AllFreeNovel
Share Us
As if reading my thoughts, the queen said quietly, “You’ve found us. You now know part of your evil aunt’s secrets. Now go and find the way to destroy her. Make us proud.”
“I can end your suffering now, grandparents,” I said, tears flowing down my face, “if that’s what you want.” They wouldn’t make it even if I finish off Tianna.
A sorrowful smile ghosted the queen’s pale face and dull blue eyes. “You’ll only alert her. You need to have a plan to kill her before thinking of freeing us, child. Strategy matters. We can hang in here a little longer. We’ll wait for you.”
“I’ll return for you,” I vowed.
“And for your dragon father,” the old queen said. “He’s trapped inside the black heart, unable to reunite with your mother.”
Her words seared my heart like a hot iron brand. My lips trembled at the near-physical pain.
“We need to go now, love,” Elvey said. “Tianna’s spies must be tracking us. We can’t afford to alert her with what we’ve unveiled.”
As we hurried by the glass coffins, the prisoners inside begged, “Free us, please.”
“Kill us,” others cried.
“Save us,” more pleaded with us.
My heart fractured for all of them.
I’d thought being cursed and losing my three mates was a horrible burden to bear, until I encountered these tens of thousands of souls and had to carry their burden, misery, and curses.
Elvey pulled me into his fierce and gentle embrace.You won’t carry anything alone. I’m always with you.
“We’ll return and set you free, I promise,” I told the trapped beings. “But you need to hold on a little longer.”
Some of them who had more strength than others cursed me while my companions and I left them behind.
Even though Elvey wanted us to take off as soon as possible, he checked every coffin, eyeing the unfortunate occupant inside, his muscles twitching in his clenched jaw. Some of them must have been his old friends.
He stopped at the last coffin the longest, his star-blue eyes filling with agony.
Inside the glass was a Fae. She looked different than any dark Fae. Her silver hair had lost its shine. She was alive, though it seemed there was no life in her. She stared at Elvey, recognition sparking in her ice blue eyes—eyes that must have looked like the clearest sky before her capture. She opened her pale lips, wanting to tell him something, but no words came out. She was too weak.
“Who is she?” I asked.
Her gaze swirled slowly to me.
“Light Fae Princess Nerida.” Elvey swallowed hard, as if there was a shard of glass stuck in his throat.
They knew each other. Had they been lovers?
I felt so sorry for them.
Elvey snapped his head to me. “It’s not what you think.” He turned back to gaze at her with tenderness.
Her lips moved, and I marked out the words.Don’t leave me, Elvey, please.
In this state, she couldn’t even shed tears.
“I’ll come back for you, Nerida,” Elvey said hoarsely. “I promise. I’ll never abandon you. I won’t leave you like this. I’ve finally found you.”
He raised his hand toward the coffin that trapped her, and a wall of transparent bubbles formed a shield around her.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“A shield that will keep her life force from flowing to the black heart,” Elvey said.
