by Allison Rose
Sevelle’s heart sank. “That is all? Will you tell my parents?”
Mera gave her a pointed look. “I cannot keep this from The Glorious and Drake.”
“You are now.”
“The Glorious will ask, and I will tell her.”
Sevelle shifted on her feet. “If I can meet them before the attack… Please, Mera, maybe I can stop this before—”
“You might not survive such a meeting,” Mera cut her off.
Thrown off a little, Sevelle bit back a frustrated reply.
“Sevelle, please leave this be. We still don’t know much about these rebels.”
Sevelle protested, “All the more reason to see if we can appease them—”
“I thank you for interfering on our behalf earlier.” Then Mera’s tone gained a darker edge. “There is nothing more you can do, Sevelle.”
Sevelle opened her mouth to argue, but before she even saw Mera move, her hands gripped Sevelle’s shoulders. “Now return below or I will report you to The Glorious.”
Sevelle felt a sting of betrayal as Mera’s kind eyes hardened.
I guess I will just have to do this myself then.
She gave Mera a quick nod, and as soon as the older faerie’s hands fell away from her shoulders, she rushed from the room and down the steps.
So everyone is of the same opinion about my capabilities. Well, I will find Jae, she will tell me what she knows, and I will fix this.
Sevelle’s feet hit the stone of the second floor. She turned down the hall with determination, but then paused as she noticed the change in the air, the quiet, the absence of the agonized din coming from the courtiers in confinement.
What has gone wrong now?
Frowning, she flew back to the Throne Room. Finding it empty, she followed voices to the training room.
Her parents glanced up from where they spoke with Morlan.
“What happened?” Sevelle asked.
Her mother continued to speak in a low tone with Morlan, but Sevelle’s father turned to her with an expression she could only describe as beyond weary.
“The court’s Telk has been stolen.”
Chapter 8
Jae strode from the training room, taking an abrupt right after a few paces, she ducked out of a window. Clinging to the shadows on the wall, Jae climbed down the network of vines with the ease of practice, pausing and ducking into the shadows below larger leaves or windowsills as she waited until the guards glanced away or up at the sky. She then slipped down and out of sight.
Her feet nimbly touched the ground, and she took off at a run, keeping out of the paths run by the Nym and ducking under the thicker patches of vegetation. The winds tossing about the plants and tree branches slowed her down, and she remained on constant alert as she weaved a jagged path to the trees.
When she reached the outer ring of trees surrounding the court grounds, she straightened and threw a glance behind her, eyes darting around and up above. The steady rush of the winds put her on high alert, in case she missed small noises that would alert her of another’s presence, but she relaxed her shoulders as she saw no one.
Jae turned and continued north on foot.
When she came to the tree with two strangely twisted branches that marked their usual camp, she abruptly turned and stepped into the bushes, coming out the other side into the clearing.
Large trees stood in a semi-circle framed by lush long-leaved plants, the varieties that grew with vibrant blues and purples on the side of the leaves that faced upward, making it easier for faeries to camoflauge. The winds were muffled here, a welcome reprieve from the constant whistling through the court, though the leaves above rustled in a constant rhythm.
Lex leaned casually against the trunk of a tree, head turned away from her. His blue skin, light mess of braids, and white wings peeking out from behind him stood out from the forest’s greens and browns. The cloth he wore around his lower torso, hips, and thighs was a cream color. Everything about him reminded Jae of the sky, of freedom—even the light at his core that marked him as a potential partner.
A runa startled off of Lex’s shoulder at her approach, taking to the trees with a squawk.
“Why did you send Ash to attack us?” Jae asked before he could get a word in. She did not trust herself around him; his sky blue eyes did funny things to her insides.
He blinked in surprise, but his stance remained casual. “We needed a distraction. It was never meant to harm anyone.”
A distraction?
“What did you do?” She narrowed her eyes.
“We took the court’s Telk,” he answered as if it were nothing.
Jae’s eyebrows rose.
That will slow down the court’s plans to remove the rebels, leaving some of those with less useful affinities unable to use the others. But they will still come.
“Well, now they are angry,” she told him. “The Glorious has ordered the court to seek you out at dusk and destroy you.”
He regarded her steadily. “They will not.”
Jae cocked her head to one side. “Oh? And why not?”
“By dusk, the blight will have taken full effect.”
“All of the court?” Jae asked in awe. “It’s strong enough for that? How long will it last?”
Lex nodded, his expression turning grim, as he straightened from his leaned position against the tree. “I do not know. My father says he can hold the magic until the Winds come.”
“And you don’t believe him.”
“He has been coming back more and more drained.” Lex’s voice grew quiet.
“Back from where?” Jae asked tentatively. He had been careful so far to keep her in the dark as far as the details of the blight and the rebels’ plans, and to keep her from doing anything to intentionally go against the court—for The Glorious could sense such things. Jae was too close to the ruling family; being found a traitor would only mean terrible things for her.
The rebellion may be over in a matter of weeks, no matter who wins, she thought. Maybe he will tell me now.
