Louis: Supernatural Prison book 6
Page 2
“The diamond princess,” I breathed, unsure if I was actually seeing the truth.
She let out a tinkling laugh. “I prefer Grace,” she said, her voice low and husky. “The whole diamond princess thing is going to take some getting used to.”
“I thought you were a myth,” I admitted. “Glad I was wrong about that, because keeping the shadows out of Faerie is a very important job.”
Grace’s expression turned confused as she tilted her head to the side. “You actually know about us?”
“Yeah, how the heck did you know about us?” I turned to find another beautiful woman stepping out from where she’d been perched in a nearby doorway. “We were a secret hidden for over twenty years.”
“Ruby princess, I assume,” I said, taking in her long legs and dark jewel-toned skin, so striking against her light hair.
“Justice,” she admitted, her arms crossing over her chest. “And yes, apparently I’m a ruby princess. Like Grace, I’m still having trouble wrapping my head around it.”
“Justice, Gretley, and Cam were all hidden as humans,” Tyson explained to me, and I turned a smile on him, realizing I’d ignored his greeting from before. “So they’re just starting to learn about the history of supes and their new fey side.”
Gretley and Cam, the emerald and sapphire princesses respectively, were opposite in many ways. One blond, the other brunette, one tall, and the other short, but they held hands and looked at each other in a way that told me they cared nothing for these differences. Another true love.
In fact… I glanced around the room, and other than Jacob and Justice, everyone else was clearly paired up. And judging by the way Jacob and Justice were shooting angry glares at each other, those two definitely had something going on.
There was a very fine line between love and hate.
Again I was alone, watching others live their lives while I just existed. Maybe Jessa had a point; maybe it was time for me to stop mourning what never was and start living for what could be. I just had to save Louis first, and then for the first time, maybe I’d finally be ready to let him go.
“So I think we need to go over the plan one more time,” Mischa said, moving forward. I realized none of the babies were there, and I wondered if they had somehow managed to get three children to nap at the same time.
There was no possible way, right? Not even magic could pull off that miracle.
Jessa nodded. “Yes, right. The plan… Okay, so we head back to the jeweled lands in Faerie, and then the princesses should be able to use their energy to open a brief portal to the land between. We also need to remember to take some of the stones with us, just in case.”
“What are you going to use to escape detection by the demons?” I asked, thinking the plan was a little too sparse for my liking.
Tyson laughed. “Jessa is more of a charge-in-and-worry-about-the-details-later kind of supe.”
I chuckled. “Yes, I can see that, but I’ve had a little experience with demons before. There was a war many years ago where a lot of magic users decided to team up with the dark side. We lost many good supes, my parents included, and I don’t want you all to underestimate the dangers we’ll be facing.”
All eyes were on me then, and I did my best not to fidget. I wasn’t used to this sort of attention; it was disconcerting. I hurried to fill the silence. “I will of course help you all navigate. My power rivals Louis’s, and I’ll do everything I can to bring him back to his vessel safely.”
Tyson cleared his throat. “Your power actually rivals Louis’s?”
My lips twitched as a smile threatened to break my serious expression. “You don’t need to sound so shocked. Women can do the sort of magic men can do. It’s a proven fact.”
Before I could reprimand him on his arrogance any further, Grace piped up to defend her mate. “It’s not that you’re a woman,” she told me, shaking her head at Tyson. “It’s because Louis is this scary legend, someone spoken about in hushed whispers while most supes wonder if the stories could even remotely be true.”
No one talked about me like that because I’d never shown them what I could do, but somehow they’d still known I was powerful enough to bring me out to try and wake Louis. Reputations have a way of getting around without any help.
Jessa stepped closer to me. “Release the hold you have on your power,” she said, smiling at me. “I think some of the supes in this room need a lesson on underestimating you just because you’re tiny and absolutely gorgeous and a woman.”
She clearly thought that was the reason Tyson was underestimating me too.
“I’m not sure you’re ready for that,” I admitted. I’d been holding my power down for most of my life—my parents hadn’t trusted me to wield that sort of energy.
Jessa looked disappointed by my refusal to let it all go, but sometimes old habits are the hardest to break.
“We should get moving now,” Mischa suggested, clearing her throat. “Louis needs us, and Josephina said she can only hold time in Faerie for the next few hours. That way we won’t be leaving our kids for weeks.”
I was relieved to know the babies weren’t coming with us. And not because I disliked children—the opposite actually—but I would not like them to go to a world of demons.
“I’ve never heard of anyone holding time in Faerie,” I cut in, hoping that they weren’t putting their faith in something that might be impossible.
Jessa locked her blue eyes on me. “Josephina is the queen of the dragons. She controls the original magic and can do many things that no other could. I trust her word. We’ll leave our babies with their grandparents. They’re in good hands.” Her beautiful face was troubled though.
“The queen of the dragons,” I said, amused. “Your pack likes to collect powerful allies. I can see why Louis was drawn to you.”
