2. CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

KALYLL

It took all of my will to prevail over the darkness boiling inside me. When I came to, my head was lowered, my teeth and my fists clenched. Inhaling a deep breath, I met my friends’ bewildered expressions.

“Did that work?” Arabis asked.

I nodded.

Fire burned at the tips of Jeondar’s fingers. He was looking at me with a wave of anger and wariness he’d always reserved for others, not me.

Before what happened to Daniella, I had felt in control of my shadowdrifter abilities, able to unleash them when I wanted, but without her soothing presence, and with my desperation building and building, every day that had passed without her, things had become more difficult.

Finally, my restraints had snapped and Wölfe had broken free… allowing him to commit murder.

Jeondar fanned his hands and the fire went out.

“I apologize for my behavior,” I said even as Wölfe bristled, sending bile up my throat. He was the worst of my pride, the worst of my everything.

Jeondar didn’t acknowledge my apology, which stoked my already-incensed anger.

“As touched as I am,” Cylea intervened as if to soften the blow of Jeondar’s dismissal. “I don’t think this is the best place for further conversation. We should go.” She got on her horse in one bound and started forward, without waiting.

But I was in no mood to go anywhere with them. I kept trying to erase the image of the male’s glimmering curls as I snapped his neck.

“Arabis, can you please take Stormheart with you?” I offered her the reins.

I cared nothing for the disappointment that registered in her expression as she pulled my steed away.

“How long will this go on, brother?” Kryn asked.

“You dare ask me this?” My eyes cut in Arabis’s direction. He had been pining over her for ninety years. If he thought my yearning for Daniella was ridiculous, what did he call his own dogged persistence?

“Dani is—” He started, but I glared, and he held back what he’d been about to say. That she was as good as dead? That it wasn’t acceptable to pine over a frozen body? A near statue?

I refused to accept what everyone thought.

“She’s my mate,” I spat, “but of course, you have no concept of that.”

I turned my back on him and walked out of the courtyard and down the street. Stuffing my hand in my trousers’ pocket, I fingered the transfer token. We were fifty miles from the Vine Tower, nearing the west boundary of Elyndell, but the distance was no matter. I had returned to see her every day since we left a week ago. Today would not be the exception.

Holding the token tightly in my hand, I let it take me to Daniella’s realm. Once there, I lingered only long enough to allow the veil magic to gather and carry me straight into her chamber. Strange the way of veil magic. I could only travel quickly within my own realm if I transferred to the human realm first.

Warm light trembled within the sconces on the wall. Her narrow bed sat by the open window, well within the reach of a beam of moonlight that skidded over her frozen skin, making it glitter. I walked closer, my steps barely audible, and stopped by her side.

Her beautiful face was peaceful at rest. There was no sign of the pain she must have experienced when Varamede’s attack overpowered her. In her presence, quiet as it was, the anger that roiled in my chest morphed into a sorrow deeper than any ocean.

“Can you hear me, melynthi?” I asked as I did every night and despite never receiving an answer, I didn’t stop expecting it. “I feel lost without you. The rage consumes me. The others fear me… hate me. At least some of the time, I am sure. I need you.”

I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her cold lips. The grief that the Envoy had promised punched right through me.

My gaze got locked on something inconsequential and slowly, as I came to, I realized it was a dry petal on the floor. I glanced toward the pedestals, and for the first time, noticed the curving steams and wilted flowers. Roses. They were different from the ones I’d seen last night. Red as opposed to white. They reminded me of that day in Imbermore’s gardens. I’d given Daniella a red rose that day, maybe to assuage my guilt as I tried to explain my shadowdrifter heritage without causing panic.

Reminded of something, I walked to the library, found what I was looking for inside a desk drawer, and went back.

“This one won’t wither,” I said as I pinned a silver brooch to her tunic.

It was the artful representation of a rose, the petals perfect and polished, the leaves carved in careful detail. The brooch had belonged to my grandmother. Roses were her favorite flowers.

“Find your way to me, melynthi.” I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

The flutter of wings behind me forced me to take a step back. Larina hovered by the door, hands joined in front of her as she waited, head bowed slightly.

“I’m here to change the flowers, my king,” the pixie said.

“Please, don’t let me stop you,” I said, finding it unacceptable that Daniella should suffer any dead blooms.

I sat on one of the armchairs by the fireplace, while Larina flew about using her magic to dismiss the dead arrangements and replace them with new ones.

“What news, Larina?”

“Two healers came this morning. They tried their best, but…”

She didn’t need to elaborate. Many had tried to bring her back, but everyone had failed.

“I’ll continue to search,” she added, attempting to appear hopeful.

“What other news?” I asked, more out of obligation than any real desire to know what went on in my court.

