Lifelong imprisonment.
Oh, my gods, I was so fucking selfish. I’d just been crowned Queen, and in my first five minutes, I should have ordered Indra to free Mara. What was wrong with me?
“Mara, shit. I forgot.” I rubbed my temples. “When we get back, I’ll order Indra to free you.”
She gave me a sad smile. “The cuffs are life bound. They only come off in the event of my death.”
What the fuck?
Indra made cuffs that powerful? And I merely kicked her out of the Tree of Life home but let her continue to waltz around Faerie? Some Queen I was turning out to be. That was seriously messed up. And she’d made two more pairs for Liam and me!
Okay, new plan. Find the crystals and then lock Indra up with a pair of her own cuffs. She was clearly more dangerous than I thought.
The second Jasper clicked into a seat, the room spun.
“Phoenix,” Mara called out when we stopped.
I jumped up as Elle groaned. “I’m hungry.”
I looked back at my bestie. “Go to Mara’s and make dinner. I’ll be fine.”
Mara snorted. “Dinner? It’s breakfast time.”
Shit, it was? We’d left with Liam to get the Sword of Night, and then the crystals were taken, and I hadn’t stopped moving since. Time was hazy. I was so damned tired but determined.
“Why don’t you make us some food? I’ll go with Lily,” Trissa told Elle, who had become our group’s unofficial cook.
Elle looked wearily at me, but I nodded. “Go.”
As she opened the door to Mara’s house, we stepped out into the desert of Arizona.
Jasper scowled at the barren patch of land. “I hate the desert.”
“You hate everything.” I waved him off.
After placing my feet on the dirt and getting nothing, I felt desperation claw at my chest.
Where the hell were they?!
“New Mexico,” I barked to Mara when we got back into her office. But there was nothing there either.
I clipped back into the seat and mumbled, “Utah,” as my eyes closed involuntarily before snapping awake.
Mara and Trissa shared a look. “Lily, I think it’s best if we sleep a few hours—”
“No!” Tears pricked at my vision. “He has them. We have to get them back.” The tears rolled onto my cheeks, and my chest tightened with emotion. Everyone was counting on me, I had to find them. I had to wake the Queen.
“I don’t do crying,” Jasper announced and left the room, disappearing into Mara’s house.
Trissa kneeled before me. “I’ve seen your mom in the same shape. She was no good exhausted and hungry. Eat some food; get some rest, and we will hit the ground running tomorrow.”
I sighed.
Maybe she was right. Did sleep affect my seeker power? Maybe it did or it could.
“Okay,” I mumbled, wiping my eyes.
Mara brought us back to Faerie, and I stumbled out the blue door, relieved when I saw that I was in my childhood home.
