by Ciara Lake
All the gods vanished. Terra and Aetius were left standing in an empty and suddenly dark room.
“When they decide to go, they do.” Terra looked up at the ceiling. “This has been a surreal experience.”
Aetius took her hand. “Dealing with the gods always is. Let’s go.” He turned and headed toward the door. The next step she took was in their suite near the bed. “I’m sorry if that was disconcerting.”
“It’s fine, it was a short jump. And I’m getting used to it.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and kicked off her shoes. “Today has been stressful.” She sighed.
“You’ve handled it well.”
“Thank you.” Terra leaned into him. He put his arm around her. “Look, they filled the closet with clothes.” She pointed to the opened closet.
“The gods want you to be comfortable here at their lodge.” He sat down next to her. “You can change into something more casual. We’ll go for a walk outside. The mountain air will calm your nerves.”
“When are we going to look for Emaline?”
“Soon. Hecate went to her as soon as she left the meeting. No doubt she’s hidden her. But we’ll find her. No worries.”
Terra got up and walked to the closet to look at the clothing. She moved the hangers as she looked through the clothes. Finally, she selected a dark green pantsuit and a white blouse. “I guess I’ll change into this.” She turned to go into the bathroom. When she got to the door, she stopped and looked back at him. “Do you still like me?”
“Of course. I told you I love you. I don’t change my mind about something like that. Why would you ask?”
“Come on, Aetius, I’m the great-granddaughter of your greatest enemy, Goddess Amuliana. And I’m an Unseelie Princess, my other great-grandmother is the Princess of Dread and Death. How horrid is that?” She made a gagging sound. “I’m a monster, like the Empusa.”
“Terra, that’s ridiculous. You’re nothing like the Empusa. You don’t kill people or steal their souls and afterlife. And I don’t blame you for being related to Amuliana. Like she said, she has a lot of children and grandchildren. It’s hardly your fault to be among them. As for the Fey Princess, it makes us more compatible. We’re both royal Fey. There’s very little difference between the Seelie and the Unseelie except for the Unseelie’s intolerance for humans. You like humans, probably more than I do.” He grinned.
“What do you know of the Princess of Dread and Death?”
“She was rebellious and defied her father. She has a reputation of being cruel to mortals.”
“That’s awful.”
“She is. And she refused to marry the man her father chose for her. He wanted her to marry a member of my family, an uncle. It was to unite the Seelie and Unseelie Courts.”
“Why don’t they say her true name?” Terra asked.
“Her father issued that order as punishment for her rebellion and cruelty.”
“Wow, that seems harsh.”
“No, not really. She’s been terribly cruel to unsuspecting humans. She doesn’t kill them like the Empusa, she makes them mad.”
“Mad? Mad at what?”
Aetius laughed. “She makes them insane with her torturous pranks. The Fey are notorious for pranks on gullible humans. Both the Seelie and Unseelie Fey love to trick humans, but they can like humans too. It depends.” He shrugged. “The Unseelie Fey are more malevolent. And DD is one nasty bitch to be accurate.”
“DD?”
“Yes, my name for her. You know, short for Dread and Death. She normally wears her true Fey appearance.”
“What’s that?” Terra cocked her head to the side.
“I’ll show you.”
Aetius unbuttoned his shirt and took it off. His dark eyes turned fully black. His reddish lips darkened to nearly black. Then black, lacy wings sprung from his back. They were huge and strong-looking, stretching at least seven feet across, from tip to tip. They lifted him from the floor, and he hovered in midair. He moved toward her. Two curved, black horns appeared on his head, completing his sinister appearance.
Terra held her breath as she watched him come closer to her. “You look like a beautiful, dark angel.” She dropped the clothes she was carrying.
“You mean a demon?” He smiled, showing sharp, fanged canines. “Immortals aren’t as human-looking as one might think. There’s usually something different lurking beneath the surface.”
“What’s beneath my surface?”
