I did as she asked and knelt before her, my head bowed. My heart thudded against my ribs in dread. How was she planning to eliminate the traces of my father that were within me?
I didn’t have long to wait as she placed her hands on the top of my head, and pain saturated my entire body. My mouth opened in a silent scream as my back arched and my body spasmed. Every nerve in my body was on fire, and a billion little needles tore me apart. Darkness enveloped me completely as the shadows around the room were drawn toward where I was writhing in agony. My flesh turned to ice, and gradually the hot stabbing pain faded. I blinked when I realized that the shadows had formed a cocoon around me, safely cradling my body. The low hum of almost imperceptible murmurs from the shadows was more comforting than disconcerting, and I felt my connection with the darkness solidify. It felt like they were a part of me, an extension of my limbs.
“Drake,” my mother crooned. “It’s done. Stand and take your place beside me.”
I stood cautiously, but the weakness had entirely left my body. I was stronger than ever, and my magic felt different. A part of me had been ripped out of my body, but I felt more complete. I was at home here with my mother and the dark fae. This is where I’d always belonged.
“Fallon,” the Morrigan said sharply. “Kneel before me.”
I saw my brother’s limbs tremble slightly as he obeyed her command. If he was made in my father’s image, what would be left of Fallon if my mother attempted to remove all traces of our father?
Our mother laid her hands on Fallon’s head. “I name you the new King of Winter. You will take your father’s place here in this world.”
Shock reverberated throughout the court. My mother had just done the opposite of what everyone else had expected. Bitterness should have been filling me as my mother stripped away the prize I’d been working toward for so long, but instead, I felt peace. My very existence had been changed, and I could feel new magic had taken hold inside of me. I flexed my newfound power and closed my eyes. My awareness stretched into every shadow and dark crevice, and I felt the world as never before. With the release of my breath, I became one with the shadows around me, melting away into the darkness.
Chapter 12
Anna
I squished myself in between my two twins for the meeting that was about to begin. Mason put his arm around my shoulders, and Jason rested his hand on my thigh and gave it a squeeze. I tried to relax because I knew I was adding to the tension in the room. But now was the time for action. There would be no more delaying.
Austin tapped on the table to get everyone’s attention. My six guys, Sam, in addition to Trevor and his team had all piled into what we called ‘the war room’ to make a plan for our next step.
“We have a location for our next mission,” Austin announced.
“I’ll be making a gateway to a little town in Great Britain,” I announced. “From there, I’ll be traveling on foot to Insula Avallonis.”
“Why on foot?” Trevor asked.
“Because it’s a magic place, right?” Sam answered with a glance at me.
“Yeah,” I said with a sigh. “I have a key to get in, but it might be hard to find.”
“When do we leave?” Davis asked.
I knew Austin wanted me to take everyone in the room with me, but deep down, I knew that wouldn’t work. This magical place had to find me, and things like that weren’t a team sport.
“Well, I think I have to go alone,” I announced.
The room exploded with objections.
“Absolutely not,” Austin said.
“Nope,” echoed both of the twins.
“Over my dead body,” James grumbled.
“Fuck that,” Cody added.
“She might be right,” Sam argued. She held up her hand when more arguments started up again. “Hear me out. I’ve heard rumors about this place.”
“Really?” I asked in surprise.
“Well, somewhere like it,” Sam hedged.
James rolled his eyes, and Trevor gave him a warning look. The two of them had always gotten along in the past, and they had a long history together. However, Trevor didn’t tolerate anyone disrespecting Sam, and James didn’t listen to anyone but Austin and me. They’ve had some friction between them since