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Farahn’s grin faded.
“What’s gone wrong now?” Cailis tossed the book she was reading to the side. She plopped her hands on her hips and gazed at both of us shrewdly.
“Have we been discovered?” her brother, Tormesh, asked. His hands fisted and wings flexed.
“No, nothing like that,” Ilara said in a hurry. She began to pick at her fingernails. “But we’re here because we need your help, Cailis.”
“Oh?” Her sister cocked her head, then said in a rush, “Of course, whatever you need.”
I withdrew the six new looking glasses from my cloak along with the original that contained the recording of what had occurred. Cailis’s eyebrows drew together. “Are those mirrors or looking glasses?”
“They’re currently mirrors forged with looking-glass material, other than this one.” I jostled the one with the recordings. “We need you to create these six into spelled looking glasses. And then we need you to transfer what’s recorded on this one”—I indicated the original looking glass again—“to the new ones.”
Cailis’s jaw dropped. “You want me to—” She shook her head. “But I’ve never done anything like that.”
Ilara pulled a piece of parchment from her pocket that held the ancient spell her sister would need to weave. “I know, but we need somebody with a truth affinity to do this, and we don’t know anyone else we can trust. But I know you can do it, Cailis. Your affinity is above average. You should be able to.”
Her sister paled. “Mother Below.”
Tormesh came up behind Cailis and clapped her on the back, right between her wings. “You’ve been sayingall week that you wanted to help the cause. Now’s your chance.”
“The cause?” I raised my eyebrows.
Ilara’s father gestured outside their home. “Cailis has told everybody here the truth about the king. They all know what he’s done to the queen. And if they didn’t already hate him for ordering their executions, knowing that he’s abused your mother, you, and Prince Nuwin your entire lives, and then his despicable plot to starve our fae...” His cheeks flushed as his magic grew around him. “Everybody wants to help bring the king down.”
A rush of disbelief flowed toward me on the bond. Ilara turned wide eyes upon me, then gripped my hand. “What better fae to help spread the word about what King Novakin’s truly like than the fae here?” She spread her arm wide, waving toward the hidden village. “With Crimsonale’s factions showing everybody what happened in the Isalee field and Canada, the fae from my village spreading the word about our mate bond and eternal marriage and the king,andthose here telling everyone what you’re truly like and what your father ordered to happen to them...” She let her words hang as a surge of her hope billowed toward me. “Let the fae here help.”
“Wait a minute.” Tormesh held up a hand. “Did you just sayeternal marriage?”
Ilara turned scarlet, and her mother gasped.
“Ilara Seary!” she proclaimed. “You didn’t! You didn’t get married without us!” She rushed toward herdaughter and grabbed her hand. A shriek emitted from her when she saw the silver ink on Ilara’s finger. Just as fast, she snatched my hand and studied the mark on my finger. “They did! They got married! And eternally wed, nonetheless.”
Her mother fell in a heap on the couch, and I gave her father an apprehensive look. Ilara rushed toward her while Cailis gaped and Tormesh began to laugh.
“Cheeky, so cheeky,” her brother said. “Just wait till Birnee and Finley hear that they weren’t invited to the wedding either.”
“I’m sorry, Mother. I’m so sorry, but we had to. You don’t understand what the king was demanding of me.” Ilara began to tell the story, but her mother stopped her, cupping her face between her palms.
“I know, sweet girl. Your sister told me the king demanded you be married to an awful pedophile. I’m relieved you found a way out of it, but to miss your wedding...”
Tears filled her eyes, and Ilara’s father crouched beside her. “Oh, Farahn.” He curled an arm around her shoulders and drew her close. “It’s not the end of the realm. We knew as mates they would be together no matter what.”
“But to miss their wedding?—”
“Shh.” He hushed her and pulled her close. “At least she’s not married to that vile lord from Isalee. ’Tis all right.”
I gripped Ilara’s shoulders from behind, and she leaned into me. Slipping my arms around her waist, Icrouched behind her and pressed a kiss to her neck before whispering, “We’ll have a proper celebration when this is all over, and your family, friends, and anyone you desire within this realm will be invited.”
Ilara gripped my arms and squeezed, yet guilt still racked her along our bond.
Cailis sighed. “Mother, don’t fret, please. We have bigger things to worry about right now, like how in the realm I’m going to bespell six looking glasses.”
Farahn dabbed at her eyes and eventually nodded. “You’re right. It’s just that...” She shook her head. “No, you’re right. That’s what’s important right now. What matters most is dethroning the king, and like Ilara implied, we all want to help make that occur.”
My brows drew together. “You do understand that you’d all be put in danger. If my father knew that any of the fae here were still alive, he’d?—”
“We know the risk.” Her mother brushed off her father’s arm and stood, her chin lifting. “We had a village meeting last night, and every fairy here is in agreement. We want to help, my prince. We don’t want to hide behind you anymore while you face the king alone. Free us. Let us tell all of the Solis citizens of our great nation’s son, and the truth of the current king who sits upon the throne. That male has a heart of evil while his son possesses a heart of gold.”
