by Jones, AE
McHenry stepped up next to her. “When I was on the witness stand, I was compelled to tell the truth. To speak the word ‘curse’ out loud. We were never to mention the curse, or we would face repercussions.”
“So only someone who knew the details of the curse would cast the spell,” Darcinda said.
Belinda scowled. “Don’t be ridiculous. I cast the spell because he is a liar. They both are. We weren’t going to get to the truth otherwise. I didn’t know about the curse.”
Andrew led Selina through the crowd. “What about this?” he asked, pointing to the locket around Selina’s neck. It was glowing turquoise as well.
“Dad gave me this for my birthday.”
Roderick gasped. “Take it off, baby. It’s not good for you.”
Selina handed him the locket, and he held it high so everyone could see the turquoise. “Did you transfer my curse to my daughter?”
Belinda looked at the elf king and Sullivan. “I have no idea what’s going on. What they’re talking about. This is a trick. They’re trying to frame me.”
“Frame you for what?” the elf king asked.
“They want to blame me for their curse.”
Charlie walked into the tent with the chain that had attacked Roderick. It, too, had a pulsing turquoise glow.
Roderick growled. “You tried to kill me!”
Belinda held up her hands as sparks of energy shot from her fingertips. “I wouldn’t have had to do anything if you two had just done me the favor of killing each other. You don’t deserve to live. Your family shouldn’t have been able to continue, not after Annalinda died. The faerie queen should have ended them.”
Darcinda took a step closer to the queen. “If you didn’t know about the curse, how do you know who cast it?”
Belinda flung up her hands, and a wave of energy rushed toward them. Darcinda, Tim, and Maeve threw up blocking spells.
The elf king threw up a shield around Julia before turning to the queen. He raised his hands, light pulsing around them. “Stand down, now! ”
A fireball flew past Darcinda’s head toward Olivia, but Connor pulled her out of the way just in time.
The elf king sent a pulse wave toward the queen, but she disappeared.
A scream sounded on the other side of the meadow, and they turned to see Devin lying on the ground and the queen reaching for Alex.
“No!” the elf king yelled as they all ran toward them.
“Stay back, or I will hurt them both.” She yelled as she grabbed Alex and held her and JT in front of her as a shield.
The group stopped several feet away. Darcinda looked at Roderick and McHenry, who were standing next to her, and she motioned with her hand down and up. She hoped Roderick knew what she was asking him to do.
“You hurt my baby, and I will end you,” Alex growled.
“You can’t stop me. You’re not a true faerie.”
A flash of light burst from Alex, and the faerie queen staggered back as if burned. “You need to quit saying I’m not a faerie.”
Roderick grabbed Darcinda and McHenry’s arms and they disappeared into the ground. Seconds later they pushed out of the earth and stood between Alex and Belinda. Devin pulled himself up and pushed his wife and son behind him.
“Leave them alone. This is between you and us,” McHenry said.
“This stops now,” Roderick said.
Belinda’s palm shot up as she hissed a spell. Darcinda held up both hands. The lightning bolt that flew from the queen’s palm hit Darcinda’s deflection spell and bounced back into her. Belinda screamed, flew backward, and hit the ground. She lay there, unmoving.
They walked over to her—cautiously, in case it was a trap.
Darcinda held up her hand over the queen’s chest and let her healing senses loose. “She’s alive, but she has some burns. Grab my bag and I’ll see about healing her.”
McHenry rested his arm across her shoulders. “You are an amazin’ female, you know that? After everything she did, your first thought is to heal her.”
“I still want her to face up to what she did to you, Roderick, and Selina, but I can’t let her suffer.”
“Neither can I.”
Darcinda stabilized Belinda so Godfrey, the elf king, and his guards could ready her for transport to the Tribunal, where she would await trial.
Darcinda, McHenry, and Roderick walked back to the tent where everyone else waited.
“I’m glad you’re back, sir,” Cambridge said.
Roderick paused. “Are you? I would think you would be upset about having to relinquish the title.”
Cambridge swallowed. “Of course not. I told you before, I was only filling your shoes to prevent unrest in the kingdom.”
Roderick stared at him for a moment before responding. “Maybe you could help me with something.”
“Of course.”
“I can’t figure out how the faerie queen cursed Selina’s locket.”
“It must have been during the trial.”
“No. It turns out the spell actually was in place before the trial. So someone must have gotten ahold of it before.”
Selina frowned. “Dad. About a month ago I lost the locket.”
“You didn’t mention it to me.”
“It’s so special to me, and I didn’t want to tell you I’d lost it. I couldn’t figure out where it was, especially since I only ever took it off at night, and always put it in the same place. But a couple days later, it showed up again.” She glared at Cambridge. “He gave it to me, saying he found it in the garden.”
Roderick growled. “Either you tell me the truth right now, or I will not be responsible for my actions.”
Cambridge held up his hands. “The queen came to me and said you weren’t going to be king much longer and asked me if I wanted the job. She told me to get her something of Selina’s and she would put a spell on it.”
