by Skye Horn
But she hadn’t died.
Ethel had.
If she ever brought Kieran back from this, he wouldn’t forgive himself. And if she was being honest, she didn’t know how to forgive him either.
He wasn’t himself, the little voice reminded, and of course, Thea knew that, but did it matter? If he could murder Ethel, who knew what else he could be capable of? He had to be stopped.
More importantly, Ainé had to be stopped.
“I’m sorry about Kieran,” Morrigan said as if reading Thea’s thoughts, and she suddenly understood her timidity.
Ainé had taken Morrigan’s lover out of jealousy.
And Ainé had taken Kieran as retaliation for Thea’s disobedience.
It was possible Morrigan saw that as something they could relate about, maybe even something she could sympathize with Thea over, but why did the Goddess want to relate at all if she knew the bond was broken?
Regardless of all the questions fracturing Thea’s ability to think straight, she didn’t want to talk about Kieran, so she stood and straightened her nightgown, walking toward the ruined wedding dress in the corner of the room. It was a wonder the dress had survived at all. She examined the ashen scorch marks in the intricate lace, recalling the explosion of magic the moment she’d felt her bond to Kieran break. In this dim light, the dress could have been right out of a horror film. Blood had soaked into the front, dark crimson fading into pink. The room spun and Thea suddenly felt sick. She shifted her eyes, looking anywhere but at the bloodied dress, and her gaze settled on the tiny gold engagement ring Declan had given her. Its emerald gemstone looked dull beneath the candle light of the desk it had been placed on, and Thea wondered who had taken the time to lay the dress and ring out for her.
“Do you know if—”
“No.” Morrigan shook her head, and Thea deflated. “I saw your friends flee, but I am not sure if my sister found them.”
“I’m going to kill her,” Thea said, plucking the ring from the desk. She had been terrified of marrying Declan, of this plan failing, but never in all of their planning had they imagined Ainé would do what she’d done to Kieran. Thea turned to meet Morrigan’s gaze, pressing the cool metal of the ring into her palm. “Are you going to try to stop me?”
“No,” Morrigan said again, but Thea heard her hesitation. The Goddess had spent centuries hating her sister. She’d even, once, told Thea that revenge was the only way she’d find peace from Gabriel’s death. By Morrigan’s hesitation, Thea could guess family would be a difficult bond to sever.
But death would come for Ainé with or without Morrigan’s support.
And Thea would deliver it.
She turned to face the Goddess of Death and frowned because everything inside her screamed that this was the enemy — that Thea should flee. But there was nowhere left to run. Her instincts had told her to call out to the Goddess for help, and she’d answered. The least Thea could do now was find out why that was.
“How did I get here?” Thea asked. The question had been clawing at her mind, but she just couldn’t remember. The last thing she recalled was leaving Ivandor cloaked in dark magic. She’d watched it disappear into a dark mist.
“You only made it halfway here before the magic was too much for you to handle, but I had scouts waiting for you. They brought you here.”
“And why am I not locked in the dungeons?” Thea asked, unable to stop her curiosity. She couldn’t say she would have been as kind in her own kingdom if the enemy had walked in. “That man appeared quite upset that I was being treated kindly. And honestly, I’m a bit surprised myself. I wasn’t even sure you’d come when I prayed.”
“I told you I wanted you to join me,” Morrigan said, but Thea knew there was more to it than that. The Goddess had threatened to lock her away multiple times before. Why the sudden change of heart? “Don’t make me regret it.”
The underlying threat sent a chill across Thea’s skin.
“So am I a prisoner here?” Thea asked, finding her courage. This brought a smirk to Morrigan’s lips.
“You are free to leave whenever you please, but if you truly plan to stop my sister, I don’t believe you’ll find the answers you’re looking for outside Blackmire.”
Thea noted the way Morrigan said “stop” instead of “kill” but did not dwell on it for too long. Instead, she crossed her arms and tilted her head. “There are answers in Blackmire?”
“Yes, but you will need to earn them. The man who was here is not just any man. That is King Rayan, the King of Blackmire and your uncle. You would do well not to end up on his bad side.”
Thea shook her head, frowning. “By the sound of that conversation, I am already on his bad side.”
Morrigan’s ensuing laughter bounced off the stone walls. Imminent danger trickled out from each note and the muscles in Thea’s back knotted with tension in response. She would also need to remain on the Goddess’ good side, she realized.
“He is neither trusting nor foolish. You will remain a guest under proper supervision, at my request.”
“Proper supervision?” Thea asked, trying not to sound panicked. It wasn’t that she wanted to flee the castle, but the idea of anyone supervising her made her cringe. What type of person would they force her to spend time with? How would that affect her success in returning to her family and stopping Ainé? She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t like the sound of anyone from this kingdom “supervising” her.
“In the meantime,” Morrigan said, ignoring Thea’s question, “I’ll request the servants prepare you something to eat. You must feel weak after so many days without sustenance.”
Thea admitted nothing aloud, but her legs trembled and her stomach betrayed her, growling loud enough for Morrigan to hear.
