Betrayals of Spring (Forever Fae #2)(22)
She lets go of my hands and takes a step back.
“That’s not all, Kalen. I need to ask you a question and I want you to be honest with me.” She hesitates before asking, “When you visited Meliantha all those years ago, did you ever see her before that time you spoke of?”
Why would she ask that? Of course I didn’t see her before then.
I shake my head and reply, “No, I haven’t spoken to her since the wedding.”
“I didn’t think so,” she points out.
“What are you saying, Calista? Why did you ask me that?” I ask curiously. Although, I have a sinking feeling in my stomach that I’m not going to like what she has to say.
“Meliantha had a visitor just a few short days before you came and she thought that visitor was you.”
“WHAT?” I roar.
Before I can yell every obscenity in my mind, Calista cuts me off.
“It was the dark sorcerer, Kalen. He pretended to be you and he said some terrible things to her that broke her heart. She’s hated you ever since.”
So that’s why she has hated me all these years. If I would have pursued her more instead of cowering back to the Winter Court, I could have solved this problem years ago. How could she think I would break her heart like that? I head for the door because the need to speak with her has me bursting at the seams. My heart belongs with hers and she has to know how sorry I am, and...that I love her. Calista screaming my name stops me from my pursuit, and I turn around impatiently to see what she wants.
“What, Calista? I need to speak to Meliantha and tell her the truth.”
“I know, Kalen, but she’s with Finn right now getting some rest before the ball. She already knows that it wasn’t you, and I told her she should talk to you, but right now is not the right time. So many things have happened and she needs a break from it all. You’ll be able to talk to her tonight.” She hesitates before speaking again, “One other thing, she doesn’t know you’re engaged. I’m afraid that when she finds out it’s going to break her heart even more, but she did tell me about the connection she felt with you earlier.”
I admit whole-heartedly, “I felt it, too. It’s the strongest feeling I have ever felt, and separating from her felt like I was defying all bounds of nature. I know she’s the one, Calista.”
“Have you ever touched her or seen a vision like Ryder and I had?” she asks.
I shake my head no and say, “No, I have not touched her yet. I tried earlier today, but she backed away from me like I had the plague.”
Calista gives me a faint smile and shakes her head.
“I’m sure it won’t be like that tonight. Try to talk to her if you can and tell her how you feel. Finn’s not going to be too happy, but there’s nothing he can do about it now.”
Thinking of Finn infuriates me to all levels of rage. He’s enjoyed my Meliantha for five years now while I’ve been miserable here in the Winter Court. Not anymore. Tonight I will make her mine and break a few hearts in the process.
“What are we going to do with that?” I ask Calista while pointing at the towel. The spelled cuff is in there, and it’s too dangerous to keep it lying around.
“I don’t know yet. I think I should take it to Durin when he gets here and ask him how to destroy it. We can’t let anyone get near it or put it on. We also need to inform our families about this as well and have everyone warned. The dark sorcerer is here and it looks like he’s after Meliantha this time. We need to do everything possible to keep her safe,” she commands.
I nod my head in agreement while Ryder cuts in and advises, “Well in that case, we need to head to the palace and speak to my parents. I know they will still have the ball tonight, but we need to be on guard. There’s no telling how many traitors we have in our midst.” He looks around the room at us all and settles his protective gaze on Merrick.
Fear and concern splay across his face, but he quickly shakes it off and says, “Alright everyone, let’s go to the palace and call a meeting.”
We leave the cabin and I can’t stop myself from staring at the cottage beside me. Meliantha is in there alone with her warrior, and I pray that she waits for me to explain everything before jumping back in bed with him. I ache to talk to her, but I know the urgency of our situation. We need to warn the Court about the dark sorcerer, and the evil that has been taking place.
The meeting lasted about an hour, and now I’m back in my cabin getting ready for the Solstice Ball that will be taking place in a matter of minutes. I run my fingers through my hair and then down to slip the last button of my black dress shirt in place before layering on my tuxedo jacket. I know it’s a bold move, but I take the purple rose lying on the table, and I pin it to the lapel of my jacket. It’s the same color as Meliantha’s eyes. I haven’t seen her leave the cottage yet, but I did just get back from the meeting. Breena had stopped me on the way to meet my parents saying she had a gift for me, but I was in a hurry and told her I would have to accept it later. She looked hesitant and angry when I walked away, but there were more important matters that needed to be dealt with.
The meeting consisted of my parents, King Madoc and Queen Mab, the Summer King and Queen, Durin of the dwarves, and Aelfric of the Elvish Kingdom. Once everyone was situated, Calista, Ryder, and I took the floor and explained the recent events. Gasps of hysteria and outrage filled the room. My parents were livid while King Oberon and Queen Tatiana were overtaken with fear. We explained to Durin that it was said he was the one who made the golden cuff for Finn, and that it was delivered with Meliantha’s arrows.