by VS Winters
My hair had been fluffed and braided into a full heap of crimson that was stuffed with baby's breath and white roses. To top it all off, the women had given me a pair of white heels and a crystal tiara that sat atop my crown. I had decided over my morning coffee what I was going to do, which was not what my future husband had asked. Rowan was going to get me, whether he wanted to or not.
I was sure of my choice to run home, check on my father and sister, tell them everything and then return to be wed. I didn't care about Nija and her associates. I'd willingly stand at Rowan's side and fight them off until the end of time. All I needed was a moment alone. I tried to remember what the time rules were, knowing I wouldn't have much of it when I returned to the Mortal Realm.
Finally, as the last person left my room, I dug under my pillow to find the crystal Rowan had provided me. Using what I could remember of Harper's design, I pulled the crystal through the air and smiled as the shining light hung there, just as it was supposed to. Once I was satisfied with the image, I locked the door and took a deep breath before speaking the word.
"Brruntek."
Much to my amazement, the portal split open. With another glance around, for no reason, because I knew I was alone, I stepped through it. The ride was much smoother than it had been the first time around. Possibly because I embraced the magic surrounding me instead of fighting it as I had before. My shoes slammed into the ground, and with a scan, I knew myself to be somewhere just outside of my home city. Stuffing the crystal safely into the chest piece of my gown, I thought about the bounty hunter and what he had said when we first met. This world mirrored the Fae Realm, and I was probably lucky that I hadn't ended up in the wall of a building or something like that.
The sun had just begun to set on the horizon as I trudged into town, ignoring the stares from people who were probably wondering what I was doing wearing that many gems. I doubted that they could tell their authenticity but, to be safe, I broke into a run. I didn't stop until I had made it to the street where my house sat, my heart thundered with adrenaline and dread. What if Ava decided to hate me endlessly afterward?
I shook my head, knowing that I didn't have a choice. I needed Rowan, and I needed them too. I'd come home and visit with the magical crystals as often as I'd be allowed. Ava would have to understand. She was, after all, the main person in my world urging me to have a love life.
"Well, Ava, you've got it." I murmured as I ascended the steps to my house, gazing at the porch fondly. I would miss it there. My fingers delayed on the door handle as I wanted to take in every piece of this place. To lock it up inside and always have with me. The soft glow coming through the living room window told me that Ava would be just on the other side. Taking a long breath, I twisted the handle and pushed the door open.
Ava's wide, hazel eyes found mine and then moved down the length of my body. My focus fell to her lips, and I realized that something was off. Her mouth had been gagged. A shift alongside her also caught my attention, driving me into a fighting stance. My muscles loosened as I realized the movement had been my father, looking like he was at death's door with the purplish bags under his eyes and a rail-thin body.
"Dad? Ava? What happened?" I hurried over and started to untie my father first, reaching over just long enough to pull the cloth from Ava's lips. I did the same with my father. He didn't look well at all, with his hair that had mostly gone gray hanging past his ears and his overgrown beard stretching to his chest. His look kind of reminded me of a wizard. Then, I wondered if there really were wizards and if they would find that insulting.
"Eden, he's still here!" Ava shrieked.
"Who's here, Ava?" I said just as something solid crashed into the side of my head. The blow sent me to the floor on my side. Clutching the spot where I'd been kicked, I turned to meet the glowing eyes of Harper. He smirked down at me and took hold of one of my ankles, dragging me toward him.
"Eden!" My father's shaky voice groaned.
"Nija knew you would return, little Witch. She sent me here to make sure you don't go back and spoil her games. Paid good coin, too. What say you to that?" He twisted my ankle to flip me onto my back. My head banged against the floor and I heard Ava whimper near me.
"Leave her alone, you monster!" she cried. I would have laughed if not for the pain in my head. That was my girl, my Ava. Even in the face of obvious danger, she would fight for me. My heart swelled as I understood that I would do the same. I would die for her, and my father if I must. A consciousness crept in, saying that death might come sooner than I had anticipated. Elevating my hands so that my fingers were all pointed at Harper, all I could think about was defending them.
