by Bianca Cole
We’re only halfway up, and it’s taking longer than I expected to get there. We’re going to be caught out in the dark. It’s okay if it’s just us three, but I’ve got a feeling the number of witches and other beings we will be freeing will be ridiculous. I can’t believe how blind I’ve been when it comes to my father’s mental state.
We walk in silence, other than Flynn’s constant humming.
There’s a tension between Ilsa and me. It’s unspoken, but we’re both worried about what we will find in this prison.
After we’re about three-quarters of the way up, I can feel my patience with Flynn’s humming fading. “Do you have to hum?” I ask, glaring at the fae king.
He smirks and holds his hands up. “I’m sorry. I always find music is calming.”
Ilsa nods. “I was enjoying it. What song is it?”
“An old, fae song called Nádúr. It means nature in my mother tongue.”
The rest of the way, we walk in silence, until we come to a massive black metal gate carved into the rock. “This is it,” I glance at both of them. “Both of you stay quiet, remember, you’re prisoners.”
“Who’s there?” a voice calls from the gate which is glowing bright blue. It must be the enchantment that protects the place.
“Your king, Aiden Jeremiah, and I’ve got two prisoners.”
The gates move open, and a man comes out through the blue magic. “Wow, I wasn’t expecting to see you, ever, sir.” He bows his head.
His brow furrows. “There’s a rumor going around that you’re dead.”
I shake my head. “No, very much alive, and ready to take back my castle. I thought the enchantment kept all news out?”
He rubs a hand across his neck. “It’s been weakening for a while, and we can get information in and out now.” There’s a tension in the air, which is palpable.
He glances back at the prisoners. “Come on in. My name is Jared, by the way.”
I follow him into the dark tunnel carved out of the mountainside. Candles affixed to the wall light it dimly, but it’s still very dark. I notice Ilsa squinting to try and see. Flynn and I have eyesight good enough to cut through this, but she doesn’t.
“Your father told you about this place?” Jared asks.
I nod. “Yes, why wouldn’t he?”
His brow furrows. “He told us you weren’t on board. Even if he were to die, that we would have to continue his work in his name.”
I feel the pain slice through me hearing that. My father wanted to pull the wool over my eyes in death. “What right would you have to disobey your king if I wanted this operation shut down?” I ask, glaring at him.
Jared pales. “None, sir.” He bows his head. “I heard that Charles had claimed the throne.”
I growl at him, feeling rage bubbling under the surface. Charles is vermin that I’m going to exterminate.
Ilsa’s gives me a warning look.
“It’s about time I taught you who your king is.” I grab him suddenly by the collar, forcing him against the wall hard. Ilsa might be warning me to be cautious, but I have to assert my dominance. If these assholes think that I’ve been defeated, they are greatly mistaken.
“I’m shutting this bullshit down, as the current king didn’t sanction it. Do you understand me?” I ask, allowing my dragon to rise to the surface. If he denies, I will tear him apart.
He nods. “Of course, but I thought you brought this witch and fae as a prisoner of the camp.” He glances at Ilsa and then at Flynn.
“Change of fucking plan. I want you to release the witches and warlocks now.”
Jared bites his bottom lip. “Just the witches and warlocks, sir?” he asks.
Flynn was right then. “Who else is kept captive here?”
His eyes widen. “Dragon shifters, wolf shifters, vampires, and a couple of faeries even.” He glances at Flynn again.
Flynn clicks his fingers, and the restraints drop off his wrists. “I knew it, that bastard.”
I shake my head. “How the fuck do you keep them all contained?” This complicates everything. Vampires kept in captivity will want to do nothing but get revenge, and I’m not sure wolf shifters will be much different. I’m not their king. They won’t give a damn that I’m letting them go after my father tortured them.
The fae may be more accepting because I’m here with Flynn.
“Fuck,” I growl. “Why was my father keeping our kind captive?”
