I don't want it to end :(
Four days later and Eve was feeling the burn. Not quite out of water, she was rationing like her life depended on it. It probably didn't, but that wasn't how it felt.
All her lovers, with the exception of Kornae, was lucky. The 'dinner' Fallon had brought was a pack of... dogs? Wolves? A cross between them and something that wasn't remotely earth-like, as their eyes glowed silver. But, what ever they were, they were easily mind controlled and so long as the vampires were careful and didn't kill them, they could sustain them.
Fallon told them, after the extracurricular activities against the tunnel wall, that while he and Gabe were out scouting, they heard something off in the distance. Turns out, it was one of the four-legged feasts beside them. They tracked them for miles before catching up with them. Fallon had almost killed one out of hunger, but Gabe made the brilliant suggestion to not kill them and instead, bring them back for everyone.
They were taken care of. That left the two Fae that couldn't live off blood.
"So," she said, ignoring the dryness of her throat. "What do you suppose is going to happen when we finally get there?"
"Are you certain you wish to speak?" Kornae asked.
And again, it wasn't fair that he was faring better than her. Then, he wasn't carrying a separate life inside him either. She ran her hand over the slightly bigger swell. She couldn't help but wonder if she would have been larger had she not been throwing her magic around all willy nilly.
"I have to." He looked up at him as he eased back to her. "If I don't, if I have to pay attention to that beating, I'm going to throw myself in a spider's nest. Between that sound, the nothingness of this place and the lack of water, I... Ugh."
His slight smile brought out her own.
"How are you feeling?" he asked, glancing down at her belly.
"Aside from the fact that I want to cry about everything, I'm fine." She let out a little laugh. "Now that I'm on a no-magic diet, I'm not sick and I don't have the dizziness and all the other things that I managed to explain away so easily."
"You didn't know." He took her hand.
She made some noise and his hand tightened on hers.
"How about you?" she asked softly.
"I don't know," he said.
"Do you hate me now?"
"Will you please explain to me as to why you think I should hate you?"
"Well, because you were so anti-baby and look where we are."
"I already told you it wasn't your fault, Eve. I can't hate you." His eyes were calm and she believed him. "I remember what you said about always ending up at this moment. That things wouldn't have changed if I had been able to hold out longer. But, I've never been one to make excuses for the things I do." He looked back out over the expanse of gray. "I'm aware that my actions were dictated by another. I'm aware that by claiming that, it wouldn't be an excuse. It would be fact. But those facts mean nothing to me when I hear the screams, when I look at Naiel, when I look at Gideon." He stopped walking and pulled Eve's hand, making her look at him.
"And then there is you. Forcing me to feel things that I don't want to feel." He tilted his head, the look in his eyes almost sad, but curious. "You asked me something once. You asked why them. And I said because I couldn't. You never ask why to that."
"I didn't have time to process what you had said before you moved on with your question. Then, it was about finding out who hurt you."
He was silent for a moment, his lip curved and she wanted to melt into that smile. But there was something deeper going on here.
"Why couldn't you do it, Kornae? Why couldn't you kill me?"
The little smile grew. He didn't answer right away. Instead, he looked around at the others who were busy looking at nothing. "Let's keep moving," he said, pulling her beside him.
"Kornae..."
"Patience."
She blew out a breath. "You can ask them, I don't have much of that."
"I've noticed, Eve. I have eyes." He gave her a side look that was only mostly toe-curling. "I look forward to teaching you."
She swallowed. "So... the last time wasn't the last time?"
"What am I going to do? Get you pregnant? What is it you say? That ship has sailed?"
She bust out laughing, partially nerves, partially the absurdity of hearing a human saying coming from his lips. He looked down at her, his smile full and wide and stunning.
"I love your laugh."
She almost said it. So close. Words playing on the tip of her tongue. And I love you.
Then, the world blew up.
~~~
Smoke erupted from the ground around them and blue spheres rained down from above. Before she knew what was going on, Kornae had them surrounded in green. One of the blue orbs made it through and grazed Eve leg. She cursed and Kornae glanced at her.
"I'm okay." She looked around through the green shield and watched horror-stricken as her vampires dodged the dual attack.
There was the sound of flapping and a flying black... thing landed, followed by three more.
"They are faster than I thought." An asshole with gold hair got off the lizard with wings.
Another Fae got off his...bird. This one was tall, black hair, dark gray skin, and had deep purple eyes. He was Shadow. Who was the other?
