Date: 2022-11-08 05:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Fantasy Romance; Fantasy

Possession of Monsters

THE WYERN CLAN SERIES BOOK TWO

G. BAILEY

Map

Possession of Monsters.

All Rights Reserved. 2022.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental and formed by this author’s imagination. No part of this book may be reproduced or used in any manner without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Edited by Polished Perfection

Cover by by MiblArt

Artwork/chapter heading/background images by Samaiya Art.

Created with Vellum

Contents

Description

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

About the Author

Other Books by G. Bailey

Bonus Read of The Broken and Sinned.

Bonus Chapters of The Broken and Sinned.

Description

A cursed, beautiful monster saved my life.

But no one can save me from myself… from being fae.

After the Fae Prince stole my mortal life, I end up trapped in the fae court alongside him. The fae court is full of immortal, secretive and deceptive fae, but I’m not alone.

I have my own court in the shadows, and they have wings.

The Fae Prince has taken my ward and demands my help to find missing fae children in exchange for keeping him safe.

King Emerson comes to court for me.

The first time in centuries he has entered the world of fae publicly. He was once my enemy, then almost a lover, and now it turns out that we have known each other over many lifetimes.

But it doesn’t mean I can trust him or love him. Even if loving him seems impossible to avoid.

The curse is broken, the Wyerns are free, but at what cost?

In the shadows and darkness lies more than just the Wyern monsters.

The Rift is open.

Heir of Monsters is a full-length paranormal Monster Romance with mature themes. This is a spicy enemies-to-lovers romance and is recommended for 17+. Book Two of Five.

Chapter One

There was a choice.

In this place between life and death, between mortal and fae, there was a clear choice to be made. As I float in what looks like an endless sea, more beautiful than the glittering seas themselves, the choice echoes around me.

Fae.

Mortal.

Life.

Death.

By awakening, I would be forced to choose fae and life. A never-ending life with magic and love, war and pain. But death hovers so near, swimming just under the surface, holding out a bony hand.

To survive, I need to fly to the light above, where the sun should be, but I see a bright waterfall cascading out of a female’s hand. I could swim, float, or fly up to there, or I can sink and be at peace forever with death itself.

My body feels like it’s already lost, disappearing into the water, but my soul is another matter. It wants to live. I want to live. Even as fae, even as my mortal body is forcibly taken from me.

I still want to live… to see what comes next.

I wake up with a sharp gasp of air. Brittle. Freezing. Almost like the world itself is waking me up, pulling me from whatever was in that dream with a sharp blast of ice. I know there’ll be no more peace for me now, no more tranquility. Now I’ve made this choice. A single tear slips down my cheek as I stare up at the smooth white ceiling, watching warm fae lights hover around slowly.

Slowly, I realize it isn’t cold in the room at all, and soon it feels warm, hot even, as I stretch out my new body that feels so foreign to me, so different from the one I have been used to for so long. I still shiver as I sit up, a thick silver sheet falling to my waist as I glance around the small bedroom I’m in. The bed itself is made of solid, shaped gold with four tall columns covered in gold flowers, the stems thornless. This isn’t my home, not the small apartment I had grown to love because it was mine. No, this is clearly part of the fae world… it’s too expensive to be anything else. It’s too warm and bright to be the Wyern castle.

I gulp as the fear crawls up my throat when I catch a reflection of myself across the room where there’s a line of mirrored doors. I’m in a flowy, white, shimmery gown that doesn’t hide much of my now golden skin, and any sign of malnourishment is now gone, replaced by full cheeks and a brightness I’ve never had. I lift a shaky hand up and touch my left ear, wincing at the sharp point I find there, not the curved edge I’m used to. My hand falls down through my hair, which feels silkier or softer than ever, and the mirror clearly shows me that the pink has gone, replaced by silvery white hair reminding me of Zurine and the fact she isn’t here.

Neither is he.

Emerson. My heart seems to stop at just his name, and I curse myself for it. Whatever we had… it was a lie. He is a fae prince, not just a Wyern king, and he thinks I’m some reborn mortal girl he loved once. A long time ago. I know the facts add up, that I should believe I’m this girl, but I don’t remember her, and I have too much happening in the present to worry about focusing on who I used to be. And how loving Emerson cursed his entire race, destroyed the Fae Queen’s mind, and caused all of this to happen.

Loving him means death.

That is a lesson I need to remember, because I wouldn’t be here, a fucking fae, if it weren’t for him.

I wince as I recall his roar when the prince stuck that needle into my neck and then the feeling like I had died. Or at least the mortal side of me did. I should thank the goddess herself for letting me live when there was such a large chance I would just die. But I can’t find it in me to thank her for this yet. I look at myself in the mirror and resist the urge to cry… I barely recognize myself anymore. Every inch of me is more toned, beautiful and glowing, and it isn’t me. I am not me.

I can’t give up now. I have to get out of this bed and face this life. My fae life. I push the sheets off my long legs, which look about the same height as before at least, and stand on the cold tiled floor, only to stumble and smack into a chair, smashing it into pieces under me. I climb away from it and take a deep breath in shock, shaking my head a few times. I’m stronger now and that shouldn’t be a complete shock, but it is. Using the wall, I stand up again and focus on the room, the door at the other side and the glass-paneled door to the balcony. The door is likely guarded, if not by magic, by fae guards, but the balcony is a chance for me to escape.

My hand runs over the gold felt butterflies fluttering around a silver tree on the wall before I let go and manage to walk over to the door, grabbing the metal handle and sharply yanking it open. The glass in the frame smashes instantly, shards cutting my hands and feet as it falls around. I watch the red blood on my hand bubble from the cuts for only a second before the cut heals itself remarkably fast. Fae healing. Fae strength. Fae senses. The brittle air blows into me a second later, and I suck in a deep breath to calm myself, but it doesn’t work. I don’t think anything or anyone could.

I step out onto the balcony, barely feeling the air anymore or the tiles that cut like ice into my feet as I take in the city below, sparkling like gemstones floating through a night sky. Ethereal City has always been a beauty, but from this angle, looking down on it like the goddess herself looks down on us all, I can’t help but admire it even more… until the cold reality of where I am settles into my mind. Fear weaves itself around my bones like a vise. I’m in the fae castle, the highest point of the city, and that can only mean I’m a prisoner of the prince. The betraying bastard.

I need to make a plan. I can’t be his prisoner. But even as I think of escaping, betraying him, something cuts deep into my chest at the thought. My blood burns, like it’s trying to claw my own heart from my chest.

“If you survive, then you’ll be bound to me, my first fae, and you’ll never be able to resist my command. You’ll be mine.”

His last words echo to me. His first fae, bound to him by blood. I know the rules of joining the fae army, those who willingly take the fae serum, and how they are bound to protect the queen, follow her command and die for her. Now, I’m bound to him. Fuck.

I hear double heartbeats and smell the fae scent, soft and feminine, of the people that open my door before they even come in. I walk over the broken glass, feeling it cut my feet but not caring anymore. I know I’ll heal fast.

I won’t hide from whoever this is.

Two fae females flutter into the room, their soft purple dresses brushing across the white tiles as they walk to me.

“You’re hurt,” the one on the left claims in a soft voice, coming to a stop far too close by. “You should not be outside. It’s far too cold for a newly turned fae. Your body will take a few more hours to adjust, and you might still get sick.”

When I don’t say anything, they look at each other. They are clearly spies sent by the prince, and I can’t trust them. They’re both classically, otherworldly beautiful in the way fae are, and even standing still, there is something about them that screams unearthly tones. The elegant purple gowns they wear fall to the floor, with tight bodices at the top, made for easy movement and made of a material that must have cost a fortune, more than I’ve ever had in my life.

The flowers all over the bodices, which curl around their upper arms, look like real gold and shimmer like it too.

The fae with long black hair that is braided behind her sighs. “We aren’t here to hurt you, but to make sure you are well and don’t hurt yourself. Changing is a confusing time.”

“You work for the prince, I’m guessing?” I counter, watching the tiny gold flowers woven into her hair glittering under the fae light.

The other fae female, with dark brown hair stylishly cut short, takes a step closer and stands with her arm pressed against the other.

Both of them have similar features along with their blue eyes, and I’d wager a bet they are sisters of some kind. “What do you want?” I ask sharply.

The black-haired fae clears her throat. “Why don’t we start with introductions? It’s unfair that we know you, but you do not know us. My name is Lady Sahana Trixnoble, and this is my sister, Lady Damita Trixnoble. We are part of the inner court of the fae, and due to our family name, we were offered to welcome you into the fae world. The prince has told us how you wished to become a fae, begged even, as payment for finding his kidnapper and saving his life.”

What the fuck?

Damita nods, her eyes wide. “It’s truly terrible that the Wyern Princess, that monster, kidnapped our treasured Fae Prince! The shock has still not settled into my mind. We have much to thank you for.”

Sahana comes closer, and I let her, still reeling from the lies the prince has fed the world. I’m not surprised he made up this lie, because the truth would make him look bad and he can’t have that now that he is going to make himself king soon. I flinch as Sahana’s warm hand rests on my shoulder. “So please allow us to help you, Calliophe Sprite. Your new place in the court, an honored place given by the prince himself, means you can set up a new house in your family name. House Sprite. We are the last of house Trixnoble and understand the complicated ways of the fae houses well. That’s why the prince allowed us to tend to you permanently.”

Damita smiles at me, and it’s the kind of smile a viper might give you before it bites. “Sadly, we do not have much time, and now that you’re awake, we must get you dressed and ready for the elemental ceremony.”

As my eyes flicker to the door and Sahana follows my gaze, she says nothing when she looks right at me, but her eyes seem to want to say something. “Do you wish to know what the elemental ceremony consists of?”

I pull my eyes from her and take a step away, needing distance. “Sure, why not?”

Sahana folds her arms across her chest. “Every fae is gifted with one of the seven elemental powers. Turned or born, it matters not, and your power will become apparent at the ceremony. Our priestesses will give you the seven options, and you simply must open yourself up to your magic. Do not worry, it’s easier than it sounds, and it will be over fairly quickly. Born fae take the ceremony at age five, and turned have to take it soon after they wake up.”

I have powers? I should have figured out that on my own, but I know I’m still in shock, and I don’t know how to process any of this. One thing is certain: I’m not interested in playing the prince’s game and diving into the world of the fae. I wasn’t brought up here, and I am not one of them, despite what my blood claims.

Sahana watches me and turns to her sister a second later. “Sister, why don’t you go and get the ceremony robes and start a bath? Time is running out before the sun rises and marks the beginning of the ceremony.”

“Of course,” she carefully replies, walking to the mirrored wall and pushing the door aside and heading into what seems like a bathroom and closet on the other side.

“I want to go back to my old life, not play fae,” I snap, stepping away from Sahana. She moves quickly to my side, grabbing my upper arm and lowering her mouth to my ear. Her grip is strong, but she doesn’t hurt me. Her voice is softer than a whisper, meant only for us. “Air fae can pick up conversations with the wind, and they will tell the prince everything. Earth fae, like my sister and me, can talk to the plants and hear their overheard stories. Nowhere is safe, remember that. Lady Zurine asked me to help you, so let me. There’s no going back to your old life, and you aren’t playing fae, you are fae. The mortal world, your life in it is gone, but parts of it I assume you want to keep safe. The prince had a mortal boy and his mother in a magical medical hold brought into the castle while you slept. For them, be a fae and be damn smarter than this.”

She lets me go and steps aside quickly as her sister comes back in, placing a light green dress on the bed before going back into the room.

My heart pounds fast. “Louie?”

“I assume so,” she quietly says. “If that is the mortal boy’s name you had as a ward.”

“Goddess,” I gasp, my legs feeling weak.

Sahana places her hand on my back. “One day at a time. He hasn’t hurt the boy or the mom, as far as I know. Now we have to dress you and tell you that your days will be spent training with the fae army in the day, and in the afternoon you will be in court with us. The prince doesn’t always attend court, so you might be lucky tomorrow. Today, you will spend in the ceremony.”

“I’m gathering that there isn’t a choice here,” I mutter.

“If it’s not us preparing you, then the royal guards will drag you there, dressed as you are, in front of an army of fae soldiers and commanders waiting to see your gift, along with whatever fae come to watch you, as you are quite the gossip of this century.”

“Zurine?” I whisper next.

Sahana smiles, her voice like a ghost. “We are old friends. Don’t worry, the Wyerns have not forgotten you.”

I’m not sure if I believe her, but learning these powers is going to be my best bet on getting Louie and his mom out of here, and learning to fight as a fae could help. Sahana goes to say something, but her mouth shuts and she lowers her head.

“The bath is ready,” Damita says, and the fact Sahana won’t speak when she is in the room says a lot about how much she trusts her sister. Fae play games, fight dirty, and use words like weapons. I know this and I have to use everything I’ve ever learnt about fae to make sure I survive this damned world.

“We were just wondering what gift Calliophe will be blessed with. I don’t think she is earth, like us,” Sahana says with a light, fake giggle.

Her eyes, filled with humor, meet mine, but it’s Damita who says, “No, she won’t be a calm element. I can already tell she will be explosive, whichever it is.”

I watch Damita as she waves at the door, and I smile tightly at her. “You’re a fast learner, Damita. I’ll remember that.”

“You’re learning,” Sahana whispers as she walks with me, and I can’t help but lightly smile.

Yes, I’m learning that the fae can’t be trusted, and the faster I escape, the better.

Chapter Two

The fae royal guards stay at my side from the second I step out of my room, close enough to make sure I know they are there, but not close enough to ever accidentally touch me. I wonder what they were like when they were mortal. What made them desperate enough to choose this life? I can’t see their faces under the black armor and helmets, but I see their eyes. Eyes that don’t cry out for help or regret. They are content like this.

They chose this.

They move silently. Even their footsteps are so light I can barely pick up any noise, and I find myself watching them closely for anything. Any sign of mortality left in them. Is there any mortality left in me? One guard is walking ahead of me, leading the way through the many passageways and past countless doors in this maze of a castle. This place must be larger than the Wyern castle, judging by the small part of it I’ve seen so far, and they are far, far richer. Every inch of this place is dipped in silver, gold, expensive paintings and antiques, and that’s just what they have out on display. Not that anyone would be brave enough to steal from the royal family. The guards don’t need swords or weapons, and yet they’re littered with them, the blades glinting from the light of the rising sun outside and the fae lights hovering around, making sure there are no shadows in any part of the passageways I’m led down. Even in the brightest of places, it can still be so tainted with darkness that no amount of light could ever hide it.

I focus on the guards once more, needing a distraction. Needing anything to calm my nerves and to hide the fact my legs are so shaky, my footsteps so loud, and this body of mine so out of my control. I hate it. The guard to my left clears his throat, and I jump from the noise, catching his attention as he slightly turns to me. Air. That’s his element, while the other two here are earth. I can scent it on them, tightly wrapped around them. It makes me wonder what they can do with those powers of theirs and what I will be able to do with mine, with this life that I wish I had a choice in and I already feel so trapped within.

Trapped.

Trapped.

Trapped.

My mortal life is gone, and this is all that is left… but I don’t know how to keep on fighting for a life I was forced into. The sweeping corridors and the vast beautiful archways we pass under are empty of any other souls, but I can hear the movement of others nearby. Hidden in their rooms. Watching somehow, I bet. Or listening.

My bare feet sink into the lush red carpet under me, and I cringe inside. To me, the riches are such a contrast to the life I was brought up in, to the life that I’ve seen over and over again, just outside the gates of this rich fae district. I’ve seen people suffering and starving, while all this time they have so much wealth that they could save them all with a click of their fingers. One of the exquisite gold frames of the painting I pass could pay for twenty families down in the slums to live out lovely, peaceful lives, out of the poverty they suffer in.

Riches like this could have paid for me to go away from this place with Louie and his mom… if it was ever a choice of mine to get away. I was born again. Every foster family I had was a lie. They must have known who I was and why I was born, and yet no one told me. The prince killed most before they could, I guess. Emerson… he didn’t know who I was. He didn’t recognize me until it was too late. At least I hope he didn’t. I can’t bear the thought he knew and made me have feelings for him only to save his race from being monsters.

I’m not even sure I can trust anyone that’s in my life now or then. What if it was all for this… what if they all knew and they expect me to be this person? This female he fell in love with. I’m not her. This female, who is apparently my soul, who the queen hated so much she cursed, killed and demanded to be reborn so many times in punishment for Emerson. All because he loved her. It would be romantic if it weren’t so tragic and pointless in the end. Emerson gave up his birthright. He gave up on the fae in the end… for his sister and for me.

I push him out of my mind with pure force, knowing I need to focus on what is ahead. I must play this game just for now, for Louie’s sake, if not for my own. I keep walking, focusing on the pittering of rain on the windows outside, the sound calm and relaxing because it’s as normal as it’s going to get. The gown is too tight, suffocating me, pushing up my chest, and my hair has a ridiculous amount of pins holding it in place above my head, and I can’t wait to pull them all out. I only managed to stop the fae sisters when they offered me expensive jewelry to wear, a present from the prince, with all the stones in the color of the royal fae: purple. I will never wear any of it, but I am going to keep it for my escape. The jewelry will be easy to sell for gold, after all.

I might be delusional thinking that I can even escape with Louie and his mom. I won’t just fit in on the streets like any mortal anymore, but if I can get far enough away, no one will ask questions. I hope. The pain in my chest that I felt the first time I thought of escaping is not as strong now, and I wonder what other changes are happening to me.

We come to a stop right outside a set of doors, and the guard in front opens it before stepping in, while I stay frozen, looking at the staircase that spirals down and the small circular windows showing the storm building outside and flickering rain inside.

The guard with the air element looks at me, his accent as thick as his brown eyes are dark. “This way, Lady Calliophe.”

I nod, knowing I don’t have a choice, but something about walking down the dimly lit steps makes me want to turn back and run. The staircase is long, and I’m sure I’ve gone down well over a hundred steps when we come to the place of worship for the fae. The very air is still and peaceful as I breathe in. Twin goddess statues tower above the door on either side, holding down their mighty sword between them, like they are twins sharing the sword itself, but in fact they must be mirrored images of the same female goddess. The goddess who poured life into our world, who I’ve prayed to a million times. I want to find strength from her, but lately, I don’t know how to do that. How can this be her plan for me? All this death, all this pain, all of it. I’ve been left with nothing and trapped in a cage I’m not sure I will ever be able to escape. What goddess would want that for me?

The sword opens up the actual doors, and I sense enchantments in the air, a cold and spicy taste in the air. When I was mortal, I felt the cold of this magic but not the underlying spice to it. When the guard in front of me steps aside, it’s clear that only I am walking in there alone, and I don’t know why I’m nervous about leaving them behind. They aren’t here for me, nor are they my friends. Everyone here is an enemy until proven otherwise—and even then, I should doubt them.

I head inside, taking a deep breath for my nerves, but all I can hear is my heart racing in my chest so hard I’m sure everyone can hear it. All my enforcer training has flown out of the room along with my mortal self. Panic burns in my blood as I take in the room, noticing the pillars around the room. There are dozens of them in rows, evenly spaced out, and there are no windows in this place. It’s a concrete tomb, and every inch of the concrete is carved with symbols in white paint that I don’t recognize and can’t read, but I’m sure a few of them I’ve seen before in the book I had on old fae symbols.

In each of the many, many pillars is a silver dish on top, holding a random element alive on its own. Flames, air tornadoes, water swirls, ice snowflakes with sharp edges, and only one pillar in the entire room of what must be over fifty of them is darkness. A swirling sphere of sparkling darkness, a power I’ve seen before. That’s Emerson’s gift. It must be from his fae side, whereas before, I assumed it was a Wyern gift. It’s not. I’ve seen him use it when I was attacked. He turned those Wyerns into nothing but sparkling black dust with nothing but looking at them. That was the first time I realized how truly powerful he is.

I stop when my feet touch the plain stone steps leading up to a platform, and I look up to see a row of female fae in white gowns. Long, almost see-through veils cover them from head to toe, over their matching dresses, and their hands are cuffed together in the middle, each of their complexions so pale, despite their coloring. I wonder if they ever leave this place and see the sunlight outside. The priestesses of the fae. I never thought I’d meet them. The one in the middle steps forward, and on her hands are glittering rings with gems of every color, the most color to her with the white dress and veil.

I’ve heard of the priestesses of the fae. I’ve heard the haunting nursery rhymes sung to children about them. The priestesses are fae females who heard the call of the goddess and left everything behind to be her voice in this world. They have no names, no possessions or magic of their own. They take no lovers or friends, and they live out their lives as nothing but dancers for the goddess, for the end of a fae’s time. The priestesses are called for when a fae dies, and they help guide the fae’s soul to the next world, so I’ve heard.

The priestess that stepped forward inclines her head to me, and I repeat the action, as do all the others, and when she speaks, it’s not out loud but in my mind, and I resist the urge to jump.

“Lady Calliophe, it is a great pleasure to meet you. Today you’re here to find your elemental gift, given by the goddess and we are here to guide you. This is a sacred elemental ceremony, performed for thousands of years, and there is nothing for you to fear.”

I try to give her a brief smile as she pauses. I have nothing against the fae priestesses. Just their race and their royals. “As you can see, around the room are several pillars with every element ever found in our race. My sister will briefly explain what each element is before you walk behind me, down into the pit in the center of the room, and find your element. The element will cover the entire pit as this sacred area expands power. Do not be frightened, as you are safe at all times. Let your magic speak first and foremost.”

She steps back, and another priestess steps forward, this one slightly shorter than the other and her accent unfamiliar to me. “The powers are quite simple. Water, earth and air are the most common elements given by the goddesses. Fire is a rare gift, seen only forty times over the last thousand years. Ice and darkness are extremely rare and seen only once or twice.”

“Thank you for explaining them to me,” I answer out loud, and my voice seems so loud in comparison to the silence.

A warm caress goes down my spine. “Come up, Lady Calliophe.”

I steel my shoulders just a little before I walk up the steps, every part of me wanting to feel safe, but all I can truly feel is fear. I don’t want this. I have never wanted power. I’ve only wanted to be safe and for those I love to be safe. That dream… it’s gone. I have to deal with what I have been thrown into and make the best of it. Story of my damned life.

Something in my blood warns me to look back, and I wish I hadn’t when I find cold purple eyes fixated on me. Above the doors of the entranceway is a platform for watching. It is filled with fae I don’t know, but right in the middle stands the prince, leaning on the banister with a grin. His blond hair glitters in the light, and he is wearing royal clothing in deep purple with a gold crown on his head that I want to knock off. Along with his smug grin. I hate that bastard. I hope he can see that in my eyes as I turn away. I know he’s killed so many innocents, so many mortals, to make his monster army and to get the throne and whatever plans he has after that. I try to pretend that he’s not there and watching me, that a load of fae isn’t staring at my back and no doubt hoping I mess up.

I stare down at the pit when I’m near the edge, and inside are seven clear bowls, each of them holding an element inside them. My eyes flicker to the darkness, and Emerson’s eyes, so purple and vibrant, flash into my mind. The fae lights suddenly go off, and a hand pushes me sharply in the back, into the pit, where I land on my back, looking up into darkness.

“Do not be afraid. In darkness we find our gifts, and in light all shall be revealed.”

The priestess’s voice doesn’t calm me, and I really wish they would get out of my head. I stand up, brushing off the dirt from my dress and hands, before I spin around. I can’t see any of the elements, not even the fire. How am I meant to know?

“Close your eyes and breathe, Calliophe.”

Closing my eyes… when all I see is Emerson’s burning eyes as that needle slid into my neck. All I see is Louie dead at the prince’s feet. All I see is a life of pain and punishment.

No.

I won’t let it happen to me. I just won’t. My eyes close and instead of seeing the terrible things and fearing them, I focus on a different emotion altogether. Anger. A burning, fiery anger of revenge and destruction. The prince will pay for what he did to me. I won’t stop until he does. My anger… it’s mine, and it’s beautiful. I don’t think I realized what I’d done until I open my eyes and vicious fire is swirling around my body, filling the entire pit, and it’s so bright, so warm, that I smile. A real smile. I reach my hand into it, and it doesn’t burn me; it flickers around my hand in a caress, almost like it’s alive.

For a second, I swear the flames are pink where they touch my hand.

Suddenly the flames are washed away with a sharp gust of wind that nearly knocks me over, and the fae lights explode into the room. There is nothing but the sound of clapping, and it smacks me back down into reality, not that place I just was, but I take some of it with me. The anger. The fire. It’s mine.

“Congratulations, your element is fire. This is a rare gift you showed today,” the priestess says into my mind as I walk up the steps carved in the dirt, leading out of the pit. Before I take the last step, I look back with a sharp tug, my eyes slamming down onto the ice in the dish, and I turn my head. Instinctually, I reach out to touch it, and the ice spreads from the dish, down the stand and across the floor. From the flames, I felt anger and warmth. From the ice… I sense something else. I want it to come to me.

One of the priestesses takes my arm and tugs me up the last step, snapping the connection, and I shake my head, feeling dizzy. I hardly notice as the priestess snaps a silver band on my wrist.

“What is this?” I demand, trying to push it off, but it doesn’t move.

The priestess, whose face I can’t see under the veil and whatever is covering her face under it, places her hand on my shoulder. “This is for your safety and others around you while you train and learn to control your connection to fire. You’ll begin your training tomorrow, and it will be taken off in controlled areas.”

She walks me to the doors, and I look up, noticing the prince and his friends are all gone. A guard waits at the door, the one with the air element, and he bows his head. “You are expected at court immediately. The prince has called an emergency court meeting, which will be explained in due time.”

The priestess leaves me, and the doors close behind her. I turn back to the guard. I’m done with all this shit already. “Fine.”

He inclines his head, and I swear humor flashes in his eyes before he turns and walks. Time to see how truly fucked up the fae court is—and how I can use them to escape.

Chapter Three

“This way.”

The guard waves his hand through the large wooden door he holds open, and I step through into a corridor just off the throne room, giving me a clear view of the tiled floors where I lost my mortal self. Where the prince forcibly took my life after hunting me for so many years, killing every foster parent I’ve ever had. Where I learnt what a monster really is. The monsters I’ve hunted over the years don’t compare to him and how a pretty fae face can conceal something truly evil.

Next to the throne room, after I manage to pull my eyes away, I see a line of guards. This must be the courtroom. My guard is already walking towards the room, and I follow behind him. The pressure of my dress seems to tighten further against my ribs, and I swear it helps calm down my beating heart, even as extremely uncomfortable as I am in this dress that I just want to rip off me. We come to the row of towering lightly frosted glass doors. Each one has a cream pillar in between, dark green ivy stems and leaves wrapped around them, spreading up to the top of the ceiling. There is a line of black- and purple-uniformed guards with a royal sigil on their arms, and two of them step to the side, revealing what looks like a door but is instead made of enchantments in between the glass. I can almost see the witch magic in the air, shimmering like it’s alive. It reminds me of the mirrors the Wyerns use to travel around, and the magic almost seems the same.

I look to my guard, who is watching me and answers my unspoken question. “No one but high up fae or royals can enter. Old wards. You will be safe in there, my lady.”

I snort and his eyes flash with amusement once more. Why does he look so familiar to me? I furrow my brow before turning away from him, making a point to watch the magic, well aware of the other guards watching—no, spying—on us. On everything. “I would like to know your name. It’s weird to call you air guard in my head.”

He clears his throat. “My name is Felix.”

My eyes widen as I remember why I’ve seen him before, why he is so familiar. He isn’t just fae, and I wonder how the hell I can’t sense anything Wyern about him. Felix Masterlight. One of the Wyerns I met in Emerson’s court. What in the goddess is he doing here? He doesn’t say a word, stepping back and inclining his head. I’m not sure if I can trust him, but something deep in my bones tells me I can and that it’s a relief to have him.

“Goodbye, Felix. I hope I’m not stuck in there long,” I reply, fully turning away from him. He chuckles low, and my lips twitch as I walk to the doors and head through the magic. I walk quickly through the enchantment, hating the icy sting of magic that searches my entire body before spitting me angrily away. The courtroom light blasts into my eyes, and when I can finally see, the room itself is magnificent and expensive. By the goddess, the fae are rich bastards. Tall, arched ceilings give way to the beautiful painted walls between the glass windows that line every wall. The entire room is one flat floor, like everyone is meant to be equal, and the thought almost makes me laugh.

Sunlight gently cascades through the windows and open doors to the balcony, flashing on the many shades of purple dresses and suits the fae are wearing. A quick glance around reveals about sixty different people and maybe more on the balconies that I can’t see. Still, sixty fae as enemies is enough to make me almost shake in fear.

Like a gold coin dropping in a fountain, the room goes silent as a ripple of heads turn my way and stare at me. Nearly all of them turn to look at me, making no point to hide their stares, and some of the males leer at me in a way that makes me want to break their arms. I straighten my back, refusing to cower to these immortal fae and be anything less than I am now. I’m fae, not just a mortal with fae blood they used to despise looking at. Maybe I’ll always be that to them, judging from the many cold and downright hostile looks I get. My eyes catch on a familiar pair. The prince’s girlfriend. I remember interviewing her once when I was looking for the prince, and now I wonder if she knew all along or if she is innocent in this. I doubt it, judging by the smile that spreads across her red lips. She was in love with the prince, and I can’t remember exactly what she said.

“Well, don’t you look the part of a lady of the fae, Calliophe Sprite.”

The crowd parts as the prince walks forward, still smiling, still looking as smug as ever, and I hate him even more with every step he takes towards me. I want him dead. I want to kill him myself. My blood burns at the thought of stabbing him in the chest, and I bite down on my cheek until I taste blood. He walks straight up to me and arches an eyebrow as he looks me over. “You are meant to bow when a royal is near. Considering you’ve had a tough day, I will let you off just this once, but next time I might just carve my name into that pretty new skin of yours.”

Everyone laughs like he’s joking, like he’s just hilarious, but I know he isn’t joking at all. He means if I disrespect him in public, he will do exactly what he said. Every foster parent of mine comes flashing across my mind, how they fought him and died to save me, and how they’d begged me to be smart and not get myself killed.

He claps his hands, and the crowd goes silent like trained puppies. “I’m sure many of you know Calliophe’s story and why she has been turned into a fae. In honor of saving my life, I owe her a great debt, and she will be one of us, a lady of the great fae race. I wish for her to marry within our ranks and produce a new house of little fae who live closely with the royals forever.”

Everyone cheers and claps as the thought of marrying any of them and popping out fae children gets stuck in my mind and makes me feel sick. I’m no one’s wife. I’m no one’s mate. The prince leans closer to me. “I hope becoming fae has paid off the debt I owe you. I hope you can finally see me as your ally in what is to come.”

