by Jarica James
Maddox slips under the table while Emrick inspects the chairs. Jacob goes to the desk and Gerwyn to the shelves behind it. Bowen and I both inspect walls and floors, looking for anything out of place.
Despite running my hands over every odd-looking stone and crevice I can find, nothing seems to make a difference. Everyone else looks like they’re having just as much trouble.
“Have you tried to open the panel with magic?” Maddox calls out to me.
“I would need to know where it was. I don’t feel any spells other than the stone," I explain, throwing a nearby book in frustration.
“Come on Sherlock, we’ve got this," Jacob calls out, beckoning me to the war table. Talking it out like Sherlock Holmes with a lead was always Jacob’s best solution to problems we didn’t know how to solve.
I walk over to the table and pull out the king’s chair, plopping down on the cushion. Jacob and the others join me as soon as they’ve cleared their areas, all of us coming up empty.
“Okay, so the king was one for secrecy and paranoia, right?” Jacob starts. “So we need something that isn’t obvious, but also doesn’t take too much work to activate. He’d want to be subtle and wow his guards. There’s no way it’s this close and he never flaunted it.”
“But we’ve checked all the furniture,” I point out. My hands absently run over the ornate arms of the chair as I study my surroundings, hoping something obvious will pop out at me.
Sitting down is only making my frustration worse, so I grip the arms of the chair and scoot it back. As I stand, I brace myself on the arm rests. As I put pressure on it, something clicks down, a button hidden in the wooden carvings. The sound of stone shifting has my head snapping up in hope.
“Well that did something, but there isn’t a door open.” My voice is full of excitement.
“What did you do?” Emrick questions suspiciously.
“I pushed against one of the carvings and it pressed down like a button," I explain, standing up and going over to the wall.
“There, beautiful," Gerwyn points out a circle similar to the lock downstairs. Oh great, another hand embedded in stone… my favorite.
“That went well the last time," Jacob jokes, bumping his hip against mine as he claims the spot next to me.
As soon as I take a deep, calming breath, I prepare to press it. I have to find the stone, and more importantly my mouse. I go to push my hand into the indent, but Emrick growls and stops me, wrapping his huge hands around my wrist a few inches away from the wall.
“Let someone else try," he commands, looking pained. I put my free hand on his cheek to calm him. My heart warms at his protectiveness, but it has to be this way.
“There’s only me, big guy. I have to," I soothe him before pulling him in for a kiss. He doesn’t look pleased, but he relents with a forced nod.
I don’t hesitate this time, I jam my hand onto the spelled lock before anyone else protests. Just like last time, my hand becomes immovable as stone envelops my hand. This time there’s no guessing, instead I follow the same steps I did last time, making the lock my bitch. After a few tense minutes I have my hand back and the stone wall shifting until a door swings open with a rumbling creak and a shower of dust and dirt.
The room beyond is narrow and long, wrapping around half of the tower. The space would be plenty if it wasn’t so cluttered with treasures.
Stone basins are pushed against the walls, holding more gold than should be possible. On the walls, shelves are lined with antiquities and tomes, all of which look old and expensive. I can almost imagine the king wading in the large gold tubs like Scrooge McDuck.
As I delve further into the room, Dormy’s squeaks catch my attention. I’m relieved that he’s here, and walk as quickly as I can manage in the cluttered space.
Eventually I pinpoint that his distress call is coming from a wooden chest. After flipping the latch, I start to lift the lid but it resists, refusing to budge for me.
“Big guy? I need some muscle," I call over my shoulder. Heavy footfalls make their way toward me until he’s looking over my shoulder. I point to the chest and shift my position so I’m as out of the way as I can be. He grunts as he tries to force the lid open, but it resists. Apparently I wasn’t just weak, his muscles visibly shake under the pressure, but Emrick isn’t one for giving up. He keeps yanking at the lid until a huge crack echoes in the space, the lid ripping clean off.
