To Carve a Fae Heart (The Fair Isle Trilogy Book 1)

by Tessonja Odette

  “No,” Cobalt says with a gasp as he rises to his feet from the throne. “How?”

  I ignore him, brushing past him and Nyxia and the dumbfounded sea fae guards toward Aspen. When I reach the king, I bow and hand him the crown. “The All of All has chosen.”

  He takes the crown from me, turns it over in his hands as he inspects it. I expect him to place it on himself, and for a moment, it looks like he expects the same. But he freezes, then places the crown back on my head. “I think this belongs to you,” he whispers.

  I rise from my bow, puzzling over his actions. His furrowed brow tells me he isn’t quite sure about them himself.

  Aspen turns and faces the council, raising his voice for all to hear. “The All of All has chosen my champion as the winner of the decision of fate. My challenge to the throne has been heard, judged, and decided. I am King of Autumn.” He turns his gaze on Cobalt. “And you, dear brother, are charged with treason.”

  Chapter Forty-One

  “No!” Cobalt shouts. He points at the crown on my head. “That crown means nothing. It’s no gift from the All of All.”

  Aspen nods at Queen Nyxia. “As mediator, the ruling is yours.”

  The vampire looks caught off guard for a moment, gaze moving from Aspen to Cobalt. Finally, her eyes settle on me. “The All of All have spoken. The crown is their answer.”

  “She could have stolen the crown,” Cobalt argues. “The All of All would never choose her over me.”

  Aspen lifts his hand, signaling toward his brother. “Guards, seize him.”

  The armored fae race toward Cobalt, swords and spears drawn as they charge him. With a hiss, Cobalt shudders and shifts into his nix form, blue scales glistening in the moonlight. He points at his sea fae. “Take them down.”

  The sea fae tear across the floor to meet the guards, while a few anxious council fae dart to the perimeter of the balcony, Melusine among them. Others roar to join the battle against the sea fae. With a shudder, Queen Nyxia shifts into a towering shadow with red eyes and sharp teeth. The blue wind fae floats off the floor and turns into a puff of mist as she swirls around the sea fae, lifting Cobalt’s guards from the floor and tossing them off the side of the balcony. The white wolf sinks his teeth into a scaly blue leg, eliciting a shout of pain. The fae with curling horns slams his fist into a sea fae’s head. The orange fae with scales stands close to the battle but doesn’t join, merely watching with mild curiosity.

  I hear the sound of crashing waves and turn to look over the balcony. The water is rising from the sea to impossible heights, leaping against the side of the palace, lapping over the balcony rail, catching those who’ve fallen.

  I return my attention to the chaos of the balcony as a flash of blue darts toward the rail. Aspen follows, taking Cobalt by the shoulder and forcing his brother to face him. I see them lock in battle before the spray of a wave hits me in the face. When I open my eyes, Aspen is leaning over the rail, looking down. A flicker of movement catches my attention to the left, a mass of gray-brown fur.

  “Amelie!” I run toward her, and she freezes. Her selkie skin has enveloped her body from the neck down. All that remains is her face. The head of the seal rests on her brow, and she seems seconds away from pulling it down. I close the distance between us, putting my arms where her shoulders should be. “Amelie, don’t you dare leave me.”

  Her green eyes glaze with tears. “I have to go.”

  “No you don’t. Shed the skin. We’ll keep you safe from Cobalt.”

  Her expression hardens. “I don’t want to be kept safe from him. He’s mine and I am his.”

  I stumble to find my words. “That’s just the glamour talking. Stay with me. Please.”

  “I can’t.” She pulls the seal’s face over hers, then drops to her belly, hobbling toward the rail. I reach for her, feel my arms close around her slick fur as another crashing wave pummels me.

  When I open my eyes, Amelie is gone.

  I run to the rail, staring over it, but all I see is the raging ocean. Waves spray up the side of the palace, into the open windows. There’s no sign of my sister. Still, I continue to watch, seeking any sign of her. I don’t leave the rail, not even when the waves calm and subside. Not even when the water levels recede to normal, as if nothing had happened at all.

