Page 74 of The Witch Queen

“Ready?” she asks. Fionn and I take her hands for the third time that day, and we aerstep away.

The cavern is much larger than it looked on the map. I illuminate the space by pulling light in from the opening several paces behind us and amplifying it. I don’t see Laurel, but I can feel my pulsing magical center practically jump out of my chest when I look to the north.

“You should go back,” I tell Silene and Fionn. “Thank you for getting me here.”

They exchange a look. “No, we won’t leave you,” Silene says resolutely. “She might not be here. You’ll be stuck in this frigid cave with no way back.”

“She’s here, I know it. Please. I need to do this alone,” I implore. “If I’m not back in two hours, come for me. I’ll make sure I’m in this same spot.” They both look uneasy.

“Thorne,” Fionn protests, but I interrupt.

“Please,” I whisper. I look them both in the eyes, pleading with unspoken words.

“Okay,” Silene whispers, tears gathering in her eyes at the intensity of the last half hour.

“Take this dagger,” Fionn says as he hands me the blade. “It will make it easier for me to track you if you aren’t here.” I nod.

“We’re coming back in exactly two hours,” Silene promises. I take her hands in mine and squeeze. She wipes her eyes, then takes Fionn’s hand. They disappear, and the cavern is eerily silent. Turning north, I let the tugging in my chest lead me toward my mate.

The bond directs me down a passageway that narrows quickly. I bring light with me in dancing ribbons to illuminate my way. I take several turns, always following the tugging in my chest. Aether gathers thickly here, and I wonder if this is some kind of nexus for the leylines. Strange markings line the walls, indiscernible shapes that slowly morph into clearer carvings. Massive beasts soar through the air. Creatures that resemble Lunaria look up at them from the ground, while figures with pointed ears hold swords as if ready to battle. If I wasn’t in such a frantic rush, I would have stopped to examine them more closely. They don’t resemble any ancient markings I’ve ever seen.

The thumping in my chest grows stronger as both my heart and the magical bond dance at the nearness of Laurel. The passageway opens up to another massive cavern with clear signs of her magic. Moss covers every inch of the walls and ceilings, and massive puddles of water pool every few feet. I scan the space, eyes searching desperately for her. At the farthest end from me, massive rocks form a circle, like they fell from the ceiling but were blocked by a shield. I run toward the rocks, and when I’m halfway across the space, I see her laying in the middle of them, body curled in on itself. I’m sprinting now, jumping over fallen debris and trying not to slip on the wet moss.

“Laurel,” I scream. She doesn’t respond. Panting, I increase my speed. When I reach her, I instantly notice how pale her complexion is, like all the color has leached out of her. Shaking her, I whisper her name like a prayer. “Laurel. Laurel, please wake up. Please, Laurel. Please.” Tears run down my face as it becomes clear she’s not responding. I cradle her in my arms, wishing I hadn’t sent Silene and Fionn away. It will be two hours before I can get her to help. “What’s wrong with you?” I ask, voice cracking, knowing she won’t answer. I close my eyes, seeking answers in the jittering ball of light in my chest that our mating bond has ignited. My eyes open in stunned shock when I sense that she’s quickly draining of aether.

Desperate to save her, I lay her down on the cold floor. Coaxing the aether whirling around us into a blazing mass, I will it to become a healing light. I’m drawing up more aether than I ever have, and a quiet voice in the back of my mind whispers I shouldn’t be able to control this much magic, have never controlled this much magic, even here in Thayaria. But I ignore that voice and keep growing the orb of light at my fingertips. When I’ve channeled as much aether as my body can stand to hold, I slowly—so slowly—lower it over Laurel’s body, shaking with the strain of controlling it. I watch in awe as it spreads to cover her entire body. The light—my light—caresses her, lapping at her curves and face gently. When she’s fully wrapped in my light, I concentrate on the aether.

Fill her,I command.

For a moment, nothing happens. But then, with a brilliant flash, color returns to her cheeks and she takes in a gasp. I stumble, my magic draining out of me in a way I’ve never experienced before. But I don’t care, because she’s awake, and I scoop her up into my arms, squeezing her middle in elation even as I sway with burnout.

Hawthorne

The gods were angry with the fae. They decreed that, in punishment for their magical crimes, mates would be trapped on opposite sides of the world. Those fated for a mate bond would feel its absence their entire lives, not understanding the persistent ache they feel deep in the core of their magic.

The Legends of the Fae, Volume II

“Laurel,” I sob, holding her to me as tightly as I can. Her body molds to mine, head nestled perfectly under my chin. She relaxes into me, and I stroke her back in a gentle caress, whispering her name like it’s the lifeline that will tether her to this realm.

“What—how are you here?” she asks, almost dreamily.

“It’s a long story, and we have some things we’ll have to deal with when we’re back. But we can worry about that later.” I’m so relieved that I found her, that Isavedher, that I nearly collapse over her body. I pull her closer, my lips grazing across her forehead gently. It’s the wrong move. She jerks away from me, and I nearly weep.

“Thorne,” she croaks.

I interrupt. “Laurel, please listen to me.” I grab her hand, trying to anchor her here and prevent her from leaving again.

“I can’t,” she says, tears gathering in her eyes. But she doesn’t release my hand. I grab her other hand, a silent promise that I won’t let her go this time. Staring into her captivating green eyes, I squeeze her soft skin.

“Silene and I have spent every minute of our engagement the last year trying to get out of it,” I rush out before she can get away. “If you believe nothing else I tell you, believe that. What I told you before was thetruth.And I can assure you that Silene has no interest in being Queen. But you don’t have to take my word. Speak with Silene. She will tell you the same.” She tries to protest again, but I rush onward, determined to get this out before she can object again. “My father—aethers, Laurel, I know. Iknow.My father is the vilest male to ever live. I hate him with the same intensity that you do. You think that us being mates makes you vulnerable to him, and it might, but it also makes you stronger. We’remates.We’re the two most powerful fae alive, and together, we haveso muchmore magic than him. Don’t you think there has to be a reason for a bond like this to emerge in the world after all this time?”

Her eyes glimmer with the tiniest spark of hope. It’s the same window I’ve seen open so many times before it slams shut again, but now it’s cracked, and that gives me the confidence to continue. My body shakes, knowing I need to tell her how I feel. It scares me, being this open and vulnerable. But if anyone in all the Four Kingdoms deserves this, it’s her.

“I find you to be the most alluring female I’ve ever encountered. My mind doesn’t wander to you, because you’realwaysin it. I feel it when you walk in the room, sense you when you aren’t near. The mating bond is hard to believe, but so is the fact that I didn’t guess what we were to one another right away. You’re in my dreams every night, and every morning I fight to stay asleep to keep you with me for just another moment. For the longest time, I tried to deny what I felt for you. Tried to convince myself that I wasn’t seeking you out at every opportunity. My wholebeingorbits around you, and it has since the moment I met you. Please believe me, witchling.” As always, her expression is unreadable. I pull her hands to my chest, stroking gently over her thumbs. “Say something, please. Let me into that unreachable mind.” The words are a plea.

“But—you and Silene. I’ve seen her come out of your bedroom,” she finally says.

I furrow my brow in confusion. “My bedroom?”

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