“I know,” she said, smiling back. “Now, go on and get your mates back. Just please be careful. Okay?”
“Sure,” I said. But I wasn’t going to be careful. I was going to burn the whole place down.
With the borders now open, I was able to shift straight to the Winter Court within moments. I didn’t know exactly where I was going, since I’d only ever visited a mountaintop with Kael, so I had to shift around a bit before I landed on the right spot I’d picked out on the map: the Winter Court’s castle.
Snow fell heavily from a cloud-studded sky, casting the entire looming castle in a white mist. It sat on the side of a steep mountain with jagged rocks overlooking a snowy canyon below. As for the castle itself, it was taller and wider than all of the other Court’s castles combined. Each corner rose into a sharp peak, towering high over the trees that were weighed down by everlasting snow.
In any other circumstance, I would yearn to stop and rake my eyes across the Winter beauty. It was such the opposite of Summer, and yet just as breathtaking. My breath puffed out as a cloud before my face. It was cold here. Bitterly cold, but the bite on my cheeks made me feel alive.
Inside this castle, I was certain I would find Queen Viola. She’d come here last for a reason. The magic she wished to cast relied on the ice here in Winter. She would need to stay here until she’d completed the transfer of power. I just had to hope I could stop her before then.
I took two steps toward the castle, my feet sinking into the snowy ground.
“There she is,” came a voice from behind me.
I whirled, hand clutching the stone I’d hidden deep within my cloak. The shadow spell kept me hidden, and yet—
“Footsteps,” Alastar said to the Summer fae beside him, pointing at the indentations in the snow. He was bundled up in at least three different cloaks. Summers were never good at handling the colder weather.
Shit. I took a step back, but that wasn’t about to help the situation in the least. Anywhere I turned, snow packed the ground. I’d never be able to lose them, not when they could track me like this.
“No need trying to hide, changeling,” Alastar said. “And it will be better for everyone if you just come with us.”
I dropped the shadows. There was no point in clinging onto them if the fae knew where I stood.
“Where are my mates?” I asked in a steely voice.
Alastar snorted, and the Summer beside him barked out a laugh. “You can’t be serious. You’re calling them your mates now? Queen Viola isn’t going to stand for that.”
“Where are they?” I curled my hands tight into fists. “What have you done with my mates?”
“Queen Viola has them,” Alastar said. “And you know what? I bet she’ll even let you see them, as long as you come with us.”
Despite every desire to slam my fist into Alastar’s face, I gave up my sword and my daggers and my stone, and I let him twist my hands around my back. His Summer friend tied my wrists together with rough rope, and they pushed me along the snow until we reached the entrance to the Winter Court’s throne room.
The enormous room was packed with fae, a sight that made my heart drop into the pit of my stomach. The Summer Hunters were all gathered. Many of the Autumn fae had come along as well. There was a scattering of Winter fae, but only a handful. And there, by the throne, my four male instructors. Their wrists and ankles were trapped in thick steel, and a chain led from each of them to the throne.
Queen Viola stood from the seat, her eyes glittering under the flickering sconces that lined each wall. “Ah, there she is. I was beginning to think you might not come.”
I lifted my chin as Alastar pushed me forward. My feet tripped underneath me, but I showed no sign of my struggle. Instead, I kept my gaze locked on her cruel face, letting my eyes show the depths of my rage.
When we reached the front of the room, Alastar pushed me forward until I stood before the Queen on my own. I could feel the eyes of every fae in the room, including my instructors. I didn’t dare look at them. I didn’t dare search for the emotions in their eyes. I was terrified that if I did, I might not be able to keep myself calm.
“Well then.” Viola smiled. “I suppose you’re wondering why you’re here.”
“Not really,” I snapped. “Seems pretty clear to me. You know I’m a Greater Fae and that I threaten your undeserving claim to the throne.”
