Adrius dropped my hand and stepped back. His muscles clenched. “What do you mean the queen’s guards are after her?”
“Mab had them followed. You are a royal. It shouldn’t come as a surprise she’d protect her investment.”
“How is Lorelei her investment? It was all in pretense.”
“It was,” I assured him. “But…” My words trailed away.
“She didn’t swear her fealty. No oaths were taken.” Adrius’ gaze swung from Zanthiel back to me. “Were they?” His jaw tensed, as he sensed the answer I dared not give.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered. My voice barely registered sound. Again the words sounded empty and hollow. Devoid of all meaning. I’d said them far too often. “It was our only choice.” I looked at Zanthiel. He didn’t respond.
“You are telling me this is permanent? That there is no way out?” He paced a few steps then clenched his hands in his hair. “How long? How long have the two of you been bound together?” His anger escalated.
“For less time than you and Venus were,” Zanthiel answered. He kept his tone cold, but even.
Adrius looked like he wanted to hit him. Hit something. His gaze shifted to me and I saw the familiar flash of guilt behind his searing glare.
I wanted to explain, but there were no words to change what was. As long as I remained here in their world, Zanthiel and I would be at Mab’s mercy. Or we’d have to unleash war. Neither one of us wanted that. A united Faery realm was actually a worthy benefit from all of this, if I were up to the task of seeing it through. I didn’t want to be the cause of fractioning it further.
“What if Lorelei and I were wed?” Adrius looked at Hawthrin, not bothering to ask me what I thought of that idea.
The wizard shook his head. “The chill of winter, once taken in, cannot be withdrawn, unless another should take her place.”
Adrius glared at Zanthiel. “Of course there would be no other. He made his feelings clear some time ago.” He slammed his fist into the trunk of a tree. A long crack splintered up the trunk, and I swear I heard it groan in pain.
He leaned his fists against the tree and pressed his forehead to the bark. After two deep breaths he turned around. “So the only way out is to run. Return to her world. Is that what you are telling me?”
“It is. However, unless we are successful in reversing the spell sealing the veil, you will all be parted I’m afraid.”
I looked over at Zanthiel, who watched our exchange in silence. Things are going to work out. We’re going to be successful in reversing the spell and everything will be fine. Things will go back to normal. I wished I still believed that.
“Then I will go back with her. Whether the veil is repaired or not.”
I shook my head as panic swelled in my stomach at the thought of watching him die. “No. Only if the veil is fixed. You can’t risk it otherwise.”
“I don’t care. I’m not letting you go back there alone. Have you forgotten Peterson and his offer? If that is the only way, then we will consider it.”
Zanthiel scoffed. “You would consider giving up who you are, trusting your fate, and hers, to a man who detests what you are?”
His eyes turned hard and cold. “I would. For her. She can’t go back on her own without defenses.”
“The fact of the matter is we have no idea what will become of her powers once she returns. They may become dormant, or they may amplify to levels we have not witnessed,” Zanthiel said.
So not comforting. I pulled Hawthrin aside, while Adrius and Zanthiel continued to argue. “I need your help here.”
His eyes narrowed. “I warned you not to agree to this arrangement if you were not intending to go through with it.”
“I can’t, Hawthrin. Not now. Adrius is free. The curse broken. Zanthiel and I, we could never be right for one another. Please help us. We need to get back to my world before it’s too late.”
His ancient eyes gazed over at Adrius and Zanthiel. “What makes you think I can help you?”
“I know you have answers. You hide behind prophecy and mixed messages wrapped in hidden meaning, but you know the truth. I can see that you do. Just tell me.”
He exhaled a long sigh. “What is it you wish to know?”
“Start with my sis—with Venus, and then we can discuss reversing the spell on the veil.”
He cleared his throat, and stared up into the clouds. “All right, just remember you cannot unknow a truth. Venus was taken at birth. The doctor told her mother the baby had died, that only one child had survived. But there were witches involved, and they wanted to make sure one of the children survived. They believed the other child would be found by the fey or the elves. They knew of the prophecy and wanted to have a child all their own to be in power. One to reign supreme. And so Octãhvia took Venus and raised her as her own.”
“Did my mother know any of this?” My voice dropped to a thread bare whisper.
“Your mother had no idea her child had survived and was living in Faery. When your father returned to Unseelie and was banished to the Shadow Court, he discovered that Venus was indeed alive. He watched over his girls from afar and from the shadows, sending Zanthiel to protect you as a child, knowing one day the balance of nature would restore itself, and things would fall into their rightful place.”
I shook my head. “Their rightful place. As in me sitting on the throne of Faery?” I couldn’t swallow the dryness in my mouth, as he continued.
“It only became known to the Wizards of the High Order some time later, that a mistake had been made. The child that was taken was not the one of which the prophecy spoke. It was in fact you, Lorelei Alundra, who was meant to be brought to this land. Not your sister.” He paused to let his words sink in.
Hawthrin exhaled slow and long. Then, in an unprecedented act, he snapped his fingers to extinguish his pipe and set it aside. His ancient all-knowing gaze settled on mine for a moment before he began to speak. “Your parents had no other choice in the matter. Your father was promised lenience if he willingly handed over the child. Had he refused, both he and your mother would have been executed, and the child claimed all the same. So they hid you from this realm. And your father returned with the intention of keeping a watchful eye on one daughter, trusting your mother and grandmother would take care of the other. “
My stomach squirmed. How can any of this be real? It sounded like a Grimm’s fairytale bedtime story, one that was as implausible as it was horrific. I didn’t want to believe a word of it, and yet, I needed to hear all of it. Right through to the end.
The wizard paused for an elongated minute but then resumed. “Alas, the precarious winds of fate are fickle,” he said. “Lord Adrius set out to find you in the hopes of saving his realm from Octãhvia. And Zanthiel was sent by your father, to make certain no one from the Nevermore could find you.”
No wonder there could never be peace between Adrius and Zanthiel, they’d been on opposing sides from the start.
“Your grandmother devised cloaking spells, and it was easy to convince your mother not to perform magic which would draw those seeking you to your location. Life went on as usual, until destiny reared her ugly head and shifted the tides in an entirely different direction. Things happened, decisions were made, and thus we find ourselves in this very moment.”
My mind reeled as the puzzle started to take form. “The MBD, they’re some sort of human organization intent on destroying magic in my world,” I said. “They offered me an exchange. If I brought them my father’s amulet, they said Adrius and I would be able to live a normal human life. As mortals.”
Hawthrin frowned. “Is that so?”
“Doesn’t matter,” I shrugged, “I never saw anything around Oberon’s neck while we were in the Shadow Court.” Even that one small hope had been dashed, as quickly as it had been suggested.
“Perhaps, because it is already around your neck.” Hawthrin pointed. “The Inner Eye gemstone belonged to your father. Fauna, the green fey, instructed Adrius to bring it to you. It is your family’s heirloom, and, as you know, a powerful amulet. I do not know of this MBD, but I would caution against handing it over to anyone. Ever.”
My jaw dropped. The Inner Eye? That’s what Peterson wants? The exact necklace I’d had in my possession all along. We could have given it to him weeks ago and avoided this whole disaster.
I sighed. I didn’t want to hear any more. It was enough. Too much, really. My entire life, my whole existence hinged solely on some insane superstition. Folklore and old wives tales. Silly and deadly. Now here we were, with more than one of their fairytales coming true. Crazy.
I pushed the hair away from my face. “It doesn’t make any difference why things happened the way they did, or why my father made the choices he made, or even why Venus is the way she is. We’re here now, and all that matters to me is getting back to my mother, before I’m stuck here for all eternity.”