Page 20

Chapter Twenty

T he sky’s vibrant afternoon blue pales as the sun begins to shrink in the distance, and through the trees I see the lights of the fairy city begin to light. We’ve been walking for hours and Garrett had practically picked me up to ride Acorn when my shoulder started hurting again. Acorn travels between a quick waddle and brisk pace that Garrett is able to keep up with using long strides or a jog.

“Did we really get out without anyone noticing?” Garrett asks, glancing over his shoulder.

Tem flies alongside at our left so he can see us with his only eye. “The guards don’t have an alarm they sound if something escapes. They don’t want the people in the city terrified and causing more of a problem by overreacting.”

“You don’t warn them a dangerous creature might be headed their way?” He raises a brow.

“The soldiers are informed.” Tem shrugs.

After a moment, I finally say something that has been on my mind. “I have a question about the binding.”

“Yes?”

I shift, but there’s no way to get comfortable. “What exactly did it do? I know it prevented fairies from crossing into our world, but Genoa was able to.”

“Ah. Well, I assume Genoa was only able to cross through because of the Orbs of Olwar. Their power combined would be able to crack the barrier enough to let her through. She’s mentioned doing so before, but she didn’t know how. She must have figured it out.”

“Now that it’s gone entirely, what does that mean for the humans?”

Tem lands and walks alongside Garrett, though he’s got to put a lot more effort into matching his stride as he’s much shorter than Garrett. “A majority of the fairies aren’t any more dangerous than a majority of humans. Genoa has...many loyal followers who will likely have joined her at Prince Kaison’s castle.”

“What’s their aim?” Garrett asks.

“I don’t actually know that,” the fairy king replies. “She began entertaining ideas of taking over the throne to get revenge for being locked away and being denied our freedom for so many years. But taking the throne from the humans? And not all of them, just your country?” He shakes his head. “I spoke out and Nizra took my eye.”

The blood in my veins freeze. “The eyes on Nizra’s finger? One of them is yours?”

Tem nods.

I gag at the thought.

Tem continues, “I went to Genoa and pleaded with her to consider what this would do to our people. In return, she imprisoned me.”

Garrett suddenly groans and places his hand on his chest.

“What’s wrong?” I ask quickly.

But Garrett gasps before he is suddenly full-size again. He drops to his knees and gasps. “You need to work...on the transition part.” He grimaces.

“I don’t typically shrink living things like this,” I reply. I climb off of Acorn to be sure that I don’t accidentally harm him when transforming back myself.

A few moments later, we are all back to our normal sizes. Garrett hands me the pouch, which I shoulder and settle Acorn back inside of.

“You can rest all you want to,” I say to him.

He grunts. “Yeah right. You’re going to end up needing my help again, I just know it.”

I roll my eyes with a smile and close the flap.

We’re able to cross more ground now, and as the sun begins to finally set, a large, dark form begins to take shape. It stands out from the long shadows of the trees and short shadows of the bushes.

“This is the hat shop.” I point at the metal sign nailed to the right side of the front door. “We’re going through a door?”

“In Parshen?” Garrett asks.

“Yes. Entrance between our worlds is much easier than you must have believed.”

I glance at Garrett. “We got through by stepping in a toadstool ring.”

“Ah, the most ancient of passages.” Tem walks around the front of the building to a door on its side. “Our portals between worlds are much easier now. They are simply doors. Enchanted, but doors nonetheless. This is the one we need. I have a feeling we are going to be getting a lot of curious visitors to our land over the next several days.” He chuckles, then opens the door, revealing a shimmering surface with the distorted image of one of our streets.

“I’ll go first,” I offer.

“I’ll follow,” Garret says.

“I’ll see you both on the other side,” Tem says.

I step through the door only to exit out from a side door of the same hat shop in our land. The streets are dusted with a layer of snow and a brisk wind gusts, scattering snow from the roofs around to dance in the air.

“How is it already winter?” I mutter.

