Door in the Garden of Shadows

by April Canavan

  “Let’s do this together, like when we were girls.” The smile on her face was blinding, causing her hair to shine golden and her eyes to glow with the blue that tinged them. Jessica was enchanting, the power of their home filling her bones with every passing second. Suddenly she felt like she shouldn’t travel to fae land. She felt short and fat, and human. Her hair was too plain, her clothes too drab. She could not go home; they would laugh at her.

  “No one will disrespect you, not today. They know how much you have sacrificed for your people.”

  The curse. It was always going to come back to the curse. Mykah could remember every detail surrounding how it happened. So much pain that day and she had merely wanted it to end, only trying to use her power to help those that she cared about. Nature did not see it that way.

  The fae children were raised to believe that death and war are a natural part of the cycle of life. For new life to exist, there needs to be death. War and battle scar their people, marring them but it means new life and power for nature. The land forever craves the release of energy, feeding the natural world and enabling humans to continue to exist. A long time ago, it started to demand more than they could possibly provide. Battle was expensive and costly in more than just financial ways. Their numbers had been dwindling, her father going to broker peace with the elder tree.

  When he didn’t return, Mykah and Jessica had gone after him. They found him engaged in battle with the sprites themselves. Nature’s spokesmen were going to kill their father and use his power to sustain them and feed the land. Fearing that the earth itself was growing too powerful and was hurting the people it was meant to protect, she had woken the magic in her blood.

  She remembered grabbing her knife and slitting her wrist quickly. The blood and magic left her body, and she willed it to disable the sprites, she wanted to keep her people safe and protect her father. Instead, the sprites killed him before the magic poured over them, a tidal wave of emotion and hate as she watched her father fall. Those terrible little sprites were no match for the blood magic from the dark fae princess. Neither was the elder tree grove. She decimated the entire thing before Jessica was able to contain the magic.

  Scared, her older sister had called upon every element to try and bind her. Blood magic was rare to see, and even more rare to encounter in the throes of grief. She was near unstoppable, but Jessica called on the very soul of the natural world to calm her sister. In the end, her father lay dead and she had to answer for the destruction of the very source of their magic, an ancient grove of trees that they worshipped.

  She was not accountable to any fae court or any of the other courts that were responsible for maintaining peace in the realms. She was to be judged by the mother of all for her crimes. She did not hide what she had done, did not offer an explanation for her actions, and did not ask for mercy. She wanted whatever punishment the mother saw fit. The highest mother had demanded retribution. Her immortal soul would be cursed and drained of its essence until the debt had been paid. She had to show remorse for the destruction of the grove, of the very spirits that had devoted their existence to the fae. She had to show remorse for taking revenge on the monsters that had killed her father and that had grown more demanding in the power they received. She would never allow herself those feelings, and so she would become human. Doomed to live and die, her body would become the soil in which a new grove would bloom. She would ensure the survival of the fae gods through her death, and only then would the debt be paid.

  Jessica, however, was determined to find an alternative. She was determined to find a way to restore her magic and to unlock the puzzle that contained the curse. She was convinced that there was some sort of magic that they could use to break the curse, and Winter did have the most extensive collection of magical tomes. She was also the only one who might have an answer.

  They walked into the mound, literally. It was corporeal only to humans, and once they were inside the mound, they were displaced and found themselves on the grounds of the Malice Court. That was the other problem. They weren’t good fae, by nature. They fed off the evil intentions of those around them. The land thrived on blood and war, dissent amongst the ranks because that is what fed their royalty. It was another reason she was going to become human. Maybe then, she could feel real love before her death. Love without a hint of despair, or loneliness. Just once.

  It was beautiful, their home. Green everywhere with bushes and plants growing wildly, maintained by the lower fae to remain under control. Ivy covered the granite walls of their castle, long ago reaching the top. If one were to prick their finger on the thorns of the rose bushes, they would remain in a stupor until they died, feeding the hunger of the keep. Many young children had been killed before they had been banned from the outer courtyards. Their entire realm had mourned those losses. Fae children were rare, and to have even one die a useless death could bring about the downfall of their people.

  She walked through the halls, with Jessica at her side. No other soul was found. Strange, they would all know she was returning with their queen. Yet no one came to stare or to blatantly disrespect her, it was one of her greatest fears about returning to their home. They paused outside the great hall, Jessica herself opening the doors.

  “Don’t worry, little goddess. This is your moment.” Her voice a whisper, it wouldn’t have mattered for the hall was entirely still.

  Hundreds of fae, royalty and lesser castes alike stood in silence. Jessica walked through the doors first, and every single one of them bowed to their queen. She moved to follow her sister but was held back by a guard who materialized at her side.

  “Please wait, Your Majesty.” The lesser fae had horns and pointed teeth accentuating his gray skin. “Your sister has requested to complete her entrance so that you understand.”

  “But I don’t understand, any of this.” She was utterly perplexed by what was happening. Yet, she watched her sister ascend her throne, and the crowd rose. She watched her sister’s eyes, which were so sweet and loving toward her, turn cold and calculating as she addressed her subjects. After a long minute, she rose to her feet, nodding to the back of the room. Every face turned to hers, and she felt herself start to shake with the oncoming ridicule.

