She turned to address the crowd her voice carried to all ears “You may be wondering where you are, how you have gotten here and why you have all transformed.”
Heads were nodding all among the Naga.
“You are on the banks of Sacred Ganges, sister to Sacred Indus, which has allowed you to be transported between Pakistan and India. As you are all aware of Pakistan has gone crazy, the Angels have stirred up Islam and all those not belonging to the Angels are in danger. Even their own people are in danger.
Now I know you are a mixture of Hindu’s, Buddhists as well as my own Brigidites. Your personal views are your own, for you do not belong to the Angels, and I will grant you your protection. For the Hindus, your Gods have died, but I swore to them to protect you. I have accepted the burden of your protection, and all I ask of you is to fight against the Angels when they come for us.
You have all suffered for simply being who you are, and now your homes and lives have been destroyed by the Angels and their people. The sacred waters have cleansed you, healed you and transformed you. You are now Naga, once extinct sacred beings of water. Immortal to age and bearers of great power.
I cannot give you back your old lives, I cannot give you back your country. But you can claim it back, you can fight for your country. Now as the Naga, you have the right to claim to ancient territories that have been crying out for your touch for centuries.
The land, rivers and the world need us. It is not the same place it used to be for it has changed irrevocably. The War of Heaven has started again and this time, mortals will be choosing sides. I am the Goddess Brigid, yes I see your surprise, and I know many of you have heard my voice. I am as real as you are, and I have suffered under the Angels just as you have. But I offer you a brighter future, one in which your long heritage will be respected.
Come now and rest, have time to think and reflect. Some of you now possess magical powers, and many of you will be anxious to reunite with family members. Every person who entered the Indus has washed up on the Ganges, you may find your loved ones.”
Anjali looked around in surprise as people started weeping. Perhaps it was just her, but she personally blamed Brigid for her current woes. She wasn’t sure what to make of the tale she had just been spun.
As the others started being led away, Brigid handed the little girl back to her “Stay Anjali I have a special task for you.”
Brigid placed an arm around her shoulder “You are a special type of Naga, you are a very powerful sorceress. I am sending you to the Seelie Court in Scotland to receive formal training. If you can master your talents, then you can teach them to the others of your species, and that is our best defence against the Muslim insurrection. I know you have lost everything, but I have given you the power to claim it back. You can get revenge.”
She snapped her fingers and a little pink light appeared “Take her to the Queen and ensures she receives proper training.”
Anjali didn’t have time to react as the pink orb grew into a woman with dragonfly wings and predatory eyes. She grabbed onto Anjali, and they both disappeared.
“Was that a wise choice Goddess?”
“Perhaps not, she resents me but time in the Seelie Court may heal that. It is better than having her here spreading her resentment. She is very powerful, and her anger burns strong, and will do for a long time. She has nothing to tie her to India currently, I want to start creating the spirit of the Empire now. The Empire will be reborn, but this time, it won’t just be the largest empire the world has ever seen but the most magical as well. My hold on India is weak at best, but it is slowly getting stronger. The creation of the Naga will cement my claim over the subcontinent and give me a strong claim to South East Asia. It will also help bring the Hindus and Buddhists to me. My control will spread further, and many new countries will join the empire. The Naga are known in many places.”
“What of the large serpents?”
“The Naga will serve the Naga as powerful steeds. Under the combined strength of the Naga, India will become my centre of power in Asia.
Ryan fell silent before returning to his temple. He suddenly had thousands of people to look after.
Brigid watched him go, knowing the questions he had not aired. Where had the serpents come from? Hindus and Buddhists had been turned into the Naga as an honour. But they were not the only ones who had climbed into the river. Those who carried the taint of the Angels could not be given such an honour, nor had they been willing to forsake their faith. Yet she had been hesitant to kill them, life was precious, so she had made them into non-humanoid races.
They were no longer of any use to the Angels.
“I cannot even begin to fathom the stupidity of your actions” Gabriel paced back and forth yelling at Ariel and Michael as they knelt in the petitioners circle. The whole Council of Elders was in attendance to pass judgment on them.
“Your behaviour was utterly reckless. This behaviour in any Angel is unacceptable but in an Arch Angel it is beyond comprehension. Your actions have thrown out centuries of manipulation and destroyed our image to the world. Just when we need to be nurturing our cause with the Goddesses free.”
Gabriel fell silent all but spitting like a cat. The other three Arch Angels remained silent, afraid to draw her attention and yet silently condemning both of them.
“Michael explain yourself” she snapped.
He cringed ever so slightly at her tone. He had seen her in many a temper before but this was different. Now she was dealing with the after effects of his actions, and she was not pleased. Nor was the Council, his and Ariel’s actions within such a short time of each other portrayed the Angels very negatively.
“Following information gathered by Nuriel, myself and my Angels laid a trap for Hera. I chose Saint Patricks Cathedral and empowered it, fully expecting her to intervene over Easter. My predictions proved correct. Within the cathedral, we battled each other for over an hour, during which time more Angels descended on New York and strengthened our containment Weave.
