by K.N. Lee
One afternoon, she was lead through the palace by a woman named Keima, whose nose was long and lips thin and always held tight against her teeth. She didn’t smile, and rarely looked Elle in the eyes.
Once she left her in the foyer, and freed her from her daily duties, Elle all but raced outside into the gardens.
She stood outside, and set her hair loose, removing the pins and combs that had been stuck in it. Relieved, she leaned against the white, stone fountain and gazed up to the sky.
To her dismay, the sun was beginning to set. She’d spent an entire day with that woman.
Nonetheless, just being free from the constant scheduling and demands was bliss. To listen to the soft wind and birds chirping reminded her of home.
Her cheeks burned as she realized that wasn’t entirely true. She had enjoyed one brief, stolen moment with Alexi, one where he kissed her in the corridor, and continued about his busy day.
That short moment was worth everything she’d endured that day.
She thought of going to find him, but the palace was massive, and she hadn’t seen him again at all throughout the entire day. Just remembering their sacred moment of pure pleasure made her cheeks heat and her core throb with the memory.
As she turned to give it a try, warnings clutched her gut, and left her immobile.
Something was amiss.
She held her breath, sensing someone’s presence. Someone who didn’t belong there.
Elle slowly turned, her heart beating against her ribcage.
The woman moved faster than the wind, and was an inch in front of her before she could blink.
Silence filled her ears.
Blood raced to her face.
Elle gasped, and a hand was clasped over her mouth. Long, bronze fingers curled over her face, silencing her.
Sister Gulathi.
A Serpent Sister.
22
The wind stilled, and Elle was left in the grip of terror as the tattoos on Sister Gulathi’s face began to glow.
Her smile stretched from ear-to-ear, and she smoothed Elle’s jawline with one long finger.
She was all bronze skin and beauty, but it hadn’t been long ago since she’d informed Elle that she’d be sacrificed to the serpent god.
“Silence,” she said, and Elle’s voice was lost to her.
She tried to speak, to scream, and nothing came forth.
Panic filled her eyes, but Sister Gulathi continued to smile.
“You’ve been a good girl—better than I imagined. Better than we could have dreamed,” she said, her voice wavering. “You’ve resisted that wolf’s charms. Now, the real work will begin. Now, you will know true greatness. True power.”
The Serpent Sister tossed back her head and breathed an icy breath. It took the shape of a tiny dragon with glowing, green wings that left a fog along the air with each flapping of its wing.
The glittering mist touched her cheeks and seeped into her eyes.
The cold shot up from her feet—like tiny pin pricks—and to the top of her head as the Serpent Sister’s magic weaved its way into her body. Frozen, she stared at the woman’s bright eyes as utter helplessness washed over her.
In a gust of wind and golden flames, Sister Gulathi spun in place and vanished. A flurry of her robes was the last Elle saw of the woman.
“No need to fear,” she said, her voice inside Elle’s head.
Elle fell to her knees, the hold on her subsiding.
Though Sister Gulathi was gone, her voice remained.
“You now know the truth of your captors. Kill the queen. End the war.”
The whispers filled her mind and wrapped around her like a blanket soaked in cold water. She shivered, disgusted by the sensation.
“Get out of my head,” Elle said, clutching her arms across her chest. She spun around, searching for the wicked woman who had cursed her.
“It isn’t a curse,” she said. “I’ve simply awakened you, dear. I’ve whispered to your soul and asked it to set your magic free.”
Elle froze. “What do you mean?”
“You’ll see,” Sister Gulathi’s voice said, and her soft chuckle faded into Elle’s mind.
For a moment, Elle waited, but she was certain Sister Gulathi was gone.
“Dear me,” Elle said to herself, sinking to her knees. She knew what Sister Gulathi had said to be true. A surge of energy traveled through her body, so much so that she had to dig her hands into the ground and hold on. It felt as though her body was going to shoot into the sky. The rush of cold, and light threatened to break free—to erupt.
She squeezed her eyes shut, and prayed for it to stop. Despite her attempts, it persisted, warming her skin, tearing through her muscles.
Fear of being ripped to shreds left her hyperventilating in the middle of the garden, hidden by the bushes.
Alone.
She ground her teeth against the pain.
No.
No.
Stop. Stop.
Stop!
She heaved and coughed, and held her chest.
No, this will not do.
Her old teacher’s words came to her, then.
Clear your mind.
Set the intention that you are in control.
You are the only one who can direct your power.
It cannot direct, or control you.
She gasped, now knowing what to do.
Clearing her mind of all thoughts and fears was the only way to calm the magic threatening to destroy her and everything around her.
Sweating, and panting, Elle clutched her chest. Her heart beat so loudly and forcefully that she could feel it thumping against her ribcage.
Her eyes opened, and the world was still.
Spent, she fell backward, and welcomed the darkness that followed.
23
Running was the one thing that cleared Alexi’s head.
