Nymphs of Incyssia: Omnibus

Tethered in Torment

Tethered in Discord

Tethered in Misery

Tethered in Calamity

Snared in Despair

Sullyn Shaw

Copyright © 2024 by Sullyn Shaw

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by an electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of a brief quotations in a book review.

Cover Design by Coffin Print Designs

Editing by Foxtale Editing

Formatting by Wayward Serpent Author Services

To those who were there, fighting and crying along with me.

The tale isn’t done, and neither am I.

Contents

Author's Note/ Content Warning

Tethered in Torment

1. Cora

2. Lena

3. Cora

4. Lena

5. Cora

6. Lena

7. Cora

8. Lena

9. Coralena

10. Coralena

11. Remy

12. Coralena

13. Coralena

14. Cillian

15. Remy

16. Coralena

17. Blair

18. Blair

19. Andrin

20. Kiran

21. Andrin

22. Coralena

23. Remy

24. Coralena

25. Coralena

26. Coralena

27. Cillian

28. Coralena

29. Atticus

Tethered in Discord

1. Coralena

2. Atticus

3. Coralena

4. Coralena

5. Andrin

6. Coralena

7. Remy

8. Atticus

9. Cillian

10. Coralena

11. Blair

12. Coralena

13. Remy

14. Remy

15. Ira

16. Andrin

17. Remy

18. Coralena

19. Coralena

20. Coralena

21. Cillian

22. Cillian

23. Cillian

24. Coralena

25. Andrin

26. Remy

27. Coralena

28. Coralena

29. Poe

30. Coralena

31. Coralena

32. Remy

33. Cora & Lena

Tethered in Misery

1. Remy

2. Lena

3. Andrin

4. Cillian

5. Lena

6. Atticus

7. Kiran

8. Remy

9. Ira

10. Cora

11. Andrin

12. Blair

13. Poe

14. Lena

15. Remy

16. Wren

17. Cillian

18. Cora

19. Atticus

20. Lena

21. Remy

22. Poe

23. Lena

24. Cillian

25. Wren

26. Andrin

27. Remy

28. Cora

29. Lena

Tethered in Calamity

1. Andrin

2. Blair

3. Cillian

4. Kiran

5. Lena

6. Coralena

7. Poe

8. Kiran

9. Coralena

10. Andrin

11. Remy

12. Wren

13. Coralena

14. Poe

15. Remy

16. Andrin

17. Kiran

18. Coralena

19. Atticus

20. Ira

21. Wren

22. Poe

23. Coralena

24. Coralena

25. Remy

26. Coralena

27. Coralena

Snared in Despair

1. Wren

2. Wren

3. Wren

4. Wren

5. Sulien

Acknowledgements

About the Author

Also By Sullyn Shaw

Author's Note/ Content Warning

This omnibus holds all four books of the Nymphs of Incyssia series: Tethered in Torment, Tethered in Discord, Tethered in Misery, and Tethered in Calamity, along with an extended ending for book four and the first five chapters of Wren’s story, Snared in Despair. It has some content that may not be suitable for everyone, so please visit sullynshaw.comto view the CW before continuing if you are uncertain.

Please do not start this book journey if the content will negatively impact your mental health.

Tethered in Torment

Book One

Cora

Istood on the diving board, waiting for the signal to throw myself into the water and race against our rivals, The Lebanon Knights and The Arlington Eagles. Lena was on the pedestal beside me, readying herself as well.

“Ready?” I asked her.

“Set?”

Instead of go, we both clapped our hands together and made awkward swimming motions toward one another. Whenever we were in the same heat, we did this little routine to lighten the mood. Everyone else seemed to be wound tight and far too focused. This was meant to be fun, and I thought they forgot that more often than not.

With our matching suits deeming us members of The Hudson Hawks’ swim team and our hair covered by swim caps, it would be difficult for anyone to tell us apart if they didn’t know any better.

Despite us having different hairstyles—me with long blonde hair and Lena with a pixie cut—few people took the time to notice the differences. We used to care. We would cry and complain that everyone thought we were the same person. They said it didn’t matter if they could tell us apart because twins are just two halves of the same whole.

Through the years, we proved them right and wrong. Neither of us were what you’d call a people person, but where Lena enjoyed reading to avoid people, I preferred hiking absurd distances and finding hidden gems in nature. I supposed that’s how she saw reading, finding the rare beauties that too few people talked about.

My mind was brought back to the present as a voice rang out over the intercom. “Get ready!” it blurted right before the start gun’s bang assaulted our eardrums.

We blasted into the pool, pumping our arms and slicing them through the water. The cool liquid lapped at my skin as I glided through with ease. Everything else faded away as water took over my vision. I knew Lena was keeping up, but no one else mattered.

Only a few minutes passed before we were hopping out of the pool.

I took first in the heat, and Lena came in second. That was typical. We both put our all into swimming, but my extracurriculars built my strength a little more than reading did. It didn’t matter to us. First and second were nothing to be ashamed of, and Lena didn’t mind because first place received more attention.

We walked over to Remington, our best friend. She was at every meet and made sure we had the fluffiest towels. Besides our parents, Lennon and Nora, Remy was the only person who could tell us apart. She had been able to since we met in first grade when she moved to Bristol.

“Woohoo!” Remy cheered as we grabbed the towels from her outstretched hands. “You guys are killing it today! You’re a shoo-in to take first and second, as usual. Third place is currently one and a half seconds behind you.” Her golden eyes, which seemed to almost glow yellow, were beaming with pride. Despite her rougher exterior with a black and blue faux-hawk and lip and nose piercings, Remy was a god damned sweetheart. She protected what was hers and anyone else who needed it.

Remy was also the first person to tell someone off for being dicks to us for any reason. She had sparred with our coach a few times over the years. I chuckled, remembering the first time she berated him for yelling at us to do better at age eleven. We were tired and just started our periods for the first time. Remy won and never let Coach Porter forget it.

When we went off to university, only an hour away from our hometown, he decided to petition the school to stay on as our coach. Given we were undefeated throughout high school and would rake in awards for the university, it was an easy decision on their part.

“Thanks, Remy. I don’t know how you’ve kept up the pep all these years.” Lena rolled her eyes but pulled Remy in for a wet hug.

“No!” she cried, but the smile on her face said she truly didn’t mind.

“This happens every time, Rem. Maybe wear some waterproof clothing or some quick dry materials. You’re at a sporting event. You can act like it,” I jested.

She gasped in faux shock as she pushed Lena to the side and rounded on me. “I would never!”

“But…” Lena tried to interject.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. But I wear them on hikes and at home and at the gym…” she rattled on. “You know I wear my full grunge get-up, big boots, spiky hair, and black lipstick, to take the spotlight off of you guys. I like the attention,” she said, while staring at a guy behind us, blowing him a kiss that made him blush and turn away.

We dissolved into laughter just as the gunshot signaled a new round.

“What would we do without you, Rem?” Lena asked before chugging half a water bottle and taking a protein bar out of the pack behind Remy.

“Die of attention and dehydration. That spotlight is a killer,” she deadpanned. Although it was a joke, it was so very true.

“Fair. But you’d die without us too. We give you all the things needed for an extrovert who hates people,” Lena countered.

Remy winked as she shot her finger guns. “Right you are, my aquatic friend. People are atrocious.” A smile beamed across her face as she struck a Superman pose and looked out over the arena. “Absolutely god awful.”

“You’re so fucking weird,” I snorted through a smile.

She responded with a bow and thanked us for being a pleasurable audience to entertain. We then sat down and waited for the final round where we would inevitably be placed. It didn’t take long as there were only a handful of heats between us and the finals. Five others plus Lena and I were called down, and we all got back into position, taking our mark.

When the gun went off, we raced our hearts out and, as expected, came in first and second. The crowd cheered, but the looks on the faces of our teammates and the competition said they were getting tired of losing to us.

Winning came at a hefty cost, bringing fame and jealousy. Luckily, we didn’t let winning go to our heads and only swam because we enjoyed it. The moment swimming became something we dreaded, we would immediately stop competing. It was even written into our scholarship contracts.

At first, the school representatives looked at us like we were crazy for suggesting it, but we did what we had to do to protect our sanity. According to Remy, it was already in limited supply, so the battle was well worth it in the end.

A few hours later, after everything was cleaned up and we were exhausted from a long day of competing, it was time to head out. Since the meet was in Lebanon, we were only twenty minutes away from our childhood home, so we were going to have dinner at our parents’ house and stay the night. It was already seven, and we really didn’t want to drive over an hour back to campus if we didn’t have to.

Lena hopped into the driver’s seat, I took the passenger one, and Remy threw herself into the back seat, stretching out with a sigh.

“I love you guys, but these competitions are exhausting. How do you do it every weekend?”

We chuckled and rolled our eyes.

“Being in the water is worth it,” Lena reminded Rem as she pulled out of the parking spot and started driving us home in the Subaru Forester our parents bought her on her sixteenth birthday. I have my own vehicle, but that’s back on campus. We often switched off who drove so neither car got too much wear and tear from use, and today was her turn to drive.

“I wish I knew that feeling. You guys get applauded for playing in water, but I want to build a bonfire the size of a Hummer, and somehow that makes me a pyromaniac.” I could hear the eye-roll in her words as she adjusted to a sitting position before slumping in the seat, hitting her knees on the backs of ours.

“One day, you’ll get to play with all the fire you want. How are the glassblowing classes going?” Lena asked.

“Fiery. Sweaty. Filled with hot muscular guys that could snap me like a glass tube.” If I hadn’t turned to look at her, I would have sworn drool was dripping down her chin.

“Sounds like we should invite them over for a party.” I waggled my eyebrows, and Lena snorted as she turned on some music.

We began our personal concert and continued until we pulled into the driveway. We could see our parents through the large window that led into the kitchen, looking out as we slammed our car doors, announcing our presence.

They waved and ran toward the front door to greet us. Most people questioned why they weren’t at our meets. The answer was simple. We told them not to come to them except for the big events. We had meets every weekend, as well as practices and sparring during the week. If they came to everything like they did while we were in high school, they would be exhausted. We knew they loved us and would do it if we asked. They were too nice to say no or do something for themselves, so we took it upon ourselves to set the line for them.

They came to every big competition though, no matter where it was and no matter how much traveling was involved. They were always there when it mattered and, if we didn’t stop by, called after every meet to see how it went and to celebrate with us for winning again.

They were as perfect as parents could be. Supportive, loving, they always did what was best for us and made sure someone was always home to welcome us. However, they often forgot that they were people too and deserved happiness in their lives outside of their children.

Us going off to college and setting boundaries was the best thing for them. They had truly grown into normal humans again, humans that just happened to have children. It made Lena and I so happy to see them living their lives and finding enjoyment elsewhere. We knew they would come running the moment we needed them, and that’s what mattered.

The door flew open as we walked up the steps, and they dragged us into a group hug, Remy included. She was their third adopted child. We were given to them the day we were born, and no one had any info on our birth parents. We didn’t mind. Of course, we were curious, but the life we had was amazing and another set of parents was not needed.

As for Remy, having parents that were present was never an option. They were always working, doing some sciencey shit that they refused to explain to us. So Remy spent ninety-nine percent of her time with us and called our parents M-2 and D-2. She swore it was funny. Mom and Dad loved it so whatever floated her boat.

We all parted and began washing up for dinner as Mom prepped plates and they asked us how the day had gone. They spewed their congratulations and pride as the plates were passed around and we sat down. Dad and I were always placed at the ends since we were left-handed. It caused the fewest issues with seating arrangements and allowed everyone to be in full view at all times.

Mom made a delicious pesto chicken pasta loaded with cheese and spices and a side of roasted asparagus and tater tots, specifically for Remy because she claimed my mom made the best ones. She was right, but still, Remy had these tots with every meal in this house. I would never fully understand Remy, but it made me happy that someone else outside of Lena and I accepted her and every odd piece.

I stuffed my face with garlic bread and looked around the table, wanting this moment to last far longer than it would.

Lena

Dinner was going smoothly, as always; it was a great time to wind down in this house. No pressure, only acceptance.

We told them about our meet and classes. I was an English major with a minor in creative writing. Cora was majoring in wildlife preservation, focusing in marine areas when possible. Remy talked about glassblowing and the business classes she was taking to make sure she was ready to start her own company. As expected, Mom and Dad loved every minute of it and kept telling us how much they enjoyed having all three of their girls back in the house.

“Any classes you’re struggling with?” Dad asked us.

“Business Econ 2030.” Remy made gagging sounds to show her disgust. “It’s made up and changes every class. I think I’ll pass; there’s no way I’ll be going that route in life.”

“Doesn’t sound like you either. You’d be bored in five seconds if someone stuffed you into an office and told you to crunch numbers all day.”

“I agree with D-2,” Mom said, winking at Remy. “Of course, you’ll have to do that some days if you’re going to own your own business, but it always feels different when you can take breaks and do what you love.” She knew full well how that went since she owned a flower shop in town. She hated the business side but loved creating special arrangements. “Plus, it isn’t every day. You’ll be playing with molten glass most of the time. Oh, I can’t wait to see what you come up with.” She beamed at Remy with love that only came from a mom.

Remy soaked it all in as she stuffed her face with some bread coated in pesto and cheese. She had already made some small glass pieces; most of them were kept in a cabinet in Dad’s office, so they were safe. He said it made the space less sad when he got a bad case. ‘Twas the life of a detective.

“Lena, any new stories for us to read?” Mom’s face was filled with hope. She had an entire binder filled with my stories and enjoyed seeing the progress I made through the years.

“Nothing this week. We have our final project due next week, so next weekend, I’ll have a bigger piece for you guys. It’s about a girl that wanders into a cave, then gets transported back in time. I’m trying to wrap my mind around how someone from modern times would react to losing all of the comforts we have.”

Dad gasped. “Not my Nespresso. The ease, the piping hot goodness. I could never.” He placed one hand over his heart and stretched the other toward the machine sitting on the kitchen counter. “My beloved. I would never leave you.”

We all fell into hysterics at his dramatic performance. Mom was trying so hard to not snort pasta through her nose. The sight of it almost made me choke.

“I think you’d find a way to survive, honey.”

Dad’s face went flat, and pointing at Mom, he deadpanned, “No modern toilets.” Then pointed at Cora. “You’d be trapped sewing all day.” And at me. “You’d be in an insane asylum for how much you read.” He finally reached Remy, who was trying to avoid his gaze. “And you. You’d still be a brunette with long flowing hair and forced to wear dresses. All. The. Time.”

He was grinning from ear to ear, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“You’re proving the point I made. Some people could manage, but many, most in fact, would take far too long to adjust and would be miserable for the rest of their lives.”

Dad clasped his hands together and stood up. “You’re welcome!” he said, grabbing his plate and taking it into the kitchen.

We all finished up and followed suit as Mom asked Cora, “And you, sweetie? How is school going?”

“I found a cool rock on a hike and took a picture of it.” Cora was the worst at painting any sort of picture with her words. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to talk about it or want them to know, she just struggled with creating the dialogue sometimes. In other words, she was far too literal.

“Cora,” Mom chastised.

“Yes, Nora?”

Our parents thought they were funny, naming us Cora and Lena while their names were Nora and Lennon. I rolled my eyes every time I thought about it. I looked between the two of them as Mom silently waited out Cora, who, as always, broke.

“Fine, fine. We’re currently discussing the issues of wood transport and how inadvertently introducing new bugs is screwing over our ecosystem. Kind of like that asshole who supposedly dumped a bunch of ladybugs in Ohio where they have no natural predator and now infest the place. Also, if you see an Ash tree, touch it. They will probably be gone from here before you die.” She gave them a thumbs-up before putting her plate and silverware in the dishwasher.

Mom and Dad snickered. For a while, they didn’t know what to do with her humor or language, but it was a part of who she was, so they eventually just gave up and accepted her for who she was.

“And there’s nothing to be done about it?” Dad asked.

“Not really. You’d have to introduce another species that is a predator of the infesting insect, but then you’re back at square one.” Cora shrugged and headed toward the living room.

I helped clean up the kitchen and put leftovers away before following her. Remy plopped down on the ground next to the coffee table, and I sat beside her. Cora was on the portion of the couch to my right, and Dad took up the spot on the couch across from me. Mom opened the game cabinet to our left that helped cradle the fireplace and TV, and as was tradition, we played rock, paper, scissors to see who would pick the first game. Mom won and chose Ticket to Ride Europe. It was a win for me as well since it’s one of my favorites, too, when we play with five people. Anyone who played the different variations knew that the original and Europe editions were best played with five people. How else were you supposed to get your trains set and screw over people at the same time? If this was the Nordic version, well, two’s company, three’s a crowd.

The point of the game was very simple. Setup started with a game board showing a map of Europe that had numerous train tracks connecting certain cities on it, and you were given routes to claim and a set of small trains to mark them. Some routes were long with nine trains while others were one or two spaces which made it really easy to mess up other players’ plans.

Every route had points connected to it, and the winner was the person who ended with the most points.

I remembered learning all of this for the first time and was grateful Cora, Remy, and I had started with the Nordic version which was a bit simpler to play. Otherwise, we would have ended up binging Youtube videos on how to play, and with our attention spans, the game would have never been opened.

Remy was as loud and ridiculous as ever, and we all joined in, filling our happiness meters. I missed spending time with them and cherished every extra moment I had with our parents. They treated us like people and separate beings, not kids, not adults, just humans who deserved respect and happened to also be twins.

“I’m just gonna take this route right here,” Cora said, placing two trains between Zagrab and Venezia, effectively screwing anyone else who wanted a long run on the lower portion of the map. It was my next move, but I didn’t get the yellows in time to nab it.

“Damn it,” Remy grumbled while Cora flipped her off.

Dad checked his routes again, glancing from his route cards back to the board, over and over, until… “Fuck!”

“Yup,” I agreed.

Mom reached across the table, bypassing Dad, and gave Cora a high five. This is how I knew nurture played a massive role when it came to raising kids. Cora was just like Mom, and I took after Dad.

“Boo,” Remy and I chanted, pointing our thumbs down.

“Like mother, like daughter. If you wanted to win, Lena, then you shouldn’t have chosen the book nerd to take after,” Cora shrugged.

Dad rolled his eyes, and Mom snorted.

“True,” Dad started. “But one of us was much better at school and staying out of trouble. Any guesses who that might have been? Hmm, Nora? Any guesses?” He whirled around and playfully glared at Mom who sat next to him on the couch.

She faux scoffed, flicking his nose before leaning in for a kiss. “It would be so boring if we were exactly the same. Our differences add spice and variety. Besides, Cora and I might destroy you all at strategy games that involve…” She paused, not wanting to say screwing.

So I supplied it for her. “Screwing people over.”

She sighed. “Yes, that. But Lena and your dad are much better at word-related games like Taboo and Codenames. And, of course, Remy destroys us all when it comes to anything that has to do with trickery or lying.”

Our eyes all land on Remy, who is checking out her nails, trying to act nonchalant. “Who, me? Lie? Never.” And true to form, if she wasn’t playing up the fake innocence, no one would think she was lying from her tone alone.

We all laughed and went back to the game. The next few hours were filled with playing games, joking around, and talking about our lives at school some more. We played Munchkin, Sushi Go, and a quick round of Betrayal at House on the Hill. Remy activated the haunt, turned into a monster with minions, and was very lucky we were all in perfect positions to die.

She cackled like an evil queen. “I am the undefeated, the glorious, the sinisterly, the—“

“Sinisterly?” I questioned.

Remy covered my mouth and continued. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted by the junior word wizard, the most awesomest winner of Betrayal at House on the Hill!“ She sat back down and cleared her throat. “But really, when are one of you guys going to beat me at that game?” As was expected, we all broke back down into laughter.

“When we get a mean streak,” Cora stated.

“Meaner. Meaner streak. Mean would imply you aren’t a twit now,” I said, sticking my tongue out at Cora as we started cleaning up the games and putting them away.

“Yeah, yeah. I’m lucky you love me and lucky Remy knocks me down when my doucheness gets out of hand.”

“I’m glad you accept this,” I said.

Remy added, “And accept that I am the top dog of this triangle of bull-shittery.”

I heard my parents sigh but chuckle at our antics.

“Well, it’s time for us to head to bed. Try and get some sleep tonight, okay, girls?” Mom said while passing out our blankets. Cora’s was blue with black specks, mine was purple with dark blue glitter, and Remy’s was solid yellow that she joked matched her eyes.

They made their rounds of kissing us all on our foreheads, and Dad handed me the remote as we got settled into our spots. Remy was on the outer edge with the chaise attachment, Cora flicked up the leg rest next to her, and I was sprawled out along the section of the couch that pushed against the wall and propped myself up next to Cora.

We turned on Zootopia as midnight chimed on the grandfather clock in the hall and slunk deeper into the overstuffed sofa and let the exhaustion of the day overtake us.

Cora

Iwoke up to the light from the TV screen blaring down on me like a spotlight. I squinted into the otherwise dark room, trying to find the remote. It was wedged between Lena and me, half consumed by the cushions. Pulling it out, I turned the TV off and stood up, heading toward the bathroom in the hall.

Stretching, I felt the ache in my back from yesterday’s meet and falling asleep on the couch. We never really discussed it, but falling asleep like that was a tradition we had. There were beds for us downstairs, but falling asleep here put me at ease, knowing my parents were close by. In a few hours, we would be woken by sounds from the kitchen and the smell of chocolate chip pancakes.

I loved the weekends we got to spend at home. It was like hitting the refresh button, and I went back to school feeling lighter and less stressed.

The cold porcelain touching my thighs made me hiss as I sat down to relieve myself in the dark room. I rubbed my eyes, debating on if I should go downstairs and crawl into one of the beds. The grandfather clock chimed, and I wondered what time it was. Having finished up here, I walked out and eyed the clock with its glowing numbers and hands which read five. It was made from cherry wood and was about seven feet tall with intricate designs of nature and water. Vines and leaves curled around the wooden contraption and water droplets littered the areas in between.

Dad would be up in an hour, at the latest. He was always an early riser but never bothered us to get on his schedule. That was probably Mom’s doing because she enjoyed sleeping in when she could.

I decided to stay up and go on a walk. The cool dewiness of the early morning air would be refreshing, and the time alone was welcomed. I loved Lena and Remy, but we were always together. I needed space, and I hadn’t quite figured out how to tell them that. I didn’t want new or more friends. Having time that didn’t involve my twin or our best friend was just… nice.

I changed into a pair of gray leggings and a black, moisture-wicking, long-sleeved shirt along with my tennies. I put my phone in my pocket, tied up my hair, and walked out the door. This was not unusual for me, so I didn’t bother waking anyone to tell them where I had gone. Chances were I would be back before anyone woke up.

As expected, the air did wonders for clearing my mind. I let it go blank as I walked the neighborhood that I had grown up in. Before I knew it, thirty minutes had passed, and I had almost completely looped back to the house. Within five more minutes, I had walked through the front door and noticed movement by the couch. Assuming Dad was checking on Lena and Remy, I went into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. As I was drinking it, I noticed that Dad hadn’t made his way into the kitchen. It must have been Remy or Lena getting up, but I hadn’t heard anything since then.

Making my way into the living room, I slowly rounded the corner, trying to make as little noise as possible. It was still rather dark, as the sun hadn’t fully escaped its captivity beneath the horizon, but the person standing over their sleeping bodies was not someone I recognized. He was the same height as Dad but was wearing a cloak that obscured everything beneath it.

I wouldn’t make it to a weapon in time or run to my parents’ bedroom before they caught me. Well, when all else failed, scream. “Dad!”

Lena and Remy sat up, their gazes flipping from me to the man that stood over them who glanced my way when he heard me scream. The moment it clicked, Lena flipped over the back of the couch, and Remy crashed to the floor to the side of it before they both backed up, leaving the couch between them and the current enemy. I heard the door to Mom and Dad’s room burst open and them running down the hall. Thank whatever god that they wore pajamas to bed.

“Girls!” Mom yelled at the same time Dad asked, “What happened?” as he scanned the room before his eyes fell upon the stranger who turned to face the newcomers. He didn’t seem startled or worried as he watched us with a small smile on his face. “Who the hell are you, and why are you in my house?” He trained the handgun he always kept in his nightstand on the intruder as Mom slinked over to me and pulled me behind her.

I reached over and flicked on the living room light, illuminating everything. The man was pale and covered in freckles with blond hair and light blue eyes. His jawline was sleek, and when he flipped back the cloak, it was easy to see that he had a slender build and was graceful in his movements.

“Sorry to barge in, but I simply couldn’t wait. I’m Andrin.” His smile showed white teeth and a set of small fangs.

Honestly, if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was…

“Their brother. So happy to finally meet you,” Andrin said, looking from me to Lena.

“The fuck did you just say?” I blurted out.

“Ditto that,” Lena agreed.

“Thirdo,” Remy added so helpfully.

He looked at her with his brows scrunched, attempting to decipher what she had said. Or what we had said.

“Don’t hurt yourself thinking.” That brought his attention back to me.

He smiled kindly again, but with the whole breaking in and watching them sleep thing, I wasn’t keen on trusting him.

“Girls, please,” Dad admonished us before turning back to the Andrin, with his gun still aimed dead center. “Explain yourself.”

I could feel Mom shaking as she held my wrist and made sure I was as blocked by her body as possible. I knew she was glancing at Lena and Remy, wanting to protect them, too, but she had to trust Dad and his skills. Our trust in him was the only thing holding us all together at the moment. He wouldn’t let anything happen to us. If I knew nothing else, I knew that.

Andrin nodded. “Very well. I have been searching for my twin sisters since they were born and ripped away from our parents and dropped into the human world. A nefarious group wanted to prevent our line from continuing to the fullest extent. I survived, but they couldn’t stand three heirs and the offspring they would produce. So here we are. I am the reigning king of Oedinia, and these two are the princesses. Oh, and I should probably mention that we are nymphs. Water nymphs to be exact.”

Every jaw had dropped in the room. This guy had to be on so many drugs to believe all of this. He certainly looked like he believed every word and wanted us to as well.

“Boy, you cray-cray,” Remy whispered in awe.

Lena and I snorted in response, and Andrin beamed.

“I always wondered how you two would laugh. I hope one day, I can hear it to the full extent.”

“Cora, call the police,” Dad instructed without taking his eyes off of Andrin.

I took out my phone and began dialing. Andrin stepped toward me, but Dad blocked his way, moving his finger to the trigger. “No,” was all he said as he stared down the man who claimed to be our brother.

“Oh, well, if you’re going to be like that, then we will just leave, so I can speak to them directly.” His blue eyes swirled, and just as I was about to hit call, the world flipped and churned, and the sound of a gunshot rang out. It felt as if water surrounded me, dragging me through a too-tight tube before the pressure released and I collapsed on the floor. Only, it wasn’t the floor in the living room where we once were.

Looking up, I saw a large room with wooden walls with etchings of water all around. The walls were covered in paintings and flowers in various shades of blue, white, and gray with hints of purple here and there. The floor was covered in a soft carpet in a deep, dark blue. There were multiple doors around the room, and thanks to all my binging, I figured this was the living area of a suite that you’d find in a castle.

I heard groans next to me and looked over to find Lena and Remy on the ground as well. Lena was propped onto her knees, breathing deeply as she looked around. Remy was on her back, also taking in everything.

“Well, girls, welcome home! That wasn’t exactly how I hoped it would go, but you’re back, and that’s all that really matters. So onto business. This is your suite. There are three rooms. One for each of you,” he pointed to Lena and me, “and a third smaller one for your help.” I tried to interrupt, but Andrin waved me off. “She’s your friend, yes, but that’s how it works here. I brought her along to help you acclimate, and in the end after some training, she will be your lady-in-waiting, or I am assuming you would like to appoint her as such.”

He paused then, waiting for us to say something. I was still in shock, trying to sort it all out. Apparently, Lena bounced back quicker.

“Where are our parents? Magic, really? Nymphs? No, wait, princess water nymphs?! I really just want to give a massive what? I need more information. Please, explain.“ Her voice wobbled and her nails dug into her thighs as she tried keeping it together long enough to get the information we desperately needed.

Andrin chuckled. “Get yourselves off the floor and change, and we can go have breakfast while I explain further. There is plenty to catch you up on. Twenty-one years of information, to be exact.” He pointed toward the back of the couch, which had three dresses hanging over it. One was blue, another purple, and the last, shimmery red. I glared at them, knowing there was significance behind those colorings thanks to reading all of Lena’s stories. I would have to decipher that later, or ask. Whichever I felt like. “I shall step outside and let you get dressed. Come on out when you are ready,” he said, moving toward what I assumed was the door that led to the hall. Andrin pulled it open and stepped out, leaving us alone for a moment.

We sat in silence until Lena broke it. “Well, we aren’t going to get any answers in here. We don’t really have a choice, do we?” Resignation filled her voice, but there was a layer of worry that shrouded everything. She walked over and picked up the purple dress. It was a deep eggplant that complimented her well. It was silky to the touch with blue opaque, ruffled sleeves, a high slit on the right leg, and a V-neck neckline.

I picked up the blue one and found that mine was very similar except the slit was on the left side and the neckline was asymmetric with purple ruffles running across the top. Remy’s had a high neck neckline, slits on both sides, and a sheer, golden overlay.

“Let’s get this over with.” I rolled my eyes and started stripping, hoping familiar movements would calm the shaking in my hands. The bra I had on wouldn’t work for this, and I didn’t see any undergarments, so this was about to be a very awkward breakfast.

I planned on asking why we were dressing so formally for a simple breakfast, but I figured it was another thing I had to learn about this place. Who said this was formal for this world? Maybe this was casual.

We all slipped on the dresses, and they fit perfectly, hugging every curve and accentuating our slender legs and lean forms.

At the base of the couch, under where the dresses’ skirts had been hanging, were shoes, but they were completely unexpected. Instead of heels to match the dresses, we were given what could only be described as high-class flip-flops.

What kind of weird universe did we just get dragged into?

Lena

With dresses adorned, we walked out the door and followed Andrin down the hall after he gave us appraising looks. It was rather awkward standing there as he took us in, but I guessed I couldn’t blame him if his story was true. If I hadn’t seen Cora in twenty years, I wouldn’t want to take my eyes off of her for fear she would disappear again.

As we walked down the hall, I realized how quiet Remy had been, and it was worrying. I would have to pin it for later, but when we were alone again, I would check up on her. I should probably check up on myself, too, but that was treacherous at the moment.

Andrin marched down the hall with us trotting behind him, looking at all the paintings and carvings. This hall was decorated in a similar fashion to the room. I wondered what our actual rooms would be like. Did he stalk us long enough to make them special, or would they match the rest of this place? Maybe they matched the dresses we were wearing.

Why did everyone assume we liked these colors? Everything we were given was in blue or purple. Typically, I was given purple, and Cora was given blue. It was common for twins and siblings, in general, to be given a color, but this was becoming extremely irritating.

Only a few minutes passed before Andrin was pushing open large double doors that revealed a small ballroom. Some staff were bustling around, but no one else was in sight.

“We will be dining alone this morning. The information will be overwhelming enough, and I didn’t think the presence of others would be appreciated. However, this evening, we will be hosting a welcome home ball, and you will get acquainted with some family and others who have close ties with the royal court.”

He walked around the table, pulling one chair out and signaling for me to sit. He then repeated the action with Cora and Remy. Cora sat on his left with Remy next to her, and I sat on his right. Andrin seated himself at the head of the table and clapped his hands together. With that signal, the staff went to work, bringing trays around and letting us pick what we would like to have for breakfast.

I went for some bacon, pancakes with fresh jelly that I didn’t recognize the name of, some slices of a citrus-looking fruit, and a glass of milk, which I refused to ask about since I assumed it wasn’t from a typical cow. Cora had them pile her plate full of bacon and sausages and requested that the pitcher of red juice be left by her for easy access. Remy was starting to look sick, and that worried me more. She took what looked like a mini quiche, but I couldn’t tell if it was sweet or savory, and stuck with water as her drink.

Andrin didn’t pick anything. Instead, they prepared his plate with ease.

“Do you have the same breakfast every day?” I couldn’t help asking.

“Yes and no. When I eat breakfast, it is the same. A variety of fruit, a small meat pie, and a large glass of kamad milk. I didn’t know what you liked, so I had the chefs make a little of everything. If you ever have any requests, please just ask. We have access to some human world foods, as well as our own versions like the… I believe you call it bacon. Different animal in our world, but same outcome.”

Cora was gnawing on some of her bacon but didn’t seem to mind that piece of information. The pancakes I had along with the jam were delicious as well. Everything was almost the same as home, but slightly off. Not in a bad way, just noticeably different.

I nodded along. “Can I ask about our shoes?”

He chuckled. “You can ask about anything. Might be easier than me rambling on for hours.”

“Why flip flops?”

“We are water nymphs. Well, I am more attuned to ice, but we all enjoy being in and near water. They allow for easy access. There are small pools all around the castle, both inside and out.”

“No wonder you guys love swimming so much…” Remy muttered.

“Ah, yes, we are strong swimmers even without training. A little, even in the human world, would prove fruitful.” Andrin chewed on his fruit between answering questions. I thought about asking for a bowl, but it seemed like we would be here for a while, so I planned on requesting some at a later meal.

“Explain why we were taken again. Oh, and why you nabbed us without explanation and left our parents with no information.” Cora placed her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands, staring at Andrin.

He cleared his throat and sat up straighter. “Right. To the heart of things. Well, Mother and Father, Calliope and Galvin, had been trying for years to produce more heirs. They longed for a large family, wanting many children to share their love with. I was seven when they finally conceived the two of you, and they were elated when they found out you were twins. It isn’t rare but very much hoped for. Twins are special, but I will get to that later. It’s part of a surprise I have for you two tonight.” His smile was bright and happy. I longed to trust him, but there was a niggling at the back of my brain that said I shouldn’t. But was it because of what was happening or because of who he was?

“When Mother went into labor and had you, a wet nurse took you but never returned. She was never found, and until this morning, neither were you. You weren’t even named yet…” Sadness filled Andrin’s voice. “We have a tradition. A week after the child is born, the mother takes them into a pool and lets the water reveal the name. I think it’s poppycock and they have names picked out for that moment, but it’s a lovely tradition nonetheless.”

“Some humans do similar things. Ridiculous or not, it sounds sweet.”

He nodded at me before continuing. “Yes, sweet. After you were taken, Mother went into a depression, and Father grew quiet. These halls used to be filled with joy and laughter, but silence now fills them. But with our missing pieces back, we can finally awaken this place. They really can’t wait to meet you, you know.”

“Our birth parents?” Cora asked.

Andrin nodded, facing her. “They will be here tonight. They have been in the summer castle, trying to wish away the sorrow with a little sunlight. I sent word this morning, and they will arrive this evening.”

Cora and I stared at each other, trying to decipher what the other was thinking. If my expression was anything like hers, there was only a blank canvas. Part of me screamed to rage and demand we be taken back home, but the other part said this was a wondrous opportunity. Nothing he said would sway me fully to this world, at least without our parents here, but we would see if I cared to stay at all after the shock wore off. The adrenaline was still racing through me, making everything feel a bit like a dream.

When I glanced at Remy, she was slowly eating and staring off with a blank expression. I was growing more and more worried about her by the minute, but I didn’t want to dive into it with Andrin present. Our privacy might be limited, but I would take it when I could.

“What are the names your human parents gave you?”

We both turned back to him, but Cora’s the one that answered. “Cora and Lena.”

“Beautiful names for beautiful girls. I don’t think Mother will have any issues with those.”

“Would she make us change them if she did?” Cora’s nose scrunched up as she asked.

Andrin responded with a laugh. “No, no! She would never. Mother is very kind. So is Father. They are extremely loving, and your upbringing here would have been similar to what I learned about how you lived with your human parents. They are encouraging but hard when necessary. They never got in the way of me trying new things; in fact, they wanted me to try as much as possible. They were as available to me as possible, even if I only wanted to show them a drawing. I think you’ll see quite a few similarities and come to love them rather quickly.”

“Do we have any other family?” I asked, wondering if our parents had siblings.

“Yes, we had an aunt and uncle, but they both died years ago. They left behind a daughter, Wren. She will also be here tonight. There are a few others that are further related that you will meet as well. We are rather close, and I see many gatherings in the future.” He stuffed the last piece of fruit in his mouth before standing. “Let’s start the tour, shall we? You can ask more questions along the way.”

We all nodded and stood from our seats. I finished off the milk that had a sweeter quality to it than cow’s milk and jogged to catch up with the others that were leaving the room.

Cora walked beside Andrin as he rattled on about the architecture and color scheme. Surprise, it was because we were water nymphs and these colors complimented us the best.

I elbowed Remy and gave her a questioning look. She only shrugged. I guessed we were all feeling about the same: shocked and wondering what came next. I certainly was still thinking this might be a dream, but the longer it went on, the more that became unrealistic.

I tuned back to what Andrin was saying as we stepped outside the front doors and were presented with a large garden that had beautiful pools of water placed throughout it. Some had waterfalls cascading into them. Others had large rocks to climb. This was heaven, and I was eager to explore it.

We all stood there awestruck. Andrin clearing his throat brought us back to reality.

“Would you care for a swim then?”

Cora and I nodded. Remy looked sick again. She wasn’t a fan of water, but she was a fan of the sun and tanning. “Are there lounging chairs?” I asked. I had never had to speak for Remy before, but I would until she came back to herself.

“Of course. We often have other nymphs visit, and the fire nymphs tend to soak in the sun as we water nymphs splash around.” Well, at least I knew Remy wouldn’t be alone in her dislike of swimming when we had company.

Andrin had taken us back to our room to change into swimsuits, and I was right. Our rooms were decorated to match the colors of our dresses. The rest of our clothes seemed to be similarly color-coded as well.

I rocked a purple bikini, Cora had a matching blue one, and Remy was in red again. Shocker.

Cora and I now sped around a pool that had a waterfall. Our speed had picked up a little, and Andrin explained that it was due to being in our true element now. Remy laid across a lounging chair and let the sun bake her. I never understood how she could tan without immediately burning. Maybe she had a little fire nymph in her, I joked internally. Or maybe she would one day.

I swam to the edge where Andrin sported white swim trunks and had his feet dangling in the water. “You never answered Cora’s question about what happened to our parents, our adoptive ones.”

“Ah, right. Sorry. I got caught up in talking about our birth parents.” He seemed truly sorry and went on to explain. “I did send them a note. Well, a lengthy letter detailing everything. You’ll visit them eventually, and they can visit down the line, but for now, the separation is needed so we can get you accustomed to our world as soon as possible without an extra set of parents breathing down your necks. Remy was allowed to come because you’ll need a support system, and I’m also not convinced she’s fully human.” He shrugged.

“Wait, what?” Remy screeched, pressing herself up off her stomach. “Not fully human?”

He laughed at her and plopped into the water, swimming closer to where her chair was. She spun around and straddled the chair, waiting for him to answer her.

“It’s just a hunch. You’re their only friend, so it would make sense if you had some nymph in you. Not water nymph but probably fire and maybe something else. We flock together in normal circumstances, so with so few of you in the human world, you’d seek your kind out even if you didn’t traditionally mesh.”

“We did get lots of questions on how our friendship worked. We are considered jocks. Well, me especially,” Cora stated. “Lena is a jocky nerd who likes books too much. And then Remy, she likes sarcasm, fire, and fighting people. Verbally.”

“For now,” Remy interjected.

“Yes, for now,” I snorted.

“Just because I haven’t had to punch anyone for you two doesn’t mean I won’t have to. I’m expecting it sometime soon.”

We all fell into laughter, and I let out a sigh of relief that Remy was coming back to herself even for a moment.

We were all still shaken, and I knew we were pushing down the real feelings to let some normalcy take over for the time being. We would need a breakdown moment before tonight, but for now, this felt nice.

Cora

After the pool excursion, Andrin shipped us back to our room with servants in tow ready to doll us up for tonight. They waited in the living area as we all took turns showering in my en suite bathroom.

The blue color he had chosen for me was everywhere. The room was gorgeous and well done. Everything was luscious, and I was half scared to touch anything in fear of breaking it. I eventually shrugged it off, reminding myself that I was a princess here, and they would get over a broken vase or two.

I was already annoyed with how often blue was pushed on me, but this really shoved me over the edge into hatred. Maybe I would ask Lena to switch with me. She could learn to hate blue, and I could learn to hate purple too.

I laid back on the bed, sinking into the mattress with my calves dangling off the edge. Remy sat on the stool by the vanity with a towel wrapped around her head and a fluffy black robe tied around her body.

Two guesses for what color Lena comes out in, I joked internally.

Sitting up, I looked over Remy, trying to gauge where she was at with everything. We had learned a lot in the past—I brought up my mental clock and did some quick math—six or so hours. Speaking of time, we were about due for some lunch. I shook my head, knowing that lunch could and had to wait. Remy was more important than food—for now.

She was zoning out, staring at the floor as she mindlessly twirled the end of the towel in her hands. She didn’t blink, and the only other movement was the rise and fall of her chest that loosely swayed her body.

“Remy?” I prodded.

She didn’t look at me but closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Yeah?” she asked, opening her eyes and staring once again.

“You’re not doing too well.” It wasn’t a question, and she knew it.

She gave a small nod that was almost imperceptible. “Right.”

“Bro, Remy, my guy, fearless friend who slaps first and asks questions later, talk to me.” I walked over and sat beside her on the small bench. Our asses barely fit, but I made it work by holding half my body up with my left leg. Praise Jesus for my killer thighs.

Remy’s hands plopped down into her lap, and she turned toward me, almost knocking me off the bench in the process.

“What do you want me to say? I’m processing. I can only fake chill for so long before it bites me in the ass. The human world is different. I know it will all be okay there. Here? I have no fucking clue, Cor, and that’s terrifying.” She stood up and started to pace just as Lena walked out of the bathroom in—you guessed it—a fluffy purple robe and her hair wrapped in a towel.

“Not only were we rudely awakened by your creepy, yet admittedly hot older brother that you didn’t know existed, but we were then kidnapped and taken to a world we also didn’t know existed through some water portal things? Gah!” She grunted in frustration. “Then, oh, and then what? He really lays it on with the talk of family and how you’re long lost water nymph princesses, and I’m kind of like you but a different element. The fuck no, bro. This is insane!” Remy was heaving for air, and Lena tried to say something but was cut off by more ranting.

“Nope! Not done.” Remy moved her forearms into an X across her chest, then slashed them down. “And now, there’s a ball to welcome home the lost children of the king and queen—ex-king and queen?—of Oedinia, and we have to dress up and make merry and chit-chat with non-humans like we grew up here, and I am to what? Be your lady-in-waiting, not only for tonight but forever.

“And to top it all off, the meat pie was too fucking delicious, and that may be the only thing keeping me from going over the edge at the moment.” Tears were filling her eyes as she stood in the middle of the room, between Lena and me, huffing like she just ran a marathon—or away from a serial killer. Both were equally likely at the moment.

Lena and I looked at each other, hoping Remy was done and we were free to speak. After a second, Remy closed her eyes, and the tears fell. “I’m done. Talk me down, please.”

I let out a sigh as I stood. “I can’t.”

Remy’s eyes opened, and when they fell on me, there was so much confusion and concern swirling in them.

“All of that, the rant of all rants that you just put on for us, that’s building up inside me, too. Just add how worried I am about Mom and Dad.”

“M-2 and D-2,” she corrected as a smirk played on her lips.

“Yeah, yeah. Them. I’m worried about how they’re feeling about all of this, too. Andrin said he gave them a packet of information, but for all they know, we are dead and gone. At least we know we are alive and well.” I ran my fingers up through my hair and huffed out some frustration.

“And that’s only if we believe him. He may be our brother, I do believe him on that front, as it’s pretty obvious from our looks alone, but who says he didn’t do anything to them? Who says anything else he has said is true?” Lena pointed out oh so helpfully.

“Thanks, Lena. I needed that extra punch,” I deadpanned.

She rolled her eyes, then glared at me. “I’m trying to be realistic here. We finally have a moment to talk freely, or as freely as we can, so we have to take it and get it all out in the open. Something feels weird, but I can’t place it. Is it just the situation and adjustment period, or is something actually wrong? I have no idea.” Lena shrugs and gives us an exasperated look. “Hopefully, we will find out more tonight after meeting our birth parents.”

I cringed at that. “Sounds awful. Do we really have to?”

“Uh, yeah. I don’t really see a way out of it, unless you want to throw a royal,” Lena wiggled her eyebrows to clue us in on her very obvious joke, “tantrum and back out.”

“Oh, I’m in for that. Would it still be a royal tantrum if I do it?” Remy looked far too excited now. Where was the anxiety? I wanted to slap her and tell her to stop masking, but that wouldn’t help either.

“Well, technically a lady-in-waiting is a part of the court, but wouldn’t really be considered royalty, but… by royal command, I say yes.”

“Seconded.”

“Motion carries.” Lena smacked her fist into her palm like a gavel. “Your tantrums are now considered royal.”

“Sweet. Can I practice now?” Remy asked.

“No,” Lena and I said at the same time.

This pushed us all into a fit of laughter that was well-needed. It crushed down some of the anxiety and worry. They were still there, itching to come out and bite me in the ass, but they were manageable for now.

“Remy,” I started after the laughter died down. “Lena, you too.” They both looked at me with serious faces that I knew matched my own. “Shit is going to get crazy, whether it’s good or bad. Just… don’t stop communicating. If something is weird, say so. Insults and rudeness be damned. Masking and faking nice to fit into this society isn’t worth it if we lose ourselves, okay?”

“Okay,” they both said, nodding their heads.

“Well, good. It’s time for my shower. Please ignore my awful singing.” I saluted them as I passed and walked into the bathroom, shutting the door.

I turned on the shower and marveled at how similar so many things were in this world. It was easy to fit in for the most part and pretend I knew what was going on. We had a battle ahead of us, and I wasn’t sure I cared to fight it.

Really, all I wanted was to go home and hug my parents. Tomorrow at breakfast, that’s exactly what I would tell Andrin. I would even settle for them coming here. I just knew I needed them. We needed them. Besides, two sets of loving parents sounded amazing. I only hoped our biological parents adored Remy as well.

After my shower, we all left my room and let the servants take over. They were bossier than I had anticipated, not that I minded. I had no idea what to do with my hair or makeup, and I wondered if I would even be able to get into the dress without their help.

Three large bags were tossed over the back of the couch, replacing the ones that were there earlier. Three new vanity stands fit with every possible beauty supply were set up in the living room, and I was now beyond sick of these people color-coding us. I was sitting in a blue robe at a blue vanity… Lena… yep, purple. Remy? Surprise! Red.

I rolled my eyes and swore that if the dresses were these colors, I’d scream and start that royal tantrum we talked about.

The woman who pampered me and slathered on coats of makeup was named Calida. Jade was with Lena, and Zepha took care of Remy. A few butler-looking men—Cillian, Magnus, and Roland—stood around the room, waiting to be called upon for an extra hand. One of them had curly brown hair that looked like it would be fun to mess up and light brown eyes that seemed to track Lena and my movements. Something about his leering was different than the others and was somewhat enjoyable.

I could get used to this. I didn’t want to, but I could.

I sipped on some juice that I requested after lunch as she put my hair in curlers and sprayed some flowery-smelling gunk on it, saying it would help the curls set. Before I could ask any more questions, the air around my head began to heat up. I looked into the mirror and locked eyes with Calida.

She winked at me and chuckled. “Don’t look so worried, Princess. I’m a fire nymph.”

I squinted at her for a second, but in the end, I decided I would let it go this time, as long as I wasn’t being hurt.

There were still so many questions running through my mind, but I didn’t know how to organize them. Lena was much better at this, and I hoped she bugged everyone tonight with her intense curiosity. She might not be a people person, just as I wasn’t, but she enjoyed learning about people. I always asked why she didn’t go into anthropology, but Lena didn’t really have an answer other than writing called to her.

I told her over and over that she could do both, but it fell on deaf ears.

Blowing bubbles into my juice with the bright orange straw I had specifically requested, I let my mind wander. My eyes zoned out as Calida finished gussying me up. I didn’t know how long I was out of it, but Lena jabbed me in the ribs to get my attention. Apparently, she had called my name a few times.

The butler bros were holding up the dresses before us, pulling down the zippers.

Finally.

Now was I going to fawn over it or yeet myself onto the ground and flail like a freshly caught fish with a hook in my mouth?

Lena

“Thank fuck almighty,” Cora sighed.

“Mhm,” Remy and I agreed.

They weren’t the same colors they had been stuffing down our throats for the last ten or so hours. Well, in reality, they had been forced upon us our entire lives, but this had been overkill.

“Cora,” guy number one with the fluffy brown hair said, holding the dress a little higher.

Calida ushered Cora into her room along with the dress to get her stuffed in it. Remy was next, heading into her room; I followed suit into my own a second after.

Getting into the dress was easier than I expected, and despite the tight corset, I could breathe easily and move without any hindrance. I twirled around for a moment as soon as Jade finished tying me in.

“You look beautiful and just like Calliope.” Jade beamed at me, and I took her in. She was slightly shorter than I was at five-foot-six with brown hair up in a bun, green eyes, and beautiful tan skin that was a shade darker than Remy’s. Jade also had more curves than I could ever dream of. She was Mom’s age, and I could tell she was always a beauty. Even if she wasn’t, her kindness made up for more than enough.

“Really?” I asked, tears gathering in my eyes. People had told me that before, but I always knew it was a lie. Remy had more in common with Mom, looks-wise, than Cora or I did. It was a sore spot that we ignored.

“Oh, yes. Her hair is long like Cora’s, but the color is there, and your eyes, oh, those are copied directly from her. Your father’s are similar, but Queen Calliope’s shine so bright. Well, they did until…” She gestured toward me with a sad expression.

I nodded in understanding. “Until we were taken.”

“But maybe that sparkle will be back tonight, hm?” She grinned and tilted her head.

“We can only hope. Are they as kind as Andrin said?”

“Oh my, yes. Your parents are well-loved, and I couldn’t think of better rulers. Your brother has taken up the mantle well, but without a queen by his side, it has been a rough few years. That will all change soon enough though.”

Hm, Andrin hadn’t mentioned a fiancé, but maybe we would be meeting her tonight or they had some prospects in line. Just another thing added to my list of never-ending questions.

I only nodded then turned back to the mirror, taking myself in again. The dress had an off-white tulle with a corset top, flowy sleeves that cinched at my biceps and wrists, and a skirt that flowed out from my waist and skirted across the floor. Once again, I was given flip-flops, and that was a big tick in the pro column of staying here.

I didn’t think we had a choice in the matter, not really, but I was in the mood to fool myself a little longer.

“I’m ready.” Or as ready as I would ever be.

Walking out of the room, I saw that Remy and Cora were already in the living area, waiting for me.

Cora was in a light gray gown with a corset just like my own, but the material was similar to satin with tendrils wrapping around her biceps in an off-the-shoulder look, and the skirt flowed down over her slight curves. A slit ran up the left side, showing off her lean leg and flip-flop-clad foot.

Remy’s dress stopped just above her knees, unlike ours which were floor length. It was black with golden thread throughout, giving it a shimmery look. The corset top matched our gowns, but the dress was strapless and the bottom was covered in feathers, which added volume to her curves that she tried so hard to hide and ignore. At five-ten, she looked like a goddess, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a few nymphs hit on her tonight, man or woman. Luckily, Remy wasn’t too picky in that department.

“Can you believe these are swimsuits?” Oh yeah, these dresses? The skirts are detachable from a bodysuit that doubles as a swimsuit. Fucking water nymphs.

“Only because it is on my body. It’s genius, but who else besides water nymphs would ever need such a thing?” I pondered.

“Fun people who like to look smoking in a ball gown then take a deep dive into water. Did you forget we’re swimmers? We just had a meet last night, Lena. Could you imagine the end-of-year party with these bad boys?”

Cora was right. These would make those parties way more interesting. Although they were not something we would typically wear. Well, Remy would so she could garner all the attention, but we would go for more subdued versions to avoid random gazes and questions. “Think we could start a new trend in the human world?”

“For suresies,” Remy agreed. “Can we go look at nymph eye candy now and get some more food? I’m ready to party, and does this world have booze? Tell me this world has booze? Zepha, don’t leave me hanging.”

We all giggled as Zepha assured us there would be alcohol at the party after we explained what booze meant. Apparently, the drinking age here was eighteen like a lot of the human world. Not the United States, but other places that were a million times less horrible.

The confirmation had me heaving a breath of relief. I wasn’t sure I could take what was coming without liquid courage coursing through my veins.

“King Andrin will be up in a moment to escort you to the ball,” Magnus informed us. “Everyone has arrived and are awaiting your grand entrance. Now for some logistics before you leave here. Andrin will stand front and center with Cora and Lena on each arm, standing on their respective sides of course.” Meaning Cora was to be on his left with me on his right. I rolled my eyes. They liked their symbolism.

“Remy.”

“Yes, captain?” She stood at attention, saluting Magnus.

He tutted but continued. “You will stand a few steps back and directly behind King Andrin. At any time, Princess Cora and Princess Lena are alone, you will stand behind them and be centered so they can easily request something of you.”

We all crinkled our noses.

“I am told this is not common in your world.”

“Yup.”

“Factual.”

“Correctomundo.”

He sighed, and it was easy to see that we were grating on him. I wanted to feel bad, but they really needed to get used to this.

“At non-formal events, there will be a little more leeway with this. She can stand closer, interact more freely if invited by one of you. For this ball, Remy is to be neither seen nor heard unless she is needed by one of you. She will—“

“Negative,” I interjected.

“Not happening,” Cora added.

“Remy is like a sister to us. Our parents are one step from being her adoptive parents as well.”

“She will be treated as an equal here in everything except title unless we can make that arrangement.” Cora tapped her foot with her arms crossed. They were in for a fight if they argued.

Remy stood a little behind us and to the right as we faced off against Magnus, who was looking at the others as if he was asking for help. No one gave it.

“That won’t be possible.”

I stepped forward, ready to throw down, but he held up his hand. “The title. Unless she marries in, the title of princess can not be bestowed. A lesser title may be given with time, but for now, she is solely your lady-in-waiting. You are, besides your brother, the highest authority in the castle. What you say is seen as law unless otherwise stated by your brother.”

“So we do what we want until he tells us no?” Cora clarified.

“Correct.”

“Perfect. Then we are ignoring everything you said. Except maybe the entrance because that part makes sense. For the rest of the night, she is one of us and will be treated as equal or I’m flipping people off.” Cora wasn’t usually so against people. Well, she didn’t like people. We didn’t like people, but she only ever got in a tizzy about them and wanted to fight them when they were mean to Remy or me. She would stand up for others, we all would, but this was different. There was an intense passion about her any time someone fucked with us.

“I’m in agreement. Remy is princess-in-waiting.”

“Oh, yes. Good title. Seconded.” Cora banged her fist like a gavel.

“Motion carried,” I added.

The staff watched us like we were aliens speaking a strange language by way of tentacles.

“You’ll eventually get used to us.” I shrugged right before there was a knock on the door.

Roland, one of the butlers, opened it, and in walked Andrin who sported a dark blue suit that I could only describe as ‘royal looking yet fae-esque’ with gray and off-white details, a tassel here, a cuff there, some stitching. He was clearly meant to match us without being obvious, and it worked really well.

“Ready?”

Eh.

“Yes,” all three of us said in unison.

Our entrance was boring and yet still anxiety-inducing. The music stopped, all eyes were on us, and I could feel the sweat trickling down the back of my neck. I hated it.

We walked down the grand steps as everyone stared, taking in the long-lost princesses. I tried to smile, but it wavered as my cheeks grew tired with the effort. I glanced over at Cora, and she was having the same issue. Andrin, on the other hand, looked like he belonged here. He stood tall and walked with so much grace.

I knew we would learn with time, but I wish we had been taught a little more before being introduced to nymph society. I understood their excitement, but they really didn’t take our emotional states into consideration.

Remy walked behind us as she was instructed to, and there were a few pairs of eyes appraising her. Good. That meant fewer pairs on us for a moment. Not that it mattered when there were at least two hundred people in the room.

At the bottom of the staircase, Andrin stopped and waited for Remy to descend completely before speaking. He pushed us slightly forward, releasing our linked arms.

“May I present, my little sisters, the long lost but finally found Princesses of Oedinia, Cora and Lena!” He signaled us respectively.

Applause and cheering rang out, glasses were clinked together, and the music started up again in a joyous melody meant for celebrating. This felt more like a party back home, just with fancy clothing instead of the uptight ball Magnus had depicted with his rules.

I waved, and Cora followed along.

As the crowd simmered down, I spotted them. Calliope and Galvin, a.k.a birth parent one and birth parent two. Jade was right. We looked exactly like our mom.

With tears in their eyes, our parents rushed forward and pulled us into a rib-crushing group hug. I couldn’t help but stiffen slightly at the abrupt contact and felt Cora do the same beside me. I know they had longed to meet us, but I thought it once and I will think it again, they really weren’t taking our emotions into consideration.

“My babies. You’re finally home and at your brother’s side, right where you belong.”

Cora

They finally pulled back to get a better look at us. Our cheeks were patted in awkward silence, and I hoped someone would break the tension soon.

“Hi?” Good one, Lena, you smooth talker.

Calliope laughed, and it reminded me so much of our own laughs, but ours had hints of our parents—our other parents—mingled in.

“Calliope and Galvin, right?” Lena continued. Sadness filled their blue eyes. That gene must be strong in water nymphs. The same went for blonde hair.

Calliope wore a high-neck, shimmering white dress that hugged the curves of her body, and I hoped to all the gods that I looked like her when I grew up. Galvin was in a similar getup to Andrin, except the main color was white with blue and silver mixed in.

“Sorry,” Lena started.

“No, no, Sundrop, no. Don’t be sorry. One day, I hope you will feel comfortable enough to call us Mother and Father, but Calliope and Galvin are fine until then.”

“I hope so.” Lena smiled at our birth mom as I glanced at Galvin. He looked so much like Andrin but a little taller. Same strong jawline, blue eyes, and blond hair, except his was slightly longer and fell in his face under the silver crown on the top of his head.

Calliope had a matching crown but feminized. Blue, purple, and clear stones coated the pieces, and now, I was wondering if we had tiaras hiding somewhere.

“Cora?” Galvin looked down at me, then my twin. “Lena?” His voice held so much awe. “Welcome home.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the sincerity. They truly wanted us and had been devastated by our kidnapping. My body buzzed, and I leapt forward hugging Galvin, who let out an oomph before wrapping his arms around me.

We stood there for a moment before I pulled back. No words were exchanged, but I knew it was well received.

“This is…” Lena began, gesturing to Remy when someone came up behind Calliope and Galvin. She had a slight grimace to her lips despite the attempt to hide it with a smile.

“Andrin, please introduce me.” Her voice was grating and filled with thinly veiled annoyance and disgust. I really wanted to bet Lena on how long it took Remy to punch her or spike her drink with whatever this world’s equivalent of wasabi was.

I didn’t miss the slight sneer on Andrin’s lips at her presence. “Wren, please, meet Cora and Lena. Sisters, this is Wren, our cousin.” She had strawberry blonde hair that flowed down past her hips, dark blue eyes that matched my room and made me dislike her more, and tanned skin that made her look like a ginger beach Barbie. I would find her to be much more pleasant if she were a doll I could pull the head off of.

It was very obvious that she was waiting for us to bow first, or at least it felt like it. No one had actually said anything about bowing.

“Nice to meet you, Wren.” Thank you again, Lena.

Wren nodded at her, but it felt more dismissive than anything.

“Wren.” I nodded to her in a similar fashion. I could play her game.

Did she hate us already? Maybe she was getting the princess treatment until we showed up. She could have it and keep it. We did not, in any way, ask for this.

Okay, maybe we did a few times ask to be whisked away like in some of the books Lena reads, but we never expected it to actually happen.

Calliope and Galvin watched Wren with little interest whereas Andrin was one step from staring daggers into her soul.

“Well then. If we are in an introductory mood, this is Remington.” I lightly pushed Andrin out of the way and into Lena before pulling Remy to stand by me. “Remy, Calliope, Galvin. Introductions.” I nodded.

I could feel the eye-roll from my sister and ignored the irritated glare from Wren.

Calliope chuckled and looked kindly at Remy. “A friend? From the human world?”

I nodded. “As close to a sister as she could be. She has basically lived with us since… I don’t know. We were eight?” I looked over at Lena, and she nodded in agreement.

“Well then, welcome. Any family of our daughters’ is ours as well,“ Galvin proclaimed.

“I believe she has some nymph heritage,” Andrin added.

“Oh?” Calliope looked at Remy more deeply now.

“Yes, fire and perhaps something else.”

“Ah, yes. Have her tested then. Perhaps we can find her a suitable match or two.” Calliope cupped Remy’s face and looked into her eyes. “Such a lovely color. Definitely a nymph.”

Remy stood still, taking deep breaths. “Or two?”

Everyone around us chuckled, and Calliope dropped her hands. “Why, yes. You girls have much to learn about this world. But later. For now, drink, eat, dance, and mingle. This is your party. Enjoy it.”

And with that, our parents left, dragging Wren along with them.

“This way.” Andrin started off to the right, and I hoped he was leading us to food and something strong to shoot.

My nerves were shot, and I needed that liquid courage to make it through the rest of the night.

Thankfully, that was exactly where Andrin was taking us. Apparently, we had a personal line only meant for the royal family. That was a perk I could get used to.

We didn’t know what to drink, so we had Andrin order for us as we went along one of the food-laden tables, placing bits and pieces onto plates as we went. I was determined to try as much as possible, and it seemed Lena had the same idea. Remy was a little pickier but ended with a relatively full plate.

As we snacked and waited, we danced around to classical-sounding music. The middle of the ballroom had broken out into an intricate and well-practiced dance like in the movies. It was lovely, and I truly couldn’t wait to learn. I was determined to know it by the next event.

Andrin came up behind us with a tray of drinks. After passing them around, he gave the tray to a waiter, who had dark brown hair up in a bun, and I was certain his green eyes had specks of yellow and orange. I hmed at the odd coloring and almost made him stay, so I could stare a little longer before I sipped my bright yellow concoction, and a tart citrus flavor hit my tongue. It was delicious, and I assumed it was dangerous just as the fruity drinks were in the human world.

The four of us made up a portion of the rainbow with our colorful drinks. I drank and snacked as did Remy and Lena. We had a simple conversation with Andrin, holding off on the larger questions for later. Mostly, we wanted to know who people were and how they connected to the royal family.

There were far too many names to remember, but one day, I would know them all. Or Lena would, and she would remind me.

A couple of hours passed, and talking with Andrin became easier. Even Remy was joking with him, and it seemed genuine which, for her, meant she was kind of a dick. Andrin rolled with the punches and knocked back a few jests of his own, but finally, it was time for dinner. The moment I had been waiting for. Nymph food was delicious, and I wanted to know what the chefs had in store for us tonight. The snacks were great, and I should be full, but I was a garbage disposal at times.

Everyone was ushered into the large dining hall. The royal family was pulled aside so we could collect ourselves and make another grand entrance as a united family. It was anticlimactic if you asked me, but we took our seats at the head table. One smaller long table was placed at the top of the room with other extra long tables that went from end to end for the guests.

Calliope and Galvin took up the center. Andrin was on Galvin’s right and Lena sat next to him. I was to the left of Calliope, and Remy was next to me. Wren begrudgingly sat next to her and shot dagger eyes every chance she got. Everyone, including our parents, ignored her.

As food was passed around, I did have one question. “I thought Andrin was the current ruler?”

Calliope nodded before explaining. “He is technically. But without a queen, we remain the higher rank. Power in numbers.” She winked at me as a small bowl of steaming broth with vegetable and meat chunks was set on the table in front of me.

“Holy fuck,” I whispered as saliva filled my mouth.

“Let the first course begin,” Magnus announced from the other end of the room. Apparently, he had many roles.

Dinner rolled along with many other courses. The main dish was some sort of small bird stuffed with aromatic cheese and peppers that burst with flavor on my tongue and a side of some green vegetable that was crunchy and helped balance the textures of the course. A light salad followed, or what I would have called a salad. It was small and refreshing after such a savory course. Dessert was the last, and it did not disappoint. A glass dish with multiple layers of cake, creams, jams, and so on was presented to each of us. I believed this was similar to a trifle, minus the custard which didn’t agree with me texture-wise.

The dishes were cleared, and a drink was presented to everyone. It had a sweet, smokey scent, almost like we were roasting s’mores over a campfire. I was pulling it to my mouth when Galvin stood, and the hall went silent. I set it back down and waited to see what would happen.

Lena caught my eye, and she smiled. Apparently, she was enjoying her evening as well.

“Thank you all for coming this evening to celebrate the return of our daughters, Cora and Lena. It is time to share a little surprise with them.” I looked around, trying to figure out what it could be, but nothing tipped me off. “Please, come up here,” he instructed us.

Lena and I made our way to him, and the chairs our parents had occupied were moved out of the way. They maneuvered us to stand, facing one another and interlocking our fingers with our hands between us.

“This will be a little weird the first time, but trust us.” Calliope was practically vibrating with excitement.

“Typically, this can be done with just a thought, but since you grew up in the other world, it might be a little difficult for you,” Galvin began. “You’re water nymphs, fluid. And twins, two sides of one whole.” I chuckled, having made that comment a few times since we were mirror images of each other. “Close your eyes, and imagine your body turning to water.”

I was hesitant but followed his lead. Lena appeared to do the same. I thought of how water flowed and moved, like the waterfall in the pool. Crashing, churning, ever-flowing. I felt something wash over me but didn’t dare open my eyes in fear that I would screw things up.

“Now… merge.” I could feel Calliope’s hands on my back, pushing me forward.

It felt as if I was colliding with something, but it wasn’t painful. I let the feelings wash over me, and before I knew it, it was as if I wasn’t me anymore, as if my thoughts were not entirely my own.

I opened my eyes, and everything changed.

Lena

What had we done?

Coralena

My eyes opened, and I looked around, realizing that where Cora and Lena had once stood, was now a single body.

Silence crashed into us… me?

I lifted my gaze, finding Remy who had shocked eyes and a mouth gaping wide in horror.

“What happened?” It was my voice. My voice? So similar to both Cora and Lena but sounded strange to my ears.

“You merged. Twin nymphs can merge into one being. You are no longer Cora and Lena. You are someone else entirely. Coralena, if you would like,” Andrin supplied.

I started breathing heavily, needing to sit down. Andrin caught me as I was moments from tumbling over. We spent so long fighting people, telling them we were two beings, but here we were, morphed into one. Shock slammed into my body over and over as realization hit.

“Breathe. You can unmerge. It’s not permanent. Take some time to acclimate, Coralena,” Andrin whispered against my temple, trying to calm me.

I nodded and looked down, noticing the dress had also merged in perfect unison as well. The soft, flowy gray material of Cora’s dress laid underneath a white tulle overlay. The sleeves were off the shoulder with the satin loops turning into flowing tulle from bicep to wrist. It was gorgeous and perfect, and I wanted to tear it off, screaming at them to change us back. Tears slipped down my cheeks, and I barely held back the sobs that wanted to wrack my body. This felt wrong and right, but it was all too much. My limit had been reached, and we were headed straight to crazy town.

“We have more in store for you tonight, and you passing out… well, let’s just save that for later.” He chuckled, and his words finally registered as he held me close. “But anyway, let’s keep up the excitement, hm? You look gorgeous, and I can’t wait to bond with you.”

“What?” I whispered, trying to piece everything together, but I was still very disoriented from the merge. Thoughts ran together, and there were pieces of both Cora and Lena, but in here, neither existed, not truly. I was a perfect mesh of them with all their memories and preferences. Both sides knew this was going to be one hell of a ride.

I saw Remy move from her seat, heading toward us, but she was intercepted by a guard and forced to sit back down in her seat.

“We have more surprises for you, Coralena. Ones where you need to be merged.”

Andrin placed a kiss on my temple as the chairs were brought back to the head of the table. Instead of Calliope and Galvin taking their previously vacated seats, Calliope sat where Cora had been next to Remy, and Galvin took Andrin’s place.

My brows scrunched, trying to work through the situation, but there was still so much fog to slog through. Andrin gently pushed me forward with his arm around my lower back. Calliope’s original chair was pulled out for me, and I plopped down into it as it was pushed in. Andrin took the seat next to me with far more grace than I could muster right now.

“Please, continue!” His voice boomed through the hall, telling everyone to sample the drink that had been brought moments before my life truly changed forever.

Everything else I could work with and logic away in some sense. Or I could at least dream about going home and brushing this off as a case of an overactive imagination.

“Coralena, drink. It will make you feel better.” Andrin placed his hand on mine and gave a warm, encouraging smile. “Trust me.” He patted my hand and went back to his own drink.

I stared down at the cup in front of me. It was delicate, similar to the teacups of the human world, but something told me it wouldn’t shatter if dropped. Or maybe it would. Nothing was right-side up anymore.

I let out a sigh and lifted the cup to my lips, lightly sipping. The warm liquid rushed down my throat, coating it with a smoky essence. I was right before. Well, Cora was right. It was like drinking a campfire coated in marshmallows and chocolate. A small moan pushed past my lips as I sipped more and more of the drink until it was completely gone.

“So you enjoyed it then?” Andrin’s laugh reverberated from beside me. “It’s my favorite part of the meal. Well, now it is.” He whispered that last part as he turned away, and I wasn’t positive I got the words right. Why would it only now be his favorite part?

I wanted to ask, but I was also afraid to speak again because I would hear the voice that was my own but not. I sat there in silence, wondering what was to come.

Andrin had whirled us away as dinner commenced. We danced with him leading and me stumbling behind him. More drinks were consumed, and the world was becoming fuzzy. I wanted to find Remy and check on her and have her tell me I’m crazy and that none of this was actually happening.

I kept an eye out, searching for her through the crowd, and finally, I spotted her with a brunet that was a few inches taller than her. He had full lips, floppy hair, and bright blue eyes. With the information I had at hand, I assumed he was a water nymph, but maybe he was air or earth or whatever other option there was. I had to find a book that laid all of this out and read it before I asked any more questions. I needed straightforward information.

“That’s Kiran, my best friend. He’s an earth nymph and prince of the Nularoth kingdom,” Andrin said into my hair as I kept my eyes on Remy and Kiran. “He will keep her company tonight. I think they will get along swimmingly.” From the looks of it, Remy was moments from stabbing Kiran in the eye with a fork.

Her eyes never left mine, and she was furious. I tried to break away from Andrin, so I could go speak with her. Perhaps I would tell her to kidnap us and find a way out of here. Even going back to our suite would be better than whatever was happening here.

I was overwhelmed and needed my best friend. Really, I needed my mom to hug me and my dad to tell them all to fuck off. What would they think when they find out we can merge?

My attempt to pull away was thwarted by Andrin holding me tighter against him. This was very uncomfortable, and I tried to say so, then Calliope and Galvin were in front of us.

“It’s almost time,” Calliope said as Galvin passed us each a drink.

“I don’t want anymore.”

“It’s not alcohol, Sundrop. It’ll clear your mind.” She pushed the cup to my lips, and I drank it down.

“Now the real fun will begin,” Andrin cheered.

The drink sat heavily in my stomach. She said it would clear my mind, but things were blurrier than ever. I swayed into Andrin and nearly collapsed.

“What’s happening?” I slurred.

“Oh, Waterdrop, we have to get you ready, and it’s so much easier if you’re pliant the first time,” Galvin said, stroking the side of my face.

“What?”

“Rest. Everything will become clear when you wake up,” Andrin cooed.

The last thing I saw before the world went dark was Andrin and my parents standing over me with eager expressions, and Remy screaming at them not to touch me.

What the hell had I gotten myself into?

Remy

Those motherfuckers.

I was already vibrating with the need to elbow my way through the crowd to grab Coralena and get the hell out of here, so the moment she collapsed in Andrin’s arms, I was palming faces and pushing with all my might to get to her.

I was still processing the fact that they were now one person, but it didn’t matter in the end. They, her, whatever. That person was my best friend times two, and I would damn well protect her to the best of my ability.

All anxiety flew out the window as I rushed forward. I made it ten feet, so close to their family huddle, when Kiran wrapped his arm around my waist and dragged me back. Andrin and their birth parents—barf—walked away, exiting the ballroom. They were out of my sight now, and it would be near impossible to find them.

“God damn it, Kiran. I will castrate you in your sleep!” I screamed at him as I threw my elbows back and clawed at anything within reach. Of course, I only had on the flip flops and not my usual heavy boots so toe stomping was much less effective.

“Stop, Remy, stop,” he whispered harshly in my ear.

“No! I will never stop. I will find them, and I will poison all of you.” I wiggled and kicked, dropped my weight, going limp in his arms. I tried it all, but his arms never budged.

“Remy, listen, please.” He had dragged me off to a more secluded corner, so it wasn’t so difficult to hear what he had to say.

I stopped fighting for a moment, letting him think he had won this round as I listened. Information was what I needed, and I would get it by any means necessary.

“Tell me. What are they planning to do to them?”

He spun me around so we were facing one another. His face was scrunched and serious, almost as if he were in pain. “Listen to me. You have to let this happen.” I went to tell him to fuck off, but he held up his hand. “I know. I don’t agree. Trust me. Yes, I know you have no reason to. But I don’t want this to happen either. I am working on it, okay? We can’t stop it now.

“But we will fight back, and we will win. Their reign will end, and Cora and Lena will be free. However, we have to be smart about this. You don’t know the full story. It’s… fucked, as you would say. What you’re going to see… what we have to watch… no one should go through that.” He paused, and his head drooped as his hands tightened on my shoulders. “We thought they were safe. But Andrin found them anyway.”

“What are you talking about?” I whispered.

“Coralena is meant to be queen,” he said, looking up at me with big blue eyes that held so much regret.

“But Andrin is already king?” I was vaguely aware of the ballroom emptying behind me, but my focus was on Kiran and finding Coralena.

Kiran let out a hefty sigh, and it wafted across my face, reminding me of fresh clay and pine.

“Exactly,” he gritted out, slightly shaking me.

“Excuse me? D’fuq?”

Coralena

The pulsing in my temples was getting worse. If I didn’t know any better, I would say there was a tiny man inside my head, hammering away at my skull. Thud, thud, thud.

It wouldn’t stop. I squeezed my eyes tighter, trying to force myself back to sleep, hoping more time in my dream world would resolve the issue.

Then everything came rushing back to me.

I gasped, breathing in the cold air of the room and opened my eyes. All around me was stone. The ceiling was coated in stalactites, shimmering in the firelight that radiated from the wood and iron chandeliers that lightly swung back and forth in a hypnotic motion.

For a moment, I thought I could stare at them forever and ignore whatever was happening to me, but the sound of people talking forced my mind into the real world.

I didn’t have to look around to know I was chained to a stone slab in the middle of a cave. I gulped as the breeze swept across my bare skin from my toes to the tip of my nose.

Not only had I been forced to merge, but I was now drugged and chained without a single item of clothing on my body.

Breathing through my nose and closing my eyes, I tried to stifle the panic. The longer they ignored me and thought I was passed out, the better. It gave me a moment of peace if nothing else.

I ran through everything that had happened the last… Well, I didn’t know how much time had passed since I was drugged and brought here, but let’s just say over the last twelve hours. I replayed every word I could remember, trying to find any hint to what was happening.

But there was nothing.

Andrin, my parents, the guests. Everyone had been kind. Or kind enough. Wren was the only one who showed any distaste, but she wasn’t the one who did this to me. She might be involved in some way, but Wren was not the mastermind behind this bullshit.

Minutes had passed, and no one came near me. I tried focusing on any of the voices, listening to the muffled conversations that seemed to echo and distort before they reached me.

That’s when I heard Calliope and Galvin. Bits and pieces flowed in. “It’s time,” “Andrin is ready,” and “Keep Remy seated” were the clearest.

Remy.

At least I knew she wasn’t shackled as I was, but why was she here? I wanted to call out to her, but what was I supposed to say? Tears filled my eyes and dripped down the sides of my head, hitting the stone beneath me. I opened my eyes and let them flow as the initial shock wore off and terror took over.

Cheering interrupted my meltdown, then I heard Andrin. “Sit, sit. Please.”

Calliope and Galvin repeated after him and shushed people. The cave now held nothing but whispers and the shuffling of Andrin’s feet as he walked up to where I was and looked down at me. He wore a dark blue, velvet robe, and I clenched my jaw, hoping this wasn’t what I thought it was.

“Oh good, you’re awake. I wouldn’t want to get started without you.” Andrin ran the back of his hand down my face, and I jerked away, disgust clearly written on my face.

“Fuck you,” I spit at him.

He chuckled before muttering, “Oh, you will, little sister.”

No, no, no, no. I chanted over and over as I tried sitting up and pulling on the chains. They were clasped tight around my wrists and ankles. The ones attached to my arms kept my hands close to the edge so I couldn’t fully sit up and support myself. My legs were a little freer, and I groaned, knowing exactly why they had done that.

“Calm down, Coralena,” Andrin cooed into my ear. I shimmied as far away as I could before glaring at him.

“Why?”

“Why calm down, or why am I doing this?”

I didn’t respond, hoping I had some power that would make his head explode.

He sighed, looking annoyed that he had to explain himself.

“Calm down, so you don’t hurt your wrists or ankles. These aren’t typically necessary, but given your history, we needed to take precautions. There was no way of knowing if you would accept your birthright and become my queen and willingly mate.”

“Was asking so hard?”

Andrin blew out a breath that fell over my face. He smelled like an icy morning that inevitably turned into a snow day. That should have calmed me some, but it only served to irritate me more. He was my brother and should have been a safe place.

“I suppose so, but the chances of you agreeing were not in our favor. If you had grown up here, this would be very different. You would want this, and we would have been happily together since your eighteenth birthday, but…” His jaw clenched, and his focus changed. “We keep our bloodline pure by mating our siblings when possible and cousins when we have to.” He glanced to the side, and there was Wren, glaring at us. “Two more years and Wren would have become my queen, but I found you. I finally found you.” Andrin’s voice took on a lightness as if I was the answer to his prayers.

“But I don’t…”

“Want to? That’s not something we care about, Coralena; that isn’t to say I don’t care about you, but this is how it’s done here. A strong line is far more important than your feelings. One day, you will understand and accept your place, but for now, we will force it upon you. I truly wish you would see it from our side and love me as I love you. You will have everything you have ever wanted, including a mate that would do practically anything to keep you happy.”

“As long as I do everything you ask and let you…” I couldn’t even say it. “Is this why I had to merge?”

“Yes. Precisely. Twin nymphs can’t become pregnant unless they are whole.” Pregnant. He couldn’t. He… was definitely going to, and I was helpless.

He paused for a moment, taking in my naked form. “I think it’s time we began. Scream, cry, curse me. It won’t matter. This is inevitable.”

The tears fell harder now as Andrin stepped back and released the belt on his robe. It fell to the floor at his feet, and I refused to look. I squeezed my eyes shut and wished for this to be over.

There was nothing I could do.

Except, maybe…

I tried unmerging, focusing on my body turning to water and splitting into two beings. Come on, work, damn it! But nothing happened. I clenched my entire body as I began to shake from the cold and exertion of trying to will my powers into existence. I could only assume they did something to prevent it, or there was some trick that I didn’t know.

Andrin climbed the steps at the end of the slab, and I cringed when his hands landed on my shins and ran up my legs. The chains clinked as I twisted and kicked, trying to get his hands off me.

“If that’s how it’s going to be.” Andrin slid his hands to my knees and wrenched them open, revealing everything to him. “Beautiful, Coralena. Simply beautiful.”

I refused to look at him as I tried to pull my legs free, but he was far stronger.

“Please, don’t,” I begged over and over, but he didn’t respond.

His knees slid between my legs, and he knelt on the slab, letting his hands fall to my hips. I wanted to throw up. Being raped was horrible enough, but by my own brother…

I heard a scuffle from the crowd that I was ignoring harder than Andrin, then Remy was screaming. “Get the fuck away from her, you sick sack of shit.”

Snickering made its way around the crowd as Remy told someone else to fuck off. There was more cursing, a resounding slap, and an oomph as someone tackled her to the ground. I opened my eyes long enough to connect our gazes. I knew she would keep fighting until her dying breath, but I would need her after this, and she couldn’t fight them all alone.

She laid there on the ground with Kiran wrapped around her, whispering to her. Tears ran from her yellow eyes into the dirt-covered floor before she nodded and looked away. Her sobbing filled the room, and Andrin lined himself up.

Never had I been truly thankful for already losing my virginity. Thanks, Eli and Beckett, I owe you fruit baskets.

I refused to squirm in case he mistook it for rubbing myself against him. I laid there, motionless with my eyes squeezed shut and body tenser than it had ever been before.

Andrin rubbed lube—thank fuck for small mercies—along my opening, prepping the area that was drier than bark. Removing his hand, he scooted forward, and I felt the tip of him press against me, massaging itself around my hole. His hands gripped my hips, holding me in place.

“Oh, Coralena, I have waited years for this, but now I finally have you, and you’re all mine. I will cherish you, and you will learn how to fuck me with passion. Let go of your inhibitions, and enjoy this with me, please? As soon as I impregnate you, everything will fall into place.”

I began chanting no again in my head, trying to drown out any sound and distract myself from what was about to happen. I bit my lip and waited for the onslaught to begin.

With one harsh thrust of his hips, Andrin—the brother I had naively trusted—shoved his dick inside me, raping me while our parents, the royal court, and my best friend watched.

A moan of pleasure escaped his lips, and I tried to keep the bile from rising in my throat. Andrin thrusted over and over, the wet sounds driving him to bury himself further in me. The movements forced the slab into my back, scraping my skin over and over, but that pain was a welcomed distraction.

“Coralena,” fell from his lips again and again. “You’re beautiful, mine, and so perfect. You feel amazing around my cock, squeezing me even though you say you don’t want this. I can feel you, Coralena. You want this. You’re opening up, letting me hit you deeper.

“You were so trusting. A perfect little sister. And now you’re my mate, my queen, forever.” He thrusted harder, making me cry out with pain. “Oh, I’m sorry. You don’t like me hitting you there? Well then.” Andrin drove into me, harder and harder, hitting the same spot over and over until I was sobbing in pain.

“Stop, stop! Andrin, please!”

“No, Coralena. You will take all of me and love it. This could be enjoyable. How about I make you orgasm, hmm? We can come at the same time. You’ll take my seed and bear our children. Our perfect and powerful children.” He grunted and twirled his hips, causing a moan to escape my lips.

I cried harder and pulled at the chains, wishing for them to break.

“There it is.” Andrin kept at it, twirling his hips until I moaned then slamming into me until I cried out in pain.

He went on for ages before his hand snaked from its place on my hips, which I knew were covered in bruises, to my clit. He started rubbing it in circles with his thumb, causing me to jolt off the table, accidentally bucking against him. I forced myself back down, but it was too late.

“I will learn your body. If you thought tonight was the end of it… Well, you’d be very wrong, Coralena.”

His thumb circled again, but I kept myself still. However, it was too late for me. Despite the anger, hatred, and disgust warring in my mind, my body didn’t get the memo. My orgasm grew, and so did my need to vomit. If I did, I would be aiming for Andrin’s face.

“I feel you pulsing. Come for me, Coralena. Take me over the edge, and accept what I give you.” The rubbing stopped, but he gave my clit a quick pinch as his other hand lifted and tweaked my nipple.

That was the end of me.

I came, and Andrin followed, spilling his cum inside me. He roared his release, and the crowd cheered as we stayed interlocked, ensuring a pregnancy or so he said.

Andrin played with my nipples and over-sensitive clit, but it no longer mattered, as my body had gone numb. I couldn’t fight anymore or find a slight bit of care. The crowd shuffled out, our parents congratulated us, and Remy was carried away, wailing about how she would murder everyone and fuck on their decapitated bodies. I believed her, but they didn’t.

I wanted to chuckle, to revolt with her and demand retribution, but I couldn’t. Tonight, I was ruined, but tomorrow was a new day.

And that’s when I would start planning my revenge.

Remy

Ikneed Kiran in the balls when he set me down in the living area of our suite.

“Fuck you!” I screamed as tears streamed down my cheeks. “How could you let that happen? I watched my best friend be raped by her brother! Her parents watched, Kiran. They were happy! What kind of fucked up world is this, huh?“ I paced behind the couch. I needed air, I needed to stab someone, I needed to build a damn time machine.

“I know, I know. I told you. This is why she was taken in the first place. We tried, Remy,” Kiran said, holding his balls and making sure I didn’t rupture one. “We were so close. Just two more years and he would have been married off to Wren.”

“Death was an answer. Assassinate these bastards. I’ll do it for you.” I marched toward the door that led to the hall, but Kiran grabbed my arm and spun me around.

“If it was that easy to kill a royal nymph, we would have. It takes a special blade forged with the blood of a royal of the same type. We have never been able to get blood from one of them. Not enough to forge a blade.” His eyes were sad, and he was practically begging me to understand.

But… “I just watched my best friend…”

“Yes, you did. And she will need you to take care of her when they bring her back. I have offered to guard the two of you. I worked hard to gain my status as Andrin’s best friend. He trusts me and knows we, you and I, have a bond.”

I snorted at that, but it made him even sadder. “What?”

“Why did you laugh at that?” Kiran’s full lips formed a pout.

“Because we do not have a bond. You tricked me.” I poked him in the chest and walked over to the couch, kicking off my shoes before sitting down.

“Yes, we do.” He came around the couch and stood in front of me, blocking my view of the riveting fire. “You don’t feel it, do you?”

“Feel what?”

“This.” He leaned down, pinning my shoulders against the back of the couch, and claimed my lips. Kiran didn’t push it any further before pulling back and staring deeply into my eyes.

“Nothing,” I said a little too breathily to be believable. I was lying anyway, so it was fine.

“Liar.” He knew me so well already in just the short time we’ve known each other.

I rolled my eyes. “Fine. You win. Now explain before Coralena gets here and I ignore your existence.”

“Andrin and Coralena might be mated.” I gagged, then motioned for him to continue. “But they aren’t bonded and never will be. You can only bond with the ones you are destined for. It could be one or five or anything in between.

“And you, Remy, are one of my bonded, if you will have me.” Kiran knelt down and worked his way between my legs, which was rather difficult given the tightness of my feathered skirt. I didn’t resist, but by the look in his eyes, I knew he would back off the moment I told him to. “It could be now or in a few years, but I won’t be leaving your side. Just know that I will protect you and the ones you love.”

“Fuck you,” I said, then leaned forward and claimed his lips again. This time, I deepened the kiss and let his scent of fresh clay and pine wash over me. I pulled back and looked into his blue eyes. “Help me save Coralena, and then we’ll talk. Deal?”

“Deal, Spitfire.”

Coralena

Andrin left, and I was released from my restraints by a few women I had never seen before, then escorted to my suite. Remy greeted me, shoving the women away and insisting she could handle it herself. Two guards were posted at the door, but they stood out in the hall. Only Kiran and Remy were with me, and that was already one too many.

Remy took me into the bathroom where I accidentally took a peek at my new body. Where Cora and Lena once had differing hairstyles of long and flowing versus a pixie cut, I was given a half-shaved head with the other half holding long, golden hair. Everything else seemed mixed as if our mirrored sides merged into one being. Both birthmarks appeared behind my ears and every freckle and mole seemed to be copy/pasted onto each side of my face. It was like looking at one of those TikTok filters that mirrored everything. Only, I was living this hell.

Remy helped me undress, then into the shower and cleaned me off, being very gentle with the scrapes on my back and the cuts on my wrists and ankles. I felt very little as the numbness was still ever present. She washed my hair and made sure to get soap on every part of my body. She even asked for my consent every few seconds and waited for me to respond.

Half of me knew she was doing it just to keep me present, and the other half thanked her for being so thoughtful in such a shitty moment.

“Coralena, do you want me to…” She had cleaned every part of me except one. I didn’t want to think about it, but I also didn’t want anyone else touching me there until I could wrap my head around what happened.

I shook my head and took the rag from her. She helped by angling the shower head which thankfully had a hose attachment to wash everything down the drain as I scrubbed.

Once I started, I couldn’t stop. I scraped the rag across my body, pressing harder and harder, but it wasn’t enough. Steel wool wouldn’t be enough to remove the grime that coated me. Nothing could wash away something that wasn’t physically there.

I collapsed into the wall and sobbed. Remy replaced the shower head and asked if she could hold me. When I nodded, she wrapped me up in a hug, soaking her clothes further. We sank to the floor, and she held me until the tears finally stopped and my mind went blank.

“Let’s get you dried off and in bed. I made some demands before you got back. We’re going to have a movie night with popcorn and every food imaginable.” I didn’t have the energy to protest, but she knew. “I know you probably aren’t hungry, and that’s fine. It will be there if you want it. No pressure. Kiran will guard the door, and I made him promise to cut a toe off anyone who insists on disturbing us. As the earth kingdom prince and best friend to… you know, I think it is within his rights to do and our right to demand.” I snorted, but that was all she was getting from me as she pulled us both up, wrapped me in a soft towel, and led me into the bedroom.

Snacks coated the bed and every other available surface. A large TV had been brought in, and there was a note attached to it. I would let Remy handle that. I wanted to get into a few layers of clothing then hide in bed until the void took me.

“Do you need…”

“I can dress myself.”

She nodded and went to read the note. I walked into the closet and pulled on underwear, a tank top, a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, pajama shorts, and sweats. It was as close to armor as I was going to get.

“Blast the AC,” I said, walking back out.

“Let me go yell at Kiran really quick first.” She did just that, and a few seconds after she shut the door, cold air blasted into the room.

“I’m going to get changed too.” Remy made quick work of discarding her wet clothes and changing into a tank top sans bra and baggy sweats.

“The note was from Kiran, so he didn’t have to come in and explain. Everything is hooked up, and we should be able to use it like any TV in the human world. There’s Netflix, Hulu, everything. We can even buy something if we don’t have access to it.”

She watched me climb into bed without saying a word. Snacks fell off the edges as I slunk down and cocooned myself.

“I’ll pick. Don’t worry. No thinking for you.” Remy flipped through the streaming apps and finally proclaimed that we were having a musical marathon. “My singing always cheers you up. If nothing else, it will give you something to focus on.”

I nodded from under the covers.

“I’m taking that as a ‘yes, my lovely bitch.’”

I snorted again which morphed into a small laugh.

“So I was close. Good.”

She plopped down beside me as The Greatest Showman started playing. Remy snacked on popcorn, dipping it in nacho cheese, and drained half a liter of Ski before I peeked out and asked for Doritos and a can of cranberry Sprite. How the fuck they got this out of season, I didn’t know, but I wasn’t going to complain about it.

We spent the rest of the night just like that. No talking. No questions. Just musicals and garbage food.

Thank Satan for people like Remy, and fuck the God who created my birth family. They were on my revenge list as well, and I knew my best friend would march through the pearly gates with me and blow the bitch up.

Eventually, we fell asleep in a pile of wrappers only to be woken by Kiran knocking on the door. Remy shot up and rubbed her eyes before stumbling over and opening the door.

“What do you want?” she said grumpily followed by a yawn.

“I have been given notice that Andrin will be stopping by in a few hours to check on Coralena.” He sounded pissed about it, so I will give him props for that.

“No. No one will be seeing her until I say so which is when she says so. Before that, I will stab. They aren’t dead because one, I don’t have the tools to kill them, and two, I don’t know where the fuck they are. So no, Kiran, keep your promise, and bring me their toes.”

“Remy, I can’t…” She slammed the door in his face and marched back to the bed, jumping on it and making me bounce. More snacks fell off, but who cared?

“Don’t give me that look,” she chastised me. “I will do it.”

“I know, Remy, but who knows what they will do if I don’t see him.” I rubbed my arms and held back the tears. Fear started bubbling up, and my body started shaking.

“Coralena, no, stop. Focus on me. Listen to me. If they try to take me out, I will take an eye or two with me. Besides, Kiran wouldn’t really let them touch me, so stop worrying about that, okay?” I looked up at her and glared.

“I will fully explain later, but the important part is now I know that you aren’t bonded to Andrin, and somewhere out there are men who are meant to bond with you. Got it? And they will slice his dick in two when they get him. As much as I want to do it myself, they will get that honor. Kiran…“ Remy took in a deep breath before continuing. “He is one of mine, one of my bonded, so I’m safe. He isn’t like them. He will protect us as best he can, given… everything.” She threw her arms out in an erratic fashion. “I’m going to need a verbal response here, my guy. Do you got it?”

“I got it. Trust Kiran. Find some men. Kill douches.” I gave her a thumbs-up just as Kiran knocked again.

“Fucking hell.” She jumped up and opened the door, screaming, “Leave us alone already, damn it!” Only it wasn’t Kiran who was behind the door.

It was Andrin, and he looked peeved.

Coralena

Ifroze.

Remy wailed.

And Andrin shoved his way in.

Again.

I slid back against the headboard, pulling the blanket with me.

“She doesn’t want to see you, dickhead.”

Andrin waved her off, keeping his eyes locked on mine. “How are you?”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Remy muttered behind him.

I stared at him, refusing to speak.

“Coralena,” he said, taking a step forward. “Talk to me. How are you doing?”

Remy was arguing with Kiran by the door, but her eyes were on me, making sure I was safe-ish. I looked back at Andrin and let out a sigh.

“Get the fuck out of my room.”

Andrin tutted at me and shook his head. “Now, now, Coralena. Is that anyway to treat your mate?”

“You said ‘rapist cunt’ wrong.” My backbone came back a bit. I was guessing it had to do with the fact that I wasn’t chained to a stone slab. “I am as awful and disgusted as a normal person would expect, but I know you don’t fall into that category, so I will lay it out for you. I hate you, you’re repulsive, I’d rather die than be near you, and I want to go home and forget this world exists.”

“Add in that he has a small penis. I saw it. It’s pathetic.” Remy crossed her arms and stood her ground as Andrin whirled around to look at her.

“Oh, and you tasted like sea slugs fried in seaweed oil.” Andrin turned back to me, and his face was bright red. He was breathing deeply, trying to control his anger.

“Gross. Kiran tastes like fresh pine. I guess that’s the difference between forced matings and true bonds.”

“Remy, stop egging him on.” Kiran tried to pull her to him, but she was an immovable rock.

“Kiran, it’s fine. I will go. Eventually, we will have to talk, Coralena. Also a doctor will be stopping by to look you over and make sure our mating was successful.” He was halfway out the door when Remy started fake gagging.

Andrin stopped and stared at her before looking at Kiran. “Looks like we will both have our hands full.” He laughed, and Kiran responded with a smile and a warm glance at Remy. His gaze fell on me next, and it turned remorseful. I wanted to assume Kiran was simply playing the part of best friend, but when you faked something for so long, it eventually became real to some extent. I internally sighed. I had to trust Remy if no one else.

“Look after her for me,” Andrin said before finally leaving. With him gone, I could finally relax, even just slightly.

“That was…” Kiran started.

“Impressive?” Remy finished for him.

“Sure, let’s go with that. You two just bullied the king and won. I don’t understand how you did that.” Kiran shook his head and sat on the edge of the bed, trying to piece it together.

“Easy. We are awesome, but we are also college kids that grew up with constant online bullying and shitty people everywhere. We had to learn to throw comebacks or we wouldn’t survive.” Remy shrugged then headed toward the bathroom. “Pee time. Don’t wait up.”

With the door closed, Kiran looked at me, and pity coated his features. “I’m so sorry. I don’t know how much Remy told you, but we tried… We got you away, and he still found you.”

“I know, and thank you. Really. I had a normal childhood because of it, and I am so grateful.” I pushed the covers back and crawled over to sit next to him and give him a hug. “And thank you for keeping Remy safe. I don’t know what I would do without her.” Kiran awkwardly wrapped his arms around me just as Remy stepped back into the room.

“Oh good, I was worried you two wouldn’t get along but was prepared to say tough titties because you’re both stuck with me.” I let go of Kiran and fell on the bed, chuckling.

Once I stopped, I asked the question I had been dreading.

“Now what?”

They responded with silence, and that was as clear of an answer as any.

“Yeah, I don’t know either.”

Around two in the afternoon, the doctor stopped by and made me pee in a cup. I was hoping they had better methods here, but that dream crashed down like every other one since entering this damn realm.

She—yes, she, because Remy actually punched the male one and broke his nose—confirmed that I was pregnant, and I asked how that was possible since it took weeks for humans to find out.

Kaiya gave the very scientific explanation of ‘that’s not how nymphs work’ and ‘it’s immediate if no protection has been used’ thanks to their weird tapered penises. One day, I would ask more questions, but I refused to think about dicks any longer.

“Good to know,” Remy said, eyeing Kiran who stood in the doorway.

He rolled his eyes at her, and she blew a kiss at him. I enjoyed watching their relationship bloom, even if it had only been in existence for less than a day. Kiran had explained that true bonds are drawn to each other. The relationship still had to grow, but it was easier for them to sync and fall in love. It wasn’t guaranteed like in the books I had read but was more of a jumpstart.

I wanted that but was terrified of how they would view me now. Would they even want me? I felt like garbage and worried they would see me in such a way.

But that was an issue for a later date. For now I needed to focus on either throwing myself down some stairs or accepting that I was pregnant with Andrin’s child. Either way, escape was necessary and that required a lot of trust in Kiran.

Remy trusted him, and that helped, but I was still cautious. In the end, I would have to follow him because Remy would be attached to his hip, or maybe his dick, if we stayed here long enough.

My hand rested on my stomach as I stared off into space, letting Remy and Kiran go about their business for a minute. I was still trapped in this room, hiding from Andrin and everyone else. Andrin had sent word that he would give me a week to acclimate fully with Kiran’s help. However, he mentioned that Wren was not a part of that agreement and might pester me at one time or another.

Apparently, she received more special treatment than anyone else in this place. I honestly didn’t mind as I didn’t remember seeing her at the ‘event.’ That’s what I was calling it now because how else was I going to refer to it? The Rapening?

I decided a shower, then some fresh air and juice would do us all some good. I took the first shower and told Remy and Kiran that I did not want someone to walk in on anything. If this were a week ago or even yesterday morning, I would have brushed it off. Today? I wasn’t sure how I would react.

Remy took the second shift, and lastly, Kiran jumped in and washed up in record time. He didn’t want to leave us alone for too long. With us cleaned up and dressed, Kiran led us through the castle—the long way to avoid everyone possible—in search of the gardens.

When we finally stepped outside, the view took my breath away once again. Bushes and trees filled with fruits and flowers covered every inch of the garden. Yellows, blues, purples, pinks, and every color in between greeted us.

This was on the opposite side of the castle grounds as the pools, so the chances we ran into another water nymph were low.

I took deep, steadying breaths as we walked the paths, and I picked flowers to fill a vase back in our suite. In the human world, I wouldn’t do this because nature should be seen and loved and not harmed or abused, but Kiran explained that there were earth nymphs that tended the garden and made sure everything grew back with ease and that, although the plants knew what was happening, they didn’t feel any pain.

We also made Kiran form a basket with the front of his shirt, so we could pile fresh fruit in it. He ended up walking around with a shirt full of fruit for about an hour before a servant noticed and brought us a basket.

They also supplied us with a blanket and some more juice and water. We laid down the blanket in a shady spot that still had a clear view of the sky and collapsed on top of it. Remy was in the middle with me on her left side and Kiran on her right. It was a beautiful sunny day, and I chose to focus on the happy experiences I had had since coming here.

If we hadn’t, Remy never would have found out about her ancestry or met Kiran. I wouldn’t have learned I could merge or have tried all the new tasty foods this world had to offer.

I didn’t want to ruin the mood, but I had one question that was pushing to be asked.

“Kiran, I can’t unmerge, can I?” I was resigned to it. Everyone treated Cora and Lena as interchangeable anyway, so did it really matter? My mind screamed yes but also no. Who knew which side was saying what and how the trauma of last night was playing into it.

“Not while you’re pregnant. For the next six months, you are stuck this way. Afterward, it’s entirely up to you.” That was a better outcome than I expected. At least I could choose later on.

“Why couldn’t I unmerge while I was chained?” I was wrong. There were two questions that needed to be answered.

“They were a special metal that can block or stifle our powers quite a bit, especially for someone who doesn’t know how to control them.”

“Okay, thank you,” I whispered as a single tear ran from my left eye and into my hair that Remy had braided back.

If I had just been stronger, I could have saved myself.

Coralena

We spent the rest of the afternoon asking Kiran questions about the world we were now in. I wasn’t sure I retained any of the information, but it kept us busy and my mind from wandering until the sun started to set.

One of the servants that had presented our dresses came walking up the path, inquiring about dinner. Kiran answered for us, telling Cillian that we would take dinner in the suite and made sure to request more juice. I didn’t know what they put in it or how to fully pronounce the fruit, but it was addicting.

It occurred to me that my family could be poisoning me in some way. Perhaps the goal wasn’t to kill me given that I was carrying the heir that they had worked so hard for, but I wouldn’t put it past them to add a little something to everything I ate or drank. Something to make me more pliable or even extra vitamins to jump-start the pregnancy.

My thoughts took me down a dark path again, so I stood up and started walking along the path behind Cillian. Kiran and Remy followed behind me, carrying on their previous conversation about what activities they do for fun here besides hosting parties.

“We have collected a few activities from the human world. A few board and card games, but we prefer our forms of the yard games. We aren’t as fragile as humans, so we can be a little… crazier. For instance, I heard lawn darts were banned.” Remy and I snickered at that.

“Yeah, one too many people had a dart stab their foot and ruined it for us. Are you telling us that the game still exists here?” Remy was far too excited about this, and that could only lead to trouble.

“Yes, but ours are practically javelins, and the distance is farther. Each type of nymph has a variation as well. Water nymphs enjoy playing it in water of course. Fire nymphs prefer a fire ring and flaming dart. Air uses many hoops floating in the sky and the dart has to zig-zag through each one to score. As for us earth nymphs, we actually do enjoy the original, but sometimes, we play on opposite sides of a ravine. Just for fun.”

I tried to focus, but the swishing of Cillian’s pants was garnering all my attention. The sound didn’t grate on my ears like some fabric sounds do either. It was pleasant enough as I walked along and stared off into the gardens.

Anxiety overtook me and revolted at the idea of going back inside. I could feel the tears coming as the emotions welled up inside me.

“Stop,” I whispered. “Can we…” I paused, turning my head to look at the three nymphs who listened to my plea and stopped. “Can we play?” My voice was barely above a whisper, but I knew my expression spoke loud enough. “I don’t…” I shook my head and watched Remy’s nostrils flare.

Before I finished my sentence, she interjected. “Let’s play. They have to have a field with lights around here somewhere. Right, Kiran? Cillian?” she asked, looking at each of them in turn.

Both nodded, and it was decided that Cillian would pass on our dinner requests and grab a set of lawn darts for us to play.

While he was away, Kiran led us to a small field that was well-lit as promised and out of the way so no one would disturb us. Even if they did, any of us could easily order them away. Word had spread about Remy and Kiran. Kiran held the title of the king’s best friend, and Remy was known as the princess-in-waiting as we had joked before. Given that Kiran was the Prince of Nularoth, her title was now well-fitting.

No one would argue with them unless it went against an order from Calliope, Galvin, or Andrin. However, I was convinced that Remy would give them a run for their money. If one of the three weren’t present, any servant, guard, or what have you would have a hard time convincing her to do anything. Well, even with them present, it would be a hard sell. I saw that first-hand. Remy would fight until she couldn’t.

“Cillian should be back soon. Until then, I will go over the rules. We will play the simple version without powers because that would be unfair.” He gave Remy a wink, and she flipped him off. “Until you two can start working some magic, then we might be in trouble.”

Which reminded me… “Calliope said there was a test for Remy. When can she do that?”

“Well, it was going to be a surprise, but I have it set up for tomorrow afternoon.” Kiran looked a little sheepish, but apparently, he didn’t need to worry.

“Let’s get that party rolling, so I can blast a molten fire poker up some asses.” She laughed for a moment, but then her face turned serious. “I know I wasn’t very receptive at first and clearly didn’t want to be here, and the whole possibly being a nymph thing really threw me, but I am glad I will have something in my arsenal besides my sarcasm and ability to verbally put the beat down on someone. In the human world, I was unstoppable. Here?” She sighed. “Absolutely useless except for minimal distraction.” Her shoulders slightly slumped as she finished.

“Remy, even if you weren’t a nymph, you are invaluable to me. I would have found a way to…” I cleared my throat. “Kill two birds with one stone already if it hadn’t been for you holding me together, even just a little.” We stood there, staring at each other, speaking without any more words.

Remy’s usual spark was dwindling by the hour. I hoped learning about her powers—and maybe some alone time with Kiran—would amp it back up again. I wanted her to feel and express herself of course, but the contrast from Remy forty-eight hours ago to the present was terrifying. If you didn’t know her, this would feel very normal, but this was Remy with so much more on her shoulders than ever before.

Kiran gave us a minute, but when he saw Cillian across the garden, he snapped us out of our staring contest.

“May I continue with the rules?” he asked, and we turned toward him, nodding. “As I said, we will play the simple version. There will be a hoop on either side with two of us standing by it, one person from each team. I call being on Cillian’s team!” He received matching eye-rolls and chuckles from us. “Had to call it before you two caught on. Can you blame me for wanting some solo time with Remy?”

“No, I really can’t.” The smile on my face grew as I looked at Remy who was blushing.

“All right, so Remy and I will be on one side with you two on a team. Cillian and Coralena will be on the other side with Cillian and I on a team. And I promise, Coralena, you can trust him.” Based on the very suggestive way he said it, Cillian was in on the whole ordeal and against the shenanigans of my family. Well, that’s good to know.

We split to our sides, Cillian carried the eight color-coded darts to our side while Remy and I carried the hoops. Once we were far enough apart and the rings were on the ground, the game began.

“Cillian, you go first. Show them what an air nymph can do,” Kiran shouted from across the expanse.

The nymph next to me picked up his first dart which had rings of orange around it and stood behind the ring on our side. Swinging his arm backward, then forward, he let the dart fly. He put very little power behind it, but his magic carried the dart right where he wanted it.

“Bullseye!” Remy yelled. “Feels like cheating but whatever.” Based on her stance, I guessed that she was casually looking at her nails.

“I suppose to new nymphs it would be. That’s also why the air nymphs have a much harder version,” Cillian explained, but I doubted that Remy could hear him. The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled down at me. I wasn’t short for a girl, but he was certainly tall. Cillian was about an inch taller than Kiran who was around six-foot-two if I had to guess given Remy’s height.

“Maybe once we have control of our powers, we will give you a run for your money,” I teased as he lined up his next shot. Each one was as perfectly aimed as the last. Thankfully, this was not a game I cared to win. Remy on the other hand would be annoyed by her lack of ability in this realm again.

The testing tomorrow would be perfect for her. Then she would have something else to focus on. However, if she was a fire nymph, good luck to anything within her range. No one would make it out unscorched.

After Cillian finished his last throw, he stepped back before picking up one of the purple-ringed darts. “Your turn,” he said with a smile and handed me the dart.

As I gripped the shaft, our hands touched and something very unexpected on my part happened. A surge ran up through my arm and spread across my body, producing a gasp to fall from my lips and my grip to loosen. Unfortunately, the same happened for Cillian, and the lawn dart was aimed right above his boot-clad foot.

“What was…” was all I got out as we stared into each other’s eyes. One second later, Cillian let out a scream before muffling it into a groan.

Looking down, we spied the dart perfectly embedded into the top of his foot. I gasped again as Remy and Kiran ran up.

“I thought you might nail him one day, but this is not what I was expecting, Coralena,” Kiran said with a whistle.

Remy snorted as I silently panicked, and Cillian took deep breaths. “I never thought I would see the day where she penetrated somebody, but here we are.”

“Remy!” I shouted, but the laugh bubbled up before I could help it. “I’m so sorry, Cillian,” I said, turning to him. “What do we do?”

Kiran stepped up, gripping the shaft. “You give it a little yank.” And that he did. Kiran pulled out the dart, and Cillian gave a low grunt while closing his eyes and breathing deeply.

After a few moments of silence, I finally asked Cillian, “So what was that feeling?”

“That, Coralena, was something I never expected. It seems we are each other’s bonded.” When he looked down at me with his light brown eyes, anger radiated from them.

I took a step back with a hiss as tears pricked my eyes. My fears were coming true all over again. My brother had ruined me, and my bonded found me repulsive.

Cillian

Iwatched as Coralena pulled away from me, sorrow etched into every inch of her expression. Mine was the near opposite. I knew my eyes whirled with the anger of a rampaging storm hell bent on destruction.

Typically, my emotions and expressions were easy enough to hide, if they even existed in the first place. As an air nymph, little irked us, anxiety was practically nonexistent due to our easygoing nature, and it took a hell of a lot to get us to the point where heightened emotions were evident.

Never, until now, had I experienced such rage. I clenched my jaw and ground my teeth as she took another step back and whispered, “I’m so sorry.”

Coralena turned to run, but I leapt forward, grabbing onto her forearm and pulling her into my chest before wrapping her in my arms. The sting of my wound was already forgotten.

“No, never apologize to me.” I fucked up. I fucked up really bad. I allowed my emotions to take over, but to be fair, I didn’t have practice controlling them like the others, especially the fire and water nymphs. Plus, her shit-show of a family took the gold of screwing someone over. “I am the one that is sorry.”

She tried to weasel her way out of my grip. I almost held on tighter, but then reminded myself what she had gone through and loosened my hold.

Anger still shone on my face, but there was no helping it. She looked up at me with tear-filled eyes packed with confusion.

“Wha-what? You’re… but why? I’m the one…” she started but stopped babbling when I stepped back again.

“Stop, Coralena. You have nothing to apologize for. They…” I let out a heavy breath through my nose, trying to calm my emotions. “It’s them I’m angry with, not you. Well, them and myself… the others.” I glanced at Kiran. He knew exactly who I was talking about.

We didn’t know who our bonded was or how intricate the bonding would be until we were in the presence of our bonded and touched them, but there was always an inkling. We came in groups of five, covering all the elements.

Sometimes the groupings were four mates to one while others had many pairings within the mix. No one knew why it worked that way, but they also weren’t complaining. More bonded meant more support. More full bonded meant an even closer group.

Our group, or what I assumed was ours, as well as Remy and Kiran’s separate group, were complicated at best. And now that the two human-raised nymphs appeared… Everything had changed.

“Angry with yourself?” Coralena asked as she sniffled and wiped the wetness from her eyes with the backs of her hands.

My hands vibrated, and the wind picked up around us. I needed to touch her, needed her to ground me if it was even possible for air to be grounded. I cursed the elders for not preparing the younger generation for the emotional switch.

“Can I hold you?” I ground out, my body tightening until I was afraid every muscle would rupture.

She paused for a moment, breathing in the breeze I was causing before giving a small nod. Without a thought, I marched forward, fell to my knees in front of Coralena, and wrapped my arms around her waist, placing my forehead against her stomach.

I forced myself to not squeeze too hard, but the emotions were building, and I wouldn’t be able to hold back much longer.

“I’m so sorry, Coralena. We didn’t know. We let them… We were too late and didn’t act fast enough. And now,” I growled into her stomach. “Kiran, run,” was all the warning I gave. There wasn’t much time left. I heard Remy arguing over the ripping of the wind across my ears, and Kiran explaining that Coralena was safe with me. I knew he believed it, but I had already caused her so much pain.

As soon as I felt them leave the area, I let go. Wind swept through my hair, surrounding us in a shield as the outside world was torn apart. The trees crashed, the flowers tore from their beds, and the rocks pummeled everything in their path as my powers rampaged along with my emotions.

So much pain, so much anger and hatred. They would pay for what they did to Coralena, my bonded, but revenge wouldn’t come soon enough.

I was mildly aware that she was running her fingers through my hair, trying to calm me down. It was slow to work, but eventually, everything died down, and I slumped back, releasing her. The next thing I knew, Coralena was on her knees in front of me. Our faces matched with tears running down our flushed cheeks and despair and exhaustion residing in our eyes.

Only a soft breeze was left when she lifted her hand and cupped my cheek, and I leaned into it. Coralena nibbled on her lower lip before asking a question I was sure had been on her mind since this all began. “You still want me as your bonded?”

I nuzzled harder into her hand and kept eye contact when I responded. “Yes, of course. We all will, Coralena. You are ours, and we will do anything in our power to keep you.”

As I finished, she started sobbing and crashed into my chest. We knelt on the ground amidst the destruction I had caused for a few minutes until Remy and Kiran returned.

More silence followed as we allowed Coralena to let out the tears. Not that I was complaining. I was already irritated with the thought of not touching her, let alone having to leave her side to fulfill my castle duties and keep up the pretenses of actually caring about this place.

Finally, Coralena’s breathing steadied, and she pulled back, taking all three of us in and the windswept world around us.

“Wow,” she whispered.

I rubbed the back of my neck and grimaced. “I can explain?”

We devolved into chuckles as I helped Coralena to her feet. The damage would be easy enough to explain, but the exact wording would be tricky. I wasn’t sure Coralena or Remy would be too fond of what we would need to do.

“Let’s go back to your suite,” Kiran suggested, and we all followed along in silence until we were safely in their living room.

Coralena and I shared one couch. I didn’t want to push her, so I made sure to sit down first, so she could decide on her own proximity. Kiran, however, dragged Remy to the opposite couch and pulled her down so her back was against the arm and her legs were draped across his legs. Dinner had been brought up while we were still out on the field, and although it would be cool by now, I knew it would still be delicious. If we ate any of it that is. I, for one, had lost my appetite once I realized that we all but let Coralena…

I shook my head and sighed. Coralena sat next to me, close enough that our thighs and arms touched. I would take it. Given what she had been through, this was far more than I had expected.

“So,” Remy started, glancing around at all of us.

“Now what?” Coralena asked as she stared into the fire, nibbling on her lower lip again.

“Now we lie. Well, we lie to others. Kiran and I can explain a bit more about this world so it’s more clear to the two of you.” I glanced at Coralena, and she pulled her eyes away from the fire and let them settle on my own. Hers were so blue and lovely. I wondered what differences I would find when Cora and Lena were separate beings once again. “It’s a mess to explain, but we will try our best.” My fingers twitched and tapped against my thigh. The others should be here for this, but there wasn’t time. Plus, getting them all in here would look far too suspicious.

“Okay, so start. What lie are we telling? I’m assuming it has to do with this whole bonded situation mixed with the jackholes who run this place.” Remy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. I raised a brow at her, and she glared back until I saw the moment the light flicked on and she connected the dots. “No fucking way, Cilly Sally.”

“There isn’t another way,” Kiran told her as he placed a hand on her thigh.

“You already said I had bonded, as in multiple. I don’t need a fake one, too. ‘Kay, thanks.”

“Wait, what?” Coralena mumbled as she fully focused on the situation at hand.

I sighed again and wondered how that became a habit so quickly. Emotions were exasperating, and I didn’t know how others handled them to this level all the time. I wanted to break apart the stone fireplace, pace a crevice into the floor, and drown myself in Coralena in whatever way she would allow me. It was beyond irritating, and everything felt itchy and confining.

Being an air nymph had been great. It was a breezy way of life, but it wasn’t worth the onslaught of fuckery now. Having no control of your emotions with so much power behind your punch was deadly. What the fuck were our creators thinking?

“So Andrin doesn’t have me killed, we will need to pretend that Remy is my bonded. That will explain why the field is destroyed. Air nymphs have very stifled emotions until they find their bonded, then everything comes crashing down all at once.” I fully turned to face Coralena. “I destroyed everything because I realized what my actions had done to you. Not just on the field when you thought I rejected you, but before that, when we were too late, too complicit and didn’t fight hard enough to prevent…” My jaw clenched, and where there had been no draft through the room before, a coldness set in. The fire churned, thanks to the oxygen I provided, lashing out and matching the turmoil within me.

“Cillian,” Coralena called and placed her hands on my fists which were clenched in my lap. With her prodding, I released them and crescent moon-shaped cuts were sliced into each palm.

“Blair should have been first. He’d be so much better at this,” I scoffed. “Even Ira would…”

“No way,” Kiran interjected. “Not Ira. This place would be burned to the ground in a matter of minutes. Blair would be nice though. He’s going to figure it out soon, so we might as well tell him, if that will calm your nerves a little. But it’s up to Coralena.” All of our eyes fell on her. “What do you say? Do you think you could handle a ‘too calm to be a real person’ earth nymph loitering around you along with this emotional wreck?”

“Fuck you, Kiran,” I said as I sent a stream of air up his nose, causing him to hyperventilate for a moment.

He coughed and heaved for a minute while Remy rubbed his back, but she had a smirk on her lips the entire time.

“Don’t,” gasp, “Do,” gasp, “That,” gasp, “Again.”

“Sounds like you should not be a twit, Kiki.” I smiled at him, knowing Remy would take that nickname and never turn back.

And I was right.

“Ha! Kiki. That’s sticking. Sorry, not sorry, Kikster.” And with that, Remy lightened the mood of the room, and a small smidgeon of the tension in my shoulders left.

