16. ELEVEN
ELEVEN
Thorn
"I’mgoingtoneed the hailtz crystal.” I spilled the truth to my brother as we sat at the meeting table, just the two of us.
He’d been quick to accept my private meeting, as he usually was. Birch may have been a wild younger brother, but he was also smart and caring. He had more positive qualities than I’d ever realized.
Worry gnawed at my gut for leaving Wren, especially with her battling the dark magic, but this was a priority too—even if I hated to be away from her. The Supernatural Council had confirmed the humans had the relic, and that was just as much of a danger as the dark magic.
The others could probably handle her. Maybe… I had never seen Wren act so rashly before, and while I knew it was due to the effects of the dark magic and was unnatural—it was still painful to see.
“You know, Father said we should never use that.” Birch adjusted the crown on his head a little clumsily.
“I know what Father said, and I’m inclined to agree with him.” I held up my hand and formed ice crystals that swirled around it as I tried to focus. “But this is our only choice. The relic has been recovered by the humans, and if they can figure out how to channel all that energy to us, then there’s going to be a lot of problems within Kalista. Not to mention, we have fae brethren that live there.”
“Is that the only way we can destroy the relic?” He rubbed his jaw, looking much more mature than he had just a couple of months ago.
Reconnecting with Adele and his son had made him grow. Not to mention, him becoming king.
“If there was another option, I would go that route, but we don’t have another option.”
His gaze faltered, and he sighed. “Are you planning on using the crystal to extract the dark magic from Wren?”
I shook my head, bitterness rising in my throat. “As much as I would love to dispel the dark magic from her, that crystal also drains the life force, not just magical energy. I would never risk that with her.”
“Yeah, no, I was just trying to think of something. Bad suggestion.” He winced.
“Yeah, we all are. Nothing we can think of will work.”
“How’s everyone doing? How’s she acting?” He rubbed his jaw, but the worry was clear in his eyes. Adele and Wren got along great, and Birch had taken a liking to her as well. The entire kingdom did.
“She’s rash and blunt, very blunt.” I adjusted the ornament in my hair with a frown. “But we’ve found a way to ground her when she gets out of control.”
“I’m sorry, Thorn. I’m sure you guys will figure it out. Grounding her is at least something.”
“Kian has been forcing visions, but so far, the only way to remove it from her is by rebonding her with her rejected mate and letting him die.”
Even then, we weren’t sure if the dark magic would die with him. Kian could never see past Grayson’s death.
Distress pulled at my heart. We needed our mate.
“I trust you. You’re my brother. If you want to get the crystal, I will not mention this to anybody, but I don’t feel comfortable with sending a fae team. I don’t think anyone else needs to know where it is.”
“I absolutely agree with you. I was thinking that myself and Wren, maybe some more of her mates would get it.”
He nodded. “I won’t mention this to Father, but please make sure to return the crystal back to the cave when you are finished with it.”
“If the relic doesn’t destroy it first, I will.”
I knew as King of the Ice and Fire Kingdom that this was a big deal for him to do.
“Speaking of the crystals, Adele told me what the special crystal was in the Fire Kingdom.” He wriggled his brows at me.
We’d wondered for so long what the other kingdoms’ crystals were, and we would play spies as kids to infiltrate the royal family and find out. Of course, we never did. “What does it do?”
He gave a dry chuckle. “It consumes a fae’s affinity and replaces it with fire.”
“So that would be no help to us.” I gave a strained nod.
“As long as the Fire Kingdom doesn’t get any crazy ideas about making all of the fae fire fae, then we should be fine,” he murmured before running a hand over his face. “Adele found a journal with her mother’s plans. The former fire Queen had one of the crystals with intent to use it, but Adele found it and hid it. The plan was that Nate was going to have one at that battle between the humans and the supernatural at the academy. His target was you.”
My chest tightened. I knew Nate was power hungry and crazy, but to replace a fae’s affinity was mad.
“I thought you should know.” He stood up and dusted off his cape. “I hope the dark magic can be cleansed from your mate. If I can do anything to help, brother, just say so.”
My power subsided as I got to my feet and nodded. “I’ll keep that in mind, but allowing me to get the crystal is a big help.”
“I also wanted to mention that Madison sent in a letter of complaint about Wren against the royal family.”
I scoffed, anger boiling inside of me. “Are you kidding me?”
“No. It says that Wren spoke down to her in a very improper manner void of class.” Birch chuckled, waving a hand back and forth. “Don’t worry. I already threw it out. But I just wanted you to be aware that she seems like a scorned woman.”
“Wren has been the only one on my mind since I was young, even if I had a lapse of judgment as a teenager.”
His gaze softened. “I know more about lapses of judgment than anyone, but Madison’s had it in her mind that you were hers since you were betrothed as children.”
“That’s ridiculous.” The air around me froze.
“I’m just trying to tell you that I don’t think she has any malicious intent other than being a problem with you and Wren. I don’t think she’s evil or anything.”
“Well, that’s malicious enough to me,” I grumbled. “I do not want her to attend any more parties within the kingdom that are for the royals.”
“She is of noble blood,” Birch reminded me. “Forsaking her with the kingdom would be to forsake her whole family.”
My jaw tensed. “Then warn her first of this. Let her family know as well, and if she does anything else to my mate or me, forsake her.”
“Of course, brother. I’ll draw up the letter and have it sent immediately.” He bowed his head in respect.
I smiled as I did the same, watching his gaze widen as he looked up. “You’re doing a really good job as king, Birch.”
“That means a lot coming from you.”
“Keep it up.” I winked before phasing out of the castle toward the fae portal, hoping the Fates knew what they were doing with my mate.