One minute I'm falling to my death, feeling the air whooshing past me. Trying to fight Fawn off as well. Flipping us in midair, as we get closer to the ground. I see what's waiting for us. Then the next I'm filled with pain and sharp shooting sparks along my neck and spine. Groaning, I push myself up when I am able to. Regaining a small bit of strength as the air returns to my lungs.
Sitting up, I wait for the world to stop spinning before looking around. The ravine I've fallen into is barren. Only mud and rocks, and a river that flows in the center of it. Otherwise, there isn't anything else here. Great, just what I need on top of all the other bullshit I've dealt with.
Falling back on my butt, I let out a sigh and put my head between my knees as a wave of nausea hits me. Breathing through my nose and out my mouth, I count to ten.
Come find me, Warrior Blood. I'm here. That cursed voice again. Calling to me. Whispering.
When the wave of dizziness has passed, I look up again and see Fawn laying there. Her face calm, eyes slightly vacant, mouth held in a smile. Her arms are bent at weird angles and it's obvious that she died on impact. But when I see her chest rise slightly, I'm horrified to realize that she's still alive. But barely. Blood trickles from a wound on her head. I don't even want to know what sorts of horrors are under there.
He's coming. You need to hide Althea. Myra's voice hits me like a thunderclap. I haven't heard it in a long time. But it's louder now. Like I'm next to her.
Glamour yourself. Make Fawn look like you and you her. Do it, Thea. Now.
I don't even know how to glamour. I've barely mastered control over my magic let alone using it to do what I want.
I have no idea where to begin.
Focus. Focus on what you want her to look like. Then do the same with yourself. Feel the magic, the shifting. Now Thea.
So I try. I try to do as Myra instructs me. Focusing on making myself look like Fawn. Feeling the way my skin shifts and changes, my hair, my face. All of it shifting until it stops. I don't have a mirror to look into, but I know that if I did I would look like Fawn.
Now I do the same for her. Making her look like me. When the process is done, I'm horrified at what I see. What would have happened if I hadn't flipped us around. That would be me laying there. Broken.
But it's not.
Now you need to hide your bond with Kaz. You have to create a false one with Fawn's body. Trick Augustus into thinking that you actually died. You'll fool Kaz too but it's for the better. Do it Thea. It's the same idea as glamouring yourself.
By the gods... this woman is crazy. But I try. This time I struggle. It's too difficult to make up a bond that doesn't exist.
By the time I've figured it out and stifled my own, Augustus and that death horse land peacefully on the ground. The horse's wings beating once more before folding quietly into it's sides.
When his eyes meet mine, for one brief moment I'm terrified that he'll see right through my glamour. That'll he'll know. But his pleasant smile makes me relax.
"Well done Fawn. Shame she had to die so terribly, but this is the price to play for greatness."
He makes me sick.
I bow my head, "I agree." My voice doesn't sound like me. I hate it. Augustus snaps his fingers and suddenly the ravine is loud with footsteps. Several males appear and Tara. Great, the she-devil herself. A few of the males bring a stretcher and place my (Fawn's) body on it before waiting further instructions.
Augustus reaches into his coat pocket and pulls out an empty vial, before handing it ot me. "Fill it with her blood. We need it to find the tomb." I nod, playing my part well. When I've filled the vial with blood, I hand it back to him before he stuffs it back into his coat.
"We will march forward. Keep to the sides, hide your steps. I know my brother and his gang will be following. So be ready. Let's move." As the others begin moving, I pause and look up behind me at the fall I just made.
Shock is still pouring through my system. I cannot believe I survived that. I can't even think about it. What's worse is the questions and pain that Kaz must be going through.
He'll know I'm not dead by the fact that the bond didn't snap, but I've smothered it a bit. Making it harder for him to find me. If something happens to Fawn's body, he'll feel that one.
How? I'm still figuring that one out. Because you took a small piece of your mating bond and manipulated it until it felt like a real one. So while he thinks you're still alive, as you smothered your end to it, Fawn's fake bond will take the place of yours. Should she die he'll feel that one snap and believe you to be dead. It's for the better Althea, you cannot blow your cover.
