by G. Bailey
He doesn’t take his hand off my wrist and I look up to see him staring at me strangely. There’s a shadow of doubt clouding his eyes.
“Tomorrow you go to the dark court,” he reminds me, his voice uncharacteristically sombre. “If you do not want to go, you need only ask. I will start a war to protect you. I have done so once before.”
“I want to meet her, but thank you,” I tell him firmly, my stomach clenching at the thought of being the root cause of a war that slew so many. “I do have a question to ask you. My friend Sage is missing and I can’t rest or sleep well until we find her. My ravens are searching but they can’t find a trace of her.”
“Is it possible that she is—”
“Sage is not dead. She has been my sister since we were young kids and we’re bonded. My soul would know if she died, and she has not.”
He nods thoughtfully, searching my eyes for a long moment. “Very well. I trust your judgment and will send my royal guards to search all of our lands. I will also place a reward for her unharmed return.”
“Really?” I whisper in shock. “You’d do that for me?”
His brows lift a little, almost like he’s affronted. “You are my daughter and heir to the throne. There is nothing in this world I would not do for you.” He lets go of my shoulder and smiles. “Is there anything else I can help you with to make you sleep better?”
“Well, there is one other problem but I’m not sure you can help,” I admit, biting on my lip. “I made a friend called Izora Dawn at the academy and she has been arrested for killing wardens. She’s been incarcerated at Shadowborn Prison but I know she wouldn’t do that. She’s innocent.”
“Izora Dawn, you say?” He rubs a hand over his smooth cheeks. “Shadowborn Prison is not part of my kingdom but I am allowed to assist in selecting the staff, along with your mother. She cares little for the prison and what goes on. My daughter, Eva, has taken a shine to the place and I will ask her assistance.”
“I doubt Eva will help me. It might be better if you say nothing.”
He smiles tightly. “Eva lost her mother very young, very tragically, and it made her distant from the world. You have to understand, she has lived in your shadow her entire life. I told her you would one day return and take the throne, but she could not understand why it is not her throne. She’ll understand in time.”
If he thinks we’ll soon be playing happy family, he’s not thinking straight.
“Are you suggesting I try being nicer to her?” I internally scoff at the thought.
“At least publically, yes,” he answers, and I chuckle.
Maybe we are more alike than I realised. I nod and head for the door, looking back once at my father.
“I told you why I couldn’t sleep, but what is keeping you up?”
“My mistakes. Live long enough, Corvina, and your mistakes will haunt you at night also.”
He flies off the balcony and disappears into the clouds sweeping over the kingdom. I wonder what mistakes, other than the war, the king has made. How many of them were because of me?
When I enter Illusions of Magic the next day, Professor Stonehart is waiting for us at the front of her classroom. The silver dome on her desk catches my eye as I settle down in my seat, hating that none of my friends are here with me.
“I have an exciting lesson planned for you all today. Sit down and we may begin.”
Once we are seated, Professor Stonehart places a hand on top of the dome.
“Now, as you all know, illusions can often be as inconspicuous as they are powerful. Take this creature here for an example.” She lifts the lid on the dome and curled up inside is Echo, eating a slice of watermelon.
I glare at Zander who quickly averts his gaze. Echo was supposed to be protected by us—not passed around like a puppy. Just wait until I get my hands on him.
“Many would mistake this creature for being a shadowpet,” Stonehart continues. In actual fact, Echo is a part of an ancient powerful species known as Shades. A Shade can take the form of any mammal of its choosing, including humans, and can mimic everything down from their voices to their unique behavior patterns. Extremely powerful and at times temperamental, Shades were once worshipped by the gods of this world and are not to be underestimated because of their size.”
“I just wanna boop his wee little nose,” I hear a girl say, and a few students chuckle.
“And nor should they be underestimated for their level of cuteness,” Stonehart adds.
A possessive streak surges through me. No one is booping Echo’s nose without my permission. At least he looks happy, chomping away at his fruit. The little cutie. And while I knew Echo was special, I didn’t quite know how special. Or powerful, for that matter.
