Guardians of Fire

by Alexia Purdy

  She rubbed her temple while quietly sliding her hand over her stomach.

  “Are you ill?” I asked.

  She shook her head. “No. Just tired.”

  “Okay, but if you need anything, let me know. Let Camulus fetch his master Ursad. You’ve done enough traveling for one week.”

  She gave me a small smile, agreeing to the terms I’d set.

  “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?” I hoped her headaches had not worsened. Since her torture in the Unseelie castle, the subsequent attack, and nearly dying at the hands of Aveta and Arthas’s army, she’d suffered from increasing headaches.

  “Yeah. I just need to rest. Exhausted.”

  “Okay. I’ll see you later.”

  She nodded and threw me another weak smile then leaned in for a kiss. I let my lips linger on hers. It felt like pure bliss and made my head swim, a feeling I was craving even more now that I had her back. The smile on my face couldn’t get much wider without ripping my cheeks, but she could feel my elation, and it brightened her mood enough that she whispered a “thank you” before slipping away.

  My heart pounded as the warmth of her body faded with the increasing distance between us. There would never be a time I didn’t crave her, and nothing would ever get between us again.

  I paused, watching her as she led away her strange horse, and I wondered why she even kept it. It was downright demonic and had belonged to the long-deceased Aveta, the former queen of the Unseelie Realm. I’d long wondered how much of Aveta’s power she’d absorbed when the queen had given her command of the realm. It was enough that the kelpie, the demonic water horse, followed her everywhere, even back to The Scren Palace in the Seelie Realm. It kept its dark form and wouldn’t let anyone ride it except for Shade.

  Now Shade loved the darn thing. It was gruesome looking with its dark mane, partially scaled body, and reddened eyes. She’d ridden one before when Corb had taken her prisoner for Aveta, but she hadn’t ridden this one until Aveta died and it had followed her home, like a stray. Mary had a little lamb—err, demonic kelpie horse. A shudder ran along my spine.

  I turned away as a stable hand took the reins of Shade’s kelpie and she entered the palace. I could distantly hear her voice as she directed the servants to prepare dinner. These commands were interrupted by words of congratulations from her court. At least some people thought it was a joyous occasion, which lightened my mood as I made my way around to another entrance; I didn’t want to get caught up in the commotion in the main hall. Once inside, I headed toward the makeshift prison cell where my mother, Iana, was being held captive.

  It wasn’t exactly a prison. It was an enchanted suite of rooms in the east wing which were now given over to her use with the understanding that she was to be restrained via charms set by witches who worked for the Scren royalty. They’d helped us before, after the Faerie war against Aveta and Arthas, to repair the broken wards and boundaries of Faerie. Now they held Iana captive inside her suite.

  I doubted Shade would ever trust my mother. I barely did. Though we were getting to know each other after so many years, the woman was more a stranger to me than a mother. I hoped our relationship would change sooner or later, but I wasn’t holding my breath.

  My mother could be a handful, and she’d been conscious a bit over a week. Her magic was special, different from other fey, and it had taken several witches, an oracle, and Shade’s magic to raise the barrier which her within her chambers and contained her magic. Her magic had run wild for far too long and had increased so much from living in a vortex of power atop the Teleen Caverns. She’d grown into somewhat of an abomination of magic.

  I didn’t care. It gave me the opportunity to keep her safe, near me, where I could tend to her needs and learn more about her. We’d spent a lifetime apart, and I wasn’t going to waste any more time without either her or Shade.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Dylan

  “Do you know why I called you here, Dylan?”

  I peered up at Queen Gretel, the ancient yet beautiful ruler of the Teleen. Unfortunately, the rumors were true; she had chosen to wither and die.

  “No, My Queen. I apologize, but I don’t know why you called me here. Does it have anything to do with finding your successor?”

  Queen Gretel shook her head as she eyed me up and down with curiosity. I knew she could sense the sadness filling my soul. “Faerie is dying. Can you not feel it?”

  “No.” I shook my head, stunned by her words. “What do you mean?”

