Red as Blood

by Anna Santos

  “Marlena believes that Snow is dead. She doesn’t know that I suspect her. She has been flirting with me and …” Dorian stopped to look at me.

  “Are you afraid I might be displeased? I had noticed that she finds you attractive,” I confessed.

  “She has been hinting that she’ll need a new husband if the king dies,” Dorian admitted.

  “I bet she will.” I sneered. “But why you?”

  “He’s a vampire and a prince,” Drake replied. “The things that the queen treasures most are her youth and beauty. She has done unspeakable things to keep her youth. She’s not as young as you all might believe.”

  “Dark magic allows her to look younger,” Belle added. “Also, to take the shape of whomever she wants if she kills that person.”

  “So, she can shapeshift.” Dorian rubbed his chin. “I have a few men at the palace, awaiting my arrival. I also thought ahead of this.”

  “What did you do?” the White Wolf asked.

  “Luke is my most cherished friend and warrior. Before the marriage, I sent him to my father. By now, my father sent a missive to the queen stating that I’m recovering from an attack in her kingdom and demanding that she finds the culprits if she wants our alliance to continue.”

  “That was smart,” Belle said.

  “I’m sure she was the one who sent those men after me,” Dorian continued. “If she believes I was injured and returned to my kingdom to heal, then she won’t know that I found Snow or that she’s alive.”

  “True,” I said, holding his hand.

  “Are you planning to go back and play Marlena’s game?” Drake questioned Dorian.

  “Dorian, you can’t,” I protested. “It’s too dangerous.”

  “If she believes I’m on her side, she might lower her guard, and I can find a way to save your father and kill her.”

  My eyes widened. “Kill her?”

  “She needs to die,” the White Wolf agreed. “Killing a witch isn’t easy. Tricking one is even less possible. Marlena won’t believe that you’ve fallen for her charm so soon after Snow’s death.”

  I added, “She knows you love me.”

  “I can convince her that I was only interested in marrying you so I would have my own kingdom to rule. I’m not the heir of the White Cloud’s crown. If she treasures her beauty and youth so much, I can offer her eternal life. I’m a vampire, that might be why she’s so interested in me.”

  “You’re scarily beautiful and intelligent,” I mumbled, holding his hand against my chest. “But I can’t bear the thought of having her putting her hands or anything else on you.”

  Dorian smirked. “Are you jealous?”

  “Wouldn’t you be if I offered myself to seduce another man?”

  “I would.” He lifted my hand and kissed my knuckles. “I need to protect you and save your father. Going back to your kingdom will allow me to understand what she’s planning. She doesn’t suspect me, and I can return as the heartbroken prince who couldn’t find the woman he loved.”

  “Which would present itself as a challenge to her,” Belle intervened. “She’s a proud woman who thinks beauty is enough to conquer a man’s heart. Maybe Dorian doesn’t need to pretend to be interested in her. He might need to keep doing what he was doing—rejecting her.”

  “That would make her want him more,” Drake agreed. “I doubt she’s able to love anyone. If she’s interested in the prince, it might be because there’re rumors that she’s looking for a respected and strong figure to help her in her crazy quest to conquer the Fayland Continent. Her decisions have been made in that direction ever since she found the Truth Mirror and has been trying to steal the Fate Mirror from us.”

  “What are those?” Dorian asked.

  “Your kind call them the Dual Power. Rumors say that a child with clairvoyance powers was born from two powerful faes. Desiring that power, a coven of witches deceived the young girl and trapped her inside the iron mirror. The iron mirror was used to enslave her. Her parents tried to save her, but the witches managed to trap her father in another mirror. The mother rescued the daughter’s mirror but had to leave her husband behind. The witches used the power of the Fairy King to grow powerful and forced him to teach them new magic. Meanwhile, the Fairy Queen doesn’t know how to release her daughter from the mirror, and the evil witches want the mirror because it has the power to see into the past and the future. In the wrong hands, it can cause a lot of harm.”