The stress and pressure of running an entire kingdom left him uneasy, but dutiful to the crown that would be placed on his head.
While he raced through the trees and leaped over fallen logs and underbrush, his heart thumped and his head spun with a storm of emotion that threatened to send him spiraling.
Elle had yet to decide if she would be his, or that blasted dragon’s.
He knew war was just at their door, and that she might be the key to stopping it. But, he also knew she was the exact cause of it all. After he’d caught the fae stumbling around their realm, he knew they were in much deeper than anticipated.
After his morning run, he strode back toward the palace, a grim look on his face as he ripped off his shirt and flung it over his shoulder.
To his surprise, Elle lay in the garden.
The fear that ran through his entire body was unlike anything he’d experienced. Not even learning of his mother’s illness elicited such absolute terror within his soul.
His brows rose, and he ran to her. Kneeling by her side, he checked her for a pulse. She was alive. Her breaths were shallow, and her face paler than usual.
He picked her up, and carried her through the gardens and up the stairs to take her into the palace. Once inside, the guards rushed to him in alarm.
How they missed her being nearly lifeless on the ground was beyond him, but his main priority was making she was alright.
He stormed past them, and took her up the staircase and to her room. He laid her on the bed and tugged the cord, summoning her lady’s maids.
Two young ladies rushed in, and their eyes widened with shock at seeing their mistress on the bed, her hair strewn about.
“Summon the physician and get her some fresh water,” he ordered, and they both sprang into action to execute his demands.
Alexi sat by her side, and worked at loosening the tight corset binding her torso together. He wasn’t sure what happened, but he’d heard of women fainting from their corsets being too tight.
As he undid the tiny buttons, it slackened a bit. Still, she didn’t awaken.
He
frowned down at her, a churning worry brewing in his gut.
With a tenderness he didn’t know he had, he stroked her face, and leaned close to her ear.
“Wake up, Elle,” he whispered.
She stirred, and—to his surprise—she turned to him, her head lolling to the side, and opened her eyes.
Eyes the shade of the summer sky stared back at him, and Alexi was nearly left breathless. Why hadn’t he noticed how magical they were before then—how her innocence shone through? Or, the tiny freckles on her face, how they glittered against her pale skin? He sucked in a breath, noting the way her red hair was so bright that some strands were like pure gold.
It was as if he was seeing her for the first time.
There was something…different about her.
As he took her all in, her eyelids fluttered and closed once more.
Alexi fell back onto the floor, staring at her in amazement. Had that just happened? Did he imagine her awakening?
Shook, he closed his eyes, and activated the sacred link he shared with his brothers.
“Come,” he said. “Elle needs us.”
24
When Elle awakened, she was in her bed, and Alexi was sleeping in the chair at her side.
She frowned, noticing how dry her throat and tongue were. She sat up, and reached for the water at her bedside table. The bed creaked, and Alexi opened his yes. He sat up, immediately, and helped her with the water.
“You’re awake,” he said, handing her the water.
She drank the water in greedy gulps, desperate to sate her thirst.
“How do you feel, my love?”
She closed her eyes, wincing at the pain in her throat, and how much her muscles ached.
Why was she so sore?
She tried to think back, and images of Sister Gulathi flooded back to her. Gasping, she flung the covers off of her body and stared down at the strange marks littering her once-white, clear flesh.
Now, black, and gold markings covered her legs and arms. Alexi pulled her skirts up higher up her thigh, revealing more drawings.
“Who did this to you?” Alexi asked, in disbelief.
Confused, she drew her legs into her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She buried her face onto her knees and shook her head.
“The Serpent Sister,” she said, remembering it all. “She came to me in the garden. She—she did something to me. With a dragon, and magic.”
It all made no sense. Why would that woman come all the way from Shiran to hex her or do something as strange as this?
She glanced at Alexi, making sure to omit the part about his mother.
That, she still needed to figure out.
“What did she do?”
Elle shrugged. “I do not know. I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
Scratching his chin, Alexi studied her.
He was doing that thing again. The thing that made her think he could see directly into her soul, and read every secret she had tucked away there.
“I must talk to the elders about this. They have to know something about this kind of magic,” he said.
She nodded, chewing her bottom lip. Fear settled into her throat, and she didn’t know what to do to ease it. Instead of crying, or panicking, she reached for him.
He came to her, and they locked in an embrace that nearly soothed her frazzled nerves.
It was then that the world seemed to go mad.
25
Alexi stormed from Elle’s room, an intense look of rage on his face. He walked past the guards to head to the north wing.
Something wasn’t right. Danger wasn’t coming. It was here. He could feel it warning and nagging in his belly, and left deep lines of worry in his forehead.
At the top of the stairs, a gust of wind blew his way and he turned to the left to see an open door that led out to the third floor wrap-around balcony that stretched around the left side of the palace.