“I don’t know yet. Not all of us embrace this side of being a Fey, but I do at times. I share your mother’s dark looks. Some Fey, like my sister Faelan, have white wings and no horns. They appear less demonic, some would say. You look shocked. Do you care for me less now?”
“No.” She shook her head. “I’m surprised, but really you’re kinda sexy scary.” She chuckled. “I’ve always liked bad boys.”
His wings and horns disappeared, and his eyes returned to be more human-looking. “Go change your clothes. Let’s take a walk in the Enchanted Forest, and we’ll make plans to locate Emaline.”
Terra picked the clothing up. She rushed into the bathroom and changed quickly.
As she was coming back into the bedroom, someone knocked on the door.
“Who is it?” Aetius asked.
“It’s Deena. I have your late lunch.”
Aetius opened the door, and Deena came in with a large tray of food.
She sat it down on the coffee table. “I’ve brought you sandwiches and salads.”
“It looks delicious.” Terra’s stomach growled. She leaned over to pick up one of the sandwiches, but before she could, it turned moldy and rotten. Bugs crawled out from beneath the bread. “What?”
“Bon appétit.” Deena transformed into Hecate.
“What do you want, witch?” Aetius stepped between Hecate and Terra.
“Now, now, your lover has some witch blood in her. Be respectful.” Hecate peered around Aetius to look at Terra. “One thing you may not know yet, Fey are typically mean-spirited.” She laughed.
“What do you want?” Aetius growled.
“I came to tell you I’ve disguised and hidden Emaline with a powerful protection spell. You’ll never find her, don’t bother to look.”
“Whatever.” He shrugged. “It’s hard to hide from me. It’s nearly impossible to be someplace without air, water, earth, fire, or the aether. So, we’ll see how long she can stay hidden. Now, are you done being an uninvited pest? Or shall I have the elements show you my power?” A fire engulfed the spoiled food, and it was reduced to ashes. “That could be you.”
“You dare threaten me?”
“Sure, why not, you’re in my room, unwelcomed. And Hecate, I’m not in any way afraid of you. But you should be very afraid of me.” He was only inches from her, using his size to be intimidating. “Now leave my room and never return to invade my space again.”
The goddess vanished, leaving the stench of sulfur behind.
“The smell’s awful.”
A gust of wind originated out of nowhere and pushed the noxious smell under the door and out of the room.
“How long can she hide from you?”
He shook his head. “I don’t know, but it’s hard for Emaline to change her ways. The elements will help me find her. Let’s go for that walk now.”
Chapter 11
Terra and Aetius strolled along the wooded path, enjoying the Tennessee wilderness. They held hands as they watched several deer rummaging the forest floor for food.
“I understand why Genevieve loves this place. It’s gorgeous. She owns a little piece of paradise.” Terra stopped to gaze at the sky. “The sun will be completely gone soon.” She shivered. “I can see the stars. They’re beautiful.”
“None of them are as beautiful as you.” Aetius put his arm around her shoulders.
“Aetius, you have a silver tongue.” She rose up on her toes and kissed his lips. “You boost my self-confidence.”
“I only say what I think.”
He hugged her. “Maybe we should go see your grandmother now. We can’t put if off forever. We’ve been walking around in the woods for hours.”
“You’re saying what you think right now?” She glanced at him.
“I am.”
“Haven’t you enjoyed our walk?” She put her hand on his chest as she looked up at him. “Are you getting tired?”
“Sure, I’ve enjoyed our walk. And no, I’m not tired. I know you’re delaying talking to Genevieve. She had to know you’d learn the truth eventually. Just ask her why. I’ll be there with you.”
“I’m sure she didn’t expect I’d learn so quickly. It was surprising Zeus announced my ancestry. If Genevieve’s never attended a council meeting, she wouldn’t know Zeus would do such a thing.”
“I noticed that Genevieve seemed a little apprehensive about the meeting. But I didn’t realize the identification of ancestry was a requirement to attend the hearing. They always announce my title and ancestry, but I never really thought about why it’s done. I thought it was merely a formality. You know, like when you attend a ball.”
