Chapter 29

Aireese sent him an apologetic look before turning back to her mother. “We went to speak to Amyas earlier, and she won’t give us any more information until after you’re aware of everything.”

The queen finally looked back at her daughter, and Firo had to fight not to show he was breathing a huge sigh of relief. “Everything?”

“Yes. We now know that Belford is in part responsible for many things and we found the Satine and Florin that were also involved.”

“They should be brought before the council.”

Aireese held up her hand. “Belford’s location is unknown, but we have more ideas of where to find him now. Satine passed on—of natural causes.” She glanced at him. Amyas hadn’t said that, but it was assumed. “Florin, we’re going back to speak with her when Amyas contacts us.”

“I should have known that Amyas would have answers.” The queen said quietly. “I don’t like to disturb those that have retired after long service.”

“She also spoke of a prophecy, with angels and halflings?” Both watched the queen for a reaction.

She made a face. “That prophecy?” She smiled. “My mother said it was the least likely ever to happen because we don’t allow halflings in FaTerra, as you both know.” Her eyes narrowed. “You haven’t brought a halfling here, have you? Is that the old lie?”

Aireese shook her head. “No, Mother, we have not.”

“Good. We need to be diligent in that rule.”

Aireese cleared her throat softly. “Mother, we—Amyas as well, believe the fear of halflings was misconstrued by one of our relatives and that the halfling in the prophecy is a very important piece to save Fa Terra and all of the realms.”

The queen looked from one to the other. “Are you saying we need to breed a halfling to climb our way out of this horrific plot that threatens to take all the realms back to before they were created?”

He hadn’t thought of it that way, but she wasn’t wrong. If they failed, no realm would exist.

“No, we don’t need to breed one.”

“Good, because dalliance with an angel is not something any fae should do.” She scoffed. “Not to mention no one has seen an angel in—” She waved her hand. “I have never seen one, and I’ve been around a long while now.”

“Well—” Aireese turned and looked at him for a moment. “We don’t need to because one already exists, Mother.”

The queen’s expression changed so many times in such a short time that Firo didn’t know what to expect. “How old? Is it a newborn? A fae mother?”

“Not—a newborn, and the mother passed during the birth,” Aireese said slowly.

Firo realized his princess was treading very carefully with her mother, and in that, he could find no fault. He also felt guilt, ten times more than he had in all these years. Stepping from behind the chair, he went to stand in front of the queen and then lowered to his knees, so they were, in fact, eye to eye. Making the queen look up at someone was frowned upon. “The halfling is nearly fifty years old, my queen.”

Her eyes rounded. “Fifty? That’s—how have we not heard about them in all this time?”

Firo’s mind sorted through about a hundred different things to say in a few seconds. He sighed and then lifted his chin, so he was looking directly at her. “The mother was your child, my queen.”

The silence was tense as the queen sat there and studied him. Had she heard what he said, he thought for a moment she might not have, and then something tightened around his throat. He lifted his hand to remove it, even knowing that if his ruler wanted to crush his throat without lifting a hand, she could.

“Mother, we need Firo intact. Please.”

The queen clenched her jaw and then looked away, and the pressure was gone.

Firo gasped air into his body. “I am sorry.” He lowered his head and kept it down.

The queen bolted to her feet and paced behind the chairs on the platform. She stood there for a moment with her back to them. When Aireese started to stand, she turned back around and came back to the chair. Bracing her hands on it, she lowered her head. “I should have known. It should have been clear what had happened when her magic didn’t return to me that day.”

Aireese looked at Firo, her brows creased. “I don’t understand.” She looked back at her mother.

The queen sighed and then raised her head. With stiff movements, she moved around the chair and sat down. “When one of ours passes, the magic is sent to the next kin. I should have been the kin to receive Avaline’s. I thought perhaps it was because she passed in Interealm, but others have been gifted their kin’s power when they were in other realms.” She looked at her hands. “I’ve been remiss in your education, I’m sorry. When one of ours passes without a next of kin, the power goes into the earth again.” She looked at her. “Cenyerly Valley is so lush and beautiful because of all of the elders that were the last in their lines.”

Aireese sucked in a breath. “I had no idea.”

Her mother nodded slowly. “If Avaline had a child, then that child was gifted her power when she passed.” She gave Firo a hard look. “If the father was an angel, then that child is too powerful to continue to exist.”

Aireese stood up. “Mother, she is your grandchild. My niece.”

The queen gave her a soft look. “She had a daughter.” Touching her forehead, she pressed her fingers into the flesh. “How did I not know she was carrying a child?”

“No one knew. Not even I, my queen, not until I found her there in that forest well beyond the point of assisting in the delivery of the child.”

A tear rolled down the queen’s cheek. “You should have brought her home to me.”

Firo sucked in a shaky breath. “I intended to, you must know that.”

“Then why didn’t you? She could still be of flesh if you had.”

Firo lowered his head. “I could not, my queen.”

The queen was on her feet again. “She must have been so scared. She should have come to me. Avaline knew how fatal a birth can be…”

“She was not frightened.” He offered. “She was adamant that she was doing it where she was.”

She spun around and looked down at him. “Did she see her child?”

He nodded. “She held her for a short time. Named her Avalie.”

The queen put her hand over her mouth. “This child needs to be moved to somewhere so that she can be watched over. Who knows what things she’s done in all these years…”

“Mother.” Aireese walked over to stand in front of her. “She is good inside.”

“How-how do you know?” Her eyes went wider. “You know her? You’ve known your sister had a child and held it from me for five decades?” Her voice was louder.

