Chapter 50
Betrayed.
Broken.
Deceived.
I was such a fool. I deserved this, for trusting someone as deceitful as the Midnight Prince.
And now, my entire court would perish for it. I was the only one who could save them, and I was trapped in this godsforsaken dungeon. The air reeked of excrement, and the bench I sat on was stained with all manner of unpleasant fluids.
But I couldn’t bring myself to care. It was over. All of it. Mal was captured. And so was I.
I was a slave to Fenn and his despicable mother.
Fenn. Gods, I ached for him. Not the true Fenn, but the man I’d fallen in love with. The man I thought I knew.
How much of it had been real, and how much had been a lie? Was he even a full blooded fae? Perhaps he had some unseelie blood, which allowed him to lie. It was the only explanation. He did not truly love me. Not if he had captured the Blue Amethyst behind my back. And it was awfully convenient that the terms of his bargain had been precisely the right language to keep me trapped here.
I could feel the power within me stirring to life, eager to be released. But I knew guards were stationed near Mal. The instant I transformed or unleashed my magic, they would hurt him. Possibly even kill him.
My instincts had been right. From the beginning, I had suspected him of duplicity. From the moment he’d shown up in my court.
He and his mother had planned this entire bargain. The shrewd cunning in Queen Sonara’s eyes told me she could have easily concocted a scheme like this.
But Fenn? Never in a thousand years would I have expected him to betray me.
He fought for you, said a small voice in my head. He tried to help you escape.
I shut off that voice, ignoring the words. It didn’t matter anyway. Even if I could forgive him, it was over. I was enslaved. And he would never overthrow his mother. As long as that woman lived and breathed, I would be trapped here.
A loud, metallic creak rang through the dungeon. I stiffened, gazing upward as footsteps scuffed on the stone steps. A torchlight bobbed into view, revealing the sour face of a guard. He fumbled with a ring of keys before unlocking my cell door. I briefly thought about attacking him, but he wore a complete set of armor, including a helmet, and I had no weapons.
Besides, they would kill Mal. I couldn’t risk it.
“What’s going on?” My voice was hoarse and ragged from my sobs.
“Come with me,” the guard said, his voice deep and gruff.
I crossed my arms, my eyes narrowing. “You’ll have to drag me from this cell if you don’t tell me what’s going on.”
The guard stepped closer to me, but I held my ground, glaring at him. It would be undignified to be tossed over his shoulder. And I knew it would be easy for him. He was more than a head taller than me, and twice as thick.
But to haul me up those stairs would be no easy feat, especially if I put up a fight.
The guard looked me over, clearly considering this. After a long moment, he said, “The queen wishes to speak with you.”
I scoffed. “I will not see her. She can come down here in this disgusting pit and talk to me here.”
“It’s in regards to your family.”
My blood chilled, and I dropped my arms, my jaw going slack. No. No.
Sonara had found out. She must have discovered the sleeping curse.
Had she captured them? Killed them?
Oh gods.
“All right then.” I forced my tone to remain steady, even as chaos and panic erupted in my chest.
The guard led me up several sets of stairs until we emerged into a narrow passageway. I was gasping for breath, my legs screaming in pain. I was weak, sleep-deprived, and starving. Not to mention the power of shifting into my dragon form had completely drained me.
I still couldn’t believe it. I had this entire dragon living within me.
And yet here I was, powerless to stop Sonara from enslaving me and Mal.
We reached the main hall, and the guard led me up another set of stairs, taking me through the corridor where my bedchambers had been. I frowned in confusion. The queen was meeting me here?
The guard took me past the bedchamber where I’d woken up only yesterday after the ogre attack—gods, that felt like an entire lifetime ago. We reached the chamber at the very end, and the guard stood back, jerking his head toward the door in silent command.
Steeling myself, I opened the door.
The room was small. Much smaller than my previous bedchamber, though I was certain that was intentional. Only a small, narrow bed took up one end, though it was decorated elaborately, with plush silver pillows and lavender drapes. Matching lavender curtains covered a wide, floor-to-ceiling window that boasted a view of the glittering stars and crescent moon.
On the opposite end of the room was an empty fireplace, a pair of bookshelves, and a large spinning wheel. Frowning at the latter, I made my way into the room, only to find Queen Sonara sitting in the armchair facing the empty fireplace. Her gaze was also fixed on the spinning wheel, her dark eyes full of contemplation as I entered the room .
“What is this?” I bit out, not bothering with propriety or manners. Neither would do me any good with this viper.
Sonara rose from her feet, sweeping her arms in a wide, grand gesture. “These are your new accommodations.”
I snorted. “I don’t believe you.”
“Believe what you will,” she said, sweeping toward me, her sparkling violet gown trailing behind her. “Fennick has made it clear the terms of your bargain demand better sleeping arrangements. So, I have provided this suite for you.”
Fennick has made it clear… My stomach soured. So, instead of coming to the dungeons to speak to me himself, he was making arrangements with his mother, letting her do the talking.
What a coward.
I was right. There was no love between us at all. It had all been a ruse to bring me here.
“No, thank you,” I said in a hollow voice. “I would prefer the dungeons.”
The queen laughed, though there was no joy in the sound. “Don’t be impossible about this, my dear. You cannot tell me you prefer to sleep in that filthy vermin-filled hole, do you?”
