Chapter 24
Chapter
Twenty-Four
“You… You're a monster," I said.
"I was made into a monster, sweetheart," he said, his icy expression unchanging.
"Even if he treated you poorly," I said, trying to keep my voice steady, "you could have sent him to prison or found another way. You didn't have to kill your father."
Hayden glanced at Torin’s waist, gazing at the hilt of the fairy Queen’s sword. Then he returned his gaze to me.
"Come to me, my Queen," Hayden said, his voice alluring. "You'll be the Queen of both realms now, just as I am their King."
I frowned, confusion and apprehension churning in my stomach.
"I am the werewolf Queen in the human realm. Why do you want to rule both realms? You're a fairy King, after all. Why interfere with the human world?" I tried to sound reasonable and gentle, not wanting to set him off further.
"Think about it, Hayden," I said, desperately hoping to reach some part of his old self. "You can restore the fairy realm to its previous glory and rule over it."
Without me in it.
Hayden shook his head, his cold blue eyes never leaving mine. "No, Breanna. My kind used to live in the human realm long ago. Humans and fairies coexisted before the Salem trials, but the humans exiled us to the other realm."
“Because the fairies were too deceptive,” I deadpanned.
His gaze darkened, filled with a bitterness that sent shivers down my spine. "And now humans have forgotten about fairies, and the other supernaturals know little of us because we've lived hidden for so long. I will remind them all of our existence and power."
"Revenge on the humans and supernaturals?
" I couldn't help but let out a disbelieving laugh.
"Hayden, sometimes to live in a peaceful future, you have to let go of the painful past. The humans hold a special place in my heart.
I lived among them for seven years and had two human friends who showed me kindness. "
"Kindness," he sneered. "You give these fragile creatures far too much credit. Your belief in them has always amazed me."
I gaped at him. He’d never shown me this side of him. He’d never said anything bad about the humans because I was one of them not too long ago.
"The supernaturals coexist with the humans and will never go against them because you said so, Hayden."
"That's very much true," he said, nodding slowly. "But they'll listen to you, and you'll be my Queen."
I scoffed. "I will not be your Queen," I said, my heart pounding in my chest.
Hayden chuckled, an eerie sound that sent a wave of nausea washing over me. "The markings on your body say otherwise. You've been so difficult lately, sweetheart." His eyes gleamed with coldness. "But there is another way."
His words struck me like a blow, and I couldn't help but feel a sense of dread creep into my heart. What other plans did he have in mind?
“What exactly do you want from me?” I asked.
"The Book of Thoradis. It's a powerful tome, hidden away for centuries. Only a light witch can find it," he said, smirking. “Willa didn’t want to find it for my father, but you will find the book for me.”
My blood ran cold at the mention of the powerful book. That was what he wanted from me all this time?
I massaged my temples. "What do you want with the book?" I asked, although I had a good idea.
"Immortality," he answered simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "To become the immortal ruler of the fairies and take over the human world. I've always been jealous of Torin's immortality and the fact that he's your fated mate."
His confession made my body quiver.
Hayden scowled at Torin. I guessed we’d reached a point of no return since Hayden wasn’t holding back. He no longer hid the truth, perhaps because he thought he was so close to getting what he wanted.
“I knew something was very wrong with him the first time I saw him,” Torin muttered under his breath.
I stared at Hayden, my stomach churning at the thought of him wielding such power.
"You would do anything to get what you want, wouldn't you? Even if it means tearing the world apart?"
"Of course," he replied, his gaze unwavering. "Because once I have that power, nothing will stand in my way."
I clenched my hands into fists at my sides, anger and fear coiling tightly within me. The urge to confront Hayden washed over me, but first I needed to understand the type of man he was and how far he was willing to go.
“You’ve been power greedy all this time, but you showed no desire for power in the werewolf kingdom. Why now?”
Hayden crooked his head to the side, studying me. “I wasn’t always like that, sweetheart. When my father killed my mother, I realized I needed power to defeat him. And after being crowned as the werewolf King, my desire for power only increased.”
"Then we'll make sure you never find the book," I said, my voice thick and cracking with emotion. "You may have marked me as your Queen, but I will never stand by your side."
"We’ll see about that," he replied with a smirk, his frosty blue eyes gleaming with wicked intent. "But remember, I've never been one to lose."
I glared at him, my heart pounding in my chest as I realized the true extent of his twisted plan. He wanted and needed me, not just for the power I could give him as his Queen but also for the unique witch ability within me.
Niall stepped forward. "We won't let you get to Breanna. We won't allow you to use her for your twisted purposes." He turned to me. "Breanna, you need to leave now. Run out these doors and down the hall. You must find the prison while we deal with the new King and his people."
A wave of guilt washed over me, stealing my breath and leaving me gasping for air. I had to stay and fight alongside the fairies who risked their lives for me, but I couldn’t forget my mission to free Willa.
Torin grasped my hand tightly without hesitation, his grip reassuring and solid amidst the chaos unfolding around us. Robert nodded.
"Be careful," I whispered to Seraphina.
She’d risked everything to protect me and keep me from falling into Hayden's clutches. If his father couldn’t break my mother, then Hayden couldn’t push me into finding the book. I wouldn’t let him use me.
"Go, Breanna," Seraphina urged, unsheathing her sword with a metallic ring. "We'll hold them off as long as we can."
I swallowed hard, knowing the high risk of defeat Niall and Seraphina were facing. Niall charged at Hayden without hesitation.
"Go," he bellowed, rushing toward the new King who had so callously killed his own father. "Find your mother, Breanna."
“But I can’t leave you here,” I shouted.
Seraphina charged behind Niall. “This was our arrangement. We fight the fairy King, and you free your mother.”
I swallowed hard, vowing to make their sacrifice count.
My gaze locked with Hayden's icy blue eyes. They bore into mine wickedly, sending shivers down my spine. Hayden winked, his lips curling into that familiar, once-charming smile, now tainted by malice. My heart clenched painfully in my chest.
With one last look at the Uprising Guardians, who were willingly putting themselves in harm's way for me, I turned and fled down the hallway with Torin and Robert.
We descended into the depths of the castle, the air growing colder and damper with each step. The flickering torches cast creepy shadows on the stone walls.
As we ran, thoughts tumbled through my mind like leaves caught in a whirlwind. What could we do to stop him? How could we outsmart a man who had spent years plotting his revenge, weaving an intricate web of deceit and manipulation? Would Seraphina, Niall, and the other guardians survive?
Focus, Breanna.
Now deeper into the castle, I braced myself for meeting the guards at Willa’s prison. I almost laughed as I thought that perhaps they, too, rushed into the throne room when the rebellion started.
But I wouldn’t be that lucky.
If Willa, a powerful light witch, was unable to escape the prison for the last twenty-something years, then it wouldn’t be that easy to break into it.