by Gwynn White
She sat dead still, unsure what to do with such raw emotion. “W-why would I judge you?”
“Because the fae you are in with love has paid for my actions—and will continue paying for centuries to come.”
By all the darkness! How could he say that in front of everyone? In front of Averin? Another blush screamed across her skin. She kept her eyes down—anything to avoid seeing Averin’s reaction. This was not how she wanted to declare her feelings to Averin. That truth had to be carefully managed to ensure it was well received—especially as she hoped it would change their lives for the better.
“I’m not blind,” Rican said gently. “It’s obvious to anyone with eyes, who wishes to see, of course…” She glanced up to see him glower at his mother. "That you and my brother stand on the brink of something special.”
Still avoiding Averin, who’d gone dead quiet, she whispered, “I’m the queen of bad bargains, so I don’t judge you. Please just explain to me why you made yours.”
Rican turned to face the room, keeping her in his peripheral vision, even though she shifted away. “What my parents were doing seemed so straightforward. On the surface, at least. Drain a little bit of magic from everyone in Zephyr to keep the lie alive. That sounds fair, doesn’t it? But it wasn’t fair, and I couldn’t stand back and let it happen.”
“I still don’t get it. What was wrong with it if everyone agreed?”
“And there we get to the rub.” Averin’s voice was bland. “Our fae couldn’t be told what was happening, could they? So how could they agree? That’s what Rican found intolerable. Hence the mess we’re in now.” There was no malice in Averin’s voice—just resigned candor.
There seemed to be only one answer to the catastrophe, no matter how obnoxious. “And if you do that secret syphoning thing again? You must have done it while we were crossing Ocea, when Darien blocked Averin’s magic.” She had to marvel that Averin had hidden any anxiety he felt for Zephyr. Another trait he’d inherited from his mother?
Seph barked a laugh. “What do you think has hastened my fading? Every time I’m forced to steal from my people, my body decays further.” He stretched out in his chair before settling his elbows on the table. “As I’m sure you know by now, all magic exacts a cost. That was the price of Rican’s deal. Under the circumstances, it seems fair that I paid it. Trouble is, it doesn’t stop with me. Capricious magic! The price is exacted on my entire bloodline. Any Zephyr monarch who steals from our people will watch their body wither.”
Stasha buried her face in her hands, suddenly understanding Geminara’s resentment for Rican. “What would you have me do?” Her voice was muffled. So as not to appear weak, she lifted her head. “Tell me what you need, and if it’s in my power to help you, I will.”
Geminara’s eyes glinted, and she leaned forward. “It’s indeed in you power. We want you to seal with Rican before Seph finally fades. That way, the new king of Zephyr will have access to your limitless power. It’s the only way to save Zephyr and thus avenge ourselves against Darien.”
Stasha froze, then shook her head, not sure she’d heard Geminara correctly. “You want me to… to seal… to marry your son?” She pointed a hesitant finger at Rican, desperately hoping she’d gotten this wrong. “That one.”
“He will make you a queen.” Geminara said it like the stupid title could be the clincher. “You will rule Zephyr at his side.”
This could not be happening. Not after everything she’d gone through to flee Askavol. Not after being willing to—wanting to—give her heart to Averin. How cruel that after losing Tarik, she’d finally fallen in love again, but this time, it was to a fae who’d brought her home as an offering to his brother. Her stomach lurched.
The disaster she’d asked for had just arrived.
Stasha rubbed her temple. That cursed headache was back. She longed to look at Averin but didn’t trust herself not to set fire to him.
What had he been thinking? That she’d understand that he had to honor his family but that he wanted her to refuse Rican? Well, then, some warning would have been nice. Yet despite ample opportunities, he hadn’t breathed a word to her about defying his family. No. His mother was right. Averin had no interest in her beyond the stated goal: get her to Zephyr so she’d seal with his brother.
Worse, the swine knew exactly how much she despised and dreaded arranged marriages to strangers. She’d been preparing to flee just such a thing when he’d found her at the fighting pit in Askavol. Yet… here they were.
