The Dark Fey Chronicles Court of Roses

12

Two hours later and I was fighting the urge to fall asleep. I was quite drunk, having drunk my body weight in wine. Erik was quite drunk himself. After people started to take their leave and head home or to their rooms here at Rose Court, Erik was ready to retire for the night. He stood and held out his hand for me.
"The Maids will help you with your dress," he told me as he folded my arm under his and set off with me down the hallway.
I smiled. "You are a very popular person," I told him and giggled.
Erik looked down at me and smiled. "So are you," he reminded me. "Many people congratulated me on finding my Mate. They told me how beautiful you are and how lucky I must feel having finally found you, knowing you are alive and safe after everything you have been through-"
I felt the room spin a little. "Everyone knows?" I asked as my belly heaved awkwardly. "They know?"
Erik sighed as we tugged up the steps to the second floor. Rejection and an overwhelming sense of disgust washtub through me. "H-how do they know?"
Erik sighed and stopped, pulling me to a stop before him. "Unfortunately, word travels fast. Liv was not as discreet as she should have been. And neither was I. She was seen, chasing you down in New York! I held a banquet and didn't think of people who would be looking for you-"
I was drunk and having a hard time following the conversation. I was watching his lips now, wondering. Wondering what they would feel like on my skin. Only I already knew that. What I wanted to know was what they taste like.
When we reached my room, I turned to bid him a goodnight but he just opened the door for me and waited for me to walk in. I'm not sure why I didn't question it more before, but when he pushed the door open, his scent hit me in the face like a ton of bricks. I gasped, my head suddenly clearing. I turned back to bud Erik goodnight but he was already across the room, opening a dresser. I frowned and looked around the room again. It wasn't the same room I had gotten 'em ready in before. Only there suddenly seemed a lot more of Erik in here. I watched as he pulled out a black wife muscle shirt from a top drawer. "You should get some rest!" he told me and I looked at the bed as he walked toward the bathroom.
"You're staying here?" I asked him, my voice nearly a whisper. Erik turned to face me now, his face having gone impassive. With a small smirk on his lips, he walked forward and leaned against the wall behind me, pressing forward. "Do you want me to leave?" he asked me.
I leaned away from him a little as his hand came up to touch the side of my neck. He was asking if I wanted him to leave? Did I want him to leave? I shuddered at the thought of being alone. Erik's eyes were locked on my face now.
"I wish I had been there for you," he said and his voice was so full of desperation and longing that it tore at my heart.
"Erik, there is nothing-"
He shook his head, touching his forehead to mine. "I'm sorry," he said in a low voice as he pressed forward. His lips touched the top of my head. I leaned away, reaching up to loosen his tie and unbutton his shirt."It's been a very long day. I need sleep!" I reminded him. "And by the looks of it, so do you! You're drunk!"
Erik was indeed drunk. However he was headed over to the bed and fell face first into it. "You should rest too!"
I swallowed and shook my head. "Erik-I don't-..." I trailed off, his soft snore filling the room. I sighed and walked over to the daybed by the window and sat down, staring at Erik.
So much had happened in the last few hours my head felt like it was about to split open. Aros was making a name for himself as an enemy of the King. The Modori Family was bigger than I had realized. There were a lot of politics going on and I needed to get a handle on things before anyone realized how incredibly stupid and simple I was.
I realized now that some part of me was still hoping he would reject me, turn me away and never look back. It was the kindest gesture he could do for himself. I'd be useless as a Mate.
The other part of me, the selfish and jealous part of me, the unfamiliar part of me that craved Erik's touch wanted to crawl into bed beside him and feel the heat coming off of his skin. I wanted to feel his breathing brush my face. But then the thought of hot breathing in the dark brushing against my skin m... it filled me with a stuttering and crippling fear. It wasn't Erik's fault that I was damaged goods. Perhaps if I spent some time by myself I'd be able to think more clearly. I jumped when Erik popped his head up suddenly.
"Lexi?" His voice was still sleepy, groggy.
I smiled a faint smile and walked over to him now. He was quite beautiful. Handsome, even. His blond hair was curled around his ears and the nape of his neck.
"Lexi," my name left his lips in a soft tone.
I reached up and touched his face with my finger tips. Erik sighed in content and he opened his eyes to look at me now.
"You should be sleeping," he reminded me.
I smiled. "I was just about to find a Maid and have her finish up a guest room for me so you can-"
Erik raised a hand and gripped my wrist, pulling me down to sit on the bed beside him. "No need," he told me. "You can stay here now. With me!"
