Chapter Twenty-two
Asteria
I satin stunned silence as my mother finished explaining what had happened leading up to my birth.
“What happened after that?” Calix questioned her. “How did she get from being spirited away by your lady to having her magic locked away and wearing a human facade?”
I looked at him gratefully. My mind was going in a thousand directions, and I was trying not to cry as my mother explained the agonizing experience of sending her baby away.
“That ties back to the Oracle,” Aurelia responded quietly. “She had handed me a spell, and upon looking into it, we knew it would suppress anything magical about Asteria. Making her, in effect, human. The gods made it clear she must be hidden, and that she would have a great destiny to fulfill one day. I had faith that she would eventually break the spell, even if I had no idea how.”
She smiled at me, and I struggled to figure out how to feel about that, but there was another question that still needed answering. “How did I end up with my parents?”
At Aurelia’s wince, I hastily added, “The ones who raised me.”
“They were chosen in advance.” Aurelia sighed, rubbing a delicate hand over her eyes. “We needed people who lived as far from Day as possible. If we tried to hide you within the kingdom, people could potentially make the connection. Out of sight, out of mind was much better for your safety. So Odelina searched for human families in Sunrise and Sunset. The couple she found was unable to have children.”
I sucked in a sharp breath, remembering how my mother referred to me as their miracle. They’d given up hope of having a child of their own until I was born. My heart broke for them, knowing it never truly happened.
“I knew they would care for you as best a human could.” Aurelia sniffled, looking miserable for a moment, before she pulled herself back together. “I just wanted you to be as safe and happy as possible.”
She paused, closing her eyes momentarily. “Even if it wasn’t with me.”
I let out a breath, collapsing back into my chair. Calix’s hand found mine and squeezed. I clung to it, thankful once more for his support.
“We’ve been preparing in the meantime.” Arien began, looking at me intently. “We knew when you did return to us, we’d have to move quickly, as Father would likely also find out.” Aurelia nodded decisively in agreement.
“I began the work early, turning those in the court I could to our side,” she informed us, making my eyebrows rise, but before I could open my mouth, she continued. “Arien is your General.” She looked fondly at my brother, who straightened slightly. “He’s been preparing all his life to lead your armies when the time came.”
“Lead my armies?” I echoed, stupefied.
Arien nodded slightly. “Of course. War is inevitable. Day will be torn down the middle, and we’ll have to fight to take over the kingdom and install you as queen.”
“This is much larger than just Day Kingdom,” Calix rumbled from beside me, glaring at him. “Cyrus is allied with Aelius, and he will stop at nothing to get Asteria back.”
“That will not happen,” Arien growled. “We will protect her.”
“I will protectmyself,”I interjected firmly before the two males, who both saw me as theirs in some way, could come to blows. “But Calix is right. The balance of Celesterra is at stake. Cyrus is using blood magic and killing humans to fuel it. He has to be stopped. And I will not stop until all of the humans throughout Celesterra are free.”
Aurelia scoffed, looking at me in a way that caused a flush of anger to run through me, like I was a child that didn’t know any better. “That will never happen, my love. I know you probably feel some sort of kinship with the humans, but?—”
“Kinship?” I snarled, leaning my hands on the table and rising from my chair. Aurelia leaned back, looking like I’d slapped her. “Iwashuman. All my life.”
Aurelia opened her mouth, but I continued before she could. “And don’t you dare say I wasn’t ever human. In all the ways that matter, I was. I was raised human, completely powerless. I was aslave. Forced into submission to Fae masters who controlled my life. I was used, forced into acts I would never have consented to, made to watch as innocents were brutally killed. I lived with rage over my circumstances all my life, dreaming of one day escaping to freedom. I will not allow other humans to keep experiencing that misery.”
Dead silence followed my statement, but I could feel Calix’s pride as I sat back down.
“We’ve only planned for a war within Day, but it sounds like you have much greater plans,” Arien said calmly, his eyes carrying a trace of pride themselves. I smiled slightly at him, and he returned it while Aurelia sat up straighter in her chair.
“Yes, Calix, please,” my birth mother drawled. “I’m dying to hear about this scheme of yours.”
I narrowed my eyes at her. She seemed so different at this moment. A haughty Fae queen as opposed to the loving and devastated mother. Which was the real her? I didn’t know her well enough to say, and it made me wary.
Calix’s frustration burned within me, and I reached over to lay a hand on his thigh, letting him know I was with him.
“We have been working to free humans for years, taking them out of the worst kingdoms when we could,” he explained, watching Arien closely. “We were careful not to upset the balance. We knew the corrupt leaders in those kingdoms were hurting the balance badly enough as it was. Now, with Cyrus escalating, we are working to gain additional allies.”
“We’re planning to go to Sunrise after this. We have an invitation to talk with them and hopefully convince them to side with us against Dusk.” I told them, and Arien’s brow rose before they creased, a contemplative look crossing his face.
