by Nissa Leder
She blocked it with a light shield of her own. Her light magic had been building since leaving the Darkland, but she’d now used the last bit.
Morta threw a shadow rope around Scarlett’s waist. After it wrapped around her, it fused together in the front creating a firm grip and Morta yanked her toward her.
With no more light magic, Scarlett pulled from the darkness. Coolness slid through her veins as a wave of shadow erupted from her hands and knocked Morta over. Scarlett pulled the lasso from her waist and used it to circle her neck.
“Everyone stop or I’ll kill her.” Scarlett meant it. “Give us Genevieve and leave. Now.”
Decuma laughed.
“We’ve waited too long for this.” Nevina yanked the necklace from Genevieve’s neck, its ruby gemstone shining in the light from the chandeliers above.
“Take it,” Kaelem said.
Morta struggled against the Scarlett’s rope.
Nevina removed the ice dagger from Genevieve’s neck. “This war isn’t over. It’s only just beginning. Your courts crippled us for no reason other than greed. We’ve fought petty wars against one another in a desperate attempt to feel powerful. Not anymore.”
Then Nevina stabbed the dagger into the Seelie Queen’s stomach.
The Seelie Queen winced but remained standing. The ice had injured her, but it wasn’t enough to kill her.
Then Decuma placed her fingers on Genevieve’s forehead. “We will leave the rest of you this time, but fight us again, and you all will die.”
Then the Seelie Queen cried out in pain before losing consciousness.
As Genevieve fell to the ground, Nevina threw another dagger at Scarlett.
As Scarlett dodged it, Morta escaped from the rope and evanesced to Nevina.
Decuma went to Cade and Ajax then they all evanesced away.
Scarlett watched as Laik rushed to Genevieve’s crumpled body.
Her mind was empty. Whatever Decuma had done, the Seelie Queen was gone.
Laik lifted her head in his arms and held her.
The anger Scarlett held hadn’t gone but feeling the grief pour from him temporarily diminished it.
She kneeled next to him.
He hovered his hands over his queen’s stomach as light magic shined over her wound, blood soaking into her dress. The wound sealed, but she didn’t wake.
Scarlett wanted to help, but her light magic supply was too empty. Instead, she placed her hand on his shoulder.
She had so many questions for him, and so much frustration to let out, but now wasn’t the time for either.
As Laik held the fallen queen, tears dripped down his cheeks.
Genevieve had always exuded power. Her skin had glowed. Now, she was nothing but empty.
The most powerful fae ruler, dead.
A light rose from her chest and floated into the air. It hovered for a moment then flew into Laik’s heart.
As he stood, his skin glowed. When the brilliance radiating through him faded, he looked at Scarlett.
She sensed the Seelie power bursting from him.
Kaelem moved next to Scarlett as he spoke to Laik. “You’re her son.”
“Yes.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Sage watched in shock as the advisor absorbed the Seelie power from the former queen. The surprise in the room was thick. No one had any idea that he was the Seelie Queen’s son.
After the new Seelie King regrouped, he temporarily removed the protective spells around the Seelie Palace so everyone who needed to could evanesce back to the Unseelie Court. The only person who stayed behind was Scarlett, and, like the Fates, she could evanesce with the protections up.
Sage had remained unscathed, but Aria had been hit a few times. Once they were back in the Unseelie Palace, Sage ran a warm washcloth over the gashes on Aria’s arms in the bathroom attached to her bedroom.
“Those look deep.” Sage rinsed the washcloth in the sink.
“They’ll heal,” Aria said. “How are you doing?”
“Ajax didn’t even land a blow.” Sage had slashed him once, but she wished she’d have done more. She wanted to kill him for what he’d done.
“I meant with your father dying.”
“Oh, right.” Sage squeezed out the water. “My father and I weren’t exactly close.”
“Neither was I with mine, but losing him still stung.” Aria turned and held out her other arm.
“What happened to him?”
“The Fates gave him a prophecy claiming he needed to relinquish his throne or he would die by the hands of the Seelie Queen. My mother tried to convince him to listen, but he claimed they didn’t know what they were talking about.
“My mother believed them, but she believed she could stop it. She tried to assassinate the Seelie Queen. She failed miserably. The Seelie Queen could have easily pardoned her, but she refused and took her head. Father, of course, later retaliated and was killed in fair combat. Had he just listened to the Fates and passed the throne to an heir early—a rare but possible thing in our court—he and my mother might still be alive.”
“Wow, and I thought my family was complicated.”
Aria removed her shirt, leaving her in her bra. “What’s your family story?” She went into the closet attached to the bathroom.
Sage drained the now pink water in the sink. “The Autumn Court wasn’t ready for a princess who would rather fight the enemy than wear a dress. Oh, and who was attracted to women. So, I ran away.”
“Where to?” Aria’s voice drifted from the closet.
“The Autumn Wood where I joined a tribe of all women, ironically.”
“I’m jealous.”
Sage smirked. “I didn’t complain. They taught me how to be strong and self-reliant. How to live off of the land. And to accept others for who they were, not what I wanted them to be.”
