I stayed silent, sitting in that cave with only the sounds of rushing water echoing around me. I thought only of Hadeon. All the things we never got to be flooded my thoughts, and the same sadness of losing him tortured me all over again, like waves crashing against the shore, relentless and unforgiving.

  Ambrose saved me from my anguish. "So what happened next?" he begged eagerly to hear more, his curiosity a bright spark in the heavy darkness of my thoughts.

  "It's quite complicated from here, but this is when I learned no one I loved would ever be safe."

  -------

  Briar let go of my hands as he stood from his throne. He pulled out a dark oak box, intricately carved with the Amatharan flag, polished to a clear shine that caught the light. He knelt down in front of me, cracking open the box to reveal a golden ring with a large green crystal, encrusted with gold vines that appeared to be strangling it.

  Briar cleared his throat, his voice steady yet filled with emotion. "This ring belongs on no one's finger other than yours, my Juniper."

  A smile broke across my face, the warmth of it almost foreign as I rose to my feet. I have to convince them. I have to. I brought my hands to my face, cupping them around my mouth as I nodded my head, unable to speak. I even found a way to get fake tears to cloud my eyes, convincing everyone in that room they were tears of joy. But only the young Prince in the crowd knew the truth—those tears were for him. Being my eternal pair was a fate that only ended with death. I knew that, and I think he realized it as well, because when I looked up this time, he was gone. His purple eyes absent from the cheering crowd.

  Briar took my hand, looking at the sun crystal ring on my finger before taking it off and tossing it over the edge of the platform into the crowd, as if it had never been there at all. My heart sank as I watched Leo drop to his hands and knees, searching for the beautiful ring that was being kicked around the feet of the royals and nobles, too distracted by the announcement of a Royal Wedding to notice. The moment Briar slid the green crystal onto my finger, it felt like a permanent shackle weighing me down—a burden I could no longer escape. A constant reminder that our engagement was official.

  He rose quickly, grabbing me by the waist and pulling my body into his. I stared into his brown eyes, and for a brief moment, lost in the depth of them, I forgot the monster he truly was. I started to believe the fa?ade he played with me in public and craved that it was real. Was this how good I was at pretending? Was I starting to think this was real?

  I was pulled from my thoughts as his hand grazed the bottom of my chin, our lips only inches apart. I gasped slightly as I realized what he was doing. Before I had time to think about it, he gently guided my chin toward him, and our lips collided. At first, it was cold, but his gentle hands and soft lips warmed as he kissed me passionately. Just as I thought I was enjoying it, he pulled away. We stared into each other's eyes for a brief moment. I even forgot there were other Fae in the room at all. I was lost in the fake romance we were creating.

  He broke eye contact first, embracing me at his side and turning us to face the excited Fae. We smiled and waved at all the people celebrating our engagement with us. If only they knew the truth of it all.

  The King's voice silenced the crowd. "I did not call you all here just to enjoy a young pair's engagement," he spoke in a stern manner. "As many of you know, tensions between our families and people have been rising, but with the Fullvalda returned to Amathara, we are stronger than ever," he announced, gesturing to me. "As a reminder of this strength, Juniper will now assume her role in my Court."

  I held my breath as I anticipated the King's next words. "The law is only as strong as those who enforce it, and as a pillar of our strength, Juniper will serve as my judicial hand, as the Royal Executioner," he paused as the crowd looked among themselves, confusion rippling through them. "I understand this is a position no woman or highborn has ever held, but Juniper is an extension of our Goddess Gaia herself. In my eyes, no one is more fit to take life than the creator of it."

  He gestured to a guard standing to the side.

  The guard disappeared for a brief moment before dragging in a bruised and bloodied Leo in chains. I tried to hide the shock on my face. He was just in the crowd. He was right next to me. Then I remembered the ring. Briar threw it on purpose, knowing he would chase after it into the crowd—a perfect distraction to snatch him.

  Leo was dropped a few feet from the King, and the crowd erupted with shock. Some of the Valorians shouted in outrage. Queen Terra simply lifted her hand, shaking the ground and engulfing everyone's feet in stone.

  "Let him speak," she commanded, her tone dismissive as if they were all nuisances.

  The King nodded his head as he continued, "Many of you may know the young Lord Leopold on the ground before me. It is my terrible responsibility to inform you of his treason."

  My eyes landed on Leo. His fine clothes were tattered and stained with the blood dripping from his nose. Fresh bruises were starting to appear around his eyes. What have they done to him? I wanted so badly to run to his side, but Briar gripped my wrist, keeping me in my place.

  The King raised the sun crystal ring Leo had given to me into the air for all to see. "The young Lord Leopold conspired and schemed to steal Juniper from us by trying to convince her he was her eternal pair before she turned sixteen," the room erupted with gasps. "He presented Juniper with this ring, proposing to her under the guise of her eternal pair before she could know any better," the King paused as he looked at me, his gaze heavy with expectation. "We all know what the punishment for treason is, and what the punishment for this blatant disregard for our most sacred traditions must be."

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  My heart sank in my chest as I realized what was happening. This beautiful celebration was turning into the execution of my only friend.

  "I, King Rowen Nehir Adair the Third, King of Amathara, sentence Lord Leopold Callahan Leggero, Son of Valorian General Leggero, to death for treason against the Amatharan crown and disgracing the sacred eternal bond."

  I froze, unable to move, unable to process the words that left the King's mouth. Everyone's eyes fell on me now—the King's judiciary hand, the one who carries out the sentence. I was Leo's executioner.

  "Juniper, carry out the sentence."