I bite down harder on my cheek. Fucker. Fucker. Fucker.

The prince places his hand on my back, far too near my ass for my liking, and all I can think about is ripping his hand from my body. He pushes me forward, and I keep my expression emotionless, begging no one to sense or see the swirling anger and fear within me. He drags me to the dance floor, and immediately music begins to play from all around us, loud and echoing. He pulls me to him and I push back, leaving room between us but unable to escape unless I hurt him. I can’t do that here, and he knows that. We aren’t dancing alone for long. Many others join in, and the prince leads the dance as I try to think of any way to escape.

“It’s good that we have our secrets between us. Sharing secrets builds friendships, does it not?” he whispers to me.

Pushing down the rising sickness in my throat, I manage to speak. “We will never be friends, not after what you did.”

He pushes his nails into my back, and I flinch in pain. “The secrets we share keep you alive. Do you understand, Calliophe? I can make your life here perfect, full of money and luxury. Or I can choose a fae male to marry you off to and watch as he rapes you day after day until you pop out his kid. You do not want me as your enemy when I can be your friend. Female fae are property to us, and you are now mine until I marry you off, and even then, I’ll always be able to have you when I wish. I prefer my fae females begging for my cock, but you’re pretty enough to do either way.”

By the goddess. My hands shake with pain and fear before he digs his nails out from my dress, no doubt leaving bloody marks, and I stay still. He paints an awful picture of what he thinks he will do to me. If he forces me to marry anyone, I’d kill them before we took any vows and then kill myself rather than deal with his punishments. “You’re mine, now and forever. Let’s begin with a friendship, as I believe you can help me with something I’ve been working on.”

“What?” I bite out.

He laughs, his voice still low. “I will tell you soon, Calliophe. After all, we have time and you have only just been welcomed into this world. At least in this life.”

I tense in his arms, the song stopping, and he watches me, clearly enjoying my pain and fear. I’ve met males that love to torment and punish, who can only enjoy life when it’s soaked in pain and misery. The prince is one of these people, with an extra bucket of bat shit crazy thrown on top. A waiter comes over, her head bowed low so I can only see she is mortal and blonde. The gold tray has crystal wine glasses on top, and the prince hands me one before taking his own. The mortal is gone as quickly as she appeared. Despite how nice the drink smells, I don’t take a sip of it, and I hold it carefully, the glass so delicate it feels like I might shatter it. The prince lifts his glass into the air, and everyone goes silent as they turn our way. I want to hide in the crowd myself, but I know if I move, the prince will snap.

“Today is very special for many reasons. We will start with the least important news. I am delighted to reveal Calliophe here has been gifted with the fire element. A strong blaze of it from what I saw in the elemental ceremony. As she is the first fae turned with my blood, I see a future full of new fire-gifted fae just like me.”

“Congratulations!”

The cheers don’t stop and all of them look like sheep, nodding to the wolf in the room, cheering his conquests so he doesn’t eat them for dinner. After a moment or two, the crowd goes silent again. “The other news is of great importance. As you all know”—he dips his head sadly—“my dear grandmother hasn’t been herself for a while and is sick with old age. She has decided I will take the throne within the year and be crowned as the new fae king.”

The cheers this time are so loud they echo, and I can’t believe they are all so happy for this. The words “darling prince” and “beloved soon-to-be king” are shouted around deafeningly. I watch the prince and how he soaks up every bit of this. When the crowd settles, the prince adds in, “I have a gift for my newly turned fae. A new personal guard and friend, someone to welcome you to the court. A guide, as such, for now.”

“I don’t need—”

“I think you’ll enjoy him,” the prince cuts me off. I hate when males do that. I reluctantly follow his gaze to see Merrick walking in wearing a dark purple suit, gold medals clipped to his breast and silver daggers displayed across his belt. His eyes find mine, but something in my chest makes me want to step back, away from him. He is my boss—old boss—and I knew he had connections to the fae, but this something else. He is friends with the prince? Part of the inner court? He looks partly relieved and mostly shocked when he sees me. I don’t know what there is to be relieved about. My world has been turned upside down. I thought he’d look more mortal. Now that I’m fae, I can tell something is different about him.

“Merrick Night, the new commander of the fae armies. Welcome to your place at court and your new fiancé, Calliophe Sprite.”

“Fiancé?” I blurt out, but no one hears me over the cheers, and Merrick gives me a small, tense smile that I don’t return. The prince leans down to my ear. “Behave.”

“Fuck you,” I snap. He looks down at me with pure anger, but in seconds, Merrick tugs me into his arms, squeezing me tightly. He smells like fae up close and something more, but not mortal. He is a liar. I have no choice but to let him hold me, but the second we are alone, I’m fucking done with him.

“It’s good to see you awake, Miss Sprite,” he carefully tells me as he lets go, still touching my arms, and I knock his hands off me for an answer. So he visited me when I was asleep. Creepy.

“Merrick—” I begin, but the words get lost in the screams as the fae rush across the room, far away from the other side of the room, and I can’t see anything as Merrick pushes me behind him, and the prince moves next to his side. Only then do I feel the floor vibrating, do I notice the shadows peeking in from the corners of the room. Like they are alive. Like they are bleeding darkness into the room.

There is only one male I know who controls darkness and shadows. Who they bow to.

When the fae finally clear out of the way, I step around Merrick to see a clear view of the balcony as two people appear. One with wings. One without. My heart all but screams as Emerson and Zurine prowl in. Emerson takes my breath away because the monster appearance is gone and instead there is a golden-skinned man with thick black hair that is cut short and a face any female would fall for. He is still as big and muscular as he was before, but now in a tailored black suit, with a green crown on his head, he’s not like anything I’ve ever seen before. His eyes are still the same, that deep purple that’s richer than any of the dresses in this room. The curse is broken…because I died in a way that the curse clearly wanted me to. I suck in a deep breath of shock and my heart beats a million miles faster than it did before.

He looks around until he finds me, and the second his eyes meet mine, I feel like my stomach dances to its own beat. Part of the feelings that have always been there, before I was aware of them, and part of the betrayal of everything that happened are warring inside me. I’m happy he is here, and the curse is broken for him, but only because he might be able to help me. I know I couldn’t trust him. Monster or not. Zurine doesn’t pause like Emerson, but I gently look towards her, my heart hurting a little at the secrets they both kept and lies they both told me.

I swear I can’t breathe. I can’t do anything. I barely notice anything but them or the prince coming to my side and purposely placing his arm on my back again, right over the cuts, pushing into them to remind me what happens when I disrespect him. Emerson and Zurine stop at the same time, a few feet away and close enough for me to pick up on their scents, so much more vibrant and stronger than before. Zurine runs a hand down the long silver gown that is tightly fitted to her entire body. A silver cloak hangs off her shoulders, and her hair is braided up. She just looks beautiful, and everyone turns to her, the prince included. He sneers and dismisses her in one breath.

“How dare you walk in here? Do you wish for another war, uncle?” the prince all but shouts, his voice echoing. The calm he had is gone, the smugness too, and I swear there is a little fear coming off him.

Emerson keeps his hands behind his back, his body relaxed, and tilts his head to the side as he looks at the prince. “Nephew. War is not my aim for this day.”

“Your kind is banned from this city by your own mother,” he sneers back. “We have every right to kill you for coming here and trespassing.”

King Emerson arches an eyebrow, his lips twitching. Darkness creeps into the room, smothering out every light. “Who is going to attempt to kill me, then?”

No one says a word. Not even the prince.

The prince clears his throat, digging his nails into my back, and I wince in pain. “You’re not welcome here. There is nothing of yours here and nothing to keep you. The throne is mine, as you agreed so I would spare your terrible sister’s life. Go back to your Wyern monsters and your cold mountains, King Emerson.”

Emerson looks right at me. “I would disagree and I am not leaving. Try to make me.”

My mouth goes dry and I want to say a million things. I want to get the prince’s nails out of my back and his hand off me. I want to run away and scream. I want this all to stop… I’m not getting anything I want.

“I’ve come to declare peace between our kind, and it has been agreed to by the queen. Ask her yourself, if you wish,” Emerson declares with a smooth smile. “The curse has been lifted, the punishment paid, and while my mother is still the queen of the fae, her word is law. Nephew, you wouldn’t dare betray her, would you? We both know she does like to punish those who do.”

The prince’s jaw tightens, and he digs his nails in so painfully I have to bite down on my cheek so I don’t scream. Emerson narrows his eyes, taking a step forward, but I shake my head and mouth no.

The prince looks at his uncle with distaste. “For now, you’re welcome back at court, uncle, but not any more of your people. My grandmother may have pardoned you, but she did not pardon your entire race and their crimes because that can simply not be decided by her alone. We will speak more on this, but it seems the curse is broken and for the times ahead of us, I will welcome you back too.”

Whispers and gasps burst out across the room, and I resist the urge to sigh in relief as the prince removes his nails from my back but covers the cuts with his whole hand.

“Very well,” Emerson agrees with a dark smile that tells me he got exactly what he wanted. Little does the prince know that there is a Wyern playing guard right outside this room and I bet more hidden around this castle.

Zurine steps forward. “I do hope you will not mind my return to court, my prince.”

The prince looks down at her, his lip curling. “Lady Zurine, your house is welcome as always, but you will forever be the royal whore, and everyone here knows it.”

Zurine hides any reaction to that comment, but Emerson doesn’t even attempt to hide his fury until Zurine tugs his arm and makes him look at her. The prince takes the opportunity to grab my arm roughly, using Merrick to hide me from sight and whispering in my ear, “You are not to consort with King Emerson. Do you understand? You have a fiancé, and if you betray him in this castle, in my blood, I will know. If Emerson comes to your room, you walk out. He is not to have you. You belong to me. By my blood and yours, I demand it, or I swear I will kill those you love.”

I feel a sort of magic spread from his every word, marking me and demanding I comply with him.

“I belong to no one,” I growl at him, and whatever he sees in my eyes makes him let me go.

“My blood in yours says otherwise,” he counters and steps back, raising his voice. “Merrick, do take your fiancé back to her room. She is tired and I’m sure you wish to make sure she is well.”

Merrick doesn’t say a word but places his hand between my shoulder blades, leading me through the crowd. I glance over my shoulder to look for Emerson, but the crowd has swallowed him up. “You never told me how involved you were in the court, Merrick, but if you think I’m marrying you, then you’re fucking mad.”

Merrick glances down at me. “We both kept our secrets, don’t you think?”

“Was the marriage your idea or his? Do you not remember when I told you I didn’t want more than a friendship?” I gripe.

He looks away. “You’re fae now, and once you see Emerson for what he really is, then you might finally give me a real chance. We have worked together for years, we make a good team, and I believe the goddess wants us together.”

I pull away from him. “Then you’re as insane as the prince is.”

He shakes his head. “I only want to care for you and keep you safe.”

“No, you want to own me,” I angrily reply. “And I won’t be owned by anyone. Take me to my room and then piss off, Merrick.”

“Calli—” he begins, but I walk away from him, leaving him no choice but to catch up with me and take me back to my room. Merrick was never my friend. Just another liar in my life.

Chapter Four

With Merrick trailing behind me, I follow two guards who have stepped in to lead the way, likely hearing the argument and wondering if I’m just going to storm around this castle until I find my damn room. At least Merrick isn’t talking anymore. I just can’t listen to him and not have a clue what is a lie or what isn’t anymore. Yes, I kept secrets about Emerson and the Wyerns—but he pretended to be a mortal. We finally come to a familiar group of four doors outside a garden courtyard full of beautiful flowers and several benches to sit on. The sound of running water echoes nearby, but I don’t see where it is as I get to my door and yank it open.

Merrick’s hand grabs my arm, and I attempt to tug away, only to realize he is a lot stronger than he ever admitted. I almost laugh. There was always something different about Merrick. Nerelyth and I spoke about it a lot, and I wonder how good the magic was since Nerelyth, a siren, didn’t pick up on the truth. Or maybe she knew. That thought hurts. “Not playing mortal anymore, huh?”

He looks behind us, at the guards. “Leave us alone.”

They both incline their heads before trotting off like happy little slaves. I try to pull my arm from his again, and this time he lets me go. He pulls out a silver dagger from his side and offers me the handle. “You should always have a weapon on you in this court. Take it.”

“You’re mad to give me this when I’m angry at you, Merrick,” I warn, taking the dagger from him.

He sadly smiles, but I don’t believe it. I keep my eyes on his, the swirling dark grey storms I once found myself looking into for a little bit too long. “I’m not your enemy, Calliophe.”

“Really?” I tilt my head to the side. “You have forced your way into my life in this court, as my fiancé, without asking me. What else could you be?”

“A friend who accepted the proposal so I could be close by and protect you,” he retorts, leaning closer, and I don’t move. “I’m not expecting you to marry me, and fae engagements can take years. You’re in danger here, and you haven’t got any idea how to fight yet. Train, get stronger and wiser in the court, and then we can make a plan.”

“What kind of plan?”

He steps back with a small bow, his voice but a whisper that I barely can hear. “An escape plan that only the brilliant Miss Sprite could come up with. Good night, and by the way, being fae suits you.”

I go inside, shutting the door behind me, Merrick’s words rolling around in my head about being fae, how it suits me, how he forgot so easily I was forced into this. How can he think I would ever trust him? I tighten my hand on the dagger, blowing out a breath and looking down at the silver blade, remembering only a gold one with old fae symbols on it. How that blade killed so many. How the male who owns the blade held me down, pushed that syringe into my neck, and forced me into this. I walk across the room to the bed and push the dagger under my pillow before sitting down and tugging at the stupidly tight dress to get it off. I barely untie half of the strings of the corset before the door opens again and Zurine walks in, a guard stumbling behind her.

“Wait! You do not have permission—”

The guard barely gets to finish his sentence before Zurine turns to face him, and whatever he sees on her face makes him shut up fast. “Prepare the room next door for me. I want to be right next door to my friend. Do you understand?”

“But my lady—”

“Get it done and don’t come into this room again unless you are asked. Move,” she demands, her voice cold and expressionless. By the goddess, I didn’t know she could be like that. Maybe I hardly know her at all. The guard leaves, shutting the door behind him, and the room feels tense as Zurine looks back at me, her purple and blue eyes swirling a million shades.

I stand up and walk to her, looking right in her eyes. “Why didn’t you know who I was? Why didn’t anyone warn me about how much danger I could be in? Why did this have to happen?”

“Because the goddess is cruel as much as she is kind. Your soul, the female you’ve been so many times, knows this all too well,” she carefully replies as the tears I’ve held back fall down my cheeks and my hands shake. “I’m sorry you have lost your mortal self, Calliophe.”

Hearing someone else say it, admit what I have lost, makes my knees go weak, and I fall to the floor in a flood of tears. She falls with me and clutches me tightly in her arms. She feels like ice to touch, but I find familiar comfort in it. “I didn’t want this. I didn’t choose this. And I don’t know how to breathe when things are like this. He’s got Louie. He owns me, and my very blood is more loyal to the prince than it is to me. I can’t just leave and I’m trapped. I’m trapped and I can’t breathe.”

“Look at me.” Zurine forces me to lift my head. “Breathe with me and focus on me. It will pass. This panic will pass.” She slowly pulls air into her lungs before exhaling, watching me do the same. “Everything will be okay, because you are not alone. You will not face this battle alone. It feels like your world has been turned upside down and you just want to scream. You just want to tell the entire world to fuck off and leave you alone because you were forced into this. I know how you feel. I know exactly how you feel, because I was once mortal. I went into the same place you did and fought my way out. The darkness you’re in right now… there is a light. Sometimes we just need a guiding hand from a friend.”

A ray of sunlight hits her hand as she offers me it, and I look over at the window, the glistening sun hanging high in the sky. “Maybe I don’t want to escape the darkness. Maybe I want to become something strong and unbeatable within it.”

When I look back at Zurine, she is smiling. “You are already those things, Calli. Someday I will tell you my story, and you can ask when you’re ready to hear it. I will tell you about the shadows I fought, and I will tell you how it got better. I promise it gets better. There is a reason for everything, and this is your fate, woven into the strings of your many lives. It is a blessing that you survived this life, and furthermore, you have become fae. Immortal, strong and powerful. The prince may have stolen your mortal life, but he will pay for what he made. You will make him. We will make him. The Wyern court is at your back, Calli. We always have been.”

I nod, climbing off the cold floor, and she rises with me. I silently pull at the dress strings, and she helps me until it falls off. I pull on the red silk dressing gown hanging near the bed before sitting down on the bed and looking up at her. “Did you know her? What was her name? The person I was before, I mean.”

“In your first life, your name was Aurora Highstrong,” she quietly answers. Aurora. The name is vaguely familiar, like a part deep in the back of my mind knows the name but can’t remember where or why. I’d rather not remember that life or the feelings that came with it. She died a horrible death for loving him, but it does explain why I always felt something so strong for Emerson. Right off the bat. Even when he was an asshole to me most of the time. “Mortal. She worked in this castle, and I knew her for a time. A short time, but I admired her nonetheless and she called me her best friend. I never got to her the other times, but I will always call her my best friend because she was the first friend I truly had. Yes, we were friends and I wish I could have saved her.”

“Is that why you have this sense of loyalty to me? Is it because of her?”

She smiles, but it doesn’t quite meet her eyes. “No and yes. I’m loyal to King Emerson, and I will be until my death. For that, I will protect you, but you are not her this time. Aurora was a quiet, sweet female who wouldn’t raise a hand to anyone. You may have her soul, but every time she was reborn, it was her soul alone and not her personality. Life makes you who you are, and I quite like you, Calli. After all, you happily told my king he was a cold bastard sitting on a throne and where to shove his offer. At that point, I decided we should be friends.”

I grin at her. “Thank you for telling me that and for coming here. Why did the prince call you—”

“The royal whore?” She finishes my sentence and lifts her head high. “Because I was the king’s consort, one of twenty, for many, many years. The last one.”

“The dead fae king?” I ask, not judging her. I don’t know much about the king, only that he married the queen when they were children and they took the throne together. He was king in title only, as the queen ruled, and he had little power. They never had children until the fae princess, who I now know was half Wyern. He died suspiciously, from what I remember. By the goddess, I’ve got to learn more about the fae royal family.

“Yes,” she answers, and I don’t get the impression she is sad about his death. “Now, let’s talk about the joyous parts of today. Congratulations on your fire gift. You’ve always had a fiery personality, and I’m not shocked. It’s a rare and explosive gift. I’m sure the prince wasn’t happy to know what gift you had. It will make you as uncontrollable as fire itself is.”

“He seemed excited about my gift. Like it showed how powerful his blood is,” I reply.

“Males,” she huffs. “That gift is from the goddess alone.”

“I feel lost here, Zurine,” I admit. “I’m glad you’re here.”

“I know the court better than most, and I’m a lady of the fae court, just like you. Whether they want me back, they can’t push me out without reason. I still have allies here, and there is far more going on here than you know. Emerson is making sure someone always has their eyes on you. You aren’t alone,” she tells me, and a little relief crawls into my chest. “Sahana, for example, can be trusted. On the other hand, her sister, perhaps not so much. She is loyal to the prince and Sahana might be able to keep her under control, I wouldn’t count on it.”

“I need to get Louie and his mom and then leave here,” I tell her. “That’s my plan.”

“For now,” she slowly begins, “you must train with the fae commanders, learn your powers, and play happy little fae in the court while your real court takes over in the shadows. The prince cannot be predicted or trusted, and he will not let you escape that easily. Emerson believes he is up to far more than creating a fae army, and there have been strange rumors spreading around the fae of children going missing.”

“You want me to stay close to the prince and find out more, don’t you?”

She nods. “Emerson wants to rip you out of this court and hide you away in the mountains, but we both know magic wouldn’t allow it and the prince would kill mortals to force you back in guilt. The prince needs to die for you to truly be free of this place. The only ones who might know how to break blood magic are the witches. Lorenzo has sway with them, and we are working on it. I suggested we might as well use your new position to find out what ‘the little shit,’ as Emerson calls the prince, is doing.”

The thought of Emerson trying to protect me is too much. “Can I say no?”

“Yes,” she quickly answers. “No one is going to force you to do anything.”

“I’ll think about it,” I reply instead. “Today has been… too much.”

“I understand,” she quietly replies.

“Your element is ice, isn’t it?” I question. “I can sense the difference now, and you scent like falling snow.”

“Yes,” she says with a proud smile. “Ice is a very rare gift. That’s why the fae court will flood around me and pretend we’ve been friends. Power speaks in this court. Not just riches and titles and bloodlines, although they do have sway. Training is the best way to make yourself invincible. Three times a week, we will get you out and take you to the Wyerns so you can be taught what the fae will never teach,” she tells me. “Your tutor is coming now.”

I sense the magic, the icy taste of it in the air, before a portal shimmers to life from nearby, and Lorenzo steps out. His monster features are gone, and dammit, he is more gorgeous than before. Instead, there is a lovely tanned color to his skin, short black hair, and his green eyes as bright as ever. His handsome face nearly looks the same, though, even though he doesn’t look like a monster anymore. I stand up and rush over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist, and he picks me up to spin me in a hug. Eventually, he puts me down and grins at me. “Still looking good, Calli. Better, even. I like fae females just as much as mortal females. Just so you know. I am sorry for what happened and I might not be the best to talk to but I will listen all the same.”

He wags his eyebrows, and I chuckle, whacking his chest. I try to ignore his comment about my fae looks. I didn’t want them and still don’t. “Still a flirt. The world hasn’t ended then.”

“Nope,” he replies.

“How’s your sister? The last time I saw her, she was tied up, and she didn’t look good,” I inquire, thinking of the Wyern Princess, who the prince is happily blaming for everything that happened. Including forcibly turning me into a fae.

“Healed and pissed at a certain fae prince,” he replies with a teasing smile. “The court is back to listening to her rants about a war with the fae. You know, the usual. I brought some things for you from your home, clothes and stuff. I had fun choosing between your sexy underwear—”

I snatch the bag and stick my tongue out at him. He chuckles and I shake my head, putting the bag on my bed and opening the clips, just before Posy flies out and glides around the room. I grin, relieved she is okay as she lands on the bed, upside down, and Zurine shivers. “The rude bat is not something I will ever get used to.”

“The white hair doesn’t suit you, but you’re still you. Annoying and obsessed with bats,” Posy huffs. “Are you sad they don’t look as much like bats? Now that we have to share this one room, you can’t fuck them in here.”

I blink before laughing. “I’m glad you’re here, Posy. Your insults make me feel normal again.”

She huffs again as Lorenzo’s eyes widen. “You two are weird, and I like it. Not sure why, but I do.”

“Thank you for getting her and my clothes,” I softly tell him.

“It was Emerson’s idea, and this is from him too,” he replies, pulling out a small potion bottle. “It’s witch’s hair dye. Emerson thought you might want to dye your hair back, after losing so much of your previous self. Anyway, this is expensive and it won’t ever fade.”

My heart pounds and I gulp, carefully taking the potion. “Tell Emerson… well, say—”

“Tell him yourself. Everyone comes to training, sweetheart, even the king, and your first lesson is tomorrow,” he replies, rubbing the back of his neck. “I’m a mean bastard in training, but I’ll teach you tricks that the fae commanders wouldn’t ever dream of.”

I nod, putting the potion on the side. Lorenzo looks to Zurine, and I watch them have a silent conversation for a moment before Lorenzo speaks. “Have you asked her about the spying on the prince?”

Zurine sighs. “Yes, she is thinking about it.”

I touch the glass bottle. “I’ll do what I can and report anything I find out.”

“Thank you,” Lorenzo says as I wrap my arms around myself and turn back. “Just learning where he keeps the monsters would be a breakthrough. We kill them, then kill the prince, and Emerson can take the throne. Simple enough plan and one I know I will enjoy executing.”

“He swore not to take the throne,” I remind them. “He swore it in blood.”

“Magic is tricky. Leave the particulars to us,” Lorenzo replies with a devilish smile that reminds me of Emerson.

“I need to ask a favor.”

Lorenzo furrows his brow, his voice firm. “Anything.”

“My partner doesn’t know what happened—I mean what really happened—and I need her to. Can you find her and maybe get her to the castle tomorrow for training? I need to see her… and say goodbye for now. I know I’m not returning to my life anytime soon,” I softly ask.

“I’ll find her and kidnap her, if need be,” he seriously replies.

“You Wyerns are good at that,” I jokingly mutter. “But she will come, I know it. Tell her I love her.”

He pulls me into a hug, just one more time, before letting go. “Burn this place down if you want. Emerson and I will help. Just don’t let them take anything else from you.”

“I won’t,” I firmly reply as he steps back and waves his hand, creating a portal. “You need to teach me how to do that.”

Lorenzo laughs. “Only members of the Wyern court can use this magic. Swear yourself to Emerson, maybe on your knees, as I know he will like that, and then—”

I shove him through the portal, and with my new strength, he flies right through it. Zurine bursts into laughter, and I laugh with her, feeling normal. For the first time today, I let myself relax and tell myself to remember everything that got me to this point. I may be fae, but my life is far from over.

Chapter Five

Darkness surrounds me like a cloak, and I blink within it, seeing nothing but shadows that coat the ground like a mist spreading into the surrounding air, curling and twisting around my legs. I dig my fingers into the cold ground beneath me, and it feels like more than just dirt. I feel bones. I flinch and jump to my feet, brushing the horrible feeling off my hands and dreading the moment I look down to confirm what I just felt. My gaze is pulled down, and I gasp when I see the fresh graveyard I’m standing in. Bones stick out of the bloody soil, and everywhere I look are teeth, legs, feet, hands and skulls. Sickness rises in my throat, and I turn my gaze up into the shadows and darkness as I struggle to breathe. A whistle cuts through the air, through the never-ending silence, and I turn around to look at where it came from. My hands, covered in soil and blood, feel like ice as I reach into the shadows and brush them out of the way. They clear, revealing twelve thrones. Each of the thrones seems to have been made from actual shadows, shadows shaping themselves into black thrones with tall backs and diamond shapes on top with something hovering in the middle of the diamond shape.

“When twelve sit the throne, she will be born at last.”

The male-spoken words echo around me, again and again, as something in my soul lures me towards the twelve thrones. Something calls me to them like a familiar memory. I’ve been here before. I’ve seen this place before. I take one step before my foot sinks into the soil and bones. With the next step, I sink further, and yet I don’t panic. Everything within me wants to get to the thrones, without reason or even a single thought, as I push through the sinking soil. Just before my head goes under, I swear I hear the whistle one more time followed by the same words.

“When twelve sit the throne, she will be born at last.”

I wake up gasping for air, with a cold sweat that leaves me shivering in the otherwise warm room. The fae lights wake with me, burning bright yellow light into the dark room and clearing out any shadows that remind me of that dream. The thrones, the male voice talking about the curse the queen set on Emerson and me. I know it’s just a dream… but something about it was wrong. Deeply wrong.

I’m so busy thinking about the dream, well, nightmare, over and over that I barely notice Sahana until she is at the edge of the bed, and she places her hand on mine. “Are you well, Lady Calliophe?”

“Please, just call me Calli, and I’m fine,” I answer, looking over her knee-high silk dress and heels that have satin laces wrapped around her lower legs.

She nods but her eyes look suspicious. I don’t want to tell anyone about my nightmare, but if I have to, it won’t be her yet. I know Zurine says I can trust her, but I have to be careful. “Well, good morning, Calli. I’m here to see if you need anything before training and to bring you breakfast. I will come most days, but on the odd occasion, my sister might bring you breakfast in my place. You’ll be given lunch at the training quarters, and for dinner, you’ll be invited to eat within the court on the days we are in session, or you will eat in here.”

I nod so she knows I’ve got the memo about the important parts, and glance at the window, the sun barely risen above the city as she comes back with a silver tray and places it in front of me with some kind of herby smelling porridge, fresh orange juice in a tall glass, toast and several vibrant rare fruits. “You don’t have to bring me breakfast; I can find my own if you tell me where the kitchen is.”

“The prince wouldn’t allow that,” she smoothly replies. “I am here to serve you, and there isn’t much you’ve asked of me yet. Let me do this. It gets terribly boring in the court if you have nothing to do.”

I smile at her and nod. I don’t like the idea of anyone serving me, but if it makes her happy, I’m not going to fight her on it. Not when the breakfast smells so good. All of the foods are on beautiful little gold and silver plates, even my spoons and forks are gold. I’d have done anything just to steal those plates months ago, just to sell them for food and more rent gold. “Did you hear that Zurine is back in the court?”

I know she must be aware, but I want her to understand I’m aware I’ve been told I can trust her. She nods and smiles at me. “It’s a joy to have her back. Her power is very rare in our court, along with her enchanting beauty. Both have not been seen in many, many generations. I’m sure countless males in the court are thinking of ways to entice her into marrying them as we speak. With that kind of power, as you can imagine, her marriage and possible children from that are coveted.”

“Zurine doesn’t seem like the type to search for a husband here,” I answer. “Maybe she is waiting to find her true mate.”

“Many in the court wait for their mates, but as rare as they are, we wait hundreds of years and end up bored with life. We seek companionship as a soothing tonic to that feeling,” she answers me.

“Do you have children?” I ask. “Or a mate?”

“I was fortunate to meet my true mate when we were children… but a terrible accident took him from me,” she tells me quietly.

I meet her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

She nods, casting her eyes down for a second. “The bond between mates is as strong as your bond with magic. Both are a part of ourselves that we cannot escape. I was lucky to have the time I did with him. Don’t worry, I have a lover now, and I am as happy as I can be.”

I eat some of the food, both of us silent before I need to clear the silence somehow. “So, how did you and Zurine meet?”

“I’m much older than I look,” she winks at me. “And Zurine was there for me when my mother died in labor with my younger sister. My father never recovered from the blow to our family, and in his weak state… the fae sickness came and took him. I was left with my sister, a small crying babe, and my grief. Zurine was kind in a way I’d not seen many in the court be.”

“I’m sorry about your mother,” I softly tell her. “You’ve lost too much.”

“I’ve heard you’ve lost more,” she gently replies as she reaches over and takes my hand. I’ve lost many foster families, people who cared for me and who I loved, but I never knew who my real family was. The truth of it is, the prince would know. I could ask him. But the words feel bitter in my mouth, and I don’t want to ask him for the information I so desperately want to know. Asking him feels like he’d win something, take something more from me, even if he gave me something in return.

I look at Sahana again. “Thank you for telling me something about you. I want to get to know fae I can trust.”

“You should get to know your enemies too,” she suggests with an arched eyebrow. “Now make it fair and tell me something about you. About your mortal life before. We don’t interact much with mortals up here.”