  Belle added, “It seems that only the Fairy King knows how to release his daughter from her prison. Therefore, the Fairy Queen has been trying to find a way to rescue her husband.”

  “I’m assuming that Queen Marlena is using the mirror for her personal gain. Did she steal it from the coven of witches?” Dorian asked.

  “She’s part of the coven,” Drake replied. “We think she’s their leader. With both mirrors, she’ll be unstoppable.” He rubbed his temple. “She’ll know her enemies’ moves and attack them before they even know what’s happening.”

  “However, if you can find the mirror at the palace, you can cut the source of the queen’s power,” Belle explained. “Without the mirror, I believe her powers will weaken.”

  I puckered my lips with a pensive expression. “Do you think my stepmother has a secret room where she keeps the mirror?”

  “You know the palace better than anyone here,” Drake claimed.

  “She might be using magic to conceal the entrance,” Dorian said.

  I raised my hand as something came to my mind. “She always wears a golden key around her neck. She has plenty of other necklaces, but she never removes that one. I’ve never understood the importance of that key. Maybe it locks something very special to her.”

  “It seems that the queen protects her key in the same way as my husband,” Belle said, giggling.

  “Which you were able to grab from me when you first ended up here,” Drake accused, but he didn’t seem to be mad about it.

  “I thought the room was a library,” Belle defended herself.

  “What are you talking about?” Dorian interrupted.

  “Old memories,” Belle replied. She looked at her husband. “Maybe we should tell them.”

  Drake frowned and folded his arms. “I don’t think it’s wise.”

  “They are on our side,” Belle retorted.

  “What secret are you keeping from us?” I questioned.

  Belle stared at us. “The reason why the queen keeps blaming us for the attacks is that she wants everybody to be against us. She wants a way to enter our kingdom to steal what Drake and his men have been protecting for decades.”

  “And what’s that?” Dorian asked.

  “The Fate Mirror,” Drake replied. “The Great Fairy entrusted us with protecting the mirror that has her daughter. She enchanted my kingdom and made us invisible to the outside world. That way, no one can find the Fate Mirror and use its power to conquer the world.”

  “If you have the mirror, can’t we use it to see what’s going to happen in the future and prevent it?” I asked.

  “It’s not that easy. The mirror doesn’t work with everybody,” Drake replied.

  “It works with me,” Belle stated, raising her arm.

  Drake lowered her arm with a hard stare. “You’re pregnant, and using magic is never a good idea. Destiny is always changing. It’s not set in stone, and our actions could create a ripple that will cause the end of the world or the death of someone who shouldn’t die.”

  “I’m also assuming that the Fairy left the mirror here to protect and not to use it,” I said. “It seems, we need to steal the Truth Mirror from the queen and release the fae trapped inside.”

  Belle nodded.

  “Without the mirror, the queen won’t be so powerful,” Drake agreed.

  “Maybe we could talk with the Great Fairy and ask for her help. I’m sure she wants her husband back and a way to save her daughter. She has magic, and we’ll need a bit of magic to defeat the queen,” Dorian pro
posed.

  Drake and Belle shared a look.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Don’t you know where the fairy is?”

  Belle shared, “Since she decided to roam around the Black Forest, it hasn’t been easy to find her. She comes and goes as she pleases and takes many shapes. We have no way to contact her.”

  “She might not even be here,” Drake added. “She might be on the secret Fairy Island with the others of her kind.”

  “And you have a portal to go there,” Belle reminded him.

  Dorian leaned back in his chair. “We need to come to an understanding. Either I go back with an elaborate plan to get the key and steal the mirror, or we’ll join forces, gather an army, an attack the Meadows.”

  “Dorian,” I gasped, holding on to his arm. “Many lives would be lost. Innocent lives, if we choose such a violent path.”

