by C. J. Anaya
“You know the story of The Rending as well as I do, Insley. You’re one of the few willing to hear the mistakes of our ancestors,” Chantara said. “Now why on earth are you asking about my mother’s diadem?”
Insley cast a worried glance behind her, wondering how long it would take before Rodri discovered her absence. The frigid night air coupled with the cold wind whipping noisily through the trees set her nerve endings on edge. When her gaze landed on Chantara again she noted the deep concern marring her features. She gathered herself together and delved into the matter at hand.
“You once talked about some interesting capabilities a few faeries in their infancy exhibited directly after The Rending,” Insley said.
Chantara gave her a questioning look.
“That’s correct. There were two Fae children, relatives of Puck, who were rumored to have the ability to borrow elemental magics from others and weave them together. It was suggested these children might be trained to restore all four elemental magics to one specific core.”
“Were they trained?”
Chantara hesitated for a moment before answering.
“They were.”
“Were they successful?”
“No. There was another element needed, some type of anchor to stay the threads within the core and create a process of never ending regeneration, otherwise the four magics died out entirely and the subjects experimented upon lost all magical ability.”
“The diadem was thought to be that anchor, correct? Its turquoise stone fixed at the crown’s very center held immense power.”
“Yes, but when the children used it for this purpose it created more harm than good. Minds were shattered, elemental magics became warped and corrupted. The diadem, once a powerful tool for harnessing my mother’s magical capabilities, was negatively affected by The Rending, and the stone’s color changed to a sickly pale pink when channeling the magics. It didn’t respond as my mother had hoped. It became such a volatile talisman that the stone was removed from the diadem so the article could no longer cause harm.”
“What if the diadem wasn’t necessarily at fault?” Insley asked. “What if it wasn’t meant to be the anchor, but the amplifier?”
That had to be the answer. After months of research and study, she was almost certain the diadem was the key to solving all their problems. The sharp snap of a twig behind her, made her whip her head around in fear. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw no one hiding within the shadows of the forest.
But that didn’t mean King Moridan’s spies weren’t out there, watching and listening, ready to ambush her the moment she found what she was looking for. She’d discovered just how tricky that damn ruler could be.
“Amplifier? Insley, what exactly are you getting at and why?”
Insley snapped her attention back to her friend, realizing she hadn’t been paying attention.
“I’m so sorry, Chantara. Please, repeat that.”
Chantara gave her a concerned look. “You seem so preoccupied. Do you realize you’ve glanced over your shoulder three times since you’ve arrived?”
Insley’s body slumped forward, a pang of regret enveloping her as she watched Chantara gently rock her baby girl in her arms. She didn’t know how best to reveal her troubles to her friend, so she went for simple and direct.
“Crysta can weave together different threads of magic.”
Chantara stilled her rocking, her eyes snapping to Insley’s face in disbelief.
“That’s not…how is that possible? There hasn’t been a Fae child capable of that in centuries.”
“I think it has to do greatly with her mixed heritage.”
“Her what?”
“Rodri isn’t her father.”
Silence blanketed them like a shroud as Insley waited for Chantara to process this shocking information. Insley had to admit it was a relief to finally share this with her closest friend.
“While I think we have much to discuss concerning Crysta’s parentage, I’m more inclined to worry about your interest in my mother’s diadem. If you encourage Crysta to use it to strengthen an individual’s core magic you could irreparably damage your daughter’s mind.”
“That’s not how I want to use it. I think the diadem is an amplifier. The real anchor has to do with the way things were. The real anchor can be found within the fated mate bond.”
“Now you’re talking in riddles.”
Insley buried her forehead in her hands.
“Chantara, I’m dying.”
Her friend inhaled with a sharp hiss.
“That’s impossible.”
“My magic is weakening, my spirit failing.”
She looked up in time to catch Chantara’s disbelief. The beautiful mermaid shook her head.
“That doesn’t just happen, Insley. There must be an explanation for this. A way to trace the source of this weakening and reverse its effects.”
“I have traced it. All signs point back to King Moridan. He’s done something to my magic and it’s slowly poisoning me.”
“He must be stopped. This is a gross violation of hundreds of treaties and peace talks between our Courts.”
“He will be stopped. I recognize that whatever he’s doing cannot go unchecked, but I have no real proof to offer just yet, and there are several other problems developing between our Courts. I can’t do anything to stop him until I reverse the effects of this illness. I’ve researched the various possibilities surrounding a cure, but I didn’t have a definitive plan until Crysta weaved her Winter magic and her nanny’s Autumn magic together.”
Chantara appeared horrified at this admission. Insley had felt the same way at the time, but her daughter’s capabilities offered their realm a real chance at surviving the fallout of Moridan’s actions.
