Sapphire Falls (The Lost Realm #2)

2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Avery

One and a Half Months Later

A very held Morgan close. Her sister’s wet body pressed against hers as she cried on her shoulder. Slowly, she pulled back and looked at Morgan. Her sister wasn’t dead. A bear hadn’t killed her over a month ago. Instead, she was here with her in Aeritis, wet and cold, but alive, and she’d saved Avery’s life by shooting Jasper.

But what was more shocking was her sister’s face. Her beautiful sister’s round cheeks and big green eyes were now overshadowed with deep, ragged scars. Some were slightly purple while others made parts of her skin look punctured, like something had sunk its jaws into her flesh. The bear. It did this to her. Above the jagged scars were the same tiny stars that Avery now bore. The mark of the Premier Goddess of Aeritis, Althea.

It was all too much, having Morgan in Aeritis, alive even after such a horrible attack, and now marked by the Goddess. How did Morgan survive the attack, and how had she found her?

Tears streamed down Avery’s face as her hand shook, clinging to her sister. “How are you here?” Avery asked. “Are you real? Am I dead or something?”

“Oh no, I’m here. I’m with you. But where the hell are we?” Morgan looked around the room as she asked the question, and Avery noticed how she flinched as she made eye contact with the Latian warriors in the room.

To be fair, facing a group of huge, ethereally beautiful men and women was intimidating. Avery had firsthand experience with it herself, after her traumatic entry into Quartz Mountain only a little over a month ago. She took a steadying breath. This was a chance to reassure her sister, give her the knowledge she’d so desperately needed after her own journey to Aeritis.

“You must have gone through a portal, just like I did. This is going to sound crazy, but you’re in another realm. It’s called Aeritis. But you’re safe. We’re safe now, thanks to you.”

Morgan looked at Avery like she had lost her mind.

“Look, I need to talk with you privately. We’re not as safe as you think we are,” Morgan said as she subtly shook her head.

All around them were the Nepheli Fae who came to watch Avery showcase her magic at the dinner held for Jasper, the Latian King. The king who now laid dead under a table cloth. The king that her sister had shot with a gun. The room was in disarray, tables toppled and folk milling about, looking slightly confused about the events of the last hour. Somebody really should have told them to leave. Wasn’t that the job of a king?

“I know this seems fucked up, but, we’re going to be okay. You killed the bad guy, King Jasper. We’re still being held by another bad guy, King Rylo, but I think we’re going to be free now that Jasper is dead. How did you know to kill him anyway?”

Her sister didn’t answer as she stared at the fae buzzing around the room, trying to clear away the chaos of Jasper’s assassination.

Morgan had shown up out of nowhere, just as Avery had been trying to kill Jasper while she also attempted to pass the crown to the rightful king of Latiah, and her soulmate, Savine. She’d failed to do that one thing and had been near death, tortured by images of her sister being dragged away by a bear when Morgan had suddenly appeared and shot the king.

“Avery…” a voice said behind her, and she turned to see Savine standing close behind her. She should introduce him to Morgan. But, the look on Morgan’s face as she glared at Savine, slightly coated in blood, essence slowly shifting under his skin, made Avery think Morgan must be in shock after all this.

“Savine. Come, meet my sister Morgan,” Avery said in calm tones. She felt her sister tense up as Savine drew closer. “Morgan, this is Savine. He’s the new king of the nation of Latiah.”

Morgan shifted, scooting her body back behind Avery. She didn’t say anything to Savine. Avery looked back at her sister as she shot him a death glare with her green eyes.

“Um, Avery. Will they let us talk in private? Can we do that, or are we… Are we captives?” Morgan asked. Her voice was hardly above a whisper.

Savine gave her a soft smile, and Avery’s heart did a little flip at the kindness on his face.

“Avery, why don’t you take your sister to your room? She looks like she needs some time alone,” Savine said.

Just as Morgan and Avery turned around, Rylo, the king of Nephel, approached dangling Morgan’s gun off his gloved hand. His haughty grin made a chill run down Avery’s back. She had done what he asked. She had tried to kill Jasper. Yes, she was unsuccessful, but he was dead now, anyway. What would he want from her now?