“Your mother continues to take care of your affairs, my king,” Larina said. “Today she summoned me and asked me to tell you that…” She stopped seemingly unable to continue, her cheeks turning violet with embarrassment.

“You can tell me whatever it is she said.”

She inclined her head. “She wishes for you to return immediately. She says you are needed here, and that… your blind pursuit of your brother and vengeance are misguided. That it is not the… worthless human who matters, but your throne and the peace of your realm.”

I could feel my anger building and with it, Wölfe trying to take over once more. I stood, cracked my neck, and inhaled deeply, willing the tightly packed emotions that concentrated in my chest to spread, to diffuse. The burning under my breastbone dissipated somewhat. The anger was still there, but when it wasn’t the main focus, I could keep my irrational side at bay and be a true blend of darkness and light.

Not fully Kalyll. Not fully Wölfe. But something in between.

“I’m sorry to subject you to my mother’s… acrimony,” I told the pixie. “I know she is difficult. I wish I could let you go back to Imbermore so you could be closer to your family, but I don’t trust anyone else to…” I glanced toward Daniella, “take care of her.”

“I remain here gladly. I want to be by her side. Forgive me for saying this, but Dani is my friend.”

“Forgive you? I can only be grateful to you, and I hope that you also consider me your friend one day.”

“Your Majesty!” she exclaimed as if I’d said something ridiculous.

I took several steps forward and approached my mate. I raised my fingers to her cold hand and stared into that beautiful face. “I have learned much from her. When she wakes up, I will marry her. She will be my queen, and together, we will change things.”

Starting with the statute that said a Seelie monarch was not allowed to wed someone who wasn’t of pure Fae blood. Such nonsense.

Reluctantly, I pulled away from Daniella. “I must go now. The Sub Rosa awaits. I leave her in your hands.”

“Go with ease, my king. I will take good care of her.”

I retrieved the transfer token and willed it to take me to the spot where I’d agreed to meet my friends.

“You’re back!” Arabis shot to her feet as I materialized, a dagger in her hand with a skewered piece of roasted meat at its tip.

I found them sitting by the light of a campfire, enjoying a fresh kill, from the smell of it. Cylea had been at work with her bow and arrows, no doubt. She could always find something to satisfy our appetite.

“I thought you’d be gone much longer,” she added, sitting back down.

In previous visits, I had stayed with Daniella for hours, unable to leave her side, but right now, I needed to talk to them, to find out what they thought of the bit of news we had acquired.

I found an empty rock next to Kryn and sat down. Silver offered me a plate with pieces of meat on it. I waved it away.

He shrugged. “More for me.”

“We’ve been wasting our time searching for Cardian,” I said without a preamble. “He has a transfer token.” I smack a fist into my hand. “I should’ve guessed.”

Transfer tokens were not common. They weren’t necessarily rare, but due to their high price, they were given sparingly. As a Seelie Prince, my brother would’ve naturally been allowed one. However, Father had denied him the privilege right after his first visit to the human realm, where he made a fool of himself, causing an embarrassing incident in a nightclub and landing himself in jail. Still, it had been stupid of me to assume he would be traveling by regular means.

“He could be anywhere now,” I added, fighting my rising anger once more. I cracked my fingers as a way to focus my attention on something else.

“Do you think he escaped to the human realm?” Cylea asked.

I shook my head. “I seriously doubt it.”

Cylea worked on tightening her bow. “You don’t think he went to Mythorne, do you?”

“A Seelie Prince in the Unseelie Court?” Kryn said. “I don’t think that would be very smart.”

Arabis nodded. “I agree. Besides, Cardian is paranoid, not to mention a coward. He may have an alliance with Mythorne, but I doubt he trusts him.”

Cylea nodded. “True.”

They all looked at me. “I’m not sure. He’s been known to do very stupid things. Honestly, I have no idea where he could’ve gone.”

Since we left Elyndell proper a week ago, we’d been following a path that led to some of Cardian’s closest allies—a list given to us by Naesala Roka. Since we had paid a visit to five lords to whom my brother had pledged prominent positions in court. Clearly, we’d been following a cold trail from the beginning.

Cylea plucked her bow string. It twanged satisfactorily. “You don’t think Naesala sent us on a purposeless chase?”

She often asked questions that others might consider dense or unnecessary, but she got us talking, reflecting on every possible angle, no matter how unlikely.

“I don’t think so,” I said.

The others shook their heads.

“She now has a direct and important link to the Seelie King,” Kryn said. “It wouldn’t serve her purposes as a human spy to upset the Seelie Court.”

“True,” Cylea agreed.

“We have to assume Cardian had a contingency plan,” Arabis put in. “He probably procured some sort of hideout in case things didn’t go the way he planned.”

“Yes.” I rubbed my chin. “Wherever he is, though, he would maintain communication with Mythorne. Now more than ever.”

