binds me also to my words, Shade.”
She sniffed, rubbing at her face where it felt frozen and burnt from the frost. Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled the words which would finalize her world or end it. Either way, it was all over. “Why do you need me? What are you searching for that you’d keep me here imprisoned forever?”
It was Corb’s turn for his face to fade from that taunting grin to a tight frown. He seemed pretty upset at her request. He had to answer her now, the oath left him no other choice but to comply to her request. He was bound to his promise. A moment passed as he contemplated what to say.
“Very well, princess. If you must know, I need you by my side to help me find the Summer Ancient. She was my queen, my love for hundreds of years, before you or your ancestors roamed the land of Faerie. Before most of the world was even created. Her name is Kilara, and she’s as old as the earth, as am I. We’re two of the four Ancients, and you will help me find her again.”
“Why can’t you find her by yourself?” Shade threw in before he could work any magic on her.
Corb turned, letting out a grunt as he returned to his throne chair. His long, straight, white hair rippled with his movements, exposing his ears. He had pointed ears, unlike a lot of the faeries she’d met. Only some races remained which still had traditional faery ears. He represented the oldest living faery in all the land. To see him angry was not a good thing at all.
Exasperated, he huffed out his answer. “She disappeared. She was supposed to rule with me when she woke me from my two hundred year slumber. But she wasn’t there. She hid herself from me. I−I…” he paused, his voice sounding somewhat unsure. “I’m sure she had her reasons.” Leaving it at that, he stood once more and moved so fast, in a flash, he stood next to Shade once more.
“Now, enough with this endless banter. I grant you your powers back as Faerie and my blood unbind you from restraint of all your powers.” He breathed out the words quickly, sending a jolt through her as he pulled out his sharp, elven dagger, stabbed her hand and then his own, clasping the wounds firmly so his own crimson blood mingled with hers.
She pulled to no avail, feeling his icy magic swirl into her veins, filling her with a rigid pain. Gasping, it was over in a moment. Her hand slowly mending before he even let go as her healing ability returned. She felt the magic pouring out, breaking through the binds he’d laid on her. She felt exhilarated, whole and suddenly happy, but realized it was all so temporary when she caught sight Dylan’s face behind the ice prison. She turned to throw fire on Corb, but he held his hand out, freezing her fires before they even left her fingertips.
“I bind you, as Faerie has bound you to your spoken agreement, Shade:
‘Forget your past life,
Forget of things you seek,
Remember not a memory,
Nothing adrift to keep .”
His words hit her in a blast and her head felt like a thousand needles had been plunged into her brain. Falling to her knees, she heard herself scream. It echoed across the hall, a deafening death screech which rumbled the shifting ice all around them, making it roar as it cracked and popped in the vibration of her voice. She slumped to the frozen ground, still grasping her head. The white illumination of the ice palace grew more and more intense until it swallowed up her vision and everything else with it.
Chapter Eleven
BLOSSOMS LEFTOVER FROM a summoned spring filled the meadow in all directions. The withering heat of summer had yet to arrive to scorch the delicate petals, which felt like soft peach skins on her fingertips. As Shade continued to walk, unknowing of where she was now, a woman appeared with long, light golden-brown hair braided into an intricate design and pinned to her head and tumbled down her back. She stood in the center of this meadow, watching the sway of grass as the breeze pushed
She sniffed, rubbing at her face where it felt frozen and burnt from the frost. Taking in a deep breath, she exhaled the words which would finalize her world or end it. Either way, it was all over. “Why do you need me? What are you searching for that you’d keep me here imprisoned forever?”
It was Corb’s turn for his face to fade from that taunting grin to a tight frown. He seemed pretty upset at her request. He had to answer her now, the oath left him no other choice but to comply to her request. He was bound to his promise. A moment passed as he contemplated what to say.
“Very well, princess. If you must know, I need you by my side to help me find the Summer Ancient. She was my queen, my love for hundreds of years, before you or your ancestors roamed the land of Faerie. Before most of the world was even created. Her name is Kilara, and she’s as old as the earth, as am I. We’re two of the four Ancients, and you will help me find her again.”
“Why can’t you find her by yourself?” Shade threw in before he could work any magic on her.
Corb turned, letting out a grunt as he returned to his throne chair. His long, straight, white hair rippled with his movements, exposing his ears. He had pointed ears, unlike a lot of the faeries she’d met. Only some races remained which still had traditional faery ears. He represented the oldest living faery in all the land. To see him angry was not a good thing at all.
Exasperated, he huffed out his answer. “She disappeared. She was supposed to rule with me when she woke me from my two hundred year slumber. But she wasn’t there. She hid herself from me. I−I…” he paused, his voice sounding somewhat unsure. “I’m sure she had her reasons.” Leaving it at that, he stood once more and moved so fast, in a flash, he stood next to Shade once more.
“Now, enough with this endless banter. I grant you your powers back as Faerie and my blood unbind you from restraint of all your powers.” He breathed out the words quickly, sending a jolt through her as he pulled out his sharp, elven dagger, stabbed her hand and then his own, clasping the wounds firmly so his own crimson blood mingled with hers.
She pulled to no avail, feeling his icy magic swirl into her veins, filling her with a rigid pain. Gasping, it was over in a moment. Her hand slowly mending before he even let go as her healing ability returned. She felt the magic pouring out, breaking through the binds he’d laid on her. She felt exhilarated, whole and suddenly happy, but realized it was all so temporary when she caught sight Dylan’s face behind the ice prison. She turned to throw fire on Corb, but he held his hand out, freezing her fires before they even left her fingertips.
“I bind you, as Faerie has bound you to your spoken agreement, Shade:
‘Forget your past life,
Forget of things you seek,
Remember not a memory,
Nothing adrift to keep .”
His words hit her in a blast and her head felt like a thousand needles had been plunged into her brain. Falling to her knees, she heard herself scream. It echoed across the hall, a deafening death screech which rumbled the shifting ice all around them, making it roar as it cracked and popped in the vibration of her voice. She slumped to the frozen ground, still grasping her head. The white illumination of the ice palace grew more and more intense until it swallowed up her vision and everything else with it.
Chapter Eleven
BLOSSOMS LEFTOVER FROM a summoned spring filled the meadow in all directions. The withering heat of summer had yet to arrive to scorch the delicate petals, which felt like soft peach skins on her fingertips. As Shade continued to walk, unknowing of where she was now, a woman appeared with long, light golden-brown hair braided into an intricate design and pinned to her head and tumbled down her back. She stood in the center of this meadow, watching the sway of grass as the breeze pushed
Similar Books