"Fawn?" The name startles me. Tara approaches regarding me quizzically. "Are you coming?" I blink before noding. When I push past her, Tara takes my hand and asks, "Are you ok? You seem different?" I blink. Does she suspect? Is she onto me?
Breathe, Thea. Breathe.
"I'm just a bit rattled. I did almost just fall to my death." Chuckling a little after, I meet her eyes wondering if I'm doing a decent job at pretending to be Fawn.
To my shock, her eyes soften and she squeezes my hand. "I know. That must have been scary. I'm glad you're still here with us though." I smile, "Me too." Then she lets me go and begins walking.
Following her, I keep silent the entire time waiting for the right moment to reveal myself. As we walk, I think about what Augustus said, how Kaz and them will be on the way down here to find me. I have to leave some sort of clue for him. I wait a bit for everyone to pass down the river bank before me, before I take a step closer and leave one single print. Something for him to track.
As we press forward, I do this every so often. Making sure I'm far enough behind everyone so that they don't notice if I walk too close to the bank. Leaving steps for Kaz to follow. To lead him to where ever it is we need to go. I just hope it's enough.
⤗
Time has no end in this ravine. I don't know how long we've walking but it feels like an eternity. By the time we stop for the night, the sun has long since set and my legs hurt. But I don't dare complain. Knowing that I need to keep up this ruse for the greater of my family and friends. I just hope Kaz isn't taking it too hard.
We settle down on the hard ground, taking turns keeping watching watch but that's silly since no one will show up anyways. We have a few hours advantage on Kaz and them anyways. I don't wait long before my eyes are heavy and the black abyss of sleep comes calling.
"Fawn. Fawn wake up." Someone shaking my shoulder startles me awake. Jumping to my feet I whirl, but it's only Tara. She's staring at me with a frown. "What is it?" I ask still breathing heavily. "It's your turn to keep watch."
"Oh. Ok. Thanks." I sigh and sit down again, leaning against a wall as I stare into the heavy darkness around us. "You're awfully jumpy. Is everything alright?" Why is she being nice? I don't like it. Was she and Fawn friends? Is Tara even capable of making friends?
"Yes. I just... had a bad dream is all. I'll be alright once the shock wears off." She nods before laying down and resting her head on my lap. That confirms my theory that they were friends. For a moment I panic because I don't know what Fawn would have done. So I just do what anyone would if they were friends, I run my fingers through her hair. It seems to have been the right move. She sighs and relaxes against me. We sit in silence as the night wears on. The only sounds are faint snores and people breathing, echoed by the flowing water of the river.
This has been one hell of a day and I don't know when the nightmare will stop. Soon I hope.
Eventually, Tara is passed out and I'm left alone in the darkness wondering what sorts of adventures I'll be on tomorrow and if I can find Kaz before it's too late. When the light begins to trickle into the ravine, I rouse Tara who eventually wakes before doing the same to the others. When we're all up, Augustus mounts Persephone and leads the way. The others follow in tired silence.
When I pass the stretcher that has Fawn's body on it, I notice that her chest still rises. She survived the night. But when her eyes meet mine, I can see she wants to speak, wants to cry out and call out my lie. But she's paralyzed from the fall. I feel a sense of joy at that.
When no one is looking, I bend down and whisper into her ear, "Guess it was you who bled after all." Then I skip forward and take my place in this line of insanity.
Doing the same as before, I leave little steps in the mud to show Kaz that I went this way, hoping that he picks up on them. He should, if I know Kaz; he'll not stop until he finds me.
⤗
By the time we stop again, the sun is high in the sky and my skin is covered in beads of sweat. I don't recognize the open space before us or why we have chosen to stop here but we do. Augustus finally dismounts Persephone and tells us to rest. That we will eat and drink before deciding where to go.
I haven't seen any sign of life since I've been down here, so what he plans to eat is beyond me. "What are we going to eat? There's nothing to hunt down here." One of the males echoes my earlier thought. Augustus smirks and snaps his fingers, his magic sparking between them and in a puff of sparks a giant picnic appears on the ground before us.
