Prisoner of Darkness (Whims of Fae Book 2)(38)

Scarlett was both relieved and disappointed when the Winter Queen spoke again and interrupted Kaelem’s touch.

The tightrope she walked wavered beneath her. One wrong move and she’d crash and burn.

“As tradition, tonight after dinner are the Winter Fights. The coliseum in the east wing is ready for the fiercest competitors. Everyone is invited to join us after the meal.”

“Fights?”

“Think Winter Court Gladiator,” Kaelem said. When she gave him a quizzical look, he replied, “My court lives in the mortal realm. I’ve studied human history. And where do you think Rome got the idea?”

After dessert, guests rose to leave the room.

“Should we go?” Kaelem asked.

It would be suspicious if they didn’t, and Scarlett’s curiosity was piqued.





Chapter Eighteen





Raith lifted his new shirt. After they returned from the Winter Court, Sage left and came back with some fresh clothing for him. The wound was nearly gone now, but his magic still ran low. Since the attack, he’d had a hard time holding onto magic for long. He’d have to absorb power and use it quickly or he’d lose it.

“Let me see.” Sage peeked at the injury. “Nearly gone.”

“When will my energy return?”

“At this rate, any day now. You’re healing much faster than I’ve seen before.”

Raith knew why: he was of royal Summer blood. He’d been holding onto the information since Sage had saved him, but not telling her felt almost like a lie, and after she’d saved him—twice—she deserved the truth. “I haven’t told you everything about me.”

He hoped it wouldn’t get him kicked out, but he told Sage about his bloodline and about the battle against his brother and the fact that the battle may still be ongoing.

“It makes sense,” Sage said. “I knew something was different about you.”

“But I have autumn gifts, too?”

“Yes, I feel your autumn heritage.”

Raith felt the Autumn power inside Sage, too. An invisible thread somehow connected them together. It was different—and much stronger— than the tie he felt to other Summer fae, which was strange since he knew he had more Summer than Autumn in him. Or at least, he thought so. “How is it possible I have both?”

“It’s rare, but sometimes fae from two separate court bloodlines gain the ability to possess powers from each.”

“My mother had nature power, too.”

“But she was a Summer fae?”

“I think so. I was so young when she died. She never displayed any mind power that I know of.”

“You’ve already tapped into your Autumn power,” Sage said. “But there’s still more for you to learn.”

“Teach me.”

Sage nodded. “Come.”

Raith followed her outside.

Sage looked at a small tree next to the cave entrance. The branches shook and twisted together as the tree bent into an archway. “Now, make it return to a regular tree.”

Raith felt for the magic inside him. There wasn’t much, but he used what was there to unbend the branches until the tree looked as it had before.

“Changing the shape of nature is the first thing Autumn Court children learn.” Sage approached the tree. She took a branch in between her hands and closed her eyes.

The leaves on the tree turned from green to orange to brown as their life drained away. “Next, we learn how manipulate the life of nature.”

The dead branch leaves shifted back to orange and then to green. “Nature is living.”

Raith stepped to the tree. He imagined the life sucked out of the leaves, but nothing happened.

“Absorb its energy into yourself.”

Inhaling, Raith pulled the life from the leaves, turning them orange.

“A good start,” Sage said.

Raith felt a high like none he’d ever felt. He’d thought his nature gift was powerful before, but he felt unstoppable. He focused on the whole tree. One by one, the leaves turned brown.

“Now, put the power back.”

But he didn’t want to let the magic go. With a sigh, he pushed the energy inside himself back into the tree, which returned to perfect health.

“We take our power from the world around us, but we must also give back,” Sage said.

“What happens if someone takes too much?” Although Raith had released much of the power he’d held, his magic remained full.

“We are cursed.” She gestured to Raith’s side.

“The wolves?”

She nodded. “If someone holds on to nature magic for too long or takes too much at once, nature rebels.”

“The shifters used to be nature fae?”

“Indeed. But now their only gift is the ability to shift into wild beings, and they’re cursed by the moon, controlled by it whenever it’s full.”

That was enough to keep Raith aware. He couldn’t imagine losing the power that burst inside him. Now that Autumn magic filled him, he felt even closer to Sage.

Was it simply because they shared Autumn heritage? Or did she have secrets of her own?



Kaelem couldn’t help but snoop inside Scarlett’s head as they entered the coliseum.