EIGHTEEN
Ace
Rehan and Ace left the horse tied to a tree at the edge of the woods. From there they'd traveled by foot until they reached the wall that surrounded Queen Farah's castle. It was a smaller version of the wall they'd just passed through when they'd made it back into Pasia. Maybe only tripple the height of Ace herself.
Ace squinted up the wall, the sun stinging her eyes. "Could you just magically let us through this wall too?"
Running his hand over the stone, Rehan chuckled. "No. I doubt there are wards as strong as the outer wall but I'm no warlock. I can't give either of us the ability to walk through walls. Or what the Fae were able to have their warlocks do with the other wall, they created a portal. You enter on one side, it spits you out on the other. Genius really."
"I thought the magic kept Fae from crossing it at all, portal or not."
"Oh, the Fae that came with me when we crossed before and the majority of Fae in King Osiris’s camp are half breeds. Fae mixed with human or warlock blood in some way or another. A nice little loophole in the spell allows them to cross."
Ace scrunched her nose. "And you…trust them?"
"I trust them to help me kill the queens. That's as far as my trust goes. As far as his proclamation that we'll one day reign, I'm not sure yet." Rehan looped his fingers into the edges of his pockets.“Truthfully, King Osiris has given me no reason to distrust him yet.”
"Do you want to be king?"
Rehan strolled toward her. "I believe the gods do."
"What do you want?" Her palms felt clammy as she stood still waiting for his answer. He frowned as if he'd never thought about that.
"I want to fulfill my destiny from the gods. I want to be with you in whatever capacity you want me." The toes of his boots were practically touching Ace's as he came to a stop. Taking his time, he brought a hand up and tipped Ace's chin. She didn't have to crane her neck in the way she did for Shelby.
His eyes kept leaving her gaze to watch her lips. Rehan let out a long sigh before dropping his hand. "I want to kiss you so bad."
"I don’t have to be able to hear your thoughts to know that. How can you want to kiss someone you hardly know?" The laugh she gave was weak and strained.
He shrugged. "I knew from the moment I was brought back that someone was waiting for me—you were waiting for me—and I was made to be with you. The desire comes naturally." He took a large step away, then pinned Ace with a playful stare. "I'll wait to kiss you until I'm the only man on your mind."
Ace pursed her lips. She supposed being desired was nice but her heart ached for Rehan because she didn't believe that would be possible. Not now. Not after she'd already begun to have feelings for someone else. Maybe it would be better to be with Rehan. It would be easier, that much was clear, but an easier path didn't necessarily equate to a happier path.
"Good to know." She pointed up the wall. "Now how are we getting over this?"
"Um, we are going to climb it."
"Climb it?" she said slowly. "Listen, the only thing I have practice climbing is rooftops and usually I have something to help me up. How am I supposed to climb this?"
"Well, the stones are all uneven, there are plenty of lips and ledges to cling to." He curled his fingers around one of those ledges to show Ace how it was done.
"I'm going to fall to my death today." She nodded. "This is how I die. Again ."
"Not if I can help it." Rehan waved her toward the wall. "Come on. Up you go."
Dread made Ace feel as if she'd suddenly turned into lead, but she shuffled forward and found a place where she could place her foot to help push her up. Her hands ached in the familiar way they did when she climbed the lattice—but the lattice was easy to climb—as she continued to hoist her weight up higher and higher. Once there was a full body length between her and the ground and her legs weren’t trembling, Rehan followed behind her.
Shelby was on the other side of this wall. She had to remind herself with every move she made. She would make Queen Farah pay for his capture.
"When we get to the other side we'll be met with guards, no doubt—”
"If they aren't already waiting for us." Ace grunted.
"Right. So you need to draw on your holy fire."
"Which we've already discovered is so easy for me." Her arms throbbed but she continued to climb, never allowing herself to look down at Rehan or the ground below them. How were the gods so certain that she could even do this? She'd felt much more confident when they'd gone after Queen Sienna. But then she'd had a grimoire and a warlock at her side; she hadn't had to depend on her own skillset.A skillset that did not include climbing or fighting.
Her palm flattened at the top of the wall. She would have sighed except she was breathing quite heavily. Finally, she was able to pull herself up the last bit. Rehan beamed up at her as she clung to the stones.
"That's my girl."
"Not your girl." She breathed into the barrier, squeezing her eyes shut.
Rehan straddled the wall, looking out into the courtyard. "Not to worry you, but we'll have to hurry down." Ace groaned. "No, we need to hurry now . We have been spotted."
