by Elena Lawson
“Are you alright?” Tiernan called down to me.
My joints groaned, and backside ached as I stood, “Fine,” I hollered back, “Is he alright?”
Marron nudged my face with his wet nose in apology, and I gave him a light pat, so he would know I wasn’t upset.
“He’s near death,” Tiernan told me and whistled to Arrow, pointing at the palace. “Wake the guard, Arrow.” The falcon took off, soaring back the way he’d come, disappearing into the light of the rising sun.
Chapter Two
His name was Valin. And he wasn’t just any injured rider seeking aid. Alaric recognized him instantly when Kade carried him into the palace. He was a warrior—an ancient one, thought to be dead when he went missing several years prior. Word of his return to court had spread through the palace like wild-fire. He was renowned throughout the Night Court, and the nobles prayed for his return to health.
“He’s a legend!” Kade exclaimed, pacing the length of the parlor, “I can’t wait to meet him.”
Finn nodded to his brother, “Valin the Great—the last warrior of the original Horde armies under the reign of Morgana. He’s over a thousand years old. I still remember pretending to be him when we were boys.”
“Where do you suppose he’s been all this time?” Tiernan injected, a skeptical quirk to his brow. “He didn’t vanish into thin air, only to appear back at court years later.”
Kade shrugged, turning down his lips, “Beats me, but I’m sure Alaric will find out once he’s better.”
I sighed. It didn’t escape my notice that the palace was more abuzz with excitement over the return of a glorified soldier than they ever were about my return to court. And it did seem strange, and a bit suspicious that Valin should return now, less than a moon from my taking of the throne.
The water in my glass froze at my touch, turning to a solid, heavy brick of ice. I channeled heat to melt it back to water, pushing my Grace of fire through my fingertips until it was fully melted and near boiling.
“You’re getting better at that,” Tiernan said, coming to sit next to me on the settee while Kade and Finn continued their excited conversation about Valin across the room.
I smiled a tight-lipped smile, and froze the water again, watching as frost grew on the outside of the glass, building around where my fingers clasped it. “Thanks, but it still isn’t enough. Without touching someone who is Graced, and drawing from their power, I can only use small amounts. It makes no sense.”
Tiernan chuckled, taking the frozen glass from my hands to set down on the side table, “None of this does.” He shook his head. His now loose blond hair glistened in the sunlight.
“We know now that Morgana was given more than one Grace, but aside from her and you, there has been no other. There’s no manual—no one to learn from. But I have faith you’ll figure it out,” he finished with a wink.
I reigned in the urge to roll my eyes, wishing for the hundredth time that Morgana’s spirit would answer my calls. I had been searching for her chamber, hoping to hear her voice, and to ask for her help, but it seemed she would only call to me when she had something to say. It didn’t go both ways.
If only I could ask her how to unlock my Graces, then maybe I could learn how to control them, and how to wield them. The nobles have made requests of me to heal their wounded, but I’ve had to turn them down, having been wholly unable to use my Grace of healing since the incident with Kade.
“I haven’t tested myself with your Grace yet,” I realized, wondering if it was possible for me to also have power over the element of earth, “I’m starting more training soon, outside of the palace, perhaps you could come?”
He grinned wide, showing two rows of perfect teeth beneath his seductive lips. “I’d be honored.”
Gods… he’s gorgeous.
I swallowed, squirming in my seat, “Great.”
The room had grown quiet, and I turned to find Kade and Finn staring at me, their eyes creating a path between me and Tiernan. Kade’s jaw was tight, and Finn’s lips pursed.
“What?” I demanded, “What are you two staring at?”
Kade opened his mouth, but it was Finn who spoke, “Nothing.”
I remembered then how they could smell desire and a blush clawed its way up my neck. The damned territorial animals.
“Tiernan, why don’t you go see if Alaric needs a hand?”
Tiernan shrugged, “Alright,” he replied to Kade, “I’ll see if I can catch up to him.”
