Wings of Fate: (Kingdoms of Faerie Book 1)

by Skye Horn

She laughed again, this time a little louder. Kieran heard a rustle in the tent and knew that they’d woken Thea up.

  “Kieran?” Thea called out groggily. He got up, but Thea came out of the tent wrapped only in her cloak and froze as she saw Mirielle. “Oh!” Her cheeks burned as red as her hair as she stumbled back into the tent quickly. Kieran couldn’t help but smile at her clumsy attempt to cover up all the skin that had been showing. He also couldn’t help wanting to follow her back into the tent.

  “Poor girl,” Mirielle said, shaking her head. “Always so embarrassed for no reason.”

  A few moments later, Thea returned fully dressed, with her hair pulled back into a braid. When she reached Kieran, he pulled her close against his side, unable to be so far away from her any longer, and kissed the top of her head. Thea looked surprised for a moment, but then relaxed into his arms. He wanted her to know that he was serious; he was done hiding how they felt from everyone.

  “Mirielle was just telling me how she knew we were soulmates,” he said as his fingers laced with hers. He knew this wasn’t the most important bit of information that Mirielle had mentioned, but it was the freshest in his mind.

  “Oh?” Thea tilted her head at Mirielle. Her cheeks were still flushed, but her energy had returned. He didn’t want to look away from her and felt a new appreciation for just how beautiful she was.

  Mirielle smiled at them both and nodded her head. Then she shivered and looked at Kieran.

  “Kieran, dear, would you be so kind as to get a fire going for me? I promise not to stay long, but I’d like to warm up before I start my journey home.”

  Kieran knew then that Mirielle wished to talk to Thea alone. He didn’t particularly like the idea of being left out of the conversation, but she’d made it clear that whatever she had to say could only be said in front of Thea. It infuriated him. He looked at Thea, who nodded that she’d be fine, then back to Mirielle.

  “I’ll go gather firewood,” he replied stiffly and squeezed Thea’s hand one last time before heading for the tree line. Whatever Mirielle needed to say, she would not say it in front of him. He felt an unexplainable sense of dread creeping over him, twisting his stomach into knots, as he glanced back one last time to see Thea sit beside Mirielle.

  Chapter 17

  Thea didn’t enjoy being away from Kieran, but it was obvious Mirielle had something she wanted to tell her. So, reluctantly, Thea had let go of Kieran’s hand and watched him disappear into the tree line. She knew he would not go far, for fear that something might happen to her, but any distance between them felt like an infinite space now. Her body ached to be back against his.

  Thea didn’t know whether or not Kieran had had a lot of sexual experience in his past, but from her own limited experience, that had been the best sex of her life. She felt complete being with him, like she could not describe where her body ended and his began. She’d wanted nothing more than for that feeling to go on forever, but physical exhaustion had become a barrier. Now, after having rested, she’d awoken missing his warmth.

  “I’m sorry to have interrupted,” Mirielle said, pulling Thea from her thoughts. “I needed to see you, though.”

  Those words drew Thea’s attention away from the tree line where she’d been searching to see if she could see Kieran. She looked at Mirielle’s serious face and her back straightened. She recognized the look in Mirielle’s eyes. It was the same look that had haunted Marcus’ face when he’d come to her hospital room and explained that she was the only survivor of the car accident.

  “What happened?” Thea’s voice was sharp, but she hadn’t meant for it to be harsh.

  “I had a vision,” Mirielle started to say, and Thea’s heart began beating again.

  She’d thought Mirielle would say someone was dead, or that her father had razed the village and killed Iris, Ethel, and everyone else she knew, but why would Mirielle not want Kieran here if all she wanted to share was a vision? Should he not know what was coming as well?

  “A vision that involves Kieran.”

  Thea’s throat felt as if it’d closed, her mouth growing dry. She would surely suffocate, or puke, or both.

  “Breathe, dear.” Mirielle reached over and squeezed Thea’s hand, causing her to let out a breath. “I came to warn you.

