Total pages in book: 116
Estimated words: 109099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 109099 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 545(@200wpm)___ 436(@250wpm)___ 364(@300wpm)
“Good, now go along as he leads you to the clearing. I’ll be right with you,” Lady Nolana breathed in my ear. “The main thing is to stay alive for your people, Princess.”
Her hand in mine seemed to give me strength and without thinking about it, I pulled on the Power I felt in her and shoved it into the ground in front of Mordren’s feet.
“Come on—I think the Court is getting restless,” he said. He started to take a step and then stumbled over the enormous root that was suddenly in front of him. “What in the name of Lolth?” he snarled, barely catching himself against the trunk of a nearby tree. He looked down at his feet. “Was that there before?”
“It must have been,” Elgiana remarked. “Come on—we have to go. But what should I do with these two?” She nodded at Sel and Krynn, who were still tied to the tree branch, their heads bowed.
“Leave the half-breeds.” Mordren cast them a contemptuous look. “They’ll be dead by morning. Then we can cut them down and hide the bodies.”
I felt a surge of possessive, protective anger I could barely control. How dare he throw away the lives of the two men I loved so easily? I wanted to slap his face and rake my nails down his cheek. But I stayed still and pretended to be under his spell because I knew a secret.
The root he’d tripped over hadn’t been there before—I had called it up from the ground myself, using the magic I’d gotten from Krynn when I drank from him and the Power I felt running from Lady Nolana’s hand into mine. It made me think of my ancestress—the Queen that Sel had told me was able to pull Power from others just by touching them. Was that possible for me? I didn’t know, but I was determined to find out.
I was beginning to have the ghost of an idea about how to save both my Kingdom and Krynn and Sel.
The only question was, would it work…or would trying it get me killed?
50
Lily
As we walked back into the Holy Clearing the people of the Court came closer. Many reached out their hands to me, the light of hope shining in their eyes. It reminded me of what Alira had told me in my dream…
“Those in power seek to take…you must face them when you wake. And though all alone you stand…the power you need is close at hand.”
Her words echoed in my head and as I looked at all the Dark Fae who wanted me to be their Queen, I knew what I had to do.
“Fae of the Midnight Court, both High and Lesser!” Mordren called, stepping in front of me. “The time has come! Our lost Princess Lilliana has returned to us and now we must crown her and hear who she will choose as her consort!”
A cheer went up from the crowd and then they started chanting that strange verse again.
“Blessed is she whose Bite is Sweet—who gives Pleasure with Pain—who Fills us all even as she Drains us. Blessed is she whose Bite is Sweet…”
“There you are, my dear—the people are with you,” Lady Nolana—who was still holding my hand—whispered in my ear. “You must find a way to refute whatever Mordren says—don’t let him have your Power!”
“I won’t,” I murmured from the corner of my mouth. “Just keep holding my hand—and take hands with someone else, too. In fact, I need the whole Court holding hands. Can you do that?”
Her eyes widened but I thought I saw a glimmer of understanding.
“I can try,” she said and then reached out to the Fae beside her—who happened to be the little girl I’d met down in the basements of the Palace, where the Lesser Fae lived.
But when Lady Nolana tried to take her hand, the little girl shrank back in fear—probably because she didn’t know her.
“Hello, Leeza! I said, smiling down at her. It seemed safe to talk now—Mordren was busy strutting importantly in front of the gathered crowd and Elgiana was standing to one side, still holding the vial of antidote in one hand, watching him.
“Princess!” she breathed, looking up at me in wonder. “You look beautiful!”
“Thank you, sweetheart—so do you,” I told her. “But I need you to do me a favor—I need you to let Lady Nolana here hold your hand. In fact, I need everyone to hold hands.”
“We used to hold hands in our class—back when I got to go to school,” Leeza said wistfully.
“I promise you’re going to go back to school,” I said fiercely. “But you have to help me by holding hands. Can you?”
The little girl nodded, her eyes shining.
“Yes, Princess!” She reached for Lady Nolana’s hand and then reached with her other hand for her mother who took Leeza’s hand automatically. She had been talking to the women beside her, but she looked down when the little girl tugged impatiently.