Chapter Twenty-One

 

 

 

Dylan

Sylphi backed up, still holding on to my hand as I reached for the knife for memory transfer. I pricked a finger and watched as she smiled at me, readying herself by sticking out her tongue to take a bead of blood. Her sweet smile reminded me of the times we had spent together before I met Shade. It hadn’t all been bad, for there were many times I had enjoyed this woman’s company. She was alive with vibrant energy and wickedly lovely in many ways. Some things about her reminded me of Shade, but there was no doubt that Shade was the only one for me now.

It was Shade I loved and always would. Sylphi, unfortunately could never win that part of me.

I wondered if Shade had made it back to The Scren Palace with Soap. The thought burned jealousy into my head, and I turned away from Sylphi. This woman, and my love, reminded me of everything about broken hearts and love and how much damage we could do to each other. Our hearts were fragile things, made to withstand an ocean of torment yet break easily with one wrongly placed word.

I dropped the bead of blood onto her tongue and began arranging the scrying mirrors on the table before us. With the blood in her system, my ancestral memories would project across the mirrors for Sylphi to sift through. Every memory about Gretel’s debates and coronation would play like a film as we sat across from each other. It was the easiest way for her to learn what to do in a debate. I only prayed she wouldn’t get anything else I didn’t want her to access. I didn’t want her to have that kind of ammunition against me.

Nothing about Shade should grace these mirrors. Nothing about my life outside of the political debates Gretel had been through centuries before would be included unless Sylphi figured out how to pry them out of my blood. I hoped she didn’t.

“Okay, ready.”

I motioned for Sylphi to sit beside me in front of the mirrors. I knew she was familiar with this magic, for Ilarial had scryed with all the Teleen at one point or another. Basically, all faeries grew up learning how to do this, and it was often helpful to listen to other people’s memories about life and to see the possibilities of the future.

“Okay, let’s get this over with,” Sylphi said. She peered out across the mirrors, watching the way my hand hovered over them. Their magic flickered, an odd occurrence for I’d never experienced any kind of interruption of magic. I recalled Soap and Benton mentioning it when they’d returned from a mission in the human world but had thought little of it. Now it took all my concentration to conjure up the spell and keep it formed.

I peered into the mirror and poured the memories into the mirror. All three of the mirrors shifted into scenes of Gretel’s debates and the opposing factions against her. Everything I could find of my father’s recall flashed by in mini-movies until even other things slipped out of my head and onto the mirrors. Sylphi stared, engrossed in all the images she was seeing.

I tried to pull away from the scrying but failed miserably. While the magic had flickered at first, now it was draining my head of memories and filling the mirrors. As I struggled to end the spell, I became horrified to see things between Shade and me appear on the silvery surfaces.

“No!” I shoved my magic into the mirrors, cracking each one as I managed to sever the spell, breaking its hold on the both of us.

I leaned back, inhaling deep, hungry breaths. I felt drained, my magic spent. I peered up at Sylphi, who had absorbed every debate and had experienced them as if she had been standing there watching them herself. She looked exhilarated. It was then that I realized she’d seen Shade and me in intimate moments and had watched it all as if she’d been in the bedroom with us.

Just perfect.

Not much time had passed. Time ran quickly within the mirrors, so it had not taken long at all for her to go through all the memories, study them, and soak them up as if they belonged to her. Her opponents would not have such a rich library of memory, for many of them had not been there when Queen Gretel received her crown. At that time, the debates had not been public, and only the members of the council and a few select others had been allowed full access to the procedures. My parents had been among those few.

Sylphi now had everything she needed; the rest would be up to her. Unfortunately, I’d also given her the ammunition she’d need to slice away at Shade if she ever wanted to. My heart sank.

A minute passed as Sylphi blinked her eyes, watering from staring so intently at the mirrors. She eventually looked up at me, smiling. “That was amazing.” She closed her eyes as her mind processed the memories one by one, archiving them and letting her learn from each of them. “All of it.”

Yeah, of course it was. My shame built inside me, aching to tear out my heart as I pondered how to repair this mess. I’d let the magic control me. Or had Sylphi manipulated it somehow? I’d never know. This sort of magic was a siphon that left the bearer drained and the receiver full of new memories.

I swallowed down my fear and hoped to divert her thoughts. “I hope you learned a lot from them for the debates. It’s really the best I can give you.”

She nodded, blinking her steel-colored eyes back at me. Was that malice I saw in them? No. It was more infatuation than anything else. She’d enjoyed the memories I’d leaked to her far too much.

