"That's not how this works," Flint protested.
"Isn't it?" She met his eyes and was floored by the compassion and concern that lingered there. Her men certainly weren't thinking with their heads right now. They were thinking with their hearts.
"I could take it, I think," Amber piped up. "It's probably similar enough to my storm magic. But I think Macey's right, I think it needs to be her."
Macey nodded her thanks. It was good having a friend fully on her side through all this. Amber wasn't going to make decisions based on her romantic attachment to Macey, because there wasn't one. She'd logic these things out, before agreeing with whichever party made the most sense.
"I agree with Amber," Izban added.
"Of course you do. It's not your girlfriend being put in danger," Flint burst in.
"Girlfriend?" Macey raised an eyebrow at him. Now definitely wasn't the right time to be having this conversation, but she really couldn't help it. She liked the way the word sounded when he said it.
"Girlfriend doesn't even begin to sum up what you are to me," he announced.
"And do you have a word that would sum me up?" she teased.
"I don't think anything could," he answered softly, taking her hand from Cam's face, and placing it on his own. "I know a lot of things about it though. I know I love you, Macey, and I know that I couldn't live with myself if anything bad happened to you."
"I feel the same way," Macey said honestly, before looking over at Cam. "About all of you. But that doesn't mean I'm not doing this. We all know I'm the logical choice to take on Air. So that's what we're going to do."
Flint started to protest, but Macey held up her hand to stop him.
"Please, Macey," Cam tried begging.
"No. I'm doing this. I have to do this. Think about what the alternative is," she implored them, hoping that would make the difference.
"Fine."
"I'm glad to hear you've decided," the sìth man said, popping up out of nowhere and making Macey jump.
"You couldn't have knocked?" Izban demanded.
The man looked at his hands. "With what?" He seemed genuinely perplexed, and Macey had to admit he had a point. Though given his appearance out of thin air, she had some questions about why they even had doors if they weren't going to use them.
"I'm ready," Macey said. "Tell me what you want me to do."
Chapter 10
The room was cold without the others in it. Though in reality, it was probably exactly the same temperature as before, the only difference was that she didn't have the protection of the other Wardens around her.
They were on the other side of the strange metal door though, so she didn't feel their absence quite as much. If Macey really wanted, she could back out of the entire thing at any point. Flint or Cam would take her place in an instant.
Which was the main reason she wasn't saying a word to them about how scared she was. If she didn't take on Air, then she might never get the mark on her back, and while she didn't know what the importance of those was, there must be one. And she didn't want to take the risk of not having the full set. Working out how she got her own mark would be the last step, she was sure. Maybe it would happen when her own magic was completely unblocked. While the lock her father had put on her powers was almost gone, she could still feel the remnants of it holding her back.
And she hated it. She still didn't understand why he'd done that. Unless it was to teach her some humility. He'd vastly underestimated the things she'd get up to on earth if that was the case. Months imprisoned had taught her all the humility she could possibly need.
Taking a deep breath, Macey recited the words the sìth had taught her already in her head. Now wasn't the time to risk anything like getting them wrong. Not when there was so much at stake.
"Gairm èadhar airson a dhol a-steach dhomh," she said softly, hoping she'd gotten her pronunciation right.
The clouds making up the walls around her began to swirl like crazy, almost like the wind had caught them. It must be Air. After all, it couldn't be Cam. He wouldn't risk anything that could harm her.
Macey's hair whipped around her face as she was lifted off the ground by an unseen force. Breathing in and out as slowly as she could, Macey tried not to panic. She had no idea what would happen if she did.
"Do not panic, Warden." It was the same male voice that had spoken to her before, while her brothers had been unconscious. But there was something odd about it towards the end. "I'm not going to hurt you."
This time, it was clearer. The voice wasn't male any longer. In fact, it sounded suspiciously like Macey's own voice.
"That's the idea," the voice, Air, responded. "I'm not a being in my own right. I am just part of one of the other Wardens."
Macey swallowed loudly, wondering whose voice it was Air had been mimicking before.
"The last Fire Warden," the voice said sadly. "He was the last one I joined with, so it was his voice I spoke with."
