Court of Aether and Shadows (Crowned Monster Trilogy #1)

15. The Gamble For Power

The Gamble For Power

~AETHEREON~

I sat vigil by Sparrow's bedside, my eyes never leaving her face.

In sleep, she looked so peaceful, so unburdened by the weight of destiny that I knew awaited her.

Her dark lashes fluttered against her cheeks, and I wondered what dreams visited her in this liminal state between worlds.

Did she dream of her life in the human realm, or were ancient memories beginning to surface, whispering of power and purpose beyond her imagining?

Or did she yearn for my touch as she always has? Our intimate connection of lust as we enjoyed the taste of our love that bloomed in the realms of dreams?

Even in repose, her power was palpable.

It radiated from her in waves, an aura of raw energy that both thrilled and concerned me. To those with the sight, she would shine like a beacon – a fact that filled me with both pride and dread.

The very air around her seemed to shimmer with potential, reality itself bending slightly in her presence.

I reached out, my fingers hovering just above her skin, feeling the electricity that danced between us.

Even unconscious, her power called to mine, two halves of a whole seeking reunion after centuries apart. It took every ounce of my considerable will to resist the urge to wake her, to pull her into my arms and never let go.

I can resist temptation. Resist my needs…maybe…

"My lord," Kaelon's voice cut through my reverie, low and urgent. "We need to discuss our next steps."

I tore my gaze from Sparrow, turning to face my second in command. His face was a mask of concern, shadows swirling in his eyes like storm clouds.

I could sense the tension radiating from him, a mixture of worry and barely contained excitement at the unfolding of events we had waited centuries to see.

"Speak freely, old friend," I said, gesturing for him to approach. "What troubles you?"

Kaelon moved closer, his voice dropping to a near-whisper as if he feared even the walls might be listening.

"Her power... it's unlike anything I've ever felt. If we don't find a way to conceal it, every being with even a hint of magical sensitivity will be drawn to her like moths to a flame. Especially with that rift open.”

Ah. I guess we should attend to that sooner rather than later.

I nodded, the same worry having gnawed at me since the moment I felt her cross the veil.

The implications were staggering.

In her current state, untrained and unaware of her true nature, Sparrow was incredibly vulnerable. And yet, paradoxically, she was also perhaps the most dangerous being in any realm at this moment.

Satisfying pride scorched through me, making it hard to not smile at my chosen vixen and the immense power that would be a force acknowledged by all those who dared to belittle her.

"I've been considering our options," I admitted, my voice equally low. "There are ancient rites, binding spells that could dampen her aura... but they come with risks."

"Risks we may need to take," Kaelon pressed, his eyes darting to Sparrow's sleeping form. "The other courts will have felt her arrival. Even now, they may be mobilizing to claim her for themselves."

A growl rose unbidden in my throat at the thought of anyone else laying claim to my queen. The shadows in the room deepened, responding to my sudden flare of emotion.

Tendrils of darkness writhed at my feet, and I saw Kaelon take an involuntary step back.

With effort, I reined in my power.

Now was not the time to lose control.

"The binding spells," I continued, forcing my voice to remain steady, "they could suppress her power, yes. But they could also hinder her awakening, delay her coming into her full strength. And in doing so, we might inadvertently fulfill the very prophecies we seek to prevent."

Kaelon's brow furrowed.

"You speak of the Prophecy of Shadows. The one that foretells the rise of a queen who will either unite the realms or plunge them into eternal darkness?"

I nodded grimly.

"If we hamper her growth, if we deny her the chance to come into her power naturally, we risk creating the very monster our enemies fear. She must be allowed to awaken on her own terms, to choose her path freely."

"But how can she choose if she doesn't understand the stakes?" Kaelon argued. "She's been living as a human, my lord. She knows nothing of our world, of the delicate balance between the courts, of the prophecies that have shaped our actions for millennia."

"Then we must guide her," I said firmly. "Educate her, protect her, but allow her the freedom to make her own choices. It is the only way."

It’s not to say he was wrong in his worry. In fact, he was speaking nothing but facts, but that wasn’t fair to Sparrow. Yes, she was inexperienced and knew nothing of our world, but those essential tidbits could be taught. Learned and grown upon with enough time.

