Our? What did she mean by this?
I stared in horror at the human mage who infiltrated our world and began destroying it from the inside out.
“The initial attack on Valdor was well underway before you granted me access to the Inner Kingdom, Seamus. It began before the first human inhabitants set foot onto Valdor’s shores,” Minaeve continued. “Don’t give yourself more credit than you deserve, High Prince of Aelius.”
“The wilt,” Daxton snarled, rising to his feet, Valencia once more clutched in his hand. “You’re responsible for the wilt? How?”
“Dark magic,” Minaeve answered, her shadows beginning to pool at her feet. “True power comes with a sacrifice sealed in blood, the magically gifted blood of my mother and father.”
“You murdered your parents to obtain dark blood-magic?” I asked, barely able to fathom the act.
“Yes,” Minaeve said. “Our mother, Serena, killed by my brother, was a human blessed with elemental magic, like many from our homeland. But our father, William, whose death came by my hand, bound not just one but two souls to our cause. You see, our father wasn’t only gifted with elemental magic. He was also bonded to a guardian of earth and sky—a dragon.”
Gods, no.
Dragons were virtuous, magical creatures of legend that once thrived in our lands. However, centuries ago, they vanished, migrating east over the vast open seas, never to be seen again. Sacrificing the life of a dragon was unfathomable, and the magic obtained from such a sacrifice was…
“Why?” I asked, unable to keep the question locked inside.
“Silver Prince,” Minaeve purred, her crimson painted lips parting in a wicked smile. “I’m disappointed I never got to experience that silver tongue for myself. Your brother’s, however, was ever so delightful.”
I snarled, baring my teeth as I raised my swords.
“You managed to steal the Heart, but our people locked you inside our lands with the veil,” Daxton said,his voice laced with icy fury. “Even with most of the shifters fighting on the mainland, here, you were outnumbered without your allies across the sea and your other magic wielders to aid you in battle.”
I took in a sharp breath, remembering what happened. It was Daxton who rallied and united the three High Fae realms of the Inner Kingdom in one final effort against the humans. They were united under the leadership of the prince who was promised.
Daxton was, no, he is ourHigh King.
“Yes, a tragic turn of events, but fortune smiled upon our cause. The knowledge about Arabella’s treasured memory stones was a well-guarded secret that a royal from the Aelius court willingly shared,” Minaeve said with a sickening grin. “After I obtained the stones, it was easy to amplify their magic with the Heart of Valdor and steal the memories of who and what I was.”
“It’s… It’s all my fault.” Seamus fell forward, the weight of his actions threatening to tear him apart. “She invaded my mind after she deceived me and siphoned my magic. I-I can’t believe I doomed us all.” Seamus paused, disgust and guilt consuming him. He swallowed a heavy breath and forced himself to turn and gaze at my brother. “I’m… I’m so sorry,myking.”
“Not quite, cousin,” Anjani sneered, appearing from her illusion as she walked to Minaeve’s side.
“Anjani!” Seamus rasped, the betrayal of his kin cutting him deeper than any blade across his skin. “You… You knew about this? Why?”
“Their power is irrefutable, cousin. Unmatched,”Anjani declared, her arrogance radiating like a badge of honor.“I’ve stood by Minaeve’s side since she siphoned from your father, when she promised me dominion over the Inner Kingdom in exchange for my loyalty. At last, I’ll claim what is rightfully mine,” she added, her smirk twisting my insides with its cold certainty.
“You started this war and created the wilt as a by-product of your dark magic that devoured our world!” Daxton roared, stepping to Seamus’s side. “For what? Power? Selfish greed?”
The other High Fae surrounding us began to right themselves. Shaw and Zola raced toward our position through the growing crowd, skidding to a halt on the outskirts of our standoff.
Minaeve’s glare darted to Shaw. “You… filthy shifters.”
Shaw refused to flinch as he met Minaeve’s daggered stare.
“Their alpha,” Daxton whispered, piecing the events together.
“Yes, theiralpha,” Minaeve growled. “Everything was working flawlessly, but their alpha somehow surpassed the magic of the memory stone.”
“And stole back the Heart,” I muttered. “The alpha surrendered his life to protect the stone, and thus, the magic of his sacrifice bore life to the trials.” With perhaps a dash of divine intervention from the Mother and Father above.
“With only a shifter worthy enough to unlock its power,” Shaw said. “Our alpha.”
“What was given before must be willingly given again,” Minaeve said.
“You knew she would die!” Daxton snarled. His brows pinched as his body shuddered, fighting to control his rage.
