Chapter 263. Fever Dream I

Chapter 263: 263. Fever Dream I

Maisie

There were things that killed you sweetly, and you couldn’t tell that it was, not until it was too late.

I felt the ache in my bones, in my chest. My breath clouded in front of me, and yet I couldnt look away from those eyes.

It was a promise of things. Treasures. A future without hurt. Things I’d never imagined, things I’d always wanted. He could give me everything. I’d never hurt again. Never ache. Never lack. Never want...

"Adams," a voice snarled from far away. "Snap out of it."

It was an order. I didn’t like taking orders. Not from him. Him? Who did that voice belong to--

Swirling gold, ringed blue. The black slit of his eyes pulsed and I found myself falling deeper. And if he had reached for me, I would’ve let him. If he had reached into my chest to rip out my heart, I would’ve let him--

"I don’t care who or what the hell you are," I heard distantly. "But she’s not yours to take."

Those eyes tore away from me and the spell broke.

I came to with a painful wheeze. The world around us returned at once, too much, too loud. There was ice in my lungs, my blood. I couldn’t feel my hands and toes.

The man had his eyes narrowed at Mercer in displeasure, and though all I could see was Mercer’s back, I felt nothing coming from him other than the familiar anger and irritation.

I thought he had to be mad, staring down something far older, something he didn’t understand in the eye, without even a drop of fear.

The dragon seemed to realize it. And his displeasure morphed into interest. And he moved faster than anything I’d ever seen in my life, faster than the Queen herself.

And I didn’t have enough time to scream, to finish the thought before he had his hand around Mercer’s neck and was lifting him off the ground.

"I remember you, low blood," he hissed, and his eyes seemed to glow brighter, his voice expanding into layers. "You smell like Florian. Must be a descendant."

Florian? The name rang a bell, but then, those old eyes flicked to mine and though his lips didn’t move, I heard a chuckle in my mind. "You bonded with him. I guess some things never change."

With a flick of his wrist, he flung Mercer aside like he was made of paper.

"Don’t hurt him--"

A cold hand grip my chin and forced my head high to glance into those abysmally cold eyes.

I felt his breath against my lips. Felt the sharp press of his claws against my cheeks, hard enough to break skin and blood tracked down my cheeks like tear drops.

"You could be so much more than this, sweetling," he purred. "You were not made for mere men. These watered down, weak mortals. I shall rid them for you and bring you home with me."

"H-home?" I shivered. Perhaps it was the cold. Or perhaps, it was the feather light brush of his thumb over my skin.

"Beyond the rift. You would be treated exactly as you should be," the gold swirl in his eyes pulsed. "A goddess."

I felt him in my mind, searching, pushing images that didn’t belong there. There was a castle, a world of wild, beautiful magic. There were two moons in the sky, close enough that if I reached for it, I could touch it.

I blinked away the image, squeezing my eyes shut as I pushed away the sudden hunger to see more of this place. "No--"

"It’s been difficult, hasn’t it?"

Something in me went still and my breath hitched when he drew even closer, his touch going from freezing cold to scalding hot.

"Maisie Adeline Adams," he murmured and I shivered at the sound of my name rolling off his tongue. "Born to be a weapon. Raised by a father who lied to her until the day he died protecting her."

My breath caught.

"Rejected by her fated mate. Humiliated before her entire pack. Betrayed by her own sister."

My heart began to pound faster in my chest.

"Beaten. Debased. Used. Always used. They made you kneel and serve and bleed, and they named you a whore. Worthless."

The last word hit me like a whiplash and a tremor moved through my body. "Stop."

His voice softened again and he smiled. "And then, they came along. They saved you, like you always hoped you would be. They saw something in you. Thought you what it meant to belong. To be... chosen."

His hand tightened on my chin. "And then they broke you too."

I felt my eyes water, felt his hands cradle my face gently as his voice, sweet and poison, pulled on the darkest hours of my life and brought them to surface, like I was watching it all happen again.

"They hated you. Belittled you. Chose another over you. Stole your life, your choices--"

"They saved me. They had no choice," I cried.

"They caged you," he rebuked. "Bound you to them forever when you never would have agreed to it." His eyes pulsed again and they were all I could see. "Your whole life has been a gamble, Maisie. Everyone trying to control you. Break you. Kill you."

His voice lowered. "And they succeeded, didn’t they?"

My heart cracked open all over again and tears spilled down my cheeks, hardening into ice at once.

"They killed you. They took your child. They drove a wedge between you and the men you had begun to love, until even that love rotted and curdled into hate."