I had no doubt she could pick up on combat styles quickly. From the hints of her life in the real world, she had to protect herself from the dangers that waltzed with intention in her line of commitment.

She wouldn’t be left helpless and vulnerable in my presence, but she most certainly wouldn’t be some damsel in distress, waiting for us to shield her until things moved in the right direction.

That just wasn’t my Queen in the past life. Despite her rebirth, I doubt that was going to change.

Kaelon didn't look convinced, but he nodded in acquiescence.

"As you say, my lord. But that still leaves us with the immediate problem of her visibility. Who do you see as our most immediate threats?"

I rose from my seat by Sparrow's bed, beginning to pace the small room. The movement helped me think, helped me channel the restless energy that had been building since her arrival.

"The Aether Court, certainly," I mused aloud. "Our Light nemesis. They've always believed the prophecy spoke of a savior born of their bloodline. A being of Sparrow's power, with the ability to bridge worlds... they would see her as the fulfillment of their most fervent hopes."

"And their most terrible fears," Kaelon added. "For if she truly is the one spoken of in prophecy, she has the power to unmake their realm as easily as save it."

I nodded, a grim smile tugging at my lips.

"Indeed. Which makes them unpredictable. They may seek to recruit her, bring her into their fold, and shape her to their purposes. Or they may seek to eliminate her before she can pose a threat to their dominion."

"And what of the Void Court?" Kaelon asked, his voice dropping even lower at the mention of our most enigmatic and dangerous rivals.

"They seek to unmake reality itself," I replied, feeling a chill at the thought. "A being of Sparrow's power would be a formidable weapon in their hands. With her ability to traverse realms, to reshape the very fabric of existence... they could finally achieve their goal of collapsing all of creation into the primordial void."

Kaelon shuddered visibly.

"We cannot allow that to happen, my lord. The very thought of it..."

"Indeed," I agreed. "Which is why we must be vigilant. The Void Court operates in shadows deeper than even we can penetrate. Their agents could be anywhere, waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

"And the Elemental Court?" Kaelon prompted. "Where do they stand in all this?"

I paused in my pacing, considering.

The Elemental Court, with their command over the very forces of nature, had always been a wild card in the delicate balance of power between the realms.

"Divided, as always," I said finally. "But that makes them unpredictable. We can't discount them as a potential threat. Some factions within their court may see Sparrow as a way to tip the scales in the eternal struggle between order and chaos. Others may view her as a threat to the natural order they seek to maintain."

"So, in essence," Kaelon summarized, "we face potential threats from all sides. The Aether Court may seek to claim or destroy her. The Void Court would use her to unmake existence. The Elemental Court is a wild card that could swing either way. And all the while, her power acts as a beacon, drawing attention from every corner of the realms."

Put so bluntly, the magnitude of our challenge seemed almost insurmountable. But I had not waited centuries, had not moved mountains and reshaped the very fabric of reality, to falter now.

"What have you learned about the ambush in the human world?" I asked, changing tack. "The one that triggered her crossing? Understanding how she came to be here may give us insight into who else might be moving pieces on the board."

A flash of something — anger? Frustration — crossed Kaelon's face.

"It's... complicated, my lord. The attack bore hallmarks of multiple factions. Human criminals, certainly, but there were traces of Fae magic as well. It's as if someone was deliberately pushing her towards a breaking point."

"Or a breakthrough," I murmured, pieces of a larger puzzle starting to fall into place in my mind. "Tell me everything you've discovered. Leave nothing out, no matter how insignificant it may seem."

Kaelon nodded, gathering his thoughts.

"The initial attack appeared to be a simple human criminal operation. A hostage situation that Sparrow and her team were sent to resolve. But the intelligence they received was flawed, deliberately so. They were led into a trap."

I felt a surge of pride at the thought of my queen facing down human criminals, even as worry gnawed at me.

Strong and rebellious. My Queen has clearly made a mark in that mundane realm.

"Go on," I prompted.

"The attackers were more numerous and better armed than anticipated," Kaelon continued. "But that's not the strange part. Our agents report that some of the attackers seemed... confused. As if they weren't entirely in control of their actions."

"Mind control?" I asked, my frown deepening. "That's well beyond the capabilities of most human magic users."

