Chapter 22
CHAPTER 22
I awoke on the bed at the inn, only blocks away from the palace. Fatigue made my eyes feel heavy. My skin felt cold, and unbearable soreness plagued me, yet after taking a few deep breaths, it began to pass. Yet I still felt drained. Used. As though my magic had been tapped out.
But even as I lay there, exhausted from what I’d done, a kernel of magic began to swirl inside me, cool and fluttering. With each breath I took, it grew.
Amazingly, already my magic was returning, and I recalled what the gargoyle scholar had told me, that I carried a goddess’s blood.
The inn’s wooden ceiling stared back at me, and I closed my eyes again, struggling to recall all that had happened. I’d gone to the Veiled Between. I’d twisted fate. I knew that much. Yet after appearing in the supernatural courts with the semelees around me, it all became fuzzy. Especially after they unleashed.
I knew that the semelees had done as I’d commanded and that I’d returned them to the Veiled Between when they’d finished, but when time had been altered, it’d created an explosion of power, so much that fragments of time and space had shifted. The cosmos had been rewritten, and even to me, it’d all turned hazy.
Disoriented, I forced myself to sitting and gazed out the window. An evening sky loomed with the sun disappearing beneath the horizon. Wind blew through the streets, but here at the inn, it was quiet.
Frowning, I glanced down and realized the simple breeches and top I’d worn when I’d ventured to the Veiled Between were gone. The navy gown that I’d worn when Jax and I had planned to meet his parents all those weeks ago swirled around me instead.
I started. I wasn’t sure if that was a good sign or not.
Even though every part of my body ached, I swung my legs over the bed, then grabbed for my bag...but my bag wasn’t there.
I crouched to search under the bed, stumbling in the process, but my belongings weren’t there either. I checked under the nightstand and in the closet, too, but nothing. It wasn’t in the room and neither was the room key.
Frowning, I figured that, like my clothes, my bag and the key were no longer here in this new reality. A memory stirred, of what Master Fistideeous had taught me. Previous lorafins always returned to where they’d been physically when they’d commanded fate. Otherwise, two bodies of oneself would exist at once.
My confusion disappeared, and I finally made my way down the stairs and out into the city.
My legs throbbed in time with my footsteps, but I forced myself to walk one foot in front of the other until I reached the palace. Black gates greeted me. Two guards stood at them, one on each side. More guards patrolled the perimeter.
When I approached, the guard on the right frowned. “Are you all right?”
I stopped dead in my tracks. Is he speaking to me?
The guard took a step toward me. “Lady Elowen, are you all right?”
I glanced at the guard on the left. Like the other, concern knitted his brow. They watched me with befuddled expressions, as though they were actually... worried .
Hope surged through me. If I’d truly rewritten time, then their behavior would be explained. The crown prince had let the servants know that I was his guest, and the guards had likely been told that as well. And if I’d been successful in commanding the semelees to undo Jax being caught, and to right the atrocities that King Paevin had committed with the half-breeds, the guards wouldn’t be surprised at my appearance. My arrest and visit to the supernatural courts would have no longer occurred in this reality.
My heart began to pound even more, and I blinked away the grittiness in my eyes and tried to ignore what would happen if anyone found out what I’d done. My godlike power was why lorafins were allowed to be enslaved. Our power was too great and could be used for selfish or malicious purposes. A lorafin queen could literally mold anything in the realm to her bidding. It was total and complete control of our lands. It was the power of a goddess, of Verasellee herself.
But I’d only done it to save Jax, to save our friends, to save the half-breeds, and to prevent King Paevin from creating his army. I hadn’t done anything for myself. My intentions had been good , even if others might not see it that way.
“Lady Elowen?” the guard said again when I just stood there.
Forcing myself to move despite the tiredness spiraling through me, I reached the guards, then licked my dry lips. My throat felt so parched. I could have drunk an ocean of water, and it wouldn’t have been enough.
“What day is it?” I asked them in a scratchy voice.
His troubled look grew, but he rattled off the date, and my eyes widened. The current time was the day when Jax and I were supposed to meet his parents— the day Jax’s arrest had initially taken place . The semelees had transported me back in time after doing as I’d asked. It was literally weeks ago.
