Saving the Fae (Daughter of Light Book 3) Page 4

  “How will I know she’s lying?” Maybe there was a spell or something.

  Elle shrugged. “You won’t unless you catch her.”

  I relaxed a little. “Okay, so we’ll take an… official statement today, and if she’s found later to be lying…”

  Elle dragged her finger across her throat. “Off with her head.”

  Well, that was dramatic… but accurate. I needed to remember that it was her who changed my mother’s memories, and mine, to hide my true lineage. I was going to get everything on record and do things by the book. That way, when the Queen woke, she would know what had transpired.

  “Will you assist me? Give me counsel and take notes of her answers?” I asked Elle.

  She bowed deeply, mockingly in a playful way. “As you wish my liege.”

  She was enjoying this royalty thing way too much.

  There was a knock at the door. “Your guest has arrived,” Trissa’s voice called out, and I straightened my back.

  “Wait,” Elle whispered, running over to her desk and opening a small wooden box. “Kira gave this to me for safe keeping.” Pulling out my crown, she crossed the room quickly and laid it over my head.

  It was official. I was a temp Queen.

  Breathing in, I took a deep lungful of air to steady myself. “I’m ready.”

  Elle nodded curtly, her brown hair bobbing as she led the way.

  I followed Elle and Trissa into the library where Indra sat, casually reading a book. Maybe it was seeing her after a long time, or maybe it was the relaxed way in which she leafed through a book like she didn’t have a care in the world, but it pissed me off. Seeing her enraged me.

  “Thank you for coming in for questioning.” I kept my voice sharp, and she froze.

  The word ‘questioning’ had gotten her attention.

  “Tris said you wanted to ask me something…” She set the book down and looked up to meet my eyes, bowing her head the slightest bit as protocol demanded.

  Elle took a seat next to her, pulling out a pad of paper and pen. “I’m recording the date and time. Questioning Elder Indra of Summer Court,” Elle told me, and I nodded curtly.

  Indra’s eyes widened the slightest bit. “This all feels very official. Is something wrong?”

  Her gaze flicked up to my crown, and I could practically see her fighting a sneer.

  “That depends on your answers.” I remained standing, pausing for effect. “Did you know I was of royal blood before you saw my light magic display the other day?”

  She shook her head vigorously. “Of course not, child. I’m still in shock. A living heir right under our noses this whole time. It’s wonderful.”

  Bitch was a good actress, I’d give her that. But my mother would never lie to me, and her journal stated differently. I just wasn’t sure what my options were right now. The people were depending on me to lead them. Executions on the second day wouldn’t speak well of my reign.

  “Have you ever manipulated my memory?” I asked the next question, and there was a flicker of fear in her face before it was gone.

  “Memory manipulation? No, no, never.”

  I looked to Elle, who nodded, indicating she’d written it down.

  Taking a step closer to Indra, I scowled. “This next question is… more of an order.” I pulled my lips back in what I hoped was the fakest smile manageable. “I’m going to need you to release Mara from her imprisonment. She’s paid her time.”

  Silence.

  Indra’s nostrils flared and I knew she wanted to tell me that it was not up to me to decide the length of Mara’s punishment, but she cleared her throat instead. “The imprisonment is lifelong and was encoded into the magic of the cuff. It cannot be reversed.”

  Anger pulsed through my veins like hot oil. Now, it was my turn to flare my nostrils. “So… If I were to place a pair on you, let’s say accidentally, there would be no way to reverse that… accident?”

  Elle’s pen froze, stopping its movement, and Indra stayed stock still, only her wings showing she was agitated. They quivered at her back as if begging her to take flight.

  “No.” Her voice could cut glass. She stood, facing me down in a direct challenge, and I wondered if I’d gone too far. “There would not. So, I would suggest you don’t make any accidents.”

  As much as I didn’t want to believe her… it felt true. This evil woman made something permanent that couldn’t be taken away. How was she even powerful enough to do that? Freeing Mara wasn’t going to happen… and my heart plummeted at the thought.