Lex gave her a long look, then reached forward to take her hand, making her breath catch.
“You cannot tell anyone what I am about to say,” he said.
“I won’t,” Jae rushed to promise.
Lex leaned down to put his lips by her ear, his breath on her neck causing her face to flush. “The magic is maintained from the human world,” he whispered. “That is all I know.”
Jae nearly forgot to breathe. “It is forbidden,” she whispered back. “And I thought magic cannot live there.”
His expression was dark as he leaned back and gently let her hand go. “That is all I know, Jae.”
Jae swallowed.
This is far more dangerous than I imagined.
She barely refrained from pleading with Lex to let this go, walk away from the rebellion. But the determined set of his shoulders told her he was already in too deep.
There really is no going back for either of us, she realized.
“What are you going to do when the blight affects all of the court? What is your father planning?” Jae crossed her arms as if from a chill, though the air was pleasantly warm despite the breeze, and changed the subject. “What are you planning?”
“I wish to ask Sevelle to accompany us north, where she can work with us to seek peace. My father will retreat to the mountains after he removes himself from the magic that causes the blight, once the Winds are fully upon us.”
Jae studied him. There must be more of a reason. Why would he need Sevelle specifically?
It hit her then. “You’re worried the magic will kill him.”
“Yes.”
Jae sighed. “Why didn’t you just ask me to see Sevelle? Send me a runa message like you usually do?” she tried to keep the hurt out of her voice.
“This was more dramatic.”
Jae nearly rolled her eyes, but a small smile curved her lips. Though it soon slipped.
“Stealing the court’s Telk
and the Light can’t be what your father ordered. It will destroy morale, but it won’t take down the court,” she reasoned.
Lex looked down, interlocking and unlocking his fingers. “True. By that time, the Winds will be upon us. He won’t be able to do anything about it.”
“Sevelle can’t even sense her power. You know that.”
He looked up, a touch of hope smoothing over his expression. “Maybe getting her out of the court will awaken it.”
“And what will you do with her? Dazzle her with your wit and charm?”
His mouth curved into a wicked smile. “I cannot help it if I dazzle others.”
Jae pressed her mouth into a thin line to keep from smiling at his teasing. “And what if this plan fails?”
“Then at least I will have tried.”
Jae studied him, noticing the earnestness in his gaze. This was a last-ditch effort to save the rebels and the court from destroying each other.
But can he pull this off?
She was painfully aware she hardly knew him. Yet, her fears nearly dissipated as she remembered their first meeting. Lex had sent a runa into her room with a note. How it had managed to get past the guards, she still did not know.
The note had read, “Wings were meant for flying.”
The runa had remained, chirping at her until she moved toward the window in an effort to hush it. Then it had taken off, hovering in the air just outside the window.
I’m still not even sure why I followed it to this very spot, Jae thought. But Lex has given me hope. I will have to trust in that.
Lex had made Jae feel at ease from the moment he extended his hand to her and said, “Do not fear. We seek to create a better day. And I will never ask anything more of you than you are willing to give.”
She had replied with a slightly breathless, “All right.”
That had been the start of her chosen duties as an informant for the rebels. And through the months of late-night rendezvouses in which she had learned more of the land beyond the court, she had grown to yearn for a life beyond the stone walls and endless hours spent in Sevelle’s shadow.
“If I wish to escape the court, will there be a place for me among the rebels?” she had asked Lex nearly four weeks before, heart in her throat.
His surprised smile and the light that spread through his core had dazzled her. “Yes.”
The memory warmed her, but worry soon took over again as she jolted back to the present.
“Once the blight lifts, the court will come after you,” Jae said, thinking of The Glorious’s wrath.
“Yes, but until then, the Winds will keep them within the safety of the court,” he pointed out. “And when it is calm again, they are more likely to send you after her instead.”
Jae froze. “You do not mean for me to come with her?”
Lex’s mouth formed a straight line, and he had the decency to look ashamed. “We still need someone on the inside of the court. Also, you will not be blamed upon return.” He fired off the reasons as if he had rehearsed them.
“What?” Jae asked in response to the last question, confusion overshadowing her hurt for the moment.
“If you and Sevelle leave and return together, you will surely be blamed for putting the idea into Sevelle’s mind and punished severely. If you stay behind, it was clearly her choice to leave. Or if they decide to blame you for that, I am sure the punishment will be less without clear proof. It is better for you to remain here.”
Jae felt the insane urge to laugh at the irony of Sevelle, who belonged at the court, being the one to get to leave. It did not stop the rush of hurt that welled up within her.
Lex stepped forward and took her hand again. “Like I said, they will probably send you after her anyway.”
The thought calmed her somewhat. But she made herself step back again and remove her hand. “You know Sevelle has hardly been outside the court.”
“I will swear an oath to keep her safe,” he said immediately. “Verity will bind the oath. Couren is here with me as well. They will help to provide her with protection.”
“You will return to the court after the Winds?” she asked in a dark voice.
Lex met her gaze and nodded slowly. “Of course.”
