Sapphire Falls (The Lost Realm #2)

16. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Morgan

T he bright sunlight burned Morgan’s sensitive eyes as she clung to Selene. The air around her was cool and crisp and her scars tingled as the breeze skimmed along her exposed face. Morgan had lost all sense of time while in that cell, but came out with a clearer head than she’d expected.

Her time in the dark hadn’t been the torturous experience she’d feared. Instead, she felt stronger than she’d ever felt in her life. Nobody would believe her when she admitted that she’d faced her demons in that dark solitude and triumphed. She’d found that darkness within herself and embraced that side of her, and now her shadows seemed to respond to her instinctively, like they were an extension of herself.

With that thought, a cool band of shadows nestled over her eyes, covering the sharp rays that stung her vision.

“It seems the time in the dark has done you good,” Selene said. “The Tower of Teeth can break some folk, but it can also forge and strengthen.”

Morgan nodded, but didn’t speak to the woman. Her shadows pranced around her face, retreating as she landed on the cool shade of Rylo’s library balcony. Selene turned without another word and flew back toward the Tower of Teeth. So much for a goodbye.

As Morgan moved into the room, her shadows slithered beside her, like a faithful companion. That was what they’d become. Her companions in the dark; a beautiful, misty piece of her that was alive with power and potential.

She saw the Sun King before he saw her, sitting silently with a book in his hand. He had that casual air about him of someone who was perfectly content. His suntanned skin and amber locks were too perfect. It wasn’t fair that such an arrogant man should be so gorgeous.

Finally he looked up at her, a small smirk tugged at one side of his face, exposing the slightest dimple on his cheek. “Ah, Morgan. You have returned from your stay, I see.”

“Yeah, Selene just got me out. I’m sure you knew.” Her voice sounded scratchy and unused as she spoke.

“Sit,” Rylo commanded. “How was your time in the Tower of Teeth?” A tea set for two appeared on the table as Morgan leaned into the low back couch.

“You stuck me in the dark for days. How do you think it went?” Morgan asked, grinding her teeth as she spoke. The shadows around her began snaking closer to Rylo and he tried to kick them away.

“It was for your best interest. You needed to get the absurd notion that you can leave Aeritis out of your mind. And you needed to get command of those lovely shadows of yours. Am I correct to assume that both things occurred during your time alone?”

Morgan let the shadows twist up the couch Rylo sat on until they reached his torso and slithered up his body, caressing his neck. He pressed his back against the couch, wings tucked in tight. She tugged her shadows slightly against Rylo’s throat until his golden eyes lit like bright orbs and his skin began to glimmer. Then she released the shadows, pulling them back into herself.

She reached for the tea set and poured herself a cup of piping hot, reddish tinted tea. It had a cinnamon and acorn scent and reminded her of the cool fall day outside.

“Does that answer your question?” Morgan asked with a grin.

“Do you plan to be a kingslayer twice over?” Rylo replied as he poured a cup for himself. His skin still seemed to sparkle with golden light as he took a steadying drink.

“Right now? No. But I won’t guarantee that if you ever stick me back in your stinking torture tower.”

Rylo’s look of boredom slid away as he eyed her with distrust mingled with curiosity. “I will not coddle you like Savine has done to your sister. You are not my soulmate and make no mistake, I plan to use that great well of power in you for the coming conflict. Selene told me what she saw in your soul. What you saw. Your raw ambition, an analytical mind and someone who takes calculated risks. Tell me, have you found that part of yourself again?”

Morgan looked at him and considered how she should respond to such a question. She saw a lot of herself in the darkness. Parts that were ugly and parts that were beautiful. But most of all, she saw her inner strength and her need to outwit these fae. She wasn’t going to let these people who’d already hurt her take away her power again. She wanted revenge, yes, but she also wanted a greater purpose in Aeritis if she was trapped here. Finally, she decided she’d be honest with this man.

“Yeah, I did.”

“Good. Do you see all these books?” Morgan looked at the room as Rylo waved his hands. Floor to ceiling bookcases wrapped around the room. “They’re a fraction of what I have collected over the years. Knowledge is power, and I think you can agree with that.”

Morgan nodded, not sure where he was going with this statement.

“Since I first discovered humans could enter our realm through Sapphire Falls I have collected every book and ancient text on the humans I could find. The witches at The Cleaving were far more powerful than any fae, and when they worked together they were unstoppable in magical strength. Your sister accidentally tapped into this strength, but I want you to learn it properly. I want you to study their history. Practice their spells and grow that power in yourself. Nephel has long been subjected to attacks from more powerful armies and greedy nations that have stolen our land. I was able to secure just a fraction of that land back from Savine in exchange for his little mate, but I want it all back. And you are going to help me get it.”

Morgan knew that Savine had initially seen her sister as some sort of gift that he could control, but this seemed to be some kind of power-hungry fae ruler trait.

“Why would I do that?” Morgan asked, crossing her arms.

