It was nothing that could be seen with the naked eye, but the scent of fresh morning air travelled into my lungs, and I gasped. He brought his lips back to mine, kissing me with an urgency that made my thoughts swirl around like a hurricane.
Hewas my mate.
All these decades of being close to each other, but never truly understanding the depth of our connection.
It’s always been him. . .
A sharp pain hit my stomach and I cried out.
“Moira!”
He slipped off me and put his hand on my stomach.
I sat up, my heart racing and bent over, crying out as the pain intensified. “Magic.” I huffed.
“What’s wrong with your magic?”
Digging my nails into his arm, I grunted, “It’s Olivia.”
His heated expression turned stony. Suddenly, my dress was back to where it should be and I was in Tallis’s arms, shooting through the sky. I held on to him tightly as he flew to my open window. He hovered above it until we were sure only the pixies were in the room.
They were crying.
He flew us inside.
There on the bed laid Olivia back in pixie form, bleeding from her stomach.
“Moira!” Anna cried, and I ran to her side, the pain in my stomach gone.
“What happened?” My hands shook as I reached for Olivia and gently placed a finger on her forehead. She was burning up.
“The king came in here asking you a bunch of strange questions.” Anna flew over to a pail of water and took out a wet rag then brought it over to Olivia to gently lay it across the pixie’s hot head. “Everything went chaotic then ... he wasn’t himself. He accused you of killing Bianca and then . . .”
Tallis said eyed me with a worried expression. If the witches told him the truth, I wasn’t safe. “Stay here. Don’t leave. Where’s the king now?”
“Storming through the castle,” Anna said. “He saw Olivia transform. He’s looking for you, Moira. If he finds you, I don’t know what he’ll do.”
“I’ll be fine. Tallis, find him. I will stay here and do everything I can to help Olivia.”
He nodded and flew out the window.
I looked at Olivia who bled out on my blankets. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”
She cried and grabbed hold of my hand. Her sisters flew closer. “We can take her somewhere. Maybe the priestesses can help.”
“There’s too much blood,” Ella said and placed a brown salve on the wound that made Olivia scream. “I’ll try and do everything I can to stop the bleeding.”
“This was my fault. I should never have made Olivia pretend to be me.” I was losing a part of myself. Another person I cared for in danger of dying right before my eyes. I bent over and kissed the top of Olivia’s head.
Ella sprinkled silver dust across Olivia’s body, whispering. The magical powder sunk into Olivia’s body and her face relaxed. “That should help ease the pain.”
I need to end this.
He will not hurt anyone else.
“Stay here.” I went to my dresser and grabbed my moon blade and shoved it into my cloak.
“Where are you going?” Anna flew to the bookcase, a meager attempt to block me.
