Liz looked thoughtful. “You really gave up your throne to be with her?”
I smiled softly and nodded. “It’s against the law for a warlock to fall in love with a human, never mind marrying one.”
“How did you escape it?”
I laughed. “I gave up my title.”
“The king was the judge,” she said.
“Something like that.” I smiled.
“I trust you, Marick. Just, please, if she wants to see me, don’t keep her from me.”
“I promise I won’t.”
We got up, and I gave her a hug. “Your daughter is so much like you, or the one I miss with all my heart.”
“Be patient, Marick. She lived ten years in a head filled with darkness.”
“I know.”
“She will come back to you with nurturing.”
I chuckled. “Goodnight, Liz.”
“Goodnight, Marick.”
I walked out and went down to speak with Sebastian and the rest. I told them the news that we would be going home soon. “Dad only cares about meeting Eva now and said that he wanted you all back. Procedures still need to be followed, but it wasn’t negative.”
They sounded excited about it all. I left them chatting and went back to my room.
I couldn’t sleep that night though. Thought about how much my life changed the past four days filled my head. I found out I had a daughter who was a Dream Weaver and a wife who I thought was human but really was never a human to begin with. I could almost taste the throne, but it wasn’t worth it anymore. The cost was too damn high this time.
I was drifting off to sleep when I heard Danielle screaming at the top of her lungs. I jumped up and yanked open my door when another agonizing scream left her room.
Her mother came running out her room too. She told Francine that it was okay, she should go back to sleep, as I rushed past her to Danielle’s room.
Minaut, now in her wisp form, tried to wake up Danielle but couldn’t.
Her arms and legs flailed. I grabbed a hold of her arms and yelled her name to wake up. It took a few times calling her name before she finally opened her eyes. She immediately started to sob in my arms.
“Shh, it’s over,” I said softly as she cried.
I knew it was the darkness of the Forgotten potion. I hated that fucking potion and hated that we couldn’t use the cure.
She shoved me away and ran into the room.
“Sweetheart,” her mother said, calling after her.
“Has this happened before?”
“I thought she was over this. I don’t think she has her meds with her. They help, but yes, it’s always like this, Marick.”
“That bad?”
“She told me once what it was in her head. That type of darkness—it made me shiver.”
“It’s the effect of the Forgotten potion. Those who try to break it end up only getting pulled in or dying. I can help her, Liz. I can make it easier on her. I promise.”
Her mother nodded. “I’m going to wait for her to come out.”
“Tell her I’m in my room if she needs some help from my magic. A dose of my gift should help.” I smiled and went back to my room.
“Marick, is she okay?” Francine stood by her door.
“She’s fine. It’s the effects of the potion.”
She looked at me. She didn’t need Minaut’s gift for me to know what she was thinking.
“I want to so badly, Francine, but I can’t. You know what will happen if they searched for answers. I will find a way to make it easier on her. I promise.”
She nodded and went back into her room.
For the rest of the night, I couldn’t sleep. I wished that Danielle would come and ask me to help her, but that too didn’t happen. It was killing me knowing that she was suffering so much and that I had the cure in reach. But, if the old Danielle knew what was at stake, she would’ve killed me if I told her who she was.
I had to trust her, and my punishment was watching her suffer in her darkness. I had to live with it.
Chapter 17
DANIELLE
* * *
The next evening, we were ready and packed to leave for Marick’s world. Saying goodbye to my mom was hard. But Marick said that she was safe.
I couldn’t look at him. Knowing that he heard me last night, screaming like that. If I kept putting more guilt on him, he would never tell me the truth of his life—about her, the woman that phoned him last night.
My mother picked up on that.
“Please, don’t.”
“He can help, Danielle. You don’t have your medication. Let him ease it.”
I nodded. I just wanted her to stop begging.
She hugged me tight and then kissed Eva, promising that she could come and visit anytime she want to.
Eva nodded and hugged my mother tightly around the neck. “I’m going to miss you,” she whispered.
“Me too, sweetheart.” She kissed her on her head. “Me too.”
Worry lines creased my mother’s forehead, but I had enough problems of my own to think about, let alone hers too.
We all walked downstairs.
“What about the books?” Katia asked.
“The books can’t come with us, Katia. They will be safe here, for now.”
“Marick, my sister is possibly an alchemist.”
“Leave me out of this,” Louise said. “You only care about yourself.”
“Katia, we can’t. What don’t you understand?”
“Fine, I’m not going to argue with you. It’s just that those books are the reasons we have forbidden spells and potions. The cures to every spell and potion are in those books.”
“You think I don’t know that?” Marick roared, and I flinched. I couldn’t imagine what type of a couple they were.
I wished they would stop fighting. I hated leaving my mother here, but she will be safe, I knew it. Still, I prayed that she will be safe.
Sebastian broke up Marick and Katia. Katia glared at me again as if it were my fault that the books had to stay. Wait, it was my fault, so she had all the right to be pissed at me this time. The funny thing was that I was too numb to care.