Her heart fluttered at his words and his warm tone.
“Fine, then. Sevelle will go first.”
He lifted one slender white eyebrow. “Should Sevelle not be the one deciding that?”
Jae sighed as guilt struck her. “Yes.”
“Meet me here with your answer at dusk?”
Jae looked into eyes like the skies. “We will be here.”
A satisfied look crossed Lex’s face. He glanced up and nodded at something above her head, then spread his wings, buffeting her with a caressing breeze as he took off through the branches above.
Chapter 9
Sevelle said nothing for a moment, staring at her father in shock. “All of the Telk?” she repeated when she found her voice. “Who took it?”
Her mother turned away from Morlan, who abruptly stepped over and motioned for the guard in the room to gather.
“It seems at the same time the halkyr attacked you, the rebels infiltrated our stores,” her mother said, voice tight with anger. “They must be stopped. We strike as soon as we can organize.”
“Glorious!” a slim orange-colored faerie Sevelle only knew in passing burst into the room then. “Two more have fallen to the blight,” she said a little breathlessly as she bowed her head and placed a hand over her heart.
Sevelle’s mother closed her eyes a moment, as if composing herself. “Symptoms?” she demanded.
“Same as the others: sudden onset, inability to connect with the ara in the land, weakness.”
“Make sure all those affected are in confinement below.”
The courtier bowed her head again and rushed off.
Sevelle’s mother suddenly turned to Sevelle. “Where is your guardian?”
Trying to keep the panic off her face, Sevelle thought fast. “I rushed out of my room without telling her when I thought something was going on.”
“You should not be unprotected in times like these,” her father admonished her.
Sevelle opened her mouth to protest, but her mother spoke first. “Your power is needed more than ever, Light,” her mother said hurriedly. “Find your guardian and work at finding your power as if your life depended on it.”
Sevelle nodded as she tried to swallow her anxiety.
Her mother and father exchanged a significant look. Then her mother stepped around her and swept from the room. Her father gave her a sympathetic pat on the shoulder before he followed. Frustration sparked as Sevelle glared at their departing backs.
As soon as they were gone, she marched toward the group of guards.
“A word, Morlan,” she demanded, cutting into his speech.
He gave her a sideways glance, then continued to address the guard. “Ground force, to the garden. Sky force, up to the deck.”
The twenty or so guards scattered, flying or walking off in different directions with speed.
“Where is Jae?” Sevelle asked as soon as they were out of earshot.
Morlan turned to regard her. He didn’t say anything for a few long moments.
“Well?” Sevelle prompted, resisting the urge to step back from his powerful, tall figure.
“I am not sure you are ready to hear the answer.”
Sevelle crossed her arms. “I will not judge her—or you. Wherever she is, I need to know.”
Morlan studied her again, the feel of his gaze disconcerting.
“Come,” he finally said.
He took hold of one of the vines snaking up the walls and deftly climbed up to one of the semi-circular openings along the high ceiling. Sevelle mimicked him, though not as gracefully. Arms braced on the ledge, Morlan nodded to the trees beyond.
“She went through the thickest of the vegetation there and went north as soon as she got to the treeline,” he sai
d in a low voice, then looked at her.
Sevelle gazed back as her thoughts caught up. “You expect me to go after her?”
“You wanted to know.”
She looked back out at the wilderness. “The guards will definitely see me.”
“They won’t if you go now.”
Sevelle’s heart raced. She debated whether to trust him or not.
The rebel faeries, whoever they are, left the vision for me. They are probably out there. And whether or not Jae is involved in this, I need to know.
“You will guard this secret as you would your life?” She narrowed her eyes at him.
Morlan nodded solemnly.
With determination, Sevelle climbed up onto the sill and eased out of the window.
“Go and do not stop,” Morlan told her.
Immediately, her foot slipped on the stone. She suppressed a squeak as she opened her wings on instinct and steadied herself. Regaining her footing, she pulled her wings in tight again and forced herself to keep descending.
A strong breeze rustled the leaves and the click of spren scuttling around on insect legs in the trees near the wall met her ears. A sudden fluttering caused her to whip around as a small number of runa flew off in different directions, becoming little black specks against the sky.
But she heard no calls from the faerie guard that manned the walls. Sevelle breathed in and willed herself to relax.
After what seemed like forever, Sevelle dropped the rest of the way to the ground, slowing her descent with her wings. She froze once her bare feet hit the soft ground, ducking and pressing herself into the greenery surrounding the court.
Beyond the group of trees that was currently her shelter, the plants and trees swayed more violently in the wind. Sevelle swallowed. On instinct, she turned, expecting to see Jae. She cringed when she realized what she had done.
Eyes forward.
She ducked and ran. As she emerged into the thick wood, the light suddenly dimmed under the tree cover. Pausing, she listened again for shouts of discovery. Nothing. She let a breath out as some of the tension left her.
A small smile tugged at her lips.
I snuck out of the court.
But as she faced the unfamiliar wood, her smile faded.
