by Chanda Hahn
A small Fae light spun in circles to get her attention, signaling her to follow it. It led her up the stairs and down an empty hall to a large storage room. The beast followed her, always a few yards back.
The Fae light zipped into the locking mechanism, and the lock grew brighter from within. A loud click followed, and the door swung outward to reveal darkness.
The Fae light pulled on a curtain, and a few seconds later, the room was bathed in light. Mina gasped. It was like walking into a museum. There were tapestries, paintings, and statues all carefully stored on swinging racks or marble shelves.
She took her time walking among the paintings and studying each and every one, while the yeti waited in the hallway. Quite a few paintings depicted the Fates at various celebrations or events.
Mina paused when she came to one in particular. Teague was obviously happy, excited about something. The joy, deep in his eyes, made her wish desperately that she knew how to make him look that way again.
The painting showed his betrothal ceremony.
She remembered that day. The artist had captured the moment perfectly. Teague stood in front of the twelve girls who would take part in the choosing ceremony. Most of the girls’ faces were hidden, since the painting portrayed them looking up at Teague, but Mina could easily recognize Ever’s long black hair, Annalora’s gold-blonde locks and her deep amber dress. She smiled when she recognized Dinah’s beautiful tanned skin and dark green hair. But there was one girl who wasn’t looking at the prince, one girl whose head was slightly turned toward the painter, and he had captured her worried expression as she looked for an escape route. She wore an elegant white dress of moon crystals and feathers. The painter had centered her in the painting, the only one of the twelve whose face was visible.
And it was also obvious that the prince was looking straight at her. Even now, Mina’s stomach filled with butterflies at seeing his reaction to her.
“This one. I want this one in the throne room.” Mina pointed to the painting.
The Fae lights carefully entered and took the painting out.
Mina paused and moved to the next painting—another of the ceremony, although she couldn’t remember when it took place. Teague stood in the middle, with the final four girls on either side of him. Most of the girls were smiling and trying to appear as regal as they could. Only Mina, next to Annalora, looked as if she wanted to be somewhere else. And once again, Teague was staring at her over Annalora’s head. It was obvious that the artist had figured out, before everyone else did, the story being played out. He could see the feelings Teague had for her.
The next portrait made her step back. Teague’s Royal engagement portrait. He stood tall and proud, his face lacking the joy so obvious in the earlier paintings as he held the hand of his future bride. It wasn’t Mina.
Teague held Ever’s hand.
She stopped, unable to look at any more. She wanted to run out of there and hide from all of her mistakes. How could that painting be true? The artist had captured so many moments of the choosing, but this seemed out of place. Ever hadn’t made it to the tower. Mina had.
Maybe she wasn’t supposed to make it.
Mina was confused and taken aback, and then she was filled with guilt again.
She pushed back her feelings and moved on to the next painting—another engagement portrait. But this one featured Teague and Annalora. Curiosity pushed her to keep moving the frames, and she wasn’t surprised when she noticed a third depicting Dinah and Teague. Three engagement portraits painted for three possible outcomes.
Longing to see her own portrait with Teague, she searched the whole room top to bottom. It wasn’t there. Puzzled and a bit annoyed, she moved on with her original task and picked some tapestries. She chose fantastically colored pieces featuring the woods, mountains, and valleys—the life of the Fae world.
Then Mina came to a section that housed the thrones, and the yeti joined her. She studied the various matching sets of ornate chairs and saw some inlaid with gold, others with diamonds and gems. But none of them fit Teague. Then she spotted a dark ebony chair with a deep blue cushion. She could make out fine engraved detail in the wood. It was masculine but not flashy.
“What do you think of this chair for him?” There was no need to say who she meant. Both she and the yeti knew it was for Teague.
He paused, tilting his head in thought. Then he grunted. He moved forward and picked up a set, one in each hand.
“No, just one throne.”
He turned and gave her a steely look before giving her his back and shuffling out the door with both chairs. She winced when the wood door slammed against the outer wall as he exited.
After she had picked everything she thought Teague would like, she left and locked the room. By the time she entered the throne room, it was finished. The yeti and the Fae lights had hung the new curtains, tapestries, and painting. She stopped mid-step when she saw the chairs she had picked out for Teague sitting on the dais.
One was occupied by a ghost from past.
“Playing house, I see.” Annalora smiled cruelly. Her braided hair hung over her shoulder. The olive green of her dress made her look sickly—or maybe her gnome heritage was simply showing through.
“What are you doing here?” Mina asked, defensive.
“I should ask you the same thing. You shouldn’t be here.”
“I’m not exactly here willingly. But why are you here, Annalora?”
“I’m coming to pay my respects to my prince and offer my services,” she answered snidely.
“What services would he need from you?” Mina scoffed.
Annalora’s face turned ugly and red. “Teague’s banished the king and queen. I’ve talked to them, and they have no intention of attacking him and retaking the throne. They are waiting for another solution. So I’ve come up with my own.”
“Which is?” Mina asked sarcastically, knowing the Fates were waiting on her to solve their dilemma.
