Chapter 17 #2
I remained quiet. We reached the center of the city, where a giant metal goblet stood tall and proud, collecting rain. Smiling fairies—grown-ups and kids—had gathered around it, scooping water with buckets or their hands.
Laughing and splashing at one another, children played around the goblet while the adults scolded them. One particular fairy drew my gaze, whose seal-like skin seemed to glisten like wet silk beneath the rain.
“There were many different types of water fairies, but we’re dying every time we fight with the dark fairies who followed the King.
” She spoke without looking at us. “This hidden city is the home to fairies of any type, whoever remained alive. But for the water fairies, the sea represents the longing of the soul for its true home…which obviously is not here.”
We sauntered deeper into the hidden city, our small group drawing curious glances from the fairies we passed. Their otherworldly beauty did nothing to hide the hardship—life here was far from easy.
"Here, let me show you our main source of nourishment," Seraphina said, guiding us toward the small plot of land, where a variety of crops struggled to grow, including the wheat I’d spotted earlier.
The soil looked dry and cracked, and the plants themselves seemed malnourished and on the verge of wilting.
Robert, his brows furrowed, crouched down to examine the struggling crops. "This doesn't look like nearly enough to sustain everyone."
"We do our best, but our resources are dwindling, and we're constantly under the threat of discovery by the dark fairies. Our existence is precarious, to say the least."
The sun dipped low in the sky, casting a warm golden light over the hidden city.
“How does the city stay hidden in plain sight?” I asked, looking around.
The passage we’d traveled through did not take us below the surface, but instead had an exit near a scorched woodland area.
“Come with me,” she said, and we followed her until we reached a shimmer in the air that hinted at its true nature.
“Power of illusion,” I mumbled.
A powerful wall of illusion encased the city, so potent that it was nearly impossible to distinguish it from the surrounding landscape.
"This," Seraphina said, extending her hand towards the wall, "is our protection—the wall of illusion. It keeps our city hidden from the dark fairies and their King."
Was Seraphina’s power of illusion so strong that she could hide an entire city?
"Remarkable," Torin murmured, reaching out to touch the wall, only for his fingers to pass through the illusion.
"Unfortunately, it won’t last much longer," Seraphina said, her voice cracking. "Our magic is waning, and the illusion will fade completely soon."
I reached to touch the air of the invisible wall, and it buzzed with energy. A tingling sensation danced over my skin, reminding me of the power that flowed through this realm.
“But you can put more of your magic of illusion into the wall and keep it going, right?” I asked.
“I have to replenish the magic of the illusion all the time.” She stared through the moving air out to the barren forest. “The only other remaining fairy who is powerful enough to rebuild the illusion wall is on his deathbed.”
“How does this fairy power work?” I asked.
“I can manipulate perceptions and create false sensory experiences. That’s how I was able to deceive Hayden, by altering his perception of reality.
” She ran her hand through the fog-like illusion wall.
“I use my gift to create a mirage-like effect, making the city blend with the ruins nearby, camouflaging with its natural surroundings.”
It was like a veil of invisibility around the city—a defense mechanism allowing the Uprising Guardian fairies to survive.
A half smile lifted her lips for the first time. “The power of illusion used to belong to most fairies while they lived in the human realm, but after the fairies moved to this realm, their power weakened, and now only the royals have it.”
Only royal fairies now possessed the power of illusion. I repeated the statement in my mind until I connected the dots. Hayden, Seraphina, and Greyson each possessed the power to different extents.
I blinked then looked at her. “So…you are royalty, then?”
Wait a second… Then Greyson…
Her eyes focused on the distant horizon as if some painful memory had popped into her mind. I waited for a moment until Seraphina spoke again.
“Hayden and I share the same father,” she said, turning her face to me and making a disgusted face. “Half siblings. His mother was the fairy Queen, so he grew up in the castle while I grew up in the City of Earth where my mother lived.”
I sucked in a sharp breath at the thought of Hayden’s never-ending lies. He’d told everyone in the werewolf kingdom that his father was abusive, and then he became an orphan at a young age in the human realm.
Lies.
“The fairy King is a womanizer who forces himself on the fairy women. Some volunteer to sleep with him, thinking he’ll make them his Queen, but he hasn’t done that yet. For so many years after he killed his Queen.”
I swallowed hard. “Hayden’s father killed his own mate, his Queen,” I murmured.
“Not only his Queen, but also he was on a spree of killing his offspring with women who weren’t the Queen. The King has been after me for a long time. He’s managed to kill all the half siblings I have.”
A thought about Greyson nudged me, and I didn’t want to let it go. “Wait…tell me about the royal markings.”
Seraphina gave me a strange glance. “My power to cast illusions came from the fairy King. Hayden has the most powerful illusions because both his parents had the power. He was born with pure royal blood. It gets inherited,” she said, touching the two tribal tattoos on her shoulder.
