“What’s the downside?” I asked.
“It will last a bit less than two hours. So be quick. If the spell fades while you are in enemy territory, they will immediately sense you and attack.”
“Thank you.”
“What do we owe you?” Tarron asked.
She looked aghast. “I do this for the Resistance.”
“Then thank you.”
She nodded. “Be victorious.”
Strange. That was the same thing that Perisea had said to me.
Tarron turned to leave, and I went to follow, but The Hag clutched my arm, leaning close enough to whisper in my ear. “Remember who you are, or you will lose all.”
I frowned at her. “I was just told that by someone else.”
“Someone wise.” Her eyes glinted with knowledge, then she pushed me gently. “Now go. You are running out of time.”
I wanted to argue—to ask for more clarification—but she was right. We only had two hours.
I hurried after Tarron, who waited outside. The forest was quiet in this part, eerily devoid of Fae or animals.
“Let’s fly,” Tarron said.
I called upon my wings, launching myself into the air. Cool wind welcomed me, and we skimmed over the treetops, heading toward the palace.
The field that separated the forest from the city was empty at this hour. The broad stretch of grass was No Man’s Land between the Resistance and the palace.
I flew faster, pushing toward answers. We soared over the field, and it prickled eerily, almost like the air were haunted. When we approached the castle walls, I called upon my shield from the ether.
Tarron looked and me, and I shrugged. “Just in case.”
He nodded, and called upon his own shield.
I tensed as we neared the guard posts, praying that The Hag’s potion worked as she’d promised it would. I spotted the first guard positioned near the gatehouse. My heart thundered in my ears.
He didn’t look up, even though he should have caught sight of us by now.
Instead, he just leaned against the castle wall, staring idly out into space.
The other guard didn’t see us, either, thank fates.
My shoulders began to relax a bit once we crossed over the city walls. Until I noticed all the people.
Were they moving slower?
I flew closer to Tarron and whispered, “Do they seem slower?”
He nodded. “A bit like robots. It’s worse than before.”
“The false queen’s influence,” I hissed. “She is sucking the life from them, growing ever stronger with each one.” I couldn’t imagine being that power hungry.
“She might not be queen long, at this rate.”
“She’ll just find new territory—new people—to use.”
“Not if we have anything to say about it.”
I nodded, determined. I shoved aside the fear that I couldn’t take her on. It was strange, though. I’d never really suffered from insecurity. But one month with her and I was a wreck.
As we neared the castle, the feeling of dark magic grew. I wrinkled my nose against the scent of brimstone and putrid night lilies, breathing shallowly through my mouth. A sense of despair crept over me.
“You feel that?” I asked Tarron.
“I do. But ignore it. It’s not real. Just her influence.”
I shuddered and clung to the words. He was right—it was just the false queen’s magic. But damned if it didn’t feel real.
The palace rose up from the ground, huge and ornate. The towers speared the sky like daggers, and the decorative carvings seemed to swirl with menace, almost like they were moving, searching the sky for a threat.
I focused on my desire to find the well of power, calling upon my seeker sense.
Come on, let it work.
What was the point of having royal blood if it wouldn’t help me do this?
Finally, it tugged. I pointed to the space behind the castle. “I think it’s back there.”
Tarron nodded, and we flew in a wide circle around the towers. The windows glinted with cold light, and I peered into each as we passed. In each one, I searched for the false queen. Each time, I came up empty.
Would I attack if I spotted her?
It’d be hard not to, though we really needed to cut her supply from the well of power, first.
Finally, we reached the woods behind the castle. They were creepy and dark, the trees all twisted, tiny things. Imbued with evil, unable to grow. Dark mist wafted up from the forest, and I made sure to fly above it. Thank fates we’d come by air. It would have taken too long to make it through the city on foot.
There was no sign of the well of power, though.
I squinted into the distance, catching sight of a huge field of shrubbery. Thick bushes were cropped low to the ground, calling to me.
I flew closer, spotting telltale passages through the bushes.
“A hedge maze,” I said.
“Where?”
Tarron flew closer to me, and I pointed to it.
“I just see more woods.”
“No way. You have to be able to see the hedge maze. It’s right there.”
He shook his head. “Just more trees.”
“Weird.” I flew closer, the sense of knowledge tugging harder at me.
The well was inside the maze. I could feel it as easily as I could feel my own heartbeat. We were nearly to it when Tarron grunted in pain.
“What is it?” I demanded, studying his face.
He blinked, his eyes widening. “I see the maze now.”
I looked back toward it. We were almost over top of the first row of green bushes. “It was hidden. We must have crossed over the barrier.”
“And only you could see it before.”
“You have royal blood, too.”
“Not Unseelie, though. It must make a difference.”
I nodded, then turned my attention to the maze below. The hedges seemed to shift as I flew, changing course. I pointed. “Do you see that?”
“I do.” He frowned.
I flew toward the middle, flying faster, my heart thundering.
A few moments later, I spotted it…
The well looked like any other well. Gray stones, short, rustic. The dark smoke that wafted up from it was definitely weird, but it was otherwise totally normal. Boring, even.
“I’m going for it.” I flew down toward it.
“I’ve got your back.”
I nodded, reaching into the ether for my potion bag. I plunged my hand in, and my fingers closed over the Aranthian Crystal. I pulled it out, clutching it close.
The well was about twenty yards away when the air began to prickle more fiercely. Protection charms.
I gritted my teeth and pushed myself harder, trying to get past. Soon, the prickles became a fierce sense of pain—as if I were being stabbed.
Tears stung my eyes.
“Come back,” Tarron shouted.
“No!” I flew harder, trying to force myself past the barrier.
“Let me,” he said. “It’s too dangerous.”
As if the barrier had heard him and wanted to agree, it threw up an invisible wall in front of me. I plowed into it, feeling like I was being hit in the face with a sledgehammer. It was all I could do to retain my grip on the Aranthian crystal.
I can’t lose it.
I cried out, unable to help myself, and flew backward. The farther away I got, the more normal the air felt.