Fae Rising Read online

  FAE RISING

  BOOK FOUR IN THE FAE BLOODLINES SERIES

  ROSE GARCIA

  CONTENTS

  Also by Rose Garcia

  Faevenly

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Epilogue

  Also by Rose Garcia

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  For Jessica R

  * * *

  Thank you for sticking with me from the beginning!

  ALSO BY ROSE GARCIA

  Fae Bloodlines Series

  Fae Away, book 1

  Fae Fractured, book 2

  Fae Hunted, book 3

  Fae Rising, book 4

  Final Life Series

  Final Life, book 1

  Final Stand, book 2

  Final Death, book 3

  First Life, book 4

  Final Life Series Boxed Set

  Havenwood Falls High Novellas

  Featuring Infiniti from the Final Life Series

  Saving Infiniti, book 1

  Finding Infiniti, book 2

  * * *

  For a full list of Rose Garcia’s books and how each series is connected, please visit

  https://www.rosegarciabooks.com/garciaverse

  FAE RISING © 2022 ROSE GARCIA

  * * *

  Published by Rose Garcia Books

  Cover Design by Gombar Cover Design

  Editing by Liz Ferry

  Map Illustration by Hanna Sandvig

  Interior Formatting and Design by Courtney Spencer

  * * *

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  The carriage lurched forward with a jerk, creaking and crunching over the gravel road before settling into a steady rhythm as the horses pulled us away from Strong Haven palace. With my eyes fixed on the view, I studied the massive gold-and-ivory structure with its magnificent spires as we rolled past, my heart in my throat as it disappeared from sight. My mother was born there, and I had been visiting the palace since I was little. I had combed the marble-lined hallways, hid in the thick trees and brush in the gardens, and even daringly made my way across the roofline once, though my parents didn’t know, of course. Now, all of Strong Haven was evacuating in waves, with my carriage and five others in the first group because every province—except for the Sublands, where we were headed—wanted us dead.

  And so did Draven the Witch.

  He had escaped the dungeon of Strong Haven palace after twenty years of imprisonment and was helped by Leaf, the fae protector who had my heart. Leaf had even given Draven the last remaining aquoise stone we had been searching for, though deep down I couldn’t believe Leaf acted willingly. There was no way he would’ve turned on me and Strong Haven like that. Not after what we had shared.

  Right?

  With the stone, Draven’s powers would know no bounds. And I wondered how any of us could escape whatever the evil witch had planned.

  But the thing that hurt the most was a loss that cut so deep into my heart and soul, I didn’t think I’d ever recover. My mom was dead, and my dad had decided to stay with her in the Passing Place.

  Wrapping my arms around my waist, I eased myself away from the window and settled back against the smooth purple velvet seat, shifting my gaze to my boots that poked out from under my brown silk dress. Images of the Passing Place filled my mind—the lush lavender field, the apple trees bursting with shiny red fruit, the creek where I had seen my mother with the skirt of her dress tied at her knees, fishing. She had no idea she was dead, her mind somehow shielding her from the truth, making her believe all was well and she was merely enjoying a long visit to Faevenly with my dad.

  I supposed being in that state was better than the alternative.

  My uncle Manny sat next to me, and across from him sat Lady Sonia, the palace healer. They didn’t know about my mom and dad, because I had found out only minutes before getting in the carriage. I needed to tell them but didn’t think I could manage a full-length conversation about it just yet. I needed to sit with my emotions for a while and gather my thoughts.

  “All will be well, Gabriela,” Lady Sonia offered in her soothing voice. “You will see.”

  She wore her long dark hair pulled up in a loose bun, and had on a long gray dress. There was much I admired about Lady Sonia, including her unwavering optimism. But with everything that had happened, and all that was still left to face, I knew she was wrong. Nothing would be well. Not ever.

  “I don’t know, Sonia,” Uncle Manny muttered.

  I pulled my gaze up from my shoes and studied him. He wasn’t my blood uncle, but was my dad’s best friend since forever. So he was just like family. He sat with his slim frame slightly hunched over. He wore a fae outfit of dark green pants and a long-sleeved brown shirt, his jeans and shirt from the human realm undoubtedly shoved in his bag like my jeans and my shirt were shoved in mine. He had been in Faevenly with my mom and dad before I was born, and together they had gone through some serious dangers. If what we were going through now was worse than what they had gone through then, we were really screwed.

  “Now is not the time for such thoughts, Manny,” Lady Sonia said in a somewhat terse tone.

  Uncle Manny rubbed his stubbled face, then combed his fingers through his thick black hair that was beginning to show gray along the edges. “You’re right, Sonia,” he blew out. Then he reached out and patted my knee. “Sorry, mija. I’ll do better.”