“For today’s lesson, I would like each of you to transfigure into whichever creature Echo chooses. Those who achieve all three will be exempt from this week’s homework.”
That gets everyone moving.
Zander approaches the desk and pets Echo on the head. “Echo, change. Change.”
He looks up at Zander, rolls onto his back, grabs his feet and shifts into a raven. It’s like Echo knows my preferred form. If Shades can mimic any creature’s behavior, I wonder if I take Echo out for a fly together. That would be nice.
Despite that I’m already familiar with the spell, I unroll the parchment and murmur the incantation. With a puff of black smoke, I transform into a raven and hop onto the surface of my desk. All but three students are successful. Professor Stonehart gets the losers to stand at the back of the room while Zander strokes a hand down Echo’s wing.
“Good boy. Change again.”
He tosses a small treat which Echo snatches with his beak. This time, he transforms into a beautiful black wolf with glowing sapphire eyes.
I can’t help but laugh. Now I know he’s definitely copying what I like to shift into. Ravens and black wolves are my thing. And so easy to do.
I hop off the table and repeat the spell in my head. My legs grow into paws and fur covers my body as I turn into my usual black wolf. Two students, including Trolen, struggle to do so and are sent to the back. Now it’s just me, Willow, Malcolm, and a few others I don’t really know.
“Well done, students. This is the last one. I wonder who will win?” Professor Stonehart stands by the desk, her arms folded over her granite chest, and watches us.
Zander hops onto the desk and throws Echo a treat. “Okay, last one, little guy. Change.”
Jumping up to catch the treat in his mouth, Echo shrinks into a lizard on the floor with tiny wings made of shimmering green scales. I know what he’s about to do and I let out a quiet chuckle. He tried this once before in Zander’s apartment and we nearly had heart attacks.
Before Echo can transform into a fully grown dragon and destroy the whole classroom, Zander sweeps him into his arms. “Oh, you naughty little bugger you!” He laughs and rubs Echo on the head, who sniggers at him in a strangely human-like way.
Echo then transforms into his original form and hangs over Zander’s forearm, his large eyes landing on me.
“Ahh, it seems our powerful friend has grown distracted.” Stonehart turns to me and the others. “Congratulations on winning. Everyone else, I expect your homework on my desk by Friday morning.”
A chorus of embittered groans circulates around the room.
I smile at Echo and pick up my bag. Time for my next class. Oddly, I haven’t seen Professor Mune around the academy whenever I’ve been here. He’s usually found in his classroom or in the Lower Half of the castle, surrounded by all the enchanted flowers and trees. I think he prefers the moon over the sun. Guess it’s in his name, really.
“I have a bone to pick with you later,” I tell Zander as I pass by him on my way to the door.
A grin toys with Zander’s lips as he watches me leave. “Look forward to it, my lady.”
Pitch is waiting for me in the courtyard.
“Have you seen Professor Mune lately?” I ask, crossing the c
ourtyard with him.
“As far as I know, he’s on sick leave,” Pitch answers, falling into step with me.
We use one of the secret passageways Ronan the Traitor showed us that leads to the library.
“Sick leave?” I repeat, climbing the stairs after Pitch.
He throws a glance over his shoulder. “Or so the rumours say. Gage seems to think he’s working at Shadowborn Prison now.”
I stop in my tracks. “You mean, where Izy’s being kept?”
“The very one.” He pauses and looks down at me. “And if I had to choose which to believe, I’d go with that. While you were gone last night, I ran into Gage coming in through the gates. He looked pissed. Zander was there, too, and of course, Zander being Zander, still demanded an explanation. Gage wouldn’t say where he was with me being there.”
“Why not?”
Pitch shrugs. “Guess they don’t trust me. They went out of earshot, but I could still hear them talking, and Gage mentioned Professor Mune working part-time at the prison. Some kind of rehab program.”
“Do you think he’s trying to help Izora get out? I know she was super fond of him.”
