Page 2 of Beyond the Treaty
“There is something else,” I said, my words cutting through the tension. “Something that threatens to unravel everything we hold dear.”
Kaelen’s gaze snapped to mine, and I saw the flicker of concern in his crimson eyes. Azrael, too stilled, his fiery energy dimming as he studied me with an intensity that bordered on unsettling. I could see the questions forming behind theirguarded expressions, the unspoken realisation that whatever I was about to reveal would change everything.
This was the moment. The truth I had kept locked away was ready to surface, and once it did, there would be no going back. The weight of it was suffocating, but I could feel the shift in the air, the inevitability of what was to come. The balance had already begun to tip, and I could only hope that the choices we made here would not plunge our world into chaos.
CHAPTER 2
“Spit it out, Elara,” Azrael snapped impatiently, his gaze boring into me. His usual impatience had taken on an edge of anxiety I’d rarely seen. “Our treaty meetings aren’t meant to drag on, and little Kaelen here has a curfew.”
“Don’t test me, demon,” Kaelen’s fangs flash in irritation, a warning growl rumbling low in his throat, his voice cold as the snow beneath our feet.
I sigh, feeling the weight of their gazes pressing down on me. Twisting the tassel on my belt, a habit I couldn’t seem to break when I was nervous, I forced my voice to steady. “Gentlemen,” I began, “the fate of the realms hangs in the balance.”
I could feel the forest hold its breath as I paused. A chill filled wind swept over the barren plains, and for a fleeting moment, I wished it would carry me far away from this cursed gathering. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to continue.
“There’s something I’ve hidden from both of you,” I admit, my voice trembling despite my best efforts. “A truth that could change everything… one that could tear apart the fragile peace we’ve spent centuries trying to keep intact.”
Kaelen’s eyes meet mine, curiosity and suspicion flickering in his crimson eyes. Azrael, ever the predator, studied me with amix of intrigue and cruel amusement, as though he found my turmoil entertaining.
“For generations, I have carried a secret that could destroy us all. I am not what you think I am.”
Kaelen’s eyes narrowed, his head tilting slightly in disbelief. Azrael’s lips curve into that infuriating smirk he always does, the one that makes me want to both throttle and kiss him at the same time. But this was no time for hesitation. I steeled myself for what was to come.
“I am not a true Fae,” finally expressing those words, makes my mouth dry and taste like ash. “I am… a vampire.”
The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by the faint rustling of the forest behind me. Kaelen took a sharp breath, his crimson eyes widening with shock. Azrael, on the other hand, chuckled darkly, the sound grating against my frayed nerves.
“A vampire?” He echoed, disbelief and something else, hurt? Clouding his expression.
“Not just any vampire, though, I am of royal blood, Kaelen. Like you. Which means…” I trembled, my voice bitter.
“You’re bound by the treaty,” he says quietly, his voice flat as he pieces it together. “We are to marry.”
Azrael scoffs, his posture radiating heat as hot as a volcano. “This is what you’ve been hiding?” He sneered. “All this secrecy, this drama, for that? Elara, spare me your theatrics. You’ve wasted my time.”
My hands ball into fists, my voice snapping like a whip. “You have no idea what this means, Azrael! The treaty was meant to prevent an imbalance of power, to stabilise the realms. If I don’t fulfil its terms, the consequences will ripple through every corner of our world.”
“And what’s stopping you?” Kaelen asked, his voice uncharacteristically soft. “Why not marry me, Elara? We can preserve the balance…”
“Because I don’t love you!” I blurted out,my voice breaking as my emotions surged to the surface. My hands tremble as I stare at him, tears prickling the corners of my eyes. “I can’t marry someone I don’t love.”
The vulnerability in my voice cut through the icy tension, leaving an unbearable silence in its wake. Kaelen looked stricken, a flicker of hurt crossing his face before he composed himself.
“Then who?” Azrael demanded, his voice sharp with disbelief. “Who could you possibly…”
“I don’t even know if I should say,” I whisper, the words feeling heavy on my tongue. But there was no turning back now. “I’m in love with someone… someone I shouldn’t be.”
Kaelen froze, his expression unreadable. Azrael’s fiery eyes bore into me, his smirk replaced by something more dangerous, silent rage?
“Enough of this!” Azrael snarls, his voice sharp and trembling with fury. His ember-like eyes ignite, and in an instant, flames erupt around him, a tempest of blazing rage consuming his form. The heat is overwhelming, the air crackling with his fury, then, just as suddenly, he’s gone. Leaving nothing but scorched earth in his wake.
Only Kaelen and I remain, the vast plain stretching endlessly around us, eerily silent in Azrael’s absence.
“Elara,” Kaelen began, his voice faltering. “You can’t mean…”
“I need time to think,” I interrupt him, my voice tight with panic. Without waiting for a reply, I spread my wings and launched myself into the air, my heart pounding as I fled the scene.
Back in the safety of Lunairis, I land clumsily on the Grand Oak Tree near my palace, tears streaming freely down my face. The weight of my confession, the looks on their faces, and the truth of my heart were too much to bear. My mother had always told me I felt things too deeply, and tonight, I knew she was right.
