“So you suggest I do nothing?” I grabbed the chessboard from the games table and threw the ceramic board against the wall. It shattered into a thousand pieces. Good. I picked up a crystal tumbler next and smashed it against the wall.
“Onyx.” Blair’s fire lashed out at me as I went to grab another glass. “Stop it. Don’t allow yourself to become like King Peter. That won’t help anyone.”
“What about Virgie? There must be a message from her,” Lily said.
I was about to reply that Virgie had proven useless when a knock sounded on the door.
“Come in.” I was expecting Sela, but not the bronze-winged Summer fae that was dragged into my chambers by two Winter warriors. It was a guard, one holding a leather bag, and I knew King Peter had sent him, probably to a spot just outside the Winter Palace.
“He portaled right in front of the castle,” one of my soldiers said, echoing my thoughts. “We suspect King Peter sent him.”
I swallowed, trying to gather my emotions and stop acting like a child. “Very well. Release him.”
They did. The Summer fae bowed low. He was a guard with a brown and green uniform. “I have a message for Her Highness. It’s a recording ball. It is in this bag.” He handed it over to me.
My heart sank, and I nodded for one of my soldiers to retrieve it. The desire to keep the Summer fae here and torture him after watching the horror King Peter wanted to send me was tempting, but Lily and Blair were right. I couldn’t allow my anger to consume me. Hurting this fae was wrong and wouldn’t help me. If I allowed the darkness to win, I’d be playing right into King Peter’s nasty hands.
I motioned for the guards to leave as I placed the bag on my lap, then pulled out a golden ball the size of an orange. “Make sure he returns to the Summer Court safely.” They hesitated. “Go!” Sela made a move to leave as well, but I stopped her with the wave of my hand. “Please stay.”
I didn’t want to watch the video with all of my generals, but I wanted to share it with Sela. I sank into a chair, Blair and Lily flanking me while Sela stood behind me. Taking a deep breath, I tossed the golden ball up in the air, ready to witness my worst nightmare.
An image that looked like a hologram exploded before me, blocking most of the sitting room from view. And there he was. My Thorsten. Bound with vines to a tree. Blood trickled down from his ankles, wrists, throat, and mouth where the thorny vines cut into his flesh. His jacket and shirt had been removed, exposing his perfect torso.
The camera turned to King Peter’s self-satisfied face. “Let this be a lesson to you, Princess Onyx. This is what happens when you don’t deliver on your promises and betray me.”
The lens returned to Thorsten. The lights in the throne room flickered out as the room grew light with the first rays of the dawn. No. Tears ran down my face as the sun landed on Thorsten’s body. The vine that had clamped his mouth shut fell away to allow the pure scream of agony to erupt from his throat. Another ray hit him as my insides twisted. His flesh reddened, then slowly morphed into black. A horrific sizzling noise filtered through the image.
Thorsten threw his head back, unable to contain the screams.
I trembled as Sela and Blair seized my shoulders, holding me to the chair so I wouldn't throw myself to the floor.
Finally, the king yelled, “Enough,” and Summer guards rushed forward to free Thorsten. His skin was charred, his eyes rolled back into his head. He was unconscious. But the camera didn’t show me more of him. It zipped back to King Peter. “If you want your lover back, Princess Onyx, go to the wastelands and get me my daughter Petra.” His eyes narrowed. “The state you bring her back in, is the state I’ll return Thorsten to you.”
16
Virgie
I swallowed as King Peter’s guards dragged Thorsten away from the tree trunk. The golden recording ball, which King Peter said would give Onyx a live feed of the horror, zipped back to his open palm. Thorsten’s torso had almost blackened with sun-inflicted burns and red lines crept along his back as the pink rays of dawn filtered through the trees and struck him.
No one gathered in the throne room spoke, though Percival wore a smug expression and Caleb’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down. I took comfort in Nathan holding my hand, even though the gesture couldn’t block out the horror. Thorsten groaned as the two guards dragged him into the shade, not to shield him from the sun, but to take him back to the dirt bed in the center of the room.