“You mean like in Cinderella? When the herald announces the guests as they arrive.”
“Yes. It’s a good thing I’ve read most of the human fairy tales, it has allowed me to understand what you’re talking about. And I’ve seen the movies too. Of course, the modern interpretations aren’t like the original stories. The real fairy tales are darker, like the real Fey.”
“True. I guess with my genetic background, my appreciation of fairy tales fits me.”
“I suppose so. Now let’s take your humor and imagination and go visit Genevieve.”
“I don’t like confrontations.” Terra looked away.
“No one said there’ll be a confrontation.”
“I don’t want Genevieve to be upset.”
“Are you upset?”
“No, just confused.” She bit her nail.
“So don’t worry, and stop biting your nails—that’s a bad habit.”
“Okay, bossy.” She pulled her hand out of her mouth. “I always hated it when my foster parents became upset at something I said or did.”
“Terra, you’re not a child anymore. I’m with you, and Genevieve is your true family. And honestly, you just had bad luck with mortal foster parents.”
“I guess not all mortals would have reacted like the ones I had. Maybe?”
“That’s right. Also, Genevieve loved you when she gave you up. It was very hard for her to do what she did. She won’t want to lose you again.” He rubbed the back of Terra’s neck. “This won’t be confronting her. You’re just asking her to explain some things you have the need to understand.”
“And that’s different than confrontation?”
“Yes, mostly. You’re not wanting to argue, you want to be informed. Right?” He hugged her again.
“Yes.” She nodded.
“Then you can talk to her about the Beltane celebration. And tell her you’ve agreed to be my wife and we’ll celebrate it under the stars on that sacred night.” He smiled from ear to ear.
“I guess so.” She looked down at her hands as if she was thinking about biting her nail again, then she started to walk. Suddenly, she stopped. “What did you say?”
“I knew you sometimes only listen to parts of what I’m saying.” He grinned and shook his head.
“That’s not true. Did you ask me to marry you?” She relaxed her stance.
He stepped in front of her and got down on his knees. Aetius moved so fast it made her dizzy. “Not yet.” He smiled at her. “I love you, my darling Terra. I’ve only known you a short time, but I’ve lived an incredibly long life. I know myself. I’ve achieved all I’ve wanted to accomplish except to be with the love of my life.” He took her hand. “My lovely friend, please become my loving wife.” His dark eyes shined up at her as they became completely black, and small, smooth, black horns appeared on his head. “I reveal my true self—except my wings, which are under my clothes—as I humble myself to ask for your hand.”
“You’re gorgeous.” She kissed him.
“There’s no better time to have our union celebrated than at the Beltane festival. Will you do me the honor and celebrate our love with our friends and community?”
“My first instinct is to run from commitment, to avoid the ultimate hurt of rejection which typically follows.”
“I understand. But I’m different. You’ve never known anyone like me.”
“That’s for sure.” She lightly touched one of his horns.
“Like you accept me, I accept you and won’t reject you for what you are or what you do.”
“I know.” A tear rolled down her cheek, followed by an avalanche of tears. “It’s a hard thing to undo the trials of childhood.”
“Yes. You have a hard time trusting others, so you remain detached.”
“That’s been the way I’ve lived, mostly.”
“I can be patient. I hope that one day you’ll be able to trust me fully.” He put her hand on the side of his face and briefly closed his eyes.
“You have a sweet heart,” she whispered.
He looked at her with serious contemplation. “To be honest, at times, I can be far from sweet.”
“I realize that too.” She gently touched his hair.
“When most immortals mate, and it’s a mating of our choice, we intend it to be forever. This is especially true for Fey. I don’t enter this commitment lightly. I’m promising you the balance of my very long life to be your mate.”
