Fates Divided: Halven Rising

“You’re sure you want to do this?” Derek asked for the tenth time.

Elena sighed. “I told you, I’m open to suggestions, but you haven’t given me any.”

Why was he being so skittish? This was a pretty good plan, all things considered.

“I’m too busy trying to keep my body upright, what with my knees knocking from the four hundred seven-foot-plus Fae guards in residence and the additional two hundred along the perimeter. We’re entirely outnumbered.”

“But they haven’t found us yet, so we’re good.” She smiled, proud of her sound logic.

“For now. I wouldn’t rely on it lasting.” Derek stretched his neck, making it crack. “There’s something I forgot to mention. I saw Portia. She was the only other woman attending the meeting, and she seemed very chummy with your mom.”

“Portia? She’s alive?”

“Exactly. I’ve never trusted her, and seeing her all sweet and supportive of your mother makes me wonder if she’s up to something.”

An uneasy feeling settled in Elena’s bones. Portia had defended Beatrice over the locked library incident, and Beatrice had disappeared under incriminating circumstances…

“What if Portia’s working for the other side?”

“It’s possible. All the more reason to get to your mom. Come on.” He nudged her toward the door. “Let’s not worry about that right now. We need to reach Theda.”

Elena stopped in front of the door and reached up, wrapping her arms around Derek’s shoulders, the warmth of his body easing her distress.

Nothing had gone right since they’d arrived in Tirnan, but they’d made it this far. As long as they were together, everything would be okay. “You’re going to get sick of kissing me,” she teased, trying to lighten the mood.

Heat filled his eyes and he clenched her waist. “No. I won’t.” He dipped his head, his mouth scorching her in a deep, languid kiss that sent heat down her chest.

Point taken.

Elena’s body tingled and her heart slowed as Derek transformed them.

He skimmed his hands over her hips, beneath her thighs, and picked her up. She clutched the sides of his face, lost in the kiss.

“Elena,” he murmured against her lips. “You ready?”

God, right. She opened her eyes and tightened her legs around his torso. Derek walked through the door into the abandoned hallway. From there, he carried her to the third floor of the castle, the level where he’d said the royals slept.

They crept down the hallway, making slow progress as they darted out of the path of sporadic passing Fae. The rooms were farther apart on this level, but one by one, they poked their heads through walls and doors, checking out the space.

Two of the three elaborate apartments were covered in sheets, but the third one, closest to the courtyard, had polished, elegant furniture and at least two guards inside.

Derek clutched the back of her head and pulled them out as one of the soldiers walked toward them and into the bedroom they were staring in. The guard seemed to be coming from a living area.

Derek looked in her eyes and she nodded lightly. These must be the queen’s rooms.

He walked down the hall and carefully peered around the corner to the entrance of the suite. Four large Fae stood in front of the door, each sporting swords strapped to their backs. These guards even carried guns on their belts.

Definitely the queen’s rooms.

Derek’s lips and tongue kept a constant connection with hers while he eyed the guards at the entrance. After a few seconds, he walked back to the bedroom they’d spotted, and stuck their heads through the wall again. The guard who’d been on his way in there must have gone back to the main living area, because the room was empty now.

Derek stepped through, the surface making Elena’s skin zing. A canopy bed big enough to accommodate a giant loomed in front of them. But no Fae.

They were safe for now.

Derek strode across the bedroom and peered into the main living area. There were two guards in the suite. One of them stood beside a gold brocade chair, pushing a ruby floor-to-ceiling drape aside while he scanned the area beyond the window.

Emain’s interiors were nice, but the New Kingdom’s palace stepped it up a dozen or two notches.

The guard at the window moved away and made what appeared to be an orchestrated sweep of the living area along with the other soldier. They took in every detail as they crisscrossed the space, but primarily the two Fae orbited a large chaise… where a beautiful woman sat.

The woman had pale, flawless skin, and wore a thin gold crown on her head, her feet tucked beneath her bottom as she stared at a laptop resting above a pillow on her lap.

She appeared to be no more than a few years older than the students at Dawson—definitely within the realm of college-aged—and she was so beautiful she took Elena’s breath away.

Could this really be her mother?

Elena only managed to see the woman’s profile from her angle, but something about the lady’s face, a slanting of the cheekbone, the angle of her eye, reminded Elena of what she saw when she looked in the mirror.

Elena’s lighter shading and hazel eyes came from somewhere, and it wasn’t from her father’s side of the family. Every Rosales, except for her, had jet-black hair and eyes to match.