  Queen Gretel closed her eyes and placed a hand over them as though she was exhausted. The beginnings of her slow withering were taking hold. In a matter of days, she’d be dead by her choice. I hoped she choose her successor before that, or the war for the crown could cause rifts wider than the crevasses inside the Teleen Caverns.

  “Our land, our magic, it’s all affected by so many things—the unbalance of nature, the deaths of our loved ones, the shift of the human realm, and, of course magic.” Her eyes opened, and she watched me as I tried to comprehend what she was saying. “The land is also rooted to the Ancients. They are the physical embodiment of Faerie. They are immortal but still fragile in many ways, and they are not at all immune to the upheavals of the world. Things seeking to destroy us… them, and all of Faerie… they are here. The Ancients are plagued. Cursed. If one of them dies, our land withers. If they cannot remain constant, our borders and wards will fail. Our powers will die. Everything we are will disappear. We are of magic, connected to the human realm forever, but our Ancients are the pillars of all that is around us. Without the four points of power, we will fall, as will the human realm. Everything will be dragged down into an all-consuming darkness. Do you understand?”

  I shook my head, more confused than ever before. I understood her words, but they didn’t seem real to me. The Ancients were important, yes, but how could the entire world fall without them? There were other powerful beings in Faerie. If the Ancients were dying, couldn’t one of them hold things together? A shiver ran down my spine as the realization came to me.

  “You’re talking about Shade. Somehow this has something to do with her, doesn’t it?”

  Queen Gretel settled back into her throne, and I thought I heard her bones creak. Her glamour was holding, but just barely, and her true self was slipping through now and then. She looked older and more tired than I’d ever seen her.

  “I believe Shade is the key to solving this. At least one of them. You see, Faerie and its magic are ancient; it’s of the old world, from before. The modern era changed everything. There is no longer violence between fey and human. Not deliberately. But Shade and people like her, of magic and of the modern world, are the ones I believe can save us.”

  “But how? What does she have to do?”

  “If I knew, Dylan, I would tell you. I would. There are things the Land of Faerie won’t even tell us, the rulers. These things are meant only for Ancients and those with the heart to save us all. Shade must find a way to end this withering. I am sure she will, and you will help her when the time comes. In the meantime, the contest for my successor begins. I know you will help choose the right faery to lead the Teleen.”

  She closed her eyes and rested her head on the back of the chair as I digested her words. She’d just laid a great responsibility at my feet, and my mind raced as I considered the possibilities running rampant through my mind.

  “How do you know I’ll choose the right ruler?” I asked

  “I just know. That is all you need. Go now; I’m exhausted. The withering has already begun to take hold, and within a few days’ time, I will be gone. You’ll pick the right person, for the one I would have chosen cannot take the crown as they are. Once the chosen is crowned, the fate of the Teleen will rest in his or her hands. Choose well.”

  Her steel grey eyes dug into me, emphasizing the meaning of the words. I knew she had meant to crown me ruler of Teleen, but it was a position that would never be mine. Not unless I divorce Shade. Gr
etel meant for me to know that. Instead, she had decided I would have to choose the successor myself.

  It was a hard fact to swallow. Tempting too.

  No. I was already a king, a ruler, but not in the caverns. I was one of the rulers of The Scren Palace. I was Shade’s king, even though she now ruled with another at her side. It did not make my position any less important nor did it affect the responsibilities I had to my kingdom and to the Land of Faerie.

  I would complete the task Gretel had assigned me, a new Teleen ruler would be chosen, and the clan would continue on without Queen Gretel.

  I straightened, feeling my determination return.

  “Yes, Your Majesty. I will do everything in my power to make sure the Teleen clan is ruled by the most suitable candidate.” I bowed, turned, and walked out of the throne room.

  I didn’t feel any lighter than I had before, but a renewed purpose now drove me. I would do as Gretel had asked, but I didn’t know where to start. Who would be good enough to replace Gretel? No one fit the bill as it stood, and I was going to have to dig deeper to find the right one.

