Fated - Book 1 (Completed)

Chapter 12

"Little sister."Apollo was curled up on the kitchen floor with a bowl of what I could only assume to be cheesecake. Her blue eyes jumped up, wide and riddled with shock, as she spotted me. She sat there alone in baggy pants and an old shirt, something Aziel gifted her years ago."The kitchen ladies are going to have your head for this."Her cheeks were stuffed to the rim as she sat there with a candle burning by her feet. She shrugged and continued to chew the treat in her stuffed mouth. Without a second thought or hesitation, I grabbed a copper spoon and slid down the wall to take my seat beside her.The kitchen was the coolest room in the whole castle; the bricks were riddled with a spell to keep the room cool constantly. The sudden coolness of the floor under me was an uncomfortable and unwelcoming feeling."Where were you?"She handed me the cake's container and allowed me to scoop a spoonful before she tugged it back to her lap."I went to see Serina."The ball beside me hummed and nodded her head."How is she?"She started to dig into the cake once again. Her attention never once left the treat in her hands."She's pissed."A snort left my sister's lips as she handed me the container once again in a silent attempt to say sorry for my dragon's moody behaviour."Why are we eating cheesecake on the cold floor in the middle of the night?"I took a spoonful and handed her the object once again. We did this as children before a celebration took place within the castle or when either of us was feeling overwhelmed or bothered by our duties to our king. She took the container back and just sat there with the spoon in her mouth, her eyes staring at something I couldn't see."That bad, who are the unlucky suitors?"With my marriage done, our mother's attention was on her. Apollo was allowed to pick several suitors, and once she had chosen her favourites, she would have a few chaperoned teas with them. Typically, she could choose her final partner, but knowing our parents, they already have one chosen for her."The lord of this place, the prince of that land, oh, and the Elven king's younger brother, but I get to spend time with him tomorrow; aren't I just lucky?"My younger sister twirled her spoon between her fingers as she tried to talk about her suitors. She tried to remember their names but didn't seem to be bothered; this whole tradition bugged her. She was delaying her final choice in an attempt to delay her marriage, but it doesn't seem like our mother is playing the game."At least you get to meet all of them; I was just told I'm marrying Princess Aurora, and that was it."She rolled her eyes up to me; her features mirrored mine but were more delicate and intact, unlike mine, which was grotesque and frightening."I like the princess; she just has something about her."My lips twisted into a smile at the thought of my bride, causing my sister's frown to soften as she noticed my sudden smile. She was right; the princess had something about her that was eating away at the walls I had built around me over the years."She has spice in her, doesn't she, big brother?"My face dropped as my sister read my mind and began with her mocking tone."Watch it, Apollo."Blue eyes rolled in their sockets. She easily rolled her eyes at my words. The two women in my life shared the same attitude; that's one thing for sure. We sat there in silence, enjoying each other's company, eating a cake we weren't allowed to touch."Did you know that the elven king, Novus, has his eyes on your princess?"My brows creased as I froze. I slowly looked over at my sister with my spoon in my mouth. She sat there with her spoon in the air, pointed at her, and filled with the dessert. She was pulling strange faces at the dessert before shoving the spoon into her mouth."What do you mean by 'has eyes' for Aurora?"Despite the spell on the walls, the air started to warm up as my chest boiled with my sudden anger. Apollo's eyes dipped to the candle by her feet, and she watched as the red flame slivered and sizzled into a bright blue as a reaction to the rage rolling inside of me."Apollo, spill the beans."She was unfazed by the growing heat around us; if anything, she enjoyed it just as much as I did."When did your flame turn blue?"We were on different wavelengths at the moment."Apollo, talk about Novus."She looked at me with wide eyes and pointed at the dancing flame."Hello, blue flame, doesn't that me-"One of my hands jumped up to cover her mouth to end the words she was about to let out. A growl left my lips in an attempt to stop her. The lips under my hand curled into a grin, as she knew that despite my threatening growl and words, I was incapable of harming my twin."I'm going to bed; don't eat all of the cakes, or I'll be short an annoying little sister."My hand dropped from her lips. My knees ached as I pushed myself up off the cool floor, and before leaving her alone, I placed a light kiss on her forehead. I stopped as I crouched over her so that I could whisper against her forehead."Go to bed, little one; the rising sun will be bringing you a new day soon."With those words, I left my sister alone in the kitchen. The bond I shared with her was as strong as the bond I had with my dragons; I could feel her pain as if it were my own.Apollo wished to be a rider, not some king or lord's bed-warmer. I wish she were one too; the dragons adored her, and the idea of her leaving our home made me feel sick. Being a princess, the elders stopped her ceremony and had my father destroy the twin egg of mine, leaving Serina alone in the world.My room was an eerie silence; since my bride's arrival, the room hadn't been this silent; even when she slept, she would shout and chatter, waking me up. There she was, splayed over our bed, hugging my pillow to her chest.A warm breeze weaved through the doorless archway that led to the balcony; it filled the room with its spring scent. I threw my red and gold coat on a nearby seat; its light thud barely reached my ears."Tha."A croaked moan of her saying yes to her dreams filled the