Sweat forms on my brow and my muscles shake as I use everything I have to push my magic into the rounded stone, eradicating all traces of corruption. It takes longer than the last time, but this court wasn’t abandoned, it was the epicenter of the war.
As the last of the darkness is pushed from the stone, a flash of light shines against my eyelids and I open them to find the entire stone now glowing with an inner light. It’s so bright I have to squint as I stare at it, the harsh beauty of Winter perfectly represented in a stone.
Placing the stone carefully in Gerwyn’s palm, I grab his free hand and take a deep breath. He delicately places the stone into the second spot on my crown and a blinding light shoots out, enveloping us completely. The moment the world fades from view, we’re lifted into the veil of the Spirits. Each time they speak to me, the world around us is the same. A shroud of fog and bright light that is unlike any place I’ve ever seen before.
In the center of the cloud circle is a group of raised stones, resting in a bed of fresh fallen snow. Small glowing orbs float around, making it seem like we're in a fae sized snow globe.
“You have found your second stone and your second king. We approve. We have felt the mad king’s darkness for too long. We were powerless to stop him as he used the stone to control the spirits, corrupting a gift we’d bestowed upon him. When he stopped the spirits from lending us t
heir strength, we were weakened. You returned them to where they belong. Now only a few remain roaming the lands. If you had doubts before, this victory should solidify your confidence that we chose you well, Queen Arabella of all Faerie. You are our champion and will restore our power,” the echoing voices of the Spirits sends chills down my spine. The mix of melodic voices of different pitches and genders makes it hard to concentrate on their words. I bow low, before peeking at Gerwyn. For once, my wise knight doesn’t search for knowledge, he simply observes in silent awe.
“Winter King,” the voices call him out and he stands straighter. “You have been chosen, long before you came back to these lands. We chose the four of you and made sure you survived this senseless war. The people made their choice. They started and fought in this war though we gave them every opportunity not to. You and your brothers rose above the masses and tried to help anyone you could. It did not go unnoticed. Bella was chosen from birth, but you were chosen for your worth, and that is a great honor. That honor is the reason she was born with a portion of each of your souls within her, tying you together as a brand new royal line. One day, your son will be a true, humble king. He will take over the realm and Faerie will continue to prosper,” the voices continue speaking, but my mind freezes at the thought of children. It’s something I hadn’t given much thought to.
Was I already pregnant?
Would I be soon?
Do I even want that?
The answer is yes, but right now isn’t the time. We are in no place for children yet. We’d just have to trust that it would come when the time was right. Fate hasn’t steered us wrong yet.
The Spirits keep talking, not allowing my brain time to spiral, which is probably for the best.
“I bind you together, Winter knight. You will share your magic and add to hers. You will be the strong and wise leaders Faerie needs, paving the way for future generations to succeed. I give you our blessing.”
Gerwyn bows to the Spirits, a wave of pride and awe that isn’t my own courses through our new bond. Now that we’re connected, I send him a wave of confidence and reassurance, knowing how intimidating the Spirits can be. His wide violet eyes turn to me, but the Spirits aren’t quite done with us yet, there would be time later to explore our bond.
“The Court of Autumn is your next destination. The realm is not as calm as it appears and Autumn is the most urgent. The court was full of warriors and will be harder to navigate than any other. Life still lingers there, despite our efforts. Good luck, my champions,” they finish. An overwhelming flow of magic slams into me. The Winter magic is cold and volatile, stronger and more fierce than the gentle magic of Spring.
Now I have enough magic for three people, and it threatens to burst my body apart from within. The power courses through my veins, pushes against my skin, and vibrates through my muscles until I don’t think I can handle it any longer. A feral scream rips from my throat, cutting through the silence like a knife.
The magic seems to reach a peak, stabilizing when it’s at the most agonizing point. My body starts to convulse with the overwhelming power and I grit my teeth to try and keep from some semblance of control.
My voice is gone, only screams coming out every time I open my mouth. I can’t tell Gerwyn what to do to ease this, though I turn to him and beg with my eyes. He’s still in a daze, like he can’t process what’s going on.
The air shifts as our bodies float back down to the ground. I know the moment we were part of the real world again, because Bowen starts shouting at Gerwyn, breaking him from the daze.
“Touch her! Now!” He commands, causing Gerwyn to jump into action and scoop me up. The moment his skin touches mine, the magic flows through us both. Bowen rushes to my other side, reaching for my arm. The overwhelming pressure eases even further as it flows through both of my bonded kings. It takes several minutes before the power settles within us and I can function.
My body is still shaky and my limbs feel weak, but I can move and speak now. The pain is unbearable each time, but at the moment I can’t find it in me to care. The Spirits said that we were bonded by souls as well as magic. That one sentence eased my mind. We were truly made for each other.
The others stand by quietly, each expression tired and concerned. Shifting, I try to stand up so they don’t keep worrying but I can’t put pressure on my limbs. Bowen and Gerwyn each grab an arm and help support me. Once I’m up, they walk me over to the king’s chair again, settling me into it to rest. As Gerwyn let’s go to sit nearby, I see his royal mark glowing on his wrist.
“I see you have the mark now too," I say with a smile, pointing to his new silver-blue mark. He smiles happily and turns his wrist over so the others can see.
The others all take a seat around me. As soon as Jacob sits, Dormouse scurries down his arm and runs to me. Once he is perched in his usual spot on my shoulder he starts one of his squeaking lectures. I smile and pat his tiny head.
“You scared me today too, now we’re even," I joke, but Dormouse gives one last reluctant squeak and stops.
“That mouse understands you, Bella. You have your own nature magic and some of mine now," Bowen says with a smile. The idea that Dormouse truly understands what I say makes me smile. I knew there was more to him than I originally thought.
Taking a moment to regain my balance, I sit contentedly as I listen to the others talk around me, keeping their conversations light.
The bonding takes more out of me than I care to admit. As if sensing the weakness creeping back into my body, Bowen and Gerwyn both reach for my hands. With the contact renewed, a new surge of energy flows between us, restoring mine. It almost seems that whatever I’m low on, their bodies give. Interesting.
“We need to discuss what our plans are," I announce to the group, squeezing Bo and Wyn’s hands before releasing them and sitting forward.
“Yes, we need to get back. Our poor camp has probably lost all morale," Jacob adds in a worried tone. I know he’s referring to River more than anyone.