She stopped fighting and cautiously I stopped my attacks. It was then that she summoned images of Sariel. She was dying, having been raped and beaten by the Demons in Hell. It was then she told me she sent Sariel to Hell. Before my eyes, I saw the last of Sariel’s life drawn out of her.”
There was a rustling of guilty relief among the Angels, now they had no longer had to fear Sariel affecting the Curse. Things were as they should be.
Gabriel’s anger died before everyone’s eyes. She had known Michael grieved for his sister, but she hadn’t known the full story. Political mechanisms be damned, some things were more important.
“It was then that my rage overtook me. I am sorry to admit it by my wrath consumed me, it blinded me to all reason. There is no excuse I allowed my hate towards Hera to dictate my actions. It was then I summoned the Greater Demon Samael to fight my battle. It was my only hope for overcoming her. She was beyond my powers to beat.”
There were gasps at his admission.
“Are you telling us that Hera was more powerful than you?”
“I am, far more powerful.”
Gabriel resumed pacing “We have lost an Arch Angel, and now we shall grieve. The cost was heavy but at last, the Goddess Hera is gone, either dead or sucked down into Hell.”
She glanced around at the Council, most were nodding, as were the other Arch Angels.
“Then your actions are excusable before the Council. The threat of Hera is no more.”
Michael stood up, bowed to the Council then walked to his throne, on his way past she grabbed his shoulder.
Then she turned to face her cousin “While the threat of Hera was removed you were meant to be tracking down Brigid’s whereabouts. Last we knew she was destroying the Indus and hiding all over Australia. We are all extremely curious as to how you ended up in France killing the British King.” Her voice dripped with venom. She was at her scariest when she was this calm.
“Following leads brought to me by
Nuriel it was discovered Brigid has been very active in Australia, New Zealand, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and has started making her presence felt in Canada. Following a hunch, I headed to Britain to scout and perhaps lay an ambush. But I was prevented from entering Britain.”
That caused a stir.
“Why were you prevented from entering?”
“Because there is a Veil around those islands. No Angel can access Britain or Ireland.”
There was a stunned silence to meet her words. A Veil was a powerful act of magic to keep certain types out. They required a lot of magic, the more highly selective they were, the more they required. They were usually confined to a single city. A Veil of this size was unfathomable. The power required to keep out all three types of Angels over such a vast area was beyond comprehension.
It worried them all deeply if it was Brigid alone then they would need the Seven Arch Angels to bring her in. If it wasn’t Brigid, then there were many questions in desperate need of answers.
“How could this have happened?” someone dared to ask.
“Only the ruling monarch of a nation can raise or act as the focus of such spells. That explains Ariel’s actions. But the Veil did not falter when the old king died, he was not the foundation.”
“No, killing him did not release the spell. Which means someone else is the foundation, but whom? It couldn’t be his daughter, could it? She’s not the reigning monarch.”
“Is it beyond reason that perhaps some of the Fae survived and with Brigid’s powers act as the foundation?” Raphael asked.
“It is possible, all that we managed to hunt down was one of the princes which means the Queen is still alive somewhere. She could easily act as the foundation with Brigid’s powers. But where is Brigid getting such power from, she wasn’t naturally as strong as Hera?”
“She has negligible followings in Australia, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. Only India has enough numbers to be empowering her. But it doesn’t explain the strength required for such a Veil. Her presence in Pakistan has been eliminated with the eradication of non-Muslims. The only explanation for her empowerment is the same as for Hera. The Demons must be in far greater numbers than we thought.”
“This is worse than we thought” Gabriel looked at the other Arch Angels, and they nodded their agreement” She turned back to Ariel “Your punishment is yet to be determined. Your actions were ill-advised but well intended. You will light the Fires above Britain.”
Ariel’s eyes lit up with delight and fervour. It was an honour to light the Fires.
“We have been sealed off from Britain, such an event has not occurred since the Fall. It is clear Humanity needs to be reminded of our power and presence. Apparently recent actions have not been enough. As with Pakistan, we will deal with Britain decisively and without hesitation. There will be no mercy.”
Chapter 35
Victoria looked into the coffin of her father. The embalmers had done an excellent job, there was no way to tell how he had died. Though that image would never leave her, it had played over and over in her head, invading her dreams. Again and again, she had seen the Arch Angel Ariel killing her father. Sometimes they spoke sometimes they didn’t. Ariel condemned her and laughed. Her father pleaded, told her it wasn’t her fault or asked for vengeance.
Clearly her subconscious was trying to tell her something, her father had always said revenge was an ugly emotion.
He looked completely at peace now, his face carried none of the worries it always had. In a way, she was glad he was finally at peace. He had lived a troubled life, it was a pity death was the price for peace. At least he could re-join her mother, and together they could be at peace. That made her smile. He had sorely missed her mother, theirs had been a genuine love that lasted until she died, and even beyond.
She would sorely miss him. Now the weight of an entire country rested on her shoulders, a weight that was going to increase dramatically.
She jumped when Cathair placed his hand on her shoulder “Come Victoria.”
