Midnight Magic, page 125
He barked a short sharp laugh. “Always honest.”
“At least one of us is,” she retorted.
Cael looked sad but refrained from responding which irritated Jazlynn. She wanted him to answer back because it would give her the chance to yell at him, not sit here and stay professional and calm.
“We're investigating the sale of prohibited magical items. Julian lead us to you.” Twila brought the conversation back to the present. “What do you have to say?”
“No comment,” was his answer.
Jazlynn became more annoyed. She wanted him to deny it, wanted him to tell her that it was all a mistake, that he wasn't this person, this criminal. That he was who she thought he was and wanted him to be, not what was sitting before her.
“What do you say to the charges of stealing the State crown of Queen Stellamaris?” Twila asked.
“No comment.”
Jazlynn ground her teeth in an effort to not stand up and smack him. Her need to touch him lovingly had been replaced by the need to hurt him as he had hurt her. She preferred this emotion.
“Are you really going to deny what you did?” she hissed at him.
“No.” His hazel eyes looked defeated.
“Then what is the point of all the no comments?” Her temper flared.
“No comment,” he said quietly, but the cocky attitude was gone, replaced by something else.
“You know we are taking you back to the Underworld? So, why don’t you just answer the questions now?” Twila reasoned.
Cael ignored Twila. “What’s the issue with me selling a few trinkets to some Underworlders. Not everyone has magic and it seems unfair to deny them.” He looked at Jazlynn.
“One of your ‘trinkets’ has detonated in the Oracle’s Court, causing death and destruction.”
His pallid complexion turned grey. “Dyadron?”
Jazlynn kept her features neutral. By saying his name, Cael had all but admitted he was the seller. “Yes, the Jester is the one who sent us to Julian, who in turn revealed your part in it.”
Cael frowned but said nothing further.
“Was it supposed to explode? Was that your aim? More unrest?” Twila asked.
“A thief is one thing, Cael, but a murderer is something else.” Jazlynn pushed, her voice soft, almost begging for him to deny it.
The warlock dropped his face into his hands. “No,” he muttered.
“No to what?” Jazlynn felt like they were going around in circles. There was something not right. This was not Cael. Where was his spark, his charisma? Jazlynn wanted to reach out, to comfort him but was terrified of being played.
“My aim was never to hurt anyone.” His voice was rough. Cael lifted his head and looked at her, his eyes pleading for forgiveness. “I didn’t know anyone was going to be injured. Or worse.”
A tear slid down his cheek and it took all of Jazlynn’s self-control to not leap up and wipe it away. “Then what was your aim?” she whispered.
“To keep my grandparents alive.” A second tear joined his first.
CHAPTER 5
The room was silent. Time stood still as Jazlynn took in his words and saw the misery on his face. She wanted to believe him, but it didn’t make sense. “Okay, let’s pretend that I think you’re telling the truth. Tell us from the beginning what happened.”
Cael wiped the tears from his face and settled back into his chair, facing the two fairies. “We had been dating for about a month when I was first approached by a woman looking for someone experienced in leylines. I told her that doing anything to the leylines without authorization from Queen Stellamaris would be illegal and that I wasn’t interested. I didn’t think anything of it until I went to visit Pa and Nana who had said that they got a visitor asking questions about me. Said they were an old friend from school. They couldn’t tell me who it was, just a lovely lady with bright purple eyes.”
“A nymph?” Jazlynn asked, interrupting his story.
“Yes, the same one that had approached me earlier.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“You were busy organizing your graduation ball, and until that point I didn’t think much of it. Nothing happened for a few months and I forgot all about it as I continued healing leylines that occasionally became corrupted and making certain that no one was attempting to divert them. It wasn’t until we were in the capital enjoying your graduation festivities and staying at the palace that I was approached a second time by the same nymph. This time she began by apologizing if she came across as pushy. She was just interested in learning about how leylines worked, and would she mind if she bought me a drink and just asked some questions. I declined again and she asked if I was certain I wouldn’t willingly help her. At that point, my suspicions were raised and I told her I was leaving and not to contact me again.”
He stopped and stood. “I need a drink. Is it okay if I walk round to the other side of my desk? There is a drink fridge underneath.”
“Sit down,” Twila said and stood up. “I’ll get it.”
Jazlynn took the moment to look around the room and came to a few conclusions. “You live here?”
Cael sat back down. “It’s not like I had a lot of choices. I did steal something quite important from one of the, if not the most, influential person in the Enchanted Underworld.” He turned to Twila. “I’ll just have a bottle of water, thanks. Do either of you want a drink? There is only water in there, if you want nectar I could get one of the bar staff to get it.”
“Water is fine, thank you,” Jazlynn answered.
Twila closed the fridge and came back around the desk, handing Cael bottled water as she went by. Jazlynn took hers and unscrewed the lid. She was parched and the cool, clear liquid was just what she needed. “Where were you when she found you?” Jazlynn asked once she had recapped the bottle and put it down by her feet.
“The first time was the tavern in the village by your family home. The second time was actually in the jewelers where I was buying you your graduation gift.”
