Saving the Fae (Daughter of Light Book 3)

by Leia Stone

  Taking in a deep breath, I knelt onto the ground and dug my fingers into the soil.

  Dome.

  Bubble.

  Protection.

  I thought these words and pulsed my light into the ground. Popping an eye open, I saw that I’d only made some flowers grow, which was cool, and the men around me gasped, but it wasn’t what I intended.

  “You’re pushing into the earth, you need to pull up from it,” Jasper explained.

  I turned to him, frowning. “How do you know all this?”

  He looked at Elle. “She’s not the only one who reads.”

  Okay. Pull.

  Closing my eyes, I inhaled, digging my fingers deeper into the dirt and imagined pulling something up from the earth. I imagined glass made of light, growing up at the edge of the boys’ encampment and circling around the farmlands, creating a seal of protection.

  “Whoa,” I heard Elle mutter and opened my eyes, hands still in the soil.

  Okay…that was… interesting. There was a wall of sunlight…. a glowing barrier to the left of me that ran into the forest and bordered the village. It stopped about fifteen feet up into the air. It would stop ground beasts but not flying ones. Still, it was good enough for now. I needed to get to Liam.

  Spinning, I was pleased to see the light wall ran all the way around the encampment and encircled our small village before carving its way into the mountain to cut off anyone coming from the dark forest or outer lands.

  “This should do until I get back, but let’s station a dozen archers to shoot anything nefarious out of the sky,” I told Trissa.

  She nodded and spread the orders throughout the camp.

  “Cam, can I speak to you really quick?” I pulled Liam’s best friend aside.

  He was bopping on his heels, acting like he was ready to go get Liam, and so was I. But now that I had full power… this was it. I was going to end this nightmare, and I needed to know something.

  “Will Liam forgive me if I kill his father?” I blurted out.

  Dawning shone on Cam’s face. We were going to get Liam out, and I was for damn sure going to blow his father into little sunlit bits of light. “I mean, I don’t want him to think it’s retaliation for my mom or anything—”

  Cam stopped my rambling by placing two hands on my shoulders. He looked me dead in the eye. “His father has been dead to him for years, Lily.” A frown pulled at his lips. “Liam grieved him a long time ago. That man is a shell of what his father once was. I don’t think he could kill him himself, but Liam wouldn’t disparage you for ending that man’s evil reign.”

  Relief poured through me, and I nodded. “Then, let’s go bring him back. And the crystals too. I’m over this fucking war,” I growled.

  He grinned. “You and me both.”

  We were back on speaking terms, and that was good because I was pretty sure he and my best friend were getting serious, and I needed all the support I could get.

  My hand was stilled on the back door that led from Mara’s to Montana; it had been recently replaced since the other one had an arrow shot right through it. “You sure this will work? A car?” I asked Mara.

  She nodded. “I’ve done it before with your mom in desperate times.”

  The Sons had burned the shed in Montana that led to the edge of ‘New Faerie,’ but Mara was able to locate an empty car and temporarily make a portal opening there. “You’ll just have to leave the door open because, once it closes, I’ll have to remake the opening,” she instructed.

  I nodded. “Hopefully, we won’t be long. I’ll leave two guys with the car, door open, and they can take care of anyone who comes along.”

  Mara nodded, smoothing down my hair, her heavy cuff clinking with one of her bracelets. “Your mom would be so damn proud of the woman you’ve become.”

  I smiled, squeezing her hand. “She’d be horrified at all the danger you let me get in.”

  Mara laughed, and it carried through the house to the surrounding boys. Liam’s mother looked at me with red teary eyes. She’d been crying silently since we told her the Winter King took Liam.

  “Oh, you do that all yourself.” Mara winked.

  Giving her a quick hug, I pet Bashur on the head and looked at Liam’s mom before opening the door. “I’m going to bring him back, safe and sound,” I promised her.

  She nodded, but I didn’t know if she believed me.

  Throwing the door wide, I nodded in amazement.

  Wow. It really was a car.

