A Dark Faerie Tale Series Omnibus Edition (53 page)

“Very well, princess. If you must know, I need you by my side to help me find the Summer Ancient. She was my queen, my love for hundreds of years, before you or your ancestors roamed the Land of Faerie. Before most of the world was even created. Her name is Kilara, and she’s as old as the earth, as am I. We’re two of the four Ancients, and you will help me find her again.”

“Why can’t you find her by yourself?” Shade threw in before he could work any magic on her.

Corb turned, letting out a grunt as he returned to his throne chair. His long white hair rippled with his movements, exposing his ears. He had pointed ears, unlike a lot of the faeries she’d met. Only some races remained which still had traditional faery ears. He represented the oldest living faery in all the land. To see him angry was not a good thing at all.

Exasperated, he huffed out his answer. “She disappeared. She was supposed to rule with me when she woke me from my two-hundred-year slumber. But she wasn’t there. She hid herself from me. I—I….” He paused, his voice sounding somewhat unsure. “I’m sure she had her reasons.” Leaving it at that, he stood and moved so fast he once again stood next to Shade before she realized he had risen.

“Now, enough with this endless banter. I grant you your powers back as Faerie and my blood unbind you from restraint of all your powers.” He breathed out the words quickly, sending a jolt through her as he pulled out his sharp elven dagger and stabbed her hand and then his own, clasping the wounds firmly so his own crimson blood mingled with hers.

She pulled to no avail, feeling his icy magic swirl into her veins, filling her with a rigid pain. Thankfully it was over in a moment. Her hand slowly began mending before he even let go as her healing ability returned. She felt the magic pouring out, breaking through the binds he’d laid on her. She felt exhilarated, whole and suddenly happy, but realized it was all temporary when she caught sight Dylan’s face behind the ice prison. She turned to throw fire on Corb, but he held his hand out, freezing her fires before they even left her fingertips.

“I bind you, as Faerie has bound you to your spoken agreement, Shade:

‘Forget your past life,

Forget of things you seek,

Remember not a memory,

Nothing adrift to keep.’
”

His words hit her like a blast, and her head felt like a thousand needles had been plunged into her brain. Falling to her knees, she heard herself scream. It echoed across the hall, a deafening death screech which rumbled the shifting ice all around them, making it roar as it cracked and popped from the vibration of her voice. She slumped to the frozen ground, still grasping her head. The white illumination of the ice palace grew more and more intense until it swallowed up her vision and everything else with it.

Chapter Eleven

BLOSSOMS LEFTOVER FROM
a summoned
spring filled the meadow in all directions. The withering heat of summer had yet to arrive to scorch the delicate petals, which felt like soft peach skins on her fingertips. As Shade continued to walk, unaware of where she now was, a woman appeared with long, light golden-brown hair braided into an intricate design and pinned to her head and tumbling down her back. She stood in the center of the meadow, watching the sway of grass as the breeze pushed it along with its fingers.

“Hello?” Shade called out. She continued toward the woman and hoped she would have some answers for her. Where was she? Where had Dylan gone? How did she end up in such a place?

The woman turned. Her golden skin glowed with a smooth tan and rich amber-brown eyes watched her move closer. She was slender and wore a cloak clasped at her neck over a bright yellow dress tied right beneath her breasts. It flowed down to her feet, making her look like she was floating. The woman smiled at her and held her arms out as if waiting for an embrace.

“Shade, I’ve waited so long to meet you.” She gave her a hug, squeezing tightly and sighing as she pulled away to look at her. Her eyes glistened with tears, elated to see her. Shade studied her face, throwing her an unsure smile and trying her best to pinpoint where she’d seen her face before. So familiar, yet why did it still feel like it was a stranger standing before her.

“Have we met?” Shade asked.

The woman laughed, pulling her in for another embrace. “No, we’ve never met, but I’ve watched you your entire life.” She stepped back again, taking in Shade’s confused look. “You’re my legacy, Shade. You are blood of my blood. The last and only one in existence. Inside, you carry my powers. In you, I live on, even in deep slumber.”