  “They’re gone,” Aspen says, coming up beside me. “Cobalt, your sister, my brother’s guards. All his sea fae leapt over the rail.”

  I continue watching the sea, not sure what I’m hoping for. Amelie left. She chose Cobalt. All I’ve ever wanted was to protect her. Keep her safe. Even now, I want nothing more than to save her from Cobalt’s clutches. But what do I do if she doesn’t want saving?

  Aspen puts a hand on my lower back. “Let’s go,” he says. “You’re shaking.”

  He’s right. I’m racked with tremors, partially from the cold water dripping from my body, partially from my suppressed sobs. Finally, I pull away from the rail and let him guide me back inside the palace. Once we reach the hall, it’s no surprise how much is flooded. I imagine the entire west portion of the palace will be a sodden mess, not to mention broken windows and damaged furnishings.

  Aspen’s guards flank us, the council fae walking just ahead. A few seem dazed, while others are chatting animatedly, as if they’d just returned from a fascinating play. The white wolf pads down the hall, blood dripping from his muzzle. Nyxia strolls at a leisurely pace, chin lifted as if without a care. Melusine, of course, slithers down the slick hall with ease, shoulders squared. Another fae, a female with golden-brown skin, honey-colored hair, and enormous yellow butterfly wings turns to face us. She pauses until we reach her side.

  “King Aspen,” she says with a bow of her head. “I will lend you my weather until Bircharbor can dry out.”

  Aspen nods. “Thank you, Queen Dahlia. We will accept your generosity.”

  She hesitates before moving on, eyes resting on the crown above my brow. Then, with an exaggerated smile, she flits away.

  “Who is she?” I ask, once she’s out of earshot.

  “The Queen of the Summer Court,” he says, a growl in his voice. “It’s going to be an effort to speak to any of them like they didn’t nearly strip me from my throne.”

  Nearly. They had, in fact, stripped him completely from his throne. It was only his challenge to Cobalt that won it back, and even that had nearly been thwarted. How would it have gone if I hadn’t forced Aspen to name me his champion? Would Aspen have succeeded in petitioning the All of All? It’s impossible to know.

  Only one thing is clear. I betrayed Aspen when I used his true name like that, regardless of how things turned out. I’ll never forget the look on his face when he realized I’d shattered his trust. It showed me something else too; I still don’t trust Aspen. Not fully, at least. If I had, I would have let him make his own decision. I would have believed he had what it took to defeat Cobalt.

  “King Aspen,” says a sultry male voice, stealing my attention.

  The orange fae with scales stands before us. His body is long and lean, dressed in a modern black suit, neck slightly longer and slimmer than a human neck would be. He has no hair, just more iridescent orange scales. His face is mostly flat with a lipless mouth, slits where his nose should be, and beady black eyes.

  “King Ustrin.” Aspen gives the fae a short bow.

  The scaly king returns it, bending at the waist. “Congratulations on winning back your throne. It seems your mate here is quite accomplished.”

  “I’m very grateful for her,” Aspen says, although the edge in his tone isn’t lost on me.

  King Ustrin’s eyes move to me. “Might I have a word, Miss Fairfield?”

  I look from Aspen to the orange fae. Would it be rude of me to say no? There’s something unsettling about the lizard-like king that has to do with more than just his odd appearance. I summon my calm. “Of course, Your Majesty.”

  Aspen hesitates before pointing at two of his guards then at me. The guards break off fr
om the rest and stand behind me. “We’ll speak later,” he whispers, but I can’t read his tone. “I need to see the council fae off.” Then, without so much as looking at me, he moves on, following the flock of fae.

  King Ustrin regards me through slitted lids but says nothing.

  Perhaps he’s waiting for me to bow, so I do. After I rise, he remains silent. “Might I ask what court you rule, King Ustrin?”

  “Fire,” he says. His eyes slide to the crown on my brow. “A curious crown the All of All gave you. Why did the king gift it to you instead of keeping it for himself?”

  Not even I know that answer. Still, I refuse to admit it. “I will be his queen once we’re married, and he already has a crown of his own. He must have wanted to show his appreciation for me winning him back the throne.”

