by G. Bailey
"Willow...It won't be safe," I tell her, taking a few steps closer. "I can't promise you anything right about now. I mean, look at me. My clothes are torn to shreds, we are camping in an abandoned house and it looks like it might rain, so we will find out if the roof has holes in it. We are in deep shit."
"I'm diving in with you. So to speak," she shrugs. "My sister’s a light fae princess, how fucking cool is that?"
I laugh and step closer. I pull Willow into a hug that she actually returns and I feel her tears fall on my shoulder. "Mum and dad would be proud of us."
"Yes, I think so," she replies. "We will make them proud by fighting for each other."
We both smile as we let go and Willow looks over to the house behind me. "I've been walking for three days straight and haven't slept much. Too dangerous out here when you're on your own."
"Go and rest. We will watch over you and you can borrow my blanket. It's in the black bag by the fireplace," I tell her. She picks up her bag, reaching into the front pocket and pulling out a letter.
"These letters magically appeared in my hands a few weeks ago. I think mum put a spell on them so when she died they would appear to me. One letter was mine and told me everything. The other is for you," she offers me a light yellow envelope with my name written on the outside. Mum's handwriting is something I would recognise anywhere.
"Thank you, Willow," I whisper, taking the letter from her and curling my hands around it. Willow moves around me and pauses.
"By the way, you are a lucky bitch. I can't even get one guy to stick around and you have picked up four sexy and loyal ones."
I laugh as she walks away, chuckling to herself. I wait until she heads inside the house before sitting down with my back against the tree. I open the letter, unfolding the white paper and taking a deep breath before reading what lies inside.
My dear Izora,
I pray to Selena that you never will read this letter. That I have told you the truth and you are living a happy life, but in case everything has gone wrong, this letter must be my last words to you.
My sweet baby Izora, I lied to you. Your father was never my mate. My mate was a cruel man who slept with others and betrayed me at every chance he got. When he died in the war, I did not miss him, but I did use him to hide you from the world and the dangers you would face.
Your real father is King Ulric of the Light Fae Kingdom. I loved him from the second we met and our passion created you in the blink of an eye. I feel like the goddess Selena herself weaved my fate, so I met your father and fell in love with him.
But our love was not meant to be.
I was well known as a consort of your father’s and when I became heavily pregnant and unable to hide the truth any longer; we agreed I should leave the court and pretend the baby was not his. You were born at Dawn's first light and I swear Selena herself blessed you in that way. Your father held you, kissed your forehead and loved you instantly. It broke both our hearts when he had to leave to save your life, to make sure you could live free and not as the royal bastard-born child.
We lied to you to keep you safe. I hope you can understand that now.
You are a princess of the Light Fae Kingdom, destined to be something special. I have always thought the Light Fae throne was meant to be yours and one day you will find yourself sitting upon it.
Take care, my sweet child, and remember the throne is only as strong as the queen or king who sits upon it.
Now I wish to tell you one more secret of mine. I have chosen a wrong path at Princess Eva's side, and I find myself stuck there to keep you alive. Eva lured me in, promising me nothing but knowledge of Shadowborns and Light Fae, but when it became too much, she took you. She changed you and then locked you away.
And there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect you from death.
So I did what I had to, and I am sure you must hate the choices I will make. I write this in the prison you are locked away in, hoping you will understand my actions.
I am with Selena now and we will see each other once again.
My love for you is eternal, my sweet Izora.
Love,
Mum.
I close the letter, wiping my tear-filled eyes as I cry for my mother and father, for all the secrets and lies that it took them both to get me here. But somewhere in the sadness, I find the knowledge that they loved me and believed in me.
And that I was worth fighting for.
Now, I'm going to fight for who I have left.
Chapter 13
Izora
"Want to talk about it?" Axel asks, sitting down next to me near the tree. I shake my head, crumbling my hands around the letter. His dark gaze meets mine as I turn my gaze to his. Sometimes I forget how breathtakingly beautiful Axel is. The Light Fae magic has only made every one of his features stand out more, his hair that more shiny and luxurious. "Oh-kay. How about we talk about what you would do if you were never taken from the academy?"
"I don't know," I reply instantly, the truth pouring out. "I never planned my life out like I should have done. What was your plan as a kid?"
"To go to the moon. Original, I know," he tells me and I chuckle. "But I did fall in love with a woman with hair as silver as the moon. Therefore, I got my dream in the end."
"Sweet talker," I mumble and he laughs, wrapping his arm around me. We sit in perfect silence for a long time, staring at the forest, feeling the warmth of the house right behind the tree we are sitting under. After a long time, I hand him the letter and wait as he reads it.
Axel closes it and hands me it back. "I'm sorry this is your goodbye. You deserved a funeral."
"I have an idea," I whisper. Using a little magic, I float the letter into the air and close my eyes. I whisper a spell for long burning embers and push a tiny bit of light magic into the mix. When I open my eyes, the letter bursts into bright white embers that mix with the wind and fill the air around us. Axel tugs me closer as tears fall down my cheeks and I watch the magic embers float away into the forest, taking what is left of my mother with it.
