“Guards, stand down,” Ahren commands, Deimos and Luther moving to his side and drawing their blades. Their mother, along with the councilmen, recoil to the rear of the stage. But no one listens… They are under Jasion’s control now.
Fear lifts the hairs on my arms. This is going to turn into a bloodbath.
“It didn’t have to be this way,” his father says. “But maybe this is what this kingdom needs. A clean slate and a new beginning. A new king in charge.”
“Father! This has nothing to do with you,” Ahren snarls.
But with a single whistle from Jasion, the guards charge, attacking anyone in their way—Shadow and Ash Court alike—as they carve their way toward us.
The screams are ear-shattering, and dread shakes me at the core. Instinct and panic take over, and I race down the aisle to my mother as she runs to me. Fear tightens her face even as she hurls her arm outward, a blast of power colliding into a guard coming for her, tossing him into the hoard of soldiers. She gasps and slows down suddenly. I take her arm.
“I’m not as strong as I once was,” she says amid the chaos.
“We need to get you out of here,” I shout, grasping my mother’s hand, drawing her toward the stage while my three princes and Michae leap into battle alongside the Ash Court guards.
Screams and chaos spread like wildfire. The clang of metal resonates, while fear strangles my heart.
And there it is. As soon as something good is about to happen, the universe says, Fuck you!
The air thickens with hatred and death so fast it leaves my head spinning.
“Your Majesty,” I address the princes’ mother. “Stay close. I’m going to get you both out of here.”
I’m shaking furiously as I call to the power inside me. I stare at the palm with shards of ruby inside. Please work.
“I’m Queen Sarey,” my mother says to the queen, who looks torn, her eyes glinting with tears. “This isn’t the best circumstance for us to meet, but please know I have always held the highest respect for you.”
“Oh? Did you respect me when you were sleeping with my husband?” she spits while more people run onto the stage, crying.
Shit, this isn’t the time for this.
“After Guendolyn, we stopped seeing each other. He truly loved you,” my mother explains, stretching her hands out to the queen. “I wish I would have come to you earlier and explained it all.”
But I don’t have time for this.
Just as I realize I’ve lost track of where my princes are in the fight, Luther is tossed across the floor, blood streaking his cheek. Jasion throws a ball of energy at the guards standing in his way, while the princes’ father pushes a woman out of his path so can he reach the stage faster.
My pulse is a raging storm. Ramond is at the edge of the stage, looking like he’s attempting a spell on the battle, except mages need the proper ingredients to empower their magic. Whatever he does will be weak, but at least he’s trying. Near him sits the fairy in the cage. And a better idea comes to me.
I lunge for the cage and fumble with the door, opening it. The fairy flutters out instantly, its wings wide and beautiful.
“Please will you help me?” I cry out, outstretching my hand that has the ruby embedded.
As if understanding, it flutters and lands on my wrist.
The princes’ mother gasps from behind me. “You have the power of the fairies?”
“Yes,” my mother explains. “Just like my ancestors. This is why she is the rightful heir to not only the Shadow Court throne, but the Ash Court throne as well. You don’t have to like it, but deep down inside, you know it’s right.”
The princes’ father charges onto the stage, pushing others aside and coming at me so fast I don’t react quickly enough. His fist finds the side of my face, and I see stars as I fall backward with a thump.
Wings flutter in my face, and a hissing fills my ears.
“You will ruin everything,” he snarls. His shadow towers over me, and I open my eyes as the fairy flings itself to his face, scratching and biting him. He bats at the fairy like a lunatic.
My mother throws her arms toward him, and the fairy flings away from him in that same moment.
An explosion of air punches the old fae in the chest, and he’s hurled across the room where he slams into a pillar. He groans and slumps to the ground, and I do a small cheer on the inside.
My mother stumbles on her feet as if suddenly exhausted, barely catching her breath. The queen of Shadow Court catches her around the waist. “I have you.”
I get to my feet, trying my best to ignore the pain flaring down my face like it’s on fire and concentrate instead.
“Take everyone as far back in the corner as you can.” I gesture the queens toward the part of the stage where the gutless councilmen hide like rats. My mother helps keep everyone together behind me, as far from the danger as possible.
The fairy returns to my outstretched wrist once more. The battle spreads to my left, guards against guards, princes, and some of the guests who’ve harnessed knives to fight against the possessed soldiers.
I can’t see Jasion anywhere, but I don’t have time for that right now.
Energy flares down my arms and I lift the fairy closer to my face. It mimics me, and we both blow a breath onto our palms. Blue haze spills past my lips.
“Fairies,” I whisper, and my little friend makes a sound that sounds very close to Eirian.
In
