Chapter 115

ISLA

My best friend, my queen, was dead, and my kingdom was falling to shambles around me.

Our only hope now resided in King Felix, who had locked himself in his chambers and refused to eat, sleep, or even speak to anyone who wasn’t me or Joseph.

The loss of Mila sat heavy with all of us. With the King’s permission, I had contacted Marie and told her that Mila had fallen ill and there was little chance of survival. I knew the store clerk would be discreet, and discretion was key in preserving the sanctity of the crown in the coming weeks.

Joseph was just as concerned as I was. The King’s assistant had barely slept himself these past few days. We were both sitting outside the King’s chambers, waiting a few more minutes before knocking on those wooden doors and daring to interrupt his grief.

Secretly, I had been enjoying spending time with Joseph over these last few days. Despite the overwhelming sadness and urgency of our circumstances, he was a kind soul who was clearly loyal and brave. Not to mention that he was also easy on the eyes, a fact that I had known for years now.

We’d encountered each other a few times during my tenure at the castle, but had never had a conversation more than a brief greeting prior to Mila and Felix’s courtship. All the maids in the castle secretly had crushes on Joseph, and he was good-natured enough to never acknowledge it.

He was a good man, and it had been a long, long time since I had spent so much time with a good man.

Not that I could ever even allow myself to fantasize about him–Joseph was one of the few men it would be absolutely inappropriate for me to ever set my sights on. He was noble-born and outranked me by a mile, made clear by his important position within the King’s court.

Still, sitting with him as we waited to disturb the King felt almost intimate, even if it could never be anything more than a nice thought to keep in the back of my mind as I fell asleep.

“I fear for Felix,” Joseph said to me in a low tone. “This is a dark hole he may never climb out of.”

“We’ll bring Mila back,” I swore. “We have to.”

Joseph shot me a look. “Bringing someone back from the dead is an extremely dangerous form of magic, Isla. Even if we were to successfully revive her, there’s no telling what she would be like. She could be a zombie, for all we know.”

I closed my eyes, nauseated by the thought of my beautiful, lovely friend turned into a monster. “And we’re absolutely certain that she’s dead?”

Joseph sighed sadly. “She looked pretty dead to me.”

For the rest of my life, I would be haunted by the sound of Mila’s limp, pale body hitting the cobblestones. I hadn’t gotten there in time to save her–none of us had. If only…

I shook my head, attempting to free myself of the guilt and shame that now dwelled there. “I’m just saying, perhaps there’s some sort of loophole we haven’t yet thought of. If she and the King are magically bound, then maybe a part of her soul didn’t die, and lives on with him.”

Joseph studied me for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly. “How do you know so much about magical bonds?”

I blushed. “My mother–”

I was cut off by the doors to Felix’s chambers opening with a low, groaning sound. It took all I had in me to not wince at the appearance of the King, who looked, at best, disheveled.

At worst… a disaster.

His face was covered in stubble and he still wore the clothes he had on the day of Mila’s death. His usually smooth hair was ratted, as if he’d been running his fingers through it nonstop. His eyes were slightly wild, likely a result of too little sleep.

It was heartbreaking to see my king in such a state. At this point, Felix was more than my king–he was my friend, and to see him so completely and utterly lost was startling. Even Joseph, who I knew had accompanied Felix to many a nightclub in his day, squirmed with discomfort at the sight of his oldest friend.

“I could hear you talking,” Felix grumbled in our general direction. “I thought I’d come see what all the fuss was about.”

I shot to my feet and curtseyed, remembering my place. “We want to discuss some ideas with you, Your Majesty.”

“Isla.” He sounded exhausted. “Just call me Felix, please. Now is hardly the time for formalities.”

Joseph and I exchanged a dubious look as we followed Felix into his chambers, the doors slamming shut behind us.

The room was dank, musty, and sad–a stark reminder of the loss of Mila’s light. Joseph and I took seats on the couch while Felix paced around the room, his eyes darting everywhere.

“He’s like a madman,” Joseph murmured under his breath. I could scarcely nod in agreement, my mind far too occupied by what a state he was in.

“Felix,” I said, my own voice trembling with sadness and fear, “I have someone we can consult with over Mila’s death.”

Felix didn’t even look at me. “As long as it’s not Esmeralda.”

“No.” I knew what I was about to say was a massive bombshell to the entire royal family, but now was as good a time as any to reveal the truth. “It’s my mother, actually. She’s, ah, she’s a sorceress.”

Joseph nearly shot up off the couch. “Your mother is a sorceress?!”

Even Felix looked surprised, at a time when I thought nothing was able to faze him anymore.

“How is that even possible?” he asked. “You don’t come from a noble bloodline. All the magic-practitioners in Fresonia come from magical bloodlines.”

I shrugged. “Not all.”

“How long have you known that your mother could practice magic?” Joseph asked, his eyes alighting with curiosity.

I braced myself. “For about as long as I’ve known my father is a shape-shifter.”

I truly thought Felix was going to fall over at that revelation.

“Are you serious?!” Joseph’s jaw was practically on the floor.

Felix strode over to me, grabbing my chin and studying my face. “Who are you, Isla? Where do you come from?”

I shifted my weight in my seat. “I’m from Fresonia, sir. My family is perfectly ordinary. They just have unusual powers. We don’t really know where they came from or why they have them, but they do.”

“And you?” Felix didn’t sound accusatory, merely… shocked.

“I have none that I’ve discovered,” I admitted. “Believe me, the whole thing is as much a mystery to me as it is to you.”

Felix released his grip on me, shooting an interested look to Joseph. “Very curious. This sounds like Esmeralda’s theory that Mila was somehow from Fresonia.”

“I believe it’s all connected somehow,” I said. “My family’s power, Mila’s death, Mila’s origins… I think they’re all intertwined.”

“Magic is never isolated,” Felix mused. “That would make sense. Especially with the curse.”

“With your permission, I’d like to go visit my parents and see if I can get any answers,” I explained. “They live in the north.”

Felix’s brow furrowed. “Of course. You don’t need to ask my permission, Isla.”

“You’re my King,” I said, bowing my head in deference.

“You’re also my friend and Mila’s friend,” Felix replied. “You are intimately involved in this hunt for answers. Please, go to your parents. See what you can learn. Joseph will accompany you.”

Joseph gave me a warm smile. I ducked my head, heat spreading across my cheeks.

“Thank you,” I whispered. “I promise, we will find a way to save Mila.”

Felix offered me a half-smile. “We’ll find a way. We must.”

We had to.