“Just a moment,” Rylo said. “I agreed to return you to Savine after you assassinated Jasper. Unfortunately, things did not go according to my plan. Not only did you not kill Jasper, but your sister has inadvertently fulfilled a prophecy that I have been waiting to see come to fruition for quite some time.”

Avery cocked her head as she waited for an explanation. She looked to Savine, and the calm, disciplined face told her right away that he knew exactly what Rylo was talking about. Avery recognized this stoic, secretive look on Savine’s face by now.

“Savine? What’s he talking about?” Avery asked, hoping he wouldn’t keep things from her again.

Savine didn’t speak right away. Instead, Rylo interjected, saying, “Now that I know Avery’s true purpose in Aeritis is to fulfill the will of the goddess, should I keep the flower and the stardust? Or return the flower to you, Savine.”

Avery felt her body stiffen. What in the actual fuck was this man talking about? Jasper’s body wasn’t even cold yet, and Rylo was up to some sort of trick again.

“They are both coming with me, Rylo,” Savine replied. “I’m not negotiating on this.”

Rylo’s smile turned menacing and Avery felt a chill run across her skin. “Ah, well. We had a deal for Avery. The sister is another matter entirely. And now that I know she is also touched by the goddess, I have come around to the importance of keeping a witch on hand. Just in case events follow the trajectory foreseen by the prophecy.”

Avery couldn’t keep quiet anymore. She hated this horrible man so much. She hated his fae trickery and his selfishness. “You can’t keep my sister here. I won’t let you and I’d never leave without her.”

Rylo grinned with a crooked smile. “Then it appears you will remain at the Towers for longer than I expected. But no, I will not allow the kingslayer to leave here. Not after I saw her display her magic. The way those shadows seemed to dance around her as she blasted Jasper was titillating. And to think her magic barreled out of her after only moments in Aeritis. How long did it take your magic to manifest, Avery?”

Avery scowled, but didn’t reply as she thought back to the dark shadows that circled her and Morgan. They seemed almost sentient as they wrapped around her and her twin, like they were protecting them from harm. Of course Morgan would have instant control of her magic here. She was always the overachiever.

“Magic?” Morgan muttered as she looked at Avery, concern glimmering in her green eyes. “What are they talking about?”

Avery thought about the first time Savine had tried to convince her that she was a powerful witch, and all the doubts that had swam through her mind. “We’re witches, Morgan. I know that’s crazy, but look.”

Avery tugged at her magic. It was all but depleted inside her, but she managed to form flowers in her hands and tried to pass them to her sister.

Morgan put her hands up to block the flowers and they spilled to the ground. “This is insane. Avery, I need to talk to you alone. And no, I’m not going to go with you,” Morgan said, pointing to Savine before she turned to Rylo. “I’m not staying with you either. I’m getting out of here, even if I have to jump off that waterfall again.”

“I’m afraid not. You will not be leaving Nephel anytime soon. As Avery already knows, you cannot return to your realm and I will not allow Savine to have you. I’m generous enough to offer to give him back his soulmate,” Rylo drawled. He wore his typical uninterested expression, masking his true thoughts, as Avery knew all too well.

Savine stepped forward, drawing his sword. The fae around the room gasped. Nepheli warriors rushed forward. Out of the corner of her eye, Avery saw her friends move closer, drawing their weapons. She’d forgotten about everyone in the moments after Morgan’s arrival. But there they were. Rue and Susan, Jay and Raikin, and somehow, Kyla, Garnel, and an entire group of rebel warriors.

Savine’s voice boomed throughout the enormous room. “Morgan will be staying with Avery, and I will see you dead in your own nation before you keep Avery from me again, Rylo. Unlike you, I am more than willing to end you and worry about other nations later.”

Nepheli warriors moved in around them from every side. Weapons were raised and Avery feared they’d cut Savine down just for raising his sword against Rylo. This couldn’t be happening. She couldn’t let Savine die now, not for her or for her sister.

Avery heard Raikin clear his voice and murmur, “Savine, don’t act rashly. Not now that you wear the crown.”

