel stood motionless in front of me, not even blinking as he waited. A light breeze flitted through the ring, pulling strands of chestnut from my plait, and yet he still did not move.

My left foot raised as I prepared to take a step forward, and in a blur of motion too fast for me to comprehend, he knocked the blade from my left hand. It clattered off to the side, and, off balance, I stumbled forward and nearly into Zuriel's waiting dagger. At the last moment I twisted, backstepping with my right foot to avoid the blade, but I was even more open than before.

He lunged, and I parried, my single blade meeting his sliver of a dagger a breath from my shoulder. Using only his thin blade and skill, he backed me all the way to the fence. It was as if every move I made, he knew I would make it before I did.

"Are you sure you've never spied on me while I sparred with Drazen and the other Félvér, Zuriel?" I laughed as I blocked his blade from slicing my neck.

His ice-blue eyes twinkled with excitement. "You mortals are so predictable."

"We are no–" I started to protest, but while I was distracted with my opinion, he snatched a hidden dagger from my thigh and held it to my side. "I yield," I huffed, and with a knowing grin, he returned my weapon.

"I can do better than that," Liliana bragged, hopping from her perch on the railing and striding toward us.

"I'd like to see you try." I took her place beyond the fence, leaning on it with my elbows as I watched my cousin and best friend spar.

Liliana lasted no longer than I had, quickly backed up no matter how she rolled, dodged, and parried with the knife and then the axe. Once she yielded, all of us now breathless, I asked, "So why do I train with Drazen and not you?"

"Because Drazen is a more reasonable opponent than I am. You'll never catch me," Zuriel said, amusement dancing in his tone.

Liliana and I shared a look, and without hesitation we sprung into action, blades singing as they swung through the air. And yet, two-on-one my cousin still managed to best us both without losing his composure. We collapsed in a heap of sweat on the ground after three consecutive losses against the Angel.

"You have over thousands of years of fighting experience. It's totally not fair," Liliana complained, tucking locks of sweaty hair behind her ears.

"I am not the one who said ‘I can do better than that' if my recollection serves me." Zuriel mimicked Liliana's bubbly voice with surprising accuracy, and we burst into laughter.

"Two thousand years of memories is enough to start getting some confused, Angel," Liliana bantered, batting her long lashes in his direction.

I huffed a laugh, then sat upright with a groan. My body was sore and worn out, and the restlessness that had plagued me for days melted away with the amount of energy I had expended. Training like this needed to be a daily priority, otherwise my thoughts would continue to spin out of control. The sessions with Zuriel helped tone down the level of my reaction, but they had not completely banished the fear of Kazimir following me. Strength and skill were important to maintain, especially because only the Goddess knew the next time he would appear unannounced, hidden so that I could only feel him.

The thought sent a chill skittering down my spine.

Ruslan wanted me to tell Kazimir we'd accepted our bond and break my tie to him as Zuriel had suggested initially. I still hadn't told Ruslan about Immonen's vision; the dread that had settled in my stomach at the thought of whatever darkness came with it was too much to share with him. We still had to break apart the alliance of the Night, Crystal, and Day Realms and secure the safety of our people. Keeping those thoughts and fears away from him was difficult when I heard his every thought and felt his every emotion down our bond. My extensive practice at mental shields for my empath magic was the only way I was maintaining the box around that information.

Liliana interrupted my thoughts with a giggle, watching Zuriel gather the borrowed weapons and stride off to put them away. "He's cute."

"You're so bad." I rolled my eyes, but my words were all tease.

Clopping hooves drifted over the barracks and into the training ring, signaling the return of the hunting party, and I hopped to my feet as I sensed Ruslan growing closer. "He's back!"

"Now who is bad?" Liliana elbowed me in the ribs, causing me to flinch and giggle.

"Hey, at least he's my mate," I pointed out, then vaulted over the fence, followed a moment later by Liliana.

Zuriel fell in step beside us as we left the barracks. "How long has it been since you've seen him?"