After a few moments of laughter, Coralena brought us back to the problem at hand. “So it’s settled. We lie. Easy enough.” Her tone was light, but her face said she wasn’t so sure. “Now, how about explaining the whole bonded thing? You mentioned a Blair and an Ira?”

Kiran and I glanced at each other before I started. “That I did. As I said, it’s complicated, but I think they will be your bonded as well. You see, there can be multiple bonded in the group or everyone can be bonded to one person. For you, well both of you, I think you’ll find a few pairings within your group of nymphs which will consist of one bonded per element. So water like Coralena, air for me, and then you’ll have an earth, fire, and spirit as well.”

“Sounds messy,” Remy said, scrunching her nose.

“Complicated. Not messy. Not for us,” I corrected.

“Potato, potato.”

“You said those the same way, Remy,” Coralena pointed out.

“It makes more sense that way.” She shrugged.

I sunk back into the couch with a smile on my lips thanks to their antics and enjoyed the feeling of my new bonded so close. Not that we had completed the bond, but knowing she was here next to me was more than enough for now.

The others would find their way to her in time, and I had no doubt they would be in awe of her just as I was. I couldn’t wait for us to all be together.

I also couldn’t wait for the eruption that would be the Ira vs. Remy meet and greet. They would either be instant friends or… well, either that or the entire kingdom was at risk if Remy had learned some control by then.

We went on to explain more about bonds, but we refused to give details on their other mates. They deserved to reveal themselves and their pasts. Plus, it would be a welcomed surprise in a world of so many unknowns.

Remy

Thank fuck that Coralena’s bed was massive. We were smashed together in the center with Cillian and Kiran on their respective sides. It was an overheated, too-many-limbed, comforter-hogging mess, but hey, we did what we had to do.

Coralena was comfortable with Cillian, but they would have to build trust. She knew I would throw myself down for her and backed up anything she said. She didn’t always need it, but knowing I was there gave her a confidence boost.

And well, knowing that gave me a massive ego boost and placed more weight on my shoulders, but given everything, I would find a way to manage.

But now that I mentioned massive weights on my shoulders, Kiran had dragged us all out of the suite and across the castle so that the testing could commence. I was equally nervous and excited. So many people dreamed about being whisked away to another land and given some hot-ass, magic-filled mates, but now that it was happening to me, I wanted to slap all of them. The hot mate part was great, but everything else was shitty.

Would they truly want to be thrown into another world if this was the result? I sighed, knowing it was still worth it, that Kiran was worth it.

The three others that walked around me were discussing what I would most likely be. Fire was the resounding answer in that. They didn’t outright say it like they had last night, but I knew that meant I had an earth, water, air, and spirit bonded with the latter three being currently undiscovered. However, I knew that Kiran knew, or had a guess, as to who they were.

Anxiety ran through me about every little thing. I wasn’t used to it. In the human world, I knew what I wanted, knew how to act, knew how to maneuver myself around people and kick ass. This place… was draining to say the least.

Apparently, I had been mindlessly rubbing my arm as we walked. Kiran reached over and stopped the movement and pulled me in for a kiss before wrapping his arm around me and continuing down the hall.

Earth nymphs seemed to be more grounded than others and knew when the people around them needed a little help within that. I felt like I was flittering away like flecks of ember, but he was here to intervene. That was a blessing and a curse. He always knew when I was off, but we hadn’t known each other long enough for him to know when they meant I needed him versus when I needed space. Growing as a couple was as great as it was annoying and time-consuming.

“I have a question.” All eyes landed on me as we rounded the corner. “What are the fire traits then? You have explained the others in some detail, but what about me?”

Cillian snorted and tried to cover it with a cough but was unsuccessful. Kiran grimaced slightly at me then returned his attention to the hallway.

“Well,” Kiran started. “I was really hoping you wouldn’t ask and would assume.” He awkwardly chuckled before Cillian patted him on the shoulder.

“Go on then, Kiran. Explain fire nymphs.” Cillian had a bright, mischievous smile on his lips now.

Kiran rolled his eyes, but then they landed on me. “Fire nymphs are brutish. Where earth nymphs are both stubborn and down to earth so they are balanced, fire nymphs are stubborn and rash, punching first and asking questions later. They are emotional like water nymphs but in a loud, straightforward, and ‘will burn down a forest if they feel like it’ sort of way. However,” he interjected just as I was about to interrupt him, “they are fiercely protective, and that eases the tension of those who trust them. Well, that and everyone around them are less likely to cause an issue since they know the situation would go from zero to full force in a matter of seconds if the fire nymph had enough.” Kiran shrugged, and I just gaped at him, mouth popping open like a fish.

Coralena had been trying to hold in her laughter but couldn’t take it anymore. Her laughter rang out through the hall and filled the space. Cillian soon followed suit.

“So much for the nature versus nurture argument,” Coralena snorted out. Cillian and Kiran glanced at each other with confused looks which made me chuckle. Most things were lining up from world to world, but apparently, some did not.

“Nature versus nurture is basically a discussion on whether or not someone’s nature, their genetics, has more to do with how they behave or if nurture, how they are raised, overrides it. Honestly, the argument is idiotic. Both come into play and are required for each person to be a well-rounded individual.”

“So you weren’t mad at the description then?” Kiran inquired.

“Uh, no. It was spot on, but also only the nature part of me. I am so much more than a stereotypical fire nymph. I’m the best fire nymph, obviously.” I faux hair flipped as everyone snickered, then Kiran pulled me to a halt and the other two stopped by us in front of a door that appeared no different than the other large, dark wooden ones that ran up and down every hall.

“This is it!” Kiran beamed with excitement. I was glad one of us was ready for this.

The four of us walked in, and we were met with a state-of-the-art lab that would put the highest quality ones in our world to shame. I whistled as I ogled everything. I wouldn’t even try to describe half the shit in this place. All I came up with was ‘sciency things that look like they did stuff.’ The room had many tables, stools, cabinets, coolers, and so much more. It was covered in whites and light blues like many labs on Earth. It made me feel slightly at ease with the minimal familiarity. Not that I spent a lot of time in labs, but TV shows counted, and I would fight anyone who said otherwise.

“Damn, girl, this is nice,” I said, drawing out nice, just like that popular TikTok sound.

“This is all you right here?” Coralena mindlessly added, then we looked at each other, and for one moment, the weight was gone and we were twenty-year-old humans again.

Someone clearing their throat ruined it, though, and we were brought back to the present.

All eyes turned to whatever the nymph version of a scientist was.

“I am Julien, and I assume you are Remington,” he directed to me.

I nodded in response, and he stepped to the side, signaling for me to hop up on a stool. Thank Satan for small blessings. I was not prepared to flash everyone my vagina today. Maybe next week, but not today. I hopped up and spun to face the table that was set up in front of it. Julien pulled over a metal-looking cart that had a few supplies on it. One was a dish with multiple little indentations on it and another was clearly a needle. Not a syringe, just a basic-looking needle.

I eyed everything and waited for Julien to explain. If he didn’t start soon, I was certain that Kiran would do it for him.

“Well now, how much has Kiran told you?” he asked.

“That this will confirm that I am a fire nymph.” He waited expectantly as if I had more to say on the matter. When I didn’t continue, he pressed his lips together and let a huff flow out his nostrils.

“I see.” He glanced at Kiran who was trying his best to look at anyone except Julien.

The other two were off to the side, quietly chatting. Coralena looked happy but still so tired. I couldn’t wait for the day where she looked like… Well, not herself but at peace.

“The testing is rather simple and only requires a little blood on your part.” Julien set the small indent-filled tray in front of me before picking up the needle. “Your hand,” he demanded, holding out his own. I placed my left one palm side up in his. Thankfully, I wasn’t scared of needles. Bless those poor souls who were.

Julien grabbed onto my ring finger and stabbed the tip with the needle, producing a small fountain of blood. He kneaded the finger, turning it upside down so the drops could fall into the indents on the tray. Only enough blood came out to fill two, so he had to repeat with my middle finger to fill the other three. Once he was satisfied, he gave me a fresh cloth to hold against the puncture wounds as he carried on. Five glass bottles were taken from the cart. Each was opened, and a drop was placed into a single indent, mixing with my blood.

I rolled my eyes because this was all too familiar. This was practically the same test we did in school to see what our blood type was. They could never get either of ours to work right, and now I knew why.

Once all five types of drops were added, it was obvious one of them was reacting more than the others.

“Let me guess, that one is fire nymph,” I said sarcastically.

“Correct. This one over here has a very small reaction, not enough to deem you that type of nymph, but it tells us you have some ancestry in it. You may be a fire nymph, but you have some earth in your heritage.” I was slightly annoyed that everyone had called it so easily, but it was what it was. Now, I could learn how to wield fire and burn a rapist or two.

“So is that it? I can go light shit on fire now?” My tone was dry, as this was very anticlimactic. I was expecting some magic glowing stone, having to pass a test, or dig deep and force out some sort of change within, but no, I just dripped blood, and bam, fire nymph for life.

Julien sighed as if I was taxing. Okay, bro, your entire world is taxing, you’ll live.

“Yes, that’s it, but considering someone,” Julien glared at Cillian who smiled brightly at him, “flattened an entire field yesterday, I would suggest keeping your powers controlled, or as controlled as they can be.”

“I shall take the advice and ignore it, the royal twatness can…” Before I could finish, Kiran and Cillian had placed their hands over my mouth.

Julien simply stood there, looking shocked. Coralena butted in just at the right time.

“Andrin knows she hates him. It’s not a secret. She would have said the same thing to his face.” She nonchalantly waved her hand as if it wasn’t a big deal to insult the king of the water nymphs. “Since we are done, let’s go and see how much more damage we can do to the property.” Coralena’s grin was larger than it had been since we had gotten here a few days ago. She was heading toward a mean streak, and I was here for it.

That thought brought back the memories of the last night we had with M-2 and D-2. A wave of sadness washed through me before I pushed it aside.

“Well, when you put it like that,” I squeaked out while prying two hands off of my face. “Let’s fuck this place up real nice.” Hopping off the stool, I made my way to Coralena and linked our arms, heading for the door. “Oh! Do you think I could burn a message into the ground? Someone tell me I can and point me to the area that faces Andrin’s suite windows!”

So many plans to torment king cuntmunch, so little time.

Coralena

The rest of my free week went by in a blur, but Andrin had kept his promise about staying away. However, I knew he would rear his ugly mug tomorrow morning bright and early. He better not come see me before I have been fed and had a jug of what this world deemed coffee. It had caffeine and that was all that mattered at this point.

We were, once again, having lunch out in the gardens. It had become our routine so I didn’t seclude myself inside the suite all day. Some servants had moved a small table and some chairs into a shady spot in the trees so that we weren’t burnt to a crisp by the end of our meal.

As always, there was a wide array of food as we were still learning about the world and the chef was happy to dish out specialties and favorites from all over. So far, the only thing I hadn’t liked was a holiday dish from Hiacetha, the spirit kingdom. It was some fish I couldn’t pronounce but sounded like blorgandhesh. The texture made me gag, and I swore to never have that in my mouth again.

Remy was keen on the different cheese options but wasn’t a fan of the red sauce Cillian said was from the air kingdom, Ezeghar.

The other kingdoms were called Nularoth for earth and Onulon for fire, with us being in Oedinia. I was deep in studying this world and was finally getting some of the words down, at least the important ones so I wasn’t lost the entire time when the kingdoms were discussed. It wasn’t often, but Cillian and Kiran talked about them every now and then.

I nibbled on some bread and enjoyed the breeze that swept by. It was another lovely day in Oedinia, and I wanted to take it in before it all went to shit tomorrow.

I hadn’t pressed Cillian to tell me or to introduce me to my other mates, but Remy bugged Kiran about it plenty enough for the both of us. Our bonded promised that we would meet others soon and that plans were in the works to get us out of here, but we had to be patient for a little while longer. That was not a strong suit for either of us.

It was time though. With Andrin showing up tomorrow, I didn’t understand why they were dilly-dallying. I had to trust them, but my anxiety and the recent past said nothing was going to go well tomorrow. What if he forced himself on me again? I knew he wouldn’t do anything to physically harm the thing growing inside me, but there was plenty he could do to hurt me otherwise.

A shiver ran up my back, and Cillian noticed. He slipped off his jacket and slung it over my shoulders. It smelled fresh, just like him, and it helped calm the nerves, but only a little.

We were moments from packing up and heading back to the room when Wren walked up the path with two servants in tow. One I recognized from the night of the party, and my stomach rolled. I really didn’t need this.

Wren stopped in front of the table between Remy and Kiran, looking us over. She wore a short, babydoll dress made of a light blue chiffon, and despite the multiple layers, her nipples were on view for the entire world. In the human world, I probably wouldn’t have cared. I would have wondered why she chose such a dress, but hey, you do you booboo. Here, though? Here, I knew she was hoping for attention from my brother. I really wished he would just take her as his queen and leave me out of this disturbing mess of a family.

“Cousin,” she sneered, holding my gaze. Somehow she thought I cared, thought I wanted this.

“Wren,” I dryly responded.

She tutted, then turned her attention to Kiran. “You’ve been busy.”

I rolled my eyes, then watched Remy’s reaction. She was gripping the butter knife, and it took everything in me to not snort or smirk. However this ended, it would be amusing if nothing else. I didn’t blame Wren for any part of this other than her terrible attitude.

“Yes, well, I found Remy and then Cillian…” Kiran drifted off. It was what we discussed, but it was still difficult to hear in real-time. I busied myself with tearing apart the bread then mashing it with butter and forming it into a fatty ball of gluten.

“Oh, yes, I heard from Andrin. Congratulations. One step closer to having a full bond.” Wren lightly clapped for them with a pinched look on her face. The urge to throw the ball at her face was growing, and if Remy’s white knuckled grip was any indication, she was closer to stabbing her as well.

“Wren, I have been meaning to tell you something.” I couldn’t, wouldn’t, hold it in any longer. “I don’t want you getting the wrong idea. Andrin is well aware of my opinion already so feel free to pass it along once more, okay?” I stared up into her big, dark blue eyes. “I didn’t ask for this and would love nothing more than for you to be his queen and fuck him to your heart’s content, got it? So can you stop treating us like we are scum beneath your shoe? Take him, have him, have the entire kingdom, I don’t care, just stop treating me like I’m less than you…” when we all know that I am so far above you.

That thought was new. I never really thought of myself as above others, but… intrusive thoughts. Anxiety again. Fucking mental health bullshit.

We stayed in silence, staring at each other. Finally, she nodded. “Heard,” she whispered. “Andrin only cares about what he wants and thinks is right. I tried, too, Coralena. The way you were raised… I knew there was no way you would accept this world, so I tried to convince him to take me early and save us all heartache, but I failed, and I am so sorry for that.”

I was taken aback by that and sat up straighter with my mouth hanging open. “Oh, oh, I-I didn’t know that either. Um, thank you, Wren. I… just…” I pushed myself up and walked around the table to stand in front of Wren who had turned to look up at me. She had on the typical flip-flops of a water nymph and was only about five-foot-two. “I’m also sorry.” And with that, I dragged my cousin into a quick hug that made her squeal. She didn’t hug me back but patted my side for the two-second hug. When I pulled away, we shared a far too similar look that said ‘I wish I was you.’

As I made my way back to my seat, Wren cleared her throat and patted down her billowing dress. “Well then, I will not keep you but will say good luck tomorrow. I do not believe he has anything planned that you would wholeheartedly be against. A simple lunch with him followed by a dance lesson as you showed interest during the ball. So let your worries be at rest for now.” She spoke eloquently when she wasn’t being a stuck-up twit. Wren would have made a fine queen if Andrin had taken her offer.

My shoulders slumped as I took a deep breath and let it out. A solid portion of my nerves had vanished with her words. I truly hoped she was right and Andrin didn’t have anything else planned. I wasn’t sure I could take anything else just yet. The wounds had barely scabbed over but were ripped open constantly as my thoughts always seemed to drift to that night.

I sat there, taking in the small amount of peace and ignoring everyone else’s presence, so Remy spoke for me. Apparently, she had put down the knife and had calmed some of her rage. “Thank you for that, Wren. You’re still a bitch in my books, but that made up for quite a bit.”

To all of our surprise, Wren laughed, and it was really nice. I looked up and pure joy was on her face. “A bitch? That’s the best you could do? I am not well-liked here because I made it clear I wanted Andrin despite his desire to find Coralena. Ambition is only well looked upon if it resides in Andrin and his parents apparently.” She rolled her eyes and flipped her strawberry blonde hair behind her shoulder. “If you’re going to insult someone, don’t hold back, Remy. I may not like any of you, but you are amusing.”

Remy stood up to her full height and looked down on Wren. Their appearances created a stark contrast. One tall with a dark faux hawk and golden eyes dressed in a deep red color, and the other a pixie of a woman with dark blue eyes, long ginger hair, and a dress meant for a fairy.

“Challenge accepted,” Remy sneered, but the enjoyment in her eyes gave her away, to me at least.

Both Remy and Wren chuckled and gave deep head nods before Remy sat down and Wren walked away. The two men she was with started after her, but one kept looking at me. That caught Cillian and Kiran’s eyes, because they pulled him aside and told Wren they needed him for us to practice our powers. I didn’t understand why as Kiran would be able to nullify either of ours with ease but whatever they thought was best.

Wren and the other servant went along, and once they were out of earshot, Cillian introduced the nymph as Blair, who was about an inch shorter than Cillian with long brown hair tied up in a messy bun and the eyes that gave him away as the man who served us drinks the night of the ball. They were a lovely green with specks of yellow and orange. My guess was an earth nymph, and I was proud of myself for having any sort of clue.

“Coralena, Blair is… well, he’s an earth nymph and who I think is…” He pinched his lips together as Blair, and I stared at him with scrunched brows.

“What?” I said at the same time as Blair said, “This is how you tell me?” I was a bumbling idiot compared to the calm tone Blair had. Which reminded me of what they had said the other night about the ‘too calm to be real person’ earth nymph. This was him. Good to know.

“Yeah, yeah, getting word to you without someone else snooping wasn’t panning out. You got lucky that we were able to pull you away today and introduce you,” Cillian snipped. “Just be happy you have the chance now, okay?” Blair had held my gaze the entire time but nodded in response to Cillian.

“Only if Coralena would like to know.” The nerves had started to creep up again. Having another mate meant more hiding, more faking and lying, but it also meant more protection and possibly, more healing. I hope it also moved us one step closer to getting out of this place. However, his comment that only held concern for me and put the decision in my court made it all slightly better.

They were right. Cillian is an absolute emotional mess and doesn’t always know what to do because his feelings run wild, but this one, Blair, felt like a damn boulder that could hold down any situation. He hadn’t cracked a smile yet, but I was determined to see it.

“Coralena would like to know.” Why I spoke in third person, I would never know, but it worked. I stood up as he walked around the table toward me. His jaw clenched and unclenched the entire time; his eyes also never left my own.

As he stood before me, he reached out his hand, palm up, and waited. I lifted my own hand and let it settle into his, and I saw the moment everything clicked for him. His eyes widened slightly, and his nostrils flared. The rest of him was still as we held hands.

I felt it all fall into place and knew Cillian had been right. Blair was my earth nymph bonded.

“How much does she know, Cillian?”

“Enough.”

Blair turned to look at Cillian, severing our eye contact. I wasn’t sure what passed between them, but Cillian was the one to break the silence.

“She knows it’s possible, but it wasn’t my place to explain.” And just like that, the nerves came rushing back full force.

“Well then, Coralena.” Blair returned his gaze to my own. “We have much to talk about.”

If it weren’t for his deep, calm voice, I would probably be screaming from all this fucking cryptic bologna and information gatekeeping. Okay, I might anyway, just for the hell of it.

Blair

Being near her was painful. Each time I looked at her face, I remembered what happened and my part in it. Honestly, I didn’t do much besides deliver them drinks throughout the night, but our refusal to act preemptively brought our downfall.

Kiran and I, along with a few others, had been stationed here for as long as I could remember to make sure Rogan was informed of any new developments. The moment we got word that Coralena had entered the castle, we pulled the figurative alarm, but nothing came of it. Andrin worked too fast and made it seem like he was putting off the main event until a later date, until after Coralena got more comfortable in this world. We had all been so wrong and would live with our inactivity for the rest of our lives.

Knowing that I was not the one that made the order was the only thing that kept me sane. They all made fun of me for being level-headed, even for an earth nymph, but it worked in our favor more often than not. Now was the time to put it to good use.

Lunch had been packed up quickly, and we made our way to a sand pit near a water feature. It was the perfect location for both Coralena and Remy to work on their powers. Kiran would be able to handle most issues, but if he failed, Cillian and I would manage.

The walk here had been silent besides our footsteps mixed with the clip clop of our flip flops. I didn’t know what to say right then, but I had a little time to figure it out. Coralena needed to know how she played into this, and I hoped she accepted me, us, as we were.

Now we all stood around the pit, digging our feet into the sand as Kiran explained what they should do. It was too bad that we didn’t have a fire or water nymph here to help teach them. Ira would have an interesting time training Remy one day, but if she were here now, the entire castle would be burnt to a crisp and we would be out of here.

That didn’t sound like a bad idea. Why hadn’t Kiran or Cillian given her a full report? Did Ira even know who Coralena truly was? Rubbing a hand down my face, I realized we were all in for a mini-war within our own ranks once Ira and Poe got involved. The idiots before me were only making it worse.

I promised myself that I would send them all the information I had collected the moment I got back to my room. Not that I would stay there, but I would make a pit stop before rejoining everyone in the main suite.

“Why are we practicing? Blair had something to tell me, and it’s clear you’re stalling, Kiran.” Coralena crossed her arms and glared at the other earth nymph who had the decency to look a little sheepish. I hadn’t asked him to stall, but the few extra minutes of thinking certainly helped me sort some things out, at least for the next few hours. Once news got to them, who knew what would be unleashed?

“I’m not exactly stalling. You two do need to practice. Plus, it’s what we told Wren, and we need to keep up the charade as long as possible. We can’t be caught in a straight-out lie. I mean, you could, depending on the lie, but if we were caught, things wouldn’t go well,” Kiran explained.

“Despite everything, you’re still his best friend. What’s the worst he would do to you?” Coralena stuttered for a moment, thinking about what she had said. “Actually, nevermind. Doesn’t matter. It can’t be as bad…”

Everyone’s faces fell, and frowns marred their lips. All except Remy. She looked like she was ready to force Andrin to eat fire from both ends. Now, that I would like to see. Her and Ira together will be a force to reckon with if nothing else.

Still, Kiran and Cillian looked one short step from falling into tears. I didn’t think of the exchange as being sad. Sure, it was, but it was also obvious that despite her recent past, Coralena was thinking clearly, and I applauded her for that. Given that she was now glaring at them in annoyance, the pity party was something she was done with.

“Coralena,” I started as she opened her mouth, most likely to tell them off. “No matter what he would do to us, it wouldn’t be as traumatic as what he did to you. Truthfully, most who cross Andrin do not return, so we aren’t entirely sure what happens to them. We have heard snippets, nothing more.” I turned to the pitiful twins. “You two, stop acting like she’s going to shatter into a million pieces. She’s already proven how strong she is. Coralena is standing before you and proves to you each day that she wants to fight and end this so no one has to go through what she did.” Kiran and Cillian glared for a moment, but then they nodded.

Before I could continue, Coralena muttered a small “thank you” from her spot across the pit. Looking back at her, she gave me a grateful smile, which I returned.

“Continue the lesson so you don’t fall out of practice, then I will share some information. How does that sound?”

“Like I’m going to speed through this and make a fool of myself.” Coralena shrugged, and Remy snorted.

“I look forward to it.” I gave my bonded a wink and enjoyed the light blush that crept onto her cheeks. I glanced at Cillian, and I could see the thoughts whirling. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking so hard about, but he was too focused to not be forming some sort of plan.

“Well, back to it then!” Kiran shouted and clapped his hands together. We all moved into better positions to block any stray water or fire. First up was Coralena who stood by the water with Kiran a few feet to her left. Cillian and I stood ten feet forward and a bit to the sides. Remy stayed behind Cillian for protection.

“All right, Coralena, just like we practiced last time. Pull the water to you and form a ball,” Kiran instructed, showing her the process as he did a similar task with the sand.

Coralena took a deep breath, then turned toward the water with her arms stretched out. We all waited a moment as nothing happened, then Coralena wiggled her fingers as if that was going to help, but it caused me to snort. When she turned to glare at me, I busied myself with twirling rocks in my hand.

“Smooth, Blair,” she said, and I smirked.

Turning back to the water, she tried again. Kiran whispered some encouragement or perhaps some new instructions, but they seemed to work. A trickle of water wiggled up from the surface and made its way toward her at a slow pace. Well at a slow pace, until it wasn’t slow at all. The blob had pulled away from the water source and was almost touching her fingers when it shot toward her and splashed across her chest, soaking the entire front of her body.

Coralena gasped as the cold water hit her and turned around. Parts of her blonde hair were stuck to her neck, and the dark blue fabric clung to her skin. For a moment, I could see the true emotions she had been hiding. She was exhausted and ready to be done. Done with what exactly was the question.

Before Kiran could push her to continue, I stepped forward, pulling all of the attention. “Remy’s turn. It’s time Coralena and I had our talk.” She mouthed a ‘thank you’ again as she walked toward me.

“Have at it, Remy, but please, don’t do any permanent damage. I won’t be mad if some clothes disappear though!” she called back as we walked out of the sand, aiming for a shady spot under the nearby trees.

The sound of Remy cussing up a storm traveled to us and they were still in full view as we sat down in the soft grass.

“Thank you.”

“You keep saying that.”

“I keep meaning it. They said you were calm and grounded so I was expecting that, but I wasn’t expecting it to be so… needed.” Coralena pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapped her arms around her legs, and placed her chin on her knees.

“You shouldn’t do that if you want it to dry out,” I said, stretching my legs out in front of me and propping myself up with my hands slightly behind me.

She scoffed but unfolded herself into a similar position as my own.

“You forgot clear-headed to the point of annoyance. That’s the downfall. We all have one. Air, water, and fire are similar in the way that they end up having emotional eruptions of some sort. You’ve seen Cillian. He used to be similar to me, but then you came along. You haven’t had the chance to meet a spirit nymph yet, correct?” I watched her nod out of the corner of my eye. “They are… somehow equally emotionless and full of passion. You’ll see when you meet Atticus. Which is what I wanted to talk to you about.”

Blair

That got her attention. She moved to face me and sit on her knees. The front of her dress was still dripping water into the grass, but she didn’t seem to mind as her entire focus was on me. Apparently, talk of her other bonded was a point of interest to her.

“They wouldn’t tell me anything about the others. I have snippets of general nymph information, but they refused to tell me about my other possible bonded, including you. Please, tell me more? I don’t want to be left in the dark anymore. The more information I get, the less I feel like I’m drowning in this world.” Coralena looked terrified and seconds from tears. I sighed, knowing they were fucking things up worse than I thought they would. “Plus, it gives me something to look forward to. Each time I meet another one of you, the easier everything seems.”

I felt a blush work its way onto my cheeks as I pushed up and copied her position before reaching out and grabbing her hands. I was thankful that she let me and didn’t seem bothered by the action. “First, I have a question.” She nodded, letting me know it was okay to continue. “You seem okay with physical contact, at least from us. It doesn’t bother you? I don’t want to do anything that will upset you.”

A small smile crossed her lips as she nodded. “About that. At first, only Remy was allowed anywhere near me. Even Kiran, who I knew only had eyes for Remy, well, I don’t know the rest of their bonded situation, but at that moment, he clearly had no eyes for me in the slightest. Anyway, he wasn’t even allowed in my room. Remy, uh, punched the male doctor who tried to enter and was seconds from finding a way to stab Andrin when he visited initially to check in on me and lay some rules.” Coralena paused and took a deep breath. I simply sat there and waited. If she wanted to continue, I would let her. If she needed a moment, I would share my side and go from there. However, she squeezed my hands slightly, then continued. “But I watched how Kiran reacted to Remy and respected my boundaries. Then Cillian, even in the middle of having a meltdown, took my feelings into consideration and made sure it was okay to touch me. It’s not easy, at least not every time, but we are dealing with it as it comes. When we are out here, it’s better. I feel freer. Inside though, it’s… there’s just a higher chance of a flashback.

“However, I don’t want what happened to hinder my future. I know it’s something that will always be there, but I want it to affect my bonded as little as possible.”

“Coralena,” I started, but she released one of my hands and covered my mouth, shaking her head the entire time with wide blue eyes. I now noticed that her face was a perfectly mirrored image. She had the exact freckle and mole pattern on the right side of her face as her left. I had met a few nymph twins but never cared to get close enough to notice small features such as this. I thought back to what they looked like as separate beings and couldn’t wait to have them back in their original forms.

“I didn’t mean it like that. I want to be able to hug all of you, kiss you without fear of panicking. This also isn’t a one-way street, Blair. It affects all of us, and I want to minimize that. It will take time, and I know you all will help me.”

I nodded and placed my hand on hers, pulling it away just enough to place a kiss on the back of it then place our joined hands on her lap. “I’m sorry, Coralena.” I meant so much by that. Sorry, I didn’t help, sorry our superiors didn’t hide them well enough, sorry that I couldn’t whisk her away and present Andrin’s severed dick to her. I needed to remember that last part and mention it to Atticus.

“I know. Cillian explained. I can’t say I’m not… peeved? Sure, peeved, that no one acted, but I understand that a handful of you versus the entire castle wasn’t going to end well. You’d all most likely be dead and I would be in an even worse situation. So you’re here now, and that’s what I am focusing on.”

And at that moment, I truly wished I had had the power to destroy her family and save her from her brother. Every part of me was in agreement that a plan needed to be set to get her out of here as soon as possible. Given that she’s pregnant, it should be sooner than later. I felt my eye twitch slightly at that reminder.

“Now onto the next part. What were you going to tell me?” Her tone was cheery and a complete turn from where we were seconds ago. However, I was thankful that she didn’t notice my inner musings.

“Uh, well,” I chuckled lightly. “You mentioned it slightly, so I am hoping this goes smoothly. Bonds are complicated, and as you insinuated, there can be multiple bonded within a grouping. I so happen to be bonded to Atticus, your, our, spirit nymph.” I held my breath as I waited for her response. Nothing up to this point said she would be mad about it, but looks could always be deceiving.

“Oh, thank fuck,” Coralena blurted out with a woosh of air.

Not at all what I was expecting, but the worry rushed out of me at her reaction. “Care to explain?”

“Well, I was worried that my issues would, uh, rub off and no one would get, you know, rubbed on,” she said while wiggling her eyebrows which caused me to chuckle. I doubted that I would ever be bored around her. “At least I know that the two of you won’t be lonely. Sex-wise, I mean. I am fantastic company, don’t get me wrong, but who knows when I will be ready for that step.” She let out a laugh, and it warmed my rock-hard heart.

“You’re certainly not what I expected, Coralena.”

“The surprises will keep coming, buddy,” Remy said from beside us. Apparently, they had finished and walked this way without us noticing with Remy in the front, flanked by Kiran on her right and Cillian on her left. If I didn’t know any better, they would look like a fierce trio, but I did know better, so the image only made me smile. The singe marks on all of them only helped to increase my amusement.

“How much did you hear of that?” Coralena asked as she stood up and pulled me with her, wiping the grass snippets of her dress and flipping her damp hair over her shoulder.

“Just the tail end where you were happy about someone getting their dick wet.” Remy shrugged, and all of us, excluding Coralena, gawked at her. “Which gave me an idea. Ever heard of immersion therapy? Maybe watching your bonded get it on will ease you into the whole thing. Whenever you’re ready, of course. Seriously, no rush, just wanted to mention it while it came up naturally.” It was very obvious that Kiran and the others were going to have their hands full at all times. Remy was very much an independent fire nymph who would do what she wanted, when she wanted. I applauded her and knew she would do great things in this world. “I am sure they would happily oblige. Am I right, Blair?”

I glanced at Cillian, but he was slack-jawed and staring at Remy. Thankfully, Coralena saved me from trying to fully decipher the enigma that was Remy.

“That’s a good point,” she said, rubbing her chin.

“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Cillian groaned.

“Calm down, Cilly Sally, it’d be Blair and Atticus. Your butt is safe.” Remy was back again with the punches. Both Cillian and Kiran were groaning and rubbing their faces.

“This is what you deal with all the time?” I asked.

“Yes,” they answered in unison.

“Remy provides live entertainment. I’m like her co-star. You’ll get used to it. Besides, she might be ridiculous, but she tends to have good points.”

“That’s… fair. I simply wasn’t expecting her to mention anything like that so openly. However, I wouldn’t mind, and Atticus would be up for it.” I winked at Coralena, and she beamed up at me, before I leaned forward and placed a kiss on her forehead. She pressed into it, and that small action brought me so much joy.

“Does Atticus even know how to say no?” Kiran cut in, and it was a very fair question.

“No,” Cillian and I answered at the same time.

“Sounds like the life of the party,” Remy added.

“If you consider him murdering anyone who pisses him off a party,” Cillian grumbled.

“Oh, I do. I really, really do,” Remy said, bouncing up and down in excitement.

I was wrong before. Remy and Ira would be a force to reckon with, but Remy and Atticus… that’s a killing spree doused in fire. We were doomed.

I stepped forward and patted Cillian on the shoulder. “This is our life now, Cillian. Better get used to it.”

Andrin

Wren had come to speak with me yesterday about her chat with Coralena. Thankfully, I hadn’t included her in my promise that no one would disturb her for a week. Wren wasn’t easily stifled, and I knew she would bother Coralena eventually.

I didn’t want to marry or bed Wren, but she was a royal and had always been someone I could rely on at times. Although she was tiresome with her incessant need to be my queen.

I scoffed and brushed that all aside. Her talk had given me an in. Coralena was still adamant that she despised me and would not willingly take me as her mate. As much as that was expected, it was still irksome. Why couldn’t she see that we were meant to rule this kingdom together, meant to share our lives with one another?

Thanks to Kiran, I knew she knew all about bonded by now. With the new addition of Cillian, I was certain there were no secrets or possibility of hiding the truth. I could only hope that Coralena’s bonded were far away from here. The nymphs that kept her company were well-vetted and lowly in the scheme of things, so there was no chance of them being hers. Remy was a different story and it made sense that she would find a few of hers here within our walls.

I would have to be careful going forward and not let any of the elite touch her while at balls, parties, and so on.

That was an issue for future me. Right now, I had to work with the information that Wren gave me. Given that Coralena was still against this, I would have to work hard to woo her and help her work past her qualms. She would see the rightness in all of this eventually. I knew she would. It was our heritage; it was in our blood.

I stood in front of the full-length mirror stationed in my room and looked myself over, admiring the man that I had become. Heartache and sorrow were my companions through childhood, ever since Cora and Lena were taken from us. For twenty-one years, I lived in terror that they would be lost to us forever.

Thankfully, that all ended and love returned to our lives. Mother and Father had never been the same, always sulking and missing their precious daughters. I still wasn’t sure who found them or how they got the information to me as I had found a note on my desk and wasn’t going to shove it aside without confirming for myself.

I let out a sigh and dropped my hands which had been mindlessly patting down my dress shirt. I was nearing twenty-nine, so the wedding would need to be soon to hold my rightful place as king. Otherwise, the title would go to Wren, and we couldn’t have that.

Today, I chose a light blue tunic-style shirt tucked into dark blue leather pants with black sandals. Truthfully, the color scheme was growing old, and I longed to wear a burnt orange or perhaps a deep red. Both would clash with my skin tone, but they held so much fiery passion, just like…

I shook my head. No, I would not think of her. Today was for Coralena and I to bond. I rubbed my hands down my face, knowing that I would accept an inkling of like instead of love from her. Anything other than hatred.

I went into this thinking everything would click into place and that she would follow suit, just as Mother and Father had said, but after… Well, after our first time and Wren’s beration, I put myself in her place. I grew up being taught that our pairing was natural, but she grew up thinking that it was inherently immoral. If the roles were reversed, I figured I would have a similar reaction. I was too harsh on her with my demands. We moved along too quickly, and I needed to make up for my wrongdoings. If that was even possible anymore.

Well, I was ready as I would ever be. It was time to pick up my sister and show her a lovely afternoon.

Coralena had been quiet since the moment Kiran opened the door. She was dressed in a soft lavender dress that flowed over her slight curves down to her knees. It would do nicely for what I had planned.

We walked along the halls in silence. Coralena was always a step behind me following along. I led us to one of the smaller ballrooms, one she hadn’t seen before. It was on theme as was the rest of the castle, but it was surrounded by water, which gave it a more homey feel and less like we were being drowned in blue and purple.

I pushed open one of the large double doors and signaled for her to step in before I closed the door behind us. As expected, she stood there in awe. The floor and walls were dark blue and where there should be windows were glass tanks filled with water and fish. The opposite sides of those were windows to the outside world and created a watery effect on the dark floors that made it seem like you were swimming. The ceiling was the same dark blue but was littered with stars that beamed down light that mixed well with the shimmering water.

This was my favorite room in the entire castle, and I had barred use of it by anyone other than Coralena or me.

“I come here when I am having a bad day. It seems to wash away all the pain, even for a little while.” Coralena stiffened, having forgotten I was here in her perusal. “You can enter any time you wish. Only you and I are permitted here.”

Off to the side was a long table that was filled with an array of snacks, especially the ones that Coralena was most fond of. I had the staff keep track so I could personalize things for her. Near it was a small square table with two chairs for us to occupy while we ate.

“I understand that you wish to stay far away from me and for good reason.” That got her attention. Coralena whipped around to stare me down.

“For good reason?” she spit at me with a sneer.

I sighed and rubbed my face again. This was not something I typically did, but it was certainly becoming a habit.

“For an exceptionally good reason that I am beyond sorry for, and I would like a chance to explain and perhaps grovel.” No one else would even get a simple sorry from me. Only Coralena deserved more.

“Grovel then.” Coralena faced me head on. There was a slight tremble in her hands and a tightness in her jaw that said she was scared of what would happen, but her bravery spoke to me. She would make an extraordinary queen.

“As you wish.” I harshly fell to my knees from where I stood, a long distance away from her. She let out a small gasp but made no other sound or movement. I hung my head and began my side of the story. “As you know, here in Oedinia, we are taught that mating your sibling is highly regarded, as it makes the bloodlines strong and is needed to produce powerful children to keep our kingdom safe. You were taken from this and raised to believe the opposite. I knew this, we all did, but despite that, our parents were convinced you would accept our world and our ways after our pairing, as if it would unlock that side of you. Clearly, that was not the case, and what we did traumatized you and created a space where you feel… not welcomed, unhappy, abhorrent…”

“Used and abused,” she whispered.

“Yes, I suppose that sums it up.” I cleared my throat and looked up at her. “And for that, I am sorry. I was misguided and didn’t truly take you into consideration, only my feelings and the well-being of our kingdom. I will do what I can to make up for the injustice. Just know, I will accept any inkling of non-hatred as a step forward.”

Coralena stood there, staring down at me with her beautiful blue eyes that resembled everyone in our family. They were home, and I never wanted to leave.

Her breathing was steady as she mulled over my words. I dared not move and held my position on the floor until she was ready.

“Fine.” That was more than I expected so soon, but I expected her answer had more to do with knowing there was no true escape and a truce, even a small one, would suit us all better than warring the entire time.

“Thank you, Coralena.”

“Do not thank me. I know there is no way out of this. I am pregnant with your child, and no matter what I do, I am linked to you in many ways. I have nowhere else to go and am at your mercy. I despise this place, understand that, but I will take any leeway and kindness that I can get.”

I nodded in understanding as I stood. “Understood. With that partially handled, I would like us to enjoy a meal together and get to know each other. You’re still my sister, and we missed out on childhood bonding. That should be remedied. After, I shall attempt to teach you some of our traditional dances so you may participate at later events. You seemed keen on them.” I walked over to the food-laden table and started filling my plate. Moments later, Coralena sidled up beside me and did the same.

Having her beside me felt so right, but I knew we had a long way to go before any semblance of love took hold, if it ever did.

Kiran

With Coralena off with Andrin, I wanted to spend some time alone with Remy. Besides last night because Coralena, Cillian, and Blair shared Cora’s room and Remy and I took hers, we hadn’t spent any time alone since the first night. We had found moments for stolen kisses and sidebars but nothing concrete enough for me.

I realized that we were in some sinister times right now, but that didn’t mean we couldn’t work on our relationship and sneak off every now and then. Plus, Remy hadn’t stopped pacing since she woke up and needed a moment to stop worrying about Coralena. We would deal with whatever happened, but there wasn’t anything we could personally do at the moment.

Thankfully, Andrin still considered me his best friend and confided some things in me. He was definitely more distant than usual, but I knew that was in part to me finding a bonded and her being the best friend to Coralena. It was a sticky situation to be in, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

He sent me notice of his plans for the afternoon shortly after he picked up Coralena. Andrin intended to have lunch and give her dance lessons, which is exactly what Wren had told us yesterday. Where it went from there was up to her. I hoped he kept his word. He wasn’t known to outright lie or go back on his promises, so there was a solid chance nothing would happen this afternoon that would set Coralena back.

“Come on, Remy. He isn’t planning to do anything like that so let’s have a moment to ourselves, okay? I need this, you need this. You keep focusing on Coralena as if you weren’t also traumatized by what happened. You watched, Remy; you heard everything. Please take this afternoon to yourself and come with me,” I begged as she continued to pace around her room.

Cillian and Blair were in the main room of the suite doing similar actions. Well, Cillian was pacing and there was a wicked breeze blowing through there which was part of why we moved to Remy’s room. Blair, on the other hand, was an unmovable rock on the couch. He hadn’t moved since Coralena left. He might have been the calmest person I knew, but everyone had their limits.

Everyone was on edge, and I needed to get out of here.

“Please, Remy!” I stood up from my position on the bed and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to stop pacing.

She tried to pull back and continue on, but I held her still. Eventually, Remy looked up at me, and whatever she saw broke the trance she was in.

“All right, all right! I’m done pacing. I’m just so worried about her. So what if he promised not to do something to her? He lied to us the entire time.”

“Well…”

“Omission of the truth is a form of lying, okay? Just because he didn’t outright lie doesn’t change the fact that he’s a lying cunt. Actually, cunts aren’t bad. A lying… mosquito. That’s better.” She nodded to herself in approval of the new nickname. It was impossible to keep up with all of them, but it was always clear who she was talking about.

“I won’t even ask what a mosquito is. Will you come with me, then? I have a surprise.”

Remy let out a sigh and deflated against my chest, resting her forehead between my pecs. She took deep breaths for a moment, then answered. “Yes, fine, okay. Surprise me. But if I hear any screaming, I am charging toward it, figuring out how to fist him with a spiked club, and gaslighting him into liking it.”

I really hoped I never pissed her off enough to be on the tail end of her insults. Half the time—okay, more than half—I wasn’t convinced it was a joke. Remy would follow through if she had the ability. That was both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

“You’re going to try and make us promise that you get to kill Andrin, aren’t you? You know we can’t do that right?”

She pushed off my chest and gave me an incredulous look. “Duh, but if I get the chance, I am making him suffer. I just know I would do it better than all of you combined.” Remy flipped back her hair before walking by me to the closet where she started undressing. “What kind of clothing is suitable for this shindig?”

I rolled my eyes. I still didn’t understand a good chunk of what she said, but the context clues helped. “Anything comfortable is fine, Remy. I’m going to let the others know.”

Remy gave some level of a muttered response, but it was muffled by the hangers scraping against metal.

I opened the door and shut it behind me. Cillian looked up at me as he paced but didn’t stop moving. Blair made no indication that he even knew I was there.

“Nothing is going to happen.”

“You don’t know that!” Cillian half yelled and half whined while running his hands through his hair for the millionth time. “There’s no way to know that. Andrin can do whatever he wants, and we are powerless. Remind me again why the others haven’t shown up?”

“They are forming a plan. They need time to get it all sorted,” I reminded them. “You know Ira. She’s working on it as fast as she can. The moment everything is in place, we will know, and we will get us all out of here.”

I heard a scoff from Blair’s direction, but he still hadn’t moved.

“What, Blair? Speak up.”

“You think Ira is running this? She would already be here, blasting down doors to get to Coralena. Add Atticus and Poe into the mix, and we would have one hell of a party. But they aren’t here. That means someone else is in charge this round. Perhaps Rogan or Lane. But it certainly isn’t Ira, and you know that.”

Yes, I did, but I wanted to keep living in ignorant bliss for a little longer.

“Thanks for the reminder, Blair.”

“Any time.”

If Rogan or Lane took charge because of the bonded situation, there was no telling how long we would be waiting for rescue. I hoped we could keep up the charade until then. Eventually, Andrin would become suspicious of all of Remy’s new mates. We had to be careful.

“We will have to deal with that later since there is nothing we can do from here except hope they move their asses. With those three berating them constantly, I am sure they will pick up some speed, but you know how they are. Remy and I…”

“Or they sent them all on a mission to keep them occupied and haven’t told them.”

“Thank you, once again, Blair, for another heart-wrenching possibility.” I mimicked strangling him, and Cillian chuckled. At least I broke one of them for a moment.

“Like I was saying, Remy and I are going to go out for a bit while Coralena is with Andrin. When she gets back, let her know we will be back before everyone goes to bed so they can hash out whatever they need to. But we all need a break. Remy especially needs one…” I glanced at the bedroom door to make sure she wasn’t going to walk out at the worst time. Thankfully, it remained closed.

Turning back, both Cillian and Blair were nodding. I ended up giving them the full rundown of what happened from the moment the girls got here to when they each came into the picture. I hated to admit it, but the more times I went over it, the easier it was. I felt disgusted by the idea, but it was also a small blessing. I no longer cringed or gritted my teeth as I told the tale. I still wanted to break apart the castle and take the royal family down with it, but I could get through without it being too obvious.

“What do you have planned?” Cillian asked.

Right as I opened my mouth, the door to Remy’s bedroom clicked open, and I heard footsteps heading my way.

“Yes, Kiran. What do you have planned?” Remy mocked.

I craned my neck over my shoulder to look at her. Remy had chosen an oversized black t-shirt with some band logo on it which she demanded be brought from the human world, along with cotton, knee-length shorts and matching black flip-flops. Her hair was braided back along her scalp, and I internally cursed when I realized she was lacking one particular undergarment.

“I already told you, it’s a surprise.”

“Well, then, surprise me already,” she said with a smile. It didn’t quite reach her eyes like I wanted it to, but with her best friend who knew where, it was more than I could ask for.

Grabbing her hand, I led us out the door as we said goodbye to the guys.

I had no expectations for tonight other than getting Remy to relax. I would do whatever I had to for that to happen.

Step one was food, booze, and board games. I was told these were her kryptonite—whatever that meant—and I had piles of them ready to go.

We made it to my secret hideaway in one of the towers. Instead of a shingled peak, the ceiling was made of glass. It was perfect for basking in the sun or stargazing. Today, we would be able to do the former.

Pillows, blankets, and cushions littered the floor, and in the center, a table settled close to the floor was loaded with board games with two carts behind it filled with Remy’s favorite foods and many bottles of alcohol to choose from. She didn’t seem too picky when it came to alcohol, but it would be fun to find one she really enjoyed.

She stood near the middle of the room with her face turned up to the ceiling. The sunlight played across her face as I made my way around her. I couldn’t keep my eyes off of her and was pleased that she was enjoying the first surprise of the afternoon.

“I thought you might like it up here.”

“I know we spend most of our time outside, but since we got here, I can’t seem to get enough sun.”

“Your nymph side is finally being released after all these years. Enjoy it, let her out.” I nudged her, trying to get her to move toward the table. “Go and see what I got you.” And so she did.

Remy rounded the right side of the table and plopped down onto a cushion before sifting through the games. I hadn’t been able to ask which ones she liked, so I got as many as I could.

“What do you think?” I rubbed my hands behind my back as the nerves got to me.

The first true smile I had seen came to her face as she turned to me. “I haven’t heard of all of these, but I have played some. Do you know which one you want to play? Are we going to play all of them? Do you know how long that would take?” Her phrasing made it sound like a bad thing, but her smile said that she was beyond ecstatic to play them all and would be more than happy to stay here for days on end playing games.

“So I did well?”

Remy rolled her eyes as she stood to inspect the carts. She made all sorts of cute and slightly erotic noises as she unveiled each new thing. “More than well. Thank you, Kiran.” Her voice had a softer quality to it than before, and I noticed her eyes were misty.

“I didn’t mean to…” I walked toward her, and she met me halfway then we wrapped our arms around each other and held on tight.

“Happy tears, Kiran. Happy tears.”

Those I would accept any day, but I couldn’t help but wonder if I peaked too soon in the relationship. I snorted as I placed my cheek against her forehead. It didn’t matter. I would find a way to always make her happy and make sure we had time together to unwind from the turmoil from the outside world.

Remy was all I needed, and I knew the others would feel the same way. We did have some things that we needed to discuss as a group, but that would have to wait. Just as it wasn’t my place to discuss Blair’s situation, I wouldn’t unveil Poe’s past. I didn’t want her to have any more heartache, but that was life, at least, that was our life.

Andrin

“Iam sorry for that though. Well, I’m not sorry I didn’t grow up here because I gag at that thought, but I am sorry you grew up alone with distraught parents. That is no way to live.”

There was sadness in her voice that made me choke up. No one had ever shown any semblance of sorrow for me, not in this way. Pity was evident and widespread, but true sadness was lost. It touched a dark part of me, and I breathed a singular breath of relief.

“Thank you. From what I saw, you grew up rather well. Happy, loving parents and a sibling to keep you grounded.”

“That about sums it up,” she said, dumping a ladle full of creamy pasta onto her plate next to a heaping pile of kamad meat. Next, she went for a pile of freshly baked bread with a crispy crust that was filled with bits of an aromatic root that exploded on your taste buds.

“You can always come back for seconds, Coralena,” I joked. She waved me off, and it felt so natural.

“Oh, I will. I just wanted to get a head start. The food here is truly delicious.”

My plate was filled with small bites of each thing. I had gotten too deep into a routine and didn’t venture out in the food department as much as I should. Of course, I had tried all of the food here, but I stuck with my favorites. With Coralena next to me, I decided to restart and try everything.

With our plates full, we made our way to the small table. I set my plate down and pulled out the chair for Coralena. She was hesitant at first but then obliged. We sat in silence, enjoying the food until I started up the conversation once more. I noticed that she was not instigating any part of this, but I would accept her answering if nothing else.

“Tell me some things about yourself. What exactly did you do in the human world? Tell me about growing up with Remy. What do your parents do? Anything, just tell me it all.”

She sighed and set down her fork. Our eyes locked, and then she began. There was so much to learn, years of information to ask about and sift through. I would never know everything and that was a weight on my shoulders, but I would file away as much as I could.

“That’s all a little difficult to explain since it was Cora and Lena who experienced everything. You said twins weren’t rare but special. Has any set explained what it is like to merge?”

“No, not really. You were taken when I was eight, and I cared for little besides running the kingdom and finding you. That should have been on my list of things to ponder given that it would help you acclimate, but it simply wasn’t.”

She thoughtfully nodded along. “That’s understandable. Well, to put it simply, I am no longer either of them. I have their memories and sort of a combined personality, but in reality, they don’t exist while I am Coralena. I am an entirely new entity who happens to have half of each physically, everything of each mentally, but I present as something different. Does that make sense?” Her brows scrunched together in such a cute way, but I prevented myself from saying such a thing.

“Yes, in a way, it does. You can access both their pasts, but you are creating your own past as well. I wonder what will happen when you unmerge. I do know it is slightly different for each set, just as everything is.” I rubbed my chin in thought.

“Well, we have a few months until that happens,” Coralena muttered before stuffing a large fork full of meat into her mouth.

“Yes, just a few. How is that part going? It’s only been a week, so I doubt there is anything to truly update.”

“You’d be correct,” she said through her mouthful of food. “Nothing has happened on that front. I am not looking forward to it though.” Her face dropped, and she picked at the food on her plate as she continued to chew.

The thought saddened me, and I was curious as to her exact feelings on it. “And why is that?”

She looked up at me as if I were an idiot. I let out a hefty laugh and corrected my question. “I know that part, Coralena. But is it pregnancy as a whole or just because it’s mine?”

Coralena grimaced and went back to food picking. “Both. You know I find it repulsive that it’s yours, but I wasn’t mentally ready to get pregnant and have a child even if it was someone else’s. So much choice was taken from me…” She drifted off, and I saw a tear slip down her cheek.

“Your entire life has been someone else’s choice.”

She looked up at me with tear-rimmed eyes and a face coated in red blotches.

“I will do what I can to minimize that from now on. I can’t take back what happened, what I did to you, what everyone did to you, but I can prevent your choices being taken away from here on out.”

Coralena’s lower lip wobbled before she pulled it into her mouth and held it there with her teeth. It was adorable yet sad. She sat there, letting the tears run down her cheeks before finally nodding.

“Then it’s settled. You will always be asked for permission, for your opinion, and so on before something occurs. Now I can’t promise I won’t pester you for more lunch dates like this, but I won’t force them upon you. Is that okay?”

She let out a small chuckle, and it was nice to see her smile again. “Like I could stop you.”

Coralena was right; she certainly couldn’t, even if she wanted to.

The rest of lunch went smoothly. We chatted about how Cora and Lena grew up and where Remy came in. She truly was a sister to them, and I was thankful that they had such a wonderful and free childhood. I still wished for them to have grown up here, but if they had, they wouldn’t be the same Coralena that stood before me and Remy would not exist in this world.

We sat there and sipped a drink that was helpful for digestion before getting to our dance lesson. Coralena had stuffed herself silly and refused to move immediately. I couldn’t blame her. I had been in that position many times before.

I picked her up around an hour ago and everything was going far more smoothly than expected. She was still hesitant to discuss certain parts of her life and was just now starting to ask me questions about mine, but I would consider this a win.

After twenty more minutes, Coralena felt fine enough to dance around, so I stood up and pulled out her chair and gave her my hand to help her stand up. She stared at it for a moment, but then placed her hand in mine and stood as well.

Music started, and Coralena glanced around the room, trying to figure out where it came from. I chuckled as she twirled around and saw nothing.

“I believe humans call them speakers. We have something similar.” I shrugged, and she seemed to accept my answer. “This is called Zivon and is a livelier dance used to celebrate. You might remember it from your welcome home ball.” She nodded, and I continued. “It is quite easy and repetitive. Watch me, and then we will practice together.”

I stood back and slowly showed her the steps a few times before asking her to join in. She picked it up fairly quickly and made the comment about how this was similar to what they called line dancing except fancier. I wasn’t quite sure what she meant but told her we could procure the music and she could teach me next time. Apparently, today was my lucky day because she said she would enjoy that.

Soon, she had that dance down, and we moved to another one that required ten people to get the full experience, but we would make do for now.

We danced around, coming closer to each other, then apart, spinning and twirling then clapping to the beat.

“Vadrot happens to be my favorite dance!” I said as we spun past each other.

“I would have to agree so far. It’s so… energized.” Coralena laughed and clapped, and I never wanted this to end. Sadly, she got the moves down, and the music changed to a slower tune.

“A slow dance,” she stated. “Sounds like a waltz.”

“It’s called Senzuk.” I stepped closer to her. “Pairs hold onto each other like this.” I mimicked the stance without touching her. “And do these steps all around the ballroom.”

She watched me dance around like a fool, taking in the footwork. “Very similar to a waltz.” Coralena was zoning out, and something was wrong.

I stopped moving and asked, “Are you okay?”

Coralena shook her head. “No, I… not really. I don’t want to do that right now. Is that okay?”

I immediately nodded from where I stood. “Of course.” I refused to break my word to her. If she wanted to stop, then we would stop. “Do you want to be done for today or would you like to change to a different song where we don’t have to be so close? We could even just take a walk in the garden, or I could show you the library or some other part of the castle.”

She was frozen, but I dared not move until she did. Coralena was processing, and I owed her so much more than to be courteous while she pulled her thoughts together.

“I don’t know what I want. I don’t want to be here though. Take me somewhere else.”

“If that is what you want. Come then.” I walked toward the ballroom door, and she followed along.

We went out the doors, and I led us to the library. She seemed to need to calm down, and she said reading was one of Lena’s hobbies. Perhaps a book and a stroll would do her some good.

My jaw clenched as I fully realized how much I truly loved her, not just as my future lover and queen but as the sister she had always been.

Coralena

Something must had been terribly wrong with me because I was enjoying my time with Andrin. Or I was until the slow music started playing. I could manage being in the same room with him and minimal touching that the other dances required, but that much physical contact made me shut down.

Just like the others, he somehow knew what to do to get my focus elsewhere. He took me to the library and asked what genre I preferred, and after explaining that I liked romance, he directed me to the section that held all of those books. I had been here before, but I had only taken a look at the books that held the history of Incyssia, the world I had been dragged to, and the kingdoms within it.

Andrin had vanished and left me alone in the romance section. I sorted through all of them and thanked whoever decided to make the books here very similar to the ones in the human world. It made me think about the other possibilities for books. Of course, stone had been used to etch into at one time, and scrolls were useful for smaller works, but what other ways could you bind together writing and make it user-friendly?

Perhaps this was one of those things like certain crabs and some trees that weren’t necessarily what they looked like, but evolution transformed them into a near mirror image because it’s what worked best.

I knew there was a term for it, but I couldn’t remember what it was when it came to evolution. Was there a term for the same thing when it came to societal development?

I was stalling, and I knew it, but thinking about something other than my current predicament was welcomed. I continued scanning the books, pulling ones with interesting titles and flipping through them, and soon, I had a series picked out. If I had the time, these would be devoured within a day or two. Given how hectic everything had been, they would last a lot longer.

Now I had a choice. Or I would if Andrin ever showed back up. I could hunker down in the library and spend some more quality time with my brother, request a reading adventure in the garden which would be much more difficult without audiobooks, or I could go back to my suite and be bombarded by questions when all I wanted to do was read and possibly drink some hot chocolate or this world’s version of it.

Letting out a huff, I took my small stack of books over to an alcove that had two small couches facing each other and a small table between them. The backs of the couches were propped against bookshelves and many more filled the room. Long lines of stacks flowed across the expanse. Some areas were two or three stories high with ladders and stairways leading to the upper levels, but this spot was tucked back on the first floor, giving the illusion of total seclusion. I had never seen such an impressive selection of books. I supposed that might be normal for a royal family. They probably held a lot of information here that couldn’t be found elsewhere.

Part of me thought that was smart, but the other part, the one that knew enough about history, said that was idiotic. If anything were to happen to this castle, all the information would be lost. It also wasn’t accessible to the people if the only copy resided in this room.

I shook my head. That was something I would have to mention later. I had bigger things to deal with than spreading information. Besides, if the royal family fell, fixing that issue would be much easier.

I sat down on the couch set against the right side of the alcove and crossed my legs on the cushions. Just like everything else in this castle, it was comfortable and well-maintained. The wood was dark and the fabric deep indigo. I wondered what they would do if I figured out how to get bleach and dumped it on everything. Then I could throw some dye everywhere and bring some life to this place.

Andrin had been right that the ballroom we were in was so much more lively than the rest of the castle. It fit the theme but didn’t feel forced or stifling. I knew I would go back there at some point, but given my reaction, I didn’t know when that would happen.

I settled in and grabbed book one. It was one that I could easily see being from the human world. Andrin did say they get some things from our world, so it was entirely possible. It was about a girl who lost her memory and was thrust back into the world of demons and hunters. Apparently, there was some kidnapping too. It spoke to me and my current situation, and I wanted to know how she handled it.

“Sunny. What an interesting name.” And I was off, devouring every line of the book and clambering for more.

I was three-fourths of the way through, seconds from a massive reveal, when Andrin popped around the corner and startled me. I accidentally threw the book across the space, and it slammed into his chest, forcing an oomph to fall from his lips.

“Oops.” I didn’t feel that bad. He deserved it.

He bent down and picked up the book before walking over to me and setting it in my waiting hands.

“I see you’ve found some books that interest you. I’m glad. I have some nymphs collect them from across Incyssia as well as the human world. It really rounds out the collection. There’s a little something for everyone. My favorites are the fantasy books from your world. We are deemed paranormal or supernatural by your standards, but there are so many creatures we wouldn’t even dream of here.” I watched him take a seat on the opposite couch, giving me the space I still needed.

“And what creature is your favorite?”

“Ah, well, I am keen on gargoyles. The legend fascinates me. I have read romance books and mythology books on them. I can’t seem to get enough. Do you have a favorite type?” He lounged back and placed his long arms across the back of the couch.

“I prefer paranormal romances.” I didn’t mention that I constantly thought about how I was partially in one, but also it felt very isekai—different world—manga as well. That might fit better, given the other strange shit that was happening. “I don’t know if I have a favorite type of creature though. The more gruesome ones, maybe. The beings that shouldn’t be redeemed and are seen as undeserving of love, but eventually, they prove themselves worthy of love and/or forgiveness.” My fingers traced along the spine of the book, and I refused to look Andrin in the eye; although I knew he was staring daggers at the top of my head.

“I see,” was all he said.

Silence took over as it did many times over the last week, but it was less awkward and more companionable than I expected.

“I know we are water nymphs, but why does everything have to be blue and purple? Don’t you get sick of it?” I blurted out. The question had been on my mind since we were kidnapped, and I needed to know.

Andrin burst into a fit of laughter with his head thrown back.

“Why is that so funny?” I pouted.

He composed himself and looked at me, wiping a laughing tear from his eye. “I had a very similar thought this morning. I wanted to wear red or orange, but what would others think of me if I did that?”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes. “You don’t seem the type to truly give a shit what others think of you.”

“That’s a fair assumption, but you’re wrong. I care deeply what others think of me. I have always tried to present myself as the perfect prince and king, but I’m actually filled with anxiety and driven by the need to prove myself to others and do what is expected. Any time I show a different belief, it’s all for show. Can’t show weakness and all that.” Andrin gave me a weak smile, and I returned it.

The heart he had turned to ice melted slightly at his emotional reveal. I had pegged him for a monster, and he still was in some respects, but I forgot that he was still only a twenty-eight-year-old with a traumatic past as well.

“I will have to keep that in mind. Can I make a deal with you?”

“If that is what you want, yes.”

“Tomorrow, read with me, but,” I said, holding up a finger. “We have to wear colors other than blue or purple. Deal?”

His smile lit up his face, and I knew mine matched his to near perfection.

“You have yourself a deal, little sister.”

And just like that, I was taken back to the night he raped me in front of a live audience. My skin itched, my stomach rolled, and I needed to leave.

Andrin saw the change in me but didn’t say anything else. Smart man. Holding myself together, I stood and picked up the three books I had picked out before turning to leave.

“Until tomorrow,” I said as I left the alcove and headed for the hallway. I didn’t know where I was going, but I couldn’t remain here in his presence.

I took many turns, unknowing of where I was headed. It didn’t really matter at this point. Eventually, I recognized a door and walked through it. It led to a conservatory that nearly matched the library in size. The glass ceiling let in light to feed the plants, and the small pool and waterfall provided the humidity they desired.

It was steamy and sticky, but no one would find me here. I found a soft patch of grass near the water and hunkered down with my books. Andrin had his aquarium-filled ballroom, so I would claim the conservatory for myself.

For a moment, I felt bad and didn’t want to be selfish and refuse entry to others who enjoyed the space, but I needed a spot where I could be alone. I was never alone, and at times, that helped, but sometimes it was suffocating.

I shook my head. They could use it until I needed it. That sounded like a fair trade to me. Having made a decision for myself and feeling better about where my life was going, even for the next few hours, I grabbed Splintered by Iris James and began reading again. This time, I would not be interrupted and doubted that I would be leaving before all three books were finished.

Everyone would have to deal with my absence. Andrin, Remy, Cillian, Blair, Kiran… They would manage without me. I repeated that a few times until a weight lifted, and I dove into Sunny’s chaotic world.

Remy

Kiran and I played games, ate food, and drank far too much alcohol over the last… Actually, I didn’t know exactly how long we had been here. When we entered the tower, the sun had been high in the sky, but now, it was sinking lower and lanterns had to be lit for us to keep playing. Luckily, it was a smaller space, and a few did the trick.

I never wanted this to end. Spending alone time with Kiran was what I needed to shed some of the weight that had been put on me. The memories were still there, but they weren’t pressing down on my chest quite as much as they had been.

Sleep had been difficult even with everyone right next to me. I knew they were safe then, but it didn’t matter. The moment we woke up, the nail-biting began again. I was so thankful to have a bonded like Kiran. He knew what I needed and made it happen.

I realized how little time we had actually spent together. There was always something in the way of us having quality time, whether it was training or wondering about Andrin or helping Coralena work through something. We were busy. It had only been a week, but it had felt like ages since we got here. Every second was slow-moving until today.

“Thank you, Kiran. For all of this, for everything.”

There it was. The smile that got me every time. I needed to wipe that off his face, and I knew just how to do it.

“You’re wel—” Before he could finish, I had leapt across the table, tackled him into the cushions, and slammed my lips to his.

“But I think there’s something this evening is missing, don’t you?” He laid there dumbfounded as I sat up and ripped off my shirt. I knew he knew there was no bra under here. It wasn’t part of the plan, but it was certainly working in my favor now.

Instead of moving or doing anything to indicate that this was appropriate, he laid there, staring up at me in shock.

“Shit, shit, shit. Um… forgive me, your majesty,” I mumbled without thought as I tried to throw my shirt back on.

I was halfway to jamming my head into an armhole when Kiran grabbed onto one wrist and ripped the shirt away with his other hand.

“Couldn’t give me a minute to just look at you?”

“Uh, no. You were staring like a random flasher shoved his dick in your face, not your bonded being one step from saying ‘fuck me.’”

“Oh, well, excuse me. Let me fix that then.” He pulled my wrist, and I landed against his chest. His free hand wound into my braided hair as best it could and forced our lips to sit millimeters apart. “I am going to fuck you until the entire castle knows your screams, until your throat is so hoarse from crying out, that you will beg me to stop and until you wonder if you’ll even be able to stand afterward.” With every word, our lips skimmed each other, and I couldn’t help but moan at the feeling mixed with the husky, sensual sound of his voice. “Better?” And his voice was back to normal, breaking the trance.

“Fuck me already, Kiran.”

“With pleasure.”

With one final kiss and caress of his fingertips up my sides, Kiran flipped us so he could settle between my legs. I groaned as the pressure increased, but there were far too many layers between us. Before I could state my complaints, Kiran started kissing his way down my neck and made his way to my erect nipples, sucking one into his mouth.

I let out a hiss as he slightly bit down, causing pain and pleasure to mix. He pulled back and chuckled before continuing his adventure downward. Kiran was taking his sweet time, but I had been far too patient lately. I needed action, and I needed it now.

Sliding my fingers through his hair, I gripped a handful and yanked his head up so he could look into my eyes. “You have years to tease and torment me, Kiran, and as amazing as this feels, I need you to fuck me like you’re about to go into a dry spell.”

Kiran’s answer was a sly smirk, then he softly pulled my hand from its entanglement before moving to his knees and removing his shirt. “Maybe you should fuck me instead, Remy.”

“Give me a strap-on, and I’ll make all your wildest dreams come true,” I retorted.

Terror flashed across his face for a moment, then Kiran chuckled and shook his head. Apparently, that wasn’t what he meant.

Instead of carrying on the banter, he slipped out of his pants, revealing his hard cock. I wasn’t one to say a dick was nice looking because they all look like boring versions of that one alien, but this was a nice dick. It had a slight up curve, perfect for hitting all those special spots, was average length, had a slightly thicker girth than I had expected, and of course, was tapered.

That will fit nicely.

I realized I had been drooling over him, and Kiran was kneeling over me, waiting for me to snap out of it. “Stare all you want, but the longer you stare, the longer you have to wait for an orgasm.”

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, but I was also trying to pull off my shorts at an ungodly speed, which produced more chuckling from Kiran.

“I’ll believe the orgasm bravado when I see it.”

“Challenge accepted.”

The moment my shorts were off my legs, Kiran dove in and latched onto my clit, moaning around it. My nails dug into the blankets and cushions around us as my lower body tried pressing further up into him.

“This counts as teasing,” I ground out.

He delatched long enough to say, “No, this is foreplay. Did you want me to drive into you without any prep? You must have fooled around with some terrible partners, Remy.” With that, he pressed a finger into me and pumped a few times before adding another.

“No comment.”

“So I take it I’m winning then?”

“Who said there was competition?”

“Ah, so yes, I am. Good to know.” Kiran intermingled his tongue with the fingers that were perfectly curling inside of me, building up the orgasm that he promised, but knowing Kiran…

Instead of helping me reach climax number one, Kiran, as expected, pulled away, removing his mouth and fingers.

I began my protests, then Kiran flipped me over and yanked my ass up and back. The tip of his cock slid across my pussy and clit, forcing a hiss from me.

Kiran was right that foreplay was important, but we had been in foreplay mode all week. As much as it was appreciated, there was no need as I had been slick and ready for him since day one.

He slid his hands around my hips and held me in a punishing grip as I pushed myself up to all fours.

I tried looking back at him as I begged for him to end the torture. “Please, Kiran. I want…”

Kiran moved his left hand and cupped it around my mouth, muffling any words I had left. “I’ll give you everything you’ve ever wanted, Remy.” Why did he always have to be so sweet? “Give me a list later, but right now, I’m in charge.” He removed his hand from my mouth and slapped my ass cheek with it before ramming all the way into my wet pussy.

I cried out and almost collapsed, but Kiran held me steady as he kept a slow pace of harsh entrances. I met him each time and enjoyed the sounds of skin slapping skin. I would be surprised if we didn’t come out bruised tomorrow.

Kiran sat back on his heels, then pulled me up so we were back to front. He placed kisses along the back of my neck and shoulders and slinked one hand around to play with my clit and the other my nipples.

I gently bounced up and down as he played me like a damn cello. I would say fiddle, but they were way too small for the comparison to make sense.

His fingers twisted and pinched as he kissed, nipped, and licked. All the sensations built up inside me and that climax was back in view.

“Don’t stop.” My voice was breathy and aroused. I barely recognized it.

Kiran pinched my nipple hard and bit my earlobe. “You aren’t in a position to make demands. Come for me,” he whispered into my ear.

I dug my nails into his thighs as he picked up speed on my clit. I was done for.

My orgasm rushed through me, and his name fell from my lips. My entire body tingled as my pussy pulsed around Kiran and begged him to come with me. Instead of slowing, he kept up his assault on my body and ramped me up into a second orgasm which harshly and unexpectedly crashed through me, making me collapse against him.

“No more. I need a break. It needs a break,” I said in reference to my clit.

“Oh, does it? I can arrange something then.” Kiran pulled out of me and slunk back before standing and making his way in front of me. “Open wide,” he commanded as he took hold of my jaw.

I didn’t hesitate. I opened my mouth and greedily took him in. My tongue caressed the underside of his cock as I hollowed out my cheeks, wanting him to spill inside of me so he could know the pleasure of having a bonded please him.

He held the sides of my head and guided me. I picked up speed, and his head fell back, moaning, “Good girl, don’t stop.” I almost did just to be a dick, but I was enjoying it too much.

Kiran started moving his hips more and more, chasing his orgasm. I worked my hands into the equation. One cupped and massaged his balls, and the other helped massage his cock as I sucked him in and out.

“Remy,” Kiran moaned as he stilled with his dick near the back of my throat. Pulses of hot liquid shot out and I swallowed every bit of it.

We stood there for a moment before Kiran pulled out and knelt before me, keeping his hands on the sides of my face. We took each other in, and he looked at peace. The last week, and I was sure the last however long he was forced to be here, were exhausting and stressful. I would forever be grateful to Kiran for making us take some time to ourselves.

“What’s first on the list?” That wasn’t what I expected him to say. It wasn’t even on my list of possibilities.

“The list?”

“Yes, the list of every sexual thing you have wanted to try but never have the chance to.”

I smirked. “Anal.”

“Good thing I came prepared.”

“You have a strap-on on standby?”

“Remy.”

“Yes?”

“That’s not anal.”

“It is for you.”

We had a small stare-off, then Kiran sighed. “One day, maybe, but that will take some working up to.”

“Deal.”

“Deal.”

“Motion passes.”

I knew my smile was a mile wide as he leaned in to kiss me, and the fun began again.

After many orgasms, we found our clothes and made sure we weren’t complete messes, then headed back to the suite. Walking in, it was clear that Coralena hadn’t returned. Blair was laying down on the couch instead of sitting up and staring off into space, and Cillian held a similar position on the second couch but was on his stomach.

“Uh, what the fuck is going on? Coralena still isn’t back?” My voice held some level of panic, but I would hold it back until I had more information. It was near ten o’clock at night, and it hadn’t crossed my mind that she would spend this long with Andrin.

Both of her bonded partially sat up with annoyed looks on their faces.

“We haven’t heard anything,” Blair ground out. What happened to the levelheaded, calm guy we met yesterday? This had to be getting to him.

“I’m going to break him,” I said, turning back toward the door.

I was only a few feet away when Coralena walked through the door. As soon as it closed behind her, I tackled her into it, asking what happened. I only mildly felt bad for the books that fell from her arms.

“My babies!” Coralena squeaked, and I knew everything was okay if she was more worried about her books than what happened with Andrin.

Coralena

“Why were you gone so long? What did Andrin do to you? I’ll add more torture to the list,” Remy rambled on until I shook her.

“Stop, Remy! I’m okay. Nothing happened. Nothing bad anyway. It was pleasant.”

“Pleasant! How could anything with that creature be pleasant?” Remy’s voice was shrill as she stepped back and gripped onto her hair that was just a tad messier than it was when I left them this morning. “He brainwashed you. How? Is it possible?” she asked, whirling on Kiran and my bonded.

Kiran let out a sigh and gave me an apologetic look before answering. “No, it isn’t possible, Remy. Perhaps we can give Coralena a chance to tell us what happened before we flip out?”

“Fine, fine. Hurry up and spill all the details so I can update my evil plan.” She waved around her hands as she walked toward the couch, giving me space.

Except that space was then consumed by two tall men with concerned looks on their faces. Usually, they asked or tested the waters before pouncing on me, but this time, they scooped me into a group hug that was equally pleasant and claustrophobic. Thankfully, it didn’t last too long.

“I’m really okay,” I reassured them. “As they said-ish in Wreck-It Ralph, he’s a bad guy, but he’s not a bad guy. Wait, that’s not right.”

“Correct, but that was a good reference. I don’t agree, but it was a good use of it,” Remy grumbled from her spot on the couch. Kiran had joined her and was trying to get her to calm down for what I was going to tell them.

“I don’t know the reference, but that actually makes sense for how Andrin has been around me,” Kiran said. We all looked at him, waiting for more explanation. “He’s been put in a difficult spot and grew up in a very specific way that formed him into this person who we see as a bad guy, but deep in there is an at least okay person that makes him less of a bad guy. Andrin has technically always been kind to me and respects me. Others not so much, but…” He trailed off as Remy’s glare deepened, and she looked at him like he was insane. “Look, all I’m saying is that Coralena has a point. I’m not on his side, and I certainly don’t agree with him a lot of the time, but her reference makes sense.”

Remy shook her head at her bonded and ground her jaw before I interrupted their mini showdown.

“Point to Kiran for being on my side. Minus one to Remy.”

Her head spun, and she gasped in my direction. “How dare you!”

“Yeah, yeah. I’m sure he will lose a million points one day, and you already have a few billion logged away. You’ll live. Can we sit now?” I asked, and both Cillian and Blair nodded before giving me an opening between them to pass through. They followed behind me and then sandwiched me on the couch. Our thighs touched no matter which way I moved, and I was having a similar feeling to the hug. I knew if I mentioned it, they would move, but I wanted to see how long I could handle the feeling.

“Okay, so we had lunch, chatted for over an hour about our childhoods, he taught me some dances, then he left me at the library, I read some, he came back, we chatted more, I left and found the conservatory, and I read a book series—which you would love by the way, lots of fire—until about five minutes ago. The end. Oh, and he apologized for what happened and explained a little, so I feel sort of better knowing it was pushed on him by our parents and the ways of the world. Feels less rapey, like still rapey, but less?” I shrugged with my hands turned up by my shoulders.

“Less rapey?” Remy growled, and I didn’t think it was possible. If I didn’t know any better, I would say she’s a wolf shifter and not a nymph. Maybe that had to do with her being a fire nymph though.

“Yes, that’s what I said.”

Remy stood up and towered over all of us who were still sitting. The firelight in the dim room only served to emphasize her anger. If we weren’t careful, she would burn everything up in a second. “There is no such thing as ‘less rapey,’ Coralena! There’s rape, and there’s consensual. Are you fucking kidding me right now?”

I stood and matched her anger from across the table. We were only feet away from each other, but it felt as if a chasm was opening up before us. She had no right to tell me how I felt, but I had every right to express my emotions and explain what was whirling in my mind. I tried doing it in a not douche way, but here we were anyway.

“I didn’t say he didn’t rape me, Remington! I said it felt less rapey because he wasn’t the only variable in it. This world taught these people that rape and incest are acceptable, just as we were taught they weren’t. There are layers here, Rem. My bio parents, societal norms, Andrin… There’s so much more than just him deciding to fuck a child into me.”

Remy recoiled back as if I had slapped her with a ring-covered hand, and I watched as fear mixed with disgust in her eyes that seemed to grow more yellow as the seconds passed. I refused to choose Andrin over her if it came down to that, but I needed to remind her that she didn’t control my life, despite her leading me through the last week as if I were nothing but a rotting corpse. At least that’s what it felt like on the inside.

“Do you hear yourself, Coralena?” Remy seethed. “You went from a devastated, broken version of yourself from what he did to you to being okay with him barging back into your life with an ‘I’m sorry, my parents made me?’ That’s a bullshit line.”

“Today, he showed me there’s more to him than we knew. No matter what happened or happens, he is my brother, and surprise, the father of this thing,” I said, slapping my still flat stomach. “Oh, and the King of Oedinia and way more powerful than we are combined apparently, given that no one has attempted a rescue in the last week.” I saw Kiran cringe behind Remy where he still sat on the couch. I assumed the two behind me were making similar expressions of guilt. “I’m doing my best in an ‘overturned porta-potty on a hundred-degree day’ type of shitty situation. Everything isn’t black and white, Rem. There’s gray here, and I am working with it so I don’t go insane and…” Instead of speaking the words, I mimed slitting my throat. It wouldn’t be the way I went, but it was the clearest action to get the point across.

“Coralena.”

“No, I’m not done. This is hell for me, and you got me through the first part, and there is nothing in this world or the human one that I could do to ever pay back for what you have done for me, but I’m not some weak sauce person. I’m moving forward, and with plans and needs and everything else that is happening, befriending Andrin, at the very least, makes the most sense.” I paused, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath. “Do you understand?”

She scoffed and rolled her eyes. “Understand? Regretfully, yes. Do I agree or condone it? No. Oh, and will I happily play along? Doubtful. The death threats and colorful nicknames aren’t going away.”

That got us all chuckling.

“I would never ask that of you. Just trust me. If he’s on my side, then he’s not on theirs, and we can work with that.”

Remy and I had a small stare-off before she nodded her concession. “Fine. Question,” she said, turning to look at Kiran. “You said the royals can’t be killed except by a dagger forged by the blood of another royal of the same kind. What happens if we stab them with something else?”

I snorted but sat back down and let her go about her business. We had spats growing up, but this was much more than that. Remy was furious with me. I knew I would feel the same if the roles were switched, but I also knew this was the right decision.

Maybe Andrin was right, and there was something in my blood.

“It would hurt them just as anyone else. You can chop off an arm, head, skin them, whatever you want, but they won’t die unless they are given a killing blow with one of those daggers. Everything sort of grows back together as long as it is attached for a period of time.” Kiran was spending too much time with Remy if that was his response. They really were meant for each other.

“So I could actually cut off his dick…”

“Atticus will help,” Blair supplied.

“Sure, so I could, with Atticus’ help because more the merrier at this point, cut off Andrin’s dick and make him blow himself?”

That was an image I didn’t need to see, but it was now forever etched into my mind. “Thanks, Rem, I really wanted to think of Andrin’s dick some more,” I deadpanned.

“I know two guys next to you that could remedy that. Two dicks beat one, am I right?”

“Amen!” I yelled, throwing my hands up.

“Hallelujah and praise Satan for the lovely sin of fucking,” Remy hollered into the room before plopping back onto the couch and giving Kiran a look.

I knew it. “Sex, you had it,” I gasped, pointing at them for emphasis.

They both blushed, and Kiran winked. Good. Remy deserved a guy that made her smile often and fucked her silly.

I longed for the freedom she had right now. She could openly fawn over Kiran and had to fake it with Cillian and Blair to keep up appearances. I could barely look at them unless we knew we were safe. Of course, we weren’t perfect, but any time we slipped, it was simple enough to explain away that I was their bonded’s best friend, and as such, I was like a sibling to them in a way.

I had said everything was gray, and I meant it. Life was dull but too full of excitement at the same time. I wanted to sleep and run the halls. I wanted to spend time with Cillian and Blair but also find Andrin and have him tell me more about his past.

There was so much to sort through, and so little made sense. I could only follow what my instincts dictated at this point, but would they lead us into salvation or death?

I mindlessly brought my hand to my stomach but removed it just as quickly. Blair noticed and raised his brow at me. I think it was time the three of us had a chat, and we would all spill the proverbial beans.

Did they even have a bean-type thing here? I would have to ask later.

Returning to the present and glancing over at Remy once more, I caught her eye. There was anger there but much less than before and a smidge—okay, much more than a smidge—of trepidation. This fight wasn’t over, but we had a truce, for now.

That seemed to be the theme of my life. Never an ending, only an eternal pause.

Coralena

The next hour had been awkward, which was a strange feeling to associate with Remy. We all chatted about absolute nonsense, and I remembered none of it. My mind was on something else and kept me from fully participating.

Finally, I pulled Cillian and Blair into Lena’s bedroom. They followed with no resistance, and Kiran and Remy stayed in the main room, continuing to enjoy the fire. The air in there had been suffocating between the heat from the fireplace and the new weights they rested on my mind and shoulders.

Remy’s declarations didn’t sit well, her and Kiran’s sex life wagged its finger in front of my face, and the crushing irritation of my inability to cope gnawed at me.

I was overstimulated and needed to calm down.

As we walked into the room, I veered for the closet, stripping out of the purple dress from earlier into a large, orange t-shirt. I almost stepped out when I realized what I had done. Standing in the doorway, I tried to make a decision. Did I keep on the orange shirt that reminded me of Andrin, or did I change into another one that, well, didn’t?

I ran my hands down my face and turned back around before ripping the shirt over my head. I chose one that was dark green with black sleeves and trim. Too many colors were in the no go pile now. I couldn’t escape blue and purple no matter how hard I tried, but I could avoid the others. Maybe that would change once I met my fire bonded.

Feeling as ready as I would ever be, I walked out of the closet to find Blair lounging across the bed and Cillian spinning in the stool that sat in front of the vanity. When they heard me enter, they put all of their focus on me, which caused me to halt in my footsteps.

“Is this a no-pants party?” Cillian asked, standing up. “If so, I’m in. No pressure though.”

A blush crept onto my cheeks, and I couldn’t help but laugh. Both of my bonded were so kind and never pushed. I had only known Blair for twenty-four hours, but he proved himself from the moment I met him. Cillian had been showing his true colors all week, and never asked for more than he knew I could give, even when he was having an emotional break.

For others, I would wonder how long that would last, and the anxiety in me was definitely pushing that thought, but I knew they would wait for physical affection until I was ready. And I was, or I thought I was, to a point. We had been sleeping in the same bed, passing kisses, and hugging at times. It was all easy and the lack of pressure really helped me tamper down the nerves.

But I wanted to give them more, I wanted more.

So… “Yes, pantless party. Drop them.”

Blair sat up and cocked his head. Cillian looked startled for a moment, but after a glance at Blair and confirming that I was indeed serious, he threw his pants down and hopped out of them like an uncoordinated frog. He fell onto the bed and finished pulling them off, saying, “Sorry, excitement is…”

“It’s a lot. We know, Cillian. Don’t stifle your sparkle because of us.” An adorable blush filled his cheeks. I could only imagine what he was going through with all these enhanced emotions running through him.

“Come on, Blair,” Cillian said, patting the other man’s shin. “Strip.”

“If Coralena insists.”

“I do.”

Blair stood up and slowly stripped off his pants. It was mesmerizing, but it was clear he wasn’t intentionally doing anything different than he normally would. Blair was calm and collected, and everything he did reflected that.

With Blair’s pants gone, we all stood in our shirts and underwear. Blair had on a tan, loose, linen shirt with the sleeves rolled up. I was glad to find out that the action transferred from the human world to Incyssia. Although, it was far more drool-worthy when on someone as handsome and caring as Blair.

Cillian had on a white shirt that almost looked like a basic tee from my world. There was something off about it that said it wasn’t, but I couldn’t tell if it was the whiteness, the small shimmer it gave as it moved with him, or perhaps it was simply that Cillian wore it that made it better.

I took a deep breath and tried to let my worries wash away. Both of them had followed my instructions and neither tried to come near me just yet. Knowing I was in charge and that they would let me lead was part of why I felt safe. There wasn’t any pressure or expectation, at least from them. My internal anxiety monster was having a heyday though.

“I don’t know where to start, but somewhere small would be good. Pantless snuggling?”

“I have an idea,” Blair said, hopping back onto the bed. “Cillian, sit with your back against the headboard, and Coralena, as long as you’re comfortable with it, would you mind sitting between his legs?”

I cocked my head but gave a nod. Cillian and I jumped onto the bed with him scooting back against the headboard and me snuggled in front of him. He wrapped his arms around me, and I let out a sigh when he kissed the base of my neck.

Blair moved closer and sat cross-legged near our feet before picking up one of mine.

“What are you doing?”

“Are you going to say no to a foot massage?”

“Well, no.”

“Then I will give you one. There are many ways to be intimate, Coralena, and even more ways to express that you care for someone. Relationships aren’t just sex then ignoring the other person. Can you think of a better place to start than some snuggling, physical contact, and a foot massage?” Blair looked at me, waiting for a response.

When I didn’t give one, Cillian whispered in my ear, “If you’re enjoying this, tell him to keep going. I’m happy right where I am.”

With his little nudge, I nodded and said, “No, I can’t. Please, continue.” For emphasis, I wiggled my toes on the foot Blair was holding.

Blair happily obliged, rubbing all the knots and kinks out of my right foot, then moving on to the left. I was a puddle of serenity by the time he was done and started working his way to my calves.

I had a slight moment of panic, and when he felt me tense, Blair stopped and waited for my approval. I gave another nod, and he massaged up and down my calves. I never knew how amazing that could feel, at least not in this way. I was a swimmer and had to massage out many cramps over the years, but this was something entirely different.

I slunk lower, resting my head firmly against Cillian’s chest and giving Blair more leg to work with.

“You’re drooling,” Cillian said, wiping at my chin.

“Is my drool not appealing? I can work on making drooling sexy, I’m sure.” I refused to open my eyes as I responded. Relaxation flooded my system again.

Blair hit a tender spot, and I hissed slightly but quickly added, “Don’t stop.” And he didn’t.

I marveled at how comfortable I was with them, but something itched the back of my mind. No one grew when they were comfortable, but no one grew when they were panicking the entire time either. We needed to push this a step further, but how were we supposed to do that while ensuring that I didn’t put an end to the entire thing? I knew Blair and Cillian would sit here all night, massaging me, feeding me whatever I wanted, and chatting about everything and nothing, but that’s not what I wanted from this.

I decided to test my luck. Opening my eyes, I found Cillian’s right hand and grabbed onto it, tugging slightly and lowering it down my body. When he realized where our hands were headed, Cillian let out a hiss, and I looked up at him. “Is this okay?”

“Of course, it is, Coralena. Use me however you want.” He paused for a second, then backtracked. “Wait, sorry, not use, you can…”

“It’s okay, Cilly. I know what you meant.”

He let out a deep breath, and I continued pushing our hands lower. I flipped up the hem of my shirt and slid my hand over his down my underwear. It was my turn to hiss as his fingers hit my clit. My back straightened, and I accidentally kicked Blair’s leg with my free one.

Both of my bonded stopped and stared with so much lust in their eyes. It was too much, so I closed my own and pushed them aside for now. It wasn’t that I didn’t want them to enjoy this and want to be involved, but right now, I had to do this for me.

“Go at your own pace. We are here to help however you need.” Blair’s voice cut through my thoughts and slashed at my worries.

With a new wave of courage, I carried on, using Cillian’s hand as my own personal sex toy. I could feel him growing hard behind me as I rubbed against his front and maneuvered his hand lower to dip into my folds. Blair continued working up my calves, but now his touches were feather soft which added to my pleasure.

My breathing grew heavy as my climax grew closer, but I couldn’t quite reach it on my own. Cillian was doing too good of a job of letting me direct his fingers. Growing frustrated, I let out a huff and a groan.

Tipping my head back, I looked up at Cillian. “Help me,” left my lips in a soft begging manner.

Cillian’s grin grew wide, and he kissed my cheek before responding, “Always.”

I pulled my hand off of his and placed one on each of his thighs that were straddling my sides. His exploration was slow and sensual. Fingers dipped in, rubbing against the sensitive nerves, as the heel of his hand applied the perfect amount of pressure to bring me to the brink of an orgasm.

My eyes squeezed shut, and I focused on his movements. My nails dug crescent moons into his bare skin as I chased this feeling. I never wanted it to end, but I knew I was close to exploding.

“Blair,” I moaned out. “Kiss me.”

He quickly dropped my leg and worked his way to a kneeling position with his arms on either side of Cillian and my legs. His face was inches away, and I saw a smidge of worry in his brown eyes, but I didn’t want him to worry anymore. There was so much worry and pity and sadness swirling around me at all times, and that needed to stop.

I grabbed onto his shirt, fisting my fingers into the fabric, and dragged him to me. Our lips crashed together, and I soaked in the taste of my bonded. Blair tasted of oak and pear, and never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined how amazing that combination was.

As I worked my tongue into an intense battle with Blair’s, Cillian worked a particularly delicious spot deep inside me and gave my clit one final swipe with his thumb which I hadn’t realized had come into play.

Everything crescendoed and crashed down on me. I screamed my release, but it was muffled by Blair’s mouth and his hand on the back of my head that held us together. Cillian didn’t stop though; he helped me ride out my orgasm as long as possible, and I was now very curious what they could do with other parts of their bodies.

Blair pulled back, and my breaths came out in pants as I rested against Cillian again. Blair gave me one last peck on my nose and Cillian to my cheek as he pulled his hand out of my underwear.

“How’d we do?” Cillian said next to my ear.

“If we are talking pass-fail, definitely passed.”

Cillian snorted, and Blair rolled his eyes, but they both looked at me like I was everything to them. The pity was gone, and joy filled the space.

This was the goal, for now and always. Happiness would prevail; it had to.

Coralena

Three Months Later

The last three months had been horrendous. Well, the first two had been hell in a handbasket, and that’s saying something, considering my first week here. I was either bent over a toilet, hoping for some relief from the nausea, or in a pile of blankets with everyone flitting around me. The last month was filled with cravings and me wanting to sleep at every possible moment.

At first, I thought it was a blessing that nymph pregnancies were only six months, but it seemed everything hit harder than a typical human pregnancy. Everything that happened in each trimester was condensed into two months each time.

Remy played with the flames in the fireplace as I stared into the floor-length mirror that I had Cillian and Blair drag into the room. I was starting to show, and it took everything in me to not try and shove it all back into place. It was getting harder and harder to ignore what Andrin had done, even though our relationship was… not normal, that was for sure, but better?

Cillian, Blair, and Remy were still firmly on team ‘chop off his dick, blend it into a smoothie with horse cum and lemon, and make him drink it after he deepthroated a cactus while Kiran is more moderate, thinking removing his testicles would be enough so he could never produce again. Normally, I would disagree since the dick is problem number one, but Andrin’s goal was impregnation, so truly, removing his balls should do the trick.

As for me, I was undecided, and that infuriated team one. I wanted a chance to know my brother, the true him, without the standards of this world and our parents bearing down on us.

So far it was going well, and I had a late lunch planned with him, our parents, and Wren. She was still a bitch, but at least she wasn’t exactly an enemy.

I let the hem go of the flowy green dress I put on this morning. It brushed against my thighs as I turned to watch Remy. Our powers had grown, and we could do simple tricks now. We got our asses whooped if our guys even slightly tried to fight us, but we were progressing. Remy was farther along than I was in that respect though; she could blast through some of their shields if she was pissed enough. Recently, she was.

“It’s going to be fine, Rem,” I said, walking over to the couch and plopping down a little ways behind where she was squatting.

“You don’t know that.”

“Nothing has happened since then… Andrin has kept his promise… and none of them, except maybe Wren, would risk the life of their unborn heir.” I grimaced and sighed. “I’m safe for now. We are safe for now.”

“And once you pop it out? Then what?” She stood and started pacing in front of the fireplace. The flames danced behind her, trying to move as she did.

“I don’t fucking know, Remy. I’m not psychic. Go yell at the guys, and tell them to tell whoever is in charge to get us out already. Soon, I will be a whale and rescue is going to be a lot harder.” There were only three months at most between now and my water breaking. Everyone knew this, but apparently, the urgency of the situation wasn’t registering to their commanders. I glared at the front door to the suite and muttered, “We better be out of here before it decides it’s time to fall out of me.”

“Fall, CL?” Remy snorted as she ran her hand through her ever-growing hair. The blue-tinted black dye was easing out of it, and the natural brown coloring was coming in nicely. We looked quite the pair with partially shaved heads, only what was left of mine was long and blonde.

“Yeet, fall, climb, squirm, sploosh, does it matter? It’s going to be painful and traumatizing, no matter what.”

“Fair.”

Remy glanced down at my still rather flat stomach and chewed on her lip. A couple of weeks ago, she mentioned that she was becoming more and more ready to tell Kiran to knock it off with the condoms. The only reason she hadn’t was because of the situation we were in, but I didn’t doubt that shortly after we escaped, someone was getting his bone jumped, commando style.

Remy would be a great mom, but I had never really thought about it before. We were young still, but having those nymph genes brought to life changed quite a bit of our biological thought processes.

She also still had a few mates out there that the guys refused to talk about beyond the basics. They always claimed not wanting to ruin the surprise. I got it, but I was still annoyed. Remy was more so.

“It’s almost time for Andrin to come by and escort me to lunch,” I said, looking at the clock above the mantle. It was quickly approaching one in the afternoon.

“And they still aren’t back. What do you think they are really doing?”

“Surprising us with something? Sweets? Things from the human world? M2 and D2…” I whispered the last part. Their absence was becoming more and more painful. They were meant to be grandparents, and despite how this happened, they would love the wrinkly potatoes more than anything.

“Like Andrin would allow that,” Remy scoffed and fell back onto the couch across from me.

“He would,” I admitted. “I’m the one that said no when he offered.” Remy sat up and looked at me like I had grown a head full of snakes beatboxing. “Before you say anything, think about it. It isn’t safe here; adding two more people to rescue, two humans to rescue would only make it worse. When we are safe, maybe then they can come.”

Remy was quiet for a moment, then nodded and asked, “But they are okay still?”

“As okay as they can be. Or you know, as far as I know.” As in, depends on how much we could truly trust Andrin.

And right on time, as the clock started screaming that it was one in the afternoon, Andrin knocked on the door.

“Come in,” I yelled, refusing to move just yet.

He walked in and gave us both an uneasy smile. Andrin knew Remy still hated him, and he accepted it. He was trying to change her mind, but he knew his place.

“Coralena, Remy.” He nodded at each of us, then returned his attention to me. “Ready? Everyone else is outside.”

“As ready as I can be.” I shoved myself off the couch, went around the table and smacked a sloppy kiss onto Remy’s forehead, and made my way over to Andrin. I hated to leave without telling the others goodbye, but I couldn’t wait around for them all day.

“Insert insult here,” Remy said as she stared down Andrin. “I’m too lazy at the moment to come up with anything good. Besides, you’re undeserving of my time.”

“Good to see you, too, Remy. Tea tomorrow?”

Her only response was to flip him off.

The Oedinia version of fall was among us. Apparently, our seasons were a couple of months off of each other as it was July in the human realm at the moment, but this felt like a cool October afternoon, depending on where you lived. The trees and shrubbery coating the gardens had changed colors, and the summer flora had all but vanished, giving way to the fall growth. Unlike the human world, everything didn’t just die off and decay. In this world, things simply changed.

Where there were once bright flowers coating the grounds, now sat blooming buds of orange, red, and yellow, surrounded by deep greenery. It was the epitome of the fall aesthetic, and those basic bitch humans would be falling over themselves if they saw this.

Winter was just around the corner, and I couldn’t wait to see how the plant life changed once again. I didn’t want or expect to be here when it rolled around, but I was ready for the frost blue flowers and a few of the greenery to take on a deep blue hue. I might be against the white and blue Christmas theme, but this was real-life and acceptable.

My mind wandered to what Christmas would be like here. Obviously, they didn’t celebrate it, but I would insist on it. By then, I hoped my parents, the ones I considered my real parents, would be here to celebrate alongside us. They would love all my bonded as well as Remy’s.

“Coralena, where has your mind run off to?” Andrin asked, startling me. I turned my head back to focus on the others around the table. It was a larger round table with Andrin on my right, Galvin next to him, then Calliope and Wren to finish the circle by me.

“Sorry. I was just thinking about the flowers.”

“They are quite lovely, but spring is my favorite. So many bright colors and the rainstorms are wonderful,” Calliope said before taking a sip of tea.

Lunch had been the usual. Delicious food, perfectly cooked and served, but all I wanted was my mom’s tater tot casserole. The chef had come close, but nothing beat the disgusting grease found in the good ole U.S. of A. I had a creamy stew filled with juicy meat and a variety of vegetables. It was filling but did nothing to stifle my cravings.

Once we were all done eating, tea was served. The idea made me gag, so I was served hot chocolate. I made them get the packets from our world. I wasn’t going to let them experiment on me with that. I needed comfort, even if it was just the little things. They all tried marshmallows for the first time a couple of weeks ago, and the reviews were varied. Oh well, more for me, Remy, and Andrin, the only full nymph who appreciated our human culture. Cillian and Kiran really tried to like them, but Blair outright despised the texture.

“I prefer the iciness of winter,” I mindlessly added, poking the melted goo floating in my hot chocolate with a spoon.

“Is that so?” Andrin asked beside me.

“Yes?”

He rolled his eyes and chuckled, but I wasn’t catching on. I looked around the table, hoping someone would clue me in. Calliope and Galvin just sat there looking pleased while Wren looked bored and irritated.

“My specialty is ice, Coralena, so your answer was amusing.”

“Oh, right.” A blush crept onto my cheeks as I returned my focus to the drink in front of me. I had forgotten some of the nymphs had subclasses within their designation.

Silence took over for a moment while everyone enjoyed sipping on their drink, then Galvin broke the pleasant quiet.

“So then, we have two heirs on the way. Twins to match their beautiful mother. They will renew the joy that we had lost when you were taken,” Galvin started.

“Twins?” Andrin interrupted when I was too dumbstruck to say anything.

“Oh, yes, twins! We were hoping to keep it a surprise for as long as possible, but with Coralena’s stomach growing every day, we couldn’t hold off much longer,” Calliope called out as I felt the blood rush from my face. I had already sworn my baby would not go through what I did, but now I was more determined to get them to safety. “We will have a ball to celebrate. Maybe having a winter birth will help give them a bit more of their father’s powers. How wonderful. A perfect mix of our children, don’t you think, Galvin?”

“They will be perfect in every way, Calliope, as long as their parents have reconciled.” He eyed both of us as we glanced at each other. “Have you, then?”

“In a way.”

“What way?” Galvin pried.

Andrin sighed and met Galvin’s stare. “In the way where we enjoy each other’s company, she doesn’t flinch away from me, and the bond we would have had is mending if you two hadn’t meddled. Time is working in our favor. Let it be.” Andrin’s jaw clenched as he finished and waited for Galvin’s retort.

“Well then, that’s where you’re wrong, Andrin. Time is not on your side. You have wasted it. You are just short of turning twenty-nine. One year is far too close for you to put off marriage and fully claim your title as king.” Galvin wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin, then harshly placed it on the table. “Our lineage… this is in our blood, Andrin… Coralena…” Galvin sighed, then asked a question I had really hoped to never hear. “So I assume that means you have not bedded each other since Coralena’s arrival?”

“It’s none of your business, Father, but you’re correct. As I said, we are taking—”

“Enough,” Galvin yelled, abruptly standing from his seat and walking behind Andrin toward me. “It seems it’s time I taught you two a lesson.”

I had been told our parents were kind and loving, and despite knowing that they had pushed Andrin into raping me, I still held onto that belief in some respect, given that they had been nothing but courteous since then. However, perhaps this was Galvin’s true nature, and everything before was nothing but an act to get into my good graces.

We had been so focused on Galvin that we hadn’t seen the guards slinking up behind Andrin. When my father lunged forward and pulled me from my chair, the guards hauled Andrin back.

Squirming in his arms, I did one thing I never thought I would do. I screamed and begged for Andrin to save me, to save us from whatever our father had planned.

Cillian

Our little rendezvous with Ira and Poe lasted longer than any of us had hoped. First, they made us sit around for hours, waiting for them to show up, then demanded we tell them everything that had happened. Apparently, Rogan had been feeding them false information so that they wouldn’t come barging in to rescue us and Coralena.

They, specifically, Ira, were pissed. Our initial jokes about Ira and Remy burning this place to the ground were jokes, but now, that seemed more like reality. Thankfully, Ira could keep her cool when needed, but everyone, including her, had a breaking point. I met mine and knew she would meet hers eventually.

“Well,” I said, slapping my thighs and standing up. “This has been a blast, reliving the last three months of hell, but can we go back to the suite now? If we are lucky, Coralena’s lunch date will be over and we can finally be free of this place.” My foot tapped with nervous energy. Things had been going smoothly, too smoothly, and I wanted it to stay that way.

“Fine,” Ira stated, nodding as she stood from her chair.

We had met on the other side of the grounds from where the royals were taking their meal. The highest number of guards would be over there. Ira and Poe were dressed relatively lax but blended in well with the others that came and went from the castle. As long as they were with Kiran, few people would suspect something.

Ira was in a black leather dress that fell to her knees and had slits that went up to just below her hips with a thick one-shoulder strap. Despite this, I knew she had at least a handful of weapons hidden on her being. It was a mystery where, but she was always prepared. It all accentuated her tanned skin, black hair that was tied back high on her head, and leggy physique. She was always seen as intimidating with her height and facial expressions, but they also bowed to her due to her beauty.

Poe, on the other hand, had on a soft-looking white dress that blended with her nearly white hair and hit her mid-thigh. Her hair, which was nearly as long as her dress, flowed with the fabric, creating an illusion of wisps around her. Poe hit us all around chest height, and I couldn’t help but think that she fit the human’s image of a pixie quite well.

Power radiated off them in differing ways. Ira had brown eyes rimmed in red where Poe’s were practically all white. Both sets were unnerving if they fell upon you for too long.

Ira and Poe fit their designations perfectly, allowing them to blend in with the other inhabitants of the castle.

“Don’t be like that, Ira. You know you want to meet her.” Blair rolled his eyes as he and everyone else stood from their seats.

“You have no proof of that,” Ira threw back as she turned and marched toward the castle.

“You can believe that all you want,” I mumbled, but I knew she heard me. “But it’s a lie.” Ira ignored me as we fell into step with her.

Kiran took the lead next to her to subdue suspicion, Poe walked beside me, and Blair took up the rear. If anyone looked at us, they would see the king’s best friend escorting two visiting nymphs along with two servants who happened to have the same bonded as far as they knew.

A few minutes of awkward silence passed before Ira spoke. “How much does she know?”

“About what?” Kiran asked.

“About me.” Ira’s voice was filled with apprehension and uncertainty.

“You’re a fire nymph named Ira.”

Ira’s steps faltered for a moment, but she quickly recovered and cleared her throat. “That can’t be all.”

“Well, we did explain the moodiness, but given that her best friend is also a fire nymph, you’re probably fine,” I added from behind her.

“She’s also been dealing with Cillian’s mood swings, so really, you’re in the clear.” Fuck you, Blair. I slowed my gait enough for him to slam into my back as I swung back my elbow into his stomach. He let out a satisfying oomph as I made contact. The others ignored us and kept on walking, but we quickly caught up.

“Payback is a real bitch, as Remy would say.” I couldn’t help but get in one last jab with the amount of anxiety coursing through me. Something felt wrong.

“I think I will like Remy.” Ira chuckled as we turned the final corner. The door to the suite was just up ahead.

“She will certainly keep us entertained,” Poe deadpanned, but there was a smirk tugging at the corner of her lip. Remy would bring out something in her, but I didn’t know what just yet.

Kiran reached the door first and opened it before ushering us all in. We all heard her before she came into view.

“You motherfuckers. What took you so long? Coralena has been gone for hours, and I was all alone in my bubble of worry!” Remy screeched as she stomped to us from where she had been lounging on the couch.

“Really? Because it looks like you’ve been napping,” Blair pointed out. Her hair was messed up in the way that only happens from a good nap, and the lines across her cheek didn’t help hide the fact that he was right.

Remy’s glare fell on him, and even I recoiled away. “What the fuck else was I supposed to do, Blair? Don’t make me melt off that pretty hair of yours.”

I licked my finger and leaned over before placing it on Blair’s shoulder and making a tss noise like Remy had showed me. “Burn!” I pulled away, then looked at Remy. “Was that right?”

She rolled her eyes but smiled and nodded. “Yes, that was a sick burn. You crushed it.”

I was really trying to learn their strange vocabulary, but there was so much to remember.

Kiran stepped up to Remy and gave her a steamy kiss that only served to make me want to find Coralena faster.

“Remy, meet Ira and Poe.” Kiran moved out of the way and gestured to the two women standing in front of Blair and me.

Her eyes flicked to Ira as they sized each other up. Apparently, they came to some sort of mental understanding because they both nodded, then broke their staring contest. Remy then looked down at Poe who was standing far too still.

I held in the sad sigh that wanted to escape. This couldn’t be easy for Poe, given her past.

“Poe?” Remy whispered as she took a step forward. They were only half an arm’s length apart now. Their size difference was not as extreme as Poe and Ira’s, but it was still rather extensive.

“Yes.” Smooth one, Poe. She was always such a smooth talker.

Remy’s jaw clenched and unclenched a few times before she finally whirled on Kiran. “You know what you did, but we will deal with it later.”

Secrets. She was talking about how we kept too many secrets. I didn’t disagree, but like she said, we would deal with that later.

“Anyway, Poe,” Remy continued, turning back to her suspected bonded. “May I?” she asked, raising her hand.

Poe nodded and raised hers as well, palm up. We watched as Remy placed her hand in Poe’s, and her eyes dilated.

“I guess you’re stuck with me now,” Remy joked, and most of us chuckled. Her face fell as Poe pulled back rather abruptly.

Our eyes met, and I knew she saw the sadness and pity that I felt for not just Poe but her as well. “That’s best dug into later, Remy. Let’s get out of here first.”

She nodded and dropped her hand from where it had been stranded. “Right, later.” Despite her words, we could all see the hurt and confusion in her scrunched brow and downturned lips.

Kiran cleared his throat, bringing our attention to him. “Coralena hasn’t returned yet? Their meeting time was hours ago.”

“Why do you think I was so worried? I thought Andrin would have brought her back by now. Do we wait for her, or can we go snatch her up and get the fuck out of this incest palace?”

I watched as Ira and Poe cocked their heads at the other fire nymph. “Like Poe said, you’ll always be entertained with Remy around.” That brought some life back to Remy, and she smiled at Poe who was as still as a statue again. How she would work past this, I didn’t know, but we were handling Coralena’s trauma rather well, so what was one more screwed-up person added to the group?

“That’s up to—” Kiran started, but he was interrupted by a hiss from Poe.

“It’s Atticus.” That was one thing I never understood about spirit nymphs. They had this extra connection that allowed them to communicate mentally. The only time I asked, they had said it wasn’t exactly word for word, as if they were speaking but emotions and ideas could easily pass from one nymph to the other no matter how far the distance. It was one of the reasons no one messed with the spirit nymphs. They were practically a hive mind of emotionless assassins. Not all of them were assassins like Poe and Atticus, but they were all just as terrifyingly blank.

“Atticus? You didn’t tell us he came with you.” Kiran’s nostrils flared as he glowered up at Ira.

“Wasn’t important then, and it’s not like we control him,” Ira scoffed as she crossed her arms.

“Whatever you say, Ira. Poe, please continue.”

“It’s Coralena. We need to go.”

I was out the door before she finished. Fucking spirit nymph, couldn’t she have started with that? I heard the others pounding across the floor behind me. Apparently, we had all given up on any stealth tactics as we rushed to save the one person we cared about the most. Well, except Kiran and Poe, but given Coralena’s relation to Remy… yeah, they cared.

Sweat accumulated on my forehead and the back of my neck as I pushed myself harder. I used my abilities to increase my speed, but soon, guards started to take notice and tried stopping us. This wouldn’t end well, but it would end.

Ira crashed forward, blasting fire at the only exposed flesh they had. I watched as the skin melted from their face and melded with the cloth of their collars. The ones that were lucky only had to deal with dagger-shaped stone stabbing into their faces.

“The point was to not let them know we were here. If we wanted to fight the entire castle, we could have escaped before,” Blair shouted as he entombed some poor water nymph guard in the wall.

“You think we would make it without Ira and Atticus’ combined blood lust?” I yelled back just before a gush of water sliced across my chest, tearing my shirt and cutting open my skin. “Bastards!” I cried out as I unleashed all the pent-up anguish from what we had been going through the last three months.

Air burst from me and created a wind tunnel, tearing the armor and skin from anyone in my path. Any decoration on the walls was long gone, and the stone hallway began to crumble before I relented.

“New question. Do you think we would make it without Cillian’s pissiness?” Blair deadpanned.

“Nope,” Remy said in half awe and half disbelief from behind me.

“Let’s get to Coralena already.” I kept pushing forward, taking the lead and handling the front. Remy and Poe stood behind me encircled by everyone. Blair was on their left with Kiran on the right and Ira taking the spot behind them.

We’re coming for you, Coralena. Please, hold on.

Coralena

Galvin threw back the chair that had been under me, swept the contents off of the table, and slammed my chest down onto it. I cried out at the impact and couldn’t hold back the tears that filled my eyes.

He angled me well so my stomach didn’t take any of the impact, but that meant my breasts took the full force. They were already sore, but I knew they would be bruised later.

I tried pushing up off the table, but Galvin pressed down between my shoulder blades, keeping me in place. It infuriated me that it took so little effort from him to completely control me.

“Let me go!” I screamed and frantically looked around the best I could. All thoughts or beliefs of them caring for me flew out the window. My perfectly curated bubble of ignorance burst into a million pieces.

Calliope and Wren were off to the left side, away from us, and Andrin stood to the right, trying to fight off a small horde of guards that blocked him from getting to me. His nose bled, and I worried about what they would do to him. Calliope looked peeved with pinched lips and squinted eyes but didn’t move from her spot nor interjected at any time. Wren, on the other hand, looked bored. She was always the onlooker, the bystander. I didn’t want the role, but she would have been a horrible queen. I couldn’t believe I had ever thought otherwise.

They might not be my assailants, but doing nothing was just as bad. They weren’t any better simply because they did not egg him on. I thought they might be turned to our side eventually and just want us to be happy, living our lives, but now, it was far too obvious that they were not worthy of being saved. Their cruelty would not go unpunished, but it would come too late.

“No, Coralena. You and your brother need to be taught a lesson. We are royals, and we do what must be done. We take our siblings as our mates and ensure stronger offspring. Do you think Andrin would be as powerful as he is if he hadn’t come from us?” he hissed into my ear. “And you, your magic is pitiful, but your body is useful to us and perfectly responds just as your mother’s did.” I glanced at her once more, but all she did was hold her head higher as her nostrils flared. “You’ll make a fine queen to stand by the side of your capable mate.” One point to Calliope for possibly being forced into this, but I wasn’t holding my breath on her realizing that she could stop all of this if she wanted.

Turning my head, I saw Andrin, trying to punch his way through the guards, but they responded in turn, bloodying his face more with a split lip. I wondered why he wasn’t using his powers to fight them off. Ice those bastards already! Then I glanced at his wrist and saw something that was too familiar. It wasn’t quite the same as before, but a cuff so similar to the one that held me hostage that first night was wrapped around his left wrist.

I tried to think back to what Kiran had said about them, but there was too much going on for me to focus. Besides, I was about to relive that night and didn’t want to go through it twofold.

Andrin met my gaze as he was shoved back again and mouthed ‘I’m sorry.’ This time, I believed him. He wasn’t involved in whatever our father had planned. Even our mother wasn’t privy to that information from the looks of it.

Andrin’s jaw clenched as Galvin explained. “That cuff was specially made and far more potent than the ones we used on you. I knew there would be a day that Andrin betrayed us, and I needed a plan in place to deal with him. Don’t get me wrong. We are glad to have you back, but it was obvious from the moment you were born that you would be his weakness, his downfall. If only you had stayed hidden another two years.” He acted like he couldn’t hide me and force Andrin to marry Wren, but of course, that would have been too easy and would have shown more weakness. This was all some fucked up power play intermingled with their ridiculous royal standards.

Galvin cleared his throat and let us in on his bullshit plan. “Andrin, either you take your place and your queen the way you are expected to, or I will. Your grandfather took the privilege without question, so be grateful I am giving you a choice.”

I closed my eyes and tried to dissociate from the present. I couldn’t go through that again. It was traumatic enough for my own brother to… I shook my head and buried my face into the table the best I could. I didn’t think things could get much worse, but Galvin gripped the back of my simple, green dress and tore it from neck to hem, ripping another scream from me.

I knew what we had to do. One outcome was far less horrific than the other, and this time, I could at least have some say. Plus, Andrin would be kinder this round. “It’s fine, Andrin,” I said without looking up at him. “It’s fine…” My voice cracked, betraying me.

“No, Coralena, I…” His small protest said so much. He was exhausted and heartbroken. We had made so much progress, and this could very well put us back to square one or close to it.

“You heard her, Andrin. Take her.” I winced as Galvin moved slightly off to the side but kept his hand between my shoulder blades, holding me down, and waited.

I heard the guards shuffle, and Andrin let out an unsteady sigh before footsteps made their way toward me. He took my hand in his, and I turned to look at him. We stared into each other’s eyes for a brief moment.

Neither of us wanted this, but it had to be done. I tried to release his hand, but Andrin refused to let go as he stepped behind me. Squeezing my hand, he took a shaky breath, and Galvin stepped further away.

Andrin finally let go and undid the buttons of his pants. The sound was soft but might as well have been a fog horn blasting in my ears. Tears streamed from my eyes and crashed against my tea-soaked hair. My entire body shook as I felt Andrin’s fingers loop into my underwear and start pulling them down my bare legs.

His hands trembled as they slid down, then made their way to my hips before I felt the front of his thighs hit the backs of mine. Sobs wracked my body as Andrin shuddered and Galvin sneered and scoffed to the side of us.

“What do you expect to do with a softened dick, Andrin? Coralena, help your mate.” Galvin shoved Andrin back before ripping me off of the table and forcing me to my knees. I hissed as the hard ground dug into my tender flesh, but Galvin took the small window of shock to wrench back my neck and open my mouth. Andrin stood there as still as a statue, but Galvin wasn’t having it. “Well, Andrin? If you keep stalling, I will no longer give you an option.”

“Fine,” Andrin ground out, stepping closer so his dick was mere inches from my mouth. He stared down at me with flared nostrils and tear-rimmed eyes.

I couldn’t take it. Closing my eyes, I leaned forward and felt the head of his tapered cock hit the tip of my tongue. More tears fell as I took more of him, and Galvin helped my head bob and deep throat the still flaccid dick.

My hands remained clasped in my lap, and my nails dug into my skin, creating a welcomed distraction from the hardening dick inside my mouth that battled my tongue for space. I noticed that Andrin refused to touch me in any way as we were being used as our father’s sick entertainment once again. Small mercies.

Thankfully, it didn’t take long for Andrin to get his fill and stiffen completely. When he pulled out, there was a clear pop from my lips, and unwelcome emotions flooded my brain. Just as last time, my body betrayed me, and I had found some semblance of enjoyment. Their comments of it being in our blood rang through my mind as revulsion kicked in. The tears stopped as the numbness took over. This would all be over soon, I reminded myself.

Galvin yanked me back up by my throat and pushed me down on the table, just as I had been before. I felt Andrin grip my hips and the tip of his dick sidle up against my slit. I closed my eyes to blockade myself inside my mind as much as I could, but with one final squeeze of my hips, Andrin said something I never wanted to hear.