room, pulling my eyes to her curled-up body. She was now spread out over the bed; it boggled me as to how she could have moved so quickly without a sound.She was on her stomach now; my pillow was pushed to the floor; her fingers dug into the bedding under her as one of her legs popped up; and her toes curled, pulling tight as she let out a low moan.Her leg lazily fell back to the bed with a light puff sound. I found myself leaning against the doorless archway, watching her. My eyes danced over her body; she wasn't in her usual nightgown; no, she had one of my shirts on. An amused smile made its way to my lips."Shi de."This was the second time that she moaned the simple word yes, in two different languages, piquing my curiosity about what was going on in her mind."Prinsinn."Three languages. I didn't know them too well, but they were common tongues from the north; it didn't surprise me that she knew them, but she was moaning them, her toes curled as her body tensed slightly and then eased.A heavy sigh rolled off her lips as she seemed to settle back into her quiet sleeping state. My smile never faded as I began to strip. I slipped into silk briefs before wandering around the room with a glass of my strongest liquor; it washed away the sweet taste of the cake and the bitterness of my day.I stomped between my study and library, looking at papers on my desk and books placed on the wrong shelves. The mess kept me busy as I tried to settle my busy mind. The activities of today were rushing through my mind as I tried to sift through them.Usually, I would have Aziel sipping on wine while I paced up and down, bouncing my thoughts off of him, but now I had a sleeping bride, and I didn't want to disturb her. Finally, I settled in by standing in the doorless archway and watching the dim lights of the village below.My eyes watched lights in homes dance and fade slowly as the villagers settled for the night or were preparing for the approaching day. My mind still buzzed and fought against my tired body. Flying Neim is exhausting, but dealing with him when he is angry is just as much of a challenge, and today he was troublesome.Despite my tired body, my mind wandered: Why were the elves at the site? What were they hiding under that barrier? Why were they trying to blame a dragon? Why were they trying to fight for a rouge hunt? Why did the site smell like burnt jasmine, and why was it so strong? Why was there magic in the ashes of the ruins? What was that woman up to?Soft lips pulled my mind out of its race to drive me insane; her hands grounded me as they hugged my hips; my chest didn't pull with fear as she placed featherlight kisses up my spine.My mind went quiet as I stood there, contemplating if I should let her continue or turn around and return the favour. Her snaking fingers decided it for me. I spun around to grab at her face, but my fear washed over me as familiar amethyst eyes filled my view.The heat within my body suddenly faded as I stood there, stuck, staring into the High Priestess's face. Her thin lips were twisted into her cruel smile, with blood seeping out the corners of her curled lips.My body was rigid with fear; the sight and smell of fresh blood filled my nose as I looked down at the witch, her lips pulled apart to reveal blood-soaked teeth. My head spun at the sight and the unrelenting familiar smell of freshly spilt blood.Her lips moved as she mouthed something to me, but her wicked voice made no sound; her eyes were locked on me, forcing my body to shake from the fear taking over. Something caught the corner of my eye—the bed. Something was wrong with our bed.Slowly, my eyes moved to the limp, still body on the bed. Her head was dangling down the edge of the side where I slept. Fresh blood bubbled out of the gash over her throat; her once bright green eyes were now a stale grey.Her mouth was slightly open as if she tried to scream for me, but no sound ever left her once pink lips, only fresh blood that seemed to drip out from the corners of her lips. My eyes studied her lifeless face and moved up to the blood-soaked shirt she wore.Her perfect torso was turned into bright red ribbons; she was torn to shreds; her blood was soaked into everything; it was seeping into the sheet where we would make love, where she was sleeping just a few moments ago.My throat pulled hard; it was hurting as if I were doing nothing but screaming. I was screaming, but no sound left my lips as I screamed for the loss of my new love. The high priestess was now laughing when I looked at her.She was soaked in my bride's fresh blood; I only saw it now in her bloodied left hand; she held a small beating heart; and in her right hand, she held what looked like a bloodied dragon fetus. I couldn't do anything, as my fear planted me where I stood. All I could do was silently scream the name of my dead bride."Artemis, Artemis!"The sound of Aurora's voice filled my head, but her dead, cold lips weren't moving. Suddenly, I felt wet and cold as something was poured over my head. The cold water sent a jolt through my body as my eyes shot open.Bright green eyes were looking back at me; her once lifeless face was now filled with life as she stood over me. My senses all slowly returned to me. I was in the library on one of the sofas."Artemis?"Her voice was soft as she spoke. She ran a shaky hand through my wet hair as she brushed stray strands from my face. The bitter smell of burnt flesh filled my nose; there on her pale skin was a deep burn.On her left arm was a new mark on her pale skin; it looked like a handprint, but the edges were fuzzy. Did I do that?"Artemis, can you hear me?"My eyes darted to her face; the subtle pink that she held in her cheeks had faded completely; her eyes were wide and filled with tears; and her bottom lip was shaking."Yes."My foggy mind was slowly returning to reality. I was in the room's small library; my glass was on the floor, and its honey content was spilt on the stone floor. I must have fallen asleep. My eyes darted around the room; there was no sign of anyone else in the room, just my