Alaric had gone down the North road to look for any signs of a struggle, or where Valin came from, since the warrior hadn’t yet regained consciousness. The healer said his injuries were mostly internal, and it would be days before he awoke.
I knew what the Draconians were doing, and I didn’t like it—getting rid of Tiernan so they could stake their claim and remind my newest royal guardian of his place beneath them. I lifted my glass from where Tiernan placed it on the side table, warming it to a drinkable temperature, and took a sip.
“Be safe,” I nodded to Tiernan as he exited the parlor, and then turned my fury on the males before me. “What was that about?”
Kade crossed his thick arms over his chest, “You practically drooled. It was embarrassing.”
“I was not drooling.”
“You were,” Finn attested, smirking, “I don’t blame you though, he’s a handsome male, even I can see that.”
“Finn!” Kade whined, shoving his brother, “You’re supposed to be on our side.”
I cocked my head at Kade, looking between him and Finn, “Your side?”
Finn glared at Kade, “I am on our side, but our side is also her side. If she wants him, she should have him. Since when are you opposed to sharing?”
“I don’t trust him.”
“Well, I do.”
The glass shattered in my hand at the immense cold I poured into it through my palm. I groaned, shaking the broken bits of glass from my gown as I stood, “Would you two quit talking about me as though I’m not here. It’s maddening.”
“And for the record,” I continued, “I would never do anything either of you were uncomfortable with. But yes, I am attracted to him, and I doubt that will change.”
“Oh.” Kade said, absently rubbing the back of his neck.
The frustrated anger subsided for the moment. I strolled over to Kade and stood on tip-toe to plant a kiss on his inflamed cheek, “Jealousy doesn’t suit you.”
Chapter Three
The normally empty gardens were teeming with nobles. Their hushed gossip mingled with the rushing of water as it tumbled down from the fountain, and the soft sounds of the afternoon breeze. It was as close to the infirmary as they could get without blocking the corridors.
“Your Majesty,” said a voice from behind me. I turned to find Aisling rushing toward us, “I was just coming to find you. I’m going to see if there’s anything I can do to help healer Loris with Valin, and thought—well, if you weren’t busy, you’d like to join me?”
Aisling was the Fae who had helped me heal Kade all those night ago. I had Tiernan find her a few days after it happened to thank her in person for the role she played in saving my Draconian warrior. She had hinted at the time that she would like to train with me, but I was too consumed by grief and anger to give her anything more than a nod and my thanks.
Kade perked up at the mention of Valin and nudged me with his shoulder, “Couldn’t hurt,” he said, shrugging as though he didn’t care either way, but we both knew that wasn’t the case.
“Sure,” I said to Aisling, “Maybe together we can wake him.”
In truth, it wasn’t Kade and Finn’s excitement about our new arrival at court, or Aisling’s invitation, I had already planned to go to the infirmary. I wanted to see the so-called war hero for myself.
Aisling beamed, “Great,” she said and led the way to Valin not far from where we stood near the gardens.
Two sentries guarded the doorway. One stepped forward as Aisling appr
oached, “There will be no entry to the infirmary until—”
The sentry stopped mid-sentence when I stepped up behind her, my two winged males at my sides, “Is there a problem?” I asked sweetly, raising a brow at the blond-haired male, who paled at the sight of me.
“N-no, majesty. Of course not,” he supplied, shoving the other male out of the way, “Move, you idiot,” he growled. “Let your queen pass.”
He did, looking dumb-struck and more like a boy than a man. He bowed hastily, falling to one knee as the four of us passed through the stone archway.
It reeked of sharp alcohol and cloying florals in the windowless space. Around a small bend, we entered a wide chamber. At its center was a waist-height table, and atop it lay a male, stripped down to nothing but a gossamer-thin pair of under things that left nothing to the imagination. Unconscious and without his armor, he looked much less intimidating than he had that morning. He was thin, but toned, with shoulder-length greasy brown hair and at least a week’s worth of scruff.
