by Allison Rose
She hardly thought about it at all.
Her father’s face seemed to hold a storm of emotions, but he said nothing. And then he looked away.
She remained rooted to the spot, speechless. Then her mother’s expression hardened.
“Go,” her mother said again, making a fluttery gesture with her fingers.
Fear and panic slammed into Sevelle. Right away? Is she banishing me?
“Now?” Sevelle squeaked.
“Now,” her mother confirmed, showing no mercy.
Sevelle felt a sickening feeling, as if free falling. “I need to prepare,” she protested.
“You have done nothing while this court has suffered. There is no more time to spare, Light of the Day.”
On the surface, the words made sense, but Sevelle couldn’t help but feel betrayed.
“Will I be welcome back?” she asked, terrified of the answer, but needing to hear it.
“That remains to be seen.”
Disbelief and dejection filled Sevelle. She desperately tried to think of something to say to redeem herself.
“I was the one in the woods,” Jae spoke up. “Sevelle came after me.”
No, Sevelle tried to catch Jae’s eye. You will only make it worse.
“I will deal with you later, shadow,” Sevelle’s mother said coolly.
“I request that Jae come with me,” Sevelle pleaded.
It is not what Lex wanted, but she would be safe with me.
“Your guardian stays.”
“But—”
“Do not argue. Find a way to end the rebellion and you may keep your position as heir. On your own. Such is the way of rulers.”
Sevelle fought tears that poked at the corners of her eyes. Her cheeks heated as the courtiers continued to whisper. She looked to her father once more. He averted his gaze.
How can they ask this of me? I doubt any heir in history has ever had to prove themselves like this!
“Glorious—” Jae started.
“Shadows don’t speak,” Sevelle’s mother cut her off sharply.
Sevelle suddenly had the desire to run, to fly away, to hide, to never show her unworthy face at the court again.
“I will go.” She meant for the words to come out strong, but her voice was too quiet. She threw Jae one gratitude-filled look, and with a leap and a push of her tired wings, Sevelle took to the air.
Chapter 12
Jae regarded The Glorious in horror as all of the court silently watched Sevelle until she was out of sight above the trees of the garden.
She sent Sevelle away—without much thought. Why?
Then The Glorious turned to face her court.
“You see how easily the Light seeks to run away rather than face the problem.”
Jae’s fists clenched, and her breath came faster. And now she turns on her?
“Back to confinement,” The Glorious ordered the court. Then she turned her gaze on Morlan. “You will make sure she doesn’t go after the Light.” She indicated Jae.
Jae contemplated her chances of vaulting into the air and making it out alive. Her eyes found Morlan in the crowd, along with the others of the guard. They had their spears with them. Morlan gripped his tightly. She thought she saw guilt in his eyes. It didn’t help.
He will take me down if I try to fly.
Her heart sank. Feeling utterly defeated, she forced herself to walk past The Glorious and stalk down the hall to the training room.
Morlan followed close behind her and locked the door once she was inside.
“So you are to be my captor now,” Jae said dryly, not facing him.
“This is for the best,” he said quietly.
Jae whipped around. “Why would you say that?” She just managed to stop herself before she continued with, Sevelle has just been publicly humiliated. And I am still trapped here.
“You will find out soon enough,” was all he said.
Jae gritted her teeth against the many arguments that rose in her mind.
Nothing I say will make a difference.
She sank to the stone floor as Morlan remained standing, arms crossed, gaze on her. She concentrated on the grooves in the gray stone.
I could’ve been free. I could’ve told Lex no. I shouldn’t have come back.
The low whistle of air through the openings in the stone wall was the only sound in the room for a long while.
Slowly, fatigue settled over Jae. Instinctively, she reached down with her own magic to the ara in the stone beneath her.
There was no answering connection.
It was as if an anchor she hadn’t known was there floated away. She gathered her magic back into her core and wrapped her arms around her middle, as if she could keep it there. Her heart pounded in fear, though she knew the blight would not last.
“It does feel like death,” she said, looking up to run her gaze over Morlan. He didn’t look affected, but that meant nothing.
Morlan nodded in silence.
Jae returned her attention to the floor.
“Did they betray you?” Morlan suddenly said. His deep voice was quiet and held a note of pure curiosity.
Jae’s breath caught.
That’s what it looks like, doesn’t it?
“No,” she said, looking up at him. “I chose this.”
Chapter 13
Panic and a pang of loneliness hit Sevelle as she rose through the air, ducking up through the treetops of the garden, pushing off of branches, and tucking in her wings to fit through the narrow spaces.
How can I possibly do this alone?
Just as she burst through the canopy, a hand came down on her arm. She was pulled into the Message Tower. Giving out a small cry as she stumbled and righted herself, she turned and met Mera’s concerned gaze.
“Why are you trying to escape?” Mera asked her quietly.
Sevelle’s heart raced and her eyes widened. “Escape? Mother ordered me to—”
“You offered this as a solution. Why?”
“I need to keep my place as heir,” Sevelle nearly whispered, her eyes pleading. “And someone has to try for peace.”
