Chapter 49
My mind was numb and unfeeling. Cold and empty. I knew nothing but darkness. My insides were hollow as I allowed the soldiers to escort me to my rooms. They would stand guard outside my door, no doubt, ensuring I wouldn’t sneak off to the dungeons to free Aurelia.
What was the point? The moment she was free, she would burn me to a crisp. And it would mean nothing, because our bargain was fulfilled. She had to remain here. Once a bargain’s terms were met, it could not be undone.
She was trapped here. The dragon within her now belonged to the Midnight Court.
As long as my mother still lived, it would remain that way. Aurelia was bound to serve the sovereign of the Midnight Court. And Mother would never let her go.
A sickening dread filled my chest. How had I not seen this coming? How had I not realized how cruel and vicious Mother could be? I had known her to be brutal, yes, but she was my mother. I believed her love for me to be stronger than all else.
I’d been wrong. She didn’t give a damn about me or my happiness. She had just chained up the woman I loved with a gleeful look on her face.
I sat on the edge of my bed, staring into nothingness, my gaze fixed on the stone wall in front of me. On the outside, I felt nothing. My expression was blank, my eyes open but unseeing. Inside me, a riot of emotions and grief welled up, threatening to burst.
I had to do something. I couldn’t just sit here and let Aurelia rot in the dungeon.
But I would need to be smart about this. Fighting Mother would do no good. I had to make her believe I was on her side, that I could be trusted.
After thinking over the words I would say, I rose from my bed and strode to my door. When I threw it open, sure enough, a pair of guards turned to face me.
“I wish to see my mother,” I said, my voice cold and detached.
“Your Highness, we’ve been instructed to keep you to your rooms.”
“Am I to be a prisoner in my own home?” I demanded. “Take me to see her. She can tell me to my face that I’m confined to my quarters.” I pushed as much authority as I could muster in my tone.
When they continued to stare at me, unmoved, I layered my magic into my voice and said, “ Take me to the queen. ”
The guards stiffened, then nodded and said in unison, “Yes, Your Highness.”
They led me down the hall, and we descended the winding staircase until we reached the second floor. I trailed after the guards, my mind elsewhere as they led me to the throne room.
When the doors opened, I found Mother poring over a stack of scrolls on a long, narrow table in front of the dais. She glanced up at me, her eyes narrowing into slits as she appraised me.
“What is this?” she demanded. “Your orders were clear. I’ll have your heads.”
“Don’t blame them, Mother,” I said, my voice barbed. “I coerced them. I need to speak with you.”
Mother sighed and waved a hand at the guards, who left, shutting the doors behind them. “I’m quite busy. We have much to prepare for, if we are to utilize the Dragonfire of our two newest weapons.”
I resisted the urge to flinch at her words. She eyed me, as if waiting for that exact reaction. But I kept my cool, indifferent mask in place.
“Why are you here, Fennick?” Mother asked, crossing her arms and facing me, her expression rigid and unyielding. Not a drop of affection or remorse. It was as if she had no feelings at all. No emotion.
Did she even love me?
I pushed the thought from my mind, focusing instead on my plan. But first, I had to test the strength of my magic. I poured only a few drops of power into my voice, so as not to alarm her, as I said, “ You need to stop this, Mother .” The air rippled from the energy behind my words.
Mother went completely still, her expression going slack. Then, her nostrils flared, and rage burned in her eyes. “You dare try to use your power on me, boy? That has never worked on me before, and it certainly won’t work on me now. Get out.”
Dammit. I stepped toward her. “We need to provide comfortable accommodations for the princess.” I couldn’t bring myself to say her name.
Mother huffed a laugh, turning back to her scrolls. “I don’t think so.”
“It was part of the bargain,” I said loudly, and she faced me once more, her eyes sparking with irritation. “I vowed to give the most comfortable life our kingdom can offer. Unless you want the fae magic to claim my life, you will do this.”
Mother stared at me for a long moment before sighing. “Stars above why did you offer that to her, Fenn?”
“So she would trust me. You know she cares deeply for the dragons. It was the only way.”
She rubbed her temples. “You are making this impossible.”
“Well, if you had told me your plan, perhaps I could have done better,” I bit out.
She glanced at me, her eyes sharpening. “What are you saying, Fennick? Do you expect me to believe you would have gone along with this? You were professing your love for the girl only yesterday.”
“That was before I saw her monstrous form.” My face twisted with disgust. “Do you honestly think I could love someone like that?”
“You were fighting for her,” Mother argued. “When I arrested her, you were fighting to free her.”
“I had to. I needed her trust. ”
“Why?” Her voice was laced with suspicion.
“I’m the only one who can calm her. I know her better than anyone. You heard what those witches said. Aurelia can either be our savior or our doom. Which would you prefer? If you keep her locked away like this, it will only enrage her further, and I guarantee that beast of hers will tear the entire castle down, even if it kills her, too.”
Mother’s eyes grew distant as she considered this. After a moment, she shook her head. “No. I’m not worried about this.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
“I have measures in place to protect us from that,” she said vaguely, turning back to the scrolls on the table.
I groaned in frustration. “There you go keeping secrets from me again.”
“What do you expect, Fennick?” she snapped. “You have never taken your duty to the crown seriously, and I honestly don’t believe that’s changed even now. Your feelings have clouded your judgment. If you truly want to earn my trust back, it will take time. Now, leave me while I make these preparations.”
“Mother, the bargain?—”
“Yes, yes, I swear I will provide better accommodations for the wretched princess.” She waved me off with a lazy flick of her hand. “Leave. Now.”
Biting back my frustration, I stormed from the throne room, my hands balling into fists. What was I to do now? I couldn’t persuade her with my fae magic, and I couldn’t convince her to trust me, either.
There could only be one thing left to do. The thought left me with a sickening sense of horror. I couldn’t—No, I couldn’t.
Something warm seared into my palm, and I hissed in pain, lifting my hand. A slow, black circle formed in the center of my hand, getting hotter and hotter until it took all my restraint not to cry out in pain.
I knew what this was. Runic magic.
Alarm raced through me, and I sprinted down the hall and up the stairs, gritting my teeth against the pain throbbing in my hand. It scorched my flesh, piercing through skin and bone, driving white-hot knives right through me. Gods, the pain was unbearable. I had to—I had to?—
I staggered to my room, cradling my hand against my chest. My movements were clumsy as I pulled the brick free from the hearth and withdrew my chalk, drawing sloppy symbols on the stone floor.
When the circle was complete, the pain in my hand vanished, and the runes on the floor began to glow. A fog formed within the circle, and after a moment, the picture cleared to reveal a face I hadn’t seen in years.
“Fenn?” said a familiar voice.
My face broke into a relieve smile. “Marek! Thank the gods.”
Marek frowned, squinting at me through the haze of our portal communicator. His black hair was longer than I’d ever seen it, curling at the nape of his neck. “What kind of dangerous runes are you experimenting with? Your summons interrupted a meeting with the council. Everyone thought a clan of witches was attacking. It took us the entire day to quell the chaos.”
I flinched. “Sorry. It was an act of desperation. I didn’t mean to cause any harm. I have to ask you if you know where the Dream Mage is.”
Marek’s expression darkened. “Is this a joke? Because it isn’t funny in the slightest.”
My eyes grew wide. “Marek, no! I’m being earnest.”
“If you are, then you’re a fool. Don’t you know what’s been going on in your own kingdom?”
Dread twisted in my gut. “I haven’t been here in weeks, Marek. Speak plainly. Please.”
“The Dream Mage has allied with Queen Sonara. They have declared war on us and plan to seize the Court of Twilight by force.”