by Nissa Leder
As a regular Summer fae, Poppy would have also gained power when the curse released, but as king, Cade’s gain was more prominent.
After a few more of Poppy’s attempts, Cade used a block to force the sword out of Poppy’s hands, sending it flying across the room. Then he moved his sword to her throat. “Gotchya.”
She glared at him, then smiled. “You’re getting better all the time. How has your magic felt since releasing the curse?”
“Strong. Really strong, actually.” Cade used his magic to send his sword back to its spot on the wall then did the same for Poppy’s. “We need to talk.”
Poppy placed her hand on hip and curved an eyebrow. “What now?”
“The Fates have called another meeting at the Winter Court.”
“Okay, I’ll grab my things.”
“I don’t know if you should come,” Cade said. When he saw the disappointment in her eyes, he regretted it. “I, of course, always want you with me…” Wait, did that sound desperate? “You’re the head of my guard. But I can’t predict what’s going to happen. It might not be safe.”
“Well, of course, it might not be. Siding with the Fates probably wasn’t the best idea if safe is what you were going for. They want war, and they’ll make sure they get it. But I’m the head of your guard and it’s my job to keep you safe, not the other way around.”
Cade tried to find a counterargument, but came up blank. “But what if my choice to join with them gets you killed? How could I forgive myself?”
“You had to make a choice one way or another. Either way would bring you into battle unless you wanted to run away like some coward and abandon your people. If you think siding with the Fates is best, then I will fight with you.” Poppy dropped her arm to her side. “Now, if we need to leave soon, I better get packed.” She turned and walked out the door without another word.
So much for him spending all that time worrying about which decision to make. Apparently, Poppy made her own choices.
Cade and Poppy evanesced to the Winter Forest outside of the castle grounds. No matter how many times Cade went directly from the warmth of his court to the chill of this one, he was never prepared for the way it stole his breath. The cold around him pierced through his three layers of clothing as if he wore nothing but silk.
Poppy seemed unfazed, which rarely surprised him anymore.
The snow crunched beneath their boots as they made their way to the Winter Court gates. As usual, a guard stood on each side. When they saw Cade, they turned toward the pathway and the gates opened.
He wasn’t sure it was possible, but every time Cade visited this palace, he liked it less. His first visit as king wasn’t so bad, at first. It was his first official visit to another court, even if he hadn’t actually earned the crown yet. Still, he was determined to show the Winter Queen how strong of a ruler he was. When Kaelem defeated him in the arena during the Winter games, any hope he had to look fierce had vanished.
Now, if he fought the Unseelie King, things would be different. But Kaelem was no longer his enemy, at least not in this war. But no one besides them knew his secret, and Cade hoped it stayed that way.
The castle gates swung open as they approached. No guards protected these doors. When they stepped inside, a fae woman waited.
She was dressed in an icy purple dress, with hair nearly the same color. Her white lashes stood out against her caramel skin. “Welcome. I am the queen’s new advisor and am happy to greet you at the Winter Court.” She turned. “Follow me and I will escort you to the throne room where my queen is waiting.”
The previous advisor had been killed in their attack on the Seelie Castle. He’d always scared Cade, but the new one seemed a little less intimidating. But when it came to the fae, looks were always deceiving, and he knew better than to underestimate her.
When they entered the throne room, others had already arrived. Ajax and another Autumn fae stood to the left of the Winter Queen. To her right was a large group of Winter soldiers.
“We are still waiting for the Fates to arrive,” Nevina said.
She sat back on her throne of ice with both of her arms resting on the sides. She wore a long-sleeved, silvery dress that draped on the floor by her feet.
Cade and Poppy stood next to Ajax and his companion.
“Hello, Cade,” Ajax said.
“Ajax.” Cade gave a half bow. “How is your new position as king treating you?”
“Very well. It’s a time of change for my court, and my people are honored to help in any way that they can.”
