Queen of Fate (Fae of Woodlands & Wild #3)

Chapter 16

CHAPTER 16

Outside of the palace, the kingsfae split us up. Every single one of us.

They called for nine enchanted carpets, and a moment of hysteria hit me when I realized I didn’t have my story straight. I didn’t know what Jax would say or what the others would admit, and I had no idea how much information would be demanded of me. It took everything in me to keep from crying out.

Jax’s gaze cut to mine. I expected to see wildness growing in his eyes since he no doubt sensed the fear cascading through me along our bond. But I only saw calmness in his expression, and along our bond, his encouragement and belief in me flowed toward me, as though he was trying to instill that same peace in me.

I could tell from his resolve that he’d mentally prepared for such an event. He and his friends probably already had a story in place, aligned for full seasons in case their arrests ever came.

But I wasn’t prepared.

Panic fired through me anew, my throat threatening to close. One of the kingsfae lifted me onto a carpet and propelled Jax onto another, but his calm peace over the matter doubled to me along our bond.

My erratic heartbeat began to slow. Jax didn’t call out or try to say anything to me. He didn’t need to. Our bond said it all. He felt I could do this. He thoroughly trusted my instincts to guide me, and he truly believed that I would know what to say when the time came. And that belief from him slowly helped instill confidence in me.

My pounding heart slowed even more. I can do this. I’ll tell them as little as possible, and I’ll keep my answers as close to the truth as I can. I’ll do exactly what Jax does.

I nodded subtly at him, and a flare of pride shone on his face.

With a dip of his head, he silently wished me goodbye, and his relaxed stance only further encouraged me. We would see each other again.

I was able to maintain my blind faith on the entire ride to the supernatural courts. Even though I was alone with only my kingsfae beside me, since everyone’s carpets took separate paths, it didn’t matter. Jax and I would win this.

The carpet I rode on dipped around shops, winded through neighborhoods, and traveled over several rivers as we headed southeast.

We passed the wharf where I’d boarded the ship to Faewood Kingdom. The last time I rode an enchanted carpet by the wharf, Jax and I had been heading to Leafton to search for Bastian. We hadn’t been mated then. Only sizzling attraction had crackled between us.

I closed my eyes, and the evening breeze flowed over my cheeks. But despite trying to ground myself, it felt as though I was detaching from my body. None of this felt real. Just hours ago, Jax and I had made love in his private suite. We’d been dreaming of the future. Planning for our life together.

The regal navy gown still flowed around me. Jax had bought me this gown, and in a way, it symbolized what we hoped would come. So much had been on the precipice of what our future would bring.

But now, as much as I tried to maintain optimism, it felt as though our dream was slipping away.

No.

I took a deep breath and opened my eyes. All hope wasn’t lost. My collar was gone, and I held immense magic at my fingertips. Bastian was back. We’d found him and saved him too, even if he was currently locked within the palace. And there was still so much that had to be done about King Paevin. We would find a way to continue as we’d been.

Tears threatened to fill my eyes, but I halted my thoughts from steering any further down a path of fear.

The enchanted carpet flew onward. The wharf fell far behind us, and the cobbled street widened when we careened around another corner, heading back inland.

After many more twists and turns, the street opened up completely, and at the end, a huge fountain waited in a large circular cobblestone section. And finally, just behind it stood the supernatural courts.

The huge stone building made of old, scarred rock rose two stories from its base. Large and wide stone steps led up to it. Several carpets holding other fae who’d been apprehended in the city flew around the building, flying to other areas I couldn’t see. Kingsfae accompanied all of them.

Sweat lined my palms, but I fisted my hands and reminded myself to stay calm.

The carpet glided to a stop at the base of the steps. I searched for Jax and his friends, even for Guardian Alleron, but none of them were here yet. Either that, or they’d been taken to other entrances in this enormous building.

The kingsfae detaining me hopped off the carpet and extended his hand to help me down. “Follow me.”

I took his outstretched palm, taking some comfort in the fact that he hadn’t restrained me and was still being civil. Ever since Jax’s warning, he hadn’t been rough, and I hoped my mate’s powerful sway would continue to hold.

Around us, fae walked by on the street, carrying on with their day as they traversed this part of Jaggedston. More than a few glanced toward me as I followed my jailer up the smooth steps. I did my best to ignore them, although as I reached the top, I began to question if it was me they were watching or the banners.

Columns graced the front of the courts, and banners hung along each one with magical renditions of criminals who were wanted by the law.

The Dark Raider’s black-clad face hung front and center. His image moved left and right, the banner’s three-dimensional magical images constantly changing, giving different views of his masked face. Of course, it was all a guess as to what he looked like. None of the authorities actually knew the Dark Raider’s true appearance.

The banner billowed in the breeze, and it hit me anew that Jax was their most wanted criminal.