I glance around at the buildings and take specific note of the planter boxes hanging from the second stories of a few nearby buildings. One of the planter boxes hanging across the street from us filled with daisies and marigolds—which means it’s supposed to be summer still. Their petals haven’t browned yet, so the snow must have just begun and they didn’t have a chance to encounter an autumn frost.

I wrap my arms around myself and turn back to the door. Garrett steps out, followed by Tem, and they join me in looking around at the snow.

“Hm. Her magic must be affecting the area,” Tem ponders aloud. “Keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary, just in case.”

Acorn pokes his head out of the pocket. “Are we ready to break into the castle?”

I chuckle. “I think we need to be a bit careful.”

Garrett’s face falls. “I can’t understand him anymore.”

I look down at Acorn, who is scrambling to get out of the pouch. “You mean I can’t talk to him and Kai anymore?” he asks.

“Easy!” I quickly grab him before he can fall to the ground.

Tem shakes his head. “Not in this realm, I’m afraid.”

Acorn squeaks in dismay and lets me hold him. “I had a lot of fun teasing them, though!”

I hold him up to my face. “You’ll just have to find other ways to tease.” I kiss his nose and set him back in the pouch.

Garrett begins leading the way through the city and to the hill adorned by the castle. I never considered how strategic it was to place the castle there until I realize how exposed we are making our way up the road. But the slopes on either side are far too steep for us to scale, and we have no other choice than to be exposed.

Garrett has his attention locked on the walls. “Where are the guards?” he mutters.

My attention drifts to an eagle soaring overhead. “She turned Kai into a frog. She may have turned them into animals. They would make much better spies.”

Tem glances at me, then follows my gaze. “Perhaps. And if that is the case, she already knows we’re here.”

We reach the last bend and the gates stand open.

Garret pauses. He glances at me.

“What’s that look for?” I ask.

He runs his tongue over his teeth, undoubtedly weighing all of his options. “I think you should go home and be safe.”

I roll my eyes and cross my arms over my chest. “I’ve come all this way and you want to turn me around now?”

“Then I guess we enter through the front doors.” Garrett sighs and steps forward carefully. “We don’t have weapons to defend ourselves.”

“I have a feeling it wouldn’t matter if we did,” Tem adds.

“Fair point.” He grasps the handle of the door, looks at me, and then drags it open.

Genoa has converted the ballroom into a throne room, likely because her high throne of ice wouldn’t fit in the throne room. Icicles have formed at the edges of the windows and on the chandeliers overhead. The king and queen sit to one side in brightly colored clothes with fake smiles plastered on their faces, looking like nothing more than human-sized dolls.

And Kai sits on another throne of ice, eyes frozen forward. He’s in clean garments, now a beautiful shade of blue with green accents, and he has shaved his face and tied back his hair.

My heart aches when I see him. He should be fighting against her, running to me to make sure I’m all right. Instead, he doesn’t even turn his head.

Genoa’s laughter fills the hollow room. “You have the audacity to return? Even though I’ve already won?” She approaches us, but halts when her eyes drift from Garrett to Tem. Her smile slowly falls. “Temarilian. I thought I already got rid of you. Why can’t you stay put?”

He steps between us, his movements slow, like he’s approaching a wild animal. “Stars of my sky, I missed you. I came for you.” He stops in front of her and carefully reaches out to stroke her cheek. “You still have color.”

My breath catches and my heart skips.

Garret’s shoulder bumps into me as he steps closer. I know what he wants to say without him uttering a word, because I think it too. Tem was on Genoa’s side the entire time? As a partner?

Now we have to fight the fairy sorceress and the fairy king!

What spells can I utilize here?

“My love, you got what you wanted,” Tem says softly. “The spell binding us to our realm is broken. We can now freely pass between realms. Isn’t that enough?”

Her eyes, a cold gray-blue, narrow. “You never understood my desires.”

“You can’t have the human prince. You know this. You’re married to me. Bound to me.”

My gaze moves instantly to Kai.

Even though his body is rigid, his eyes slowly move to me and lock on. My heart is racing. Genoa is married to Tem? Does this mean...Kai isn’t actually married?

