by Leia Stone
Rowan and Violet stood on either side of the portal, clearly waiting for us to go through first.
“Good idea with the ice magic,” Violet said, leaning forward to probe the wound through the hole in his shirt. “It has slowed the darkness. We should have time.”
We’d better have time. I was not accepting any other outcome. By the time we stepped through the magic and out into my office, Nikoli and I were carrying Kade completely. I only made it a few more steps before we had to lower him to the ground.
“Dude has to be three hundred pounds of muscle, doesn’t he?” I groaned.
Kade’s lips twitched; sweat had broken out along his brow and neck.
“I’ll be right back,” Violet shouted as she disappeared in an instant. I hadn’t even seen her exit the portal.
Finn, with Nix on his back, waited on the edge of the room, both watching with their calm, ancient eyes. Rowan immediately dropped down to Kade’s side. She held her hands out over him, hovering a few inches from his chest, before closing her eyes and breathing in and out slowly.
“We’re losing him,” she said a minute later. “You’re going to have to send more ice into his veins. The ice magic can counteract the darkness. It’s a myth that winter magic is evil. It is neutral, like most energy. It depends on the wielder. Ice magic can be a very positive force in the universe.”
I swallowed hard, my throat and mouth dry. “How do I help him without hurting him?” Freezing him to death was as big a problem as the darkness killing him.
“Like in training, you need to send out the magic and guide it through Kade. Sense his inner power, find his energy within, and chase the darkness out. Freeze it from affecting him further.”
Oh sure. Easy peasy. I might be learning how to control the magic, but I was still rough. This would require finesse and precision, and since it was Kade’s life I was messing with, I could not screw it up. After a really quick internal pep talk, I reached out and placed my hands on Kade’s chest.
The darkness felt like it was everywhere now, which was no doubt why he was fading away.
Stay with me, baby.
It was becoming so easy to push the mecca down now, to capture only that part of my power that had been unlocked in the Otherworld. The icy energy responded in an instant, gliding with a wisp of frost through my body and into my hands.
“You know you could have countered the chill of that icy water,” said Rowan, surprising me. My eyes flew open to meet hers. “You have to embrace that side of yourself. You never need to fear the cold again.”
Good to know, but not today. Today I needed to deal with Kade. She apologized for interrupting me, and I gave her a nod, closing my eyes again. I could tell the thought had randomly come to mind and she’d done a Violet with blurting it out.
Breathing deeply, I let the chilly magic seep out of my body and into Kade. I used our bond to follow the path of darkness through his bright inner essence. I fought back tears when I brushed against the black energy. It was like a spider web, sticky, connected in multiple parts.
I sent my power into the main gathering of darkness and his body jerked, before settling down again. Remaining connected to his chest, and to my magic, I continued to pour my power into him, following as it slipped through his chest and deeper into his body.
I brushed against familiar energy – his mecca power. Our mate bond was thrumming in that part of his center. My chest ached so badly that it felt like someone had just stabbed me in it. Being shut away from him, feeling the faltering beats of his heart, I could barely function.
But I needed to, for Kade.
More darkness brushed across my power then, and I immediately reacted with force, slapping out, using an attack of ice to send it reeling away. I followed as it fled, and as I closed in on Kade’s center, I realized there was an even larger mass of black, oily energy there. It was sending those tendrils all through Kade’s body, cutting off his organs, tainting his blood to a thick, dark sludge.
NO! I screamed through our bond. You cannot have him. He’s mine.
I pushed at the energy, trying to dislodge it from him, but there was nowhere for it to go. If anything, I was sending it closer to the bright light that made up my mate’s soul. I stopped pushing, knowing that chasing the energy around was not going to save him. I needed to remove it from him. Somehow.
