One of the men approached Nevin. “Your Highness, we bring grave news.”
My stomach clenched as I climbed to my feet beside Nevin.
“Gareth?” I called out in my mind.
Silence.
Oh God. Please don’t let it be him.
“What is it, Darvin?”
“Lord Gareth has been injured in battle.” He pointed to Gareth’s body, slung over his white stallion. “He was cut down in the mountains, east of here by an iron blade. His body is shutting down. The iron poisoning can’t be stopped.”
“No,” I whispered. My throat seemed to close off. I couldn’t breathe. Tears blurred my vision. This had to be a mistake. It had to be. I reached for the table to steady myself.
Several people cried out at once.
“Silence,” Nevin shouted. “Everyone is excused save for Lady Salome, Lady Gwenn, and Darvin.”
The dinner party broke up, everyone scattering until just the four of us remained. I dared a glance at Nevin, who’d paled; grief and worry flooded his eyes. But Gwenn hadn’t budged. She stared ahead, her jaw tightened.
Nevin turned to Darvin. “What happened?”
“Winter ambushed us near the border. They struck three days ago. It happened so fast, we never had a chance to react.”
Three days ago? That’s when I’d felt the shot of pain through our bond. This wasn’t happening. He promised me to always be here. He gave me his word.
“There has to be something we can do. For God’s sake, you have power.”
“Salome, iron poisoning for Fae is deadly…”
My heart shattered like crystal as a sob wrenched through me. “No, that’s unacceptable.”
Nevin came to my side and drew me into his arms. “Bring him to his chambers and send for Elder Briar—he’s our best healer. I’m not making any promises as to whether he’ll be able to help him or not. I’m truly sorry, Salome—I swear upon my life that we will avenge him.” He pulled back, his fingers wiping tears from my face. “Gwenn, see Salome to her room.”
“I need to be with him.” My legs wobbled beneath me, but Gwenn offered me her arm.
“Until they have him settled in, you’ll only be in the way,” Nevin said.
Anger poured through me. “Listen here, Gareth is my boyfriend and my betrothed, and I’ll be by his side.”
“For now, you need to go to your room. I promise as soon as we can get him laid out and have the elder come in, I’ll send for you. Now please, we’re wasting time here.”
Defeated, I let Gwenn lead me into the palace. Somehow we made it up to my quarters. When we stepped inside, she patted my arm.
“My brother’s a good man—if he dies, know that he did so protecting the people he loved. It’s an honorable way to go.”
God, I wish she’d quit talking about him as if he was already dead—as if he would for sure die. All I could manage was a nod. How could she be so nonchalant about her brother’s situation? Didn’t anyone care?
“You have my word,” she said. “I’ll keep you safe, no matter what. Even if you are a human, my brother loved you, and it’s my duty to protect what was his.” She moved to the door and closed it behind her, leaving me alone.
I slumped onto my bed, crying. My arms wrapped around my chest as I curled into a ball.
This isn’t how things are supposed to be.
I chose Gareth. He loved me. We were supposed to be together forever. Bonded. Inseparable. Damn it! If Nevin hadn’t sent him away, none of this would’ve happened. Gareth couldn’t die. He couldn’t. He’d faced so many enemies and always won.
“Please don’t leave me.” I sobbed. “Please.”
But there was no answer from him. And there might never be again. Gareth might die…which meant I might lose him forever.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Salome
I watched as the elder put the poultice on Gareth’s wound. His skin was clammy and beads of sweat slickened his forehead. The wound had caused his flesh to darken like spoiled meat along the ridge of the cut mark. His face and body were otherwise pale, the normal bronze sheen gone.
“There’s nothing more I can do,” the elder said. “I’m afraid he won’t last the night—”
“No, that can’t be. There has to be something you can do. Some sort of magic that will fix this.” I leapt to my feet. “Please, I beg you.”
