by Allison Rose
My family broke Lex’s. How can he even look at me with kindness?
“My father started the rebels in an effort to get revenge for my mother’s death,” Lex went on before she could say anything. “But that is not my goal. I need you to know that.”
“You are not the least bit hateful?”
“That will fix nothing. Hate blinds you to the truth.”
As he spoke the last words, his core grew bright, morphing into a mix of colors. Sevelle blinked, mesmerized. They warred with the darkness, weaving in and out of it, but none ever coming close to consuming the other. As she stared, she experienced a feeling in her much like a free fall with the wind under her wings.
Sun above, what is going on?
“Sunny?” Lex prodded with a curious tilt to his head.
“I think she would be proud of you,” Sevelle rushed to say as she forced her gaze back up to his face.
He gave her a small smile. “I think that is enough sadness for one morning,” he said. “What of you?”
“What about me?”
“You know my story now. You have not told any of yours yet.”
Sevelle focused her attention back on the ground at her feet. “I am sure Jae has told you the important things.”
“You should never let someone else tell your story. And I want to hear yours.”
A smile tugged at her lips, and a warmth started in her gut.
“Uh, well, you may have heard the story of how I revived a runa from death in my youth.”
The words came rushing out after that. She told him about her upbringing, the Day courtiers, her parents, Mera, her complicated friendship with Jae, and her fear of failure.
And then she waited for him to turn and walk away, to realize the mess of a faerie that was in front of him and the expectations of being the one to save the Day—and the one whose mother destroyed his family.
Instead, he smiled. “Feel better?”
“What?” Sevelle blinked at him.
“To talk,” he explained.
She stared at him.
He’s right. Though I never let myself lament that fact back at the court, where I thought I had everything I needed to be whole.
The thoughts brought another topic to the forefront, and she suddenly realized their knees were touching. She leaned back, subtly breaking the contact of their bodies.
“So,” she said. “You and Jae. I do not suppose you will tell me about that?” She tried to put a playful spin on her voice to hide her awkwardness.
“About what?” he asked, looking genuinely confused.
What if he does not know? It is common for faeries to not even realize it for a while. Or even to deny it.
“She said you two were potentials.”
Lex looked startled. He frowned, then stood. “It is getting late. We should get back.”
She nodded, taking his hand to help her up. She opened her mouth to question more, but then promptly shut it as he walked in front of her.
He clearly doesn’t want to talk about it. I shouldn’t force him.
When they made it to camp, Lex went over to join Couren. Sevelle made to follow, but Verity stopped her with a strong hand on her arm.
When all Verity did was study her intently, Sevelle asked, “What?”
“I thought there was something between you two,” she said it as if she was accepting something. Her grip tightened. “Take care of him, or you will answer to me.”
What did I do this time? Sevelle puzzled.
“You’re going to have to explain,” she said aloud.
Verity studied her a moment. “There is a bond. It is fragile, but it is there. Don’t tell me you can’t feel it.”
Sevelle glanced at Lex. “The colors,” she whispered as her heart stuttered.
Lex is also my potential.
Chapter 26
The following day, as the rest of the court braved the winds of the garden to hear stories, Jae stole down to the meeting room. She combed through the piles of writings, looking for anything that mentioned the heirship or the court structure.
Morlan watched her curiously from the doorway. When she had an armful of papers, she stormed past him, rushing up to her room, where she slammed the door in his face.
She holed up there for nearly the next two days, desperately searching for a way out of the heirship. Anything that would mean Sevelle could return to her rightful place and Jae could leave the court behind.
Everything, including Analare’s own writings, stated that the ruler of the Day faeries had absolute control over who was named heir.
No. It can’t be true.
She rubbed her aching eyes and resisted the urge to tear the delicate papers to shreds.
A knock on her door interrupted her inner tirade. She slipped off the bed and yanked it open to reveal Morlan.
“The Glorious wishes to speak with you,” he said.
“Does she?” Jae replied sourly.
“She won’t appreciate the attitude.”
Jae rolled her eyes, but her stomach churned.
What could she want from me? Is my time up?
She reluctantly followed Morlan on foot to The Glorious’s chambers and strode in without knocking. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Morlan turn and leave.
The Glorious addressed Jae without looking up from the papers strewn across the table in front of her.
“You are still being obstinate. Well, I have summoned you here to share something about the magic sustaining the blight and your precious rebels.”
Jae tensed. And waited.
“You remember the tale of the Silver Dusk,” The Glorious said as if every faerie didn’t already know the story. She looked up at Jae. “The story continues on today, it seems. The one you know as the rebel leader was involved with the Great Destroyers, though I did not know it then. This magic, the one that holds us prisoner now, it has the same black taint as that which I cast from this world that night.
“Their leader is deceiving them. Nothing good can come about if this magic continues to spread throughout Faerie. There is a much larger issue at stake here. Lore cannot be allowed to live.