He swallows hard. “Aiden, I think there is something you’ll want to see.”
Dread twists my gut, but I nod my head. “Fine, show me.”
Ilsa squeezes my hand as we move, jolting me to a stop. “Aiden, I don’t like this.”
I smile at her. “Don’t worry. I won’t let anything happen to you or your family.”
Jared leads me down a dark corridor and stops in front of a heavy wooden door. “Prepare yourself, Aiden.” He slips the key into the lock and unlocks the door. It swings open to reveal a surprisingly lovely room.
I meet his gaze. “You go in first, please.”
Jared nods and steps inside.
I glance back at Flynn. “Will you stand watch?”
“Of course, you can count on me.” He winks.
I turn back to the room and enter with Ilsa just behind me, keeping a wary eye on Jared.
A figure sits by the window in an armchair. I can’t make out who it is.
Jared clears his throat, and the figure looks our way. It feels like time slows to a stop as my mother unmistakably meets my gaze.
She won’t recognize me. The last time she saw me, I was only ten years old. “Aiden?”
My heart skips a beat. “Mother?”
She stands up and rushes over to me. “Oh, my boy. I’ve missed you so much.” She hugs me tightly.
I feel stunned, speechless.
How is this possible?
“W-What are you doing here?” I shake my head. “Father said you were dead. We buried you.”
She pulls away and sets her hands on my arms. “Son, your father put me in here. He didn’t like it when I stood up against his barbaric plan for this place, so he entrapped me.”
It feels like my world is spinning into oblivion.
How could I have lived all these years so blind to the truth?
I stumble backward, but Ilsa is there. Her hands settle on my back. “Aiden, are you okay?”
I shake my head. “I can’t believe it. All these years, I’ve let this happen right in front of my eyes.”
My mother places her hands on either side of my chin and shakes her head. “It’s not your fault, sweetheart. Your father is a master manipulator.” Her brow furrows. “How did you find out about this place?”
I clear my throat, trying to get a grip on my emotions. “Flynn, the faerie king told me about it.” I glance backward and know he’s still waiting outside.
“Does your father know you are here?” she asks.
“He’s dead. Killed by rebels.”
My mother looks relieved to hear the news of my father’s passing. All my life, I believed they were the epitome of true love. “How could father turn on you?” I shake my head. “His mate.”
She sighs heavily. “Your father was sick, Aiden. He craved power beyond anything, and he was dead set on eliminating every species other than the dragon shifters.” I watch her as she turns away and paces the floor. “It got to a point where I couldn’t stand by him, not anymore.”
I nod my head. “Even a mating bond isn’t that strong.”
There’s a sad smile on her lips. “No. It’s not.”
I’m in turmoil as I try to process what I’m learning. My father faked my mother’s death. All this time, I believed his anger and hatred was born out of the loss of her. He’s the reason I lost her.
My mother steps toward me and sets her hand on my arm. “How is Elaine?”
Pain clutches at my chest, and I feel tears well up in my eyes. “She’s dead.”
My mother clutches a
t my arm, suddenly unsteady. “No. She can’t be.”
It makes it even crueler that she was alive only a week ago. Elaine struggled the most when we lost our mother. She hated my father, and now I can see why. I stood by his side, too blind to see what was going on right in front of my eyes.
“I’m sorry. I was too late to save her.”
My mother’s tears flood down her face as she weeps against me. “Oh, Aiden. Please tell me it wasn’t your father who killed her.”
I shake my head. “No, rebels.” I clench my fists by my side. “Charles was behind her death.”
My mother steps backward, eyes wide. “Charles Anderson?”
“Yes, I’m starting to think I’m the worst judge of character ever. How can I be king?” I turn around, and I meet Ilsa’s gaze. She’s been quietly waiting behind me as I reunite with my mother.
“You’ll be a stronger, better king than your father ever could have been,” my mother says, stepping to my side. She notices Ilsa. “Who is this?”
