I frowned. “Well, that was never an option for me anyway, right? Those from the House of Ash and Shadow don’t go there.”
They all shared a look then, and one by one, they nodded.
“Because you need to know what you are giving up, I am going to impart information into your mind. You will know the true history of your kind, all at once.”
My chest heaved as I anticipated a feeling similar to when I’d shared Solana’s memories with her; it was overwhelming, but this was also just history. What did that mean? What “true” history did I not know? Were some people of the House of Ash and Shadow allowed into the Realm of Eternity?
“This might hurt a little,” the man said.
The fae simply pointed at me, and a massive headache formed in my skull. I gasped as a wealth of information was dumped into my brain as if I’d just read a hundred books.
In the beginning, there were only two Houses. The third was created by fae. My people were experimented on and given dark powers they were never meant to have: unnatural fire, destructive magic, curses, and plagues. A tear rolled down my cheek as I processed everything. The experiment had unintended consequences, and my ancestors started to go mad.To control the damage done, the other royal families voted to slaughter them. When they died, they were taken to a new place, the Realm of Rebirth, and given a chance at a new life, one without magic. Except, that new magicless life didn’t appeal to most of them. They couldn’t live without power, and they grew thirsty for it. So they learned how to get around the system. They fed on blood of living fae with magic and siphoned power from them, creating what they are today, Nightlings. Abominations in the eyes of creation.
A single tear slipped down my cheek.
I now knew about the Bottomless Pit and how the souls who chose to become Nightlings by feeding on blood were tossed there upon death and basically wiped out of existence. It’s the place I would go when I died, having never proven that I could live a magicless life and withstand the urge to steal power from another and use dark magic.
My chest heaved as I processed this supernatural dumping of so much knowledge at once. I glanced down at Ariyon, who was still screaming and trying to get my attention.
That’s what he meant when he said it was his family’s fault I was this way. The Maddens were the leaders of this dark idea, the ones who led the experiments on my ancestors. How funny that my people were the victims at first and yet eventually became the perpetrators of violence.
But just as I thought it, the knowledge of why became available to me: the Banes and others who were subjects of the experiments had volunteered. They wanted more power, and they didn’t care how they got it. They’d given consent and now had to live with the consequences.
I gave Ariyon and Yanric a small smile to let them know I was okay, and then I looked up to face the Quorum.
“I understand. Thank you,” I told them. “I’m okay with losing my second life. Just let Ariyon go home.”
The fae woman seemed slightly surprised by my answer but nodded curtly. Then she stepped forward. “Very well, Fallon Bane. Your request is granted.”
Ariyon was sucked into the water then, and Yanric flew up into the air to avoid it. I screamed as the Quorum let go of whatever power was holding me in the air and I plunged into the water, taking in a huge mouthful and then trying to cough it out. My lungs burned as the water entered my mouth, suffocating me. Yanric dove into the water, pecking at my hair and fingers trying to pull me up, but blackness danced at the edges of my vision as my body jerked.
I looked around the water frantically but couldn’t find Ariyon. And then it hit me.
I’m dying. They are taking the second life from me right now.They’re killing it.
If I had another fifty years to live, I wouldn’t have minded ending everything after and not getting to live forever, even in the beautiful afterlife that I had read about in books that the Realm of Eternity offered. But knowing I would die before a year would pass caused an ache to form in my chest.
A feeling of emptiness suddenly smacked into my stomach, as if an unseen force was pulling the second life from my body. A gloomy, sickening sensation replaced it, like there was suddenly more room inside my body and my dark magic was expanding to fill the space. In that fleeting moment, I heard Emmeric saying my dark powers would overtake me once I gave up my second life. That premonition felt true in that moment, but I didn’t have any time to wallow in the thought—the blackness took me, enveloping every part of my soul, until there was nothing left.
TWENTY-ONE
FALLON
My eyes snapped open, and I gasped for air, rolling onto my side and coughing out a mouthful of water.
“Fallon,” Ariyon breathed, rubbing small circles on my arms. My throat and lungs burned like I’d ingested fire.
“You can touch her?” Solana’s voice cut through my confusion, and Ariyon’s hands froze on my exposed upper arms. “Since when?” she asked, a trace of accusation in her tone.
I sat up slowly, taking stock of the room around me. Ariyon and I were covered in water, as was Yanric, who hopped over to be near me. Solana and her Royal Guard lover were standing above us in the same dining room I’d saved his life in. He looked worried but unharmed.
“Since now,” I lied, after Ariyon was quiet for too long. “Must be a side effect of us changing powers.”
Her eyes narrowed, but she nodded, softening a little. “I can’t thank you enough for saving them both, Fallon.” She bowed lightly to me, which was unheard of for a queen. Pride unfurled in my chest at her humble acknowledgment.
I nodded, giving her a weak smile and a head bow of my own.
With Ariyon’s help, I got to my feet, swaying a little. The cut on my arm was healing, and I realized it was because Ariyon was feeding me magic.