"He left early this morning." I bit my lip as we rounded the corner and my mate materialized. I couldn't help myself as I ran to the stables and jumped into his arms the moment he dismounted.

Ruslan spun me around in circles until I pounded on his chest. "Put me down unless you want me to throw up." The movement ceased, and when my feet hit the ground, I stumbled into him, the world spinning a little too much to remain upright. I giggled anyway, giddy that my mate had finally returned to our citadel.

"I missed you too, my sprite." He planted a kiss on my forehead. "I have to get this stag inside for dinner, but I promise I will find you shortly."

Antlers wider than I could stretch my arms greeted me when I turned around to see what the horses pulled. The stag was nearly bigger than the steeds combined. An involuntary gasp slipped out. "That could feed all of Radence."

"That's the plan. We will feast well at the masquerade tonight." Servants had secured ropes around the beast, and as Ruslan stepped away, he hefted one over his shoulder, joining Drazen and the others to drag the litter inside.

"I'm going to give Mistik and Twilight treats and then I'll be in our apartment," I called out as I watched them go, most of the party already having retreated to the warmth of Ryza. Liliana and Zuriel must have gone inside when I ditched them to run to Ruslan because they were nowhere to be found. Sighing, I decided I would be quick to the stables and back so as not to be alone for long. It was also bitterly cold, and the warmth of our apartment called to me, along with a much-needed bath.

As soon as I had made my decision, the hairs on the back of my neck rose.

Someone was behind me.

My entire body stiffened, just as his powerful, low voice hit my ears.

"Izidora."

I spun to face Kazimir. He was dressed in thick clothing from the hunt, but it did nothing to hide the warrior's body beneath. My skin crawled at his closeness, and I took a step back, needing to put distance between us, for my own safety.

But he stepped forward. "We nearly died today in the mountains."

If he thought the words would make me feel sympathy for him, it did not work, and honestly, my life would have been a lot simpler if he had died. Fuck, the war we all knew was coming, yet continued to dance around, would never come to pass if he did.

I opened the well of empath magic inside me, reaching out with invisible threads to brush against his emotions. It was my safeguard against his new, volatile binding magic, and I hoped that I would be quicker to act on my magic than he was, if it came to it.

"Are you not going to say that you"re glad I'm alive?" He was persistent in his attempts to sway me, though I would still fault him for it.

"I'm glad you're alive, Kazimir," I gritted out, hating that I was yet again placating a male who sought to control and manipulate me. Focusing on my magic rather than our conversation, I prepared myself for whatever madness he might unleash on me.

Anything to survive.

The invisible tendrils of my empath magic brushed against his emotions, and I tried to delve deeper, winding my way through the tangled mess that protected his heart and mind.

"You could have lost both of your mates today. Why aren't you more upset?" He ran a palm over his face, then rested it on the back of his neck while he regarded me.

I was only half listening, determined to discover his intentions before he could act on them. "Because I don't know that you're telling the truth," I quipped, more than ready to end the conversation. But I was so close to passing the barrier…

Rage flared from him at my questioning of his integrity, dragging me to the center of his heart.

There.

Flashes of feeling overwhelmed me almost instantly as my magic latched on to his emotions, flipping through them like they were pages in a book. Never before had I ventured so deep into someone's psyche, and I nearly vomited at what I found.

Desire-filled fantasies of me before my rescue. Desperation to keep me while we were at Zirok. Jealousy over my close interactions with the Nighthounds. Adoration as I spoke to the people of the Night Realm. Love as he drank me in while I wore the golden dress. Fear as Iron Realm soldiers ripped me away from him. Grief upon finding his father dying minutes later. Fury as he raced through the woods searching for me. Laying with my clothes at night. Protectiveness over images of my belly swollen with child. Obsession to bind me to him by any means necessary.

