“It will only go away completely when Vulthus dies.”
My nostrils flared. “Don’t worry. I plan to end his miserable existence very soon.”
Thorsten’s eyebrows pulled together. “Is that what your father promised you? Revenge?”
I hesitated. One kiss, and I was about to spill everything? No. I wouldn’t trust Thorsten this easily. “Why are you able to be here? The fae magic should repel you.”
Thorsten nodded. “Yes. I can feel it. It’s worse around the house, and very intense at the front entrance.”
“Yet you managed to fly up the mountain. How?”
Thorsten gave me a resigned look. “Why don’t you ask your father how his magic barrier works? Maybe that will give you a bit more confidence in me. I’ll see you soon.” He levitated and my jaw dropped. Then he shot into the sky, disappearing amongst the stars.
I stood with my mouth gaping wide open. Thorsten could fly, and he had practically told me that he would fight for me. But why? He was a Steinberg. He could have anyone. Why me? It had to be the thrill of the chase, the forbiddenness of it.
He doesn’t care about you, my brain whispered.
But my heart screamed, Give him a chance.
More confused than ever, I pivoted and headed back toward the fortress. Tomorrow would be another day, and maybe then, I’d gain some clarity.
Chapter 13
Thorsten’s kiss chased me into my dreams, shooting pleasant tingles of electricity through my core, making me weak with need. I tried to keep Thorsten out and rebuild the walls of my fortress. The bricks kept falling as I tried to stack them one on top of the other. I worked hard and fast, but the bricks kept tumbling, crushing and suffocating me. Loud thuds sounded with each one that fell. Bang. Bang. Bang.
I woke, confused. I was in my canopy bed in my bedroom and everything looked calm, yet the banging continued.
“Onyx,” Atticus called from the other side of my closed door. “You must rise! His Majesty wants to see you in the study immediately.”
Oh. Atticus’s knocking was the sound of the bricks falling. “Give me a few minutes!” Trying to blink away the sleepiness, I pushed open my closed curtains to find near darkness behind them. It wasn’t even properly dawn. If Atticus was getting me up this early, something was going on.
My chest constricted. Did Olwen know that I had talked with Thorsten and kissed him yesterday? Dread curled in my gut like a snake as I dressed. Why did I continue taking huge risks? Would I never learn my lesson? Combing my hair, I went over and over Atticus’s words, trying to glean some meaning, but there was none.
I squared my shoulders and headed for the door. I was a warrior and warriors didn’t tremble in the face of authority.
Atticus escorted me to the study in silence, the same one where Olwen had met with Vulthus right after my escape. Instead of sitting as he usually did, Olwen was pacing around the room, fingering different books. His absentmindedness and restlessness worried me more than his anger would have. If the King of the Winter Court was worried, we were in deep trouble.
Atticus closed the door behind me, sealing me in. I remained silent, waiting for Olwen to speak. He returned the book back on its shelf and slowly paced around the table with his arms behind his back. “Onyx. I was just notified that Petra has escaped from the vampires’ dungeons at Nocturnal Academy.”
I stepped back and swallowed. Petra? I had almost forgotten about the three-hundred-year-old Summer princess, who had come to Nocturnal Academy to avenge her brother’s death—a death that I had caused.
“How? The vampires must’ve kept her in iron and have top security.” I didn’t know how the dungeons worked exactly, but I knew they were a cruel place. Peony had come out of them too skinny, and her punishment had been light and only lasted a few weeks.
Olwen’s forehead turned into a deep frown. “Petra is very powerful, rumored to be the favored child of the Summer Court. Perhaps she fooled a vampire. Perhaps her magic was simply able to overcome her binds. As prideful as they are, the vampires are not giving too many details about her escape. They only informed me out of courtesy due to our long partnership and because they hope I can help them catch our common enemy.” He motioned for me to sit, but my feet remained rooted to the ground. Petra would be coming for me with everything she had to avenge herself and her brother.
Olwen sat down at his table, not saying anything, but calmly staring at me, making it clear that he wouldn’t continue until I obeyed his order.