Savine looked at Avery, that hard, unreadable expression still on his face, and she thought her heart would shatter. They were finally getting their chance at happiness, but once again it hung in the balance thanks to Rylo’s scheming. Avery couldn’t let Savine kill Rylo, even if he deserved it. She wouldn’t see him gain his crown only to be embroiled in war against other nations for killing a king, and she couldn’t watch him be cut down by the Nepheli warriors surrounding them.

“I’ll stay with Morgan!” Avery shouted. She turned to Savine and put her hand on the flat of the sword. “I can’t leave her like this.”

She looked at Rylo. He wore a triumphant expression on his face. “I’ll make a bargain with you. Morgan and I will stay here for a month. Savine, you can take the time to get settled into life at Orofine. After a month, Morgan and I will both go to Orofine. We can figure out how long we are there before we return to Nephel. I’d like it to be longer. Maybe six weeks?”

Savine scowled, but once again, Rylo spoke first.

“I can agree to this,” he said, his wings slightly spreading as he spoke. “If after her time in Orofine, Morgan will return to me until I am finished with her.”

“I can’t agree to any of this,” Savine interjected. “I’m not leaving my soulmate with you for a month.” Savine turned to Avery, taking her hand in his swordless hand. “First, Rylo kidnapped you, Avery, then he forced you into attempting to kill my father.”

Avery saw Morgan’s eyes widen, and she looked at her sister with a shocked expression. She gave Morgan a quick nod. It was almost hard for her to hear what she’d been through. She couldn’t imagine how Morgan was handling any of this.

“Then we are at an impasse!” Rylo said, his voice more shrill than normal.

“Stop arguing over me!” Morgan shouted before she turned to her sister. “Ave, this is madness and I have to talk to you alone. Please, let’s get out of here.”

“You are not leaving until we come to an agreement,” Rylo said in a voice dripping in honeyed whiskey.

“May I interject, highnesses?” Raikin said, stepping into the small circle within the crowds of onlookers. “It would be wise of you to consider our strategy as we return to Orofine for the first time since the beginning of the rebellion. I think it prudent to hold off introducing Avery as your soulmate until you have had time to begin reuniting our nation. After a month, we can celebrate her arrival around the Night of Feasts.''

Savine shook his head, but Avery placed her hand on his arm and looked into his dusky blue eyes. “I’ll be safe here. Rylo already took an oath that he won’t hurt me. Plus Raikin has a point. You’ve got a hard enough job reuniting your people without bringing in the woman who tried to assassinate half the population’s ruler.” Then Avery turned to Rylo. “You can’t keep Morgan indefinitely. We’ll both return to Orofine after a month. No way in hell am I leaving her alone with you.”

“Avery, remember my generosity. I could end your soulmate just for threatening my life. I could lock him back into the Tower of Teeth. After all, he is an escaped convict. I have been hospitable beyond necessity to both of you. I mean it when I say that I will have this witch for myself. I do not want the soulmate of the King of Latiah in my home every other month. You have served your purpose and I will allow you to stay for a month and enjoy my continued hospitality, but after that time it will only be Morgan returning to Nephel. I am willing to let her return to you every other month, only if she is trained in her magic by the Bayberries, including your little witch friend.”

Avery looked at Morgan chewing her bottom lip, a look of sheer confusion on her face. Despite what must be a frightening and bewildering conversation, she gave Avery a tiny nod in agreement anyway. Poor Morgan had no context to this whole world that she’d fallen into, and here Avery was, having to make a bargain with the devil incarnate for her freedom. “I agree to your bargain, Rylo Finnian.”

She watched as Savine looked at her, the pain of her decision evident in the hard lines of his face. This must be torture, leaving her in this place that held nothing but terrible memories. But, she wouldn’t abandon Morgan. If Morgan had to stay, then Avery would stay with her.

Savine turned to Rylo, but moved his arm possessively around Avery’s shoulder, wrapping her into the warmth and hardness of his body.

“One month. That is it. If Avery isn’t back by then, I will level this place to the ground. Make no mistake, Rylo.”

Rylo grinned, showing his white teeth, as he reached out his hand and placed it on Savine’s shoulder. “We have a deal then.”