by Caris Roane
He nodded. Got it.
Movement toward the lake caught his eye. Those Invictus still shielded in black and gold were moving in fast.
I’ll let the mastyrs know what’s happening.
As he pathed to the ruling mastyrs, he felt the earth rumble as it never had before. When he’d let his team know what was going on, he pulled Rosamunde into his arms. The elf-lord power surged through her and into him. There was no way Margetta wouldn’t know they were up to something.
He levitated swiftly, taking her into the air above the trees. Keep channeling, but we’ll need a surge and I mean a big one. Can you manage it?
As long as you’re with me, I can.
As the black and gold mist reached the shoreline, he said, Do it now.
Rosamunde was as good as her word. Power bolted through her, then into him and he sent it away from his body and straight toward Margetta’s shielding mist. It was a stream of energy similar to Rosamunde’s violet wind so that he could watch its progress and his troops could as well. The color was a blend of green and violet, impossible to ignore.
The point of initial impact sent their stream into the black and gold shield, causing an eruption to blast high into the air. A roll of explosions followed, breaking apart the black and gold mist and exposing the Invictus pairs. The troops didn’t need to be told to go after them and a few seconds later, a deadly battle ensued with his men engaging the wraith-pairs in close combat on and near the shore.
Stone held Rosamunde elevated in the air, his gaze moving constantly between Margetta, a hundred yards away surrounded by her mastyr vampire wraith-pairs, and the battle below. He watched as Quinlan and Seth took care of business on the west nearest him and Jude and Malik on the east.
He couldn’t see much beyond their troops, the lake being as large as it was. But he saw the clash of red and blue battle energies everywhere.
Stone, Margetta’s coming closer.
He shot his attention back to the golden glow. He was still heavily charged with the elf-lord power and without giving it a second thought, he revved up his battle energy again. The moment his elf-lord power connected with it, he sent it in the Ancient Fae’s direction.
Margetta met the attack with a blast of her gold power and the two streams met in the center. Violet-green and black-gold exploded once more in the air, rising higher and higher.
Keep it coming, Rosamunde.
With pleasure. But if only we could take her right now—
I’m thinking the same thing.
He still held her pressed against him and the power flowed steadily. He had no idea what it looked like from the ground, but violet-green hitting black-gold was strangely beautiful.
He sensed a shift at Margetta’s end, but he couldn’t tell in what direction. Hold tight, Rosamunde. Something’s happening.
I can feel it, too. What’s going on?
I don’t know.
Should we try another boost? I mean, maybe this is it?
Give it a sec.
Suddenly, Margetta’s battle energy gave way and their violet-green stream of power flowed through the night sky stronger than ever.
For a moment, he thought they’d broken through, that they’d destroyed Margetta, and he was ready to give a shout of triumph. But when he slowly drew the elf-lord power back, nothing remained of the Ancient Fae or her mastyr wraith-pairs.
She left. Rosamunde’s stunned voice was quiet in his mind.
Glancing below, he watched as on the shoreline the Combined Forces overran Margetta’s wraith-pairs. It was clear that though Margetta had retreated with the most powerful element of her force, she’d left the Invictus to battle on their own, without her further support.
Stone immediately pathed to the mastyrs to take as many prisoners as possible. Margetta quit the field and left her wraith-pairs behind to fend for themselves.
Despite the men he’d lost, if he could save some of the wraith-pairs and get them to Ethan’s realm for rehabilitation, he would.
He flew Rosamunde slowly around the perimeter of the lake. Bodies floated in the water or lay close to the shoreline, some Invictus, some Guardsmen.
He rose high into the air, an arm around Rosamunde’s waist checking for any sign that Margetta was still in the vicinity. But once he saw that Margetta’s gold mist was completely gone from the forest as well, he immediately contacted Harris. He wanted the Tannisford Guard to move in and help with the last of the fighting and to gather up as many prisoners as possible.
It wasn’t long before his Guardsmen were pouring over the hills in support of the rest of the Combined Forces. Shortly after, he pathed to Cole, whom he’d left in charge of the Com Center for the duration. He let him know what had happened and asked him to send troll clean-up support.
The whole time he held Rosamunde tight against his side. She kept the elf-lord power humming through him in a steady, though much less powerful stream. He hadn’t asked her to continue, but right now he knew they were of the same mind, that they both wanted to be ready in case Margetta returned unexpectedly.
~ ~ ~
Later, when the last of the wraith-pairs had been subdued, Rosamunde stayed quietly out of the way. A sober spirit had run through the ranks as the mastyrs of each of the Nine Realms cared for their wounded and their dead. A solemnity had fallen over the lake, the forest and the night air. A breeze carried the last of the smoke out of the area and the fire on the dock was extinguished.
She sat in a chair on the lake house deck just outside the living room. The end of the dock was now burned and unusable. Several of the trolls had worked to put out the fire and to make sure the rest of the wood didn’t have even the smallest ember that could ignite later.
She had to admit she was exhausted from the stress of the battle and from the grief of seeing how many strong vampire Guardsmen had died this night because of her aunt. Even the amount of elf-lord power she’d channeled had taken a toll.