Mera was silent for one long moment, then her grip tightened to the point Sevelle wanted to yank it away.
“You will return?” Mera demanded.
A glimmer of hope grew within Sevelle. “Yes,” she replied with confidence.
Intensity grew in Mera’s gaze. “Be the Light,” she said. She looked like she wanted to say more. Instead, she stepped back and waved Sevelle away.
Sevelle was hit with a sudden intense need to stay, to remain in the home she knew.
But then nothing will change.
She pushed aside her fear, spread her wings, and took off toward the trees beyond the court. Her path was jagged as the winds tossed her slightly. Her hair blew into her face, and she hastily swiped it away, frowning in concentration to keep in sight the spot where she had followed Jae earlier.
After she touched down, she took one look back.
I will return, she vowed to the structure that now seemed colder and darker. I will return and bathe this place in light. And they will welcome me back.
The goal gave her something to focus on, a lifeline to grasp for the moment.
Sevelle turned to face the woods. She had to find the clearing again where she was to meet Lex.
I can retrace my steps, she told herself, but her anxiety grew as she ducked and weaved through the vegetation. I will find it.
Pausing at an area she thought looked sort of familiar, she pulled herself up onto a branch and scanned the foliage below. Not the clearing, but maybe somewhere close. She looked up, considering climbing higher.
“Sevelle.”
A cry of surprise burst out of her, and she almost lost her balance, at the last second spreading her wings to catch herself.
Lex watched from his casual position against the tree trunk with a slightly amused expression. Sevelle’s cheeks burned, and she had the sudden urge to wipe that
smirk off his face.
He was even more beautiful up close, white-blond braids framing a smooth face with high cheekbones and accenting his light blue skin. He had a wild, reckless look to him, accentuated by the light streaming in from the canopy above throwing shadows onto his face.
Sevelle’s heart raced as her mouth tried to form words.
Lex blinked. “Looking for me?” Even his voice was smoother up close.
Sevelle took a breath. “Yes.”
Lex lifted his eyebrows. “And Jae?”
Sevelle glanced down. “She stayed behind,” she said vaguely.
Lex studied her for a long, uncomfortable minute. Sevelle’s hands went up to smooth her hair. I must look terrible.
“Is Jae well?” Lex finally asked, his eyes following her hands’ frenzied movements.
Sevelle tried to stop her wince. “I do not know.”
But we each made our choices, she reminded herself.
He gave her another evaluating look and then nodded, expression unreadable. “So Jae told you my terms, then?”
Sevelle lowered her arms. “Uh, briefly.”
“I will swear to an oath to keep you safe,” Lex said.
“You will bring me home after I speak with the rebel leader?” Sevelle squared her shoulders and forced herself to look him in the eyes.
He nodded. “I will return you home, Light of the Day.”
She grimaced. “Please, call me Sevelle.”
“As you please.” Lex tilted his head to the side and crossed his arms over his bare chest. “And I trust you will not take advantage of my protection to undermine me?”
“I seek only a peaceful solution,” she said tightly.
A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “That’s a courtly answer if I ever heard one.”
Sevelle frowned. “I am sure Jae has told you I cannot access my magic.”
“That does not mean you will not take what you learn of us and use it in terrible ways once you are returned to the court.”
“I asked my mother not to react to the blight with violence.”
Lex’s eyebrows rose. “And did she listen?”
“No,” Sevelle admitted.
Lex gave her a knowing nod. “Keep that in mind when you return. Whatever you tell her can be used as a weapon.”
Sevelle stared. He is right. I will have to be careful when I come back to the court. If I survive this. If the court survives this.
“And I want you to be straight with me,” he continued. “There is no danger of punishment for speaking your mind. I also need to know your intentions before we continue further. What do you hope to gain from the rebels?”
Sevelle played with the ends of her hair. “I need to save my court somehow—without violence.” Now that she was here, the idea was starting to sound impossible. “Do you think your father will listen to me?”
“I cannot speak for my father, but if he will not listen, perhaps I will speak up on your behalf.”
Sevelle’s jaw went slack. “You would speak for me? You don’t even know me.”
“I feel like I know enough.”
Bold words.
“And why did you agree to take me up to the mountains to see your father?”
“I think you may have more power than you know, and a kind-enough heart to use it to heal.”
A pleasant warmth ignited in her core at the words.
Yet, he is still a stranger.
“Why did you become a rebel? And what is your affinity?” she asked before she lost her nerve.
Lex smiled. “I speak to the beasts. As for my story, perhaps I will tell you some other time.”
He looked above with a frown. “For now, we should get farther away from the court. The blight hasn’t taken full effect yet. There may be others that will come looking.”
Sevelle nodded, wrapping her arms around herself as she glanced around as well.
Spreading his wings of pearly white, he said, “Follow me,” before flying off through the branches.
Startled, Sevelle was slow to step forward. “Where?” she called as she struggled to keep up.
“Verity’s. She has a dwelling in Farryn that we stay in when we travel south.” He paused and looked back at Sevelle. “Has Jae told you about her?”
