Tale of the Heart Queen (Artefacts of Ouranos #4)

Chapter 47

C HAPTER 47

LOR

P RESENT D AY

M orning comes all too soon. I wake up wrapped in Nadir’s arms, his warm breath dusting the back of my neck. We stayed up late talking with Rhiannon and fell asleep instantly after returning to our room.

We slept later than I’d intended, but we aren’t scheduled to meet with the other rulers for another hour. Still, we should get up, have something to eat, and dress.

When I shift, Nadir groans and tightens his arms around me, dragging me closer.

“Where are you going, Lightning Bug?”

“The meeting is soon,” I say.

He groans again. “Great.”

I roll over to face him, studying his eyes. They swirl with specks of blue and green. He gives me a small smile.

“What are you thinking about?”

I shake my head. “I don’t know. Everything.”

“It’s going to be fine.”

I give him a tight smile. We still haven’t discussed the bombshell that Cloris dropped about one of us giving up our crown. Nadir said it would be him, but I still want to confirm that he’s sure about this or at least talk about how he’s feeling. But it’s like we’re moving a million miles a minute, and there hasn’t been time.

Finally, we drag ourselves out of bed when breakfast arrives. I eat lightly because my stomach is twisted into knots. I don a simple red dress with long sleeves and a sweetheart neckline that Rhiannon supplied. It’s time to remind everyone of who I am.

“Ready?” Nadir asks.

“Not really,” I say.

He cups my cheek with his hand and drops his forehead to mine. “Let’s go, Heart Queen.”

At the top of the stairs, we see Rhiannon and Etienne talking in low voices, their heads bent close. She touches his arm and then looks up at the sound of our approach. If I fail to save Heart, Rhiannon and Etienne will lose everything, too.

“Good morning,” she says brightly as Etienne dips his chin. “Everyone’s here.”

Nadir and I clasp hands and make our way down the hall .

At our entrance, everyone in the salon turns towards us. The large room is covered with floral wallpaper and a thick fur rug. It boasts a bank of windows along the far side draped with heavy velvet curtains. In the middle is a low table surrounded by an array of armchairs and sofas where some of the most powerful people on the continent sit.

Bronte, the queen of Tor; Cedar and Elswyth, king and queen of The Woodlands; D’Arcy, the queen of Celestria; and Cyan, Linden, and Anemone from Alluvion. My brother and sister, and Mael and Amya, are also in the room. Etienne follows in a moment later.

“Hi,” I say, addressing Cyan, already knowing I can’t avoid this conversation. His eyes narrow, and he stands up from his seat. Today, he’s wearing long grey pants and a thin green tunic. Apparently, he does own shoes, because his feet are stuffed into a pair of leather sandals.

“Hi?” comes a bitter voice. Linden is already standing, her teeth bared, and her posture curved with aggression. “Hi? You left our kingdom in shambles, and you presume to stand there acting like nothing happened!”

She leaps, and I step back as Cyan and Anemone seize her by each of her arms while Nadir steps in front, shielding me with his body.

“Back off,” he says with a snarl, and I shudder to think what these two would do if they were alone in a room with me as the subject of their quarrel.

“She stole from us!” Linden screams. “She’s no different from her grandmother! Vile, selfish witch! ”

I straighten my shoulders, trying not to let her words affect me. She’s right. I stole from them, and maybe I am just like Serce, but I’m trying to do better than she did.

“I had no choice,” I say, pushing past Nadir. He stands at my shoulder, ready if I should need him.

“You had a choice. You always have a choice,” Cyan says. “Don’t give me that bullshit.”

“Fine. I had a choice. And I chose myself and my mate over a piece of rock. Happy now?”

Cyan’s lips press together. “You destroyed half my castle. Killed people.”

“I regret that,” I say. “I am truly sorry for everything, but you were planning to give me up to the Aurora King.”

“Cyan’s answer is a skeptical look.

“Will you hear us out?” I ask. “Nadir and I have some things to tell you. Things that seem incomprehensible, but I assure you are all real. And for whatever it’s worth, I have your ark and intend to return it to you today.”

“But?” he asks, arching an eyebrow as he senses my hesitation.

“If you’ll listen, I’ll explain everything.”

“Fine,” Cyan says. “But this better be good.”