“And where’s the prince?”
“I...I don’t know.” The one on the right assessed me carefully. “But I believe he’s been looking for you.”
A sharp sense of relief pierced me. It was so sharp that I staggered back. “And he’s...free? He’s not detained by the supernatural courts?”
The guards shared a side-eye, and then the one on the right said in a slow, patient tone, “No, Lady Elowen. The prince has not been detained by the courts.” He frowned even more. “My lady, are you all right? Shall I call someone for you?”
“Yes!” I cried. “Please get the prince.”
The guards again shared a wary look, but with a swift nod, the one on the right jerked his chin toward the palace and called to an interior guard, “Please let the prince know his guest is here.”
The interior guard lifted a device and said something into it. Magic shimmered around the apparatus and projected his voice to somewhere else in the palace.
The gate’s guard gestured for me to step forward. “Come, Lady Elowen, let’s get you inside.”
The gates swung open, and the guard led me across the large stone courtyard to the palace steps. But before I could place a foot on the first stair, the palace doors crashed open.
“Elowen!” Jax was down the steps, flying toward me with a panicked look on his face.
My heart soared, and our mate bond hummed.
The second Jax reached me, he crushed me to him, and my arms wrapped around him just as hard.
Pine and spice. Magic and fire. Strength and warmth. Everything I’d ever felt in my mate’s presence cascaded through me.
I clung to him, feeling him, soaking up his presence, relishing that he was here and I was touching him again. “Stars Above. I worried I’d never see you again,” I whispered.
My trembling words had him pulling back, concern evident on his features. “Where were you? I’ve been looking for you.”
I shook my head and memorized his face, tracing my fingers over each sculpted line. A heavy brow. Crashing and blazing irises. A strong nose. Firm yet full lips. A defined jaw. Everything about him looked so familiar, yet it also felt like I was looking at him for the first time.
My mate bond burned with renewed intensity, and my heart flooded with relief. He was safe. Alive. Here . I soaked up his appearance like the desert drank in its first rain, and just thanked the stars and galaxy that I was with him again.
He cupped my cheeks, seeming to understand that something had happened to me but obviously not knowing what. “Come with me, my love. We need to meet my parents.”
He kissed me once, his lips molding to mine, then he clasped my hand and pulled me along.
We ventured up the stairs, side by side. Like me, he was wearing the same navy clothing that he’d changed into after we’d made love in his wardrobe. Even more of the panic in me eased. I’d been transported to the past. I’d truly twisted fate.
With my mate at my side, I entered the palace, and we began making our way to the main dining hall. Familiar walls passed us. Elegant chambers filled my view. Everywhere I looked, all appeared calm and normal. No kingsfae were in sight.
But that didn’t mean everything was safe.
“Did anyone check on my guardian today?” I asked him quietly.
He inclined his head. “Lars was going to.”
“So Guardian Alleron’s still alive?”
Jax frowned. “Of course, I haven’t killed him. Not yet, at least.”
I gripped Jax’s hand. “Are you certain that Guardian Alleron’s still locked in his chambers?”
Jax canted his head, and he was so devastatingly beautiful that I could have looked at him all night. “I haven’t heard otherwise.”
My eyes widened as that implication took root. If my guardian was alive in this reality, then that meant someone who’d passed to the afterlife could be brought back to life if I twisted fate. Either that, or my guardian had somehow miraculously survived after I’d thrown him miles out to sea. But I doubted that was possible. Guardian Alleron couldn’t swim, and I’d seen no ships that could have rescued him. Apparently, if I rewrote time, fae could be brought back to life . When I returned to the Isle of Song, I would have to report that to Master Fistideeous.
But that was assuming that Guardian Alleron truly lived...
My slippers dug into the soft carpet fibers beneath my soles. “Jax, are you certain that my guardian is still alive and is still locked in his chambers?”
Jax’s brow furrowed, and he turned to face me. “I haven’t spoken with Lars since we parted, if that’s what you mean, but he said he was going to check on him, so I’m sure he did.”