Maybe instead of pushing … I could pull it from him. Siphon some of the darkness into myself. Knowing time was running out, his breathing ragged and weak, I reversed my tactic and latched onto the darkness, freezing it to my magic and pulling it through the bond back into me. I thought it would resist me, wanting to stay with Kade, but it slid easily from his energy center to mine. The moment it touched my magical essence, I flinched. This darkness felt foreign … the complete opposite of the light which my mecca and fae magic was built on. My instinct was to stop, bring no more of that tainted energy into me, but I had to save Kade. With gritted teeth, I fought on, pulling it deeper into me. In a surge of power, my winter and mecca magic rose up around the inky tendrils and it … disappeared. My icy fae magic was consuming it, transmuting it into … nothing.
“I got it!” Violet screamed, jarring me. My eyes snapped open and my hands fell from Kade.
I immediately ran my gaze across his face, relieved to see his coloring was better, less pale, and he was no longer sweating. His breathing even seemed smoother. I searched inside of myself and didn’t sense any lingering darkness. What had I done? Had I really just brought some of the darkness into myself and … consumed it? Or did I heal it? Transform it into light? Was any of that possible?
Violet was already crouched by Kade, popping the top off a vial of swirling pink potion. She pinched his jaw and poured the concoction into his mouth, leaving a few drops in the bottom to pour over his wound. Then she placed a hand to his chest, closing her eyes briefly. “I sense that it’s less serious than I originally feared.” She sounded surprised. “With his strength, he should recover easily.”
I didn’t say anything because my emotions were a mess of shock and disbelief. Had I actually done that to the darkness? How was it even possible? Maybe I was just in the right place at the right time. I would hate for everyone to rely on me to do something like that again. It could have been a fluke.
I decided it was better to keep it to myself until I had time to explore it further.
Moments passed, none of us taking our eyes from Kade, and I thought I would go mad waiting for him to wake. I felt him in our bond a moment before he took a deep, gasping breath, and his eyes snapped open.
“Ari…”
My name was a breathless sigh on his lips. My heart clenched, and the thought of how close I had come to losing him to the darkness had a hot dampness filling my eyes.
“I’m here,” I whispered, forcing myself to hold back those tears.
Violet ripped Kade’s shirt open, exposing the tan muscled flesh there. I was relieved to see that besides a small section of frostbitten skin, there was no more leaking darkness. Violet let out a happy sigh, and I took that as a good sign.
Kade, who was yet to take his eyes from me, reached out and pulled me gently into him. He took a big whiff of my hair, his voice hoarse as he said, “I couldn’t smell you. Couldn’t sense you. I was…”
“Shhh,” I said, before pressing my lips to his over and over. He returned the kisses as frantically. “You’re okay. You’re okay.” I continued murmuring, unable to calm my frazzled brain. I had almost lost my mate. It was not something I could compute.
Eventually I helped Kade sit up. His color continued to improve, and by the time he was propped against a nearby wall, he almost looked to be back to his robust self. He turned toward Nix and she took flight, which caused a gust of wind in the small space. She landed on his bare outstretched arm and immediately nuzzled her giant beaked head into his neck.
I knew they were having their own private conversation. No one said a word. They needed this moment. Eventually, Kade
turned back and looked at Violet. “Where’s the crystal staff?” he asked.
Violet raised one eyebrow. “Eager to be near death again?”
He gave her an exasperated kind of stare. “Ha. Ha. No. I’m eager to learn how to control it so we can destroy that fae lord and then destroy the staffs. I already have a pretty good idea of what I need to do to learn how to control it. Something about its magic is similar to the mecca. I just need a decent amount of time working with it.”
His desire made me uncomfortable. I didn’t want him anywhere near that thing. Who knew if all that darkness inside was just from being gored by the Dark Fae Lord. What if the staff contributed too?
“So you plan to destroy it?” I questioned him.
Kade met my stare without flinching. “Yes, but no doubt I will have to use it first. We need it to defeat the dark fae.”
Nikoli clapped a hand on Kade’s back. “That’s dangerous, My King. I must advise against it.”