I yanked back with horror, but in my haste, I brushed against his binding magic, causing it to flare to life and give chase as I lost control of the tendril. It was thick, ropey, and vile, with a hellish desire of its own, grasping at my magic as I frantically pulled away, barely managing to slip through its corrupting fingers.

Kazimir's chuckle was filled with depravity, sending a shiver of fear down my spine. "Did you find what you were looking for, Izidora?" He lunged, capturing my throat in his hand before I could react. Gasping for breath, I rose to my tiptoes, trying to relieve the pressure on my neck. With my right leg, I kicked out, landing a heavy blow to the inside of his knee. He grunted, his grip loosening just enough for me to suck in a breath. I locked my hands together and brought them with all the force I could muster on the crook of his elbow. He released me completely, and I stumbled backward and away from him.

"Don't touch me," I snarled, calling white magic to my hands, ready to defend myself.

I was not powerless in the face of the monster Kazimir had become.

"You are mine. I will touch you whenever I want. Don't you feel the pull between us? You want it as badly as I do." Kazimir merely jerked his clothes straight and faced me again, unruffled by my strikes.

"Maybe I did once, but no longer. Something is wrong with you, Kazimir."

His once-kind emerald eyes darkened, and his lips curled into a sneer. Two thick black ropes like snakes landed at my feet with a dismissive wave of his hand. They uncoiled and moved of their own accord, slithering toward me. I blasted each of them away with white magic before they could get close, then called my wings and floated backward and away from the sinister magic.

Better to have a third movement option.

Kazimir sniffed the air around us. "I smell your arousal, Izidora. It clings to your thighs."

Bile rose in my throat. "You are insane."

Faster than I thought possible, he had me pinned to the ground. With all my strength, I pushed against him, screaming for help. Panic clawed its way up my throat, and my mind blanked on what to do to defend myself as he caught my hands together and shoved them above my head. The other gloved hand found my mouth, silencing me. "I went crazy when he took you. I had to, to get you back. You just need to understand the depths I would go to, the darkness I would fall into, for you. Then you'll choose me."

Kazimir had said as much before, but I had already made my choice. The right choice. But if I called on Ruslan for help with Kazimir pinning me like this, he'd kill him. He wanted so badly to win the other monarchs to his side, and I feared if he killed the new king of the Night Realm, they would turn against us. I didn't want everything to go dark because of me.

"Zuriel! Help! I'm in the stables."

"I'm on my way."

The hand that covered my mouth shifted slightly, and I did not hesitate to bite down, hard. "You bitch," he seethed, a stinging slap whipping my head to the side.

But the pain sharpened my focus and fueled my rage, which I redirected to my magic, spearing it into his mind. The last thing I ever wanted to do was torture anyone with my empath magic again, but he'd crossed a line, and I wanted vengeance.

His back arched and he fell away, writhing in pain as I focused all my energy on sending the whipping sensations I knew all too well across his back. I'd suffered hundreds of lashes, yet they still stung my back as I forced Kazimir to feel them too. My eyes burned with unshed tears as I struggled with my breath, bearing the pain so I could deliver more to Kazimir.

Zuriel dropped from the sky beside me as Kazimir screamed in agony. My cousin looked at the red mark across my face, then at the writhing male in front of me. "I'll take it from here."

Releasing my hold on him, I stalked away as Zuriel caged Kazimir in a net of light. "If you ever touch her again, I will not hesitate to kill you. You are a despicable excuse for a male."

Zuriel backed away with me, holding his magic until we were out of sight of the male I had loved first. Adrenaline still flooded my veins, and I hurried through the halls of Ryza, my heart pounding in my chest as I struggled to gulp down enough air. I took the spiraling stairs that led to our suite two at a time, and once we were safely behind closed doors, I let go. Tears flowed freely down my face, and I heaved breath in and out until Zuriel shook me gently to get my attention.

"Follow my breath," he instructed. I focused wholly on my cousin as he took me through a familiar set of breathwork until I calmed down.

