by Ivy Clyde
“Yes, Your Highness.” Edwin bowed so low, his nose almost touched his knees.
“Go back now. Come back here in three days’ time.” Before he could bow again, I added, “Make less noise next time. A spy needs to stay silent like the shadows.”
He stood straighter and gave a stiff salute. “I’ll do my best, Prince Rowan.”
I shook my head and watched him disappear among nearby bushes. When some time passed, I made my way back to the castle’s dorms. The lakeside was deep inside the woods and deserted most of the time, making it an ideal place to meet Edwin. I didn’t want my brothers knowing I was still following my mother’s case closely. It was important to let Queen Brenna think I was no longer obsessing with the matter.
I was close to the section of the castle that formed the student dorm but something stopped me in my tracks. A group of young women was gathered by a wall. Just a look was enough to tell me they were the group of elf nobles who formed part of Cade’s harem of admirers.
I moved forward noiselessly. The girls were snickering and giggling while screams and shouts for help erupted from one of the windows on the second floor. The voice grew more desperate and anguished with every passing second.
It didn’t take a genius to guess these girls were playing a prank on some helpless kid. They loved harassing and bullying younger children but were clever enough to hide any evidence that pointed toward them. I was almost about to walk away when I recognized the voice screaming for help.
It was Moira…
I looked back toward the second-floor window, unsure whether I should intervene.
Any interest from me would make things worse for her. While I found it absolutely ridiculous someone as weak as her would have a mate bond with me, I couldn’t help worrying about her. She was an innocent girl after all. Helping her in front of witnesses would put an extra target on her back. My enemies would gladly kill her if they thought she was a weakness.
Before I could make up my mind, a blinding white light erupted out of the window on the second floor. Next second, glass and brick exploded out as if a powerful blast had gone off inside the room. I ducked down with my arms thrown over my head as shards of glass and mortar rained down on me. The girls who were directly under the window screamed and fled at once.
“What is going on?” I muttered under my breath. The other darkened windows lit up with light. All the residents must have heard the explosion even when they were asleep. I climbed the large, branching ash tree growing nearby to reach up to the second-floor window or what remained of it.
A look inside showed me blackened walls and burning wooden furniture. Looking through the billowing smoke, I noticed the unmoving figure on the floor.
Entering the room, I used my magic to soak up the light and heat from the raging flames all around me. The bed and the furniture still smoldered but I was able to get to Moira who was lying unconscious on the floor.
Picking her up in my arms, I stepped over the wide gap that had been blasted around the window. Using the branches of the ash tree, I climbed down quickly. People’s shouts and voices grew louder but I knew they would be safe. I’d put out the fire already. Other than the damage in the room, the castle was protected.
I carried Moira away before anyone could notice me with her. Part of me wondered what the heck I was trying to do at the moment but all my focus was on getting her to safety.
I was close to the lakeside when her weak moans made me look down at her. “Am I alive?” she croaked while her eyes remained closed.
“You’re alive,” I said in a gentle voice.
She slowly opened her eyes to look up at me and blinked several times as if to make sure she was really seeing me. “Are you real?” she whispered.
My brows contracted together.
She turned her head and stared out toward the vast still lake that reflected the night sky. “Why am I here?” she asked. “Why are you here with me?”
“I am going to put you down.” Gently, I lowered Moira to her feet. She stumbled at once, unable to stand on her feet. My arms went around her waist at once, pulling her against me. Her body sagged. “What happened to you?” I asked. “How were you able to survive the blast that blew up the whole room?”
She looked up at me, studying me for a while. “You brought me here from my room?”
“Yeah.”
“There were so many snakes in my room,” she said in a low, exhausted voice. “They were crawling everywhere. I was bitten by them so many times. Their bodies were wrapped all over my body and neck, choking me. I thought I was going to die if I didn’t do something.” She looked up at me and asked, “Are the snakes dead?”
I looked at Moira’s exposed neck and hands. Other than smidges of soot, her skin was flawless. The memory of the whispering and giggling girls came rushing back to me. Illusion…
“What happened after that?” I asked.
“I reached for the anger and rage that helped me get away from those boys at school,” she said in a low voice. Her hands clutched onto the front of my shirt so she could keep standing up and talking. “I wanted to burn the snakes away.”
“Did that incident expose your true nature?” I asked. “Is that the reason Lord Artemis was sent to retrieve you from the human realm?”
She gave a nod. “I passed out the last time too.” She looked around herself. “Where exactly are we? Can you please take me back to my room?”
“You can’t go back there yet.”
Another memory rose to my mind. It was only that afternoon when Leon came to ask me about Moira. He wanted to know whether she was hiding her powers. I told him she barely had any after witnessing her with the vampire. However, if she’d already lost most of her energy earlier, it wasn’t the true test of her abilities. Did Leon suspect the same thing about her as me? That she was more than just a clueless, helpless fae who’d been abandoned in the human realm.
“Why can’t I go back?” Moira pushed me weakly, trying to get away from me. Doubt settled in her eyes as she took stumbling steps away from me.
