Fated - Book 1 (Completed)

Chapter 10

Growls behind me toiled with the urge to turn around and scold the men making the noise, but my eyes were locked on the elf before me, Nesterin; he was one of Novus' generals and one of the men who knew about my true relationship with his king behind closed doors.The elf before me was barely a man; hell, he was barely a good magic user. The being's body was slender, his skin was eerily pale ash, and his eyes glowed a shade of lilac."What makes you believe that a rabid dragon was the cause of this destruction?"I swung my arms out and let them fall back to my side, hitting my sides with a light, hollow sound. The spell that I casted before joining the group danced off my fingers, hiding in the sound I made against my legs."Well, isn't it obvious, my dear, or have the beasts of the South spread their rot through that mind of yours?"A snarky grin crossed the elves' lips as he mocked the growling man behind me. The sound of crushing soot hit my ears as Artemis took a step closer to me."Watch your tongue, Nesterin."I rolled my head back to look up at him; he was furious, his jaw was pulled tight, and small veins seemed to pop up under the surface of his skin. I wondered if he would get this angry if he found out who my old lover was."My apologies, Lord Nesterin, but I am not as skilled as you are with this kind of, well, situation."I turned and let out a girlish giggle as I tried to stroke the man's ego."Do you mind being a dear and please show me?"I scratched the back of my head as I tilted it slightly and let out another false laugh. My spell swelled around us, breaking down the barrier that the elves had created. They were hiding something, but I wasn't sure what exactly—not until the barrier was broken down.A snarl left the man behind me as Nesterin's lips twirled into a mocking smile once again as if to tease the dragon and Shifter behind me."Well, princess,"He was attacking Artemis with his flirtatious tone and fluttering eyes."As you can see from the scoring in the grass, it was a flame created from a high heat, and well, the obvious smell of burnt jasmine in the air—these are all indicators of a dragon's fire, am I wrong, Artemis?"He danced across the gap between us as he went on about his weak findings. As he stood before me, he traced my cheek as if we were lovers who were lost to one another. He did this whenever I would spend the night with his king, in his weak attempt to try to bed me. As he said the prince's name, his eyes snapped up at the beast behind me.Heat rolled off my husband as the elf traced my cheek, and the heavy scent of birchwood filled my nose. His scent made me sick, even more so as Artemis pushed forward, forcing me to step closer to the creature I wanted to avoid.The song of blades being drawn filled my ear as my face drew in closer to the elf; his brow creased as he gritted his teeth."Get your hand off of my bride, Nesterin."The chest against my back vibrated with an animalistic growl; it sent a sweet pleasure down my body, but the chuckle that vibrated through the chest of the other made me feel ill.While the men glared at one another, the barrier around us slowly started to burn down. A whizzing sound filled the air, catching their attention. They all took a step back and looked around as my spell ate away at the elf's barrier."My lord, the barrier."One of the elves far from me shouted to catch his master's attention. Nesterin turned to shout at Artemis, but then his eyes fell to my face, and my lips twitched into a smile as I winked up at the man and waved at him. The blood dripping down my middle finger was what I used for my spell."You bitch!"A hand fell quickly to strike my face. I scrunched my face and waited for the sting and bitter taste of blood in my mouth, but nothing happened. My eyes shot open to see a shaking hand and a heavy-breathing elf; his eyes were locked onto something above us."Neim, Cotlud."Artemis' voice boomed over the ruins. As a sudden heavy breath washed over us, I slowly turned to see where the elf was glaring at, there above us, breathing heavily with his jaw slightly gaped and signs of bright blue flames dancing between his thick teeth. Neim stood over us. Sea-green eyes were focused on me and me alone."Cotlud!"Artemis shouted the word for sleep once more in an attempt to calm the beast down, but nothing happened; he kept his stance solid and still. I watched as Artemis took heavy steps towards the beast; he shouted the word again, but nothing.I turned to look at Aziel, whose attention was split between the elves and the beast. His scrunched brows