“Holy fucking shit, Em. This is insanity.”
“I know, and now everyone’s disappeared. After she spoke to me, she started convulsing; it was as if she were possessed. I’ve never seen anything like it. She was taken to the medical wing, but that’s been shut down and restricted. I’m not even sure if you’re meant to be here, but I needed someone to speak to. Someone who isn’t here every day, that isn’t Cade’s biggest fan, and most importantly, someone I trust with my life.”
“I don’t even know what to say; what are you going to do?”
“I have absolutely no idea.” I sigh and throw myself backwards into my pillows.
“There’s also probably something you should know . . .” I lift my head and look up at her, really look at her, and I see how stressed she looks.
“I’m sorry, I’ve barely let you speak. What’s going on with you?”
“It’s not so much as what’s going on with me, more just what’s happening at home. I didn’t want to tell you, because you already have so much to deal with by just being here, but I also don’t think not telling you is going to do us any good either . . .” She pauses, and I see how tired she looks and the slight shake in her hands. Pulling away the happy-go-lucky façade, I see my best friend, and I can’t remember a time I’ve ever seen her like this.
“The Hunters . . . They know your father has Oberon, and it’s causing unrest. There have been Fae slaughtering Hunters publicly to try and keep the others in line, to show them what happens when they step out of line, but all it’s done is cause a bigger divide. The Hunters back home have mostly stopped their guarding duties, there have been raids on some of the royal homes, so far, no one has died, but who knows how long that’s going to last for. Soldiers have been brought back from the front lines with the Winter Court to replace the Hunters, raids on the Hunters quarters have happened and things are getting out of control. They have demanded your father release Oberon from the cages, and that a new treaty be drawn, to make things fairer for them. They’re tired of being treated the way they have been, and I think hearing Oberon’s screams from the cages was their battle cry. I don’t know how long it will take for the dissent to reach here, but while the Hunters have the far side of the Summer/Winter border, I think that this might be what it takes to unite them.”
“We have to do something . . . I could speak to Cade. Or maybe to Rowan, see if there’s anything we can do.”
“But won’t speaking to Cade mean you have to tell him everything?”
“Probably, but what’s the point in ending one war just to start another? I’ll think of something. I’ve heard whispers of unrest, and Cade has been away a lot. I thought it was just his mother, but I doubt this sort of thing is outside of his scope. The Hunters have been strangely absent here too, but I’ve tried not to focus on it. There’s only so much I can carry on my shoulders, you know?”
“I’m sorry, Em. I didn’t want to bring it to you, but I don’t know what else to do. King Levoya is doing nothing to settle the Autumn Court. He’s too busy up in his palace preparing for the end of summer to notice what’s happening with his people. As far as he’s concerned, he’s done his job to stop the war between the courts and now he deserves a reprieve. I tried speaking to Araya, but you know how she is. Politics and war aren’t her strong suits. I know I shouldn’t speak that way of the potential future queen, but it’s true.”
“Take a breath; you don’t need to worry about this anymore. It shouldn’t have been your place to start with. I’ll do something, but you can stay here for now if you’d feel safer?”
“Thank you, but I can’t leave my parents and my little sister. I might not be able to much, but if something happened to them while I was tucked up here, safe and sound, I’d never forgive myself.”
“I can understand that. I’ll get an escort to take you back home, but just try and keep a low profile and stay safe. If you need anything, come and find me.” I walk her to the front of the grounds, our feet crunching in the gravel stones where the carriages await us.
“I will do, you stay safe too, Em. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you. I love you.” She hugs me tightly and holds on a little longer than normal.
“I love you too, C. I’m sure it will be fine, just please, please, stay safe. You’re basically all I have left. I can’t lose you too.”
“I’m not going anywhere.” She winks at me as she climbs up into the carriage. “Not even the hounds of hell could drag me away.” She laughs before she closes the door but hangs out of the window. “In all seriousness, if anything happens, run. I’ll do the same, and I’ll meet you in our old place, the cliff point between the courts, okay?”
