Blood of Two Crowns (Hallowed Fates #2)

Chapter 2

Chapter

Two

NAKOA

Z urie’s lips curled into a smug grin. As if she weren’t covered in dungeon grime and wearing a palladium collar. “I’ll make a bargain with you. Vow to bring me no harm, allow me to continue living in my palace and maintain access to my coffers, and in exchange, I’ll assist you in ruling Atratus, provide a smooth transition for you in becoming King, and I’ll introduce you to your father.”

How delusional can one person be?

Turning on my heel, I strode towards the exit. Zurie shrieked in protest behind me.

“Wait! You can’t keep me here!”

Glancing over my shoulder, I stopped in the doorway, where my beloved and loyal olana kah’hei waited for me. Thalia remained notably out of sight. “I can. You are no longer a Queen, and the sooner you accept that, the easier your sorry life will be if I decide to let you live.”

The heavy dungeon door slammed shut with an ominous finality. Thalia strode closely beside me as we made our way back into the palace’s northern wing. Though she said nothing, something inside me prickled with unease at her closeness. I didn’t trust her. The more time I spent in her presence, the more certain I became of that. Even if my Knowingness had gone silent again. Probably to spite me after my altercation with Mareina.

You tried to kill her, it hissed.

Guilt and anger warred within me. Her betrayal was something that I wasn’t entirely sure I would be able to ever forget. Forgive one day, yes. We had a kingdom to rule together, after all. But forget? No.

Not to mention, I couldn’t help but resent the fact she was with that blonde fae fucker.

A piercing burn seared my fingers, dragging my gaze to my hands. My newly grown claws lengthened to beastly proportions. Blood trickled to the floor, leaving a trail behind us as we walked back to my rooms.

Fuck.

How would the people of Atratus accept me as a monster?

I’d spent my whole life glamoring away my wings, tail, and solid black eyes. I’d dreamed of one day being able to live freely without having to hide my true form. Just as my nightmares had foretold, I’d become something even more terrifying to behold. The feathers of my wings had vanished and become membranous like a bat’s. Black, stone-hard plating had risen from bone and pierced the skin on either side of my brow like a dark crown adorning my black, gazelle-like horns.

I looked like a demon.

But I was tired of hiding.

Monster or not, Mareina and Atratus will accept me.

Val and Lokus walked beside me, flicking me concerned glances before locking eyes briefly with the rest of my olana kah’hei.

Val silently willed a handkerchief into his hand and passed it to me.

“Fuck me, mate. Are you alright?” Lokus asked.

Pomona smacked him on the back of the head.

“Yes… Fine.”

Lokus gave me a bored look. “Fine?”

“Lay off it, ya cunt,” Val growled in warning.

“Fuck off. He needs to talk about it. The male’s been through?—

“Yes. Fine,” I snapped, my patience for bickering nonexistent, “ I’m just adjusting.”

Lokus heaved a sigh. “Right. Well, on that note, I’m gonna go find a brothel, see if anyone’s feeling adventurous?—

I narrowed my eyes at him. “You do realize there are about a hundred reasons why you can’t do that?”

“Can’t or shouldn’t?”

“ Can’t. It’s not like you can fold out of the palace. What the fuck are you gonna do? Walk out the front door? We’re not even supposed to be here. What’re her guards going to?—

“I’ll take him to Zurie’s harem.”

I shifted to look at Thalia, who smirked when I raised a brow.

“What? A girl has needs. And the guards won’t bat an eye at me… or your pretty friend.” Thalia’s gaze flicked to Lokus, scrutinizing him. “Zurie and I spent copious amounts of time there together already.”

My eyes narrowed. Did this female fuck my birth mother?

I wasn’t entirely sure I felt about that.

“And Zurie is in the habit of sharing her harem?”

Thalia shrugged. “I won’t deny that she’s a recluse and hasn’t had many visitors since your father, but as I said, her guards have seen me many times. If one of her guards say anything, I’ll just say that I brought him from my own harem.”

My eyes darted to Lokus to find him grinning. “I’m gonna lose my mind if I have to stay quarantined in this dusty-ass wing of the palace, brother.”