“Give her time, girl.” I heard Marick whispered to Minaut. She gave me space today. She wasn’t speaking to me.
Everyone gathered in a circle. I held Eva’s hand tightly. Marick took the other hand. We all formed a circle and held hands.
Breaking the circle for a moment, Marick turned his ring before grabbing Sebastian’s hand again, closing the circle before the pull came. It was over before it really began. We were in a forest again.
Luke laughed and kissed the ground.
Darius inhaled the fresh air, his chest expanding as he filled his lungs.
Sebastian hugged Francine while Marick attended to a dizzy Eva.
“You okay?” Sebastian turned to me and asked, and I nodded, though I was suppressing nausea.
“Here.” He handed me a bottle. “Drink some water.”
I gulped the water down.
“Ask Marick for help. I told you he can make it easier, Danielle. Stop being so stubborn,” he whispered. He was talking about last night.
I nodded and gave him back the bottle water.
Fifteen other men popped into the forest too. All of them traveling by rings.
The bowed when they saw Marick.
“What is the meaning of this?” Marick scowled.
“Your father’s orders,” one of the guards said.
One of the other guards looked at me and Minaut. The guard smiled softly and nodded hello. I had no idea who he was, and I looked at Marick who was speaking to the other guard.
“Marick’s cousin, Joab.” Sebastian said.
“What is the meaning of this? Why fifteen men, Flavion?” Marick asked not trusting this.
“Safe passage, Marick. Ever since you found Danielle, all sorts of incidents have been happening that your father couldn’t mention to you over the phone. Her ap
pearance is scaring someone close to the family, and we do not know who.”
Eva was clutching her father’s hand.
“Luke.”
“Flavion, everything okay?”
“As best as it could be. We have missed you.”
He huffed and walked past.
Flavion shook his head. What was the issue there? I thought.
We climbed into a van, which wasn’t a van at all. Inside was a huge waiting area with a beautiful reception area. Eva absolutely loved it. I couldn’t stop staring at it.
“Calm down, okay? If we were in trouble, I promise you, we wouldn’t even been able to set foot in this place,” Sebastian said.
“I don’t understand. What is this?” I asked.
“It’s a portal, Danielle. Looks like one thing from the outside, but it’s another on the inside. We’re still surrounded by danger, and if Flavion speaks the truth about strange things happening, whoever gave you the potion didn’t do it because of you know what.”
I didn’t want to hear it. I knew what he meant and why he didn’t want to say it aloud because of Marick’s request.
I nodded.
A representative came over to Marick. He stood from the seat he found to speak to her.
She rotated from on the spot from where she stood, her eyes searched for something until she spotted me. She turned around and walked away. Was that Shania? With the way she looked when she saw me, I couldn’t help but wonder.
Joab came to say hello to Sebastian, and I looked away as Marick turned around and came walking over to us.
“They’re almost ready for us.” Marick let me know before he went over to Sebastian. “Joab, my dad here.”
“They said he arrived fifteen minutes before us.” Joab said.
Marick nodded.
Minaut sprawled out on the ground beside my feet.
The woman I suspected was Shania came back again and told us all to follow her.
We went through more doors, and the inside of the next room reminded me of an old courtroom. Many symbols of witches were crafted on the walls. I couldn’t breathe.
“Deep breaths, Danielle.” Marick was beside me. “Just take deep breaths. I can’t help you now, all the symbols are literally binding my ability. I’m sorry.”
“That’s what this is?” I asked.
“You feel it too?” He whispered, and I nod.
“I feel like I can’t breathe,” I managed to say. I didn’t like the look on his face.
Over in the next twenty minutes, witches and warlocks appeared out of thin air, filling in along the sides. They all wore the same style of robe and hat. They chatted to one another as if everything was normal, and I found a row of chairs in front of us. I sat in a chair, trying to breathe and calm down.
Minaut planted herself in front of me.
“You okay Danny?” She sounded worried.
I nodded.
Eva waved at someone on the throne who smiled at her and winked.
“She dreamt about all of these people.”
I found the same man’s eyes on me a few seconds later, staring at me with a soft gaze. He smiled softly, and I returned it with a frown.
He looked away as everyone was seated. Apparently, we were starting whatever this was.
“You’re all gathered for a short hearing of the Cooper family, banished ten years ago, reinstated this year. The evidence, my beautiful granddaughter Eva Young, and her mother, Danielle Young. The Cooper family was not responsible for the death of Danielle Young ten years ago.” He read like this was an informal gathering. “Luke Cooper, I hereby give you and your entire family my deepest apology. Your freedom is reinstated, and your banishment is no longer in effect. You will be compensated by the law for all that you have lost, and for what we can’t reinstate, I hope that your forgiveness would be greater than our lack of investigation.”
“Thank you, My King,” Luke said, nodding.
“You will reside at the castle until your homes are ready to receive all of you.”
