Finally, she saw the golden brilliance of Rylo’s wings as he gracefully touched the ground, the others immediately moving to let him pass. The indolent expression on his face didn’t give his thoughts away as he tsked before saying, “Now Morgan. I thought I made it clear that you’d be punished for attempting to return to your realm. Selene, bring her to the Tower of Teeth.”
Morgan could hear her sister screaming in protest as she was wrapped into the arms of the woman and sent skyward.
The flight to the Tower of Teeth was short, just beyond the other side of the canyon and Selene didn’t seem inclined to talk as they flew there. That was fine with Morgan. She didn’t want to talk either. She didn’t want to do anything but curl in around herself and be left alone. There was no way that was happening now that she was sent to Rylo’s prison. They landed on the roof and were met by guards wearing leather armor and armed with long, sharp blades.
“This is King Rylo’s wayward witch,” Selene said. “I’ll be handling her situation.”
The guards let them pass without question. “What is he going to do to me here?” Morgan asked, smelling the metallic tinge of blood in the air.
Selene didn’t speak as she led her to a room draped in darkness. “Sit,” she ordered and Morgan didn’t hesitate to heed her command. Fear crept over her as the fae reached a hand out and touched Morgan’s scarred cheek. “Hold still. This will not take long.”
A searing pain ripped through Morgan as the woman seemed to protrude into her very soul. Images of her life flashed before her like a movie and all the feelings she’d ever had before streamed through her in a burning, overwhelming rush. A life of diligence, of being a good student and employee, of always working hard for what she had. A childhood filled with happiness and peace, but always the feeling of needing to work hard to be good enough, to be perfect.
Selene continued to dig into Morgan’s soul, searching for something until it seemed she found it. Buried so deep inside Morgan that she didn’t even know where it had rooted itself in, was a growing kernel of darkness. Morgan felt Selene poke at the darkness until it felt like it would burst. She continued to scratch and prod at it until the darkness began to seep out and Morgan felt those twisting, coiling shadows circle the room. With it came a wave of jealousy. Never feeling good enough. Never being able to give enough, to work hard enough. Morgan screamed and the sound seemed to carry on forever, but Selene continued to scrape at that bitter darkness in Morgan’s soul until a gleaming light poured from it. The light seemed to burn Selene and she flinched in pain before she removed her hand from Morgan’s face and the searing pain vanished from Morgan.
Selene panted as she recovered from using her essence to probe into Morgan’s soul. Finally she said, “I can examine a soul. Yours is… unexpected. King Rylo was right in choosing you as the witch for Nephel. While I haven’t had the opportunity to examine it as closely, your sister has the soul of a child.Youon the other hand have ambition and cunning. It’s been wasted in such a frivolous capacity in your realm, sitting in front of that human device. But here? If you reach your potential here, you will be unstoppable. Did you know this about yourself?”
Morgan could barely make out the violet eyes shining back at her in the pitch-black room, but she felt those ever-present shadows coiling around her as if protecting her from another invasion. “What are you going to do to me here? Force that darkness out of me?” Morgan asked.
Selene let out a shrewd huff. “Dear girl, that darkness isdancingaround you. No. All I believe you need is to become acquainted with your darkness.”
At that she turned, opening the door as the muted light from the hallway entered Morgan’s room. Without another word, she closed the door with a soft click. Morgan was enveloped in an ever expanding darkness.
Chapter 13
Savine
Strange rumors were circulating through the land of fae who were worn thin, as if their essence had been nearly depleted. Savine wasn’t sure if they were just rumors, or if it was a remnant of his father’s use of dark magic. Had his father been using that dark force against the Latians as well as the forest? The forest, drained of its essence like skeletons on the mountains, would forever haunt his dreams. There still hadn’t been any explanation for what Jasper had done to the trees before that final battle of the war, but Savine knew there had to be some evidence of it here in the King’s Residence.
Darby entered Savine’s office, her pale green skin flush from rushing to his call. “I heard you needed me, my King. What can I do for you?”
Savine smiled at the small fae. She still wasn’t as short as Avery, but she was petite for a fae. “First, I want to thank you for all your hard work during this transition. I know it hasn’t been easy for you.”
Darby’s face lit up with a smile. “Thank you. It’s what I’ve always dreamed of. Seeing you with the boughs and antlers on your head. Your mother would be proud.”
Savine nodded, not letting his grief over her absence get to him. “I have a few things to speak to you about. Private matters that I don’t want anyone to hear of.”
“Of course,” Darby said as Savine showed her to a set of chairs in the corner of the room. With high backs and sumptuous bison leather, they made a comfortable place to discuss daily business with Raikin or Darby. His office near the throne room was quickly beginning to feel like his own personal refuge. With a view of the city below and close proximity to the throne, Savine found himself spending most of his days in this room as he sorted through the mess of reconstructing his nation.
“Would you like me to get us anything?” Darby asked.
“If you would like a refreshment, please help yourself.” Savine pointed to the sideboard with honeyed cakes and a pitcher of water. “I don’t need anything.”
“I’m fine as well. What would you like to discuss?”
Savine fisted his hands, thinking about the memories that brimmed forth with this conversation. “Two things. First, you know I have chosen to stay in my old rooms. I want them prepared for Avery’s arrival. I’ve thought about it, and I cannot move into the king’s apartment. It–” Savine’s throat clenched as he worked to make the words come out. His father’s angry face came into his mind, himself as a frightened child, facing hisfather’s wrath in his study. “As you can assume, it holds many negative memories. No amount of redecorating will change that.”
Darby’s mouth drew tight. “Of course. I understand.”
“However, I believe Jasper was hiding something. I know he was experimenting with magic somehow, possibly even corrupting deep magic. I could feel it in the trees Avery and I healed before the final battle. Do you know what that could have been?”
Darby scowled. “There were rumors that he kept a small bone near him. How he used it, I do not know, but I believe it was said to hold dark powers that no fae should have access to. No one dared to speak out against King Jasper, so everything is just whispers in the wind.”
Savine felt a sense of dread come over him. What had driven his father to such dark magic? Was it all in the name of safeguarding his crown from Savine? Savine couldn’t fathom how Jasper had let himself be degraded to such extremes. “Would you be able to search his personal effects and see if there is any evidence to corroborate these rumors? Perhaps he left the bone here. He had to have been using something powerful to destroy the forest in such a way.”
“Of course. While we are on the subject of dark magic, I wanted to ask if you have heard the rumors of the young fae appearing with their essence nearly depleted. Do you suspect it is tied to Jasper?”
Savine pressed his thumb and forefinger to the bridge of his nose. Healing his folk from his father’s disastrous reign was a burden he always knew he’d inherit, if he survived the war. But, the day to day work was exhausting and disheartening. If it was his father who caused these fae such extreme levels of harm, what were his motives? “I suppose it could be. So far it’s only been rumors outside of Orofine, correct?”
