by Nissa Leder
“Hello.” Her father’s deep tone wasn’t startled. It was a skill he’d always possessed. No matter how shocked or taken aback he was, his voice never cracked. “A surprise visit from my daughter.”
“How lovely.” The Winter Queen smiled a grin as cold as her magic and Sage knew she wouldn’t even blink if she had the chance to shoot an ice dagger through her heart. “I should be going now. Thank you for accepting my visit.”
“Of course.”
Sage waited in the throne room as her father escorted Nevina out of the castle.
Why had the Winter Queen visited her father again? When Sage had overheard them the last time she was here, she’d wanted him to help her gain back their power from the Seelie Queen. Was that still her goal? Her father had requested time to think about it then. Had he made up his mind?
When her father returned, he closed the door behind himself. “No lover this time?”
“You know he wasn’t my lover.” There was no point in lying this time. “And no, he’s not with me.”
Sage didn’t waste any time. She told her father everything that had happened since her last visit, from finding out about Kassandra’s betrayal, to finding the other realm, to the Fates taking Raith. She’d never been so open with him about anything. Although it felt foreign to her, it also felt good.
“They aren’t like the Fates who have spent centuries spitting out prophecies. They’re cunning. Getting us to the other realm was calculated. They knew Scarlett was the one needed to unlock the power.”
Her father extended his arm, and the owl hopped from his shoulder to his wrist, gently wrapping its talons around him. “And how do you know the Fates are evil?”
“I…” Sage paused. They wanted the power the tree had, but they weren’t the only ones. Sage didn’t know a lot about them but she believed Vida’s story. They’d threatened Rowen to lure Raith away. People with good intentions wouldn’t have done that. “I just know.”
“I understand your frustration. Your friend was taken. But if what you say is true, our court has to be cautious. Choosing a side isn’t a decision to be made lightly.” Her father brought the owl close to his face. The bird nuzzled its beak against his cheek. “Which is why I’ll be attending the Unseelie Ball that Kaelem is hosting. I imagine, if everything you’ve said is true, he will be trying to convince the rest of us rulers that his side is the one to join.”
Sage hadn’t heard about any ball, but at least her father was willing to attend. “Thank you for your time.” Sage bowed. Her father always appreciated a show of fealty.
“Will you be staying longer?”
Did she sense hope in his voice?
Sage hadn’t planned on it. But where else would she go now? Her house in the forest seemed lonely. And she needed to be there to protect her family if danger struck. She’d been away for so long, and, although she couldn’t make up for lost time, she could at least try to rekindle the connection with her family.
“Yes, if you’ll allow it.”
“I’ll have the brownies prepare your old room.” The owl flew to the back of the throne before her father got up and left without another word.
They weren’t best friends, but it was the first time her father had listened to her with respect.
Maybe, with time, she could make him realize how important it was that he believed her.
Scarlett entered the library and shut the doors behind herself. Sunrays shined through the windows—much brighter than when she’d left earlier to attend her daily update with the council. Tall bookshelves lined all the walls from floor to ceiling. Shorter, double-sided ones stood in front, reminding Scarlett of a mortal public library only much, much fancier than any she’d ever been to.
With the day’s meeting over, she had time to herself.
They’d made no progress toward finding a way into the realm what wasn’t heavily guarded. They’d continue to look, but, odds were, there was only one way in and the only way through would be with a fight.
Vida had offered to send in a group to save Raith, but Scarlett declined. She didn’t want to needlessly sacrifice any life. They needed more information before any attack could be risked.
Param had put protections around the castle to keep anyone outside its walls from evanescing in. Guards had been placed at every entrance and Scarlett noticed Rowen checking on her at least once an hour. Despite the power she now possessed, everyone’s concern was still for Scarlett.
Vida had wanted a set of private guards to follow Scarlett anywhere she went just in case the Fates were able to get through the protections, but Scarlett refused. She would go crazy with no space to herself, and she didn’t want anyone hovering over her in the library.
Rowen had gone out with Vida to train with her tribe, leaving Scarlett with the castle to herself. To some, it could feel lonely to be the only one in such a large place. Not for Scarlett. It gave her time to read more of the book without the fear of anyone noticing.
After pulling it from its hiding place, Scarlett set it on the ground and plopped down next to it. A large turquoise rug had been placed under the desk she normally sat at and was large enough to offer her padding to sit on. The long dress she wore was as far away from yoga pants as she could get when it came to being comfortable, but she didn’t mind. Back in high school, she’d always liked to spread out and stretch when she’d work on homework.
Back when she was human.
That life felt so distant now. Waking up to an alarm. Going from class to class until the final bell rang. Counting down the minutes until the weekend when she could worry about hanging out with her friends—when her mom wasn’t having an episode, that was.
But even then, she’d known what to expect. She’d learned the steps she needed to take to keep things running smoothly.
Not anymore.
Now, she had no idea what to do.
Scarlett flipped the book open to where she’d left off.
Whenever Scarlett felt the sunlight on her skin, she felt its warm energy course through her. Though the Sidhe magic was new to her, she could feel the power the warmth brought it.
