Chapter 1- Promises
*Two days earlier*
"She's coming, and when she rises, your entire family will burn in her inferno," I screamed as my body hung in the air. I couldn't move; I was frozen in place. Ahmes clawed to break free, but she was being suppressed within my mind by powerful magic.
"When I break free, I will kill you. That's a promise." I snarled. The witch before me let out a manic laugh. His voice was low as he spoke.
"When I'm done with you, you won't even remember your own name, mutt," I screamed as I felt the heat of his magic burning against my own. Then, suddenly, I couldn't scream anymore as I was plunged into cold waters. As I gasped for air, my lungs filled with water. Everything burned, and I was thrashing against the current that had pulled me under. I was drowning, and I couldn't do anything to save myself.
Sirens swam below me, singing. Their voices were a dream as they sang their songs, trying to lull me into a haze of submission. The way their scales shined in the moonlight was so alluring. The burning seemed to fade away as I focused on their music.
Suddenly I was ripped from that reality. I screamed and thrashed—a deep voice yelling for me as I cried out. Apollo laid on the ground reaching for me. But no matter what I tried to do to get closer to him, I couldn't. I couldn't save him; I was too far away.
"Nes," He shouted for me. I tried to call out, but suddenly hands were wrapped around my throat. I clawed at them, trying to get them off. Their nails only dug in deeper, drawing blood as they gripped tighter around me. I looked up and let out a gurgled cry for help. Eyes. So many eyes stared back at me.
My mothers', my siblings', my fathers.' Set after set, full of disappointment and disgust as they watched me struggle to breathe.
"You insufferable girl, they will hate you for all of eternity." A demonic voice whispered into my ear. Their touch made me scream out in pain. Fear consumed me as I thrashed my body around, trying to break free from this darkness. Shadows danced around me, their cold touch running across my skin. Everything was so dark and cold.
I was so cold.
"Nes, come back to me, my love." A voice urged softly. I felt the warmth of their touch envelop me, fighting for my attention through the cold that had now latched onto my soul.
"Be warned, foolish girl. Darkness will rise once again, and it starts with you." The voice hissed. Suddenly I was ripped from the shadows. I shot up from my bed, gasping for air. A thin layer of sweat coated my skin. My heart pounded against my chest as I panted. I shut my eyes, trying to calm myself—the scar across my face and back aching in a pulsing rhythm.
Despite the sweat, my body was ice cold; it always seemed cold these days. Warm hands pressed against my skin, causing me to gasp. It took me a minute to realize it was just a nightmare. To realize that I was back in Gardania safe in my room with my mate and our daughters.
My mate stared at me, full of concern. He pulled me into his chest, and I nuzzled his neck as he gently rubbed my back.
"You are safe. You are free. You are alive." He whispered into my hair. The faint sparks of our bond soothed me. I pressed my head tighter against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. The rhythmic beats of his heart urge my own to follow. I let out a shaky breath.
"I will never let them hurt you ever again, Nes. I promise with every fibre of my being." I pulled away and looked into his eyes. They swirled with every emotion; his brow pinched together as he looked down at me.
I reached my hand up and cupped his cheek before trailing my fingers along his sharp jawline. I ran my thumb across his lower lip, giving him a soft smile before placing my lips against his.
I pulled away and let out a sigh pushing him back against the bed. I laid my head against his chest, and he began stroking my hair.
"And I have told you a thousand times before. Do not make promises we both know are impossible to keep." He hummed in response.
"We have already done the impossible, and we can do it again. Nothing will take you away from me. If you haven't learned it by now, then you are just being naive, my love." Butterflies swirled in my stomach as I soaked up the warmth of his body against mine.
I trailed my fingers along the scars on his chest. Tracing the way they raised against the rest of his skin. He shivered, his arm tightening around my shoulder.
"These scars will always be a reminder of how close we came to never seeing one another outside the darkness. A reminder of the price I paid to have just a little more time before everything is taken away," I murmured. He gripped my chin between his forefinger and thumb, gently lifting my face, so I was looking up at him.
"These scars will always remind me of the risks I am willing to take to ensure that never happens." He let go of my chin and ran his knuckles against my left cheek. The sparks of our bond soothed the ache of the scars on my face. I could still see the regret and guilt in his eyes every time he looked at them.
"Your scars will always remind me of how strong and courageous you are. They do not define you as anything else but powerful." I wanted to believe him, truly, but something always seemed to tug on the doubt in my chest.
"My birthday is in two days; everything will change after that. They gave me two years. Once Balor arrives, everything will be set into motion." He hummed, kissing my forehead.
"We will find a way."
"What if there isn't a way?" I whispered.
"Then we fight until our dying breath." I placed my lips against his once again. I never wanted to forget this. I never wanted to forget how his touch made my heart race and butterflies form in my stomach. How when he touched me, my toes curled and how for just a moment I felt complete once again.
