Night had fallen by the time Arthur, Charles and I went back to Arthur's wing. Amanda and the others were nowhere to be found. Charles stayed outside again.
"Venus and Burak are coming," Arthur said, plopping down on the couch. He rolled his broad shoulders and sighed heavily.
"Why?" I asked, walking to stand by the open french doors. The sky was dark, but if I focused hard enough, I could see three pin pricks of lights flying high overhead.
A knock sounded on the door before Arthur could reply. The door opened to admit Arthur's siblings, Venus and Burak. Venus was as striking in jeans and a white shirt as she was in a gown. Burka looked like a man who knew he was handsome and took full advantage of it.
"Well, well, big brother. You missed the big event," Burak said with a grin. He looked at me with a glint in his eyes, "but I can see why. You wouldn't want to leave this cute morsel all by her lonesome self, now, would you?"
He was such a waste of a pretty face. I really wanted to sew his mouth shut. With my dagger. I grinned at him.
"Ooh, blood thirsty little thing, aren't you?" he laughed and dropped on the couch across from Arthur, while Venus sat on an armchair. Her gray eyes fixed on me. The impact was quite unsettling.
"Sit down," she told me, "this concerns you, too."
"I'd rather stand, thank you." I said.
She raised her brows, then turned her attention to Arthur. "As promised, I came to brief you on the information I extracted."
"And why are you here?" Arthur asked Burak.
"Because my dear sister has not divulged everything in the presence of the council," Burak said, "you know I have an affinity for mental exercises. Venus kept some things to herself, some things that she will share with you, and I'm just a little too curious to leave it alone. So here I am."
Venus sighed.
"Santos was one of the people who was involved, along with several others. I've given the names to the council. As expected, the head of the snake was extremely cautious to keep his or her identity hidden." Venus said, "however, as Burak said, there are some things I didn't divulge. It concerns her."
It didn't take a genius to know who 'her' was. Suddenly, my magic throbbed inside my heart, pulsing with a rhythm that wasn't my heart's. It felt as though it was about to flow out. I sucked in a breath and looked at Arthur. His eyes were pitch black, and although he still looked relaxed lounging on the couch, his magic was almost boiling.
I moved towards him, pulled by an invisible string, and perched on the arm of the couch. His magic settled down a notch.
The two siblings did not miss a thing, but only Burak displayed a change of countenance. He looked immensely amused.
"Is that so?" Arthur finally said, breaking the silence. "What did you find?"
"A prophecy," Venus said, "I know that the person who attempted to kill her today had said something of the sort. But because prophecies are not common happenings, I, like many others, had put it to him being in a difficult position, what with you and Orion being present.
"However, some of the people we caught yesterday have interesting thought patterns. They were all worried because of her existence. There were several memories pertaining to prophecies about her. "
"Any details?" Burak asked.
"Nothing discernible," Venus said, "however, her existence was not perceived positively. Whatever this prophecy is, your fae is obviously someone who will put a hamper on their plans."
"That's the reason they tried to kill her," Burak put in. "so it was not because of her blood."
Arthur and I looked at each other. We arrived to the same conclusion earlier. And if my theory was correct, then the reason my mother and uncle Robert were killed was because of this damn prophecy and not because of my blood.
Arthur scratched his jaw and looked at Venus, "why didn't you tell the council about this?"
She shrugged, "I'm still not entirely convinced that no member of the council was aware of the disruptions in the chasm separating the realms. I do not trust them."
"So you didn't want to put Arthur's fae in danger?" Burak said with a smile aimed at his sister, "really? I didn't know you had such a charitable heart."
Venus regarded him through frosty eyes, "you need to grow up."
"As much as I share your opinion of Burak," Arthur told Venus, "I'm inclined to agree with him. The world might know us as siblings, Venus, but we have not been that in a very long time... perhaps never."
Venus smiled, and it was a devastating smile that held a world of self-deprecation and no warmth.
"Perhaps we should have changed that. Perhaps if we had been true siblings, we wouldn't be so broken," she shook her head and stood, "believe it or not, Arthur, I hid the truth from the council because I felt they would be a danger to your fae if they knew. I know, I know how impossible it is for us to find someone to share an eternity with. You have found that person after a loss that I understand well myself. I do wish you well, you have always been my favorite ...brother."
The last word sounded so foreign from her lips, as if she didn't truly know its meaning. Then she left.
I always thought that if you had a sibling, you would never be alone. Yet here was Arthur, with four siblings with whom the relationship went as far as that of reluctant allies.
My heart ached. It was silly to feel bad for a being of Arthur's power and age, but I did. I wanted to give him a hug and tell him that he wasn't alone anymore. I swallowed the urge to do that. Burak would probably enjoy watching. It was several minutes before anyone spoke.