Get the other orb , the hollow, ethereal voice of the orb whispers.

With Genoa distracted by her apparent husband , I take a cautious step toward the throne. The second orb lies on a pillar in the center of the room behind Genoa’s back. I know I’m in her field of vision, so I move as slowly as I can in an effort not to draw attention. My lungs burn, begging for breath I hold inside.

“I want him. His kingdom will give us access to so much more!” Genoa says.

Tem takes her hands. “Do you not see what you’ve done to yourself?” He holds up her hand so she can see her long, sharp nails. “You’re becoming darkness.”

She jerks her hands away with a growl and waves a hand in the air in a circular motion. Ice crystals spiral in a circle before wrapping around Tem, squeezing his chest and lifting him from the ground. She flings her hand to the side, sending Tem flying through the air to collide with the wall high above the throne.

“Genoa!” he gasps. His wings are stretched outward from his body, and Genoa sends two icicles to pin his wings in place as collars of ice slide around his neck, wrists, and chest, all holding him to the wall.

Genoa laughs as she assesses her work. “This is rather fitting. Now you get to be on display here. Nizra should have done a better job keeping you contained. I’ll have to punish him for failing me.” She taps her chin.

With her back to me, I slip by and collect the orb from its resting place. All air is sucked from my lungs, and sparks shock through my fingers and across my tongue.

We are reunited , two voices say in unison. Together forever, and never apart. Love brings power that shall not depart. Bound with love, strength in unison, resistance in trust.

In a blink, I see a vision of Kai standing at my side in bright white clothes, our hands grasped, and light radiating from the two of us. Not only do I feel my own panic at Genoa’s power and the revelation that Tem is her husband, but I also feel Kai’s frustration that he can’t move, his worry that I am about to be attacked by the sorceress. When our gazes meet, a tangle of emotions, strength, and fear threaten to overwhelm me.

Give me to Prince Kaison, the orb I’ve just lifted states. I am not meant to be held by you. It draws confusion. Bring me to him.

“Where was I?” Genoa claps her hands together and turns to face Garret. And me. Well, where I should have been. Instead, Garret stands alone, and I am now rather near her throne.

Without hesitation, I sprint toward Kai. Only, I feel my feet being dragged out from beneath me as Genoa uses a spell to pull me away. “Catch it!” I shout and throw the orb with all of my strength, not knowing if Kai even has the ability to move in order to catch it.

Genoa’s magic is a gust of wind that sends me sliding back until I’m against the wall. My shoulder explodes in pain and I cry out.

Her lip curls in a smirk. “You’ve been bitten by darkness.”

Behind her, Kai now holds the golden ball in his hands. Although he shudders, his gaze darts to Genoa and he slowly stands.

“Did you think that ball would give you more powerful magic?” Genoa asks. “Even though it is indeed a magical artifact, I’m afraid it doesn’t work for just anyone.” She stops directly in front of me. “This little bit of darkness...” She places her hand on my shoulder heavily. “It will slowly consume you if not stopped. But I should let it devour you so you can sit at my side, just as your poor lover does.”

Garrett sprints forward.

Genoa’s eyes dart to him and she reaches her hand out, then tightens it in a fist.

He gasps and drops to his knees, clutching his chest.

“Captain Garrett Bath, correct?”

Garrett struggles for breath.

“I believe you are due for a promotion. Colonel? Or perhaps even Constable?” She arches her brow. “You can have what you desire. All you have to do is swear your loyalty to me.”

Garrett’s blue eyes become hazy.

“No. Garrett, no!” I shout at him.

He blinks and shakes his head.

“Being a king’s guard is honorable, certainly,” Genoa says, her smooth voice slipping back into Garrett’s ears. “But you’ve always wanted to prove your own worth. You’ve been nearly killed twice for the royal family. Isn’t it time they respect that sacrifice?”

My throat goes dry. How can I possibly fight against a sorceress?

I slip my hand into my pouch and touch my mother’s grimoire.

Genoa’s attention snaps to me.