Jazlynn had forgotten about the stunning gemstone bracelet he had bought her for her graduation from the academy. He had magically modified it to shrink perfectly when she became her true form, so she could always wear it. She had worn it the night of the grand ball her aunt had thrown in her honor, and then had taken it off the following morning when his treachery had been uncovered.
Cael continued. “I went to walk around her and she whispered that I shouldn’t. The way she said it made me hesitate. She then handed me a scroll, told me she would be in touch, and left me alone. I opened the scroll as soon as I was by myself and found that it was very explicit instructions on where the State crown was kept and that they wanted me to steal it and where to meet the nymph. It was to be done the night of the ball, as even though there would be more guards than normal, the security would be focused on the guests and not on something locked away at the other end of the palace.”
“But why you?”
“Because the jewels of the Fae Queen all sit in a warded room surrounded by leylines that have been manipulated under the palace to center power and add another layer of protection by feeding a continuous shield with energy. It’s complicated and only a warlock with enough raw power and understanding of the leylines would have a hope of disrupting it for the few minutes it would take to remove something from the room. I am one of a handful of warlocks or witches with that kind of power, and I was probably the easiest to blackmail.”
“Your grandparents?”
Cael nodded. “The scroll had a second parchment that said that the nymph had information regarding a secret child my Pa had kept hidden from my Nana, an indiscretion from early in their marriage. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t even know if it was true, but I wasn’t planning on addressing it with anyone. So, I did what was asked and stole the crown, figuring it wouldn’t truly hurt anyone as it was just a piece of jewelry and it would keep my Pa’s past where it should be.” He sighed and took a sip of his water. “I wasn’t thinking clearly and I ruined everything.”
Jazlynn was torn. She wanted to scream at him for not trusting her, she wanted to hug him for the impossible situation he had been put in, and she wanted to push aside the feeling that she was being manipulated. How could she ever truly trust him? But something told her that Cael was being completely honest, perhaps for the first time to himself as well.
He looked at Jazlynn and raised his hand for an instant as if he was going to reach for her. “It wasn’t until I handed over the crown and the crystal sirens rang out that I realized what protecting my grandparent's marriage had cost me. You. Jaz, at that moment, as I watched the nymph run off into the palace gardens and the guards come streaming out of the palace that it dawned on me. I was the only one in attendance capable of doing what I had just accomplished. So rather than face the consequences of my actions, I ran. And have been running ever since.”
“So, what’s all that got to do with what happened at the Oracle’s Court?” Twila asked. It was clear she was in two minds about his story so far.
“I eventually had to tell my Pa what was happening as I knew the guards would be sent out to interrogate them, as it was where I grew up. He told me that the story was true, but that Nana had known about it from before the child was born. Turns out the child was my Uncle Taviv and his birth mother didn’t want him so he was raised by my grandparents, thinking Nana was his biological mother. He died many years ago without ever knowing the truth. I was devastated to learn that I had risked and lost everything to save them from something they didn’t need to be shielded from.” He stopped and closed his eyes for a moment as if collecting his thoughts.
“The nymph came back about two weeks ago. She told me I needed to do something else for her, but I told her no, I was no one’s puppet anymore. She laughed at me and said something about ‘Chaos won’t take no for an answer,’ like I knew who Chaos was. I told her I was not going to be intimidated or blackmailed so she may as well give up. She said ‘we’ll see’ and left again.” He opened his eyes and looked at Jazlynn. He looked like he was going to fall apart. “My Pa rang me the next day and told me my Nana had had a terrible accident on the farm. Somehow she had fallen and broke her hip and arm while out in the back paddock filling up the water troughs for the goats they had out there to keep the grass down.” His voice caught and it was Jazlynn’s turn to fight the urge to reach out to him. “The purple-eyed nymph turned up the next day and asked me how my Nana was recuperating after her nasty mishap. That’s when I knew I had to do what she asked for the second time.”
“And that was?”
“To create a distraction. She said that the Oracle’s Court Jester would be coming by to buy a magical item that he could use in his act to impress whichever dignitary was visiting. From talking to Dryadon, he had been told by the nymph, who he called Eidyia, that I was the warlock who dealt in specialized magical items. I swear all I gave him was a box that was full of fireworks that were only supposed to create a huge amount of smoke. It would look like an accident and cause a distraction, but nobody would be hurt. Dryadon knew he was getting fireworks, he just thought they were magical ones that would burst into pictures of the Oracle, his guest, and his throne. I kept my mouth shut and gave him the powderbox and explained that it needed to be away from anything that could light it until he was ready for it. The only thing that would have made it unstable would be if the powder used in it was changed, as I had already made it unstable—” He stopped and looked at one and then the other fairy. “Dragon’s give off sulfur fumes without anyone realizing it. They leak it from their pores when they are in human form. That would have been enough to disturb the balance of powders when it was lit. The more powerful the dragon the more they give off as they have no other way of dispersing it in human form.”
