Chapter 29
It was as though Ava was in a fog, detached from her surroundings, her body. Floating in an endless abyss. She couldn’t feel Jareth’s hand anymore, couldn’t see anything aside from gray nothingness.
Light in the distance approached, closing in until it illuminated both her and Jareth. She met his gaze and he gave her a nod, gesturing before them.
“Watch,” he said.
The light changed into colors, then a picture. Like they were spectators in a theater, watching the journal entries unfold on a screen.
An outdoor garden sat before them, covered in snow.
Massive rose bushes lined the walkways, the flowers thriving despite the frigid temperature, their blood red blooms stark against the white powder.
Ice sculptures adorned the space—carved renditions of old fae kings and queens as evidenced by the crowns they bore.
“Where is this?” she asked.
“It looks like Frosthaven,” Jareth replied.
The sound of laughter erupted and the picture came into view more clearly.
A group of four fae sat around a wrought iron table, deep in conversation as they drank wine from silver goblets.
Ava recognized Valeria immediately, having seen her not long ago.
There was a man beside her who also appeared to be from the ice kingdom, his long white hair reaching the middle of his back, icy blue eyes lighting up as he laughed at something she said.
“Eros,” Jareth said. “Valeria’s husband. He’s dead now.”
With them was Orion, relaxed and not as imposing as usual. As if he was sitting with people he considered his friends. Her eyes landed on the fourth member of the party and her breath caught. Though she’d never seen him before, she’d seen portraits.
Her father.
King Vardan looked almost exactly like Thorne, though his face was not nearly as kind. He had the same scarlet red hair, brushing his shoulders, the waves moving as he spoke.
“How’s Aurelia doing with the pregnancy?” Eros asked Vardan.
“They didn’t know your mother was pregnant with you, right?” Jareth asked Ava.
“Right. This must have been when she was pregnant with my brother.”
Jareth nodded his agreement.
“Were you born yet?” Ava asked, realizing she didn’t know how old Jareth was.
“No. I’m the same age as Casimir. My talented father got two women pregnant at the same time.”
“Wonderful,” Ava deadpanned.
Vardan waved his hand. “You know how it is. She’s starting to get uncomfortable and complains more often than not. Honestly, her constant fussing is getting on my nerves.”
Ava shook with anger at her father’s words.
“You know how women are,” Orion boomed. “Unwilling to do anything that requires them to sacrifice even a modicum of comfort.”
Jareth’s jaw clenched.
“Your dad’s an asshole,” Ava said.
“It seems we have something in common.”
“Have you given any more thought to our hybrid situation?” Valeria asked, ignoring the comments about Aurelia’s pregnancy.
“I already told you where I stand. We outlaw breeding between kingdoms. Decide on a just punishment for those who do not listen,” Vardan answered.
“That isn’t enough,” barked Eros. “Our bloodlines are dwindling with every birth of a hybrid child. Within a few hundred years, the fae will be less powerful.”
“And what do you suggest?” Orion asked, his golden eyes—Casimir’s eyes—pinning Eros with a glare.
“Valeria and I have already made our stance clear.”
The others were about to speak when the scene before them faded away, another taking its place.
“I wanted to hear the rest of that conversation,” Ava stated. “Why did it change?”
“I don’t know. But I do know according to rumors, Valeria and Eros wanted to go further. To execute hybrids.”
A stone sank in Ava’s stomach. “Did our fathers agree with them?”
He shrugged.
“If your father hated hybrids so much…why did he get a woman pregnant who was from another kingdom?”
“Sometimes people in power are the loudest about the things they are trying to hide within themselves,” Jareth muttered.
Ava gawked at him. Utterly shocked at the depth of his words.
Jareth rolled his eyes at her and gestured to the new scene. It was Mosshaven. Inside the castle in what appeared to be Thorne’s current suite though it was decorated differently. Orion sat on a chair across from Vardan, visiting quietly.
The sound of a giggling child echoed from the other room before a red-headed boy burst into the space, squealing with delight as a woman chased him.
Heart squeezing like it was in a vise, Ava sank to her knees, unable to control her tears. It was her mother, playing with Thorne, who appeared to be about two years old, perhaps a little younger.
“Mom,” Ava whispered, her lip quivering.
Her face beamed as she scooped up Thorne and spun him around. “I got you,” she cried with fake menace. “You can’t escape the monster.”
Thorne burst into a fit of laughter as she continued to spin.
Vardan pinched the bridge of his nose. “Aurelia. Please take him somewhere else. These useless games are quite distracting.”