"We gonna fight again, Witch? Don't you remember what happened last time?" Harper growled in amusement.
My power was stable inside of me, I could feel it steadily coursing through my veins. I thrust it into my fingertips as hard as I could, causing an explosion of light to erupt between Harper and myself. His deep voice filled the small house with a cry as I scrambled to my feet, easily pulling free of his grasp during the confusion. Not allowing him a moment to recover as the light faded, I took a step toward him, throwing a sphere of fire into his broad chest. I prepared to attack as it slammed into him, launching him into the wall.
With another step came another fireball, this one smashing into his face, making his glowing eyes disappear beneath his eyelids as he shut them for protection. My goal wasn't to kill, just to disable him so I could flee with my family. His rage was bleeding into me, though, I could feel my heart seething, ready to do whatever it took to make sure he didn't hurt the ones I loved. The air around my feet started to swirl as I let the flames take hold of the breeze, building a flaming storm around my body. I stepped to Harper, so close that I could touch him if I wanted.
His eyes jolted open, his mouth twisting into a hateful word as I released the strength of my spell onto him. I felt a small twinge of regret as my fire twister devoured him, pulling at him until he shattered into bits of ash. So much for fire not hurting a Demon, I thought. Holding my position, I watched as the spell died down and there was nothing but ashes drifting through the air. A rustling and the sound of heavy breathing behind me reminded me that I wasn't alone in the dwelling.
With a twist of my heel, I returned to Ava and my father. They were both gawking at me with wide eyes and gaping mouths.
"I'll explain later, for now, we need to get back to Rowan's castle," I said as I untied them.
"Now wait just a minute young lady. Who is Rowan and why does he have a castle?"
I laughed and pulled them both into my arms, tears running down my cheeks in relief. Letting myself momentarily forget that I had just killed someone, I allowed myself the comfort of my family's embrace.
"I've missed you guys so much," I said sincerely, placing a kiss on each of their foreheads. My father's was cold and clammy, I noticed. "I need you both to trust me, okay? I'm going to take you somewhere safe, somewhere--" I looked into my father's eyes that matched Ava's, feeling a twinge of sadness due to what I knew. "There are healers there, Dad. They can help you more than any mortal medicine."
"Mortal? Eden, you're talking funny." He said in a gruff voice, sending himself into a coughing fit. I wished that I knew how to harness the healing I'd done on myself after the Trial of Might. Patting my father on the back softly with one hand, I squeezed Ava's fingers with the other before standing up and grinning at them both.
"Watch this," I said and turned around, pulling the crystal from my dress and pulling through the air. Ava's gasp behind me was the only motivation that I needed to finish the symbol and whisper the word.
"Brruntek."
As soon as the portal opened, I turned back to them, my hand outstretched. Ava's head shook slightly as she stared at the glowing, sparkling portal behind me.
"Just don't struggle against the damn thing," I said as their eyes darted between me and my magical gateway. "It will cause you to land on your ass."
"W
atch your mouth," My father said, staring past me and into the opening.
"You can't be serious, Eden. What the fuck is going on? You just killed a guy." Ava cried. My father glanced at her, as though he were about to scold her for her language, too, but thought of something better. "And what are you wearing?"
"I'd have to agree with your sister, pumpkin. What the hell is happening here? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Oh no, I thought with a chuckle. He was going cop-mode on me. How could I explain to them that they guy wasn't really a guy, he was a sword-for-hire that had come to kill us all? Reasoning that magic had something to do with a gang, it was in his nature to question it.
"No, I'm not in trouble, dad. That was a Demon--" I held up my hand to stop their questions from forming. "It will be easier to explain when I can show you. And this would be a wedding dress," I motioned at the dress that was freshly dotted with soot. "We must hurry, or trouble might find its way back here. Now, come on." I yanked Ava up by her arm and started to push her toward the magical hole. My newfound strength helped me to edge her across the room.
