by Ivy Clyde
The two exchanged looks between themselves.
“Why do you ask?” questioned Demitria. “Are you interested to court her?”
“No,” I said at once. “I am curious because I believe she isn’t as hapless as people think she is.”
“You are right about that, Your Highness,” said Chantal. “Please come inside.” I walked further into the room and heard the door close behind me. “Since you’re the first one to notice, I will tell you. Moira is not helpless. She has tremendous power hidden inside her. The only problem is that she doesn’t know how to harness it.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, finally relieved that someone else was confirming my guesses.
“You understand how we strengthen our magical cores,” said Chantal. “It takes years of dedication to be able to really draw the power of the sun into our bodies and to make use of it. Moira…her magical core is already strengthened. It is strong enough to have burned six male adults to a burnt crisp and shatter walls of stone and steel. The only problem is that she doesn’t know how to control this power.”
“But Rowan said she barely had any power to fend off a night-walker,” I said.
“Rowan saw her after that incident,” said Chantal. “She was completely drained by then. I’m just relieved she didn’t end up killing herself.”
“Did she show you her powers?” asked Demitria in a soft voice. Her green eyes gleamed while her lips curved in a knowing grin.
“She broke through my barriers today,” I said. “She seemed quite ignorant about it but I felt I needed to investigate the matter. Are you sure she isn’t a spy? How else can someone have so much power without years of cultivation? How can they possess so much magic inside them and not feel it? How could she not have used them already and alerted those who watch for signs of the supernatural in the human realm?”
“Moira had a powerful spell on her that sealed her powers until the moment she turned eighteen,” said Demitria. “As for your earlier question, our magical cores can be transferred inside another fae.”
“That’s valid in theory,” I argued back. “But taking a magical core out of a fae would kill them.”
“You are right, Your Highness. However, that’s the only explanation of how Moira received her powers. Someone transferred it to her willingly.”
“Willingly?” I questioned. “Are you sure she didn’t murder them in the first place?”
“The magical core dissipates as soon as the person is dead. It has to be done while they are alive.” Demitria glided toward Chantal’s desk and picked up the goblet before her. She drank deeply from it before glancing back at me. “Instead of casting suspicion on her, you should ask about her past. There is a detailed record of that in the human world.”
“Her past? We have information on that?”
“Of course, we do,” said Lady Chantal. “Why else would I let a stranger into my castle?”
“So, tell me. What trouble did she bring to the humans while she was there?”
Demitria shook her. “He’s already made up her mind about her.”
“Give him a chance,” said Chantal.
“Our little elfie deserves better!” Demitria pouted. It was slightly unnerving to see a powerful mage like her acting so childishly. I cleared my throat, so she would focus back on my query.
“Moira was born to a single mother who raised her on her own,” said Chantal in a more subdued tone. “She was a good, obedient child and made her surrogate mother very happy until she turned thirteen and bled for the first time.”
My eyes widened at the implication of a female elf going through her moon cycle in the human realm without proper precaution. Unchecked, their bodies let out a heady scent that would drive most males, both human and lower fae, to go out of their minds with uncontrolled lust.
Lady Chantal gave a nod as I stayed silent. “She survived through the past five years, fighting to stay alive. Even her surrogate mother turned against her, beating and abusing her mercilessly. The human authorities had to be called in at times when their neighbors reported her for shouting and relentlessly beating her daughter. It’s a miracle Moira lived through all that. Without luck, she wouldn’t be alive. Do you understand why Demitria kept saying her fortune would elevate her mate’s luck too?”
I swallowed against the sudden choke suffocating me. You would have felt sorry for a stranger in the same situation, my mind whispered. It has nothing to do with her.
“Do you want to bring her under your protection?” asked Dimitria, staring at me expectantly.
“No.”
Demitria frowned. “You feel absolutely nothing for her?”
“No.”
“You won’t be sorry if one of your brothers takes her for himself?”
I could feel the hesitation in my mind but there was no way I was entangling with this strange woman who could bring unseen risks to both me and my mother. Queen Brenna considered me a threat to her son despite my refusal to join my father’s court. There was no way I could come to a decision without learning more about Moira.
“She’s really unlucky when it comes to her mates,” muttered Demitria with a frown. She absentmindedly played with Chantal’s gold curls.
“Please keep this information to yourself for now,” said Lady Chantal. “We don’t want rumors regarding her to spread beyond the walls of this castle.”
“Don’t worry about me on that front. If Rowan and Cade get curious, they can come to you for answers.” I inclined my head toward Chantal and turned around to walk out of the office.
A part of me was moved by Moira’s story and another part wanted to see for myself how powerful she really was. If she really was that strong, she could be a great ally but before I could let myself get carried, I had to consider the risks she posed to me and my mother’s kin. Still, a greedy part of me wanted to keep her all to myself. Her heady scent still lingered in my nostrils, making my body beg for her warmth once more.
10
Moira
My breath came out in harsh gasps as I ran toward the doorway through which I’d entered the castle. My heart pounded hard in my chest as my escape loomed closer with every step. Mustering the last bits of my strength, I increased my pace and sprinted through the tall doors.
