“Because she’s Portia? Psychotic she-Fae?”
“The whisperings should not be taken lightly,” Camille said. “It’s why we are moving swiftly to stage a second attack.”
“How can we stop it if she decides to release the disease before we get to her?” Elena sounded desperate, and her emotions confirmed it. “I barely stopped the last virus in time. I can’t do it again—I can’t. Who knows how many people would die before I created a cure? It could take me days. And what if this one kills Halven too? I’m the last of the transmutation wielders. If I died and couldn’t cure it, what would happen?” Elena sank into a wooden chair. “I understand now why Leo spoke about breeding.”
“Excuse me?” Reese said.
Elena looked up in exasperation. “Leo, a scientist in Emain. He mentioned producing more Fae with transmutation abilities. After the havoc caused by the first disease, he seems open to breeding Halven with my ability.”
Reese stared at her. “You realize how that sounds?”
“Like I’m livestock they want to mate with their pure Fae studs? Yeah, I do, but that’s Leo. They try to keep the royal bloodlines strong, and they do it by any means necessary. Right now I have one of the most powerful abilities. They won’t risk losing it.”
“Are you seriously considering having babies with these people to produce another transmutation wielder?” Reese asked.
“Of course not, but at least I understand why Leo brought it up.”
“Well, get off that line of thought,” Reese said. “There are other ways to defend ourselves. Other ways to keep peace between the kingdoms. We just need to find them.”
“We have the null bombs…” Camille said. “And now we have Deirdre.” She grinned, brimming with excitement. “Deirdre has been organizing Sunlanders willing to fight against Portia. It has taken a great deal of time, given their beliefs about violence, but she’s finally managed to convince them to join our cause. They’ve already used the Ancient Allon leaves I sent, and they arrive this evening. Between the Sunlanders, the Old Kingdom soldiers, additional Emain guards we’ve recruited, and the null bombs, we have the strength to stage an attack.”
Reese looked at Elena. “Who’s Deirdre?”
“My aunt. The last time I was here, I watched her take down an Oldlander soldier two times her size in under three seconds. She’s sweet, but vicious. We definitely have an advantage with her on our side. Her husband was my mother’s brother, who was also a transmutation wielder. He was the first one Marlon and Portia had killed. You could say Deirdre would do just about anything to get Portia out of power, even convince her fellow pacifist Sunlanders to help. Especially after what Portia did to my mother…”
“So she’ll be properly pissed,” Reese said to distract Elena from the sadness that washed over her. “But what about Keen? How will he and Illa survive if we go blasting in there with null bombs and taking out Portia’s military by any means necessary?”
Elena turned to Camille.
“No one wants to see Keen or your sister hurt,” Camille said, “but we will battle them if they fight against us.”
“And Keen would, the honorable bastard,” Reese muttered.
“It is about honor, yes,” Camille said. “But we are also bound by our word. It’s difficult to explain to a human or Halven who know of no such magic, but we physically cannot go against our word.”
“That makes it worse.” Reese feared what would happen when they attacked, knowing Keen would protect Portia with his life.
Elena walked over. “Have faith. Keen is on our side, whether he’s sworn fealty to Portia or not.”
“What about Illa and her father? What happens to them?”
“You mean your sister and your father?” Elena asked.
“He’s only my father in the technical sense. In every other way, he’s not been there for me.”
“We can argue about that later, but yes, they’ll have to decide which side they’re on, but at least they have a choice, unlike Keen.”
Elena was right. Keen had no choice whose side he was on. He’d given up that right after Reese had nearly died in the dungeon. And he’d done it to protect her.
“With this news about the Sunlanders, we can step up the timing of the attack and make it the night of the wedding. Derek’s been working to get everything in order by then, but now that we have Sunlanders, there’s no reason to hesitate. It’s the perfect time to access the palace. Portia is allowing some of us inside as a unifying measure; we’ll simply sneak in a few more.”
“Why has Hakon supported Keen and Illa taking Derek’s place? Is he that desperate to gain power?”
