by Allison Rose
It took Sevelle a second to remember. Then despair threatened to crash through her again. This time, though, she held it at bay, giving the Whisper Wood beyond Lex’s shoulder a nervous glance.
“I am no longer the heir,” Sevelle admitted softly.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Verity and Couren exchange stunned glances, but her gaze remained on Lex.
His frown grew deeper, and he looked away.
I have failed everyone.
Sevelle lowered herself back to the ground.
What am I going to do now?
Chapter 28
Jae stepped back from Morlan as her emotions swirled into a storm.
“You’re sure?” she asked in a voice equally as low as his.
Morlan nodded, sharp gaze scanning her face.
Only she would poison her own court in order to play the savior. This is the faerie that gave me life.
Revulsion accompanied that thought, and Jae forcefully pushed it aside before it could overwhelm her. She sought to put together the pieces in her head.
The Glorious poisoned the court, then pretended to be affected as well. All to test Sevelle? Or to test me?
“Why? Why did she do it?” she asked Morlan. Then she turned her head and pinned him with her gaze. “And how do you know?”
He looked down and didn’t answer.
Jae felt fear creep up her throat. “Morlan, how do you know?”
Morlan lifted his head. His expression held a mix of guilt and defensiveness, his eyes pained. “She asked me to keep you here. And I agreed.”
The breath caught in Jae’s lungs as she tried to inhale. She stepped back, as if she had been physically struck. “You did all of this for her?”
Morlan’s expression darkened, and he took a step forward. “I did this for you.”
Jae shook her head and took another step back. “No.” She turned away from him, gaze seeking anything but him. “No, you didn’t.”
He reached forward to catch her arm, but she tore it away. His fingers snatched air as she glared at him.
“Don’t believe me if you wish,” he said. “That does not change the fact that you are the heir. And you belong here. The court needs you.” Morlan’s eyes bore into her own.
A harsh laugh burst out of her. “I cannot save the court from the insanity of its ruler.”
“Yes, you can,” he argued.
I should’ve flown away before now, Jae lamented internally as she stared at the stubborn set of his jaw. I should’ve refused to stay. I should’ve left with Lex.
Lex. Her eyes widened. The rebellion. Who is Lore then? Is he actually working with The Glorious? Is Lex in danger?
“What’s even real, Morlan?” she shot back, a note of hysteria entering her voice. “Are the rebels real?”
“Yes.” He paused and let out a harsh sigh, looking reluctant to elaborate.
“Tell. Me.” She punctuated each word with a step forward until she was close enough to practically feel his tension. She glared up at him.
He gave her an answering glare, then his shoulders slumped as his face fell.
“The Glorious has been…communicating with the Punisher in the human world. He was the one who created the dark magic and is using it to cause the blight. But Lore is also infected with it, to make him look like he is causing it. He is a pawn. Though he leads the rebels, it was The Glorious who allowed them to come so close to the court.”
Her head began to feel fuzzy, and Jae backed away from him again to lean against the bed.
So it’s not the Great Destroyers’ magic. It’s entirely new. And entirely of The Glorious’s doing.
“The rebellion was already brewing,” Morlan continued. “The Glorious simply fanned the conflict and twisted it in her favor.”
Jae’s brows shot up. “And that makes it right?”
“I didn’t say that.”
Jae didn’t answer.
Then why did she tell me the magic was that of the Great Destroyers? What does she want me to do?
“Now will you stay?” Morlan asked.
Jae’s eyebrows shot up. “What exactly do you think I can do about all this? Why should I stay?” she asked, holding his gaze, willing him to say something that would answer all her problems.
Morlan’s jaw tightened. “You alone know both sides of this conflict. You know the truth. And The Glorious may listen to you.”
The sudden urge to laugh struck Jae, but she swallowed it. “That is a lie, and you know it.”
You wish for us to be partners, but that is not my wish. Not that you will believe me.
Morlan opened his mouth to speak, but Jae cut him off.
“But this changes things,” she told him slowly, running a hand over her face. “And I am tired. So tired.”
He narrowed his gaze at her for a moment, then his posture relaxed. “You will stay?”
Jae nodded, unable to speak her assent. “Now please,” she said, infusing her voice with all the fatigue and frustration threatening to overtake her, “leave me be.”
Morlan looked like he wanted to step forward, embrace her, something, but then he stepped back. “You will not regret this,” he said in a low, warm voice.
Jae retained eye contact as he backed up, then turned and left the room, closing the door softly behind him.
The breath she had been holding rushed out of her. She sagged, then flopped over onto her bed. Closing her eyes she tuned in to her core, the ara there sluggish and despondent.
It will have to work. There is only one thing left to do now.
She snapped her eyes open and sat up, gathering what little power she had left, willing it to awaken.
I will not stay here. I have to reach Lex before The Glorious does.
Jae slipped off the bed and walked to the window with determined steps.
I don’t care if the Winds take me. At least I will have tried to save him.
She dove out the window.
Chapter 29
Sevelle gripped the band around Ash’s neck until her knuckles turned white. The cloth that tied her hair back had been ripped away long ago, but she hadn’t bothered to tie it back again.
