Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

“ K yle!” I shout, dropping to my knees at his side.

He’s unconscious, covered in blood, and he’s bleeding from a deep gash in his head. I scan his body and find another gash in his side oozing blood.

I press my forehead against his as tears flow down my cheeks.

Atticus gently rubs my back. “Zarla, we have to get him to the healers.”

Without thinking, I place my hands over his wounds and close my eyes, drawing my powers to the surface and attempting to heal him. My abilities haven’t been as strong lately, so I don’t know if it’ll work, but I have to try.

I open my eyes as a bright-white stream of light swirls into his side. His wound stops bleeding, and the skin knits together a bit but not enough. It’s as if that’s all I can do. My energy dips, and I feel myself fading, but I push through it and heal the gash in his head as best I can.

My body sways, but before I fall, Atticus scoops me into his arms.

“That’s enough, honey. Guards, get Kyle to the healers. Now.”

Several guards pick up Kyle’s immense frame and lift off into the air.

“Follow them,” I instruct Atticus in a weak voice. “Please.”

He pushes off the ground, and we follow the guards and Kyle back to the castle. I can barely keep my eyes open at this point. What in the gods is wrong with me? Why am I so weak lately? It’s likely Amaros is to blame for it, whether it’s some sort of magic he’s used on me, or the wire I had wrapped around my wrists for the weeks I was trapped within Silanthia.

The healers here may know. And if not, maybe someone else in the Kingdom will.

We finally reach the castle and follow the guards inside. Atticus carries me through the corridors to the healer’s chambers and sets me down on a bench. The cool stone sends a shiver over my body.

“She’s not healing properly. Her powers are weak. Find out why,” Atticus tells the healers.

I reluctantly lie back on the bench, all the while focused on my injured mate. I want to be at his side, holding his hand, telling him he’ll be okay. Not stuck here wasting these healers’ time and energy on me when they should be focused on him.

As if sensing my thoughts, Atticus strokes my head. “He has the help he needs. You require attention too, my daughter.”

My lip trembles, and a whimper escapes. It’s too much. All of it. I should never have left Silanthia. I should have dove into the sea after Kyle and saved him.

But even while these thoughts pass through my mind, I know deep down it wouldn’t have made a difference. If I had done that, Amaros would have captured me. And he would never have given me the chance to escape again.

I stretch my hand out to Kyle, who is lying on the bench opposite mine, but he’s just out of reach.

The healers work on him, brushing paste across his wounds and pouring some kind of yellow liquid into his mouth that he surprisingly swallows. That has to be a good sign.

An older healer with long grey hair and crystal-blue eyes takes my hand. “There is a powerful magic inside you. A dark entity, wrapped around your power source like a snake. I must remove it, and it won’t be pleasant.”

Her voice sounds raspy, and she speaks slowly and with purpose. I look at Atticus, and he smiles, trying to mask his concerns, but I see the worry in his eyes.

“You must hold her steady while I remove it. Like this.” She places her hands on my shoulders to demonstrate to Atticus, and he does as she asks.

Four more healers come over to hold my legs and arms down, and nerves swirl inside me like a raging storm at what this female is going to do to me.

“Ready?” she asks.

My throat tightens, constricting my breathing somewhat, but I nod, knowing whatever she must do is necessary.

She closes her eyes and hovers her hands above my stomach. She quietly chants in the language of the gods, and after a moment, pain builds from deep inside me, rising to the surface as it floods every part of me. It’s like something is gripping my insides, unwilling to leave me, and it’s excruciating.

A scream ripples up out of my throat. I struggle, but Atticus and the other healers hold me down while she continues to chant. Sweat beads across my forehead as waves of nausea roll through my stomach, and I gag.

“Roll her onto her side quickly!” the healer instructs.

They do as she asks, and she holds a metal bucket for me while I vomit. But it isn’t liquid or the contents of my stomach. It’s a dark-green, smoke-like magic that pours out of me in streams, and it seems like it’s never going to stop.

She throws the contents of the bucket into an open fire nearby, and it crackles and spits. Then she brings the bucket back to me. I fill it two more times with the same smoke-like magic before my vision blurs, and I sink into darkness.

When I snap my eyes open, I’m still lying on the bench, but I feel different. Lighter, maybe. Free. And I can sense my powers are stronger.

I glance across to Kyle, who lies shirtless on the bench beside mine, staring at me with those gorgeous steel-blue eyes of his.

“Hey, you,” he whispers, his voice cracking slightly.