  “I had a vision of your fight with King Malachi. I saw the solstice which is in two days’ time. If you arrive before Yule begins, you can defeat the king.”

  Thea’s eyes widened. Two days, she had two days to get to Ivandor and defeat her father. Considering her lack of training, she didn’t feel that was anywhere close to the amount of time she needed to be ready.

  “Wait,” Thea said suddenly. “Why didn’t you want Kieran to know this?”

  Mirielle’s face saddened and she no longer looked at Thea.

  “You must face Malachi alone. If you take Kieran with you, he will die.”

  Thea’s blood turned to ice, burning through her veins with the pulse of her beating heart.

  “How?”

  “He’ll use dark magic to protect you, and it will consume him.”

  “He would never do that!” Thea stood, staring at Mirielle. “He knows the consequences of using dark magic. That’s why he stopped me. He’d never use dark magic.”

  Even as she said the words, Thea wondered if they were true. She’d used dark magic by accident to protect someone she loved. Did she really believe Kieran would not go to any lengths to protect her? And if Ainé had given Mirielle this vision as a warning… Thea sat back down, putting her head in her hands. Mirielle rested a hand on her upper back.

  “Kieran knows I am here to tell you something. He won’t stop until you tell him what it is. The safest thing you can do to protect him is leave as soon as possible.”

  Thea let out a strangled sob, the happiness that had filled her moments earlier draining away.

  “He will kill me.”

  “Not if you arrive before Yule. I don’t know what he’s planning, but I know you need to be there by then.”

  “The Goddess doesn’t like to give specifics, does she?” Thea said, more under her breath. She was angry. She was angry at Ainé for not just telling her this information herself when she’d spoken to her last. She was angry at Mirielle for interrupting the happiness she’d found. Most of all, though, she was angry at herself for the lies she would need to tell Kieran. “I can’t lie to him.”

  “Not even to save his life?”

  Thea wiped the frustrated tears from her cheeks, trying to hide the evidence before Kieran returned, and glared at Mirielle for even insinuating she would let anything hurt Kieran.

  “I’ll do whatever it takes to keep all of you safe, but I don’t know how Ainé expects me to defeat my father with such little training!”

  “I can’t begin to comprehend the Goddess’ plan for you, but if I had to make a guess, I would say Morrigan is plotting something that you can stop if you arrive on time. You need to trust in yourself and your abilities. She wouldn’t send you to do the impossible.”

  Thea wasn’t convinced that was true, but there was no point in arguing. If Mirielle had seen Kieran’s death, that was not something Thea could live with. She would protect him, even if it meant doing this alone. She just wondered if he would ever forgive her for it.

  “Faylon is one of the fastest creatures in the lands. If you make haste, you’ll arrive before the solstice. The castle is only a day and a half’s ride from here.”

  Thea nodded as Mirielle stood, looking at her with sad eyes. Don’t shoot the messenger came to mind, but Thea couldn’t disguise her anger. Nor could she disguise her fear. She knew she was unprepared for this fight with her father, but if Kieran’s life was at risk, she had no choice. She stood, like a queen would, and lowered her voice, just in case Kieran was nearby.

  “Go back to Grimwalde and send Mica to stop Kieran. He’s going to come after me.”

  She knew with undeniable certainty that as soon as Kieran realized she was go
ne he would go after her. There was nothing she could do to stop that, but she hoped Mica could slow him down long enough for her to do whatever it was she needed to do. She didn’t have a plan yet, but she’d figure one out. Mirielle nodded her agreement and then reached into her pocket and retrieved a small vial with clear liquid in it.

  “This will help delay him. It’s a sleeping potion, the same type your mother used to keep you asleep on your journey through the Threshold.”

  Thea took the vial and examined it with a frown.

  “How long will he be asleep for?” Thea asked.

  “Until you wake him up.”

  Thea looked at Mirielle in surprise.

  “And what if I don’t come back?” She swallowed hard.

  “Then we are all lost.”

