"Oooo…can you really fly?" Riella spun to look at Kade, words tumbling from her mouth so quickly they were barely recognizable. "Can you teach me? Please! I’ve always wanted to fly!"
Kade stared at her in bafflement for a moment before he grinned, not even bothering to undo the grip my soulmate had on him. "Of course, I can show you how to fly, little bird, but Iwouldn't want to show you from here. That drop is quite vertical and one can never trust the sands around here. Now if your father would be so kind as to release me on solid ground."
Riella squealed and jumped up and down, tugging at my hand while she looked up at me, “I am going to learn how to fly!”
Emon leaned into Kade, his hair falling over his eyes with his cold predatory gaze as he whispered harshly to him, “consider this your only warning,shadow brother,”then with a quick jerk of his hand, he released him, forcing him to stumble along the black glass wall.
Tilting my head to the side with curiosity, I regarded my brother who was now adjusting his clothing to its rightful place, grumbling to himself. "How high up are we exactly?"
Kade’s head snapped up and he smiled like the sibling that I remembered from our past mischief. "Thinking of jumping yourself? Only the tallest towers are for the Dark family, sister. Go have a look for yourself."
Releasing Riella’s hand I stepped across the room towards the crystal balcony covered by a thin barrier of glass, while the others watched on. As if it sensed me, the barrier shimmered and I raised my brow—it was anillusion.
Tentatively I pushed my hand through the transparent black wall, seeing it slide through with ease. Nodding to myself, the rest of my body followed and I was instantly bathed in an aurora of rainbow twilight that was Sheol’s skies. Glittering stardust continued to fall, welcoming me in a gentle snow-like dust as it cascaded over the multiple towers of Sheol’s city of Voltum. Their reflective surfaces spiraling upwards to sharp points that disappeared into the darkness.
I pursed my lips, knowing the others had followed me out into the night. "This glass—" I ran my hand along the smooth black surface, "it is the same as the onyx throne room, Lord Oberon’s work.” The ancient elemental fae’s work was well known, his precise control over fire and earth made him a master craftsman of glass. There was no one better and he had passed on before I ever met him, in the Blood Wars.
I felt Emon approach, his warming power and delicious chocolate spice scent temporarily overwhelming my senses. His claw rang across the balcony’s rail. “You are right, little umbra but how can that be?”
Riella rushed between us, leaning over the rail with her arms outstretched for more stardust without fear of the endless plunge below.
My soulmate grinned back at me, his gold eyes flashing."Our cub is fearless and has a sweet tooth."
"Turns out Oberon is a friend of our father’s and after his death, Shea granted him peace within the Eithne in exchange for building this city for our mother and our court. Voltum—the city of desires, wishes, hopes, and vows. Everything you would want in the afterlife right?" Kade said dryly.
Turning I regarded my baby brother as he stood leaning against the balcony entrance with his arms crossed, his stormy darkness back once more.
My brows pinched together. "Our people live within? These are their homes? I don’t understand…they are not gods…"
Kade’s face turned a shade darker and he shrugged, "Homes, shrines, stairs to the eternal…" pain flashed in his eyes, "tombs," he whispered.
Emon rumbled next to me, pulling Riella back from the railing the same time my command left my lips, "Take me to them, take me to my court—and my friends. Now."
Chapter 5
Quietly,withourdaughterin hand, I followed Remnant and her brother out of our tower and back onto the mirrored silver path that connected the vast network of the city of Voltum. The predator in me carefully tracked the shifting sands while keeping a close eye on my soulmate’s brother, Kade Stellan Shea Dark.
It came as no fucking surprise to me that Kade held his fathers name as was custom for the fae. Except, no one ever thought the Dark children could ever be half god’s. It was always assumed that the shadow fae honored Shea, the god of death because he was more connected to their darkness rather than the bright light of Faerie and so Kade’s name was simply in honor of that.
I waited for the voice of Ethereal to respond. Surely he would have a comment or two, but the fucking cat had been tediously silent since he almost burned our world down and that—goddess damn it, that concerned me.
"Father. Taste this." My cub stretched her slobbery hand up towards me, popping it from her dust smeared mouth.
I wrinkled my nose at the glittery saliva dripping from her fingers and gave her a wide smile, chuckling inwardly. "I wouldn't dare take away the source of your pleasure, my cub. You need not share, in fact..." I hoisted my daughter up on my shoulders and found myself falling in love with the way she laughed, just like I did when I first heard her mother’s. "See if you can gather more from up there to support your little addiction and enjoy your stardust."
Remnant’s shoulders shook with laughter in front of me but I could still see the tension in them. Her worry was practically palpable and it flooded our bond. She was shaken and I had no way of reassuring her that all would be well. Because that would be alie.
I rubbed my bare chest, to ease the sudden ache I felt the same time her emerald eyes looked back at me. "You finally got rid of your shirt. I’m surprised you had it on for as long as you did."
My brows rose,“I can’t tell if this pleases you or not.”
Her laughter floated along our bond, and I held tightly onto Riella as she leaned to the side for what I could only assume was for more dust.
“It did bring up some interesting possibilities…”Her seductive tone purred inside of me and I swallowed hard.
Fuck.
Sighing, I shook my head. "Maybe next time, little umbra. The fabric is much too confining for me to be able to kill your father if need be."
