Nightshade: Chapter Seven

She thought they would have time. They don't.

I reached out towards the carving. “All I have to do is touch it?”

“Yes.”

As soon as my palm touched the cold stone, it started to ripple like the surface of a pool. I withdrew my hand and watched as the ‘glass’ in the mirror cleared.

Rowan moved forward eagerly – and froze. “It’s snowing.”

What?

I came to stand beside him. A flurry of icy flakes blew across white fields; in the distance, an oak tree held its ground against the wind.

“Perhaps that’s the north.” Rowan hadn’t said what he wanted to see in the human realm, and I hadn’t specified anywhere to the mirror.

“No. I recognise that oak tree.” He couldn’t tear his eyes away from the grey and heavy sky.

What was happening? It shouldn’t look like this; spring was supposed to be ruling the land, not winter.

Had the Winter Queen taken advantage of Queen Demetra’s distraction to take over?

“Mother,” Rowan whispered. “What are you doing?”

“Is she the one causing this?”

“I don’t know!” he snapped. “Maybe she isn’t doing it intentionally, but Aspen once told me that she would do anything to get us home if we ever disappeared. If she’s focusing on finding me, she could be neglecting the Spring Realm.”

The humans would be suffering because of this, as would the birds and animals. Did Queen Demetra simply not care?

“Rowan, I think she thinks you’ve been kidnapped by humans.” She was holding the land hostage to force her son’s return.

This was my fault. The people were suffering because of me.

“No.”

I flinched. Had I spoken that aloud?

Rowan took my shoulders in a warm but firm hold. “You are not to blame for this, Amara. If anyone is, it’s the sorcerers.”

Then he went pale. “The night faeries have been sealed away for over fifty years. Perhaps two realms being out of balance with the others is affecting the human world.”

Why had I never considered that?

Rowan gazed at the mirror again, tears in his eyes. “I feel so helpless. I don’t know what we can do.”

“There is one thing.”

This wasn’t just about Rowan anymore. If he remained hidden away in the Night Realm, people would suffer. I had hoped for more time to allow Rowan to get used to me and my realm, but Erebus had been right. We didn’t have time.

I couldn’t be weak or hesitant now.

“If we marry, your power as a royal faery will pass to me and it could be enough to break the spell hiding us.”

Rowan went still. “How do you know about this?”

“Erebus only told me of this yesterday. A faery monarch has never married another royal faery before; he couldn’t say if it would work or not, but I believe it could. It’s the only chance we have.”

Rowan moved a few paces away from me. He stared down at the ground, then up at the ceiling above.

I wanted to tell him more, that he wouldn’t be a prisoner here, that he could see his family whenever he wished, that he would have all the respect and power granted to a Prince Consort. He would be hailed a hero for saving the Night Realm.

I kept silent. He needed to consider this for himself.

Time seemed to stand still; behind the mirror, the wind howled like a thousand wolves.

Rowan faced me again. I held my breath as he stepped towards me and lowered himself down to one knee.

“Queen Amara, I would ask for your hand in marriage.”