17. Willow
Chapter 17
Willow
F lames crackle in the upper-level castle library as I give my friends a tour at Geraldine’s request. She’s already compiled a list of research topics to help us win the tournament and bring Fox back.
“Knowledge is power,” Geraldine declares, waggling her finger in my face as I stoke the fire. “And your Radiants have a wealth of it tucked away here.”
An hour into our study session, exhaustion takes its toll. Peggy slumps over a reading table, lost to sleep. My muscles scream, a testament to our grueling day. I stand by the crackling fireplace, careful not to set my dress alight before I arrive at Burn After Reading later. Max yawns from his spot on the floor, book drooping in his hands. I shift a teetering log away from his direction with the poker. An ember could fly out at any moment.
Bodin’s earlier attack on Max still haunts me. Though healed, the inner scars linger—mostly mine. Max brushed off my apology. He defended Bodin and scolded me for pulling punches. “The Terrors won’t,” he’d said, determined to survive these trials with me.
That truth in my kind friend’s eyes stung. It’s one thing to take a punch; it’s another to witness me coldly gut an innocent person. I might have to if other exhibitors attack us. Max is right. Bodin is right.
“You should rest,” I tell Geraldine as she disappears behind a bookcase. “We’re at the Nexus tomorrow. I have to go to B.A.R. tonight, but I can survive on little sleep. Take advantage of the extra hours.”
Her black, curly head pokes out. “We’ll go to bed when you leave. I need to feel . . . useful.”
“I understand that.” I set the poker aside, my mind wandering to the peculiarities of metal in Avorlorna.
As Geraldine returns, she finds me lost in thought. I seize the moment to check in.
“Hey, are you all okay after today’s training?” I ask softly.
Geraldine’s shoulders slump. “Mostly. But Peggy . . . she’s struggling. She’s been talking about her daughter more, wondering if she’s alive somewhere in Avorlorna or Nocturna. Her head’s not in the right place, and she’s worried she’ll distract you. Or get herself killed.”
My chest tightens. “Bodin is pushing too hard, scaring you all.”
“The trials will be terrifying,” Geraldine admits. “Maybe preparing us now is for the best. We could use this time to study the Nightmare Codex and learn what monsters we’re up against.”
“The Codex at the Nexus isn’t accurate,” I remind her. “It had false information about the Sluagh.”
Geraldine’s eyes spark with determination. “Then we’ll find a better source. There must be something in here to read. Max and I can do our own research.”
Pride swells in my chest. “That’s brilliant. Your due diligence could save our lives.”
She beams at the praise, and I feel a flicker of hope. Maybe we can face this together after all. My gaze returns to the metal poker, and I remember how Bodin gave us steel weapons.
“Magic in Elphyne flows purely for every fae,” I explain, voicing my earlier musings. “We’ve even had a human born without access to the Well who was then blessed. I asked Bodin a few days ago why the Folk can use metal and still cast magic. He said ancient faeries are only allergic to pure iron. Industrialization changed the rules and the Folk were slumbering during that time. When I woke Titania and the rest, they missed those changes. They don’t know the rules have shifted.”
“The Chaser chains . . . they’re metal, right?”
“Yeah.” I scratch my chin, brow furrowed. “The charms are like mana stones back home. Once magic is infused, it can exist isolated from the Well—or the Cauldron’s Wellspring, whatever we call it here.”
“Wait.” Geraldine’s eyes widen. “You said a human was gifted with this magic in Elphyne. Do you think we”—she swallows—“could receive the same gift if we start following these rules?”
My heart cracks. Sid’s gift came at a terrible price—the Guardian initiation ritual, a living nightmare. Eighty percent of initiates die. The Six have the blessing but are pawns in a divine game. I’ve never heard of any other humans born in this time suddenly receiving it. Like my mother, most humans woke up with magic. Some never realized they had it when they lived on desecrated soil, like in Crystal City, because their access was blocked.
Nero habitually stole manabeeze—wisps—directly from living bodies. Geraldine’s eyes are still hopeful as she waits for my answer. What if she had magic, but now she doesn’t? It could explain all the jars of wisps inside Titania’s temple.
I wince, a chill seeping into my bones. “What if you’ve already been given access to the Well?”
“What do you mean?”
Shit. The deeper my friends are embroiled, the greater the danger. If my suspicions are confirmed and Titania discovers it, Geraldine is dead. It’s bad enough I’m keeping secrets about my past. She’d never forgive me for hiding this. I’d want to know if it were me.
