Page 52 of Spring of the Cursed Fae

They wouldn’t go back to seducing women . . . they would choose to die. My heart ached as I thought of what might happen to Bayleon and Bastian if anything ever happened to me. I remembered the pain and fear when Diawen and the Tyvar took them away, and it hammered at my chest like a drumbeat.

“If I don’t kill Diawen,” I said, “what happens if she takes them again?”

My mother’s eyes softened as she looked at me. “There will always be what-ifs,” she replied quietly. “When that dark sorcerer took your father, I wanted nothing more than to kill him with every fiber of my being. But in the end, none of that mattered—all that mattered was getting your dad back safely.” She reached out her hand and smoothed my hair back. “Vengeance didn’t bring me happiness, Lia; only your father did. And in the end, I wasn’t the one who killed the sorcerer.” Her eyes swirled with power as she looked at me. “Diawen will pay for what she’s done, that’s for certain. It may not be today or in ten years, but it will happen. Let the vengeance go.”

It was easier said than done. Everything she said made sense in my heart, and it would be stupid of me to pursue Diawen. But my mind wanted to challenge and force me the opposite way.

Before I could even respond, a figure caught the corner of my eye. I looked over to see Shaylah running out of the palace and through the garden toward us, holding the hem of her emerald dress up in her arms.

“Your Highness!” she shouted, waving her free hand in the air.

There was a huge smile on her face, so I knew nothing could be wrong. My mother and I started toward her so she wouldn’t have to run so far. When we met her, it was at the edge of the gardens. Shaylah clutched her chest as she sucked in a much-needed breath, her honey-colored eyes lit with excitement.

“What’s going on?” I asked, laughing.

Shaylah’s cheeks were red from exertion and she beamed. “Good news, Your Highness,” she said, still gasping for air. “We just got word at the palace that Ember and Ren just welcomed their daughter. They want you there.”

So much happiness burst through me that I didn’t even know if I could keep it contained. Ember and Ren’s daughter was the first to be born in my court. I had to see her.

* * *

As I sprintedtoward the cottage, I could see Ren and his parents standing outside. Ashur stood beside Elissa, a full head taller than her slight frame. He was my mother’s Guardian and Elissa was my mother’s best friend. Although time had changed much about them, their warm dispositions remained the same.

When Ren and I were kids there was a time when my mother and Elissa thought we would end up together. Little did they know his heart belonged to Ember the entire time. As I neared, they bowed in greeting and I hugged them quickly. My eyes were drawn to Ren’s beaming smile as he opened the cottage door and gestured graciously inside.

“Ember’s waiting for you,” he said.

“Who does Korra look like? You or Ember?” I asked with a grin, eager to meet my best friend’s daughter.

An amused smirk graced Ren’s lips. “Me, of course.”

I chuckled and hurried through the door. Ren and Ember both had blond hair, but Ember had beautiful curls. I could just imagine Korra having the same.

My heart raced as I tiptoed down the hallway, cautiously trying to be quiet in case Korra was still sleeping. Sweet fragrances filled my nose from the flowering potted plants that lined the walls.

When I reached the bedroom door, I slowly turned the handle and peeked inside. Ember, her hair still a little messy from the delivery process, was carefully cradling a bundle of blankets against her chest. She hadn’t noticed me yet because she was lovingly gazing at her daughter. My breath caught when Korra let out a tiny yawn and a small hand peeked out from under the blankets.

Ember lifted her gaze and gasped when she saw me. “Oh Lia, come here! I want you to meet Korra!”

Tears began to form in my eyes as I crossed over to them. I sat down on the bed beside Ember and looked down at this perfect little being who had just graced our lives with her presence. Her eyes were closed, but I smiled when I noticed the tiny blonde curl on top of her head.

“She’s breathtaking,” I whispered.

Ember nodded. “She is. Do you want to hold her?”

I eagerly outstretched my arms for the little bundle and Ember gently placed Korra into them. I brought her close to my chest and took in a deep breath of her unique baby scent.

“Hey, Korra,” I said softly, “I’m your faerie godmother.” Ember snickered at my words, and I winked back at her. “Well, I am. This little girl is going to have everything she could ever want. I’m going to spoil her as often as possible.”

Ember shook her head with a knowing smile. “At least until you have your own kids. Then you’ll be too busy spoiling them.”

My smile faded and the lump that had been lodged in my throat for days resurfaced again. Ember noticed my pause and put a comforting hand on my arm.

“Lia, what’s wrong?”

An emptiness began to creep up inside me, but I tried to fight it off. Bayleon and Bastian were enough; I should be happy with just them in my life. But still, the pain of never getting to experience motherhood was almost too much to bear. And if I did happen to get pregnant and had a son, he would be doomed with the Tyvar curse.

“I still want to break the curse,” I confessed. “But there are too many risks. In the end, if I don’t find the cure, I’ll never be able to experiencethis.” I nodded down at Korra. “It makes me sad.”

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