by A C Wilds
As the King is busying himself by the mini bar, I take a look around. At first glance, it looks like a regular office. There is a massive desk with a chair in front of a big bay window. Bookshelves line the walls, and there is a fireplace in the corner of the room. A comfortable looking loveseat and two chairs sit perpendicular to it. It looks cozy and inviting. Upon closer inspection, you can see the luxury all around in here. The wooden desk is mahogany and looks hand carved. There is a brand new Mac on the desk and an expensive looking sculpture of the Archangel Michael sitting on the window sill. Egotistical much?
“Alright, we are all here. Now, let’s talk about why I have been kidnapped and what the hell is going on?” I demand to the room. I am truly sick of all of this secrecy. I want control of my life back. I don’t want to be here anymore as a prisoner. I am intrigued about my newfound powers, and I know I need to learn how to control them, but not in this place under these circumstances. As much as I love having found Red, and Cass is growing on me, I want to go home to my life. I want to forget I ever met these people.
“Right to the point I see,” the King says. “Very well, you need to do a task first, and then I will explain with a little tale. One that started a millennia ago, and still hasn’t ended.” He gestures toward the couch. I take a seat in a chair. No way am I being caught sitting on a loveseat with either of these men.
He goes over to a hidden closet in his office. He seems to press his palm to the wood, and a white light emits from his hand. The door pops open, and he grabs something from inside. It is wrapped in an intricately embroidered linen cloth, so I can’t tell what it is right away.
“Stand, Azra,” he commands me. I raise from my seat begrudgingly, and stand before him. It ticks me off to do what he says, but I need to know why I am here.
He unwraps the cloth revealing a beautiful sword. It is long and incredibly shiny. The hilt is golden and has a large diamond at the end. It glitters in the lamp light, and my eyes go wide with the sight of it.
“What is that?” I ask, mesmerized. It is so exquisite.
“This is the Changer sword. Only a true Changer can wield it. I want you to grasp the hilt, and we shall see if you really are the one who is capable of Changing the fate of the world,” he tells me, holding out the sword. I notice he isn’t holding it with his bear hands. He has a thick leather cloth wrapped around it. It looks ancient and worn. I wonder how old it is.
Before I can put too much thought into, I grab the hilt of the sword. A zing of electricity and energy jolt from the sword up my arm, and into my chest. I feel a blast of power at my core. My back arches as the power runs all through my body. I feel like I am one big ball of current. My hair is floating around my face, and I see my eyes in the mirror. They have bolts of lightning floating in my grey stormy irises.
The hilt of the sword begins to glow, and the diamond turns a beautiful purple color. It shines so bright, that both men shield their eyes. I don’t have to. My gaze is stuck on the stone, and I am drawn into someone else’s memories. I am standing on a battleground. There are thousands of Fae spread all around me dead on the ground. A man stands on a hill looking down upon the massacre. He is in armor, holding a sword in his grasp. There is a sinister smile on his face; he is reveling in the carnage. It sends a chill down my spine, and in this moment I know it is a younger version of Michael. This is the battle that gave the Light its control.
Looking down at the sword, I see the blood bathing it. I realize that the last Changer has caused all this death, and I am seeing this scene through her eyes. She is the reason the Fae lay at her feet. They made this war together, and she is happy about it. A wave of fear hits me as I am brought back to the present.
“That settles it,” Michael says, with glee in his eyes. “You are the new Changer. This is wonderful news.”
“What the fuck did I just see?” I question him. I think I am going to be sick.
“You know what you saw...victory,” he tells me, as he snaches the sword from my hand, careful not to touch it. “Have a seat, I want to tell you a story.”
I sit, because I am so stunned that I don’t know what to do. I look over at Cass and see that he is pale in the face. I don’t think he wanted me to actually be the Changer. There is so much I still don’t know, but I know this definitely changes everything.
