Did she ever.
Cora came to a stop next to a rectangular, chestnut-colored door that dwarfed me. “I’m human, or well, I was. I grew up human in England. I was twenty-one when Conan found me. He brought me here, and I went through my Fae maturity when my birthday hit. But there was a scandal before Luz reclaimed her place. The prior King—Roark’s grandfather—ordered a group of his most devout followers to impregnate human women.” Cora’s lips straightened. “It should have been impossible. Only mates can have children. That’s why it doesn’t surprise me a darkling was involved. That was how mate bonds were forced.”
Sabine had mentioned admiring Roark’s grandfather. It all made sense now. She’d gotten the idea of forcing a meld through him.
“But you have to have the actual mate’s blood for a darkling to mimic the bond…” I trailed off.
“Exactly,” she said grimly. “As soon as Luz found out, she sent Conan to search for half-breeds. His ability is tracking, and it narrowed in on me. It was pure luck that he found me because his ability only tells him the general location of his target. Conan says it was the color of my eyes that told him I was a part Fae.”
Half-breed. Humans that came from a Fae and human joining that wasn’t supposed to be possible. That’s what me and the girls I’d been captured alongside were. I looked closer at her eyes. Interesting. I’d thought they were blue at first glance, but when I leaned closer, the color swirled with purple. A color I’d never seen in a human gaze.
“A darkling was also how Roark and Sabine hunted us down,” I said.
“They’re abominations. Luz would have nothing to do with them. Their price is too steep.” Cora shook her head, a grim expression on her face. “I was lucky to have hit Fae maturity before magic was bound. Or else I would have had to live out a human life and died,” she said morosely. “Just as your ancestors did.”
“Why would the king do that?”
Cora huffed, and her nose wrinkled. “He enjoyed experimenting. Mix that with being power-hungry, he was willing to do anything to exert his strength over others. His magic was persuasion, and with a darkling at his side, he managed to fool everyone into thinking he had the essence.”
“What?”
“The essence is what makes you Queen or King. It’s ultimate power.”
I shivered. That didn’t sound scary… Not. What the hell was inside me? As if answering me, the feeling ballooned under my skin. It was…something… aching to escape. I shook off the tingles and forced it down.
“Luz was and had always been Queen after her grandfather died. She’d been named Heir before his death. But the drawback to the essence is that it takes a long time to tame. She would have been powerless against him, so she bid her time until she had control of her abilities to reclaim her status.” That sounded an awful lot like how Roark had waited to make his move on Luz. The parallels were scary.
I swallowed hard. It had taken Luz years to get control of her abilities. What did that mean for me? What exactly was I looking forward to when—no, if I unbound magic? What if I never managed to figure out how to? I rubbed my stiff shoulder.
Cora caught my hand and clasped it within hers. “Roark was always a volatile man, and he became colder as each decade passed. I’m not sure why I heard such pain in your voice when you asked of him, but please be careful. He had everyone fooled. Rian infiltrated his and Sabine’s plans, and what he reported back was a Fae bent on revenge, one who was willing to do anything to be king.” There was an answering dip in my stomach. She released me and waved to the door. “This is your room, but if you don’t like it, there are plenty of others that you can choose from.” I mumbled my thanks, and she smiled in response. “I’ll leave you to it. I must see to Conan. It was truly wonderful to meet you, Rae.”
I turned away from Cora but paused as the words registered. A small spark of hope ignited inside of me.
“Wait.” I whirled around. “Since Conan is Luz’s brother, shouldn’t he be the King? That’s how linage works, doesn’t it?”
Her smile turned sympathetic and understanding. I imagined that was what a mothering smile would look like. “Adoptive brother, but even if he was blood, it would not be him. Fae have a different system in naming Heirs. Luz made her wishes clear in giving you the essence. You’re the only chance we have.” A hint of desperation broke through her serene expression, and my throat tightened.
Everyone was relying on magic to be freed—relying on me. The pressure around my brain intensified. Unable to give her anything more than a tight smile, I nodded quickly, my eyes flicking to the ground. I gripped the doorknob with a sweaty hand.
“Oh, Rae,” she said, and I looked up. “Don’t go out alone. If you want to go anywhere, let Tyran, Conan, or me know, and we will escort you.”
“Why?” That sounded like I was a prisoner.
She hesitated before she answered. “It wouldn’t be safe.” Her eyes flashed before she turned away.
I watched her light-colored clothing until she disappeared completely from sight. I pushed open the door, itching to slide into bed. My eyes were raspy and tired even though my body was fine. It was my racing thoughts
