by L. Danvers
I searched for her once—Cynthia, I mean—a year or two after my siblings had released me from the dungeon. But she’d fled Crescent Cape. Started her life over far away from our kingdom. Which, admittedly, was a smart move. Because had she been within my reach, nothing would have stopped me from giving her a taste of what she’d made me capable of...
Heat crept up my neck as the memories of those early years flooded in. I squeezed my eyes shut, reminding myself that I was trying to be a better man. I couldn’t let my anger get the best of me. I’d been down that road a thousand times, and it never led anywhere good.
“Any other questions you two would care to ask?” I said coolly, trying to play it off like I wasn’t tormented by the memories of my past.
“Yes, actually,” Danielle said. “Why are you not a doctor? Or a lawyer? Or a rocket scientist?”
I shifted in my seat, thrown off by her question.
“I’m not trying to be rude,” she explained. “But if I were going to be around forever... er, now that I am going to be around forever, I should say, I’d like to think I’ll be using that time to learn a thing or two.”
I tried to conceal my smile. “Tell me, why would I need to become a doctor when my wounds heal themselves and, thanks to my siblings, I have an endless supply of vampire blood at my disposal?”
“I don’t know. That seems short-sighted.”
I snorted. “You’re joking, right?”
“Haven’t you ever wanted to go to college? Live in a city? Have a family? Be normal?”
“Normal is overrated.”
“You don’t believe that.”
A smile stretched across my face, and I could feel my cheeks dimpling. “Let me ask you this. Why are you so certain that I haven’t done these things?”
She folded her arms. “Have you?”
Keo pulled out his phone and started scrolling as if looking for any out he could find to remove himself from this conversation.
“I’ve lived many lives, Danielle. Let’s leave it at that, shall we?”
Julian
We began our quest to retrieve the saplings. Large clouds clung to the moon, allowing us to keep to the shadows. Thankfully, though, our supernatural abilities gave us spectacular night vision.
It was nerve-wracking from the moment we climbed down from Keo’s hut. We knew how much we were risking, how much he was risking, by searching for the saplings. If the hunts were what the Royals did for fun, I shuddered to think what they did for punishment...
“So, what are faeries like?” Danielle asked innocently, trying to cut through the tension.
Keo shook his head. “Miserable creatures. Deceptive. Manipulative. If you ask me, it’s a good thing they’re nearly extinct.” He huffed. “Good riddance.”
“It sounds like you have personal experience with them,” she guessed as she stepped over a fallen tree limb. “Obviously not a good experience. Have you dated one or something? Did she break your heart?”
He shot her a look, silencing her at once. He shook his head and kept walking.
We walked two and a half miles before we came upon the hut he’d been referring to. This one was situated on ground-level. It was a dreadful sight, and yet, had Keo not brought us here for the specific purpose of getting the saplings, I wouldn’t have given the place a second glance. Wouldn’t have even noticed it.
Faerie magic.
The hut was sizable—large enough for a big family. Made of straw and mud and stone, it sat alone in the middle of the forest, gated in by a rusting iron fence.
Interesting choice. Faeries were believed to be rendered ill by the mere touch of iron. Curious...
Leading the way, Keo unlatched the gate and stepped across it. Turning back, he motioned for us to follow, and so we did.
The second I stepped through the gate, I could feel the magic hidden within this place. Strange energy was all around, seeping from the crack in the wooden door of the hut. The source of the magic, if I had to guess.
“This is your last chance to back out,” Keo said jokingly.
But Danielle paid him no attention. Instead, she marched for the door and pushed it open. She stepped across the threshold... and vanished.
Keo and I exchanged a brief worried glance before rushing after her.
The second I crossed through, I was sent tumbling forward. Falling. Flailing. My breaths grew rapid as I did a free fall through infinity.
I closed my eyes, bracing for impact. Praying this somersaulting would stop.
And it did. When I landed face-first in the dirt.
