Reign Fall (21 page)

A shiver went through me despite it. “He stopped. He knows it was bad and he’s trying to figure out how to fix it. He says it feels like he’s cursed.”

“I’ll talk with him. Nothing can be done to help him until he admits to me that there’s a problem.”

Guilt twisted inside of me. “He’s going to hate me for telling you.” He shook his head as his concerned gaze returned to meet mine. “If he truly cares for you, he won’t hold this against you. He’ll realize that you did this to help him. Trust me on that.”
Trust me.

Trust played such a huge part in my life right now. I never knew who to trust—with secrets, friendships, my feelings. It was always my worry that
I
would be the one betrayed or lied to.

Lately, that wasn’t the case. I’d been the liar, the deceiver. I’d lied to Melinda, trying to get her to believe that Patrick had manipulated her. I’d justified it completely since I had no choice, but it still bothered me. And now I’d betrayed Michael. I’d told him I wouldn’t tell, but I’d turned around and told my father everything at the first opportunity.

In both cases, I knew there were no other options for me. And in telling the truth to my father, I now had to put my complete trust in him.

And I did. I trusted him.

But this still hurt like hell.

He put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed. “I’ll open up a gateway for you so you can go home.”

I touched my dragon’s tear and realized my palms were sweating. “I should keep practicing.” His gaze fell to the bracelet. “That likely won’t work again for at least a day.” I looked at him with surprise. “It won’t?”

“No. Since you’re unaccustomed to its magic, it will take some time to recharge. Over time it will become more dependable, but not in the beginning.” I stared at him with surprise. “So I could have gone somewhere and been stuck there?”

“But you didn’t. And you aren’t. So no harm done.”

My heart still raced. I didn’t know how to make it slow down again. “These things should really come with instruction manuals.”

Despite my pounding heart, I was exhausted. I thought I’d just overexerted myself from running to the castle from the field where I’d arrived, but now that I thought about it, it felt deeper than that. Maybe it was energy Michael had taken from me. Or maybe it was the whole experience of this long and trying day.

I was too tired to say anything else. Too tired to argue or fight. I just wanted to do as he suggested and go home.

“If I can do anything to help—” I began.

“You can help by going home and letting me handle this from here. I will speak with Michael.

I’ll find out what is wrong—how he’s feeling. This hunger that drives him after his incident with Jonas...” He shook his head, his expression grave. “I
knew
there was something wrong, something off, but I wasn’t sure what it was. I thought he was dealing with guilt about taking a life, even that of a murderer. I didn’t realize that it had sparked a dark need in him that didn’t exist before. This is a very dangerous situation, Nikki.” I swallowed hard. “I know. That’s why I told you.”

He nodded. “Go home. Rest. I will find a way to send word to you soon.” I finally turned toward the entrance to the room...and froze.

Michael stood there, his eyes wide. He’d heard us. Every word.

“Michael...” I couldn’t breathe. It felt like I’d been punched in the stomach.

His mouth worked, but no words came out for a moment. “I can’t believe...Princess, I don’t understand why you’d do this.”

I struggled to find the words. “I had to tell him.”

He looked devastated.

Tears burned my eyes. Guilt was a knife twisting into my heart, but it didn’t change anything.

I hated that he knew what I’d done, what I’d had to do, but he would have found out soon anyway. “I did it to help you. You know how much you mean to me.”

“Do I?” His words were sharp, but his expression held only pain. Didn’t he realize that we wanted to help him? He’d lived within this castle all his life; my father had pledged to protect and take care of him. Didn’t that earn my father any trust of his own?

“Nikki, leave now,” my father said firmly. “I will deal with this. I promised I’d help Michael, and that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

Michael shot a look at him. “You’re sure about that? I know Queen Sephina would love it if you banished me from this kingdom to hers. She could throw me into her dungeon and set a date for my execution.”

“Banish you?” My father’s voice grew louder and there was no mistaking how angry he was.

“If you were anyone else, I would do just that for keeping something this important from me. I allow you to live here with more freedom than any other and you betray my trust. You attacked my daughter in my own home.”