“I don’t really know what to say. What you’ve said has been so eloquent.” She looked at him through her tears. “I love you too.” She kissed his forehead. “I know we’ve known each other only a short time. And I don’t have the long life and experiences you have, to be as wise as you. But I know I can trust you. Also, you make me feel extraordinary. I’ll gladly be your wife.”
“Excellent. You’ve make me very happy. I don’t have a ring for you.”
“That’s okay.” Terra smiled.
“I didn’t think I could compete with the emerald Goddess Gaia gave you. So...” He reached into his pocket. “I have these rather simple but beautiful silver bracelets. They’re circles too, like a ring indicating the infinity of our love. I have one for you and one for me.” He showed them to her. The silver bracelets sparkled in the dimming light.
Terra took one from his hand and held it close to examine it. “They’re perfect. What does it say?” She pointed to the foreign script on the bracelet.
“They’re inscribed in Fey. They both say the same, but my name is inside your bracelet and your name is inside mine.”
“I like that. Is this one mine?”
“Yes.” He took it from her and put it on her wrist. “It’s to be worn on the left arm, the one close to the heart.” He winked at her.
“What does the rest of the script say?”
“The outside inscription says your heart is my heart, and our hearts beat as one, for the rest of our days.”
“You’re such a romantic. I love it.” She leaned into him and hugged him tight, then placed a kiss on his lips. “I love you.”
“My love, let’s go talk to your grandmother and tell her our good news.”
* * * *
The kitchen was lit by a lantern in the center of the dining table. Its yellow light cast a soft glow over the room. Genevieve preferred candles and lanterns to using the electric lights. On the table was an assortment of cookies and sweet buns. Aetius was busy sampling every kind.
“Are these what you’re serving at the Beltane festival?” He held one of the cookies up.
“Well, not those particular ones.” Terra bumped his leg with hers.
“You know what I mean.” He downed the cookie he had in his hand, then he picked up a cinnamon bun. “I really love these buns.” He wiggled his eyebrows at Terra. “And yours too.”
“Aetius, not in front of my grandmother.”
“Terra, he’s fine.”
Genevieve waved her hand. “I understand young lovers. Even though Aetius isn’t so young.” She chuckled. “Nevertheless, he seems good for you.”
“He is.” Terra pushed her tea cup closer to the center of the table.
“It’s good you got the writ for Emaline.” Genevieve poured the hot brewed tea into each of their porcelain cups. “This is my new blend of basil and thyme tea.” She sat the tea pot down on the hot pad.
“The brew smells wonderful.” Terra inhaled the steam. “It’s a soothing aroma.” She took a sip from her cup. “Tastes good too.”
“I think I need some sugar in mine.” Aetius sat his cup back down.
“You like everything sweet,” Terra teased him.
“I do.” He winked at her. “I like you sweet too.”
“You two are adorable.” Genevieve put two cookies on her plate.
“It looks like you’re almost ready for the Beltane festival. The place looks great.” Terra pushed the sugar bowl toward Aetius.
“It does look festive. You and I had done most of it before you left to go to Mount Olympus.”
“I guess. I just can really admire it now.” Terra gazed around the room. Everything had been straightened and dusted. Genevieve had sat out decorations representing spring and summer.
“I’m glad I’m having this soiree. I like that word.” Genevieve rested both her elbows on the table as she held her tea cup. “It’s going to be so large and grand, I’m calling it a soiree.”
“Nice.” Aetius nodded. “The word is very close to a Fey word meaning a grand party. Do you know the word I’m talking about?” Aetius put three teaspoons of sugar into his cup.
Genevieve glanced at him. “No, I don’t think so.” She shook her head and glossed over his question. “I’m glad I’ve gotten so much done. All that’s really left is to prepare the food. I have others in my community helping me with the food. Perhaps you can help me too.” She looked up at Terra. “We’ll have fun working together.”
“Yes, I’d like to help.”
“Great, then we’re set. I have the lights up, the tables arranged, the deck painted, the Maypole up and decorated, the area cleared for the bonfire, and the menus planned.”