by Dyan Chick
Heat rose in my chest and I tightened my hands into fists. "I suppose I should be grateful that it wasn't you who found me."
"If it weren't for Cormac's protection, I'd have you thrown out now. Like I said, being sister to the Queen doesn't afford me any rank privileges so Cormac as Prince of the Autumn Court, holds greater power than I do. However, without my blessing, you'll never get to see the Queen."
"I'm not trying to cause trouble here, I just want to find out how to control the magic I have."
"You do realize, if you can control magic from multiple courts, it will make you nearly equal in power to the Queen herself. Why would anyone want a rival like that?" she asked.
I swallowed, not knowing how to respond to that. I wasn't sure how I could convince her I wasn't a threat. Tiana liked to turn my words against me. I bit down on the inside of my cheek to keep from commenting. She was playing games with me. Toying with me. And if I wasn't careful, I'd do something that would cause me to lose.
Tiana stood and lifted her chin high. I knew she was making a show of looking down on me. "I need to rest before I can perform the test. After the evening meal, you and I will meet back here alone. Then, I can find out once and for all the kind of magic you have. And if you can learn to control your tongue, perhaps I will give you my blessing to visit my sister."
She walked toward the door, her gold dress leaving a shimmering puddle of fabric in her wake. When she reached the door, she turned back and looked at me. "There are those who have died having their magic tested. If you are hiding anything from me, you'll want to confess before we begin."
I kept my face expressionless as she turned from me to open the large set of double doors. As soon as she walked through, I collapsed into the chair, lower lip trembling, my mind a swirling mass of confusion.
I had managed to completely offend the one person I should have been trying to impress. I knew it was my own fault. I knew I should've kept my mouth shut. I couldn't help it. I didn't want to be pushed around by anyone anymore and I was tired of being the last to know everything.
What kind of test was she going to give me that had caused others to die? Was that even legal?
How was I supposed to demonstrate to someone that I wasn't a threat? Even with the ability to control the magic of all four Courts, I had no intention of using it. My dream was to live a simple life somewhere where I could make my own choices about what I did each day. I had no ambition of attacking anyone or fighting anyone or taking anyone's kingdom. Why couldn't she see that?
Footsteps sounded in the room I turned to see Cormac entering alone. The doors closed behind him and I straightened in the chair, ready to be disciplined by the prince I had let down. I was under his protection, and when I did something that made me look bad, I knew it made him look bad too. That wasn't my intention. Like a child who knew she'd gone too far, my shoulders sank and I looked down at my hands folded in my lap.
"I'm so sorry. She made me re-live the attack. The one where Ethan nearly died. I couldn't take it."
"She made up her mind about you before she even saw you. No matter what you said, she was going to find an excuse to test you," Cormac said. "I just didn't realize it until she spoke to me just now."
Gently, Cormac touched my chin with his finger and lifted it so I was looking up into his eyes. "You're going to be fine. We have a few hours before the test, we'll help you prepare."
Grateful that he wasn't upset with me I nodded. "It's my fault, though. I pushed her out of my mind."
Cormac's brow furrowed. "You pushed her out?"
"Yes. I know I shouldn't have, but I wasn't sure what she was doing until I'd already pushed her away."
"It's impressive that you were able to push her out." He smiled. "I'm sure she hated that."
"She did," I said.
"Listen, Cassia." Cormac sighed. "We have a long history with Tiana. All of us. If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. But I don't want you to worry, you'll do fine on the test. We know you have the magic that's required to pass it."
"How could it be your fault?" I asked. "You've done nothing but help me. I could never blame you for anything. This is on me."
He brushed a loose strand of hair away from my eyes. "Trust me on this, Cassia. You're not the one to blame here. Tiana has always had a vindictive streak. We were in the Academy together. Ethan, Dane, and I. And I guarantee you she did some digging in our heads before she came to see you." Cormac dropped to his knees in front of me. And took both of my hands in his. "She knows you're important to all of us, and she knows that if she hurts you it hurts us."
