“Synthia, you were only five years old. You couldn’t have saved us from the Fae. You did as I told you to, and it’s the only thing I wanted you to do that night. I need you to know that we have never blamed you for what happened to us. Never has it crossed our minds, Baby. You gave us what we couldn’t give ourselves; a beautiful daughter who, even though she was shy, she loved us in her own way. You gave us the innocent love of a child, and that itself was the greatest gift we could have ever known. We always knew that someday someone would come to try and take you away, but you were the one thing in our lives worth dying for. I wouldn’t change my life. I was a mother, and you make me proud to call you mine.”
“But I could have saved you both. I was strong, even then. One spell and we could have all been protected—we could have all lived,” I cried, pulling away from her.
“And if you couldn’t? We made a choice that night, Synthia; one that ensured that you would survive. A mother never takes a chance with her child’s life. I knew what they wanted when they came to the door. I could feel their hatred even before they knocked on it, and kicked it in. I knew how evil he was then. There was no way in hell I would allow him to find you.”
“I’m being given to the Horde King tomorrow, so you died for nothing,” I swiped the tears away furiously.
“I know, but you won’t end up unhappy, Baby. You will find your love; I promise you that. Synthia Raine, listen to me carefully. Hear what I am saying. Someday someone is going to look at you with a sparkle in their eyes as if you are the most beautiful woman alive. They’ll look at you like you are everything they’ve ever wanted, everything they’ve ever dreamt about. Wait for it, my daughter, for he will be the light that brings you to life, and lights your way through the darkness.”
I smiled through the tears. “I want what you and daddy had,” I replied softly.
“That is the key to finding what you need, Synthia; remember it always. Please remember that our sacrifice was not in vain, for you lived. You carry us with you and you will always keep us alive. In here,” she touched my heart. “Never forget us. Remember, we loved you more than life, so when it became a choice, we made the right one. We have no regrets and you shouldn’t either.”
I woke crying, this time. Screw sleep; that shit wasn’t working for me. I sat up and walked to the window and tried to open them, but they wouldn’t budge. I was freaking locked in! I paced the room angrily. I was replaying Ryder’s, and then my mother’s, conversation in my head. In less than twelve hours, I’d be gifted to none other than the Horde King.
I was glad to find that I wasn’t walking around half naked and that I was still in the long black nightgown I’d glamoured on before bed and not the pink baby-doll nightie from my dream. I went back to the large window and looked out again. Was Ryder out there even now, searching for me? Or was he planning to kill the Horde King outright to claim me? He’d given me to Adam, basically on a fucking platter. But that had been to save his world, and now I wasn’t the Light Heir, so it had to be off the table…right? He couldn’t scale the walls and save me and then hand me off to another man.
Right?
Maybe?
Dammit!
I was still pacing when Adaryn sifted into the room. Wearing all black. I jumped into a fighting pose and leveled a mean glare at him, for which he laughed.
“Relax. I just came to check on you. My room is next door, and you’re a loud walker.”
“Is that so?” I asked.
“Come, you were not the only one who couldn’t sleep,” he said.
I wrapped my arms around my chest and glamoured on a long black skirt, and a matching long sleeve knit top, since the chill of my dreams had seeped in to my bones. I walked with him down to a large room where the rest of my family were sitting and talking already.
We sat for hours with them asking me about my previous life that we didn’t get to talk about yet, and me doing the same. It was sorta comforting knowing they were semi-normal. They argued like siblings and even our parents butted in with a snarky comment here and there. They had what I had pined for after my guardians had been killed.
The time came to prepare and the palace was a flurry of activity. Spells for peace were being written in blood on the walls by artisans as weapons were being sharpened by the men at arms. They were planning for an attack, or, maybe they were planning against one. It was all happening so fast.
If Ryder couldn’t get me out of this, I still knew he would eventually find the cure for Faery, and, with it, our worlds would be saved. I’d escaped one life, to another of which was way worse. One I wouldn’t walk away from. I’d actually felt torn and awkward at the thought of marrying Adam, but now facing the Horde King, it seemed almost insane to have complained about it at all.