Page 22 of Black Hearted (Cursed Fae #4)

A door to my left opened, and someone stepped out directly in front of me.

We both startled.

It was a guard—a large fae with a sword on his hip.

Before he could reach for it, I cracked the handle of my sword against the side of his head. He crumpled to the ground.

I had no qualms about killing someone who had helped abduct Lorelei, but I still wasn’t entirely certain this was the right house. Some innocent lord or lady could live here, and I didn’t want to kill anyone until I knew for sure.

Peering into the open door the guard had just come through, I sagged in relief when I saw a set of stairs leading down. If Queen Liliana was holding Lorelei here, she was most likely below.

I started down the stairs, sword aloft, taking the steps two at a time. When I reached the bottom, I was horrified that some of my fears had been correct. In front of me were barred cells—not a larder or wine cellar, as most estates might have. No, this was clearly a dungeon.

I began running past each cell, looking inside, only to find them all empty. My chest felt like it was caving in.

Where was she?

“Lorelei?” I yelled, not caring if my voice drew every one of Queen Liliana’s guards. Let whoever was here come for me—I’d cut them down.

At the end of the row of cells, I spotted a door ajar.

Slipping inside, I scanned the messy space. Books, maps, papers, a huge mirror …

Lorelei.

I sheathed my sword and ran to her. She was crumpled on the ground in front of a full-length mirror, and as I reached for her, movement caught my eye. I glanced up and froze.

In the mirror’s reflection, I saw not only myself but a gash in its surface, revealing another realm.

My realm.

I recognized it instantly. The town with the clock tower in the distance—it was my home. Westeria in the Western Kingdom of Ethereum.

For a moment, I was stunned. But I pushed the thought from my mind and dropped to my knees, pulling Lorelei into my arms.

She was so pale and still, her skin cold to the touch. Terror gripped me as I feared she was dead, and my heart felt like it stopped. Then she let out a soft moan.

“Lorelei.” I shook her gently, but she remained limp. Only the slow, steady rise and fall of her chest assured me she was alive.

My fates, she was even more beautiful in real life than in my dreams. The lamplight cast soft shadows across her upturned nose and full lips. Her long brown hair cascaded over my shoulder in silky waves.

I didn’t know what was wrong with her, but I knew I had to get her out of there and to her mother, who might know how to wake her.

Lifting her delicately, I carried her out of the room. I kept a sharp eye and ear as I moved through the dungeon corridor, passing the empty cells.

“Lorelei. You’re safe now,” I whispered, but her head just flopped back and forth against my chest.

Reaching the stairs, I began to ascend, pausing at the door at the top of the landing.

Aside from the guard I’d knocked out, I hadn’t seen anyone else since entering the manor. But that didn’t mean no one else was there. And the guard could have regained consciousness.

I needed to be prepared.

Reaching for my power, I readied myself. I might not have full access to my magic, but I’d rather use what little I had left than set Lorelei down to grab my blade.

I didn’t ever want to let her go again.

As I reached for my magic, panic rose inside me. This time, I didn’t even feel it at all.

Why? How?

Brushing the questions from my mind, I dug deeper than ever before into the reservoirs of my power until I felt a spark flare to life. There was only a tiny grain of magic left, but it was enough. I’d make sure of it.

Steeling myself, I burst through the opening at the top of the stairs, and sure enough, not one but two guards were headed my way.

“He’s got her,” one shouted.

“What are our orders? Can we kill him?” the other asked.

They were clearly confused, and I used that to my advantage. Shifting Lorelei’s slight weight to one arm, I freed my other hand and blasted the first guard with a black lightning bolt. He fell to the ground, twitching.

I turned to the second guard, aiming my hand and forcing my magic outward.

But nothing happened.

I’d used what little I had left. There was nothing else for me to pull from.

The second guard lunged for Lorelei, reaching as if to take her from me, and I went berserk.

Snapping my head forward, I headbutted him, and he stumbled back with a cry. Lifting my right boot, I kicked him squarely in the chest, sending him backward into the wall. He cracked his head against the stone and slumped to the ground.