But truthfully, I know she isn't here anymore. Her soul is with my father and I hope she is happy. I couldn't imagine leaving any of the men I love to save my child. The pain she must have felt, and the love she must have had for me to do it.
"What in the name of Selena is that?" I ask, pointing up at a huge raven flying right towards us. It swings over our heads and we both duck. I climb to my feet, watching the raven disappear into the distance.
"It's a message," Axel tells me, and I turn around to see burning words written into the ground, still on fire. Cool, birds that can make fire. Doesn't sound dangerous or freaky at all. Nope. Written onto the ground is one simple but important message.
"Queen Narah has betrayed Eva. Fight the light and win. C."
I grin as the fire goes out and the message just disappears like it was never there. Corvina has learnt some pretty wicked magic, it seems. I've got to ask her how to do that when the war is over.
"We have a war to win it seems," Axel suggests, and I do something impulsive. I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him like there is no tomorrow for us. He groans into my mouth, picking me up and pushing my back against the tree. I wrap my legs around him and undo his trousers as he pushes up my dress and rips off my underwear.
Then he kneels down and dives between my legs, licking and sucking on my clit as I moan in sheer pleasure, not caring if the entire forest hears me. I crash into an orgasm embarrassingly quick, but Axel doesn't comment, only grins as he sits down and pulls me onto his lap, sliding into me with one quick movement.
"Fuck, I forget how fucking crazy you make me feel until I'm inside of you," he groans, kissing me harshly as I ride him fast, desperate for the pleasure to never stop. Axel is addictive and I know he feels the same.
"You're my mate, Izora Dawn," he growls against my lips, but I swear I feel his words vibrate all the way down to my clit. I moan, moving faster as his hands dig into my hips and his tongue co
ntrols my mouth. Tightening around him, my orgasm nearly knocks me out with its intensity and he spills inside me at the same, making it so much more. I breathlessly drop my head onto his shoulder and he kisses my cheek.
"I love you," he tells me.
"And I love you, Axel," I whisper back, praying to the gods that we can have forever.
Chapter 14
"This place gives me the creeps," Axel claims the second we get to the edge of the forest, the Fountain of Mene. I grab his arm, pulling him down behind a bush as I spot a group of ten or more Light Fae guards in front of the fountain cavern.
The guys and Willow gather around me as we crouch down.
"We will distract them. You girls go and get the key but don't do anything dangerous," Gold suggests, his eyes fixed on me with a clear warning.
I roll my eyes. "Nothing, and I mean nothing, is safe in the Enchanted Forest. Danger is always around every corner."
"But you can run from it and not right into it. You know that right?" Luke counters. Smartass.
"We got this," Willow interjects, pulling out all four of her daggers and giving them to the guys. It surprises me, mainly as the old Willow wouldn't have ever given up her weapons to anyone. Here she is...sharing.
The world is actually over. This is proof.
"Remember, don't run into danger. Not like we are about to do," Axel teases, flipping around the dagger in his hand before standing up. I chuckle as he runs like a lunatic, with Luke, Gold and Scott who just walk right behind him. The guard immediately chases them into the forest, right past us, leaving only one guard left in front of the fountain.
"He is mine," Willow claims and before I can disagree with her, she is up and running right towards him.
Acting like a victim, she runs into the guard's arms. "Help me! Those horrible men were keeping me hostage. I'm so scared!"
The guard looks uncomfortable as he pats her back. Willow only waits a second before grabbing his head and slamming it into the rock wall. The poor guard slumps to the floor and Willow looks back to me, wiping away fake tears.
That's my sister.
I rush out of the forest and across the path that leads to the cavern. Willow follows me inside and I quickly cast a spell, making a ball of light to hover above us to light up the darkness. The cavern is silent, masking all the sounds from outside. I nearly scream as the ground shakes under our feet, nearly knocking me and Willow over, but we grab each other, holding on tight until the shaking stops. Out of nowhere, a voice fills my head.
"Take the key, royal blood,
accept the curse that awaits you.
Immoral life for a royal touch,
but no magic will ever be bound to you."
The man's voice leaves my mind. By Willow's wide eyes, she heard it too. The key appears in the middle of the room, a simple-looking key glowing a bright white colour.
But it's cursed. It had to be cursed.
"You can't touch that," Willow warns me, her voice urgent as she steps in front of me, blocking my view from the key.
"I knew when I started this, I would pay a price. No one saves the world and gets everything they ever wanted," I softly tell her, pulling her into a hug. Willow doesn't hug me back for a moment, but when she does, it's almost like she is giving in.
"You can't be the queen without magic. The Light Fae will murder you, and take the throne," Willow whispers to me. "I felt like I had to be here, not just for you, but to save you from yourself."
Willow shoves me away, knocking me to the hard ground. I only manage to kneel up as she reaches for the key and there is no way I can stop her from here.
"Willow! NO!" I scream, but it's too late.
