Chapter 8
I stood before a woman with long red hair and pale skin. She wore a skintight green dress that trailed on the ground behind her. We stood on a balcony overlooking the sprawling desert.
Shadows swirled around her in the dark. She sighed. “Do you think I’ll ever be accepted here?”
“Of course you will,” I said, standing next to her and looking at the night sky above.
She flicked her hand and one of the shadows shot forward over the balcony and grabbed a plum from a nearby tree. The shadow flew back, handing the plum to her.
She looked at me, pursing her lips. “You don’t think everyone will fear my shadows?”
I thought for a minute. The people of Gilraeth seemed to fear a lot of things: the dragons, the fire lizards, the fire faeries, the sand snakes. Yet I’d managed to befriend every one of these creatures and had learned how wonderful they could be. If only I could convince everyone else of this.
She flicked her hand again and the shadow rushed forward and plucked another plum, tossing it to me. I caught it and laughed. “Thank you,” I said to her. I took a bite, the taste rich and sweet. “I’ve been thinking that maybe it’s time to introduce you to my parents.”
She worried at her bottom lip. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
I’d found her hiding in a cave months ago, had been visiting her regularly, bringing her food.
She’d escaped the shadow court and came to Gilraeth.
She was alone and just wanted somewhere to belong.
She’d endured so much, and we’d become friends.
Helena was sweet, shy, and if everyone gave her a chance, they would see what I did.
I tapped my chin. “Maybe they would trust you more if you’d be willing to give them information about the shadow court.”
Sorrengard was an island off the coast of Arathia, and once upon a time, they’d been allies.
But that had changed when they’d waged war on the continent of Arathia sixty years ago.
They’d wiped Shiraeth off map, and the star court was now the Deadlands, a place where monsters, criminals, and dark magic lurked.
The other courts managed to band together and defeat Sorrengard, banishing them back to their shadow island.
But Helena told me that Sorrengard was getting stronger, planning something.
She hadn’t talked a lot about her past, and I knew it was painful for her.
Helena twirled her hand, and her three shadows flew upward, swirling and creating a storm of inky black smoke. “I just wish I could get rid of these shadows,” she said. “I hate having them attached to me.”
I put a hand on her arm. “We’ll find a way. We’ll find the people they belong to and return their shadows to them.”
She shuddered. “I can’t go back to the shadow court. Promise me I won’t have to.”
“I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” I leaned closer. “Listen, let me talk to my parents and set up a formal introduction. If you can give them valuable information, you’ll earn their trust. You’ll earn everyone’s trust.”
She raised her eyebrows. “You really think so?”
I nodded. “No more hiding out in your cave, no more slinking out in the darkness.” I gestured to my balcony. “No more middle-of-the-night visits to my castle.”
She nodded and twirled a strand of red hair around her finger. “Okay, if you think it’s a good idea, then I’ll do it. I’ll give them any information they want. Anything to help them keep Sorrengard from gaining power.”
“That won’t happen,” I said quickly. “We’ll hold a summit, get all the courts together and come up with a plan. Believe me, no one wants to see what happened to Shiraeth happen ever again.”
It was weird to even think there used to be a star court in the middle of our continent, that the star people had the power to wield starlight, moonlight, and sunlight.
It had sounded like a beautiful court, and it made me sad that all those people had lost their lives because of the selfishness of one court.
“So there’s no way to get rid of the shadows?” I said, gesturing to them above.
Helena leaned in. “I’ll let you in on a secret.” She brought her hand down and the shadows lowered with the movement.
“Light. The shadows hate the light. Sorrengard is mostly jungle, filled with tall trees and thick canopies where the shadows can lurk. But get them out in sunlight, and they’ll flee back to the dark.”
“Here. Try.” The shadows flitted around her, slithering over her shoulders, around her waist, caressing her cheeks.
I tugged at my magic and fire sprang to my hand. The shadows shrieked and dove behind Helena. “See?” she said.
“Wow,” I breathed. “That’s valuable information. We’ll have to share it with my parents when you meet them.”
She started to melt away, the vision growing fuzzy, her voice distorted, and I heard yelling.
“Fuck,” Madden shouted. “Princess, I need you to wake up. Now!”
My eyes shot open to see Madden over me, sword out as he slashed at the shadow. I sprang to my feet.
“Fire,” I said. “We need fire.”
Madden didn’t hesitate, throwing his sword down as both of us summoned our fire magic. A wall of flames lit between us, and the shadow shrieked and melted away.
“Madden,” I said slowly, unable to believe what I’d just seen, just remembered.
Madden sank against the wall, taking his water skin and drinking deeply. A thin sheen of sweat covered his skin, which was now marked with scratches and cuts, probably caused by the shadow.
He patted the seat next to him and I sat down, resting my back against the hard wall. “You can tell me,” he said.
“I think I just had a memory of the sorceress.”
He tensed.
“I think I was her friend.”
Madden stilled next to me, his eyes going wide, water skin now frozen inches from his lips. He set it down.
“What?”
I shook my head, wading through what felt like a new treasure chest of memories. “I found her one day.” It took a moment for me to remember where. “Hiding in the mountains of Gilraeth. She tried to take my shadow, but I fought her off with my fire magic.”
“Are you sure?” Madden rubbed his stubbled jaw. “Fuck.”
“She told me she’d escaped from Sorrengard, and she was afraid she was going to get killed, or worse, sent back if anyone found her.
I started visiting her regularly, and she took advantage of my empathy for wounded creatures.
She told me all about her life on Sorrengard.
” I met his gaze. “I don’t even know if any of what she said was true, but—I took care of her and then I introduced her to my parents. I vouched for her.”
“That’s how she infiltrated the castle. We all wondered how she got so close to all of you.”
I rested my head against the wall. “So it was my fault. My parents’ deaths, the sorceress cursing me, the reason why she’s currently ruling over my court.”
Madden’s lips quirked. “Your court, huh?”
I gave him a look and he put up his hands.
“It’s the first time I’ve heard you call it that.” He nudged me. “None of this is your fault. She preyed upon you. She lied to you. You are good, Princess. So, so good.” He ran a thumb down the side of my cheek, sending a shiver through me. “Don’t blame yourself for her actions.”
“What do you think she wants?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think it’s about what she wants. I think she’s just a pawn, a part of a larger scheme.”
My brows wrinkled. “You think Sorrengard is planning something?”
“I hope I’m wrong,” he said and turned. “But I fear I may be right."
“Do you remember anything about her actual betrayal?” Madden asked. “How she . . . cursed you?”
I shook my head. “No. Not yet.”
He lay a hand on my shoulder. “It’ll come. And when it does, we’ll face it together.”
Together. I smiled and swallowed. Madden stood and pulled me to my feet.
“Now, c’mon. Let’s get going. I have a surprise for you.”