Page 23 of Black Hearted (Cursed Fae #4)

Lorelei

I’d gone to a terrifying place when the queen took my magic— an endless void with no dream doors. I was near death, but then Zane found me. I remembered calling his name into the void.

And then I regained consciousness.

When I opened my eyes, he was there, standing in front of me with a look of raw awe mixed with desire on his face. The intensity of it sent a rush of awareness through me.

Of course, we’d already met in his dreams, but seeing him in real life was entirely different. I found myself staring at him across the firelight as Captain Lace peppered me with questions, his voice fading into the background.

Zane was everything I remembered from my dreams: tall, handsome, and striking blue eyes. But he was also so much more. His shoulders seemed broader. His gaze was more intense. And his sheer presence left me breathless.

It was as if the dream version of Zane had been only a pale imitation of the man standing before me.

Now that I was seeing him in the flesh, I couldn’t stop the questions that had lingered in the back of my mind.

Was Zane truly my mate?

And if he was, what did that mean?

Was he expecting me to live with him in Ethereum, like the other princesses? Would he want to stay here in Faerie instead?

Did I even want a mate at all?

Before he’d appeared, I’d been content, expecting to live out my life in my court. Of course, I’d known that someday I would find a partner and marry. But I’d always assumed that fae would be my choice, not someone thrust upon me by fate.

Yet the pull I felt toward Zane, from just one glance, was undeniable.

It was all so overwhelming that I couldn’t even sort out my own thoughts. So, I did what I had done before and pushed it to the back of my mind.

I held a hand out to Captain Lace, and he helped me to my feet.

I curtsied to Lord Zane. “Thank you for rescuing me.”

“Yes—you’re wel … come.” He fumbled over his words, then cleared his throat.

I didn’t miss the slight color that rose high on his cheekbones, and I blushed as well.

We had both been so confident in his dreams, yet now, standing before each other, it felt as if we were starting anew.

“Are you still hurt?” Captain Lace asked, breaking a little of the awkward tension.

I shook my head, glancing at the withered plants around me. They had been smart to bring them—my mother’s idea, no doubt.

“Where’s my mother?” I asked.

It was crucial I spoke with both her and Zane. They needed to know that Queen Liliana had taken my faestone dagger to Ethereum so we could form a plan for what to do next.

“She’s—”

“I’m here.”

My mother’s voice boomed behind me, and I spun toward her. It was dark, but the firelight illuminated her as she dismounted her stallion and ran to me.

Even though I was a full-grown adult, when she opened her arms, I fell into them, just as I had when I was a child.

“Did she hurt you?” Her voice was a low growl.

“I’m okay now,” I replied, not wanting to lie. Queen Liliana had hurt me, but I was safe now, and that’s what truly mattered.

“I need to speak privately with you,” I whispered to her, “and Zane.”

She nodded and called Zane over, then barked orders at her guards to enforce a perimeter around us. A large canvas tent had been set up nearby, with an oil lamp already lit inside.

We stepped through the flaps, and I took a shaky breath, trying to gather my thoughts.

“Please tell me you killed Queen Liliana,” my mother asked Zane.

A dark look crossed his face, making him appear fierce.

“I would have loved nothing more, but I didn’t have the chance.

She wasn’t there. But I saw something—I’m not sure what it was, but it looked like some sort of portal to my world.

I didn’t stay to investigate. My priority was getting Lorelei to safety. ”

His gaze shifted to me, and I read the panic in his eyes.

I chewed my lip. “The Summer queen figured out a way to drain my magic using my dagger and then used it to open the mirror portal to Ethereum early. I didn’t even know that was possible.”

I took a breath, looking Zane straight in the eyes. “I’m so sorry, Zane. After opening the portal, she escaped into your world.”

My mother gasped, and Zane began pacing the small tent.

“How is that possible?” my mother asked. “The portal isn’t supposed to open until the Spring Equinox.”

I wrung my hands, my heart aching for Zane. Queen Liliana was targeting his loved ones, and I wasn’t sure there was anything we could do to stop her. “She had all these books about the princesses’ daggers. The faestones are special. They hold far more power than we were ever taught.”

Anger flashed across my mother’s face. “Oh, I feel like such a fool for giving her that mirror. I had no idea. She said she was training you, and by the time I realized—”

“It’s okay. You couldn’t have known,” I said, grasping her hands and squeezing them.

