Dark World (Book I in the Dark World Trilogy) (20 page)

A matron phoenix nested upon a stone
pedestal. She was simply statuesque. Regal. Tucked safely beneath
her were two tiny amber eggs, glowing like embers. Her lengthy red
and gold tail feathers fanned over the entirety of the cradle,
protecting her unborn babies with a wall of fire. Ink-black eyes
bore into Fate’s, her elegant head cocked to one side. Inspecting
her.

“
That’s Cinder,” Ever spoke
quietly, stationed to Fate’s left side.

They watched in awe. Neither moving,
just observing the blazing beast as tendrils of flame rippled over
her body like streams of lava.

The sound of trickling water stole
Fate’s attention from the phoenix. To her right was a make-shift
waterfall, cascading into a pond made of grey marble.

Moving to its side, she gazed into the
dark blue waters. Beyond the undulating reflection of herself, Fate
could see a multitude of rainbow fish gliding beneath the surface.
Their skin glittered with an iridescent hue. Prismatic against the
quiet light bathing them from above.

“
That light.” Fate raised
her face to the soft orb. “What is it? It looks like…a crystal of
some kind.”

Nodding, Ever lifted her ivory profile.
“Yes, it’s a special kind of crystal. Piezoelectric. It’s what
powers our kingdom.”

Perfectly round and polished like a
crystal ball, the sphere not only cast a gentle, white light, but
soothing warmth as well.

“
Ouch!” Fate exclaimed
suddenly, a sharp pain biting her shoulder blade. Spinning around,
she witnessed a tiny blur whiz away and escape into a nearby
shrub.

“
Pixies,” Ever stated with a
roll of her sky-blue eyes. “They’re jerks.”

Fate nodded in agreement, the sting on
her back throbbing.

A throaty growl resonated from a
distant corner. Deep and rumbling like a storm cloud. Her interest
piqued, Fate wandered the winding path. Pushing aside several lazy
branches, heavy with leaves, she finally spotted the source of the
guttural voice.

Seated in the heart of a yawning
cave-like structure, was the most magnificent creature Fate had
ever seen.

Where are they?

Panic prickled through Kane’s system.
What if Fate had led Ever to a remote part of the palace and…he
couldn’t think about the possibilities. Couldn’t think of losing
Ever. Especially the same way he’d lost Seren.

Forcing himself to calm down and walk
at a less hectic pace, he asked each demon he passed if they’d seen
the girls. With every answer that resulted in a ‘no’, he became
more frantic.

I must have been out of my
mind to bring a shade here. What was I thinking?

As if his own consciousness answered
him, a series of images flashed through his thoughts: the way her
shy star-like eyes lowered when she was embarrassed, followed by
the rush of rouge that painted her cheeks. The way she cuddled and
babied Ick. The way her silken white hair cascaded over her petite
shoulders and fell between her shoulder blades.

A flutter of something warm wandered
through his heart and over his soul.

It was hopeless and he knew it. He
couldn’t talk himself out of it any longer. He had feelings for
her. Feelings that bordered on wrong, yet he simply couldn’t deny
them. Demons and shades were simply not meant to be. Were they? How
could two different races come together? They were sworn
enemies.

His thoughts shifted to Ever. He just
knew, deep down, that she was safe. Fate would never hurt her. She
didn’t want to be a monster. She wasn’t a monster. She was an angel
cursed. Cursed by his own mother.

He exhaled, his heart torn between
loyalty and feelings he didn’t want to acknowledge.

Suddenly, the gruesome image of Seren’s
chest cavity ripped open, her soul stolen, seized his thoughts. His
father’s blood pooled beneath his cooling body. He simply couldn’t
allow it. Couldn’t allow the feelings to cloud his
judgment.

“
No,” he growled through gritted
teeth, recalling the wise words of the Oracle. “Shades can’t be
trusted.”

