Chapter 8 – Aline
Chapter Eight
Aline
Twenty Three Years Ago
“ A re you nervous?” Aryndia asks with a wide smile as she’s laced into her wedding dress.
“Hardly.” I swipe long hair back from my face.
It’s a lie, and my twin can feel as much. We’ve always had a deep connection. It’s unusual for fae to have twins. Our parents are considered blessed to have birthed us.
“Not too tight,” I remind the female lacing my sister’s dress.
It’s the worst-kept secret in Faere that Ary is pregnant. Her mates are from Winter and Autumn Court. They’ve grown up together, making it impossible to keep them apart.
She’s already carrying a fledgling.
She’s excited, but deeply nervous.
I can feel each emotion as if it were my own, and I desperately try to fight the jealousy that thrums through my system.
My sister gives me a soft smile. It’s as though she’s saying my time will come. I suppose it will. I’ve waited a hundred years to reach maturity, but our parents can’t suffocate me any longer. Although, I know they wish they could.
I understand the Seelie Courts aren’t as accepting as the Unseelie, but they’re my mates. They’ll accept me as Ary’s men have accepted her, or that’s my hope.
The gods wouldn’t have given me the gifts I have if they didn’t wish me to use them.
Then again, I know I frighten even the Kings and Queen of Faere.
My mother mated a prince from each court: Summer, Winter, Spring, and Autumn. It helped to unify the realms, at least for a while.
It’s still very separated, despite my mother’s best efforts.
Spring and Summer are home to the Seelie Court.
Winter and Autumn house the Unseelie.
It’s been many hundreds of years since my mother’s rise to power. The Seelie Court barely recognizes her agency anymore. That’s why I need to bond with my mates and help to unify all fae. Once we have children, it will solidify things even further.
The courts aren’t nearly as different as they’d like to believe, but having twin daughters to marry off to the next generation of future kings should help.
Yes, fine.
I’m petrified.
I’ve only met Hex and Silence on a handful of occasions, but they radiated the same glow that I did upon our introduction, meaning it’s not solely a political marriage. They’re my soulmates.
My mates are not enamored with me, as Ary’s are with her.
The suffocating ache in my chest is difficult to ignore. I’ve never felt jealousy toward my sister before recently, but as Hex and Silence stand at my side for the ceremony, there are no smiles. Nor are there tears of joy, like with Ary and her men.
I’m sure that has to do with the fact we haven’t had the benefit of growing up together.
Hex stands with his thick arms crossed over his broad chest. He’s the Summer Prince and half-kraken, if what I’ve heard is true.
His brown, curly hair is thick and longer on top than it is on the sides.
He has strong, muscular shoulders and a trim waist. His face is covered in a thick, curly brown beard.
He has brown eyes in human form, but all kraken have aquamarine eyes when they are shifted.
Hex is the younger prince of his court, and he doesn’t seem pleased to find himself at our wedding. I bet he wished his older brother were the one stuck with me.
I glance away as my cheeks burn. It’s not a good feeling to realize exactly how miserable they are.
My eyes drift to Silence. He looks very much like a Spring Prince.
He has light blond hair that’s long on top.
It’s straight and frequently falls into his eyes as he waits by Hex’s side.
His light-blue eyes glimmer like he’s amused by something.
They’re so bright, they remind me of an icy ocean.
He’s taller than even Hex, with a lithely muscled frame similar to most fae.
He’s covered in black tattoos that line every inch of visible skin, from his fingers to his neck.
My eyes are drawn to them repeatedly during our farce of a ceremony.
Unlike Hex, Silence continues to wear a bemused smirk. Like finding his mate is humorous, rather than a life-changing and happy event.
The noblemen of each court stick to their sides of the room during the celebration that follows the bonding ceremony.
There’s a clear divide between Seelie and Unseelie.
My mother is Unseelie. It’s unknown which of her mates fathered us, but it could have been one of her Seelie mates. Yet, my bonded look upon me with disdain.
Their haughty, condescending attitudes are actually beginning to infuriate me.
I’ve waited a hundred years for this. It should be a joyous occasion.
The procession of well-wishers continues along as they each take a turn to greet us.
Ary and her men are across the room, but they’re in good spirits. Being empathic is a curse. The misery and negativity wafting off my new husbands is enough to turn my stomach.
The line continues for what feels like forever.
A small girl, no older than four or five, offers me a bracelet of pastel-colored beads.
“This is beautiful,” I tell her, pulling my dress to the side so I can squat down. “Thank you.” I bow my head, offering her my gratitude.
Commotion draws my attention, but I fall flat on my ass as agony rips through my gut with staggering force.
My hand flies to cup my stomach, but when I pull my fingers away, there’s no blood.
A second later, pure fire crosses my throat.
The girl’s mother scoops her up, gasping as she glances across the room.
My entire world freezes as Ary disappears from my soul. It doesn’t make any sense, but normally, I can feel her beating heart in my chest as if it were my own.
One of my mates tries to pull me to my feet.
I allow it.
“Let me go,” I hiss, but his grip tightens as I toss myself toward Ary. I look up and find Hex. His eyes are wide with shock, but I won’t be held back.
He pulls me close with a firm hold that I can’t shake out of. “Stop,” Hex growls. “I’m trying to keep you safe, dammit.”