His speech was still slurred, drunk with wine and stress. "I know I said I wouldn't push you but it's so hard! I need you, Lexi, I need you to be mine!"
I knew he was drunk and yet I was still at a loss for words. His grip on my wrist tightened as he drifted back off to sleep. So I sat there, thinking. I didn't know what the day would bring tomorrow but I didn't think Erik would be up at the crack of dawn like he had been saying at the banquet. He had drunk quite a bit tonight. So instead I questioned the events of the last few days.
My main concern was Aros.
If what everyone was saying was true, what did Aros want from me? Why had he killed his Tribe, faked his death and locked his only child in a Pound, knowing what would happen to me? And why had he come for me after two years? Why had I been left there in the first place? And why was he hunting for me now?
My thoughts shifted to the events of today. Erik was very much wanting to Mate me, I knew that. I could see it every time he looked at me. I could feel it. It's not that I didn't want to. I was pretty sure I did. But I was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Erik didn't seem pressed about the fact that his future Mate and Dronning were damaged goods. No one, not even a King would overlook that fact so it made me wonder; what was Erik getting at? Why was he keeping me around? Perhaps I had been right the first night Liv had found me. Perhaps all Erik needed me for was breeding. I sighed. Could I live with that? Could I come to terms that all Erik could want from me was Pups?
I sat there on the edge of the bed, looking down at Erik, his body spread out and relaxed. I leaned to the side slowly, careful not to jolt the bed too much and tucked my hands under my chin, watching him. I listened to the hallway outside my room and the crickets and frogs chirping and bellowing outside my window. Soon it would be too cold for them to be outside. Winter was on the way. I could smell it.
What was my plan now? Did I still want to run? Or was I going to stay here and wait? Did I want to know how things turned out here? I sighed and wished I could talk to Declan but Erik had made his feelings about my Cousin very clear. He didn't care for Dec and it was obvious that the two didn't like each other much. However, I had to admit, as much as I wanted to disagree with him about it, Erik had a point; Declan had the chance to speak up and he didn't. He had the chance to come clean the second he heard about me or at the very least when he saw me. Declan still hadn't given Erik a real answer, in my opinion.
He didn't say a word until he was in the middle of the woods, naked on that wooden porch, covered in mud, dirt and grit. How had he found out so quickly that I was alive? How had he found us so quickly when Jax had clearly made sure we were leaving no traces behind and that we were taking back roads and unmarked paths. And then there was the fun fact of my blood. I was part Drex. Magic was in my blood. I didn't know how to use it. I knew Drex were all but extinct now, thanks to the Hunters so it would be close to impossible to find someone to teach me. Erik had said he was looking for someone or that he had found someone but I was still worried what the rest of the Tribe would think. Everyone had gotten a very good look at me tonight. They had seen my sickly thin frame, pale skin and sunken eyes. What a sight to behold. What a joke to talk about.
I sighed and sat up slowly, rolling off of the bed tired of feeling restless. My black dress swept the floor as I walked and grabbed up a cloak that that was hanging by the door. It was Erik's.
I smiled and took it off the nail by the door and slipped it on. It was a sleeveless cloak, more like a cape. I huddled it around my shoulders and buried my face in the material. Erik's scent wafted up my nose, making my mouth water and my head swim. With one last look at Erik, who was still sleeping soundly, I pulled the bedroom door open and left the room quietly.
Rose Court was huge. There were countless empty bedrooms, extra bathrooms, and drawing rooms. I did come across a martial arts room, the doors to the dojo closed and the lights were off. I was looking for the library, hoping I would be able to find some books on Drex. There were two things I was hoping to find.
Declan, so we could talk without prying ears or eyes. Or the library so I could start my research on Drex. Once word got around that I was part Drex. I knew there would be an uproar. And I think some people already suspected something was ... not quite right with me. As I walked I heard some shuffling coming from ahead of me and I slipped closer to the wall as I approached the corner.
"Do you know what my brother will do to you if he finds out?" I heard Liv saying.
I frowned. She sounded stressed, almost distracted and distraught. "He will kill you-"
There was some more shuffling and I heard Liv gasp. "Ouch! That hurts!"
I felt my heart drop and peaked around the corner only to see Liv pressed up against the wall by Declan who had his hands around her waist, his face buried in her neck. They were both breathing heavily and didn't seem to notice me at first. Liv gripped Declan's shirt and smiled a playful smile at him. "Erik is going to freak out when he finds out!" she reminded him.
Declan sighed. "He already hates me because of the situation with Lexi," he said as he leaned away. "I doubt that Mating his sister is going to help matters!"
