Page 139 of Of Realms and Chaos

“What, Princess, do you not trust me?” he whispered, letting his fingers drag down my legs.

I hummed in response, unable to do anything but bask in the feel of his hands on me. A finger looped through the red strap that connected to my sandal, using it to tug my foot upwards. I grabbed onto his shoulders to maintain my balance, my eyes darting down to watch as he clasped the jewelry around my ankle instead of my wrist. When he finished, he placed a kiss to the two circles.

“Our story began with a gilded princess and a bloody prince, but it ends like this, Ash. A queen of stars and a king of night, joining to secure the future. We are the clasp that holds this tale together.” He paused, the air growing thick as he released my foot, with my gift now secured to my ankle. When he looked up at me once more, his face held all the love of a million hearts—stronger than any written before. “You are everything. The beginning and the end and—”

“Every moment in between,” I finished, tugging him upwards and reuniting our mouths once more. Here in his arms, beneath his touch, against his lips—here I was home. Here I was whole.

So, I consumed him, devoured every offering I was presented. I ravished him with my mouth, my hands, my body. Our moans filled the air as he pushed me against the mountain behind us, a small giggle leaving my lips at the memory of another rocky wall he had once pressed me into. As if he understood, Bellamy’s own chuckles sounded, mixing with the lust and the love—telling our story to the world around us.

Just as his hand slid between my legs, neither of us quite caring that there were others just around the corner and out of the darkness, an eerie and all-too-familiar voice cut in.

“Surely you have some modicum of shame, princeling.” Wrath was quite unimpressed by our public display, sitting mere feet away with a bored and slightly disgusted look on his face.

Bellamy groaned against my mouth, squeezing my thigh before backing away. “I hope you know that we all loathe you, cat.”

“Hey!” I smacked Bellamy’s arm, glaring up at his smug face. “I do not hate him!”

“I think he is quite funny.” Farai’s voice came from around the corner, amusement filling his tone. “You are not naked, are you, Ash?”

I groaned, embarrassed and far less than satisfied. Though maybe that was for the best. Public sex was probably universally frowned upon. Patting Bellamy on the cheek, I pushed away and bent down to scratch beneath Wrath’s chin. He purred, his current size that of a large dog. “You are a little shit, and I love you.”

Bellamy sighed, leaning forward to place a kiss to my forehead and flicking a still-purring Wrath on the nose. He earned a horrifying growl, which only left him laughing as he patted Farai on the shoulder and left us. For his part, Farai looked at me with a knowing and devious look in his eyes. One that reminded me of who we had been before our lives were turned upside down. In moments like this, I missed those versions of us.

“Well, seeing as I successfully ruined the prince’s mood, I think I will go find something sweet to eat as a reward.” I watched on as Wrath allowed himself to shrink down to the size of a house cat, knowing that he used this version of himself to pull on the heartstrings of unsuspecting mortals and demons alike. “You look beautiful, Strange One.”

Before I could say something kind back, Wrath darted away, leaving me grinning fondly at the place he had left. Farai came up to me, grabbing both of my cheeks and looking into my eyes. The whites of his irises bore into me, as if, like Jasper, he could see whatever aura radiated from me now.

“Ash, are you okay? Truly?” While Farai had always been the least serious of our friend group, there was a paternal tone to his voice just then, like a father checking in on his daughter. And it was those loving and concerned words that left me unable to do anything but wrap my arms around his neck and breathe him in. As always, he smelled of the woods on a warm summer day, and I relished in it. I knew that one day, when our family was whole and our world was safe, I would be able to tell him the truth. Jasper and Nicola were gone though, and without them, I could not break. So I lifted my hand, cupping Faria’s face just as he did mine, and I smiled.

“I am good. How are you?” I felt the flinch beneath my fingertips at the same time I saw it, his face contorting in a brief show of pain. “Tomorrow, we will discuss our next move. We will find Nicola and Jasper, and we will bring them here. They will be safe, Fair.”

With a nod, he breathed deeply and leaned down to offer a soft kiss to my head. When he backed away again, he was sporting one of his enchanting smiles, those full lips rising to crinkle his nearly glowing eyes. Though I knew he was not okay, that he was hiding behind the mask of his former self, my own smile still lifted my cheeks.

Time was the most precious currency—the one thing no one could get back, no matter how wealthy or beautiful or important they were. Still, I would give him that, no matter how much I lost in the process. Farai would have as much time as he needed.

Outstretching his hand, he winked, those shoulders once more straight despite the sorrow and fear his mind radiated. “Will you dance with me, old friend?”

Laughing, I nodded back, taking his hand and allowing him to lead us to the dance floor. We were a sight to behold if those in attendance were to be believed. They stared on with open mouths and wide eyes, tracking our every movement. Farai—ever the attention seeker—lifted his chin to the sky, pulled me closer, and began.

Our first full rotation around the training yard was dedicated to Farai showing off. He lifted me in the air and dipped me to the ground and spun me until I was dizzy. I smiled like a fool the whole time, except for when we passed Henry. Resisting the urge to stick my tongue out at him was utterly impossible.

My turn next, little brat.

Nodding at Henry as we passed, I let out an embarrassing squeal when Farai lifted me above his head before letting me drop, catching me inches above the ground.

It was the second round that brought me back in time, though. First, the Shifter chose an elephant, morphing his nose into a long trunk and stretching his ears until they flopped outwards. The crowd let out a collective gasp, but I could not help letting out a snort and tilting my head back in laughter. We continued that way, dancing as he changed before my eyes.

When the song was over, he allowed his face to fade back, dipping his head to whisper in my ear, “What do you say, think they earned a grand finale?”

Not allowing me the chance to answer, he spun me one last time, my body twirling away from his. I stilled just in time to watch him spread his arms wide, morphing them into long black and white wings. His legs bent, forming a half squat, and then he launched himself up and back, flipping midair. He did not land; instead, his body shrunk and transformed, a stunning black and white eagle appearing where he once had been. The crowd remained silent, staring in awe as Farai took flight above us. Smiling, I shoved open my mental gates, letting my magic burrow into every mind in attendance and ordering them to dance—to laugh and have fun.

By the time shouts of excitement filled the space, I was walking away, searching for my pumpkin. He stood beside Damon and two females—one of them I almost immediately recognized. Her long black hair was loose, that dark and glowing skin nearly matching it.

“Lara,” I said, nodding to her and trying my luck at a smile.

She stared at me like I was mad, or perhaps that was her way of assessing my will to live so that she could figure out how much effort it would take to convince me to jump off the nearest cliffside.

“You are less angry than before. That hope will only disappoint you.” That voice was still melodic and high, the opposite of her attitude—just as her periwinkle gown was, the dress tightly fitting to her body and dragging behind her.

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