I breathed a sigh of relief, glad I wasn’t the only one who had a problem with this.
Kade’s features flattened into hard lines, the look he wore when someone was pissing him off and he was about to go all king on their ass. “Advisement noted.” His words were clipped. “But the next time the fae lord shows up and controls my entire body with the flick of his wrist, I’m going to be able to fight back.”
“He’s right.” Baladar’s voice came from behind us and I wondered how long he had been standing there. “This staff … controlling it … may be our only chance to truly defeat the Dark Fae Lord.”
I wanted to argue, but I sensed that now wasn’t the time. Besides, Baladar was probably right. Still, why did it have to be Kade?
As if he had heard me, Kade directed his next words at me: “I will focus on killing the Dark Fae Lord with the staff. You focus on destroying the winter queen with your magic. It’s the only way we can win this war and live in happiness with Winnie.”
His mention of my little sister hit me like he had punched me in the chest. The picture he painted left an aching need in its wake. I wanted that happy ending for all of us.
“Okay,” I said, resigned.
“I’ll work with him,” Baladar stated. “We will not let the fae lord, or the dark crystal, win.”
I trusted Baladar, he knew a lot about dark magic, and his reassurance made me feel a little less anxious about the entire thing. In all honesty, we needed someone to match the Dark Fae Lord’s strength, and if anyone could do it, it was Kade. He would pay whatever cost for the chance to save us all. But I wasn’t okay with that. There had to be a way for us to win without sacrificing our souls. I would keep Kade protected while he was busy protecting everyone else.
Calista popped up in the doorway, her eyes finding mine. “Sorry for the interruption, but I need to speak with Arianna.” She sounded so formal I nearly laughed. All protocol had gone out the window lately, but Calista was finding it a hard habit to break.
I reached over and squeezed Kade’s hand. “You okay?”
He nodded. “I’m fine. Go. I’ll be with Baladar in the basement.”
I tried not to sigh. For now, I had no choice but to trust in my mate and the powerful magic born. Trust that they would respect their limits when playing with darkness. And basically hope for the best.
I followed Calista out of the room and she didn’t say a word. We walked in silence until we were alone in the far corridor.
“What is it?” Now I was nervous because my advisor was acting strange. She finally turned to me, a serious expression creasing her face. “It’s just a hunch, Ari, but I have this nagging feeling…”
My pulse picked up at the tone in her voice. “Spit it out. You’re freaking me out.”
Calista started pacing. “I sense that we are making a mistake just waiting for the fae to attack. We’re giving them too much power, playing the submissive role. I feel it will be much worse if we keep waiting.”
I focused with a hundred percent of my attention. Calista had taught me everything she knew about strategy. She was the best, and her instincts were always spot on. “I think so too,” I admitted. “I have been worried about this delay of any sort of serious attack, especially when Prince Caspien has no idea what they are up to.”
Calista nodded a few times. “A part of me believes they are gathering intel, maybe sending out a few assassins like those in the pizza shop … testing the waters … perfecting their attack.”
I interrupted as a thought sprang to mind. “The Dark Fae Lord did say that he wanted to punish the Fall Court. What if he wants to use the shifters to do it? Maybe they’re hoping to take Kade and I out behind the scenes, so to speak, and just step into the role of leaders.”
Calista tilted her head, not looking convinced. “It’s possible. I feel as if the pizza one was designed to make you nervous. Throw you off your game.”
Well, it had certainly done that.
“So what should I do?” I asked her. “Should we march our army on the Otherworld? Take our strongest and join the Summer Court? Cut those bastards off before they can get to us, or before they can corrupt our people?”
She looked torn, her eyes drifting to a spot behind me. I knew she’d be running all of the possible scenarios through her head.
“Maybe … maybe the answer has been there all along,” I mused, not giving her time to reply. “Maybe instead of our army going, I go alone into the Otherworld and take their leaders out. Cut off the head, the body will fall too.”