“You were willing to sacrifice my daughter?”
“No! I didn’t know it was bad! She told me she cast a love spell so I could claim her as my queen!”
Selina cringed. “So not going to happen.”
“Are you telling me you went into my daughter’s room while she was sleeping to steal her locket for a love spell!” Roderick roared.
Cambridge turned to run, but didn’t manage two steps before his face met Andrew’s fist instead. Cambridge fell on his butt and Charlie had him cuffed moments later, then handed him over to the guards, who were just leaving with the faerie queen.
“Are we done with the drama?” Alex asked. “I don’t think any of us can take any more.”
“Are you okay, Alex? Devin?” Darcinda asked.
Alex grinned while Devin wrapped his arm around his wife and son. “I’m more than fine. Apparently someone threatening JT released my faerie powers. You don’t want to mess with mama bear.”
“I had no doubt,” Devin said while JT clapped and chortled.
“What about you, Olivia? That fireball got really close,” Darcinda said.
“I’m good.”
Connor was scowling beside her.
“Connor, you okay?”
“No. I’m not. I have something I need to say.” He turned to Olivia. “When that fireball almost hit you, my heart stopped, and I don’t think it would have started up again if you’d been hurt. I can’t wait another minute to ask you this.”
Connor dropped to his knee and Olivia gasped, followed by several other gasps.
“I love you more than anything in this world, Olivia Jennings. Will you marry me?”
Olivia’s hands shook as she caressed his face and pulled him to his feet. “Yes. I’ll marry you.”
They kissed, and the cheers were deafening.
Connor picked Olivia up and spun her around. “Anything you want, baby. We’ll plan the biggest wedding you’ve ever seen if that’s what you want.”
Olivia shook her head. “I don’t want a big wedding. No dress, or flowers, or big reception. I would marry you today if I
could.”
“I’d take you up on it. We’re just missing a faerie or elf priest.”
Sullivan cleared his throat. “Ah, little brother, you do know that supernatural leaders can perform wedding ceremonies, right? I can marry you.”
“What do you think, baby? Were you serious about getting married right this minute?”
“Yes.” She looked at Sullivan. “We would be honored to have you marry us.”
Sullivan nodded. “I would be honored as well.”
Connor carried Olivia to the front of the tent.
“Aren’t you going to put me down?” Olivia asked.
“Not until you’re my wife.”
“Family circle first,” Sullivan said.
Darcinda looked over at McHenry, who appeared confused. She leaned over and whispered to him. “In a wolf wedding, the immediate family forms a semicircle, and then the pack forms an outer circle around the couple.”
Maeve, Julia, and Jack walked up to the front.
Connor looked over his shoulder and homed in on Nathan, Sullivan’s mate. “Get up here, brother. We need the whole family.”
Nathan blinked before breaking out in a grin as he stepped into the semicircle.
“And Tim, get up here—if you ever plan to make an honest woman out of my sister, that is.”
Olivia punched Connor in the chest.
“I was just kidding, baby.” He looked over his shoulder. “Now I need the rest of my pack to stand up here, too.”
McHenry grabbed Darcinda’s hand as the rest of the group formed the outer circle.
And with that, Sullivan married Connor and Olivia. Not a dry eye in the tent. And Connor was true to his word. He didn’t set Olivia down until she was his wife.
When he did set her on her feet, he kissed her until someone cleared their throat. Then the hugs and backslaps commenced.
McHenry raised his voice over the hubbub. “Why don’t we head back to the house for something to eat before we turn in for the night?”
“You’re not going to boot us out?” Connor asked.
“You get one more night, and then all bets are off.”
The group chuckled as they started back toward the house, McHenry gripping Darcinda’s hand again.
“McHenry, Darcinda, wait,” Roderick said.
Roderick walked up to them. “Darcinda. Thank you for helping us escape the curse.”
“You’re welcome.”
“And McHenry, even though what you did was stupid, thanks for getting us out of there too.”
“You’re welcome…I think,” McHenry said.
“This is a new start for us,” Roderick said.
“Aye.”
Roderick frowned. “I still have to explain to Selina what happened. I’m not looking forward to it.”
“Between you and Andrew, Selina will be fine,” McHenry said.
“Your nephew is growing on me.”
McHenry smiled. “That’s a good thing.” His face sobered. “Do you think the curse is really gone?”
Roderick nodded. “I don’t feel the push of energy that used to want to burst out of me anymore. But there is another way to check.”
Darcinda squeezed McHenry’s hand.
“Why don’t you two go find out? I’m going to spend time with my daughter,” Roderick said as he turned toward the house.
“Do you want to do this now? It’s okay if you want to wait.”
McHenry shook his head. “No, let’s get it over with.”
They walked into the woods, Darcinda following McHenry’s lead. After several minutes they came to a stop.
“This is the southernmost boundary of my property. I have not been able to walk past that tree for twenty-five years.”
McHenry released her hand and took a step forward while he raised his hand slowly.
Darcinda held her breath as he stretched his fingers out and they went past the tree. He let out a harsh breath before stepping forward and turning to face her.
