Chapter 27
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
MERI
D awn is cresting the horizon when I leave Madoc and head to the dungeon to check on Leandra. The air is saturated with dark, disturbing magic, but Cormal is nowhere to be found. Leandra is lying limply on the bed.
Immense satisfaction fills me. “I’ve always admired Cormal’s ruthlessness.”
“Definitely a brutal bastard,” she agrees in a hoarse voice, likely from screaming most of the night. “He’ll do anything for you. Even make a pact with me.” Her chuckle is strained. “I had someone like that once.”
“No, you didn’t,” I correct her. “Denir is weak and pathetic. Nothing like Cormal.” I squat down to peer into her eyes. “Tell me what you want most in this world?”
A tear slips down her cheek. “You can’t give me what I want most in this world, but you can give me my revenge.” She slides a hand to the bed and raises herself halfway up to stare at me with swirling eyes. “I want to see his face when he realizes this is his end.”
“You want to go to the anniversary celebration,” I deduce. “Show him to be a fraud in front of everyone. Watch him lose the crown you gave to him.”
“Yes. And I want the world to know why I did it,” she admits with a strange expression on her face. “That is my price for removing the power from you. I want him to see the power and know it will never be his again. I want him to watch as I return it to Madoc, knowing he will wear the crown.”
“Will it kill her?” Cormal and Madoc ask in unison.
Startled, I turn to see them standing at the door.
She lifts a shoulder. “If the host is strong enough, it shouldn’t.”
They both start yelling at her, but I raise my hand to stop them. “The celebration is a month away. We have time to figure it out.”
She cackles and moves her head from side to side in an exaggerated way. “The public celebration is in a month. Denir’s real anniversary is in two days. He didn’t want to take a chance the crown wouldn’t accept him, so he had me place it on his head early. Only his court will be in attendance.”
Her words echo in the silent chamber. I glance at Cormal. He trembles with fury.
“Stop. It won’t do any good.”
He says nothing, only continues to shoot murderous looks at Leandra.
She eases down to the cot and turns away from us. Done with all conversation.
Madoc grabs his arm. “Come on. We need to pull together a plan.”
The three of us head upstairs to grab the others, including Rivan, and make our way to the war room. Ironically, I believe it’s the same room the cadre and their allies gathered in to plot Nyssa’s downfall.
Solandis waddles in and kisses me on the cheek. Her stomach is growing by leaps and bounds. Soon, the baby will be here. I hope I get to meet her. Or him.
Arden and her men arrive, crowding into the room. Fallon and Theron take point with Cormal, Madoc, and Rivan.
Once everyone is assembled, Cormal brings them up to date. “In two days, we have to get in the dark Fae palace without Denir knowing, let Leandra confront him, then shield her while she transfers the power from Meri to Madoc.” He pauses. “This is her price.”
“Will it kill Meri?” Solandis asks with a frown.
“We don’t know. At this point, I think we have to assume it will and plan accordingly,” Cormal states gruffly, his worried gaze locking onto me.
Everyone begins to talk over one another, and he lets out a piercing whistle. “Our hope is that Rivan will be able to revive her.”
Rivan flicks me a determined look. “I’m ready.”
At his confirmation, I take a deep breath in and slowly exhale. “We can access the palace through a secret tunnel into the library.” Leandra used to send me on errands there all the time.
“That’s where you got the book on the history of witches, isn’t it?” Arden remembers with a smile.
“Yes, and I know almost every inch of that place,” I inform them.
Callyx comes strolling into the room. “Heard you were having a party without me.”
I walk over and give him a hug. “Given where we’re headed, you might have to sit this one out.” When he folds his arms and tilts his head, I shrug. “Going to see dear old Dad.”
He flicks me a glance. “Please. I’m Lucifer’s spy. Been in everyone’s palace at least once. But this one is tougher than most. Denir’s alarm senses anyone walking in the shadows.”
“Good thing to know,” Cormal says, marking it down in his notebook.
“Besides, Lucifer already knows,” Callyx drawls, glancing at Cormal. “Evren sent you a note.” He hands him a sheet of paper.
Cormal opens the note and stares down at it for a minute. With a satisfied smile, he folds and slips it into his pocket.
“Since Leandra is aware of it, too, it makes sense for us to split up,” Madoc warns. “Cormal and Callyx will take Meri and Leandra through the secret passageway with them. Rivan and I will enter a different way.”
Cormal flicks a glance at Theron. “Can Oryn get them inside?”