Growling, I continued the long walk to my bedroom. “Thalia can fold a few of them to your room. Offer them a vow of silence in exchange for their freedom. Pay them handsomely enough to start a new life. And if this causes us any trouble, I will fucking castrate you.”

The hairs on my arms rose as a distantly familiar magic swept into the room, dragging my eyes open. I’d fallen asleep in the bathing pool of my new bed chamber.

Miroslav.

“Your soulbound is unwell.”

Anger and sadness returned to me with a merciless weight.

“She will live?”

“Yes.”

“Malekai is with her?”

A pause.

“Yes.”

My jaw clenched so hard, a tooth cracked. Thank fuck it would grow back. It wasn’t the first time. I spat out the shard into the bathwater, watching it sink beneath the clear surface to the darkest blue tile floor.

“Well then, she has no need of me.”

“Wrong.”

Silence settled heavily between us, his presence behind me felt like a ominous cloud. I just wanted to bathe in peace. Finally, I twisted to look at him. His silver-white gaze was unsettling as ever.

“Isn’t my mother waiting for you to return or something?”

My mother.

Another spear of betrayal lanced through me.

She still had my precious babies, Peanut and Bellona. Their absence, especially now, was enough to choke me. It was nearly on the tip of my tongue to ask Miroslav to fold them here, but it wouldn’t be fair to keep them trapped indoors, and the ruckus of canines would draw far too much attention. Thankfully, Pumpkin was safely tucked away in the stables due to the considerate male before me.

Miroslav’s gaze became scornful. Or was that pity in his eyes? Either way, it had some strange emotion suddenly clogging my throat.

“The first time I saw you, you were no larger than the palms of my hands.”

Oh, fuck.

My mind may not have known where he was going with this, but something in my soul did. Emotion fisted my throat with an unforgiving grip.

“Just after Zurie gave birth to you…”

“Do you know who my father is?”

“Yes. And no I cannot take you to him. Only Zurie has the power to do that.”

“How did Leilani become my mother?”

“I took you to her.”

“Why did she get rid of me?”

Miroslav’s gaze softened. That was definitely pity in his eyes.

“That is a discussion you need to have with Zurie.”

Dread sank like an anvil in my gut. Even with my petulant Knowingness ignoring me, I knew that the truth I needed to learn would not be a welcome one.

“Your mother, Leilani, loves you the same as if you had been born of her blood, Nakoa. Let nothing dissuade you from that fact.”

I shifted to face away from him as some foreign sensation began to burn my eyes.

“You would do well to remember that it is because of her that you are even half the male you are. One day, you will learn just how much you truly owe her.”

The burning in my eyes swelled until saline streamed down my cheeks. Quickly wiping them away, I drew in a calming breath to quell the overwhelming tide of emotion.

“Why, exactly, have you come?”

“Two reasons. One, Thalia is not to be trusted. She hides her power, and I cannot enter her mind, nor am I able to gaze upon her past, present, or future potentialities. When I attempt to scry even her father, there is a block. The only beings powerful enough to evade my magic and my sight are the gods. ”

“That doesn’t include the descendants of demiurges?”

Miroslav frowned. “I certainly wouldn’t think so, not after so many generations… but I cannot be sure.”

I heaved a sigh, sinking further into the bathing pool.

“And what is the other matter of urgency?”

“Your soulbound needs you,” he pressed.

As his words settled in a crushing weight settled on my chest. “Wrong.”

Footsteps sounded behind me until Miroslav stood in front of me, gaze searing into mine like white hot coals, as I failed to will my ebon eyes to stop leaking water.

“Whether you’re willing to admit it or not doesn’t change the fact that your souls are entwined. You are weakened without one another. You will need each other if either of you plan to survive what is to come.”

Having no argument, I knew when to remain silent.

“I suggest you learn to see things from beyond your own narrow perspective and find forgiveness somewhere in that heart of yours before it is too late. Karma and fate are not synonymous entities, Nakoa. If you do not cherish the soulbound Akash has gifted you with, you shouldn’t be surprised when she is stolen from you. ”