Crown of Beauty and Vengeance

Chapter 45

***I'm going to give the warning now...grab your tissues, guys.***

Chapter 45

Bridget and Alberich both shifted in front of Lyv, the Fae Lord and sorceress Lady of Asturia protecting their daughter from the woman who had taken her all those years ago. Gods above, there was a swirl of emotions rushing through her then, even as Jai moved to her side and took her hand. He looked at her as if he hadn't really seen her before. And he hadn't, not as Bridget and Alberich's daughter.

The others formed another protective shield of combined magic around them.

But it wasn't enough. Not with Mik getting closer.

Knowing she might need it more later than at the moment, Lyv slowly sheathed her knife.

"Do you honestly think you'll win?" Bridget spat at Guinevere. "That you'll take Alyvia again with you to Escarral. Gods above, you have no idea just how powerful my daughter is. Not yours. Mine. She has never been yours."

"My, my, Bridget, you haven't changed, in looks or personality. And with Alyvia being with me for almost her entire life, I can say she gets both of those from you. I tried to stamp it out of her, but she'd just as stubborn as you are," Guinevere laughed, and then nodded at Mik. "Let's take care of her first. And hold her. Hold all of them where they go, actually, and restrict their magic, especially with protective wards and fading. We can't have them getting back too quickly, can we?"

As soon as she gave the order, the shadows latched themselves around Bridget's legs, making her immediately freeze. Alberich looked over at his mate and reached for her...

Only for his hands to be grasping empty air as she dissolved in front of them.

"And...all the others as well," Guinevere nodded. "I need to speak to Alyvia...and I'm sure none of them would like to see what happens after that. Or do you think it would be helpful?"

"Just as long as my mistress gets what she wants," Mik stated. "That was your deal with her. She doesn't like deals to be broken."

The shadows moved again and everyone around Lyv frozen in place, latching onto them like some sort of conscious entity.

Lyv watched as they all disappeared one by one. First Thia and Laurel, then Destan. Then the dragons...Erly, then Bridget's dragon Chesnan, and finally Roshan, whose roar ripped through the air even after he was gone. Gideon looked scared and pissed as the shadows overtook him. Alberich had his hand up toward her, mouth opened to tell her to go, right before he was gone. And Jai...oh, gods, watching him disappear in front of her, his hand fading to nothing in hers...

And they were gone. Just like that.

"What did you do?" Lyv panicked. "No, you..."

"Oh, they're not dead, Alyvia darling," Guinevere soothed, walking closer to Lyv as the shadows started creeping closer to them both. Mik was nowhere to be seen, but Lyv could feel him watching from within the darkness. "They should find their way back just in time. The shadows won't allow them to fade back here in an instant or put up protective wards around you to save you. Mik's magic is...well, special...and will restrict theirs for a time."

"Why? Why did you do this? I'm not...I'm not your..."

Even with all this time away from Queen Guinevere, with every moment she envisioned killing her...the fear of the woman she had grown up with as a mother gripped her firmly. And now, seeing as she had some mistress on her side who lent Mik and his strange magic to her, Lyv didn't know if she would be able to stop whatever she had planned.