  “How was your meeting with our queen?”

  Sylphi appeared before as I rounded a bend in the corridor. She seemed to always be right on my periphery, and I wasn’t sure if I should admire her skills at locating me or be concerned that I had a stalker.

  “It’s a private matter. I’m not allowed to discuss it with you.”

  The scowl on her face elated me, a fact I also found disturbing. In a sadistic way, I enjoyed making her angry. It reminded me of why I’d liked her company so much ages ago. She and I were a toxic mix of volatile energy, feeding itself with unrelenting suffering.

  “That’s fine. I didn’t really expect you to tell me much. I came to ask you for some advice. You were christened with your father’s memories, correct? Didn’t he help Gretel win the crown centuries ago?” I nodded, wondering what she was getting at. “Would you be a gentleman and let me study his methods?”

  I shook my head. “I don’t have time for that.”

  “Time is but what you make of it.” She stepped forward and ran her hand across my chest and down my arm. It did nothing for me emotionally, but it still caused my skin to flare into unintentional goosebumps.

  This was insane. Any time spent with Sylphi was never logical. Plus, I really didn’t have any time for her at all, and I was no less of a man to realize such a thing. She just never could take the obvious hint, and I was tired of stringing her along.

  At least I was at that moment. I watched her circle around me like a tiger admiring its prey, waiting for the right moment to strike. She was vicious, but she wasn’t my enemy. Nor was she anything I needed right now. Still, I was never one to waste a resource when it was batting its eyelashes at me, especially since Sylphi was probably the strongest candidate to win the crown of Teleen.

  I could help her and make her my queen if I really wanted to. I could coax her into doing anything I wished. Our relationship had not been treacherously one-sided; we’d had a silent compromise to boost each other with every move we made, even when my dislike of her old methods had severed our relationship. I had to admit, my previous co-dependence with her was a hard habit to break.

  Now she’d fallen into my lap, and it was as good a time as any to smooth things over with her and get what I wanted out of this partnership too.

  “All right. You know what? I need to apologize to you, Sylphi. I’ll help you gain ground over the competition for the crown, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow. I’ve got some thinking to do. How about a raincheck?”

  Her smile returned, momentarily satisfied with my answer. “I’ll come see you at the break of dawn—your quarters. I won’t even mind if you don’t feel like getting out of bed that early.”

  With a wink, she waved goodbye and made her way into the throne room, her long gown trailing behind her. As I watched her teasingly sashay past me, I hoped she didn’t bother Gretel with much; that girl was unbearable at times. Shaking my head and exhaling a long, thoughtful breath, I spun on my feet and headed down the cavern hall to my quarters.

  Sylphi was good figuring things out and gaining power when it mattered. Pissing her off wasn’t a good idea, especially since the fate of Faerie might partially depend on what I did in the next few days or weeks. Still, I knew I was but a small part of it. The situation was really in someone else’s hands—someone I loved dearly and hadn’t seen in days, even though it’d been my decision to cut her off for the moment.

  I’d use Sylphi to win back Shade. It wasn’t ideal, and I searched my feelings to make sure I wasn’t letting my emotions overcome my reason, but I truly felt in my heart that Sylphi was the best person to rule the Teleen. I might as well get something out of helping her to the throne, and I knew it was a deal she wouldn’t be able to refuse… not if she wanted to be queen.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Benton

  I stared at the ceiling in my room at The Scren Palace, feeling the ache of the trip back from the Pyren swim across my bones. Isolde was already tucked into bed asleep, worn out as I was. But she didn’t have insomnia. I did.

  Dammit if my mind didn’t run away from me when I wanted to rest. Instead of disturbing Isolde with my tossing and turning and groaning with frustration, I decided to get up for a midnight walk through the palace. It wasn’t like I was there too often, and sometimes it was nice to see the palace grounds when everyone was asleep and silence reigned.

  I made my way through the halls and out into the gardens tended to perfection and filled with an array of blooms, plants, and herbs. It was a good place to resupply my own stash of magical plants.