“Okay.” I nod, trying not to worry too much about what could happen if the Hunters rebel. I wave down two of the main guards on patrol, again military and not Hunters, and I try not to think about it too much.
“Swear it.” She smiles, it not quite reaching her eyes, the worry obvious on her face.
“I swear. I’ll see you soon.”
“Until then. See you soon.” I wave as she disappears from sight, her escort close behind her, and I try to get rid of the foreboding feeling that I might not see her again.
Chapter Eleven
I turn at the sound of a knock at my door and find Cade opening it slowly.
“Hey,” he says softly.
“Hey, stranger.” I walk to him and wrap my arms around him, feeling him relax a little at my touch. I’m trying my best to be the person I’m meant to be, but it’s starting to be hard to differentiate between who I am and who I’m meant to be.
“Do you want to go for a walk? I know we’ve not had much time to spend with you recently,” he asks as he steps back, putting distance between us again.
“Sure, let me just grab my shoes.” I wander into the closet to find some flat boots, I’m not exactly dressed as a princess, but I also know that he’s never really cared about that. At least he never used to. I pull the boots on over my jeans and grab a jacket before heading back out. He opens the door for me and waves me out of the room, ever the gentleman. It makes me wonder how much of this is Cade, and how much of this is the duty of the Winter Prince. He leads me through the palace and down through the staff quarters, which lead out to the grounds. I’ve always loved it back here; there are so many trees, it’s like a sort of snowy forest paradise.
“How have you been finding things at the palace?” he asks as we walk towards the forest.
“Oh, I mean, it’s okay. It’s kind of what I expected it to be, but not at the same time, you know?”
“I think so. And you don’t miss home?” He looks concerned, at least I think he does.
“The Summer Palace hasn’t really been home in a while.” I sigh. “I miss Lily, my friend from Avaenora, but there really isn’t much for me back there, so no, I don’t miss it.”
“What about you? You’ve been super busy this last week?” I ask, trying to pry because one thing about being here is that I have almost no idea about what is going on in Eressea, and I hate it. He nods a little, looking out across the snowy lawns.
He barely reacts, and I can’t blame him. This entire situation feels so awkward. I want to ask him questions, but I also don’t want to pry, especially since he’s barely said anything about where he’s been and absolutely nothing about what is going on, so I try to make light conversation.
“So, this is what being the Crowned Prince is like?” I force a laugh as we stroll across the grounds, and I try not to think about everything Lily told me earlier. “It’s all having women fight over you and having your pick. Dinners, fancy parties, and picnics in the gardens. Doesn’t sound so bad.” I’m trying to keep things light. Today is my designated date day with Cade. Time for Talia and me to spend a day with him so he can get to know us better before our next and final test. I’m burning to ask him questions, more questions about what is really going on, to see if he knows already, but I know he won’t share with me till he�
��s ready.
“That’s hardly all I do. That just happens to be this month, as we wind up towards the hard winter. It’s my free time to get myself prepared for what is to come. These last few days are just unusual circumstances, but I do what I have to, to keep everyone happy and keep this place running smoothly.”
“So, you don’t ever really get downtime?” He doesn’t answer, just keeps moving toward the blanket, held down by four heaters and a picnic basket I can see set up not far from us. I can’t help but feel a little sad for him. So much changed for him after the day he killed Edimere too. He cemented his role in his family. The protector. His father’s heir.
“Do you ever regret it?” The words slip out, and I see his guards slamming back into place. “Sorry, forget I asked. That was stupid.”
“No.” I look at him, and this is the new Cade. The serious but heartless man he wears to protect himself. “I don’t regret killing your brother.” The words are like a knife to the heart, but I don’t know why I expected anything else.
“Do I regret ever being put in that situation? Losing my best friend, and you all in one simple moment. That I regret. But I’ll never regret saving Rowan’s life. Saving him from having to fight for his life, potentially have to kill one of his closest friends. He was always the lightest of us all, with the biggest heart. It would have broken him to have to do that. So no, I don’t regret it. I look at who he is today, and I know that sparing him that was the right thing to do. We have enough darkness to fight; he didn’t need that mark on his soul too.”
