Chapter One Hundred Sixteen
Chapter One Hundred Sixteen
Back at the academy, Avery and her mates received regular updates from the Council: “The envoy list has been approved. Londrell accepted the neutral-route protocol. The fairies have finalized the magical wards. A date and time will be announced soon.”
Every update tightened the knot in Avery’s stomach. Every update made the summit feel more real. Every update reminded her that the prophecy was no longer a distant threat - it was a countdown.
But she wasn’t alone. Lucien read every message with her. Riven analyzed every detail. Molly soothed her nerves, and Kael cracked jokes to keep her from spiraling. And together, they waited.
Meanwhile… in Londrell’s camp. The extremists stayed quiet. Too quiet. They attended meetings, they nodded at the right moments, they pretended to accept the negotiations. But they were already planning.
They were gathering, preparing for the moment the summit would give them exactly what they wanted: All the key players in one place.
And Londrell? He didn’t see it. Not yet. He was too focused on doing something he’d never done before. Trying to lead without destroying. Trying to build instead of burn. Trying to choose a future that wasn’t carved by his grandfather’s hatred.
Avery had been trying to ignore them. At first, the visions were faint-shadows at the edge of her dreams, flickers of something wrong. But as the summit negotiations progressed, they grew sharper, louder, more disturbing.
She saw: shades moving without Londrell’s command; A split in his ranks, like a crack through stone; a hand reaching for a blade behind his back; a circle of fire closing around the summit site; a scream she couldn’t identify.
Everytime she woke up gasping, her mates were there - hands on her back, arms around her, grounding her. But the visions kept coming. And they were getting worse.
Lucien is the one who encourages her to tell Emerald. Avery nodded, trembling. She summons Emerald. When Emerald appears-her tiny form glowing with soft green light, wings fluttering anxiously, “Avery… you look unwell. What’s happening?”
Avery told her everything. Every vision. Every feeling. Every moment of dread. Emerald’s expression shifted from concern… to alarm, “I must go to Queen Tatiana immediately.” And she vanishes.
Emerald flies straight to the heart of the fae realm, where Titiana sat on her throne of living vines and moonlight. The moment Emerald relayed Avery’s visions, Titiana rose-her wings unfurling in a shimmer of gold and silver, “Something is shifting, the land trembles.”
She lifted her hands, and waves of ancient magic pulsed outward-rippling across realms, through ley lines, through the roots of the world itself. She tasted the air, she felt the tension, she sensed the fracture. Her eyes narrowed, “There is deceit in Londrell’s camp.”
When the fairies assigned to Londrell returned to her, she touched each of their foreheads, imbuing them with a rare, powerful enchantment, “You will be able to read the hearts of every person present. You will record their intentions, and you will bring the truth back to me.”
The fairies bowed, “As you command, my Queen.”
The fairies return to Londrell’s building, requesting a private audience. Varyn meets them first, “You said it is urgent. What’s happened?”
The lead fairie stepps forward, “We have been given new magic from our Queen. It will read the intentions of everyone involved in the summit.”
Varyn’s eyes widened in outrage, “You want to spy on us?!?” They respond with calm, “We want to prevent bloodshed, we want to prevent betrayal. We want to prevent the summit from becoming a massacre.”
Varyn froze. Because deep down… he knew something was wrong. He had heard the whispers. Seen the glances. Noticed the quiet meetings, and the sudden disappearances. He exhaled slowly, “...You’re right.”
The fairies blinked, surprised by his quick acceptance. Varyn tells them to wait in the office, he will go get Londrell. He stepped out of the office, closing the door behind him. His expression was grim. Determined. Because he knew; ‘If Londrell didn’t hear this now, the summit might end in blood.’
The fairies fluttered around Londrell’s private office like drifting motes of light, their wings casting soft glimmers across the polished stone and carved wood. They whispered to each other as they explored the space, murmuring amongst themselves, “He lives well here. Comfort. Wealth. Stability.”
“He has built a life in the human realm. Why cling to the supernatural one?”
“Why fight so hard to destroy a world he left behind?”
They exchanged looks - not judgemental, but deeply curious. “We will ask him, at the summit, if not sooner.”
They settled near the desk, wings humming, when the door opened. Varyn entered first, expression tight with urgency. Londrell followed, his presence filling the room like a storm cloud. His eyes narrowed at the sight of the fairies, “Varyn said you found something disturbing. Explain!”
Varyn steps aside to let the fairies speak.
The lead fairy flits forward and perches on Londrell's shoulder, “Avery has been receiving visions. Dark ones. They began the moment you accepted the summit invitation.”
Londrell stiffened, irritation flickering across his face, “Visions of what?”
The next fairy whisps over, “Betrayal, Bloodshed, a fracture in your ranks. Shadows moving without your command.”
Varyn inhaled sharply. Londrell’s jaw tightened, “Visions are not fact.”
The lead fairy continues, “No. But they are warnings. And Queen Titiana does not ignore warnings.” The fairies’ wings glowed brighter, filling the room with a soft pulsing light, “The Queen felt unrest in the land. A shift, Deceit, Treachery.”
Londrell’s irritation deepened into something sharper - concern, “Treachery? From where?”
The last fairy whispers, “From within.” Silence falls like a blade…
The lead fairy lifts her hands, revealing a faint shimmer of magic swirling around her fingers, “The Queen has given us a rare enchantment. It will read the intentions of every person in your envoy. It will record their hearts. Their truth.”
Londrell’s expression darkened, “You want to- scan - my people?”
The second fairy rushes to calm, “We want to protect you. And the summit. And the world.”
Varyn steps forward, voice low but steady, “Londrell… listen to them.”
Londrell turns sharply, “You agree with this?”
Varyn held his gaze without flinching, “I’ve seen things. Heard whispers. Seen people slipping away. Secret meetings. Something is wrong.”
Londrell’s stomach twisted. Because he had felt it too.
The lead fairy leans forward, voice softening, “We do not accuse you. We do not accuse your loyalists. But the Queen will not allow the summit to become a battlefield.”
Fairy 3 interjects, “If there are those among your envoy who seek destruction… we will know.”
The second fairy rushes to add, “Queen Tatiana assured us, that you will be the one to handle the conspirators. We will not intervene, and neither will the Council. Unless you ask for our help.”