  I looked down to see dirt-packed pavement and a black tire. Mara’s door distorted to accommodate the small size, and I had to dip my head to get out without banging it at the top. One by one, we stepped onto the road, which sat just at the tree line, the large bubble of ‘New Faerie’ was a mere twenty paces into the woods. I could see the translucent structure peeking up over the treetops.

  Cam, Elle, Jasper, Trissa, and the others filed out behind me. I’d brought forty of Liam’s men and left the rest behind to protect Faerie and the Queen. I was hoping that my little display of power at the Spring Tree was only a taste of what I could do because I was going to need some major powers to bring this dome down, get Liam and the crystals, and kill his dad. I chewed on my lip. Everyone was looking to me to lead them, but all I felt were nerves and the fear that I might be leading some of them to their deaths.

  Elle pulled me aside and turned me to face her. “Whatever the Queen said when you met with her seemed to pump you up. Just remember that, okay? We’ve got this.”

  She was right. There was no more room to be weak, to hesitate. I needed to do as the Queen had said and be strong. I nodded curtly, spinning to face the men.

  “We find Liam, we get as many crystals as we can, and we get out,” I told them. This was primarily a rescue mission, but while I was here, I intended to get these fucking crystals once and for all. They nodded. Two of them broke off and stuck with the car while the rest of us flooded into the woods.

  Opening my seeker power, I felt for Liam, imagined his face, his eyes, his lips, the way he smelled, and I felt a tug at my navel. He was here just as I suspected.

  Shouts rang out through the forest as we approached. I knew they probably had watchmen, but it was too late; I’d reached the perimeter of the dome, and nothing was keeping me from Liam.

  With a grunt, I threw my hands in front of me and pushed the light up from deep within me and out through my fingertips. Buttery sunlight shot out of my palms like missiles, shattering the dome completely within seconds.

  Whoa…

  I hadn’t actually expected it to be that easy.

  I didn’t wait for it to fully fall before I kicked off the ground and into the air. The fae inside were screaming, running around as the dome disintegrated around them into a fine powder.

  I couldn’t feel the crystals, but I knew they were here, they were just cloaked like Liam said they would be. How else would the Winter King have been able to hold this dome up? Our royal power created the dome, but the crystal’s energy, it held it up. They had to be here too, but first I needed to make sure Liam was okay.

  Zipping through the air, I realized this place was bigger than I thought, there were hundreds of silk tents, houses, and even a market. Fae flew haphazardly and ran in every direction, causing me to swerve to keep from hitting a woman and her child.

  I suddenly felt bad for scaring everyone. They probably thought we were here to attack them, kill them even… Well, we were… but not them. The Winter King, yes. Chrys the witch and his Sons of Darkness, yeah. But not women and children, the innocent fae who’d been cast out by a previous vengeful Queen.

  I stopped suddenly, floating in midair over the chaos. Jasper nearly smacked into me he was flying so closely behind me.

  “What’s wrong?” Jasper’s eyes were wide.

  This was my moment, the one the Queen told me about. “Can you project my voice? Magically?” I asked him.

  He raised one eyebrow but nodded.

  “I’m
ready,” I told him, heart pounding in my chest. He placed his glowing palm over my throat, and I felt a warm trickle slide down it. I cleared my throat, and the sound reverberated throughout the space, but people were too panicked to stop. I needed to be louder. “I am the new Queen of Faerie!” I boomed. I may only be a temp Queen, but I had to own the title to get their trust.

  Every. Single. Fae. Stopped.

  My gulp was audible. “And I’m here to tell you that the war is over! You’re all invited back to Faerie for a fresh start.”

  Mouths dropped open, eyebrows furrowed, but no one said anything for a few moments.

  “How do we know you’re the Queen!? You’re a kid!” someone shouted.

  “Faerie is ruined, eaten by the dark war!” another said. “Why would we go there when we can stay here?”

  I clapped my hands together, and beams of sunlight shot out of them and up into the sky. The fae beneath me all ducked, covering their heads and shielding their eyes. I shot a beam of light at a nearby tree, and it grew in size, adding ten feet to its hulking mass as it crawled up in the air like magic.

  Okay… wasn’t expecting that, was just trying to give them a little show.