"That doesn't make any sense. What could any of you have possibly done to make her so angry?" I asked.
"She and her sister both wanted a bid for Queen's Trial. Each house can only have one champion and she asked us to choose her over her sister. But I know Tiana too well and having her on the throne was not a good idea. She was close with Dane back then and even managed to fool Ethan. But I saw right through her and when it came time to throw our support behind the champions, I was able to convince both Dane and Ethan to side with me against her."
"So all of this goes back to Queen's Trial?” Everything seemed to connect to this. The sooner I could get away from the drama of the Court, the better. “Why would she hold on to the grudge for so long? Surely, she can't still be upset by this?" I asked.
"As I said, she has a vindictive streak. I thought she'd let it go, but apparently not. Now that I think of it, it wouldn't surprise me if she's been waiting until she could find a way to punish us all at the same time and through you, she found a way to do it."
My chest was tight and my heart heavy as Cormac's words sank in. I didn't want to cause this much trouble for him or any of them. "Maybe I should just run away. Is there somewhere I can just hide until this whole Queen's Trial thing blows over?"
Cormac chuckled. "You wouldn't last a day out there on your own without being able to control that magic of yours. You're like a beacon for anything trying to make its way out of the Under."
"Cormac, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for any of this to happen. I'm sorry that I dragged you all into this."
Cormac stood, still holding onto my hands and he yanked me up so I was standing next to him. "No more apologizing to me. Not ever. I chose to take you under my protection. Dane chose to take you into his bed. Ethan told me he thinks he feels the mating bond with you. None of us are going anywhere."
Hot tears stung the back of my eyes and I blinked to try and keep them from streaking down my face. My whole life, I wanted to feel like I belonged. I wanted to feel like I mattered to someone. It turned out, I mattered more than I ever thought I could to three princes that I felt the same way about. Wiping a stray tear off my cheek I took a deep breath in. "Tell me how to survive this test. I won't let you down."
"The most important thing is to be completely focused. No lingering guilt, no lingering anger, no unresolved problems. I need your mind sharp. Whatever it is that's in your head right now that's causing you any kind of turmoil, you need to let it go. Tiana will see emotions as weakness and she'll be able to use them against you. She shouldn't, but she will."
The door swung open and Cormac and I turned to see Ethan walking in with a tray of food.
"No way were letting her take a test on an empty stomach." Ethan set the tray down on the large table, pushing away some of the scrolls and little objects to make space for it.
"Thank you," I said, my stomach growling in response to the smell of food. I glanced to the open door, half expecting Dane to walk in and say something cocky. But he didn't. "Where's Dane?"
"Nowhere," Ethan said.
I glanced at Cormac them back to Ethan. "No more lies. If you want me to have a clear head for this trial, you have to be honest with me."
"She's right," Cormac said.
Ethan's shoulders sank. "You're not going to like it."
"Just tell me," I said.
Ethan glanced at Cormac again before looking back
at me. "He's with Tiana, trying to put her in a better mood before the test."
Chapter Nineteen
"You can't be serious," I said. "She's a nightmare. How could he do anything with her?" What I wanted to ask was how could he do that to me? How could he be with me one night and then turn around and be with someone like her the next night? My insides clenched as I realized that was the exact same thing I had done to him. Was this his way of getting back at me? Perhaps it was his way of telling me or showing me he needed more than just me or that he wasn't happy with Ethan and me.
"He couldn't," Dane's voice carried to the large room.
My heart leapt and I looked over to see him standing in the doorway. I smiled, then ran over to him. "What happened?"
"Oddly, for the first time, I'm happy with one female in my life. I don't need anyone else." Dane hugged me and kissed the top of my head before letting go of me. "The problem is, I probably only made her more angry. Whatever Cormac can teach you about this test, you need to learn it."