"Why didn't you say that you were running off to get married?" She howled, struggling against me. Her stare swept across my dress again. "And to a rich guy, I see. That is--" she brushed her fingers over the diamonds, "if these things are real. They are real, aren't they?"
"Not just rich," I grinned and tousled her lovely hair that was once as red as my own. "He's a Prince."
Without giving her a chance to ask another question, I effortlessly shoved her into the opening before holding a hand out for my father. He stared at me in disbelief but grabbed my hand, allowing me to pull him up and drape his arm over my shoulders before walking the two of us through the portal. I clung to him as hard as I could without hurting him, until our feet thumped onto the ground in the castle courtyard. Ava was flat on her back, rubbing her head in the broad daylight of the Realm.
"I told you not to fight it, Ava. Now--" I breathed with a smile, pointing at the Keep. My father looked a little woozy but otherwise unscathed as his eyes met where I was motioning to. "Welcome to Lord Blaive's castle, in the Fae Realm."
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Guards had surrounded us within seconds, taking each of us by the arms as though we had stabbed someone in front of them.
"We aren't gonna fight you," my father said, throwing his hands up and going full cop mode as they tore him from my grip. "No need to hurt anyone, alright?"
"Don't you recognize me?" I asked the guard, holding me as they began to move us toward the enormous entrance of the castle. "I'm Eden Morris, Princess to the Coven and winner of the Devotion Trials. I'm to be wed to Lord Blaive."
"You mean to say, 'His Majesty,'" the guard said gruffly, freezing in his tracks. With a motion to another guard, who took off into the castle, he stared at me for a moment while the others brought my family into a line behind me. How long had I been away? Rowan was meant to be crowned after we were married. I leave for a few hours, and all of a sudden, he is a King? Something didn't feel right.
"Be careful with my father," I said respectfully to the guard who was holding my arms tightly, most likely so I couldn't perform spells. Though, I was fairly certain, my arms wouldn't need to be raised to send a shock through his armor and onto his most intimate bits if I wanted to. "He is ill. Why are we just standing here in the hot sun anyway?"
"Ser Azrael will be arriving soon, to tell us if you are who you say. In the meantime, you will stand here in the scorching sun--" He glanced at my father with a scowl. Evidently, Rowan wasn't the only one who had received a new title in my absence. I felt a twinge of grief, combined with appreciation. Azrael deserved to be knighted, I wasn't going to argue with that. But it seemed like so much had changed already. "Illness'’ or no."
"You're an asshole," Ava said in a barely audible voice. Oh, how I had missed her. The guard holding her must-have tightened his grip, as she winced and fell silent. We stood to wait for what seemed like hours before the guard that had run off came back. He was in the company of Azrael, who was dressed in the same armor as the others but now sported a thick, midnight blue wrap over his wide shoulders. A knight and a captain of the guard. He was moving up in the world.
"Holy hot guy," Ava breathed. I glanced over my shoulder to see her smiling pleasantly at the tall newcomer. I didn't blame her for ogling. Azrael was gorgeous, with his tightly-twisted ropes of hair that were kept reasonably close to his scalp, but long enough to slope to one side. His body was constructed of sheer muscle, to the point that throwing a rock at him would probably damage the rock, not to mention his gleaming golden stare that matched the armor on his broad chest. "I'm Ava."
"Pleasure to meet you, Lady Avangeline," Azrael said in a rumbling voice, with a slight nod of his head in her direction. I was sure that his eyes lingered on her for a second or two longer than the rest of us, making me smother a smirk. He would be crazy not to find Ava attractive, as everyone else always had. He bowed his head to my father as well, before his dazzling gaze landed on me. "Lady Eden, welcome back. We did not think that you would be returning."
"Yeah, well, I'm here--" I struggled as the guard's hold on me tightened and looked at Azrael with a sigh. "Can you tell them to release us now? I am who I say, you know that."
"Thank you, men, that will be sufficient. Please, show Lady Eden's family to our guest wing and make sure they are assigned servants while I take the Lady to King Rowan." I gave my father and sister a reassuring nod as the guards went from intruder-mode to guest-mode.