  “Last question,” I told her. “Did you give the Queen snoozeberry juice in order to keep her in a coma?”

  No one moved, not even me. I hadn’t planned on asking her this officially, but I wanted everything recorded and ready to present to the Queen when she woke.

  Indra’s face pulled back into a snarl. “Absolutely not!”

  There was the perfect amount of emotion in her voice and splashed across her face, but I just didn’t believe her.

  “Is that all?” She crossed her arms. “You’ve taken my home, and I’d like to finish setting up my new one by the river.”

  You’ve taken my home.

  Bitch, you have no idea what you’d taken from me, I wanted to say.

  “One more thing.” I reached out, lightning-quick, and she flinched, bringing her arms up to block what she must have assumed was going to be an assault. Instead, I pulled away a strand of her long orange hair, holding it between my fingers.

  Her eyes went wide. “Did you just—”

  “We should be going.” Trissa stepped forward, hand out to usher Indra away. “You want to get everything set up today in your new place, right?”

  Indra allowed Trissa to pull her away but not before I saw the satisfying look of fear cross her face.

  I took the hair between my fingers and slipped it into a book from the library. It was a book on fae creatures, and it would be a safe place to hide the hair in case Indra came looking for it while I was out crystal hunting. I just wasn’t ready to see the truth yet, by doing a memory spell on Indra’s hair. I’d save all of that for the Queen. I needed to get the crystals and restore Faerie.

  “Wow,” Elle said. “That was… Wow.”

  I sighed, slipping the book back onto the shelf. “That’s a problem that’s going to come back and bite me in the ass, no doubt.”

  With a flat palm, Elle creased the page where she’d been taking notes. “I wrote everything down… except the threat to enslave her. The Queen will be up to speed when she wakes and can deal with it then.”

  I nodded.

  “What now?” Elle stood, everything mended between us. She was my bestie, my ‘ride or die.’

  “Now we get things ready for Liam and his army.”

  Elle’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

  I looked her in the eyes. “We can’t do this without them. I’m going to have to figure out a way to convince them to come back.”

  Elle looked delighted at that thought, but then her face fell. “I’m sure Cam and the others would.”

  My throat tightened. “But not Liam…”

  My best friend nervously tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I believe his last words before passing out in Kira’s arms were, ‘I won’t take charity from that vile snake Lily.’”

  I winced. “I guess I deserved that.” I left him for dead… after he’d brought me a crystal and a piece of his hair as a gesture of goodwill. I’d been so wrapped up in his confession that he’d killed my mom. I didn’t really—

  “It’ll be okay. He’s your soulmate.” Elle’s hand landed on my shoulder, and I gave her a sad smile. “Well, let’s get things ready anyway.”

  We stepped outside, and I asked the fae to gather around. I ordered the farmers and woodworkers to build a bridge across the river, which now ran clear blue and into the forest. Binding my soul to the Tree of Life had permanently healed a small part of the once black and desolate land.

  �
�I’ll also need twenty new huts by three days’ time and two bathhouses with running water. A larder and kitchen as well!” I barked off orders to the assembled fae. “We need to build a fence where the new spring growth meets the blackened forest to keep creatures out. Start sharpening wood spears, and place them at an angle facing outward to deter predators.”

  The fae men nodded. I was going to give Liam and his men the other side of the riverbank. It was full of trees, lush green forest, and flowers now, and with new huts and a fence, it would be far superior to the soggy swamp Indra had given them. It was also their own bit of land set away from us in case Liam didn’t ever want to be near me again.

  “When I’m not hunting for crystals, I’ll be here with you, helping build, helping sharpen sticks,” I told my people. I didn’t want to be a Queen who barked orders and then went inside the cool throne room to gorge on berries.

  One by one, they bowed their heads to me until I cleared my throat and bid them a good day. While walking back to the Tree of Life house with Elle, she leaned into me. “You’re smashing this temp Queen thing.”

