I confided in Jax about my new spells each night as we lay together, me wrapped in his arms.
My father admitted to me that he couldn’t get used to seeing my mother around. He kept his distance, not actively avoiding her, but not seeking her out either. He’d delved into his own training, becoming acclimated to it quickly; it seemed my father was a bad arse. Brilliant, too. He planned the battle we faced, down to every Tanzieth role in it.
I turend to Jax one morning after an intense night of nightmares-most depicting my failure to stop Traflier.
“Traflier is growing stronger in his attacks on my shield. It won’t be long before his puppets break through. A few days at best.”
“We are ready Des. The Tanzieth can help you win this war.”
“I don’t want the children anywhere near the battle though, even the ones that think they are old enough.”
“I had an idea about that,” he said reaching over to the drawer on the other side of the bed. He pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. On it I was what looked like a primitive trap to catch an animal in the woods. “What is it?”
“It’s a bunker, you can manipulate the trees to enclose the children,” he said running his finger over where he had drawn the twisted branched covering a dug out section of earth.
“That might work, I could shield it too,” I said smiling up into his gleaming eyes. “Thanks, can you tell the parents, they can make sure their children are inside before I close it?”
Jax was happy to communicate his idea to the parents of the Tanzieth children, all of them happy to go with my plan, but some of the older children did complain about not being an active member in the battle. They were given blades to stand guard over the younger ones which seemed to placate them.
As Jax had suggested, I used my persuasion over the trees to create the enormous bunker for the children of Baldea to hide beneath. I would wait until they were all inside to close it and create a new bubble shield over it. I would protect it as long as I could, but if I were to fail, the thick, twisting trunks of the trees would provide them cover from the battle too.
That afternoon, I detected the first ripple. It did not break the shield, but it wavered slightly, the Stalisies surprisingly quickly retreated when they saw the weakness in my wall. My father dispatched guards to the spot that had faltered to watch for the return of any of Traflier’s puppets.
“It won’t be long now,” I said to my father as we stood together, watching the Tanzieth train in their sections behind the house. “They didn’t get long to prepare.”
“They are strong, Desmoree. They have everything to fight for.”
“We all do,” I said as I looked to him. He wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me over to a half hug.
“Get some rest. I’ll watch their progress, and the alert will sound if the barrier is broken.”
I gave him a kiss on the cheek and headed for my room. My room here was nicer than any I’d ever had. An ornate, wood-carved king-sized bed head rested against the shimmery pearl walls. I, too, had a large mirror and intricately detailed dresser, but mine held no photos. It did display a vase of dandielillies.
I sat on the end of the bed and tested my energy powers on them. Blackening their beautiful silver petals and then bringing them back to life, then blackening them again. Jax burst through the door and, though he knew what I had been doing; I quickly gave the dandielillies back the energy I had borrowed before standing to greet him. He pulled me in close, nuzzling the crease of my neck. His breath was hot on my skin and my body reacted. Instantly I wanted more. I missed him every moment he was away, and lately he was spending most of his days with the others training.
He released me and held me at arm’s length, then bent down on one knee, took one of my hands in his, and gazed at me with those glistening green whirlpools.
“Jax, what are…”
“Shh. Des, you know I love you.”
“But what are you doing?”
“Just listen. I love you, Desmoree. I knew I loved you the moment I met you.”
“You mean when you stabbed me?”
“No. After that, smart arse.” He squeezed my hand tighter. “I love you with everything I am.” He reached behind his bent leg with his free hand and pulled out a small shiny red box.
“Jax, what…”
“Listen Des. We never know for sure what will happen. You might get glimpses, but the big stuff, the path we take, it could lead us anywhere. I don’t want to spend even one day without you.”
“You have me. Whatever happens, I’m yours.”
“Then, say yes.” He opened the shiny red box. Hands shaking, he revealed the most amazing antique ring glistening inside.
“You are insane.”
“I’m not. I just know that if we win this war and we have the rest of our lives together, I will be happy for the rest of my days,”
“And if we fail? If I fail?”
“Then we will be tied together in essence still, happy together for eternity.”
I shook my head, “we can’t, not yet, there isn’t time.” I knew the words were not what he wanted to hear, but there truly wasn’t time. I wanted to be with him, I had never felt this way about anyone. But I couldn’t plan a wedding in a day and that was all we had. In less than twenty-four hours, Traflier and his band of Stalisies would break through my yellow bubble and try to slaughter the entire Tanzieth species. Not that I was about to blurt that particular fact out in that moment.
“You worry too much.” Jax smiled and I found myself lost again in his green whirlpools. I almost didn’t notice he had taken the ring from the box and was sliding it up my finger.
“Jax, No. I love you, but—”
“No,” he interrupted squeezing my hand in his.
“Jax, I don’t mean no I won’t marry you, I mean no, not now…”
“No, silly Desmoree.” He stood and pulled me in close enough for me to feel his sweet breath as he spoke. “I am saying no to all the reasons that you say we don’t have time. I’m saying no to you wanting to wait, And I’m saying no to that brain that somehow became so practical all of a sudden. I only have one other question for you and, it is the only answer that matters. Do you love me?”
