Court of Nightmares and Ruin

Chapter 35

Icelyn

Kohl rose from the bed before sunup. I blinked a few times to clear the sleep from my eyes and bounded from the bed when he left for the bathing house. I quickly bathed and threw on my clothes. He was not going without me.

When he returned, I sat crossed-legged at the end of the bed. He looked me over quickly and then shook his head.

"You might as well crawl that sexy little body of yours back under the covers because you are not going with me."

"We shall see," I threatened and threw my head up defiantly in the air.

He stalked over to me like a predator, and my body tingled all over. Even in my human form, he caused an addictive reaction in my body, one that I was trying to ignore at the moment. He gripped my chin between his pointer finger and thumb and tilted my head upward, forcing me to look into his swirling typhoon eyes.

"You are going to stay here until I get back. The Day Realm is too dangerous, even if you were still a powerful fae, so you certainly will not be going like this."

I snatched my chin from his grip and idly approached the balcony. "Suit yourself. If you leave me here, I will just escape, and I might injure myself in the process."

To make my point, I leaned over the railing and looked down. Kohl was by my side quicker than my mind could process his movements. He hoisted me over his shoulder and dropped me back on the bed.

"I'll get Nero and be in the Day Realm before any of your guards realize I am gone. Wouldn't it be much easier just to take me with you? That way, you can ensure that nothing happens to me." I sat on my knees, wrapped my arms around his waist, and nuzzled his chest. He looked down at me with a pissed-off look on his face.

"How is it, with our mate bond gone, I am still incapable of saying no to you?"

I smiled up at him and kissed his cheek.

"Go find Jen and have her help you change. It's improper for the Night Realm Queen to meet the Day Realm King in her training uniform."

I dashed towards the door, stopped at the door frame, and looked back at him. "Don't you dare leave before I get back."

"I'm seriously considering locking you in the dungeon," he warned but smiled at me.

I quickly found Jen, who chose a long, elegant-looking black dress with a sweetheart neckline and left my hair in flowing curls. When I returned to Kohl, he gave me the once over.

"I changed my mind; you can't go, not looking that appetizing."

I plastered myself to Kohl's side and looped my arms around his neck. "Stop joking, and let's get this over with." I am suddenly nervous, and I know Kohl can tell by the increase in my pulse.

"Brace yourself, Snowflake. This will be an experience you will never forget."

"We really have to work on your pep talks." I rolled my eyes at Kohl as he transported us to the Day Realm.

When we arrived, I noticed my feet were not touching the ground. I'm just dangling like a rag doll in Kohl's arms. Kohl had a bone-crushing grip on my waist and pulled me even tighter as guards came rushing toward us with iron weapons.

"Do we have to do this every time?" Kohl huffed in boredom as if we were not getting ready to be skewered by iron swords.

Kohl's eyes rolled over them like a tidal wave, and they all fell face down.

"Please do not kill anymore of my brother's men. Every time you come here, we lose at least a dozen."

A particularly beautiful fae with golden hair, perfectly bronzed skin, and captivating blue eyes sashayed toward Kohl. I immediately didn't like her and definitely did not like how she looked at my male. I squirmed in his arms, and he finally lowered me to the ground.

"Then I suggest you tell them to keep their distance from me, especially when I arrive with my queen."

Her eyes slithered to me as if she had just now realized I was on the same planet. "This scrawny human is your mate?"

I stepped towards her intending to mess up her perfect face, but Kohl gripped my arm and pulled me back.

"Your pettiness is unbecoming, Hala. Now please, act like the seelie fae you claim to be and lead me to your brother. If you do not, I will gladly find him myself."

Hala glanced at me once more and then motioned for us to follow her. She swayed her seductive hips more than necessary as she walked before Kohl. I can't help but wish that I had my powers at this precise moment. I was pretty sure I would freeze her ass so she could no longer make it sway.

She led us through the castle, and I couldn't help but compare this realm to the Night Realm. The Day Realm was bright, with a million colors and gold scattered throughout the rooms, whereas the Night Realm was dark, cool, and peaceful.

Hala stopped in a room that was the exact opposite of all the other rooms we just went through. This room was dark, the shutters were tightly drawn, and the only light came from a roaring fireplace, and in front of the fireplace is a high-backed chair. Hala quickly left the room, closing the door behind her. My hackles rose, and I could feel the tension in the room.

Kohl just stood there staring at the back of the chair. As I was about to break the silence and ask where the Day Realm king was, a deep, threatening voice boomed from the other side of the chair.

"Come forward, Night Realm Queen."

My heart fell to the pit of my stomach as I turned questioning eyes to Kohl. With a swift nod, he motioned for me to go forward. I slowly walked towards the chair and stopped when I was directly in between the chair and the fireplace.

I startled when I looked upon the fae in the chair and had to physically withhold the tremble that threatened my body. Seated in the chair was the most awful abomination I had ever seen.

Half of him was a strikingly handsome fae with perfect portions, black hair, and smoldering green eyes, but the other half of his body was a dark lion with a wicked-looking scar etching a path through his eye. The two halves mesh almost seamlessly, the lion form slowly taking over the fae form. I had seen one or the other, but never both simultaneously.

His eyes rolled over my form, and he sneered at me as he spoke. "So, you've come to stare at the beast, have you?"