Page 45 of Black Hearted
“That’s nice,” I said, pointing to it.
Nellie’s face brightened, and it made my heart lighter to see her smile. “Thanks. It was my nana’s.”
When she said that, I remembered how she’d taken it with herbefore leaving her house. I wished I had something to give her as well, but I hoped that her nana’s necklace would give her comfort while I was gone.
Standing, I watched as the king gathered his children and Nellie, and they all began to return to the palace.
I turned to face the queen, who was watching me with a warm smile. “You must have really made an impression on her. I can tell she’s not one to trust easily. She’s bonded to you.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.
With that, I climbed into Biscuit’s saddle, and we rode toward the Turtle Mountains.
The journey started out pleasant enough, with a crisp, westerly breeze and a partially sunny sky. But the farther east we traveled, the more the clouds disappeared and the hotter it got until the ride became grueling.
We had to stop the horses more than once to water and rest them. Even the Spring queen looked red-faced.
I glanced at the sky, the sun beating down relentlessly. “Any chance you could bring clouds or something?” I asked Glori.
She shook her head. “I don’t have that type of control over the weather. That would be the Summer queen’s power. The Turtle Mountains mark the barrier between the Spring and Summer Courts. Beyond them is only dry, scorched earth and unrelenting sun. It will get worse.”
She wiped her brow and gestured to some nearby soldiers, who I now noticed were carrying potted plants and flowers.
“The plants will help me replenish my power, if needed.”
I nodded. That made sense. Spring fae drew their magic fromlife itself. If the ground didn’t hold life, she had to bring some with her as reserves.
We pressed on, and sure enough, the lush green landscape gradually turned barren. Instead of riding straight over the Turtle Mountains, we skirted them to stay hidden from Queen Liliana as we approached.
We wanted to find where she was hiding before she knew we were coming for her.
We rode until the sky was streaked with orange from the setting sun as it began to drop lower.
“We’re going to have to stay another night unless we get a lead on where the Summer queen is hiding,” Glori told her soldiers.
They fanned out, and we all scanned the horizon for any sign of life: a house, a tree, a castle—anything. But the land stretched flat and empty.
It had been too long since anyone had heard from Lorelei in her dreams. Something wasn’t right. I truly feared for her life and whether she would make it another night, but I couldn’t say so aloud.
“I fear Lorelei is in too much danger to delay,” I said, tactfully voicing my concerns.
Glori nodded, still scanning the horizon. “Let’s split into four groups,” she said to me before turning to her troops and shouting names, pointing in different directions.
“Zane, you go northeast with Captain Lace,” she said, gesturing to a stout fae on his horse.
I gave a sharp nod and maneuvered Biscuit to ride next to the captain. Anything to get to Lorelei faster.
After Glori divided her troops, we spread out with the Turtle Mountains at our backs, all on a mission to find Lorelei.
It reminded me of bird hunting back home, when we had to fan out to find the downed bird. But this bird was Lorelei, and darkness was approaching, with a vast landscape still to cover.
The queen and her group headed southeast as I rode northeast. We moved fast and hard, praying to the fates I’d find Lorelei in time.
The horizon felt endless. Every time I thought I’d reached it, the line kept moving, signaling an unending expanse of dry, scorched earth. There wasn’t a tree or bush in sight—just a few hills, a mountain, and a jagged rock cropping.
The sun had already set, and it was getting harder to see. I lightly nudged Biscuit, urging her forward as panic rose inside me. Searching for Lorelei in the dark would be nearly impossible, but I knew I couldn’t wait another night to find her. To rescue her.
She hadn’t given me specific details about what Queen Liliana was doing to her, but I knew it was some form of torture.