The elder’s eyes filled with sadness. “I’m sorry, Lady Salome, but there’s no power strong enough to combat the iron poisoning that has entered his system. Take comfort in knowing that he at least made it home, so you could say your goodbyes.” He spared me a glance, but with nothing left to say, the tall elfin man left the room.
With a sob, I sank into the chair by Gareth’s bed, taking his limp hand in mine and pressing it to my lips. No. The elder had to be wrong. He couldn’t die on me. He couldn’t go back on his promise—he’d promised to always be here for me.
“You can’t leave me, you hear? You brought me back from the dead, you called me back to life and I came. So don’t you dare give up on me now.” My eyes welled. “Please, fight. For me. Fight for us.”
His breathing seemed more labored. Fear racing through me, I turned to Nevin, who stood solemnly near the door. “Nevin, please, tell me there’s something we can do? I-I hadn’t wanted to tell you earlier, but you were right. My powers are real. So help me figure out how to use them to save Gareth.”
“It would take more magic than you could possibly have, Salome. Death is one of the most powerful spells…”
“But Gareth brought me back. Couldn’t we do the same for him? How did he do it?”
“I don’t know. I’m not lying to you—I don’t know. I only remember him calling to you. Him and your grandmother both. What do you remember of your death and resurrection?”
“I was stuck in an in-between, and I heard his voice, and I followed it.”
“Maybe he’s in a place where your voice won’t come through. Perhaps the poison keeps you from reaching him.”
“Nevin, come on. There has to be something we can do.”
He lowered his head. “There might be another way. But I’m not sure you’ll like it”
I shot to my feet, letting go of Gareth’s hand. “What is it? I’ll do anything to bring him back.”
“You could become my queen,” he said.
Anger erupted inside me. Oh. My. God. My boyfriend was dying and he was trying to convince me to be his mother-effing queen. This was low, even for Nevin. “I can’t believe you’d try to manipulate me right now, when the love of my life is dying—”
“I’m not trying to trick you. As the Summer King, I can tap into some of the powers of the kingdom. However, my magic is not, and will not, be at its fullest until Summer has a queen. When both a king and queen rule, all the power is available, both the feminine side and the masculine side of it. I believe that together, with Summer’s powers behind us, that we could beat away this darkness that keeps him from returning to us.”
My fingers knotted into balled up fists at my sides. “Is this another one of your grand schemes? Your tricks? How do I know you aren’t lying to me again? That you won’t deceive me—deceive Gareth?”
Nevin straightened his shoulders. “Gareth is one of my closest companions and has been since we were children; he was the only person I trusted enough to watch after Summer when I was stuck in the human world for all those years. Do you think I want him to die? That I wouldn’t do everything in my power to save him? Because I would—and right now, I’m telling you that on our own, neither of us is strong enough to bring him back. No, I can’t guarantee this will work, but doesn’t he deserve a chance? Isn’t that what you’re asking me to give you?” His eyes burned with fury as he glowered at me.
I swallowed the lump in my throat. What would I be willing to sacrifice to bring him back?
Everything.
If only Gareth could communicate with me—let me know whether I was making the right choic
e. I could choose to forego my happily ever after in order to ensure that the man I loved would live to see another day. But what if it didn’t work? What if it was a trick? What if my sacrifice caused more harm than help?
“I need time to think about it,” I said at last.
“Time is something we don’t have much of.”
“I know. Just give me tonight.” I plopped back down next to Gareth, clutching his hand to my chest.
“Very well. Try and get some rest.”
I nodded, but I knew I wouldn’t sleep. Once Nevin left, I cried, leaning my head on Gareth’s pillow. “I wish you could tell me what to do. You mean everything to me, I can’t lose you…”
Nevin came into the room the next morning and sat in a chair beside me. “You’ve been locked up in here all night now. You need to eat.”
My head throbbed as I turned my crusty eyes to look at him. “I don’t feel like it.”