King Peter was going to—
Peony swayed on her feet, and Caleb grabbed her hand. King Peter wanted her to know that she was useless. Thorsten flopped to the dirt bed as the king opened his palm again, letting another vine shoot from his palm. It wrapped around Thorsten, encasing him in a green cocoon and forcing him to his feet. He screamed as the vine lashed against his raw flesh.
The reek of burned flesh filled the air, and vomit rose in my throat as the vine wrapped tighter around Thorsten, obscuring him from view, and his shape shifted underneath. The grunts of pain vanished and morphed into nothing.
A few people gasped. Silent tears streamed down Peony’s face. Someone gagged. King Peter sat back on his throne. The vine retracted back into his palm, leaving behind a tall cactus. It looked worse for wear, but cacti were sturdy. Thorsten wasn’t suffering as a plant, was he? Would he remain this way forever now that Peony couldn’t help us? I coughed, choking on my own spit, and Nathan pulled me close.
“You are all hereby dismissed.” King Peter tapped the arm of his throne.
No one moved until two guards undid the double doors to the throne room and pulled them open. Numbness swept over me, and my legs carried me to the exit as Nathan and I joined the throng of people. Peony and Caleb walked just behind us, dragging their feet. The air was heavy. The celebration had turned into a funeral. I knew a lot had been shattered tonight in the minds of not just the Vasara students, who were the first to leave the room, but the noble fae as well.
Carriage after carriage came and picked us up. Nathan and I waited for a long time, and Kristen joined us. No one spoke. The silence grew heavier and heavier. Even Amanda and Pierre weren’t their respective business and perky selves as they boarded their own carriage and took off.
“These fae don’t know what to do,” I muttered.
“They have never seen this.” Nathan’s voice was heavy. He’d seen this side of King Peter before but never to that extent, and as long as the king wanted the public’s approval, he had to exercise some restraint. That rule had been broken today. King Peter was becoming careless about his image for the first time that I knew about.
But why?
“King Peter is losing it,” I said. Nathan nodded. I thought of Lady Cardinal and wondered how much she was contributing to the darkness growing within King Peter.
Our carriage arrived, pulled by two white Pegasi. Without a word, Caleb guided Peony, who could barely walk, into the back. She hadn’t spoken a word, and I didn’t know how to comfort her. It was partly my fault she was suffering this fate. I tried to imagine what it would be like to have your body and your mind no longer belong to you...
I had felt that way at the Wild Hunt...
I sat next to Peony, not daring to touch her but wanting to be close to her. She slumped against Caleb’s shoulder. Nathan sat opposite me along with Kristen.
We took off, but even leaving the castle did nothing to lift the mood.
“I’m sorry, Peony.” My words rubbed like sandpaper against the back of my throat.
“I took the risk.” She sounded hollow and dead. “Now I have to pay.”
“Please don’t give up,” Caleb said. “We’ll find a way out of this.”
I thought of what Blythe had told me. Vows could be removed if one party died. That meant King Peter. What was the other method she had almost told me about? “There must be a way to get around this. As fae, we’re good at fooling others. Look at King Peter. He’s an expert.”
“Until now.” Caleb absently stroked Peony’s hair. �
�But it won’t matter. He has control of the Summer lands. Not only is he the most powerful Summer fae, he also controls the flow of the river that feeds the forests and by extension everyone he rules.”
Blythe had mentioned that once, too. I looked at Nathan, searching his silver eyes for answers.
“The only person whose power is at the king’s level would be Onyx after she’s crowned queen. But even then, she wouldn’t have his centuries of experience with war and cunningness.” Nathan hung his head.
Everyone was losing hope. It would be easy for me to do the same, but I sat up straight. Mental power was my forte. I had to step up my game. “There must be some way to fix this. Blythe might give me some answers.” I bit my tongue before I shared with the others that I would use my mind control abilities on her. Peony’s vow might force her to stop me. Already her eyes begged me not to continue. At least the king hadn’t told her to report everything she’d overheard from us. Had he suspected us of helping to free Thorsten, I had no doubt he would have. Caleb had been right to remove us from the scene, then. “I’ll also talk to Onyx and see what she can do.”