The fire crackled while we sat in silence, pondering the possibilities.

“There’s something to be said about trusting no one,” Kryn observed.

Indeed, it seemed the only person my brother had fully trusted was Varamede. The bastard with a death sentence hanging over his head, even if he didn’t know it. It was his magic that had harmed Daniella, and he would pay dearly for it.

I cracked my knuckles in frustration. So many healers, and all of them useless. Only one thing kept me from losing hope entirely: the Envoy’s words. She had said Daniella would be my queen.

I stood abruptly. “We go back then. Finalize the preparations for war. My generals are restless.” I couldn’t expect them to make every decision while I was out here, entangled in a hopeless pursuit.

But I wasn’t giving up. Sooner or later, I would have my revenge. Neither Cardian nor Varamede would get away with what they had done.

“Who comes with me?” I asked as I pulled out my transfer token.

I could take only one other person with me, and then they could come back and get the rest, one at a time. It was a limitation of tokens, one of the reasons we had ridden our horses out here. The other had been the hope of encountering Cardian on the road as he made his escape.

Cylea stood and dusted her bottom. “I’ll do it. I’m dying for a hot bath.”

“No.” Silver shook his head. “She won’t come back for us. She should go last.”

“Of course, I’ll come back for you.” She thought for a moment. “One of you at least, then that person can come back for the rest.”

“That means the last person has to come back for the horses,” Silver pointed out.

“If you don’t make up your minds quickly,” I said, “I will take Stormheart and leave your sorry asses here. The long ride might do you good.” I gave Cylea a sidelong glance.

“Fine, I’ll go second.” Cylea sat back down and elbowed Arabis. “You go first.”

Jeondar shook his head and rolled his eyes. “I vote for Cylea to go last.”

“Hey!” she protested.

Annoyed by their bickering, I stepped up to Kryn—the only one who hadn’t said a word—placed a hand on his shoulder, and willed us into the human realm.

“Wuh, hold on.” Kryn took my arm and steadied himself. “It’s been a while since I’ve done that, and I still don’t like it.” He looked ready to vomit.

We stood in the middle of a solitary forest. It was a place near the city of St. Louis. I had been transferring here for no other reason other than it was close to Daniella’s home. Dry leaves crunched under my feet.

Kryn took a deep breath and looked around. “What if Cardian is hiding here?”

“It’s possible, I suppose. Though, something tells me he is not. He hates to lose, always has. He had time to believe himself king. That loss surely left a bitter taste in his mouth. Soon, he will make a move and reveal his whereabouts.”

“Let’s hope so.” Kryn tightened his grip around my arm and nodded to let me know he was ready for another transfer.

In an instant, we appeared in Daniella’s chamber. We hadn’t been there but a second when Larina zoomed over and hovered directly in front of my face.

Adrenaline flooded me, sending my heart pounding and sharpening my senses.

Something was wrong, terribly wrong.

Kryn took out his sword. He stepped forward, eyes searching for danger, but everything was as I’d left it.

My first concern was for Daniella, but she lay in the same spot, as still as always.

“What is the matter, Larina?” I asked, realizing that my claws had unsheathed of their own accord.

The anger and darkness that fueled Wölfe also pushed to the surface, but I held on tightly to the reins and kept him under control. He had become a part of me, so entangled with my sense of self that it was impossible to tell where I ended and he began. Still, there was a sliver of shadowdrifter power that remained solely under my care. A good thing lest I grow used to murdering everyone who made me mad.

“Your Majesty,” she inclined her head, her features twisted. Whatever piece of news she carried, she didn’t want to deliver it.

“Out with it,” I barked impatiently, hating the way I made her flinch.

“It’s your mother. She… she is dead.”

“What?” I demanded, unable to believe my own ears.

Larina’s eyes wavered. Kryn absentmindedly sheathed his weapon.

“I am so sorry, Your Majesty.” The pixie blinked rapidly, fighting to prevent the tears that pooled in her eyes from falling.

A terrible numbness spread over me. My mother, dead? The idea seemed as ludicrous as Father’s death seemed every time I thought about it.

“What happened?” I asked, doing my best to ignore the thrashing emotions inside my chest.

“She was found dead in her workroom. She… she was murdered.”

“Who?” I asked, but even as the question left my lips, I knew the answer.

“I… I don’t know,” Larina said. “I just found out.”

Kryn and I exchanged a knowing glance.

“When did this happen?” I asked.

Larina wrung her hands. “Her… body was only just discovered.”

My eyes cut to Daniella, then to my brother. “Kryn, stay here. Larina, find my uncle. Tell him I want his best guards to come here and protect Daniella.”

She zipped out of the room.

I turned to Kryn again. “When the guards get here, come find me.”