The twins blinked at me, and I knew they were wondering if I had given them a compliment or an insult. Truth be told, I also felt drawn to their pack in ways I couldn’t explain. Power calls power, I guess.
“Okay, well, let’s head out,” Maximus cut in, his voice a deep rumble. “As Misch said, Louis needs us. There is only so much time left for him.”
It was the truth. The longer his soul was held away from his body, the less chance he had to return to it. The vessel only had so much power inside before it would fade completely.
“I’d like to open the doorway,” Cam said, speaking up from where she stood close to the other princesses. “I feel like I’m ready now to embrace the sapphire princess part of myself.”
Gretley nodded, her blond ponytail bobbing behind her. “I feel the same way. When we left the jeweled lands, I couldn’t handle dealing with one more thing, but a good night’s sleep does wonders for a person. I’m ready to explore this side of myself, which has been hidden for … years.”
A scoffing sound from nearby drew our attention. Justice crossed her arms, her face devoid of emotion even though her eyes were flaring. We waited for her to expand on that scoff, but she didn’t say anything. She just stared out into the space between us all. There was a dark history there, but it didn’t look like she was ready to share yet.
Grace drew our attention from Justice. “Okay, well, I’m all for letting Cam have a shot at the doorway to Faerie. And I’m ready to save Louis. We all owe him, one way or another. Now it’s his turn to be saved.”
I’d heard the myth that Louis had hidden the princesses away, and in my experience a lot of “myths” were just stories that hadn’t been proven true yet. I really should have expected that the princesses were real.
Braxton led us out of the room—he had to duck his head to make it under the doorframe. When we were outside, he moved toward the forest. “I wasn’t sure if you needed nature for this doorway,” he called over his shoulder. “But this will give you privacy at least.”
Cam and Gretley were on my right side. “I have no idea if nature helps,” the smaller brunette princess said. “But it couldn’t hurt.”
Cam released Gretley’s hand and closed her eyes. She sucked in a few breaths, and the blue shimmer of her skin increased. All of the princesses wore crowns on their heads—the stones set in them would increase their strength—and Cam’s sapphire stones were now glowing.
But there was no doorway.
After a few minutes she let out a long sigh. “I can feel the energy there, but I have no idea how to connect from this world to that one.”
“Maybe we should try it together,” Grace suggested. “My power is stronger because I was never fully cut off from my supe side. I can help you all learn the path.” Grace and Justice stepped closer until the four formed a tight circle in the center of us.
None of them argued, reaching out to link hands. This time the glow was intense, enough that I almost had to look away. I didn’t, because I was utterly fascinated with these princesses. Their affinity for the four stones of their houses was such a unique concept. In all of my years I’d never met any fey like them. The possibilities for them were endless, and they were all so young … just starting their journey.
A bright light erupted in the middle of their group, the four colors of their stones mixing to form an iridescent rainbow. The rainbow swirled and twirled in dancing arcs, catching the rays of sun that managed to infiltrate the thick canopy above. “This doesn’t look like a step-through,” I heard Jessa whisper.
Braxton replied, “It’s definitely not a step-through. I think this is their own unique brand of energy.”
“The four of you will do great things,” I predicted. I was old enough to know true power. “Especially if you continue to practice and strengthen the natural bond that exists between you.”
“I can feel them in my chest,” Grace murmured. “Almost the same way I feel Tyson. Like there is a tangible connection between us.”
“Sisters,” Justice breathed, and this time there was no anger in her voice. She sounded like a lost little girl … sad … broken.
“Pack,” Jessa chimed in. “Grace is our pack, and you’re her sisters. We’re family.”
I could tell those words meant a lot to the four princesses, even the jaded Justice. Each of them turned shiny eyes on the unofficial leader of this pack. Jessa was decades younger than me, but I was pretty sure I could learn a thing or two from the wolf shifter.
The princesses’ rainbow swirls changed then, the color intensifying as their energy grew stronger in the forest. “Do you feel our lands?” Grace murmured, her face slightly lifted as her eyes locked on the dance of color. “The jewels are calling to us.”
“I feel it,” Cam choked out. “It’s ... everything.”
She must have figured out how to connect then, because a portal burst to life, and it was different to a step-through in many ways. There was no swirling of energy. It was just a shimmer of rainbows, and on the other side was Faerie. Clear as anything. Like stepping through a reflection.
“That might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” I murmured. I could have opened a step-through to Faerie in a heartbeat, but then I would have missed this new magic, and there was nothing I loved more than the discovery of something new.
One by one, the pack crossed through the barrier to the other side. I was last, and as I reached out to run my hand across the shimmery strands of energy, I felt my body ease. The jeweled princesses were the keepers of something truly amazing. Original magic.
3
Elizabeth Teresa Montgomery II
I hadn’t been to Faerie for many years. Ironically enough, the last time I did come here was when Regina was killed. I’d had to escape. I’d been so angry; Louis had been the one to find me and bring me home, which, considering he was suffering from the loss of his mate, had been more shocking than anything else.
