by Leder, Nissa
“If they find out, I’ll be as good as dead.”
“You’ll have to keep your mental shields up at all times. I don’t know what powers the Fates possess. Nevina shouldn’t be able to infiltrate your mind, but others might.”
“Why would I do this?” Cade’s hands fidgeted at his sides.
“Maybe you shouldn’t. But I think you’re a smart king and you know that neither Nevina or the Fates can be trusted.”
“Neither can you.”
“True, but I think you trust Scarlett and so do I. The Fates want her. Whatever that tree gave her has made her powerful. More powerful than even she realizes. And the Fates want that power. I don’t want them to get it and neither should you.”
Maybe his desire for Scarlett had blinded him, but in his mind, she was the clear choice. Protecting her could protect everyone. Her mortal upbringing hadn’t prepared her to be the queen of a court, but it had taught her to care for others. Her distance from the court rivalries that had gone on for centuries kept her unbiased. She’d shown her ability to forgive. Cade had nearly killed her, but when she had the opportunity to seek revenge, she let him go.
He hoped others saw how crucial allying on her side was.
Kaelem handed Cade the velvet bag.
Confusion flowed from him as he opened it and pulled out a golden chain. He dangled it in front of his face. “What’s this?”
“It’s a necklace wrought in willow tree powder.” Kaelem gestured to the doorway. “It keeps out wandering ears or minds. No one, not even me, will be able to infiltrate your mind when you’re wearing it.”
Cade slipped the chain over his neck and hid it beneath his shirt. “What if I refuse your request?”
“Then you’ll end up with a powerful necklace to use against me should you so choose.”
Cade looked downward and locked his fingers together in front of his body. “I’ll do it.”
“No one else can know. It’s too risky. There’s only one necklace. You’re no good to anyone dead.”
Cade nodded. “Very well.”
“Not even Poppy.”
Cade hesitated. “Fine.”
Clearly, he didn’t like the idea of keeping secrets from Poppy. But if he had to, Kaelem guessed he could. His life might depend on it.
Someone knocked on the door.
“I’ll find you when we can talk again. Until then, you are my enemy.” Kaelem winked. He slid his foot across the powder line and opened the door.
Poppy looked inside the room. “Everything okay?”
“I was just leaving. He’s all yours.” Kaelem pursed his lips and made a smooching noise.
He’d either just created a tremendous ally or given a future foe a mighty gift.
But what was life without a little risk?
* * *
The golden chain felt cool against Cade’s skin.
After the Unseelie King left the room, Poppy asked, “What was that about?”
Kaelem said no one could know about their discussion. Not if Cade planned on agreeing to his plan. He’d always gone to Poppy for advice. If she didn’t know about Kaelem’s offer, he couldn’t get her opinion.
He might have told the Unseelie King he’d join him, but he hadn’t actually made up his mind. It was a choice he would have to make on his own this time.
Poppy tilted her head to the side as she waited for Cade’s answer.
“Kaelem wants me to team up with him and Scarlett and anyone else who wants to go against the Fates.”
“And will you?”
Cade swallowed. “I don’t think I can trust him. You saw how quickly he was to betray us all in the Sidhe realm by stealing Scarlett away.”
“And you trust Nevina or the Fates more?”
“Not particularly, but I believe the Fates are powerful. Is it not wise to choose the strongest allies?”
All of this was true. Cade didn’t trust Kaelem and the Fates were formidable. Although he hadn’t seen them use the mightiest magic he’d ever seen, the way they had used their influence to get Scarlett to the tree to unleash the magic it held was enough to convince Cade of their strength.
So, why was Cade starting to sweat?
Images of him and Poppy dancing at the ball resurfaced. The feeling of her body pressed into his as they swayed back and forth. The sweet scent of her hair.
They hadn’t taken things as far as they had in the cave before Sage had found them, but when Cade had walked Poppy to her room before heading to bed for the night, he’d pecked his lips to hers and his entire body tingled.
And now he lied to her.
He hated it, but Kaelem was right. It was too dangerous for her to know. If he were caught and tortured for his deceit, so be it, but he was determined to do his best to keep Poppy out of it as much as possible.
And to protect her and his people.
Which meant thinking things through before coming to any real decisions. He’d agreed to join Kaelem, but that didn’t mean he had to follow through. If Cade had learned anything from the Unseelie King, it was to keep his options open. And now, with the necklace he’d given him, Kaelem would be unable to read Cade’s thoughts.
“I will help with whatever side you choose.” Poppy bowed.
“About last night.” Cade rubbed the back of his neck, unsure what he should say. He wanted to change the subject. Maybe he should have come up with a different topic.
“It was a good night, but we shouldn’t let it happen again.” Poppy’s expression kept still. “I can’t let any feelings I may develop get in the way of my duty to protect you.”
“Of course,” Cade said. “I wanted to apologize if I crossed any lines I shouldn’t have. I’m your king and should not have put you in any position that could make you uncomfortable.”
Poppy’s eyes softened. “I wasn’t uncomfortable. The opposite, actually. But with so many changes happening, I think we’re best served with keeping our boundaries.” She stared at him, waiting for his answer.
