The Secret Trinity: Reign (Fae-Witch Trilogy, Book 3) (23 page)

Morgan’s face softened.  “A lot
’s happened.”  Then she sighed, “Besides,
you only missed it because we were bound when you we being held captive by Liam.” 
At least
Morgan admitted
that I couldn’t have been there,
not t
hat they didn’t want me there.  That was something.

“I know it’s a lot to ask, but will you let us try the spell?”  Adam interjecte
d and Morgan and Grant had a
sort of silent exchange before turning to the group and no
dding.

“So I’ve been meaning
to ask you, is there anything cool you can do now?”  I faced Morgan in my seat as we waited for the
late night
defense meeting to start.  I wondered
if
being bound now with Grant, a
full-
blooded
Eartha
Duke, had she become powerful enoug
h to exhibit
Eartha
abilities?

“I haven’t had a chance to work with him much at the gym yet, but check this out.”  Morgan said, pointing her finger at the back of the wooden pew.  I felt a little flicker of golden glow from its tip and she slowly began to carve her name
into the wood.  I smiled wide.

“Wow, that’s amazing,” I said honestly.  I couldn’t believe it.  The word was spread about our idea of the me
mory-loss spell on the prisoner
s
’
sealments
, and we scheduled an emergency defense meeting to test the theory.  The Court seemed to be on board and many even offered to assist.  Unfortunately, as much as Clay continued to protest, because I was the one who would return to the lair with a group of volunteers, I
was
the one
who needed
to conduct the spell
,
and
I had to be sure to get it right
before I
returned to the enemy’s lair.

Fiona was furious when Kayla confessed that she was the catalyst to help Grant and Morgan become bound.  I had never seen the anger lines on her fa
ce, and they were scary as
she li
stened to Kayla’s explanation.

“T
hey thought the Queen was dead.  T
hey thought Liam wou
ld soon find
Draí
ochta
, and they begged me to help them.  They didn’t want the big hoopla.  They just didn’t want to live without each other.  How could I say no?”  I recalled Kayla’s words, thinking of her quivering lip
,
and that I would have done the same.  When I thought of Fiona’s response,
I learned
she was a tou
gher bird than I had realized.

“I know you wanted to help your friends and that you are ambitious, Kayla.  I can see how hard you study and
you
never miss a Council meeting.  My job as Council Leader is very
fulfilling, and I know you wish to be my successor, but it is not yours yet, do you understand?  Now get out my office before I say something I don’t mean, and
let me be clear,
I will be the catalyst to reinstate their
Binding if our test succeeds.  Thank you, dismissed!”

I sighed, shaking the memory away, my nervousness taking hold.  I really didn’t want to break their Binding.  A Binding Ceremony is the deepest level of connection to your Soul Keeper and messing with someth
ing so personal and special
felt like a total violation
,
on many levels.  Clay squeezed my hand reassuringly, and I
looked up at him thoughtfully.

“If it works, the moment the Binding breaks after the memory loss takes hold, I’ll quickly remo
ve the spell
and Fiona will step in to conduct the Ceremony again,” I said to Morgan, re
assuring me more than her.  She nodded, trusting me.

Clay’s hand left mine and
stood up just as the doors pushed open.  He ran down the aisle to meet his Moth
er and took
over pushing the wheelchair where his Father sat in a crumpled ball of bones.  I closed my eyes, staving off the tears.  Why would they do this?  I pushed away my guilt and opened my eyes.  I stood up to greet them and smiled my best fake smile, pretending the sight of our King in this state wasn’t destroying me.

“I am so thrilled you could make it,” I said to Bryan
, and he smiled weakly.

“I couldn’t miss this.
”
Bryan replied serio
usly in a low whispered voice.

I turned and looked at Grant and Morgan.  “Are you ready?”  I asked, feeling an overwhelming wave of sickness inside.  They both nodded.  Holding h
ands they walked up the steps to
the podium.  I followed sullenly, but Clay grabbed my hand and spun me ar
ound, pressing me against him.

“You and I could always volunteer,” he said s
oftly in my ear, and I smiled.

“Someday my love, but I want the big grand ceremony,” I said
,
tilting my head up to kiss him just below his ear.

“Deal,” Clay brushed his nose with mine before letting go of my hand, an
d I pressed my lips tight as
the nausea returned.  We would never have that chance.  I turned before he could read my energy and scrambled up
the steps reaching the podium.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice.  As most of you know
,
we have devised a new plan, thanks to my Brother.”  I smiled at Adam and he waved in his seat to the Court,
still adorned in
his golden cuffs.  I had insisted he be here today.  It was his idea after al
l, and when
it worked I would demand we remove his house arrest.

“After Morgan loses her memory of
their
sealment
, we will see if their energy changes enough to break their Binding.  If this works we will devise a plan for our invasion of the
Famorii
cave and request volunteers from the Court.  Many citizens have also requested to be a part of the mission, and without knowing the exact numbers o
f Liam’s followers at this time,
I say the more the merrier.”  I felt proud of how many of our Kingdom wanted to volunteer to end the turmoil and regain the
freedom to come and go from
Draíochta
without fear.

