Night Fae by Meg Xuemei X.
Chapter 6
My parents had been missing for a while. I had dropped out of Columbia University and returned home to care for my younger siblings.
I’d never stopped looking for my parents, but even the Fae kings and their spies couldn’t locate them. And now they just popped out right in front of me like a miracle. Had they been in the Silver Circle all this time?
Tears burned my eyes. Hadn’t they known how much my siblings and I needed them and how heartbroken and afraid we’d been while they were gone?
“Why? Why didn’t you come home to us?” I asked, deep hurt shaking me.
“Evie,” Mom called, tears glinting in her warm cinnamon eyes.
Clement Greene was good-looking even in her mid-forties. She had long, elegant brows, a straight nose, and soft lips. Her wavy hazelnut hair curled around her neck. Among my siblings, Emmett and Safiya took after her.
Dad stood beside her, his hand on her trembling shoulder, lending her his strength, and Mom’s back straightened. Ganon Greene was always the cornerstone of the family. He was a fine man, athletic and tanned, as he spent many hours outdoors every day. After two months apart, salt and pepper had crept into his sideburns.
My father looked at me, his eyes the color of the autumn sky, brimming with pride. Before I could run into his arms, he took a knee before me. Mom followed suit.
“Queen Ileana,” Dad said.
“What? Dad!” I called, stopping in my tracks. At the same time, Rydstrom laid his hand on my arm to hold me back. Why was this act necessary? “Mom, Dad,” I said, my eyes burning. “You don’t kneel to me. You’ll never kneel or bow to me. You’re my parents, and you gave me everything a daughter could ever ask for.”
“We aren’t your biological parents, Princess Ileana,” Dad said. “We were entrusted as your guardians since your birth. The Seer foresaw that you were in grave danger and sought out the Silver Circle as your protector in the mortal realm. Director Jett Northton offered my wife and me the honor of caring for the rightful future queen of the Dawn Court and faerie. You’re the prophesied queen who’ll safeguard both the immortal and mortal realms.” Proud tears glinted in my father’s eyes. “You’re going to save worlds, Queen Ileana Evelina.”
“And to protect the human realm, the Silver Circle of light mages will do anything in our power to defend Queen Ileana,” said Director Northton.
“Thanks.” I nodded at Northton in gratitude before turning to my parents again. “But you didn’t need to leave us, Dad, Mom. You could have simply told me the truth instead of letting me find out the hard way.”
“I know you have many questions,” Dad said. “We’ll answer all of them in time. We stayed one step ahead of our enemies by moving around and hiding your identity, but your Turning is coming, and the ancient spells could barely conceal your power. We could no longer help you. We had to leave to push you to seek out your own path, as the Seer warned us a decade ago. We couldn’t shield you from the perilous path ahead of you anymore. It broke our hearts, but we knew it would be selfish to keep you with us. You have a bigger role than we wanted for you, but it isn’t in our hearts to take away your destiny. To help fulfill your destiny, we had to let you make your own way through pain and trials.” Sorrow traveled across his face. “I’m sorry that we had to go away for a while so you could find your path and claim your birth right. But we realized that the time for hiding was over, and only the Fae kings could keep you safe and bring forth your power during your Turning.”
“Lies!” Brigantia screeched like a banshee, startling everyone. “I won’t hear any more lies. I’m the prophesied queen who shall rule all four courts and wed all three kings!” She swept her hands through the air. “I won’t tolerate this conspiracy against me. You have no proof that this imposter is my dead sister, and my court will never accept a pretender!”
“Evelina is Princess Ileana,” a bright female voice announced clearly, and a high Fae lady who carried the scent of lavender and magnolia stepped out from behind the bar. “The true heir to the Dawn Court and the rightful future queen of all faerie. Princess Ileana is no longer lost, as she’s returned to us. I so testify as the Seer from the Court of Dawn.”
The Fae lady was willowy and beautiful. Her lilac hair framed her heart-shaped face. I recognized her right away. Lady Adele had once projected her astral image in Rydstrom’s office. She had warned him to hide me from Brigantia while I was in the middle of performing a striptease for him—at his coaxing, of course.
“Traitor!” Brigantia hissed. “You were my lady-in-waiting! You serve me! Soon you’ll suffer my wrath.”
Northton moved to stand closer to Adele, meaning to shield her.
