I blinked my eyes open, surprised to be surrounded by the lush colors of the Fae forest of my childhood. The trees in shades of evergreen, jade, mint, and everything in between, huddled me in their warm embrace. A tiny yellow calendula tickled my nose. I sneezed. Fuzziness cleared from my vision bringing each tiny leaf into focus. How had I ended up here? Alone, no less. The men were with me when I’d left the party, weren’t they? I blinked again. There was something I was supposed to be remembering. Something important was happening. But what? The lush smell of the birch mixed with the heavenly scent of lavender and jasmine. I could smell the lingering aroma of the orange groves. My mother had only taken me there a few times when I was a child, but oh how I’d loved to be surrounded by that heavenly scent. The silken softness of the pedals against my fingers, the burst of juiciness in my mouth from a freshly peeled orange. It was as close to heaven as I’d ever felt. The closest I’d been to my mother. Most of our time in the orange grove was when she’d needed to take me far away from the palace to share the secrets of our lineage. Things only the Queen could know.
I was the future Queen. The only heir to the Seelie throne.
On this particular day, my mother wished to share a story about my father. “You know I love my mates more than life itself,” she began, “but none of them will bring you the power required to be our future Queen. So, I chose to form an alliance with another. One which will make you a worthy adversary when it is time for you to take over our realm.” She stopped, her ivory gown swishing against the grass as she turned to face me. “I know you will not understand this now, as you are far too young to be privy to such information. I will tell you only that your father is a powerful mage. You will be blessed with the powers of a fae queen and of a mage father.” Her lips spread into a prideful grin. “You will be more powerful, my love, more than the Unseelie King could withstand, or so I hope. Our Kingdom depends on it.” Her silken hands left the whisper of a trail on my face replaced by large, calloused hands that cradled my cheeks.
“Lyla, please, open your eyes.” Milo’s panicked voice filled my mind, blurring the vision of my mother. The familiar scent of the orange grove faded, retreating to the recesses of my memory, yet its sweet tang clung stubbornly to my senses.
Wearily, I attempted to open my eyes, but the blinding light assaulted me, forcing my eyelids to slam shut again. Slowly, consciousness returned, accompanied by an unwelcome companion - pain. It surged through my head and body in unrelenting waves, pulsing in my tense muscles, evoking an ache that penetrated my very core. I yearned for the orange grove, where such agony was a distant memory.
"Lyla, are you with me?" Milo’s hands cupped my face.
I peeked through my lashes. “Wha—” Milo’s face was above me. He crushed my face to him. I struggled against his chest. “Can’t…breathe.”
“Oh, sorry. I’m just so happy to see your eyes open.” His hand still cradled my head, but he leaned back giving me space to breathe. Xavier paced behind him in the now dim-lit room.
“What happened?” I asked.
“You don’t remember?” Xavier stopped abruptly his eyes darting to me.
I bit the inside of my cheek. “I was dreaming of my mother.” I closed my eyes. “We were in the orange grove.” I let the memory of her face, the sweet scents of the flowers and orange blossoms, and the love I felt, linger for a moment before I opened my eyes back up to the room. The tension in Milo and Xavier vibrated in sharp contrast to the serene grove.
“What about before that, before the dream, what do you remember?” Xavier pushed. The crease between his brows deepened.
“Oh shit, did I get my paper turned in before the due date? Shit," I yanked my hand through my hair, "the professor isn’t going to give me an extension. He’s such an asshole. I’m totally fucked, aren’t I?” Pain sliced through my body, causing me to relax back on the bed. I glanced between the two men who stood in stunned silence. “What? I’ve worked hard in that class, despite the professor being a complete ass about you two hovering around. Failing biology is not an option if I want to go into the medical field.” I chewed my lip again. Milo’s mouth opened and closed, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t figure out what to say. Xavier wore the mask he hid behind when he didn’t want anyone to see his emotions. “What?” A knot formed in my stomach. It tightened the longer they stood in frozen silence. “Seriously, you two are freaking me out.”
“You really don’t remember anything else?” Milo rubbed his arm. I glanced over at him before meeting Xavier's down turned gaze. I threw the covers aside and stood up quickly from the bed. When I wobbled, Milo wrapped his arms around my waist guiding me gently back down to the bed.