Aria came back to the bathroom in a clean tank top. “What made you leave?”
“I went from a life confined in the castle to a life confined by the rules of a tribe. It was a perfect transition, but I needed some time to figure out who I am without constraints. Shortly after I left, I met Raith, and my life has been a tornado ever since.” Things had grown complicated with the tribe. It wasn’t something she wanted to share with Aria yet—a story for another day.
“At least you were never imprisoned in a Winter Court dungeon.”
How could Sage be so inconsiderate? Aria had suffered far more than she had. “I’m sorry. I didn’t even think…”
“I’m kidding. I made my own mess. No one’s fault but my own.” Aria grabbed a clean cloth and washed her face. “What’s your plan now?”
“I don’t believe the Autumn Court is safe under the rule of my brother. He’s too rash and gullible to be a good king.” Sage thought of her father dead on the ground. “I need to make sure the Autumn people are safe. And then, I need to make my brother pay.”
Scarlett waited in the parlor while Laik had some time to say goodbye to the Seelie Queen alone.
To his mother.
Scarlett’s grandmother.
It was still too much for her to process. When she’d seen the vision of Laik and her mother, she’d been so angry. He’d abandoned them. She’d spent her entire childhood wondering what her father was like and why she hadn’t been enough for him to stick around. As she grew older, she was busy caring for her mom and, at times, wished more than anything there was another adult around to pick up some of the pressure.
But she’d survived. And, after seeing so much of the fae world, she couldn’t blame him for trying to keep her from it.
His plan had failed miserably, though.
Still covered in blood, Laik came in and headed directly to the bar. He poured two drinks of a deep purple liquid, handed one to Scarlett, and sat across from her.
“Are you…okay?” Scarlett asked.
What a silly thing to ask. Of course, he wasn’t okay. His mother was murdered in front of him by the same woman who ha
d murdered Scarlett’s.
She could say she was sorry, but she knew that wouldn’t help either. Nothing she could say would help, but she’d waited to say something just the same.
“You’re my father.” Scarlett watched him as he took in her words. It wasn’t a question. She already knew the truth.
He swallowed the drink in his mouth. “Yes.”
“Did you love her?” Tears welled in Scarlett’s eyes.
Her mother had looked so happy in the visions. Even in the one where he said he couldn’t come back and she’d be left a single mother with two little ones less than two years apart.
“Completely,” Laik said. “It’s why I never came back.”
Scarlett finished her drink. “They’re the ones who killed her. They needed me to end up broken-hearted and lonely so I could be lured into Faerie. They played us all.”
“And now they’ve killed the Seelie Queen.” He swirled the liquid in his cup before finishing it.
“I’m going to destroy them. Piece by piece, I want to take everything they’ve ever loved and burn it in front of them. Then I’ll burn them.” The darkness inside Scarlett ignited. Her tattoos tingled.
“Revenge is an ugly emotion,” Laik said. “But I want it too.”
“Then join us against them. They caught you off guard this time. Next time, we’ll all be prepared.” Scarlett stood. She needed to get back and check on Ashleigh.
And to clean up. She imagined she looked worse than she felt.
“The Seelie Court will be your ally.”
“Thank you. We will discuss our plans soon.” Preferably, after she had time to come up with one. “I can evanesce from here, apparently.”
“Hopefully, not for long. I’m going to be adding more protection.”
“Not a bad idea. I’ll contact you and we’ll find a time to meet.”
“Scarlett,” Laik said before she disappeared, “I wanted to stay.”
“But you didn’t.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Raith awoke on a bed, lying flat on his stomach, shirtless. When he rolled over, he realized why.
“Fuck,” he said as he sat up.
His entire back burned.
When he found a mirror, he saw the scorched mark in between his shoulder blades.
His time in the Darkland came back to him. The things he’d done to Scarlett. The memories of hers he’d stolen.
God, he’d made a mess of things.
All he’d wanted was to find information about his mother. After Scarlett had saved them both after the Battle of Heirs, he’d left her. She’d become a fae and needed someone there, but he went searching for answers about his past instead, leading her straight into the Unseelie King’s arms.
Finding the truth about his mother hadn’t satisfied him. He’d wanted revenge. Then, when he’d found her, still alive, for a moment, he’d felt whole again. He hadn’t even hesitated to take her place when the Fates threatened to kill her.
If he had to go back and make the choices, he’d make them all again.
But those choices had cost him Scarlett. The Fates might have taken his memories and whatever goodness he possessed, but it wasn’t any of them who stole the memories from Scarlett.
That was all him, and he couldn’t undo it.
As he sat back on the bed, Scarlett knocked on the door and entered. “How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been to hell and back.”
“Same.” She sat next to him. “Thank you for saving me.”
She’d cleaned up, but her arms were still covered in bite marks, a large scratch was sliced on her forehead, and the tattoos that once were white were now black.
“Thank you for saving me. I wasn’t myself down there. I didn’t deserve it,” Raith said.
“You sacrificed yourself to save your mother, I hardly think that makes you awful.”
