Page 64 of His Dark Delights
I found myself drawn to the heart of the sanctuary, seeking the only creature left who might understand my turmoil. There she was, Lilly’s beloved cow, Millie. A gentle beast with eyes as deep as the night sky. She stood steadily beneath the spreading branches of an ancient willow, her presence a comforting constant in a world turned upside down. As I approached, she lifted her head, and her bell clinked. Her gaze met mine with an intelligence that contradicted her simple nature.
“Hello, cow,” I murmured, my voice barely louder than the rustle of leaves overhead. “I suppose you’re the only one left who will listen to me without judgment.”
The cow blinked slowly, her eyes soft and patient. I settled onto the cool grass beside her, the earth solid beneath me, grounding me amidst the chaos of my thoughts.
“I miss her,” I confessed, the words tumbling out unbidden. “I miss her more than I can express, and yet... I feel betrayed. She was a fae, a flower nymph, and I—” I broke off, the admission a dagger twisting in my chest.
“She was never just a farmer’s daughter,” I continued, my voice barely a whisper. “The mother who left her behind, I presume?”
“Moo,” Millie confirmed.
“She was part of the very world I’ve been fighting against. How could she have hidden that from me? How could she have loved me, knowing who I am, what I’ve done?”
The cow shifted, her breath a warm puff in the cool night air. I reached out, running a hand along herflank, the action soothing in its familiarity. She was a reminder of the life Lilly once led, of the simplicity that had drawn me to her.
“But I can’t stop loving her,” I admitted, the words a raw confession. “I tried to tell myself it was a lie, a trick of the fae, but my heart refuses to listen. Every moment without her feels like a piece of me is missing.”
The cow nuzzled my shoulder, her quiet presence a balm to the storm inside me. I closed my eyes, the memories of Lilly flooding my senses—her giggles, the way she could light up a room with her mere presence.
“She saved me once,” I breathed, the truth a comfort I clung to. “When I was wounded, she cared for me without hesitation, without fear. That was real. I know it was.”
The garden was silent save for the whisper of the wind through the trees, the stars above a tapestry of distant light. I sat there, the weight of my crown forgotten, the burden of kingship lifted for a brief, tenuous moment.
“I have to find her,” I whispered, my resolve growing stronger with each passing second. “I have to go to the fae wild to bring her back, to show her I can love her the way she deserves.”
The cow watched me with those deep, knowing eyes, as if understanding the magnitude of the task I wanted to undertake. A fool’s errand, perhaps, but love had always defied reason, and I would risk everything for the chance to see her once more.
“Thank you,” I said, standing and giving the cow one last pat. “For listening, for reminding me of what truly matters.”
With the flowers as my witness and the cow as mysilent confidante, I vowed to set forth on a path fraught with danger and uncertainty. Lingering on a final glance at the moon-kissed royal garden, I turned back toward the palace, my steps sure and my purpose clear. And, with each step, I grew more certain of one thing: Lilly was worth fighting for.
I would gather my forces and prepare for the perilous journey into the heart of the fae wild. I would face whatever challenges lay ahead to get back what belonged to me. Because shedidbelong to me—fae or not.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Lilly
I didn’t handle flying very well, and neither did my stomach. If not for Lunaric’s impressive hidden strength, I might have wriggled out of his arms and fallen to my death from the sheer panic rearing up within me. I didn’t pause to enjoy the view from the clouds while sailing over the kingdom.
The whirlwind of trepidation and terror clashed with the burst of adrenaline in my system. All that agitated hysteria proved too great a shock to my body, and I passed out in the fairy prince’s arms.
A further unfortunate burden on my heart was that I dreamt of Ren. For hours, minutes, days, or however long that I was unconscious. The many faces of the man I hated to love danced in front of my eyes. His smile, his anger, his passion. I saw it all behind closed eyes.
“Welcome to the Fae Wild, brave girl,” Lunaric’s voice in my ear startled me awake.
I jerked upright, legs tangled in a blanket as soft as clouds and light as air. Hot tears stained my cheeks, and when I blinked them away, I realized I was utterly alone in a new place.
A strange place, but a dazzlingly beautiful one.
A chandelier of glowing blue wisteria hung from the domed ceiling. Tiny colorful flowers and rich green vines spider-webbed along the walls, curling and reaching around colorful trinkets of spun glass, stones, and gems. The walls appeared to be made of silver blue wood, slightly curved as if they carved the room from inside a tree.
Brilliant power, unlike anything else in the world, swelled in my chest, glowing and flaring like the sun on a summer morning. My connection to plant life and magic coursed through me, stronger and brighter than it ever had before. I felt everything alive as if it were a part of me, breathing, swaying, blooming, buzzing, and humming like the finest silk caressing my skin.
Overwhelmed by that connection to magic and my surroundings, I didn’t think about my dreams or how I’d arrived. I flung back the blanket and lurched off the bed. Delicate fabric kissed my skin, contrasting with the heavy black dress I’d been taken in.
In a floor-length mirror wreathed in fluttering white flowers, I briefly glanced at the pale pink dress wrapped to my curves. The fabric was almost scandalously sheer, but it was lightweight and flowed like air with each step I took.
But I still looked as I had all my life, which told me that my fae essence hadn’t been unlocked yet. I neededto find Lunaric and discuss my next steps here. After that, I’d figure out what to do about my animals left at the palace and… the king.
