Guardians of Fire

by Alexia Purdy

  “Dylan, why did you not ask her to vow to you that she could not marry another?”

  This time Sylphi lifted her chin at me. Her big, dark eyes gleamed under the torchlight of the room. She knew something, something I’d hoped she hadn’t gained from my memories. I felt sick, my stomach twisting at her words. She knew I’d made one grave error when I’d married Shade. I had not made her vow to me that she would never marry another. Why had I forgotten it? It wasn’t an uncommon request among the Teleen who really didn’t want to share a partner. I’d been so blinded by love.

  “I—I thought she never would do such a thing. It didn’t cross my mind.”

  “I’d take that oath for you. I would swear there would never be another. I’d vow upon the Land of Faerie you would be my only husband. You failed to ask Shade to do that for you, and you suffer for it. But I, as your one and only, would swear it to you. Forever.”

  I could no longer breathe; the knot in my throat closed it off as I peered down at Sylphi. She was deadly serious, and I could tell that she had unraveled something about me I had not known I truly wanted. If only Shade was all mine. If I’d just asked her to make that vow.

  How had I forgotten to ask her to do such a thing? She would’ve done it, being so incredibly naïve to our traditions in Faerie. She wouldn’t have even known her choices and been truly just mine like Sylphi was offering to be now. Everything I wanted, Sylphi was dangling before me with a knowing look on her face.

  How dare she read my thoughts so easily? I had let her in, and she’d stolen all the important things from my mind like a thief in the night. Still, the temptation was real and profound, except for one thing.

  Sylphi would never be Shade, and I could never love anyone but her.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Benton

  We rowed across the water in silence, barely looking at each other. It helped to keep focused on the rowing as Ciaran was seated right beside me.

  Never in my wildest dreams had I thought I’d end up working with Ciaran again. Especially not with Rowan tagging along. The whole situation had left me dumbfounded, and as I turned around and peered forward at Isolde, who hung on the bow leaning over and peeking into the smooth ocean water, I had an urge to shove them all off the boat.

  “Benton, you furrow your brow far too much. You’ll wrinkle your human face before you’ve even made it half way through your life.” Rowan’s voice interrupted my thoughts, and I flicked my eyes up at her, drilling a sardonic stare at the Spring Ancient.

  There was that flutter inside my gut, seizing my chest with tendrils and fingers. I gasped.

  “You’re one to talk. You were under duress the last time we spoke. How did you untangle yourself from Kilara’s curse? She had some spell over you.” I coughed, ripping my eyes away from her as I rowed harder. The flutter ceased and let me go as suddenly as it had gripped onto me. I would have to avoid eye contact with Rowan. She was much too powerful otherwise.

  “My sister’s magic is failing. Her hold on so many things, including me, is waning. I managed to slip from her grasp in one particularly weak moment of hers and have been free ever since. It was then that I realized I needed to change things so that my magic wouldn’t fail like hers.”

  Sounded reasonable. I had to admire her creative measures and sighed, focusing on the oar in my hands. “Kilara has caused far too many problems. Now this journey we have to take to The Heart of Fire and Ice is hovering over our heads. When we get back to The Scren, Shade won’t be happy to find out that you’re joining us.”

  “That’s what you think, elemental. She might be overjoyed by our help.”

  I bit my tongue. The Spring Ancient had lost my favor when she’d started using her charms against me. If she thought she could use such magic on my sister, she was going to be sorely mistaken. “And what of the other Ancient? The sleeping one.”

  “Arthas?” Rowan asked. “What about him?”

  “Shade is going to wake him. He knows about The Heart of Fire and Ice. We’ve learned where it is, but we don’t know all the dangers that might await us there. We’re hoping he can tell us about them.”

  Silence filled the boat as all eyes flicked between Rowan and me. I wasn’t surprised to see that she was stunned by my revelation, but to find her otherwise completely calm and undeterred irked me to no end.

  “You think that’s all you need?” Rowan asked. “You mean you don’t know about….” She put her hand up to her mouth and giggled.

