Chapter 15
MAX
“What are you doing here?” A cool compress presses to my forehead and I sigh gratefully.
Baris hushes me, pushing the hair off my neck, laying another compress there. They smell like aloe and other herbs that instantly soothe my aches.
I’d rather not think about what I did in that purification hellscape.
About how I had to kill the male I loved in order to save him.
It sits like a heavy stone on my chest, one I cannot breathe around, and I instead remind myself it was only a test. A way for the rose petals to clear me, to take back the layers and get to the root causes.
Of course, killing Kaden is a large fear. My magic is unpredictable—I’m terrified of harming him. The ritual only brought that out in the open.
“Rest, little one.”
“Is she awake?” I sit up so fast, I careen to the side and grip my father before falling off the bed. Wouldn’t look very becoming for a queen.
Standing at the foot of the canopy bed, is Fee herself, dressed in her riding leathers, face red, hair windswept. I nearly cry from seeing a familiar face that I throw myself forward.
Thank the Gods the princess is quicker. She catches me awkwardly, patting my back harshly. “There, there. Don’t cry. It will make this whole situation weird.”
“How are you here?” I pull back, wiping my damp cheeks. “Why are you here? Who is defending the Shadowlands?”
“The lords,” she says, shrugging, allowing Baris to lay me back against propped pillows.
Taking the other side, she sits regally, the setting sun’s rays casting brilliant oranges and red over her pale skin. Fee has always been beautiful, but right now, she’s my savior.
I never thought I’d consider the warrior princess a friend, but she is. And I’ve missed her.
“The lords?”
She rolls her eyes. “You need to learn your lands, blood summoner. The Lords all have their own armies. That with the remaining loyal guards, the palace is well-fortified. I only came here with Zeke.”
On Cella’s Crown, I should be mad she left the palace. But I’d be lying if I didn’t say how happy I was to have her and Zeke here. I could use the allies.
Baris presses the compress back to my head, wiping my temple. “How do you feel?”
“Horrible,” I admit. My entire body aches as if I’ve fought all those battles, living through fire, torture, and the death of my mate. “But I’m alive.”
“We didn’t think you would be,” Fee mutters. “Lucky for you, I was already on my way. I happened upon your father and brought him along.”
“We snuck him in,” Reid comments, walking through the chamber door. We’re not in my room—but a smaller one, fit more for a servant. Or a small child. “When you started to hallucinate, I left Mal to watch you while I grabbed Baris. Perfect timing really.”
“He was right to,” Baris says, placing the rag to the back of my neck. I exhale, the pain leeching away. “Noire Rose petals are deadly. If given the right dose, they can be used in purification rituals. Too many, and those visions will kill you.”
“Pretty sure you got too many.” Reid winks. “But just like a Dark Queen, you prevailed. Though you were really banged up.”
My eyes take in the white dress, once pristine, now covered in sand and blood. My body doesn’t hold the scars, but I feel them, like tiny invisible marks. Aoife did this. She gave me the petals. Is all of this truly to help Kaden, or is she trying to kill me with carefully measured steps?
“It felt real.” I rub my arms, fighting off a shudder. “I don’t ever want to do that again.”
“You won’t,” Baris agrees. “It’s not something one should do more than once in their lifetime. All your fears are laid bare and if you cannot overcome them, you will stay lost, eventually dying from the poison.”
Sounds horrible.
“What were your fears?” Fee asks, peering at me. Something tells me she knows what I saw. Maybe it’s in my eyes, maybe she’s that perceptive.
Clearing my throat, I shake my head. I’m not ready to discuss it.
“Well, I have news.” Fee holds open her palm and a small flame ignites. The entire room collectively inhales. “Oh, I had the same reaction.”
“Unfair.” Reid pouts. “You have magic now?”
“How?” I ask Baris, eyes wide. “How is this possible?”
“Do you not remember the prophecy?” He scratches his chin.
“You’ve weakened the curse when you helped Kaden control his beast. With each layer that cracks or breaks, more magic will be accessible.
It wouldn’t surprise me as we go along to see more Witches or Fae tapping into the magic that once ran through their veins. ”
More magic. More powers. It’s working—we’re going to do this.
Glancing to the window, I scramble to get out of bed. “It’s going to be night soon. We need to do the next step. Before Kaden’s stuck as a beast forever.”
I can’t come this far—I can’t experience all of that, and risk losing him. Not now.