“I love you, Coralena.”

I refused to speak the words, but he knew they were there inside my heart, and as he thrusted forward, all I could think was maybe this time, I wouldn’t survive.

Atticus

Be strong for me, my little shadow. I’m on my way; just hold on a little bit longer.

Tethered in Discord

Book Two

Coralena

Maybe this time I wouldn’t survive.

Atticus

Watching the others had become tiresome. They claimed to hold Coralena above themselves, but here they were, not taking action when it would be far easier than sitting around, pondering on an escape plan.

Plans never went the way they were supposed to go anyway, so why have one? Besides, when your actions were erratic, no one could pinpoint your next move. I supposed no plan was a plan within itself, but the people who believed that could rot in the shadow realm.

I had followed Ira and Poe to their little meeting with Cillian, Blair, and Kiran, hoping Coralena would appear. Still, after a handful of minutes, it became annoyingly clear that she was elsewhere. I scoffed as I moved away from the balcony shadows that I had been lurking in.

Had they not learned their lesson? Leaving her alone only brought on more pain. The royals, especially the Oedinian royals, were not to be trusted in any way. From the little I picked up on during their idle chitchat as their meeting started, I surmised Andrin had a change of heart. I wasn’t so sure, but if we could use him and his abilities to re-kidnap Coralena, then so be it. He could side with us for now, but I would keep an eye on him until I decided he was worthy of trust.

The rage roiled inside me as I slinked through the hallway, blending into the shadows and searching for my bonded. Someone in this damn castle should know where she was. Servants gossiped whether their rulers were well-loved or hated beyond reason.

It always surprised me that Galvin and Calliope were loved in Oedinia. Their outward personas were easy enough to like if you were a water nymph, but how did they not see the shit-filled murk that coated their souls? Shaking my head, I turned a corner and righted myself within the castle. I had lurked here before, memorizing the pathways until they were second nature as I walked through them. I knew the secret passages that hid in the walls and every possible route throughout its expanse.

Too bad that wasn’t useful at the moment. I could wander for hours and never find what I was looking for without a tinge of luck. Or perhaps, a little help from a friend.

: Poe, their suite, where is it located?

Poe was less expressive than me, but that was typical for spirit nymphs. Despite that, I heard a small sigh travel through our telepathic connection before she responded.

: Andrin’s floor, left of Kiran’s rooms.

Because it was a goal of mine to push Poe, I refused to keep my comment to myself.

: I will say hi to your bonded for you. Don’t worry, I won’t spill any of your secrets.

She blocked the link in an attempt to ignore me. We both knew that if I wanted to, I could push back in, but that was enough emotional practice for today.

With the location in mind, I teleported to the ex-prince’s floor and found the door Poe had deemed their suite. Thinking about the other side of the door, I flashed again and was now in their living quarters.

Remy, whose name had been in the reports that Kiran, Blair, and Cillian had sent, was pacing in front of the fire. It roared behind her, far larger than it should have been. We knew Remy was still working on controlling her abilities and finding that well of power within her, so it was easy to assume that this wasn’t on purpose, but she might surprise me.

I stayed on the edge of the light the flames cast across the room. All other lights were off, leaving a sinister, fiery glow touching everything in sight but leaving so many shadows to hide in. On another night, the fire might have been welcoming and warm, but the energy Remy was pushing into the room was anything but. Anxiety filled the air with each pass she made.

I had hoped to find information here, but what would take more time: wandering the castle and hoping to hear word to find Coralena or ramble on about who I was and why I was here? Not to mention, it would be nice for Poe to be the first spirit nymph Remy met. I rubbed my chin, weighing the options. Neither was ideal. If I revealed myself, she might try to burn me and in turn, scorch the entire room, perhaps the entire castle.

If I didn’t, Coralena might fall victim once again.

Well, that settled it. Time over annoyance. Coralena over everything.

As I let the shadows disintegrate around me, Remy burst into a rant meant for her ears only. Covering myself once more, I stood back and listened, hoping the information would slip. If not, I could fully reveal myself. If nothing else, this would be an inside look into Remy. I believed the humans had a phrase about knowing thy neighbor. Well, Remy was as close to that as anyone. She was Coralena’s best friend, and having some dirt on her wouldn’t hurt.

“All the bullshit. All of it. And do I get to go and berate, demand, scowl, fucking beg for us to be taken away? Nope. I’m trapped here with you.” For a moment, I thought she meant me, then she turned toward the fire, and it seemed to respond, jutting out from its stone casing and reaching for her. “I thought I was a little crazy before, but now I am talking to fire. What has this place done to me?” She collapsed to the floor and crossed her legs, rubbing her hands up and down her face. “I’m stuck and useless here, Calcifer wannabe. Why can’t I get the hang of you? Why can’t they involve me and trust me? They ask us, no… demand us to trust them and let them handle all the bologna, but I need a purpose other than holding Coralena together. I’m breaking too, and I don’t know how much more I can take.”

My hopes were dwindling as Remy gave the fire more life.

“I’m here, all alone, and she’s out there, forced to have high tea with her family, surrounded by the flowers I wish to burn until nothing is left… But you know what, Calcifer wannabe?” I turned to leave, but her next words scorched my heart in a way I’d never wanted to admit. “Whether I’m left behind or if the room is filled with their existence, I’m always lonely.”

Remy spoke to the fire some more, but it was mumbled and quiet as I left the room to search around the gardens. I knew she wasn’t on the south side where the others were meeting, so I started a loop around the exterior forestry.

She was so close. I could be in and out with her in a few minutes. No more shitty royal family to deal with, no more Andrin to deal with, at least the pitiful man from before. That man was insufferable, and what he did to my little shadow… My fist clenched, and before I knew it, my arm swung and my fist connected with a tree. The branches shook and leaves fell around me. Removing my hand, there was an indent, but no true harm had come to the tree. Not that it mattered with the earth nymphs that they employed. It would be mended before anyone realized what had happened.

Rolling my eyes and taking a deep breath, I reoriented myself. The other spirit nymphs always said bonded made you soft, but I was better than ever at the game of life and death since I found Blair. Now that we had Coralena, who knew what I would do to rid the world of… well, others would call it evil, but that was inaccurate. The belief in good and evil was erroneous... Nothing and no one was truly one or the other. That’s not how this world, or any of the connecting ones, worked.

The people who believed in black and white were shrouded in darkness and far too innocent to exist effectively. Innocence wasn’t a virtue, and sin, as the humans called it, wasn’t a vice. That was just one of the many things that separated the spirit nymphs from the others. They sat on their high horses, believing their ways were good and everything else was less than them. My people knew otherwise. Mixing that with our abilities to slink into dreams, commune with spirits, and travel through shadows as well made us the perfect beings to force balance upon the world.

Rubbing my hand down my face, I teleported from cluster of trees to cluster of trees, keeping my senses open. However, thoughts of Coralena ravaged my mind. I mentally chuckled as I thought about how this was my most important mission so far. No other had such high stakes for me. There was always a possibility I died at the end, or middle, or beginning, but that didn’t matter. Coralena was far more special than me. Once I had her, I refused to live without her in existence.

My amusement continued when I realized Blair would be spewing logic my way, stating that I should move on and have him, or that I was being dramatic and hadn’t even met her yet. But he had and should know that it didn’t matter that I hadn’t.

She was ours; she was mine.

Amusement turned to anger as Roland came to mind. That bastard lied to us and threw mission after mission onto our plates, trying to distract us from the issues at hand. Cillian, Blair, and Kiran had sent in report after report, begging for help, for an escape plan. They asked where we were and why we weren’t barging in because they thought we would.

Example A was current events. Here we were, barging.

It eased a part of my soul, knowing that Blair never lost hope that I would come. For her, specifically. He was one of my true bonded, and I would lay down my life for him, but he could protect himself where she was not only untrained but pregnant.

More fury raced through my veins, but I pushed it to a deep dark corner. It had been nearly ten minutes of bouncing around this expansive garden, and there was still no sign of Coralena or another that would point to her whereabouts. I just had to be patient.

That was a skill of mine, but we were quickly descending upon my limit.

Finally, as I appeared in a copse of trees northeast of the castle, I heard yelling. If I didn’t know any better, I would say it was Galvin and Andrin arguing. I never knew the prince to disagree with his parents, but times were changing, and it looked like Coralena was at the center.

My heart raced when the thought of pulling Coralena into my arms flew through my mind, and I sent Poe a message, finding the channel open once more and letting her know I was about to shake things up and they needed to get out of there. I was kind like that sometimes. Okay, I wasn’t, but for Coralena’s sake, I’d be slightly more caring.

I stepped out of the shadows as sobbing assaulted my ears, and dread filled every cell of my body. Across the small field, closer to the northern line of trees that were in full turn of the season, there was a table, set for six, except no one was sitting and enjoying the meal. Where there should have been happy faces and a pleasant afternoon was a scene of horror.

Galvin and Andrin stood over Coralena, pinning her to the table as the guards, queen, and ex-future queen consort watched on in various levels of amusement and annoyance.

This horrific sight was going to be a gorey shit fest when I was done with it.

And despite knowing she would not hear my thoughts, I sent a pleading one her way.

Be strong for me, my little shadow. I’m on my way. Just hold on a little bit longer.

Coralena

Ifelt the tip of Andrin’s dick press in, slightly slipping past my entrance, when a noise from above us halted his movements. He pulled away as teacups and saucers fell over the sides and shattered against the ground. Thankfully, Galvin’s hand slipped from my back, allowing me to stand and gaze up into snow-white eyes surrounded by a scarred face. I had never seen him before, but I felt as if I knew this man. For a second, I worried that his large stature would split the table in two.

“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Galvin bellowed, but he was given no answer.

Liquid found its way between my splayed fingers that were firmly pressed against the table top as I took the stranger in. He stared back as everything and everyone around us seemed to pause. I leaned forward, instinctively knowing I would be safe within his arms. The tears had finally stopped, and I took a breath of relief. But it was all short lived.

The newcomer pulled out a black dagger and aimed for Andrin, who was still behind me. He had a long wingspan and could easily reach his mark, but I couldn’t allow that. Andrin wasn’t the antagonist, at least not anymore.

“No,” I screamed, fully positioning myself between the would-be assassin and my brother. “Not him.”

“Oh?” A look of confusion passed over the stranger’s face. It looked as if it was an out-of-practice motion, as if he wasn’t perplexed often. I planned to remedy that.

With a flick of his wrist and dagger and a questioning glance toward Galvin, I knew he was asking permission, and it settled a great deal of anxiety within me. No one else had truly taken my opinion into account, except for Remy and sometimes Andrin. The others tried, but they never quite succeeded.

After I gave him a small, nearly imperceptible nod, the man leaped into action. One moment there was a gasp mixed with shuffling feet, and the next, a gurgling came from my left. I took a chance and turned my head to see what had happened. I shouldn’t have. I really shouldn’t have, but it was too late. Just as with every other disturbing thing that had happened in this castle in the last three months, this image would forever be seared into my brain.

The dagger had been plunged up through Galvin’s jaw and was quickly becoming coated in blood. The silky, red liquid ran down the black metal and across the hilt before drip-dropping small splatterings onto Galvin’s once pristine dress shirt. He staggered back as this white knight hovered over him, waiting. I wondered if this was a game to him or simply a means to an end. Perhaps it was both. When it came to Galvin, I doubted I would find fault in someone’s actions if they were harmful toward him. With that, I realized where I had once been a rather light person, darkness now swept into me in waves. However, I found that I didn’t mind. Well, I could certainly live without the causes, but the effects were acceptable.

As I stared on, waiting for the end, Andrin placed his hand on my shoulder and maneuvered himself behind me to block my bareback from view. Better late than never, I supposed. We both watched in horror, or perhaps relief, as our father fell to the ground, gripping and ungripping the hilt, trying to decide if it was best to leave it in. If he were a human, he would be bleeding out and moments from death if the initial blow hadn’t done the job. Unlucky for us, Galvin was a royal nymph, meaning he could only be killed by a special blade forged with the blood of a royal of the same breed. No one had brought it up recently, but we all knew that meant I would spill more blood by the end of the ordeal. I was happy to do so if it meant the world was rid of Galvin and Calliope.

I saw the moment Galvin decided to pull the blade from his skull and hoped a chunk of his fucked-up brain would come along with it. The behemoth of a man, swathed in all black that made his pale skin, hair, and eyes all that more noticeable, kept himself between us, ensuring what I assumed was my safety. I itched to go to him, but I would keep myself together long enough for us to have a secure escape.

Andrin pulled away before taking off his shirt, then placed it over my head, covering my exposed skin and tattered dress. I could hear him calling my name, wanting to knock me out of the daze I had fallen into, but I was comfortable in my head, daydreaming away the trauma for the moment.

Then another voice entered the mix, and I realized I had blacked out for quite a bit of time. Shaking my head, I looked around and found Galvin passed out on the ground with blood spurting from the hole where the dagger had once been. Andrin was beside me, nudging my shoulder. The guards were standing back while glancing at their queen for guidance, and Calliope and Wren looked upon the scene with matching images of disgust and rage. Onlookers were nearly as bad as the assaulters, but I would give them one-twelfth of a point for not making the events worse.

“Atticus.” His voice jogged me from my thoughts once more.

“Atticus?”

“My name.”

I mouthed an ‘oh’ and raised my eyes to meet his filmy, white ones. Atticus was almost a full foot taller than I was with a rugged scarred face that was almost haunted. He was in no sense conventionally attractive, with a nose that had been broken possibly a hundred times too many, thin lips that sat in a severe crease, and eyes that could stare down a ghost, but he was mine. No matter how safe I felt with the others, he tripled it at the very least, and he had only been near me for a handful of minutes, depending on how long I had blacked out the events around myself.

A heavy sigh of relief left my lips before I spoke. “Thank you, Atticus.” There was a catch in my voice as tears began to fill my eyes again. Atticus, my white knight, pulled me into his arms. I tensed for a moment, uncomfortable with being forced to do anything despite knowing he belonged to me and everything that had just transpired, then the sensation of the bond swept over me.

I melted against his thick frame and thought, thank fuck, I finally have a mate that will stab a bitch for me. I slowly wrapped my arms around his waist as he whispered into my ear.

“You’re safe now, Coralena. No one touches what is mine without consequences.” The way he moved his head, I could tell Andrin and him were having a stare-off. That would have to wait. Just another line on my list of things to deal with later.

“I have so many questions. I don’t know where to start,” I mumbled against his chest and brought his appearance to mind. If he let his hair grow out, I could make Lord of the Rings jokes. Maybe I would ask if he was related to Legolas, perhaps a cousin from a progressive part of Mirkwood, but I would save that for later when Remy was around. I couldn’t waste it when no one here would understand how perfect it was.

Placing a tender kiss on the top of my head, he said, “And I will answer all of them, just say the word, my little shadow.”

Spirit nymphs… They knew how to get shit done. Fucking finally. “Took you long enough to find me,” I instinctively ground out.

Atticus paused for a moment, staring down at me and perhaps waiting for some kind of reaction to him or his appearance before he finally gave a resolute nod. “And the man behind that will pay with his life.”

“Good,” I said without thinking. That darkness was rearing its ugly head again. “I mean, good if that’s what you want to do. Do it, if you, you know...”

Atticus stopped my yammering with a kiss that started chastely, but I pressed for a bit more. He pulled back before I was ready, but I understood. Realistically, this wasn’t the time or place, but I could still be a little grumpy about it. A pout marred my lips, making Atticus chuckle.

“Seems our bonded is needy, hmm? Sounds like I have a few more nymphs to add to my list.”

I rolled my eyes, and Andrin snorted from behind me but turned away when the two of us looked at him. Based on their initial meet-cute, I had some explaining to do as well. Hopefully Atticus took the news better than the others, and given that he actually listened to me, I had high hopes.

Atticus raised his hand and cupped my cheek, forcing me to look at him again. “You aren’t what I imagined.”

“And neither are you, doesn’t change anything though.” I shrugged, then let out a heavy sigh as the adrenaline started to rundown, pushing me straight into a mental and physical crash. “Now what?”

“Now?” He chuckled. “Now we get the fuck out of here and figure out how to destroy your repugnant family.”

I beamed up at him with pure joy lacing my features. “Fucking yes, please.”

Coralena

Footsteps followed by yelling could be heard coming from the castle. Some of the voices were recognizable, others were not. The most noticeable was someone screeching, “you fuck faces,” and something about ripping off an appendage and using it as a coin purse.

I looked over and saw the rest of our band of misfits bounding toward us and pushing through the guards that attempted to block their path. Apparently they were only a challenge to someone with no powers. Cillian blasted them with air, and there was some armor and skin shedding from the force of his power.

He was in front, leading the charge, with two women I didn’t recognize beside him. One was clearly a fire nymph while the other matched Atticus’ features, so I could only assume she was a spirit nymph as well. She was much shorter than the rest of the group, and I wondered how she matched their strides. Behind them were Kiran, Blair, and Remy trying to keep up.

They looked disheveled, and I could only guess they had quite the struggle getting to us. Cillian in particular had a gash across his chest that looked extremely painful. His torn shirt swayed in the wind as he pounded the ground harder and harder to get to us. I wanted to meet him, to comfort him and the others, but I was worn out and slumping against Atticus by the time they reached us. Fuck this day with a rusty razor coated in dog shit. I needed a hot bath and a tray loaded with every comfort food imaginable. Now that I thought about it, Atticus would probably make a great bed.

As they made their way to us, Andrin stepped over to one of the guards and spoke to him in hushed tones. After a few seconds and getting a curt nod from Calliope, the guard placed something into Andrin’s hand. He saw me watching and nodded while mouthing, ‘later.’ That’s all I could ask for now, but constantly having to wait for later was starting to drive me crazy.

“It’s time to go,” the fire nymph said as she marched around the table, then pushed Atticus out of the way so she could fully face me. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Coralena. I’m Ira, and that’s Poe.” I couldn’t take my eyes off of her to even glance at her companion. Ira lifted her hand and cupped my cheek, letting her warmth flow through the contact. The calming sensation of a new bonded swept over me, and so did bewilderment. This was what those bastards were keeping from us. I knew bonded groups had all kinds of mixtures, but no one had hinted at this. Or perhaps they had and I was too busy trying to survive to notice.

“Oh,” I muttered with wide eyes. I wasn’t expecting this, but I found myself not caring like I thought I would. I knew I liked dick, but maybe I was more flexible than I had known.

“Yes, ‘oh.’ We will deal with that later.” Another fucking thing for later. Later was going to be a shit show of info-dumping, if I had any say in it. “This way.” Ira, who was the same height as Cillian and just shorter than Atticus, gently shoved me into my spirit bonded’s chest. His arms circled me as Ira took in everything around us.

Galvin, then Calliope, Wren, and the guards, then finally, her gaze landed on Andrin who was standing beside Atticus and me. Her eyes turned to slits as she stared him down. If he were a weaker nymph, Andrin would have collapsed under the gaze, but he took the full brunt of it with finesse. His shoulders stayed tall and strong, and his stature poised.

I was about to speak up when Remy butted in. “Cool it, Ms. Fire Goddess. He might have been a skeevy cunt sack before, but Coralena wants him around.”

Ira looked appalled as she whirled on Remy. I had assumed she was going to question the fact that I wanted him around, but instead she said, “There is far too much to process from that statement, but thank you for the compliment.”

I snorted as Remy saluted her before saying, “Any time.”

Ira turned back to us and sighed. “If Coralena wishes for him to be by her side, then so be it, for now. But Andrin,” she sneered while glaring at him. “If you hurt her again…”

“I am well aware, Ira. Remy has made every threat imaginable and will provide ample punishment if I were to do so.”

As much as I enjoyed the banter and the distraction it brought on, I wanted the fuck out of this watery hellscape. “Can we go now?”

“Yes, please. Get us the hell out of here already. Let’s get this show on the road!” Remy groaned as Kiran pulled her closer, trying to offer her some comfort.

I noticed Poe standing to the side of them. She hadn’t taken her eyes off of Remy, and I assumed Remy was to her as I was to Ira. What a shitfest this was going to be. It was hard enough dealing with half our mates. I sighed and let my head fall back, so it rested on Atticus’ chest.

I knew Remy was freewheeling about who she liked, but I had never put much thought into liking women. This would all be an adjustment, just as everything else in my life had been recently. Although I had to admit, Ira was fierce and made a great first impression. I stared at her as she signaled for us to follow her into the forest, heading farther north of the castle. Her black hair was in a high, thick ponytail that trailed down her back, nearing her waist. Without the size reference, I would refer to her features as pixie-like, but Ira was not delicate in that way. Her leather dress only served to enhance her strong appearance—and if I was being honest, it worked for me.

Turning my head, I looked up at Atticus, meeting his knowing gaze, and rolled my eyes. He chuckled, and I felt the rumble against my back. Just as I was about to bring up my Legolas joke, Ira began her trek. However, Atticus had other plans.

“I think we will take the faster route.” He leaned over and hauled me into his arms bridal style, forcing me to flash Andrin, who had the decency to avert his eyes despite having already seen everything I had to offer. It was the thought that counted in this situation.

“Excuse me?” Ira ground out.

“You’re excused,” Atticus countered as I felt a sharp pull in my chest and everything went black.

Ira

If I hadn’t wanted to do the same, I would be planning Atticus’ funeral right now. I knew she was safe and that he would protect her with his life and everyone around him. I repeated to myself over and over that Coralena would be fine.

But that didn’t stop the worry from flitting through my brain or the anger sitting in the pit of my stomach, wanting to break free.

“You can teleport! How could I forget that?” Remy shrieked from behind me.

I turned to her with a confused expression. “Did these idiots explain anything?”

“If the idiots you are referring to are Kiran, Cillian, and Blair, then not really, no. Very secretive that bunch.”

They all grumbled and protested until I sliced my hand through the air, silencing them. “I’ll deal with you three later. As for teleporting, only water and spirit nymphs can. However, not all of them are gifted with the ability or gifted at the ability. Thankfully, Atticus is both, and Coralena will be unharmed.”

“So Poe and Kiran didn’t teleport us because…”

“I don’t have the ability,” Kiran revealed. “Otherwise, we would have been long gone instead of waiting for this fun little rescue that is going so well.”

Remy whacked him on the chest, then turned to Poe. “And you?” I could tell she was hoping for some sort of bond to bloom there, and I expected it would with time, but Poe was… As awful as it was to say it, Poe was damaged. We all were, but she was especially.

She looked up at Remy with little expression on her face. I wished for her to show something, give Remy any hope at all, but there was nothing. “I can only take one person at a time without issues arising.”

That seemed to be the end of it, so I filled in the blank. “That’s how we got here. Poe transported us the moment we found out about you and Coralena. If we had known sooner…”

“If you had known sooner, everything would have played out the same at the beginning. There was no stopping it, so please don’t blame yourself. That’s what Coralena would say. I know it’s what you are all thinking.”

Everyone’s faces fell at her words, but I held her gaze. The reports that I saw stated that Remy had been there and watched it all. She did what she could and kept Coralena afloat, and for that, I would be eternally grateful.

“Thank you, Remy. For your comments and for keeping Coralena sane.”

She snickered. “Well, I wouldn’t say sane.” Remy then let out a yelp when Cillian flicked her forehead.

“Saner than you,” he jested before hopping out of reach with the help of his air magic.

We all chuckled and took a moment of reprieve before I broke the lightness, bringing us back to reality. “Let’s head to the ship. I think it’s time we left this place behind.”

“Ship?” Remy questioned as she started to follow behind me as I headed deeper into the forest.

“Yes, a ship. They really told you nothing.” I let out a sigh and rubbed my face.

“No shit,” she retorted before tripping over a root.

I watched as Andrin reached out and saved her from face-planting into the hard ground. Instead of uttering a thank you, Remy gasped and jerked her arm from his grasp before staring at him in horror.

“Remy,” he started, but she shook her head as if she were caught in a loop that would not break.

We all halted, wondering what was happening, then Remy shook herself free and turned to Poe. “Transport me. Now.” I hadn’t expected Poe to comply, but one second they were there, and the next there was only empty space.

“What the fuck was that about?” Kiran growled as he came up on Andrin.

“Ah, well,” he stuttered, then ended on, “ask Remy.” With that, Andrin transported himself away. Apparently, he had removed the cuff while I wasn’t looking.

“Anyone else want to abandon ship before we even get on it? Great ancients, you’re a dramatic bunch.”

“We’re a dramatic bunch, Ira. You’re included now too. So happy to have you join us!” Cillian teased, clapping me on the back as he passed by, ready to continue our trek to the waiting ship we had hidden deep in the forest.

“Yes, Ira, please join us in our growing sour attitudes now that our mates have been whisked away and Andrin is god knows where.” The easygoing Kiran I once knew was no longer, it seemed. He was now as ragged as a windswept desert.

“They are with Poe and Atticus. Do you really think anything else is going to happen to them?” Thankfully, Blair was as level headed as always.

The other two grumbled and nodded, but their footsteps were mere seconds from being classified as the stompings of a toddler.

I took a deep breath and followed behind Cillian before overtaking him since I was the only one that knew where we were going.

“You can also be thankful that both your bonded aren’t out of reach. I think I win the pouting contest if I were entering.”

“He has a point.” I couldn’t help but agree.

“Fair, Blair. It all sucks, but at least we know they will be out of Oedinia and the royals’ grasp. Fuck Andrin though.”

“Annoyed that he’s keeping a secret when all you did during your time with Coralena and Remy was keep secrets? How hypocritical of you, Kiran. And isn’t he your ‘best friend’?” Poking holes in his logic was far too fun to avoid.

Apparently, it was the right thing to say because it shut him up.

“How long until we get there?” Cillian asked, falling in step with me.

“About an hour or so. We couldn’t risk them finding the ship before we could escape.”

“Ah, well then, to Coralena!” he singsonged.

“To Remy,” Kiran said, coming out of his tantrum.

“To the fuckfaces who stole our women?” That’s the Cillian I knew but with some new vocabulary that the girls were to blame for.

I heard them laugh, then say in unison, “To the fuckfaces that stole our women!”

We were told we would never be bored with Coralena and Remy, but they forgot to mention how amusing they all could be as well. I joined in with my mental chant.

To all of us and the joy that is to come.

Andrin

“Ask Remy?” I scoffed at myself as I flashed through the forest, trying to locate the ship. I had ventured into these woods many times during my twenty-eight years of life and knew the open areas that could accommodate something that size. The trick was finding the right one, not that I was in a hurry. I had taken the easy way out, but I also knew that was the right way to go. Remy would want to keep that under wraps until she was ready to reveal to the world what had happened.

I could only dream that she would accept me and had longed to create a connection with her for the last three months. There had been an inkling, a feeling within my chest that drew me to the fire nymph, but I was too focused on Coralena and our relationship to put much thought into it until now. My obsession with my sister would be my downfall, but I couldn’t take it back now. I never would.

That small touch of our skin zapped energy through my entire body, bringing the bond to life. Closing my eyes, I reprimanded myself. I should have been more careful. If nothing else, I should have warned Kiran. I did not doubt that he would be furious, but everyone knew that bonded groups tended to be closer than others, even before finding their connections. I had never met Poe, but Kiran had been by my side since we were young.

Chuckling to myself, realization dawned on me. Perhaps his placement with me, which had conveniently happened shortly after Cora and Lena were taken, was no accident. I had assumed his parents, who were close friends with my own and the king and queen of Nularoth, had wanted to relieve some of the loneliness and forge a bond between our kingdoms. They had succeeded, but would they think the cost was too high once they realized what had happened?

Stepping up to a large tree, I leaned against it and slid down until my ass hit the hard, grass-covered ground. It was patchy in these parts, spreading more widely in the clearings that speckled the area.

My head fell back, resting against the coarse bark and grounding me to the present. It brought a feeling other than pain and regret to my senses as I slowly rotated my head back and forth as if I were in a trance.

I would find my way back to Remy and the others eventually. Or perhaps I would be too late, and they would take off without me. A sigh escaped me. Both options had their pros and cons. Remy was a tick in both columns for either scenario.

Curling up, I dragged my legs to my chest and placed my forehead on my knees, trying to sort through the mess.

What did I know? First, Kiran and Poe were Remy’s earth and spirit bonded. I filled the water slot, meaning we had one air nymph out there. Perhaps they were waiting for us at whatever compound Ira was dragging us to.

Second, Coralena had found her bonded in Blair, Atticus, Cillian, and Ira. I felt so foolish. How had I not seen that before? It was obvious that Remy was not with them, but I had convinced myself otherwise.

Third, we were headed to a ship hidden in the forest by some group that seemed to have it out for my family, at least my parents, and Kiran and the others appeared to have infiltrated our ranks for spying purposes.

Betrayal and exhaustion ran through me as I sat here, trying to hold it together.

I was alone.

Remy wouldn’t choose me. Coralena had been wounded once again by my hand; although she knew I was against it, it didn’t matter. And Kiran… My best friend was a fraud. Maybe not in whole, but some part of him was ready to betray me at a moment’s notice.

The others were mere specks in my mind. They did not matter, not in the way the other three did.

And now, my devotion toward Coralena and Remy warred inside me. Coralena was my sister, the person I was taught to love the most in this world, but Remy was my bonded, the one person I was meant to love most.

I couldn’t lose one for the other, but did I even have a choice?

Shaking my head, I knew there was a clear answer. I would play my part in ensuring their safety, then I would be cast aside, or I would leave of my own volition, but they would never be mine.

A tear ran down my cheek and melted into the cloth of my pants as I let all the emotions build up and overflow, hoping for some morsel of relief to make its way through my body. It didn’t come, no matter how long I sat here, spilling everything I had in me.

I feared too much time had passed as I attempted to solve the impossible riddle of how to fit into their lives. Standing, I wiped my tears and brushed the dirt off of my pants before teleporting to the clearings nearby, searching once more.

Eventually, I found the ship; it was made of dark wood and green, and fluttering sails jutted from the tops and sides. They were shaped like wings and were retractable if they were anything like the airships we had in our fleet.

Instead of entering the beast, I stayed out of sight, lurking in the tree line and waiting for the others to show up. There was little commotion, so it was safe to assume they had not made it yet. A small snort left me as I could only imagine how awful it would be to have to walk everywhere. What a waste of time.

I knew I could have flashed them all with me, but I was trying to avoid them for as long as possible.

“You can’t hide forever,” a voice said from beside me.

I leaped away with a gasp, turning to face whoever snuck up on me. It was Poe.

“Can’t I?”

“No.”

I waited for more, but none came. “Care to elaborate?”

“No, but I will. For Remy.” She took a deep breath and stared at me with her white, glazed eyes.

Spirit nymphs had always been a sore spot for me. Their powers and roles within this realm were set. Most were trained assassins, even if they held a much simpler position. Their country ran smoothly without any help from the other four nations. It was awe-inspiring and worrying for a person of my station.

“She cares for you.”

“No, she doesn’t. She—“

“Do not interrupt me, or I will tell you nothing.”

I shut my trap and motioned for her to carry on.

“She does. She doesn’t want to, but she does. And no, Remy didn’t say anything to me, but I can see it. Besides, she wouldn’t have run like that if she didn’t. If she truly hated you, Remy would have rejected you on the spot, quite vocally. You have met her, right?” Poe cleared her throat, and based on the slight hoarseness that was forming, I assumed she wasn’t used to talking so much. “Even in the short time I have been around her, it’s all very clear. She’s hurt and angry, but she cares. Don’t give up just yet. Don’t let her slip through your fingers.” Poe’s voice had fallen to a whisper as if there was more behind her words than she was letting on.

“Thank you. I will take that into consideration. Coralena… It’s complicated.”

“You can believe that.” And with that, she was gone.

When I turned back to the ship, I saw her give me a slight wave as she walked up the ramp that led to the underbelly.

Standing tall, I made my way from the tree line, marched toward the ship, and followed after her. Hope crept in, thanks to Poe, but I only allowed a little to take root. It was enough to push me to fight for her but so little that I could stamp it out at a moment’s notice.

The smell of the forest mixed with the stuffy air of the wooden contraption assaulted me as I stepped through the opening. I followed Poe who had slowed enough to allow this and thanked the ancients or whoever was watching over us that I had at least one ally in the midst.

I caught up to her, and we walked in companionable silence to the command center where Remy was slouched in the Captain’s chair.

A sullen look took hold of her features as she watched us walk in. I knew a similar expression had crossed my face, and I longed for her playful attitude to poke through, even if it was at my expense.

“Remy,” I said, and there was far too much emotion in that one word for my liking.

Her nostrils flared, and for a moment, I thought she would storm away again, but she surprised me. “Tea tomorrow?”

A shocked laugh forced its way out before I covered my mouth and recollected myself. My small outburst brought a small smirk to Remy’s lips, and it was as if the sky had opened after a rainy day. The storm hadn’t passed, but sunshine peeked through for a moment in time, and I wanted to bask in it.

“As you wish.”

Coralena

The darkness didn’t last long, but the sting in my chest remained as my heart raced from the sudden teleportation. I was still in Atticus’ arms, and his presence helped calm the nerves that had resurfaced as old memories flooded back. This all started with Andrin flashing us away, and although this was vastly different, it was a reminder which I had not wanted, especially after what Galvin just put us through.

“Coralena?” Atticus said as I looked around.

“I thought we were going to a ship,” I mumbled.

Perhaps I was confused and the language barrier was working its magic, but this looked like an entry hall, much like the one in Oedinia castle. Instead of blues and purples, there was an array of deep colors. Greens, reds, oranges, and blues merged into saturated rainbows that were welcoming in nature. It felt comfortable, like home.

Atticus set me down, and I walked over to the nearest stained glass window that traveled the entire expanse from ceiling to floor. This one depicted a scene of an orchard with winged creatures flitting around the trees. The next was a mountain scene of a grand river with nymphs swimming about. Each new window held a unique scene, depicting all the different nymph races.

One of the spirit windows was my favorite. I stood there, staring up at it until Atticus moved behind me.

“Don’t tell me you picked this one because of me.” His voice held an airy quality that said he was joking.

I turned to smile up at him. “No, I didn’t. Take another guess.”

Atticus hmmed and stared up at the window, taking in every part of the picture and trying to decipher why this one had struck me. “I don’t know you well enough to guess such a thing, but I know why I like it. Would you like to hear?”

“Yes, I would.”

Atticus spun me, so we were both looking at the scene. His hands rested on my shoulders, and I accepted the comfort and strength he could give me while encouraging this small distraction.

“It’s not like the others. It’s not colorful or happy. It’s sheathed in shadows and darkness.” I started to interrupt, but Atticus slithered his hand up my neck and wrapped it around my mouth and jaw, effectively shutting me up until it was removed. He didn’t put pressure or force it to remain in place. Atticus simply let it rest there, giving me a glimmer of control.

“As I was saying… However, at the heart of it, it’s just as the others are. All the pieces depict simple scenes of nature, our nature. Water nymphs in a river. Earth nymphs standing over a gaping chasm. Fire nymphs having a lava fight. Even air nymphs flying. But us, the spirit nymphs? Well, we aren’t like the others.”

Atticus walked around me with his eyes locked on the stained glass before us. His hand, the one that was just clasped around my jaw, reached up and stroked the window as if this scene meant more to him than I would ever know.

“They wish for us to not deal in absolutes, in extremes, but the world has to have both. It has to have gray areas and black and white. We fill in that space on the outer edges, making the harsh decisions and bringing balance where we can.” His hand dropped, and Atticus’ gaze met mine. “We are all trained in death, taught to embrace it so we can travel through the shadow realm. Some of us stay on that path, becoming assassins and reveling in the gruesome acts we must commit. I, Coralena, am one of them. I deal in death, metering it out where I see fit. So—“

“So just as the others, where they feel the happiness of their designations, you too find joy in yours. In death.”

“Yes.”

“And that’s why—“

“Why this speaks to me and speaks to you.”

We stood there in silence, letting the words fall over us.

The scene, the one I had been so riveted by, was of a shadow of a nymph who was half flesh and half bone, reaching into the chest of another. Where their face was peaceful and serene, the other was filled with anguish. There was no blood, no gore, no gruesome symbology. However, the meaning was clear.

Death was the peace at the end of life, and the spirit nymphs accepted their place as both the peace and the destruction of peace within that.

“Now, you, Coralena. Why does it speak to you?” Atticus’ voice broke the haze I had fallen into, but I refused to look away from the art before me.

“Our ending is death, but sometimes you wish for it to come at the beginning, before the torment. What if I had died that night instead of pushing forward, allowing Remy to stay by my side and whip me back into a Coralena-shaped being?”

“What if?” Atticus copied. Curiosity filled his tone, but there was no judgment, no harsh feelings at my thoughts about wanting it all to end.

I let out a sigh. “What ifs are an unknown, Atticus…”

“And? We are intelligent creatures who think of all the possibilities. Assuming and forcing ourselves to not think of what ifs would drive us just as mad as only thinking of what ifs. So what if, Coralena?”

I let out a grim chuckle. “What if I threw myself from the balcony? Then I would have doomed my bonded to live a life without that connection.”

“Do not think of us within this, my little shadow. Think only of you. Do you regret it?”

“Living?” I asked, catching his milky eyes as mine filled with tears.

“Not dying,” he corrected me.

I didn’t need a moment to think. I had known the answer since the day we were brought to Incyssia, the world of the nymphs. It crossed my mind each morning and every night. “Yes and no. I suppose I’m not as black and white as you are.”

We shared a dark chuckle as Atticus ushered me through the rest of the grand hall and through large doors that led to the inner hallways of the castle.

“Spirits are special.”

“Breath of fresh air, truly,” I added honestly.

Atticus heard the truth in my voice and did not question my comment but said, “Then let me fill your lungs with life until you decide.”

Until I decided on life or death, as if it were that simple.

Traipsing the halls through what I assumed was a castle took a toll on me. I was already exhausted from what happened less than an hour ago, but the extra movement and demand I made of my body were quickly using what was left of my energy.

As we stepped into the suite, I barely registered Atticus tugging me through the room and into the bathroom where a large stone bathtub waited for me. He dropped my hand and marched over to it, turning on the faucets that looked so familiar to the ones back home but were off enough to make me do a double take.

It was a little too easy to forget that this wasn’t the realm I grew up in. After three months, I had grown accustomed to the ways of this world, at least mostly. The fantasy novels and movies that were thrown at us left and right somewhat prepared me, but of course they weren’t one hundred percent accurate since those were formed from the imaginations of creatives, and this was reality.

Fuck reality, if you asked me.

Shaking my head, I watched Atticus drop in some oil that I assumed was similar to our essential oils. As the water tossed and turned with the added liquid, the scents of this world’s version of lavender and orange assaulted my nose. It was pleasant enough and added to how tired I was.

No one tell Karen that essential oils work. I chuckled at my internal joke as Atticus turned to me with a soft smile.

He opened a cupboard and pulled out a few towels and some toiletries without a word from either of us. They were placed on the counter and beside the tub within grabbing distance.

Once everything was set and the water was turned off, Atticus walked over to me and placed a small kiss on my forehead. “Take a hot bath, enjoy the water, and relax, Coralena. Shower after if you would like to wash away the grime of today as well. I will be waiting outside if you need me. I am going to move next door to take a shower myself in Blair’s suite, but I will only be gone for a few minutes. Is that all right?”

I stared up at him in wonder. Once again—which was absurdly shocking with how little time I had known him—Atticus surprised me by showing how much he cared for me and wanted to make sure I was at ease.

Nodding, I wrapped my arms around him for a small, quick hug before I pulled back and headed for the tub. I was hesitant to take off Andrin’s shirt and the tattered dress, wondering if Atticus would stay, but when I turned around, he was out the door and closing it behind him.

“Thank you,” I whispered into the empty room.

I honestly didn’t know what I was missing until someone swooped in and showed me what being cared for, and I mean really cared for, felt like. The others had a lot of brownie points to catch up on if you asked me.

Remy

“What the fuck is that?” I gasped as Poe and I appeared beside the ‘ship.’ It wasn’t like anything I had seen before, at least in real life. It looked a lot like that cool-ass ship from Treasure Planet but with added wings and less noticeable tech. I knew I would end up wandering around all the decks, but there was far too much on my immediate to-do list for that to be feasible.

One, hide from Andrin. Two, find Coralena and make sure she is okay. Three, figure out this shitfest of a bonded mess.

Three could wait. For a long while. And one might be doable while wandering about.

I was standing there, gaping at this beast of a flying boat, and Poe found it within herself to speak up. “Did you think we traveled in carts pulled by horses for far-away travel?” I shrugged, and she carried on. “This is a naglif, Ira’s ship, but she named it Flammog. Fire and air nymphs work together to fly it.” On the right side, which happened to be facing us, was a large opening that fell into a ramp for us to ascend.

Poe started toward the naglif, and I followed behind her. Previously, she had been quiet and seemed to follow Ira’s lead, but now that we were alone, she was much more… not exactly confident, but she took charge. Maybe it was a bonded thing versus letting and trusting her commander to lead. I’d dig into it later.

I couldn’t help but look all around as we stepped through the doorway. The insides were very similar to what I imagined a steampunk version of a ship would be. Given that it was partially mechanical, mixed with magic and fantastical imagery, I knew I was dead on. The belly of the beast had storage and what appeared to be some rooms to the side.

Poe led us up to a room that had large windows and was far too similar to a less tech version of the cockpit in the spaceship from Star Trek. There were stations and a Captain’s chair right in the middle. I knew which seat I was stealing for now. Ira could fight me for it later.

Minutes passed as some crewmates ran around the ship, doing whatever it was that they did to make sure everything ran smoothly. There was an air of urgency, and Poe’s appearance seemed to have gotten them going even more. When she stepped into the room, they had been rather content in their space, but once their eyes landed on her, they spun into action. Aww, my mate was a big deal. I was so proud.

Of course, my brain decided to be a douche and remind me that Andrin was a bigger deal, but fuck him. Not literally. Well… No, I chastised myself. We weren’t going there. That would make this already fucked up situation even more fucked.

Something had happened while they were at brunch. Coralena’s dress was tattered down the back, and Andrin had a cuff on him that was easy to pinpoint as similar to the ones he had used on Coralena. I wanted to blame him, and I did in part, but I wasn’t oblivious or cruel enough to fully blame him for whatever happened. Galvin, the sick fuck, was half dead on the ground thanks to Atticus. Thank fuck for that guy. With Calliope and Wren chilling like fucked in the head voyeurs, it was an easy situation to sort out.

But still, fuck Andrin.

I made my way to the Captain’s chair and plopped into it with a pout marring my lips.

Fuckety fuck everything. I let out a groan and waited for whatever was to come.

As boredom took over, I half regretted ditching Kiran. I knew he would be upset, but we would joke about it eventually. Maybe a decade or so after I tell him that his fake best friend, rapist of Coralena, and all around our enemy, was my water nymph mate. Fucking joyous day for Remy.

“Stay here. No one will disturb you,” Poe said seconds before she vanished.

It was a cool trick, a great trick even, but she could have pointed me in the direction of a bathroom before leaving me to my own devices.

Minutes passed, and she hadn’t returned, so I took it upon myself to learn the layout of this place. I wandered down the halls and found a bathroom and what I assumed were the crew quarters, more storage, the kitchens, and a sauna. I would be finding my way back here if we stayed on the ship for any decent length of time.

Nearly an hour had passed, and Poe nor anyone else had bothered to show up and drag me back to the command center, but I had finished my snooping and made my way back. I took a few wrong turns, then begged a random crew member—Levik, because I was nice and asked for his name—to take me back. Levik was confused for a moment, but I explained I was with Poe, and he escorted me back with no other problems.

Poe and the others were still nowhere in sight, so I took up my position in the Captain’s chair once more.

Only a few more minutes passed before the doors opened and revealed not only Poe but the man I was avoiding, Andrin.

We had a stare-off before he pulled himself together.

“Remy.”

My nostrils flared, and I debated on telling him to go fuck a crocodile, but regret filled me at the morose look on his face. Sometimes your emotions screwed you. Damn bonds messing with my head.

So instead of telling him off, I said, “Tea tomorrow?”

And it produced the reaction I was hoping for. Andrin snorted and tried hiding it, just as I tried to stop the smirk forming on my lips.

“As you wish.”

My smirk turned full blast. Did he know? Did he understand the joke he just made?

“Princess Bride.”

“What?” Andrin questioned, confusion swarming his eyes.

“It’s a movie. Has a princess who is kidnapped and almost raped but is saved by her prince charming. It’s a cult classic. You should brush up on the royal themed movies. You could learn a thing or two.”

“If you say so.”

“I do. Have your people procure it for educational purposes.”

“Hm, only if you watch it with me.” He was challenging me. I could see it in his eyes. Andrin wanted to know how far he could push before I exploded.

I thought for a moment and countered with, “Just so you know, I still think you’re a sick fuck who should have his dick sawed off by a bread knife found on the Titanic.”

“The what?”

I rolled my eyes. “Big ship that sank into the ocean. You don’t need to watch the movie. It’s not worth it.”

He hmmed and nodded. “Do we have a deal or not, Remy?” Straight to the point and completely skipping over my jab. Eh, it wasn’t like he didn’t know my feelings toward him, at least the hatred side.

I thought about it for a moment, milking the moment for everything it had. “Deal. That movie is worth it.” What I didn’t say was ‘I had a breakdown earlier about being alone, and I don’t want to be anymore.’ Despite his shittiness, having a slightly obsessive bonded wouldn’t be bad, if he turned his obsessions from Coralena to me. And I was right back into hating him and regretting saying yes.

Andrin opened his mouth, then Poe interrupted. “The others will be here soon. You might want to figure out a game plan, as you would call it, before they get here.” I wouldn’t always appreciate her simple straightforwardness, but right now, it stifled our banter perfectly so we could be brought back to the present.

“If we must. Do you think they’ll make Andrin room with us for space reasons or throw him in with CL and her horde?” I knew that wasn’t what she meant, but hey, I wasn’t done throwing shade just yet.

“I assume you’d want me curled up on a rug like a common house pet, waiting for a treat or some small amount of praise.” I never expected something like that to come out of Andrin’s mouth.

I burst into laughter and pushed up from my seat, closing the space between the Captain’s chair and where Andrin stood between it and the door to the command center. Raising my hand and aiming to scratch under Andrin’s sharp chin, I said, “Well then, who’s a good boy, huh?”

He flinched at the contact, and his eyes grew so wide that I thought his eyeballs would fall out of their sockets. Then it hit me again. The calm buzzing signaled that Andrin was indeed one of my bonded. I ripped my hand away and took a deep breath. I had been hasty and pushed the emotions away a little too much.

Despite my loathing of him, it wasn’t the only emotion that Andrin brought on. He bantered with me, always meeting my blows or brushing them off in a way that not even Kiran or Coralena could do. Our circumstances, though, fucked up what could have been. I wasn’t positive I could ever trust him enough to fully bond with him.

And my feelings weren’t the only ones up to bat here. Poe seemed friendly enough with him, and Kiran would deal with it and perhaps enjoy it eventually, but Coralena… I had to consider Coralena. I didn’t know what to expect from her.

There was so much to do and far too many chats that needed to take place. Maybe they would agree to a roundtable where we all spilled the beans and got it all out.

Well, even if they didn’t want to, we needed it. No more secrets, no more hiding. That was half the reason we were in this mess, and I was done playing that game.

Atticus

Ihad led Coralena to my suite within the castle. It was in the same wing and on the same floor as the others in our group, but mine was at the very end, across from Poe. When in battle, we were first to shed blood, but within the castle, we were the last line of defense and were as far from the entrance as possible.

This stronghold was in Onulon, the fire kingdom. Before it was bestowed upon the resistance to use as our base, it was a winter castle for the royal line. Ira didn’t like to mention it because she wanted others to bow to her due to her power, but she was related to the current earth mate, Faye, of Onulon’s queen, Vesta. Close cousins of some sort. With the bonded groups being what they were, remembering relations and keeping track of it all wasn’t something we were strict on. That was how the royal line in Oedinia had gotten away with their grievous acts for so long.

Our lines were complicated, and it wasn’t uncommon to have some relation to a fated, even if it was rather distant. However, it was never forced or required; bonds could always be denied. The tradition that Calliope and Galvin carried on with Andrin and Coralena was atrocious.

No one should have their free will stripped from them. Unless they deserved it.

I chuckled to myself, realizing how gray of an opinion that was.

“Atticus?” Coralena called from behind me. I had taken up a spot in one of the oversized chairs by the blooming fire that I had started when we got here.

“Yes? Did you enjoy your bath?” She was exhausted from the events of today, so I prepared her a bath, hoping she would take some time to relax before the others got here.

While Coralena took her time in my suite, I ventured to Blair’s which was mostly unused since he tended to stay in mine. Although, I made quick work of it, so she wasn’t left alone for more than a few minutes.

When Coralena didn’t answer, I spun around in the chair, letting her know she had my full attention. Her hair was wet, and she had a towel wrapped around her body as she nibbled on her lower lip.

“Can I have some clothes?” Her voice was quiet, but it didn’t sound as relaxed as I had hoped. I would help her work through this in time.

“Ah, of course. Do you want to raid my closet, or would you prefer I ransack one of the others? I don’t think Ira or Poe’s clothing would fit you, but I’m sure Ira will have some your size brought in once she arrives.”

“She didn’t expect you to run off like that, did she?”

“Curious, isn’t it? You’d think she’d know me by now.” I shrugged, standing and walking over to the closet door that was next to the one for the bathroom. Coralena followed me in after I swung open the door.

“Maybe she thought you’d stay to see Blair. It has been a while since you’ve seen each other, hasn’t it?” Coralena sifted through some garments that were hung up, but it was clear her mind wasn’t on the task. However, I would let her wander about, so her mind could focus on less awful things.

“So you know then. Thoughts on that?”

“I will give you my thoughts if you answer the question.” She turned and stared me down; although it wasn’t unkind, it was serious. They certainly did a number on her.

“I will tell you anything you want to know, Coralena. I am not like the others. I do not intend on keeping secrets from you, no matter what they are. Ira is similar, but she might keep some stressful situations from you if they do not directly affect you. Use that information however you see fit.”

She nodded, then waited. As soon as I started talking again, Coralena went back to rummaging through the closet for something she deemed suitable for the time being.

“Ira most likely assumed and hoped that I would stay so that our entire group could reconvene and bond for the handful of hours it would take to get from Oedinia to here. We are in the Tinjan region of Onulon.” Coralena didn’t react in any way to that information. Interesting. “Blair and I are used to being apart for months since this is how it has always been. We would have months together, then months where we may be limited in our contact or have none at all. Shortly before you arrived, we had a few weeks of vacation together in preparation for our upcoming stations. As you know, he was sent to Oedinia to spy on the water nymph royals along with Cillian and Kiran. I was to be placed as Kiran’s bodyguard soon after, but the plans changed once Rogan got word of who you were to us.” I ground the last part out and forced the rampaging emotions to settle. He would get his punishment, but out of respect for Ira, I would wait until she was there to help.

“And Rogan will be dealt with?”

“He will.”

“Good.”

“If you wish to help or give input, simply say so.” Coralena was still sifting, so I grabbed one of the softer shirts in my collection and handed it to her as her mouth fell open like a bubbling fish.

“‘Simply say so?’” she copied.

“Do you not wish to have a say?” I countered, turning around when she didn’t immediately start changing. “I’ll grab you a pair of shorts as well if you want.”

“No, no, I mean… No to the shorts. This is fine. Thank you. Um, but yes, I would like a say. I just didn’t expect to have one.” Disbelief and awe coated her words as I heard the towel fall and some rustling as Coralena placed the shirt over her head. “You can turn around now.”

I did as she instructed. “Why…” she started, trying to form the words. When none came, she gestured at me and all around, flailing her arms in an ungraceful fashion. “Just why, you, why are you… this?” Coralena ended her supposed interpretive dance by gesturing to my entire body.

“Why am I the way I am to you?”

“Bingo.”

“Bingo?”

“Was his name-o.”

I cocked my head, not following what sounded to be a reference from the human world. I wasn’t as up on the terms and traditions as the others since I had little downtime.

“It’s a song and a game, but also means yes in a way, like ‘you hit the nail on the head,’” she said, pounding her right fist into her left palm, before poking the end of her nose. “Or you can tap the tip of your nose, meaning ‘you hit it on the nose.’ Basically, you got it right.”

“I see. Well, that’s quite the question. I will do my best to answer it, but perhaps you would like to get to know me and solve that riddle yourself.” I led us back out into the main room, and she agreed in mock exasperation. Pulling her to the bed, I lightly pushed her down before grabbing a glass of water for her.

She greedily gulped it down and passed the glass back.

“Get comfortable. You should get some sleep before the others get here and demand an audience.”

“And if I don’t want an audience?”

“Then I shall whisk you away again.”

“Good to know. I’ll keep you on standby.”

I scrunched my nose, and she knew I had missed another human saying.

“I’ll let you know if I need to be kidnapped again,” she explained, pulling back the covers, then wiggled her way in with a deep sigh. “If you don’t join me, I will be upset. Just so you know.”

I couldn’t help it. Her words had a bark of a laugh pushing up from my chest and making its way into the world. “You truly are not what I imagined.”

Coralena had no response as she closed her eyes and was moments from falling into dreamland. I threw off my clothes, pulled on a pair of soft lounge pants, and climbed in behind her. Wrapping my arms around her waist, I could feel the small bump that was ready to pop and show the world she was with child.

Soon, there would be no hiding from the truth or the past. As I gave her neck a soft kiss, I let myself drift off as well with thoughts of what was to come. There would be more pain and sorrow, but we would fight our way through and find peace.

Cillian

Worry nagged at me as we walked through the forest, but it was nice being with Ira, Blair, and Kiran again. Our group had become close over the last few years as we worked together to watch the water nymph royals and other shady beings that needed to be handled. We all had our specialties, and they meshed well with one another.

Our battle through the castle was proof of that. We didn’t come out completely unscathed, the slice across my chest was a testament to that, but we formed a well-oiled machine as we pushed through the castle halls.

Even now, Ira was in the lead, taking charge, Blair and Kiran were strolling along behind her, watching the forest, and I was the last in line, listening for sounds behind me thanks to my air magic carrying the noises to me.

I took in a deep breath and let it whoosh out of me along with a snippet of the stress I was feeling. Coralena was safe; I knew that. However, it didn’t stop the worry that I had for her well-being. We didn’t have the full story of what happened, and with her and Andrin off who knew where, we wouldn’t be getting the details anytime soon.

What I did know bothered me. Atticus had taken out Galvin, and Coralena’s dress had been torn enough to need Andrin’s shirt to cover up. My nostrils flared at the image of her standing between Atticus and Andrin, spacing out and nearly falling over.

I wanted to reach out and comfort her, but there wasn’t time, or there was and I was a pansy who didn’t take it.

It didn’t matter, well, it did, but what matters now is that I wanted to be better for Coralena and show her the love and care that she deserved. I rolled my eyes, knowing that somehow, Atticus was giving her just that.

Fucking spirit nymph.

I had been around Atticus and Blair long enough to know that the abilities that made Atticus a marvelous killing machine also made him an amazing mate. He could read people and knew what they wanted before they did. It was a magic trick that I hadn’t figured out yet. After all, it was hard to read and understand emotions when mine were so tempered, and now that they had been unlocked, they were too noisy for me to focus on the others and learn at a reasonable speed.

I didn’t think I was doing too poorly in the Coralena department, but Atticus would blow us all out of the water.

Looking up at Blair who was a few yards ahead of me on the makeshift trail, his body was relaxed and at ease as we strolled along. Of course, he would be. His first bonded just kidnapped his second. He was probably hoping they’d get a little frisky, so he could slink in later and join them.

Fucking earth nymph.

And Kiran, he was as stiff as the rocks he hurled around. I had an inkling as to what happened with Remy and Andrin, but I hoped I was wrong for all our sakes. Although, if anyone was going to be okay with it, it would be Kiran. Despite everything, he was truly Andrin’s best friend. Only part of their relationship was bullshit.

I shook my head and realized how fucked we all were. Fucked, fucked, triple, quadruple fucked in the ass with a geyser kind of fucked.

Rubbing my hands down my face, I yelled up to Ira, “How much longer until the eruption?”

“What eruption?” she shot back.

“Pick one.”

She stopped and turned on her heel. Ira glared at me for a moment, then rolled her eyes. “About ten more minutes, then, depending on who teleported to the ship, some eruption may occur.” She said the last part while looking directly at Kiran, who scoffed.

Well, at least we were all on the same page and figured Remy and Andrin were having it out somewhere or were hiding from each other. I wanted to see the former, but I didn’t think I was that lucky.

Ten minutes passed by quickly as we walked along in silence. The naglif appeared out of nowhere, and we all climbed on board with the hatch closing behind us.

We made our way into the control room where Poe, Remy—who was in the Captain’s chair—and Andrin were located. I scooted off to the side, ready to watch the showdown but didn’t know who to place my bet on. Were Remy and Andrin going to have it out in front of us? Had they already worked it out, or was there an explosion waiting to happen? Or maybe Andrin and Kiran would square off and take the ship down with them.

Thank fuck I wasn’t the captain because I was not going down with the ship. Not that I thought Ira would, but one could dream of humorous drama when they were surrounded by deadly drama.

As Ira approached, Remy stood, relinquishing her rights to the chair. I figured there would be more of a fight. As Ira spun to look out the large windows and the crew prepared to take off toward our base, Remy and Poe took up the spots at either of her sides.

Blair hopped up onto one of the large tables and sat cross-legged as the other two tried their hardest to ignore one another. That was boring. Where was my action? If I was going to be trapped here without Coralena, someone better give me a show I could tell her about later.

Before I knew it, we were in the air thanks to the air and fire nymphs that used their magic to propel the ship through the sky. Then nearly an hour passed, and the only exciting thing to happen was Poe talking. Granted it was to Ira and a little to Remy, but it was something to note as she was not a chatterbox like I was.

Then, finally, Kiran broke the peace.

“Andrin.”

I tried my hardest to not stare, but I couldn’t help it as Kiran walked over and punched Andrin across the jaw. It was easily avoidable, so it was obvious that Andrin let it happen.

Now would be the time that Remy or Coralena asked for popcorn. They always had a stash, and I partook every time they dragged some out.

“Did you know?” Kiran sneered. “Did you know before?”

Maybe he should have asked if what we were all thinking was true before he punched his best friend, but that was just me.

“Yes,” Andrin ground out as he looked Kiran in the eye. “Or I suspected it, given I had never had feelings for another besides…”

“Coralena,” Kiran finished for him.

I managed to look over at Remy at the right time. She cringed, and a flash of hurt and anger crossed her features. I kept forgetting how much she had gone through as well. Coralena had the harder punch in the beginning, but Remy was right there with her the entire time.

“Yes, Coralena, but it’s different. You know it’s different.” Andrin was begging Kiran to understand. However, that wasn’t something we would ever understand. Most people don’t go around shoving their dicks into their sisters.

“Do I know that?” Kiran spat.

“You do, Kiran! You might not want to, but you do!”

Kiran’s fists were flexing at his side, showing his frustration.

“Admit it. You understand what it’s like to be forced into a role, then have it ripped away, to have everything you thought you knew torn to shreds. Then all of a sudden, things start to make sense but not in the way you expected. I was taught to love Coralena, to want her, but Remy is mine—“

“Ours. Remy is ours,” Kiran corrected.

“Remy is her own, you fuckers.”

Another player has entered the battlefield. I gave myself a mental pat on the back for that one. Remy and Coralena were rubbing off on me.

Kiran and Andrin paused their spat to look at her. Everything seemed to stand still for a moment, then she flipped them off.

Ira laughed without reservation, Blair and I tried to hide our chuckles, Poe smirked, and the other two just looked at their mate with adoration that only someone who had found their bonded could understand.

They were trying and annoying and bossy, but also sweet, caring, and all these little things that made them perfect. Not perfect because that was impossible and unrealistic, but still perfect.

“Is that all you have to say, Remy? I assumed we would be walking into a war zone.” Kiran crossed his arms over his chest and eyed Andrin.

“Oh, we had a little chit-chat, but this is the calm before the storm, honeybun. There’s a storm brewing, and everyone is fucked. Do you hear me? Everyone? Look me in the eye when I say this, Andrin.” Remy waited for him to do as she said, “I am calm now. I am rational now. But that won’t always be the case. This shit is building up, and I’m convinced not even Coralena is going to be safe from my bullshit. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” Andrin answered.

“Good. Now can we go back to shoving down the emotions, being passive aggressive, and using comedy to relieve this horrendous atmosphere? Because I am ready for that, a barrel of whatever wine this place has, and to spend some time with the one mate who hasn’t caused trouble.”

All eyes landed on Poe, who looked around at us in shock until she locked eyes with Remy. “Had to get the attention off of them, sorry.”

Remy shrugged, Poe sighed, and we all went back to an uncomfortable silence, except for Blair and me who were now playing with a small rock that made it onboard. He used his earth abilities to toss it to me, and I manipulated the air to throw it back. However, we let it fall every now and then to irritate the people in our immediate vicinity.

Another hour passed, and finally, Ira stood from her chair and screamed, “Enough!”

I wasn’t sure how we managed it, but Ira’s outburst relieved some of the tension in the air.

You’re welcome for being annoying, Commander.

Coralena

Iwoke up in a daze, and it took a second for the events of the last few hours to fill my mind. Once everything clicked into place and I remembered where I was, I sat up, flinging the covers off of me before I realized that Atticus wasn’t in bed anymore, and the spot he had been in was only mildly warm.

Looking around the room, I found him in the chair again, sitting in front of the fire that looked as if it had sprung back to life, or had been brought back from death by Atticus. I tried to see what he was doing, but I could only glimpse his hands moving in front of him.

I slid out of bed, debating if my stomach had grown since we arrived, and walked around so I could face him. There was no point in trying to be quiet. I did not doubt that Atticus knew I was awake even before I did.

“Did you sleep well, my little shadow?” he asked as I rounded the right side of the chair, rubbing my eyes.

When they cleared, I saw something I didn’t expect. Atticus had a pair of what looked like knitting needles and a basket of yarns sitting in front of him. It had an array of grayscale-dyed bundles, but I couldn’t quite figure out what he was making as it resembled little more than a jumbled string at this point.

“Yes?” I said with curiosity filling my voice. He didn’t bat an eye and carried on with his knitting, and once again, I was surprised by how fast he was at it. “Uh, I slept great. I guess I didn’t realize how much anxiety filled my sleep while at Oedinia castle. How long was I out?”

“We can hide many things while we are awake, but we cannot keep secrets while we sleep. And about two hours. I have only been awake for half an hour at most.”

I nodded along, happy that I got some rest, but I was hoping everyone would be here by the time I woke up and simultaneously hoped they wouldn’t be, so I could have a moment to myself even if Atticus was next to me. His presence wasn’t… I didn’t want to say wasn’t noticeable since I was always aware that he was present, but he felt more like of an extension of me. I knew part of that was thanks to the rescue and no longer being under the watchful eye of everyone in Oedinia, but there was a small level of concern that I hadn’t felt this with the others. Was it a spirit nymph thing?

I brushed that aside for the moment, having more pertinent things to attend to. Like discussing the deep sleep at the end of life. “Unless it’s the final sleep. You know, the whole ‘dead men tell no tales’ thing or ‘two can keep a secret if one of them is dead’ deal.”

“They could have kept a journal. If they are dead, you don’t know where else they hid their secrets. There is always a chance they come back to bite you in the ass,” he said, carrying on with his knitting, and I couldn’t take it anymore.

“Thanks for the banter and all, thoroughly enjoyed that, great foreplay, but what the fuck are you knitting, and you knit? Do the others have hobbies they didn’t tell me about? You know what, they probably do, don’t they? Shit heads,” I grumbled as I walked over to the second oversized chair upholstered in plush velvet in dark green. I decided then and there that these two chairs were coming with us wherever we went. It looked sophisticated but was one step from a recliner fit for a man cave.

“What would you like me to answer first? Shall I go in order and list off details about each of your bonded?” Atticus didn’t look up when he asked, which worked well for me since my focus was on the fire. I was still a little groggy from the much needed sleep and didn’t want to bring my eyes back into focus.

“From the top, good sir,” I responded without thought.

“Oh, I’m ‘sir’ now? I’m sure the others will love that.”

I tried to argue and take it back, but it was too late.

“Fine, but I will only say it in funny ways, so don’t let it go to your head.”

“Deal.” He gave a curt nod, then continued, “My sister enjoyed knitting and sewing and forced me to do the activities with her when we weren’t being trained to assassinate, slink into the shadows…” Atticus trailed off and flicked the needles in a motion that I somehow understood as ‘and so on.’ “It stuck with me all these years, and I enjoy the monotony. It allows time for thinking, plus it’s useful. I am making our child a blanket. One that has an element from every nymph race on it to show how many people they have to love them in life.”

“That’s cheesy, but I love it.”

“Cheesy?”

“You need to catch up on these phrases. Cillian will be running circles around you.” He looked up at me and squinted his eyes. “Don’t know that one either? Did you grow up in a cave?”

“Something like that. I didn’t travel to the human realm much and partake in the culture as widely as the others.” Atticus shrugged. “My duties were here and there, killing and torturing as needed.”

“Understandable. Cheesy means… That’s a hard one to explain. It originally meant more along the lines of cliché and bad or insincere, but I wouldn’t say that’s how we use it. Cheesy can be cute but cliché, I guess? Whatever, I like that you’re doing it and find it adorable and unexpected. ‘Running circles’ means he is ahead in his knowledge, sort of. I need a list of movies for you all to watch. Explaining all of these is hard work when my brain is working for two.” I rubbed my stomach, then realized what Atticus had said. “Wait. Our child?”

“Yes, our child. It doesn’t matter to me who the father is, just that I will be there to help raise the children you create. Is that all right with you?” Typically, someone saying that would sound like a sarcastic asshole, but there was so much sincerity in the question.

“It’s perfectly all right, Atticus. What’s mine is yours. Now, carry on, give me the deets on my mates,” I said, clapping my hands, signaling for him to chop, chop.

“I will give you one detail of each for now. They need a chance to show you who they are without being locked away and on high alert.” I nodded in agreement. That was more than fair. “Cillian enjoys card games of all kinds and is very, very good at them. Blair appreciates poetry, although he takes the poems at face value. Ira revels in pottery and uses her fire magic to produce some wonderful pieces. And you already know mine.”

A smile pulled at my lips, but it quickly fell. It all reminded me too much of my parents and the life Cora and Lena had before Andrin showed up and flipped everything upside down.

“What’s the matter?” Atticus set down his knitting and closed the space between us, kneeling in front of me.

“The night Cora and Lena were taken, they… we, I guess, played games with our parents and Remy. We talked about the glass-blowing classes that Remy was taking and the story Lena was working on. It just hit me how similar it is and yet so different. We have come so far from that night.” I let out a wobbly sigh as I fought back tears. “I miss my parents. I never expected to do this without them.”

Atticus placed his hand on top of mine and stopped the stroking of my stomach. “I’m sorry, Coralena. I wish I had been there to steal you away and prevent all of this. I won’t say I am sorry for Andrin kidnapping you though. Without him finding you, you would have been lost to us.”

“The kidnapping wasn’t so bad. Maybe pop in about four hours after the kidnapping next time?” I joked.

“I’ll be sure to time it.”

“Good luck getting the others—“ I hissed in shock, causing Atticus to tense up and wait for me to explain what was happening. “Don’t look so panicked. I just felt a kick for the first time. There has been some movement, but that was much stronger than the others. Here, feel.”

I directed his hand to where one of my babies was kicking away. His face lit up as the next kick landed, and we shared a special moment. No matter what, I would love my firstborns just as much as the rest of my children, but I truly couldn’t wait to bring a litter of others into the world, all wonderful mixes of my bonded and me.

Without allowing time for anxiety to take over, I leaned forward and captured Atticus’ lips with my own, pulling him into a deep kiss that he returned with fervor. Before I knew it, Atticus had pulled my ass to the edge of the chair and wound his hands into my now matted hair thanks to my falling asleep with it wet.

I gripped his shirt, pulling him closer, but never getting him close enough. It was already a struggle to do that with the others, but now the newly formed bump kept all the bits apart. It wasn’t a big obstacle right now, but in a month, I would be making Shamu jokes as I made it into trimester number three and the last two months of pregnancy. Thank fuck for the nymph gestation cycles.

I moaned into his mouth, but it turned into a groan when my body needed more. I knew pregnant women had bouts of high sex drives, but I didn’t understand it until now. I was still a little hesitant and worried due to my recent and not-so-recent past, but these hormones were doing a great job of knocking those thoughts out of the park and across the fucking ocean.

“What do you need, Coralena? Tell me,“ Atticus demanded against my lips as he rumpled the shirt I was wearing up to my hips, exposing my commando status to the slightly chilled air.

“I don’t know. I just… need.“ I was seconds from falling into tears of frustration. I went from zero to stuff me like a turkey in two milliseconds, and it was a blast to the senses.

“I can work with that.”

Blair

The last couple of hours had been filled with varying degrees of uncomfortable silence, whispered chatter, and Cillian and I amusing ourselves however we saw fit. Remy seemed to enjoy the distraction, and that counted as a win.

Finally, we were verging on the end of our travels and decided to head to the kitchens for something to eat before we landed. We were tired and strung out from the events of today, and showing up hangry wouldn’t help anything. We needed to be ready for whatever condition Coralena awaited us in. Personally, I wasn’t worried and knew Atticus would keep her safe and comfortable. However, I was anxious to see both of them together and finally in one place.

It had been easy enough to fall into a routine in Oedinia with Cillian and the others, but there was a massive learning curve headed our way with the introduction of Ira and Atticus. Cillian would have the hardest time with his emotional awakening and limited attention. Thankfully, I had two bonded and was more than happy to share the spotlight. Ira would squeeze in when she could, but she was a commander of the resistance and was busy quite often.

Coralena and Remy had a few conversations about gender and sexuality while we watched movies from the human world, so I knew where they originally stood on the subject, meaning Remy would enjoy the development of the new bond with Poe, but I was concerned about Coralena’s thoughts on adding Ira. I wouldn’t push her either way; I was simply curious.

And of course, the surprise of all surprises was Andrin. I had to admit that I was biting my tongue on asking questions. Remy was already wound up, and Kiran had already had one explosion. There were bound to be more, and I hoped to stay out of it.

Too bad Cillian didn’t get the memo. He used to make me look emotive, but now, he matched my abrasiveness with the extra punch of uncontrolled feelings.

“So, Remy,” he said, and everyone turned their heads toward him as we sat around the small dining hall with our plates.

We were served simple hot sandwiches with our choice of bread, meat, cheese, and toppings, with a variety of fruit on the side. I went with kamad meat and aged cheese and a crusty bread that I knew Coralena would love.

“Yes, Cilly Sally?” she responded, exasperation filling her voice before she took a large bite of her sandwich.

“On second thought, never mind.” Cillian went back to eating his sandwich.

Remy let out a long sigh as she set hers down and placed her elbows on the table, staring down Cillian.

“Despite the jokes, I am not here for your amusement.” Frustration and exhaustion filled her voice. Instead of continuing to enjoy the meal with us, Remy picked up her plate and left the dining hall.

We all watched her leave in silence, then a loud smack followed by a yelp was heard from the other end of the table where the culprit was located. Poe was fuming as she stood over Cillian; although, nothing about her outward appearance revealed what was brewing inside her, but the smack was just as telling.

Cillian stammered his apology, stating he didn’t think he had pushed her that far. Honestly, I agreed with him. Remy had taken a lot more, but with today’s events and everything that had led up to it, maybe Remy was right. She was at her breaking point.

Instead of berating him, Poe left the hall as well, following after Remy, which was more surprising than her smacking Cillian. She had done that a few times in the past, but I had never seen her run after someone to make sure they were all right.

It seemed we were all in store for some growth. I knew I had plenty of room for it. Allowing more pain to come to Coralena was proof of that but what happened happened, and we needed to move forward.

Everyone fell silent as they went back to their meals. Ira finished first and left without a word, leaving me with Cillian, Kiran, and Andrin. If someone had asked me a few months ago if I thought I’d be sharing sandwiches with these three, I would have told them how impossible that was, but here we were.

Of course, Andrin was the odd one out. I had shared many meals with the other two in the past. Andrin, however, was an anomaly. I hadn’t quite figured him out, but I trusted Coralena, or I wanted to trust her and let her have freedom where it was possible and hoped for the best. I, we, didn’t trust Andrin, but he was along for the ride, for now at least.

“I didn’t intend for that to happen. But I won’t lie and say I wasn’t hoping she would erupt on one of you two.” Cillian gestured to Kiran and Andrin.

“Me?” Kiran’s brows creased in confusion.

“Why not? She had to let steam off somewhere. Might as well have been you. Then you could have slinked off to have makeup sex. Does that sound so bad?” Cillian waggled his eyebrows before stuffing the rest of his sandwich into his mouth.

Andrin, on the other hand, set his down and looked like he was ready for the conversation to take a turn, so of course, Cillian pushed more.

I eyed him with suspicion. I couldn’t tell if he was being obtuse due to the emotional awakening that he still hadn’t fully mastered, or if he was shoving everyone over the cliff, so we would finally have the hard talks and move forward. Knowing him, it was both.

“Andrin could have joined in or at least watched. You’re telling me neither of you wants to make a Remy sandwich?” Cillian scoffed, and before Kiran or Andrin could retort, he left the table and exited in the opposite direction of the others. They had gone toward the command center, but he was headed toward the lower decks; I wasn’t sure why.

“He’s right, you know. His tactics are harsh and untrained, but he’s right.” I was met with two glaring men who were so different yet so similar.

Kiran might be an earth nymph and Andrin a water nymph, but they were both princes and grew up together. They picked up a lot of the same mannerisms and habits, like their glaring. Kiran just did it a whole lot less than Andrin, which was surprising given their designations.

A conundrum they were.

“And if he was?” Andrin asked through gritted teeth.

“Then I suggest you two get over yourselves and realize the harm that has already come to Remy. Think about her for once. We all made the mistake of thinking she was okay and thinking Coralena was anywhere near mended.” I sighed and stood up from my seat, ready to leave them with their thoughts. “We were idiots, but that changes now.”

Kiran and Andrin sat in silence, but their expressions softened. Good. We were all on the same page.

Now, we helped our bonded flourish.

The rest of the flight was uneventful with all of us keeping to ourselves. However, it wasn’t an awkward silence that fell over everyone. It was companionable.

As soon as we landed, the group took off. No one wanted to wait another second before seeing if Coralena was okay. Figuring they were in Atticus’ suites, I headed in that direction, and the others followed. Poe, Kiran, Cillian, and Ira all knew where they were going, but Andrin and Remy were oblivious and had to follow along in hopes that we were, in fact, heading to their sister and best friend.

I didn’t remember the halls being so long and the stairs being so numerous. What only took a few minutes felt like an eternity as I pounded up the steps and finally made it to our floor. Dashing to his door—well, more often than not, it was our door—I flung it open, and the scene that awaited me had never crossed my mind.

Atticus had kept her safe and happy, as I predicted, but instead of cuddling and eating more food than anyone could consume, Atticus had already wooed her into bed with him. Not that I blamed her. It took him far less time to claim me.

I stood there with my mouth hung open, waiting for them to notice us, or for one of the other members of the group to clue them in. I could feel everyone pushing behind me, trying to get into the room, but that wouldn’t help the situation.

Clearing my throat and elbowing Cillian in the stomach as he tried to slip by, I said, “Mind if I join in?”

Coralena

Atticus tossed me onto the bed so I bounced a bit, and I thoroughly enjoyed the carefreeness it added to the atmosphere. He threw off his shirt, revealing pale skin littered with scars just like his face. I wondered what happened to him in the past, but I couldn’t bring myself to break the moment and ask. Besides, I knew he would tell me in time, and I had the feeling that if I asked during sex, he would still tell me, and that made me okay with waiting.

Crawling up the bed, Atticus ran his hands up my thighs and pushed them until they fell open, revealing my pussy to him. He took a moment to look me over before diving in and devouring me.

A cry pierced my ears the second he latched on. The feeling was intense, but I wanted more. As if he knew what I was thinking, Atticus changed course and inserted one finger, then another, stretching me and hitting all the best spots in one go.

“Don’t stop,” I moaned as I gripped the blankets and let go, allowing Atticus to play me like a fiddle. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if he was Johnny from “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” but perhaps it’s all that knitting and killing that made his fingers so nimble.

He only chuckled, and the sensation sent a shock wave through me.

Come on, Coralena. Tell him jokes like you’re on SNL. Where was Remy when I needed her?

I snorted, and Atticus peeked up, pausing his fully wanted assault on my swollen clit.

“Is this amusing to you?”

“Yes? No? Can I have some more, good sir?“ I asked.

Instead of giving me more as I requested, Atticus pulled away and stood up before dropping his pants to the floor. The theme of pale and scarred skin continued, but he was almost like a work of art with lines going this way and that. He was lovely in his mutilation.

“Are you sure you want more?”

I gulped and took all of him in, including his large cock that was jutting out from between his hips. Surprisingly, no scars littered that area, and that was another question on my list for later. I was nervous that going further would cause a reaction within myself, concerned about what the others would think, but also pleased with where things were going.

I mulled everything over far longer than was comfortable, I was sure, but Atticus just stood there, waiting for me to answer him.

Taking a deep breath, I decided that I should do what I wanted with my bonded who was more than willing. The others would understand once they got past their jealousy, if there was any from Blair or Cillian. They knew what this meant and how big of a step it was, even if we hadn’t had sex yet. They played instrumental roles in getting me to this place of acceptance and enjoyment. They truly deserved trophies and probably an orgy which was now on my to-do list.

Sitting up, I nodded and dramatically said, “Take me, I’m yours.”

And he did.

Atticus leaped forward and carefully tackled me to the bed, twisting and turning us so I was straddling him and he was sitting up, so we were face to face. The extra height from his thighs helped.

I felt his erection rubbing against my pussy as we adjusted, and I tore off my shirt, throwing it across the room without care.

My hair was a mess, and my life was an even bigger one, but this moment was perfect and filled with joy. Nothing would ruin it.

The head of Atticus’ cock slid across my opening, coating the appendage in my fluids. I had been extra needy recently and was ready for him inside me. If he didn’t get with the program soon, I was going to scream my frustrations. He slid across one more time before I snarled, “Stop toying with me, Atticus!” If I wanted to do that, I would play with myself. No, what I wanted was to be fucked into this bed by someone who understood me, took the time to see the side that was truly damaged, and loved me anyway.

The others did; I knew that, but this was different. He was the darkness I needed; he was the side of death that was peaceful. Atticus filled in the pieces that I forgot existed. The others were my light, my life force, but Atticus was the balance we all needed to be whole. He was realistic like Blair, had a playfulness like Cillian—but Cilly Sally could never be outshined—and I could only imagine what he would amplify from Ira.

I needed him, but so did they, and I hoped they saw that like I did.

His hands slid down my thighs to my knees and back up as he chuckled, then lined himself up. Atticus had to lift me slightly to make room, and I silently cursed to myself about being so eager. I was worked up and mentally ready, but my need for him blocked out the fact that my body needed preparation. I crossed my fingers and hoped what little we had done had been enough.

As he slid me down and his tip coaxed me open, I groaned in ecstasy. Okay, I was mentally and physically ready. Thank fuck.

I gripped onto Atticus’ hands that were tight around my hips and lowered myself further before he pulled me back up, releasing his cock from my folds. My head snapped up, and our eyes met. Atticus smirked, then slowly, he lowered me again, going further in but not enough to hit any of the good spots before pulling out of me.

A sound of frustration laced in need came from me as he pressed me down and finally made it past the entrance. This time, Atticus didn’t pull away to tease me into a fit of frustration. No, this time, the only warning I had was his fingers tensing on my hips before he slammed me down, hitting every nerve and filling me completely.

We sat there for a moment as our moans mixed together in a beautiful symphony, then his patience vanished.

He flipped us again, but now I had my back on the mattress with him between my legs. My feet were planted, and my hips were in the air at the perfect height for Atticus to do as he pleased.

With his hands still holding tight and me gripping the blankets, Atticus gave my body one last appraising look before lust took over. He slunk low on his knees, still inside of me, then pulled out before jerking his hips forward, completely inserting his cock.

I cried out but kept my knees locked and my pelvis high. Over and over, Atticus rammed into me, and I couldn’t help the gasps that fell from my lips as the sensation of cementing our bond took over. It wasn’t quite there, but we were on the edge.

My orgasm was rising, and I was in utter shock. It had never happened this quickly before and with such little attention to my clit, but Atticus hit every nerve just right.

His hands moved, roaming over my stomach, flittering across my sides, and stopping as they covered my breasts.

Oh, fuck.

Atticus massaged them, his hands encapsulating them entirely, until his fingers found my nipples. Grunts and groans converged on my ears as I gripped onto his wrists, hoping he would never stop toying with them. They were extra sensitive, and every flick and pinch shot a zap of orgasm building pleasure straight downward.

“Don’t stop, Atticus. Please, don’t—“

Atticus chuckled, then knocked my right foot down before straddling that leg, increasing the angle and the depth he could reach. My other leg gave out and laid across his right hip as he drove into me, slowing his movements.

He rolled his hips as he entered, caressing each part of me, and brought me to the brink with his glacial yet deep thrusts.

One hand remained, giving equal love to my nipples, but the other moved to my clit. All it took was a few small circles of delicious pressure before I was shattering and clamping down around him, begging for him to come with me.

I was a panting mess as Atticus helped me ride out my orgasm. On the tail end, as I was coming back to myself, he released everything he had inside of me. Soft grunts escaped his lips as his thrusts came to a stop.

Where there had once been an empty space I hadn’t realized was there, Atticus now filled. It was just his presence, telling me he was with me in life, and I knew when he took his last breath, it would vanish.

We sat there in awe, staring at one another until his daze broke, and he leaned forward, placing a soft kiss on my lips. “Oh, my little shadow, I will carry you with me, always.”

Atticus had filled me over and over, driving me crazy with need. I felt the orgasm rising inside of me once again as he rolled his tongue over my sensitive skin, then someone cleared their throat, and all the build up came crashing down.

I turned and locked eyes with Blair who was standing in the doorway, blocking the others from barging in. But the damage was already done. Atticus hadn’t stopped thrusting into me, and everything felt too amazing, even all of the eyes that were now trained on me.

As Blair asked “mind if I join in?” I exploded and dragged Atticus with me. He clearly had no shame and was pleased that others had seen him claim his bonded.

If he wasn’t in the throes of passion, I knew he would have noticed, but it was too late. Atticus placed a kiss on my forehead as my eyes remained on Blair’s, but nothing could prevent what happened next. As we came down from our orgasmic high, the memories of my first night in Incyssia rampaged through me, and everything went numb.

Remy

We finally made it to the castle that acted as their base. I still didn’t know what they were fighting against, but it was clear that part of it had to do with Coralena’s parents. That’s all I needed to know.

After running away—yes, I know I ran away like little puss-puss with her tail between her legs—Poe and I had a little ‘chat’. And by chat, I mean we sat in the Command Center in silence as I let the fumes die down. Nothing like that had ever happened before. Usually, when Cillian or any of the others gave me shit, I rolled with it and gave it back just as good as I got, but not this time. This time, it hit harder.

I wanted to blame my emotions for being on edge with everything that had happened within the last four or five hours, but I knew it was more than that. There was something else brewing inside of me that I couldn’t quite pinpoint just yet. I would have to talk to someone about it eventually, but the first thing on my list was to find Coralena and tackle her into a hug.

I needed some best friend one-on-one time. Now that I thought about it, we hadn’t had any of that in quite some time. One of the guys was always with us, whether it was Blair, Cillian, Kiran, or even Andrin. They hung over us like flies in the form of bodyguards.

Idiots, if you asked me. They hovered when we didn’t need it, then let Coralena run off for tea time and whatever Atticus was doing with her.

I sighed as I followed the horde of nymphs in front of me. This place was similar enough to the castle in Oedinia, but there was no way I would be able to find Atticus’ rooms without help. Thankfully, Blair was leading the charge and was speed-walking like his life depended on it. Considering he had two bonded, one of which was just assaulted and the other he hadn’t seen in months, I ventured to guess that it might. Or if not his life, the blue balls he had been sporting since before he found Coralena.

You’d think in a time like this, I would stop thinking about dick, but I didn’t. The sex jokes kept me sane, and jabbing people with humorous insults kept me jolly. That might have to change, though, if my emotions stayed the way they were. I wouldn’t give it if I couldn’t take it as well. No one liked those people, and I refused to be one.

Blair turned a corner, and the hall was rather short, so the wait was almost over. Behind Blair were Cillian and Ira, then Kiran and Andrin, with Poe and me bringing up the rear.

I watched the door swing open at the end of the hall and everyone try to rush in, but Blair held us all back. I tuned everything out as I tried to push my way to the front. Andrin moved to the side for me, and so did Ira, until I could peek around Blair.

What I saw was an absolute shock. In a good way. My girl finally got some. Before I could congratulate her, Coralena’s eyes rolled to the back of her head and she collapsed in Atticus’ arms.

I once again attempted to push through the door, but Blair held strong, then a pair of arms wrapped around my waist and hauled me back.

“Coralena! Is she okay?” Cillian’s voice was a mix of rage and worry. I could only imagine what he was feeling right now. Given my state, I might be close to matching his crazy. “What did you do, Atticus?”

“Calm down, Cillian.” Blair tried to console him as they stepped into the room, and someone continued to pull me back until the door was shut with Coralena, Atticus, Blair, Cillian, and Ira on one side and Kiran, Andrin, Poe, and me on the other.

“Let go! I have to check on her.” The arms relented, and I spun around to find Andrin. Well, that’s surprising. I stared at him, then glanced at Kiran, who I had thought was the culprit. Confusion filled my mind, and I was moments from short-circuiting.

“What?” was all I could muster.

“I am worried about her as well. We all are, but she needs her bonded, not her best friend. Not yet, anyway.” Andrin, the voice of reason, shocked me again.

“Or her brother, apparently.”

He rolled his eyes at me before they returned with a pensive stare. “Yes, Remy, or her brother. Is that so astonishing? I am considerate at times.”

I scoffed and scoffed again, then turned to walk down the hall in exasperation. “Unforeseen, honestly. Who knew the man who thought too much with his dick and parents’ brains would consider someone else?”

Andrin sighed from behind me. It was a somber sigh if I had ever heard one. “Remy.”

I ignored him.

“Remy.”

And again.

“Remington!”

Fucker. No one called me that.

Whirling on him, I wailed, “What? What do you want now?”

“For you to stop acting like I am scum scrounged up from the deepest bog, like I am undeserving of even a shred of kindness from you as if I haven’t groveled and attempted to make up for my past misdeeds over and over. I have been trying, Remy, for the last three months, to find some way to apologize, not just to Coralena, but to you—“

Kiran cleared his throat like the attention whore he was sometimes.

“Yes, and you, Kiran.” Andrin flicked his hands, whisking away that idea. “You were going to forgive me anyway. There’s only so much friendship you can fake before it becomes real, and don’t think we don’t have some things to sort out, but this takes precedence.” Returning his attention to me, I saw the regret in his blue eyes, and it made me shudder as remorse flowed over my skin. “You take precedence. Do you hear me, Remy?”

“Hm, yes, but you may continue groveling. I quite like it.”

An annoyed sigh left his lips, but an amused smirk soon followed. “I have tried many times to come up with something that could ever make what I did…” He shook his head. “No, I know there’s nothing I could ever do that would make up for it or remove it from our past. I only wish to move forward in hopes that I can prove to you, to all of you, that I have changed a little.”

“A little? What does that mean?” I had an inkling, but if I was right, that explosion was going to happen, and I wasn’t sure I would be able to hold in the fire that lingered beneath the surface of my skin.

“Can we have this chat elsewhere? Poe, is there someplace a little more private we can adjourn to? One that no one would be remiss if it was burned down.” Smart man.

Poe nodded, and I was once again bewildered as she led us back down the hall to the room across from Atticus’.

As we entered, I took in everything. It was a suite-type setup, but not quite as extravagant as the one we had back in Oedinia. Instead of a large living area with connecting rooms, this room had a large bed with a sitting area. Off to the right were two doors that I assumed led to a closet and en suite bathroom. Everything was in blacks, whites, grays, and dark blues.

To the left was the bed which was large enough to fit all four of us, and I wondered if that was on purpose. At the back, in front of the dark stone fireplace surrounded by windows, were two dark blue, winged-back chairs and a coffee table.

“This is my room. Nothing of importance is in here, so I don’t mind if Remy torches the place.”

Well, good thing she was my bonded because I was claiming this room as my own, and she wasn’t getting rid of me. Although, it was interesting that she didn’t keep anything special to her in here. Another thing to chisel away at.

With little thought, I ran over to the bed and hopped up onto it, enjoying the bounce it had. The others spread around the room with Kiran taking up a spot in one of the chairs, Andrin awkwardly standing a few feet from the bed, staring down at me, and Poe moving to the other side of the bed and sneakily hiding a picture frame in the cloak she was wearing.

I glared at her as she did it, hoping she would catch me, which she did. I gestured to it and mouthed ‘later.’ There were other things to dig into at the moment.

Remy

“All right, Andrin, carry on.” I lounged on the bed, pulling pillows under me so I could get comfortable on my stomach as he inevitably dug his own grave. Like I would bury him. That was far too easy and nowhere near disgusting enough. Even in the afterlife, there were many ways to irritate someone.

“Yes, well, I have changed a little. That’s noticeable, is it not?”

“Sure. It is. Sort of. You mostly hung around Coralena or Kiran, so I don’t have much to add to this conversation. Kiran? Your thoughts?”

Peeking around the back of the chair, he said, “I agree with Andrin. He has changed quite a bit. He isn’t as pompous or egotistical since meeting you and Coralena and coming to terms with how shitty his upbringing was.”

“Thank you so much for that, Kiran,” Andrin ground out.

I clapped from my position on the bed. “What a lovely back-handed compliment. You are learning so well.”

“May I continue?”

“You may.”

“As I was saying, I have changed a little, and according to Kiran, it’s more than that. I realized that my parents and their ways were asinine and that things needed to change. As much as I wanted to write them off and fix the mess they had created, there was no way to do that until I had a queen at my side. I hadn’t brought it up with Coralena just yet since she had been through so much, and I wanted to strengthen our relationship before dropping more into her lap. However, our parents were getting antsy and wanted our relationship to progress much quicker than it was, hence what happened at tea.”

I started to interrupt and ask what had exactly happened since I could only guess at this point, but Andrin cut me off. “I will not go into details. If Coralena wishes it, she may tell you or request that I do, but I will not share what is not solely my story. Fair?”

“Yeah, yeah. That’s fair.”

“In the next few months, I was going to ease her into what would need to take place. For change to happen, for me to be able to force change upon our kingdom, I would need her by my side. It would appease Galvin and Calliope and give me full rule over Oedinia. With her within reach, she was the only viable option in their eyes, especially since Coralena is pregnant with our children.” I cringed and saw the hurt flash across his eyes. Whether it was from my reaction, him knowing that it would always be an ick for me, or how he hurt Coralena, I would never know.

“Can we speed this along? This is great information, really, but get to why we had to find a private space that I could destroy.” I moved to a cross-legged position. It would allow for easier movement if I needed to tackle Andrin or gouge out his eyes at a moment’s notice.

“You’d think after twenty-one years—“

“Twenty-two.”

“Twenty-two,” he asked.

“Yes, I had a birthday since being here.”

“When?”

“Last week, I think. Time works differently here, but I think it was last week.” I shrugged.

There was that hurt look again, and it was starting to get to me. Damn bonded bullshit.

“I see. Well then, you’d think in the last twenty-two years, you would have conjured up some semblance of patience.”

“Nope, overrated. Patience is for people that want their time wasted. I am not one of them.”

“I see.” There it was. Not a look of hurt or amusement. No, that was a look that said he thought I was ridiculous.

“And I see the look on your face that says you’re thinking less of me, Andrin. If you want this to work in any way, never let that thought cross your mind.” I gripped the pillow in my hands, and the heat rose within me, singeing the fibers and leaving scorch marks in the shape of handprints.

“I would never. Of all the people, Remy, I would never think little of you or underestimate you. Every word you have said, every threat that is a joke at face value… I know how serious you are.” Andrin hung his head. “And if I am to die after all of this is over, I only hope you are the one that carries out the sentence. No one else has the passion for it like you.” The fucker winked at me as he lifted his head.

If he thought flattery would get him anywhere, he would be right… usually. However, I had a good idea of where this was all headed.

“Well, that’s flattering and all, but I would like to wager a guess as to where this conversation is headed since you are doing so well at beating around the bush and distracting us from the matter at hand. You still want to be with Coralena, and I don’t mean in a happy, normal family sort of way. I mean you would happily fuck her again.”

His jaw tightened, but there was no denying it. Finally, he spoke, but it was a mere whisper, as if he hoped it would go unheard and everything would be swept under the rug. “I never said one way or the other.”

“Mhm, and that’s how I know you want to. If you didn’t, you would have said so without hesitation.”

“It’s only been three months, Remy. Twenty-eight years of brainwashing, as you have called it, isn’t undone overnight.”

“So you do want her then? I need to hear you say it, Andrin. I need to know where we all stand in your mental hierarchy.” My anger was rising and with it, the flames within me.

“Yes and no.”

“Yes and no? Straight answers, Andrin.”

He threw his hands in the air in exasperation. “Do you want me to admit this, spill my thoughts to you, knowing they will do nothing but anger you? Is that what you want, Remy?”

“Yes and no,” I said with a smug look on my face.

Andrin growled and groaned but admitted defeat, at least within our bantering. “Touché.”

“I know it isn’t the best time, but when will it ever be a good time to discuss this? May as well get it out now and deal with the consequences early.” The sweat was building on my forehead with the effort it was taking to not burst into flames and take the bed with me. Poe had edged away near Kiran. I figured it was so she could whisk him away if I combusted, and I was forever grateful for that. “I don’t know why I want to or need to know, but hey, brains are dumb like that. So please, Andrin, just get it over with.”

“Fine.” Andrin held his head up high and straightened his shoulders, preparing himself for whatever was going to blast his way. “Yes, I do, because I love her, and that’s what was beaten into me my entire life. No, I don’t, because that’s not what she wants, and she will never, no matter what happens in the future, be one of my bonded. She could never be you or take your place in my life. I don’t want to be her enemy, her boogeyman, or the person she despises because I made a mistake that I can’t make up for. She’s not you, and never will be; however, she will always be someone I care about and long to be close to. But that’s not what you’re asking, are you? You want to know if I would have sex with her if she allowed it. Am I right?” Fucker, like I hadn’t already made that clear, but now more emotions were warring in my head. How could he reassure me that I was irreplaceable and important to him while simultaneously telling me Coralena also had a special place in his heart—and I’m assuming bed?

“Yes,” I ground out.

“Then, surprise, surprise, Remy, my answer is yes. If Coralena consented, then yes, I would do anything she asked of me.” That was too damn sincere but so heated at the same time.

“Then, surprise, surprise, Andrin,” I mocked. “I still think you’re a sick fuck who should have his dick gnawed off by rabid beavers, then have ‘sister rapist’ branded across your head.” Despite my best efforts, none of that was said with conviction. It came out as a whisper seconds before the sobs started and the fire consumed me.

I needed him; he was mine, but he would never be mine alone, and that hurt more than I would ever admit.

Ira

Istood back as the others crowded around Coralena. She was still unconscious as they maneuvered her to the head of the bed and covered her with blankets. I couldn’t help but stare at her growing stomach and the leaking of a specific substance Atticus left behind.

A semblance of annoyance crossed over me. It wasn’t due to what they had done, but the timing of it. Coralena had just been assaulted again, but I told myself that as long as she wanted it, I would accept the actions.

However, it was not thought through, given that the moment Blair spoke and she saw us ogling from the doorway, she fainted. From the files and reports the others had sent to us, at least the little I had read before grabbing Poe to rescue her, I wagered a guess that it had to do with having an audience.

This would sit heavily on Blair. They were all hopeful that things would progress now that they were away from the castle. Not in a sexual sense, per se, but relationship progression in general. They knew they hadn’t done enough, and I couldn’t blame them. The circumstances were horrendous, but they did what they could.

I was hopeful as well, for them and for me. I never expected to find my bonded with how busy I always was. If I did, I figured it would be on a mission or somewhere in the castle as we brought in recruits and had sympathizers visit and donate regularly. The castle was strong enough and secluded enough that we never had any issues with safety. Only people who were thoroughly vetted were allowed to enter, and if they didn’t meet our standards, then someone met with them offsite, with no exceptions.

However, here I was, staring down at my bonded and the rest of hers that were doting on her, waiting for Coralena to wake up and greet them. This certainly wasn’t the reunion we wanted.

Atticus had gotten up and pulled on some sleep pants, while Blair held one of her hands and stroked her left arm, and Cillian held the other. I felt bad for her. This group was filled with intense personalities. I wondered if she was up for it. I had faith she was, but given her past and upbringing, there was no guarantee.

Minutes passed and finally, her blue eyes fluttered open and locked with mine from where I stood at the end of the bed next to Atticus.

“What the hell happened?” Coralena mumbled as she tried to sit up.

Blair and Cillian tried to get her to lay back down, but she waved them off and sat up anyway. The blanket that had once covered her form now slunk down around her waist. For a moment, it didn’t register to her, then she gasped and almost pulled it back up.

“Fuck it. It doesn’t even matter. You’ve all seen it.” Coralena rubbed her face and eyes, trying to bring them back to life after her time in deep sleep.

I chuckled at her logic and refused to hide the smile that she brought to my lips. So few things amused me or brought me joy anymore. Everything was dark and deadly in my world. There was always someone to take out or manipulate, or someone to train or punish here. There was so much resting on my shoulders, but I could hold some more if it meant Coralena was safe and happy. However, I would hold and hide what I could, so she’d never know the dangers that lurked around every corner. She already had so many demons of her own. Mine would stay hidden.

“Can I have some water?” The full question wasn’t even out before Blair was practically throwing himself at the nightstand that sat next to the bed. Atticus had been taking care of more than one of her needs it seemed, as there was a large glass of water waiting there for her.

Blair handed it to Coralena and helped her drink from it, or attempted to until she swatted him away once more.

“I am not a useless Bambi of a woman, Blair. Stop it.”

Another chuckle left my lips as Coralena downed the entire glass, finishing with a refreshing “ah.”

“See, Ira gets it.”

Without thought, I stood taller, and I was sure there was a smug look on my face. “And I’ve only known you for a total of a few minutes. Seems these men have a lot of learning to do.”

Groans went around the room before Blair and Cillian started sulking.

“We tried, Ira,” Cillian huffed.

“Coralena knows that, right?” Blair looked at her, hoping he wasn’t entirely mistaken.

“Of course, I do. Don’t be silly.”

“But I am your Cilly Sally, how can I not be silly?”

Coralena snorted, then leaned forward and pulled Blair and Cillian into a group hug. They wrapped their arms around her, holding her close until she was wiggling and demanding to be freed.

“All right, all right. I’m okay. I just… had a moment. The memories…”

“I’m so sorry, Coralena. I didn’t think—“

“Didn’t think you’d be walking in on us having sex. I know. That part is on me. Well, and Atticus. But mostly me. I asked for it.”

She was surprisingly open about what happened. I cocked my head, eyeing her with curiosity. I had expected some resistance and perhaps shame, although that wasn’t the right word. Caution, perhaps.

“That somehow makes it better and worse? I don’t know. A lot is going on in here.” Cillian’s voice was strained as he tried to explain. “I don’t like it, but I also love that you felt comfortable and took a step forward. I kind of have to ask… why him?” His hands gripped and ungripped the blanket as he kept his focus on Coralena. I didn’t doubt that if he looked Atticus’ way, the spirit nymph would be slammed against the fireplace if he didn’t teleport in time.

“Why now? Why him? Because I felt like it. Part of it was pregnancy hormones, screaming at me to do it, and the other part was how at ease I felt here and with him. He didn’t make me feel like a burden, not that you guys necessarily did, but there was so much going on that I was always on high alert. We all were, so I couldn’t let go and move on. But here with Atticus, it was easy. Does it help that I’ve decided I want to do a bit more? With all of you?” Coralena wrung her hands together, hoping her small placation helped the situation.

There’s the naiveté I had expected. Despite the three months she had with Cillian, dealing with his heightened emotions, there was a lot she had to learn about air nymphs, especially those that had their emotions unlocked. It took years for them to gain control. The fact that Cillian hadn’t blasted a hole in the side of the naglif was a shock to me. I assumed I would need a new ship after our voyage, if we even made it here without having to trek a small portion due to issues.

“Where is this coming from? You’re like an entirely different person. We were one step from having to force you to let go and accept the love and support we could give you, but mere hours in Scunth and you’re sexually awakened. I don’t understand.” Cillian blasted up from his seat on the bed, and where there was once still air in the room, a breeze was quickly picking up.

“Cillian,” I warned, stepping around the bed and placing myself between him and Coralena.

“Don’t start, Ira. You’re only going to make it worse. I can’t have another one of her bonded…” He let out a growl and ripped his hands through his curly, brown hair that had grown since I had last seen him. “I can’t do this. I’m sorry, Coralena. I’m an inferior mate. You deserve so much more.” Sorrow filled his words as a wind tunnel surrounded him and flew him out of the room. At least he had the decency to open the door and not blast through it like I knew he could.

Coralena tried to get up and run after him, but I grabbed her arm and pulled her back into the bed as I sat down. “He needs some time. His emotions—“

“I know. That’s one thing they did explain to me.” Her voice was so small, and her attention was riveted on the open door that led out into the hall.

“Well, that’s one thing I don’t have to punish them for.”

“Don’t go too hard on them, okay?”

“Oh, my sweet waterlily, how naive you are.” That got her attention on me. Her solemn blue eyes stared up at me, and I used all my willpower to not lean forward and kiss her pouting lips. “They will get what they deserve, and just between the two of us,” I said, moving so my mouth was nearly grazing her ear, “they like to be disciplined.” Coralena gasped, then fell into a fit of giggles. “Oh, the things I have to teach you, my waterlily. You’ll be running this place before you know it.” I turned and winked at Blair, who was silently fuming from the other side of the bed. I was sure he wanted to storm off as well but had more control over his emotions. His were raw and unfiltered but much more contained.

Coralena composed herself and placed her hand on my exposed thigh. “I can’t wait for my first lesson.”

As I bent down to capture her lips, an explosion blasted our senses from across the hall. We all looked through the open doorway and saw flames flickering under the door that led to Poe’s suite.

“Stay with Coralena,” I commanded as I stood, but Coralena latched onto my arm before I could move much further.

“What’s going on?”

I knew she wouldn’t let go until I explained, so I made it fast. “That’s Poe’s suite. If I had to guess, someone pissed off Remy.”

“Ah, fuck sticks.”

Andrin

If it weren’t for my teleporting ability, as well as Poe’s, we would all be burnt husks on the floor, begging for the searing pain to end and death to take us. However, my skills were clearly a little rusty as the smell of singed hair worked its way up from my arms. I wasn’t a hairy man, and what I had was a light blond that blended in with my skin, but apparently there was enough there to produce the pungent smell.

Flashing back into the destroyed room, it looked as if a fire nymph was set off. I chuckled internally, knowing that’s exactly what happened. At another time, Remy would have enjoyed that joke, but the rage was still evident.

The once pristine room was in rags, and the glowing, red light of cinders poked through the receding smoke, which weaved its way into my lungs. With a heavy cough, I waved my hand in front of my face, dispelling the smog. The cloth that had made up the bedding was nonexistent, and the wooden bed frame and nightstands were mere steps above shrapnel. The pieces laid shattered around Remy’s body as she sat in the middle with her arms full of ashes that used to be a pillow and the clothing she had been wearing.

The floors were scorched as if a raging fire made its way through the room, burning its presence into every nook and cranny. She was powerful, and with training, even Ira might have a challenge taking her down.

Poe and Kiran returned and stood off to the side where they once were, not risking getting any closer. Fire nymphs were volatile. It was one thing to seclude a water or earth nymph and not teach them control, but fire and air nymphs needed a strict regiment from an early age to avoid situations like this.

I was beyond thankful that her powers did not grow while in the human world, but now, we were going to pay the price.

No one moved, waiting for Remy to awaken from whatever trance she had placed herself in. My body tensed as she adjusted herself so that her knees were pulled snug against her chest. I hadn’t heard it before, but the sound was clear as rain now. Remy was quietly crying, drenching her soot covered legs.

I longed to hold her and tell her everything would be fine, but with her view of things, that wasn’t exactly true. She wanted me to push aside my upbringing and proudly state that Coralena was no longer an option, but I couldn’t do it. If there was only an inkling of feelings toward my sister, I would have done it with ease, but my emotions ran rampant for the both of them.

I attempted to hold onto the small speck of hope within me that everything would work out, but as I watched Remy devolve into a heap of sorrow, it was snuffed out, leaving only a wisp of smoke.

“Remy.” I took two steps forward before falling to my knees as I had done with Coralena when I begged for forgiveness from her. I chastised myself, knowing the similarities would not help the situation. “Remy, please, let me hold you,” I whispered, leaning forward so my hands could press against the dirty ground, but I never took my eyes off of her.

She gave no response, so I crawled a foot more, then another and another until I was inches away from her. I closed the gap and pulled Remy into my lap, curling around her and refusing to let go. This was a dangerous place to be if she erupted again, but I didn’t care.

I was a royal after all. She wouldn’t kill me, but Remy could certainly cause me immense amounts of pain if she wished. At this moment, and every one since the moment I met her, I knew she had wanted to. Maybe not so deeply at first, but it was there nonetheless.

Remy stiffened, then relaxed and placed her head on my shoulder, allowing me to offer her comfort as her emotions came down from their high. The air lightened in the room as we collectively let out the breaths we were holding.

Poe and Kiran came up beside us, offering their support as well. Kiran placed a kiss on the back of her head and caressed her bare arm as Poe sat by her feet and gave strength in spirit alone. I hadn’t known her long, but even I could tell that this was progress for Poe. Some spirit nymphs were much worse while others were, well, Atticus.

A loud knock sounded at the door, and we all looked up, even Remy. “Do you want visitors?” Kiran asked.

“They won’t come in unless you say so,” Poe added, holding up a simple dress for Remy to put on before having an audience.

We would all need showers, perhaps multiple showers, to remove the soot and grime, but it would do for now.

“I…” She sighed.

“You can say no, Remy.” I looked down at her, urging her to choose what she truly wanted.

“Oh, can I? Not really your M.O., is it?” A smirk inched onto her lips, but her eyes betrayed her, exposing the heartache within.

“I’m learning.” I gave her a kiss on the forehead that she wiggled away from and took the dress from Poe, throwing it on, but not before we all got a glimpse of her well-toned backside. I knew she didn’t swim like Coralena, so I wondered how she stayed fit. I almost asked when more banging rang through the room, and Coralena started shouting from the other side.

“Ugh, fine. Let them in, but I make no promises about not exploding again, so everyone be ready to poof out of here.” Remy wiped away the remaining wetness on her cheeks, smearing the ash further and making it seem like she just came out of battle. In a sense, she had.

Kiran walked by her, offering her one last kiss before opening the door. She took it with ease, and I felt a pang in my chest. One day, I wanted that, but as was life, there was no guarantee.

As soon as Kiran turned the knob, Ira charged in with Coralena right behind her. “Is everyone all right?”

“The room certainly isn’t.” Thank you so much, Blair. He waltzed in with Atticus, and it was easy to notice that Cillian was not with them. Strange.

Remy scoffed. “Don’t sound so put out, Blair. It’s Poe’s things that I ruined, not yours.” I couldn’t see her face, but it sounded like she stuck her tongue out at him.

“Then I suppose you all will have to share Kiran’s suite now, won’t you? Don’t blow that one up too, or you’ll be roomless.”

“Or we will all get comfy cozy with you guys in Atticus’ room. How does that sound?” It was nice seeing Remy come back to herself a bit, but there was a slight tremble in her hands. Was it from before and the new exertion of power, or was it from her trying to tamper down her emotions so we didn’t have a repeat?

“You guys, stop.” Coralena marched up to Remy and pulled her into a hug. She had been glancing around the room, taking in the extent of the damage. “You did this?” Coralena asked. “Not quite as natural disaster level as Cillian, but you’ll get there.”

They both laughed, and I rolled my eyes. The damage he did to the playing field was immense. It took the earth nymphs a week to get it back to normal, and even now, there were portions that were clearly windswept and would never be the same.

“Speaking of, where is Cilly Sally? I need to berate someone, and he deserves it from earlier,” Remy asked, pulling back and looking out into the hallway before refocusing on Coralena.

“Uh, he kind of took off after finding out I had sex with Atticus, and you know, everything about why and yadda yadda.”

My jaw clenched, and I very much wanted to follow in Cillian’s footsteps. She knew him for less than a handful of hours, and their relationship had already progressed this far? Where was she with the others? Was this simply how she was with them? I clenched my fists as I stood and crossed my arms.

Coralena glanced my way, but I waved her off. As much as I hated the fact, it wasn’t my place, and I needed to remind myself of that every chance I got. Maybe the constant reminders would rid me of the ‘brainwashing’ I had received.

“Oh, good to know everyone is pissy about someone having sex with another someone or wanting to.“ Remy turned around to glare at me, and Coralena’s brows scrunched in confusion.

“Wanting to?“ she asked at the same time I said, “I didn’t say I wanted to, Remy.”

I let out a sigh as Poe and Kiran moved away from me, suspecting a fireball was headed my way.

“It was close enough, Andrin.“ She mimicked my posture, crossing her arms over her chest, and stared me down. The fire was building again. We needed to help her simmer down before it was too late.

“What am I missing?” Coralena placed her hand on Remy’s arm, pulling her around, so they were face to face once more. Concern laced her features and was a stark contrast to the contriteness that showed on Remy’s.

I thought the first eruption was bad, but Remy and Coralena together? That would be a fiery tidal wave no one wanted to deal with.

“Let me clue you in. You’ve missed a lot.”

“Remy,“ I warned.

“Don’t Remy me. You brought this on yourself, assface.“ She flipped me off without turning away from Coralena. It wasn’t something we had in Incyssia, but they had brought me up to speed on the insults of their world. Well, Remy brought me up to speed on them while Coralena mentored me on kinder references.

I started to move forward, but Ira and Poe blocked my path. I was powerful, but I knew these two could destroy me without breaking a sweat. After all, I was a prince who was trained to protect himself and his family; they were trained to beat down and kill anyone that stood in their way or threatened the people they loved. If it had been Kiran, I would have shoved through, but I didn’t want to make the situation more hazardous than it already was.

Raising both hands, I surrendered and backed away, grumbling that they better be ready to teleport everyone.

“That was hot.”

“Never thought I’d agree, but am I drooling? I think I’m drooling.” Coralena wiped at her mouth as she joked with Remy.

“Please, do that again and frequently, Fire Goddess.” Remy bowed to Ira before turning to Poe. “My lovely assassin whose talents I adore.”

Poe was still facing me, so I watched as the blush took over. Besides the redness on her cheeks, Poe gave no other physical reaction.

Remy wasn’t done, however. Placing her gaze on me, she winked, then returned to her rant from before. “Your brother, not only is he the almost king of Oedinia, the guy that raped and impregnated you, you know all that juicy stuff, but he is also my water bonded. Surprise! And would totally fuck you again if you asked. Surprise again! Did I miss anything? Was that it? Kiran? Poe? Have anything to add? Or anyone else, really. We might as well get all the fucked up shit out in the open all at once. Hit me. Come on. It’s not like I’m going to explode.” Remy cackled for a second, then groaned. “Fuck these god damn emotions. Coralena, can you just tell him again that you don’t want his dick, so we can cement it in stone and move the fuck on?”

Coralena remained quiet as her eyes bounced from Remy to me, then to her bonded that were within view. My head cocked as the silence wore on and Coralena refused to answer.

“CL?” Remy poked her cheek, gaining her attention. “Come on, just…” That’s when the realization hit. “No,” she whispered in agony. “No, Coralena. That’s… No!”

“I didn’t even say anything, Remy!”

“You didn’t have to. What the fuck is wrong with you people? Is everyone in your family injected with incest serum?” Remy screamed and paced across the charred floors, but my eyes were trained on Coralena as the spark of hope ignited and flickered out over and over. Coralena brought hope, but Remy doused the flames.

“It’s like they said, Remy.” Coralena shook her head, staring at the floor. “It’s in our blood.”

Remy

Two Weeks Later

The last two weeks had slogged along. If I wasn’t avoiding Coralena and Andrin, I was spending time with Poe and Kiran or training with Ira. She was equally as much of a hardass as she was a badass. I had no doubt that she could whip anyone into shape.

Maybe I would request she unleash herself upon Andrin, but I didn’t know his kinks yet and couldn’t risk him having mommy issues—let’s be honest, he so does, and daddy issues, and sister issues. He could enjoy the pain and degradation, which wouldn’t do, if it was coming from her. No, if someone was going to bring him agony and pleasure, it would have to be me, but I wasn’t ready and wasn’t sure when I would be.

Accepting that your best friend and your mate might—no, not might, wanted—definitely wanted to fuck each other and were siblings was a massive pill to swallow. I reminded myself that I was already working through Andrin raping her in front of me and his personality switch, finding Kiran and Poe were my mates, and so much more over the last four months, so I had to take this time for myself, no matter what anyone said. Not that they were complaining. Actually, everyone was giving me all the time in the world, which was almost as annoying as them pestering me constantly to talk to them about it and get it all out in the world. I really fucked myself saying almost those exact lines to the two of them.

I groaned into the pillow that I jammed my face into while I sat on the bed in Kiran’s room. Kiran and I shared it while Poe had a smaller one brought in until she was comfortable getting that close to us. Her walls were slow to crack, but we were making progress. She allowed me to hug her each morning, which grew longer each time, and we ate every meal together. Poe even laughed at a few of my jokes yesterday. Of course, they were at others’ expense, but they were funny and well deserved as always.

Andrin, because I refused to even look at him unless I absolutely had to, found his home across the hall in Blair’s vacated suite. He only used it when Atticus wasn’t around, and now that they all had their pregnant mate to croon over, it was bound to remain empty until someone had to sleep on the proverbial couch. My bet was Cillian, as he was still grumpy about Atticus being Coralena’s ‘first’.

He calmed down eventually but frequently had to excuse himself from situations. We all thought he had gained control of his emotions while we were in Oedinia, but his actions over the last two weeks proved that he had pushed down a lot and had not allowed the emotions to fully emerge.

All of this was secondhand, though, besides the few times he joined Ira and me when we trained. Kiran and Poe kept me updated; well, it was mostly Kiran, but Poe had a penchant for giving Cillian shit without being as obvious as I was about it. Even if we weren’t bonded, she would be a close friend of mine. I had no doubt about that.

Falling back onto the bed, I watched the birds flutter about through the window, soaring without a care in the world. The trees swayed in the breeze, and the sun shone bright in the cloudless sky. It would have been a lovely day to walk around the grounds, but my mood made everything sour, and I didn’t want to risk burning down the forestry that surrounded the castle.

I didn’t know how long I spaced out while watching the birds, but eventually Poe came into the room and made her way around the bed, blocking my view of the sky. Glancing up at her, which wasn’t that much of a difference given how short she was, I caught her pale eyes with my yellow ones.

I knew we couldn’t reproduce together, but we would have made beautiful children. Not in a traditional sense, but they would be ethereal if our genes mixed just right. I imagined a little girl with Poe’s long, white hair and my golden eyes surrounded by tanned skin coated in freckles, but ones that were lighter than her natural skin tone because why not, this was my imaginary child. She would have my height, but Poe’s button nose and pouty lips, and a painful combination of our humor and personalities.

That little girl would only ever exist inside my mind, but she was a perfect atrocity that made my heart sing.

“What are you doing?” Poe pulled me out of my little daydream with a tap to my forehead.

“Thinking about what our kids would look like.” I sat up and tossed the pillow to the side.

“We can’t have children, Remy. Do the humans not teach this?”

“I would like to say they all do, but some really suck ass at sex ed, so maybe? Anyway, Nora and Lennon filled in any gaps my parents left, but they were scientists and were pretty thorough and to the point when it came to all of that.” Poe continued to look down at me, trying to decipher what I had just said. She knew who Lennon and Nora were and about my parents and that entire situation, so I assumed sex ed was the issue. “Sexual education is what schools call the talk about biology, sex, and so on. Some places are super shitty and expect people to be ignorant in hopes they won’t get knocked up. Idiots, am I right?”

“I would have to agree, yes. I take that to mean you do know we cannot reproduce, despite us being different races.” Poe sat down beside me on the bed with her legs dangling over the edge.

“Yep. I know all about it. Although, our science is to the point where we could if we wanted to, I think. I don’t know the exact procedure, but it’s possible.”

Poe nodded along, but it was clear something else was on her mind as she was staring down at the floor and fiddling with something that she had hidden inside her jacket.