“Please tell me the nanny had no idea. The consequences of this getting out, of anyone discovering Crysta’s abilities, would paint an eternal target on her back.”
“The nanny was oblivious. The poor thing fell asleep while rocking Crysta.”
Chantara’s relief was palpable.
“Do you truly believe with the right anchor, Crysta can be trained to fortify your magic and introduce the rest of the elements to your core to rid your body of this disease?”
“Not only that, but I believe the diadem can be used to amplify the effects of this cure and possibly reverse them, stripping King Moridan of his power.”
She waited for Chantara’s protests. What she suggested was not only dangerous, but something that had never been done before.
“If you do this, he will die and his entire bloodline will die along with him,” Chantara said. “His sons, Jareth and Kheelan, and all the other extended members of that family, will suffer for Moridan’s sins.”
“Not if the diadem collects Moridan’s core magic and places it in holding. The stone is strong enough to do that until the core magic can be transferred to the new heir.”
“There’s no guarantee, and you’re not even certain you know what the actual anchor is. Insley, you or Crysta could die attempting this.”
“We’ll both die if we don’t,” Insley nearly shouted. She waited a moment to rein in her mounting panic before Chantara could see just how desperate she’d become. “King Moridan will not cease his attacks on me or my family. He’s completely lost his mind and won’t rest until my daughter is dead.”
Chantara shook her head in denial. “Flaming hobgoblins, why? To risk an assassination attempt on another royal is tantamount to signing his own death warrant. Why would he risk so much?”
“I can’t tell you why, Chantara. This information I’m sharing with you is putting you in enough danger.”
She was too ashamed to admit her husband hadn’t been willing to divulge that information. She feared it would lead to more uncomfortable conversations concerning the state of her marriage and the identity of Crysta’s real father.
Chantara held Insley’s gaze with a hard glare, but eventually sighed her defeat when the queen refu
sed to divulge the information.
“If you could produce proof of his misdeeds we might call a delegation to order—”
“There is no time, and I have no proof. Not yet, anyway. Our only hope is Crysta’s power, amplified by Titania’s diadem. That’s how we put an end to this illness. That’s how we put an end to King Moridan and his madness.”
Chantara let out a few expletives, shocking Insley to her core. The regal mermaid wasn’t one to demonstrate such volatile emotions.
“It will work,” Insley said, rushing to reassure her. “All we need is the diadem and our problems are solved.”
“That in itself is the problem,” Chantara said.
Insley noted the tears slowly leaking from Chantara’s eyes. Her stomach churned, taking in her friend’s desolate expression.
“Tell me, dear friend. What is the problem?”
The beautiful mermaid expelled a shaky breath.
“I have no idea where my mother’s diadem is.”
Author’s Note
I’d like to give a big shout out to my editors Jennifer Griffith and Jenn Earl. Once again you ladies have saved me from my own ineptitude. I am always so grateful for your support and your helpful insights when it comes to my writing. I also want to thank my review team for being so stellar at catching things that my editors and I may have missed, not to mention giving me your honest opinions about the books I write so I can make sure I’m creating the best possible reading experience for anyone who grabs my stories.
A huge thank you to my fabulous hubby Joe. He is the reason I even have the time, motivation, or belief to pursue what I love. So important for your loved ones to support you in your endeavors. I’m so grateful Joe supports me in mine.
About The Author
C.J. Anaya is the bestselling author of The Healer Series and Marry Your Billionaire. She also enjoys assisting authors in writing, publishing, and marketing their books with her helpful non-fiction guides and her channel Author Journey.
She's a huge fan of The Mindy Project, Hugh Jackman, and binge eating any and all things chocolate. Who isn't, right?
As a mother of four awesome children, C.J. is usually helping out with homework, fixing dance recital costumes, or delivering her kids to their karate classes so they can learn discipline, respect, and "...kick some serious butt, mom." She loves writing entertaining reads for everyone to enjoy, and dabbles in singing and songwriting for kicks and giggles. Making out with her deliciously handsome Latin Lover-her hubby-is by far her most favorite extracurricular activity.
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Other Books by C.J. Anaya
The Healer Series
The Black Blossom: Book 2
The Grass Cutter Sword: Book 3
The Prophecy: Book 4
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Double Booked
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The Paranormal Misfits Series
My Fair Assassin
My Fair Traitor
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Marry Your Billionaire
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.
My Fair Impostor
Copyright ©2017 C.J. Anaya All rights reserved.
First Edition October 2017
Published by C.J. Anaya Publishing LLC
Print and eBook Cover by Fiona Jayde
http://fionajaydemedia.com/
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. This book contains material protected under International and Federal Copyright Laws and Treaties. Any unauthorized reprint or use of this material is prohibited. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without express written permission from the author / publisher.
