Chapter Twenty-Six

Salome

Amaid slipped into the room, a new gown draped over her arm. She glanced at the bed where Gareth was and gave me a sympathetic look. “I’m sorry about Lord Gareth, milady.”

“Thank you.

Darach scooted away from me. The security that’d surrounded me through the night slipped away. But I felt refreshed—like a battery put on a charger.

Gwenn and Nevin came into my room.

Nevin glanced at me. “Salome?”

“Um—I’m right here.” I waved.

The worry lines in his forehead disappeared, and he let out a relieved sigh. “How are you feeling?” He reached for me, pulling me into a hug.

“Better.”

“You look better—more rested.” He stared at me.

Over his shoulder, Darach glowered and crossed his arms.

“I have a meeting with the guards this morning, but I thought perhaps we could have lunch together.” Nevin released me. “You need to keep your energy up.”

“I-I don’t know. I’m not sure I want to leave Gareth.”

“I can sit with him for a bit. If there are any changes, I can send word to you,” Gwenn said.

My chest tightened. What if something happened to him while I was gone? Did I want to chance not being here? But as Gwenn met my eye, I realized that maybe she wanted some time alone with her brother. I nodded. “Okay.”

“I’ll send someone up to help you bathe and get changed.”

“Actually, I’d like to do it on my own.” Even though I’d been in Summer for a while now, I still didn’t like people helping me. Besides, I was capable enough to wash myself.

“Very well. I’ll see you later.” He sauntered out.

Gwenn hung back for a moment, watching me. “Are you really going to be all right?”

“I think so,” I lied, because right now, I wasn’t sure. For today, I had to wear a mask, one that said I was fine even though on the inside I felt like shattered glass with tiny, broken pieces strewn about that might not be able to be glued back together. Today, I’d have to determine what to do. Either I became the Summer Queen and possibly got enough power to save Gareth, or I let him die peacefully in his sleep, losing him forever.

Put like that, it didn’t seem like such a tough choice anymore.

Gwenn peered about the room, her gaze focusing on everything but her brother as if she was scared that he’d pass away if she looked at him. She seemed so uncomfortable. “If you need anything, let me know.”

“I will.” My lips brushed Gareth’s forehead before I left his room. I went back to my quarters to get ready for a quick bath. I stared at my hands. Maybe I wasn’t ready to get up yet. Maybe I’d never be. What I wouldn’t give to be back home with Grandma right now. She’d know how to help me. She and Grandpa always made things better.

“Grab a change of clothes,” Darach said.

“What?”

“I’m bringing you to the best place in Summer.” He bowed, shooting me a quick grin.

I glared, not in the mood for jokes. “You’re from the Autumn Court—how would you know the best places here?”

“Believe it or not, Nevin and I used to be good friends. So I visited for balls and other such gatherings. Back when…”

“Back when what?”

He floated across the way until he stood by the doors to the balcony. A dreamy look encompassed his features, he gave a wistful smile. “Back when, Nevin and I used to be in love with one another.”

“Whoa, wait a second, come again?” My brow raised.

“Nevin and I used to be together, before the fall of Spring and Autumn, before he ran away to the human world—before he betrayed me and my kingdom.”

“What happened? I mean, you’ve been pretty anti-Nevin since we’ve met.” I clutched a clean dress in my arms and moved to his side.

“Nevin and I were schooled by the same scholars and trained by the same Master of Arms. It was during this time that we fell in love with one another. We’d spend nights studying together or practicing sword in the training yard. We were always together.” He smiled sadly.

“So you fell in love with him while at school?” I stared at him; to say I was surprised, was an understatement.

“Yes. I knew right away, that there’d never be anyone else for me. We kept our relationship a secret for a long time—especially after we both were named heirs for our kingdoms. But eventually we got tired of sneaking around to see one another and decided to be open about our coupledom.”

Even in his ghost form, I noticed his hands clench and the anger in his eyes.

“Darach?”

“The kingdoms’ elders did not agree with our union, nor did the Queen of Faerie. We were told that because we were both heirs to our throne, we couldn’t be together or our kingdoms would fall. They told us that we would need to marry women in order to control all elements of our powers—both the feminine and masculine side. We were forbidden to be together.”

“Oh God. Darach, I’m sorry, I didn’t know,” I said.

