Chapter 9 #2
I followed her, maneuvering down the different hallways, wondering why there were no lavish decorations in this area.
I’d never been to a castle before, but surely there would be paintings of the royal bloodline, statues, rugs, yet every hall we turned into lacked the opulence one would expect in a castle this size.
It lacked the warmth of a home or the beauty of being lived in for centuries.
Had this always been where the royal fae lived? Or had Kane’s father moved them here? Dragons were rare and most of them lived across the seas. Maybe they preferred the quietness of a castle among the clouds instead of the busy woodlands surrounding the Life Tree.
Before we reached another corridor, three fae priests stepped in front of us.
They wore matching hooded green robes that dragged along the stone floor. The one on the right looked younger and smiled.
“The child of prophecy,” the one in the middle said, his hooked nose an ugly contrast to the chiseled fae beside him. “We have waited long for this moment.”
Instead of feeling honored, a sliver of dread wedged between my thoughts.
The fae speaking had gray eyes, the whites around the pupils dulled with age. I wondered if he had been alive when the prophecy was foretold.
“Hello,” I replied, unsure of what else I should say.
Had the fae priests really been waiting for me?
“Why is the child of prophecy collared like a prisoner?” the priest asked Liora.
My handmaiden kept her head bowed, gaze lowered from the males in front of us.
Without raising her head, she said, “The king requires her to wear the dampener when she is out of her room.”
“Heresy,” the priest hissed. “The child of prophecy comes to our home, and this is how she is treated? Their union is an honor to our court and should be treated as such.”
The second elder priest lifted a hand. “We should speak with the king before we make any hasty assumptions. King Kane must have a valid reason for doing so.”
“We must go to the king right away.”
The two elder priests briskly walked away while the younger one lingered.
“It is good that you’re here. Our priesthood has waited decades for this moment,” he whispered. “Be mindful of your surroundings, and we will speak with the king.”
As he chased after the elder fae priests, I watched them with curiosity.
“I guess not everyone here hates me,” I mumbled.
“No, but even the priests play their own game.” Liora motioned for us to continue down the corridor.
“What do you mean?”
Hands clasped in front of her, she stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Many of the priesthood believed the child of prophecy would be born to the fae. Some say it is a curse that you are human.”
I fisted my hand against my stomach, trying not to react from that statement. Of course I wasn’t foolish to think the fae would have thought differently, but hearing it out loud…
For as long as I could remember, I’d been taught about the prophecy, but not how it would bring balance to the world, and now that I was here… Well, I had a sinking feeling within my chest that balance was the last thing Kane and I would bring.
How could any good marriage begin with killing and kidnapping?
Certainly it was a bad omen. It had to be.
“Do not fear the unknown,” Liora said, giving me a soft, reassuring smile. “Your power is the essence of life. That alone should give you hope. Without life, there could be no balance.”
“Thank you,” I said, grateful that Liora held hope when mine slipped with each jarring day.
We reached a large wooden door. Liora turned the knob, and we stepped outside.
The sun touched my cheeks and though I could see the trees, the grass, I couldn't feel them. A fog hovered in my mind, blocking my access to my powers. The lightheaded feeling made me feel unsteady on my feet.
I twisted my hands in my dress and followed Liora until we reached the stables. Once we were there, I desperately searched the stalls.
“Last one,” she said.
“Boots!” I yelled.
A braying sounded from the last stall on the left and his little, long face hung over the gate. Upon seeing me, he cried, and I ran the rest of the way.
When I opened his gate to let him out, he practically knocked me over. I hugged his neck. “Boots.”
His scent reminded me of home and of what I had lost. I was so happy to have him, this part of my life. “Will he be safe here?”
“Yes. He is not to be touched, and he's to be given the best scraps.”
I kissed the white patch down his nose and nuzzled against his side.
“It’s good to see you, old friend.” I gripped him as if he was the only anchor in this cursed kingdom.
For once, Boots did not nibble my dress. Instead, he rested his head on my shoulder, leaning into me.
Holding him gave me the confidence to ask her about Crispin. “I'm ready to hear the rest. What happened to my husband's body?”
“One of our hunters followed the trail to the woods, but then it disappeared.”
“What do you mean?” Rubbing Boots' side, I held him for support.
“I’m sorry to say this, my lady, but whatever beast took him left nothing to bury.”
Liora’s words knocked into me so hard, the ground suddenly tilted. My knees hit the dirt. The sob rose sharp and mournful from my chest, and I buried my face in Boots’s rough coat. Boots nudged me with his face as if he couldn’t stand the sight of his momma broken before him.
Did he understand what had happened? Did he wonder what had happened to Crispin?
Liora stood, allowing me this moment to grieve. When the tears finally dried, a fiery anger filled the hollowness within my chest.
This was Kane’s fault.
And I was determined to make him pay.