by Skye Horn
“You’ve heard of seers, right?” Caden asked. Thea returned her gaze to him and nodded.
“Yes, my great-godfather is a seer. Are you saying you can literally see that Adrian will need you? Like a vision?”
Caden shook his head. “It’s not really like that for me, maybe because I’ve never practiced the magic. My visions are more like feelings. The day that Adrian and I met I had the most intense desire to go to the black market. I didn’t know why, and I definitely wasn’t allowed to be there, but I went because of this feeling I had. It’s hard to explain, but it still happens sometimes.”
Thea had never heard of magic like this before, but was she really surprised that Caden had some type of special ability? He was a Fae after all. She’d seen stranger things, like unicorns and the merrow. Why couldn’t someone have a sixth sense of sorts? That’s what seers were. Caden’s was just lessened, it seemed.
“Have you ever—” Thea paused, not knowing how to ask her question without sounding like a crazy person.
“Seen or sensed something about you?” Caden asked with a kind smile that said he wasn’t weirded out by her questioning at all. “Yes, but it’s hard to tell with you. It’s like you’re standing at a crossroads at all times. Maybe I can’t tell what you’re going to do because you don’t even know for yourself yet.”
Thea didn’t know what to say to that. He was more right than she thought he even realized. So again, she went for a change in subject.
“Are all these books written in other languages?”
This earned a small chuckle from Caden. He seemed undisturbed by her change in subject. The truth was, she wanted to know more about Caden’s gifts, but the idea of him knowing things about her that maybe she didn’t even know was a bit terrifying.
“Most of them, yes. Are you looking for something in particular?”
“A weapon that could kill a Goddess would be great,” Thea mumbled before she could stop herself. She quickly snapped her mouth shut and faced Caden. His face had whitened slightly at her words.
“Ainé, of course,” Thea added hastily. She didn’t feel like voicing the fact that she would be happy with a weapon that could end both Goddesses, though. “Or even something that could trap her again.”
Caden watched thoughtfully, tapping his fingers against the desk, and then shook his head. “I’ve never come across anything like that.”
Thea just stared at him, because despite the words he spoke, she saw the lie sparkling in his eyes. He was a terrible liar, she realized. He knew exactly what she was looking for, but was he not telling her because he didn’t want her to use it against Morrigan? Or for some other reason? She frowned, about to ask, when he interrupted her thoughts.
“I’m sure if there was a weapon to use, Morrigan would have told you about it. She wants her sister dead as much as you do.”
“I’m not so sure about that. They are family after all.”
“Blood isn’t always good enough,” Caden said sadly, looking down at his hands. Thea wanted to ask more about that, but suddenly the door opened and a guard she didn’t recognize walked in. He stationed himself at the door without saying a word. This must have been the guard Adrian had sent to babysit her. She glared at him reproachfully, but it didn’t generate a response like it did with Adrian. Thea hated admitting it, but she missed that bickering and wanted to tear her hair out for even considering missing him.
“I thought coming here would be fun,” she sighed, looking back toward Caden.
“Fun in the library?” he asked with another lighthearted chuckle. Despite the fact that his face had relaxed, Thea couldn’t help but think he was watching her too closely, observing every reaction she had. When had she allowed herself to open up to these two men, and why?
“More fun than my bedroom.”
At this, Caden wiggled his eyebrows. “Here I thought you and Adrian looked awfully tired the other morning. I thought I might have even sensed a connection being formed.”
Thea picked up a book that she hoped wasn’t too valuable and flung it at her cousin with a curse. “Nothing is going on between us!”
“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” Caden jumped out of the way just in time to avoid the book, nearly toppling out of his chair in the process. “Quite defensive for nothing, dear cousin!”
