Chapter 51

AURORA

Once upon a time, I would’ve done anything to keep my sanity intact. Living with my parents in that cold, unfeeling house was like living in a religious nightmare.

Instead of fire and brimstone, there was a constant barrage of hatred and threats of damnation for just about everything I did. I lost my voice somewhere along the way, but I felt like running away and ending up within the Veil was the best thing that could’ve happened to me. I’d escaped one Hell to find Heaven with Rin.

But now, I felt like I was in a different kind of Hell.

“I hope you’re getting yourself clean. I can’t imagine how you could like that nasty slime still inside of you,” Fai was saying as I sat in the deep tub.

“You’re talking like you never had a husband. Didn’t you do the same things with Kaleem?” I shot back.

“And I hated it!” Fai spat. “Men’s minds are dominated by such things when it comes to women, and I only gave in to please him, though I made sure I could never carry his seed within my womb! The thought of giving birth was horrifying!”

“And you used him all those years, just for this?”

Fai shrugged, laying out a new dress on the nearby chair for me. “It doesn’t matter anymore. I’m here and away from him, and I’ve been promised a place in my queen’s royal court. I’m so happy that my loyalty is recognized, especially when I had to give up my precious wings.”

I almost told her that she should be giving up more than that, but I held my tongue. Being nasty to her wouldn’t get me anywhere.

“This should be enough. Let’s get you out and dressed. I highly doubt our queen wishes to wait much longer,” Fai continued, coming over to help me out.

I didn’t resist any of this, simply letting her dry me off and dress me. The dress that had been chosen for me was a beautiful blend of pink, purple, and blue; with a lace-up back and low-cut top. The sleeves draped around my forearms, falling over my arms and hands in long silk.

Yes, it was a beautiful dress, but I didn’t really like it for where it came from.

I was escorted out of the bathroom and down the long hallway. Everything in this palace was white marble, just as I’d dreamed, and the large windows gave a perfect view of the frozen kingdom below.

We finally made it to a large archway, which led into the throne room. Lila was in there as we entered, along with Rayne. He was sitting in an ivory chair with a blank expression as Lila leaned down in front of him, studying him closely.

“He certainly resembles that luna dog, doesn’t he?” she commented.

“Very much so, my queen,” Fai agreed, bowing her head.

“I would expect no less than an alpha male to leave such a mark on his offspring, and especially to ensure that he had a male pup first,” Lila continued. She frowned as she stood up straight. “Yet I can also see features of that whore mother of his in his face. Such a woman who would willingly give her body to a luna dog and fox, let alone bear offspring for them, is not fit to be called a queen.”

Her words stirred up more anger in me, but I managed to keep it in check. If I wanted to get through this, then I needed to play her game and find a way to free Rayne.

“Why are you keeping Rayne here like this? Are you going to use him against his father and brother?” I asked her, making sure to keep my voice calm and collected.

“You catch on quickly. I must say that you continue to impress me. You are not the ignorant girl I was thinking you may turn out to be,” Lila commented. She stepped in front of me. “As you have already figured out, the best way to keep your enemies in check is to know their weaknesses. Thanks to those lycans, I had an advantage in knowing all about Jekia. While he has remained quite untouchable for a long time, the recent events of him creating his family have brought me perfect opportunities.”

“That’s why you sent the lycans after Lana and their sons when Rin and Rayne were five years old,” I surmised.

“It was, though I did not expect much from it. Kamelle did have plenty of power passed to her from me, but she lacked the intelligence to use it correctly, along with relying on her instinct of revenge alone. If she had thought it through, she would have killed that woman right away. That would have left an everlasting scar not only on him, but also on those children,” Lila continued.

“I told you before that you’re cruel, and this only proves it. Besides, those lycans failed to do anything to them. Rin and Rayne became stronger from that, and so did Lana,” I informed her.

A cruel smile crossed Lila’s face. “True, but I wonder how much would it take to break you.”

“Why? Are you hoping to break Rin by breaking me?”

“Perhaps.” Lila grabbed the back of my hair, pulling me closer to her so that she could look into my eyes. “I need you to become empty inside! Those worthless humans may have failed to numb you, but I won’t!”

I cried out in pain as she let me go, holding the back of my head. Footsteps were coming into the room now, and I turned to see the brown-haired male Faerie entering with a captive. My eyes widened in shock.

“Flora?” I whispered.

Flora was struggling against him as he held her tied hands behind her. Her veil had been removed, and her white hair was partially covering her pale face as she struggled against him. Lila held her hand up toward her, which made Flora immediately become still, her entire body tense as she brought up her head to face her sister.

That cruel smile remained on Lila’s face as she looked at her. “It’s been a very long time, hasn’t it, Little Sister?” she greeted her.

“Not long enough. I never wished to see you again after what you did to your husband and those in this kingdom,” Flora responded.

“Still bitter he chose me over you, huh? You knew you never had a shot against me,” Lila taunted.

“You manipulated him, tricked him into marrying you. Don’t think I didn’t see your hold over him!” Flora shot back.

“Hold?” I echoed quietly.

Fai glared at her. “Watch your tone with our queen. You’re irrelevant now, blood or not,” she warned.

Flora just laughed, showing no fear or intimidation.

