49. Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Forty-Nine
“We thought it may be along the lake behind the palace.”
They must be talking about Crystoria. That’s where most of the books I read said it would be despite not finding it.
“But it was near those twin peaks in the mountains where we’d stopped that foolish brat,” she hissed during that last bit and the pain in my arm moved up and down the side of my ribs.
“It has protectors, so I won’t be able to portal you too close. But we can cause a distraction for you to slip through without being noticed.” That feminine voice sounded so eager to please, hopeful that she’d done right by the other.
“This is excellent news and perfect timing.” Verin. Verin knew the Heart Tree’s location.
Shit. What now?
“What is your will for me now?” she asked, voice slightly hushed.
I held my breath for a long minute just in case they were listening for any eavesdroppers. Thankfully they didn’t have Rune’s werewolf hearing, or my heartbeat would have given me away from the start.
“Go to Harold’s Temple and tell him to make his move. Then assemble the soldiers and bring them to the edge of the woods near Crysia’s human realm portal. While the soldiers cause chaos, we will go to the tree. Meet me here tomorrow at sunset.”
It was too fast.
Should I lash out now with fire, and stone, and take them out? Call for guards? And tell them what, the king is Verin?
Nausea bubbled in my gut. I couldn’t. I was still dying and I’d die faster if I tried. I was in no condition to fight.
No, no, no.
“Your will is done, Father.”
Father… Father….
“Yes. I shall prepare the concoction tonight. My focus must be on that, one slight deviation from the potion and ritual that hag gave me could ruin everything. I trust any issues that arise will be handled quietly.” Verin’s tone was stern. He meant business.
I had to leave before they left the throne room and saw me. But where?
Verin said a hag gave him a ritual for the tree. He only called one person that. Celestine.
Clenching my jaw, I raced through the open palace doors, tears rolling down my cheeks as the pain in my arm, my ribs, and my head burned.
Barely making it into her cave, I crumbled to the ground, hands clenching my ears as the voices ripped through my mind. It was hard to tell whose voice was speaking as they all came at the same time, yelling over each other.
“You won’t lose me. It’s me and you, Tor.”
“Interesting twist, little gem. A new prize has entered this marvelous game between us.”
“Stop it!” I screamed.
“Goodbye, little gem.”
“Stop it!”
“Sapphira.” A soft voice spoke but I still couldn’t make out whose.
“Celestine says that you are the one to free her. Make no mistake. We will not be friends. You will hate me as time goes on, but you will become stronger and you will save her.” I knew that voice, it was my mate’s. But it was so angry, and full of such a rage I’d never hear come from Rune.
“Sapphira, open your eyes.”
I did and saw big owlish eyes staring into mine.
“So many voices. I don’t know who or what. Nothing makes sense.” I cried, and the seer cradled my face.
“You need to breathe, my dear. Try inhaling slowly. Yes. Like that, then release. Do this now. Innnn…. And outtt.”
She breathed and I followed her rhythm. The pain was still there, but the voices lowered the volume and after a few minutes it was manageable.
“He’s attacking the city, likely tomorrow.
You told him a ritual, something to help him consume magic.
The spy said he was trying to consume all magic, and I knew it had something to do with the tree, and I thought I had more time.
” I sobbed, but this time not because of the pain but from the overwhelming heavy feeling in my gut.
Rune and I getting married, that future I allowed myself to imagine was gone, wasn’t it?
“How could you help him?” I breathed and pushed her hands away. “There simply isn’t enough time to take out my core to rid the poison inside me, be Fae once more, and stop him is there?”
Celestine shook her head.
“So, what’s the point of all this? Why did I have to go through all this…” I searched for the words and landed on the easiest to explain. “Pain.”
I pushed Celestine away and covered my face with my hands.
“I’m still dying. I’m losing my mind, my body, and I can’t fix it in time to defeat Verin. He won. I simply wasn’t strong enough or smart enough to play this game that he’d been rigging since the beginning. Especially when our own seer is helping him.”
“I am treading a fine line for the Heart Tree’s survival. Verin has a role to play, as do you, as do us all. You may not see it this way, but you do not have all the insight as I do.”
“So much pain, so many people will be hurt all so you can play these games,” I accused tearfully. “As if we are mere pawns on a board.”
“You can’t bypass pain, my dear. It’s a part of the journey.”
“Not that stupid hero’s journey crap,” I hissed as fury made my chest tighten. “This isn’t a story. This is real.”
“And it applies all the same. Everything you’ve gone through was needed to bring you here. To this moment, to these decisions, and the ones you will make moving forward.”
I shook my head. I didn’t want to hear this.
“He beat me. I failed.”
“Verin has not won.” Celestine’s voice shook the cave. My eyes widened and my mouth shut. “You simply have not decided who you are, my dear.” The seer smiled and I suspected I wasn’t the only one losing my head.
“I’m Sapphira, the princess of Crysia?”
“And?”
What did she mean and?
“Are you a princess who will give up before the final battle has arrived? Or are you the princess who will fight until the end? A princess who carries hope no matter the odds stacked against her?”
Oh.
I nodded, no words coming out of my mouth. But the tears were slowing.
“You are running out of time, yes. Your plans will change, but all is not lost. Not unless you have chosen to cast away your faith that you win in the end. However long that takes.”
However long that takes.
However long that takes.
Why would she say…
Oh.
“Remember who you are, my dear. You must rise. Rise for yourself. Rise for your kingdom. Your mate. For us all. It is the only way to defeat the darkness.”
I breathed and slowly rose to my feet. Celestine held out her hands for me to take for support.
Time was running out, but it wasn’t out yet.
“Will it be all right in the end?” I asked softly, wishing to know that it would be worth it. The plan formed in my head as I stood in this cave.
“That’s up to you, my dear.”
Not the answer I wanted, but it was an answer regardless. I had choices to make, and in the end, all I could do was hope I made the right ones.
“Go, my dear.”
I could do this.
I may not be able to stop Verin, but I could buy us time.