  I wished I felt the same, but I didn’t. We had three crystals. The Queen was still in a coma, and now… no protective dome. I’d burned the bridge with the only people who’d offered to help us, and I had no location for the remaining crystals.

  “I’m going to check on the Queen. Be ready in fifteen to go Earthside.”

  Elle nodded, and we split ways, her going into town probably to check on her mother and me going into my new “home.”

  Nothing really felt like home without my mom there. I was still finding my new normal since her death. Especially after seeing the ugliness in Liam’s memory.

  When I knocked lightly and peeked my head into the Queen’s room, Kira was at her feet, reading a book. She was freshly showered, probably back from saving Liam. She looked up at me and closed the book.

  “Hey.” I slipped inside, closing the door. “I’m… sorry for sending you off to heal Liam like that… I’m… struggling with what happen—,”

  “It’s okay, Lily. You don’t need to explain to me. I think you’re doing great.”

  I had to bite back tears. Everyone was being so supportive of my new role, but I felt like I was just screwing everything up.

  “Any signs she’s waking up?” I asked.

  Kira shook her head. “It seems that she needs more crystals to get enough power to awaken. But I have a feeling every time she got close, Indra gave her the medicine.”

  I frowned. “So you think we only need like six or seven crystals to wake her?”

  Kira nodded. “When we had over six, her fingers and toes would twitch, but then Indra would give her the sleeping medicine.”

  Hope bloomed in my chest. “Okay, so four more crystals, and maybe she can wake up and take over?”

  Kira nodded. “Gods willing.”

  She closed her book and stood. “I’ll give you a moment.”

  After she slipped out the door, I went to the Queen’s side and stared at her face. My gaze ran over her fair skin, upturned nose, and dark pink hair. She looked so much like my mother it hurt. Kneeling at her bedside, I took her hand in mine. It was limp and slightly cold, but I gripped it hard.

  A lump suddenly formed in my throat as I recalled the memory I’d gotten from her hair. How selflessly she’d given me to my mother for safekeeping. It must have killed her to be without me. But my mom was all I’d ever known. Still, I wished to know the Queen too.

  “I really need you to wake up,” I told her. “I’m making all the decisions, and I don’t know if any of them are right. Faerie needs to be healed, and I can’t do this without you.” My voice cracked. “Maybe one day, after we fix everything… we can just sit and talk. Get to know each other.” A tear escaped down my cheek, and I wiped it away, letting her hand fall to her lap. The slow and steady rhythm of her breathing depressed me. I’d hoped for a twitch, something to let me know she was waking, but all I got was disappointment.

  With a sigh, I headed for the door. It was time to beg, plead, and grovel for Liam’s help. Something I wasn’t sure I had the nerve to do after calling him a murderer and casting him out to die.

  “I’ll wait right here,” Mara told me from the doorway. She’d taken the news well after I’d informed her the cuffs and imprisonment looked like it was going to be permanent. She’d only waved me off and mumbled no biggie, but I saw the disappointment in her eyes. Jasper and Trissa had stayed back to help make a logistics schedule for all of the new projects we had going on and setting up round the clock security. It was just me and my bestie in Vegas.

  “Sure we don’t have time for a game of poker?” Elle asked as I careened the large SUV down the Vegas Strip and we passed the famous hotels with twinkling lights and throngs of people holding plastic drink cups. Mara had made a new toy for me. It looked like a cell phone, but once transformed, it was an SUV. An SUV big enough to fit Liam and his brothers… should he want to come back with me.

  I frowned, ignoring Elle’s questions. “What if he tells me to fuck off?”

  Elle looked out at the passing buildings as we turned into a seedier neighborhood. Why on earth had Mara brought them here to heal? Maybe because his dad would go back to North Carolina, looking for them…

  “Then he tells you to fuck off. You’ve both got shit to deal with.”

  Yeah… we did.

  He killed my mom, and I left him for dead.

  Could our relationship ever be the same? Probably not…

  “It’s up here on the right,” Elle said.