"Never underestimate the power of magic." He grins. But really we shouldn't underestimate him. The thought pops into my mind. It's a threat veiled as a reward. Unlike the others, I'm not blind to it.
Playing along, I smile and give my thanks before digging into the food. The fervour in which I eat isn't false. I'm starved. No one questions how fast I eat or why because they are all devouring their food too.
Deciding to slow down to savour it because I don't know when I'll eat again, I look around and observe everyone. Take it in and try to understand them. They are the enemy after all.
Frowning, I hate that I had to lie like this. Pretending to be someone else in order to find information but it must be done.
My thoughts drift to Kaz and what he must be thinking. I'd love to reach out to him, to tell him I'm alive but if I do I could blow my cover.
So close Warrior Blood. Come find me.
That whisper again, gliding along my skin and pushing me. Like it wants me to sneak away and awaken it from its terrible slumber. But I can't do that just yet.
I have to wait; timing is key here.
Pushing that voice away, I focus back on my food and the people around me. I need to figure out what we're up against so that I can inform my friends about it. Tara comes over to me and sits on the grass, her eyes soft and she murmurs, "Have you ever been in love Fawn?"
Taken by surprise I blink before speaking, "No. I have never been in love that I know of. Why?" She sighs and turns those eyes towards Augustus. Even though I hate both of them, the love that shines in her eyes makes me happy for them. They may be vile and terrible people, but sometimes even bad people find love within each other.
"Because I think I'm in love. I came to the palace to meet Kazimir, to see if I was destined to be his mate. But somewhere along the way, within the games and the girls and adventure, I relaized that he and I weren't a match for each other. I kept trying to push it and it only left me more frustrated when I realized it wouldn't work.
But then, when he looked at Althea and the way his eyes softened, how he lit up around her; I knew that she was the one for him."
She pauses before sighing, "It infuriated me because I wanted to be looked at like that."
"Is that why you hated her?" I ask. Tara meets my eyes, "I don't hate her. I just pretend to hate her because it's easier than admitting that I'm jealous of her. That I want to be more like her."
That takes me by surprise. "What do you mean?"
Tara blinks, "I wanted to be like her. Beautiful, smart, funny, kind. The type of woman who's soft but also strong when needed. She just exudes confidence and respect and she's so fucking nice. I hate that. But I also resepct it. I didn't realize that I was looking for love or a mating bond, until Augustus walked in with Thea on his arm and my entire being became red with want. I knew that she was on the arm of my man and it wasn't ok. That's when I knew he was my mate, and Kaz was hers."
Tara's words are pure, deep and filled with honesty. I didn't know there was a side to her that was like this.
"Maybe you should tell him how you feel then? Because you never know what you have until it's taken from you." I whisper the words. Speaking from my heart, as I think of Kaz and how this situation is making me think about us differently. Tara nods, "I should. Thanks Fawn."
Then she gets up and strides for Augustus. Turning away to give them a private moment, I keep searching the ravine, hoping to find a glimpse of my mate and his court. But no one is here.
Is he even coming for me? I begin to doubt, to wonder if he's accepted my death and moved on already. Feeling unsettled by the thought of that, I stand and pace for several minutes trying to figure out a way to find him when suddenly Augustus appears.
Clapping his hands and asking for everyone's attention.
"Well done all of you. We got what we came for, now it's time to get that crown and use it to waken Xavier. Soon, I will be the most powerful fae this world has ever seen and no one will be able to stop me." Augusuts addresses us, his face bright with a smile and eyes light with hope.
"But sir, where is the crown? I thought you said it was inside a tomb? I haven't seen one here."
Augustus smirks, "It's here. I know it is. The ground it once rested upon moved due to earthquakes and years of war. This ravine wasn't here many years ago. It's here. It fell in here when the earth cracked. I will find it."
Tara snips, "How do we know it's here darling?" He smiles at her lovingly. Guess she told him after all.
"Because, Tara darling, I have the only guidance needed to find it." Her smile is wicked and sick. I giggle to play the part knowing that if I don't I could be suspect of fraud. I hate it though. I hate pretending to enjoy the idea of my death. Augustus continues to speak, his words getting worse by the second.
