“We do need to go. Guards’ shifts never last more than twelve hours. If we stay too long, we’ll arouse suspicion,” Caleb said. “Can you help me carry Nathan?”
I carefully removed the Shield plant from its pot, slid the pot under the table that held the others, and put the small Shield plant into the inside pocket of Zeeba’s jacket. Getting it out of here would mean using my mind control powers on the other fae guards who would smell it or notice the bulge. Still, better to deal with them than the vampires, who I hoped were still resting.
“It’s too risky to search for Kristen. She could be anywhere.” Nathan let out a pained moan as Caleb and I put his arms over our shoulders and pulled him to his feet.
“I made a promise I can’t break,” I said softly. “I’m sure she’ll be at the Vasara, which is on our way since we’ll need a potions lab. The Shield will die in the wastelands. We need to make it into a spray we can take with us.”
Nathan didn’t protest any further. Caleb and I dragged him down the dark tunnel and back into the storage area.
The few fae guards patrolling were distracted by the presence of the vamps and the new eternal night, so manipulating them to look the other way while we dragged Nathan to the secret exit was easy. Nathan was in no shape to put his glamour back up, so I constantly swallowed down panic until we reached the tunnel we had used to enter the castle in the first place. Caleb pushed open the entrance. The real Zeeba, Christoph, and Kalvin were inside. Their jaws dropped as they saw the state their High Commander was in.
“We need a place for Nathan to rest,” I said, not daring to mention how he’d broken his vow as the reminder might make his pain flare up.
“We also need Vasara’s Potions lab,” Caleb said. “Since the wastelands kill most plant life quickly, a spray is our best bet.”
I showed the others the tiny Shield plant we had dug out with its roots.
“Nice,” Christoph said appreciatively.
“I also need to get someone out of Vasara,” I said. A flare of uncomfortable prickles swept up my back as I thought of Kristen. Yes. Like Nathan, I would suffer some sort of pain if I held off on keeping Kristen safe. The pain may not be as severe as his, but even without it, I knew, I would need to keep my promise. “Tomorrow, we’ll need to return here for the crown.”
The stone wall moved, and Zeeba, Christoph, and Kalvin drew their swords while vines materialized in Caleb’s hands.
I reached out to the mind approaching us. “Relax, it’s Nerissa.”
She stepped inside, still wearing Blythe’s form, and closed the door behind herself. Her face went pale as she took in Nathan’s frail form. “We’ll need to take him to the forest outside of Vasara. He can rest there. If we stay far enough away from the Vasara, the few vampires stationed there shouldn’t sense us.”
I nodded, since I doubted we had any other choice. I was glad Nathan had telepathically spoken to her already and we didn’t need to explain. “Lead the way,” I said and tightened my grip on Nathan, but Christoph stepped in to relieve me and Kalvin did the same for Caleb.
“Please let us,” Christoph said, and I finally moved away. If Caleb and I exhausted ourselves physically, we wouldn’t have energy left to draw on our magic.
Together, the seven of us started walking down the corridor, heading back to our Pegasi, who would take us to the Vasara.
“Does King Peter know about this tunnel?” I dared to ask.
Nerissa shot us a fiendish, rare smile. “He has no clue. When you escaped, he blamed fae for helping you. Not once did he ask about any secret tunnels. None of his advisors mentioned any hidden escape routes either. Most have long forgotten about this tunnel.”
I frowned. “He sure is narrow minded.”
Caleb sighed. “Father never listened to his generals or scholars the way the Winter Court does. They don’t volunteer information, afraid of his wrath.” He wrinkled his forehead. “If I were king, I would run the Summer Court very differently. One person, no matter how smart, can never think of everything.”
I smiled. If we got through all of this, I couldn’t wait for Caleb to be our new king.
“We have shifts at the Vasara Center tomorrow,” Zeeba said after we walked for a while in silence. “They rotate us guards so we don’t have time to get too comfortable or familiar with our environments. They like to keep us on our toes.”
“I noticed,” I said, and shot another soothing wave toward Nathan, who groaned with each step.