Hunched over, I coughed, trying desperately to expel the soil from my lungs.
Hesitantly, I pressed my fingertips to my head. Everything was throbbing. Pulsating. But I knew the feeling would fade. Supernatural healing and all.
There was another thud beside me, and I knew in an instant it was Keo.
Which meant...
Opening my eyes, I scanned the area. Danielle rushed to my side. Crouching beside me, she cupped my face in her hands, her gentle fingers trailing along my cheekbone. “Are you alright?”
“I’ll survive,” I winked. With that, I stood. Finding my balance, I placed my hands on my hips, marveling at what I was seeing. It was... beyond explanation.
With a loud groan, Keo stood. “Ugh. Where are we?”
“If I had to guess,” I started, “I’d say we’ve entered a portal into a faerie realm.”
It was the only explanation. We were definitely not in the Kingdom of the Silver Seas anymore. We’d landed smack-dab in the middle of a lush and overflowing garden, which explained all the dirt. Beyond that, though, was a scene that was right out of a faerie tale... no pun intended. Sapphire ponds. Towering willow trees. Butterflies. So many freaking pink butterflies.
“It’s...” Danielle started, searching for the right word, “...magical.”
“Let’s get what we need and get out of here,” Keo said sharply. “I don’t trust this place.”
She let out a laugh. “Why? What could possibly happen in a place like this?”
“Faeries,” he retorted. “Faeries could happen.”
Without missing a beat, Keo began searching the garden for the saplings. We quickly joined him, relieved to find that the faeries had taken the time to label all of their plants. That was going to make this a lot easier considering we had no idea what the heck a Silverleaf sapling looked like. I assumed they had silver leaves, but still...
We zigzagged along the dirt path, carefully reading each and every label the faeries had etched into unnaturally smooth stones to mark which plants were planted where. I shivered to think what untold powers these ingredients held.
“Is no one else wondering how we portaled into a faerie universe?” Danielle asked, exasperated.
“There was a war many, many years ago,” Keo answered. “In order to survive, the faeries cut a deal with the Kingdom of the Silver Seas. They would remove themselves from the earthly realm and only be able to cross to the human realm when wearing talismans. Jeweled talismans. Only so many of them were permitted to be created. Enough to allow some faeries who wished to wander the human realm to go as they pleased. But not enough to give faeries the opportunity to rise up again.”
“Wait a second,” I blurted out. “Are you telling me we can’t get back to the human world?”
Keo rolled his eyes. “Are you a faerie?”
“No.”
“Then you can get back.”
My jaw relaxed.
“Uhhh, guys,” Danielle said with a voice so somber it brought Keo’s laughter to an abrupt stop. “We have a problem.”
The two of us caught up with her to see what was going on. When we reached her, we recognized the issue at once. Before us was an empty patch of dirt. Every last one of the Silverleaf saplings was gone.
Keo stood there, gaping beside me. “Well, that sucks.”
I shot him a look. “You think?”
He opened his mouth to say somethi
ng when we were startled by someone coming up behind us. I turned around and saw a woman standing there. Her icy blonde hair flowed freely past her shoulders, the diamond-studded caps of her sleeves holding up thin periwinkle fabric that swept over her impressive curves, hardly covering... well, anything.
“Keo?” the faerie asked, her bright violet eyes widening with recognition.
Under her breath, afraid to make any sudden moves, Danielle asked, “You know her?”
“Know her?” the woman hissed. “He should. I’m his wife.”
I CLEARED MY THROAT. “I’m sorry. What?”
The woman’s eyes fell on Keo, daring him to explain.
“Julian, Danielle,” he said with so much hatred in his voice that even I felt uncomfortable, “meet Aurora.”
Aurora placed her hands on her hips, her long fingernails tapping on her curves. “I see you’re still refusing to wear your ring.”
“Why do I need a ring?” he barked. “You’ve already marked me as yours.” Keo pulled down the collar of his shirt, revealing a tattoo etched along his ebony skin.