Reid holds up his hands. “We’ve already been summoned. Before you were dragged away, Mal made sure to add sand with your blood to the potion. Aoife’s been working on it since.”
“Or it’s not to actually break the curse.” At our curious gazes, my father crosses his arms. “I don’t trust her. She could be doing this just to help herself. Or perhaps, none of this helps and she only wants you to think so.”
It’s the same thoughts I’ve had.
“Actually,” Fee says, running a hand through her red-black locks, “he may be on to something.”
Baris grunts his approval.
“I’m not saying she wouldn’t help. But Aoife has never been the easiest to trust. I remember her trying to bring Kaden here after our mother died.
” At my confusion, she shrugs. “I’m not sure what happened, but Kaden was a bit lost when she died.
He was ready to follow anyone with how his mind was worked up.
Oslo finally talked sense into him. We had Reid to watch out for, a kingdom to rule, he couldn’t just run away to the Woodland Kingdom.
Aoife never quite forgave Oslo for interfering. ”
Why would she want him here? That’s strange.
“So, you do think she could have an ulterior motive.”
Fee nods. “I’m saying to watch out for all possibilities.”
I can do that. If not for Baris’ warnings, or Fee’s apprehension, my own instincts are telling me to tread carefully with Aoife. What kind of woman wants the mate, of someone she loves, to fail?
It’s not hard to forget her smile as I took the petals. She was ready to see me die.
With Fee’s help, I change into riding leathers and a clean tunic. Although I don’t show them, I feel as if I’ve been hurt all over, skin raw and limbs shaking with exertion. But I push through it. We don’t have much time.
Back in the throne room, I notice tiny drops of my blood scattered through the ground. It’s silly, but I try to find the corpse of the Kaden I killed, whose heart was crushed so I may win.
It’s not a good feeling to know I would go to that level to succeed.
Aoife hovers over a giant urn, full of smoke and strange smells. The spell book, the one she broke, lays open, scratches of handwriting on the pages. Some spots are long and done with a flourish, others are quickly written, cramped in the margins.
“I thought she broke the spell?” Reid mutters, annoyed. “As far we know, she’s tossing shit into a bowl and calling it a potion, when really, it could be poison.”
“What do you mean?” I feel Baris at my elbow. He refused to leave my side, but he’s disguised. His hood is up high on his head, and he swoops low, appearing old and forlorn. Hopefully, she doesn’t pay him attention.
“It’s blank.” Reid gestures to the book, speaking out of the side of his mouth. He doesn’t want Aoife picking up on the conversation. “If she broke the spell, why can’t we see anything?”
“But it’s—”
Baris yanks hard on my elbow.
I shut my mouth. Aoife turns as I trip over my boot, eyes full of ice. There is no happiness at my arrival, or survival. She’s positively cold like a snowy mountain top.
Her eyes briefly scan Baris, not seeing anything of importance, before turning her nose up at Fee. “Serafina,” she greets coolly.
Fee taps her sword with crimson red nails. “Aoife.”
Twin spots of red darken her cheeks at her title being ignored. I’m jealous of Fee’s ability to put the female in her place. I’ve been here days and still can’t seem to.
“Well,” she huffs, looking at me. “You survived.”
“As I said I would.”
She waggles her finger. “Such confidence. And yet, you have the biggest hurdle ahead you. Using this,” she shakes a brown pouch, “on your mate.”
“Throwing Fairy dust on my brother?” Reid scoffs. “Finally, something easy.”
“It is not easy,” Aoife growls. “And it is much stronger than simple dust. It is pollen from the Noire Rose.”
Picking up the book, she taps the pages, scanning the words invisible to everyone except me.
“On the full moon, in the most sacred of places, you must use this dust to paralyze him. Then, with a kiss under the full moon, give him the potion.” She throws the glass bottle at me carelessly.
“This is your blood, mixed with ingredients. It will end the curse.”
“The most sacred of places?” I murmur, somehow grasping the bottle. Thank Cella I didn’t drop it. “Where’s that?”
“I leave it to you to figure out, Dark Queen.” Grabbing her skirts, she hurries away, not bothering to look back. “And I would hurry. Kaden only has a few hours.”
As soon as she departs, Fee curses, “Bitch,” under her breath.
I don’t disagree. Why isn’t she helping more?
Baris removes the hood enough to look at us. “Follow me. Keep quiet.”
