Chapter 18
The air was bitingly cold. The full moon hung high in the sky, casting its silver glow over the quieted realm. Goosebumps exploded all over my body. I looked down to see the lilac sleeping slip barely covering my body, while a blackened forest floor lay beneath my bare feet.
When I stepped forward, the undergrowth snapped beneath my feet. I looked around, noticing that all the trees were charred and dead. The sky above was clear, and the stars shone brightly.
I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to hide my exposed body from the whipping wind. Without warning, an obsidian mist crept in toward me. The darkened void suffocated all light in its path. An eerie sensation came over me. It felt like a calling that I could not ignore.
I moved my feet. They were heavy as I dragged them across the burnt forest floor, as if something was trying to keep me in place.
Panic rose within me as the mist drew closer.
The air became charged, almost electric.
The hair on my body stood on end. Then the darkness receded, and the forest was once again bathed in moonlight.
I stepped forward to gain a better view of who was with me.
Squelching sounds accompanied my every step.
Looking down, I saw that my feet were now covered in a dark, viscous liquid.
Heavy, warm water drops fell onto my shoulders and arms. The warm liquid started falling harder and faster.
Accompanying it was a familiar metallic smell.
I placed my hands out to catch what was falling and saw dark red drops collecting in my palms. My body became wet and slick as the warm drops fell faster and harder.
Three beings materialized right in front of me out of the receding dark mist. Standing out in the middle was a tall, slender fae man with shaggy white hair, glowing grey eyes, and fitted, fine matte-black armour.
On either side of him was a formidable-looking fae woman—one had rough, cropped black hair and was dressed in all-black leather, while the other had flowing silver locks and was clad in all-white leather.
Looking at the two, I felt an unexpected sense of warmth and safety.
The fae man, on the other hand, was dark, cold, and morose—the very picture of a tortured soul.
I tried to speak, but no sound exited my mouth.
In unison, the fae women spoke in an eerie, monotonous tone. “Born of stardust and blackest night. Veiled in blood and shrouded by the void. She will bring death to what the light creates.”
As the words exited their mouths, the fae man appeared to struggle with himself. His eyes grew wild and took on a brighter glow. The sky above us turned as black as the Eternal Night, the dark mist swallowing the moon, the stars, and then all of us whole.
*
Two very rough, strong hands wrapped around my shoulders startled me awake. I opened my eyes to see a fae man leaning over me, shaking me. My defences immediately went up, and without thinking, I shrieked.
Alarmed, the intruder released me, and I threw the hardest right hand I had ever thrown.
Connecting with the intruder’s jaw. He stumbled away from the bed, holding his face, while I jumped out of bed to the other side, frantically looking for something to protect myself with.
I began thinking of whatever weapons I could—an axe, a sword, or a hammer—hoping the magic that worked in the wardrobe would help me out, but nothing appeared before me.
“Miss Aurelia, please stop. I only came in to check on you,” the apprehensive fae said with his hands raised.
I could barely hear him speaking over the sound of my heart nearly beating out of my chest. “What?” I yelled back at him.
“I was standing guard outside, and you started to scream. It sounded like something awful was happening to you. I came in to make sure you were all right.” He slowly walked toward me.
I took a few steps back to put more space between us. “This doesn’t make any sense,” I said as my back pressed up against the corner of the chamber. I had run out of room to retreat.
“What doesn’t make any sense?” he asked, confusion marked on his face.
I thought about the two fae women and the fae man I had seen last night. The sensations I had experienced, the cold air on my skin, and the weird, warm rain. It had all felt real to me.
“Miss Aurelia, is everything all right? Do you need the healer?”
I looked up at the concerned stranger in my room and snapped out of my daze. “It’s just ‘Aurelia.’ No ‘Miss.’ And I don’t need the healer. I am a healer. I’m fine. You know what isn’t fine, though? Waking up to a strange man in my room.”
Something that looked close to guilt washed over his face.
“I’m deeply sorry if I frightened you. That was not my intention.
Please accept my sincerest apologies.” He placed his hand over his heart.
“I am Guardian Everett Thorne. I will be your personal guardian while you stay at the Citrine Palace.”
The conversation with the nasty guardian from yesterday replayed in my mind. He had mentioned that I would have someone watching my room. I had expected more or less of the same attitude, but so far Everett seemed different.
“Nice to meet you, Guardian Thorne. Thank you for checking on me, and, uh, sorry about punching you in the face.”
“Please, just call me Everett.” Everett rubbed his face and began opening and closing his jaw, laying on the guilt thick. “I’m honestly fine. But it’s good to know that you can throw a mean right hook if you ever need to.” He gave a light chuckle.
We stood there, awkwardly sizing each other up. Everett was an incredibly handsome fae. Like all the fae I had met so far, he was tall, and even with all the armour, I could tell he was well built. He had soft, kind, honey-hued eyes and a voice that sounded like a seductive, enchanted melody.
“If you’re done ogling me,” he said, “I’ll take my leave so you can get dressed. I’ll tell the kitchen staff to send up your breakfast.”
My face flushed, burning from the realization that I was standing in a barely there sleeping slip, gawking at him. “Oh my goodness. I am so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
Everett’s laugh filled the suite. “It’s all right. I don’t mind.” He winked at me with a mischievous grin. “After you’ve finished your breakfast, we could go for a walk. I could show you around the palace and the grounds, if you’d like.”
His thoughtfulness and kindness took me off guard. “Am I allowed to leave my room? I thought I had to stay here until the king and queen figured out what they wanted to do with me.”
Everett took a few more steps toward the door before answering.
“You aren’t a prisoner here, Aurelia. This is just a precaution that the king and queen must take until they know the extent of Prince Sterling’s injuries.
The Obsidian Court has caused us many problems over the years, making us somewhat fearful, you could say.
They would feel better knowing that you and the prince are safely taken care of. ”
What Everett was saying was only a half-truth.
The king and queen were not worried about my safety.
They only cared to know what I was capable of, as far as my magic was concerned.
I was viewed as a potential threat, and they were not going to let me go anywhere until Forrest was healed and that whole situation was figured out.
“I would like that very much,” I finally replied.
Everett nodded and exited, calling back, “Just come on out when you’re ready.” And he closed the door, leaving me to get on with my morning.
I walked over to the wardrobe, swung open the doors, and stared at the over-the-top attire it contained.
Should I go with something bold, and try to fit in, or should I follow my heart and go with something safe and practical?
I let out a deep sigh. I already had enough on my plate to worry about; I did not need to add getting dressed to it.
I closed my eyes and thought about my favourite dress from back home.
Magda had ordered it specially made from a seamstress in the Southern Territory for my twenty-fifth birthday.
It was a long-sleeved lavender tunic with a dazzling fitted black overdress.
All along the collar and corset were tiny embroidered stars.
The material was the softest I had ever felt.
I could not place the name of it, but whatever it was, I knew that it had cost Magda a small fortune.
The beautiful dress had been accompanied by a delicate pair of black satin flats that felt like walking on small pillows.
It was hard to remember who had been happier that day, Magda or me.
I opened my eyes, and within the wardrobe was a solitary hanging item with a pair of shoes placed below.
A sad smile spread across my face as I reached in and removed the dress.
The material was just as soft as I remembered it.
All the details of the dress were there, including the hundreds of tiny embroidered stars.
Clutching the dress to my chest, I hung my head and whispered “Thank you” to the wardrobe.