“I need to find my family,” Thea blurted, hearing the desperation in her voice. If she let Morrigan leave, who knew how long it would be before she was free again. “I need to—”
“If your companions are alive, they are in hiding, Thea. There is no way to find them.”
Thea’s cheeks burned. Her nails dug into the palms of her hands around the ring, and she bit back her immediate arguments.
“Can’t you just jump into their minds like you did mine?” she asked, trying to keep her voice level.
“I could try, but what good would that do you? You need to focus.”
“I can’t focus if I don’t know they’re alive!” Thea’s fingers trembled as a surge of magic tore through the veins of her forearms. Her breath caught and she clenched her hands into fists, trying to tame her rising temper. The magic burned like hell all the way to her fingertips, but more than that, her vision blurred around everything but the Goddess herself, tinting red.
Get it under control! She dug her fingernails into the palm of her hands, allowing the pain to guide her back to reality, and inhaled slowly.
Morrigan eyed her hands with an amused look. “You could find them yourself if you just learned to control your magic. Think of it as motivation.”
With that, the Goddess turned and strode out of the room, leaving Thea with her mouth hanging open as the door slammed shut.
There was a click that brought Thea back to life. She ran forward and pulled on the door, which, to no surprise, was locked from the outside. A string of curses escaped her lips as she slammed her hand into the wood.
Not a prisoner, eh? she thought, stumbling back to sit on the bed. The room was tiny, and there was no way Thea would fit through the window without ripping her wings off her back. Even without them, the opening was too small. What was she going to do?
Ainé had betrayed her.
Kieran didn’t care about her, or anyone, anymore.
And Ethel—
She couldn’t bring herself to finish that thought again. Instead, she curled onto her side with a soft sob against the pillow. How was she supposed to survive this? Perhaps Morrigan had allowed Thea to live only because she didn’t know yet that Ainé had broken the connection. But i
f the Goddess knew, then what was the reasoning behind this strange treatment?
And what of her Uncle Rayan? He obviously did not want her in his kingdom. It amazed Thea how few blood relatives she had left and how hostile they all seemed to be.
Amara.
Thea pulled her knees to her chest, shaking. Presumably, Amara had taken Ainé’s place in the prison world, but only Kieran had been witness to what had happened. For all Thea knew, Amara could be dead as well. There was no way of discovering that answer any time soon.
You could find them yourself if you just learned to control your magic.
What did that even mean? Thea had kept her promise to Morrigan by giving into the dark magic, but she didn’t feel any different. She still felt out of control with her elemental gifts, and she still felt the boiling power beneath her skin, begging for release. If anything, there was a sense of relief from the power she’d used to escape Ivandor, but what did that say about her? Dark magic shouldn’t have felt like a release. It should have felt like a curse.
Thea wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a knock sounded on the door. She tugged the blanket over herself as the door opened, wishing she’d taken time to find a weapon while she was alone. It would be naive to think she was safe in Blackmire, even if she had come here by choice.
“Who is it?” she asked, watching the door swing outward as a man stepped over the threshold. He was younger than the king who’d been in her room earlier, and decorated in weapons. A girl followed him, walking past with a tray of food that smelled like heaven. Thea’s stomach grumbled in response, but neither the soldier nor the servant made any sign that they’d heard it.
“Your breakfast, albeit a bit late,” the soldier said. He remained in the doorway with a hand on the hilt of his sword, and Thea felt a little flattered that he thought she was threat enough to beat him unarmed. She knew better, though. Her body was weak from malnutrition, and her will was even weaker. What would beating one soldier achieve if she had no home to return to? She needed a plan, which meant, for now, she was stuck in Blackmire.
“Thank you,” Thea told the servant girl as she set the tray of food down on her bedside table. There was a cup of steaming tea, a bowl of porridge, and plump red fruit that made her mouth water.
The servant’s face burned as she nodded vigorously at Thea and then fled from the room.
Thea watched with a frown before returning her gaze to the man. His face was a perfect soldier’s mask, much like Kieran had often had, but he didn’t leave after the girl did. Instead, he lingered to watch Thea for an uncomfortable second longer.
“And you are?” Thea asked, trying not to shrink back beneath his gaze. She was the Queen of Ivandor, despite what Ainé had done to her. That was a fact she didn’t want anyone here forgetting.
“Your babysitter,” the man said with a look of annoyance. The expression was there and gone within a second, but Thea tensed in defense. This must be the person who Morrigan had said would be “supervising” her.
Great, she thought, but instead of backing down, she stood, letting the blanket fall as she walked toward the door, ready to shove him out. To her surprise, the soldier didn’t bother to look away from her exposed skin.
“Well, since you’re the servant assigned to me, you can find me clothing to wear. Unless your king expects me to live in this silly thing.” She motioned toward the nightgown, happy to see the spark of fury in the soldier’s eyes at her verbal assault.
“I am not your servant and will do no such thing,” he growled. “You—”
A voice stopped him before he could finish whatever insult he was about to cast upon Thea. “Adrian, that’s no way to speak to a queen.”
Thea couldn’t see where the other voice had come from, because the soldier, Adrian, was still standing in the doorway, but she heard the approaching footsteps.