“Why is that?” I question before taking a spoonful of the porridge. It may smell like herbs, but it tastes like honey. It’s sweet, absolutely delicious. I take a few more spoonfuls and drink some orange juice before she answers.

“Rules. Mixing with mortals means more half fae, half mortals born, and many here believe that our bloodlines must be protected by mixing with only our own kind,” she kindly explains. “I’m sure you saw the way fae treat mortals with fae blood mixed in their systems. Not everyone agrees on this, and mixing with sirens or other kinds is seen as even worse than mortals. The males therefore like to lock us up here, and yet they happily visit certain places within the city where they can breed all they like.”

I nod with a little disgust in the back of my throat. “I’ve seen the hate you speak of, considering I had fae blood before I was turned. Anyway, you wanted to know something about me. This is my bat, Posy.”

I point up at her as she hangs from the top of the bed, asleep or pretending to be. Sahana looks at Posy and sniffs the air. “She isn’t just a common bat, is she?”

“No, she was once mortal and enchanted to be a bat. She has a liking for most meats, dried that is, and I’d really like it if you could manage to get her some,” I ask.

Sahana beams. “I will make sure to go and get some this morning and then make sure that there’s some delivered throughout the day. Maybe I can find some bedding or have a bed made for her. That cannot be comfortable.”

Sahana walks over, looking up at Posy. “What strange magic it must have been to be able to turn her into that. I’ve heard of witches that turned mortals who betrayed them into creatures of horrors, but a simple creature, no. I’ve never seen it, but the witches are more secretive than even the sirens. For all we know, this could be common.”

“I want to find a way to turn her back,” I admit, looking up at the small bat, her soft black fur on her chest, velvet-soft wings and delicate structure. “I’ve always wanted to since I met her, and I did a lot of research into witches and transformation magic. I never found much, and no one I had contacts with knew a witch who would help.”

Sahana goes to the wardrobe, pushing back the glass door. Inside is a chest of drawers, and she picks out a pile of clothes. “You don’t have to wear this exactly, but this is what most fae females wear to training, for easy movement, and they are waterproof. I will leave you now, but if you need anything, I’m in the room with the last door on this row.”

“Thank you, Sahana. I always thought fae were… well, you’re not what I thought, and I’m glad we met.”

She pauses on her walk to the door. “Maybe mortals and fae are not so different.”

After she exits, I finish off my breakfast, not leaving a crumb behind as it’s all so nice and different from food I’ve had before. I wonder how long I have right before a knock hits the door.

“Ten minutes, Lady Calliophe.”

I sigh at the guard’s warning and climb out of bed, picking up the bundle of leather clothes before going to the bathroom. In the bathroom, a looming white-tiled room with a gold bathtub, gold sinks, and white cabinets, I go through the pile. There’s a long-sleeved black top with a leather corset that goes over it and matching leather pants. They’re going to be tight and annoying to wear, but I’m taking Sahana’s advice on the leather. It’s going to be cold out. After dressing in the tight clothes, I find my trusted and favorite hair bands in the bag of clothes Lorenzo brought for me and braid my newly dyed bright pink hair until it falls to the middle of my back. I pull out my favorite boots from the bag, which come up to my knees, and they might be a little scruffy compared to the rest of the clothes, but I love them. Knowing I don’t have much time, I head back into my bedroom to find a pair of bat eyes watching me.

“I do not need you to figure out a way to turn me back. Have you never wondered if I actually like being like this? Maybe I want to stay small and hidden from the world that did this to me. Maybe I had such a fucking horrible life before this that this life is an upgrade, one I’m not ready to give up.”

I pause at her rant, her voice full of emotion, and I’m shocked as she never speaks about her past. About any of it. I never once thought she would want to be like she is. “You like being a bat instead of having a mortal body? Your attitude would hardly suggest you’re happy now.”

“Maybe it’s the company,” she huffs, throwing the insult at me.

Fuck it. “Why were you turned into this?”

I’ve never asked her the question directly. I never wanted to push, but I’ve had enough of secrets and lies in my life. She doesn’t have to tell me, and there is a good chance she never will, but I know I should have asked a long time ago.

“Why would I ever tell you?”

Her reply hurts more than it should do. “Because we are friends. We are even closer than that, family even. I get you’re angry and you likely don’t think you can trust anyone, but when have I ever done anything but earn your trust? If you don’t get that I won’t betray you or hurt you, Posy, then what are you doing here still? You say more often than not we are just roommates, and if I mean nothing to you, then what is the point?”

She closes her eyes and doesn’t reply to me as I lean back on the wall, knowing I crossed a line. I shouldn’t have pushed her.

“I’m sorry, Posy. Keep your secrets. I’ll always look after you,” I quietly say. “But I will always wish you’d be honest with me… so I can help you.”

I go to turn away as her voice reaches me, small and quiet. “I betrayed a witch because her mate hurt me when I was sixteen. The witches do this to you sometimes as a punishment, and she wanted to keep me as a pet to punish me forever. I escaped… but her sons found me as a bat and hurt me more. You found me after that. Calliophe, you can’t change me back. This curse is set on the witch’s life who cast it. Unless she dies, I am like this forever, and part of me knows I deserved what I got. I wasn’t… I did something bad. So let me be bitter with what I have in my life, as I’m the one stuck with it.”

“I’m sorry they hurt you. But you happen to know a newly formed fae with a knack for weapons that are really good at killing people, even witches. Soon I might even be able to set a witch or three on fire,” I suggest with a chuckle.

A small laugh comes out of her. “This witch, you’ll never get close to, let alone be able to kill. I am not worth it.”

“To me, you are,” I tell her. The door is knocked twice this time. “I have to go.”

“Maybe we can be better friends… I was worried when Lorenzo told me what happened,” she replies, never opening her eyes.

“I remember you attacking the prince for me. I’m your friend for life, Posy,” I gently tell her. “Have a good day.”

“Enjoy being fae,” she whispers back. There are many unanswered questions I have for her, like how she knows so much about the supernatural races when she is mortal, but I feel like I dug out a massive bit of gold from a chest today. With a smile, I head outside and to the guards waiting for me. The guard, Felix, is there and they both turn to walk away as I follow after them, heading through the castle behind them.

This time we go another way and around the gardens, out into what must be the middle gardens of the entire castle. It’s full of tall yellow-leaved trees, bright roses of every color, and dozens of flowers I couldn’t name ever. A beautiful waterfall flows down the back of the castle, looking like it comes from within the castle itself, and the water glitters where the sunlight hits it.

There is no real path; everything is made of grass when we walk across it, but the guards seem to know how to get around, even Felix, who I suspect is one of the newer guards. I run my hand across a bark tree as we pass it, marveling at how I can sense so much in this garden with my new fae abilities. We approach a staircase and head down several floors of stone steps before coming out to a courtyard. A gigantic courtyard. Half of it is full of purple tents held up by magic and glowing with light from within.

My smile drops when I spot Merrick standing between the tents. He nods to me, looking me over, likely for the dagger he gave me, but he won’t find it. I left it in my room as I don’t have anywhere to clip it, and I don’t trust that the prince won’t attack me if he found me with it just yet. No, I’m fae and I’m playing the game of this court until they don’t see my betrayal. My goals are simple—save Louie and his mom and get out of Ethereal City. For good.

Felix nods to a row of chairs across the courtyard. There is a female standing in front of the chairs, tapping her foot and looking at a book in her hand. Two other males are sitting on chairs in front of her, tense and arms crossed. I take the hint and go sit in the chair, nodding at the female, who I immediately realize is a fae commander. I turn to the male next to me, taking in his features. He has long braided silver hair, bright blue eyes, a slim masculine build, and he nods to me once with a friendly smile.

His eyes linger a moment too long, and something tells me he’s just as scared as I am to be here. I turn back to the female, and nothing about her tells me she’s scared of anything in life—or ever has been. The clip on her chest tells me she’s a fae commander. I saw it before on the commander who whacked me across the face for “dishonoring a fae.” The asshole that Emerson dealt with so swiftly, and I never really thanked him for that. The fae commander deserved to die for being a bastard to me, and likely many others before me, but all I saw was the blood back then. The monster who murdered so quickly. I might be going mad, because I want to see him as much as I don’t… because I’m not sure what to say.

I focus instead on the fae commander, assuming she is going to be the one to train us three in how to use fire. Her hair is cut very short, almost shaved down, and there are several silver bands across the top of her ears in rows. She wears complete leathers from head to toe, a green cloak falling off her shoulders to her waist. She assesses me, looking at me from top to bottom, before frowning at whatever she sees. She opens up her hand in front of her, and a ball of flame appears as easy as breathing. Little flames bounce around her fingers, swirling between them as she holds her hand out.

“Welcome, new trainees. My name is Commander Brace. You should be extremely proud of yourselves for surviving the fae serum and for receiving an impressive power from the goddess herself,” she begins. “You three have been handpicked by the prince for several reasons, which you each know personally, but it means nothing to me. I am here to train you so you are strong, so that you can fight, so you can harness your power and be a respectful fae.”

She snaps her fingers, and the flame disappears in her hand. “We’ll start with hand-to-hand combat before moving on to the conjuring of a single flame to light a candle. Control and strength are the core parts of this training. Think of your power as an extension of your own body, and the goddess will not let you down. For now, tell me your names.”

Commander Brace looks at the male on the far right of me, and he clears his throat before speaking. “My name is Lucien Hold.” Lucien looks over at us, his blue eyes dark and his body huge and muscular as well as being classically fae handsome. There is something cruel in his gaze that I make sure to remember.

The male next to me then speaks, his voice gentle. “My name is Ailen Riverbell.”

I clear my throat before speaking. “Calliophe Sprite, but my friends call me Calli.”

“You have no friends here, and you aren’t here to make them but to learn,” Commander Brace replies with a sharp tone. “Now it’s time to get to work, and if any of you pass out, tomorrow’s lesson will be harder for you all.”

Commander Brace storms ahead and I climb off my seat just as Lucien passes me and Ailen. “Don’t faint, your ladyship and skinny boy. I don’t want extra work for your stupid asses.”

He storms off and I glare at him as I walk over. “Asshole.”

Ailen chuckles. “There isn’t a god in the sky that could stop the commander from knocking me out in one hit. If Lucien wants to be dick, just ignore him.”

I smile at Ailen. “You can’t be that bad. You’re fae now and that comes with its own strength.”

Commander Brace takes off her cloak and moves to a painted circle around a pit of mud and waves Lucien over, who storms in like he has a stick pushed up his ass. “I am that bad. Everyone’s talking about you, the ones that survived this batch from the prince. How you’ve got a lady title and everything that goes with your place in the court.”

“I didn’t ask for any of it,” I quickly tell him as Commander Brace and Lucien circle each other. One of them is a cat and one is a mouse—in a second I know it’s going to be clear why the commander is the cat despite looking like a mouse in comparison.

“I gathered that. Still, you’re a hero to us all. A sign of hope that we might not be just drafted to the army when we are trained,” he replies.

“I’m sorry if this is rude, but—” I pause as Lucien gets punched hard in the face by the commander, who moves with grace, so swift and strong that I admire her right away. I didn’t know it was possible for fae to move like the wind and hit like a ship crashing against the waves. Lucien grunts and climbs back up as she shouts at him to rise again. I flinch and look over at Ailen, who is still waiting for the end of my sentence. “Why would you sign up for any of this? You don’t look like the type to fight in armies.”

He messes with the edge of his black shirt. “I am not a fighter in any sense of the word. I live with my head buried in books and have done for my entire life. I was born in the slums near the docks, left out for the elements to take me, but someone found me. They took me to the orphanage next door to the library. The Flames never kicked me out or stopped me from learning to read in there and then reading anything I could get my hands on. Eventually I helped the Flames clean up the books, and they would drop gold for me as payment. We soon became…friends. They speak to me. It was a strange job but kept me alive and with somewhere to sleep. That was until the Fae Prince took me and turned me into this.”

Why would he pick a mortal from an orphanage who worked in the libraries with the Flames? “I didn’t know anyone worked with the Flames. They are scary creatures, and I only ask for their help when I have to.”

He smiles. “They are terrifying and you shouldn’t ask for too much from them. One enforcer came to the Flames and asked them to find the missing Fae Prince. They made it clear the price would be his life in exchange and no coin would do. He was pissed, and the Flames were offended. Later on, I heard his home burnt down. They can be slightly petty.”

“The curse of pissing off the Flames. I thought about asking too, but I knew the price wouldn’t be just gold. Everyone’s heard the rumors of asking too much from the Flames,” I mutter. “I once thought about asking them who my real family was.”

“You’d die to find out,” he gently tells me. “I wanted to ask the same, once. Those questions never stop haunting us, do they?”

“No, they don’t,” I admit, watching Lucien narrowly dodge every hit the commander throws his way until it looks like a game. The commander sighs and stays still, letting Lucien come at her. With two moves, she punches his neck and slams his head down on her knee, knocking him out cold.

Ailen and I look at each other and smile.

After grabbing Lucien’s foot and dragging him out of the ring, Commander Brace looks at me. “You’re up next, Calliophe.”

I suck my bottom lip for a second as I walk over, assessing what would be a good tactic, hearing Ailen mutter good luck to me, but we both know luck isn’t going to save me from this. I can fight. I could hold my own damn well when I was mortal. But this body is different, my reflexes are different. I’m not sure I will ever get used to it. I circle the commander before she moves so swiftly I barely see her before she’s at my side and her elbow smacks into my nose with a sickening crunch and a whoosh of pain. I push hard at her stomach and roll out of the way before she can hit me again. I feel fresh blood pouring down to my lip, but I ignore it as I decide to charge at her. I go to hit her but miss, and she hits me hard in the stomach as I fail to move quick enough to defend myself. My feet stumble, and how I would usually block that move doesn’t work. I move too quick again. She laughs, twisting my arm, and throws me over her shoulder into the dirt. I fall over, panting from the impact, and then her boot slams into my side, and I roll over, coughing. She places her foot on my back, pushing me down into the mud.

She leans down. “I was told not to knock you out in the first trial, or ever. I am not to ignore that command, as it’s from my prince, but you will not get special treatment here. Tell your prince friend to stay out of your training, Lady Calliophe.”

“The queen has requested to see Lady Sprite. Urgently,” Merrick’s voice cuts in, and I bite down on my lip as Commander Brace’s boot moves off my back. I gasp for air as Merrick’s arms pick me up from underneath my shoulders, and when I’m up, I push away from Merrick.

“I can stand on my own,” I say, wiping the blood from my nose, wincing at my cut lip and no doubt bruised face.

“Go,” Commander Brace snaps at me, and I glance over at Ailen, who gives me a nervous look. I don’t want to leave him here, but Merrick grabs my upper arm and tugs me away with him, into the staircase back up to the gardens.

“Did you make it up? The queen wanting to see me because of a practice fight?” I demand.

He grunts, looking down at me. “No, she wanted to see you, perhaps not urgently. Commander Brace needs to understand your position, and I don’t want you hurt.”

“I never asked you to protect me, and I don’t want to be coddled,” I snap. “I need training like that, or how am I ever going to hold my own in this fae body?”

“You don’t need to hold your own or fight ever again, Calliophe. I will protect you and give you a life of peace here. Riches, comfort… what I always wanted to give you. I’m different now and the queen has gifted me so much. We could have a peaceful life,” he answers, and I shake my head.

“Merrick, this engagement isn’t real, and I’m not your toy. I’m not yours. Period.”

He shrugs a shoulder. “You will be in time. Once you forget Emerson and the Wyerns. Once you see the life you could have here.”

“I don’t get your obsession—” I pause. “What are you?”

He leans back on the wall, sliding his hands in his trouser pockets. “Half Wyern, half fae. More fae as I don’t have wings or much of the Wyern gifts. I am not sworn to Emerson’s court, so the curse did not affect me.”

Lying bastard. “Did you know Aurora or any of the others?”

He pauses before nodding once. “Do you remember me, Aurora? Or that life? We were so close before Emerson ruined you. You were going to be mine, and I was going to have you turned into a fae. Everything went wrong, but we are here now, and we can begin again.”

“I’m not Aurora,” I bite out. “And this engagement isn’t real. How many times do I have to tell you that? Emerson—”

His eyes flash with anger. “Emerson ruins everything he touches. Including you. Don’t let him ruin you this time, too.”

“Let’s just go and see the queen,” I all but growl. “I really don’t want to be around you more than necessary.”

We walk in silence up the stairs and through the gardens, into the many corridors with whispering walls. “The queen once saved me when I was only a boy, and she didn’t have to. My fae father didn’t want a bastard when my mother died and my aunt left me on his doorstep. But the queen did. We are both orphans who are looking for a happy ending. Trust me, Calliophe. I know you’re not Aurora, and I want you,” he says as we come to a pair of simple oak doors, but they are well guarded by eight fae.

“I think you are just like the prince. You want to trap me,” I quietly respond.

“I want what is best for you,” he counters. “Not to trap you.”

I tightly smile as the guards open the doors. “Your idea of what is best is a trap. A beautiful trap but still a trap in the end. A life without choice is a trap. Listen to me, Merrick, I’m not interested.”

Merrick looks like he wants to shout at me, but I brush him aside to walk into the beautiful bedroom of the Fae Queen, who once cursed my soul to be reborn and paid a price for it. She hated me so much in that life I don’t remember, and I wonder if she hates me now too.

Most of the furniture is old oak wood with delicate gold leaves wrapped around them, including the green velvet sofa in front of the bed, where the queen sits. She is wearing a long, puffy, yellowing white dress, spread out around her, and her head is held high, her blonde hair in a braided bun. I move to stand in front of her, bowing my head, wondering if I should say a word. I’m not frightened of her. Maybe I should be, but she looks at me with dull, empty eyes.

“It’s time to go,” Merrick commands, and I bow my head once more at the queen before turning away. As I walk away, a scared voice enters my mind. A voice delicate but scared. “Leave. Leave before you’ll be begging for help like me. Don’t let them take your mind. Run.”

I look back as the doors close, the queen’s scared eyes on mine, right before the doors slam shut, and I breathe once more. Don’t let who take my mind? Why would she warn me of anything? Why does it feel like I should run and run and never come back?

Chapter Six

Heading back into my room, I shut the door behind me without saying goodbye to Merrick or looking once at the guards—in particular Felix, who kept giving me side glances. I still can’t get the queen’s warning out of my head, and I want to know why she said that, why she warned me. Her desperate, fearful voice was ancient and old and haunting. It’s hard to think of her as the evil queen who cursed Emerson and me in that lifetime and made my soul come back six times. She is Emerson’s mother, and yet she really doesn’t look like him much. I don’t know what to expect from her. All I do know is that she cursed me and my soul all those years ago and I can’t trust her. I blow out a long breath, glancing in the mirror and pausing to marvel at the lack of cut on my lip and I’m not bruised.

“Fae healing is swift and quick,” Zurine comments, making me jump. I spin to her, where she is sitting on the edge of my bed, her legs crossed, and she is in an elegant light blue silk dress that shows off her curves and long legs. “Second lesson from me—always check your surroundings in any room you enter. I could have killed you before you noticed, Calliophe.”

“Noted. I mean, it’s something I did before—as an enforcer. I just feel out of place here,” I admit, gnawing on my bottom lip. “How long did it take you to get used to a fae body?”

She closes the book she was reading, an unnamed leather-bound book. “A few months. Faster when I felt in control of my power. You are far more advanced than I was as a new fae. I believe it’s because of the fae blood in your system before you were turned.”

“Maybe.” I shrug, even when I think about that more than I should. I change the subject. “Where is Posy?”

“She was flying outside the last time I saw. My company wasn’t preferable,” she replies with a small smile.

I chuckle. “Posy is all bark and no bite.”

Zurine arches an eyebrow. “I’m certain she would bite if she thought I wouldn’t freeze her into an ice cube.”

“You like her really. I can tell,” I reply, pulling my hair from the braid until it falls in waves. I wipe the mud off my cheek, face, and clothes with a towel in the bathroom before coming back out.

Zurine is messing with one of my glass spheres that Lorenzo packed for me, resting on my bedside unit. “How was training?”

“Eventful,” I say, “until the queen demanded to see me.”

Zurine puts the glass sphere down immediately. “Did she say anything? Do anything? No one has gotten close to the queen in a long time except Emerson, and that was him sneaking in. The guards caught him, but they weren’t stupid enough to try to force him out. He sat with her until she agreed to let him back into the court to be around you and be around the prince to figure out what he’s up to. But even then, she wouldn’t speak to him, just one of the guards who told Emerson what she said in his mind.”

I lean against the wall. “She spoke in my mind. How is that even possible?”

“Older fae have more power than most. Unlike other races, fae power grows over time and expands. Telepathy is a power that you will end up getting when you’re older,” she explains, her tone soft. “I want to ask more, but we should wait until we’re with everyone to save us repeating it. Do you want to get changed before going to the castle? You’re a bit early, but they won’t care. I know someone is waiting there for you. A certain siren.”

“Nerelyth?” I ask with a grin. Goddess, I want to see her.

Zurine nods with a tense smile. “As I heard, she gave Lorenzo one hell of a fight in his attempt to kidnap her and bring her there.”

“He should have known better than to try and kidnap a siren,” I point out. “Slippery folk.”

“And very dangerous,” Zurine warns. “I understand this siren is your friend and you trust her—but I can’t say I’ve met a siren who would put a mortal or fae before the sea and their family. They are fiercely loyal and very secretive. Either way, we should discuss this later.”

I think of my friend, knowing she has many secrets, but I guess I do too. My pink eyes are so bright in the mirror, glowing almost. I wonder what Nerelyth will make of the new me. “I trust her. She isn’t like any other siren I’ve met. Most sirens are as cold as the depths of the glistening sea, but Nerelyth is warm and kind.”

“Be careful,” she gently warns. “Your place in this world has changed, and whether you like it or not, you have a long immortal life to live now. Trusting the wrong people could leave you with a lifetime of regrets.”

I nod, unable to answer her, because all I can think about is how every decision of mine is going to be felt for longer than I can imagine living. I mess with the bracelet on my wrist, and I just want it off. Zurine doesn’t push anymore, and I know she is coming from a good place, but so much has happened in the last forty-eight hours that seeing my best friend would be a bit of normality that I’m craving.

“Ready?” she questions and offers me her hand. I slide my hand into hers, noticing how different we are in the simple ways. I feel hot to touch and she is so cold—ice. After closing her eyes, the mirror portal shimmers into existence, and she pulls me through it. I don’t feel sick or anything particularly like I used to when I traveled through the mirrors as a mortal, and I’m thankful for it. We step out into the Wyern castle, into the Speculis room full of ancient and powerful mirrors that seem to reach for me, push at my skin and bones. The power in this room screams to be heard. Within seconds, I’m extremely uncomfortable being in here. Zurine sighs. “Everyone speculates that the mirrors are actually alive, and anytime they meet a new, magical being, they must explore it until everyone is uncomfortable.”

She tugs me out of the room fast, and I finally breathe when the door is shut. “The power in there… I don’t have any words for it. It’s old.”

“It’s different,” she replies kindly. “And now that the Wyerns have their true power back, you might lose words for what it’s like to be around them. I thought I knew what power was in the fae court, but the Wyern court outshines them. Some of the Wyerns here… well, the prince has reason to be frightened to refuse Emerson’s demand to be back in the fae court.”

“The Wyerns aren’t all nice. I got that on the night Emerson killed three of them because they—”

“I know exactly what those disloyal bastards did, and they deserved death. There are very strict laws in the Wyern race, and the inner court commands they be obeyed. Raping and hurting females is against the law and punishable by death and loss of titles for their entire family,” she explains to me. “In fact, it is seen as such a horror that Wyern males will line up to slowly torture the rapist to death. It’s one of the reasons I didn’t so much as blink before swearing to Emerson’s court and joining his people. Emerson was the one who made these rules. His father before him was more interested in his personal life than his people. Emerson is the greatest king the Wyern race has ever had, and they are all the better for it.”

I can’t help but admire Emerson for making those laws—for fighting for females as much as males in his race. I’ve not heard of a place where females are equal to males. “The fae need the same laws. I’ve heard horror stories from mortals over my time in the enforcers. Fae can do whatever they want to mortals.”

“That’s why many wish Emerson—” She pauses and clears her throat. “Come on. They’ll be waiting for you. You should know Lorenzo is like an excited child when he’s got a new trainee.”

I leave the change of subject, even when I’m curious. “Did he train you?”

“No, well, not at the beginning of my life,” she replies. “Commander Brace trained me as a special case, as there was no one with ice magic to teach me it.”

“She is… nice,” I say, fumbling for the right word.

Zurine laughs deeply. “She is not nice, but she is one of the few fae who has a good heart and strong mind. She also trained Emerson as well, as no one had the gift of darkness to train him, and she was the only commander not shit scared of him.”

“I think I might like her more now,” I admit.

“I was very glad to hear she’ll be the one training you. She won’t give you special treatment. She will not back down or cower or do anything wrong to hurt you. She’s a very honorable woman, and you could learn a lot from her about being fae and how to control your gift,” she tells me. “Her ability with flames will be exceedingly good for you. I’ve never met a fae with control over fire like she has. You have an immortal life to lead, and I hope she will start off your training in this life well before your time comes.”

“I’ve not thought much about dying,” I admit. “I mean, fae are immortal, so I know I won’t die, but—”

“Don’t say that. You can easily die,” Lorenzo jokingly comments, popping his head around the corner with a big grin. He walks out, straightening his leather shirt at the sides. “For instance, the easiest way to kill a fae is to rip out their heart or behead them. Fae sickness works well, but it’s random. Strong poisons are said to work but take time and skill and a long dosage. Elements—like fire—can burn a fae within moments. Immortality does not guarantee life. Only you can fight for your life and defend it.”

“What about killing a Wyern?” I innocently ask. “You are immortal too, right?”

He laughs before answering. “Weapons are of little use against us, and elements simply brush off us unless the attack is very powerful. Our skin is thicker than most, and our hearts are made of literal stone. Half Wyerns are weaker than full-blooded Wyerns, and elemental power can be used to kill us.”

I blink, and he laughs at my surprise, knocking his chest. “Our stone hearts beat. If you’re very strong and the Wyern you’re fighting isn’t moving, you might get their heart out. In truth, the only way to kill a Wyern without magic is to behead them and then destroy the body. Because even with beheading, we can be stitched back together and survive with time. We are bitches to kill.”

“No wonder you are all so cocky,” I mutter.

Lorenzo laughs deeply. “This is why you’re perfect here. You know us so well already, little faeling.”

I almost miss the little mortal nickname he used to have for me. “I have things to do back in the court, stopping a war and making sure no one does stupid shit. Being the king’s brother and prince of a stubborn race can be a pain in the ass. Otherwise, I’d love to train you today. I’ve found a replacement, though.”

“I count telling her how to kill is a tiny part of training,” Zurine chimes in. “I should return today and make sure no one comes into your room looking for you.”

“Thank you,” I tell her and look at Lorenzo. “So what am I doing here if not training with you?”

He grins with nothing but mischief in his eyes. I have a bad feeling I’m walking into a planned trap. “Come with me.”

Zurine touches my shoulder before walking away, and I go with Lorenzo, my eyes flickering around the corridors and sensing the Wyerns that have walked by regularly. We come around the corner and into a large room. It’s a domed glass room with views over the imposing black mountains in parts and walls between the glass, which looks tinted dark grey stone. The floors are all tiles, and the walls behind me are ancient, with towering pillars holding up each corner and beautiful painted memorials on each part of the walls. There are rows of weapons, a few training mats down on one side, but my eyes lock onto the half fae, half Wyern standing right in the middle of the room. King Emerson. His arms are crossed against his black leather clothes that show off his muscular body and impressive weapons strapped to his back and sides. He’s in his fae form, his dark hair pushed to one side, and his beautiful purple eyes find me straight away.

“Good luck,” Lorenzo says, abandoning me.

“Betrayer,” I snap, loud enough for Emerson to hear, because I’m not sure it isn’t for him, too. Lorenzo quickly leaves as the tension in the room builds, and I can’t take my eyes off Emerson. I remember when he first kissed me, in that nightclub of all places, and it felt like it was always just us. Always just us in any room we were in, even if it was full of people.

“The prince told me I’m not allowed to be alone with you,” I say, my voice stronger than I thought it would be. “I’m not sure I even want to be in a room alone with you after everything.”

He doesn’t move, but his eyes soften, only a small amount, but I see it. “No one can tell you what to do, Calliophe. He can command whatever he wants, but unless you agree to it in a blood vow, it means nothing. The little fucker can go to hell if he thinks I’m never going to be alone with you.”

He takes a step closer, and it feels like he has jumped an ocean with that one step. I can’t move, I can’t hardly breathe. “Essentially, you don’t have to agree to anything with him. He’s cocky and dumb enough not to realize that the blood bond between you two doesn’t mean that you aren’t able to resist his every command. All the blood bond does is force you to stop someone ending his life and stop you from killing him.”

He takes another step, and I take one back this time, my legs shaky. “I don’t want to talk about the prince who killed every foster parent I loved and left horrible scars down my back and worse scars in my mind. I don’t want to talk about the prince of the fucking fae who stole my mortality to hurt you!”

He blanches. “I tried to stop him, but I was too late. I will never, ever be able to apologize enough for what happened that day.”

I lift a shaky hand between us, like my hand will do anything to stop him. “I ca-can’t talk about this. Not yet.”

He nods once. “We need to talk about this and the past, Calliophe. When you are ready… There is so much you don’t know and don’t understand of it all.”

I watch him closely. “Where is the asshole Emerson I’m used to? Are you going to be all nice now because I’m her? Aurora? The dead female you once loved. I hate to break it to you—I’m not her.”

His lips twitch. “I’m afraid the asshole Emerson had nothing to fight for and wanted to leave this fucking world because it was nothing to him. This Emerson… I’m fighting for you. For my court and my people. For everything, because even before I knew your soul, Calliophe, you woke me up. You once called me a heartless king on a cold throne, and you were right. I could explain everything to you. I could give you a thousand excuses for my behavior, but I don’t believe in excuses. I believe in actions. I believe in me telling you that I’m here for you. Completely. Your ally, not your enemy anymore, and we will fight everything that comes our way. You name it, and I will rip the world apart to make it happen.”

His eyes stay on mine as he walks closer, my heart pounding away. “I hope we argue, clash, and you drive me insane. I fucking love that side of you, the stubbornness. You’re reckless, a pain in the ass, so self-destructive, far more than even I am. It’s why we are good together.”

“I can make a list about you too,” I sarcastically reply.