Derek used his tongue to caress along the inside of Elena’s cheek and mumbled, “Theda,” without breaking contact.

Talented boy.

So this was the queen. Her mother.

Elena clung to Derek a little too tightly. She was nervous and scared, but it would all work out—it just had to.

Theda’s head lowered to the screen in front of her, and her brow furrowed. “Samuel, why does the west-end portal have only one guard? We’re on lockdown because of the breach. Where are the men?”

Elena’s fingers dug into Derek’s shoulders. Theda’s voice.

Elena should have been too young to remember the sound of her mother’s voice, but she recognized the tone, the cadence when Theda spoke.

Derek’s eyes scanned her face. He made a questioning sound in the back of his throat.

There was no time to explain how strange this moment was for her. They needed to forge on. She closed her eyes and gave a quick shake of her head that wouldn’t dislodge their connection.

“I do not know, my queen,” Samuel said. “There should be at least a dozen. I will speak to the lead guard on the ground and find out what has happened.” He exited the room.

This was it. They’d anticipated dealing with interior guards, and now only one remained.

Elena needed just enough time to convince Theda they meant no harm. She hoped a minute was all it would take, because that was probably all they had.

Mouth connected to Derek’s, Elena tried to pool her energy while focused on the ceiling.

Nothing happened.

She tried again, but felt none of the power that normally surged beneath her skin when she called her abilities to the surface. Something was wrong.

Crap. She’d wondered if this would happen. There hadn’t been time to test every scenario.

Holding Derek’s kiss, she squeezed his shoulders and yanked him, jerking their bodies to the side. He followed her lead and carried her away from the door to the back of the room.

Elena broke the kiss, tearing apart their connection.

Derek reemerged instantly. “I hate it when you do that. Feels like I’m being disemboweled. Pinch me next time, before you rip us apart.”

“Keep your voice down,” she whispered.

He glanced over her head at the door. “What happened? Why didn’t you do the waterfall act?”

“I couldn’t. Apparently, I can’t manipulate the elements if you’ve got me transformed.”

He rubbed his brow. “We can still do this. I’m the only one that needs to be Blended for the sneak attack,” he whispered. “We thought there’d be more guards and that we’d need to hide, but there’s only one. This could work.”

She nodded, and Derek Blended. Elena inched to the open doorway and took a steadying breath. She concentrated on the sensations running through her.

Power billowed beneath her skin, and within seconds, a small cascade of water burst from the ceiling in front of Theda.

Theda yelped and hopped on top of the chaise. She crouched, staring at the flow. “What is going on today?”

The solitary guard standing by the window had spun around and now stood with his sword drawn.

He carefully returned the sword to its sheath. “Plumbing, my lady. I’ll get it taken care of immediately.” He peered around once more, as if to ensure everything was okay, then strode out of the room.

Before he came back, or another Fae could replace him, Derek quietly appeared behind Theda.

He placed his hand over her mouth and picked her up.

This was the worst part of the plan, but neither of them could think of a way around it.

They didn’t want to risk talking to her mother out in the open when neither of them knew who could be trusted. And honestly, they hadn’t even been sure they could get Theda alone. There was no guarantee the guards would leave her even for a second. But they had.

Derek acted fast. He couldn’t Blend Theda without the extra… ah—kissing—connection. But he had her tucked away in the bedroom within seconds.

The moment Derek removed his hand, Theda spun around to glare at him. “Do you know who I—”

“I’m your daughter.”

Theda turned slowly, eyeing Elena. “What did you say?”

Derek silently shut the bedroom door.

“Please,” Elena said. “We’re here to help.” She tucked a lock of wavy hair behind her ear, suddenly nervous, and not at all sure how to go about this. “Were you once married to a man named Alex Rosales?”

Confusion and anger warred on Theda’s face. “How do you know my husband?”

Elena took a deep breath and squared her shoulders. “I’m his daughter. And that makes you my mother.” Elena pulled out her mother’s necklace from beneath her clothes. The amethyst in the center winked in the dim light.

Theda’s eyes widened. Her gaze rose to Elena’s face. “It can’t be…”

“Mom”—the name felt foreign on Elena’s tongue—“please don’t call the guards. They’ll kill us if they know we’re here. We only want to help.”

Her mother gave her a look she couldn’t quite read.

If Theda cried out, the game was over. Everything rested on her mother’s support. Derek didn’t believe Theda would turn on her own daughter, but Elena wasn’t so sure. She couldn’t predict from one moment to the next what the Fae would do.