“Did you need to talk about something, Poe?”

She let out a sigh, then pulled out the picture frame from the day I erupted all over her room and not in a good way. It was a sleek design, made from a silvery metal that looked well made but also well loved. Rust hadn’t taken hold, but there were scratches all around it, showing its age.

Poe handed it to me, and I pulled it over into my lap. It wasn’t a large picture, just big enough to hold a space on a nightstand.

But the outer frame wasn’t important. What it held was.

When I looked at the contents, my brows scrunched and the cogs within my mind started turning. What I saw wasn’t something I had ever expected.

The first person was Poe, but she had a bright smile on her face as the wind whipped her long hair, tousling it around her form and into the other person’s face. I had never seen that person, but the pull I had toward him was distinctive and familiar. He was about my height with light brown hair and green eyes that creased with laughter. His smile lines were evident, and they brought a small smile to my lips as I brushed my fingers across the image.

He had his arm slung around Poe as they shared a moment of joy, and I knew whoever could bring that much happiness to her for even a moment was far more special than anyone I had ever or would ever meet. And now, I knew why meeting me, a bright, fiery light full of jokes and laughter seemed to be so hard on her.

I wrapped my arms around the frame and held it to my chest as a tear ran down my cheek. Without looking at Poe, I asked her a question I never wanted to know the answer to, “Where is he?”

Poe answered with tears filling her voice, “On the hill by his hometown. It’s where we first met and where that picture was taken. Only a few days before…” She trailed off as she covered her mouth, holding back all the emotions she had bottled away.

The single tear turned into body shaking sobs, but I needed to know more. “How long?”

“Two years. He’s been gone for two years.” Her voice wobbled from between her fingers, and it broke me.

Setting the picture frame on the nightstand, so he could watch over us even in death, I pulled Poe into a hug and seared his image into my mind. I refused to leave behind a mate I would never have but longed to know. One day, I would pester her for more, so that I could hold onto him from afar, but for now, we would weep and let the other console, knowing only they felt the same pain.

“What did you call him?”

Poe chuckled. “His name was Caelus, but I called him Luscious. He loved me and the humor I once had. And Remy,” Poe said, pulling back so I could look her in the eye before giving me a gift I never knew I needed. “He would have loved you too.”

Coralena

Iwanted to have a little chat with first trimester me and tell her how lucky she was. The nausea was a pain in the ass, but the heartburn, backaches, and constant peeing were now dragging me down. Instead of lying down and sipping broth or sucking on hard candies, I was heading to the kitchen where an overstuffed and oh so comfortable chair that I had my bonded cart in awaited me. Oh, and a hot water pack that I shoved onto my lower back while I downed a tub of ice cream.

If I wasn’t pregnant and miserable, that would be the dream.

Amihan made me a new batch each day based on my cravings. Today was chocolate and pickles. Atticus and Cillian tried each flavor, but Blair and Ira were not as accepting of the strange combinations.

I should have been preparing for their arrival, figuring out cradles and other supplies since I wasn’t sure how it all worked here and was in too much of a fog while in Oedinia to care. Plus I knew Andrin and our parents would have taken the lead and handled it all for me. But here in Scunth, Onulon, it was a different story.

The twins would need to be close enough that we could look after them but far enough away that our loud group wouldn’t constantly be disturbing them. Did they have suites that had connected nurseries? Would we have to suck it up and have them out in the open of the living area? Or could we convert the large walk-in closet to be their home until they were old enough to have their own room?

And diapers. Diapers were a big question on my mind. I assumed they had versions comparable to the cloth ones on Earth, but that option always disgusted me. I didn’t want to dump literal shit into a washer, but here that wasn’t even an option. I couldn’t bear passing along pails of soaked diapers to someone that wasn’t a part of their lives and expect them to handle the mess.

My mind went into a downward spiral from diapers to wipes and clothing, then high chairs, car seats—if that was even remotely a thing here—and finally, I landed on breastfeeding. No one had mentioned anything about it, but I had an inkling that the people of the realm typically breastfed their offspring.

No, thank you.

I had four bonded plus four others that were the kiddos’ aunts and uncles. I would not be taking on feedings solo. They would all pitch in, and maybe, we would survive. To achieve that, breastfeeding went out the window. I would demand the best pump from the human world and would provide what I could, but that’s as far as I was going.

As soon as I thought it, the guilt started niggling at the back of my mind, but I reminded myself that they would be loved more than any other children and would never want for anything. Feeding them from a bottle to keep myself sane was not something I should feel guilty over.

I rounded a corner, and the kitchen door was in sight, but it wasn’t the only thing. Heading down the hall directly toward me was Andrin. Our interactions were always the same. Silence, longing and knowing stares, and a nod of understanding before passing by.

There was so much I wanted to say, but without Remy’s approval or her even talking to me, I wasn’t going to put a toe out of line.

Just as I predicted, Andrin locked eyes with me, the sad blue orbs churning with grief and want, and I knew mine mirrored the ache that rested in his chest. Not just about our predicament or the shitty rendition of Romeo and Juliet slathered in rape and incest we found ourselves in, but what we put Remy through. She was more important, and based on his present actions, I knew he agreed.

We passed each other and nodded, as was tradition, and I closed my eyes and smashed my lips together to hold in whatever word vomit wanted to spit out.

I had to talk to Remy first and let her decide the fate of our fucked up love triangle.

Finally, I was in my chair with a hot water pack pressed into my lower back and a large tub of chocolate and pickle ice cream on my lap. Taking a large spoonful of ice cream into my mouth, I nodded, happy with the decisions I had made so far today. One mouthful led to another and another before I was verging on the end of tub number one. Thankfully, there was always more where that came from.

As I raised another spoonful to my lips, a burp worked its way up my esophagus, bringing bile and heartburn. “Fucking ice cream. You’re supposed to help with that.”

I let out an annoyed groan moments before the door to the kitchen swung open, revealing Remy. We hadn’t spoken for the past two weeks, but Ira fed me updates after their trainings to help Remy gain control. I didn’t blame her and wasn’t mad or irritated. She needed time, and I was happy to give it to her since I played a part in her breakdown.

Remy didn’t move farther into the room, so we stood and sat there, staring at each other. I wouldn’t make the first move here. She had found me for a reason.

She sighed and closed her eyes. “Coralena, I’m sorry.”

“The fuck? For what?” I grimaced and stood up, teetering slightly. My stomach had popped a bit more as my third trimester started. God only knew how massive I would become over the next two months, if we even made it that far. Just another thing on my baby to-do list. Remind everyone that twins came early, so once we hit the five month mark, I assumed they would come at any time.

“For blowing up part of the castle? For rampaging and ignoring all of you, you specifically, while I moped and moaned. I don’t know, CL. Just… Sorry for everything.”

“No, nuh uh. You don’t get to apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong. Andrin fucked up, then I made it worse, but I didn’t want to lie to you. I should be begging for your forgiveness, and I will, but if I get on my knees, there’s a chance I won’t be getting back up without someone lifting me to my feet.” I marched over to her and grabbed her hands, holding them in mine. “I am so sorry, Remy. That was not the time to bring it up, but you asked, and I truly didn’t want to keep it from you, so I just let it out. The thought crossed my mind when… Galvin…” I sighed. Remy nodded, indicating that she knew what I was talking about. Andrin had relayed what happened to Ira, and she passed it onto the others, so everyone was in the loop. “Do you want me to explain? I will, but I don’t want to make it worse.”

“Keep going. I need to hear it even if it hurts. Not just because it’s about you and Andrin, but because it’s a painful subject for you, and despite me locking myself away, I love you.”

“Okay, well… It had been mentioned that the whole ‘familial relations’ thing was in our blood, that it was natural and normal. When I was forced to take Andrin again, disgust and repulsion weren’t the only emotions I had. I hated it, hated being forced to do it, but I also knew that I wouldn’t hate it if it was my choice.” Remy started to interrupt, but I cut her off. “Hold on, there’s more that Atticus told me. They don’t have the same genetic issues that humans do when the genes are too similar. He said it was fairly common to have some relation to a person within your bonded group because overall, they don’t keep track of their family trees too strictly. So within that, it all makes sense that it is in our blood, at least a little. Does that make sense?”

Remy thought it over, stretching the moment for what felt like minutes when it was only a few seconds.

“It does, but I don’t like that it does.”

“Seconded.”

“Thirded.”

I chuckled. “Thirded it is. Motion passes.”

Remy pulled me into a hug with a crushing force I would blame Ira for. Her muscles must have grown.

“Can I rant now? I have some more things to say.”

I snorted into her hair that was growing longer and would not stay in a faux hawk without some serious product. “Rant away, but I’m going to go finish my ice cream and get some love from my hot water pack.”

“Deal.”

I sat down, and Remy pulled another chair up by me, eyeing the ice cream.

“Is that pickles and chocolate?” Disgust filled her voice.

“Mhm, want to try?”

“Nope, and that’s another tick in the ‘I never want to be pregnant’ column.”

“Add horny all the time, but the heartburn really kills the mood.”

“Done. Now, for my rant.” Remy cracked her knuckles and shook out her arms, preparing herself for whatever she was going to say.

“I had this all planned out, and you went and ruined it with your logical rant, but here’s mine, so we are even. I’m not mad at you. I don’t think I ever really was. Maybe frustrated with the entire situation and the lack of control that I had over my life. A lot has happened, and I think people forget that it’s not just you that’s been fucked over, ya know? And that hurt. A lot. It all became too much, and with the revelations from Andrin, then you, it was too much and I exploded. Well, I exploded after Andrin’s reveal, then yours was just a cherry on top, making me recede inside myself.”

We caught eyes, and I nodded, letting her know I understood and she should carry on.

“This world doesn’t work like the human one. There, I knew how everything fit. The rights and wrongs. All that jazz. But here, nothing makes sense, or it does at times, but not in the way that it should. Like the whole ‘It’s in our blood’ thing. Because incest? Big no-no for humans, but here, it’s fine. With Atticus’ information, it really does make more sense, and the last bits of worry and frustration are slowly receding. I still have some reservations because just like Andrin says, ‘you can’t wipe away twenty plus years of conditioning in such a short amount of time.’ So with all of that in mind, I am choosing to believe and trust you and am working on how I feel about all of this, but it will take some time.”

The world paused as I sat there, staring at Remy. When did we get so emotionally wise? I chuckled, knowing trauma did that to people. Remy glared at me when she heard it, and I burst into laughter before trying to explain.

“I was just thinking that we have come a long way and are wiser than we once were. I am blaming the trauma.”

“Ah, yeah. Fuck trauma though. It stays with you forever like a bad tramp stamp.”

We laughed, and the kitchen fell into silence once more.

“I’m glad to have you back, Remy.”

“Glad to be back.”

Coralena

“His name is Caelus.” A tear slid down Remy’s cheek as she said his name.

I had no idea. The guys didn’t mention it, but now that I thought about it, they were shady about a lot of information and said Poe would have to explain some things. I guessed Caelus, their lost mate, was what they were referring to. Well, that and the fact that she had a vagina.

I couldn’t imagine the pain that she was going through, that her and Poe were going through. Poor Poe. How had she managed to live these last two years, knowing one of her mates would never return to her side? I didn’t—No, I knew what I would do. It had flitted across my mind quite often over the last few months, and those thoughts flowed more easily in and out since my discussion with Atticus.

If I lost one of them, I would take myself from this world as soon as I made sure my children were safe. I never thought I would appreciate the circumstances in which they came to be, but knowing Andrin and Remy’s bonded group would be there for them if we couldn’t brought me a small semblance of relief.

“Or was Caelus.”

“Is, Remy. His name is Caelus. Just because his body is gone doesn’t mean he no longer exists. He’s still here. They all knew him and can tell you about him, so his memory stays with you.” My parents taught me that when my grandma died. ‘Just because you can’t see her, it doesn’t mean she isn’t with us always and forever,’ my dad had said. And that’s how I went on living. Every person we lost from that point was still with me. I just couldn’t hug them which sucked so much, but at least they would always exist in my head.

The single tear was replaced by sobs, and I closed the space, pulling her into a hug. The fire roared behind Remy as we sat here, hugging in the library as we let the emotions of the day spill over.

My eyes remained dry, and I cursed my tear ducts for being so emotionally spent. Or perhaps I was dehydrated. When was the last time I drank water?

I shook my head and burrowed my face into Remy’s neck as she cried on my shoulder.

We had come here for some privacy and demanded that we be left alone. Well, we told Poe and let her handle the rest. Given that no one had disturbed us, whatever she did had worked.

There was a large U-shaped seating area angled toward a fireplace in the back of the room that we had claimed as our own for the time being. The library had stack upon stack of books that I had mused over the last two weeks to keep me busy. It reminded me of the one back in Oedinia, but there weren’t any similarities besides it being a perfect place of solitude. This room was smaller, and the stacks were only a few feet apart, allowing more to squeeze in. The ceilings hung low over us, and it felt as if we were being converged on by the walls. If it weren’t for the chill that had sunk into the air thanks to autumn coming in full blast, I would be itching to get out of this claustrophobic space.

But I wouldn’t leave Remy and would certainly not be the first one to let go.

“How did we get into this fucked up mess?”

I chuckled and brushed her hair out of my face. It was a shaggy pixie at this point and just long enough to annoy the ever living shit out of her. “Before all of this, I would have said fate was fake, but now, I can’t really argue that. Fate is real and a complete asshole covered in shit and butt mites.”

Remy pulled away, and her yellow eyes glowed in the low light of the fire that seemed to move with her and reflected her emotions too well. Our powers had grown, and I was so thankful that Ira took the time to teach her and take Remy under her wing.

“Damn the fates. They really screwed us and not in the fun way.” Remy brushed away the tears, sniffling snot back into her nostrils. I grimaced, then threw tissues at her face.

“Blow your nose, sicko.”

She rolled her eyes but did as I said before sitting back and sighing.

“Now what?”

“Do you know how many times we have asked that?” A snorted laugh pushed its way out, forcing me into a small fit of laughter.

“Too many,” Remy responded, shaking her head and chuckling along.

“Far too many. At least the answer is different every time.”

“And what is the answer this time?“ Remy pulled a pillow into her lap and stared into the fire, letting it coax her into some semblance of relaxation. Well, maybe more like a meditative state than full on relaxation.

“I… I don’t know, Rem. I really don’t.” We sat in silence for a few minutes as the fire crackled and swayed, lighting the room and coating it in shadows, before I cleared my throat. The sun had been high in the sky when she found me in the kitchen, and now, after hours of talking, saying what needed to be said, and avoiding other things that needed to be said, darkness had taken over the sky as the moon took its place. “How long until…”

“Until what, CL?” Remy turned toward me. Her tone and expression contradicted each other. The former claimed confusion while the latter said she knew exactly what I meant.

“Do I have to say it?”

“No more skirting around things or hiding, even though that’s what we have been doing this entire time.”

“Yeah, yeah. But we needed to talk about those things too. Caelus, Poe, Ira, baby nonsense. Two weeks of conversations were piled into a handful of hours.”

Remy looked out the window and teeter-tottered her head. “I’d say a few more than a handful.”

“Fine, many hours. But—“

“But…”

“But.” I took a deep breath. “We only touched the surface of the Andrin issue. So how long until you think they all break and demand some sort of resolution? We went two weeks without speaking. They will want…” I flipped my hands in the air, trying to grasp onto the right word, but whatever it was, it didn’t exist in my mind. “Some word I refuse to think of from us.”

Remy ughed and hid behind the pillow, slinking further down the cushions before collapsing to the side and laying down. “Do they get to do that?”

“Well, we can’t stop them by force, but we could ask.” I shrugged. “I’m not going to push you and don’t want to pressure you, but it is one hundred percent your decision. I will respect whatever you decide.”

Throwing the pillow into the fireplace, Remy stood in a rage, then turned and told the pillow she was sorry but did nothing to try and save it from its fiery demise. She made many angry faces as she paced in front of the fireplace and ran her fingers through her hair over and over until I was concerned for the possibilities of balding. Then, finally after who knew how long, Remy stopped and snapped her fingers as if a lightbulb had just gone off.

“I got it. I know the answer.” Her face wasn’t simply of joy. There was some mischief and pride mixed in as well. Remy was up to something, and I figured I would enjoy the insanity of the outcome as I always did. “Bring Andrin henceforth!” she demanded into the room that was empty besides us.

“We might have to go find him, Rem.” I rolled my eyes but pushed up from the sofa and headed for the door. “Do we need the others or just Andrin?”

“I’m not one for a spectacle, you know,” Remy said in faux shock.

“Right, so is that a yes?”

“Big yes since it messes with your group as well. This should be fun. Tell Cillian to grab the popcorn.”

I cringed, knowing that relationship could use a little more work. He had been quite standoffish since he found out about Atticus but was slowly coming around and worked with a few of the air and fire nymphs here to learn control, but emotions didn’t like to be wrangled, which was proving to be a challenge for us all.

Between his unleashed emotions and my pregnancy ones, we were either going to kill each other soon or hate/love fuck it out.

And now that’s exactly what I wanted. The latter. In our bedroom. With Cillian.

I chuckled at my joke as we made our way through the fortress in search of all our mates. I really wished I had the teleportation gift like Andrin. That would be really useful right about now.

Damn it. Now all I could think about was our toddlers figuring it out and the panic that would follow.

No one should give children teleportation powers. Whoever decided that was a massive schlong gobbler.

Coralena

Everyone had gathered as we requested—Remy demanded—and we were back in the library. Remy said the fire behind her gave her life, and she needed that boost of confidence if she was going to make it through whatever tirade was awaiting us.

Around the U-shaped seating area was Andrin on the edge, followed by Kiran and Poe on one side, Ira and me in the center piece, then Atticus, Blair, and Cillian. I wanted to sit where Cillian was, but he was as good a person as any to be bait for Remy’s sarcasm. Not that I was untouchable where I was, but proximity mattered.

Remy cleared her throat and brought all attention to her. “Thank you for coming to our first summit meeting. First thing on the agenda is Andrin and his dick, sec—“

“Excuse me?” Andrin blurted, standing up and glaring down at Remy.

“You cannot be excused. Sit your ass down, Andrin.” They had a stare down for a few seconds, then Andrin squinted slightly and conceded before sitting back down. He didn’t stop glaring at her though. It was tough luck that our eyes were so similar. Remy was immune to the sharp stinging color of the sea. “Thank you. Now, as I was saying, second is incest and polygamy, and finally, we have don’t you fucking lie to me. Any questions?”

Blair went to speak up, but Remy beat him to it. “None? Great. Let’s move onto topic number one, Andrin and his dick. So we all heard part of that wonderful blow up, both literal and figurative, right? Well, we are circling back to that.” Remy cleared her throat and met my gaze. I gave her a nod of encouragement. I was ready to hear whatever she had to say and was very curious what twist she was going to throw into it.

With a big breath, Remy pushed on. “CL and I finally talked today and sorted some things out. Sort of. This part was more informational than sorting, but it made me think and cleared some stuff up. For me, anyway.”

“Remy, I don’t, well, I do mean to rush you. Can you get to the point before I do an air version of exploding?” Cillian’s leg was bouncing, trying to keep his focus on what Remy was saying. I knew whatever it was, the explosion was going to happen. I assumed that’s why I was placed between Ira and Atticus.

A sarcastic retort was on her tongue, but Remy held it back. “Yes, fine. For you, Cilly Sally.”

“Thank you.”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome. So to the point then. With all the information I have gotten from CL, Ira, and Poe the last couple of weeks, I have finally cleared some things up in my head. Poe told me about Caelus, and I realized life is stupid and short, so we should live it to the happiest and fullest of our abilities. For us all to do that, CL and Andrin should have a true relationship.” Everyone except Andrin and I started arguing. Remy had to scream over them to get them all to shut it, so she could explain. “But! But, but, but! I have buts, people! Let me finish!” They quieted down, but scowls creased every single brow. Andrin and I, however, had muted looks of hope and curiosity. “The deal is this…” Remy turned to Andrin, and everyone’s gaze fell on him. Good thing he wasn’t a weak man. I would be crumbling at this point. “I will allow you to have a sexual and/or romantic relationship with CL, if she so chooses, but you will never place your dick inside me. We can do all sorts of other kinky shit like pegging, dildos, we can do research, don’t worry, but my orifices are off limits to you.”

Silence fell over the room, and my jaw dropped open. I knew she was moving toward accepting what we wanted despite me making it clear that it was entirely up to her, but this was not on my list of possibilities. I sat there bobbing my mouth open and close like a fish out of water, but no words formed.

Thankfully, Andrin ended my suffering. “And what is the offer if I don’t have a sexual and/or romantic relationship with Coralena?”

That stung more than I would ever admit to anyone, but it was a fair question.

I glanced at Remy and snorted at her response. Only she would come up with such a thing. “Same offer, but I’ll add anal on my side. Pussy and mouth remain off limits.”

“So I have to choose between sticking my dick in your ass or fucking my sister? What a choice I must ponder over.” The sarcasm dripped from his words as he stood and challenged Remy. “How will I ever decide? Hm?” Andrin rubbed his chin in mock contemplation. “I lose either way, Remy. I don’t believe this is a true offer, is it? This is simply a game to you.”

“No, it’s not. Let me correct that. It’s not a game, but it is a true offer. I paced right here, debating about what I should do. CL explained how flimsy the rules are here, that you don’t truly keep track of relations, so incest on some level happens all the time, right?”

“Correct,” Atticus butted in.

“Thank you.” Remy nodded to him in appreciation.

“That lessened the blow and made me realize that I wasn’t doing as I preached. I have been throwing it at you that you’ve been brainwashed all your life, but technically, so have I, just different social norms. So it’ll take some time, but I think this is the solution. No matter how many times I thought about you with Coralena, then with me or vice versa, it made me cringe, but I couldn’t think about you with me in that way even without her in the picture like that. Do you get it? I can’t do that, but I can do some. So take it or leave it, but that’s the offer. I want you in very specific ways and am happy to work through this, but I need some leeway. Oh, and I have the right to pull the plug at any time. This is a trial run either way, mmkay?”

Andrin stared blank faced at Remy for a few seconds, then disappeared.

“Fucking hell. He’s so bad at this,” I ground out under my breath, but everyone heard. Small chuckles and agreements went around the room as Remy deflated, and her eyes started to tear up at the rejection.

Then Andrin flashed back in with something in his hand.

“Deal, Remington.”

“Don’t call me that.”

“No deal to that.”

“Fuck you, Andrin.”

“You will, and I will find a way to enjoy it. I choose option one, if that is all right with Coralena.” Despite bringing me into the conversation, Andrin didn’t take his eyes off of Remy. “But I have something to add that I think you will appreciate. Here.” Andrin held out his hand and waited for Remy to raise hers. When she did, he dropped the magic stalling cuff into her hand and held up the key. “This is yours, and you are free to use it when you like. Do we have a deal?”

Remy’s eyes were like saucers, trying to burst from her head as she gawked at the cuff before peering up at the key. Her hand shook as she raised it and clasped her fingers around the metal piece. That was an absolute power dynamic shifting act if I ever saw one, and I really wanted to borrow it for Atticus. I think he would let me give it a go. Or Blair. Or both. Oh, the possibilities.

“Deal. Now sit down, so we can get onto the second point.”

“Wait a minute!” Cillian yelled, pushing himself to a standing position as panic took over. “What was that? Are you all insane? Coralena didn’t agree to anything, and how about her mates and yours? How do we all feel about this? It’s not just a Remy and Andrin decision. You’ve got to be kidding me!” The wind picked up, but fluttered in and out as Cillian fought for control.

“Good point, Cillian,” I said, standing and making my way to him. I grabbed his hand and pulled him to me. “Everyone gets a say. So, everyone, have at it. Kiran. You’re up.” Cillian squeezed my hand that was encased in his much larger one, and I pulled him down to kiss me. It was soft and short but calmed down the remaining winds.

“It means there’s only one dick for Remy, so I will put myself on team I’m fine with it.” Everyone rolled their eyes, but it certainly lightened the mood.

“Poe?”

“As long as Remy is happy.” The two of them shared a smile, and it warmed my heart. They had a lot of growing to do, but their relationship would be stronger than most.

“Ira.”

“If this is what you want, then I am okay with it.” My fire nymph would always be in my corner, at least outwardly. I might get reprimanded later, but she would knock everyone down, then cart me off for punishment. Damn it. That orgy needed to happen sooner than later.

Atticus nodded on his turn, and so did Blair with an encouraging smile.

Last was Cillian. He peered down at me with sad brown eyes, but there was a light shining behind them. He was filled with mischief just like Remy, but flowing with emotion like a river of a windy day. He was an anomaly of heightened feelings, and I loved him so much for the joy he brought to my life.

But I never knew what he was thinking. I did at first, but now, there was no telling what he would do. So when he opened his mouth, I braced for every outcome.

“If having the father of your children,” he gritted out through clenched teeth, “as another lover will make you happy, then I will find a way to be okay with it. Who is anyone to stand in the way of more love? We could all use more of it, can’t we?” Cillian huffed out a breath, then squeezed me tighter to him.

I felt like the Grinch with my heart growing a few sizes, and the smile on my face said it all. It was like he said. There was so much love in this room, whether it was friends, family, bonded… But we could always use more. The children currently growing inside me and the ones that were to come in the future, they would need all the support possible to make it in this world, and I would do whatever I could to ensure they thrived.

“Then yes. Option one. It’s a deal.”

“Seconded.”

“Thirded. Motion passes.” Remy hit her fist down on her open palm like a gavel, and everyone let out the collective breath they were holding. “So glad we have finally settled who is fucking who and simultaneously sorted out the second item on the agenda. Bravo, everyone! As for the third point, I can summarize. No more holding shit in, no secrets, especially now with how complicated this is going to get, and no one lies or I get their dick, or clit, as a trophy. It will be bronzed and take up a spot on our mantle. Are we clear?”

“Crystal,” everyone said at the same time.

Jesus, we really were rubbing off on them.

Cillian

“This isn’t safe, Coralena.”

“Shush up, and do it already.” She waved away my words and crouched into her fighting stance. Well, by crouching I mean she slightly bent her knees with her feet planted two feet apart with her hands placed in front of her.

“But no one else is here. What if I lose control again? I can’t hurt you…”

“You can, you just don’t want to. Come on, I need the practice.”

Coralena dragged me outside to one of the fighting pits this morning, demanding a one-on-one session. I protested, but no one took my side after Coralena glared at them and said that we needed time alone.

I didn’t want to complain or appear as if I didn’t want to spend time with her. In fact, it was the opposite. I longed for her, and it hurt every second I had to pull away to keep her safe, but I refused to risk her safety. Until now. Until I was outnumbered and forced to do a magic practice session with her and her alone.

Rolling my eyes and letting out a huff, I pushed down all the emotions and let my face and mind go blank before moving into a comfortable position, so I could throw small waves of air at her.

“Nuh-uh, Cilly. We aren’t doing that.” Coralena stood out of her sparring stance and crossed her arms over her ever growing stomach. We were still two months away from meeting our children, but she looked ready to pop. Not that I would ever tell her that. I liked to verbally spar, but that was a death sentence.

“Aren’t doing what, Coralena? What do you want from me?” My frustration was growing, and the newly formed breeze was a clear indication that my control was slipping. “Can we please have someone else here just in case?”

“No. I trust you to keep it together.”

“Well, good for you, but you don’t know what’s happening inside here.” I harshly tapped on the side of my head, jamming my finger into my temple over and over. “You don’t know how much effort it takes to simply exist without destroying everything around you.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t realize mental anguish and self control issues were a Cillian only issue. I’ve never had anything happen to me that would ever cause me to think about destroying my entire life and ending it all, you all included. How silly of me to not take your feelings into consideration.” Coralena’s face was hard as stone as she glared at me across the dirt covered ground. “Fuck face. All of you are fuck faces. Now fight me.”

With that, Coralena blasted a water whip toward my groin and barely missed thanks to a gust of wind, lifting me and pushing me back a few feet. Her words rang in my head, confusing me even more.

“Is there something you need to tell me, and where did you learn to do that? Last I checked, you were still working on water bubbles.”

Another water whip slashed toward my head, and I crouched down to avoid it.

“Coralena.”

“Fine, but you won’t like the answer.” She moved around the pit, forming a water whip in each hand and keeping her eyes on me. “I’ve been spending a lot of time with Atticus and Ira. They’ve taught me a lot in two weeks.”

“You’re right. I hate that answer,” I seethed, gritting my teeth and trying to hold back the destructive wind that wanted to escape and decimate the area. “Why even tell me that? What good does it do to torture me with how close you’re getting to them?”

“Them? You say it like they’re your enemies and not your friends and the other half of this bonded bullshit.“ A whip comes for me, and I disintegrate it into the air. A light mist hits my face but nothing more.

“Both can be true,” I scoff. “They waltzed in and took up the mantle as best mates. Blair and I never had a chance, but I get it. We weren’t the best mates to you while in Oedinia, so of course you’d want better ones to warm your bed.”

“Ooh, we are getting into that now, are we? Still salty that I slept with Atticus and not you?”

“That’s not—“

“Not what? Fair, true? Because from my side, that’s exactly what’s happening. You’re throwing a hissy fit because I fucked Atticus before you despite you trying for months. Is that right?” The rest of the water around her crashed onto the ground, and she released her control.

I grimaced and flinched. “When you put it like that, it sounds—“

“Like you’re a controlling dick who can’t share his toys.”

“You’re not a toy, Coralena! Damn it, that’s not even how I was seeing it. It’s not that we didn’t… It’s that you knew him for two hours, and somehow he made you feel comfortable enough to have sex. I tried, not to get you to have sex, but to get you to the point of being comfortable to do it if you wanted. It just… it felt like a slap in the face, that after all that time, I wasn’t enough for you.”

“I actually thought about that before I said yes to him. Well, before I told him I needed it.”

“You did? And you still said yes?” My shoulders slumped, and the air that usually felt so light weighed me down and was crushing everything inside me.

“Yes. Any guesses as to why?”

“If I say hormones, will—“ A ball of water splashed against the back of my head, cutting off my words. “How the fuck?”

“I learned a lot of tricks recently.” She waggled her eyebrows, and I knew Coralena meant much more than magic tricks.

“If only Remy were here to make the jokes for me. You’re really goading me.” I ran my hands down my face, then tried to wring the water from my growing, curly locks.

“I am, and you’re somehow keeping control.” She looked so smug, standing over there and being so fucking right it was annoying.

“When it’s just you, it’s different. The control slips into place, and I don’t have to think about it. Even with Blair and Remy, fuck, even Andrin around, it’s fine. But Atticus…” The air whipped around us at the mention of his name. “You see?”

“I do. Want me to explain now?”

“Please do.”

Coralena walked up to me and gripped onto the front of my light blue shirt with both hands, pulling me down to meet her gaze. “I said yes because of all the work you put into helping me. I felt comfortable and ready because you and Blair showed me that it’s okay to take what I want when I want it. I asked for it and pushed forward, knowing that although you would be jealous, you would also be happy that some part of me was fixed.”

“Coralena—“

“I’m not finished. Jesus, you and Remy are too much alike, always interrupting my speeches.” I stared down at her, then gave a nod so she knew I was listening. “I was so worried that I would never be enough for you. You’ve done so much, been so patient and loving within the shitty ass circumstances we were thrown into, and yes, we have growing to do, and we all need to do better, but I appreciate everything you have done for me. I wouldn’t have been able to do what I wanted at that moment without everything you have done for me. So, if you want to blame someone, blame yourself, but first,” she said before tugging me closer and crashing our lips together. I wrapped my arms around her, being mindful of her stomach, and deepened the kiss until she pulled back. “I would like you to fuck me because these horomones really are a bitch and a half.”

“Oh, so I was right. The hormones are the real culprit.” I pulled away, then lifted Coralena into my arms before heading back to the castle.

“Fine, blame the hormones, but the hormones are working in your favor, so thank them,” she said, patting my cheek.

“Thank you so much, hormones, for causing so much strife and so much pleasure in life.“ I nuzzled her neck and kicked in the door, leading us inside.

It was rather empty, and anyone we did see, I ignored, until we got into the suite we shared with Ira, Atticus, and Blair. As we walked into the suite—honestly, I was surprised this wasn’t an issue sooner—we were met with a very naked Blair bent over an almost naked Atticus, licking up his dick. And, of course, it was longer than mine, but I beat him in girth, so I’d say I won that battle.

“Mind if we join?”

Cillian

Blair stalled with his tongue still sticking out and licking Atticus’ cock when I announced our arrival. Atticus lounged back on the bed, and Blair was on his knees next to him. Thankfully, his ass wasn’t aimed toward us. It’s not that I was against being with a man, but Blair wasn’t my type. Obviously, I was all for sharing with him, but I didn’t want to be with him like that and really didn’t feel like being greeted by his bare ass.

“That depends,” Atticus started, clearly not bothered by the intrusion. Confident bastard. “What does Coralena want?”

“It’s not my choice today, Atty. It’s all Cilly’s decision.” She looked up at me as I held her in my arms. “What do you want?”

I thought about it for a moment. I didn’t want to share Coralena at the moment, but I wasn’t bothered by their presence. “If Coralena is okay with it, then you can stay, but I want to be the only one to touch her. Is that all right?”

“That sounds perfect.” Coralena beamed up at me. I knew she had been wanting to sneak a peek while Atticus and Blair were being intimate, so now was the perfect time to drive her crazy and cement our bond.

With everything happening between Atticus and me, then the whole Andrin and Remy situation, I hoped I continued to be enough despite all my pitfalls. I was so thankful for Coralena and how patient, then straightforward and demanding she had been. She had grown a lot and gained the courage to be herself despite it all. Pride grew inside me as I remembered her words. I was a big part of that, and getting her out of Oedinia sped up the process tenfold at least.

It was time to let go of the past and work through it so that we could flourish together. I knew there would be many stops along the way and that I, specifically, would fuck up more than once and would need to be reprimanded. As long as Coralena was the one doling out the punishment, I would die a happy man.

Atticus and Blair stated their agreements, and Blair placed his physical attention back on Atticus’ dick as he watched me carry Coralena across the room and place her beside the bed. I helped her strip and scoot onto the bed before I ripped off my clothes and followed her on, crawling toward her.

I was vaguely aware of Atticus peering back at us, but he didn’t matter at the moment. My eyes were only for Coralena, and I was about to gobble her up.

“Spread those legs for me,” I said, placing my palms on her knees. “And I’m sure Blair will put on a show for you if you ask nicely.”

Coralena let out a soft moan at the thought, then let her legs fall open and her head fell back as she propped herself up on her elbows. Her eyes landed on Blair, and I didn’t know what he did because Atticus’ large body blocked my view of him, thankfully, but Coralena snorted.

I was vaguely aware of Atticus and Blair adjusting next to us, but I ignored them, lowering my upper body and head, aiming for her sweet center. The memory of her taste made my mouth water in preparation.

I wrapped my arms under her legs and gripped her hips before licking up her entire slit, moaning at the taste of her. Glory fucking hallelujah. It had been awhile since we had been intimate like this, thanks to my emotional downslide, but I would never forget how amazing she tasted.

My patience ran low, and I latched onto her clit and gave it a few sucks and swirls of my tongue, allowing my enjoyment to flow through me and guide my movements. I glanced up and watched as Coralena’s eyes bounced between me and where Blair and Atticus were joined with the spirit nymph sliding into his bonded.

Her pleasure was ramped up with all the stimulation. I pitied the men who didn’t realize women need all the stimulation, visual, verbal, and physical. And even if they didn’t, it’s so much more fun this way, why wouldn’t you want to enjoy every piece? Getting eaten out with a show? Sounds like a dream.

I pulled my mouth away, and Coralena pouted with a small huff leaving her lips. “Blair, I think it’s time for that show, and you, my sweet princess, watch and let me pleasure you.” She gave a nod, and Blair got to work. Their cooperation and easy agreements boosted my confidence. I didn’t always want to be in charge, but it felt right at the moment.

My tongue swept over her again, causing a shiver to travel up her spine, and I watched her body tense. I inserted one finger, then two, working them in and out, hitting all the spots I had found she enjoyed. Everyone focused on the one in the front, but that wasn’t the best one. No, the one Coralena liked was farther back, and she had to be the perfect amount of aroused to reach it.

Thankfully, my fingers were long and she was soaked. I hit the spot over and over, driving her crazy, but never giving her enough to fall over the edge. Even Blair now riding Atticus like one of those—I believed they called them cowboys—Coralena was unable to climax. She was a panting, gooey mess beneath me, and it was time to kick it up a notch. Coralena deserved every ounce of pleasure imaginable.

Moving to my knees, I leaned over and stared down at Atticus. I was truly lucky he didn’t give a shit. Another man would probably knock me out for blocking their view and interrupting their sex acts. Despite my apprehensions, we were truly lucky to have the others in our bonded group. We fit, usually. I mean Atticus still made me eye-roll, but it was fine, he was fine.

“I have an idea.” A smirk formed on my lips, and Atticus matched it.

“Oh? Are you going to have your way with us?” Blair lost his rhythm at the comment and made Atticus grunt slightly. Ouch, bet that hurt, ghost boy.

I scoffed and sat back. “You might be their type, but you’re not mine. Sorry to break it to you, Atty. My dick isn’t going near you in any form.” I waved my hands for emphasis, then looked down at Coralena.

Before I could say anything, Blair opened his big mouth. “Sounds like someone else is your type. Maybe that’s partly why your undergarments were in a bunch.”

My jaw ticked, and I knew Coralena saw it. She ignored it for now. However, I didn’t know if she thought it was true, believing the statement, or if she thought I was simply annoyed at the jokes being made at my expense. For now, I would leave it at that. That was something I really, really didn’t want to get into, and if it was never brought up again, I would be a happy air nymph.

“On your hands and knees and face them,” I commanded. Turning to Blair, then Atticus, I added, “You too.”

The bed was large, but with the positions we were now in, it was a bit snug. I knelt behind Coralena, who was face to face with Blair and Atticus behind him.

Coralena was wet and ready for me, so as soon as I lined myself up, I slid right in. We stilled and gave matching moans as Atticus reentered Blair. With everyone in position, the games could begin.

I never wanted to leave this position. She hugged my dick to perfection, and I hissed as I pulled back and thrusted into her again. She mewled and dug her nails into the blanket beneath us as Blair brushed some of her hair behind her ear, garnering her attention. I glared at him for breaking the one rule I asked for but realized no jealousy came from the action, so I let it be for now.

She lifted her head, and their lips connected in a ferocious attack. Her pussy fluttered around me, and I cursed up a storm. It’s been awhile, and I was getting less and less confident on how long I could possibly last inside her like this.

I grimaced and was thankful she couldn’t see me, but Atticus did. He nodded in understanding and wound his fingers through Blair’s long hair, pulling him back so they were flush against each other. It was rather funny to watch as they wiggled their way closer on their knees. We all started laughing, then Coralena’s mouth was silenced by Blair’s cock taking up the space inside.

“Oh, god da—“ Blair was silenced by Atticus driving his tongue into his mouth. Blair wasn’t one to cuss, so I knew he was feeling exceptionally amazing. I had to admit, being sandwiched like that… Consider me intrigued.

“Well, if you think that felt good…” I started thrusting into Coralena, forcing her to release Blair’s cock, then take more and more of it as I hardened my pumps into her. Thankfully, despite little practice, Coralena didn’t really have a gag reflex, so I knew this wouldn’t be an issue, and I wouldn’t have to be nice about it.

Blair’s knees nearly buckled, so Atticus wound his arm around his waist, holding him up. Coralena moaned and writhed as best she could without chomping down on Blair’s dick or squishing her stomach. That was one issue with this position, but it was working out, so I kept my mouth zipped about changing it up.

Her pussy clamped down harder, and I knew I was going to blow at any second, but I wasn’t going out unless she took me with her.

Blair and Atticus minded their business over there, and Atticus kept to my rule about not touching Coralena despite my acceptance in spit-roasting her with Blair. It wasn’t the same. Their hands weren’t involved, and Coralena was happy. Besides, Blair wasn’t the one I had an issue with. We had shared her many times before. My original plan was having her up and watching, but the plans changed, and I truly was not complaining.

I lowered my stance, increasing my angle inside her. She gasped, and I reached around and circled her clit, over and over, nice slow circles, ramping up her need until she was bouncing between Blair and me of her own accord, chasing the cliff to throw herself off of.

As she came, Coralena screamed, releasing Blair’s cock. She clamped around me, squeezing my dick for dear life, and dragged me with her as I planned. Spurts of my cum rained down inside of her, and I felt that notch in my chest ease as the bond solidified. I would forever feel her there, until the day we left this place.

“Coralena, I—“ I started, but Blair’s cum jetted onto Coralena’s back and narrowly missed me and her hair and had me stopping in my tracks. “I’m not cleaning that.”

“Atticus can lick it up.” I gasped, not expecting that to come out of Coralena’s mouth. She pulled away and got comfy on the bed, smearing who knew how much cum onto the sheets.

Apparently, Atticus liked the idea because he came next and bit down onto Blair’s neck, forcing a groan from the earth nymph who was basically the larger man’s sex toy at present.

I snorted and shook my head. Their involvement was far more fun than I had expected.

Laying down next to Coralena, I caressed her arm as we sprawled on the bed, catching our breath. Atticus and Blair were now in similar positions next to us. I mentally thanked them for following the one rule I put in place. I needed it. I needed her and needed them—Atticus—to see it.

Everything was falling into place, and finally, my emotions simmered down and let me enjoy a moment with my bonded.

Cillian

Kiran had pounded on our door and everyone else’s, demanding we meet in the library. Remy and I didn’t do it intentionally, but I guessed that was now our informal meeting room.

I groaned as I sat up, still covered in sweat and bodily fluids. “If he thinks I’m going out there like this, he is very right, and I hope everyone is prepared.”

“Coralena, you can take a shower first.” She shook her head as I moved off of the bed, heading to the bathroom. “Correction, we can take a shower first.“ I made it clear that by we I meant all four of us by holding up four fingers and pointing at everyone. At this point, why the hell not?

“You don’t want them to bask in my cum covered glory? What a shame, but I can’t say no to a shower orgy,” Coralena said as she attempted to scoot off the bed.

“Do we have time for a shower orgy? Should we invite Ira?” Blair asked, peering over Atticus’ waist. “Do you think Andrin will join our orgies one day?”

“And I’m flaccid. Thanks, Blair. No shower orgy for you.” I groaned, and instead of going into the bathroom, I went into the closet and pulled on some clothes. Everyone needed to get used to this because more often than not, someone would be covered in sexual body excretions. I certainly wasn’t going to complain.

I grabbed Coralena a soft, simple dress in a dark blue that matched the shirt I put on along with a pair of underwear. She rolled her eyes when I walked out, but the sparkle there told me she loved it.

“No clothes for us?” Atticus asked, pouting and moving off the bed alongside Blair.

“You can get them yourselves or walk around naked.” I shrugged while helping Coralena put on the dress. “Didn’t really think you’d care either way. Now, CL, go pee while these two get their shit together, then we can go see what our earth prince has to say.” She hopped to it, and I slapped her ass as she went by. A little squeak reached my ears as she turned and glared but didn’t say anything.

With Coralena partially cleaned up—I will not apologize for the amount of cum I put in her—and Atticus and Blair matching me in loose shirts and lounging pants, we all made our way to the library.

Coralena

“My parents are on their way, and they are bringing a surprise.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Remy questioned Kiran.

“My parents are—“

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time, but why?”

Ira stepped up beside Kiran. “His parents, Willas and Lillin, are long-time supporters of our cause. Although they have infiltrated Oedinia and are viewed as the closest friends to Calliope and Galvin, they are actually on our side. They helped push Kiran into his role as Andrin’s best friend and have steered certain ideas to and from Oedinia’s royal court. We would be years behind without their help and Kiran’s.” She clapped Kiran’s shoulder. “But I have the same question. Why are they coming here now?”

“I don’t know. I just received word that they are on their way and have a surprise. I figured part of it was wanting to meet Remy. I sent them a message when we arrived that I had finally found her.” His eyes fell on Remy with so much love it almost hurt. I would actually be disgusted if this was human on human, but somehow, this was different, and with my own mates constantly eyeing me with so much devotion, it was hard to complain.

I was still coming down from the high of fully claiming Cillian while watching Atticus and Blair, so my focus and care were not up to par just yet. I was curious what the surprise was, but meeting the parents was all Remy.

“Is that it?” Cillian blurted.

“Shouldn’t you be super chilled out right now after stuffing CL, Cilly Sally? Does she need more lessons? Ira, get on it. Maybe she needs a woman’s touch, so Cilly can finally cool it.” Although Remy was usually up front, confrontational, and all-around sarcastic, that was pushing it a bit far.

“Uh, what was that?” I asked.

“Fear of meeting the in-laws, probably. My bad, Cillian.” Remy cringed and grimaced while apologizing.

“Apology accepted. And for your information, I’m doing a lot better now that Coralena and I talked things through. And I mean talk, the rest was just a massive bonus.” Cillian kissed my temple, and I swear he sniffed me.

“Carrying on, they will be here in an hour, so you four can go get cleaned up while the rest of us prepare for their arrival.” Kiran looked nervous as he set us out to our duties. “Remy, come with me, please?” was the last thing I heard as Cillian, Atticus, Blair, and I walked out of the library and headed for our suite.

I wondered what his parents would be like. I held back from asking questions, so I could get the full experience of meeting the King and Queen of Nularoth. I knew they were both earth nymphs whose parents followed a mating track that was a mix between the traditional bonded groups and that of Oedinia. Although they weren’t bonded like Kiran and Remy were, since they are the same element type, they chose to be together to ensure a clear earth nymph heir.

From my understanding, they were a lot more forgiving with their bondings. Some past heirs had chosen to mate with an earth nymph, while others chose to find their bonded group. Thankfully, that meant there shouldn’t be any issues with Kiran bonding with Remy and Remy being with Poe and Andrin, as long as she produced an earth nymph heir to take over once Kiran passed.

I couldn’t believe how much information I had stored away over the last few months. I wanted to learn as much as possible about the royal life that I was forced into, and the other royals were a part of that. I couldn’t remember all their names, but I knew enough of their traditions and structure that I could make it in their world if needed.

We made it back to the suite, and we all crammed into the shower. Okay, we didn’t cram. The shower was massive and could easily fit a few more people. There were five nozzles all around what was essentially a small, fully tiled room. We each took one and got to work, although each of my bonded took a few seconds to help scrub me down.

By the time we were finished and dressed again, an hour had almost passed, so we raced down to the main hall where everyone else was waiting for us before walking out to the steps that led to the entrance.

Remy and Kiran held hands with Poe and Andrin behind them. I was beside Blair with Ira, Atticus, and Cillian behind us. We all chatted as we waited, and I looked over Remy’s outfit, which was a pair of dark red leather pants paired with a flowing black top. Her bonded matched her in blacks and reds with hints of white besides Kiran who had on a brown shirt.

As for us, Cillian matched us again. I had on a light blue babydoll dress that flowed over my baby bump nicely, and he had on dark gray pants with a light blue shirt. Atticus and Ira wore full black outfits while Blair donned brown and tan.

We were quite the image, and I wished someone had a camera so I could keep this picture of us forever. Maybe I could get a camera and take care of it myself, or beg someone to paint a massive portrait of us. Although, that would take an age and a half to accomplish with how many people we had.

“How much longer?” Remy complained as she tugged on her shirt. “I should have worn a dress. Look how cute CL looks. I feel like I’m going to a business meeting to knock some meatheads around.” She kept fidgeting until Poe and Andrin placed their hands on her shoulders, calming her down. “I really hate that that works,” she grumbled.

We all chuckled at her annoyance, and that’s when we heard a carriage making its way up the road.

“Ira, I thought you said you guys didn’t use horse-drawn carriages to get around.” Remy glared at her.

“No, I said something along the lines of ‘did you think we used them to travel long distances?’ Willas and Lillan were nearby, so a carriage made sense instead of creating a spectacle with a naglif,” Ira explained.

“Damn it, you’re right.”

With that, we all turned our focus on the large green and silver carriage that came into view. It was drawn by four massive horses that I could only describe as ethereal versions of Clydesdales. They were massive and had flowing ‘fur’ over their hooves, but instead of fur, it looked as if they had shimmering wisps of smoke covering dark skin that appeared rough and jagged like bark.

“What the fuck are those?” Remy beat me to it.

“Kelpies,” answered Kiran.

“Uh, kelpies are water spirit things, not whatever that is.” Remy waved her hand in their direction. I waited but was in agreement with Remy.

“Those are water kelpies. They like to venture into the human world and wreak havoc. These are earth kelpies. They turn into trees and plants when they like, but while in horse form, they appear like this.” What Kiran said made sense. I had never really thought of it like that.

“So there are fire, spirit, and air kelpies too?” I asked.

“Of course. There is an equivalent to almost everything, unless it has gone extinct, but we can get into that later. Here they are!” Kiran bellowed as the carriage stopped and the footman pulled the door open.

A beautiful woman that looked so much like Kiran but with long hair and feminine features stepped out, followed by a man I would have never guessed was an earth nymph. He was pale, blond, and slender. If I didn’t know any better, I would say we were related. However, when the sun hit him, the olive undertones shined through, and the glint off his brown eyes marked him as an earth nymph.

Behind them was our surprise. Not once had this crossed my mind, and when I realized what was happening and heard Remy’s shriek, it all became too much, and I collapsed, thankful that I had all my mates around me who were ready to catch me whenever I fell.

Coralena

“Coralena? God damn it, girl, wake the fuck up already,” I heard someone mutter from beside me, but my eyelids were clamped shut.

It felt as if I had been splashed with a bucket of cold water and beaten with a bag of marshmallows, except for my head. That was rammed into a brick wall.

What the fuck happened?

Everything was foggy. My thoughts wouldn’t focus, but the voices became clearer.

“Why is she not awake yet?”

“Is she okay?”

“Can someone explain what is going on?”

And most surprising of all was, “Who’s the father?”

Before I could grasp onto anything and pull myself from this void, I slid back into the darkness.

Sometime later, I awoke again, but this time my eyes fluttered open and my hands gripped soft blankets at my sides. Looking around, I didn’t recognize the room, but there was medical equipment strewn all around, so it was easy to piece together now that my brain was functioning.

“What happened?” My voice cracked, and I desperately needed water to wash away the toad that had apparently taken up residence there.

“Coralena!” Remy shrieked as she jumped onto the bed and wrapped her arms around me.

“Careful, Remington!” Andrin pulled her back, and I chuckled when Remy didn’t argue with him about calling her Remington.

“It’s fine. Can someone explain now?” Everyone stood around the bed. All my bonded and Remy’s as well. They looked down at me, then parted, revealing the two people I never expected to see in Incyssia. “Mom? Dad?” Tears burst from my eyes as I realized it hadn’t been some sick trick of the light. They truly were here and were now doubly mixed up in all this mess. “How?”

“There’s a lot to explain, Coralena.” Hearing my mom call me Coralena sent a shiver down my back and had more tears flowing down my cheeks. My parents rounded each side of the bed, my mom on my left and my dad on my right, and kissed my forehead in turn, then held my hands. “All you need to know for now is that we…” My mom trailed off and looked at my dad, gaining the courage to say whatever she needed to tell me. “We are water nymphs, so there’s no need to explain, Coralena. We know.”

“You know? You knew! All along, you knew?” I screamed as the tears blinded me and confusion swept over my mind. My parents pulled back and stared at each other, then me. How could they have known and never told me? If they had explained, if I had known about Andrin and my biological parents, I would have fought harder, I would have ran away, I wouldn’t be here.

Damn them. Damn them all for what they put me through. So much could have been avoided.

“Get out!” My shrill voice rang out and echoed against the walls, blasting everyone’s eardrums, but no one moved. In fact, they all stood still with various looks of worry and grief etched into their features. “I said get out! Everyone!”

This should have been a happy meeting, and I was vaguely aware that my hormones were getting the better of me and driving my emotions up the fucking mountain and over the edge, but I didn’t care.

“Coralena, please,” my dad begged, reaching for me.

“No, no, no, get out, get out, get out.” Well, if they weren’t going to leave, then there was always plan B. “Atticus, now!”

Without a word, he shoved through and clasped onto my outstretched arm. Yelling and cursing surrounded us as my bonded figured out what we were doing, but there was nothing they could do. One second we were in a room with everyone and their emotions bearing down on me, and the next, we were out in the gardens, sitting on a bench as the breeze swept away the anger and the smell of flowers filtered out the annoyance.

Atticus didn’t say anything as he sat beside me. He did as I asked, and as he promised the first day, we were in Scunth together.

A minute passed, then I broke the silence. “We should go back.”

“Just because we should doesn’t mean we have to.” He turned toward me, but I kept my eyes on the bush filled with orange flowers.

“Make sure my parents aren’t there first,” I said, ignoring his comment. “I can’t deal with that revelation right now.”

He flashed away and was gone for another minute before I felt his presence beside me. Once again, he teleported us, and we were back in the room I woke up in.

“Coralena,” Cillian breathed out. “Please don’t do that again.”

“I made Atticus promise that he would whisk me away whenever I needed it. I couldn’t think…”

Cillian pulled me into a hug as Ira and Blair took up my left side, and Atticus sat by my feet, weaseling his hand under the covers so that he could touch my leg and teleport me away at a moment’s notice.

“I know, I just… Atticus shouldn’t have done it this time.” I tried to argue with Cillian again, but he placed a finger over my lips. “You can pick who explains, but there’s something you need to know.”

“Well, someone spit it out,” I said against his finger.

“Ira, you’re up.”

“Is it because I’m a woman?” She scoffed but switched places with Blair and sat on the bed beside me.

“No, it’s because you’ll be the nicest about it. Seriously, Ira.” Cillian rolled his eyes and removed his finger, and we waited for Ira to spill the beans.

“Waterlily,” she said, waiting for my attention to fall on her. When it did, she continued, “First, the babies are fine, but you aren’t. You will be, but you’re on bed rest until the twins arrive for all of your safety, okay? You’ve overexerted yourself recently, and now that it has been explained that twins come early, it’s time to prepare for everything that is to come.”

“Like diapers.” I snorted, remembering my internal conversation yesterday morning.

“Well, their birth first of all,” Remy interjected. I hadn’t realized she was here, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. “M2 and D2 are being occupied by Willas and Lillin. The others are ready to intervene if they try anything, but I don’t think they will. That was quite the reveal.” Remy looked pissed. I didn’t remember her ever being legit angry with my parents. Annoyed or peeved for various reasons, sure, but never pissed at them. “Just don’t worry about them. I’ll handle it. Let’s figure out this birthing situation and everything that comes after that.” Remy sat down across from Atticus, and I looked all around me.

There was so much love in this room. The tears started again, but they were happy ones.

“Okay, but I really hate making these decisions, so someone might have to do it for me.”

“Aye, aye, captain. I love bossing people around.” Remy winked at me, and everyone else groaned.

“Each day I’m near you, the more I understand why you made that deal with Andrin,” Ira mused aloud. “I’m glad Poe found you.” They had a little moment, then things moved into action.

Ira explained that I had passed out, and my recent activities had put a lot of stress on the babies. Honestly, I thought it all started from their conception. From being kidnapped and forcibly impregnated by Andrin to what happened with Galvin and everything else that had happened here and Oedinia, plus all the new bonded I had to keep track of, I was surprised I wasn’t even more stressed. But having that much hardship could not be good for a pregnant woman. I had upwards of two months to go, but when the doctor came in, they said everything would be fine as long as we made it another month.

“So I’m trapped in a bed for at least four weeks, and I can’t do anything?” Exasperation filled my voice. There was no way I could do that. I was a very active person that had bouts of laziness, but this was not one of those times.

“You can do some things. You can take up some non-stress-inducing hobbies like reading, knitting, and portable gaming,” the doctor said, trying to assure me.

“But no sex or funny business at all?” I groaned. This was going to be a long month.

“Not necessarily.” I perked up at that. “I would say nothing too strenuous, but minimal sessions here and there are fine as long as it’s more relaxing than taxing.” The doctor winked at me, and I picked up what she was putting down.

They could please me all they wanted, but I was to be a rag doll. This was not what I wanted to hear after finally wanting to have sex, damn it.

“I will attempt to hold myself back but make no promises.”

“Coralena,” Cillian chastised.

“Shush, Cillian, your dick helped cause this.”

“Fair,” he said, putting his hands up in defeat and backing away from the bed.

“We will help keep her in line.” No, Ira, you’re supposed to be on my team.

“I hope you all will. If you need me, you know where to find me.” The doctor left, and everyone’s gaze fell on me with varying levels of worry and hunger. I guessed being told sex truly was off the table got their juices running.

“Stop that. I’m not broken.”

“You sure?” Remy mocked.

“Nope.”

The truth hurt, but they needed to hear it.

“You aren’t the only one, Coralena.” Blair gripped my shin and rubbed up and down my leg, trying to soothe me, but all it did was bring back the horniness.

“Broken one or horny one?”

“Both, definitely both,” Remy cackled out.

I could work with that. We all could.

Andrin

There was something familiar about Lennon and Nora, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. It wasn’t their looks, but their mannerisms and speech patterns. Although I had met them once before on the night I took Cora and Lena, I felt there was more to it than that, but I waved it off, having more important things to tend to. Besides, it could be the similarities they had with their daughter, well, daughters, Remington included.

I didn’t know why I had started calling her that, but it stuck, and now that she accepted it, I wasn’t going to stop. Everyone else called her Remy or Rem, but I was the only one with the privilege to use her full name, and I would say it every chance I received.

It had been one week since Coralena was placed on bed rest. We had set up an area in their suite to accommodate her and her needs going forward. She would sleep as she had been, in the large bed in their suite with her bonded, but for daily use, we placed a large, plush chaise lounge near the fireplace and maneuvered the wing backs to the opposite side for now. A TV was placed above the mantle, and a cart full of every treat and drink she could ever want was set up beside the lounge for easy access.

We tried to move the large bed to another part of the room so her lounge could be closer to the bathroom, but she stopped that before we even started. No one wanted to upset her, so we didn’t argue.

Atticus brought out his knitting supplies, and I asked Remington to help me locate every book Coralena might want to read. We just got back from our fourth haul of books, and when we opened the door, a knitting needle enveloped by water slashed out at us, impaling the needle into the wall by my head.

Although I wouldn’t have died, it would have hurt like hell.

“Watch it, Coralena. I like his face the way it is.” Remy sighed as we stepped farther into the room.

I didn’t think Coralena’s attitude could have gotten worse, but here she was, proving me wrong. Of course, I fully blamed Cillian for mucking everything up. The bastard.

“Yeah, yeah, I’d care more if it would kill him. Can I please go for a walk? Please, please, please,” she begged, drawing out the last please with her lips in a pout.

“No. Find something else to keep you entertained.”

“Remy, find some way to keep Andrin occupied, so I don’t have to deal with that attitude.”

“Jesus, Coralena, if I didn’t know any better, I would say you’re squabbling siblings. Not even we argue like this. It’s nonstop with you two.” Remy dropped the books next to the others by the lounge, then marched out of the room.

I set my pile down but lingered near Coralena. “She’s right, you know. We are squabbling like siblings. I kind of like it.”

“She is, but it’s annoying.” Coralena laid back and stared up at the ceiling. The oversized shirt she wore was nearing too small. We would have to remedy that. “Everything is annoying. I don’t want to admit it, but I think I preferred Oedinia.” Her face scrunched in disgust. “I take that back, but I still somehow had more freedom there. Oh, and fuck you for causing this situation,” she said, gesturing to her stomach.

I understood where she was coming from. She wasn’t on lock down here because there was nothing she could conceivably do to escape. Well, if they had contacted Atticus beforehand, then she could have, but that wasn’t previously on my list of concerns. Now? Now it was up there since he had stolen her away twice so far, and I knew another one was coming soon if Coralena didn’t get a little time out in the air.

“I have an idea.” I flashed out of the room in search of Atticus and Cillian. I knew they would help me, even if everyone else was against it.

I found them in the kitchen, preparing a meal for Coralena with the help of one of the chefs who had many children of her own and provided nutritious options that she had previously discussed with the doctor. I was surprised they had such a person staffed here, but it was low on the list of recent surprises.

“You two, I have an idea to make Coralena happy. Follow me.” I walked out, knowing they would.

“I’m in.” Cillian jogged up behind me, and Atticus flashed beside us. “Lead the way.”

I was pleasantly surprised with our progress over the last week. When we arrived here, it was a shit storm as Remington had said, but we had all come together and gotten along quite well. Even Cillian and I were bonding and had moved past our issues for the most part.

“The others aren’t going to like it,” I warned.

“I’m in even more now. Coralena has been hogging all of the irritation. I need to annoy someone who isn’t going to chop my head off,” Cillian huffed, and a bit of jolliness entered his stride.

“Their opinions don’t matter anyway. Coralena has been trapped all week and needs an escape.” Atticus wasn’t what I had expected. I had known him minimally in the past, but this side was not something he brought forward until now. I guessed it was the difference between Atticus on a mission and Atticus with the ones he loved. I quite liked this side. The other one was a twit.

“Well then, glad to have you two on board. Here’s what we are going to do…”

“Keep your eyes closed,” I reminded Coralena as Cillian helped her up from the lounge after getting a pair of slippers on her feet. “Wouldn’t want you ruining the surprise before we got there.”

“I know, I know. They are firmly shut. Can we go now?”

Atticus, Cillian, and I chuckled at her eagerness. I hoped she enjoyed this.

“Yes, we can go now.” I went to reach for her arm so we could teleport, but someone barged into the room.

“And where are you going?” Ira. Shit. Remington was hot on her heels.

“It’s a surprise, Ira.” Cillian stuck his tongue out at her before pulling me into his and Coralena’s arms. “Let’s go!”

I did as instructed, knowing Atticus would follow along shortly.

With a flash, we were now in the gardens under a willow tree that sat near a small pond. Coralena’s eyes were wide open despite me reminding her to keep them closed, but the look on her face was worth it. A bright smile crossed her lips as she took in the landscape. The wind whipped her hair back and brought the smell of water and fall flowers to our noses.

“I missed being out here.” Coralena closed her eyes and simply enjoyed being outside for a moment, then Cillian cleared his throat.

“And look,” he said, gesturing to the real surprise.

Coralena turned and took in what we had done. Despite what the others would think, we were still following orders. We had commandeered another chaise along with blankets and pillows and a large table with some chairs.

“We thought you would like to play some games while following the rules of your bed rest. Staying in bed doesn’t mean you have to stay inside.”

“What he said,” Cillian added. “I brought cards, and I can teach you all how to play a few games. There’s some juice and snacks as well, so we can be out here as long as you want.”

“If you need anything, I can go get it for you. Just say the word,” Atticus said before placing a kiss on the top of her head. “The others don’t know about this, so we might have some time before they spot us. Better get comfortable before Ira rampages over here.”

Coralena was left speechless as tears filled her eyes, but based on the beaming smile that was firmly in place, I wagered a guess that they were happy tears.

“Thank you so much. This means… everything.”

The three of us let out a collective sigh, hearing her say that.

“You’re welcome, Coralena. I hope you know that we love you.”

That was the second time I had said it to her, but the first time where we weren’t under extreme duress. I meant it both times and hoped that one day she would be able to say it back to me in whatever form she could.

Coralena stepped forward and pulled me into a hug, wetting my cheek with her tears before whispering, “I love you too, all of you, so fucking much.”

I squeezed her to me, then helped her get into her makeshift bed. Cillian dealt the cards and explained the game while Atticus got the snacks and drinks passed around.

I never thought a day like this would be in my future, but now that I had this memory, I never wanted to go back to my old life. This was where I wanted to be, now and forever.

Remy

“What the fuck were they thinking?” I said as Ira and I ran through the castle, trying to find where the three shitheads had taken Coralena. We knew they wouldn’t do anything to put her in harm’s way, but the three of them together was a shit storm waiting to happen.

“That they wanted to help Coralena. They could have informed us of their plans though. Did they think we would be against making her happy?” Ira mused as she turned to look out the window.

“Probably. We have had her on lockdown the last week. But between keeping her and the babies safe and cockblocking everyone and dealing with M2 and D2 and Kiran’s parents… it’s been a lot. Maybe we went overboard?”

“Maybe?” Ira looked down at me with a cocked eyebrow.

“Fine, definitely. We need to loosen up. Coralena had an orgy and caused all of this. I should have one to fix it.” I tapped my chin as I finally focused on what Ira was staring at.

Out in the gardens, there was a very distinct group of people.

“Damn it. That was a fantastic idea. It better not have been Andrin’s.”

Ira chuckled and asked, “Why?”

“His ego is already massive. We don’t need everyone telling him how great he did with Coralena. Should I move up the pegging? I’m going to ask Poe. She’s been helping me plan that little event.” I placed my hands on my hips and watched the group play cards for a little longer.

“Has she asked to join?”

My head whipped around to look at Ira. I was not expecting that. I’m supposed to be the shocker not the shockee. I was losing my touch.

“Uh, nope, she has not. Did she say something to you?”

“Perhaps, or perhaps I notice things that others do not.” She shrugged and moved away from the window, heading toward the stairs.

“Cryptic much, Ira?” I followed behind her, waiting to see what would happen. “Are you going to break up their little party?”

“I was actually going to join them. Like you said, it was a great idea. Coralena seems happy, and I don’t want to ruin that.” Ira stopped on the stairs, turning around to face me. With the one step difference, we were eye to eye. “And Remy, I know I have said it before, but I am so happy Poe found you. Let her join in some time, will you? It might be good for her.”

I thought about it for a moment and figured, why not? “Happy to oblige. I’ll have her procure a second strap-on.” I winked at Ira, and she chuckled before continuing her journey down the stairs.

There was still so much to sort through when it came to Ira. She was equally amazing and confusing and very much needed in Coralena’s life. If she was left with Cillian, Blair, and Atticus, things would go in the shitter eventually without someone smacking their heads together every now and then.

I kept pace as we walked outside and around the pond. I distinctly heard someone say, “Oh shit, they found us,” as we got closer.

Rolling my eyes, I let Ira take the lead.

“Is there room for two more?”

“This isn’t the orgy I asked for, Ira.” I couldn’t help it. Things were going too well, and we needed a little spice thrown in.

“An orgy with Ira and Remy? That sounds dangerous.“ Cillian visibly gulped but helped the others make room for us.

“I think you’re safe, Cillian. Andrin’s the one who should worry.” Coralena snickered, poking him in the side.

“We were actually just talking about that.” I sat down and almost fell over from laughing. It was too perfect. As I calmed down, I let the joy of the moment take over. Everything was falling into place, and things felt normal, even if it would be short lived.

“Deal us in, Cilly Sally.”

“With pleasure, Remington.”

I threw a pillow at his face, and the shenanigans continued.

Atticus

It was nice seeing Coralena smile again. A frown had been permanently etched into her lips since finding out about Lennon and Nora. We had been successful in keeping them away, but Coralena would have to talk with them soon. Despite their secrets, they raised Cora and Lena well, giving them a chance at a normal life.

Our plans, their plans, might have failed, but the first twenty-one years of her life were normal, and that was a lot more than the others in her life could admit. We were all damaged in some way, and I thought we forgot that far too often, brushing it aside and deeming it scandalous. But that’s not how it worked.

Coralena was back in our suite, taking a nap after our little outing, and I couldn’t help but watch her sleep. In only a few short weeks, we would meet the lives she was creating inside of her. I was in awe of how she handled everything. She might explode at times and meltdown from the stress, but the castle was still standing, and she was alive.

I sighed, knowing there was always the possibility that she was taken from us, whether it was by her hand or another’s. I hoped that day never came but also knew I was the only one preparing for it. The others believed her to be semi-well mentally, but I knew otherwise thanks to our chat about the scenes depicted in the windows.

I didn’t know if they were purposefully being obtuse or were fully convinced she had not been pushed to such extremes, but it didn’t matter. The option was there, floating in the air and waiting for a decision to be made.

Coralena stirred under the light blanket that was draped across her. Stretching, she sat up, and her eyes fell on me. A smile grew on her lips, and I returned it before standing and making my way to her.

“How did you sleep?” I asked, placing a kiss on the top of her head.

“Better than I had been all week. Thank you for that, Atticus. I needed to get out of here.” She swung her legs over the side of the lounge and yawned.

“It was Andrin’s idea. He requested Cillian and my help to execute it.” I shrugged and handed her a glass of water.

“Oh? Well, then I need to thank him, but that can wait.” She took a sip and ended on a refreshing ahh. “Can we do that every day in different parts of the gardens?”

“Of course. I think we have Ira and Remy finally on board with allowing you some much needed freedoms. They were just worried, you know.”

She waved me off. “Yes, I know, but they don’t get to make the decision for me. I am perfectly capable of doing that myself. Did they really think I would do something to endanger the twins?” Coralena scoffed and stood before heading toward the bathroom. “A little fresh air and a small walk isn’t going to hurt anyone.”

As she opened the door to the bathroom, I asked, “Have you made a decision yet?”

“A decision about what?” She stopped to look at me.

“Coralena,” I admonished with a knowing look.

“Fine. I haven’t. Each day is different, but this last week…” She sighed and let her shoulders slump forward. “This morning I was leaning one way, and now I am leaning the other. What’s the rush, Atticus? Ready to be rid of me?”

“Never, little shadow. Simply checking in to see where you are. The decision is still yours, but if I can help it, I want to make your life worth living. Is that all right with you?” I sat down in one of the wingback chairs across from her lounge and picked up my knitting. The blankets were coming along well. Initially, I had started one, but Coralena informed me that we were expecting twins, so another was in the works. Both are based in black and white with the symbols of each race of nymph, but I made the symbols unique and their placements different to show that although they were twins and might share many similar qualities, they were still individuals.

“That’s perfectly all right, Atty. You know, for a spirit nymph who lurks in the shadows, you sure are a bright light in my life. You still haven’t told me why.” She eyed me from the doorway, then held up her finger. “Hold that thought. I have to pee first.”

I chuckled, and she ran in and took care of business. I continued knitting until she rejoined me in the main area of the suite and took up a seat in the second wingback chair.

“So,” Coralena started before clearing her throat.

“So?” I mimicked.

Coralena rolled her eyes but went on to explain. “The first day, you said I could ask you anything and that I would learn things about you naturally, but that hasn’t happened because things went to shit. I’ve gotten bits and pieces, but I want more. So tell me why you are you. You’re a conundrum, and I don’t want to solve the puzzle. Give me the solution.”

She leaned back and waited for me to spill my soul to her.

“If that is what you want.” I set down the needles, nestling them and the blanket into the basket. “As all spirit nymphs, I was trained as an assassin. Like I said, others took up different positions based on their talents so that our region could prosper, but I was one of the few that took to the lifestyle much more quickly, as did Poe.” Coralena intently stared as I told my tale. “My mother was a spirit nymph assassin as well and chose to scar each failure on my person so that I would never forget. Clearly, I failed quite a bit, but with each failure, I grew and progressed until I surpassed her expectations. Well, that and we had lost my sister on a mission. She was only sixteen.” Coralena gasped but said nothing, allowing me to continue.

“She received the same treatment I did, only worse since she was the firstborn, and the expectations set for her were much higher. Ophelia went rogue on a simple mission meant as a training exercise for me, but things went horribly, and by the time we found her, it was too late. I held her in my arms and watched the light vanish from her eyes. A year later, I infiltrated the area once more and slaughtered them all, making sure they knew why they were being sacrificed.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

“I thought so. Their deaths were quick and nearly painless, a mercy they did not allow Ophelia. After her death, I pushed myself, and my mother vanished, leaving me with my father who showered me with love and made sure my thoughts and emotions were heard and validated. I was twelve when Ophelia died, so although my younger years were filled with pain and torment, the latter ones were full of healing. Do I make sense now?”

Coralena gnawed on her lower lip and nodded her head. “You really haven’t heard from your mom in all that time? And what about your dad, is he still alive?”

“Yes to both. You can meet him one day if you wish. He’s a calmer, less sarcastic, and more doting version of Cillian, if I were to make a comparison.” I smirked at her as she began to chuckle.

“I think Remy and Cillian can change that. He may learn a few tricks before he leaves.”

Silence fell upon the room, and I simply enjoyed my time next to my bonded.

“Thank you for that, Atty. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

“I know exactly what you would do without me, little shadow.” My words hung in the air as we went about our business. I knitted while she read a book by the fire.

However, our calm evening was cut short when Kiran banged on the door just as he had done a week ago.

“Come in,” Coralena shouted, refusing to move from the chair.

He entered with an annoyed looking Remy behind him along with Poe taking up the rear.

“Oh, satan help me, what is it now?”

“Take a guess,” Remy singsonged, prodding Coralena.

“The parents?”

“Which set?” Remy smirked.

“Uh, mine?”

Ehh, Remy imitated a buzzing sound. “Wrong! It’s both! So get your ass in gear because it’s time for a showdown!”

Coralena

Coralena

Fuck that noise.

Okay, not really. I had avoided fully greeting Kiran’s parents and going head-to-head with mine for a week. I didn’t know how long I was going to be able to put it off, but this was longer than I expected.

Truly, my parents had been patient, and the issue wasn’t even that they were pestering Remy to see me. They were bugging her for updates, but she was done dealing with it, so now it was my turn to deal with the annoyance. As for Willas and Lillin, they were equally pestering because they wanted to spend time with Remy and Kiran, but they were busy looking after me, the others, and my parents.

Everything had gotten out of hand, and apparently, only my presence was enough to get everyone to take a chill pill.

So here we were in the dining room, waiting for dinner to be served. It was awkward, and no one said a word, expecting me to break the ice. Atticus sat at the head of the table to my left by my demand. The opposite side of the table held my mom, my dad, Willas, Lillin, Kiran, and Andrin. My side was me, Remy, Poe, Ira, and Blair with Cillian taking up the other end of the table.

It was a full house, and I wondered how we would fit the twins in and any other parents that showed up.

“So,” I said, breaking the silence.

“How are you, Cor—“ my mom asked but cut herself off. I assumed Remy told her how weird it was to hear Coralena coming from her lips instead of Cora or Lena.

“I know my names were a joke based off of Nora and Lennon, but did you plan them so they would fit well together when I merged?” Word vomit. That was absolute word vomit, but the question was out there.

“Yes,” my dad answered quickly. My mom turned on him, but he held up his hand. “We said no more lying. She can either handle it or not, but no more secrets, Nora.”

“You’re right. Ask us anything.” My mom readjusted in her seat and met my gaze.

“Well then, I will put that to the test.” I thought for a moment and watched the grimaces form on their lips. “I actually don’t have anything right now. Remy?”

“Oh, I have one. Did you know I was a fire nymph too?”

“No, actually. That was a surprise. We were worried about a human being here, but it worked out, didn’t it?” my dad answered again.

“Good to know, and yeah, it sort of did.” Remy looked over at Kiran and winked.

“I have one!” Cillian yelled from the end of the table. Here we go. “So you planned to keep Cora and Lena in the human world forever, so she wouldn’t be found by Andrin here, but that would also mean her mates went on alone.”

“That wasn’t a question,” Poe stated.

“More of an observation.” Annoyance crossed Cillian’s features as a plate was set down in front of him as the servants started to serve us our dinner.

Tonight it was a hearty soup of some meat and root type vegetables in a savory broth that smelled divine. On the side, we had fresh bread and a refreshing salad to munch on between bites. Everything was delicious as always.

“I would like to say we are sorry for our decisions, but we aren’t. We kept her safe for as long as we could, and that was more important than the feelings of her mates.” Who the fuck was this and where did my dad go?

Remy and I glanced at each other, and I knew she was thinking the same thing.

Silence fell again as we mulled over what Cillian and my dad had said. The only sounds flitting through the room were silverware scraping bowls and plates and slurping. It was driving me insane.

I nudged Remy and nodded toward Willas and Lillin, hoping she would take the hint.

She took a deep breath and sat up straight. “Well, I guess it’s my in-law’s turn to take the heat.”

They looked up and waited with wide eyes. They were in for a treat.

“Oh, don’t look so scared,” she teased. “I only want more ammo to use against Kiran. Tell me all the ridiculous stories about him growing up. Add in some for Andrin too, if you have them.” The grin on her face was wicked, and the one on Willas’ face was a near match.

“I’m so glad you—“

“Mother, please, no,” Kiran begged his mom, placing his hand on her arm. “We will never hear the end of it.”

Lillin brushed off his hand and looked at him as if he was being ridiculous. “Dear boy, it is the right of the mother to embarrass her child like this. Your bonded asked a question, and I am going to answer it.”

“Suck it, Kiran.” Remy blew air kisses at him, then placed her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands, waiting for whatever riveting story Lillin chose to tell.

“Perhaps the time we were visiting Oedinia, and these two were caught—“

“No!” Kiran screeched

“Please, anything but that, Lillin!” Andrin gasped at the same time.

“Oh, hell, no. I need to know this one. Tell me, tell me, tell me!” Remy bounced in her seat, excitement spewing from every pore.

“If you didn’t want the story to be used against you, then why did you do it, hm? Were you taught nothing of royalty? We are to hold ourselves above all others, and our pasts are more likely to be used in vile ways.” Her voice was regal, and her words sounded harsh, but the quiver of her lip as she held back a smirk said she was joking in her own way. “Now settle down while I tell your lovely mate about the time you figured out your own urine had enough earth in it that the both of you could battle with it.”

Kiran and Andrin groaned. The former hid behind his hands and leaned back in his chair. Andrin fell forward, slamming his head against the table to avoid eye contact.

The rest of us, however, devolved into fits of laughter from boisterous guffaws to amused snickers. The thickness of the air lifted, and it was like we were a typical human family, joking about boys, their obsession with their dicks, and the disgusting things they did as children.

My cheeks were beginning to hurt from all the smiling, but it was a welcomed pain that I could get used to.

Willas and Lillin went on to tell us more stories, mixing in ones from their childhoods and how they met. Mom and Dad helped Kiran and Andrin retaliate with their own embarrassing stories, but nothing compared to piss fights. Nothing ever would, and we would hold that over them forever.

Dessert came and went. It was a fruity mousse concoction that held notes of citrus and lavender. I would be asking for it again. The texture was perfect, and I wondered what other flavor combinations they could come up with.

We adjourned to the library where coffee and hot chocolate was served. More chairs were brought in, and the sofa was scooted back so that we had room for everyone. I was placed on Cillian’s lap between Blair and Ira who both had a hand on me. Atticus was next to Blair with his arm slung along the back, placing his hand on Cillian’s shoulder. I knew it was intentional in preparation to poof us out of here if needed, and I was so thankful for him

Poe and Remy lounged in the center portion with Kiran, Andrin, and Lillin on the opposite side. My parents and Willas took up the provided chairs. My parents helped dish out the drinks, making mine and Remy’s exactly how we liked it despite not having the human originals. Although, now that I thought about it, of course it was easy for them to transfer between the two worlds. They grew up here, only living the last twenty-one years in the human world.

I didn’t know how they escaped detection all that time. You needed so much to survive in the human realm, to even hold a job. I didn’t want to ruin the moment and ask them how they made it work, assuming it was sketchy and their paperwork was forged by someone and they magically didn’t get caught. But there was one thing on my mind.

“How did you get me out of Incyssia, out of Oedinia?”

Worry crossed their features before my mom answered. “I will answer the question, but are you sure you want to know?”

I squinted at her. Whatever the answer was, it wasn’t good and would ruin the entire night, I was sure of it. Oh well for not wanting to ruin the moment. I had thought they had simply worked with the resistance, infiltrated the castle as the others had, and whisked me away. But that was far too simple.

“Yes, tell me.”

Mom sighed and held Dad’s hand as she explained the whole ordeal. Everyone sat in silence, jaws dropping with each reveal.

Andrin stood up, fuming. “You’re Cherik and Dwyna? Wren’s parents, my aunt and uncle? How is that even possible? You died before Cora and Lena were even born!” His voice grew louder and louder with each question.

“You abandoned Wren to what? Make an attempt to keep some level of incest in Oedinia’s royal line? What kind of stupid plan is that?” At least I knew Remy was on my side despite her love for my parents.

“What she said. Explain.” I sat forward on Cillian’s lap, and he held onto my hips, keeping me grounded.

“Well, to make it simple, we couldn’t conceive. Wren was adopted, so when the time came and Andrin needed to wed, she would be the obvious choice, but there is no relation, blood-wise.”

“I’m sorry, fucking excuse me?” I stood up, glaring down at my parents from across the table, the firelight surely radiating off my blue eyes. “You threw an innocent child into the mix for shits and giggles?”

“No, no!” my mom started.

“We knew there was a lesser chance of Andrin and your parents trying to find you if there was a suitable alternative. We needed them to believe that Wren was truly a part of the family. Coralena, everything we did, everything the resistance did in the beginning was to protect you.”

“No! Everything you did was to screw over the Oedinian royal line. It was never about me, about Cora and Lena; it was about preventing powerful water nymphs from maintaining their rule, no matter how fucked up it is. How could you do that? You abandoned your daughter, and don’t say she wasn’t just an adopted pawn because news flash, so am I! You left Andrin alone, probably fucked up Calliope and Galvin even more. Oh my god, which one of you is their sibling? Holy Jesus, you’re my aunt and uncle. This fucking place…” I sat back down as all the fight left me. My eyes zoned out, and the sound around me vanished as I retreated inside myself.

They kept their promise and told me the truth, but the truth was far more than I had ever expected. Calliope and Galvin… Andrin… they were villains in their own right, but these two, I never would have predicted that their names would be on that list as well.

This family was a fucked up mess, and I was at the center of it.

Coralena

Four Weeks Later

“Get out of me already!” Being pregnant was hell on earth. I didn’t care what anyone else said. It sucked, and I wholeheartedly believed anyone who said otherwise was a lying twit. I was sore, couldn’t sleep, looked like a goddamn whale, I wanted to eat everything and nothing, my mood sucked more than before, and I had anywhere between five seconds and three weeks before they fell out of me.

I marched around the room, trying every trick possible to get them to come sooner because I was done, they were fully cooked, and so help me if they didn’t come early.

I had been walking in circles for an hour, and my feet were killing me, but it would be worth it if it worked. I tried exercise, spicy foods, dates, baths, flicking the bean, and nothing. What did I do to deserve this? Nothing, that’s what, besides existing and being born into a shitty family.

Nora and Lennon, who I revoked the Mom and Dad names for, were kicked out and sent somewhere else. I didn’t ask and didn’t care. They were gone, and that’s all that mattered. Willas and Lillin were still around and helping where they could. They had ideas for protection and so on that Kiran and Ira helped implement. Again, I didn’t ask and didn’t care.

My only focus was making it to the end of this pregnancy and contemplating how women decided to give this a few goes. My want of a large family was quickly flying out the window.

“Still trying to induce labor?” Ira’s voice came from the now open door to the suite. I hadn’t heard it open as my thoughts were elsewhere.

“I know there’s still time, but I signed the eviction notice. Someone needs to get the memo.” I poked my stomach and groaned before falling onto the bed with my legs dangling off the edge.

“They will come when they want to. Children are stubborn like that. Given their parents, I suggest you get used to it now.”

“No logic, Ira. Only irrational wants are allowed in this room at the moment.”

She chuckled, and I felt the bed sink beside me as she sat down. “We could muse over how interesting Cillian’s and Atticus’ children would be.”

“Oh, I like that. I have a feeling they’d bicker all the time. I know Atticus doesn’t do that, but the mix of us forced to exist with the mix of Cillian and me? No one would survive.”

Ira brushed my hair back and hovered over me. “We would even if I had to place them in fire cages in their own separate corners.”

“You can do that?” I pushed myself to my elbows, bringing my face a few inches away from Ira’s.

“Yes, I can.” She glanced down at my lips. “I can also teach you how to do it with water. Blair, of course, would build one out of earth.”

I snorted. “On earth, this would be considered child abuse.”

“Ah, well, human children don’t have powers at an early age that could kill someone accidentally. We have different rules here, Coralena. Remember that. May I kiss you now?”

Ira had given me small pecks on my cheeks and forehead, hugged me and caressed my arms as she walked by, but she had been so busy dealing with her duties to the resistance and making sure I was safe here, plus everything that had gone on on my side, we hadn’t had our first kiss.

I knew, in part, that she wanted to give me space to come to terms with the fact that one of my mates was a woman as well. My initial shock was evident, but she took it well and was very patient.

The patience was now over, and I was so okay with that.

“I’m going to need a little bit more than that.” My voice was only a whisper, and I was semi-embarrassed with how breathy it sounded.

“Hm, well, I won’t argue with that.”

Her smile was radiant as she descended on me and placed her lips on mine. If I knew how much softer women’s lips were, I would have asked for this kiss a long time ago. I didn’t know what she did to keep them this way, but I needed the recipe or the genetics.

I pushed up, deepening the kiss, and Ira moaned, working her hand into my long blonde hair. My tongue lashed out against her lips, hoping for entrance which she eagerly granted, mixing her tongue with mine.

Ira pulled away, and I groaned. “You said a little bit more than a kiss, Coralena. What did you expect?”

“Well, I didn’t expect you to stop for one thing.” I released my elbows and plopped down onto the bed with a huff.

“Your mates talk, waterlily.”

“Oh? And what do they say about me when I’m not around?” I rolled my eyes, knowing those fuckers gossiped behind my back.

“That your frustration is growing, but they are worried you’ll pout your way into them fucking you.”

“Ha!” I chortled before covering my mouth with my hands. “They’re right, but boo them for not giving me what I want.”

“You’re forgetting something,” Ira said, leaning over me again with lust filled eyes.

“And what is that?”

“I don’t have a cock to pout for.”

My mouth formed an O before a smile overtook my face as realization hit.

“So, my little waterlily, would you like me to—“

“Yes, please lord almighty satan, do anything to me, just please make this annoying ache go away!” I was over excited, but I didn’t care, and Ira didn’t seem to mind. With Ira’s help, I took off the dress I was wearing along with my underwear and scooted to the top of the bed.

My confidence vanished as I looked down at my behemoth of a stomach and remembered that this was our first time being intimate.

“Wait, wait, wait. I don’t… I want you to get something out of this. Should we wait?”

She scoffed and placed her hands on my knees. “My beautiful, little mate, who said I wasn’t getting something out of this? Who told you that there was no enjoyment from pleasing others alone? Trust me, Coralena, your pleasure is my own.”

She placed pressure on my knees, and I let them fall apart, revealing everything to her. Ira licked her lips and sunk down on the bed, placing her head between my thighs. With the size of my stomach, my view of her was blocked, but that only added to the anticipation.

Her arms slid under my thighs, and her hands latched onto my hips as she placed soft kisses along my inner thighs, causing me to moan, groan, and wiggle as I tried to get her to the right spot.

“Someone’s impatient.”

“Yeah, well, this is over a month of buildup and—“

Ira’s tongue hit home base, and my back arched as I hissed. Well, fuck, I wasn’t going to last long.

Ira

Coralena was delectable. She writhed under my tongue and responded so well to every lick and suck I gave her. I caressed her sides and teased her inner thighs, building the frustration so the final eruption was bigger than she had ever had before.

My tongue darted out, licking the sensitive skin on her right thigh, and worked its way over to her entrance. I flattened my tongue and licked up the entire length, making my way to her clit before sucking it into my mouth.

“More, Ira, please!

Those words were music to my ears, but I needed more.

I slowed my pace, enjoying the juices flowing from her as her arousal grew. She was like clay ready for me to mold in any way I wanted.

Gripping under her thighs, I pressed her legs up and out so more of her center was on view for me. I continued, forcing my tongue inside her and giving her a glimpse of what she wanted from the others. My tongue rounded her clit over and over, and the sounds she made grew before she was teetering on the edge between frustration and orgasmic bliss.

Setting down her right leg and moving to my knees, I ran my middle fingers across her glistening pussy, soaking them in my spit and her fluids.

“What do you want, my waterlily? Tell me.”

“I want you, I want you to make me come, please!”

“I will give you what you want for being such a good girl.” My fingers lingered on the outside of her, but I still felt her clenching at being called a good girl. I smirked, knowing I found something new to push further in the future.

My fingers pressed in and pulled out as Coralena writhed under the attention she was receiving. I spread my fingers, making sure to hit every sensitive spot while avoiding the one that would take her over the edge.

“Ira,” she whined, drawing out my name and locking eyes with me. The desperation I saw there pushed me over, and I couldn’t hold back anymore.

Curling my fingers and plunging them in and out of Coralena, I paid special attention to her g-spot, working her right up to the cliff. I dropped her second leg and leaned over her stomach to take a nipple into my mouth. I bit down slightly and flicked her clit with my thumb, and that pushed her over into bliss.

Coralena screamed my name, and that sound would remain etched into my mind until the day I died. She convulsed under my ministrations as I helped her ride out her orgasm. My tongue laved over her nipple, my thumb gently circled her clit, and my fingers found that spot in the back that so many people forgot about.

As she was coming down, liquid gushed from her. At first, delight washed over me, then I realized her water had broken.

“What’s going on?” Coralena’s voice was verging on exhaustion, and while I beamed at the compliment that it clearly was, I had to get the others so we could deal with our pregnant mate going into labor.

“Waterlily, you’re going into labor. Stay right here while I yell for the others.” I edged around her before giving her a kiss on the lips. I was halfway across the room before my words registered.

“Wait, what? It worked?” she asked in awe. “It worked!”

I chuckled with her as I opened the door and screamed down the hall. I knew the others were close by, lounging in their rooms before lunch was served.

“It’s time!”

Poe

“What are you thinking about?”

“How much of a mess it’s been. How somehow things got messier when we left Oedinia.” Remy threw her hands in the air as she paced around the room.

Her, our, in-laws were driving her insane. They clung to her and Kiran now that Nora and Lennon were off the premises. I understood wanting to spend time with your newly proclaimed daughter and the bonded that followed, but this was a bit much. Remy hid in our suite more often than not the last few days, trying to avoid being pulled into another discussion with them.

They were nice, and now I understood Kiran a bit more. He was the outgoing one, always friendly, and despite being an earth nymph, jokes rolled easily from his tongue when he felt like it. Although, Lillin needed to work on her delivery. It was hard to tell what was a joke and what was a serious statement at times. Willas, however, was a down-to-earth charmer. It made me roll my eyes.

Kiran was the spitting image of his mother but had the natural charisma like his dad. There was something else in the mix though, and I knew Kiran’s time in Oedinia with Andrin was to blame.

I couldn’t put my finger on it just yet, but it was there, wiggling its way into his personality and mannerisms.

I zoned back into Remy’s rant about how suffocating they were.

“My parents basically ignored my existence, choosing their sciencey work shit over me, and M2 and D2 respected my boundaries and didn’t pry or hover. Ugh.“ Remy fell face first onto the bed and flailed her arms, hitting the soft mattress covered in a pile of blankets.

The bed was a mess. Our sleeping arrangements started with Kiran and Remy in the main bed while I slept in a smaller one in the suite and Andrin taking up residence in Blair’s old suite. With the progression of our relationships over the last month, all four of us slept together in the big bed unless Andrin pissed Remy off that day. Sometimes he slept on the other side of Kiran, creating a barrier between them, but other times, he took up the bed I had recently vacated.

I didn’t feel a pull toward either of them. I was lucky enough to have bonded with Caelus and now Remy, and although I would never bear a child for our bonded group, I was content with my future and placement.

Remy looked to me for support when the males were irritating her. She didn’t always enjoy my bluntness and logical mind, but we were all getting used to the strange mix we had.

Andrin verbally sparred her, testing her limits and sanity, while Kiran was like a best friend she got to have sex with, and I was that special piece that would tell her when she was wrong but still supported her one hundred percent of the time. We all played a role in her life and each others’.

Knowing what I knew now, it was clear she needed all of us. With just one, she would become bored or frustrated. Although, if I had to pick one of us, she would last the longest with Kiran without having a conniption. Their time together in Oedinia was proof enough for me.

If she were stuck with Andrin, Incyssia would be blasted from the map. No one would survive that fallout.

As for me, I was the rock she could rely on and vent to without judgment, but I was comfortable enough to admit that I wasn’t enough as a solo act. I knew the humans were usually monogamous and would take offense or demand I see my worth, but I did. I saw my worth and knew I belonged here and that they would be lost without me, but alone I was not enough, not for Remy, and I was okay with that. With Cae, he was all I needed, but he always wanted more.

His death took a toll and left me this shell of what I once was. This shell of Poe was worthy of Remy and her bonded group, but she was not enough to fill the voids that Remy’s past left.

And that was okay.

“Remy, would you like me to take care of them?” I pulled a blade from my leather boot, twirling it around my hand without looking.

She popped up, confusion marring her features. “Take care of—“ She cut herself off. “Oh, oh, no, no thanks, not yet anyway. Kiran would miss them, and I think he would need to give the go ahead for that.” Remy rolled onto her back and sighed. “I’m such a good mate for not putting out a hit on my in-laws. Do you know how many humans would love for you to whack their in-laws, do you? So many. You would make bank in the human world by selling your services.”

I didn’t understand half of what she said, but I got the gist. Riches would be thrusted upon me if I assassinated a few bothersome additional parents.

“Then we will leave it up to him but know it’s an option.” I flung the knife into the headboard, and Remy tilted her head back, eyeing where the blade was embedded into the dark wood.

Her long, tanned neck was clear of markings, and I longed to leave one to show the world who she belonged to. We called them love bites, and Remy explained that although that term was known in the human realm, hickey was more commonly used where she came from.

Not only were they fun to make, but they were fun to look at. Kiran enjoyed making shapes with them and often attempted to make Remy’s soft skin into a work of art. I argued that it already was, and Kiran and Andrin agreed, but they said that hickey’s enhanced it even more.

I didn’t disagree and joined in on the fun when I felt like it.

Right now was one of those times, but Remy needed to rant and pace and get all those thoughts out that were bottling up inside.

She held back with Willas and Lillin, not wanting to offend them. Coralena shared her surprise with us when Remy revealed why she was so skittish when they were near.

“Poe, come in, Poe.” Remy snapped her fingers in front of my face, bringing my mind back to the present.

“Sorry, lost in thought.”

“About what?” Remy sat up, crossing her legs in front of her.

“You.” I shrugged, seeing no need to fudge the truth or expand my answer.

“It’s the boobs, right? They do look great today. Or maybe it’s my glittering personality that only gets better with age and the constant pressure that hangs in the air.”

I grimaced internally, but my face remained neutral.

“Stop that.”

“Stop what?”

Remy rolled her eyes, then rolled off the bed. “Blocking your feelings from showing on your face. Let me in, Poe.”

I looked away, not wanting to see the hurt in her eyes that was so evident in her voice.

“I’m trying.” I truly was, but with every barrier that she destroyed with her kindness and humor, more memories of Cae came to the surface.

“Is it Cae again?” I twinged, showing her that she was dead on. “We can talk about him some more if you want. I still don’t know his favorite food. We could make it together if you’d like.”

I whirled on her, shock apparent on my face. I hadn’t thought about his favorite food in a long time. He used to make it every week and force me to enjoy it with him. It was repulsive, but now that he was gone, I longed for the strange concoction.

“I’d like that, but you’re going to regret it. Cae had… interesting tastes when it came to food.”

“You’re be surprised what Americans eat. We fry butter and cow balls. Oh, and we had a mayo and gelatin phase a few decades back. Trust me when I say, you cannot shock my taste buds anymore than mayo and flavored gelatin.“ I scrunched my nose, trying to decipher what she was saying, but I didn’t know the foods she spoke of. “Ignore me. One day, I will find the ingredients and whip up a batch of something repulsive for you, then we can compare. Deal?”

“Should we bring Kiran and Andrin in on this deal? Each region had delicacies that the rest of us won’t touch.”

“You’re on like Donkey Kong. I will commune with CL and see if we can find the worst dish imaginable. Who needs date night when we can have barf worthy food contests instead?” Remy did a little wiggle dance in excitement, and it was absolutely adorable. I was used to being referred to as the cute one because of my small features and stature, but Remy, despite her height, was charming beyond words.

She made her way to the door, presumably in search of Coralena to get the ideas flowing. I got up to follow along, but when Remy opened the door, our eardrums were assaulted by Ira screaming, “It’s time!”

“It’s time?” Remy repeated as we watched the others—Andrin, Cillian, Kiran, Atticus, and Blair—sprint out of Blair’s suite and into Atticus’ from the doorway. “Time for—Oh, shit!” Remy charged out of the room, following their lead. “Everyone to their battle stations! We have some wrinkly potatoes to bring into this world!”

Coralena

Everything moved quickly. Ira wrapped a sheet around me and carried me down to the medical wing where a special room was set up for my delivery. It reminded me of the lab back in Oedinia where the walls screamed Medieval castle but the equipment, although different from the human’s, was just as high-tech.

Everyone whirled around me as Ira set me onto the bed. My bonded, Remy, and Andrin hovered close by as the doctor, Seph, came in and got everything started. She had long black hair and golden skin, much like Ira, but was shorter and looked like she could throw me through a wall if she wanted to. The doctor was calm, but the others were pushing anxiety into the air. I, on the other hand, was excited that my time being pregnant was over, and we would be holding our new additions soon enough.

Seph helped me get situated and checked how far along I was so the monitoring could begin.

“You still have some time, Coralena,” she said, pulling off her tainted gloves.

I threw my head back and groaned. “What does that mean? Please someone tell me labor is shorter for nymphs than it is for humans. I’m not laying here for three days in pain because these stubborn babies don’t want to come out in a timely manner.” Everyone was quiet as they heard my irritation. I truly didn’t know how humans did this. The pain, the not knowing what was going to happen, the amount of patience you needed… The one thing I was thankful for was the fact that neither them nor I would perish during this ordeal. We were all full-blooded nymph royalty and could only die by a blade forged by our own kind’s blood.

Knowing that, I wasn’t worried, just very, very impatient.

“Typically our labor period is no more than twenty-four hours. Does that answer the question?” Seph eyed me from the foot of the bed.

“Yes, thank you. I don’t like the answer, but it answered the question.”

“How long are human labors?” Blair asked, stepping over and running his hand up and down my arm soothingly.

“Anywhere between what feels like five seconds to literal days, but that’s start to finish. It’s complicated, and since I haven’t gone through it, I don’t really know.” I shrugged and leaned into Blair who let me rest my head on his chest.

“My mom was in labor for over two days with me. She swore it was worth it, but…” Remy tapered off, but I filled in the blank. Her parents weren’t around, so who knew how true that statement was.

“Growing up in the human world better not fuck this up for me. No way am I laying here for that long in pain. I’ve been through enough of this.” I groaned into Blair’s chest. “Well, if we are going to be here for awhile, someone figure out how to amuse me, stat,” I mumbled.

Seph chuckled and went to dig around in a drawer before making her way to me. “Chew on this herb. Don’t swallow it, just chew and swallow the juices as they accumulate. It will help with the pain enough that it’s not unbearable but will keep it present enough that you will know when contractions hit and if something needs attention.” She handed me a herb that was the shape of a distorted maple leaf with the texture of mint or basil.

Popping it into my mouth, I began to chew and swallow the juices. Relief hit almost instantly. She was right. I was still aware of my body and the aches all around, but they were minimal.

I sighed and leaned back onto the bed and got comfortable.

“Feeling better?” Cillian asked from beside the doctor.

“Much.”

“Good,” Seph said. “I will be by to check on you later. Ira knows where to find me if I am needed sooner.” She made her way out of the room, and silence took over as everyone stared down at me.

“We are not playing the staring in concern game. This room is too small for all the emotions you’re pushing onto me, so everyone get out and take turns doting on me if you want.” I waved them all off, but no one moved. With a sigh, I met each one of their gazes before speaking. “If you don’t, I will have Atticus take me somewhere else, and I will pop these things out without an audience. Do you understand me?”

Annoyed agreements rang out around the room, but they soon filtered out, leaving Remy all alone at the foot of the bed.

“Do I count in that?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Since my mom, correction, moms can’t be here, you’re stuck by my side.“ I patted the side of the bed and scooted over so she could hop up.

Remy moved around the bed and sat at the foot with her legs crossed, facing me. “Good. Ira would have had to drag me out of here kicking and screaming.”

“You might want to consider that as an option later on. They will need the distraction,” Blair said as Atticus and he entered the room.

“And how did you two win the battle for first visitors?” Remy asked as she turned on the bed so she could see everyone.

Blair came around to my left while Atticus took up the right side.

“I threatened to have Atticus vanish with the both of us.” Blair, what a surprise.

Remy and I gawked at him for a moment.

“Pulling a me, I see.” I tugged on his arm, pulling him down so I could give him a kiss. It was short and sweet, and when I pulled back, there was so much love in his eyes that I almost started crying. This was going to be a long day.

“I’m truly impressed, Blair. Having these two as your mates has done you some good.”

Blair smiled at her. I was truly blessed to have adoring mates who loved my best friend like a sister. I cringed. I really shouldn’t use that phrase anymore.

“What is it?” Atticus asked, noticing my repulsion.

“Nothing important.” He glared down at me. “I’m not in pain. I just realized I shouldn’t think about how you guys adore Remy like a sister.” All three of them cocked their heads before it clicked.

“Oh, ew! Sorry, guys, but I’m not down for that.” Remy made gagging sounds, and the other two rolled their eyes with amused smiles.

“We weren’t going to suggest it, Remy. Don’t worry.” Blair reached over and patted her arm. In retort, Remy pulled it away and wiped it on the blanket as if he was covered in cooties.

We all laughed and fell into an easy conversation about how the nursery was coming. Blair had taken lead on knocking walls down and renovating the space between Atticus’ suite and his so that we would have more space for us and the horde of children they were wanting.

I didn’t have it in me to tell them that their plans for other children might be stunted, but humans forgot pain for a reason. I only hoped it worked the same for nymphs.

After they left, Ira and Poe came in. Ira doted on me, giving me water and snacks and checking to see if I was mentally okay. Poe chatted with Remy, and it was nice having a room full of women that was calm in the face of birth.

The next group was Cillian and Kiran. Cillian brought a large stuffed animal thanks to Remy’s insistence a few weeks ago and placed it behind my back to help keep me propped up and comfortable. He stared at me in awe the entire time, barely speaking a word. It weirded me out, so I focused on Kiran and Remy until she shooed them away for me.

Last was Andrin.

He awkwardly waved from the doorway before stepping in and pulling up a chair next to the bed.

“How are you?”

“Ready.”

He nodded and pressed his lips together in a straight line.

“What is it?”

“It’s nothing, Coralena. Just focus on enjoying today and looking forward to our future with the twins.” Andrin stood up, getting ready to leave the room when I yelled at him.

“No, sir, sit your ass down and explain what is going on with you. Don’t make me sic Remy on you.” Remy emphasized my demands by cracking her knuckles. She was nowhere near as powerful as Andrin, but he wouldn’t hurt her and was as pussy whipped as someone could be without getting all up in there.

He stopped and hung his head but didn’t turn around.

“Andrin,” I ground out.

“Fine, fine.” He made his way back to the chair and sat down. “This day is so different than the one I imagined.”

“You mean a birth back in Oedinia with just you and the parents in the room with me hating everything and still loathing you?”

Andrin grimaced and leaned back in the chair, leaving more space between us. “Something like that. This is better—“ Remy and I scoffed, interrupting him, and he chuckled. “Obviously this is better. You’re happy enough and surrounded by people you love. Miserable from the pregnancy, I’m sure, but all in all…” He tapered off.

“All in all, things could be a hell of a lot worse.”

Andrin nodded in agreement.

“Well, don’t say that or shit is going to go down. You might not be able to die, but your vagina can still be ripped to your ass.” Remy shook her head. “Is this something salt can fix? Can we toss it over our shoulders and take back the words?”

I snorted. “I don’t think it works like that, but if you find some salt, I’ll give it a shot.”

She stood up and yelled out the door, “Someone bring me salt!”

Shuffling and confused questions came through the doorway, but in a few minutes, Remy had her salt and made all three of us throw it back over our shoulders just in case.

“I’m not sure I will ever get used to human traditions.”

“Superstitions.”

“Sure, if that’s the word.” Andrin changed position and sat on the bed next to me. “Before I leave, I wanted to tell you how proud I am of you. You’ve taken a lot the last few months and are on your way to thriving. You’re progressing in your magical abilities and are gaining the confidence of a true queen.” Andrin placed his hand on my cheek and made sure I was looking deep into his eyes. “Coralena, you’re going to be an amazing mother, and I can’t wait to help raise our children with you.”

A tear ran down my cheek and pooled in the crook of his thumb before he leaned forward and placed a small kiss on my forehead and followed it with a deeper one on my lips.

“I love you more than you will ever know.”

I couldn’t help the smile that bloomed on my face as I replied, “And I love you.”

Remy clearing her throat broke the moment, and we all laughed. Getting used to our situation was taking some time, but we were taking it in strides.

“Remy, my darling mate,” Andrin said as he adjusted on the bed so he could pull her to him. “Even though I still see a spark of hatred for me in your eyes, I love you and will never stop yearning for you and your affection.” Remy tackled him and slammed their lips together before having a small make-out session on my hospital bed right over my feet.

I let them have the moment, choosing to occupy myself with my nailbeds.

Eventually, they pulled apart, and Andrin said his goodbyes.

Once he was out of earshot, Remy said, “I’m gonna dick that man so good, you’ll feel it across the castle.”

A bark of laughter flew from my lips, and a few dribbles of pee slipped out of me. “God damn it, Remy!”

“Oops. My bad.”

Coralena

Ihad heard stories about the pain of birth, but nothing prepared me for what happened.

My body finally got the memo and helped me push the twins out after ten hours of waiting. The herb helped tremendously, but I still felt every part of the birth. I don’t know how many times I yelled at my bonded that this was never happening again, and I don’t know if they took me seriously, but that was torture.

Then I saw their squished and wrinkly faces and was still not on board to do this again. Bless anyone whose hormones kicked in and made you fall in love with their babies so much that they were willing to go through the hell of pregnancy over and over again, but I was not on that side of things.

My logical mind knew I probably would, but right now, fuck that.

Now that everything had settled down, my bonded and Andrin filled the room, cooing and awing over the twins whose names we hadn’t picked out yet.

Twin one came five minutes before twin two, and they were a boy and girl. I hadn’t gotten up the courage to ask how that worked with merging, but I would have to get over it eventually.

For now, I was exhausted and thirsty, so I laid here with my eyes closed, sipping water.

A few hours passed, and we all put our heads together to think of some names. I wanted something that represented their heritage as water nymphs but fit in with their other fathers. Everyone gave suggestions, from Sota and Vayl to Rayana or Deearan, but they all agreed that I had the final say.

What they didn’t know was that I already had their middle names picked out. All I had to do was make a decision that would forever impact their lives, no biggie.

I still hadn’t made a decision when I nodded off into a nap, and the dream gave me my answer. It was vague and blurry, but one image stuck with me. It was me, chasing two toddlers and calling their names. I was so thankful that my subconscious had unknowingly given me what I needed. The names had been mentioned before, but indecision prevailed.

Calling everyone back into the room, I stood over the large bassinet both twins were sleeping in wrapped up like burritos.

“Ready?”

Everyone nodded and had glowing smiles.

“Okay then, meet Covett Adalee and Kelby Remington.” They would each have a piece of Remy, her full name being Remington Adalee York.

A gasp rang out through the room, and everyone turned to Remy as she pushed her way to the front and pulled me into the tightest hug she had ever given me.

“You fucking asshole. How did you keep this from me?”

I chuckled and squeezed her back. “I wanted to make sure they always knew who they could go to. The person who always has my back even when I piss them off. You know that if anything happened to me, they’re yours, right?” Someone cleared their throat. “Yeah, yeah, yours and whichever of my mates didn’t follow me into an early grave.”

“I hate you so much right now.” Wetness coated my shoulder as Remy cried happy tears.

“Right back at you.”

The next morning I awoke to only Blair and Ira in the room. They had taken shifts to be in here with me and the babies or working on the nursery. They knew there was a chance they would come early, but time flew by for them, apparently, and it still wasn’t finished. Blair and Kiran spent the most time away with Remy bouncing around wherever she pleased with no rhyme or reason.

She tried hogging Covett and Kelby, and I let her. Between pumping for them and trying to get some sleep, I was in no condition to hold them long term. Besides, she was going to be more like a third mom to them right after Ira and me than an aunt.

I knew some day we would have to explain the situation we were in and tell them about our past and how they came to be, but for now, I made sure everyone knew to not mention it. They would grow up surrounded by people that loved them, and they would make some connections on their own. When they were ready, they’d ask, or someone would mention it offhandedly.

It didn’t affect how we cared for them or who would be in their lives, so it wasn’t anywhere near the top of our teachings for them.

“Coralena, do you need anything?” Ira asked as she stood from the chair in the corner that was placed next to the bassinet. I was very aware that she didn’t birth them, but the motherly instincts kicked in for her a lot faster than mine did. I loved them and would lay down my life to protect them, but they still just looked like wrinkly spuds that liked to cry.

I now understood the mandrake joke in Harry Potter a lot more. It was far beyond accurate.

“No, I’m—“ That’s when it hit me. I threw off the blankets and stood up with urgency.

“What is it?” Ira made her way to me, trying to figure out what was wrong.

“I can unmerge!” I was vibrating and bouncing on the balls of my feet.

My shriek had woken Blair. He rubbed his face and tried to comprehend what was happening. He started to ask what was going on, but I was already on my way to being two beings again.

Just as when Andrin had tricked Cora and Lena into merging into me, I now let the flow of energy overtake me, separating myself back into Cora and Lena. Where I once stood were now two distinct persons.

Good luck, girls. Make me proud.

Cora

I blinked over and over, then ran my hands over my body and into my long hair, relishing the fact that I was back, that we were back.

“Cora?” I heard from beside me.

I looked up into familiar eyes. “Lena?”

“Holy shit.”

We crashed into each other, holding the other one close and weeping tears of relief and shock.

“I can’t believe it,” I whispered.

“It feels so weird. Like a dream.”

“But not,” I added. We felt everything, and the memories were definitely our own and logged away inside our minds, but it wasn’t us entirely, as if there was a glass pane between us and the person controlling the body.

Pulling back, I simply looked at Lena, and she did the same. After a few seconds, we turned to Ira and Blair. Neither of which had ever seen us unmerged.

“Hi,” I said with a little wave, and Lena mimicked me.

Ira pulled us into a group hug and kissed both of our foreheads before Blair joined in. We were stuck between them, but I was too happy to care about not breathing.

“We finally get to meet you,” Ira whispered into the top of Lena’s head, then moved to mine and said, “And you as well.”

“It’s good to be back.” I wiggled out of the hold and figured introductions were in order, but I wanted everyone here so they could be a part of it. “Can we go surprise everyone and bring them back here?”

Ira nodded and turned to Blair. “I can take them up if you will watch over Covett and Kelby.”

He eagerly agreed, taking his role as a father very seriously. The twins had no chance. They would be spoiled rotten and would have every type of parent imaginable. Blair was turning into the super loving type that wanted to be nearby and smiled constantly when they were in view.

I loved him more for it.

Ira escorted us upstairs, and I groaned about how Lena and I were in matching outfits. I thought we would separate like we did before, but I guessed with the change of attire, it didn’t work that way.

The freedom was nice, and with everything we had learned and gone through, it was time we started making our own decisions and made them all see how different we were.

But there was a niggling at the back of my mind that poked and prodded, saying they would view us as two Coralena’s, not Cora and Lena.

Anxiety was rampant, but Ira slipped her hand into mine, and that stupid voice shut the fuck up for the time being.

Lena

We stepped through the door to our suite, and everyone paused. They had clearly taken a water break and were admiring the work they had done on the new hallway between the suites that used to be the walk in closet.

When they saw us, everything stopped. Water spilled down Andrin and Atticus’ shirts, Kiran gasped, and Poe’s eyes looked like they were about to fall out of her head.

“Surprise!” I yelled. “And why did no one remind us we could unmerge?” I pouted, and Cora matched my energy.

“Yeah, what the hell?”

There was a line of eye rolling, then they converged on us, passing us around for hugs and kisses when appropriate. At the end, Atticus hogged both of us, holding me under his right arm and Cora under his left, refusing to share.

“Where’s Remy?” Lena began.

“She’s going to flip her lid when she sees us again.”

“Ah, she went down to the kitchen to bring you some food. We should probably head back to the twins before she gets there and finds you missing.” Andrin opened the door and began ushering us all out. As we passed by, he said, “It’s good to have you two back again.”

We beamed up at him. I hoped they all accepted us as we were and not only when we were Coralena. Their reactions gave me hope, but there was always a chance things went south again.

“She will be fine. Blair is down there, soaking up all the baby snuggles.” My cheeks were starting to hurt from the constant smiling. The aching feelings from giving birth were a lot less now that we were unmerged. I was thankful for that, but wondered if it would work the same for other things like our new magical abilities. Would we be starting at square one again? I sure fucking hoped not.

Ira placed an arm around my shoulders, and Atticus did the same for Cora as we walked along the hall, ready to start our future as one big happy family.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I realized one day was just around the corner.

Remy

“Uh, hello?” I peered around the room, not finding anyone in there as I walked in with a tray of food for Coralena. I didn’t let panic set in, telling myself they probably went up to the suite, assuming we would all be there. Besides, if something happened, Ira would have snapped the assailant’s neck and moved on.

No one messed with Mama Ira.

I set the tray down on the bed and walked around it, and that’s when I saw him.

Blair was unconscious on the floor beside the bed with a blade sticking out of his stomach.

“Fuck, fucking fuck!” I started to move toward him, then I whirled around, half diving toward the bassinet that was pushed to the side. “No, no, no!” They were gone. Her babies, our babies, were gone.

Rage overtook me, and fire flew up my arms. As much as I wanted to make sure Blair was okay, there was nothing I could do for him. Covett and Kelby, on the other hand, I could track down and disintegrate whoever touched them.

Stepping out of the room, flames began to coat my entire body, singeing my clothes and the floor under my feet.

“What’s gotten into you, Remy?” Kiran asked as he and everyone rounded the corner in front of me.

“They’re gone. Covett and Kelby are gone!” I shrieked.

Cora and Lena, who I wanted to be happy for since they were unmerged again, ran into the room and found Blair and discovered for themselves that what I said was true.

I heard one of them scream, and chaos overtook the place. Everyone sprung into action. The doctor was dragged in and thrown at Blair, Cora and Lena were forced to stay put with Andrin, but the rest of us sounded the alarm.

From the sound of it, there was only about a two to four minute window where someone could have made their way into the room and taken care of business. That window wasn’t large, but it was big enough for whoever it was to make it out of the castle. Although, they wouldn’t have made it off the grounds.

We all took off to different wings with a list of exits in mind. Resistance members ran about, trying to help, but they were all in my way. I would burn this place down to find them if I had to. Atticus would help me find them by any means necessary. Not that I didn’t think the others would step up to the plate, but despite all the love that went around, no one was as psychotically in love with my best friends and her bastard children than he was.

The jokes they made about us when we first met Blair ran through my mind. Right then, I thought they were funny, but now they were about to come to fruition.

We teamed up for the south wing, sprinting or teleporting through the halls and into every space that could be used to hide. There were two options. Either they hid somewhere, waiting for us to let our guard down so they could escape, or they made a run for it.

Guards swarmed the outside, but there were always weak points. I had no way of knowing which path they would choose.

“Fucking fuck,” I muttered as we came to a split in the hall. “See ya!” I yelled back at Atticus as I took the right side on the first floor. This led to the conservatory. If it was me, I would hide there for a bit. It was out of the way, and if they were—god fucking damn it!

I ran faster, pushing myself harder than I ever had and thanking Ira for whooping me into shape.

I crashed through the conservatory doors and smirked.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are,” I singsonged. “You know what they say about playing with fire… be careful, or you’ll get burned.”

I had no intention of erupting into a flaming bomb of psycho, but they didn’t know that. I did, however, plan to turn myself into a human flamethrower to try and lure them out if they were here.

The flames sprung forth, ripping through the shrubs and flowers that littered the ground. “Tick, tock!” Come on, you asswipes. Where else would you have gone?

I worked my way to the center, letting the fire spread through the sides at a safe pace. As soon as I stepped into the circle, marking the middle of the building, they emerged. Willas and Lillin, Kiran’s delightful and traitorous parents.

“Calm yourself, Remy. Think about the children.”

“Fuck off, Willas.” But he was right, so I pulled back the flames and let them extinguish themselves so that no harm would come to Covett or Kelby, at least harm from me. “What do you want with them?”

Lillin, my bitch of a mother-in-law, scoffed as if that was the most ridiculous question she had ever heard. “As if we would let Callope and Galvin’s grandchildren grow up in the resistance with your mess of… Well, the mess Andrin caused, truthfully.”

It dawned on me. “Royal cunts stick together. That’s how you’re playing this?”

“Watch your filthy mouth, you insufferable whore!” Mother-in-laws…

“You wound me,” I deadpanned. “Give them back before I spit roast you in the not fun way.”