I placed my hand on the crown of Morgan’s light brown hair and opened my mouth to speak.  Before a single word left my lips, I felt a crippling pain shoot through me.  All of a sudden, I c
urled over grabbing my stomach, sick with pain
, while hot s
apphire burned behind my eyes.

“Ari, what’s wrong?”  Morgan asked with terror in her
voice, but I couldn’t hear her.
I couldn’t hea
r anything but the alarming flutter
s punching my stomach as I felt his evil presence sw
allow the hopeful energy in the
building.  I looked at the double doors in the lobby
,
quickly teleporting to the center aisle
,
and a split second later Clay was standing in front of me protectively.  I looked back at Grant to tell
him, but he was one step ahead
already removing Adam’s golden cuffs.  The e
yes of frightened
Fae
darted around
the room trying to decipher the unw
elcome energy spilling in.

B
efore we could react
,
the doors burst open and Liam stood twenty feet away with half a dozen
Famorii
covering his sides.  Screams erupted in the aisles and glass shattered everywhere when dozens of
Famorii
came busting through the stained glass w
indows, grabbing the closest
Fae
and holding a knife to their throats as Liam casually approached us.  An arch of cool blue water surrounded Liam’s form, and I could feel the power of the protective Black Magic cloak running down him
making him seem untouchable.

He radiated a cold,
icy blackness, twisted up in a
darkened navy aura.  Even for a
Famorii
, it felt wrong, and I tried to hold in my shudder.  The entire Court stood frozen,
completely blindsided by this ambush, too afraid to move and have t
heir loved ones’ necks carved.

“No need to disrupt my dwelling with your little plan.  I have come for you, my love, as promised,” Liam said with a sadistic smile.  I could feel Clay clench his jaw in restraint, as I had just called him
my
love and he loathed
hearing it on Liam’s lips.

“Good boy, I wouldn’t want to slit your Mother’s throat t
o teach you a lesson,” Liam hissed at Clay.  I looked back toward
Aileen standing a few feet away behind the King’s wheelchair.  He was using all of hi
s strength to sit up straight.

“This is the littl
e lap dog you are se
aled with?
  H
onestly
Aria, you disappoint,”
Liam said, testing Clay’s restraint again w
hich I sensed was wearing thin.

“When one of my men alerted me to an unusually large power outage on Ireland’s grid, imagine my delight when I discovered it took place in a supposedly empty forest,” Liam
sneered,
stroking his ego at how clever he was.  I clenched my hands tight knowi
ng I had caused that blackout.  T
his was
all my
fault
,
and yet,
I could feel Clay’s frustration for thinking nothing of it, alrea
dy blaming himself instead of placing
t
he blame
where it
belonged.

“You
,
traitor, I have special plans for you,” Liam growled, pointing an accusing fing
er over my shoulder at Adam, and
a pain
ful lump grew in my throat.

I moved to step around Clay.  If I left willingly, maybe I could spare the bloodshed, or at least stall it.  It was difficult to see Liam past Clay’s frame, but Clay didn
’t allow my maneuver around him
and again stepped
in front of me protectively.

“I can see he is going to be a problem.  Let’s take care of that now
,
shall we?  Don’t worry Aria, when I break your
sealment
,
you will be safe with me,” Liam snarled
, glaring at Clay with jealousy and hate spewing from him.  He snapped his fingers, and the half dozen men leapt onto Clay pushing him to
his knees.  It took three
Famori
i
on each arm just to hol
d him steady.

“Liam, don’t!  I’ll go with you.  I’ll do whatever you want, just leave him alone!”  I screamed, looking down at Clay his head bent down, glossy black hair falling over his eye
s as he continued to struggle.

“Of course you will
,
my love, but as you know I am a jealous man when it comes to my future Queen.  I can’t have you glowing like that for another.  He is a necessary sacrifice.”  Liam said simply, his powerful sapphire energy growing stronger, seeping from his pores.  Then a stream of water left his arch and began to crackle as it froze into a deadly knife.  My heart was beating loudly, resonating through my body, and I began to glow brig
hter in preparation to attack.

“Ah, ah, ah, one move from you and Adam will be next.”  Liam said, waving a finger at me.  I couldn’t control the glow.  I was completely panicked.  I darted my eyes around with no solution in sight.  I heard a blood curdling scream resonate through the vaulted ceiling when the knife plunged forward, and I realized it was coming from me.  Just before the icicle touched Clay’s skin, my instinct took over and I leapt forward holding out my hand to melt the frozen spear, but I was knocked over from behind in mid-air, sending me toppling to the ground.  I missed, singeing the carpet instead. 

“Father!”
  Clay yelled, and I could hear him struggling against the men holding him.  I heard his
head crack into someone’s nose and
felt feet tripping over my torso as I lay on the ground with the wind knocked out of me.  I coughed hard, trying to force air into my lungs.  I lifted my head to find King Bryan being held in Clay’s arms with a frozen spear protruding from his chest.  Clay began to fran
tically recite a healing spell.

“Father no!”  Clay yelled, rocking him back and forth in his arms, trying to keep him from drifting into dea
th when his spell didn’t work.

“It’s alright my son, it’s alright.  I promised Maggie I would hold on long enough
,
and I did.  I have fulfilled my destiny.”  The King said proudly, patting his son’s face lovingly before his arm dropped to hi
s side and his body went limp.