“That was a bit scary, but definitely impressive," I say with a laugh, in awe of his huge raw strength yet again.
Emrick shifts out of the way with a grin and I hurry forward. Dormouse is huddled in the corner of the box and he squeaks happily as I scoop him out and snuggle him.
“You had me so worried, little buddy. Don’t scare mommy like that again," I chide before handing him off to Emrick.
The chest has a hole carved into its side, lining up perfectly with the one in the wall. Though now a piece of wood is covering the hole, blocking Dormy’s only escape route. Crazy mouse.
With my companion safe, I pick back up the search for the illusive stone. The others join in and we rifle through every box and stack of treasure we can find. Eventually I find a wooden box, no bigger than a shoe box. Inside is an assortment of stones, all varying shades of pale blue. I know one has to be the stone of power hidden in plain sight. Though I have no doubt he knew exactly which one held his power.
“I found it! Sort of,” I call out, rushing out to the war table and dumping them out. I spread them over the surface of the table so I can properly see them. Most of the stones are shiny and have odd edges. Only one is smooth and shaped perfectly to fit in the indention on my crown. Not to mention it practically thrums with magic the moment my hand hovers near it.
The light blue stone has swirls of silver, giving it a unique look, almost an icy blue that perfectly depicts the lands. I pick it up and grab Gerwyn’s hand, walking over to an empty side of the room in case the Spirits want to have a word again.
“Ready? This is your last chance to run away from this crazy," I ask hesitantly, but I want him to be absolutely sure. I’m even more nervous than I was the first time. The first time we didn’t know what would happen, this time I know I’ll be greeted with pain and overwhelming power.
“I’m ready, beautiful," he meets my gaze so I can see the confidence and love radiating through him. It effectively clears up any doubts I have and I close my eyes.
Time to fix Winter.
As I unleash my magic, I realize that the corruption in this stone is so much stronger than Spring. It’s a sickly, thick magic that seems to drown everything in its path.
Sweat forms on my brow and my muscles shake as I use everything I have to push my magic into the rounded stone, eradicating all traces of corruption. It takes longer than the last time, but this court wasn’t abandoned, it was the epicenter of the war.
As the last of the darkness is pushed from the stone, a flash of light shines against my eyelids and I open them to find the entire stone now glowing with an inner light. It’s so bright I have to squint as I stare at it, the harsh beauty of Winter perfectly represented in a stone.
Placing the stone carefully in Gerwyn’s palm, I grab his free hand and take a deep breath. He delicately places the stone into the second spot on my crown and a blinding light shoots out, enveloping us completely. The moment the world fades from view, we’re lifted into the veil of the Spirits. Each time they speak to me, the world around us is the same. A shroud of fog and bright light that is unlike any place I’ve ever seen before.
In the center of the cloud circle is a group of raised stones, resting in a bed of fresh fallen snow. Small glowing orbs float around, making it seem like we're in a fae sized snow globe.
“You have found your second stone and your second king. We approve. We have felt the mad king’s darkness for too long. We were powerless to stop him as he used the stone to control the spirits, corrupting a gift we’d bestowed upon him. When he stopped the spirits from lending us t
heir strength, we were weakened. You returned them to where they belong. Now only a few remain roaming the lands. If you had doubts before, this victory should solidify your confidence that we chose you well, Queen Arabella of all Faerie. You are our champion and will restore our power,” the echoing voices of the Spirits sends chills down my spine. The mix of melodic voices of different pitches and genders makes it hard to concentrate on their words. I bow low, before peeking at Gerwyn. For once, my wise knight doesn’t search for knowledge, he simply observes in silent awe.