He was shaking with laughter now, and despite herself, Thea couldn’t help the smile forming on her own face. She liked the sound of her cousin’s laughter, even if he was teasing her and using the information he’d just shared against her. She’d missed having interactions like this with someone. Once in a while Adrian let her slip past his walls, but Caden had never been guarded with her. He’d wanted to be friends from the beginning, and she’d been horrible toward him. Now, she let his laughter fill her with just a little bit of joy—something she missed desperately.
Caden crawled back into his chair with a grin spread across his face, but Thea was closing in on a breakdown as the moment of happiness settled over her. Sure, she wanted to be happy. She even wanted to laugh like Caden did at the idea of her fooling around with someone as arrogantly annoying as Adrian. The problem was that as soon as that happiness filled her, sorrow followed. She remembered the ones she’d lost and couldn’t bring back, and it was suffocating.
Seeming to see the change in her face as her laughter faded, Caden reached out a hand toward her. Thea fought against the thoughts threatening her happiness, but soon her laughter bubbled into a quiet sob as the tears spilled down her face. She blubbered her apologies to Caden.
“It’s okay,” he said, placing his hand on top of hers, but unlike Adrian, he didn’t press her to ask what was wrong. Instead, he pulled a handkerchief from his jacket pocket and passed it to her for her to dry her eyes. She felt the heat of embarrassment settling over her but there was nowhere to run or hide now. She was stuck here until someone said she could go back to her room. So she wiped her tears and forced herself to meet Caden’s concerned gaze. “Do you want to talk about it?”
Yes! she screamed on the inside, but her fear of opening up smothered the cry for help. What would happen if she told him about the grief that plagued her? Would it make her more vulnerable? Or would it lift the weight she’d been carrying for so many weeks now? Thea wasn’t sure.
“I promise I won’t judge you,” he said, as if reading her mind. “I just want you to know that you can talk to me. Adrian doesn’t want me to get close to you, but we are family.”
“Adrian doesn’t?” Thea asked, voice cracking. She didn’t understand why Adrian didn’t want her and Caden to connect, but something about the fact that he’d told Caden to stay away from her hurt more than she wanted to admit. She supposed it had been silly of her to think his concern for her wellbeing had any depth if he believed that she needed to remain estranged from her cousin.
“It’s more complicated than that…” Caden mumbled, looking as if he knew he’d said the wrong thing. “I just want you to know that I disagree. I want you to tell me what is going on, but I won’t force you. I’m not my father.”
His eyes darkened at the last sentence, and Thea found herself wrapping her fingers around his hands, squeezing. I’m not my father. How many times had she told herself those same words? She’d been willing to give Amara a second chance. How could she look at Caden and not even give him a first chance to prove he wasn’t the monster who raised him? She took a deep, steadying breath and nodded her head.
“I lost someone recently,” Thea said quietly, trying to force her words to level out, but her entire body convulsed.
“Someone you were close to?”
His eyes never left hers, and she nodded. “Like a sister. She died to save my life.”
Caden squeezed her hand gently but didn’t say anything, allowing her to gather her words.
“Ainé took everything from me. She might as well have murdered the man I loved…”
“What happened to him?” Caden asked.
“We were soulmates and she end
ed our bond. I thought he was dead.”
Thea’s voice quivered and she could no longer look at Caden. The thought of Kieran and Ethel was too much. Ainé had ripped her life away in a single swoop: Kieran, Ethel, and even her sister, whom she had no idea how to rescue at this point.
“He’s not dead, though?” Caden asked. He never let go of her hand, and Thea surprisingly found it comforting.
“It’s worse. I don’t even know how to explain what she’s done to him, but he would have killed me if it weren’t for Ethel… she sacrificed herself to make sure I lived.”
Tears dripped from Thea’s chin into her lap, but she took a deep breath and wiped away what was left with the handkerchief.
“That’s why I need to do this. I need to be strong enough to stop her and to stop him…”
“What if he tries to kill you again?” Caden asked, looking more serious than Thea had ever seen him. “If your soul bond is broken and he’s already attempted one assassination on your life, will you honestly be able to fight him?”
