“That’s ridiculous; we all are capable of good or bad, Bastian. Only the gift of free will or choice makes us unique. It’s a struggle everyone, human and immortal surely must face,” she says indignantly.
Bastian stares at her in shock. “We have much to learn about each other.”
His mate is amazing, even if she’s human. He leans over and kisses her on the mouth, feeling pride at her intelligence, “Still, we have to get to the crypt; I believe the key is the Fae King’s soul.”
Chapter 10
“Drake, tell me where you are. I need you,” she demands. Standing outside the house that she used to call home, Caderyn reaches for him. She feels a fluttering in her mind as if he is far away. He fades, and she must save him. Once she believed love was a fairytale for children or the hopeless. Now, she knows that life without love is pointless. Power rushes through her body, and she smiles. It is amazing!
“You will answer me, my King,” she orders. When she takes a step onto the driveway, she feels Drake panic; he knows what she’s doing now. “Nooo! Caderyn, turn around! You do not know what he is capable of! You will listen to your King!”
“You are bossy! It will be okay, trust me, Drake. We will be together soon.” She breaks off from him and uses her magic to shield him from what is coming. Caderyn is more than human now, thanks to her gift from the Queen. “It’s the only way,” she tells herself as she opens the side door to the yard. The greenhouse is her destination. The fairy garden is on the workbench where she left it. When she returned from Fairy Mary’s cottage, all the excitement distracted Caderyn. Now, she looks more closely at each piece, hoping to find a clue from the Fae Queen.
Rearranging the pieces, she begins to see the full story. The gazing globe would’ve been in the center of the garden. Next, the Fairy Queen stands beside the globe and around her different fairy’s watch. She sets the pieces aside which she remembers choosing and finds four pieces she did not choose. This is what she was looking for. The first is a Fairy with red hair, the second is an Angel, the third is a dark-haired Fairy Queen, and the final, a male fairy holding a green hummingbird in his hand.
“The moment my wife faded, and the Vale disappeared, he came to me,” his voice says from behind her.
Caderyn pushes the male fairy deep into the soil and slowly turns around, expecting a monster but finds a beautiful blonde Fae instead. He is tall and muscular with brilliant blue eyes. She holds up the two fairy queens. “Who came to you, Reese?” she asks quietly.
He flinches as though the sound of his name causes him pain. “You’re in danger, my Queen. It is not as you believe, I was too late to save her, but I can help you save him,” Reese says darkly.
“Where is my Drake?” Caderyn asks with flames in her now silver eyes.
“I see a fire in your eyes; would you kill to save him? Would you kill to protect him?” Reese asks, stepping closer to her.
“You ask the wrong questions of your Queen,” she responds and demands, “Did you kill to save yourself?”
Reese steps close, taking the fairy queen from her hand and side steps to the garden. “The day she killed my Wynn, we were here.” Caderyn moves closer to watch as he rearranges the pieces. “The angel should be here, hiding in the shadows. He watches from the trees. I should be here; pushed through the Vale and the Fae queen is here with Wynn. I felt her pain when the dagger pierced her soul, I longed for death. When the angel came, he offered sanctuary, freedom from the pain and loss,” he says softly touching the fairy that was his mate.
“For five hundred years I’ve waited for a chance to go home and be pardoned. I was accused of being a shadow, but it was not my darkness that was discovered, but another’s.” He picks up the dark-haired Fairy Queen and hands it to Caderyn. “I was only a pawn, to hide the truth.”
“I saw you, Reese, dragging Drake!” She says, confused.
“You saw what he wanted you to see. What they both wanted you to see? I do not have Drakes body or his soul, but I know where to find both.”
“Show me, then,” Caderyn says.
Chapter 11
Bastian and Jazmin walk inside the monastery and find a family of Nomads receiving sanctuary from the bad weather. Jazmin stays back near a wall, trying to be invisible while he speaks to the father. A little boy about nine years old looks at her and walks over. He takes something off his neck and offers it to her. She looks at him and smiles, “Thank you, what is this for?” Looking down at a hand carved turtle on a chord.
“It is good luck, the turtle symbolizes eternity, and they are a protection to ward off evil spirits,” he says proudly.
“Did you make this?” she asks quietly.
“Yes, my family made the turtles that guard the monastery. Now we sell these to tourists.” Trying to impress her he says, “Underneath one of the turtles is a special tunnel that leads all the way to the palace.”
Shock flows through Jazmin’s body; this is exactly what they need! “Thank you, I’m afraid I have no money, though. She takes off her bracelet; it is a sterling silver
