I took the hair between my fingers and slipped it into a book from the library. It was a book on fae creatures, and it would be a safe place to hide the hair in case Indra came looking for it while I was out crystal hunting. I just wasn’t ready to see the truth yet, by doing a memory spell on Indra’s hair. I’d save all of that for the Queen. I needed to get the crystals and restore Faerie.
“Wow,” Elle said. “That was… Wow.”
I sighed, slipping the book back onto the shelf. “That’s a problem that’s going to come back and bite me in the ass, no doubt.”
With a flat palm, Elle creased the page where she’d been taking notes. “I wrote everything down… except the threat to enslave her. The Queen will be up to speed when she wakes and can deal with it then.”
I nodded.
“What now?” Elle stood, everything mended between us. She was my bestie, my ‘ride or die.’
“Now we get things ready for Liam and his army.”
Elle’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”
I looked her in the eyes. “We can’t do this without them. I’m going to have to figure out a way to convince them to come back.”
Elle looked delighted at that thought, but then her face fell. “I’m sure Cam and the others would.”
My throat tightened. “But not Liam…”
My best friend nervously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I believe his last words before passing out in Kira’s arms were, ‘I won’t take charity from that vile snake Lily.’”
I winced. “I guess I deserved that.” I left him for dead… after he’d brought me a crystal and a piece of his hair as a gesture of goodwill. I’d been so wrapped up in his confession that he’d killed my mom. I didn’t really—
“It’ll be okay. He’s your soulmate.” Elle’s hand landed on my shoulder, and I gave her a sad smile. “Well, let’s get things ready anyway.”
We stepped outside, and I asked the fae to gather around. I ordered the farmers and woodworkers to build a bridge across the river, which now ran clear blue and into the forest. Binding my soul to the Tree of Life had permanently healed a small part of the once black and desolate land.
“I’ll also need twenty new huts by three days’ time and two bathhouses with running water. A larder and kitchen as well!” I barked off orders to the assembled fae. “We need to build a fence where the new spring growth meets the blackened forest to keep creatures out. Start sharpening wood spears, and place them at an angle facing outward to deter predators.”
The fae men nodded. I was going to give Liam and his men the other side of the riverbank. It was full of trees, lush green forest, and flowers now, and with new huts and a fence, it would be far superior to the soggy swamp Indra had given them. It was also their own bit of land set away from us in case Liam didn’t ever want to be near me again.
“When I’m not hunting for crystals, I’ll be here with you, helping build, helping sharpen sticks,” I told my people. I didn’t want to be a Queen who barked orders and then went inside the cool throne room to gorge on berries.
One by one, they bowed their heads to me until I cleared my throat and bid them a good day. While walking back to the Tree of Life house with Elle, she leaned into me. “You’re smashing this temp Queen thing.”
I wished I felt the same, but I didn’t. We had three crystals. The Queen was still in a coma, and now… no protective dome. I’d burned the bridge with the only people who’d offered to help us, and I had no location for the remaining crystals.
“I’m going to check on the Queen. Be ready in fifteen to go Earthside.”
Elle nodded, and we split ways, her going into town probably to check on her mother and me going into my new “home.”
Nothing really felt like home without my mom there. I was still finding my new normal since her death. Especially after seeing the ugliness in Liam’s memory.
When I knocked lightly and peeked my head into the Queen’s room, Kira was at her feet, reading a book. She was freshly showered, probably back from saving Liam. She looked up at me and closed the book.
“Hey.” I slipped inside, closing the door. “I’m… sorry for sending you off to heal Liam like that… I’m… struggling with what happen—,”
“It’s okay, Lily. You don’t need to explain to me. I think you’re doing great.”
I had to bite back tears. Everyone was being so supportive of my new role, but I felt like I was just screwing everything up.
“Any signs she’s waking up?” I asked.
Kira shook her head. “It seems that she needs more crystals to get enough power to awaken. But I have a feeling every time she got close, Indra gave her the medicine.”
I frowned. “So you think we only need like six or seven crystals to wake her?”
Kira nodded. “When we had over six, her fingers and toes would twitch, but then Indra would give her the sleeping medicine.”
Hope bloomed in my chest. “Okay, so four more crystals, and maybe she can wake up and take over?”
Kira nodded. “Gods willing.”
She closed her book and stood. “I’ll give you a moment.”
After she slipped out the door, I went to the Queen’s side and stared at her face. My gaze ran over her fair skin, upturned nose, and dark pink hair. She looked so much like my mother it hurt. Kneeling at her bedside, I took her hand in mine. It was limp and slightly cold, but I gripped it hard.
A lump suddenly formed in my throat as I recalled the memory I’d gotten from her hair. How selflessly she’d given me to my mother for safekeeping. It must have killed