I didn’t stop to assess the damage. Running for the front door, I shoved it open with my shoulder, holding Lorelei tightly to my chest the entire time.

Biscuit was waiting for me, loyally standing right where I’d left her.

Carefully, I draped Lorelei over Biscuit before climbing up behind her. Once in the saddle, I pulled her back into my arms. Throughout the whole ordeal, Lorelei remained limp and unconscious.

Fear clawed at my chest—what if she never woke up?

The terrifying thought spurred me on. I squeezed my heels into Biscuit’s sides, urging her forward by the faint moonlight in the direction where I’d last seen Captain Lace.

Pushing Biscuit as fast as she could go, I kept glancing over my shoulder, worried someone from the manor might give chase and catch us before I could meet back up with the Spring Court troops.

When I finally spotted a fire on the horizon, relief threatened to weaken my muscles. But I tightened my grip on Lorelei and the reins, urging Biscuit to go faster.

As we reached the fire, I saw over a dozen fae surrounding it and many more setting up tents in the surrounding area.

“I have her,” I called out, and the men erupted into a flurry of activity.

“Get word to the queen,” Captain Lace snapped at one of his men.

“It’s dark. I don’t know where she camped—”

“Go!” Lace roared.

The messenger nodded, mounting his horse and riding off into the darkness. As I scanned the horizon, I spotted three faint fires in the distance. He’d have to check each one to find Lorelei’s mother.

“Is she alive?” Captain Lace appeared before me, his arms outstretched as he looked at Lorelei with a mix of adoration and awe.

I growled slightly, disguising it with a cough. I felt possessive of her and didn’t want to hand her over. But I reminded myself this was his princess—his charge to protect.

“Yes, but she’s weak,” I said, reluctantly letting him take her from my arms. “Something’s wrong. She should have woken by now.”

When he took her, it felt like he’d taken all the warmth from my soul, leaving me hollow. Between leaving Nellie behind and now this, I felt utterly empty.

The captain gently laid Lorelei on her back in front of the fire. Her soft hair fanned out around her as he spread her arms, palms up. She looked as though she were peacefully sleeping, but the soft whimpers escaping her lips told a different story.

“Get the plants,” Captain Lace ordered, and the men began moving quickly around the princess.

“What’s happening?” I demanded. “Is she okay?”

Captain Lace glanced at me, his expression grim. “Our princess has a unique magic. It requires her to be near living plants—flowers, weeds, even trees. This is the worst place for her to sustain an injury.”

Injury?

My gaze flew over her body, scanning her pale purple dress for blood or any visible wounds. But I saw nothing—no visible wounds anywhere.

“Where is she injured?” I demanded as the captain hovered his hand over her body, slowly running it from her head to her feet.

He glanced up at me, his expression grim, and a pit formed in my gut. “I’m no healer, but I have a touch of healing magic. Most Spring fae do. She’s … It’s hard to explain. It’s like she’s … empty.”

Empty.

That didn’t sound good. I couldn’t bear what that might mean for Lorelei.

One by one, the soldiers brought over the potted plants they’d carried from the Spring Court, setting them around their princess. Captain Lace gently removed the plants from their pots, spreading the rich soil across her hands, legs, and chest.

Lorelei lay on the ground, her body covered in dirt and vegetation.

It was strange to watch, but I reminded myself that she was a Spring fae. She must need the life of her court to heal.

“Now what?” I asked.

The captain stared at Lorelei, his brow furrowed in concern. It was as though he expected something to happen—but it didn’t.

I was about to repeat my question when I noticed the purple flowers in her right hand begin to shrivel.

I gasped at the same time Captain Lace let out a sigh of relief.

The flower withered completely, and then the one in her left hand followed.

One moment, the flowers were vibrant and colorful in the firelight. The next, they crumbled into powdered ash.

Suddenly, Lorelei gasped, her body jolting as she sat bolt upright.

Her purple eyes locked onto mine, and it was like taking a lightning strike straight to the chest.

At that moment, I knew—I would never be the same again.