Chapter 29 Maeve
Maeve
Guilt washed through me over leaving Adrian in his cell, especially knowing Dante had been right there the entire time, but fury had me stalking through the Elysian Palace for something else.
I wasn’t entirely sure what I was looking for.
Someone to take my anger out on? A reason to unleash my fury?
I couldn’t take it to Hyperion. The bastard was useless and barely breathing.
And for now, we had no more of Dante’s soldiers in our grasps.
None that would give me the pleasure of ripping out their throats, anyway.
I should have returned to Elias, but he wanted a chance to deal with Cyrus on his own. Rowan was busy with his research, and the demon king…
I had no idea what he was doing anymore.
No. I stopped at the top of the stairs that led into the main entrance of the palace. The last time I’d been here had been during the procession for the wedding. A wedding that seemed like a far-off dream.
Back then, I thought that would be the worst of our issues. Having to deal with the Elysian King laying claim to my mate in some strange pseudo bond.
But now, I wished to go back to that. At least she had been here, with us. Even if the situation hadn’t been ideal, at least we’d been together.
Blowing out a breath, I descended into the entryway and started for the corridor that led into the throne room. I had no desire to enter the great hall, just the open hallway that connected the two areas.
I stared out over the city, taking in fire pits dotting the tall buildings and the camps set up beyond the city to house the incoming army.
Anyone fleeing Avalon or Faery were being moved into the city, but those who wanted to fight were at the tents.
Every day, more creatures came to the Underworld for their Queen and to escape Dante.
His soldiers, armed with weapons and feral shifters, were taking over the island.
There were still safe havens, like the academy and islands off the coast, but those who refused to bow to him were hunted.
It was worse, apparently, in Faery.
I’d thought most Fae carried the same ideologies as their rulers. And there were certainly many who wanted to see their world once again separate from Nyx.
But there were more who feared war. Many who would rather see Dante dead than allow his influence over Faery. Plenty who escaped to the Underworld understood that if he became King, then there would be no separation of Faery and Avalon. They knew he would be the only king of all the realms.
From the stairs, I heard approaching footsteps. I moved away from the railing, letting my hands fall to my sides, and turned to find Vanya approaching. Her pink hair was pulled back away from her face, a flush darkening her cheeks as she quickened her steps.
“Maeve,” she said, eyes widening a fraction. “Okay. Thank the Goddess, I found you.”
I frowned, heart pounding. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
The witch stopped feet away from me and wrapped her arms around herself. “Remember the agents who found us on the Queen’s Road? And how they were sick with something?” she asked, shifting on her feet.
I nodded once. “Of course.” Ivy healed them of the sickness, her magic pulling the darkness from them and curing them of the damage it had done to their own magic. “What is it?”
“Well, my mother and I were down at one of the refuge buildings helping the charm witches, when a couple of agents walked in. They were looking for a healer. Said one of their guys wasn’t well. I recognised the signs immediately.”
My stomach dropped. Releasing a breath, I stepped back from her, eyes darting to the city. “What did your mother do?”
“She has them contained in a building and sent word to any agents to meet there. She thinks Dante contaminated agents specifically.”
“Because he knows they would be our first line of defence.” Avalon didn’t have an army, at least, not officially. The agents of the Phoenix Compound were the closest thing to soldiers Avalon had.
I ran a hand through my hair and tried to ignore the thundering beat of my heart. It seemed like more of an effort to keep the panic down now that I had something else to worry about.
“Does she think it’s possible that whatever illness they have is going to spread?” I asked finally, turning back to Vanya.
She shook her head, though her eyes flickered with uncertainty. “So far, no one else has come in stating they feel…weird, but my mother wants to get ahead of it if that does happen.”
“Okay.” I strode towards the doors leading out of the palace, the witch following close behind. “Take me to the containment area.”
The streets of Elysian were loud, bustling. Markets were open to the refugees, businesses alive and thriving with so many new people. It didn’t feel like we were weeks away from war. Here, it felt like the coming together of people who otherwise might not have ever crossed paths.
It was a strange feeling. Dread but hope coiled within me, two snakes wrapping around one another until they were strangling themselves into something much worse.
“We need to double the Wrath Demon Guard presence,” I murmured, catching Vanya’s stare from the corner of my eye. “The agents were here to ensure none of Dante’s people made it in, but if all our agents are in containment…”
“Then he could stage an attack,” she whispered, tearing her eyes from mine to stare at a large family.
There were three females and a male, as well as ten children of varying ages.
