by Robin Trent
But the town gossips, their tongues hadn't stopped wagging. Rumors of Elizabeth's mental state, conjecture about the goings-on in the Merkova household, even the servants had whispered accusations following them. But one thing remained true through all of it: everyone knew that Elizabeth Merkova was insane. Her mental illness had led her into the woods that night, only for her and her baby to become the victims of a wolf attack.
Rhys Bryhana stood off to the side, out of view of most of the mourners. He could read their ugly thoughts, hear their recriminations. But beneath all of that lie Nikolai, the only one silently accusing himself. Rhys knew what it was like to lose a wife, and he felt pity for the human. He could see the telltale signs of Nikolai's torment, dark circles under his bloodshot eyes, pale skin, his unkempt appearance showing he cared about nothing. For that brief moment, Rhys felt a bond, one of loss, with the man.
When the services were over, and the onlookers departed, Rhys approached Nikolai. "Nikolai, I am terribly sorry for your loss." Somehow the words felt hollow, and Rhys reached out to grasp Nikolai's bicep in a show of support. "May the grace of the Eldritch protect you and your daughter."
Nikolai gazed into the grave as he stared into the abyss, alone without his wife. He barely acknowledged Rhys' presence. Nikolai was so dazed it would be weeks before it even registered that a military man he had briefly known in Egypt came to his wife's funeral.
Nikolai sobbed. His hand dropped to his side, and he went back to staring at the abyss. "What will I do?" His voice sounded strange to Rhys' ears. "What will I do without her?"
Rhys had no answer.
Nikolai sat on the edge of the bed, holding the necklace Rhys had given him. Tears streamed down his face and dripped onto his hands. The quietness of the house, the emptiness of the bedroom all seemed to echo the feelings he now carried in his chest. She had been here, not that long ago. He couldn't think. His wife's toiletries were on the vanity, he could still smell her perfume in the room. He felt as if she should walk in any minute now. The house had felt haunted by her presence since the day they found her robe in the woods. He could still feel her; how could she be gone? Fresh tears dropped from his cheeks as his head bent over his lap and his shoulders shook with grief. In his mind, he could hear her laughter, feel her hand brush his as she passed him a letter, a touch here, a glance there. He would never see her again. He didn't even have a body to mourn over. She was just ... gone.
Nikolai sat with his tormenting thoughts as Dr. Barrett came into the room. The doctor didn't say a word; he knew better. Her death was weighing heavily on Nikolai, and Dr. Barrett was more concerned at the moment that Nikolai might stop eating or sleeping or do himself harm. He placed the laudanum he had given Elizabeth on the nightstand where Nikolai could find it. Grief and guilt were a devastating combination, and Dr. Barrett had a feeling he would be visiting Nikolai a lot over the coming months. He let himself out.
Alone again, Nikolai picked up the green velvet pouch the necklace had come in and placed the amulet carefully back in the bag. He would tuck the jewelry away for safekeeping. Ophelia, might someday want a remembrance of her mother. As for Euphemia, Nikolai thought it was best that Ophelia never know she had a twin sister. At least, not until she was older. He did not want this tragedy to taint the life Ophelia was to lead. Of course, the best intentions may sometimes go astray, and some secrets can not be kept secret forever.
Epilogue
Queen Oonagh walked alone in the woods. It was early morning. Her gown trailed behind her as she moved along barefoot, leaving no mark of her passing. The woods responded to her presence. All around her sounds of life began to issue forth; dew dripped off leaves as they unfurled in the early morning sun, and fall flowers opened to release their scent in greeting. From an oak, a visage appeared in the bark, and then slowly, the spirit of the tree emerged as she extricated the upper half of her body from the trunk. "Greetings, Great Mother!" the nymph bowed low.
"Good morning Mylaela. So good to see you." The queen's eyes twinkled as she smiled.
"And it is wondrous and good to see you as well.”
"Have you news this morning?"
"Aye, such terrible doings in the forest last night, it makes me shiver." The bare branches of the old oak rustled.
The queen's brow furrowed as her smile vanished. "What terrible doings, Mylaela?"
"Why the young human woman, the one from the big house on the edge of the woods, she was taken last night."
"Taken?" The queen grew suspicious.
"Yes, Your Majesty." Mylaela bowed her head and shook it back and forth. This was news she did not want to deliver. "Queen Maeve and her guard were in the forest last night and so was the woman."
Fury began a slow boil deep in the queen's being. Her lips pressed thin, her eyes narrowed, and she spoke slowly, enunciating every syllable. "Show. Me. Now."
The tree sprite extended her hand so that the queen could grasp it. And through this touch, she was able to see everything Mylaela imagined. She saw Elizabeth enter the woods and lean against the tree. She saw the changeling make its escape. And then she saw the wolf slowly emerge from the surrounding brush. It circled Elizabeth, and the brave woman stood up to it. Maeve appeared with her personal guard and the woman was stripped naked, shorn and cut.
