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T he fog flooded the room once again, forming image after image in rapid succession, as if representing the passing of many days. Teryn saw Emylia and Desmond reading in the library, followed by another scene of them sharing a smile from across a long table. Then they were elbowing each other playfully as they walked side by side down the cobblestone street near the inn. Finally, they exchanged a kiss over the desk in Desmond’s bedroom.

Teryn didn’t know why Emylia was showing him this. These seemed like private moments, not ones meant for great revelations. But as he glanced at the woman beside him, he saw the sad smile curling her lips, the hand she held over her heart. Perhaps she wasn’t replaying these intimate memories for Teryn but for herself. Whoever Desmond was—whether he was Morkai himself, or the sorcerer’s son—it was clear Emylia had fallen in love with him.

The memory shifted again. Emylia flung open Desmond’s bedroom door and found him at his desk inspecting a book. He jumped and slammed the tome shut. Emylia frowned as Desmond shoved the book beneath a stack of papers.

“What are you reading?” she asked.

“Nothing but more boring texts,” Desmond said with a wry grin. He ran his hand through his black tresses, revealing a hint of a slightly angled ear. Teryn’s breath caught. Had Morkai had ears like that? Teryn couldn’t recall. It hadn’t been something he’d ever paid attention to. “You, on the other hand, are a far more interesting sight.”

Emylia beamed and rushed to Desmond’s side, taking his face in her hands. He wrapped his arms around her waist as they met in a passionate kiss. When their lips finally parted, Emylia kept her forehead pressed to his. “I found it,” she whispered.

Desmond pulled back. “Found what?”

“I saw it, Des. It’s called El’Ara.”

His silver-blue eyes went wide. “The name of the fae realm? My father’s true home?”

Emylia bounced on the balls of her feet, hardly able to contain her excitement. “Yes.”

He bolted upright to stand. “So you can find it now? Find out how to get there?”

“That’s why I’m here, aren’t I?”

Desmond winked. “I assumed it was because you loved me.”

She perched on her toes and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I do, but business first.”

Desmond moved from behind the desk and let Emylia take her place in his chair. Like before, she removed her crystal from around her neck and brought it between her palms. This time, instead of perching at the edge of the bed, Desmond kneeled beside the desk.

Emylia settled into her meditative state. After a few deep breaths, she spoke. “Show me how to enter El’Ara.”

Her eyelids fluttered, eyes darting side to side beneath them. For several long moments, she said nothing. Then, “I’m seeing something.”

Desmond leaned closer to the desk. “What do you see?”

“A…wall. It’s a wall of thread, and it’s surrounding me, blocking everywhere I try to look.”

“Cut the threads.”

“They can’t be cut, but…I think there’s a window. A weakness.”

Desmond’s fingers curled at his sides.

“I’m getting something,” Emylia whispered. “The way in. I see…truth. Someone is speaking from behind this wall of threads.”

“What are they saying?”

She shook her head. “I’m a seer, not an oracle. It’s harder for me to turn images to words, but…no, I see it.”

Another stretch of silence.

“So long as the Veil remains,” Emylia said, each word slow and careful, “the Blood of Darius cannot enter El’Ara.”

Teryn frowned. Who—or what—was the Blood of Darius?

Desmond, however, wasn’t concerned by the name Darius but something else. “The Veil? What is the Veil?”

“A ward woven to keep the Blood of Darius at bay.”

“Can the Veil be destroyed?”

“When true Morkara is born, the Veil will be torn, setting into motion the end of the Blood of Darius.”

Desmond’s voice deepened. “Who is this true Morkara ? How will they end the Blood of Darius?”

Emylia winced, her eyes darting rapidly now. “The true Morkara is the Blood of Ailan, born under the black mountain. He will unite three crowns and return El’Ara’s heart.”

“But who is this person? Where can I find the true Morkara?”

Emylia paused, head bobbing slightly side to side. “You will never know him.”

Desmond’s jaw tightened.

“But…but you may find his mother.”

“Who is his mother?”

She winced again, and a sheen of sweat coated her brow. “She too is the Blood of Ailan, but with the beauty of Satsara. She has the blood of the witch, blood of the Elvyn, and blood of the crown. The unicorn will signify her awakening.”

“What about this black mountain you mentioned?”

“A black mountain…over a field of violets.”

“I’ve never seen such a place.” Shaking his head, he stood and paced before the desk, hands clasped behind his back. “But if I can find it, then…then how do I put an end to the true Morkara?”

“If you end the true Morkara, the Veil will never be torn. The Blood of Darius will forever be barred from El’Ara.”

“But if I don’t end the true Morkara, he will end the Blood of Darius?”

“Yes,” Emylia said.

Teryn’s mind reeled to comprehend what he was hearing. Morkara sounded so much like Morkai, but he didn’t know what it meant. Was it a name? A title? And while Desmond seemed to know who the Blood of Darius was, Teryn hadn’t a clue. Then there were the other names: Satsara, Ailan.

“There has to be a way,” Desmond said. “Tell me a way! Where do I find the black mountain over a field of violets? What is the true Morkara’s name? His mother’s name? Who are Satsara and Ailan?”

Emylia began to tremble, and her voice came out weak and strained. “Desmond, that’s too much. I can’t…I can’t see any more than that. I need to come out of the channel?—”

“No!” His shout made her jump in her seat. He softened his tone. “No, Emy, you’re doing great. We can keep going. I’ll find a better question.” He hung his head and planted his hands at the end of the desk. “It isn't El’Ara my father needs. Not for what he needs to do. It’s the power of the Morkaius.”

Morkaius . Another word that sounded so much like Morkai.

He returned to Emylia’s side and kneeled on the floor again. “Can one claim the power of the Morkaius without entering El’Ara? Can one become Morkaius of this world?”