“I never truly served you, Brigantia,” Adele said. “I hid my gift of sight from you and waited for my true queen to return.” A look of long suffering and great hope shone in her violet eyes. “I was in the royal nursing chamber when Queen Maeve gave birth to Princess Ileana. We switched the baby and smuggled out the real princess the night you stabbed your own mother to death—because Queen Maeve was about to announce her younger daughter Ileana as heir to the Dawn Court. The good, brave mages hid her well.” She turned to me, her eyes brimming with tears. “I was hoping to bring your true heritage to light after your Turning, so you’d have enough power to challenge your enemy and age to light after your Turning, so you’d have enough power to challenge your enemy and claim your rightful throne, but the fates have intervened.”
I sucked in a cold breath, knowing exactly what Lady Adele meant. The path to the throne would be piled with corpses and bones and would flow with blood. I’d been reluctant to walk down that thorny road, but nothing could stop me now.
That bitch Brigantia must die.
“You’re a bad liar, Adele,” Brigantia said with a chilling smile. “Just a few words from you and the imposter’s stupid parents meant nothing. No nobles in my court will believe your tall tale. This whole farce is but an elaborate scheme concocted by the mages and the corrupt courts.”
“I do not lie, usurper.” Adele’s musical voice carried a harsh tone. She darted a glance at the Fae kings, including the Winter King. “Princess Ileana carries the scent of Hellrose. Haven’t you all smelled it on your mate?”
A realization lit the kings’ gorgeous faces. They were too good-looking for their own good.
Baron wrapped his arm around my waist and inhaled deeply, a satisfied look settling in his bright amber eyes. “The legend says Hellrose, the rarest fairy flower, blooms for only a minute at night every other century in Elfame,” he murmured. “My mate possesses the scent of Hellrose, but I never made the connection before.”
Lady Adele had singled me out as the kings’ mate, and Baron had answered it.
The Winter King watched us silently, breathing out frost, a spark of longing, pain, and bitterness flashing in his ice-blue eyes.
Rydstrom sniffed, his nostrils flaring, then a smile broke out across his perfect face, as if he were drunk on the finest wine. The King of Nightmares didn’t smile much, and he said people trembled in his presence. I saw that they did, but when he was with me, the king was different, and I’d never met any male more doting than him.
“Only the true Fae Queen bears the natural perfume of Hellrose,” he said. “I thought Princess Ileana’s perfume was nectar to me because she’s my mate, but now I know it’s more than that. My mate is the only one who owns the scent of Hellrose because she’s the true faerie queen, once in a millennium, who will unite all the courts in Elfame. Furthermore, she’ll bring back the faded magic.”
“It is so.” Northton nodded his agreement. “And Queen Ileana was raised in the human world. She has a deep human family bond, so she’ll protect the mortal realm as well.”
“I’ll defend both realms against evil in all forms,” I vowed as my heart warmed with gratitude toward all my protectors.
“Shut. Up!” Brigantia pounded the table, rattling the glasses, plates, and mugs on it. “You lured me into a trap! Did you really think you could ambush me? I’m the supreme ruler of all lands!” She threw up her hands, inky hellfire swirling in her eyes. “Tear down the Silver Circle’s ward, Mage Sinn! Call your brethren! Call them to arms!”
She started shouting an incantation, black magic weaving around her like a plume of swirling smoke.
“Join me, my brethren!” Sinn, the dark mage, bellowed. “It’s time to show who we are!”
Five mages of the Silver Circle pushed off from wherever they were lurking and hurried to join Sinn. One dark mage stood guard while the five of them formed a circle and started chanting dark spells. Their eyes darkened to black orbs.
Black circles materialized, simmering in the air and rippling forward, until they wove into a net. As it grew rapidly, the black sheen covered half of the hall. I could feel the oily texture and foul intent of their enchantment. Once the dark spells were complete, it’d be super bad for us.
I had no need to shout “stop them!” as the light mages had rushed toward the dark mages, shouting, “Cut down the traitors!”
The light mages crashed into their dark opponents, and the Summer and Night knights collided with the Dawn guards.
A clamor broke out everywhere, and the harsh sound of clashing steel followed, then the hall became a hot mess, with spells soaring all around and raining down in purple and silver powders.
“To the king! To our king!” Drake howled.