Thanks, he whispered into my mind. You don’t know what I would give to be in my suite with you now, bathing in the hot spring water.
I giggled and sent him images of us kissing naked into his mind.
He groaned, but this one was a happy, not miserable groan. Stop torturing me, Virgie.
I smiled, grateful for this light moment. A few minutes later, I could feel his pain return. My magic was keeping it at bay, but it was still there, throbbing with each step he took.
I gritted my teeth. Whatever it took, I would steal the crown. I would free Nathan and the others from the monster on the throne.
After we reached the Pegasi, we said goodbye to Christoph, Kalvin, and Zeeba. With their shift over, they would hang out with the other guards and see if they could discover any additional information that would be useful to us.
Since Nathan was in no state to ride alone, I sat behind him on one of the Pegasi. I wrapped my arms around Nathan’s torso while pressing my thighs firmly into the horse’s flanks. Nerissa was on my Pegasi, flying in front of us, Caleb and his Pegasi next to her.
Nerissa seemed to be giving mental commands to the Pegasi, guiding them. The poor animals still seemed spooked by the new changes of the Summer Court and shook their manes every so often, neighing their protest.
The stars continued to wink above as we flew. A while later, the Vasara came into view, with its lit windows and the four trees that supported the vast clay mansion. Slowly, we sank into the forest that was about a mile away, settling in a dark clearing illuminated only by a few glowing mushrooms. I guessed these woods were right behind the meadow where Nathan and I had picnicked once.
I got off, and Caleb slowly lowered Nathan to the ground. He looked much better, with more color in his eyes and face, but he still trembled. We helped him lie down on his back, and I kneeled next to him. “How’s the pain, Nathan?”
“Better. It’s never been this bad. I was stupid. When I touched the Shield, I let my guard down.” He flinched as if someone had poked him with a knife.
“Shh, don’t think about it.”
He nodded weakly. “I’ll be fine by tomorrow morning.”
“I should’ve gone down there with you,” I said, hating that my mental powers hadn’t been there to help him avoid the realization that he was stealing from his king. We were a team. Stronger together.
I glanced toward Nerissa and Caleb who were planting the Shield a couple feet away from us.
“With Caleb’s magic, we should grow more of these here in no time.” Nerissa pushed the earth back into the hole she’d dug. “Peony did an excellent job creating this plant. Even without any soil, another flower has bloomed since we left the palace.”
“That’s good,” I said. At least something was going right. I swallowed hard, hating that I would have to leave Nathan in his condition. “Caleb and I will need to go into the Vasara next.” Guilt ate at me immediately, and I channeled it into my power, sending reassuring thoughts to Nathan. You are serving the Summer Court. You are protecting it from the vampires.
“Please, don’t go, Virgie,” Nathan said, barely able to hold his eyes open.
“It’s going to be all right.” I brushed my lips against his forehead.
“The students are having dinner before they begin their night shift,” Nerissa said. “We have a bit of time to rest.”
I kissed Nathan on the lips. He relaxed, unable to fight his body’s need for sleep. Soon, he’d be out, and then I’d go into the Vasara. His eyelids
fluttered shut, and I waited a few minutes before slipping out from underneath his arm and standing.
Caleb stood in front of the Shield. Already, he had summoned a shimmering orb of sunlight that was similar to the one in the king’s greenhouse. “This will allow the Shield to grow and protect us against any vampires, even if they’ve ingested the Shield.”
Something rustled, and then footsteps approached. I tensed and drew my dagger from under my skirt. But instead of a vampire, the spy woman I’d seen previously in Vasara’s cafeteria stepped into the clearing, bronze wings shining in the pale light.
“It’s okay,” Nerissa said, and I realized she’d used her telepathy to summon the spy, who still appeared to be working as a servant at Vasara. “Do you have any updates?”