Elena rubbed her eyes. “It’s complicated. Hakon would have controlled Old Kingdom had Derek’s father not subdued him by murdering his family members. And if we’re speaking technically on that front, Keen has an even better claim to the throne.”
“And now that Derek’s father, Osulf Niall, is dead…” Reese said.
“Keen can rule if he gains enough support. And takes the kingdom from Derek,” Camille finished.
Elena’s eyes hardened. “But Keen would still be Portia’s puppet, and Derek won’t give up the throne to a cruel dictator.”
“Why not put Hakon in charge?” Reese’s biological father seemed like the best middleman.
Camille crossed the room and picked up an amulet. It was the same shape as the ouroboros on Reese’s wrist. “Hakon is no longer interested in politics and ruling the kingdom after Niall murdered most of his family to take control. As long as Niall’s heir doesn’t rule, Hakon is content to support another in charge.”
“But if Keen ruled, that still puts Portia indirectly in control,” Reese said.
“Along with Hakon’s daughter,” Camille agreed. She handed the amulet to Reese. It dangled from a gold chain similar to the one around her wrist. “Hakon wanted you to have this. It is the mate to the one you wear on your arm.”
The ouroboros was beautiful, with rubies for snake eyes. It should look creepy, but it was stunningly crafted and somehow elegant.
Hakon had given her a gift that connected her to his family. He wasn’t trying to pretend she didn’t exist, or pawn her off the way her father back home had done so many times in order to return to his work. The necklace was a sign to all that she was his daughter.
She blinked several times, pushing back what she hoped weren’t tears, but she feared they might be. “Tell him thank you.”
Camille gave her a light nod.
Reese cleared her throat. “So we storm the palace the night Illa and Keen marry, and imprison Portia?”
“That’s the plan,” Elena said. “Though only some of us will be allowed in. The rest will go via Camille’s portals.”
Camille grinned mischievously. “The Ancient Allon worked. I can now portal fifty men with ease, and do it several more times afterward. Not many can boast of such powers where I come from.”
“Aren’t you from Sunland?” Elena asked, holding up Reese’s new pendant and admiring it.
Reese sensed nervousness from the Fae woman. “Camille?”
“Yes, I’m from Sunland,” Camille finally said. “But originally I came from somewhere else.”
Whatever Camille was about to say was big. Her emotions were all over the place, spiking in panic and pain.
“What do you mean, somewhere else?” Elena asked, slowly handing Reese back her necklace. “There are only three kingdoms.”
Camille’s beautiful sky-blue eyes pierced them with her stare. “Not true. There is a fourth kingdom—one so unimaginable, many do not believe it exists. It’s located inside the Land of Ice, where the Dark Fae live.”
29
“Dark Fae?” Elena repeated. “You have black hair, while everyone else here is either blond or redheaded, or at the very least, a light brunette, but what do you mean, there’s another kingdom?”
Camille sat on the edge of her bed, her back straight. “It is difficult to survive in the Land o
f Ice. Few leave, and even fewer manage to find our land without perishing first. That is the reason we’ve remained separate from the rest of Tirnan.”
“But you’re here…” Reese stared at Camille, not understanding any of this.
“A few of us have left over the years, but there has been no way to communicate once we’ve gone. The kingdom is isolated, the land encased in minerals that block magic. We can’t reach out to our brothers and sisters back home without making the return trek, risking our lives again in the process. Those in the Land of Ice assume death to any who try to leave. It is the most logical conclusion.”
Reese had read something about the Land of Ice in the book Enid had given her, and she thought she remembered Amund saying he was from there. Which made Camille’s story all the more plausible—not that Reese had doubted her. “Why did you leave if the chances of survival were slim?”
“For the same reason Elena’s mother left her people. I was promised to a man I despised. My parents agreed for me to—breed with this man against my wishes. His wife wasn’t happy about the arrangement either, but he was powerful and could do as he pleased. He wanted a child, and his wife had not succeeded in providing him one.”
“They would have forced him on you?” Elena asked, her voice high. “My mother was a princess and had expectations put upon her. I don’t think they do that unless…”
Camille raised an eyebrow.