“Oh, Your Majesty, I should have expected you to visit,” said Loris, turning from where she was grinding herbs in a mortar across the chamber. She looked utterly drained. Her skin was pale, and her hair was dull—even her usually bright violet eyes looked near gray. “And Aisling, thank you for coming, but his injuries are beyond your skill to heal.”
I watched as Aisling winced from the dismissal of her superior, recoiling into herself.
“I thought I’d assist as well,” I said before Aisling could piece together a response, “The two of us together will have him on his feet in no time.”
Loris’ eyes widened, “Oh, I couldn’t possibly ask you to—”
I shook my head, “You haven’t asked. I offered. You are obviously depleted.”
She set down her mortar and pestle, nodding. “Depleted of Grace, yes. For now…but the tonic I’m making should help speed his recovery while my Grace replenishes itself. As the royal healer, I’ve been gifted knowledge from the Alchemists. No need for—"
“Alchemists?” Kade growled, eyes glowing.
Finn too clenched his teeth and made no secret of his distaste for the mortal race.
I had heard of them but remembered very little from my lessons on the isle. I knew they lived across the Varinian Sea in Emeris but couldn’t remember much else.
Loris grimaced, “It’s powerful magic. Old magic. We’re lucky to have access to it after—”
“After they slaughtered our kind,” Finn seethed.
Slaughtered. It was all coming back, the Alchemists… they were the reason Meloran, and the Fae cut themselves off from Emeris and all other lands.
The Draconian race were feared back then, for their inability to fully control themselves in dragon form. When the Alchemists rose to power in Emeris, they made it clear the shape-shifters were not welcome in their lands.
But Emeris’ Mount Ignis was the birthplace of the Draconian race, and the shape-shifters were drawn to it as a babe its mother’s breast. It was there they were created, and it was there the Alchemists destroyed them.
“We were lucky to make it out of there alive. Others weren’t…” Finn continued, his glowing yellow eyes downcast, wings itching for release.
Loris chewed at her bottom lip, “I’m sorry for what happened to your parents. I heard they were among the last of their kind able to shift fully.”
Their parents? I had never asked about their family, or Alaric’s for that matter. A profound sadness tore at my chest, opening a dark chasm there. Seeing the pain in the eyes of my males made my blood turn cold in my veins and my skin heat with anger at what the mortal race did to them.
“I didn’t know,” I heard myself say, taking the hand of Finn, who offered me a tight-lipped smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Kade ground his teeth, turning away from me when I reached out to comfort him.
“I’ll wait outside,” he said, his voice an emotionless monotone.
Finn squeezed my hand, “He’s fine. We both are. It was a long time ago.”
I nodded, trying and failing to set my mind back to the task at hand.
Aisling approached Valin, considering his many external injuries. Bruises, small lacerations and a general weakened paleness being the most obvious. “He’s lucky he was Graced with strength or he may not have survived his injuries,” she said, mostly to herself.
“I wonder if he’s as strong as they say,” I overhead Finn muse.
Kade whistled low between his teeth, “After a thousand years…”
Finn nudged me from behind and I started, “Go,” he said encouragingly, “You need to develop your Grace.”
He was right. I had had some practice with fire and ice and could now wield small amounts without direct contact, but my other Graces of healing and air still evaded me. To be able to heal my males would set my mind at ease.
“How do we begin?” I asked Aisling, “I haven’t used my Grace since the… incident.”
She placed her hands against the warrior’s bare chest and gestured for me to do the same.
The old healer looked as though she didn’t approve of our aid and took a step forward as though to stop us, but a cutting glance from Finn had her back at her workbench, grinding her herbs with a renewed fervor.
I set my hands next to Aisling’s, feeling the shallow rise and fall of Valin’s chest and the erratic beating of his heart. His skin was cool to the touch, and dampened with sweat.