  Her sister’s voice rang through the halls, “I have the very distinct honor in presenting the savior of the fae; both the Concord and Malice Courts alike. She has not only sacrificed herself to ensure the continued existence of our gods, but she is the only known practitioner of blood magic. She is your princess, my heir, and she is the hero of all fae kind. Mykah, take your rightful place at my side.”

  Silence. Mykah looked around the room and watched as every single person got to their knees and bowed to her. She looked at her sister and saw a twinkle in her eyes. Jessica had planned this in its entirety. As she walked through the room, a throne materialized next to her sisters. Both made of wicker, black and winding; they stood in stark contrast to the granite walls. When she reached her sister, Mykah slid her fingers into her sister’s and silently prayed to the elder tree for strength. Even though it had been gone for years, the prayer was familiar and flowed freely through her heart. They sat before their people, the ceiling above them opened up with a downpour of leaves and various flowers in celebration.

  Tears streamed down her cheeks as she realized that the court itself had welcomed her home. The power had forgiven her when she could not forgive herself. She looked at her wrist, where the puckered white scar remained as a perpetual reminder of the evil that flowed in her veins.

  “No tears, Mykah. Let them see the strength in your blood, in your smile. You are royalty. You are meant for this. Let no one take it from you. We will end the curse. Have faith.” Jessica’s eyes were glowing with the power of her spirit, and as Mykah sat there staring at them, she knew that her sister somehow could control one of the other forbidden magics that existed–spirit.

  They were quite a pair, sisters with the rarest magic flowing through their veins. She had
no room to think of Tyler, of the smell of pine. She had to find a way to save the precious elder tree without the destruction of her immortal soul. The puzzle needed to be solved.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  He was pacing the floor in the throne room. Pissed that they would hide something from him like this. Their home had claimed her, and Winter had said that she wasn’t human. Which meant that Dante was threatening the peace they had with the other supernatural races. He needed to figure out what she was so that they could make amends with whatever court she belonged to.

  Tyler struggled to remember every detail about her. Her eyes were soft amber, with hair that was auburn. It was long but didn’t cover her entire back. Her skin was pale, as though she never spent any time outside. Oh, and she had a few freckles across her nose. He couldn’t remember if she had any defining fae features, and if she were a shifter, then Anna would know who she was. Why hadn’t he asked her name? There was power in a name. So much potential to be had and he couldn’t even bother.

  “You know, even though I didn’t mark her, I know how we will be able to find her, easily.” Anna obviously thought no matter what they would be able to find the girl, but Tyler had a sickening feeling that they were about to enter into a world they had no control over.

  “If the court has claimed her, she has ancient magic in her veins. The magic that we need to account for or we’ll start a war.” The anger in Tyler’s voice was apparent, and he wasn’t just upset about possibly starting a war. She knew the entire time what they were, and she didn’t bother to identify herself. She could claim amnesty and the protection due her as a member of another court. She would have been safe from Dante’s attack at any time. She hadn’t done anything, she just let him hurt her. How weak was she that she couldn’t use magic to defend herself?

  “Oh come on. I touched her while she was in the room with all of us. If she a danger, then we would have recognized it. At least Winter would have, she’s the most powerful witch there is.” Anna spoke with the confidence that only the shifters could have. She was also sitting in front of the thrones cross–legged playing with a kitten like it was the most natural thing in the world.

  “I don’t know; there’s just something about her that I can’t figure out.” Tyler wasn’t ready to admit that she had him fascinated from the moment he picked her up into his arms. “I’m telling you, the court wants power. It needs some sort of power to survive. It shouldn’t want another type of magic–the other races do not have the power it needs. That’s why it keeps draining Sarah. I have to figure this out.” He was frustrated and couldn’t understand why everything kept coming back to her.

  “Don’t bother.” Sarah and Zander walked into the room holding hands as usual. Sarah spoke softly, but there was power in her words. Zander pulled her into his arms and kissed her forehead, before releasing her so that she could manage the court she had taken over since becoming his queen. She had a sense of control over the court that had not been seen since before Jonathon was on the throne. The power she had been given demanded that she be obeyed.

  “What? Why not?” Tyler was more than a little bit irritated with her right now. He needed to figure it out and keep a war from spreading.

  “Because we have more important things to discuss,” Sarah waved him off as though it were no big deal. As though his entire world hadn’t been turned upside down. “The fae queen has returned to court and brought her sister back with her. We need to pledge our allegiance to them, or we’ll threaten to go to war with the Malice Court.”

  Tyler already knew this. It was one of the reasons why he was so determined to find the girl, now. While he had the time.

  Sarah was still talking. “Your job is to act as an emissary by our side. Get ready to go and be prepared to be gone for a while. I think Jessica is planning on throwing a month–long celebration or something like that. Besides, I’ve told you the only reason the court has been draining my power is that of the souls left in the key. They’re trapped, and the court is helping to keep their power from destroying me. Once we find a new home for the key, it won’t be an issue.”