  I gulped as some of the fae fell to their knees but not enough, only a handful out of the hundred or so I was looking at.

  “The Winter King has powers too!” someone yelled. “Why should we serve you?”

  I frowned. “I don’t want anyone to serve me. I’m not your master! I’m your leader, yes, but I will not be a dictator.”

  Cheers and applause went up throughout the space, and I grinned. “I’m here for the crystals, then I’m going back to Faerie, and you’re all invited. Come home where you belong. All I ask is for loyalty.”

  A woman with blue hair started to weep and fell to her knees at the word home.

  “I’m restoring Faerie!” I shouted as loud as possible. “It will be better than before it fell. Come home,” I pleaded one last time.

  I started to lower myself to the ground, wanting to shake their hands and meet with some of them, when an icicle flew past my face.

  My breath hitched as Jasper screamed a warning. Without thinking, I threw my palm up, and the icicle melted into a defenseless puddle at my feet.

  The Winter King.

  Liam.

  I’d forgotten about Liam.

  At the sight of his father, enraged before me, my main mission was brought to the front of my mind.

  “Go! I’ll hold him off,” Jasper said, and I dipped low into the crowd as they gasped and parted. I heard a crashing noise behind me and hoped Jasper wouldn’t be seriously injured.

  Stopping to speak to everyone like that may have taken precious time. It may have led the Winter King to my location, but I didn’t care because it was worth it. I needed these people to know that they had a place in Faerie. I needed them to know that we were starting over and they were wanted in the new version of Faerie that I would hopefully help lead. Knowing I had the Queen’s support behind me helped to push me forward.

  My feet hit the ground as I felt a pull at my navel, indicating Liam was close by. People stumbled out of my way as I ran for the giant house in the clearing. It was rustic in style and stood tall on the flat plain, casting shadows around the people who flocked in front of it.

  He was here. I could sense it. Like a magnet reeling me in with a powerful force, the closer I got, the stronger the feeling became. My wings quivered in anticipation.

  Please, don’t let him be hurt, I prayed.

  Pain suddenly sliced into my thigh, and I jerked my head to the right, the direction it had come from.

  Guards.

  The ‘people’ milling about the front lawn of the house were guards. I’d been so comfortable seeing the hundreds of fae running around to avoid me that I hadn’t been on the lookout for the actual enemy. The Son who shot me was tall, wearing all black head to toe with a handful of throwing knives in his grip.

  Crap.

  Peering down at the small silver throwing blade lodged in my thigh somehow made the pain worsen. As if seeing it made it more real and therefore more painful.

  With a burst of anger, I flicked my wrist, and the guard went flying. Instead of shooting a stream of light at him as I thought, I’d blown him backward fifty feet to crash into an outcropping of trees.

  Thank you, power upgrade.

  I’m sure the Queen had years to train with this power, and I’d had only minutes. I was going to have to learn on the fly.

  Reaching for the handle of the small knife, I yanked it from my thigh as dull pain throbbed in the area, and blood began to trickle, wet and sticky down my pants. Using my other hand, I pulsed a bit of healing light into the wound and limped for the door.

  A few more guards came at me, but I either shot them with a beam of light or blasted them outward into the trees. The surrounding fae had backed up into a large circle and simply whispered at me while they stared. This wasn’t exactly a great first impression, but I thought it was good they saw the power display. That way, if they ever came to Faerie, they would fear me and hopefully not double-cross me.

  Bursting through the front door, I scanned the house, sending my magical seeker feelers throughout the space.

  Liam was below ground level… like under me.

  Basement.

  I flew through the entryway, opening doors like a madwoman. When I found someone on the other side who wasn’t Liam, I blasted them with my power, knocking them out. I felt like a crazed maniac, simply reacting without thinking. I needed to get Liam out of here, get the crystals, and get home.

  Finally, I pulled the handle of a dark, wood-stained door, and it revealed a set of steps that flowed downward.

  “Liam!” I shouted, my wings taking flight as I skimmed the top of the steps and flew down into the basement.

