“Did you take a little girl’s necklace when you were younger?” Seraphina hadn’t even been thinking about Lily’s accusations, but the word evil brought it up in her mind.
“What? I mean yes, I’m sure I did. I used to trick humans out of their valuables all the time. I still have most of them.”
“Why?”
“I was not a nice teenager, not like you were. I was always doing things like that just for fun. After I met your father and fell in love I realized it was not the way I wanted to live my life, then he left.” She stopped talking then leaving the word hanging in the air. She went back to eating.
“You still have the necklace? It was a little girl named Lily, a human girl.”
“I probably do. I’ll look and give it to you before you leave if you think she wants it back.”
Seraphina wondered if it would be enough to fix the hatred Lily had for her. If she wanted to make things work with Donovan, Lily would have to like her.
“Yes, please.”
“Okay Sera, go to bed. If you must see Tae, you’ll need all your strength. I love you.”
Seraphina wanted to believe this sober version of her mother would last, but it was hard to imagine her being able to sustain it. “I love you too.”
Seraphina slept well knowing her mother was sober, but a terrible dream about facing Tae woke her, and she lay awake waiting for morning. The necklace was on her dresser when she shook herself from the nightmare. It looked like the one she’d seen around Lily’s neck, but it was older and shaped a bit different. Opening the locket, she saw a picture of a little girl and a beautiful older woman. She could only imagine it was her mother.
Once she got ready to meet the Alpha and the boys she tucked it away in her dress pocket to give to Lily if she saw her.
She headed to Walter’s house after breakfast with her mother. She’d gotten up early and made French toast. It was another strange and wonderful encounter with her mother. When she got to the house she found the alpha, Donovan, and Jeremy in the same room she’d met him the first time looking at a map. They all looked up when she entered.
“Good morning, did you get what you needed from Lucas?” She hoped they hadn’t hurt him to get the information.
“That boy spills when you threaten him a little,” Donovan winked and she instantly felt bad. Lucas was always so nice to her, and here she’d betrayed him.
“Rytas worked with a witch before, Penelope’s mother, Beatrice. The witch gave him a potion to help Tae see only the thing he was terrified of when he saw his wife. He thought he would just run away from her and he could step in and be her husband and the king.”
“Hell of a guy,” Jeremy said with thumbs up and eye roll.
"I think knowing this will help us get Rytas. When Tae finds out what really happened, he won't want to protect him anymore."
“I should hope not. That was an evil thing he did. That explains a lot as well. That day, that night he had a look in his eyes that was wild and horrified. She was literally in pieces. He mumbled something, but none of us could understand him. Some thought it was an ancient being that he blamed for the crime. He kept repeating it over and over. It made no sense for a while.”
“What was it?” Walter look intrigued and awaited her response.
“I think it had something to do with a tree goddess of snakes or something.”
“Ah, the Medusa Garden Nymph,” Walter spoke as if he were impressed.
“I thought those were just legend?” Donovan chimed in on the dark fairytale.
“All legends are steeped in some reality. Apparently, your Tae either knew of their existence or feared the mere thought of them. But the Medusa Garden Nymphs are just powerful witches with a little power of the gods in them. Perhaps Tae had a run in with one when he was younger.
“So. what are they? No one has ever mentioned them in our village. Or maybe they kept quiet.” Seraphina sat and waited to hear more of the story.
“This is how the story goes, but I still think they are nothing more than amped up witches, so you know my thoughts on it," Walter said. "They are descendants of the race of Gods known to the humans. It is said that when the Greek Gods were no more, in his anger at mankind, Zeus set his anger upon the world and created a sea of creatures that could destroy man and hide in the darkest realms of the mind. Only those blessed with a particular gift or power could see them. And if they did, it was usually too late.”
After the chilling tale, the trio went over their plan. There was no room for error, and everything had to be perfect.
Chapter Twelve - The River and the Trees
Donovan, Seraphina, and Jeremy made their way to the edge of the woods and remained just inside for tree cover. Seraphina took the binoculars from Jeremy.
“Let me look.”
The house Tae lived in had two stories made from a gray brick with old shutters and a two-toned door. Nestled on the side of the river with a little dock leading out into the water. A small boat bobbed on the surface. If you weren’t able to feel the heaviness of the area, you would think it was just a cute little boat house for someone to spend a weekend or a summer vacation, but Seraphina knew better.
They were looking at it through binoculars because she didn’t want Jeremy and Donovan to get too close. The dryads, nymphs, and even the Tae that followed him would be lying in wait for an intruder. The reason Seraphina knew where to find him was because of Lucas. He was far too trusting.
“So, you’re sure the King is here?” Donovan raised an eyebrow as he took his turn with the binoculars.
“Yes. He would come here to hide first then I’m assuming he was either going to flee or try something else.” Seraphina knew Rytas wasn’t done.
“It doesn’t look that scary, why were you worried about my army. Now that there’s only three of us it will be difficult,” Jeremy said.
“Trust me; you don’t want to go up there. Let me go talk to him.”
Donovan looked down at her. “Be careful, please.”