She saw Stone now as he levitated with Harris and a group of trolls. They had a vampire on the stretcher, severely wounded but alive, the last of the Tannisford Guard being carried out.
Stone stopped at the forest line, but the rest continued on. She watched him, the drag of his lips and cheeks. He looked haunted but with good reason. Too many men had died tonight.
Each of the mastyrs had thanked her for her part in turning the tide of battle. More than one of them had mentioned their amazement at seeing her as both Rosamunde and Aralynn and expressed appreciation for her long service. It was therefore no longer a secret that the Queen of Ferrenden Peace was not only a blood rose, but could transform into a second woman entirely.
Once each had assembled his troops, as well as the dead and the wounded, she and Stone together had used the elf-lord power to send them to their respective realms.
At last, the lake was quiet. Stone’s hidden retreat was no longer hidden, though eventually, and with the right fae spells, it could be returned to a completely private, unknowable location. But not for a while.
Stone at last flew in her direction.
She rose from her chair, wanting to be fully present for him. Ferrenden Peace didn’t have a Vampire Guard, so in that sense tonight’s battle hadn’t touched her personally, not in the way it had for Stone and his fellow mastyrs.
She knew his Vampire Guard had moved in once Margetta’s mist had disappeared. “How did the Tannisford Guard fare?”
He touched down and nodded solemnly. “We lost one of our own, but it was nothing compared to the other Guards. There will be mourning in each of the Realms tonight. But the end must near now.”
“Do you think the Gala should be postponed?”
“I discussed it with the ruling mastyrs. Though we lost good men here tonight, none of us wants to set aside our event because of Margetta’s attack. We’ve built a federation and tonight we’ve proved that we can work together against the Ancient Fae.”
She didn’t care that he was battle-stained. She could feel his
need as though it was her own. Without giving it too much thought, she went to him and slid her arms around his waist, settling her head on his shoulder. It was amazing tonight, start to finish. Men died here tonight and I don’t want to diminish the loss this is to the Nine Realms. But Stone, we took Margetta out at the knees. You and me.
He held her tight. We did that together, didn’t we?
I would have been crippled to have had that much power flowing through me. But it was so easy because of you. She drew back. “Did you see how the power we built stood up to hers?”
His lips curved slightly. “It was a thrill.”
She smiled. “It was. When the battle first started and I saw her golden light, I was taken back to being a child of nine and an awareness that the same light had killed my mother. Tonight has made up for a lot of the anger I’ve felt toward Margetta. We may not have ended her takeover attempt for good, but I’m sure we’re on our way.”
Some of the drawn look left his face. “We are. I know we are. It’s only a matter of time now.”
When he kissed her again, and she felt his urgency, she knew how this would end. But she had another idea so she drew back. “I want to be with you, but not until the gala is over. I hope that’s all right with you. Wait. Why are you smiling?”
“I was thinking about something Delia suggested. She thought I should take Aralynn to the ball, but I think I’d rather have the Queen of Ferrenden Peace beside me. Will you be my date?”
She couldn’t help herself. She landed on his chest and hugged him hard. She laughed at herself and how silly she felt.
“What is it?”
When she pulled back she shook her head. “I don’t know. I just haven’t felt this way in so long, like a girl. It’s nice. You have no idea.” She’d always planned on attending the gala, of course. She’d even had a gown made for the occasion. But she’d never thought she’d go with Stone. It all seemed so miraculous.
“How about I pick you up at the castle in about an hour.”
“That would be perfect.” She kissed him again on the lips then without another word, teleported back to the castle.
Once in her bedroom, she unlocked the doors and summoned her maids, grateful for the full hour to get ready. She wanted to look her best for Stone.
But as she pulled out the silk gown that she’d had made for the occasion weeks ago, she realized to her surprise that the fabric was a beautiful mossy-green and very nearly the color of Stone’s eyes.
She fingered the fabric gently. How far they’d come in just three short nights.
A decision came to her suddenly. There were still two large roadblocks to continuing her relationship with Stone, and she wanted at least one of them resolved tonight.
She pathed Vojalie and asked her and Davido to come to her private living room for cocktails before the gala. When Vojalie agreed readily, Rosamunde added that the time had come for Davido to give up his secret because she wasn’t keeping it a moment longer.
You’ve changed. Vojalie sounded awestruck. At least she didn’t try to argue with Rosamunde. Never fear, I’ll tell Davido and we’ll both be there. It’s time that Davido made his confession. I feel it as well.
With this next hurdle ready to be crossed, she called down to her butler and ordered drinks and appetizers to be served in her private parlor. She didn’t want a breath of what would be said tonight anywhere near her staff.
She hopped in the shower and gave herself to the pleasure of getting clean and having hot water beat into her muscles.
~ ~ ~
The tuxedo, ordered from the U.S., fit Stone like a glove. It had cost a small fortune. But as he tugged on his cuffs, the only thought in his head was whether or not Rosamunde would like him in this get up.
The clothes felt odd since he rarely wore shirts of any kind. Now he had on a couple of additional layers and he found it irritating. Yet it seemed like a very small price to pay for the event that had been inciting interest throughout the Nine Realms, and especially Tannisford, for over two months now.
