Chapter 35

Chapter

Thirty-Five

Magnus

I stared at Rose's backside with literal smoke coming out of my nose as she traversed her way across the rocky path that led to the back of the castle grounds.

I had been determined to leave her behind this morning when I'd woke, but she'd been awake and ready to go long before I'd made it back to consciousness. I was also annoyed that I had to sneak into my own home like a thief in the night.

I had half a mind to say screw it and just burn the damned castle to the ground. It would certainly be the easier path to ridding this world of my uncle. However, Rose had made me promise to keep my fire to myself unless absolutely necessary.

She was very clear about how she felt about more collateral damage.

I should have had her define necessary. Keeping my mate out of my uncle's line of fire seemed absolutely necessary if you asked me. How in the hell had we gone from me fucking her unconscious with pleasure to this?

"I can feel you trying to bore holes into my back. Stop it," she said without turning back or taking her eyes from the path.

"Maybe if you did as you were told, I wouldn't have to walk back here dreaming up ways to punish you later."

She scoffed. Literally scoffed at me. "I told you I wouldn't take orders from you nor stay behind."

"You didn't have any trouble taking orders when I was fucking you absolutely mindless."

She froze mid-step and whipped around to face me. "What the hell is wrong with you? I would have thought all that time we spent in bed would have gotten all of your aggression out, not made it worse."

"In case I wasn't clear before, I don't like putting you in danger."

"It was too late for that the minute we came here, and we both know it." She stopped and looked around. "I think the idea of walking in like you were returning home was a better idea than this one."

I snorted. "We aren't ready for that. The minute he sees you, he's going to know who you are. Your glamour isn’t going to fool him. That asshole has a knack for knowing things he shouldn't. And when he discovers who you are, he will want a piece of you, one way or another. And we both know if he touches you, this entire kingdom is gone. My dragon will go scorched earth on everything and everyone. There will be no friends or foes. Just people who must die to protect you."

I watched her take a steadying breath as she absorbed my words. She didn't like that I didn't have more control over my dragon, but when it came to that part of me, I kind of felt like a teenager learning how to control my anger from square one again. Those had been trying times the first time around, going through it a second time had never been on my wish-list.

"Good thing we're only skirting the property then," she said not smiling back at me. "Are you sure we can trust the witch we are going to see?"

"As much as we can trust anyone, I guess. The king has informants and allies everywhere. But he also has enemies, and last I checked this was one of them."

Just as she was about to say something else, the castle came into view from between the trees. "Holy shit!" She stumbled a few steps and then froze as she stared straight ahead.

I followed her gaze, not feeling as phased by the sight of the only home I'd known growing up as much as her. For as long as I could remember there was nothing happy or good about it. Only bad memories and bad decisions. Every mistake I'd made happened there and every punishment for it as well.

As if on cue, my scars burned under the pull of my frown. Ironically, it was only when I smiled that I forgot they were there and until I'd met Rose, those occasions had been far and few between. I hadn't even thought about them much since she'd taken me from that church.

I reached up and touched them. Not to reassure they still existed, but to remind myself that I was still that man. If she were not here, I would have donned my mask by now. Before her, I went nowhere without it.

It was rather unsettling how quickly my perception about who I was and where I belonged was changing since meeting her…

"C'mon. We need to keep moving. The longer we are out here the more exposed we are. And I don't think for a second that the King isn't using magic to protect himself. There are probably all kinds of nasty spells guarding this place."

"I'd ask for more details, but I don't think I want to know. This is scary enough thinking someone could find us at any moment without worrying about magic."

"Agreed. You don't want to know."

"And speaking of magic. I thought I was going to be different here somehow."

"You mean besides the ears and the wings?"

"While that is magical in a sense I guess, but I did not get the impression that's what Kitra meant. Based on the way she and Isaac were acting, I was half expecting an explosion or fireworks or something when that binding spell broke. If I have no magic to wield, then why would anyone care about hiding me in a different realm? What's the point?"

"We may have to face that it has more to do with your omega status than anything magical. The dark fae were a warrior race. They may have?—"

Before I could finish my thought, a wave of magic ensnared us, rendering us immobile.

"Magnus. What's going on?"

"Fuck!" I yelled, trying to move closer to Rose and making no progress. "That bitch spelled us. We can't move, and your glamour is failing."

"What?" Rose panicked, her hands going to hide her ears. "What does that mean and what is she going to do to us?"

"Try to stay calm. Fighting it will only make it stronger." Not that I could imagine it getting stronger. I couldn't lift a finger, let alone take a step, and my dragon scales were showing through my skin.

"What do I do?"

It killed me to see her so frightened. Would it be worth her wrath later if I pointed out this wouldn't have happened if she'd stayed behind?