“Oh,” Elena said, looking surprised. “You’re…noble? Exactly how many noble Fae are there?”
“Not as many as you would think. There’s a reason you and I and the others battle for control of the kingdoms. It’s because we carry strong abilities and bloodlines—angel blood powerful enough to rule this land. In any case, I was young and foolish. Thousands of miles separated us from civilization, and there was almost no vegetation between the Land of Ice and here. I took the risk, but I barely survived the journey, even with my power to create portals.”
“You said civilization,” Elena said slowly. “The Land of Ice is uncivilized?”
“Compared to here? Yes. And the queen wanted me dead after her husband wished me for his concubine and broodmare.”
Reese snorted in disgust. “Are there any decent noblemen in Tirnan?”
Camille shrugged noncommittally, then peered at Elena. “Your mother was an exception.”
Camille had run away from someplace no one could get to or from, and she might or might not have an evil queen after her. Tirnan was intense.
“Are you safe?” Reese asked. “They aren’t coming after you, are they?”
Camille stood and looked out her window. A dirt berm surrounded the castle, protected by a moat. Different castle, same green forest beyond as New Kingdom, with tons of guards milling about. “Safe is subjective. I have been untouched for hundreds of years in Sunland, but that does not mean the queen has forgotten her husband’s infatuation. If there was a way for her to reach me and make good on her promise to have me killed, she would.”
“But you’re the only Dark Fae to survive the journey,” Reese pointed out.
Camille turned to her. “I am the only Dark Fae in any of the three Kingdoms, that I know of, though Amund said he was from the Land of Ice when we met with him in the tavern. It is possible there are others. Amund has the build and look of Dark Fae. If the rest of my people succeed in bridging the distance between our lands, they will attack, and not only me. The king was extremely ambitious. He dreamed of ruling all of Tirnan.”
“Jesus,” Reese muttered. “The royal Fae and their need for control. No one will be left once you guys are through duking it out.”
Camille tilted her head. “Quite possibly, though it’s in our blood to dominate—a side effect of being Fae.”
Elena threw up her hands. “Okay, well, we can’t worry about that right now. One major battle at a time.”
“Right.” Reese nodded. “And this one we’re planning against Portia… What exactly happens if we manage to capture her?”
Elena swallowed and twisted her hands together. “I’ve spoken to Derek about that. If we capture Portia and gain control of New Kingdom…Derek is willing to give up his claim to the throne.”
“What?” Reese blurted. Camille stared in surprise as well. “Derek talked about giving it up before, and now you’re supporting him. Why?”
“Hakon has been kind to Derek, but he doesn’t approve of him in charge,” Elena said. “He doesn’t want any blood of Osulf Niall’s running this land, and I can’t blame him after what Niall did to his family. At the same time, he doesn’t want to rule either—but he would support Keen.”
“Wise.” Camille nodded. “Hakon is a powerful influencer. Derek holds this land, but just barely. With Hakon’s support, a man could rule with little conflict.”
“Exactly,” Elena said. “If Derek agrees to cede the throne to Keen and Illa after their marriage, Hakon will get everyone behind our cause against Portia. Most of the soldiers already are, but it doesn’t hurt to have more.” At Reese’s look, Elena said, “It’s not so bad. Hakon believes Derek would make a great liaison between the kingdoms while we work out a truce. The goal is to bring New and Old Kingdom together.”
But that wasn’t what had Reese’s face turning to stone. “So there’s no hope of preventing the marriage? Between Keen and Illa? We’re attacking the night the wedding is to take place. If we leave early enough…”
Elena was silent as she glanced at Camille, then back to Reese. “I’m sorry,” she said. “Camille will start bringing soldiers to New Kingdom before the ceremony begins tomorrow night, but she’ll have her hands full with the numbers we need to battle Portia’s military. We can’t bring people over early, or the Presence Charm will announce their arrival too soon; Portia would know something was up. She expects several of us to come for the wedding, but not an army. And not hours before the wedding. By the time we’re ready to act, Keen and Illa will be married.”
