Caleb hesitated. “It’s dangerous, but it might be our only chance to open a full portal to the wastelands and get Peony and Onyx out.”
I nodded, having expected as much. “Do you think I can do it?”
Caleb blew out a long breath. “We have no way of knowing what effect the crown would have on you. Perhaps we should ask Onyx in our message.”
I swallowed, glad I wouldn’t have to commit to the mission immediately. Nathan worked his jaw. It was obvious that he hated this idea and was struggling not to revert back to his knight in shining armor self. I squeezed his hand with reassurance. I was strong. I was his partner.
“Let’s record the message,” I said. We needed Onyx’s input, and Caleb needed to see Peony to think straight.
Blair stood with her feet shoulder width apart and held up her hands. A fireball materialized between them. It expanded until it engulfed our little circle and we were all in it, bathing us in warmth that bordered on uncomfortable. The four of us stood, the orange aura flickering around us, as I urged the fire to remember our images and words. I also sent confidence to Blair and calm to Caleb and Nathan.
“Onyx. Peony. I’m sending this message from the borderlands. To send a message back, allow the fireball to surround you before you speak. It won’t harm you and will know what to do, thanks to Virgie’s and Blair’s combined magic,” Caleb said, repeating his words from earlier. “We are working on a way to get you two out of the wastelands. I can open small portals with Virgie’s help, but they’re nowhere big enough for a person to come through.”
I stepped forward. “We believe that by stealing King Peter’s crown and having me possibly wear it, we may be able to open a full portal. It’s risky, but it might be our only hope.”
Nathan scowled but didn’t argue.
“We hope to hear from you soon. Caleb will open the portal again in about half an hour so the fireball can come back to us,” I said.
“Peony,” Caleb said. “Please let me know you’re all right.”
Blair shrunk the fire back into a ball. I linked hands with Caleb. He chanted under his breath until a tiny gray ring appeared in the air. Not missing a beat, Blair shot her fireball at it. It disappeared in the gray hole. “Are you sure that’s going to go directly to Onyx?” she asked.
“My magic can open portals directly to someone,” Caleb said. “It should work even in the wastelands.” He let the portal close, sweat running down his temples.
All we could do now was wait. The four of us retreated to the front of the tent and ate our regenerating apples. No one spoke much, though the thought of stealing the crown hung over our heads. I hoped we would not have to do such a dangerous task. Yet, I had the bad feeling there was no way around it. Hopefully, the crown would listen to me and not kill me.
Nathan stared at the ground. I wanted to comfort him, but there was nothing I could tell him to ease his mind after offering to volunteer for such a dangerous task.
Caleb stood. “It’s been half an hour.”
I joined him. He held my hand and began chanting once more. Blair stood nearby, ready to call her fireball back. Caleb opened the tiny portal more easily this time.
Fireball, return to Blair, I chanted quietly, connecting my power to hers. Slowly, the red orb squeezed out of the portal, sluggish as if the wastelands had drained it.
“On the ground,” Blair ordered, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Show us what you recorded!”
I repeated the command mentally and tightened my grasp on her hand. The fireball expanded, growing to three feet high, and took the shapes of two people. Onyx and Peony, who were both the color of flame, stood there.
“Peony!” Caleb reached forward, but his hand swept right through the image.
Both Onyx and Peony looked intact, and Onyx still had her crown. Behind them stood strange, vague ruins.
“We’re both alive and well in the wastelands,” Onyx said, getting right to it. “Please tell Thorsten. We discovered that the wastelands used to be part of the normal faelands. We think some ancient war messed it up. We found a library that’s been turned to stone.” She motioned at the area behind herself. “A book here responded to my magic and told me the way out of here. It was enchanted by someone named the Grand Librarian long ago. It said that Summer and Winter Court must unite to allow the wastelands to rejoin the faelands.” She paused. “This would eliminate the problem of the portal, but obviously, it’s very unlikely we can do it.”
Peony stepped forward, her eyes glistening with tears. “Caleb, I miss you. I hope you got away from your father.”