Delia had booked a room for him at the Sterling Arms. After Rosamunde had returned to Ferrenden Peace, he’d flown to Sandismare with his tuxedo and shoes in a bag over his arm. A shower had followed.
The Sterling Arms was the swankiest hotel in Tannisford’s main city and the rooms had been fully booked in the skyscraper within hours of the gala announcement.
Fortunately, Sandismare had several conference level hotels so that the prominent officials from most of the towns and cities of the Nine Reams had been able to get accommodations.
The local merchants were over the moon.
Several smaller events were being held around the downtown area, but the main gala was in the premier ballroom of the Sterling Arms.
After a good hour had passed since he’d last seen Rosamunde and with his long hair secured in a silver facsimile of the Guardsman clasp, he contacted her and learned she’d made special plans of her own.
He was pleased that she wanted to have drinks with Vojalie and Davido. The latter was already at the castle and happily teleported Stone straight to Rosamunde’s private parlor.
Davido, as ugly as he was, beamed with his usual charisma and seemed like the most striking person in the room. And that was saying a lot since Vojalie’s beauty outshone most of the women of their world and Rosamunde tonight gave her some serious competition.
Her unruly red hair had been tamed into a soft fall of curls over her bare shoulders. Her olive green strapless gown showed off her beautiful creamy skin as well as a line of cleavage that had him wishing they were alone. Her violet eyes held him entranced for a long moment broken only when she turned and reached for a martini for him.
“Davido made them for us.”
He took a sip. “Gin and vodka and nicely chilled. Perfect.”
Davido smiled. “Thank you, Mastyr.”
But as the drink eased down his throat and sent the usual warmth flowing through his veins, he was struck by an undercurrent in the room.
He saw that Rosamunde’s lips were in an odd tight line and that Vojalie kept taking deep breaths. Even Davido cleared his throat a couple of times.
Stone set his martini down on the nearest table. “What’s going on?”
He watched Rosamunde grab for some air as well, which set up a racket inside his chest. He wasn’t fae, so he didn’t get hints about the future. But the tension in the room was enough to set his jaw-muscles to flexing.
Rosamunde lifted her chin. “Davido has something to tell you, something I’ve known for a long time. It’s about your birth parents. I was sworn to secrecy, but given the events of the past few nights, I felt it was time that you knew the truth.”
He stared at her for a long moment, digesting each word. He didn’t know which aspect of her statement to address first, but finally decided on her complicity. “So this is something you’ve known for how long?”
“Decades.”
“And you didn’t tell me?” He had a hollowed out feeling that she’d betrayed him yet again.
She straightened her spine a little more. “This wasn’t my secret to tell, Stone. But given our growing level of intimacy, I’ve forced the telling. As to the details, they belong to Davido.” She gestured with her hand in the old troll’s direction.
He glanced at Davido. “Am I to deduce that you’ve known who my birth parents were all this time?”
Vojalie tilted her head. “I’ve known as well, Stone. But let Davido tell you everything, then you’ll understand. And we both hope you won’t blame Rosamunde for keeping the secret. It was no small thing that we’d asked her to do so.”
He’d weigh in on that subject later, after he knew what this was all about.
For now, he shifted to face Davido, “So, tell me, old man, did you know my birth parents? If so, I’d sure as hell like to know why you kept the information from me all these centuries.” He wished his damn heart would settle down since he felt like it was about to jump from his
chest.
Davido also set his martini glass on a nearby table. He then turned and sat down on a leather ottoman in front of a chair by the fireplace. Like most short trolls, his feet didn’t touch the floor.
He was half bent over, his lips turned down. Stone had the worst feeling about what he was going to hear. Davido rarely lost his confident composure.
Davido spread his hands wide. “It’s odd, after all this time, that I find it hard to begin. But, I knew your mother well. Her name was Inez and she was an elegant, black-haired, green-eyed woman, the most beautiful vampire I’d ever beheld and you are very much in her mold. She was loving and had the sweetest temperament.
“When she became pregnant, I’d never seen a woman so devoted to a child before it was ever born. She talked to you all the time and rarely had her hands away from her swollen belly. But, for reasons I’ll never understand, she didn’t survive your birth. She had a rare, untreatable condition in our world.” He lifted shimmering blue eyes. “These things you need to know, how much you were loved.”
The ridges of Davido’s forehead were in tense tight rolls. Tears trickled down his cheeks. “And there’s no other way to tell you the rest, except that I’m your father.”
Stone had heard about the phenomenon of ‘spinning rooms’, but until this moment he’d never experienced one before. He felt Rosamunde slam into him and grab him around the waist. He fell backwards with her onto her sofa. He tried to right himself, but couldn’t. The room shifted about like it was moving on heavy seas.
He covered his face with his hands and wondered who was firing a gun in the room then realized it was his heart beating against his eardrums.
Davido the Wise was his father?
What. The. Fuck.
He’d always wanted to know where he’d come from, who his birth parents were, why they’d given him up. These were natural questions. But knowing that Davido was his father, whom he’d always considered to be an excellent friend and mentor, made no sense.