Xerxes and his people have been keeping the cosmic behemoths at bay for thousands of years, and if they became brutal, it was only as a result of that. Many of them developed PTSD, but those they protected saw that as a threat instead of seeing it with compassion. They grew afraid of their fire fae protectors, and started murdering them. And when the fire fae returned the violence, they were officially branded villains. And yet they continued to protect all the realms from Apophis the God of Chaos and Orion the Lord of Dragons. Enough is enough though, and one day Xerxes and his men grew tired of the mistreatment, and of the rumors that spread about them like wildfire. People loved to hate them, while taking advantage of their protection at the same time. His heart filled with hatred and he became vicious, and tried to take over the world. He wanted to subdue it to what he believed would be a fairer rule, despite the apparent evil it brought along.
After millennia of war and hardship in which his heart had turned hard and cold as a rock, he met me, and we became bonded mates; tender feelings came to life inside him, the sun came out in his heart, and he started to believe in something again. And then I destroyed it all.
The tears in my throat are about to choke me, but that won’t help him. I cling to the decision I made back in the Fire Realm—I will help Xerxes get out of this not only clean and with his realm intact, but I will also be sure to save his reputation. This time, the princess will save the prince, if it’s the last thing she does.
“Come on,” I whisper, touching his arm. “Let’s find Lysander.”
Those lava-filled irises burn into mine from behind the visor in his helmet. I manage to hold his stare, even though it’s not easy. But doing what I’ve decided to do means toughening up, and I might as well start now.
“We need to get him alone,” he says. “And that won’t be easy, not today.”
“Leave that to me. You find him, I’ll get him alone for us. But you have to make an effort and trust me on this, Xerxes.”
He frowns, clearly not convinced, but he nods. He leads the way, though I wish we could set Nazarean free so he could do it for us. This way we have to rely on his soft meows and purring that communicates which direction we should take. At a certain point, Xerxes has to let me take the lead, even though he obviously doesn’t like it because he thinks he can protect us better when shielding us from the crowd with his large frame.
My limbs hurt so bad that my muscles burn, and my arms tremble as I struggle to hold up the shield, but I force myself to push through it. I do my best to make it look natural, but I fail. We catch the eye of a few guards in the end, and they maintain their focus on us until we disappear into the hallway connecting the main hall to the rest of the ground floor.
“You need to rest,” Xerxes says, close behind me. Exiting the main hall is like emerging from water onto land, the air is so cool here, so quiet and so dark except for the glittering of the ice coating the walls.
“No time. We have to get to Lysander before he comes down into the main hall. Sandros is preparing his entrance.”
“If that’s the case, then Lysander is already on his way, and he’s sure as hell not alone. He’ll have a whole squad of winter fae flanking and trailing him.”
But I have a burning purpose in my heart, and I’ll let nothing sway me.
“We’ll find a way.”
“Cerys.” He grabs my elbow, and turns me around. After everything he thinks I’ve done to him I would have expected him to be much harsher, but he speaks to me as if reasoning with a child. “You’re exhausted. You’ve been carrying that thing around for hours.” He motions to the shield, and ends by sliding it gently off my forearm. “This castle is huge, probably as big as the Fire Realm Palace, which means you’ll most likely have to carry it for much longer, while also hiding and keeping your senses sharp for possible threats. Those are no easy tasks. They’re a warrior’s business.”
“I am a warrior. I’ve been with you on a dangerous quest before.”
He smiles, I can see it through the slits in his helmet, and it warms my heart.
“Yes, but good warriors need to recognize when it’s time to rest, otherwise the battle is lost.”
My body loses tension with every word that he speaks, and I end up falling against his chest, my armor clanging against his. I realize just how heavy it is, and it becomes heavier with every second that passes. The adrenaline racing through my veins hasn’t allowed me to relax at all ever since we emerged from the arctic portal into this realm, but now, at his first sign of kindness, it leaves my body in freaking waves.
Xerxes helps me to an alcove by the hall’s far wall, and sits down with me on a bench carved into it. The nook is covered in ice, glittering like a Christmas tree full of blue and silver gems, and our breath turns to mist in the air. The silver suit I’m wearing underneath the armor like a second skin protects me from the cold, but I wonder what’s going to protect us from the eyes we’ve struggled so hard to elude. It seems there can be no place to hide in this glimmering castle, and two guards sitting in a nook will all but keep attention at bay.
To my jaw-dropping surprise, Xerxes winds his arm around my shoulders. I rest against his chest, armor to armor, as shadow begins curling up from him, forming a cloud of darkness around us. I remember it well—it’s the same blanket of shadow he used back at the Grand Mage’s mansion when he wanted to shield us from his eyes, only that this time I doubt it’s going to be very effective. This hall is like a ginormous cave with gem-studded walls and alcoves, the archways on one side overlooking the icy ocean that we emerged from.
“This hall connects the main gathering reception hall to the Throne Hall and the Dining Area,” Xerxes whispers in my ear, taking off his helmet. His thick black hair falls to his armored shoulders, and a claw squeezes my heart. His features, though ruthless, are incredibly beautiful.
“Incredible, how you could make out the entire structure of this place from the sewers underneath,” I breathe, struggling with my own helmet. I doubt I look as dashing as Xerxes when I finally manage to get it off my head, and tuck it under my arm. Nazarean slips inside it for extra safety. “It’s so good to breathe freely again.” I look up at Xerxes. “And to feel so safe, even though it’s under your shadow.”
“One of the skills of a trained killer,” he grunts, staring straight ahead at the colossal statue of a primordial High Fae holding a circle of nine worlds above his head.
We sit here in silence for a few moments for me to catch my breath, though I’m barely able to. We have to leave soon, before patrols walk in here, and the pressure won’t let me be. I’m not sure they would overlook a cluster of shimmering darkness on the backdrop of a glittery hall, but Xerxes refuses to put pressure on me to move on. I can see the tips of his ears moving finely to pick up distant sounds, making sure we’re not in danger.
“So what’s the plan?” I break the silence. “How do we get to Lysander, given the circumstances?”
“We’ll have to wait until after the feast. It might be a while.”
“But if they found the tracks, they won’t stop looking for us.”
“Yes, and my cloak of shadow won’t protect us for long in an open space like this one. If you’ve managed to catch your breath, let’s go to the servants’ chambers at the back of the ground floor, behind the Dining Hall and the kitchens. The servants will be busy attending the guests, it shouldn’t be hard to find an empty room.”