“I miss you too,” Caleb choked out and reached for her flame image again, this time stopping an inch from her shoulder.
“We need a Summer fae that can match my power,” Onyx continued. “Peony might have enough magic. We’ll try to unite our powers and get out.”
Caleb pressed his lips into a firm line. Like Nathan, he didn’t want the one he loved to take such a big risk, but we didn’t have the luxury to tread carefully. We had to risk everything for a chance at a better future.
Peony tugged at a curl. “If it doesn’t work, we’ll have to find Petra and convince her to work with Onyx.”
Onyx and Peony vanished as the fireball once again shrunk into its normal form.
“No!” Caleb darted forward. “Petra will never agree to work with Onyx. We need to send a message back right away. They can’t risk it! Petra will kill them both.”
I agreed. Yet the chances that Peony had enough magic to heal the wastelands were slim. “They’d have to be careful,” I said slowly, “but they have to try it. If Onyx stays away from the Winter Court much longer, then both courts will crumble.”
Nathan put his arm around my waist and pulled me in close. “No Petra.” He swallowed. “She’s as cunning and as merciless as her father. I doubt her stint in the wastelands has made her a better person. She’ll try to kill Onyx and Peony before they have a chance to explain.” Nathan gazed deeply into my eyes. “We’ll have to steal the crown, and I’ll wear it. I’m not connected to the royal family by blood, but my family has been nobility for centuries. I’ll be able to bear the crown.”
My stomach contracted, and fear swept over me. So this was what it felt like when the one you loved put himself into danger. “You’re right. Finding Petra is too dangerous. We got Onyx into this mess by taking Thorsten. We’ll get her out of it.”
9
Virgie
Caleb nodded. “To get the crown, we must return to the Summer Palace. The sooner, the better.”
“Are you insane?” Nathan balled his fists, stopping an inch away from Caleb. From Nathan’s tight jaw it was clear that it cost him a lot of willpower not to grab Caleb by his collar and shake him.
“What do you propose?” Caleb asked coolly.
Nathan shook his head. “We must wait. See if there’s news from Sela. She might be able to help us.”
“We don’t know when she’ll return from the Winter Court to check up on us! The longer Peony is in that hell dimension, the likelier it is she’ll die!” Caleb glared Nathan down, and I stepped between the two, gently pushing them apart by placing my hands on their shoulders while holding in my own irritation.
“Nathan.” I sent calming energy to him and even more to Caleb, though his mental shield was up and strong. “Caleb is right. We can’t just sit around. We have to go to the palace.”
“That’s suicide.”
I gave him a smile. “Not if we go in with glamour.”
Nathan turned away from me and began to pace. “All right,” he said after a minute. “Caleb and I will go. We already know how to use glamour.”
I shook my head. “No. If we’re going to get the crown, I’ll have to come with you.”
He gripped my hands. “I’ll be the one to wear the crown.” He flinched looking like a wave of pain came over him, but it seemed to pass a moment later.
“Are you okay?” I asked even as I realized that I coul
dn’t let Nathan steal the crown. It might very well kill him. You are saving King Peter from himself, I spoke into his mind. If you save the Summer realm, you save the king.
Nathan nodded. “I’m fine.”
“You’ll need my mind influence to get past the guards,” I said, careful not to let him see my real thoughts.
“Virgie’s right,” Caleb said.
“What if Sela returns or Nerissa comes back here?” Nathan protested.
“I can update them.” Blair shifted from foot to foot. “If it’s really necessary for someone to stay behind, it should be me.”
Nathan sighed, probably sensing that he was losing this battle. Still, he tried one final time. “You don’t know how to use glamour, Virgie.”
I smiled up at him. “You taught me telepathy. I’m a great student, and you’re a great teacher.”
“Please tell me you’re a fast learner.” Caleb ran a hand through his messy. “We’re running short on time.”
“I am.” I pulled away Nathan, who was giving Caleb a death stare. Testosterone sure was running high today. “Come, let’s practice here.”
After shooting Caleb one more glare, Nathan let me lead him away. “Virgie, glamour isn’t easy.”
