Bound in Blood (Mists of the Fae Book 8), page 31
“I will not believe such lies,” Alyric spat crossing his arms. “I know mine daughter for who she is, but I will always love and protect her. Talerys was not the first to make the claim of her ways but he is the one who has stood by her and saw past it. I will uphold his rights and protect him from these baseless accusations ending this farce of a betrothal, even if it means her dishonor as well as that of your entire rule.”
“And you?” Marcus prompted facing Talerys. “You seem to care for Astryn in some way. Do you honestly wish to harm her further? Will you still sit there and deny her allegations knowing what this would do to her? Your penance will be far more severe if you pursue this course.”
“The Lady Astryn is my mate,” Talerys spoke solemnly with just an air of arrogance. “I allowed her to seduce me and as such I claim her. I know how to care for her and protect her from herself.”
Kyle scoffed but Cymeryn raised his hand. “Kyle, you must leave if the Bonding is to proceed this eve. To remain would be to break the sequester. Byryn will be here, as will I and your uncle.”
“Father…” Kyle protested but he cut him off.
“Now, son. I have no choice. I know how hard this will be but we will care for her. I am sorry. Talerys will pay whatever penance you deem fit to sate your rage for this injustice once his guilt is proven,” his Father spoke with the level of command in his voice that couldn’t be ignored.
Byryn turned to him, holding his gaze as his essence wrapped around him. “Go to our study. Your sister will come sit with you until this is done. I swear to you, Kyle, I won’t leave her to deal with this alone. When her role in this is over I’ll take her back to our suite and sit with her until she’s calm.”
He breathed deeply but nodded. If he couldn’t be with her the next best thing was having Byryn at her side, but this was torture. He wouldn’t delay their Bonding over this. It would feel like a punishment to her. He couldn’t do that, but he was going to make Talerys pay dearly.
Shooting the bastard one last look he misted to their study. Dropping to his knees he focused inward, trying to keep himself steady while he waited for Star. The only saving grace out of this was that after tonight his mea would never have to deal with this shit again.
Astryn followed Byryn’s essence and formed beside him stumbling as he caught her.
“Easy eria, it’s hard misting in this realm on a normal day,” he chuckled. “You’ll get better at it as you practice. You did good for a first try.”
She nodded not really feeling too sure about what was expected of her. She wished Kyle was here but he was respecting her wish to bond tonight. She curtsied to the Kings of Balance. “My lords.”
They both bowed their heads to her. “Princess Astryn.”
Cymeryn measured her carefully. “Do you know why you are here, Astryn?”
“I do. Byryn explained why you requested my presence, but I’m not sure what you need of me, Lord Cymeryn,” she admitted trying not to show how terrified she was to be here. The only thing keeping her from losing it was Byryn.
He sighed and shot an irritated glance at her Father. “Some…claims have been made to counter the allegations Prince Kyle has made against Scholar Talerys. These claims would overrule the Prince’s rights as your mate and dishonor you. Dishonor would mean you have no standing in this society. All your rights would be forfeit and the male appointed as your Custyion would hold full sovereignty over you. Accusations have also been brought against you and Prince Byryn that could well cause issue for you both. In order to reveal the full truth of these situations, we need access to your mind, Astryn. I had tried to prevent this, but there is no other way and for that I am gravely sorry.”
Panic started to swallow her whole but Byryn rested his hand on her shoulder. “Easy, eria. I’m right here with you. Everything’s going to be ok.”
She breathed deeply, letting his essence calm her. As she measured the pleased look on Talerys’ face she wanted to vomit, “And if I choose not to open my mind?”
Cymeryn exhaled harshly but his voice was calm and level. “I will be forced to uphold their petition and Talerys’ claims will be honored. Your Custyionship would be turned over to him and I would be required to release you to his care.”
She shook her head stepping back but ran into Byryn whose hands came to rest on her arms holding her in place. “It’s alright, Astryn. No one is going to let that happen. We know the truth and I know how hard this is for you, but you have to do this. If you need him, I’ll summon Kyle to be here for you. The only reason he’s not here now is because he’s trying to respect your wishes. If you break the sequester period, you won’t be able to bond until after the Queen of the Fae’s coronation. We know how much completing the bond with Kyle tonight means to you.”
“I…” Her head fell in resignation a moment but she refused to play the victim. She raised her head and met Talerys’ smug gaze head on in defiance. She wouldn’t let him win. “If I do this I want the right to use Talerys to test out my new gifts from the Divine.”
“If you wish to test if you can uncover the truth of the Taint in him I will support it, Astryn. I will not hold you to that assertion, however, as I can guarantee he will not be available to you once you leave this room,” Cymeryn reassured her as he gently turned her to face him. He held her in his gaze with promise, making sure that she knew he’d do anything she needed to make this right.
Without out pause she reached out her essence and focused on seeing what was hidden. There definitely wasn’t any Darkness in him but…there were an odd swirls of Night essence. He was Fae, not Gray, and she knew that Talerys would never even consider Redemption.
“Release him, eria. We see it,” Byryn assured her as his voice whispered through her mind. “Unfortunately we can’t prove it. Only the four of us can see it and your Father won’t accept it as the truth.”
