Lisha POV
I have been a servant in Cassandra’s castle for four years, every day is torture, and Gabriel, Nadia, Athena, and the guards find new ways to prolong my suffering. I still don't know why they took me from my mother and home and brought me here; it looks like I will never know. The differences between the Seelie and Unseelie are becoming more noticeable the longer I am here. The Unseelie, or Dark Fae as we are sometimes called, are dark-haired, olive skin, dark eyes, and exquisite-looking. The Seelie has fair hair, fair skin, and blue eyes. Looking at them, you would think the sun-blessed them with beauty.
When I enter the kitchen, Seline puts me to work to ensure everything is ready when the court awakens. After finishing my kitchen duties, I hurried to the laundry room on time. The queen's laundress is a nasty moody woman; if I am late, she won't hesitate to notify Gabriel.
I see Dana, Nadia, and Shayla approaching me; when it's too late, there's no reason for them to be down at this end of the castle. I bow, moving closer to the wall to get as far away from them as possible. The disgust and hatred on their faces never cease to hurt; when they reach the end of the hall, they turn, look back at me, and start giggling and whispering to each other. I try to ignore the dread that fills me; the morning is going so slowly, my nerves are ragged, and a headache starts to form behind my eyes. I rub my neck tiredly, trying to ease the tension making my muscles scream, and that's when I sense Gabriel approaching. The smile on his thin lips is sly as he says,
“Lisha, you will accompany me to Queen Cassandra in the throne room.”
My breathing is erratic, my fear increases, and my heart is pounding so fast that it sounds like drums beating inside me; there's nothing I can do except bow and meekly follow him to the throne room; Gabriel usually takes great pleasure in immediately handing out the Queen's punishment with me having to see her first, the fact Cassandra is deciding what punishment I receive terrifies me.
Cassandra is standing next to the throne. She is a beautiful woman; her long white hair flows to her knees, she has blue eyes, the color of the sky, and she is very petite. Cassandra’s only flaw is her cruel mouth. Dana, Nadia, and Shayla are standing beside Cassandra, so I know I am here for their sick amusement. I bow low, hoping that appearing small in front of them will lessen the severity of the pain I know I am about to receive. The queen's voice is commanding, demanding attention when she says,
“Lisha, you have been disrespectful to my ladies in waiting. What do you have to say for yourself?”
Her honeyed tone makes me shiver in fear. I incline my head in her direction; I learned the hard way never to look directly at her and murmur,
“I am deeply sorry if I offended your ladies, your highness. It was never my intention,”
Cassandra smiles slightly, pauses, then says,
“As punishment for your lack of respect toward my ladies, you will be taken to the courtyard and receive twenty lashes.” go with Gabriel now.”
Gabriel's fingers dig into my arm as he drags me out of the throne room; my head is still spinning in shock at Cassandra’s words. I knew I was about to be whipped until I fell unconscious again, but I had mentally tried to prepare myself to receive ten but twenty lashes; I don't know if I would survive twenty lashes. Cassandra and her ladies follow Gabriel and me out of the throne room; I can hear them chatting and giggling behind us. Gabriel drags me to the post in the middle of the courtyard while the Queen and her ladies watch from her balcony; Gabriel ties my arms to a post above my head so I don't fall when the pain becomes unbearable. After stripping me to my waist, his hands linger for as long as they can without anyone noticing; he waves to another guard and then walks away to stand beside the queen so he can watch me scream in pain every time the whip comes in contact with my back. Hopefully, I will pass out quickly. I stiffen, waiting for the first blow, knowing what to expect yet never fully prepared. The pain is excruciating as I feel the whip hit my body running from my neck across my back to my bottom. The pain becomes more intense with each stroke shocking me to my core. I make it to ten lashes before I fade into unconsciousness, my mind wandering and my body screaming for mercy.
I don't know how much time has passed since I passed out, it's dark now, and a hand covers my mouth, stifling my scream. The ropes holding me to the whipping post are being cut by someone; his muscular arms lift me off the ground, and his minty breath caresses my face as he whispers,
“I know you're in pain; try not to make a sound; we are here to help get you.”
The man's voice is familiar, but he doesn't know this place as I do; the tattoos on my face won't allow me to leave the Seelie realm.
I drift in and out of consciousness; the man gently lays me on the cool grass; my face is burning where my tattoos are; it's hard to tell where the pain starts and ends. My entire body feels like it is on fire and is being torn apart. The same voice from earlier whispers,
“It's close to midnight. It won't be long now.”