Taking a steadying breath, I dive in. “When we met, you told me about the Nevers, Nothings, and Chasers. The Nothings were easy to explain—imperfect, disabled, old, scarred.” I gesture at my face. “They didn’t fit Titania’s vision of a dream faerie society. Chasers, too—they’re mortals or lesser faerie chasing Radiant power. But you weren’t sure about Nevers. What if they’re called that because Titania stole their magic, like she did with me?”
Geraldine hugs herself, staring into the flames. “We’d remember having our magic stolen, wouldn’t we?”
“Not if she didn’t want you to. She’s a master at altering reality.” A full-body shiver rattles my spine when another thought occurs to me. “Did I ever tell you about the man who kidnapped me?”
She stills. “No. I mean, we all guessed something horrible happened to you but didn’t want to pry.”
I nod, eyes unfocused with oncoming memories. “He was”—the man who destroyed your world—“an evil human. He stole his daughter’s wisps during ‘treatments.’ Rory woke from your time with mana, powerful and ageless like the Folk. After treatments, she’d return cloudy-minded and forgetful. More aged while he looked younger . . . but remained mortal.”
“I’m listening.”
“Magic depletes in one of three ways: using it yourself, a Well-blessed mate borrowing it, or forceful, stolen depletion— like what happened to Rory. The former two ways rejuvenate naturally, but the latter cut a fae’s lifespan to mortal levels. When Rory had no more to give, she aged. What if Titania did the same to humans who woke from the old world? What if being a Never means they’ll never have magic again?”
“You’re saying I could have been like you—” Geraldine shakes her head. “I mean, like your mother was?”
Guilt floods me as I think of how, by learning to be his weapon, I indirectly aided Nero’s theft of magic from my own people. As a Reaper, Rory went on missions specifically to steal from Guardians so Nero could portal with forbidden metal—bringing guns and ships into Elphyne.
“It’s a theory,” I admit, rubbing my neck.
Geraldine’s eyes harden. “Then that bitch stole from us. Made us mortal.”
I hug her until the tension eases from her shoulders, then return to brooding at the fire, longing for my old fire-sprite friends.
“We don’t know for sure,” I remind her. “But she tried enslaving the Six instead of asking about their Guardian teardrops.” My gaze darts around, following the flickering light. “She might not have needed to steal anyone’s magic if it still flowed abundantly in this land. Five years is enough time for magic to fade with all the metal used here.”
The saddest part? If it meant escaping Titania’s chains, I wouldn’t put it past the Six to deliberately let magic fade. Fox’s words echo: “We will devour the world if it means keeping you safe.”
“None of this is in the books,” Geraldine frowns at the shelves. Max’s soft snoring joins Peggy’s between fire crackles. “I found only a small section on the Sluagh, as you mentioned.”
“Maybe Titania wanted it that way. This keep is enchanted. Fox collected some items himself, but everything else could be her design.”
“Where would he have gathered authentic books, in Elphyne?”
“Titania and Oberon brought many treasures into their original slumber,” Legion answers, startling us as he enters with Bodin. “Then they brought them back into this world when they woke. Fox raided the Ivory Palace whenever he could.”
Legion cuts an imposing figure in his tailored black winter coat. Brass spectacles perched on his nose add to his austerity and catch the flickering firelight. Bodin’s presence is equally commanding in a black shirt, open at the collar. It’s the same cut as his work shirt but somehow more decadent. Maybe silk. The laces are open enough to reveal a tantalizing glimpse of a smooth, muscular chest. It’s hard to look away. There’s something about the clothes he prefers that makes my blood heat. Everyone else covers up in this cold, but not him.
“Are you wearing that?” Bodin frowns at my outfit.
Having been to Burn After Reading, I know my low-cut dress is tame compared to typical attire.
“You will don a cape,” Legion states.
“Have you not been there?” I counter. “It’s warm.”
“Then you will change into something . . . more.”
My brows rise. “You directed Peablossom to make this dress—my whole wardrobe, in fact.”
He clears his throat. “That was before.”
“Before what?” I tease, though I know exactly what he’s alluding to, and it makes me all hot and prickly and giddy inside.
“You are being deliberately obtuse,” he says, without real bite.
I shrug, smirking. “My other dresses are similar. We don’t have time to change. It’s almost midnight. Oh, and Cait said her offer still stands. Mean anything to you?”
Dodging the subject clearly irks him. But instead of snapping at me, he turns his piercing glower on Geraldine.