  “It’s okay, Uncle Manny,” I said, placing my hand over his and giving it a squeeze. “You don’t have to apologize.”

  Uncle Manny’s usual playful and cheery style had been all but erased and was replaced with despair and grief. The transformation was unnerving, to say the least, because I had never really seen him like this. Telling him about my mom and dad might push him over the edge. But still, he needed to know. They all did.

  “Thank you, mija,” he muttered.

  The carriage dipped, then jostled back up. I tightened my grip around Manny’s hand as I kept myself from sliding off my seat.

  He steadied my arms with a smile. “Feels like the potholes in the roads back home.”

  Recognizing his attempt at trying to make me feel better, I forced a smile in return. “It does.”

  The carriage resumed a steady pace again, and my uncle let out a chuckle. “Hey, remember that time you hit that pothole so hard you got a flat?”
>
  I smiled, because that was one of my favorite memories with him. “Of course I remember. I called you crying and you came over and fixed it and I got back home without my parents even knowing.”

  “Yep, and what did we do before you went home?”

  “You took me for ice cream.”

  He turned to Lady Sonia. “Not just any ice cream. It was the world famous Amy’s ice cream way on the other side of town. We also got brownies.”

  “Yep,” I said, recalling the cool and creamy chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream dolloped on top of a chewy fudge brownie. “We sure did.”

  We laughed a bit more before a quiet lull returned to the cabin, my gaze drifting to the passing trees outside the carriage. As hard as I tried not to think about them, my thoughts went back to my mom and dad. Mom looked so happy in the Passing Place, and I wondered how long it would take for her to figure out she was dead. I couldn’t blame my dad at all for wanting to stay with her as long as possible. If it were me, I’d probably do the same. But if things got worse in Faevenly, which I was sure they would, then I’d need to get him. And he’d have to tell her.

  I folded my hands on my lap with my heart shattered and my spirit lower than low. I was grateful to have Uncle Manny with me, and I really hated not telling him about my mom and dad, but I wasn’t ready. It was almost as if keeping the information to myself made it less real. Which was a really dumb way of looking at things, but I couldn’t help it.

  “You can tell us, Gabriela,” Lady Sonia said in a half whisper. Her hand rested on her necklace with an opal stone. She had worn that necklace for as long as I could remember. Most times, she wore it tucked under her clothing. Other times, she wore it out. Like today.

  Uncle Manny’s back stiffened as he sat straight. He looked from me to Lady Sonia and then back to me. “Is there something you need to tell us, mija?”

  I swallowed. Of course Lady Sonia would know I needed to tell them something. She was the palace healer, was hundreds of years old, and had powers I couldn’t even understand. When I was little, I made a game of looking for her and her healing chamber whenever I visited. Once, I found her chamber behind a hidden door in the grand hall, another time at the top of a stairwell I had discovered in the back of the palace—a stairwell I had only seen that day and never again. But the strangest place was in a glass dome deep in the garden surrounded by flowering bushes.

  I had spent hours with Lady Sonia, learning about herbs and tinctures, following her around and asking her tons of questions. I wished I had never stopped visiting and that I remembered the stuff she had taught me, but understood my parents’ desire to keep me away from Faevenly because they thought it was safer that way. Now that I knew how a group of fae had tried to kill me in their bakery when I was little, I understood.

  “Well,” I said, clearing my throat, “there is something I need to tell y’all, something I found out before we left the palace. Something about my mom and dad.” I shifted in my seat as a lump formed in my throat and my eyes watered over. I drew in a long deep breath, forcing myself to keep it together because the last thing I wanted was to be weak.

  “Go ahead, mija,” Uncle Manny soothed.

  With a nod, I said, “Well, after I finished packing my things in my room, before we left Faevenly, Maid Gidna left me by myself for a while. An overwhelming need to see my dad and find out where my mom was overcame me, because I didn’t know for sure if she was with him. So I used my Avila witchy skills to go to the Passing Place.”

  A stream of sunlight filtered in through the carriage opening, casting a ray of light over Lady Sonia’s smooth ivory face and showcasing her sparkling hazel eyes that sometimes looked blue. Her long lashes closed and then opened, as if encouraging me to continue.

  “Did you see him?” she asked.

  “I did. I was telling my dad about Leaf and the aquoise, when he helped me realize something.” I paused for a few seconds. “My dad isn’t actually dead.”

  Manny blinked and his mouth fell open. “Your dad is alive?”

  “Yes, he’s alive.”

  “Are you sure?”

  I nodded. “Absolutely sure.”