“Of course I do,” I said, kissing him passionately, pulling him in tighter. My body hummed in excitement. I released him, “Jax, I love you with all my heart and soul.”
He pulled away, taking my hand and said, “Great, follow me.”
Hesitantly, I followed him out my bedroom door and down the hall towards my father’s study. I loved the study, partly because it looked nothing like Traflier’s and partly because it was somehow like coming home. Most nights, Frey’s visions crafted dreams in my mind. She shared her memories of speaking with my mother in this study, telling her she was expecting me, that she would need to keep me safe. She shared with me a beautiful memory of my mother and father huddled together, reading novels and poetry in his study. My father would read to my mother for hours, but each night would recite one poem. I’d replayed the vision in my mind many times. The poem had been written by Micka Hoursable—a long-dead poet of the Tanzieth who fell in love with a widowed woman, and spent his days and nights trying to woo her with his words. I loved the last line most of all:
Never alone you walk in this world, for my heart lives not within myself, but within the sparkle in your smiles eye.
The study was designed like a watchtower, tall enough for three floors of shelving with an arched balcony at the top that housed an enormous telescope. A rounded spiral staircase rose up and around the walls, allowing access the upper levels. Across from the entrance, an arched opening sat shielded by black drapes. It led out onto a secret garden complete with an angel fountain. I loved being in that garden, in all that was going on. Sitting by the fountain, I always found myself refreshed and re-energized.
“You love this garden almost as much as I love you. So—” He pulled back the curtains and there stood F
rey, my mother, my father, Moyeth, and Phoneas. Frey stood under a floral arch with my mother and father on either side of her. Jax bent down again, his green whirlpools glowing.
“You sneaky bastard!” I yelled.
“Desmoree,” came my mother’s chiding voice.
“Jax, of course I will marry you.” I quickly phased into my fairy form, but instead of my wings wrapping around me, they fell behind me slightly to form a small train. I pulled Jax up to me and kissed him.
“That part comes at the end,” they all said at once.
Jax and I laughed as we broke our kiss and walked down the aisle towards them.
My mother and father’s smiles grew with every step we took and when we reached the arch, they kissed both of us. Then they took their places behind us and it was only then I noticed the others in the room—Jax’s parents and his aunt had come too. I had only briefly met his parents in the rush of the previous days, but I loved them dearly already. They, too, walked over and kissed us both before standing with my parents, Moyeth, and Phoneas.
My hands shook with excitement. Like most women, I had imagined what my wedding day would be like for a long time. Of course, I could have never imagined this.
The garden was perfect. It hummed with excitement, too, as I pushed my overflowing energy into the flowers and plants around us. Frey began the service, but she didn’t recite the usual wedding jargon, or at least not the one I knew.
“Those who are witness to this union will be bound to keep it whole. It is a fixture in your souls as you pledge here today to help keep this pure and honest love alive.”
I looked back at my mother and father. She was grinning ear to ear, and my father was welling up again. He rubbed away a tear with the pad of his pinkie finger, pretending to have an itch.
Jax turned to me, his hands shaking as he placed another antique ring on my finger. I held up my hand in the light to finally look at the first ring properly. It was a square-cut sapphire surrounded by nine white diamonds, held in place by a tricolored twisted band of rose, yellow and white gold, at least that’s what they looked like. The second ring slid into place next to it, its curved band locking into place with the first ring. The twisted bands shimmered with diamond flakes and hugged my finger as if it, too, knew it belonged there.
“My Des, you have my heart, you have my love. You are my everything, always and forever.” Jax said as I lowered my hand to hold his again.
I looked at Jax for a moment, taking in his sweet words. Then my heart sank—I’ve got no ring to offer him. Then a smirk rose to my lips and I turned his hand palm down, encasing it in mine.
“Wherever I am you will be. I will hold you in my mind, my heart, my soul, and my essence. We will always be together, and I will always love you.”
Everyone looked at me, confused. Everyone except Frey. She nodded to the others and looked down at Jax’s hand, still held within mine. I lifted Jax’s hand and circling his forth finger was what looked like tiny silver vines.
“This is a part of me, and now Jax can find me whenever he needs to. And I will always be able to find him. By giving him a part of me, a link to my heart, we are truly joined forever.”
Frey smiled and waved her hand at Jax in a go ahead, you can kiss her expression. This was the part of the wedding ceremony I’d always liked best, where the groom took his bride in his arms and pulled her into a longing embrace before kissing her with all of their love shining through for all to see.
However, as Jax leaned in to kiss me, it was not the sighs of our adoring family that broke my and Jax’s concentration, it was the shriek of terror that came from a Tanzieth who had been guarding my weak spot. The Stalisies were through. The siren had sounded and the battle had begun.
“We have to go, Dad. Into position.”
“Desmoree.” My mother’s face dimmed with sadness.
“You have to go now, don’t you?” My mother, Frey and all the other essence had stayed too long. We had known it would happen, but that didn’t take away the sting.
“I love you, Mum; I know you will be watching. But remember to look away when I’m in the bedroom.”
“Desmoree,” my father scolded as he turned to leave the room. She shook her head suppressing a smile then hugged me tightly before pulling Jax in for what looked like a just as tight embrace.
