Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four

“ I ’m sorry about this.” Blaise slumps against the white rock wall, sliding down until he sits, his knees bent. The breath he blows out is full of frustration. “I knew Rex wouldn’t take the news well, but this seems extreme.”

Sitting on the small bed, I smooth down my skirt, giving my hands something to do in the hopes it will help with my anxiety. The door between Blaise and me is open, but I know there is no chance of me leaving without the king’s permission. It was made very clear by the guards who wait outside that I am not free to go anywhere.

When I was brought here with an armed escort, I assumed I would be going straight to the dungeons, but Blaise kept his promise and made sure I was brought somewhere more comfortable.

Deep in the back of the castle are rows of rooms like the one I’m in. Apparently this was part of the old castle, and it’s now rarely used. With one way in and out, it is easily monitored and still gives me some semblance of comfort. The room is carved into the shape of a rough square with a bed against one wall and a couch against the other with a rug on the flood between them. There is even a bookshelf with a selection of books. Someone attempted to make it look nice, placing a vase of flowers on a small coffee table and throw pillows and blankets on the bed. A small bathroom is attached with a curtain hanging in front of the entrance to allow privacy.

I have everything I could need, but really, all I want is Alaric.

Tilting my head to look at the male in the doorway, I try to hold back my agitation. “Is it because I am lower class or human?”

Snorting a laugh, he shakes his head, staring up at the stone ceiling. “Honestly, a bit of both. He’s a snob, but his hatred of humans can overwhelm him and take away all rational thought. It was why Alaric volunteered to meet with the humans for the treaty.”

Subdued, I sit back against the wall. The bond is tight in my chest. I know Alaric is somewhere above me, but there are layers of rock separating us. Down here, we are underground, meaning there are no windows. There are plenty of lanterns lighting up the space, but it feels tight and suffocating.

“Why does he hate us so much?” I don’t know why I’m taking the king’s dislike personally. He is the Seelie king. I was told the Seelie were different to the fae I had been warned about in my human village, and that they believed in nature and light and helping others develop and grow. What I have seen from King Rex is the opposite. He is exactly like I imagined when I feared the fae.

Blaise sighs, and I lift my head to watch him. Glancing towards the guards, he seems checks that they cannot hear us and leans closer to the room, as close as he can get without physically crossing the border. “A human killed his wife, Alaric’s mother.”

Oh. Well that explains a lot. My heart aches for Alaric at losing someone so close to him in this way, and I can understand the hatred the king feels towards my race. It doesn’t give him an excuse to hurt me, though, when I am completely innocent. Painting all humans with the same brush is wrong. I learned myself that not all fae are the evil monsters I was taught growing up. As a king, I would expect him to have more of an open mind. He is obviously able to see the benefits of working with humans if he allowed Alaric to arrange a treaty with them. Perhaps it is having me here, in his court and bonded to his son, that enhanced his negative feelings towards me.

The comment Alaric made about making sure no one knew about our bond until he spoke to his father makes perfect sense now. I can only imagine the fallout that would have caused. This is clearly a taboo topic judging by the way Blaise whispered to me, so I don’t dig any further into that line of questioning. Besides, that tells me all I need to know about King Rex. Alaric allowed his grief to lead him in creating a treaty with the humans, whereas the king allowed his to turn sour inside him, wanting to be rid of us instead.

Stretching my arms above me, I groan at the stiffness in my limbs. I shuffle off the bed and walk a small circuit of the room, working out the aches and pains. Walking around does seem to help, it’s just a shame I have such a small space to do it in. Seeing as Blaise has nothing better to do than sit with me down here, now is the perfect time to ask the questions that have been burning in the back of my mind.

“Blaise, how do you dissolve a mate bond?”

From his wince, I get the impression I’m not going to like the answer.

“You can’t.” All of the fight leaves his body. “The only way to break a bond is to kill one of the bonded.”

That must be why Alaric became so frenzied when Rex mentioned dissolving our bond—the king was threatening my life. Like the uneducated human I am, I was completely clueless, assuming he was discussing something like the divorces we have back in the human realm. An icy chill moves through my veins, draining all my hopes of living a new life here with Alaric. How can such a perfect, beautiful place be run by someone so cruel?

“King Rex wants to kill me?” Voice small and tentative, I know my emotions are seeping into my words, but I can’t seem to break from my low mood.

Hearing the pain in my voice Blaise pushes away from the wall and turns to face me, sitting in the doorway with a frown. “He won’t. It would risk killing Alaric too, and he won’t chance that.” His promise doesn’t reassure me like I’m sure he thinks it will, not after the way the two of them fought earlier. Clearing his throat, Blaise flashes me a smile, but it doesn’t quite hit the mark. “Plus, he thinks you can help us.”

Something twinges in my mind, and I remember how the meeting ended and the reason for the sudden change in the king’s attitude towards me—butterflies. Blaise told the king I summoned them, making him realise I was worth more to him alive.

“The comment about the butterflies… What was that about, and why did Alaric look so resigned that it was brought up?”