“I would never attack her,” Michael snarled. “I would never hurt her! I would rather die first!”

“What would you call it then? Only by a miracle were you able to stop in time. No, we will discuss this in private. And then I’ll decide how best to deal with this.” Michael didn’t look defeated by this, he looked fierce. Ready to fight. His fists were clenched at his sides. He cast another look at me—one filled with disappointment, pain, and...a sliver of understanding.

He hated that I’d told on him. But he also knew why I’d had to do it.

“Michael, I can stay. I can help.” I moved toward him, my hand reaching forward.

“No. Stay back.” My father turned to me. His eyes flashed demon-red.

“But I have to—”

“Go home, Nikki. Now!” His voice boomed and I felt something hit me. A wave of energy knocked me off my feet.

The next moment I was swept away in a vortex of light and swirling darkness. My stomach lurched, and then, suddenly, my breath was knocked out of me as I hit the ground hard.

I looked around with shock. It was dark. And cold. And familiar.

I was back in Erin Heights.

“No!” I scrambled to my feet, turning around in a complete circle to get my bearings. I was near the mall, which was closed since it was now after six o’clock, its Saturday closing time.

Then I grasped my wrist and focused all my attention on my dragon’s tear. I tried my best to channel its energy into creating another gateway so I could go back. But just as my father predicted, it didn’t work. I let out a frustrated scream.

What was happening? I had to know.

The rock! I dug into my pocket and pulled out the black rock, squeezing it so tightly it nearly drew blood. But nothing happened. No spinning, no shifting of worlds. Nothing at all.

I’d been shut out and cast away. Anger and frustration slammed through me. I could barely see straight. I didn’t know what to do now. I was completely powerless.

My father asked me to trust him when it came to dealing with Michael. But he’d seemed so angry, maybe he’d change his mind about helping. And Michael had been upset and ready to challenge him. What if my father banished him to the Underworld? Or, even worse, to Hell itself?

He swore to me he wouldn’t. He said he’d help him.

I had to believe him. I had no other choice.

All I could do now was wait and see. I hated that more than anything else I’d ever had to deal with. I hated feeling completely helpless.

My father had cast me right out of the Shadowlands. I hadn’t even known he could do that. If I had to make a bet, I’d say it took a whole lot of his power to magically eject someone right out of his castle.

I heard something then, but it took me a moment to place the familiar melodic chiming sound.

Then I dug into my pocket and pulled out my phone.

I had a text message.

I have your boyfriend’s book. Meet me at Castile’s if you want it.

Rhys. How did he know my phone number? I’d never given it to him.

Rhys had the book. And that book could help Michael now that he desperately needed help.

My heart jumped about five feet in the air at that realization.

Maybe I wasn’t so helpless after all. If I could get that book, then I could have the answers to save him. I could make everything okay again.

I texted Rhys back:
I’m on my way.

Ignoring the fact that I wasn’t wearing a coat—my thick, knit sweater was good enough to block out most of the chill—I quickly headed downtown without giving it a second thought.

Castile’s was an Italian restaurant I’d been to a few times with my mother. Nice place, but a bit overpriced. Normally the smell of the food—spaghetti, lasagna, garlic bread—would make my mouth water. At the moment, my stomach felt too queasy to be interested in eating anything.

Through the front window, I spotted Rhys immediately seated at a booth to the left. As I stood on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant I realized it had started to snow. Soft white flakes drifted down from the black blanket of sky above and landed on my shoulders.

“Nikki, hey!” Someone called to me from further down on the sidewalk. It was Clara. I tried to push away my distress at the confrontation between me and Michael and my father and paste a shaky smile on my face.

In Erin Heights I wasn’t a demon princess with a demon king father about to go ballistic on her Shadow servant boyfriend in another world. I was just a teenager who needed people to think I was as normal as possible. If I didn’t, then my narrowly avoided disaster with Melinda earlier today would only be the prequel to the trouble that lay ahead.

“Hey, Clara.” I forced myself to sound friendly when I felt anything but.