Eve stayed on her knees beside Kornae, fighting the soul deep urge to call on her power, and it seemed her baby knew it. A hard thump almost made her jump, but she didn't want these asshats to know she was carrying. Somehow, that seemed overwhelmingly important.
"Humans react to the change in ways the Fae do not," dark guy said.
They were talking about... Naida. They turned a Fae into a vampire. They were mad. Eve could barely keep herself in check when she was only part;y Fae. Before she had come into her own. The massive increase in senses were too much then. For them to have tried on a full-blood Fae, one who evidently already had mental issues...
Monsters. They were all monsters.
Her men watched the two standing behind their own shields. They were waiting, looking for an opening. For one of them to slip.
The golden one glanced at Eve before giving a cold smile. "Rosewen's child."
She wasn't going to ask how he knew. She wasn't. "How do you know?"
"Blood recognizes blood."
Eve could feel the said blood leave her face. "You..."
"Indeed. I had believed I was bringing the second coming of Naida. Ah, prophecy is such a tricky thing."
"You... wait... You deliberately slept with my mother thinking you would be bringing an end to faerie? Are you all bat-shit insane? You would have died as well!"
"Naida was never meant to end faerie, child. She was simply a distraction."
"A distraction. So, you meant for me to be a distraction."
"Yes. But had I known that she had been with someone from the Shadow court, I would have killed her instead. Again, prophecy being so very tricky."
Eve's skin was crawling the more he spoke. How cold, cruel his words were. How could Rosewen have slept with him?
"You must be an amazing actor for her to accept you into her bed."
That cold smile grew. "I never said she accepted me."
Eve found herself on her feet before she could think about her actions, Kornae's hand around her wrist the only thing that kept her from launching herself after the man who she shared blood with.
"You raped my mother."
"A means to an end, daughter."
Hatred, thick and hot, filled her and Kornae squeezed her wrist, yanking her back down beside him. "Eve, stop."
She almost shot gray at him before she realized that she called her magic. Forcing it back down, she spun on her knees. "I'm going to hear you scream."
"You can't call the slaugh here."
"I don't need to." She almost snarled at the man.
"Terryn, end this. We are needed back at the palace." The gray man said and her sperm donor turned away. Eve had completely forgotten his presence as well as the two other dark Fae standing behind them.
Too emotional. She lost focus. She pulled her magic and could have hurt her baby. A quick mental shake and she took a deep breath, glancing at her vampires. She was about to do something stupid and the needed to be ready for it. Gideon looked at her and she gave a quick nod.
Her... father... still had his back to her and slowly she stood. She felt eyes on her, but it was the ones she needed.
"What are you doing?" Kornae asked and she smiled.
"I'm going to play catch with my dad."
In a move she had practiced over and over, she pulled the God-slayer that took her mother from her from its sheath and flipped it, the handle hitting her palm, feeling as comfortable to her as her own breath. Not thinking about it, because she couldn't be emotional, she flung it at the man who helped give her life.
She didn't think it was going to be successful. That would have been too easy. But what it did do was distract them.
The dark guy, shoved Terryn and the golden one twisted, watching as the shadowy blade passed through where his heart had just been. The laugh he gave cut off as the vampires moved, Gideon reaching him first. The others split between the gray one that seemed to be in charge and the ones standing in shock behind them.
"Nikkoris," Terryn shouted, a trace of fear in his voice. Not enough. Not nearly enough.
"You should have killed her," the one Terryn called on answered. He shot shadow at her lovers, but without the need to dodge blue as well, things were in their favor. He threw up a shield of smoke and Sebastian hit it, hissing in pain. Her mouth went dry. She was supposed to feel that, right? The protection rune? Then she remembered her mother's words. It only protected from physical damage.
It didn't help seeing Sebastian hurting, but it would have crippled her, and did who knows what to her baby.
Nikkoris sent more gray at them before opening a portal. Terryn tried to take a step toward it, but Gideon wasn't going to let that happen. His teeth were locked around the Seelie Fae's throat, the blue that constantly hit him, shocking him, helping him keep his grip. If Terryn wasn't so frightened, maybe he would have realized he was helping in his demise. The others disappeared as Nikkoris sent shadow whirling around them and they moved into the portal.
Terryn faltered as the portal vanished.
His eyes met Eve's and she smiled.
"End him."
Six vampires against one Fae, even a powerful one, were horrible odds and Eve watched as they ripped the man limb from limb. His screams oddly soothing to her frozen heart.
