by Valia Lind
Swinging, I punch her right in the stomach, making her drop my hair. Before she can recover, I kick her once, sending her backwards. I swing to punch her, but she blocks me, grabbing my right arm with her hand. Instead of trying to get out of the hold, I step closer, grabbing her right shoulder. Then, I bring my knee up, yanking her down at the same time. She yelps in pain as the two connect, and then I roundhouse kick, as she flies backwards, slamming into the wall. There's power behind my moves, but not of magic. My own power, one I created by training hard and believing in myself. No one can make me doubt myself like I can. But also, no one can believe in me enough to make me see the bigger picture. I have to see that for myself. I have to be the strong one.
I'm ready to go again, but then Natalie get to all fours, spitting a little blood out, and starts laughing. I freeze in my tracks before I reach her, confusion plain on my face.
"That's a lot better," she says, getting to her feet and facing me. A little blood is still on her lip, and she wipes it away, before she situates her clothing.
"What is your problem?" I ask.
"It used to be you," she replies, cocking her head to the side. "But now I think you might just be able to get us out of this mess." She glances over at Aiden, giving him a tiny smile. I look over at the shifter and see Liam and Ben have both been restraining him. Not that they really could've held him back if he wanted to. I think he could take on both of them to get to me. But he trusted me to take care of myself, no matter how difficult it was to watch.
"I'd just like to point out, it wasn't my idea," Owen's voice comes from the doorway and I turn to see the shifter walk into the room. Spinning around, I glare at Natalie, pieces falling into place.
"This was some kind of a test?"
"Of course it was. Everything is a test," Natalie replies, righting a chair so she can sit. "You were in the midst of your woe-is-me attitude and frankly, it's so annoying it makes me want to puke."
"So you thought you'd come in here and attack her?" This comes from Aiden, and there is no doubt in my mind that's alpha I hear in his voice. Ben and Owen instantly cower a bit, but Natalie is an alpha. She looks Aiden straight in the eyes and smiles.
"It was a lesson for all of us to learn. If she is to take my place, I think the pack needs to know she will not be a liability."
The words are uttered firmly, and at first, I'm not sure what they mean. I hear Jade gasp beside me, but I can't take my eyes off Natalie and Aiden. There's some kind of an understanding that passes between them, and then, he's looking at me. Only for a moment, but there's so much emotion there, I nearly collapse from the impact.
"You are out of line," Aiden states, giving Natalie a hard look.
"And you, alpha, are too scared to admit what is evident to everyone else in the room. I'm done standing in your way. Now it's your turn to man up."
With that, Natalie stands, walking over to Liam. "Do you think I can clean up somewhere?"
My friend gives me one piercing look, and then leads the female alpha out.
"Want to explain?" I turn to Aiden.
"Not really," he replies, before he shifts into his wolf and races from the room.
About ten minutes later, Liam finds me in one of the upstairs rooms, pacing. I've been switching between staring out the window and making circles in the carpet. Everyone else is resting downstairs. I asked for the time alone. Well, everyone but Aiden, who's gone on patrol. When Liam comes in, I'm not even surprised. I figured he'd be the one to come talk me out of my spiral. Because that's exactly what it feels like I'm doing, just spiraling out of control.
"I see you're handling this well," Liam comments, taking a seat on the bed. I'm not sure who's bedroom this is, but it felt like a safe place, so I commandeered it.
"Don't give me that sarcasm, cupcake," I reply, rolling my eyes at him. "I don't need it."
"Oh, I think you do, cupcake."
My lips twitch involuntarily at the stupid game. Every time this powerful fae uses the term cupcake, I want to laugh. Which was the whole point of the game. But right now, I want to stay frustrated. It's fueling me into...some kind of action.
"I don't understand any of this, Liam," I say, running my hand through my hair. "The reason behind Oracle's spell, why she would send me back here instead of just dropping us off where she found us."
"Aiden."
"Don't..." I point a finger at him, as the smirk on his lips infuriates me farther.
"Mads, you're not doing anyone any good by freaking out. You need to rest. The spell you performed, I heard it took a lot out of you."
"Ah, yes. Because you and Aiden are now besties."
"We will always bond over the fact that we care about you."
"Does he?" I stop pacing then, glaring Liam right in the eyes. "Because I can't get a read on him at all anymore. I thought we were...but he hasn't said or done anything since...and I'm only confused and frustrated. I can..." At a loss for words, I just throw my hands up in the air, before plopping down beside Liam. "I'm a mess."
"That you are. But all the best people are, so don't sweat it."
He bumps me with his shoulder and I smile for the first time since fighting Natalie. That brings another question up.
"Where is she?"
"I left her downstairs with the others. You know they're all worried about you. But at least now they know firsthand that you can take care of yourself."
I sit up a little straighter, turning my head so I can see Liam. There's definitely something in his demeanor that tells me he knows exactly what that whole show downstairs was all about.
"Are you going to tell me?"
He doesn't even ask what I mean, "No."
"Liam."
"Mads, it's not my conversation to have."
Of course he means Aiden. But the alpha is nowhere to be found and I tell him as much.
