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“As do I.” I wanted to escape this conversation and these people. “I think I’ll go to bed now.” My head swam as I stood, but I managed to slur out, “Kaztar, which way to the second floor?”
He didn’t look away from his wife to respond. “Out these doors, to the right, at the end of the hall there is a staircase. Your rooms are on the left side, facing the courtyard.”
After I bid everyone good night, I made the trek, the rooms not so easily found when the Rass estate was nearly as large as Este Castle. Finally, I found the hall, low simmering lamps indicating that servants had been by recently. The first room was mine, and I locked the door behind me, not wanting to be disturbed. My mind was sinking into a chilled abyss, and no one could stop me from drowning other than my mate. It wasn’t worth bothering my friends, who would only look at me with pity.
The bathroom held a shower, and I quickly washed myself beneath the falling water, a week’s worth of grime disappearing as I wished the water would wash away the thoughts circling the drain in my mind.
My father…
The twins…
Kriztof…
My mate…
Shaking my head to clear the flashing images of the ones I’d lost, I turned the taps and walked naked and wet to my bags, digging through them until I retrieved those strips of lace that held Izidora’s fading scent. Without bothering to dress or dry off, I took them and myself to the plush bed that awaited me, but just before I climbed into it, a knock sounded on the door. Endre’s voice floated through. “Kazimir? Are you in there?”
Ignoring him, I threw back the blankets and hoped my silence would drive him away.
“I can hear your breathing, you know,” he said, a little louder this time. I only looked at the ceiling, counting the seconds until he moved on.
His sigh was pained, and a soft thud told me he’d rested his weight against the door, head bowed into his forearm, a position I’d seen him take so many times. “Kazimir, I know you are suffering. You do not have to suffer alone. I’m next door when you want to talk.”
His footsteps retreated and then reappeared in the room adjacent to mine. The soft click of the door signaled that he’d shut himself in for the night, though I listened for any other sounds indicating he was not alone. The bed creaked once, and then there was silence – at least in my surroundings, if not in my head.
This bed smelled nothing like Izidora. I brought the lace to my face, inhaling deeply as I imagined her beside me. An anguished sigh filled the room as I settled for grasping a pillow to me, covering the top in bits of lace so at least while I slept I might believe my mate was with me.
Sleep eluded me for so long that I lay in silent witness to Viktor, Vadim, and Liliana joining us on this lonely floor, whispering goodnight and settling into their respective rooms. Every time I closed my eyes, I was back in the ballroom at Este Castle, covered in blood, holding my father as he rasped his dying breath. Sometimes it was Izidora lying bloody in my arms, others it was Kriztof’s execution in slow motion, each painful second spearing my soul as I watched over and over and over again.
These were not dreams, for sleep was a cruel mistress who would not visit me to carry me through time and closer to my mate. I defied her by fisting my cock and burying my face in thepillow, fucking my hand until my release was imminent, tingling down my spine and tightening my balls. Muffling a groan, I came, my hips jerking to a stop and body temporarily flooding with bliss. Mercifully, sleep let me fall into her, delivering much desired rest.
The Crystal Realmwas the most ethereal of all the realms, with its vast, silky lakes stretching for miles in every direction and its lush, green grass that covered everything between them. Near the Agrenak Mountains, massive waterfalls cascaded over the remaining rocks, propelled by the melting glaciers. Unfortunately, the location of House Rass’s estate led us straight into the heart of Crystal territory, avoiding the mountains completely as we rode toward the capital. I had been to Vlisa many times, but I never tired of the view each time I rounded the edge of the clear lake. Blire Palace floated above water so glassy it was a mirror perpetually reflecting the magnificence. The palace was constructed from massive crystals, and it was breathtaking in the late evening sun, each spire glittering and bending light into a rainbow of colors, the rays scattering across water so blue it looked painted rather than natural.
Blire’s strategic advantage was that any attack could be seen for miles, the land surrounding the lakes flat with only a handful of trees clustered together like someone had captured a fistful of seeds and blown them from their palms, not caring which way they landed.
Small villages hugged the curves of the lake, and Crystal Fae, with their light-colored hair and lithe frames, fished and wove baskets with the reeds that clung to the banks. None paid us any attention as we passed, though the occasional small child would shriek and point at our mounts.
But as we closed in on the capital of the Crystal Realm, a retinue of mounted soldiers waited for us, their icy glares piercing even from a distance. The horses were as white as Izidora’s wings, their coats glossy and their manes long and flowing, lifted by the light breeze dusting across the lake. The soldiers’ armor was polished to perfection, the silver gleaming in the golden light of the setting sun. Their etherealness was nearly intimidating - definitely unnerving - but I was here to force King Airre and Queen Immonen to help me march on the Iron Realm and save my mate, and nothing and no one would stop me from achieving my goal.
When we rode within earshot, I shouted, “High Lords Vaszoly, Rass, Adimk, and Zadik of the Night Realm request an audience with King Airre and Queen Immonen!”
The soldier at the head of the procession scrutinized us, his piercing eyes taking in our travel-worn clothes and dark coloring before nodding his assent. “Follow me,” he ordered, turning his mount back toward Vlisa. Spurring Fek on, we followed the decorated soldier, his legion waiting for us to pass before falling in stride behind us. I glanced at Viktor, whose face betrayed nothing of his thoughts, though a slight shake of his head was enough to tell me that he was unsure why we had a chaperone.
Could Ruslan have gotten word here first? Or had one of their seers had a vision of what heralded our arrival?
Kaztar angled his horse next to mine, dropping his voice so only I could hear his words. “I wasn’t expecting an escort. What’s the plan here?”
Dipping my head in his direction, I murmured, “I think we assess the mood of the monarchs, then go from there.”
His jade eyes went to his wife before he replied. “You don’t think they plan on harming us, do you?”
I shook my head. “If I had to guess, they already know whywe’re here. The question is, how do they know and what have they decided?”
Vlisa bustled with activity as we rode the short distance through the city to the floating palace. Crystal Fae shopped for fresh produce at a market that sprawled across a large square while blonde children laughed as they tore through the streets, chasing one another until they nearly toppled a cart, earning a scolding from a mother and the shopkeep.
Life was normal in the city, while mine was anything but.
The opaline gates of Blire Palace swung open noiselessly, admitting us to the otherworldly splendor where King Airre and Queen Immonen waited with soft smiles on their faces. Our escort directed us straight across the white stone courtyard, stopping in front of his monarchs before dismounting and sweeping into a bow. We followed suit as a dozen pairs of metal boots clanked against the ground behind us. The hairs on the back of my neck rose only momentarily as King Airre glided forward with open arms.