“You wouldn’t try anything that could accidentally harm them. We have the upper hand, Remy. Let us go, and they will grow up happy and healthy, never wanting for anything.”

“Like Andrin? Nah, he’s already fucked up enough. I could only imagine the shit they’d fill their little heads with. Give them back!” The flames sprouted again, coating the ground around me and lurching toward Willas and Lillin.

“Well, if that’s how you want to play it.” Willas handed Covett to Lillin, and the game was on.

I aimed for Willas, trying to burn the shit out of him so I only had to deal with Lillin who had her arms full. We traded fire and rocks, he distorted the ground, tripping me, but I distracted him with a few fireballs.

I saw Lillin slinking away and knew I needed to act fast, but something moved out of the corner of my eye.

“No,” I breathed out, knowing there wasn’t enough time for me to counter.

I didn’t know if it was some underhanded trick by Willas or if there was another accomplice, waiting in the shadows, but boulder after boulder slammed into me. My fire could only do so much to buffer the impact, and soon, they became too much. My shields fell, and my fire went out as I watched Willas and Lillin vanish with Covett and Kelby.

Being buried alive had always been a fear of mine, but I found something I was even more frightened of. If we didn’t get them back in time… I gritted my teeth and stopped my thoughts.. We… No, they wouldn’t let that happen.

I closed my eyes, and a tear fell. The battle was won, but the twins were no longer in my grasp.

The boulders kept coming, slamming down onto my body and filling the spaces that were free of pain. I heard my bones crack and felt the scrapes of their rough exteriors and jagged edges, but the physical pain was no match for the emotions that warred inside of me. I failed them.

Reaching out with my one free arm, I tried to pull my fire to me, to give one last shot at saving them, but there was nothing. Rocks fell, crushing my arm, and I let out a ragged cry, then the last one fell into place, consuming me and my screams.

Fate had plans for me in this life, but it looked like my time was over. As long as the twins survived and were placed back into their mothers’ arms, I would accept my death and find peace.

Until I see you again, my loves. In this life or the next.

Cora & Lena

Mommy’s coming for you, my little ones. I’ve already lost too much today, I won’t lose you too.

Tethered in Misery

Book Three

Remy

So long, farewell, auf Wiedersehen, good night…

Lena

Three Months After Tethered in Discord

Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I was certain that the only reason I had any liquid left in me was due to me being a water nymph—correction, a royal water nymph. Any other would have shriveled up and died in this bed that I had barely left in the last three months.

I refused to see anyone, choosing to remain hidden here beneath the covers where I could pretend Covett and Kelby weren’t ripped away. My heart ached every time I thought about them and their scrunched bodies and bright eyes. They reminded me so much of Cora and I in the pictures our parents—I rolled over, pushing that thought far away and shoving my face further into the pillow.

Three whole months. I couldn’t believe it, but I kept a tally etched into the bedframe. I worked the magic I had to conjure a small blade of water and marked another scratch into the surface. Ninety days. For ninety days, I remained in here alone, only eating enough to survive, hoping a plan would come together and my babies would be back in my arms, only showering when the scorching water sounded better than the grease and tear-covered bedding, which was less often than I would ever like to admit.

When I found out about our inability to die unless torn apart by a special blade, I had been relieved. We were in a new world, surrounded by enemies, and had little reason to want to die, but now, I wished for death to end my suffering. I hadn’t asked about the blade or if Andrin and Cora had offered up their blood to make it, knowing suspicion would fall upon me, but I wanted it. I wanted out of this world.

The only solid reason I didn’t find a way was knowing they were safe. Relatively. Calliope and Galvin wouldn’t kill them, wouldn’t abuse them in any way that was physical. No, I knew they would care for their grandchildren and spoil them as no other children had ever been spoiled. That didn’t change the fact that I knew they would be forced to do things in their lives and would be taught to follow the rules of this world that would forever change them if we didn’t get them back soon enough.

Three months, they could handle. Years was when the effects of being with them would take root and we would have another Andrin situation on our hands but times two, and everyone knew you couldn’t argue with a toddler.

I groaned and rolled over again, running my hands through my short hair and gripping the dirty strands between my fingers, knowing I needed to get up and clean myself.

The tears came full force again. We lost so much that day. Blair. Remy. Covett and Kelby. Their pain increased my suffering and drove me deeper into the black hole that wanted nothing more than to pull me in and never let go.

I knew the day to push through the bleakness was coming, but I needed more time to sulk, to sleep, to simply be and not be needed or have expectations placed on me.

I saw it in their eyes though when they popped in to leave me food and make sure I didn’t kick the bucket somehow. Their patience was dwindling. Hell, my patience was dwindling.

That’s one thing I had never realized before. Your mind trapped you, held you tight, and pushed you into the depression, but that didn’t mean you weren’t aware, so very, very aware, of how shitty you were being to yourself. I laid here, thinking ‘Get up, you useless fuck,’ hoping that this time my body would listen, but it never did.

Even when I thought of my mates and how much they needed me and how hurt they must be, it didn’t matter. I loved them, I knew I did, but it wasn’t enough to drag me out of here and make me want to be better, to try harder, to do anything other than be a sack of nothing. Everyone was incorrectly trained to believe ‘love conquers all,’ but I knew those bastards had never felt a single day of depression. They lived happy lives with no worries to speak of. I would like to see them live my life for a day and come out the other end unscathed.

My brain said I was a waste, was holding back everyone else, that they would have gotten them back already and mended all the brokenness if I would stop existing so they didn’t have to worry anymore.

I knew that was all a lie, but my brain didn’t care about what I thought; it only cared about enforcing its beliefs and making me sink deeper into the mattress that had perfectly molded to my skin and bone form.

As always, it had impeccable timing, reminding me that no one would want the person I had become, that this body was untouchable, that my voice was no longer tolerable, and that my existence filled them with regret and disgust.

I let those thoughts muddle my mind as I was too tired to fight them again. I pulled the deep green comforter up over my head and curled into a tight ball as more and more tears streamed down my hollowed cheeks. No sound came from me, not even the sound of my breath. For a second, I thought my suffering had come to an end, but my lungs expanded, pushing against my ribs.

My eyes closed, and I told myself that I would exist, not live, but exist until we had them back, but I made no promises. After all, they had Cora, and she was so much stronger than I was.

Cora

Thwink.

Thwink. Thwink.

Each water arrow flew from my bow and stabbed into the target across the field. I had mastered many new water-based moves like the water arrows, something I called the octopus, dual water swords, and throwing water stars. Each time I added a new one to my arsenal, my pride grew and so did my belief that we would win the fight to get back Covett and Kelby.

Andrin and I were out here daily. I walked onto the field before the sun rose and didn’t leave until it was below the horizon. Andrin, Ira, and the others all took turns training me, sparring with me and forcing me to eat and drink enough water to stay hydrated.

I swatted them away like flies whenever they started hovering in swarms. I didn’t understand why they weren’t proud of me. I wasn’t in a depression hole like Lena. She was the one they needed to worry about. I was working toward a goal, one that would help us win against Calliope, Galvin, and Kiran’s fuckhead parents.

Thwink. Thwink.

This was too easy now. I needed something else, something challenging to keep my mind off the end goal. It was always there on the edge of my mind. I knew why I was doing this, why I was driving myself so hard, but I couldn’t focus on it. I could only focus on learning more, strengthening my body and arsenal, and pushing myself to exhaustion so I would actually sleep.

If I didn’t drive myself all day, I wouldn’t sleep. My mind would be on them, my babies. Our babies.

A tear slipped out of one eye, but I swiped it away and got back to work. I put away my bow and pulled out two wooden handles with chains attached.

Lena might be the writer in the family, but that didn’t mean I didn’t have an imagination. I figured out pretty quickly that any weapon could be made out of water, but having the base be wood or metal was much easier to use. These were dual morning stars.

I formed the spiked ball at the end of each chain and spun them in unison. I practiced maneuvers for a few minutes, then extended the spikes and twirled them around without causing harm to myself. I had gotten in a groove, and all sounds vanished. I only heard the swoosh of the balls and only saw the spinning chains.

And that was a mistake.

The next second, the spiked water balls splattered into useless puddles on the ground at my feet, and the chains jerked toward my body. One cracked me upside the head, and the other sliced across my shin. The only saving grace was that nothing hit my funny bone.

I threw the offending weapons to the side and rubbed at the new wounds. Blood appeared on my fingers as I pulled my hand away from the side of my head. I hissed as the pain throbbed and worked its way deeper and covered more ground.

Footsteps rang in my ears, but I ignored them, focusing on the pain and letting it ground me. I never liked pain, but it had become my reality and brought me back from the brink of despair many times in the last three months.

“I told you not to blur out the rest of the world, Cora. They won’t hesitate to use your water against you.” Andrin came up beside me and stared down at my half-crumpled form.

“I can do it while practicing, Andrin. I won’t space out in battle. I will be too focused on killing those assholes.” Andrin scoffed, and I knew his eyes were rolling.

“Do you want me to go get Ira so you can tell her that? How do you think that would go, hm?” I raised up to my feet, ignoring the still throbbing pain to stare him in the eyes. We had grown close over the last three months, and I had nearly forgiven him for what he did to us, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a complete ass at times.

At first, he was all too forgiving, letting me use him as a punching bag and using me as his form of punishment for his part in their kidnapping. Then it was like a switch flipped. He’d had enough and turned on me with all the hatred and anger he had been holding for his parents, and the water boiled over.

“Nah, I think you can handle telling me off just fine, big brother.” He really hated when I called him that for some reason, and I used it every chance I got.

He sneered down at me, then entered my personal space, leaving no air between us. “Well, little sister, if that’s how you want to do this.”

Before I could retaliate, Andrin had pinned me to the ground with water chains and leered over me with the hot sun peeking from behind him, but that’s when the fight left him.

“Stop torturing yourself, Cora. You and Lena, it wasn’t your fault.” He sighed and rubbed his hands down his face. He was so young, but right now, he looked to be our father’s age. “I lost—“ He didn’t finish his sentence as he walked away and released the chains, but I knew the last word.

Everything. He had lost everything, and no matter what he said, it was all our fault, and I couldn’t fix it.

Andrin

My feet pounded against the hard ground as I marched away from Cora. I released the chains on her when I was halfway to the main backdoor that led into one of the great halls. I assumed she would leave me alone as she had done every other time we finished a faux fight. They were all a charade, a little way to let a small bit of anger and remorse out before it completely destroyed us, but it wasn’t working anymore. No matter how many times I yelled and screamed or won a battle against Cora or was pummeled to the ground by Ira, the fury grew.

I heard Cora behind me a split second before she tackled me to the ground and flipped us so she was straddling me and pinning my arms to the side, not that she was strong enough to keep me in that position without my consent. I was curious as to why she did this and was partially relieved that she wasn’t entirely locked inside herself just yet, so I let her hold me there for now.

Silence met me while Cora glared down into my blue eyes that matched her own. Her ponytail fell over her right shoulder, and I couldn’t help but think how Coralena’s hair would look now with Cora’s long locks and Lena’s grown-out pixie cut.

I waited and waited, then Cora deflated on top of me, pulling her hands away and placing all her weight on my hips. I sighed and pushed myself up to my elbows as her face fell.

“What else am I supposed to do? The others are doing what they can to figure out where they are and how to safely get them out, Lena will barely look at me when I go see her, and—“ She closed her eyes and let her head fall back. “The only thing I can do is prepare, to train enough that I would actually stand a chance against Calliope and Galvin. I can’t even beat you yet, Andrin. I’m useless right now, a waste of space who couldn’t even protect her own fucking children.” Tears rolled down her cheeks, dripping onto my pink shirt. Ever since that first date with Coralena, I wore more and more colors outside of blue and purple. It made me feel connected to her, to them, even when they were ignoring me.

“Cora—“

“No, Andrin, there’s nothing you can say that would fix this. We fucked up. I know them being kidnapped was on all of us. We were lax. Lena and I believed Blair was enough to watch over them for a few minutes, and we were wrong. This castle was filled with people who would lay down their lives for Covett and Kel—“ Her voice caught in her throat, making her pause. “Kelby and us, but it wasn’t enough. We let people in that we shouldn’t have. It should have been a big red flag that they came with my parents after finding out who they really were.”

She took a deep breath and started to move off of my lap, but I pushed up further and wrapped my arms around her, holding her there. “Do you blame Blair for not being able to protect them?”

Cora tried to pull back as she scoffed. “Of course not! I would never—“

“Then why do you blame yourself? If you’re going to blame anyone, there’s an entire list before it gets to you or Lena. Me for pulling you into this world and everything after that. Kiran for trusting his parents. Ira for not setting up enough guards near the medical wing. Every other mate of yours for not staying near you and the babies. Me again for leaving my children, my sisters, and the mothers of my children alone as well.” I gripped Cora’s shoulders and pushed her back enough so I could look her in the eyes. I adjusted my legs so they were crossed, causing Cora to slide further against me.

“But you don’t blame any of us, just yourself,” I whispered. “It’s not on you, Cora.”

She stared into my eyes, nostrils flaring as she soaked in my words. We stayed in that position for a few minutes, letting our emotions calm down, then she spoke. “I think I liked you better when you were an asshole.” I was taken aback for a moment, then her lip twitched up into a smirk.

It was nice seeing this side of her again. It had been so long since I saw any true life on either of them, and that one little smirk calmed so much within me. The anger was still there, the grief for our missing children and the losses we suffered hiding under it, but her playfulness helped ease the pain for one moment in time.

“Don’t temp me, Cora. You never know if you’re going to get the asshole who kidnapped and impregnated you or the asshole from the last few months. It’s a flip of a coin, and are you willing to test your luck?” Cora gawked at me with her mouth hanging open. I feared I had gone too far, then she burst into a fit of laughter.

“I should say it’s too soon, but that was a good one, really.” Cora wiped the happy tears from her eyes, then they started again. Only this time, they were sorrowful.

She wiped at them some more, but they kept falling. “This is why I keep myself so busy, so exhausted. If I don’t have time to think about it, then I won’t cry.”

“Cry all you want.” I pulled her into my arms again, and she wrapped hers around me, burying her face in the crook of my neck. “No one will judge you. You hide away so much so you wouldn’t know this, but they all cry at random times. Your pain and the loss hits them, and they can’t control it. Sometimes it triggers the others. Then we have an entire room filled with sobbing nymphs.”

Cora chuckled against my skin, and the movement smeared her tears further into my skin.

“I’m so sick of crying though.”

“I know, but it’s a part of grief. You have to let it out, or it will eat you from the inside.” Cora squeezed me tighter, as if she couldn’t get close enough.

“You should take your own advice,” she whispered into my shoulder.

“Yeah, I know.” This time when Cora pulled back, I let her.

Instead of standing up and taking her warmth away, Cora crashed her lips to mine. I was stunned and didn’t react at first, so she started to back away, then I cupped the sides of her face and kept her there, savoring our first kiss.

Her mouth moved against mine, her tongue asking for entrance. I opened to her, swirling my tongue with hers in a battle of need. I had wanted her for years, hoping she would love me as I had always loved her, and finally, we were making headway on healing our relationship.

My hand slid back, gripping the back of her hair as best as I could to keep her pressed against me. Her fingers clung to the front of my shirt, refusing to let me move away, not that I would.

Cora ground down, making me groan into her mouth. She stopped her assault but kept her face close enough that we shared breaths. “This is still weird to me, but I’m done lying to myself about not wanting you.”

I chuckled. “That’s progress at least.”

Cora smiled at me, then we sat in silence, enjoying each other’s company, before Cora broke it.

“Thank you, for everything, even the shitty stuff.”

“Uh, you’re welcome?”

She shoved at my shoulder and stood up, putting her hand down and offering to help me to my feet. “I’ve accepted that our lives are weird and fucked up. That isn’t the problem anymore, okay? That has nothing to do with—“ She looked back to where she was training. “That.” Cora turned to look up at me with ocean blue eyes and sweat-matted hair that did nothing to deter from her beauty. “I’m trying, and I’m thankful, and—”

I leaned down and captured her lips again in a swift kiss. “I get it. Does this mean you’re going to train less? Does it mean I can finally spend some time with you outside of kicking your ass?” I smirked down at her.

“Ha, ha, and I can’t make any promises. At least until we have them back. Our children need us, Andrin.” More tears fell as she said the last part, and I wiped them away.

“So do our bonded and Lena. We will get Covett and Kelby back, but right now, we can’t do anything for them besides prepare. That doesn’t mean practically killing yourself to learn how to be a warrior in a handful of months. You have others to lean on, so lean.” I was as heartbroken as they were. The emotions rampaged inside me, eating away at any goodness I had left, but I carried on and fought through it because others needed me, they needed me. Cora and Lena weren’t on the same track, and it was only driving me more into the pit of darkness.

“I know you’re right, but I can’t. I’ve tried. I go a few days, then I fall back into it. I need the distraction. It’s the only thing keeping me going.” My lips pressed together in a flat line in disapproval, but I understood well enough that someone wouldn’t heal unless they were ready. Cora and Lena weren’t ready. They were aware of their faults and depressive states, but that meant nothing when the brain didn’t cooperate.

In time, we would all heal, but time wasn’t something we had a lot of. Or maybe, we had too much of it. There was always a sense of urgency rampant through the fortress, but we all knew we were in for a long waiting game. It made for a horrendous atmosphere and drove everyone to the brink at times.

However, we were coming up on a time when we needed everyone at their best, and Cora and Lena were not ready. They needed help, but there was still time to let them find themselves without intervention. We would poke and prod, making sure they were still in there, for now, but the alarms were going to sound, and we would be on our way to rescue our children, and if they were in this shape when we went in for battle, they would be left behind. I would ensure it but doubted the others would have any qualms.

“I love you, Cora, and I will give you some more time, but—“

“But my time will be up eventually. I know, I know.” Cora looked back at the training pit, then up at me with a shrug. “You know where to find me if you want to roll around in the dirt.” Cora gave me a wink, then turned and jogged off.

I watched her until she got herself settled with the morning stars once again. The small weight that had been lifted settled on my chest. Closing my eyes, I hoped for a better future, one where we were all happy and free of imminent danger. That day wouldn’t come soon enough, so for now, I would daydream and fantasize about what that looked like.

Mark my words, though, we would all have what we wanted by the end of this, by sheer luck or by force because Cora was right, I was a complete asshole and wasn’t afraid to be him again.

Cillian

Ibalanced the tray of food in one hand while gently knocking on the door, but I didn’t wait for an answer. I opened the door and stepped into the same view I saw nearly every day. I made sure to check on Lena each day, even if I just peeked my head in and told her I loved her. Sometimes she responded, other times she didn’t.

This time, I was her food delivery boy. The tray held a glass of water with a matching glass of juice, a bowl of fruit, a simple grilled cheese sandwich with a side of soup, and three cookies. This wasn’t something I would combine, but I had learned a lot about the food in the human world recently and came to find that I enjoyed it more often than not.

I didn’t prepare the food. I tried, but the last time I made an attempt, I nearly burned down the kitchen. I would fight anyone who uttered this, but thank fuck for Andrin being there, or this place might have gone up in flames.

Walking farther into the room, I eyed Lena curled up in bed in the same position she was in each time I came in here. She rarely moved unless we made her get up and take a shower or change her clothes and sheets. We changed them as often as she would let us, but it still wasn’t enough, not with her eating so little and crying herself into dehydration.

Tears pricked my eyes, and a lump formed in my throat as I thought of how far she had fallen. We tried, we tried so hard to get her to smile or read or do anything other than sleep, but nothing worked, so we left her. I knew it was a horrible decision, but what else could we do? The rest of us were hurting alongside them and coping with our own emotions, and taking another’s onto our shoulders didn’t help anyone.

I swallowed and made my way to her side of the bed, placing the tray on the empty nightstand. At first, she hadn’t reacted this way. Grief took hold of her, and anger flooded her body. She trashed the room, then fell into a heap of despair and didn’t come out of it. The lamp and picture frame that was originally on the table were casualties from that time.

Clearing my throat, I waited a few seconds to see if she would respond, but she didn’t. I pinched the edge of the comforter between my fingers and pulled it down, revealing her disheveled hair and red-rimmed, blue eyes that had lost any spark they once held.

My tentative smile fell into a deep frown for a second, but I wasn’t quick enough. Lena saw and turned over after closing her eyes.

I pulled the covers down further, unveiling her body, which was near skin and bone. She was already skinny before, but this was… skeletal. Her hair had lost its shimmer and was stringy and lifeless. Her cheeks sunk in as did her eyes, showing off the dark hollowness of her form. It hurt to look at her, but I didn’t want to miss a moment with her here.

“Lena,” I sighed. “Tell me what to do. How do I help? Please, tell—“

Lena flipped over with more speed than I expected and met my gaze. “Go back in time and kill Willas and Lillin the moment they stepped from that carriage.”

I looked up at the ceiling, and my shoulders drooped. “Something that’s possible, Lena.”

“Kill Calliope and Galvin, then.” She rolled back over and tried pulling up the blanket, but I stopped her.

“Deal, but you have to give me some time to find them and find a way for none of us to lose our lives.” Lena scoffed, and instead of fighting me for the blanket, she maneuvered herself closer and stood from the bed, wobbling as she did. I reached out to steady her, but she flicked me off.

“I’m fine.” Now it was my turn to scoff. “You know what I meant.” She pushed past me and entered the bathroom before closing the door on my face as I tried to follow her.

“Lena, you need to eat. How do you expect to help Covett and Kelby like this?” I knew throwing them in her face was an asshole thing to do, but nothing else was getting through to her.

I heard something crash against the floor, so I did what any respectable mate would do, kicked in the door. Lena knelt over a pile of broken glass, trying to clean up what was once a glass of water from the looks of it. She was barefoot and shaking as she did so.

“Lena, please, let me. Go eat.” Lena shook her head and continued to pick up piece after piece, placing them in her open palm which was bleeding. I couldn’t grab her and remove her from the room without possibly injuring her, so I grabbed the trash can and did what I could to help.

With the big pieces in the trash, I was finally able to get her to stand and wash away the bloody mess and check for any shards in her skin. “I will get the rest. I’m not taking no for an answer here, Lena. You are going to go eat what you can, then we are sitting on the balcony.” She opened her mouth to argue, but I covered her chapped lips with my wet hand and glared down at her. “Nope, I’m the boss right now.”

Lena rolled her eyes but gave a small nod. I felt her sigh against my palm before pulling it away and turning off the water. I dried us off and led Lena back into her room where I set up the tray for her to eat while I finished cleaning. By the time I came back in, only a few bites of fruit were gone, one corner of the sandwich was eaten, but the entire glass of juice was empty. She had one of the cookies in her hand, nibbling on it. It was a start, but we would sit here for however long she needed to get more down. I would demand freshly made sandwiches even if she only took a bite of each one, if that would appease her.

Minutes passed, and finally, half the sandwich was gone and so was half the water, a few more pieces of fruit were eaten, and a solid bite of a cookie was down. She only took a few sips of the soup, but this was more than enough for now given how little she had eaten recently. I didn’t want to push her and have her throw it all up. That would hinder any progress I made with her today.

Lena started to lift the tray, but her weak arms nearly let it fall. I caught it and placed it on her side table once more, then laid my hand out in front of her, waiting for her to accept it so we could go bask in the sun together.

She hesitantly reached out and placed her hand in mine, then rose from the bed. A shiver ran up her spine, and as much of an ego as I had, I didn’t think I had anything to do with it. I led Lena to the balcony door, opened it, and breathed in the fresh air. After getting Lena comfortable on the padded outdoor couch, I ran back inside to pull a blanket from the closet. It was the perfect temperature for me, but with her weight loss, Lena would catch a chill far more easily.

I knew that was partly why she stayed under the covers so much. Not only was it a shield from the outside world, but it was a shield from the cold air that seemed to permeate through the fortress.

Stepping back out onto the balcony, I shook out the blanket, then wrapped it around Lena. I sat beside her and pulled her close. At first, she was stiff against me, but soon, she relaxed and placed her head on my shoulder. I let out a content sigh and looked out at the horizon, enjoying this small bit of peace.

I wouldn’t give up this moment for the world. She had been so closed off, and I was elated to break a small piece of that wall she had erected around herself. It was a small step, and we weren’t anywhere near calling her healed, but it was progress.

I wanted to ask, to prod and have her release all her emotions on me so we could work through our misery together, but I knew it wasn’t the time. I would keep pushing, keep making her eat, and take time out here in the sun until one day she would do it on her own.

Looking up at the clear, blue sky, I thanked the fates for making her a royal nymph. I wasn’t sure an average one would survive what she had put her body through, but that royal blood refused to let her die by natural causes.

That was one of the things hindering our progress. We had to use Cora, Lena, and Andrin’s blood to create a weapon to defeat them. Cora lost enough training, and Lena wasn’t healthy enough to give any even if she wanted to, so that left Andrin, and we could only take so much at a time.

We were getting close, but it took time, and if the blade was faulty in some way, we would have to start again.

Ira was confident that she would be able to forge it with her fire, but this wasn’t made like a typical blade. If there wasn’t enough of the royal essence in it, it wouldn’t work, and testing it was out of the question unless Andrin was willing to lose a finger.

I smiled to myself, thinking that wasn’t such a bad idea. He owed them that much at the very least.

Letting my head fall back, I focused my senses on Lena whose soft snores made their way to my ear. It was sweet and adorable. I tilted my head, giving the top of hers a kiss and letting my lips linger there. I missed being by her side so much. I had already ruined a few weeks with her while she was pregnant, and it was one of the many decisions I regretted.

The biggest on the list was not realizing who she was to me when she first arrived at the castle. I hadn’t met her or seen her until we were introduced that day in the garden, but a part of me thought I should have known. I didn’t save her, and neither did the others, and here we were, cohabitating with the man who we swore was the enemy.

I let out a sigh and slunk deeper into my seat. So much had happened, and it felt like I had no time to sift through it all. I wanted to be furious and sad and elated all at once, but it was too much. Shutting down like Lena sounded amazing some days. Others, I wanted to be like Cora, never giving myself a moment to think. However, I was neither.

I had to be here for the others whether I felt up to it or not, I had to look after Cora and Lena when possible, and I couldn’t break, even if that was all I wanted to do.

But that point was coming. I would break when we got them back and everyone was safely in my grasp once again.

Then, and only then, would I let myself crumble from the torment we had endured.

Lena

Cillian had left nearly an hour ago with the food tray he had brought in. The suite was deathly quiet as I sat on the edge of the tub, waiting for it to fill with hot water. The steam rose over the porcelain and entered my lungs, allowing me to inhale more deeply.

The few hours Cillian was here felt normal like they used to, but it was short-lived. The moment he left, the mask I wore fell. It wasn’t a full mask. Maybe a half-mask. I loved him, and his presence brought some light to my life, but the slightly brighter attitude was all for show.

However, he was trying, and I realized how little I was. I needed to put some effort into my life, even if it was just for them. There was that saying ‘fake it till you make it,’ and I wondered how true that was for situations like this. If I practiced smiling and being happy enough, would it someday be a reality?

I huffed as the tub filled, then I turned off the faucet and stripped down to nothing. I refused to look at myself in the mirror as I discarded my clothes and dipped my toe into the near-boiling water. It stung my skin, but the pain was an enjoyable distraction from everything that was going on around me. Well, not even around me. They were all outside my bubble, letting me decay.

A frown marred my lips as I stepped in and scrunched my brows together as the sting ran up my leg. I sighed and dunked my other foot in. The pain only lasted a few seconds, which wasn’t enough. Slowly, I sunk down onto my knees, then my ass, feeling the bite of the water on my thighs, then my stomach and chest before it enveloped my arms and neck as I leaned back.

I swished my legs and arms, disturbing the water and ensuring the pain remained for as long as possible. I watched the water slosh around me and dissociated to the sound of it as it echoed off the bathroom walls.

I didn’t know how long I laid there in a trance, but eventually, I came to, realizing how cool the water was. Or was it simply cool in relation to the temperature it was before? I shook my head. It didn’t matter. It wasn’t hot enough for me to stay in, so I stood up, uncorked the drain, and stepped out of the tub before wrapping a fluffy towel around my body.

Something about earlier today made me antsy. I needed to do something, and the irritation was growing. I hadn’t felt the need for anything other than to not exist in so long, so I was a little confused about how to handle this.

Making my way to my closet, I pulled on some underwear, baggy sweats that weren’t so baggy before, and a shirt one of my bonded left in here. It was a soft tee in a light green. Tugging it over my head, I looked around for some comfortable shoes, then decided that was a bad idea and put on some soft socks instead.

I stepped out of the closet and made my way to the door that led to the hallway. I stood there, staring at it, willing it to open and let me out, but it didn’t budge, and neither did my body.

Why was this so hard? My body was my own again, but I had little to no control over it. I just wanted to step out and see how I felt after only seeing these walls.

I took some deep breaths, willed back the tears that wanted to fall, and lifted my arm, gripping the handle and turning it until the door popped open a smidge. The hinges creaked, but there were no other sounds in the hallway as far as I could tell.

A few more seconds passed, and I was finally able to pull it all the way open. Anxiety washed over me, and I stepped back, but my eyes were locked on the open doorway.

“You can do this, Lena. It’s just a few steps, then we will see how we feel. That’s all I need to do.” My pep talk worked enough to get me to the doorway and peer out, left then right. It was empty.

Some of the anxiety left, knowing there was no one around to witness this shit show.

“Okay, good. One more step, then.” I stepped into the hallway, then stopped. No feeling of impending doom washed over me, so I took it as a good sign and took a few more steps down the hall. I didn’t have a plan, but my feet were moving, and I wasn’t going to stop them.

Before I knew it, I was down the hallway and turning left toward the library. Was that where I wanted to go? It was as good of a place as any. As soon as I decided, my pace picked up. The thought of holding a book in my hands and curling up in front of the fireplace warmed my dead heart, and a small smile graced my lips. A true, real smile.

Tears welled in my eyes, but I brushed them away as I marched in front of the library doors. I looked up at the massive double doors engraved with beautiful artwork. It was tendrils and flowers all wrapped around each other in a way that seemed chaotic and yet intended. I ran my fingers across the woodwork, then gripped the right door handle before turning it and practically throwing myself inside. The door slammed behind me, but I ignored it as I took the sight in.

It was dim, but there was a fire going across the expansive room by the sitting area. The room was silent, and I was thankful for having it to myself until someone realized I was gone. That was a problem for future Lena, not present Lena. Besides, it would still be a few hours before someone brought me more food and realized I was missing.

The half-run here was catching up with me. I yawned and made my way to the shelf I knew had what I needed. There were people who wanted to read happy humorous stories when they were down in the dumps, but I wanted the dark, gruesome ones that made me feel less crazy, like I wasn’t alone in feeling this way.

Scanning the bookshelf, one book caught my eye. Zoe Letting Go by Nora Price. I read the back cover, finding that it was a story about two girls dealing with anorexia, and knew it was the one for me. I took my newly found book, made my way to the couches, set up a nest of pillows and blankets to keep me warm, and hunkered down for the foreseeable future.

I cracked it open and let out a deep sigh of relief. Somehow I thought I had lost the ability to read, so as I read the first few lines, I nearly squealed. This was needed, and for the moment, I felt a small amount of peace about what I went through and would continue to go through.

This was a marathon, not a sprint, no matter how much I wanted to run away. I snorted, knowing that wasn’t how that saying went.

I read and read, and soon, I was over halfway done. I glanced outside, realizing that the sun had fallen and all hell hadn’t broken loose with my disappearing act. It was coming. I knew it was, but I was enjoying this book too much and relating even more to care.

Calm washed over me as I continued to read, wondering where this story was going, but my eyelids grew heavy, and I couldn’t fight them any longer. The warm fire and the amount of energy I expelled today finally caught up with me, and I dozed off in my little nest.

I stuffed my face with chocolate ice cream. The creamy goodness melted on my tongue, then I looked down and realized I was sitting on a toilet made out of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos and hoped none of the spicy dust made it onto my vagina. No one needed a Cheeto UTI.

I didn’t plan on moving since it was comfortable enough and songs by Ghost were blasting through the air vents. This was the perfect way to use the toilet, and no one could convince me otherwise.

My bowl was half finished when “Kiss The Go-Goat” turned into someone calling for me. Satan wanted a kiss? Don’t mind if I do.

I snorted and looked around, waiting for someone to appear, but the walls became hazy, and the voice grew louder, pulling me from my deep sleep.

Why was someone screaming? I rolled over, trying to adjust my position, but I had forgotten that I was on a couch and not in my bed. Instead of rolling to the other side, I fell off the couch with a thud, wrapped in ten pounds of blankets and pillows.

I groaned on the floor, trying to find the will to get back up, when someone slammed open the doors, yelling my name. “Lena! Are you in here?”

For a second, I thought about not answering, then I thought better of it, then I didn’t really want to use my energy to speak, then—

My internal back and forth was cut off by the loud person running over to the sitting area and spotting me on the floor.

“What the hell, Lena? Why are you on the floor? Why didn’t you tell anyone you were coming here? What is wro—“

“Hi, Ira,” I grumbled while pushing myself to a sitting position.

She sighed and helped pull the blankets off of me. “Hi, Lena.” I looked up into her eyes, and there was so much more there than just a ‘hi, Lena.’ She wanted to yell at me for leaving, for secluding myself, for not accepting her help, but she wouldn’t. Her eyes would, though, so Ira didn’t actually have to say anything to me. “We should have known you’d come here. Did you enjoy reading?” Ira glanced over to the book that was sprawled out next to me before picking it up.

“I did, and if you’ll excuse me, I will continue to do so.”

Ira read the back of the book and grimaced before looking at me. “This?”

“Yes. It helps.”

She sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, forcing herself not to say anything else, before nodding and handing me back my book.

Ira helped me onto the couch, wrapped me back up, and kissed me on the forehead. “I’m going to go tell the others, but if it’s all right with you, I would like to come read with you here.” There was so much hope in her brown eyes that glowed red in the firelight. I couldn’t tell her no even though I wanted to have this time to myself.

I nodded, and her lips turned up into a radiant smile before she gave me a quick kiss on the lips and ran off through the door she had previously kicked in.

With a sigh, I cracked open the book once again to find my place as I waited for Ira to join me.

Atticus

Ihad been lurking in the shadows, watching Cora and Andrin spar, when things took a turn. There was a part of me that knew I should kill him the moment we had the dagger ready, but doing so would hurt Cora and Lena.

I had nothing against their relationship, whatever it might end up being, but he had hurt them, and his actions led to our current circumstances. He was the reason Coralena had even been here in Incyssia. I knew I should be thankful for that, and I was, but underneath it all, a rage simmered.

When Coralena was first brought here, I explained that his actions were tradition and what they believed to be incest, as the humans called, wasn’t quite the same. All was true, so that wasn’t the part that bothered me.

Truthfully, I hadn’t figured out what part irked me. Well, besides him hurting Cora and Lena in the beginning. If he hadn’t—I scoffed, knowing I was going in circles.

It was always the same. Anger at Andrin forcing himself on Coralena, leading to Covet and Kelby being kidnapped, then happiness because he was the only reason they were here with us, even with them in such horrid states at the moment. Over and over those thoughts went through my mind. Gratefulness and ire. At times, they traded dominance. Other times, they commingled into a ball that sat like a boulder on my chest.

It was a horrendous combination to have whirling around inside while trying to forge a dagger to end Calliope and Galvin and searching for their whereabouts.

I had been searching since the children were taken, but I hadn’t been able to find them yet. Of course, I had scoured every inch of Oedinia’s castle and the one in Nularoth where Kiran’s parents resided. No one was to be found. Even Wren was missing, probably to ensure she didn’t speak a word of their location and to protect her from us in some sense.

We knew she had nothing to do with it, not really. She was a bystander in everything. That was awful in its own right, but she wasn’t even close to being at the top of our list to torture information out of. Not that Ira wanted to go that route.

No, Ira preferred to do things in a nicer way until we absolutely had to change course. Poe and I, however, didn’t always listen. We had heard inklings and took matters into our own hands to find out if the information was true. So far, nothing was.

Various people from across the Oedinia, Nularoth, and other kingdoms had mentioned sightings, but they had either been mistaken or had hoped their lies magically became true.

I huffed out a breath and turned away from Cora and Andrin as they kissed. If I was correct, this was their first one. I stalked her enough to feel confident in that. I peeked in on Lena every now and then, but she didn’t leave her room, so I wasn’t as worried about keeping an eye on her.

As soon as I stepped into the fortress, I allowed the shadows to dissipate, revealing my form. I marched through the castle haphazardly. It would be another day until we could take more blood from Andrin. I thought we were being too soft on him, considering we couldn’t kill him by taking too much, but Ira insisted we did it this way. Her logic was needing his iron to be built back up enough to make his blood usable. I knew she was right, but my impatience grew which wasn’t something I was used to.

I was an assassin. Patience was a part of the game, but when it came to saving our children, I had none.

With Cora occupied, Cillian spending time with Lena, Ira doing who knew what, that only left one person for me to seek out.

I turned the corner and decided to walk the rest of the way instead of teleporting. I had too much time on my hands, and traipsing around the castle in search of something to do knocked quite a bit off of it. Part of it was boredom, but the other part was ensuring no one else came in to somehow kidnap Cora and Lena. I thought of watching over Andrin, but based on what we knew about their parents, they wouldn’t need him to produce more heirs.

My lips turned up in a snarl. How a father could do that to his own children was beyond me. The second Covet and Kelby were back in our arms, they would be the most spoiled and loved children to ever walk this realm. They would want for nothing, be trained in every fashion, and would enjoy life however they saw fit. At least, that’s what I wanted. I knew they would have to be ready to take over the throne of Oedinia one day, but that was far off as long as we all remained.

That topic hadn’t come up yet, but it would need to. Would we all take over and rule Oedinia? Kiran was the heir to the Nularoth throne, so that was one complication. Andrin was technically the king already, and this was a mess.

I rubbed a hand down my face, trying to push aside all of my thoughts as I stepped in front of my old room’s door.

The sleeping arrangements weren’t what they were before. We all traded who slept with Lena if she allowed us in. Sometimes Cora made it there, but she tended to pass out in the first room in this hall which had been previously vacant. She came in after all of us and was out the door before we woke up. Cillian and Ira strangely shared a room next to Lena’s. Mine was almost across the hall. The one across from me was still charred from Remy’s outburst. I took a deep breath at the thought of her, then shook my head and opened the door.

Sitting by the fireplace in one of the large wingback chairs was Blair, sipping tea and reading a book. He had never been much of a reader before, but he wanted to feel closer to Lena even if she wanted us as far away as possible.

He turned when he heard me walk in and gave me a bright smile. It wasn’t the same as it used to be. The darkness converged on his heart that day. He blamed himself for losing the twins to Willas and Lillin. How was he supposed to know they were working with Calliope and Galvin? They were Kiran’s parents and were a key part in the resistance against their ways. They had snuck in, claiming to be searching for their son, then distracted him by asking about the twins before stabbing him repeatedly.

Thankfully, we got to him in time to heal his wounds. He wasn’t a royal nymph, so there was a large possibility of losing him. We almost did. I felt it. Cora and Lena didn’t because they hadn’t completed the bond, but I felt death creeping in, and it nearly broke me.

I smiled back and went to him, giving him a chaste kiss before sitting down in the opposite chair.

“How is everyone?” he asked, setting the book on his lap and his tea on the side table, giving me his full attention.

“The same, unfortunately.” He nodded and pursed his lips. “Except one thing.” Blair perked up at that. I hadn’t brought any news recently, and even this small bit would be riveting to him. “Cora kissed Andrin.”

Blair’s jaw fell in shock. “Oh? We knew it was coming. They have grown closer. Now, if you had said it was Lena, I’d drop dead.” I glared at him, hating how blasé he was about his near death. Losing the twins wrecked him, but nearly dying was now a funny story to bring up any time he irked me. “If you keep looking at me like that, I just might, Attie,” he teased, and I rolled my eyes with a smirk.

“We may have known it was coming, but it was still a shock to see. It wasn’t—I don’t know how to explain it. It wasn’t a love-filled kiss. There was anger and passion. She hasn’t forgiven him, not completely, but I think she’s done fighting the feelings she has for him.”

Blair snorted. “Maybe because she’s too exhausted to keep fighting mentally.”

I nodded in agreement. “You know we’ve all spoken to her. It changed nothing. She won’t take a break, barely sleeps.” I sighed. “I don’t know how to help anymore. They won’t let us.”

“It’s not our choice. They have to want help in order to receive it. They aren’t ready.”

“Are you?” Blair glared at me, but it was a fair question. “Are you?” I repeated.

“I haven’t decided yet. I’ll let you know when we get them back.” His voice was small as he turned to stare into the fire. “I want to feel better, but with them gone, I don’t think I can. How would it be fair to anyone if I was happy in this situation?”

I stood up and knelt in front of Blair, forcing him to look me in my white eyes. “I never said you had to be happy. I asked if you were ready to receive help. Happiness is a long way off for all of us, but we don’t have to feel like complete wastes while we formulate a plan. You can be as pissed as you want, but it wasn’t your fault, and you need to accept that.”

“But it was!” Blair stood from his chair, knocking me back on my ass. “I was the one watching them. I was supposed to protect them!”

I pushed myself up and stared down into his green eyes flecked with orange and yellow. I loved these eyes and the man they belonged to, but I was tired of this conversation. I was tired of every conversation I had had with everyone for the last three months.

My nostrils flared, and I let the anger fill me. “No, Blair. It’s their fault. End of story,” I ground out.

“But—“

“No buts. It was them, not you. They will rot in the ground after I torture them for however long I see fit. You know I’m not one to pacify. Neither are you. If I thought you had any part in this, you’d know. Do you think Cora or Lena or any of the others would let you off the hook if they blamed you? Ira would have burned you to a crisp, just short of death so you could suffer for the rest of your life. None of that happened though. We don’t blame you. You happened to be the one watching them. That’s it. Would you have rather they stabbed Cora and Lena and taken the twins?”

He guffawed at my suggestion. “Of course not! I would—“

“Would never wish for that trade. You lived, and if they had come across as a threat, you would have ended them without thinking about Kiran or anyone other than Covett and Kelby. Can you please believe me when I say it wasn’t your fault now?” I closed my eyes as exhaustion from the last few months washed over me. I needed to nap for a week, but I refused to let my guard down.

Blair remained silent for a few moments, then his chin dropped to his chest. “I know all of that is true, but the thoughts are still there, blaming me.”

“Then when those thoughts pop up, tell them I said to fuck off because they are wrong.” I shrugged, and Blair chuckled before falling into me and wrapping his arms around my torso.

“Thank you.” I held him close and nodded into his soft brown hair that had grown far past his shoulders.

I took a deep breath, knowing I had lied. I didn’t blame him, but I knew the thought was out there in others.

One problem at a time. Just one.

Kiran

Ipaced around the gardens, the earth beneath my feet wearing down from my powers pressing against it over and over. In my hand, I held a letter from my sister, Alivia. She hadn’t seen or heard from our parents, and Nularoth was in shambles.

Their disappearance shook the foundation. They were well-loved there, had been fair leaders, and had given us no indication that they were working with Calliope and Galvin. I certainly had a hard time believing it, but after what they did to Remy and Blair, it was impossible to deny their role in all of this.

They had played their part as best friends to the royals of Oedinia, but it turned out it wasn’t a role. They were always on the same side, intent on forging a strong bond between our two nations. The exact plans weren’t clear, and I couldn’t imagine them pulling me into their folds to form a bond with Coralena, considering Calliope and Galvin were determined to keep the bloodline as pure as possible.

I wracked my brain for other possibilities. If Coralena and Andrin had enough children, sending one to bond with one of mine would make sense, but that was a long game to play. So much could have happened between now and then.

Was my sister part of the plan? I came up with the same issue. They wouldn’t risk an impure line with Andrin and Alivia.

I rubbed my chin and tousled my hair, pulling at the roots. What was I missing?

Calliope and Galvin had tried for years to have more children, but it never happened. Cherik and Dwyna, a.k.a Lennon and Nora, were never able to reproduce, so they—Wren!

Whatever they were planning had to include Wren. There was no other explanation. Of course, they didn’t know that she wasn’t actually related to the royals, but that wouldn’t matter if she were sent off to bond with me. That entire plan would have been messed up with the disappearance of Cora and Lena, but the second they came back into the picture, the old plan would be placed again.

That was if this was their plan. I had no way of knowing, but it was the best I had to go with right now. The question now was why would they risk infiltrating our stronghold in Onulon and kidnapping Covett and Kelby for them if there wasn’t anything to gain. I wouldn’t be mating Wren. Alivia had an inkling of who her bonded were. That left Oren, our younger brother.

Calliope and Galvin had their heirs, and if my thinking was correct, Galvin would father the next generation if he needed to, then they would send Wren to Nularoth to help rule beside Oren. Alivia was firmly on our side. We were closer to each other than with Oren, and now that I thought about it, that made sense. Our parents wanted him ostracized from us. They were training him to have their beliefs.

Fucking dammit. How had I missed all of this? How was I so blind to my own parents’ bullshit?

I groaned and kicked a rock that went flying over the nearby hedge. I heard it crash against a tree, then the sound of the tree falling. I took a deep breath. Anger and self-doubt weren’t going to help anyone. Besides, the others had enough of that to go around.

I had been so in my head that I hadn’t heard someone come up behind me, but I felt an arm snake around my waist and a head rest against my upper back.

“What are you doing out here?”

I lifted the letter and jiggled it in the air. “Alivia sent a letter. She hasn’t heard anything but promises to tell me the second she does. I don’t think they will be able to stay away from her or Oren forever, so it’s only a matter of time before we get a lead.” I turned and looked down at my bonded, her brown eyes raging with the need for revenge. “I hate that they hurt you.”

She nodded and looked down at her missing left arm, a casualty from her battle with my parents.

“I demand an arm from each of them as an ‘I’m sorry.’ Does that sound fair?” Remy joked, and I laughed.

“More than fair.” She pushed up slightly on the balls of her feet and kissed me with so much passion and hunger, but I pulled away.

“Remy.”

“Don’t you Remy me. It’s been over a month. I’m dying here.” I grimaced. The last time we were intimate, I accidentally bumped her healing shoulder and refused to do anything again until it was completely healed.

“But, Remy—“

“No! It’s healed, look.” She waggled what she referred to as her nubbin in my face. “All healed.”

I rolled my eyes. “Did the doctor say that, or is it just you being horny?”

She stuck her tongue out at me and stepped back. “I’ll duel you for it.”

“For sex?”

“Yeah, why not. If I win or even get close to it without hurting myself, you’ll know I’m good to rough up in bed.”

Remy winked and took a few more steps back before bringing out her new trick. With her entire right arm missing up to the shoulder, she had been creative in using her fire powers. Instead of forming a limb that resembled an arm, Remy forged weapons. Swords, maces, morning stars, whips, whatever she could think of. This time, she chose a giant flail made of flames and bits of what she referred to as lava.

Her heritage had some earth nymph, so molten rock was in her wheelhouse. It was terrifying but also made my dick very hard at the thought of her kicking someone’s ass with it. Even if that ass was mine.

I forced a fake groan and rolled my eyes. “Fine.” I looked at her and smirked as my own flail made of rock formed in my hand. “Show me what Ira has been teaching you.”

“With pleasure.”

Remy swung the flail, aiming for my crotch, and I leapt out of the way in the nick of time. “If you want sex, why would you damage my dick?” She cackled and swung again. This time she aimed for my chest, and I sliced through her flame with my rocks, not thinking about how they would continue.

I cut through what would be the chain, but the striking head continued, dissipating when it hit dead center, scorching my shirt in the process.

“Oops.” Remy waggled her eyebrows at me as she waited for my reaction.

“I definitely underestimated you.” I should have learned by now not to underestimate her, ever. Remy had been working hard to build up her powers before everything went to shit, then after she was able to get out of bed after losing her arm, she started training again. I had years under my belt, but Remy had pure determination to fuck people up for what they did to her and her best friends.

“No fucking shit, Kiki.” I rolled my eyes. She knew how much I hated that nickname and purposefully used it to irritate me.

“That was a bad idea, Firefly.” I pounced forward, swinging my makeshift flail toward her thigh, then changing direction so it popped up into her good hand. She moved just enough to avoid a full force impact, but it skirted across the bottom of her forearm.

“Ouch, god dammit!” she wailed but kept her eyes on me despite the pain I knew that caused.

“After having my arm crushed off of my body, you’d think I’d be able to handle pain a bit more.” Remy was the master of dark humor. She was always a sassy shit before, but now, it had gotten so much worse.

The second anyone said or did anything that annoyed her or they tried to talk down to her for some reason, she brought up that she was the closest to getting the twins back, had only been using her powers for a couple of months and held her own against a few century-old royals, and lived through losing an arm and came out stronger for it. Remy took no shit and was very clear on how much she hated how the others were handling Cora and Lena.

Honestly, I hated it too, but they were her bonded, and it was something they needed to work through. Remy, Poe, and partially Andrin were my concerns at the moment outside of figuring out my parents’ plan and getting back the babies.

It was all a mess, but I refused to spread myself too thin and fail everyone again.

Remy brought me out of my thoughts by slashing her flail through the air, aiming for my head. I ducked and retaliated which she wasn’t prepared for. Overconfidence was her downfall in every spar we had. She thought she had the upper hand, but it always turned out that she was wrong.

Her eyes grew wide as the end of my flail turned into a ball and slammed into her abdomen, knocking her to the ground with an oomph.

She rolled and groaned with all the dramatics in the world. Remy had been hit plenty hard by Ira who didn’t hold back after the first week or so of training.

I walked over and stood above her. “I win.”

“You won the battle but not a blowjob, you asshole.” A loud, boisterous laugh bubbled up inside of me. My head fell back, and I knew if anyone was nearby, they would think I was going insane.

My laughter calmed down, and I reached my hand out for Remy, helping her to stand. “I needed that.” She waved her hand through the air and turned to walk away.

I reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her back to me. “You proved your point though.” Before she could say anything else, I bent over, threw Remy over my shoulder, and made my way to the castle.

Truthfully, I had wanted to throw her onto the bed many times since then, but my worries outweighed the need to be inside of her. Today, though, those worries were extinguished, and the flames of want grew tenfold.

Remy

Finally.

I had been intimate with Poe over the last month and a half, but this wasn’t just about sex. Kiran was stressed. I was stressed. Hell, everyone in this damn castle was stressed. I needed to break him from that cycle, and nothing else had worked, so I figured why not spar, then spar some more but in bed.

My stomach was sore from the punch I took and Kiran’s shoulder digging into it, but I bit my lip and forced myself to deal with the pain until we were in the bedroom.

The last time we had sex, it was a little… I don’t even know how to explain it. It was different. He was worried about hurting me, and I was worried about somehow sucking at fucking after losing an arm. That wasn’t the case. I was amazing as always, but the energy wasn’t there.

I was hoping today would be better, and so far, it was. The hunger was in his eyes, and the worry was gone. There was still some pain left over from my injury, but it wasn’t necessarily physical. Phantom limb pain was what they called it in the human world. I never understood it, but now I did, and it was absolute hell.

I knew it would come up eventually, but how did you explain it to someone that had all their limbs? It wasn’t something that would magically go away, and bumping my nubbin didn’t make it worse. It was what it was, and that was that.

Kiran kicked open our bedroom door, then slammed it shut before tossing me onto the bed and stripping off his sweat-covered clothes. We shared the suite with Andrin and Poe, and I heard the shower running, but that wasn’t going to stop me.

I ripped off my shirt, then my pants as Kiran crawled onto the bed and positioned himself between my legs. His rock-hard cock nudged my wet center, and I groaned, pressing down into him, needing more.

He pulled back, teasing me, but I wasn’t having that. I gripped onto his floppy brown locks, locked his legs with my feet, and bucked my hips, flipping us so I was on top. Without hesitation, I positioned his cock and impaled myself with a loud moan. He hissed as he entered me, meeting the back of my thighs with his hips, and dug his fingers into mine, holding me still.

Kiran ground into me, refusing to let any part of his hard cock to slip out. I wiggled on top of him, rubbing my aching clit onto him, begging for the friction it desired.

I leaned forward, holding myself up with my remaining arm. My nails sliced into his shoulder with the force of my grasp, causing him to hiss and cuss at the sting. Kiran was a sucker for a little pain with his pleasure, though, so it did exactly what I wanted it to.

His grip tightened, and he lifted me off of his dick and slammed me back down. I groaned at the force, but he didn’t stop. Kiran lifted me again and again, dominating my cunt from beneath me. The roughness let me relax and push aside all the thoughts that threatened to overtake me at any moment.

I raked my nails down his chest, and he finally had enough, flipping us over so he lorded over me with a devilish smirk that told me he had waited for this moment and was going to savor it. Kiran pulled out completely, and I rebelled, scooching down, wanting it back in me after all this time.

He wasn’t having it and pulled away before dropping his head and sucking one of my nipples into his mouth. Everything was sensitive from the deprivation my accident had caused. I cried out and arched into his touch, needing more. He obliged, massaging my other breast in his calloused hand and pinching and twisting my nipple with his fingers.

It was intoxicating, but I wanted so much more. I wove my fingers into his hair and tried pulling him back so we could get to the end faster and start all over until I was completely sated.

There weren’t many downsides to having only one arm, but I wasn’t anywhere near as strong as Kiran on a good day, so cutting my arm strength in half was a real pain in the ass. I tugged on his hair, but it didn’t do a damn thing. Kiran stayed right where he wanted to be, torturing me until I cried with frustration and he finally showed me mercy.

He switched nipples, sucking my right one into his mouth and letting his fingers toy with the left one.

After another minute of trying to rip him off of me, I broke. “Kiran, enough, god damn it! You’re supposed to be fucking me.”

He released my nipple and looked up at me. “Foreplay is important, Remy.” He smirked and gave me his best puppy dog look, but it wasn’t fooling anyone.

“There’s a time and place for foreplay. This isn’t it. I want to be fucked like I haven’t had sex in three months, and I expect innumerable amount of orgasms to go along with the fucking. Now hop to it and—“ He shut me up by flipping me over and crushing my face against the soft blanket before lining himself up and driving into me.

I gasped, arched my back, and pressed into him as best as I could in this position. He rammed into me without remorse, and this was exactly what I needed. I reached down, intent on playing with myself as my first orgasm built up. His cock wouldn’t be enough, but I knew what buttons to press.

However, Kiran yanked my arm away and pinned it to the mattress before peppering kisses along my back as his tempo slowed.

“Kiran, you fucking dick,” I mumbled into the blanket.

He chuckled and removed his hand from my head and snaked it under me to do what I had wanted. He rubbed lazy circles around my clit, driving me even crazier. I was practically bucking against him backwards, then grinding against his fingers on the downward thrust.

I felt the familiar tingle and rise of ecstasy, but of course, he couldn’t let me off that easily.

Kiran let go of my arm and wrapped his around my waist and pulled my back to his chest. His hand traveled up mine and gripped my neck, holding me in place. Kiran continued to thrust up into me and changed direction of his circling, annoying the fuck out of me.

I moaned and groaned, needing that first climax to end this torture. Thankfully, the new position raked his hard cock against my G-spot and increased every ounce of pleasure I was feeling.

I was almost pissed when Kiran removed his fingers from my clit, then one slithered into my cunt, stretching me further, and his thumb took over clit duty.

One swipe of his finger inside me and I was done for. I came on his cock, my muscles massaging the ever living fuck out of him. “Don’t stop!” I yelled, and he continued until his own orgasm took over and I felt his hot cum spew inside of me, covering every inch.

We sat there with his hand around my neck and our chests rising and falling in unison for a few minutes as we caught our breath. Then we collapsed next to each other, holding the other close despite the sweaty stickiness that coated our skin. We would both need showers after this, but we weren’t anywhere near finished yet.

Even now, Kiran lazily massaged my pussy, keeping my pleasure going as he geared up for round two. I crashed my lips to his, content for the moment, but so ready for more. He was a dick, but he was my dick, and no matter what, I knew he would give me what I needed. Not always what I wanted, but that was less important. Not that I would ever openly admit that.

Poe finally came out of the bathroom with a half-startled gasp, then came over and peered down at me with a smirk. “How much convincing did it take?”

I smiled up at her before she leaned down and claimed my lips with hers, tangling our tongues together. Pulling away, I responded, “Less than I thought.” I winked at Kiran who rolled his eyes, then slunk down and pulled my clit into his mouth, setting off orgasm number two. Poe claimed my lips as I rode the high of another orgasm.

They both released me, and I let out a sigh of relief. Whatever was going on out there in the world and inside this castle, I had amazing bonded who loved me and at least tolerated each other. On my side, things were looking up, but hell was on its way to burst my happy post orgasm bubble.

I knew any happiness I had wouldn’t last when there was so much strife around us, but I took every chance I could get to feel this way.

Kiran hopped off the bed, pulling me along with him. “It’s our turn for a shower.”

I laughed and followed behind Kiran before looking back at Poe. “Care to join us, my little ass-assin?”

She snorted at the nickname because I emphasized ass. It fit, made her smile, and I would use it every chance I got.

“Anything for you, vurltuule.”

I smiled at her nickname for me. She said it wasn’t easily translated but fit my fiery personality and the passion I had for everything.

Poe joined us, and the next few hours were a haze of orgasms and love.

Ira

Lena picked out a book for me before we collapsed on the couch, enjoying each other’s company. Silence fell over the room, but it wasn’t awkward or unwanted as it had been recently. She felt a bit more like… I wanted to say Coralena, but that wasn’t right. However, I didn’t have a reference for who Lena was before, nor Cora.

I pieced together snippets thanks to Remy, but otherwise, only Andrin had truly met them before they merged. Blair and Kiran were passersby, so I didn’t really count them.

I saw hints of who they used to be and the parts that were merged into Coralena though. It was enjoyable, like solving a puzzle made solely for me, but it was incomplete. Cora and Lena lost parts of themselves, and I didn’t know how to get them back or if I even could.

A sigh nearly left my lips, but I held it back and refocused on the book in front of me. I didn’t know the title or what was happening in it. My focus was pulled to Lena every few seconds, so I timed my page turns with hers to mimic reading.

Lena didn’t look up from her book, but she asked, “How is your book? I read that one a few years ago. The cat was one of the best parts.”

Taking a deep breath, I nodded in agreement as I stared at her profile. “Yes—“ My response was cut short when a smirk pulled at the corner of her lips. I tilted my head, wondering what created such an expression. Was it something in the book? I leaned over to peer over her shoulder, but she snapped it shut.

“There’s no cat in Wicked Dreams, Ira. Have you read it at all?“ Lena turned to face me, adjusting the blankets and pillows around her.

“Ah, well—“

“That’s a no.”

I chuckled and closed the book, placing it on my lap. “You were far more interesting than the book.” I shrugged. I would have much preferred watching her read with the fire to my back than reading a book myself. At least right now. If this were a few months ago, I would have happily read with Lena for hours, but my time with her was precious, and I didn’t want to daydream it away.

A small smile crossed her lips, but it was gone as quickly as it came. “It’s a really good book.” She glanced down at it, keeping her eyes trained on it. “A woman is kidnapped by four men. She hates them at first, but then they and their darkness grow on her. There’s lots of sex and emotional growth. It hits a little close to home, but I’m kind of digging that right now.”

“I see. What’s your book about, then?” Lena looked up at me, then at the book in her lap. “I can’t explain it. Every detail is important to the story. One wrong move and I would ruin the entire thing.”

“Then I will have to read it, won’t I?” Lena nibbled on her lower lip and twiddled with the cover in her hands.

“You don’t have to do that. It’s about a girl battling an eating disorder and—“

“All the more reason to read it, Lena. This isn’t something I have seen in our world, so maybe it would give me some insight so I can understand what’s happening. And I thought you said you couldn’t tell me anything?” I smiled at her to ensure she knew I was joking.

“Okay, besides that, I can’t tell you anything. You learn it in the first chapter, but the rest is all spoiler. I’m almost done with it, then you can read it. I’ll pick out some others like it.

Everyone’s…“ She paused, looking up at the ceiling. “It’s hard to explain. I know you guys have depression-like mental bullshittery here and other stuff, right?” I nodded. “Well, there’s more in the human world, and everyone’s is different. It can be the same problem, but everything about it is different, which makes it hard to understand and handle. Does that make sense?” Again, I nodded. “So each book will be the same but different.”

“Then maybe I will understand Cora too.” My voice was nearly a whisper. Despite Cora’s reaction to everything, I understood her the least. I was the warrior, the trainer, the one who should fall easily into train, then sleep, train, then sleep, but that wasn’t the case.

Whenever I was sad, I took time away, locking myself from the world, like Lena. I wanted the opposite of my normal routine, so in that sense, I supposed I understood Cora, but it was still hard to wrap my head around.

“Yeah, maybe.” Lena reopened her book and flipped to the page she was on before ignoring my presence once more. I wasn’t sure if it was something I had said or if the minimal interaction we had was overloading her after so long without it.

I hoped the books helped. Not just me, but her as well. I didn’t care if the others liked or disliked reading. If the stack she picked out for me gave any level of insight, they would be forced to read them as well.

After one last look at Lena, I decided a little time in a book wouldn’t be a bad thing, so I leaned back into the couch, got comfortable, and turned to page one.

I watched as the syringe pulled from Andrin’s arm, over and over until we had taken all we could. Thankfully he was a royal, so we didn’t have to be as nice about the process. Besides, he deserved some pain for what he did.

His past atrocities weren’t completely forgotten, but unlike the others, I was not on the grounds when it happened nor did I know Cora and Lena were mine at the time. That created a small amount of distance between what Remy still enjoyed calling ‘the rapening’ and my view of it.

Nonetheless, I smiled as he winced each time the needle went in. I had talked to Atticus about it once, and we seemed to be on a similar page. Neither of us enjoyed the pain he had caused, but it was the way of our world, and we needed to move past it.

As long as Cora, Lena, and well, Coralena were happy with him around, there would be no issues.

“That’s the last draw, Seph.”

“Take more. We have put this off too long already.” Andrin tried arguing with me each time we did this, but I wouldn’t let him dictate anything in regards to the dagger. If we had time and more of their blood, I would forge multiple weapons, each suiting a different member of our… honestly, I didn’t know what to call us, but that was beside the point.

Each of us would have a weapon made with the blood of a royal water nymph to ensure the deaths of Calliope and Galvin, but we had neither time nor blood for it. A single dagger would have to do.

There was a reason so many royal nymphs lived for hundreds of years. Sickness didn’t kill them, nor did anything but these damned special blades. I ground my teeth in annoyance, attempting to push down the simmering fire that wanted to erupt.

I had a decent amount of control over my emotions, but by nature, I was a fire nymph, and there was nothing I could do about it in the end.

“I said you are done, Andrin. Stop behaving as if you have power over me here. I am in charge, and you will accept that.” I turned to leave, knowing Seph would take care of the blood we had harvested. It was kept in the cellar, nicely cool but not to the point of freezing. I hoped it worked to keep what we had in stock fresh enough to perform the forging. This hadn’t been done in centuries, so we were going off of old knowledge that might have been exaggerated or a piece could be missing. We wouldn’t know until we tried.

I closed my eyes, knowing that we really only had one shot at this, and if I failed, Cora and Lena would have to find a different sort of revenge. I had a backup plan, but I was far less fond of it.

“Ira, that’s not—“

I spun back around. “I know. You are still finding your place, and with everything—“ I cleared my throat. “It’s been difficult in different ways for all of us. Trust me on this, Andrin. I am doing what is best.” I think.

“Knowing what’s happening there is making me antsy. I grew up in that castle with them. It wasn’t bad, Ira. It was—“

“You were loved, but you were also taught to be something you now hate,” I finished for him.

Andrin nodded and rubbed his hands down his face as Seph left the room. “A part of me is envious of them. Even if we didn’t get them back, I know they will be cherished, and they will have each other. I was alone, or thought I was alone until I truly was.” My mouth turned down into a slight frown, knowing too well how that felt.

“I had no siblings, even ones that were taken from me. I had family, of course, but no one close enough. Certainly nothing like Cora and Lena.” I closed the door, wanting some privacy for the two of us to spill our inner secrets in hopes to connect with the man my bonded called brother and lover. Leaning back against it, I watched him slouch into the chair and stare up at the ceiling.

“It’s a terrible thing to go through. It’s a terrible thing to think. All of it. How can I be envious? All I had ever wanted was Cora and Lena. I finally have them, but—“ He trailed off, shaking his head. “Covett and Kelby have what I always wanted. I want them back in my arms, in that castle where we can raise them to be better rulers and nymphs than my parents ever were. I’m sure we can, so that’s my dream.” He remained still and let a heavy silence fall over us.

“They will be in some ways, but you do know who will be helping raise the twins, right? They are going to be beautifully tormented in completely different ways if Atticus and Remy have any say. Now, if it were just Kiran and Poe, they might have stood a chance.” We shared a chuckle, and Andrin finally tilted his head down and looked at me from across the room. His sea blue eyes met my reddish brown gaze, and a mutual understanding flitted between us. One we had had a few times before during these sessions.

“You’re going to be a decent father.”

He scoffed. “Decent? That’s quite the word choice.”

“You’re a decent man, a decent mate, and a decent friend. There’s room for improvement, but you aren’t the worst.” I shrugged and turned to open the door.

Before I stepped into the hallway, Andrin’s words stopped me in my tracks. “Thank you for being a decent person to this miserable wreck of a nymph, Ira. You’ll never know how much I appreciate it.” His words were a whisper in the otherwise silent room. They almost clanged off the walls and metal instruments.

I let them reverberate in my chest and take up home there. I didn’t know how much I needed that, but after hearing those words, a small weight lifted off of me. “You’re welcome,” I whispered back and left without another word.

Cora

“Wait, what?”

“Please don’t make her repeat it again,” Remy groaned after I had questioned Ira about five times since she called this meeting an hour ago. She slumped in her chair, and as I looked around the room, almost everyone had a similar expression. Either that or they were schooling their features far too well. Cough, Atticus, cough, cough.

“Just one more time for the people in the back.” I clasped my hands together in a begging fashion and jutted out my bottom lip, hoping she would have mercy on my overworked brain.

Ira sighed but began again. “I have enough of Andrin’s blood to attempt a blade now. He gave his last donation a couple of hours ago, and after double checking, I think we are ready.”

“How hard was that to understand?” Lena jested from her seat on the couch, wrapped in ten too many blankets.

“All of it. You might have locked yourself up so you didn’t have to hear any of this, but they kept it all from me on purpose.” I crossed my arms and glared at everyone in the room while Lena turned away as if she were attempting not to cry. A part of me wanted to hug her and say I was sorry, but the other couldn’t understand why she did what she did. Logically, I knew it was the opposite for her, but when depression and anxiety reign, logic takes a backseat. “I was with a few of you every day, and no one mentioned we were close to the finish line?”

A few eye rolls popped up, a few hair tugs, and a handful of facepalms.

“Ira kept it from all of us. No one else knew how much blood was needed,” Kiran explained.

“So, Ira, my fiery mate, explain yourself.” I knew she could beat my ass if she wanted to, lock me up and throw away the key if that was her prerogative, or even burn me to a crispy nugget of a person, but none of that stopped me from mouthing off. Besides, she was extra hot when mad at me.

I schooled the smirk that wanted to pop onto my lips and waited.

“Well, Cora,” she started and let her flaming eyes drop to my own, “the measurements aren’t exact, but it looks like we have enough, plus some in case we do need a smidgen more. Everyone is getting antsy and annoying, so I dropped this on your laps, thinking it would be a nice surprise, not cause for an interrogation. Do you want me to make the blasted dagger or not?” If she could, Ira would be on fire right now. What the hell happened today?

I titled my head, debating on what I wanted to say, but Remy beat me to it. “Well, choppity-fucking-chop, fire goddess. Let’s kill those fuckers.” She raised her nubbin and blasted sparklers of fire out of it in celebration.

“Good lord almighty, Rem. How has this world made you weirder?”

“I like to believe that I would be this weird in the human world if I had lost my arm to a glassblowing accident as well. Except minus the fire power, which would be incredibly sad since I can do this.” A full blade shot out, nearly stabbing Kiran and Poe somehow.

“Put that thing away, Remy!” Poe called out as the blade sliced by her face again, illuminating her white eyes, hair, and skin.

“That’s what she said,” Remy mocked back but did as Poe instructed.

“Can we get back to our discussion?” Andrin piped in, eyeing Remy. We were all subjected to their eye fucking, and I had enough.

I formed a large ball of water above Remy’s head and dropped it on her, killing whatever flame was starting to form, metaphorically.

“Cora!” she screamed and stood up, dripping water onto the wooden floor.

“Enough! Why I ever thought it would be a good idea to pull everyone together is beyond me. Leave. I will make the blade and convene with the necessary people to discuss strategy afterward.” I opened my mouth to ask who that was, but Ira cut me off. “No, you are not necessary people. You will be informed of the plan before we go, but no earlier. Now get out. I would like a moment with Atticus.”

Well then.

I stomped to the door, then looked back at Lena. Watching her make her way out of her pile was painful. She was incredibly skinny, and every movement seemed to take a great deal of effort. I wanted to help, but like the others, I didn’t know how, and if I didn’t keep myself busy, I was afraid I would end up like her.

I turned away and ran down the hall, avoiding everyone. I needed to be on the field, feeling the sting of the chains lashing against my skin. Tears creeped into my eyes at the guilt I felt for my thoughts and for not helping her and—I wiped them away, knowing they wouldn’t help anything.

When the time came, I would be ready to fight for what was mine.

I stepped onto the field with the stars shining above me and the dark sky laying over the world like a cool blanket. It was the perfect night to spend outside, and that’s what I planned on doing.

Centering myself on the dirt pit, I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before pulling water to me, willing it to mimic tentacles. It allowed for full protection and a three-sixty attack radius. I had been honing this skill since I thought of it.

I wasn’t certain if hours passed or if it had only been a few minutes, but someone was coming down the small hill away from the castle. Their footsteps echoed in the night, and I knew who it was instantly.

Andrin.

I lashed out the second he stepped in the circle, swiping his feet out from under him before wrapping a tentacle around his foot and dangling him off the ground.

“Very funny, Cora. Put me down.” He tried to act stern, like he was my older brother, but even though he technically was, he also never was. I knew it didn’t fully make sense, but we didn’t grow up with him, and like they said, incest wasn’t a thing here, so it made sense to me.

“As you wish,” I mimicked a phrase he commonly said, but he didn’t know how funny of a reference it was. Dropping him, I watched his face change from slight annoyance to pure agitation. He let out a loud oomph as he hit the ground, and I held back a cringe.

“Why I put up with you, I will never know.” He stood up, dusting off his clothes and face.

I scoffed. “It’s because you love me, and I am one of the few people who puts up with you.” Rolling my eyes, I went back to my tentacle exercises. “Plus, you could have gotten out of that easily. Don’t act like it was all my fault.”

Instead of leaving or saying a word, Andrin stood there at my side, staring at me. After a few minutes, I couldn’t take it anymore. Dropping the water in a big splash around my feet, I whirled on him. “What do you want?”

Without hesitation, he grinned and whispered, “You.” Something about the way he said it felt like a challenge, but before I could contemplate further, Andrin rushed me, threw me over his shoulder, and darted for the pond.

We collapsed against the water’s surface, and when I tried to go up for air, Andrin gripped my wrist and held me down before slamming his lips to mine. It felt as if I could finally breathe for a moment. Everything fell away except for the water and Andrin. I never wanted to leave.

Finally, the lack of oxygen was too much, and I tried swimming to the surface again, but Andrin pulled me deeper into the water. Darkness specked my vision, and my lungs begged for air. Without my consent, my mouth opened, and I breathed in heaps of water, but when I should have drowned and said goodbye to this shitty world, I lived.

The new sensation in my lungs stung, but once I got used to it, I was amazed. No one had mentioned being able to do this, and I wondered why. I gave Andrin an odd look, but all he did was smirk up at me and shrug.

Nodding his head toward the deeper part of the pond, he started swimming, letting his powers propel him through the water. Now that I had been taught, I followed along with relative ease.

We swam together, circling one another, and enjoyed each other’s company for a long time, but curiosity soon got the better of me, and I signaled for him to resurface. This time, he obliged.

Breathing in air after so much water was also painful, but we soon readjusted to the life of an oxygen breathing creature.

“What the fuck was that?” I asked. “Why did no one else mention it? That was amazing! Can Remy and Ira breathe in lava?” I had no idea why that was my first thought, but I wasn’t going to question it.

Andrin chuckled and leaned back to float through the water as he explained. “As far as I know, only royal nymphs have a special ability like that. I’m not sure what the other royal types can do, but water nymphs have this. It’s not really an ability from what I can tell. I believe it has to do with us being practically immortal. The water wants to kill us, but it can’t. We can’t drown, so our bodies simply accept it and allow us to ‘breathe’ underwater.”

I was in awe. Never had I expected to be able to do such a thing. Nearly every girl grew up wanting to be a mermaid, and here I was, one step from it.

“I’m never leaving this place,” I muttered in awe, then dove back down into the water. I didn’t look back to see if Andrin followed me. It didn’t matter. This was where I wanted to be with or without him. With him was just a plus.

I went as deep as I could and pressed my feet into the gook covered sand before calling my powers to me. With one glance to make sure Andrin was out of the way, I shot up through the water like a rocket and flew through the air. The split second where I merely floated in midair was peaceful. The water droplets danced across my skin, the cool air zapped my senses, and I didn’t feel alone.

The freefall down was another story. Everything came tumbling back, and I felt like I was drowning despite being unable to. Just when I thought I was going to crash down, strong arms wrapped around my waist and shielded me from the stinging impact of the water.

When the bubbles dissipated, all I saw was Andrin. He didn’t leave. He didn’t flee when he could have simply aided our parents. Andrin stayed by our side, my side, through everything. He was a bastard, but he was ours, and I loved him more for it.

I slid my fingers through his blond hair and pressed my lips to his. The kiss grew heated, and I knew tonight was going to be one I would never forget.

Andrin

Our tongues warred with each other, neither of us wanting to give up any amount of control. I had been in control my entire life until recently. With them, with all of them, I wanted to be different and could be different. Ira took over as leader of the entire group, and Kiran and Poe let me sit back for once.

However, I needed to pull my dominance forward for tonight. Cora needed to be knocked down so she could take a look at where she was and accept that she was hurting and the way she was going was damaging. I didn’t back down, tangling my fingers in her long hair and pulling her head back so I could deepen the kiss as we floated in the water.

I had to let some focus go to keeping us this far down. I manipulated the water and forced it to hold us in place instead of letting us float to the top again. With us breathing the pond water in, it wasn’t as difficult as it was with others who were holding their breath.

Cora gripped my arms and wrapped her legs around my waist, half begging for more and half wanting to hold me at arm’s length. That would have to be remedied.

A part of me wanted to let her take charge so she didn’t have flashbacks to my first time with Coralena, but the other side thought maybe she needed a hint of that. The others let her barge through and take what she wanted, but that’s not what she needed. If I had to pull on my strength and force her to submit to someone, then so be it.

I manipulated the water, yanking her legs off of me and stripping us down to nothing. Her shirt and pants went floating to the surface and so did mine. A hint of surprise sparkled in her eyes, but it settled when I pulled her close and kissed her forehead, then her cheek, and finally her lips.

I gave her that one bit of sweetness before I let the rage take over and took what I wanted from my mostly willing sister.

Pulling back, she saw the darkness flash across my gaze, and she froze, wondering what I was going to do.

I had dreamed of this day, the day she gave in to me. I never planned for it to happen in water, but it was an extra plus as I could control it far better than she could. I was at an advantage in every way.

I sank us lower until my feet hit the slimy bottom, giving me some level of grounding despite it being a repulsive feeling against my skin. Cora tried pulling away and swimming to the surface. I felt her powers brush against mine, but I flipped it away mindlessly. Her panic squashed some of her ability as her mind raced to figure out what to do but was unable to grasp anything.

I brushed back her hair before nearly invisible tentacles of water wrapped around her wrists,

pulling them behind her back. I pinned them there with shackles of ice.

She began screaming at me through the water, but all I heard were muffled words that I couldn’t quite make out. Guessing at them was easy enough, but they didn’t matter at the moment. We needed to bond in a way we hadn’t, and I was eager to please her even with her new reluctance.

I let her go, and she floated in front of me. Two more tentacles gripped her ankles and pulled her legs apart, revealing everything to me. I wanted a taste and would, but first, I had something else in mind.

Without moving, I watched as another water limb slid up her leg. Shock played on her features as she continued to berate me needlessly. If screaming was what she needed to get through this, then fine by me.

It worked its way up her calf, then her thigh before nudging at her entrance. Again, she froze and glared down, seeing nothing. I wasn’t touching her, but in a way, I was, and she knew it.

For a moment, she relaxed, and I took that chance, sending the thickened water inside of her. Cora’s head fell back as she sucked in a mouthful of water and tightened every muscle in her body. I manipulated it in and out of her pussy at a slow pace, showing her that with the roughness came some tenderness.

That didn’t mean I wasn’t going to push her. No, this was only step one.

I made the tentacle larger, stretching her to near pain as it reentered her. Her breathing was ragged, and her nipples stood in peaks off of her breasts.

This time, when the water entered, it didn’t stop. Instead, the outer portion continued forward, then caved in, coming out the middle so she never had the sensation of it pulling out. She screamed again and wiggled on top of it.

I smiled and continued. Next, I formed small cubes of ice around her nipples. That caused her to thrash around, trying to shake them off, but they wouldn’t release. I held them there with my powers and enjoyed her reactions to everything.

My cock stood rock hard, waiting for its turn. I wanted her ready and begging for me at the end. I wouldn’t allow her to come unless she was riding me. My cock twitched at the thought of her cunt throbbing around me, begging for my cum to fill her.

I might have changed a lot recently thanks to my sisters and the others, but that never changed. All I needed was a little wiggle room, and I took my chance at having one of them. I wasn’t sure if I would ever have anything like this with Lena, but I would take Cora any time I could.

I stopped my assault on her pussy and re-aimed it for her ass. As far as I knew, she had no experience with anal, but either way, I wasn’t going to go easy on her.

The tip pressed against her tight hole, and as expected, Cora jumped away, clenching her cheeks together. That wouldn’t do.

The tentacles on her ankles adjusted her legs, bending her knees and tying themselves around her thighs and shins before pulling them up so her ass was in full view, and no amount of clenching would hide her hole.

If I wasn’t mistaken, tears were falling from her eyes, and that stung. I wasn’t expecting it and swam over to her, wiping them away before kissing her nose. For some reason, that calmed her down, and she closed her eyes.

When she opened them, she looked up at me and shook her head. I took a deep breath and nodded. When I pulled the tentacle away, Cora relaxed and smiled at me. I returned it and pressed my lips to hers. Her tongue swiped against my lips, asking for entrance, but we weren’t done yet.

I propelled myself back and down so my face was in line with her wet pussy. Without hesitation, I leaned forward and slid my tongue up the entire length before swirling it around her clit, making her squirm.

My hands gripped her ass and kept her in place in the water as I devoured her. My tongue slid inside, tasting her for the first time, and it was everything I dreamed of and more. I switched between licking her and driving her crazy to sucking on her clit to the point where she almost came. I never let her get there though.

I glanced up at her. Cora’s head was leaned back, and she was panting. The ice had done its job keeping her in place.

I let myself float up a bit farther and pulled an ice covered nipple into my warm mouth. I sucked on it until the ice was gone but didn’t stop until it was warm and perked up from ecstasy instead of being cold. I did the same to the other side, then cupped her face with my hands and gave her what she wanted.

I plunged my tongue into her mouth, then did the same below, sliding my throbbing cock into her slippery cunt that greedily welcomed me in.

Cora moaned against my lips, and when she spoke, I understood the single word she said.

“More.”

I smiled and gripped her hips before driving into her hard and fast. I felt her muscles flex around me, begging me to stay inside her and massage every inch of her sensitive nerves. I would happily stay right here forever, but I wanted to feel her orgasm and knew that feeling would take me over the edge.

Water swirled around her clit between us, vibrating her clit and turning that spark into a tidal wave of pleasure. Cora climaxed, and her muscles clenched around me, pulling me along with her. She screamed and bubbles escaped her lips as I spilled me cum inside of her.

I slowly thrust in and out, prolonging our high, before I let us float to the top of the water, and

we breathed in our first breath of fresh air in who knew how long.

Pulling out of her, we made our way to the water’s edge, then we collapsed onto the sand and shared a look, one that said we had come so far yet had so far to go. One of those hurdles was Lena and Coralena. Thinking of either of them was hard at the moment and sent a streak of pain through my chest. I knew they would understand and accept this, but it would be a bumpy ride anyway.

Turning away and staring up at the stars, I wondered what was going to happen next. The dagger was being forged, our bonded groups were coming together and creating something special, and soon, Covett and Kelby would be with all of their moms and dads once more.

I rolled over and kissed Cora on the cheek before pushing myself up and putting on the clothes that had washed ashore. I looked down at her, and she waved me along, telling me to go ahead, before I made my way into the castle to clean myself up. I needed a hot shower with a bottle of soap, then a warm bed to climb into with my bonded.

I didn’t know if I would tell them about this right away, but knowing Remy, she would sniff it out if I didn’t tell her soon. I ignored the small bit of anxiety I had at the thought because I hadn’t felt this free in so long, and I was going to ride the high for as long as possible.

Blair

Istayed behind as everyone exited the library where we had convened for the meeting. Lena had untangled herself and was sitting on the couch, staring off into space.

Atticus looked at me from the doorway, quirking his brow as if to ask if I wanted him to stay. I waved my hand, telling him to leave. I needed some alone time with Lena. I was taking what he had said to heart. They didn’t blame me, and I needed to start acting like it. I needed to be there for my bonded while they sorted through their emotions.

It would all be hard enough, but they had to manage a level of patience that even I was struggling with. The time to end all of this was finally around the corner. Only a little while longer and we would have everything we needed to bring down Calliope and Galvin. Perhaps also Wren. It was unclear what her position was in all of this, if there was any besides her being a bystander.

I returned my attention to Lena as Atticus closed the door. The firelight nearly made her light blue eyes glow and played on her golden hair. It had grown longer, and I wondered if that was a conscious choice or if the circumstances led to the decision.

I cocked my head, trying to decide what to do. Taking a deep breath, I stepped forward, then sat on the couch in front of her. She didn’t flinch or give any indication that she knew I was here. From what Ira had mentioned prior to the meeting, Lena had talked to her and seemed a bit like the Coralena we all knew, but she seemed back to her solemn, dissociated self now.

Waving my hand in front of her face, I smiled and hoped Lena would give me something in return. Anything. A twitch of her lips, a look of recognition, a small wave back, anything.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Lena raised her eyes and met my gaze. “Hi, Blair.” I sucked in a quick breath. I hadn’t heard her speak in so long. The others had gotten pieces out of her even if it was simply her telling them to leave her alone. She never did that with me. That played a part in my assumption that they all blamed me, but perhaps it was because she didn’t need words with me. I did my duty, helped her, then left without fuss. Cillian, on the other hand, was all fuss.

I couldn’t hold back the small chuckle that left my lips. There was no way to mask it, so I said,

“Hi, Lena. It’s good to hear your voice again.”

She nodded and looked away. My smile fell, and I tried to backtrack. “Please, don’t. I’ve missed you. You don’t have to talk. Just let me look at you.” I reached out and slid her hand into mine.

Lena didn’t pull away, but she also didn’t look back up at me. Moments ticked by as we sat there holding hands. It was progress, and I would accept any level of physical contact from her at this point.

I broke that day and couldn’t conjure the straightforward, funny nonchalance I once had. I

needed my bonded, and each day without them all together was another stab to my heart. The neediness made me feel, well, needy. If Lena or Cora or even Atticus came to me and said they needed me for any reason, I wouldn’t question it, so why was I so hard on myself?

I longed to go back in time and savor every moment we had together, but despite the world we lived in, that wasn’t a possibility. Maybe one day our world and the human one would combine forces and create a contraption to solve this little problem, but it wouldn’t come soon enough.

Sitting here, staring at Lena… it was the most at peace that I had been in a long time. She was here and awake and not locked up in her room. How could I keep the progress rolling? Was that something I could even do? What if she vanished again? Well, she never physically vanished, not really, but mentally, Lena had been gone.

Although, Cora wasn’t much better. Physically she was here, fighting us all along the way, but her mental state was, as they called it, a shit show.

I felt my heart break each time I saw them torturing themselves when they weren’t to blame. There I went again, talking about blame. They knew they weren’t at fault. I knew—I stopped my train of thought. It was the same shit I had been repeating since Atticus’ chat.

Over and over, I went in the same circle, never coming to an end. I was sick of it. How did I derail the train?

“Would you walk me to my room?” Lena’s voice was all I needed to focus on something else. A small frown crossed my lips, but before she looked at me, I wiped it away and placed a smile. I didn’t want her back in her room, but if that’s what she wanted, then I would do as she asked.

“Of course.” I stood, still holding her hand, and helped Lena to her feet.

She was wobbly due to her current lack of strength, so I stepped closer, allowing her to use my body to stabilize herself. I slid my hand against her lower back and looked down at her trembling lips.

“Lena? What’s—“

“You’re being so nice,” she murmured, staring at the floor. Thankfully, she didn’t move away from me, and I soaked it all in, not knowing when I would be able to hold her again. I didn’t know what she was getting at though. Had I been mean to her somehow? Had the others?

My hand holding hers squeezed, and I had to force it to loosen its grip. “What do you mean?”

Lena shook her head, then looked toward the door. “Just take me to my room please.”

I nodded and led her out of the library, through the many halls, and to her bedroom. I wished she would come stay with us, so we could all benefit from a pile of snuggles. Before I could make the suggestion, Lena pushed open her door and stepped in, leaving me alone in the hall.

The door was still wide open, so I walked inside after her, wondering what was going on inside her head.

She beelined for the bed, but I jogged over to her and gripped her arm to make her stop. “Lena, please.”

“Please what?” she asked, turning to me with sad eyes. That’s when I knew Atticus was wrong. There was no hatred or disgust in her eyes, but there was sadness and something else that made a shiver run up my back. Lena hated me for what I did.

Dropping her arm, I backed away with wide eyes and a frog in my throat. “Say it.”

“Say what? What are you talking about?” Her voice was tired, and a hint of annoyance leaked through.

I tried holding it back, forcing the feelings to disappear into the dark hole that formed three months ago, but they refused. I was never one to hide anything, but I was never cruel. Until now. “That you blame me, Lena! What else?” My voice boomed through the expansive room, echoing off of the walls. The moment the words left my lips, I regretted them. The look in her eyes and the shaking of her hands made me want to rip out my own tongue as punishment.

“What?” she gasped. “I would never—“

“I see it in your eyes. Atticus was wrong. He tried to tell me no one blamed me, but I see it, right there.” I stepped closer and jammed my finger in her face. “Your eyes can’t lie like you.”

“Blair, no—“

“I would do anything to get them back. They were Kiran’s parents. We trusted them. We—“ Lena’s palm colliding with my cheek ended my rant. The sting brought me back to the present, and the shock shook something loose within me.

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t know what else to do, Blair. I-I never blamed you. I will never blame you.

Just…“ Lena shook her head. “We can’t have this conversation. Not now. We have to heal first. Then we can.” She was nodding aggressively as she almost spoke to herself. Lena turned and walked toward the bathroom, leaving me stunned in the middle of her room. She mumbled the entire way, but I couldn’t hear what she was saying.

If she didn’t blame me, why was she acting so weird? Why was it so odd that I was being nice to her?

The door slammed, and the lock slid into place, then silence met the both of us.

I stood there, refusing to leave the room just yet. I wanted to wait for her to come out so we could make up somehow, get our feelings on the board. If she said she loved me one time, everything would feel normal for a moment, and I could leave.

Maybe some tea and snacks would help? Making my decision, I left the room, keeping the door ajar, and made my way to the kitchen to prepare a pot of tea and some finger sandwiches. They

were one of the few things she nibbled on the most when we left them in her room, so I always had the supplies on hand.

With the tray loaded with an herbal tea and a plate filled with various sandwiches, from meat and cheese to a creamy veggie, I picked it up and headed back to Lena’s room. I hoped she was out of the bathroom by now, but my hopes were not high.

As I entered the room, kicking open the door, I saw a still locked bathroom door and heard no sound of movement. I walked across the room and set the tray on the nightstand before proceeding to the bathroom door and knocking on it.

“Lena, I brought you something to eat. Can you come out? How does a small picnic in bed sound?” Silence greeted me at first, then a hiss of pain slammed into my eardrums.

Panic took over, and without a moment of thought, I kicked in the door. What I saw was something I never wanted to see. The image would be engraved in my mind until the day I died, and now, I wished that day was a little bit closer.

As I stared down at Lena’s tearstained face, all she had to say was, “Go away.”

Poe

“Check fucking mate,” Remy said as she placed her queen in whatever square that was. This game wasn’t something I was interested in, but watching her beat Kiran repeatedly was amusing enough.

“How do you keep doing that?” he asked, exasperation filling his voice. He flicked his king, knocking it over, stating his acceptance in defeat. Kiran leaned back with a huff, eyeing the board and trying to figure out where he went wrong.

Remy stood up and danced around, shaking her ass in both our faces. I wasn’t complaining and neither was Kiran. When she turned around and realized we had been watching her, Remy rolled her eyes with a smirk.

“All the training is making my ass look great, right? I mean, it was amazing before, but now it’s really killer.” She twirled around on the ball of her foot and smacked her left ass cheek with her remaining arm. Caelus really would have loved her, but after getting to know Remy more, I wasn’t sure I would be able to handle both of them in the same room. They would have needed to be locked in separate dungeons, never allowed to cohabitate, or we would all be screwed.

However, the two of them would have turned this group around. Remy was only one person, and as strong as she was, she wasn’t enough alone to pull Cora and Lena out of their depressions. She had lost a lot that day, but somehow, she came out better than ever. I wasn’t sure if it was some sick performance on her part just yet, but I kept my eyes on her at all times to make sure it wasn’t.

That’s part of why we had these game nights. And by game nights, I meant we played games every single night to push away the gloominess of each day.

Atticus and I scoured our channels and pushed all the buttons we knew of to find where they were hiding, but nothing had come of it. When I got home, all I wanted to do was spend time with Kiran, Remy, and I would kill anyone who suggested it, Andrin. He had grown on me, and after sleeping next to him for a few months, he had finally passed tolerable.

“So what’s next? Did we get anything new, Poe?” I periodically popped into the human world and grabbed a few games, snacks, and new movies for her. She had adjusted well enough to Incyssia, but if she went without mocha coffee for too long, no one could manage the crankiness.

I smiled up at her, then stood and walked over to the cabinet where we hid all of the games. “I grabbed a new one you might like. It takes four people though, so we would have to track down Andrin. However, there’s one we haven’t played yet. I pulled Monopoly Deal from the back of the second shelf and held it up for both of them to see. “How about this?”

Remy’s face was pure terror, and I looked at her. I spun around thinking there must be someone standing behind me waiting to plunge a dagger into my back, but there was nothing. Turning back to her, I cocked my head to the side, waiting for her to explain.

“Why do you look like that?” Kiran asked, poking her face.

She swapped him away, then guffawed and scoffed as if we should already know. “Monopoly is basically a friendship death sentence. Very few people make it out alive,” she deadpanned.

“You can’t be serious.” Kiran rolled his eyes and stood up, making his way to me before taking the card game out of my hands and reading the back.

“Deadly. That’s not the real Monopoly, so we might live to see tomorrow, but the board game is a no go. I won’t even play it with Cora and Lena. I did play it with Lennon a few times though.” Her voice took on a sad tone, and I noted how she refused to call Cora and Lena’s adoptive parents slash aunt and uncle by their real names, Cherik and Dwyna.

“So that means we can give it a shot. If we can survive what we already have, a card game isn’t going to do much damage.” Kiran walked back over to the game table we had set up. It was short enough for us to be able to sit on the ground instead of in chairs, and we all preferred it that way. It sat in front of the fireplace, surrounded by a couch and two chairs if we ever needed them.

“It’s your funeral.” Remy shrugged but began putting away the chess board and pieces. I closed the cabinet and retook my place at the table, helping her finish up.

Kiran showed off his shuffling skills after pulling the cards from the box and tossing the rules on the table. Remy had taught him how to shuffle, and he took every opportunity to practice. Half the time, the cards went flying, but thankfully, this time they all stayed put as he mixed them up.

“All right, let’s see how we play this game.” Remy pulled the rules to her and unfolded them before reading them aloud. It sounded rather complicated. “Easy enough. It really is a lot like the original game but with only cards. You build up the sets which are color coded, there are houses and hotels, then special cards that you can use to screw people over and or help yourself.” Remy tossed the rules to the side as Kiran dealt us each five cards, and the game began.

“Good luck, everyone.” Remy did an odd cross across her chest, then kissed her fingers before pointing up to the sky. There were still so many things she did that I didn’t understand, but I had stopped questioning most of it. Things like this required a level of context that I would never have.

The last time I asked why she did some odd movement, I received the entire history of airplanes and metaphors. She had said ‘whoosh’ and flung her hand over her head. How was I supposed to know it took an hour to say, ‘it means something went over your head, as in you missed the point’. Did she ever explain things the easy way? No. That wasn’t the way of Remy. I loved her all the more for it, but sometimes I wanted to strangle her.

A smirk crossed my lips as I made a mental joke about being able to do just that but in a very sexual way that had us both let off some steam.

“What’s that look for?” Kiran asked as he fanned his cards out in front of himself.

“None of your business, Princess.” He rolled his eyes, then Remy added her two cents.

“Princess Kiki.”

“Right, Princess Kiki.” He sighed and dropped his card holding hands heavily on the table. “Can you two not gang up on me? Do I need to drag Andrin in here so this fight can be even?” Remy and I shared a smirk, then went back to our cards, not answering his questions.

“Let’s get to this game, then we can bring Andrin in here for some fun.” Whether she meant more games or something else, I wasn’t sure. That was something I thoroughly enjoyed about her. Everything was a surprise, but in a good way. I never had to question her feelings for her or how much she cared for the rest of our group, but would she show up covered in syrup just to cheer me up or simply bring me a bowl of my favorite fruit? I wouldn’t know until that exact second.

The game went on, and eventually, Kiran and I got the hang of it. Remy figured it out right away, and she was right. Even the card version was infuriating, so I could only imagine how much the original tested everyone’s patience and friendships.

Now that I thought about it, I would like to see the guys play. A Monopoly tournament between Atticus, Cillian, Blair, Andrin, and Kiran would be the perfect entertainment to take our minds off of the bleakness that filled the castle.

By the time we were done, Remy had won five times in a row with Kiran and I winning a total of zero rounds.

“That’s it. We are never playing this again,” Kiran said, scooping up all the cards and placing them into the box.

“Says who? I liked the game.” Remy pouted and went to grab the box away from Kiran, but he fell backward, dodging her hand. “Give it! I want to destroy Atticus and Ira! I know I can get them to play with me.” I snorted, and Kiran scoffed as he tried to fight her off.

“No way. Beat them at something else.”

“I’ll find where you hide it, Kiran. You can’t keep secrets from me.” Remy was halfway up his body and was nearly able to rip it away from Kiran who did the unthinkable.

Kiran gave me a look that said he was sorry, then tossed the game into the fire. I gasped, and

Remy screamed, “No!” and tried scrambling for it. The fire wouldn’t hurt her, but that didn’t stop Kiran from wrapping his arms around her and pinning her to the floor so she didn’t dive head first into the flames.

“You’re going to pay for that,” I muttered. Kiran glanced at me, and the look on his face said he knew very well that Remy was going to get him back tenfold.

Remy continued her dramatics on the floor, squirming under Kiran, then devolved into laughter. It was a breath of fresh air and always lightened the mood. We followed after her until the door creaked open and a soaking wet Andrin waltzed in.

My eyes trailed up and down his body, trying to figure out what he had been up to, but there was only one explanation, and I wasn’t sure how Remy was going to handle it. She had given them permission, sort of. She had given permission to Andrin and Coralena, so this was a gray area and one none of us had ever had to traverse.

Kiran slid off of Remy and let her sit up. She watched the water drip from Andrin’s clothes as he closed the door and cocked his brow.

“Having fun in here?”

“Having fun out there?” Remy mocked.

Andrin smirked, and Remy’s lips turned up in response.

“The short answer is yes, Remington.” She nodded with a contemplative look on her face. I didn’t think she even knew what she was feeling about the situation. It had been a long time coming, but it was still fresh and odd even for nymph standards. I knew Atticus and Ira had their own beliefs on it, but I didn’t truly care either way as long as Remy was happy and content.

“That’s good. Long answer is I kicked their asses in a game, then Kiran burned it like the poor loser he is.”

Andrin burst into laughter and doubled over. “Sounds like him. He was never great at losing growing up.”

“Good thing I didn’t lose to you that often.” They shared a slightly heated yet playful glare as Kiran stood up, towering over Remy and me.

“Get a room, you two,” Remy teased, then crawled over to the couch and curled up on it with a blanket. “And stop dripping onto the carpet, Andrin. Where are your manners?” She blew him a kiss before he went to the bathroom to clean himself up.

When the door closed and the water turned on, I moved over to Remy and whispered, “I’m here if you need to talk.” She gripped my hand and smiled at me.

“I know, Pomona. I know.”

I leaned in for a kiss and savored the sweetness of it and enjoyed knowing that no matter what happened, she would always be mine.

Lena

“Go away, go away, go away,” I repeated over and over, hoping this time he would listen, but all Blair did was stand there and gawk down at me as if I was some freak. Tears ran down my cheeks and nearly blinded me with their intense onslaught.

I rocked back and forth with the piece of glass still held between my fingers, slicing across my thigh. I froze as soon as he walked in and couldn’t get myself to pull it away. The pain was a distraction, a much needed one.

Blair thought I blamed him. That he was the cruel one in this relationship, but he was wrong. I was the evil being here. I shut down, locked myself away, and when the others tried to help, I let them to a bigger extent than him. I didn’t know why I never spoke to him or engaged any further than what was necessary to not literally rot into the mattress, but his part in the kidnapping was not it.

Some part of me screamed that he was the easy target. That he would take it and not say anything, but that part was wrong. The Blair we once knew was gone. This one was far more sensitive, and my actions were destroying him piece by piece.

Maybe I should have been a dick to Atticus. I internally shook my head as my body went into a meltdown. The tears didn’t stop, and I was still frozen. I shouldn’t have been a dick to any of them. Maybe Ira? The stupid voice wouldn’t shut up, always bothering me and pushing me deeper into the darkness.

I wanted to cut it out, remove it from my being. That wasn’t what this was though. I healed quickly, physically, and the cutting soothed some part of me that wanted to see the healing, a part that wanted to see a source of pain that could be fixed with the snap of my fingers. My mental scars weren’t going to scab over and be gone in a couple of hours. Those would remain for the rest of my life. The ones on my thighs were nonexistent. Two hours. That was all it took for the slices to disappear.

No one noticed. No one had a chance to notice because I always timed it right. Their intrusions ran on a schedule, and I always did this after they bathed me each day or right after a meal I knew would come hours before being naked.

I was mentally ill, not an idiot. I was sneaky and broken, and I hated every part of who I was and why I was doing this, and—

“Lena,” Blair said, finally breaking the silence, knocking my brain loose from the stasis it had been in.

“No, no, no,” I repeated as he knelt in front of me and tried pulling the glass away.

“Lena.”

“Stop.”

“Lena, please.”

“No!” I screamed and shoved him back. “You aren’t supposed to see this! Why are you here?” The tears came harder as I gripped the glass, letting it cut into my palm. The blood dripped from my hand and thigh, staining the rug beneath me. I had always been so careful before, but now that the secret was out, there was no point. “Go away, Blair!” I stared him down, ignoring the pity that glared in his hazel eyes.

“No. I’m not going anywhere.” His voice was soft and quiet as if he was trying to calm a rampaging animal. “Please, give me the glass.”

I shook my head as I stood up and tried to step toward the door. Blair blocked my path, barricading me in the room. If I wanted out, I would have to go through him.

Thankfully, I knew he had no way of calling the others. If this were Atticus, I would have a bigger problem, but for now, it was just Blair. Blair I could handle. In a fist or magic fight? No, I stood no chance. But in a game of ‘who was more mentally fucked?’ I came out on top.

“Move.”

Blair gripped the door frame, using his body to close off all portions of the doorway. “Not happening, Lena. Not until you give me the glass. We don’t have to talk about this right now, but we will eventually.”

I scoffed. “The second I give this to you, you’re going to drag me to the others and tell them what I did.” A wave of exhaustion overtook me, making me sway on unbalanced feet. I had never stood this long or this soon after cutting. There wasn’t blood loss, but the high and relief from it took its own toll.

Blair remained silent but reached out his hand, waiting for me to put the glass into it. Neither of us were willing to concede, but at this rate, I was going to collapse and split my head open before anything else happened.

My nostrils flared as I stared at his outstretched hand, weighing my options. Thankfully, seconds before I was going to give in, Blair sighed and dropped his hand.

“I’ll make a deal with you.” I gave a curt nod, and he continued, “First, we get you cleaned up and fed, then you will let me hold you while you nap and resign yourself to what will happen afterwards. Then and only then, I will tell the others what has been happening. Deal?”

I tossed it back and forth in my mind, debating if getting it over with was better than waiting, but my body missed him, even if it was repulsed by the idea of anyone touching me in this physical state. I knew I was on the verge of grotesqueness even if they didn’t mention it.

Finally, I extended my arm, holding the glass in my palm for him to take. He reached out, taking it from my hand, then used his powers to form it into a perfect sphere. I gasped, and my jaw hung open.

“You could have done that the entire time?” I dropped my hand and glared at him.

He smirked and shrugged. “That would have only pissed you off. You needed to make the decision on your own, Lena.”

I couldn’t help the smile that crossed my lips. Even in the shittiest of moments, he was amazing and nice, and damn, I was an asshole who didn’t deserve him. “There’s the Blair I know and love.” I sobbed on the last words and collapsed, but Blair was there, wrapping his arms around me, letting the glass sphere shatter against the ground.

“I got you.” His arms tightened around me as I cried into his shoulder, soaking his soft brown shirt.

After a few minutes, he lifted me up and set me on the bathroom counter before grabbing a rag and wetting it. He wiped my thigh, the cuts already stitching themselves back together, then my hand which was a little worse off since the cuts were deeper. The bleeding had stopped, though, so he left it unbandaged.

Picking me up again, Blair carried me into the bedroom before helping me into comfortable clothes and getting me settled in bed. He stripped down to his underwear and slid in beside me, pulling me close. His body heat calmed the nerves that were screaming for me to run away. Blair pulled away to grab the tray of sandwiches for me, and I nearly whined at the loss of contact. I held it together, but just barely.

The sandwiches were as they always were. I loved them but could only manage nibbles. Eventually, Blair was satisfied with my attempt at eating and removed the tray so we could slink down and nap. With his presence and a partially filled stomach, I was soon on the verge of sleep.

Blair played with my hair, kissed my forehead, and brushed his fingers across my arms and legs, calming me further. Why hadn’t I accepted his help before? Why couldn’t my brain work like it used to? All I wanted was to feel better, but that dark side of me didn’t want that and fought me at every turn.

I was so tired of fighting and never wanted to leave this bubble I now had with Blair. It was perfection besides the nerves that knew what was coming. The anxiety bubbled up, but Blair’s ministrations tempered it down until I was able to drift off into dreamland.

A room painted in black met me, filled with nothing but air and myself. There were no sounds, no smells, no flutter of a draft. Nothing. I couldn’t even truly say it was painted black. I saw no corners, no brush strokes, and the light simply vanished when it hit what looked like the edge of the room.

I didn’t know where I was, and panic set in. Darkness, bleakness, nothingness. That’s what this room was.

I wanted to scream, to kick down a wall and find my way out, but the shadows closed in, engulfing me in the eternal abyss that awaited us all.

Gasping, I awoke in Blair’s arms, exactly where I had fallen asleep however long before. There was no light shining through the curtains, so night had fallen.

My heart raced, and I wasn’t sure how Blair slept with it pounding against his arm. I needed to get up and pee, but that would wake him, and I knew what that meant. I wasn’t ready for the confrontation and tried to form a plan to slink out of his arms and sneak away. If I accidentally woke him, I could say I needed to pee and leave it at that. If he didn’t… I didn’t know what I would do.

Perhaps I could hide away in the library again or slip into the pond outside and hope the cool water floated me away. I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath before shimmying to my right, away from Blair’s sleeping form.

Somehow he didn’t wake up by the time I was standing beside the bed. Now I had a decision to make. Pee and hop into bed for more snuggling, or run while I could.

A tear ran down my face as I made my decision and knew my fate would be sealed.

Remy

The room was quiet besides Kiran snoring loudly in our large bed next to Poe. I didn’t know how she did it. I was constantly smacking Kiran, making him adjust his sleeping position so the snoring wasn’t as bad. He didn’t snore every time, but when he did, it was like a damn train was whooshing by my ear.

Poe managed to block him out completely and sleep like the dead. I knew the analogy was a little on the nose given her connection to the spirit world, something I still knew little about, but it fit too well. Poe could sleep in any condition, on any surface, and at any time. She said it was due to her training. She had to be able to fall asleep and snap awake at any second. The former like seemingly all men, and the latter like mothers. I never thought I’d see those two things combined, but here we were.

As I did on occasion—okay, more like every night—I sat by the fire and watched the flames flicker in and out as the others rested. My body was tired from the training I did during the day and the mental strength it took to block out everything that was happening with Cora and Lena.

Andrin sat in the chair behind me without saying a word as he often did. He wasn’t there every night, but the frequency was growing.

I rubbed my face. So much had changed.

Never did I think I would be semi-bonded to a man like Andrin. The things he had done… I watched it. I saw what he did, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was mine. And theirs. It was complicated, and I should dig into my previous decision, but I stood by it. Andrin could have sex with Cora and Lena, but he couldn’t with me.

That didn’t mean we couldn’t have other types of fun, but it did complicate things.

“What are you thinking about?” Andrin asked, brushing his hand through my hair. It had grown longer in the time we had been here, and my faux hawk was nonexistent.

I turned on my butt to face him and enjoyed the heat on my back as I looked up into his deep blue eyes. They were nearly identical to Cora and Lena’s, and I thought that might be part of the problem. He was the male version of them. Especially when Lena had her pixie cut. Slender and long features, bright blonde hair, and piercing blue eyes.

I saw them in him, and I could never hate them, even if I wanted to shake them right now. Pushing that aside, I responded, “A little bit of everything.”

“So the usual.” Andrin smiled down at me, and my heart nearly skipped a beat. This couldn’t be the same nymph we met on day one. The one who kidnapped us and set all of this in motion. Except he was, but unlike others, Andrin learned and owned his mistakes. He wasn’t perfect. He was an ass actually, but Andrin owned and accepted it where he could and corrected himself when possible.

If he wasn’t that type of person, I would have left that cuff on him and had Ira dry him out like a smoked fish until we somehow made the blade. Actually, I would have had her drain him every day until she had enough, then before I plunged it through his heart, I would have—None of that, Remy.

That wasn’t the case, and I needed to focus on what was happening now. We had to keep moving forward if this was going to work.

“Yeah, the usual.” I cleared my throat, wanting to ask a question, but I wasn’t sure I wanted the details that came with it. Deciding I needed a straight answer, even if it was minimal, I pushed it out. “What happened tonight?”

Andrin didn’t cringe or grimace. He didn’t hesitate or try to wave me off. Instead, he smiled again, then leaned forward and placed a kiss on my forehead. After leaning back, he said, “Cora and I had sex out in the pond. Would you like me to go into more detail, or will that suffice?” Fuck him and his niceness.

“That will do,” I said on a sigh.

“Is that okay? That was the deal you laid out, wasn’t it?” Andrin slid to the floor, knocking our knees together and pulling my hand into his.

I wanted to give him a straight answer, to say that I had no ill feelings about it, but I did. Logically, yes, that was the deal that I had set for all of us because I wasn’t comfortable fucking him myself nor was I comfortable taking away someone who loved my best friends when they needed it. It was beyond complicated, and I didn’t want to think too hard about it, or the web of complication would unravel, and we would be left with a pile of shit to clean up, and there was already too much to deal with, and—

“Remy?” Andrin cupped my face and brought me back from my thoughts. “I can’t take back anything I have done, but you can take back your words if you would like to. I will help you erase and redraw the line wherever you need it.” Fucking fucksticks.

I shook my head as tears pricked my eyes. “No, it’s—Well, I can’t say it’s not what you’re thinking because it is, and yet it isn’t. I don’t know what I want. I might never truly know what I want in relation to you. I want them to have you, but I also want you, but I don’t know if both can be true and in what way.” I took a deep breath before continuing again, and Andrin sat there, letting me get it all out. “I love you. They love you. I know you love all of us. So much love.” I rolled my eyes, accidentally forcing a tear to drop onto my cheek. “I’m not mad or upset. I’m stuck in a limbo where I want you like that but can’t push past, well, your past. I think I’m still where I was when I laid the rules, but it’s hard.”

Andrin nodded along, never taking his eyes off of me. “Do we need to pause, then? Nothing has to take a step further if you’re not sure. I’m happy where we all are, Remington. I have you, Kiran, and Poe. My bonded, my best friend, and somehow an extra friend I never knew I needed. I want them, Remington, but I only need you.”

The mild tears turned into sobs by the time he finished, and I flung myself into his arms. Thankfully, he caught me and hugged me closer as my tears got his newly dry clothes wet. He didn’t say anything as we sat there on the floor, clinging to one another. I couldn’t stop as everything converged within me.

My arm, Cora and Lena, Covett and Kelby, all of it. My arm didn’t bother me, but the phantom pain did. The things I wouldn’t be able to do with a single arm did like not being able to wrap both arms around someone or double flip someone off. Cora and Lena were dealing in their own ways, but I needed them back because I was hurting too. And not to be insensitive or anything, but their behaviors weren’t helping us get any closer to getting the kiddos back.

Then Andrin and that whole thing and how sweet he had been recently. It hit me, wave after wave until I was afraid of dehydration.

Finally, the tears stopped, and I pulled back. I was sure my face was red and blotchy, but Andrin still looked at me like I was the most precious thing he had ever seen. My resolve was quickly falling away, but I knew for tonight it would remain.

I pushed forward, bracing my arm on Andrin’s shoulder, and kissed him with all the pent up emotions I had involving him. He opened to me, and our tongues fought for dominance. Obviously I knew Andrin was more dominant, but that didn’t stop me from shoving him back and straddling his lap.

He let out a chuckle as I leaned over him with a smirk. I was in charge of this relationship and where it went. I knew where he stood, so it wasn’t like I was forcing him or anything. Actually, he might like that. At the very least he could receive a little of his own medicine.

Andrin’s hands slid up my pajama pant covered thighs before gripping my hips. He didn’t push me down to grind on his dick; he simply squeezed them, holding me in the only way he could at the moment.

I hovered over him, staring down into his eyes as I debated about what I wanted to do. I never second guessed myself with Kiran or Poe, but with Andrin, I constantly wondered if I was making the right decision. It helped knowing that he wouldn’t see it that way, but not enough that I was able to decide anything.

We sat and laid there for many minutes, looking into each other’s eyes. From the outside, it probably looked intense, romantic, and leading up to a sexual release, but on the inside, it was a battle of what-ifs, and the horrible possibilities were winning.

Bending forward, I placed a delicate kiss on Andrin’s lips, then pulled away before standing up and taking up residence in the chair Andrin had previously vacated. He pushed himself up onto his elbows and stared up at me.

“I meant what I said, Remington. I want them, but you are what I need. Sex or no sex, what you say goes, and I will do everything in my power to make you believe me.” There was truth behind his words, and they were comforting. It didn’t change anything, but a part of me relaxed for just a moment.

Andrin went to stand up, then looked down at his crotch in confusion.

“What? Debating if blue balls is a real thing?” I mocked.

He scoffed, then wiped at a wet spot that I was now noticing. “Either my dick is bleeding, or you are.”

I snorted. “Yeah, okay, I’m not—I mean, I haven’t—“

“Haven’t what?”

I paused for a moment, letting the information I knew to be true sink in before speaking.

“Haven’t had my period in a few months.”

“What did you just say?” Kiran said from the edge of the bed where he was flicking his gaze between us.

“That I haven’t—“

“But you’re bleeding now, Remington,” Andrin so helpfully added.

Without a word, I stood up, focused on making it to the bathroom, when the pain hit, and I crumbled to the floor. In an instant, Kiran and Andrin were next to me, asking me what was wrong, but I couldn’t say it. This couldn’t be happening.

Whatever I had gained, whatever life we had created, it was gone, and I knew it was all my fault.

Wren

“We can’t keep hiding, Galvin. Eventually we have to return and rule our kingdom,” my aunt argued for the hundredth time. It was the same fight they had nearly every day. Calliope wanted to leave and have her niceties back, believing that they could fight off whatever small force Andrin and Coralena managed to scrounge up.

“We’ve been over this, Callie.” My uncle rubbed his hands down his face, avoiding Calliope’s glare.

Willas and Lillin stood off to the side, cooing over Covett and Kelby. They treated them better than their own family did. Calliope and Galvin weren’t caretakers. They had people for that. It was clear that Willas and Lillin actually had a hand in raising their children with the way they held the babies and took care of them.

I knew Andrin had fond memories of his childhood before Cora and Lena were taken and looked up to Calliope and Galvin. Before this whole mess, he even loved them. It was all fake to me. I saw everything from the middle ground, the shadows.

Although I was meant to be queen in the absence of the true heirs, I was still treated as an outcast, second best, a placeholder. I got everything I wanted, of course, everything besides Andrin, but he was easily replaced. What wasn’t easily replaced was the title of queen.

As I watched the current king and queen quarrel in a dank cave that was outfitted to be more homelike, I wondered if I even wanted to fight for the title anymore. Did I want to be queen and rule over Oedinia with Andrin at my side? I suppose the better phrasing would be me at his side.

None of it really mattered. Many truths came to light after Willas and Lillin came rushing into the castle with Covett and Kelby. How and why they chose those names, I wasn’t sure, but I supposed if you popped the things out, then you got to name them whatever you wanted. Cora and Lena took that and ran with it. Did Andrin have any say?

I had many questions for those three. The main one was if they knew my secret. Dwyna and Cherik, also known as Nora and Lennon, were my parents. They knew that much at least. It didn’t help any of us though. No one knew where they were or whose side they were on now. If I had to guess, they were on whichever side was against Calliope and Galvin.

Most days, I leaned that way, but they had effectively raised me after I was abandoned. I bobbed my head back and forth in thought. It didn’t do me any good though. I was in hiding with them after kidnapping another set of twins, and this really wasn’t where I saw myself being at this point in time.

Perhaps I should leave them all here, run back to the castle, and hope no one pops in for a surprise visit. Not that I truly knew where we were. I knew the region and that it was wetter in the not water nymph way that was repulsive. To the right person, that would be plenty of information, but was I willing to risk torture and interrogation? For now, no, but if they kept this up, I was heading that way.

“Galvin.”

“Calliope.”

“We can’t raise the twins here. They must be raised as royals, as the next King and Queen of Oedinia. They are already three months old. Soon they will be crawling around, and this is not suitable.” She flailed her hands around at the cave walls and floor as if they spoke for themselves. They did.

“If we go back and that blasted Atticus spots us, who knows what he will do. There are worse things than death, and if anyone knows that, it’s him. Why did he have to be one of her bonded?” I squinted at him. How did he find out about that? We had been locked up without contact.

“Fine. You win. We don’t have to go back to Oedinia, but we need a home, not a cave that’s considered livable.” I scoffed and flung back my strawberry blonde hair.

“Do you have something to add, Wren?” Galvin’s gaze landed on me, and I held it. I shouldn’t, but I did. He was still technically the king, and I should bow to him, but with everything we had learned, I no longer saw him in such light.

“Why, yes, Uncle, I do.” I stepped farther into the makeshift living area and placed my hands on my hips. “Stop acting like you’re the important piece of this puzzle. If you want to take back Oedinia, rule it without cowering and peering over your shoulder for the next assassination attempt, then you need to raise those two to be powerful water nymphs that follow your order and no one else’s. To do that, you need to listen to Calliope.” She gave me a bright and hopeful smile, but I was determined to crush her as well. “Not that she has a true mothering bone in her body, but she is right that Covett and Kelby need to be raised correctly, or you’re all screwed.” I shrugged, ending my little speech.

Calliope let out a small gasp, and Galvin ground his teeth.

“We didn’t raise you to be this way, Wren.” Calliope tried to play the sorrowful mother figure, but I wasn’t buying it.

“Right, you didn’t raise me. Andrin and your servants did. I am here out of convenience. You both know that. I am loyal to Andrin but pissed that those daughters of yours came back and got us in this mess. Do what you need to do to get us back in power.” I tapped my foot, ready for this conversation to be over.