"Well, when did Venus develop such a soft heart?" Burak said with half-hearted sarcasm.
"She has always had one," Arthur said softly.
"Yeah?" Burak grinned, "so, want to bond, Arthur? What do brothers do to, you know, be brothers? Oh, I know. Your fae lived with humans, she'll know how brothers are supposed to act."
I found the idea that Burak wanted to emulate human brotherhood utterly laughable. Still, my irritation at being referred to as 'Arthur's fae' was getting on my nerves.
"I have a name, and I would appreciate it if you use it and speak directly to me," I told Burak with a smile.
He beamed at me, "oh, but I don't think Arthur would."
I raised my brow, unamused.
Arthur glowered at his brother. "Burak."
"What?" Burak said, "I just can't help it. I mean, the last serious partner you had was Natalia, she was stuck up but it was fun riling her up, she was so easy to tease. Your new flame is more level headed which is a crashing bore."
I never considered myself level headed, but I was thankful for the compliment. What I did not like was the tightness in my chest when I thought about Natalia. If Burak knew I was jealous of her, he would have a field day teasing me about it, so I brought my mind back to more urgent matters. Santos.
As if guessing the direction of my thoughts, Arthur spoke, "Santos is involved."
"Yes, along with a dozen other vampires," Burak said.
"I want Santos."
Burak cocked his head to the side, "Santos in particular. Why?"
"Let's just say that I'm interested in what he knows."
"Oooh," Burak said, leaning forward, "Do tell me more."
Obviously, Burak wasn't going to help unless he knew everything. He was our only hope of catching Santos, though, so Arthur told him everything. Well, it wasn't like he didn't know about the prophecy, and everything else was bound to come to light sooner or later. Having Burak know wasn't going to change anything.
"I see," Burak looked at me, "you're an interesting little thing, aren't you? Life is much more fun with you around."
"Well?" Arthur asked, his face blank, yet I could sense a thread of irritation coming from him.
"I can summon him. It would take time, but he would eventually come," Burak said.
"You can summon him? Did you make Santos?" I asked Burak. As far as I knew, young vampires could be summoned by their makers. As vampires grow older, their makers' hold on them diminishes.
"Not me," Burak said, narrowing his eyes in thought, "he's a second generation in my line. In human terms, he would be my grandson."
Which meant Burak had made Santos' maker. Yet Burak could summon him. Interesting. Apparently, the rules were different for the Five.
"We don't have time," Arthur said, "besides, if he felt your call, he might try something like put a stake through his heart or have his servants bury him underground."
"If he's so old, wouldn't he be able to resist the summons?" I asked.
"No vampire in my line can resist my call," Burak said, "as is true for the rest of the Five. Santos will feel compelled to come. However, as Arthur noted, he might find an ingenuous way to avoid me. Which leaves us with the old fashioned way. We should go to him."
"How long will it take you to locate him," Arthur asked.
"A few hours and I will have his exact location," Burak said with a smile, "you will owe me after this, and I will go with you to find Santos."
Arthur made a face, "I owe you, and you don't have to go with us."
"Oh, it's not for your sake," Burak rose to his feet, "I just want to be there. I have a feeling it will be mighty fun. So, do we have a deal?"
Arthur sighed, "fine. Find me as soon as you locate him."
"Yes, yes, big brother," Burak winked at me then walked out.
I stared at the door. "Was he always this..."
"Obnoxious?" Arthur offered, "aggravating? Cheeky? Yes, and he gets worse every time I see him, unfortunately."
"What will we do when he finds Santos?"
"We'll pay him a visit and find out what he knows," Arthur said, "if he ordered a hit on you, it means he has a good idea about the prophecy and the reason why you are detrimental to their plans to open another gate."
I nodded and looked out the window. My magic thrummed in awareness. There was an odd sort of tension between Arthur and I ever since our argument on the terrace. I shifted in my seat. I wasn't used to it. I wasn't comfortable with it. Oddly, though, I didn't want it to end.
Ugh... I hate dealing with these things.
"What did Orion want earlier?" I asked instead. Arthur turned his head my way and smiled slowly. He was well aware of my feeble attempt at ignoring the tension between us. Fortunately, he didn't comment on it.
"He wanted to know what kind of relationship you and I have," Arthur said.
"Why?" I asked.
"He is your father."
I frowned into space. "He may be my father, but he's not really my father," I said, aware that I wasn't making any sense. Arthur understood.
"It wasn't by choice," Arthur said, "give him a chance. He worries for you, and whether you like it or not, he is and always will be your father."
I rose and walked to the french doors. The night air was cold. I crossed my arms and looked at the black sky. "The only father I ever had was Robert. He was the only family I ever had."