  “What?” I snapped. “Know about that?”

  “No one can enter The Heart without the blood of at least three of the four Ancients.”

  I groaned. “Great. This just gets harder and harder. Why didn’t Kilara tell us this from the beginning?”

  “There’s a chance she may not know. The Heart of Fire and Ice is a bit of a mystery even to us Ancients. You’re lucky I’ve been at the archives, studying. I only learned of this recently.”

  “It’s just as well,” she sighed. “He needs to awaken anyway. Restrained, he might not be so foolish as the last time. And most certainly, he won’t be tossing me in a prison cell again.”

  Ciaran chewed on his lip. “Are you sure awakening him is a good idea?”

  “He’s needed, unfortunately. With every light, there is darkness. There are four sides to the power of Faerie. It tethers four beings to the land for control. If anything is out of balance, the Land of Faerie fights back. Hence the reason for Kilara’s failing magic, the reason for all of magic in Faerie teetering on the edge of diminishing. Awakening Arthas, even though he’ll be subdued in his powers, will help bring balance. Once Kilara is replaced, the Land of Faerie can thrive again.”

  “You mean when Shade replaces Kilara?”

  The boat ran aground, and the conversation hung in the air as I jumped out along with Ciaran and tugged the boat farther up the beach. There, Rowan hopped out and Isolde followed, her face a blank mask. This was far too much for her to handle, I knew. Her ex-friend was in cahoots with an Ancient, and even more, they were planning on starting a family.

  I wondered how Isolde felt about it. Ciaran had been her best friend, and I suspected they’d been lovers, but I wasn’t positive. Finding him practically engaged to an Ancient had to do something to her psyche, right? I watched her carefully, but she didn’t say a word or let on what she was thinking.

  Dammit. I was always on the outside looking in when it came to women. How was that possible?

  “To answer your question, Benton….” Rowan’s sickeningly sweet voice forced me to look up at her. Damn it, but she was that powerful. My skin crawled under her magic. “Yes, when Shade chooses to replace Kilara, the land will thrive again.”

  “Why does it have to be her? Why can’t another replace Kilara?” I flinched, her magic toying with my senses again. I forced my eyes toward Isolde, who watched me with concern.

  “Because she’s the only one who can do it. Only our heirs can replace us.”

  “Well, that’s just great.” I dropped to my knees on the sand and clutched my head in between my hands. “Can you stop that already?”

  The swirling dizziness subsided like an ocean draining. Breathing hard, I took a moment to center myself as Isolde knelt beside me to see if I was okay.

  “Stop using your magic on him. It’s not going to work,” She snapped at Rowan, who watched our interaction with interest.

  “Nephilim. You’re not welcome in Faerie.”

  With those words, Isolde disappeared, and I looked around wildly. “What did you do? Where is she?”

  Rowan smiled, crossing her arms. “I’ve banished the Nephilim from the Land of Faerie. We do not need their help.”

  “You can’t do that!” I rushed toward Rowan, but Ciaran stepped between us and pushed me away. “Bring her back! How dare you?”

  Rowan’s smile faded as she watched me struggle with Ciaran. I could pulverize him if I wanted to, and I let this thought leak out my head for her to pick up on. I smi
rked as her face darkened and worry set upon her brow. She wanted to mess with me? Not many Unseelie Sluagh survived crossing my path, much less her pathetically weak lover boy.

  “You want to try me, don’t you Rowan? I don’t recommend it. I’ll win. I always do.” I smirked, backing away from Ciaran to glare at her. The more I spoke, the paler she got, until I snatched my sword out and lit it on fire. “Bring her back or I’ll incinerate your boyfriend. I’m not opposed to ridding the world of one little fey.”

  This made the blood drain from not just Rowan but Ciaran as well, and he froze as I held the blade to his throat. He swallowed, nervous and holding his breath, for one wrong move, and he truly was toast. He was a fighter, yes, but I’d had a lot more experience since we’d last met. He was nothing compared to some others I’d fought, and I could tell he knew this.

