A Kingdom of Exiles (Outcast #1)

by S.B. Nova

They won’t tell you fairy tales of how girls can be dangerous and still win. They will only tell you stories where girls are sweet and kind and reject all sin. I guess to them it’s a terrifying thought, a red riding hood who knew exactly what she was doing when she invited the wild in. ~ Nikita Gill ~

“There’s everything to find, but you need to learn to see it; otherwise, no matter how many times your friends praise you, or how many lovers show you affection …” Green eyes fluttered to my lip. I forgot my own name. “… you’ll never believe them. And all the compliments in the world won’t mean a damned thing.”

Trailing his fingers through my hair, he reached around to cup the back of my head and leaned in, whispering, “How can you be bold as the sun one moment, and quiet and shy as the new moon the next?”

You see? I’ve been on the outside looking in my whole life. And living in a fae kingdom didn’t change that. Meeting Cai and Liora didn’t change that. You—us, connecting like this—did. You make me feel like I belong. Except when you push me away.

A golden liquid fire flecked with silver stars pumped through my blood, cleansing it, driving out the oily second skin of the eerie. The iron grip on my lungs vanished. I sucked in mighty gasps: glorious, beautiful air. A metallic scent filled my nostrils, singeing them. Oblivion.

Sleep called, a warm hum lulling me back into its embrace. The whisper of leaves against wings and the musty scent of pine filled my senses.

“Serena Smith,” he began gravely. “From this heartbeat until my last, I share your blood and bone, joy and grief. No words or acts could make me turn from you. You are my pack, my kin, my home.” My vision blurred. I pushed against the weight settling on my chest. “Ovet perheen nyx, ihuseti jai aina,” he recited.

“He is far from you. His heart and soul are dying. Shrouded in dark. You are the eye, the center, while he is the storm that rages.”

But something had changed between us. Something that went bone-deep—an affinity that wasn’t there before. Maggie was right. We were bonding.

“Cai, should I be worried?” I tried for a light tone. “Not at all,” he said. As cocky as ever. “Just waiting for this snowflake to pass out.”

“Your father’s name was Dain Raynar. At the time of your conception, he was both seer and leader of the Crescent; otherwise known as the Witch King.”

I’m light and quick just like you. If they blunt my fire, I’ll burn with ice instead.

We shouldn’t be punished for those we love. It’s as much in our control as the turning of the tide, or the rising of the sun.

Because as long as you keep breathing, there’s a chance that things will get better. That you can make them better.

Firebolts, moon-bright lakes, and a night sky filled my vision. Somewhere far off, thunder rolled and rumbled in response. And a pure white light tinged with silver and ruby flame exploded outward, carried on the back of a star-studded shadow. I was light; I was dark. Order and chaos entwined.

Head and heart locked in battle, I was only partially aware of Frazer sending me something through our bond. Then it struck: love, unconditional and fierce. He’d never said the words. He’d never shown it through the bond. Not that he’d needed to. I’d known. Yes, I’d known deep down. But sensing it, feeling it was different. Because he’d seen everything: the vile thoughts, the good deeds; every memory. Through it all, despite everything, he still loved me. No limits, no requirements, no end. I studied the harsh lines of his face, the parts of his back where his indigo wings once rested, and those blue eyes shot with silver where shadows still dwelled. Maybe, those nightmares would always haunt his face, even if love shone in tandem. That, there, was what made us kin. Because he understood what it was to be a lost soul in the world. A fallen star, exiled from home. A grim sort of recognition flowed from him. It didn’t wash my hands clean or bring back loved ones. And that emptiness born from my parents’ deaths that now ached for Wilder; it was still there. But our affinity and his absolute acceptance sustained me. Frazer’s thoughts brushed mine. They had a tentative feel. If the night sky doesn’t want us, we’ll build our home together. Another emotion shuddered down the bond. I recognized the light that flowed and warmed us both. Hope. Frazer hoped. I let that carry me north, to Ewa.

“Only through the darkness of night can we be guided by the light.” - Meera Garland, Advisor to the Draken Queen.