"Thanks to Fawn, I have what I need to lead me to the tomb. Once we enter it, I will grab the crown and then begin the ritual to raise my great, great, great, grandfather and acquire his powers. I will have that magic. I WILL become the most feared and loved High Lord this world has ever known."
Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small clear vial, it's filled with red liquid.
Blood.
My blood. Or so he thinks. It's actually Fawn's blood. He thinks that will guide him to the tomb, but it won't. It's useless.
That thought makes me incredibly happy. "What about the bond?" Tara asks, her voice now twisted with hate. It wasn't like that moments before, it seems as though she's putting on a front for everyone. Playing the part of the vengeful mate.
Augustus strokes her cheek and growls, "Do you think I didn't think of that? As long as that bond is in tact, Kaz can track us. He'll hunt us down until he finds her. As long as Althea Alinca breathes, my brother will never stop hunting us. So, I have to get rid of it."
My breath catches in my throat.
This is it, he's going to 'break' the bond between us. Even though it's only a sliver, it's still going to hurt.
A twig snaps far off from us, but no one seems to heat it. But I do.
Shifting on my feet, so I can angle myself better; I see them. Kaz, Raven, Ryder, and Fin hiding around the bend from us. Observing.
He's here. My mate is here. By the look on his face, Kaz heard it all. I'm here I want to shout. But I keep my face hard, impassive. Pretending that I don't see them, that I'm unaware of their prescence.
Augustus snaps his fingers and two males bring Fawn's dying body forward. Her arm hangs off the side of the stretcher and I know Kaz recognizes that arm. The hair that's falling over her shoulder. My glamour is so thoroughly done that I've convinced everyone that it's me on that stretcher about to die. When the two males place her in front of Augustus he reaches into his jacket and pulls out a dagger. He smirks at my dying face and states loudly, "The only way to sever a bond is with iron. With this dagger I will end her life as her fae healing abilities won't be able to work against the liquid iron. She'll be powerless to protect herself."
I swallow, that's going to hurt but I'm thankful it's happening to me. Fawn's eyes try to widen, her mouth opening to try and claim that it's her; but she's so broken that she can't fight it. She tries to struggle but her body is weak and Augustus only chuckles at the weak attempts.
"Goodbye Althea Alinac." He whispers. Then raises the dagger and I watch as he slowly brings it down towards her heart. His eyes intent on ending Fawn's life. I also see Kaz leap forward, launching himself towards us with a roar. His magic sparking within him; making the air electric and taste like midnight and dew.
My skin feels alive, my magic calls to him; singing out hoping to show him that I'm here. I'm alive. But Kaz is so consumed with rage that he doesn't hear me.
Turning my eyes back to Augustus I see that he's plunged the poisoned dagger into Fawn's heart and just as he does this, Kaz's magic erupts. Sending waves of fury pulsing through out the ravine.
His brother looks up and meets Kaz's eyes, before twisting the dagger once, giving the killing blow.
Just like that, I feel it snap. The sliver of connection between us tearing as the life leaves Fawn's body.
Kaz's magic tears through everyone, turning from rage to heartache. But he still doesn't realize that his magic recognizes me. It caresses my skin, wrapping around me in a loving caress. It doesn't hurt me like it does everyone else.
It whispers to me, wrapping around my skin and singing out that it's home.
I want to cry. I'm so happy to feel it, but Kaz is raging; his eyes black with pain and face curled in fury.
"Kaz!" Ryder calls out to him. He tries to reach him, but his magic is too strong, it rips through everything, pouring out of him. Augustus gets thrown into the wall of the ravine, his clothes tearing and blood smearing on his skin from the sheer strength of Kaz's power. Finally, the magic dies out, the wind stops blowing and the storm clouds that had appeared vanish.
The sun comes back, but the silence that fills the area is thick.
"No. No, no no. Thea. My sweet Thea, come back to me." He sobs, reaching for Fawn's body. Her life has already slipped away. That bond is gone. Or a single string of it is at least.
