Page 43 of Black Hearted (Cursed Fae #4)

The words echoed directly into my mind, sharp and sudden, making me flinch.

Zane’s voice was low, filled with awe and disbelief. “The Wise Ones?”

The Wise Ones? The beings who had left me that fateful note?

Cautiously, I peeked out from behind Zane and got my first glimpse of the figures before us.

They were slightly shorter than average, their forms glowing softly with an otherworldly light.

Their radiant, white-tinged skin seemed to shimmer, casting a faint aura around them.

Small, curved horns peeked out from their wild, unkempt hair, and their eyes—entirely white—held a piercing, ethereal quality as they regarded us.

Unseelie. The first unseelie I had ever seen.

“We are pleased you have ended the curse,” one of them said, his voice resonating in my mind rather than my ears. “It will bless your lands and people for generations to come.”

Another spoke, his tone equally reverent yet firm. “And now, we can come home.”

Even though none of their mouths moved, I instinctively knew which one was speaking and turned my attention to him.

“Is this your home?” I asked, stepping out from behind Zane. He immediately wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close. I didn’t mind at all.

“It is,” the Wise One replied. “We were banished along with the other unseelie when the curse was created. Locked in a cave until the time at which the curse would be destroyed and we would be set free. We waited millennia for the right Faerie princesses and Ethereum lords to be born—those who would be capable of seeing past the prejudices they were taught, embracing love and sacrifice instead. Those strong enough to bear the weight of all fae, seelie and unseelie alike, and one day unite the two worlds.”

I stared at the Wise Ones in awe. They were talking about me and Zane—and the others. We were the ones they had waited for. A swell of pride filled my chest. I was grateful to have the opportunity to unite the worlds, but something still didn’t make sense.

“If you were locked in a cave all this time, how did you get the note and the poison into the Shadow Heart?” I asked.

The Wise One to my left gave what I thought was meant to be a smile, though it looked awkward—like someone attempting it for the first time.

Lifting a hand, he tapped a finger against his temple.

“We see many years into the future. The note and vial were planted in the Shadow Heart before we were banished to Ethereum.”

I gasped. They’d known they would be trapped in that cave for thousands of years before it even happened? And then, they had to wait—centuries—for me, Dawn, and the others to be born. How terrible.

Suddenly, all four Wise Ones bowed low, their forms dipping with solemnity before Zane and me. “We thank you for your sacrifice and for finally freeing us. Because of what you have done today, both Faerie and Ethereum will see many years of peace.”

Tears pricked my eyes, blurring my vision. The weight of their words hit me hard. Not only did I have the chance to live a life with Zane, but both our worlds would prosper because of what we’d done. My heart felt like it might burst with emotion.

Straightening, the Wise Ones turned toward the portal. Through the shimmering opening, I could see the dim interior of the cave they’d been imprisoned in for so long. For a moment, I thought they intended to return to Ethereum, but as one, they raised their arms.

I gasped as golden ribbons of magic flowed from their hands. The magic swirled in the air, twisting and weaving before cascading toward the split in the tree, blanketing the portal in a radiant, golden glow.

“What are they doing?” I asked Zane.

He glanced down at me, his brow furrowed. “I don’t know.”

The golden magic accumulated along the edges of the portal, and before our eyes, an intricate arch began to take shape.

The shimmering gold vines intertwined, forming a delicate yet imposing frame.

The base of the portal flattened and straightened, creating a smooth threshold.

The split tree now resembled a massive arched doorway—at least thirty feet wide and twice as high.

A blinding flash of golden light burst outward. I shielded my eyes, wincing at the intensity. Moments later, the brightness faded, and I blinked rapidly to clear my vision. When I looked again, the cave was gone.

In its place, I saw a platform with tracks stretching into the distance. It reminded me of the train station Zane had described to me.

We had small trains in Faerie, mainly for transporting goods and materials down mining mountains, but nothing like the railcars Zane had explained. He had spoken of massive carriages ferrying fae across Ethereum’s kingdoms far more advanced than anything I’d seen here.

It was nighttime on the other side of the portal, just as it was here, and the platform appeared empty. That was probably for the best. If anyone had been there when the portal appeared, they would’ve been scared out of their wits.

“Is that one of your train stations?” I asked, my voice tinged with awe.

Zane nodded, his eyes fixed on the scene. “The one in the village of Weldstone, I believe. It’s not far from my castle in Windreum.”

I glanced at the Wise Ones, who had turned to face us again. One of the figures in the middle gestured toward the newly formed portal. “And now there is a way for fae to travel safely back and forth between the realms.”

