Chapter 15

15

T he Crystal Fae deserted us at the border of the Day Realm like they couldn’t extricate themselves fast enough. How the soldiers hadn’t cracked under Kazimir’s erratic madness was beyond me. From his taunting about adding their wives to his harem, to trying to befriend them with promises of wealth and positions of power, I was shocked we were still alive. Most days, I was constantly on edge, ready to reach for my magic and sword at a moment’s notice. Fates, I was close to cracking, and he was my fucking king. We’d been friends for our entire lives, and with each passing day, I knew the male in front of me less and less. The binding magic was eating away at who he was, and though the loss of Kriztof, Zekari, and Kirigin was acute, the loss of Kazimir was like a slow march to death.

But I couldn’t abandon him, or the Night Realm, not when I was the only one still able to break through to him on his worst days. Unfortunately, as we entered the Day Realm, those skills were again necessary.

The white haunches of the Crystal Faes’ mounts bunched and flexed as they galloped in the direction of the lakelands, leaving us on the precipice of the grassy plains.

“Kazimir,” I warned as they rode away, “Don’t do anything rash. They’re leaving now, and we don’t have an escort in the Day Realm. We can relax and enjoy the rest of our ride. Maybe we’ll even see some of those elusive savannah cats this time.”

I really did want to see the predators that lurked among the tall stalks, and since it was only Kazimir, Viktor, and myself traveling through the Day Realm this time, the shy beasts might show themselves.

Kazimir snorted, though not in a condescending way. “You and your animals. We’ll relax and stay as quiet as possible so you can hopefully see one.”

For the first time in weeks, a grin tugged at the corner of my mouth. “Thanks.”

“What did we see last time the Nighthounds went to the Day Realm?” Viktor asked, knowing I would remember.

“Savannah cats, an olyphant, a pack of kutya, and a lot of szarvas,” I replied. The olyphants were incredible, though they mostly roamed near the coastal plains, far from Zheka, where we were headed.

The deeper we delved into the Day Realm, the hotter it became. The cool air drifting down from the glaciers was gone, replaced by the brilliant sun beating down and spots of shade that were few and far between. For miles in every direction, there was only grass swaying in the light breeze, and the sound of birds cawing as they flew overhead. Occasionally, the lazy smoke of a fire drifted into the air in the distance, signaling a small village on the plains.

By midday, the three of us had stripped out of our leather chest plates and untucked our tunics, unbuttoning them to allow the weak breeze to cool our overheating skin.

“Fucking Fates, it doesn’t ever cool off here does it?” Viktor swore, finally giving up and laying the sweat-soaked fabric across his mount’s back. Not that it helped – our horses' hides shone along with our skin.

“Nope,” I laughed, tugging off my own shirt and tucking it behind me. Kazimir joined us, grinning like a fool, and suddenly, it felt like when we were children, lighthearted and without a care in the world.

“Pass me the wineskin,” Viktor said, holding his hand out for it. Unhooking it from my pack, I tossed it his way, and he squirted the white liquid into his mouth. “At least the Crystal Fae were nice enough to let us have some of their wine.”

“And you trust it’s not poisoned?” I teased, brushing my wet locks out of my eyes.

“I don’t even care at this point as long as it helps me withstand the heat,” Viktor commented, tossing the skin at Kazimir.

“The leaves are turning in the Night Realm, and yet here we sweat,” Kazimir groused before sipping the wine and tossing the leather back to me. It was still cold despite the air around us, refreshing in its crispness. The Crystal Realm wines were by far the best, with the fertile soil beside their lakes infusing the grapes with the best flavors. I drank down several gulps before passing it along again.

We fell into an easy conversation, the likes of which we hadn’t had in months, and ever so slowly, I began to believe that our arrival in Zheka, the capital of the Day Realm, wouldn’t bring that much strife.

“Remember when Vadim challenged that Day Fae to a bare knuckle fight?” Viktor snickered, using his shirt to wipe the sweat from his face.

“I do,” I said, grinning at the memory. “Both of them were so bloody, you couldn’t tell who was winning anymore.”

“That’s what happens when you’re only throwing punches,” Kazimir commented. “That’s why mixing all the styles together is important.”

“That fight wasn’t about winning so much as showing off for a pretty Day Fae female.” I rolled my eyes, but a pang of longing for our friend’s antics tugged on my middle.

“When it is not with Vadim?” Viktor sighed, though his words were said in jest.

“You’re not much better, Viktor,” I replied. “When are you going to find someone?”

He shrugged. “Maybe when I have the time. I’m a bit busy, and you stole the only sibling in our friend group.”

The thought of Liliana sobered me instantly, and Viktor knew it. “Endre, I’m sorry, I–”

“It’s fine, Viktor.” But it wasn’t fine, and as I gazed over the horizon in the direction of Zheka, I wondered if she would greet me there.

Kazimir remained notably silent, and with a peek out of the corner of my eye, I checked that he was still his normal self, and the madness had not regripped him. Tentatively venturing down the path, I asked him, “So will you marry Taya when we return?”

Holding my breath, I waited for the telltale flash of black in his eyes. But none came. “Maybe if I need a queen eventually, but for now, I don’t think it's necessary,” was his level-headed response.

“Fair enough,” Viktor replied, cutting a look to me that said I needed to drop the subject.

The sun began to dip over the horizon, painting the sky in vibrant hues. It appeared massive as it descended, so much larger than it did when it was directly overhead, and for that reason I was utterly captivated with it, as I had been every time I watched the sun set over the Day Realm. Off to light another part of our world, it crept away until only a sliver remained. With it, the breeze cooled, finally bringing some relief to our salty skin.

“Should we stop for the night?” I eventually questioned as the first stars winked into existence.

Viktor gestured to a copse of trees up ahead. “We can stop over there.”

“Hopefully there’s a small stream to refill our waterskins,” I said, shaking mine. We were still close enough to the Agrenak Mountains that runoff from the peaks was possible. After dismounting and securing the horses, we delved deeper between the sparse, twining limbs and discovered a stream large enough to bathe in.

Water would be scarcer the closer we ventured to Zheka until we were almost upon the capital city. So we filled every container we had to the brim, then jumped in and washed the dirt and sweat from our skin. The horses were grateful when we led them there to drink too. Cupping our hands, we cleaned their hides, offering them what relief we could before we had to ride into the heat again.

We risked a small fire after clearing brush beside the stream, allowing the horses free reign over the grass they loved to munch. Not bothering with tents, we rolled out blankets and used our bags as pillows as we stared at the stars decorating the black canvas overhead, caressing our magic and refueling us for the ride the following day.

I chewed on the end of a piece of grass and counted them as my eyelids grew heavy, the night cooling quickly and drying my skin.

Viktor cleared his throat, and I opened one eye in his direction. He was propped up on one elbow, looking at Kazimir and me. His sage eyes held a hint of sentimentality that was unusual for our strategic, logical friend. “I know we don’t say this often enough, but I think it’s important. I love you guys. We’re brothers for life, no matter what happens.”

Without hesitation, I pulled him in for an embrace, and Kazimir joined us, sharing a moment of affection for one another. “Love you too, Viktor,” I said, releasing him.

“Brothers for life,” Kazimir echoed, his emerald eyes clearer than they had been in months.

As we resettled ourselves, sleep came easier, and I was whisked away to the land of dreams where Liliana awaited me.