And not one word from the coward about the supposed bonding everyone other than his precious mother saw happening between them. They could have sealed and been together for eternity. The adventures they could have gone on.… Tears threatened to sear her frozen cheeks. How could she have given her heart to such a moron… such a worm? She blinked and sucked in a deep breath to will the tears away.
She would not cry in front of these fae.
“But I don’t have air magic.” Still, the effort to keep her voice from trembling was too great to bother. She let it waver. “I hardly think fire magic will keep your carnival glamour and vortex in place.” Curse them all before she ever mentioned having water magic. “And I know for a fact that Her Majesty despises heat.” Let the cold-hearted queen hear her title spat by her supposed “ally.” The Zephyr royals were no friends of hers.
She couldn’t resist a glance at King Seph. As calm as a summer’s day, the traitorous swine relaxed in his chair, sipping his potion. So much for all his plans to save his family. Being seen a great king in his wife’s eyes had clearly won against any other priority. Another worm—father and son, both.
And as for Rican—
He stood at the window with his hands clenched behind his back. His fingernails had scored bloody half-moons into his flesh. It broke her heart that he, the only one with any honor in this family, was forced to walk away from the fae he loved for this… this travesty.
“Are you sure about your magic?” Averin’s voice was bland.
She spun in her chair to snarl at him. “You dare doubt me?” Unable to bear the darkness, not only in his eyes, but in his whole bearing, she jumped to her feet. “You do know that I could take Deja and leave Zephyr? I can spread the word about the true state of this kingdom wherever I go.” Not that she would ever be so malicious. It just wasn’t in her bones. And if Averin truly loved her, he’d know that.
King Seph gave her a tired smile. “You think us so foolish? Your tongue is locked on this subject.” He waved at the door. “The spell kicked in as you crossed the threshold. It will only lift if one of us commands it.”
Impale them all with ice arrows! her water magic screaked.
Inexplicably, her fire magic didn’t rustle, although it was alert and listening.
I’m not exposing my truth to these traitors, she snarled back. She clenched her fists to stop ice from slipping through her fingernails. Tree, now more than ever, keep this spiteful water of mine in check. Something squeezed her heart, and she guessed the tree had heard her and would comply. With one less thing to worry about, she straightened her back.
Silk skirt hitched, Queen Geminara glided to her. “I get that this is both unexpected and difficult. Cruelly unfair too, as you’re not yet part of our family. But we must all make our sacrifices to defeat Darien.”
Stasha took a step back. “But you don’t want to defeat him, do you? Not really. I’ve heard no talk of raising an army to go after him. All you seem to want is to endure a lie that rubs his nose in a defeat that happened a thousand years ago.”
Queen Geminara blinked. “Is that your price? An army?” The scheming woman was surprised? Destroying Darien was only Stasha’s greatest dream. Hadn’t the gossiping Zephyr wind spread that tidbit to the queen? And why were the males in this family leaving all the negotiations to Queen Geminara? Were they really so spineless?
Sweat pouring down her torso and legs, it took all her self-control not to lash out and break everything within reach. She
forced herself to breathe. Anger was her enemy. She needed to calm down so she could think. She pulled in three deep breaths while studying the back of Rican’s head. His shoulder-length curls glinted like gold in the weak sunlight streaming through the windows.
In the sky, clouds scudded. Remote and untouched, they sailed, gray and brooding, across the icy blue, going who knew where. True freedom. What she wouldn’t give to fly away with them.
If only.
Yet, no one spoke. Were they giving her time to mull their offer? Did they think they’d earn a prize for their consideration? Her blood started pounding again, so she closed her eyes against her anger—against them.
What were her choices?
Try and break her deal with the tree and storm out of Zephyr with Klaus and the others in tow? That smacked of failure. Without Zephyr at her side, no one would ally with her in the fight against Darien. And it would mean leaving before Klaus was healed.