"Robert is gone," Arthur said, "you've been alone for years after his death. Now, you have a chance at having a family. Believe me, you can try as hard as you can, you can surround yourself with friends and companions. But family is not something you can simply replace."
I wasn't entirely convinced. "Sure, family was important. But one can live without it. I certainly has."
"Ah, one can live without many things, Elle. The question is how does one live without them," Arthur said, "But that is only my opinion."
"What about you?" I asked, looking over my shoulder at him, "you have four siblings, and-" I stopped talking.
He smiled, "and I once had a son."
He stood and joined me, leaning on the other side of the french doors. "You may have noticed, but my relationship with the rest of the Five is not what anyone would describe as familial. It had never been thus." he paused, and I felt the echo of an old pain that tightened my chest and brought tears to my eyes. Arthur was looking at the sky, his gaze distant.
"However, I have experienced what it was to be a father. It was nothing but a very brief window of time, yet it felt that those years when my son was alive were the most meaningful of my centuries of existence."
"What's his name?" I asked.
Arthur glanced at me, surprised. He blinked, "Toby. Short for Tobias."
"Toby," I whispered, "he must have been spoiled rotten."
Arthur's surprised chuckle filled the air, "oh, yes, he was. Everyone around him doted on him. He was spoiled. Maybe that was why..." his smile faded, "maybe that was why he couldn't control his blood lust. Maybe if I had trained him earlier, maybe if we weren't so lenient..."
"You can't bring back the past," I said into the silence.
"No, I can't. Yet there's not a single day that goes by without me thinking that perhaps I could've done something to change the outcome, so that Toby wouldn't have died." he looked at his palm, "he was so small, so delicate... so easy to kill. Even in the end, when he was nothing but a mindless creature lusting for blood..."
A sharp stab of pain stole the air from my lungs. Yet what I was feeling was just an echo of Arthur's emotions. I couldn't even imagine the amount of pain he was in. I opened my mouth, but there was nothing I could say to make it better. That made me angry. If only his pain was an enemy I could fight with silver or magic... but that wasn't how life worked.
I blinked back my tears. Walking to him, I hugged him tightly, as tight as I could. My magic rushed to my skin, meeting Arthur's and enclosing us in a warmth that tingled my senses and soothed the jagged shards of pain stabbing my heart.
Arthur's body relaxed after a moment, and his arms came around me.
"You're something else," he said into my hair, "you're something else, Elle."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?" I said with a smile, remembering our first encounter, "because you're doing a terrible job at it."
He laughed, his chest rumbling with the hearty sound. The pain retreated and my heart felt lighter.
*** ***
Arthur was an asshole.
He had abandoned me for the second time today to my father's tender cares. I did not feel comfortable with Orion. I could feel the awkwardness between us as much as I could feel the blatant stares of the people around us.
We were currently in one of the castle's gardens where dinner would be served to all the guests. Apparently, Venus had extended yesterday's invitation in light of recent events. All members of the council were present, along with the Five and the fae convoy.
The garden was a big square of tended grass, surrounded by four neat rows of trees and rose bushes. Lamp posts set in regular intervals along the edge of the square brightly illuminated the garden.
It was very neat, very pretty. I hated it. Nature shouldn't be cut and molded into precise patterns to fit our taste. It should be allowed to run wild and true and flourish to its full potential.
But then again, if the woods and the gardens surrounding the castle weren't tended and cut regularly, they would overwhelm the castle itself in a few months, covering its beautiful architecture and rich history.
Yeah. I should stick to cutting throats and leave gardening to horticulture experts.
"Arthur told me about your relationship," Orion said.
Well. He certainly didn't beat around the bush. I looked away to hide the heat rising to my face. We were in a corner of the garden. There was no one in hearing distance. But there were shapeshifters around so I couldn't be sure.
There was also Charles who'd been stuck to me like glue. He stayed a short distance back, though.
"I see."
"I would like it if you didn't rush the decision to accept the bond."
I looked at him with raised brows. He seemed genuinely concerned, so instead of snapping I asked "And why is that?"
"You're still young," he said, "you are of the royal line. You have many more prospects you can look into. Having Arthur as a mate would be inconvenient."
"Inconvenient for who, exactly?" I asked, trying to hide my rising hackles.
"Everyone involved," he said, "for you, surely. The Five are not... normal immortals. But also for him and for the fae, it would be a great conflict of interest, to have the future queen mated to one of the Five."
Whoa. That escalated quickly. I chuckled, partly in amusement, but mainly in disbelief.
"I'm sorry. When you say the future queen, surely you're not referring to me."
He frowned, "Of course, I am."
I laughed dryly, "No."
He blinked, taken aback. "What do you mean, no?"
"I mean I am not the future queen of the fae," I told him, "and also, no, I will not reconsider my bond to Arthur."