Instead of my aunt or uncle speaking up, Lillin walked over with Covett in her arms, playing with a little rattle.

“I suppose now is as good of a time as any to bring up the original plan from back then, hm?” I scrunched my brows at her, wondering what she was talking about.

“What plan?”

Calliope and Galvin shared a look, ignoring me, before Galvin responded to Lillin. “We can revisit that now that things have changed. Although, things will need to be adjusted once Kiran is out of the picture.”

“We do hope you understand,” Calliope added to soften the blow. Of course none of their group would make it out alive if they had any say in it. Royalty or otherwise.

“We do. Alivia is currently in control of Nularoth for the moment. There’s an upheaval between her supporters and ours, but things should settle once we come out of the dark and take the crown back. With Kiran,” Lillin paused, taking a moment to accept the upcoming death of her first born before continuing, “gone and Alivia and Oren back under our control, we would love to bond Wren with Oren. Despite the age difference, I actually think Wren would appreciate the loyalty a younger bonded would have to her. He was trained to pamper and fall in line as you know.” Lillin gave a disgusting sort of smirk before cooing at Covett, and I wanted to gag.

Willas stepped up beside her, nodding. “I agree. Oren would be a wonderful mate to someone like Wren.”

“I’m sorry. Someone like Wren? You’re all making it sound like an insult. If I am not going to be treated correctly, I will leave you all to your terrible planning. Oh, and keep me out of it. I want nothing to do with this if I can’t have Andrin.” They all looked at me like I was crazy. Good. Think I’m crazy. Expect insanity and the pompous attitude I had cultivated over the years. Believe the show I put on.

I internally grinned as they all rolled their eyes at me and sighed. They thought they were on the winning side and had leverage over me. Luckily for me, I knew they had no power, and anything they planned with me involved was going to fail. I would run and disappear faster than they ever thought possible. Andrin, Cora, Lena, Kiran, and the others did it, and their group was plentiful. I was one person. I would be gone before they blinked.

“Oh, Wren, let us sort it all out. You’ll be happy and free to live your life how you see fit. Nothing truly has to change for you. Well, except for location of course.” Calliope tried to soothe me, and I let her think it had worked by plastering a calm grin onto my face.

“As long as I’m comfortable, but I make no promises, Calliope.” Her face fell slightly at my lack of using her proper title, but I had dropped it the second we landed here.

Without another word, I turned and headed for the half room that I called my own and sat on the bed, kicking off my heeled flip-flips.

So many things were in the works, and I had no way of knowing what the others were planning. I knew they thought I was against them, or at the very least, on neither side as a bystander with nothing to truly gain or lose in the end, but that wasn’t true.

I put this course of events into action thanks to dear old Mom and Dad. They had sent me a letter on my eighteenth birthday, explaining what had happened. They apologized for leaving me. They had planned to take me with them, but things took a turn, and they had to flee without me.

I only half believed them. If I wasn’t there to take Cora and Lena’s place, Calliope and Galvin would have looked much harder to find them. I was a pawn in their game, one of the first to be played on the board, but I was moments from making it across and becoming a queen.

It was only a matter of time before I revealed myself and everything I knew. I just had to wait for the perfect moment to make my move.

Cillian

Itapped my fingers on the table as Ira paced at the front of the room, waiting for everyone to show up. Atticus was bouncing around, dragging them here, and lucky me, I was who he started with. He said it was because he knew exactly where I would be. Moping in my room.

He was right, but that didn’t mean I was any happier about it. Blair was with Lena, Cora had been out doing something, and I didn’t feel like being around the others at the moment. So much so that I would leave right now if Ira wouldn’t kick my ass right back into the seat.

“How long is this going to take?” I asked, and Ira stopped her pacing to look at me.

“As long as it takes.” Cryptic. Great.

“Thank you so much, Ira, for that insight.” I laid my head on the table, hoping just maybe I would fall asleep and time would go by faster. I was wrong. Time moved even slower without the distraction of Ira pacing.

Sitting back up, I continued to tap the tips of my fingers, then Atticus popped in with Cora, depositing her in the seat next to me. She looked freshly showered with her wet hair dripping onto her dark blue shirt and gray sweatpants.

“Fancy seeing you here,” she said, leaning forward to kiss me.

I pressed into the kiss, wanting more. I had spent so little quality time with them, and it was driving me nuts. The little time I had with Lena yesterday wasn’t enough to make up for the deprivation.

Before I wanted it to, the kiss ended, and Cora sat back in her chair with a smirk. She knew what she did to me, and I couldn’t wait to push her later.

Atticus popped back in with an anxious Blair and a nervous Lena. I eyed them, knowing something was up, but I would wait until after Ira’s announcement before I brought it up. Blair caught me staring and nodded, so I knew whatever it was, he would be mentioning it as well. Given the circumstances, I assumed it had to do with Lena which left me a little itchy to get this meeting rolling.

“Well, hurry up and get the others. We have things to do.”

Atticus turned toward me with a frown. “This is everyone.”

“Uh, no, it’s not, Attie,” Cora said, confusion filling her voice.

“It will just be us tonight. Kiran said they were dealing with something at the moment but would let us know when it was handled.” Cora and I looked at each other, then back at Atticus.

“An Andrin issue?” Cora asked, and that befuddled me. I would have assumed she would ask about Remy first. Did something happen that I wasn’t aware of?

“A ‘not our bonded group’ issue. We don’t need them right now anyway. I can get them up to speed later.” Ira cleared her throat and signaled for everyone to sit down.

She was at the head of the table, standing over us with Atticus to her left and Blair and Lena following him along that side. I was across from Atticus with Cora next to me. With us all seated and waiting for Ira to explain why we were here, she took a deep breath and laid it out.

“The blade is ready. Andrin gave me the last bit of blood yesterday, and I was able to forge a single dagger.” Our jaws nearly hit the table. The wait was finally over! “We still have a lot to plan, and we don’t know where they are hiding, but let’s start preparing what we can to attack in each region. Atticus and Poe can handle Hiacetha, Kiran will speak with Alivia and give us intel on Nularoth, Andrin knows enough about Oedinia that we shouldn’t have any issues, I, of course, have Onulon handled, and that leaves Ezeghar, the air realm. Cillian, do you have any connections there that might be useful if needed?”

I was a little shocked she even asked, and it took a second for the question to fully register. “Uh, yeah, probably depending on what we need. Landscape and general information would be easy enough.”

“That would do for now. Thank you.” We nodded to one another, then she turned away and addressed the group again. “As for who would be fighting, Lena, I’m sorry, but as you are right now, I can’t in good conscience let you go. You will have to stay here while we get Covett and Kelby back. I don’t even want Cora going—“

“Excuse me!” Lena jumped from her seat, fury in her eyes. “You can’t just leave me here while you go and get my babies.”

“Our babies,” Cora added.

Lena scoffed at her, and Cora shrugged because she was technically right.

“They are all ours. Lena, you can barely walk without wanting to collapse. I will not allow you to go. The decision is final. No one is going to side with you on this one. I’m sorry.” Ira’s voice was stern but filled with care. She was only doing this for Lena’s safety. Well, and ours. If she was there, we would be focused on protecting her too much to get the job done.

“No, they—“ Lena started, then she looked around the table, and no one would meet her gaze except for Atticus who was unashamed of his stance. “Attie?”

“She’s right, Lena.”

“No, please. I have to be there!” Lena begged, but it wouldn’t change our minds.

Ira hadn’t spoken to us about this beforehand, but we were all with her. Lena had to stay unless by some miracle she was healthy, strong, and trained by the time we faced off against her parents.

Blair looked up at her, then took her hand in his, but she pulled it away as if his touch stung her. “No, no comforting me if you’re just going to leave me here to rot alone!” Tears fell down her cheeks as she kept saying no over and over. “I have to be there. I have to. You can’t—-”

“Lena.” Blair stood up, trying to console her, but she wasn’t having it. Then it clicked. This wasn’t how Lena normally behaved. She had been so docile and practically dead to the world. Cora and I shared another look, then we stood in unison.

“Something happened.” I looked between the two of them.

“Spill it,” Cora said, crossing her arms and glaring daggers at them.

“I could say the same for you,” Lena threw back at Cora. “Something’s different. So spill it.” Cora dropped her arms, and her nostrils flared as she had a staring contest with her sister.

“Both of you, spill it. Now,” I demanded, and all eyes fell on me. I wasn’t the commanding type, but I was sick of their attitudes and these fucked up games they played because of them.

Thankfully, Blair shed some light on one issue. “Lena has been cutting herself. She heals too quickly, so there was no way any of us would have known if I hadn’t walked in on her doing it.” What the fuck?

“Lena, is that true?” Cora asked, her voice softening, but Lena refused to respond, looking away from all of us. “That’s a yes. Why, Lena?” Cora moved around the table and gripped Lena’s forearms. “Why? Tell me,” she nearly shouted before shaking Lena.

Lena shook her head, but Cora wasn’t going to let her off easy apparently. Before any of us could intervene, Cora had Lena pinned on the ground and punched her. “Tell me now!” Atticus and Blair pulled her back as I helped Lena to her feet. She wiped her bloody nose and laughed.

“This is why. The pain, Cora,” she sneered. “At least physical pain has a visible fucking cause.” Lena pulled away from me and marched toward the door.

I glanced at Blair, and he nodded again. This was really how she was behaving with him?

Looking back at Lena, I was appalled. Not just at her, but at us. We had let this all go too far. Once again, we had completely failed our bonded.

My entire being deflated at the realization. I didn’t know what to do. Cora was a mess, Lena was a different type of self-destructive mess, we were all too in our heads to fucking notice or do anything about it, and there was nothing I could do to fix this.

“Lena, please.” Ira reached for her, but Lena slipped through her grasp before opening the door and slamming it shut in our faces.

“What the ever loving fuck?” Cora’s comment flittered about the following silence.

“You know, Cora, you’re—“

“Yeah, I know, Cilly. I know.” Cora looked up at me with big blue eyes that held so much misery within them. Cora was just as tormented as Lena. Every action was a cry for help, and we needed to answer the call.

“Good. Now, onto the thing you needed to share. What is it?” A blush crept up her neck and made her cheeks a lovely shade of red.

I remembered when I used to give her that reaction. A smile crossed my lips, then I realized that she wasn’t with Ira, Atticus, Blair, or me, so that left two options. My smile fell into a frown as I waited for her to respond. When she didn’t, I walked over to her and glared down into those once sorrowful eyes. Now, they were lustful with a hint of fear.

“Say it,” I ground out. “Say it, Cora.”

She gulped, then said the words I had been waiting for but hoped would never come. “I slept with Andrin.”

Cora

“I’m going after Lena.” I tried to pull away from the three men surrounding me, but they blocked off every possible exit. Even with my new skills, I knew I wouldn’t be able to take all three of them. The egotistical part of me said it was because I didn’t want to actually harm them. The logical side knew that was a garbage excuse.

“No, Atticus and Blair will follow her and make sure she doesn’t hurt herself further.” Ira stepped from behind Atticus as she spoke, her eyes set on me.

Without a word, the two men behind me kissed the crown of my head and left the room. Awkward silence fell over us as I fidgeted where I stood. Cillian and Ira watched me, waiting for something that I wasn’t sure would come.

Finally, Ira cleared her throat and took a deep breath. “How was it?”

I recoiled so hard at her question that the backs of my thighs slammed into the edge of the table, causing me to hiss. “Ouch, fuck, what?” I stumbled over my words as I rubbed the spots where bruises were sure to form.

“That was a pretty simple question, Cora. How was it?” Ira cocked her head in curiosity. No animosity or jealousy shone in her eyes when I met her reddish brown ones.

However, when I looked over at Cillian, a controlled rage simmered behind his light brown eyes, ready to strike at the first person who pushed him over the edge. I wasn’t sure if I was thankful or worried that it would be me, but at least I knew he wouldn’t harm me.

I couldn’t pull away from his gaze as I contemplated what to say. “Um… it was…” I gulped and flung my hand over my eyes, blocking their stares. “I can’t do this if you’re going to keep glaring at me, Cillian.”

He scoffed, and I heard a small scuffle before Ira snorted and Cillian huffed. “Go ahead and remove your hand, Cora.” I did as she instructed, and the sight I took in lifted my mood and changed the air of the room.

Ira had Cillian in a headlock with her free hand covering his eyes. “Will this do?” she asked.

I burst into a fit of laughter and nearly collapsed on the table while trying to stay up right. Between the laughing, I managed to get out a “Yes.”

“Good. Please, continue.”

Cillian tried to pull out of her grasp, but Ira wasn’t budging. They were equal in height, but Cillian was more slender where Ira was nearly pure muscle. Ira was also more experienced in battle, wrestling, fighting, everything of that sort. I knew if it was someone else, Cillian would have blasted them to pieces and gotten free, but he loved her in his own way and would never do that.

I pulled myself together with a few lingering chuckles, then wiped the tears that had formed in my eyes before speaking.

“Uh, well, it was fine? Good, I guess. You’ve both had sex. You know how it is.” I didn’t want to go into details, or they would probably hunt Andrin down and fuck him up. No sugarcoating. They would probably ram something up his ass and hang him on a post in the gardens as a warning to everyone.

I must have made a face because Ira squinted her eyes at me. I smiled, trying to play it off, but she wasn’t going to let me get away with it.

“Tell me.”

“Tell you what?” I quirked a brow.

“Whatever it is that you’re hiding. What did Andrin do?”

“He did me. Was that not clear?”

Cillian snorted, then slapped one of his hands over his mouth to prevent anymore from leaking out.

“You know what I meant, Cora, but if you’re going to play it that way…” Ira let Cillian go and gestured to me. “Have at it, Cilly. Glare away, and do whatever you want to get information out of her.”

The look Cillian gave me said he had many ideas in mind on how to get me to talk, but I doubted I would enjoy them. Fully, at least. He knew all the ways to push my buttons, metaphorically and literally.

I tried stepping back, but the table blocked my escape. The only door out of here was behind Ira and Cillian, so in essence, I was fucked like a bitch cat in heat.

Cillian stepped forward, blocking me in further. I leaned back on the table, and my thighs touched with how close he was. He loomed over me with his brooding eyes, begging me to tell him what Andrin did.

I cleared my throat and looked away, hoping to collect my thoughts. “I enjoyed it. I needed it, okay? But I’m not going into detail about what happened.”

Silence overtook us again as Cillian and Ira debated on their next course of action. All I could hear was the pounding of my heart, and I wanted to scream at them to let me out.

“Fine. As long as you are truly okay, then no details are necessary, but if we find out he did in fact hurt you—“

“He’s dead. We now have the weapon for it. I won’t even hesitate.” My eyes grew wide as my head whipped up to look at Cillian. I never expected him to say something like that.

My once lighthearted and silly bonded was turning into a darkened version of himself. I couldn’t blame him. We were all darker, all damaged from what we had gone through. I had hoped one of us would have come out unscathed, but it wasn’t looking that way for Cillian at least. I would hold out hope for Ira and Atticus.

“Oh, is that all? What a boring way to go.” I smirked up at him, trying to draw out the humorous side of him that I loved.

“Is it? Do I need to be more creative in my killing methods? That’s more Atticus’ thing than mine.” His arms wrapped around my waist, and Cillian drew me in closer, holding me to his chest.

I copied him and pulled him close, laying my head on his chest and listening to his heartbeat.

Thump, thump. Thump, thump. It beat against my ear and calmed the anxiety of our altercation.

I didn’t want any of them mad at me or worrying about me. The latter, I couldn’t help, but the former, I could prevent to some extent.

It wasn’t a lie. I enjoyed my time with Andrin and what he did to me. I needed that push, the pain, the reminder that I lived through so many horrible things and that I was still here and still loved. I took a deep breath, soaking up the warmth from Cillian, a stark contrast to the cold water I had been in only hours before.

Cillian’s hands hadn’t moved, but I felt one snaking into my long wet hair before my head was pulled back and I was met with Ira’s gleaming eyes.

“I hope you know that you can trust us. We would never do anything to intentionally hurt you. We just want you back, Cora.” Her voice was soft and quiet, begging me to find a way to fix myself and be who I was before. However…

“You didn’t know me then, Ira. Neither did Cillian. You all miss Coralena. The parts of her that were me, but you don’t miss the old me. You can’t. It’s impossible.” My voice broke as I said the words that had been weighing on me. They met and loved Coralena. I was only a fraction of who she was, and I was afraid I would never be enough on my own.

“Cora, no!” Cillian pulled back and cupped my face, worry etching its way onto his features. He shook his head harshly. “That’s not it at all. I won’t lie and say we don’t miss Coralena, but she isn’t gone for good. We also see the parts of you that are her, and it’s fun picking out which parts were you and which ones were Lena. We love all three of you, and miss the Cora Remy raves about. The one who loved hiking, being outside, and screaming music at the top of her lungs. Those weren’t Coralena things. Those are just you.” He paused to collect himself, so Ira took over.

“He’s right, Cora. Remy talks about the three of you all the time. We might not have met the

Cora from before, but we know all about her. We missed the opportunity to meet her, and for that, I will forever be saddened, but she’s not gone, just lost for now. All three of you are so loved in different ways and for different things. I see the pieces that Coralena had of you, but she was so different, and so is Lena. It’s complicated. You know that, but never question our love for you.“ Ira leaned in and pressed a kiss to my forehead, using her hand still entwined in my hair to put pressure behind it.

Pulling away, she looked into my eyes, but the tears in mine blurred the world around me. Instead of saying anything, Ira wrapped her arms around Cillian and me and pulled us into a group hug that was very much needed. We stood there for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other and thinking over what was said.

The only thoughts running through my mind were how I finally felt closer to the old me and saw the light at the end of the tunnel, and thank fuck they knew how to communicate.

Atticus

Ifollowed along behind Lena in the shadows of the hallways, waiting for her to pick her final destination. Blair lagged behind, ready for me to snatch him up so we could both watch over Lena while the others dealt with Cora.

I will admit that having three bonded was particularly difficult at times. I didn’t know how Cora and Lena did it all the time with how many emotions ran through this place. It was easier when Cora and Lena were Coralena, but I wouldn’t give the two of them up for the latter. I wanted them all with a heavy helping of Blair.

On the other hand, having a larger bonded group meant it was easier to split up and help everyone at the same time. If there was only one of us handling Cora and Lena, I didn’t think any of us would survive.

I took a deep breath as Lena turned the final corner to the hall with our bedrooms. She made her way to her door and slammed it open, then shut it in a matter of seconds. Thankfully, I didn’t need to use a door.

Popping back to Blair, I scooped him up over my shoulder and transported us to Lena’s room within a single breath. Some were in awe of my abilities since I was able to move multiple people at once with ease. Some people were Poe. She desperately wanted to be able to do what I could but had never managed to take more than one.

Andrin, on the other hand, could handle at least three. I hadn’t asked, but I was curious how many he had been able to move in the past. It would come up eventually when we settled our plans once we knew where everyone was hiding.

Lena gasped, then groaned when she saw us materialize next to her bed which she had been crawling into. I tossed Blair down, causing him to bounce on the mattress. He glared up at me, then collapsed back with a heavy sigh.

I knew this was weighing on him more than the others. He was the one that found her, saw her harming herself.

I wouldn’t lie and say I never thought about it, but I never needed to harm myself. There were always others out there willing to do it for me. My scar coated body was a testament to that. I wasn’t a royal nymph like Lena, so the scars remained. From what I learned, we healed faster than humans. Remy certainly seemed surprised yet happy with how quickly she was able to get back on her feet after her injury.

The scars were a mix of good and bad memories. I wouldn’t be who I was, able to protect what was mine without the knowledge that came with the failures.

I smiled down at two of my bonded, two of my full bonded.

“What the fuck are you so happy about?” Lena snarked, and I laughed.

“I’m quite fond of your newly found attitude.” I continued to smile, and that seemed to annoy her even more.

“Oh? Coralena didn’t—“

“Lena, you have to stop comparing yourself to her.” Blair sat up and tried to place his hand on

Lena’s leg, but she pulled away, hugging her legs to her chest on the bottom edge of the bed.

“I’m half of her. I can compare all I want.”

This conversation was grating on me, just as all the others had been lately. I wasn’t emotional, but they were rubbing off and me a little too much for my liking. I thought the announcement would bring a lightness to our world even briefly, but that wasn’t the case.

“I’m going to say this once. I love you for you. Not the parts of Coralena that I see in you. Enough with the self depreciation and moping. This doesn’t just go for you, Lena. I am done with everyone’s ‘woe is me’ attitude. It isn’t helping. In fact, it’s making it that much harder for all of us to come together and get back Covett and Kelby.” Blair and Lena’s eyes were saucers as they stared up at me. I hadn’t scolded any of them like this before, so it was understandable. Before either of them could recover, I had a plan to enact. “Now, Lena, if you want pain, there are plenty of ways to come by it without harming yourself.” I smirked. “Cora trains herself to exhaustion, Andrin gives his lifeblood, but you, I have another idea.”

I watched the shiver run up her spine as realization settled in her mind.

“I don’t—“ Lena’s words were cut off by me tackling her to the ground and pinning her down.

She yelped and tried to pull away, but I was easily twice her size before. Now? She was as light as a feather with no strength to push me back. I pushed up to straddle her hips and pressed my weight down enough to hold her in place.

“But, Lena, I thought you wanted pain. We can give that to you in a much more pleasurable way.” I gripped her thin shirt in my hands and ripped the fabric straight down, revealing her skeletal chest. I was going to have to hold back more than I intended, but one day, I would give her everything I had in me.

She was stuttering beneath me when Blair walked up beside us. “Don’t you think this is a bit much given what she’s been through?”

I looked down at Lena. She was breathing heavily, her eyes were filled with darkness, and her nails dug into my thighs, but she wasn’t scared. Lena was excited by my offer.

“No, I don’t. She longs for the pain. It makes everything real.” I leaned forward, gripping her hair and pulling back her head. She hissed and dug her nails in more before I nipped at her slender neck. Another shiver ran through her body. “See?” I said against her sensitive flesh. “This is what she wants, and I’m not going to hold out on her, are you?” I glanced up at Blair who licked his lips and groaned.

“Lena, is this what you want?” He crashed to his knees beside her, staring down into her eyes.

She held his gaze, then nodded. A bug of shame sparked in her eyes, but I wasn’t having that.

“Don’t be ashamed by your wants, Lena. Let go, and let us show you how to mix pleasure with pain.” I nipped her neck again, then let her head rest on the floor before crawling off of her and helping her up.

I reached my hand down, and she took it. As much as I wanted to let her come with us, I could never allow her on a battlefield in this condition. She was frail, had practically no training in her abilities, and we would already be worrying about too many people to add her to the mix. I wanted her there to help rescue her children, but she was all but useless to them and us in this state in that respect.

Once we got them here, Lena would shower them with love, and that had to be enough for her. If not, oh well because none of us were changing our minds unless some drastic changes happened.

“We need to have a talk first. Consider us slamming into you the prize at the end.” A heavy blush worked its way to Lena’s cheeks as I pulled her over the bed and sat down.

Lena sighed as she crawled back up and pulled a pillow to her as if it were a shield and would protect her from what I was going to say, or perhaps it was to cover her bare chest. Blair sat cross-legged next to me, facing Lena, while I dangled one leg off the edge and bent the over one under myself.

“I don’t really want to talk about it. I want to go. None of you will let me. There’s nothing left to it.” She waved us off but refused to look at either of us as she spoke.

“But there is. We still don’t know where they are being kept, so there is time to correct this issue.”

She glared at me, then scoffed. “The issue being that I am a twig who can’t fight.”

Blair snorted but tried to hide it. “Sorry. Dark humor is becoming a little too common around here, and I’m getting used to it.” He shrugged.

“Join the club. Humor helps it to not sting as much. I know there are things I need to work on, and as you so eloquently said, you’ll help me with one of the issues. That doesn’t change the fact that I don’t know how to control my powers and can’t stand for more than a few minutes without wanting to take an all day nap.”

Blair and I glanced at each other. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, but I hoped we were on the same page when it came to helping her outside of the bedroom. He shrugged again, letting me take the lead. He had been doing that a lot more recently, and I realized how different all of our relationships were now. Not just that. All of us were different, period. We weren’t the same people who gathered together six months ago.

A part of me was saddened by the loss of who we were, but if we came out of this with everyone mostly intact, I would be proud of who we had become.

I reached out and gripped Lena’s ankle before dragging her to me and adjusting her so her back was to Blair and I had her full attention.

“Ira and Andrin would happily train you. Blair and Cillian will figure out how to cook whatever you want while taking into consideration the weight you need to put on and the nutrients you need to consume to feel like yourself again. As for me, I’ll grip your throat and fuck you against a brick wall if that’s what it takes to bring you back to us.”

Lena laughed and fell back in Blair who caught her and joined in with a few chuckles. “How generous of you. Sounds like you’re giving up a lot to please me.”

“It’s a sacrifice I am willing to make.” I leaned forward, ready to make good in my promises when Blair covered my face with his hand and pushed me back.

“I can’t believe you lumped me with Cillian on food duty. Maybe I’ll just take Lena and—“ Blair cut himself off when he lifted Lena into his arms and bolted for the balcony. “Hold on tight,” he said as he stepped onto the edge before looking back and winking at me.

I stood in the doorway, wondering what he was doing. Lena had her arms wrapped around him as if he would ever let her fall.

My heart nearly leapt out of my chest when he stepped off the railing and disappeared from sight. I was halfway over, ready to follow them down, when I saw the snickering pair on a floating platform made from a mix of dirt and rock.

“I never thought I would see a scared Atticus. Do it again,” Lena cheered and demanded.

My heart calmed down at the sight of her smile. It was real and wide, and I hoped one day it came a little easier than nearly killing all of us. However, I wasn’t against it. I was now ready more than ever to fuck the both of them until they understood who was in charge.

“Funny, but what made you think this wouldn’t come back to bite the two of you in the ass, hm?” They glanced at each other as realization struck.

“Oops,” Blair said nonchalantly.

“Big oops,” Lena whispered.

I pulled myself back over the railing and ripped off my shirt before gripping the metal and leaning out of the balcony. “Get your asses inside. It’s time we had some real fun.” I turned to walk back inside, then said, “Oh, and leave your clothes out there. They’ll just get in the way.”

Lena

Blair used his powers to take us back to the balcony and hopped down onto it with me still in his arms. Without saying a word, he set me down, and we started stripping. Well, Blair stripped. I only had my bottoms left, so it was more like ‘finishing the job Atticus should have done’ stripping.

The breeze rolled by, causing me to shiver, and Blair wrapped his arms around me.

“We will stop whenever you want, but I’m happy to have a part of you back, Lena. I know we didn’t know you before, but it’s like we did. It’s hard to explain.” He kissed the top of my head and pulled back to look down at me.

“I know. I get it.” I didn’t like it, but I understood it. They noticed the parts of Coralena that were me. They heard the stories that Remy told. They knew of me, but they didn’t know me. I wanted to give them a piece of hope that somewhere inside, the old Lena was still hiding, ready to burst out of her bubble and kick some ass.

I still wasn’t where I needed to be to care each day. Hell, I didn’t even know if this attitude change would last the next hour, so I tried to not put more pressure on myself and let whatever happened happen.

We all needed some fun and to reconnect, and what better way than—

“You were taking too long.” Atticus stepped onto the balcony and picked us up simultaneously. He threw each of our naked bodies over a separate shoulder and carried us into my suite where he deposited us on the bed.

When everything came back into focus, I saw a very naked Atticus staring down at us, and a bit of worry slipped into my mind, but I ignored it. Pain didn’t mean hurt, not when it came to him. I trusted him and Blair and that would be enough to get through this round. I was far too curious to back out anyway.

Plus, Blair was right. They would stop the second I told them to, and I would use that power if I needed it.

“Ready?” Blair asked, smirking beside me with a lightness in his eyes that I hadn’t seen in what felt like forever.

I smiled and nodded a mere second before Atticus gripped my ankle again and dragged me to the edge of the bed. “Blair, occupy yourself.”

Before I could ask why, Atticus dropped to his knees and gripped the backs of my thigh, pressing my legs up to my chest. I gasped, then hissed in pleasure as his tongue traced my clit.

His heavy chuckle vibrated through me which drove me crazy. I needed to do something other than lie here, but I was trapped by his grip.

Thankfully, Blair had plans for me.

He straddled my head, sinking low so his balls tapped my chin and his perfect ass was in full view. We had never done anything like this before, but I was willing to try anything once with them. They would always stop if I said so, so there wasn’t an ounce of worry in me. At least, in relation to this.

My fingers dug into the front of Blair’s thighs, and I craned my neck up before licking the underside of his balls. He shivered above me, then I took one into my mouth, and he collapsed forward with a groan. I chuckled, and apparently that sensation felt good because his breathing picked up, and I could hear him panting despite the sound being muffled by Blair’s thighs.

I popped the first one out, then sucked in the other, massaging it with my tongue. I received the same reactions.

Thankfully, I let it go before Atticus bit my clit because I clamped my jaw shut and tried to wiggle away. He wasn’t having it and kept me rooted to the spot.

“Be careful, Attie. One second sooner and I’d be mutilated.” Blair hadn’t moved away, but his tone was serious as he chided Atticus.

I laughed beneath him, and Atticus lifted his head from my pussy to speak to Blair.

“I’ll take that into consideration, but perhaps Lena should have better control over her reactions so we don’t lose limbs.”

I started to respond when his head dropped back down and he sucked my clit into my mouth, effectively shutting me up about it for now.

Blair scoffed before attempting to lift off of me, but I didn’t want that. I locked my arms around his thighs, causing him to lose a little of his balance. His ass came very close to my face, and I took advantage of that.

I swiped my tongue across his tight hole as they had done many times to me, and he stiffened above me with a hiss leaving his lips. I took that as a good thing and continued my exploration. I bit his ass cheeks, licked up and down before inserting my tongue a little, then flicked my tongue against his balls again.

By the end of it, Blair’s thighs were shaking. I reached around and grasped his rock hard cock and enjoyed knowing that I made this happen.

Atticus stopped eating me out, and I felt his mouth slide down Blair’s cock, coating it in spit before leaning back. I stroked Blair the best I could and continued my assault on his ass when I felt the tip of Atticus’ cock press against my dripping pussy. He pressed in a little and sat there, torturing me. I tried shifting down to take more of him, but he kept me still with his hands on my bent legs just as he had done before.

I pulled away from Blair and complained. “Atticus, god damn it.”

He only chuckled, then I felt his hand with mine on Blair’s cock. He helped me work him, adding more spit to the mix since I couldn’t.

“Fuck me,” Blair muttered under his breath as we gave him a dual handjob and I gave him a rim job.

Finally, Atticus pushed all the way in, and I arched off the bed as far as I could with him holding me down and Blair blocking my upper body from moving.

I gasped and my grip faltered, but Atticus placed his hand on mine and used my hand to continue stroking Blair’s cock. At the same time, he slowly worked himself in and out which he knew drove me crazy.

For now, I ignored him, wanting to focus on Blair. I inserted my tongue a bit more, massaging the tight muscles and enjoying the new sounds Blair made. His thighs shook more, and he thrust into our hands, then pressed down onto my tongue. Atticus matched his tempo, and soon, we were all worked up to the point of exploding.

Just when I thought we all would, Atticus ripped Blair away from me.

“What the fuck!” I yelled, but they ignored me.

Blair turned around and straddled my face again. This time his cock greeted me, and I eagerly opened my mouth to him as he collapsed on all fours as Atticus pressed down between his shoulders.

Now Blair’s ass was in the perfect position for Atticus to mess with, and I knew the moment he did. I had taken in the tip of Blair’s cock when he thrust forward, forcing me to deep throat him. I gagged, but he didn’t pull away immediately. My air was blocked, and I knew I should panic and somehow signal to them that I couldn’t breathe, but I didn’t.

Before I passed out, Blair pulled away, letting me breathe for a few seconds, then he forced his way in again. That’s when I heard Atticus instructing him to do this. It was all part of his plan to show me how to mix pain in without actually hurting myself.

Over and over, Blair blocked my airway with his cock as Atticus fucked me senseless with his own.

Soon, I was on the edge ready to claim my first orgasm and take them with me. Atticus swiped his thumb against my clit, and based on Blair’s rigidness, I assumed Atticus did something to him as well. A second later, I clamped down around Atticus’ cock and forced myself to not do the same to Blair.

I came with a shout around his cock and felt Atticus fill my cunt with his hot cum and Blair’s shot straight down my throat before pulling back and allowing me to breathe again.

He climbed off of me, and Atticus pulled out before Blair slipped away into the bathroom, turning on the faucets to the large tub that could easily fit us all. When he popped his head back out, letting us know it was full and covered in bubbles, Atticus scooped me up, and I was half asleep by the time he sank us down into the water. I sunk down with my back against Atticus’ hard chest, and my feet sat in Blair’s lap. He started to massage them as Atticus played with my hair.

Tears sprung to my eyes as I drifted off into dreamland. I had missed them so much and was extremely grateful for their existence. I knew I needed to make a change, and I hoped I could follow through so I could be a better person, a better bonded, and a decent mother when the time finally came.

Remy

Andrin and Kiran stood off in the corner by the fireplace, murmuring to each other about something. I couldn’t make any of it out, but I heard the annoying whispers, and they grated on my ears. I laid on top of the bed in a T-shirt and what I called a medieval torture device, AKA a pad that was nearly the size of a diaper.

Why this and not something else? Because I really didn’t feel like sticking anything up there, and despite the logic rummaging around in my brain, I also didn’t want to send any of them on a wild goose chase to find something that wasn’t this massive.

These were leftover from after Coralena’s birthing experience, so Poe quickly popped out to grab a few. That was the little time I managed to handle.

I might not have wanted them to leave this room, but I also didn’t want any of them touching me. I felt disgusting. It was like a bad period, but the extra knowledge of what was most likely happening made it ten times worse.

The cramps weren’t bad, the bleeding wasn’t any worse than my average period, but knowing there was a half life that threw itself out of my uterus made me want to gag. I blamed the budding pregnancy hormones and would tell anyone who argued against that to shut the fuck up.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to grab anything?” Poe asked from beside me. She had been there the entire time, right next to me but never touching me unless I prompted it. I didn’t know how she knew, but she did. Maybe it was because periods fucking suck and this was next level, so common sense might play a part in that.

“Can you magic up something without moving?” I closed my eyes, tired of staring at the boring ceiling and hoping I would pass out and wake up in a better tomorrow where my uterus wasn’t a cunt. I snorted, and I felt Poe turn her head to look at me. Too bad she wouldn’t understand why that was funny without an explanation. I didn’t remember a time where I had used that word and made the correlation for her.

There were a lot of things that crossed over as they spoke English mostly, but there were also a lot of odd things that I didn’t understand. How they spoke English, you might ask? No one had an answer for me. Half of me believed there was a magical translator that made it work. Maybe I should speak another language and see if they looked at me funny. Did I even know enough of another language to do that?

I started to run through the Spanish and German words I knew when Poe poked my arm, dragging me away from my internal thoughts.

“Did you say something?” I asked.

“I answered your question. I’d ask if you were okay, but we both know the answer to that.” She sighed and tapped her fingers on the bed between us. The vibrations running through my arm made me focus a little better for now.

“I’ll be okay.”

“Will be,” she emphasized.

“Yeah, will be.” I wasn’t, but a week from now? My uterus might be a little better. A few months from now? Who knew. This was my first rodeo, and we would have to wait and see.

I wished my mom could be here to spew out all the facts about what and why this was happening. I found it very sad and very funny that this was the first time I had really thought about my parents since coming to Incyssia. They were never around, and I rarely thought about them before, so I shouldn’t be all that surprised.

Really, I wanted Nora, now known as Dwyna, to be by my side and mom me, but we didn’t know where they were, and they really fucked up.

I thought there was a chance they would show back up if and when they found out about what happened, but they didn’t. Maybe they didn’t know and were hiding deep in a hole somewhere, hoping that one day their daughters would forgive them. All four of their daughters, adopted and biological.

For a couple who had so many kids, you’d think they’d be better at parenting. I groaned internally. That wasn’t fair. They were great parents to us when we were all pretend humans. We were all happy and had everything we needed. They just really screwed over Wren, then screwed up more here by showing up with the traitorous fucks.

I couldn’t help the awkward flop I did with my arms and body at the frustration that filled me. Everything was stupid. Everything was awful. I knew it would be okay eventually, but present time sucked koala dick. You’d get hair and grime all up in your mouth with a healthy dose of chlamydia. That was exactly how this felt.

“Uh, what was that?” Kiran asked Andrin, and he walked over and took up residence at the top of the bed.

“Depends. What were you two talking about?” They looked at each other, and the irritation inside me grew. “None of that silent talking shit. Tell me.” I knew they had their issues, but they had also been friends since they were children, and I knew all too well how people like that had a secret nearly imperceptible language. I had that with Cora and Lena. Had as in past tense. I had barely seen them, and I knew that was partially my fault for, you know, trying to save their kids and losing my arm, but mostly it was them going into meltdown modes.

I didn’t blame them for needing some pity party time, but I did blame them for where they were now. I felt shitty about it, but fuck it. They weren’t the only ones who were traumatized.

The silence finally registered, so I flipped over and cringed at the sudden pressure on my stomach. It was equally pain relieving and pain inducing.

“No, no, no one fuss over me. I’m fine,” I said when no one moved to comfort me. I didn’t want it, but I needed to say something to fill the void that was left by their inaction.

“Remy, we don’t know what to do,” Andrin finally admitted. That was big of him. Kudos.

“Well, neither do I. It’s not like this is a common occurrence in my life.” Again, they looked at each other.

“Stop doing that! What were you talking about? Tell me.” I ground my teeth together, trying to keep myself from screaming away the anger I was feeling. We couldn’t afford to lose another bedroom in this hall. I couldn’t blow up again.

Kiran pinched his lips together, refusing to speak, but Andrin had other plans and threw him under the bus. “Kiran thinks it’s his fault.”

“Andrin!” Kiran yelled at his best friend and had to will himself to not punch him in the face. Good for him. I wouldn’t have the willpower to prevent that if someone dropped a secret truth bomb about me right now.

“What? Why would you think that?” My body moved of its own accord, half attempting to push up to comfort Kiran and assure him that it wasn’t his fault, but I stopped the movement when my stomach lifted from the bed and the gross feelings returned. I collapsed back down and placed my chin in my hands, waiting for Kiran to explain himself. In the many hours since this shit started, it hadn’t once occurred to me that he had anything to do with this. Well, besides coming inside me and making it possible.

Kiran gave Andrin a very dirty look, then let out a puff of air before looking at me. “I hit your stomach the other day. Hard. Remember? It’s too close to be a coincidence. I’m sorry, Remy. I didn’t know. I should have known. I should—“ Pain be damned, I pushed up and crawled over to Kiran and slapped my hand over his mouth.

“This is not your fault. No one knew, and if anyone should have known, it was me. I somehow missed not having a period for two months. I also sparred and trained hard with you, Andrin, Cora, and especially Ira the entire time. If I was just exercising and that was the only thing that caused any trauma to my abdomen, sure, it’s possible that it would be the cause, but I have been hit there, collapsed directly on my stomach, taking so much abuse to my entire body. There isn’t one cause, Kiran. I fucked myself over by wanting to be ready for this fucked up fight. I needed to be prepared to kill those fuckers. It has cost me a lot, so their deaths are going to be extremely worth it.” I sat back, letting my hand fall away. “If you want to blame anyone, blame Calliope and Galvin, or even your parents. Especially your dad. He took my arm, Kiran. I trained harder because I couldn’t defeat him and prevent the kidnapping. So, if you need someone to be the enemy, it’s him.” I awkwardly gave him a thumbs up, then slunk back down so my back was on the mattress and I was staring up at the ceiling.

Their silence hit me like a ton of bricks, and I thought I went a little overboard on my explanation, then Kiran slid down beside me and wrapped his arms around me, holding me close and stuffing his face in the crook of my neck.

“Thank you, Remy.”

“For what?”

He chuckled against my skin, tickling me. “For being a take no shit, logical, and strong person, but,” Kiran paused, pulling his face away and turning mine to look at him, “it’s also okay to break every now and then. We will be right here ready to put the pieces back together. You don’t always have to be strong.”

I looked into his blue eyes and knew he was speaking the truth, but I didn’t want to break. Breaking took time, and we didn’t have any to spare. I had found a balance between bonded time and training and wasn’t going to give it all up just to have a meltdown that wouldn’t fix a damn thing.

“I know, but I can’t. Not yet.”

“But, Remy—“

“No—“

“Remington, listen to your bonded. You’ve trained every day. You’re ready to fight. We still don’t know where they are. Even if we found out right now, there would still be time to sit here and plan. You can break. Don’t worry about the what-ifs or the future. Break so you can heal.” I craned my neck back to look at him and his sharp blue eyes that were a bold contrast to the kindness I found in Kiran’s.

I took in a breath, waiting to see if my body decided for me, then the tears started. I pulled my eyes away from him and stared at the ceiling again. I let Kiran’s touch ground me, the rhythmic tapping of Poe’s fingers distract my thoughts, and Andrin’s mere presence remind me that I wasn’t weak if I broke because I could come back stronger and healthier.

So I broke. I let the tears fall as I sobbed, surrounded by my bonded who let me simply be for now. I knew they were there and would always be there when I needed them.

There was time before everything went to hell in a handbasket again, and thanks to them, I was going to take it so I didn’t destroy myself and leave them with a shell of a mate.

Poe

Remy cried for hours, and we all held her off and on until the tears finally stopped as exhaustion took over. We were all curled under the blanket with me on my back that left Andrin on my left on the edge of the bed, Remy next to me, and Kiran still nearly smothering her with love.

I had gotten used to Andrin’s existence with us and didn’t mind the minimal physical contact we had due to our sleeping arrangements or other arrangements that involved Remy. It brought back memories of Cae which was an odd mixture of sadness at his absence and a sense of calm because even though they were nowhere near the same, it allowed me to daydream about what life would have been like if he were here with us.

We would have needed a much bigger bed if he was. We were all shoved in as is. There was space to flip over, but if you wanted to stretch out, you needed to move to the floor or a separate bed. None of us were willing to do that, at least last night.

The morning light was peeking through the curtains, and I wanted to go grab us breakfast before Remy woke up and kept me from leaving. She was still sound asleep, wrapped in Kiran’s arms, so I covered Andrin’s mouth and nudged him awake. By the look in his eyes, my nudge was more of a startle.

I glared at him, then mimicked eating food before pointing to Remy. Thankfully, he understood my theatrics, and I popped out of the room. I wanted one of them to know where I was just in case Remy woke up and asked. I didn’t want her worrying, but she also needed to eat. We all did.

The kitchen was empty, and the castle was quiet, so I got to work making a quick breakfast that would tide us over until I could sneak out again. I had bread toasted, slices of meat and eggs frying, filled smaller bowls with precut fruit, and grabbed a pitcher of some sort of citrus juice and four glasses. I wasn’t sure how long I took, but the sunlight had grown significantly in the time I had been cooking. I guessed it had been maybe twenty to thirty minutes, and I hoped Remy had stayed asleep through it.

Once everything was done, I piled it all onto a large tray that was almost too heavy for me to carry due to its awkward size. I zipped back to the room where everything was still quiet. I set the tray on the table in the living area and sat back for a moment of peace before I woke everyone up.

Before I could, Andrin came over to keep me company and poured a glass of juice for me and himself. Handing me the glass, he gave me a tired smile, and I returned it. I hoped we had more mornings like this. Quiet. Simple.

I drank my juice as Andrin downed his, then went and flicked Kiran’s nose to wake him up. He shook awake which in turn woke up Remy with a groan.

“It’s too early for your shit.” I watched her roll over and try to go back to sleep, but Andrin wasn’t having that.

“Poe went to all the trouble to make you a nice breakfast, so get your ass out of bed and eat.” He crossed his arms, glaring down at the lump in the bed that was Remy.

She popped up and said, “All you had to say was food. Damn, Andrin.” She rolled out of bed with Kiran following her.

Soon, all four of us sat around the table, fixing our plates and sipping on juice. It felt almost normal and not like we spent half the night consoling our bonded. It was a fresh start, and I hoped Remy saw it that way.

The clinking of silverware and plates filled the room for a time, then Remy went into the bathroom to take a shower.

Andrin, Kiran, and I cleaned up the mess from breakfast before I took it all down to the kitchen. When I popped back into the room, instead of returning to the main area, I entered the bathroom intent on joining Remy.

The steam coated the entire room and fogged the glass enough that she couldn’t see me from inside the shower. I took off my clothes as quietly as I could, then snuck over to the shower door before opening it and peeking my head in.

“Mind if I join you?”

Remy yelped in shock and spun to face me. “Goddamn it, Poe. Did you have to sneak up on me?”

I shrugged and stepped into the shower, closing the door behind me to keep in the heat. I grabbed the scrub brush and soap before lathering them together and stepping toward Remy. “Let me help. Just relax.”

After a moment, Remy nodded and turned around, giving me her back. I set down the soap and started massaging the brush across her back in slow, soft circles, hoping to remove some of the tension that seemed to permanently reside there.

Remy moaned and leaned her head against the cool tile on the shower’s wall. She let me scrub her back before I moved to her shoulders, sliding the brush down her arms. I scrubbed her arms and her hands, making sure to get in between each finger.

The entire time, Remy stayed still.

I moved to her legs, scrubbing down each before getting to her feet. I quickly brushed over her ass but avoided anything lower before I rinsed off the brush and set it aside. Pulling the nozzle off of its hook, I rinsed Remy down, taking my time once again to massage out any knots and being as gentle as possible.

After I was done and put the nozzle again, I hugged Remy from behind and placed light kisses along the upper part of her back. She was quite a bit taller than me, so unless she bent a little, that was as high as I could reach especially in her hunched position.

“Thank you, Poe.” I could barely hear her over the spraying water, but I made out what she said.

“I told you, anything for you. I love you.” I squeezed her in my arms, hoping she felt all the love I had for her. I knew I wasn’t always the best at showing it thanks to my upbringing, but I was learning.

Remy turned to face me and threw her arms around my shoulders before burying her face in the crook of my neck. She breathed me in as I wrapped my arms around her again and kissed the side of her head.

I would never experience this and would never feel what she feels, but I could imagine how heartbreaking this all was. Ready or not, Remy wasn’t expecting this to happen. Even the shock of the situation was enough to knock someone out for a while.

I felt her take a deep breath, then she pulled away to look into my white eyes. Her reddish brown ones stared down at me as she contemplated something. After a few minutes of the hot water running over us and far too much eye contact, Remy spoke.

“I don’t know when I will be ready for—“ She huffed and looked down.

“Remy, no, that’s not—“ I would never expect her to simply pop back from this as if nothing happened. I never expected anything from her in a sexual fashion anyway.

“I know, I know. I just wanted to say it so we were all on the same page. Eventually, once this is all over, despite me not wanting kids before, I would like to try, actually try. I don’t know when that will be, but one day, okay?” Remy looked down at me with tears in her eyes and a wobbling lip.

“It’s always up to you, Remy. None of us will force anything on you. No matter what you decide, whether it’s five minutes from now or five years, I will stand by you and knock some sense into them if need be. You will always have me.” The wobbling turned to shaking, and the tears fell freely as Remy broke down in my arms.

I held her close as we sunk to the floor. There had been phases since finding out. Times where she was almost normal, then others where she was crying. Sometimes she punched a pillow repeatedly until whatever it was she was feeling lost steam.

As I said, no matter what, I would be right here, helping her through it. I knew the others felt the same, but they had dicks, so it wasn’t quite the same. I hadn’t lost like she had, but I had lost Cae, and with his death, I also lost any chance of birthing any children.

I would never say I knew exactly how she felt, but it was close enough that I would hold onto the pain I knew and use it to help her.

After an hour in the shower and many talks and breakdowns, Remy turned off the water and grabbed two oversized towels. She wrapped one around herself and passed me the other.

Without a word, I patted the counter, wanting her to hop up. She did, and I brought out the lotion and started coating her skin so it wouldn’t dry out. I massaged it all over her body and received numerous contented sighs.

When I was done, I pulled her face down so I could kiss her and rest my forehead against hers. “I love you more than you will ever know. You will never lose me.” I knew I couldn’t promise that, not really, but I needed her to know how much she meant to me, even now, especially now.

“I know, Poe. I love you too.” She did. I felt it, but her voice was filled with hints of sorrow and exhaustion that stung a little.

One day, she would find her way back to herself, and I would hear the spark of joy and mischievousness in her voice again. I would be patient, but only for her.

Lena

“Why are we the only ones here? I thought this was a meeting,” Cora asked as we sat in the same meeting room as yesterday. This time it was only the two of us and Ira.

“It is a meeting. However, it’s just the three of us.” Cora and I looked at each other, and I enjoyed the familiarity. I could count the number of times we had been in the same room together over the last three months on one hand. Three of which had happened this week.

“Okay, so why?” Thank you, Cora, for getting us to the point.

I had a bubble bath and a cozy bed with a book waiting for me. Maybe more sex. Time would tell. I should find Cillian.

“Lena.”

“Huh?” I startled from my thoughts and looked at Ira, trying to figure out if she had said anything besides my name.

She chuckled and smiled at me. Cora gave me the stink eye, and I flipped her off without looking.

“The meeting is about you.”

“Nope.” I slammed my hands on the table and stood up. “I already had a nice long talk with

Atticus and Blair. No thanks. I’m not down for this.”

“Sit. It’s about that chat.” She pointed at my chair and took a step toward me. I knew she wouldn’t hurt me, but I also knew she’d make me sit down and shut up if she wanted to.

“Fine,” I ground out as I retook my seat.

“What was the chat about?” Cora asked.

Before I could respond, Ira filled her in. “What she needs to do if she wants to fight with us.”

That was a lot simpler than I was going to make it. I felt like it had been so much more than that one sentence, but really, that was it. I had a list of things to do so I wasn’t left behind.

“Oh, uh, like what? Why am I here if it’s stuff Lena has to do?” I glared at her. I realized we had been less than supportive recently, but I didn’t think it had gotten to the point where she didn’t care about what I was doing to better my health and not be in a depressive shit hole. I know her situation was a little less dire in the physical health department, but we all knew her mental health was just as fucked as mine.

Asshole.

“Like eating, not being in a bed all day, and learning how to do anything with my powers. Oh, and I have no idea why you’re involved if you don’t give a shit. You can leave.” I shooed her and leaned back in my chair with my arms crossed.

Her jaw dropped open, and Ira sighed before sitting down and leaning forward on her elbows.

“If that’s what this is going to devolve into, so be it, but we need to make plans first. After that, you two can battle it out so you can feel better and move on if you need to. Deal?” Ira looked at me, then at Cora. We both paused, then nodded in agreement.

I didn’t really want to get into that right now. It wouldn’t change anything. We had both been terrible to each other, not checking in or really showing any care at all. Now that I thought about it, we did the same to Remy. They told us something was going on with her, but I hadn’t gone to check in with her. I hadn’t checked in since we were in Oedinia.

What the fuck was wrong with me?

“I have already talked to the kitchen staff, and they are ready to work with you to create a meal plan that you will follow. It will give you the nutrients you need while taking into account that your stomach has shrunk significantly. It’ll be smaller meals more frequently with plenty of snacks available. They will report back to me, and Cillian will be making sure you eat a little each time. How does that sound so far?”

“Fine. About what I expected.” My voice was quiet. Despite expecting it, it still sounded like a lot of work. I didn’t have to make any of it, but taking the time to eat that much didn’t sit well with me. However, I had to do it to make sure I was capable of fighting for my children.

“Next, not being in bed all day as you said. That goes with your training. Obviously, we will need to build up your strength again, so it will be a slow start with plenty of breaks. That’s where Cora comes in.”

“You want me to train her?” Cora asked, confusion written on her face.

“Kind of. You’ll always have one of us with you to help train her, but you and Andrin are the most equipped to teach her about her water powers. The deal is that Cora will also be taking the breaks with you so you two can bond since you clearly haven’t been spending time together. We would all like to join you at times as well. We have all been separated, and it’s time that stops.” Ira’s tone said there was no room for arguing, but apparently, Cora didn’t catch that.

“What? No. I will not be taking breaks to accommodate her.” I rolled my eyes, and Ira cocked her head.

“Clearly, you didn’t hear my entire explanation. The breaks are for bonding with your sister and your bonded. It will be happening. You do not have a choice. We let you two attempt sorting out yourselves, but it went too far, so I’m putting my foot down and fixing it whether you like it or not.

“I don’t—“

“It doesn’t matter, Cora. That’s the end of that discussion.” Turning away from Cora, Ira looked at me. “Do you have any thoughts on that before we move on?” I shook my head. I didn’t really want to do it if Cora was going to be this grumpy ass the entire time, but if it was the price to pay for the training I would receive, then fine, I’d do it.

“Good. Then we start now.”

“Now?” Cora and I shrieked in unison.

Ira smirked in response and stood from her chair, exiting the room and expecting us to follow.

I didn’t know what was in store, but if Ira and Cora were involved, this wasn’t going to be easy, and I wondered if this would be my breaking point. Cora found my buttons and pushed them, and right now, I had too many to count.

I wanted this to work and would try, but I made no promises of sticking with this. At least with Cora’s involvement. Sorrow filled me at the thought of that bond completely snapping, but I had others to worry about now, not just her.

I hoped we would work it out and mend the bridges we all but burned with Remy, but I wasn’t confident. Actually, I wasn’t confident in anything, except for my bonded, so I would have to put all my trust in them and see where it took us.

Four Months Later

“Higher, Lena,” Ira called out as I attempted to kick Cora in the face. I missed and was too low, nearly kicking her bicep.

She blocked the first one, then spun to try and jab me in the side with her fist. I dodged by an inch, then did as Ira said. I put all my weight behind my round kick, aiming for her head again. This time, I had the height but not the balance. Cora easily ducked, grabbed my leg, and pushed me into the spin, tossing me onto the ground.

My face hit the sand, and I got a mouthful. I had eaten a lot of it in the last four months. Thankfully, it didn’t hinder the other things I had consumed. I had put on weight and muscle. The gauntness of my eyes had vanished, and my bones weren’t protruding from beneath my skin anymore. I wasn’t quite back to what I was, but four months made a lot of difference.

Even with all the increased training and everything else, I still couldn’t beat Cora. I didn’t know why. I knew the moves and was skilled in using my water powers, but I couldn’t beat Cora hand-to-hand or otherwise. I was trying so hard, pushing myself like Cora did, but it didn’t make up the difference.

Some days, I felt so defeated and fell into bed with tears flowing freely. Someone was always there to tell me it was okay to cry and that they all had more training than me. From where I was, this was a massive improvement, but it wasn’t enough. At this rate, I was still worried they wouldn’t let me go with them.

I had to push myself more, but Ira wouldn’t let me.

I rolled over to my ass in the sand pit, staring up at Ira and Cora. The former had a frown marring her lips. The latter was smirking. She knew she was better than me and liked to toss it in my face.

Surprisingly, our relationship hadn’t gotten better. Depression really was a bitch. It ruined everything, and even when you tried to mend the past, there was a solid chance nothing would work.

Our relationships with our bonded were stronger than ever. We communicated everything to the point of annoyance. Ira made us have a weekly sit down to get everything out in the open, which helped but was very tiring and frustrating. A point that kept coming up was how Cora and I didn’t get along now. I loved her and would do anything for her, and I hoped she felt the same, but we weren’t friends.

Remy, on the other hand, really loved the other meeting we had which involved everyone. Same concept, but it involved both groups. Obviously, it was complicated because Andrin was in both, but we made it work. Or I thought we did. Sometimes I wasn’t so sure.

I hadn’t pushed anything with Andrin. It didn’t feel right given everything. I had a few leftover feelings from when we were Coralena, but I think that was on Cora’s side of things and mostly filtered into her. It didn’t bother me as long as they were happy about it and Remy continued to give the thumbs up.

“Up. Do it again,” Ira commanded.

“Can I spar someone else? I’m not getting anywhere with Cora.”

Ira sighed but told Cora she was done for the day and to send out Remy if she was free. If not, Cillian. I was fine with both of those options. They brought humor to the fight and helped me relax into it. They also taught and corrected me along the way so I actually improved. Cora’s philosophy was to hit me until I figured out how to not get hit.

“Fine.” Cora marched away after giving me a look of ire.

I never thought a day like this would come, but here I was, tethered in misery to everyone in this damn place.

Ira walked over and gave me her hand before pulling me up so I could stand while we waited.

“One day, she will see what she’s missing,” Ira said, attempting to soothe me.

I sighed. “That’s the problem, Ira. She has herself. She doesn’t need me.”

Thankfully, Cillian bounded down the hill toward us right then, dissipating the awkward atmosphere.

“Let’s get to rumblin’!” he shouted, and I laughed.

“It’s ‘let’s get ready to rumble’!” I corrected.

He shrugged. “Either way, you’re rubbing that body against me, so potato potato as Remy says.” It was a terrible joke, but I couldn’t help but laugh at it anyway.

My Cora blues were gone, and I had a smile on my face, ready to throw sand in my bonded’s face to win. The afternoon was looking up, and I hoped this was what awaited me in the future even with the messes that still remained.

Cillian

Cora had come stomping in with a sour look on her face. I knew she had been sparring with Lena, and this was typical. They hadn’t been getting along, and none of us knew what to do about it.

Lena hadn’t pushed the issue, and Cora didn’t seem to care about trying either. In fact, Cora seemed content to keep the grumpy attitude toward her sister. On the other side, Lena always looked miserable when Cora was around. I could see that she wanted things to change but wasn’t prepared to take on that challenge.

I had high hopes that after getting the twins back things would settle down considering they would have to push aside their problems to care for their children. There was always a chance that wouldn’t go well, but if there was one thing I knew for certain, it was that Cora and Lena loved their babies and wanted them back home.

I didn’t think they would do anything to mess that up and set them on a future with bickering parents.

“You’re up,” she said as she walked up to me while I had been talking to a servant about changing up the nursery. I had done this in secret every couple of months, knowing that if we got Covett and Kelby back at that point, they wouldn’t be the same newborns we had seven months ago. They would need vastly different things, and no one else seemed to realize this.

“Right. I will head out in a moment. Haddi, I will speak with you later, but I think you have it handled.” She walked off at the dismissal, ready to take care of everything. Haddi had a handful of children and grandchildren, so I trusted that she could handle it without too much intervention on my part.

Honestly, I was a little surprised that no one else had taken the initiative on this or caught me before. This was the closest call, and Cora didn’t seem to notice a thing as she stormed by, heading to who knew where to let off the steam she had been building up. Well, good luck to the poor soul who got caught in that storm. I had been there before, and as much as I enjoyed it, it was also terrifying.

Actually, I wouldn’t mind that right now, but Lena needed me to train, so that’s what I was going to do.

I walked outside and headed down the hill toward the sand pit next to the pond. This was their favorite place to train as it was a softer ground that was more difficult to traverse with a solid water source right next to it. Softer wasn’t exactly the right word. Crashing onto a pit of sand stung, and I prevented it at all costs. It was only slightly better than falling on the rock infested ground around it.

“Let’s get to rumblin’!” I shouted as I stepped onto the sand, rubbing my hands together. I enjoyed sparring with Lena. I could have fun with it, and since she was easier to defeat, I could let loose. With Cora, I never knew when a water spear was heading toward my vital organs. She never let them fully strike, but a splash of water at that speed still hurt.

“It’s ‘let’s get ready to rumble’!” she corrected with an eye roll before getting into her sparring stance.

I copied her, crouching slightly and letting a small breeze take hold of the pit, lifting bits of sand here and there. “Either way, you’re rubbing that body against me, so potato potato as Remy says.”

“Enough with the foreplay, you two,” Ira chastised. “Get ready.” She backed up out of the pit, lording over us to make sure no one got hurt. “Fight!”

Lena attacked first, sending spikey balls of water at my feet which I dodged with ease. She apparently had gotten a little better since the last time we fought, so a larger version of the spiked balls was waiting for me. It crashed into my chest, soaking my entire body in water as I crumbled to the ground.

Maybe I should take this more seriously.

“Ouch,” I groaned as Lena gasped, then ran over to me.

Staring down at me, she had her hands covering her mouth, and her eyes roamed over my body, making sure I didn’t have any external injuries.

“Are you okay?”

“Yep,” I said, popping up to a standing position. “I wasn’t expecting that is all. Ready for round two?”

She slapped me on the arm with a scoff. “Do you have to be so dramatic when you get hit?” “Yes, I do.” I gave no other explanation as I made my way back to my starting point.

Lena did the same before Ira checked to make sure I wasn’t lying about being okay, then started the second round.

This time, I struck first, blinding Lena with a gust of sand filled wind. While she was distracted, I danced around the pit until I was behind her, using my air powers to prevent myself from making any noise. Once the first attack dwindled and Lena was sputtering sand out of her mouth, I tackled her from behind, sending us down in a heap of limbs.

I straddled her hips and bent her arm behind her back, preventing her from having any leverage against me.

“Give up?” I asked, looking down at her sand covered face.

Instead of replying, she smirked. That’s when I felt a drip of water above me and knew I was going to regret this.

I tried rolling off of her, but the blob of water collided with my head, submerging my entire skull in water. Everywhere I moved, it moved with me. Panic started to take over, and I let Lena go before I calmed myself down and willed my air to create a little tunnel around my mouth to the outside air.

I gasped in a few breaths before glaring at Lena who looked far too pleased with herself.

“New trick?” I asked, although it was muffled by the surrounding water.

“Andrin taught me. Apparently, we can breathe underwater, but others can’t. I tried it on Ira, and it took a lot of fire to evaporate the water. If I add enough, she can’t get through it before drowning.” Her smile was bright, and finally, the water blob fell, letting me breath and see as normal.

“Oh, how did you find that out?” I asked, looking at Ira with curiosity.

“It’s never too late for me to learn new things, Cillian. I am not against having my limits pushed. And it was around ten times before the water was thick enough that I had to tap out.” She beamed down at Lena with pride.

“Have you tried it on the others? It’s clearly not that useful on air nymphs and wouldn’t be on water. What about spirit and earth?” I crossed my arms, intrigued by this new talent.

“Uh, I haven’t had a chance to use it on them, so I don’t know.” Lena shrugged.

“Atticus would simply transport himself away from the water. Earth might have a harder time unless they could fashion an airtight tube of earth. Even then, they’d have to know what they were doing. It’s a good thing to have in her arsenal, but in the fight against Calliope and Galvin, it won’t be useful I’m afraid.” Way to burst Lena’s bubble, Ira.

Lena deflated a little at the unintentional jab, but Ira was right. We needed to find ways for her to use her powers against the water nymphs that couldn’t be reversed on her. At the very least, sparring with her, Cora, and Andrin gave us insight into what to expect, and we could plan ways around their attacks.

If they used that one, I could get out of it long enough to help the others. Really, I wanted to simply blast them all away like I did last time, but with Covett and Kelby involved, we couldn’t risk anything on a massive scale.

“At least we know another thing to expect from them. We aren’t used to fighting water nymphs on this scale, except for Kiran since he has battled Andrin plenty. We know enough, but obviously, there is plenty they could surprise us with.” Lena nodded, but her spirits didn’t inflate again.

I pulled her into a hug and kissed the top of her head when Andrin came tearing down the hill with a letter flapping around in his hand.

“Ira! You’re going to want to read this.” He sped by Lena and I and passed the letter to Ira.

She quickly read the contents, then gasped. A wide grin crossed her lips before she looked at us with a fiery vengeance in her eyes.

“It’s time.”

“Time for what?” Lena asked.

“To get back what was taken from us.” Without another word, Ira sped up to the castle with Andrin right behind her.

Lena was either in shock or trying to decipher what Ira meant. We stood there for a few minutes as I let it sink in, but my excitement was about to bubble over. We had things to prepare before taking off, and I wanted to be in the middle of all of it.

“Lena—“

“We will finally have them back,” she whispered with tears in her eyes. “Thank fuck.” Her voice wobbled, and I wondered if it was out of anticipation or worry.

“Thank fuck is right.” I picked her up into my arms and ran to the castle, ready to kick some ass and end this once and for all.

Wren

Iwas done here. All they did was complain about the circumstances they put themselves in. Every decision they had made for the last twenty odd years led us here, but they couldn’t accept that it was all their fault. No, it was everyone else who was to blame. Specifically, they blamed Kiran and Andrin, pinning them as the leaders of this madness. I wasn’t so sure of that. There had to be someone else pulling strings.

Kiran and Andrin were formidable, but they were still princes who lived in the life of luxury. They were warriors in their own right, but being able to fight and formulate a battle plan were completely different. I was interested to know who else was on their side, helping them hide away. I assumed they were preparing for us to stick our heads out for a mere second, but we hadn’t. I wasn’t sure how we managed to stay hidden for seven months, but here we were, and I was sick of it.

We still didn’t know where Andrin and the others were hiding either, but I knew someone that did. Or I hoped they knew. Kiran’s sister, Alivia, currently ruled over Nularoth in her parents absence. If anyone knew how to get a hold of Kiran, it was her. She was the only hope I had in ending this.

From the snippets I overheard, their younger brother, Oren, was under their parents’ thumbs, but Alivia was fully on Kiran’s side. Despite their best efforts, Oren was unable to get their whereabouts from Alivia. I didn’t need to know where they were, but I needed a letter to get to them. I hoped she would follow through and give me this one thing so I could take a step toward forgiveness.

I didn’t expect much once we were found, but I would request mercy at the very least for helping them. This wasn’t the first time either. Sadly, I partially regret that decision.

I stepped away and hid in my room again. Calliope and Galvin did nothing but argue and moan while Willas and Lillin looked after Covett and Kelby. How they thought they’d take care of two babies was beyond me. I knew they had help with Andrin, but this was further than I expected. They were useless. How could we have thought so highly of them before?

Whatever magic they had used to portray themselves in such a way had vanished the moment we left Oedinia.

I didn’t close my door the entire way. Sound traveled, and I found that they spilled secrets while I was away. It was good to know that they didn’t fully trust me. It was smart, but speaking of such things in such a cramped space that echoed was idiotic.

I truly hoped Andrin, Cora, and Lena received whatever meager brains our line had since their parents clearly didn’t.

One night a couple of weeks ago, a letter was delivered to Galvin, stating that our permanent residence had been completed. It had all the finer things, servants, everything two sets of royalty could ever want. It was hidden away under the guise of a lower monarch. From the sound of it, they simply discarded said lower monarch and were taking up his residence and paying to keep everyone quiet.

Money and power spoke volumes, especially when you were the king and queen.

They didn’t mention where it was, but I listened in each night after I said I was going to bed. Finally, they gave me enough snippets of information to piece it all together. It was a place on the border of Nularoth and Oedinia. The border wasn’t too expansive, so that would have worked well enough if no other information was given, except they gave me so much more.

Two nights ago, when I was initially planning to send this letter, Calliope let the monarch’s name slip. It was a lower level one as I thought. He was only given the title within Oedinia because he was used as a diplomat of sorts between the countries. We didn’t need one, so I always wondered why he existed in the first place.

The juiciest part was finding out he wasn’t actually a diplomat either. They placed his house as close to Onulon as possible without drawing suspicion. He snuck across the border, spying on the fire nymph kingdom and reported back anything he found so we could use it against the rulers there. Unlike Oedinia and Nularoth who had an unbonded pair as their rulers, Onulon had a full bonded group.

They stood for everything Oedinia hated and were the secretly sworn enemy of my family. No one spoke of it, but it was heavily implied. Peace generally ran throughout the realm. Few wars broke out, and if they did, they were quickly smashed down. Each kingdom agreed to leave the others to their own bidding but kept trade routes open so no one suffered from not having access to something only a specific kingdom could create or offer.

It was all very complicated, but thankfully, every detail about it had been poured into my head over and over since I was born. It got even more intense once I was engaged to Andrin. The future queen had to know everything, not just the seemingly important bits. I knew more than Andrin on certain points because why would the king have to know something society related when the queen could handle it?

I took a deep breath as I pulled out paper and a pen. I needed to be quick and hoped this wouldn’t fall into the wrong hands. The hardest part was getting this out of the cave without it being intercepted by someone else. I hadn’t figured that part out yet, but with us leaving in a few days, I would have my chance. If I had to wait until we were settled, then so be it.

I wanted to give them every bit of information I had, but I needed to keep this simple and short. All I wrote was Find Andrin, will be at Ulrir’s residence within a week –Wren.

I wrapped it up and stuffed it in my pocket. I needed it as small as possible so no one would see it or accidentally find it.

The last time I did something like this, everything went crazy. Cora and Lena came back, Andrin made a horrible decision, and now we were here.

I never thought sending him the letter detailing where Cora and Lena were would end with us in this situation. My parents messed everything up by telling me where they had been hiding for all these years, and the small bit of conscience I had left nagged at me until I told Andrin.

I couldn’t out myself and tell him outright, so I placed the letter in his room where only he would find it.

With the letter written, I hoped the past wouldn’t repeat itself. I couldn’t imagine any of this getting any worse, but the fates seemed to have plans for us. As long as the rules of Oedinia and Nularoth were taken down and the babies returned, I could live with anything else that came our way.

Our.

As if I were a part of their group. I doubted I would be let in in any fashion, but I could dream of an actual family who cared for me instead of using me as a tool for so many years.

I wouldn’t be marrying Oren even if he were an acceptable age in my eyes. He was under their spell, and I didn’t know him well enough to break it. Maybe one day I would meet my own bonded, but my hopes were not high for that as well.

Besides, who would want a forgotten princess who had a heavy hand in all of this heartache? They would think too little of me, and I wouldn’t blame them. My slot in life was to always be on the outside, fixing what I could and ignoring what I couldn’t.

I let so much happen to Andrin, to Cora and Lena, and that wasn’t something I would let myself forget.

Shaking my head, I stood up and brushed down my skirt before heading back out into the living area. They hadn’t spoken much while I was away, so I had no new information to hold onto for later.

The time would come when I passed on the letter, and I hoped it wasn’t too late on either side. They needed to be ready for a battle. Covett and Kelby wouldn’t be let go easily. Ignoring the adults, I walked over to the sleeping children and looked down at them, promising that I would lay my life down for them.

They were our future, and they deserved to grow up with people who loved them unconditionally. My cousins and their bonded were just that. Remy alone would have ensured that if no one else did. I hadn’t spent any immense time with anyone besides Andrin or Kiran, but the moment I had with her stuck with me.

She was a force, and I couldn’t wait to see what she had in store for this fight if she managed to survive the ordeal with Willas and Lillin.

I took one final moment with the babies, hoping we were all ready for what was to come. There were too many variables, and everything could collapse in at any moment.

We would have to wait and see, and my patience had vanished.

Andrin

Icouldn’t believe it. I held the letter passed from Wren to Alivia. It was short but thankfully not cryptic. With how long it took the letter to get from its origin to here, it was a safe bet that they had moved into their new residence already.

Ulrir was one of our spies. Well, my parents’ spies. I left him alone to live his life, not thinking he would ever be of use. There was peace between the kingdoms, so spying on them seemed like a waste of everyone’s time.

I was sure that Calliope and Galvin had him pop over to Onulon every now and then to test the waters, but I had no part of it. I did, however, know exactly where his house was located. It was a stopping point for us anytime we visited Onulon or Nularoth, and of course, on the way back to Oedinia.

The moment I opened it and read the contents, I rushed to find Ira. She needed to know so we could set our plans in motion. So much had been set up, but we were unsure of when action would be able to take place. We had almost everything prepped and ready for varying circumstances, so all we had to do now was pick the correct course of action and enact it.

After getting Ira, we rushed to the meeting room. I had a split second where I wanted to celebrate with Lena, but I couldn’t let myself hope that much. We were acquaintances and siblings at this point. Comfortable but not close in any way. Cora and I had built a relationship, but it was almost purely snark and sex. I couldn’t complain, but there was so much more I wanted.

Anyway, I knew Cillian would handle Lena while we gathered everyone else and got started. Atticus and the others were sent for. We didn’t have time to traipse around the grounds searching for everyone.

Lena and Cillian were the first to join us as they had followed along shortly. Atticus and Blair were next, then Poe, Remy, and Kiran. Strangely, Cora was the one missing.

“I don’t want to get this started without Cora. Does anyone know where she is? We finally have a location for Galvin and the others. We must act quickly,” Ira stated as she stared down at our plans and sorted through everything, determining which direction to take.

We were almost directly west of Ulrir’s residence. If we went on foot, which we were both opposed to, it would take a few days to get there. If we went by naglif, then it would be a matter of hours, but we would lose any level of discretion or surprise. Thankfully, we had three people here who could transport others.

Everyone shared a moment of surprise. Apparently, they thought this was another boring update, not the real deal.

“Wren sent me a letter through Alivia. We know exactly where they are. Kiran and I have been there before, so we will give you all the information we can before heading out. We need to pick a plan and stick to it. Once we have everyone here, we will start sorting out who goes where and what their roles will be.

They all nodded as they stared up at me with a little bit of shock. Atticus was the only one with a smirk on his face, ready to tear the traitors apart.

“We saw Cora maybe an hour ago when she had me go spar with Lena.” Cillian pulled out a chair for Lena, making her sit down, then took the one beside her.

Blair and Atticus matched them across the table with Atticus standing behind his chair. Kiran was next to Blair, Remy was next to him, and Poe was on the end.

“I will go find her.” Without waiting for anyone to respond, he vanished from the room.

We all knew he would drag her kicking and screaming if needed, but with the information he was bringing her, I doubted there would be an issue. However, with Cora, no one knew what to expect. The hope was everything would fall into place once Covett and Kelby were back in our arms, but there wasn’t a guarantee.

Sometimes, I wished they would simply merge back into Coralena so things would be a bit easier. This plan, managing their emotions and spending time with them would be a much simpler task. I would never say that out loud, but I had been wondering if anyone else had these thoughts.

Before we could move onto anything, Atticus was back with Cora over his shoulder. He unceremoniously dropped her ass onto the table.

“What the fuck was that about?” she spewed at him.

“Instead of fighting everyone, listen for once, Cora.” Atticus was more done than all of us combined. The emotionless man had a few breakdowns recently, and I blamed the bond between him and my sisters. Their emotions must be leaking into him through the bond. There was no other explanation.

“No tha—“

“Cora, quit being a shithead,” Remy piped in. “They know where the kids are, so shut the fuck up, and get your ass in a chair. We have things to sort out, and you’re wasting our time with your attitude.”

Did I say Atticus was the most done? Maybe Remy was.

I rubbed a hand down my face. The emotions were high in this group, and the outbursts, people storming off, and over pissiness made every group gathering a nightmare. I would rather gouge my eyes out than deal with them, but love and caring for others prevented that from happening.

I played along, but I was truly thankful we finally had a breakthrough. I didn’t think we would last much longer without some good news.

“Now that everyone is here, do as Remy said. Take a seat and listen.” Ira stood up straight and waited for Cora to crawl across the table and take her seat next to Cillian. It left an empty seat between her and Poe, and that was probably the safest place for her at the moment.

I took up the lead for a moment since I knew more about the location. Ira would have final say on the infiltration plan, but Kiran and I would make suggestions based on the surrounding area. “They are residing in the house of an Oedinian diplomat, a low level monarch named Ulrir. His residence sits on the border of Nularoth and Oedinia and was used by Oedinian and Nularothian royalty as we ventured back and forth. It isn’t far off from Onulon’s border since he was used as a spy against the Onulon royalty. Anything to add, Kiran?”

He nodded and stood before addressing everyone. “The area surrounding the mansion is mostly forest. There’s a stream a couple of miles away, but there are few hills, no cliffs, nothing to block their view besides trees. Both Nularothian and Oedinian forces will be guarding it. We wouldn’t know if they are aware of what’s happening. There’s a chance that Andrin and I could waltz in without any issues, but there’s also the possibility that they have been warned to kill us on sight. Or at least, try to kill us. We haven’t met a single royal guard who could do too much harm to us yet.” Kiran smirked, and I mirrored it.

He wasn’t wrong. We had strong warriors, but we were stronger. With the peaceful times, they hadn’t had to use their skills to the fullest yet. This would be new territory for us all.

“That does make things slightly more difficult. However, that also means we will more than likely be fighting the Nularothian guards using their powers and the Oedinian ones hand-to-hand thanks to the lack of water. They can pull it from the air, but there is much less of it. Andrin, your powers will be the most useful. Use them wisely.” I nodded, and she continued. “For now, Andrin, I need you to take Poe and Atticus as close to the residence as possible so they can help transport. We won’t have a high amount of support. A few spirit nymphs might drop in some others, but the nymphs we have in this room are it. We need to get in and out with Covett and Kelby. If we happen to kill Calliope and Galvin, then it’s an extra win, but it isn’t the goal. With

Wren possibly being on our side, let’s hope she is ready for us.”

Poe and Atticus gathered by me, and I took them as instructed. It didn’t take more than a couple of minutes because they wanted to gather as much information as possible on the landscape before we went back. It was as Kiran had said. It was flat with trees. There wouldn’t be any sneaking up on them, so we would need to go at night and transport ourselves as close as possible. Between the three of us, I figured it would work out.

I could handle at least three others. Atticus could as well, and if I had to guess, he could push it to four if needed. Poe would only take one since she hadn’t managed to bump her number up from one despite her best efforts.

While they looked around, I thought of the best distribution. Poe taking Kiran would make the most sense to start off with. If she could get them in the grounds and under cover, Kiran could get in, and Poe could bounce them around until they found Covett and Kelby or Wren.

Atticus could manage Blair, Cora, and Remy. That left me with Ira and Cillian. When we got back, I would let Ira know my thoughts, but I doubted she would have any qualms with it. It split us up into three groups. One for infiltrating, one to keep a lookout and act as backup, then my group, the one that would do the most damage.

Finally, Atticus and Poe were ready, and we headed back. It had only been about three minutes since we left, but the room was in chaos. What had happened while we were gone? The three of us stood by the door looking over the room.

Cora was being held back by Cillian with a Lena statue behind him, and Remy was seconds from being tackled to the floor by Kiran with Blair matching Lena’s stance. Ira was still at the front, looking like she needed a week-long nap or to snap someone’s neck. Luckily, the latter might happen tonight.

“What do you mean ‘you wish I was Coralena again’?” Cora screamed across the table at Remy.

“I said what I fucking said, Cora. You’re being shitty, and all of this would be easier if you were one person who gave a hoot about anyone other than themselves. You’ve changed, and I want my friend back. If that happens to be Coralena, then bring it on and merge already. Maybe your skills and Lena’s personality would make a decent fucking human.”

I watched Lena’s jaw drop and start to wobble. Cora’s fury took on a new form. She tried wrapping water tentacles around Remy’s throat, but I froze them midair before smashing them as I jumped onto the table and crouched in front of her.

The room went dead silent as I held her hard glare. “I love you, Cora, but do not touch my bonded again. Do you hear me? This ends now. You will sit down, let us get through the planning, and you will help us get our children back. Until then, no sound comes from you.” She snarled at me and shoved Cillian off of her, but she didn’t say anything as she righted her chair and sat down in it.

“That was hot,” Remy said from behind me. “I might have to rethink my deal.” The last part was said quietly enough that I didn’t think she intended for me to hear it, but I did.

“Thank you, Andrin.” Ira’s voice was tired, and I knew exactly how she felt. “Everyone, sit down. We have much to sort out before we leave, and if arguments keep happening, we might as well give up now.” Everyone kept their traps shut, so Ira got to it.

We spent the next several hours planning, rechecking our plans, and ingraining every little detail into our minds. We were as ready as we would ever be, and it was finally time for some payback.

Remy

Everyone was a shithead. I loved them, but they were all shitheads, and I would never take that back or think otherwise. They might have their sweet moments, but that would only make them a sweet shithead.

Why was everyone a shithead? Well, I was stuck in a group with Atticus, Blair, and Cora. The first two weren’t an issue, but Cora was a real dick lately, and only so much could be blamed on or excused by her mental state. That line was passed over a long time ago, and I couldn’t let myself keep making excuses for her. It was harming me, and that wasn’t healthy.

As we waited for the other two teams to appear, I climbed into a tree and sat on a branch. By climb, I meant Atticus half lifted me into it. Climbing was not a skill I had nurtured with one arm. I could do a lot. Kick ass, make sandwiches, and beat everyone in games, but climbing was a no.

Finally, I saw group two appear with Andrin, Ira, and Cillian. I wanted to be in that group, but as much as I hated to admit it, this distribution of power made sense. Team lookout had a teleporter, an earth bro who could help from afar, a fire badass, and a water douchebag who I wasn’t going to give value to at the moment. I loved her and always would, but I didn’t like her recently. Actually, that was on the verge of love and hate equally.

Team two was power squad. Andrin the ice king, Ira the fire goddess, and Cillian the tornado of destruction. Honestly, if we knew exactly where everyone was and weren’t worried about the kids, then those three plus Atticus could rip this place apart in seconds. The rescue portion was the hard part.

Which led us to team espionage, Poe and Kiran. Poe was a sneaky thing, and Kiran knew his way around.

Andrin was absolutely spot on with this, except for what he did next.

God dammit, Andrin.

He flashed out for a moment, and when he reappeared, Lena was with him. I couldn’t see the others’ reactions, but once again, Andrin and Lena were gone. The next second, they were below me, and Andrin took off, leaving Lena with us.

“That fucking dick,” Cora muttered.

“Finally, we agree on something.” We looked at each other, and for a second, that spark of what we used to be sprung forth. It was quickly covered again, but at least I knew it was possible for us to get along.

Lena didn’t say anything as she stood between Atticus and Blair. Cora refused to even look at her.

We had more important things to deal with at the moment. Finally, I spotted my other two bonded on the other side of the wall, scaling the side of the mansion. Team two snuck around the perimeter, hitting guards where it hurt and taking them all out with ease. Once they skirted around the corners, I lost track of them and nearly bit my nails to nubs.

After a few minutes, Kiran and Poe were inside, and the others came around the inner gate which they unlocked for an easy escape route if teleporting was accessible for someone.

At first, I was okay with this group, but now, I wanted to be in the action. They were having all the fun.

“You’re up,” came Andrin’s voice from behind us.

Cora, Lena, and I yelped slightly but slapped hands over our mouths to cover the sound. What he meant was we were able to join them in sweeping the house so we could find the cunts or kids. Hopefully they were in different rooms so this would be much easier.

I hopped down, and Andrin and Atticus put out their arms, ready to take us to the front door. I gripped Andrin’s arm along with Cora. Blair and Lena placed their hands on Atticus’ arm, and we were off.

I would never get used to the feeling of teleporting. It was an odd sensation that left me slightly nauseous and in the mood for pancakes. Shaking it off, I looked inside the lower level windows. It was the dead of night, so all the lights were off, the servants were tucked away in their quarters for another couple of hours, and everyone we needed to decapitate or rescue was asleep.

“Ira and Cillian are already inside on the bottom floor. Kiran and Poe are on the third. If I had to guess, that’s where most of them would be. Atticus, take Blair and Lena and search the second floor. I’ll take Remy and Cora to the third to help Poe and Kiran. Be careful.” Everyone nodded and got into position.

Before I knew it, we were split up and had no way of contacting the others. Cora, Andrin, and I were standing at the stairs on the second floor. It was quiet in here even knowing there were multiple other groups traipsing around. Thankfully, that boded well for us.

We tried every room, and if it didn’t open, Andrin flashed in to check it out. We repeated this down the first hall without any luck. It was mostly empty spare rooms that were covered in dust. One was filled with old paintings. Another looked to be extra clothing storage. How many pieces of clothing could one person have?

Now that I thought about it, maybe those were the clothes of the old inhabitants or the new. Did Calliope and Galvin have Ulrir and his family murdered so no one would be able to speak a word of their location. From the way everyone talked about him, Ulrir seemed to be in it for the money and prestige, so I wouldn’t put it past him to sell their location to us.

Nothing had looked like what I had seen any of them in, but considering I saw them all only a handful of times, I wasn’t confident in any of it. Despite that, I guessed it was all from the old owners, not the new.

How long had they been here though? The letter sounded like they hadn’t left yet or had just left, so even if we had gotten the letter a little late, they couldn’t have been here very long.

Who did Wren have in Ulrir’s place that was trustworthy enough to send the letter? They were out in the middle of nowhere.

I was driving myself crazy with questions I might never have an answer to, and I needed to focus on what was happening before me. We reached the last door at the end of the second hall, and when it opened, there was a pacing Wren who squealed in surprise when she saw us.

Her dark blue eyes nearly bugged out of her head as she took the three of us in.

“Finally!” she whisper screamed at us, ushering us into the room and closing the door.

I was still wary of her, but we had to trust her for now. So far, it didn’t seem to be a trap, at least where she was concerned, but I would save final judgment for after the shitshow.

“Yes, finally, now where are my children?” Cora stepped forward, getting in Wren’s face.

“Coralena, nice to see you again.”

Cora scoffed. “It’s Cora. We unmerged,” she ground out before stepping back at Andrin’s insistence.

“Wren, no stalling, no formalities. Where are they?” This time it was Andrin who got up in her space. She would be very unlucky if I had to be the third person to ask her where they were.

Wren sighed and pointed up toward the ceiling. “Above us on the third floor. I chose this room because it was beneath their nursery. Willas and Lillin are across the hall. Calliope and Galvin are clear at the other end. They wanted to make sure they were as separate as possible while also having some of us close by Covett and Kelby.” Smart and very useful to us.

We might actually be able to nab the kids and get out before anyone realized we were here.

“How do you know their names?” Cora asked, shock filling her voice. The edges of it were coated in anger. If Wren gave the wrong answer, we were all in for a show.

“Willas and Lillin knew them somehow. Calliope refused to give them new names, wanting to honor your wishes at least in that.” I’d give it to Wren. She was handling this very well. By this, I meant Cora.

Cora’s nostrils flared, but she nodded, appeased by the answer for the time being.

“Now, can we get them and get out of here? I’ve been trapped with them for seven months, and I am over it.” I looked at her with a bit more than mild skepticism.

“Why would you go with us?” I crossed my arms, ready to throw down. I trusted her enough to tell us where the kids were but not enough to sleep in the same building with her.

“Why wouldn’t I? I gave you the information you needed to find them. They will obviously know it was me and kill me like they did Ulrir and his family.” Well, that was one question answered. “I can’t stay here any longer. I don’t even have to go to wherever you are staying, just take me somewhere else. I can’t live with them anymore. Please?” She looked between all of us with begging eyes. They lingered a little too long on Andrin, thinking he would be the one to break or have the final say.

Cora and I stepped in front of him, blocking her view. Thankfully, I was quite a bit taller than she was and didn’t have any issues lording over her. “He isn’t the one you should be begging, Wren.” I turned my arm into a long, thin flame and angled it at her neck. “You have to get through to me, and right now, I don’t really care what happens to you as long as we get Covett and Kelby out of here in one piece.”

She gulped and closed her eyes.

“I want her to come with us,” Cora said from beside me.

I quirked a brow at her and dropped my flaming arm. “Oh? And why is that?”

“Everyone else the twins have been around will never be in their lives again. They should have at least one familiar person to start with. What do you say, Wren? Are you willing to come with us and help raise your cousins?” I didn’t even think of that. Things like this really made me wonder if I was even cut out to be a mom.

I couldn’t let those thoughts take over while we were in the middle of this mess. We were so close to being free. Just a few more minutes and everything would be fixed, everything would be perfect.

Cora

“Fine, yes, just get me out of here.” Wren finally relented and accepted my terms. I couldn’t live with myself if I let every person the twins had been with for the first seven months of their lives die. They needed one piece, and that piece was Wren.

“Deal. Welcome aboard. I’ll give you a grand total of two minutes to grab whatever shit you want to bring, then we are leaving.” Andrin and Remy looked at me like I had a horn magically growing out of my forehead, so I shrugged as Wren went around packing her things. “What? I’m not a monster.”

Remy snorted, and I chose to ignore it this time. I couldn’t risk us getting into another fight and waking anyone else.

Before we knew it, Wren had gotten dressed in leather pants, a loose thin shirt, heavy boots, and had a bag at her side. “I had a bag of things ready to go. I had hoped things would go this way. Thank you, Cora. I will do what I can to make up for my parts in all of this. Mainly, I’m sorry for even telling Andrin where you and Lena were.”

“What?” I breathed out.

“You told me? How?” Wren looked between us with surprise on her face.

“Oh, I thought you would have sorted it out by now. Didn’t my parents come and see you?” I shared a look with Andrin, then Remy. Wren didn’t know. Clearly, there were a lot of things a lot of people were not aware of.

“Wren, Cherik and Dwyna aren’t your parents.” This wasn’t the time to have this discussion, but she deserved to know. She might not be blood related to us, but she was still family, fucked up bullshit and all.

“That’s not right. Of course they are,” Wren argued.

“They were your adoptive parents, not biological.” I sighed. “We really don’t have time for all of that. We will get into the details later. How did you know where we were? Why did you tell Andrin?” The main reason I was focusing on the information we didn’t have was because it might tell us if we can’t trust Wren. We needed every piece to make that decision. I wasn’t risking the lives of the ones I loved just for her.

“Um, okay, give me a sec. I had no idea they weren’t…” Wren cleared her throat and sat on her bed, letting that information sink in.

I recalled how it felt to learn that my parents, Lennon and Nora, were actually my aunt and uncle, Cherik and Dwyna. It was a lot to take in, and I wanted to give her this moment before things went to hell and we didn’t talk about this for months.

Wren spaced out, then took a deep breath before looking up at us again. “Okay, I will deal with that later. If you and Lena could handle everything that was thrown at you when you first arrived in Incyssia, I can handle that small piece of information. Dwyna and Cherik had sent me a letter when I turned eighteen, telling me they were sorry for leaving me behind, and they gave me your location. I carried that around for a few years, debating if I should tell Andrin or even my aunt and uncle. I wanted Andrin. I wanted to be queen.” Wren paused, gripping the base of her nose and taking a few breaths to calm herself.

“Then I didn’t. It didn’t feel right. I knew you two were out there and that it was rightfully yours. I decided to give him a note with your location. I didn’t want him knowing it was from me, so I left that out. The rest you know. I kept up the pretense of being snobby and an asshole, but after Andrin brought you back, something in me changed. The pressure dropped, and I realized I wasn’t who I was supposed to be. I hope you understand.” Wren deflated but stood up and grabbed her bag, ready to set off on this new adventure.

“Yeah, I did. Too well actually.” I resonated with her too much now. The stress, the pressure to be something everyone expected you to be but you weren’t. I wasn’t queen material. I wasn’t even sure if I was bonded or mother material, but I didn’t have much say in that.

We all needed to have a talk and figure out where we went from here with the kingdoms, bonded groups, the kids. It was a lot, and it would take quite some time to sort out. I would like to have it done by the time Covett and Kelby registered what was truly happening around them. I didn’t want their first memories to be of this shithole of a situation.

“I wish we could give you more time to deal with this, but we need to go now. I’m sorry, Wren. Really.” She nodded and took a deep breath. I was sure we would bond more over the same situation with our parents in the future, but for now, we had business to take care of.

“Grab on,” Andrin said, stretching out his arm to us. We all did as instructed, and in a flash, the four of us stood in the middle of the nursery.

The only problem was we weren’t the only ones there.

The room was large with the two cribs against the far wall, matching rocking chairs by each one, and a littering of toys across the rub in the center of the room. Even with the four of us and the others, there was still plenty of space which wasn’t what we needed. If we were closer, we might have had a fighting chance.

Standing beside the cribs holding a twin each were Calliope and Galvin with matching smirks on their lips. Behind us and near the door were Atticus and Lena, having a standoff with our parents. Where did Blair go? Images of him covered in blood raced through my mind. He couldn’t be hurt again.

My breaths came in heavy pants as I stood there taking everything in. I couldn’t lose them. Where was he? Where were the others?

“Wren, what are you doing?” Calliope sneered.

“Don’t be daft, Calliope.” She said nothing else as she stared down my mother, not giving her an ounce of leeway. Wren was firmly with us, and she made damn sure Calliope knew that.

“We don’t need her, Calliope. We have our grandchildren. Willas and Lillin will understand.” By the tone in Galvin’s voice, I don’t think he knew what he was talking about.

“Give me back my babies,” Lena demanded, bringing the attention to her.

Before anyone could make another move, Andrin and Atticus vanished.

“Don’t do anything you’ll regret,” Galvin yelled out as if they would hear him.

Atticus appeared behind Calliope, then Andrin cut my view of her. He flashed away, and her arms were now empty. A piece of the anxiety that had been building inside of me vanished. One child was safe.

I refocused on Calliope. Where her skin had once been near porcelain, her neck now stained red with the dagger protruding from it thanks to Atticus. I wondered if she knew that it wasn’t a typical dagger. This one was meant to kill our kind.

We made the right decision giving it to Atticus. He would kill them without hesitation as long as the children were safe from his actions.

The blood seeped out and trailed down to her light blue gown which would be forever stained. Atticus ripped the blade out and met Galvin’s eyes as he watched his wife drop to the floor, a puddle of crimson forming around her. She wouldn’t heal, wouldn’t pop back up in a few hours without ever a scar. No, my mother was dead, and there was nothing he could do about it.

Something in Atticus’ eyes must have given away our secret because Galvin roared and backed away. “No! What have you done? You killed her! You monster! How dare you harm the Queen of Oedinia, my bonded!”

“She was a monster, just as you are! She wasn’t even your bonded. I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t even know what love was.” Lena must have been channeling her inner me because she was not pulling her punches tonight. She took a step toward him, putting her within arm’s reach of me. “Give me my baby. We already have one. They are never coming back here.”

Galvin was fuming. His face nearly glowed red as he held our child close. “You will never have him.” We had Covett. Andrin had Covett. We just needed to— “Kelby is our future. I will make sure of it.”

Galvin pulled out a dagger, flinging it toward the person who had insulted him last. Without thought, I grabbed Lena’s arm and placed my body between her and the dagger. I barely felt it strike, but I saw the blood splatter on Lena’s chest and knew it had gone through my heart, breaking her in the process.

I watched as her eyes turned to panic, and the world around me went quiet. I didn’t know what had come of Galvin or Kelby as I collapsed to the ground with everyone surrounding me. I didn’t hear their voices and couldn’t read their lips as they shouted at each other, probably insisting that someone did something to stop the inevitable.

All I knew was that my head rested in Lena’s lap, and Remy was pressing on the wound, trying to stifle the bleeding. It wouldn’t help. I now knew that Calliope saw her death coming. When the dagger made of the blood of your kind struck, there was no questioning it. Every part of me faded, and I waited for the darkness to take over.

It started at the edges of my vision and worked its way in. I thought of all the people I was leaving behind, the fact that I would never hold my children again, and I would never be able to make up with Remy or Lena. There was so much I needed to do before I left this world, but it was too late.

As the shadows converged, there was one last flash of light, and I said my goodbyes. I was gone, and I wasn’t coming back.

Lena

Cora was gone, but we would remain.

Tethered in Calamity

Book Four

Andrin

They will be with us soon, my little girl. Nothing will take them from you.

Blair

Ididn’t want to leave them, but I trusted Atticus’ instincts more than any anxiety I had over what was happening in this mansion, so we split. I went toward the crashes and screams that came from one end of the third floor, nearly right above us, and he and Lena went off to investigate an idea he had.

Atticus hadn’t given any extra information on why he had a hunch and would be running off, but this was his job, an assassin trained to sniff out people’s locations with nothing but a sliver of information.

We had all split up to begin with, and I wasn’t sure where everyone was at the moment. With such a large group, knowing everyone would at least be in pairs, taking different sections of the place was the best idea, but now I was regretting that decision. As long as we got back Covett and Kelby, none of it mattered.

I bounded up the stairs toward who knew what. I was alone for now, but that would quickly change. Rounding the corner, I stared straight down the hall to my left where Poe was straddling Kiran in a defensive position, squaring off with a pair of pissed off earth nymphs who stood tall at the very end. I assumed Poe tackled Kiran out of the way and flashed them back on the ground and away from immediate harm.

“Wren! Get out here!” Willas yelled without taking his eyes off of us.

Wren? Was one of these rooms hers?

I marched down the hall, eyeing Willas and Lillin as Poe climbed off of Kiran and stared down her bond mate’s parents. Lillin slid over to the door to her right and threw it open. After a second, she said, “It’s empty. That traitorous little—”

“Everything not going according to plan, Mom? What a shame.” Kiran stood up and crossed his arms, feigning nonchalance.

He was ready for whatever battle his parents brought their way, and from the tree branch that shot from the shattered window to the floor in front of the door across from Wren’s, I’d say they were just as prepared to end their son as he was them.

“May I join this little party?” I asked as I walked up behind them. “Lillin, Willas, absolutely dreadful to see you again, but it couldn’t be helped.” Lillin scoffed as she stood in the doorway. Willas merely squinted his eyes at us.

“After all we did for Covett and Kelby, this is how we are repaid?”

“Don’t, Mom. Nothing you say will change what has to happen. You helped Calliope and Galvin kidnap our children and—”

“Yours? Don’t be ridiculous,” Willas sneered. “You will have plenty of them with Remy and that one if she lets you.” His fingers twitched at his sides, and his nostrils flared. This conversation was nearly over.

I edged my way to the other side of Poe so she could grab either of us and vanish or we could block any attack that came our way.

“Yes, mine. Even if Andrin wasn’t one of my bond mates, I would consider them mine. They might not have my blood, but they are family, and I will love and protect them from people like you.” Kiran fisted his hands at his sides, and I wouldn’t be surprised if droplets of blood were leaking from his palm.

“Oh, please, we were wonderful parents. No matter what we have done recently, that is a fact.” Lillin flipped her hand around the air as if what he was saying was nonsense. Her actions now really didn’t prove her point in the slightest. However, I knew she was partially telling the truth. Kiran had a great upbringing despite the ulterior motives they clearly had.

“I can’t disagree, but Oren is a little off, and now I know why. He’s in on your schemes, isn’t he? Alivia isn’t. I know that much, but Oren was always a little crueler to our help, always pushing us away and enjoying any pain or hardship that came our way. I won’t disagree and say my childhood was horrible. It wasn’t. I was loved by you, and look at me now. I turned out great despite whatever you turned into.” Neither of them showed any change in emotion or reaction to what Kiran had to say, but that only made the answer louder. Everything he said was true. Apparently, Kiran had been stringing the pieces of their deceptions together over the last few months, and with their silent response, everything fell into place.

“Not that this chat isn’t well needed, but can we… deal with your parents now?” I asked, refraining from using the word kill despite us all knowing that’s exactly what we planned to do. Well, eventually. For now, we still needed to find the children, and until then, they would be kept alive.

Too bad for them, they were royalty so we could chop off as much of their body as we needed to get them to behave long enough to transport them. It was a gruesome thought, and I had never had to do anything like that before, but I had heard stories and was willing to do what was needed to find forgiveness within myself for my role in the kidnapping. They would be my final I’m sorry, then I hoped the guilt would subside.

“Deal with us? Please. You don’t stand a chance,” Willas said on a boisterous laugh as if I was being utterly ridiculous.

The three of us shared a sinister grin and low chuckle. They had no idea the things we had thought of since they left the fortress. The plans we had made. I’d like to say I was a good nymph, one that wouldn’t hurt anyone for the simple hell of it, and I wouldn’t. These two didn’t fit within that category. They weren’t innocent in any way. The only thing I promised myself was that Kiran would take the lead with them because that’s what I would want if it were my parents.

I had a vivid imagination, but I knew the things Kiran and Atticus cooked up together with the help of Remy would rival anything I had in mind. We would take them down, bring them back to the fortress in whatever condition they were in, then they would be begging for mercy that would not come. That was if we didn’t find the children. If they were safe and sound, back in our arms at this very moment, then they would be shackled and kept until we had a royal earth nymph blade ready for them.

I, of course, wouldn’t have any part in that. Ira would fabricate it, Atticus and Kiran and whoever else would deal with them, and I would be hissing and attacking anyone who came within a field’s distance of Covett and Kelby. I wouldn’t let them down a second time.

I shook my head, realizing how dark my thoughts had gotten recently. It wasn’t intentional, but with everything going on, the depressive doubt that snuck in, Lena and Cora, and literally everything else in my life, I couldn’t help it. I was darker, harsher, more rigid than before, but I would keep those things away from my children until they needed it.

“Yes, deal with you. We can’t kill you yet, but we will. Is that a better wording for you?” Kiran was snippy, and I hoped the pissed off energy he had didn’t come out in an explosive way that put us all at risk. I had to trust him, or this would all go to shit.

“After we cared for Covett and Kelby all these months? Do you realize how useless Calliope and Galvin are? They wouldn’t have been changed or fed if we weren’t there!” Lillin’s voice was filled with anger, and she ground her teeth near the end, making her growl out the last few words.

“Oh?” Poe finally spoke up. I didn’t know why she would care about that, but I wasn’t going to stop her from finding whatever information she needed.

“Lillin is right. Those two are atrocious parents. We now know Andrin only survived due to caretakers and royal blood. If he were a weakling, he wouldn’t have survived infancy.” Willas was also irritated about this. Interesting.

“Where are Covett and Kelby, then? You seem to care for them, have some ire for Calliope and Galvin, so tell us where they are so we can right the wrong.” Poe stood off against them as silence fell over the hall. The silence that was broken by yelling and screaming from right above us.

Kiran, Poe, and I all looked up at the same time, wondering what was going on up there, and that’s when it clicked. Of course there was a fourth floor. It was so small from the outside that none of us even thought to care about it, except for Atticus.

With our minds elsewhere for a mere second, Lillin and Willas gripped onto the large branch that protruded through the window and whisked themselves away, collapsing most of the wall as they went.

I started after them, but Kiran pulled me back seconds before I leapt out of the opening. “No, you go up there and find out what is going on. Poe and I will chase after them. Worst case, we follow behind them and gather information. Best case, we bring them back in a few pieces.” Kiran shrugged when I gave him a look. I knew we were all thinking these horrid things, but hearing him say it out loud was entirely different.

I nodded and took off toward the stairs, trying to sort out where the ones to the fourth floor would be. I heard Poe and Kiran talk for a moment, then nothing, so I assumed Poe flashed them somewhere. They would be safe and make it back, but I still worried about telling Remy what they were doing.

As I came up on the stairs, a pair of hands reached out around the corner and scared me into a fit of screams. Laughter met me and so did a pair of light brown eyes that held more humor than I had seen in a long time.

Cillian.

“Hi, Blair. How’s it going?” I ripped his hands off of me and glared at him and Ira.

“Great, can we find our way to the fourth floor now? Did you not hear the screaming?” That perked them both up.

“What? No, we were hiding behind here just in case you three needed our help. When we heard you coming, Cillian decided to fuck with you.” Ira stepped into the hall from the stairs and glanced around, trying to decipher where the extra stairs would be.

“And you let him?” I scoffed.

“Let is a strong word,” she mumbled as she ran down the hall toward the earth nymph made doorway and leaned out before looking up. We followed behind, Cillian going back into his dark, mental cave as we did. “Blair, can you make us a tree ladder up to the window?”

Easy. I pulled my power to me and did as she asked. Before we knew it, there was enough of a ladder to climb up. Ira went first, then Cillian, and I came in last. Ira broke in the window and climbed into the room.

When it was finally my turn to enter the room, I didn’t understand what I was seeing, and when realization struck just as the blade had done to Cora’s heart, rage filled every corner of my being, and I knew those dark thoughts I joked about were going to be more than a figment of my imagination.

Cillian

This was supposed to be a challenge, something exciting to use as an outlet for all the pent up anger we had been holding onto. Breaking in and kicking a small army’s ass was just what I needed to feel a little like my old self, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say Ira felt exactly the same way. There was a glimmer in her eyes that brightened the moment we left the fortress.

That glimmer and my glee of the impending bloodbath was stomped on the moment we stepped inside and realized there was no one here. Why? No idea, so I was rummaging through the kitchen for a snack while Ira finished up looking around the bottom floor and making sure there wasn’t an underground level we were missing.

I had just pulled out some fresh bread and butter along with a large block of cheese that looked to have peppers of some sort in it when she walked through the kitchen door behind me. If she ever told anyone that I jumped at the sound, I would deny it and take this secret to my grave.

“Really, Cillian?” Her voice held an air of annoyance, but she hopped up onto the counter and made the ‘gimme’ motion with one of her hands.

I gave her a heavily buttered slice of bread and slid the platter with the cheese and a knife on top of it toward her.

“Yes, Ira. What else was I going to do? No one is here. We haven’t even heard a peep since we got inside. Shouldn’t this place be heavily guarded with two sets of royalty and some heirs under the roof? None of this makes sense.” I stuffed as much bread as I could handle inside my mouth to shut myself up before Ira did it for me.

She took a bite, then responded after swallowing. She might be a badass warrior who lead rebellion armies, but Ira was still polite in her manners… usually. “Actually, this makes more sense. Others would have noticed a large group of guards and soldiers making their way here, but with just them, they could go unnoticed for quite some time with a small staff.”

“A staff that doesn’t seem to exist.” I sliced off some cheese and sniffed it before tossing it into my mouth. A heavenly warmth swarmed my senses, and a bite of nuttiness hit my taste buds. The cheese was amazing, and I needed to know what it was called so I could procure mass amounts of it. Cora and Lena would love it.

The sides of my mouth turned down into a frown as I thought about them. Things weren’t the same, and this was going to be another step toward normalcy. It wasn’t quite working out though. The darkness was encroaching on all of us, and I didn’t know what to do. From the looks of it, none of us did.

“Things will be fine, Cillian.” I scoffed, and she hopped off the counter, rounding on me. We were the same height, but she could snap me like a twig if she wanted to. “No matter what happens next, we will all be fine. We will get through whatever we need to together. We have all made mistakes and relied too much on hope and time.” Ira turned away before pounding her fist on the counter, making everything on it clank and clatter with her frustration. “So foolish.”

She didn’t need to finish her thoughts. I knew exactly what she meant. We were foolish to think things would simply be better eventually like they always seemed to happen, but they weren’t. Cora and Lena might be nymphs by birth, but they were raised in the human world. There were things that would always be different about them because of it, and we needed to be better at recognizing those differences and working with them instead of ignoring or idolizing them.

“I know. We will, but what if—”

“It’s not too late. They are still here. We will get back the twins, and we will do better. This time we have to actually act on our promises instead of being all talk.” Ira walked off, leaving me with my cheese and thoughts.

Ira hadn’t meant it as a jab, but it stung nonetheless. Looking back, we did the minimal amount on all levels. We were there, existing and saying we would help, but did we really?

I rubbed my hand down my face, then shook my head. The past was the past, and there was nothing I could do about it. Too bad that past created the present which made the future so much harder.

If I could go back, I would have kicked Kiran’s ass for letting anything happen to Coralena, then stolen her off the grounds the moment I realized who she was to me. That would have left Remy to deal with Andrin, and Kiran and Blair would be in limbo, but it would have been worth it to spare her some pain.

Spare myself some pain.

I rubbed my chest where it always felt like a boulder was pressing down harder and harder each day. Was this like what Cora and Lena had? Was this something they had felt? Depression and other mental illnesses weren’t common here, so although we knew they existed in some sense, they didn’t pop up enough for us to have treatments or to even know the symptoms.

When things calmed down, I needed to speak with someone who knew about these things. It couldn’t be Cora or Lena, not at first. Maybe Remy would let me pick her brain on it.

All I knew was that it felt like adrenaline rushed through me at random times, and others, I wanted to punch a wall and crawl into it, screaming for everyone to leave me alone. Everything was a jumbled mess, and my anger was growing. Thankfully, I had kept it at bay for the most part by letting it out in the form of dark humor or sassy comments, but I knew they were getting harsher and less well received.

If this was what they felt like, even a smidgeon, I couldn’t blame either of them for their actions.

Well, I didn’t want to blame them. Logically, I knew it wasn’t their fault, but illogically, I was still pissed that they closed themselves off and caused so much more pain when it was unnecessary.

My groan bounced around the quiet kitchen as I collapsed on the counter. Why must everything be so difficult? I only wanted them to be safe and happy, and both seemed impossible to ensure in any way.

I pounded my head against the hard counter, rattling everything again, hoping the physical pain would pause the mental and emotional pain that welled up inside me every time I thought about them.

I wanted them. I loved them. But… I also hated them, all of them, myself included.

Bang.

Lena’s emaciated form as she fell asleep on me.

Bang.

Cora’s frenzied eyes as she begged me to keep sparring.

Bang.

Blair telling us Lena hurt herself repeatedly and on purpose.

Bang. This time the counter cracked with the force I put into my headbutt.

Looking up at the new crevice that scarred the dark wood, I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle at how that imagery was so close to what I was feeling. We were strong, but everything had a breaking point. Mine was far closer than I wanted, Cora and Lena had met theirs and leapt over the edge, and… well, the others were at various levels.

I reached out to touch the splintered wood when a loud crash and breaking glass came from upstairs. Pulling my hand back, I abandoned my uneaten bread and cheese and raced for the staircase.

Ira was already there, bounding her way up, and I was soon a few steps behind her. When we got to the top of the staircase leading to the third floor, she pulled me to a halt and motioned for us to be quiet.

We wouldn’t see anything, but we heard some people talking. As I listened closer, I realized it was Blair, Kiran, and Poe speaking with Willas and Lillin. I now knew Ira’s plan. If they needed us, we would be their secret backup, blowing up this entire hall with ease. For now, it was up to them and, more specifically, Kiran. It was his parents after all.

A few minutes went by, then more crashing, then silence. Ira peaked around the corner but apparently didn’t see anything that needed our attention right away, so we kept listening. When they made the plan to split up, that’s when my own plan was hatched.

In a series of exaggerated hand movements, I explained to Ira that I wanted to scare one of them for the fun of it. She rolled her eyes and took some extra convincing, but finally, Ira relented. We traded places like pros, making no sound, and waited for my victim.

Seconds later, Blair stepped around the corner, and I reached out, grabbing onto his shirt and pulling him closer. A flash of fury crossed his green eyes, but it subsided when he realized it was just me, laughing at his expense.

Of course, I was scolded, but that was less important than the current mission: find the fourth floor, which was easy enough thanks to Ira and Blair. Looked like I was rather useless at the moment besides bringing humor to the table when it was so desperately needed.

I had a smile on my face as we ascended the ladder and stepped into the nursery where everyone seemed to be congregated, but when the glimmer of silver caught my eye, the grin fell away to a frown coated in tears that I didn’t realize were falling.

My heart splintered, and all the hopes of being better for them flew out the open window behind me, and I knew I would never rely on hope again.

Kiran

This wasn’t the plan. This wasn’t the plan at all, and I knew the second I stepped in front of Remy again, I was a dead nymph for running off like this with Poe. At least I would die alongside her when this was all over.

I relied on Poe to run the show for now. She had the teleporting and all the training to back her up where I had very little in comparison. I was lethal in a fight and wasn’t terribly unstealthy, but compared to her, I was an amateur and might as well not have a single day of experience under my belt.

We crouched in the trees, high enough in the plumage that no one would see us while it was still dark; little moonlight lit the way as the clouds rolled in. We could see them enough because we knew where they were though. Thankfully, neither of my parents were skilled in stealth in any way. They could hold their own in a fight, of course. Remy’s arm showed that much, but they were royalty first and foremost, so hiding in the background and going unnoticed was something completely new to them.

The thought crossed my mind that this was a trap, a trick to get me away from the others, but I trusted Poe to get us out of any situation before anything horrid happened. Actually, maybe if I lost an arm, Remy would forgive all of this. I held back the chuckle that wanted to escape my lips. It would help, but she would still ream my ass for leaving without warning or any level of discussion.

Poe held out her hand, and I placed mine in hers before she teleported us to another tree. Surprisingly, she did it in such a way that the branch didn’t move, and not even a leaf shook to give away our hiding spot.

I wanted to know how she did it, but now wasn’t the time. Later, though, I would ask for a training session. My skills would never match a spirit nymph’s, but I could add a few tricks when going against others who wouldn’t expect it.

Movement below caught my eye. My parents ran into a clearing and stopped as if they were waiting for someone. I nearly held my breath as the silence of the forest swept across us. There was no breeze to rustle the greenery and mask any sounds as we remained crouched high up above them.

Moments passed, and finally Galvin appeared. My jaw dropped when I looked down in his arms and realized he was carrying one of the babies.

What the fuck was going on? Where was the other twin? Where was Calliope?

Questions ran through my head as he stepped farther into the clearing.

“We must leave before they find us,” Galvin said, holding out his arm to them.

“Where is Calliope and Covett?” my mother asked, pulling Kelby from his arms. At least I knew what she had said wasn’t a lie. Kelby was bundled well enough that I doubted any of us would even know which twin it was.

I gave Poe a look, and her eyes held just as much shock as my own. Her pale white eyes were wide until they creased with anger as she looked down upon Galvin.

There was so much more to that look than she would let on. She wanted children but had accepted that she would never go through a pregnancy with Cae gone. Covett and Kelby were all of ours, as I had said, and she fully believed that as well. But I could only imagine what would be happening right now if those children were Remy’s.

Galvin sneered but answered her question. “Killed by our ungrateful children.” My mother gasped, but my father remained stoic, giving nothing away to Galvin. Perhaps he wasn’t as on their side as they thought. “Andrin has Covett. We will get her back, but we need to regroup and hide this one away.” Galvin pointed at Kelby before holding out his arm again. “We must leave, now.”

My parents hesitated. My father stood there, frozen and staring at Galvin. My mother looked down at Kelby who was now awake and trying to sit up and grab at her face. They shared a look, then took a step back in unison.

“We love you, Galvin. You and Calliope are our greatest friends, but this has gone too far.

Calliope is dead, the twins are separated…”

“One of my daughters is also dying as we speak, but that hasn’t stopped me from doing what has to be done!” Galvin yelled into the night, and somehow, an even deeper silence ran over the forest. My heart stopped, and Poe gasped beside me, drawing Galvin’s attention. “Who’s up there?” He teleported out of sight, and before Poe could reach me, we were falling from the tree.

The hard ground came faster than I expected. I landed on my arm, snapping it on impact. The world swam around me, but I was clear enough to know that I needed to find Poe. I rolled over, searching for her, but I found something completely unexpected and horrifying.

Galvin held up an unconscious Poe by her neck, closing her airways. If she didn’t wake up and vanish from his grip… I refused to think about that. I was still alive and could fight this monster.

I pulled what power I could through the haze and willed a root to stab through Galvin’s chest, splattering blood across Poe’s pale skin and white hair. He coughed and laughed, but his grip loosened on Poe, allowing her to drop to the ground with a sickening thud as her skull collided with the packed dirt.

“You bastard. They will kill you and get Kelby back,” I gritted out from my position on the ground.

He only laughed, causing more blood to spill from his mouth. “Oh, is that so?” Galvin said as he stepped forward, pulling himself from the root and stepping over Poe’s body. “I made mistakes this round, but I won’t be making them again. You will never see Kelby again, and when I get my hands on Covett…” His bloody grin forced a shiver up my spine as his blue eyes seemed to glow with maniacal glee. “This world will never be the same. You will all perish, and I will have everything I have ever wanted. You’ll see.”

He tried turning and walking away, but his wound was enough to slow him down significantly. I wrapped more roots around his ankles, forcing him to crash to his knees in front of me.

“As long as one of us is left standing, you will never know peace, Galvin. We will win, no matter the cost.” I pushed myself up, hoping to stand, but my vision swam, pushing me down to my knees.

Galvin righted himself and ripped off the roots. Using my powers was making the spinning and nausea that was creeping in worse, but I had to knock him out before it was too late.

He grabbed my shirt and pulled me to him, sneering down at me. Blood dripped from his mouth onto my cheek, and I nearly vomited on him. I didn’t stop it on purpose. My body pushed it down automatically, and I was rather disappointed at the moment.

“Silly child. You know nothing.”

“I know enough.”

Without worry for my safety or caring what happened next, I shot another root up through his skull, ripping past mine by the width of a finger, and a second one through his chest, piercing his heart. This one, though, had no room to dodge. It ran through the right side of my chest, locking us together.

His blood speckled across my body, showering me in red, gleaming in the moonlight that dared shine down upon us, and mine coated the ground behind me.

All sounds stopped. My vision grew black and blurry around the edges. I fought it for as long as I could, hoping Poe would wake up and get us out of here, or maybe my parents would come to my rescue, forgoing their relationship with Galvin.

Neither happened as the weight of my body forced me back, sliding down the root to the ground. I stared up at the moon that peaked from behind the clouds for our battle and watched as it hid itself again as if it was ashamed of what it had witnessed.

There were children’s stories in our world and the human one that claimed there was a man in the moon that watched over us all, lighting what needed to be seen, acting as a protector of sorts. Now, with me lying here in a pile of blood that wasn’t entirely my own, Poe in an unknown state mere feet from me, a dying friend, and who knew what else, I had no doubt he didn’t exist.

If he did and took no action to save any of us, then what kind of protector would he be? What sort of powerful being allowed this to happen to two innocent children and the people who wanted to love and protect them?