“What’s going on? Why do I feel so… weak?” I held my hand to my head, a piercing pain shot behind my eyes. My whole body ached like I’d hit the gym too hard for a few weeks, but I was too weak to stand on my own. What the hell was going on?
Milo moved closer; his hand cupped my cheek. “What is it? Are you feeling pain?” His thumb brushed over my cheekbone.
“My head, my body, everything aches. What’s going on?” The pain hadn’t subsided. I tried to remember something, anything, but the pain in my head intensified. “Ah, shit.” I doubled over, my hands pressed against my eyes.
“What is it, Lyla?” Milo wrapped his body around mine, pulling me into his side. The pain lessened when I stopped trying to think.
“I can’t feel her? What’s going on, Xavier? I should be able to feel her pain.” Milo held me against his chest while staring up at Xavier who stood, frozen. I recognized the fear in his eyes. Not much caused him to be afraid, but I recognized the slant of his brows. It wasn’t a look I ever wanted to see.
“I don’t know.” The raw emotion in those three words took me aback. He hadn’t sounded like that since— Pain shot through my head again.
“Lyla, you need to rest. I’m going to get something that will help.” Milo rushed out of the room. The loss of his embrace left me feeling cold.
“Xavier? What happened? What aren’t you telling me?” I held my hand to my head while I looked up at him.
“There was a battle in Unseelie to rescue you from the King. He kidnapped you in an elaborate plot to marry you to unite the two Kingdoms. We got there in time, or so I thought. He may have drugged you while you were held captive. I don’t know anything for sure. Liam was the only one who was able to see you while you were in Unseelie. He didn't mention anything about a possible drugging. It's the only explanation, either that or the transfer of your father's magic. Jayda stabbed you to transfer his power. Maybe it's an after effect of his magic. He'd used something on you to keep you from accessing your power. Maybe the combination of the two did something…” He seemed to be working it out more for himself than me.
Still, I blinked. Everything he said was madness. Me, marry the King, my enemy, never. I would have never agreed. Not that it sounded like I had much of a choice in the scenario Xavier was laying out. On top of that, my father? Which one? None of my dad's would hurt me. They'd die first. I flashed back to the memory of my mother in the orange grove telling me about my biological father. Is that who he was talking about? It certainly couldn't be my mother's mates. They loved me fiercely, as I did them. None of his words made sense. Pain shot through my head. My heartbeat drummed, a steady hammer against my temples. It was too much.
“Okay, so those words make sense separately, but together, not so much. I’m a little confused.”
Xavier blinked as though he were just remembering I were here. He moved closer to me, taking my hand. “I'll find out what happened to steal your memories. That's a promise. You will get everything you deserve, your memories, your Kingdom, your freedom, all of it. I will end everyone who gets in my way.”
The intense feeling in the hushed words caused a flutter in my belly. He squeezed my hand. It was the only physical show of emotion I would get. I knew Xavier loved me. He would protect me at all costs, but he rarely showed it. Especially if there was any chance anyone around would see his show of affection. I was the only one to see him in those private moments. His determination radiated from him like a beacon to my heart. I trusted him with my life, always would.
Milo appeared in the doorway, a lavender mug in his hand. “Here, this will help you rest.” He slid carefully onto his place next to me on the bed. The cup steaming in his hand.
“Are you sure it won’t counteract whatever was done to her?” Xavier asked.
“No, but it’s the best I could do with what we have.” Milo held the mug out for me to take. I smiled and sipped the hot liquid. It was sweet and tart. It reminded me of the orange grove. It instantly soothed me.
“Did you use my mother’s oranges?” I blinked up at him.
“Yeah, I thought you would like it.” He lowered his head, a flush filling his cheeks.
“Awe, you’re cute when you blush.” I sipped the tea. I couldn’t help but tease Milo. It was as natural as breathing. We’d always been playful even when all hell was breaking loose. A pain shot through my head. I winced almost spilling the tea. Milo steadied my hands.
“Keep drinking, it will help.” Milo kept a hand on my knee, at the ready.
I nodded and drank. He was right. My eyelids to drooped with heaviness. My body relaxed, the pain fading from my muscles. I felt Milo’s hands on mine before everything went dark.