"I feel so left out," Tristan said.
"Well, it looks like the gang’s all here," Dane said.
"I take it didn't go well," Tristan said.
"That's not helping, Tristan," Ethan said.
"I'm not sure why you're going to have Cormac work with her. Out of all of us in this room, I'm the only one that's ever gone through the magic test. Granted, I didn't make Tiana angry before she gave it to me, but I may have better insight for Cassia than anyone else." Tristan leaned against the door jamb and crossed his arms casually over his chest.
"Have you really been through it?" I asked.
"I have. My crazy father insisted on having all of his children tested. Poor bastard hoped he would end up with offspring who have the powers from more than one court. It's why we all have different mothers. He kept trying with new women all the time."
I had never heard Tristan talk about siblings before and wondered where the other princes or princesses of the Winter Court were.
"She told me people sometimes die when they take this test," I said.
"A human would die," Tristan said. "Or half-breed. Someone born half of the human realm and half of our realm. Someone with only one court of magic might die, I suppose. I don't think we need to worry about that with you. Based on what we've seen so far, your magic is possibly going to be strong enough that you would be a threat to the Queen herself."
"That's something Tiana mentioned. She said something about how if I have all four powers it makes me dangerous to the Queen. But you know I would never hurt anyone," I said.
"That's not true, Princess," Tristan said. "We've seen you fight when you feel like you're threatened or when someone you love is threatened." Tristan looked over at Ethan then back at me. "She probably saw that when she looked at your memories. She knows you’re a fighter and she doesn't know whose side you're on. The best way for you to survive this, is to make her think you're on her side."
"Isn't she on the same side as the Queen? Isn't that the side I would just be on?" I asked.
"Unless you're Winter Fae," Ethan said.
"I don't think she is Winter," Tristan said. "But I'd be willing to make an exception and allow her to stay if she chose."
"She's not staying with you, Tristan," Cormac said. "And all we're doing right now is wasting time. She has hours left before the test and she needs to prepare."
"Why don't you let her choose for herself, then?" Tristan asked. "She can prepare with me, the only one in this room that has seen what the test entails, or she can train with you, the mighty Prince of the Autumn Court. Favorite to the Queen, war hero, soldier with thousands of confirmed kills."
I looked back over at Cormac, my brow furrowed. "Kills? I thought you were a hunter."
"I told you, Princess. Hunters make the best warriors," Tristan said.
"No need to make her choose," Cormac said. "I want what's best for her. And if you think your knowledge of this test can help her get through it unharmed, you should be the one to do it."
I could almost feel Cormac retreating into himself again. I'd seen him do it so many times before. It was as if I could feel him closing himself off. "Cormac, don't." I wasn't sure how to explain what I wanted to tell him or what I wanted to ask him. How did you explain to such a proud male that you were there for him? Especially when he wouldn’t let you in?
"Tristan, this is serious," Ethan said. "She might not die from the test, but we all know there are other consequences that could happen. Can you do this?"
"I made a promise to Cassia," Tristan glanced at me then looked back to Ethan, "I keep my promises."
"I'll wait outside the door if you need me," Ethan said, grabbing my hand and giving it a squeeze.
I squeezed him back, but didn't have any words to offer as he released my hand and walked from the room, followed by Dane and Cormac. The door closed behind them and I once again found myself alone with Tristan.
"Why do you do that?" I asked.
"Do what?" he asked.
"Say things just to upset Cormac. You knew how he'd react to your words," I said.
"Princess, you have to realize, he's not the golden one you think he is. He's got his share of demons. We all do. Well, maybe not Ethan. He's probably the most adorable of all of us. The rest of us, we're no good for you."
I scowled at him. "I don't need anyone telling me who is or isn't good for me."
He shrugged. "I know you'll never listen to reason, you're in too deep already."
"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked.
"You know what it means. But now isn't the time to argue. Ethan was right. This isn't a game. And we're running out of time to help you prepare."