  “Not to mention that armies will not defeat her until her magic is cut off. Even with that one mirror, she’s too powerful to stop. Also, are you ready to fight her allies who will come to aid the kingdom? King Quinton is well-loved and more respectable since he married Marlena. The queen has used all sorts of tactics to make Meadows more powerful allies. Do you want to be seen as a rebel state attacking a vulnerable kingdom after the loss of its princess and a dying king? Because that is what it will look like. Don’t forget, this attack happened during a visit to your kingdom. Perhaps, the queen will accuse your kind. Vampires raining down on unsuspecting humans in a flash could explain the quick ambush.”

  “That is rubbish, only a fool would believe that,” Dorian hissed.

  “You give people too much credit,” Belle sighed. “They’ll believe what makes them feel safe. A crazed power-hungry vampire nation is easier to swallow than the truth.”

  “I’m sorry, Dorian.” I squeezed his hand. “Violence isn’t an option. I know you want to help, but innocent people will die if we choose that path.”

  “It was only an idea. A stupid one, I might add, but I’m feeling powerless after discovering what’s happening right next to my kingdom. This woman needs to be stopped.”

  “I guess we have no other option than to go looking for the Great Fairy,” Belled stated, placing her hands on the table and getting up. “We’ll tell her what we want to do, and she might decide to help us.”

  “But you said you had no idea where to look for her?” I reminded her.

  “Yes, but she might know that we need her and show up. Drake can go with a few men to the Fairy Island and ask around. Snow, Dorian, and I can stay behind and scout the forest for places where she’s known to appear.”

  “Looks like we have a mission,” Dorian said.

  “I don’t feel well about you leaving the safety of our shield to look for the fairy in the forest,” Drake grumbled. “There are trackers in the forest looking for the princess. The hunters want to find the entrance to this place, and they might follow or capture you.”

  “I’m a big girl. I can take care of myself,” Belle protested.

  “Baby inside the tummy.” Drake pointed at her belly.

  “Trained hunter with werewolf abilities,” Belle retorted and flexed her arm to show him her muscles.

  “Only two months until the due date,” Drake added with a raised eyebrow.

  “I can’t spend the days sitting around, doing nothing.”

  I giggled at their quarrel and laced my arms around Dorian’s arm. “Will you be as protective of me when I’m pregnant with our child?”

  “I’m already that protective of you. You aren’t leaving the safety of this kingdom,” Dorian replied. “Drake will lend me a few trackers, and you’ll stay here with Belle while we go after the Great Fairy.”

  “That’s settled then,” Drake said, getting up and slamming his hand on the table with a pleased grin. “The women remain here, and we go looking for the fairy.”

  Belle glared at her husband, and I narrowed my eyes at Dorian.

  Dorian’s eyebrows knitted together. “Please? Belle is in no condition to go around tiring herself. She needs you to keep her company. You’re enjoying your time here, aren’t you?”

  I looked at Belle, who seemed to be waiting for me to have her back. “I want to help.”

  Kissing my cheek, he added, “I’ll be back as soon as possible, and we can spend some time together … in our bedroom.” He ended with a wink and heat spread down my chest and stomach at the implication of his words.

  I giggled with burning cheeks and nodded.

  “Newlyweds,” Belle said, sighing in defeat.

  Drake rubbed her shoulders and smiled at her. “What do you mean? I love you more each day. That’s why I’m so protective of you and our baby.”

  “I’m not an invalid.”

  He bent down and spoke softly against Belle’s mouth. “Just this once, honey.”

  Belle rolled her eyes and, eventually, nodded.

  Drake kissed her as a reward, and I hid my face against Dorian’s arm in embarrassment.

  Dorian rubbed my head before lifting my chin. “If anything happens to me, you should run to my father’s kingdom. He’ll protect you. Don’t go back to the Meadows. Save yourself, Snow.”

  “What’s my life without you?” I asked, my heart aching at the possibility of losing him.

  Dorian didn’t reply, but his eyes showed how worried he was about my safety. That only made me love him more.