“Are you responsible for the pipe bursting?” her mother asked.

“Yes,” Elena said meekly. “But it wasn’t a pipe bursting. It was a stream of water that only seemed like it came through the ceiling.”

“Where is your father, Elena?”

“Dead.”

Her mother’s head snapped back as if she’d been slapped. Color rose to her cheeks. Her eyes turned suspiciously glossy before she closed them completely. When she reopened them, Elena started.

A world of pain and longing glistened within the green pools of Theda’s gaze.

Most Fae hid their emotions to the point that Elena wondered if they had any besides anger and frustration. Theda appeared to control hers equally well, but when Elena had mentioned her father’s name—and then his death—Theda’s mask had come down.

Elena couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. This woman had cared for her father. Really cared. Elena had wondered, regardless of the reasons Leo and Deidre had given for her mother’s desertion, but now she knew.

“I am sorry for your loss,” Theda finally said, her expression troubled. “How…?”

Elena’s chest tightened. “Farm accident. It was a long time ago.” Her mother swallowed and looked away. “What matters now is saving you and your people from the virus. I made a promise to Fae in Emain.”

Theda looked back at that. “Why? You have nothing to do with the virus.”

Elena glanced at the puddle in the main room, and Theda did too. “You have the ability to manipulate the elements,” her mother said. “It runs in our family. Several Fae possess this power. Your ability cannot save us from the virus.”

“I share your opinion, but apparently the people in charge disagree.”

“I am in charge.” Power surged with her mother’s words.

Elena peered at the walls to see if they’d shaken.

She looked cautiously back, not wanting to anger Theda further with her next comment. “I’m not sure you are, and I say that with all due respect. Plan your next moves carefully. We have reason to believe some of your people may work against you.”

Elena thought of Portia. She didn’t know for a fact that Portia was up to something, but too many things had happened in Emain with Beatrice and the guards who’d attacked them before they left for Tirnan for Elena to believe all Fae were loyal to finding a cure.

Theda chuckled humorlessly. “Of course they do. An entire kingdom wants my demise more than their next breath, but they won’t have it.”

“I’m aware of the dispute between Old Kingdom and New Kingdom—”

“Dispute.” Bitterness seeped from Theda’s voice and she shook her head. “It is not merely a dispute, but a history-long loathing between one kingdom and another. There will be no peace. Not in this lifetime, or the next.”

“I’m not simply referring to Old Kingdom. I mean here, within these walls. There may be others who are untrustworthy.”

How much did Theda know about Portia? Elena had to tread carefully.

She explained to Theda what had happened with Beatrice, and how Fae guards had attacked them before they entered the portal to Tirnan. She also explained her dealings with Portia, and how the Portia they knew in Emain behaved much differently than the one Derek had witnessed here.

Theda’s flawless features set in a frown. “Thank you for that information. I will remain guarded. But you must leave, Elena. You cannot stay here.” Her mother raised her arm as if to reach out, but quickly lowered it to her side. “You are not safe in Tirnan. That is the reason I left you with your father. You were never safe with me. They would have destroyed you.”

“I’m not safe in the Earth realm either. More important, I have an ability the Fae are willing to risk my life for.”

Her mother’s jaw set. “You will not risk your life. As I said, many Fae possess the power of manipulating the elements, particularly in New Kingdom—”

“Yes, but can they transmute something that has never existed? Leo—I don’t know what his last name is—he’s one of the Fae who recruited me to Emain. He believes I can create a cure for the virus through transmutation.”

“No.” Theda shook her head. “It is not possible. My brother was the last to possess the power of transmutation, and he was full Fae. Magic is rare among Halven. Only those with noble blood possess it. That particular ability is unheard of in one such as you. And if it is true”—her face paled—“you are in more danger than I could have imagined.”

Her mother reached out, and this time, she grazed a finger on the center stone of the pendant Elena wore. “I thought of you. I always think of you, but particularly on your birthday. I prayed you would be normal. I feared something like this would happen. That they would seek you out.”

Theda dropped her hand and balled her fist. “We must hide you.” Her voice sounded unsteady, not at all rational.

Elena touched Theda’s arm, hoping to get her to listen. “I don’t want to hide. The Tertullian Codex indicated that if I came here, I could gain my full powers. I can help you and your people.”

Theda put her hand over Elena’s. “What you ask will get you killed. Leo—if it’s Leo of the Phelans—he knows the risk. He is a good scientist. A moral man. I do not believe he would have sent you on this mission unless the alternative were dire, but”—Theda’s voice shook—“I cannot risk your life.”