Katia started to cry, and Luke held her tight. Just like that, it was over. The people disappeared one by one, most of them through their rings, some through their bags. The last person disappeared, and we were all alone with the king who was sitting on his throne.
He got up and walked over to Marick. He hugged him and kissed him twice on each cheek.
The king then crouched on his haunches in front of Eva. “Dreamt about me yet?” He smiled warmly. She nodded and gave him a hug.
Marick laughed.
“My little Dream Weaver,” he said as he hugged her tightly.
I didn’t like how he said it, like she was a prize, as if her worth was tied to her ability.
He released Eva and stood. He walked over to Sebastian.
“Sebastian,” he said.
Sebastian bowed his head.
“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.” He sighed, and then he stood in front of me. “Danielle,” he said softly as tears filled his eyes. I had no idea who this man was, but he apparently knew me.
He hugged me tightly which made it harder to breathe. I felt uncomfortable—he was almost the same age as Brolin.
“Dad, enough,” Marick said, and the king let me go. He looked at Marick worried.
“It’s a long story,” he said, and the king looked at me again a soft curve forming along his lips. “Welcome home, and I promise we will find whoever is behind this. We’re certain that shifters are involved in some way or another, so I’m glad Minaut is home.” He turned away from me and looked at Minaut. “If you don’t mind, we need her on an errand.”
I looked down at Minaut.
“Nod. Otherwise he’s going to keep waiting for your answer,” she said to me.
I squinted. “Why are you asking me? She’s yours.”
“No.” He smiled. “Technically she isn’t anymore. We need your permission, Danielle.”
“She isn’t a possession. She’s a wisp. Clearly, she can go wherever she pleases.”
Eli frown, and looked at Marick.
“Dad, she doesn’t remember our ways.”
I looked down at Minaut. “I told you to nod. Why didn’t you just nod?”
“We will have to teach her everything then.”
No there is a freakin’ cure. You don’t have to teach me anything.
Marick nodded.
“Thank you for letting me borrow Minaut.”
I nodded.
The wisp left with Eli.
“Where is he taking her?”
“To sniff out shifters.”
“So, it is them?”
He nodded. “Likely.”
“Is Grandpa coming back?” Eva asked.
“He will be soon. Let’s go.”
“Where to, Marick?” Katia asked.
“To the palace. You will be our guests until your house is sorted, Katia.”
“I hope it takes months. We deserve a freaking palace.”
He rolled his eyes as she stalked past him.
I knew she was pissed, but this was getting annoying.
We stepped through a door into another room filled with more people: butlers and servants. At the end of the line was a woman wearing a beautiful suit. She was slim and tall, her blonde hair tied up in a bun. Marick walked straight up to her.
Everyone bowed in front of her as I bent down, uncertain, with Eva at my side.
“Who is that Danielle?” she asked softly.
“You haven’t dreamt about her?”
She shook her head.
“I think it’s your grandma or your aunt.” Though, if you asked me, she looked way too young to be a grandma.
“Rise, please. You were done a great disservice. You lost everything, and we will make it up to you in twofold.”
We rose and her eyes fell on me. She smiled. “Danielle,” she opened her arms, but I hesitated.
“Mom, she doesn’t remember.”
His mother, the queen, looked at him confused.
>
“Someone gave her the Forgotten potion. Dad didn’t tell you?”
She shook her head. “Your father is very paranoid lately, Marick. I’m simply happy you are home.”
She gasped and looked at me again. “The Forgotten potion, Marick, she has no idea who we are.”
“No, but she’ll be fine.” He walked back to me and smiled at Eva. “I want you to meet a very special little girl.” He took Eva by the hand.
“This young lady is called Eva. I have a daughter.”
She gaped again before a beautiful smile spread across her face. She bent over to look Eva in the eye. “Welcome, sweetheart. You and I are going to be great friends. I can feel it.”
She partially hid behind one of Marick’s leg but smiled warmly.
“Still shy?” She smiled. “Please take them to the east wing.” She looked at one of her servants, who nodded, and looked at us again. “And make yourselves at home.”
We followed the servants while Marick stayed behind to speak with his mother.
“Is Daddy going to come? Where is Josh and Em?” Eva asked, now holding my hand.
“I know as much as you do, Eva,” I said with a fatigued little shrug.
She kept quiet for a while, but I felt her eyes on me as we all got into one of the elevators.
“You’re going to be okay. Daddy promised.”
I smiled. “I hope so.”
“We can trust him.” She smiled. She was so weird, but now I knew why. She dreamt about Marick, about this life, before she even knew what it all meant.
We each got taken to a room to settle in. Eva was in the room next to mine.
I felt uncomfortable. Whether it was because something bad happened to me in this palace and I could feel the effects or the enormous size of the room, I couldn’t tell. I couldn’t even appreciate the beauty of this room. I just felt so out of place.
I missed Minaut and hoped she would be back soon so we could talk about everything.
I wanted to feel at home, but I doubt that this place ever felt like home. It was way too big.
For the rest of the day, Marick was missing.
Playing With Fire Page 37
