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“Eliana and Dario, you must fly to Aurelius and find King Randall—tell him that we’ve found a habitable world where Faeries can live in peace—where the curse can be broken. Tell him what you must of the Six, but the less he knows, the better.”

I turned to my mother. “You need to find a portal that can be accessed from Aurelius. We need the faeries out as quickly as possible. The more time they have to think about this plan, the less chance it has of working.” I met my mother’s warm chocolate eyes.

They were heavy with guilt. She hadn’t even acted yet, and was already tormented.

“Sometimes, you’re too clever for your own good, Ophelia. If this will save lives, then we must do it, and face the consequences. When a new Pooka is born, we’ll unite the Six and break the curse—only then will I reopen the gateway between worlds. And pray to the gods for forgiveness,” she sighed.

“All who agree to this plan, raise your hand,” I said.

All five of us raised our hands.

The memory faded to black and then I was back in Ophelia’s parlor. “ Raf is a pooka. H-he’s the Chosen Heir? All along he was the one I was fated to find?”

I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. I needed to find him.

“Yes. He’s the one we’ve been waiting for.” My mother smiled. “Does he know?” I asked, covering my mouth in horror. I chugged my water, but my throat still felt like sandpaper.

Gods, if he knew… and I’d chosen his br other…

“I’m not sure… Randall knew that his brother was part of the Chosen Six. It’s possible he told Rafael.”

He would’ve told me. He wouldn’t have kept such important information from me.

“How did Astra die?" I asked. "She was Queen?"

I’d never met my grandmother. She’d been the last unicorn…

before me . I’d never even heard her name spoken.

Or perhaps I had… and Ophelia had erased the memory.

I felt a stab of betrayal. It was my family that had exiled the faeries.

And we were from a royal blood line… I’d always been told that Ophelia had married into royalty.

They’d lied about everything . Was I cursed to spend my life surrounded by liars?

“A group of faeries that stayed behind in Erador found out what we did, and who was responsible. I wiped as many minds as possible—I tried to make sure that the Chosen Six remained a secret, that the world walker stayed anonymous. But I failed; she was hunted from the moment she closed that portal. Eventually, she was cornered and butchered—her horn stolen. We’ve been waiting for someone to reveal themselves for almost two-hundred years, but there hasn’t even been a whisper of her horn.

No sign of its power.” Ophelia’s face was drawn into a soft sadness.

“Her body was found… her heart and horn gone, so we know it exists somewhere. There’s a rebel group called the Ruhn Rebellion .

We think they’re the ones responsible. Their loyalty lies with King Randall and his descendants.

” My mother’s face was distraught. I’d forgotten how she wore her heart on her sleeve, for the world to see.

“I’ve never been able to have children, so when Eliana became pregnant, we all prayed you’d be a Chosen—either a pooka or unicorn.

And then you were born and became the biggest blessing of our lives.

Keeping you alive has been our entire purpose.

You’re the heir that was promised. And the gods led you to a Pooka.

We can finally break the curse once the others come out of hiding.

Please forgive us,” Ophelia whispered. All three of us were teary-eyed, squished together on the love seat.

They had worked towards this moment for two-hundred years.

“I forgive you.” The words came out flat, because it wasn't completely true. “So… how long have you been on the throne? How many husbands have you gone through?”

She laughed. “You’re putting together the pieces quickly.

Mind manipulation has come in handy over the years.

I’ve been Queen since our mother died almost two-hundred years ago.

We moved the human Kingdom of Corinthia to Aurelius when faeries left to Nymera.

It took time for people to move into the city, which allowed me to mold minds as they arrived.

The magic capital of the world was flushed of all magic quite quickly, with the aid of wards, spells, and my gift.

“We gave humans a refuge here. Faeries had built the most advanced city in the world, and we capitalized on it once they left. We became a cultural and economical epicenter, which gave us the power we needed to keep our family safe—to keep humans that supported our reign safe. I control much of the power in the world, while hiding in plain sight. I let the humans guide our rule, even when their views differ from mine. The Chosen’s job is to protect humanity, not control it, which is why I let the council have so much say. ”

“But I still don’t understand how you’ve gotten away with being the Queen of Aurelius for two centuries.”

“Women aren’t taken seriously in Aurelius.

It’s been easier than you might think. People don’t care who sits on the throne in times of peace.

As long as they have enough food on the table, they’re content.

Over the centuries, I’ve manipulated Princes from different realms into thinking that they’re the rightful heir and I’m simply a consort…

over and over. My inability to bear children made things less complicated.

Fake portraits of false Queens hang in the gallery.

This is the longest I’ve gone without a King.