Shade’s mouth opened, surprised at the woman’s words. Could she be the one from Dylan’s story? The Ancient Summer Queen? It had all felt like a fairytale, but could that mean that one of the ancient queens was standing before her? There was an Ancient Ice King so why wouldn’t there be a summer queen?

“What do you mean?”

“I’m Kilara. I rule the summer court, all the Seelie clans and am one of the ancient faeries of the land. You’re my descendant—my heir. You’re the only one I have now. I need you to find my resting place before Corb does. Do you understand?”

Shade felt around in her memory. A mention of Corb and a flash of Dylan floated across her mind, like a forgotten errand she was supposed to do. “Corb? Why does he want to know where you are? How’d I get here, by the way?”

“Because he seeks to enslave me for all of time as his queen. I loved him once, but he has, for the lack of a better word, changed.” Kilara sighed, her own memories flashing behind her eyes as she continued. “He cannot find me, Shade. He’s enchanted your memory away, but you’ll remember this. He cannot make you forget everything. There is always a way to remember, Shade. Don’t forget that.” She softly tapped on the memory vials dangling around Shade’s neck before she pushed a strand of hair out of her face and her brow furrowed.

“Where are you, so I can find you?” Shade stopped, remembering her destiny to stay with Corb. “Wait, if I know where you are, won’t he find out? He has me trapped.”

The summer queen shook her head and looked behind her. She waved someone forward, presenting Shade’s spirit guides, Duende, Elaby and Astrid. Shade gasped with joy and ran to them as they took turns giving her hugs, smiling brightly.

“They will help you remember. Corb is powerful, but he cannot acquire what you don’t want him to know or understand. Don’t forget what I’ve told you, Shade. Always remember, your memories are at your side already, you just have to find a way to remember them.” She reached out and once again tapped the memory vials hanging from her throat. Shade clasped at the necklace containing her grandmother’s essence and the other vial, which held her own memories and that Jade, her mother, had made for her before leaving her at the beach. She nodded, smiling up toward the queen and her spirit guides.

“But Corb will know. He’ll take my necklace.”

The queen shook her head, a kind smile played on her lips. “He can’t do that. Memory charms are sacred and can’t be removed by anyone in Faerie except the wearer. He’ll think you’ve forgotten what they’re for. Even an Ancient is powerless to remove such sacred magic.”

Shade was relieved at her words, hoping she wouldn’t forget what they were for when the time came. “I’ll remember. I won’t forget, I promise.”

“It will be hard. Corb is quite powerful, but we’ll be there for you.” Her spirit guides said in unity. Their identical faces comforted Shade and she had missed them incredibly. The joy she felt to know that they had remained with her, even in silence, was overwhelming. They couldn’t speak to her but in dreams, and even those were now quite rare as Shade’s magic had grown intense and had kept them at bay with self-imposed barriers.

The summer queen pulled her close and leaned in to whisper in her ear. She told her where to find her and exactly what to do to wake her. Shade etched it into her mind and hoped it would stick. She knew time was short before she woke, she could feel consciousness pulling on her more strongly with every second that passed. As the spirit guides and the queen waved goodbye to her, she waved back and prayed she wouldn’t ever forget.

Chapter Twelve

“SOMETHING’S WRONG.”

Soap paced the room as Brisa curled up on one of the settees. Prince Lotinar’s knuckles were white as bones as they gripped the arms of his chair. His face was stoic, but his eyes glowed in silent fury as the Teleen changeling warrior continued to pace the length of the room.

“We don’t know that.” Ursad gritted his teeth as he spoke.

“Then what do we know? All I know is that it’s been three days. Three days! Shade’s time is up, and she has yet to return! And….” He stepped up toward the prince and narrowed his eyes. “Your teleporting servant is missing. How do you explain that? He chose a strange day to teleport out of here. The third day that we’re still waiting and he vanishes, without a word? I don’t think you realize what is going on here, unless that’s a common habit of your servants.”

