by Kimbra Swain
“Levi!” I screamed out, but my voice echoed like I was in a cavern.
A dim light approached me, then transformed into Lilith. We were inside the tree. I recognized it from my last visit.
“What am I doing here? The battle! I have to get back,” I said.
“You used all your power, Grace,” she said.
“I died?” I asked. “I can’t. I have to go back. My children!”
“Perhaps you should have stayed with them in the vault instead of fighting,” she suggested.
“No, I had to be there for us to win,” I replied.
“This is true. If you hadn’t powered the battle, Shady Grove and all of its inhabitants would have died,” she said. “Did you make the right choice?”
“If my children are safe, then yes,” I said.
“Don’t you care about your bard? The make-shift king?” Lilith asked.
“He has royal blood. He isn’t make-shift,” I said. “He will be king.”
“Will be or is?” she asked.
“It’s complicated,” I said.
“That’s a relationship status, Grace. Is he or is he not the king?” she pressed.
“In my eyes, he is,” I said.
“You can stay here or go back. You decide,” she said.
“Why do I get a choice and no one else in Shady Grove does?” I asked. “Did Dylan get a choice?”
“You can ask him if you stay,” she said.
“What?”
“His spirit is here in the tree of Life. If you decide to stay, you can ask him if he got a choice,” she said.
I looked around the tree, reaching out with my senses. I didn’t feel his warmth.
“What is this?” I asked.
“What do you think it is?” she asked.
“If I had to guess right now, I’d say it was hell!” I shouted. “Let me go home.”
“Is that your choice?” she asked.
“Come back to me,” Levi’s voice echoed through the tree. He sounded broken and desperate. I knew that sound. I’d heard it from my own lips. Felt it with my own heart.
“This doesn’t feel right,” I said.
“Enough,” Astor’s voice echoed through the tree.
“Ah, my knight who abandoned me for another,” Lilith said.
“Send her back,” he said.
“You left here. You no longer get to order me around,” she disagreed.
“He is the King of Summer,” I said.
“He is not!” Lilith said.
“In my eyes, he is,” I said. “Send us both back.”
“I came on my own, Grace. Thanks, though,” he said with a smile. “I’m not dead. Yet.”
“Yet!” Lilith shouted.
“Sometimes she likes being a pain in the ass and someone has to set her straight,” Astor said, staring her down.
“Sounds like someone else I know,” I said.
He grinned. “True.”
“Fine. Go back,” she said. “This is the second time I’ve sent you back. You don’t get any more chances, Grace.”
“We need you.”
“Levi,” I said. “I have to go.”
“Do you understand, Grace? This is your last chance,” Lilith said.
“You do need to acknowledge that much,” Astor instructed. “We can talk more about this once we’ve returned to Shady Grove.”
“You have always been a sucker for a pretty girl,” Lilith said.
“I know, and my girl is waiting on me,” Astor said.
“I fucking need you.”
“Damn it!” I said as a figure moved in the shadows. I saw the form of the sandy-haired man that I loved. Dylan. He was here. Lilith grinned as if she had won despite my choice to go back to Shady Grove.
My eyes darkened then fluttered.
“No, just one more moment,” I said, looking up into Levi’s cobalt eyes.
“One more moment for what?” he asked.
“Levi?” I saw him, but couldn’t feel him there. The oath kicked back in suddenly, and his rush of emotions flooded over me. Mostly, he was relieved.
“I’m here,” he said.
“We won?” I asked.
“Yes, we won,” he smiled. “Who were you talking to?”
“Dylan,” I said.
A portal opened behind him, and Astor stepped through. He knelt down next to Levi taking my hand. I noticed the three white witches standing nearby. I knew the faces of all three of them and was shocked at one in particular. Astor drew my attention back to him.
“Grace, she can make you see things that aren’t there,” he said.
“I saw him,” I said.
“No one was there but her. She has to be watched. Kept in check,” he said.
“But she is a goddess,” I said.
“She’s never been a very good goddess though. Very mischievous,” he said.
“Oh,” I said. “It wasn’t him.”
