Lilette dipped her chin low. Her eyes were filled with acrimony and bitterness, and her mouth was downturned. Her breath came out shallow when she said, "When I first met you, I thought you were a docile girl who knew nothing about the world. You were very simple and pure. How did you turn out to be so ferocious and crafty?" Sarcasm dripped from her words. She took a step closer to Anastasia.
Anastasia ignored her words. "Why don't you tell me what Etaya is doing to you. What is the deal?"
"Come with me and I will tell you everything."
Anastasia scoffed. "What about Iona? Is she with you? Where is she? Tell me."
Lilette shook her head. "I am aware that you are dying to know about her, but like I said earlier, come with me and you will know everything."
"Come with you where?" asked Anastasia. "There's no way you can get out of this place."
"Really?" Lilette smirked. "How do you think I got in?"
"How did you get in?" Anastasia demanded.
Lilette smiled. "It is Kaizan who has helped us."
Shock hit her with full force. "What?" Anastasia's blood drenched from her face as stomach knotted and her heart plummeted. "You are speaking lies!"
Lilette shrugged. "Why would I lie to you, Anastasia?"
"Because you are disgusting. You have spread the rumors without thinking what kind of effect it would bring upon the people of Draoidh and Silver Vales. And because of you, innocents were killed." She recalled the heads and limbs that rolled out of the sack. It was so gory, so mindless. Bitterness was all she felt for her cousin.
Lilette tilted her head and shook it lightly. "What you see isn't always true. There are many things you will never know or I can tell you. Kaizan isn't what you think he is. He was more than happy to help me, help Iona. He is in love with Iona and he is helping us on the inside."
"Shut that fucking mouth of yours."
Lilette rolled her eyes. "You don't know anything. Etaya wants you back. She is ready to let you rule the kingdom beside Aed Ruad. She believes that the two of you will take Vilinski to greater heights."
Anastasia raised her hand for her to see her Evindal ring. "Ileus and I were married in Evindal. No one can separate us. Who the fuck is Etaya to even think like that?"
Lilette jerked her head back as her breath became ragged. "Do you realize what that means, Anastasia?" said Lilette with a gleam in her eyes. "Why don't you seize Draoidh from the queen and then you will be able to rule both the kingdoms. This whole Lore would be yours. The battle will be over. We will all go back to where we belong… quietly… peacefully—"
"Enough!" Anastasia roared and she threw her dagger at Lilette. It struck her right in the middle of her forehead and blood sprayed on Anastasia's face.
Lilette's eyes rolled back in the head after a brief moment of shock. When she fell on the floor with the dagger in her forehead, there was a smile on her lips and a tear rolled out of her left eye. "Father…" she heaved her last.
Anastasia watched her body turning cold almost instantly as death gripped her. She commanded her dagger to come back to her. It pulled out of her flesh and lobbed in the air. She caught it with its hilt. Anastasia wanted to feel guilty for killing her cousin, but she didn't.
Ileus was standing a few yards away, watching his wife kill her. It was almost twilight. The orange sun was setting behind her and its fiery glow made her golden hair and white wings shine with shadows of its light. She looked… divine. He walked up to her, admiring his wife's gorgeousness. Even in this state, with blood sprayed on her face and clothes, she was the most beautiful woman his eyes had ever beheld. And he was the luckiest man in the world. No. He was luckiest in all realms. "What were her parting words?" he asked because he heard Lilette murmur something.
"She said… Father…" Anastasia swallowed bile that had risen in her throat. "Is it a hint?"
"Come to me," he said as the evening grew quieter. She took shaky steps towards him and he pulled her into a tight embrace. Her wings curled around them and cocooned him. The sounds of the war behind them subsided.
Anastasia could feel her husband's heart thundering. She just pressed herself against his chest as even she was feeling as if a thousand stormy waves had crashed inside her body. "I want to take you away from here, princess," he said. "And start working on the deal we struck."
She just chuckled as her body shuddered. She let out a sob—one that she had pushed down for so long that she didn't realize it wanted to explode out of her chest. "I— this— this is all far from over," she said, lowering her hands, which had a dagger and Evindal sword.
"I am proud of you warrior girl," he said in a low voice. His mate had come a long way. From being a timid girl who was dancing with Aed Ruad with a veil on her face, she has turned into this fierce, strong and determined warrior and a fae princess that she was truly supposed to be. He didn't care that she was being seen as a deity by his people or not, but yes—that was something that made his chest swell with pride. He curled his fingers beneath her chin and when his eyes that burned like fireflies in the night, gazed intently into hers he said, "You have come a long way, woman. And I feel confident about you. And seeing you in action like that—"
"Why do I feel that you are not appreciating me?" His erection pressed against her belly.
"Because right now, my body is not in tandem with my brain. So, what my brain is saying is right, but my body is contracting everything I just said, but that doesn't mean what I am saying is incorrect because—"
Anastasia went on her toes, threaded her fingers in his hair and pulled him closer to kiss on his lips. When her lips were merely a breath away, she said, "Stop stuttering, honey, and kiss me."
And Ileus crashed his lips on hers.
"Ugh!" They heard a man from behind and they knew who that was.
Ileus flicked his fingers and Anastasia found herself traveling through smoke before landing right in their room. She didn't know who was taking out whose clothes but they were all teeth and lips and tongues. They kissed each other wildly. In a few seconds, they were both on bed rolling over each other to show who was more needy than the other. Anastasia was never so desperate for him and he was never so desperate for her. He dipped his head on his mark and sucked there as he grazed her with his fangs. "Ah!" Her thighs clenched as heat coiled in a liquid pool over there.