Page 39 of Black Hearted
“So, you’re the Ethereum lord?” she mused. She walked through the now-open gates, past Nellie, and toward me. Although I was now free of the vines and the Enforcer no longer had a blade coming at me, I suddenly felt that I was in more trouble. If the queen had heard all that had been said about me, she would see me as a threat. She was royalty and would think that my heart was the way to end the curse. I couldn’t bear it. She had power and guards, and I was a goner for sure. I was so close. Should I say anything?
She looked me up and down. I swallowed. Then she turned her gaze to the fae from Buttercup Village, still on their knees.
“You fools think you can carve out his heart with just any dagger?” She clicked her tongue. “No. It takes one of the fourfaestone daggers. Unless you have one of those, all you’d be doing is killing an Ethereum lord.”
I thought about Isolde’s faestone dagger in the pack still slung over my shoulder, as well as the faestones that remained from the other two daggers. Now was definitely not the time to bring them up.
I cleared my throat, and the queen’s gaze shifted back to me. Her expression wasn’t outright hostile, but it wasn’t warm either.
“Did you get my message?” I asked her. “I’m friends with Lorelei—”
“I know exactly who and what you are,” she interrupted matter-of-factly. “If I’d met you yesterday, I would have killed you where you stood. But my daughter has spoken on your behalf. So …”
I held my breath, unsure of what she would say next.
“I welcome you into Spring Palace.”
A wave of relief rushed through me.
The queen turned to the fae from Buttercup Village, and with a flick of her wrist, the vines binding their hands fell away. “You are welcome to rest before returning home, but Lord Zane is my guest and will not be harmed.”
With that, she turned back toward the open gate, gesturing for us to follow.
Grabbing Biscuit’s reins, I quickly went over to Nellie and brought her to my side before catching up with the queen and a contingent of her guards as they led us into the city.
The queen glanced down at Nellie, then up at me, a question in her eyes. “Your sister?”
I shook my head. “This is Nellie, a Fall fae. She’s a travel companion who is very important to me and has helped me on myjourney to meet you. She was stranded in the Fall Court when I arrived, and as with many of the subjects from her court and the others, she has lost much at the hands of the curse. I’m returning her to her aunt, who lives here.”
She gave me a look as though I were an enigma but nodded. “Well, it’s late. You both can spend the night at the palace, and we’ll call for her aunt in the morning. What’s her aunt’s name? I’ll send someone to find her.”
I glanced down at Nellie, noticing her wide eyes and pressed lips. I’d never seen her like this before. She looked … afraid? Shocked?
She’d probably never met royalty before—besides me, though that was different—so perhaps she was overwhelmed.
“I think you intimidate her,” I told the queen.
She laughed, a warm yet commanding sound. “I do have that effect sometimes. It helps keep my husband, Thalion, in line.”
I smiled at her comment. I was not expecting humor from her, especially in such a strange situation. I liked her. A lot.
“I have much to tell you,” I said, and she nodded. But then her gaze flicked warily to her guards. I got the impression she didn’t want us to talk out in the open, and I understood that completely.
“And I have many questions as well,” she replied. “Let’s get Nellie settled in, and then we can go somewhere more private to talk.”
An hour later, after being seen by the queen’s healer and having her wrist attended to, Nellie was bathed and tucked into a bed inthe guest wing of the Spring Palace. At my request, I’d been given the room next to hers so we could stay close.
The queen was waiting for me in the study, and I was eager to plan Lorelei’s rescue. But first, I wanted to make sure Nellie was settled.
“You’ll be here when I wake up in the morning, right?” Nellie asked, chewing her lip.
I nodded. “I’ll see that you’re brought to your aunt first thing in the morning, and then I’ll leave right after.”
She chewed her lip harder, her expression pained. “About that … my aunt. I gotta tell you something, but you’re going to be mad.” She pulled the covers up to her chin, as if preparing to hide under them.
Mad? About her aunt?
“I won’t be mad,” I promised.
