Blaze
“I can’t believe this.” I scrub my hands over my face in frustration.
“Blaze, we had to,”
“I don’t wanna hear it, Tristan! Both you and Starr committed treason against the King, your brother!”
Why couldn’t I have been wrong about Tristan and Starr?
Why did I have to work it out so damn quickly?
Why couldn’t I have taken a day to think things through?
Because that’s not me, that’s why. My brain doesn’t work like that; I’m always quick off the mark.
But why couldn’t it have been someone else?
‘You knew it was Tristan in that cell the moment you saw the footage.’
‘I know, Ace. But Tristan and Starr combining their powers? That hasn’t happened with none identical twins in over a hundred years. As for twins of the opposite se.x? It’s never been recorded. They should have told us they were able to do that! How long have they been able to do that? Goddess, I have so many questions. There’s more to these twins than meets the eye.
‘There is, and that’s why you should trust their judgment, Blaze. There is no way Tristan and Starr would have broken that woman out if they had any doubt about what they saw in her mind.
‘Starr showed you the girl’s memories, Blaze; she’s a mess; she can’t even open her eyes. So there is no way she has the strength to fake what you saw.
‘I know.’ I sigh. ‘But if what I saw is true… Goddess, Ace, we’ve all fu.cked up badly. We let those men and women do terrible things to her.’
‘Most were doing their job, Blaze. What were they supposed to do? Go against the King? What those others did is not on us, not entirely. But how could anyone know this girl’s truth when she said nothing? All anyone saw at the moment was red mist. Anger clouded their minds, and the girl suffered the consequences. It wasn’t her fault, but she could have said something, Blaze.
‘Let’s just thank Fenrir that Thane didn’t kill the girl when he had her throat in his hands. Also, thank the twins that they got her out before the execution.’
‘Do you believe Starr when she said she sensed the girl’s emotions, and that’s what led her to do this?’
‘Starr would never lie about something like that, Blaze. You know how powerful Starr is, and she loves the underdog. She loves coming to people’s rescue!’ ‘Yeah. I chuckle because Ace is right.
I cut my Lycan off and look at my cousin’s. “We need to take her back to the castle.”
Starr shakes her head while standing from her position on the floor.
When I walked in here, Starr was sitting next to… Emori, stroking her dark hair back from her forehead. It seemed Starr had been caring for the girl, cleaning her up, and tending to her wounds as much as possible.
When Starr showed me Emori’s memories, and I saw who her brother was, I almost lost my sh.it. If I hadn’t seen what I saw when I did, I would have dragged Emori back to the castle and let Thane deal with her. Well, if I could have kept my anger in check and not killed her first.
However, all those vile things made me take a step back and reevaluate the situation. Emori’s real reason for poisoning Thane made me question everything.
“We can’t take her back, Blaze.” Starr grabs my arm. “Someone needs to talk to Thane before he knows where Emori is.”
“He needs to know the truth, and so does Lyric.” Tristan continues. “If Starr hadn’t realized something was off with Emori’s aura and snuck into the dungeon and read her mind, Emori would have died a traitor. No one would ever know her truth, Blaze. It’s up to us to put things right.
“Emori gave up who she was for Thane and Lyric. The least the two of them can do is listen. If, after they’ve heard the story, neither cares and still wants her dead,” He sighs. “We won’t interfere. But her story needs to be heard. Don’t you think?” Goddess, this will all backfire; I just know it is! Thane won’t understand, and I doubt Lyric will even listen. The woman is volatile, and I don’t trust she won’t attack in anger.
Regardless… “Look, I’ll talk to Thane, but I can’t promise he’ll listen…” My eyes lock with the fairy now staring at me.
Starr turns to see what I’m looking at and instantly rushes over, kneels down beside the couch, and fusses over Emori.
Tristan comes to my side. “Emori won’t and can’t heal from her injuries.” He tells me quietly. “She sacrificed her fairy self for Thane. She doesn’t even know him, but she gave the final part of herself to keep Lyric’s mate alive.”
“What do you mean, ‘She sacrificed her fairy self’? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
Tristan looks at me. “Use your power of projection and show Thane and Lyric Emori’s memories; then all will become clear.”
I sigh because using my power renders me useless for hours. I can’t afford to be asleep for hours; I need to be on top of my game, especially now. Sure, Tyler could take over for me, but he’s not here yet. Though if Thane contacted him, he’ll be here soon. So, I guess there’s really no excuse.
“I know what you’re thinking, and I’m sorry to ask this of you. But there is no other way, Blaze. I doubt words will be enough to appease my brother. We didn’t do this to defy or betray him, Blaze. We did this for a misunderstood, innocent person.” Tristan turns to look at Emori. “She deserves to be pardoned. She forfeit her immortality for him, Blaze.”
“Are you saying she’s now human?” That would explain why Ace smelled human when we arrived.
“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Blaze. What Emori did is not usual for fairies; everyone knows they’re spitful creatures. But Emori is different, and from what Harmony said, so we’re Elena and Emily. Goddess knows how they ended up so caring when Astro is a complete bas.tard, but they did. Emori’s love for Lyric meant she would do anything, even becoming human, to protect her from Astro and beyond.
“Emori should now start aging as humans do. I don’t know her fairy age, but she looks around twenty in human years, but she could be thousands of years old for all we know. You know how slowly fairies age.”
Yes, a century to them is like a decade to us. Fairies, Elves, Dragons, and Witches age slower than any other species. They also live longer than shifters, thousands of years, millennia for Dragons.
“So, by rights, she could have around eighty years with her mate. But with all the injuries Emori sustained, it’s unlikely she’ll make it through the next twenty-four hours. We’ve tried everything we could think of to help her, but it seems there’s an untreatable infection in her blood. We couldn’t risk bringing a doctor here because they’d mind link Thane as soon as they saw Emori. So, we’re going on instinct.”
I look over at Emori to see she’s watching me. Her eyes hold so much sadness that it makes my gut ache. She didn’t deserve all that was done to her, though I know she understands.
I can’t imagine the loneliness Emori has been through all these years. Tristan may have worn a mask to hide himself from view when he broke her out of the dungeon. But Emori wore the real mask, forever playing two parts just to say alive. Pretending to help Astro while protecting Lyric and Harmony. Living a double life must have been so hard. I don’t know many who could have pulled it off. Now this poor girl will pay with her life.
I scrub my hands over my face in frustration again. I know there is no other choice but to tell Thane everything I’ve learned. I also know that I can’t get around draining my energy if I do. Goddess, I could scream!
“You… Don’t…” I move my hands from my face and look at Emori, who is still staring at me. “Have… to do… what is too… hard.”
I smile even though I’m trying not to.
“Don’t worry; everything will be alright.”
“It won’t, though, will it? She’s dying, Blaze.” Tears cloud Starr’s eyes. “She doesn’t deserve this.”
“I know, and I said I’d talk to Thane.”
“That isn’t gonna save her, though, is it?” Tristan sighs.
“There is only one thing that would keep Emori alive. You know what I’m saying, don’t you?”
“Are you mad?” I step closer with furrowed brows. What Starr is suggesting is utter madness!
“I’m not mad, Blaze; I’m desperate.”
“What makes her,” I point to Emori. “So special? Huh?”
“Because she’s important to the future of our family.”
Great!
Starr also has the power of foresight and premonition. They don’t come often, but when they do, they always come true. “Emori will live if she’s changed, Blaze.”
“None of us can do that, Starr! Only if she has a mate can he turn her into a Lycan!”
“Would you?” Emori asks quietly.
“Would I what?”
“Change me?”