  The night sky was darker than usual, with a sliver of moon left before the new moon. I stared up at the twinkling stars that were never as bright in the city back home. Regardless, I still preferred it on the human side where the bustling technology made life a whole lot easier, but in a different way. Here, life was simpler, yes, but the danger was all too real. I preferred to deal with the grit of the city than the treachery of faeries.

  Unfortunately, my sister Shade was part faery, so there I was, ever the loyal brother. But I wouldn’t have it any other way.

  The silent twilight breezes brushed my long, overgrown hair up over my shoulders. Some of it whipped down into my face, and I closed my eyes to keep them from being stung. It felt amazing, just warm enough to relax my thoughts but cool enough to keep me from feeling stifled.

  “You’re far from home, elemental.”

  I snapped my eyes open and stared at an apparition. I blinked, and my fury raged through my innards until I felt like I was going to burst. “Evangeline.”

  “It’s nice to see you too, nephew.”

  “I’m not your nephew anymore. You locked me up in the stupid Withering Palace when I had a mission to complete. How dare you?”

  “I apologize. Truly. I had to.”

  “That wasn’t your problem.”

  “Yes, it was. I was going to help you, but you don’t need help now, do you? Just like Jade—stubborn to the marrow.”

  I saw red.

  “How dare you speak of my mother? You were just as responsible for her death as any Unseelie soldier. You weren’t there with her, were you? You failed her.”

  My last words bit into Evangeline, and I watched her flinch as her confidence crumbled. Her jaw set as she tried to blink away tears, but it was useless, for they escaped and streamed down her cheeks. I felt a pang. She was also part human, and nothing about holding back sobs was easy.

  I almost regretted what I’d said. Almost. The trust was that as bad as she might feel, she had to accept the consequences of her actions.

  “You’re right,” she whispered.

  I perked up, surprised. “What?”

  “I failed your mother. I live with it every day. I will never be able to atone for that. Her death is on my hands, yes, I wasn’t there when she needed me. I’m sorry, Benton. I truly am. I’ll spend the rest
of my life making up for it, even though I know I can’t.”

  “Damn straight!” I crossed my arms, but watching my aunt’s tough exterior disintegrate before my eyes wasn’t as awesome as I’d thought it’d be. I avoided looking at her as she wiped her eyes and stared back at me.

  Creepy. I could see why she’d been an excellent second lieutenant to Queen Aveta when the woman was alive. She had a way with her ghastly dark eyes that drilled into your soul and latched on with talons. I shuddered under her glare.

  “What are you doing out here, Benton? Don’t humans rest at this hour?”

  Was she out of her mind? Had it been that long since she’d understood what “human” meant?

  “I’m not tired.”

  “Neither am I.”

  “You’re part human. Why aren’t you in bed?”

  “I’ve been in Faerie far too long. Ironside is not comfortable to me anymore.”

  “Ironside?”

  “That is what the Unseelie call the human realm, where the cities are filled with noxious fumes and the unbearable iron is woven throughout everything.”

  I lifted an eyebrow. “You’re vulnerable to iron?”

  “Like your sister, I’ve always been more fey than human. She’s fortunate to have none of my weaknesses.”

  “I’ll say.”

  Evangeline scowled while wiping the last of her tears away. “Speaking of Shade, I’m here to see her.”

  “She’s resting.”

  “Of course. I was going to wait until she rises.”

  “You’re on speaking terms I take it?”

  She looked surprised. “Yes. I have Anna under my care at the Unseelie palace. I report anything unusual to Shade and make sure Oran keeps his filthy hands to himself until the wedding.”

  At the mention of Anna’s impending wedding, my heart sank. My younger sister was betrothed to the monster Unseelie King Oran. If I could, I’d off him myself to prevent her from marrying him. Unfortunately, to keep the peace and the Unseelie court under control, Anna had to marry him. There was no preventing it. The only good thing was that he had to wait until Anna reached the age of consent, which was eighteen.