I clamber off the bench, stumble to his side, and throw my arms around him. I startle at how hot his skin feels. It’s like he’s on fire, he’s so warm. He hugs me back with his strong arms, and by the gods, I’ve missed the feeling. I missed his touch. Brushing off his heightened body temperature, I pull back, and he cups my cheek.

“I missed you so much,” I whisper.

Two healers rush over. “Zarla, you must lie down,” one says.

“No, I’m fine,” I tell them, and they reluctantly leave us.

He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip. “I missed you, too, my mate. You listened to me.”

“I didn’t want to go,” I say as sobs wrack my body. “I didn’t want to leave you.”

He strokes his fingers over my cheek. “I know. But you needed to. And look? I’m fine. We both are.”

I press a kiss to his soft, full lips, and a familiar spark ignites inside me. Despite Amaros’s forced bond, my bond with Kyle is still there below the surface, burning like a raging inferno within, unbreakable, just like our love for one another.

He breaks the kiss, and there’s a sadness in his gaze. “I’m sorry. Amaros was too strong. We need to do something before he grows stronger.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have anything to apologise for.”

There’s something different about Kyle, but I can’t put my finger on what it is. It’s like he’s grown weaker, too, just as I did. I run my hand over his chest, and his skin is almost too hot to touch now. I pull my hand back, confused what’s going on with him. Our eyes meet, and I see the concern in his. He’s worried about it, too.

“What’s happening to you?” I ask.

He raises his hands in the air, staring at them as he turns them over. “I’m not sure. I’ve been feeling strange lately. Not myself. Something feels off…”

Suddenly Kyle’s skin sets alight, flames licking across his flesh and running over his wounds, healing him instantly before they fizzle out.

“Kyle!” I shout, scanning him but finding no burns or traces of fire whatsoever.

What in the gods was that?

He doesn’t say a word. Sitting up, he swings his legs over the side of the bench and touches his wound, which has healed completely. All of his wounds have healed.

“How did you do that?” I ask.

His gaze finds mine. “I have no idea.”

I position myself between his legs and slide my arms around his neck. His skin is still very hot, like he has a fever. But angels don’t get sickness like humans do. It makes no sense.

I gently rub the back of his neck. “It’ll be okay. I’m sure there’s an explanation for it. The main thing is your wounds have healed.”

I remain as calm and composed as I can, but what just happened scares me to my core. I’ve never heard of or seen an angel’s skin catch fire like that before.

His brows pull together, and he tugs me closer and kisses my forehead. “I couldn’t feel you… Something happened to our bond, and it was like you were gone. I searched every inch of my Kingdom for you, but you were just gone.”

The sadness and confusion in his voice cuts deep, and tears blur my vision.

“I’m so sorry… Em followed me down to the beach. She had somehow spiked my drink with something then pretended she wanted to put our differences aside and patch things up. Whatever she gave me numbed our bond somehow. I couldn’t feel my body.

“And then Amaros showed up. She helped get him into Zarquon, and he took me back to Silanthia through the Gateway of the Gods and then destroyed it. There was nothing I could do to stop it, and I couldn’t reach you.”

Kyle holds me as I sob in his arms. “I’m going to kill her the next time I see her. I’m going to kill them both. Fuck. I should have noticed. I should have gone with you down to the beach.”

I pull back. “It isn’t your fault.”

“So why has this affected our bond?”

My throat constricts, and I swallow in an attempt to clear it. “Amaros harnessed the powers of the deceased gods and forced a mating bond between us. It’s a powerful one, too. I can feel him in my mind, even now. It overshadowed our bond somehow.”

His jaw tenses, and fury fills his eyes as he lets me go. “He did what?”

I reassuringly rub his arms. “We’ll find a way to break it.”

“That male has gone too far. Something has to be done. I need to speak with my father about this.” He abruptly stands and links his fingers with mine. “Come on. We don’t need to be in here. We’re both healed.”

He leads me out of the healers’ chambers, despite the females attempting to get us to stay. He’s right—we’re healed, and we don’t need to be there anymore. At least, I think he’s healed. His skin did just set alight, and we don’t know why. I’ll have to keep a close eye on him.

We have so much lost time to catch up on, and I don’t want to waste a single moment that I’m with him. Just holding his hand and being in his presence sends a calming wave of happiness and peace throughout my body.

We reach the base of the stairs, and he stops. “I actually have no idea where I’m going, by the way.”

I burst out laughing, and he tickles me.

“Stop! Please,” I beg.

“Cheeky female. I haven’t been here before, and you have. Where to?”