  “Stop! All right, I’ll bring her back.” She snapped her fingers, and Isolde returned to where she’d stood moments before. She peered around, shocked, and watched as I backed away from Ciaran.

  “What the hell just happened?”

  “Rowan banished your kind from Faerie.”

  “The hell?” She stepped forward, but I grabbed her elbow to stop her.

  “Enough of these childish games,” Rowan said as though we’d been the ones causing trouble. “We need to get to Shade and complete this mission. Kilara grows inpatient, and Ciaran and I have business to attend to.”

  I knew what sort of “business” those two had and made a face. “Fine. Then do something useful like getting us to The Scren already.”

  A moment later, after a dizzying ride through who knows what, we stood before the gates of my sister’s palace. Isolde leaned over, trying, as I was, to keep from vomiting. Ciaran wasn’t as successful and knelt on the ground to throw up. Rowan’s style of teleportation was far less smooth than Camulus’s, who’d often teleported my sister and me. I’d take Camulus over Rowan any day.

  Rowan didn’t ask if any of us were fine. She was impatient, and she obviously hated being challenged. I was glad to have this one small victory and smiled with satisfaction as I watched her pathetic partner recover from the jaunt. Rowan’s frown told me her choice wasn’t panning out like she’d expected.

  “Get up!” she snapped at him. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Soap

  Pressing my hand to my head, I closed my eyes, the weight of the world seeming to press in on me. My visit with my mother had not been a pleasant experience. I wasn’t sure I wanted to see her again any time soon. It was kind of Shade to allow her to stay in The Scren Palace for now. She could be in Teleen in a cold, dark prison, but Shade knew I wouldn’t want that.

  But the way I felt leaving her chambers had left me exhausted beyond belief. I sat on the grand staircase of the palace. Benton had arrived with a couple new visitors, Rowan and Ciaran, along with his new love, Isolde. I was too tired to converse much with them, drained by the interaction with my mother, but I nodded and shook hands with them before they were led to their chambers. To my surprise, Rowan and Ciaran were staying together.

  Things never ceased to amaze.

  “You’re tired.”

  I peered up to find Shade smiling down at me, holding out her hand. I took it and jumped to my feet. “Nah. Just feeling emotionally drained. Iana can be a handful.”

  She nodded as we turned to walk toward the dining hall. It was dinnertime, and the day felt like it had lasted forever. “Now that my brother has returned, we can head toward Ursad’s or awaken Arthas. What do you think we should do first?”

  “I think we should wake up the Ancient. That’s the most precarious task, so let’s get it over with, right?”

  She agreed, and we walked along in silence. She wrung her hands together, appearing like she wanted to say something, but the words did not come.

  “Are you all right, Shade?” I’d asked her that same question so often as of late. I wondered what was going through her head. I’d always wonder, it seemed.

  “Yes, I’m fine. More than fine, actually. I have some news.”

  I cocked my head to the side and watched her as we neared the dining hall.

  “What is it?”

  “I’m pregnant.”

  I inhaled sharply, feeling a sudden rush of exhilaration inside me. “But that’s not the only news, is it?”

  She pursed her lips, stopped walking, and took my hands into hers. “You’re right. You could always read me so well, Soap. There is something about the pregnancy I must tell you.”

  My face fell. “It’s Dylan’s baby, isn’t it?” My heart hammered in my chest, my face flushing at the sudden jealousy brewing beneath. Try as I might, I couldn’t make it settle and go away.

  “Yes, but I’m pregnant with twins, and… and you’re the father of one of them.”

  This was unexpected. “Twins?” My mouth hung open. My heart continued to beat at a dizzying pace. What did it mean? “I’m the father of one of them? How does that work?”

  “Evangeline told me. She’s an experienced midwife and witch. She could see the sexes of the children and that I was having twins. She told me their auras are different, which means they have different fathers. I’ve only been with you and Dylan. I’m not very far along.”

  “I see.” I swallowed back the rock forming in my throat, my tongue dry. “That’s great, Shade. Wow. I don’t even know what to say.”

