A cold ripple of magic cascaded over me like a bucket of icy water. I nearly ran right into Cleo, my body jerking from the shock of so much power. The princesses were chatting animatedly again, and I almost barked at them to be quiet so I could get my bearings.
But then my eyes adjusted to my new surroundings, and my jaw fell open.
We were not in the Allsburg castle. In fact, we weren’t in Allsburg at all.
We were in a small antechamber on the third floor of the Roderick castle in the Court of Midnight. Identical plush benches sat opposite each other, and a stained glass window reflected the early rays of dawn.
“We’re in… Tenebor?” I asked uncertainly. I shared a bewildered glance with Beatrice, who shrugged.
“I’ve never been here before,” she said, her voice soft.
Of course she hadn’t. This was the Court of Midnight. My court. It was likely Adira was the only one familiar with this castle, as she had traveled here before with her father.
Hurried footsteps echoed in the halls, and I stiffened, then limped forward, placing myself in front of the princesses. I wasn’t sure who it was, but I wagered they would be surprised to find me and twelve human princesses suddenly standing in the antechamber at the break of dawn.
Well… half fae princesses. My stomach wriggled at the notion that none of the sisters were completely human. Adira knew, but it was possible the others did not.
Their world was about to be turned upside down.
The footsteps multiplied, followed by the familiar clank of metal armor.
Soldiers.
“Shit.” I carefully eased Adira’s prone figure onto the bench before straightening and drawing my dagger. But when the first soldier rounded the corner, my heart lurched with recognition.
“Fenn?” I gaped at my friend, who was dressed in complete battle armor. His face was paler than normal, his wide green eyes drifting over each of us in turn. Behind him was a crowd of soldiers I recognized—the queen’s men.
“Marek! Thank the gods!” Fenn surged forward and clapped a hand on my shoulder, his face stark with relief. “I was expecting…” He trailed off, glancing at the princesses behind me. “Well, I’m not sure what I was expecting.”
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
He frowned at me. “I got your summons.” He lifted his hand, revealing a fading black rune mark identical to the one I’d sketched in my blood. “It brought me here.”
“To Roderick Castle?” My voice rose with incredulity as I scanned the small antechamber, searching for a sign of the portal we’d stepped through. But it looked completely ordinary. I’d spent many moments in this alcove, stretching my leg when the pain became too much for me to bear.
There was nothing magical at all in this space.
So, why had the portal brought us here?
“We weren’t sure where you would turn up,” Fenn went on, sheathing his sword. “Reginald and his men are in the courtyard. I thought it highly unlikely my own men would hold you captive, but the location of the rune was unmistakable.”
“So… when I sent the contact rune, it brought you here?”
“Yes,” Fenn repeated slowly as if I were hard of hearing. “Are you telling me you weren’t here when you sent it?”
“No, we were—” I broke off, uncertain where to start. I shared a grim glance with Beatrice, whose mouth thinned. She was old enough to remember her mother; she knew Rosalina was alive. The younger ones, like the triplets, had no idea. To them, the queen was simply a villainous woman who had abducted them.
“What happened to her?” Fenn knelt by Adira’s side, searching her for injuries.
“She used too much magic,” I said.
Fenn’s eyes bulged, his head whipping toward me. “She used magic? What the hell are you talking about, Marek?”
I scrubbed a hand down my face, suddenly exhausted. Now that the danger of battle had worn off, along with the shock of our arrival, my body was spent. I slowly sank onto the bench opposite Adira and rested my arms on my knees. “It’s a long story. Can you please send an escort with the princesses to return them to their father?”
Fenn muttered something to three of his men, who nodded. The man in front, a soldier named Hunt, bowed before the princesses and stretched out his hand, indicating they follow him.
Beatrice and Cleo shepherded their sisters down the hall, with Fenn’s soldiers flanking them. One man approached Adira, but I waved him away. I wasn’t letting her out of my sight, and she needed to rest.
I sighed as the loud footsteps faded, leaving Fenn and me in complete silence. Fenn sat next to me, uncharacteristically quiet. He must have noticed I wasn’t quite myself because he waited patiently for me to speak.
At long last, I told him everything, omitting only the more private moments I’d shared with Adira. I told him of Rosalina’s fae heritage, her magic, her deception, and the dream castle Adira had constructed. I explained how Adira and I used our magic to fend off the queen so we could get the princesses out.
When I finished, Fenn merely blinked at me. “And… Queen Rosalina? What became of her?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. The last I recall, she was struck by her own magic. She took out several walls of the castle. When Adira repaired them, she was nowhere to be found.”
Fenn rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “That’s… quite a tale. Stars, Marek, how could you have taken Adira there without reinforcements?”
“How was I supposed to know where we’d end up?” I snapped. “If I’d known…” I trailed off, staring helplessly at Adira, who hadn’t stirred once. “If I had known what awaited us in the dream castle, I never would have taken her. I would have either gone myself, or with you.”
Fenn snorted. “I’m flattered, but I don’t fancy a ballroom dance with you, Marek. You’re handsome, but not my type.”
I rolled my eyes, ignoring his joke. “I was such a fool, Fenn. Adira could have died.”
“But she didn’t,” Fenn said, his tone earnest. “And if I recall correctly, you wouldn’t have been able to get in or out without her.”
I shook my head. None of that mattered. It didn’t change the fact that my actions, my magic, put Adira’s life in danger. She had claimed me for her own, but how could I ever deserve her after what I’d put her through?
“I know that look,” Fenn said with a heavy sigh. “You’re being too hard on yourself, Marek. You can’t control every variable. You did the best you could in this situation, and all of the princesses are alive. Take the victory, my friend. Save the grief for when it’s warranted.”
I nodded absently. But logic couldn’t pierce the turmoil of my thoughts. All I could see was Adira’s pale, stricken face. I stared at her, her skin still clammy and wan, her eyes closed and her brow furrowed with distress even in her sleep.
“Whether you wed her or someone else,” Fenn said quietly, “there will be danger. You’re a soldier and a future captain. There are always risks.”
“Not for her,” I said. “That was how it was supposed to be. I pursued the dangerous path. Not her.”
Fenn snorted. “When do women ever follow the plans set in place for them? Your plan was to swoop into Allsburg and save the day, right? And yet it was Adira who saved everyone. She’s fierce and strong and capable, Marek. You can’t stop her or shield her from everything. If you want a meek little housewife who will stay home with the children while you go off and fight battles, then go find someone like that. But I get the feeling that’s not what you want.”
“No. It isn’t.” I exhaled deeply, my eyes still fixed on Adira. Though agony still swirled in my thoughts, it mingled with a soft affection, a burgeoning love for the woman before me. I couldn’t stop the rush of emotion for her even if I had wanted to.
There was no one else. And there would never be anyone else but her.
I thought of that night from many years ago, when Adira and I had snuck out of the castle to the gardens, staying up the whole night to catch a glimpse of the rare Night Blossom as it bloomed. We laughed and told stories and shared private secrets no one else knew. And when she fell asleep with her head on my shoulder, all thoughts of the Night Blossom forgotten, I tucked her closer into my chest and knew in that moment that I loved her. From then on, my heart belonged only to her.
“At least talk to her,” Fenn said. “She deserves to have a say in this, too.”
I nodded, then offered a crooked smile to my friend. “Sometimes, Fenn, you are quite wise.”
“What are you talking about? I’m wise all the time.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Not sure if that’s true.”
Fenn bumped my elbow with his, and I winced from the impact of his armor. We both laughed.