Macey nodded. That at least made some kind of sense.
"I'm going to meld with you now. But you won't hear from me again after that," Air said.
"I won't?" Macey asked, suddenly finding her voice.
"No. I'll be one with you. My powers will be yours."
"And you'll be able to use mine too?" Macey asked nervously, trying not to think about how weird it was to be having a conversation with someone that sounded just like her.
"No. I have no control at all. I'm just there."
Macey mulled it over for a moment. "So, you're about to vanish as a personality?"
"I suppose. But I didn't have a personality to begin with," Air answered.
"But you must have if you were born at some point?" Macey prodded.
"Millennia ago, maybe. But I've taken on this form for as long as I can remember. Though this is going to be the first time I've been hosted by the Water Warden. I end up with Wind or Earth more often than not."
It was slightly chilling hearing Air talk that way. Especially when Macey couldn't see the person she was conversing with. But there was very little to be done about that. She had to go ahead with this melding, or else the world was going to be more at risk than ever. Plus, it might be good to know more than Cam did for a change. So long as Air would help with her knowledge. She hoped so.
"One last thing," Macey said.
"Hmm?" Air replied.
"Do you have a name?"
Air chuckled. "You know, no one has ever asked me that."
"Indulge me," Macey replied.
"No, I don't have a name. But we, combined, do."
"Will you tell me it?" Macey asked, carefully recalling Sharara's prophetic words. If things were going as they should, then this should be her second name. The one that she couldn't reveal to anyone for risk of being cursed. That didn't sound fun.
"Yes, but you can't repeat it. Not even to your men."
"I know, if I do, I'll be cursed."
"Ah, yes, the cu-sìth's words," Air said, sounding like she'd be nodding along if she had a body.
"How do you know about that?"
"I know about most of your adventures, I've been with you almost everywhere except Mahoun's keep. I cannot go there without the body of a host."
"Makes sense," Macey muttered, trying to keep her unease at bay. Especially as Air seemed to be able to tell what she was thinking even if she didn't say it aloud.
"Sadly. But seriously, you can't say the name to anyone else."
"What will happen if I do?"
"You're looking at the consequences. Well, not looking I suppose. But you'll be cursed to an eternity of being the Seventh Warden, the one who has no body, no life of their own, and no name. As much as I long for freedom from this burden, I couldn't wish it on anyone."
"Which is why you haven't insisted when no one asked for your name," Macey mused.
"Indeed. The Wardens have a good leader with you."
"I'm not a leader," Macey protested.
"Deny it all you wan
t, but you are. And often, the best leaders are those that don't want to be one," Air answered. "Our name is Talia. Never let it cross your lips."
"Thank you for sharing it with me," Macey said, running it around her head. It seemed to fit, in an odd way. Though it didn't make that much sense to have a name no one would know, it was hardly the strangest thing that had happened to her since she'd left the Loch.
"Thank you for talking with me, Macey. It's been a long time since anyone did that."
She wasn't sure how she knew, but those were the last words Air was going to say to her.
Macey's body returned to the floor along with a searing pain to her back. This time, she didn't panic, knowing what was there before anyone even saw it.
Five marks down, just two to go. All she had to do was persuade Izban to perform magic with her.
And then work out what she needed to do to get her own.
Somehow, Macey was almost disappointed that her visit to the Seelie court had been so short. She'd heard a lot about the sìth and was curious about their lives. All she'd seen was their cloudy houses as well as the man and woman who'd told them about Air. She made a mental note to come back here, once everything was over. Of all the places she'd been recently, this was the one she found most intriguing. Visiting the storm kelpies under the sea had been fascinating, but she'd felt trapped in those big glass domes, unable to feel the water all around them. Cat-man's home had been quite boring and misty, and with his sister dead, she didn't see any reason for visiting there again. She didn't even know where the ceasg had been living, and she wasn't keen on going there again either. Although of course, her favourite place was her men's house in the mists. That strange inbetween place that changed at the whims of its inhabitants. She ached to be back there with her three lovers, spending some time with them. But they'd told her that they only had three weeks to save the world - waves, that sounded so dramatic! - so there was no time to rest and recuperate. Although they all needed to get some sleep.