Her mother cared for her as strongly as she’d cared for her father. The notion filled Elena with hope, and it also worried her. Because Elena had to do this.

“You’re not risking my life, I am. It’s my decision. I’m not a child anymore.”

Her mother rolled her lips as if she were holding back emotion. “I understand I missed—everything. But that does not mean I will throw you into a world where you will not survive.”

“I’m stronger than I look.”

Theda’s eyes softened. “I have no doubt, but—”

Elena squared her shoulders. “You won’t change my mind. I am here. This is what I’m doing.”

To prevent further argument, Elena changed the subject and brought up something her mother had mentioned. “I’m glad to know more of Leo’s character. There were times I wasn’t sure I could trust him. His determination put me off.”

Theda peered at her as if she knew what Elena was doing by changing the subject, but she didn’t push it. “Desperation will do that to a person. You understand what we face as a people?”

“Yes. Most will die. Considering the attack we witnessed before we left, I’m not sure even Emain will survive.”

Her mother looked away, her gaze disturbed. “That is most unfortunate. Emain was to be the one safe place. Your presence here, and what you suspect of Portia—we are up against a much larger battle than I thought. And my predictions for how this would affect our people were not good to begin with. I’ve implemented measures that will save some of us, but the majority of the population will perish.” Her mother’s voice grew clipped. “They do not listen to me. We are an ancient population of millions, and we’ve lost nearly half, if the numbers are to be believed.”

“That’s why I’m doing this,” Elena said, returning to the subject she’d tried to avoid. “Whatever the risks, I’ll take them. Coming here is my fate.”

“I did not wish this for you,” Theda bit out. “I spent years locked away to save you from this—” She waved her hands around angrily. “I wanted a safe world for my daughter. It is not safe for you here, Elena.” Her attention moved to Derek. “Not for your friend, either…” Theda paused and tilted her head. “Who are you, boy?”

“Derek O’Brien.”

“No—who are you? Your Fae parentage? You look like—”

Pounding came from the locked bedroom door. “My queen, are you safe? I hear voices?”

“I am fine,” Theda called out. “This computer is making sounds.”

Which it was, Elena realized. Derek had grabbed Theda along with her laptop still in her hands, and the machine was making beeping noises on the ground.

“You have connectivity?” Derek whispered.

“No,” Theda said. “Not in the sense you mean. We have electricity and electronics we’ve mobilized from your world, but not the Internet you speak of. New Kingdom is more modern than other parts of the realm, but there are some technologies even we do not embrace. Our forms of communication are more primitive and, when needed, magical.”

Elena glanced at the door. “They can’t find us here. Not everyone is loyal to you, and even if they were, they wouldn’t support your decision to help us.”

“You must leave,” Theda said, but Elena got the impression she said it to save Elena and not because her mother feared recrimination from her people. She ushered them to the back of the room, as if hiding them in a corner would help.

Elena halted. “Before we leave the palace, do you have any clue as to how I can gain the rest of my powers? Three things were mentioned in the Tertullian Codex: nobility, ancient, and land—which I took to mean Tirnan. I had a strong feeling I needed to be here, but other than that, I’m lost.”

Theda closed her eyes briefly and let out a deep sigh. “I know the answer you seek. But it is pointless for me to tell you. The place you would need to go is dangerous. You would not survive long enough to use the powers, even if you managed to gain them.”

Her mother knew?

Elena had hoped her family in New Kingdom could point her in the right direction, but she’d never expected her mother to know exactly how. “Tell me anyway, for the heck of it.”

Her mother’s mouth softened into the semblance of a smile. “Your uncle often used that expression, for the heck of it.”

“My uncle is dead. I don’t remember him. Mateo, his son, says it all the time, though.”

Theda’s expression fell, and her gaze flickered to the wall, where an image of a smiling baby hung. “I left you alone, didn’t I?”

“Not entirely, but”—she waited for her mother’s head to turn back—“now you understand why I have to save you? Why I must save all of you? We are family. We are connected.”

There was a pause, then, “I will tell you what you need to know, on one condition. My guards and I will travel with you and assist you.”

That would make her mother an enemy of the people she was supposed to rule.

Elena didn’t want Theda in danger, but this was her only hope for saving Tirnan in time. There was no other option.

“Agreed.”

“In that case, we will venture to Old Kingdom, where the Ancient Allon grows.”

Of course they would, because that was the one place Deirdre had warned Elena never to go.