His words take me back, I can’t say I’d ever considered any of what he just said, and I chide myself for keeping my rose-tinted glasses on for so long. I always looked at the situation with the eyes of a child. From my own selfish point of view, and everything I lost. Not once had I looked at it his way, like an adult making a decision with the least repercussions. I had always looked upon that day with the memory of the child I was, with the prejudices and opinions of a child, completely unwavering in my faith that he was in the wrong, and just playing his father’s game, willing or not. My grief had clouded a lot, and my parent’s grief had kept me distracted enough never to re-evaluate anything.
“I’m sorry, Cade.”
“You don’t need to be sorry, Emilia.” He sighs and sits on the blanket in front of us.
“I do. I blamed you. For everything. I never considered anything outside of the black and white of what happened in front of me that day. I’ve been wearing rose-tinted glasses for quite some time, and so I’m sorry.”
“Does that mean you forgive me? Rowan? My father?”
“I don’t think I’ll ever forgive your father, Cade. It might not be what you want to hear, and it might jeopardize my chances here with all of this, but I will be honest with you when you ask. Your father orchestrated that whole thing to test Rowan, to test you, he could have used anyone. A nobody. But he chose Edimere as his plaything, and for that, I will never forgive him. I lost more than Edi that day, and nothing anyone can say or do will ever be able to change that. Everything that happened since then has remolded me into someone I never thought I’d be, but it has made me stronger at least.” I take a seat beside him, the basket between us. “But let’s try and not focus on that, this is meant to be about us getting to know each other as we are now.”
“I already know who you are, Emilia. All of you. Whether you want me to see it or not. You’re still exactly who you’ve always been, even if you are a little more cautious now, a little more jaded. I, however, I’ve been lost ever since that day. I lost you, and I lost the part of me that you brought out in me. The part of me that wanted more than I’d been taught we should have. More than the old ways and ever since you’ve been here, that part of me has been battling with the man I know I have to be. I’m not who I once was, I’ve learnt hard lessons and lost so much of who I was, what I wanted from life in the years we’ve been apart, and I’m not sure who to be or how to act around you anymore.”
“I’ve changed a lot too, Cade. I don’t expect anything from you, except to give me a fair chance, and for us to try and move past our past.” He takes my hand I swallow the lump in my throat as Oberon’s face flashes in my mind, and I feel a stabbing feeling in my heart. My emotions swirl inside of me, and the conflict I feel confuses me. I never thought I could move past Edimere’s death, but being here, being back with Cade is healing parts of me I thought would be forever broken. I’ve realized that holding onto that hate and bitterness will only hurt me, except that in letting go of that anger, something else has crept in. I’m not ready to look too closely at it because it could ruin everything. For now, I just need to make it through this and stay strong. I’m here for Oberon, and I can’t forget that.
“I can do that if you can. A fresh start for us both, what do you say?” He hits me with that smile of his, and I can’t help but smile back at him, feeling lighter than I have in a long, long time.
“That sounds perfect.” I squeeze his hand as his fingers intertwine with mine, and I almost feel at peace. Now I just need to hold strong and stay on this path. Maybe I can be happy here, and save Oberon, and stop the brewing war with the Hunters all at the same time.
Chapter Twelve
I stare at my ceiling and sigh, frustrated for the hundredth time about the fact that I can’t get back to sleep. Snap out of it, Emilia.
Screw this. I throw off the covers and dress in the jeans and sweatshirt I’d put out for the morning. It might be stupid o’clock, but lying in bed isn’t going to sort out any of my frustrations. I grab my jacket and leave my room, aimlessly wondering through the palace and find myself outside.