I was awestruck. The Wise Ones were unimaginably powerful.

They had remade the portal, shifting its location from their cave to a village in Zane’s kingdom.

It was clear to me what this was. A gift.

A more accessible connection between the two worlds was created for the benefit of both realms’ citizens.

As the Wise Ones began to walk away, Zane tightened his grip on my hand and then lifted my wrist to show them. “Do you know why she bleeds black now?” he asked, his voice steady but full of urgency.

They paused and then spoke as one, their voices merging in an eerie yet harmonious symphony that sent shivers down my spine.

“Lord Zane, we always knew you would drink the vial. We also knew that Princess Lorelei’s power could bring you back.

We had to present the task in a way that would ensure the Tree of Transformation received the willing sacrifice it needed to end the curse.

A descendant of Balazar Warrick. Someone of black blood.

When Lorelei shared her essence with you to bring you back, you, in turn, shared a part of yourself with her.

Your bond is now even deeper than before.

Her heart is now black because of it, and yours is red. ”

I heard Zane release a soft sigh of relief. “So she’ll be all right?” he pressed.

The Wise One furthest to the left nodded and added, “She is fine. However, you will both find that your magic has been altered in some ways.”

Altered? What did that mean? I frowned, but before I could ask, Zane seemed unbothered by the revelation and continued.

“You know,” he said, “I would have gladly drunk the vial if you’d simply asked.”

The Wise Ones glanced at one another, their expressions unreadable but tinged with what might have been amusement. “Had we done that,” the central Wise One replied, “Lorelei would have drunk the vial to save you, and she would have died. You would not have been able to bring her back.”

Zane turned to me then, gently cupping my face in his hands. “Is that true?” he asked, his voice low and searching. “Would you have sacrificed yourself to save my life?”

“A thousand times over,” I said without hesitation. “If I had known you would go behind my back and read the note, I would have hidden it from you in the first place.”

His gaze softened as he searched my eyes. “When it comes to you,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, “there are no lengths I won’t go to in order to make sure you are happy, safe, protected, and loved.”

And then his lips were on mine. The kiss was full of tenderness, and my heart melted at his touch. It was done. The curse was broken, Zane was alive, and we were together. We did it.

When we finally parted, I noticed the Wise Ones had left, their shadowy forms now distant silhouettes at the top of the hill.

“One more thing,” their combined voice echoed in my mind. “The faestones from each of the princesses’ daggers have the power to restore what the curse destroyed. Plant them in the earth and combine your powers to heal the lands. What is healed in Faerie will also heal in Ethereum.”

With that, they crested the ridge and disappeared from view.

“They’re kind of freaky,” I said, breaking the silence. Zane’s laugh was rich and warm, filling the space around us.

He glanced back at the portal nestled between the halves of the split tree. A whistle echoed through the air, and further down the tracks, I saw a light moving steadily toward us. The train was arriving.

“Did you say this village was on the outskirts of Windreum?” I asked.

He nodded, a curious look in his eyes.

With a grin, I tightened my grip on his hand and took off running toward the portal, dragging him behind me.

“Wait, Lorelei, what are you doing?” he called after me, his tone filled with equal parts amusement and confusion.

“The curse is destroyed. I want to see the other princesses, and I’m sure you want to see your brothers. I want to see where you live and ride on your train,” I said, excitement bubbling over.

Zane yanked me to a stop just before I could step through the portal.

“I would love that, but I have Nellie waiting for me back home, and the puppies we bought,” he said, his tone gentle but cautious.

“And the Wise Ones just told us we need to heal the land with the daggers.” He patted the pouch at his side.

“What if we go through and can’t come back? ”

I stopped pulling on him, his words giving me pause.

He was right—I hadn’t thought about that possibility.

“I don’t think it’s a one-way portal,” I said with hope.

“The Wise Ones said we could travel safely back and forth between the worlds. Can’t we just go for one day?

We can return tomorrow to head back to the Spring Court and plan our journey to the other Courts to heal the land.

I used up so much magic bringing you back, that I need to replenish anyway. ”

Zane rubbed his bottom lip contemplatively, his gaze fixed on the shimmering portal behind me. I turned to follow his line of sight just as a train pulled into the station on the other side. Its loud whistle pierced the air, startling me.

Before I could say anything, Zane let go of my hand and suddenly leaped through the portal. My heart stopped for a moment, but he quickly reappeared, stepping back through with an exhilarated grin on his face.

“It’s open,” he exclaimed, his eyes shining with delight.

We laughed, holding hands as we ran together through the portal and boarded the train.

I wasn’t going to wait one more second to start living my happily ever after.