“Concentrate,” she said, closing her eyes, “Feel for his injuries, they feel sort of wrong, or like darkness. Yes, that’s it, like small spots of darkness in the light. When you find one, push your Grace into it until the darkness recedes.”
I did as she said, but found nothing within myself, nor within Valin. The Grace wouldn’t awaken. Concentrating harder, I tried to force it, pulling from within, but again, was disappointed. I adjusted my hands, moving them slightly so the tip of my middle finger met with Aisling’s hand.
A surge of power tore through me at the contact. I gasped at the rawness of it, lightheaded, my blood thrumming. Pulse soaring.
Focus, Liana. Control it.
With all the meager brain power I could muster, I felt Valin. He felt like life beneath my palms. Glowing. Bright. But flickering, and with spots of writhing darkness. Aisling was right, the dark spots, they felt wrong, and my Grace of healing recoiled. I pushed, gritting my teeth. Bringing the warmth of the Grace up from my core, gathering it, and forcing it into the dark.
Within seconds the pulsating mass of black around Valin’s heart lessened, and after a few seconds more, it vanished entirely. I came back to myself and my eyes flew open.
Unsteady on my feet, I released my hands from Valin only to clutch at the edge of the table for balance, my vision blurred and throat suddenly dry. A cool sweat broke out over my chest and my legs wobbled under me as though I’d become heavier and they couldn’t support my weight anymore.
“How?” I heard Aisling say, “How did you do that?”
Finn was at my side in a flash of black wings, holding me up with an arm braced around my waist. “Liana,” he nearly shouted, “Are you hurt?”
I shook my head to clear the fog and took several deep breaths to calm the racing of my heart. “What do you mean, I-I healed one of the dark spots, like you said?”
Loris dropped her mortar and approached the table, laying a tentative hand over Valin’s chest. After a second she jerked her hand back, eyes widening. “That injury should have taken hours to heal—days even.”
If I wasn’t mistaken, it was fear I saw in her eyes as she checked Valin once more for the injury I healed, “So it’s true,” she said, eyes downcast, “You are as strong as the rumors say.”
“I told you,” Aisling said to her superior with a smile, “I’ve never seen anything like it.”
In my frantic state when I helped heal Kade, I hadn’t focused. I couldn’t remember if I sensed any sort of darkness, or wrongness within him. I had simply known I needed him to l
ive and shoved the healing Grace into him, with no direction or purpose other than to force him to live.
Valin stirred on the table, a low moan tumbling from his thin lips, though he didn’t wake.
“You should rest now, majesty,” Loris said, returning to her potions table, “You too, Aisling, return if you’d like once you’ve recovered your strength.”
It upset her—that was easy enough to see. Known for an age as the strongest healer in all the Night Court, I understood her unwillingness to accept that there was someone stronger. Though I couldn’t bring myself to feel proud. If she knew the truth, that I could only access the Grace through the touch of another, she would understand just how useless I was.
There wouldn’t always be a healer at my disposal.
Train. I needed to train. Healing was an invaluable skill, and it would be worth every second spent to learn how to wield it.
“Aisling,” I said to the still smiling Fae, “Could we do this again? Tomorrow, perhaps?”
She nodded, “Of course! And my friends call me Ash, majesty.”
Chapter Four
I awoke the next morning alone in my bed chamber. Alaric and Tiernan hadn’t returned by the time sleep claimed me. I dreamt of Thana for the third time that week, and for the third time she took my life.
Just a dream, I told myself, but I’d feel a whole lot better if they would find her body… and the Blessed Blade. I dragged myself from the warmth of the covers and stumbled to my dressing table, sighing. I still hadn’t chosen a new handmaid and had grown used to readying myself in the mornings, though corset strings still eluded me. The servants usually helped me with that part.
I decided today was the day I’d tell Alaric and the others what I’d learned of the Mad King, and his plot to take back the Night Court.
Goodbye freedom…
Alaric burst into my bedchamber, Tiernan following close behind him.