There had been little discussion after her revelation near the Whisper Wood. With an uneasy glance back at the place that had almost been their deaths, Lex had urged them onward, calling Ash with a piercing whistle and helping Sevelle onto his back.
Just before he had hoisted her up, he had leaned into her ear and whispered, “I am sorry.”
The words had given her a brief moment of warmth, but as she rode staring out at the horizon, unable to speak to the others or hear much of anything over the roaring wind, the hollow feeling reared its ugly head.
What must they think of me? I drew the Whisper Wood to surround Lex. I could’ve killed him. And now I might not be of use to any of them. Now I am no one.
She blinked in surprise at the similarity of her thoughts to the whispers she heard in the Wood. Then she shook her head, grip strengthening on the cord around Ash’s neck.
This will not get me anywhere. Maybe I can figure out something once we get to Muren. Taria might know something. I could find out what happened, why my mother took away my heirship, if I will even be welcome back at the court.
She wiped at her eyes as the next thought hit her hard.
Who has taken my place?
Giving her head a shake, she tried to push those thoughts away.
I rid Lex of the darkness. That has to count for something.
As darkness descended, they were forced to make camp and rest. They encountered more Nym patrolling the woods, and Lex suggested they spend the night in the trees. Couren grew and molded branches around them to keep them from tumbling to the ground as they slept.
Sevelle tried to get comfortable, but the rough bark made it difficult. She closed her eyes and willed sleep to take her.
Please let us reach Muren soon. And please let me find a way to go home afterward.
&nbs
p; The others were silent the next morning. Once Ash joined them again, they headed out.
By the time Muren came into view hours later, Sevelle’s limbs ached; her heart felt torn in two. After a night of drifting off fitfully, She wanted nothing more than to close her eyes and truly be at peace. Yet, her heart raced at the sight of the village that was such a mystery to her.
From afar, all that was visible of Muren was a stone wall that wrapped around the entire village and one giant tree reaching toward the sky in its center. The stories told that the great tree was the final resting place of Taria’s former partner, and the energy and love flowed through the land, making it the most prosperous village of the Day.
The sight of it tripled her heartache as she remembered her own connection to her tree at court had been broken.
As they approached, Sevelle saw Lex wave to the guards kneeling along the wall. They let the group fly past without issue.
They know him by sight, Sevelle thought curiously. Then she pushed her long hair out of her face and straightened slightly as the buffer from the wall eased some of the wind.
Beyond the wall, the village was mostly deserted. Rows of dwellings were set in a circle surrounding the main stone structures. The dwellings were made of a combination of soil and wood much like Farryn, though these were reinforced by plantlife growing along the ground and up and over the grass-covered mounds. The structures at the center, right next to the great tree, were much larger, yet somehow managed to fit into the village rather than tower over it.
Ash and the others descended right near one of the smaller buildings that looked more like a dwelling than an official meeting place.
Anxiety rushed through Sevelle’s veins. How will I be received now that I am no longer the heir?
They landed in a lush garden directly behind the structure. Being within the trees and large-leafed plants muffled the effects of the winds even more. Sevelle breathed a sigh of relief as she slid off of Ash’s back.
“Where are we?” she asked Verity, who had landed next to her, in a hushed tone.
“Taria’s personal dwelling,” Verity answered. She was panting slightly. Sevelle offered her arm, but Verity waved her off with a frown.
Ash hopped off, ducking deeper into the garden. Lex shot Sevelle a concerned look as he came into view. She nodded at him with a tight smile.
Couren was already headed toward the structure. Verity followed him, and Sevelle fell into step beside Lex.
“Will I be welcome here?” Sevelle asked him.
“Taria welcomes everyone,” he replied, as if she should know that already.
They passed through wooden double doors held open by Couren to come to a hallway lit by slitted windows near the ceiling. At the middle of the hall, Couren and Lex took a right into a large room ringed with towering green and blue plants, partially illuminated by light streaming in through slats around the perimeter of the high ceiling. There was a long wooden table down the center. Sevelle breathed in, the very air feeling fresh and welcoming despite her anxiety.
At one end, sat a faerie with violet skin and wings of pure white. Her cream-colored hair was braided in one long plait that trailed down her back between her wings. She wore a loose, flowing garment of a simple brown. Her delicate brow was furrowed as she sifted through stacks of papers.
“Mistress,” Couren called out formally. The rest bowed their heads to her, and Sevelle scrambled to do the same.
Taria smiled as she looked up. “Many welcomes,” she said warmly in a soft, musical voice.
Lex strode forward. “Any news of my father?” he asked rather abruptly.
Taria shook her head. “No. The mountains have been quiet.” A worried look passed over her face.
Lex nodded stiffly. “May we rest awhile before we speak?”
Taria inclined her head, gaze sliding curiously from Lex to Sevelle. Lex nodded, then grabbed Sevelle’s arm and gently pulled her back into the hall. Verity and Couren looked after them but made no moves to follow.