Cymeryn reached over taking her hand. Drawing her attention back to the room he caused her to release Talerys. “I know, Astryn. You have revealed the truth of it, but now we must deal with this. I would never request this of you were it not necessary.”
With a sigh she nodded. Really she knew the reason she’d sensed Talerys was to buy time. She wasn’t sure she could do this, but she wouldn’t let him win. She’d sooner die than be at his mercy and there really was no other choice. This was the only way to appease her Father and she would never forgive him for taking it this far.
She was shaking as she went to kneel but Byryn held her in place. “You will not kneel for this. You will never kneel for the likes of them.”
Cymeryn rose and offered her his chair. “Please, Astryn. We mean to make this as easy as possible for you. I am sorry I could not save you this.”
Taking her seat she closed her eyes, not wanting to face either Talerys or her Father. Slowly she opened herself, lowering all her defenses. She didn’t know how this worked with the links to the others but she trusted Byryn to monitor and manage what needed to be done to protect them.
“I’ve got you, eria,” he murmured reassuringly through her mind at the thought. “Just relax and know I’m here and I will take care of you. I’m not leaving you.”
Byryn couldn’t believe the depths of her fire and bravery, but then he would expect no less from eria. He wanted to pull her in his arms and comfort her so badly, but he had to allow this to protect her.
Marcus misted out, returning with Mythos by his side. They waited as formalities were paid, but the King said nothing. He merely stood waiting.
“Sense your daughter, Alyric. View the interactions you question. Lord Mythos will serve as witness to the memories she relives to ensure an impartial accounting. I warn you, however, once this is done I will allow you to bring no further question or allegation against her. I suggest you verify any doubts you may have of Astryn. This is torment enough, and I assure you, neither I nor my son will allow you to cause her further pain beyond this,” Cymeryn ordered forcefully.
Alyric’s eyes narrowed but he had the foresight to keep his mouth shut and do what he was told. Byryn could feel him enter her mind. He might be her Father but having him there felt foreign and wrong in some way. It was almost worse having both him and Mythos there. Forcing himself to shake off the feeling he focused on monitoring the interaction.
Images of Astryn’s past flowed through her mind. Most were dates and conversations with various suitors she’d suffered through. He made sure Alyric had access to her emotions so he would have to experience what she had. Most were respectful, but whenever she expressed her views or opinions they typically dismissed her as cute or naïve, and they did so openly making her feel small and insignificant.
There were three he focused on that seemed to continually make advances on her, but they only made her uncomfortable and embarrassed at their suggestions and actions. None ever did more than pull her close and whisper teasingly in her ear, but it was too much for Astryn. It made her feel wrong and dirty so when it got to be too much she would tell them they weren’t her mate, denying them. She’d refuse to see them again or tell her Father she needed to spend time at the Order of Light to avoid all of them.
When he finished Alyric focused in on her interactions with Talerys. If Byryn didn’t know better, he would think he was witnessing a Shade attempting to gain trust so they could begin grooming their conquest. Their entire first night together he kept her off balance, never allowing her to anticipate his actions. Once he got her alone he cornered her up against the wall, kissing her roughly as he felt her breast and slid his hands possessively over her until she managed to break away. He would be kind one moment and domineering the next. The next few interactions were more subtle as she refused to go anywhere alone with him, making a myriad of excuses to justify herself. He would slide his hand up her skirt under the table, brush his erection against her as he moved past. No one around them would suspect anything, but it was constant. Astryn slowly became versed in avoiding his advances, but that only seemed to make him more persistent.
She had confided in Maveryous and he took to showing up when they were out, inserting himself to protect her. Talerys had promised her when they relocated to the Realm of Balance her foolishness would end and he would make her his. He had never managed more than a few gropes and caresses but based on what they were seeing Byryn was sure he’d have taken more if he could just get her alone and he could clearly sense her fear that he would.
When they arrived she stayed as close to her Mother as she could to avoid being isolated by Talerys. He insisted on accompanying her everywhere and when he couldn’t get her alone any other way he began devising tasks for her Father that she needed to attend to. He never left her side aside from at night when he delivered her to her quarters. He insisted she should get used to it because she’d have no choice but to accept him soon.
At the banquet he kept trying to touch her but she shied away feeling uncomfortable and aggravated. She’d been about to excuse herself knowing Talerys was required to be present when she felt a sudden warmth and pull. She looked up as Kyle entered the room looking regal and calm but she could sense his discomfort and nervousness. Forcing herself to stay despite Talerys, she watched him, unable to figure out what it was that made her feel so drawn to him. Talerys’ anger became apparent but his advances stopped while he studied her, trying to gage what or who she was reacting to.
She had insisted on attending the Claimings that day with her Mother even though Talerys argued that there was no reason to, but her Mother had agreed with her and they all attended. Byryn was amazed at how much she’d felt as Kyle endured the ritual. She hadn’t been kidding when she said she needed to return to her quarters. She was exhausted, but more than that she was confused and frustrated. Kyle hadn’t noticed her and she had no idea what was happening. She’d been trying to make a graceful exit when Byryn had found her and Talerys arguing in the hall and intervened. Alyric watched as he questioned her, leaving her safely in her quarters.