~~~
She stayed by Kornae's side as the ground absorbed the Seelie blood that had coated it. With the blood, it also took the remnants of the thing that was her father. The earth trembled as it received the unwilling sacrifice. There was no visible change, not that she could see, but she knew there were things below the surface. And maybe what it was feeding was more important than creating an oasis for her and Kornae.
After the movement stopped, she stood as Kornae dropped his shield. Crossing the once red ground, she retrieved her knife and returned it to its place on her thigh. Turning, she found seven pair of eyes on her.
"What?" she asked, looking over her body. Was she hurt?
"You... Are you okay?" Alex's voice was soft and she met bright blue eyes.
"I'm fine," she said and it was true, because she could say it. She finally found that frozen place that Kornae called him. That Sebastian used to call home. The place that didn't hurt.
"Eve—" Gideon started to say and she cut him off.
"You all did what I wanted. I wanted him dead. He's dead. I'm not going to shed tears for the death of the man that raped my mother. That only wanted me to be a distraction while the Shadow court took over. Because that is exactly that that was." She gave a bitter laugh. "She said that she wasn't abused. But someone had messed with her memories. I have to think they did a fairly good job."
"It's still okay to cry, Eve." This came from Kornae.
"No. It's not. I lost focus. I pulled magic. I could have hurt our child. I'm too emotional." She ran her hand over her abdomen.
"But the fight is over."
She shook her head. "No. It's not. Not until we are all back home, with the fucking prophecy done. The fight isn't over until we get somewhere with no idea how to free a king. It's not over." She looked at the direction the were headed. With where Kira told them to go, and the rough map in her mind, she know were they were going. And while it was so close, it was still forever away.
She grabbed the bag she dropped when the attack happened and pulled her canteen from it. She shook it before dropping it back inside. Slinging it over her arm, she looked at everyone. "Let's go."
~~~
Three days later, the last of her water long gone, Eve tried to rub grit from her eyes. She was parched, devoid of any fluids and the effort to put one foot in front of the other was too much. She stumbled and arms had her off the ground.
"Stubborn." Words in her ear and she had to blink a couple of times to see Micah giving her a hard look.
She didn't have it in her to argue. She couldn't have if she wanted to. She would have spit dust. Guilt ate at her, because she knew Kornae was tired as well, but it couldn't stop her from resting her head on Micah's chest.
He called her stubborn. Yes, she was, because she wasn't going to go the rest of this trip in someone's arms. No matter how good it felt.
Her eyelids drooped and she yanked her head back. If Kornae couldn't rest, then neither would she.
Micah said something, his voice a rumble in her ear as he stopped. The father of her baby stepped into view. "My Queen, please, close your eyes."
"You—" she started to say before he put his finger over her parched lips.
"I'm fine. You are not. You can't continue push yourself like this."
He was right. It wasn't just her.
"You win," she whispered and Sebastian laughed.
"Don't believe her. It's a trap."
The first smile since she watched Terryn die crossed her lips and she gave up the fight.
~
A screech had her sitting up, almost blind from the grit in her eyes.
"What—."
"Hush." The word was low and she listened to it. She tried to clear the crap from her eyes and was only partially successful when Micah tensed, arms holding her still. She twisted, trying to get a look at what was going on, but she could see nothing from her vantage point. Nothing but endless rocks and dirt, and endless gray that was going to swallow them whole. But she could hear. Damn it, she could hear. The heartbeat was louder than ever and she had to fight to not throw her hands over her ears.
Another shriek filled the air before it cut off abruptly.
"We found a place to rest. The Fae don't want to share. But you need water."
"Don't kill them."
"They won't. Most of the Fae ran off when we got closer. There were a few that wanted to fight. They won't stick around."
More guilt. But, this wasn't quite as bad. They were trying to help these people. Maybe there was a way to bring them back, but it would have to wait until they freed the king. If they freed the king. If they didn't, nothing would matter.
His arms loosened around her and she shifted. Fallon and Gabe were standing watch over them. Alex was on his knees in front of her, staring at some far off buildings. Buildings?
The beginning of what used to be civilization lay nestled at the base of a massive mountain, crumbling structures that used to be homes. Faerie provided and when it began to die off here, it took with it what it created. She wasn't sure about staying under one of those roofs, but the idea of water was something she couldn't resist.
She wouldn't die of thirst because the Fae were hard to kill, but to say it was painful would be an understatement. And she didn't know how it was going to affect the baby. The vampires must have seen something, or heard something that she couldn't, because Micah stood, still holding her in his arms.