“Stop already!” Brisa groaned and threw a pillow across the room. She was missing her best friend and worried sick. “Something is going on, but we don’t know what it is yet or what we’re going to do about finding out.” She turned toward the prince, her frown growing deeper as she studied the royal. “What are you planning to do now? Have we assembled a search party? Or anything, for that matter? Maybe Ilarial can help. We need to help them, go there and….”

“No.” It was Ursad’s turn to stand up, folding his arms to pace the room. “We can’t go there. The Great Divide is extremely protected and isolated. If the Ice King doesn’t want us there, we can’t enter. Only his kin can enter without permission.”

“Wait,” Brisa interrupted as he paused to glance her way. “How do you know that? How would you know if only his kin can enter unless…. You’ve been there, haven’t you?” She glared at him as she waited for him to answer, staring accusatorily. “And who might be related to this ‘Ice King’?”

Soap stood perfectly still, observing Ursad’s sudden shift in attitude. He seemed flustered and caught off guard. If anything, Soap could see a liar in their midst.

“Yes, how would you know such things, Your Majesty?”

The silence filled the room as the two pairs of eyes focused on the prince. Sweat gleamed on his forehead as he flicked his eyes between them and backed away like a frightened animal. “I don’t know, maybe it’s something someone once told me.”

“I don’t believe you.” Brisa was on her feet and stepped toward the prince. Soap grabbed her back as the guards popped out of camouflage and aimed spears directly at them both. Brisa froze and let Soap tug at her arm, pulling her against his chest. They couldn’t approach the prince within five feet. The sharpened metal points were inches from their faces as they waited for Ursad to decide what he was going to do now.

“It’s alright. I’m pretty sure we’re all just very concerned about Shade.” He waved his troops to ease back into their positions. They immediately faded all around the room, but the feeling of solace was gone. Brisa slipped back down onto the settee, looking like she was going to burst into tears, and Soap took to the chair across from her. Tension filled the room, swallowing any kind of hope they might’ve had. They both faced the prince, unsure of what to do next.

Ursad also resumed his position on his chair. He rubbed at his forehead, his alabaster skin looking even paler, if that was possible. Finally, his glowing green eyes flashed open and looked sadly upon them.

“I’m sorry. I tried to keep her safe. I think that Corb has kept her prisoner, though I’m pretty sure he has restored her powers. The last thing he’d want is for her to die from a darkling mark. He needs her, desperately. He seeks to find the Summer Ancient and Shade, well, she’s her only living descendant.”

“What?” Brisa’s face screwed up with confusion. She glanced toward Soap, hoping he might know what was going on.

“You’re saying she’s related to the Summer Queen? The Ancient Seelie ruler has not been seen in hundreds of years. How would Shade know her location?” He was as perplexed as Brisa was and wanted answers, now.

“She wouldn’t, unless the queen tells her.”

Soap laughed, shaking his head but looking disgusted. “So you think she’s going to somehow tell Shade? And Corb will find out? Is that it? So what happens when he does discover the Ancient’s location? What of Shade, then?”

“I don’t know.”

“Liar.”

“Soap.” Brisa shushed him, afraid the guards posted along the wall would emerge again. “Look. Tell us everything you know, Ursad. She was your friend, too. She saved you from your cursed fate and you treat her like this? How could you hand her over to Corb like that? It was you, wasn’t it? You told Camulus to take her there.” A knot of dread twisted in her stomach, knowing her friend was so far away and in so much danger. It wasn’t like she could do anything about it—she was powerless, utterly human. At least she’d make damn sure these faeries had their heads on straight to help her as much as they could.

“I didn’t tell him to take her there because I wanted Corb to take her prisoner. I had to get her there, no matter what. I have to obey any orders from the king. He’s my father and also ruler of this realm, whether I like it or not.”