She looked wearily up at him “How long have I been standing here?”
“Close to an hour.”
“I still can’t believe he is gone,” she said as he led her away. The funeral had been nice at least, the people had come out in droves to mourn their monarch. He had regained their love in past months, and his life had always been a point of interest for them. They had also come to see her, to mourn with her. Or in the media’s case to showcase her mourning to the world.
He nodded his understanding but didn’t say anything more as he led her away. She held onto his arm feeling lost. All her life her father had been her sun, despite his own problems and hectic schedule he had always made time for her, had always managed to brighten up her day and chase away her woes. He had often told her that she was his greatest pride, and he meant it. He had kept every painting she had ever painted, ever story every written, every award won. He had kept them all. He had truly been a great father.
She had always gravitated towards him, making him happy. He had been a deeply unhappy man since her mother died. And the duties of being a king wearied him. She had figured out from an early age that she was one of the few things that made him smile, so she had worked hard to be everything she could be. She could talk to him about almost anything, and theirs had been a relationship truly envied by most fathers and daughters. He hadn’t just been her father, he had been her friend.
Now he was gone, and like a missing sun, all that was left was a void.
She came out of her reverie as Cathair helped her into the car. Her eyes picked up the flashes of blue, there were a lot today, but most surprisingly the compassion in his eyes.
She glanced out of the window, for once glad of the dreary English weather. It was fitting that even the weather was unhappy. Even the faces of the people had reflected the loss, he hadn’t been a popular king, but he hadn’t deserved to be murdered. Royalist feeling was riding very high. She had also been told there had been a complete drop in the sales of anything Angel related. The people were rallying behind their royal family.
“Why are you here Cathair?”
He flicked those beautiful green eyes of his towards her “because you need company.”
“This goes beyond duty. This is the act of a friend, which is completely at odds with your previously cold behaviour.”
If she had offended him, he didn’t show it. “I am your fiancé” he snapped before sighing “it goes beyond that. Since your father’s death, a light has gone out in you. There’s barely even a spark left. That light is a fire that reaches out to others, an honesty, a compassion, a joy that burns so strongly that others cannot help but be drawn to it. Now it lies in embers. You have no one to turn to, your relatives are worse than a pit of vipers, and you have no real close friends. You are alone, bar for me, and I know how that feels.”
She was suddenly curious “You had an unhappy childhood?”
“Not as such, I have lived a privileged life, and my parents, fortunately, spent time with me. But when my father was killed no one held me or looked after me. Mother was too busy trying to hold the court together and keeping the spells protecting us from breaking. I didn’t have any friends, I had spent most of my time with Aisling growing up, but she was safe in the Otherworld. I had no one to turn to, and it has stayed that way. The Fae are respected, feared, revered and loved, but very few get close to us.”
“You say Fae as though you’re something different?”
“We are. Fae can be used interchangeably with Fairy to mean all the races. We are the Fae, Fairy, Fair Folk and a whole manner of other names. But the Fae specifically refers to the royal bloodline, for we are unlike any other race under our authority. We are the mixed bloodlines of them all. We are the culmination of Fairy power. We are the direct descendants of Avalon herself.”
“Is that why you look more Human than the other Fairy Races?”
“Yes, but that has more to do with the heavy interbreeding we did w
ith Human sorcerers to strengthen our bloodlines. It also has much to do with our interbreeding with Nymphs and Angels. We are far more Human looking than the other Fae races, but it does have its advantages. Humans are less scared of us.”
“So when the other Fairies look Human, it is just spells and illusions?”
“Well certain humanoid characteristics are always there, but we are the flesh bound spirits of the land, we will always be animalistic in appearance. Most of the time we don’t bother hiding those, but we can use our Glamour to adjust our appearances for various reasons. With it, we can blend in with Humans.”
“Are you wearing your Glamour now?”
“Only to make my hair brown and my lips red. Even for the Fae we are remarkably Human looking. My paternal grandmother was a Nymph, and my paternal grandfather was an Angel. My near ancestry is rich in the more humanoid races. For the Fae, Aisling and I are remarkably plain. Usually, Fae skin colours vary wildly, as do their hair and eye colours.
It is very likely that Aisling’s mate will come from one of the Older Fairy races to reassert our Fairy appearance.”
She nodded digesting the information “Does that have anything do to with why my lips are now tinged green?” that had been a shock for her, now she had to make sure she was always wearing lip colour.
He smiled “It could be, but I doubt you are Fairy. I would hazard a guess that Brigid has activated some latent magical powers in your bloodline and added some extra. She understands that the Fae breed for power and diversity. I imagine that you’ll prove to be something new and unique.”
That made her blush. “What about the other races?”
“For the most part, they’re as much a part of Ireland and Britain as the landscape. The Fairies have been around for a very long time, we were one of the very first races. New additions to our numbers include the Were, Lilin, Sirens, and Vampires. But their positions in court were only made after the War of Heaven. It became necessary for all the magical races to band together, to gain our protection they joined and became subject to the Seelie Court.
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