My tattoos feel like they are stretching and coming apart, and suddenly they snap. I start sobbing in pain as the man picks me up again and starts running; the wind rushes past me as he carries me across the Seelie border. When I can finally keep my eyes open, I can see three of them, one female and two males. They have brought me home; I thought I would never see it again; I am ashamed to say I had lost hope. The land calls to me, welcoming me back, lending me strength and magic. Allana’s voice whispers in my mind,
“Welcome home, granddaughter. I will see you soon.”
They must have taken refuge in a cave during the night because everything was pitch black except for the glow from a small campfire. A moan escapes me; when I struggle to sit up, a man stands and walks toward me, a sexy half-smile on his face, and bends down, handing me a bottle of water. I gratefully take the water from him and take a sip to relieve my dry throat, moisten my lips with my tongue, and whisper,
“You came back for me.”
Tyler grins, sitting down beside me, and murmurs,
“I told you I would.”
He puts his arm around my waist, helps me up, and kisses me softly on the side of my face. Tyler has become more attractive since I saw him last. It takes all my effort to drag my eyes from his as Skyla walks over, smiling shyly, whispering,
“I have missed you so much, Lisha.”
I can feel the tears pooling in my eyes; I reach for Skyla. She steps into my embrace, squeezing me tightly; I cringe when her arm accidentally rests on one of the wounds on my back. She drops her arm, murmuring an apology, then motions the other man to come and join us. My lips tug up into a small smile when Skyla introduces Xavier to me.
Xavier is a vampire and how he came to be in the company of the two people I trust most in this world is beyond me; I have so many questions running through my mind; above all else, I want to know why the hell didn't Allana get me out of the Seelie Realm before now?
Lisha POV I had forgotten how beautiful my homeland was and felt a sense of belonging for the first time in four years. Green grass and colorful flora cover the forest floor; the ancient trees that hold so much magic inside them call to my soul. It feels so good to be home with the people I love. I didn't realize we had been walking all day until I noticed the sun setting over our mountains. When I feel a slight ripple in the wards protecting our realm, I don't give it much thought, as animals often travel freely in and out of our forest. It doesn't take long before a sense of dread snakes its way down my spine; the birds and animals have disappeared, and it's too quiet. Tyler growls; when I feel a slight breeze brush past my ear, three vampires are headed in our direction, their eyes glowing red with bloodlust. The telltale scent of rabid vampires, stale blood, and rotting flesh reach us before they do. The vampire's movements are staggered, much slower than they usually are; Xavie
Tyler POV The last two years have been hell; we searched all over the Seelie realm for Lisha. When Allana told my father that the Seelie Queen set up a meeting with the Werewolf and Vampire King, it gave us the perfect excuse to enter the Seelie court. We finally found her, and then I had to leave her again. It broke my heart and shattered my wolf Tristan; it took him months to recover. Once a werewolf finds their mate, we do not cope well with not being near her. Watching Skyla and Xavier's bond get stronger the more time they spent together didn't help my sanity much. We planned Lisha’s rescue carefully. Having Skyla with us was invaluable; even though she never spoke about what happened to Lisha and her, Skyla’s knowledge of the palace was extensive. I smile across the table at Lisha; she is finally home and where she belongs, with me. Lisha has grown even more beautiful since I saw her. Her black hair reflects purple through the ends and falls to her waist. Her purple eyes change
Gabriel POV I smile and open my eyes, I dreamt of Lisha last night, and after today those dreams become a reality. Nadia is still in my bed; she rolls over, running her hands across my chest as I get out of bed; I clasp her hand in mine and whisper, “I have some business I need to attend to, Nadia; stay here; I won't be long.” She leans on one elbow and looks at me, asking, “Where are you going, Gabriel?” I smirk; there’s no way I am telling Nadia what I have planned; after today, I may not have any use for her, but if Cassandra doesn't give me what I want, then I am still going to need Nadia to warm my bed. I bend, kissing her plump lips, and murmur, “I need to speak to Cassandra; I’ll be back shortly.” Nadia sighed and then laid back down; she smiled sensually, not taking her eyes off my naked body, and whispered, “Don't take too long; I may not be here when you return.” I shrug, enter my bathroom, and have a quick shower; Nadia can say whatever she likes; we both k