Michael has as seat across from me, and begins his tale. “At the beginning of time, the gods of old decided to create balance. For the universe to thrive, there must be light where there is darkness and vice versa. However, at certain times throughout all of history, the controlling power can shift from either Light or Dark. We are currently in a Light period. We have been for more than 2,000 years. The last Changer was able to tip the power our way, thus giving us control over Earth and allowing us the ruling hand here. The Dark court is stuck in the Faerie realm awaiting the next Changer to see how she will tip the power. The ruling court on Earth also controls the portals to and from the Faerie. Since I am that ruling power, I control all the portals. Your role as the Changer is just as it sounds. You can change the course of Earth. You can change it from Light to Dark.”
“What does that mean though? To change it from Light to Dark? How would I even do that?” I ask. His story makes sense, but I feel like he is leaving out so much. This is a lot of power for one person...err... one Fae to have. It must make this guy nervous.
“For you, it means nothing. Even though you are the Changer, you will not be doing anything with your newfound powers. The Dark do not know we have you, and therefore will never know that they could have had the opportunity to be in control. You see, Azra; you are mine. There will be no war, and there will be no choice. You are completely at my will, and I choose to use you however I see fit,” he says with an evil sort of glee. How anyone can believe that he is an angel is beyond me. He’s more like the Devil incarnate. His cruelness and greed are showing through. I know at this moment that I have to make every effort to get the fuck away from this palace and everybody in it. If I don’t, I will be stuck here forever.
“Has anyone ever said how fucking insane you are? First, you kidnap me, and now you're talking about me like I am one of your prized studs. Let me go, and I will return to my old life none the wiser. You can keep everything as is. I don’t consider you my people, nor do I wish to help either side, Dark or Light, gain power. I was perfectly happy being ignorant to this whole situation,” I plead.
“I can’t do that. Your powers are starting to awaken, and we need to keep an eye on them. Your only option is to cooperate. If you do, life will be easy. You can have a normal, but privileged existence here. If you don’t, well, let’s say things will get very unpleasant.”
I can’t help but stare at him. This situation I’m in is so surreal. One minute I am a depressed twenty-four year old leading a perfectly human existence, and the next I am caught up in a fantasy world where Fae and angels are real. I look to Cass, but he is just standing there staring into nothing. I can’t tell whether he knew about this beforehand, or if it’s all new to him. Was he sent to me so that I would be more compliant? Was he aware that his father was this evil?
“You may both leave now. Just know, Azra, that I will be keeping a close watch on you. I have eyes and ears everywhere in this palace. One stupid move, and your life get so much more unpleasant. I hear you left a friend back in Hellebore. I wonder how she would fare under the scrutiny of my guards? I bet Bastille would love to play with a beautiful woman such as her,” the king says, with malice dripping from his words like thick molasses.
“If you touch one hair on her head, I will end you,” I say to him, through gritted teeth.
He laughs at me. “Do you know why we have changelings, Azra?” he asks me. “No? Well, let me enlighten you. To power up the portals and use the protection magic you see all around you, a sacrifice is required. It is one I am not willing to make with my people, so I use changelings instead. The younger they are, the more magic they produce. Even though Noli
is an adult, she does have a lot of witchy powers.” His face is a mask of pure evil. This is not a man or Fae; this is a creature so twisted he needs to be put down. I’m convinced he crawled up out of the putrid bowels of Hell to ascend his throne. At this moment, I know. He needs to die.
I feel myself turn white. I would never want to get Noli mixed up in any of this. He has me exactly how he wants me: in fear and worried for my friend. I feel utterly powerless at this moment. I feel the heat coming up in my hands and the burning sensation in my neck. My powers want out, and they want to hurt this man. Before they are unleashed though, I feel the dampening and cooling sensation of them being put out like a flame doused in water. I see Cass looking at me with a “not now” face. I hope against all hope that he isn’t in on it. I want him so badly to redeem himself and prove that he is better than his father. I turn to leave the room, but before I get to the door, the King says one more thing.