“Winter King,” the voices call him out and he stands straighter. “You have been chosen, long before you came back to these lands. We chose the four of you and made sure you survived this senseless war. The people made their choice. They started and fought in this war though we gave them every opportunity not to. You and your brothers rose above the masses and tried to help anyone you could. It did not go unnoticed. Bella was chosen from birth, but you were chosen for your worth, and that is a great honor. That honor is the reason she was born with a portion of each of your souls within her, tying you together as a brand new royal line. One day, your son will be a true, humble king. He will take over the realm and Faerie will continue to prosper,” the voices continue speaking, but my mind freezes at the thought of children. It’s something I hadn’t given much thought to.
Was I already pregnant?
Would I be soon?
Do I even want that?
The answer is yes, but right now isn’t the time. We are in no place for children yet. We’d just have to trust that it would come when the time was right. Fate hasn’t steered us wrong yet.
The Spirits keep talking, not allowing my brain time to spiral, which is probably for the best.
“I bind you together, Winter knight. You will share your magic and add to hers. You will be the strong and wise leaders Faerie needs, paving the way for future generations to succeed. I give you our blessing.”
Gerwyn bows to the Spirits, a wave of pride and awe that isn’t my own courses through our new bond. Now that we’re connected, I send him a wave of confidence and reassurance, knowing how intimidating the Spirits can be. His wide violet eyes turn to me, but the Spirits aren’t quite done with us yet, there would be time later to explore our bond.
“The Court of Autumn is your next destination. The realm is not as calm as it appears and Autumn is the most urgent. The court was full of warriors and will be harder to navigate than any other. Life still lingers there, despite our efforts. Good luck, my champions,” they finish. An overwhelming flow of magic slams into me. The Winter magic is cold and volatile, stronger and more fierce than the gentle magic of Spring.
Now I have enough magic for three people, and it threatens to burst my body apart from within. The power courses through my veins, pushes against my skin, and vibrates through my muscles until I don’t think I can handle it any longer. A feral scream rips from my throat, cutting through the silence like a knife.
The magic seems to reach a peak, stabilizing when it’s at the most agonizing point. My body starts to convulse with the overwhelming power and I grit my teeth to try and keep from some semblance of control.
My voice is gone, only screams coming out every time I open my mouth. I can’t tell Gerwyn what to do to ease this, though I turn to him and beg with my eyes. He’s still in a daze, like he can’t process what’s going on.
The air shifts as our bodies float back down to the ground. I know the moment we were part of the real world again, because Bowen starts shouting at Gerwyn, breaking him from the daze.
“Touch her! Now!” He commands, causing Gerwyn to jump into action and scoop me up. The moment his skin touches mine, the magic flows through us both. Bowen rushes to my other side, reaching for my arm. The overwhelming pressure eases even further as it flows through both of my bonded kings. It takes several minutes before the power settles within us and I can function.
My body is still shaky and my limbs feel weak, but I can move and speak now. The pain is unbearable each time, but at the moment I can’t find it in me to care. The Spirits said that we were bonded by souls as well as magic. That one sentence eased my mind. We were truly made for each other.
The others stand by quietly, each expression tired and concerned. Shifting, I try to stand up so they don’t keep worrying but I can’t put pressure on my limbs. Bowen and Gerwyn each grab an arm and help support me. Once I’m up, they walk me over to the king’s chair again, settling me into it to rest. As Gerwyn let’s go to sit nearby, I see his royal mark glowing on his wrist.
“I see you have the mark now too," I say with a smile, pointing to his new silver-blue mark. He smiles happily and turns his wrist over so the others can see.
The others all take a seat around me. As soon as Jacob sits, Dormouse scurries down his arm and runs to me. Once he is perched in his usual spot on my shoulder he starts one of his squeaking lectures. I smile and pat his tiny head.
“You scared me today too, now we’re even," I joke, but Dormouse gives one last reluctant squeak and stops.
“That mouse understands you, Bella. You have your own nature magic and some of mine now," Bowen says with a smile. The idea that Dormouse truly understands what I say makes me smile. I knew there was more to him than I originally thought.
Taking a moment to regain my balance, I sit contentedly as I listen to the others talk around me, keeping their conversations light.
