Chapter 45

Béke Day Thirteen

"Liliana didn't return to the apartment last night," Endre told me as he sank onto my bed.

I adjusted the Night Crown in the mirror, glancing at my downcast friend as his messy black hair fell into his face. "Where do you think she went?"

He buried his face in his hands. "I don't know. Somewhere with Izidora. Maybe she stayed with her."

The tension between Endre and Liliana had been growing during our time here, and the purple circles under my best friend's eyes showed his stress. They were on full display as he lifted his gaze to meet mine in the mirror. "Why did you threaten her last night? She would have come back if you hadn't been a dick."

Buttoning up my jacket, I replied, "Liliana needs to know her place. If she chooses to remain a citizen of the Night Realm, then she must obey her king. If she chooses to pledge her allegiance to the Iron Realm, then she's not my problem. But she won't choose a side, therefore, she belongs to me."

A flicker of annoyance swept through me. The answer should have been obvious to him. Instead, his peridot eyes dimmed, and he pushed off from the bed with a heaviness that was, unfortunately, all too relatable. "Liliana will go where Izidora does. Do you really think you can convince Izidora to choose you at this point?"

Time was running out – the following day, Izidora and Ruslan would marry and be crowned as the monarchs of the Iron Realm. Which meant I had one last day to get her alone and tell her my theory of the prophecy, that this tug between us still existed because she could choose both. Not that I had told Endre or any of my other friends what I had seen during the masquerade. I needed their continued support in this, and so long as they believed Izidora hadn't yet chosen a mate, I could continue to establish my rule.

I also hadn't told them we were on our own with the war we planned to wage against the Iron Realm.

"I have a plan," I replied coolly.

Endre heaved a sigh. "I wish you would tell me. Or Viktor. Or anyone, really. You spend too much time in your own head, Kazimir."

"No one understands the pain I'm going through," I ground out, jerking my jacket one last time before facing my friend.

"And no one will unless you tell them," Endre retorted. "Did you forget that the rest of us lost our brothers too? We're all still grieving over here. But we're pushing that aside to help you, and you are being an asshole to everyone. Figure your shit out." He stomped from the room without a backward glance.

I remained motionless, rooted in place by my friend's harsh words. Endre rarely snapped, so his words were like a slap to the face. I returned to myself when I heard Vadim say, "The parade starts in half an hour. We need to get going."

"Yeah, I know. He's almost finished in there," I heard Endre mumble through the walls.

Gathering myself and slipping into my kingly facade, I entered the living area where the Night Fae, minus Liliana, waited for me. Domi's eyes were hard, and she quickly busied herself with her nails when I entered. "Shall we?"

Without waiting for a response, I swept through the room, out the doors, and into the hall where servants and guards all wound their way to the front doors and into the afternoon sun. The parade would take place on the main thoroughfare in Radence, and at the end of the course, the nobility had special seats and a private area to tie up our horses.

Fek stomped his foot when we arrived in the stables to collect our mounts, his glossy black mane shining in the sun. I rubbed his nose, offering him a lump of sugar before mounting and guiding him through the crowd trailing into the city. A light dusting of snow from the previous night's storm coated the roofs and sides of the road, and the bright sun glinting off of the snow speared into my eyes. Fek's hooves clopped against the slush-covered cobbled road, the snow there trampled by the hundreds of feet that had already crossed it as people fought for the best view of the upcoming parade.

The stone houses and buildings we passed were overflowing with people eating and drinking as they celebrated the last days of Béke. Ales overflowed and spilled along the ground, meat roasted over open fires, and people sang off-tune, grasping each other by the arm as they went round and round. Their carefree spirits almost made me feel normal, but the day's mission was never far from the front of my mind.

I had to find Izidora. I had to get her alone. And I had to tell her that she could still accept our bond.

Making her jealous hadn't worked, though I hadn't regretted my time with Taya at all. She fucked like a goddess, and sinking into her tight pussy had been the relief I needed these past few days.

Turning down a side street toward the road that led to the private seating area, I scanned for any sign of Izidora, or of Liliana, Drazen, or Zuriel, because wherever they were, she was likely close by. The string that tugged me to her was faint, and I maintained a bit of focus there, waiting for it to tell me which direction to go. As we stepped closer to the stands, it began thrumming. I picked my head up, searching for a hint of chestnut hair among the crowd.

I spotted her just as we halted at the posts where a dozen horses were already hitched, and a handful of young males stepped forward to take our reins. Without looking away from Izidora, I handed mine off, not waiting for any of the other Night Fae to join me before I slipped into the crowd, headed in her direction.

Unfortunately, she was surrounded by her friends, which made discreetly pulling her aside impossible.

"There you are. Let's go get seats beside the fire," Vadim said, hand latching onto my arm. I tore my gaze from Izidora to find him, Viktor, and Endre waiting.

"Yeah, sure. It's cold as fuck," I replied, falling in stride with them as we made our way toward a row of seats on the lowest level. The fire in front of them offered a surprising amount of warmth for how small the flames were.