“That was the best lesson I could’ve gotten from anyone. Thank you, Dylan. I appreciate it, really.”

I gave her a curt nod, smiling flatly and trying to not encourage her in any way. She knew I wouldn’t be interested in pursuing her anymore, but that wouldn’t stop her from trying, just to get under my skin.

“Well, I’d better get going,” she sighed happily, getting to her feet. “It’s been a long day. Tomorrow I want to map out exactly where I’ll be standing in the main hall and see who else is going to be in the debate. I have stiff competition, and I’ve heard several candidates are truly interested in the position. I’ll have my work cut out for me.”

I nodded, unfolding my arms as I watched her gather her bag and begin to walk toward the door. She suddenly turned back and reached out, placing her hand on my arm. “Wait.”

I knew I wouldn’t be able to get away so easily, and I almost let out a frustrated sigh. But there was fear there in her eyes, maybe even nervousness? This was interesting, for I’d never seen her nervous in her entire life.

“I really have to go too,” I said. “Regis, the captain of the guard, asked me to help him out today.” I peered down at her arm, hoping she’d get the message to let me go.

“I’m sorry, Dylan. I know you’re married to Shade now, and though I don’t like her very much, I must admit, seeing you again has stirred up some old feelings inside me. I know I’ve done so many foolish things which are probably unforgivable. I was cruel and malicious. But if only you knew what I’ve been through since then, you would know that I’m no longer that woman.”

I took a breath, wondering what she was up to. “I understand, Sylphi. I can see that you’re different, and I’m glad you are. You’re smart, intelligent, and I was always hopeful you’d stop wasting your talents on something as trivial as jealousy or gossip. I’m glad you’ve gotten past that.”

“Yes, I have. I’m so happy you can see that. But there’s also something else I need to ask you. I’m just not sure how you’re going to react.”

She finally let go of my arm and turned away to begin pacing the room as she bit her nails. Now, I couldn’t let her leave it open like that. I had to know what she needed to tell me. I just hoped I wasn’t making a grave mistake.

“All right, just spit it out, Sylphi. No sense in holding it all in.”

Sylphi nodded and chewed on her lip until she finally stopped midstride and looked back up at me. “I desperately want to be ruler, and I know I don’t have to be married to do so, but I know I squandered our time together. When I think about marrying anyone, you’re the only one I can see myself able to even tolerate enough to be married to. It kills me that I let our chance slip away. Would you please consider divorcing Shade to marry me if I become queen of the Teleen? I can’t do this without you.”

I sucked in another breath. She had spoken a thought I had pondered already. Divorcing Shade. Just thinking it felt like a spear through my heart making my breath hitch for a moment, though I shook it off quickly. I looked up and drilled my gaze into Sylphi.

“I—I’m not sure I can do that to Shade.”

“She’s marrying another. You will not be her only king.”

I stood and stepped forward, my chin jutting toward her, daring her to keep at it. “It’s none of your business.”

“Dylan, why did you not ask her to vow to you that she could not marry another?”

This time Sylphi lifted her chin at me. Her big, dark eyes gleamed under the torchlight of the room. She knew something, something I’d hoped she hadn’t gained from my memories. I felt sick, my stomach twisting at her words. She knew I’d made one grave error when I’d married Shade. I had not made her vow to me that she would never marry another. Why had I forgotten it? It wasn’t an uncommon request among the Teleen who really didn’t want to share a partner. I’d been so blinded by love.

“I—I thought she never would do such a thing. It didn’t cross my mind.”

“I’d take that oath for you. I would swear there would never be another. I’d vow upon the Land of Faerie you would be my only husband. You failed to ask Shade to do that for you, and you suffer for it. But I, as your one and only, would swear it to you. Forever.”

I could no longer breathe; the knot in my throat closed it off as I peered down at Sylphi. She was deadly serious, and I could tell that she had unraveled something about me I had not known I truly wanted. If only Shade was all mine. If I’d just asked her to make that vow.

How had I forgotten to ask her to do such a thing? She would’ve done it, being so incredibly naïve to our traditions in Faerie. She wouldn’t have even known her choices and been truly just mine like Sylphi was offering to be now. Everything I wanted, Sylphi was dangling before me with a knowing look on her face.

How dare she read my thoughts so easily? I had let her in, and she’d stolen all the important things from my mind like a thief in the night. Still, the temptation was real and profound, except for one thing.

Sylphi would never be Shade, and I could never love anyone but her.