“Probably not,” he said.
“I didn’t feel his warmth. Just a shadow,” I said.
“She was toying with your mind,” he said.
“But she’s been friendly,” I said.
“In your terms, she has multiple personalities. You’ve seen them. The three in one. Her mind isn’t always stable. I imagine the death here tonight drove her a little over the edge,” he said.
“Did we lose anyone?” I asked.
“Troy is doing a count,” Tennyson said. He was covered in black blood, but Jenny hugged him tightly.
“Your children are asleep in the vault. They are fine,” she said.
“The witches,” I said.
“The Order of the Red Cloak disappeared, but our very own protectors are still here,” Jenny said.
I raised up to look at the three white cloaked witches. The one in the center lowered her hood. Wendy smiled at me.
“I acted alone, but it was the right thing to do,” she said.
I cut my eyes to the other two who removed their hoods. Kady Rayburn spoke first.
“I wanted to do something to fight back at Robin. Wendy has been teaching me,” she said.
“And you?” I asked looking at the third. An auburn-haired beauty. Finley stood behind her watching me closely.
“Trying to redeem myself,” Riley said.
“I’m not sure how you do that approaching Levi in my home in the middle of the night,” I replied.
“We should talk about that,” she said. “I swear to you it wasn’t me. On my life.”
There was power in her admission, and therefore, I took it to be truth. If she knew what was going on, I was anxious to find out. I tried pushing myself off the ground, but it was harder than I thought it would be. My body was still drained, but regaining power by the moment. I felt it rushing to me as if I were in the Otherworld.
“Easy,” Levi said, supporting my back. My eyes focused on the townspeople. They were cut and bruised but living. I felt each one of them. Cletus and Tater waved at me.
“Help me up,” I said.
Levi put his arm around my waist, steadying me as I stood. Astor stood in front making sure I didn’t fall forward. The crowd cheered as I stood. They began to hug each other and shake hands. Troy walked up to us.
“I’m happy to report, everyone is accounted for,” he said.
“It’s a miracle,” I said.
I heard a groan from behind me. Turning to look, Betty braced Luther who seemed to have taken the brunt of the battle with the Ellen.
“Luther,” I said.
“I am alright, my Queen. Just a little out of practice,” he said.
“Practice! You’re too damn old to be running around fighting dragons,” Betty scolded.
He grinned. “I love you, woman.” He kissed her hard, and she batted him away.
“Stop it. You, crazy old man,” she said. “Not in front of the youngin's.”
I leaned on Levi as I watched the people of Shady Grove celebrate the victory.
“Levi?”
“I want to go home,” I said.
“I’ll bring the kids to you,” Jenny said.
“Thank you,” I replied.
“Alright, Dublin,” I said.
“Home,” he said. I felt the power he held swirl around us. After the fight, I was drained, but he wasn’t. I wondered if he had a supernatural battery.
We appeared in the darkness in front of the house. The night was cool and quiet. We stood there in the stillness for a moment. I could feel his heart beating. The relief that I was alive.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
“Remember when the witches cursed me?” I said.
“Yeah,” he said cautiously.
“And I died.”
“I remember,” he said.
“She sent me back then too,” I said.
He moved in front of me, looking into my eyes. “What do you mean?”
“Lilith said she sent me back one other time. She said this was my last chance,” I said.
He groaned leaning into me. “Then no more dying.”
I wrapped my arms around his waist. “No more dying.”
It took several days to recover my strength from the Battle at Trailer Swamp. A small vacation from the Queen duties allowed me to spend time with my children. Winnie had calmed down a little since the battle. She had heard stories around town about how her mother and Uncle Levi lead the charge against a bunch of bad guys.
The carnage of the fight was swallowed up by the swamp. The parts that the ghouls didn’t consume. Eddie and his group seemed content to let Betty stay with us here, as long as I contacted them the next time we decided to prepare a feast.
Aydan now said, “Momma” on a regular basis. Along with something that sounded like “Weevi,” which was completely adorable.