injured bride."Fuck!"I jumped up and pulled her along with me. I grabbed at her shaking hand, causing her to wince as my rough fingers pulled at her. On her left forearm was an obvious wound, and I was the cause behind it."Ow, don't squeeze me too tight."She moaned at the grip I had on her, not the wound wrapped around her arm. My chest pulled tight as I released her. She didn't pull her arm away; she left it there for me to study. I had scared her perfectly smooth skin."Don't worry about that; what about you?"My eyes darted to her face, and my brows pulled tight at her question."I'm not the one injured!"I snapped at the shaking woman."And I'm not the one who was poisoned; besides, it doesn't hurt anymore."She pulled her arm towards her body, keeping it at a distance from her body as she tried not to touch the sensitive spot."I'm getting a healer; sit down."My heart froze over as my burning rage turned into something else inside of me. I took a step, but my body wasn't working with me. I felt sick and heavy, and as I took just one step, my stomach turned and twisted."Artemis?"A soft hand landed on my shoulder. She gently guided me back into my seat. My head spun as a shearing pain ran up my spine, and nausea soon followed as my head spun. No, the room was spinning.A weight shifted onto my leg, and soon my spinning head was pulled into her chest. Her sweet scent of lavender and roses filled my nose as she hugged my wet head to her breasts. Her breathing was light, and even as she muttered words, I couldn't comprehend them at the moment.Fingers gently ran through my hair as she calmed my spinning mind. My arms were heavy as I wrapped them around her waist and pulled her small body in closer. My eyes stung as tears started to roll out of them and down my cheeks."You were dead."My voice was a choked whisper; it was the image of her bloodied and torn to shreds that filled my mind. I didn't care about anything else right now, just the fact that she was still alive, on my lap, breathing and muttering a spell over me.She pressed her lips to the crown of my head, her fingers still lazily playing with my wet hair as she settled my rattled mind down. The image of her never faded, though."How do you feel now?"My eyes fluttered open. My lashes clung together from my tears. I was still buried in her chest, her scent flooding my nose, but my head stopped spinning and the room stopped moving. The white-hot pain I felt for a few seconds had faded; I was numb."Better, thank you, my princess."I hugged her waist before slipping an arm under her knees and standing up. The woman in my arms gasped as I picked her up. I bounced her up once to get her body closer to mine as I carried her out of the room."I'm taking you to a healer, whether you like it or not."I stopped her from talking by glaring down at her. She was cradling her wounded arm close to her chest as we made our way out of the room and down the stoned hallways. The castle seemed too quiet until I saw two guards making their rounds."One of you go and wake up an elderly healer and hurry the fuck up."One of the guards nodded and ran off in the direction they came from. My hands tightened around Auroura as the other guard reached out to take her from me."You can hurry up and find General Aziel and get his drunk ass down to the infirmary, now."The young guard nodded and ran off to complete his task."Artemis, I can walk."The little body in my arms wiggled against me as I started to walk down the hall once again, heading for a safe place to tend to the festering wound on her arm. I had a few minutes left to get a healer to work on her. I hope."Like hell, I'm not letting go of you until we have a healer in front of us."I growled at her; it stopped her from kicking at the air and fighting me. The stone floor under my feet wasn't its usual cold; instead, every step I took seemed to get hotter."Artemis!"I ignored the voice of my Uncle Dante as it boomed behind me. I was marching towards the infirmary without any interruptions. The room wasn't lit on our arrival; there was no life scurrying around; it was cold and empty."Where the fuck is the healer?"I spun and snapped at my uncle; the little body in my arms flinched and pulled tight against me. The guard I sent to find the healer was behind my uncle, who was de-shuffled and in his red silk robe."He isn't here; I'm the next best thing."Uncle Dante shuffled past me, followed by the guard. The two of them shuffled in the unlit room as I stood there, clinging to the woman in my arms."What happened?"A croaked voice appeared beside me. My head turned to look at my Uncle Aaron; he too was in his nightwear, but with no gown. Behind him was a confused Aziel. The sight of the men made me shake, as I finally felt that my bride was going into safe arms."I burned her."Both looked at me with wide eyes, riddled with shock. They didn't question the events that led to her wound; they just held onto the fear as they both knew the dangers of someone being burned by a dragon's flame. A pain like no other was going to rip through her body any second now; she was going to cry and beg for death."Honestly, my lords, I'm fine."Her voice was filled with life as she said those words. I don't know how she could sound like that after what I have done to her."My boy, give me the princess; I'll tend to her wound as best as I can."I turned my head to look at his bright blue eyes. Dante stood before me, arms out, ready to take her from me, but my grip only tightened, making her wiggle against me. The once unlit room was now buzzing with bright lights and some life.The guard was running around under my uncle's orders to prepare the room for what he needed to do. I nodded as my grip loosened around her small frame."I can walk, you know."I looked down at her and forced a smile on my lips as I tried to fight back tears."Dragon flame, it burns more than the flesh; if I put you down now, my princess, you will feel as if your entire body was engulfed in blue flames; you are about to be in excruciating pain; I'm truly sorry for what I have done to you."