I swallow hard and beckon Ilsa forward.
She gives me a hesitant look.
“This is Ilsa, my mate.”
My mother’s face lights up. “Oh, wonderful. Come here, dear.” She holds out her hand.
Ilsa looks uncertain but moves forward. “It’s nice to meet you, your highness.” She bows her head slightly.
My mother laughs. “None of the nonsense. Call me, Eleanor.” She takes Ilsa’s hand. “I’m glad his father is no longer here. He wouldn’t have been happy about your pairing.” She glances at me. “You know he would have tried to kill her, don’t you?”
I didn’t know that until this moment. It feels like I didn’t know the man who raised me at all. His darkness goes beyond anything I believed. Dragon shifters tend to lean toward the dark, but I never expected him to be this evil and heartless.
“I do now,” I say, running a hand through my hair. “I’m here to shut this operation down and free Ilsa’s family.”
My mother smiles. “That’s my boy.” She cups my face again. “I knew you were too good to be poisoned by that man’s hate.”
I take Ilsa’s hand in mine and meet her gaze. “Let’s go and find your family.”
The beautiful smile that twists onto her lips threatens to break me entirely. All I want to do is wrap this woman up in cotton wool and never let her go.
She’s too precious to me to be risking in a place like this. All I can hope is that her family is unharmed. Otherwise, I don’t know what it means for us and our future.
16
Ilsa
The guard leads us down a dark corridor.
Flynn trails close behind with Aiden’s mother. “It’s great to meet you, Eleanor. I admired your work before your faked death.”
I glance back to see her smiling. “It’s nice to meet you too, Flynn.”
How can they both be so at ease?
I guess they aren’t about to find out if their family is alive. It’s hard to believe that Aiden’s father could have made a place as terrible as this, knowing his son.
A scream pierces the air, and I feel my heart rate spike. Aiden and I exchange glances.
He clears his throat. “I did say I want an end to everything that is happening here.” He glares at Jared. “I meant immediately.”
Jared pales and fumbles for the radio on his belt. “Of course, sir.” He presses the button. “Kegan tell everyone that the new king is here. All operations are halted.”
“Holy shit, are you serious?” The guy on the other end comes through.
“Yeah, stop everything now.” Jared’s voice is laced with panic as he glances warily at Aiden.
“Roger that.”
He visibly relaxes the moment the other guy agrees. “The witches are kept in the cells ahead.” He glances at me. “Is there someone in particular you are looking for?”
Aiden steps in front of me. “Don’t address her directly.”
I set a hand on Aiden’s arm. “It’s fine. Yes, my family.”
“Can you supply me with their names?”
I nod. “Irene, Rowan, and Eric.”
Jared pales. “Right, I-I.”
A flood of panic hits me at his reaction. They can’t be dead. I won’t accept that my mate’s father ripped away my family forever.
“What’s the problem, Jared?” Aiden asks.
He shakes his head. “They are alive, but…” He swallows hard. “It’s best you see for yourself. Follow me.”
Relief floods me hearing they are alive, but I can’t understand what could be so bad that he’s not telling us. My stomach twists as we move deeper and deeper into the belly of the mountain. The darkness seems to increase with every step.
Jared stops outside a massive oak door and digs his hand into his pocket for the key.
I watch as he slips it inside and then turns the lock, swinging the door open. A white glow filters out of the room and into the dark corridor. I’m eager to look inside and step forward.
Aiden grabs my hand, jerking me to a stop. “You don’t know what you are walking into, love, stay behind me.”
I pull my hand away and set them on my hips. “Aiden, this is my family, and I’ll do what the hell I want.” I move past him before he can say another word and slip into the room.
I hear his mother chuckle. “I like that one, Aiden. She’s got fire.”
I step into the room. My heart stops beating when I see my brother’s face first. He’s unconscious, pale, and floating in mid-air. Then I see my mom and dad next to him. They’re all hooked up to a machine—a machine I’ve heard horrific rumors about.
