“But I’m the queen—I have to protect this realm!” I tried to wriggle free, but Chase, with his werewolf strength, had an iron grip.
I would have considered using magic on him, but when he’d become my director of security I’d outfitted him with every anti-magic charm, potion, and talisman I could find. The guy was practically a walking anti-magic blanket.
I looked back at the magic barrier and saw it tremble. The ground shook, and the wall started collapsing inward. “No!”
Chase heeled Fax, and the gelding took off, the night mares effortlessly surging around him.
The sun stallion was a blazing spot of light in the endless stretch of the Night Realm, as he fearlessly galloped on, illuminating everything around us.
We rode for what felt like forever, and the whole time the barrier shrunk behind us, giving up land to the toxic air on the other side of the barrier, which incinerated what little life remained in the realm.
We passed the ruined skeleton of a cabin—marked out by timbers, a half-caved in roof, and a door that hung off its hinges.
When the barrier passed over it and the toxic air on the other side touched it, it turned to dust and caved in.
I was crying by the time we stopped, my heart breaking.
I failed. We lost land—so muchland.
I watched in misery as the ward finally ground to a halt behind us, the wall once again strong and bright.
But it didn’t matter. The realm hadn’t just lost a bit of land. The diameter of the barrier had shrunk horribly, and we’d lostacresof the realm.
I slipped off Fax’s back once Chase let me go and was only vaguely aware that Lord Linus circled around us, riding Twilight.
My knees gave out, and I sat down on the ground hard.
“I couldn’t stop it,” I whispered. “I was supposed to—Ihaveto. And I couldn’t stop it. I couldn’t do anything.”
“Leila, this isn’t your fault.” Lord Linus knelt in front of me. “The degradation of the Night Realm has been going on for decades—you can’t expect to come in and in a matter of months be able to hold up the wards!”
I slowly shook my head. “It doesn’t matter how much I practice. I’ll never be able to stop it. I’m not powerful enough, and my artifact won’t work for me.” I turned to the night mares, who were all ringed around us. “Why did you choose me? You should have chosen someone who could havestoppedthis!”
Chase dismounted Fax and stood near Lord Linus and me. “Yes, she’s unharmed—but she’s upset. Tell Rigel, and come as soon as you can,” he rumbled into his phone.
I shook my head, unable to reckon with this ugly truth.
I’d been daring enough to take on the Night Court. I was crazy enough to think I could one day outmaneuver the other Courts before I died of old age. But this…there was no escaping the bitter truth.
I’d never be able to save the Night Realm. No amount of scheming and plotting could.
I was going to fail at the most important part of my duties.
Lord Linus gently touched my shoulder. “Leila?”
I tipped forward, slumping against Lord Linus.
He smoothed my hair and rocked me slightly. “It’s okay, Leila. You did great. You’re an amazing queen,” he said.
I shut my eyes, holding in tears that made my face burn.No. I’m not any kind of queen at all.
* * *
Late that night,I sat in my bedroom, rolling my prism back and forth across my palms.
My alarm clock read 2:58 am. I’d said my goodnights to Skye and Indigo sometime around midnight—they’d spent the majority of the day with me, trying to encourage me after I’d gotten back from the Night Realm.
But my initial estimation hadn’t been off. According to my aides and officials, this was the largest land shrinkage the Night Realm had seen in fifty years.
