“What’s the prophecy?” I held up a hand. “And before you ask, the Winter Prick mentioned it.”
Firo chuckled. “Winter Prick, that’s a good one. The prophecy, predicted by a Summer Court Fae, says a human princess will be the only one who can kill the Winter King thus bringing balance back to the faerie realm. The reason we know for sure it’s you, is because the seer saw your face and drew your exact likeness. Winter doesn’t know your face. But one of ours, Helios, who you saw take the scepter months ago, knew the drawing. He recognized you, and brought us the good news. Summer Court has been waiting four hundred years for you to be born.”
I had a hard time believing all this. They’d been waiting hundreds of years for me? “So why all the games? Why not tell me this weeks ago? And if Astaroth Nightfrost, the Winter King’s son, suspected I could be the one to kill his father, why didn’t he kill me? He had the chance.”
“That I do not know,” Firo answered. “As far as keeping you in the dark, we had to see if you were ready. But it’s clear your powers have manifested and you proved you can fight.”
“And you’re recruiting for your family?”
Firo’s eyes flicked to the boys and then back to me. “Recruiting you.”
“No,” Zyacus cut in. “She’s not going anywhere with you.”
“Let me do a little explaining,” Firo said slowly. “Winter sees humans as only a way to steal magic and produce half-Fae babies. A Fae woman might produce a child once in a thousand years. They cannot reproduce like human women. The high Fae lords like to have lots of children in their courts; it’s another power thing. During the blood moon the faerie realm and the human realm collide which causes all the calamities.
“On the night of the ritual, the last day of the blood moon, many of the Fae lords will come to choose their brides and steal magic. Stealing magic extends their power and youthfulness.” Placing his hands behind his back Firo’s gaze grew serious. “If you agree to come with us to kill the Winter King, we will help you stop them. And you will need our help.”
Stepping closer, Aric asked, “Why should Visteal bother to kill this Winter King for you? We can take care of this problem on our own. We know it’s coming so we can prepare for it.”
“This man you spoke of who remembers the last time, did he tell you about glamour? Did he tell you about how the Fae can control your minds and those left won’t even remember what happened or that those taken ever existed? Those who slipped through the glamour magic aren’t believed by the majority.
“You don’t know how to fight against that. Without us, on the last day of the blood moon, Winter will take your women and murder your men for their magic and there is nothing you can do about it.”
My stomach began to churn. He was right. Nimblewatt said no one believed him. King Enden hadn’t believed me. My vision showed them here. And I had no way of knowing how to fight against Fae glamour magic without their help. “Why can’t I kill the Winter King the night of the rituals? Why would I need to go to the faerie realm?”
“He won’t leave faerie. He’s been locked deep within the Winter Court for hundreds of years, since the prophecy came about. It’s Astaroth who does his dirty work.”
“Ugh this isn’t just a red moon that causes famine and other problems here,” I said as everything settled into my mind. “It’s a cursed Fae moon.”
Firo nodded. “Yes, and during this time ancient magic that runs in certain families can unlock in everyone. It’s why the Hesstian Prince is a wolf shifter and why your extensive magical power is growing.”
“And once the faerie moon passes?” Zyacus asked.
“Sorry, you’re stuck with the fur and tail, Prince,” Firo answered as if it weren’t a big deal.
Zyacus let a low growl rumble in his throat.
Buzzing with anxiety I ran my hands through my hair and began pacing. If I went to the faerie realm could I come back? He’d said the two realms only collide during the blood moon every five hundred years. I didn’t want to be trapped there. And if the Winter King stayed deep within his kingdom, how could I even get to him? What if the prophecy was wrong? What if they had the wrong girl?
While I paced in misery, Zyacus said, “Here’s what I don’t understand. If your kind can travel through portals, we saw a Fae man months ago before this,” he pointed at the moon, “so the winter prince and others can come any time it would seem, why wait for the blood moon?”
Out of the corner of my eye Firo watched me. He looked worried. Perhaps worried I wouldn’t help them. Worried we’d risk fighting the ritual on our own. But how could I be so selfish? If I could save countless people from a fight or being stolen away or murdered for their magic, how could I not take this deal?
Folding his arms, Firo said, “It’s the only time the magic siphoning ritual can happen. And they choose new brides every five hundred years because most of their previous women are dead or can no longer bear children. The blood moon also makes the marriage binding magic stronger so the women never leave. They are drawn to their Fae lords through the magic even when the glamour wears off.”
“Wait,” I snapped my head to look at him. “If Helios came to retrieve the scepter then your court must have paid them to attack