“My undeserving claim?” She let out a chilly laugh and stood, throwing back her shoulders so that she could tower over me. “Out of all the fae in this realm, I am the most deserving. I ended Marin’s terrible reign. I led the Autumn fae back to times of strength. All this time, I’ve waited. I’ve been patient. I learned to bide my time. And now, my time has come, thanks to you.”
“You sound absolutely delusional,” I said, my words dripping with derision.
She narrowed her eyes and hissed. “No, Marin was delusional for thinking she could keep her control over this realm even after her death, though I should have known she’d go to great lengths to do so.”
Huh? Furrowing my eyebrows, I risked a glance at Rourke. His expression was solemn and hollow and completely unsurprised. In fact, all four of them were listening with a strange detachment, almost as though they knew exactly what the Queen meant, almost as though she’d spoken this all before.
“Look, I’m not here to play games. I’m here for my mates,” I said. “I know I’m the one you really want. Well, I’m here now. Let them go.”
She dropped back her head and laughed. “I don’t know how she did it. I truly don’t. She must have had others in on it, but I couldn’t begin to imagine who. Magnus, no doubt. He would have kept records of it, too, even if she didn’t want him to. I always thought it was curious how he died the same week of Marin’s death.”
What the hell was she on about? Magnus and his records that got lost in the fire?
“Of course, her mates would have been in on it.” She shook her head and chuckled to herself. “But they died with her.”
I couldn’t stand it anymore. Her words were like a puzzle I couldn’t solve, and despite my best intentions, she was starting to get underneath my skin. I wanted to understand what the hell she was talking about. No, I needed to understand.
“Can you just get to the point already?” I snapped. “What are you talking about? Who pulled off what? And what the hell does it have to do with me?”
Queen Viola took two steps closer, peering down at me with curiosity, like the way an alien might look at human forms. “That’s interesting. I thought Marin would have had some kind of plan in place to make certain you were informed.”
“Informed about what?” I almost screamed the words.
“You’re the living heir of Queen Marin, Norah Oliver.” Her lips spread wide. “And that is why I can never allow you to survive.”
Chapter Eighteen
I stared at Queen Viola. Her lips were twisted into a wicked smile, and the entire room had fallen into brutal silence. Her words echoed in my ears, and my addled brain tried to make sense of them. The living heir of Marin. My mouth went dry as my heartbeat thrummed in my neck. Queen Viola had lost her mind. She thought I was Marin’s daughter. It was the craziest thing I’d ever heard.
“But Marin didn’t have any children,” I said, my voice wobbling.
“Yes, that is what everyone thinks,” Viola said as she began to pace back and forth before me. “However, Queen Marin was always a tricky little thing. Everyone thought she was kind and generous, but she was more than met the eye. She could be devious, when she wanted to be.”
“But—”
“I don’t know how she hid it, but she did. I’ve long suspected something of the sort.” She sneered as she glared down at me. “You see, I made a mistake the first time around. The Dark Fae said they required a sacrifice to release the power of the realm into my hands. When I killed Marin, I thought that was what they meant, but I was wrong. They never wanted me to kill her. They wanted me to give her to them. They wante
d a Greater Fae to be sacrificed to Underworld.”
My heartbeat roared in my ears, and I tried to take a step back, only to slam right into one of the Hunters behind me. He grunted and shoved me forward again, knocking me onto the ground. My knees slammed hard on the marble floor, and my teeth knocked into my skull.
“The Dark Fae,” she continued, “said the time would come again. Another chance at the crown. Another chance at the realm. For the longest time, I didn’t understand what they meant. Marin and the other Greater Fae were gone forever. Until you came along. You with your infuriating powers and those eyes that look so much like hers. So, you see, my time has come again to claim the crown and to take back control from the Dark Fae. One ruler, one realm. No more changelings or tithes or Redcaps. The realm will be mine.”
Swallowing hard, I glanced at Rourke, Liam, Kael, and Finn. They all wore the same expression. One of defeat. Just behind them, Alwyn stood chained to the wall. Only she looked defiant, her golden eyes flickering with hate as she stared at the Queen. She must have sensed my gaze because she twisted her head to face me. Something strange passed between us then. A kind of understanding. And that was when it hit me. Alwyn…she had known.