Nothing short of shock was written across their faces. Corb was Ursad’s father? Comprehension replaced the shock as they waited in silence, not knowing now if Ursad was a friend or foe.

“So when do we go?”

“I can’t go there, it’s—I vowed I’d never return.”

“We don’t care about your tragic childhood or your insecurities,” Soap said. “We want Shade back, and you’ll help us. You owe it to her. She could’ve left you stuck as a deformed mess—a cursed outcast. She could’ve, but she didn’t. You’re indebted to her.”

Ursad flinched at Soap’s words, baring his eyes into the intricately woven rugs on the floor. A thin line where his lips should’ve been told them his tension was eating him alive, maybe his guilt was, too. He knew Soap was right. Shade was owed so many things for her many sacrifices for the Land of Faerie, including saving him from exile. He gripped the arms of his chair until his nails dug into the hardened wood, making them throb in pain and his knuckles turn bone white. Could he face Corb once more? He hated him with every morsel of his being.

The Ancient Ice King had approached him but a few days ago, after years of no contact, telling him what he had to do. Defying him would have only made things worse, so he’d gone along with his orders and hoped that he’d let Shade go in the end. But after all was done, he hadn’t let her go, obviously. This made Ursad’s chest ache with guilt and seared through his heart. Shade would have nothing to do with him now, for certain. This was the absolute worst part of it.

“I understand,” he said. “I’ll take you there, but the dome that protects the castle only welcomes kin once a moon cycle. When the moon is once more full, the gate opens and it will let me in along with whoever is with me. That is almost two weeks away.

“What? Two weeks? No, we have to get there sooner. I’m not waiting two weeks. It’s your fault she’s in this mess! Fix it now, or I’ll fix your face.” Brisa was on her feet again, but Soap caught her before she could even step one foot nearer the prince. They didn’t want to end up dead before they could rescue Shade, but Brisa wasn’t a sit and wait type of girl.

“Brisa,” Soap hissed. He pulled her back to sit on the settee with him in hopes he could catch her the next time she lunged at the prince like a wild animal. “You heard him. Two weeks. We plan our strategy and go from there.” He loosened his grip on her arm, realizing she was squirming from the pressure. “And you won’t be coming along.”

“The hell I’m not. You can’t just dump me here in this traitor’s fortress! I’m going, and you better not stop me either because I’ll….” Her voice trailed off as Soap’s hand slipped over her mouth.

“I have to get you back home. You won’t be coming. Faerie is dangerous for humans. It’s no place for one without magic. Your fate would be my responsibility, and I’m not sure I can protect you by myself.” Soap slowly pulled his hand away from her mouth as she seethed in silence. “Shade wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. All right?”

Brisa glared at him, unable to understand why she couldn’t go. She knew Shade wouldn’t want her to. The dangers she’d told her about Faerie were not pretty, and having no powers was definitely not a plus here. Defeated, Brisa nodded, getting up to leave and get her things from her room. She paused at the door and threw Ursad an icy glare. “I won’t forget this. If Shade gets out alive—and you better hope she does—I will remind her of your lies and deceit. You’ll be very, very sorry.” With that, she stomped from the room and down the hall.

Soap was left to come up with a plan. Two weeks until the full moon. Two weeks of torment to wait and see what had become of Shade and Dylan. He might be in constant competition with Dylan, but he’d grown used to his presence. The absence of them both weighed heavy on Soap and he cracked his knuckles, thinking of them.

Ursad fidgeted in his chair. Watching Soap deep in thought made him nervous. He knew he wouldn’t be harmed; his guards were quick and would best him if they had to. It wasn’t Soap who had him so on edge. Going against Corb was what he feared the most. He’d never attempted to defy his father before, and he wasn’t looking forward to doing so. If he lived through this, he had to make sure Shade knew that he had never wanted this to happen. He’d never willingly put her in harm’s way, but the Ice King was persuasive.

Ursad knew he would pay for everything sooner or later. But for now, he had to at least try to atone for what he’d done, and he could best do that by helping Soap formulate a plan.