I was locked inside the small nursery and left alone. Only minutes had passed since they’d left me in here, but it irked me that I’d been so stupid! I’d felt sorry for the Blood King, and the sacrifices he’d made to save his son. I was such an idiot! I felt hot tears rush to my eyes, but I pushed them away angrily. Tears were useless; I needed to figure out how to escape this place. I was still glaring at the door when I felt a presence behind me. I turned and glared at the Queen of the Blood Fae.
“You look much like I had thought you would, daughter,” she said and stepped closer. Her eyes scanned my face as I backed away warily. Another woman, who looked almost identical to the woman who stood before me, sifted in, and stood behind my mother. “You must hate us for what we did to you,” my mother said softly as she warily tried to get a step closer to me.
“No, I could get past that. It’s the whole ‘you’re still to be gifted to the Horde’ part that is pissing me off,” I snapped as I took a small step back.
“Shut your mouth! You have no idea what we have been through. You will speak to my mother with respect! She is the Queen here.” My mother’s look-a-like snapped back with fire in her eyes.
“No, I don’t think I will. How would you feel if you were the one being gifted to a monster? I wonder if you’d be so quick to be respectful then,” I replied, never taking my eyes off the woman.
“Enough,” the Queen said and shook her head. “My name is Madisyn; this is your sister Caera. She indicated the girl behind her with a small motion of her hand. Your brothers and sister in-law are waiting downstairs to meet you. I was told that you were in a marriage celebration to the Dark Heir. Was it completed?”
“No, I am not married to Adam,” I said, watching pain flash through her ageless eyes. She was trying her best to hold her emotions in, as was I. At this point, I wasn’t sure what to feel or think; the whole situation was rather overwhelming.
She nodded softly. “That’s good. We would like to assist you in dressing, if we may, Sorcha—”
“It’s Synthia,” I interrupted. Sorcha was cool, but I liked my name better. She nodded and a flash of pride showed in her eyes.
“Synthia was actually the name I had hoped they would give you. Lasair, and I had talked about it, but I didn’t know on which name they had decided for you.” She nodded with a watery smile; she looked so sad and full of regret. “Were they good to you?” she asked wistfully.
“They were very good to me. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t miss them.” I tried to hold the tears back. No, no matter what happened, they wanted the best for me. She nodded and it looked like she was fighting tears with the relief that this information brought. My mother abruptly cleared her throat and continued.
“Just to make you aware, the couriers have been sent in preparation of what is going to happen—we can’t delay any longer, without risking more of his wrath for our actions. Tomorrow, there will be a feast held here for the celebration of your return. The Horde King will be welcomed, as will the rest of the castes, to witness the exchange for the gift of peace.” I barked with laughter at her sober words.
“So, I really was the ‘Gift’!”
“Sorry?” She looked confused.
“When Faolán came to get me, he kept demanding to know where the Gift was. For over fifteen years, I have been left to wonder what he had been talking about.”
“For years, that was what the family called you; it just hurt less to think of you that way.” Tears began to run down her face, and my sister rushed to hug her. I felt very awkward for a moment and reached out tentatively to her, and, the next thing I knew, I was engulfed by my tearful mother who cried like her heart was breaking. After a few moments of just holding her tight, she whispered in my ear.
“I’ve read the Blood Oath a thousand times, Synthia. I’m afraid there is no way out of it. You must be presented to the Horde King, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay his.”
I felt my hands tremble. She was trying to tell me there was a way out? “Speak plainly. I don’t like word games.”
“Kill him, and then you can come back to us, or go…home, to the human world. If you can escape after it is done, you will have to decide on what it is you want. He has many sons, as the Horde does not often breed female children. It’s why Alazander wanted the Light Fae in his lineage. It stands to reason that his sons might allow you to live, even if you had killed the king. They need us; The Light is the one breed that usually ensures female children. Your brothers and father can’t know that we plot; to do so, is to go against everything the Blood Fae stand for. Your sister and I have thought long and hard on how to fix what is in the contract. This is the only solution we have found.” I looked at my sister, who nodded solemnly at me, and then back, at our mother. Then, I stepped away, shaking my head.