Theron picks up his phone and calls Oryn. “Is it possible for you to let my friends into the house?” He listens, then hangs up. “He wasn’t able to speak freely but mentioned being in the garden later. I assume he means the garden is the best way for him to get you inside. He’ll call me back in about twenty minutes.”
Madoc produces a map of the dark Fae palace. Yellowed with age and wrinkled, it’s obviously been handled a lot over the years. “Show me where the tunnel is into the library. It didn’t exist when this map was produced.”
I lean over and study the lines. “There. In the kitchen pantry. She built a tunnel from the back wall to the library. Once there, a bookcase opens with a spell.” Tracing the invisible path with my finger, I show him how to get from one place to the other.
“Why the kitchen?” Arden asks. “Wouldn’t that be one of the busiest areas in the palace?”
“Leandra used to say… nobody notices a servant,” I reply with a snide tone in my voice. “It’s true, they don’t.”
Arden winks at me. “Guess she won’t mind dressing down for the occasion.”
“The good news is that this will be a smaller ceremony. According to Leandra, only his court will be in attendance, which includes lords and ladies, servants, and guards. Similar to your ceremony, Meri,” Cormal explains.
“That’s a lot of people,” I remark with a frown. “How are we going to get in there without anyone else noticing?”
He flashes a wicked smile. “The best way to hide is out in the open. We’ll walk in with the rest of the crowd. That’s what I did for your coronation. I slipped in with the servants. We might need to mix things up for this one.” He looks at the crowd in the room.
The memory of him standing on the balcony bowing after my coronation will stay with me forever. At the time, I was incensed to see him there, but now I’m glad he witnessed it.
Theron holds up a hand. “Arden and I, along with Oryn, will be in attendance as part of the court. Usually, I delegate these things to my brother, but I think our presence can help sway the aristocratic masses into standing down as it plays out. The rest of the cadre will stay behind but close to the portal in case they’re needed.”
He inclines his head toward Madoc. “Maybe we can also remind people that Madoc is the son of King Madox.”
Madoc inhales sharply at this statement. “Thank you. The last thing I want is an insurrection because they aren’t aware of my lineage.”
Theron scans his attire. “Maybe we should find you something more royal to wear.” He shakes his head when everyone groans. “Court dress is elaborate. I’m not suggesting he don peacock feathers or jewels or whatever the latest is in fashion, but formal attire is a must.”
I laugh. “True.” With a mischievous smile, I wink at Arden. “The women were extravagant with their luxurious gowns, but the best part is how they used magic to showcase their power.”
Arden’s lips quirk upward. “This might be fun, after all.”
Solandis chuckles. “It’s quite absurd, but I love it. Of course, as a princess, I can choose to wield my power or not.”
Vargas lifts her hand to kiss it. “You looked magnificent at Meri’s coronation.” He tucks it into his arm, then his mouth turns down. “I’m sorry I won’t be there to fight this time.”
I walk over and hug them both. “I’d rather you stay here and protect her and the baby.”
Then I move to the front of the room to stand with my men. “Honestly, I’ve been a bit bored lately. This should liven things up, don’t you think?”
The dark Fae palace is nothing like the gilded golden palace of the light Fae. Deep weathered grey stone stands resolute against the land with its straight lines and symmetrical exterior. From the front, two separate wings extend back for at least a mile, creating a u-shape in the rear. There’s nothing particularly pretty or fancy about it, but that’s always been part of its appeal, at least for me. I like the strong, solid feeling it gives. As if it’s stood unchanged against the ravages of time and strife.
Cormal, Leandra, Callyx, and I head to the rear of one of the wings and stroll confidently into the kitchen. Wearing simple clothes, Callyx lifts the box he’s carrying and mumbles something about the pantry. Everyone shuffles out of the way to let us through.
“Idiots,” Leandra cackles, and I dig my dagger into her ribs to shut her up. She glares down at me, but with the glamour rendering her eyes a dull brown, it doesn’t have the same effect, and she knows it.
In the pantry, I close the door and Cormal steps into my spot next to Leandra. Squatting down below the bottom shelf, I flip a lever and watch the back wall swing open. “Let’s go.”
Callyx, still holding the box, goes in first. Then, me, followed by Leandra. Cormal enters last, protecting our rear and shutting the door behind us. For a second, it’s dark, but I murmur a spell and faery lights turn on one by one, illuminating the path to the library. When I had no magic, I often walked this path in the dark.
