Page 18 of Black Hearted (Cursed Fae #4)

“He nearly killed us all in Buttercup Village,” the Enforcer said. “We’re here to cut out his heart and stop the curse.” He held up a small, nondescript dagger, his gaze dropping to my chest.

“Black blood?” one of the guards repeated.

Movement at my feet drew my attention downward. Vines had grown up from the ground and were now tightly winding around my ankles. They were strong and I could tell it would be difficult to get out of their grasp.

“Hurt him, and I’ll kill you all. I have very scary powers,” Nellie cried, holding her uninjured hand out as if she were about to unleash magic I knew she didn’t have.

“Nellie, please don’t. They could hurt you,” I told her as the vines climbed my thighs. I tested their strength by moving my foot slightly, but they only cinched tighter.

Dread sank like a stone in my stomach. I wasn’t sure from where the danger was worse. The guards or those from Buttercup Village.

“Take the child,” one of the guards ordered.

Another guard moved to grab Nellie, but she twisted out of reach. “Stay back, or I’ll curse you!”

The guard faltered. “Is she a witch?”

I shook my head as the vines twisted up my torso, trapping my arms against my sides. This was not good. How could I protect Nellie? Suddenly, that felt like the most important thing to me. “She’s scared. Don’t touch her. Just tell me where you want her to stand.”

If they hurt Nellie, I’d use every last shred of power I had to destroy them all.

“Stand facing the gate,” the guard ordered.

Nellie looked at me with wide, scared eyes.

“It’s okay. I promise,” I lied. “Just do as they say.”

She scrunched her nose, and for a moment, I thought she was going to argue. But then she nodded and turned toward the gate, her back to me.

Good. This way, she won’t have to watch when they carve my heart out, I thought grimly.

I struggled hopelessly against the vines, but they were too strong, winding even tighter around me.

I tried to pull on my magic, hoping to cut through the vines with my lightning, but it was like trying to carry water in my hands.

As soon as I thought I’d grabbed hold of my power, it slipped right through my fingers.

The Enforcer approached, blade raised and hate blazing in his blue eyes.

I steeled myself.

Lorelei.

I pulled up her image in my mind: her purple eyes and soft lips curved into a sweet smile, her brown hair blowing in a gentle breeze. That was the last thing I wanted to see before I died. Not this.

“I have the cure for the curse,” I said, trying to buy time as I continued to hopelessly reach for my power, only to feel it drain away.

“Yeah. In your chest,” the Enforcer sneered, moving blindingly fast.

Nellie screamed a hair-raising sound that I knew would haunt my dreams forever, but I kept my eyes forward just as the Enforcer’s blade swung toward my chest. I saw it coming toward me, could almost feel the sharp edge carving into me when—

A vine shot up from the ground and wrapped around his wrist, yanking it back with such force that I heard the bone snap. He screamed and fell to his knees. I let out a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.

Dozens of shouts and grunts erupted around me. I looked up to see that every one of the fae who’d pursued us was now bound by vines wrapped around their wrists.

Did Nellie—?

“You have no authority over this man,” a strong female voice boomed behind me. “He is mine.”

The vines holding me in place fell away all at once. Around me, every person dropped to their knees and bowed.

Now freed, I spun around, coming face-to-face with a radiant older woman. She was probably in her mid-forties. Her long, light brown hair cascaded in curls over one shoulder, and she wore a purple dress that matched her eyes. Lorelei’s eyes.

“Queen Gloriana.” I bowed my head, and despite everything that was happening, I managed to bring a respectful tone to my voice.

When I looked back up, I couldn’t read her expression.

“So, you’re the Ethereum lord?” she mused.

She walked through the now-open gates, past Nellie, and toward me.

Although I was now free of the vines and the Enforcer no longer had a blade coming at me, I suddenly felt that I was in more trouble.

If the queen had heard all that had been said about me, she would see me as a threat.

She was royalty and would think that my heart was the way to end the curse.

I couldn’t bear it. She had power and guards, and I was a goner for sure. I was so close. Should I say anything?

She looked me up and down. I swallowed. Then she turned her gaze to the fae from Buttercup Village, still on their knees.

“You fools think you can carve out his heart with just any dagger?” She clicked her tongue. “No. It takes one of the four faestone daggers. Unless you have one of those, all you’d be doing is killing an Ethereum lord.”

I thought about Isolde’s faestone dagger in the pack still slung over my shoulder, as well as the faestones that remained from the other two daggers. Now was definitely not the time to bring them up.