Refuse the sealing but stay and use their healer to fix the person she still loved most in the world? Acid drizzled into her stomach. She couldn’t trust Averin—the fae she’d wanted to love with all her heart—to honor his deal to protect her friends. They could all still end up in the carnival. Then she’d have to destroy the Trysael palace and their hateful vortex. That wouldn’t help her quest to gather an army.
And then there was her bargain with the tree. She’d never touch her white heat again if she didn’t let Eliezar teach her control. Without an army at her back, and no white heat, how long would she survive against Darien’s millions?
Her whole body stilled, as if it knew exactly what she needed to do. Another deep breath and she pulled herself to her full height and turned. “Queen of Zephyr, do you have the authority to agree prices?” It was worth marrying her son just to control the palace glamour. It would be fire and brimstone for the next thousand years.
Mask firmly in place, Queen Geminara gestured to King Seph. “An army to go against Darien in exchange for the power that shook the world? I think we can finally risk a real offensive.”
Stasha held her breath as King Seph leaned back in his chair and waved a finger at Averin. “You control our forces. This decision is yours.”
“Give me a month, and I will pull together the biggest army Zathryth has ever seen. Stasha can march at the head of it.” No emotion colored Averin’s face. She barely smelt his chai-orange-and-snow musk.
She staggered back. This was his plan all along? All the hints at love were just lures to entice her here so he could manipulate her into solving his family’s problem and fight his battles? Knees shaking, she sat heavily at the table. “It seems we have a deal.”
Rican moaned; the sound was cut off by the tightening of his shoulder muscles. He turned slowly and bowed to her. “I accept your hand. The sealing will take at the Hiding of the Moon. My mother will go through all the details with you.” He strode to the door, tossed it open, and left. The door slammed shut behind him.
King Seph stood. “Stasha, I welcome you to my family.” The swine dipped his head at her. “As Rican says, Geminara will handle the details.” He left too, followed by Averin. The door closed softly behind him.
“Once we break the bond forming between you and Averin, your pain will ease.” Queen Geminara’s gentle voice pulled Stasha’s eyes away from the cream double doors, with their opulent gold-leaf trim, standing between her and Averin. The queen’s mask had fallen to reveal true sorrow. It made everything worse.
“You’re a heartless bitch.” It was a struggle not hurl up onto the checkered hardwood floor.
Queen Geminara shrugged and sat at the table. “I don’t deny it. But after all I’ve sacrificed, do you really think I’ll let Zephyr fail now? And it’s good that we understand each other. You are driven by hate… your overriding emotion toward Darien, while I’m driven by love… my passion for Zephyr. When you think about it, we make a good team. Together, we’ll lead our fae to victory.” She patted the seat next to her. “Please sit. We have much to discuss.”
Huffing a laugh, Stasha obeyed. “You do realize that you’re crazy?” She rolled her eyes. “Listen to me. I’m the crazy one for thinking that the insane person in the room will ever accept that truth.”
Queen Geminara canted her head and smiled—just like Averin would. “I love your spirit. Please don’t ever change.”
She was quoting him too? Urgh! Stasha thunked her forehead onto the table and covered her head with her hands. “Just tell me what I must do so I can get out of here.”
“We all want the sealing to take place as quickly as possible, but there are challenges. Rican and a fae named Lierin have a long-standing intimate relationship. He was right to suggest the Hiding of the Moon for your ceremony.”
She looked up and scoffed a laugh. “Listen to you! Agreeing with something Rican said. We better all watch out that pigs don’t fly.”
“Sarcasm, Stasha? Really? We have a deal. You agreed to seal with my son in exchange for an army. Now, please work with me so we both get what we want.” Queen Geminara’s voice was so mild, she could have been discussing how she liked her tea. There was no winning against someone who hid so expertly behind cold, calculating aloofness.
Then again, maybe this was how Averin, Trystaen, and Eliezar had felt when she’d declared her unwavering, fiery determination to free Klaus from Angharad. Despite all their well-founded objections, nothing would have moved her from her course. Perhaps the Queen of Zephyr wasn’t as crazy as she’d first thought. Or maybe they were both crazy.