“Beyond becoming the most powerful being in this realm? What is it you want, Kingslayer?”

Morgan grinned. While thinking in the dark, she knew what she wanted out of this place. She wanted to be the one in control, the one calling the shots. The shadows slithered away from her, reaching out toward Rylo again.

“I want three oaths from you, and I will speak the words of the bargain. You’ll agree to them no matter what I ask for,” she said, smiling up at the surprise on the man’s face.

“Three oaths? You drive a hard bargain. The fae rarely agree to such things.”

“Well, that’s what I want. If you want to use my brain and my magic then you’ll agree. Otherwise I’ll just be loafing around your home until I go to Orofine.”

Rylo pursed his lips. He hesitated long enough that she thought he may refuse her offer.

“Agreed. Three oaths in exchange for your mind and your magic.”

They both stood, shaking on the agreement. As their hands touched, bright light, like that of the sun, wrapped around her arm and mingled with the shadows that stretched up Rylo’s arm.

Their magic was in conflict against each other, and she saw his skin continue to gleam like morning light as he sat back down.

“Don’t be alarmed, pet. I was testing your truthfulness with a bit of my essence. If you were lying you’d be blistered from head to toe,” Rylo drawled as he took a chocolate from a box that appeared from thin air. “Now when can I expect you to follow through on your oaths?”

Morgan smiled and looked down at the darkness snaking around her legs. She liked it, this unlikely companion always at her side. “Whenever you least expect it.”

Avery

“So you spent the week alone in the dark?” Avery asked, still not sure if she believed her sister hadn’t been tormented, or even starved during her time in Rylo’s famed torture tower.

Morgan sliced the thin pieces of meat on her plate, taking a delicate bite. “Yeah, at first I felt a growing panic, but I let it die down and just embraced the darkness.”

Avery shook her head. “What did you do then?”

Morgan shrugged before sipping the wine from her goblet. She’d arrived at their shared room clean, calm, and rather pleased with herself only a few hours earlier. After she’d unexpectedly entered their shared room, Morgan asked if Avery would take a walk with her. Despite the time outside together, Avery hadn’t been able to piece together what had happened to her sister during her stay in the Tower of Teeth.

“You know. What I usually do alone. I did yoga and meditated. Plus I reflected on my life before coming here and my soul, and practiced using my shadows.” Morgan effortlessly let the shadows that had been circling her legs move up her body before sweeping forward to caress Avery’s cheek.

The touch was cool, calming, and so Morgan that Avery wasn’t at all surprised this darkness came from her sister. What Avery couldn’t stop was the pang of jealousy that settled in her heart. Of course Morgan would master her magic with ease. Of course it would happen while she turned a means of torturing her into a week long yoga retreat in the dark.

“And you’re fine with all this? With the way Rylo punished you for trying to leave?”

Morgan looked at her with green eyes, flecks of amber dancing amongst the jade. “I think Rylo wasn’t trying to punish me as much as force me to face what I already knew. I can’t go home. Not yet, not until I learn how. But I can use my strengths and talents to make my time here better.”

Avery’s mouth gaped so far open she could have swallowed a fly. “It just doesn’t make sense that you’re so calm about all this. He locked you away for a week!”

Morgan took another bite of her food, sighing as she said, “I think it was what I needed.” The shadows built around her then glided through the room, lifting objects and setting them in new places. “I feel like I’m gaining control—not only of my magic, but of who I can become here, and even gaining some control over Rylo.”

Now Avery really didn’t understand what her sister meant. “Well, fortunately we’ll be leaving for Orofine soon! Then we won’t have to see him again.”

Morgan bit her lip. For the first time during their conversation, she looked unsure. “I think I need to stay here, Ave. I don’t think my time in Nephel is over yet, but you should go.”

Avery jumped up, closing the distance between herself and Morgan. “Morgan, please. We need to stick together. Once we’re in Orofine we can practice magic together without worrying about Rylo’s motives.”

The scars along Morgan’s cheeks tightened as frown lines appeared on her face. “I don’t think I can go there. Not yet anyway. I finally have access to Rylo’s library, and being around people who look like my attacker… It’s too intense. Plus, I don’t doubt they’ll attack me for killing their king. We have no way of knowing what’s been happening there.”

Avery squeezed her sister’s hand. “Morgan, don’t. I don’t want to lose you again, please! Let’s just stay together through this. We’re better together. I’ll make sure you’re safe there.”

Morgan pulled her hand back before she brought her gaze to the remaining bites of her dinner. Finally, she turned and looked at Avery. “I don’t know, Ave. I have a very bad feeling about this…”

“Please, please just say you’ll stay with me! I can’t lose you again, Morgan, and I can’t stay here. I need to see Savine again, plus Rylo is still the one who kidnapped me and has hurt Savine so much.”

The tightness in Morgan’s expression relaxed a bit as she said, “Yeah, you’re right. We should stick together.”