The children appeared unaware of what was going on around them, excited to be somewhere new.
But the parents…I could clearly see the stress lining their features.
It was stress I was starting to understand now that there were children I also had to consider. Ours were far enough from the battle that I should have breathed easy, but I couldn’t. Not when we knew the real potential of Dante’s plans.
I tore my gaze from the family, quickening my pace. I kept it even enough so the witch could keep up, but my mind was elsewhere as we continued to the containment building.
“We’re close,” Vanya said, moving ahead of me. I matched her stride immediately, breathing in deeply.
On the air, I caught scents marked by something dark. I hadn’t noticed it the night of the ball, and that had been my mistake. A failure born of my need to get Ivy away from the palace and Dante entirely.
But I sought it out now. Tinging each scent coming from the building ahead was something wrong.
It was the same wrongness that followed Dante and his army.
It marked their magic, marring it as something different.
Ivy said Nyx called it a bastardisation, and the longer I allowed the scents to fill my lungs, the more I had to agree.
Thankfully, there were Wrath demons standing guard outside, and waiting for us was Elara Blackwood. She had her arms folded over her chest, eyeing the crowds of people passing the building. When she spotted us approaching, she sighed.
“Thank the Goddess, she found you,” Elara said, leaving the wrath guards to join us on the street. There were thankfully fewer people here, most congregating around the markets. “I wasn’t entirely sure of the best course of action.”
I glanced at the door, then at the Blackwood matriarch. “I’m glad you moved them here. We don’t know enough about this issue to allow them free reign of the city.”
“At least we can be sure these aren’t traitors,” Vanya muttered, moving to stand beside her mother. “He wouldn’t do this to his own soldiers, would he?”
I shared a look with Elara before shaking my head. “We can’t be certain of that,” I replied carefully. “Though, based on the limited information we do know, it’s possible he infected those he knew were loyal to us.”
It was something new I could take to Hyperion, at least. I knew he had to be growing tired of my questions regarding the whereabouts of Dante, so maybe this would give him something new to consider.
Vanya visibly shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself again. “How do we help them? Without Ivy?”
My heart clenched. “I don’t know,” I replied honestly. Looking to Elara, I said, “It was Ivy who first recognised the sickness in agents we crossed back in Avalon. She was able to…pull the darkness out of them.”
“How could she be sure?” Elara asked.
“She cut their wrists,” Vanya said. “Their blood went from red to black. She pulled the dark magic from their veins. Literally.”
“There is a healer in our family,” Elara murmured, pulling her tablet from her belt. “With our family bloodline, do you think a healer could do it?”
I pressed my lips together. Was it possible? Of course. But I was hesitant to risk someone else’s life on this, especially someone who would be needed in the war to come.
But you also cannot risk the lives of those agents, I reminded myself. The poison, or whatever it was Dante used, wasn’t just killing them slowly. It was infecting their magic and eating away at their very essences. They were going to suffer if nothing was done.
“Get your healer here,” I stated, sparing Elara a look. “Vanya, I don’t want you anywhere near them. Either of you really. Not until we know if this isn’t going to spread.”
Before I could take a step towards the doors, Elara moved in front of me.
“No offence,” she said, lifting her chin, “but neither should you. You might be the Queen’s Knight, but I am still the highest authority of the Phoenix Compound, and those are my agents in there.
If anyone is going to be overseeing this, it will be me. ”
Her words echoed in my ears, making my heart pound. I respected her more for it. But the meaning behind them made my stomach drop.
She was the highest authority the organisation had left. Sir Ya’Dahir was gone, and those who reported directly below him were either compromised or dead.
“We also need you,” I replied, taking a step back.
“I recognise you as the standing leader of Phoenix, Elara. I will not disagree with you there, you have my word. But you are the only leader we have left from the organisation. And once this is over, you will be needed. For now, we can at least assume I am protected by my mate’s power. ”
“Even though she’s not here?” Elara questioned, crossing her arms. I almost flinched from the words, but there was no animosity in her eyes.
“I don’t mean that to hurt, Grey, but you could be as compromised as the rest of us right now.
From what I understand, her power can’t help you now.
And you have other priorities. This is mine. ”
A lump formed in my throat as I took in the demons at the doors. She was correct: the agents weren’t mine to worry about—not anymore. “That is your call,” I conceded, stepping back. “And I know you are capable of ensuring their safety.”
Elara bowed her head, turning to her daughter. “Find your cousin and any other Bloodline witch with the healing affinity. Let’s save our agents.”