I gripped Jax’s arm, my nails digging into him. “This is very important. If my guardian’s still alive, we need to ensure that he’s still in his chambers and hasn’t escaped.”
Worry began emitting in my mate’s aura, and his gaze flitted across my face. “I’ll be right back.” He disappeared in a blur of speed, leaving me alone in the hall.
I wrung my hands and scanned the area to see if any servants looked to be acting strange or fearful, but none were about.
Yet I’d been transported back in time . I took some comfort in that. I’d obviously done something with my magic, and I didn’t have to wait long for Jax. He whizzed back to my side only minutes later, barely winded thanks to his shifter-enhanced run.
“He’s still in his chambers, as angry as ever, but he’s there, and he’s alive.”
I sagged in relief, and my mate cupped my cheeks, tilting my head up. “Elowen, what’s wrong ?”
But I shook my head. “It’ll take too long to explain now, but I will, I promise. And what about your”—I glanced around to ensure nobody would hear me—“brother...is he okay too?”
Jax angled his head toward me and nodded. “Yes, he’s still in his suite, again, as far as I’m aware. Do you want me to check on him too?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t think you need to. I just wanted to make sure nothing else had changed. We should keep going since your parents are expecting us.”
“All right.” He clasped my hand, and we resumed walking, but he constantly glanced down at me.
I could tell from his wary looks that he knew something had happened that he was unaware of, but I was thankful he didn’t push me for answers. Given that I was about to meet his parents, and since my guardian was still locked away and the kingsfae hadn’t been called, I really needed to concentrate on winning them over. The arrest that had once been made was no longer occurring.
“What if they hate me?” I whispered.
“How could anybody hate you?”
“They might.”
He growled. “I’ll make it clear to them that hating you isn’t an option. Besides, after they hear what you’ve learned of King Paevin and that you acquired that knowledge by using your magic, they’ll realize how extraordinary you are, whether they want to admit it or not.”
My eyes widened, and I froze in place again, forcing Jax to stop too. “You mean the king’s plan hasn’t been stopped?”
Worry again puffed in Jax’s aura, and he pulled me close, slipping an arm around my waist. He frowned again, his look intent. “Something’s obviously happened, and given what you’re saying, I suspect I might know, but tell me, my love, what’s wrong?”
But all I could do was shake my head. “Not here. It’s too much to explain. I’ll tell you later.” I squeezed his hand again, trying to reassure him and myself, but my attempts at that only strengthened his frown.
And perhaps his concern was warranted, because if the king’s plan hadn’t been stopped, then my attempt to twist fate hadn’t fully worked. Jax had remained free—thank the stars—but if nothing had changed with King Paevin, then I’d failed, and that meant the half-breeds were still at risk.
I numbly followed Jax down the hall toward the dining area, looking every which way as I waited for disaster to strike. I thought I’d fully grasped what Master Fistideeous had taught me about twisting fate, but I apparently hadn’t.
“Are you ready to meet your future parents-in-law?” Jax asked carefully, his aura still vibrating with concern. “Or would you rather we postpone this? We can meet them another time.”
I shook my head. “No, they’re expecting us. Let’s do this now. If we postpone, that could be something they hold against me.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
We rounded the final turn of the wide hall, but before we were halfway there, a flurry of shadows emitted near the wall. In my next blink, Quinn stood before us.
My eyes bulged, and Jax’s attention whipped in all directions. “What in the realm? Someone could see you here.”
The crowfy shifter stepped forward, his movements quick. “I know. I was careful to ensure nobody was about before materializing, but I had to get to you so you knew.” He pulled Jax and me into an alcove, hiding us from view, then said under his breath, “King Paevin was the one behind your brother’s disappearance, my prince. I heard him talking about Bastian this morning.”
Jax’s tensed shoulders relaxed, and a smile tugged at his lips. “We’re way ahead of you. Elowen already uncovered that.”
But Quinn’s look stayed intent, his jaw locking. “That’s not all. There’s another reason I’m here. The real reason. King Paevin is dead.”
It felt as though my heart stopped. “He is?”
Jax’s eyebrows shot up. “Truly? But how? And when?”