Another tear slid down my cheek and a ragged sob expanded my aching chest. And it was the first of many.

My bones felt weary. And I was suddenly so exhausted.

His grip loosened and his hand traveled from my cheek to my ear, tucking my hair behind it. "But I could give it all back."

My gaze snapped to his. "W-what?"

"I could give you everything you truly desire. And so much more." Another pulse. "Vengeance? I will grant you a blade to cut down your enemies. A child? You shall have a litter of them."

Those eyes bore into the very depths of my soul. "You could be... happy. Free. Loved. Wanted. You could have the world at your feet."

It was too good to be true, and yet I yearned for something close to that.

Like he’d plucked the thought straight from my head, his mouth curved into a delighted smile. And his fingers slid behind my head to cup the nape of my neck.

I cried out as his claws dig into the base of my spine in the same moment he breathed against my mouth, "Let me show you."

And his lips parted mine.

****

The bed beneath me was silky and smelled like jasmine. The sound of a cooing child came from somewhere in the distance, and I felt the drag of a soft mouth down my neck as I stirred from sleep.

"How long do you plan on sleeping in all day, wildcat?" a husky voice murmured against my skin.

I groaned, swatting him away and burrowing deeper into the pillows. "Just... a few more minutes."

"You’ve been saying that for the last four hours," he laughed. "I fear if we keep the people waiting much longer, you’ll lose half the audience for your coronation."

"Coronation?" I thought out loud, eyes still incredibly heavy.

Another body rolled into me and I groaned-moaned when I felt a different mouth kissing up my naked spine. "Soren’s holding up the front line, cherie. You have to get up and face them at some point."

Coronation...

The Queen was dead, I knew that. I’d shot the arrow that shattered her heart. I’d closed the rift. The people were safe. The academy was safe. Tessa was in the dungeons, waiting to be tried by me. All was right in my world.

Why then did it feel like something was missing?

My eyes opened.

Mercer sat by my side.

Sunlight poured through the open windows behind him, turning his red hair into something almost coppery. I thought it was a little strange that he wore the same green, beautifully embroidered jacket he’d worn a year ago, during the competition that had changed all our lives.

For the better.

But goddess, was he beautiful.

His green eyes crinkled when he smiled, softening the sharp lines of his wickedly handsome face and that gentleness he wore so easily now tugged at my heartstrings.

I loved him.

The certainty of it settled so deeply inside me that I couldn’t understand why my chest suddenly hurt.

My gaze rose and a smile tugged at my mouth.

There was a child hanging off Mercer’s neck.

She had my hair, a wild, unruly mess of brunette curls sticking out in every direction. My nose. My mouth.

But Mercer’s eyes. Big, bright green eyes that were currently sparkling with mischief.

"Why don’t you go play with your brother, Lyanna?" Mercer murmured, kissing the tip of her little nose. She squealed and licked his cheek. "Mommy’s a little busy this morning."

By busy, I wondered if it had anything to do with what Quinlan was doing to my body under the sheets.

When he tried pulling her away, she began sobbing, and then burst into giggles when he tickled her.

A maid walked over, and I blinked, a little startled at the castle maid uniform sitting on Lana’s body, and her fond smile as she lifted my daughter out of Mercer’s hands. "I’ll get her ready, Your Highness."

I jerked upright, heart thundering, and I didn’t care that I was naked, didn’t care about anything except the sudden, terrible fear climbing up my throat.

I was on my feet before I knew what I was doing, snatching Lyanna from Lana’s arms. "Don’t touch her."

Mercer was instantly at my side. And so was Quinlan. I heard footsteps outside the door a second before it pushed open, a disheveled looking Jericho stumbling in, dark circles marring his eyes.

He wasn’t dressed for the coronation. He had on slacks and a little napkin stained with vomit tied around his neck.

In his arms was a silver-haired baby, happily sucking on a fistful of Jericho’s hair. "I leave for two seconds and you’ve both managed to upset her."

He pushed the child into Quinlan’s hands. "There. Fix his diapers. He’s shat himself again."

Quinlan held the boy far away from his pristine, white suit, and scowled at the baby. The baby gave him a toothless smile with two pointy fangs. "And why do I have to be the one to change him--"

"Because you’re the one who got her pregnant again," he growled. "And now she’s upset all the time."

Jericho reached me and immediately softened. Whatever irritation had been on his face disappeared as he cupped my cheeks. "What is it, malyshka?" he asked gently. "Are you hungry?"