"Maybe he's scared."
"Please, Aiden isn't scared of anything."
"You'd be surprised."
I wait for more, but Liam won't meet my eyes, continuing to stare toward the window. I place my head on his shoulder, giving myself this moment of rest. He's right, as usual. The spell did take a lot out of me. But I have not time to rest now. We're so much farther away from the border now, it'll take me at least three days to get there. And with the Ancients and their minions now roaming free across the lands, I'm not sure I would make it.
"Liam, why would the Oracle tell me where my dad is but then send me in the opposite direction?"
"Are you sure she did?"
"What do you mean?" I ask, sitting up.
"Just that you know fae can't lie. She told the truth from the beginning, it was just how she told it that gives us any clues. That's usually how you find out anything around here."
Once again, Liam coming in with the wisdom. There has to be a rational reason for why the Oracle does the things she does, but then again, maybe not. She likes games, of that I am certain. Would she really help me?
"She's entertained by me," I say out loud, letting my thoughts be spoken into words in case Liam can offer some insight. "She doesn't respect anything about me, except for my story spell casting. But she's helped me more than once. That doesn't really make sense."
"That's because she hasn't," Aiden's voice comes from the doorway and I twist to watch him walk into the room. There's something in his eyes I can't quite decipher, and I keep in place so I don't spook him. There are a million questions in my mind, but I wait for him to continue. "There is someone who would like to talk to you, Maddie."
"Who?"
He beckons me to follow him, and after exchanging a quick glance with Liam, I do. We pass the sitting room where everyone else has gathered and head for the back of the house. Once outside, I give Aiden a puzzling look.
"Aiden, what are we doing?"
He looks down at me, scorching me with his gaze, before turning toward the forest.
"We're waiting for her," he motions and I turn just in time to see Queen A
maryllis step out of the shadows.
20
At first, I think I'm not seeing things correctly. But when I blink and she's still there, I think she's lost her mind.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, when we're only a few feet apart. Liam and Aiden have stayed by my side, while Ben and Owen are a little ways back. Glancing behind me, I see Jade, Noel, and Natalie are at the doorway, and they seem ready to fight, if it came to that.
"I am here because we need to talk." The queen replies, and I realize she doesn't have any guards around her. Narrowing my eyes, I study her for a moment before I speak up.
"We said everything we needed to say to each other."
"That is a very false statement, Madison Hawthorne. I think it would be best if you let me in, and we can discuss this like civilized individuals."
"I'm not about to break a barrier to let you come in, Your Highness," I snap, my mind trying to figure out all the possibilities where this won't go well for us. There are a lot of them.
"Not even for your father?"
"What do you know about my father?" I almost step closer to her, my eagerness a little too evident. I have to reign it in.
"Quite a lot, Miss Hawthorne. Now tell me, why did you bring down the barrier?"
Of course she would know it's me. She can taste my magic. A part of me wants to lie to her, but I don't think that would yield us any results.
"Because I made a bargain for a spell and had to deliver."
If I didn't know any better, I would say the queen just paled. "Who did you make the bargain with?"
"The Oracle."
I don't think I've ever seen a fae display this much emotion, but the way Queen Amaryllis is looking at me, it shows a little too much into what her mind is doing. There was a glimpse of panic there, before she pushed it down and that regular mask of indifference falls into place.
"What are you not telling us?" I ask, because I can see she isn't going to offer up any information without prompting. "Queen Amaryllis, I understand that we're not friends and never will be. But the Ancients are everyone's problem. Even yours. That's one thing we have in common. If the Oracle made me bring down the barrier for the Ancients, shouldn't you give me all the information I need to try and prevent serious war from happening?"
"We are already in a serious war, Madison Hawthorne," the queen snaps, her eyes full of fire. "You made sure we had no defenses against it."
"If a few measly barriers taken down by one witch is all you had as a defense against the Ancients, you've got way more problems than I thought."
The queen is visibly taken back by the harshness of my tone, and maybe I surprised myself a little as well. But this isn't a game, and even though I take much of the responsibly for what I've done, she can't put the safety of the whole court on me. Her barriers were going to fall, one way or the other, and if she has no contingency plan...then everyone is in serious trouble.
"You have really become something, Madison Hawthorne."
"And what's that?" I ask, placing my hands on my hips.
"Something of a leader."
It's the highest praise I will ever receive from this fae, and I'd be lying if I said it doesn't feel good having her acknowledge me in that way.
"Glad you're finally realizing this," I say, keeping up the bravado display, since it's clearly working. "Now, how about some answers?"
As I say this, a loud boom sound around us, echoing through the forest. We all jerk as one, ducking, as it's going to attack. There's some shouting and then the screaming begins.
"Maybe we can take this inside?" The queen comments, her eyes on me. But this is not a decision I'm going to make. Turning to Liam, I ask,
"It's up to you."
He stares at me for a tense moment, mulling over our options. We both know we can stay out here in the open. The house is the safest place right now and even that won't last. But we also need answers. If the queen can provide even a few of them, we should take the risk. Maybe. Maybe I shouldn't be making any decisions.