I won’t choose another now that I have an heir.

It will be your turn to rule soon, Marigold. ”

As Ophelia and my mother beamed down at me with hundreds of years of knowledge between them, I decided this was all the information I could handle today. I didn’t want to think about being Queen just now.

“Thank you for everything you’ve both sacrificed,” I said, meaning it.

My heart was full of hope, and yet I felt a deep sadness for all that had happened and all that was to come.

I needed to see Raf. I had so much to tell him.

“I know there’s more, but I need to rest.” The sun would be rising in a few short hours.

I hugged them goodbye, after insisting that I could make it back to my room on my own, even though that's not where I planned on going.

Before I could leave, my mother stopped me. "One more thing, sweetie," she said. Ophelia made a quick exit, seeming to understand that my mother wanted a moment alone .

My heart sped up as I turned to her. It was difficult to look directly into her eyes.

She'd been nothing but a ghost for years—a figment of my imagination that I'd been desperate to have a few more minutes with.

Now that she was here in the flesh, I'd lost the words that had hovered at the tip of my tongue for so long.

Trepidation flashed across my mother's face and I knew—I just knew—who she was about to bring up. "Is this about Father?" I asked, meeting her gaze. Her face crumbled and I patiently waited while she struggled to compose herself. She tucked her hair behind her ears and took a deep breath.

With a weak smile she asked, "How did you know?"

"I've been having dreams... and my childhood memories have been resurfacing.

" Memories that Ophelia had erased. "As things began to spiral in my relationship with Galen, you kept coming to me in a recurring dream.

We were at our cottage, in the woods. You were running from something… someone. Eventually he appeared."

Mama nodded. "Ophelia thought it would be best if you didn't remember your father. For your safety and your… peace of mind. He was a nightmare. We had an arranged marriage that started out happy—passionate, even—but he became abusive.

“Your father was, is , very powerful. His entire family is.

Leaving him wasn't an option, at least while I was alive .

He's not the reason I faked my death, but the silver-lining from this entire ordeal, was getting rid of him.

I believe he's still around, but since he thinks I'm dead—since Ophelia erased his memories of you and I—he won't come looking for either of us. "

I'd already deduced most of what she told me from the fragments I’d recovered. "What happened the night he found us in the loft?"

She put a hand on my shoulder and took a deep breath. "Im not surprised that you were haunted by that night. I am too. What do you remember?”

“He was hurting you. In my dream, he… he turned into Galen. I stabbed him and we ran.”

She gave a sad smile. “Unfortunately that’s not quite what happened.

You didn’t stab anyone—you were only five.

And… he knew I was a phoenix. He knew he could—" She swallowed hard.

“That he could beat me… kill me . And I'd always come back.

He was angry because I'd gone to the Oracle without telling him and left you with Ophelia. He couldn't be trusted to know what you are, so I hid the truth from him. When we returned home, he'd been stewing in his own drunken rage for quite some time, convinced I was leaving him and taking you with me, even though I promised we’d return. I planned to hide you in the loft while I faced him in the cottage, but he found us and took out his fury in front of you. You were never quite the same after that. You were wary of him, of men in general. I'm so sorry, Goldie. I wish I could’ve shielded you from that experience. It’s one of my deepest regrets—I should’ve found a way to leave him sooner. "

"Why didn't you fight back?" I asked quietly, staring down at my fingers that were now coated in frost.

"Because I didn't want him to take out his anger on his young, defenseless daughter. It was my most important job—keeping you safe. It still is. And because… some small part of me thought he was right—that I deserved it."

I choked back a sob. I felt simultaneously lighter and heavier. A sense of understanding and acceptance washed over me, while a heavy stone sat in my stomach, knowing what my mother and I had both gone through.

I wasn’t sure Ophelia had done me a favor, erasing him.

She may have blocked out the memories, but the feelings had stayed.

No wonder I'd spent so much of my life not believing in romantic love.

If I'd remembered him and what he was, would I have been able to see Galen's true character sooner? Would I have made the same decisions?

"Please, don't be sorry. You sacrificed everything for me. I'm so glad you're free of him. And that we’re together again. I love you, Mama." I hugged her tightly, sinking into her embrace.

"I love you more than you'll ever know. A mother's love is endless. You are the best part of me. And I'm so glad that you left Galen in Nymera—that you didn't marry him and tie yourself to an abuser. You've always been wiser than me," she said, wiping tears from my lashes with a handkerchief.

"I had a support system. I had Rafael. You were alone in the forest, raising a child with your husband. You did your best. And now you're free, Mama. We're both free."

"You're my hero, Goldie." Mama smiled with tears in her eyes.

"And you're mine."