Leaving the palace, we meet Mal outside in the gardens, entertaining the Hadeon.
Or rather, admiring him, while the monster lounges in the shade.
When they see us, they rush to catch up, but Baris doesn’t slow down.
Not until we’re past the guard’s view, deep into the woods, does Baris turn around, whipping the cloak off his shoulders.
“I know where you need to bring Kaden.”
“You do?” I blurt out. “How?”
“The most sacred of places, is what we used to call our altar.” He points to the mountain behind us. “It’s where we would pray to the gods.”
“That seems like a far stretch,” Fee comments, crossing her arms. “Anyone could call their temples or altars the most sacred of places.”
“Trust me.” His dark eyes find mine. “This is where we need to get the king if we’re to break his curse.”
I know nothing about my father, but he’s trying to share. He’s trying to show me things, without endangering me. If I trust him in this, it’ll be the only chance I make. If I don’t, I risk not bringing Kaden to the right place and wasting valuable time.
Do I trust my father?
So far, he hasn’t lied to me. Not told me everything, yes. But he hasn’t lied.
“Alright,” I says slowly. “We’ll head to the altar on the mountain. We will set up a plan on the way. Get a lay of the land.”
“I’ll grab Zeke.” Fee jerks her thumb. “The rest of the guards too. We’ll need them.” There aren’t many, but we could use more swords. “They’re not exactly happy you keep losing them on your missions.”
I can imagine.
“Apologize to them for me and remind them why I’m doing it.” Hopefully they’ll understand.
After Mal gathers supplies, we head with our guards up the mountain. None of them talk, keeping close to us, with their eyes on the forest. The Hadeon sticks to my side, all three heads on a swivel.
We might be here to save Kaden, but we all know what he’s capable of until then.
“Thank you,” Baris murmurs. At my raised eyebrow, he waves his head toward the path. “For trusting me. I know it was a large concession. I understand the need to do right by your mate and family. I’m just glad you trusted me with this.”
“I do trust you,” I admit. “But it’s fickle. I’ve made myself a promise, to wait and see things like a leader. Not to rush off, as I’m prone to do.” Kaden is laughing somewhere at the irony. “Why did you stop me in the palace?”
“About the book?” He cast a glance around us, but Fee and Reid are talking to Mal about her newfound magic and how hot she always is. It’s amazing that she too has magic, that I’m not alone. “You saw the writing, didn’t you?”
“Yes. But Reid didn’t.”
He sighs deeply. “There is still much to tell you. And I will, I promise.” He pulls me closer, lowering his head. “But first, you must understand the Jaydian family tree.” He cuts a quick look to Mal, compelling me to follow. “Mal is not Aoife’s son.”
Eyes widening, I trip over a small branch, but my father keeps me upright. “How do you know?”
He taps his ear. “I know many things, little one. Just as I know the sky is blue, Malvolio is the king’s favorite through another female Fae. Aoife was forced to raise him.”
My heart breaks for Mal and how he’s come to be in this world. “Does he know?”
My father shrugs. “I doubt it. If the kingdom knew he was only half-blood of the royal line, there would be strife. The Woodland Kingdom prides itself on a clear line of ascension. And because Mal is so well liked, the only thing keeping others following Fenrir as heir, is due to birth order. I don’t know if you realize it, but no one actually likes him.
But if they find out Mal isn’t second son, but of another mother? ”
“It gives them a chance to put him on the throne.” It would lead to a coup.
“Is that why she treats him so poorly, but favors Fenrir?”
He grunts. “Aoife is not a good person. She rarely likes anyone.”
“She likes Kaden.”
“Another thing to be wary of,” he mutters.
Clearing his throat, he keeps us just one step away from the others.
“The book is still spelled. But it has been changed. You can read it. As such, I would take care with what you see. Aoife doesn’t know you can see it, and it’s best if you don’t tell her.
” He looks at Fee. “Or of her magic. Aoife doesn’t like to be threatened. ”
“One day, Baris,” I mumble, keeping my face blank, “when we’re not trying to save my mate, or the world, or evade a treacherous queen, you’re going to tell me all your secrets. Because I think there is more to it than just I can read a spell book.”
My father grins. It’s so stark, it lightens his face and adds a youthful touch to his cheeks. Strangely, I can’t help but to search, to see if it’s the same smile we share.
“I will tell you everything, I promise.” He holds back a branch and the dark path surrounding the barrier appears. “When the time is right, you will know all.”