  Briar released my wrist, allowing me to step forward. I stepped past the King, my feet landing right before Leo, who was crumpled on the floor, looking at the ground. I scanned my eyes around the room at the faces of all the people watching me intently. I watched as Queen Terra signaled to Lady Nerezza, and just as she did, I felt my magic restored.

  Distracted by my power returning, Leo jumped on me, grabbing my wrist as a searing pain erupted in my arm. My instincts took over, and I forced the weak and beaten Leo off of me. He crumpled to the floor, screaming in pain. I knew in this moment I had to take his life. If I rejected it, they would kill my mother, and I would never see the light of day again. But also, this was mercy for Leo. If I didn't kill him now, they would find an excruciatingly more painful and humiliating way for him to die.

  He finally looked up at me, his eyes swollen and bloodied, but he nodded at me. I sent him a soft smile—something only he and I could see.

  I reached out my hand, the gold of my magic wrapped around his frail body and tugged at his life energy. I felt as his energy drained out of him, his skin paling. I held back the tears in my eyes, knowing that if I cried for him, everyone would know the truth. They had to think I hated him. I watched as the gold glimmers disappeared from his eyes, leaving them gray. He collapsed to the floor as the last bit of life energy was drained from his body. I held the gold orb of his life energy hovering above my hands. I looked away from his body and sent his energy into the crowd, dispersing it among them. Leo would now live on in all of them.

  The moment I was done, the familiar feeling of my magic being ripped from me returned.

  They dragged his body away as Briar took me by the shoulders and pulled me back. I looked down at the place on my wrist where a throbbing pain had appeared, and a black mark had manifested—the Mark of Mirtis.

  Briar snatched my wrist and discreetly studied the mark. A small satisfied smirk spread across his face before he covered the mark with his hand, concealing it from the crowd.

  How could this be?

  All the pieces connected in my brain so quickly. The girl with purple hair whispering to the Queen—I remembered her from the day I was named Fullvalda. She was the scared girl who was announced as a Ruhig Fae. She must have been feeling my emotions to see if I found my eternal pair and confused who I connected with for Leo.

  My breathing became uncontrollable, and my heart beat faster and faster as the truth of Leo's actions rang through my head. He must have known. He must have known Briar wasn't my eternal pair, and instead of denying he was, he died in my true eternal pair's place. He sacrificed himself so I could have hope, and I was the one who killed him.

  I didn't listen to another word that was said. I barely remember being walked back to my room. The only thing that snapped me back to reality was the comfort of the moss floor of my sanctuary greeting me.

  The moment I knew I was alone, I lost control. I let out the most painful scream as warm tears watered the greenery beneath me. The gray, lifeless eyes of Leo painted horrifying pictures in my mind that I couldn't get rid of. I threw the books off the shelf, scattering them across my room as I let out wailing screams. Pages were scattered everywhere, falling to the floor.

  Rage completely took over me as I threw my fist into the base of the tree, pain exploding through my hand. My knuckles started bleeding, and I was convinced one of them was broken. I felt my magic overpowering my senses as my eyes turned gold and my hands grew warm. I pulled the life energy of a flower next to me and, with all the strength I could muster, threw it against the wall, leaving a black scorch mark on the stone. I did it again and again until I dropped to my knees, exhausted.

  "I'm sorry, Leo. I'm so sorry," I cried, my voice breaking. I wished in that moment for my friend back. I wished in that moment not to be alone.

  As my tears fell, something peculiar happened. I watched as they dropped from my eyes and transformed into golden droplets as they reached the ground. They were absorbed by the mossy floor beneath me, and just when I thought they were gone, they traveled through the moss, leaving a golden trail beneath me. I stumbled after the strange magic, hoping to understand what it was. It traveled through the roots of my library tree, connecting with the trunk and traveling to the branches. I stared up at the spectacle from the ground, watching as the golden trail danced from the tip of the tallest branch to the stone ceiling and disappeared.

  -------

  I looked up and met Ambrose's eyes. "Leo was the first person in all of those years to show me any kindness. He didn't even know who I was, yet he decided to die for me so I could have a chance at happiness. It's a debt I will never be able to repay," I whispered as I looked toward the falling water, my heart heavy with grief.

  That story wasn't why I brought Ambrose here, though; there was something I needed to teach him.

  "Do you remember how I read all of the journals of the past Fullvalda?" I questioned.

  Ambrose nodded his head, his expression serious.

  "Well, in one of the very old ones, I discovered an ancient form of magic that Fullvalda used to possess called Furtum." My mind raced over the images in my head of the ancient texts I spent hours studying and trying to decipher. "It's the ability to control magic energy as well as life energy," I stated, my voice steady.

  "So you could take other people's power away from them?" he asked, his eyes wide with intrigue.

  I nodded, feeling the weight of the knowledge I carried. "It requires a different form of concentration, and it's much easier to lose control when practicing Furtum," I warned, my tone serious. "That was the silver magic that I utilized the other night. You are not ready to learn to use it yet, but I don't want to keep secrets from you."

  "For now, we are just going to practice our meditation. Our power is ruled by our emotions, and if you can't keep control of them, your power will control you," I said as I closed my eyes, placing my hands palm down on my knees, instructing him to do the same. "We put our palms down to ground us, to connect us with the earth beneath us. It is our center," I spoke softly, my voice a soothing balm in the chaos. "Listen to the sounds around you—the roaring water, the chirps of birds, or even the soft breeze rustling the leaves. Let those sounds drown out any thoughts you have and carry them away."

  We sat in silence, enjoying the beauty of nature. Letting our minds and bodies rest while letting go of the thoughts and emotions we could not control. The burden of having power such as ours is to never truly get to feel. Emotions are dangerous and influence our gifts. When we feel too strongly, our gift becomes a weapon, one even we cannot control. A Fae body was never meant to house the power of a God.