"Only if you let me bind you," Liam says, and the way the queen jerks at his words would be comical if we weren't in a middle of a crisis. I've heard about binding. It's not exactly a wildly popular concept, because it binds ones fae magic to the other. It would give Liam full control, even though it's for a small period of time.
"You are anything but worthy of that kind of an honor."
"Glad you think so much of me, auntie. But it's not about honor. I'm going to protect my friends first and foremost."
"Going against your own kind for the likes of them," the queen glares at me and no one else and the sudden courageous side of me smirks. She doesn't like that. But then again, she doesn't like me.
"I'm protecting what's mine. Take it or leave it."
They glare at each other in a standoff, but then another scream echoes in the forest and there's no choice left. The queen resigns to her fate.
"I accept the binding." She utters and then Liam is reaching across the barrier to hook his hand over her forearm. He whispers a few words that I can't understand, and then there's a pop in the air, and the queen visibly shudders. Liam glances over at me and nods. The queen steps through the barrier, her magic now subdued by Liam.
"How long?" I ask, because unless it a full on ritual, the binding time is short.
"I'd say fifteen minutes at the most."
"Plenty of time," I say, glancing at the queen, before I turn and lead us all back into the house.
"Owen, Ben," Aiden calls out the moment we're inside, "I need you at the east and west side of the house. Natalie—“
"I'll take the south," she doesn't hesitate, racing for the back of the building. Jade and Noel stand at attention as well, looking between the group.
"Maddie?" Jade asks, and I turn to Aiden.
"Where do you want them?"
"Upstairs."
Noel and Jade don't hesitate either, and once they're gone, I turn to Queen Amaryllis. She's looking around the room as if she's a little fascinated. When she catches my eye, she does a very un-queenly thing and shrugs.
"It's been a very long time since I've been here."
She glances at Liam, but my friend isn't budging into a trip down the memory lane. There's determination on his face, a readiness to do whatever it takes to keep us safe. Of that, I am sure.
"You think we're about to be under attack?" I turn to Aiden, as he takes his place beside me.
"I think it's highly likely. So lets hurry."
I can tell he's nervous...well, maybe not nervous. Tense. Ready to pounce. I'm not sure if that's directed at what's going on outside or the fae queen in front of us. We're all on edge, and having her here is not helping.
"Okay, we don't have much time," I begin, facing the queen head-on, "What are you not telling us?"
She watched me for a long moment and I think she's about to play some of her games. There is something in the way fae handle their affairs. They are all about games. The yelling and fighting is getting closer outside. The whole of Faery seems to be on our doorstep. I can't let myself dwell on the blame, I have to focus on finding solutions.
"First, you need to tell me what the Oracle has told you," the queen surprises me with her words.
"This is not about me."
"Oh, but it has always been about you. Your family to be exact."
"I don't understand."
"No, you would not."
"So tell me," I take a step closer, a note of pleading entering my voice. I've been searching for answers for so long, I'm not sure if I'll ever stop searching. But if she can give me even a glimpse into the answers, I will take it. Asking such a thing of a fae queen is dangerous though. She may require a bargain and I'm not about to make that mistake twice. But then, she surprised me again.
"Your family is a name many have feared over generations," she begins, walking slowly over to one of the seats and placing herself there in all her regal glory. Even in the simple-for-her green dress, she look
s like a queen. She always carries herself as such. It's almost mesmerizing and I wonder if I'd ever be able to carry myself with half of that grace.
I can't imagine why anyone would fear my family. True, my sisters and mama are beautiful and powerful. My mama is one of the strongest coven leaders out there. But I don't see how that would play into anything here in Faery.
"Why would we be feared? We're nothing special. At least, I'm not."
A tiny growl comes from my left and I glance to see Aiden's gaze on me. He doesn't seem pleased with my assessment of myself, but no matter how much that scorching look sends my body a few degrees higher in temperature, I can't dwell on that. I tuck that into my heart to examine it later.
"Your blood is one of the most potent conduits of magic. It is why you can story spell cast. Why your sisters could both hold their own against the Ancient's minions. It is supercharged, from generations before. The Ancients thirst for it."
"Wait," I put out a hand, my mind racing, "You're telling me the Ancients want to suck my blood like some vampire?"
"Vampires had to originate somewhere, do you not agree?" She seems so nonchalant about that, but I can't seem to stop the freakout. Sure, there are vampires in the world. But I haven't exactly met any. They always seemed like monsters we don't talk about.
"But why? And how does that have anything to do with the Oracle? All she's done is help me." Which I still don't understand. But I'm hoping I'm about to.
"The only thing that witch did is help herself," Queen Amaryllis gets to her feet, pacing across the room in agitation.
"But she told me about my father..." I trail off, because has she really? Mostly, she just used my need to find him.
"And what exactly has she told you?"
"That's he's in Faery. Possibly the Winter Court, being held captive."
When Queen Amaryllis's laugh rings out around the room, I freeze in my tracks. This is not the reaction I expected.
"What's so funny?" Liam ask, his voice cold and dangerous. I think he really would heart his queen in order to protect me. He's getting just as fed up with her as I am.