Our nameless spy gave a sharp nod. “The Winter lands are in trouble according to Thorsten and General Alden. Three more villages in the Winter lands have been lost. Others are crumbling. Their situation is not as bad as here in the Summer lands, but the damage is significant. We have a week, maybe two before both courts turn into the borderlands, and then devolve into the wastelands. Sela and Alden fear that if we reach the borderlands stage, there will be no going back.”
I swallowed hard. We had run out of time. Ready or not, we needed to get the crown and venture into the wastelands to free Onyx.
17
Onyx
Petra’s poison spread through my bloodstream, scorching away my insides. Pinned underneath her, with her toxic vines squeezing my windpipe, I was unable to summon any ice magic or shove her off me.
“I’ve dreamed of this moment ever since you told me how you killed my brother,” she hissed, a manic grin on her face.
I couldn’t reply. My lungs burned. No air could get through. Strangely, all I could think about was that it would seriously suck if I died this way. Then, suddenly, vines seized Petra’s torso from behind and pulled her off me, shoving her high up in the air. Petra cried out and landed somewhere with an enraged grunt. I clawed at the remaining vines around my neck and removed them as Peony, whose vines once again lifted Petra in the air, rushed over to me. “Shit, I don’t know how to remove the poison.”
The poison. Weakness filled my limbs and my ears rang.
Olwen appeared on my other side, cobalt eyes steely and cold. “She’ll be fine. The crown is already removing the poison from her bloodstream.” The bags underneath his eyes were huge, and deep lines were etched into his face. Olwen, too, wore a crown like mine, with pine branches encircling a ring of ice spikes, but his crown appeared desiccated, like it had been evaporating moisture over time. I didn’t even remember him wearing his crown when he had been banished, but like his wings, it was probably invisible in the human world. How much had he endured from Petra since their exiles? My guess was that she’d taken every opportunity to weaken and kill him.
Slowly as my mind cleared, I struggled into a sitting position, which brought on a violent cough. Yet, despite the burning in my throat and the shaking in my knees, I forced myself to stand as Peony and Olwen stepped aside. I was glad neither offered me a hand since appearing weak in front of Petra was the last thing I needed.
I looked at the vines that still held the Summer princess high up in the air, arms pinned to her sides, courtesy of Peony. Petra too wore a crown that hadn’t been visible in the human world. Well, it wasn’t exactly a crown, more like a delicate diadem of lime green leaves and poisonous pink flowers. Was that what had kept her alive in the wastelands, or was it her sheer willpower? Either way, the diadem on her head only confirmed what I already knew. She was the most powerful of King Peter’s children. Neither Caleb nor Percival wore anything resembling a crown
I tore my attention away from Petra and faced Olwen. It was time to get him up to speed on what had happened in his absence
“I was crowned the regent of the Winter Court,” I started, keeping my face neutral.
Olwen gave me a hard stare, his cobalt-blue eyes that were so much like mine drilling into me. “I can see that.”
“The Winter villages were crumbling.” I stopped myself. I was queen. I owed no explanation. “I tried to come to a peace agreement with the Summer Court. It didn’t work.” I skipped the Thorsten part and got to the meat of the story. Olwen had never approved of Thorsten and there was no need to rehash the horror I’d been through when Thorsten had been taken from me. “When things escalated, I tried to banish King Peter, but—"
“He banished you instead,” Olwen cut me off with a wave.
I bit back my rage. Before Olwen could let me know what a failure he thought I was, I continued. “I found an ancient library here in the wastelands. The spirit or essence of an ancient fae called the Great Librarian told me that to leave this place, we’ll have to reunite Summer and Winter magic. This can only be done by working with her.” I nodded at Petra.
“Work with you? Never!” Petra thrashed against Peony’s vines, but they didn’t release their hold. Peony’s magic sure was strong if it could do that.
Olwen sighed. “Good luck with that.” He sat down on a boulder. “The Summer and Winter fae split eons ago.” He folded his faded, silver wings.
I rushed after him, not understanding how this could be his response to something so monumental. It was strange to see a man I had once thought all mighty be reduced to a husk of himself. “Don’t you have any words of wisdom or suggestions?”