"And a healer for my father, if you please."
"Indeed," Azrael nodded again to the guard holding my father. "Please see to it that his health is tended to by the healers, Fawks."
"Thank you."
I watched them enter the castle, following alongside Azrael. After ascending the stone steps, we parted ways with my family and headed to the northern wing. I still wasn't an expert in navigating the castle, but I knew the area to be where the throne room was. My stomach was in knots. What if Rowan became furious at my return? What if he sent me away and locked me out of the Fae Realm altogether?
"King Rowan has no right to keep you from this Realm. It is your birthright to be here, my Lady," Azrael said with a soft tone in his voice. Okay, that was disturbing. The first time he had done that, I figured it was just a lucky guess on his part. Now I was sure that he had mind-reading capabilities. That would make for a highly valuable Knight. Azrael chuckled before his face grew dark.
"What is it?" I asked, eyeing him carefully. The feeling in my gut that told me something was off started to come back.
"It is not my place to say, I'm afraid."
That was all that I could get out of him, and we spent the walk to the massive throne room entrance in silence. Frowning at the doors, I felt my fingers trembling at my sides as I waited to open them and, in turn, hear my fate. Azrael wrapped a hand around one of mine and gave it a quick squeeze before removing it and pushing one of the heavy doors open. Elevating my bowed head, I could see that Rowan rested on one of the glistening thrones at the opposite side of the room.
The chamber was a lot less daunting in the daylight hours, with sunlight pouring in through the tall, stained glass windows. Seafoam eyes locked onto mine, disbelief lying within them. My heart leaped into my throat as Azrael gave me a small nudge. Put one foot in front of the other, just move. I did as my mind commanded and began to walk the dark blue runner to the thrones. The closer I got, the more I started to realize that Rowan was not alone.
Beside him stood Nija and a group of other Demons, all of them sporting fancy, regal garb. Rowan's stare didn't waver as I approached, settling my feet just before the first stone steps leading to the platform where the others stood. I felt like a criminal, being tried for my crimes under the stares of the Demons. Nija had a wicked, half-smile on her face. I wasn't sure why she was so happy to see me, but I had a hunch that I wasn't going to like it.
"Your Grace." I curtsied to the be
st of my ability and then straightened, waiting for him to speak. His lips were slightly parted, his brows drawn as though he were trying to figure out if I was a hallucination. He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, his eyes never breaking contact with mine. The tightness in my chest made it hard to breathe. I could see the light reflecting off of my ridiculously sparkly dress dance on my face as my breast heaved.
"Lady Eden, I did not expect your return, forgive me." Rowan raised from the throne, his sturdy golden crown gleaming atop his head in the daylight. Nija shifted her eyes from me to him as he moved to me, bowing his head. I have to admit, I was a little disappointed. All I wanted to do was throw my arms around his neck and kiss him until the moon rose in the sky-- My thoughts were cut off by Azrael shaking his head ever-so-slightly at my side. Okay, guess that option was off the table. "Why have you come here?"
"To marry you, of course," I said simply, watching as the others stirred and released stifled laughter as though there was a joke floating around that I hadn't been involved in. "Your Highness," I added, not sure what was expected of me now that Rowan had been crowned as King. Nija's shrill laugh echoed throughout the hall, making my blood turn cold as she moved to Rowan's side and looked at me like I was a child eating mud. I looked at her gown, which resembled the one that she had worn at our first meeting. The thing barely covered her undesirables as she walked, and I was pretty sure that if she moved the wrong way she would bare it all to everyone.
"Shall you tell her, my King, or would you like for me to?" Rowan's shoulders tensed at her words, his eyes lowering in disgrace. I looked back and forth between them.
"Someone had better tell me!" I practically shouted. It wasn't the most graceful thing I'd ever done, but the feeling in my gut was becoming overwhelmingly filled with fear, the anticipation nipping at my backside. Rowan glanced up from beneath his thick lashes and looked at Nija with a single nod.