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“The Frostlake princess had killed him the previous night. Or maybealmostkilled him.”
“Leah?” Naia recalled the cute, sweet princess who’d broken Fel’s heart. “Shekilledsomeone?”
“I think she’s a deathbringer. Unless necromancy is similar to it. I don’t know. She left Ironhold, in any case.”
“I know. She’s with my brother.” Naia tried to stifle her worry about Fel.
River nodded. “What I do know is that yesterday I witnessed the most horrible ritual ever. They had some forty guards, Naia, forty young, healthy men. The king ordered half of them to kill the others.”
Thatwashorrific.
He frowned and had a bitter chuckle. “They obeyed. Obeyed it, Naia. But then the king opened a kind of hidden trapdoor, and they all fell to their deaths.” With eyes shut tight, he took a deep breath, then looked at her. “Then the prince woke up again. I… don’t know if he’s himself or what he’s like. I followed the queen, as there was something about her. She had this strange necklace, then went to this hidden chamber. There was this eerie, weird voice, and she spoke about the final sacrifice. I’m assuming it was the ritual, but I don’t know what it was for. But then, she saw me, even though I should have been invisible. The room had this strange herb, she called it sepialy—it blocked my magic. Have you ever heard of it?”
“No.”
“That’s what I thought. I mean, if it had been common knowledge, the humans would have wiped us in the war. We do have stories about a plant called death grass, but it’s not supposed to exist, it’s not something real—or shouldn’t be.”
Naia considered his words. “But if Ironhold knew about it, why didn’ttheyuse it? During the war?”
“Maybe they don’t all know it.”
He proceeded to tell her about the queen, and the “test” she had to go through in order to marry into the family.
Naia couldn’t believe it. “These people are sick.”
“They are. The thing is, Queen Kara, she has no love for her husband. I’m not sure she has any love for anything anymore, and she’s working with someone else, something else, this strange voice. She’s not working for Ironhold, it’s as if… she believes she is the one manipulating them. I also heard her saying that thevesselwas ready. I’m assuming it’s a vessel for this creature. And yet, I can’t bring everything together.”
“What do you think?” Naia asked. “Do you think she’s the one pulling the strings? Somehow manipulating King Harold?”
River nodded. “I think it’s very possible. There was a strange power, strange magic in that room. It’s something much worse than just an ambitious and unscrupulous kingdom. And there’s more.” He sighed. “I… have something to tell you. Do you remember when you were in the Ancient City, those hooded Ancients trying to make me kill you?”
“That’s not something one forgets.”
“I know. They are called mindmelders. It’s rare magic, most Ancients don’t have it. It means… It’s very unfae like, in the sense that you can compel a person, you can mess with their mind without their consent. Fae law determines that we respect free will. Even when we trick someone, they accept being tricked, they willingly enter a bargain. Mindmelders can… well, you saw it. You can even physically force someone to do something. And read minds, too, find memories. I…” He looked down. “Have that magic.” He looked away, as if embarrassed. “Never wanted to use it, as it has a price, but not only that, it’s… awful.”
“What is the price?”
He stared at her. “You lose your individuality, your will, your sense of self. Eventually you become a hollow shell.”
“Why would anyone want to use it, then?”
“It’s considered a high honor among ancients. They’ll live with royalty, have anything they want. They don’t realize that in a few years they’ll stop wanting anything. For a time, it’s good. They also think it’s their duty, since they were born with that magic. That was what my father told me.”
“He wanted you to use it?”
River chuckled. “I chose to be a disappointment instead.” He smirked. “Much more interesting. But yesterday… yesterday I used mindmelding magic at its full force. I used it to breach Kara’s mind. I wouldn’t be able to do it with King Harold. The deal would have prevented it, but with her, I was free. And what I saw…”
The look in River’s eyes chilled Naia’s bones. “What?”
He swallowed. “I saw her, in the past, looking at me, saying I was the key.”
Naia felt as if her heart had stopped.
He bit his lip. “I… I don’t understand why or for what, and before I saw anything else, she pushed me out. That would have been impressive, if my magic weren’t so weak. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t slip into the hollow. It was horrible. She then said she would let me go if I told her how I became immune to iron, and she wanted specific details. I would need to tell her about you. I would never do that. I would never let them know how important you are to me, or even suspect it.”
“River, you should have told her everything and escaped. They already tried to kill my brother, they attacked us. I don’t think they can do any worse.”
“I’m sure they can. And this wasn’t Ironhold, but queen Kara and this weird something else. I didn’t tell her anything, and she left me there. I…” He frowned, thoughtful. “Do you think my resistance to iron has anything to do with this? It sounds odd to me. I… don’t know what she really wanted, if it was an excuse, but she left me alone. For the first time in my life, I couldn’t feel my magic. It was as if I wasn’t myself, Naia. It was horrible.”
