Chapter 26

The kiss was something completely unreal, even in Jace’s own world of myths and magic.

When he opened his eyes there was nothing but the cold air and the northern lights. He wasn’t exactly surprised that Zebedaios had disappeared though he did wonder if Zebedaios was even real. Jace didn’t exactly have any material evidence of it. Just the lingering tingle of lightning on his lips and lemongrass in his nose.

Despite all the mystery, Jace smiled, knowing this was exactly how Zebedaios wanted him to feel.

He stepped forward toward the railing and gripped it. The marble was icy out in the weather. Even with the sun in his veins he knew that. Above him the serpent danced its slithering dance. He just stood there staring up at it. In awe of it and what had just happened to him.

He didn’t know how long had passed when the door to the balcony opened, warm light drenching it. It quickly closed, the light once again the magical otherworldly green.

“Jace what are you doing?” It was Nikita who asked the question.

A little startled by hearing her voice Jace turned to look at her on the balcony. She looked up at the lights, sharing in their glory too. Their colour washed over her white figure, bringing her to life with colour. Jace smiled as he assumed that he must have looked the same.

“I just followed someone out here,” Jace said wistfully.

Nikita frowned and strutted over to the railing, she said cooly, “What did you push them over?”

She looked down at the side of the palace, then back at Jace almost disappointed she didn’t find anyone there.

“Of course not,” Jace dismissed.

“Okay,” Nikita said slowly, “So where are they?”

“Wish I knew they just disappeared.”

“Hmm one of the magical types, they can be so dramatic,” Nikita said, something almost like sympathy in her voice.

“Something like that,” Jace said.

He looked out at their lands, just maybe he hoped to spot Zebedaios somewhere yet Zebedaios seemed to only appear when he wanted to be seen. Jace would just have to wait until his next appearance to find those answers. Still he burned with impatient curiosity.

“Well, as beautiful as it is out here there are probably a million things for you to do inside and you wouldn’t want the Queen wondering where you were,” Nikita stepped away from the railing.

“I suppose,” Jace said and turned away too.

Nikita pulled open the door yet she halted suddenly. “Oh, it’s you.”

Momoka pushed her way past Nikita to look at Jace. “There you are.”

Nikita froze, horrified that Momoka had just dared to touch her but had gone even further to push her. Jace was pulled out of his dream back to reality. Acid burned his tongue as he witnessed Momoka’s mistake.

“Momoka….” he said softly.

“Yes?” She replied, her eyes filled with tears.

“Don’t touch the royal family, not only is it dangerous, it’s extremely rude. Surely you Alphas explained that to you,” Jace tried to be gentle in his explanation but he could see the tension build up within Momoka’s body.

“What was she doing out here with you?” Momoka said with an aquatory tone, avoiding the topic entirely.

“That’s a funny way of saying sorry,” Nikita spat, still in the doorway, white body bathed in the warm light of the inside.

“Answer the question!” Momoka growled at Nikita, a real animalistic rumble in her throat.

Nikita looked a little taken aback by this. “Nothing, I was just telling him to come inside.”

“Oh so you were just out here alone with him to tell him that, you could have told me.”

Nikita looked so exasperated by the whole situation. “I’m allowed to talk to whoever I want, especially Jace. If you can’t handle me even talking to him you’ve got a grim future ahead of you.”

With that Nikita slammed the door. Leaving them outside in the cold. Momoka almost instantly started to tremble with it. She looked up at Jace for some sympathy.

He stepped toward her, sharing his heat so that she might not freeze.

“Momoka,” he said softly, “You know the reality of my situation, you can’t be so mean to Nikita and you are absolutely forbidden from touching her.”

Momoka huffed and a tear rolled down her face. “She’s so cruel to me she’s trying to get me into trouble with you.”

Jace was completely lost for words. The curse of jealousy had truly overwhelmed Momoka that night. He hoped that she would calm down and come to her senses. Maybe this night had just been too much for her.

She looked up at the sky past Jace’s tormented yet beautiful face.

“Wow…” she gasped.

Jace joined her in looking up at the dance of the serpent.

So quickly had things become so complex between him and Momoka. Everything had been nothing but happiness and the joy of learning of someone. Silently Jace cursed jealousy and its vile claws that had sunk into Momoka.

Yet gazing up at the lights, Jace could hardly hold his thoughts in the present. Zebedaios’ smile echoed through his memories, along with the electric feeling of his lips upon his own. The ease that they had shared on the same balcony, Jace longed for.