  He stared at me with a large smile. “Thank you, Jesus!” he exclaimed, making the sign of the cross up and down his body and side to side. “And your mom?”

  Fresh pain shot through my heart as I looked down and moved my head from side to side.

  “Oh, mija,” Uncle Manny said. He reached over and wrapped his arms around me. “My dear girl.”

  Tears spilled from my eyes as I clutched him to me, feeling grateful to have him with me especially since he had always been with me. He was at the hospital when I was born, and he came over and visited and babysat all the time when I was little. He never missed a birthday, or any of my church milestones like my baptism and confirmation. And he always seemed to be the loudest one cheering at my fencing matches.

  Lady Sonia patted my back, then reached out with a handkerchief. I took the white silk fabric and wiped my cheeks.

  “Gabriela,” she said after giving me a few moments. “I am relieved to hear about your father, but am saddened to hear about your mother. So very saddened.” She tilted her head a little. “But what is Lord Julio’s plan? Why is he there, if he is alive?”

  I drew in a breath and sat up. “My mom doesn’t know she’s dead, and my dad can’t leave her.”

  Uncle Manny sat back, speechless. Lady Sonia kept quiet too. The carriage jostled again, but this time it came to a stop.

  Uncle Manny peered out the window. “What’s going on?”

  I was turning to look when Lady Sonia leaned forward and took my hand. “Gabriela, tell no one your father is alive. Understand?”

  Her words surprised me. “What?”

  The sound of horses whinnying and people shouting filled the air, and a tingle of panic raced across my spine.

  “Your father is important. And we must do whatever is necessary to keep him safe.” She scooted closer to me and said in a low voice, “I sense he has a great role still to play in all this.”

  Uncle Manny whipped his stare at her. “A great role? Like what?”

  “I am unsure. It is a feeling inside of me that has been growing for a while now. A feeling I cannot explain.”

  Her words filled me with hope, because I desperately needed my dad. With a swallow, I nodded. “I won’t say anything.”

  A guard dashed into place against the carriage, his bow out and arrow nocked.

  “Hey, what’s going on?” Uncle Manny asked him.

  Keeping his attention on the woods, the guard replied, “Someone has been spotted on the road. Lord Rook fears they mean ill. He and a team are scouting the area.”

  Uncle Manny ran his fingers through his hair. “Of course there’s someone out there who means ill,” he muttered. “This is Faevenly, after all.”

  My hand flew to my back, patting around for my fighting stick, but came up empty. A surge of panic raced through me. If someone was out there, then I needed my weapon. But also, I needed it because Leaf had given it to me.

  “What is it?” Manny asked.

  “My fighting stick. I don’t have it.”

  My mind shuffled through the events of the last few days, trying to visualize the last time I had my stick. I knew I didn’t have it at my house when I fought Leaf because I distinctly remembered grabbing a fighting stick by my front door before I rushed him. That left the bakery and the confrontation with Draven. I shuddered at the thought of that witch monster and how close he had been to me. I was pretty sure I had my stick with me while I was there, but the entire sequence of events was muddled and the details lost to me. But according to Leaf, I had tapped into my Avila witchy skills to drive Draven away and in the process brought my abuela back to life. And then I passed out.

  I must’ve left my stick there.

  I thought of the bag Maid Gidna had packed for me. Maybe she had stuffed a weapon inside. My eyes darted around the carriage, search
ing for my things.

  Lady Sonia rested her hand on my knee. “Your things are stored in a different carriage. Besides, I do not sense you need a weapon. Not this time.”

  The last time I traveled with her in a carriage, we were with Uncle Leto, Leaf, and a handful of guards. We were traveling to Strong Haven West to persuade the members of the Council of Six to support me as the head of Strong Haven and head of Faevenly in an effort to prevent the Kane family from coming into power, because having them in power meant having Draven in power. But on our way, we had been attacked and I ended up charging out of the carriage with my fighting stick and battling side by side with Leaf.

  We were able to fend off our attackers that day, and it was in large part because of Leaf’s fighting skills. But then he had to go and break Alexander’s neck. Which was why the provinces wanted us dead, and why we were fleeing Strong Haven.

  “Gabriela,” Lady Sonia said, “do you sense any impending peril?”

  There were things I could do, like my dad and my abuela. I could see and communicate with ghosts, and I could sense danger. Sometimes it was a subtle tingle at the back of my neck that told me something was wrong. Other times it was a hard vibration that raced through my body. I inherited the ability from my dad’s family, and it was only becoming a bigger part of me now since I had been in Faevenly. But ever since everything had happened to me, a warning tingle had been a constant. So much so, I hardly even recognized it anymore. But if I focused, I thought I might be able to sense beyond it.