Something crazy must have gleamed in my eyes, because Calista sucked in a deep breath. “That’s too dangerous, Ari.” She shook her head. “I feel like we are missing something important here. A huge piece of the puzzle. If they are trying to take you out, how do they plan on making the shifters fall in line? None of them are going to follow a fae leader who killed their monarch. There has to be another piece.”
“There probably is,” I growled out, my wolf unhappy. “But I don’t think I can wait around any longer to find out.”
I continued working through my messy thoughts, letting all of the information mesh in my head. Part of me wished there was someone with more experience I could turn to. Maybe we could phone and ask Annette; she had ruled with her mate for a long time — before he was killed. She was a little too peace-loving though. I needed someone well versed in battle strategy.
I paused. The best person to ask would have been … the Red Queen. She had been brilliant at battle. It was something she was lauded for daily. Maybe … there was a way.
“Send Violet to the small library room, please,” I said to Calista. She gave me an inquisitive look but I was already moving. “I’m going to see the Red Queen,” I called over my shoulder. If she was still trapped in the mecca and I could talk to her through the crystal, then maybe I could get the upper hand in this war.
Chapter Nine
Only losers play the waiting game.
I got to the hall of the small library that hid the mecca stone in no time. The two guards posted outside gave me a half bow and then opened the double doors for me. They were under strict instructions not to let anyone but my core group inside. This stone had to be protected above all else. It might be our greatest weapon in this war.
When the door shut behind me, I took a deep cleansing breath and walked over to pull the book down. I entered the secret passage, making sure to close the door firmly behind me. Now that the balance had been restored, it was almost easy to walk to the stone. Not to mention I was a hell of a lot stronger than I used to be. The pulse of energy within the stone called to me like an old friend, but I resisted the impulse to touch it. I needed Violet here to make sure nothing went wrong, to help me out with transitioning between this world and the mecca one.
I probably didn’t really need her help now. I was not a regular shifter, but another thing I had decided to change this time around as queen was acting like I was an island, always having to do it alone.
“Ari!” Violet’s voice echoed
down the secret tunnel before she emerged in a flurry of orange silk. She must have changed after the lake incident. Her dress was simple but stunning; rows of pearls lined the bodice and extended down through the long lengths. “What are we doing?”
Her eyes were sparkling. Actual real sparkles. It felt like a million years since I had seen true excitement from her. It reminded me I still needed to talk to her about the Otherworld, about everything that had happened, and what she went through. I was determined to make time for it, she was one of my priorities. Maybe after our little journey into the world of mecca.
“I want to contact the Red Queen,” I said to her. “Calista and I are worried about this delay from the fae, and frankly I’m done waiting. I want Winnie back. I want to focus on problems of the bear and wolf variety.”
Violet nodded slowly. “The delay is kind of weird, but I just figured the fae are weird. That’s how I explain everything they do.”
“Do you have any idea what Isalinda is up to? Did she ever mention anything…” I was hesitant to ask, not wanting to remind my friend of her time in the Otherworld. But she had the most experience with the winter psychopath.
Violet rubbed her eyes, looking tired and defeated. The sparkle was most definitely gone now. “Honestly, restraint didn’t seem to be something she possessed a lot of. She’s narcissistic, used to everything being about her. Everything in that court is about her, after all, and she has no concept of others. But … I believe she wants that dark weapon, and she is clearly prepared to work with the crazy horned fae to get it.”
“So she’s going to have to act out of character. Follow some of his leads,” I mused. I then hurried on and explained my theory about the Dark Fae Lord wanting a shifter army to take out the Fall Court.
“He really hates them, Vi. You should have seen the fury in his eyes.”
She sucked in a deep breath, bobbing her head a few times. “Yes, that’s got to be it. They’re planning something big that will take out you and Kade, all the while trapping the shifters in their sticky web.”