Moving quickly, they headed for the remains of the town. Eve couldn't stop staring at the dismal beauty of the ruins. A few hundred years ago, it would have been a stunning city. Pieces of ornate silver work glowed softly in the gray light, clinging to the sides of where Fae once thrived. The walls held colors of white, black and various shades of gray.
But the imagined beauty surrounding her went away as she heard the sound of splashing. Running water. There was an ache in her throat as her mouth tried to water at the sound, but it couldn't. She was empty.
Her laugh made her cough. The irony hysterical in her dusty mind. She coughed again, harder this time and there was a fluttering from her womb. Not the usual hard thump. Did her coughing wake it? Or was it something worse? Was it hurting as much as she was?
But there was a canteen now, pressed to her lips, full of liquid and it could have been poison and she would have chugged. Before she could grab it, latching onto and not stop till it was as dry as she was, it was taken away.
"Not to fast," Kornae said. "You'll get sick."
Micah moved, sitting down on the side of a cracked fountain and she clung to him as she imagined the water hitting her stomach before spreading out, swelling her dried out arteries and veins, allowing blood to flow freely once more. Of course, the body didn't work that way. But the imagination was a wonderful, terrifying thing.
After a moment in which she wasn't sure if she was going to prove Kornae right or not, she sighed. "I'm okay." He handed her the canteen and she took slow sips.
She glanced up at the crumbling aqueduct that let the water rain down over the steps they were sitting on.
"I wonder where it comes from," she said, trying to picture the map in her mind. While it had stormed once before, there was no rain involved, simply pure shadow magic, attacking the land. Was that the magic the false king, Braken, stole from the land? From the Fae? Was it so much that he couldn't contain it all? Was that even a thing? If it was, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it was, then they were beyond screwed.
There was a mountain close by, according the to map. Could there be snow on it? Maybe run-off?
Possibly. The way the mountain was drawn, it seemed enormous.
She staggered to her feet, looking out over the remainder of yesterday and kept looking, staring up to where the top of the mountain disappeared into the sky.
"What is it Eve?"
She heard the words, but she couldn't think to answer. Was it...? Was this what she saw in the vision? Were they really so close?
"He's there," she said, but hardly believing. How could she? How long had they walked? How far had they come?
She had to give the voice, the king, credit, when he told her to walk, she did in fact, learn. She learned of her pregnancy, well before she would have figured it out on her own. She learned what happened to the land and that while it may seem impossible to bring back, it wasn't completely dead. There were things out there that still lived and as long as they did, then the Shadow court was worth fighting for.
Everything inside her wanted to begin walking the path that around that mountain. The path that would still take days to complete before they arrived at the summit that she couldn't see. Finish it.
But the way her legs shook, she knew it would be a fool's errand. She needed rest. Kornae needed rest.
Micah's arm wrapped around her, helping hold her upright.
She met his eyes. "We rest. Then we end it."
~~~
Her dreams were troubled, but that didn't surprise her. Though seemingly far from her own court, she could feel traces of anguish from her land. How far had the shadow spread in her absence? How many more lives were lost while she recovered her strength?
There was no guilt. There couldn't be. She was in the Shadow court to risk everything for faerie. Her life, the lives of those she loved, the life of her unborn child. But she couldn't risk it all when she was weak.
She turned, her head in Micah's lap, and buried her face against his stomach. Gentle fingers ran through her hair, his soft touch was a balm to her heart. While there was no guilt, there was a helluva lot of sadness.
Taking comfort from his warmth, she turned on her back and took his hand, pressing his palm to her cheek. Tilting her head back, she looked up into bright green eye. "I love you, Micah."
His smile was as soft as his touch had been. "I love you, love."
She gave a small laugh. "You called me that when I freaked out about Duglas."
"Could be I knew it then,"
She shook her head. "Nah, it was too soon then, wasn't it?"
There was a look in the green. "Is it ever to soon to realize that your heart beats for someone else?"
Thinking about his words, she had to admit he was right. She knew she loved her vampires long before she told them. Fear being a crippling thing. Fear of rejection. Fear of the beginning of something unknown.
She brought his hand lips and she pressed a kiss to it. "I'm sorry it took me so long to tell you. You should have known the minute I knew."
"It's okay. You do. That's the important thing." His thumb smoothed over her bottom lip and her breath caught at the simple touch.