Surprise, relief, and joy ran across his face, and he held her gaze before walking back to her.
“Do you want to go farther?”
“Not tonight, lass, I don’t think my heart can take it.”
She took his hand and squeezed while they ambled back to the house. She would have been surprised that he came right back across the boundary of his twenty-five year-prison, if it weren’t for the last emotion that flashed across his face while he stood there—fear.
But that was something to tackle tomorrow. Tonight they would celebrate life with their friends.
A curse is more than the magic behind it.
Chapter 31
McHenry hesitated at the same spot he had the night before with Darcinda, but this time he was alone. It was early enough that he doubted anyone was up yet, although he hadn’t ever really gone to sleep. His mind was too busy with everything that had happened yesterday.
The curse was finally lifted.
Taking another deep breath, he strode forward, holding up his hand to feel for the barrier. Yes, he’d gone through it last night, but that was one against the thousands of other times he failed to pass through it. It would make anyone cautious.
His hand moved through thin air, and he walked right past the old barrier while his heart threatened to leap out of his rib cage.
He wasn’t trapped anymore. He could go out into the world and…do what?
He’d never allowed himself to even consider that this day might come. If you don’t wish or hope for something to happen, you can’t be disappointed when it doesn’t.
There was so much to think through. Did he want to stay on this land, or go somewhere new? And then there was Darcinda. Could he really have a relationship with her? A future with someone? Truly love her without fear?
He had spent his entire life afraid that his curse would hurt someone he cared about. He had almost turned his sister away when she brought the boys to him. Not because he didn’t care, but because he cared so much about all of them.
The longer he stood in this spot that had been denied him for so long, the harder he shook. He took a jerky step back onto his land and sucked familiar air into his lungs.
He needed to get back to the house before someone came looking for him. He traveled along the tree line as he heard Jamie call his name.
As he got closer, he saw Jamie come around the house. “There you are. You’re not going to believe who’s here.”
He didn’t know if he could take many more surprises. “Just spit it out, son.”
“The faerie high councilor,” Jamie whispered.
Even though McHenry had been trapped his entire adult life, he still knew who the high councilor was. “He’s here?”
“Yeah, and he wants to speak to you.”
McHenry grabbed his nephew and spun him back in the direction he came from. “Let’s not keep him waiting, then.”
They rounded the corner into the courtyard to find the team and their mates standing in a circle. In the center stood Roderick, Andrew, Selina, and Darcinda, along with an older male.
“I found him,” Jamie called out.
“Good. Please come forward so we can begin,” the high councilor said.
Begin what? But McHenry could wait to ask his questions. The group seemed too calm for him to worry that something bad would happen.
McHenry and Jamie joined the others in the middle of the group.
The older male nodded. “As I have explained to the others, I am Jeremiah, High Councilor. I have come here to apologize personally for what transpired over the past couple weeks with the faerie queen.”
“What about what has transpired over the past century?” McHenry said.
“My thoughts, exactly,” Roderick chimed in.
The rest of the group gaped at him. Maybe he and Roderick shouldn’t have said anything, but what was the worst that could happen? A curse? Been there, done that.
Jeremiah nodded. “If I had been able to reverse the curse, I would hav
e done it long ago.”
“You knew about it?” McHenry said.
“Not until after it was cast. The queen was inconsolable, and I couldn’t get her to reverse it. She tied it with a blood spell.”
“Black magic?” Darcinda asked.
“Yes, she had the help of a witch to bind the spell to your bloodline.”
“How were we able to break the curse, then?” Roderick asked.
Jeremiah smiled. “The original curse was based on the idea that your grandfathers cared about their own pride and goals more than they cared about Annalinda. From what I understand, when you were trapped, you were both willing to sacrifice yourselves for the good of each other, and to save the life of a faerie as well.”
“Aye,” McHenry said.
“The curse couldn’t stand up to that. Heart and sacrifice broke it.”
McHenry looked at Roderick, who nodded.
“And I understand that you played a large part in this as well, Darcinda,” Jeremiah said.
“I did what anyone would have.”
“The fact that you believe that makes me realize how right you are for the job.”
“What job?” Darcinda asked.
“Faerie queen.”
Darcinda stiffened beside him. “What?”
“We need to start over with someone who has a pure heart, and I think that someone could be you. I would be honored to submit your name for consideration.”
McHenry turned to her. “You’d be a great leader, Darcinda.”
She blinked. “Considering the bar has been set pretty low lately, that’s not saying much.”
Jeremiah chuckled. “I forgot how honest you can be, Darcinda. That is something that would be a welcome change as well.”
“I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t need to say anything right now. I know it is a lot. I’ll take my leave now.” He nodded to McHenry and Roderick. “Apologies again to you, and to the three of you as well, Selina, Andrew, and James.”
Jeremiah smiled before disappearing into thin air.
Holy hells!
Everyone started talking at once, and he wanted to run away from the noise. He had been on sensory overload for days now, and this might have pushed him to the edge.