“It is not something that needs to be answered at this moment.” Twila dismissed his final words, which Jazlynn thought was a mistake. They needed to be looking at it from all angles. There was something more at play here. Twila went on. “We were sent here to find you and that is what we have done. Now, you will come back with us and answer for your crimes.” She gave him a hard stare. “All of them.”
By this time, the sun was rising and the sounds of the street below began to change. “You have to let me go. If she knows I was caught or am talking to anyone, my grandparents die.” Cael’s voice was desperate. Cael stood and looked like he wanted to pace, but couldn’t because of the tether he wore to Twila. “I need to get out of here.”
“You’re not going anywhere. We decide your fate.” Twila was having none of his demands.
“Who are you? Or more to the point, what gives you the right to decide my fate?” he asked. He turned to Jazlynn. “I said before you were different, but I didn’t realize how much until now.”
Jazlynn shrugged. What could she say to that? She was different.
“Where is the fun, laughing girl who loved passionately and cared deeply?” His voice was soft.
“You shattered me.” She hoped the words hit hard, she wanted to hurt him as much as he had hurt her. They had never broken up like a normal couple. There had been no dramatic scenes, no tears, no explanations, no accusations—just the theft of her aunt’s crown and his abandonment.
“The fun girl is still there. As well as her warmth, kindness, and intelligence.” Twila moved to sit next to Jazlynn on the couch and took her hand. “She put the pieces of herself back together and she is better for it. Jaz now knows she can withstand any heartache.”
Jazlynn felt Twila squeeze her hand and returned it with a silent thanks for the support and friendship.
Cael looked pained. “I am so sorry.”
“Yeah, you said that already,” Jazlynn responded with sarcasm to cover the growing want to forgive him.
Twila let go of her hand and stood between them. “Let’s go,” she ordered, breaking the growing tension. “We need to tell Katya.”
“No, not yet,” pleaded Cael.
“This is not something we can keep from our team,” explained Twila.
“I’m not asking you to keep it from your team, I’m asking for your help.” He looked from one Fae to the other, his beautiful hazel eyes settling on Jazlynn. “Once you tell them what is happening, she will know where the information came from and my grandparents will be killed. We must rescue them first,” he pleaded.
“No,” insisted Twila. “We are bound by duty to inform our team and our superiors of what we have discovered.”
Cael looked Twila up and down and then looked around her to Jazlynn, who had stood as well. “No? Superiors? I mean, Jaz, really who the hell are you that you can just arrest me and think you can drag me back to wherever you are taking me?”
Jazlynn stepped around Twila and looked full into the face of the man she loathed and loved in equal measure. “We are Weapons of the Fae Queen.”
Cael’s eyes widened and his square jaw dropped most satisfyingly.
Jazlynn waited; this would be a telling moment. When she typically told someone that she was a Weapon of the Fae Queen they reacted in one of two ways. One, they didn’t believe her, which was incredibly insulting. What was it about her that made them think she was not capable? Her younger sister, Nerinna, had been that way. She was five years younger and had been fifteen when Jazlynn had begun to work for their aunt and Nerinna had simply scoffed at the announcement as if the possibility was not worth considering.
Two, they were far more interested in how. How did it happen? Her mother had demanded to know how it happened without anyone consulting her. Jazlynn’s mother had stopped talking to her own sister, Queen Stellamaris, when she had discovered that it was the Fae Queen who had suggested Kirkpatrick begin to train her niece and her abilities in a more serious sense. Stellamaris had attempted to explain to her sister, Rhiannon, that at first, it had come from a place of compassion. Watching Jazlynn struggle with her guilt over Cael had made her aunt want to help, so she suggested Kirkpatrick, who had trained both Jazlynn and her sister on school holidays, continue his training and hone the telekinetic abilities that had been growing steadily stronger.
Jazlynn waited for Cael to say something. He finally stopped gaping like a fish out of water and spoke. “Why?”
“Why, what?” She was surprised at the question “Do you think I couldn’t do it? I’m not good enough?” Her tone was defensive.
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Cael expelled his breath slowly. He had always done it when he wanted to control his temper and not blurt out things that may hurt her. “I just wanted to know why you did it?”
“Why?” she said, her temper rising. “Why?” she repeated, her voice filled with aggression. “Part of it was because I wanted to be part of it. A team, a group of people that had my back. And part of it was because of you.” She pointed her finger at him.
“Me? What have I got to do with it?”
“You stole the Crown of the Fae, and I felt I had to redeem myself because I was the one who brought you into my family. And this was the only way that I could try to fix it.” She dropped her hand and gained control of herself. There was no point in getting upset over someone who didn’t care for you. “One day, I knew you would be caught, and I hoped to be the one to do it and bring you to justice.” Jazlynn said the words but the heat was gone, faded, and replaced with an oddly empty feeling. She had caught him. Cael was now at their mercy and she didn’t feel the way she thought she would.
“And now you are going to bring me to justice?” he asked.
“Actually, no. I’m going to take you to rescue your grandparents because it’s the right thing to do.”
“What?” said Twila and Cael at the same moment.
“No. We have to take him in. He supplied the Jester—” Twila began, but Jazlynn interrupted.