Cade knew a lie when he saw one. He didn’t know the circumstances of the former king’s passing, but he guessed foul play was involved. Every time he’d seen Ajax’s father, Dagon, he seemed in fine health. Yet somehow, out of nowhere, Ajax had gained the crown.
He didn’t care much either way, but he wondered what Sage might think of her brother’s new position. Cade hadn’t spent a lot of time with the Autumn Princess, but during their time in the Otherworld, he’d seen her fierceness. It was the same as Poppy’s. Neither seemed to play by anyone’s rules but her own.
Out of nowhere, Morta appeared in front of Nevina. She glanced at the Winter Queen and asked, “I’d like to stand where you are to talk.”
If Nevina’s magic came from her eyes, her glare would have sent ice right through Morta. But then her expression calmed and she stood from the throne and stepped down next to Cade. Rage flickered in her aura, but as quickly as it appeared, it vanished.
Morta took the Winter Queen’s place before the throne then stepped and faced the assembled group. “We have already claimed victory by defeating the Seelie Queen. Our enemies are foolish if they think their fates will be any different.” Morta’s voice spread throughout the room. “This war is happening whether others want it to or not. There is no such thing as neutral. You are with us or against us.”
Cade wondered where she was going with all of this. With so many allies already, why would she worry about those who didn’t want to involve themselves?
“We have offered the Spring Court a place amongst our allies, but its queen claims they want no part of our fight. She claims to side with no one. We will make an example of those who think they are above this war.” Her voice grew louder. “Tomorrow morning, at dawn, we will attack the Spring Kingdom.”
To Cade’s shock, Nevina was the first to question the decision. “If they aren’t going to hurt our cause, why not focus our efforts elsewhere?”
Morta inhaled as she tilted her head to the side. “You should be grateful. We helped you regain the power that the Seelie and Unseelie Courts had kept from you for centuries. Gratefulness does not ask questions, Nevina.” She exhaled. “We will attack the castle and capture the Spring Queen. She will have a chance to see the price of not siding with us.”
No one dared speak.
Morta smiled. “We leave here at first light. Be ready,” she said, then she disappeared.
Nevina returned to her throne. “Apparently, we’re leaving tomorrow morning. You should all spend the night here at the Winter Court. I will have my staff prepare you all rooms and a dinner for everyone.” Her fingers tapped against the arm of the throne.
As they waited for their room to be prepared, he didn’t want to stay in the throne room, fearful Nevina might shatter and send shards of ice through the air. “Let’s wait out here,” he told Poppy.
She didn’t argue.
They walked out of the throne room and decided to sit on the staircase and wait.
“This should be colder on my butt than it is,” Poppy said.
The stairs looked as if they were made of pure ice, as did the walls all around them, but the castle was never cold. Something Cade was especially thankful for in that moment. He’d prefer to return home, but he didn’t dare argue with the Winter Queen. And if he was going to have to spend the night there, at least he wouldn’t be as cold as he’d been outside.
“That was odd.” Cade sat next to Poppy.
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“I’ll say. I thought Nevina was going to slit Morta’s throat with an icicle.”
“I’m not sure I agree with Morta’s logic,” Cade whispered. “The Spring Court has consistently kept to itself. It should be far from worry.”
Poppy scooted closer to Cade. “Are you sure this is who we should be siding with?”
He wasn’t sure Kaelem’s idea to spy on the Fates was a worthwhile risk anymore. Cade couldn’t predict what the Fates would want in the future. Truthfully, he still didn’t quite know what it was they were after. He might have the necklace that kept people out of his mind, but one slip up that caused even the slightest bit of doubt could be his end. And Poppy’s.
And what of his people? If he were found out, would Morta retaliate against the Summer Court as revenge? It was too big of a weight on his shoulder. He needed help deciding what was truly his best option.
“I need to tell you something…” he whispered to Poppy.
Before he could say anything else, Ajax and his companion exited the throne room and approached Poppy and Cade.
“I was right,” Ajax said. “I told my family that staying neutral wasn’t an option. We needed to join with a side and clearly Morta’s side will come out triumphant.”
