Page 25 of Broken Hearted (Cursed Fae #3)

Isolde

I slept fitfully that night, tossing and turning beside my little sister as she snoozed peacefully. Whatever tincture they had given her for the pain had worked very well and I was grateful. But my mind was a jumbled mess.

Would this Rowena woman come? Would she agree to help us? Was my mate sleeping next to Elisana right now?

By the time the morning light bled through the cracked open curtains I’d barely gotten a few hours’ rest. After checking on Sera and leaving her in the capable hands of her nurse, I went down to have breakfast.

Dawn was already there with a full plate of sausages, boiled eggs, and some delicious, glazed pastry with fruit filling.

“Someone’s hungry,” I teased.

Dawn grinned. “This is my second plate.”

I shook my head. “Do we know how many you are carrying? Because no offense, but that belly is too big for one.”

She laughed. “The midwife used a stethoscope last night to hear the heartbeats …”

She let that word linger in the air. Heartbeats. Plural.

“And?” I sat before her in rapt attention.

She lowered her voice. “At least three.”

My jaw unhinged. “You poor woman.”

Dawn’s bright chuckle filled the room and she just beamed at me. “Oh, Isolde, I’ve missed you and that dark sense of humor.” She leaned forward and hugged me, holding me for longer than normal.

Best friends know when something is wrong, and without words she was telling me she knew how much leaving Adrien must have distressed me.

“It will be okay,” she whispered before releasing me.

I nodded, thankful for her comfort. “You have to name one of them after me, their future favorite aunt,” I teased.

She smiled softly. “A royal having all girls is common in Faerie, but here they have all boys, so …”

Oh. That was interesting. A direct opposite. I knew we sometimes referred to Ethereum as the mirror world, but I didn’t think the differences between realms would extend to something like this.

“Well—”

There was a knock at the open door to the dining hall. I turned to see Zander standing there. “Rowena is here.”

My eyebrows lifted. That was faster than I’d thought. Zane sent his men for her just last night. At best, I didn’t expect them to be back until later in the day, but I was glad to be wrong.

Dawn went to stand, and Zander moved across the room to stop her. “My love, please, if you care about the health of my heart, stay in here while the blood witch is present.”

Dawn frowned, looking annoyed, but I thought it was really sweet.

“Are you going to stay with me?” She put a hand on her hip in defiance.

He nodded. “Sure. If you want me to.”

She looked surprised at that, but then Zane stepped up behind his brother and Zander turned to him. “Can you handle the witch with Isolde alone?” he asked.

Zane nodded confidently.

Zander pointed a firm finger at his brother. “No blood,” he chastised.

Zane clapped his brother on the shoulder. “I got this.”

Even though I was hungry, I left the table and followed Zane to the drawing room we’d met in yesterday.

The only blood witch I’d ever met was Elisana, and she was a nightmare, so I wasn’t sure how I felt about meeting another and asking them for help.

“You trust this woman?” I asked Zane as we walked down the hallway.

“No,” he said simply, and chills rose up on my arms.

“But she might be the only one who can help us?” I asked, and he nodded once.

Steeling myself, I let Zane lead, entering the drawing room after him.

One of Zane’s men was standing next to a tall woman with light-purple-hued hair. She had her arms crossed and looked like she didn’t want to be here.

“Luckily for us, she was one town over from Windreum, here in the Western Kingdom,” the spy said and bowed to Zane before leaving to post himself at the door.

“This is the only kingdom currently not affected by the curse, so yes, I am staying here.” Her voice held an air of superiority.

The tic in Zane’s jaw showed how much he liked her dwelling in his kingdom, but he didn’t comment on it. Instead, he cut to the chase. “We need your help again.”

She stood a little taller then, running her fingers over her smooth face. “And I would love to help you again, darling. Your blood was absolutely divine. What can I do for you?”

Zane looked at me, and I saw apprehension slip over his gaze. “I need you to project us to the Faerie world like you did last time. This time in front of Lorelei, the Spring Court princess.”

My head jerked back like I had whiplash. “What?” I said.

“There must be payment. Like last time.” The witch held out one hand and pulled a dagger from her belt with the other.

Zane turned to me frantically. “I’m sorry but I have to see her, to tell her I’m coming. Then we can ask for help with Adrien.”

I swallowed hard. Was this what they’d done when they’d projected their ghostly apparitions into my room that day?

“Zander said no blood,” I told him as I stared at the witch’s outstretched palm and the dagger.

Zane pursed his lips. “What my brother doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” he said and then held out his hand out to Rowena.

