As soon as we approached the hut, Violet put a hand up to stop us.
“This is dark magic,” she said. We were about ten feet from the building. Violet took another step in, holding both of her hands up. I followed her actions, running my hands along the inky tendrils of the spell that surrounded the dwelling.
A greenish iridescent bubble appeared before us, highlighting the perimeter of the spell. My energy slapped out before I could even think about doing it, the spell popping like a balloon, dissipating into nothing.
Almost immediately a scream rang out from inside the cabin, and I focused my attention on the doorway, preparing myself for what might emerge. Violet reached out and grasped my arm before I could get any closer.
“She’s been in captivity for god knows how long. Let me talk to her first.” I stared into those white-blue eyes, reading between the lines of what she was saying. Violet could speak to her as someone who understood a small amount of what she had gone through.
“What if it’s a trap? She could be dangerous.”
Violet snorted at me. An actual snort. And I couldn’t stop a chuckle from escaping. “I got this, friend. Besides, you’re right outside if I need any help.”
She was right, so I nodded, and then Violet was gone. Poofed into thin air. I was still worried that this woman was dangerous. She was the winter queen’s sister, and she had been locked away for a reason. But … it was Violet.
Still, as we waited and waited and waited, my worry increased. When ten minutes had passed, and I was about to go knock on the door, it opened. A tall woman with white hair and a skeletal figure stepped out with Violet. Rags hung in gray strips down her bony frame; her hair looked damp, as if she’d just tried to smooth it back and look presentable. She walked with a slight limp as she crossed the distance toward us.
There was a sheen of tears on Violet’s cheeks, and I was worried that this had been too much for her. She’d only just started healing … moving forward.
When the woman reached Kade and me, she stumbled into a small curtsy. “Your Highnesses, my name is Priscilla. Please excuse my appearance. When the spell on my home broke, it caused me some pain…”
“Of course. I’m so sorry we are meeting under this situation. I’ve only just learned about your existence,” I told her. “My name is Arianna … I’m the one who killed Isalinda.”
Violet piped up. “I told her about the queen and prince’s death, and that you are the last of the royal line. Or that we thought you were the last.”
Priscilla nodded. “I have been locked up and at the mercy of my sister for many years. When our parents died, I was supposed to touch the stone. I am the oldest. But Issie always had a plan to usurp me and take my rightful place. She dabbled in dark magic. She broke our rules.”
It sounded like something the winter queen would do. Isalinda was cruel to the bone. And while it seemed Priscilla did not have the same darkness in her, I needed to make sure. I just had to figure out how to do it without destroying whatever fragile trust we had just built. I wondered … if I could sense and filter out the darkness in Kade … shouldn’t I be able to sense it in others too?
I reached out my hand. “Well, I’m just glad to have gotten you out of there.”
She reached out slowly and placed her fragile hand in mine. “We are well met,” she stated, and I pushed my mecca forward a tiny bit, feeling the energy of her soul.
It took a few seconds to sift through the pieces. Her soul had been damaged, quite badly, but while there was darkness there, it seemed to only be linked to the memories of her captivity. Once I pushed through that, there was a bright light in her center, an innocence that told me exactly how Isalinda had so easily tricked her.
She’s good, Kade. A good person and a great candidate to take over this realm.
She needs time to heal, but I sense great potential within her, he agreed.
Pulling my hand back, I smiled. Kade reached out his hand then and introduced himself, shaking very lightly so as not to hurt her. I decided it was best to just come out with the truth.
“Priscilla, I can’t even begin to understand what you have been through. I’m sure you are feeling lost and confused right now, but you are the rightful leader of the Winter Court. Do you still want to rule over these people, with the grace and goodness they should have had years ago?”
Every tired and weary muscle in her face lifted then. The light that had been hiding in the darkness shone so brightly that I could see it without even touching her soul. “I’d be … I’d be honored. I’d need some time to remember things and get myself together, but … I’d be honored.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “I think you are exactly what this court needs. How about I keep things going here for a month or so, then you can take over when you’re rested and settled in?” I didn’t want to have to visit this place too often, I had my own people to worry about, but I could give her a little time.
She looked confused. “A month?”
Violet smiled. “Two fortnights? One moon cycle?”
Understanding replaced the confused expression, and she nodded a few times. “Oh, yes. I can do that. Thank you.”
I looked at the woman before me, captive for who knows how long. She didn’t look a day over thirty, but fae aging was akin to shifter aging — weird and unpredictable. I was sure she had thought her life was over. There was no chance of escaping while Isalinda lived. But, she could have a family now if she chose. A purpose and a future.
“Thank you for finding her,” I whispered to Shelley. The fae had tears in her eyes too. She was watching Priscilla closely — no doubt reacting to the return of her rightful queen.
“Let’s get you into the castle,” Violet said, her tone kind and understanding. “I can shroud you so that no one sees you.”
Priscilla let out a relieved breath. “Thank you. My mother always taught me that a queen needs to look put together at all times. I don’t want to start on the wrong foot.”
She cared about her people. About pleasing them. I was hoping she didn’t take it too far, though. There was a nice middle ground between crazy Isalinda and a pushover.
I better check on her periodically. I directed my worries to Kade, and he just slung an arm around me as we started to walk.
It will be fine, Ari. She will have others to help her.
He was right, but a part of me felt like I was foisting my responsibility off onto a broken fae, one who was not ready to be a leader.
Reassess in a month, he told me.
That was a good idea. I would give her this time to rest and heal. Then we would see. I had no idea what I would do if she wasn’t fit to rule, but that was another bridge I would cross when I came to it.