“Gareth wouldn’t want you to waste away. I don’t want you to waste away.” He reached for my hand, cupping it in his. “Everyone is worried about you. The people of Summer look to you as a savior—you give them hope. And now, they worry for your health.”
“I didn’t ask for them to put me on this pedestal,” I said in a hoarse voice. “Besides, your nobles have a very different opinion of me.”
He gave me a sad smile. “Perhaps, but the heart of the kingdom stands behind you. Please don’t take their hope from them. It’s all they have—all we have.”
Irritation radiated through me. How dare he make me feel bad? “The man I love is dying—can’t I mourn for him? For shit-sake, this isn’t like some beloved pet or stranger. This is the man I planned on spending the rest of my life with.”
“I understand you’re hurt, but right now, you need to take care of yourself. Hiding out in here isn’t helping you.”
My bottom lip trembled as tears burned my raw cheeks. “What do you know about losing someone?” I glared. “I can’t come out, and I won’t. Just leave me be.”
“You can come out.” He took my chin in his hand and made me look at him. “I’ll give you until tonight—then I’ll force you from your room, even if I have to carry you out myself. You can’t be sitting in here, watching him waste away.”
He released me, stood, and then walked out of Gareth’s chambers.
With a sob, I screamed, picking up a cup off the dresser and throwing it at the wall. God, Nevin didn’t get it. Gareth’s life was on the line. He might not come back. And right now it felt like I had this giant hole in my heart, like a piece of my soul was missing. I wasn’t complete without him.
The scent of autumn encompassed me.
“He’s right, you know,” Darach said. “You can’t hide away forever. Sooner or later, you’ll have to face the world.”
“But it hurts so bad, just the thought of him not being here.” My eyes burned as tears that I thought were all dried up started to stream down my face again.
“I know.” Darach’s arms surrounded me, blanketing me against the world. He felt so solid.
I faced him, still in his embrace. “I loved him so much… H-he promised to never leave me. He promised.”
More sobs raked through me like waves crashing on the ocean.
“Shh…Salome. Come here.” He tugged me closer, and we sank together. It was like being in a cocoon—surrounded in his very being, his spirit. Like that alone could shield me from the hurt I felt.
A sense of security settled over me like a soft whisper.
“You’ll stay with me, won’t you?”
Mahogany eyes met mine. “I can’t promise forever, because I don’t know how long I’m here for you. But I’ll stay as long as I’m able to.”
A strange glowing aura wrapped around us, and for a moment, I swore I heard his heartbeat again.
But that’s impossible. He’s a ghost.
“Thank you,” I whispered.
We stood in silence for long minutes before Darach spoke again. “How did you meet Gareth and Nevin?”
I swallowed the lump in my throat then went on to explain my fall through the ice covered pond when I was six. How Nevin saved me. And I told him of my fear of winter. He listened intently as I reminisced about Nevin and Gareth, and my final decision to come to Faerie.
Remembering my time in the human world with Gareth brought on a fresh set of tears. If I closed my eyes, I saw him standing across the pool at the water park; I pictured him in his tux when he agreed to bring me to prom. My heart ached for him. And it killed me that I’d spent my last night with him angry.
“I think you were meant to come to Faerie. To be a part of our lives. To be a part of something even bigger than us. Nothing happens without reason.”
I opened my eyes, and the droplets that’d clung to my eyelashes splashed down my face. He wiped them away. Maybe he was right. Maybe everything had led to this very moment for a reason. I had to make a decision, and I’d have to make it soon, no matter how hard it was.
“I’ll have to leave his room, won’t I?”
“Yes, the sooner you face reality, the sooner you can heal.”
But somehow, I didn’t think it’d be that easy. Besides, I didn’t want to exist in a reality where there was no Gareth. Where my light was plucked out. “Thank you,” I said again, clasping his hand.
“No. Thank you. If you hadn’t come to the Ruined Court I’d still be tethered there, stuck in misery.”