A fucking joke of one.

I chuckled, then groaned as the world finally started going dark. I swore I heard footsteps, someone sobbing, and the cry of a child who witnessed far too much for someone so young, but I couldn’t do anything about it.

Thankfully, I knew I wouldn’t die, but I also knew there were so many things far worse than death. I had been through some of them, but we weren’t finished with this war just yet.

I hoped he lied about one of them dying. Not about Calliope dying but one of his daughters.

Remy wouldn’t survive that. Galvin already had a death sentence, but this… there would be no mercy if he was the cause. Remy would fashion a hell on earth that he would never escape. She still had those cuffs he used on Andrin, and I would bet she had some plans for them.

A small smile crossed my lips as I let out a final sigh and hoped someone found us before it was too late. I fell into oblivion, but it didn’t wrap me in a warm blanket, welcoming me to the darkside. It was cold and lonely, telling me I was not wanted, not yet, not now, but this was where I would remain until someone pulled me out.

Lena

“No, no, no!” I repeated over and over as I cradled Cora’s head in my lap. Her pale skin grew ever paler, and I couldn’t tell if the clamminess was from my own petrification at the scene before me or her fighting to stay with us for a few seconds longer.

“Lena.” I heard various voices speak around me, but they didn’t matter, so I ignored them, keeping my eyes on the one person who meant more than all of them. Her blue eyes met mine, but they looked so tired, like she was ready to sleep and never wake up.

I knew that feeling. Up until my wake-up call where they all tried to tell me I had to either train or be left behind, I wanted that. It was a far-off dream that I couldn’t grasp, but it was there, always on the edge of my mind.

But this, this was real, tangible. The blade protruded from her chest, directly over her heart. I knew it hadn’t hit it dead on, or she would have slipped away already, but there was no saving her. That’s what they had said before when we were planning on using one against Calliope and Galvin.

We had only been half successful, but with Cora like this, flittering away, we were back to negative points.

“Cora, please don’t. I can’t—I’m so sorry, Cora. Please, I love you. You’re an ass, but you can’t leave me. Not like this. I’m not ready. We—they need you,” I sobbed, leaning over her body and the pool of blood beneath us. I pulled her to me, hugging her cooling body to my chest as best I could with the blade in the way, hoping some magical twin thing would save her, but nothing happened.

I flinched when a hand landed on my shoulder. I was too out of it to decipher who it was, but again, it didn’t really matter. Calliope was dead, Covett was with Andrin, and Kelby was once again lost with Galvin somewhere. The rest were here, surrounding us as I had to find a way to say goodbye to my sister, my best friend, and my best enemy as of late.

“How do I say goodbye, Cora?” She would never let me say goodbye if our roles were reversed. She would demand I live, whether it was out of spite or sheer will. I should demand the same of her, but despite all the emotion that was seeping out of me, logic won. There was no coming back from this.

If she had been nicked on the arm, perhaps a full amputation like Remy’s, we could save her, but a heart wound never heals.

“You… don’t…” Cora whispered before she coughed and groaned from the pain it caused. “Never say goodbye. Promise me, Lena.”

I didn’t want to. I wanted to find some closure for the moment, say goodbye while she was still here and she could still hear me. But for Cora, I would let the pain seep down to my core where it would remain lodged until one day I finally snapped.

I opened my mouth to promise her, but before I could, her eyes drifted shut and panic took hold.

“Cora! No, Cora!” I screamed and wound my hand back, intent on slapping her back to life, but someone caught my hand midair.

When I looked up, Ira leaned over me with tears in her brown eyes. Next to her were Blair and Cillian. I looked behind me, and Atticus, Wren, and Remy all stood by in various states of painful disbelief.

Ira released my hand and knelt in front of me with Cora between us. She reached down and checked Cora’s pulse and breathed a sigh of relief.

“Lena, listen, there’s still time.” Ira waited a moment, and when I only stared at her with fat tears streaming down my face and confusion filling my eyes, she continued. “There isn’t time for a full explanation, but I have an idea. No one will force you to do it. It is entirely your decision, but—” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “You can try merging.”

I gasped and turned to Cora, intent on doing it right away, fuck the consequences. Before I could, Ira pushed me back and forced my eyes to meet hers.

“If it works, you can never unmerge, Lena. You and Cora would cease to exist. Only Coralena would remain. If you did, Cora would remain as she is, lingering until death finally takes her. Do you understand?” I stared blankly into her eyes, the gravity of the situation refusing to sink in.

“Lena,” Remy said as she sat down beside me, cupping the underside of Cora’s head. “Did you hear her?”

I nodded, but it was a half truth.

“You can save Cora by merging, but it would doom you both to death in a way. No one will judge you if you want to remain Lena and work through this.” Her voice wobbled at the end. I took that as an indication for what she wanted me to do.

I knew what they would all pick. Coralena was easier to deal with. She could get pregnant and was all the best parts of Cora and me without some of the issues we clung to. But what would happen now if we merged? Would our issues vanish as if they never were, or would they combine into a shitshow of a nymph, attempting to fight off all sorts of mental illness?

I heard scuffling from my right side, but there wasn’t time to deal with whatever it was. Even if it was someone disagreeing with what Remy just said, I knew Remy, Ira, and Atticus would fight for my right to choose.

Now I just had to choose and let the cards fall where they may.

There wasn’t a right answer when the question was a moral dilemma. Both had pros and cons and spoke of your character, but one was always slightly better.

If I was being honest with myself, I already knew what I was going to do. The answer was so easy.

“Lena, she’s fading. You have to choose now.” Ira’s voice was hoarse with tears, but there was still panic lacing her words. If I didn’t choose now, the choice would be made for me, and I would regret my inability to make a decision for the rest of my days.

I couldn’t live with that, just like I could never live without Cora, even with our current situation. So I was going to be selfish.

I would like to believe Cora would be selfish as well, choosing the route that saved us some heartache. It didn’t really because someone would still feel all the pain that we had inside at this very moment, but it was worth it if I never had to feel a single bit of it.

Without a word, I leaned forward and kissed Cora’s forehead, letting my tears fall and coat her skin. As the light started to form around me and I felt the pull of the merge, I ripped the blade from her chest and dropped it beside her, loathing that she couldn’t consent to this. In a way, I couldn’t either because there was only an illusion of a decision here. Either way, we both would die in the end.

For me, there was no world without Cora. I wouldn’t sit beside our children and pretend like everything was okay when one half of their mother was no longer. They would have their true mother, the one who carried them, birthed them, and protected them far better than we did in the short time we knew Covett and Kelby.

The others might not agree with this decision. Hell, Coralena might be pissed, but I knew she would understand, eventually.

The part that saddened me the most was neither of us being able to say goodbye to our bonded or make up for our actions. Our entire time together had been wasted with our wallowing or our preparing for what was coming our way. Little did we know, the present was not something we could have prepared for. We only saw victory as a possibility and forgot death was a very real part of this world and the war we found ourselves in.

As I clung onto Cora in the seconds before the merge took us both, it felt as if our thoughts blended together, and all we could focus on were our mates, what could have been, and what would never be.

Blair’s eyes would never shine down at us with so much understanding that it was physically painful again. The rich brown with specs of all shades, depending on the light and his mood that day, would only be a memory locked away for eternity.

Ira’s warm and soft skin would never brush against mine as we sat side by side, reading and daydreaming in the library, surrounded by all the books I never got to tell her about. I hoped she kept reading and learning about who we were so we never faded.

Atticus would never be able to teach her how to knit as they told horrible dark jokes that no one else would understand. He wouldn’t be able to hold Blair and me in the light of the morning sun again despite knowing that was his favorite thing to do.

Cillian’s humor wouldn’t come back and spark joy in everyone he met. He would fall deeper in the dark, and we hoped Coralena would help pull him out when we were gone. Cilly Sally deserved so much more than we could ever give him. If anyone hated me for my decision, I knew it would be him, but I also knew he would love Coralena through the pain and fight for a better tomorrow, even when he didn’t believe in it.

Andrin wouldn’t get any more pieces of the sisters he found seven months ago. We wouldn’t grow old together or take down our parents and save our kingdom like we planned. Despite it all, I knew he wouldn’t want this. After taking so many choices from us, this one would be the most painful for us all, and for that, I wished to tell him I was sorry.

And Remy… there were no words to explain the pain we felt in our chest at leaving her behind. Or maybe that was Cora’s pain, seeping into my skin, ripping me apart, hoping I would pull back and end this. Even with the pain, I knew I was making the right decision.

Remy held everyone up even when she was crumbling. Her world was shattering once more, and I would take her pain away if I could. I’d pull her into this merge and hug her forevermore if it were a possibility. Cora and I might be twins, but Remy was our missing piece.

She would forgive me the easiest, loving and helping Coralena as things turned bleaker. My bonded were fated to us, but our soul mate was right beside us as we merged for the final time without so much as a simple goodbye or I love you.

The light finally started to subside, and a coolness rushed over me. One last blink and Cora and I were no more; only Coralena remained.

And it was all my fault, my choice.

Coralena

The dim room came into view as I blinked over and over, trying to right myself in the world that existed without me for quite some time. Thoughts and emotions swarmed my mind, but it was all jumbled. Pieces stuck out to me, but the main points were pain and guilt.

I laid there, half on my side, staring at a pair of black leather clad knees. I breathed in and out, knowing they had remerged but needing a moment for everything to fall into place.

Glancing up, I saw Ira with red-rimmed eyes and tears trailing down her cheeks. I sensed the others around me, but I didn’t dare move until I was ready.

Piece by piece, everything fell into place. The memories of what had happened since Cora and Lena unmerged after I gave birth, all the emotions and events filtered in from seven months ago until mere seconds ago.

When it all clicked and Lena’s final thoughts and Cora’s final moments arranged themselves so neatly in my brain, I snapped and lunged.

Before I knew it and faster than anyone could react, I had the dagger in my right hand, aiming it for my heart. I held myself off the blood-coated ground with my left hand and hovered over the silver blade smeared in the same red liquid.

I was fast enough to get here but not fast enough to plunge the dagger in and finish the job. Ira’s hand wrapped around my wrist, holding it firmly in place away from my chest. Someone’s rough hand gripped my neck from behind me, pulling me up and away from the glistening tip I wished would penetrate my very being.

How could they do this to me? They left me with all the broken parts and emotions that not even they could fix separately, but here I was with everything Cora and Lena had been feeling, and somehow I was supposed to be able to handle it.

Their plan relied on me being stronger than they were, but they banked too much on that idea. I wasn’t stronger. I was them combined, which made me appear stronger, but I wasn’t. I was just as faulty, just as broken if not more since it was twofold. My tears dripped down my nose and onto the carpet, mixing with the blood that was once mine but also wasn’t in a way.

It was Cora’s, and she didn’t exist. Only I existed, and I didn’t accept that fate.

I dug my nails into the carpet, ready to beg for what I desired. This wasn’t what I wanted. I wanted death just as Atticus promised me that first day. He promised, and I would find a way to make him keep it.

“Please. Let me die. Please,” I sobbed as I stared down at the ground. “Atticus, I—” The hand around my neck flexed, and I knew it was my spirit nymph bonded who held me back and prevented me from finding peace. “How could you?” I nearly sneered through the sobbing.

The others wouldn’t understand, but Atticus knew what I meant.

A few heartbeats passed, and it was a torture I wouldn’t place on anyone. Then, finally, Atticus broke the silence.

“They were given a choice, just as I gave you.”

Someone whispered “what,” and another said “what the fuck,” but Atticus ignored them.

Following his lead, I replied, “And here you are, taking my choice away. That wasn’t the deal.”

“What the fuck is she talking about, Atticus?” Cillian roared. He would have pulled Atticus in for a fight if he wasn’t one of two people currently keeping me alive.

“Lena was calm when she made the choice. You are doing it out of pain and anger. The deal was you would speak with me first and we would discuss it. You, Coralena, are not keeping your end of the deal.”

I ground my teeth and wanted to tell him to fuck off, but he was right. One day, if I still wanted this, he would let me and follow me, but he wouldn’t let me harm myself today, no matter how hard I fought them.

The tears still fell, and the urge to fall onto the dagger remained, but I stopped fighting Ira. She pulled my arm out from under me and gripped the dagger in her own hand, ripping it from my grasp before I could do any further damage.

I sat back, and Atticus’ grip helped me steady myself as I knelt in the middle of a circle of people who just lost two of their favorite nymphs and nearly lost another.

There was too much emotion, and all I could do was shutdown and let them lead. I would not speak or think or anything other than breathe and exist enough to follow them wherever they led. I didn’t glance up at them, but through my peripheral vision, I saw them looking at each other, hoping one of them had an answer.

I doubted that look was the same as the one on Cillian’s face. If I looked at him, I knew I would find nothing but malice. Lena believed he would be the one that would pull me together and help me through this, but she was wrong. The old Cillian didn’t exist. He was corrupted just as I was.

We were a pair made in hell, and I wasn’t sure we would come out the other end unscathed. Honestly, it was a better bet that we would be each other’s destruction.

The silence and uncertainty didn’t last for long. I was hoisted into Blair’s arms and given a kiss on my temple. I wanted to brush him off, but it was easier to let it happen. Cillian and Atticus tried to protest, but Blair wasn’t having it. Neither was Ira who told them to shut it, or she would shove the dagger down their throats.

A small part of me wanted to laugh and joke, telling her that was far too easy, that there were plenty of other things to shove down there to shut them up that wouldn’t actually harm them, but my lips didn’t even flinch at the thought. I was officially shut down, a nearly blank slate, corrupted by two girls who didn’t run when they had the chance.

The group made it through the halls and down to the front door with little fuss. Remy kept looking at me as if I were a ghost or maybe the spitting image of the friends she just lost. One of Cora’s dying wishes was for our relationship to blossom again, but she forgot all the damage they had done. Remy was family, but she wasn’t really our friend anymore.

Ira led the way with Cillian beside her, who was nearly walking backward with how much he glanced at me. Atticus brought up the rear with Wren. Our group had dwindled, and I wondered—

“Where are Poe and Kiran?” Remy spoke up from the right of Blair.

Ira and Blair shared a look, then Ira dropped a pitiful look on Remy. “We don’t know.”

“What do you mean ‘you don’t know?’” Remy screeched, halting her footsteps and the movement of the group. “How?”

Cillian looked everywhere except for at Remy, Ira was clearly exhausted and not ready for this conversation, and when I looked up at Blair, he had an odd look on his face.

Remy must have spotted it as well because she turned on him. “Blair, tell me now, or I will fry you like a goddamn bug under a magnifying glass!” Ouch. Internally, I was impressed and knew she could do it. Externally, I remained blank. “From the look on your face, I know you know something. Were you with them last? Why aren’t they out here?”

“Technically, they are out here. Probably. Just not right here.” His breath smelled of pine and mint. I begrudgingly admitted to myself that I missed their signature scents.

“What does that even mean?” Remy threw her one arm in the air in exasperation.

“Short version is they chased Willas and Lillin out of the new hole in the wall on the third floor, and now we don’t know where they are.”

Remy glared at him with fire running up her arm and the flames dancing in her eyes. “And the long version?” she gritted out.

This time, Ira spoke up. “He was being dramatic. That’s all there is.” She turned to Atticus. “Take Blair and Coralena back to the fortress so she can get some rest and see Covett.” I perked up at the mention of my baby. In the midst of everything that happened in the nursery, I had forgotten that little tidbit. Andrin had Covett! Galvin still had Kelby, but one of our children was finally safe. “Does that sound all right, Coralena?” Ira smirked at me, clearly having noticed my reaction.

I nodded and settled back into Blair’s arms. He hugged me tighter and gave me another kiss but on the cheek this time. The small action and knowing Covett was waiting for me made me feel a little bit better, but everything inside ached, and I knew we were in for a long battle.

“Cillian, Remy, and I will go look for them. Atticus, if you wouldn’t mind coming back after dropping those two off, we could use your help searching the area. Hopefully, we can find them and be home shortly. Wren will stay with us.” It seemed like there was more she wanted to say, but I wasn’t sure what. Maybe it had to do with us not being whole just yet, or maybe she was simply tired.

Wren didn’t make a peep about whether or not she agreed with Ira as Atticus placed his hand on Blair’s shoulder and nodded. The part of me that was starting to stitch itself back together almost pushed me to the point of speaking up and telling Remy good luck, but the hard outer shell didn’t budge.

I hoped they were right and time healed all, but there had been so much time and so little healing. Maybe they were quacks and only said that so people hoped for a better tomorrow instead of opting out of life.

Either way, things would be better eventually. I would make sure of it.

Atticus flashed us away, and the dark night turned into a brightly lit room. Andrin stood in the middle, and when he turned, all hopes of Covett being my saving grace turned to ash.

Poe

Asharp pain ran up my side as I tried to roll over. A hard ground met me, and that’s when everything came rushing back.

I sat up, hissing at the pain I caused with the action. I knew I had a broken rib or two, and as I cleared my throat, I realized Galvin nearly crushing my windpipe was reality and not some horrible dream that followed my fall from the tree.

Rubbing my head, I looked around to see where I was, hoping Kiran was close by. Unfortunately, my luck had run out, or maybe it never existed in the first place. I was in a cage large enough for me to stand up in and lie down across the bottom but barely. It was in a bedroom that looked far too similar to the ones back in Oedinia castle. I gripped the bars and looked all around, trying to note anything that would point me to an actual location. Nothing rang any bells, so I was back to square one.

I rolled my eyes. Did they really think this was any level of secure? I was a spirit nymph that could teleport. Ridiculous and insulting. I sat back and hissed again as I adjusted my ankle. Another injury. Great.

Pulling my leg in front of me, I pressed my foot flat on the ground and placed some weight on it to test the extent of the injury. It wasn’t broken from what I could tell, but running would be out of the question for a bit unless I wanted to cause further damage.

I looked down at my other ankle, and that’s when I noticed something a little too familiar. Groaning, I knew there was an easy way to test my theory. I pulled my power to me, intent on teleporting around, searching for Kiran, but nothing happened. I scrunched my brow and sighed.

That settled it. Around my left ankle was a clunky, metal cuff that looked far too similar to the one Andrin had hidden in our room.

With my powers locked away and no clear lock on this thing to pick, I sat back, propping myself up the best I could against the metal bars that surrounded me. That would make things a lot more difficult. If I made it out of here, I still had all of my other skills, but with the injuries I had, there was always a chance I wouldn’t make it out of here.

If I could get a weapon or two, that would even the playing field a bit, but I would still be slow. The ankle was one thing, but the ribs were an entirely different issue.

I let my head fall back, and I closed my eyes. I hoped Kiran was okay for now. His parents were wretched, but I saw the same things he did. They weren’t fully onboard with Calliope—well, now just Galvin’s plan.

If I had to guess, he probably had a cuff like mine but was in a soft bed, sleeping away.

Actually, was he?

A flash of an image crossed my mind, and I knew he went up against Galvin to protect me, but what happened after I passed out? Worry nagged at me, and I bit into my bottom lip, drawing blood. I sucked on it, thinking about all the possibilities.

Three situations stuck out. Either he was in a worse place than I was because of his meddling and royal abilities, he was in almost the exact same position as I was, or he was living life like the prince he was.

I was in a sour mood and was hoping for the second one.

I snorted to myself, then slunk down so I was lying across the bottom of the cage, which was thankfully covered in some sort of padding. It was still incredibly uncomfortable thanks to the stabbing pain in my side, but it was better than a bed made of metal.

Staying awake wasn’t an option, at least one that was viable. I would need the rest, and the longer they let me lay here, the better. I could heal a bit while I waited for someone to enter the room. I wanted to know how long I had been in here already, but the windows were covered, there were no clocks, and it was hard to tell based on the pain level I was feeling.

The adrenaline had worn off if nothing else, and everything was in full pain mode, so I would guess anywhere between three and twelve hours. It could be up to twenty-four hours, but I doubted it was less than three.

Now that I had that absolutely useless information out of the way, I could try and sleep. That was if I could get thoughts of Remy out of my mind. By now, she probably knew we were missing. Or maybe not if what Galvin said was true about one of them dying.

If Cora or Lena had been struck by a special dagger, who knew what chaos was ensuing at the mansion or fortress or wherever they were right now.

There was only one thing I could do at the moment. I blanked out my mind, pushing aside any thoughts of Remy, Kiran, and the others. Rest was my priority so I could get out of here and back to them.

Finally, with the fog washing over my brain, I fell into oblivion, hoping I would wake up and this was all some fucked up dream and I was still crumpled on the forest floor.

I awoke with a start. Sweat dripped down my face and glued my thin shirt to my small frame. There were no dreams or thoughts that I could recall, but something caused this. I took a deep breath and realized what it was.

Whatever I had broken was causing more damage than I had initially assessed. Breathing was difficult, and sitting up was even more so. I cringed and huffed and strained my way to a sitting position before scooting back and resting against the bars again.

There wasn’t really a point in sitting up over lying down except I had a better view of the room and doors when I was up like this. I could see who came in immediately without showing them too much of what my body was going through.

Too bad that wouldn’t remain for long if they required me to move in any way. I wanted to stomp my foot and revolt, but moving was a big no unless I absolutely had to.

Time passed. I faded in and out as my wounds tried to heal but couldn’t. I would last longer than any human who had these injuries, but I wasn’t a royal like Cora, Lena, Andrin, and Kiran. I would succumb to them eventually, and with how I was feeling and assumed I looked, the time was coming sooner than I would like.

Eventually, my bladder protested, but there was no bucket in here or a way for me to maneuver myself over one even if there was, so I did what I had to. The warmth soon faded to a chill that didn’t help my struggling body. I was only thankful that the other end wasn’t demanding any sort of release.

After however long, two people came into the room. I couldn’t focus on them, but they didn’t seem familiar in any way except for one had short brown hair that reminded me too much of Cae. The other had long sandy blonde hair.

As I stared up at them through the bars, I pushed down the false hope that he was somehow here to save me from Galvin’s clutches.

The brunet used his magic to open the cage, and the blonde crawled in, reaching out for me. I flinched away, then an ear piercing scream left my chest as the splintered ribs dug deeper. I would fight through the pain as my training taught me, but I wanted to fall into the darkness and let them do what they wanted.

Nothing I did at this moment would help me. Any movement that was unnecessary would cause more damage. It was better to let them move and tend to me whether it was in a caring or harmful way.

The blonde, who I assumed was a water nymph and probably some sort of doctor, did her best to pull me out of the cage without rattling me too much. Between her arms and the water ones she created to nestle me, it was the least amount of pain I had been in since before I got here.

The brunet said something, but I could only catch the blonde’s response, which equated to ‘she’s dying.’ I already knew that much.

I thought I heard some worry in the brunet’s voice as he hovered over me as we moved through the room and out into the hall. That was the last I fully remembered before being set down on a soft bed with too many lights around me.

The blonde peered over my head and said, “I’m here to help.” What she actually meant by that, I wasn’t sure, but the next moment, I felt a needle prick, and everything went black again.

Kiran

My eyelids didn’t want to budge. No matter how much I yelled at them in my mind, they didn’t even flutter. I honestly wasn’t sure if I was awake enough to try opening my eyes, but I wanted to.

I needed to know if Poe was okay and what happened to the others. Were Galvin and I still locked together? Did my parents leave us, running with Kelby when they had the chance?

There were too many variables, and I needed to wake the fuck up if I was going to get any answers.

Remy was probably panicking by now. If she didn’t burn down the entire forest after finding us or the pools of blood we left behind, I would be surprised. I wouldn’t blame her though. If the roles were reversed, there would be no trace of the forest, no ash piles where there were once trees. There would simply be nothing as I ravaged the earth, tossing it over and over until I found her and the people who took her.

I didn’t know how long I had been out of commission, talking to myself in the darkness of my mind, but it was long enough that I was growing restless. Had they drugged me with something?

I sighed internally. I wouldn’t put anything past my parents now that I was aware of what they had been up to all these years.

They sided with their best friends, the ones I thought were a part of their cover, but I was wrong. It was all too real. With each new reveal from them, more pieces fell into place. Still, I had some hope. Their reaction to Galvin right before things went bad gave me that.

It was most likely futile, but I would hold on to it until they became entirely irredeemable. Kelby clearly loved them, and he was well cared for. I knew they were great parents, at least in the raising and loving section. Their decisions otherwise were iffy.

After a while, I got some sensation back in my body. At first, everything felt numb, but slowly, my surroundings came into focus. I was on something soft, covered in thick blankets with a fluffy pillow beneath my head. It all felt normal except for one thing: a piece of metal that dug into my wrist.

Eventually, I blinked my eyes open, taking in the shadowed room. A few candles were lit around the area so someone could make their way through with little issue, but the amount of light didn’t hurt my sleep-ridden eyes.

It all looked too familiar. If I didn’t know any better, I would say we were back in the Oedinian castle. The walls and decor were in shades of white, gray, purple, and blue, coated in a water theme.

I took in a deep breath as anger filled me. If I was right, we were screwed. The chances of the others looking here were minimal. If Poe was somewhere in this castle, I had to find her, and we had to make our escape with just the two of us.

There were ways out of here that wouldn’t take us by any well-guarded areas, if they were still well-guarded. We could avoid the main royal rooms as well.

Stop.

I chided myself. I didn’t know where we were or where Poe was or anything of use other than I was trapped in a bed most likely somewhere in Oedinia or a place that had a suite or wing catering to the Oedinian royals’ tastes. I couldn’t get ahead of myself and make plans that wouldn’t be useful.

However, it was a way to pass the time as I tried to get my arms to cooperate. It didn’t take long for them to feel normal again, so I moved to my legs. That was more difficult as it called on abdominal muscles that weren’t healed up just yet.

I dared not look under the sheet to see what damage had been done. A large chunk of my chest had been punched from my body, and it would take time to heal. Time I didn’t want to waste, but there was no getting around it.

Giving up, I laid there, motionless and annoyed. I had been awake for nearly an hour, and no one had come by. Clearly my parents had something to do with this. I hoped they treated Poe just as well. She was basically their daughter-in-law after all.

Finally, when light beamed from under the curtains, someone came through the suite’s door.

“Oh! You’re awake!” There was some scuffling, and another door was thrown open across the hall before a handful of people came barging in.

“Kiran! Oh, thank the ancients,” my mother said as she sat beside me on the bed and grabbed my manacled hand. “How are you feeling? We demanded the best care for you, of course, as you healed. They did give you a little something so you won’t feel as much pain. If it starts to wear off, tell us. You’ll have everything you need, anything, just tell us, okay?”

I rolled my eyes and tried pulling my hand away from her grasp, but I didn’t have the strength or body control just yet. Whatever they gave me was wearing off but not fast enough.

“Where’s Poe?” Screw me and my needs, where was our spirit nymph? “I would like her here with me.”

I looked up at my father who was standing beside my mother. They shared a look, and I knew the answer before he spoke up.

“We can’t—”

“Anything I want was another lie, then? I see. Well, you can leave.” This time, when I pulled my arm away, my mother let me. “I will lie here until I am healed, refusing to speak to either of you, until Poe is with me. She might not be my bonded, but I love her, and so should you.” My voice was barely a whisper as I made my demands.

On the other side of the room, two others who I assumed were here to tend to me and my wounds were bustling around, preparing things. It was a welcomed distraction as I ignored my parents.

“But, Kiran, we—”

“No.” Despite the pain, I rolled away from them, giving them my back. I bit my lip to keep from making any sounds. I could take a hit, but the healing was torture. It took too much time, and nothing was ever the same.

I would heal fairly quickly though, and based on the minimal blood I now saw on the bandages I finally looked at, I would say it had been about twenty-four hours since the root was removed. I was slowly stitching myself back together, but it would be another two or three days until I could fully move without causing myself more injury. This wasn’t a simple broken bone or minimal laceration on an extremity. A chunk of me was missing. I didn’t regret my actions though. Poe was alive somewhere, and that would be enough for now.

However, I knew my parents would give in. Based on their reactions, she was here somewhere. They might not allow her to stay in this room with me in case she woke up and teleported us out of here, but there was a chance I could at least get my eyes on her to make sure she was truly alive.

Now that I thought about it, they would have to keep her knocked out in order to control her. If she were awake…

Looking down, things clicked into place. I blamed the drugs and small coma daze for not thinking about it before. The cuffs.

Turning back over and refusing to mask any pain this time as my parents made their way to the nurses, I jingled the cuff and chain.

“Explain.” My parents turned back around with sadness in their eyes, eyes that were so familiar yet so unlike my own. My mother’s were green and shined with the hint of tears, and my father’s were brown much like Blair’s, whereas mine were a blue that let me blend in with the water nymphs. If I didn’t look so much like my mother and if my parents weren’t so madly obsessed with each other, I’d say I was adopted like Wren.

They didn’t move closer, but my mother linked her hand with my father’s before she spoke. “We couldn’t leave you there in that condition, not with Galvin looming over you and Poe…” She paused to clear her throat. I would be bringing Poe up again, but I needed this information, and she seemed willing to give it. “So we brought you all back here. We couldn’t trust that you wouldn’t immediately try to escape, so we placed a magic nullifying cuff on you. Of course, you could still run, so the chain was necessary as well.”

I reached up with my non-cuffed hand and pinched the bridge of my nose. “Am I correct in assuming that Poe has one too wherever she is?”

They both nodded.

Dropping my hand with a plop in my lap, I knew they saw how tired I was. There were definite bags under my eyes, and I was sure the blood loss I experienced wasn’t helping anything. Thankfully, that would be remedied with some hydration and a couple good meals. I could put up whatever front I wanted to, but if two people besides all the nymphs I left behind were going to see through it, it was them.

My body wanted to rest, and I wanted to let it, but I couldn’t.

“Please. I need to see her and make sure she’s okay. Remy is already going to kill me. That would be grounds for an extra dose of torture.” A glimpse of shock ran through their features, a slight widening of the eyes and a tightening of the mouth, but they had met her and knew it was only half a joke. “We are both cuffed, and with the way you’re acting, it doesn’t sound like we are in any condition to fight you all off right now.”

Silence fell over us, but finally, their shoulders dropped, and I knew I had won this battle.

“Fine, but it won’t be until later. She was taken in last night to…” My eyebrow cocked as she paused. My mother had a bad habit of saying things when I didn’t want her to and keeping things to herself when I wanted the information.

“Mom, spit it out. It can’t be worse than what I am imagining.” I could be wrong, but I begged the ancients that I wasn’t.

She sighed, then nodded. “We honestly don’t know much. She was taken when we got here. You were left in our care, and she… well, we don’t know. Poe was taken to get surgery last night and is apparently resting now but hasn’t woken up.” Her lip wobbled, and she covered her mouth with a shaking hand.

My father took over from there. “We are so sorry. This wasn’t the plan. None of this should have happened. We only wanted what was best for Nularoth and Oedinia. This isn’t… we’re sorry, Kiran, but we will find a way to make it up to you. It’s just… Galvin…” He stopped and glanced behind him toward the nurses who weren’t paying any attention as far as I could see. “Never mind that. We will check on Poe and see what we can do. You’re right. With the cuffs and your conditions, there is no reason for us to keep you apart.”

With that and a clear mental battle about whether they should hug me or not, my parents left me to my thoughts and whatever the two women left in the room had planned for me.

Thankfully, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Checking the wound, new bandages, an offering of drugs that I refused.

Finally, the room was empty and silent. With the promise that Poe was alive, I forced my body to relax and fall into a deep sleep. I was going to need all the rest I could manage before we escaped, because we would escape. There was no doubt about it.

Powers or no powers, Poe and I would get out of this hell or die trying.

Coralena

Atticus flashed away without a word. Silence fell for a mere second, then Andrin’s voice cut through it, bringing me back from the horrors of my mind and the thoughts that plagued me.

“Coralena?” Andrin said, stepping toward us. Blair still held me in his arms, and I was motionless as the waves of emotions and realizations swept over me.

Andrin didn’t know because he was here guarding Covett.

He didn’t know. How were we supposed to explain this to him? Where did we even start?

Before I could muster up the courage and the words to say anything, Blair spoke. “Andrin, why don’t we get Coralena settled with Covett, then I will explain everything that happened.” His voice didn’t waiver despite knowing what he would have to tell my brother, but it still sounded broken. It wasn’t light and carefree like he was before. It was grounded, heavy, what I would have expected of an earth nymph if I hadn’t met Blair and Kiran.

Andrin looked between us, trying to sort it out on his own, but who would come up with the truth when it was so heartbreaking?

I averted my gaze as Blair walked us over to one of the large chairs by the fireplace, the ones I demanded be kept after using them in Atticus’ original room. They had always brought me some comfort as they reminded me of our first time together, chatting and knitting.

This time, however, nothing would settle me.

Blair placed me in the chair with a kiss on the top of my head. I didn’t look up at him or do anything besides sink into the chair, attempting to be okay with what was about to happen.

I wanted Covett in my arms. I did. Nothing would convince me otherwise, but there was something else within that want that was darkening the love I felt.

Andrin stepped around the other side of the chair and bent forward, passing my darling daughter to me. I hadn’t seen her in seven months. Then she was only a few pounds, couldn’t focus on anything with her eyes, and was basically a shriveled potato that ate, slept, shit, and cried with no thought or remorse for it.

Now, the wrinkled skin was replaced by plump rolls. Her bald head was less so, holding a small amount of bright blonde hair. Her blue eyes beamed up at me as she sat in my lap and babbled at me. Covett reached up and palmed my face, scratching me by accident with her fingernails. Her smile was bright, she was happy, and finally, she was safe.

But Kelby wasn’t, and that thought soured a bit of our reunion.

I cupped her face, smiling down at her and taking every piece of her in. Tears filled my eyes, and I couldn’t help the sobs that started from deep within my chest. Covett looked confused as the tears fell down my cheeks, but that didn’t stop her from squirming and taking me in as well. She was such a happy little girl, and she looked so much like I—Cora and Lena did when they were babies.

And that thought soured our reunion even more.

Cora and Lena would never get this again with either of our children.

The sobs came harder, and I pulled Covett to me, holding her tight despite her little protest. I knew she didn’t know me, not well enough to accept my comfort or give me much in return, but I needed to keep her close and breathe her in.

Soon I would have both of them in my arms, and the past could be forgotten.

I didn’t know when Blair and Andrin slipped out, but when I finally let myself think of something besides all the separated twins in my life, they were gone. I was thankful that they didn’t try to console me or pull Covett away. I needed this time with her, even if it was as painful as it was amazing.

I let her crawl around the floor, exploring the room that I shared with my bonded. I was loath to admit that I was rather unprepared. I knew the basics, but skipping from zero to seven months was not something I expected. Cora and Lena didn’t know when we would get them back, so they didn’t know what information to read up on. Reading anything about it was also practically impossible thanks to their differing depressions.

Groaning, I sat on the ground and watched Covett from afar. There wasn’t anything in this room that she could hurt herself on too badly, and she was still rather slow, so I wasn’t too worried.

All of their memories resided in me, but they never felt like my own. It was as if I had watched them all on a screen and I could recall what I had seen and heard. The shitty part was having all of the emotions raging in me without the cause ever feeling like it was real. Losing Covett and Kelby was painful for them, but I wasn’t there, so the event felt far off for me, but the sadness that came from it sat deep inside, pestering me.

I knew Lena dealt with the kidnapping by shutting down and hurting herself, and Cora trained like crazy to block out the bad thoughts. Those instincts brought on by their depressions were in me. Right now, I wanted to lay down and never get up again, but I also wanted to run around the castle as if I were running from my problems. However, that key moment that started it all wasn’t there, so it was extra annoying but also easier to manage like it was all dulled thanks to the merge.

Initially, none of that felt true. Their emotions were raw inside me as if I had lived through it all myself but twofold. Now that an hour or so had passed, things had settled down to sadness but not sobbing and broken down.

I couldn’t say I agreed with Lena’s decision, but I also couldn’t say I disagreed. If the roles had been reversed and Cora was left to determine their fate, I wondered which way she would have gone. At least they would both live on in some way, and if I ever wanted to, more children was a possibility. I felt a pang in my chest and knew that would be far off, but despite all that had happened, no part of me was fully on the side of no more children. Blair and Atticus deserved biological children, and I deserved to have happy pregnancies and to fill my life with as much joy as possible.

A small smile came to my lips at the thought, then it grew wider when Covett rolled over onto her butt and stared at me with her big blue eyes. With a happy cry, she got onto all fours again and crawled back to me, attempting to climb into my lap. I helped her up into my arms and was rewarded with her trying to makeout with me. I pulled away, then blew on her chubby cheek, making a funny sound that made her laugh.

It was music to my ears, both joyous and melancholic, a tune that was missing half the orchestra but was still amazing to hear despite it.

My eyes clouded again with unshed tears when Blair walked into the suite. Andrin was nowhere in sight. I hadn’t heard anything, so I was confident he at least kept his rage in long enough to not destroy another room like Remy did.

“How is she?” Blair asked as he joined us on the floor and reached for her.

I let her go, and for a second, Covett showed an ounce of worry, not wanting to let me go. When she looked up into Blair’s eyes, she melted as we all did. His calming aura took over, and she was a happy little baby once again.

“Perfect. As if I would make anything less than that.” Blair faux gasped, then kissed the top of Covett’s head and turned her to look at me.

“Looks like Mommy is getting her sense of humor back.” He smiled at me, and I matched his energy.

This moment was exactly what I needed, and I would cherish it forever. “And Daddy number three has gotten some of his sparkle back. Covett is a magician.” I poked her belly, and she giggled. Too bad it didn’t last long.

Although she was clearly a happy kid, Covett was still a baby with needs, and one of those needs was easy to pinpoint by a repulsive smell.

Blair and I scrunched our noses, then shared a look. “Tag team the diaper?” I stood up, and Blair followed with Covett still in his arms.

“Diaper, then bottle. Her sleep schedule is probably a complete disaster now, but we should try and get her down after that.” I nodded and followed him to the nursery that Atticus and Blair made sure was set up for their return.

Falling into the normalcy of being a parent was nice. It wouldn’t last, but for now, while it was just the three of us, I would push aside the events of last night, everything I needed to work through and make up for, and plans for the future. My baby needed me, and I would wait until she was asleep to have another breakdown. I could give her that much for now. I wouldn’t make the guarantee that she would never see it again, but this once for her first day at home, I would make it happen.

Covett was curious about everything, and changing her diaper was a mess. She twisted and turned, and I was thankful there were two of us to deal with it. With her freshly diapered and in a simple sleeper—thank you, Atticus, for filling this room with multiple sizes of the basics—Blair got to making a bottle while I held her and bonded a little. When he got back, I fed her in the rocking chair in the nursery, turned down the lights, and tried to get her to nod off.

It didn’t work in the slightest. We had no idea what her routine was or how she normally slept. It didn’t help that Kelby wasn’t here. I knew Cora and Lena could never fall asleep when they were younger if the other wasn’t at least in the room.

After an hour of trying to put her down, each of us taking turns, we gave up and let her fall asleep in Blair’s arms. She seemed the happiest there, and the contentment on his face was worth not getting the baby snuggles at the moment. Honestly, I would have argued and demanded to take her back if I was in a better place, but I needed to balance bonding and motherhood with allowing time for personal healing and doing what I needed to for my own mental health.

I needed a shower, to wash off the blood I completely forgot was on me, and to hide under a very heavy blanket for a couple of hours.

Thank fuck I had Blair with me and multiple bonded out there somewhere along with Andrin, Remy, and the others. Someone would always be there to help so I didn’t go insane with trying to do it all. If I had to do this alone, I knew Covett would be in there, crying alone while I cried alone in the shower.

A bit of peace washed over knowing that would never happen as I walked into the bathroom and stripped down. I tried to avoid the mirror. I didn’t want to analyze what I had gotten from each of them just yet, but one very apparent new addition caught my eye.

Right over my heart, where the blade had slid into Cora and took her from everyone in this world and some who were no longer a part of it, was a fresh and shiny scar. I ran my fingers over it, and the memories flooded back. A wave of nausea hit me, and before I knew it, I was on my knees, vomiting into the toilet, heaving up nothing but stomach acid and spit.

They were gone, and I was here. That would never change.

Finally, I made it into the shower and scrubbed with all my might, letting the near boiling water wash over me for as long as I could stand it. Eventually, Blair came in to check on me with Covett, and as I got out, I had a feeling this would be the cycle.

I thought I had pushed through the beginning of this hell so I would be strong enough to get Kelby back and take care of Covett, but that evil voice inside my mind said I was horribly and incredibly wrong.

Andrin

Ididn’t know what I thought had happened while I was gone or how Blair thought I would react, but everything was unexpected to say the least.

If anything, while I was awaiting their return, I thought perhaps someone else would get hurt in the battle against my father, but nothing like this. If someone had come back and said Atticus or Ira gave their life to save Kelby and slaughter the monster that sired me, I would have been saddened, but it was entirely possible.

This… this was not something I would have conjured even with days of time, coming up with every possible scenario.

When I saw Coralena in Blair’s arms, my initial thought was that Cora and Lena merged for ease of travel, or perhaps it was useful in the end game, but how horribly wrong I was.

I could only imagine what Coralena was thinking and going through, knowing what Lena gave up so some small part of her and her twin could live on. That wasn’t something I could concern myself with at the moment. Blair was with her and Covett, and he would ensure they were taken care of until we returned.

I gave myself a few minutes to process that information, but only numbness filled me. I loved my sisters and enjoyed the different relationships I had with both of them. Cora fulfilled the role I had expected of Coralena, taking me as a lover despite how complicated she thought it was. Lena was more of a sister than I ever thought I would have without Galvin and Calliope having more children.

Having both filled some holes I didn’t know were there, and with the addition of Remy, everything was aligning perfectly even though it was unexpected.

Cora and Lena were both important parts of my life, and I knew I should feel some level of sadness or regret or perhaps guilt at what happened, but those emotions weren’t there. We had Coralena still, and that was better than losing both of them or Lena deciding to let Cora die alone.

I felt so heartless as I marched through the forest, searching for Remy and the others. I should feel more for the loss of one of my sisters, but I guessed, to me, I hadn’t lost one or both or however we wanted to look at it. They were still there but in a combined package. I realized they could never unmerge, and maybe that wasn’t sinking in just yet from the shock, but there were worse things.

They could have perished together, and we would be even more lost.

Right now, though, my focus was on Remy. I was, quite frankly, surprised the forest hadn’t been burnt to a crisp with her search.

I didn’t have much to go on about this situation, except for Poe and Kiran running off after Willas and Lillin. I would have done the same, but I hoped they knew Remy was going to fry them when she got her hands on them. Nothing in this world would get me to trade places with either of my bond mates.

Everything looked the same as I passed tree after tree, hoping to run into someone. Atticus was probably popping around, covering more ground than the others. Who knew what Remy, Ira, Wren, and Cillian were doing.

The night was peaceful, and I tried to push aside thoughts of Galvin kidnapping Kelby once again. Where the news of Coralena left me numb and Remy’s ordeal made me chuckle with a slight hint of irritation, Kelby’s whereabouts flooded my system with more rage.

We were able to save Covett, and I watched over her and held her while the others were supposed to rescue her brother, but they failed. Now, Galvin was who knew where with what he would see as half an heir. Without Kelby’s twin… Galvin would begin plotting how to get Covett back so he could raise them and use them as he did me.

Coralena and the others wouldn’t agree, and it made me feel even more heartless than before, but although the circumstances were far from good, it was better that they were separated than being left whole with Galvin. He wouldn’t hurt his grandson, even now. Kelby just wasn’t fully useful at the moment. In time, if they remained separated, he would be, if trained correctly, but for now, either they needed to both be with us or be nowhere near each other.

I bit my tongue, knowing how awful that sounded in my head, and I refused to voice it to anyone. This was not the best-case scenario, but it wasn’t the worst case either. Galvin and Calliope could both be alive with the twins in their grasp, but they weren’t.

I hated myself a little more. There were so many things in my past that I wanted to right and so many thoughts and ideas that I wanted erased because it was they who taught me to think this way. No matter how much time passed and no matter how much I internally corrected myself, I was still their son and was raised to think as an Oedinian royal.

Finally, my pity party came to an end when a bright light came from up ahead, followed by shouting. I wasn’t close enough to be able to decipher the voices, but there were only two options for that kind of fiery light. If I had to guess, my money wouldn’t be on Ira.

I teleported closer but still on the edge of the light so no one spotted me just yet. There was always a chance it wasn’t Ira or Remy causing this, or maybe they were fighting someone and having a secret weapon lurking around would be enough to end the battle.

As I rounded the clearing they were in, everything came into focus. They had stopped yelling, and now there were only screams of agony, ones I recognized but never wanted to hear again.

Instead of teleporting in and accidentally startling one of them into action, I made my steps loud before calling out to them. Their heads whipped around as a branch cracked under my boot, and I yelled, “It’s me.” I didn’t pay them any mind as they relaxed with the confirmation. My only focus was the blazing ball of fire near a pool of what looked like boiling blood.

Gulping down the knot in my throat, I walked closer to Remy, pulling as much moisture from the air as I could to prevent any harm from coming to me. I would heal, but her flames would scar me without mercy.

Standing as close as I could, I watched her for a moment, readying myself, then Ira stepped up beside me. “I can pull the flames for a second, but if she doesn’t extinguish them herself after that…” She looked at me but didn’t need to finish her thought. If Remy kept this up after I got my hands on her, I would be a charred husk until I healed.

I didn’t need a moment to think about it. I nodded. “Now, Ira.”

She didn’t hesitate, cutting the flames off, and I teleported into Remy’s space, pulling her into my arms and holding her as close to my body as I could. When Ira’s control snapped away under Remy’s onslaught, the flames flared up again.

The fire singed my clothes and crept up my arms but only for a fraction of a second. A guttural scream left Remy’s chest as she put her fire out and collapsed into me, unconscious but breathing.

Everything went silent after that. No one knew what to say or do. It was clear we didn’t have a lead on where Poe and Kiran were, and the assumption was that the pools of blood were at least partially theirs. Otherwise they would be here with us.

“Do we know anything?” I whispered into Remy’s hair as I held her on the ground.

“Nothing.” Ira’s voice was filled with defeat, low and quiet, but still so loud in the dark of the forest.

“We’re just hoping it’s Kiran’s blood.” I snapped my gaze toward Cillian who held his hands up in surrender. “You know why, Andrin. He would still be alive unless somehow his parents—”

“Enough, Cillian, that’s not helping,” Ira said, cutting him off.

“Wasn’t trying to,” he grumbled, then walked off toward the direction of the mansion, a gust of wind following behind him.

He had changed so much. I still saw the old Cillian there. The funny carefree version that had his emotions awakened by the bond, but it was all darkened and covered in blemishes. We were all different, but that air nymph took first place in that competition.

I wondered how we all compared. Introspection only told you so much. I knew I had changed, but was it enough?

“Where’s Atticus?”

“Somewhere, nowhere. Who knows, really.” Ira rubbed her temples, then the man of the hour stepped out of the shadows next to Wren who was leaning against a tree far away from the scorched earth I knelt on.

Wren jumped when he spoke, shrieking and nearly falling on the ground as she scrambled away. “How is she?”

I looked down at a still unconscious Remy. “How are any of us?”

A collective sigh rang out around the clearing. One simple question was all it took to remind us how shitty our current lives were.

“I don’t know where they went, but I have a few theories on what happened here. Lillin and Willas were with them, and I believe Kiran did a number on Galvin before he was knocked down himself.” Ira and I eyed him with matching intensity. I for my bond mates, and Ira for her friends.

“Explain.” Ira wasn’t one to beat around the bush, and at this moment, neither was I.

“The roots, broken branches, boot prints, and blood splatters… it all points to someone falling from that tree, Kiran battling Galvin, and a couple of cowardly earth nymphs standing out of the way most likely holding our missing child. Fill in the missing gaps as you wish, but I believe they are all alive but were taken. They would have left Poe’s body at the very least if she were dead.” He shrugged, and even after my time with him all these years and dealing with other spirit nymphs, I never got used to their uncaring attitudes toward death.

Before I could say anything, Ira spoke up. “Thank you, Atticus. That helps. If they are alive, we will find them. Willas and Lillin are traitorous fools, but they still love their son and will protect him and hopefully Poe to some extent.”

It was more than we had before, but I doubted Atticus’ theory would help Remy in any way when she woke up.

Shaking my head, I let out a huff. “Atticus, can you handle getting the others back to the fortress?”

He barely let out “ye—” before I was gone with Remy in my arms. I trusted him and Ira to find Cillian and wrangle Wren.

Right now, I had a heartbroken mate to take care of and a daughter to bond with. The others could handle the rest.

Remy

The forest was coated in shadows and was unnaturally quiet. Something had to be lurking around, its mere presence forcing the creatures that resided here into hiding. I should follow their lead, but I was too curious for my own good.

A sickening thought tried to bubble up inside my head, but I ignored the feeling it caused and refused to let it fully form.

I walked toward the clearing, the moonlight shining down on me through the mismatched branches. This would be peaceful without the stone in my gut, telling me something was wrong. I was alone, and no one was going to jump out and scare me as if this was a haunted house back in the human world.

The feeling didn’t go away as I stepped through the treeline, and the nettle covered ground turned into hard dirt with patches of grass.

I half expected someone to step through the other side to greet me, but no one came.

Why was I even here? That thought bubble tried to burst again, but I didn’t want this half peaceful moment to be ruined by worry.

Not paying attention to where I was stepping as I walked a few feet into the clearing, the ground turned from packed dirt to a softer, wetter texture. I looked up first, inspecting the sky, wondering if I had somehow missed a rainshower, but there were only a few sparse clouds that obscured the moonlight every so often.

Looking down, I squinted at the wet forest floor, trying to decipher what I had stepped in. A pool of animal pee I was so unlucky to have walked into, or…

The clouds parted as I stepped away, and my boots were covered in the red liquid, the dark leather making it seem all the more sinister. That thought bubble reared its ugly head again. This time, I couldn’t stop it from erupting and filling me with dread.

It was theirs. They weren’t here. Their bodies were gone, but I knew who it belonged to.

Dropping to my knees, I screamed and sobbed, wishing to wake up from this nightmare because none of this could be real. It couldn’t be.

But it was.

As my eyes fluttered open, I realized I was no longer scorching the forest with my fire but was instead lying in my bed, deep under the covers. Just as the forest had been, the room was too silent, reminding me that they were gone.

The first tear slid down my cheek, and I felt the flames trying to light again, tearing another room to shreds. Then Andrin stepped through the door with a tray in hand.

I wiped away my tears and sat up, feeling every part of me ache. My bones, my skin, my muscles, every inch was sore. I groaned, and Andrin chuckled as he came around the bed and set the tray on the nightstand before sitting next to me on the bed.

“I’m not even going to ask how you’re feeling. I brought you something similar to what you would call donuts and an extra large cup of coffee just the way you like it.” He reached up and swept some of my ever growing hair behind my ear without commenting on how puffy I knew my face was or the tears that welled up in my eyes despite my protests.

Opening my mouth, I tried to thank him, but my throat seized at the thought. I was supposed to be the strong one, and I knew I didn’t always live up to that title, but I tried. I broke before, destroying the other suite, but since then, I gained control, until last night.

The sun shining through the slits of the curtains said it was well into the morning at the very least.

Andrin didn’t need any prompting and didn’t say anything about my lack of manners when he pulled the tray over and sat it over my lap. He had mentioned the donuts and coffee, but there was also a large bowl of mixed fruit on the tray as well, which I ignored for the bittersweet liquid that took up the top right corner of the tray.

I grasped the hot mug, enjoying the slight sting it caused on my palms, and brought it to my lips, sipping it down until half the mug was empty. Finally, I felt slightly normal, the tears were pushed back a little, and the warmth inside me grounded me for the time being.

Next, I picked up the so-called donut and inspected it. The shape was more square than an average donut, but there was the typical hole in the center. Sugar covered the entire thing, and I figured it was worth a shot. Taking my first bite, I realized that this was more of a mixture of a croissant and a donut. It had the sweetness and shape of a donut, but it had layers and fluff like a croissant. It wasn’t a perfect explanation since it was somehow denser like a donut, but it was what came to mind as the caffeine slowly woke my brain from its fog.

“How is it?” Andrin asked, popping fruit into his mouth. The bowl was half gone, and I didn’t even notice. Smart man. He knew I would touch that last if at all. Some days, fruit was the only thing I wanted, but today, with all the grief surrounding me, carbs and sugar were the way to go.

“Delicious. Not exactly like our donuts but still amazing and exactly what I needed.” I tossed the final bite of the nymph-style cronut into my mouth before picking up the second one on the plate. This one was the same on the outside, but I spied little holes around the edges and guessed it was filled with something.

Taking a bite, chocolatey goodness erupted in my mouth. I groaned and cussed and devoured it before I knew it.

“Clearly you enjoyed that,” Andrin teased. “Try the last one.” He winked at me, and I wondered if he was playing some game, but if it got me a third donut thing, I wasn’t going to argue.

I did as instructed, and this one had a delicious jam inside of it. Enough that the flavor was evident but not so much that I was gagging on the awful texture of regular jelly filled donuts.

“Holy fucking Jesus Christ almighty.” Once again, the sweet treat was gone in seconds, and I finished up by licking all the sugary goodness off of my fingers.

“Well, I’m glad you enjoyed them because…” Andrin trailed off and moved the tray from my lap and replaced it on the nightstand before sitting back beside me and looking me in the eyes.

“If you expect me to do anything besides lay here or cry in the shower or stuff my face with food or—”

“I don’t, but I do have a request.” I glared at him, but something told me he wasn’t going to ask anything outlandish of me. Maybe a walk through the garden so I didn’t delve into a depression like Lena did.

My mental jab made me cringe, remembering that Lena and Cora were gone. How was one person supposed to handle so much shit happening in such a short amount of time? Even the events of last night were enough for an entire lifetime, and ours were longer than the average human’s.

If Andrin saw any reaction I had to my thoughts, he ignored them, which I was thankful for.

“Okay, spit it out already.”

“Dinner.”

I waited for an explanation, but when he didn’t elaborate, I asked, “As in?”

“Just dinner. You and me, then—”

“There it is. The proverbial ‘but.’ Then what?” Andrin fidgeted and sighed.

“A distraction that I haven’t come up with yet.” He smiled at me and chuckled at his ill preparedness. “Everything I came up with would make you think of everyone, so I gave up and figured I would just ask and see if you had any thoughts about it.”

Andrin was a complete fucking cunt when I first met him, and if anyone even suggested that he could change, I would have bitch slapped them, but I would have been completely wrong. He learned and grew into a kind and considerate person who I was lucky enough to call my bonded.

Another tear fell down my cheek, but this time it was out of happiness. Well, mostly. Happiness that I had him mixed with the current absence of Kiran and Poe.

Through the tears, I said, “I have the perfect idea, but I’m going to keep it a surprise. You plan dinner, and I will take care of the rest.” I leaned forward, ignoring my protesting body, and kissed Andrin.

I leaned into it, enjoying the taste of fresh water with a hint of mint and the fruit he ate. He wrapped his hand in my hair and held me there as if I was a lifeline. I knew exactly how he felt, and no matter what, we would get them back because together, we were their worst nightmare. Fire and water didn’t always mix, but when they worked together, destruction was sure to follow.

Andrin pulled back, and I couldn’t help but smile up at him. “I will probably regret this, but do you want to play some games after I shower? Either it will distract me or I will cry the entire time. I’m prepared for the gamble if you are.”

He rolled his eyes, then nodded. “As long as ‘burn down the suite’ Remy stays locked up, I think we can manage that. What did you have in mind?” he asked, standing from the bed and walking to the cabinet that we had filled with games.

“The Fox in The Forest. It’s a small box with a fox on it. I used to play it with Nora when the others were busy.” Sometimes it was easier to forget how complicated the whole Nora and Lennon thing was, so when I could, I simply thought of them as who they used to be: the loving parents of my best friends.

Andrin pulled it out, I showered as fast as I could given how gross I felt, and we started round one after I explained the rules. Eventually, he got the hang of it, and we played some other games that accommodated two players.

Time flew by, our stack of boxes grew larger, and I was distracted enough that the knock on the door made me shriek.

After laughing it off, Andrin opened the door, but his tall frame blocked who it was. When he stepped to the side, my carefully crafted bubble popped, not so dissimilar to the one in my dream. Blue eyes that looked so familiar and yet so wrong met my gaze, and in Coralena’s arms was the one person we had gained through last night’s raid.

I wanted to say it was worth it, and in some future time where I wasn’t filled with rage and heartbreak, I might think that. Without Poe and Kiran, a deeper part of me thought maybe the trade wasn’t fair or equal in any way, and that made me feel so much worse.

Shoving down the emotions, I stood up, plastered on a fake smile despite the tears that threatened to fall, and greeted my… sort of best friends/half sister-wife and niece/stepdaughter.

What the fuck was my life?

Wren

This was all incredibly awkward. I thought faking it with Calliope, Galvin, Willas, and Lillin was annoyingly weird and straining, but this was an entirely different level of not for me.

I sat in the library, surrounded by a few of my cousin’s bonded, being interrogated. No matter how many times I explained my side and tried to convince them that I wasn’t colluding with Galvin, they didn’t believe me.

“Again, Wren.” Ira had me repeat my story over and over, clearly hoping I would mess up something along the way and show her the cracks in my story. It wasn’t working, but if this was what it took to be left alone so I could shower and get on with my life, then so be it.

“I was the one that left the note for Andrin about Cora and Lena’s whereabouts because my apparently adoptive parents sent me a letter telling me where they were. Mating with Andrin and taking the role as queen didn’t feel right, and I realized how much of my life was a fake disaster. They are here because of me. I continued my façade, though, knowing it would be useful eventually. I was right, by the way.” They all rolled their eyes again because I pointed out my usefulness every single time. “After you all disappeared with them and I was left behind, I stayed by Calliope’s side as much as possible, which didn’t really give me any useful information, and I regret my decision to show any level of care. I didn’t know about their plan to have Willas and Lillin kidnap Covett and Kelby until it happened, and we were forced to hide underground for seven months, raising them. No, I didn’t have much of a hand in it. That would have been out of character as I have pointed out before. Lillin took the lead on that with Willas helping her.

“They clearly didn’t trust me despite my efforts, so I had to eavesdrop a lot. Finally, they found a place to lay low above ground and in comfort. That’s when I knew I could actually do something to help you all. I had a letter delivered to Kiran’s sister. It was tricky, but I trusted one of the guards enough not to ask many questions, and the others knew we were at least acquaintances enough that it wasn’t completely out of the ordinary. It was a risk, but I had to do something. Thankfully, it all worked out, and you all barged in. From getting to the mansion to you all arriving, I mostly stayed out of sight so they would forget I existed, which was the norm back at the castle. I did choose my room assignment based on the nursery since it was partially hidden.” I paused, taking a second to think through my story. “Is that everything? I’m getting tired of this.”

“Why did you wait so long to tell Andrin where Cora and Lena were?” At least Ira found a new question to ask. Atticus and Cillian had remained relatively quiet, and even with the little I knew about them, I knew that was worrisome.

“At first, I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell him. I had played the role of future queen for so long, and it was hard to distinguish my actual wants from my fake wants. It was all the same at times, then one day, it just clicked that I hated it all and didn’t want any of it.” I shrugged. I never quite understood it myself.

“Why didn’t you come forward to us sooner and continue playing the part with Calliope and Galvin?”

I huffed and fell against the back of the couch, slumping down, tired from the events of last night and the hours of questioning. “It made sense at the time. I didn’t see the need to sneak around, giving you guys information when I could just remain as I was and reveal things as needed. My role was best used fully on the inside. I knew there was the risk of you never believing me, and I accepted that. Now, can I please go eat something, shower, and sleep? Any bed is better than the one we had in the caves, so please, point me toward a room and leave me alone.” Exhaustion filled my voice, and I knew I was close to breaking down.

I expected skepticism and some questioning of my motives, but this was insane. Ira took security to a whole new level. Now that I thought about it, it made sense considering they trusted Willas and Lillin, which caused an entirely new mess for them.

Ira left me waiting for a few seconds, then nodded in consent. “Fine. We have a room set up for you. Cillian will walk you there.” If she saw his reaction to her offering him up as my chauffeur, she didn’t care and carried on. “And someone will come by with food and some clothes for you as well. They won’t be—”

“Anything like the frilly princess dresses I wore back home?” I finished for her. I didn’t want them anyway. I loved the lightness of them, but the style was purely to play my part.

“Correct. Your room has everything else you need, but if you have a special request, let us know.” Ira stood, and I copied her reluctantly. “Wren, I know this was harsh, but we had to be sure. I’m still not sure about you, but you seem sincere enough for now. If you do anything to hurt Coralena or our children, I will not hesitate.” She didn’t wait for me to respond before leaving the room and disappearing down the hall.

The room was silent except for the cackling fire. I looked over at Cillian and Atticus who were both glaring down at me. I was short for a water nymph, but I was raised as a queen and wasn’t going to cower beneath their gazes if that’s what they were wanting.

“Glaring will only strain your eyes. I’m not here to cause any more harm despite what you’re thinking.”

Cillian huffed. “We will see about that, Wren. Atticus, do—” Before he could finish, Atticus vanished, leaving the two of us alone in the too quiet library.

“I guess he doesn’t.” I looked around the stacks of books and figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask to pick a few before I was locked up. “Can I look through these first so I have some form of entertainment while I am shackled in a room somewhere?”

Cillian looked down at me incredulously. I remembered him from the Castle, so full of life after meeting Coralena, so much an air nymph before then. This man was nothing like that, but I enjoyed the change in him. Maybe he of all the nymphs here would understand what it was like to change so drastically without wanting any part of it.

“Who am I to say no to that? You’re going to be bored in there no matter what so might as well give you something to start with to keep you out of trouble.” He waved me off and plopped down in the chair closest to the fire, effectively ignoring my presence.

I couldn’t say I wasn’t used to that. Despite being the future Queen of Oedinia at one point, Andrin, Calliope, and Galvin didn’t pay me much mind. The servants followed my orders as the royal I was, but that was about it. Truth be told, I was lonely most of the time and was used to keeping myself busy.

Turning toward the stacks on the right side of the room, I found novel upon novel filled with romance, but that wasn’t what I wanted. Romance was fine, but I wanted realism, a story with heartache and cruelty, where someone was saved but lost again. I needed something that would end in a way that was shocking but also made me feel better about the situation I was in.

Maybe something where the heroine was kidnapped, the prince saved her, but in the end, she says, “no thanks,” and lives the rest of her life alone and happy.

If there was something like that in here, I wouldn’t know how to even begin finding it, so I picked a few from another section that sounded halfway decent. Romance wasn’t my lot in life, so maybe one of these fantasy books from the human world would help me find my way.

“Okay, I’m ready.” I stood by the library door and waited for Cillian to join me.

He didn’t say anything as he walked over and pushed the door open, holding it for me as I balanced my stack of books in my arms. I followed him down a few halls and looked around, trying to orient myself within the fortress. Not coming in the front door always made things trickier. I didn’t know which way was the front or back or which wing was which.

After a few minutes of walking, Cillian finally spoke up. “Lena loved reading, and Ira joined her every now and then in the library. Coralena might be able to pick some out for you or at the very least, help you figure out which ones are what you’re looking for. I noticed you avoided the romance section.” He smirked down at me, and I knew where this was going. “No bonded in your future? Are you afraid your aunt and uncle killed them off long ago?”

I scoffed. “No and no. I like being alone, and honestly, watching you all, it looks like a massive pain that I don’t want to deal with. I was content on being half ignored as Andrin’s betrothed, and now, I don’t want any of it.”

“Good luck with that. Did you think Coralena was expecting to meet us so quickly? Nothing goes to plan because you can’t control anything, Wren. Get over it now, or be ready for a struggle when they find you.” I glared at the back of his head, debating if throwing a ball of water at him was worth it.

Before I could decide or respond, a gust of wind warmed me, flaring the pages of the books and toppling my pile over onto the floor in front of me. I gasped and fell to my knees, stacking them again.

“What is wrong with you? You don’t treat books that way!” My nostrils flared as I tried to calm myself before I did anything stupid.

“You don’t. I do,” he mocked.

“Note to self, tell Coralena and Ira that Cillian almost ruined some books just to piss me off.

Thanks for the blackmail, Cillian.” I smiled a sinister smile as I stood up and walked past him. “Now hurry up and take me to my room so I can wash the grime of your presence off of me.”

For a second, he seemed stunned by my response, but I had been throwing comments like that at everyone inside my head since I was child. Snapping out of it, Cillian jogged up next to me with a smirk on his lips.

“You’ll fit in nicely here.” I didn’t know if that was a compliment or not, but it was better than I had expected.

The rest of the walk was in silence, and finally, Cillian was opening the door to my room which was actually a small suite. I set my books down on the desk and looked around as he stood in the doorway.

“We are in a different wing. If you need anything, ring this,” he said, pointing to a cord beside the door that would alert a servant to come to my room. “I’m sure Ira will be sending one of us to periodically check on you, so enjoy your very limited free time, and wash the stink of your shitty attitude off. You’re getting a little ripe.”

“You—” He slammed the door and left before I could finish.

How Coralena dealt with all of this, I would never know.

I took my time with my shower, and as promised, when I got out, there was a tray of food and a few stacks of clothes waiting for me. I nibbled on the cheese as I sorted through them and picked a flowy blue dress that looked more like a tunic from Nularoth. It was similar to outfits I saw Alivia wear when we had tea in the garden.

It was exactly what I was hoping for, so I slipped it on, grabbed one of the books from the desk and a blanket, and curled up on a cushion by the fire while I waited to be forced into the presence of others.

At least for now I might be alone, but I wasn’t lonely, and I hoped that feeling lasted. I didn’t need others, never did, but sometimes the body and mind wanted something we knew we didn’t need.

Cillian’s words played through my mind, and I prayed to the ancients that he was wrong. I didn’t need them. I didn’t. I didn’t.

Coralena

“Hi,” was all I could squeak out as I stepped through their door, holding Remy’s gaze as she stared up from her spot on the floor.

“Hey,” she responded, and I couldn’t blame any of the awkwardness of this little meeting on her.

She had been through hell as well, and part of that was due to Cora and Lena forgetting she existed in their downward spirals.

Andrin stood off behind me and quietly closed the door as Remy’s eyes fell to Covett who I held in my arms. She was happily babbling and squirming, wanting to be on the ground, but I didn’t know if Remy was ready for the hurricane that was an almost toddler. Fuck, I didn’t know if I was ready.

“Um, I…” I puffed out my cheeks and let the blast of air escape on a sigh before turning around and shoving Covett into Andrin’s arms. She was his kid too, and I needed a moment with my best friend.

Hoping to all fuck that she didn’t punch me and brush me off, I marched to her, collapsed onto my knees, and pulled her into a hug, squeezing her like my life depended on it. “I am so sorry. For everything. None of this was fair to you, and they… damn it, Remy, I can’t apologize enough for their behavior, but I will do what I can to make up for it. It’s a mess in here right now, but I want to be better, not just for my babies or my bonded, but for you. You deserve—” Sniffling in my ear cut me off, and that’s when I realized Remy was crying, and tears began to prick my eyes as well.

“Jesus Christ, CL, I missed you.”

I tried to not take any offense at that for Cora and Lena. Honestly, there was some solace in the fact that they would never come back and have to deal with hearing that in my memories. There was still some sting, knowing that they were her best friends and this was her first reaction, but with everything over the last thirteen months of being in Incyssia, I would find it within myself to brush it aside.

“A lot has happened.” I left off ‘since I have been gone’ because I wasn’t really.

Even thinking about it made my head hurt. I was gone, but I wasn’t. They were here, but now they were gone, but also they really weren’t. I knew everyone else saw it differently, but as the person living it, we all existed at the same time and not. I didn’t know how to make it make sense to them, and even if I could articulate it, it was a moot point until the twins were old enough to discuss it with me.

For them, I would try. The others? Well, they could keep guessing, but they would never hit the nail on the head.

Remy let out a shaky sigh through the tears, and I felt it ruffle my hair. I held on tighter, and her arm snaked around my torso, holding me close.

“It’s too much.”

“I…” I wanted to agree, but some part of me couldn’t fully. We had lost so much, but we gained so much more. There were still battles ahead and people to save, but we would get through it eventually. “For a single year? Definitely.” I decided to leave out the rest and save the ‘but’ for later. It would come, but now wasn’t the time.

Pulling back, I looked into Remy’s yellow eyes before cupping her face. “I literally don’t know what to say right now. It all seems so…”

“Too little, too much, too late, too everything?” Remy finished for me, and I couldn’t help the grin that crossed my lips.

“Yeah, that.” I chuckled, then smiled sadly at her. “We will get all of them back, and we will make my father suffer for what he has done. I forgave Andrin and could have forgiven Galvin and Calliope down the road, but they kidnapped my babies, hours after they were born, forcing us to miss so much.” I shook my head in anger and dropped my hands from Remy’s face. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I knew the anger and bloodthirst that Remy’s eyes held was a mirror of what she saw in mine. I clenched my jaw, trying to fight back the anger and frustration that rose up at the thought of everything they had done to us, whether they thought it was the right thing to do or not.

“Hey, one down, three to go.” Remy smirked, and my jaw relaxed at her humorous addition.

“Is that what Kiran wants?” Obviously, his parents needed to be punished in some way, but the good part of my heart said that death wasn’t required. Galvin was different. His death was entirely necessary, and I wouldn’t settle for anything less than his shriveled heart dying in the palm of my hand.

I knew the darkness that lurked in the others was inside me as well. I didn’t want it to grow and fester into something horrid, but where Galvin was involved, I could only see blood and revenge.

Remy’s shoulders slumped with a sigh. “I’m not sure, but I want a little payback for what they took from me.” She wiggled her nub in my direction, the short sleeve waving around the hidden scar. “But they are the King and Queen of Nularoth and his parents. As much as I want to say let them burn to a crisp so we can dance on their ashes, it’s not just me who gets to make that decision.”

I couldn’t help but smile. “How mature and thoughtful of you, Remington.” I faux gasped.

“Thinking of others first and acting later. My how you have grown.”

“Oh my god…” Remy pushed back and stood up. “So dramatic,” she said with a laugh.

“We all need a little drama in our lives. How boring would it be without a little pizzazz here and there?”

“Pfft, take your pizzazz and shove it. I could use some boredom for at least a week.” We chuckled and moved to sitting in the chairs.

Andrin at some point had moved to the bed and was playing with Covett. We glanced back at him, and I couldn’t help but love him more for how he treated our little girl. Despite his upbringing and lack of baby handling, he was doing an amazing job.

I peeked at Remy, and she had a dopey ‘I’m in love’ look on her face. I turned away before she could catch me, but I knew she was coming around to fully forgiving him for what he had put us through.

The past would always be there, but present Andrin was a great man, working to be better every day, and that meant so much more than some shitty decisions in his past. I wanted to say as much, but I wasn’t going to blabber about it with him in the room.

Instead, I brought us back to the previous conversation. “I don’t know what to do about my parents.”

For a second, Remy looked confused, then realization dawned on her. “Ah, yeah, I have tried to not think about it. We don’t know where they are or what they are doing, and honestly, unless you or Wren want to dig them out of whatever hole they climbed in, I’m good with leaving it until we have to deal with it. Bigger fish to fry and all that.”

I nodded along and agreed with what she had said. “Fair enough. Maybe once Galvin, Willas, and Lillin are handled and everyone is back where they belong, we could actually get a second to care about it.” I sat back and slumped in the chair. “Truthfully, I would like them to pop up again, but I don’t have the energy to explain everything and wouldn’t force anyone to do it for me. It’s too much already, and their presence would not be welcomed in this heap of a mess. Unless they came with information, pointing us directly to Poe and Kiran, of course, then by all means, appear out of thin fucking air.” We both glanced around, hoping we had spoken the magic words to make Dwyna and Cherick teleport in, but as always, we were shit out of luck.

“I was really hoping that it would work like a genie in a lamp.”

“Do you think we got that from a water nymph magicking themselves in and out of some place, tormenting a human?” I pondered.

“If they traveled to the human world enough, a lot of our myths and legends are probably about them.” I let her contribution hang in the air as I let our conversation run through my mind.

Communication was great and necessary, but no matter how much I did it, it always left something to be had. Was the issue aired out and points made? Yes. Did it allow people to express themselves and bring up things that they had been keeping in? Also yes. However, there’s something to be said about action.

Looking back on everything, we all talked, communicated, set boundaries, expressed ourselves, refused to let things linger, and didn’t lie, but so what when the actions didn’t go the final mile?

I tapped my fingers on the armrest, irritation clawing at me again. I needed more, but I didn’t want to ask or demand it. There was too much communication. They had to figure this one out on their own.

Deciding I was done talking for the day, I stood up, walked over to the bed, and wrapped Covett into my arms with a raspberry to her cheek. “Did you want her with you?” I wanted her by me at all times, but I also desperately needed a moment to not be in mom mode. It was a chaotic feeling, and I hated every second of it.

“We could take her for a few hours, but we had plans for tonight. How does some bonding time sound, Remy? It’s entirely up to you.” See, that’s the growth I was talking about. Andrin knew Remy and let her lead, but I also knew if he wanted it badly enough, he would speak up.

We were very lucky to have him in our lives, but it made me miss my other bonded. I needed some time with them as well.

“I’m in. Might as well start teaching her random names to call all of us.” I didn’t even want to think about what she was going to teach Covett and Kelby, but if they learned some words through her craziness, then fine by me.

“Great! Drop her off when your plans kick in. Also trade for tomorrow night?” I cringed at how… normal we were all being about passing around our kid when there were a million things to be frantic about, but the normalcy seemed to ground everyone a little and let us forget the doom and gloom.

“Tradsies marked on the calendar.” Remy made a check mark in the air, and I was so thankful to have made some progress with her.

I could still feel the tinglings of irrational anger toward her from Cora and guilt from Lena mixing in with my own regret from the past, but it was a step.

Now to take another one.

“Don’t read into this,” I said before I leaned over and placed a peck on Andrin’s lips. As I pulled away, I saw the shock in his blue eyes. Before he could speak, I interrupted him, “Did you forget I have Cora and Lena’s memories? It’s complicated with the combination, but nice work.”

We shared a smile, then I looked over at Remy who had a smirk on her lips again. I didn’t know what she was thinking, but I was glad she didn’t seem to disapprove.

I headed to the door and as I gripped the handle, said, “Thank you again. Have fun with the poop monster!”

“I’m sure we will have so much fun with my niece-daughter.”

I grimaced. “Never expected to hear anything like that in a million years. Thanks, Rem.” I forced a tremble, but it turned into a laugh and a snort.

“You’re welcome, sister-wife.”

I groaned and half ran through the door without responding. After slamming the door shut, I could hear Remy and Andrin laughing, followed by a gleeful squeal from Covett.

I never expected the weird, complicated relationships we had, but I wouldn’t give them up for anything. Our family was like no other, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Poe

Iblinked my eyes open in the dark room, taking in my surroundings as I had done before. This time, thankfully, I was not locked away in a cage with a hard ground and aches all across my body. I was in a soft bed, similar to the one I had seen before, and as I turned my head, I saw the cage where I once was.

I didn’t know what had happened to me between them taking me away and now, but I ached less, so at least I wasn’t in pain as I laid here, prisoner once again.

Closing my eyes, I sighed and tried to relax. Maybe some memories would come back to me if I let my brain do the work and didn’t force it. I was still so tired, and I didn’t know how long I had been here.

If nothing else, the bed was comfortable, and someone was thoughtful enough to not dump me in the piss covered cage that I was confident they wouldn’t have cleaned for my sake otherwise. I was surprised actually. Who here would care enough to place me in a soft bed after tending to my wounds? Given that we were somewhere with Oedinian influence and under Galvin’s command, I figured there were two options. Either Galvin wanted me alive long enough to gain information or Kiran managed to convince his parents to spare my life.

Either way, I was fucked in the end.

Galvin wouldn’t let me be. He would be here eventually, pestering me for information. I wouldn’t put it above him to torture me or have someone do it on his behalf. Of course, he was well aware that we were trained for such things, and I wouldn’t break easily if at all.

Which led my mind to the other option. He could put all that effort into Kiran or use him against me. I hoped Willas and Lillin didn’t let it get that far and convinced Galvin to use me instead. Seeing Kiran hurt like that would surely break me. I cared for him more than I would ever say, and it would devastate Remy to lose him and me because there was no other way that would go.

I had to hope. It was all I had at the moment, and I wasn’t willing to let it go just yet.

I tried letting my mind rest, but the anxiety of the situation was getting to me. It had never been a problem before, but with Remy not knowing where we were and Kiran somewhere in this castle, I found that we all had our weaknesses. Before, none of this would have affected me in any way. Any partners I had in a job were simply tools to complete it, nothing more. Now there were people whom I cared about, and a part of me was regretting that decision.

Even with Cae, I never had this issue, but that was something to dwell on at another time. I couldn’t break my heart all over again with realizations I wasn’t ready for. One day, I would admit these thoughts and share them with Remy, but for now, I would simply try to survive.

A sigh of relief and a groan of irritation fought to escape simultaneously as someone entered the room. His presence was a welcome and unwelcome distraction.

Turning my head, I ignored the slight pain it caused. A headache was forming, and I wasn’t sure if it was due to dehydration, lack of blood, or something else entirely. Without knowing what they did, how long I had been here, or the extent of my injuries internally, I couldn’t even begin to guess.

It could also be from pure annoyance at the situation. I would assume that for now.

“Ah, good, you’re awake,” the brunet from before said as he entered the room. The blonde was nowhere in sight.

I huffed in response and turned away from him.

“Oh, come now, don’t be like that. I have soup, crackers, and water. How does that sound?” I glared up at the ceiling and took a big inhale before turning my head back to him as he was setting the tray on the table.

I wanted to let my inner Remy out, but that was far more work than a simple response. “Fine if there’s no poison involved.” I tried to scooch myself up, but the pain in my side was still very much present. Maybe it hadn’t been that long since we got here or since I came out of whatever surgery they did to me.

“Let me help.” I glared at him as he placed one knee on the bed.

“Fine.” There was still something about him that was all too familiar. It was another irritation that I didn’t want.

He simply nodded and arranged some pillows behind me as he helped me lean forward just enough to be out of the way, then he gripped under my arms. “This is going to hurt, so one, two, three.” Without any other warning, he heaved me up so I was resting against the pillows and would be able to eat the food he had brought. I hissed and moaned, but the pain was gone as quickly as it had come.

I refused to say thank you for the help or the tray of food as he set it across my lap.

“How insulting would it be if I offered to help?” He smirked at me, and I wanted my powers back so I could drop him in a far off ocean where no one would ever see him again.

“Take a guess,” I said as I reached for the spoon, using it to scoop a small spoonful of soup and bringing it to my lips. There was a small ache in my side at the movement, but more like a sore muscle than a rib piercing a lung. I could work with that.

I sipped on my soup with the brunet standing by in case I choked on a cracker or something. I drank some water, enjoying the feel of the cool liquid sliding down my throat. After half the bowl was gone, I was slightly less bitter about my current situation. Perhaps that wasn’t quite right, but shitty events were less shitty if food was involved, and this creamy vegetable soup was perfect for how cold everything felt.

Nausea rolled through me as I went to take another bite. I swallowed again, wishing the discomfort away. It subsided, but now there was a knot sitting low in my stomach. I took a deep breath, drank some more water, and took a moment to let everything settle before continuing. I would finish it all simply for the energy it would give me and the slight normalcy food brought to any situation.

“What’s your name?” I asked.

“Endon.” Even his voice was similar to Cae’s. I hated it. Why couldn’t the blonde have shown up? The only resemblance she had to anyone was possibly her hair color matching Cora and Lena’s.

I didn’t bother following up and went back to eating now that my stomach had settled slightly, and thankfully, the water and tasty soup were helping the headache that had formed earlier. When I was done, he took the tray from my lap in silence. Just as he was about to exit, my curiosity got the better of me.

“Earth nymph?”

“Yes, but I grew up in Ezeghar if that’s your next question. Anything else?” Fucking damn it.

I frowned at him and slunk down into the covers, letting my body weight do the work. “No.”

With a nod, he left the room, and I closed my eyes. I knew I wasn’t making it up. He looked too much like Cae for it to be a coincidence.

I didn’t want to believe it. I tried hard not to, but unless I was incredibly wrong, Endon was Cae’s younger brother.

Ira sent a letter to his bonded parent group, letting them know what had happened and that I would be by soon to mourn with them and so he could be buried in his hometown. On the day I intended to leave, a letter arrived from them, telling me not to come and that I wasn’t welcome. It hurt, and in my grief, I allowed it. We transported his body to his family and left before speaking to anyone.

I had been around his air nymph sister a few times but had only met Endon once when he was much younger. The other times we visited, he was off training and too busy to pay us any mind, thinking he had all the time in the world to see his brother. I should have recognized him immediately, but he had grown in many ways since his brother passed three years ago.

Sighing, I knew they blamed me, and I couldn’t disagree. I should have gotten to him sooner and whisked him away, but I was too late, and Cae was killed in front of me on a mission that was supposed to be routine. It should have been an easy in and out, but it wasn’t, and I failed him.

I got revenge on the fire nymph who killed my beloved Luscious, but it wasn’t enough and never would be.

After a moment, I realized I should have asked about Kiran. Endon was nice enough that I thought I could get something out of him, unless he blamed me for Cae’s death and was part of the problem.

I wanted to thrash against the bed to get out some of the frustration, but I knew I had to bide my time. I needed to lay here and gain my strength back. It shouldn’t be too long thanks to them, but the shackle was still firmly in place, zapping my powers away.

If Kiran was in a similar situation, we were screwed for the next few days, but once we got together and our wounds healed enough, there would be hell to pay.

Thankfully, one step of that plan was already in motion.

There was a small knock at the door, and someone on my kill list stepped in. Lillin.

“Hello, Poe,” she said with a sad smile on her lips. I ignored her, merely meeting her gaze and hoping she saw her future death reflecting in my eyes. “I didn’t think you’d want to speak with me after…” she cleared her throat, “everything, but I am pulling the few strings I have. Tomorrow, you will be brought to Kiran’s room.”

My eyes turned to slits. What was she playing at? Was she really trying to be a good mother and person now?

“Why?” My voice was hard and reminded me of the person I used to be. I was a spirit nymph assassin, and within the last year, I had forgotten my role and long list of abilities.

“This wasn’t the plan. I’m not, we aren’t…” She trailed off, then tried again. “I love my son and want what’s best for him. We have made mistakes, and we will pay for them, but I will do what I can for now to make sure you two aren’t harmed further. I make no promises as Galvin is—”

“A horrific fuck of a king.”

Shock crossed her face. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her mouth dropped into an O. “Well, if that’s how you want to put it, yes. I have no control, but with the shackles, he has granted this request, hoping it would loosen you up so we could gain information without taking further action. You know how it goes.” I did. That was typically my role. I got in, got the information I needed by any means necessary, and left without a care in the world.

I nodded. “How long have I been here?”

“It’s only the evening after you invaded the mansion, but we aren’t in Oedinia or Nularoth.” I scrunched my brows at her, but she shook her head. “That’s all I am able to tell you. I’m not even sure where we are at the moment. More food will be delivered in a short while, then I hope you get some rest. Tomorrow is bound to be eventful, and neither of you are in the best shape.” I opened my mouth to ask, but Lillin beat me to it. “He’s fine, but you were both severely injured, him more so. Thankfully, his royal blood is working its magic. In a couple of days, you’ll both be up and about, and in a week, who knows what you’ll be doing.”

That was either ominous or she knew we would try to escape. Chances were it was both.

“Rest now, but if you need anything, I can be called upon. I know I have been a horrible mother-in-law, but I do care for you.”

We shared a look in silence, but I needed to pop that bubble before it started to form. “But if it’s between Kiran and me, we both know who you’re picking.”

Her eyes dropped, and when she looked up, tears filled them. “If you had a choice between

Kelby and Kiran, who would you pick?”

I bit my tongue. I knew what she was going for, but honestly, I didn’t know the answer, and that repulsed me.

She took my not answering as an answer and slipped out the door.

My hell just got a little worse, but things were moving in the right direction. All I had to do was survive. The rest could be mended.

That was if calamity didn’t fall upon us more than it already had.

Remy

Covett had been dropped off, and I had to say, having a baby around was a great distraction. I was exhausted and regretting the promises I made about dinner and other fun things tonight, but I also wanted that special time with Andrin. We needed it, and I wasn’t going to back out now.

I stood in front of the mirror after my second shower of the day. The first one was to wash off all the blood and muck from our harrowing adventures last night, but this one was to scrub away the random spit-up, boogers, drool, and probably other bodily fluids that mixed with my sweat-covered self.

Babies were a good distraction indeed, but they were as repulsive as they were cute. I smiled at the thought of the last few hours and was grateful that we took that time to bond with Covett. Although, it did leave a pang of sadness in my chest at the loss we experienced. Covett could have a sister-cousin by now, but it wasn’t meant to be.

One day, but not today.

I told myself that often. I knew Poe wanted kids even if she didn’t express it. Really, I knew she had wanted to have some with Cae, then that ship sailed. Now, I was their only hope. I chuckled at my lame reference as I wiped away the condensation and looked at my tired eyes.

It was still me in the reflection, but I had changed so much. What would my parents say? Did they miss me? Did they even realize I was gone and not just avoiding them?

My lips turned down in a frown. After we got everyone back, maybe—hard maybe—I would go and see them. No promises, but it was a possibility. Perhaps they knew and had been lying to me all these years just like Nora and Lennon.

I sighed and got to work. I dried my hair; put on some eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss after some moisturizer; and went to decide what I was going to wear. Andrin was off making sure dinner preparations were going as he planned. I had no say in it, but I trusted him enough to not feed me anything disgusting. It might sound repulsive, but there was a solid chance the flavor would blow my mind anyway.

Stepping into the closet, I debated. I wanted to look nice, but I also wanted easily removable clothing. Or I could be the ass I was and wear something almost impossible to get off without ripping it to shreds.

Decisions, decisions.

I didn’t really have much to choose from. I used to be flashy, wearing leather, corsets, and so on, but now I needed to be ready to kick ass at a moment’s notice. Thankfully, the fire nymphs liked well fitting but stretchy leather and the royals had a thing for over the top dresses.

I thought about the dress I was given for the ball and wanted something similar to spark that memory. How we didn’t touch then was beyond me, but somehow we avoided it. Probably because his eyes were only for Cora and Lena then. Kiran on the other hand…

Tossing those thoughts away, I flipped through the options and pulled two out. The first was a skintight, red leather dress that I had to slip on in a very specific way or it wouldn’t work. It would require him to get creative to take off. It was a V-neck with a skirt that went all the way to my knees. The second was a black dress with a high cowl neck but draped in the back, revealing the entire expanse. It stopped an inch short of my ass crack. Obviously, this slipped off easily, but I would be able to wear it again.

Either way, I was going to wear what we still referred to as the fancy flip-flops. It was one of the few things I loved about the water nymph wardrobe. Don’t get me wrong, I loved a chunky boot, but sometimes socks and shoes were a no-go.

I made my decision, forcing myself into the red dress that accentuated every curve I had and my eyes that seemed to glow redder more recently.

I only had to wait a few more minutes before Andrin walked in and spotted me. His eyes grew large, and his mouth nearly fell open. I was a little annoyed that it didn’t, then his jaw ticked with the force he was using to clench it. That was much better.

“Like what you see?” I did a little twirl despite there being no twirling aspect of the dress, but it did him in.

Andrin didn’t say a word as he marched over, wrapped his hand in my freshly curled hair, and slammed our lips together. He devoured my mouth, forcing his tongue in to battle my own. I happily obliged and met him with as much passion.

He pulled away all too soon and asked, “Do we really need to get dinner?”

I thought about it for a moment, taking my time and torturing him a little. “Can it be delivered aft—” My sentence was cut off by him throwing me on the bed. I yelped, and he followed, hunger encapsulating his deep blue eyes.

I wanted to let it go and enjoy our time together, but there were a few things I had to say before it went any further, things I was planning on saying over dinner.

Holding my hand up against his chest as he crawled over me, I said, “First, I know what I said before, that I would never let you in any hole and yadda yadda, so on and so forth.”

He frowned but sat back on his heels, waiting for me to finish.

“I made those demands and put those rules on the man you used to be. You’ve changed so much, but somehow you’re still you. With that being said, those rules don’t apply to you. So I have new ones.” I batted my eyes, and Andrin rolled his.

“And those are?” he said with a smirk and a glimmer in his eye.

“One, communication is key, so if anything escalates with Coralena, you need to tell me—us—as soon as possible. Basic harem shit. Got it?” He nodded. “Second, I want to give Kiran a biological child first. Do you have any issues with that?”

“Not at all. Actually, I think that’s a wonderful idea. You both deserve that.” Andrin was making it very hard to not jump his bones right now.

I told my lady bits to calm down while I finished, but I promised them a night of fun if they behaved. “Third, I swear I had a third. It existed a few minutes ago.” I tapped my finger on my chin as I thought about it, trying to remember what I was going to say as Andrin closed his eyes and sighed. Apparently, I was exasperating. He knew this and still stayed, so really, it was his own fault. “Well, help me out. What would you make number three be?”

He repositioned himself, going from kneeling to sitting cross-legged. “Remy, when does anyone have any idea what is actually going on in your head?” Fair point, but that wasn’t helpful.

“Well, if you aren’t going to help, then I guess we can’t carry on.” I rolled over and started for the edge of the bed, but Andrin grabbed my ankle and pulled me back toward him.

“Fine. If I must play along with this, then maybe number three had to do with us specifically. Not the bonded groups or Kiran, but us.” Now that was exactly the helpfulness I was looking for.

“Good boy,” I said, rolling back over and patting his cheek. He blushed and looked away, and apparently, I found a little something that Andrin enjoyed.

I knew how he was with Cora. He explained it in excruciating detail eventually, but this was new, and I loved it.

“Third, we never stop communicating either, not just about the Coralena stuff. We will always be there for each other, and as much as I know you love Coralena—”

“Remy, you come first. I know you’ve worried about that, and maybe the original rules were because of that and not wanting to risk getting too close and getting hurt, but you’re first, and you’re mine.” Andrin leaned over, placing out faces mere inches apart. “I’m not going anywhere, and you come before everyone. Do you understand?”

I never thought I would hear those words. No matter how our relationship grew, I always assumed Coralena would take front row because not only was she his lover, but they were siblings. I didn’t want to admit it to him or myself, but Andrin was right. I had been scared, but the rules helped, and now look where we were.

I bit my lip and stared up at him through my thick lashes. My fiery yellow eyes met his ocean blues, and nothing would stop me from melting for this man.

“As long as you understand that I can’t make the same promise. I would die for you, give up everything and nearly everyone for you, but Kiran and Poe, they are your equals. I can’t…” I trailed off. I didn’t want to ruin the moment, but I also wouldn’t lie to him and say he was my number one and fuck everyone else.

“That’s one thing I love about you, Remington. You don’t lie, you don’t pull back out of fear, and above all, you love harder than anyone I have ever met. Being an equal to them doesn’t deter me or make me think you love me less. Actually, it’s the opposite. You love me enough to not spit false truths or deceive me. I know how much you love them, and I am honored to be loved just as much.”

Jesus fucking Christ.

“If you don’t fuck me—”

Andrin didn’t need any more prompting. He tackled me onto the mattress, crashed our lips together in a frenzy, and although I regretted picking this dress, I didn’t regret this. Before I demanded he shred the leather from my body, I smiled against his lips and thought… fucking finally.

Andrin

Icouldn’t get enough of her as I slid my hands up and down her body, gripping her hair that held little of the dye it once had, then pulling away, unable to decide what to do next. I wanted to stare at her body and caress every curve the skintight dress accentuated. At the same time, I wanted it to disintegrate so it was out of our way.

My lips clashed with hers in a ferocious battle. Our tongues fought for dominance, and I was only winning by a fraction because I was on top. However, I was under no impression that I was anywhere near actually winning. Remy was in charge and always would be.

With Coralena, I was decisive and took charge, not in the way I did our first time, but remnants of that still remained. I was her older brother, and she deferred to me within that.

Remy, though… She didn’t need any leading or guidance. She demanded and took whatever she wanted when she wanted it. A bit of that had left as Cora and Lena pushed her aside, but that side of her was still there, lurking beneath the surface, waiting for us to need her.

I saw it in the way she handled Kiran. He was a true prince, kind and protective, but after her accident, he went too far, and I loved every minute of Remy trying to pester him into giving in. Her playfulness was what made all of this so amazing. She was strong but not hard.

I bit her lip and tugged before pulling away and letting it slip between my teeth. She groaned and tried to follow my lips, but I had to get these clothes off of us before it went any further. I knelt on the bed and began pulling my pants and shirt off, maneuvering as needed to make it happen as quickly as possible.

When I was nearly done, Remy tried to grab for me, but I slid back, shaking my head and smirking.

“Oh, so you don’t want sex? I see how it is.” She scoffed and tried to get off the bed, but her dress ripping from her body stopped her movements.

An ice dagger slid from the hem up the back of the dress, slicing the leather in two. The red fabric fell onto the bed, and Remy shrugged off the rest of it before looking at me with heated eyes and flared nostrils.

“You’re lucky I found that attractive.” I rolled my eyes. “And if you didn’t?”

She shrugged. “Then this would be going a bit differently. Perhaps less lube.”

My eyebrows scrunched together as I was not quite sure what she meant. I knew what lube was but not particularly how not having it was going to poorly affect me in some way.

“What—”

I started, but Remy lunged, gripping my blond locks in between her fingers and slamming our lips together again.

“Sh, that’s for later if you’re lucky.” I trusted Remy in many things, but surprises were not one of them. It was either going to be something incredible, or I was going to regret every moment. Considering it probably had to do with sex, I was definitely concerned, but as her tongue swept against mine and her hand loosened in my hair before trailing down, I decided it would be worth it.

Remy flipped us so she was on top, staring down at me with her deep brown eyes. I traced my hand up her arm and loved the contrast between her tanned skin and my pale complexion. We were so different, but somehow, we worked. I was so thankful that I kidnapped her as well.

I never thought we would get here, and I didn’t even realize who she was to me at first, but now, nothing would drag her away from me.

Remy winked at me, then slid down my legs, and without warning, took my entire length in her mouth.

I let out a hiss and a groan as she sucked and licked, paying attention to the head of my tapered cock.

“Remington,” fell from my lips as I bucked up without thinking.

Thankfully, it didn’t seem to bother her. In fact, she snickered and continued bobbing her head up and down before adding her hand into the mix, cupping my balls and stroking the base as her mouth ascended.

I was so close to coming down her throat when she pulled away with a pop and pushed up to her knees with a giggle. As frustrated as I was, I tried to bury it down as I propped myself up on my elbows.

Remy smiled at me, and I knew I was in for it.

“Oh no,” I grumbled.

“Oh yes,” she mocked, then jumped off the bed and headed for the closet.

“Was getting me riled up part of this or just for an extra bit of fun on your end?” I sounded tired and a tad worried, but I was incredibly curious about what she had in mind.

That was until she stepped out with some contraption strapped around her waist, thighs, and groin that held a fake dick that protruded from her lower region.

I could make a guess what she had in mind, but I didn’t want to say it out loud. Gulping, I let myself drop to the bed and stared at the ceiling.

Remy climbed up and knelt beside me before leaning over and kissing me.

“You can say no, but I think you’d like it.”

“Uh huh, and why didn’t you ask the two other bonded you have to try it out?” I cringed at my words, knowing they weren’t here right now and part of this was a distraction so neither of us had to think about it.

Thankfully, Remy rolled with it and didn’t say anything about my misstep. “Who says I haven’t used something like this on them?” I raised an eyebrow in question, wondering if she had. “I have one for Poe. You don’t know everything we do together.” She winked down at me again before sitting back as I sat up.

I thought about it for a second, then said, “Ask me what you want in clear detail.”

“Andrin, do you want me, your lovely and amazing bonded, to fuck your ass with a fake dick? If it helps, it will hit some incredible spots you never knew existed.” She waggled her eyebrows and bit her lip.

My first instinct was to say no, but it was for Remy, and I was betting it would help us down the path of healing our relationship to the fullest extent.

I sighed and dropped my head. “Why not.”

Remy squealed, bouncing on the bed next to me. “I’ll grab lots of lube. Flip over!” she yelled as she bounded out of the room again only to return with a massive bottle of a clear gel that I had never seen before.

Where the hell was she hiding all of these things?

I did as she said, flipping over, then she pulled my hips back so I was kneeling in front of her. I heard the snap of the bottle’s lid opening, then felt the cold liquid descend. I hissed and fell forward a little, which only made her laugh.

“Oops,” she muttered, but I knew it wasn’t an accident.

“If you’re going to be like that, then I’m going to change this yes to a no.” She didn’t say anything as she pulled my hips back again.

This was incredibly awkward on my end, but she was cool and confident behind me, so I would push aside whatever pride I had to see this through. Worst case, we stopped and I never had to do it again. Best case, I loved it and the rest was history.

Before I knew it, the hard, blunt tip pressed against my hole and pulsated against it.

“Fall forward and relax. I’ve got it from here.” Remy’s hand gripped my hip and used it as leverage for her small thrusts as I relaxed and leaned forward as she instructed.

My arms and head laid against the soft comforter as the fake cock slid up and down, coating the entire area before more lube was added and Remy started again.

Soon, I relaxed more, and Remy pressed a little harder. There was a lot of pressure at first, then she pulled back, added more lube, and pressed in again, but this time it was a little farther.

“Touch yourself,” she said in a husky voice I had never heard from her before, and my hand did as she commanded before I could register what she had said.

My cock was hard beneath me, wanting release. I stroked myself as she pushed more. There was a slight sting as the head slid past the ring of muscles, and I hissed. Remy stilled, letting me get used to the stretch. She added more lube, using her fingers to massage it around the area that hugged the fake cock.

After a moment, I felt the need to move, so I started stroking myself again, and Remy pulled back a little before pressing in farther. She thrust in and out until finally it was hitting a spot deep inside of me, and now I knew what Remy was talking about before.

My breathing was ragged as I gripped my cock with an intense amount of force and pressed back against her, wanting more.

“Remington,” I groaned, and in response, she gave a quick thrust, hitting the spot again. I hissed, and she repeated the action over and over until I was begging her to help me come.

I never knew I could be like this. I never knew sex could be like this.

“I love you, Andrin,” Remy said as she picked up the pace, hitting the delicious spot every time, and that’s what did me in.

As I finally came, spilling my cum all over the bedding and yelling out her name, I realized how bright our future was, and it was all thanks to her and how much she pushed me.

I would never be bored, and I would continue to grow because of her.

She pulled out of me, and I rolled over to lay on my back. Through the deep breaths I was taking, I said, “I love you too, more than you can imagine.”

Remy chuckled and slid into the bed, nestling herself against me. “You let me fuck you with a strap-on. I think I can imagine.”

We fell into laughter before fucking each other many more times through the night, and every moment was utter perfection.

Kiran

“She’s here,” my mother said as she opened the door to my current prison, revealing herself and Poe.

I sat up, ready to see Poe and make sure she was as safe as could be given the circumstances. When my mother moved and my eyes landed on the spirit nymph, I couldn’t believe how exhausted she looked. Did I have the same sunken eyes and pale skin? I had thought more than once that I wasn’t healing as quickly as I should be, and that meant one thing. The shackles were doing more than suppressing our powers.

“Poe,” I whispered as I stood from the bed, trying to reach out to her, but the chain attaching me to the wall kept me a room’s width away from her.

She gave me a weak smile as she walked in. Thankfully, it looked like her wounds had healed better than my own, but she still looked weak. We would never be able to fight our way out of here in this condition.

I reached out a hand to her as she walked over to me. She placed her hand in mine, and I pulled her to me, wrapping my arms around her. “What happened?” I asked, whispering into her hair. She smelled clean enough, so I knew my mother kept her word and had Poe taken care of.

“I should be asking you that. We were in the tree, then I was in a cage.” I pushed her away from me and glared over at my mother.

“It was handled as soon as I was told. They didn’t give her the same treatment as you, thinking we wouldn’t care.” Poe and I shared a look, one of disbelief, confusion, but also of thanks.

It seemed Lillin had dug herself into a soft spot at the moment. We would deal with that later. For now, we would accept her kindness. I hadn’t forgiven them and never truly would, but if there was still kindness inside their hearts, I could find it in mine to let their future actions speak louder than the ones in the past.

“Thank you,” I said, then turned back to Poe. “Galvin attacked us. You were knocked unconscious after falling from the tree. He tried strangling you, but I intervened. It wasn’t pretty, and if Remy was the one that found the clearing and all the blood, there’s no telling what that place looks like now.” I kept my voice steady, but I wanted to scream. Remy had already been through so much, and now two of her bonded were off on their own adventure.

“That’s about what I was expecting.” Where my voice has been calm, hers was shaky with worry. She looked over at my mother but didn’t leave my side. “Is there any way to at least tell Remy we are alive?” I had never seen Poe so shaken. She was as distant and solemn as Atticus but with even fewer words. I had noticed small changes here and there since she met Remy, but this was an entirely different level.

I stared down at her in awe and sorrow. She knew what Remy was going through and didn’t want her going through the same experience.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, I pleaded with my mother as well. “Please. A simple note telling her what she found wasn’t the end.”

My mother’s eyes flashed between us, debating on what to say. She wanted to say no, but I saw the moment she broke. With a sigh, she said, “I will do what I can.”

A knock sounded on the door before someone came in. I knew we were prisoners, but the lack of privacy or manners was starting to irk me.

“Who are you?” I asked the brunet as he stepped in with a blonde woman behind him.

“Ah, I’m Endon.” Poe elbowed me and nodded toward Endon as if that meant anything to me. I looked at him again and noticed something peculiar about him. I wasn’t sure what was registering, but I at least knew to look for it going forward. “And this is Dorith. We have been helping Poe with her healing. I am an earth nymph, and she is a water nymph,” he said, gesturing to the shorter nymph beside him. “We are here to make sure everything goes smoothly. Poe will need to be chained, and we will remain here for the entire visit.” He smiled, and it was on the tip of my tongue.

“Please, Poe, let me.” Dorith came over and attached the new chain to Poe’s shackle and hooked it on the wall on the left side of the bed. Mine was on the right, ensuring we had a wider expanse but could be controlled more easily as there were two points to intercept.

“This is idiotic.” Poe clanked her chain on the floor. “And will give Remy too many ideas.”

“She still has the one they tried to use on Andrin. Those ideas are already there.” Poe shook her head, then sat on the bed. She was already looking even more exhausted if that was possible. “Can we get some water and food?”

My mother shooed Dorith out the door, instructing her to do as I asked, before taking a seat in one of the chairs in the sitting area by the fireplace. Endon decided he would be most useful leaning against the wall by the door.

“You know we are still healing, are chained to a wall, and can’t use our powers, right? Guarding the door seems like a waste of energy.” He only shrugged, so I rolled my eyes and gave my attention to the person who actually mattered in this room. “How are you actually doing?” She glanced at Endon and my mother before falling back and lying on the bed. “Come on, Poe. Ignore them.”

“Fine, fine. Shit.”

“Shit is the answer?” She nodded, ruffling her white hair behind her. “Double shit over here. Does that make Remy triple shit?” Poe chuckled, then swatted at me.

“No, that’s Andrin. Remy is probably queen shit at this point.” I laughed, then laid down beside her. “I’m glad you’re alive, but I don’t know how long that’s going to last here,” I whispered solemnly.

“I know, but what is there to do about it? In a day or two, Galvin and his goons are going to show up and demand information. Lillin and Willas can only hold them off for so long. Speaking of, where is your dad?” She turned toward me, staring me down with white eyes that still held so much expression.

“Holding off Galvin apparently. They won’t tell me much, but he’s been out there, dealing with him, while she’s been in here, dealing with us.” They kept as much as they could from me, only giving me snippets of information as appeasement. It was driving me insane, but I had no grounds to stand on, no leverage besides guilt. I used that to my advantage when possible, but it would lose its effectiveness eventually.

We stayed silent for sometime after that until Dorith returned with the water and snacks. On the tray was a large pitcher of water with two glasses, a bowl of mixed fruit, two sandwiches, and two muffins. I knew there was higher quality food somewhere in this castle, so I was slightly irritated that this was what we were continuously given. I wouldn’t complain to them, but internally I missed our chef’s cooking. I would never take him for granted again.

Dorith set it on the nightstand and went to lean against the wall on the opposite side of the door as Endon. Poe and I drank and ate what we could, then sat in silence once more.

I knew there was plenty to talk about, but anything we said could and would be used against us.

Finally, I sighed, giving up on the charade. “Okay, tell me. Who is he?”

Poe glared at me, but I knew there was nothing behind it. What would she do? Shackle me to a wall and take my powers?

“Is it a puzzle? You know that’s Remy’s thing.” She huffed, then looked over at Endon, signaling for me to do so as well. I followed her instructions and stared at him, trying to piece it together. “Nope, nothing, give me something more.”

Poe rolled her eyes, and instead of explaining, she made it into a game. “Endon, tell Kiran where you’re from.”

“Uh, Ezeghar?” He cocked his head to the side, just as confused as I was.

“How many siblings do you have?” What did that have to do with anything?

“Two.” I looked between her and Endon. That didn’t help me at all.

“Try better questions. There are a lot of earth nymphs from Ezeghar with two siblings.” I leaned forward, propping my head up on my palms with my elbows on my knees. “Remy is way better at this game than you are.”

“Fucking…” Poe took a deep breath. “I know.” The annoyance was clear in her voice. “Fine. Endon, what are the names of your siblings?” Now that might be helpful.

“Ilimaia and Caelus.” Jesus fucking Christ. I didn’t know what the phrase meant, but after hearing Remy say it a million times, I knew it fit this situation perfectly.

My jaw dropped, and I gasped, swiveling my head between Poe and Endon. “No. He can’t be.”

“Take a good look at him. It was pretty obvious once it clicked.” I studied his face again, taking in his hair and eyes, everything I could, and finally, it all made sense. Their skin tone was different, and their eyes were different colors, but the rest was very similar. If you didn’t know Caelus like Poe did, it was easy to miss, but once she pointed it out, it was all I could see. “How?”

Poe shrugged, and Endon interrupted our conversation. “Do you mind telling me what you two are talking about?”

I wasn’t going to spill the beans, so I left that up to Poe. She didn’t disappoint and didn’t take his reaction into consideration at all as she said, “I’m Caelus’ bonded, Pomona.” Her lips turned into a frown as she said it, and I hated that she had lost someone so special to her.

A few heartbeats passed, then Endon surprised all of us. “Oh, I am very aware of who you are.

Did you think my presence was a coincidence?”

Well, fuck. Either this was very well orchestrated by Endon to get us the help we needed or things were far worse than we had anticipated.

“Does that mean…”

“That I blame you? That I’m here of my own free will to help Galvin? We’ll see.” Endon smirked, then turned to Dorith. “You have it from here. I have some things to get in order before the interrogations begin.”

The latter, definitely the latter.

As Endon left, Poe and I sat there in pitiful silence, knowing that things just got so much worse. If we made it back to the ones we loved, the chances of us being whole in one way or another became a whole lot slimmer.

Coralena

“Covett has been successfully dropped off with parenting group number two,” I said as I walked in the door.

It was still strange, and I knew I should be focusing on finding a way to get Kelby, Poe, and Kiran back. I also knew that Ira, specifically, along with the others, were on top of that. I wasn’t any use in that area, and focusing on the pain wouldn’t do anyone any good.

Was that the best way to cope? Satan, no, but I was working with the absolute shit I was given, so instead of wallowing or driving myself to insanity like my predecessors, I was spending time with my bonded and hoping for things to be better. Would they? Well, time would tell.

“So that means we have you all to ourselves, hm?” Cillian cooed in my ear as he stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around me.

I sighed. I missed this. They had missed this. Sifting through their memories, I noticed a severe lack of time spent with all of them but especially Cillian. There were tidbits, but he was mostly absent. It sent a wave of sadness over me, thinking about how alone he was while I was away.

Never again would I let that happen.

“I suppose it does. What should we do first?” I clapped my hands together before detangling myself from Cillian and standing in the center of the room.

Cillian was behind me, Blair and Atticus were chilling on the bed, and Ira was lounging across the armrests of one of the chairs. It felt right having them all here, staring at me. In the past, I might have felt a little awkward with their attention solely focused on me, but right now, it felt amazing. I didn’t want it to end.

“We could think of a few ideas,” Atticus said, nudging Blair who smiled at me with a suggestive wink.

“Sex is great and all, but this is family bonding time. Sex later, bonding fun time now. Try again.” I blew them an air kiss and turned to look at Ira, hoping she would have a better idea.

“Don’t look at me. I’m on the same page. What better bonding than physical bonding?” She grinned, and I huffed.

“Damn, Ira, I thought you’d be on my side.” I pouted and crossed my arms.

I couldn’t fully make out what Cillian said as he walked past me to lean against the chair Ira was in, but I knew I heard something about being inside of me.

I really wanted this night to be about games like charades or a night picnic or something where we could just exist together. I knew they were all touch and attention starved, but I was starved of them too but even more so. I wanted to absorb their presence, and I didn’t want to immediately jump into sex.

However, if that’s how they were going to play it, then I was going to make them work for it. Who said you had to be near each other to bond?

“Fine, whoever catches me, gets me. Let the fun begin.” What I didn’t tell them and what they would have learned during our bonding time was that I figured out how to teleport. Suckers. “Bye, bye.” I wiggled my fingers at them with a mischievous smile and vanished.

How did I figure that out? Well, I was lying in bed, Blair was in the bathroom, and Covett started screaming bloody murder. I thought about how it would be nice to zip in there without having to actually move, and it happened. I was shocked and nearly screamed, but after a few more intentional practice rounds, I was a master at it.

I flashed myself into the gardens. If they were smart, they’d know I wouldn’t be in an easy place to find. The fortress was massive, and if they stayed in there, they would never find me. Atticus of course had the advantage of teleporting as well. Blair might if he tagged along. Cillian and Ira were fucked.

If they listened to my wording, they might actually be. I never said it was just the first person to find me.

I wandered through the shrubbery, enjoying the cool night air. I could see myself rebonding with all of my mates out here. It was peaceful and quiet, and above all else, I could see the night sky. The twinkling lights distracted me and gave me a little hope that the future wasn’t set in stone.

As I wandered, I picked flowers here and there, remembering my first time in the garden at Oedinia castle. It wasn’t nearly as peaceful, but I did meet Cillian that day. It was also the day that I fully accepted I would be Coralena for a long while. I didn’t think it would be permanent like this time, but it was all too similar.

I thought the memories would bring on a wave of sadness, but they didn’t. They did the opposite. They reminded me of how much I had been through, how much I had survived.

Part of me was thankful that I was Coralena again. Cora and Lena fucked up quite a bit while I was gone, and it was a massive relief to be back in control.

That was partly why I didn’t take it hard when Remy said she had missed me. I missed me too. It was easier when I was here. I didn’t fully understand why. I was a combination of them, so I should be extra screwy after everything they went through, but somehow, the mixture only made me stronger.

That and it wasn’t me who went through what they did. I couldn’t say I would have reacted any differently if they were kidnapped on my watch—actually, I could. While Cora was dying and Lena was making a near impossible choice, they let Galvin get away with Kelby. I knew exactly what they went through, but here I was, living my life, doing what I needed to do for my family.

I scoffed into the dead silent garden. I wanted to feel sorry for them, feel bad that they wouldn’t exist again, but I was better than they were.

I scrubbed my hands down my face. Where did all of this arrogance come from? I chuckled to myself. “Cora, that’s where.” Bits and pieces were coming through, and it was like a weird puzzle, sorting it all out.

The breeze picked up, and I wondered if Cillian was nearby. No one appeared, so I brushed it off for now. I wasn’t trying to hide, but I also wasn’t trying to be found just yet.

I enjoyed the small time to myself, reminding myself who I was and who they were. I needed it to sort things out without everyone. However, their presence helped more than they would ever know. Things they said and did jogged pieces into place.

It was all so tricky and annoying. Everything took time, always time. We didn’t have that. I wanted to be done waiting, but we didn’t know where they were, just like no one knew where they were the last time.

I ran my fingers through my hair. “This is all so dumb.” There were too many places for them to hide. We needed hints, clues.

Maybe Wren could help. The others interrogated her, and we were all on the same page of trusting her for now, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know something that was useful even if she didn’t think it was useful.

I would need to see my cousin tomorrow. It was time for a little gal pal session anyway. If she truly was putting on an act, I was curious who the real Wren was. The snippets Cillian gave me were rather amusing, and I was waiting for the day one of her bonded appeared. I wanted to see how she would handle it.

I took it like a champ, honestly, but at that point, it was a blessing. For her, it sounded like a curse. Was that because of how she was raised? Andrin was on the other side of that if so. He acclimated well to the bonded life after a little tinkering.

The time went on, and soon, I decided to lay on one of the benches and see if I saw any familiar constellations. I didn’t know many of them and probably wouldn’t be able to identify any in the southern hemisphere, but it was worth a shot.

I should see if there’s a constellation book in the library. Did they even have constellations here? Considering many civilizations in the human world did, I couldn’t think of a reason they wouldn’t have them.

My mind wandered as I waited, and the peacefulness of the night was turning to boredom.

I sat up and grumbled to no one, “Where the hell are they?”

“Right behind you.”

I gasped as arms circled around my upper body, pulling me back into a hard chest that I frantically tried to recognize. I squirmed, forgetting all about my teleporting abilities, but there was also no guarantee I didn’t take them with me.

Shadowy silhouettes stepped from around the hedges. The wind picked up, whipping my hair into the face of my captor, and I swore I felt the ground shake beneath my feet. Finally, they revealed themselves, and I sucked in a gasp under their heated gazes.

We were all pawns in the game, but this time, would I be able to follow the rules that I had set?

Atticus

“See ya, suckers. I’m finding her first!” Cillian said as he tried to run out the door, but Ira’s words stopped him.

“Really, Cilly?” He glared at her but waited for Ira to explain further.

I knew what she was getting at, but Blair was just as confused. Without speaking, I knew he was going to stick with me so we could find her together, but Ira clearly had other plans, and I was intrigued.

“Her wording… She didn’t say the first one to find her; she said whoever finds her. Do you know what that means?” Ira smirked, and I had never seen such eager mischief reflected on her face before. Ira wanted to hunt her down just as much as I did, but hunting as a family was so much sweeter.

Cillian’s lips turned into an O as understanding hit, then he cackled and rubbed his hands together. “Well then, shall we?” He stepped out the door before pausing. “Wait, who goes first?”

“Whoever gets to her first,” I said, waggling my fingers before I grabbed Blair and disappeared from the room.

I didn’t know what they were doing, but I was certain we would all wait until the perfect moment to pounce. Now, we just had to find her.

I flashed Blair and I to the kitchen. It wasn’t exactly the best bet for where she was hiding, but there was a chance that Coralena stopped by for some food first. Plus I wanted to hear his thoughts on where she could be.

“Cillian will probably run around aimlessly, using his air powers to try and scope her out as fast as possible. Ira will be slowest, using us to locate her, so we have to be quick about it.” Blair nodded along, tapping his chin.

“The library and dungeons are out at least. They are too obvious unless she’s going that route, but I don’t think she put too much thought into it. Same goes for the bedrooms. It’s too simple.”

“Agreed. It would be some place she could easily hide and remain out of sight for a while without us accidentally stumbling upon her. That knocks out our wing and this one. The other two might work…”

“She doesn’t go over there. I don’t think she would know where to even teleport to. Plus it’s almost the same layout as this side, suites and all. She just doesn’t know which ones have people or don’t. I don’t think she’d risk it.”

“Well, then…” I smiled down at my bonded before pressing my lips to his in a quick but heated kiss. “That only leaves one place, doesn’t it?”

“What are the chances Ira and Cillian figured it out?” Blair hopped up onto the counter, and I pressed myself between his legs.

“Ira will come to the same conclusion soon enough, but Cillian will take a while. I’d say we have around thirty minutes before that happens. Then we all have to find her exact location.” We were keeping our wording vague just in case someone was listening in. If they caught the first portion of our discussion, they could piece it all together, but for now, we would play it safe.

“So we have a bit of time.” Blair smiled up at me, and I grinned down at him before wrapping my large hand in his brown locks, tugging him to me and crashing our lips together in a frenzy.

What better way to prepare for what was to come than with a little foreplay?

My tongue slid into his mouth as I tilted his head back to deepen the kiss. He melted beneath me, and I had to hold back from ripping off his clothes, at least for now.

I pulled him closer, grinding against him, and thanks to the thin fabric of our pants, I felt everything and longed to be inside of him.

I toyed with him until I heard the clock strike the hour. That’s when I pulled away and teleported us to the garden in hopes of finding Coralena sooner than later. I needed to have them both again, and with Cillian and Ira involved, it was bound to get interesting. I had no real interest in either of them, but what Coralena wanted, she got.