I tilted my head. “Are you telling me I’m too weak or not smart enough to master it?”
Nathan sank down onto a boulder. “Please don’t do this. I’m tired of fighting.”
I joined him. “Me too. I’m not trying to be difficult. Me learning glamour is a necessity. I’ll be an asset to you. You’ll need me at the Summer Palace.”
“All right. Here’s what you’ll do. To turn into someone, it’s easiest after you study them and memorize not only their appearance, but their subtle mannerisms. It’s best if you start by taking on my form.”
I blinked. That was sort of weird, but okay. “So, how does it work?” I had studied Nathan’s form well, of course. “Was my father able to master glamour?”
“I’m not sure about your father. He was before my time in the king’s inner court.” Nathan massaged his nape. “It’s different for each fae, depending on their magic. As a High Commandeer, I know my warriors well. By reminding myself of their strength and weaknesses in a fight, I can take on their form easily. Since your magic comes from your mind, my guess is that you’d have to connect to someone’s thoughts and try to make them your own. Work your way from the inside out.”
I nodded. I could do that.
“It helps if you have strong emotions. Anger can help.”
Anger? No, anger wouldn’t help me when turning into Nathan, but I knew something that would. I intertwined my hand with his and gazed into his silvery eyes, imagining what it would feel like to lose him. His mental shield went down, and even though I didn’t share my worries with him, I found his thoughts were just as dark as mine.
This is really dangerous. Returning to the Summer Palace is suicidal. King Peter will have every single warrior monitoring the place, searching for any sign of us.
It wasn’t hard to take on Nathan’s thoughts. I understood. This was terrifying. A tremble rocked through me. We might lose each other. Worse, if King Peter discovered us, he wouldn’t just kill us. If he got his hands on us, he’d find a way to torture us. Rupture our wills, break our souls, demolish our hearts.
Nathan pulled back from me, eyes widening with shock. “Virgie, you did it.”
Footsteps pounded from my left, and I turned to find a grinning Caleb running toward us, Blair behind him. “Wow,” she said. I glanced down at myself. I no longer had curves. My chest was much broader, and my hair was white instead of black. I wore Nathan’s tunic and trousers. A surreal feeling washed over me, and I shook my head, flexing my now-golden-white wings.
“That sure was quick,” Caleb said.
“Yes.” Nathan’s voice rumbled in my throat, deep and intoxicating. How had I managed to use glamour so quickly and even without noticing it?
“It’s progress,” Nathan said in a business tone. “But we won’t leave until Virgie can turn into both of you as well. It’s easier to take the shape of someone you’re close to, and in the Summer Palace, we’ll have to choose random guards.”
I nodded. That made sense. I faced Caleb. “Since I’m already a man.” Damn, my voice was low and strange. I cleared my throat. “I should probably turn into you next.”
Caleb gave me a lopsided grin. “Be my guest.”
It was good to see him so lighthearted. Seeing Peony, knowing that she was alive and well for now had boosted this mood, but it would wear off.
Show me what you got, Virgie, Caleb mind spoke. I reached out, but he shook his head. No touching. You won’t be able to hold any of the guards’ hands.
He was right. I focused. His mental shield was down, but instead of concrete thoughts like with Caleb, I got general feelings. Excitement, hope, and a bit of nerves. It wasn’t too hard to make these energies mine, to breathe them in, to allow myself to vibrate on that high frequency. This time I felt the change. My muscles thinned out, my legs grew by a few inches, and my hair shortened, feeling lighter. I looked down at my skinny arms and long torso. “It worked,” I said in a slightly higher tone than before.
Caleb high fived me. “Well done.”
I turned to Nathan. “I’m good at this.”
“Your mental skills must predispose you to glamour, which makes a lot of sense.” Nathan didn’t sound an ounce happy about that. I tried not to take it personally, knowing he wanted me to stay behind to keep me safe, but still, annoyance tingled at the back of my mind. But now was not the time to hash my personal issues out with Nathan.
Instead, I nodded at Blair. “Walk with me?” I asked in Caleb’s baritone. I needed to get away from Nathan and give us both time to breathe.