Cade and Poppy exchanged a brief, confused look, then Cade said, “Yes, it seems wanting peace isn’t an option anymore.”
Everyone would be dragged into this war, and Cade had to commit to one side or the other.
Chapter Eleven
Raith sat alone at the dining table, eating porridge for breakfast. Ever since getting wounded, his body had a deep aversion to most foods. Anything with too much flavor made him even more nauseous than he already constantly was. A bland porridge with some chopped up fruit seemed one of the only things that tasted right.
Even though Scarlett had been gone for days, there were still fresh flowers on the table, likely from her sister. Raith had seen her out in the garden area when he looked out his bedroom window.
Besides the vase and bouquet, the long table was empty.
“You’re eating breakfast late,” Rowen said as she entered the room and sat across from him.
“When all you do is sleep, eating on a schedule seems pointless.” He took another bite.
“Are you improving at all?” Concern was heavy in her words.
If he had been improving, it was at a snail’s pace, but he didn’t want to worry her. “A little every day.”
She paused before replying, likely seeing through his lie. “I’ve done some research and I’ve learned of an herb that can heal against Ankou’s magic.”
“Have you asked Galena?” He didn’t want any false hope, but at this point, he’d try anything that could help him improve.
“Yes, but they ran out of it before Dana put her power into the tree,” Rowen said. “It’s hard to find, but she said there might be some in the forest outside the castle grounds.”
“Aren’t Ankou’s creatures roaming the forest?”
“Yes, but Vida’s tribe patrols it every so often. I will try to go along on one of the patrols and see if I can find any.”
“Be careful,” Raith said. “It isn’t worth risking. I’m sure I just need more time.”
Rowen stood, walked around the table, and squeezed his hand. “I’ll be careful when I go.”
Raith placed his other hand on hers and looked up at her with a smile.
Even if he was in pain the rest of his days, having his mother in his life again was worth the price.
Kaelem had been impressed with Scarlett on many occasions, but he had never seen her so committed to her new nature. As she was slicing through the fae who’d captured him, her expression emanated pure focus.
He’d worried even with the help of the Sidhe man they’d be outnumbered, but he’d been wrong. So, so wrong. And he loved it. Something about Scarlett fighting with such ease was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen. He couldn’t explain it.
But he was thankful she’d been thoughtful enough to leave Nico to him.
At first, he’d felt uncertain. He’d known Nico his entire life. He’d been more of a brother to Kaelem than his own brother had been. Though as Kaelem aged, maturity had set in, and the same couldn’t be said for Nico. Still, the memories they shared could never be erased.
But betrayal drowned any sympathy Kaelem might have felt. Knowing Nico had set up not only him but Scarlett too had sent fury pulsing through him, and watching his old friend beg for his life had sent joy to his heart. The bastard had set them up. His oldest friend had betrayed him. And he’d gotten to watch him plead for his life before shattering his mind.
What was the saying the mortals used?
Karma is a bitch.
The fight had caused quite the ruckus in Sandy’s. But thankfully, they were there early enough there hadn’t been many other guests. Between Kaelem and Maeron, who happened to have exceptionally strong mind gifts, it only took about twenty minutes to erase the memory from everyone’s heads.
They decided it was safest to speak somewhere else, so they’d taken a cab to a hotel a few miles away. After getting a room—on the house, of course—they stood in the empty lobby. Kaelem had the hotel clerk lock the entrance door and sent her on a bathroom run so they’d have a few minutes of privacy.
“Thank you,” Scarlett told Maeron. “If you hadn’t warned me or helped us fight them, we’d be on our way to the Fates and Ankou right now.”
“Of course, my queen.” Maeron bowed. “It’s likely the Fates know you’ve heard of a weapon that can kill their father. Very few of us Sidhe knew of its existence, but I’m sure they will also seek it out.”
Hoping they were the only ones aware of the weapon had made things a lot easier. Now, everything would be more dangerous.
Kaelem said, “We need to hurry then.”