"No!" The queen gasped. The woman should have been safe at home. Where was Titwell while all this was going on? Maeve had the human woman. That means the rival queen also knew about the changeling. Had she been betrayed?
A fury started in the pit of her stomach. Her eyes burned, and her anger grew. Who dare conspire against her? In answer to the queen's emotional tumult, the air changed from a gentle, soft breeze to a full-on gale. Mylaela shouted, "My queen!" as the wind picked up force and began to snap branches from trees, and the sky darkened with storm clouds, and lightning streaked through the sky. There was going to be a reckoning, and the queen was not about to forgive this betrayal. Her gazed moved to Mylaela, and the cowering wood sprite was staring wide-eyed at the queen with her arms crossed in front of her face.
The image of the frightened wood sprite reminded the queen that she was taking her fury out on those who did not deserve it. She closed her eyes and forced herself to be still. The storm abated as fast as it had taken shape, and the queen opened her eyes once more. Common sense returned, and she realized she had other things to consider besides Maeve knowing her secret. She needed to return to the palace and find Callidora. She must protect the Emissary at once, and she must secure her throne. The fate of both worlds, human and fae, depended on it.
Acknowledgments
I wish to express my thanks to the many people who helped make the publication of this novel possible. Firstly, I would like to thank my husband Tommy Louis Trent Jr., for all his support and encouragement through this whole process. I couldn't have done it without him.
To my editor, Meghan McKeever, thank you for your great suggestions and feedback. You really helped shape my work into the novel I wanted it to be. I appreciate your depth of knowledge and professionalism.
To Patrick McEvoy, I have always been a fan of your work and the cover to the book is no exception. Thank you for all of your hard work and artistry.
Thank you to my mother, Mary Ann Allen, who read the book from cover to cover and gave me honest feedback. I really appreciate it Mom.
About the Author
Photo © 2020 Dark Muse Press
Robin E. Trent lives in Ohio with her husband Tommy, who is a chef. Together they own an Italian restaurant. They have three cats and a three acre property out in the country, where they can enjoy each other and a great glass of wine. Moonshine is her debut novel. For more information, visit www.darkmusepress.org.
Glossary
There are some terms that are used in this novel that readers may be unfamiliar with. I wanted to include some definitions and pronunciations here for the readers benefit.
Brownies - some think that they were unacceptable in Faery be
cause of their ragged, unkempt appearance, and that they went off to the Seelie Court when they were properly dressed. However, this is only one school of thought on the subject. Other creatures, such as the Leprechaun, Phouka, and Bean Si, also comprise this group.
Boggart - Brownies that have turned evil.
Elementals: Spirits that are associated with an element and they have supernatural powers. They are usually invisible to humans. The Gnome is associated with Earth, Undine is a being of Water, Salamander is a spirit of Fire, and a Sylph is a being of the Air. Most of them are shapeshifters and can appear human-like or as waves, flowers, butterflies, dragonflies, or lizards.
Elphame: It is an alternative form of Elfame, The land of Faery. It literally translates to Elf-home and is associated with the underworld.
Fae: short for faery. If someone is called fae, then they are basically a member of the faery race. They can be an elf, dwarf, phouka, red cap, brownie, hob goblin, banshee, boggart, abbey lubbers, pixie, etc...
Hobgoblin - Another term for the friendly spirits of the Brownie type. Hobgoblin was considered an ill omened word. "Hob" and "Lob" are words meaning the same kind of creature as the Hobgoblin. They are on the whole good-humored and ready to be helpful, but fond of practical joking.
Phouka: Also written as puca or pooka, it is a creature of Celtic folklore. They can be either menacing or benevolent. They are a nature spirit that is a deft shape shifter, capable of assuming a variety of terrifying or pleasing shapes. They can take many forms, but primarily horse, dog, cat, goat, raven, fox and hare. They may also take human form which will include various animal features, such as ears or a tail.
Redcap - is one of the most evil of the old Border Goblins. He lives in old ruined towers and castles, particularly those with a history of wickedness. He re-dyes his cap in human blood.
Seelie: There have always been two courts in Faery. The Seelie faeries are those faeries that are willing to help humans. In this novel, they are also in charge of the light half of the year, the growing seasons of Spring and Summer.
Sidhe: pronounced Shee. Literally means "a mound" or "a thrust". More commonly, it is the Gaelic word for faery or "The People Under the Mound." Also referred to as "The Shining Ones."
Unseelie: There have always been two courts in Faery. These are the faeries that are darkly-inclined and do not require an offense to attack a human. In this novel, I made the Unseelie in charge of the dark half of the year, the season of dying, which would be Fall and Winter.
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