Bonds Eternal (Fae Hearted #4)

27. Broken

27

brOKEN

WYNSTELLE

D esperately, I channel healing energy into Eldrin’s dying father. I’m holding his wound, hoping to keep more blood from escaping. I worry I can’t repair the injuries fast enough. I could heal Oakes after his ghoul attack because of my love for him and my overwhelming need to save my bonded mate.

If my love fuels my mirror magic, I find I don’t have love in me for Magnus. Then I remember, I do for his son. That flood of emotion enhances my ability, but I fear it won’t be enough to save him.

My eyes fill with tears as Magnus tells Eldrin he will make a good king. He’s giving up—releasing his spirit. If that’s the case, no matter what I do, he will die.

Magnus jerks ever so slightly and I look up to understand what’s happening to him.

Then I see what caught Magnus’ attention before Eldrin does.

“ Eldrin …” Magnus breathes.

Behind the prince, Turgon appears, his arms raised up, ready to plunge a long sword down into Eldrin’s body.

Without a thought, I snatch up my metal baton from the floor beside me and launch myself over Magnus. I block Turgon’s blade, and a shocking reverberation slams into my forearms when my staff hits his sword, but I manage to hold on to the handle of my weapon.

Turgon’s sword sails a few strides away. Apparently, Merlara’s magical sigils are nothing to be trifled with.

After seeing his weapon on the ground, he turns back to me in shock.

He caused almost all the pain and turmoil in my life. Beyond what he did to me, he hurt so many in the last few days. And that is only what I know about. He is the bane of my worlds.

If Turgon hadn’t manipulated everything, then Eldrin could have had a father. He wouldn’t have run him through either.

Then Turgon dares to try to murder Eldrin by sneaking up on him?

No. This ends now.

In Turgon’s eyes, I see it barely registers that I’m already striking at him again.

This time, I aim for his head. With a loud crack, my blow lands true.

Turgon falls to the floor and groans.

Turgon used the king’s trust in him and his own status to manipulate the crown. He was about to murder my mate right in front of me, probably all just to capture the fucking throne for himself. I’m sure everyone I love is next on his kill list.

Uncontrollable rage erupts inside me.

My baton comes down on Turgon’s skull once more. Despite using all of my strength to deliver the blow, I strike repeatedly until Turgon finally ceases to draw breath.

“ Wynstelle ,” Eldrin whispers. “Stop. He’s gone.” He pulls me off the commander and holds me to his chest.

I drop the baton, and it cracks the floor tile where it lands. I gaze down at my shaking hands. Turgon’s and the king’s blood stain my flesh.

I have done what I had never imagined I could do… I have taken a life.

The weight of everything that’s happened slams into my chest. I’ve failed to prevent Eldrin from hurting his father, and I’ve killed someone.

I only realize my whole body is shaking when Eldrin runs his hand down my back to soothe me. “Wyn?—”

“Your father!” I break away from his hold and fall to my knees to use my healing magic on the king.

I abruptly stop when I look at the king’s face. I see the difference. His essence is gone. “Oh, no. Eldrin, I’m so sorry. I should have saved him.”

“You saved me instead, my princess.” Eldrin pulls me up against him again. “I heard my father whisper, ‘good choice in a mate,’ just before he passed through the veil.”

“If my magic was stronger…”

“No. I suspect he was too far gone to save with a healer’s touch. Not even Oakes could have done much more.”

Does he really believe that or is he only trying to relieve my guilt?

Eldrin picks up my baton and presses it into my shaking hands. Then he guides me toward the door to his father’s private office. “We need to help the others now. Let’s see if Corwin is in here.”

Eldrin opens the door, and we find Corwin lying unconscious on the floor. He rushes forward and thankfully he rouses Corwin and helps him to the exit.

We return through the throne room. Just outside the doors in the corridor, we discover Baelen, Daylor, and Captain Oliver piled in an inert heap.

I gasp and run to check on them, sighing with relief when I discover they are still alive.

Each has a bloody wound to the head.

Finally, they wake when Corwin and I call and shake them.

“Can you walk?” Eldrin asks, his voice laced with worry.

They all nod after checking on their injuries. Each finds their footing. Although I can sense using Oakes’ healer power, they are a bit dizzy and hurting.

As we all hurry down the wide hallway, Eldrin asks them, “So what happened to you? Why were you knocked out?”

Baelen takes the lead in reporting, “Not long after Wyn ran inside to help you, Commander Turgon appeared out of nowhere and threw a spell over Oliver and knocked me out. I’m not sure why he didn’t kill me.”

“I was just inside the throne room, cloaked,” Daylor says. “Turgon must have sensed me, snuck up and thrown a spell on me, then dragged me out of the room while you were busy with the king.”

Eldrin looks at Corwin next since he hasn’t heard why he was found unconscious in the king’s office.

“Same thing happened to me.” Corwin rubs his head, looking embarrassed at being jumped unaware.

“Well, he won’t be a problem anymore,” Eldrin says, his voice tight. He gives me a worried look and takes my hand in his as we walk through the empty halls.

I sense through our mate bond that he doesn’t know if I can handle the guilt of taking a life. Honestly, I’m not completely sure myself. But as I replay the horrible moment in my mind, I remember my intense need to protect Eldrin from imminent death. I had no other choice if I wanted us both to live.

“And… What happened to the king?” Baelen asks, her voice hesitant.

All eyes fall on Eldrin. He resists the instinct to flinch. “I challenged him to the throne.”

“You killed him?” Daylor asks in shock.

Eldrin gives them a curt nod, not trusting his voice not to betray the emotions swirling inside him.

I squeeze his hand, trying to convey my emotional support through this confusing aftermath.

“We’ll return to the Mage Temple with Jaden and Oakes and regroup,” Eldrin finally says. “Perhaps we can break the spell over them once we get there.”

It takes some effort since Jaden and Oakes have a larger, muscular frame for Elven males, but our little group carries them through the castle to the portal in the garden.

Darra, our brownie ally, stops at the entrance to the portal.

“Are you coming?” I ask. “You might be safer with us.”

“No. I should keep an eye on things here. And I have work to do in the throne room.” She glances between Eldrin and me.

I wince at the idea that she has to clean up the blood and gore that Eldrin and I spilled there. It feels wrong leaving it for someone else to mop up. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry, sweet Wynstelle. This is my duty,” she says with a sad smile. “You are protecting the realms. And unfortunately, your duty is not yet done.”

A chill goes through my body as I remember the Unseelie Mage Idril. She’s beyond powerful, and I can’t imagine how I could win against her. Dread fills me, thinking of the likely outcome.

But if the mage is after claiming the throne for herself, she only has Eldrin in her way now.

The flower faerie, Lalo, lands on a shrub next to me. “I will watch things here. If we see anything, I will come to the temple with a report.”

“Remind me to award you a medal of valor when this is all done,” Eldrin praises.

Lalo grins with the compliment, then she catches sight of Jaden and Oakes. “Oh, no!” She flies down to hover over them. “They are far away.”

“She’s right. Their tether to their bodies is becoming too thin. Their magic and life force is being drained away,” Darra says. “I can sense it.”

Drained away? Is it the mage stealing their energy and magic?

Eldrin curses. Then he chants to open the portal and waves his hand. The passageway opens. Our group rushes through, carrying Jaden and Oakes to the small field behind the mage temple.

As soon as Eldrin closes the portal, my skin crawls with unease.

Something feels terribly wrong.