“Attack?” Peony croaked. “I'll have to stop you. I can feel it. Just thinking about it is making me want to stop you.”
“Then don't think of it,” Caleb said. “Think differently.”
“We don't want an attack on the Summer Court,” I told her truthfully. “Tell yourself that, Peony.”
She sighed and looked away from me, eyeing the landscape far below. I couldn’t deny that after watching the video recording of Thorsten getting tortured that possibility of attack would be high on Onyx's mind. “Onyx is reasonable. After she cools down, she’ll realize we have to work together for everyone's benefit.”
We landed in front of the Vasara Center. Nathan and I followed exhausted, silent students into the building. Caleb guided Peony somewhere else. At least we didn’t have classes today, and Vasara would be quiet with everyone keeping to themselves.
Nathan took my hand and kissed me on the temple. “King Peter likely won’t make any demands right after a party. He’s tired and so are we. We can sleep.”
“What if Onyx attacks?” I asked. “She might try to do so while we are weak.”
Nathan guided me toward the tree staircase. Birds chirped, but I felt none of their joy. “Battle plans always take time to put together. Her generals will not attack without one. They know King Peter will be ready for them.”
I hoped Nathan was right. Since we needed sleep before coming up with any sound plans, I didn’t resist Nathan walking me straight to my bedroom. We stripped to our underwear and laid down in my bed, spooning, as the sun fell through the window and bathed us in bright light that I couldn't feel.
A knock on the door came some time later. My eyelids fluttered open, and next to me Nathan stirred. He rose and put on his clothes. Having learned my lesson from last time, I quickly threw on a robe, then opened the door.
The spy servant had returned, sweat evaporating from her temples and bags under her eyes like she hadn’t slept in more than a day. Her bronze wings were dull with fatigue. She met my gaze, deadly serious. “I bring a message from someone.” She eyed Nathan, and I realized that this message must be verbal, and she couldn’t risk sharing it with him since he’d taken a loyalty vow to King Peter.
I glanced at Nathan, who nodded.
“I’ll be right back,” I said and followed the messenger downstairs before Nathan could suffer any pain, marveling at how empty and dead the Vasara Center was. No one was out despite it being late afternoon. All were probably hiding in their rooms, trying to forget the horrors of Thorsten’s torture. I matched the servant’s pace until we reached an empty classroom and closed the door behind us.
She got right to it, which I appreciated. “Onyx Vinter wanted me to tell you that she and her generals are drawing plans to break into the Summer Palace with all of her soldiers. Their goal is to free Thorsten by any means necessary.”
I swallowed hard. Onyx would kill whoever necessary to meet her end. “When?” I asked.
The servant blinked, showing the bags under her eyes. “I do not know, but I will try to keep you updated. I can only go between realms so quickly on horseback.”
“Thank you. Tell Onyx Thorsten is still alive, but he has been changed back into a cactus.” I said. How many innocent fae would die for Thorsten without any guarantee he’d be freed? What if this was a trap set by King Peter? He must anticipate Onyx barging into the Summer Court with her warriors.
“I will. I must leave. I’ll be back tomorrow at lunch.” The spy slipped out, and the weight of the Summer Court settled on my shoulders.
I paced the round classroom. Minutes later, the door opened, and Nathan stepped inside. Behind him stood Peony and Caleb. Peony looked as if she’d slept and had regained some of her composure. At least the glassy look had gone from her eyes.
“Can we speak with...you know?” I asked Caleb, motioning to Peony.
Peony stepped back, but said nothing.
“We can,” Caleb said. “My father, so far, has given her no orders.”
“But he made her swear to be loyal even in her thoughts,” I said, hating the truth.
“I am finding ways to be loyal in my thoughts,” Peony said. “Caleb is helping. Whatever we do will be for the benefit of his court and by extension, him.” I could tell from the way she spoke that she'd turned it into a mantra.
