Chapter 38
Erebus knew that regaining his lost freedom required shadows and spirits to do his bidding.
He needed to draw them to his prison, and keep them there.
Killing was of no use to Erebus. If the folk died, their spirits merely went to Noctua’s realm.
He wanted to keep the spirits for himself, to give power to his realm.
He hired a Seer to discover the cup’s secrets, to test various brews on the folk who came to his master’s dark realm.
—OLD ONES, ANCIENTS, AND THE FOLK
Thea stepped back, her pulse slamming, suspicion sharpening her senses. “Who are you?”
The queen tilted her head. “Did you think I would spend seven years in Iluna and remain unchanged? What a sad homecoming my return has been. My husband’s power is waning.
He is ill, his magic weakening day by day.
A strong ruler is ready to step into his place.
No one is more powerful than the Old Ones, and Erebus is the most cunning among them.
Only he escaped the long slumber enforced by the Ancients. ”
“Is that true or was he already imprisoned?” Thea asked, taking another step back. After all, they didn’t know the full story. “Maybe they ignored him because he was of no consequence.”
Rage flashed in her mother’s eyes. “He has bided his time like a seed in the ground, awaiting the right conditions to sprout. The cracks in the veil between realms have given him a chance. Selkolla’s magic damaged the Sylvan wards, and now they are breaking down.
It’s only a matter of time before the Forgotten Realm comes through. ”
This was all wrong. Her mother’s rage, the way she was talking about Erebus, this obsession with power…
“You’re not the Sylvan queen.” Thea backed away, her eyes searching for allies.
Where were the archers on the wall? The guards at the gate?
Even the patrols should be returning soon.
It must be close to morning. Where was her father?
Then she remembered that Winter had said he was bedridden.
Scarhamm was more vulnerable than it had ever been.
“Please, Theodora,” the fake queen said, holding out her hand. “King Erebus is willing to forgive you.”
“Forgive me?” Thea laughed harshly. “He tried to turn me into one of his trees. As far as he knows, I’m trapped in silver.”
“Prospect’s ruse didn’t fool him for long.” The queen, or whoever she was, took a step forward. “He could have gone back to kill you, but he wanted to see what you would do next. As he hoped, you have come home.”
Thea did not believe a word. She took another step backward.
“My First of Shadows,” a deep, silky voice crooned from behind her.
Thea spun to see Erebus moving toward her with a warm smile of welcome. “Your mother is right. I was rash before, when I deemed your usefulness to be at an end. You’ve shown yourself to be cunning and strong. Worthy.”
“I don’t believe any of this,” Thea said, still scanning the walls for help as she stepped toward the trees, careful to put distance between herself and Erebus and the thing that called itself her mother. “Am I still in the cave? Dreaming?”
Another voice spoke from the edge of the forest. “It’s not a dream, Thea.”
Damon!
Thea spun to see Damon emerge from the trees to the north, his clothing as tidy as if about to step into the ballroom for the first dance of the night. She knew he’d betrayed her, but to this extent? Was he truly so evil?
Damon gave her a crooked smile. “For so long, all my plans were to free my mother. I invited you to my realm intending to trade you for her, and it worked. But now that we’re free, I’ve realized there’s nowhere for us to go.
Nowhere safe from the breakdown of veils.
It’s time to make amends with my father.
It’s time to reunite the realms.” He lifted his hand, and a silver tree appeared next to him. “Accept it, Thea.”
If what he was saying was true, why did she have to accept it? Why were they trying so hard to get her to believe them? “Where are my sisters?” she asked.
“Enora isn’t well,” the queen said, her face falling. “I’m afraid she was struck with an illness. Cassia, too. Even poor little Rozie.”
Thea’s hands fisted. Erebus had cursed her sisters? “No!” Her scream echoed against Scarhamm’s walls. The blood trees shook their branches, sensing violence to come.
Erebus nodded. “I had to find some way to make you understand. If you don’t join with us, your sisters will wither and die the way your mother almost did.”
“Let me see them!” Thea repeated, her voice rising. “I won’t believe you until I see for myself.”
Erebus motioned with one hand. Moments later, three solemn figures shuffled from the gates of Scarhamm—Enora’s silver hair glowed in the lantern light as she supported Cassia on one side and Rozie on the other.
“No, please,” Thea whispered. “Please may it not be true.”
Thea moved as quickly as she could, her hand trembling as she reached out toward Enora. Touching her shoulder made her sister wince in pain.
“One of the guards let the shadow king inside the gates,” Enora whispered, her eyes forlorn. “All he had to do was speak to them, and they let him in.”
Thea wanted to vomit. Erebus had charmed the Huntsmen guards into letting him through the walls. And once inside, Veleda’s wards no longer protected against his magic.
“He cursed you?” Thea asked, her eyes taking in Enora’s wan cheeks, the dark circles under Cassia’s eyes, and Rozie’s feverish flush.