“Be careful!” I lunged forward to capture her falling body in my arms. My heart seemed to have stopped for the tiny instant it took me to reach her. Holding on to her limp body, I gasped for breath. A ray of moonlight shone through a gap in the overhead canopy and lit up her pale, white face.
This close, I could appreciate the delicate beauty of her face. Her lashes were thick and long. I gently brushed my finger over them, like caressing the wings of a butterfly. Her bottom lip was full and luscious. An overwhelming urge to kiss her came over me.
Don’t, I told myself. She won’t live long if you claim her.
Pain stabbed my heart. I hated myself at the moment. This innocent young woman with tremendous powers could easily be my mate. In fact, there was nothing stopping me from claiming her for myself. But doing so will endanger her life, my mind reminded me.
It wouldn’t take much for Queen Brenna and one of my enemies to kill her. Moira had no control over her powers. Anyone could overpower her. The whorish girls my brother hung out with easily fooled her into believing she was being attacked by snakes. They scared her so badly, she reached into the heart of her magic and created the explosion which she thought was the only way to save herself.
I looked down at her and regret washed all over me. She looked so vulnerable right now. I wanted to protect her but the only way to do so would be to keep her far away from me.
Steeling my resolve, I picked her up in my arms again. The commotion happening in the dorm would have everyone gathering there. This was the perfect time to sneak into Lady Chantal’s office without anyone noticing me going there with Moira.
Keeping to the shadows, I went back to the section of the castle that constituted as Chantal’s chambers and office. As expected, the doors were open and the lights were on. She and the other teachers had already been summoned to look at the wreckage Moira left behind. Making sure no one was around, I walked inside and headed for
Lady Chantal’s chamber where she met with visitors.
“Who’s there?” an alert female voice called out.
“Prince Rowan,” I said from the doorway.
Spheres of light shot up to the ceiling. The dim room came into a clearer view and I found myself staring at Lady Demitria dressed in a sheer scarlet nightgown. She showed no discomfort at having been spotted in such an exposing attire, so I stepped into the room.
“What happened to her?” she asked as soon as she spotted Moira in my arms. She rushed toward me at once.
“Did you hear about the commotion in the student dormitories?” I asked.
“Yes. Chantal was just called to take a look.”
“There is nothing to look for anymore,” I told her. “Moira was being bullied by some girls who cast an illusion on her. She blasted her room to escape the horrors they made her see. I already put down the flames, so the rest of the children are safe.”
Surprise flitted through Demitria’s gaze. “You brought her out of there yourself?”
I gave a nod. “She is not as powerless as I’d assumed.”
“She is not.”
“You already knew?”
“We knew what she is capable of but it would take time for her to control her powers. We’d hoped one of you would take her under your wing and teach her what she needed to learn.” A disappointed sigh escaped her. “It’s not her fault she was away from her people for so long.”
“Can you tell me more about her?” I asked. “How can someone who had a seal on their powers gain so much magic?”
Demitria’s face lit up. “You are asking the same question as Prince Leon.”
Something flared up in my chest and my hold on Moira hardened. “He came here to ask about her?” So, he is interested in her too, I thought. He sensed her strength before I could.
“Someone transferred their magical core in her body,” said Dimitria while I was still struggling against my jealousy toward my brother.
“Is that even possible to do?” I asked. “It would kill the fae within a short time.”
Demitria nodded. “It would but they definitely placed all their magic inside her when she wasn’t even born yet. She was even transferred into the womb of a human woman before birth.”
“Moira had a human surrogate?”
“Yes. Isn’t it interesting?”
I frowned at the way she was smiling. She was definitely enjoying revealing these shocking facts to me.
“Why did you keep this information from us?” I asked in return.
“The princes never gave me the chance to say anything,” she said with a pout. “You were all arguing between yourselves and none of you wanted to have her as a mate. What was the point of saying anything when you clearly loathed her?”
“I don’t loathe her.”
“Good,” said Demitria. Picking up a robe, she tied it around her voluptuous figure. “I will head out to the dorm building and let Chantal know there is nothing to worry about. You can take Moira to the next room and revive her with some goldflower essence. Keep her company until we get back.”
Before I could tell her the idea was preposterous, Demitria had already swept out of the room. I was a crown prince, destined to be the next king to the solar fae. How could she leave me behind to tend to someone else?
I looked down at the young woman in my arms. My pride left me at the sight of her pale, pinched face. She looked like she was hurting. Turning toward the door, I walked out and took her to the room Demitria talked about.
The adjacent room looked like a potion master's workplace. The space was filled with tall wooden racks, filled with either thick, yellowing tomes or lined with jars of potions. Placing Moira on a cot in the corner, I looked for a bottle of goldflower cordial.
It didn’t take long to locate the bottles of goldflower essence. The contents glowed in the dimly-lit room, making it easy to find them among the hundred or so potions crowding the racks. Pouring the drink into a clean goblet, I carried it back to Moira.
Gently raising her head, I tipped the goblet to her lips so a few drops would go into her mouth. The effect of the goldflower essence was immediate. Soft moans escaped her. “Drink some more,” I said in a gentle voice as I made her drink a few more sips.