  Chapter TWENTY-TWO

  Snow’s POV

  Sitting on a bench near the veil that separated the Black Forest from the White Wolf’s village, I stared at the void, thinking about what we could do if we didn’t find the Great Fairy. We needed her help, and I didn’t want to put my husband’s life at stake by letting him go into the belly of the beast without backup.

  “You look sad,” a female voice appeared beside me.

  My eyes widened, and I looked at the older lady clad in black. Her wrinkled face shifted into a smile, and I smiled back.

  “Did I startle you?” she asked.

  “I didn’t see you coming.”

  “Are you expecting a loved one to return?”

  “Yes, my husband and the alpha left to search for someone.”

  The women took a small rag from under her apron and opened it on her lap. The scent of baked cookies flavored the air. “Do you want some?”

  I hesitated. I didn’t know everybody in the village, but I was sure I had never seen that woman before. There was no reason to distrust her.

  She moved the rag with the cookies closer to me. “I made them for you. Taste one. Don’t you like chocolate-hazelnut cookies?”

  “They are my favorite,” I replied, taking one and nibbling on it. My eyes widened when I tasted them. “They taste amazing!”

  Smiling, the woman ate one of her cookies. “All fae like sweet things. They also like shiny things. Iron is bad for them, though. As for witches, without their magic, they are merely human. Humans aren’t the sturdiest race. They break and bleed easily.”

  I swallowed nervously. “You seem to know a lot about the fae. Are you a werewolf?”

  She offered me another cookie. I refused. “I’m not, but I like how loyal they are. Vampires are also faithful to the ones they love.”

  I faked a smile and got up. “I should probably return to Belle’s home.”

  The woman grabbed my wrist. “I’m scaring you. That wasn’t my intention, yet I heard you were looking for me.”

  I faked calm. “You? I don’t think we’ve met.”

  “I knew your mother.”

  “Queen Leticia?”

  “No.” She let go of my arm. “Don’t be afraid and sit down. We have a lot to talk about.”

  “I’m sorry, I don’t know you, and you are scaring me.”

  “Let me introduce myself,” she said, carefully wrapping her cookies. Her hands were steady despite her advanced age. “I’m the queen of the earth fairies, but people also know me as the Great Fairy.” She raised her face to look at me and grinned.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Princess Snow.”

  As if her words weren’t enough to surprise me, her appearance changed, and an old-looking woman turned into a stunning young blonde with blue eyes, pointy ears, and slim figure hugged by a green dress made of an unknown material that looked a lot like oak tree leaves sewn together into glowing, sheer fabric.

  I sat back down and held on to the bench for balance. “It’s an hon-nor to meet you, your ma-majesty.”

  “You’ve inherited your mother’s beauty,” the fairy said, caressing my hair.

  “Really? Everybody says I look like my father. I don’t remember my mother. From what I saw in the only painting we have of her in the palace, she had blonde hair.”

  “I’m sorry to be the one to tell you this, dear, but you’re a married woman now, and your mother isn’t here to tell you the truth anymore.”

  I frowned. “I don’t understand what you’re saying. Do we have something important to talk about? Everybody is looking for you. We need your—”

  “My help to vanquish the Evil Queen. I know.” She sighed and folded her hands on her lap. “A stealth attack has better chances of succeeding than a direct one. We don’t have enough men to defeat the Meadows’s army, not to mention the number of innocent lives that’ll be lost.”

  “We also have a chance of freeing your husband from his prison if we find the queen’s secret room, and you tell us what to do.”

  The fairy studied the rippling veil. “Before we talk about Marlena and how to free my husband, I have a story that I need to tell you. Do you want to hear it?”

  I found her request odd, but I didn’t want to be rude. “Yes.”

  She smiled and held on to one of my hands. “Once upon a time, there was a kind princess who married a valiant prince. Although it was an arranged marriage, they learned to love each other. They were happy, but something was missing. The princess wasn’t able to get pregnant. When the king died in a battle, the princess’s husband took the throne. The pressure to have a child became unbearable. No matter how much she prayed or the medicines she took, she couldn’t get pregnant.”

  “Why are you telling all this?”