He wanted to close the distance between them and press his lips into hers again, more passionately than he had the night before. With so much at stake, his heart craved passion more than ever.
But he was king. His people depended on him. Poppy depended on him, too. He couldn’t be rational if his feelings for her grew. “I agree.”
“What’s our next move?”
“To visit Nevina and see what she has to offer us.”
Cade reached beneath his shirt and adjusted the chain. He hoped Kaelem had been telling the truth about its power.
“Very well. I’ll grab my things and we can go.”
He wanted to say something to make her stay. Maybe they could spend one day together without the pressures of looming war.
Instead, Cade watched Poppy leave the room.
Chapter Eleven
When Scarlett returned to the Otherworld castle, Rowen met her at the portal.
“Was it a successful trip?” Rowen asked.
“Yes,” Scarlett replied. “Mostly.”
Scarlett pushed her thoughts of Kaelem away and told Rowen about her run-in with Raith. “He took me off guard. I wanted to believe he really had escaped and was back to being himself. It was foolish, I know.”
“It isn’t wrong to hope for the best, but now we know for sure. Did he hurt you?”
Scarlett fought tears and gulped. “Not exactly. He might have if Aria hadn’t thrown the dagger at him.”
Rowen frowned as sadness filled her. “They’ve ruined him.”
Scarlett absorbed Rowen’s sorrow and sent happiness her way, just as Cade had done for her in the Summer Court. “We’ll get him back.” She wasn’t sure if she believed it, but she knew they would try. She had to keep hoping.
“I attended the council meeting as you requested,” Rowen said. “Nothing major has changed. Ailani asked I remind you of the gifts waiting for your attention.”
“Thank you. I will check in with her tomorrow. Right now, I need to fres
hen up and practice using my magic.”
After Scarlett excused herself, she drew a bath. She scooped in an elixir Vida had given her for relaxation and used her magic to heat the water and create bubbles, which, thanks to the elixir, were purple. She slowly dipped her body into the steaming water. As she laid her head back, she closed her eyes and inhaled the lavender scent around her.
Now that she was alone, she let her mind wander to earlier that morning. She pushed away thoughts of the pain she felt when Raith’s hands touched her and the anxiety that came when she worried about her sister, instead allowing the memory of her night with Kaelem to fill her thoughts. She’d wanted him last night, drunk off of lust and alcohol. But he’d left her alone.
Then this morning, they’d crossed the line they hadn’t yet crossed.
And it was wonderful.
Kaelem had gotten under her skin the first time they’d met, and her attraction to him had only grown. But he’d made countless selfish decisions that drove her absolutely crazy. She never knew how much she could trust him, but their chemistry was undeniable.
Scarlett dipped her head below the surface and let the hot water seep into her skin. After she finished rinsing off, she changed into fresh clothing then went to the library.
Her thoughts shifted to the reality of the problems she now faced.
She wouldn’t be such easy prey next time Raith or anyone tried to capture her. Mastering her magic was her priority now. She was powerful, she just needed to control her magic.
The book’s energy called to her.
Had Dana left it in the library hoping that the next queen would find it? There was no denying the book held powerful magic. But if it could help Scarlett defeat the Fates and Dana had known about it, wouldn’t she have given it to Vida for safekeeping?
The thought that the book might be dangerous crossed Scarlett’s mind. She felt the darkness inside its pages. But if that darkness could help her protect herself and everyone who looked to her to rule them, then she couldn’t turn it down.
Scarlett double-checked the door was shut before pulling the book from its hiding spot and setting it on her usual table. She closed her eyes and hovered her hands over it.
The blackness beneath her eyelids dissolved into a vision.
A man in a charcoal cloak—hood pulled over his head— sat on an ebony throne. In front of him, a young dark-haired woman bowed down with outstretched arms and her forehead on the ground. Two other women, nearly identical, stood behind her, looking at each other.
There was only one window in the large throne room. A large fire pit sat in the middle, its orange glow spreading throughout. Stone walls rose high to an unseen ceiling hidden in darkness.
“Please, father,” the woman on the ground begged, “let him go.” She raised her head. Tears dripped from her pallid face.
“I’m sorry, Nona, you know I can’t.”
“What good is being King of the Darkland if you don’t even have the power to save him?” Nona spat.
One of the women behind her bent to the ground. “Come, sister, it’s too late.”
“But I love him, Morta.”
“Love is for the weak.”
“Decuma?” Nona asked the other woman. “Do you not want more from your life than being his slaves?”
“We are not father’s slaves.” Decuma glanced to the man on the throne. “He must do his job.”
Nona dropped her face into her upturned palms and bawled.
Behind them, something creaked.
The tall double-doors swung open. A guard, mostly human-looking minus the small horns jutting from his skull, yanked a man behind him.
“Talan,” Nona screamed.
“Nona,” the man whispered. His dark eyes found hers as a single tear escaped him. “It’s okay.”
Nona tried to go to him, but her sisters grabbed her arms. “Let me go!”