She lifted her head, her hair falling into her eyes. Even through the strands, she could see guards running from their positions closer to the castle. Several swords were already drawn and Ace caught their shouts at the intrusions on the passing wind.
"I'll go first," Rehan insisted.
Ace held her breath as he lowered himself, feeling carefully for places to hold onto. She lifted a hand just to watch it tremble. She let both legs dangle, the stone biting into her gut.
"That's not good," Rehan said under his breath.
"What did you just say?!"
If Rehan answered, Ace didn't hear him as an arrow zinged by her face and struck the stone between her fingers. She let out a yelp as she yanked her hand away, her whole body pulling off the wall as she jumped in surprise.
Gravity grabbed her, stealing away her voice as she fell. Rehan was a blur, the stone passing at a rapid speed, and Ace's arms were reaching for something…anything but finding nothing except air.
Her vision turned black then dotted with white stars before she registered the pain or realized that the loud cracking noise had been bones breaking. Agony spiked as she struggled to take her next breath.
"Fuuccckkk," she hissed, not daring to move. Blinking her eyes open she saw Rehan—or at least what she assumed to be him since he was really just a fuzzy dark blob—jump the last few feet off the wall. He sprinted in her direction but never made it as his hands lit with twin blades that sliced through the nearest guard.
Pressing her palms into the earth, Ace tried to stand. Her elbows buckled as she gritted her teeth, pain echoing through her bones. "I don't have time for broken bones," she said mainly to the gods.
Good thing you heal quickly , Fareesh the goddess of health and healing reminded her.
Though the edges of her vision remained fuzzy, she was able to see clearer. Ace forced herself to sit up. Rehan moved with the skill of a trained warrior. He moved faster than the guards, cutting through the small group that had made its way to us. She blinked as he shoved one blade up through a man’s stomach and then pulled it out, slinging blood as he went. Droplets of crimson rained down on her boots.
Get up. I need to get up , Ace thought, closing her eyes as the horizon tilted one way and then the other.
"No, you do not," Rehan shouted through gritted teeth as he took out another guard.
"Stop listening to my thoughts!" she squeaked as she thrust her eyes open and forced herself to stand. Every breath she took sent pain pulsing through her ribcage and down her spine. She shifted and gasped as she felt a bone snap back into place. Rehan's image turned into three that came apart and then back together.
Power built inside of her, rushing to the surface of her skin. She stretched for that chord of power and the hilt blazed in her palm before stretching out. Ace stumbled, straightening her arm as she fell forcefully into the nearest guard blade first. His back arched as the sword pierced through his chest on the other side. When he crumbled and Ace slid her weapon out of him, Rehan's hands were planted on his hips as he tried to catch his breath.
"You're right, I really needed your help with that last one." Sweat sparkled on his skin as he looked around them at the guards who'd fallen.
Ace clung to the holy fire that raced in her veins for fear she wouldn't be able to find the strength to take hold of it again. She stepped over an outstretched arm missing a hand, weaving through the bodies and blood as best she could. Her head was pounding.
He'd killed them all. He hadn’t even needed her help. She blinked trying not to let him see her astonishment.
"That was a wicked fall." Rehan so rudely pointed out as he met Ace's stride. "But you seemed to have stitched yourself back together well enough."
"I'm not exactly qualified for this job that I've been given," she muttered as she staggered out of the mess.
Rehan caught her by the tip of her elbow as she straightened. His eyes were narrowed, the shine of suspicion clear in that bright gaze. "You sure you're good to go in there and fight a queen with magic?"
"I've got you, don't I? Apparently, that's all I need." She shrugged out of his grip. "I've got to get to Shelby." If he’s even still alive. That thought that followed felt like a crack forming inside of her chest that could very well make her heart break. She gripped her sword, sprinting through the courtyard. There were footprints and bent grass but otherwise, there was nothing of note as they ran by.
A door had been left open where the guards had exited the castle after their arrival had been announced. A black singe mark was left across the wood as Ace nudged it open with her sword. Crisp white halls, empty except for a single golden statue.
"There's got to be more than that," she whispered.
Inside the castle was even quieter. No noise or bustle that she would have expected. The hair on the back of her neck stood at attention as she remembered Queen Sienna's castle and how silent it had been apart from the thunderous sounds of the Fae picking it apart.
"I don't like the silence," Rehan said before she could.