My insides chilled.

“This way.” The kingsfae’s armor clanked as he tugged me to the right. A single door stood off to the side at the top of the stairs, away from the large main entrance double doors.

Heart pounding, I followed him silently, and with each step I took, strange magic grew around me, prickling along my skin and cascading through my hair. It grew so thick that I wondered how anyone could breathe around here.

The kingsfae smirked when he caught my grimace. “’Tis the wards. They’re thickest here. But they’ll thin out once we’re inside. Don’t worry. They’re always the most uncomfortable the first time they assess you.”

“What do the wards do?”

“They serve as a barrier should anyone decide to take action against the courts with weapons or spells. They also help to identify fae when brought to the courts, and they also serve as lockdown for anyone who tries to escape from their sentencing, so I’d think twice before running.”

“I would never.” I kept my voice small, falling back into the role my guardian had groomed me to play. I’d dealt with males having authority over me my entire life, and I’d learned that they usually treated me better if I acted meek and contrite, even if I wasn’t.

The kingsfae grunted, seeming to appreciate my response.

My flowing navy gown swirled around me more as I followed him. He opened the door, indicating for me to go first, and when I stepped over the threshold, magic seized me in place.

A moment of panic hit me. Ice pressed against my skin. All air was sucked from my lungs. I couldn’t breathe. Another bolt of fear swam in my veins, but the wards’ hold was over before it’d begun, and then I was on the other side with the kingsfae right behind me.

He gave me a mocking smile. “Told you it takes longest the first time. I’m guessing you’ve never been here before?”

I shook my head. When I’d been five summers old, my guardian had presented me before the courts in Mistvale. But I’d been a child. Different measures had been used to bring me before the justices who had ultimately ruled to allow my enslavement. I’d never been subjected to the courts’ wards before.

My jailer smirked. “Be warned, the wards have now cataloged your identity and internal magic. Even with a strong glamour or illusion, you’ll never be able to fool the realm’s courts. The magic is too ancient and too strong.” The kingsfae nodded toward a row of desks near the wall on our right. “Processing is over there. Follow me.”

A dozen fae sat on chairs behind their desks. Six other fae were being processed at different stations. Of them, five were males, but there was one female. Angry expressions covered most of their faces, but some looked as scared as I felt. And it wasn’t lost on me that all of them wore cuffs.

I rubbed my wrists and wondered if those would eventually be placed on me.

Raising my chin, I did my best to quell my unease, but despite searching every corner of this admittance area, there was no sign of Jax, his friends, or my guardian. But I still felt Jax. Our bond perpetually connected us. He was alive, his confidence steady, but he wasn’t near me. At least, I didn’t think he was.

Across the wide hall, other kingsfae stood in small groups, talking with each other. The kingsfae socializing all looked at ease, and I realized this was just another day’s work for them, while my entire realm was crashing down.

My breaths grew more rapid, and the earlier feeling of panic began to encroach upon my resolve, but I took a deep breath and ordered myself to stay calm.

“How long do you suppose this will take?” I asked the kingsfae as he marched me toward an empty desk.

He shrugged. “That depends upon how much you tell us.”

“I’ve done nothing wrong.”

“I don’t assume you have, and hopefully neither has the prince, his guards, or the other nobles being accused of these heinous crimes, but until we can clear this matter up, it’s our due diligence to thoroughly assess all accusations.”

He stopped before the desk. Behind it, a siltenite male, wearing dark trousers and a silk button-up shirt, looked up at me from behind spectacles. “Name?”

“This is Elowen Emerson from Faewood,” the kingsfae replied. “Brought in for questioning.”

The male nodded toward a crystal sphere at the edge of his desk. “Place your palm upon that.”

I did as he said, and the magical sphere’s power lashed around me, holding my hand in place.

A ledger waited open before the male, and my name, address, and why I’d been brought to the courts appeared across it, being scrawled in elegant writing.

Once all of my information was cataloged, the male looked at the kingsfae. “No charges? Questioning only?”

My jailer clasped his hand around my elbow. “Correct. There have been accusations made against the prince, and she’s part of it.”

The attendant’s eyes grew wide, looking even bigger behind his spectacles. He leaned forward and hissed, “I heard whisperings that royalty was on their way, but I assumed it was rumors.”

On their way. I had to visibly keep my breaths calm. That likely meant Jax wasn’t here yet.

The kingsfae shook his head, his voice dipping, “‘Tis not rumors. They’ll be processed as well.”

The male nodded briskly. “Good to know. We’re done here.”

The kingsfae led me away, toward the hall’s back corner, and I walked steadily at his side, his meaty hand still around my elbow. “What are you going to do with the prince and his friends?”

He grunted. “That’s none of your concern.”