  Thea cursed and tucked the vial under her cloak as Kieran reappeared with an armful of firewood at the tree line. Thea did her best to mask the worry on her face, to hide the anger, and to pretend nothing had changed in the time he’d been gone as he walked toward them. Seeing him made her heart throb, and the vial in her pocket felt more like poison.

  As Kieran reached them, Mirielle apologized and said she needed to return to Mica. Kieran protested that she needed to rest before journeying home, looking suspicious, but she told him she had her ways of staying awake and alert, revealing another small vial in her hand; this one contained a liquid the color of the sky on a cloudless day. Thea told Kieran to let Mirielle make her own decisions, as kindly as possible, but his eyebrows rose in surprise at her suggestion. He eventually gave up arguing with them, and Mirielle left without looking back at Thea.

  The day had officially gone from the best day of her life to the worst.

  Thea watched Kieran make a fire for them to sit by. She felt numb as she stared at the flames dancing to life before them. She knew Kieran was watching her with worry, but neither of them said a word. She needed to say something, anything, to calm his worry, but words wouldn’t come. Her heart remained broken in her chest, throbbing and threatening to turn tears loose on the world around her. She would not cry, though. She would not show weakness or fear. She would just continue to stare at the fire.

  “What did she say to you?” Kieran finally asked after what felt like an eternity of silence. “You’re obviously upset,” he added when Thea did not reply. She’d been formulating a plan in her head during the entire time they’d sat there, but now that she was being given the opportunity to put that plan into motion, she didn’t know if she could go through with it.

  Save his life, she reminded herself.

  The sunset was already approaching, and Faylon stood nearby as if knowing she was going to need him soon. He looked alert and paced as nervously as she felt.

  “I’m just nervous about facing my father. Mirielle said that Morrigan is growing stronger and that my father is getting closer to finding me,” Thea said—not a total lie. If she lied to him, he’d see right through it, but hopefully twisting the truth was the next best option. She stood up and grabbed a kettle from their supplies, filling it with fresh water. “Don’t worry, I’m just going to make some tea. My mother used to do that to calm my nerves.” She attempted a smile at Kieran, but he didn’t look convinced. He walked over to take the kettle from her and placed it on the fire, then pulled her down into his lap as they waited for the water to heat. The vial Mirielle had given her burned the inside of her breast pocket like hot iron against her chest.

  “I told you, you don’t have to go through this alone. We’re going to prepare and be ready for this fight together.”

  Thea had to fight the urge to cry. She blinked furiously down at her hands, and thankfully, Kieran didn’t notice. He stroked the back of her head—a comfort she didn’t deserve—and kissed her face quietly. She was a traitor, lying to him like this, but she reminded herself that if she didn’t lie, she would lose him forever. She’d also lose him forever if she didn’t succeed.

  No pressure.

  When the water in the kettle boiled she reached out with shaky hands to pour it into a cup.

  “Would you have some with me?” Thea asked as innocently as possible. Kieran nodded, suspecting nothing. As Thea turned her back on him, she emptied the vial into his tea, handing him a cup before making her own.

  They sipped in silence, Thea watching as discreetly as possible for any sign of tiredness on Kieran’s face. When he began yawning, she commented about the last time he’d slept and asked him if she could take the guard shift tonight.

  “I was hoping you’d come to the tent with me. I’m sure things will be fine out here.” Kieran yawned again and put his mug down on the ground, stretching his arms and wings wide.

  “Of course,” Thea said. She knew she needed to leave soon, but she would savor any last moments with Kieran, for fear that she would never have them again. She didn’t know if she would come back from this journey, but having him here waiting for her was enough to motivate her to do her best.

  They walked toward the tent hand in hand, and Thea glanced at Faylon, communicating with him without saying a word. We need to be ready to leave. The horse gave a low bow of his head, but his eyes looked sad as Thea and Kieran entered the tent.