With that, the witch sliced the tip of his finger and let the crimson fluid leak out onto her dagger, filling the tip. She then pressed the tip of the cold metal to her tongue and licked it off. I began to shiver.

Right before my eyes, the woman seemingly looked younger. It was incredible and horrifying to see someone lose five years of their face and skin.

“Ahhh,” she sighed in contentment. “I am enjoying these little meetings we have, Lord Zane.”

“Get on with it,” he growled.

She rolled her eyes. “Since there are only two of you, it will be much easier this time.”

Pulling a small box from her cloak she opened it, revealing a long, sharp needle. She gestured for my hand and I gave Zane a look, but he just nodded solemnly, telling me she’d only take a drop. After pricking my finger she blotted it with a small square of red cloth and then did the same to Zane.

“Thank you for doing this,” Zane said beside me.

I understood his desire to check in on Lorelei, even I wanted to see her, to speak to her and ask how things were going. She was his mate and he was protective. I admired that. I just hoped it was quick since my own mate was in trouble.

The witch then began to chant and wave the cloth into the air. “Once you have the place I need to take you in mind. Grasp my hand,” she told me.

Right. Lorelei.

I closed my eyes, remembering my last visit to Spring. It had been a diplomatic one. My mother was in need of food as our rations had run out early and so we’d begged Queen Gloriana for some. She had graciously given us more than needed as the Spring Court was always bursting with plenty. Lorelei and I had spoken in the gardens of their palace. A peaceful place where Lorelei often tended to her crops and flowers. She had been sweet and soft-spoken and generous.

I focused on that memory now as I reached out and grabbed the witch’s cold fingers. As soon as our hands connected, the cloth caught fire and started to burn with green flames. Rowena’s eyes then went completely black as she continued to chant, and then suddenly she threw back her arms and her magic slammed into me. The moment it did, I was sucked from my body and then floated before being hurled into a different realm.

When I opened my eyes I blinked rapidly at the plumeria bushes. I was there, in the palace garden inside of the Spring Court.

I did a full three-sixty, seeing Zane beside me but no Lorelei.

“It’s beautiful here,” Zane breathed. He was a ghostly apparition on my right, and I was starting to wonder if we’d have to search the castle for her when I heard her delicate singsong voice.

Lorelei loved to sing and she did it often. I turned in the direction of the sound to see her coming through the vegetable garden with a large basket in her arms. The sun shone on her long brown hair and the butter-yellow dress she wore swayed in the breeze.

I flicked my gaze to Zane to see the look of wonder in his eyes, and I couldn’t help but grin. The way he watched her, as if he was in awe of her beauty, warmed my heart.

Now I had to try to speak to her without completely freaking her out.

“Lorelei,” I called softly.

Her gaze shot upward, zeroing in on Zane and me, and she dropped her basket of veggies with a terrified yelp.

Well, I guess there was no way to do that gently.

“It’s me, Isolde. I’m in Ethereum and we’ve used a witch to help us talk to you.” I rushed the words out by way of explanation.

She grasped her chest, eyes wide as she went from me to Zane, and back to me, before resting on Zane again and sticking there. Something shifted in her gaze then, and her face relaxed as she looked at him.

Zane bowed to her. “I’m Lord Zane, the Ethereum Western lord and … I’m your ma—”

“Man helper,” I shot back, cutting Zane off. Was he seriously going in with the mate thing right away? No way. She’d freak out. “Man helper?” Lorelei cocked her head to the side. She still had her hand on her chest and hadn’t moved an inch. Processing the shock no doubt.

“Yes, a man who wants to help you with your task to end the curse,” I fumbled and widened my eyes at Zane.

He nodded, getting my point. “Yes. I’m here to help you. I have important information and something I need to get to you.”

Lorelei looked left and right across the garden as if searching for other people. Then she stepped forward a few feet and got closer. “Isolde, I got your letter. About Dawn, Aribella and the Ethereum lords visiting you as ghosts. It sounded … nonsensical. But Queen Liliana is already here, and she’s … acting off.”

“Off?” I asked, a chill racing up my spine.

She swallowed hard. “Disturbed. When I questioned where you or Seraphina were, she … struck me.” She brushed her fingers over a small bruise on her cheek that I hadn’t noticed before.

A low and menacing sound came from next to me and I looked over at Zane, who was practically vibrating with fury. “I’ll kill her.”

Lorelei looked up at him in surprise, and I laughed nervously. “He’s very protective of all of us. Dawn, too,” I lied.

He needed to tone it down or she would be totally freaked. Or maybe that was just me? Maybe I was the only one who would have a hard time accepting this mate concept right away.