He chuckles. “Sarcasm. Forgot that one when it should be top of the list. I know who you are now. I did before. Every inch of me burned for you, Calliophe Sprite, not just your soul and the echo of the past you once lived.”

He is right in front of me, so close that our breaths mix as I stare up at him. He brushes his knuckles down my cheek, past my jawline, to my neck. My heart races so fast I feel it fluttering across every inch of my skin, and everywhere he touches me is on fire. “I want you, Calli.”

“I’m not sure you even know me,” I whisper back. “I won’t deny there is this attraction between us, but I need so much more than that now. I have forever to think about.”

His eyes drop to my lips, and I find myself flickering my eyes to his, wondering what it’d be like to kiss him. Would his lips be softer than when he is in his Wyern form? Which would feel better against my skin? What would be more addictive?

With a long breath, he steps back, and a small part of me is disappointed. “Then we will have more. I won’t lie to you ever, Calli. That, I vow, as king.”

He picks up my hand before I can respond to that, and he pushes my sleeve up to reveal the bracelet. He huffs before a flicker of darkness wraps around my wrist and the bracelet, the power cold against my skin right before the bracelet falls to the floor. “You never need to be caged, and I won’t allow you to be while I’m breathing. You can control your power without this, and it’s a tool designed for children. I had one on once, and I hated how it locked away my power, a part of myself. They are old, cruel tools.”

“Thank you,” I respond, rubbing my wrist where it was as he lets my hand go, and instantly I feel my power beneath my skin, warm and inviting. I didn’t realize how much I loved that feeling of my power until now. I was trapped. “If they put another on you, one of us can take it off, but I’d advise you tell them to piss off.”

I chuckle a little and his eyes drift to my lips once more before he pulls his gaze away. “Let me train you.”

“Trained by the king of the Wyerns himself? That will be an interesting conversation starter,” I reply.

He laughs, the sound rich and deep, sending goose bumps down my arms. “Immortality gets boring. You will need all the interesting stories you can create.”

“Are you really interested in training me? Don’t you have king shit to do?” I question, placing my hands on my hips.

He waves at the floor next to him as he sits down, stretching out his long legs, his wings spreading out around the ground behind him. “I always have king shit to do, as you put it. But yes, I want to train you, and you will always come first.”

“Because of Aurora? Because I’m what is left of her?”

The question stretches between us. “No. I could explain everything in a very long conversation, if you allow it. Or you can push that question to the side until you’re ready to hear the answer.”

I sit down, looking at the floor. “I’m not ready to hear it yet. I’d prefer to pretend we are friends and that’s why you’re training me.”

“Tell yourself whatever you want, Doe,” he muses, looking at me. “Doe feels like a terrible nickname for you now. You were never the doe, but the wolf in the shadows.”

My heart beats hard just once. “I like the nickname. It reminds me of being… normal.”

“Then close your eyes, Doe, and focus only on where you feel your power. Make yourself open to it, let it take you over, and trust that it is yours. You are its, and you command each other. You are the power, the element of flame, and nothing can hurt you when you’re together.”

I close my eyes, feeling for that place of power, touching it, wishing it to open up for me, but nothing happens. All I feel is warmth, and all I can sense is him. After what feels like ten minutes, I blow out a frustrated breath. “This isn’t working.”

He hums under his breath. “It is. You can feel the power, and that is the beginning. Imagine the power spreading around your body, and focus it on your hand. Command it.”

I imagine commanding is easy for Emerson, but I haven’t got a clue how to command a power I can’t see but can feel. Closing my eyes again, I try to do what he asks, but nothing happens. Not even a flicker. “Maybe I’m broken or weak or something. This doesn’t work.”

He shakes his head once. “Your magic is like a volcano, and you need to break the surface. I promise you, you are far from weak and broken. I can sense your magic, and one day I bet you will be strong enough to even face me.”

I flush, thinking of being anywhere near as powerful as him. “That’s not a funny joke.”

He growls before he places his hand on top of mine and links our fingers. I can barely breathe as his power slams hard into my chest, and I’m forced to let him in. “You are powerful. Feel this. Let me in, let me guide you.”

I feel his power coursing around mine, touching, pushing, and it feels so familiar that I relax into his touch. Like a wall going down, the full force of his power spreads into my chest and into the well of my power, the flames and darkness mixing like old lovers. The world fades away, even as I open my eyes and look at Emerson, never wanting to break this connection between us. He is pure power, endless and unimaginable, and somehow I am the same.

I don’t think about what I’m doing as I climb onto his lap and press my lips to his. My body sinks in his, and he pauses for a moment, a single moment of shock, before he loses all control with a deep growl. He takes control of the kiss, deepening it, passionately demanding more and more. My legs wrap around his hips as his hands dig deep into my hair, arching my head to the side and deepening the kiss further. His hands dig into my hips as our power mixes around us, within us, making me feel like something so much more than fae. His hard cock strains against his trousers, but with how close we are, he presses into my core, shooting pleasure through my body.

He breaks the kiss, still leaving our lips seconds apart, and I turn my head to see my flames swirling in a whirlwind around us, darkness flickering around the edge of them, mixing together so seamlessly. I reach into the flames, no fear of being burnt crossing my mind, but all I feel is heat and acceptance. This power is an old friend of mine. A flame curls around my wrist, tickling me almost before I pull more of it into my hand to make a sphere. I smile as I shape it further, until it looks like a bat made of fire, and I let it go, where it flies high into the air above us.

When I look back at Emerson, his eyes are completely white with power, and I cup his cheek. He suddenly lets me go, dropping my ass on the floor and stumbling back away from me. The flames, the darkness, all of it disappears until I’m left feeling empty, cold and really tired. He grunts, adjusting himself before offering me his hand to help me up off the floor. “Why did you stop that?”

I climb up on my own, ignoring his hand, and he runs his hand through his hair. “You’re extremely powerful, but magic like this is like a muscle. You must build it up from the beginning, and that was too much for you right now. In a few months, it won’t be.”

“What would have happened if we carried on?” I ask, rubbing my arm. I don’t want to talk about the mind-blowing kiss that shouldn’t have happened. I don’t want to ask what it would be like to have sex with him and open our power up like that, even when it’s all I can think about. I don’t want to focus on this—us. I can’t. The burning desire in his eyes tells me he is thinking the same thing. We never had problems with this part—the lust between us. It was there from the start and the very reason I ended up like this. The trust, friendship and conversations without arguments are what we need to work on.

“You would end up collapsing and sleeping for days to recover. Worse case—you could slip into a deep sleep and not wake for years,” he answers. “I hate to ask, but Zurine can only keep me informed about the court and the prince to a point. The little fucker is up to something, and I want to know what. I need to make sure my people are not in danger.”

He doesn’t add the unsaid thing. The words I can see in his eyes. To check I’m not in immediate danger.

I tilt my head to the side. “But not the fae or mortals? Not the other supernatural races? Who looks after them, Emerson? Who stops the psychotic prince from killing them all?”

He sighs, crossing his arms. “I’m not the king of the world, Calliophe, but I am trying to help them. Why else would I leave you in that castle, near him, if not to see what he is up to? I want to kidnap you away and start a war with the fae over you, but I know you don’t want that. We both know countless Wyern, fae and mortals would die in that war to his monsters. I want peace for my people, but only you make me want to start a war.”

“Don’t start a war for me. Ever,” I demand. “I will tell you everything, Emerson. I don’t want to keep any more secrets between us, and I’m in over my head with the fae court. I want to stop the prince using the monster army and figure out what he is up to.”

“Then we are finally agreed on something,” he teases, stepping closer. “You’re hungry. Let’s go and eat.”

Without my answer, he walks off, and I’m left having no choice but to follow him or be left in here, possibly a little hungry and lost in this maze of the castle. He slows so I can walk more easily at his side, and I try not to stare at his muscular shoulder, the same height as me. “I see you accepted my gift.”

I furrow my brow at him, and he flicks a strand of my hair. I smile. “Oh, yes, thank you… why did you do that for me?”

He grunts. “I know what it’s like to have every inch of yourself stripped away and what it is to crave something from before. I can’t give you back your mortality, but the dye, well, it was something.”

I think on his words, wondering what happened to him, when it dawns on me. “Do you mean when you were cursed into a monster form?”

He places his hand on my back, guiding me through a door, my arm brushing his stomach. His voice is quiet, tender. “No, Calli. I don’t mean that.”

I sigh as he follows me through the door, and I pause in the small area. “You’re being too nice. I’m not sure I like it more than I liked moody arsehole Emerson.”

He leans into my space. “Trust me, Doe, I’m still here. Would you prefer I go back to being an arsehole with you?”

I chuckle at the playful glint in his eyes. “Yes. Sometimes.”

He laughs, walking away from me, and I grin as I duck my head. Emerson opens another door, this one almost secretly hidden in the wall, and I follow him into the living quarters I’ve been in before. The last time I was here, I held a dagger to his neck, and I said all sorts of things to him. I wanted him to kiss me. I was desperate for him to kiss me. Emerson’s eyes bounce back to me, flickering to my lips for a second before rising to my eyes. I blow out a breath when he turns from me, and the tension lets up for a bit, still hanging tightly in the air around us both. I remember overhearing that conversation he had with Zurine, and how he suspected I was Aurora, but Zurine was sure I wasn’t. That I couldn’t be.

Emerson shows me a door around the corner, which leads to a family dining room, which is already laid out with delicious hot and cold food, and a table set for five. Emerson holds out a seat for me, and as the table is round, there is no clear head of it. It’s cozy, designed for small informal gatherings, and it surprises me that Emerson has a room like this. Just after I sit down on the red and black seats, Emerson sits next to me, and seconds later Lorenzo strolls in, doing the buttons of his shirt up.

“Good meeting?” I ask, twitching my nose at the female scent lingering around him.

He grins, sitting down with a dramatic sigh. “The council are being little shits again, and Solandis didn’t help matters with her ‘war against the fae and taking over the mortals’ shit. I disbanded the meeting for now and took them to calm down with some local mortals.”

Emerson and Lorenzo share a tight look, but neither of them says a word. Zurine comes in next, followed by the princess Solandis, who walks around them all and comes to the side of my chair, leaning against the table and looking down at me. Solandis looks more like Lorenzo than Emerson, but I can see they are family a mile off. Solandis has wild, long black hair that falls to her waist in tight curls, and two braids pulling her hair from her delicate face. She is slim in a way that tells me she trains hard but still has curves to die for, and she is wearing all black leather with the Wyern symbol on her chest. Silver bangles are wrapped around her upper arm, and she arches a dark eyebrow at me. Her eyes are a fiery shade of green, and I get the feeling she is not someone to be crossed. “You saved my ass, fae girl, and I’m in your debt. When the war comes, which it will, you’ll find me at your side.”

“You’d have to knock Emerson out of the way first,” Lorenzo teases.

Solandis rolls her eyes and pulls the chair out to my side. “There are two sides to everyone, dumbass.”

I cough out a laugh, but Emerson, Lorenzo and Zurine laugh deeply. Solandis turns to me as she reaches for food and everyone else seems to do the same. “Either way, Calliophe, it’s good to meet you. What’s it like being fae now?”

Lorenzo coughs once. On purpose. “Don’t be a dick, Sol. She has just been turned.”

“I don’t mind answering,” I interrupt what I’m sure was going to be a sibling argument. I try not to notice as Emerson fills my plate with food, while Zurine is watching. Lorenzo and Solandis too, even if they are pretending not to. “Clumsy and out of place. That’s how it feels to be fae now.”

“That sucks,” she replies. “At least you’re hot. I’ve seen some of the fae turned before, and they are ugly shits.”

Emerson shakes his head. “My sister didn’t learn proper manners, despite her many tutors’ desperate attempts.”

“They were all cu—”

“Unable to tame the wild princess,” Zurine interrupts and winks at me. “How was training?”

My cheeks burn as I look down at my food. “Interesting.”

“She is very powerful,” Emerson smoothly tells them. “The prince should be fucking terrified of what he created in Calliophe Sprite.”

I blush further under his compliment, and Lorenzo claps his hands. “I knew it. You’re fire, little faeling, and make sure they feel the power of fire when you let go.”

Thankfully, the attention doesn’t stay on me for long, as Zurine begins talking about fae politics and who is siding with the prince, soon to be king. Solandis, Emerson and I eat quietly, and I swear Emerson waits until I finish every bite until he eats any of his. When it looks like everyone has finished, I turn to Emerson. “Your mother, she asked to see me. Merrick took me to her.”

A low, possessive growl escapes Emerson, making my skin flush. I carry on, aware everyone is looking at me and listening. “She was fine to start with, seeming to just take me in, let me stand in front of her. It was when I was walking away that I looked back at her and she looked fearful. She looked scared. I know she was. She spoke in my mind and she told me, ‘Leave. Leave before you’ll be begging for help like me. Don’t let them take your mind. Run.’”

My words seem to make them all go silent. Solandis and Lorenzo look between each other, and Lorenzo shakes his head. Emerson is the one that speaks, though. “We all know she changed overnight when she laid the curse, but she has never had anything to fear until the prince. We will have to find out what this means.”

“I will look into it,” Lorenzo suggests. “Maybe my aunts might be aware of something, perhaps to do with the magic of the curse. Now that it’s broken… maybe something has happened.”

“It’s possible. Great magic has side effects,” Solandis agrees. “And that was one of the greatest magic spells ever cast in our world.”

“We’re back to hoping you can find something, Calli,” Zurine says, her eyes locking with mine. “I know the fae in the court are bitter and impersonal, but there are thousands of innocent fae who need protecting. The prince is up to something, and I know it. It’s far more than just a mission to take the throne. He could have done that easily without needing to kidnap the princess and make a damn monster army. No, this is personal and deeper than the throne. There’s something weird going on. We can’t get close to him. Not like you. I don’t want to use you, but we need the connection you have. He thinks the blood bond means you can’t betray him, but you can.”

Emerson places his hand on mine, and I turn to him. “It’s your choice. You can stay here, safe, if it’s what you want. I won’t make you do anything. No one will. I will attack the court and get Louie and his mother out. Even the troublesome bat. It’s your choice.”

Staying in the fae castle feels like napping in the mouth of a massive water creature, knowing my air is going to run out at any moment. Zurine clears her throat. “Five fae children have gone missing this week. All around the age of ten.”

A sinking feeling hits my gut. Five children? A similar age to Louie. Solandis leans back in her seat. “How? Aren’t fae children heavily protected like our own?”

“I spoke to some people in the court, family of the missing. They claim the children literally just walked out of their beds in the middle of the night, and their guards passed out, only mumbling about hearing a song. The royal army could track them to the castle, but no further. It’s like they vanished. We know the prince is evil. He has done some really fucked up things with those monsters, but why would he want fae children?”

“It would make him seem like he isn’t in control. It doesn’t make sense,” Lorenzo adds in.

I turn and meet Emerson’s eyes. With his tense smile, I believe he knows my answer. I couldn’t hide here while children are missing and I can help. “I will stay with the fae for now. I’ll pretend to be the happy fae servant to the prince, and hopefully he’ll tell me soon. I’ll keep an eye out in the court and listen to everything.”

“We will be around,” Emerson vows. “You won’t ever be far from one of my Wyerns or paid-off, loyal fae. You call for help and it will come.”

“What about Louie? How can we get him out?”

“The door is constantly guarded, but food is regularly taken in,” Zurine explains. “I’m working on being the one to take food in, or someone I can trust with a message.”

I link my fingers together under the table. “Is Nerelyth still here? I want to see her before I go back.”

Solandis laughs, patting my shoulder. “She is not your friend, Calliophe.”

“What?” I ask, shaking off her grip. “Yes, she is.”

Lorenzo sighs. “She is a powerful old siren working for Merrick, who is a betraying bastard to our race and everyone around him. I don’t trust her and didn’t from the start. She hid her secrets well until we got her here and she told us who she is. I’m sorry, Calli, but my sister is right. She is no friend to you.”

My heart pounds as I push up from my seat. “I want to see her. Now.”

“We need to discuss the upcoming ball at the fae court before we leave,” Zurine adds in, her voice gentle. “And whoever the siren is, it does not mean she isn’t a friend to Calli.”

“What ball?” I ask, leaving the table to pace.

Emerson has been strangely quiet until now. “In a month, the palace will be full of royals and high up fae. The siren royals are coming, the Snake Kind leader, the mortal governor, the supernatural district chief and leaders of the other fae cites. Maybe even the Witch Queen. They have never been in one place before, and I will be there with some of my court as I’ve been invited.”

“Great,” I mutter. “Maybe he is planning to kill them all to become king of the world?”

Zurine shakes her head. “It’s a magically protected ball. No weapons, no magic, no deaths. No one would dare break the oaths needed to enter the ball.”

“Doesn’t mean the prince can be trusted to behave,” I add in. “He is a psychopath. I literally have the scars to prove it.”

Emerson’s eyes flash with anger, and I clear my throat. “Can you take me to my friend now?”

“I will take you,” Emerson answers, rising from his seat. He looks to Solandis. “We will talk when I’m back about the court about earlier issues. I need you to behave for a few hours.”

Solandis inclines her head, but she looks annoyed, and Emerson waves his hand at the door. When we are outside, he looks down at me. “I’m sorry, my family can be—”

“Amazingly normal,” I interrupt him. “Under the weird circumstances.”

His laugh is deep and makes me shiver. “That’s not the words I would use to explain them.”

“I had a weird dream last night I wanted to ask someone about,” I say. “I mean, is it normal for fae to have intense and weird dreams? It’s a silly thing to ask, I know.”

“Tell me about the dream,” he asks, pausing before the doors with me. “Anything you say will be taken seriously with me.”

“There were twelve thrones made of shadows, with a strange thing hovering above each one. The place, it was dark, empty and cold. It felt wrong to be there, and I couldn’t escape. I was lured to the thrones, like all I wanted was to go towards them, and it scared me, that feeling.”

“The ground was covered in dirt, blood and bones, and you sunk into it before you could get to the thrones?” Emerson questions, shocking me.

I look up at him. “How do you know that?”

“I have had the same dream several times these last twenty-odd years,” he answers. Since I was born. “I never knew what it meant or what that place was. It cannot be nothing that you are dreaming this now. I looked into this years ago when the dream was haunting me. I read nearly every book in the libraries on shadows, thrones and dreams. I asked the Flames about it. Nothing. We never found out anything on it. The only hint we got was about a book on shadows owned by the Flames. They do not lend some books out to anyone, so it was a dead end. Even I cannot command those things.”

“I might know somebody who can help with that,” I say, thinking of my new training buddy. “I met someone that the Flames pretty much took in as an orphaned child, and he lived in those libraries, reading for years. The prince took him and turned him recently. He got a flame power like me. He’s no soldier, and he’s actually quite kind.”

“Ask him before the fae armies eat him up and spit him back out dead,” Emerson suggests, opening the door for me. “Come on, let’s take you to Nerelyth.”

“Thank you for sticking up for me,” I tell him as we head into the corridor. He nods, his eyes betraying nothing as he leads me to a door and steps back.

“Good luck. When you’re done, call for Zurine and she will take you back,” he tells me, stepping away. “Don’t die, Calliophe.”

“Or what?” I gently tease.

His eyes flash with violence and power, the shadows shaking around the room. “The world will never recover from what I become.”

I gulp as he walks away, and I sense the raw truth of his words. I have to force myself to turn to the door and turn the handle, heading inside.

Nerelyth is leaning against the window, looking at the dark, looming mountains, a flock of birds flying past. “I should have told you everything from the beginning. Especially when I knew you were involved with him. I’m sorry I wasn’t there to stop what happened to you.”

I shut the door behind me, taking in my beautiful, secretive best friend. Her red hair is down, wrapped around her shoulders, and the water marks on her skin seem to glitter in the dim light. I can sense the water, the sea that owns her from here, in her scent. She turns her green eyes on me and pauses, her mouth opening. “You look fantastic. I have to admit, I’m happy you’re fae. Even with how it happened, even with the pain in your eyes, I won’t have to see you die a mortal life now.”

My voice is cracked. “You know everything that happened, then?”

She nods, wrapping her arms around her waist. “The male without wings told me.”

“Lorenzo.”

She nods, her eyes wary. “Do you also know the truth about me?”

I step forward, lowering my hands to my side. “No, but I think the time for secrets is over between us. You’re my friend, always have been since we met, and I know you were running from something. I know you belong in the sea with your people, not a shit-paid enforcer job. I’m not going to judge you now. I won’t forget the past year of our friendship because I agreed to not know your past.”

“My full name is Lilithane Nerelyth Mist of the Sirens. Second of my name, second heir to the throne of the glistening seas. I am three hundred and twenty-one years old.”

The air leaves my lungs as I take a step back, my eyes widening and everything pausing. Time freezes as a million things go through my mind, all the secrets, all of it. One of the siren princesses was working as an enforcer for shit money and was friends with a mortal? I can’t help the bitter tone of my voice, the raw hurt that leaks out. “That’s one fucking hell of a secret, your highness.”

She winces. “I wanted to tell you, but I couldn’t. It was part of my deal with my father. I wouldn’t marry my intended, and I wouldn’t do anything he asked. So I found an old magical agreement, a way to give up my claim to the throne and have a normal life. It came with a price. I couldn’t speak of my past, I couldn’t step into the sea, and I couldn’t contact my race. If I broke it, then I’d have to go back.”

“You just broke it,” I whisper, my voice hoarse.

“It’s time to go back,” she admits, looking down. “I’ve run for too long and with what is going on in the world, I need to be at my father’s side. My sisters will need me. I didn’t leave because I don’t love them—because I do. I let the Wyern bring me here so I could see you just one more time and tell you that our friendship lifted me out of a depression. It helped me breathe for the first time in so many years. It was all real for me, and I am here for you. If you need an ally in the seas, call for me.”

I rush forward and wrap my arms around her, squeezing her tightly. “I don’t give a fuck if you’re a princess or a damn turtle. You’re my best friend. I love you, and you do whatever you must for your family. I’m always here for you too, even if you demand I come swimming with you at some point when we both know I’m a shit swimmer.”

She bursts into tears, and I end up crying with her, holding on as tightly as I can, for as long as we have together. The fae, Wyern, and glistening seas can’t part our friendship as long as we fight for it.

Chapter Seven

Zurine steps back into the mirror portal just as there is a knock on the door of my room. I freeze, looking at the dark skies outside and back to the door. Nervously, I walk over, feeling my body heating up with every step, that lick of magic escaping my body, along with my emotions. Steam smokes around the handle as I turn it and open the door to come face to face with the Fae Prince. He leans against the door frame, his expression cold. “Come with me.”

“Why?” I demand, crossing my arms tight and looking behind the prince for a moment to see Felix and seven other guards I haven’t seen. Felix is enough to make me relax, even if I’m not sure how we would fight all of them off.

“Because I am your prince and I asked,” he replies, straightening. “Or my guards can drag you, roughly, the whole way.”

I want him dead. I want to kill him so badly for literally destroying my entire childhood, stealing my ward, and keeping him here as a hostage. The moment I think it, pain lances through my chest as the blood bond reminds me I can’t do that. Fuck. I bite down on my bottom lip, remembering why I’m here, why I need to behave around him and lie my ass off. “Fine.”

The prince steps back, holding his hands behind his back, and waits for me to close my door behind us before he walks. I follow him through the castle, Felix and the other guards surrounding us, and I try to think of the many, many ways I could end the prince’s life. He leads me down the winding corridors of the palace and towards a pair of black doors that are heavily guarded, more guarded than the queen’s quarters were. Twelve guards stand in front of the doors, and they part as the prince walks in between them.

“Why don’t I know your name?” I ask as one of the guards unlocks the door with a heavy black key. “Why does no one know the royals’ names? It’s weird to call you the prince all the time.”

“I assumed you called me bastard all the time in your head and didn’t need a name,” he replies, looking over his shoulder at me. “But our names are power and never spoken to anyone outside our family. Emerson is the only idiot to ignore that old rule.”

“Maybe he doesn’t need any more power,” I mutter under my breath.

The prince tenses but stays silent as the doors are opened, the long creaking noise echoing around. When I step over the threshold, the magic feels old and horrible as it washes against my skin and I shiver. The walls are black onyx stone, and old yellowing fae lights float in the air that smells stale and damp. The fae lights flicker in and out like they are losing their magic, adding to the feeling in my chest that tells me to get the fuck out of here. I reluctantly follow him down the stairs, panting after the first five hundred odd steps, my legs burning when I feel like we got to around a thousand before we finally come out at the bottom and step onto a massive balcony area. It’s freezing in here, the balcony wrapping around one level with a large gap in the middle.

The prince goes to the edge and looks down at something below, waiting for me. I walk over slowly to the edge, a horrible feeling crawling all over me at what must be the bottom of the castle. Deep in the ground is a crack in the earth with shadows crawling out of it, like tentacles, whispering and hitting the sides of the ground with sharp lashes. The gap itself feels wrong, and it looks like it’s breaking through the ground every second I stare. The prince pulls a bundle of paperwork from inside his pocket and shoves it at me. “Fae children are missing. Each one of their scents leads to here. Somehow they got past the guards, the magic, and everything in place to make sure no one gets in. We think they were pulled inside, or maybe they walked in, lured by something. I’m not sure what, but you must find out and stop the children from disappearing.”

“What is it?” I breathe out, wanting to run from this room and never come back.

The prince doesn’t look affected at all as he leans on the rail. “No one knows, but we call it the Rift. It was here before the castle, before my grandmother took her crown. Before even her parents walked this world. The fae castle was created around it to protect it, or more to protect others from it. It was nothing but a dot in the ground that radiated power back then. As you can see, it’s growing and shadows are now escaping out of it. This area is locked with old, strong magic, and nothing can escape it, but it is cracking with time. The magic is like a seal that’s been worn down over the years, and no one alive could put it back together because the goddess herself set it up.”

As he talks, a long shadow lashes out that looks so familiar because it’s similar to my dreams. They can’t be linked, can they? “We must somehow bring the leaders of the cities here to witness this and to understand what I’m doing to save us all. My monsters can destroy these shadows and stand against them. I’m going to save us all, and the other leaders will see this and help me. It’s important that we show them a united front in our campaign to stop the Rift before it takes over our world like the old legends speak of. This is why I built the monster army, because we’re going to need an army bigger than any army this world has ever seen to face what is going to crawl out of there.”

“You killed innocents to save innocents? Are you insane?” I snap.

He snorts. “I killed mostly mortals, useless things, to save the fae. Poor mortals who would die one way or the other. The ones that matter need to live. I may have used my monsters to get rid of a few fae I didn’t like, but every hero must have his perks.”

“I think you’ve got the definition of hero wrong.”

His hand snaps out and wraps around my throat. My skin turns to lava, and he laughs, unaffected as smoke wraps around us and I pull at his hand, nearly clawing him off me. “Don’t forget that you belong to me and you are mine to control. Watch your tongue or I’ll rip it out.”

He pushes me away, and I gasp, stumbling back as he straightens his jacket. “Now look what you’ve made me do. I want us to be friends, and you have to just ruin it. I’m going to pretend that didn’t just happen and carry on. You met my friend today, one of my newly turned, from the Flames library. He remembers everything, and we need smart males in what is to come. I’m glad he survived. His mind will be useful in the upcoming war between us and them. Ask him about the fae children. Perhaps he will know something.”

“Who are them you’re speaking about?” I ask, rubbing my neck.

“The old books have no drawings of them. Only warnings,” he tells me, looking at the Rift. “They say they are shadow monsters that devour souls from the inside out. They once owned this land, but the goddess cast them away into another world to save the mortals, fae and all supernaturals.”

“How do you expect me to help you?”

He looks at me. “Get that hate out of your voice, little fae bitch. I know you love mortals, but they have souls. As monsters, they do not, and my monsters will be all that stands between you and them one day. Then you will be thanking me for what I did. They are useful as monsters that can be commanded to kill. They have no souls anymore. The shadow things eat souls for breakfast.”

“You are a monster, and I don’t believe you’re just doing this for the sake of every good person in the world. You want to save your own ass and then be hailed a hero for it,” I bite out. “You killed so many.”

“So?” He rolls his eyes at me. “Mortals die quick either way, and no supernatural is going to care what it cost to save them in the end.”

“So? People are still people, with magic or not,” I shout at him. “Goddess, I don’t know why I’m bothering trying to teach you morality.”

“You were reborn, and I believe this has a lot to do with you, or you wouldn’t be here. I don’t want your advice, but I know the Rift is linked to you. You never asked me who your real parents are,” he says with a teasing voice. “Work for me and I’ll tell you everything. You might not like the answer.”

My hands tighten on the paper. “Why would I trust you to tell me the truth?”

“Because no one else knows what happened. I’ll give you a little information to sweeten our deal,” he suggests. “You were found as a baby in there.”

He points down at the Rift, and my heart pounds so loud as I look at it, at the shadows. “My grandmother found you and gave you to the enforcers to protect. I found out years later about you, but by then I was already hunting you.”

“The queen—”

“Doesn’t know anything else,” he laughs. “You were somehow born in that world, linked to it, and it took me a while to figure out how. Those pink eyes of yours. There’s only one fae family with eyes like that, and they were born over a thousand years ago. Ask your friend about them for another hint. Don’t say I’m not nice.”

He carries on laughing as my heart feels like stone, and I’m so confused. “You are part of my court, and you are fae now, Calliophe. You’re a good person, and for all these reasons, I know you will help me figure out where these kids have gone and save our entire race.”

He comes over and pats my shoulder like I’m a pet. “Ask Emerson to convince the witch leader to come to court to see the Rift. She won’t reply to me, but she might to him with his bastard siblings’ blood connection to their race.”

“Fine,” I say through gritted teeth.

“While you’re at it, get Emerson to behave in court and see the Rift. I’m sure he saw it as a kid here, but who knows, maybe he didn’t.” He shrugs, stepping back. “I prefer to believe my uncle is a coward and chose to ignore the problem. Not like me.”

“He’s not a coward,” I growl.

“Then you don’t know him at all. He hates fae like you because of the queen. The queen didn’t just curse him all those years ago. His mother didn’t just do that to teach him a lesson—oh, it went so much further. You should ask him about the years he spent in captivity, the years that she tortured him to try to make him change his mind about you. About Aurora. For years, he begged, screamed and yet didn’t break. The Wyern King got him out, but apparently he lost his mind for his son.”

By the goddess. I feel sick with every word, the truth I can hear. “I only want what is best for you, believe it or not, and my uncle isn’t it. Get better friends and you might just survive what is coming.”

“And if I don’t?”

The prince laughs as he walks away from me. “Louie.”