I take his hand and drag him up the stairs. “This way.”

We reach the room I’m staying in, and we’re barely through the door when Kyle grabs my waist and pushes me against the inside wall. His mouth is on mine, passionate and demanding, and he grabs my wrists and pins my arms above my head with one of his large hands.

My heart pounds with anticipation. I missed him so damn much, it physically hurt. I drink in his touch, closing my eyes and enjoying every sensation as he traces kisses down my neck.

“Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he breathes against my ear and nips my earlobe. “I need you.”

Tugging on the straps of my dress, he gently slips them down my arms, exposing my bra. He pulls the lace front down and sucks my nipple into his mouth. I arch into him while pleasure and pain combine, igniting my desires. He slides his hand between my legs, and a soft moan escapes my lips as he rubs his fingers against me.

He tugs at the top of my dress, allowing the soft fabric to slide down my body and puddle at my feet. His lips crash with mine in a deep, passionate kiss. A hunger that must be claimed now, in this moment. He slides his hand down the front of my panties, gliding his fingers across my slick folds.

“Mmm…so wet for me,” he breathes against my ear.

He inserts a finger inside me and moves it gently while tracing circles over my clit with his thumb.

I grip his hair and pull his mouth back to mine, moving my tongue against his, tasting him. I will never get sick of kissing this male. It’s as though his lips were made for mine.

He tilts my head back, and I moan as he presses kisses down my neck while moving his fingers faster inside me. He steps closer, pinning his body against mine until his hard length presses into my stomach through his leathers.

“I want to be inside you…” he says.

He slips a finger beneath my bra strap as his hungry gaze finds mine. He pulls the straps of my bra down, exposing both of my breasts, and pulls one of my hard nipples into his mouth. His tongue circles the stiff bud while he unclips my bra. Dropping to his knees, he tugs my panties down, kissing and licking my thighs as he does. His rough hands grip my thighs, and he spreads them apart, exposing me to him.

His tongue finds my soft folds, and he laps it over my sensitive skin. “You taste delicious.”

I grip his hair and moan while he slowly strokes his tongue between my legs. Damn, it feels good. He slips a finger inside me and circles his tongue over my clit, and I just about lose it. My breathing comes in fast waves, and I grip his hair, tugging on the strands.

He stands, unbuttoning his pants before yanking them down his thick thighs and allowing his hard length to spring free. I stare at him with hungry eyes while he steps out of his pants, and I then pull his shirt over his head, exposing his muscular chest.

I trace my hands over his dragon marking and press my lips to it. He is male perfection. Everything about him ignites the deep desire within me, and I need him. Now.

Sensing my need, he grabs my thigh, wraps my leg around his waist, and thrusts himself inside me in one swift motion. He stills, filling me completely, and I tighten around him, consuming every inch of him.

“You feel so fucking good,” he breathes, slowly pulling out of me.

I grip his back, digging my fingers in while he thrusts himself deep inside me once more. He grips my ass, lifting me off the ground as I wrap my legs around his waist, then carries me to the bed, and drops us onto the covers.

Pinning my arms at my sides, he stares into my eyes while he thrusts his thick length in and out of me, filling me up and stretching me in the most perfect way, like we were made for one another.

My desire mounts, pleasure surging through my core as he moves his hips. He releases my arms, and I grip his ass, pulling him against me and meeting each one of his thrusts with my own.

Waves of pleasure build, each one stronger than the last, and I know my release is coming. A final wave crashes through me, and my legs shake as a powerful orgasm consumes me, taking me to a level of ecstasy I never knew existed. He continues to pump his hips, riding out my orgasm while he reaches his own. He stares into my eyes, his gaze reaching deep into my soul and reconnecting our bond. His back tenses and he stiffens inside me as his release follows mine.

He collapses on top of me and I savour the feeling of his weight on mine. My powerful mate. We lie still, embracing one another while we catch our breaths.

He gives me a gentle kiss. “I missed you. And I missed that.”

“I missed you, too.” I wrap my arms around his back, the both of us panting hard. “You’re not going to catch fire again, are you?” I ask jokingly while I trace my fingernails up and down his skin.

He pulls back and stares down at me, unamused. “Not funny. I can’t control whatever that was, and I have no idea how it even happened.”

I smile and cup his cheek. “I know. I’m only teasing. But it does worry me. We need to know why that happened. Maybe it’s a power of yours you didn’t know about?”

He purses his lips and moves them side to side as if considering that. “Mmm, maybe.”