“I know he’d rather be dead than live as a slave to her,” Thea said quietly. She’d had nightmares about the decision she faced, but there was never a question of what would need to be done. Either she’d find a way to save Kieran, or she would stop him. “I’m going to try to bring him back first, but if it comes down to it, I’ll do what needs to be done.”
She bit her bottom lip as Caden watched her with a deep sadness.
“How do you know he wants to be saved?”
Thea didn’t know the answer to that question. She’d thought about the horrible things Ainé had forced Kieran to do since Ethel’s death. She wanted to tell herself that Kieran would understand, but she knew that was a lie. He’d blame himself for everything that had happened to Ethel and to her. He always blamed himself, even when it wasn’t his fault.
“I have to try,” was all Thea said, knowing it didn’t matter to her whether he wanted to be saved or not. It was her turn to go back for him—to bring him home.
“Then I guess I need to tell you something.” Caden took a deep breath, drawing Thea’s gaze back to him. She saw the hesitation on his face and felt her tears slowing. Talking about Kieran and Ethel had helped, even if it had hurt to say everything out loud. She hadn’t realized how much she needed to talk to someone. Even when Adrian had asked about Kieran she’d fought it, but Caden was different somehow.
“Tell me what?” she asked, curiosity getting the best of her.
“About a weapon that could possibly injure a Goddess,” he whispered low so the guard couldn’t hear.
Chapter 12
Adrian was seated at a local tavern with a half-drunk ale in front of him when a winged Fae entered, sword slung across her hip. Her blonde hair was cut short enough that he saw the tattoo along the back of her neck—Ivandor’s crest—but she did not notice him. He slunk deeper into his chair as she made her way to the bar and sat, chatting with her back to him. He couldn’t make out what the bartender was saying, but whatever conversation they were having appeared to be intense. Adrian continued to drink his ale, watching the Ivandor guard with caution as he rested his free hand on the hilt of his own sword beneath his cloak.
It didn’t take long for her to question each of the patrons who sat at the bar and turn to head out of the tavern, but not before her eyes settled on him in the corner. Dressed in his uniform, he stood out like a sore thumb. The only reason the woman hadn’t seen him to begin with was because he wasn’t visible from the entrance, only from the bar.
Adrian started to rise just as she made her way toward him, withdrawing his sword at the same time as her from its sheath. Her wings were nearly the same color as Thea’s and rose in response to the threat of his sword, but no one else in the room dared to move as the blades clashed together.
“Who are you?” he asked immediately, pressing his weight forward to push her back, but despite her small form, she was strong and held her ground. He ground his teeth together to keep his own stance steady.
“Where is the queen?” she said in a low hiss, baring her teeth and stepping her right foot forward to push him back toward his table. He slid about an inch, but regained his strength.
“In the name of King Rayan, I demand you tell me who you are!” Adrian growled, staring down at the girl’s blazing purple irises. Her jaw was set, but her eyes sparkled with amusement at his challenge. She reminded him too much of Thea for comfort.
“I do not serve your king,” was all she responded, and then in one swift movement that he should have been able to anticipate she hooked a leg behind his knee hard enough to send him stumbling forward. In an instant, she had him disarmed and the whispers started around the room as her sword pressed against his neck, cool steel against warm skin. “Now, I repeat, where is Queen Thea?”
A low growl rumbled from Adrian’s chest, but he didn’t dare move, knowing she could easily slit his throat. He knew when he was outmatched, and if Thea had proven anything to him, it was that a woman was not to be underestimated.
“If you are a friend, I will take you to her. If you are not—”
“Don’t test me,” the girl said, leaning in close so that others couldn’t hear her. She pressed her lips close to his ear, but never let herself be open for an attack, keeping the blade pressed so hard against his skin that he felt blood trickle down his neck. “You are clearly a guard from the castle. Is that where she is?”