With one name, he knows he has me. He knows I can’t do anything while he has Louie and his mother, and even if his name wasn’t enough, I couldn’t not figure out what happened to the fae children. I have to find them. I have to save them.

Chapter Eight

Shoveling food into my mouth, I flick through the papers that the prince gave me last night. Each one is of an innocent-looking young fae child. Blonde hair, black-haired, girl, boy, but none of them have anything in common, and they are not related. They aren’t even friends from the same areas, and they likely never met each other, with how heavily protected the fae children are. Some of the children are from rich fae families, but two of them aren’t. There is one thing that links them all: the fact they all recently turned ten years old. I lean back in the seat, drinking the rest of my orange juice in one go, enjoying the sweet taste, and carry on wondering what possibly could be the connection between all of them other than age. That couldn’t be enough to be kidnapped for. If they were even kidnapped. There is no sign of struggle in their homes, no doors broken or windows unlocked. They just walked out of the front door, past their guards, who all have the same memory of a voice singing to them, not male or female, and passing out after hearing it.

Usually I’d ask for help on this, but considering my work colleague turned out to be a siren princess who has gone back to the sea and Merrick’s now my betraying, fae-loving fiancé and an asshole altogether, I can’t ask either of them for help. I close the pile of paperwork, knowing I need time to think about it and maybe ask some fae if there is anything that happens to a fae child when they turn ten. Maybe that’s when they get their powers? Emerson would know, and I can ask him when I see him next. I have to find these fae, because if they disappeared near the Rift, there’s a good chance they went into it and wherever the Rift leads. Maybe to the place with thrones that Emerson and I dreamed about. A good starting point would be asking Ailen to find a book about that world or whatever it is.

Maybe the place I was born. Maybe the place I’ve been searching for. Maybe where my family is. A sinking feeling enters my gut, and I struggle to push it away, to focus on the here and now, and not the past I’ve been chasing for so long. The prince wants me to obsess over the Rift and try to find what it is and I can’t. I know I can’t right now. There might not be any answers for me there, and the prince could be lying to me here. There isn’t a way for me to win this and get the truth without playing into the prince’s blood-soaked hands.

Either way, the prince already knows I’m desperate enough to do anything to learn about my parents and to save Louie and his mom. He holds a secret that makes sure I won’t leave without the answer. I think of the Rift again, like the dozens of times since I saw it, and feel the same urge push to the surface. A deep-down part of me knows that place and wants me to go back. Just like in the dream. It’s familiar. With a frustrated huff, I quickly get changed in my training gear before filling Posy’s plate with her dried meat and stroking her forehead softly while she sleeps, before going outside my room and coming face-to-face with Merrick. Merrick is leaning against one of the posts, wearing dark green leather and twisting a leaf between his fingers as the morning light shines down on his face.

I roll my eyes and walk past him. “I don’t need an escort to training, Merrick. Don’t you have enforcers to boss around and anything other to do?”

Merrick quickly steps to my side as I walk away from him, Felix and two other guards circling behind us and keeping a distance. I wonder where Felix ever sleeps. He seems to be on guard twenty-four seven. “There is no job more important than being at your side. You’re my fiancé. It would be strange if we weren’t seen together. Plus, I heard that you had a late-night walk with the prince. I wanted to make sure you were okay.”

I wince at the reminder of the fiancé. “For the last time, whether the prince says we’re engaged or not, it’s not real and it never will be. I never actually said yes to you, so it doesn’t count, and I don’t want the life you seem to think I want with you. I’m not Aurora, for fuck’s sake, and even if I was, she wasn’t with you. Isn’t it about time you got over that?”

He slams his hand into the wall next to me, crushing the rock, and his eyes turn as white as Emerson’s, but this time all the fury and anger is aimed at me. “Aurora was fucking stupid, and I hoped you would be better. I got to know you for years, alone, and I tested you with every moment I got. You’re not her and you’re smarter. This time you’re mine, and nothing is going to stop that.”

A sword tip presses against Merrick’s neck as he leans over me. Felix’s voice is colder than ice. “Remove your hand from the Lady Calliophe before you lose your head.”

“This isn’t anything to do with you.” He turns to look at Felix, who is unmoved, spitting out his words. “Step back, guard.”

“I am sworn to die for the Lady Calliophe before any harm comes to her. I plan to live and explain why I am presenting your head to the prince if it comes to that. Or you can let go and calm down,” Felix dryly responds.

My heart races, not in fear but shock, as Merrick steps back and raises his hands. “My apologies, Calli. I lost my temper, and perhaps I need more sleep. It’s been a long few days in court.”

I don’t respond as he inclines his head and storms off with a guard trailing, leaving me alone with one guard and Felix. Felix slides his sword back into his holder. “Are you well, or would you prefer to head back to your room?”

“I’m fine, thank you for that,” I breathe out, pushing off the wall and brushing dust off my shoulder from the broken wall. “I could have handled him—it just shocked me.”

Felix smiles. “I’m well aware you can handle him, and you would have done, but I’m certain you wouldn’t want to be late to training while you cleaned Merrick’s blood off you.”

He steps back as I chuckle. I like Felix. I turn around and trace my route back through the gardens, only pausing once or twice, and every time, Felix tells me which way to go. When we are in the middle of the gardens, right before the steps down to the training, Felix turns to the other guard. “Go and tell the prince about today’s events.”

“But,” the other guard begins, stuttering, “she shouldn’t be left alone.”

“I’m here,” Felix plainly answers. The guard looks a little panicked, but he leaves after bowing his head to me.

When we step into the winding stairs, Felix touches my arm. “It’s a dead space here, no one will hear us. Do you want me to tell the king about the prince last night? He will want to hear about it.”

“Yes,” I whisper back. “And tell Emerson we need to talk about what happened.”

“Very well,” Felix agrees.

I smile at him. “I’m glad to have you as my guard, Felix. However in the name of the goddess have you tricked your way in here?”

“My mate is very good at spells,” he murmurs to me with a secretive smile. “I will introduce you to our real court. One day.”

“One day,” I quietly reply before turning away and heading down the steps to the training area. This time it is jam-packed with new fae, commanders and various trainers, and Felix leaves me at the steps where he moves to stand with a line of other fae guards. It takes me a while to make my way through the groups before I spot Ailen’s white hair and then Commander Brace and finally Lucien, who are standing together. Seems I’m not the only one that got the idea to get here early. I would have been here sooner if it weren’t for Merrick. My commander waves me over. “Brilliant to see all three of you early. That is just what I like to see in my trainees.”

Her eyes immediately flicker to my wrist. “Did you take it off?”

“I don’t like being caged,” I answer, making a point of holding my head high. I might as well start this argument in the beginning. “I want to learn what my power is, not lose control of it. I’m not an animal, and I prefer not to be caged like an unruly one.”

She laughs, putting her hands on her hips. “Well, that’s just what I wanted to see. These bands, I don’t put them on there to control you. I put them on there to find how stubborn you are, to figure out if you’re strong enough to take them off or to find a way. Congratulations on passing your first lesson.”

I’m shocked silent, and I barely manage to nod. Her lips twitch in amusement before another commander calls her over, and she sighs. “Stay here.”

When she is gone, I step closer to Ailen. “Good morning.”

“Same to you,” he replies with a yawn, rubbing his wrist with the bangle. “I spent all night trying to get this off. How did you do it?”

“You need someone else’s magic,” I whisper, taking his hand. I hook my fingers around the bangle and push my power into his hand. Nothing happens for a moment, just before the bangle turns red with fire and suddenly snaps, falling into the mud at our feet.

“Than—”

“Right, what were we talking about?” Commander Brace comes back, interrupting a shocked Ailen. He gives me a thankful look, and I wink at him. Commander Brace begins with a rant about not hurting other fae students, like the incident she just had to deal with, and then gives a brief talk about how to control our fire element, which is similar to the way Emerson taught me. Commander Brace doesn’t miss a thing and only asks Lucien to come over. She takes his bangle off of him for the lesson she has planned, and she smiles at Ailen, which seems to light up his whole day. “Opening yourself up to the flame is rather easy. It’s a part of you, and you shouldn’t fight the feeling when it takes over. For this task, we are not using much power, and it should be easy. Sit on the stools.”

We each take a seat on the three stools nearby. “Now hold out your hands.”

Commander Brace drops a sphere into my hand, made of pure glass, and inside are three different flames floating around like they are in water. One’s blue, one’s orange, one’s white. Each of the flames is hovering around in circles, floating gently and calmly. “I want you to pull the flames out of the sphere. This will take concentration, and if you break it, don’t worry, it will snap itself back together within moments. But part of training isn’t over until you’ve pulled each of the flames out successfully. Good luck.”

Commander Brace sits on her own stool, pulls out a small black book, and begins to write in it with a pen she pulls from a side pocket, ignoring us.

“This sounds easy,” Lucien brags, immediately concentrating his power into the sphere. Smoke brushes around the sphere from his hands, heat pouring off him, and just as one of the flames floats towards the edge of the glass, it smashes to pieces in his hands, cutting him a dozen times before falling to the floor. “Fuck!”

“Less foul language,” Commander Brace says, never pausing in her writing or looking up. “And don’t be a child in my class. It’s a small cut.”

Lucien glares at her as the pieces of glass from the orb float up in the air and snap back together, right in Lucien’s hands. I flash a look at Ailen, who seems lost in his thoughts, before I focus on my sphere. I look at the white flame and call my power to my hands, gentle and coaxing as much as I can be. The white flame bounces under my power, right before floating towards the edge. Just when I’ve got it nearly out, my sphere cracks, splintering and cutting my hands several times as I let it all fall to the ground. I wince at my bloody hands, and the sphere remakes itself before landing in my lap again.

Lucien breaks his three more times as I stare at the orb, trying to figure out the challenge before trying again. Ailen leans over to whisper in my ear. “I’ve read about these before. I believe the trick is not to take one out at a time, but to pull all three so they touch the glass sphere edge at exactly the same time. We should try it, but I’m scared to.”

I tilt my head. “Thank you for the idea. It’s okay to be scared, but I think you can do this. Go on, you should win this challenge.”

He nods at my encouragement, and not for the first time, I wonder if he is the sweetest fae I’ve ever met. He is too kind and pure-hearted for this world. He reminds me of Louie, and a pang of how much I miss Louie hits me. I haven’t seen him in weeks… and he must be so frightened and confused. He must miss me, too. I blink away the thoughts, knowing he is alive and well fed, at least. I look back at my sphere, and I concentrate hard on the three flames this time. Time seems to pass by quickly as I realize how difficult it is to control not only one of them but all three and successfully pull them out together. Every time I get one or sometimes two to the edge, they slip away and I have to start all over again.

“I-I did it!” Ailen shouts in wonder and shock. I turn with a big grin as the three flames bounce around the orb.

“Well done!” I say just as Commander Brace comes over and looks at the orb.

She claps her hands and Ailen flushes. “Good work, Ailen. Maybe there is more fire to you than I thought.”

He nods, his cheeks still as red as fire itself. I turn back to my orb and carry on as Ailen talks with Commander Brace. I’m not sure how long passes before I suddenly pull the three flames at once, and they snap out of the orb, flickering around my hands. I sigh in relief as both Ailen and Commander Brace clap. Lucien stays silent, which might be a good thing. “You both have done a brilliant job and in very good time. It isn’t unusual for this test to take beginners days. Come with me, you two. Lucien, stay and work harder.”

I feel the waves of hate coming off Lucien as I get up, and I make a point not to look his way, following after Commander Brace. She leads us to one of the clear, empty training areas. I look over at the other, more advanced groups, watching the massive displays of water, air, and earth elements as they fight each other. “You want to fight like that?”

I turn at Commander Brace’s question. Do I want to be able to defend myself with magic? Do I want to be able to fight in this new, strange body and not be so unsure of myself? “Yes.”

Her eyes stay on mine. “I’ve trained hundreds of fae, and many won’t be able to call their element to do more than make a shield for two minutes. Then there are those rare fae I’ve trained who could destroy the world with their power. There is rarely a middle ground with the gifts. You said you do not want to be caged, Calliophe, and I will help you learn how to get out of any cage you are thrown in. We both know which side of the gift you got.”

“Which did you?” I ask.

She smiles. “If there is ever a war, you might find out.”

I digest her words as she goes over to Ailen, who is watching the other groups with a pale face. “You two fight each other with flame. Be careful but not fearful. There is a fine line you must learn between those two. Flame is one of the two uncontrollable elements in its very nature, but it works through you, and therefore, there is an element of control.”

Ailen stumbles forward a step. “What if we lose control? I don’t want to burn—”

“Shush, boy,” she cuts him off with a stern look. “Those with the flame element cannot burn. You’re fireproof and therefore it’s safe to train with other fire elements. Second, I will be here to make sure you hurt no one else. Use your fire and combat skills.”

“Comb-b-bat skills?” he stumbles out.

Commander Brace outright ignores him. “The first one to push the other out of the circle wins. Usual rules apply. Remember to focus. Remember, fear is the enemy. I always tried to think of flame as a living, breathing animal. As angry as what the old dragons used to be when the goddess banished them away.”

“Dragons?” Ailen laughs. “They were not real. Just rumors, and I’ve read so many books that prove this.”

“Maybe some books were destroyed, so only rumors exist written by liars who were paid to lie to hide the truth. Unless you have a free pass to explore the Wyern territory where it was said they were born and bred, I doubt you can know for certain either way,” she brushes him off. “Get on with it. I’m not here to train you in how to chatter about nonsense.”

I nod at the commander before moving into the training ring and waiting for Ailen to take the other side. He blows out a breath, looking so nervous. Bracing myself to be hit with fire, I call my power to the surface and into my hands, tugging on the well. But surprisingly, Ailen’s quicker than me. A flash of flame smacks against my chest, and I barely have time to roll as I land in the mud. My eyes are wide as I sit up and jump to my feet. Like an angry wave of the sea, Ailen throws a ton of fire at me, and I barely get to lift my hands up with my power. A shield of fire appears before me like a wall in front of my forearms, blocking the attack. The flames slide off my shield, into the air around me, and I pull on them, and even though they aren’t mine, they come to me. Standing up, not letting the flames go or the feeling of power, I let the fire burn through me and embrace all of it.

Suddenly I think of wings, wings and dragons, and pure never-ending fire. The purest light. My shield swiftly turns into a massive dragon of flames that snaps out of my hands, its jaw snapping as it bursts out of my control and straight at Ailen. He goes flying in the air, far out of the circle, and Commander Brace pulls the flame dragon to her, making it disappear in a ball of smoke she sends high into the air above us. Ailen is rolling about, patting his clothes that are on fire as I jog over.

“Are you okay?” I ask, offering him my hand.

He looks at me with wide eyes, taking my hand. “That was incredible! Will you teach me?”

Commander Brace laughs as I help Ailen up, and comes to our side. “Ailen, your speed in calling fire was very impressive.” She looks at me. “I don’t believe you need a compliment on that dazzling display. The shocked expressions of everyone here will do that on their own. I will say I’m impressed.”

I look around for the first time and see what she means. Everyone is looking. “I’m sure our royal highness will be delighted to hear of the power you displayed today, Lady Sprite. Now we must teach you how to disband the flames into smoke before they take on a life of their own and become uncontrollable.”

I pull my eyes away from the crowd and many, many eyes watching me to nod at Commander Brace. By the time lunch rolls around, Lucien is still going at it with the orb, and Commander Brace has taught us both how to put out fires and change them into smoke, as well as given useful tips on how to heat a room, pull fire from other places, and various suggestions to help us in the future. Commander Brace leaves us to eat with the other commanders, and Ailen finds a table in the back as I grab us two trays of food. We sit quietly together as I dig into the sausage rolls, steamed potatoes, and vegetables. I soon realize I’m absolutely starving from using all that magic, and I barely taste the incredible food, even though I want to enjoy every bite. As a mortal, the most strength I had was in the combat I taught myself and the odd enchantments I got from work. It was never power like this… and I think I like it. Having the power of fire at my back.

“Thanks for helping me with that bangle,” Ailen begins after we both devour all of our food, including the very nice carrot cake.

I smile at him, stirring my fruit-flavored water. “No problem. Thanks for the advice on the sphere. I was planning to pull one at a time, and I would be there for ages.”

“Like Lucien over there,” he teases with a cheeky grin, and I chuckle, nodding once.

He leans back in his seat, picking at the edges of his black shirt. “I was just lucky enough to read about them once in the libraries. It was years ago, but I never forget anything I read. I wouldn’t have had a clue otherwise, and I would have been as useless as usual.”

“Your magic seems to be getting stronger, though. You were really in charge of it today,” I tell him. “And what a gift to remember every book you’ve read.”

“I’m trying, but I won’t ever be you,” he replies. “But that’s okay. My path in life has always been about knowledge, not power. I was surprised I didn’t get a gift like water or earth, more calm.”

“Only the goddess knows why.” I shrug. “Anyway, how are you fitting in? Where do you sleep, anyway?”

“In the tents, and I’m allowed into the royal library. I don’t see many fae, just guards, except one…” He drifts off, his ears going pink.

“A female maybe? Or a male you’ve got your eye on?” I tease.

He coughs. “A female, but she is a lady and I’m… well, an army grunt, to be blunt.”

“What’s her name?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he quickly says, like he is remembering I’m a sort of lady and might actually know his crush. “Back to the subject—I’m doing fine. Most people ignore me, and I have books in my tent and food I could never afford before. I consider myself lucky.”

“I know what you mean about the food,” I quietly say. “I’ve never eaten as well as this. Sometimes I feel bad, knowing how many mortals are starving while the fae have all this. Do the fae even know how many children would beg for a tiny bit of this food?”

“They all know,” he whispers back. “And most look the other way, and the ones that want to help cannot due to the rules on mixing with mortals and how frowned upon it is. I hope I can help… someday.”

“Me too,” I admit. “Me too. I need to ask you a favor. Something I really need to know you won’t repeat to anyone else.”

He leans forward, furrowing his brow, so I carry on. “I need some books. Old, forbidden books on shadows. Books that the Flames never give out. Not even when the king of the Wyerns asks for them.”

His eyes widen, but he doesn’t lean away. “Anything else while you’re asking for the impossible?”

I bite on my lip for a moment. “I need books that talk about the Rift and maybe a book on any fae bloodlines that once had pink eyes. I’m trying to find my blood line with that last one, and it’s the least important. The other two… they could mean a difference in what is coming. A war, Ailen. This, what the prince is doing, is going to start a war, and I need to stop it. We both know mortals will be the ones who suffer the most if the supernaturals go to war.”

“Have you asked the Flames for these books before?”

I love that he doesn’t question me or call me mad like most might do. “Once. I asked the Flames for books on fae that could be like me, and they told me no. They said the price was dear. I assumed they meant gold, and they knew I didn’t have much.”

“They wouldn’t have meant gold.”

He leans back, crossing his arms. “The Flames are prickly, and they only give what they wish to who they trust or who they want something from. They probably would give you the books for an extremely high price, maybe even your life, but I can talk to them. They collect strange and unique things, and maybe the king of the Wyerns might be able to get something rare to exchange. With my help.”

“They have a treasure trove of weird stuff? Did they let you see it?” I ask.

He nods. “I’ve seen their treasure trove, and they don’t just have gold. They have trapped souls, old magic, and dangerous creatures hidden away in there that are older than the queen herself. There is a reason the queen has never once questioned or attempted to control the Flames. As for the books you’re talking about, ones that they wouldn’t even give the Wyern King, I know of them. There are books that are locked away they warned me about just once. They told me never to open them or even look at the covers. Some books are alive and you can’t read them. You just see what they want to show you from opening them. They suck you in and take part of your soul, or make a bond with you for life, just for the pleasure of watching what they show you. They trick more souls than help them, and they do everything for themselves, for their own benefit. That’s probably why they’ve never given the books to anyone, because they would be blamed, and I believe they do want peace. The Flames believe they are the keepers of the dangers of this world, and they take that very seriously.”

“It’s important we read them. There aren’t answers anywhere else, and any knowledge would help us,” I whisper. “All I want is to make sure all of us survive. I wish I could tell you more, but I’m desperate. You can’t repeat this, but there are children missing, and this might be the only way to get the information we need to save them.”

His jaw tightens. “I get it. I want to survive too and protect those that are like me. Protect children and the mortals that would die in any war coming up, but you are asking for something you might regret asking for.”

I soften my gaze. “I know you don’t know me very well, but I’d rather regret trying to save lives than do nothing.”

He sighs. “Just give me some time and promise me you won’t open the books on your own.”

“I won’t open them alone.” I offer him my hand to shake, and he takes it with a worried smile.

“Good, because I think you’re my friend, and I’ve not had many of those that aren’t Flames,” he says quite seriously. “You’re the first fae that’s been truly kind to me. Didn’t see me as weak and dismiss me.”

“I’m sorry more fae haven’t been kind to you. If it helps, I had fae blood before I was turned, and all the fae I met before took one look at me and sneered. Now they act all nice and sweet, but I know for most it’s a lie,” I explain. “You’re a breath of fresh air for a fae.”

“I plan to be one for a long time and not let my immortality turn me into them—” he replies. Lucien storms past our table, making sure to slam his elbow into Ailen’s back on his way past.

“Jackass,” I shout after him, and he puts his middle finger up at me as Ailen coughs. “Ignore him.”

“I will be,” Ailen agrees. We spend the rest of the day training in combat, working with different kinds of flames, until I feel completely exhausted. After saying goodbye to Ailen, I half stumble my way back up the stairs, hoping there’s no court meeting tonight, partially hoping that I get to see a certain Wyern so I can get out of here. The guards leave me at the door of my room, and I shut it behind me, blowing out a long breath.

“Welcome home, Doe,” Emerson says, sitting on my bed, lounging about like he owns the place as usual.

“This is awfully familiar. Are you going to kidnap me again?” I drawl, strolling into the room. I pick up a bottle of wine and pour myself a drink. I glance at the new pile of books he brought with him. Some of the titles I can make out as fae royal family, siren royal families, legacy of sirens and many more.

“Not this time,” he replies, closing his book and leaving it on his stomach, where I can see his muscular form thanks to the many buttons he has undone. I barely hear what he is saying as I stare at his ripped six-pack and think about moving the book to see more. “The paperwork is interesting, and Felix told me what happened. What he heard. I assume the prince gave you those about the missing children?”

I pull my eyes up, and he looks amused but doesn’t comment on what I was staring at. “He wants me to try to find them. I honestly don’t think he knows where they’ve gone. He could be lying, but I don’t see why he would bother. In his eyes, he has won and has control over me anyway, with Louie and the secrets of my past.”

“Tell me everything,” he demands, his attention locked on me. I swear the shadows around the room tighten, waiting for me to speak.

I tell him everything, pacing up and down the end of the bed as I speak, and Emerson listens to my every word until I’m done. “What is this Rift?”

“You really don’t know?” I ask.

“No,” he says, looking frustrated about the fact he doesn’t know about it. “I’m sure I would remember something like that. Especially with my magic being so closely linked to shadows and darkness.”

I watch his expression, the utterly raw, completely surprised expression. Emerson was the heir to the fae throne, and his mother never once showed him this secret? I wonder why. “I will have my people looking for anything to do with this Rift, and I want to see it myself. My mother never showed me it, and that isn’t something I would have expected from her.”

I nod, leaning against the footboard as I finish my drink. After I take the last sip, I head to the cabinet and open the metal cover on the tray, revealing a hot bowl of soup. Emerson doesn’t say a word as I eat my dinner and clean up. Only when I’m done does he reply to me. “As for you being left there as a baby, the prince could just be messing with you. He knows you want that information more than anything, and he is going to use that fact. I wouldn’t trust his word.”

“The dreams… the Rift. It’s all familiar to me,” I tell Emerson. “Maybe it’s my reborn lives, the magic, and the fact the prophecy talks of this Rift. Remember?”

“Each time a drop of power taken from the Rift,” he murmurs, repeating it. “You’re right, there must be a link. Still, do not trust his word.”

I look down, rubbing my arm. Even thinking of killing the prince, wanting him dead, hurts my heart and makes me feel sick, but I push it down. “I don’t trust him, but there’s a good chance he knows who my parents are, and he might be able to tell me the truth. He might be the only one, and even though I want him dead, I want the truth first.”

A hand brushes down my spine, made of shadows, and I lift my head to see Emerson watching me. “I’ll help you get the truth. However we can.”

“We?” I question, arching an eyebrow. “I never asked for your help.”

“The ‘we’ part of this conversation is not negotiable,” he replies with a slight tilt of his lips. “How was training?”

“Good,” I say, noticing his change of subject. I lean down and pull my boots off. “I’m tired and exhausted and so ready for bed.”

“Good. So am I,” he says before yawning. He picks up the piles of books with his magic, moving them in darkness onto the floor by the cabinet before kicking off his boots. “Hurry up and get dressed. I’ve been in meetings all day and could do with an early night.”

“I’m not sharing a bed with you.”

He puts his book down next to him and peels back the covers. “You said that last time, and I have no issue wrapping my shadows around you and pulling you to bed if you want. I’m staying as Felix is off tonight with other work.”

“Asshole,” I mutter, shaking my head and going to the bathroom after grabbing some clothes out of the wardrobe. I take an exceptionally long shower just to annoy him before braiding my hair while it’s still wet. I pull on a long black silky night top and matching shorts with lace edges before going back into my room, where Emerson has turned out all the fae lights except for one hanging near his head, casting a light on his book. I glance up at Posy, sleeping or pretending to be, on top of the wardrobe and sigh. I hoped she would throw a tantrum about Emerson being here, fight with me, or something. She hasn’t spoken a word since she told me about her past, and she is always sleeping when I’m here. “Did Posy say anything to you when you got here?”

“No,” he replies, patting the bed next to him. “She declined to speak to me, which I actually believe is her way of being nice.”

“Maybe,” I say with another sigh, heading to the edge. “I might sleep in this bed with you, but we aren’t together. You understand that, right?”

“So when you snuggle up to me and wrap your legs around my waist, I should pretend we are still friends?”

“I don’t think we have ever been friends,” I mutter, rubbing my forehead. “And second—I have no control over sleep version of me. Turns out she is a sucker for Wyern males.”

“As long as it’s just this Wyern male,” he warns with humor in his eyes and a hint of possessiveness, “I can live with that.”

I roll my eyes and climb into bed, my legs aching, and I’m so tired that I know I’ll fall asleep quickly with Emerson here. His shadows suddenly wrap around me along with the bedsheet, tucking me in, and I sigh once more.

“So why tonight?” I ask.

He closes the book and looks at me. “You made me forget, but why I came to see you in the first place this late…”

“It wasn’t just because you missed me, then?” I tease.

He chuckles low and I like the sound. “That’s another reason, but I didn’t think you were happy for me to admit that yet. The witches have invited me to their coven to meet with their queen on their night of celebration, where they let mortals and supernaturals in to celebrate with them. Do you want to come?”

“Yes,” I answer, quick enough to make him smile at me.

“Good. Three nights from now, I’ll come back for you. Wear a dress,” he tells me. “It’s a rule for females in the witches’ city.”

“Good to know and thank you,” I tell him. “For including me.”

“Where I go, you go. If you want,” he tells me. “I won’t see you before then. I have things to do in my city that are a few days’ traveling around.”

“Stopping a war that your sister clearly wants?”

He sighs. “The Wyerns won’t declare war without me, but there’s unrest within my people that Solandis speaks for. For too long, we’ve been stuck in the mountains, our cities struggling with female populations and locked in old ways. Many want to explore the world without fear of being hunted as monsters. Others prefer to stay this way, locked away in my cities like they have been for hundreds of years. But others of us want us to be free and not seen as monsters anymore. Especially now. The curse is broken. They see the fae as weak, and they don’t like the prince after what happened with Solandis. Typical stubborn males who believe that there should be one ruler of all the races.”

“They think that’s you?” I ask.

He inclines his head. “I’ve helped them change, for the better, and they believe in me and my laws—and my actions. It doesn’t mean I agree with them, but I am tired of seeing my people hunted for their blood while fae walk free and treat mortals as toys.”

I lean on my side, looking up at the king I once thought was cold and heartless. I was so wrong. “This world needs to change. But not yet.”

“Not yet,” he murmurs in agreement, the fae light going out. “It will not be me who begins a war and is remembered in the history books as being as murderous as my father. It’s not what I want.”

I snuggle into his side, and his arms wrap tightly around me, holding me like he fears I’ll never be this close to him again. “You’re not the villain.”

“I am,” he answers in the darkness. “But I’m a villain who wants a happy ending for everyone I love and will do anything to achieve that. I don’t care what they call me for it.”

Chapter Nine

The next few days of training go smoothly, and I spend my free time reading the books Emerson gave me on the royals of this world so I’m not as clueless. I learned a lot about Nerelyth, about her parents and sisters. She is one of six sisters, and her mother died in childbirth, along with the only male heir of the siren kingdom and the seas. Her oldest sister became heir as the king refused to marry again to produce a male heir.

The book on the witches wasn’t as detailed, and I assume it’s because they are very secretive as a race. Only that, opposite of the sirens, they have only females as their queens, and their partners are only seen as consorts to the throne. There has never been a king of the witches. But, outside the royal line, female witches are considered owned by the male they marry, and they can’t work or learn to fight.

I cross my arms as I pass by a guard that I recognize for usually being around Merrick, who I haven’t seen for a few days. I assume he’s working on keeping his distance, but sometimes I swear I catch sight of someone that looks like him at training. Thankfully, the prince hasn’t called court again, and Zurine told me he is partying with his girlfriend and hungover the rest. I’m glad he is just out of the way for tonight when Emerson is taking me to the witches’ city.

Fae servants rush past me in a hurry. Others are scrubbing the floors outside the gardens, and everything will no doubt be perfect for the ball planned by the prince. New banners with the royal crest hang on every wall I pass, and Ailen told me about the cooks brought in from Junepit City to make amazing food. That part of the ball I’m interested in, not so much the dancing and royals to contend with.

I head back to my room from Sahana’s, where she helped me into my pink dress for tonight, and close the door behind me. I think this is the most beautiful dress I’ve ever worn, and I can’t help but look at it in the mirror. The dark pink dress that I’m wearing has a strange sparkle to it whenever the fae light hits it. At the sides are pink roses, vines, and green thorns hiding the lace underneath but showing off my skin. A long slit goes up to my thigh, making it easy to move around, and I have a dagger strapped to my thigh, hidden under the dress. Merrick might have given it to me, but he was right about one thing: I need something to defend myself with, and not just rely on my magic. Especially against witches. My hair floats around my shoulders as I move to the balcony and lean by the door, watching the sun setting over the seas in the distance. Posy is hanging off the railing, orange light from the dying sun shining through her wings as she watches me. “I’m going to see the witches tonight with Emerson.”