Rydstrom lunged across the table at Brigantia, faster than a flash, a longsword appearing in his hand and sailing toward her throat. Brigantia pulled two sabers out of nowhere and slammed them into the Night King’s sword.
The king and queen whirled in a blur of movement as they thrust, parried, ducked, and lunged. Steel crashed brutally against steel, sparks flying off the blades. My evil sister was unbelievably strong and fast.
The air shuddered with the promise of bloodshed.
Rydstrom scored, the tip of his blade slashing along Brigantia’s chest. A stream of blood gushed out, tainting her white diamond gown above her breasts.
Brigantia wailed like a mad monkey, and her Fae sword hacked at him and cut into his forearm before I could shout a warning. Rydstrom kicked her and they broke apart.
With a howl, Baron leapt over the table to charge Brigantia from another angle. I grabbed my mug of steamy coffee, took a sip, as I didn’t want to waste it completely, and hurled the contents at the queen. Unfortunately, she sidestepped, too fast for my liking, and the hot coffee missed her eyes, though a small portion still splashed onto her front, further ruining her expensive gown.
It wasn’t a bad aim, but I regretted that part of the dark liquid also spattered onto Rydstrom’s dress shirt.
“Uh, sorry, Ryds,” I murmured.
Brigantia glared at me, death in her eyes, as she kicked the rosewood table toward me while fending off Rydstrom and Baron.
I glared back and shouted, “Bitch! Lie down and die!”
Rydstrom turned and sent the table flying to the side before it could bump into me. He wasted no time lunging at Brigantia, driving his blade toward the soft center of her throat. Brigantia cursed and slammed her two sabers together, blocking the Night King’s blade. Baron shot toward Brigantia’s back and swung his white blade toward her neck while Rydstrom kept her busy.
Both of my kings were keen on beheading her, and I had no problem with that kind of Fae fashion.
Brigantia tossed her head back, and then she spun away, taking her sabers with her. Rydstrom pursued with a kick, and his sword followed. Baron moved to the queen’s other side again.
I drew Netherbane and jumped over the tumbled table and broken glass, ready to join the fray. I eagerly looked for an opening to stab Brigantia in the eye. I wanted to make her suffer, as she’d made so many of her victims suffer.
The air crackled with thick electricity and smelled of ozone and sulfur and blood. I felt my skin prickle as if many tiny needles had fallen on my skin, and I spotted a black shimmer smashing into the silvery net of circles.
The dark mages’ hexes were eating up the light mages’ spells.
“Strengthen the ward!” Northton barked in fury.
He’d taken the betrayals in his own guild hard, but then it was difficult to root out every single traitor, as Brigantia’s spies had probably infiltrated every major organization.
A few Silver mages gathered around their leader. Led by Northton, they raised their hands and chanted urgently. Mom also joined the incantation.
Spells flew all over in a riot of colors and sparks. Dad moved toward me to guard me, brandishing a black sword. He was my first instructor in fencing, and I knew his every move. He was a formidable warrior; I was glad that Dad was always on my side.
A tearing sound ripped through the center of the hall, as if something horrible had torn open the fabric of the air.
“The Silver Circle’s ward is down!” Sinn shouted victoriously. “Northton, you’re going down today. Black magic triumphs! Learn this, Silver losers: black magic comes from pain and death, and death conquers all! Turn your backs on your Silver Circle and join me if you want to live.”
Some mages spat, and I didn’t blame their sentiment.
“That dude is super annoying,” I murmured with an eye-roll. “Why are all the bad guys so chatty when no one wants their opinions?”
“They’re assholes, and an opinion is like an asshole,” someone answered me.
Another clap of thunder rolled over the hall.
The ceiling tilted, the glass walls rumbled, bottles of booze plummeted from the shelves, and delicate glassware smashed onto the floor. I winced and hoped that the Silver Circle didn’t stash all the expensive bottles in the bar.
“Put back the ward! Faster!” Northton shouted while his war mages chanted frantically and flung vials of milky potion at the dark mages.
“Demonca! Darkfae!” Brigantia screamed her summons. “Rise and come to your one and only queen!”
Plumes of smoke twisted in the center of the hall where the ward had been breached, and a throng of demonca with blade-like claws and crisscrossing fangs emerged from the smoke and swarmed the place.
All hell broke loose.
