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She raised an eyebrow dubiously. “How did he do that?”
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “I don’t know how a warlock like Agnan works or how the Order of Souls has managed to survive over the years without being shut down, but I’m making it my personal mission to end their reign of terror. I know they began when the Original family allowed for the continents to split. The first leader of the Order didn’t much care for the idea of multiple kings over three continents.”
“But the Original family did that to better the world. They couldn’t handle caring for the entire realm on their own.”
“Sane, normal faeries know that,” I snorted. “But we know that we’re not dealing with that in Agnan and the Order, are we?”
I kissed the bridge of her nose and smiled at her, noticing her cerulean eyes shadowed in the darkness. The fireflies continued to encircle us, creating a lovely glow around our naked forms.
“Are you ready to get back? Landon will be tired from all the driving. I wouldn’t want him going off the road.” I stood up and reached for her hand, but she didn’t move. Her legs curled up to hide her breasts. “What’s wrong?”
Visibly swallowing, Mirielle shook her head. “I can’t go back to the castle with you, Zen.”
I frowned. “Why not?”
“Everyone there will know who I am and what I did.”
I crouched back down and looked at her, cupping her hands with my open palms. “You’re with me, Mirielle. I’m not going to let anyone sully your reputation in the castle. And since when do you care about what others think, anyway?”
“I care that they might turn me over to Agnan,” she blurted out.
I paled at the thought, the notion never crossing my mind, but I didn’t let her see my concern.
“No one at Silverhold Tower would dare defy me like that,” I promised her. “Not if they value their lives.”
“Not even your sister?”
I winced at the suggestion. Cyndella might be a problem.
“I need you to let me worry about protecting you,” I told her quietly. “The safest place for you is at the castle with me.”
“What about Endora?” she insisted. “She hates me, too.”
“Endora doesn’t hate you,” I sighed. “She just doesn’t trust you. And she definitely would not turn you over to Agnan. I can promise you that. But we’re going to enlist Endora’s help and show her that youcanbe trusted. You’re the reason I got my shifting abilities back; she couldn’t even help with that. That’s got to count for something.”
Again, Mirielle appeared skeptical.
“Miri, this is the best way to keep you safe. Where else would you go? Agnan is angry. He’s probably looking for you as we speak. He’s shown he’s careless and doesn’t care about wasting his army with unplanned attacks.”
“He doesn’t care about us,” Mirielle said sadly, as if she was realizing it for the first time—despite the fact that she had already said as much before. “We were just disposable bodies in his war against the royals.”
I reached out to cup her face tenderly. “More the reason to stop him together, right?”
I stood again and reached for her hand. This time, she accepted it, and we scoured the forest bed for the remnants of our clothing before retreating to the car where Landon waited for us. It was time to return to reality and figure out a way to hunt down Agnan before he could wreak any more havoc on the continent and, eventually, the world.
* * *
Endora was incensedat the suggestion.
“Have you completely taken leave of your senses?” the enchantress demanded. “You want me to what now?”
Glowering, I stormed toward the study door to close it, ensuring that Mirielle wasn’t in earshot, but I was glad to see that Calliver had taken her up to the royal floor as I had instructed him.
It’s a good thing I didn’t have her come here for this.
“I need you to work with her and rid her of whatever dark magic is lingering inside her.”
Endora threw up her hands dramatically. “Oh! When you put it like that!” she retorted sarcastically.