He marched me down the hall. Doors, spaced only a body length apart, lined each side of it. Wailing, shouting, and a few sobs could be heard behind the closed doors we passed.

Stomach flipping, I begrudgingly followed him into an empty room.

“Sit.” He pointed at the lone chair behind a table. Across from it, two unoccupied seats waited.

I did as I was told and settled my gown around me. Shoulders back, I kept my spine in a rigid line as I waited for whatever was to come.

The kingsfae moved to the corner of the room and stood stoically. Minutes later, two more fae bustled through the door.

I started at their abrupt arrival. A male and female, both wearing professional-looking clothes, appeared as no-nonsense siltenites. Without so much as a greeting, they pulled out the chairs across from me and sat.

The male had a folder with parchment inside. He opened it up, and a quick peek at it told me it held all of my identifying information that’d just been cataloged about me.

The female gazed at me with a shrewd expression. “Do you know why you’re here?”

Her harsh tone made me flinch. “I think so. I was at the palace with the prince when my former guardian accused him of being the Dark Raider.”

“And is he?”

I started again, slightly taken aback by her direct approach. “No, of course not.”

She hmmed . “I’m Junior Justice Seewald, and this is Junior Justice Archmae. Before we continue, I must verify that you know it’s a great offense to lie to the courts. Do you understand?”

My unease grew. “Yes.” I paused. “Do I need a magistrate for this questioning?”

She arched an eyebrow and cocked her head. “I don’t know, do you? Magistrates are only needed if one’s guilty. Are you guilty?”

Flustered, I ran a hand through my hair. “No. Of course not. I just don’t fully understand what’s going on here or why these accusations are being made.”

She offered a pacifying smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. “It’s easy. Your guardian has accused our crown prince of being the Dark Raider. Such an accusation would have been easy to dismiss except for the fact that your guardian was locked within the palace and he’s also been missing from Faewood Kingdom with the belief that the Dark Raider abducted him. Your guardian’s claimed that our prince, masquerading in your kingdom as the Dark Raider, took both you and your guardian against your will. He’s claiming that the prince has held both of you hostage.” Her eyebrows rose.

From her expression, I couldn’t tell if she believed any of that or if she felt it was as preposterous as it sounded. Or maybe she was waiting for me to say something.

Deciding to play innocent, I scoffed. “That’s absurd. Prince Adarian saved me from the Dark Raider.”

“So the Dark Raider did, in fact, abduct you?”

“He did, many weeks ago, after I’d done three callings for the Faewood king.”

Junior Justice Archmae vigorously began to scribble on his parchment. I tried to catch a glimpse of his notes, but he angled the folder upward so I couldn’t see.

Junior Justice Seewald inclined her head. “King Paevin also stated that you were supposedly rescued by our crown prince, stating that’s what you told him, yet I have no proof that such a rescue occurred. Tell me more about that. Where were you saved? How did the prince do it? What happened? What did the prince say to the Dark Raider? Did he speak to him directly? Or was everything communicated another way?” She leaned forward. “And let me remind you, any lies told will be held against you.”

I glanced around the room, wondering if they had the authority to force a truth potion into me. I swallowed the lump in my throat. If it came to that, I would insist on a magistrate before consuming anything. Although, as a slave to my former guardian and now the prince, I didn’t fully understand my rights. Or if I even had rights. For all I knew, I would be forced to consume anything they demanded.

Licking my lips, I took a deep breath. “To be honest, I don’t remember much of it. The Dark Raider commanded me with Mistvale magic. He has Mistvale magic. Did you know that?”

She pursed her lips but simply said, “Go on.”

“The Dark Raider abducted me not far from my guardian’s estate in Faewood after I did three callings for King Paevin.” I recited the events of that night to her, being entirely truthful. There was no reason not to be.

She listened attentively, and Junior Justice Archmae took diligent notes of everything I shared.

When I finished replaying that night, she arched an eyebrow. “And he said he took you because he wanted you to find someone for him using your lorafin magic?”

I nodded, and she told me to continue explaining my abduction, going through each day, but when I got to the part about what had occurred in Lemos, I began to pick my words more carefully.

Junior Justice Seewald perked up. “So the Dark Raider captured you again in Lemos, along with your guardian, after your guardian found you at the Lemosilly Inn?”

I nodded. “That’s correct.”

“Why would the Dark Raider do that?”

“He knew that he couldn’t access my lorafin magic without my guardian. He needed my guardian and his adapter to do so.”

“What adaptor?”

I took another deep breath, knowing that I also needed to be honest about this. “It was a device used to control my magic. I used to wear a collar that suppressed my abilities, but it’s since been taken off.”

“Who took it off?”

“Someone the prince found. Prince Adarian has been trying to help me.”