“Where are we going?” Sevelle asked, her voice coming out hoarse.
He didn’t answer until they entered a room at the end of the hall. It was furnished with a bed with simple coverings, water basin, and wooden chest. Vines with blue leaves and Telk stones inscribed with a sun—the symbol of light—were the only ornamentation on the stone walls. Slats along the perimeter of the ceiling that joined with the outer wall provided limited sunlight.
Lex closed the wooden door, then turned to look her right in the eye with an imploring gaze.
“What did you do to me back there?”
Oh no. He really is mad.
“Uh, there was this darkness in you,” she attempted to explain as she looked to the floor. “I think Ash first showed it to me. And then in the Whisper Wood…it grew. I was afraid it would swallow you, consume you whole. And I guess I just willed it away. I…I willed there to be light to swallow the darkness.” She tentatively peeked up at Lex.
His eyes were wide. “You saw a darkness in me? Ash showed it to you?”
Sevelle nodded. “At your core.”
A sigh went through him and he ran his hands through his braids, looking away from her. “So you have found your power,” he said thoughtfully.
Sevelle’s mouth dropped open. “I, uh, I don’t even know if that was my power.”
He looked at her again, this time with more intensity. “You willed the light to swallow the darkness. That sounds like the power of the sun to me. That darkness…” He paused. “It might have killed me.”
“What was it?”
“I did not know I was affected. I felt a little…off. But I fear this is what is consuming my father.” Anguish flashed across his face.
“Sevelle, I have to tell you something. I hoped that if you traveled north with us, you would be able to cure my father as well as stop the blight. I do not know where the magic that causes the blight came from. Only that my father started acting strange after he used it. He started forgetting things, refusing to eat, and getting angry easily. My sister is a spirit-user. She said she saw a black stain on his soul.”
“So how did the darkness get to you?”
Lex barked out a surprised laugh. “Sunny, I just admitted to trying to use you.”
“You were trying to save a loved one—as well as my court. How can I blame you for that?”
He smiled slowly, eyes warm as he looked at her. She never wanted that look to stop. Then he slowly shook his head. “I do not know how the magic stained me, but you say it’s gone now?”
Sevelle checked again just to be sure. His core shown brightly to her sight, the colors reminding her of another conversation they hadn’t had yet.
Her cheeks heated. “Um, Lex—”
There was an insistent knock on the door then. “Lex? Sevelle?” a familiar voice called.
Chapter 30
Jae frantically ran her palms over her hair, trying to smooth it back into its bun. Her heart pounded, yet she felt drained like never before. Coaxing the winds to propel her to the north had taken most of what little energy she still had within her. It had taken almost an entire day, but with frequent stops to rest in the treetops and to the ground to pull up roots to stave off the hunger, she had managed it.
As she lowered her shaky arm from her hair, she noticed her skin color had faded to a much lighter gray.
What will they think of me now?
Her heart had soared as she caught sight of Ash in the garden of Taria’s home as she flew over, but the halkyr had lowered his head and watched her with suspicion when she landed.
Taria treated Jae with the same amount of care, as if she might spear her at any moment, though she allowed Jae entrance into her home and showed her where Lex and Sevelle were.
The only faeries that matter are in this room, Jae tried to tell herself to clear the ache in her heart.
Then the door swung open, revealing Lex.
Jae’s heart did a little flip. Unsure of what to do
, she froze.
What if he hates me for this? I have joined the court he so despises. What if we can never have a future together?
But his core still shone for her.
I have to try.
Without a word, Lex opened the door wider and stepped back. Sevelle stood by the bed, hair and garments a disheveled mess. Guilt stabbed through Jae just looking at her. The pulse of the connection to what was once Sevelle’s tree did not help.
Now I will have to tell her it’s me who took her place. And in front of Lex.
“You found a way out of the court?” Lex asked Jae with a cocked eyebrow.
“Yes.” Jae’s voice came out hoarse. She coughed, then stepped into the room and let Lex close the door behind her. “But they will be coming. They want your father.”
Lex gave her a grim nod.
Jae opened her mouth to tell him all she had learned, the truth about the blight and the dark magic, but Sevelle stepped forward and spoke.
“Why did she take the heirship away from me?” she asked desperately.
Jae looked at the pain in her eyes and hesitated.
But she deserves to know the truth, even if it may break her.
Jae’s vision suddenly swam, and she put out an arm. Lex reached forward to steady her with a concerned frown. She slowly lowered herself to the floor and folded her legs before speaking.
“I am the real daughter of The Glorious and Drake. You were adopted into the family when your magic was discovered. And then when you left with Lex, The Glorious decided I was the better choice to rule.”
Sevelle stared at her with wide eyes. “It’s not true,” she whispered.
“I didn’t want this to happen,” Jae rushed to say. “The Glorious made me heir without my permission.”
Sevelle’s silence was worse than anger.
“Why did you leave the court, Jae?” Lex asked quietly.
Jae turned to him. “I wanted to be free, as always.”
“You cannot be free as long as you are heir,” he pointed out.
Jae slowly closed her eyes in frustration.