  “Yes, yes, that does make sense.” He takes a step forward and sniffs the air, much like Melusine had done. His tongue darts in and out of his mouth. “You’re familiar.”

  I recall the fae I encountered in the Twelfth Court, how they sought similar elements between us. “The fire in you is the fire in me.”

  He laughs, a low hissing sound, tongue flicking. “I suppose that’s true. But there’s something else. A certain…feel about you. Like that of an old enemy.”

  I bristle. This isn’t going anywhere like I hoped. Then again, what else was I expecting? I still know very little about the fae, about their politics and biases. I’m only just now getting to understand the Autumn Court. Other courts are far beyond my familiarity.

  Time to take control.

  I square my shoulders and adopt Aspen’s bored tone. “King Ustrin, I do thank you for introducing yourself to me, and it’s been a pleasant chat. However, I’ve had a long day. Forgive me for cutting our acquaintance short, but I must get some rest.”

  He smirks, narrowing his eyes, but makes no argument. “Of course. How careless of me. You did just win a battle, after all. We’ll speak again, I’m sure.” With a bow, he lowers himself, then turns away.

  I let out a heavy breath once he’s at the far end of the hall.

  A hand falls on my shoulder, making me jump, but it’s just Lorelei. “Come on. You should clean up and get some sleep.”

  I nod, and Lorelei leads the way. The guards follow closely behind. It isn’t far until we reach the door to Aspen’s bedroom, and I can’t help but fear it’s been destroyed. The floor beneath my feet is slick with water, but at least it isn’t flooded. The room itself is on the east side of the palace, so there’s a good chance it might be salvageable.

  The guards push open the door, and Lorelei and I step inside. The orb lights burn low in their sconces, but from what I can tell, the room has remained mostly unscathed. Water seems to reach only a quarter of the way across the floor, soaking a few rugs. But the bed, the wardrobe, and everything on the far wall appears dry.

  I turn to the guards. “I’ll bathe now.”

  “We should leave the doors open,” says one of the guards.

  I’m about to argue when I remember the hidden door Amelie had opened. The secret tunnels could very well connect to many other rooms like this one and were likely how Cobalt was able to get to the Holstrom girls, how he was able to sneak Amelie out of the palace the night she disappeared. For all I know, he could be lurking in those tunnels now. Watching. Waiting. I shudder. “Very well.”

  “We’ll set up the tub behind the dressing screen,” Lorelei says. I follow her to the tub, help her drag the dressing screen in front of it to hide it from the view of the hall. The tub is empty, and just looking at it makes my muscles hunger for relief. Lorelei takes a step away. “I’ll put in the order—”

  Before she can finish, the tub suddenly fills with hot, steaming water. Herbs and flower buds float over the top, the scent of rosemary wafting upward. My mouth falls open. All I can do is stare.

  Lorelei laughs. “Your mate must have great foresight regarding you.”

  “You think he did this?” I look beneath the tub, trying to find the pipes and drains I’ve never been able to locate. “How? It came out of nowhere.”

  “As king, Aspen can perform minor manipulations over all the elements. But he gets earth and water from his parents. This,” she waves her hand over the tub, “is easy for him. I mean, it’s easy for any of the water fae employed here too, but I have a feeling he had a hand in this one.”

  I still can’t piece it together. Aspen isn’t anywhere close to this bedroom right now, nor is there any source for the water. It makes my temples throb to consider that maybe, just maybe, magic is real.

  I think of everything I experienced today. The journey to the Twelfth Court. The crown I brought back. The way I was able to use Aspen’s name. There could be a scientific explanation. The Twelfth Court could have been the result of a hallucination. Aspen’s response to me using his name could have been from superstition and cultural conditioning.

  Yesterday’s magic is today’s science.

  Perhaps decades from now it will all make logical sense. Perhaps one day I’ll understand what happened. Someday I’ll understand how I healed Lorelei’s leg, how I performed a surgery on instinct alone. Maybe someday I’ll be able to explain how a crystalline tub with no plumbing can fill instantaneously with water. But today…today there’s only one thing I can say about it.