“Hey, watch yourself!” someone shouted just as I crashed with a figure.
My body stumbled back from the collision. My heart thumped hard as I looked toward the person. “It’s…it’s you,” I blurted through my heavy gasps.
“Of course, it’s me,” said Isla. “What were you doing?”
I shook my head and massaged my chest, hoping to calm its erratic beats. The fear instilled inside me was still choking my throat. One moment, I’d felt desire heating the blood in my veins from Leon’s closeness but next second, it disappeared as he turned aggressive, reminding me of the situations where a man I’d trusted turned into a monster. My wrists still ached from his crushing grip and I couldn’t ignore the way every fiber in my being told me to run.
“Hey, are you okay?” Isla moved closer to me to look into my eyes.
“Fine,” I whispered. “Let’s just go from here first.”
Isla’s presence was helping me calm down but I wanted to get away from this part of the castle. I didn’t want her to get into trouble with Leon because of me.
“Let’s go have some tea,” she said. “Lady Chantal called me to give you the keys to your new dorm room. You will be sleeping there from tonight.”
“Great,” I muttered, following her down another path. The light rain had stopped by now. The gray clouds broke in a few places, throwing down rays of golden afternoon sunshine on us.
Isla took me inside the castle and after venturing through a few corridors, we came across a vast room built of sleek dark wood floors and walls. The ceiling, however, was completely made of glass, making it look like we were sitting directly under the sky.
“This is almost like Harry Potter,” I whispered, momentarily distrac
ted by the sight of the vast sky above our heads.
“Yeah, but this set-up actually has a benefit than just some silly theatrics,” said Isla.
“What do you mean?”
“The solar fae get their powers from the sun, remember? Even though you have to train to harness the magic inside you, it doesn’t hurt to soak some of it to give yourself some natural strength. If you will notice more carefully, the castle has huge windows to let in as much sunshine as possible. Those who are talented enough can sit in class and grow their powers while taking lessons. Only a few students are as awesome as that but it helps us all.”
As if by some kind of a magnetic pull, my gaze was attracted toward a secluded corner. Cade was sitting there with the same girls who’d bullied me earlier. My hand clutched onto Isla’s arm. “Could we come back a little later?” I asked. “How about you show me where I’m going to be staying?”
Isla noticed where I was looking. Cade winked at me as soon as our gazes met. A ray of sunshine fell directly over his head, turning his golden locks into fire-tinged strands. He looked painfully handsome at the moment but my close encounter with Leon had already taught me not to be lured in by their deceptively beautiful looks. I looked away at once.
“Maybe that’s a good idea,” said Isla. “Let’s go.”
We walked out of the dining hall. Away from the keen glance of Cade’s lavender-hued eyes, I felt a sense of calm wash over me.
Isla took me to a different part of the castle. Students, both young and our age, moved around the area but no one spared us a glance. They seemed to mind their own business as my guide took me up a flight of stairs.
“Lady Chantal placed you on the same floor as me,” said Isla as she went up the stairs. “If you need help, I will always be around.” I caught the small sigh that escaped her. She was being forced to babysit me.
“When you get time, show me where the library is,” I said. “Also, do you have a map of the castle? It will be bothersome if you have to show me around all the time.”
She seemed to consider what I said. “It’s not a bad idea. I will see if I can draw you a map of all the important places in the castle and the surrounding grounds.”
Reaching the second floor, she walked down the corridor until she reached midway in the right direction. Taking a key, she unlocked the padlock on the door. Entering the room, I found it to be much smaller than the guest bedroom I’d been in last night. Even though it was humble, it was good enough for one person.
“What do you think?” asked Isla, looking around.
“It’s great,” I said, walking toward the windows on the other side. Looking out, I saw it opened up to another section of the garden we’d been walking in this afternoon. At the moment, it was completely deserted.
“You will find all basic necessities in the cupboards,” said Isla. “As for money, you’ll have to speak to Lady Chantal herself.”
I gave a nod and went to sit beside her on the bed. “Do you mind if I call it a day?”
“Aren’t you hungry? It will be time for dinner soon.”
I shook my head. “I’m just tired.”
“It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
“Young kids have it much better,” she said. “They accept everything much more easily than adults. I guess you need time to come to terms with a lot of things.”
I nodded. “Thanks for understanding.”
“No problem.” She got to her feet. “Wait here for me tomorrow morning. I will pick you up for breakfast.”
“Great. I’ll see you then.”
Isla crossed the room and walked out through the door. A long breath whooshed out of me as I fell back on the bed. It had been a long day, from finding out I had some weird mate bond with three elf princes to having a horde of spiders attacking me out of nowhere. Not to mention the incident with Prince Leon. I was going to keep that a secret. He’d already been angry enough with me for being in the room full of paintings. I didn’t want to know whether being there would really cause me to die as a punishment.