All this time, she’d been protecting me. She’d been keeping Marin’s secret: me.
I was the daughter of a Queen, but not just any Queen: the Queen.
And yet, here I was. Trapped and confused and lost. Viola had won. She had led me here, as easily as a dog after a juicy bone. She’d outsmarted me. She’d outmatched me. She was going to destroy those crowns, take the realm, and send me to the land of the Dark Fae. I’d never again get to see the gorgeous skies of Otherworld. I’d never again get to walk the halls of the Academy. And I’d never again get to embrace Liam or Kael, or Rourke or Finn. They’d be gone from my life forever.
Viola snapped her fingers at her guards, and Alastar dragged me over to the far corner and shoved me back onto the ground. I glared up at him, tearing at the bonds that held my wrists in place.
“Good. Keep an eye on her, Alastar. Once the ceremony is over, the Dark Fae will come for her.” Her teeth glistened when she smiled. “She will be taking a one-way trip to Underworld, and the realm will finally be mine.”
Sorrow opened like a chasm in my gut. There was nothing I could do. No way to stop her. Even if I used all the powers within me, I couldn’t change anything, not with my wrists trapped behind my back. And even then, I had no idea how I could ever win against her.
“Oh, there’s just one more thing I need to share with the changeling before I get started on destroying the crowns.” She snapped her fingers, and one of her guards lifted Finn from the floor and dragged him over to the Queen’s feet. Another snap, and another drag. This time, they moved Kael over, followed by Rourke and Liam, though Liam put up a hell of a fight along the way, his limbs twisting and kicking.
“Leave them alone, Viola,” I said in a voice that came out much calmer and cooler than the emotions I felt inside my heart. “You’ve got me. I’m going to Underworld, and you’re going to get your realm. There’s no need to involve them anymore.”
“Oh, but there you are wrong. You see, a Greater Fae is not a Queen without her harem. To truly become the ruler of this realm, I need four mates, one from each Court. Lucky for me, you’ve put one together. I’ll be taking them as mine.”
Chapter Nineteen
Queen Viola’s grin looked maniacal as she twisted and turned the crowns in her hands. She now had everything she needed to harness the powers of all four Courts. She had a Greater Fae to sacrifice to Underworld, and she had four mates. There was nothing in the world that could stop her now.
Nothing but me.
Because, you see, Queen Viola had made a fatal error. She’d gone after not only me but the most important males in my life. She’d taunted me, thinking it was a great game, when really she had only strengthened the resolve in my spine. She had stolen my mates from me, and the anger I felt boiling in my stomach was enough to burn the entire place down.
I watched her through narrowed eyes as she played with her little trinkets. She might have the crowns, but she’d never have the realm, because I was going to stop her if it was the last thing I ever did.
She’d underestimated me, just like everyone else. I was Marin’s daughter. I had her blood running through my veins, and her power sang in my mind. All this time I hadn’t thought I was enough, and I’d encountered doubter after doubter along the way. But no more.
My stone was gone. So was my sword and my daggers and everything else that belonged to me. But I was going to show Queen Viola and everyone else that I wasn’t backing down without a fight. I, alone, was enough.
My eyes zeroed in on the shadows that plagued the hall. With winter came darkness, and the sun had set hours ago. Firelight flickered in the throne room, and the orange flames only highlighted the varying shades of gray. I called to that darkness and pulled the shadows away from the corners, away from the walls, and away from the hidden places. With a smile, I closed my eyes and pushed the shadows onto my mates.
For a moment, no one noticed, which was a good sign. I didn’t want anyone to realize what I’d done just yet. But slowly, voices began to murmur throughout the throne room, and the Queen glanced up from her crowns. She frowned at where my mates had just been, clustered together to the right of the throne.
And then she glanced at me, frowning. I merely gave her the sweetest smile I could muster.
“What have you done?” she demanded. “What did you do to them?”