Olwen met my gaze, no longer an intimidating monarch, but an old man with a crumbling crown. “How long have you been in the wastelands, Onyx?”
“A few days.”
He nodded. “I’ve been here months. Petra poisons me every other day when I fall asleep from exhaustion. Food has been scarce. Surviving on roots and scraps isn’t exactly helpful. Being here wears on you.” He dropped his voice, so that only I could hear. “I don’t have the energy to help you, and I don’t know how to convince her. You don’t have anything you can offer her. She’d rather die here than get out, as long as it means that we die too.”
I swallowed hard. Seeing Olwen in such a state was terrifying, especially as it made me wonder how long it would take until I’d break too. As for the other things he’d said, sure, I couldn’t offer Petra the Summer Court throne and I couldn’t return Preston to her, but there were other incentives. Petra wanted revenge. I could give her that.
I pushed off the boulder and stepped toward Peony. “Could you get her to the ground, please?”
Peony gave me a wicked smile, clearly loving slipping back into her Queen B persona. “It would be my pleasure.” She let the vines slam Petra into the ground. There was a crunching noise as Petra’s feet hit the gravel, and she screamed in agony, collapsing into a puddle of limbs. I didn’t know whether her ankles or knees were broken, and I didn’t care. With Petra, the more we could get her to fear us, the higher the chances she might cooperate, at least for a while before attempting to stab us in the back.
I waited until after she tried to move, screamed again, and went silent. Petra would heal, but she would not do so quickly here without help. I ignored the wastelands’ pull on my own magic and the ringing in my ears as I let my shadow fall over her.
“Here’s the deal,” I said coolly after checking that Peony’s vines still had a firm grip on Petra’s waist. “We hate each other, but if you don’t work with us so that we all can get out of this hellhole, your daddy dearest will destroy your Summer Court.”
“Liar!” Petra hissed, clawing the gravel.
I gave her a wide smile. Being half fae, I could lie. “Peony, could you back me up?”
“Onyx is right,” Peony said with triumph. “Your daddy invited vampires to feast on your people.”
“Impossible!” Petra dug her nails deeper into the gravel.
“King Peter forced Peony to make a plant called the Shield, which protects the vampires from the sun, allowing them to roam in the Summer Castle,” I continued calmly.
“He would never do that!” Petra pounded the ground, i
gnoring the bloody mess she was making out of her palms.
I tilted my head. “Is that so?”
“King Peter has allied with Lady Cardinal and her vampire guards,” Peony said haughtily. “He’s been unstable for a long time. He sent you to look for your brother at Nocturnal Academy, knowing the danger.”
Petra flinched. The movement was tiny, but I’d seen it. This was her vulnerable point. Daddy dearest was an infallible god she wanted to make proud.
“Preston was the favorite, wasn’t he?” My guess paid off because Petra’s green eyes narrowed to slits. I was onto something. Petra hadn’t gone on a dangerous mission for any selfless reason. She’d been hoping to get something out of it. “Would daddy make you the heir if you got Preston back?”
“I was always the Crown Princess,” Petra hissed. “I am the oldest, yet Father wanted Preston and I to rule together. He didn’t want anyone outside the family on the throne.”
A shiver ran through me. That sounded like a very unhealthy dynamic. Just how close had Petra been with Preston?
“I adored my little brother, but I was tired that I had to shoulder all the responsibility while Preston got all the glory.” She glanced away, succumbing to her memories.
Afraid I was about to lose her, I asked, “What about Percival? How did he fit in?”
Petra shook her head, a tiny smile dancing on her lips. “Percy was the baby. The spoiled pet.”
A pet she cared about. “The vampires and the Summer Court crumbling will affect him. He’ll have to flee to Earth where he’ll weaken and become a slave. His spoiled nature will give the vamps a lot of reason to punish him.”
“Shut up!” Petra stood upright, crunching her foot again. She balled her fists, but no vines shot for me. I had maybe five more minutes until she recovered enough to attempt murder.
“If you stay here, the Summer Court and Percy will become history,” I said nonchalantly like I had no skin in the game.
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