I had a million questions for him, but I was afraid to ask, worried I may say the wrong thing and land him in even more trouble with... his wife. I scratched the back of my neck, growing more and more uncomfortable by the second.
“What are you doing here, Keo?” Aurora asked. “You’re not supposed to be here. How did you even find the portal?”
Her tone had softened, and the way she asked it made it seem as if she did, at least, care for his wellbeing. But I was totally confused as to how he could have been MARRIED to a faerie and not even know where the portal was.
“My friends are in trouble,” he said, still staying a good distance away from her as if he found her presence utterly repulsing. “We need Silverleaf saplings.”
“Why didn’t you call on me?” she questioned.
“Drop the act, Aurora. You know why.” Her expression hardened. “The last time I asked you for help, you tricked me into binding myself to you for life,” he seethed.
“She tricked you into marrying her?” Danielle asked, her dark eyes clouding with concern. Her vision slowly shifted toward Aurora, and she didn’t bother trying to hide her disgust.
“I didn’t trick you,” Aurora said to Keo. “We made a deal. And anyway, I’m afraid there are no more saplings. Someone’s been stealing them.”
“Yeah,” Keo said. “Phoebe.”
Aurora looked confused.
He let out a sigh. “The witch from the Silver Seas. She found the portal to your garden and has been stealing saplings from you.”
Fire burned in Aurora’s eyes, rage consuming her. I swore that her appearance flickered, like some dark shadow self had, for the briefest of moments, appeared in her place. I stole a glance from Keo, and he gave me a look as if to say See? This is why I hate faeries. But he didn’t have to explain himself to me. I knew how vile they were.
“It’s time for you to leave,” Aurora said, her voice eerily calm given what I’d seen from her so far.
Danielle grabbed Keo’s arm. “We can’t leave without those saplings. What about Xander? Victoria? What about me?”
Aurora’s eyes narrowed, the violet in her eyes flashing with fury. In that same instant, a burst of energy pulsed from Keo, knocking Danielle onto her back.
She let out a grunt and shot Aurora daggers with her eyes, knowing instinctively that the faerie had been responsible for that blow.
“Do not touch my husband,” Aurora seethed.
Danielle stood to her feet, wiping her dirt-covered palms on her jeans. I saw that look in her eye. Knew what she was thinking. “Danielle—don’t,” I warned.
She was royally ticked off. She was about to shift. And the last thing we needed was a fight. We were in the faerie realm, which meant we were vastly outnumbered. Even if Danielle could take Aurora on, how long would it be before we drew attention to ourselves? I was betting other faeries wouldn’t take so kindly to outsiders. Especially outsiders who were trying to steal from them.
“Let’s go,” Keo said, refusing to even look at Aurora anymore as he marched back toward the hut.
We did as he said, Aurora watching every step we took, until we entered the hut and fell back through the portal.
FURIOUS, KEO MARCHED in the direction of his home. Danielle and I chased after him. “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I called after him. “Wait. Aren’t you going to tell me what that was about? I’ve known you for years and you’ve never mentioned having a wife.”
He let out a feral growl.
I sped up, matching his pace, and grabbed him by the arm. Reluctantly, he stopped. The way he looked at me made me stop in my tracks. There was a darkness in his eyes I’d never seen before.
“Did you ever wonder how I escaped?” he asked, his voice rough and heavy. “The Royals hunted my family and killed them—all of them. Except for me.”
I blinked. “I’m sorry. But I don’t under—”
“Aurora saved my life. Heard me crying out in fear that I’d do anything—anything—if someone could help me.”
A crease formed in my brow. “So... she forced you into marriage?”
He nodded.
“Why?”
“Something about the deal they made with the Royals long ago. A child would give her one foot in the human world and one in the faerie world. Allow her to come and go through the portal as she pleases, talisman or not. She says that with our combined talents, so to speak, our children could grow up to be forces to be reckoned with.”