I forced my feet to move and sank into the armchair. “Do they know where she went?” Maybe after enduring the dungeons, Petra would flee home. No. Petra was too angry and too haughty to give up her mission to avenge Preston.
“The vampires are searching for her. I have offered my help. The Summer Court has been getting away with too much. Those greedy bastards have stolen our lands and our futures.” His voice rose and quaked with anger. “They have dared to kill my women and my royal heirs!” Olwen slammed his fist down on the table. This was the first time I had seen him lose his cool, and even though it was terrifying, it was good to know that he too had hot buttons. Also, his anger was justified. The Summer Court had wronged him. That was probably one of the reasons he had chosen to work with the vampires all these years ago. Any beings that punished Summer fae were friends of his. Immediately, I breathed away the horrible thought. No, he was here to ensure his children were safe.
“What are we going to do?” I asked, trying to suppress the tremble in my voice.
“I have sent guards out to join the search for Petra. She will likely try to return to the faeland to bring back reinforcements.” He let those words hang as his eyebrows drew together.
I shuddered. Then I thought of how Preston had needed to travel between worlds. There was a fairy ring, a ring of mushrooms, in the garden at Nocturnal Academy and even he, a fae prince, needed a full moon to open a portal there. Petra should be bound to the same conditions. “When is the full moon?”
“In a week’s time. We don’t have long to prevent her from going home. She will bring others like her here if she suspects you are my child.” He sighed. “From what you told me, she suspected it all along. I’m certain her suspicions were confirmed when you managed to trick her into revealing her real identity.”
“We can’t let Petra cross through the portal. We need to find her.”
“Yes. However, with all the vampires searching for her, you need to stay here during the nighttime. During the day, you are to go with Atticus and destroy any fae rings you can find around Denver. My other warriors will be nearby doing the same. Atticus will be able to summon them within minutes if you cross paths with Petra.”
It was easy to distract myself from thoughts of Thorsten as Atticus and I visited every wooded park in Denver during the daytime, searching for any rings of mushrooms that Petra could use to open portals soon. Whenever we found one, we stomped out the mushrooms, and thus, destroyed the ring.
Despite our progress, I worried. Petra would avoid the built-up parts of the city thanks to the iron, but the surrounding mountains and wilderness was another story. We couldn’t search every inch of the forest for mushroom rings. There simply wasn’t enough time.
“Who’s searching the mountains?” I asked Atticus as we stopped for our lunch break. Atticus ordered us both super grain salads and ate them in the sedan to stay out of sight. Even though we were both wearing hats to hide our pointy ears, we couldn’t be too careful.
“The vampires, mainly.” Atticus chewed on a bite of quinoa and winced. Being inside cars for a long time seemed to bother him even though he wasn’t in direct contact with the iron. I wished I had my driver’s license and could at least help him with the driving.
“Their sense of smell will be of great help,” Atticus continued. “However, they have a lot of territory to cover, and if Petra is smart, she will stick to the city at night and the wilderness during the day.”
What if our combined efforts weren
’t be enough to find her in time? At least, the vamps were scared of retaliation from the Summer Court, too. I finished my salad as Atticus started the car, blinked sleep from his eyes, and drove us toward the other side of town where there were a few more parks we had to visit. I realized we were driving past my old neighborhood, and an odd surge of homesickness washed over me as I eyed my apartment complex. Was Mom still there? I hoped not. I hoped she had gotten out. Was my old home the first place the vamps had searched after my escape? Probably. I wouldn’t be surprised if they had eyes and ears on it, in case I decided to return, which was a very stupid idea. I had no business missing Mom or our past. That part of my life was done when she’d sold me out.
A few streets later, I spotted a tall, blonde female walking down an alley. I jolted, thinking it was Petra, but there were a lot of blond women in Denver.
“Back up,” I told Atticus. “I just saw someone who looks like Petra.”
He made a U-turn and followed my directions to the alley, but the blond woman was gone. “It’s unlikely Petra would hang out around this area of town,” Atticus said.