“It serves as a reminder of what I am,” I said, lifting my chin. “A prisoner. A slave. Not even the most ornate of bedchambers will change that fact.”
“You are right.” The queen’s smile turned serpentine, and the look she gave me made my insides wriggle with discomfort. It was the knowing look of an opponent who had just won the game. “But these accommodations come with something else. A gift, if you will.”
I gave her a wary look. “And what is that?”
“Freedom for your family.”
I straightened, my chest tightening. “What do you mean?” My voice was laced with panic.
“I know a sleeping curse has befallen your people.” Sonara moved toward the spinning wheel, running a long finger against the mahogany finish of the drive wheel. Her hand stopped at the front of the device where a long, thin needle protruded from where the bobbin was usually kept .
I shifted my weight but said nothing. I couldn’t confirm this information. Instead, I watched the queen, waiting.
“I imagine you would want to free them from this curse,” she went on, turning to face me with a wide smile. “Is that so?”
I swallowed hard, choosing my next words carefully. “Should this be true and something has befallen my people, then yes, I would be… interested in seeking an opportunity to free them.”
She hummed a soft laugh at that. “Clever wording, my dear. But there is no need for that. You see, it was I who arranged the sleeping curse.”
My stomach hollowed, and nausea roiled in my gut. It shouldn’t surprise me. Not in the slightest. Of course Sonara was behind all of this. She was likely working with the Dream Mage.
But Fenn had sworn to me he had nothing to do with the sleeping curse. He had sworn with his blood…
Had his mother deceived him? I found it hard to believe he hadn’t suspected anything. Fenn was many things, but he wasn’t stupid.
“The Dream Mage is a powerful witch,” Sonara went on, continuing to admire the spinning wheel. “She has infused a spell into this needle here.” She gestured to the long, sharp point of the wheel. “If you so desire, you can free your kingdom from the enchantment… if you take their place.”
I froze, my body going utterly still as I processed her words. My eyes flicked over the sharp point of the needle, and my stomach clenched with unease.
“Why?” I demanded. “Why would you offer this?”
“Well, a kingdom is no good without its subjects,” Sonara said. “If I wish to conquer your court, I can’t very well do that if the entire castle staff and army are asleep.”
My blood chilled, and I shook my head. “No. I won’t do it if you’re just going to enslave my people.”
Sonara sighed. “I’m going to conquer your kingdom either way, Aurelia. It would be easier if you made this exchange. But, if you prefer, I can simply kill your sleeping citizens and bring in my own army. The choice is yours.”
My eyes narrowed. “Why don’t you just ask the Dream Mage to end the curse? Surely, that is the easier way. ”
Sonara’s lips pinched, forming a tight line. “It is… difficult to negotiate with her. She cannot leave the Dream Realm.”
I scrutinized the irritation creasing her brow, then chuckled, the sound harsh. “She won’t do it, will she? You can’t control her.” I laughed again. “Well, that’s fitting, isn’t it?”
“She wants you ,” Sonara snapped. “She’s wanted you the whole time. Once she gets what she wants, I can be done with her. But she will not let your people go unless she has you.”
Horror washed over me, making my skin prickle and my hands tremble. “Why does she want me?”
She leveled a flat look at me. “Because you’re the Dragon Queen.”
“And she wants my dragons.”
Sonara sighed impatiently. “Everyone wants your dragons, child.”
I paused, conflict warring within me. “What will happen to my dragons if I agree?”
“Does it matter?” She arched an eyebrow at me. “Which would you choose to save, your kingdom, or your dragons?”
I hated myself for even hesitating. I really did. But my gut wrenched with despair at the thought of my dragons being slaughtered and enslaved.
And yet… my kingdom was more important. They always would be. Even if I didn’t truly belong to the Summer Court. Even if my parents weren’t actually my parents. I still loved them. I loved Gigi. I would wager she didn’t know about any of this deception. She was innocent, and she didn’t deserve this fate. No one in my kingdom did.
I owed it to them to protect them. Even if I couldn’t save them from Sonara, at least I could keep them alive.
After a long moment, I nodded, my throat tight with emotion and my eyes burning. “I’ll do it.” My voice was strained, but full of resolve.
“I knew you would.” Sonara’s smile widened. “All you must do is prick your finger on the spindle and draw your blood. Then, the exchange will be complete.”
I stared at the spinning wheel with a mixture of dread and apprehension. “I need you to swear?— ”
“Yes, yes, I swear on my life and my blood that this needle is enchanted to put you in a magical sleep, and those in your kingdom will be freed from the curse once you offer yourself freely.” The queen’s voice was bored, but her words were thorough. I quickly sifted through them, trying to find a loophole or a trick.
Then again, Fenn had already destroyed my life with the way he’d worded his bargain. And I hadn’t suspected a thing. My judgment wasn’t exactly foolproof.
My heart felt like lead in my chest as I stepped forward, wondering why the Dream Mage had used a spinning wheel, of all things.
Perhaps I could ask her. I imagined she was waiting for me in the dream world.
With a deep breath, I extended my hand, pressing my finger into the sharpened point of the needle. It pierced my flesh, drawing blood. A crimson droplet fell to the floor, and I hissed, withdrawing my hand instantly. The room became fuzzy, my vision swimming as I teetered and fell into darkness.