Drevah stood on the balcony, looking toward the mountains. He must have sensed his presence, for he turned to face Alexi, hands on his hips as he stood nearly a foot taller, and looked down at him.
“Is she okay?” Drevah asked, barely looking his way. His eyes were fixed on something else—something beyond.
“She’s resting,” he said.
“Aye, that’s good,” Drevah said. “But, we have bigger problems at hand.”
Alexi raked his hand through his hair. “What are you talking about?”
“They are here,” Drevah said, and Alexi lifted a brow.
“Who?” Alexi asked, stepping outside.
He peered out into the horizon, and Drevah joined him at his side.
“Fae. Armed,” he said, and he and Alexi shared a glance. “They’ve come for her.”
Before he could utter another word, a shrill screeching rang through the air.
With a glance outside and to the skies, his blood ran cold at seeing the fae, riding their gryphons, or in flight with their own wings, one of his greatest fears was realized. Beasts filled the air. Invaders rode them with their swords and spears held ready.
Dear spirits, they were not ready for this.
An explosion erupted from the other side of the palace. It shook the entire ground, and howls of agony filled the air.
“We’re under attack,” Alexi said, and ran back the way he’d come.
Drevah was close behind, their feet pounding down the hallway as they ran to alert the guards.
Something stirred in his gut. He might lose Elle on this day.
26
Loud footsteps and yells woke Elle from a deep slumber full of dragons and wolves.
Disoriented, she raced to her door just as Alexi and Drevah burst in.
“Elle,” Alexi said, and took her by the arms. He pulled her out of the bed.
Alarm gripped her, making it hard to breathe or swallow as she looked into his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Elle dared to ask.
“We are under attack,” Alexi said, and Elle’s stomach dropped.
First Sister Gulathi. Now this.
“By who?”
Drevah frowned. “The fae.”
“They’re coming for me, aren’t they?” Elle asked, images of her mother’s fae mark coming back to her. It was a crescent moon on the back of her neck, usually hidden by her thick, red hair.
Her skin tingled with magic, and to her surprise, it began to glow.
“What’s happening to her?” Drevah asked, worry filling his usually gruff voice.
Alexi held tighter to her. “They are trying to cast a summoning spell on her.”
“I’ll kill them,” Drevah said, turning away to head down the hall.
“Wait,” Alexi said. “I’d rather you take Elle away from here while there is time.”
He paused, and looked over his shoulder. His eyes locked with Elle, and she wished anyone but Drevah was tasked with this mission.
“Take her to Father Corin, through the old tunnel system. He keeps a small academy of young men and women, teaching them the art of wyzardry and sorcery. She will be well looked after there.”
Drevah nodded, and as he reached a hand out for her, chills raced up her spine. Such a big hand, belonging to the biggest man she’d ever seen in her life.
She swallowed.
Anyone but him.
Hesitant, she looked to Alexi. “What about you?”
He held her by the shoulders. “I must stay and protect the palace, my mother, and all of the innocent wolves who dwell in Castilan. You, go with Drevah and stay away until I send for you.”
Tears burned Elle’s eyes, but she nodded. She understood his heavy weight of duty.
It was then that she took Drevah’s hand, and was whisked away from the first place that had began to feel like home since she was taken from her grandparent’s farm.
As the palace shook, and chaos ensued around them, Drevah led her to a secret doorway in the servant’s quarters. They ran along the dark, stone corridors, and
realized she was holding her breath.
“Why are we running?” Elle asked, glancing over her shoulder as a rumbling sound rang in her ears. The ground vibrated beneath her feet and the slick ceiling groaned above.
“Because you’re too important to risk being taken again,” he answered, grabbing her by the hand. “So, keep up.”
She gritted her teeth, and quickened her speed. Through the stone maze they ran, splashing in murky puddles.
Once they reached the end of the corridor, Drevah pushed a large door open and Elle beheld an underground river.
“Right,” he said. “We swim the rest of the way.”
She licked her lips, but didn’t protest. He already thought she was weak and useless. Best to not perpetuate that stigma.
She tore off the lace and satin, leaving herself in just her undergarments. Standing, ready, she met his steely gaze. “Let’s go.”
He gave a single nod, and leaped into the dark water.
Elle followed, the shock of the cold water startling her. Through the rushing river they swam, and fought the current to escape the cavern. All the while, water clogged her ears, and she struggled to keep sight of Drevah in the pitch black. Green light glowed in the distance, and they raced toward it.
The cold and fear ate at her exposed flesh and worried mind.
They’d left the others behind.
She focused on holding her breath, desperate to make it back to the sweet fresh air.
Panic filled her veins as her lungs screamed for air, and her strokes lost power.
Drevah was too far. She couldn’t reach him. The more she tried, the harder the current fought to stop her.
The green glow and promise of light and air evaded her, and she suffered an agony unlike anything else she’d ever felt.
She was drowning.
Dying.
Drevah turned to see her struggle, and raced back toward her.