“To what end?”
“To rise up against the Royals.”
Oh. That was what he wanted, I supposed. To be rid of the Royals forever. But not like that. Not by breeding with a faerie and sending his child into battle. Especially not after what he had endured as a kid.
“But you and Aurora haven’t...” I started.
“No. But not for her lack of trying. She doesn’t come to the human realm often. I try to avoid her when she does. But... she always finds me. She has this way of tapping into my mind.”
Danielle folded her arms around her waist. “Are other faeries doing this? Forcing werewolves to mate with them?”
“Most are willing participants,” he said. “Faeries are deceptive, and anyway, some werewolves would do anything for a chance to get back at the Royals. And, truth be told, I was fortunate enough to be warned about how dangerous they were ahead of time. My parents hated faeries. And as for Aurora, she’s never forced herself on me, thankfully. But she...” He stood there, searching for the words.
“What is it?”
Keo revealed his tattoo once more. “She marked me. I can never be with another person. Not until I give her a child.”
Danielle blinked, seething. “Who gives her the right to cut a deal with a child and force them into a marriage? We’ll see about that...” She whirled around and started marching right back for the hut, but Keo chased after.
“I appreciate the sentiment,” he said, now blocking her from the entrance, “but going back there’s not going to do us any good. We’re lucky no one else saw us. We’re not even supposed to be there. Heck, we weren’t even supposed to know that place existed. I wouldn’t have taken you if I thought... well, that would happen. And if we were to cause a scene... well, let’s say it wouldn’t end well for any of us.”
“He’s right,” I added. “What she did to Keo was demented, even for a faerie. But there’s nothing you can do that will make things any better. If anything, you’ll only make matters worse for him.”
She chewed the inside of her cheek, not liking our way of handling—or not handling—the situation one bit. But as awful as it was to admit, there was no other way. There was a reason that faeries were one of the most hated supernatural creatures. Their deals always came with a steep price—once which the person agreeing to the deal rarely understood.
“Fine,” she huffed. “Anyway, there’s the more pressing issue of the fact that there are no sa
plings left. Which means we have no way to stop Xander or undo the sire bond between me and Aiden. In other words... we’re screwed.”
I was about to agree with her when my phone started ringing. I fished it out of my pocket and checked to see who it was.
“What’s wrong?” Danielle asked, coming closer.
“It says it’s Xander.”
Fear danced across her face. “That can’t be right. Must be Grace. She has his phone, doesn’t she?”
“Let’s hope that’s still the case.”
“What are you waiting for, man?” Keo chimed in. “Answer it.”
Swallowing hard, I tapped the green button and held the phone to my hear. “Hello?”
“Julian. It’s Grace.” I released a breath and mouthed to the others that it was indeed Grace calling before putting her on speakerphone. “Did you get the saplings?”
I closed my eyes, hanging my head in defeat. “No. They’re gone.”
“What do you mean they’re gone?” she snapped.
“Phoebe’s been sneaking into the faerie realm and stealing them.”
“Excuse me. Did you say faerie realm?”
“A conversation for another day,” I answered, cutting her off. “All that matters right now is that they’re gone. She’s probably gotten the last one to Reed already. And we all know he’s not going to hand it over. I don’t know that risking a full-on war with the Carlisle coven is the brightest idea with everything else going on. We’re going to have to find another way. Unless you think that dear old dad of yours is in a generous mood.”
Grace released a breath. “Definitely not. Although... maybe I could speak with Nick about it. See if he could help.”
“Who’s Nick?”
“My twin.”
Danielle’s eyes widened at the revelation, and she rushed toward the phone. “Grace, it’s me. You met your brother?”
She sighed. “Yes. It’s a long story. I’ll fill you in when you’re back at the castle. Evanna’s working on coming up with a tracking spell so that we can figure out where Xander is. For now, I need you guys to get back to Crescent Cape as quickly as possible.”