Fond is putting it mildly. Izora has the biggest crush on him.
My stomach clenches as I visualise her incarcerated with all those convicts. There must be something I can do to help her.
“I think so, yes,” Pitch says, climbing the steps again and I follow him.
“So if Mune is off sick, who’s teaching History of Magics?”
“Who do you think?”
“Don’t say it. Don’t do this to me.”
“Ivywood, of course.”
“And I bet she plans on merely gushing over Daddy Dearest.” I let out an exaggerated groan. “Oh, just bloody wonderful.”
Pitch chuckles as we step out of the tower. As I sit down in the library where my friends and I would usually occupy, I can’t help but wonder if perhaps I can visit Izora in prison. Or, more accurately, break her the hell out of there. I need to free her, and I need to find Sage.
Standing on the edge of the castle steps, I watch the night sky with a normal amount of anxiety over meeting the Queen of the Dark Fae. The woman who is well-known for being trigger happy when it comes to killing anyone who stands in her way. Her court is known for being the exact opposite of the light court, which already sets the bar high in terms of being fucked up. I’m admittedly worried about what’s soon to greet me.
“You look pale,” Pitch comments from my right as my father stands on the other side of me. A line of guards waits in front of us at the bottom of the steps, their silver armor reflecting off the dimming sunlight.
“It is not too late to change your mind,” my father softly reminds me.
I don’t answer either of them as I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “I have to know who my mother is, but it does not mean I am not nervous about it.”
“You are utterly pathetic as a princess, has anyone told you that yet?” Eva dryly says as she walks down the steps and stops at our father’s side.
I nearly laugh when I run my eyes over her pure white, lace dress that spills onto the ground. It looks like a wedding gown and is ridiculous on her. Maybe that’s just me. I’m still in my academy clothes and Gage’s dark grey hoodie I stole when I went to see him earlier today. I’m pretty sure the guys are catching on to me stealing their clothes. Maybe.
But for some reason, I find the comfort I so desperately need when I wear something they have worn. Their scents keep me calm.
Urgh, I sound like such a lovestruck girl.
This is exactly why I’m never admitting to taking their clothes.
Nope. Not ever.
I look out at the crowds of light fae. To my surprise, more than a few normal magics or possibly shadowborn are mixed into the crowd. They constantly cheer my name and it’s odd for me. Okay, more than odd. I’ve always been disliked by everyone except Pitch and Sage until Shadowborn Academy, and even then I wasn’t loved by so many. I’m not sure how to cope with this. Should I awkwardly wave?
I glance at Eva—the only one I can look up to right now—and she simply stands as still as a statue, holding herself tall like the perfect princess. Someone in the distant crowd behind her catches my attention and I freeze, my body turning numb as I look down at Ronan. He has a black cloak on and I can only see his eyes and hair but I’m sure that it’s him. I blink in disbelief, but then he’s gone. I search the crowd for him but there’s no one in a black cloak within my sight.
Gods, my nerves are making me see things.
Ronan couldn’t get into the light fae kingdom and he’s likely hiding with the humans. I know both my parents have placed a massive reward on his head due to stabbing me. I still don’t understand why he did it. I can’t remember what he said to me. I just remember the pain and him holding the dagger.
Pitch’s hand touches mine, like a spark, it wakes me up just as a massive, black shadow of a cloud appears in the middle of the courtyard. Dark magic flickers and seeps out as pitch-black horses, two in a row, fly out of the cloud. There are eight of them with massive wings that look too big for their bodies, all connected by leather straps. Behind the horses is a carriage made of pure tinted black glass. It looks like a sphere but the edges are sharper and at the bottom of it are glass wheels that reflect the light.
“Always so overdramatic,” my father tuts under his breath and Pitch chuckles before hiding it with a cough.
The carriage drags to a halt in front of the guards and the glass door swings open. The inside has violet crushed-velvet seating and walls, but it’s empty other than a few decorative pillows. “Velvet. How typical of Narah.”
The horses neigh and huff, stomping their large feet so hard on the white stone it’s a wonder they don’t crack it.