I cleared my throat, and the queen’s gaze shifted back to me. Her expression wasn’t outright hostile, but it wasn’t warm either.

“Did you get my message?” I asked her. “I’m friends with Lorelei—”

“I know exactly who and what you are,” she interrupted matter-of-factly. “If I’d met you yesterday, I would have killed you where you stood. But my daughter has spoken on your behalf. So …”

I held my breath, unsure of what she would say next.

“I welcome you into Spring Palace.”

A wave of relief rushed through me.

The queen turned to the fae from Buttercup Village, and with a flick of her wrist, the vines binding their hands fell away. “You are welcome to rest before returning home, but Lord Zane is my guest and will not be harmed.”

With that, she turned back toward the open gate, gesturing for us to follow.

Grabbing Biscuit’s reins, I quickly went over to Nellie and brought her to my side before catching up with the queen and a contingent of her guards as they led us into the city.

The queen glanced down at Nellie, then up at me, a question in her eyes. “Your sister?”

I shook my head. “This is Nellie, a Fall fae. She’s a travel companion who is very important to me and has helped me on my journey to meet you.

She was stranded in the Fall Court when I arrived, and as with many of the subjects from her court and the others, she has lost much at the hands of the curse.

I’m returning her to her aunt, who lives here. ”

She gave me a look as though I were an enigma but nodded. “Well, it’s late. You both can spend the night at the palace, and we’ll call for her aunt in the morning. What’s her aunt’s name? I’ll send someone to find her.”

I glanced down at Nellie, noticing her wide eyes and pressed lips. I’d never seen her like this before. She looked … afraid? Shocked?

She’d probably never met royalty before—besides me, though that was different—so perhaps she was overwhelmed.

“I think you intimidate her,” I told the queen.

She laughed, a warm yet commanding sound. “I do have that effect sometimes. It helps keep my husband, Thalion, in line.”

I smiled at her comment. I was not expecting humor from her, especially in such a strange situation. I liked her. A lot.

“I have much to tell you,” I said, and she nodded. But then her gaze flicked warily to her guards. I got the impression she didn’t want us to talk out in the open, and I understood that completely.

“And I have many questions as well,” she replied. “Let’s get Nellie settled in, and then we can go somewhere more private to talk.”

An hour later, after being seen by the queen’s healer and having her wrist attended to, Nellie was bathed and tucked into a bed in the guest wing of the Spring Palace. At my request, I’d been given the room next to hers so we could stay close.

The queen was waiting for me in the study, and I was eager to plan Lorelei’s rescue. But first, I wanted to make sure Nellie was settled.

“You’ll be here when I wake up in the morning, right?” Nellie asked, chewing her lip.

I nodded. “I’ll see that you’re brought to your aunt first thing in the morning, and then I’ll leave right after.”

She chewed her lip harder, her expression pained. “About that … my aunt. I gotta tell you something, but you’re going to be mad.” She pulled the covers up to her chin, as if preparing to hide under them.

Mad? About her aunt?

“I won’t be mad,” I promised.

“Yes, you will.” Her eyes filled with tears.

I frowned. “Nellie, what is it?”

She pulled the blanket over her face, and my chest squeezed. “If you just tell me whatever it is, I’m sure we can work it out.”

There was a long moment of silence before she ripped off the blanket, fat tears streaming down her face.

“I don’t have an aunt, okay? All I had was my nana, and now all I have is you.” A sob tore from her throat, and she yanked the blanket back over her face.

My heart shredded into a hundred pieces. She lied? For a moment I wondered why.

But the answer became obvious almost immediately. She knew I wouldn’t have taken her all this way if I’d known she was an orphan. I might have left her in Buttercup Village with Elida and Evander—if they would have taken her.

All I have is you.

Her words caused my chest to constrict painfully. I thought carefully about what I should say to her to not cause any further pain.

“Nellie, I’m going on a dangerous mission to rescue someone, and I can’t bring you along.”

“I know,” she wailed under the blanket, her muffled sobs racking her chest.

I’d never felt like this before, like someone had ripped my heart out of my chest. She was not a relation or even someone I knew well, but I had grown so fond of her that I couldn’t bear to see her so distraught.

Reaching forward, I gently pulled the blanket down, and her red, teary-eyed gaze met mine.

“But I promise to come back for you,” I told her, and I meant it.

She sniffled. “You promise?”