“The royal markings are inherited as well. The more you have of them, the purer your royal blood. The stronger your power of illusion. Except when the marks are transferred by mating.”
I inhaled and exhaled loudly. “This makes sense now,” I said. “You have another half brother in the human realm.”
All eyes flashed in my direction.
“Explain,” Seraphina said, her face lighting up like I haven’t seen so far.
“Greyson. He’s young, in his mid-twenties. We found him living a very lonely life. He has a low power of illusions and only a few markings. His mother was a human, but his father was a fairy.” I paused. “And it appears his father was a royal fairy since Greyson has the markings.”
Seraphina clapped her hands, startling me. “I wish I could meet him.”
I blinked at the sudden change in Seraphina’s attitude. Her rigid posture softened, and a full smile grew on her lips. Her eyes, usually guarded, brightened with excitement.
Although our first encounter with her hadn’t been pleasant, my witch instincts didn’t warn me. I would guess Seraphina had struggled to survive in the past and longed for a family and a stable home. And so did Greyson.
“That’s what he wishes too. He wanted to come here, but I thought it was too dangerous for someone who doesn’t know how to fight.”
“I’ll teach him,” she said.
I thanked the Gods that her previous intent on getting rid of me was gone and replaced with enthusiasm to meet her half-sibling. Smiling, I imagined Seraphina and Greyson next to each other, and my chest warmed.
“So could it be that the fairy King is Greyson’s father, too?” I asked.
Seraphina nodded. “It seems that when the fairy King entered the human realm twenty-six years ago to search for the light witch there, he made another baby, which is probably Greyson.”
Just like Greyson, Seraphina must have used her powers to hide herself in the fairy realm, living a life of deception.
Torin and Robert walked behind me and the fairy woman.
Seraphina gave me a curious glance. "Why is Hayden after you, Breanna?"
My smile grew when she used my name.
"Because he's become a tyrant," I explained. "He locked me up in a room so I would willingly mate with him and obey him. I'm not sure exactly what he wants from me. There's more than he's told me."
Torin moved closer to my side, his muscles taut with tension.
"Then how was he able to mark you? Did he force you?" Concern laced her voice.
"No, no, I volunteered," I said.
Seraphina looked confused, so I elaborated.
"There was no other way to become the werewolf Queen and lead a war against the vampire Queen."
Robert grinned. "Anna fought a war against the vampires to free Torin, her fated mate."
Seraphina's gaze darted between us, her expression thoughtful. "And so why are you in our realm?" she asked, searching my face for the truth.
Genuine curiosity now replaced the earlier suspicion in her gaze.
I hesitated for only a moment before answering honestly. "To free my mother."
She raised her eyebrows and stared at me. My stomach chose that moment to growl, and Seraphina lowered her gaze to my stomach and then back to my face.
“The day is almost over. We’ll talk again later. Now come with me. I’ll find us something to eat.”
I walked behind her, but a sudden coldness engulfed me. Looking around me, I realized it was because Torin wasn’t next to me. He stood at the invisible wall of illusion, staring into the darkening forest.
“Torin, let’s go.”
He turned his head toward me, crimson eyes on fire. “I didn't ask you to save me."
Take a deep breath in. But it didn’t help extinguish my temper.
"Really?" I shot back. I guessed we were talking about it now. "And what did you expect me to do? Watch you suffer, knowing you were in the hands of your abuser, and you'd live an eternity in misery?"
"But I'd gladly take an eternity of misery if it meant that you wouldn't be miserable," he said, his voice cracking slightly. "I didn't want you to sacrifice yourself for me so that you suffer."
My heart raced as we argued, the air between us thick with tension. I could feel the weight of Seraphina's gaze on us as she watched silently, her expression unreadable. Robert stood next to her, also silent.
"Torin," I said in a lower voice. "I couldn't just stand by and do nothing."
He looked away, and his jaw clenched.
"Torin…" Seraphina spoke up, her voice steady and firm. "If you were in her position, wouldn't you have done the same?"
I started to like the fairy woman more.
Her words seemed to hang in the air between us as Torin hesitated, his eyes searching mine for a long moment, before he finally nodded in agreement.
"Of course I would," he said quietly, the anger leaving his body as he reached for my hand and intertwined our fingers together.
Seraphina's eyes flicked between my heated gaze and Torin's guarded expression.
"I should leave you two alone to talk," she murmured, beginning to back away.
"Wait," I said, my emotions still boiling beneath the surface. "No. Stay. Tell us more about the fairy realm. The more we know, the more prepared we are for freeing Mom."
“Your mom?”
“Willa, the light witch,” I said.
Some recognition passed behind Seraphina’s widening eyes. “I see. I think you’ll be the right person for the job.”
Despite her kindness, Seraphina was determined to achieve something, and she needed me to help her. Even though I’d started to feel more comfortable around her, I couldn’t let my guard down.
“Follow me. I have a lot to tell you.”