Quinn’s light-blue eyes turned as frosty as ice. “This evening, only hours ago. I was in the Faewood palace, still watching King Paevin and listening to his whisperings with his less-than-scrupulous staff, when he had an accident. He fell down the stairs. Broke his neck. It killed him instantly. The Faewood court hasn’t officially announced it yet, but his daughter will take the throne. Everything’s a mess there at the moment, especially with the Centennial Matches starting soon. It’s pure chaos.”
My mouth parted, understanding hitting me. So that’s how the semelees stopped the king’s malicious plan. A rush of relief flowed through me. I had fully commanded fate after all. I just hadn’t realized it yet since I hadn’t known the king was already dead.
“And the half-breeds? Where are they?” I asked quietly.
Quinn’s attention shifted to me. “Still in the caverns.”
Another rush of relief hit me. They hadn’t moved them, which meant we could save them since we still knew how to reach them.
I sagged against the wall as gratitude filled me. I’d been so careful when I’d considered what to alter with fate. I’d had six weeks to plan for it, and I’d realized that if I commanded the semelees to free the half-breeds too, that could have meant the semelees would have had to venture back full seasons in time to alter fate since the king had captured some of his half-breeds many summers ago.
And altering time and fate over that long of a period would only ensure more ripple effects through the space and time continuum, something Master Fistideeous had warned me about.
Because of that, I hadn’t felt it wise to risk it, especially knowing that we could still rescue the half-breeds in the caverns under the Wood ourselves.
Straightening, I addressed Quinn again. “And the children, particularly the one gifted with psychic power that was able to tell the king about the raid in Possyrose Forest, where is she and the rest of the children that were born in captivity?”
“The same. All of the children are still in the caverns.”
I released another breath. “Thank the stars.”
Jax glanced down at me again. His brow knitted together in a heavy frown, and his jaw tightened even more. Potent concern from him strummed toward me on our bond. “We’ll have to free them soon, even tomorrow. If the king’s truly dead, the guards taking care of the half-breeds are likely to scatter without anyone commanding them. Or, they may murder all of the half-breeds to hide their crimes.”
My thoughts rushed back to what I’d experienced as a child. “Or, they could hurt them or take them. The child psychic especially would be considered extremely valuable, and if she has an anklet on, and one of the guards or Paevin’s cohorts has a device to control her...” I shuddered. “She’s very much at risk of being enslaved as I was.”
Jax pulled me close to him again, his pine and spice scent flooding me. “We won’t let that happen.”
Brow furrowing, Quinn added, “The fortunate aspect of the king’s death is that his plan to build his army and attack the kingdoms has stopped, but you’re right about the half-breeds. They’re still at risk.”
“Indeed. We still have a lot of work to do.” Jax kept one arm slung around me, but with the other, he raked a hand through his hair. “Let’s meet tonight to figure this out. I’ll let the others know. Tomorrow, we’ll?—”
The prince cut himself off when the faint sound of approaching footsteps carried to us.
Quinn glanced over his shoulder. “Someone’s coming. I’ll go, but I’m glad I found you. This news was too big not to share right away.”
“Agreed. Thank you.” Jax dipped his chin. “We’ll meet at ten tonight, our usual spot.”
Quinn nodded, and then in a swirl of shadows, disappeared.
The air settled around us, and a servant appeared from around the corner, carrying a pile of linens. She bowed toward the prince when she passed us, but she didn’t scurry away. And she didn’t look concerned. It was so different from last time.
My pounding heart slowed even more. I’d truly twisted fate, which meant everything was actually okay.
Jax and I resumed our walk, and my mate scratched his chin. “It’s quite fortuitous that King Paevin’s dead. What are the chances of the king breaking his neck just when we needed him stopped?” He glanced down at me again, as though waiting for me to confirm what he likely already suspected.
I squeezed his hand but pressed my lips together because the dining hall appeared ahead. Although, I did mutter, “You’re right. It’s quite fortuitous.” A small smile slid across my face.
A look of absolute wonder crossed his features, but he didn’t have time to comment further.
We swept through the doors, and I had such a strong sense of déjà vu that I nearly stumbled. And when I saw what lay before me, I nearly did.