Reese swallowed and nodded. She’d hoped, but… Yeah, hope was a silly thing. “You’ve forgotten one problem. Entrapping Portia and putting Keen in charge isn’t the solution. He swore an oath to protect her. If she’s alive, he has to fulfill his commitment to her.”
Elena’s mouth twisted. “That’s the weak link in the plan. And protection is ambiguous, don’t you agree? Would Portia be in danger if we placed her in comfort while locked away? We wondered how she managed to keep everyone in line. The second virus was her trump card. No one would have gone up against her with that hanging over their heads; they were all too terrified after witnessing the destruction the first virus caused. Without a threat of revolution, Portia didn’t need to enforce a stronger oath from her soldiers. Protection was more than enough.”
She looked between Reese and Camille. “We attack now before Portia has a chance to release the second virus. If the oath Keen made to Portia becomes a problem, preventing him from making decisions that would hurt her physically or mentally, Hakon has agreed to rule over Old Kingdom. Though he’d prefer not to.”
“You could kill Portia.” Reese shrugged. “Just a thought.”
Elena shook her head vehemently. “We’re not like her; we’re not murderers. Imprisonment and stripping her of her power will be punishment enough. The situation isn’t ideal, as your father hasn’t a taste for leadership. Osulf Niall destroyed any ounce of ambition Hakon once had on that front, but Hakon wants someone trustworthy in charge. He’s agreed to do what he must to keep peace between the lands. Apparently, other noblemen in Old Kingdom would never cooperate with Newlanders. They’re all too ambitious.”
Reese understood why Elena didn’t want to kill anyone. But she feared that leaving Portia alive was a bad idea. Still, Elena and Derek knew the politics of Tirnan better than she did. She trusted them.
“Then it’s settled,” Reese said. “We’ll get Portia out of power one way or another…and Keen and Illa will marry.”
30
Reese looked in the mirror. She wore a bla
ck uniform different from the one she’d received in New Kingdom, but it was essentially the same. A tunic-style top that fit all manner of weapons in stealthy pockets and straps, sleek, stretchy black pants, and kick-ass black boots even her mother would approve of. The boots fit her calves perfectly, with good height that gave her spring when she jogged across the room to test them out. In short, they were super comfortable and she felt like she was walking on a cloud.
She’d braided her hair in a loop around her head from crown to nape to keep it off her face. She would fight alongside the rest of Elena and Derek’s makeshift army, even if drinking the Ancient Allon leaves hadn’t done much to improve her magical abilities.
Elena entered the room and scanned Reese. “You look like a warrior.”
Reese grinned. It was the best compliment she’d ever received. Particularly when she was feeling vulnerable after Keen.
Hmm, the first time she’d felt vulnerable after interacting with Keen she’d gone to the fraternity party alone—and ended up in a Fae realm. And now, after conceivably the last time she’d ever see him, she was heading into a Fae battle. There was a warning sign somewhere in all of this, but her path was set. She would help her friends. And by the time they arrived in New Kingdom, Keen and Illa would be married.
Just thinking about it made tears bloom behind her eyes. She quickly sucked in a breath. No way would she cry. Not when she was in badass warrior mode.
Elena wore a similar outfit, but her tunic had delicate gold embroidery along the edges of her sleeves—embroidery to indicate Elena’s true status as a royal who belonged on the New Kingdom throne. “You look beautiful. Like a queen.”
Elena’s face fell slightly. “Do you think this is right? To try to take it back? I don’t need it—not for my pride, or for anything else.”
“That’s not what this is about. Portia killed many Fae—with help from my half-brother—all for power. She. Is. Psycho. She shouldn’t be in charge. From what I heard when my New Kingdom seamstresses thought I wasn’t listening, Portia infected the royal family with the virus first. She wanted them out of the way. The only reason your mom survived was because she’d been separated from her family at the time.” Reese stepped forward and squeezed her friend’s hand. “You’re the last one, Elena. You’re also one of the most powerful magic wielders in the kingdom, and you have a good heart. If there’s anyone capable of protecting these people, it’s you. Unless you don’t want to…”
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