"That is absolutely ridiculous," Orion said, "the throne is yours by birthright. Also, I believe that as your father, I have a right to advise you in matters in which you might be too emotional."
I almost snorted.
His lips thinned. He was a royal, once a king, he was used to his every order obeyed. He wasn't used to being told 'No'.
"No." I told him again, "I may be a royal by birth, but I certainly was not brought up as one. I refuse to take part in the ruling of the fae. Also, you might be my father, biologically, but you are virtually a stranger. You don't get to tell me what to do with my life."
I raised my finger when he opened his mouth to interrupt.
"Even if you had been a father to me my entire life, that still doesn't give you the right to tell me what to do. You can advise me, tell me about your concerns, but in no way will you make a decision in my stead. The bond with Arthur is something that I choose to pursue. Your concerns have been duly noted, but don't try to order me around again. You will find that I do not take well to orders."
"You are stubborn," he mumbled, then drew himself to his full height and linked his hands behind his back, "very well. Your bond with Arthur is a personal matter that I will not bring up again. However, I do believe you should give the throne a chance."
Ugh. He really doesn't take no for an answer. I guess now we know where I got my hard headedness.
I looked across the garden and met Arthur's eyes. He was speaking with a shapeshifter. A big werewolf with scars on his face, three slashes, as if a wolf had clawed him. But if it had been a wolf, then he should've healed. Odd.
I glared at Arthur. His eyes laughed at me, a hint of amusement thrummed along the bond, tickling my magic.
"Come to Ireland," Orion said, dragging my attention back to him. He nodded to himself, as if coming to a decision. "Yes. You should come to Ireland. You should see your home, meet your people. I'm sure you will change your mind."
He was obviously too bullheaded to accept my refusal. I sighed. I was getting tired of the subject so I pulled his attention towards something else.
"What do you know about sealing spells?"
He frowned, "many things. It is extremely difficult magic to pull off. One would need a deep knowledge of spells and a considerable amount of magic and experience. All of which your mother had. She had studied spells under a renowned witch for decades."
"She was a fire elemental," I stated.
"Yes, a very strong one, too," Orion paused, "maybe the strongest I have met so far. It's very rare for regular fae to outshine members of the royal family, our line is just stronger. But your mother did. She was outstanding."
No one could miss the admiration in his voice. Uncle Robert had told me all he knew about my mother, but Orion would no doubt know much more. I was thirsty to know about her. I wished I could have met her, the woman who gave me life and gave hers away for my sake, but that was not possible. Knowing everything about her was the next best thing.
But revealing my desire to know all about mother was not something I wanted Orion to be aware of. I did not know him, yet. For all I knew, he would use it to make me go to Ireland with him or something like that.
I crossed my arms, "can the spell be broken?"
"As far as I know, the caster of the spell is the only one who can break it," Orion said, "unless, of course, it was cast as a conditional spell."
I remembered Kat saying something along those lines.
"A sealing spell is either conditional, or not," Orion continued, "if it is not conditional, then the caster is the person who can break it. When the caster dies, the spell naturally breaks. Obviously, the spell cast upon you was conditional since your mother is dead."
"That means the spell will break if certain conditions are met," I said, "how do I know those conditions?"
Orion shrugged, "only your mother knew. Unless she told someone, that knowledge has gone to the grave with her. Do you want the spell to be broken?"
Did I? I shook my head, "not really, no. Mother had done it to hide my identity. But I don't know if that's the only reason. It could be the only thing standing between me and complete insanity."
Orion nodded, "that is possible. Sealing spells mask the subject's aura as human, but they do affect magic and blood. It is one of the reasons why they are forbidden. No one truly knows the extent of their effects," he smiled, "but I don't think your mother would have left anything to chance. She must have known exactly how it would affect you. She was a genius in her own right."
My heart swelled with pride. And although Orion had not really told me anything new about the spell, I was grateful to have had this conversation with him. It gave me a glimpse, however slight, into the person my mother had been.
"So it's impossible to remove it until the conditions are met," I said.
"Not impossible," Orion paused, "there is a type of magic that might help. It's called Nullification magic. Its owner can void all spells cast upon a place or a person."
I frowned, "never heard of it."
"It's not common. In fact, I currently don't know anyone who possesses that certain gift," Orion said. "But it's not impossible to have someone out there with that particular ability."
I slowly nodded. I wasn't sure why I was asking this many questions about removing the spell. I definitely didn't want to do it. At least, not until I knew the exact effects that would have on me. But It was nice knowing I had the option to do that in the future.
"So? When will you come home?" Orion asked.
Goodness! He really was stubborn.
I was about to tell him that Ireland wasn't my home when something caught my eye.
Natalia walked into the garden.
_____________________________________
So sorry for the wait!
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Mia