"Slavian told me these were created with a special type of magic that allows them to put out a lot of heat without taking up too much space. They're portable too, so they can be moved around when necessary. They only need to use their magic to relight the fire," Vadim said as if he was reading my mind.

"The Iron Realm certainly has been busy with its inventions the last few decades," Viktor grumbled, no doubt trying to think of something useful to create for the Night Realm. He hated not being the smartest or most strategic in a room, and he fell behind as Ruslan and Drazen flaunted one new creation after another.

That tug in my belly caught my attention, and I glanced over my shoulder to discover Izidora and Ruslan arriving with their troop of followers. She didn't even look at me as she walked by, heading up the stairs to the highest level. She and Liliana took the seats in the middle, and a pained noise slipped from Endre's throat as Liliana ignored him too.

Vadim rubbed him on the shoulder reassuringly. "I can't believe I'm comforting you over my sister, but it will be okay, Endre. Give her time."

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled, facing forward once more.

King Airre and Queen Immonen arrived moments later, two of their three High Lords in tow, and behind them Queen Viktoria and King Consort Geza arrived with High Lord Domon.

Where were High Lords Aake and Soma?

I didn't recall seeing them the previous night at the talent show or theater performance either. A horn blasted in the distance, cheers rippling through the crowd of onlookers, leaving me unable to dwell on those thoughts.

The parade had started.

The air filled with bright, happy music, and everyone craned their necks to the left, straining for the first glimpse. Every few minutes, an explosion sent streaming ribbons into the air, the colorful strings catching on the breeze and drifting away, some falling over the crowds while others mixed in with the snow.

It wasn't long before the first part of the parade finally rolled around the corner, and the spectators whooped in excitement. A group of Iron Fae used their earth magic to guide the giant contraption down the street, allowing it to stop some distance away. It was too far for those in the stands to watch comfortably, but the performance didn't last long before moving on. This time, they rolled to a stop in front of us, and the Iron Fae disappeared to allow the entertainment to go unblocked.

The performers appeared from nowhere, bursting out of the wooden ship on wheels and acting out a scene where the male and female Fae battled against one another for control of the wheel. When the females finally won, they stood at the bow and saluted, remaining in position as the ones below pulled the ship forward again.

It disappeared around the corner only to be replaced by another platform, artfully decorated with an intricate metal cage with a bejeweled sphere on top that glittered in the sun. People climbed out from between the bars, singing a tune before disappearing back inside and moving on to the next section.

Three more passed before an idea struck me. Glancing around, I noted that everyone was enraptured with the latest entertainment, no one paying the slightest bit of attention to what was happening around them. Carefully, I slid from my seat, calling shadows to me to blur my form as I slipped away from the seats and ducked beneath them.

Thank the Goddess I had taken the end seat.

Next, calling on the silvery part of my magic, I snaked it up through the stands and around the back to where Izidora sat with her friends. Her focus was on the performance, and holding my breath, I brushed my magic against the clasp around the heavy, bejeweled necklace that she wore. With great care, I broke the clasp, directing the necklace to fall to the side and down between the slats in the stands. It hit the ground with a thud beside me.

I called on my binding magic, combining it with the moonlight, and rendered myself invisible. Hurriedly, I stepped back and leaned against one of the thick wooden poles holding the grandstand together, heart pounding.

"Shit!" Izidora cursed above me.

"What's wrong?" Ruslan asked.

"My necklace fell to the ground, scoot over so I can go find it. It's one of my favorites."

"I'll get it for you, sprite, you should enjoy the parade."

"No, it's fine, I need a drink anyway."

"Are you certain?"

"Bring me something," Liliana chimed in.

Izidora laughed, and my stomach clenched at the bright, airy sound. "Will do."

Her footsteps were light beneath her petite frame, but when I heard her boots crunch into the snow, my heart leaped to my throat. I could scarcely breathe as she approached, then bent to search the snow for her necklace. It only took her a few moments to uncover it, and she dusted it gently with the sleeve of her jacket before straightening.

A faraway look rested on her face, as if she were deep in thought about something. The expression held as she walked straight past me toward the private dining area just around the corner. I waited, holding my breath until she rounded it before following. My footsteps were muffled by my magic, and as I crept closer, her laughter hit my ears again. When I reached the corner, I peeked around it and saw Izidora hefting two mugs of hot wine, throwing a giggle and a thank you over her shoulder at the lone attendant.

This was my chance.

Izidora strolled back in my direction, headed for the stands where all the nobles attending Béke were preoccupied. She threw a glance over her shoulder, then looked straight ahead again, her teeth sunk into her bottom lip. Her bright, aquamarine eyes scanned the area in front of her as if she were searching for something.

Me.

The moment she rounded the corner, I snatched her to me, slapping a hand over her mouth and wrapping the other around her waist so she couldn't escape.

"Hello, Izidora. We need to talk."