and confused eyes never gave me the answer I was looking for."Calm the beast now, Artemis, or we will draw our swords and put him down!"As he spoke, the voice behind me trembled and appeared to be crying. Neim shifted under his weight, a slithering sound swept over the ruins and then whispered sobs came from behind me.Slowly, I turned to look at the elves behind me. They were slowly slinking back towards their horses, which were now preparing to cower away like their masters. The barrier hid more than the ruins. There were two more elves with their horses; what were they up to?"What the fuck do you think I'm doing, telling him to dance?"I turned back to Artemis, who was now directly under Neim's head. The dragon's head was floating about halfway down the village's main road. Looking at the beast now, he was larger outside of the cave, standing on his four legs, wings slightly tucked in, tail swaying lazily behind him.The sight was frightening, but somehow I felt safe under those eyes; they were locked on me, never flinching even as the elves scurried away."You try."I turned to Aziel. His eyes were locked on the elves behind us; he was only watching them. He lowered the hand that held his dagger; he twisted it around so that the blade was pressed against the back of his forearm. He was relaxed as if the threat were gone."He only moved the moment you were in harm's way; he reacted to Artemis' emotions, so you try to calm him down."Grey eyes landed on me along with a wide grin."It's only an idea; what could go wrong?"A drunk giggle left his lips, and as a weak chuckle left mine, I slowly turned back to the dragon and a struggling Artemis. He stood there with his hips cocked and his hands on them; he seemed to be arguing with a hidden force."C-Cotlud."The word left my lips with a weak breath. I wasn't even sure if the beast could hear me. A gravelled growl left his snout; it echoed over our heads. His jaw pulled shut, eliminating the dancing blue flames that were seeping out through his teeth. He slowly turned and lazily slivered back to where he was sleeping earlier.My eyes dropped from the moving figure and landed on a pissed-off Prince; his now sea-green eyes were narrow as he was locked on me. I swallowed the lump in my throat as he marched his way back to us, and he shot his hand up to stop me from speaking as he made his way past me.I spun around to watch him as he walked to where the elves were standing; there was nothing there now, just burnt ruins. The elves had run off as they allowed their fear to take over."Go now and find what the hell they were hiding."He barked his orders over his shoulder. The two soldiers that rode with Aziel nodded at their orders and ran off in opposite directions. Aziel stood beside me as he ran a shaky hand through his loose, thick braids."I need a fucking drink."His voice was heavy, almost weak, as he spoke."Agreed, but not now; what the hell happened?"Artemis made his way back to us. I slowly turned my head to look up at him; he was watching me from the corner of his eye as Aziel tried to gather his thoughts."On our arrival, I noticed that there were no signs of life so that indicated some form of elf magic; the barrier was just formed as we walked through it, and there waiting for us were our elven hosts, who, as usual, were playing games with us, avoiding our questions and arguing that we shouldn't be there, well, until you arrived, my Lord."With a serious look in his eyes, Aziel's lips suddenly slipped into a bright grin aimed at Artemis, whose attention was still locked on me."Go and help them look."He barked the order as he pulled his body to face me. As soon as Aziel waddled off in a random direction, my hand was tugged on hard, and the finger that had blood on it was shoved into Artemis' mouth.He gently sucked on the digit, cleaning off the dry blood. His sea-green eyes locked on me as his anger slowly started to fade away. My cheeks flushed at the suckling sensation, and my knees felt weak under my wavering weight.He pulled my middle finger out of his mouth with a sharp popping sound. He then ran the tip of his tongue over my ring finger, lazily lapping over the rose gold band that clung to me for dear life. It sent a tickling sensation straight down to the space between my thighs."Never use your magic if it means harming yourself."His voice was a low, broken growl. His eyes locked on my flushed face as I nodded. I was in too much of a trance as I easily agreed to his order; there was no way I was going to give up using my magic. My eyes squinted as he leaned in and placed his salty lips against