Every individual scale shimmered with
the essence of a sunset. Copper, gold, red, and even a hint of
violet. His massive horned head tipped in her direction, watching
her every move through fiery amber eyes. Long black talons adorned
the tips of his gnarled, russet digits. Vast, membranous wings
sprouted from his back. Not unlike bat wings, they had intermittent
ribs held taut by dense, coral flesh.

Thick steel bars enclosed him.
Imprisoned him. While Fate understood it was for his own good, that
Kane wanted to preserve the last dragon in existence, she couldn’t
help but feel saddened. Something so beautiful, so powerful, should
not be kept locked away. A shortened life would be better than none
at all, wouldn’t it?

“
His name is Arcanum,” Ever
offered.

“
Arcanum?” Fate paused, a
memory emerging from the depths. She fought to recall. His name
meant something. Something she knew from the Surface.

“
Yes,” Ever turned to Fate.
“The king—my grandfather—found him dying in the desert shortly
before he… ” The princess stopped and looked away.

“
Before?”

“
Before he died,” Ever
blurted dismissively. “His name is Arcanum,” she said quickly,
changing the subject.

“
Arcanum,” Fate repeated
quietly. The word ricocheted inside her head like a song you can’t
help but sing over and over. His name meant something in her human
tongue. But what? As if pushed from the depths of her memory by an
angelic source, it surfaced.

Secret…his name means
secret.

She prided herself momentarily for the
recall, then glanced back at him before following along behind
Ever. The old dragon gave a deep sigh, then laid his formidable
body down, a wisp of smoke rising from his snout. His eyes stayed
locked upon the girls as they passed by his cage. An ancient wisdom
lurked behind them, veiled with sadness.

Ahead, Fate could hear commotion.
Amidst the foliage, a great cacophony. A shrill whinnying. Without
even seeing him, Fate knew right away who the perpetrator was. Ever
had already mentioned him.

The Night Mare.

Night Mare

Tightness spread across his chest. How
could he have betrayed Seren’s memory like this? For a shade, no
less? Distressed by his own lack of sensibility, he marched through
the corridor, still searching for Ever. Maybe they weren’t even
together. Maybe Fate had wondered from her room and…his heart did
an uncomfortable flip flop.

What if Syphon got a hold of
her? What if he’s hurting her?

Again, his true feelings surfaced. This
strange and inexplicable desire to protect the shade. Why did he
deem her so important? Other than the fact that he needed her to
collect the remaining scrolls, and hopefully the stolen ones, he
had no use for her. Her kind killed his father. Her kind murdered
his wife. Why was this even an issue? A consideration?

He had to harden his heart. Block her
from his thoughts. Clenching his fists and gritting his teeth, he
furled his brow with fresh determination.

Nothing should come between his
responsibility to his people. He had a job to do. He had to find
the scrolls, use the shade to retrieve them, then—dispose of
her.

It was a beast the shade of pure
midnight. Sleek as black velvet—except for the fire. A willowy
ribbon of flames rolled over his crest, down the back of his neck,
and ended at his brawny shoulders. His lengthy tail, grazing the
floor behind him, burned with the same fervor as his mane. Even his
hooves brandished a blaze.

“
Don’t look him in the eye,”
Ever warned, keeping her chin tucked into her chest as they stood
before the fiery horse.

“
Why?” Fate whispered,
lowering her eyes to the ground, glancing up with caution to steal
an admiring look at him.

“
He’s very unpredictable.
You never know what his mood is going to be like,” Ever
explained.

Not unlike a lot of males
around here.
Fate rolled her eyes, thinking of Kane and his pendulum of
sociability. One minute, warm and engaging, the next, aloof and
unreceptive.

“
Not to mention,” Ever
continued, “his gaze can hypnotize you.”

“
How?”

“
He was born of black magic.
He’s not like the other creatures here.” The demon princess had a
low, cautionary tone.

“
Not like the others?” Fate
reiterated, thinking of the sulky dragon and the elegant
phoenix.