I don’t want to give her hope, but I don’t want to lie to her about where I’m going, and a small part of me wants her to ask me to help her, even if I’m going to do so anyway. I want her to fight, because at the moment, she looks so lost and empty.

“Don’t.”

I sigh. “Well, either way, I’m going to try to help you.”

She snorts. “You can’t even help yourself, Calliophe. You’re in denial about the king of the Wyerns, even dressed as a princess.”

“I’m not dating Emerson.”

Posy laughs at my pathetic retort. “Have you told the king of the Wyerns that? Or do you both pretend to be stupid for fun? He clearly knows you’re his mate. You’re in denial about being his mate, but you’re the reborn soul of his greatest love. Of course you’re his, in this lifetime and the next and the next. Not all of us have time to kill in denial like you. Stop spending your time trying to fix my life when you should be enjoying your own.”

I straighten my back. “True mates are rare.”

“Yet it’s likely you both are,” she replies, stretching out her wings. “You can’t fix me, Calliophe, so get a life and leave me alone.”

She jumps off the rails and flies off into the sky, into the darkness sweeping over the world. Her words stick with me even when she is gone. Emerson… my mate? My true mate? People that are bound together by old magic. It’s not something I can even think about right now. I know supernaturals have mates, but I’m not sure how you could even tell. If I want to even be able to tell.

I’m so lost in my thoughts I nearly jump as Emerson lands on the balcony in a black shirt and black trousers, looking gorgeous. His eyes roll over me, and his lips twitch. “Remind me to ask you to wear a dress more often.”

“Noted,” I reply with a grin. He looks absolutely, breathtakingly handsome. I find my eyes flicking over him again, taking him in. A few buttons undone at the top of his shirt and the casual way he stands make him look even better. A powerful sword is strapped across his back between his wings, the blade black and glimmering in the light. He offers me his hand. “We can’t be late tonight while we stare at each other.”

“I wasn’t staring,” I immediately say, sliding my hand into his. He chuckles, pulling me to his chest, and before I can scream, he launches into the air with me. Within seconds, we are flying through a portal, coming out into the sky, and he lets us fall. This time, I do scream until he levels out below the clouds, above a massive forest with trees stretching for as far as I can see.

“You look beautiful. Even if you’re trying to strangle me,” he tells me, holding me just under my ass.

I laugh and actually just consider whether strangling him is a good idea. The trees below us are dark red, beautiful and vibrant. The sun is still setting fast, and the light makes the trees look like a red sea, waves spreading for miles. Emerson sweeps us into the tree line right before landing in a lit-up circle in the middle of nowhere. There is a path leading into the forest, lined with green glowing mushrooms, and I step away from Emerson, my stomach still twisting from the flying.

“Couldn’t we just portal here?” I demand.

He grins. “And miss that angry look?”

I roll my eyes, and his lips twitch with laughter. I huff, flattening my hair and looking around. “Is this where the witches live?”

“Yes,” he answers. “But it is guarded. The forest doesn’t have a name, but everyone knows of it and wouldn’t dare come here without an invitation or unless it was this night and old magic called to them.”

I sense the witches before they appear, somehow. They scent like their magic, dark and old and forbidden. Two males appear in long black cloaks, almost blending into the surrounding shadows. They both lower their hoods before bowing to Emerson, very clearly ignoring me. “King Emerson, welcome to our city on this joyful night. You and your guest are indeed welcome, and the queen is waiting where you used to meet with her mother. We will now take blood from the female for her entry into our city—”

The male begins to choke, rising in the air with shadows wrapping around him. Emerson slides his hands in his pockets, effortlessly controlling the witch. The other one goes deadly still. “One thing I forgot to mention is how the male witches here are fucking stupid and think with their small cocks. They believe females are weaker than males and must pay prices. Like blood. Or marriage. Or whatever fucked up thing they come up with to control them.”

Emerson looks at the witch he isn’t strangling. “I assume the price is waived for tonight. Or you two can pay it together. With all your blood.”

“Of—Of course,” the male witch blurts out, falling to his knees. Emerson lets the other one drop to the floor, knocking himself out with the smack on some stones. “P-please go ahead.”

“With pleasure,” Emerson says, placing his hand on my back and leading me forward down the path.

“What happened to being nice?” I question.

He looks down at me. “When anyone threatens you, talks down to you, or assumes they can touch you without your permission, I’m not nice.”

My cheeks burn, his promise settling into my very blood and bones. Suddenly we walk straight through a wall of magic into a city that wasn’t there moments ago and now just simply is, full of towering buildings and endless fields of trees, plants and flowers. The city goes on for miles, and right in the center is a castle made of silver, shaped into a five-pointed star. It’s tall enough to tower over the rest of the buildings, and I don’t know what to stare at first as I look around at everything in wonder.

Emerson wraps his arm around my waist, and this time I cling to him as he flies us into the sky and into the city. We pass several of the towers, the stone that made them as red as the forest, before he swoops down and lands us in a small garden full of flowers. My shoes sink into the soft grass, and I walk over to a row of pink flowers unlike anything I’ve seen before. The petals are big, the size of my palm, and they almost glitter. “Do these grow in your city or just here?”

“I will fill my cities with Stardaisies if that’s what you wish,” Emerson answers.

I chuckle, leaning away from the flower and looking at him. “When are you ever going to show me your cities?”

He smirks, crossing his arms. “When you swear to my court, Lady Calliophe.”

“You already have my loyalty to your court,” I dryly respond.

“Oh, how I wish loyalty was so easily earned in every court,” a soft, musical voice floats around us, and we both turn to look as a female steps into the light of the moon at the end of the garden. She is a curvy, dark-skinned female, with beautiful black curly hair that’s tied together in a bun. A long silver cloak falls off her shoulders, and under is a dress that looks dipped in starlight. She stops in front of us and inclines her head to Emerson. “I do apologize for my protectors, but I’m sure you know better than most about witch males and witches in general. We haven’t met in person, King Emerson, but my mother spoke kind words about you.”

“And your mother often told me of her only daughter’s stubborn pride when it came to everything in life. It is a pleasure to meet you, Queen Marzena. This is my friend, Calliophe Sprite.”

The queen inclines her head to me but looks quickly back to Emerson. “Do tell my nephew I expect to see him in the city more now that he has accepted the engagement to my friend. This deal means I wish to see him, and his people here need old blood back.”

Engagement? It takes everything in me not to question that.

Emerson smirks. “You know Lorenzo. He tends to do whatever he likes, but I will pass the message on. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me and answer some questions.”

“On with it,” she suggests, waving a hand. “As you know, tonight is a busy time for my kind. You should both try our wine before you leave.”

Emerson lifts his head. “Calliophe was turned into a fae with blood from the prince inside the serum. How do we break the bond that now lies between them?”

She laughs. “You already know the answer. The only magic in the world that can break any bonds, any curse, anything. Why ask me what you already know?”

His jaw tightens. “Is there another way?”

She sighs, looking between us. “No.”

Emerson nods and I give him a confused look. The queen turns to me. “Powerful magic still hangs around you, young fae.”

“Good to know,” I tightly answer.

She smiles. “Are we done?”

“Are you coming to see the Rift?” Emerson questions.

The queen sighs again. “It’s not real, so why would I risk it? I have no heirs yet, and my people need me. I won’t be lured and tricked by old stories and an old name.”

“It’s real,” I tell her. “I’ve seen it.”

The queen is quiet for a while afterwards, staring into my eyes before turning to Emerson. “I will think about attending. Please stay, enjoy the celebrations on this special night. I know you once liked being here as a dear friend to my mother, Emerson.”

“Wait!” I shout after her. She pauses and looks back at me. “I have a friend who was turned into a bat form. She said she betrayed a witch, and they cursed her forever. I want to know how to turn her back.”

The queen fully turns back to me, her eyes flashing with recognition for a moment. “That magic will be linked to the life of the witch who cursed her, and it cannot be undone without her death. I’m sorry. That magic is banned now, but I know many cursed are still waiting for the witch who cast the spell to die.”

When she leaves this time, I don’t stop her and watch her go instead. “She knew something.”

Emerson comes to my side. “Not everyone can be saved, Calliophe. The world is cruel. Hold on to me.”

He picks me up and I wrap my arms around his shoulders as he flies us out of the garden and into the air. We pass endless red pools, so many plants and greenery spread out everywhere that it looks more like a garden than a city in places. Emerson flies us past the houses that lead to open fields around the star castle, and they are full of witches. The music is louder here, and I look down to see the celebrations. Blue burning bonfires are spread out everywhere, blue embers floating in the air, and upbeat music is sung and played, all the same song. Children are running around with sparkly things in their hands, and I can sense the joy coming off everyone here. Emerson lands us on a rooftop of the star building, which gives an amazing view across the city and the forest beyond.

He suddenly flies off again, and I’m left wondering where he is until he comes back with a bottle of green wine and two glasses. I hold one glass, his fingers brushing against mine as he pours us both a drink. “The queen was right about the wine. Lorenzo is always bringing us bottles back, as it’s the best in the world.”

Emerson surprises me by clinking his glass against mine. “To our first real date, Lady Calliophe.”

I chuckle. “Is that what this is?”

He shrugs a shoulder and takes a long sip. I sip mine, turning to look out across the city. “What are they celebrating tonight?”

“Staruna, the endless night of miracles,” Emerson answers, touching some blue embers in the air. “The witches tell a story of the goddess visiting these woods and meeting the first of their kind. The goddess collected leaves from the trees and built a bonfire, which burnt the color of midnight blue for this night only. On the same night, the young queen of the witches was healed from a sickness she had since she was a child. Other miracles happened across their people, and every year they celebrate, and miracles still happen. Many are called here from all across the world, and they are blessed with whatever it is they need.”

“Do you think the goddess’s miracles stretch to fixing all my problems?” I ask with a chuckle before drinking my wine, and my goddess, it is amazing.

Emerson laughs and shakes his head. “I came here every year for a long time, and the miracle never worked for me. Not until recently. As a child, I used to make silly wishes, and they never came true either, some I’m glad of.”

“Did you come here often as a child?” I ask him.

He nods. “Yes. My mother took me all across the world as she knew I loved to see the world, to experience new things and meet people. My mother, surprisingly, when I was younger, she was kind. Very kind and sweet, and she adored me. I was the child she always wanted, her angel, who she could never quite conceive before. I spent half my childhood with her and the other with my father even as I took over as king in titles alone at eight. My father, on the other hand, was ruthless and didn’t have a clue how to deal with a kid he crowned king as part of the peace treaty made between the fae and Wyerns. Of course, I wasn’t really king in anything but title; he was the true ruler for a long time. I was the prince made for the title of king and I was given the throne at eight to ensure peace between our people. He was a warrior in every part of his life, down to his heart, and his only interest in me was to teach me how to be a king in terms of fighting and combat strategy. If my mother was free, she taught me how to play music, enjoy food and magic. Yes, she also taught me how to be a king one day and what was expected of me, but she always told me to be free in any way I could be.”

“I get the feeling that didn’t stay that way.”

He sighs. “No, it changed overnight. She became cold and cruel, cursing us both. It was my father that did everything to save me in the end. My father, who never showed me an ounce of kindness or mercy in his entire life, was the one who was there to pick me up. I owe him much.”

“I’m sorry you lost them both,” I softly say. “Sometimes I wish I had parents, real parents, but then I hear stories like yours… perhaps I was better off not knowing who they were. Perhaps they would have been monsters. Perhaps they would have pretended like your mother did. I don’t know. The foster parents I had, very few of them ever really had me long enough to treat me as a child of theirs. Even then, I saw it in their eyes. I was a job to them. It made me reluctant to be close to anyone in my entire life and never let anyone close to me in case I was nothing to them, too. Or I lost them.” I close my eyes. “I love Louie and he was the one I let in, along with his mom. She wasn’t my mom, but I love her, and she loved me. Nerelyth was the next one to sneak in there, and now…”

I drift off, looking up at him. He takes the empty glass from my hand and puts them both down before pulling me to him and swaying us to the music.

In his arms, it doesn’t feel so terrifying to admit the truth. “And now there is you.”

“I’m not going to push you away or hurt you, Calliophe,” he breathes out, our mouths inches away. “Give me a chance to prove it. Let me in.”

Instead of answering, I kiss him. It’s the first time that I’ve kissed him when I wasn’t caught up in a rush of power; I’m kissing him for the first time in the calmness, because I want to. He freezes in shock for a moment before passionately kissing me back, and I moan, sinking into his kiss. He pushes us back to the rails, kissing down my jaw, his hands roaming down my dress to my thighs. Slowly he kneels, looking up at me and lifting me onto the rail. “Tell me to stop before I take a taste.”

“Don’t stop,” I whisper, my body feeling like it’s on fire. Emerson growls, pushing up my dress to my waist and seeing that I’m bare underneath. He leans closer, kissing my inner thigh, and I gasp, leaning my head back.

Emerson wastes no time diving to my core, his hot tongue brushing, sucking and swirling around my clit as I cry out in pleasure. All I can see is blue embers floating around me as I grip the rails tightly, unable to do anything else as Emerson controls my body, his tongue licking down my slit and sinking inside of me. He fucks me with his tongue before going back to my clit, and the second he sucks my clit, I crash into the most intense orgasm I’ve ever had. The pleasure is incredible, and Emerson stays with me through all of it until I’m a shaky mess in his arms. He wipes his mouth and leans over me. “You’re trouble for me, Doe.”

I grin, running my fingertips down his shirt, feeling his six-pack. I want to return the favor, as the bulge in his trousers tells me he wants that too, but he moves my hands away from his waistband and looks heatedly at me. “Not yet. I won’t touch you again like this or let myself fuck you until we have talked about everything. I want more than sex, more than a friendship, and it can’t begin like this. I know you’re not ready for that, and I will wait. Even if you decide you never want to hear the truth about everything.”

I nod, looping my hands around his neck. “Not yet.” Holding his gaze, I press my body into his, and he bites his bottom lip.

“Definitely trouble,” he says, shaking his head.

“Maybe the cold king at the end of the world needed a bit of trouble?”

Emerson laughs and rests his forehead against mine. “Maybe I did.”

Chapter Ten

I pick at the delicious pink apple, peeling the skin off slowly to eat first just as Ailen plops down next to me, and I blink at him. Ailen hasn’t been in training for two weeks now, and every time I’ve asked Commander Brace about it, she simply told me to mind my own business. I was getting worried about him, but Felix told me he had seen him around. “Hello, stranger who left me with Lucien. Turns out he is extra dickheady when you’re not here.”

He chuckles with red cheeks at my kind of joke. Lucien is always a dick. “I’ve never had anyone miss me before. I’m sorry I couldn’t send a message, but…”

“But what? Where have you been?” I whisper.

He sighs, rubbing his face. “Working for the prince with the Flames. He wanted information, and I’ve sworn in blood not to tell anyone what. I wish I could tell you.”

“I get it,” I reply, wishing the prince hadn’t made him swear in blood, because I bet it would be useful information to have. He moves a little closer than he usually does and lowers his voice. “It was a good thing I was with the Flames. For you anyway.”

He slides a tiny, hand-sized book out of his jacket, leaving it on the bench in between us. The book is made of purple bound leather, old, curled at the edges like it’s been dropped in water more than once. “The Flames said this: If you can control this book, then perhaps you can control the Shadow. That’s what they call the book you’re looking for. They said there’d be a price for owning it, but they will appear and discuss it with you when the time comes. This book is magically spelled to whoever owns it, as you do now, and it will go wherever you go. It will follow you. Do not open it alone. You don’t want to walk inside whatever’s in there alone, because it looks harmless, but it is not.”

“Thank you, Ailen,” I say, touching the book and feeling nothing. It doesn’t have a scent of magic about it or even a weird feeling, but something in my chest tells me to be careful. Not to open it.

He leans closer. “The Flames almost seemed to be waiting for me to ask for you. They knew your name, and they seemed pleased. I don’t like that. They are secretive, ancient creatures, and they rarely show emotions like that to even me. Please, please be very careful. I could never live with myself if you get hurt because I gave you this book.”

“I will be careful. I promise,” I tell him, picking up the book and sliding it into my pocket.

“I have to go,” he sighs. “The prince isn’t done with me. I might see you at the ball tonight?”

I nod. “Yes, I’m going. Be careful too, my friend. Working for the prince is dangerous, and he can’t be trusted.”

Ailen places his hand on my shoulder. “I know. I’ve always liked the sirens. Did you know that?”

“What?” I ask as he stands up, and he shrugs his shoulders, his eyes pleading with me. Before I can ask him what he meant by that, he gets up and leaves, his shoulders sinking. I finish training early because of the ball, and I head back through the busy castle full of fae running around with flowers, food and banners to be hung everywhere. My guards stay close, Felix moving so he is at my side nearly all the time, and I look up at him. “Ever guarded a ball before?”

“No,” he replies with a coy smile, and he winks at me when no one is looking. I chuckle, happy to have him here, before going back into my room to escape the chaos of the castle. Zurine and Sahana are waiting for me, already in stunning ball gowns of shimmering silver and midnight blue, and they don’t say a word as I immediately go to my pillow, hiding the book under it.

“Was training fun?” Zurine questions, seeing the mud in my hair and on my clothes. I shrug my shoulders, thinking of the combat training against Lucien and how I easily knocked him face-first into the mud outside the circle. More than once.

“Very much.” I grin, with a wicked spark in my eyes. “I can get ready myself, if you have things to do.”

“We’re your friends, and both of us have been to dozens of balls.” Sahana waves off my idea. “And we love helping you. Or I do.”

“I do too,” Zurine agrees. “It reminds me of helping dress my sisters.”

Sahana places her hand on Zurine’s arm, her eyes full of sympathy for something I don’t know. “You had sisters?”

“Four,” Zurine says, coming over and undoing my hair from its ponytail. “But let’s leave the past in the past tonight. The ball is going to be enough to deal with.”

“I’m still surprised so many agreed to come,” Sahana admits, gnawing on her lip. “The castle is alight with the news of the Siren King and the Witch Queen agreeing to come.”

“Let’s hope everyone gets along,” Zurine warns. “Or tonight could begin a new war.”

No one has anything to say to that, and for the next few hours, they help me sort my hair, shine every part of me before helping me into the ridiculous ball gown that the prince chose for me to wear. It’s dark green, made for a princess, and it has layers and layers of satin, chiffon, silk and everything else in between to make the skirt huge. And so heavy. I ignore the request to wear the high heels he sent, and slip my boots on with my dagger slid into the side. The bodice is tight around my chest, barely holding up the weight on the dress, and the moment I’m strapped into it, I can’t wait to get it off.

“This was mine, a gift from an old friend, and I want you to have it,” Sahana says, clipping a silver-chained emerald pendant on my neck.

“Thank you, Sahana,” I say, touching the necklace and smiling at her. She touches my arm softly before stepping back to Zurine’s side, and they both look at me from head to toe.

“You look like a queen of the fae. Being fae really, really suits you.”

“I agree,” Zurine softly comments. “I know a certain male who is very lucky.”

I shake my head and wave at them. “You both look stunning, too. Is it time to go? I’m hoping to see Nerelyth tonight.”

“You will,” Sahana answers. “I’d be surprised if she didn’t come with her father. He usually travels with his oldest, the heir, but tonight is more casual, and he might allow her to come.”

Zurine agrees. “You must watch out for the oldest if she comes tonight. She never liked you when you were Aurora, and she’ll know that you have been reborn. In her eyes, you stole her intended and her title as queen of both the seas and land. She’s never married, and I believe she loved Emerson, which made her bitter and vicious when he never felt the same.”

“Lovely to know I have enemies I don’t even remember making,” I say with a sigh.

“She won’t do anything here,” Zurine reminds me, “but she might be a total bitch tonight. I’ve only met her, and no one knows much about the other sisters. There’s no paintings of them anywhere, and they are kept completely private to their people. That’s why I never knew who Nerelyth was until she told us.”

“I always felt like Nerelyth was trapped somewhere before she came to work with me,” I admit, looking in the mirror at my hair in waves, six braids held together by an emerald green ribbon. “Maybe her father is just very protective.”

“I’ve met sirens just once. They are very alluring and secretive.” Sahana wistfully sighs. “I’d follow one of them into the sea.”

We all laugh before Sahana tells us she needs to go and find her sister to enter the ball together, or her sister would never stop going on about it. When she has left, I look at Zurine. “Any luck with Louie?”

She shakes her head. “The prince chose the fae that go in well. There are a dozen complicated spells in the room, and he has checked every box off when it comes to him. Short of Emerson smashing the spells apart, along with the room, and kidnapping him, we can’t get close.”

“And if we do that, there is a chance Louie could be hurt,” I whisper, wrapping my arms around me.

“There is a chance the prince has fae permanently in the room, told to kill the boy and mother if Emerson tries anything,” she gently whispers. “It’s safer for Louie for us to play this part for a while, but I promise I will break him out myself if I feel like there is a safe chance.”

“I just hate that I haven’t seen him,” I admit, rubbing my chest. “He hasn’t been alone like this before. He must be so scared.”

Zurine doesn’t have an answer for me, and I’m not sure there is one. I touch the dress, rubbing the expensive material between my fingers. This dress alone could have paid for our freedom once, and now I’m afraid nothing will do. That it will be years before the prince even allows me to see Louie, let alone save him from this.

Eventually Zurine changes the subject. “Tonight, many will want to meet you, the fae who was mortal and cursed to be reborn and die. Who saved the Wyerns and, as gossip goes, loves the Wyern King. You’ve met the Snake Kind leader with Emerson in the club.”

“Yeah, I remember him.” I frown. “He knew about the prince and where Solandis was, or at least suspected, and he didn’t help. He isn’t on our side.”

“We both agree on that.” Zurine nods. “You’ve got the mortal mayor of Wyvcelm, the leaders of Junepit City and Goldway City. The supernatural leaders are also coming. The werewolf alpha is new and untested, but he could be a valuable ally. Many of them could be. So let them introduce themselves to you and make sure to hold yourself strong. They will be searching for weakness.”

Posy flies past from the balcony, landing on the bed. “Well, she’s screwed then.”

Zurine ignores her and straightens her shoulders. “Emerson will be at your side for most of it, or I will. Don’t worry.”

“I think it’s time we go then,” I suggest, looking nervously at the door. Zurine inclines her head for me to go first, and my legs shake as I walk to the door, touching the handle and holding my head as high as I can as I step out. I’d rather be walking into a fight alone with five monsters than a room full of royals and important leaders of my world. The guards keep around us, Felix noticeably missing, as Zurine and I walk down the beautifully decorated corridors towards the massive ballroom I’ve never been in before.

It’s absolutely stunning, with an arched doorway, flowers hanging from the ceilings in all shades of purple and green, fae lights hovering around and casting light everywhere. This room was clearly built for balls centuries ago but kept absolutely stunning with ancient statues of the goddess in different positions, sometimes holding her sword or orbs of fae light, sometimes holding the hand of small fae children in stone. Between those statues are arched, black-framed windows with light from the moon shining in and illuminating them like magic. The ceiling is painted with images of fae, mortals, and supernaturals of every kind dancing in multi-colored dresses that match the many colors of the dresses and suits that fill the room now. An orchestra is on a raised platform at the back of the room, fae playing beautiful music and a fae male singing enchanting lyrics. We stop in the arched doorway, and a male fae in a suit introduces us to the court with a bellowing voice.

“The Ladies Zurine and Calliophe of the Royal Fae Court.”

Zurine tenses and I remember that she isn’t of the fae court anymore, but of the Wyern, and I’m not sure I’m either. If I had to choose, I wouldn’t pick the fae court. Hundreds of strangers turn to look at us, their eyes flickering between Zurine and me, harsh whispers filling the air under the sound of the music.

Fuck, this is much worse than I thought it would be. Where can I hide?

We walk into the crowd and, thankfully, many turn away from staring, carrying on drinking together and talking in small groups like they were before. We barely get into the crowd before a very familiar Snake Kind asshole steps in front of us. Grimshaw. He bows his head. “The Lady Calliophe. Last time we met, you were just mortal and you might have been mine. Now look how you’ve risen up the ranks of the world.”

I meet his yellow eyes as he stares at me. He turns to Zurine. “And the king’s whore—”

“Is my friend, so be careful,” I snap.

Grimshaw laughs deeply. “Oh, look at that fire in you, new fae. Look at those pink eyes burn.”

I remember the last time we spoke and how he was interested in my eyes, and he told me to look into it. I’m sure he knows something more, but he can’t be trusted. “What do you want?”

He laughs again. “It seems no one has taught you the ways of courtship yet. I have a message for your friend—Emerson. Tell him our old friendship still stands, and he should heed my warning.”

“What does that mean?” I demand.

He bows his head. “Have a good evening, Calliophe. I’m sure our paths will cross again.”

I take a step forward as he retreats into the crowd, and I look at Zurine. She shrugs. “I’ll tell Emerson for you, but it likely means nothing. Even if it did, Emerson knows who he is dealing with when it comes to Grimshaw.”

Before we can take another step, an unfamiliar male steps in my path and nods his head. He smells like the forest and freshly cut trees. Zurine bows her head. “Alpha Moonsnow,” she says. “I’m sorry to hear of the death of your father.”

“I’m not,” he bluntly replies, looking her over and turning to me. “You are a welcome guest to the pack, Lady Calliophe. Know you may call on us.”

I tilt my head to the side. “You don’t even know me.”

He secretively smiles. “Yet. Enjoy the ball.”

The alpha walks away, and I shake my head. “I’m already getting a headache.”

“It must be all the dazzling dresses when you were so used to rags before,” the prince says with a laugh, dropping his hand on my shoulder. “How lucky you are that I saved you from your poor life.”

“So lucky,” I sarcastically reply. His girlfriend is on his other arm, wearing a very revealing red dress, and she glowers at me.

The prince looks at her. “Go and do something else.”

She walks away almost instantly, and his purple eyes drop to my dress. I don’t know how anyone can look at him and not see the evil lurking beneath the pretty purple eyes. “You look dazzling in the dress I chose for you.”

I don’t reply, and he tightens his grip on my shoulder to a punishing level. “I want you to be with me as we meet people tonight. This is so new to you, after all.”

He looks at Zurine. “Not you. You’re an embarrassment to my court that I cannot rid yet.”

I go to defend her, but she stops me. “As you wish, prince.”

I bite down on my cheek as she vanishes into the crowd. I know it’s not worth the fight. Not right now. Not while he’s got Louie. Not while he knows the secrets of my past that I want to know. I need to know. The prince walks around the ballroom with me, introducing me to dozens of people, people who I could never possibly remember all the names of. Strangely, they seem to know me, and most are kind, like the mortal mayor.

Eventually we come to a male at the back of the room by the dancers, two guards at his side in dark-blue-scaled armor from head to toe. I recognize the smell of salt and sea that radiates from him, and even though he looks young, there is an age to his dark green eyes. The king of the Sirens has a crown made of shiny fossils on his head, twirled around each other, holding a glowing blue jewel. Power radiates off him and the crown, power that makes me think of the sea. A soft, sea blue cloak flows off his shoulders to the floor and matches his pristine suit, which has scales down the trim.

He nods his head to the prince, and the prince returns the gesture. His eyes drift to me for a moment before going back to the Siren King, who speaks first. “I hope you will make our trip worth my time on land, boy. We do not like being on land, and as vague as your invite was, I’ve heard troubling rumors. Where is your grandmother?”

“Sick,” the prince smoothly answers. “The very reason I will be crowned king soon.”

“When another heir lives?” he sneers on the word heir. Emerson.

The prince secretively smiles, glancing at me. “He is dealt with and will rule in the cold mountains.”

The Siren King, who looks so much like Nerelyth, turns to me. “Calliophe, we have heard of you even in the deepest part of my seas. My daughter speaks fondly of you.”

I bow my head. “I’m fond of her, too. Is she here?”

“Yes,” he responds with a small smile for me. “I couldn’t keep her away if I tried.” He turns to the prince. “May I speak to you in private?”

“Yes,” he answers, letting me go and walking away without looking back. I take the chance I’ve got to slip into the crowds and hide in them, searching for red hair. Eventually, I catch a glimpse of shiny red hair, and when two people walk out of the way, I see Nerelyth looking around. My friend grins when she spots me before rushing over in her sea green dress, the very color of the seas.

She wraps her arms around me tightly, her voice low. “I’ve missed you. How are you coping at court?”

“They have Louie, and the prince has me working for him,” I tell her tightly, quietly, so no one can hear. “So the usual.”

“Have you seen him?” she asks, leaning back, and I shake my head, forcing the tears down that push to the surface.

Her eyes soften. “He’s a smart and strong kid.”

I know it’s all she can offer. It’s all anyone can say. “It’s good to see you, too, princess.”

I nod at her tiara, which is made of fossils like her father’s but with no stones. The fossils are polished so brilliantly they glimmer like silver. “You’ll have to come visit me in the glistening sea. Maybe I can ask the prince myself to let you go for a while.”

We both know what that answer would be. “Thousands of miles underwater? You do remember I can’t swim well?”

She laughs. “I can teach you. It’s not that bad and nothing like you’d imagine.”

We both pause as we feel it. Nerelyth looks as frightened as most of the people here, but I only smile as the shadows shiver around the room and raw dark magic spreads across the ball.

“King Emerson of the Wyerns, son of our queen, and his court.”

Whispers spread like wild, untamed fire across the room as Emerson walks in, followed by Felix and Nathiel from his court. They are in their Wyern forms, making a point to look terrifying, whereas Emerson seems relaxed even as he walks into a room full of enemies. He has a black tux on, the tight material showcasing his thick arms and his dark wings behind him.

People jump out of the way for Emerson as he walks through the crowd like they aren’t even there, straight towards me. He stops in front of me and smirks. “Lady Calliophe, a dance?”

My cheeks go red as I realize everyone is looking at us, and thankfully, Nerelyth steps to my side. Nathiel moves closer to the king and turns to her. “Princess Nerelyth, do not move any closer to my king.”

The threat is simple, and I look between them all. She glares at Nathiel, and I move closer to Emerson. “I’d love to dance.”

He takes my hand and we walk to the dancers, never looking back. The music never stops playing, but it feels like a silence spreads around us as Emerson pulls me to his chest and then spins me around and back to him. “Did you choose this dress?”

I laugh. “No, is it that obvious?”

“I prefer the tight ones you choose,” he tells me truthfully. “But still, this might be fun to rip off you at some point.”