I reach up and pull his lips to mine before he rolls off me and finds his pants across the room.

I shuffle off the bed and head for the bathroom, but I pause in the doorway. “Do you want to explore the Kingdom with me?”

He pulls his pants up and buttons them at the waist. “Hell yes. I never even knew this place existed. Did you? One of the healers said it’s called Gallerria.”

I run my fingers over the doorframe where the wood has worn. “No, I didn’t. But this is where my father has been all this time. Your father must know of it, too.”

He rakes his hand through his hair, strides over to me, and tugs me against him.

“I think there is much our parents have kept from us.” He kisses the top of my head and slaps me on my ass. “Get cleaned up, and I’ll jump in after.”

I eye his torn clothes. “Check the walk-in wardrobe. There could be fresh clothes in there. Or one of the keepers may be able to find some for you.”

He glances down at himself and frowns. “What’s wrong with this?”

I laugh. “Other than the tears in the leather exposing half your body and all the bloodstains?”

He winks and heads for the walk-in wardrobe.

After a quick shower, I slip back into the same blue dress. Kyle has his shower and then changes into the fresh clothes he found in the wardrobe—a pair of black pants and a blue shirt that seem to fit him perfectly.

We head out to the balcony and release our wings. I didn’t get to explore much of the Kingdom earlier due to the commotion of Kyle arriving, but it’s nice to be able to explore it now with him.

We take off and soar high above the Kingdom, flying side by side. A sense of peace flows through me, and I close my eyes, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt as I enjoy the warmth of the sun on my skin. Although I appreciate the peace, I worry how long it’ll last, knowing Amaros is coming for me.

The thought alone terrifies me to my core.

“Follow me,” Kyle says, bringing me back to the present, and I open my eyes as he glides down toward the mountains.

I follow him down to a ridge where there’s a large lake nestled between two of the peaks. It’s the most vibrant turquoise colour, unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. So pure, the water crystal clear, reflecting the sun’s rays. We land on the lakeside, and Kyle dives right in, fully clothed.

He resurfaces and wipes the water from his face. “Coming in?”

I dip my toe in the icy-cold water and shiver. It’s freezing, but seeing Kyle wading in the water, I know I need to join him. I slip out of my dress, take a deep breath, then dive in. I surface and squeal, my entire body shivering.

Kyle pulls me into his arms, and the extra body heat he seems to have at the moment is enough to warm the both of us. “Nice, right?”

I laugh. “It is now. So tell me, how is everyone doing back in Zarquon? I haven’t seen Astelle since that night Amaros took me. We were getting along well, and she’s probably thinking the worst about me now for disappearing on her.”

Sunlight gleams across the water, reflecting in Kyle’s eyes, the blue in them matching the colour of the water. It’s mesmerising.

“Astelle left and went back to Silanthia. Haven’t you seen her?”

I pull my brows together. “No, I haven’t. When did she leave?”

“Maybe a couple of weeks after you disappeared.”

How odd. “I mean, Amaros kept a pretty close eye on me and wouldn’t let me do much, especially without his watchers following my every move. Maybe he kept her from me.”

He brushes my hair off my face and tucks it behind my ears. “Probably.”

He stares at me as if there’s something he wants to say.

“What is it?” I ask.

“I honestly thought you had chosen to leave me. That’s what Em told me.”

I push away from him, and he reaches out to me.

“And you believed that? You believed her?”

He tries to pull me back to him, but I resist. “It almost felt like our bond had been severed, and I thought it was by your choice. I couldn’t think of another explanation for it.”

I bite my bottom lip to hold back the tears that are right there, ready to spill over. “I can’t believe you believed her. That you thought I would ever do such a thing.”

He grips my waist, using his strength to overpower my resistance, and yanks me back to him. “I knew deep down you wouldn’t do that. But in the moment, there was no other explanation for it. Em was incredibly convincing. I should have known better. I’m sorry.”

It’s too much, and the tears spill over.

I grip his face between my hands and kiss him with intention and purpose. “I love you, Kyle. More than anything or anyone in all the Kingdoms. I have been slowly dying inside, piece by piece, without you, wondering if or when you were going to come for me. You are my everything.”

“I love you more than anything, too, Zarla. I’m sorry. You are my life. Now and always.”

His lips crash into mine, and I grip him like I never want to let him go. He breaks the kiss and gently presses his nose to mine. I look into his eyes just as they spark red.

An instant pain shoots through my head and a vision of an enormous gold dragon flashes through my mind.

I gasp, staring at Kyle, whose eyes are back to their usual blue again.