It’s a magic harnessing machine, draining them of their powers and slowly killing them.
My mom and dad look like they’ve still got color in their face, but my brother Eric is too pale.
“Get them off of it now,” I cry, panic clutching at my heart.
Jared swallows hard. “I’m afraid the only person who knew the code to stop the machine was Aiden’s father, and he is…”
“Dead,” Aiden finishes the sentence off for him.
Jared nods. “Your father may have written it down somewhere at the castle,” he suggests.
“Do they even have enough time for us to claim back the castle and then search it?”
Jared shrugs. “Everyone is different. Some last for weeks, while others only days.”
Aiden shakes his head. “What the fuck was my father trying to achieve with this?”
Flynn clears his throat. “I’ve got a feeling this was our answer to how they are keeping so many powerful beings’ captive here.”
“They’re magic is being used to keep them locked up?”
Aiden’s mother sets a hand on his shoulder. “Yes, and I’ve got a feeling I know where we will find the code to stop the machine.” She narrows her eyes at Jared. “You do have a way to slow it down, though, don’t you?”
He bows his head. “Yes, your majesty. I’ll do that now.” He walks over to a control station and starts to fiddle with the dials.
The glowing light around the witches and warlocks reduces.
She glances at me. “Don’t worry, dear, we’ll get your family out of here, alive.” Her confidence is infectious, but I am worried about my brother. He’s always been the strongest physically, and his face tells me he is fading fast. It’s shocking to see.
“We had best get a move on then, as my brother isn’t looking good.”
I notice other witches and warlocks strung up, looking worse than my brother. It’s such an injustice that I struggle to get my head around what kind of man my mate’s father could have been.
He lured them under pretenses and did this to them. I can’t understand what he was trying to achieve by draining witches and warlocks magic to hold other beings’ captive.
“Yes, it’s time for me to take back the castle,” Aiden says, his eyes pure dragon.
He looks fearsome with his fists clenched and eyes almost glowing. As I stare at h
im, I try to come to terms with the fact that he came from a man capable of this.
Does that mean he has it in him to be as evil?
I try to push that thought from my mind. Aiden isn’t his father. He cares about people and doesn’t believe in segregation. The pledge at the council meeting proved that much.
“Let’s go then,” I say, taking one last glance at my family.
They have to hold on until we make it back. I can’t lose them.
The castle looms over us. Dark, grey clouds dot the sky as a crash of thunder rumbles nearby.
Behind us, a small army of fae warriors is ready to charge Aiden’s home.
Flynn steps to my side and smiles at me. “There’s nothing to worry about. They won’t even hear us coming.”
Aiden nods at Flynn. “Remember, Charles is mine.”
Flynn nods. “Of course, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Aiden grips my hand. “You don’t need to come inside. It’s going to be dangerous.”
I shake my head. “I’m a witch, Aiden. I think you forget that I can take care of myself.”
His mother steps up to his other side. “Let the girl be, Aiden.” She gives me a warm smile. I know we are going to get along, even though we’ve just met. “We go in as a family and face whatever is waiting for us on the other side.”
Aiden nods and releases my hand. The loss of warmth makes me shiver as I stare up at the stone building.
If Flynn is right, the man who took over the castle is Aiden’s childhood friend. He wants to fight Charles, but I can’t help feel it will hurt him too much.
Flynn glances at Aiden. “Shall we head in first?”
Aiden nods. “Yes, round up the shifters who opposed me. If you can avoid killing, do so.”
Flynn smiles. “As always, fae don’t kill unnecessarily.”
I raise my brow, as I’ve heard such different things in the stories. Perhaps that’s because that’s all they are, fictional stories.
We watch as Flynn and his army move silently toward the door, unlocking it and opening it at unbelievable speed.
Aiden takes the first step up to the entrance, but I grab his arm. “Are you sure you should face Charles?”
