Page 47 of Queen of Thorns
“I’ve been wondering when you’d come.”
The Queen of the Whisperwood, with her long, raven black hair and wrinkled face places both hands on the sides of her black crown.
My eyes widen as she pulls the crown from her head and falls to one knee, holding it out to me.
Caelynn
The crowd is no longersilent.
Gasps and shouts give way to chattering so loud that for a moment, it’s hard to hear. It’s certainly hard to process what’s happening.
“Take it, child. Let them see this. Then, the work can begin.”
My heart swells to the point of pain, and I cannot control the tears now. They fall freely down my cheeks. This is... this is so much more than anything I’d ever imagined.
I take the outstretched crown with trembling fingers. But I don’t dare place it on my head. Not yet. Not like this.
The queen stands and then motions for me to follow her through the gates and into the palace.
#
THE SMELL OF STALEdirt and distant rot greets me first as I enter the Shadow palace. I blink, taking a few moments to adjust to the darkness of the first chamber. There are no lights or windows, just a high ceiling made of the same shining black stone as the stairs.
Our footsteps echo through the dark chamber. I stare up at the gothic architecture. Near the arched ceiling, lined on each side, are stone gargoyles. I blink. I hadn’t expected those, or even knew they were here.
In the center of the massive room is a large, curved basin—bone dry. This was once the shade fountain, pouring with the magic of our ancestors.
I knew it would be empty—it’s been drying for a hundred years or more due to lack of power in our lands—but it still hurts to see.
If it were flowing the way it should, our people could have running water and lights and heat in their homes. They could create power-filled gemstones and trade with other villages and courts. The people themselves can be strengthened by this source.
The old fortresses crumble without the infrastructure the rulers are supposed to supply. The people must rely on the magic they can gather from natural sources, like the Whisperwood. In the fae realm, magic fuels everything. Without a power source, we are only able to barely survive. We make do, but we can never thrive without it.
Any Shadow fae with power could fuel the magic. Most courts have several strong fae that give and take from their power source often, keeping the magic strong. In the Shadow Court, those who take are unable to give back.Except me.
“I’m sorry.”