Moira’s eyes fluttered open. “You…”
“I am not going to hurt you,” I said before she could start fearing me once more. “Don’t try to use your powers just yet. You will pass out again if you do.” She was still in my arms and I could acutely feel her heat seeping through my clothes and into my skin. An animalistic part of me wanted to overpower her and ravish her right there but I suppressed my urges. “Drink some more of this cordial,” I said in a hoarse voice. “You will feel better.”
She eyed the goblet in my hand and slowly took it from me. Surprise filled those sapphire-blue eyes as she took a few sips. “I had this the other day,” she whispered. She took longer gulps and drained the glass empty. “I’ve never tasted anything like this before. It brings back my stamina. This is more potent than coffee.”
I chuckled. “Goldflower traps the essence of the sun. It is an elixir for us solar fae.”
Moira stared at me with an open-mouthed look. “You’re smiling,” she said, reaching out with her hand to gently caress my face.
I closed my eyes at the feel of her warm fingers on my skin like the gentlest brush of a butterfly’s wings. I captured her hand in mine and looked deeply into her eyes. Fear and anticipation swirled in their clear blue depths. She was too innocent to be entangling with the three solar fae princes.
Taking a deep, shuddering breath, I focused on what was important at the moment.
“You need to be very careful before trusting one of our kind,” I said in a low deep voice. “There were no snakes in your room this evening. Nothing bit you.” Taking her arm, I pushed down the sleeve of her shirt. “See?” A glance at her wrists made me shut up though. “What happened to you?” I hadn’t noticed the pale scars crisscrossing her skin before but as a floating orb passed over us, I clearly saw the marks that had been carved there by a blade.
She pulled back her hand immediately and tugged down the sleeve.
“Who did that to you?” I asked, feeling my anger rise.
“No one,” she said in a low, barely audible voice.
I grabbed her upper arm and pulled her close to me so she was forced to look up at me. “Tell me who hurt you,” I commanded.
“I did this to myself.”
My hold on her slackened.
“Are you saying it was just a dream?” Moira’s voice broke the silence that had fallen over us.
I wanted to ask her why she would hurt herself this way but knew she wasn’t willing to talk about it. Commanding her when she was already so mentally fragile would weaken her further. I swallowed my questions for the time being and focused on her. “Someone cast an illusion when you were sleeping. It was easy to attack you when all your mental shields were down.”
She clutched at her hair. “How do I stop them from doing this to me?” she asked in a tear-filled voice. “They will keep coming after me until they drive me mad.”
“I will help you,” I said despite myself.
She looked up at me. “You will?”
I gave a nod. “I will teach you how to close your mind against such attacks. You must practice this every day to keep yourself safe. Do you understand? I won’t always be around to save you.”
Disappointment flashed through her face at my last words. Did she really want me around her? Other than status and wealth, people never saw much in me. Somehow, Moira didn’t strike me as a person who was running after such a mundane thing. If I were in her shoes, my whole focus would be on trying to get accustomed to my new home. Still, it made my heart lighter to know she was depending on me.
“Your magic is as strong as your imagination,” I told her. “The more vividly you can see something in your mind’s eye, the stronger your intention and will, the mo
re focused the outcome.”
She nodded with a grim expression.
“I want you to think of yourself standing behind a shield or a wall,” I continued. “Focus your intent on making it as strong as possible. No matter the force of the attack, it can never break, keeping you protected at all times.” Moira had closed her eyes by now. I gave her a few minutes to calm her mind. “Are you seeing the wall?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“I am going to attack you,” I said. “Be prepared.”
She gave a nod, tightly shutting her eyes as she concentrated.
I reached out toward her mind and gently brushed against her consciousness. To my surprise, I felt the hard edges of a barrier, blocking my way.
“You’re doing really good,” I said. “You stalled me.”
Moira’s eyes opened at once. “I really did that?” she asked with an excited smile. It made a striking difference in her beauty. She seemed to be shining from the inside out.
I had to clear my throat in an attempt to hide my momentary daze. “Yes. Did you feel me trying to break through?”
“Yeah, but it wasn’t too forceful.”
“You need to replenish your strength,” I said, feeling pride swelling in my chest. It had taken me months to be able to block a light attack like the one I’d just performed on her. Moira had been able to keep me out with the simplest instruction. I’d definitely misjudged her capabilities.
“Do you think I can keep out stronger attacks if I keep practicing?” she asked, looking desperate again.
“That’s all you do. Keep practicing and you will stay safe from all mental attacks.”
She smiled again, taking my breath away. I swallowed, struggling to keep a rein on the emotions she was stirring up. The animal inside me wanted to scoop her up and hide her away somewhere no one could lay eyes on her or touch her.
“Thank you,” she said, looking up at me. Her cheeks were tinged a light pink, reminding me of blushing plum blossoms in the spring.
“Stay here for the night,” I said instead of telling her she was welcome to my aid any time. “Lady Chantal and Demitria are at the dorm building, managing the damage you created.” Putting on a grim expression, I met her eyes. “Be careful about calling out your powers. You will not be pardoned if you end up taking innocent fae lives.”