  “God, could she more stuck up? I thought that Winter and Jonathon were handling the fae court?” He didn’t have time for this. He needed to figure out what the hell was going on with the girl, the same one that he thought they should have killed the night before. He still thought they should have, it would have been so much easier.

  “She is the fae queen. She can do whatever she wants, and the court that Jessica has dominion over will allow anything she wants. Remember, it could easily have been a war instead of a party. Thank whatever god you believe in that she isn’t as twisted as some of them. I can’t believe that someone so beautiful rules over such an ugly place, and like I said you’re going with us. It’s not only you. I think it’ll be best if we all put in an appearance. To keep the peace, of course.” She said it with a smirk, and Tyler saw in her eyes that she was still a little bent out of shape over the fact that Zander never told her that he had been sleeping with a fae princess when they first met. He just had to wonder if it was only the fact that Zander had slept with Jessica that had her preparing for their entire inner court to travel to the fae lands.

  “Also–they aren’t all ugly. I quite like how unique some of the lesser fae look. They have spunk.” Sarah loved meeting the lesser fae. Although they had a reputation for being evil, the members of the Malice Court were generally good–hearted. Their power just came from war and unrest. “Plus, you have to go. Jonathon holds no official place in this court, and Winter goes to represent herself and the other witches so she cannot represent us. Besides, she isn’t a vampire.”

  “Well then why me when you just said that you are going, Your Majesty?” Said with a bit of a sneer, Tyler wanted to pick a fight. Warrior blood flowed through his veins. The easiest way for him to get out of here would be to be dismissed, and if he picked a fight with the queen, Zander would toss him out on his ass.

  “We are, but then so are you. After all, who else is going to be a pain in the royal ass of the fae queen for me? We may be on friendly terms, but she still slept with my husband before I did.” Her smile was plain as the day. Before he could interrupt, she decided to sit on her husband’s lap. “Zan, how long has the fae princess been gone? I thought she died or something.”

  “She might as well have. It’s been a long time since she’s been on fae land. I guess it would have been about five or so years ago, so right after everything happened here. There was something wrong with the magic in their land, and when the fae king went to fix the problem, something went wrong. Both of his daughters were there. The younger one, Mykah, she used blood magic and destroyed the power source of the Malice Court. Her father died that night.”

  “Oooh.” She started bouncing on her husband’s lap. Tyler was going to have to leave, but she must have prevented him from doing so with magic because he was rooted in place. “Oh no, you don’t. You stay right there. I remember blood magic from one of the books Winter gave me when we were looking for a way to prevent Jackson’s aging from Mara. Blood and spirit magics were forbidden by the ancients. The fae bloodlines that carried them were extinct. There was something I learned about the power to control the other fae and destroy not only their realm but all of the realms.” Sarah was pleased with herself, and Tyler couldn’t help but roll his eyes towards Anna.

  The shifter had been strangely quiet and didn’t make eye contact with any of them. It had nothing to do with the fact that she was watching her in–laws being gross in public. It was something else. He was going to have to get it out of her after the king and queen finished their rambling. Sarah was continuing to speak, but Tyler barely heard a word. It wasn’t until Zander’s booming laugh that he turned his attention back to the conversation.

  “No, blood magic will not work that way. Stop it, you nympho.” With a playful slap on her thighs, Zander pulled his wife even closer into his arms so that she was sitting across him sideways and h
er legs dangled over the side of the throne.

  Tyler couldn’t help but be jealous of the love between them. He wanted it for himself. He needed to get away from all of the couples in his life. Some alone time would cure him of whatever this sentimentality was. He had spent too much time in court, they didn’t need him here.

  “So after she destroyed the heart of their power,” Zander continued, “the source of all magic sought fit to judge her, and the fae princess was cursed. Something terrible by the sounds of it because she’s been living in the human realm since it happened. I just know that the source brought back their land from the dead, and it almost cost the species their existence, but her magic couldn’t be denied. While it took so much, it also regenerated all of the magic that had been fading, and they haven’t had a problem with it since. She wasn’t banished from their land because of who she is. Her sister forbade it, and since she was going to be the next queen of the Malice Court, her will could not be broken. It didn’t stop the younger princess from leaving.”

  “If it happened so long ago, then why is Jessica only now celebrating her coronation?” Damn these people, for making Tyler want to know everything. They were all a bunch of gossips.

  “Because, you ninny.” Sarah was probably the only person in the world who could get away with calling him any name, let alone a ninny. “They had an uprising. She had to fight through the ranks to prove that her claim to the throne was legitimate. That is how the Malice Court operates. If she hadn’t been strong enough to keep her throne by force, she would never have been given it. She actually accomplished it in a shorter period of time than almost any other king in the past, and she’s only a female.” Sarah rolled her eyes as she said it, and there was more than a little bit of sarcasm in her voice.

  Tyler had to acknowledge that Jessica was a fierce warrior. He would have been honored to fight at her side in the ancient battles. She could handle a blade better than most of the men he had known in his life.