“Our world is dying. A queen should know what that means.” Her eyes narrowed. “I do.”
“This is not my home. So I don’t exactly keep up to date on Fae World 101.” Mina said, pretending to not care.
Annalora sneered. “All good things come to those who are patient. And I am very patient. You don’t belong here, Mina. You never did. If you hadn’t’ve shown up, none of this would have happened.” Annalora gestured to the palace.
“You’re the one who killed Dinah and tried to kill Ever and me.” Mina stepped forward.
Annalora stiffened but continued. “Well, I blame you for stealing the throne from me.”
“That’s all you ever cared about. The throne. You never cared about the prince, just his title and position.
“That’s how it should be.” Annalora’s voice rose in anger. “The job comes first. You don’t need love to rule. I know that. Teague knows that. All of the Fates before married for power, not love. Her voice calmed, and she took a deep breath. “But I also thank you for returning my throne to me. Giving me a second chance.” She rubbed her hands along the dark ebony wood.
Mina wanted to march up there and yank her out of the chair by her hair. “The throne will never be yours.”
“Teague will have to choose someone eventually,” Annalora answered slyly. “Why not me? Besides, you’re the one who betrayed him and made him this way. Not that I’m complaining. I kind of like him ruthless. And I can see by the iron cuffs that you’ve not redeemed yourself. You’re nothing more than a slave.”
The whole time they argued, the Fae lights had darted in and out of the room, clearly alarmed by Annalora’s sudden appearance.
Mina felt the build-up of power and sensed Teague’s approach moments before the Fae lights disappeared. Teague marched down the room and stood in front of Annalora, who quickly jumped up and out of the throne.
“My King.” She spoke softly and curtsied.
Teague’s eyebrow rose in question, and he turned to give Mina a look as if to ask why she didn’t sh
ow him the same respect.
“Annalora, what a surprise to see you here.” Teague kept his voice neutral.
“It shouldn’t be, considering the signs. I knew when the river dried up that you would need to choose. I’m only sorry I didn’t come sooner.” She stood and gently placed her hand on her chest, trying to show how saddened she really was.
Mina’s mind was flooded with questions, but she didn’t want to interrupt.
“So you’ve come expecting what exactly?”
“Nothing more than a second chance.”
“That’s an interesting proposition.”
“One only a fool would turn down in this predicament,” Annalora answered. “And you and I know that neither of us are fools.”
“No. That we are not,” Teague answered respectfully. “I didn’t think ruling would drain me this fast.”
“It’s because you’ve brought your armies across the planes and back again. That takes a lot of power, and the balance is off. But if you accept me, we will be unstoppable. I’ll help you destroy the human plane.”
Mina tried to hide her shock. If taking his whole army across the planes and coming back weakened him and drained him, that must be why he’d kept them away from the palace. He couldn’t risk being further drained, and he would never risk losing control.
If there was even the slightest chance that he would take Annalora up on that offer, then Mina needed to get back and warn the others. Maybe she could escape and get away if she caught him at a weak moment.
“You give me much to think about Annalora.” Teague stepped up onto the dais and turned to sit on the throne with Annalora standing near the other chair.
Mina couldn’t handle the rush of emotions she felt at seeing them next to each other, when she’d done all this work to make Teague smile, so she spun and left the room.
Once again, Annalora wasn’t going to stop until she ruined everything. Mina had no choice but to stop her.
Chapter 23
When Mina entered the hall, the yeti and the Fae lights waited just outside the doors as if they’d been there the whole time.
“Thank you for all of your hard work. I couldn’t have done it without you. I’m tired, and I think we should all take a break for a while.”
She wasn’t sure, but she thought they looked a little sad at their dismissal. Mina looked down the hall at the tall double doors that led outside and found herself moving toward them. She pushed open the right hand door, stepped into the sun, and let its rays shine on her. The warmth felt wonderful, but a shadow fell across her face, and she looked up to see a griffin glide overhead to land in a large tower above.
It was the one reminder that she needed to keep her on track.
She looked down and realized she had walked within feet of the bridge that led across the lake and to freedom. She stared at the bridge and then down at her enchanted cuffs. If she crossed, her promise would be broken. She quickly moved back away from the bridge and turned to walk beneath a covered alcove which led around the side of the palace but still overlooked the lake.
Mina leaned on the stone banister and looked out across the water. In the distance, she could make out the waterfall she and Nix had come down. Both the falls and the lake had receded in size. She could tell from the water lines along the rocks.
“That can’t be a good sign.” Mina’s skin tingled, and she turned to see Teague watching her.
“I’m surprised you didn’t try to run away.”
“You would have gone after my brother if I did.”
“You’re absolutely correct.”
“It wouldn’t have mattered. I won’t run away.”
“You did before,” he said softly, reminding her of the time she tried to run away during the choosing ceremony.
“I was scared. I wasn’t supposed to be here, in this world in the past. I was on a mission to save my family, and the shoes didn’t give me a choice on when I went back.”
“But you didn’t save them. You failed.”
“No, I did. I saved them. But you took them away from me one by one. And I won’t fail the only family I have left.”