I chuckle, imagining just that, turning my cheeks redder than they were before. He leans down, his lips pressing against my ear. “Oh, how I’d love to know what you’re thinking about when you flush like that. My own imagination is making me hard, and in this tight tux, it’s not a good idea.”

I try not to giggle as I pull back and arch an eyebrow, attempting not to look down. He watches me with those knowing eyes of his, and we dance, and for the first time in this ball, I don’t feel so out of place. The prince moves onto the stage, taking the microphone off the singer, and the music stops mid-song, along with everyone dancing. Everyone pauses and looks up at him, including us.

“Welcome to the fae court, my esteemed guests. As you well know, I am no longer just the prince of the fae. I am soon to be king. I was crowned heir quite recently.” He makes a point to look at Emerson and smirk as he says it. Emerson makes a point to glare right back. “I come to you as the soon-to-be king of the fae, as one of the leaders of this world, to ask for unity between all of us. There has never been true unity in our cities, between our races, in our world. But there was once, many thousands of years ago. We had unity against a common enemy that came out of something called the Rift. There are limited books left on what the Rift is, but I’ve found out that it is a gap between our world and another. In the Rift world, everything is made of shadow and death, and they’re coming for us.”

Whispers and gasps burst around the room, and the prince gives them a few minutes before he carries on. “We struggle to kill them, and they take souls as easily as we take lives. Very few weapons work against them. Magic is nearly ineffective unless in great strength. Could you imagine an army of them coming for us? Because I see this future, and it will be the end of our world. End of everything. End of our races. These shadows will not stop until all life is gone, and they are powerful enough to make it happen. I brought you here today to show you the Rift. The passageway is protected by the same magic as this room, and you will be safe. You’re more than welcome to sense the magic yourselves before following me in small groups—”

He pauses as the ground shakes below our feet, and people start screaming, scrambling past us. I turn back to look at what they’re looking at as the ground continues to shake hard, and Emerson wraps his arms around me to hold me up. More screams echo around the room, and more people push past us, trying to escape whatever’s going on. I hear breaking, cracking of something, right before there is an unearthly screech. As the people clear and hide behind us or outright run away, I see a long clawed shadow paw escaping from the ground right before its head breaks through, smashing the floor tiles to pieces. The creature almost resembles a lizard, made of shadows and darkness, with a long tongue, very sharp teeth and pointed ears. Its tongue lashes out, grabs hold of a fae female nearby, and pulls her screaming straight into its mouth, blood pouring to the floor seconds later.

Sickness rolls in my stomach as I look at Emerson, whose eyes have turned white, his skin rippled and changed to grey, and he looks down at me for a moment before stepping forward. “Get out of here. Now, Calli!”

People continue screaming as the creature just continues to crawl out of the hole and then knocks a bunch of them out of the way with its long, scaled tail. “I’m not leaving you.”

“I’ll stop it,” Emerson growls. “But find Zurine and protect each other. I’m commanding my court to get the people out of this room.”

I nod, kissing his scaled cheek before rushing into the crowd to look for Zurine. I soon get knocked over, and I trip on the skirts of my dress when I try to get up. People carry on rushing to try to escape the room in any way they can, and I end up sliding across the floor to a goddess statue and ripping my dress on the broken tiles as I stand up. Emerson is holding the creature down with his shadows, vines of them thickly wrapped around it, pulling chunks of the creature apart. It roars, fighting at Emerson’s magic, and it lashes out with its claws and tail until its large tail slams into Emerson, throwing him across the room.

“NO!” I scream, running for Emerson, who grunts as he slams into one of the statues, which cracks with the impact. My heart stops as he collapses, and I’m running for him without even thinking about the creature. The shadow creature jumps in the air and lands in between us, in front of me, close enough for me to smell the blood and death on it. It opens its mouth and roars at me, a long roar that hurts my ears and makes me shake from the force. I pull my power and cover myself in flames, shaping a dragon and throwing all my power at it in pure fear. A dragon bigger than me slams out of my hands and right at the shadow creature, and it only steps back, my flames turning to black smoke.

It jumps through the smoke at me, its large teeth open, and I turn to run, only for someone to slam into me and push me out of the way as the creature jumps into the space where I was just standing. Merrick holds himself protectively over me and rolls us both to a stop. “You okay?”

I nod, shocked, as he helps steady me. Merrick turns and his eyes widen as the creature growls, twisting to face us again. Emerson flies past us and lands on the creature’s back, a whip of shadows in his hand that he wraps around the creature’s neck. Every shadow in the room soars to his command, attacking the creature all at once, like a thousand daggers slamming into it made only of darkness. The creature roars, and its dying screams echo around the room as it struggles under Emerson’s power before exploding into shadows. Emerson falls to the floor where it once was, breathing heavily, and he looks up at me, his eyes wide. Both of us stare at each other, completely and utterly shocked.

The silence spreads around the room for a long time as people come back, slowly filling the room, seeing the king of the Wyerns left standing and the creature gone. Complete and utter silence seems to drag around us. Zurine comes rushing over to my side, and she nods at Merrick, saying something I don’t hear. He nods back at her.

Emerson comes over and takes me from Zurine, and I happily let him hold me. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine,” I tell him, only just now noticing the cuts on my side from the broken tiles. His power spreads over me, and the cuts disappear along with the pain they caused. I lean on his chest. “Thank you.”

The Siren King steps onto the platform. “What the fuck was that?”

No one has an answer until the prince steps onto the platform alongside the king. “It was from the Rift. A larger creature than we are used to.”

Every leader in the world, in this room, just witnessed that. The prince looks too smug, too happy, for me to believe he didn’t have something to do with it. “The creature must have killed my guards. I do apologize.”

“Can you stop the Rift from letting more of them out?” the Siren King demands.

The prince smiles. “Maybe. We will need to work together on an old spell to bind that world. It will take every single one of us working together. It’s why I brought you here. To witness the Rift and to hear the solution I’ve come up with.”

The Siren King offers his hand to a beautiful red-haired female, who steps on the stage. She doesn’t look like the king or Nerelyth, who stands nearby, but it’s clear she is the princess of the sirens and the heir from her crown alone. “We will see the Rift and work together with the fae. In exchange, I want an engagement to the new heir to the throne and the crown that was once promised to be shared with me.”

The room goes silent as the princess looks at Emerson and then at me, sneering and hissing once.

The prince bows his head and offers her his hand. “What an honor it would be to have you as my queen. It seems we have a deal.”

They begin talking quietly, and Emerson leans down to me. “We should leave.”

I nod in agreement, but Merrick steps in our way, and Emerson growls at him. “Calli, two more fae children went missing last night. I thought you’d want to know about your work with the prince. I’m trying to find them, too.”

My heart freezes. “Two more?”

He nods and steps back. “Be careful.”

Emerson leads me around Merrick, with Zurine, Nathiel, and Felix following after us. In all this chaos, more children are gone, and I still don’t know how to find them. I still don’t know anything, it seems.

Chapter Eleven

“I heard about the disastrous ball that happened last night,” Lorenzo finally says, tilting his head to the side, watching me after I finish the hundredth push-up he demanded for not holding a dagger the way he taught me a week ago and then not throwing it the way he taught me. I thought Commander Brace was strict and ruthless, but she has nothing at all on Lorenzo. Nothing. “I’m glad I didn’t come in the end.”

“And I’m done for the day,” I pant, rolling on my back. “And I’m never getting up.”

He sighs, the barbaric bastard, and walks off to the table with jugs of water and glasses, pouring us each one even though he doesn’t have a drop of sweat on him. Our training sessions always end like this, and I might hate them, but I know he is pushing me for a reason… so I don’t die if someone attacks me. After last night and the shadow creature thing, I need all the training I can get. “Come on, how are you doing after that?”

“That was the first ball I’ve ever been to and my first real fight as a fae, and I couldn’t do anything as that creature walked through my flames and ate a female fae. I didn’t even know her name, and the truth of it was, if Merrick didn’t push me out of the way and Emerson didn’t distract it, I would be dead,” I answer him truthfully, because he is my friend and I know he won’t judge me for it. “It’s just something I’d rather forget.”

“I agree you should forget it but not completely. We can learn from last night,” he says, walking back over to me. Merrick’s words echo around in my mind that more children are missing, and I’m failing. Majorly failing all of them by not finding the children or having a clue where to look. I asked Zurine about fae children turning ten, and apparently nothing special happens. Fae children get their power often between the ages of five and eight, and rarely later than that. All the children that were missing had their gifts. “Emerson said you didn’t sleep well.”

I nod, looking up at the ceiling as Lorenzo gets back to me. Emerson stayed with me all night, quiet but still there in case I needed him. I know he’s thinking about it, that creature he ripped to pieces, and I could tell that it was hard for him to destroy it. And that was just one of those things. What if the Rift is full of them? How could we fight them off? “The Rift is much bigger than it was weeks ago.”

“It’s worrying,” Lorenzo agrees, sitting on the floor next to me, offering me a glass of water. I sit up, my bones literally aching with the effort, and drink all of it. “Maybe the prince isn’t completely fucking insane in wanting the world fighting together against this. He must know the fae are sitting on the Rift and will be destroyed first.”

“He is insane and I don’t trust his motives,” I reply. “When he is king, he will be unstoppable.”

Lorenzo snorts. “Emerson is the only unstoppable fae I’ve met.”

I smile at that. “Why weren’t you there last night?”

He leans back. “Well, you could say I’m not interested in seeing the Witch Queen for a little while, you know, after I had to accept her proposal to marry her cousin. But don’t worry, witches are usually engaged for years, and I plan to have a long fucking engagement before I even have to meet my bride.”

“Who is she, and you agreed to marry someone you’ve never met?” I blurt out.

He laughs, knocking my shoulder. “She is one of the very distant cousins to the queen’s consort, but a close friend of hers from what I’ve heard. Either way, my aunt is the only other living descendant of my bloodline, and the queen insists on my bloodline continuing with a witch. It was always going to happen, and I did it in exchange for an alliance with the Wyern court that Emerson needed, even if he would never ask for it.”

I sigh, leaning my head on his big shoulder. “Sounds sad.”

“Arranged marriages aren’t a new thing, little faeling,” he reminds me. “I always knew that the witches would never have let me choose a bride, and I’m not sad about it. I want a family, Calli, and someone to call mine. The chances of finding my true mate are slim to none, and I’ve accepted that. We can’t all be as lucky as—”

He pauses as I go still, and then he changes the subject. “I hope my not-so-soon-to-be bride is absolutely awful, so at least I can argue with her and have angry sex to create pretty kids.”

“Eww.” I snort, laughing. “I hope you can find friendship with her. Maybe she won’t be so bad.”

“Like you and Emerson? You keep Emerson happy. I like this version of him. It’s been so long since he stopped moping.”

I go silent and he smirks, loving how uncomfortable he has made me. “Come on. Let’s go for a walk around the castle while we wait for Zurine to finish what Zurine does,” he says, jumping to his feet and offering me his hand.

I stretch out my tired legs before taking his hand and standing up. “So, what have you been up to then?”

He wraps his arm around my shoulder. “I’ve been bored, mostly, my friend. I’m stuck in here all the time, managing the hotheads of the court while Emerson resists throwing them out the window. It doesn’t help that we can’t travel to Ethereal City to enjoy its pleasures.”

“You’ve not been going into the city?”

“No, not at the moment. We still have mortals coming here through the mirrors sometimes, but not like before. But we’re being careful while there is so much going on, and we don’t need a spy for the prince getting in here,” he explains.

“Yeah, I get it,” I tell him as we head through the castle, past the other training rooms where Wyerns are sparring, both in Wyern form and not.

“Want to see—”

Lorenzo pauses mid-sentence, looking ahead, and I follow his gaze to see his father standing in the corridor, a big smile on his face. I haven’t seen him in weeks and not since I’ve become a fae. I can almost sense how old he is now, and see it in his eyes, along with an air of strange magic hanging off him. He waves his hand for me to come into his room, and I look at Lorenzo, who shrugs a shoulder.

I walk over to the old king. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.”

He grunts, heading into the small piano room where I would usually see him, and he sits down at the piano, patting the space next to him. I sit down, smiling warmly at him. “I know you probably won’t say a word while Lorenzo is here, but I’m sorry I haven’t been back. Are you mad?”

“No,” he answers, and I glance at Lorenzo at the door, his spine straight, and he looks so shocked to hear his father’s voice.

“Being fae suits you, but not as much as being Wyern might,” he tells me, patting my arm. “Do come back sometimes to learn how to play.”

“I’m here now,” I tell him with a gentle smile. He looks pleased and begins playing the piano, a familiar nursery song that I’ve heard sung once or twice before. It’s an upbeat tune, but I don’t remember the words. I mimic him on the piano for a while until I get the hang of it and end up playing alongside him, and he looks happy for a while. When we finish the song, I look at Lorenzo and find Emerson with him, watching us both. He nods at me, his eyes soft.

I place my hand on the old fae’s shoulder. “I’ve got to go now. It’s good to see you, and I’ll come back.”

He puts his hand over mine on his shoulder. “Watch out for the shadows, because they are looking for you.”

I freeze and sense both Emerson and Lorenzo coming closer. “What shadows? Do you mean from the Rift?”

He doesn’t say anything else, and he lowers his hand before going back to playing the piano. I leave him to it, knowing I can’t push him into telling me more, and Emerson wraps his arm around my waist, leading me out to the corridor. Lorenzo scratches his chin and closes the door behind him.

“It’s fucking weird and no coincidence that he said that,” Lorenzo begins.

“Very weird,” I agree.

Emerson lets me go but stays close, crossing his arms. “My research into the Rift isn’t coming up with much, and I think my father must know something, from what he just said. I don’t like not knowing more than the prince on this. I believe last night was a trap or test to see who could destroy the creature. The prince was watching.”

“You think he can control them?” I ask.

“Maybe,” Emerson suggests. “But last night was a trap for everyone, and he succeeded in spreading fear to every supernatural race.”

“I can ask your father more, but not today,” I say. “I’ll come here after training.”

“Thank you,” Emerson replies and turns to Lorenzo. “Emergency court meeting this evening. We should get there to tell them all about last night before Solandis makes it worse.”

“Oh, I locked her in her room with a few spells,” Lorenzo says with a chuckle. “I knew she would be a pain in the ass about last night.”

Emerson laughs. “She is going to murder you when she gets out.”

“True, but she will use a fuck ton of power to get out first and then be tired.” He grins and winks at me. “Don’t look horrified. It’s a sibling thing.”

“I’m suddenly glad you’re not my sibling,” I mutter.

He laughs and flicks my hair. “Not in blood, but maybe in marr—”

Lorenzo flies down the corridor with a brush of shadows, and Emerson offers me his elbow, ignoring Lorenzo’s grunt as he slams into the wall. “Let’s go for dinner.”

I chuckle and take his arm, leaving Lorenzo to catch up, grumbling to himself. We head to the private dining room by the lounge, and we all eat dinner together like we always do after training here. I’ve grown to love the family arguments they have and the random discussions about court that I never understand. Zurine comes to dinner a little late, and we wait for her to finish before leaving. After dinner, I head back to the fae court with Zurine to find Sahana in my room, waiting for me. She stands up off the bed as we come through the mirror portal, and Zurine smiles at her before closing the portal behind her.

“Hello, my friend,” Zurine greets her, and they hug each other before Sahana smiles at me.

“I wondered if you wanted any food for the night, and then I found Merrick waiting outside. I’ve made excuses for you, but I thought I’d better stay or he might barge in,” she explains.

“Thank you,” I tell her, looking at the door. “Think he is still here or got bored yet?”

“Still here,” both Zurine and Sahana say at the same time. Sahana walks to the door and then suddenly turns back. “Oh, and you’re friends with Ailen, right? The new fae with flame like you. He told me you trained together?”

“Yes,” I answer. “Why?”

“I work in the library sometimes and see him there,” she explains. “Anyway, he’s rather sweet, but he’s not been there for a few days. I just wanted to see if he was okay.”

“I saw him yesterday morning, and he was fine, but I’ll ask him why he hasn’t been to the library. I thought it was his favorite place.”

“Thank you,” she says with a shy smile.

Zurine sighs. “I’m going back to my room. It’s been a long day, unless you need me to stay?”

“No, go,” I say, waving at the door as Sahana opens it. “I’m going straight to bed after a shower.”

Like my friends agreed on, Merrick is waiting outside while I hold the door open for Zurine to follow after Sahana.

Merrick steps forward. “I didn’t see you head in, Lady Zurine.”

“Maybe you blinked,” she coldly replies.

“I want to speak to my fiancé. Alone,” he demands, and Zurine moves in front of me, the air going ice cold.

Zurine looks back at me, and I nod. “It’s fine.”

“You sure?” Zurine double-checks, and I nod again.

“She doesn’t need a guard dog,” Merrick snaps. “Especially not you.”

“Careful, Merrick. You forget I’ve known you a lot longer and know all your secrets. I could tell Calliophe so many,” she begins, picking at her nails. “Or freeze your balls off. Be nice to my friend.”

Zurine walks away, her heels clicking, and I feel proud to have a friend like her. I need to learn to be as fierce as Zurine, and maybe in hundreds of years, I will be. I hold the door open for Merrick, and he storms in. “What’s wrong?”

He paces up and down. I move to sit cross-legged on my bed, waiting for him to get on with it. “The prince shut down the enforcer unit completely. He came in, took all the monsters, well, most of them. He left a few that I think he believes are too dangerous, like that starfish one you liked. He took all of the others and fired everyone. Wendy has been crying all day.”

I frown. “So, there are no enforcers in the city? Who is going to protect people?”

“No one,” Merrick bluntly says, and my chest hurts. All the enforcers fired? So many of them joined up because they have families to feed or nowhere to go. We protected people and made sure no one got hurt by monsters. Without us, monsters are going to roam free. It’s hard to imagine they are all gone. The very race of people that I grew up with, who died to protect me. Gone.

“Whatever you think of me, Calli, we both must agree that this isn’t good for mortals. I spent years protecting the mortals because I know what it is like to be the bottom of the barrel in the world,” he tells me, leaning against the wall. “At the end of the day, we both know what happens if you don’t protect them, and I never want to hear children dying because a monster killed everyone.”

“I can’t help, Merrick, but I wish I could,” I tell him with a gulp. “It was my job, and I loved it, even with the shit pay. I loved helping people, fighting for them, and I don’t know what a world would look like for mortals without enforcers.”

“Shit,” Merrick grumbles. “You need to ask the prince to bring them back. I’ve tried with the queen, but she is worse than before, and I can’t get through.”

“He isn’t going to listen to me, Merrick,” I point out. “I’m a tool to him, just like you are, just like every fae is. He pulled them in to protect himself, and I know that’s all he cares about. He thinks mortals are nothing.”

“Try,” Merrick insists. “Just try.”

“I will,” I promise. “If that’s everything, you can leave.”

He steps closer. “I fucked up and I want to apologize for being too possessive. But we were friends once, and I realized when you were in danger at the ball… I’d rather keep you alive than argue with you until we are both dead. I watched Aurora die before… I don’t want to see you die.”

“Thank you for helping me,” I flatly tell him, standing up off the bed. “But if you really want to be friends, you need to get it out of your head that I’m yours. I’m not.”

He sighs. “Well, not until our marriage.”

“Out.” I point at the door. “Thanks for helping me and telling me about the enforcers. I will try with the prince.”

He nods, heading to the door, and looks back over his shoulder. “I’m always here if you need me.”

I don’t reply, because I can’t make the same promise to him, not while he still thinks there’s a chance I’m going to marry him in the future. He leaves and I head to the shower, hoping tomorrow won’t bring more horrors.

I hope the old king is wrong and the shadows aren’t coming for me. Because if they do… I don’t know how I would escape.

Chapter Twelve

“I’m glad the court is out for today,” I mutter, lying back on my bed dramatically. It was the first court meeting since the ball, and all they talked about was the engagement, the creature, and the Rift being fixed by the Fae Prince. Which meant a day of listening to them treat him like a fucking god when it was Emerson who stopped the creature and killed it. They seem to like pretending the creature magically disappeared.

Zurine chuckles, taking off her long diamond earrings and leaving them on the side. I kick off the flat, slightly heeled shoes and rub my sore feet. My dress only falls to my knees, and I couldn’t wear my boots, which just made the court worse. I grab a black top and some black leggings before I head into the bathroom and quickly throw them on before coming out. Zurine, who leaves clothes in here now of hers, has changed into a long silver top. It falls elegantly to her hips, with silky silver trousers and silver sandals to go with them. She goes and sits cross-legged on my bed, glancing at the pile of books.

“Does Emerson give you those?” she asks. “There always seem to be new spicy ones when I come here.”

I grin and sit down. “I’m a fast reader. He reads them first and leaves paper notes stuck to the pages he likes. Honestly, it makes my day.”

“I believe I need to read more.” She hums, picking up the book and looking at the first page. Her cheeks brighten and I chuckle as she puts it down. “How are things between you two, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“It’s been interesting getting to know each other. We have the lust part sorted, and the rest is coming along easier than I thought,” I admit. My cheeks go red when I remember the time with the witches, remembering that balcony, remembering his lips… I push back memories that keep me awake at night far too often, knowing that I’ll see him soon. I saw him just last night when he slept here, so I’m sure Zurine can smell his scent all over this room.

“How are you?” I ask, changing the subject.

She smiles with a knowing look in her eyes. “Good. Dealing with the court as usual and their judgment. Never thought I’d come back here, and some memories are good. Most are bad.”

“I have a crazy idea,” I admit, hoping to distract her from the bad memories and maybe make some new ones. She furrows her brow. “I want to see the queen again, and not with Merrick or anyone there I don’t trust. No guards.”

She crosses her arms. “How do you plan to do this?”

“I was hoping my friend knew a way to sneak in,” I ask with a pointed and cheeky look. “Maybe the mirrors could take us?”

She sighs. “The mirrors only work for Emerson within certain wards, like the queen’s room. Calliophe, I can see you feel sorry for her, but you know what she is? She cursed you, ripped your soul apart, and destroyed your mortal body. She hates you, and the curse was brutal.”

“I don’t feel sorry for her,” I try to explain. “But I think she wanted to tell me more. I just have this gut feeling we are all missing something about the Rift. It might be nothing, and I have no desire to help her in any way, or even be around her, but I know I have to try for the sake of the missing children.”

“Calli…”

“Maybe if I’m alone with her again, she might warn me of something else and make it clearer. Emerson told me when we were in the witches’ city, that she was once kind, and maybe, deep down, there is a part of her that regrets what she did and is trying to help me help the children,” I suggest. “For them, this is worth the risk.”

“But he hasn’t told you what happened afterwards,” she softly replies. “After the curse, what she did to Lorenzo… you’d hate her if you knew. There is no goodness in her soul, but I can see your point. She might tell you something for whatever reason she wants.”

I’m curious about Emerson, what happened with the curse exactly, and what happened afterwards that so many have mentioned here and there. Call me a coward, but it feels like knowing the past, accepting it, is moving faster than I’m ready for. A lot has changed over the last few weeks, and I still need a bit of time to accept everything.

“We better go and see her tonight then,” she says with a sigh, sliding off the bed. “With the prince being crowned tomorrow, there’s a very good chance he’s going to get rid of her. I don’t know if he’ll kill her, but he will make her disappear to one of the other cities so she isn’t a problem for him.”

“He won’t want any of the court to go to her to question anything he does,” I agree. “I might never get close again.”

Zurine pulls her long hair into a ponytail. “I’m meant to be protecting you, not getting you into possible danger by sneaking around the castle, but she must have known about the Rift for years, and Emerson has already tried speaking with her, and nothing.”

“I’ll tell Emerson it was all my idea,” I say with a big smile.

She laughs. “Damn right you will. I’m hiding when he finds out. I do know a way of sneaking in, but it’s risky and we need to climb.”

“I’m good at climbing,” I answer, sliding my boots on. “Let’s go.”

She laughs. “Come on then. We can use the old attic tunnels. I remember some of them lead to the queen’s quarters, and I can use my powers to make sure no one hears us.”

“Did you used to use the tunnels then?” I ask, walking towards the balcony with her.

Her eyes flash with pain. “The mortal children, like I was, used to hide around the castle in the tunnels, watching. They were used a lot once, but not so much anymore now. They don’t let mortals work here, and the fae children don’t need to hide.”

Faster than I could, she jumps off the balcony onto the slanted wall, digging her feet into the brick ledges, and begins climbing up. I’m nowhere near as graceful as her, and my feet wobble as I climb on the edge and jump onto the wall, the brick cutting into my hand as I hold on. I look down and regret it. We are so high up. Gripping onto the brick wall, I begin climbing up bit by bit before using the rooftop edge to pull myself up onto the flat surface. It’s so dark I can just about make out Zurine waiting for me before jumping to the next rooftop. It takes at least twenty minutes before we’re at the top of the rooftops on the other side of the castle, and I’m out of breath as we stop near a massive chimney that looks old and unused. Zurine walks over to the chimney, and I follow her over, looking at the brick and spotting the concealed door. The wind blows harshly around us as Zurine tugs the door open and slides in. She lights a fae light in her hand while I climb in and pull the door shut.

I brush some cobwebs out of the way, dust filling the air. “It’s tiny in here, and I need to learn how to make fae light.”

She smiles. “Fae light is difficult to learn, and I didn’t learn for a hundred years. It comes from our souls as fae, and you wish it into existence as easy as breathing. Every fae can do it with any gift, but it’s hard to learn the skill in the first place. I will practice with you one day.”

“I’d like that, thank you,” I tell her as she begins to move forward, and I stay close behind her, the fae light hovering in the middle of us. Floorboards creak with every step we make, but Zurine doesn’t stop, feeling the walls for gaps and searching her way. It’s clear she remembers this. The walls get closer together for a bit, brushing against my shoulders, and there is so much dust that it takes a lot not to sneeze. I dread to think about spiders or any other creatures that might be crawling around here. Eventually, we come to a larger clearing with old blankets pushed in the corners and drawings on the walls that have faded with time. Zurine pauses to look around before carrying on.

She suddenly puts her hand in the air, and the light dims. I look down in a gap in the boards to see several guards down the corridor with priestesses behind them. “This is the queen’s room ahead, and the priestesses must be going to bless the queen. We should go back and wait for a bit.”

“Good idea.” We make our way back to the small room we passed, and I sit down next to her, leaning against the wall. “Do you remember this room?”

“Yes,” she whispers, touching a drawing of a horse and princess. “I don’t think we will have to stay here long. Usually they’re about an hour for an ancient blessing of health or whatever crap they come out with.”

I lean back. “I take it you’re not a fan of them?”

“More I pity them,” she admits. “They don’t leave the castle, and they are prisoners to the goddess they claim cares for them now. Most of them were forced into being a priestess due to their lives before and how bad they were. You don’t get many fae that are born into luxury and love their lives who want to become a priestess and swear off everything good about being fae. They can’t love, they can’t have children, they can’t use magic, and they can’t leave these walls. They are servants.”

“I didn’t know that about them. They seem quite content.”

She links her fingers together on her lap. “They probably are, for all I know. I more dislike the rules set upon them. I once thought about being a priestess, for it might have saved me. It turns out it wasn’t actually an option for me in the end.”

“Why not?” I whisper.

“Because I belonged to the Fae King, and he would have killed every priest to take me from him,” she whispers, her voice hoarse. “When I came here, I was only twelve. My mother came here to work after a fae had seen her dresses for sale in Junepit City, where I was born, not long after our father was killed for his gambling debts. She was a brilliant seamstress. Her dresses were so incredible that you would cry looking at them, and she had a skill that I’ve never seen since.”

She sucks in a breath. “They were just beautiful, so in time, the queen hired her and we were happy. We had food, a castle to live in, and it was so much better than it had been for us before. Many of the dresses the queen wore for a lifetime were stitched by my mother. Not just the queen, but several ladies in the court paid so much that my mother was given a lady title and a fortune and an offer to be fae. She refused and also refused for her five daughters, due to the risk of dying.”

“What happened?” I whisper.

She gulps. “Fae sickness came. Many, many fae died throughout the castle that year, including all the king’s mistresses. He had seven at the time. The healers got sick, and there weren’t enough mortals to help the fae with normal tasks and look after the children who weren’t sick. So the queen demanded the mortal children that usually hid in the shadows of her castle to come and help. I was sixteen at the time and so happy to help.”

She snorts before continuing. “What a fool I was. My sisters didn’t want to help, and they continued to hide whenever they could, but I didn’t. I went everywhere, helped everyone I could until I passed out from lack of sleep and food. That’s when I caught his attention. The king. The books say he was handsome, but he wasn’t; he was thin-faced and lacked hair. He was cruel, and he claimed I was one of the most beautiful mortals he’d ever seen, even dirty and covered in dust and just sixteen at the time. He claimed my sisters were the same. My youngest sister was only seven.”

Everything goes silent and I reach for her hands, placing mine on top of hers. “You don’t have to tell me any more.”

“I want to,” she admits, lowering her head. “One night I woke up to my mother’s screams and saw she had been killed by one of the king’s guards, trying to protect us. I was held down, listening to my sisters’ screams as they injected the serum into all of us.”

“My goddess,” I whisper in horror.

“He wanted to turn us into fae, to be his forever. You know what it’s like to be turned—you instantly pass out and you get a choice to come back. I came back for my sisters and to avenge my mother, but it didn’t work out like that. I woke up alone to start with, and then Sahana’s mother came to me. She was the one who told me about my sisters, held me as I screamed, as she explained none of them woke. The guards dragged her out of the room when the sun set that night, and an hour later the king came to see me.” She turns her hand and holds mine, her skin pale. “He was pleased, so pleased that he raped me and took my virginity that night. I was his after that night, every night, and I never left that room for the first three years of being fae. The priestess even came to my room to find out my power, and then they used similar magic to the bangles to bind my magic so I couldn’t fight off the king while he ‘tamed’ me.”

I don’t know what to say as tears fall down my cheeks. “I was just there to be used, and he liked me so much. He named me his lady, gave me the titles promised to my mother and the money she worked for. After three years, he decided he wanted to show me off to the court, the doll he’d made and controlled. I’d lost sight of any life I could have at that point. I honestly wanted to give up and tried to take my life several times. Sahana stopped me once, and that was the beginning of our friendship.”

“I’m glad you didn’t,” I say, my voice breaking along with my heart.