He scoops her up from the stretcher and buries his face in her neck, his tears pouring down his face as he sobs, "Angel Heart. Come back."
His words make my heart hurt. I'm sorry. I want to whisper to him. "Please... please come back." His voice is thick and shaky. Raven and Fin have now joined Ryder and Kaz, each one laying a hand over his shoulders and bowing their heads.
The scene makes my heart clench.
A grunt tears my attention away, Augustus is pushing himself up, his wounds healing as he stands. "So you found us then." He grumbles. I turn back to Kaz and see that he's pulled the dagger out of Fawn's chest and tosses it away.
"Oh yeah, sorry about your mate. She had to go though." He's not apologetic at all. Kaz doesn't seem to have any restraint left, because he's placing Fawn's body down then in a flash he's got Augustus by the throat; his fingers digging into his skin and slamming Augustus's head backward.
"You sick bastard. You vile, piece of shit. I cannot believe you're my sibling. I should kill you." He hisses. I've never seen Kaz so furious, it's frightening. But his brother isn't intimidated at all. Augustus simply laughs, "You're too late Kaz. You've lost."
I don't know what to do, all I can do is watch. I'm the only one still standing after the carnage Kaz created and no one's noticed yet. "I will end you Augustus, I told you. I told you that one day I'd come for you."
"Kaz," Fin calls out. But Kaz can't hear him. He's so focused on his brother that he doesn't notice it.
Doesn't notice my glamour shifting and changing. That Fawn's body is becoming her own again, revealing the truth. When I turn I see Raven and Ryder looking at me with wide eyes.
"Kaz!" They shout again. A thud ripples through the ravine, causing all of us to turn as one. Kaz has tossed his brother towards us, his body hitting the dirt so hard it's left a deep dent. Augustus groans but tries to get up again. "Stay down if you know what's good for you," Kazimir hisses.
His brother smiles, blood staining his lips as he hisses, "Never. I killed your mate and now you have to deal with that emptiness for the rest of your miserable existence Kaz."
"Kazimir!" Ryder roars.
"WHAT?!" Kaz spits back, his voice sharper than I've ever heard it. "Look," Ryder whispers, pointing at Fawn's body by their feet.
Fin's face has fallen, but it's not as sad as I assumed it would be. When Kaz looks he pauses, his face frowning.
"W-what?" Even Augusts turns to look and pauses, his skin turning white with shock. "What kind of trickery is this?!"
But no one can answer. Kaz whispers, his voice thick with hope, "Please tell me she was there this whole time?"
Raven shrugs but then they all look up and face me. Their eyes meeting mine. "If this is Fawn, then who are you?" I blink, my glamour must not have fully shifted yet.
Deciding now is the time to reveal myself, I close my eyes and let the rest of the facade fade away until I can feel myself return.
The gasps that echo through the ravine are loud.
"Thea? You're alive?" Raven's voice is soft, but when I open my eyes I see hers are filled with tears. Then I turn and meet Kaz's face, his eyes wide and bright and hopeful.
"I'm sorry." I whisper, but I don't have much time to say anything else before he's barelling towards me and scooping me up in his arms. When he puts me down again, he gasps out,
"How are you alive?" I don't have much time to reply when Augustus roars with hatred, "You fooled me! You bitch, you'll pay for this. You will die Thea. I need your blood."
One second he's before all of us, his face dark with rage; the next he's gone, blinking from existence only to appear above us. Diving for me with fingers tipped in claws and the sound of pounding hooves hitting the dirt as his blood horse charges us.
Not thinking about it, I throw Kaz to the ground and whip my arm out, my magic reacting and in a puff of air, we vanish. I wisk us away from the danger.
When the air is quiet once more, I open my eyes and pause. There in front of us is an old building, cracked and rotted but still standing. Vines blooming from it's skeletal exterior.
That feeling is louder now, yanking at my gut. You've found me.
It whispers. This is it, this is the tomb where Myra hid the crown many many years ago. Holy shit.
I'm at a loss for words and the only thing that comes to mind when I look at the tomb is, "We're here. We've found it."