Aurelia nodded, her face tight. “Let’s go, little one,” she said, carrying the toddler toward the door.
Thorne reached his hand out toward Vardan. “Dada! Stay!”
“I know, dear. But daddy’s busy right now,” she said, voice pained.
Thorne burst into tears, his cries echoing down the hallway as her mother disappeared with him in tow. Ava couldn’t help but release a sob at the scene. Her sweet mother and brother, seemingly a bother to Vardan. Though Thorne had mentioned how their father had been, seeing it broke Ava’s heart.
Vardan turned to Orion. “You said this visit was important. What’s going on?”
“Valeria and Eros. They’re taking things too far.”
“How so?”
“They don’t agree with how we want to handle the crossbreeding situation. Won’t answer my letters or attempts to communicate. They’re planning something.”
Vardan frowned. “What could they be planning?”
“Have you ever heard the story of Lomos?” Orion asked.
“Of course. He was supposed to be the god of balance. But legends say he was discontent sharing duties with the other gods and goddesses and became obsessed with power.”
“And what happened to Lomos?”
“The other gods and goddesses trapped him as punishment for his crimes. Where is this going?”
“Where did they trap him?”
Vardan scoffed. “No one knows. This is all conjecture anyway. Most don’t even believe he existed and was some fabricated tale to keep us in line.”
Orion shook his head.
The scene changed and Ava lurched forward, as if she could yank it back. “No! We need to know more!”
Before them was a desert. It was barren, nothing to see but cracked earth, rocky crevasses and sand stretching toward the horizon. Shouting echoed from a nearby cave and the picture wavered as the entrance came into view.
The mouth of the cavern was made from a reddish rock, blending in with the terrain.
Orion and Vardan stood outside, arguing with Valeria and Eros.
Four fae stood behind the Frosthaven royalty, their hands bound as if they had been brought against their will.
Ava studied them. It appeared as though there was one from each remaining kingdom.
All five kingdoms were represented.
“What in the world?” Ava muttered.
“You must cease this madness,” Orion boomed, angrier than Ava had ever heard him. “You will awaken something you can never come back from. We can never come back from this.”
Valeria got in his face, her hands covered in ice. “Then leave. If you don’t want to be a part of this, get out. But Eros and I will complete the ritual.”
“You’re blinded by power,” Vardan growled. “Lost to the promises made by the old texts. This will only lead to ruin, Valeria.”
“Leave!” Eros shouted. “You will only distract us from our task. Unless you intend to try and stop us?”
Vines burst from the ground, raised by Vardan, wrapping around Valeria’s legs. She froze them and they shattered. Vardan tried again but was met with the same resistance.
“Orion,” he growled. “Help me.”
Orion shook his head. “It’s no use. We must leave.”
Valeria sneered and turned around with Eros, heading into the cave with their prisoners in tow.
“You’re stronger than they are. We fight them together.” Vardan shoved Orion in frustration.
“No. We must return home. That's all we can do.”
The scene shifted again. It was an office, one Ava recognized that now belonged to Thorne. Vardan was pacing and pulling at his hair. Was this the mad king he had become? Because of what Eros and Valeria did?
“I destroyed everything,” Vardan said. “Burned all the texts, so there is no way they can link us to this. They can’t find out. No one can ever find out!”
Orion sat in a chair, watching him closely.
“You haven’t even told me what happened!” Vardan continued rambling. “It’s been months with no word from you! Did they complete the ritual? Was it successful?”
“They did.”
“They needed a soul sacrifice. Valeria never would have sacrificed herself. Who—”
“Eros,” Orion interrupted. “It doesn’t matter now. We must get our story straight, Vardan. We know nothing about this. Nothing. As far as everyone is concerned, Eros is dead. We invent a story about him messing around with portals and spread it around.”
“But he is dead. Right?”
Orion paused, rubbing his jaw. Ava shuddered at how similar the motion was to when Casimir stroked his beard. “Technically yes…but Lomos now inhabits his body.”
Vardan froze. “So, it’s true. They raised the ancient god. People will recognize Eros, won’t they?”
Orion shook his head. “He doesn’t look like Eros any longer. The only thing that’s the same are his eyes.”
“How do you know this?”
Orion was silent.
“You went to Frosthaven, didn’t you?”
“I had to try one last time.”
“And?”
“I barely escaped with my life. It’s over. Continue as if nothing happened. And prepare for war.”
“War? I thought this was just to take care of the hybrids.”
Orion shook his head. “It’s bigger than that now. Eros is bringing over armies from another realm…and…well he’s going by a different name.”
“What name?”