“Why is family so important to you?”
“Why isn’t it to you? I know that your parents cared about you in their own demented way. When I lost the Grimoire, your mother demanded that I do everything in my power to save you.”
“You lie. They tried to destroy me.”
“Yes, but they didn’t intend to. They were terrified, and what they did was wrong. But how is what you’re doing now to me any different?”
“You did even worse. You betrayed me, played me for a fool.” He leveled his gaze at the water, refusing to make eye contact.
“I was willing to give up everything for you. I chose you.”
“No, you chose Jared,” he snapped.
“He’s you! I wish I’d never said his name. It was—he was—always just a part of you that I love. You are one and the same, Teague. I’ve gotten past his name, can you?”
“You tried to kill me.”
“Actually, despite everything you’ve done to me over the years, I tried to save you.” Mina reached out to touch the area above his heart. “I’m still trying, and maybe one day you’ll realize that.”
Teague’s eyes were cloudy, and she wasn’t sure if it was because of his anger or the setting sun. Either way, Mina was emotionally exhausted. She hadn’t seen Annalora leave, which meant she was still somewhere within earshot.
Mina waited, and when he didn’t say anything else, she assumed it mean she was free to go. She moved away, and he called her name.
She stopped and took in his profile, his dark hair, and deep blue eyes. “Yes?”
“If you ever try to run away…” He pointed across the bridge and waved his hand. One of the Reapers appeared in the middle of the bridge. “You won’t get far.”
Every time she thought she might be gaining ground and earning his trust and understanding, he would resort to his insecurities and threaten her. She so longed for him to see that she wouldn’t lie to him. She only wanted him to be happy and her family and friends to be safe. If that meant staying, then she didn’t want to escape.
His warning sent chills down her spine but irritated her just as much. She held her head high and leveled her gaze at Teague. “I won’t.”
She wasn’t sure, but she thought he looked relieved by her promise. This time, he let her go without stopping her, and she went back into the palace. Annalora stood on the top step.
“You’re still here? I thought you got scared of little old me and ran away.”
“I’m not scared of you.”
“You should be,” Annalora answered.
“Is that a threat?”
“It doesn’t have to be if you just leave.”
“Not happening.”
“Then I’ll just have to get rid of you.”
“Good luck with that.” Mina tossed the words over her shoulder and headed back to her room.
This time when she got to her cell, she closed the door and pushed a table in front of it. She could put up a big front with Annalora, but she really was scared the girl would try and murder her in her sleep.
***
The next day, Mina worked in the library. This room had been relatively untouched from the trauma of the war. Only dust showed that no one had disturbed it for years. Mina found solace in the quietness, knowing Annalora would never be caught dead in here. Today more Fae lights swirled and danced around the room, carrying feathers. Mina laughed as they dusted the top shelves and it rained down on her. Though it did make her sneeze.
The sound entertained the Fae lights, so more and more of them brushed the dust toward her. In a bout of silliness, Mina threw her hands up in the air and danced as she tried to avoid the falling dust motes. Until she bumped into a shelf and knocked over a few precariously stacked books.
“One day you’re cleaning the kitchen and redecorating my throne room, and the next you’re destr
oying my library. What did books and Stories ever do to you?” Teague teased.
Mina threw him a disgusted look.
“Oh wait, never mind,” Teague caught himself in his own joke and started laughing hard.
Mina couldn’t help but crack a smile. But she laughed even harder when the Fae lights accidentally swept a pile of accumulated dust off the shelves and right onto his head.
Teague reached up to brush it off and looked at his dirty hands. “What the…?” He glared up at the lights, who scattered and hid within the bookshelves.
“Don’t get mad. They’ve been trying so hard to help.”
“They’d be a better help if they just obeyed my order.”
An abandoned dusting feather rocked softly down. Mina tried to catch it, but it landed on her head. Teague reached up and gently pulled the feather off. The feather—larger than any she had seen in her world—was dark black with a bright gold tip.
“Hmm, a griffin feather.” He held it out to her, and she twirled it in a ray of sunshine and watched as the gold moved subtly with the light.
“It means the Fae lights been up in the aerie.”
“The aerie?”
“The griffins’ nesting grounds are the mountain behind the castle. It’s dangerous for anyone to be up there because of the newly hatched kitlings.”
“Kitlings, as in babies? Can I see them?” she asked excitedly.
Teague looked at her as if she had grown two heads. “No, the mother would kill anyone who trespassed. I wouldn’t dare take on an angry griffin for no reason.”
“Oh.” She tried to keep her disappointment at bay. After a few awkwardly silent moments passed, Mina decided to pick up the books she’d knocked over and put them where they belong. Teague moved over to a chair, sat down, and picked up a book. He began reading.
The system of books had no order, nothing like the Dewey decimal system of her library. She really had no idea where to put the book on the creation of the Fates. She turned and tried to find a spot on the shelf she’d dislodged the book from, but the section housed a genealogy of the Fae families. She had to wonder at the books that were left out if Teague had been searching for answers to heal the Fae world.