Blair fell into step besides me, wisely not commenting on my dynamic with Nathan. I walked until we were out of earshot, then faced her. “Ready? All I need you to do is drop your guard.”
“This is really weird, but also freaking awesome.” She shifted from foot to foot, then cracked her neck, then played with the hem of her shirt. Standing still was not her thing.
I reached out to her mind.
I hope Onyx is fine. I wonder how she’s doing with Peony. Gosh, Peony can be such a bitch. And Onyx has quite the temper. Blair’s thoughts were like her motions, racing by at one-hundred miles per hour.
I tried to morph into that restless energy, willed my mind to pick up space, then I began to mimic Blair’s mannerisms. I touched my hair, rubbed my nose, whipped back and forth on my heels. Then I felt it. This shift was much more pronounced. My body shrank. My chest was no longer flat, and my hips widened slightly. My nose tingled as it shortened.
“FML!” Blair reared back, and I winked, knowing without having to look into a mirror that I had taken on her form. “Girl, you rock!”
“Thanks,” I replied in Blair’s sassy voice, then turned around and shot Nathan a triumphant smile. “Ready when you are.”
The time had come to kick King Peter’s butt off the throne and show him how it was done. Whoa, even my own thoughts had the shape of Blair’s. Somehow, I doubted that was a side effect of regular glamour. My magic was enhancing my glamour experience. It would allow me to not just look like someone else, but truly impersonate them. And just like that I knew that no matter what Nathan said, it would be me, not him, who stole King Peter’s crown.
10
Virgie
The four Pegasi camping with us wolfed down their carrots and stretched their wings, clearly eager to get into the air. Nathan offered me his hand, but I used momentum to jump onto the back of the Pegasi. If I wanted to steal King Peter’s crown, I couldn’t allow anyone to baby me.
Nathan and Caleb rose on their Pegasi as well. The fourth Pegasi huffed at Blair. “Sorry, buddy,” she said. “We’re staying put.”
The creature snorted, but calmed when Blair petted his mane and whispered something, probably promising him that they could fly a circle
above our camp later.
“We’ll enter the castle through the secret tunnel again.” Caleb pushed his brownish hair out of his face. His hand was shaking, betraying the nerves we all felt.
“Who will we glamour as?” I asked.
“Guards are the best bet,” Nathan replied. “Once in the castle, I will summon a few who are loyal to me.” His silver eyes were hard and determined, but worry shone underneath.
“Nathan, we’ll get through this.” I leaned across and gave him a peck on the lips. He nodded, and our Pegasi spread their wings wide.
“Good luck!” Blair waved as the three of us took off. The borderlands grew smaller below me, and a flash of terror gathered in my chest as I thought of what we’d have to do. Blair vanished behind the protective ring of pines trees, and then there was nothing but the borderlands ahead of us. The sun rose, turning from pink to orange and finally to yellow as ancient ruins, patches of snow, and clusters of pines slowly gave way to deciduous forest, patches of mud, and small meadows of early-spring, purple flowers. We were getting closer to the Summer lands, and as we did, the landscape was gaining an affinity for them. Soon we would cross the border.
I blinked, expecting the sun to sting my eyes, but it didn’t. It wasn’t hurting me, because...it was fading? My Pegasus gave a nervous whine, so did Nathan’s and Caleb’s.
“What’s wrong?” I clutched the neck of my Pegasus tighter.
Nathan’s brows drew together as the wind whipped his hair back. “The sun. Something is wrong with it.”
He was right. Instead of morphing to a bright, deep blue, the sky was dimming as if a thunderstorm were about to strike. But there were no clouds drifting across the sky. The sun continued to shine as we got closer to the Summer lands, but it looked as if a dark film had settled over it, a film that was thickening by the minute. The sun seemed to fade more, even though it was rising.
As we got closer, I noticed stars winking overhead, and the air cooled to that of an early summer night. The Pegasi all whinnied together and shook their necks. Not hard enough to buck us off, but hard enough to get our attention and tell us that something was very wrong.
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