mine. Our kiss was sweet, innocent, and short.Lips pulled away from me, making me whimper. He lowered my hand and then locked our fingers. His eyes were dark when I looked up at him, and the coldness in his once-warm eyes made my heart skip a beat."Be a good girl, and keep that sweet ass of yours within earshot; are we clear?"My arousal for him melted away slowly as he muttered his order in my ear. He sounded like my father when I was a toddler, making sure I was always within earshot.A heavy kiss fell on my head, and soon his heat pulled away from me as he started his investigation in the direction that Aziel wandered down."Yes, daddy."I muttered the words with a mocking tone. A smile crossed my lips as memories of my father washed over me, a warrior to his core but a ball of putty when it came to his family. I watched as Artemis walked away from me, and I hoped to my core that my husband was the same.As I made my way down the destroyed village road, my feet turned up some of the ash, and my eyes were immediately drawn to the black dust as it shimmered under the light. Instinctively, I looked up at the sky; the sun was starting to slowly make its final descent.The ash was reacting as if it had magic in it—the energy used to create the magic, to be more exact. I looked around to see if there was anyone around or watching me. Artemis was crouched beside Aziel, poking at a burnt piece of wood.Once I saw them, I crouched to pick up a handful of the ash; it was too fine to be from the wood used to build the homes. I drew my hand in closer to take a closer look and to smell any scents that were mixed with it.The soot had a strong scent of burnt jasmine, the shimmer was a mix of gold and blue, and it had the hall markers of a dragon's flame, but the shimmers were what gave it away. A spell was cast using Fae magic.I slowly let the soot drip out between my fingers. Beyond the gold and blue, I could hear whispers and low mutters dancing from the ash. I recognised the words that were spoken—old Gaelic, the witch's tongue.A shadow suddenly washed over me. I looked up to see grey eyes looking down at me. Aziel crouched down and caught some of the dust in his hands."I heard the whispers from down there, witches' magic."He whispered my exact thoughts. I looked over his shoulder to see where he was earlier. Artemis was now talking to the two horsemen; they were pointing around the site, indicating what they had found."I'll tell him."Aziel whispered as he twirled a finger in the dust under him."I'll do it; besides, I know the signs better than either of us. There is also Fae magic mixed in the dust."Aziel looked up at me with cold golden eyes now; his glare confirmed that he was a werewolf shifter, possibly a Lycan with those black specs scattered in his golden eyes."Fae, are you sure?"I nodded quickly at his low voice."T-there is some, some gold and b-blue magic."The glare from the general rocked fear through me. I have hunted with wolves my whole life; I have fallen asleep with them during hunts, and none of them struck fear through me like the glare I was getting from the shifter."Alright, then you tell him."He turned his gaze back down to the ground and continued twirling his finger in the dust. Someone cleared his throat behind us; the heavy tone behind it made us both jump up as a wave of shock rolled through us both at the same time."I swear to my God, Lycaon, I did nothing!"Aziel's hands shot up to the air as he waived them in an awkward defence towards a confused Artemis."What the hell are you on about?"I also turned to face the shifter and frowned at his sudden, odd behaviour. I was even confused as to what he was talking about, and we were just talking."The princess has something to tell you."The giant man cleared his throat and then shot a finger up in my direction. Artemis looked at his general for several confused seconds before turning his gaze onto me. His lips were a tight, thin line as he waited to stammer my words out."Oh, the ashes."His brow cocked up as he waited for me to finish, and suddenly I felt like I was a child, telling my father why the barn was empty and why the horses were running wild through the small village in the middle of a snowstorm."Well, you see, my prince."I tried to ease my stammering mind. I looked over at Aziel, who was standing at attention like a good soldier. He stood tall and proud, his hands tucked behind his back. He was watching me from the corner of his eye, struggling to fight down a smile."Yes, Aurora?"His voice made me snap my eyes to his face, his brow still cocked. He was now also fighting down a smirk as