I snort a derisive laugh. “It’s something all right.”

Over the next hour, we start explaining, and when we finish speaking, we’re met with surprised silence.

“This is impossible,” D’Arcy says, but there is no conviction in it. Our tale is too out there, too wild, not to be true. Why would we make all of this up?

“I know it sounds that way,” Nadir says. “But I was in the Evanescence. I saw my grandfather, and he said that my father used some kind of alternate magic to coerce the Torch into forcing him to descend.”

Bronte shakes her head. “If the Artefacts can be manipulated in such a way, then this throws everything we’ve ever believed into question.”

A grim silence circles around the room. She’s right. It shakes the foundations of everything Ouranos has been built on for thousands of years. Zerra is a lie. The Artefacts aren’t what we thought they were. And all this time, we’ve actually been the puppets of some distant entity that doesn’t appear to care all that much whether any of us live or die.

“Beyond that,” Cedar says. “What about Zerra? You mean to tell us we’ve spent our lives worshipping a spoiled, selfish brat?”

“That appears to be the measure of it,” I reply. “The Empyrium may have had noble intentions . . . I think? But it’s clear they have no idea how life moves for those with mortality, even when you have the long life of the Fae.”

“This is all . . .” Bronte says.

“Monstrous,” Elswyth finishes.

“So you see why I did what I did?” I ask, addressing Cyan and my aunt. “I know it was wrong, but I had to.”

A pause hangs around the room.

“There’s also something more you need to know about my grandmother.”

Nadir reaches over and takes my hand. I don’t want to share this, but they all deserve to know why they lost their magic for fifty years. They should never have been punished for what Serce did .

I look at Linden, who’s staring at me like she wants to wrap a rope around my neck and tighten it. What I’m about to share won’t help matters.

“Someone needs to restrain her before I do,” I say, pointing to my aunt, who narrows her eyes. Cyan looks at her.

“Linden will control herself,” he says with authority, and I can tell she wants to argue. Then he adds in a softer voice, “Killing the girl won’t bring your brother back, my love. Let her speak.”

I watch some of the air deflate from her rigid posture. “Fine,” she says sharply. “I’ll kill her later.”

“Thank you,” I say, rolling my eyes. I guess that’s the best I’m getting.

I explain what happened with the bonding that went wrong.

“Primaries cannot bond,” D’Arcy says.

“It’s not that they can’t,” Bronte interrupts. “It’s just that it’s always been considered a bit taboo.”

D’Arcy wrinkles her nose.

“Anyway,” I say. “It is possible, according to Cloris Payne.”

“Cloris died that day,” Cyan says, rather forcefully. “What do you mean?”

“I’ll get to that part,” I say, wondering what his problem is.

I then go on to explain what happened when my grandmother tried to steal the magic of Heart.

“I knew it was her fault!” Linden hisses. “She killed him.”

Physically, she holds herself back, but her expression seethes with anger. I see the hurt and loss in her eyes. She misses her brother. I can’t blame her for that. I’d want to do the same if anything ever happened to Tristan.

“Linden,” Cedar says softly. “It is not Lor’s fault. Surely you see that. Wolf agreed to the bonding as well. She is our family.”

“She is not—” Linden starts, but I interrupt her.

“I’m sorry,” I say. “I’m sorry. I wish I could take all of this back. I wish I could have stopped all of this. I wish my grandmother hadn’t done it and they were all alive. I wish that I could take your pain away. Our grandmother’s actions killed our parents, too. It was because of her that we were tossed into the worst prison on the continent when we were children.”

A tear slips down Linden’s cheek, and she scrubs it angrily away.

“You are our family. Please .”

Linden shakes her head, and I know I haven’t won her over, but there’s something slightly softer in her ire.

“Go on,” she finally says, and I nod, understanding that’s the best I’m getting right now.

“What does all of this have to do with Zerra?” Cyan asks, picking up our conversation.

I blow out a breath.

“I was taken to the Evanescence, where the Empyrium told me they wanted to replace Zerra.”

“Sounds like she needs it,” Cedar scoffs.

“And when I wore the Heart Crown, I saw my mother,” I say.

Bronte whistles. “How many surprises do you have for us, girl? ”

I go on to explain everything my mother told me, and when I’m done, I’ve shocked them all yet again.

