36
Valen
During the battle, both Wren and Suveo gained a bit more control over their power. It’s a small win in the scheme of things, but it’s one we desperately need. While the cleanup and repairs begin, I head to the throne room to meet with the others. If Aphelian is waiting for something—if her plans aren’t quite ready to execute—then maybe the time to strike is now.
The rest of the council filters in, including Tania, who lingers by the door.
Her reaction to what I said was… Fuck.
I’ve claimed her. As far as my heart and soul is concerned, Tania is mine . Really, it happened months ago. Maybe even before we made it back from Ventin. I’m not sure why it surprised me to voice it out loud. Gods know it caught her off guard. Another Fae might have taken offense to her reaction, but I know her well enough to know why she was upset. This world doesn’t want us together.
Maybe it never will.
Gensted gestures to the shriveled pieces of vine and root that still litter the floor. “Since we’re clearly not working on a timeline anymore, what’s the next move?”
I’ve dragged them all here, and even though they’ve gotten something out of it, if they don’t live to bring it back to their courts, then what was the point?
Tania pushes off the wall and walks to the center of the room. “There’s only one option left. The tear. We fight druid magic with druid magic. If I drink the magic—”
“Then you become more powerful than Aphelian? I hardly think that’s any better.” Celpin jabs a finger at me. “Why not let Valen drink it? That’s what Servis did. It helped us win the war. It can help us win now. He can give it back when this is all over.”
Of all the things Celpin could have said, that’s the worst. Tania loathes what Aphelian has done, the thing that she’s become, but she’s made no secret of the fact that she also believes her former mentor was a victim when this all started. She might be a monster now, but she didn’t start that way. By suggesting I do the same thing Servis did…
Tania…
Her expression darkens. “You think that’s wise, considering that giving the tear to a Winter Fae is what got us all to this point to begin with?”
Several in the room gasp.
“Are you saying you don’t trust Lord Valen?” Celpin asks.
Guria makes a low tsking sound. “I’m sure that’s not what she means, Celpin.”
I don’t want the tear. Would never even think about suggesting it. But Celpin’s words sting because that’s almost how this feels.
Like she doesn’t trust me.
Tania blinks several times, then recovers. “I don’t trust what the tear would do to him. It could corrupt him. It could harm him.”
“It didn’t harm Servis,” Celpin supplies.
“And how do we know that? Maybe ingesting the power made him turn on her?” Tania looks at me for a moment before quickly turning away. “We can’t take that chance.”
“ We can,” Celpin says. “I think it’s you who can’t.”
“Enough.” I step between them. “I want every available scout out there, looking for Aphelian. We need to know where she is. Now .”
“You know that I’m right. This is our best chance.”
We don’t know that.
“We do.” There’s a flicker of regret in the link, then a surge of determination. “I’m doing this, Valen. You can’t stop me.”
We’ve had to move Gensted to a new room four times due to him experimenting with his power. Curtains, rugs—the bed—he’s incinerated them all trying to practice on his own after hours. His determination is admirable, but if he doesn’t stop, he’s going to burn down what’s left of the estate.
There’s more room now. Most of the villagers have set up camp in the caves behind the estate. It’s more defensible, with one opening, and half the guard is stationed there. The other half is out looking for Aphelian. This leaves the monarchs and council as the only ones to defend the estate, but it’s the best I can do.
“I don’t think we’ll be completely useless in a fight.” Wren’s got a better grasp on her powers than Suveo and Gensted, but her control over the earth isn’t close to being at the offensive level we’d hoped. “But I don’t think we’ll be front-line material.”
Suria is beside me. “We still have Tania and the tear as a last resort. She can protect us.”
Gensted frowns while Wren casts her gaze downward. Suveo outwardly laughs. “Yes. Let’s trust one filthy druid to take down another druid. This Aphelian person raised her, right? I’m sure she’ll have no qualms about killing her.”
“Don’t talk about her like that,” Suria snaps. She glares at Suveo, even taking a step toward him. He only laughs harder.
I don’t bother telling them yet that Tania has already made up her mind. I hate it, and I’m fairly sure I don’t agree with her, but she’s right. The choice is hers. I just pray that choice doesn’t come with consequences we can’t bounce back from.
An hour later, Tania is in the garden. There’s a small rabbit at her feet and multiple birds perched all around her.
“What are they saying?”
“Same as always. The Fae smell.” She waves her hands and smiles, and the small animals scatter. Watching her with the animals makes me snicker, and I remember the first time it happened, on the way to Ventin. She once told me the druids were so connected with nature that they’d been able to transform into animals—something Aphelian could do. I wonder what Tania’s animal form would be?
I shake off the thought and clear my throat.
“I was hoping we could talk.” I pluck a single petal from the nearest rose. It’s ice blue with a silverish trim. Something that looks far too delicate for our harsh climate. Yet, it’s here, thriving. Kind of like us.
“About the tear.”