“He said we would sicken until you returned,” Cassia said.
Rozie coughed. “I ache all over. I can’t sleep. Thea, please, make it stop.”
Thea closed her eyes, her heart hurting, her temples aching. But was this too pat? Too perfectly aimed at her heart?
She didn’t know. She swallowed and turned to face Erebus, who was watching their exchange with an amused expression.
“Will you finally accept the truth, Theodora?” he asked.
“I’d rather know an ugly truth over a pretty lie,” she said. “That’s why your magic doesn’t work on me.” As soon as she said it, she felt that it was right. “But I don’t trust you. Any of you.” She turned to her sisters. “I’m sorry.”
Enora’s face registered hurt. “We’re sick, Thea. Can’t you see that? All the secrets you’ve kept have led to this. If you’d only told me, I could have helped you. We all could have.”
“I couldn’t!” Thea cried, that accusation hitting her like a blow to the chest. “I tried!”
“Or did your obsession with a shadow prince stop your tongue?” Cassia asked, her eyes sad. “You were always suspicious of Zeru, and now look who you’ve trusted. What you’ve brought on us.”
It wasn’t like Cassia to be so harsh. And although their illness reminded her of her mother’s, it wasn’t this bad until after a couple of years of decline. Somehow, they’d weakened in only hours. “Where’s Veleda?” she asked.
No one spoke. Erebus’s eyes shifted. Damon stilled.
“I want to see Veleda.” Thea crossed her arms, refusing to give in.
“The time for demands is over,” Erebus said, striding forward, his hand reaching for her. “Come with us, Theodora. We will talk terms, as you Sylvans did with the Azpians when you made a pact of peace. Remember your vow of allegiance to me. That is the only way to save your sisters.”
Thea stepped back and back, keeping out of Erebus’s reach, though she knew it was taking her closer to Damon, who was now only about twenty feet behind her. Everyone was closing in.
A whizzing noise broke the silence. Thea turned toward the sound. Out of the trees, a small, pale shape flew. Winter! She had all but forgotten he was here. He was holding a bow, his expression determined.
“Our pine needle arrows show the truth of things,” Winter reminded her. “Watch.”
As he shot an arrow at Damon, the figure exploded into shadows. Thea gasped at the illusion.
Winter nocked another arrow and shot it at the Sylvan queen, who dissolved into darkness.
Neither of them were real.
Winter nocked a third needle, loosing it at Enora. She cried out and put a hand to her neck, looking startled. She did not turn into shadows, but blinked as if she was coming out of a dream. “What’s going on?”
“Kill him!” Erebus made a motion with both hands. The shadows turned into hunting birds, the entire flock diving toward Winter.
The pixie’s wide eyes took up most of his face as he hovered, frozen by fear.
Thea’s heart stuttered. “You can outfly the shadows. Go!”
Winter whirled and darted away, a silver blur that disappeared into the trees with shadow birds on his tail.
Erebus strode toward Thea and her sisters, determination and vengeance clear on his features.
“Run!” Thea breathed, taking Rozie by the shoulders and turning her toward the gates. “The war room.” Of all the places that might be safe, that was the best option.
“We can’t,” Enora said, her eyes still dazed as if she’d woken from a dream. “We are sick, Thea. Go. I’ll try to get Cass and Rozie away.”
No. She wouldn’t run. She turned toward Erebus. She would stand and fight. She opened her hands, calling her butterflies to her.
Erebus laughed. “Have you forgotten you tried to fight me mere hours ago? I left you bloody on the floor. What makes you think now will be any different?”
“Because I’m not alone here,” she said, digging her heels into the ground of Thirstwood, feeling the strength of its trees, and calling to her shadows, asking them, willing them to fight for her. My hatred for Erebus knows no bounds, she told them. And my love for my sisters is even stronger.
We are here. We will rise against him.
“There’s nowhere safe for you if you defy me,” Erebus said. “Nowhere. Haven’t you figured that out, Theodora?”
Something shook the ground, a quake that knocked Thea to her knees. She heard Cassia gasp and Rozie groan, but she had no time to turn her head to check on them.
Silver trees began appearing, popping up out of nowhere, splitting the trunks of some of the trees, supplanting the trees of Thirstwood.
And with them came… things. Some were familiar, Azpians like Skrattis, pit sprites, and drakes.
Others, Thea had only ever seen in the Forgotten Realm—like the insects with bulbous eyes.
“Why stop at merging two realms?” Erebus asked, his smile wide, his teeth bright in the light of the lanterns on the walls. “There are so many more pockets of the world that were sealed off by the Ancients because they were too dangerous to mortals. But I am not so small-minded.”
More unfathomable creatures dug their way out of the ground, Thea looked desperately at her sisters, willing them to get inside the fortress gates before it was too late.
“I invited all the realms here. And look, some have accepted my invitation,” Erebus went on. “So tell me, Theodora: Do you care to dance?”