  It’s magic.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  I jolt awake, sitting upright in bed. What woke me? Aside from the nightmares, of course. Night after night I dream my lungs are filling with water, that sea monsters are hunting me, nipping my heels as I try to swim away.

  But I don’t think that’s what it was this time.

  My heart races, body trembling from its pulse. Or is it the room that’s shaking? I look at the space next to me on the bed. I’m not surprised to find it empty. It’s been three days since Aspen won back his throne, and I’ve hardly seen him since. Every move I make to try and talk to him is brushed aside with excuses. He’s too busy. He has to oversee the repairs of the palace. He has correspondences to send. He certainly hasn’t stepped foot in his bedroom. Still, my heart plummets with disappointment.

  Will he ever stop avoiding me?

  Another tremor rattles through me, and this time I know the room is shaking. I fling myself out of bed, run to the wardrobe, and extract a robe. Pulling the robe around my nightdress, I tear from the bedroom. Aspen’s guards stand at attention when they see me. “What’s going on?”

  One of the guards steps forward. “The king is sealing off the coral caves that connect to the palace,” she says.

  “How? With explosives?”

  “Yes.”

  My eyes widen. “Take me to him.”

  She hesitates. “It’s not safe—”

  I put my hands on my hips. “Take me to him now. Please.”

  She leads me down the hall and stairs, then stops outside the entrance to the dining room. I round the corner and step inside. Aspen stands at the far end, looking out the open expanse, hands on the rail. He’s dressed in cream and gold, but his waistcoat is wrinkled, blue-black hair tousled between his antlers. Warm summer air— thanks to Queen Dahlia—wafts through the opening, making the room stifling hot. I wish I’d brought a lighter robe.

  As I approach the king, another rumble rocks the palace, and I see a spray of water shoot into the sky. “Aspen, what in the name of iron is going on.”

  “Destroying the caves.” He doesn’t turn to face me, just keeps his gaze fixed on the scene outside. I follow his line of vision and see numerous guards on the beach. The tide is out, exposing several entrances to the coral caves. Half of them appear collapsed, filled with shards of coral. The guards are filling an open cave with what looks like kegs of gunpowder.

  “Isn’t there a safer way to do this?”

  He shakes his head. “I must be sure Cobalt has no way of sneaking into the palace. When he returns, he’ll have to face me head on.”

  When he returns. There’s no doubt in his voice that
it will come to pass, and I can’t say I disagree with him. The prince already went so far as to manipulate my sister, me, the Holstrom girls, the council…why would he stop now? Besides, we don’t know how many council fae are his loyal allies.

  Another explosion has me gripping the rail for stability, and I grit my teeth until it passes. “Aspen, we need to talk.”

  “I have work to do.”

  I cross my arms over my chest, angling my body toward him. He still won’t meet my eyes. “No, we need to talk. Now. I’m tired of this wall between us. Our wedding is supposed to be in three days. Three days, Aspen.”

  “Everything has already been prepared,” he says. “It will continue without issue.”

  “Not if you blow up the palace before then.”

  “I’m not going to blow up the palace.”

  “Are you going to use explosives to seal the tunnels between the rooms too? Blow open the walls? Put my life in danger without saying a word to me?”

  He rounds on me, eyes blazing. “I’m trying to protect you.”

  “Protect me? You’ve hardly looked at me in days. Is this what it’s going to be like when we’re married? Are you going to hold what I did against me forever?”

  He holds my gaze, and his mask of fury begins to slip. Vulnerability peeks through, a shadow of the hurt I caused him. “You broke a promise,” he whispers.

  I try not to tremble beneath that look in his eyes. I’ve been preparing for this conversation for days, but it doesn’t make it any easier. With a deep breath, I steel myself. “I’m sorry that I used your name against you. I should have trusted you to win against Cobalt.”

  His posture begins to relax. “Yes, you should have.”

  “But you should have considered my request.”

  He grumbles and turns away from me. “Some apology.”

  I pull his sleeve, but he won’t look at me. “This is what I mean. If we are going to be married, I want you to listen to me. Consider the things I say.”