She quickly averts her eyes, fear spiking her scent like spilled pepper. I bump Legion’s shoulder, glaring at him and Bodin. Be nice, I mouth. Today’s training scared my friends enough. If this is more possessive, protective bullshit as earlier, I won’t stand for it. My friends don’t need to feel unsafe in their own home. Because that’s what this is—their home. The Six will have to learn to coexist.
Bodin looks perplexed by my annoyance, but Legion’s expression smooths into something more approachable. Geraldine keeps her head bowed through our silent exchange.
I squeeze her hand reassuringly. After an hour of researching the Sluagh’s monstrous origins, I don’t blame her fear.
Legion eyes Peggy sleeping at the table and Max by the fire. “Unfortunately, your friends may no longer lodge at the castle.”
“What?” I gasp. If that’s his version of ‘nice,’ we need a serious talk.
“It is not safe,” Bodin scowls at my rising emotion. “They should move to the House of Shadow Tower at the Nexus.”
“Absolutely not.” I slice my free hand through the air. “You tried painting them as dead weight this morning. It didn’t work. I won’t let you do this.”
Geraldine steps back. “Maybe I should leave you to discuss?—”
“No,” I snap, making her flinch. Shit. I didn’t mean to sound so bossy, so I force myself to gentle my tone. “It’s not safe for you there either. Please stay.”
“Willow,” Legion warns.
“If they sleep in the Tower, so do I.”
His eyes flash. He and Bodin share a tense look, clearly holding something back. But I must work with what I know since none of the Six besides Bodin have spoken to me since their little family meeting.
“If you have something to add, say it,” I challenge. “I’ve told them everything.”
Almost.
“That’s the problem,” Legion counters dryly. “If they know everything, they’re targets.”
“It’s too late. They’re already targets. I can’t un-tell them. I wouldn’t even if I could.”
Bodin growls in frustration. “It will take too long to train them to my standards. I cannot keep you all safe. This is untenable.”
Geraldine clears her throat, drawing our attention. She blushes. “May I suggest something?”
Legion gives a curt nod.
“The other Houses have flowstones and charms for their Chasers. Perhaps you can give us something to protect us from spilling your secrets?”
“Brilliant idea,” I breathe. “But will charms work for you if you’re Nevers?”
“We were Nothings first. And the charms worked when Fox gave us some.”
“Yes,” I agree, remembering. “But we discarded them after Sylvanar . . . well, the point is, they’re gone now. We need to source appropriate stones, right? Aunt Peaches said each type has different magical capabilities.”
I channel my best pleading eyes at Legion and Bodin. Bodin’s scowl deepens, but Legion rubs his forehead, considering.
“I can find stones to work with,” I offer. “Just tell me what you need. I’ll hunt around at B.A.R. while you deal with Cait.”
Bodin whispers to Legion, “This invites trouble.”
“I can still hear you,” I sing, tapping my shifter ears. “And correction—this invites help. More of us working toward the same goal is better. Geraldine’s already found valuable information. They’re looking for more accurate information on the Nightmares. She also raised an excellent point about the wisps in Titania’s temple—what if they’re stolen from humans who woke from the old world?” I tap my chin. “Come to think of it, Styx did say a wisp he gobbled tasted like a happy mortal.”
Geraldine shoots me a look. Technically, I came up with the stolen magic theory, but she was there brainstorming. Semantics. I know she’ll have many more clever ideas. When we met, she timed routes between Towers, always prepared. She has a unique perspective. She needs time to absorb knowledge first. I have faith in her. Besides, I won’t leave them to face more assassination attempts. Their earlier comment today about them being targeted after Sylvanar’s death nags at me.
They’re safer here. If Radiants hunting the Wild Hunt fear entering Shadowfall Keep to kill the dragon, it’s the safest place for my friends.
“And,” I continue, “Peggy used to work on a farm. A dog farm. She wants to work in the stables. Cricket’s already agreed and is excited for help around the castle.”
Bodin stares at Legion, all storm and grump. “If I must prioritize our Shadow’s wellbeing, having another take over my home duties will free up time.”
He pauses, clearly holding back more.
I can’t stop my grin. “Wouldn’t it be better to have allies I trust when the trials start?”
Legion sighs in capitulation, followed by Bodin’s grunt of agreement.
“Very well,” Legion concedes. “We will source flowstones ton?—”
Squealing, I launch myself at him, planting a kiss on his cheek. He stiffens, pushing me away. Odd, but I probably surprised him. Before he can complain, I do the same to Bodin. Their flustered looks make me want to do it again. Instead, I say goodbye to Geraldine and head out.
These Sluagh have been known to lie. I don’t want to give them the chance to change their minds.