“Apologies, my lord.” Adrian immediately straightened his shoulders, but his hand had still not left the hilt of his sword, making Thea smirk in approval.
Soon the mystery voice had come into view, and despite her earlier bravery, she fought the urge to shrink back into her bed at the sight of him. Thea supposed that if it weren’t for the scars that covered his face, this young man would have been quite handsome. However, it took everything inside her not to gawk at what Thea assumed were burn marks.
“My apologies for my soldier’s behavior,” the stranger said with the hint of an accent Thea didn’t recognize.
“Your soldier?” Thea inquired, trying to regain her composure. If that were true, then—
“Ah, apologies as well for my own rude behavior.” He chuckled and his smile was charming despite the unnatural pull in his skin. This was not the man whom Morrigan had called king either. He was much younger. And he had command over the king’s soldiers? Who was he? “My name is Lord Caden, but please, just call me Caden.”
He bowed low, earning a discreet glare from Adrian that Thea did not miss, but she only continued to watch him with curiosity. So, this scarred man was a lord in Blackmire? And this guard who’d proclaimed himself her babysitter was one of his soldiers?
“Pleasure,” Thea lied, inclining her head to him. This time, Adrian growled, stepping nearer to her. They stood nearly pressed against one another. Thea could smell ale and oak on his skin. He towered over her, but she didn’t back down.
“You should bow,” he said, but Caden placed a hand on his shoulder as Thea readied for a fight.
“There is no need for that, Adrian. Queen Thea and I are family, after all.”
Thea looked past the soldier and stared in confusion between the two young men. There was obviously a friendship there, despite their class difference, because the soldier immediately relaxed beneath Caden’s touch. She made note of this for later, but for the moment, she focused on the word family.
“Please go get my cousin something more appropriate to wear,” Caden said, furthering Thea’s confusion.
Adrian looked as if he was about to object, which Thea was not surprised by, considering Caden’s lack of weapons, but a single look silenced his objections. He turned on his heels and stormed down the empty corridor. Thea exhaled slowly, releasing the tension between her shoulder blades.
“You’re very trusting to remain here with me alone,” Thea said, returning her gaze to Caden.
“Perhaps,” he agreed and then motioned her back into the bedroom. She hesitated, not wanting to be alone in a room with a stranger, let alone her bedroom, and seeming to sense her uncertainty, he took a step back. “I meant what I said, Thea. We are family.”
“I don’t know you.” Thea held her ground within the doorway, refusing to let Caden inside until he finally held up his hands in surrender. “How are we cousins?”
“I am Caden, son of King Rayan, heir to Blackmire,” he said.
“You’re the crown prince?” Thea stared back at him in shock. Perhaps they were family, but that didn’t make her ready to let a stranger into the only secure place she had at the moment, if one could even call it that.
“Yes, I’m the prince.” Caden sighed.
“Then why are you here? Your father made it clear he does not approve of my accommodations. I would assume he would not approve of you being here either.”
“Adrian is my friend. I’d heard he was attending you and thought I’d check to make sure you got your breakfast.”
She thought of the way he’d spoken to Adrian in her defense and cringed. She didn’t want anyone thinking she couldn’t handle herself. Weakness could be her downfall here. So, squaring her shoulders, she set her lips into a straight line. There was no need to make friends or to fall for any of the games he was playing.
“Well, I don’t need you to check on me, or for Adrian to babysit me.”
“I never said—”
“And while I appreciate that he is now getting me clothes, I think you should leave.”
The prince’s face fell a little, and Thea tried not to stare for too long
at his scars. She almost felt bad for the way she’d spoken, but after everything she’d heard about Blackmire, she wasn’t about to trust him. He was the prince, after all, of one of the most cruel kingdoms in Faerie.
“I’ll make sure Adrian comes back with your clothes, then, and leave you alone. My most sincere apology for disturbing you.” He lowered his head and turned to walk away, but not before Thea saw the look of disappointment on his face.
Don’t, she told herself, biting down hard on her tongue. She couldn’t afford to trust people, no matter how disappointed they looked. Trusting had been what got her into this mess.
So instead of calling after him to apologize for her behavior, she slammed the door shut and crumpled to the ground with silent tears.
Thea had never felt so alone in her life before. Even after her parents had died, she’d had Marcus. And then Kieran had found her and she’d made a family in Faerie… she’d become someone she’d never known she was meant to be.
But all of that was on the line now. All of that depended on her surviving Blackmire, getting back to them, and regaining control of her kingdom from a Goddess who had the love of her life wrapped around her finger.
There was never a more lonely feeling than the one she felt now.
Chapter 3
Adrian didn’t understand why Caden bothered talking to his cousin. Hadn’t he been through enough without burdening himself with yet another reason for his father to be angry? Now, Adrian was off running errands for a rotten—
“Adrian!” Caden’s voice echoed down the corridor he’d chosen to wait in. He might be under the prince’s orders to bring back clothes for this foreign queen, but Caden hadn’t said he needed to do it quickly. The best part of being friends with the Prince of Blackmire was not getting into trouble for twisting his words. However, by the disappointment on Caden’s face as he approached, Adrian figured he might have been better off searching for clothes. “What are you doing?”