Lisha POV I wake to the smell of coffee brewing; Tyler is looking out the window, deep in thought. He hasn't bothered to put a shirt on. My eyes drift from his muscular shoulders, running down the curve of his back to where his jeans hang loosely on his hips, covering his incredible arse and thick, muscular thighs. I have always been attracted to him. I didn't realize until I saw him again that Tyler was my mate. If Tyler had been Fae, I would have felt the pull off our mate bond immediately; because he is a werewolf, our bond will need time to strengthen. I stretch slowly and sigh with pleasure; Tyler turns, smiling his sexy half-smile, the one that turns one side of his incredible mouth up. My eyes drift across his muscular chest to his biceps, down his stomach. I smirk when I notice his adonis belt screaming a little on the inside as my need to touch him grows. Fuck, this man is a god. All I can think of is running my tongue along every inch of him. He wiggles his eyebrows cheekil
Lisha POV When Skyla and Xavier leave, I sit on the bed, holding my head in my hands. Tyler touches me on my shoulder and asks, “Are you alright, Lisha?” My lips tremble as I try to smile, “I need to go home.” Tyler looked hurt at my words; his voice was soft when he asked, “Why, Lisha, don't you want to stay here with me?” “It's not forever, Tyler, and I want you to come; I just need to say goodbye to my mother.” He sits down and embraces me, whispering, “Let’s go before anyone else decides they need to talk to us.” I never grieved for my mother in the four years I was in the Seelie realm. It took all my time and energy to stay alive. My mother was one of the most beautiful women I have ever had the privilege to know. Her beauty was not only in her looks but also in her soul. She never had a bad word to say about anyone, never judged anyone, and welcomed anyone into our home. I smile when we walk into the front yard of my childhood home, I can see my mother bending over h
Lisha POV We have been home for nearly a week, and Allana still hasn't returned; to make things worse, whenever Tyler and I try to get a moment alone, he is needed elsewhere; I am starting to think the universe is working against us, and will stop at nothing to keep us apart. I pace up and down the kitchen, waiting for Tyler to return from another errand Mathew has sent him on. If I don't do something, Tyler and I will never get a moment's peace; there’s so much I have to discuss with him. I grab a bag and pack some clothes for Tyler and myself; I have decided to take Tyler to Allana’s cave. After carrying the bags to the porch, I sit on the steps, not taking my eyes off the lane that leads to our house; hopefully, I can talk to Tyler alone without interruption and make him see how unprepared we are and that attacking Cassandra and Andras would be a senseless waste of all our lives, there’s no doubt in my mind that we would lose. When I see Tyler approaching the house, I pick the bag
Allana POV I smiled when I entered my cave; Lisha and Tyler's scent was everywhere. I make myself a coffee before walking over to the bed, raising my eyebrow when I realize what they have been doing. I may have some fun with this; I won't get another chance. I clear my throat noisily. Lisha stirs, and opening her eyes, she squeals. Tyler jumps out of bed, ready to protect her, forgetting he is naked, “My Tyler, haven't you grown into a large man.” He blushes as he tries to cover himself with his hands. I chuckle, looking at Lisha, “Coffee is ready if either of you is interested.” Wiggling my eyebrows at Tyler, I smile, “You don't have to get dressed if you don't want to, Tyler.” Lisha groans as she sits up, “Omg, Allana, stop embarrassing Tyler, please.” I walk away laughing. Once Lisha is dressed, she hugs me. I cuddle her back, saying. “Tyler has not marked you, Lisha?” She glares at me, “I haven't seen you for four years, and that's the first thing you say to me.” I c
Lisha POV I can't stop thinking about what Allana has told me. Cassandra needed to be stopped, and I knew that, but now was not the right time. My anger rises, and my magic flows through me; the power is intoxicating. The wind around me gets stronger, leaves fly into the air, and trees start to bend. I can feel I am beginning to lose control when Tyler puts his arms around me; I can barely hear him as he says, “You need to breathe, Lisha. Listen to my voice; come back to me.” He runs soft kisses down my neck, my body responds to his touch, and I relax against him as my control returns. Skyla and Xavier walk over to us when we reach the village outskirts. I look at Skyla properly for the first time since I returned home. Skyla has changed; she still looks like the Skyla I know, only now her skin glows in the sunlight, and her hair looks like silk and falls down the middle of her back. When she walks, she looks like she glides across the ground. Skyla s beauty and grace are breatht