My experience with Lilith and the tree was explained further by Astor. It was why he was so initially timid to allow me to go to the tree when I was in Summer. Lilith had a split personality, and some days she was a benevolent goddess. Others, she was batshit crazy.
Astor sat across from me as Ella rubbed a concoction on his back. He had a large circular bruise from the fight.
“Where did that come from?” I asked.
He grunted, and Ella giggled. Levi looked up from his laptop with a twinkle in his eye. I had a pretty good idea where it came from, but I wanted to tease the ginger knight.
“Potato,” he said.
Levi couldn’t hold back, and he died laughing. Aydan sat beside him eating his lunch. Winnie laid on the floor with Rufus, coloring. I sat back and enjoyed the laughter of my family. I hadn’t stopped missing Dylan. I didn’t think I ever would stop, but after the battle, I valued the things I had much more than I had before it. The pain was easier to bear. I fueled it into my plans to kill Brockton.
“You’re thinking too deeply over there,” Levi said from across the room.
“Just appreciating what I have,” I said.
“Two beautiful children,” he said.
“And a set of loyal knights,” I said.
“And Astor,” Levi added. I giggled. Ella looked back and forth between us, shaking her head. She had gotten used to picking up on our mental conversations.
“And a very brave poet king,” I said.
Levi knew I wasn’t teasing him. I meant it. He was the official mayor of Shady Grove now. The Protector of the Vale. I still wore the ring he gave me. Most people knew we weren’t engaged, but it was still a symbol of my dedication and support.
The intense moments we had leading up to the battle had more to do with the extreme situation of Dylan’s death and the pressing need to do something about the Otherworld than the constant frustration that both of us felt because of our mutual attraction. We defeated the Wild Hunt as a team. I found that humbling myself, allowing him to lead was the right thing to do in that situation.
We had discussed it multiple times since then. At times I was so determined to do things myself that I had lost sight of the things that made Shady Grove and my life different. I had a family. People to depend on, and people that depended upon me. Lilith and my father both believed that I had it within myself to do this alone. However, I had decided that alone was not how I wanted to do it. I wanted these people in my life. I wanted them in my heart. Even if it was a risk.
Losing Dylan was painful, but in the way a heart hurts when it’s lost someone. Not that I would have never wished it to happen in the first place. My children held a very big part of that heart now, but so did Levi.
I’d been a rebel my entire life, fighting against the expectations. Right now, the expectations were that he and I would end up together. I couldn’t deny it was a possibility. He didn’t press the issue, and I didn’t pursue it. If the time was right, we would know. For now, I think we were both content and still deeply connected.
“He’s getting so big,” Levi said as he hoisted Aydan out of his chair.
I laughed as Aydan’s fat belly poked out beneath his shirt.
“Look at that belly,” Ella said.
Levi patted his belly and said, “Aydan, look at your belly!”
“I think he ate too much,” I said.
“I agree. He’s thicker than a bowl of oatmeal,” Levi said, lowering him to the ground. He held his hands as my chubby baby waddled over to me.
“Momma!” he said reaching up to me. I lifted him up on the couch where he sat in my lap. Levi sat down next to me, and I leaned on his shoulder.
“You good?” he asked.
“So good,” I said.
He wrapped one arm around my shoulder and poked Aydan’s belly. Aydan laughed like a doughboy. I reached up and poked him too. His little laugh filled the room. Winnie grinned at us playing with her fat, happy brother. I was so blessed.
“Lordy mercy, Aydan, you’re fuller than a tick!” I exclaimed.
Character List
Grace Ann Bryant- Exiled fairy queen hiding in Shady Grove, Alabama. Daughter of Oberon. Also known as Gloriana, to her Father and the fairies of the Otherworld. She was called Hannah while traveling with the gypsy fairies before coming to North America. Owns a dachshund named Rufus. Loves orange soda and Crown. Nickname: Glory
Dylan Riggs- Sheriff of Loudon County, Alabama. Fiancé to Grace Ann Bryant. The last living Thunderbird and the only living Phoenix. Also known as Serafino Taranis and Keme Rowtag. Nickname: Darlin’
Levi Rearden- Changeling from Texas brought to live with Grace by Jeremiah Freyman. Given Bard powers by Oberon. Looks good in a towel. Nickname: Dublin
Wynonna Riggs- formerly known as Wynonna Jones, but adopted by Grace and Dylan. Human daughter of Bethany Jones who dies in Tinsel in a Tangle. Given the power of the Phoenix by her father. Nickname: Winnie
Aydan Thaddeus Riggs- son of Dylan Riggs and Grace Ann Bryant. Heir to Thunderbird inheritance.