  She studied my face, and I could tell she wondered if I was happy or upset.

  “That’s wonderful, my love. I’m going to be father!” I reached over, picked her up, and swung her around, elated. Her smile returned, relieving me of the strain of emotions running rampant through my head. Any doubt that I was happy about the news was erased as I placed her back on the ground and pulled her close to my chest, inhaling her sweet, honeysuckle scent.

  My wife-to-be was going to have my baby. And Dylan’s baby.

  I pulled away softly, curiosity burning in my veins. “Have you told him yet?”

  She shook her head, and her smile fell. “I haven’t had any contact with Dylan since leaving Teleen. He won’t answer my messages and blocks my magical communications. It’s even getting hard to feel his emotions. I—I’m afraid he’s done with me.”

  I pulled her closer again, rubbing circles on her back as she fought her tears. I wanted to be happy, but seeing her miserable made my heart break. “Just give it a bit. He’ll come around. I told you, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to him. He just needs space.”

  “I know. I’m just… this pregnancy makes me kind of crazy in the head. I don’t know how to control these emotions.” She pulled away, sucking in a breath, and paced in a line near me. Her face was flushed, but there were no tears. Good.

  “I know. Pregnancy does that.”

  She chewed on the tip of her finger for a moment and then sighed. “Come on, let’s get dinner. I’m starved.”

  “Not feeling sick anymore?”

  “No. Evie gave me a potion for that. It works wonders. I’m glad she stopped by.”

  I wrinkled my nose at the mention of her aunt. The last time I’d seen her, she’d stuffed me in a room with Benton and Dylan to hold us prisoner while she took it upon herself to oversee a mission we’d been tasked with. Fortunately, it had not ended well for her when we escaped.

  “Why was she here?” I asked.

  “She needed Nautilus removed from The Withering Palace. My sister has grown too fond of him.”

  “And that’s bad?”

  “Yes.” She looked at me, horrified. “She must marry Oran. If she goes back on her vow and marries another, there’ll be war between the courts.”

  “Ah, yeah, we don’t want that.”

  She groaned. “I wish I could give her what she wants. They love each other, but it just isn’t possible.”

  “Wow. I bet she’s upset he’s been taken away from her.”

  “I don’t know. I haven’t spoken to Ann
a yet, but yeah, she more than likely is.”

  The dinner gong sounded, echoing across the palace, and we continued on to the dining hall. Nautilus was waiting by our table and sat after Shade made her way to her seat and took it. Seeing the guy threw me off, even though he’d never been anything but friendly to me. I liked the guy, but without Dylan there to give him the stink eye now and then, I felt like there was something missing. Nevertheless, I shook off the awkwardness. I had always eaten at her table, but never on her right side, where Dylan usually sat. Maybe that was what was throwing me off about everything too. It all was different now, and the balance was off.

  Brushing it off, I settled in for dinner, enjoying it as much as I could. Shade seemed to want to linger, and after the dessert, more wine and spirits were brought out, and we all drank deep into the night. Shade kept to the juice, but I could tell that giving me the news had lifted a weight off her shoulders. Her mood was light as she laughed at the many jokes pouring out Nautilus’s mouth. The guy was hilarious, but I suspected he was trying to keep on the cheery side, for now and then I saw a gloom pass over his face. He was missing Anna; it was more than apparent. I felt for him, but Shade was right. It wasn’t worth it to cause a war.

  Now if only Dylan would come around, I might just get my old Shade back. To see her light up again was my one mission, and I was determined to complete it at all costs.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Dylan

  The debates were in full swing, and the crowd was perched on every word the candidates spoke. I walked the floor and observed the proceedings, taking note of the reactions to Sylphi’s arguments. It was impossible to not see that she was the favored candidate.

  Watching Sylphi, she surprised me. She was determined to win, and her charm sucked in the audience with ease. There was nothing she didn’t seem good at. I doubted anyone could’ve done any better.

  Afterward, she approached me. “Dylan, darling. How do you think it went?”