This book did the same thing but in the opposite way. When she read the spells, her body temperature dropped. Darkness filled her. Instead of weakening her, as she would expect it to, she felt stronger.
She read the words on the next page.
The secrets held
within the mind
reveal the truths
of the flow of time.
Some are as simple
as a shallow breath;
but all are significant,
in life or death
After she finished the last word, the library disappeared. For a moment, everything was black. Then a memory of her old living room appeared.
Her mother sat on the couch, muttering words under her breath. Her eyes were closed. Her breath was heavy.
“I won’t hurt them,” she repeated over and over, a knife gripped in her right hand.
No. Scarlett didn’t want to see this. She recognized her mother’s outfit, the dark denim jeans and lacy cream top she’d just bought the day before. It was the same outfit she was wearing when Scarlett had found her cold on the floor.
“They are my children,” she screamed. Her eyes sprang open, fixed on something ahead of her. “Leave us alone.”
Her mother threw the knife across the room.
Then it flew back toward her mother, landing at her feet.
Someone else was there.
Her mother burst into tears then, with a wide-eyed expression of fear on her face, fell to the ground unconscious.
Scarlett gasped as the library reappeared.
She read the spell again. She needed to get back. Who had been there? Was it a vision of the past?
No matter how many times Scarlett reread the words from the book, she couldn’t revisit the vision, whatever it was.
She slammed the book shut and hid it in its usual spot.
Why
had she seen what she’d seen? Was it the truth of the past or a trick of some sort?
Maybe tomorrow it would work again and she could learn what it really meant.
Raith had spent the morning walking around outside the Darkland Castle. The gray sky hovered above him as he explored the grounds. He found the plant life the most interesting. Although half of the flowers and bushes were alive, there was no color. Black rose bushes were the most popular, but there were black tulips and daisies as well. Some had fully bloomed while others had wilted. When he used his nature magic to drain the plant life or refill it, the buds would change, but only momentarily. Within seconds, they would recede to whatever state they’d been in and any magic he’d gained from them would disappear.
Decuma found him on his walk. “There you are, handsome.”
Her hands roamed his body, eventually resting on his chest. She rose onto her tiptoes and kissed his neck.
Raith leaned his head back as his skin tingled where her lips and tongue grazed him. When her hand moved lower, he looked down at her and grinned. “Should we go somewhere more…private?”
Normally, he wouldn’t mind exchanging affection in public, but he didn’t need to end up on Ankou’s bad side. The Darkland King might look the same age as the Fates, but he was their father. Although he didn’t seem the protective fatherly type, Raith didn’t want to take any chances.
Rebellion filled Decuma’s gaze as she touched him. “If we must. But first, we must meet with my sisters.” After a long kiss, she backed away.
Raith followed her back inside the castle to the dining room where Morta ate her breakfast.
Like the rest of the castle, the room was dreary. One circular window cast a gray glow throughout the room. The long dining table was made of black granite and surrounded by twelve matching chairs. A glass vase filled with twelve black roses in the middle of the table was the only decoration in the room.
“We have found the perfect opportunity for you to lure Scarlett to you.” Morta sipped a glass of tea. “The Unseelie King is hosting a ball. We expect that the Otherworld Queen will attend.”
“And how will I get to the party? I assume they won’t allow me in if they know I work for you.”
“We can give you the ability to get past their protective wards. You can wear a glamour to disguise yourself until you have the opportunity to get Scarlett alone then you can reveal yourself.”
“Will she not run from me?”
Morta finished her tea and pushed the cup away. “She thinks we have forced you to join us. If you pretend that we had and you escaped us, she may get close enough for you to evanesce her back here.”
Why would she think he’d been forced? That part didn’t make sense. He couldn’t pinpoint why he’d joined them, but they were powerful so joining the other side would be suicide.
“If you succeed, you will be rewarded. We can make your brother pay for everything he’s done to you and your mother pay for abandoning you.”
Anger rose in Raith’s chest. He remembered fighting his brother for the Summer Court crown and waking to find out his brother had left him for dead. How had Raith survived? He couldn’t remember.
He did remember growing up without his mother. She’d left him to fend for himself against Kassandra who never liked him. He’d grown up lonely and longing for a mother’s love while forced to watch Cade turn into the biggest momma’s boy he’d ever seen. It was pathetic, really, how easily Cade bent to his mother’s will. But Raith had always envied his little brother.
Soon, Cade would envy him when he realized how powerful Raith was—just long enough before Raith would drive a sword through his heart.
How would he make his mother pay? Killing her would be too easy. She needed to feel the pain he’d felt when she’d chosen to leave him. He mourned her for years. Her suffering needed to be at least twice as long.
Decuma reached out a hand. “Feel the power we possess. Our father can grant you such power if you prove to be a faithful servant to the Darkland crown.”
Raith took her hand and was filled with dark energy. It flowed through him and turned his blood cold. He’d never felt such a force before.
“I will bring her to you.”