Blaise sighs, rubbing a hand over his beard. “I will have to tell you a little about our history for you to understand. When the goddess of sunlight created the Seelie, she imbued her light and love into them, their beauty reflecting the good in their souls. The moon god was jealous of her creation so he made his own fae—the Unseelie. When he made them, they were filled with his jealousy, but mostly, the two courts lived in peace. Eventually, though, the jealousy and envy in their hearts rotted their souls, and they became twisted and evil. They attacked the Seelie Court, and a war started between the two of them. Humans were dragged into the conflict, and many were slaughtered. The gods were horrified by the destruction, and they cursed the Unseelie to punish them and keep them apart from the Seelie and helpless humans.”

I am completely engrossed in his story. Of course, I have never heard anything like this, but if their gods do exist, then it makes sense. The Unseelie were cursed by someone , so why couldn’t that be their gods? Who am I to say what does and does not exist?

“The Unseelie have their curse, and we have a promise,” he continues, his eyes gleaming with something as he focuses on me. “A promise that a being of great power will come to us and will wipe out the Unseelie for good. We would no longer have to worry about them attacking us or the human realm, or fear their curse breaking. This being was promised to arrive surrounded in butterflies and light, and that plants would grow towards her like she was sun personified.”

Looking at me expectantly, he waits for… something. Wait, is he expecting me to confirm what he’s saying? Why would I know anything about someone surrounded by butterflies?

I raise my brows and look at him like he’s crazy. “Butterflies like me. You can’t honestly think that’s me, right?” Blaise has always seemed sensible and not the type to believe nonsense, but there is no chance that I am this powerful being he spoke of.

He simply shrugs away my scoff. “It’s a legend, and stories change over time as they are retold, but essentially, yes. I think you can help us, which is why I feel awful that I mentioned it.”

Walking over to the doorway, I pause at the threshold when I see the guards tense, their hands going to their weapons in case I decide to try and leave. Having no such intentions, I take a half step back. All I wanted was to get closer to someone I trust, and surprisingly, that person right now is Blaise.

“Why do you feel awful?” I ask quietly, even though I’m aware that the guards are probably listening anyway. “And why did Alaric look so annoyed that you mentioned it?”

“If you really are the promised one, then the king will never let you go, not until every last Unseelie is wiped out.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, Blaise looks torn. “Alaric knows this and was trying to protect you from him for as long as possible. However, I could see where the king was going, and I knew I had to say something to give you more time.”

Now that I know the king threatened my life, I can understand why Blaise revealed the information about the butterflies. I still don’t believe I am this person they have been waiting for, but even if it’s not true, Blaise is right, it gives me more time. The king won’t kill me if he thinks I might be of use to him.

If I stay here, I could wipe out a whole race, and if I don’t, I will be taken to the Unseelie Court and their curse will be broken, freeing them from the forest and putting my people in danger. It is an impossible situation, and I have no idea what is going to happen next.

My fingers play with the bottom of my skirt, needing something to do. My anxiety is not particularly subtle, so I am not surprised that Blaise is watching me with a worried frown.

“You saved my life in the forest, and for that, I promise to protect you. I will do everything I can to help you. You have my word.”

He’s going to make me cry if he keeps talking like that, and if I start, I am worried I might never stop, my fragile heart one act of kindness away from shattering. Things are too serious, and I need to change the subject quickly. Clearing my throat, I give him my best look of mock horror. “Please don’t tell me you’re in love with me too!” The effect is somewhat ineffective thanks to the quiver in my voice, but it has the desired outcome nonetheless.

Blaise lets out a full belly laugh, falling back on his heels in his shock. While much of his humour is at my expense, I can’t help but smile as I watch him, warmth filling my chest and briefly chasing away the melancholy that took up residence when I was separated from Alaric.

Some of his usual cheeky spark has appeared in his eyes as he flashes me a grin. “Don’t worry, Iris, I may like you, but there’s no need to worry about unwanted advances from me.” He gets to his feet, still shaking his head with amusement at the idea he might be in love with me. His expression shifts and his posture changes, his shoulders drooping in resignation. I already know what he’s about to say, I can just sense it coming. He’s leaving. It was going to happen sooner or later, since he couldn’t stay with me all the time.

“I have to leave now, but I will be back soon,” he promises with a false smile, gesturing towards the comfortable couch and bookshelf. “Stay here, rest, and we will figure this all out.”

I appreciate his attempts to make it sound like this is only a minor issue that will be worked out easily, even if we both know otherwise. He doesn’t want to go, and honestly, I don’t want him to, but I am not going to let my insecurities and fear stop him from doing what’s needed. My lips tug up into a small, understanding smile, and I nod in the hopes it eases his guilt.

“Okay, make sure you see the healer,” I tell him, nodding towards his mostly healed injury. “Stay safe.”

His body becomes still, and his eyes widen. He looks… surprised that I care enough to want him to be safe. Is it because of who we are, and he never expected a human to care for him? Maybe he never expected anyone other than Alaric to care for him. Blaise always gives off the impression that nothing ever gets to him, but I think that is a shield to hide his true feelings.

His eyes soften, the tension in his face easing as he looks over me fondly. “You too, Iris,” he replies genuinely with a smile. Without another word, he turns and walks away, not looking back as he strides from the caverns. He is almost out of sight now, but his chuckle echoes back to me as he leaves, and I know exactly what he’s thinking about, putting a smile back on my own face.