The horned-man stopped in front of the man in the throne. “Hello, Ankou, my king. Here is the man you asked for.” He ignored Nona’s sobs as if he couldn’t hear her.
“Talan.” The king stood, his face still hidden beneath the cape’s hood. “You must make your choice. Continue your life and serve me in the Darkland or face the flames and choose the unknown.”
Talan turned to Nona. “I love you.”
“No!” Nona’s words were but a croak.
“The flames.”
The horned man pulled Talan to the large fire pit and pushed him into the blaze.
When her sisters released her, Nona fell to the ground and wept.
The blackness returned. Scarlett blinked as she opened her eyes and took in the library around her as it reappeared.
Although their appearances had drastically changed, Scarlett recognized the women in the vision: the Fates. Nona, Morta, and Decuma. They had names.
Of course, they did. They looked so normal in the vision. Nona had loved a man. Scarlett felt the ache of her sorrow as if it were her own.
How long ago had the vision occurred? Questions raced through Scarlett’s mind. Why had the book showed her the memory? The last time she’d seen a vision, she’d said an incantation. This time, it showed her the memory on its own.
Whatever the reason, Scarlett now had another piece in the puzzle. The more she knew about them, the better her chance to defeat them. She’d expected Talan to burn in the flames, but instead, he had vanished.
What had happened to him?
A wicked thought crossed Scarlett’s mind. If Talan had lived, would she have used him as leverage? Did sinking to the Fates’ level make her as evil as they were or was it simply a reality of war? In an ideal world, she wouldn’t have to dirty her hands. But that wasn’t practical.
She needed to know more. She placed her palms over the book again and shut her eyes. Beneath her hands, the book’s magic buzzed, but nothing happened.
She waited, counting her breaths.
One…two…three… Finally, on her fourth inhale, another vision came.
This one was different. Instead of watching the room as if she were perched above, she was inside of someone’s head—seeing what the person saw, thinking what the person thought—and she was in the library.
In the vision, Scarlett scanned the room. The outside sky was pink, the warm glimmer of sunset creeping through the windows. Her head jerked toward the door. It was shut. She needed to hurry.
A glance downward showed the book in her hand, its black leather and carved golden designs, as well as the skirt of a dress. She needed to find the right spot to put it. Somewhere out of sight and unlikely to be found by the wrong hands.
She walked to the back of the room and continued past the desk. Quickly, she bent down and pulled out books on the bottom shelf and slid the book to the back, covering it with the books she’d moved.
It would have to do. She didn’t have much time.
She hastened her pace. She’d already taken longer than she should have. She rushed out through the library door and down the hallway.
The sun was almost down.
Down the long hallway and underneath the grand staircase in the castle entryway was a door. She went through it and into a stone room with a staircase leading down. At the bottom, another hallway appeared.
Candles in sconces on the wall lit as she walked by until a large, empty room appeared. She swiftly crossed the room to the wall on the far side where she raised her hands and spoke an incantation.
Life must have balance.
Darkness needs light.
As time turns,
the day brings night.
Red light shone from her hands onto the wall, revealing an archway. Relief filled her as she stepped through it.
The vision dissolved.
Scarlett gasped as she adjusted back to her own reality. She’d been in someone else’s mind. Judging by the skirt, it was a woman’s. Watching the vision through someone else’s body felt odd. Scarlett felt her emotions and saw the things she saw, but she couldn’t
control anything.
Whoever it was, she had left the book there in the library. Was it for Scarlett to find? Or was it meant for someone else?
The last part of the vision excited Scarlett the most. She’d seen the way to the Darkland. She wasn’t sure if she’d be able to summon the portal, but at least she had something to try.
Chapter Twelve
Sage sat on the edge of her bed and slipped on her boots. The dress she wore to the Unseelie Ball hadn’t been as bad as she expected, but the heels had absolutely killed her feet.
She’d played the part of princess to appease her father, but it was a relief to feel like herself again. And to have the mobility pants offered.
Her brother was eating breakfast at the dining table when she entered the room. Next to his half-eaten plate laid a dagger.
“Expecting an attack?” Sage picked a seat across the table.
As if he knew she was coming, a brownie appeared with a plate in hand.
“Thank you,” Sage said as he handed her the food. The smell of rosemary tickled her nose.
“So polite to the help.” Ajax set his fork on the table. He adjusted the gold ring—embellished with a vine design and a flat green stone—on his right hand.
“He was kind enough to bring me something to eat. He deserves gratitude.”
“They work for the court, and whether you want to be or not, you are a princess.”
It wasn’t that Sage didn’t want to be princess. She cared for her court and its people. She just didn’t want the archaic rules of the Autumn Court to constrain her.
When she’d left, she embraced her calling and became strong enough to fight for her court. Much more practical than wearing a dress and looking pretty. And more fun.
“I don’t get it.” Ajax stabbed his knife into a piece of uneaten meat on his plate. “You leave without so much as a goodbye, and then you came back, not begging for forgiveness but because you wanted something. Then you leave again, and when you return, father chooses to take you as his advisor to the Unseelie Court when whispers of war circulate our world.”