Nodding, she took a deep breath and headed out into the clearing at the front of the house. The first obstacle she reached were the trees. The dryads and nymphs would be waiting for her. She could feel their eyes on her even though they blended with the trees rather well.
“I’m not here to hurt anyone, I just want to talk,” as soon as the words were out the trees bent violently to block her path. The thick branches wouldn’t budge even when she tried her hardest. Great Oaks were always the toughest to maneuver. She knew they were protecting Tae and probably Rytas so negotiating with them would be pointless. She could go in through the water and swim around the trees, but the water nymphs wouldn’t make it easy for her. They could be really nasty and vengeful and if they too were under Rytas’s spell, extremely deadly.
Water fae were good in the water, it gave them energy, but they could drown. She could hold her breath longer than a human for sure, but if the nymph wanted to kill her she'd just have to hold her, down longer.
Water nymphs were almost translucent. They could launch an attack without being noticed. Seraphina wouldn't see them until they were on her. Male or female, they were one of the top adversaries of the fae. She moved toward the edge of the water slowly and surveyed the water with a keen eye. She knew Donovan probably wondered what she was waiting for as she edged closer and looked down. The stream they lived on fed into the river, the waterfall fell off the other side. Whatever she did she needed to hurry. One more deep breath and she jumped into the river going low to hopefully be undetected. The nymphs felt with the water so she knew that was probably not a possibility.
Swimming along the bottom she looked around. There were some fish nearby but so far, she was doing okay. She swam in the direction of the house and counted to keep herself calm. The first rock that hit her took her off guard. For a moment, she thought she'd run into something. The next one pelted her in the side and pain radiated through her ribs. She tried swimming faster to get out of the water before
they could attack her but the water next to her started to gain speed and a current pulled her back towards the shore. She kicked and pushed off the floor of the river with her feet, but it was too strong and she as violently threw back in the water. Dirt and rocks mixed in with the turbulent flow. It was hard to see which was up. She was down too deep.
The fae managed to keep her breath, but the fight was putting a strain on the rest of her body, and she knew air would be necessary soon. Struggling to turn back over she used every ounce of strength she had. It would be ironic if she died in the water. The pain in her side had subsided, the healing properties of the water working as she fought. But the burning in her lungs was getting worse. She needed air, now.
With one last push using her whole body, she shot to the surface and took in a large gulp of air before the current grabbed and pulled her under once more. This time she was ready for the current and swam with it gaining speed until she could shove her way out of it.
Now she saw the nymph she was fighting—he was large, almost as big as Donovan, the hair hanging from his head was in two large braids. He smiled, with no joy in his face, simply enjoying the fight. Her struggle was a game to him as he flicked his wrist sending large wave in her direction tossing, her into a river of underwater grass and stones. Seraphina felt her small wounds open up as she scraped against the rocky bottom. Then suddenly, the grass thickened and coiled about her legs. She peered into the river, viewing the light up above. She knew she had to break free; the lungs were starting to burn again. The fae fought hard against the oddly sentient plants and soon the grass loosened. It was under the control of the nymph no doubt as he continued his water fight.
Seraphina struggled once more for another breath of air as a larger boulder made a big splash just beside her head. The fae turned to see the large male dart below the surface in search of another projectile, tossing another wave at her, trying to wash her back down. She fought the water and managed to stay on the surface for just a moment longer, taking a few deep breaths to clear out the burn and get more air into her.
She was yanked suddenly below the water. More dirt and debris from the bottom deliberately kicked up in her path to obstruct her view, pelting against her face and arms as she tried to protect her face. She struggled against the current and visibility until she was able to find the cruel male nymph. This time, as she watched, a large boulder rose in front of him. If he was able to hit her in the head with it, it would be game over. A very nasty game over.
The fae watched as he swung it back with a tilt of his head, using his telekinetic powers the nymphs had within the water. What she wouldn’t give for her father to have been a nymph instead of a human at that point.
He launched the rock, and as he concentrated the boulder, she took the opportunity while he was distracted and she shot up to the surface again. Just when she thought she had escaped the giant rock, it hit her foot, and it felt like the bones there shattered into a million pieces. She used one leg to keep at the top of the water and took in another gulp of air. Her foot burned and pulsed; she hoped it wasn’t broken. The pain was intense, but she was lucky the massive stone hadn’t hit her head, just as she feared it might.
“Tae, help me please,” she managed to get out before something grabbed her leg and pulled her back under one more time.
This nymph was a girl with the same long braids as the male, but she wasn’t smiling. The look of her face shot fear into Seraphina’s heart. There was no mercy, no teasing no fun in the look she gave her. No one had ever wanted to hurt her as badly as this nymph did. The sharp nails of the hand on her leg dug into her flesh. She wanted to kick the nymph, but her opposite foot still felt like it was just hanging from her leg. She realized it was broken. The water would heal it, but it wouldn’t matter if she were dead.
The nymph yanked on her leg and dragged her deeper, the water creature pulled her down and crawled her scaly, clawed, hands up until they were around Seraphina’s neck. She squeezed and laughed with her head thrown back the braids floating freely around in the water. Seraphina saw the thing’s jagged teeth and forked tongue lap at the fresh water, catching her sent and sampling her taste. She continued the struggle to get away, but the grip was too tight.