I was safe. There was no cave. I was not trapped. I was not powerless.

Not a moment later, Ruslan burst through the door with a wild look in his eye. He rushed to my side, and through our bond I felt wave after wave of concern. "Izidora, what happened?"

I dried the last of my tears and then snorted with not nearly enough disdain. "Kazimir attacked me. I think I handled it pretty well."

Zuriel dipped his head in agreement. "I never thought I would see her willingly do it, but she tortured him with her empath magic."

Ruslan pulled me into his chest, cradling my head against his furiously pounding heart. Rage rolled off of him like a storm rolling into the valley, and I had to work to block out his emotions and focus on my own. His arms trembled around me as if he fought with everything he had not to haunt the halls of Ryza and rip out Kazimir's throat. "You are fierce, my mate, and I am proud of you for standing up for yourself."

"I sense a but," I stated.

"But I am not okay with him hurting you. If something should happen to you, I would never forgive myself, and I wouldn't be long for this world without you in it. Waiting for you to tell him that we accepted our bond is killing me."

Guilt slammed into my gut, the secret I had been keeping from him weighing heavily on me. But I couldn't tell him what Immonen saw, not when we didn't know what the dark meant. Instead, I skirted around the truth, and my voice was small as I whispered, "I have this awful feeling that the moment I tell him, something horrible will happen. I don't have an explanation for it, but I feel it in my bones to be true. Maybe it"s my empath magic or something else, but I think we need to wait until Béke is almost over."

He blew out a frustrated breath, his arms twitching as he continued to hold me. Sensing he needed more reassurance, I pulled back, then cupped his face, running my thumb across the beard that covered his strong jaw. "I know this is hard for you. You've empowered me to be able to hold my own. As you said before, you want to be able to concentrate on the battle in front of you rather than worrying about me. This is practice, for both of us."

My words took the edge off his fury, but the violence in his eyes had not faded. "We will continue training, every day. And you will continue training with Zuriel as well, but do not exhaust your magic as you have been. It's more important that you have some to spare than to grow your well. Understood?"

His tone brokered no room for argument, not that I wanted to challenge his points. "Understood," I replied, stroking his face and massaging his arms until he relaxed around me.

Zuriel cleared his throat, drawing our attention. "The Telivér will all be in attendance at the masquerade. We will watch over you, and I'll have Xorrek and Gozzak trail Kazimir the entire time." He paused as if he was considering a confession, and my stomach dropped as I feared he would reveal what I'd told him in a moment of despair the previous day, but had obviously not told Ruslan. To my relief, his next statement was an affirmation of my own belief without revealing how either of us knew. "Kazimir's mind is fracturing, and I fear Izidora is correct in her assessment that breaking the lingering string between them will set him off. We should plan it strategically."

"Thank you, Zuriel. See you later," Ruslan said, the thanks and dismissal both clear in his tone. The Angel slipped out the door with one last parting look, leaving me alone with the male whose only desire was to see no harm befall me.

"Come, let's shower and read before the masquerade. It will take your mind off things." Ruslan held out his tattooed hand and I accepted it, allowing him to lead me to the marble bathroom. I let him wash the sweat and dirt from my body as the heated water poured over us both. With each swipe of soap, Ruslan instilled safety in my muscles, in my bones, until finally, I was clean in both mind and body.

But rage simmered just beneath the surface of my skin, and I knew it was my own. Kazimir dared to lay a hand on me in violence, and I'd already proven time and time again what happened when a male touched me in a way that I did not want. Determination settled over my shoulders like a cloak of armor, and I vowed in that moment to give my fucking all to breaking his alliance with the Day and Crystal Realms.

The Iron Realm was my home, and its king was my safe space and my mate. Our bond was more powerful than any magic on this planet. United, we could do anything, and I steeled my spine as I reminded myself of that fact, reminded myself just how fucking strong I was. I only hoped that my strength and our determination were enough to see us through the challenges that lay ahead – both on and off the battlefield.