“I know. It’s not your fault. At first, I thought Nevin and I would still be able to find ways to meet up, even if it meant being only lovers. We knew we couldn’t choose ourselves over our kingdoms. And since Faerie had chosen us to rule, we could not in our right minds abandon our people. But that didn’t stop Nevin from becoming angry and wanting to get back at the elders. So he decided to visit the mortal world and bed human women, because the only thing the elders hated worse than two kings being together was the thought of Nevin with a human. He did it to show them they weren’t going to control him.” He floated back and forth, as if trying to diffuse his feelings.

What did this mean? If Nevin was truly gay, not bisexual, then I had to rethink what he was asking me to do. He wasn’t being selfish, and this wasn’t a ploy to get me to be with him instead of Gareth. He was giving up the chance for love, too, all to save Gareth and his kingdom.

I swallowed. “So, does that mean Nevin likes boys and girls?”

Darach shrugged. “He can be with either gender, but his heart belongs only to one. Of course, I hated seeing him be so free with himself—to lay with women and dismiss me as if he’d never had my heart. As if my love meant nothing to him. Not too long after this, Grisselle attacked Spring. Nevin came back to Faerie, and that is when we’d made our plan to try and stop Winter…and you know the rest of that story—that he never came, and soon after, he got cursed to the human world. He deserted me. If only he’d stayed with me. If only we’d stood up for what we had… And that, is why I am so bitter…so angry.”

“Then you must really hate me,” I said.

“No. I don’t. I wanted to—because you have access to Nevin—and it’s you he’s asked to be his queen. But I find myself wanting to protect you, to be here for you. You’re kind. You’re powerful. And you see the best in everyone, even those who treat you badly. But if I had to choose all over again, between Nevin and my kingdom, I’d have to put my people first…no matter how much I love him.” He shook his head. “So you see, I understand what he’s asking of you. He loves our people. And so do I. Enough to make hard sacrifices.”

I swallowed hard. “It wasn’t fair what the elders did to you and Nevin. They should’ve allowed you to be together. They should have searched for a way.”

He reached for my hand, his ghostly fingers brushing mine. “A dream for a life now passed. But thank you for your kind words.”

With a sigh, I walked to the door, and Darach ushered me from the room. Servants bowed to me as we made our way down the hall.

Kind smiles and sympathetic looks followed me all the way to the foyer of the palace, but I didn’t want their sympathy. I wanted Gareth to wake up and be okay. I wanted to go back to my room and hide under my covers—to close my eyes and pretend this had never happened. As we turned the corner, my body went rigid when I saw Rowena standing in the doorway with a couple of other noble ladies.

She sneered, eyes gleaming with hatred. “Well if it isn’t Lady Salome, looking lovely as ever.”

My cheeks burned as I glanced down at my nightgown. Wisps of loose, dirty hair clung to my face. I probably should’ve cleaned up before I left my room.

“Ignore her. She’s just jealous,” Darach said beside me. “Come this way.”

We veered away from her hateful watch and went down a long, arched hallway. After a couple of minutes, we came to a doorway and took steps down into a large garden area.

“These are the outdoor elven baths.” Darach nodded ahead of us.

Waterfalls cascaded into small pools and splashed on rocks. Steam rose from the gleaming, Caribbean-blue waters. Stone walkways led to each separate bath—kind of like a Faerie spa.

“Milady, welcome. Can I help you?” I turned and saw a tall, beautiful elven woman. Dark hair hung past the middle of her back. Her pointed ears poked through the dark waves, and a long green dress swished about her bare feet. A young girl peeked out from behind her and gave me a shy smile.

Darach tapped my shoulder. “Tell her you’d like to bathe.”

“Um—I heard this was the place to come for a bath?” My face went hot.

“Of course. We’ve got a private one available at the back of the gardens. Unless you’re expecting someone to join you?”

My eyes widened, and I covered my chest with my arms. “No. I’ll be bathing alone.”

I shot a quick glance at Darach, making sure he understood. No way did I want him to pop up in the water next to me. Ghost or not, I still needed my privacy.

The elven woman nodded. “Very well—follow me.”

