Chapter 26 #2
Willa’s gaze dropped to my mating marks, but her face remained calm and her voice steady. “Hayden was the only one who could have stood up to the King,” she said. “Did you choose him as your mate, dear?”
She glanced between me and Torin, a half smile tugging on her pale, dry lips.
Given her time here, Willa likely knew the royal fairy markings well. The former King must have had them as well.
“I didn’t choose him, but Hayden partially bonded himself to me, and then…I completed the mating to become the werewolf Queen, but just because I lacked a wolf spirit,” I rushed out, “because Cordelia stole it.”
Willa blinked repeatedly, her lips parting. When she finally recovered, she exhaled deeply. “I only knew a little bit from what I could understand of what Milo told me.” She paused. “But Breanna, you’ve gone through so much.”
On instinct, I grasped her hand and gently squeezed it. “Not as much as you’ve gone through.”
I suspected that even while locked up, Willa had stood her ground and didn’t give the fairy King information about me even when he tortured her or whatever pain, emotional and physical, he inflicted on her.
I pressed my lips together, my teeth grinding. I didn’t want to bring out painful memories. Whenever Willa was ready, she would share with me. We had time together, now that I’d found her.
My mother nudged me to walk, and I tried to let go of her hand, but she gripped mine harder and smiled.
“I wasn’t sure how Hayden was going to turn out, especially when I trusted him with protecting your life,” she said, and Torin snapped his gaze at her.
She blinked repeatedly, startled. “I asked him to protect you when I was very desperate. I shouldn’t have put such pressure on a fourteen-year-old boy, but the situation was really bad. ”
Torin’s low growl muffled my gasp. He took two extra-long strides and walked in front of me and Willa. I couldn’t see his face, but his back was rigid and tense.
Willa looked at me. “We’ll talk about this later. Now tell me what you wanted to talk to me about.”
It seemed that meeting Hayden as a teenager in the kingdom forest all those years ago wasn’t a coincidence. He’d found me upon Willa’s request, and since then, Hayden was tasked with protecting me. He’d become my bodyguard even before Dad had asked him.
I let go of those thoughts as I glanced at the back of Torin’s head and focused on what we needed to do before we left the fairy realm.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the confession I knew I had to make.
"Cordelia," I said, "She stole my wolf spirit. To release it, she demanded the family athame. I didn't know what else to do, so I agreed."
Willa's eyes widened momentarily but then softened with understanding.
She hesitated for a moment before nodding. “Is my sister doing all right these days?”
She is doing great when she is not plotting how to kill me or chop off my arm or hurt people I love.
I swallowed. “She doesn’t deserve to have witch abilities. Especially not the athame, which will only give her more power. What if she corrupts the human realm too?”
“I will talk to her about our family and the athame and everything else,” she said, her breathing becoming heavier. “We’ll retrieve the athame, and my first stop in the human realm will be at my sister’s doorstep.”
Milo took another turn, and we rushed behind him.
He led us down a narrow passage that branched off from the main corridor, a path so unassuming I would have missed it entirely.
The air grew noticeably fresher as we continued, and in the distance, light shone, signaling the nearby exit.
The pixie fairy guided us through a secret way out of the dungeon.
“Where’s the athame now?” I asked Willa.
“Milo's family has kept it safe. He will lead us to it. It’s in the forest."
"Thank you," I said.
I wasn’t sure whether talking to the dark witch would change her mind, but I remembered Cordelia telling me that I was only one choice away from becoming a dark witch like her. So perhaps she was one choice away from redeeming herself.
The secret way Milo took us was mostly cleared of guards and people, although we still hid behind thick columns and corners.
My chest tightened as my thoughts took me to Seraphina and Niall. A bitter taste rose in my throat. I sent a mental prayer for their health and survival.
I had to force my legs to move. My primary objective to rescue Willa surpassed all other concerns. Before we left the fairy realm, I would check on them in the hidden city. I hoped they’d returned there safely.
As soon as we stepped outside the castle, our brisk walk became a jog on a path that took us around the City of Fire and back into the forest. Willa was panting by the time we entered the corrupted forest. Torin slowed, and I shot him a grateful smile.
But going slow through the dark forest was not a good idea.
Before I could say anything, snarls and hisses echoed through the trees. Demonic dogs emerged from the shadows, their eyes glowing with malicious intent.