Emylia shifted in her seat, shaking her head. “I don't like this. I’m seeing too much darkness.”

“You can do this, Emy. I believe in you. I need you to do this.”

She shuddered but settled back into her trance. After a deep exhale, her voice regained its steady tone. “To gain the power of the Morkaius, one must first become King of Magic, a crown given, not taken, and reign over El’Ara’s abandoned heart.”

“What is El’Ara’s abandoned heart? Where do I find it?”

“A land left in the wake of the Veil. A heart that once was one, now split by three crowns. One crown rests upon the birthplace of the mother you seek. To become Morkaius of El’Ara’s heart, harness the magic that seeps from its center.”

Desmond’s face broke into a grin. He grabbed paper, ink, and quill from the desk and began to write. “A crown given, not taken. Reign over El’Ara’s heart. Harness the magic?—”

“He who harnesses the magic will be destroyed by it.”

His pen stilled over his paper. “What?”

“El’Ara’s magic is too strong to be contained by any man, neither mortal nor fae. It will eat through living flesh and burn living blood. No Morkaius shall survive the harnessing.”

His eyes shot to Emylia, and he pursed his lips so tight, they lost color. Then, with a shout, he shot to his feet and swept his arms across the desk, sending books, ink, and paper flying. Emylia opened her eyes and let out a cry, backing away from him, chest heaving.

Silence enveloped the room while the two remained motionless, surrounded by the last of the fluttering papers.

“What's wrong with you?” Emylia finally shouted. “You could have hurt me, forcing me out of a channel like that!”

As his eyes met hers, his face twisted with anguish. He ran to her and gathered her in his arms. “Forgive me, Emylia. Forgive me.”

She remained stiff in his arms for several long moments until she softened against him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “I’ll try again, Des. We’ll find the answers you need.”

“I fear what you told me was answer enough,” he said, voice muffled as he spoke into her hair. “My father’s mission is impossible. And yet, we must find a way. Father must become Morkaius.”

She pulled back and glanced up at him. “Why? What does that word even mean?”

“It means High King of Magic, and it’s Father’s birthright. Becoming Morkaius will give him access to magic beyond what we know.”

Emylia frowned. “What kind of magic?”

His expression hardened. “The kind that can bring my mother back.”

“Your…mother.”

He nodded. “She died, like yours, but not during childbirth. She died of illness.”

Emylia’s face sank with pity. She brought a gentle hand to his cheek. “Des, no one can bring someone back from the dead.”

“The Morkaius can.”

“But how can your father become this…this Morkaius? You heard the words. He who harnesses the magic will be destroyed by it.”

Desmond shook his head. “Father will find a way. Either that or he will find this mother the prophecy spoke of and end her.”

Teryn shuddered at the ice in his tone.

“You can’t be talking about…killing someone, Des. That’s not what you mean, right? Your father isn’t an evil man, is he?”

He smiled down at her but made no attempt to answer her question. “Thank you, Emy. You’ve helped me so much. I’ll return home to Father next week and tell him what you’ve told me. It has to be enough for him. It will be. Whether in this world or in El’Ara, my father will become Morkaius.”

Emylia’s throat bobbed as something like fear settled in her dark eyes.

The image froze, and Teryn faced the real Emylia. His heart hammered, mind reeling to comprehend everything he’d witnessed. If this was supposed to have been about Cora…

About the reason Morkai cursed her to die childless…

His voice came out with a tremor. “Are you trying to tell me that Cora was supposed to be the mother in this…this prophecy? Are you certain it’s truly her?”

Emylia looked even more hollow than she had before, eyes distant. “ Blood of the witch, blood of the Elvyn, blood of the crown . That means the prophesied mother is part witch, part Elvyn, and royal.”

“Cora never said anything about being of Elvyn descent.”

She shrugged. “She likely doesn’t know. But this clue will convince you. The unicorn will signify her awakening .”

Teryn’s heart sank. “Valorre.”

She nodded. “Her relationship with Valorre is the final piece that makes me certain she’s the mother. Yet Morkai acted long before he saw the first sign of a unicorn, long before he even knew who Princess Aveline was. Instead, he followed my prophecy to find the Heart of El’Ara, as it and the mother were connected by the black mountain over the field of violets. It took him years to find the place he sought, but it shouldn’t take you nearly as long to figure out.”

He closed his eyes, but the closest image he could conjure was the cliff Cora had taken him to. Beneath it, the wildflower meadow stretched out before the Cambron Mountains. If only the flowers were fully purple, then?—

“Seven devils,” he said, opening his eyes. “It’s not a place. It’s a sigil.”

The vision came to him now—the silhouette of a mountain over a purple background. The symbol of Khero.

“Yes,” Emylia said. “Because of the words I spoke, Morkai sought to end Cora’s life.”

A spike of rage shot through him, but he was too fatigued to hold on to it. “Morkai didn’t kill her, though. Why? Why did he curse her instead?”

Emylia rubbed her brow. “Mother Goddess, there’s…so much more to tell you, but—” She froze, eyes widening.

“But what?”

She nibbled her lip before answering. “He’s awake.”

Dread filled every inch of Teryn’s ethera. He needed to know the rest of Emylia’s tale. Needed to understand the full truth of Desmond, Morkai, and the prophecy.

But just as badly, he wanted to see how Morkai would react now that Cora had escaped his clutches. What would the sorcerer do now that the marriage alliance—his one link to royal power—was compromised? If Teryn’s body was beginning to shut down, then Morkai was running out of time.

They both were.

“We follow him,” Teryn said, tone resolute, “but as soon as he’s asleep once more, you’re showing me the rest of your memories.”

She gave him a sad smile that almost looked relieved. “And finally my sins will be laid bare.”