The little girl stepped out from behind the woman, giving me a good view of her bouncing golden curls. My mouth went dry when I noticed the long scar that ran down her cheek to her neck, but I averted my gaze, not wanting her to think I stared.

We followed a stone path between trimmed rose bushes and daffodils. The scent of honeysuckle hovered on the breeze. Butterflies fluttered between the plants, landing on tiny leaves.

The elven woman brought me into a hedged off area. My breath caught in my throat as I saw the pool. Lilies floated in the bath; the constant splash of the waterfall sprayed me with warm water. It was beautiful—like a tropical movie shoot. This would’ve been a perfect place to spend time with Gareth.

My throat thickened. There were so many things I’d wanted to do with him. So many places I’d wanted to go. But I might still be able to, if I chose to accept Nevin’s offer. It just meant that we wouldn’t have the future together we’d wanted. But at least he’d be alive. I thought about Darach and all he’d been forced to give up—how hard it must be seeing Nevin with someone else.

Could I do that? Watch Gareth find someone else? Or would I be able to put him through that, knowing of our blood bond? But was it more selfish of me to let him die when I had the means to possibly save him?

The small girl handed me a bar of soap and a glass decanter of shampoo, snapping me out of my stupor.

“Run along now, Moira.” The elven woman shooed the child away.

“If I can ask—what happened to Moira?”

Her smile faded. “Her village was attacked a few months back. Trolls from Winter murdered most of the people, save for a few children. I-I took her in when our soldiers brought her here.”

A lump lodged in my throat. “D-does this happen a lot? I mean the attacks?” I remembered the refugees we’d seen in Spring.

Her eyes welled. “Yes, Milady. Winter grows closer to our borders every day. But don’t you worry about such things. King Nevin will stop them. He’ll find a way to protect us.” She wiped the moisture from her eyes. “I apologize. Enough of this talk—why don’t you get into the bath?”

“Thank you.”

She nodded. “If you need anything—anything at all—just ring the bell.” She pointed to the silver bell on the stone table.

She hurried down the path, leaving me alone. I stripped out of my clothes and stuck my toe into the water. It was so warm. With a sigh, I slid into the depths. The hot current cascaded over me as I found rock seats built into pools. I dipped my head back, letting the heat relax my muscles.

When I closed my eyes, I saw the scar running along Moira’s face. Why would anyone want to hurt an innocent child? Damn it! Someone had to stop Winter. They created nothing but horror, death, and chaos. They took everything from me. And not just from me—from the people of Summer, Autumn, and Spring. Tears burned my eyes. And Gareth—they’d wounded him, left the love of my life on death’s doorstep.

Now I might never be able to tell him I love him again. All I’d have were memories. Hatred burned in my blood like acid.

It sickened me how easily Winter could destroy homes and people with so little regard. I gripped hold of the bar of soap and scrubbed my skin as if I could wash away the sorrow.

“Ah, there you are. I finished my meetings early,” Nevin said.

I squealed, covering myself with my hands. “Nevin…”

“Don’t worry, my back is turned to you.” To be fair, his back really was turned to me, but still. “Moira here escorted me to you. She’s got a towel for you to dry with.”

Moira walked over and handed me the large white cloth. Shyly, I waited for her to turn around, too, and then I climbed from the bath and dried off as fast as possible. I quickly grabbed my clean dress and tugged it over my head, letting my wet hair hang about my shoulders.

“I’m dressed now, you can turn around.”

He spun to face me then bent down. “Moira, can you let Lady Alma know that I’d like to take lunch down here today?”

She curtsied, giving him a big toothy grin. But before she left, Nevin handed her a gold coin.

My eyes welled. “I’m sorry—I didn’t know.” I pointed at Moira’s retreating frame. “I-I didn’t realize how bad things were. Or at least, I didn’t want to admit it.”

Nevin’s gaze softened, and he walked to my side, reaching for my hand. “Shh…it’s okay. There’s still time to stop Winter. They haven’t won yet.”

“We have to destroy them. They’ve hurt so many people—taken so much.” My body shook as another round of sobs tore through me, and I thought about Gareth being cut down. About Darach’s people, my family—Moira.

Nevin pulled me into a hug as if that would comfort me and make me forget what was going on around us. But it wouldn’t. Nothing would.

“We will, I promise.”

With a sniffle, I pulled back and wiped my face on the sleeve of my gown. Would the pain ever go away?