"You do nothing. We are going to have to wait her out and see what she has planned. With any luck, she'll at least hear us out before she kills us."

"Kills us!? You have got to be joking."

I kind of was, but now I could see that had been a poor choice. "She's not going to kill us," I said.

"She might." An old and familiar voice came from somewhere in the dense cover of trees.

"Corvina," I greeted, tempering my anger as much as I could under the circumstances. "Is this really necessary?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But I do hate glamour. You know this."

"The glamour isn't for you. We're hiding from my uncle." I had no choice but to be honest with her. She probably had a truth spell working out here too.

"At least you're honest—today."

Rose looked like she was about to say something, and I shook my head to keep her quiet. "We've come here for your help."

She laughed, a rough, throaty sound that came out not at all humorous. "And why would I help you?"

"Because when I am king, you will one day need my favor." I had nothing tangible to offer her today, but I could offer her a future favor. "And I will owe you."

"Go home, Magnus. Run back to your uncle and remind him that I am exempt from his games."

"I'm not here on his behalf." I debated whether to tell her about the spell I'd broken. But since I wasn't sure how much I could trust her, I decided against it.

Her eyes narrowed, and she looked between me and Rose. "You are always here on his behalf. What's changed? And who is—?" As the last of the glamour surrounding Rose fell, Corvina gasped. "Good gods! Magnus! Have you lost your mind? Why is there a dark fae in our realm? I thought they were all dead. You ki?—"

"In my defense," Rose interrupted. "I didn't know I was dark fae until a few days ago. I thought I was human."

Corvina turned back to me, her gaze both alarmed and filled with disbelief. "You've got thirty seconds to explain what's going on before I banish her." She raised her hands like she was going to bring down the wrath of her magic on Rose's head.

"Touch her, and I will burn you where you stand. It would do you well to remember who I am. Your magic may have rendered me unable to move, but it has no effect at all on my dragonfire."

She shifted her gaze between me and Rose, looking none too happy about the situation. Fortunately for her, she dropped her arms. But I could tell she was far from satisfied. However, the magic seizing us eased and we were both able to move again. Although it did feel a little like walking through mud.

"Really, Corvina?" I rolled my eyes as I made my way over to Rose and pulled her to my side. I wasn't going to let Corvina anywhere near her if this was how it was going to go.

"Your mate is a dark fae?" Her eyes grew even wider. "Now I'm really curious about what is happening. Let’s go inside and away from watchful eyes. Your uncle has been on the warpath even more than usual lately."

That was enough to rise my hackles, but I followed Corvina into her cottage with Rose in tow.

"Is it really safe for us here?"

"It's not safe for us anywhere until my uncle is taken care of."

Corvina jerked around at my words. "You're serious? I'm almost speechless."

I smirked at her. Corvina had never been speechless in her life and I doubted she would start now. "It would seem that when a fae-born travels through the portal between fae and human, any spells rendered here are broken. I am no longer under his control."

"Wow. I think this calls for a drink." Corvina wandered into her kitchen and pulled a bottle of red wine down from her cupboard along with three glasses.

"We're good," I said before she could pour. "We'll celebrate when this is over. Until then, we both need a clear head and an even clearer picture."

She nodded and continued to pour a single glass of wine. She took two sips and then set it back down. "So that's why you two are here? But that still doesn't explain how you ended up with a dark fae or in the human realm. When did that happen? I saw you only yesterday."

"Actually, he's been gone for months," Rose said quietly.

She choked on her drink. "Nay, that's impossible." She looked between the two of us. "It sounds like the two of you should have gotten your stories straight before you got here."

"Our stories are just fine," Rose seethed and I squeezed her hand in support.

"She's not wrong, Corvina. I accidentally followed Isaac and Kitra through a portal, not realizing the damage it would cause or what would happen. It seems the portal plays fast and loose with time when you cross to the human realm. Or the human realm moves much faster. I haven’t quite figured it out, but it's quite odd."

"You followed the dragon?! I told you no good would come from associating with him. I guess I was right."

"Isaac's a pain in the ass, but he's not that bad. He didn't kill me when I lost all control of my dragon and considering the trouble I caused, that must have taken incredible restraint. And if not for that trip to the human realm and through that portal, would I even know what kind of control my uncle had over me?" She suddenly looked nervous, causing me to narrow my eyes. "You wouldn't know anything about that would you?"

"I have been your closest ally since we were children, and my mother worked for your uncle. If I had known for certain he'd messed with your mind, I would have told you."

"I thought you said we could trust her?" Rose whispered. "She sounds about as trustworthy as your uncle."

I squeezed her hand, hoping Rose would trust me.

"Corvina, I hope you mean that, because I need your help to take down your king. I need to get into the castle unseen at a precise time of the day and location. Will you help us?"