Page 96 of Secrets of Avalon
“I am… maybe a little–” Melinda’s knees buckle and I catch her before she falls, scooping her into my arms. Her eyes flutter, struggling to stay open. I cradle her tightly against my chest.
"I'm okay," she mumbles, but her voice is weak.
“Nonsense. You used too much magick, sweet girl.”
"We need to move. Now," Kellan growls, his eyes scanning our surroundings.
I break into a run. Kellan keeps pace beside me, his massive form clearing a path for us through the chaotic streets. Civilians and soldiers alike scramble in the aftermath of the attack.
Halfway to the palace, I spot familiar figures pushing through the crowd towards us. Wraith, Boaz, and—surprisingly—Fen in his human form join our frantic convoy.
"What happened?" Wraith shouts over the chaos and noise.
"She collapsed after powering the shield," I yell back, not breaking stride.
"She was the one that made everything glow, wasn't she?" Wraith easily keeps pace with me despite my frantic speed. "She stopped the whole assault, Hawke. It was unlike anything I've ever seen, except for what Atlas did back in the forest."
I tighten my hold on my mate’s limp form. I don’t like him comparing her to Nimue’s beast.
As we round the final corner, the palace looms before us, its crystal spires glinting in the morning sunlight. The usual bustle of the courtyard has been replaced by a tense, chaotic energy. Guards stand at high alert, while servants and officials rush about, clearly still reeling from the attack.
A group of staff members, with worried expressions, hurry down the palace steps to meet us. I recognize Cora, my mother's first lady in waiting, at the forefront.
"Your Highness!" Cora exclaims, her normally composed features twisted with worry. Her eyes dart back and forth from my face to Melinda's unconscious form in my arms. "What in the name of the World Tree is going on? The entire city... that light... and where are the King and Queen? We haven't had word from them since the ceremony last night."
Her rapid-fire questions hit me like physical blows, bringing me up short. In the frenzy of fleeing the castle and the assault, I'd momentarily forgotten my parents were still in Camelot when we left. Or worse, they could have also been on the road when the darkness and the golems came for us.
A cold dread settles in the pit of my stomach when I meet Cora’s anxious gaze. "I... I don't know," I admit, my voice hoarse.
The staff exchange worried glances.
"Find out, carefully," I order, pushing past them into the palace. “I’m taking Melinda to my rooms. Meet me there with a healer.”
“Yes, your Highness.”
I carry Melinda swiftly through the palace corridors, Kellan and my brothers-in-arms are right on my heels. The familiar surroundings of my chambers offer little comfort. I carefully lay Melinda on my bed. Her face is pale, her breathing shallow.
"Melinda." My fingers tremble as I brush a damp strand of hair from her clammy forehead. "Can you hear me?"
She stirs slightly, a weak moan escaping her lips, but her eyes remain closed. My heart races, pounding against my ribcage.
Fen approaches the foot of the bed, his usual easy-grin replaced by a tight-lipped frown. "What exactly happened out there? Can I do anything?"
I shake my head. "She channeled an immense amount of power into the city's shield. More than I've ever seen from any Fae. From anyone." My voice cracks on the last word.
Wraith leans against the wall, his dark eyes narrowed in thought. "It wasn't just Fae magic," he interjects. "There was something... different about it. Almost primal."
"She's not just Fae," Kellan rumbles, his massive form casting a shadow over the bed.
Boaz steps closer, his curiosity piqued. "What do you mean not just? Do you know what her parents were? We Elven strive to keep very good records."
The word 'records' ignites a fire in my chest. I whirl on them, my fangs bared. "I don't care about fucking records!" The words tear from my throat, raw and ragged. "She could see Aena. She touched the wall and it caught fire. She single-handedly funneled so much power through me and into the city shield that it eradicated the darkness and the golems with a single blast." I gesture wildly. "I'm telling you she's not like anything in the eight worlds."
Boaz's face remains infuriatingly calm, which only fuels my anger. I turn back to Melinda, my voice dropping to a hoarse whisper. "I can't lose her. And everyone wants to take her from me." I bend to kiss her forehead, my lips meeting cold, clammy skin. Her shallow breath barely whispers against my cheek. "She saved my life. My sanity. She's my fated mate, my whole heart, and she just sacrificed everything inside her to save Vandimoor. To save people she doesn't even know."
A sharp rap on the door silences me. Cora enters, followed by Healer Thalia. The ancient Fae woman glides into the room with the dignity of a queen, her silver hair cascading down her back in an intricate braid. Despite her diminutive stature, her presence fills the chamber. Her eyes, sharp as a hawk's and the color of storm clouds, scan the room, missing nothing.
"Well." She walks toward me. "I see the Stormblood heir has once again found himself in the center of chaos." Her gaze locks onto me, unflinching. "Your Highness," she adds, with a nod that's more acknowledgment than deference.