Page 43 of Fate and Flame
“We’ve met,” she said with a gentle nod in my direction. “I have nothing to gather. I should find Rook and see what I can do.”
“The plan is to grab everything we can and send the females and children ahead while we stay behind and fight the soldiers.”
“That’s great for the rest of them, but my daughter and I will stay and fight.”
“Are you trained?” I had seen no indication that Nadra could fight at all.
“I am. I’ll protect my daughter.”
“With your life?” The growl that escaped me startled Nadra.
“Always.” She smiled and fled down the hallway.
“We don’t have a lot of time, and we need nearly everything in here. Can you pack this up while I get weapons? Lock the door behind me.”
“Temir, wait. I need to tell you what the king has planned.”
“Now isn’t a great time.”
“It’s important. Someone else needs to know. Just in case.” She looked down at the floor.
“You are not going to die today, love. I promise.”
“Still, just listen. Because it’s never going to be a good time and someone else needs to know.”
I pushed the door shut and waited as she began.
“The king believed that I would be his prisoner forever. He twisted my mind until I was so lost, it didn’t matter what he said to me. He believed I didn’t understand. He thought his enchantment would keep his secrets. It starts with the mate of the southern prince. The last time I saw him, I was with my friend Ara, and I don’t think Prince Fenlas was mated.”
I let my mind connect the dots as she spoke. I thought of the last time I’d seen the prince and his company. Nadra’s fiery friend had threatened to have me mounted. I’m sure it was her. “I met them near the mists. They are together.”
She sucked in a gasp. “Oh my gods, Temir. Are you sure? Could she be his mate? She is the friend I want to find. Her name is Ara. She has dark red hair, like wine. Same height as me? Grey eyes?”
“It was certainly her. It’s possible they are mated, but what about them?”
“King Autus believes the southern prince’s mate is Alewyn’s Promise. Morwena told him.”
The anticipation fled. “That’s a fable. A child’s bedtime story, Nadra.”
“I thought so too, but it’s not. And the king is on a hunt to break their mating bond and bind her to him instead. Don’t you remember what he said to you in that room? He needs practice breaking a mating bond. If he kills the prince and splits her soul, he will never be able to bind her. He has to find another way.”
“But even if he figures out how to break a mating bond, how can he bind her? In the stories, the promised one had unparalleled magic.” I scratched the back of my head, attempting to work out the puzzle.
“He’s hunting artifacts, Tem. He sent for the Gryla in the bog to read an ancient text to him. She told him he had to gather things in order to bind the promised one to him.”
“And you’re sure it’s her? She was an amazing fighter, but I didn’t see her use magic.”
“Maybe it’s not her, but I’m sure that’s his plan, and I know for sure the southern prince’s mate is the key.”
“Gaea and I assumed he was scheming something. Do you know the recipe? Everything he’s hunting?”
“I wrote it down so I wouldn’t forget.” She reached into her gown and pulled out a worn piece of paper.
“He requires a fabric woven from lies. My mother’s reason for being useful to him, I’m sure. Also, a sword forged in death, blood of the king and queen, ashes from the first oak of Alewyn, a lost artifact in the southern sand dunes, and something called an adda flower.”
I jerked at her last words. I opened the door, listened to make sure the king’s guards had not yet come, then closed the door and locked it.“I have the final item,” I whispered. “Gaea and I hunted it down, had a replica made, and turned that over to the king.”I waited for her reaction. She gave none.“I would guess in less than an hour, the king’s soldiers are going to be here. We have to make a decision right now. Either we stay and fight, or we flee.”
“We can’t stay down here, Temir. We’re completely trapped. We must get out of the compound. We have to protect the artifact.” She paused, biting her lip. “There’s something else. The king believes if he can bind the promised one to him, he can use her power to take over the entire world, enslaving every fae who ever moved against him. He genuinely believes he is the rightful king of the realm. But he stumbled upon the binding spell by accident. He was searching for something else.”