I lifted my shoulder in a shrug. “How could I have done anything? I’m over here chained up in the corner. I’m just as confused as you are.”
Irritation rippled across her face, and then realization dawned. “Somehow, the changeling has shadowed them. Go find them. They’ll be over there somewhere.”
Three of her Hunters strode over to the right side of her throne where my mates were chained. I watched, eyebrows furrowed as the Hunters grew closer and closer. I hoped one of my mates would understand what I’d done and what I wanted them to do next.
When the Hunters got near the hidden group of males, chaos exploded. Hunters were knocked sideways, and their faces crunched as invisible fists slammed into their cheeks. I twisted my lips into a smile and narrowed my eyes, letting my volatile power build within me.
Queen Viola jumped to her feet, shouting at her Hunters as they failed to take down my mates. My hands curled into fists, and I yanked hard against the rope keeping my wrists tight together. But it was no match for me. It exploded from my skin, melting into nothing but charred remains on the floor.
Alastar saw and whirled toward me. I snatched a dagger from the nearest guard and ducked beneath Alastar’s first blow. I jumped up and danced back, flipping the dagger from one hand to the next. The fae male narrowed his eyes and swung again, but the furious power singing in my veins made my movements faster, stronger, smoother.
I gripped the dagger tight in my hand and threw. It soared across the room, straight at Alastar’s head. His eyes widened a split second too late, and then the blade sunk into his face.
He fell with a crash.
When I spun to face the Queen, she was waiting. She held a long curved blade in her hands, swinging it from left to right. The weapon whistled as it soared through the air, a warning sign to come no nearer. I knelt down and ripped the dagger from the fallen fae and wiped the blood from the blade. Viola watched my every movement, her eyes calculating what I might do next.
“I appreciate your efforts, but this fighting is no use.” She tsked and shook her head. “You cannot win against me. You’re still so young. Your powers are not fully developed. Besides, you’re completely surrounded. You’re in the middle of a crowd who is against you. Do you truly expect to fight them off all by yourself?”
I raised my voice loud so that it could be heard all the way to the back of the room. “My name is Norah Oliver. I am the daughter of Queen Marin. I am a Greater
Fae, one who possesses the gifts of all four Courts. This Autumn Queen wishes to rule over you all, but she’s bringing chaos to this realm. The turmoil, the deaths, and even those storms. I—”
Before I could finish my little speech, Viola launched herself at me. She moved with furious speed, her blade slashing left and then right, over and over again until I could see nothing but a blur of glinting motion. My dagger was smaller and weaker, and I had to grit my teeth to block blow after blow. With a deep breath, I blocked again. Viola screamed and slashed her sword, the blade coming only inches from my head.
I jumped back two steps and heaved. Stars danced in my eyes. I wasn’t going to be able to beat her like this. I was going to have to win some other way.
“Why are you all just standing there staring?” Viola turned to shout at a random cluster of fae. “Take her down. I’m growing weary of this.”
I braced myself for a dozen rushing fae, but none came. Instead, they merely turned to watch me with curiosity. My eyes widened. Had they actually listened to what I said? Had I been wrong about myself? Could they truly be turning their backs on their vengeful Queen?”
But I’d grown distracted, a fact that Viola herself hadn’t missed. She slammed the flat of her blade against the back of my head, and a loud boom rang through my skull. The whole world went pitch black for five agonizing seconds. I couldn’t see. I couldn’t hear. I couldn’t even think.
When the world rushed back in around me again, everything seemed black and white. My knees hit the ground, and my palms grasped at the marble floor. Viola had started laughing, swinging her sword from side to side. I blinked and shook my head, trying to shake out the stars in my eyes, but all that did was cause another wave of dizziness to crash through my skull.
“So pathetic.” She spat. “So weak. You know what I think? I think Marin sent you into the human realm, not to keep you safe, but to keep you out of Otherworld. You’re not good enough for this place. You don’t belong here.”
A Song of Shadows Page 16