Nestor Gwinn- Grace’s maternal grandfather. Kelpie. Owner of Hot Tin Roof Bar in Shady Grove. Maker of magical coffee.
Troy Maynard- Police chief in Shady Grove. Wolf shifter. Married to Amanda Capps and father to his adopted son, Mark Capps (Maynard) who is Winnie’s best friend.
Betty Stallworth- wife to Luther Harris. Waitress at the diner. Flirts with everyone. Fairy.
Luther Harris- head cook at the diner. Ifrit.
Tabitha Mistborne- fairy physician. Daughter of Rhiannon. Dating Remington Blake.
Mable Sanders- former spy for Oberon. Fairy Witch. Girlfriend of Nestor Gwinn.
Sergio Krykos- Grace’s Uncle who has taken over the Otherworld. In his first life, he was known as Mordred, half-brother to King Arthur. Goes by the name Brockton.
Oberon- King of the Winter Otherworld. Grace’s father. In his first life, he was known as King Arthur.
Rhiannon- Queen of the Summer Otherworld. Half-sister to Oberon. In her first life she was known as Morgana, a fairy witch.
Remington Blake- Grace’s ex-boyfriend. Dating Tabitha Mistborne. From N’awlins. Sweet talker. On
e of the Native American Star-folk.
Astor- The ginger knight that Grace brought back from the Summer realm. Formerly betrothed to Grace. Former First Knight of the Tree of Life. In his first life, he was Percival, Knight of the Round Table.
Matthew Rayburn- Druid. Spiritual leader of Shady Grove. Leads services in a Baptist Church which is a portal into the Summer Realm. Enthralled by Robin Rayburn.
Kadence Rayburn- Daughter of Matthew. Ex-girlfriend of Levi. Enthralled by Malcom Taggert. Becomes a fairy. Dating Caleb Joiner.
Malcolm Taggart- Incubus that once tried to seduce Grace. Enthralls Kady.
Caleb Joiner- Lives with Malcom and Kady, but frees Kady from Malcolm.
Riley McKenzie- Daughter of Rhiannon and Jeremiah Freyman. Levi’s ex-girlfriend. Stole the songbook. Fled the Summer Realm with Grace.
Stephanie Davis- Daughter of Rhiannon. Dylan’s ex-girlfriend. Sergio Krykos’ ex-girlfriend. Mother to Devin Blankenship. Missing in the Winter Otherworld.
Joey Blankenship- Tryst with Grace. Enthralled by Stephanie. Father to Devin Blankenship. Turned into a faun by Rhiannon. Escapes the Summer Realm with Grace and his son.
Eugene Jenkins- Mayor of Shady Grove. Former Knight of the Round Table, Ewain. Wife died in childbirth. Father to Ella Jenkins. Partner to Charles “Chaz” Leopold.
Eleanor “Ella” Jenkins- Changeling daughter of Mayor Jenkins. Catches Astor’s eye. Teacher at the fairy school.
Charles “Chaz” Leopold- Also known as “The Lion.” Hairdresser. Second Queen in Shady Grove.
Finley- Grace’s “twin” brother. Married to Nelly. Wears armor portraying the symbol of Grace’s royalty.
Jenny Greenteeth- A grindylow living in Shady Grove. In her first life, she was known as Guinevere, wife of Arthur, lover of Lancelot. Cursed to her current form.
Tennyson Schuyler- Mob boss. In his first life, he was known as Lancelot, Knight of the Round Table. Oberon calls him Lachlan.