I felt my jaw drop. Liv and Declan were Mates? I thought back, trying to remember if there had been any interaction between the two before Dec had looked at her the way he did at dinner tonight.
Liv had been extremely careful with her expressions whereas Declan was an open book. He hadn't been able to hide the longing on his face and it made me wonder if Erik and I were that obvious. I blushed and turned away, letting them do them. I didn't want to disturb them, even though I needed Declan's advice on many things. I didn't have any friends here so he was all I had. Perhaps I could catch him later.
I turned and walked back the way I had come. Only I wasn't sure anymore if this had been the way I had come before. It didn't look the same and I didn't forget there were so many open windows on this floor. I hadn't gone down any steps or ramps. I was still on the second floor of the Manor. I stopped at an arched window and looked down into the gardens. Rose Court certainly lived up to its name.
Rose bushes of all kinds lined the lawns around the house. And there was a figure, walking along the inside wall, the flashlight in his hand sweeping along the thick stone walls that ran around the property. He was hundreds of yards away, barely visible. Had he not been carrying a flashlight, I was sure I would have missed him.
I sighed and closed the window now and continued walking. It was getting cold in the hallway and I was ready to go back to my room, hoping I'd be able to sleep. I sighed when I came to a stop at a crossroads, the hallway bending off in three directions. I sighed and picked the one to my right.
As I passed the windows here, a gust of cold air brushed the back of my neck.
"Lexi... " I froze, my feet dragging to a stop. I knew that voice and it caused ice to run in my gains. "Lexi, come to me!"
When I turned I saw it. My brain was having a hard time understanding what it was seeing. I knew what I was seeing was impossible because I was looking out the second story window of a mansion that was heavily guarded inside and out.
I watched as the dark haired man stared at me, his hazel eyes glowing as he stared at me. His hair was brown hair was in thick dreads down his back, the sides of his head shaved close. The familiar tattoos of an eagle were spread out in the almost mechanical looking bird. As a child I always imagined the bird would take flight off of his head at any moment. But it was off to see him. His skin was oddly pale, almost blue, as if bleached so it held no color. I watched as Aros raised his hand and reached for me. I backed away but a hand came down on my shoulder and I spun around quickly and watched as Aros' hand shot up and roughly grabbed my neck.
"Hello, daughter!" he hissed at me.
I didn't know what else to do. So I filled my lungs with air and screamed as loud as I could. My scream was loud, echoing throughout the mansion. Within seconds there was a series of howling growls and shouts throughout the massive building. Aros pushed out at me causing me to lose my footing and step on my dress. I fell back against the jagged stone walls. I turned back to face him, but came back to looking Liv, Declan and Caro in the eye.
"What is going on here?"
Erik's voice made the already tight hallway seem even smaller. My heart sank, knowing I was in trouble. I wobbled over to a small wooden chair next to the brazier and sat down, my legs feeling like jello.
When Erik's eyes landed on me, I just knew it. "Lexi?" I was in deep shit.
I shook my head, suddenly wondering if what I had seen had been real. Perhaps I was having some side effects from being scratched by that Ghoul? It was possible.
"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I- I saw something in the window." Erik walked to the window and looked through it, looking down over the dark lawn.
"What did you see?"
I couldn't speak past the lump in my throat. "It's impossible!" I told him. "B-but I saw him! I saw Aros in that window- right there and then he was suddenly here, in the hallway-"
Caro shook her head at me. "It was a shadow," she reasoned with me, her voice soothing. "A trick of the light!"
I shook my head and turned back to Erik. "I'm not crazy!" I told him. "I know what I saw!" I watched Erik's face wash over with shock. He pushed forward, making everyone move out of the way.
"No one would dare call you crazy, Lexi!" he said. I sighed and nodded, my hands still warped around my neck. "Are you hurt?"
I shook my head. "I'm fine."
Erik didn't look convinced. "Caro, take Lexi back to her room-"
I couldn't stop the words from coming out. "Aros is here!" I insisted.
Erik nodded. "I believe you," he assured me. "Give me some time to figure out what is going on. I will be back shortly! We need to talk!" Erik looked up at the people around us, his face calculating. "Go!" he snapped. "Leave us!"
Caro and Live both turned almost immediately and left the
crowded hallway. That only left Declan. I sighed. I wanted to talk to him. Badly. But I needed Erik more right now. My questions were for him. "We need to talk!" Declan told me before Erik could say anymore.
Perhaps I could get my answers from him this way. It certainly was easier than trying to find them myself. As I sat there I thought of the questions I wanted to ask him.