He pulled away, his eyes burning into mine - the lust and desire swirling in them matching my own.
"But until then, we will live in this moment for as long as we have it."
EpilogueNesrin*One Year Later*The last year had gone by faster than I thought it would. Adjusting to a life without my mother was hard. Experiencing things without her was harder. She had always been around to talk. Her presence, all-knowing looks, and words of wisdom were always calming.She had sacrificed her life to protect us and our people, and it was something that would never be forgotten. But on the hard days, the days where she should have been celebrating with us, like today. They were the days that hurt the most, making it a little harder to smile and put on a brave face. Grief was a weird thing; it always seemed to sneak up on you. But today, we would honour her instead of grieve her, as she would have wanted us to be happy. Likewise, she would have wanted me to be happy and worry-free.Today was a special day, one that she would have loved to see, one she probably had seen in a vision. Today was the day I stood in front of the council members. In front of our friends
Chapter 56 - New BeginningsApolloThe ceremony was brutal. Hearing the families cry for their loved ones was heartbreaking. And watching Nesrin and her family say goodbye to Athena was even worse. The whole Kingdom came to say goodbye to the fallen. The bodies of the Fae who died were buried so they could return to the earth and be reborn. Their magic was then absorbed by the flowers and plant life that thrived in our realm, and their spirits returned to our Terra once again. The bodies of the werewolves and other beings were placed on pallets, and their bodies burned to release their spirits into the air so they could return to their creators.Once most of the families had been consoled by the royal family. It was their turn to say goodbye to Athena. I stood by Nesrin the whole time as she said her goodbyes to her mother. Then, one by one, everyone took their turn to have a moment with her.Silas and Erik held i
Chapter 55 - ForgivenessNesrin Our kingdom wasn't the only place that felt the loss of our people—the loss of one of their leaders. The mothers mourned the fallen Queen too. The sky was grey when I woke from a night of restless sleep; the rain started as soon as my father stepped out onto the balcony of our palace, aplace where important matters were announced to the public.Our father addressed the Capital, releasing a final announcement confirming that our mother, the Queen of Gardenia, had died in battle. The whole realm felt the moment she passed, but he still needed to confirm it. The presence of her magic disappeared from our world. A loss that would be felt for generations to comeThe palace felt empty without our mother's presence. The whole thing still feels surreal. As if it had all just been one bad dream, and she was going to walk through the doors to our father's study any second. An
Chapter 54 - The Falling Of Two QueensNesrin I was trapped in a nightmare, unable to wake. I was forced to witness everything. From watching Dela use her powers to kill being after being that crossed her. There was so much bloodshed. She had instilled so much fear and chaos in such a short amount of time, she was void of all emotions. She was a true monster, and her time in the Underworld had helped further her bloodthirst.I wanted to vomit, and though time didn't exist while being trapped in my own mind. I knew only a few hours had passed because we hadn't even made it to the Fae realm yet. I dreaded it, but I hoped that the wards my mother put in place would be enough to buy them time. I hoped that Drabek was still alive and able to arrive to aid my family in time.But all the hope have them having more time was shattered as a knock sounded from the other side of the door."It's time," A muffled voice sounde
Chapter 53 - WarApolloThe whole field seemed to pause. Everyone looked over at one another. Erik looked at me with a questioning look on his face. Unease filled the air. I swallowed hard, unsure whether this was real or some mind game Dela had started. With her being able to project herself out of the Underworld undetected all those years. We were practically blind when it came to knowing her powers' true strength. Drabek took a tentative step towards us; the guards around us raised their swords in a warning. "You're alive," I said in disbelief. We had gone two years without knowing whether they had survived or not—two years of not knowing whether we needed to mourn them."Well, I wouldn't say these two were ever really alive," Drabek teased, jerking his head towards Lir and Kier, who grunted in response. "I'm guessing these are friends of yours," Balthazar said. "I wouldn't ever be
Chapter 52 - Unexpected HelpApolloI felt the spell snap when Nesrin's presence disappeared from our realm. A strange feeling settled over me. Fear and anger were just a couple of the emotions I was feeling. Nesrin always risked everything to protect the people she cared about. Now it would be my turn to risk it all to save her.I left Audra with the girls and raced out to the dining hall. Everyone stopped talking, turning their attention towards me—confused expressions on their faces. "She's gone," I said, my heart pounding against my chest. Balor was the first to stand. "Who's gone, Apollo?" Damon asked, his brows pinched together. "Nesrin, Dela took her," I answered. A tense silence settled over the table. Balor slammed his hand against the table, making everyone jump. "Fucking, hell. I swear to the mothers that I will be the one who teaches that bitch a lesson,"