“I have a date with Eliezar. Please let’s just get this done.” What she really wanted was to go to Klaus, but as she could tell him none of this, there didn’t seem much point in delaying her training.
“I’m not the one holding us up.”
True. “You have my attention.” Arms folded, she sat back to listen.
Queen Geminara righted the perfectly straight cutlery. “When we leave here, I’ll instruct our alchemist to brew a bonding potion. Between now and the Hiding, you and Rican must drink a draft of it each morning and evening. I suspect the bond forming between you and Averin will break within twenty-four hours.” A caring smile. “Let’s hope so. I don’t want either of you to experience unnecessary pain.”
Gee, thanks.
“Rican’s bond with Lierin will take longer. They had set a date for their sealing.” A small sigh. “Thank the two-faced god that it hadn’t been made public yet. And that Averin found you in time to stop us from creating a calamity from which there was no return.”
Stasha’s guts clenched. Could this woman not hear herself? If this was what mothers did to their children, she was glad to never have known hers.
Yet… she’d forced Averin and the rest to follow her into Angharad to free one soul—a crippled boy they didn’t even know. Lucas, and many others, had died in that effort. No matter how much she cringed, her honesty refused to allow her to duck the truth that she and Queen Geminara weren’t that much different, when it was all said and done.
“It’s imperative that you see nothing of Averin during this time. Every moment you aren’t training must be spent with Rican.” Queen Geminara sat back in her chair and studied Stasha. “I know some harsh things have been said, but I need to reassure you about my son. You have nothing to fear in a sealing with Rican. It was a soft heart and a generous spirit that led to his misguided folly. He’d give you the breath out of his lungs, if you needed it.” That sounded like the makings of a fine king—at least one who ruled in times of peace and plenty.
“Yet he’s never found favor with you?” She wanted to rage against the queen, but the parallels between them were too stark. No wonder King Seph had bowed to the pressure. Even without magic, his wife was a force nothing could stop.
“Rican won’t make a great king—not like Averin would. He’ll disband the carnival. Stop the glamours. Free the humans, no matter the strife that will cause. In short, he’ll undo everything Seph and I’ve worked so hard t
o create to keep Zephyr strong and powerful.” She liked the sound of Rican on the throne more and more.
“I’ve always lamented that the wrong son was born first. I’m sure that if Averin had worn the crown prince’s diadem, Rican and I would have had a less fraught relationship. But it wasn’t so. Thankfully, I’m still healthy and fit. If I’m careful with my health, I foresee being able to manage the Zephyr affairs for many centuries to come.”
Rican’s mother intended to be the real ruler of Zephyr. Of course she did. Stasha clawed her leggings at the inevitable conflicts which lay ahead. They had the potential to crack Zephyr right down the middle. If she didn’t defeat Darien, he’d march his armies straight into that rift. Zephyr likely wouldn’t survive. A problem for another day.
“Will he and I fall in love?”
Queen Geminara brushed Stasha’s face with a tender hand. She jerked away. The queen sighed. “I wish I could say yes, but that’s not possible with a brewed sealing. In time, if you both make the effort, you can build a friendship around common interests.” A sultry smile. “And he’s handsome. Desirable, even. If the gossip I hear is true, there’s many a damsel who’d give her right arm to tumble with him. So it’s unlikely that you’ll have any problems in that department.”
Was this terrible conversation really happening? She itched to cover her face with her hands to block out any notion of a wedding night with Rican. Fair-headed boys had never made her blood race. And would the memory of Averin’s beautiful face and strong, lithe body ever stop haunting her?
Her water magic roared like a sluice had opened. Our Stasha needs love. Passion, if she’s to survive. A wave hit her fire. Brother, wake up and do something. Burn this palace to the ground.
Shush, Stasha hissed. I have no choice. And fire won’t help. Don’t make things harder.
Her water crashed from side to side in her core. At least her fire hadn’t risen to the challenge. It curled like a snake poised to strike. Who its target was, she didn’t know.