“No. I just recently found out.” Aireese confessed. “Amyas wants to have her heart tested for darkness. She believes Avalie was created to save us all.”

The queen looked at her for several seconds before turning away. “The elders think I should allow this? Allow a halfling to come here? A child that some angel conspired to create with my daughter should be left to live free?”

Firo knew he should stay in a non-threatening position, but he couldn’t. He got to his feet. “I cannot let any harm come to her.”

The queen spun back to glare at him. The surprise that he was standing was very clear on her face. “You cannot?”

He nodded. “I cannot. She was meant for me, my queen. I cannot allow harm to come to her.”

Queen Aurora held his look for a moment and then turned to her daughter. “Your guard forgets his place.”

Aireese gave him a quick sideways glance. “He can’t fight fate, Mother. Avalie was meant for him, and it is not something he can control—that anyone can control.”

The queen turned her back to the both of them. “She cannot live here.” She shook her head. “I do not want to end my own child’s flesh and blood, but I also cannot allow her to live in FaTerra.”

Firo meant to agree, but word came out of his mouth before he could screen them. “She would not live here if given the choice.” He knew that without question. “She would not leave her friends and those she watches over.”

The queen turned slowly and looked at him. “You know her well.”

He inclined his head. “Not intimately, but yes, I know her.”

“Does she know that she has a fae mate?” Her tone was filled with challenge.

“She doesn’t.” He looked down at the floor for a moment and then thought, he’d come this far. Why not speak the rest? “Thirty years ago, something happened, and I found her distraught, her home destroyed, her caretaker dead.” He looked at her. “I locked that memory away and watched over her until someone found her and took her in.”

“She doesn’t even know what she is?”

“She knows her parentage, Mother.” Aireese glanced at him, and he could see she was just as unsure of the outcome of this discussion as he was. “If it weren’t for her earlier today, I do not know what would have happened to us.”

The queen jolted. “She is the one that stopped the magic?”

Aireese nodded. “She doesn’t know how she did it. She transformed in front of my eyes into someone who was the spitting image of my sister and stopped us from being harmed.”

Aurora went back over to her chair and sat down. “I need a moment to think.” She waved her hand.

“We’ll go wait over there.” Aireese pointed to the chairs on the other side of the room.

Firo didn’t have to be told twice. He turned and moved to them with long strides.

Aireese caught up to him and placed her hand on his arm. “This was not how I thought it would go.”

He gave his head a quick shake. “I’m still of flesh, so it’s going better than I ever imagined.” He whispered.

“Did you know about the power passing to the next kin?” She glanced at her mother.

“No.” He looked at the floor. “I guess when I pass, I can only hope it’s somewhere the magic will be absorbed into the earth.” He shrugged. “Do you think it will through pavement?” He pictured Interealm.

“That’s sad to think about, please don’t.” She said and then turned to watch her mother sitting in the chair with her head down.

Firo shrugged and then paused and looked down at her. “I think we just found the answer to another question.”

Her eyebrows raised. “What question?”

“Did Senka have any family?” He held his breath.

“I don’t—” She cocked her head to the side and looked at him. “I don’t think so.” Her eyes rounded. “Oh.” Spinning around, she hurried toward her mother. “I’m sorry, Mother, but I think Firo just figured something out.”

The queen looked at her, a faraway expression on her face.

“The fae dying in Interealm. If they don’t have any kin, the power could be taken by someone else?”

“It goes into the earth if they don’t.”

Aireese nodded. “Yes. There was a man there today who held magic inside him, but he didn’t know why he was there. He’d been drawn there by something he couldn’t name.”

Firo rushed over. “You think he was drawn there by whoever did that to us? That they were going to kill him and take his power?”

Aireese nodded.

“Ours that have died over there are having their power taken?”

Aireese sucked in a breath. “I think so.”

The queen stood slowly. “Dannas has the list for the last half year. I’m sure she could find out if they had kin.” She lifted her hand and then turned to look at them. “Your power could have been taken today if it wasn’t for the halfling—for Avalie?”

Aireese sighed. “Yes.”

The queen put her hand over her mouth and stood there looking at them with a contemplative look. When she lowered her hand, she went over and picked up a bell and shook it. “I will consent to the testing of her heart. I will decide further after that.”

Dannas and Satori hurried into the room.

The queen pointed to them. “The list of our lost in Interealm—find out who their next of kin is and get that information to Princess Aireese immediately.”

Both bowed and left the room just as fast as they’d entered.

The queen turned around and looked at Firo. “Are you leaving my last child unprotected to go be with your soul’s other half?”

Firo straightened his shoulders. “I am not.”

“She cannot live here.”

“I know, my queen.” He opened his mouth and then paused. “I cannot say what will happen when she finds out I locked away memories. She may, in fact, shun me for all time.”

The queen snorted. “I wouldn’t blame her if she did.”

He kept his mouth closed because he actually agreed with her.

She pointed at him. “I am not pleased with your lies, but I do understand why.” She stood straighter. “Another thousand years, and I may forgive you for them.” She flicked her hand. “Now, leave me with my thoughts.”

Firo bowed his head to her and closed his eyes for a second before standing up again.

“Thank you, Mother. We’ll let you know as soon as we know more.” Aireese turned and motioned to the door so they could leave.

“Aireese.”

Her daughter paused and turned back to her.

“You said she looked just like Avaline?”

Aireese nodded. “Her features, yes, she did.”

The queen nodded and then turned and walked to the back of the platform and went down it toward the door at the back.

Firo touched his princess’s elbow so they could leave. He didn’t want to be still standing here if the queen changed her mind about him lying to her.