“This is one hell of a twist you’re in,” Cyan says, and I see the softening in his expression. He might finally understand why my hands were tied.

“Lor,” Elswyth says, drawing everyone’s attention to her. “How can we help?”

“There are two things we need,” I say. “The first is that the arks must all be destroyed, and you are the only ones who can do it.”

Amya appears with the arks in her arms and deposits them on the table in the center of the room, where they glitter faintly in the light. It’s hard not to feel the intangible power they give off. Bronte reaches out and picks up the ark of Tor, studying it.

“When I ascended, the Stone told me this existed, but Zerra has had it in her possession for a long time. I never expected to see it,” she says.

I notice D’Arcy peering at the pile like she doesn’t want to look but can’t help herself.

“And we need a High Priestess,” I say. “One who won’t kill me or drag me back to Zerra.”

Anemone shifts in her seat and clears her throat. I think she’s about to say something, but she remains silent.

“Where will you find a priestess?” Bronte asks. “It’s not like they’re walking around everywhere you look. It’s miles to their closest temple, and that’s assuming anyone will even help you.”

“She’s right,” Cedar adds. “If what you say about Cloris is accurate, then they probably will either kill you on sight or capture you for Zerra themselves. The legends say they can communicate with her.”

“Why should we do any of this?” D’Arcy interrupts. “This sounds like your fight. And that’s assuming I believe a word you’ve said.”

My shoulders sag.

“You don’t believe us?”

“It’s . . . impossible,” she says, repeating her earlier sentiment.

“Is it? Or do you just not want to believe it?”

She purses her lips together and folds her arms, not deigning to respond.

“Wow, you sure attract a lot of drama,” Anemone says, scanning me from head to toe.

“That’s me,” I say wryly. “I don’t want it. I don’t want to be a god. I want to reclaim my queendom and bond with my mate.”

“After everything you’ve told us, you cannot risk a bond!” D’Arcy says, slamming her hand on the armrest. “This is madness.”

“We weren’t asking for your permission,” I say.

“No, but you want our help,” she spits back.

“We will do whatever we can to help,” Elswyth says. “Cedar and I swore we’d assist with whatever you need, and that hasn’t changed.”

Relief untwists in my chest at those words.

“Really?”

“Really.”

She gives me a kind smile as Linden huffs .

“Enough,” Cedar says to his sister. “I do not hold the heirs of Heart responsible for Wolf’s choices. He stood by and let it happen, too. And these three certainly aren’t to blame for any of that.”

Linden’s eyes darken to the deepest shade of pine trees at midnight as she presses her mouth together so hard her lips turn bloodless.

“If you can’t join in a productive conversation, then perhaps it’s best you leave the room.” Cedar pins her with a challenging look, and if I didn’t already like him, I’d hug him right now.

Linden doesn’t respond; she just stands up, and I think she might actually leave, but instead, she walks over to the window, spins around, and folds her arms before she leans against it, one foot planted against the wall. She glares at me, and I rub my face.

“And finally, I guess what we also need is protection. Only I can destroy the ark of Heart, just like only you can destroy those lying in front of you, but we have no idea what we’re going into beyond that.”

“Our armies are yours,” Cedar says without hesitation.

“Thank you,” Nadir says. “But I don’t think that’s what we need.”

Everyone watches him as he sits forward in his seat with his hands clasped between his legs.

“My father’s army outmatches yours by the thousands. Even if we combined everyone’s in this room, it wouldn’t be enough. Maybe if we had Aphelion, but that isn’t an option right now. ”

D’Arcy huffs, reminding us of her displeasure.

“And it’s clear not everyone is amenable to that anyway,” he adds, looking at her.

“So then what?” Cedar asks.

“I think we should go quietly,” Nadir says. “We’ll need to reach the Torch to complete the bonding, but first, we have to figure out what exactly my father is up to.”

“So I’ll go in,” Amya says from where she perches on the arm of my sister’s chair.

Nadir shakes his head. “I don’t know if he trusts you anymore.”

“Maybe not, but if anyone can get close to him in this room, it’s me.”

“If he suspects anything, there’s no telling what he’ll do,” Nadir says.

“I know that,” she answers, picking at the lace of her skirt. “But what other choice do we have?” She gives Nadir a look that dares him to argue with her.