“We should go,” Pitch says, waving a hand forward.
Before I can take a step, my father rests his hand on my shoulder and I turn to him. He looks like he wants to tell me something but he soon changes his mind.
“Enjoy your time at the Dark Fae Court, Corvina, and stay safe.” He bows his head and steps back.
“Yes, enjoy your time while we look for your little friend,” Eva spits out in a superficially sweet voice, causing me to grit my teeth. “Sage, right? Like the herb? What a peculiar name.”
“Eva, enough,” our father hisses in a whisper and Eva clamps her jaw shut.
Sliding Eva a sharp glare, I lift my chin and walk down the steps. The cheering of the crowd grows louder as the guards step aside and Pitch follows me through them to the carriage. I climb in and Pitch follows, sitting next to me in the beautiful carriage.
My hands dig into the velvet seats as the door slams shut behind us and the horses soar into the sky. Even though I have wings, I’m still scared as my stomach drops and the carriage rattles in the air. The glass in front of us is crystal clear so I can do nothing but watch as the horses ride into the cloud of darkness.
The depth of the inky blackness is endless, darker than I ever thought was possible and there isn’t a single sound, just deafening silence. I look to Pitch, who I expected to be looking outside the carriage, but he’s watching me instead and whatever he’s seeing reflects back in his eyes like amazement.
“Can we talk later?” I softly ask. “I miss our connection. I miss you.”
“I miss you just as much. Maybe even more.” He takes my hand in his. “And yes. We can talk whenever you want.”
“I’m still mad,” I warn him, not wanting him to think I’ve forgiven him entirely just yet.
I do, however, think I’m beginning to accept what happened when we were kids. Why it happened. How he must have felt about me to get me to that well.
I remember being jealous of Mindy, a shadowborn girl that came to the foster home when I was twelve. She was super pretty with blonde hair and big blue eyes but that wasn’t why I wanted to be her. No, that had to do with the fact she had two aunts who were shadowborn and they came to see her
every day for weeks before they adopted her. I was jealous because she had a family who came for her and if I had my way, I would have found a way to make her leave quicker. Her very existence was a constant reminder that I had lost my own family and nobody was ever coming to get me.
Upon reflection, my resentment towards her wasn’t much different from Pitch’s towards me the day he led me to the wishing well. I threatened his world, and as a kid, that can make you do crazy things.
He smiles, making him look ridiculously more handsome. “I know.”
“Can I ask you something now?” I keep my voice low as the carriage rattles more in the darkness, wondering how long we are going to be in here. Pitch nods and I end up blurting out more than I wanted to.. “Why did you never let us go further than a kiss? Why did we end up connected as we did? Does that happen a lot in this world?”
He thinks for a moment, chewing on the inside of his mouth. “That was more than one question,” he murmurs, “but a lot of them can be answered rather simply. We are true mates and true mates are rare in the fae world. Most never find theirs, no matter how hard they look.”
“What makes True Mates different from ordinary mates?”
“We’re two halves of one soul.”
My breath hitches. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. The only way our souls could have connected and kept us alive was if we were true mates. Our souls can keep each other alive when the worst happens.” He lifts my chin with his finger. I hardly even noticed I was looking down, too lost in my own thoughts.
I search his eyes, which always seem to darken whenever he looks at me. But, even in the darkness, I don’t want to look away.
Pitch makes the darkness feel like home. “I never let us go further than a kiss because it would make the bond between our souls so much more intense. I wanted you to make that choice willingly when you knew who you truly were. I never wanted to start our future on a lie.”
“Promise me no more lies, Pitch?” I breathe, cupping his face with my cheek.
“I promise.”
He says the word just as blue light blasts into the carriage. I blink a few times at the blinding light, dropping my hands to my lap as I finally see the dark fae court. I lean forward in awe at the city that looks like the night sky. Dozens of tall buildings in star shapes gather around the edges of the city, and deep forests surround the buildings, their luscious foliage gleaming in the pale moonlight.