Nathan grinned and offered a nod, and I knew he approved of the plan. I smiled for a bit. Just maybe, Peony could convince herself that she was helping King Peter by helping his court. She'd have to work harder at it than Nathan had, and for her it would be far more dangerous with no room for error, but there was a small chance it would work.
“Onyx is preparing to attack. She’ll do anything to get Thorsten back.” My words fell like hammers.
Nathan nodded. “There will be many civilian deaths. Virgie, I will do all I can to protect the Summer Court and the royal family.”
Caleb nudged Peony. She spoke. “And I will do everything I can to protect the Summer Court and the royal family.”
I nodded. Focusing on his loyalty to the Summer Court, not the king, was one of the ways Nathan skirted around his vow to King Peter. I looked at Peony, glad she looked a bit like herself again. But her vow was more severe than Nathan’s, with no benefit to her. Skirting was far more dangerous to her than Nathan. I knew that she would have to think of more than just convincing herself that her actions were okay.
As if sensing my dark thoughts, Peony hugged herself, looking frail. “Virgie, I’ll do everything I can to protect the innocent, too,” she rasped. “I might suffer, but if I can prevent the deaths of innocent people and bring peace, then I’ll take the risk.”
Tears entered my eyes. Peony had come so far. She was the opposite of the selfish, arrogant fae I had met at Nocturnal Academy. I only hoped the world got to see how great she was after all of this was over.
17
Virgie
The next day, I woke up with a purpose. It was time to get information out of Blythe. I dressed in an amethyst, tailored jacket and pencil skirt and headed to my classes.
Blythe fluttered into the round classroom and began teaching, oblivious to my plans. Good. I no longer felt any sympathy for her or guilt over what I was about to do.
For the next fifty minutes, I played the role of the model student, participating in the class while also encouraging the tense fae to focus on what Blythe was saying instead of letting their anxiety run amok. Class moved along seamlessly.
My efforts paid off because Blythe approached me during our break, when the other students scattered into groups to socialize. “You did a great job, Virgie, especially with our students distracted more than ever.”
I nodded. “Yesterday was hard for all of us.”
Blythe glanced pointedly at Peony, who hadn’t said anything during class, but had scribbled non-stop on her notepad. Whether she was actually makin
g notes or doodling I didn’t know. Blythe tsked disapprovingly. “What a disappointment. Such a promising start, and she ruined it all.”
I took the opening, trying not to show the anger rising in my chest. “This vow that Peony is under will help her better herself, right?” I focused on Blythe’s forehead. Tell me all about vows. Tell me how they’re made and how they’re broken.
Blythe’s light, peach-colored wings flapped behind her as her face relaxed. “Oh, yes, those vows are unbreakable. Unless she or the king dies or one of them is banished to the wasteland, Peony should do much better.”
I couldn’t believe my luck at how easily I’d gotten the additional bit of information. Unable to stop, I continued, “Isn’t the king worried that Princess Onyx will attack after he sent that video to her?” I turned up my mental hold on Blythe, increasing the pressure on my forehead. Tell me about the king’s plan. Why is he so careless and cocky?
Blythe waved me aside to where no one was standing. “His men are ready, and the Shield, the plant your friend created, will make him impenetrable to Onyx’s ice powers. She can’t hurt him so long as he eats a petal a day.”
I sucked up the information greedily only realizing a moment later that Blythe hadn’t said Peony, but your friend. Despite me not showing my friendship to Peony during class, she was on to me. Trying to keep the panic off my face, I said breezily, “That’s wonderful.” I forced a smile. “I can’t wait for our next lesson.”
The students sat down once again, and Blythe resumed her teaching. I maintained a calm influence over the students while wondering who else besides Blythe reported to the king about my behavior and whereabouts. How long had the king suspected me of working with Onyx? We had all been so naïve. He probably knew that I, Nathan, and Caleb had been working on freeing Thorsten and couldn’t wait to spring another trap on us. Would he force us all into a horrible vow?
The Nocturnal and Fae Prison Academy Boxset [A Complete Paranormal and Fantasy Series Boxset] Page 96