She glanced at her co-worker, and they shared a side-eye. “That’s very gallant of our prince, but let’s discuss the Dark Raider more. Do you know who he was looking for in the Veiled Between? Or why he needed you to find them with your lorafin magic?”

I shook my head. “I don’t. Honestly, so much of my time with the Dark Raider is a blur. He kept me unconscious for hours at a time. The only reason I remember Lemos is because he allowed me to stay awake for supper before he took me upstairs for the night.”

“And that’s when he left you alone, and your guardian was able to help you escape?”

“Yes. I don’t know where the Dark Raider was at that time, or what he was doing, but I took advantage of his absence.”

For the first time, a twinge of sympathy covered her face. “That must’ve been a very scary event.”

“It was. I’ve never been more terrified.” And while I felt anything but afraid around Jax now, I wasn’t being entirely untruthful with that response.

“Tell me about how your guardian rescued you in Lemos.”

I told her everything about that as well, not lying or holding anything back. But when I got to the part where the Dark Raider abducted both me and my guardian when we’d been on Guardian Alleron’s carpet departing Lemos, I told another lie. “The Dark Raider used his Mistvale magic on me again, and I fell unconscious.”

She stared at me for a long moment, her expression giving away nothing. “Why do you suppose he did that?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know, but maybe he does it to protect himself. At least, that’s what I was guessing. Without me being able to recall anything, I couldn’t bear witness to anything that he did.”

Her shrewd expression didn’t abate. “And throughout all of this, you never saw what he looked like? He never removed his mask or his bandanna or changed his clothing into anything that could be easier to identify?”

“No. Both he and the males he was with appeared the same throughout the entire time I was with them.”

“And from Lemos, where did he take you?”

“The next memory I have is of arriving in Fosterton. That’s where he handed me off to the prince.” I paused, canting my head. “At least, I think that’s where we were. Those details are kind of fuzzy too.”

Her eyes narrowed. “And how did the prince come to learn that you were with the Dark Raider?”

I shrugged again. “I don’t know that either. I suppose you’d have to ask the prince that.”

Her eyebrows shot up. “You never asked him?”

I offered her a trembling smile, hoping she would think I was too traumatized to fully understand and remember everything. “I think I may have, but I don’t think he told me.” I looked down, fiddling with my fingers, and fell back on my seasons of play-acting. A few tears formed in my eyes, and one even rolled down my cheek. “Honestly, a lot of that time I don’t remember. It’s all a blur, and I would rather just forget it all anyway.”

Some of the sternness around her faded. “I’m sorry. I’m sure it was very traumatic. I apologize for asking you to recount such horrific events.”

I sniffed and wiped away my tears.

She sat straighter, and her tone returned to that of no-nonsense. “And once you were under the prince’s care, did you learn anything about your guardian’s fate?”

I vigorously shook my head, recalling what Jax and I had told King Paevin when we’d been at the Match Finals. My story had to match that precisely if I didn’t want to get caught up in a lie. “No. All I know is that my guardian was still with the Dark Raider when the prince rescued me. I have no idea how my guardian got free of him or how he came to be in the palace.”

The female glanced at Junior Justice Archmae again. They shared another veiled look, and a moment of panic hit me that perhaps they knew more than they were letting on. I desperately wished I knew what they were thinking.

“May I go now?” I asked quietly.

Junior Justice Seewald held up a finger. “Not quite. One last question. Were you ever able to locate who the Dark Raider sought in the Veiled Between?”

I only had a split second to make my decision, and I shook my head. “No. I was rescued by the prince before I could. My lorafin magic was too fatigued for me to do a calling, so I never did travel to the Veiled Between on behalf of the Dark Raider.”

She cocked her head. “Yet, the Dark Raider handed you over to the prince anyway? Even though he never got what he wanted from you?”

I knew immediately that I’d made a huge mistake. I should have said that I completed his calling and then made up some vague story about who the Dark Raider had wanted me to find.

Heart thumping, I only hoped she couldn’t detect my pulse. “Maybe whatever the prince paid him made it worth it.”

“That’s another thing I can’t put my finger on.” She tapped her chin. “Why would our prince pay for a Faewood lorafin at all?”

“Perhaps because lorafins are coveted by everyone in power.”

She hmmed , not giving away even an inkling of her thoughts, then gave a curt nod. “Archmae, did you get all that?”

The male nodded. “Yes, it’s all recorded.”

“Right then.” She snapped her attention back to me. “That’s all for now. We shall release you for the time being, but since you are still an enslaved lorafin, you are to stay in Jaggedston until the courts decide your fate. You’re not to leave until the courts have deemed it fine for you to do so. Understood?”

I nodded. “Of course. I understand. I’ll stay in the city and wait to hear from you.” I stood, then twisted my hands. “May I ask where the prince is or how long he’ll be down here?”

She leveled me with a stony gaze. “No, Lady Emerson, you may not.”