I walk around the palace on edge, I’ve been so tense since Lily’s visit, and I still haven’t spoken to Cade about it. I don’t know where to start or what he already knows, and I’m making myself crazy. But if what Lanora said is right, marrying Cade is going to bring about more death and darkness, but if I don’t, then this war could go full-scale if my father kills Oberon. Either way, whichever decision I make, I’m guaranteed to lose, and so are the people I’m meant to rule and protect. A walk in the gardens is just what I need; the fresh air will help me sleep.
It’s dark, and the quiet of the night makes the palace seem so eerie. I walk through the halls and find myself staring at the doors of the ballroom. Every bad thing that has happened to me in this place has happened beyond these doors. I push one open, the creak of it deafening in the silence. I step forward and slip, crashing to the floor. I feel the wet on my fingers, and then the smell hits me—blood.
I pull myself back up and creep into the room, trying not to disturb anything or anyone who might be in here already. I head down the stairs, crouching the best I can and head towards the smell. My foot slips and I catch myself of the bannister, looking down I see the blood trail, smeared on the floor. I follow the drag lines with my eyes, and I see them. Three or four bodies piled together. A groan sounds from the pile, and I rush towards them.
“Run . . . Hunters . . .” the man before me says, his breath gets shallow and ropey before stopping completely. What the fuck is going on!
That’s when I see the shadows in the room moving, and I realize I’m not alone. I run back out the way I came and head for Cade, screaming his name as I run. I already know they’re behind me, but maybe I can save him if he hears me. My blood pumps so heard through my body that I can here my heartbeat in my ears. I get close to the wing where Cade and Rowan stay when I’m thrown backwards by a rush of heat. I hit my head on the wall that stops me and fall to the floor. The brightness in front of me blinds me, and I scream. The flames engulf the main staircase up to the two wings. I pull on the power inside me and reach out to the flames. The ringing in my ears threatens to knock me off balance, but I stand and reach out for them, making sure I have them all inside my mind, and I extinguish them.
The damage done to the main area is extensive, but I’ll be damned if that’s going to stop me.
“Emi
lia, run!” I look up and see Cade and Rowan, both covered in soot and looking worse for wear, but at least they’re alive. The fear on their faces registers as I feel the hand on my shoulder as I’m thrown backwards again. I shake myself off as I hit the floor and jump back up. Hell, if I’m going down without a fight.
“Get to your parents,” I shout to Cade and Rowan as I face the smug smile and glowing yellow eyes of the Hunter in front of me. I hear their footfalls as they run to the other wings, trusting I can handle myself, and I love that feeling.
“We’re not here for you, Emilia. Don’t make yourself part of this. Run from here, find Oberon, and leave just as you planned.” I hesitate.
“Oberon is free?” I whisper. This is it, the moment I wanted for so long, right in front of me.
“He will be by the time you get to the cages. Go. Go now. These are not your people, not really. This is not your fight.” He turns and walks away from me, and I falter. Can I really leave knowing what could happen? Can I not?
I swallow the bad taste on my tongue, and I run without looking back. I make it out of the palace without seeing anyone else, but I look back and see the flames that engulf half of the palace, and I hear the cries of Hunters and Fae alike as they battle out in the palace, but I don’t stop. Oberon is free. Once I reach the stables, I find most of them already empty. One lone black stallion remains, mounted and ready to go. Shadowind, Cade’s horse, and the irony of the situation isn’t lost on me, but I climb the horse and head back towards home. Towards the man I love. Towards freedom.
I try to stop the thoughts running through my head that this is a bad idea. Try to force the worry for Cade and Rowan down, but it hits me that I love them both too. It’s not the same as my love for Oberon, but it’s there, a small flame next to the inferno Oberon brings out in me. I reach the cliff point between the two courts, and I see the ice and flames battling the engulf the Summer palace, and it hits me. They’re not just attacking in one place. I bend over and throw up, the bile stinging my throat as it leaves my body. All these people, dead or dying because of me. Because I fell in love with a Hunter. Because we got caught. Tears stream down my face, and the hope I’d been running on is empty.
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