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“While we tried to keep ourselves secret, we didn’t want to squirrel away, outside of civilization. The Order caught onto where a lot of us were living and started killing us, one by one, in any way they could,” she continued. “But they were after your mother. The Order had tortured information out of someone who told them that she’d had a vision. A prophecy.”
“I’ve had visions before. I got that ability from her?” I asked.
“Yes. Her vision was that you were going to be the one to restore the Aridunn bloodline to power under a dark sky—so at night, probably, but you know how vague prophecies can be. The Order’s entire purpose is to prevent that from happening, so she knew they’d kill you the moment they got the chance. We’d had false alarms in the past, but your mother’s vision aligned with the ancient prophecy that most fae know.”
“The one about the artifact uniting all fae?” Lex asked.
“Exactly. And Mara was incredibly powerful. She had visions, but she also had portal magic, like I do. It requires a lot of energy, so she probably couldn’t portal away from the Order in time.” Raine put her teacup down. “She poured as much magic from herself into you to seal your powers and your true identity, then your parents put you outside an orphanage. The Order caught them, and they were killed. Your mother was a powerful fae—more powerful than your father. But she was weak when they caught her, so that was probably the only way they could get to her.”
I digested everything she’d said. My mother had died because she’d saved me. My chest felt heavy, and tears welled up on my bottom lashes. I willed myself to hold back my pain, but Lex and Jagger both took one of my hands to comfort me. Through our bonds, they felt the emotional pain that coursed through my bones.
I’d never wanted to talk to my mother as much as I did in that moment—to know her and understand her. Even though I’d never known her, I now understood the love she had for me. I had never been abandoned. Everything that my mother did for me saved my life, even though she had to give up her life to do so.
“Tell us more about the Order,” Flint said, resting one ankle over his opposite knee. “They’re dedicated to eradicating the Aridunn family to prevent the prophecy from coming to fruition, but why? Why would the Aridunns coming back be a bad thing?”
Raine snorted, looking away. “The Aridunns were the only matriarchal Royal bloodline. They’d dealt with prejudice before, since a lot of males hated that a woman ruled over them in any way. But the Mystic had decided it, so they shouldn’t have questioned a force that powerful. The conflict between the Aridunns and the other families came to a head after a big political conflict, and the Conrad bloodline took action.”
The shockwave that radiated through Lex made my heart stutter and stop for a moment. I squeezed his hand, but his panic only rose.
“My family?” he asked.
“Yes, Your Highness.” Raine swallowed. “Unfortunately, the Conrad bloodline is very involved in the Order.”
Lex rested his elbows on his knees and ran his fingers through his hair. I rubbed his back.
“But how? How was this happening without me knowing? At all?”
“It’s a very clandestine organization. Very few fae are invited, and the ones who are typically hold the Order’s values close—they want everything to remain the same, basically. And there are members of the Order among all the bloodlines. It’s not just the Conrads.”
“Still.” Lex’s despair made my heart ache. “How did they knock out an entire bloodline? We’re strong, but I didn’t even know that was possible.”
“Passing a lot of power and healing magic through certain fae. A lot of fae were killed. Aside from that, I don’t know.” Raine poured herself more tea. “They struck that from the records, maybe to stop someone from trying to do it again. The Order shouldn’t be underestimated.”
“Is Arden in serious danger?” Jagger asked. “If they know who she is, why haven’t they killed her already?”
“I’m not sure. I’m assuming they don’t know who she is yet,” Raine said with a shrug. Then she frowned. “Wait, if you haven’t come into contact with the Order directly, how did you get on the path to finding me?”
“The Forsaken Lunars,” I said. “Have you heard of them?”
“I’ve heard murmurs, yes.”
“I used to do odd jobs for them, and their leader said that she had information on my parents to give me as payment. It’s a long story, but I learned that they were trying to overthrow the Royals, so I don’t associate with them anymore. Someone in the group had been tasked with learning about who had killed my parents, and he told us about the Order’s existence. We saw books on the Aridunns in his apartment, so we started searching.”
“The Forsaken Lunars have been trying to kidnap her,” Lex said, lacing his fingers in mine. “They know of her abilities now that they’ve been unlocked. They want her power.”
“Do you think they’re connected? The Forsaken Lunars and the Order?” I asked.
“It doesn’t seem so. I might have heard more about them if they were,” Raine said. “And if they’re trying to kidnap you, they definitely aren’t from the Order. The Order would have killed you. They’re probably still looking for you.”
A chill ran down my spine.
“How do I stop them?” I demanded. “If they’re this dangerous?”
“Keep your identity as hidden as possible. Since your mother sealed your abilities, you should be safe, at least for now.”
I sank into the plush couch. My brain felt like it had been wrung out. The prophecy. My mother’s death. The Order.
I was in even more danger than I thought, and I had no idea what was going to happen. The weight of who I was pressed heavily on my shoulders. Last year, I didn’t even know the Royals. Now I was destined to become one. Supposedly. That didn’t feel real to me. I was just Arden—an orphaned civilian fae.