Scarlett breathed out then asked Maeron, “You said go to the Otherworld. I only know of one entrance from the mortal realm and that leads to the middle of the jungle. We can backtrack through the Unseelie Court and to the palace, but from my understanding, that’s the middle of the island which is about as far from the sea as you can get. Do you know how to get us closer?”
Maeron swayed side-to-side on his feet and glanced around the room. “You should be able to make a portal. I can help you.”
Maeron’s hesitation didn’t go unnoticed.
“Is it safe?” Kaelem asked. Scarlett needed to stay strong. Anything that posed heavy risk wasn’t worth it. They’d made their way through the jungle once. They could do it again.
“It will require power, but I can sense the magic buzzing from her. Somehow, accessing the darkness in addition to light has filled her to the brim.”
“I can do it.” Scarlett wrapped her hand around Kaelem’s wrist. “Trust me.”
He nodded, though his concern remained. “So, what must we do?”
Maeron pulled out a cell phone from his pocket, which startled Kaelem. Since when did fae—well, in this case, Sidhe—have cell phones?
Maeron tapped the screen, then slipped the phone back into his pocket. “I need to pick up a few things from the herb store I go to. It’s closed now but I just texted the owner to see if he could meet me there tonight. I can be ready to go by morning and meet you back here. We should be able to create the portal from your hotel room.”
Kaelem and Scarlett exchanged a confused look before she asked, “You text?”
Maeron grinned. “It took me a while to finally let my friend convince me that living in the mortal world was easier when we used their conveniences, but eventually he conned me into it. Phones really are handy contraptions.” He pulled out the phone and read something on it. “Perfect, he can meet me in an hour. Get a good night’s sleep and I’ll be back in the morning.”
As if on cue, the hotel clerk returned to her spot behind the desk. Kaelem sent her a mental reminder to unlock the front door, and once she had, Maeron said goodbye and left.
Kaelem and
Scarlett took the elevator to the top floor.
“Did you really have to get us the executive suite?” Scarlett asked as the elevator opened up to a long hallway.
“It was vacant.” Kaelem shrugged. “Why wouldn’t I have gotten it? It’s not like I kicked someone out.”
Scarlett shook her head, but didn’t reply
When they stepped inside, she didn’t complain again. The room was large, with a full kitchen, a dining area, and a couch and loveseat in front of a TV. The walls were covered in a metallic wallpaper and a few large pictures accented the space.
Kaelem found the door to the bedroom and went straight to the bed. When he fell back, he sank into the soft mattress. “Ahh…wonderful.”
Scarlett followed him and did the same. “Wow. This is heaven.”
He was about to make some joke about how he could show her heaven, but he resisted. Instead, he said. “Thank you. Seriously, you were badass, fighting those guys.”
“They messed with the wrong lady.” Scarlett rolled over and faced Kaelem. “I’m sorry about your friend. I know you trusted him.”
Kaelem turned toward her. “We’d been friends forever. But he was clear when he told me that a lot of fae don’t want to live under court rule anymore. The freedom of the mortal world is more appealing. And by claiming to no longer be an Unseelie fae, he no longer had to be loyal to me.”
Kaelem had been naïve. He hadn’t realized the significance of Nico choosing a solitary life over court life. Not that he couldn’t have betrayed him if he had still been an Unseelie fae, but court bonds were strong and if his allegiance still belonged to Kaelem, he might have sensed his betrayal sooner.
“What he did was a jerk move, but do you ever wonder if all the courts are best? I mean, the mortal world phased out of royal families leading countries, at least mostly. Some still have kings and queens, but they aren’t dictatorships anymore.” Scarlett placed her palm under her ear to prop her head up. “Since gaining the power, I’ve felt a deep connection to the Otherworld and its people. And even Maeron, who doesn’t know me, respects me as his queen despite living in the mortal realm for who knows how long. I want what’s best for my people, but do I even know what’s best? I mean, I was raised mortal, which is about as far away as you can get.”