"What have I said about reading my thoughts?" She tried to laugh to cover up her nervousness as they inched forward.
"I didn't have to read your thoughts; it was written all over your face just like everything else has been."
"I'll work on reining in my expressions," she snapped and Rehan smirked.
"I think it's endearing."
"You would."
Rehan pointed down a hall. Ace's boots squeaked as she came to a sudden stop. One silhouette blocked the path forward. Sparks rained down off her sword while the figure dipped his head. A crown sat on top of his balding scalp.
"My queen is asking for your presence in her throne room. Might I escort you?" There was a nervous quiver to his voice.
"Who are you?" Ace asked.
"I'm your new king though I don't expect the likes of you to claim me as such." With that, he turned and hurried away.
Ace exchanged a look with Rehan who shrugged. "He's leading us right to her."
"Which means she's waiting for us. Ready for us." Ace swallowed the nausea that was fighting its way up her throat. An image flashed behind her eyes, a reminder of the past that couldn't be changed.
"We have the gods on our side."
None of them bothered to chime in at his statement though. The gods sat silent, watching and waiting for their revenge to be dealt.
Having the gods behind them didn't feel like much as Ace followed the man, the supposed new king. The lantern light was shining off the top of his head, catching on both his hairless scalp and the crown. He appeared to be almost the same height as Ace as she sized him up, her eyes flicking over his silk top and fitted black pants.
"This could be a trap. This is too easy," Ace said under her breath.
"Is it really a trap when we want to be caught?" He nudged her with his elbow.
"My name is Zacharias if you were curious," the king said as he led them through another barren hall.
"Didn't ask," Ace called with a smirk.
Rehan bit his lip to hide his grin. His holy fire was neatly tucked away, the swords he'd held gone. His eyes still sparkled with that familiar look that told Ace he could call it forth so easily. She tightened her grip on the hilt of the sword but dropped her arm and let the blade drag against the floors. A long scratch was left behind the tip, digging into the stone.
Even if Ace died—again—today she would leave her mark. The world would know she'd been here. She'd tried.
Zacharias glanced over his shoulder, frowning at the marks that singed the ground. Ace cocked her head, meeting his gaze. "That's not very kind of you," he finally said as he rounded one last corner and motioned them toward two closed doors.
"I think the queen will understand." Ace's smile was turning into a sneer as the nervous jitters, building of anger, and fearful churn of memories assaulted her mind.
The king stopped at the doors, running his tongue across his lips as he looked Ace up and down. His brows pinched together. Ace wondered if he noticed the resemblance.
"Ladies first or shall I?" Rehan asked.
"No," Ace answered, her tone light. "I'd love to go first. I think I might have a few things to say." With that, she ushered herself forward.
Ace didn't mind the dirt on her clothes or the raggedness of the materials after so many days of wear and use, especially after she'd just fallen off a fucking wall. That changed when she strode forward, stopping before Queen Farah who sat at the head of her table, not at her throne.
Two staffs were held up on either side of her chair, but her hands did not touch them. Instead, Farah swirled a glass of red wine in one hand and propped her chin up with the other as if she was already bored.
"I expected more grandeur when the Fae finally came for me," Farah sighed. "I didn't even have to ask the rest of my guards to rush in. I heard it was just two of you." She hadn't looked up yet, her gaze resting on her drink as a whirlpool formed in the glass.
The white walls were adorned with sparkling sconces. A long, well-made table ran the length of the room, burning candles atop golden holders in its center. The vaulted ceiling was accented with chandeliers that had to have cost more than the town Ace grew up in. Though the castle was gorgeous, Queen Farah was the diamond in the room. She’d always been pretty but her fortune had only increased that tenfold.
Rehan walked in slowly behind Ace. He traced the back of a chair before he came to a stop at the end of the table, opposite the queen, and leaned onto it with his elbows. "Ace, please say whatever it is you'd like. I would love to get this over with so we can move on."
"Move on to the next queen?" Farah slammed her glass onto the table, wine sloshing over the rim. "This ends with me." The queen was feral, hissing like a wild animal, baring her teeth, and curling her long nails into her palms.
Those familiar, beautiful green eyes, finally landed on Ace. Farah's eyes widened as she pulled back, smacking her head on the back of the chair.
Farah let out a small gasp as she stood, as she inched closer to Ace and stretched out her hand as if to touch her face. The queen's whisper carried across the room. It echoed pain and confusion between them. "Aylee?"
Ace flinched at the mention of her old name.