  I winced at the broken-down motel. It was in a sorry state. My heart panged that it was my fault Liam and his family, his men, were homeless.

  “I never told them they all had to leave,” I said almost to myself, to assuage my own guilt as I pulled my car into the motel parking lot.

  I turned off the car and noticed that Elle was shifting nervously in her seat.

  “What’s wrong?” I frowned. Maybe she was nervous for me.

  “I kissed Cam!” she blurted out.

  My eyes widened. “What? When?”

  I mean, I knew they had some sexual chemistry but damn.

  “Right after you kicked Liam out… I was helping clean up my mom’s house, and he came to say goodbye.” She touched her lips as if remembering the kiss.

  My heart sank further into my chest. “Oh, Elle, and I screwed that up when he left. I’m so sorry.”

  Could I be any more of a shitty person?

  Elle waved her hand. “Nah, I don’t think he would have had the balls to kiss me if you hadn’t kicked them out.”

  I groaned. “I didn’t kick them all out. Just Liam.”

  She shrugged. “Whatever, they all hate you. Beware.”

  Great. Some freaking pep talk this was. “How bad were his injuries?” My voice shook a little.

  Elle ran her fingers through her hair and blew air through her teeth. “Bad. Ruptured spleen, three broken ribs, fluid in the sac around the heart.”

  My eyes widened. “But he’s okay?”

  She nodded. “Kira is amazing.”

  Thank the gods for Kira. What had I been thinking, leaving him there alone like that… I’d let my head get all messed up, and now I didn’t know how to fix it. This was all compounded by the fact that I was still mad at him for killing my mom. Even though it was self-defense, even though my mom had been awful to him… I couldn’t get my head wrapped around it all.

  “It will take time for you guys to figure out where you stand.” Elle reached out and squeezed my hand. “For now, let’s focus on the political alliance of the Queen of Faerie and the Prince of Winter.”

  Oh yeah. He was a prince. Of Winter. I freaking almost let the Prince of Winter die. Some great politician I was.

  I groaned. “Let’s definitely get one of those giant margarita drinks when we are done here.”

  Elle grinned. “And poker?”

  “Sure.” When else would I have th
is special time with my bestie?

  With a deep breath, I opened the door and stepped out into the warm night air.

  Did I want Liam to forgive me? Did I want to forgive him? Or did I really just need to forgive myself?

  Chapter 6

  “Hello, Satan,” Cam growled through a crack in the door, glaring at me with his descended fangs.

  “Calm down,” Elle snapped at him, but I waved her off.

  “I probably deserve that,” I told him.

  His upper lip curled. “Here to rub salt in his barely healing wounds?” he asked.

  “She is the one who ordered his healing,” Elle told Cam, and I placed a hand on my best friend’s shoulder.

  “I’ve got this, Elle.” Then, I faced Cam and sighed. “I’m here to talk peace.”

  “One second.” Cam shut the door, hard.

  Fear churned in my gut when the door to the room next door opened and Cain peeked his head out. His hair was messed up like maybe he’d been sleeping, but despite the hatred from Cam, he gave me a smile and a small wave. “Hi, Lily. Hey, Elle, I miss your pancakes.”

  She smiled, giving him a wave back. “I’ll make them again soon, okay?”

  He nodded, and then one of the older kids pulled him back inside and closed the door.

  My heart tore in two then.

  Cain. A sweet innocent child. How could my mother have seen him sick and hurting and still wanted to take the crystal from him? Called him an it and wanted him to die?

  The answer was hard to swallow. She had successfully dehumanized the halflings. Saw them as less than her, and that was ugly and sick and made me want to throw up.

  Before I could think more on it, the door opened, and Cam walked out along with two other guys. They all glared at me as they passed, and shame colored my cheeks. “You have five minutes. Harm him, and I’ll take your head,” Cam shot back at me.

  Elle growled, pinning Cam with a glare, but all I could do was nod. How had things gotten so backward? Just last week, we were all sitting around my kitchen table having breakfast and sharing laughs.