I nodded. She had no reason to visit this run-down part of town unless…The Summer Court killed the women Olwen was with and their offspring. As a former teacher at Nocturnal Academy, Petra would’ve had access to my records and personal information.
Panic surged into my chest. “I’m calling Olwen. My mum and I used to live here.”
I dialed Olwen’s number, and he picked up immediately. “Have you sighted our target?”
“Maybe.” I told Olwen the street and the address of the nearest building. Then I choked out, “My mother lives nearby. Petra might be after her.”
“I have not seen your mother in eighteen years,” Olwen said very matter-of-factly.
My heart dropped. He was done with her. She no longer mattered to him. She had played her part—got pregnant, gave birth, and kept me alive. I should be done with her too, yet I still cared even after she sold me out. I didn’t wish her dead. Mom might’ve taken money for me, but she was desperate, and desperate people did stupid things. I just had to look at me and Thorsten to know that.
“Olwen,” I said, leveling my voice to hide the rage surging into my chest. “She gave birth to me, so I think she might need protection in exchange. Fair is fair. We can’t let the Summer Court know that they can walk all over us. We have to let them know that they can’t take from us anymore.”
I knew I’d said the right words when Olwen paused, then sighed. “Very well. You have a good point. The Summer Court has gotten away with too much already. Your mother may be human, but she’s still one of my women. I will send a few guards to take her to a safe house. Now, return to the mansion immediately.”
The ride back to the mansion was spent in painful silence. Poor Atticus grew pale and his hands trembled as he gripped the steering wheel. Short drives didn’t seem to bother him too much, but he’d been in the car most of the day and the iron exposure was getting to him.
I kept waiting for my phone to ring and Olwen to tell me that my mom was safe, but that didn’t happen. Even when I rushed through the front door, Olwen was not there to tell me if Mom had been found alive in her apartment or not. He was off, probably doing another search.
“Onyx, everything is under control,” Atticus said calmly, following me. “Why don’t you spend some time in the reading room. Afternoon tea will do you well. I could use some myself.”
“No, thanks,” I snapped, unable to hold back the anger. Olwen was protecting Mom not for her or my sake, but just as a statement to Petra and the Summer Court. He would not let them steal from him again. He was a prideful ruler, putting his need for respect above the well-being of others. Mom had been a pawn, and so was I.
To make the afternoon pass faster, I retreated to the basement gym and trained, shooting at targets and throwing daggers at invisible enemies. Atticus stayed out of my way. It was only when my muscles trembled with exhaustion that I dared to go back upstairs.
Instead of going to my room, I headed straight toward the Evening Room. It was seven in the evening, and Olwen should be back by now. Indeed, I found him seated at the icy table. He sipped beer and surveyed me with an unconcerned gaze as I walked in.
“Did you find my mother?”
He spoke with infuriating calm. “Yes. We have successfully moved her to a safe house. Thank you for bringing this up to me, Onyx.”
I breathed out some of my anger. Maybe I’d been wrong about Olwen looking at Mom just as a pawn in his power game. Perhaps I’d interpreted his words wrong. “Thank you for moving her.” Relief gushed in through my shoulder blades. Petra wouldn’t be able to get to my mom. Mom would live. I would have one less life to worry about.
Olwen studied his beer glass. “Yes. Removing your mother from her apartment and placing a few guards there in case Petra comes sniffing was an excellent idea.”
My jaw clenched, and it took everything I had to keep my fury in. My pulse roared in my ears. Before I could say a word, I turned away, left the room, and let the door swing shut behind me.
Chapter 14
The next five days were hell. I tried to channel all the anger I felt toward Olwen into finding Petra, but I had no success. And neither did the vampires. The full moon came and went, and still we didn’t locate her. We had failed. Right now, Petra was probably in the faeland, gathering her troops, getting ready to kill me.
I was still furious with Olwen, but since he was my only source of information, I headed for his study the morning after the full moon. Atticus trailed me silently, and I tried not to snap at him that I was capable of walking by myself around the mansion.