“I’ll go with her,” Mael says. “Your father has never considered me a threat or worthy of his notice.”

“What will you say if he asks where I am?”

“That we don’t know. That we tried to convince you to come home and give up the girl, but we can no longer support your reckless choices.”

Mael winks at Nadir, and he gives his friend a rueful smile.

“He’d probably buy that,” Nadir says. “Anything that makes me look like a fool.”

“I won’t support this,” D’Arcy says again. “You cannot repeat the history of your grandparents. You must find another way. Why should I destroy my ark? This was stolen from my queendom and belongs to me. I do not care if you’re forced to live in the Evanescence.”

“There is no other way,” I snap. “Zerra is trying to kill me, and I don’t know how long we have before she catches up with us. If I die, then the magic of Heart will be gone and then you’re all at risk too.”

“What happens to it?” D’Arcy asks. “Magic cannot just disappear.”

“It goes to all of you.”

I say the words matter-of-factly, knowing I have to tell them the truth.

“So you want us to save magic for you when we could all become more powerful? Do you think we’re fools?” D’Arcy challenges.

“Is that really what you want?” I ask, standing up. “Is that really the queen you want to be? Do you want to be like Rion? Or Zerra? Like my grandmother ? Aren’t you listening to what I’m saying? This isn’t about just me or Heart!” D’Arcy blinks her big black eyes. It’s the slightest reaction, but I sense my words reach something inside her.

“What will you do when she is dead? How do you plan to avoid becoming Zerra? What will happen to Ouranos if you do not take her place?”

Any of the people in this room could take her place, but I still can’t tell them. I can’t let anyone else shoulder this load on my behalf. I will find another way. I hope. I open my mouth and close it. “I don’t know . . . I haven’t figured that part out yet.”

She sniffs sharply and folds her pale arms .

“I want to save my people. I want to fix what my grandmother did, and I want . . . I want to bond with my mate.” A knot swells in my throat. “You lost your mate. You understand why I cannot give him up.”

Her expression turns icy, and maybe that was the wrong thing to say.

“I want no part of this,” she says and stands up.

She stops in front of me and Nadir, looking down her slim nose.

“A mate bond is a wonderful thing, but your happiness doesn’t come before everyone else.”

“That’s not only what this is about!” I shout.

“Isn’t it?” she asks with a tip of her head.

“I know you don’t want to be responsible for the death of these settlements. What if this were your home?”

D’Arcy’s jaw hardens as she quickly shakes her head. Without another word, she storms out of the room. I watch her leave, my heart deflating in my chest. If we don’t have everyone, then we have nothing.

“I will destroy the ark of The Woodlands, and I’ll come with you to The Aurora,” Cedar says a moment later. “Elswyth should return home to watch over the kingdom, but I won’t let you face Rion alone. I owe this to my brother and to all of you for failing you twelve years ago.”

“Thank you,” I say, clasping my hands at my chest. “Thank you.”

I look at the others. Bronte seems to be considering everything, while Anemone is giving me a curious look.

“What if you just ascended?” Bronte asks. “Wouldn’t that give you enough strength? ”

I explain what my mother said about needing an heir and how I’d be vulnerable to Zerra during an ascension.

“It wouldn’t be that much use anyway,” Anemone says.

“Why not?” I ask.

Anemone looks at me, smoothing her long blue skirt over her knees.

“While an Ascension does grant a ruler more power, it is but a shadow when compared to a bond, especially one between mates. Given that mate bonds are chosen by fate, it seems that you have found your purpose and your destiny.”

“How do you know that?”

She inhales a long breath and then reaches up to the collar of her dress and pulls it aside. Everyone leans in as they note the marking tattooed into her skin. Each of the seven Artefacts rendered in miniature in precise detail form a circle. “I am . . . was . . . one of Zerra’s High Priestesses.”

I sink down onto the sofa and look at Nadir, my limbs trembling with a wash of hope.

“I don’t understand.”

She sighs and shifts as though what she’s about to say makes her uncomfortable.

“A long time ago, I was chosen along with two of my sisters to seek out the remaining arks. You already know one of them—Cloris, of course.

“My name was Rosa then, and Zerra bid me to work my way into the good graces of Alluvion’s king and steal the ark.”