The bonding takes more out of me than I care to admit. As if sensing the weakness creeping back into my body, Bowen and Gerwyn both reach for my hands. With the contact renewed, a new surge of energy flows between us, restoring mine. It almost seems that whatever I’m low on, their bodies give. Interesting.
“We need to discuss what our plans are," I announce to the group, squeezing Bo and Wyn’s hands before releasing them and sitting forward.
“Yes, we need to get back. Our poor camp has probably lost all morale," Jacob adds in a worried tone. I know he’s referring to River more than anyone.
“There are over five hundred new Fae here now. We can’t take them to camp, we don’t have the room" Maddox points out and I frown at the dose of reality he just gave me.
“But here they have shelter, food, and comfort,” Jacob points out.
“Though no protection,” Maddox and Emrick both add.
“I think it would be best to offer them to come with us if they want, this castle holds many bad memories for them. If they stay it’s without extra protection until we can get a representative to stay here with them. Possibly Bella’s parents?" Bowen offers.
I nod in agreement before laying out my ideas. “Good point. Before we leave, we can spell the courtyard in case the Spirits release more creatures. I may even be able to repair a few walls and test out the magic bending a bit. That reminds me… I need to speak to Andras. I want to create a portal that allows me to go from castle to castle, including our place in New Faerie. There has to be a way.”
“He’ll just hate a reason to lock himself away with research,” Jacob says sarcastically.
We continue throwing ideas around, the mood much lighter now that we have the stone where it belongs. My energy drops again, my body needing rest more than just holding onto my bonded kings. I’m just content listening to them talk around me, drifting off to sleep warm, comfortable, and safe.
Chapter 15
Fuck, I really need to work on not passing out.
This time I wake up on the couch in the common room of our suite. The fire is roaring and it’s quiet.
“Good morning, sweet girl.” My mother’s voice drifts over to me and I sit up quickly to look at her. The movement causes my head to spin and I groan, clutching it and breathing through the nausea. I take a moment to feel normal, before speaking to her.
“How are you feeling?” She has color now, and even gained back some of the weight she lost. She no longer has hollow eyes and that’s the biggest improvement. Now they are full of love and kindness.
“I
’m a new woman. My powers are still drained and will be for a long time, but I feel healthier and I have you back, my sweet girl. Thoughts of you being alive kept me going, having you and your father is more than I ever thought I would get,” she explains with a soft smile, a tear leaking down her cheek.
“I never thought I would see you," I confess in a shaky voice. I have so many questions racing through my head, but I don’t dare to ask yet, in fear of crying.
“I’m so sorry it had to be that way. The fact you didn’t grow up in a cell is enough for me, but I realize it’s not easy for you. I would never have left you if I had another option. Just know that your father is nothing like the king… and you won’t be either,” she says as she stands up and pulls me into her arms. The warm hug from my actual mom is more comforting and amazing than I ever dreamed it could be. A feeling of pure love and acceptance sweeps over me, settling something within my soul. A family… a real family.
“We have to leave today," I confess, curious if she would be coming with us or not. I leave my unspoken question hanging in the air between us, dreading her answer.
“I know, and I think your father and I need to stay. I won’t be able to make a long journey quite yet. Don’t worry about us, love. We will see each other again, and hopefully by then I’ll be whole." The genuine sadness in her tone at having to part ways mirrors how I feel. But I nod at her admission, knowing it’s for the best. I just wish we’d had time to really get to know each other.
“We’ll come back,” I promise. “I’m working on finding a way to create a portal to the castles, so travel isn’t so tedious and long.” Her face lights up with a gorgeous smile, making her look years younger.
“I’m so incredibly proud of you, Arabella. You’re a wise and thoughtful Queen, and an even more accepting daughter than I could have hoped for," her voice is full of emotion as she pulls me in for another hug.
“I’m just happy to have you back, even if it’s not enough time yet. We’ll make time once Faerie is in a better place.”