"We're going to talk more later," I said.
"We will," he agreed. "After the test."
I wanted to press on, to understand what was going on inside Tristan's head, but we were losing time. "What exactly is it? The test?"
"Only those who’ve been through the test truly know what it entails and while you won't die from it, there have been several cases of Fae driven mad by the elements of the test. Most of the time that happens when someone is tested for all four courts of magic. Which is what she's going to do to you. The difference is, I think the madness stems from being tested for magic you don't possess in the slightest. We know you have at least three, possibly four of the courts worth of magic flowing through you. So I doubt you'll walk away from it with too much damage, but we have to be smart about this."
I glanced around the larger than necessary room. Looking for a distraction, anything to take my mind off of the thought of the looming test. I wondered if it would be easier to hear all of this and face my fears if I had Ethan or Dane by my side. I looked back at Tristan. "Why do we have to be alone for this?"
"Because my methods are unconventional."
A trickle of fear ran down my spine. I still didn't know everything responsible for Tristan's dark reputation. I tried to remind myself that the others would not have left me alone with him if they were worried he would harm me. But I still couldn't imagine what Tristan wanted to do that he wouldn't want the others to see.
"At some point, you're going to have to learn how to trust me. Or this isn't going to work." Tristan looked hurt. "I'm trusting you by helping you with this."
The fear I was feeling gave way to guilt. I wanted to trust him. "What is it that we need to do then? I'll do my best."
"What I'm going to do for you has to remain between the two of us. You can't tell the others. You can't tell anyone."
I swallowed hard. "I don't understand what you'd want me to keep from them. Besides, won't Tiana find out when I meet with her?"
"I'm hoping she'll be more focused on administering the test than digging through your head." Tristan crossed the room toward the two chairs, sat, then gesture to one of them. "This is the best way. If you want to be successful."
Squaring my shoulders, I walked over to the chair and sat. "I won't tell. You have my wo
rd."
Tristan knelt in front of me just as Cormac had when he’d come to comfort me after my meeting with Tiana. The sight of the Winter Prince on his knees in front of me was enough to send a rush of lust surging through me. To be honest, I never thought I'd see Tristan on his knees in front of anyone. Least of all me. I shouldn't keep feeling like this about him. What was it about Tristan that made me feel like I wanted to lose all control? Squeezing my thighs together, I took a few deep breaths, hoping he couldn't sense my arousal.
Tristan lifted his fingers to my temples, just as Tiana had done. "I'm going to try and reduce any pain that comes with these memories, but I can't mask it all. You'll need to try to stay quiet. I don't want Ethan or Dane crashing in on us."
"I don't want you digging through my memories." My heart raced and I fidgeted in the chair, ready to push myself past him toward the door if needed. I didn't want to go through that again. Feeling someone else inside my head wasn't pleasant. I was still haunted by Tiana poking around at things I didn't want to see again.
"These won't be your memories. They belong to someone else. As far as I know, I'm the only one who has this gift and no one else knows I can do this. I need you to help me keep it that way."
Understanding why Tristan wanted to do this in secret now, I nodded.
"Close your eyes and try not to fight it." He pressed his fingertips gently against my temples. "I'll be right here the whole time."
I closed my eyes and forced myself to steady my breathing, overly aware of Tristan's fingers against my skin. His touch was cooling and more comforting than I expected it to be. I settled my hands in my lap and waited, anticipation prickling up and down my arms.
All at once, the blackness of the back of my eyelids was replaced by watery, fading sunlight. I recognized the sitting room of Tristan's palace where we spent the night before embarking on this journey to the Queen. There were two figures seated on the couch. One of them small, a child. The other an older female who looked only a few years younger than me. They both had the same blonde hair and the same icy blue eyes. Dressed in the colors of the Winter Court, I knew these had to be important people in Tristan's family. Was the young boy one of his siblings? And who was the female?