Because the entire hall was full of noble fae, even though Jax had asked the king and queen to meet us privately before the supper meal.
I quickly scanned the room for kingsfae, but there were none. Conversation and the sound of clinking glasses drifted through the air. Dozens of fae were scattered throughout the room, chatting and laughing as the servants bustled about, readying for the impending meal.
The king and queen stood near the head of the table while noble families, including House Dallinger, hovered nearby.
I scanned that House’s attendants, but Lady Aerobelle was nowhere to be found. Yet Bowan’s father, as well as Trivan, Lander, Alec, and Bowan, were all present. All three of them stood with their respective Houses. In addition to them, there were dozens more that I’d never met before.
“I thought we were meeting your parents privately,” I said.
Jax hissed a breath through his teeth. “So did I.”
“My prince!” a noble called that I’d never seen before. “Welcome back from the Match Finals!”
Irritation swelled in Jax’s aura, and a low growl escaped him. His gaze cut to his parents, but they were too busy speaking with other nobles to acknowledge us.
I quickly finished scanning the room and realized that Lars and Phillen were missing, but since Jax’s personal guards weren’t needed for duty at the moment, I could only surmise that they were with their families or elsewhere in the palace. That also meant Cassim would likely be tucked into bed by his da tonight.
At least there’s that . Despite irritation also filling me that Jax’s parents had blatantly defied his request for a private meeting, I took some comfort in knowing that everything else was falling into place.
My plan to twist fate had worked .
For the first time since waking in the inn, I took a deep, unencumbered breath. All it’d taken was for me to venture to the Veiled Between and demand complete submission of the semelees. And now, with my magic fully free, they’d done as I asked.
The only side effect of the entire thing was my fatigue, not to mention I still had to return to the Isle of Song to share my knowledge. Yet those things were trivial compared to what had been at stake and was now rectified.
Another tentative sense of triumph coasted through me. Perhaps everything truly would be fine.
Jax ushered me forward, and the navy gown swirled around my legs.
“Father. Mother,” Jax said to his parents when we reached them. “I thought I asked to meet with you in private.”
I faced the king and queen and automatically curtsied, but one look at the royals had my hope at everything working out dying.
Annoyed expressions covered their faces, and they both stared at me with cold eyes.
“I didn’t see why we would need to do that,” the king replied. He looked exactly as I remembered him, similar in coloring and features to Jax, but older and slightly heavier.
His mother was the same too. Pale skin, tepid blue eyes, and blond hair. And the way she glanced down her nose at me was no different from the first time we’d met—unbeknownst to her.
I straightened from my curtsy, my smile slipping, but then I reminded myself I’d done the right thing by not manipulating fate to suit my needs. I could have commanded the semelees to have Jax’s parents accept me, but the more one interfered with reality, the more threads were woven...and the more likely it was that a thread would tangle. Master Fistideeous had taught me that too.
I took a deep breath and braced myself for what was to come. One thing I knew...this was a battle I would have to fight. I wouldn’t twist fate again to make his parents accept me.
Standing tall, the king’s chest puffed up. He wore the same clothes as the first night I’d met him, and he had the same air of disapproval radiating from him. “So this is the young lady I keep hearing about that you wanted us to meet in private?”
“This is,” Jax said stiffly. Everyone was watching us, yet Jax’s voice didn’t falter when he said, “This is Lady Elowen Emerson of Faewood Kingdom.”
I dipped into another respectful curtsy, but when I glanced up, the king’s nostrils were flaring, and his mother’s eyes were shooting daggers at me.
My stomach tumbled, but I still said, “Your Majesties. It’s an honor to officially meet you both.”
His mother arched an eyebrow, then lifted her chin and focused on Jax. “Adarian, you may seat your guest at the end of the table. There’s a free chair down there.”
Jax’s aura pulsed. “Actually, Mother, I plan to have Elowen sit beside me.”
“Adarian,” the king growled. “Don’t make a scene. Do as your mother said. We’re eating in a few minutes as we had to change our plans to dine earlier than normal. An unexpected meeting’s come up for me after supper. Apparently, something’s happened in Faewood.”