But he was selfless like that.
Always putting others first.
It was probably why he’d worked so well with Regina. She’d been the good girl, but deep down she had a need to be the center of attention. Needed all of the focus on her. A little selfish and self-centered. And Louis had indulged that side of her.
While I was dwelling on the past, the others had been moving around the area. The four princesses stood in front of their lands. Cam was staring out into an ocean, its waters lapping at her feet. Gretley appeared to be entranced by forests so green they almost looked unnatural. Justice was right at home with desert sands under her boots, her face lifted to the sky. And Grace had swirls of blue lighting her skin as she reached down to gather up handfuls of snow.
“Home,” they all murmured together, somehow still linked.
“I know you all want to explore,” Jacob said in that cocky yet reserved tone that was so fey in nature. “But we have to figure out how to save Louis first. Then you’ll be free to embrace the jeweled lands.”
With reluctance, they turned away. I could tell it was the last thing they wanted to do, but a sense of duty was strong with all of these supes. “Okay, so this portal to the land between ... anyone have a clue how we’re supposed to open it?” Tyson ran a hand through his hair, tousling the shorter strands. “I mean, last time it was a demon-shadow team-up, but surely there’s a way for us to do it that doesn’t almost end the worlds.”
“I thought the jeweled princesses could,” Jessa suggested.
Knowing they probably wouldn’t think to ask me, I said, “I can open one.”
I was done with all of the delaying. I needed to save Louis so I could wipe our slate clean, then I could start living my life again. My trip back into the real world was showing me that it was time for me to step back into the land of the living.
Before any of them could argue, I moved into the center, onto the emblem of the four lands—the emblem that I could tell trapped the shadows—and lifted my hands to the sky. This spot here was a close link to the land between. Opening a doorway would be so easy that I barely even had to reach for the energy of the Faerie ley lines.
“We will have only seconds to cross,” I warned them, holding on to my power for a moment longer. “Otherwise we risk the demons discovering the portal and using it to get back to Faerie.”
“No problem,” Braxton said, his voice grumbling. “Everyone will move their asses, or a dragon will be moving them.”
Nervous chuckles all around, and then: “Wait!” Grace startled, her hands flinging to the sides. “We need the power of the jewels. I don’t have any diamonds on me. Should we gather stones from our lands first?”
Gritting my teeth, because I was currently a conduit between two powerful energies—my own and Faerie’s, I nodded my head. “Yes, sure, but please hurry. This is not the most pleasant of sensations.”
I heard Tyson clear his throat, and I turned to see him nearby. “Are you holding a ley line right now?” he asked, blinking at me. “Like ... just holding the energy and not directing it anywhere?”
I nodded, amusement spiking through my mind. There was so much fascination in his focused gaze. No wonder he’d managed to break Louis’s record as the youngest sorcerer. He was determined and strong, and power definitely intrigued him. Not to mention the magical bond with his brothers that was akin to that of the jeweled princesses’. Unique.
“You’ll learn how to hold the energy of a world,” I told him slowly, keeping my breaths even. “Eventually. Don’t try it until you’re ready. I can see your magic is a little ragged at the moment. You’ve pushed yourself too far and too fast.”
He nodded, the masculine lines of his face defining further. “I had no choice, it was level up or the worlds would end, but I’m ready to slow my sorcerer ascension a little now. I have a lot to le
arn.”
I swallowed hard, and my voice sounded huskier than usual. “You have no better teacher than Louis. He taught me everything I know, guiding me in the early days when I was strong and ambitious and a little too greedy for power. Once you have him back, then you’ll have your best asset at learning power control.”
Tyson almost looked like he wanted to argue with me before he let out a small huff of air. “As much as I hate to admit it, that arrogant sorcerer is pretty fucking powerful. Still, I’m almost certain I could best him if I set my mind to it.”
I internally laughed, and my amusement was no doubt clearly on my face.
“Ignore him,” Grace said, slightly breathless after sprinting back from the diamond lands. “He’s confident to the point of arrogance.”
“All of the Compasses are,” Mischa piped up. “It’s one of their more ... and less … endearing traits.”
My chuckle was strangled as more of Faerie’s power shocked me. “I’m used to men like that,” I rasped out. “Their attitude changes when I slap them down with a little power.”
Jessa laughed out loud, a tinkle across the Faerie air. “That’s my favorite thing to do. Only I use my fists.”
“It really is her favorite pastime,” Braxton said drily.
I was relieved to see that the other princesses had returned also, and each held a fist-sized stone. “How did you get the stones?” I gritted out, mentally preparing to open the doorway.
“We seem to be able to ask our lands for things, and they deliver like the best kind of Jeeves,” Justice told me from nearby. I had no idea what a Jeeves was, but I guessed it was some sort of human reference.
“I’m opening the doorway now,” I said, letting the power unfurl from me. I had thought I was doing a pretty good job controlling the level of energy, but a lot more than expected burst from me, creating a massive step-through.