“You have to be careful around her,” I warned Lorelei. “Lord Zane has found a way to come to you. In order to bring an end to this curse on both of these lands, you have to do something together.”

Lorelei softened her posture. “Together?”

She was so innocent and na?ve. I wanted to wrap her up and protect her from the world. She’d always been that way and a secret part of me worried she might be too soft to face what lay ahead.

“If that’s okay? Just wait for me. Stay safe until I can reach you and we will end this,” Zane told her.

She chewed at her bottom lip and nodded once.

A frigid chill ran over my body, and I stood there for a moment wondering how it could be so cold in the Spring Court when a hand passed through my chest, and then Queen Liliana was there. She had stepped through my ghostly apparition and spun around, facing me with a menacing snarl.

“You are a traitor to all seelie,” Queen Liliana growled, and then lashed out with a blinding light.

There was a flash of light and a crushing weight on my chest, and we were back in the drawing room at Zane’s castle and the lavender-haired witch was grinning. “Ohh, I like that woman.”

“Would she hurt Lorelei again?” Zane asked me immediately.

“No,” I lied because I could see the terror in his face. Queen Liliana had already hit her, so I wasn’t convinced she wouldn’t do it again, or worse. But I could tell that Zane was spiraling, so I didn’t point that out to him. Before he could do anything to help Lorelei, we had to get Adrien back. Something I needed him for right now.

“Zane, I need you to focus on Adrien and help me,” I told him. I’d done what he asked. We’d checked on Lorelei and told her he was coming, and now I wanted my mate back.

He took in a cleansing breath and nodded. “We need one more thing,” he told Rowena and then looked at me in anticipation.

I knew more about the situation so it was probably best I explain. “A blood witch is holding someone I care about captive. She’s created a soul-tie with my sister so we cannot harm her.”

Rowena’s eyebrows bunched together. “A soul-tie? That’s powerful stuff. Who is this witch?”

“Elisana, she—”

“Elisana?” Rowena stumbled backward shaking her head as she eyed the door and the window, seemingly looking for an escape. She began to pack her things, strapping her dagger back on her belt and moving for the door.

“Wait a second, you have to help us.” I stepped in front of her.

She shook her head, looking frightened. “There are few blood witches I would refuse to go up against, but Elisana is one of them. You may imprison me, torture me, do as you please, but I will not help you.”

What in the world?

Zane looked confused. “Is she more powerful than you?”

Rowena’s lips flattened and her nostrils flared as if she wouldn’t dare admit such a thing. But finally, she relented and gave a short nod of her head. “Not just that … she has power over me, over all blood witches. Her mother is the coven leader,” she explained.

“And that means?” I asked her.

“It means when I was born my blood was taken and is currently being held in her house. One drop and she could end me. I cannot help you with this, and that is final.” Her tone was pleading, and I looked at Zane in defeat.

He sighed and called to his man who hadn’t left his post at the door. “Take her back to where you found her but keep an eye on her. We may need to revisit this.”

* * *

The rest of the day passed in agony. We scoured Zane’s extensive library but found nothing about a soul-tie. Dinner was pretty silent that night as I tried to come to terms with the fact that I had nothing to help Adrien.

“We can start planning our attack on Elisana’s village. Ready the troops and even get them in place one town over,” Zane offered.

I swallowed hard. “But we can’t move until the soul-tie is broken, and right now we have nothing on that.”

Dawn reached over and slipped her hand into mine. “Stryker and Aribella have sent word: they are having some troubles in their kingdom with the curse, but they can be here in two days’ time. Maybe they will have some knowledge—”

“Two days?” I whimpered, suddenly losing my appetite. “Adrien doesn’t have two days.”

Dawn frowned and said nothing more.

After dinner I checked on my sister and was pleased to see she was up and laughing with her nurse.

“You’re feeling better?” I asked.

She smiled at me. “I am, thank you.”

The nurse was only a few years older than Seraphina and she was showing her a book. We’d grown up around sisters and we were never alone, so I was glad she’d made a friend.

Stepping out onto the balcony, I looked out over Zane’s beautiful land. Orange leaves fell from the trees in a soft swirling motion as they made their way to the ground. I sighed, looking up at the moon and praying Adrien was okay. As I glanced at the fountain in the middle of Zane’s garden, I froze.

A figure dressed in all black snuck through the moonlight, toward the castle. At first I thought it might be a thief or an attacker, but I noticed the telltale outfit he wore and recognized this as one of Adrien’s spies.

I rushed through my sister’s room, out the door and flew down the stairs. By the time I reached the back door, it was just in time to see the man slip inside.