“Yes,” he finally breathed out. “But you can’t just waltz in. As I said, if you’re a friend—”
“I am her guard.”
“Then you’ve done a fabulous job guarding her,” he retorted, tone deep with sarcasm.
She pushed him back hard against the table and swooped his sword up from the ground as he rubbed his aching neck, wiping the blood away. He wanted to withdraw the small dagger from his side but knew better. If she was worthy of the tattoo on her neck, then she held the position he craved in Blackmire. Suddenly, he was no longer angry. He was envious. How could a woman hold such a high position and yet he had to fight his way from the bottom to reach it?
“Take me to her,” the guard demanded.
“How do I know you are not a liar?” Adrian asked, although he doubted her words were lies. He’d seen the mark on her neck as soon as she entered the tavern. Only the lead guard would have that tattoo. It was the same one that he’d seen on Thea’s back when she’d been bathing. He wanted to shake that memory away as quickly as possible, but felt the heat rush through his body regardless.
Idiot, he thought. He’d come here to get away from thoughts of Thea and her child, and yet, here he was thinking of her in a tub of water. What was wrong with him?
“I am Haven, head of the Queen’s Guard, and if you have harmed her in any way, I will—”
Adrian held his hands up and shook his head. “Come with me, loudmouth.”
He strode out of the tavern quickly, ignoring the curious glances of the villagers. The last thing he needed was more rumors to go around about the Queen of Ivandor. He knew the villagers had already heard she was here, but this would only fuel the fire. Until he was sure they could trust her, her presence needed to be kept as much of a secret as possible.
Once they were outside, Adrian turned to face the Fae guard with a sigh. “She is a guest of the king and the Goddess.”
The woman named Haven scoffed, but he ignored her and continued.
“I will take you to the castle, but you will only be permitted to enter if she wishes to see you. If we find out this is a trap, you will be executed. Do you understand?”
Haven gave him an infuriating smirk. “Trust me, she’ll want to see me.”
With that, Adrian turned on his heels and stormed back down the cobblestoned streets toward his horse. He’d ridden into the village with the hopes of escaping Thea, but perhaps bringing back a friend would earn him her forgiveness. The last few hours had been spent beating himself up for his treatment toward her, but there was nothing he cou
ld do to change that. He hoped this would at least diffuse some of the tension between them.
“Follow me,” he said and didn’t bother to look back to see if she would. He heard a rush of wind as she soared into the sky and he mounted his horse. If the king found out he was bringing one of the Queen’s Guard to the castle he’d be furious, but hopefully they could enter undetected enough to get away with it.
Why are you risking so much for her? he asked himself for about the billionth time as he rode, but the only answer he found was one he didn’t want to admit aloud.
He cared about Thea, and it was growing infuriatingly obvious that he couldn’t stop caring just because he told himself he didn’t want to.
Thea and Caden were bent over a book when the doors to the library flew open and Adrian strode in. Since Thea had a babysitter, Caden had settled for pointing her in the direction of certain books that would help her discover the weapon he’d mentioned before. However, he didn’t dare say anything in front of their guard, and Thea didn’t blame him. Now though, they both nearly jumped out of their seats, slamming the books they were reading shut like kids caught doing something wrong as Adrian arrived. He didn’t seem to notice, though. He was dressed in his uniform, but his cheeks were flushed, making his hazel eyes brighter than usual. He looked toward the guard instead of Thea and Caden.
“You can go,” he told the soldier without room for argument. Thea watched confusion register on the man’s face, but he did not stick around to find out what had changed in the plans, seeming happy to leave early. Caden rose to his feet to greet his friend, but as soon as the door shut, Adrian turned his full attention on Thea, eyes blazing. It was then that she noticed the thin red line along his neck. It was still dripping blood onto the collar of his white undershirt.
“What happened to you?” Thea asked, standing up and walking toward him. She grabbed the handkerchief that Caden had given her and stuck it against Adrian’s neck.