“Ali,” Korso bellows. He’s my sister’s mate and one of my oldest friends.
They know what I’m capable of.
If they’re calling for me, then . . .
I allow Hex to turn me enough that my foot connects easily with his cock as I kick with every ounce of force I can. He releases a hiss of pain and bends in half. My knee flies toward his face as it connects, and my fist hits a moment after, slamming into his temple.
“What the fuck?” Silence snaps, striding toward us.
My parents had us in training with their top warriors by the time we were three. These men might be future kings of their courts, but they won’t stop me from getting to my sister.
I make a break for it.
Trident, my sister’s other mate, continues past me as I run for my sister. He slams his foot into Silence’s chest, knocking him back several feet.
I slide across the floor, coming to rest at my sister’s side. My mother is cradling her head and sobbing. There isn’t just one wound. It’s her entire lower abdomen, as well as a slice directly across her neck. Only one thing could damage her this deeply.
Iron Ice.
Iron is dangerous to the fae, but the blades they used must have been fortified with Iron Ice—a substance more deadly to us than losing our heads.
My fathers are attempting to subdue two men, who I think are assassins.
Why would anyone do this?
My hands begin to glow, as do my eyes.
“No!” my mother hisses. “It’s too late.”
But it’s not , something dark inside me says. It never is for us .
“They’ll kill you both,” my mother hisses, trying to swat my hands away.
“They can try,” I say the words, but it’s fully my magic in control. “To me.” I raise a hand, pulling my fingers toward me. The two assassins slide across the dirt floor of the reception hall, fighting invisible magic the entire way.
My fathers watch on in terrified horror as the attackers land near Ary’s body.
“We won’t be able to protect you,” my mother says in a shaky tone.
“I know,” I tell her as my eyes meet hers. She doesn’t feel the hollow pit that now exists in my soul where Ary used to be.
“What the fuck is she doing?” Hex’s voice comes from right behind me.
“I don’t know,” Silence says in his haughty, upper-class tone. I’m a freaking princess, and I’ve never managed to sound as spoiled as he does.
My right hand raises, and pale pink energy begins to form. The two men who are responsible for Ary’s demise writhe around in agony as I suck out their life force. It doesn’t hurt me, but based on the sounds they make, it’s not an enjoyable experience for them.
I’m not sure how I’m able to do it. I just know I need two lives’ worth of energy to bring back Ary and her baby.
Fighting starts all around us.
I hear their comments.
“That’s not healing magic.”
“There’s no way to save her. Aryndia is gone. What is she doing?”
“That’s not possible.”
“She’s killing them. They haven’t had a chance to stand trial.”
“She’s breaking the law.”
I understand that they think I’m against nature and the gods.
Someone gets very close to my back. My head swivels as I blow them back with magic I didn’t know I had.
“I will devour every soul in this room who tries to stop me,” my magic declares without a hint of humanity.
The words might come from my lips, but they aren’t my own.
It doesn’t take longer than thirty seconds before the thousand-year-old assassins are dead. I bend over, opening Ary’s mouth, and blow. Sparkly pink magic flows from me into her. It becomes difficult to keep myself upright, but I expel all I can into my twin.
I take another deep breath and blow harder. My gut churns, because it won’t be enough.
The first time I learned I could bring something back from the final death was when a hunter accidentally killed my favorite pixie. I healed her with my own life force and lost my sight for nearly two weeks as a consequence.
Are you willing to pay the price ?
I’m pretty sure the question radiating through my skull comes from my magic. I pull my shoulders back and try to hold back the sob.
Ary and her men have loved each other for years.
She’s having a baby.
What do I have?
A couple of mates who loathe me because I’m not Seelie.
I’ll pay whatever needs to be paid.
I barely manage to hold myself up as I blow energy to Ary again.
The fighting continues around us.
My stomach throbs painfully as my hands fall to my sister’s shoulders. It’s very hard not to completely collapse on top of her.
Triton comes to kneel on my left, squeezing my shoulder in a silent show of support, or possibly he’s trying to help feed me life energy.
I don’t know how I know, but I do understand I can’t pull from him without killing him. Instead, I mine life energy from my soul to pour into my sister. Apparently, the assassins weren’t enough.
I’m not sure. I don’t have any clue how all of this works.
My eyes fall closed as I breathe through the fire that rips through my system. It’s the most painful thing I’ve ever felt. I’m not sure I’ll survive this.
Ary gasps as her eyes pop open.
“Gods, what have you done?” Hex asks from my right side.
“Korso,” I whimper, wrapping an arm around my lower stomach. His gifts include portals. He can open them at any time, in any place, and he’s nearly impossible to track.
“Ali,” my sister sobs, tossing herself at me for a hug. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” I whisper. “You have to go.”
Trident lifts her, nodding to Korso.
“Ali, come on,” Ary says, stretching out a hand for me.
“I can’t. They’ll be able to track my magic.” I grimace at the feeling of my insides turning to liquid fire. “Go.”
Trident gives me a nod, stepping through the portal as my sister fights like hell.
“Go,” I snarl when Korso looks back at me.
The horror on his face is plain to see as he steps through after them. He mouths, thank you and it closes with a pop.
My eyes fly down to see what exactly the price was this time.
Bright red blood is all I see before everything goes black.