Zane went deadly still, his gaze locking onto me. “She’s going to kill one of my brothers, isn’t she?”

I had already told him about her plans in one of his dreams, but I could see on his face that he wanted me to tell him it wasn’t true.

“She’s going to try,” I told him honestly. “She took the faestone dagger with her.”

Zane resumed pacing, rubbing his jaw as he got lost in thought. Despite everything, I found myself distracted by how handsome he looked. Wholly inappropriate thoughts considering the circumstances, but I couldn’t help it.

“What are you thinking?” my mother asked him. She was the smartest strategist I knew, and I hoped she could help him process this.

“I’m thinking that mirror portal is still open back at that manor house. I could go through it, warn my brothers, and kill the Summer queen.”

My mother nodded. “You could. But what if the portal is only one way? What if, after you kill her, you can’t get back?

Or what if, rather than you killing Liliana, she manages to kill you?

It could take days or weeks to find her, and in that time, you might miss your opportunity to end the curse forever.

Isn’t that why you’re here in the first place? ”

Zane stopped walking, his gaze flicking to me for a brief second. That look said so much. He’d traveled to Faerie not just to destroy the curse but also for me—maybe even more for me.

That realization sent warmth spreading through me in a way that was not entirely unwelcome.

Returning his attention to my mother, Zane nodded slowly. “I’ve thought about all of that, too.”

Oh, my heart ached for him. It was an impossible choice. I didn’t want him to have to choose at all.

“Zane?” I asked, drawing his attention. “Aren’t your brothers really powerful?”

“They are,” he replied. “As are their wives. But if they don’t know the threat is coming …”

I nodded, understanding. If they weren’t on guard, even their power might not be enough.

“I understand.” I held out my hand, gesturing to the bag slung over his shoulder. “If you give me the note and all the items you brought from Ethereum, I’ll journey alone and destroy the curse while you go after your brothers.”

My mother’s mouth opened in protest, but I shut her down with a sharp glare. This was my life, my purpose. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to Zane’s brothers—my fellow princesses’ husbands—because we hadn’t acted when we could have.

Instead of handing me the bag, Zane placed his hand in my outstretched one and squeezed gently. A wave of heat swept through me at the contact, and my breath hitched.

“A valiant offer,” he said softly, his eyes fixed on mine. “One I will not forget. But leaving you to face this mission on your own is not something I am capable of.”

My legs felt weak, and I inwardly swooned at his words. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught my mother grinning.

Zane squeezed my hand once more before letting it go, but even after, I could still feel the imprint of his palm against mine.

“You are right,” he continued, a look of determination sliding over his features. “My brothers are ten times more powerful than Queen Liliana. They can take care of themselves. The best way to help them is to stop this curse once and for all.”

“Wonderful,” my mother said, approval clear in her tone. That alone was impressive—she didn’t give her approval lightly. Protective of my sisters and me, she rarely deemed anyone good enough. Yet somehow, Zane had managed to earn her respect, and that meant something to me.

“I will prepare my troops,” she added. “We’ll join you on your quest in the morning.”

Zane and I both nodded. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small rolled note attached to a glowing blue vial and handed it to me.

“I have some other items we might need to end this curse,” he said, tapping the bag. “But this note—I’ve been waiting to give it to you, and you alone.”

I glanced down at the tiny scroll. My name was written on the side:Lorelei Maebry, Princess of Spring.

“May I have some time to read it alone?” I asked, sensing that this was something I needed to experience privately.

Both Zane and my mother nodded, leaving the tent.

Stepping closer to the lantern, I peeled the tiny wax seal from the scroll and unrolled the letter. My gaze swept over the note as I began to read.

Princess Lorelei Maebry,

The curse that has plagued your land for thousands of years ends with you. To destroy it, you must journey alone with your mate, Zane Warrick, to the Tree of Transformation—the place where the curse began, and the only place where it can end.

I stopped. My throat tightened as I processed the words:Journey alone with your mate, Zane Warrick.

Seeing it written on the scroll in front of me made it real. Zane was my mate. I took a whole couple of breaths before I carried on reading.

When you arrive, place the pieces of the Shadow Heart within the tree and drink the contents of the vial. Then, place your hand upon the trunk and surrender yourself to the curse. Only through this act can it be healed forever.