“I have long suspected he was hiding in the mountains somewhere, protected by his sister.” The Glorious nearly spat the last word. “Though I have to say, I never suspected it would come to this. That he would try to turn our kind against us.”
Jae fought a rising panic. She kept her face blank, wishing she had the ability to discern if The Glorious was telling the truth or not.
If Lex knew his father was using the tainted black of the Great Destroyers, he would not have agreed to it. I hope.
She slowly shook her head.
True or not, this doesn’t look good.
“So you wish to go to the mountains and kill Lore?” Jae guessed. She shifted on her feet, stomach tightening into a knot.
“It must be done,” The Glorious answered.
“And how will you do that while you are affected by the blight?”
In answer, tendrils of spirit infiltrated Jae’s mind. With a gasp, she stepped back, resisting the urge to grab her head in her hands in a vain effort to rid her mind of the magic.
She is unaffected. How?
But Jae quickly pushed that matter aside as the power retreated.
It doesn’t matter now. What matters is that she revealed her plan—or part of it, at least. I need to know more. I need to keep her talking.
“Why wait so long to challenge Lore?”
“He is hiding, but my informant tells me he will retreat to the mountains soon.”
“And why let Sevelle go?” Jae asked.
The Glorious shrugged one shoulder. “Sevelle made her own decision. She chose the rebels over the court.” She held Jae’s gaze, as if daring her to figure it out.
So did I. But you made her the villain.
“She failed to prove herself worthy through her power,” Jae said slowly as it came together. “And saving the court from the r
ebels and an unfit heir makes you look that much more the savior.”
The Glorious’s eyes glinted as her lips curled into a snide smile. “It appears I chose correctly this time.”
“I will not accept my position as heir just because you want it,” Jae bit out.
“Hmm,” The Glorious said softly. The sound was filled with confidence.
And then she breezed past Jae to fling open the double doors. Spreading her brown, marked wings, she flew over the balcony and into the garden.
What is she doing?
Jae rushed to the railing and watched The Glorious tuck in her wings and gracefully drop down to the ground.
With a determined frown, Jae took off into the trees, ducking and weaving to come down behind The Glorious. As her feet hit the soil, she saw The Glorious step toward Sevelle’s tree.
Her heart pounded.
She is going to take the heirship away from Sevelle here and now.
Jae stepped forward. “This isn’t right,” was all that rushed out of her mouth.
The Glorious looked back at her. “Who are you to judge what is right?”
Then a shudder went through the tree, leaves rustling, and Jae felt the power run up through her feet and into her, an awareness that was ancient and foreign. Jae stumbled back at the feeling, so sudden after the ache of the blight. Though she still could not connect to the ara beneath her feet, the energy within the trees beat through her for a moment. And when they retreated, there was still a part of her core that pulsed with their magic.
No. I did not ask for this.
I don’t accept it.
But the connection remained. The Glorious looked on with a satisfied expression as Jae fought to breathe.
This is wrong.
Tears pricking at her eyes, Jae whirled around and ran out of the garden, taking to the air once she entered the hall—
—where she flew directly into Morlan.
Panic mounting, she drew in her wings and dropped. Jae wildly tried to think of a way to escape him, to get back to her room and figure out a plan.
The calm on Morlan’s face gave her pause, though. She hesitated as he dropped to the stone floor with her.
“You are thinking of leaving, aren’t you?” he asked.
“And if I am?” she shot back.
“That would not be wise.” He motioned down the hall. “We should speak privately.”
Jae sighed and forced her heart to slow from its frantic beating, then she followed him as he turned without waiting for her and stalked down the hall to her room. Still reeling, she pushed past him to push open the door.
Once they were alone, she spat out, “Tell me what is really going on.”
Morlan looked directly into her eyes. The mix of fear and pity there brought ice to her veins.
When he was silent a moment more, she burst out, “What? What is it?”
“I have always believed you would be a better ruler than Sevelle. You are stronger. Whatever problems you are having with The Glorious will resolve. The Day needs someone like you as heir. Is that not enough to stay?” Hope had entered his gaze by the time he finished.
“The Glorious just made me heir without my consent,” Jae informed him tersely. “I cannot stay here and rule under someone like that, no matter who she is. I was never meant for this court. It is not where I belong.”
Morlan winced and looked down. When he looked up again, his expression was resolute. “The court needs you, Jae.”
Then he stepped toward her, bringing his lips down to her ear as he whispered, “The Glorious is behind the blight. It is not the work of the rebels.”
Jae felt her world crumble around her.
Chapter 27
Sevelle agonized over her new discovery as they continued to skirt the edge of the Whisper Wood on foot. She was very aware of Lex’s hand in hers.
Does he sense it, too? Should I speak to him about it? Isn’t that how it was supposed to work? Why would he not say something? He is still Jae’s potential, too. Would it be crossing a line?