I snort. History repeating itself, indeed.

“Only things didn’t go to plan.” She looks at Cyan with warmth in her eyes. “We fell in love, and I knew I couldn’t betray him .

“I spent years trying to placate Zerra, assuring her I was working on it and that it was just taking a little more time than I expected. But she is . . .”

“A bitch?” I offer, and Anemone nods.

“She grew more and more impatient, threatening all manner of consequences.

“So I faked my disappearance, changed my name, dyed my hair, and went underground for a long time. When I resurfaced, I was Anemone, a citizen of Alluvion’s court and consort to the king.”

“Whoa,” I say.

“I would very much like to stop hiding,” she says. “Should she ever discover my deception, she will no doubt kill me too.” Her gaze slides to Cyan. “And possibly those I love.”

She turns to me. “So if there is a way to end her, I will perform the bonding, Heart Queen, no matter the transgressions on my home. I understand what it’s like to be at the mercy of Zerra’s will, and while I wish you’d simply been honest with us, I understand your motivations.”

Her gaze moves to Nadir. “I do understand what it means to do anything to be with the ones you love.”

“I’m speechless,” I say.

“Well, that’s a first,” Mael quips, and I toss him a glare.

“I also happen to have a copy of the Book of Night back in the Crystal Palace,” Anemone adds.

My mouth opens in surprise. Finally, something works in our favor.

“And the bonding won’t open us up to Zerra?” Nadir asks as Anemone shakes her head .

“She holds no dominion over bonds. Only the Artefacts are necessary to combine your magic.”

I blow out a breath. That seems like good news, at least.

“Do you know why the arks affect her?” I ask.

“The priestesses know of dark magic, and the kings of The Aurora are not the first to meddle with its power, nor will they be the last,” Anemone says.

“Zerra is the vessel that connects Imperial magic to the Artefacts and thus to the High Fae. I’ve always suspected the reason these items affect her so strongly is because the arks act in opposition to that, trying to sever that link, which, in turn, would kill her.”

I nod. I’m not sure if that makes sense, but it doesn’t really matter. All that matters is destroying them.

“Do you have any idea why Lor is immune to the effects of arcturite?” Nadir asks, and yet again, I sense everyone’s shock.

Anemone’s gaze traces over me as she nods. “It’s not that the magic of arcturite can’t be overcome, it’s that it requires a great amount of power to do so. I’ve never heard of it happening before, but I suppose these are unprecedented times.”

I return her nod, feeling like another brick has been stacked onto my shoulders.

“Thank you for all of this. We are so grateful,” I say to Anemone after we’re all silent for a moment.

Nadir dips his head. “We appreciate this very much. Will your kingdom destroy the ark?”

My gaze falls on Cyan. “If it will rid the world of Zerra and free Anemone from her shadow, then I do not hesitate,” he answers. “I remain unbonded and do not have a Primary to call upon, so I will do the best I can. From what Coral shared with me in the past, it was used only a little by Alluvion’s former rulers and thus isn’t likely to be as strong as some of the other arks.”

“Thank you,” I whisper, tears filling my eyes.

“And I assume that means we’re all going to The Aurora,” Cyan says, his tone wry.

“We will need the Torch and the Crown to complete the bonding,” Anemone agrees.

A hard knot loosens in my chest. We’re a long way from the end, but at least this is one step in the right direction.

My gaze slides to Bronte, who’s watching everything with a deep furrow between her brows. She considers me with a sweep of her eyes.

“You’re alliance with my father? Does this create problems for you?” Nadir asks, and Bronte’s mouth presses together.

“I’m allied with your father in the way a mouse might befriend a lion, hoping to avoid its jaws.”

“You’re no mouse,” I answer, and she laughs, her grey eyes sparkling.

“Perhaps, but our realms border one another, and it’s always been prudent not to ruffle Rion’s feathers.” She pauses. “But I have no true loyalty to him.”

“So will you help us?” Nadir asks before Bronte turns her attention to me.

“Little queen, I’m not sure what to make of any of this or of you, for that matter, but I will destroy the ark. I want no part of anything created by the Lord of the Underworld. Beyond that, I promise you nothing, but if you’re all heading north—well, I just happen to be going that way too.”