Chapter Four
Kaelem turned in front of the mirror one more time. He looked sharp in the midnight blue suit he’d selected, if he did say so himself. His silver tie contrasted nicely with the dark material of his jacket.
Lastly, he placed his platinum crown—decorated with the finest diamonds—on his head. He rarely wore it. But tonight, as host, it seemed fitting.
Someone knocked on the door.
“Enter if you dare.” Kaelem straightened his tie.
Lola walked in, dressed in a sparkly black mini-dress covered in sequins. Her hot pink hair was pulled into a braided updo and purple eyeshadow highlighted her brown eyes. “Party is buzzing, king.”
“Perfect.”
“The brownies have made some amazing appetizers and the Party Pixie drink menu is to die for. They’re the most skilled bartending company in the court. It took some extra monetary convincing to get them to cancel their prior booking, but it was definitely worth it.”
Lola had taken it upon herself to plan the entire thing. The only thing Kaelem took control of was the invitations. The rest was all Lola. He prided himself on party planning, but his mind had been elsewhere. If he wasn’t going to be the one to choose the decorations, menus, and music, there was no one he counted on more than Lola to plan an event worthy of the Unseelie Court. She was versatile and everything he needed in his number one assistant, her party planning ability only a scratch on the surface of her skills. More than anything, she had his trust. He’d never taken a formal advisor, but if he decided to, Lola would be in the running.
“I better get down there and start drinking then.” Kaelem reached his arm out.
Lola linked her elbow with his, and they made their way to the party. “The ballroom is far too amazing to be used so little.”
“Perhaps, if this party is a success, you’ll have to plan another one soon.”
“Does it include a raise?”
Kaelem smirked. “Always out for the money, aren’t you?”
She was paid well, but worth far more than money could buy. She liked to joke about her pay but refused the last raise he’d offered her.
The ballroom sat at the far end of the southern wing of the palace. It was a large, circular room with three layers of balconies skirting the outside. A large, round chandelier hung from the ceiling. Upbeat music sang through the room. Servers dressed in black and wearing masquerade masks walked around, handing out hors-d'oeuvres to all the guests and five bar stations were spread throughout the room.
It was better than some stuffy Seelie dance and it would get even better. Later. For now, Kaelem had to address everyone and follow traditions.
He made his way to the stage at the front of the room. The DJ paused the music and handed him a mic.
He scanned the crowd. The dance floor was full of Unseelie fae. To no one’s surprise, the fae from the other courts sat in the booths on the other side of the room. The Seelie Queen and her advisor, Cade and Poppy, The Autumn King and Sage, and the Spring Queen and a woman Kaelem didn’t recognize had all shown up. The only ruler who wasn’t there was Nevina, which Kaelem had expected. And Scarlett. Had she changed her mind?
“Thank you all for coming,” Kaelem spoke into the microphone. “It has been far too long since we Unseelie have thrown a ball to celebrate our court and its relations with outside courts.” Kaelem faced the booths. “Please clear the dance floor. As tradition instructs, the Seelie Queen and I will open the ball with a dance.”
Genevieve rose and walked to the dance floor. Her silver dress hugged her curves. It was different than the dresses Kaelem was used to seeing her in.
He met her in the middle of the dance floor. “You wear that dress well.”
Genevieve held out her hand. “I’ve been
to a few Unseelie balls. I can adapt when necessary.”
Kaelem pulled her in as the music started again, this time a more traditional, slower song. He wondered how many Unseelie events she’d been to. She was the oldest fae he knew of. She’d lived through at least five Unseelie kings, killing two of them.
“You look so good, we might have to have them more often,” Kaelem said. He had no real interest in the Seelie Queen, in fact, he didn’t really like her, but flirting was his nature and he’d do whatever necessary to warm her up to listen to his concerns.
Genevieve’s lips pulled back into a wide grin. She didn’t look centuries old. He’d never seen a smile so genuine from her. “You flatter me, king, but I’ve learned to block ganacanagh powers.”
“Can’t a fellow ruler compliment another?”
“Of course.” She looked at him with a sparkle in her eye. Almost as if she saw someone else. “As lovely as this ball is, I assume there’s more to it than a chance to dance with me.”
“War is coming. I can feel it. I want other courts to realize the Unseelie Court would make a good ally.” Kaelem scanned the booths. Still no Scarlett.
“You aren’t the one that will concern people. She will.” Genevieve nodded to the other side of the dance floor.
Scarlett watched them. Her dark hair was down and slightly wavy and her darker than normal eye makeup made her eyes piercing.
She looked stunning in the red dress she wore. Its loose neckline draped down, exposing her cleavage. The dress went to the middle of her thigh, short enough to show off her long legs but long enough to add a little mystery.
“And you stare at her like a love-sick puppy,” Genevieve said as Kaelem twirled her. “Why will anyone believe your opinion that she can be trusted?”
Kaelem remembered the pain of the knife being lodged into his back. “Ruling is new to her. She’ll be open to guidance from others. Those of us who rally behind her against the Fates can teach her.”
“What else have you taught her, young king?” Genevieve’s eyebrow curved. “And what have you hidden about her?”