“Oh?” Jax asked, eyebrows rising. “What’s that?”
The king waved his hand. “Who knows. They said it’s urgent, but they always say that, so I told them it can wait. We shall dine first and give you a chance to explain this female you’ve brought along.”
“Yet you didn’t give us the courtesy of a private meeting beforehand, and now you’re insisting she not sit with me.” Jax’s free hand curled into a fist, but before an argument could begin, I squeezed his arm.
“I’m fine to sit wherever. Thank you for having me.” I curtsied again to his parents.
Neither the king nor queen so much as glanced my way.
Jax’s aura puffed even more in irritation, but I squeezed him again, my fingers firm on his arm. I had to try to win over his parents without the use of my magic, if it could even be done, but it would be harder if he began to fight them here and now.
And a fight it would undoubtedly be. Because the fact remained that I was a commoner. Granted, I was a commoner with immense magic, but I wasn’t of royal or noble blood, and that would work against me at all turns.
But Jax didn’t move.
I tugged him. “It’s fine,” I whispered. “Please.”
Finally, Jax turned stiffly and escorted me to the end of the table. We passed House Dallinger on the way, and I subtly looked for Aerobelle again, but I didn’t see her anywhere.
Once I was seated, Jax leaned down, and his fingers dug into my chair’s armrest. “I’m sorry about this.”
I forced a smile. “Don’t be. We’ll figure it out.”
Jaw locking, he returned to the head of the table to sit by his parents.
The second the royals were all seated, all of the other nobles followed suit, and then the hall erupted into a flurry of activity. Servants glided about. Silverware clanked. Glasses were lifted. It was obvious this type of meal was the norm for most of them, and I was the only anomaly.
Thankfully, the seat that I’d been directed to wasn’t next to any of the spiteful females or House members that had been on the ship with us to Faewood. Instead, I’d been seated by a young girl who couldn’t have been older than fifteen.
“And what House are you from?” I asked her as a servant placed a plate of food before me. Rich scents of roasted hen and succulent vegetables rose from it.
She arched an eyebrow at me. “House Luvinteen. And you?”
I hastily took a drink of water. Wine was present and freely flowing, but all I wanted was the crystal-clear water in my goblet. I downed all of it because I was so thirsty, and a servant immediately refilled it. “I’m not from a House.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “You’re not? Then what are you doing here?”
Her direct question was so youthful that I actually smiled. “I’m a friend of the prince.”
Her lips curved. “Oh, I see what you mean.”
Heat rose in my cheeks. “No, I’m not his, I mean?—”
She laughed lightly. “Don’t worry about it. You’re not the first friend he’s brought to a meal, and I’m sure you won’t be the last, not even after he marries. You know he’s to marry one of the females his parents have chosen, right?”
I gripped my goblet harder, my fingers curling around the smooth glass. “I’ve heard. Speaking of which, do you know where Lady Aerobelle is? I would have thought she’d be here tonight.”
The girl waved her hand. “They arrived back from Faewood this morning, but she wasn’t feeling well. I guess she got sick on the ship, so is currently at home.”
A flare of triumph coasted through me. So that was how the semelees had taken care of her meddling.
I picked up my fork and began to eat, although my eyes drooped. The events of the past six weeks and the huge use of my power were catching up with me. And now that everything was calming, my utter exhaustion was creeping in.
But I took some comfort in this new reality. Even though things still looked disastrous for Jax’s and my future, at least he was free, Bastian was well, King Paevin had been stopped, and tomorrow, we would find a way to free the half-breeds.
Yet a part of me wondered what this new reality would be like if I’d asked the semelees to twist fate in Jax’s and my favor. Perhaps the king and queen would have welcomed me with open arms, likely insisting that I sit with them.
But I hadn’t changed the course of our realm more than what was necessary. It was dangerous enough what I’d done. Time had been rewritten. New paths had been forged, and with each turn of fate, new possibilities arose.
And who was to say those possibilities would be positive.
I took another bite of food, chewing slowly. No, it was best that I’d kept it to the necessities only. Everything else between Jax and I would eventually be made right. We would have to see to it ourselves, and surely, we would find a way.