Blair and I wandered around on silent footsteps, debating within ourselves about where she could be. I hoped we were right and she was here. Otherwise, this would be a long night.

Finally, after what felt like forever in silence with a hard cock in my pants, we heard her muttering to herself.

We watched her from the other side of the courtyard, and I was in awe. Coralena was beautiful, sitting on the bench underneath the moonlight and completely unaware that we were lurking in the shadows, stalking her every movement.

Coralena was oblivious, but we could see Ira off to the right, standing just out of sight if you didn’t know what you were looking for. Behind Coralena was another shadow, stepping closer.

She sat up, grumbling, “Where they hell are they?”

“Right behind you,” Cillian said before he wrapped his arms around Coralena, holding her against his chest.

She wriggled and tried to escape, forgetting about her abilities, as the three of us stepped through the darkness, greeting our little mate who had made promises we intended to make her keep.

“Oh, Coralena, how lovely you are tonight,” Ira cooed as she slid in next to Coralena.

Cillian leaned forward and nibbled on Coralena’s ear, causing her to shiver. Despite the low light of the night, her blush was easy to see.

“Are you ready to give us our prize?” I asked, kneeling in front of her with my hands on her knees. I pushed her legs open, then leaned forward to kiss her.

She gulped, then whispered, “yes,” against my lips. They were so soft and all mine for the moment. “But,” she started again, “I have one question first.”

We all pulled back a little, giving her some space so she could ask her question without interference. Blair knelt beside me as we waited patiently.

“What is it?” he asked.

Without hesitating, Coralena let it out. “Do you prefer me over Cora and Lena?” I frowned, never wanting to hear that question.

Where had that come from?

“Prefer isn’t the right word.” I turned to Blair, confusion written on my face. “What? Clearly she has thought about this, and if she has, the rest of us have. Don’t start lying to her now.” I sighed, then turned back to Coralena. Blair was right. No lies, no secrets.

“He’s right. Prefer isn’t the right word.”

“Then what is?” Coralena sat up straighter, looking at all of us for an answer.

“Like everyone else who exists, it depends on the day, the person’s mood, our moods, and so on. It’s not as simple as prefer.” Ira held Coralena’s hand, drawing her attention. “It’s easier though.” Coralena’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t say anything. “We all went through hell with Cora and Lena and their depressions. We do not prefer you. We do not love you more than them…” Ira trailed off.

“But it’s easier when it’s you,” Cillian added before sitting down beside her on the opposite side as Ira. “You would never wish that you had one less of us, but you can’t lie and say it wouldn’t be easier.”

Coralena glared at Cillian, but he was right. I flicked her nose, and the glare turned on me for a second. Then she sighed and nodded.

“I know. I know all of this, but I needed to hear it. Part of me was worried you’d be so sad that you’d never have Cora and Lena back that you’d… I don’t even know what. Not leave, but breakdown. Then I was worried I would fall under all of that on top of everything else. Then…” She took a deep breath. “Then I was worried you actually did prefer Coralena over the two of them. I know I’m not them, not really, and it’s just so confusing in here.” She poked the side of her temple. “They are here, but they aren’t. I will leave it at that.”

We all glanced at each other, not quite sure how to handle this. None of us had enough experience with merging to understand or help, but we were here, and that counted for something. We wouldn’t judge or push, at least I wouldn’t, and Coralena knew she could always tell us anything.

“The hardest part was realizing that I missed being me. I think they did too in some way. I don’t regret their decision, and I don’t think they do either, but I needed to know so I can sort some things out. Be warned, this might come back up in a much more chaotic way. Who knows what’s locked up right now with some of our pieces missing.” Cillian and Blair sadly chuckled with her, but Ira and I shared a look that said we needed to get Kelby, Poe, and Kiran back sooner than later. That wasn’t happening tonight, so for now, we would focus on her and getting our groove back.

After a moment of silence, Coralena took a deep breath, huffed it out, then said, “Well, now that that’s over, it looks like I have four winners for the grand prize! Step right up and claim it, folks!”

I had no idea what she was doing, but the mood lightened, then turned dark in a much different way as we converged, ripping our clothes to shreds and finding a spark of light when we most needed it.

Ira

In a blink of an eye, all five of us were bare beneath the moonlight, surrounding our delightful little mate. There was once a time I might have shied away from this but not now. I needed this as much as she did.

I needed to see her happy with her head thrown back in ecstasy where she couldn’t think of anything besides how incredible everything felt. Four mouths and eight hands could do a lot to a person, and we were about to find out exactly what that was.

Coralena leaned back against Cillian who kneeled behind her. His hands snaked under her arms and found her nipples, tweaking and rolling them in a slow and agonizing way. He whispered into her ear all the things we were going to do to her and explained in detail what everyone was doing so there was no avoiding it by closing her eyes.

Atticus knelt in front of her, spreading her legs wide so she was open for all of us to see. I held her left leg up higher, caressing the sensitive skin on the back of her thigh and knee. She shivered beneath my touch as I adjusted and kissed up and down her leg, stretching her further.

I worried her tailbone would scrape against the stone bench, but I knew it would heal if it did. Besides, she could always request being moved to a softer area. She also hid here for a reason. If she wanted the comfort of a large bed, she would have circled back to the suite.

Atticus licked his lips, then reached for Blair who stepped up beside him. He took the earth nymph’s cock into his mouth, bobbing his head a few times as Blair’s fell back. Coralena mewed, needing more than what we were giving her, but no one gave in just yet.

Cillian continued torturing her as did I. Soon, Atticus removed his mouth of Blair and replaced it with his hand before leaning forward and licking all the way up Coralena’s slit. She moaned and tried grinding against him, but we held her in place.

“Please…” she groaned, reaching out to Atticus, wanting him to continue.

He did as she asked, licking every inch of her, ramming his tongue inside, and sucking on her clit until she was a writhing mess. She was close, so close, but right when she was about to fall over the edge, Atticus pulled away.

Coralena screamed, begging him to keep going, but he pulled Blair down instead, maneuvering him between the two so his cock was aimed for Coralena and Atticus’ was aimed to penetrate Blair.

We watched as Atticus worked Blair up to be able to take all of him which took a lot less time than I expected. Atticus gripped Blair’s cock and rubbed the tapered tip along Coralena’s entrance.

“Now is the time to decide, Coralena. If he enters you like this, you’ll be pregnant again, or they can all use protection,” I said loud enough for all of them to hear. It wasn’t a worry when they were separated, but now, it was a certainty that she would become pregnant if no one wrapped up their dick.

She hesitated, and that was enough for me. Without another word, I wordlessly told Atticus to handle it, which he did without zero complaint. He pulled a condom out of his pants that were strewn aside and effortlessly placed it on Blair who looked like he was about to come at any moment. Atticus had worked him up nicely, and I wasn’t sure how long he would last being inside Coralena with his other bonded pounding into him.

Thankfully, Coralena had other mates to tend to her if one of the others came too early.

Finally, Blair adjusted forward and slid into Coralena’s dripping wet pussy with a heavy sigh coming from both of them. I bent Coralena’s leg some more, increasing the angle, and she hissed.

When Atticus entered Blair, it was all over. Atticus set the tempo, fucking Blair who in turn fucked Coralena, but the earth nymph was absolutely helpless with the sensations he was feeling.

Cillian kept at it, describing every detail and asking Coralena how she liked being fucked like this out in the open where anyone could see. Her answer was incoherent, but clearly, she was absolutely loving every second of it. Her head fell back against Cillian who used his strength to keep her upright and not fall off the bench with the force of Blair and Atticus’ thrusting.

I slid my hand down the back of her thigh until it was at the base, and I moved it to her clit, massaging it with a light touch which wasn’t enough. Her nails dug into my thigh and the bench with frustration. I pressed harder as I circled around it, then dipped lower, forking my fingers and sliding them down around Blair’s cock as he entered Coralena. They rubbed against her lips as the upper part of my palm teased her clit some more.

Finally, thanks to the wetness, I pushed a finger into her, hooking it just right. With the pressure from Blair’s dick, the immense amount of teasing, and the single nudge of her G-spot, Coralena erupted, screaming her release into the still night.

Blair came next, lasting longer than I expected, filling the condom with his cum. Atticus followed quickly behind, spilling into Blair’s ass.

All three sat there for a moment, catching their breaths as Cillian whispered into Coralena’s ear, “Is that what you wanted, to come around Blair’s cock as Ira and I toyed with you? Did you want Atticus in your ass instead?”

Coralena groaned as I fingered her through the final strokes of her orgasm.

“I’m taking that as a yes. How about this…” He got in closer and whispered so quietly that I couldn’t hear, but Coralena’s face lit up with surprise and want, so I knew it was going to be good.

Atticus and Blair pulled away, letting Cillian get us into position. He stood up, pulling Coralena with him. Her legs wobbled before he picked her up and sat down, straddling the bench. He adjusted Coralena so her back was to him and her legs were over his with one of his arms around her waist, holding her up in a more comfortable position.

“Ira, I’m going to lean back. Would you mind?” He batted his lashes at me, and I rolled my eyes but did as he asked.

I took over helping Coralena stay in position while he leaned back. She leaned forward into me, and I couldn’t help but take in her blue eyes as the moonlight shone in them. She was absolutely stunning tonight, especially with the lustful look in her eyes.

With Cillian situated, we lifted her up enough so his length could fit under her, rubbing against her back entrance. So that’s what he meant.

Coralena held onto me so she didn’t fall over as Cillian worked her up enough to be able to slide in with little resistance. The wetness from her previous orgasm and her abilities as a water nymph really came in handy.

Cillian worked her hips up and down, sliding in a little more each time, and soon, Coralena was fully seated and panting into the nape of my neck.

She groaned as Cillian leaned forward enough to wrap her hair in his fist and pull her back into an arch, giving me full access to her perky breasts and glistening cunt. She was all mine while Cillian kept her ass busy.

I kissed down her sternum, giving attention to each nipple as I went, licking and sucking until Coralena was begging me for more. I took my time traveling down her stomach, ignoring her clit and sucking on her lips instead. They were sensitive enough to make her needy but not so much that it would make her come just yet.

“Ira,” she ground out, sounding close to tears from frustration.

“Yes? Was one orgasm not enough, Coralena? What about me, hm? I haven’t had anything.” I was teasing, of course. She knew I liked to give much more than receive.

Too bad Cillian had other plans. He let go of Coralena’s hair and pushed her forward so that I had to sit back with my legs spread just to avoid a head butt. Before I knew it, Coralena’s feet were on the ground with Cillain behind her and still thrusting into her ass. It didn’t seem like a comfortable position, but it would put off the orgasm I knew was building.

“Go ahead, Coralena, have a taste.” Cillian shoved her head down closer to my pussy, which was on full display for her.

She looked up at me as if she was asking permission, and I nodded. I wouldn’t say no to her. Not for something like this. Besides, I was curious what her tongue would feel like on me.

Coralena looked down and tried to lean forward, but she was a little too short, so I scooted forward, lounging back on the bench.

She was within reach and descended. Her small tongue prodded at my swollen clit, and I hissed. Apparently, I was much more worked up than I thought, and maybe this wouldn’t be so bad with Coralena on the giving end.

Coralena took that as a sign to keep going, so she ventured lower, licking my slit as Atticus had done to her, taint to clit, and I wanted so much more. Her perusal was slow and torturous, but I wouldn’t want it any other way.

Cillian thrust a little too hard one time, and Coralena had to catch herself, but now she supported herself on her forearms, meaning one hand could be free.

She did as I had done before, following my past movements as a guide to how this should be done, and I regretted everything. Her fingers trailed along my thigh, and when I looked down, I saw the smirk on her lips.

“You’re going to pay for this,” I said, and she simply grinned at me.

“I don’t think I will.” She slid her finger across the wetness and plunged it into me at the same time she sucked on my clit.

I bit my lip to prevent the moans that wanted to escape. I turned my head and saw Blair and Atticus enjoying the show from where they were sitting at the base of a tree. They chuckled, and I rolled my eyes as Coralena pressed another finger into me.

This shouldn’t feel as good as it did, but I guessed they were right. It was always different when it was with the right person.

I looked up at Cillian, and he was close, trying to hold it off as long as he could, but I wanted to come too and take Coralena with me.

I caught his eye and motioned to her underside, telling him to touch her. He did as instructed, and Coralena groaned with my clit in her mouth.

Fuck me.

Placing my hand with hers, I guided Coralena, showing her exactly how I liked to be touched. Soon, she would be a master at working my body, and I couldn’t wait to explore this all with her for the rest of our lives. Before long, all three of us crashed into the sea of orgasms together, a pile of writhing messes on a stone bench in the middle of a garden.

It was perfect, poetic, and chaotic, bringing a satisfied smile to my lips.

Cillian pulled out of Coralena, and we arranged her in between us, smothering her in kisses and soft touches.

However, Cillian had to ruin it by whispering, “If that’s round one, I can’t wait to see what round two is like.”

Shoving him away, I pulled Coralena onto my lap and hugged her to me. “He’s right though. If that’s where we started, imagine where we will be in a few hundred years.”

I smiled into her hair as she responded, “If we started in the garden, imagine where else we will go to have our little sexcapades.”

I didn’t know, but I couldn’t wait to find out.

Wren

Ithought I had been bored while hiding out with my aunt and uncle, but this was an entirely different level. It was an antsy kind of bored, the one where I wanted to be out there, doing something, but nothing seemed like the thing to do.

At least while we were in the caves, I couldn’t go out, frolic, take in the sun, and feel the breeze on my skin. Here, I knew I could in theory.

The books were keeping my attention enough, but they weren’t giving the endings I wanted. They were all either too happy or too sad. Why wasn’t there an in between where, sure, someone died, but the main character lived on and regained their independence, alone, without the help of some cock wielding thing.

I didn’t want the happily ever after, and I didn’t want the person to be miserable because the supposed love of their life died or left them. I remembered what Cillian said, but I wasn’t sure Coralena would welcome my presence. It had only been a week since we got here, and I knew everyone was still healing and searching for answers.

I was surprised they hadn’t interrogated me more, so I assumed they believed I was telling the truth. I didn’t know if there was a backup plan for an escape. I didn’t even know what the first plan was to begin with. I got what I could from eavesdropping, but it was very painfully clear that I wasn’t trusted.

It didn’t hurt, not like it should. I was never the trusted one. That was always Andrin, and he was now one of the shining stars of the resistance.

Everything had changed, and although most of it was for the better, my role hadn’t changed. It was becoming an annoyance. I wanted to be trusted, but I didn’t want to get close enough to anyone to gain that trust. Eventually, it would happen. It was inevitable, but I didn’t want to deal with it today.

I would suffer in silence a little bit longer and hope we all settled into a pleasant enough flow that things happened naturally.

Glancing out the window, I saw Coralena with Covett, Andrin, and Remy, frolicking in the garden. Every so often, they would stop to let Covett smell a flower and touch some leaves. It was adorable, and I instantly regretted not taking a heavier role in Covett’s upbringing.

I had seen her a few times this last week but only minimally just as everyone else. After the first few nights, they invited me to dinner, and everyone was kind enough, but there was still a level of strain that I couldn’t get past. They knew who I had been but not who I was currently.

Honestly, Coralena was the most welcoming. She always made sure to involve me even when the others seemed to forget I was there. I was incredibly grateful for her presence.

I turned from the library window and went back to reading. I spent most of my time here since I could get to the library from my suite without help. The rest of the fortress was confusing, and I didn’t want an escort every time I left my chambers.

So I remained here.

I had gone through an impressive stack of books and was debating on trying a romance just to see if I was completely off base for what I wanted, but the horror selection was also calling my name. Maybe they would give me some level of satisfaction.

Pulling a few horror books from the stacks, the door to the hall opened, and I heard heavy footsteps making their way toward me. Peeking around the stack, I came face to face—well, face to torso—with Atticus.

“Oh, hi,” I said and went back to what I was doing.

The first one I grabbed had a… statue-like thing on the front made up of three balls of snow stacked on top of each other. Blood dripped from its grotesque mouth which was made from sharpened pebbles and had bloodied hands fashioned from long, thin branches. It was similar to what we called eiranmyne, but I wasn’t sure what the humans called it. The second had a bloodied heart with bold, black lettering filling the white banners. The final one had a strange windup toy and a… funny looking head popping out from inside it. It had large, overdrawn lips, white skin, and unruly red hair. Between the three, one of them had to be interesting enough.

Atticus had moved along and sat down on one of the couches, lounging across it. I took my small stack and made my way back to my seat by the window. It was just past midday, so the sun had moved far enough across the sky that I wouldn’t be blinded, but there was still plenty of light to read by.

I didn’t know why Atticus was in here, but he also hadn’t said a word to me. My eyes kept flicking over to him, and I couldn’t focus on the clown covered book. I had read the first page a handful of times when I finally shut it and huffed, garnering his attention.

“Was there something you wanted?” He turned to look at me, his pale white eyes eerie in the bright sunlight that filled the room. They were strategically placed so the books wouldn’t be damaged, but during the day, sunlight filled every corner.

“Was there something you wanted?” he mimicked, and I glared at him.

Why was he always playing games? I thought he was supposed to be the straightforward one. Honestly, they had all changed. Blair used to know exactly what he felt and would always speak his mind even as a fake servant, Cillian was the typical air nymph and now look at the emotional mess, Atticus had gone soft and liked to puzzle people, Andrin was prince sunshine with a wife and children, and then there was Ira who I didn’t know well enough to say anything about other than she terrified me.

“If I had wanted something, I would have found someone to ask. You came in here for a reason. What was it?” I set down my book and waited for him to respond. He took his sweet time doing it, and I debated picking the book back up again, but I was too irritated to try and read.

“Is there something you want?”

I scoffed and stood up, nearly toppling my pile of books. “No! What would I even want from you?”

He shrugged. “Someone to rant to. You have something you want to say. So say it.” How did he even know that? I barely knew that. “I’m observational.” I squinted at him with a grimace on my lips. “Plus you’ve given up hiding your emotions. It’s too easy, Wren.”

I tossed my hands in the air before moving over to sit near him. Atticus took up most of the couch he was on, so I chose the smaller one perpendicular to it.

“If I had something to say, why would I say it to you? I let out enough when you all interrogated me and plenty more snippets when Cillian took me to my suite.” He cocked a brow when I said the last bit. “What? It was hard not to match his pestering attitude.” I shrugged and sat back.

“If you don’t want to be here, you can leave.” My eyes grew large as I stared at him. Was he being serious? There’s no way they would let me leave just like that. “We would. You aren’t a prisoner. You’re here because you helped us, and we offered assistance. If you want to leave, you can. I don’t know where you’d go, but that part is up to you.”

I mulled it over, nibbling on my lower lip as I did so. Did I want to leave? Yes and no, but if I did, there wasn’t really a place for me to go. I could venture to Oedinia castle and see if anything was left for me there, but Galvin knew I betrayed him. At least here I was partially protected even if I was bored and verging on lonely.

Sighing, I sat up and met his milky white gaze. “I have nowhere to go, no one to be with or near.

There isn’t a point in me leaving, and even if I could, I’m not sure I would want to.”

He nodded along. “And if you stay?”

I pressed my lips together in a straight line before answering. “At least there’s a chance for me.”

“A chance for what?” he prompted.

“A chance to have a real family, I guess. Someone to actually be there for me. The thought kills me a little, but the other option makes me feel so much worse. I have a chance here to be the me I was meant to be, even if I am worried about what that person looks like. But if they accepted Andrin… and you,” I said with a smirk, “then there’s a possibility that they would accept me too with time.”

Atticus nodded and stood up as if I hadn’t just spilled my heart out in a non-spilling your heart out way.

“Where are you going?”

He looked down at me with a smile that I wasn’t sure was supposed to be pleasant or menacing. “I only came here because Coralena asked me to. My job is done.”

“Wait, what?” I stood up, but it didn’t make me any taller compared to him. I still had to crane my neck to look up into his face.

“She asked me to check in with you. According to her, I am very non judgmental and people find it easy to reveal things to me, even if they hadn’t already revealed it to themselves. She wanted to make sure you were okay and finding your place here.”

“And if I wasn’t? What then?” My shoulders drooped, thinking the absolute worst when I had no reason to.

Coralena had been nothing but nice, but I was a bystander to her for so long that I wasn’t sure that relationship could ever be fixed. I tried reminding myself that what I said was true. They accepted Andrin despite what he did, so I would be accepted to. Maybe I already was.

“Then I was to help you fit in. There was a time where I told Coralena that if she ever needed me to, we would prepare for her to end her life.” I gasped, but he ignored me and continued on. “Of course, I would have followed her in death, but my point is that whatever you need, someone is here, so just ask.”

This giant man with white eyes that saw too much and pale skin covered in the scars of his past was much more than he seemed. With one look, he was a deadly assassin. With another, Atticus was so much deeper, giving you the freedom as a friend, acquaintance, whatever you were to be exactly who you were, faults and all.

For a split second, I wondered what my spirit nymph mate would be like, but that made me nauseous.

I wanted to thank him and ask to be taken to Coralena so I could thank her as well, but instead, she came barreling through the door with Remy hot on her heels and Andrin trailing behind with Covett in his arms.

“What’s going on?” I asked as I leaned around Atticus.

“Nothing of note. I was just curious how it went.”

“As you expected.” I glanced up at Atticus, but he only had eyes for Coralena the second she entered the room. I couldn’t blame him. They all did it, and as sweet it as it was, it was also revolting.

She beamed a beautiful smile at me, and I was loath to admit how much she looked like Calliope. I would never hear that phrase, and oddly, that fact didn’t bother me in the slightest. So far, none of the parents around here were good enough for me to long for my long lost life givers.

“Perfect. How about some snacks and girl time?” she asked as she came up next to me with Remy in tow. “Just the three of us while we—” Her sentence was cut off by another person barging in, except this time, they didn’t use the door, and chaos was about to ensue.

Here we go again.

Poe

One week.

We had been here for one whole week, and nothing had changed. The anticipation was at an all time high as we waited for Galvin to strike. Of course, I could think of a million different ways this could go, but I had to put a stop to it.

Kiran and I were healed up and allowed to spend our days together under supervision and chained to the wall via the shackles around our wrists. It wasn’t pleasant, but it was better than being forced apart, wondering what was happening to the other one at all times.

We had been fed and bathed like we were children who couldn’t do anything for themselves. I had started thinking about it as if we were at an all inclusive spa, but after seven days of it, I was losing interest and wanted my freedom. I could push through, but I had no way of knowing when that freedom was coming. It could be another week, a few months, or even years, depending on where we were and what Galvin’s plan was.

Lillin was with us as always. Endon and Dorith stood by the door and watched us every single day as if we could do anything to get ourselves out of here. It wasn’t that we couldn’t take them in our condition now. I could knock them both out rather easily with Kiran’s help, and it would be a piece of cake.

The problem was what, then? We would still be shackled, we didn’t know if they had the keys to open them, and there were too many possibilities. We would have to wait and hope they slipped up. If they did have the keys, we would strike. Of course, we couldn’t discuss this, but we had been through enough together to know what the plan should be.

Considering he hadn’t done anything yet, I figured he was waiting for the more experienced of us to sound out the alarm. When I chose the time, he would be ready.

A knock sounded at the door, and Kiran and I shared a look. Everyone was already in this room besides Willas and Galvin. I hoped it was Willas or another servant, but our luck no longer existed.

Willas stepped through the door, and the room let out a sigh of relief before Galvin moved from behind him. Willas had a strained look on his face, but Galvin was eerily calm for someone who was a tyrant, holding captives and being an all around horrible person.

I stared him down, refusing to cower. Kiran did the same. Lillin, on the other hand, stood, bowed, and went to stand beside her husband who had moved closer to Dorith and out of Galvin’s way.

“Ah, you’re looking well,” he said with a sneer.

Neither of us responded.

“Nothing to say? Well, then, the fun can begin.” Shit.

I glanced at Kiran, and I knew this wasn’t going to go well. Neither of us would give in for ourselves, but we would for the other and for Remy’s sanity. One of us had to make it out, and who it was depended on Galvin’s next moves.

He turned to Endon and quietly fed him instructions. I couldn’t make them out, but the look on Endon’s face told me it wasn’t going to be pleasant. If I had to guess, it involved revenge for what happened to Cae.

Everything was falling into place in the most horrible way. I took a deep breath and accepted whatever was going to happen to me. I would find a way to ensure that Kiran made it out of here and back to Remy. That was the best I could do.

Whatever Endon had planned, Galvin was too happy about it for it to be something simple. I could handle torture. That wasn’t new. The blemishes on my skin were a clear indicator of that.

Kiran could fight through quite a bit, but this was going to be nothing like anything we had trained for.

“As you can see, I am also healed from the injuries I sustained at Kiran’s hand.” Galvin’s eyes were a tsunami of rage as he beamed down at Kiran, who didn’t even flinch.

I applauded him for not being snarky and somehow making this worse, but I really wanted to know what he would say. We had been with Remy too long, and keeping those thoughts in was getting harder and harder.

“I do respect your abilities. Willas and Lillin did well in training you.” We shared an eye roll. He learned so much more with us than he ever did with them. The only reason they were able to defeat Remy was because she was trying to not hurt the babies. “But that won’t save you now.”

Before we could react, small darts held by water zoomed across the room and embedded themselves in our necks. The world became fuzzy, and Kiran and I fell back against the bed in a heap of limbs.

I should have seen it coming and prepared in some way, but as my eyes fluttered open, only confusion met me. We were in a room very similar to the one we had been in. It wasn’t my room either.

Instead of lying on a bed or thrown on the ground, I was hanging from the wall with two shackles holding my arms up. There wasn’t much give, so I had little room to work with even if someone was within an arm’s length.

I looked around, trying to spot Kiran. He was across the near empty room with his chain attached in his usual position near the bed, and he was sprawled on top of it on his stomach. I could see the rise of his back as he breathed, and that gave me some solace. The length of his chain would allow him room to move, but it would have to be nearly three times the length for him to reach me.

Other than the two of us, no one else was here for the time being.

Kiran was still passed out on the bed, so I tried to sort things out for myself until he woke up. I didn’t want to scream at him and alert the others.

They removed everything near me, stripped me to my undergarments, and ensured that the shackles were nice and tight around my wrists. They dug into my skin, and I knew before long they would go from raw to bleeding.

“Damn it,” I grumbled to myself.

Now was the time. If I could get a weapon, maybe I could incapacitate Galvin long enough for Kiran to take out Dorith. If his parents helped, this would all be easier. There were still too many ifs for my liking, but there was no more waiting around.

Kiran still hadn’t woken up when the door opened, revealing Endon, Dorith, Galvin, Willas, and Lillin. The latter two looked like they were barely holding it together. The former three were too happy for my liking.

Without a word, Dorith woke up Kiran, gripping his shaggy hair in a fist and yanking his head back. He startled awake with a gasp, trying to look around until Dorith released her grip on him with a shove of his head. Kiran spotted me on the wall. His jaw ticked, but he said nothing, waiting for the right moment.

Willas and Lillin stood on the other side of the bed, giving their son the support they could, which was far less than I would ever expect from a parent.

Endon walked over with Galvin, and I forced myself to not spit on them. Remy would be disappointed, but I thought I could make it up to her eventually.

Galvin grabbed my jaw, forcing me to stare in his too familiar eyes. “Where is Covett being held?”

“Where is Kelby being held?” I threw back at him.

“If you want to play games, then we can play, but we won’t stop until you tell us where they are keeping my granddaughter.” He shoved my face to the side and stepped away, allowing Endon to take his previous position. “You will tell us where they are eventually. We will find your weak spot, Pomona.” I hated that name and knew Endon had spilled that tidbit.

I kept silent, biting my tongue until I was worried I would bite it off.

“Kiran, I would recommend you look away unless you’re wanting a show,” Galvin said as Endon tore his shirt over his head.

They wouldn’t.

Next, his pants dropped to the floor with a thud. I would save that information for later.

Apparently, they would.

“Why?” I knew why, but I needed to hear it.

“For Cae. Not only will this be my own personal revenge for what you did, but our family will live on thanks to you.” He smirked, and I wanted to vomit on his hardening dick and tell him to go stuff it in a rabid dog cage.

Instead, I said nothing else.

Kiran had different plans.

“Don’t you fucking dare! Get away from her, Endon. If I don’t kill you, Remy will when she finds us.” He was as close to me as his chain would let him. I saw it dig into his skin and watched the blood drops drip onto the floor.

Everyone turned to him. Lillin at least had the emotional awareness to look remorseful. Willas just looked sick.

“Remy isn’t a problem anymore.” What did he just say?

“Excuse me?” I gritted out as the world started to fade to nothing.

“Sore spot?” Galvin smirked. “Too bad we can’t use that against you.” He shrugged, then motioned for Endon to carry on.

He slowly pulled down my underwear, and I resisted snapping his neck with my feet. It would be so easy, but without my powers, I couldn’t see a way out yet.

I had to let him. The bile tried forcing its way up my throat, but I swallowed it down. I had to. Endon would rape me as Kiran watched. This was the one thing I wouldn’t get over. No one had been in me since Cae. It was one of the last things I could hold onto of him and him alone.

And it was about to be ruined.

I ignored Kiran’s screaming and the clattering chains as he attempted to save me. Endon lifted one of my legs, lined himself up, and with one jerk of his hips, he hit home. I couldn’t help the tears that sprung to my eyes from the emotional pain that one action caused, but I refused to make a sound. His grunting fell on deaf ears as I blocked everything out.

I didn’t know how long he had been inside me, but one second he was there, and the next, he was ripped from my body, and a rampaging Kiran was all I could see besides the blood splattering the wall above what used to be Endon.

Shock took over as I took in the room. His parents cowered in the corner, Endon’s shredded corpse, and Dorith gurgling from her slit throat beside the bed.

The most surprising of all was the laceration that now marred Kiran’s arm. Where he once had a hand, there was no longer one. Somehow, he had managed to get a blade, and his first thoughts were to chop off his hand to save me.

Remy would be so proud.

With his powers back, taking out Endon was child’s play. Galvin was a different story.

“Control your son!” he shouted, but there was no controlling Kiran, not now. I wasn’t even sure I could pull him back from this, not that I wanted to.

Ignoring him, he held my gaze. “This is going to hurt.” Kiran ran roots through my shackles, slicing my skin, but within seconds, I was free and collapsing to the floor.

I glanced at Galvin to see what he thought of our little escape, and I was pleasantly surprised. I saw fear, and I knew no matter what happened, we would prevail.

Coralena

“Poe?” Remy whispered from behind me, causing me to whirl around to see why she had said her name.

I had thought I had missed something that Andrin had said, but I was way off base.

There, in the middle of the library stacks between Andrin and Remy, was Poe, covered in nothing but a bra and splatterings of blood.

Gasps rang out around the room as everyone froze, not fully registering what just happened. Finally, Remy snapped out of it and pulled her tunic-like shirt off, leaving her in leather pants and a bra. She threw it over Poe’s head, letting it fall over her small frame, before dragging her into an all encompassing one-armed hug.

I wanted to let them have this time, but time wasn’t something we had. If Poe was here, what did that mean for Kiran and Kelby?

Andrin and I caught each other’s eye, and it was clear he was thinking the same thing. We would let Remy have this moment, but if this was what it looked like, we needed to act fast.

Remy pulled herself together after a few seconds, allowing Poe to hold her at arm’s length, even though they both clearly wanted to do anything but that.

“What happened?” Remy asked as Atticus and Wren stepped up beside me.

Poe didn’t pay the rest of us any mind as she stared into Remy’s eyes with a tear sliding down her cheek. I knew that look. It was the look of someone who had been through the worst possible thing and somehow survived even though they hoped they wouldn’t. I saw that look in the mirror after what Andrin did to me.

I frowned and wanted to let her give into her needs and let her reunite with her bonded and heal the wound that was so fresh, and I would, when this was finally over. Thankfully, Poe seemed to be onboard with that plan.

“Later.” Poe took in a deep breath, then looked at Atticus. “Get everyone,” she gritted out.

He didn’t wait for any more information before he vanished.

“Showtime, everyone. What’s the plan? I know Ira has one.” Remy and Andrin rolled their eyes, but they didn’t argue. I was slightly regretting not being involved, but like Atticus once told me, plans meant you were predictable; plus plans changed, so why have a plan in the first place. “Easy, Blair and Wren stay here with Covett, and the rest of us go in like fucking Valkerie’s and decimate that place.” Remy’s eyes burned red as a small bit of fire crept over her arms at the thought of destroying the place and people that had held her bonded captive this last week.

“That’s it?” I asked.

“That’s it.” Ira confirmed from behind me. “Well, that and we have the shackle and the dagger.” She pointed to Andrin, then Atticus who apparently had the contents she was referring to. “We have no idea what we are going into. The only rule is stay close to Andrin, Poe, or Atticus so they can get us all out of there if needed. If they can, they will either get the shackle on him or the dagger into his heart.” I almost added that I could teleport too, but the power was new, and I would only use it if I had to, so I kept my mouth shut. “Worst case, we grab Kiran and Kelby and go back another day. Rescue first, revenge later.”

“Boo,” Remy and I said at the same time, but I understood where Ira was coming from and wasn’t going to argue. As long as we got them back, we could deal with the rest later.

However, I was getting really sick of waiting for later.

“Well then, let’s go. Heads must roll.” Poe chuckled at my comment, and we all turned to look at her, but she waved us off. Another later thing. Joy.

Andrin passed Covett to Blair, and we both gave her a kiss goodbye before we lined up and got ready.

Wren stood beside Blair, watching us with a nervous look on her face. I trusted her with this task even if I shouldn’t. She was willing to help when we needed it, and for now, that was enough.

Only Poe knew where we were going since she was able to teleport to places she had been before, so she flashed Andrin and Atticus first, then Atticus came back and the rest of us quickly placed our hands on him. Before I knew it, I was standing in the middle of a battle and had to jump out of the way when an ice dagger came flying toward me.

Ducking and rolling, I was able to dodge it as did the others before taking everything in.

The room was a fucking mess with blood splattered all over the blue and purple hues. Some blonde nymph laid in a pool of her own blood beside the bed with what looked like a severed hand beside her. Another ‘body’ was half squashed against the wall with the rest in pieces on the floor in front of it.

Glancing around, I finally found Kiran and was relieved that he wasn’t the unrecognizable body beside me. Although, he was covered in blood and missing a hand. I rolled my eyes, making a mental note to grab the severed appendage before we left. Remy would love that. She might even steal it so they could twin.

Kiran was holding off Galvin with Lillin and Willas at his side. Surprisingly, they were fighting against Galvin and not with him. How many times did these nymphs have to switch sides? Can any of them be clearly good or bad? It was giving me a massive headache trying to keep up with who was on what team.

Shaking my head, I knew this didn’t mean we would forgive them easily or at all, depending on what Kiran and Remy had to say, but more nymph power wasn’t a bad thing.

Galvin was having a hard time going against the three of them, but he was able to keep up enough with teleporting in and out.

Then he spotted the cavalry, and everything went into slow motion.

I would have thought there would be some sort of guard making their way here, and perhaps there was, but we had a bit of time before they did so.

I sprung into action, acting as a distraction so Andrin or Atticus could redo their little trick from the first round. I stalked up behind Kiran, my eyes locked on Galvin’s.

The fighting stopped around me as I marched past the earth nymphs and stood before my father. “Galvin.”

“Coralena, I’d like to say it’s a pleasant surprise, but I think you understand how unpleasant of an intrusion this is.”

I scrunched my brow, unsure of how he could tell it was me and not one of the twins. If he were a caring father, I would say it was simply obvious because our hair was different in this form and we had more freckles and confidence when merged. However, he wasn’t, so I was filled with annoyance that he somehow knew who we were without anyone pointing it out.

Maybe he assumed they would merge, preventing the death of Cora, but why not ask instead of taking the risk of looking like a buffoon who didn’t know his own children? His undeserved confidence and unwavering ego disgusted me, and I couldn’t wait for this world to be done with him.

“I’ve had some unpleasant intrusions myself, and since you didn’t apologize for your hand in that, I won’t feel the least bit sorry now.” I shrugged. It was still a plague upon my mind, but it was healing. Andrin was repenting and making up for what he had done, but Galvin would never see fault in his actions.

“And yet the one who caused you so much pain is fighting beside you.” I didn’t take my eyes off of Galvin, but I felt Andrin step up beside me.

“We are not the same.”

“Oh, are we not?” If I didn’t know any better, I’d say everyone in the room did a collective eye roll. “This all started with a kidnapping, did it not? Then you forced yourself upon her, impregnating her with my grandchildren, and then you disappeared like ungrateful children.” Galvin’s face was red with the anger he was trying to hold back. His words were almost sad as he spit them out at Andrin, hoping to cause him pain, but they were just words. Some were true, while others were not.

“I don’t deny what I did, but I am working to make up for my poor decisions. I want to be a better nymph for my children, for my family.” I reached to my side and gripped his hand in mine, silently letting him know that he was doing just that. “We were the same, but we aren’t now, and that’s what matters.”

Galvin laughed, head thrown back. It was a stark contrast to the broken walls and the blood that littered the place.

When he looked back at us, I knew something was wrong.

A pounding sounded through the halls, and that’s when it clicked. He was stalling, and we let him. I knew we didn’t have time for this, but I fell for his little game, wanting to get some form of verbal closure.

“Damn it,” I muttered, then turned around to see Cillian, Ira, and Atticus run out of the room.

That left Kiran and his parents directly behind us and Remy and Poe behind them. That should be enough to take down Galvin, but the question was how long would the three others last against whatever army Galvin had making their way toward us.

Then I remembered the story of their rescue back in Oedinia, and a smirk made its way to my lips.

“Laugh all you want, Galvin, but I know something you don’t know,” I singsonged with a snicker at the end.

His face scrunched in confusion, then a loud blast came from the hallway, and the nymphs in the room that knew what was happening all laughed.

“Wanna know what it is?” A sinister grin formed on my face. “Those three will rip everyone in this place to shreds, and when they are done, all covered in blood and whatever else happens to land on them, they will come back for me. You better hope we are done here before they do.”

As soon as I finished speaking, a loud click reverberated through the room.

Galvin wasn’t the only one who could stall.

I had hoped things would fall into place and trusted the nymphs I called family to have a trick or two up their sleeve. I thought Andrin had the cuff and would take advantage of what was happening in the hall along with me distracting Galvin, but it was Poe who snuck up on him and trapped his wrist in a metal cuff that nullified his powers.

He looked down, a horrified expression on his face as he stared at the offending object. “What have you done?”

I scoffed. “Did exactly what you would do, sadly.”

“But the next part, I don’t think you’d ever have the guts to do what I’m planning,” Remy said, pushing her way through her bonded and his father so she could stand by me. “Imagine this, you, me, alone together in a room, but one of us has fire powers and a mean streak. Any idea how it ends for an immortal nymph, hm? Come on, Vinny, you have to have a guess.” Remy cackled as Galvin backed up with wide eyes, then glanced at the hallway door, readying himself for an escape.

We let him. Well, Remy let him. “How does a hunt sound, Andrin?”

“Delightful.” Andrin’s eyes flashed with something I had never seen before, and as much as I was terrified of what it could be, it also made me want to kiss him. Galvin truly didn’t understand what was coming his way.

I wanted to join them, but I had someone to look for.

Leaving Ira, Cillian, and Atticus in the hall, Remy and Andrin on their hunt, and Lillin and Willas in the bedroom where so much yet so little happened, I dragged Poe and Kiran—along with his severed hand—and we did what we came here to do.

“One down, one baby to go.”

No one was going to stand in my way.

Coralena

Poe and Kiran trailed behind me as we searched rooms and threatened a handful of guards until their last breath. Finally, a servant who was kind and clearly terrified led us to where Galvin had ordered Kelby be kept.

As we stepped into the room, the battles happening around the castle, the hunt for the mad king, it all faded away as I laid eyes on my baby boy.

He looked so much like Covett, with a tuft of blond hair on the top of his head and blue eyes that looked like a mirror image of Andrin’s where Covett had a lighter shade like mine.

Like Cora and Lena, Covett had a marking behind her left ear in the shape of a water drop, and I knew, without investigating, that Kelby had one behind his right ear.

Tears streamed down my face as I made my way across the room and pulled him from his crib. I expected him to cry at a stranger picking him up, but somehow he also knew who I was, grabbing at my face with a happy smile on his lips.

He didn’t know the chaos that ensued around him, and for that, I would be grateful to his kidnappers.

“Hi, baby boy. Did you miss me?” I asked as I planted kiss upon kiss all over his chubby face. “Because we missed you so much.” I couldn’t help the smile that stretched across my lips or the happy tears that streamed down my face. I looked at him for a second more, then I turned to Kiran and Poe. “Let’s get this one back with his sister, shall we?”

Kiran and Poe smiled and nodded in sync before Poe stepped forward, ready to take us home.

“I—” Kiran started, but neither of us was having it.

I shook my head as Poe said, “Not happening.” Before he could run off, hoping he didn’t lose his severed hand in a battle along the way, Poe grabbed the both of us, and we were on our way.

The others would handle everything there, and I couldn’t wait to hear the stories, but for now, I was right where I belonged.

In the nursery, reuniting my children and finally holding them both after far too long.

Poe and Kiran left with Wren who had been keeping Blair and Covett company. For a moment, I simply stared at the both of them, then Blair handed me Covett, and the tears started again full force, and they wouldn’t stop.

It was finally over. I had them back, and the healing could begin. I had held the pain in for so long so we could get to this moment, and it was finally here.

I fell to my knees, holding my children to me as if they were going to be pulled away again. They didn’t know what was happening, but in their own baby way, they tried to soothe me. It did, but it also reminded me of how much I missed.

They shouldn’t be able to focus on me or grab me with such force or anything besides lay there and scream for what they needed.

Seven months. Seven months of the most precious time of their lives were gone.

I knew I had many years to make up for it, other children that would come so I could experience the joys of having a growing baby out in the world, but with them, we would never experience it. There was no going back and making up for what we had missed.

I sobbed into their little shoulders, a mix of sorrow and elation as Blair watched over us.

After some time, when the tears finally stopped and both children were down for a nap unknowing of what transpired, Blair held me in the rocking chair, waiting for the others to return.

We rocked as he rubbed my back and held me tight, whispering in my ear how much he loved me and the kids. I was expecting him to say he was sorry for being a part of starting this whole mess, but it never came. It seemed that our bonding orgy finally got through to him, and I was so proud.

“I love you so much, Blair. I know this has been hell for you.” I sat up and stared into his hazel eyes with the color spots I liked to memorize. “I truly don’t know what we would have done without you though. You’ve been there, right by my side any time I needed you. I know it was different with Cora and Lena, and you’ve all accepted that they will never be back, and I don’t speak for them, but as for me, you’re absolutely amazing.”

This was all a rehash of what I had said that night, but I wanted to remind him as much as possible. They all deserved to know what they meant to me.

As if they were conjured out of thin air, we heard a loud thump come from the main room. With a peek into the cribs, making sure Covett and Kelby weren’t disturbed, we left the nursery to greet everyone and find out what happened.

Atticus, Ira, and Cillian all stood in the center of the room, looking rather pleased and bloody. “Have a fun time?” I asked as I walked closer.

“The best. We knew you and the babies were safe, so we stayed a little longer than we needed to.” Cillian was all smiles as he leaned down to kiss me. The spark that he had lost was back for a split second, and if bloodshed was the answer, I could get behind it.

Ira was next, pulling me into a hug before devouring my lips. “You’re going to love every little detail.” She was right. I loved listening to her stories about past battles and infiltrations.

They were like my own personal arsenal of James Bond movies, but I got to ask as many questions as I wanted, and I didn’t have to be bored watching said movies.

Atticus wrapped his arms around me next, kissing me on the top of my head, before Blair joined us and received the same treatment. He didn’t say anything, and he didn’t need to. All he needed was his two full bonded in his arms.

“Where are the others?” I asked from Atticus’ hold.

They all smirked, and I knew I was in for a fun surprise.

“I would say let’s clean up first, but with what Remy had in mind…” Cillian trailed off as he headed to the door, pulling it open. “We all have a little surprise for you.”

“That can wait. I want to see Kelby.” I stopped Atticus’ movement and glared up at him.

“He is sleeping, so be quiet.” They all looked down on me with love and chuckled.

Each one of them took a turn staring down at our reunited twins before making their way back out to the main area and into the hall Cillian had tried to usher out into moments before.

Atticus and Blair stayed behind this time. I knew they needed to bond with each other after everything, and Atticus especially would want to spend time with Kelby when he woke up. Poe and Kiran joined us as we walked through the castle, heading somewhere for my surprise. I knew what it was, but I was letting them ‘surprise’ me anyway.

We made our way into the dungeons, and when we turned the corner, we saw Andrin and Remy standing over a table, laced with many kinds of torture equipment.

“Where to begin?” Remy mused, then she turned and looked at us, running to me and tackling me into a hug. “How’s Kelby? Was Covett happy to see him?”

I laughed into her shoulder and nodded. “He’s perfect, and it was as if they had never spent a day apart.” The tears started again, but I wiped them away as I pulled back.

“Perfect, then this will be even more enjoyable.” Remy stepped back and ushered me to stand in front of a cell that held the bloodied and crumpled form of my father.

“Hello, Galvin.” I knew we all shared the same menacing grin, but as much as I wanted him to suffer and wanted revenge for his part in this, it wasn’t something I wanted now.

The rage I had felt and the damage I wanted to do left when everyone survived this time. With Kelby and the others back and Galvin neutralized, there wasn’t an ounce of care in me for what happened to him as long as he died eventually.

“What are you all going to do to him?” I asked, and they all looked at me. “I want to know, but I will be upstairs, playing with the kids and enjoying the peace we finally have. Destroy him and every ounce of hope he has, regale me with the tales, but I will be elsewhere.”

There was a pause as everyone took in what I said, but no one argued.

“That’s one hundred percent your choice.” Remy stepped between the cell bars and me, making me look up at her. “I will tell you every horrifying detail of what I do to this pathetic piece of meat called a man, but I don’t expect you to do anything to him if you don’t want to.”

Everyone shared their agreements, and I was thankful they weren’t expecting anything from me other than what I was able to give. I moved around Remy, wanting to say one final thing to Galvin before I never laid my eyes on him again. Well, maybe I would on his final day so I could watch his last breath in this world, but that was a decision for future Coralena.

“I want to thank you and Calliope,” I paused while confused sounds made their way around the room, but I ignored them and continued, “for bringing Cora, Lena, and Andrin into the world so I could find the family I always needed, but fuck you for everything else you did. You could have been kind, let things go the natural route, and taught the girls about your world and customs. There was so much joy and love in their hearts. They would have come around eventually without forcing Andrin into action.” I shook with a new wave of rage. “And because of you, they will never exist again. You will rot here in your own personal hell, and I will enjoy knowing you deserve every second of it. Your wife is gone, your children despise you, and your grandchildren will barely know your name.” He glanced up at me from the ground, slow healing gashes marred his face, and I grinned. “You will die here, knowing your life could have been so much more. You’re a waste, and I will never regret my decisions, but I hope you do.”

With that, I walked away, leaving Galvin where he was always meant to be: locked in my past, forever lurking but never clawing his way out.

Remy

Ira and Cillian requested to go first, having their hand in the new hell Galvin found himself in.

I wanted to argue so I could get some of the pent up hatred out, but they were quicker than expected with their work, wanting to get back to Coralena and to get to know Kelby and the twins together. I didn’t blame them, and that would give the rest of us plenty of time to do some severe damage.

Thankfully, with time, Galvin healed from all wounds, so no one had to hold back.

Cillian went first, shooting pin sized air holes through most of Galvin’s body. He missed everything important, although there was still plenty of pain and blood which seemed to please him. It was satisfying to watch. Cillian had a level of precision I never dreamed of mastering. Watching him was like watching a master in his preferred form of art. He took his time, letting the pain from the last hit fade, then adding more pain, never allowing it to mix together or become so much that Galvin passed out.

He writhed on the floor, chained to it by the power numbing shackle and another on his other wrist.

Next, Ira took point. She walked around him, letting Galvin catch his breath after Cillian’s round of torture. He heaved in deep breaths, but the air whistles that came with it said little was staying in his lungs thanks to the many puncture wounds leaking air into the stale and chilled cell.

Finally, she stopped and smirked. Without a word, steam started rising from the floor as she superheated it with her powers. Galvin’s screams echoed across the walls, and even though they should be a disturbing sound, they were music to my ears. His screams were that of a man whose death would mean freedom for us all, and I wasn’t going to do anything to stop it.

“Please, Andrin! My son!” Galvin begged and begged, trying to get each of us to show mercy, but where was the mercy when we first came to Incyssia or when he stole what was ours? He had none, so we would bestow none upon him.

Apparently Cillian had gotten tired of his screams because he did the same trick he pulled on Kiran before, stripping the air from Galvin’s lungs and removing his ability to breathe and speak. He did it only long enough to shut Galvin up for a moment, and I saw the mortification cross his face when he realized Cillian wouldn’t allow him to pass out even now.

Ira continued her work, melting the stone and allowing Galvin’s form to seep into it, burning his flesh and bone in the molten liquid. When he was halfway in, she stopped and had Cillian and Andrin cool the near boiling liquid until it was once again stone. This time, however, there was a man trapped within it.

I nodded and smiled in appreciation, but was also curious how we would get him out. Would a chisel work, or would my much more shoddy powers be enough to get him up? I wouldn’t be anywhere near as elegant as Ira, but that only meant more pain, and I could live with that.

“Let him lay there and suffer for a while. His flesh will heal around the newly formed curves and jagged points, making it all the more fun to remove him from his personal hell hole.” Oh, I liked that plan.

I didn’t like the waiting part, but I could use a shower, and I had some things to set up before I could take a stab at it. I also wanted to ask Kiran about his plans for his parents.

Leaving Galvin behind, Cillian and Ira returned to their suite, bonded, and children while my bonded group took turns showering in silence. Then when we were certain the rock would be perfectly melded to him, we made our way back downstairs.

I didn’t realize how disgusting I felt before, but now that I had clean skin, hair, and clothes, I had a little more pep in my step. Honestly, it also had to do with what was coming, but why torture dirty when you could torture clean and happy?

As we walked down the last set of stairs and over to the fire pit I had set up before, I turned to Kiran. “Does this give any ideas for your parents?” I didn’t mean it in the way of how we would torture them but if this sparked any level of care for them, as in this was nowhere near what he wanted them to go through or perhaps a little of it was.

He sighed and met each of our eyes before answering. “I’m not sure. They don’t deserve this, but they deserve something. I haven’t figured out what it is though.” I nodded along and so did Poe.

Andrin, on the other hand, had a recommendation. “I agree. They don’t deserve what Galvin does. They were his pawns, and even this might be too much for Galvin at this point, but I won’t stop anyone from taking their personal revenge for what he did.” The thought had crossed my mind, but just as CL chose to not be involved, I wanted to be here for everything. “How about a compromise with them. If death isn’t what you’re looking for, then perhaps purgatory would be best. We could attach earth magic specific shackles to them, instruct that they would never be removed for the rest of their lives, or it would be a death sentence. They would be their own prisons, and we all know how awful those things are.”

Poe and Kiran cringed and rubbed at their hands where the shackles had been placed. The wounds were healing, even Kiran’s newly attached but previously severed hand. It would be a few days before it started to function normally again, but at least he would have a functioning limb when it was all said and done.

I wouldn’t be upset if he had fully lost it, but even though I was doing fine with one arm, I wouldn’t wish it on him if there was a way to fix it. A small twinge of jealousy rolled through me at the thought, but there had been no chance at saving mine. I also knew I would have taken it if there was, so I couldn’t blame him for reattaching it instead of joining me in this one-armed life.

Kiran seemed to think it over but said, “I will think about it. For now, they are shackled in the other part of the dungeon and can’t do any more harm. I also want to talk to Coralena about it. They are my parents, but they stole what was hers. Well, I mean, Andrin’s as well, but—”

“No need to explain. I agree. Talk with Coralena. With her reaction to Galvin, she might have a good suggestion for you.” We all agreed, then got back to business.

I started building a fire in the fire pit, over which was a spit roast that was slightly modified to hold Galvin specifically without going clear through his body. The last part was so he would be awake and enjoying every minute of his time.

While I finished setting up, Kiran took his turn, but honestly, he didn’t do much, and I think it was because he knew Poe needed it, but also his mind was elsewhere.

I kept my sigh and thoughts to myself, knowing we all needed time away from this shitshow to really heal. We needed to get the anger out now so we could go back upstairs, play games, drink hot chocolate, and have a giant movie cuddle pile night.

That would be the first real step to healing.

With his wrists shackled, Kiran simply severed one of Galvin’s legs, right below the knee. I rolled my eyes, knowing that would make my plans a little harder. I would need more chains.

He leaned down and whispered something in Galvin’s ear, causing the water nymph’s eyes to expand, then shut tight. I have no idea what he said, but after Kiran was done, he walked out of the cell, beelining for me. He kissed me on the lips, then went and sat in a chair to watch the rest of the show.

Poe took her turn next with Andrin’s insistence. Once she stepped into the room, exhaustion took over and her shoulders slumped. I still didn’t know what happened, but I had a guess. Neither Poe nor Kiran would tell me until this was over. I would give them that time to process what they went through together.

My guess? That shredded person forced himself on my Poe, and Kiran, ever the Prince Charming and avenging angel, wasn’t having it.

I had all the pieces, but I needed them to fit each one to the next so I had the whole picture.

I hated not knowing where they were or what was happening to them, but I was also grateful they had gone through that together.

Poe didn’t do anything. The badass assassin stepped out of the cell with rounded shoulders and exhaustion written all over her face.

“I thought I wanted to, but I don’t. I’ve tortured enough people in my life. I could do so much more than all of you combined, but I don’t care to do it. Endon is dead thanks to Kiran, and Galvin will be gone soon enough thanks to one or all of you. I think… I think Coralena had the right idea in a way. I want to watch him go so I know it’s really happening, but I don’t need to do this.” I dropped the chain that was in my hand and walked over to her, pulling Poe into my chest and hugging her.

“You don’t have to do anything, Poe. I would never make you do anything you didn’t want to.

Well, that doesn’t count trying new foods, new games, new movies, new se—” “We get it, Remington,” Andrin said from behind me.

“I don’t know. I could keep going.” My bonded chuckled, and I released Poe.

She sat by Kiran in silence, watching Andrin and I finish what we had started. I was second guessing myself, and from his expression and constant glances, I could tell he was too, but we weren’t like the others. We needed that next step, knowing he suffered by our hands like we did by his.

With Andrin and Kiran’s help, we got Galvin out of the floor and strapped to the metal bar, surrounded by chains that would eventually burn, melt, and tear his flesh.

Kiran and Poe sat aside the rest of the time, watching as Andrin and I spun the spit, switching from burning flames to scalding steam on repeat until Galvin was charred and had long since passed out.

We didn’t take him off when we were done, choosing to leave him there until we came back down tomorrow, not to start where we left off, but to throw him back in his cell until we all had a chance to think and determine what his future would be like. He didn’t have one, not really. He would see death soon enough, but a few days, or perhaps a few weeks or months of healing, would let us figure out how we wanted to go about it and who would do it.

There was a lot to sift through, stories to be told, and pieces to fall in place, and they all would, eventually, in time.

And thankfully, we now had all the time in the world to live and thrive, not simply survive in the land called Incyssia.

Coralena

It had been two weeks since we got Kelby back and everything sort of fell into place. The twins were perfect and happy, my bonded were strangely showing their old selves again, and everything felt a little too normal.

We didn’t have to constantly look over our shoulders, preparing for a battle we didn’t know was coming, or wait for someone to reveal themselves so we could leap into action.

It was boring but so incredible at the same time. The anxiety was still there, simmering beneath the surface, and I was now waking up from nightmares of what had happened and what could have happened. Everything was twisted, and the worst part, Galvin wasn’t always the culprit.

The others were having similar issues with changing from a high strung situation over the last year and a half, but we would work it out.

Atticus and Blair were almost always attached with the twins playing in front of them or around them. They were the best dads anyone could ask for, and I couldn’t wait to have children with them as well.

That was one of the reasons I was thankful for Lena’s decision. Not only would she not have been able to handle any of this on her own, Covett and Kelby would have never had more siblings, at least from this group. Andrin might be able to convince Remy to have a few, but I wasn’t holding my breath with what happened with Kiran.

Ira and Cillian were always nearby, but Ira had gone back to her bossy ways and was in and out quite often. However, whenever we wanted her nearby or requested some family time, she always obliged and never fussed about it. She loved us just as much as we loved her, and that meant letting her be who she was. Ira ran the resistance, which I had come to see as less of a rebellion group and more of a ‘we will always be here to fight for what was right’ group. I was fully onboard with that and wouldn’t get in the way of us helping others. In fact, one day soon, I wanted to lend a helping hand where I could.

Cillian’s spark hadn’t left. He found it again, and it looked like it was here to stay. The doom and gloom, dark humored air nymph morphed into a combination of his dark half and his sarcastic lovey dovey nymph self. I was all in with that. Not only did I enjoy it, but he seemed happier than he had ever been. No one judged, although they did give him shit for it.

We all fit perfectly in an imperfect way that made my heart happy and calmed the anxiety of the what-ifs.

We spent time with Remy, Andrin, Poe, and Kiran as often as possible, ensuring they had time with the twins. We switched every couple of nights so everyone had to deal with the pain of getting twins to sleep and the sleep regression that hit us full force.

If anyone argued against having this kind of relationship, having five people being able to tend to two babies throughout the night would change their mind. No one lost sleep, no one grumbled—too much—about having to get up, and we all took turns because we were partners in this, forever and always.

Kiran’s hand had healed, although Remy constantly joked that he should have left it off so they could twin. She wasn’t serious, but it made Kiran laugh, so she kept at it.

As for Poe, well, she had a lot of healing to do. She told Remy, Ira, and I what happened one night. I knew about Cae from Remy, but no one had mentioned a brother before. The fact that he was working with my father and did what he did… I was glad Kiran took care of him as fast and as gruesome as he did.

As I said, it was all falling into place, even Andrin and I who were walking the gardens together with Wren.

“Do you want to stay?” I asked her.

She took a moment to respond, but when she did, I was pleasantly surprised. “Yes, I do. It’s awkward, and fitting in fully will take time, but well, I don’t want to sound like I’m going for him, but Atticus gets it.”

I burst into laughter and nearly collapsed to the ground when I stopped breathing in enough oxygen. Wiping away the tears that sprung to my eyes, I said, “Don’t worry, Atticus is too obsessed with me to even think about someone else, well, besides Blair.” My laughter finally died down, but Andrin and Wren were looking at me like I was crazy. Wren more so because at least Andrin understood the feeling. “But I’m glad you two are friends. He’s a great listener, won’t judge in any way, and his snarky comments are set to low unless he thinks you need it, or just spent too much time with Cilly Sally.”

“It’s also nice getting to spend time with the two of you. I know we aren’t actually family—”

“We are. We all are. Don’t think otherwise. Blood doesn’t define who we are close to. We get to choose who we allow in. And, Wren, we are choosing to allow you in. We want you here if you want to stay.”

She was silent for a second, then tears fell from her lashes, splashing against the dirt covered path. “I know.” Despite the tears, her voice was calm and steady. “I’m happy here.” It seemed like she left off the ‘for now’ part of her sentence, but I would take it. “Anyway, I’m going to go. You two enjoy the rest of your walk. I think I need some verbal sparring time with your bonded and some baby hugs.”

I gave her a hug, and she was on her way, waving at us as she rounded the corner behind a tall hedge.

“She won’t stay forever.” Andrin was still staring after her as if he was worried she would pop around the corner and hear what he had to say.

“Oh, I know. She has her own future to figure out, and we have to let her. Ours has been set in stone for a while now.”

He cocked his head, turning to look at me with his deep blue eyes shining in the sunlight. “You still get to choose, Coralena. I won’t break that promise.”

“I also know that. I want this. I love it here, I love them, and I love you. I’m not going anywhere any time soon.” Knowing he was on team Coralena choosing her own destiny made my heart swell, and times like this were when I was blown away by how much he had grown. “Remy is very lucky to have you.”

“Just Remy?”

“Covett and Kelby too.” I shrugged and started walking again.

I heard him sigh behind me, then footsteps making their way toward me.

“And me too. Our start was… an absolute shitshow, but look at us now. We have kids together and two happy families merged into one big blob of love and other gunk.” Andrin snorted as we turned a corner and sat on a bench beneath a large, shady tree.

“I never expected us to be here. Not after what I did, but I am so glad we are. I not only have you and the twins but Remy, Kiran, and Poe. We all have things to work out. Kiran and I haven’t fully dealt with his fake friendship all these years, but we will now that we have time.”

There it was. Time. He was thinking the same thing. We finally had time to do all the things I kept saying would happen one day. The talks, the questions, the bonding, the healing. It was one day.

We had finally reached it, and I couldn’t help the smile on my face.

“One day is here,” I said under my breath, staring up at the trees and letting the sunlight splatter across my face.

“One day?” Andrin asked.

“Any time something came up, I would tell myself that we would get to it one day, but I was always worried it wouldn’t come, but here we are. Today is one day. Tomorrow is one day. Our entire future is now one day. With Galvin and his goons handled—I know there will be more and we will always be working to better Incyssia,” I pointed out. “But with that obstacle gone, we can make plans, enjoy our time, and just exist.” I leaned back with a happy sigh.

“Well, welcome to one day, Coralena. I think it has a lot in store for us.”

“I certainly hoped so.”

Andrin scooted over, slid his hand to my cheek, and took my lips into a delicate kiss that quickly turned heated. Apparently, garden sex was my thing because I wasn’t about to turn him down, not this time. Not when one day was here and the choice was fully mine. I gave in, accepting that this was my normal, and I loved it beyond reason.

We had reached the future I wanted, but there was so much left to be done and experienced. I knew only peace and healing awaited me, eventually. Healing was a bitch and a half, but we would all make it through the darkness, or perhaps we would revel in it a little and accept that we were forever changed, forever tethered in the calamity that was our pasts.

I smiled into the kiss, realizing we truly were forever tethered, but the torment, discord, and misery were far behind us.

All that was left was our happy ever after…

Coralena

Extended Ending

After our makeout session in the garden, I dragged Andrin inside, wanting the comfort of a warm bed and his body against mine. Besides that, we had all promised to keep everyone updated about the intertwined relationships and any steps they had taken. They all knew Cora had sex with Andrin, but that wasn’t something I was close to before now.

Popping into their bedroom first, I spotted Remy and Poe snuggling in front of the fire. Poe was reading something, and Remy was braiding her hair absentmindedly. I reminded myself that randomly running into rooms wasn’t the best plan. Thankfully, Andrin was with me, so at least I had some excuse. Plus, I didn’t think I’d care that much if I walked in on something. I’d just be happy the relationships are mending and growing.

“Quick thing,” I said from the open door with Andrin behind me and out of sight. “I’m going to sleep with Andrin. K, bye.” I strung out the ending of ‘bye’ as I closed the door on their gawking faces.

I could hear them laughing together from this side of the door, and the little hint of worry I had about Remy fighting this vanished. If she had stood her ground and demanded it ended, I would walk away without question, but I was so thankful she hadn’t. Our relationship had healed significantly, and I didn’t want to damage it again.

Moving over to the other side of the hall, we waltzed into the suite I shared with my bonded. Atticus and Blair were in here with Covett and Kelby as usual, but it was in the middle of their naps if it was the time I thought it was. With the babies resting, they lounged around the room.

Atticus was continuing his knitting, creating new hats, sweaters, a variety of blankets, and so on for the twins and any other children we had. He hadn’t mentioned it, but I knew some of the things he had made weren’t for us. Atticus was preparing for the hoard of children Remy would bring into this world as well. It made my heart happy knowing that he believed her miscarriage wasn’t the end of it.

“You seem happy,” Blair said from where he was folding laundry on the bed. We had servants for that, but he insisted on washing their clothes himself. He enjoyed being involved as much as possible; plus some of it was delicate, and he didn’t trust anyone else to do it.

Atticus turned around to look us over, and I saw when it clicked. 

“Someone certainly is happy.” He smiled, and my shoulders relaxed.

“Two weeks isn’t bad. Who won?” Blair wasn’t talking to me. He was asking Atticus, and I wasn’t sure what he meant.

“Won what?” Andrin cocked his head as he asked from beside me.

“You didn’t…” I groaned, hoping they hadn’t made a betting pool like some buddy cop movie.

“We did.” Atticus stood up, setting his knitting down in the basket beside him. “I believe Ira won.”

“Of course she did.” I crossed my arms and tapped my foot in irritation. “What were your bets?”

Blair had the decency to look worried, but Atticus didn’t care in the slightest.

“I bet a month. I believe Cillian was three weeks. Atticus—”

“I bet one week. Given how fast it happened with us, I was hopeful.” He shrugged.

I guffawed and sputtered, trying to wrap my head around this. “You’re all insane!”

Andrin didn’t seem to think the same as me because he was holding in laughter with his hand over his mouth.

“Did you know about this?” I ground out.

“No, but I wish I had.” I glared at him, and he backtracked. “Or not. I wouldn’t want you to think this is a game to me. I’m happy with how things went, Coralena. Don’t worry about them and their games. Let them have a little fun, and accept it for what it truly is, them accepting us without much ado.”

I took a deep breath and let it out with a huff. “You’re right. I’m still annoyed though. If I had known, I would have made them all lose for the hell of it. Honestly, I still might. I could totally cockblock us right here and now.”

“Remy would win, then. She bet you’d figure it out on your own and make us all pay for it. She knew either way it’d end with us in trouble, so she kept it to herself.” Blair moved to sit on the bed with the pile of clothes beside him. He crossed his legs on the mattress, getting comfy for the long haul even though I was anxious to get this over with.

“Uh huh, well, you’re all going to pay for this later. Hope you know that. Anyway, if someone is going to win, let it be Ira, so I’m going to go now since I have something to do—”

“Someone to do, you mean.” My face turned bright red at Cillian’s words. He came in at the exact wrong moment, stepping out of the bathroom. 

I hadn’t heard the shower or anything from inside there, so I assumed I only had the audience of Blair and Atticus.

“Okay, yeah, fine, that. Where’s Ira? I want this all above board before we take the deep dive.” I clapped my hands together, and they all laughed.

“In a meeting with her cousin, Faye.” I quirked a brow at Atticus. “The earth nymph mate to Onulon’s queen, Vesta. You’ll meet her eventually as well. You’ll like Faye. He’s nothing like Ira.”

I rolled my eyes. He was getting really comfortable in the sassy remarks. Some days, I couldn’t help but think Atticus and Cillian traded places.

“And where is this meeting?” It was like pulling fucking teeth.

“The usual. Training pit.” The words were barely out of Blair’s mouth before I grabbed Andrin and teleported to Ira, nearly crash landing in front of her. My aim wasn’t as good as Andrin, Poe, or Atticus’.

“Ira!” I half screeched as I got my balance and stood in front of her. 

She stood there with a confused look on her face and a large sword held above her head, ready to slash down.

“Oh, you’re busy busy.” I smiled sheepishly before turning around. “Faye, right?”

He was about Ira’s height with dark brown skin, silky brown eyes, and long black hair that matched Ira’s. He had a soft smile on his full lips, and his energy felt very calm like Blair once was.

“Hello, Coralena. Pleasure to meet you.” His voice was smooth and low, and he sounded every bit the royal he now was, even if he wasn’t a royal nymph by birth. “Andrin, nice to see you again.” Faye was slightly clipped with Andrin, but with everything that happened in the past, I wasn’t surprised by it.

“Things have changed, Faye. I’m certain Ira has informed you. I’m not what I was, and I am definitely not my parents. Neither of us are.” Faye eyed us, and I shrugged. “Except that, but that’s Coralena’s choice, which is actually why we are here.”

That was my cue. I turned back to Ira who had lowered her sword and gave me a knowing look with her loving eyes.

“You won. Congratulations.” Her lips cracked into a broad smile. “I wanted to let you all know, so we are all on the same page, but considering you all placed bets, I’d say it wasn’t needed. What did you win anyway?”

“A whole day alone with you. Anyone who interrupts without death on the table would be punished by the winner's discretion.”

“Well, my calendar is really filling up, isn’t it?” I joked. “I wasn’t expecting something like that to be the prize. Wasn’t there anything better to go with?”

“What’s better than a whole day with you?” Ira looked insulted before leaning forward and claiming my lips with her own. “Go have fun. We will talk about the details tomorrow.”

With that, I kissed her again and vanished. I had things—people—to do.

I didn’t waste any time bringing us to one of the empty rooms we randomly used if we needed to take shifts with screaming children. It was always clean and ready, and I was beyond thankful for that.

What we did in the garden was quick, and I didn’t enjoy it as much as I should have. Not as in I didn’t like it, but it didn’t let it last and didn’t savor it like I should have. It broke the dam, nothing more, and now I wanted to be even closer to Andrin.

My lips crashed with his, and his arms snaked around me, pulling me close. Everyone had a different taste, and it always matched their abilities, but Andrin’s was different. It was icy and refreshing, reflecting his special powers. It was a balm to my heated face.

Pulling away, I tore off my dress and kicked my flip flops to the side. Andrin did the same, removing his shirt, pants, and flip flops as well before dragging me close again.

Skin met skin, but this time, it didn’t cool me down. Every part of me felt like it was sizzling, and if I didn’t know any better, I’d say he was a fire nymph.

Our tongues warred with each other as I shoved him back and straddled his hips before removing my bra and chucking it to the side. His hands slid up my stomach and cupped my breasts as he ground up into me. 

There was still far too much clothing between us. I rolled over, removing my underwear, and realized that this felt more like love sick teenagers on prom night than passionate love making between two bonded. There wasn’t anything wrong with that, but it made me laugh out of nowhere, at least in Andrin’s eyes.

“What’s so funny?”

I turned my head and watched as he tossed his underwear near mine and stared into my eyes.

“This is so different from what I’m used to. Not in a bad way. I thought it was amusing.”

“Ah, well as long as it’s not bad.” Andrin rolled over me and teleported us so we landed in the middle of the bed with him between my legs.

It reminded me a little of our first time together when I was a nonconsenting party member but also a little of when he slept with Cora. He craved some power, but if I told him to stop, I knew he would this time. Even if he didn’t, my bonded were next door, and the hidden knife would be brought out without hesitation despite their love for him now.

“You’re somewhere else. Do you want to stop?” he asked. His hands stilled at my hips, and his thumbs dug into the skin there.

“If I wanted to stop, I’d say so.” I hooked his leg and thrust my hips, flipping us so I was on top.

I leaned forward and nipped at his lip as his hands slid up and down my sides. I felt the tip of his hard cock poking at my entrance, and I moaned into his mouth.

Without much effort, thanks to us fooling around before, I slid onto him, taking every inch of his cock into me. We stilled as he bottomed out inside me. 

This time when he ground up into me, I hissed and started moving. I bounced up and down, taking all of him before letting him slip out of me. I took control and rode him as he watched me with lust and love swirling in his eyes.

My pace slowed, and I swirled my hips, forcing a moan from his lips this time.

In a blink, he was on top again, shoving one of my knees against my chest and allowing him to go deeper than before. I cried out as he pounded into me, knowing I could take everything he could give me.

His hand dropped to my clit, pinching it between his fingers before swirling his thumb around it. I angled my hips, pushing them up. He hit every spot and left enough pain for the pleasure to grow and mingle with it, but I needed more.

Just as with Cora, ice surrounded my nipples, causing another shriek to leave my lips, and water filled my vision. It slid down Andrin’s chest and disappeared between us. Before I knew it, it felt like he was doubling in size inside me.

“What the fuck is happening?” I huffed out.

“I know how much you can take, and I wanted to experiment. How does it feel?” He leaned forward and placed a kiss on my sternum, then flicked the right iced nipple with his tongue.

My words were jumbled as I tried to answer thanks to whatever he was doing. It felt like it was twisting inside of me, constantly swirling about and hitting literally every corner possible.

“Don’t stop,” was all I managed to say as my eyes closed and I focused on the amazing sensations happening inside my pussy.

“I wrapped my cock in water, creating a barrier between us in case things got too heated. You don’t have to worry about getting pregnant. Not with me.” I nodded along as the pattern changed, and I squeaked. “I can also make it swirl, vibrate, feel as if I am constantly pulling out or pushing in, and even do this.” A portion of the water jutted out and wrapped around my clit, vibrating and pulling as Andrin had said.

I screamed and dug my nails into the bedding as my orgasm washed over me. My back arched off the bed, and I huffed in air, but that didn’t stop him. Andrin kept at it, thrusting into me with the swirling water between us and the water vibe attacking my clit.

He worked me through the orgasm and didn’t stop there either. Andrin lifted my other leg, pressing it against my chest as well and spread them slightly so the angle was even more intense than before.

I had barely come down from the first orgasm, but the constant and all consuming sensations took me over again, and this time, I took Andrin with me. With a loud grunt, he came, spilling his cum inside the protective water.

He sucked in air as he pulled back and removed the water and let go of my legs. With us both out of breath and coming down from such a high, Andrin slid down beside me, pulling me into his chest and kissing me on the forehead.

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, then Andrin’s hands started roaming my body again. He pushed me onto my back and lowered himself down the bed and positioned his head between my thighs.

Looking up at me, he said, “I love you, Coralena,” before sucking my sensitive clit into his mouth and working his tongue all around my waiting pussy.

“I love you too, Andrin,” I called out, opening my legs further and enjoying the feel of him.

I never thought I would mean those words or even say them, but there they were. This was only the beginning, and we had many years ahead of us to explore, learn, and love. It wouldn’t all be good, but I knew we could overcome anything that came our way, so I wasn’t worried.

In fact, I was excited and ready for all the memories we would collect along the way. 

Thoughts soon left my mind as Andrin’s fingers came into the mix, and I drowned in ecstasy, knowing the journey was well worth it and nothing would ever tear us apart again.

The End…

Continue reading for a sneak peek into Wren’s story, Snared in Despair.

Snared in Despair

Sneak Peek

Wren

“Happy birthday!” Everyone cheered as they stood around the twins, Covett and Kelby. They turned four today, marking three and half years since we put most of the chaos and heartache to rest and ended Galvin’s life.

If it had been up to me, that last part would have been more of a spectacle, but I wasn’t a full royal anymore, at least from my view point. The people should have been involved to show the care and strength of the new regime, but again, it wasn’t my say, so I let it go. Still, a slow death hidden away from the world was far too good for him.

I stood in the back just outside of the mob filled with their other loved ones, not feeling the joy they seemed to radiate. I was happy enough, I loved them so much, and I couldn’t wait to see them grow up, but…

Always with the buts. I hadn’t healed like the others, and I didn’t know why. Maybe this was simply who I was, or maybe I didn’t know who I was or how to act now that I didn’t have a role to play and an act to put on.

My smile was forced as I clapped and hollered, feeling some solace in knowing how to behave at the moment, but it swiftly went away as the cake was cut and passed around. We all stood there in awkward companionship as we waited for our turn. Cake wasn’t something I wanted often as I preferred salty and savory foods over sweets, so whatever was handed to me would be mostly a waste.

However, this was a tradition my cousins brought from the human world. It never occurred to me or the other Incyssia residents to celebrate like this, but through the last few years, everyone accepted it as the norm. Thanks to the twins being forced away for the majority of their first year, every birthday and achievement was cause for a grand celebration.

When you add in the other kids and some rant about making things equal, there was a party far too often for my liking, as in every month or more if you included celebrations for the adults and anniversaries and so on. I showed up every time though. Although I wanted to say no, that word didn’t cross my lips when it came to them. As much as the need to stay in bed called to me, they meant too much to push them away, and a little voice in the back of my mind said I needed to get out at some point, or I would simply rot into the mattress.

They all noticed that too. It wasn’t some surprise when I grumbled and groaned or showed up late or looked like I hadn’t slept in a week. Coralena and Remy talked to me about it and tried helping, but no matter what I did, I felt like this. It was a perpetual void of annoyance, grouchiness, and overall shittiness, according to Remy. The talking, the fake it ‘til you make it attitude, and the variety of pills they threw my way from this world and the human one didn’t make a difference. Perhaps I was simply meant to be depressed.

The others did their parts on occasion. Cillian joked with me in his dark humorous way, and that helped for a moment. Atticus let me vent when I needed it, but the care to do so had become less and less. Andrin, well, that was a relationship I never thought would blossom, and even though he didn’t fully get it, I, in theory, knew I could lean on him.

But I never did.

This wasn’t their problem. It was mine, but I didn’t know what to do about it now.

Thus started the circle of I need help but won’t accept it and so on for eternity.

“When! When!” was called from behind me, and when I turned, I saw Elidi coming toward me with Covett behind her. Elidi had the same eyes as her mother, glimmering with flecks of yellow, and her father’s curly brown hair.

“It’s Wren, Ellie,” Covett corrected her cousin.

“R-en.”

“Close enough,” I said with a shrug as she handed me a piece of cake. “Thank you.” I smiled down at them before they ran off to join the other kids.

They had all been busy popping kids out left and right. Besides Elidi who was two and a half and an earth nymph, Remy just had a son, Nairn, with Andrin who followed after his mother, and Poe was pregnant. I refused to ask how it worked, but I overheard Coralena and Remy joking about a turkey baster, whatever that was. Coralena had a second set of boy twins, Ozul and Tiri, with Atticus who were two and both spirit nymphs. She also just announced her third pregnancy with Cillian. I hoped it was a girl and an air nymph. We needed some more balance in this crazy place.

I couldn’t hold in the question of ‘why Cillian’ when they told me because it would annoy him. Apparently, Blair was still working on his feelings about not protecting the twins, which made me feel less like a freak about my own issues. He didn’t know how he’d react if his genetics were fully involved, so they weren’t risking it yet. I wasn’t a complete ass, so I had pulled him aside later and talked with him a bit more about how we both hadn’t healed fully. We sadly agreed that we didn’t know if we ever would.

That was a month ago, and I hadn’t brought it up again.

“Penny for your thoughts.” Coralena came into view with a small smile on her lips. Her hair had grown longer, reminding me of Cora the first night I met them. 

Despite everything, her bonded had accepted that Cora and Lena were no more. That was another thing on my list of irritations. I didn’t get a chance to know them, and although Coralena loved reading, Lena loved it more. That bond would never exist now, not like it would have.

“There’s nothing going on up here,” I said, tapping my temple.

“Liar.” She easily called me out.

“I don’t want—”

“I know.” What she meant was she understood, far more than I wanted her to. The dichotomy of how Cora and Lena handled losing the twins was mentioned a few times.

“So why are you asking me again?” My voice was tired, dropping the facade of the happy family member.

“Let’s sit.” After she worked through what had happened and embraced her role in Oedinia, Coralena became the queen I never would be. It was a mess with the two groups holding power in some way, but Andrin and Coralena took on the lead roles as King and Queen of Oedinia. The others were seen as advisors and consorts, and then there was me.

I followed her lead, walking farther from the chattering nymphs before sitting on a bench underneath a tree. It reminded me of the first time I met her, met Coralena, in the gardens at Oedinia castle, and a wave of guilt rushed through me at the thought of how I treated her back then. She never held it against me, and I was beyond grateful for that. Although the others took a bit of time to warm up to my presence, she was always in my corner. That also made me feel guilty for wanting to know Cora and Lena because Coralena was amazing as is with traits from both. I shoved it down for now, knowing it would do nothing but irritate me.

“I haven’t wanted to push you, but I think it’s time.” 

All I could picture was her pushing me off a cliff, not that it would do any good if there was water at the bottom. I might not be a royal water nymph, but I was a water nymph, and now that I knew my heritage was a lie, my affinity for controlling water soaked earth made more sense.

I remained silent, letting her get it all out before I declined. “You’re stuck, stagnant.” I cleared my throat, refusing to verbally agree with her. “You need something to distract you, and I’m not saying love fixes all—”

“What?” I nearly choked on my own spit with the force of the word as it popped out of my mouth.

“You have a routine that consists of being in your room or the library, then spending time with us when we invite you to things like this or game night.”

“I also come to dinner every night.” I had to point it out. I always made it to dinner unless I was physically sick. Mentally was a whole other issue.

“Mhm, I’m so glad you don’t let yourself starve.” Which I could do since I was genetically not a royal nymph. I didn’t have the luxury of rotting away like Lena tried to do. “Anyway, I think it’s time to fuck up your routine with a few extracurriculars that don’t involve us. Maybe some nymphs that have been practically begging for your attention for months, plus a little endeavor I’m working on. They offered to help, and I’d like yours as well.” 

I groaned, knowing exactly who she was talking about. “No thanks. That’s—”

“So glad you accepted because I already set everything up.” She patted my hand as I gawked at her.

“I said no, Coralena!”

“Not before I did it though.” She shrugged, and a smirk played on her lips. “I—well, Cora—probably would have murdered someone if they pulled this. Diced them up and fed them to some pigs for good measure.”

“But I can’t kill you.”

She winked at me, knowing I had no idea where they had hidden the blades made from royal water nymph blood. “And you wouldn’t even if you could.” She was right, so I kept my mouth shut.

Coralena stood up, still as thin as ever since she wasn’t showing just yet, and looked over at her mates playing with her kids.

“This isn’t for everyone. I don’t expect this to magically work and next month you announce you’re madly in love and planning a family together. That’s not what this is.” Coralena gazed down at me with her bright blue eyes full of love and concern. “I spoke with both of them. Have you?”

“You know I avoid everyone else at all costs.” I couldn’t teleport like they could, but I was small, fast, and generally didn’t go anywhere besides the places she already mentioned.

“Well, talk to them, and tell me if I’m right.” With that, Coralena started walking away.

“Right about what? What am I doing for you? What…” I shouted after her, letting my words trail off as she ignored me.

Every piece of me wanted to prove her wrong, but I couldn’t lie to myself and say I wasn’t lonely and hoped they didn’t run away screaming when they got to know me. Only time would tell.

That was problem number one. The second issue was sorting out what work she was tossing me into with them. Even if that part worked out, I knew a mess was waiting for me to some extent.

I huffed and leaned back on the bench, finally taking a bite of my cake. It was a centerpiece, perfectly decorated with a little rose on top. It melted in my mouth, coating it in a sickly sweetness, so I set it aside and started people watching again.

She was right. I didn’t want this, or more of this. I just wanted to not feel like a heap of dung every day, wishing things would magically fix themselves. Magic only went so far, but working on yourself was a whole other level of exhausting.

Without saying goodbye to anyone, I left the party and went to the one place I felt slightly normal after requesting a large sandwich be delivered to me in the library.

Wren

After a large fancy grilled cheese—as Coralena called it—and a few hours in the library reading a horror novel Ira recommended, I headed back to my room. The festivities had drained me, and my decompressing ritual hadn’t worked as well as I had hoped. Usually by now, I’d have some life back in me, but that hope was long gone.

I traipsed through the halls with the unfinished book in my hand and my eyelids trying to close on me. Soon, I would fall into bed and sleep the evening and night away without interruption. That thought brought a small bit of peace to my overstimulated body.

I was thankful to be back in Oedinia castle. It meant I had my perfectly soft but firm bed with the light green sheets that hugged me at night with the heavy light yellow duvet on top. I didn’t know what I would do without this bed. It was fit for a queen afterall.

The transition back to Oedinia was a hassle, but there was no other option if Coralena and Andrin wanted to rule the realm and bring it back to glory. The people were shaken by the lack of guidance for so long, then the destruction of their king and queen. Some were elated by the news while others were a bit sour about it. 

Maybe that had to do with Coralena’s plans for me. I shrugged as I finally made it to my suite and shoved open the doors. Peace and quiet greeted me as well as darkness thanks to the thick and closed curtains that covered the large windows on the far wall.

After changing out of my loose and flowy gray dress, I threw on an oversized tunic made in the softest fabric. I loved sleeping in them and would wear them all day if I could. Some days I did if I wasn’t needed elsewhere.

With the tunic on, I slid into bed and set the book on the nightstand before sinking in and resting my head on the pillow. Relaxation should take hold of me and push me into dreamland, but nothing happened.

My eyes fought to stay open despite wanting to force themselves closed only minutes ago. Insomnia was almost worse than the bad thoughts. At least those you got used to and could ignore to some extent, but the inability to sleep was right there and in your face at all times. The days were filled with exhaustion, and the nights were coated in a buzzing annoyance of unwanted awakeness. 

I turned over, lying on my back, and stared at the ceiling. The room was dark, so I couldn’t see the shapes that were carved into it depicting a battle at sea with a large tentacled monster coming up from the depths. From what I read in books from the human world, they all thought the kraken was real, a giant squid patrolling the salty water. Nymphs knew the truth. 

Some nymphs moved to the human world, hoping to make a drastic change in their lives. In earlier days, they were spotted too easily and would have to fight to keep themselves safe. The water nymphs that remained here and trained to be part of our army or guards knew the trick as well. It took quite a bit of practice and power to do, but it was magnificent when done well.

In the center of what looked like the squid’s head was the water nymph controlling the various tentacles and commanding them to take down the ship and sailors on board. It allowed for protection and a large attack radius. I’d seen Coralena do a small version a few times, but that was nothing compared to the nymphs who had practiced their entire lives to perfect it.

Some used it as a performance as well, showing off their skills and powers to make money. Maybe they should look into getting someone with that ability to put on an act for the kids next time there’s a party.

My mind wandered into daydream after daydream, but my eyes refused to stay closed and let me sleep. Tears welled in my eyes as everything caved in. I couldn’t be awake and happy, and I couldn’t be asleep, getting the rest I so desperately needed. I was stuck, and no amount of hoping was going to fix this. The pills didn’t work. Going Cora’s route and truly exhausting myself didn’t either.

The tears fell down the side of my face, mingling in my blonde hair and soaking the pillow beneath it. A sob bubbled up my throat and forced its way out, echoing around the room.

“Why?” I cried out, knowing no one would hear me, and even if they did, there wasn’t an answer for them to give.

Why was I trapped in this loop of despair, too chicken to end my life but too miserable to live it? Something needed to change, but I couldn’t muster up the energy for it. 

Turning over after who knew how long, I stuffed my face in my pillow and screamed over and over until I was heaving for air between them and the sobs that wracked my body.

This wasn’t my normal night, but this also wasn’t the first time this happened. Today was too much, and even though I was only present for a short time, it took every ounce of what I had. It would take weeks to find a smidgen of what I had lost, then it would repeat again thanks to the next family party.

More tears came as I curled up in a ball and hid under the covers and my now matted hair. My arms wrapped around my legs, and my nails dug crescent moons into my calves, trying to distract me from the breakdown I was having. Pain was the only thing that worked, if it did. There were no guarantees. However, pain was never something I could handle, so this was as far as I could go besides biting my lip.

If I could just rot here and have everyone forget me for a while, maybe true peace would come and I would be a whole new nymph.

I snorted through the sobs, knowing that was a load of shit. Despite how I felt or any bad thoughts I had, them forgetting me was never something I could believe. It’s not who they were.

A small smile played on my lips as the sobs died down and true exhaustion took over, pulling me into a dark dreamless sleep that would inevitably be far shorter than I needed it to be.

***

A beam of light made it through one gap in the curtains and hit me in the face with perfect precision, and the loud banging on the door was too perfectly timed with the annoying sway of the fabric.

“Go away!” I croaked out, my voice hoarse from the fit I threw last night.

The door opened, and I covered my head with the blanket, not caring who it was.

“Not this time, Wren.” Coralena’s voice made it through the covers, and I groaned.

“What do you want?” My question was muffled, but apparently, she still understood me.

“Did you think I mentioned the guys and helping me yesterday for shits and giggles?” The mattress sank a little next to me as she sat down. “It’s almost noon, and I wanted to give you some time to get ready before throwing you all together and explaining my expectations.”

“Do we have to start today? It wasn’t a great night.” Silence greeted me, so I pulled the covers back enough to peer up into her sad eyes.

“I know.” What I really think she meant was ‘I heard,’ but she was too kind to throw it in my face.

I sighed and sat up, revealing the rat’s nest that was my hair.

Coralena chuckled, then pulled herself together. “I have all day cleared to spend with you, so let’s get to it.”

“What? I’m just going to shower and throw on some clothes. I don’t—”

“Girls day, sorry,” she said as she stood up and did a little happy shimmy.

That’s when the door blew in, nearly slamming into the wall as it opened. “I brought mimosas.”

“Oh, hi, Remy. Are you being dragged into this against your will as well?” I said dryly, my voice catching on my roughened throat.

“Nope. I never give up the chance to torture someone.” She winked at me, then set down the basket carrying the bottles on my vanity.

I fell back, landing on my pillow with a huff, hoping this was a bad dream.

“None of that.” Remy ripped the covers off of me, then despite her one arm situation, dragged me out of bed with ease. I knew I was small in comparison, but this was unexpected. “Rise and shine, Wren. Let’s brighten up that face and get this hair to a manageable state.”

I sighed again as Remy pulled me to the en suite bathroom, and Coralena followed along, having picked up the drinks that Remy had discarded.

Remy’s hair was short and blue when I met her, but now she let it grow out to its natural dark brown color and had it just long enough that she could tie it up. I sometimes thought about chopping my hair off, but I enjoyed the safety of my long hair. It had a bit of curl to it and was long and luscious, falling past my butt.

I had a second vanity in here, and Remy plopped me down on the small bench before starting the shower, and Coralena whipped us up some drinks. I didn’t miss how she put less champagne in mine than theirs. It was a small thing, but I noticed. Part of me wanted to be annoyed, but the logical part of my brain said it was the right thing to do.

Of course she also made hers without the champagne, which meant the entire bottle was actually for Remy. I didn’t doubt that she could finish it off alone, but I wasn’t prepared for the aftermath of drunk Remy if she did.

“Thanks,” I said as she handed it to me, and I took a sip. The fresh orange juice hit my tongue, and for a second, I felt a little better.

“One day you’re going to let me cut off all of that hair.” Remy sat on the edge of the large tub on the left side of the bathroom. “You don’t have to go as short as Lena or I did but maybe an undercut. A chop without the commitment.” She shrugged, and I kept my features clear so she wouldn’t realize I had been thinking something similar.

“I think I will be going through plenty of horrible things today. I don’t need another crisis.”

“Like I said, one day. Now, hop in there, and give us a show,” she teased. “Chop, chop.” 

Remy and Coralena entered my closet, no doubt sorting through everything I owned to determine the best outfit for today, and I stripped down and stepped under the hot shower, steam swirling out around me.

A wave of relaxation hit, then anxiety took over, reminding me why I was taking a shower in the first place.

I could get through this, just one minute at a time. That’s all I had to do.

Wren

The shower both made me feel better with a little more energy and made it that much harder to keep my eyes open. I wanted to climb back into bed and surround myself with pillows, but Coralena and Remy were having none of my sass today.

They wrapped me in a robe, and Coralena started brushing out my hair after filling it with a product she called leave-in conditioner. We had products that worked similarly, but she swore by this one and demanded it be brought from the human world.

It took ages for her to brush through it all, but it felt so nice having someone pamper me a little. Thanks to her powers, she was able to keep it wet the entire time, so the product worked its way through correctly. Once she was done, Remy took over and dried it for me with a slight curl at the end. With a brush in hand, she swept it through my thick hair and dried those sections while twisting them around the brush handle with ease. 

After three years of practicing on us and her daughter, Remy was a master at it, and I was in constant awe at how far she had come from losing her arm thanks to her horrible in-laws. At least she didn’t have to live with them. After all those months locked underground with Willas and Lillan, I’d take losing an arm over living through that again.

“Perfect. What did we do before having these powers, CL?”

“Burned ourselves with straighteners.” She shrugged as she searched through the products on the vanity. When she found everything she was looking for, she placed it all in front of me. “A little moisturizer, under-eye serum, and a primer made from marshmallow root to start. I’m not going to mess with concealer or foundation. One, you don’t need it, and two, I’ve already caused you enough pain today.” Coralena smiled down at me as she pushed back my bangs and pinned them to my head, so they were out of the way.

The moisturizer was slathered on my face and rubbed in, then she dabbed the serum under my eyes and had me massage it until it was absorbed. With a little squishy thing that looked like a teardrop, she added a layer of primer to the mix. None of it felt heavy, and I wasn’t worried about touching my face throughout the day and ruining her hard work.

“How does that feel?” Coralena asked as she pulled back and looked at me.

“Good? Not dry?” I said, unsure of what else to say.

“Works for me. I am going to put a little eye shadow and mascara on you. Plus highlighter because that’s a necessity.” I spaced out as she spoke but did as she commanded along the way. 

A pale eyeshadow was brushed on my lids to hide the darker color there, and a little was placed along the bottom of my eyes as well. If you didn’t know any better, you wouldn’t know it was there at all, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. Next was the mascara, and apparently, that was Remy’s forte, so she shoved her way in and made my lashes look amazing. Again, it didn’t look overdone in any way. 

The last step was highlighter, which Coralena ran across the top of my cheekbones up through my temples, then down my nose, focusing on the tip. I thought it was a little much and unneeded because who needed to be shiny, but I let it go since it didn’t feel irritating on my skin.

“Oh! Can’t forget the lips.” Coralena pulled a container from her pocket and handed it to me. It was a slim tube with a twist-on cap. “It’s a lip moisturizer. It’ll keep them hydrated without you having to worry about staining anything or wiping it off. It’s glossy but not super sticky.” Once again, I was grateful for her consideration. She really thought of everything.

I swiped it on, then Coralena and Remy stepped away after fixing my hair, letting me get a good look at myself in the mirror. It looked great, don’t get me wrong, but all it really did was hide the blemishes I carried now. I used to have perfect glowing skin that required nothing but a little moisturizer to maintain. Now I needed a full routine to look semi normal.

“You don’t look happy.” Remy’s tone wasn’t unkind, but it still stung.

I should be happy, and a snippet of me was, but it was the same as everything else. I couldn’t be ecstatic or elated or filled with glee. A small amount of happiness was all I had in me.

“I am, kind of.” Coralena and Remy shared a look before nodding.

Remy went to grab my outfit while Coralena stepped up beside me and met my gaze in the mirror. 

“Kind of is better than not at all, but I know how shitty it is to feel that way. You know happiness is something you’re capable of, but it’s always out of reach because the sadness inside of you pulls you down.” I bit the inside of my cheek, refusing to accept her words even though they were true. “It’s okay, Wren. One day at a time. We are right here, ready to help you find your way back if that’s what you want.”

I broke eye contact, not wanting her to see the debate warring in my eyes. I didn’t know what I wanted, not really.

“I know Atticus mentioned how I got cozy with death and was ready to end it all. You’re far stronger than me. I literally couldn’t die at the time, but I don’t know if I would be here if I could have.” 

My head snapped around to stare at her with shock on my face. My eyes were wide open, and my glossy lips fell into a gasp. “Really?”

“Really. We are all messed up, Wren. I’ve been trying to get you to understand that. We aren’t judging you. We just want you to know that we are here, no matter what you decide. For me, knowing that made each day a little easier. Knowing that I had an out if I wanted it allowed me the freedom to relax and find my way back to fighting shape. That doesn’t mean that’s your path though. I’m simply laying some foundation with what I have planned. The rest is up to you, and I will follow your lead. Mostly.” She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek. “I love you and only want what’s best for you.”

I didn’t know if Remy was waiting for the perfect moment to barge back in or if she really took that long to grab the clothes, but she returned from the closet wielding a dark yellow dress that had a high scoop neck that flowed out in a loose fit to just above my mid thigh. I loved the dress but never found a good time to wear it. She also had a pair of white flip flops for me that were nothing special. They had no designs, no embellishments. They were simple white flip flops.

“Nothing crazy. We figured you’d want comfort today while also looking cute.” Remy handed me the clothes, then the two of them left the room so I could change.

I slipped the robe off and quickly pulled the dress on, being careful to not mess up the minimal makeup I had on. I stepped into the flip flops and looked myself over in the floor length mirror that hung in the closet.

I wasn’t tall and leggy like either Remy or Coralena. I also wasn’t curvy like Remy. Coralena and I were both slender, befitting our water nymph status, but I had a slightly bigger butt and smaller breasts than her. Add on that I was a few inches shorter than Coralena, and I often felt like a child. I didn’t necessarily look like one, but in comparison, the feeling was definitely there.

Pulling myself together, I stepped out of the bathroom to hoots and hollers from Remy and a beaming smile from Coralena.

“I love that dress on you. Damn, girl.” Remy snapped her fingers, and Coralena giggled.

“Thanks.” I smiled, but it didn’t meet my eyes. They knew it. I knew it. No one mentioned it though.

“Are you ready?” Coralena wasn’t asking if I was dolled up enough to step in front of the two guys who had been not so stealthily pining for me. She wanted to know if I was ready for the latter portion of that. 

Dealing with these two for the last hour was enough excitement for one day, and I did enjoy myself as much as I was capable of at the moment. Adding a job I still knew nothing about and two helpers who wanted me was a lot to take in.

“No, not really. Does it matter?” I sounded tired, and despite the insomnia, falling asleep wouldn’t be difficult if I slid into bed instead of going to this meeting.

“Yes but no. I want to know how you really feel, but this is happening whether you’re up for it or not. I do need help, and I think you’re the best person for the job. I didn’t set this up just to spite you and force you out there. You’ll understand when I explain.” Coralena waved her hand in the air as if to say ‘but that’s for later.’

“Fine. Can I eat first though?” The very watered down mimosa was not enough to fill anyone’s stomach.

“Oh shit. How did we forget food?”

“Excitement. Adrenaline from hoping she didn’t try to blast us out of the suite. We ate and forgot. We aren’t perfect.” Coralena shrugged but looked admonished with a sad smile and half chuckle on her lips. “We will fix that. Food first, then men. Wouldn’t want to throw you in there hangry.”

Coralena walked out of the room with me behind her and Remy pulling up the rear, probably to ensure I couldn’t run away. I wasn’t planning on it. I could manage this for them. At the very least, I would hear Coralena out, but I made no mental promises that I would do what she asked.

We remained silent as we walked the halls, heading for the kitchen. When we got there, Coralena made me a small omelet with cheese and charixee meat with a side of bramtoff, which was similar to the human’s potato. She knew I had become obsessed with a thing called hot sauce, so she pulled out a bottle and set it next to the plate she presented me. 

“Eat up. I’m going to snack on something. I’m convinced these babies all want something from their dad’s land, and I have no idea what any of it is.” She rolled her eyes with a loud sigh, then went off to scour the kitchen for whatever the craving was.

Remy did the same, minus the pregnancy craving part. I was happy to have this moment of silence and to not have to eat in front of people who weren’t eating.

The pang of gratefulness laced in despair went through me again. I hoped this worked out the way Coralena wanted it to. At least someone had a plan for me. I certainly didn’t.

Wren

Thankfully Coralena didn’t plan for the meeting to be in the library, my safe space. Sometimes they would all meet there for some family time, and it had plenty of space, so it had crossed my mind.

However, typically, when they had a true meeting on a smaller scale, there were a few studies and lounges that could be used across the castle. She chose one that was on the first floor next to the exit to the garden. Something told me that was a strategic move, but I didn’t say anything.

Remy had broken off and went about her business elsewhere, and Coralena had walked by my side, guiding us to the room. When we stood in front of the closed door, she grabbed the nob and looked at me.

“Thank you for trusting me.” Without waiting for a response, she opened the door and stepped in.

I followed behind her, taking in the lounge. The walls were like all the others, decorated in water scenery, but these were darker. The hues were dark, shadowing the room in deep purples, blues, and greens. The furniture was all a dark wood to go with the moody atmosphere. It wasn’t my aesthetic, but it was still beautiful and worthy of admiration.

The far wall was covered in bookshelves with the one to my left being one large window that looked out over the gardens since the curtains were drawn, letting natural light into the room. The right wall had artwork across it of various plants and a thick piece of wood jutting from the wall with bar stools under it. Parallel to the bookshelves was the back of a large couch. Coming off of its corners were a love seat on one side and a single oversized chair on the other. In the center was a lovely rectangular table with a few plants on it in various greens, purples, and yellows.

The two men we came here to see were also in the room. The first was standing by the shelves, perusing the books that lay there. His curly, dirty blond hair and pale skin were an easy giveaway that it was Esen, an air nymph. He had on a form fitting brown leather pants and an airy light blue top. He turned around as Coralena closed the door behind us, and since he was an air nymph without a true bonded to release his emotions, no smile graced his lips, but delight sparkled in his gray eyes ringed with light blue. There was always something a little different about Esen, and I couldn’t lie and say I didn’t want to know what it was. He wasn’t like how I remembered Cillian being.

The other man was lounging across the love seat with his booted feet kicked up onto the table. Sulien was a fire nymph with short, curly, black hair and yellow tinged eyes that would never allow him to lie about his power status. His dark skin was another giveaway. I wouldn’t doubt that he had earth nymph lineage as well, but his sharp features screamed fire to me. His attire was similar to Esen’s, but his leather pants were black, and he had on a T-shirt I assumed he requested from the human world which was a deep green with some logo on it. It reminded me of what Remy called band tees.

“Esen, Sulien, thank you for meeting with us and offering to help with this.” I still didn’t know what ‘this’ was. “Sit, please.” 

I beat Coralena to the single chair, so she was forced to sit on the larger couch with Esen who took up a spot closer to Sulien.

Coralena’s eyes were on them, but their eyes were directed at me. Mine, however, were locked on the flowers on the table.

“I’m always happy to help the Queen of Oedinia.” Sulien’s voice was too cheery to be real. That was something that always irked me about him. I couldn’t believe what he said.

“I’m sure that’s the only reason you said yes,” Coralena teased, then got to the point. “Wren, I want you to lead this team.” My gaze popped to hers with scrunched brows and a bit of fear coursing through my veins. “I don’t know this world, and despite my best efforts, I don’t really know the average person in Oedinia. I have visited town after town, but so many people don’t trust us. Both sides dislike us for having taken their king and queen away. Although Calliope and Galvin weren’t loved by their family, they were decent rulers along with Andrin. We had hoped the transition would have been easier, but it isn’t going well. They don’t want to talk to us or let us know how we could improve their lives. That’s where you three come in and whoever else you want to bring on board.”

“What? Why me? I might not be a royal, but—”

“But they see you as a fallen royal. You’re not a ruler of the realm, but you’re not a commoner either. You’re the middle ground.” Her voice rang with sincerity, and her eyes begged me to see her side.

“Okay, I could see that.” My eyes darted to the two men, asking an unspoken question.

“Esen is the logic of this. He will see things from a different side than you or I ever will. Sulien is charismatic. The people love him already, so he’s a good buffer to introduce you around. Like I said, you can add whoever you want to the team. That’s your call, but these two will be on it. I do expect updates on how the Oedinians are handling this and if they let anything slip that we could do to help them. You can take that on, or Esen can give me rundowns as needed.” 

This was a lot. I had no idea what to expect, but this was so much more than I was ready for. Panic and anxiety started to consume me. My fingers gripped the arms of the chair, and if I was stronger, I’d worry about breaking them.

Then Coralena’s face was all I could see. 

“Wren, I’m sorry. That was a lot to put on you. You can ease into it. It’s not a sink or swim situation.” I snorted, and it helped bring me back from the brink.

“Sure, of course it isn’t. How silly of me.” My words were hollow as they hung in the air. 

Esen and Sulien shared a look behind Coralena, but I saw it. Closing my eyes, I forced back the emotions that wanted to erupt from me. I really just wanted to be back in bed.

“We can take on as much as we need to. Like Coralena said, the towns near here already know me. Let’s start small with an outing to Lagamier for dinner and a tour. Something easy.” His smile was strained again, but no one else seemed to notice it. Esen, I could understand, but Coralena must be playing dumb.

“Perfect, you’ll need to eat dinner anyway, so why not make it a date?” Coralena jabbed again, and it took all my will power to not tell her to fuck off and storm out of here.

“Not today, thanks.” I stood up, and Coralena nearly fell back but caught herself and stood up as well.

“I didn’t mean today, Wren. I’m not trying—”

“To push, yeah, sure. Try again tomorrow. I can’t manage it today. I have plans with my bed.” 

Esen and Sulien watched as I left the lounge, leaving the door open. I shoved my way out the doors to the garden, hoping the fresh air and cool breeze calmed me down.

On one side, I agreed with Coralena. Her plan made sense. On the other, I was one step from accepting death at any moment, and that was too much to put on me at once. Why did they have to be there? Why did they have to look at me like that with longing and worry in their eyes?

I rubbed my hands down my face, not caring if the mascara smudged, and held in a scream. I kept walking and walking until I wasn’t sure where I was for a second. I had ventured through here a million times, so I knew I’d find my way out as soon as I got my bearings back. The gardens were expansive, creating the illusion of a maze without the dense hedges like they had at the fortress in Onulon. If you didn’t know any better, you could wander for hours without making progress. It was a beautiful but deadly defense mechanism for the castle and its inhabitants. If intruders came in on the other side, they’d have to travel through miles of forest. Of course that’s what Coralena’s mates did when they rescued her initially. Obviously it wasn’t as effective as the late king and queen had hoped.

“The exit is that way.” Esen’s voice came from behind me. 

He startled me, so I jumped and spun around, heaving air into my lungs. “Don’t do that.” I turned around and kept walking, but his footsteps followed behind me. “Don't do that either.”

“Hmm, I think I will continue doing what I’m doing. You may be depressed, but that doesn’t mean you get to toss aside everyone.” His tone was steady and even. Air nymphs were an entirely different breed.

Stopping, I said, “So says the emotionless air nymph.”

“Yes, so says I.” A tinge of sadness rang through his words which was unexpected. 

I kept my musings about his air nymphness to myself. 

“Fine, you’re right. I get it. What do you want me to do about it? Magically not be depressed and pissed about it?” I flung my arms in the air, then they fell limp at my sides as I stood with my back to him.

“No. You can feel that way and rage if you want to, but Coralena doesn’t deserve your ire, and you know that. Air nymphs can be abrasive and not fully understand the emotions in the room, but that doesn’t mean we get to ignore them. We simply have to work harder to read the nymphs around us.” 

Turning to face him, I said, “That’s all? More work? I’m already exhausted from waking up in the morning.”

“Understandable. That doesn’t change anything though.” I ground my jaw shut as he stepped closer. “I’ll make a deal with you.”

I took a deep breath, hoping he would elaborate without me having to drag it out of him.

“If you do this and try, really try, you can let any rage out with me. I won’t particularly care—”

“Why do I think that’s a lie?” The words slipped out before I could stop them.

“Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. You’ll have to get to know me to solve that riddle.” I glared up at him, ready to kick a shin and blast him with water if I needed to. “But the deal is you try, and I will be your rage buddy. We can spar, you can scream at someone, whatever it is you need, I will be there. Just don’t take it out on Coralena or Sulien. Neither deserve it or need it.”

“You noticed it too, then,” I whispered, and he nodded, knowing that I was referring to Sulien’s forced theatrics. “Fine. Deal, but you’re going to regret this.”

“I guarantee I won’t.” He held out his hand, and without thinking, I slid mine into his and shook on it.

A small wave of relief hit me when no bond tingled into place, but as always, disappointment was also there, telling me I could do a lot worse in the mate department. From the slight downward turn of his lips, I would put money on that he felt something similar.

Our hands dropped, and we were left in an awkward silence as the breeze rolled by. It wasn’t like before, so I knew Esen had something to do with it. I just didn’t know why.

“Shall we return to the lounge, or would you like to continue our little walk through the garden?”

“If I go back inside now, someone might die, or at the very least, I’m breaking something.”

He chuckled, and unlike the fake smile Sulien put on, the small one that graced Esen’s lips right then was real and to my utter dismay, adorable.

“Traipsing through the garden it is, then.” He gestured for me to carry on, and he fell in line beside me, matching my speed.

This wasn’t where I thought this day was going, but on a very minor level, it was better.

Sulien

After Coralena and Esen left, I sat there, wondering how she saw through me so easily. My perfectly orchestrated mask was coming loose all thanks to a little water nymph who I was drawn to.

The smiles, the laughs, the charisma, all of it was fake to an extent. It was me, the me I created to hide the me I despised deep inside, and somehow she knew something was wrong.

My fist hit the arm of the couch in anger, the fiery rage simmering low in my gut, ready to combust. I should avoid her, but I said yes to this before Coralena even finished explaining. The second she mentioned I’d be working with Wren, no wasn’t an option. Although, it should have been. 

Was this self sabotage, or was it a cry for help? Either way, I would end up in shambles, a writhing mess doomed to walk the world alone and leave a scorched trail behind me. I always knew that would be my fate, and I tried to change course, becoming the lovable and outgoing nymph the world saw, but it couldn’t last forever.

Lifting my fist from the arm, I left behind a burn mark. Scoffing in irritation, I stood up and tried dragging the heavy love seat out of the room so the evidence of my lapse in demeanor could be destroyed. I got it a few feet, then realized the legs had carved small grooves into the wooden floor.

Holding in a scream buried in fury, I fell to my knees and covered my mouth. Today was turning into a shit storm, and I hoped no one came by before I pulled myself together.

With shaking hands and a frown on my face, I popped my knuckles, readying myself. Gripping the arm and back of the couch while blocking its movement with my foot, I was able to flip it slightly so it was at a suitable angle to go through the door. I tugged and pulled at it until the entire thing was out of the lounge and in the hallway, right where anyone could see it. 

Honestly, I should have just lit the entire room on fire in a controlled burn and claimed I saw a bug, but it was too late now. The grooves would always be etched into the floor, but there wasn’t much I could do about that unless I learned how to install flooring, or I could shove this abomination back in there and go with plan B. 

Standing in the hallway, I pondered the idea and snapped my fingers when a better one came to mind.

It would cover up the tracks, and no one would bat an eye at it.

Getting back to work, I dragged the couch the rest of the way outside and set it up next to one of the pools with the sun hitting at all angles. 

“Perfect.” I rubbed my hands together, and some of the anxiety from before washed away. 

Stripping down to my underwear, I threw myself onto the sofa and sunbathed on my stomach, enjoying the heat of the heavy fabric against my chest and the blazing sun soaking my back. My left arm hung over the side, laying against the grass that grew there. This pool was more natural than some of the others I had seen. It had water plants in it with a dirt bottom instead of rock and grass, flowers, and all sorts of plant life growing around it. There should have been some seating around here anyway, so I was simply helping them out at this point.

My right arm laid under my head as if it were a pillow, and my knees bent, so my ankles and feet were propped up over the second arm of the couch. It wasn’t big enough for this, and someone would certainly question why I chose this one over the larger couch. Thankfully, it was clearly difficult to get this one out here on my own, so that one was impossible.

Lifting my hand, I infused my pointer finger with heat, dragging it along the front of the couch, carving my name into it. Not my full name but Suli since that’s what people typically called me.

Sitting up, I covered the original mark with my whole hand, heating it up until a full hand print remained. The other side was given the same treatment as if it was the plan all along. I still wanted it to be comfortable for myself and others if it was ever used after today, so I left the rest of the arm space, the back, and the seat untouched.

I crossed my legs as I watched the small waterfall spew water into the pool and the sunlight beam off of it. It was entrancing, and I wasn’t sure how long I remained there before I noticed the sun had gone down a bit. At least a few hours had passed, and thanks to it being a milder season before the snow hit, the temperature dropped with it. 

It didn’t affect me too much since I was a fire nymph and could create my own heat, but a chill still ran across my body, forcing me to put my clothes back on and leave behind my art piece.

After my clothes were on, I headed back into the castle, needing a drink and a nap away from everyone else, but fate had other plans.

“Suli!” a voice yelled from up ahead. Paila was sauntering down the hall toward me in a pale purple tunic style dress which went perfectly with her darker complexion and brown hair. “I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”

Externally, I smiled and waved at her, but internally, I groaned and itched to tell her to go away. She was always trying to spend time with me, and it was incredibly obvious that she wanted to be more than friends even though I had told her that’s not what I wanted a thousand times. Maybe I was reading into it too much, but I didn’t want to drag her along when this would be nothing more than friendship.

“Well, you found me,” I said, spreading my arms wide to my sides. “What do you need?”

“You,” she giggled out as if it was a funny joke. “No, no,” she waved her hand in the air, swiping away the horrible beginning, “I’m just bored, and you always find a way to liven things up. Are you free for a drink or perhaps dinner in a bit? I could get some others too.”

Every fiber of my being pleaded with me to say no with or without the extra hoard that came with her, but my image wasn’t a no kind of guy. Even so, I now had a job to do thanks to Coralena and would use that to my advantage.

“Not tonight. I need to get a few things started before I dive into helping Coralena.”

“Queen Coralena.” Obviously she didn’t know her well enough. Coralena hated the title and didn’t let anyone call her that. She was either CL or Coralena or a long list of random nicknames, just never queen.

“Call her that, and see what happens.” It was a threat, but Paila seemed to take it as flirting, which was the goal.

I wanted to stop this, let the growing fireball inside me erupt and take whoever with me, but that life seemed harder than this one where everyone thought I was okay. Either way, I would have to put in effort; at least this way I knew the routine.

“Oh, don’t be silly. She wouldn’t do anything.” Paila batted my arm and her eyelashes as if it would do anything besides repulse me. “Are you sure you don’t want a drink after dealing with Wren and Esen?” She managed to pout and nearly sneer at the same time. Her nose crinkled up, and her mouth turned down. It was entirely unappealing to me as I stared down at her. If I had to guess, she was shorter than Remy but taller than Coralena, which meant she still towered over Wren but was no match for me.

What she was alluding to also pissed me off. Her hand had stayed on my arm, and I purposefully heated up the section until she pulled away with a yelp. Paila was an earth nymph, and I could easily burn her to a crisp if I so pleased.

“Never speak poorly of Wren or Esen again. They are far better nymphs than you will ever know.” I brushed past her, heading toward my suite, but apparently, she didn’t get the memo that I was finished with her.

“Sorry, Suli, I didn’t know you were close with them. I didn’t mean it like that, not really.” Glancing at her, I saw the truth in her sad eyes. I doubted she was sorry about saying it, but I didn’t doubt that she meant it in a harmless way. “They are a lot, that’s all.” The last part was a whisper as she tried to keep pace with me.

I stopped and whirled on her. Paila faced me with a twinge of horror in her light green eyes. She took a step back at whatever she saw on my face. A crack formed, and some of the darkness inside slipped out, aiming for the nymph before me.

“And? What is so bad about that? Why is everyone so against the emotional and emotionless? Have you ever thought about how you might be a lot to some people, or maybe they aren’t actually a lot and you’re too weak or small minded to handle everything they have to offer? They aren’t too much, Paila. They are perfect the way they are.”

“Suli, I—”

“No, do not come near me or them if this is how you view nymphs who aren’t vapid shells of nothing.”

I spun from her, continuing my way down the hall, but deep blue eyes kept me from moving any further. My fists clenched at my sides, and I wasn’t sure I could move even if I wanted to.

“Well, at least we know he cares.” Esen tilted his head with a small smirk playing on his full lips.

After one glance, I returned my gaze to Wren who said nothing. The room seemed to cave in as I took deep breaths, forcing the anger I had let loose to hide away once again. Her brow quirked as I did it, and I could have sworn I saw her lips turn down in a frown.

The thought crossed my mind that she wanted the emotion to come out, but she wasn’t ready for it. No one was.

Without a word, my mask fell back into place, and a smile crossed my lips. “Of course I care, Essie. You know I love you.” My words were breezy, and I winked at him for good measure. 

Neither of them seemed to care for this. Wren sighed and walked away with Esen hot on her heels. He gave me a small shake of his head as if he was exasperated with me before they disappeared around the corner.

I stood there for a minute, wondering what I could do to mend the bridges between us. Not even mend, create bridges between us so a relationship could form besides the forced one we had thanks to Coralena. 

Then Paila knocked into a table, toppling over a vase and alerting me to her presence. I thought she had run away already. A smarter nymph would have.

Turning to her, I let the mask slip a little, so she saw the fire in my eyes and the promise of her death if she ever crossed the line I set. I didn’t need to say anything before she nodded and scrambled away, leaving me alone in the quiet hall.

Relaxing my shoulders and standing up straight, I accepted that this was the beginning of my end, but sometimes things had to break to fully heal. I just wasn’t there quite yet, but maybe tomorrow would be a brighter, more fiery day.

Acknowledgements

Until we meet again, in a different world, filled with different characters and maybe some we have loved in the past.

Until then, my readers, my supporters, the people who stood by me in the darkest and lightest times… thank you.

About the Author

Sullyn crunches numbers as her day job. She uses writing as a creative outlet, but she soon hopes it will become her one and only passion—too bad she will need a few decades to finish all the ideas she has currently, which is good news for the readers!

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A Harpy’s Nest—Short Story Coming Soon

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Tethered in Torment—Book One

Tethered in Discord—Book Two

Tethered in Misery—Book Three

Tethered in Calamity—Book Four

Nymphs of Incyssia—Omnibus

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Freebies

He Kramp Handle This, cowritten with Iris James, NOW FREE at sullynshaw.com

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