The eerie deadness of the Wood drew Sevelle’s eye more than once. Sevelle noticed Verity and Couren also occasionally glancing over to where the branches stood still and no beasts roamed.
Only Lex kept his gaze steadily forward.
I can’t imagine what it must be like—
Something suddenly snapped within her, followed by a hollowed-out feeling, as if she lost something precious. Her mouth fell open, and she struggled to draw in a breath.
What in the name of the sun?!
With a gasp, she let go of Lex’s hand and clutched her chest as she fell to her knees, despair welling up and washing over her like water. An odd sensation overwhelmed her, as if she were floating without an anchor.
She could still feel the ara in the land beneath her, but her connection to her tree and the Day Court was gone.
No! She struggled to breathe as panic set in when she couldn’t ground herself in the familiar link to home.
How? How could this happen?
The answer hit her with a force that stunned her.
Her mother had taken away her heirship.
Why? I didn’t even get a chance to prove myself worthy.
She sank further to the ground, tears leaking from her eyes. As if from afar, she heard voices, though couldn’t make out what they were saying.
It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered.
Then a rush of air surrounded her, dancing over her skin and tearing at her wings. She welcomed the feeling of chaos. It matched what she felt within.
In the next instant, all went still and quiet. Like death.
And then the whispers started.
‘No one understands.’
‘Why?’
‘I am no one.’
‘Why?’
A strong hand came down on her arm. “Don’t listen,” Lex urged her, voice close to her ear. “They aren’t your thoughts. You have to get up. Now.”
But her legs were weighed down by some invisible force. She looked up at Lex to tell him, and then noticed the spreading black at his core. A pained look crossed his face as he looked away from her. Then, his expression smoothed out, eyes taking on a glazed look. As if pulled by an invisible string, he stepped away, his hand slipping from her arm.
Sevelle watched him walk away in a daze.
Why is he walking away? Have I failed him, too?
She opened her mouth to call out to him, but the words caught in her throat.
Why would he listen to me anyway?
Then Lex turned his head slightly, and Sevelle caught a glimpse of one tear sliding down his cheek. Her heart stuttered.
I caused this, she thought in anguish. I brought us here somehow.
Her breath came faster. She looked frantically around them. Trees were the only things in sight. It was impossible to tell where they had come. Couren and Verity had vanished.
I need to fix it. I won’t be the cause of his sorrow.
Sevelle lunged forward, just managing to catch his leg. He stopped moving, though he did not look at her. The black continued to spread, staining his insides.
The whispers surrounded them.
‘I did all that I could.’
‘I will never be good enough.’
‘Why?’
‘He does not love me.’
‘Why?’
They are not your thoughts, Sevelle reminded herself, trying to push down the panic. Faith in the light.
‘I only wanted to help.’ The whisper came through louder than the rest, a forlorn female voice.
Lex’s leg slipped out of her hands. This time, he ran forward.
“No!” Sevelle screamed aloud as she rose to her feet and wrapped both her arms around him, almost toppling them both to the ground. She pressed her cheek to the soft membrane of his wing. “Lex! Stop!”
He squirmed silently, though he remained looking forward.
‘I only wanted to help,’ the disembodied female voice whispe
red again.
Could it be her? Sevelle wondered. His mother calling him?
“Lex, she’s gone,” she tried to reason with him. “That is not her.”
Still silence as he continued to struggle, and then he twisted sharply. Sevelle’s arms slipped.
Panic shot through her as he made to run again.
She reached forward with her arms, crying out, “Please, no!” as the darkness, the trees, the voices, the black mass threatened to swallow him.
The ara at her core awoke in a swirling mass. On instinct, Sevelle willed it into Lex, willed it to swallow the darkness, to erase it.
Light to swallow the dark.
Suddenly, it felt as if the breath left her body. The edges of her vision blurred, and she swayed on her feet.
Then there was a jolt as strong arms lifted her off her feet.
‘I only wanted to help,’ the voice whispered again. ‘I am no one.’
“Everyone is someone,” Sevelle whispered dazedly back to the disembodied voice before her eyes drifted closed.
She jolted awake again as the sounds of the wind and the woods came back to her in full force.
“What?” she said weakly as she struggled to pick her head up.
The rough texture of the grass registered on her wings as she was laid on the ground. And then she looked into Lex’s concerned gaze.
“Lex!” Verity’s voice broke into the moment. “What happened?”
“No time. We have to get away from here,” Couren’s voice urged. “No telling if it will swallow you again.”
The darkness! Sevelle’s thoughts started to come back to her through her mental fog. She forced herself up onto her elbows, causing Lex to lean back slightly.
As she focused on his core, she breathed a sigh of relief. The darkness was entirely gone. Only the bright colors remained.
“Sunny?” Lex asked her, sounding a little breathless. He held up one hand to halt the others’ concerns. “What happened? Why was the Wood so drawn to you all of a sudden?”