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The scene shifted, showing the Fire Wolf holding the lava rock over the land before it fell into the ground, burrowing a huge hole into the soil as magic was being pulled from me, the prince, and all of his guards.
Whispering and sounds of disbelief erupted from the crowd when I swirled through the air, revealing the scene to all of them. The spider-like structure of the veil lifted, its ugly black heart rising to the surface of the soil.
Several villagers recoiled, and more than a few made the sign of the Blessed Mother. Even though the looking glass was only showing them what hadoccurred, it was as though they couldfeelthe evil power that had stained our land.
And when the scene shifted, and the warlock appeared after the veil’s heart had been destroyed, all of the villagers shouted in fright.
“What in the realm is that?” a male asked, revulsion in his voice.
“He’s called a warlock.” My wings continued to hold me aloft as my village watched what I was showing them. “He comes from theotherrealm. He’s a male that King Novakin has been working with in secret. The king commissioned him to destroy ourorem. It’s because of this warlock’s dark magic that our fields and food sources began to die.”
“Why in the realm would the king do that? King Novakin has been nothing but an unfailing leader for centuries!” a female, who worked in one of the shops, called from the side.
A few muttered in agreement.
I inclined my head, nodding at their skepticism. “I initially felt the same. We’ve all felt the king has had our best interests at heart. He’s united us. He’s led us for centuries. For the most part, we’ve been prosperous. But in the past full season, as you all know, that’s changed.”
I swirled in the air again, showing them once more what had transpired in Isalee, commanding the looking glass to show them everything anew from the beginning.
Before them, the unfailing crown prince was weakened and vulnerable, but he didn’t give up. He keptfighting the warlock even when our deaths seemed imminent.
I whispered the spell needed to activate the second recording, the one that showed the warlock confessing what the king had done while we’d been in Canada.
The image started anew, showing the warlock cuffed and on his knees amidst the snowy trees in the forest. It showed the prince making a bargain with the warlock, a bargain that would strike the warlock dead if the warlock lied about what he was saying.
Every villager watched with rapt attention, their expressions changing from disbelief to confusion and then to anger. And when the warlock finished confessing what had truly gone on, I knew the moment had come to accuse the king of who he really was.
“The king isn’t who you believe him to be. He does not care for your safety, your well-being, or if your children go to bed hungry or sick. All he cares about is power. He hired this warlock to infuse our land with a poisonous veil. He wants to start a war, and he doesn’t care how many of you die to feed his hunger for power.”
A male scoffed. “You’re saying the king was willing to starve us so we would want to go to war?”
I nodded. “That’s exactly right.”
Several shuddered when the second recording began playing again, repeating everything they’d just witnessed. A few shouts rang in the crowd when the looking glass showed the crown prince questioning the dark sorcerer. Some furrowed their brows. Others pressed their lips into tight lines and scoffed.
I flew to the other side, letting everyone glimpse the magical apparatus close-up. “Because of the poisonous veil that King Novakin demanded be created, entire crops have died. I saw firsthand the result of this dark magic. And it was only with the crown prince’s determination to end the starvation upon our continent that we were able to defeat it, find this warlock, and end him too. You all know that the magic within a looking glass doesn’t allow it to lie. What you’ve just witnessed is thetruth, as you all know.”
A few of the villagers nodded. Shock still filled most of their faces, but some began to bow toward the prince as they brought fists to their chests.
A kernel of hope alighted inside me.
Directly to my right, a young female shook her head. “But, Ilara, what you’re saying is that the king has tried to killallof us. Why would the king do that?”
“Because he’s not who you think he is.” I lifted the looking glass again, then glanced at my mate to ensure he was in agreement.
Norivun gave a curt nod.
Breaths coming faster, I showed them a third recording, but instead of the looking glass portraying the Isalee field or the forest in Canada, I showed them what we’d done on our last stop before leaving the castle. “Would a true leader who wants the best for his fae do something like this?”
The recording revealed Queen Lissandra in her chambers. Bruises covered her chest and back. Her hair hung limply, her frame thin.
The female at my right gasped. “Is that the queen?”
I nodded. “Her husband, theking, beats her regularly. And he has done so for over a hundred winters.”
Gasps emitted through the crowd, and more than one female’s hand flew to her mouth.
“But why?” someone called.
