Zella gasps when the mist clears, and she glances down at the foggy blanket below. Clear blue skies are above us, and Zella flaps her wings as she separates from me.
Hand in hand, we go east, heading to Dawn and Dusk where I intend to make her mine in every way.
Zella
We don’t get very far before I feel a sharp pain in my right wing. Crying out, I falter and start to fall. Eyes wide with fear, I watch as Keryth becomes smaller. He dives, catching me by the wrist, his eyebrows furrowed with confusion.
When I try to expand my wing, we both see the iron arrow piercing it.
I can’t fly. Not like this.
But that’s not our biggest problem.
A few of my father’s best archers have made it above the cloud cover with their bow and arrows. I recognize them and feel a stab of betrayal. They shot me, and it wasn’t a mistake. Their aim is always on point, so they were obviously trying to hurt me.
These men have known me since I was a baby. They’re the ones with the strongest wings. The feathered lengths are twice as big as mine, giving them better speed and control.
Not all faerie wings are the same. Some are iridescent and see-through, like an insect. Others are leathery like mine and Keryth’s, and they come in all colors and sizes.
And some are made of feathers. While that might help them to fly better, it puts them at a disadvantage when they come up against my power—fire.
Feathers are highly flammable.
A roar or rage comes from Keryth as he pulls me up, anchoring me to his side with one arm. Flicking his free hand, he makes a bolt of lightning shoot up toward the men. It splits into sections, hitting three of the four soldiers.
They immediately fall from the sky.
The stunned fae will probably break a few bones when they land, but they won’t suffer any long-term damage.
I can’t say the same for the remaining soldier, who’s nocking his next arrow right now with his gloved hands.
His name is Sedrick. He’ll pay for injuring me.
A wing for a wing.
Keryth turns us so he’s in front of me, and I know he’s prepared to protect me in any way possible. I can feel his power ramping up around us as he summons more electricity.
But it isn’t necessary. I’ve got this.
I glare at Sedrick as he pulls the string tight. Our eyes meet, and he realizes his mistake just a second too late.
Concentrating on where I want the flames to erupt, I send a mental burst of heat at his right wing.
The ivory feathers ignite, turning to black ash in a matter of seconds. The weapon drops from his hold while he lets out a blood-curdling scream. He tries to stay afloat with the left side only, but all it does is make him spin as he goes down with a trail of smoke following in his path.
I swallow hard as I look at the dark spiral he left behind.
I’ve never used my powers to harm anyone before. No doubt, Sedrick’s in a world of pain, and it could take years for his feathers to grow back.
“I’m not sorry,” I tell Keryth, lifting my chin to meet his gaze.
“Good.” He grins. “My vicious queen.”
“My wing,” I murmur sadly, hanging on tight because Keryth takes off again, faster than before.
“I have no problem carrying you.” He casts me a worried glance. “Are you hurting badly?”
I let out a sound of confirmation, because the sizzling pain is radiating to my spine. “It burns a little.”
I’m downplaying it, and from the skeptical twist of Keryth’s lips, he knows. “Once we get to safety, I’ll remove the arrow. Just be strong for me until then.”
Nodding, I rest my head on his shoulder and hook my legs around his.
The wind blows through my hair as we get farther away from the only home I’ve ever known. I think of Zephina, the injured soldiers, and the aftermath of this decision.
What a mess.
It’s likely I’ll never see my sister again. The life I knew no longer exists.
But as Keryth presses a kiss to my temple, love washes over me, and I know I’m headed to something better.
Keryth
Zella needs me to be level-headed and calm. Rationally, I know this, but my mind is wild with thoughts of revenge.
They tried to keep her from me. And when she left of her own free will, they hurt her.
These are just two reasons why the Day Realm is on my strike list. I have many more.
Decades ago, my parents were visiting Dawn and Dusk for a private getaway. What was supposed to be a romantic vacation ended up being a tragedy. Their caravan was ambushed by Day Realm soldiers and they were murdered for trespassing before they were able to identify themselves as royalty.
While I was prepared to take my father’s place and rule our kingdom, I wasn’t ready to lose him or my mother. I miss them every day.
King Zed and Queen Lynea, Zella’s mother and father, issued a formal apology, complete with excuses and denials. They claimed their soldiers went rogue, and they were punished accordingly for their ‘mistake.’
It wasn’t a mistake. I have reasons to believe they were behind the attack. Zella was an infant at the time, so she has no idea what occurred. Yes, she knows my parents were killed many years ago, but she doesn’t know it was at the hands of her own family.
I don’t intend to tell her. I won’t tarnish the memories she has of her loved ones. Enough has already been done to grow feelings of resentment between her and her father.
After my parents’ murders, I retaliated by stopping all trade and banning Day Realm residents from entering my kingdom. We were invaded by their military several times. Many tried to sneak in to steal midnight roses, stardust, and other precious goods. Perpetrators were dealt with harshly, and even when we ran out of day water, I wouldn’t budge on my decision to cut them off.
It was a dark time for the Night Realm—literally. Without day water, our lamps slowly dimmed to nothing in a few years. We still had candles. We made do.
The only reason I opened the trade deal again was because of the plague seven years ago. The Day Realm was desperate for the medicinal plants we had, and I was merciful. I gave them aid, even sending our own doctors to help.
Still, they blamed the Night Realm for the sickness. King Zed thought I put a revenge curse on them, but I would never do such a thing. After his mate died, he threatened war against my kingdom. But war would’ve only weakened all of us, and I met face-to-face with him to say so. They’d just lost most of their women. Did they really want to lose their men, too? When I offered to help him find the cause and a cure for the mysterious illness, he reluctantly agreed to a truce.
A peace treaty was formed. Although there was still a deep hurt and an extreme lack of trust on both sides, I’m grateful for it.
That’s how I met Zella.
It’s obvious now that King Zed’s hatred for me never eased, and it’s an understatement to say I’m not fond of him either.
But it doesn’t matter anymore.
Zella and I are together now.
“How much farther?” she asks, pain evident in her strained voice.
I look out to the horizon at the darkening sky in the distance. “We’re not quite to Dawn and Dusk yet, but I think it’s safe to take a rest.”
Surveying the lands below, I see fields of wheat, hills covered in light-green grass, and a few small forests with yellow trees. Everything here seems to reflect the sunlight. I’m not used to this brightness, and it’s giving me a headache.