My uncle knew the truth about my mother for four centuries and kept the truth hidden from his people, his own blood. Somehow that betrayal stung more than my mate's.
The magical gag Morgana had on my uncle lifted the moment they all disappeared. Flynn had choked and sputtered, explanations leaping off his tongue as he tried to explain himself. But I hadn't heard a word of it. Rage and grief already consumed me, and I silenced him myself, placing that same gag on him my mother had. He’s been confined to his cabin since then. A prisoner.
I commanded no one see him, not even Julian. My uncle had been unharmed from what I could tell, and he didn’t deserve to explain himself, not after what happened… not after this. Let him rot and see how it feels to be kept in the dark.
Dedra and Theo were the only ones who argued with me about seeing him. Flynn had been the closest thing to a father they'd ever known. But my anger with him was too fierce, too untamed, and I refused them, sending them instead to prepare our armies for the war that was now unfolding around us.
A knock sounded at my door, pulling me from my spiraling thoughts.
The door swung open and enlarged black eyes peered in through squared lenses as Julian let himself in. His scruffy blonde hair was wildly unkempt, a long red robe hanging off his bare shoulders. The black pants he wore were wrinkled, and the dark circles under his eyes suggested he wasn’t sleeping.
Julian strode toward me, a rolled up scroll in his hand. “Aria,” Julian said dully, waving the parchment in my face for me to take.
I sighed, the rough paper scratching the palm of my hand as I grasped it. “What did she do now?”
Julian only pointedly nodded at the scroll, and I unrolled it, my eyes scanning across the message.
Your Majesty,
I write to you from a camp on the southern Territan border, under General Korman’s command. While I would not normally presume to address you directly, the situation here has become untenable. I fear the General’s judgment may be clouded.
Her sole focus has become the dismantling of the Territan ward, an objective she pursues with utter disregard for the well-being of her soldiers. We have seen numerous injuries, and many are depleting their power reserves. This has left our position critically weakened and alarmingly vulnerable to attack.
Her activities are drawing unwanted attention to our location. Witches have launched several strikes, likely sensing our diminished defenses. I felt compelled to bring this to your attention, as I do not believe you are aware.
Respectfully,
Your soldiers at the front
What was she thinking? We'd already told her to stop trying to dismantle the ward. Julian and Gunnar were already working tirelessly to find a solution. If they hadn't figured it out yet, why did she think she would miraculously succeed? She wasweakening our border defenses. If the witches discovered the camp couldn't stop them from entering, they would swarm and gain access to more land.
A snarl escaped my lips as I shook my head, tossing the parchment aside. This was the third report I’d received about her. I knew the attack on Territan had affected her the most. It had been under her protection, after all, and so many died that day. I knew Aria took that loss as personally as I did.
Territan was her home, her territory to protect, but it wasn't Aria's fault. We were ambushed, unprepared for an army to cross over. And it hadn't been a human one, like we thought. No, it had been made of other fae, other witches. Zara tricked us, lied to us, and made us believe the human realm posed no risk. Convinced us we had nothing to fear. But it had all been an illusion, a deception.
Aria was now acting out of anger, revenge, and she was being reckless.
We managed to evacuate most of our people to neighboring villages where we've set up refugee camps. Many of our people have also generously opened their homes to those in need. While there haven't been any further attacks on our territories, my armies were ready, and I would not allow Morgana to seize another inch of my kingdom.
“Any progress on the ward?” I asked, not bothering to comment on the letter. I lifted my gaze to Julian’s, but his lips were pressed into a tight line, his eyes misty as he looked anywhere but my face.
“No,” Julian said tightly, and he spun, my gaze snagging on his oversized fuzzy slippers as he strode back toward the door. He paused and looked over his shoulder at me. “Theoand Dedra are back. Nothing new to report, but they asked about Flynn again.”
My jaw ticked, the muscle feathering as I clenched my teeth at the sound of my uncle's name. I merely nodded at Julian, and he sighed, closing the door behind him.
I fell backward onto the bed, my hands forming fists as I brought them to my forehead.
Theo and Dedra had been guarding the northern ward nonstop these past weeks while Aria was stationed in the south. Randy and a few other captains rotated between all the camps to relieve them. I knew I should have been out there with them, rallying my people.
But I was compromised. My mind, my body. Learning how to block Zara was more important. We couldn’t allow them to have access to me but learning how to block her out was just as draining as any training I had ever done, even with Gunnar’s help. Like any skill, it would take time to master, but until then, I had the pleasure of being overcome with impromptu visions or emotions. This made me a danger to myself and my kingdom. I couldn't afford to make a mistake. Not now.
My hands fell to my sides, and the crunch of parchment sounded. I grabbed onto the letter I had thrown aside and inhaled deeply.
I had to talk to Jaxon.
After a much-needed bath, I made my way through the castle, instinctively heading toward Jaxon's room. Halfway there, I reconsidered and turned in the opposite direction. He wouldn't be in his room. Jaxon had gotten what he wanted–his mother back. But now, his days were consumed by relentless training and one unwavering obsession–ending her life.
Shadows enveloped me, and I materialized on the edge of the training yard, concealed by the looming stone of the archway.