“I almost forgot the best part about this meeting. I want the two of you to become better acquainted in this coming week. At the Solstice ball, I will be announcing your betrothal,” says the King, as if he didn’t just hammer the last nail into my coffin.
At this last statement, Cass’s eyes bug out of his head, and he starts to object. “Father, I don’t understand.” I guess he wasn’t privy to this information beforehand.
The King glares at him with a disappointed face and replies, “Cassiel, you don’t need to understand, you simply need to do as you are commanded by your King.” It looks like he is about to say something else, but then a look of defeat comes over him, and he turns and leaves the room. I take one last look at that dickhead of a King and storm right out after Cass. How the fuck am I going to get out of all this?
Chapter 12
Stolen Life
Cassiel
I can’t believe him. Betrothing me to the Changer. I know what he is thinking and the advantages that this union could bring, but he didn’t even include me in his plan. She is gorgeous, in fact, one of the most stunning creatures I have seen in my life. And her fiery personality, it does things to my insides that I didn’t think were possible. She has awakened me.
I thought the relationship between my father, and I was improving. I figured since he announced me as heir to the throne, that we were in this together. I guess I was wrong. I truly thought that he would help prepare me for my future rule and one day pass his throne to me. I hoped to be a fair and just ruler, without all of the cruelty and prejudice that my father embodies. I now see that he will never willingly give up his power. What should I expect from a father who is far more Fae than a loving parent? He thinks only about his power, leaving the rest of us behind. His cruelty has corrupted my mother. She has given so much of herself to him, that she doesn’t even have an identity anymore. Being together for millennia has left her broken. I saw the way she looked at Azra tonight. It’s not good. Once he announces this union publicly, I am going to have to watch out for her. When my mother gets like this, she is even worse than my father.
Daniel is another matter. He has taken an interest in Azra. I can see the challenge in his eyes. He wants her just as badly as I do. He has always been the laid back one. He makes his own rules, and because he is my mother’s favorite, he gets away with everything. I am jealous of his freedom, and his ability to do what he wants. I know he is a playboy and has slept with most of the women in the palace, including the humans, which is extremely frowned upon. He is a spoiled fucking brat.
Ever since I was announced as heir, it has gotten worse. Our tangled and complicated relationship has gotten even more estranged. He is envious of my promotion, so to speak, and has made it very clear that he would do anything to take it away from me. I worry everyday that he will turn this threat into a reality. If I could give the heirship to him, I would, but it is forbidden to back down. I don’t even want to think of the repercussions. The King may be my father, but he is a ruler first.
“Cass, wait up!” Azra yells from behind me. It brings me out of my self-loathing thoughts. She is beautiful, there is no denying that, but I can tell she won’t make a good Fae Queen Consort. She has too much of a heart, and the Fae in the Light would never respect her. She is too human.
“I don’t want to talk about it. I didn’t know he was going to do it. I didn’t know about anything that he threw at us in there, so save your self-righteous behavior for someone else,” I snap. She looks at me like I just slapped her. I didn’t think anyone could get under this girl’s skin. She acts so tough, as if nothing bothers her.
“You are the asshole I thought you were. For one brief second, I hoped we could work together on this, but I guess I was wrong,” she sneers, and then begins to walk away. I grab her arm. She looks down at my hold and then up to my face.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. My father and I have a tumultuous relationship, and him keeping things like this from me has just shown that he isn’t ever going to change. You and I are in this together, and you are right. We need to work with one another to survive. This union is going to put a major target on your back. Even though my father is all controlling, there are people at court who would love to see him fail. It seems like we are stuck together until I can figure a way out of this.”
“So, you didn’t know? This morning wasn’t an act so you could butter me up for tonight? I thought you…I thought you were doing your duty.”