he said my name."Witches and Fae magic."The life in his face dropped suddenly, and a heavy sigh left Aziel's lips beside me. His body slowly eased as he crossed his arms over his chest and waited for Artemis to react.Artemis' sea-green eyes grew dark and lifeless as he looked down at me. The sight of him like this made my heart freeze over; it reminded me of the night he told me about his vows to eliminate all witches.Tears formed in my eyes as my throat tightened. I was a witch, so did that mean he hated me? He must have; he told me how my mother changed his mind, but the look in his eyes said something else.A deadly fear pulled at my chest. I wanted to run away. I wanted to cower and hide from the cold glare on my face."Are you sure?"His voice suddenly melted my heart; life slowly returned to his face as he dragged a hand through his hair; his eyes darted between me and Aziel as he tried to regain his composure."Yes, I heard the whispers, and the princess confirmed signs of Fae magic."Aziel broke the lock my fear had over my body. His voice also seemed to pull Artemis back to our current reality, not the nightmares running through his mind. The prince drew a sharp breath and turned his attention to the man talking on my behalf."Alright, then put it in the letter, and don't forget to mention that the elves were here, and maybe note the burnt jasmine scent, but no other markers of a dragon's flame."The giant beside me nodded before turning in the direction of where the horses were grazing and slowly making his way towards them. My eyes followed the man slightly before dropping back to the ground.Before I could wipe my eyes dry or look up at the prince, heavy, warm arms suddenly wrapped around me. His sweet musky scent filled my nose as my husband hugged me tight and close to his warm body.I stood there frozen in his warm hug, tears pooling slightly once again. I wasn't allowed to touch him without his permission. When we were flying, Neim, I was taken over with excitement when he allowed me to hug him.Now that his arms were wrapped around me, he warned me on our wedding night that he didn't like giving or receiving hugs, so I should never expect it from him, but now he stood here holding me, hugging me tight to his body as he buried his face into my neck."I'm so sorry, my princess. I promised to never make you cry again. I am so sorry."My shaky hands wrapped around him, landing on his arched back as he bent down slightly to hug me. He somehow pulled me tighter, closer to his now-pounding heart. The warmth wrapped around me put me at ease, but he wasn't calm; his heartbeat vibrated through our bodies as he held me.I tried to pull away so that his heart could ease, but he locked himself around me, slipping his head into the nook of my neck. Then I felt something wet dripping down my chest: tears."My Prince, I'm alright."I whispered in an attempt to get him to release me, and slowly he did. His arms unravelled around me, but he still held me close. Once he stood up straight, I was able to bury my nose into his chest.A wave of his scent washed over me. I swooned at the smell as he held me close. He didn't pull me away, nor did he shift to put distance between us; instead, he moved his arms around doing something I couldn't see, something I wasn't too interested in.My senses drank in his scent, his warmth, and his firm chest. I had to fight back the urge to taste him now as he held me so close."Aziel."The vibration of his chest as he spoke sent warm shivers through my body. I wanted to feel it again."My lord?"Aziel's voice was muffled while I was locked in Artemis' arms."Take the princess back with you; I need to tend to something before I return to the castle."The vibrations of his voice rolled through my body as if I were drinking the hard liquor he kept in the room. I went numb from the sensation, up to the point where I didn't fight back about riding a horse with Aziel.I was squeezed one last time, and suddenly my haven was ripped from me as he turned me and gently guided me into Aziel's arms. The sun was slowly slipping behind the trees, making me wonder how long our hug was.With no words or even a smile, I watched as Artemis marched off towards where Neim was sleeping."Unlike your husband, princess, I don't mind if you hold me while we ride."I looked up at Aziel, who was frowning as he watched Artemis walk off. The sight of him made me feel a sudden rush of confusion. What did he see that I missed? I stood there with a heavy arm over my shoulder, and we both watched the sky as Neim's thick body slowly glided up, slicing through the orange sky.