At the Bondings and the ball she had watched Kyle from a distance. Talerys tried to hold her attention but there was nothing he could do. She couldn’t help watching Kyle. Finally, she decided she had to know what it was about him that kept drawing her in. She knew he was Gray and newly awakened. She knew he was now Cymeryn’s son, but she was frustrated and wanted to know more.
When she sensed him it immediately drew his attention. As their eyes met it was like the world stood still and her breathe caught in her chest. She needed to be closer, to know his every thought, but Talerys had become belligerent and pulled her attention. He accused her of making a fool of herself and reminded her that if he felt she should leave they would retire for the eve.
Astryn was sick of his advances. She’d had enough. In her mind taking a risk was better than never knowing. Even if she never saw the Prince again she would talk to him and figure out what the connection was between them. She apologized to Talerys, asking him to get her a glass of wine. He brushed a strand of hair from her face, ant she forced herself not to flinch at his touch. Pleased that she seemed to be warming up to him, he left to get her the wine, but she immediately slipped away through the crowd when he turned his back.
Byryn smiled watching the interactions. Kyle had her number from the first moment he met her. It was easy to see how much he loved figuring her out. He picked up on her unique views, her interests in Earth, her inner strength that she only needed the confidence to harness. They were lost to each other from the start.
He felt her horror when Staryana disappeared in an orb of Darkness only feet from them, but she felt safe in Kyle’s arms as he shielded her, absorbing any affects. He held her tightly, possessively, not releasing her until her Father reached her and he knew she would be safe. It was a painful memory to watch. It was the moment he almost lost his brightness, but he tried to focus in on what Alyric was seeing.
Kyle met her eyes one last time and she could feel his resignation and determination. “Take care of yourself, Astryn, and always remember what I said. You’re a very special Fae. Don’t ever lose that fire of yours.” He released her to her Father then and the pain that ripped through her when he announced they would go after Staryana was a harsh reminder of how difficult it had been on everyone.
All Fae had been returned to quarters after that and she had begun getting ready for bed, but she was restless and took to pacing. She’d been trying to figure out what she should do. Even then she knew Kyle was her mate.
That was how Talerys had found her when he’d entered her chambers unannounced. She immediately covered her barely clad body, telling him to leave. Instead he had stalked her and pinned her against the wall, clamping his hand tightly on her mouth as he roughly raped her in punishment her for her open attraction to Kyle. He’d made it clear that it didn’t matter who her mate was. She was his and he’d never let her go.
It took everything Byryn had not to pull out of their connection and attack the bastard. He’d witnessed all of it last night during the awakening but he, Staryana, and Kyle had been there to soothe the pain of this away. This time she was all but isolated as she relived the memories and all he could really do was watch until it was over. If Alyric knew he was there in her mind it could raise more question that they weren’t really prepared to answer. He couldn’t be anything more than a passive witness.
The scene suddenly changed to the door to his previous quarters. She knocked tentatively and Byryn cracked the door open a moment later, wearing only his silk pants. He studied her with a sigh before opening the door. Byryn watched the scene unfold from her perspective as he led her to the bed with Staryana and they sat listening while she detailed her Father’s latest attempt to come between her and Kyle, her frustration at the pain he was enduring because of whatever had occurred between him and the King, and how helpless she was feeling in all of it. Byryn had drawn her into his lap and promised he wouldn’t let anyone come between her and Kyle. He and Staryana had comforted her and the poor girl was so tired she’d passed out there. The image faded out and popped back up with her immediate confusion as Kylion bounced on the bed waking the three of them pretty much exactly as they had been the night before.
She was embarrassed and apologized profusely but Byryn had dismissed it because it was honestly nothing. He’d misted her to her room to protect her reputation and left her immediately. Three days later, the day before they’d forced Kyle to deal with the situation, she’d come to him crying hysterically again over her Father’s actions. This time he’d carried her to the bed and used his essence to calm her, drawing on his connection with Kyle to soothe her. He’d told her to just sleep and sealed the room so they could rest. She and Star had slept wonderfully but Byryn hadn’t. He’d spent the night using his connection to taunt Kyle, but Alyric wouldn’t see that.
Her Father withdrew from her mind and he could sense the emotional wreckage he’d left in his wake. Byryn refocused on his surroundings and stepped forward placing a hand on Astryn’s shoulder as she broke into sobs. She nearly fell from the chair but Byryn scooped her into his arms. Alyric tried to reach for her but she burrowed further into his chest and he turned her from him.
“No, don’t you dare touch her after you put her through all that,” Byryn growled. “We are her family. We’re the ones who have truly accepted her and have taken the time to get to know who she really is. You’ve made suppositions based on an incident that occurred before she was even born and never even gave her a chance. You listened to rumors and forced her into the hands of scum that hurt her time and again. Then you took their word over your own daughter.” His eyes narrowed at Talerys before refocusing in on Alyric. “I don’t know how you can even call yourself her Father.”
