The door unlocks as soon as I place my palm on it, revealing a beautiful living room filled with plush white couches and oversized chairs facing a magnificent stone fireplace. The hardwood floors carry throughout the living room and down a hallway.
We continue through the wing, passing a kitchen, bathroom, and a small training center fitted with free weights. There’s also a small office, the bookshelves filled with books on the art of war, the history of our government, and a variety of novels.
Elle sees me eyeing the spines and says, “I’m going to assume your father’s reading interests are a little different from yours. Just give Ivan a list of whatever you need, and our librarian will collect them for you.”
In addition to the primary bedroom, there’s a guest bedroom with an attached bathroom. The primary bedroom is beautiful, of course. White trim contrasts against the dark hardwood floors and the deep royal blue paint on the walls. It’s dark but tranquil. The natural light filtering in through the window keeps the room light.
The attached bathroom is the bathroom of my dreams, complete with indoor plumbing that connects to a claw-foot tub and a waterfall spout attached to the ceiling. Both the tub and shower face an open wall, and leafy branches extend over the bathtub like a canopy. Just like the library downstairs, it feels like the bathroom is an extension of the forest.
“This is…wow,” I say. “Won’t people be able to see me in the shower?”
She shakes her head. “The barrier is spelled so that you can see out, but nobody can see in.”
Despite her words, I can’t help but shake the eerie feeling that someone can see inside, that someone is out there watching me, ready to strike, just like they did with my father and my sister.
Chapter 5
As promised, Ivan is waitingfor us in the library after lunch. After thanking Elle for showing me my wing, Ivan leads me back to his office.
“So, my aunt is a High Fae Princess, right?” I blurt the moment Ivan sits in his chair.
What I don’t say is: Tell me more about how the only mother figure I ever knew lied to me for decades and is secretly the heir to the fallen Fae Kingdom.
He nods curtly and meets my eyes before responding. “Yes. A powerful one. Both she and your mother are daughters of the most powerful High Fae King and Queen in our kingdom’s history.”
Shock rolls through me as I question the life I thought I knew.
My mother was a Fae Princess, my father was just murdered and was the High King, and my aunt is the heir to the Fae Kingdom. I refrain from snorting at how crazy that all sounds.
“But yes, you’re right. Willa, who is still technically a princess, would be next in line for the throne should the throne ever be restored. And she’d be a damn powerful Fae queen. When we heard their kingdom had fallen, we were all stunned. Even though the Fae’s numbers have been dwindling over the last century, they’re still a ruthless people. For the witches to have taken down an entire court of High Fae, especially considering their wells of power…We’re just lucky they didn’t decide to attack us next.” He shakes his head in silence, as if banishing the thought of the havoc the witches would wreak on our own kingdom.
“The Fae are ruthless?” I ask. “Willa’s always been nice.”
But that’s not true. Not always, at least. When I was younger, I remember the darkness in her eyes whenever I’d ask about my parents. I was ten the last time I asked her about them.
“Willa, who’s my dad?” I asked, after watching a father and his daughter walk past us. Willa’s mood instantly dampened. To this day, I swear I saw shadows form in the room for a moment. “I don’t know, Mae. Do not ask me again. Do you understand?” I nodded, shame rising at her harsh tone.
I never asked her again.
Ivan, utterly oblivious to my lack of attention, continues, “Fae tradition is that all males and females are trained with their magical abilities and their physical abilities from a young age. Everyone, particularly the High Fae, is bred to be vicious.”
“Ivan,” I say abruptly. “You said you reached out to Willa, right? About my dad wanting to meet me?”
He runs a hand through his hair. “Yes. I tried contacting her several times, actually. Your father was desperate to be involved in your life but didn’t want to violate any boundaries. We contacted her a few times with offers to help, whether that was financially or as an active role in your life. She only responded once. The letter said that neither of you wanted to be involved with your father. Your father wanted to respect your wishes, so we stopped.”
Except, those weren’t my wishes.
“How old was I?”
“Six.”
So maybe she is a little more like the Fae than I thought.
Despite this, I have no doubt that she loves me. I’ve never had any reason to question that. Even without parents, I had a happy childhood. I felt loved and cared for, which is more than many can say. But learning all of this is like a punch to the gut. It feels like a massive betrayal.
Why wouldn’t she tell me any of this? Powerful High Fae and Princess to the Fae throne? High Fae warrior? Why didn’t she teach me about my magic? Why didn’t she prepare me for any of this? Something like anger begins to crystalize, hardening around my heart.
“I didn’t know any of that. She never told me,” I say quietly. “So, she knows who my father is…She’s known all along?”