“Poor thing. You didn’t have a choice but to be born loyal to Lila, did you? I think I remember your face as a child. Your father’s been loyal too, and I bet you’ve enjoyed seeing him again,” she said.

“Her past is none of your business,” Lila interjected, drawing Flora’s attention back to her. Her face twisted with anger. “I can’t believe you, of all people, betrayed me. You practically handed me over to be sealed!”

“Why wouldn’t I?!” Flora spat. “You ruined this kingdom, planned to take over and ruin this world. Now you want to shape this girl in your image to preserve yourself. Did you really think your body would last forever? Now that the seal’s broken, your time is running out. Don’t think I don’t feel it, and the others do too. That’s why you targeted this girl from the start. You didn’t just want freedom and to end Jekia’s reign; you wanted a new vessel!”

I couldn’t believe it. She wasn’t just saying I was being groomed to be her heir. She was saying my body was meant to be her new body!

I quietly stepped back and stood next to Rayne. He was still, but his eyes flickered between light and dark. He must’ve been trying to regain control.

“You will shut up!” Lila slapped her, making Flora’s head snap to the side. I tensed when I saw her tear a piece of lace from her golden dress, transforming it into a gold dagger. “I have no problem killing you. I don’t need family! All I need is me!”

“Don’t!” I shouted as she raised the dagger to stab Flora.

A strange pulse surged through me as I did, seeming to come from the stone in my throat. At the same time, Rayne grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly. We both watched as Lila suddenly froze, unable to move her arm to stab Flora. Her body glowed for a few seconds, radiating gold.

The pulse faded, and Lila clutched her chest, stumbling back. She looked both shocked and scared.

Flora, on the other hand, started laughing after a few seconds of silence.

“I knew it!” she exclaimed as Fai and the male Faerie watched in shock. “I knew this girl would be your downfall! You can’t control a strong beta who’s been claimed by a top alpha, and you can’t steal her body! Your day of reckoning is finally here!”

I looked at Rayne, who was still holding my hand. Even though he couldn’t move or speak, it felt like he was sending me a message through this touch.

~The end is near. Stay strong.~

I didn’t have much time to process this as Lila flew into a rage. She let out a furious scream, a swarm of golden butterflies exploding around her. A strong gust of wind swept through the room, and I was thrown back before I could react. I vaguely remember hitting the wall before everything went black.

When I woke up, pain was throbbing in the back of my head. It took some effort to sit up, and a few more minutes for my eyes to focus. I wasn’t sure what had happened at first. All I knew was that I was in a strange, dark bedroom, with only moonlight streaming in through an open doorway across from me, leading to a balcony.

I winced and held my aching head. “Rin?” I called weakly.

It took a few seconds for me to realize he wouldn’t answer. I wasn’t at Jekia’s palace. I was trapped in Lila’s.

That’s what had happened. She’d threatened to kill Flora, and I’d somehow stopped her; then she’d gotten so angry that her power had thrown me into the wall. I must’ve been knocked out when I hit it.

Judging by how dark it was, I must’ve been out for a few hours. I was alone in the room, which worried me. I hoped Rayne and Flora were okay. Hopefully, they hadn’t been hurt by Lila’s outburst.

But as I thought that, I remembered what Flora had said before that happened, and reached up to touch my throat. Was it true that Lila had planned to take over my body and now I had some kind of power over her?

It seemed too absurd. I was just a human, even if others said I was becoming a powerful beta. There was no way I could have any power over this alpha Faerie. What had happened earlier must’ve been a fluke.

I slowly got off the bed, making sure I was steady before heading toward the balcony. It was a large space with an incredible view of the frozen kingdom below. The moonlight reflected off the ice, giving it an almost magical look.

But it also made my heart ache. All those Faeries had lost their lives because of one Faerie’s cruelty. It wasn’t fair that she was allowed to keep living, even if she had been locked away for so long.

“No, it isn’t very fair, is it?”

I spun around quickly as a male voice reached my ears. A figure was now perched on the far end of the balcony, a vision in white, his long hair dancing in the cool breeze that had started to blow. His voice and build confirmed he was male, but he was also strikingly beautiful.

“Who…who are you?” I stuttered out. He didn’t resemble a Faerie, and I couldn’t fathom how anything could infiltrate this place without the other Faeries or Lila noticing.

He flashed me a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry. I won’t harm you. I’m here to help you as much as I can,” he assured me.

Strangely, I didn’t feel scared of him. It was as if he was familiar in some way, even though I was certain I’d never seen anyone like him around the Veil before.

“You’re really going to help me? But what if they find you here?” I questioned.

He sprang to his feet, his hair gleaming under the moonlight. “Don’t fret about that. I’m beyond what even this so-called queen can detect. And I use the term queen loosely. She’s more like a female tyrant, as you’re well aware,” he retorted.

“No kidding.” I glanced around us again, feeling a tad uneasy standing out in the open. “Maybe we should go inside. Even if they can’t sense you, someone might spot you.”

“Highly unlikely, but if it eases your mind, then I agree.”

We quickly retreated back into the room, and I felt a bit more secure knowing we were less visible. But I was also intrigued by the man now standing beside me. No, I definitely didn’t remember ever seeing him or anyone like him before. He looked so human, yet didn’t feel that way at all, and his white coloring was certainly unique. It was somewhat similar to Jekia’s, but it also seemed slightly more luminous.