Seraphina tried to pull her hands away. She was going to die on the bottom of the river if she didn’t get away from her. Her vision was blurred, and her leg went numb. She kicked at the nymph with her bad foot. It hurt and did nothing to deter the woman from choking her.
She could feel her body straining against the need for air. If she took in a breath, it would all be water, and the show would be over. Maybe this was her day to die.
Just before she felt herself weaken to take a watery breath, something grabbed her arm. A long scratchy rope had her. It was pulling her up to the top and had pulled the nymph in the opposite direction. As she careened towards the surface, her lungs about to burst, she saw the angered nymph’s expression as she disappeared into the dark abyss way across the river bottom. A branch, it was a branch that had her. A tree had rescued her, and a familiar voice danced on the wind.
“Seraphina, what on Earth are you doing here?” Tae’s voice reached her ears as she was pulled from the water and took large gulps of air. She landed on a pile of thick grasses gasping and gulping the air around her. The fae looked up into her former leader’s eyes. He was older than she remembered but still held a kind visage. Seraphina gathered her words and spoke as clearly as possible.
“I came for Rytas. I know he’s here. He has betrayed you and your once beloved kingdom.”
“My brother? He’s here. Have you business for him? He told me he was taking a vacation. What betrayal is it that you speak of?”
“Tae, he’s hiding here, there’s no vacation. He’s on the run.” she felt a bruise forming beneath the tree’s grip. “Can you get the tree dryad to let me go?”
Tae nodded, and the branch released its grip and went back up into its tree.
“He’s hiding here because he was trying to take over the were clans and start a paranormal war. It would have brought massive bloodshed and loss of life to many.”
“Really? My brother?” Tae sounded amused by this. She had hoped he’d be appalled. She was going to have to tell him what his brother was capable of.
“I know you don’t believe me, but it’s the truth.”
She explained everything Walter had told her and then explained how it made sense because she’d always known him to be a gentle soul. When she was done, Tae looked down at her with tears in his eyes. Disbelief poured forth.
“He wouldn’t do that. He’s been nothing but kind and helpful since...”
“I wouldn’t Seraphina. You know better than to fill my brother’s head with lies. You being a traitor to your kind. I would tread lightly.” Rytas walked from the house a smirk and smile adorned his wicked face.
“Tae, as the older brother you can persuade him. Do it. He’s been using a witch's’ power to control other fae and people. I know you can get the truth from him. See if he’s telling the truth.”
Tae looked at her for a minute. He turned to Rytas and Seraphina thought she saw fear pass over the king's expression, but then he smiled once more.
"Brother, I would never do something so horrible to you. You know me. You don't have to do this."
Tae closed his eyes, and Seraphina knew he was going to get the truth out of Rytas. Rytas was trapped, and despite all the pain she was in, she looked him in the eyes and smiled. That’s right, she thought. You will finally pay for what you did to our people, to your brother.
"Tell me," Tae said.
"I didn't want her dead Tae; I just wanted you gone. I wanted you to leave and go crazy, but I wanted your wife to be my queen. I always wanted her and was jealous of the bond you two shared."
Tae’s anger boiled deep as the fallen king fixed eyes on the treacherous brother.
"You've let me think for years Tati's death was my fault. I loved her like no other, and
you just laid in wait. You did this to me? You were the reason for my suffering and pain and all because of your greed?" Tae was causing the water around them to vibrate with the volume of his voice. Fish scattered about and jumped wildly in the water. Surface ripples became like white water and quickened as he grew louder.
"Oh, my dear brother, how simple you are. Yes, I did all of that, and I've not regretted it for one moment. My only fault was Tati. And let’s face it, that is your fault. You killed her. It wasn’t my hand on the blade; it was yours." A sly smirk lay beneath his nose as he stood on the banks of the river.
"Take him, remove him from my sight, or I will kill him." Tae turned from his brother.
Seraphina had been so focused on them she hadn't realized Jeremy and Donovan had walked over. Donovan stepped forward to grab Rytas who didn't resist at first. The spell his brother had on him was still at work. Rytas looked forward with the same evil grin on his face, his secret revealed, and yet he didn’t care. It was the first time Seraphina felt like she was seeing the real him, and it was ugly.
He walked forward with Donovan and Seraphina went up to Tae.
"I'm sorry, but you needed to know what he did."
Tae's eyes were full of tears, so she only hugged him and didn't say anything else.
"The alphas have both discussed the future of the fae and want to offer the kingdom back to you. They believe you'll rule peacefully." Jeremy handed him a rolled-up piece of paper.
"Thank you, tell your alphas thank you, I will need time to heal I think."
Chapter Thirteen – Return of the Necklace
Rytas fought against Donovan, but his brother's influence had weakened him. Tae said he’d consider coming back to rule the fae again. He needed some time to sort out what had happened with his beloved. He’d always known he hadn’t wanted to kill her; now things made a bit more sense to him.
As the spell wore off, he started to try and get away from Donovan. Seraphina stifled a giggle when he just elbowed the king in the face to get him to stop. He crumpled, and Donovan picked him up by his shirt.
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