“Me too. For so many uncountable years, I wasn’t alive, but slowly I tried to imagine a way to escape. The king let me use my magic, my gift, only to show it off in court. I was there when Emerson was cursed and everything happened. The king was furious. He couldn’t make heirs, and the queen had found another way, and the queen made it clear she would just have another child with someone else. She made it very clear she was going to have an heir one way or the other since Emerson wasn’t up to it. I think she was in love with Emerson’s father, but I’m not sure,” she says, slowly breathing out. “After a hard night with the king, I was standing on top of the castle, and I jumped. Emerson caught me. He was just as broken as me then, and he didn’t know anything about my life, what the king was like, and he tried to help me. I knew Aurora. I was friends with her, and she was kind to me. I was grieving for her too.”

“You lost so much. How do you keep fighting?”

She turns to me. “For my family. So that no one goes through what I did. That is my fight, until the end of my life and until the goddess meets me one more time. I owed Emerson my life, and when he tried to leave, I was caught helping him. The king assumed that this was because I was in love with Emerson and wouldn’t see through his jealousy. His obsession with controlling and owning me was all he could see. He dragged me back to my room, and I snapped. I snapped like I never had before, and I killed him. I turned him to ice and smashed him to pieces. I loved it. I will never regret that day, only that I didn’t do it sooner. Emerson took the blame for it, and he came back for me. He got Lorenzo to take me back to his court, away from here, and he suffered because of it. I swore myself to Emerson’s court, and I still owe him a great debt. Even if he claims not to be owed anything at all.”

“The king deserved to die, and he deserved to have you kill him.”

She leans her head on my shoulder. “Emerson’s my brother in every sense of the word, and he gave me a family again. I will always miss my sisters and mother. That is just never going to change. I miss the mortal life I had, or could have had, and for years I hated the fae version of myself. But I’ve learned to embrace it now. It may have been forced upon me, like so much else, but if I didn’t enjoy my life and live, the king would win. I am not controlled by him or anyone. I never will be again.”

I wipe my tears away and lean over to pull her into a hug. “I’m so sorry about your sisters and mother. You have a family, Zurine. Even me. I’m so sorry that ever happened to you, and I can’t imagine your pain or your fear of this place. I can understand why you hate the court, and it means so much more to me now, knowing everything, that you came back here for me. I owe you a debt.”

“Emerson always says family owe no debts to each other but love,” she whispers to me. “How about we do that?”

“Sounds perfect,” I whisper back, my voice breaking once more. She holds me tightly, and I hope one day she finds her peace. “How did you kill him if he turned you into a fae?”

“He used the queen’s blood serum,” she tells me, leaning back. “So I’m loyal to her in a sense, but over time it weakens.”

“I was hoping you found a way around it so I could kill the prince.”

“I can kill him for you, or Emerson might beat me there,” she suggests. Even if the idea of doing it makes me feel sick to my stomach, I shrug a shoulder because words feel impossible with this blood bond that makes me want to protect him.

“Come on, let’s go see if the room’s empty,” she suggests, crawling to her knees. We crawl down the tunnel and find the queen’s room is empty other than the queen herself, still in bed. Zurine nods at me, and she uses her power to destroy several planks of wood before kicking through the plaster. “After you.”

I nod and lower myself down before letting go and landing in a crouch in the middle of the room. Zurine jumps out after me, and we both go silent, listening for guards coming in, but nothing happens. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

Zurine walks to the door, and I head to the queen lying peacefully in her bed, but she’s not asleep. Her eyes are wide open, staring at the ceiling but not seeing anything. “Do you remember me?” I sit on the edge of the bed at her side. “I want to know what you meant last time when you warned me. Why did you say that? Are you even in there anymore?”

Nothing happens. She doesn’t move and I frown. I look over at Zurine, just as the queen sits up suddenly and grabs onto my wrist with her cold hand. Instantly, I’m not in the bedroom at all but somewhere else, and I’m standing in a gold dress. Another place that I don’t know. There are dark red walls, gold pillars in each corner, and no windows. In the center of the room is a shadow creature, vaguely shaped like a mortal person, but with no features.

“No! No! I won’t do it! He is my son, and he is happy! I can’t!” The person I am pleads and begs, and the creature vibrates with anger. I look down at my reflection only for a second to see that I’m the queen, more alive than I’ve ever seen her. Maybe younger too. The shadow steps forward again and again as I back away, tears falling down my cheeks. The queen’s cheeks. This is her memory. “I don’t want to do this!”

“But you will,” a soft female voice exclaims.

The queen doesn’t look at her, the other female in the room, and all I feel is the queen’s terror and love for Emerson as the shadow slams into her body. Then there isn’t anything at all for a while until I open my eyes and see the queen in front of me, watching as the shadow controls the queen’s body and moves to the hooded female witch.

They hold hands and begin chanting words, power slamming into the room, the dark curse beginning.

Suddenly I’m pulled from the memory and back into someone’s arms, thick muscular arms. Hands cup my face, and cold wind blows in from a broken window nearby. I can’t stop crying. The queen never cursed Emerson and me. It was a shadow creature of some kind. “She loved you, Emerson. Poppysilna loved you so much.”

He frowns at me, looking between the queen and me. “What are you talking about? How do you know my mother’s name?”

“We’ve got company!” Zurine shouts, and I look over to see she has made a wall of ice between the door and the rest of the room. Emerson picks up both of us easily before spreading his wings and jumping out the open window into the cold night.

Chapter Thirteen

Emerson gets us back to the balcony before I tell them both everything I saw in the memory. They both look shocked, and Zurine opens a portal and goes back to the Wyern court to tell Lorenzo what has happened.

Emerson sits on the end of my bed and bows his head. “I never thought for a second it wasn’t her. I’ve hated her for years, let her suffer here alone and… it wasn’t her.”

“How could you have known?” I whisper, walking closer and sitting at his side. I slide my hand into his. “All that matters is that she wasn’t in control when she cast that curse, and I think tonight, she fought to show me the truth. We now know the shadows can control people and not just kill them. We need to look at the fae court and who else could be one of them.”

“The witch knew,” Emerson growls, running a hand through his black hair. “She knew it wasn’t my mother but a shadow who cast it. I’m going to fucking kill her.”

“Do you know who she was?”

Darkness spreads around the room, and the fae lights shake. “Emerson?”

He blinks and turns to me. “No, but I am suddenly invested in finding out, and I will rip the witches apart until they give her to me.”

We drop into silence, and I look at the male who used to be my enemy, who saved my life so many times, who risked so much to help me. Who is now my friend, my almost lover, and a better male than I knew possible. The more I hear, the more I can’t deny how much I’m falling for him. “Tell me everything, Emerson. I need to know so we can start this, really start whatever this is between us.”

His eyes soften as he looks at me, looks past, deep into my soul. He goes to say something when there’s a knock at the door. Three sharp knocks and Emerson pauses, his jaw going tight. “I’ll be on the balcony watching, or we can just leave. I’ll drop you back home and then get Louie with my court. We are done here. It’s too dangerous now.”

“I want Louie out before we leave,” I say, parting my lips. I lean forward and kiss him softly. “Then we can go home together.”

His eyes light up, and he kisses me deeper before leaning back. “I’ll be close, but tell whoever that is to fuck off.”

I chuckle as the door is knocked again, and Emerson gets up. He disappears into the shadows of the balcony as I head for the door, but before I get close, it smashes open, and the prince walks in, followed by a dozen guards that surround me. Two of them roughly grab onto my arms, holding me tight. Fire burns to the surface, and the guards shout as I burn their hands.

“Behave or I will kill the boy,” he warns. I let my magic disappear instantly. Two bangles are slammed onto my wrists, cutting off my magic, and they go back to holding me tighter than before. “Who said you were allowed to see the queen alone?”

“Didn’t know it was a rule not to see her. She is still the queen until tomorrow,” I remind him.

He laughs. “Bring her with us to the throne room.”

The guards wait for the prince to leave, and I look into the shadows that are sneaking into the room, ready to slam the door shut and kill all the guards. I know Emerson is there, and I shake my head and mouth “Louie.” The shadows that ripple around us slow down, and I blow out a relieved breath right as the guards start dragging me from the room. The walk is silent, and I don’t know any of the guards. Felix is nowhere to be seen, but I know Emerson is following and he won’t leave me alone.

We get to the cold throne room, and the guards throw me in before shutting the door tight. I roll to the floor with the impact and open my eyes to see a pale hand in front of my face. A scream echoes from my throat as I crawl away from the body before realizing it’s the queen. Her head is bent at an unnatural angle, blood dripping from her mouth, and her eyes are wide open but empty of any life. The Fae Queen is dead. Emerson’s sweet mother is gone, and he will never be able to save her now. “You killed her! You monster!”

The prince sits down on the throne, spreading out his legs and relaxing back. “Of course I did. She fought and betrayed me by showing you that little memory. She was of no use to us anymore and would have died after my coronation either way. My shadow friend will find someone else to possess, perhaps the new queen.”

Fear snakes its way into my chest. “What?”

He sighs, leaning a hand on his palm. “Have you not put it all together yet? How I know what monsters to make to stop the shadows? How I know the old symbols that no one has used in thousands of years. How the Rift is now opening and I’m controlling it. I’m from the Rift, stupid girl. Just like you.”

My mouth parts, and I climb to my feet. “You’re one of those shadow creatures?”

He smiles. “Not exactly. I’m better than they are. I’m their prince. I tried to do this the easy way, and I was fascinated by you. My grandfather sent the shadows to make a deal with a young queen, and she vowed to help my grandfather in exchange for peace.”

He looks at the dead body of the queen. “So the Rift was closed and peace carried on. Until you. Aurora wasn’t just a mortal. Neither are you. The queen refused what my grandfather wanted, and so he possessed the queen and cursed you both. Time and time again, your soul came to the Rift, and my grandfather fed off your magic until one time… you were born inside the Rift to a fae female. You were no longer just the magic he wanted, but a baby of our world that was pushed back into this world, causing the Rift to open. You did this. You were born to be of both worlds.”

“I don’t believe you,” I bite out.

He laughs. “Turning you into a fae was a gamble, but if you died, then you would travel to the Rift as you always did, and I’d get your magic that way. Instead, you survived, and the Rift opened more. You’re the key.”

“What do you want here?” I demand. It’s all too much to imagine, to think of. Where in the goddess is Emerson?

“To rule,” he states, waving a hand around. “I have no interest in going back to the Rift, and I had to make sure no one could ever send me back or close it. So I called them all here, the most powerful of this world, and slowly tricked them into giving blood for a spell. They thought it was to close the Rift, but it’s not. It now means they cannot close it.”

“You didn’t get Emerson’s blood,” I point out, my heart racing. We’ve all been playing his game for a long time.

He smirks. “The Wyern King is no threat, and I have made sure of it in other ways. The twelve sit on the thrones of darkness in the Rift, holding the power of the world, and they will soon descend on this world. Emerson will not kill them.”

My lips part. “The fae children?”

He claps his hands. “Good, you’re smarter than I thought. I was interested to see if you could figure it out before I told you. Twelve rulers must sit the thrones for the full power of darkness to rise, and the final children joined tonight.”

“Why children?” I ask in disgust.

“They need to age up in the Rift, linking their souls to the darkness to be able to claim the world. Oh, don’t look at me like that. They won’t remember their lives before. Only flashes here and there, and now they will live forever on their thrones. We have waited a long time for twelve to sit on the throne again,” he proudly states, and his eyes darken. “Do you want to know who the first one was? The children do not need to be fae, just near to the Rift to be called by the song.”

My world seems to crumble around me, shattering into pieces, and my heart lurches. No. It can’t be true. I fall to my knees, tears pouring down my cheeks, and the prince looks at me, enjoying my pain. I know the answer. This is why I couldn’t see Louie. This is why Zurine couldn’t get any closer and the prince protected him so much. Because he wasn’t here at all. Sickness rises in my throat, and I struggle not to throw up. “Louie?”

The prince grins at me. “He was interesting to take. He didn’t follow the lure of the song. No, he screamed and pleaded for Calliophe to come and save him, all the way to the Rift before I pushed him into it. Don’t cry, he doesn’t scream anymore. He is a king, sitting on the dark throne with his new brothers and sisters. They will rule this world soon enough.”

Sobs crawl up my throat as I imagine Louie’s face, picturing him like he is here in front of me now and not there.

The doors burst open behind me, black glittering dust spread across the ground at Emerson’s feet, and he storms in, picking me up and cupping my face. “What’s wrong?”

I turn to look at the prince. “He isn’t the prince, but a shadow creature, and he took Louie to the Rift. Louie is gone.”

“Ah, just who I wanted to see,” the prince says, tilting his head to the side.

Emerson’s eyes turn on the prince, pure fury burning within them. “You will die this night.”

The prince stands. “Not tonight, King Emerson. Can you hear your people screaming outside?”

Only then do I hear it, screams coming from outside the castle. So many screams. “The fae are currently being slaughtered by my monsters. You can fight me or save them. Which will it be?”

Emerson looks between the glass and me. I look at the prince and back at Emerson. “You’re half fae and their royal. They need help. Call the Wyerns and help them. He isn’t worth it.”

“Smart fae she has become,” the prince taunts. Black flames surround the prince as he walks down the steps. He launches them at Emerson, who wraps darkness around us and moves us across the room. He leaves me so he can go fight the prince, shadows like I’ve never seen pulling to his side as he storms over to the prince, who is smothering the room in unnatural black flames that don’t feel like fire. They are cold.

I barely notice as a cold hand wraps around my neck, plunging me back onto a hard chest. I look up into the deep, pale eyes of the Siren King, and he leans down into my ear. Emerson notices, his eyes widening as he looks behind at me, and he turns, only to be hit with a fireball that flings him across the room. My scream echoes as I struggle to get away from the Siren King. “Emerson!”

The Siren King pulls me backwards as I continue to struggle in his strong arms. The last thing I see is Emerson reaching for me with shadows, the prince stopping him with dark fire, as the Siren King pulls me into a portal of water, and then I can’t breathe at all.

Find the next book here.

G. Bailey is a USA Today and International bestselling author of books that are filled with everything from dragons to pirates. Plus, fantasy worlds and breath-taking adventures.

G. Bailey is from the very rainy U.K. where she lives with her husband, two children, three cheeky dogs and one cat who rules them all.

(You can find exclusive teasers, random giveaways and sneak peeks of new books on the way in Bailey’s Pack on Facebook or on TIKTOK— gbaileybooks)

Find more books by G. Bailey on Amazon…

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Her Guardians Series

Her Fate Series

Protected By Dragons Series

Lost Time Academy Series

The Demon Academy Series

Dark Angel Academy Series

Shadowborn Academy Series

Dark Fae Paranormal Prison Series

Saved By Pirates Series

The Marked Series

Holly Oak Academy Series

The Alpha Brothers Series

A Demon’s Fall Series

The Familiar Empire Series

From The Stars Series

The Forest Pack Series

The Secret Gods Prison Series

The Rejected Mate Series

Fall Mountain Shifters Series

Royal Reapers Academy Series

The Everlasting Curse Series

The Moon Alpha Series

There is no place for love in a world of vampires who own your soul.

On Riona Dark’s twenty-second birthday, being kidnapped by strangers in the night was not the surprise party she was expecting.

Riona is taken to the hidden world of vampires, a remote island called The Onyx, where being human means you are less than nothing. Locked up with other humans, Riona finds out that she will soon be sold at The Auction.

When two vampire princes, with dark eyes and even darker souls, come to view her and the others, Riona knows the vampires here are just as dangerous as they are gorgeous.

Once sold, Riona is told that her life belongs to the vampires who own her. They will own her soul, mind and body. Resisting means only death.

Riona won’t be sold without a fight, and the only power in The Onyx is blood, desire…and death.

Warning: This book is a dark romance, and it contains themes not for the faint of heart.

Bonus Chapters of The Broken and Sinned.

CHAPTER ONE

Last night, I dreamt I was the darkness of a cold winter’s night, and he, a man I’ve never seen before, was the death of everything good in the world. Together, we turned my dream into a nightmare.

And I remember none of it. The suncatcher above me spins in the light breeze, catching beams of light and reflecting them in a million different strands of colour all across my dorm room and waking me up far too early than should be allowed. That goddamn pretty thing was a gift from my brother, and he rarely gets me anything nice, so I have to keep it.

“It’s your twenty-second birthday, and you’re still in bed!” my roommate, aka Miss Noisy and Perky First Thing in the Morning, shouts across our room as I squeeze my eyes shut. I groan and pull my covers over my head, hoping that she will bugger off, but there is no such luck as I hear her footsteps coming closer. Snatching my quilt from me, she flicks on my bedside lamp to make it that much brighter in here. I peel my eyes open and glare at her as she leans over me, hands on her hips.

“Can your birthday present to me be a lie-in? Please, Sophie?” I grumble with the best impression of puppy dog eyes I can give. Sophie Devert is one year older than I am, about four levels crazier, and overall my best friend in the world since middle school. Pushing her bright autumn red hair behind her ear, she steps back and stretches, showing off her slim and toned body. That’s what you get for being a pro swimmer. My short ass body reflects my art major all too well. I slide out of bed and make my way to the bathroom, shutting the door behind me. After a quick shower, I towel dry my waist-length, mousy blonde hair and then wrap myself in the towel before heading back out. On my made-up bed is a present box with a big pink bow. It must be my birthday if Sophie is cleaning anything at all.

I chuckle as I sit down and open up the box, pulling out a short, light pink dress and matching light pink heels in my size. I might not be the girliest girl out there, but I love pink as much as I love dressing up for one night. Sophie is practically jumping on the spot in excitement, waiting for my response. She knows she did well; the girl knows me better than I know myself.

“I love them! Thank you so much, Soph!”

“I knew you would!” She gives me a brief hug. “Now we just have to wait for that brother of yours to call and tell you the next gift,” she replies as she picks up her bag with a cheeky grin. “See you at lunch?”

“Same place as usual?” I question as I place the dress back in the box and the heels too.

“As always,” she confirms with a wink before leaving the room. After she is gone, I get myself dressed in skinny jeans and a white top with criss-cross patterns cut into the shoulders. As I pull my boots on, my phone rings with the damn cat screeching noise my brother put on it as a joke and I haven’t been able to change. I jump, like I do every single damn time, and answer it without looking, popping it onto loudspeaker.

“Happy birthday!” my mum and dad shout down the phone at the same time. Just hearing them makes me smile, the cat ringtone forgotten. “Can we FaceTime?”

“Sure!” I answer, finishing with my boots and switching the call to FaceTime. When the camera comes on, I can only see my reflection for a second, my big doe-like blue eyes and round face that Sophie always says makes me look like a Barbie doll. I’ve always taken offence to that...but she is right. Eventually, the camera catches up, and I get a close up of the side of my mum’s nose. “Mum, you need to hold it away. I can’t see you, remember?”

“Oh right,” she grumps, not liking to be called out for her terrible tech skills. She pulls the camera back, and even though they are very close, it’s good enough. My mother’s grey hair is perfectly styled in curls around her wrinkled face, and she has a cream cardigan on with her pearl necklace she never takes off. My dad is in one of his classic sweater vests, and his greying brown hair is swept to the side. He smiles at me and pushes his glasses back up his nose.

“Where is your brother? Has he not come over with his gift yet?” Mum asks, well, demands to know.

Being the overprotective sister I am, I lie. “Of course he has. Austin just had to get to class.”

Total lie.

“Well, I’m glad he is looking after you there. I do worry about you,” Mum says with her usual overly worried tone. “Did our gift get to yours yet? It’s not much, but we never know what to get you.”

“No, but I will check my post in a bit,” I reply, drifting my gaze to my dad. “How are you, dad?”

“Happy to see my little girl,” he replies with soft eyes. Mum is the tough one, and my dad is as laid back as it comes. Together, they really do make the best parents. “I struggle to understand how you are twenty-two. It feels like yesterday that you were just a baby who slept in my arms, sucking her thumb.”

My cheeks light up.

“We will let you go and try calling Austin again. Honestly, that boy never answers his phone,” she huffs. Yeah, that’s because he is a dick and likely hungover once again. I don’t say that though, not wanting my parents to know the truth, and I just smile before saying my goodbyes. Deciding to find my twin brother and give him his gift is the best idea this morning, as I’m totally skipping class since it’s my birthday, so I head out of my room after grabbing my hoodie and bag. I pull my hoodie on and swing my bag over my shoulder, running down the stairs to the post boxes. Finding my key in my bag, buried deep under all the very important shit I keep in there, I open up the letterbox and find three letters. I open them on my way to my brother’s dorm room, not surprised to see a birthday card from my parents with three hundred pounds inside. Awesome. I push that letter into my bag and open the second one, which is another birthday card with a red rose on the front. Inside, I quickly read the long paragraph.

“My sweet niece, Riona,

Ri-Ri, it’s been a long time since I’ve written to you, but as always, I ask for you to follow my advice. Do not leave your dorm tonight, it is not safe at Aberdeen University on this particular night. They are out hunting, and they will not be able to resist your blood.

Trust me for once, and have a good birthday.

I will come when it is safe to do so. It is time we spoke.

As always,

Your uncle

Another card from my father’s particularly insane brother, who I’ve not seen since I was eight. I only remember overhearing a conversation my parents had with him, something about blood and sacrifices. Either way, I overheard enough to know he had lost his goddamn mind. I push the letter back in and find the third one isn’t addressed to me at all, it’s for Austin. Finally I get to the guys’ dorm and head around the back, knowing I can’t just walk in, thanks to their stupid rules. No girls allowed…even if there are, no doubt, quite a few girls in this place with their boyfriends. Two trees climb the side of the building, and I climb the left one, pushing myself onto a branch. Bracing myself, I jump to the next tree and keep climbing up until I’m near the top of the tree and the single branch that is close to the ledges of the windows. Ignoring the fear of falling, because damn that would hurt, I carefully crawl across the large branch and onto the ledge of the window. The cold winter wind whips around my body, and I’m thankful there is no ice on the ledge as I push the window up and climb inside, knocking off a pile of books.

“Nice to see you as always, Ria.”

I pause and turn my gaze to the half-naked guy in his bed, sheets pooled around his waist, the flickering sunlight from behind me kissing the skin of his chest. Arlo O’Dargan. Aka my brother’s best friend and my long-time frenemy since first school. His deep voice is annoyingly perfect, much like the rest of him. Sun-kissed blond hair, bright topaz-green eyes, and a jawline any model would be jealous of, he could be classed as the perfect guy. Just not to me. I don’t see him like that, not even as I glance at his rock-hard abs and big shoulders. Nope.

Dammit, I got the wrong room again.

I glare at him. “I wish I could say the same, Arlo. I’m surprised you’re even in your own bed and not in some poor girl’s.”

“None of the girls’ beds I join are poor or unhappy, Ria-banana-llama,” he teases and stands up, not giving one shit that he only has boxers on. I sharply turn away and blindly stumble to his door, grabbing the handle.

“And don’t call me that!” I shout back.

“Make me stop then!” he hollers to my back as I slip out of his door and slam it hard behind me, hearing his laugh in the corridor. Taking a few steps, I find the right door and bang on it a few times before opening it up. I flick the light on as I walk in and see my brother snoring in bed. The shower is on, so he isn’t alone (unlucky girl), and I walk right up to him, stepping over messy clothes and empty beer bottles.

“Asshole, wake up!” I shout, kicking his leg that’s hanging out of the bed. He jolts up, brushing a hand through his dark blond hair and relaxing when he sees it is me. For twins, we are pretty different. For one, my brother is well over six foot, and he has brown eyes. He looks like he got all the good genes and I was cut short at some point with my height. And generally, I’m not as popular as he is, mostly because Austin could charm his way out of a lion’s den even if he was a gazelle. I’d definitely be eaten by the lion in under three seconds flat.

“Happy birthday, twin sis!” he holds his hand up for a high five.

“Happy birthday right back to you. Did you forget our plans for breakfast today?” I ask, and his sheepish grin says it all as I high-five him. “Oh, and answer your phone. Mum and dad have been calling and then nagging me because you didn’t answer.”

“Of course,” he replies with a wave of his hand like it isn’t an issue. “Wanna get breakfast now?”

I glance at the bathroom door and back to Austin, arching an eyebrow. “What about your guest?”

“I don’t even know her name, to be honest with you, sis,” he answers, and I pull a face at him as he shoves his shoes on. He writes a quick note for shower girl before hooking his arm around my shoulder and guiding me out of his stinky room. After a short walk to the cafeteria, we both sit down with our coffees and relax.

“The party is at eight. I did remember it’s my year to host,” he states, crossing his arms. One good thing about being a twin? Sharing the responsibility of hosting the party. Last year, I spent months planning a massive rave in an abandoned castle. I damn well hope Austin has come up with something good, or I’m having our next party next year in a farm with pigs. “It’s going to be the most epic party.”

I grin. “Where is it then?”

“On the beach, the left side, you know where there is that cavern?” he questions, and I nod, feeling excited. “Well, be there at eight, sis, and I’ll give you a gift then.”

“I will be there,” I reply, knowing the lazy ass hasn’t been shopping yet and plans to the second he leaves the cafe. I reach into my bag and hand him the small box and the letter that came to me. He pops open the box and pulls out the silver and black bead bracelet I made for him in class. The beads are all made from quartz, our birthstone, and the middle one has his initials carved into it.

“This is seriously fucking awesome,” he tells me, sliding it on his wrist and doing it up. “Did you make it?”

“Yup. Now go and buy me something pink and expensive,” I say, climbing to my feet. “Oh, and make sure there is wine at the party. White wine, I don’t like red.”

“You got it,” he replies, and I chuckle as I leave and head for class. Tonight is going to be epic, that’s for sure.

CHAPTER TWO

For some weird ass reason, my uncle’s warning comes into my mind as I look at myself in the mirror. My pink dress fits my body like a glove, emphasizing all my curves, and my heels make me seem taller than I am at just five foot five. I’ve taken a ridiculous amount of time curling all my hair, only to brush the curls out to make it seem like my hair is naturally wavy. Girl Problems 101. As soon as someone invents a quicker way to get this effect, the better. Still, my uncle’s warning makes me halt and actually almost want to stay in. I mean, he is old and literally insane, but his warning has still creeped me the hell out. I wonder if Austin got one of those cards. I really should have asked him today.

“Are you finally going to live out all the brother’s best friend romance novels I’ve read, and hook up with Arlo?” Soph asks with a small grin, coming out of the bathroom, looking ready to kill in a short leather skirt and a yellow crop top that hides pretty much none of her. Her bright hair is up in a ponytail, and her makeup, although light, is bang on. I can never get my makeup that perfect.

I screw up my face. “You’re gross. Arlo is—”

“Ridiculously hot and single,” Soph interrupts. He might be all those, but that wasn’t what I was going to say. “And he only has eyes for you.”

“You’re just talking out of your arse now,” I mutter, picking up my phone. “Come and take a selfie with me before we leave.”

She chuckles and rushes to my side, and we take several photos before posting them on Instagram. While I’m on there, I find several photos of my brother at the party and the dozens of bottles of white wine he has left on the beach for me. That alone makes me grin as we grab our bags and head out. The dorm is pretty empty of other students as we head down the stairs and out the front doors. The air is cold now, and I instantly wish I had brought a coat, but then again, I will be in front of a bonfire soon, by the looks of the photos. Soph hooks her arm in mine and rests her head on my shoulder as we head down the pathway towards her car. She has rich as hell parents, and their idea of a gift was the shiny new red Land Rover, and I’m the lucky bitch who is her bestie, so I can take full advantage of the heated seats. Soph opens her bag and searches for her keys, and then keeps searching, looking more frustrated by the second.

“Crap, I forgot my phone,” she mutters and pauses, closing her bag with her keys in her hand, the glittery elephant keyring I bought her shining from the street light. “Why don’t you drive my car there, and I will grab an Uber.”

“I can wait for you,” I say, even as I glance at my own phone and see that we are ten minutes late to my own party.

“Nope. Just go,” she says, passing me the keys. “I want to call my mum anyways, check and see how she is doing today.”

She looks down, and I place my hand on her arm, wishing I could help. Her dad buys her cars, and her mum is one pill away from forgetting who she is half the time. Money doesn’t bring happiness, that’s for sure. Soph’s life makes me happy for my middle-class upbringing, everything from the pound ice lollies I loved from the shops to the budget beach holidays in a tiny caravan in Wales.

“Okay, see you in a bit,” I reply, leaning forward and kissing her cheek.

“Don’t jump Arlo until I get there! I wanna be there when I’m proven right!” she shouts over her shoulder as she walks away. Bitch. My cheeks are still red as I glance around, seeing no one in the parking lot. I laugh as I climb into Soph’s car, pushing a bag of gym clothes into the passenger seat and closing the door behind me. After doing my seat belt up and, most importantly, putting the heated seats on, I head straight towards the beach. I’m thankful there is no traffic around at this time of day. By the time I park in the beach car park, I’m half an hour late, and I know Austin is going to be mad.

Thank god it is our birthday.

Climbing out of my car with my bag, I lock up as I hear the distant music of the party and smell a bonfire mixed in with the smell of the sea. Austin knows me well, this is the perfect party for me, considering the beach is my favourite place in the world. There is something so calming about looking at the sea, watching the waves wash in and out across the sand. Even when there is a storm, there is always the peace right after. The sea is my happy place, it always has been since I was a kid. It’s the only place I feel myself and safe. That’s why when I’m older, I’m buying a house as close to the sea as I possibly can get.

The rickety wooden steps eventually give out to just sand, and I slip off my heels, sinking my toes into the soft damp sand.

“Goldilocks, goldilocks, are you lost?”

I spin around to find the man who spoke, but there is no one here, just the sounds of the party and the waves of the sea.

“Dance for me, goldilocks. Spin and spin and spin until your head comes right off.”

I turn around again and search everywhere, not hearing or seeing anyone as my heart starts pounding in my chest.

Run, Ria.

Hearing my brother’s voice in my head like he is right next to me, I take off down the beach path, rushing towards the party where I know I will be safe. I drop my heels and bag so I can run faster, and just as I see the party, the crowd of shadows around the bonfire in the far distance, I breathe out a sigh of relief.

Then hands wrap around my waist and a hand grabs my throat, arching my neck to the side with a jolt that takes my breath away. Something sharp suddenly bites into my neck, digging in deep, and I scream when I realise it’s teeth. I don’t stop screaming, the pain indescribable, even as I go into shock and almost numb to what is happening to me. The world becomes fuzzy, and my screams fade into cries as my legs go out from under me. The man biting me, holding me, holds me up by my waist, and the world begins to spin.

“Don’t kill her!” I hear another man shout. “That’s enough!”

The man holding me seems to grumble into my neck, seconds before his teeth leave my neck, and he spins me around, grabbing my chin. Even as I black out, I hear his words and see my blood dripping down his chin as the last thing I can focus on.

“Yes, my masters will love you. You taste like heaven.”

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