“It’s nice to have magic, isn’t it?” Leandra taunts. “I’m surprised to see you have all this power, considering you had to give up your crown.”
“Well, I did regain full use of the magic Cormal gave me.” I smirk at the ugly expression on her face. “It nets me quite a few interesting powers.” The ability to walk in the shadows is one of my favorites, but I don’t share that tidbit with her.
Callyx comes to a halt. “Meri?”
I squeeze past him and hold up my hand, murmuring the spell Leandra taught me long ago. Previously, I had to carry an orb with her magic in it to open the door, but that’s not necessary today. A huge smile spreads across my face as I watch the door silently swing open.
Callyx enters and sets the box down on a nearby table, then immediately moves to secure the area. “Clear.”
Stepping into the vast library, I breathe in deeply. I love this smell. Of all the places Leandra used to send me, this was one of my favorites. Surprisingly, Denir is a collector, and he’s made it his mission to get a copy of every known book in existence. Cormal said Lucifer often asked him for rare editions.
There’s a sad expression on Leandra’s face when she enters. “We spent many hours in here together.” She walks over to the seat by the window and runs a hand over the cushion.
We who? But I say nothing. This isn’t going to be an easy day for her. As usual, my feelings are a mixed bag of everything. Sometimes I wish I could hate her.
She motions to her worn clothes. “Where’s my dress?”
Cormal opens the large box and pulls out a smaller box with a silk bow on it, which he hands to me. He hands a similar sized one to Leandra, then takes out two smaller boxes for him and Callyx.
The only elaborate thing I had in my closet was my coronation dress. Stunningly beautiful, I thought it would be nice to wear it again, but instead, I have to turn away before anyone sees the tear roll down my cheek. Maybe I can go as a servant.
Cormal takes my hand in his and pulls me back to the box. “Open it.”
With a heavy sigh, I tug on the ribbon and let it drop to the side, then lift the lid. Instead of champagne-gold silk, acres of dark red silk embellished with sequins and feathers fill the box to the brim.
Lifting the dress out, I stammer, “Where did you find the time?”
He runs the back of his finger across my cheek. “For you, I’ll always find the time. Plus, it helps to have two more sets of hands to do things. The dress is from all three of us.” With a wave of his hand, a familiar mirror appears.
I hold the dress up in front of me. Against my pale skin and platinum hair, the dress practically glows. The fitted bodice plunges to a deep vee in the front with sheer panels on the sides and a sheer back. Sexy. The bottom half of the dress is a very short peplum skirt, hand embroidered with the sequins and ostrich feathers I noticed first. Laughing, I run a finger across their downy softness. Sheer panels flow from beneath the bell-shaped skirt to my feet, with slits on both sides.
“It’s stunning,” I breathe out. With a wave of my hand, I put the dress on and style my hair into a simple updo.
I move into Cormal’s arms, my gaze silently asking if he’s going to be okay. This will be the first time he’s seen his sister in centuries, and I know he’s wondering how to save us both. Reaching up, I capture his lips with mine, needing a kiss to carry with me into the court.
His hand cups my cheek as I draw away, and his intense blue eyes burn with unspoken words for me.
“Someone cleans up nice.” Leandra’s smoky voice is mocking. She peers down at her own dress and gives Cormal a stiff nod. “Thank you for getting the purple.” Her draped dress is equally beautiful in an ombré silk dyed in different shades of purple. Hugging her body, it showcases all her best assets.
Leandra never wore purple. Ever. I didn’t realize it until now. I watch her fingers gently smooth the fabric. The way she’s fingering the dress makes me think her choice of color is sentimental.
Her brown hair is also in an updo, although much more intricate than mine, and her swirling eyes are on full display. She takes a deep breath and flashes me a satisfied smile.
Cormal’s suit is black, of course, and in the same style as the one he wore to my coronation, but this one has accents of deep red to match my dress. Callyx suit is all black as well, but with zero embellishments.
I flick my hand and silver threads appear, making it seem like a fancier version of a pin-striped suit. “Better.”
He gives me a dry look. “Are we ready to go?”
Cormal holds a hand to his ear. “Rivan says they’re at the side door. Let’s move.”
The plan was for Oryn to meet Madoc and Rivan at the back door of a secret garden in the rear of the palace. They will then make their way through the lush flowers and bushes to a side door very few use. We’ll meet them in the ballroom.
“Ready,” I murmur.
My nervous stomach feels the same as it did during my coronation, except the stakes are much higher. Tonight could be the beginning or end of Leandra and me.