“No.” Sevelle tried to keep the annoyance out of her voice.
“She will bind an oath between us. And you can stay with her tonight.”
A spirit-user, then. The one who left the vision?
Sevelle wasn’t sure if she should be relieved or wary as she followed him farther away from home.
Chapter 14
Jae jumped and rose from the floor as the door to the training room was flung open. The light streaming in from the openings above had faded as they waited, and faint light streamed in through the doorway from the few Telk stones embedded in the walls of the hall that had magic left in them. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Morlan straighten and give The Glorious a respectful nod. Jae braced for the wrath and punishment.
But there was only silence.
The Glorious stood, eyes focused on Jae, face a mask of passivity.
“Come,” was all she said.
Jae struggled to follow on stiff limbs as The Glorious turned and walked brusquely out of the training room and down the hall. Morlan simply watched them go from partway across the room. He had been silent since their exchange, standing near the door with his arms crossed as Jae had sat stubbornly on the floor.
The Glorious passed the empty thrones and into the study. Jae followed, eyes studying the Day leader, searching for any sign that she was affected by the blight now as well. Though her manner was a little subdued, she held herself tall and proud as always and swept through the court with purpose. Jae noticed with annoyance that she still wore the Telk that was part of her clothing ensemble. Jae’s own limbs felt heavy, and the absence of the feel of the magic in the air around her was disconcerting.
Jae entered the meeting room behind The Glorious. She closed the door, stepped forward a few paces, and stood with her head up, waiting.
Bright blue wings with brown eye markings were all she saw, as The Glorious had not yet turned around. Jae braced for The Glorious’s spirit power in her mind, but felt nothing.
So the blight has affected her, but she can still do plenty of damage without her power.
“I feared this day would come,” The Glorious said. She slowly turned.
Jae made sure to meet her eyes once she faced her.
Stand tall in the face of fear.
The Glorious started slowly pacing. “What was it that you planned to do with the rebel?” She uttered the words in the same sharp manner as the rest, but underlying that was a sick satisfaction born of knowing something for a long time and finally getting to reveal it.
Panic filled Jae to her core, leaving her limbs frozen.
She knows about Lex somehow. I thought I had been careful.
Her insides began to turn to ice. There was no telling what The Glorious would do now that she knew Jae betrayed the court.
How much does she know?
“Well?” The Glorious prompted.
Jae swallowed, trying to make her mouth form words. A plea. A solution. Anything.
The Glorious gave a small sigh as she lifted her eyes skyward in a gesture of disappointment. “I suppose it does not matter. You are standing here before me and Sevelle is not.”
Jae kept still as death.
“You will tell me this, though,” The Glorious demanded. “Who is the rebel?”
Jae’s heart beat like it wanted out of the prison of her chest. “No one.”
The Glorious paused in her pacing, giving Jae a curious look. “He is the rebel Sevelle is with now, is he not? He is one of the faction who made the court weak, brought it to its knees like never before. The one that has our Telk.” Her voice tightened like a wound string. “The same one you made a pact with to one day leave the court. What a diabolic plan.” Something l
ike pride entered her voice. “Shame it did not work out.” With that, she turned her back and strode to the table.
Jae gaped after her, rooted to the spot.
She knows all of it.
The Glorious gracefully sat at the head of the table.
What will she do with me?
Jae swallowed and found her voice. “If you knew, why did you let it happen?”
“Sit,” was all The Glorious said, as if this were any other day—and as if Jae was Sevelle coming to her for lessons.
“I prefer to stand.” Jae knew this was an act of defiance, but what did it matter after all she had done? All she knew was she wanted to remain as far away as possible.
The Glorious contemplated for a moment. “I will overlook your traitorous actions. I still have a need for you in the court, and though you do not know it, your actions just might have given us an advantage.”
The urge to back away threatened to overwhelm Jae.
This is definitely a trap. The Glorious forgives no one.
But she met The Glorious’s eyes across the distance between them. She needed answers. And The Glorious admitted she knew everything Jae thought she had kept secret. There would be no running now.
Jae made her feet cross the distance and take a seat at the ancient wooden table.
The Glorious gave her a smile filled with satisfaction. “I think it’s time you heard a story.”
Chapter 15
The next morning, Sevelle suppressed the urge to squirm under Verity’s gaze. The purple faerie stood only a few paces away from Sevelle, arms crossed, one slim hip leaning against the packed dirt shelf attached to the curved wall. There was barely enough room to stand in the hovel, which was nothing more than a hollowed-out raised section of ground. The only pieces of furniture were the small bed Sevelle had slept on—Verity had curled up on the floor—and a small basin for water.
Verity was tall for a female, with gorgeous lavender wings outlined in sections of a darker purple and a quiet fierceness about her. She wore her long dark hair in a braid that spilled over her shoulder and a tightly wrapped brown cloth that concealed much of her but left room for movement. Sevelle was now dressed in the same fashion, which was a little uncomfortable compared to her slitted skirts. Though she refused to bind her long hair into a braid, instead accepting a strip of cloth to tie it back during travel.