Chapter 35: thirty-five

Olivia

“Did you…did you love her too?” I asked, my gaze fixed on his face, watching as his eyes widened in surprise at my question.

He offered me a gentle smile, shaking his head. “Your mother was a beautiful woman, but she was in love with your father, Aldridge. My heart belonged to her,” he said, pointing to a painting hanging nearby.

I moved closer, studying the painting. It depicted a petite fairy with tanned skin, long flowing pink hair, and pale green wings. Her wings, however, looked different—damaged, even slightly mangled.

“This is my Rayna,” he murmured, standing so close I could hear the rhythm of his breaths.

“Where is she now?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

His body tensed beside me, and I could sense Cole behind me, ready to intervene if necessary. He simply shook his head in response.

“And her wings? What happened to them?”

He drew in a deep breath, “Someone hurt them. She never told me who. When I had her painted, she wanted her wings to be depicted as whole, but I loved her just as she was.”

“Were you two fated together? Like Cole and I?”

“No. But I loved her just as fiercely.”

We stood in silence for a while, my mind wrestling with the decision of whether or not to tell King Atticus about the portal.

“Do you…do you think she made it through the portal? The one my mother created?” I finally asked.

Both Atticus and Cole turned to look at me, their expressions filled with surprise.

“Oh…um…well…Raven mentioned that the night the vampires attacked in Rosewood Forest, my mother used all her light to open the fae portal and many fae escaped through it. She’s…uh…trying to find out if I can reopen it.”

***

We began to search the castle, moving through hallways and rooms, trying to locate Raven. Cole suggested she might be in the kitchen, but she wasn’t there.

We eventually found her in a library-like room with Kaden. As we entered, we witnessed her berating Kaden.

“Wake up, bloodsucker!” she shouted, slapping the back of his head.

“I fucking told you, Raven, I wasn’t there!” he retorted.

“What is the meaning of this?” Atticus demanded. Raven turned to glare at the king.

“Raven believes I was present when Rosewood was burned down,” Kaden explained.

“I told you to keep your mouth shut, you idiot,” she hissed at him.

“The King and Cole know, Raven, and they want to help,” I assured her.

Her anger was palpable, but her eyes softened, and she nodded. I wasn’t sure if I could trust the king, but Cole had never tried to hurt me.

“Kaden wasn’t there, but it’s possible Marcus was. He could have even…orchestrated it,” Atticus suggested.

“Oh, well, isn’t it just great that he’s dead then,” Raven spat.

“He’s not dead,” Cole said, “Yet.”

“WHAT?!” She jumped to her feet, screaming at Cole.

The thought that Marcus was alive and could attack at any moment had me instinctively moving closer to Cole.

“We need to hunt him down,” she said, pacing in front of us.

“He’s in the dungeons, and I will be the one to deal with him,” Atticus declared.

“He’s…he’s…here?” I squeaked out. Cole bent down to my level, cupping my cheeks.

“He’s heavily guarded, he can’t hurt you, and soon—very soon,” he glared at Atticus, “he will breathe his last breath.” He finished, pressing a kiss to my forehead.

“Is…she?” I began, but Cole placed a finger to my lips, shaking his head.

“She’s gone. She can’t hurt you ever again.”

“Raven! I think I found it!” Kaden exclaimed, rushing toward us with a dust-covered scroll in his hands.

Raven snatched it from him, unrolling it on the table. It was a map of some sort, filled with drawings and names of different woods and forests.

Raven’s eyes scanned the markings before stopping at a small one. It was labeled Banburn Woods.

“This is close, right?” Raven asked, her eyes still fixed on the map.

“Yes, maybe five miles outside the castle, why?” Cole replied.

“Because it’s enchanted. I need to take Olivia to the fae ground so she can summon her light,” she said quietly.

“When should we leave?” I asked.

“Immediately,” she said, finally looking up at me.

Cole agreed to it on the condition that he could accompany us. Raven tried to protest, but honestly, I wanted him there. There was no telling what we might encounter.

“Excuse me, my king, but you have received responses regarding Lord Cole’s coronation,” a servant interrupted, handing a stack of small letters to Atticus.

“We’ll discuss this once you’ve returned,” Cole said flatly.

***

I wanted to talk to Cole about what the coronation entailed. I knew he was a prince, and we were together, but everything was happening so fast.

Right now, I needed to focus on Raven. She was my one true friend in this world, and if I could help her, I would.

The journey to Banburn Woods would be short, and it was unlikely we’d encounter any fae creatures. Most didn’t even know it was an enchanted wood.

The closer I was to fae land, the easier it would be for me to access my light. I still didn’t fully understand what she meant by my ‘light.’

“Think of it this way, you need to recharge your battery, and the enchanted woods are the only way to do that,” Raven explained.

The moment I harnessed my light, I knew I had the power to open the portal to the fae realm. This was a privilege reserved for the queen alone, and being my mother’s daughter, I was, in essence, the queen of the fae.

Yet, I had no desire to cross into the fae realm. My heart belonged here. The mere thought of being separated from Cole was a torment I couldn’t bear.

“Just make sure he’s taken care of,” I heard Cole’s voice, sharp and commanding.

Brayden.

I hadn’t laid eyes on him since our encounter in the tower. A surge of relief washed over me, and before I knew it, I was rushing towards him, my arms flung wide.

“Brayden!” I exclaimed, my voice echoing with joy. “I’m so glad to see you! How are you feeling?”

He chuckled, a warm, comforting sound, and gently patted my head. “I’m fine, little Olive.”

I could feel Cole’s gaze on us, a silent, watchful presence. I stepped back, a smile playing on my lips.

Cole’s hand found my shoulder, a reassuring weight. I covered his hand with mine, and I could feel the tension seeping out of him.

“Just remember what I told you,” Cole said, his voice firm. Brayden nodded in response.

“It’ll be done by the time you get back,” Brayden assured him.