“Are you alright, my lady?” he asked, concern knitted across his brow.
But Caelian could only nod, because she worried that if she opened her mouth again, she would spill every secret she held close. Like the fact that she never loved her mother. Or that she was terrified her magic would never fully return. Or that no matter how many times she told herself otherwise, she would never truly get over Kjeld.
Morwyn paused, turning slowly to face them both. Understanding shadowed the brilliance of her brown eyes, and she cupped Caelian’s cheek with one slender hand.
“It is the way of the Myrkwild,” she stated calmly, as though that explained everything. “Only truth can be spoken here. Our attunement to nature, to the world around us, aligns the thoughts of our minds with the desires of our hearts. There is no room for deceit, only pure and open honesty.”
Behind her, Caelian sensed Kjeld stiffen.
“You mean…are you implying that we cannot lie?” His voice was gruff. Gravelly. Strained for reasons Caelian did not understand.
“Correct.” Morwyn arched a brow, the corner of her mouth tugging into a knowing smirk. “Though you can try if you’d like.”
Kjeld shifted the satchel of dragon eggs from one shoulder to the other. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
Morwyn gestured to Caelian. “Tell me she is not beautiful.”
Kjeld opened his mouth, then snapped it shut. He worked his jaw, dragging his thumb across the scar cutting through his bottom lip. “She is…”
His frown deepened as he tried to form the words.
“She is…not….” He dropped his gaze, staring at the scuffed toes of his boots. “She is more beautiful than any living thing to ever walk the realms. She is brighter than the stars. More ethereal than the moon. And Iyearnfor her.”
It was interesting, Caelian thought, to hear someone compliment her with such utter contempt.
“If you’d excuse me,” he muttered, storming past them.
“Your room is on the next level,” Morwyn called after him, trying but failing to keep the smile from her voice. “Second door on the left.”
Then she continued climbing the steps, and Caelian followed.
“We shall deal with your surly dragon rider later, since his mind and his heart seem to be at odds with one another.” They reached the fourth floor just in time to hear a door click shut, and Morwyn showed Caelian to the room next to Kjeld’s. “However, I am keen to hear this story about your mother. You said she was a Druid, is that right?”
“Yes.” Caelian leaned against the ornate door with a flowering tree carved into its surface. “But I worry something was amiss. When she was exposed, when the truth of her nature was finally revealed, it was as though a thousand lifetimes caught up to her all at once. She aged right before our eyes, withering away to ash and dust until there was nothing left of her.”
Something in Morwyn’s expression changed. Lines of concern crinkled across brows, deepening with each passing second. Her mouth pulled tight and the warmth in her brown eyes was shadowed, overtaken by calculated apprehension. She clasped her hands together, her gaze sliding up and down theopen-air walkway, making certain no one else was around before continuing their conversation.
“What you speak of, Caelian, is the worst kind of offense a Druid can commit. A crime against the natural world.” Morwyn leaned close, the intensity of her gaze causing Caelian to shift her weight from one foot to the other. “The magic of a Druid is bound to the earth. When we use our power for all that is good, it’s reflected in our outward appearance. But there are those who seek more out of selfish reasons. They corrupt the magic, twisting it, poisoning it for their own means. And when they do, their greed is shown to the world in the form of decrepit rot, a true measure of the foulness tainting their souls.”
Caelian let Morwyn’s words sink in, rolling them over in the quiet of her mind, fitting them into place like the pieces of a puzzle. “My mother was unkind. She berated me and my siblings. She murdered my father and tried to frame my brother’s new wife for committing the offense. There is no doubt in my mind that she was polluted, and I would very much like to find out why.”
She dropped her voice to a steady whisper, preparing to speak another truth, one she’d kept to herself for quite some time. Her nerves frayed and she fiddled with her skirts, rubbing the fabric between her fingers until it wrinkled. Queen Elowyn shared Morwyn’s face. They bore the same surname. Caelian’s conclusion was too precise to ignore. Queen Elowyn could not be fae. She was a Druid.
“But I do not believe she was working alone.” Caelian worried her bottom lip, debating how to proceed. “In fact, I think she had help. Our queen…there is something unsettling about her, and it is too coincidental to ignore the fact that she was my mother’s oldest and dearest friend.”
Queen Elowyn’s intentions often plagued Caelian. She’d been willing to consider breaking the mating bond between Novaliseand Asher. She was threatened by Drake, though who wouldn’t be intimidated by a god of shadow and prophecy? Especially when they had something to hide. Her magic was pitiful at best, she protected Aeramere from intruders by a flimsy veil of glamour and had done nothing to stop the attack on Novalise’s wedding. If the rumors were true, and Prince Aspen did plan to overthrow his mother, then Caelian was in full support of him.
Because no Queen of Aeramere should ever be unable to protect their realm, and with the rise of foul magic seeping into the land, she had proven herself most unworthy of the crown.
“Your queen…” Morwyn pursed her lips, then canted her head to the side. “What is her name?”
Caelian blew out a low, shuddering breath, unsure of the outcome that would await her. Her pulse fired, spiraling into a wild beat as a needle of dread pierced her spine.
At that exact moment, Kjeld burst out of his room, his eyes sharp and focused entirely on her. “What’s wrong?”
Nothingwas on the tip of her tongue, but instead Caelian opened her mouth and the truth flowed freely. “I was about to tell Morwyn that she looks exactly like Queen Elowyn Willowblade.”
Morwyn gasped, pressing her hand to her chest, gripping the bronze handle of the door for support. Her eyes went wide and her complexion faded.
