“I have been given a second chance, a mate who is truly my match. I am at peace.” He says smiling, “Thank you, my King.”
“Do not thank me yet, Duncan. My sister made a choice to leave the Vale, but she did it to protect us all. My place is here with my Queen, and our people. I would ask that you find your Shadow King and warn him. Tell him that we know what is coming and are preparing for war.”
“Why me?” Duncan asks, but he already knows the answer.
“I do not know who to trust, Duncan. You have proven your loyalty, by returning here. Will you help us?” The Fae King asks.
Duncan drops to his knees before his king and offers his sword, “My sword is yours to command,” he swears.
Samantha watches as Duncan leaves to meet the King. The sound of a child’s laughter rings out and she turns smiling to watch the Fae Queen greet the child. The love they have for her is obvious, she has taught them of the human world and has learned about the magical realms of the Fae from them.
She decides to join the Queen near the water fountain. Caderyn smiles as Samantha joins them, “When I joined the Vale, I created this magical feature to take the place of the gazing globe that caused such fear. I wanted to create new memories with our people. Water flowing represents a cleansing and the children love to play near it. Through it, we can get glimpses of the other Fae realms. The Fairies, Pixies, and more. It was a way of uniting all people as spirits of the world, rather than individual races.”
“It is lovely,” Sam says reaching out she touches the water and the vision slips in quietly.
She sees a very pregnant Caderyn holding Jazmin’s newborn son. Caderyn is laughing as the baby she carries kicks against the additional pressure.
“Alright little one, demanding aren’t you!” Caderyn says slipping the baby off her belly and up to her shoulder. She presses a kiss against his cheek as Jazmin watches smiling. They are standing near the fountain when the water begins to darken. Subtle at first, no one notices until the water fountain begins to rain blood.
From inside the falls, Samantha sees a shape appear and it lunges at the Queen holding the newborn child. Caderyn screams, spinning away to protect the baby and the dagger sinks deeply into her back. The Queen’s screams of pain causes a panic and chaos ensues.
Caderyn is shocked when Samantha’s head falls back, and her eyes glow bright white. She rushes forward, grabs her hand and sees. The Fae Queen reaches out drawing on the magic of her people, and her mate. She freezes the vision and rewinds it, stopping at the moment the dagger emerges from the waterfall.
King Drake feels her pain, panic and feels her pulling on his power. He immediately joins her feeding his power into her. Her power builds and Ariana lets him take over. He freezes the flow of the water and grabs the hand jerking the shadow into the light.
He tosses the betrayer to the ground, wet and stunned at their feet. He is a Fae guardsman but twisted and corrupted. Gone are his beautiful Fae features, and his eyes glow red like a demons, but his teeth truly give him away. They are vampiric and he has a taste for blood. At the King’s command, they release the vision and Duncan grabs Samantha pulling her back. The Queen joins hands with her King. They now know where the threat is coming from. Bastian grabs the dagger from the guardsman and offers it to the Queen.
She looks at the betrayer with pity in her eyes, “Why would you betray our people this way?” she asks.
“My people!” Spittle drips from his fangs. “You will never be our Queen! They will never accept you, HUMAN!” He rises up to his full height powerful and hungry. “We have created a new race, with stronger blood lines than that of a weak, nothing human,” he spits at her. Caderyn looks around and watches as her people turn their backs on the betrayer.
The King smiles at him, “Wrong answer!” He takes the iron dagger and plunges it into his heart. The blade does not harm him as expected.
Instead, he laughs, “Is that it, my King?” He seizes Drakes’ hand and jerks him close “I will drain you dry while your wife watches, then I will taste her human blood!” Drake is surprised by the strength and speed of this creature. He leans close with his teeth lengthening and whispers, “There is an army of my brothers and sisters massing to destroy you.”
“Good to know,” Drake says and shoots to the sky, dragging the betrayer with him. He calls on the power of the sun, fighting to hold the creature who knows his time is at an end. Caderyn pools her power and creates a solar flare, firing it straight at them.
King Drake drops him and spins away, shielded by his wife. The explosion is beautiful to watch. There is nothing left but dust on the winds.
He rockets back to the ground, “Any who wish to leave the Vale, do so now or join him in his punishment!” He picks up the blade and stares at the black blood on it.
Caderyn watches with a heavy heart. Her hand rests on the baby growing protected inside of her and she wonders if she will be able to keep it safe. “Drake, look…” she points.
They stare stunned as some of the Fae moves towards the wall and step through. Caderyn reaches out and grasps his hand as he pulls her closer. Bastian moves to surround the King and Queen with his soldiers. The Fae watch as some