“Come in,” Olwen boomed after I knocked, and my shoulders dropped with relief. He was here. He would have answers. I might not like them, but knowledge was power.
I entered the study and inclined my head respectfully. “The full moon has passed,” I said, feeling stupid by stating the obvious, yet not knowing where else to start.
Olwen nodded. “I’ve sent a messenger to the faeland. The best spies of the Winter Court will monitor the Summer Court for changes.”
Atticus came alive at that. “That’s wonderful. We’ll know immediately if Petra has returned.”
Olwen shook his head, eyes darkening. “I have spies in their court, but not in the house of the royal family.”
“Who knows about this place?” I motioned around the room, redirecting the conversation.
Olwen shrugged nonchalantly, clearly not concerned about this. “Vulthus and a few other vampires, and my guards. No Summer fae should know about this place as we have taken measures to keep it a secret. The only Summer fae who knows is that girl you were desperate for me to employ.” His words ground together as he spoke the last sentence.
I clenched my teeth at that. Lily worked day and night, doing anything she was asked with a smile on her face, always going the extra mile, and yet, he still thought of her as something less than his other servants just because she was a descendant of the other court. As if she could control her lineage.
But I hadn’t come here for Lily. I needed to know about the barrier magic. If Thorsten had been able to break through it, Petra might as well. “What about the spell around the mansion? Could Petra slip past it if she used glamour to take on the form of a Winter Court fae?”
Olwen shook his head. “That’s not how it works. The spell doesn’t react to what one looks like, but the intention of the being. If they’re here to harm me or anyone in this house, they’ll be repelled. And in addition to that, the front of the fortress is heavily glamoured and disorients all but Winter fae and a few vampires I’ve given a pass.”
Atticus nodded in confirmation, and I exhaled. So that was why Thorsten was able to enter the garden from the back of the property. It seemed the front of the house was still impenetrable to him, but since he could come through the barrier at the back, he meant none of us ill harm. I had already known that, but it was nice to get the
confirmation. After everything I had been through, it was hard to completely rely on my feelings, and it was always good to have tangible proof. Still, that didn’t resolve my worry regarding Petra.
“What if Petra brings a lot of Summer Court fae with her? Can their combined magic break the spell?” I kept my voice level so I didn’t sound like a whining child asking questions.
Olwen rubbed his forehead. “Anything is possible, but it would take them a long time to get through my wards. This would allow my guards to pick them off one by one. Standing targets are easy targets.”
I nodded. So, I was mostly safe here. Good. But I had no intention of becoming a useless Rapunzel. I was a warrior. “What do we do now? Have you found a way to get closer to Vulthus?”
At this moment, Lily entered, carrying a tray of coffee and tea as well as biscuits and sandwiches.
“How dare you come in without knocking?” Olwen glared at her, raising his voice.
Still holding the tray, she managed to sink into a low curtsy. “Pardon the intrusion, Your Majesty. I was told by Elvira to bring in the breakfast tray as soon as it was ready.”
Olwen worked his jaw. Petra’s escape had made him angry, and he was taking it out on poor Lily. “Has no one taught you any manners?”
“It won’t happen again. I promise.” Lily scurried toward the table and set the tray down. She backed out of the room, but Olwen held up a hand.
“Stay.”
Lily froze, terror shining on her face, and it took all of my willpower not to walk over to her and squeeze her hand in reassurance.
The gleam in Olwen’s eyes was savage. He wanted blood. “You never told me about your stint at Stanley MacGregor’s.”
The color drained out of Lily’s face, and she hid her hands behind her back, but not before I noticed the violent tremor in them.
I could no longer stay silent despite Atticus giving a subtle shake of his head, telling me that this wasn’t my battle to fight. Disregarding his advice, I asked, “Is this really necessary? We need to focus on Vulthus and Petra.”
Savage Monarchs (A New Adult Prison Academy Novel) (Nocturnal Academy Book 3) Page 10