“They’re gone? All of them?”
Uncle Gabriel nodded. “The royal fleet is on the lookout, but I doubt they will be found. They have now openly shown their allegiance to Morgana and Lucian.”
I couldn’t help the smile spreading across my bruised face. I was glad Damien and all the Blackwaters had finally shown their true colors, but the guilt over what I had done was overwhelming me, and I had to talk about it.
“I am so sorry about what I did, Uncle Gabriel,” I blurted out, “but I couldn’t let Snow die. I couldn’t! I had to do something. I didn’t know Lilith would come back like that.”
Uncle Gabriel listened to me quietly and then said, “I think you’d better tell me everything, young lady. Start from the beginning, and do not leave anything out.”
I recounted everything that had happened to me that horrific night: meeting Morgana, the fear I felt, the anger about what she did to my parents, the voice in my head, Snow, everything except Leticia’s role in the whole thing.
I had finally decided that, since she was going to be Rafe’s wife and Rafe would never go back on his vow to his mother—even if he hated the person he was married to—I didn’t want him to spend his life hating his wife because of what she did to me. Technically, it wasn’t her who let the Shadow Guard into the palace; it was Damien who had the magic, and it was Damien who openly hated me. So I resolved to say nothing. In any case, Leticia without Damien and his magic was harmless. Still mean, but harmless.
Uncle Gabriel patiently listened to me. His face looked troubled, but he didn’t interrupt. Finally he spoke. “I understand why you did what you did, Aurora, but I hope you now realize that all actions always have consequences. And the greater your power, the greater your duty to do the right thing.”
“The voice told me there would be a price to pay,” I said quietly, hanging my head in shame, “but I didn’t listen.”
“Yes,” Uncle Gabriel’s azure eyes narrowed. “Now, about this voice. Has it ever spoken to you before that night?”
I shook my head. “No, only when I was nearly killed by Morgana.”
“Well, I am glad the voice helped you. Nevertheless, you must be very careful. We don’t know who it is.”
I raised an eyebrow. “He has only helped me so far.” I don’t know why I trusted the voice, but strangely enough, I did.
“Yes, but if the voice speaks to you again, I want to know immediately,” said Uncle Gabriel, giving me a stern look. “We don’t know who or what we are dealing with, and we must always be on our guard. With Lilith back, our chances of defeating Morgana have become even less.”
“Why?” What had I done now?
“Because Lilith is half demon, she is immortal,” said Uncle Gabriel. “That is why she was able to return. She is still weak in her wraith form. She needs a host, but she will easily find some poor soul who will not be able to resist her powers. She will use their magic to strengthen herself.”
I sat up straighter in my bed. “But that means that she could be anyone!”
Uncle Gabriel nodded. “Yes, although she will keep changing bodies until she finds the one that suits her purposes. She needs the body of someone with powerful magic. That’s why she attacked you in the ruins. She thought she could take over your body and your magic. But whatever power lies within you did not allow it.” His eyes narrowed as he assessed me. “You may have escaped the Dark Queen’s clutches, but she will not stop until she finds a body with magic powerful enough to suit her purpose. She cannot be stopped without harming the person she possesses.”
I gasped. “So how will we know where she is?”
“We cannot possibly know for sure, but Lilith is hungry for power, and Morgana is her daughter,” said Uncle Gabriel. “It would be safe to presume that Lilith will join her daughter and assist her in her quest to rule the seven kingdoms. Lilith’s immortal demon magic will be a great asset to Morgana.”
What had I done? Instead of helping, I had made matters worse. I had to do something. This was my mess, and I was the one who should clean it up. “There must be a way to stop Lilith and Morgana.” I tried to think of something, but my mind came up blank.
“There might be,” Uncle Gabriel thought for a moment before going on, “but the answers we need are not to be found here. We must journey at the earliest to Elfi and meet with Izadora. You must learn the true extent of your magic. The old magic of the fae is the only thing that can help us now.”
“Then we will leave right away.” I tried to be brave, but all I wanted to do was sleep for a week.
Uncle Gabriel smiled. “You have gone through a prolonged and horrific ordeal, Aurora. You will rest for a few days until your wounds have healed completely. The journey to Elfi is long and arduous, and I would have you at your full strength.”
He got up to leave. “Rest now. You have been very brave, and I am astonished at what you have achieved in such a short time. Your parents would have been very proud to see the young fae-mage you have become.” Uncle Gabriel left the room and shut the door.
I smiled, happy tears pooling in my eyes and threatening to spill as I contemplated the rest of my life. I was no longer the scared little girl who was dragged through the tapestry in Redstone Manor. I had changed and grown up, finally accepting who I was and what my place was in this world. I was the true
