Found: A Sage Hollins Novel

CHAPTER FOUR

It had been five days since I met her. Five days since my skin met hers in a moment of pure electricity. Five days since my eyes fell upon the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Five days since the dreams began. 

Every night after my mind succumbed to sleep after staying up for hours imagining how our next meeting would be...I found myself in a dark room with her. I recognized it as the throne room Mother had designed for me. My marriage room. 

I found myself smelling the linens, ensuring they were clean and ready. Investigating the bathroom to ensure that all of the delicacies a woman needs were stocked. Making sure the room was filled with lilac and chamomile candles. Ushering away the tailor who was preparing a suit for me, so I could iron it myself. Everything had to be perfect.

When the dream picked up I was in the room again, and she was there. She wore a dusty pink cotton tee with jeans tore at the thigh. I could see her black bra through her shirt but the way she approached me I could not tell if that were on purpose. 

Her hands were holding mine, rubbing them against her cheek. She had a tear in her eye and I was concerned. She was telling me how different we were, and I was telling her I didn't care. She was everything I ever wanted...

The dream continued to change until finally we were in bed together, and she was finally confessing her love to me. 

This dream happened the exact same way every night, and every morning I woke up sweaty and longing for her. But I knew why this was happening. Just as I knew she was having the dreams as well...that was part of the marriage bond. Lor had been digging through his mother's research to find as much information on the bonds between fae royalty. As much as he could without getting caught that was...His mother, Dr. Charmaine Brennard, was my father's research analyst. She kept a documented history of all things concerning our royal lineage. 

From the research Lor had found- Even though Sage and I had not been wed...yet...our souls were bound for eternity. From the moment our skin touched the tie was forged. Like a tattoo on our hearts that we would belong together forever. But there were side effects. We were mated now, and the Moon Goddess was demanding we join together, complete the transition...just as every other royal pair had done before us. And if we didn't? 

The dreams are the first effect of many. They would begin to intensify leading up to the night we joined together. From as far as Lor had read, this could last about three months. After that the future Queen would notice her health depleting...vomiting, hair loss, fatigue...The mere thought of Sage becoming sick made me nauseous. 

My phone ringing on the bedside table pulled me from my thoughts- Lor. 

"Hello?" 

"Are you free to talk?" 

"About...?"

"Can you leave your house?"

"Let me find  out..."

He had more information... it wasn't safe to talk about Sage at home. Not with Wren and her spies lurking around every corner. 

Wren was my father's newest obsession. As soon as Mother was released from her throne, he banished her from the Kingdom. Now she was living across the world, all alone. My parent's story was as tragic as they come...they were mated, but there was never any love. The Moon Goddess had to have been playing some cruel joke when she mated the two of them. All Father ever wanted was to be King, like his father before him. But in our realm, the Queen holds the real power, and when he finally found his Queen, only to discover that she wasn't a member of the royal court...he about lost his mind. 

For 500 years my mother served our Kingdom, and stood by my father even when he abused her. She never let our people see what a terrible man their King was, a terrible husband, a terrible father. And when it was her time to step down from the throne, to give her only child the opportunity to find his mate and take his place...Father exiled her. He met Wren and decided it was time that the Kingdom turn over a new leaf...why not give someone who wasn't tied by the soul bond the opportunity to be Queen? 

So he could have another 500 years to be king.

I opened my door slowly, peeking down the long hallway. The house was colder than usual, but that was probably due to the chill racing down my spine. I tucked my  phone into my pocket and began the walk to the doorway- which was always a challenge. Today was no different.

"Where ya headed, Brother?" Kindra drawled. Wren's oldest daughter stuck a high heeled leg out in front of me. As usual, she was wearing next to nothing else- a skirt so short you could see her mesh underwear and everything beneath them, a shirt so tight her n****e rings were more than visible- considering the shirt was also see-through. Her brown curls were pulled back away from her heart shaped face, and her hazel eyes looked me up and down. 

I did my best not to provoke her, "I'm going to hang out with Lor." 

She gave me a mischievous grin, "Oooo Lorenzoooo. I love me a tall dark man, imagine the trouble that the three of us could get into." 

"Stop Kindra."

Her tongue trailed over her full lips, "Or what? You'll tell Mommy and Daddy? They're not married yet, so technically I'm not your big sister yet. We could use your marriage bed, you won't need it and I'm sure it'll be big enough for three." She was pressed up against me now, rubbing her body against mine. 

I felt rage boil up within me as  the thought of anybody  but Sage in my marriage bed crossed my mind. Just as Kindra's hands traveled to my groin I grabbed her by her wrists and shoved her against the foyer wall. 

"You are never to step in that room, Kindra. And you will never touch me again." 

Her eyes glimmered, "Oh, little brother, don't act like it's some line we haven't already crossed." she pressed a cold kiss to my lips and pulled herself away from me, sauntering down the hall.

I felt a pit open in my stomach. Kindra was a mistake made in the first year after Mother's exile. I was sixteen and hurting. When I met her, she helped to blind me from the pain. It had never been an emotional attachment, purely s****l. But then she introduced her mother to my father and that's when I realized it had all been a ploy. My relationship with her would forever be my biggest regret. And now that I knew who I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, I regretted it even further. 

I met Lor at our unofficial meeting grounds to discuss his newest findings- the local park. Standing beside a large oak tree, he paced. He looked like the blood had been drained from his face. 

"Lor, what is it?" I touched my hand to his shoulder.

"Reid...when are you going to see her again?" his voice was weak. 

"I-I don't know. Why?"

"You have to see her soon. You have to tell her the truth." he demanded. 

"Lorenzo, what is going on?!" 

"I was able to find more research in my mother's files. In the last 5,000 years, there has been only one documented case of a King and Queen not joining." he wasn't looking me in the eye.

"Okay...what happened?" I wasn't sure I wanted to know.

"She died. And after she died the King became very ill. He lived long enough to remarry and produce an heir...but after the child was born, the King died too." 

My heart sunk. This is not what I wanted for her. I wanted to give her the chance to fall in love with me, and I her. I wanted to get to know her, to hear her wildest dreams. I didn't want our entire relationship to be based on a soul bond that neither of us had any control over. 

"How long?" I spat out the words.

"What?" 

"How long do we have?!" I shouted. My body was shaking.

"The Queen was dead within five months. The King lasted long enough to produce an heir. He died within a minute of his heir being born." 

I fell to the ground, feeling defeated. Five months..? She had five months to either fall in love with me, marry me and join with me- not fall in love with me and just join with me to save our lives- or not join with me at all and we both die...The pressure on my shoulders felt like a thousand pounds. I wasn't aware that I had begun to cry until my friend was patting my back trying to console me. 

"Reid, I know you wanted to get to know her. I know you didn't want her to feel like she didn't have any option in the matter...but the fact remains- she doesn't. She can either join with you, or you both will die. I know this all happened very fast, but now the clock is ticking. You have to tell her the truth."

I lifted my head up from my lap and nodded. He was right. I couldn't let her die.