"We do," I agreed. But right now my questions were for myself. Had I just imagined it all? Was I so desperate for answers that I was looking in places where really there was nothing? "It will have to wait for morning. I'm tired!"
Declan sighed and bowed his head. "Is there anything either of you need before I return to bed?" he asked us.
Erik waved his hand. "No, you may go!" he said. Declan nodded and he pretty much ran down the hall he was trying to get away from us so fast. It's like I didn't know where he was going. His affair with Liv was going to be short-lived. And his life would be short lived if Erik ever found out.
Erik sighed and held out a hand to help me to form the small wooden chair I had been sitting in. "What will you do if we find him?"
I reached up and grabbed his hand. "I-I don't know," I realized.
Erik sighed and folded my hand into his arm , effectively pulling me closer and a small smile tugged at his lips. "So you want him caught but you have no plans to back you up?" I frowned and Erik smiled. "Rule number one to Ruling the Dark Fey," he said as he walked me back to the staircase. "Always have a back up plan for your back up plan. Be prepared for all possible outcomes!"
I nodded, looking down at my feet as my dress tugged at the ground.
"What else?" I asked him.
"Know who your enemies are!" The warning in his voice was real. "And never, ever offer a life for a life as life is not ours to give!"
I watched as Erik stopped and looked up at a painting of a black winged female goddess, her skin pale. "Hel," I said and felt an odd feeling of leave washing over me.
"The one who will either let us pass to Valhalla or make us roam this earth a spirit until Ragnarök comes or until she decides it's been enough." Erik's voice was soft, thoughtful.
I shuddered at the thought. Ragnarök. Not a word we ever used lightly since it held so much meaning. The end of days. The day Prophecies would either come to pass it would fall away in the dust, never to be spoken about again. I wondered if I should have paid more attention when our Prest was teaching us the ways of Odin.
"I'm afraid my knowledge in religion is pretty basic, Ser," I said in a low voice,
Erik sighed. "You are a Trollkvinne. A sorceress. Part Drex. Magi lives insides-"
I cut him off and turned away from the painting.
"I don't even know if I want to hone my magic skills! I don't want the magic!"
I watched Erik's face go soft as we walked. "That would be an awful shame," he said. "You could become very powerful, Lexi. Perhaps some of the Drex will come out of
Hiding and helping you!"
I frowned. I had almost forgotten that the Drex were a rare and scared people. Only a few hundred of them were said to be left in the world now. I shook my head, suddenly fearing the worst.
"No, even if they did, I wouldn't want their help if it meant taking their lives!"
Erik looked back up at the depiction of Hel. "I think you should sleep on it," he said. "Besides, the Council wishes to meet you in the morning. You need rest!"
I looked back at Erik but he already had his back turned, his arm held out, waiting for me to take it. I sighed, and with one last glance around the dark hallway I looked my arm through Erik's, his familiar warmth washing through me.
"I doubt I will be able to sleep," I admitted, dreading the moment we returned to his room. Erik nodded.
"I had the Maid make you a new room,"he said and I looked up at him now. "It's just down the hall from me."
I nodded. "Thank you," I said in a low voice. I wondered if I'd even be able to sleep. Erik's scent was all around me right now and I knew that once he left, he'd be taking it with him. I grimaced and shoved the thoughts away.
"How bad will it be tomorrow with the Council?" Erik sighed and shook his head.
"I have warned them to be respectful otherwise suffer the consequences-"
I smiled a small smile. "Erik, I can handle myself!" I reminded him. "I may not look like much but I can kick ass if I have too!"
Erik laughed a little. "I would never doubt you, but the Council can be unforgiving at times. Especially Lucian!"
I nodded. "Noted," I said, trying my best not to yawn. Erik chucked at me and came to a stop at a white door, his face unsure.
"Are you sure you want a room of your own?" he checked.
I nodded and then sank my head. "I know I keep saying it's nothing to do with you but in truth it has everything to do with you, Erik!" I told him and sank my head. "It's hard to breath when you touch me-"
Erik's hand came up quickly, as if to touch my face, but he dropped his hand again quickly. "I don't want it to be hard!" Erik's voice came out soft, almost boyish.
I nodded and looked down at my feet. "I know," I told him. "I'm trying!"
Erik smiled and nodded. "When you are ready," he told me. "In the meantime, get some rest! The elder's wish to see you first thing in the morning!"
I felt my heat sink. Of course they'd see me. Erik bowed his head and then vanished down the hallway. I sighed and pushed the door open. Without really taking the dress off, I fell face first into the bed, wondering what the hell I had gotten myself into here.