“No, Mother,” I respond flatly.
“I won’t serve a master,” Quellos hisses, and I’m almost impressed by the passion left in him. “Especially one of the Below.”
Sira sniffs. “Come now. We all answer to someone.”
A shudder passes through me as I think of who my mother answers to. The Green Flame.
With a sudden spin and flick of her raven-black hair, Sira walks back toward the broken door of the cell. “Offer your allegiance and services to me, and in return, you shall have revenge against those who shamed you. I will gift you power greater than even that of the crown. Or…” She narrows her eyes. “Stay here. Rot in this cell, knowing that brute Keldarion rules over what should be yours.”
Quellos’s chest heaves. Sira waves for me to follow her out of the cell. We start to exit—
“I’ll do it. I’ll serve you,” Quellos cries. “And then I will have my retribution against the beast prince.”
I nearly laugh, imagining this pitiful old man enacting any sort of justice upon Kel. Instead, I smirk. “You’ll have to get in line.”
Sira raises her chin to me. “Send him to my sanctum. I’ll begin his re-education when I return Below.”
I swallow my anger as I weave my briars around Quellos, who sobs and struggles against their touch. With a rough hand, I direct the thorns spiraling down through the earth, taking Quellos deep Below.
“Where to now, Mother?” I drawl with mock sweetness. She knows the more magic I use on the surface, the more it drains me. Already, I feel the thick wave turning my blood to sludge.
“We need to check on your sister.”
“She’s not my—”
Sira snatches my jaw, nearly piercing the skin with her sharp nails. “I let you disparage my sweet babies, but do not speak ill of my adopted daughter. She’s accomplished more in twenty-five years than you have in centuries.” She flicks my jaw away and mutters to herself, “Ungrateful boy. Thankless wretch.”
I rub my face and summon the thorns. Thankfully, it’s not far to Spring.
I think I’ll make it before the black rot takes me.
The thorns carry Sira and I quickly beneath the surface, and I maneuver us up to the vast cavernous Hall of Vernalion, the throne room of the Spring Realm.
We erupt into the hall. I stagger out of the briars and collapse on the floor, gagging up sludge. Trails of black drip from my eyes and nose. I need to get back to the Below…
Sira steps over me, heels clicking. “Well, well, well. Things seem to be going swimmingly here.”
I look up, fighting to see through the film covering my eyes.
Prince Thalionor, Ezryn’s father and steward of Spring, has collapsed to his knees, head hung low, hands in chains behind his back.
And dressed in armor of blackest night, wearing an eerie helm with sharp metal crests on the brow resembling a great horned owl, is Kairyn, Prince of Spring. Ezryn’s younger brother. And he’s currently crushing the head of a princeguard beneath his boot.
The rest of Prince Thalionor’s princeguard lay in pools of their own blood, their skulls all caved in.
My stomach turns, and I struggle to my feet.
That’s when I see her lounging across the massive metal throne made of various helms. Her body is angled to the side, one leg draped over the arm of the throne, a silver goblet in her hand.
The Nightingale smiles at me, blue eyes flashing with mirth. “Recovered from your party, big brother?”
I say nothing.
Kairyn’s chest heaves as the man dies beneath his boot, and he staggers over to stand beside my sister, like a dog returning to the foot of its master.
The Nightingale runs an idle hand down Kairyn’s arm, eyes never leaving mine. “I heard your little goblin assault on Autumn was practically useless. I tried to help you that night, but you wouldn’t listen. Now here I am, right on track to deliver the Spring Realm.”
Something twists in my chest, and I unconsciously grab my wrist, fingers drifting over the mark there.
“Come on, Caspian, why the long face? You should be delighted.” The Nightingale gives a lilting laugh. “We’re going to kill the High Princes. And their,” her blue gaze meets mine, “thorny little princess, too.”
Her threat doesn’t go unnoticed. She knows of Rosalina’s power. Her price will be high to keep that from our mother.
But as the pull of the Below finally becomes too much to take, I sink within my briars and fall down into the deep.
I’m going to have to be very careful about my next moves.
Betrayal is a dangerous game.
And I haven’t quite decided who I’m going to betray yet.
Thank You For Reading!
Thank you so much for reading Woven by Gold! We hope you enjoyed your second adventure in the Enchanted Vale.
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The enchantment continues in:
Beasts of the Briar 3
Forged by Malice
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Acknowledgements
Rosalina says that the Enchanted Vale makes her feel alive. That is the simplest way we can describe creating this series: a joy so powerful it makes our own lives shimmer with magic. Thank you so much to everyone who has been a part.
A huge thank you to Anne, Beate, Camille, Carlie, Charlotte, Jamie, Kaylee, Khepri, Natasha, Olivia, Renee, Sarah, Tatjana, Taylor C., and Taylor G. Writing a book takes a village. Thank you for being part of ours.
With all our hearts, thank you to the readers around the globe who took a chance on Bonded by Thorns and have welcomed Rosie and her princes into their hearts. The bookish online community is one of the most loving, encouraging, and happy spaces to be. We’re so grateful to be a part of it. A special thank you to Hailey and Lindsay, two wonderful friends we’ve met because of our love of smutty books, Pedro Pascal, and Taylor Swift.
And finally, thank you to our friends and family who have championed our stories since the very beginning. To Mom and Dad for reading everything, even the twisted stuff. To Graeme for letting us steal his ideas and talking us through how a siege works. To Auntie Jo for her #jowatches and always taking care of us. We love you so much!
On to the next one!
Elizabeth Helen
About the Authors
Elizabeth Helen is the combined pen-name of sister writing duo, Elizabeth and Helen. Elizabeth and Helen write fantasy romance and love creating enchanting adventures for their characters. When they're not writing, you can find them snuggling their cats, exploring their rainforest home, or rolling the dice for a game of Dungeons & Dragons. You can connect with them on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook.
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Playlist
Spoilers ahead!
Scan code with the Spotify app.
Tr?llabundin | Eiv?r Pálsdóttir (Staring at the rosebush)
Possibility| Lykke Li (Rose's sad-girl-dumped-by-older-man era)
The bioluminescence of the night | James Horner (Seeing Ez)
The Mandalorian - Epic Version | Samuel Kim (It's time for Spring's melt)
It's an Ultimatum | Sonya Belousova, Giona Ostinelli (Kel vs the 3 princes)
Oracle | Timmy Trumpet (Dancing around the willow tree)
Everybody (Backstreet’s Back) | Backstreets Boys (The princes arrive in Orca Cove)
Labyrinth | Taylor Swift (Returned to my mate)
Home | Alan Menken (Home at Castletree)
Soldier, Poet, King | The Oh Hellos (Seeing Rosalina's library with Farron)
Experienced Hands | Joseph Loduca (Dip in the hot springs)
The Cello Begins | Neal Acree (Cas comes to dinner)