The feel of his skin against hers changed and it had been so long. He swallowed and the way his muscles flexed captivated her.
"Don't look at me like that. You need rest."
"I'll look at you however I want."
He laughed and she knew he remembered. His thumb swept her skin again, and she followed it with her tongue. His eyes traced the path and she could feel them touching her. He met her gaze again and said, "You're right. You can look at me however you want."
His hands were on her arms, pulling her up and she shifted, straddling his legs and their lips met. His hands traveled her spine as he held her against him. Her fingers ran through his hair, the red strands tickling her hands and he devoured her. She groaned against his lips and his hands tightened on the swell of her ass, holding her still as his hips lifted, pressing his erection against her core. His low growl set her nerves on fire.
"Micah," she whispered against his lips, before moving, rocking over him and he cursed.
"Easy, love. It's been a while."
She pulled back, fingers tight around his shoulders and slowly ground down on him. "Let's fix that," she said.
The glint in her eyes was everything he needed. The playfulness, the passion. She wriggled over his aching cock and he was sure she was trying to kill him. Then she moved further down until she was kneeling between his legs. Her teeth held her bottom lip, a lip he wanted to taste again, but then she had her hand in his pants, gentle fingers freeing him.
"I want to taste you," she said before she did exactly that.
The feeling of her lips, teeth, and tongue combined to drive him to the brink. The softness of her hand, tightening around his shaft and his hips jerked. Her laugh was husky, needy and the flames in her eyes burned him alive. A fire that swept higher as she wrapped her lips around him and pulled him inside her heat.
"Jesus." He reached with a trembling hand and pushed her hair back. She pulled back with a grin and his fingers tightened in her hair. The heat in her eyes grew as she watched him watch her as she ran her tongue up the underside of his length. The need to just push himself back in those sweet lips almost more than he could bear.
She dipped her head again and he growled. "Eve, stop."
It was to much. He was going to explode before he was where he wanted to be.
"I want this," she whispered against his sensitive flesh and he swallowed hard.
"And I want to be inside you."
Her breath caught and her green eyes grew even darker. "How long will you need to recover?"
"If you don't kill me first, not long with that look in your eyes."
Her laughter burned him before she took him back inside her mouth. She moved over him, so soft, so sweet, the tiny sounds of pleasure wrapping around him and squeezing. She sucked softly as she moved faster and he had to move his hands before he hurt her. She pulled back once more, "Show me what you like, Micah. Teach me."
"I love whatever you do." It was the truth.
Slowly, she took his hand and and placed it back on her head. She gave him a wink as she continued to make love to him. That little gesture broke him and his hand pressed down on the back of her head and she moaned in appreciation. Deeper she took him, slow and so fucking steady and he could feel it as his body tightened. Her nails dug into the skin of his thighs and he cursed as he released.
She continued to move over him, taking everything he gave her and then she was in his arms as his breathing slowed.
"It's your turn." he said, laying her on her back and yanking her pants down her legs.
"Okay," she said with a laugh and he shook his head.
Then he was feasting on her, her legs open and he lapped at her, tongue flicking over that knot of flesh before moving to slowly circle her entrance. Heat built in her as she watched him make love to her body with his lips and tongue. More pressure now as he returned to torture the bundle of nerves as he slid a finger into her body. Her hips bucked against him as he slid in another finger, stroking the spot on front of her channel.
"Micah!" she cried out, feet pressing into the broken tile.
He suckled her as his fingers moved steady over her and her back arched as she flew. Her pants were stolen by by Micah as he turned her on her side and lifted her twitching leg. He pushed inside her. She was still tight from her climax and he was hard again, as if his own release never happened.
Her breath escaped her as he filled her to capacity and her nails scratched at the stone.
"Fuck" she groaned as he pulled back before plunging inside. "You weren't kidding."
His laugh was harsh against her skin as he twisted his body, forcing her further on her stomach. "It's you, love. It's all you."
He shut up and started moving, surging into her deeper and with a pace that left her gasping for air. Her hand found his where he held himself off her and her fingers dug into his flesh as she groaned her pleasure. His breath scorched her as his lips left a brand on her shoulder. She shuddered as she tried to lift her body to meet his thrusts. Failing that, she tensed as her orgasm rose. Sharp and vicious, flowing through her and she yelled it into the stones. Micah followed soon after and with a gentleness that belied his previous passion, he rolled and pulled her over his chest. The rise and fall of his chest lulled her and with a smile, she fell asleep.