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I turn around and follow his lead, examining our surroundings, but nothing seems out of the ordinary, and we’re alone in the clearing. “What do you think the Regent wants with it?”
Daimis shakes his head. “Harvest it maybe, but why? He has no use for it without magic. Destroy it maybe, so the fae can’t use it.”
I look back at the stone that is as large as a mountain. “What weapon could destroy something this big?”
“Maybe not destroy it, but his plans must include the Faestone. Why else choose this location. But to what end, I have no idea. I’ll have to contact the fae and let them know of our location.”
“I wonder if this thing could take some of my magic,” I say. If I didn’t have so much of it, maybe I wouldn’t have to worry about whether my emotions will make me lose control of it.
“Do you know how it works?” I ask him.
“No, but I know someone who does.”
Of course he does. There’s so much about Daimis that’s a mystery to me. “How did you end up in fae territory anyway? You said a fae woman helped raise you?”
“That’s one of the biggest royal secrets, and only a handful of people know about it.”
I give him a look that says,yeah and? Tell me!
He chuckles at my expression. “How about a game?”
I lean against one of the rock walls, so I have a better view of the forest in front of it and wrap my cloak tighter around me. I match his smile. “I’m always up for a game.”
He leans against the wall next to me, our shoulders touching. “You ask a question; I ask a question.”
I huff a laugh. “Oh, I remember this game and as I recall, it didn’t work out so well for me last time.”
“That was when we were still keeping secrets, before we knew we could trust each other fully.”
My smile drops. I’ve finally found someone who I can fully trust, only I’m the one keeping secrets that can destroy us. I have to be honest with him. I have to tell him the truth.
“No more secrets,” I say. “I’ll tell you everything.”
He must see the shift in my mood because he grows serious too. “No more secrets,” he mimics. “I was always meant to come here and learn the way of the fae. I was supposed to journey here with my father’s second, Lord Ronaan, and his daughter, Sahra, the day after the Blood Moon. That woman you saw me talking to, the one who helped raise me, she’s the leader of the fae; Laneya Tanaris.”
The Regent’s journal had stated that Laneya was the strongest of all the fae. If she was his teacher, it’s no wonder Daimis fought so well. My mind races with this new information. My father’s journal had said we’d be going home soon, and that Daimis would be coming with us. It was the same trip. But why would my father refer to fae territory as home? I’m about to ask Daimis another question when he says, “My turn.”
“You didn’t really give me a full answer.”
“I will. But it’s a long answer, so it’s only fair that I get a question in the middle of it.”
I sigh. “Very well.”
“Did your magic become hard to control after your encounter with the shadow demons?”
That’s not something I expected him to ask. “Yes.”
He’s quiet for a moment and looks at the fae stone as he processes the information, then his eyes dart to mine. “Your eyes look just like the fae stone.”
“You’re getting off track, Princess,” I prompt.
He studies me for a moment more, then continues. “After the Blood Moon, it was in my father’s will that I be sent to live with my aunt and uncle. The reason my father entrusted me to them is because they knew of my father’s plans for me. It was decided that I would stay on the same path that was set out for me and live with the fae in Crystal Falls. I was to learn their ways and how they coexist with the other races to keep the peace in their lands.”
“With what end goal? I mean, don’t get me wrong, it’s great that you learned among the fae, but I don’t understand what the fae get out of all this. What was the original goal and how did it change after the Blood Moon?”
He takes a deep breath like the next part is difficult for him to talk about, but his gaze never leaves mine. “I was betrothed to Laneya Tanaris’s daughter. We were meant to rule over both kingdoms side by side, as one nation, with the goal of bringing all the races together in peace. Laneya’s daughter had spent a time in my kingdom, and it was my turn to spend a time in hers.”
My heart beats faster and harder and a roaring fills my ears. I push off the wall and just stare at Daimis. Pieces to a complicated and twisted puzzle start to fall together. I pace, not able to stand still for another second. Daimis pushes off the wall too, focused on my reaction to his story.
