“There will be no peace treaty now,” I told her rationally. “The fae will believe that we led Warrick and King Adrien here to infiltrate their camp.”
“But we didn’t,” she protested.
“I know,” I told her, but I indicated to the wounded fae soldiers, and the others rallying to fight King Adrien. More fae were running toward us from the tents with their hands outstretched.
“They’ll manage to overcome him with their magic, and then what do you think they’ll do to us? Helping them with this will only mean we’re next in line for their latest execution. And I won’t let them harm you.”
Her mouth opened and closed like she wanted to say more but the words wouldn’t come out. Finally, she nodded, her gaze defeated.
Lifting Raine into my arms, I jogged away from the fae and the stone king, and my brothers ran around us, ready to defend. We fled across the stretch of bare land, and when we reached the cover of the forest, I peered back to see King Adrien was on the ground, a legion of fae surrounding him as he thrashed and struggled against whatever hold they had over him.
But there wasn’t any time to wait and see what else would happen. We sprinted through the trees, not slowing until we reached our camp. Because there was no stopping the battle now.
CHAPTER 29
~ Cara ~
Present day
Allright,Cara,you’vemade it to Katakin, now you might just get some answers.I mixed my bowl of oatmeal for what had to be the twentieth time, but I still didn’t eat.Or…you could die here and Raine and Father will never know what happened to you.
I sighed and put down my bowl. Four years had passed since I’d ignored Xander’s cries and walked through the portal that would take me to the fae king. Four years, and I was still questioning whether I’d made the right decision. I’d believed going to the palace and meeting the king was the only way I’d be able to find a way back to my family, but I’d soon learned the king was just as the Forgotten Fae said he was. He cared little for his kind and focused his time throwing lavish parties and building his army. I knew from the moment I stepped into his court that he was never going to let me leave. Not when he declared I was a hero and announced I was a rare “jewel” in Zalei.
At first, I was able to come to terms with my new arrangement because he allowed me to help some of the less fortunate fae, but as the years passed, he began to keep me hidden away. Healing others drained my energy, and even though my magic always replenished after resting, he became possessive. With the more frequent attacks from the Forgotten Fae leading him to become more concerned for his own well-being, he declared that my real duty should be to him, my king, and he didn’t want to share. What would happen if he needed healing, and I was unable to help?
On the bright side, I was able to visit the royal library and study many of the texts. Eventually, I was able to teach myself to create portals, even though it was forbidden. But as much as Xander had lied to me about many things, he hadn’t lied about it being nearly impossible to create a portal to an island without knowing its exact location. Every time I created a new portal, I’d strap myself with weapons and head through. Sometimes, I’d find I’d accidentally created portals to places within Zalei. Other times, from the strange surroundings or unusual animal life I encountered, it was clear I’d created portals to other worlds. Either way, the result was the same. I couldn’t find my way home.
But when the monsters visited Zalei I realized I’d been thinking about it all wrong. The Katakin monsters knew where my island wasandhow to get there. So I just had to survive this war, and hope that when I finally found my way back home it wasn’t too late. I had to hope that Raine hadn’t been chosen during the last offering…
“Lady, the king needs you,” a frantic voice interrupted my thoughts, and I turned to see Flynn had lifted the flap of my tent and was peering inside. Of all the guards King Chalir had assigned to watch me night and day, Flynn was my favorite. He never made me aware of his presence unless necessary, almost giving me the illusion of freedom.
“What is it?” I asked, jumping to my feet when I noticed a soldier standing beside him with blood splattered across his face and coating his hands.Has the battle started already?My face hardened, and I pulled my hood low as I strode to the opening of the tent. “What’s happened?”
The soldier stared at my exposed chin as I drew close, undoubtedly staring at the artwork of gems covering my skin, but then he blinked and jerked his gaze away, gesturing with his head to the camp behind him. “The king is injured. You must come quickly.”
He began leading us between the tents, and Flynn and I followed, keeping up with his brisk pace.
“The monsters came saying they wanted peace,” the soldier explained. “But instead, they unleashed a beast within our barrier. Before we could contain the stone giant, it fled the camp, but many have been wounded and killed.” Horror filled the soldier’s eyes, and fear trickled down the back of my neck.Stone giant?On my island, the elders who told stories about the Katakin monsters always spoke of how terrifying and cruel the creatures were, and in Zalei, the tales about the beasts hadn’t been any better.
I wanted to ask the soldier more about the monster, but shouting pulled my attention to a commotion up ahead. I walked faster and gasped when the scene came into view. Fae lay on the ground bleeding, some crushed and others with wounds to various places on their bodies. Tents had been destroyed, the wooden posts broken and splintered, and huge footprints were indented on the ground. I started to move toward a fae who was bleeding profusely from his chest, but the soldier who was with me lifted his arm, stopping me from moving any closer.
“The king has ordered me to bring you directly to him, lady,” the soldier explained, though his face was tight as he stared down at his wounded comrade.
I clenched my jaw, but I pivoted and followed the soldier to where King Chalir was propped on a chair outside one of the intact tents. One of the king’s personal guards stood fanning his face, and I frowned when I took note of the king’s good health besides a deep gash on his arm.
“Your highness,” I said, bowing low.
King Chalir’s eyes brightened, and he smiled. “Ah, my jewel, I was hoping you would come.”
“Of course, my king,” I replied blandly, though we both knew I didn’t have a choice. Moving forward, I inspected his arm with my gloved hands. The wound was deep, but nothing a fae couldn’t heal from in time.
Squeezing my eyes shut, I concentrated, focusing on the smoothness of my gloves against his skin, and the power building within me. In the beginning, I hadn’t used gloves, but the silky fabric made it easier to control the rate of healing. I felt the exact moment a tiny gem formed on the inside of my arm, adding to my collection. I had hundreds of them now. Countless gems covering my skin, reminders of the times when I’d healed others. In recent years, many were from times when I’d healed the king, usually from wounds he could have easily healed from naturally in time, and the thought of them covering my body made me sick.
With my work complete, I stood. “If that’s all, I shall tend to some of the other wounded,” I said softly.
Before I could step away, King Chalir grabbed my arm. I stared at where his long fingers curled around my sleeve before lifting my attention to his face.
“You are to return to your tent,” he ordered, the smile falling from his face and revealing the cold, calculated king I’d come to know. “We battle at sunlight, and I need you to be well rested.”