“Going for dinner?” she asked.

“No...I need to meet someone.” There was no reason to say who it was.

“Cool. I just had to run an errand. I’m headed home now.” She glanced through the restaurant window and her gaze quickly came back to me. By the look in her eyes, I knew she’d seen him.

“It’s not what you think,” I said immediately.

The last thing I needed was more drama tonight.

“Is Melinda joining you guys?” she asked.

My face hurt from trying to keep it calm and neutral. “No.”

“So you’re meeting Rhys for dinner behind her back?”

“Rhys is a friend of mine. And this isn’t anything weird, trust me.” But she didn’t trust me. Not as far as she could throw me. “I wasn’t born yesterday, Nikki.

Rhys is cheating on Melinda with you.”

Frustration hit me. I didn’t have time for this, I needed that book. “Look, Clara. I know you mean well. I do. But just do me a big favor and mind your own business, okay? For all you know, me and Rhys are meeting to plan a surprise party for Melinda. You don’t know anything about what’s going on here. And if you feel like you have to tell her this, feel free. I don’t really care.”

She studied me for a moment. Considering how nervous she’d acted before, her gaze was unflinching. “I can’t figure you out. I keep trying, but I can’t.” I didn’t want her to even try to figure me out. She didn’t want to know what lay just below the surface, especially not right now. It currently resembled lava. “I don’t know what to say to that.

You don’t have to figure me out. We don’t have to be friends if you don’t want to be. But I have to go.”

With that, I turned my back on her and went into the restaurant, feeling stressed and annoyed.

I plunked myself down in the booth across from Rhys.

He studied me for a moment. “Bad night?”

“You have no idea. How did you get my phone number?”

He shrugged. “Magic.”

I just stared at him.

“Okay, fine,” he said. “I pulled your phone out of your purse yesterday during class and looked.”

“So, not magic. Snooping.”

“That would definitely be more accurate.”

“You’re not in your realm right now. I thought you frolicked with unicorns and your fellow faery friends on weekends and holidays.”

“I know you’re jealous of the unicorn. Can’t keep your hands off it.” I shrugged and tried to focus. “It was pretty. And friendly.”

“You’re the only demon who’s ever been able to touch one.”

“Half-demon,” I corrected. “And you already told me that when you pointed your sword at me and threatened my life.”

“Such memories we’re making together. It’s incredible.” He gave me a wry smile. “So what’s wrong with Melinda today? She’s not answering her phone.” I glanced at the waiter as he brought me a glass of ice water and a menu. I sipped the water and pushed the menu to the side. I knew I couldn’t come right out and demand the book from him if I wanted him to be all willing to help me, so I had to try to relax and wait for him to offer it up. “She’s not having a very good day.”

“No? The girls’ night didn’t go swimmingly?”

“She finally found out my little secret and had a complete meltdown. Before she could slay me I convinced her that she was delusional.”

Surprise flickered on his face. “Okay. That’s not good.” The memory of how close I’d come to having my secret revealed—that moment I’d stood in Darkling form, and she stared at me like I’d just been launched out of a horror movie and into her front foyer. She’d looked at me with fear and shock that had made my blood run cold.

“No, it’s not good at all. It was a spell her trainer gave her that made my horns pop out when I least expected them to. But I convinced her the spell caused a hallucination. She believed me...eventually. But she’s still having a tough time with everything.” He nodded sagely. “Humans are delicate creatures.”

That was very true. I was still half-human, so half-delicate. That was the side of me that wanted to run away and hide. To fall asleep and hope tomorrow everything would have fixed itself. Maybe it was my demon side that kept me going. “So you called her, huh? So you two could go out?”

“No, I was calling her because I thought you might still be at her house. I’d tried your cell phone a couple of times, but there was no answer.”

“I was out of range.”
Very
out of range. I couldn’t wait any longer. So much for being cool about this. “Do you have the book?”

Rhys nodded again. “I do. I’m told it isn’t easy to get.” I let out a sigh of relief. “And yet you managed to get it in only a day. I’m impressed.” He studied me. “Are you?”