A Cage of Moonlight
Page 29
“And you plan to end it?” He frowned. “May I ask how? Without it, the Dark Fae cannot survive.”
“Well, we don’t know yet, do we?” Bree glanced at Taveon who nodded in agreement. “But we’re going to try to find a way. I mean, I had an idea before that kind of worked with Taveon’s plan, but I’m not really a big fan of it...”
“And what was that plan?” Dagen asked coolly.
Taveon braced his hands on the table and leaned forward. “Until we find a solution to end the Tithe completely, my intention was to send Bree into the human realm and infect humans with the virus herself. Guilty ones, if that puts her mind at ease.”
Bree prickled at his words. So he still wanted her to do that. When Norah had spoken to her about the Tithe before, Bree had gotten it into her head that perhaps guilty humans would work better as a sacrifice for the fae realms. But Bree knew it was a rubbish idea. Those guilty humans could still spread the virus to others, to innocents. It solved nothing, and everyone knew it.
“She will be putting her life in danger then,” Dagen said slowly. “Going into the human realm poses dangers. And there will be many Dark Fae who will want to stop the end of the Tithe by any means necessary.”
Rafe scowled, his grip on Bree’s hand tightening. “I did not think of that. I do not like this, Taveon. There must be another way to—”
“I have an idea,” Dagen said. “Traditionally, the bonds are always broken after the Battle for the Crown, but nothing about this situation has been traditional at all. It has been most...irregular. For Bree’s future safety, I propose that the two of you keep the bond open for as long as you can.”
Taveon’s eyes widened as he slowly nodded. “And then there would be no need to worry about her safety. Yes, I agree with this plan. Bree?”
Every male fae in the room turned her way, waiting for her response. She knew what they wanted her to say while still leaving the choice up to her. It was difficult to argue against immortality. She could face off against any enemy and not worry whether she would live or die. No one could truly topple her, not if she kept herself open to Taveon’s power.
But the idea still scared her. They were linked so closely. He could read the thoughts pouring through her mind if she wasn’t careful.
“Why are the bonds always broken?” she had to ask. “Why do they always end after the battle?”
“It is just how it has always been,” Rafe said with a reassuring smile. “There is no reason to worry. Nothing can go wrong, not if you have Taveon’s power running through your veins.”
Taveon’s eyes caught Bree’s across the table. A smile and a soft caress whispered through their bond. He sent soothing emotions toward her, assurances that everything was finally going to be okay. But behind it all, there was something more hidden in the depths of him. A hope that she would not pull away. A need for her to stay close. Her heart raced as they stared at each other silently, spoken words unnecessary because of all that passed between them.
Bree’s cheeks flamed underneath his scrutiny. She knew he was searching her heart just as she searched his. But she wasn’t ready, not quite yet. So, she showed him just a mere part of her heart, the part that told him that she was not quite ready to let their bond go.
Taveon smiled, feeling her thoughts.
“Okay,” she said out loud for the sake of the others. “We’ll keep the bond. For now.”
Bree donned her nicest dress, the silky violet ensemble she’d worn on her first day walking with the Prince through the castle halls. The lace bodice hugged her curves, and as she stared at herself in the mirror, she scarcely recognized the girl who looked back at her.
Her eyes were bright, and her shoulders were thrown back. She looked confident and strong.
A knock sounded on the door, and Lady Ethne poked her head inside. Her eyes twinkled as she eyed Bree’s dress and the light makeup she’d applied to her face. Ethne had lent her some charcoal pieces and some light pink powder as blush. It was a lot different than the makeup Bree was used to in the human realm, but it would do.
“You look beautiful,” Ethne said. “And I am certain Taveon will agree.”
Bree couldn’t help but blush in response. She hoped he would think so, at least. They hadn’t spoken of their feelings, even though she knew he had an inkling of her affection toward him because of their bond.
“Here,” Ethne said, holding up a folded piece of parchment. “I do not want to make you late in getting ready. I just came by because I have a note for you. It is quite puzzling, I’ll admit. This appeared on my dressing table earlier. I do not know who it is from.”
“Thanks.” Bree took the note and grinned. She knew exactly who this note was from. Another little message from Taveon, one signed with the letter T. She’d rolled her eyes and laughed at him when he’d done it before, but now...she found it kind of endearing.
Ethne gave a nod. “I shall leave you to finish getting ready. See you at the coronation.”
When the door clicked shut behind her, Bree greedily opened the note, her heart fluttering just a shade faster at the excitement of whatever message Taveon had for her this day. But the scrawling letters looked far different than the short and stubby handwriting of Prince Taveon. Her eyes skipped past the message to see who it was from.
Fillan.
Her mouth went dry, and her blood began to roar in her ears. Yes, the assassin had helped her, but she still felt uneasy about his strange presence in her life.
And the message itself...
Her stomach dropped.
Have you puzzled out the truth of the Battle for the Crown? Here is a big hint. I took care of your opponents for you and started the rumor about your ferocity. You and Taveon have won the crown but only because of me.
You owe me, Bree Paine. And I intend to collect on your debt.
Bree’s story continues in A Heart of Midnight, book 2 of the Dark Fae Academy series, now up for preorder on Amazon! Or you can sign up to Jenna’s newsletter to be notified on release day by clicking here.
About the Author
Jenna Wolfhart is a Buffy-wannabe who lives vicariously through the kick-ass heroines in urban fantasy. After completing a PhD in Librarianship, she became a full-time author and now spends her days typing the fantastical stories in her head. When she's not writing, she loves to stargaze, binge Netflix, and drink copious amounts of coffee.
Born and raised in America, Jenna now lives in England with her husband, her dog, and her mischief of rats.
www.jennawolfhart.com
jenna@jennawolfhart.com