I sigh. I can’t believe this is happening. I was fine alone. I prefer it. I have lived a long time, and the one thing I am good at is pushing people away. Storm is my only friend, and he’s a horse. That should show my comfort level when talking about feelings. “Yes, and no,” I say, because I don’t want to start whatever this is between us in a lie. “I was told to look after you, but what happened today was all me. For some reason when we talked this morning, it struck a nerve with me. I know that I can be arrogant and a bit of a jerk, but no one has ever called me out on it before. I appreciate your honesty. Of course, I don’t think you are right about half the things you are saying, but still, it was nice to converse with someone different.”
“I knew you couldn’t keep the jerk hidden long,” she teases. She has a small smile on her face. It seems she doesn’t want me to think she likes me.
“Let me walk you back to your room. I wouldn’t feel right leaving you to walk alone. Then, I am going find out some more information on what our betrothal means. We haven’t had a Royal wedding for a very long time. I know some are for love, and others for power, but you are the Changer. With your title comes certain, I guess you could say perks, and it might mean something different. What my father doesn’t realize is that you haven’t come into all of your powers yet. Even though he fought alongside the other Changer, each is born with their special abilities. We know two of yours so far, but others could be forming. It could be what we need to shift the balance back into our hands.”
“There is a lot of “we” talk in this scenario, Cass. Since you appreciated my honesty before, allow me to offer some more now. I can’t be part of what you have here. If I am to be the Changer for the Fae race, I cannot agree to allow such treatment of other beings. From what I have seen in this court in the two days I have been here, is that you value only the lives of the people who you think matter. I think you have the potential to be a good friend, maybe even an ally, but I could never give myself to someone like you.”
Her words hurt. I don’t understand why, but they do. I have never agreed with the use of humans as slaves. I have always thought that everyone should have equal rights, but who am I to challenge thousands of years of traditions and rules? Sure, I am a prince, but only in title. I don’t make the laws or help govern the people. I need her to understand this. That I could change, for the right reasons I could change.
“Azra…I, well, I think you should know,” I start, before we are interrupted by Logan, who is frantically searching for something. When he spots us, a look of relief comes over him.
&nbs
p; “Az! I’ve been looking all over for you! It’s Red. He is freaking out. I don’t know what’s gotten into him. Greyson was trying to bring him in for the night, but he wouldn’t move. He tried to bite him and has been running away from whoever tries to get him. Greyson said to come to get you since he’s your horse now,” he says, a little out of breath. He must have been searching for a while.
“Sure, Wolvie. Let me just get changed, and we will get him tucked in,” she says, as they begin to walk down the hall together. She has left our conversation behind her and is now moving on. I should have said something better. Made her feel like I am genuinely in this with her. That I do agree with her! A look of frustration comes over my face, and when I glance in her direction, I see her studying me.
“Can we talk more about our situation tomorrow? I want to be able to organize my thoughts better,” I plead with her. I have never wanted someone to say yes so badly before.
“Sure. I think Wolvie here can walk me to and from the barn tonight. Right?” she says, looking over at Logan.
“Of course! What kind of page would you think I am if I couldn’t?” he says, with a bit of a smirk and a puffed-up chest. It seems like I am not the only one affected by Azra’s charms.
“I will leave you to it then. Goodnight, Azra. Sleep well,” I say, with a tip of my head in a mini bow. I want her to know that I am going to be taking her seriously from now on.
“Goodnight, Cass,” she says, as her lips purse together. She wants to say more, but Logan is here, and she is thinking about Red right now. With a final nod, she turns and walks away from me. Gods, I hope I can fix this.
Chapter 13
Fucking Red
Azra
Logan leads me down to the stables through the kitchens. He is fast on his feet, and I speed up to keep pace with him. After getting changed in my room, I am in a pair of soft pants and a loose top. I have a sweater over it to keep off the chill of the night air. We run out into the gardens and down the path to the barns. I notice that there is a lot of activity still going on. The guests must be all leaving now, as I notice some of the Fae that were in attendance at dinner walking nearby. There is more of a commotion the closer we get to the stables. I can hear yelling and screaming from others, but I am not sure why.