He saw me and pulled his head covering off.

It was Eldon, the one we’d left back to make sure Adrien was safe.

“Please tell me he’s okay,” I begged. My heart couldn’t take it if he was about to tell me Elisana had killed him or forced him to marry her.

He broke into a handsome grin and then pulled a piece of worn paper from his pocket.

“He’s okay. He says he loves you, and he wanted me to give you this.” He handed me the paper and I scanned it.

Soul-ties—how to make them, how to break them was printed in neat scrolling handwriting at the top.

I stared down at the spell on how to tie a soul to another and my stomach roiled. She’d taken my sister’s hair, blood and fingernails for this.

I fast-forwarded to the breaking part and relief rushed through me.

“ If you find yourself wanting to break the soul-tie, place the vial containing the blood, hair and nails into the fire until they fully burn. ”

That’s all? I just had to find the vial of my sister’s stolen elements, and destroy it by fire.

My heart felt so light in that moment I could have sworn it grew wings. I burst forward and pulled Eldon into a hug, laughing as tears leaked from my eyes. “Thank you.”

He hugged me back but then pulled away and met my gaze with a more serious one of his own.

“He fights the pull of the love potion, but Elisana plans for them to marry soon. We have to leave tonight.”

My heart hammered in my chest at that. Leave tonight? We didn’t have an army or a blood witch to help us against Elisana or if it came to it, her whole coven as well.

But if Elisana was planning on marrying him … Anger flashed through my body like boiling water. No. I couldn’t let that happen.

I ran into the house and Eldon followed me as I roused Zane, Zander, and Dawn from their beds. Looking tired, they shuffled downstairs in their sleepwear.

I quickly brought them up to speed, and Zane flew into action. “We have two Ethereum lords: we don’t need an army,” he growled as Zander nodded, rolling out his neck.

“My lords, with all due respect, the entire village is teeming with blood witches,” Eldon said.

Dawn chuckled. “I can cut their heads off with a sunlight beam, and Isolde can freeze them to death. Let’s do this. Ready the horses. Call the train,” she ordered.

Zane and Zander shared a look.

“My love,” Zander started and Dawn stood so fast her chair fell over.

“No, you will not . Not this time. I’m not staying behind. If we don’t get Adrien back so that he can help make a portal to send Zane to Faerie, all hope of any safe world to leave to our children is lost.”

He sighed. “I know you are strong, but Elisana has dampener runes. What if she throws one at you? Then your power is useless.”

Dawn crossed her arms. “Then don’t let her get close enough to me to do that.”

Zander sat a little taller as if taking her words to heart.

“You both protect Isolde and me from any witchy stuff and we will cleanse this town and save Adrien, I promise.” That was the Dawn I knew. A fearless leader.

Zane and Zander shared another look, and then both nodded.

“You get weak when you use up too much power,” Zander reminded her. “The babies—”

“Babies?” Zane asked, surprised.

Dawn smiled. “At least three.”

Zane grinned, clapping Zander on the back. “Just like Mother.”

Zander nodded, but didn’t return the smile. “I don’t want to treat you like you’re fragile, Dawn, I know that you’re more than capable, the fiercest warrior I’ve ever met. But you’re carrying our family inside of you. I couldn’t bear it if anything happened to you or the babes.”

She reached out and stroked his cheek. “I won’t use enough magic to weaken me. Just enough to cut down half of the witches.”

I had to keep the smile from my face. It was such a Dawn thing to say. She was born and bred to be an assassin.

“Okay,” Zander sighed, still looking hesitant but resigned.

* * *

We rode fast and hard from the castle to the train that awaited us. Zane had held it in the station since the day we arrived, anticipating we’d need to get back to Adrien quickly at some point. Before leaving I’d told my sister I would be back soon. Once we were settled on the train I pulled out the ripped sheet of paper Eldon had brought and looked at it more closely, to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

Dawn saw me inspecting the spell and reaching over she squeezed my hand. “We’ve totally got this.”

Her confidence was admirable but I was a ball of nerves. What if I couldn’t find the vial? What if there were more blood witches in this town than I thought?

I glanced at Zander to see him watching his wife with worry, his hand going to her swollen belly in protection.

Was it right to bring Dawn? She was a total badass, but she was a mother now, carrying life. Shouldn’t she avoid all risks to them and her?

Was it selfish of me to allow her to come?

As the train rocked, I felt sleep pulling at my limbs. We wouldn’t be at our stop for several hours, and sleep would do me good.

All I could think about was Adrien.

Hang on, I’m coming .