“I know you’ve made up your mind and there’s nothing I can say to stop you, but…” I grab her hand and tug her down onto the nearest bench. “Do you really believe that drinking it will contain the magic?”
“That’s the impression I’ve gotten. Obviously there’s no way to know for sure. It’s a gamble. But I’ve been poring through all the books you found. Judging by the way druid magic once worked, it stands to reason…”
“And when this is all done, you can set the magic free?”
She nods. “I’d have to. One druid wouldn’t be able to contain all that power for long. It would drive them mad.”
“How long?” This is what worries me. “I need to know this is safe for you.” What Bojan said about the tear is bouncing around in my mind. My father, too. If that magic is that wild, how can it be safe for her to take it all in?
“I wish I could answer that, Valen, but…”
“There’s no way to know.”
“We know Aphelian channeled the power from the land and put it into the tear, but I don’t imagine she held on to it that long. So…”
“I’m not comfortable with this.”
A small smile plays at the edges of her lips. “You’ve mentioned that…”
“But you’re strong. I trust you.” I don’t like it, but she needs to know I’m on her side. That I support her choice—despite not liking it.
“Thank you.”
“I don’t like asking you to do this.” It’s not the same thing as what Servis asked of Aphelian, but it feels…significant. Like it’s crossing a line there’s no coming back from.
“I’m offering, remember?” She stands. “I need to do this now. I was hoping you’d…”
“Stay with you?” I take her hand. The Fae think she’s controlling me, manipulating my actions. If someone were to see us, it would place more doubt on her credibility, jeopardize everything we’re trying to do. But she needs me, and I know she’s felt isolated lately. How can I not be there for her? Isn’t it worth the risk? “I would have insisted even if you hadn’t asked.”
“Of course you would.” She smiles. “Because you’re the pushiest bastard I’ve ever met.”
We walk into the estate, but instead of going toward our rooms, Tania heads down the stairs, into the catacombs.
We get to the bottom and each grab one of the burning torches on either side of the hall. As we go, the walls shift, doors disappearing as new corners emerge.
“Has it been down here the whole time?” I ask.
“I thought it would be the safest place.” She stops in front of a thick wooden door that’s appeared at the end of the hallway. There’s no handle and no lock. But after a moment, there’s a loud creak, and it opens with a subtle snap .
“Neat trick,” I say as she pushes it open and steps inside. I follow her in. Instead of a room, we’ve stepped into a lush forest. A few yards away, there’s a cluster of massive trees with hammocks hanging from their branches. Thick vines dotted with small white flowers wrap around every possible surface. “What the…”
“It’s Lunal.” She goes to one of the hammocks. Running her hand along the material, she says, “Well, a replica, anyway.”
I bend and pluck a handful of grass. The coolness of it, the texture between my fingers—it’s just like real grass. Smells like it, too. “How did it get here?”
Tania shrugs. “When I came down to bring the tear, it was just…here.”
“Bojan,” I say, smiling.
“I pulled it from the images Keltania had in her mind,” Bojan says, appearing behind us.
We both flinch and turn.
“Bojan…” I say. “I didn’t know you could do that.”
She shrugs, but her grin is mischievous. “You never asked.” Turning, she bows to Tania. “It’s an honor to finally meet you.”
Tania blinks. “Um…”
“Tania, this is Bojan, the spirit who—well, I guess she runs the catacombs.”
“I didn’t realize—”
Bojan laughs. “No one ever does.” She gestures to the hammock. “I kept it safe for you, child of nature.”
Tania reaches in and, a moment later, produces the tear. It’s a small, tear-shaped vial containing glimmering blue liquid. “I’d forgotten how beautiful it was,” she breathes.
“Are you setting the magic free, then?” Bojan beams.
“Not quite yet. We have to deal with Aphelian first,” Tania says.
“Tania is going to drink the tear,” I say.
She frowns. “That’s quite a bit of power for one being… Using it—and acting against Aphelian quickly—might be your only hope.”
“Can you think of a reason that she shouldn’t do it?” This is our last chance. There are thousands of souls on the line. We need to approach this with as many facts as we can.
“The magic inside that vial is extremely powerful. If I could offer a bit of advice… The druid tear contains concentrated magic.”
“Okay…”
“Taking in magic that concentrated, that potent, will have consequences. It’s been dormant for far too long, and druid magic has a life—a mind—of its own. Take care when it is released…”
“So there’s a chance it will harm her?” It takes all my willpower not to snatch the tear from Tania’s hands.
“Harm her? No.” Bojan quirks a brow and tilts her head, studying Tania. “It will recognize her as a druid. She’ll be safe. But it could change her.”
Tania glances down at the tear in her hand. She turns it over in her palm, running a thumb across the small, smooth surface. The liquid inside, as if sensing her, glows and churns. “What does that mean?”
“In the past, there have been connections between Fae and humans. All magical in nature, but none quite like yours. None that tethered two souls. That being said, there’s no way to know how the magic will react to that bond.” She frowns and looks away. “It may embrace it—or reject it. There’s a chance your link will be broken.”