I wanted to remind him he was still stuck in this world, between life and death, and that I didn’t think I’d done him any favors. But his smile changed my mind.
“Instead, you’re anchored to me—and I’m not exactly Ms. Happy right now.”
“No. But you will be.”
Is he right? Will I ever get beyond the sadness?
As he attempted to comfort me, my thoughts drifted to Gareth.
“I wish you were here,” I thought.
But instead, I settled for the ghost who’d become my best friend.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Salome
Amaid slipped into the room, a new gown draped over her arm. She glanced at the bed where Gareth was and gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry about Lord Gareth, milady.”
“Thank you.
Darach scooted away from me. The security that’d surrounded me through the night slipped away. But I felt refreshed—like a battery put on a charger.
Gwenn and Nevin came into my room.
Nevin glanced at me. “Salome?”
“Um—I’m right here.” I waved.
The worry lines in his forehead disappeared, and he let out a relieved sigh. “How are you feeling?” He reached for me, pulling me into a hug.
“Better.”
“You look better—more rested.” He stared at me.
Over his shoulder, Darach glowered and crossed his arms.
“I have a meeting with the guards this morning, but I thought perhaps we could have lunch together.” Nevin released me. “You need to keep your energy up.”
“I-I don’t know. I’m not sure I want to leave Gareth.”
“I can sit with him for a bit. If there are any changes, I can send word to you,” Gwenn said.
My chest tightened. What if something happened to him while I was gone? Did I want to chance not being here? But as Gwenn met my eye, I realized that maybe she wanted some time alone with her brother. I nodded. “Okay.”
“I’ll send someone up to help you bathe and get changed.”
“Actually, I’d like to do it on my own.” Even though I’d been in Summer for a while now, I still didn’t like people helping me. Besides, I was capable enough to wash myself.
“Very well. I’ll see you later.” He sauntered out.
Gwenn hung back for a moment, watching me. “Are you really going to be all right?”
“I think so,” I lied, because right now, I wasn’t sure. For today, I had to wear a mask, one that said I was fine even though on the inside I felt like shattered gla
ss with tiny, broken pieces strewn about that might not be able to be glued back together. Today, I’d have to determine what to do. Either I became the Summer Queen and possibly got enough power to save Gareth, or I let him die peacefully in his sleep, losing him forever.
Put like that, it didn’t seem like such a tough choice anymore.
Gwenn peered about the room, her gaze focusing on everything but her brother as if she was scared that he’d pass away if she looked at him. She seemed so uncomfortable. “If you need anything, let me know.”
“I will.” My lips brushed Gareth’s forehead before I left his room. I went back to my quarters to get ready for a quick bath. I stared at my hands. Maybe I wasn’t ready to get up yet. Maybe I’d never be. What I wouldn’t give to be back home with Grandma right now. She’d know how to help me. She and Grandpa always made things better.
“Grab a change of clothes,” Darach said.
“What?”
“I’m bringing you to the best place in Summer.” He bowed, shooting me a quick grin.
I glared, not in the mood for jokes. “You’re from the Autumn Court—how would you know the best places here?”
“Believe it or not, Nevin and I used to be good friends. So I visited for balls and other such gatherings. Back when…”
“Back when what?”
He floated across the way until he stood by the doors to the balcony. A dreamy look encompassed his features, he gave a wistful smile. “Back when, Nevin and I used to be in love with one another.”
“Whoa, wait a second, come again?” My brow raised.
“Nevin and I used to be together, before the fall of Spring and Autumn, before he ran away to the human world—before he betrayed me and my kingdom.”
“What happened? I mean, you’ve been pretty anti-Nevin since we’ve met.” I clutched a clean dress in my arms and moved to his side.
“Nevin and I were schooled by the same scholars and trained by the same Master of Arms. It was during this time that we fell in love with one another. We’d spend nights studying together or practicing sword in the training yard. We were always together.” He smiled sadly.
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