  It was a large, stained concrete room, and when my eyes scanned the space, my heart lodged in my throat at the sight of a human figure draped in the corner. His black wings were limp, and one of them was bent.

  “Liam.” My throat felt like sandpaper. Was he breathing?

  A groan came from the rumpled form, and tears sprang from my eyes. Running for him, I did a double scan to make sure we were alone.

  We were.

  Thankfully.

  Slipping onto my knees, I reached for him and pulled his face up to look at me. A gasp ripped from my throat when I saw the swollen eyes, split lip, dried blood crusted at the corners of his mouth.

  That. Mother. Fucker.

  My love, my soulmate. The Winter King beat his own son? No real father could do that.

  “The witch.” Liam seemed to read my gaze, and I relaxed a little. Somehow, I felt slightly better, knowing it was her and not his own flesh and blood.

  “Come on, we’re going home.” I tried to lift him, but Liam whimpered.

  “No. Leave me.” Dark circles shone under both eyes, and I wondered what that bitch did to the man I loved.

  The sword. The Winter King must have used the sword to control him, but it also had a dark side. It affected Liam, and I’d seen that when we brought it from the Winter Court. I didn’t feel the sword nearby, so I didn’t think it was still actively affecting him, but it clearly still had a lingering hold on him.

  “Liam, it’s Lily. Remember the treehouse? We’re going to live there together and be happy. Remember?”

  Some of the darkness in his eyes chased away, and he looked confused. “I… killed her.”

  No.

  No, we’d come too far to go back to this. I instinctively knew he was talking about my mother. Grabbing both sides of his head, I closed my eyes, breathing in and allowing my healing powers to come forth. I didn’t know how I knew the difference between the healing powers and the kind of power that would throw a man across the room; it was just instinctual. Like my powers were linked to my feelings, and whatever I was feeling for that person alerted which power to come forth.

  I popped my eyes open just
in time to see the warm, buttery light flow from my palms into the sides of Liam’s face. His eyes widened as it entered him, and then relief crossed his features.

  “I need you right now. I need you to come back to me,” I whispered.

  All hell had broken loose outside, and I needed him to come with me willingly, but if he didn’t, I was willing to drag him kicking and screaming.

  “Lily.” He seemed to see me with new eyes, and the swelling and active bleeding were washed away as my healing light grazed his face.

  “Liam,” I sighed in relief and leaned forward, pressing a brief kiss to his lips.

  Removing my hands, I stood and hauled him up. “Do you know where the crystals are?” I asked, wondering if we had time to go after them.

  He winced as he stood and then nodded, eyes wide and full of fear. “They were going to use me for a spell… a sacrificial offering to bury the crystals deep in the earth, creating a grid. One that could never be dug up.”

  What the, what, did he just say? Sacrificial offering made goosebumps break out onto my skin.

  “Why haven’t they?”

  Liam coughed, clutching his ribs. Clearly, I’d healed his face but needed to spend more time on his internal injuries. “It needs to be a willing sacrifice for the magic to work.”

  Well, thank the fae for that. It explained why he was so beaten. They’d tried to get him to submit. I shivered at the thought.

  “Alright, let’s—”

  My words were cut off when Liam reached out and grabbed my upper arms, yanking me forward and then to the side as we both crashed to the ground. A green fluorescent ball of magic splashed across the wall where I’d just been standing, and my gaze flicked up to see Chrysanthemum.

  The witch held both hands out as she grinned ferally. Her black, stringy hair hung at her sides in clumps. She looked worse for wear. Maybe Liam had worn her down while she’d interrogated him.

  Without waiting for another attack, I lurched to my feet and stood before Liam protectively. She tortured him! I was going to tear her limb from limb. Reeling her arm back, she threw a ball of green magic at the same time that I thrust my hands out and shot sunlight to combat her. Her magic and mine met in the air and exploded like tons of tiny stars. I thrust my palms out, whipping my magic into her like a gale-force wind, but she must have done some protection spell because I heard her mutter under her breath as she stayed planted to the ground. I felt Liam stand behind me, but I was worried about him using any of his powers to fight her off while he still needed that energy to heal.