Kaelon nodded grimly. "Exactly. And then there's the matter of the bullet that wounded Sparrow from weeks prior. Our analysis shows traces of a substance unknown in the human realm. Something that seems designed to... awaken latent abilities."

Oh?

The implications were staggering.

"You're saying someone engineered this entire scenario? Deliberately put Sparrow in harm's way to trigger her awakening?"

"It appears so, my lord. But the question remains — who? And to what end?"

I resumed my pacing, mind racing through possibilities.

"The timing is too perfect to be coincidence. Sparrow is on the cusp of her awakening, a carefully orchestrated attack designed to push her to her limits, and a substance that acts as a catalyst for her dormant powers. Someone wanted her to cross over, wanted her to come into her power here and now."

"But who would have the knowledge and resources to orchestrate such a thing?" Kaelon asked. "It would require intimate knowledge of Sparrow's true nature, of the prophecies, and of the boundaries between realms."

"Someone with a vested interest in the fulfillment of the prophecy," I mused. "Someone who stands to gain from the upheaval that Sparrow's awakening will bring."

A chilling thought occurred to me.

"Or someone who seeks to control the outcome by controlling the key player from the very beginning."

Kaelon's eyes widened as he followed my train of thought.

"You don't think..."

"The Fateweaver," I said, the name falling from my lips like a curse. "The one being in all the realms with the power to see and manipulate the threads of destiny itself."

"But the Fateweaver has been neutral for millennia," Kaelon protested. "Why would they intervene now?"

"Because the convergence is upon us," I replied, the weight of centuries of preparation heavy in my voice. "The moment when all the prophecies come to an end when the fate of all realms hangs in the balance. If ever there was a time for the Fateweaver to take an active hand in shaping destiny, it would be now."

The implications were staggering.

If the Fateweaver truly was behind Sparrow's awakening, then we were playing a game far more complex and dangerous than I had anticipated.

Every move and every decision we make from this point forward could have consequences beyond our imagining.

Before we could delve deeper into this troubling line of thought, a soft knock at the door interrupted our conversation. The elder woman entered, her arms laden with herbs and bandages.

"Forgive the intrusion, my lord," she said, bowing slightly. "But the princess requires care."

I came to a stop with my pacing fit, reluctantly moving away from Sparrow's bedside.

"Of course. We'll continue this discussion later, Kaelon."

As the elder approached, her eyes fixed on Sparrow with a mixture of reverence and concern, I felt a renewed sense of urgency.

Time was not on our side.

Enemies were gathering, plots were unfolding, and at the center of it all lay my queen – powerful beyond measure, yet vulnerable in ways she couldn't yet comprehend.

Whatever came next, I vowed silently, I would be ready.

To protect her, to guide her, to stand beside her as she claimed her destiny. The game was afoot, and the stakes were higher than ever before.

As I watched the elder tend to Sparrow, my mind raced with plans and contingencies.

We needed allies and needed to secure our position before our enemies could make their move. But more than anything, we needed Sparrow to awaken, to come into her power and take her place as the lynchpin in this cosmic game.

But how?

There was also the ideology that Sparrow wouldn’t be the only “Crowned Monster” being spun into this prophetic wheel of unraveling. Others would be bestowed this title of worthiness. Other women displayed signs of power and hallucinations that deemed them worthy enough to enter our realms by forced parallels.

The Courts may want the same thing, but they will need an environment that would prove who the real Queen of the Shadowed prophecy would be.

A place where maybe…they could be trained. Put to the test.

The idea shimmered in my mind, creating a web of connection that sought a way to give my love more time to adapt to our world and the systems of the court.

A system that will benefit and encourage both rest and growth. Teachings? A place of practice. Hints of solitude surrounded by knowledge while being thrown into acts of combat.

An academy that invited all those deemed worthy of wearing a crown fit for the Queen destined to destroy us all.

It makes my lips quip with pure jubilee.

"Soon, my love," I whispered, too low for the others to hear. "Soon you will awaken, and together, we will reshape the very foundations of reality itself, but to make that all transpire, we need an alternative motive. One that will confuse all those who dare wish to harm what’s mine."

The shadows in the room deepened in response to my words, a promise and a warning all in one.

The game had begun in earnest, and I intended to win.

For Sparrow, for myself, and for the fate of all our worlds.