“
He didn’t come from the
Surface. He was conjured.”

“
By whom?” The dark horse
dragged an ember hoof along the floor of his pen, drawing a long
line in the dirt. He lowered his head and gave a grunt, almost as
if he was answering Fate in his own language.

Ever shrugged. “We don’t know. He’s not
supposed to exist.”

“
What’s his name?” Fate
allowed her white eyes to linger on the great horse. Nearly twelve
feet high, he was simply colossal. But strangely, she wasn’t afraid
of him. Only captivated.

Again, the pale princess raised her
shoulders. “We just call him Night Mare.”

“
Ever!” a Baritone voice
thundered through the garden, startling the two girls. “I’ve been
looking everywhere for you!”

Kane’s large black form stormed through
the foliage, leaving a trail of torn leaves and broken branches in
his wake.

“
Father?” Ever responded
calmly, her blue eyes puzzled. “Are you alright?”

“
No! I am not alright! I ordered
the guards to keep you away from…
that.
” He fired a cold glare in Fate’s
direction.

Her blood ran cold, the sting of shock
spreading through her body.

That.

He’d said it with such disgust. Such
hatred. Fate was glad for the mask shielding her mouth. It
prevented Kane from seeing her bottom lip tremble.

Ever’s blue eyes shot bullets in her
father’s directions. “Daddy! How can you be so…”

“
Ever,” he interrupted,
taking her arm, “Shades can’t be trusted. She could…kill
you.”

She ripped her arm from him, leaving
his large hand empty and hovering mid-air. “She healed you. And if
she wanted to kill me, she would have done it already. She’s had
plenty of opportunities.”

Tears welled into the corners of Fate’s
eyes. “I…should go,” she forced the words out, hoping they didn’t
sound as strangled as they’d felt. Turning to leave, she walked
quickly away from father and daughter.

“
Wait!” Ever called.
“Fate!”

As the first tear rolled over her
cheek, Fate stopped walking—and started running.

“
How dare you!” his
daughter’s blue eyes iced over. Hands on her hips, she glared up at
the seven foot prince. Her white wings twitched whilst her long
tail flicked irritably beneath her gown.

Regret overshadowed the anger that had
owned him but moments ago.

“
She’s my friend,” the
princess waggled an ivory finger in his face, an angry crease woven
into her forehead. “And she’s not dangerous, you above all people
should know that. She’s had plenty of opportunities to hurt both
you and I. But did she? No!”

Kane sighed. “You’re right,” he stated
honestly. He’d been an ass.

She immediately silenced, her
reprimanding hand falling limply to her side. “I am?” Her eyes
widened and she gaped at her father. Never before had he conceded
so quickly—if at all.

“
Yes.” Kane nodded, raising
a large, black hand to his daughter’s pale, satin cheek. “You’re
right. I shouldn’t have spoken to her like that. I was just…so
worried about you.”

An expression of pure understanding
eclipsed her face and a smile graced her lips. Patting his hand as
it held her cheek she gave him a firm stare and then pointed her
finger in the direction of Fate’s room. “Good. Now go and
apologize.”

Kane rolled his eyes and gave his
daughter a wide grin. Turning, he made his way out of the garden
and headed for Fate’s room.

His stomach fluttered with nerves. He
didn’t intend on just apologizing, he was going to tell her
everything.

“
It’s obvious I’m not wanted
here,” Fate sniffed, gathering a few items from her room and
tossing them into a burgundy pillow case she’d hijacked from the
bed. Her tears had ceased halfway to her room and morphed into an
angry burn smoldering within her chest. She seethed as she recalled
Kane’s venom laced words. “He doesn’t want me here.
They
don’t want me here.”
The image of the demons and their hateful stares fueled her anger
further.

She’d made her decision. She was going
to find the one person in Dark World who wanted her.

Malus.

Ick whined, wincing each time she
stuffed an article into the bag, pounding it for good
measure.