Servants soon arrived with a table. Once they had it set up, they laid a lacy cloth over it then set plates of food down. Nevin gestured for me to sit in one of the chairs that’d been brought in. We sat in silence as we ate.

When I glanced at Nevin, I noticed the dark rings circling his eyes. He’d lost weight, too.

“You need to take better care of yourself or you’ll be no good for Summer.”

He offered me a pained smile. “Sometimes it’s easier said than done. It just feels like the weight of Faerie is on my shoulders.” He set his fork down with a clink. “Summer is the last court who can stand against Winter.”

I reached across the table and caught his hand in mine, giving him what reassurance I had, even if it wasn’t much. “You’re not alone in this.”

He stared at my fingers for long moments before he raised his gaze to mine. “Salome, I know you’ve been grieving for Gareth and will continue to do so. And this hardly seems the time. But I must ask again. Will you be my queen?” He let my hand go and stood, pacing back and forth.

His offer carried a different weight now that I knew his secret history. Would he hate me if I revealed to him I knew his secret? Or would that make it easier for him to admit what he was giving up, too?

“It doesn’t have to be a match made of love,” he said. “I know your heart belongs to Gareth and always will. And to be honest, I don’t know how to love someone, as you already know. But I need you. Summer needs you. And I trust no one more than you. No matter how much you’ve denied it, I know there is strong magic inside you. We just have to find a way for you to harness it.” He watched me expectantly, his gaze boring through me. “Even Doris knows Faerie needs you—she will not tell me exact details, but she knows you’re important to us. Please, I’m begging you, and you know I’m not one to beg. If not for me, and if not for Summer, then for Gareth. You taking the throne could be the very thing that saves him.”

I swallowed hard. At eighteen, this wasn’t something I was ready for. Yet didn’t I owe it to Gareth? He’d risked his life for me and for the kingdom he loved. And didn’t I owe it to Moira? She’d lost her whole family to Winter. And what about the humans who’d been kidnapped from my world? If I didn’t put a stop to Grisselle’s reign, what would keep her from taking more of my people?

My heart clamored in my chest, and I took a deep breath. I held his gaze then looked away. Somehow, I got the feeling this moment had been in the making since he’d pulled me from my grandparents’ pond. I would never love him, and I knew he’d never love me. He couldn’t love me, not like that, even if I had felt that way about him.

But could I live with that? Would being able to save Gareth and get my revenge on Winter be reason enough to agree to be his queen? Nevin was right about one thing, Grandma had said that I needed to be here—was this what she meant? Or was there something else I had to do? Only a couple weeks ago, my life had already been figured out. Gareth was my true love. We were going to get married and live out our happily-ever-after in Faerie. But Grisselle had taken that from me—maybe not directly, but she’d started this war.

Then another thought struck me. What was to keep Winter from killing my family? They knew where Grandma and Mom lived. For as long as I remembered, Grisselle had had a hand in my life and in my nightmares. Her having Kassandra curse Nevin was only the beginning. How many of my ancestors had died because of the Winter Curse?

She had to be stopped. If she wasn’t, everything would fade into legend, and the worst horrors would be released on the world. Could I live with myself then, knowing I’d had a chance to put a stop to it, but I’d chosen to do nothing?

I glanced at Nevin once more. In my heart, I knew I didn’t love him. Hell, most days I didn’t even like him. But maybe he felt the same way about me. And maybe, too, we both wanted the same thing: Winter to be stopped. No matter how much of a pain he’d been, Gareth had always stayed by his side. Maybe part of it was out of duty, but he obviously cared enough about Nevin to keep him alive—if not because they were friends, then for the kingdom.

Some sacrifices had to be made for the greater good.

“Yes, I’ll be your queen. But there will be boundaries on how we handle this. Not to mention there are changes I think need to be made here at the Summer Court. And as soon as I’m crowned, I want your word that we’ll heal Gareth.”

“Yes of course.” He quit pacing, circled the table, and drew me into his arms. “Thank you. I don’t think I’ll ever have enough lifetimes to make this up to you. I’ll send messengers out right away to those dwelling closest to the kingdom. We’ll have your coronation tonight.”

Tonight? Oh, God. I so wasn’t ready for this.