The Dark Fairy King
Chapter 55: The Letter

Chapter 55: The Letter

As we approached the council chamber, the room looked exactly as it had been—untouched since Faragonda’s death.

A pile of red dust lingered in the middle of the floor, like a gruesome centerpiece left to rot.

"Was that Faragonda?" Devran asked.

"Well, what’s left of her, anyway."

Lumera, ever the curious one, inched dangerously close to the ashes.

"Don’t get too close," Scarlette warned sharply, shutting the door behind us.

"What does the letter say?" she asked, her voice steady but tight.

I tried to tear open the letter, but the paper refused to budge.

"That’s strange," I muttered, turning it over in my hands. "It won’t open."

Scarlette took the letter from me, lips pressing into a thin line.

"Just as I expected."

Red mists twirled around her hand, encircling the seal on the note. The broken wand sigil flickered in cold blue light before shattering in her grasp.

Devran and Lumera stared, wide-eyed.

"That wasn’t Love Magic, was it?" Devran asked, voice low.

"I’ve never seen magic like that before," Lumera breathed.

"That’s because she’s Scarlette," I said proudly. "The first Love Fairy. The architect of magic itself."

"Oh, stop it, Ver..." Scarlette laughed, brushing me off. "It’s nothing special. If I can strip the tattoos from the Anti-Magic Mages, breaking a seal like this is child’s play."

"You can remove their tattoos?" Devran’s voice dropped, tinged with horror.

"Yeah? Why?" Scarlette asked, almost casually.

Devran’s gaze softened, a flicker of reluctant respect surfacing.

"Now I see why you’re Queen."

Scarlette waved him off. "Ugh, it’s tedious. Anti-Magic sigils are like knots of cancelling spells tangled together. Love Magic is adhesive—it sticks to those loose magical threads and pulls them apart."

Devran blinked, completely lost.

"I feel like I’m losing you," Scarlette teased, watching his baffled expression.

"Teach me how to do that!" Lumera chimed in immediately, practically bouncing on her feet.

Scarlette’s lips curled into a smile. "Oh, I’ll teach you. Light Magic works a little differently, but I can guide you."

Devran frowned. "Wait—how do you know how to use Light Magic too?"

Scarlette sighed, glancing at me.

"Shall I show him?"

I grinned. "Yes, do your worst."

Scarlette stretched out her hand toward Lumera.

Golden light poured from Lumera’s fingertips, swirling around Scarlette’s palm like a sunlit spiral. Red mists from Scarlette coiled around the light, weaving tightly until they thickened into a shimmering whip.

"Love Magic mixed with Light Magic can inspire blind allegiance," Scarlette explained, snapping the whip through the air. "Used carelessly, it can make people dangerously delusional."

Then she turned to me, reaching out.

Dark wisps—my magic—drifted toward her, twirling with her red mist.

"And Dark Magic combined with Love Magic," she continued, "is a marriage of love and destruction. With this, I can rip hearts from chests, control others, and shape their deepest desires."

Devran visibly shuddered.

Lumera’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

I folded my arms, proud. Yes, she still had it.

"Oh, oh—try his magic!" Lumera cried, pointing at Devran, eyes sparkling with mischief.

Devran stiffened, panic flashing across his face.

"Uh, wouldn’t King Veravos’s magic be enough to demonstrate Dark Magic?" he blurted out quickly.

Scarlette gave him a long, knowing smile but turned back to the letter.

Devran exhaled, his relief almost too obvious.

Suspicious.

Was he really that scared? Or was he hiding something?

Scarlette’s swirling mist thinned as she unfolded the letter.

"This letter was clearly meant for the Anti-Magic Mages. That’s why it was sealed with their magic."

She held it up and began to read aloud.

"Dear Faragonda—"

Her voice faltered, brow furrowing. Fingers trembled slightly, a ghost of something sharp and painful flashing through her eyes. But when she spoke again, her voice was steady.

"Oh no," she whispered. "You’ll want to hear this."

I stepped beside her and read aloud:

Dear Faragonda,

Rally the Anti-Magic Mages from the palace—the ones King Veravos has yet to uncover. Bring the new recruits as well.

Tomorrow at dusk, we gather once more at the cathedral by the kingdom’s border.

Bring the remaining Midnight Orchids you’ve procured. They will be essential for the ceremony.

Your Leader,

Nathaniel.

The four of us stared at one another in heavy silence.

So, the Anti-Magic Mages weren’t finished.

Far from it.

"So what’s the plan?" Devran asked, already thinking ahead.

"How confident are you in casting illusions?" Scarlette asked, turning to Lumera.

"Not at all." Lumera sighed.

"What do you have in mind, Scar?"

"They want Faragonda, right? So we will give them Faragonda." She replied.

"You want me to be disguised as Faragonda?" Lumera asked, worried already.

"That, or make me look like Faragonda." Scarlette smiled encouragingly.

"That’s gonna take an insane amount of magic." Devran deadpanned.

"I’d lend some if it helps." I volunteered.

"Let’s keep that in view—we’ll need it," Scarlette replied. "And Devran, will you lend your magic too? When the time comes?"

Devran hesitated. "Sure... if it comes to that."

"We have one day." Scarlette’s tone softened as she turned to Lumera. "I’ll prepare you for this."

Lumera looked away, sheepish. "I’m not sure if I can do this."

"You can," Scarlette said firmly, hand resting gently on Lumera’s shoulder. "I’ll make sure of it."

Devran might be skeptical. Lumera might be unsure of her own abilities.

But not me. I was already used to Scarlette’s crazy ideas.

Using Light Magic to create illusions and posing as Faragonda? That’s not the most far-fetched thing she’s suggested.

Crazy? Probably.

But I will stand by her, as always. Scarlette always knew what she was talking about.

Then it clicked.

The second part of the letter.

The Midnight Orchids.

No prizes guessing who has a supply of them.

Devran.

Yes, he brought his pushcart to the palace.

A drawer full of Midnight Orchids.

"So..." I continued slowly. "How are we going to bring whatever Midnight Orchids we have to the ceremony?" I turned to Devran.

Devran stiffened, just for a second.

Scarlette narrowed her eyes. "Yes, why do you even have them?"

Devran sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah..." he stuttered.

He avoided my gaze, fingers tapping rhythmically against his thigh.

"Oh, come on, Devran," I scoffed. "Stop stalling."

He looked up, the tension in his jaw shifting into a slow grin—like someone preparing to drop a bombshell.

"I thought you’d never ask."

He paused—long enough to be dramatic, short enough to get away with it.

"I may have... kept a few. Hidden. For emergencies."

Scarlette blinked. "You what?"

"Devran!" I groaned.

"They were too pretty to throw away," he shrugged, almost defensively. "And maybe I knew they’d come in handy someday."

Scarlette looked ready to throttle him. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to thank him or scream.