“I am proud to call you son. Look after my Desmoree,” she said, releasing him from her grasp. Then she turned to my father. “I know you have tried to stay away. It was painful when I left the first time, and it is so cruel that I have to go again, but I still love you, and I will always be with you, even if you can’t see me.”
“I love you,” he said as he took her hand in his.
The smile on my mother’s face was painful to see. She loved him so much, and in barely a second, she disappeared. Frey grinned at me and winked before Moyeth, Phoneas, and Frey all disappeared.
“Dad, we have to go!”
He nodded and took off through the study. Jax and I rushed to where I had prepared the children’s shelter, and when the last child was secured within my twisted-tree-trunk bunker, I sealed the opening and encased it in a protective bubble. I was hopeful their bubble would last through the battle. But if it didn’t, I knew the trees themselves would do all they could to keep them safe.
The other Tanzieth had already taken their positions and were awaiting instructions. Each group had its own leader to prevent a collapse in our plans, one of Moyeth’s ideas. I could hear the Stalisies getting closer. The air rippled and the ground began to tremble.
A dark cloud loomed closer. Thousands of black lightning shards were soaring across the sky, right towards the Tanzieth on the front line.
“NOW!” I called out, and the archers fired arkreed arrows into the sky. As they splintered and scattered their needles into the air, the black lightning struck them, exploding and leaving the Tanzieth bellow unharmed.
When the mist cleared, the Dazerarthro floated high in the sky smirking through his mutated face.
Though the Tanzieth could fly, I had convinced them to keep that top secret until the battle became an all-air assault.
I flew head on into battle and fired my white light at the Dazerarthro. He dodged it easily and rocketed towards me. I took off higher into the sky, drawing him away from the battle beginning bellow. The Tanzieth could hold off the puppets for now, I had to destroy the Dazerarthro before I could go after Traflier.
I’d almost reached the cliffs behind Baldea when his slimy fingers wrapped around my leg and spun me, releasing me like a slingshot I sailed towards the jagged rock wall.
I phased into my fairy form, my wings expanding, creating a parachute that prevented me from slamming into the rocks. I used them to speed me toward him and I slammed into his disgusting flesh, wrapped my wings around us both, and spun. He tried to grab me, but the force I created held him still against me. He reeked of rot and mud. The smell burned my nostrils, but it didn’t deter me. I had to do this; I had to win this time. I felt the ground grow nearer and released him towards it. He hit the dirt with a thud. I landed gracefully next to him.
“You picked the wrong side,” I said, taking a step closer. “This is where your story ends.” I raised my hands and drew out my energy, creating a fizzing white ball of light over both hands. He twisted quickly on the ground, sliding his legs under me and sending me onto my arse.
“You will die screaming,” he said, lunging at me, throwing me onto my back. He raised his hand and shot at me. I pushed his hand away just in time for his lightning to blast the dirt beside my head. I shot back, his face blackening up one cheek as my energy slid past. He shrieked a spine chilling cry.
“Look who’s screaming now,” I said, shoving him off me. I shot at him again and again, each blast sending him back a step and blackening where it connected.
“Once upon a time, there was a demon,” I said, blasting him in the side. “That demon was weak.” I shot at his right arm, most of it disintegrati
ng at contact, a black ooze seeping from the stump that remained. “He thought he could win in a war against the Fey.” I shot at his other arm. It succumbed to the same fate as the right.
“He was wrong.” I raised an orb of light above my head. It sizzled with energy—my energy. I fired it at the Dazerarthro, his entire form exploding in a splatter of ooze and flesh. “He died,” I sing-songed to myself. “The end.”
My winning feeling was short lived as the cries carried on the wind towards me. I took off into the sky heading for the battle.
When the Stalisies came into sight, I was shocked to see how little there were. There had been a few thousand Stalisies when I’d left, now, there were maybe eight or nine hundred.
The Tanzieth were doing well to keep them back, another round of orbs sailed towards his army, exploding over the hundred or so in front causing them to waver in their step before falling to the ground. Like the puppets they were, those behind walked over the paralyzed bodies of those that fell, no second glance given. I arrived above the battle just as the Stalisies reached the front line and something appeared beside me in the sky. I spun within my wings across, up and away before my eyes saw him.
“What the fuck, Mortimer, you just scared the crap out of me!”
“You do have a chance, Des.” He said it as if I doubted our success. Truth being, I probably did.
“It’s going to be horrible, for both sides isn’t it?” I smiled weakly. Mortimer nodded gently then descended into the group, and I lost him amongst those on the frontlines.
The Tanzieth were all equipped with blades, and some had learned to wield them with deadly precision. I had given Sacorasies and the elephant cannon to Jax; my abilities would keep me safe enough, and I wanted him to have all the protection I could offer. The Stalisies hit our frontline and for a moment, all I could see was a blur of bodies, swinging, ducking, thrashing, and screaming. The Stalisies fell hardest, though we did lose three in the first assault. The air thickened around their bodies after they died, before I could witness them ascend perfectly, but this was all that was left of my connection to essence.
Enchanting the Fey- The Complete Series Page 20