  Kieran immediately settled himself down onto the blankets, pulling Thea with him so that she fell into the protection of his wings. His eyes had grown far more tired, and she knew it would not be long before he was asleep. He pressed his lips to hers, catching her by surprise, and she melted into the kiss, allowing herself to forget her fear for just one moment.

  “I love you,” he mumbled against her lips with a smile. She fought back the sob that threatened to escape her throat.

  “No matter what?” she asked, unable to help herself. He pulled back to look at her face.

  “No matter what. I am yours, and you are mine, forever.” He repeated her words, but on his lips they sounded like poetry.

  “Then hold me until the morning comes,” she whispered, her head resting on his chest. She felt his breathing slowly relaxing and knew he was falling asleep. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she listened to his steady heartbeat and felt his warm arms holding her safely against him. She would have given anything in the world to stay in his arms. She would have given her entire kingdom to continue to feel safe like this, but that was not what a queen would do.

  A queen would do whatever it took to protect her kingdom and those she loved.

  A queen would sacrifice herself if it meant there would be a chance for her people.

  A queen would be brave. So Thea would also be brave.

  “Kieran?” she said quietly. No response.

  She shifted her weight in his arms, wiping the tears away from her face, and sniffled quietly as she sat up to look at his sleeping face. He looked at peace for the time being, although Thea knew it would not last forever. She hated herself for what she was about to put him through, but even if he never forgave her, that would be better than the alternative.

  She thought of kissing him one last time, but something about the way Mirielle had told her he would not wake until she woke him stopped her. Instead, she squeezed his hand and adjusted his baldric to hang across her body. She sheathed his sword and slipped one dagger into the strap of her boot and the other into her belt, before sneaking quietly out of the tent. The potion had worked.

  Outside the tent, Faylon waited for her with a blanket over his back. He’d somehow placed it there himself. She walked over to him and stroked his warm nose with her palm. He pressed it against her wet cheeks and let out a heavy breath.

  You’re sure about this? he asked her, and she nodded her head, unable to speak. He lowered himself to the ground and Thea climbed onto his back easily. Her body felt like a stranger’s as they walked away from the tent. Her heart remained with Kieran, but today, she could not be his lover. She needed to be his queen. She looked back once more at the tent, seeing no sign of movement from within.

  “I am yours, and you are mine, forever,” she said to n
o one but the wind, then pulled her cloak’s hood over her head and tangled her fingers into Faylon’s mane.

  “Take me to Ivandor as quickly as possible.” Her voice was no longer that of a human girl, and tears no longer fell from her eyes. She wouldn’t show fear entering the lands that rightfully belonged to her. She wouldn’t allow her father to break her, and she would save those she loved.

  There was no longer time to be a princess. She was a queen of Faerie, and it was about time she started acting like one.

  Chapter 18

  Kieran knew he was asleep by the fact that there was no snow on the ground, but he still found it hard to distinguish the dream lake in front of him from the real lake he knew he and Thea were camped beside. He walked along the shore of the lake, his wings dragging along the ground slightly, and found himself beside a red mare much like the one they’d brought with them. She grazed in the fresh green grass, her tail swishing behind her, but she looked up with startlingly human eyes as he approached . He stepped back, but the mare stared at him, her golden eyes sparkling the same way that a Fae’s would when using magic. He tilted his head and reminded himself that this was just a dream.

  “You’re a pretty one,” he said quietly, not sure why he was saying it at all. The horse only continued to stare at him. He walked toward her slowly, reaching out his hand, but he did not really feel like he was controlling his movements. It seemed the dream was taking control of him now.

  When he reached the mare, she pressed her nose against his palm and he gasped at its icy temperature. His eyes widened as the mare transformed in a swirl of green and yellow light into a woman in a green dress with hair the same color as Thea’s.

  “Ainé,” he breathed, unsure of how he knew this was the goddess but having knowing that it was. “You’re Ainé.”

  He dropped to his knees, bowing his head before her.

  “Rise, young Kieran. That is unnecessary,” she spoke kindly, and her voice was like a melody sung by the birds.