Raith’s stomach knotted, sending a wave of nausea through him. “I took your memories of our time together in the Summer Court.”
Their history had always been complicated, but no matter what they became, the connection they’d shared at the Summer Court had been true. It was his first experience relating to someone else he’d ever had. He’d never forgive himself for taking the memories away from her.
“I’ve felt like something was missing.” She took his hand. “But that wasn’t you. That was the doing of a man the Fates created.”
“It was my decision to take them, not theirs.”
Scarlett lifted his hand to her cheek. “Show them to me.”
Memories raced through Scarlett like fireworks exploding in her mind. Their time together at the Summer Court—the bond they’d shared, their night together. But she didn’t just see the memories, she experienced them as she had when she lived them.
The fear of dying in some strange world and never seeing her sister again. The desperation for the pain of losing her mother to disappear. The overwhelming feeling of it all before she lost herself in Raith in his tree house outside the Summer Castle. It was Scarlett’s first time making love and, despite the grief over her mother’s death, their night together felt so right.
It wasn’t just her own feelings coursing through her as she relived the memories, but Raith’s emotion as well. His desire to defeat his brother. His intrigue as he learned more about Scarlett. The connection he felt when he was with her, unfamiliar but intense. He’s spent too many years distancing himself from everyone. Such a strong bond with a mortal surprised him.
The emotions they both felt—so similar despite how different their lives had been—twisted together like intertwined vines, connecting them like the Battle of Heirs’ bond had.
When the memories were over, Scarlett’s heart rate sped. She’d almost killed him. At the time, it had felt like mercy, but she was so thankful she hadn’t.
“I remember it all,” she told him.
His aura filled with relief. “I’m so sorry for everything I did to you in the Darkland. How can you ever forgive me?”
“It’s over now. We’ve both made the choices we’ve made. There’s no undoing any of it.”
Kaelem’s face flashed in her mind. Their night together had been amazing, too. He and Raith were a part of Scarlett, but she knew she couldn’t have them both.
There were bigger things to worry about, though. Her romantic life hardly seemed worth stressing over with Ankou and the Fates out for war. But it was important to her. Everything had changed so much. She’d changed so much. But she cared deeply for them. In spite of everything that she worried about, part of her wanted to feel normal again. To crush on a boy and take joy in the little things. How could that be wrong?
Scarlett carefully leaned into Raith’s chest. He was there, alive, and back to himself.
And she was glad.
When a healer interrupted them to check on Raith’s wound, Scarlett excused herself.
As she walked down the staircase, Kaelem waited at the bottom.
A smile rose on her lips. She was happy to see him. Shame struck her, too, but she pushed it away. Despite all of his selfish choices, she had grown fond of the Unseelie King.
As cheesy as it sounded, he’d always believed in her. Everyone else in the fae world treated her delicately, but he constantly encouraged her to fight harder and push past her limits. Even when she thought she was human, he hadn’t treated her as weak.
She blushed as the memory of their intimate morning together surfaced. Hurriedly, she checked her mental shields. She didn’t need him knowing her thoughts right then.
“Hello, darling, you clean up nice.” He winked.
“Yes, nothing like a long, hot shower after being tortured, bitten, and locked in a cage for a few days.”
Her light magic had returned, but the bite marks hadn’t vanished. They were healing, but slowly, and she still hadn’t gotten used to the blackness of her tattoos. She wasn’t sure she ever would. They would always remind her of her time trapped in the Darkland.
<
br /> “You were impressive against the Fates at the Seelie Court,” Kaelem said.
“The darkness inside me is powerful and much more innate than any other magic has been to me.”
“Without it, we’d both likely be dead.”
They continued side-by-side as they walked to the library. “What if I lose control?”
It had always been her fear. Magic was powerful and she could use it to protect herself and those she loved, but only if she ruled it. What if it ruled her instead?
She told Kaelem about the book. He was the person she trusted most not to call her an idiot or judge her for making a stupid decision. She was embarrassed to have let it lure her as it had, but he was right—without it, where would she be?
Using it to her benefit could be smart. She could utilize it to defeat Ankou and the Fates. It would make her stronger…
She stopped her thoughts. They came from the darkness. It wanted to keep its hold on her.
“You need to get rid of it,” Kaelem told her as they entered the library. “For good.”
Scarlett pulled it out from its hiding place. Holding it ignited the darkness inside her. With her magic, she lit a fire in the fireplace across the room.
When she tossed the book into the flames, the flames turned black.
A burst of rage struck Scarlett. Her fingers shook with anger.
Then the black flames smoldered, and the book was gone.
Chapter Thirty
Cade watched as Nevina held the necklace in her hand, satisfaction covering her face.
Morta stepped forward and spoke. “Don’t forget our deal. Should you betray us, the penalty will be lethal.”
Cade resisted a gulp. He couldn’t show his fear. He’d made his choice, and as risky as it was, there was no turning back.
Morta continued, “We will return when you are needed.” Then the Fates disappeared.
Ajax moved next to Nevina. “What about the Spring Queen? She doesn’t deserve to have her full power.”