Willow grabs the key and the white light blasts the entire room so brightly it hurts my eyes before it snaps off, leaving the cave in darkness.
My ball of light slowly burns once more, coming to life, and shining light on Willow, her body bent at an odd angle. "Willow!" I scream, rushing across the floor and picking up her head onto my lap. I will the light closer as I hover my hand over her mouth, relaxing a little when I feel her breath, but I still don't stop crying.
She did this for me...knowing the heavy price. Willow loves magic. Why would she do this?
I brush some hair from her face as I hear footsteps getting closer. I look up as the guys all rush in and Scott immediately kneels next to us, placing his fingers on Willow's neck.
"What happened?" Gold asks, covered in Light Fae blood much like the rest of the guys. Clearly they had fun with the guards.
"The key. The fucking key happened," I all but shout, not angry with them, but I'm sure it doesn't sound that way. I lift Willow's hand, seeing the key tightly grasped in it and take a deep breath as I pick up the glowing key. The second I touch it, pain fills my veins, and a picture flashes into my head.
A picture of my mum and my dad in front of a wall with dozens of glass stones at the bottom. They are both pointing at a hole in the wall, with a green symbol above it that I don't recognise. The picture disappears quickly and when I open my eyes, I'm being carried in Gold's arms through the forest.
"How long was I out?" I ask Gold, who pauses and looks down at me. His lips descend on mine, a kiss that is full of relief.
"Hours. We are nearly back at the house," he tells me. Gold sets me down, and I see Luke first, who softly smiles and then Axel. When I look at Scott, I only see Willow in his arms looking so small and pale.
"How is she?" I ask, my eyes filling with tears once again.
Scott meets my eyes. "In some kind of coma. Without medication and real equipment, I can't tell you much more. I tried using magic, but it doesn't work on her."
I repeat the words of the curse to them and we all fall silent, knowing the price Willow has paid is great. "I saw something else but I don't know it. Where the next key is, I think."
"Tell us, maybe we have seen it," Scott suggests.
"It was a wall and my parents were in front of it. It had lots of glass stones on the floor and green symbols on the wall," I explain.
"It's in Vasili. In fact, right in the middle of it," Luke states and Gold nods in agreement. "It's called the Treasure Grove."
"Off to the Light City then. We will wait for Willow to heal and then get the last key before the city is destroyed," I say, looking back at my sister.
I place my hand on hers as we start walking back through the forest.
“I will never forget what you did, Willow. Mum and dad would be so proud.”
Chapter 15
Izora
Wrapping my arms around myself, I stare out into the trees as some creatures run past in a hurry. They kind of look like deer but their fur is black, and the tips of their ears are a vibrant yellow. They are one of many beautiful creatures in this forest that don't have a name, only a whisper of one bred by rumours.
"How is she today?" Axel asks, sneaking into the room, and I close the creaky window before turning to face him. I follow his gaze to Willow, who lies so still in the bed and tears form in the corners of my eyes. Why did she have to do that for me?
"I don't know," I admit, biting down on my lip. Axel walks in big strides over to me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders and pressing me to his chest. It's funny how a simple embrace can make me feel so much better.
"I will watch her. Luke is going to take you into the forest for some fresh air," Axel tells me. "Gold and Scott are hunting for dinner. Go and rest. I got this."
"Thank you," I say around a sigh. I don't think I've rested since we got the last key, and I know I've hardly taken my eyes off Willow. If she dies...it will be on me.
The damn keys are slowly becoming more dangerous as we go on. I think we were lucky with the first one, and then it got worse. I kiss Axel softly before leaving the room, forcing myself not to stare at Willow any longer, wishing she would just wake up and tell me how terrible I look. In fact, anything sarcastic she might say would be music to my ears.
Avoiding some of the bigge
r gaps in the stairs, I make my way down to find Luke standing in the doorway, facing away from me. A squeaky floorboard gives me away and Luke turns, his frown turning up into a smile that makes me grin back at him.
"Hey," I whisper, taking his hand in mine. Luke closes the door behind us, silently leading me into the forest.
"I once got lost in the forest when I was about six," Luke randomly tells me. I stay silent, resting my head on his shoulder. "I don't remember why I went into the forest, but I remember chasing something. I was lost for three days and in those three days, I managed to build my own fire, make a tent from sticks and leaves. I also caught fish in the river."
"I couldn't do that now, let alone at six," I reply.
He grins. "When they found me, they invited me to be a Shadow Keeper and work my way up. Otherwise, I would have just been a cleaner or some shit in the kingdoms."
"Funny how this forest is full of darkness but somehow directs us on the path we need. I know I couldn't have found out the truth without this place," I reply. Luke suddenly comes to a halt, and swiftly tugs me down to the ground.
"What is-," I start but Luke places his finger on his lips and uses his other hand to point to his ears. I listen and that's when I hear it, a melodic ringing noise that can only belong to one creature. I can't help but feel giddy as I peek over the log we are hidden behind, and that's when I see them.