Amid Clouds and Bones

by Ella Fields

My nose crinkled. He glowered at it, golden brows slashing over his fascinating eyes. A rough bout of laughter dragged my gaze beyond the prince as King Garran clapped his shoulder. “You’ll need to forgive my son’s lack of manners. He was born upon a full moon, and I’ve been unable to rid the audacity from him ever since.”

Prince Atakan’s gaze flicked toward the faint sound, then fell upon me, glimmering with green shards. “Let me make myself crystal fucking clear, little thing.” My eyes widened at the ease with which he’d cussed. “Out of all the dangers awaiting you in my court, I’m the one you’ll need to be protected from.”

The Seelie kingdom of Ethermore had been under constant attack for years, well before the Unseelie king had discovered his wife’s death. When Queen Kalista fled from him, he’d sent his warriors, most of them beastly shifters, to hunt her down.

Of course, I wanted peace to reign throughout the continent. I was only half a monster. But I still wished upon every star that they’d find another way to end the Unseelie king’s brutality.

In the years following my betrothal, I’d ceased asking about my dead mother. Instead, I’d started listening. I was a princess of Nephryn only because my Seelie mother had died giving birth to me in this castle. At least, that was what I’d been led to believe.

I frowned, saying when she’d disappeared at the end of the hall, “The king’s consort?” Bernie hushed me again, checking our surroundings before she whispered, “Cordenya’s been a permanent fixture in this court for many years now. Garran refuses to take a wife after losing his great love.”

As far as I knew, Garran’s mother had been the last queen of Ethermore, and that had been some centuries ago. “The Unseelie queen?” “Hush.” Bernie looked around again. “I was quite young, so I don’t remember well. But many believe it was Kalista, yes.” “Yet he killed her.” I didn’t even try to hide my disbelief. “How could she be his great love?” Bernie patted my arm, her voice wistfully soft. “Love knows no bounds for mortals and has no end for faeries.”

He regarded me in the same way, though his eyes took their time roaming over the bulbous skirts of my gold and yellow gown to the cream-filigreed bodice. They fastened to my chest before moving to my mouth.

For two years, I’d shamefully recalled the heat of his attention. Imagined what it might have felt like to have it in a much less sinister way. “You poisoned me.” I widened my eyes and pressed my hand over my cleavage. It did as intended, drawing his gaze like a bird to the sky, as I breathed, “I do beg your pardon, Prince.”

His teeth scraped his lower lip as he straightened from the wall. “The atrocious things I would do just to see you do that.”

“And here we all are, believing our united forces have herded the monsters into their spelled cage.” “They missed one.” He inhaled deeply. Exhaling, he smirked. “Afraid, Princess?”

Instead, I’d said, “It cannot be changed. Only survived.” The king had said nothing for the longest time. His hand had left mine, and I’d expected he’d leave. He hadn’t. From his pocket, he’d procured a small velvet bag. “Elorna wanted you to have this.”

“A featherbone gifted to her by her mother. She never told me what it does, just that it’s an heirloom.” His ruddy cheeks had puffed as he’d sighed and placed the bag in my hand. “Evidently, it’s time for you to have it.”

“Surely, Atakan knows you prefer males, then?” “He knows I love everything.” He spun me, and I laughed. Bringing me back to his chest, he whispered to my cheek, “And here he comes.” A thrill spiraled down my spine, straightening it. His presence was a flare of heat at my back, and his voice low and scathing. “Remove your hands, or I’ll remove them from your body and make you eat them.”

“I don’t like this.” “I don’t like you.” “You liked me enough to wait naked in my bed.” “Oh,” I laughed out. “You thought I did that for you?”

“If you so much as think about playing with anyone but me, I will tie you to this bed with their entrails and paint you in their blood while I fuck you.”

Made me want to be the first he gave such attentiveness to with his mouth. But no amount of wanting could rid the thought of him finding another to bed while I’d waited for him like a besotted and desperate fool.

“How bad was it?” I breathed, gently tracing the purple smudge.

His fingers stole my chin, his glower so severe, I half feared he’d shove me away and storm out into the gardens. But it softened the longer he looked down at me, and disappeared entirely when he murmured, “Enough to make me miss the creature I loathe the most.”

One tangled in my hair, his hold tight, and his rough words exhaled into my mouth like much-needed air. “I want you. I want you as much as I loathe you—so much, it feels like I can’t breathe.” His parted lips dragged across my cheek, his whisper scathing near my ear. “Give me back my fucking breath.”

“Males are all the same. Unaware that love means more than an obsession with humping someone.” Unable to help it, I laughed.

Not when staring at what would never be. What once was had become an endless never.

Feral delight shone in his eyes. Twin emerald jewels. They held me hostage as he pounded into me. As he pried my mouth open with his fingers and growled into it, “Mine.” He sucked my tongue between his teeth before I could question what he’d said.

Fingers squeezed my chin. “Breathe for me, dread.” Atakan exhaled into my mouth. His pace turned frenzied, the bed frame protesting. “Only for me.” Then he tensed.

“Atakan.” My voice croaked. “Tell me what really happened.” He halted before the door. Without looking at me, he dragged his hand through his hair, pushing it back over his head as he exhaled roughly. “We mated.”

“Who has mysteriously disappeared.” I rolled my eyes. “He doesn’t wish to be found.”

Hmm

His grin only became more devastating until he said, “You’re right. You’re not my lover. You’re now my wife, yet that doesn’t seem quite enough either.” I nearly swayed when I rose, and he went on. “What do you call the only creature you want to watch and touch endlessly?”

Out of all the dangers awaiting you in my court, I’m the one you’ll need to be protected from. Memories turned through my mind like a pinwheel, each more vivid than the last.

And here we all are, believing our united forces have herded the monsters into their spelled cage. They missed one.

You truly are a monster. You have no idea.

“No one knew I cared for you because for some years, I didn’t. That changed when I felt what fate was doing. The bond,” he said. The question punched free of my chest, as if my heart demanded an answer. “When?” “I first felt it when you poisoned me.” His voice was soft, almost wistful, as he said, “The way you raised your wine to me when you should have been fleeing for your half-mortal life.”