Kicking off my shoes, I got into a more comfortable position on the bed. In the privacy of this room, I felt calmer and safer. My mind went back to thinking of Leon. Even now, I could feel his hot breath skimming along the skin of my neck. My fingers brushed over the spot where he’d bitten me. It still stung a little. Despite myself, I felt my blood heating up in my veins.
You can’t still be attracted to him, I berated myself. The guy’s a psycho!
To distract myself from the throbbing that had started between my thighs, I thought of Cade. Even though he was beautiful with sunshine-blond hair and sparkling violet eyes, he was a monster too. A shudder ran through me at the thought of the spiders crawling up and down my arms.
Closing my eyes tightly, I thought of Rowan. He’d been kind of nice on the night I met him. Not only did he rescue me from the vampire, but he’d also taken me back to Artemis. His handsome face and brooding eyes flashed in my mind. Out of all the princes, he was the only one with a gentle side to him. I couldn’t help wondering if he’d be kinder if he didn’t find out about the possible mate bond between us. He’d turned cold right after Chantal and Demitria announced that piece of news.
Stop thinking about them, I told myself and smashed my face into a pillow.
My mind strayed to my mom. She should already know the truth by now. Guilt stabbed at my heart for how I destroyed her entire life. She’d suffered so long for a person who wasn’t even her daughter. If someday, I could make something of myself, I would go back to find her and make sure she was all right. Right now, the best thing I could do was stay away and let her gain back her life.
Lost in one thought after another, I had no idea when my eyes closed shut and I drifted off to sleep.
When my eyes opened again, I found myself in the same room but there was something different about it. The chandelier overhead which was giving off a soft white glow earlier had turned eerily red, casting my surroundings in a crimson haze.
Getting off the bed, I went to the door. My hands reached out and turned the knob but the door wouldn’t open. I pulled and pushed, but it stayed shut. “Is anyone out there?” I shouted, hoping someone in the corridor would hear me and open the door from outside. My voice sounded awfully loud in the eerily quiet room.
Something cold and wet slithered up my arm. I looked down and found a snake winding its body around my arm. Mouth wide open, its fangs were poised to attack me.
A scream escaped me as I jerked my arm to get the creature off me. Before I could get rid of the snake, a few more slithered my way.
“No,” I gasped as the floor was suddenly crawling with them. Even the walls were filled with snakes, all climbing down to join their kin on the floor. They were all rushing toward me.
My throat was hoarse from screaming. A part of me told me it was a dream, an illusion. Just like the spiders that attacked me earlier, these snakes were nothing but a figment of my imagination.
Screwing my eyes shut, I tried to wake myself up.
“It’s not real. It can’t be real. Wake up, Moira. Wake up.”
Sharp fangs pierced through my skin. The pain seemed too real for me to believe everything was a dream. My veins burned with the injection of venom. I collapsed onto the floor among the mass of writhing snakes. Their cold, muscular bodies wrapped around my arms, legs, torso, and neck. They squeezed me tight, cutting off my air supply.
I writhed on the floor, unable to bear the burn in my lungs or my body. Almost subconsciously, my mind reached for that place of rage. It was the last defense left in me. If I couldn’t bring out that burning, golden inferno from deep within, I would die soon.
The crimson haze vanished from my vision. Another shriek escaped me as a blinding white light flashed through my mind, accompanied by a loud explosion.
Hot air skimmed my skin but all I could see was darkness. I could no longer tell where I was or what was happening to me. Was I even ali
ve anymore?
11
Rowan
My gaze followed a group of fireflies lazily drifting through the air. The sound of crunching leaves and twigs sounded loud in the still silence of the lakeside. I stayed in my place despite the approaching footsteps.
“Your Highness,” said a boyish voice from behind me.
“Do you have any idea how much noise you made just to get here?” I asked without turning around to look at Edwin, a male brownie who worked for me.
“Apologies, Your Highness. I am not used to trekking in the woods at night.”
I scoffed. “Excuses.” After a moment, I said, “What news do you have?”
“There is no connection between Queen Brenna and the group of assassins who attacked the royal consort.”
“What?” I shouted and whirled around to look at Edwin. He shrank away at once.
“They are all humans, My Prince,” said Edwin in a quaking voice as he cowered before me. “They don’t have a drop of magic in their veins. Even under torture, they are unable to give up the name of the person who employed them and brought them here.”
“Are you sure they are being tortured?” I asked.
“Yes, Your Highness. I have witnessed the investigation myself. King Drustan is not sparing any efforts to find the person behind Lady Cynthia’s death.”
Another scoff escaped me. My father was responsible for taking his queen’s side in all matters. Everyone knew how much she loathed me and my mother for giving birth to me but he would still remain blind to her wrath.
My gaze fell on the shivering figure before me. Edwin barely looked any older than a nine-year-old boy. Dressed in the royal livery, he looked especially childish. My anger cooled a little at the sight of him looking so scared.
Taking a deep breath, I said, “Keep a watch over the group. Only a powerful noble could bring in humans to our realm to kill a royal consort. Even if the queen isn’t directly involved, her close associates surely carried out the deed. Watch for their movements and keep me notified of everything.”
