Page 57 of A Tale of Treachery

But the mention of powers really caught my attention. He was a complete idiot because this was probably one of the few areas where I could be useful. Each fae possessed a power—fire, water, wind, earth, mind control, or shifting—and each power had a signature. With my way of seeing colors and feeling wavelengths, I could help.

I’d often wondered what power he had, and apparently, he had none…not right now. But as tragic as the thought was, my heart nearly leapt from my chest.

If his power could be removed…then so could mine.

“How did your power get stolen?” I asked breathlessly.

His eyebrows furrowed, and as if he could read my thoughts, he replied, “Don’t even think about it. I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. Not even you.”

I pulled back and sighed. He knew me too well. “Are they out there floating around, then?”

His mouth slammed shut and his eyes focused on a point in the wall. Ryken was shutting down, unwilling to open up any further on the issue. And we couldn’t have that. There was a desperate need to understand him, to delve deeper into his history and retrieve the answers to my many burning questions.

I urged him on with a promise, a sort of bargain of my own. “You probably don’t know this about me, but I can sometimes sense power. I struggle with the ability, but I think this is something I can help with… no, I know I can. But I need to know the circumstances to have an idea of where to start searching.”

He rose from his spot, abandoning me, his eyes hazy and distant as he stared out my window, watching the people in the courtyard below. “My brother tricked me ten years ago,” he whispered. “The rift to the otherworld had grown so big, and darkness was clawing its way across the realm. It was a dark time.”

I knew that darkness of which he spoke. I was raised in it. For a brief period of my life, it had been all I’d ever known. But I didn’t speak or comment, for fear of him closing me out. I moved to the couch and waited patiently for him to continue.

“When the darkness reached Faerie, it was all hands on deck. The king and queen of Faerie—my parents—had finally decided to get involved.”

My eyebrows rose to the top of my forehead. Ryken was fae royalty.

“I refused. Despite the circumstances, I was too busy drinking and partying, having the time of my life. My brother was at my side the whole time. We considered the war a mortal problem. We were unfazed and safe behind the bubble of Faerie.” His voice went hoarse. “Until my parents died in the fight.”

“I’m so sorry…” I whispered.

“After that, the line of succession came into question. My brother was older and wiser, but I was chosen as the next king by way of magical right. My powers were limitless, but I wasn’t. I was wholly unprepared to take the crown after the loss of my parents, so I stepped aside and made my brother regent. I let him take my place since I was unwilling and unable to accept my responsibilities. It was the biggest mistake of my life.” Ryken shifted, meeting my stare. He looked haunted. “I drowned myself in fairy wine and women, constant parties with my friends, all while my brother fought the war. I was at the lowest point in my life when my brother came to me and asked me for a favor, one that would spell out my doom. But I didn’t see it that way. He told me that he could defeat the shade gods and close the rift, but he would need my powers.” Ryken laughed darkly. “I saw it as a grand opportunity. My powers had only ever weighed me down, the responsibility and burden that came with them too much to bear. So I got a fae crystal, transferred all my powers into it, and then gifted it to my brother.”

A crystal—that’s what he was searching for.

“At first, everything went according to plan. My brother used the crystal to close the rift, but he never returned the crystal or my powers to me. He claimed that my powers burned up and left the crystal useless. He hid it away, then took advantage of my weakness to crown himself king of Faerie. He played me for a fool.”

I walked up to him and held his hand, expecting him to tear it away.

“I realized I’d been manipulated, so I built a following and fought. A great clash followed, which resulted in my imprisonment. I was thrown into a cold, dark dungeon for six years, forgotten as the world moved on without me…until Fin and a few of my friends set me free.” He straightened his spine and met my eyes. “I owe it to them to find my powers. I owe it to Faerie.”

I tilted my head. “And you think the crystal is here?”

His voice darkened as he answered, “I know it’s here.”

I knew what I had to do to help him, but couldn’t promise he would like it, so I closed my eyes and gripped his hand tighter, forcing my magic into his body, searching for what was there and what was missing. He pulled back at the intrusion, trying to tear his hand from mine, but my magic wouldn’t allow it. It hooked on to him, leaving him helpless to fight against it. His breath hitched as it flooded his arms and legs, landing on an emptiness in his chest.

There were residual energy and magic lacking, an echoing hum of empty power. It was a bright silver shade, and I imprinted it into my mind, releasing him once I had a good feel for his power. My magic seeping through his blood couldn’t feel very nice.

“Whatwasthat?” he gasped.

“Every power has a tune to it, a trace of a vibration that never really leaves. Now I know what to look for.”

He fixed his gaze on me like it was the first time he’d truly seen me. His voice softened. “Thank you,” he said in a low voice that kindled something in my chest.

“There’s no need to thank me,” I whispered. And there was no need to thank me. Because I would find that crystal and give him back his powers, then use it to take mine away.

Ryken tucked my chin between two fingers and guided my face to his, issuing a warning. “Don’t ever make the mistake that I did. Be grateful for your powers and what they can do.”

I shrugged. What was a mistake for him wouldn’t be a mistake for me. If I could find the crystal, I could return his powers and use the object to contain mine. But he didn’t need to know that. He would likely leave as soon as the crystal was found.

“What will you do when you find your powers?”

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