"Where is Air?" Jared asked when they stepped out of the gates. Luch was sitting on the ground, licking her paws.
"Long story, but we've got our seventh Warden. Let's go home, get some sleep and make plans for what's next," Macey said with a yawn. She'd felt a slight burst of energy when she'd joined with Air, but it wasn't enough to keep her going for much longer.
"I don't see anyone?" Jared insisted, but Cam put an arm around his friend's shoulders and quietly got him up to speed, saving Macey from having to do a long and tiring explanation. All she wanted was her bed.
"Is everyone ready to travel?" Flint asked and held out a hand. They knew the procedure by now and everybody took hold of his arm. It wasn't important to hold on tight, but there needed to be a connection to one of the two wraiths for them to travel the Staran. Both Cam and Flint had said how it was harder to enter the Staran now that they were getting even worse, but luckily, it was still possible. Macey didn't want to think about what would happen if they'd no longer be able to use them. How were they going to get from place to place? Most of the places they'd visited so far had been in other planes, not on Earth, or at least not on the Earth she'd grown up on.
Izban was the last to touch Jared's outstretched arm, but as soon as he did, they were ripped into the Staran and away from the queendom of the sìth.
The house looked just as welcoming as it always did. Macey was having a hard time keeping her eyes open. There was nothing but her bed on her mind. She knew she was being selfish, but she hoped her men would show Amber and Izban where to sleep. There were enough bedrooms, all they had to do was assign them one. She hoped they'd take one together and not insist on being prude.
Macey staggered to the room she was sharing with her men. She didn't even bother taking off her clothes. They'd go in the bin tomorrow anyway; they weren't much more than rags by now.
She pulled the duvet close to her chin, relishing the feeling of the soft fabric on her skin. She'd not had a proper blanket in ages, nor a mattress, nor a pillow... she fell asleep before the others could even join her.
Chapter 11
Seven stone thrones in a circle. On them, six people, their backs straight, their faces serious. One of the thrones remained empty bar a strange shimmer in the air above it. And standing in the middle of the circle they formed, was Macey.
"What's going on?" she asked groggily, wiping the sleep from her eyes.
"Welcome... welcome... welcome...," it echoed through the chamber. It wasn't just one of them speaking, it was all of them in unison. Six voices, three male, three female. Together, they sounded like a Gregorian chant Macey had heard once.
Macey didn't even have to think hard to know who these people were.
"Are you the past Wardens?" she asked for clarification?
"Yes.... yes... yes... the last set."
"How many have there been?"
"Too many to count," the voices replied. "But you will be the last... the last... the last..."
The echoing was beginning to distract Macey. It was a little too dramatic for her taste.
"Why will we be last? What's so special about us?"
"You're the ones who make or break the Wardens' legacy... if you succeed, there will be no more need for us. If you fail, there will be nobody left to fight for."
Macey swallowed hard. No pressure then.
"Does that mean we'll die if we succeed?"
"No... no.... no... you'll live happily ever after."
A slight chuckle followed that last statement. Dead Wardens with a sense of humour? How very strange.
Now came the most important question. "Why am I here?"
"Do you know what to do to save the world... the world... the world?"
Macey cringed. That was the tiny problem she was trying to ignore.
"No. We know that the Staran are dying, but we don't know why or what we can do about it."
"The Staran are only one part of the whole picture. You will need to look beyond them to see the root of the evil that is spreading quickly."
"The Voice... ehm, Mahoun?"
"Again, he is only a part. There is more going on than you know, but you need to hurry up to find a solution."
Macey sighed in frustration. How did new problems keep coming along? Dealing with both the Staran and the Voice was a big enough challenge. Now they were saying that there was more? Oh waves, this was becoming an impossible mission.
"Can you help?" she asked, trying to keep desperation from sneaking into her voice.
"No... no... no..."
"Then why am I here? Just so you can tell me how hopeless everything is? How we're likely going to fail?"
"No... no... no..."
"And stop doing that echo thing!" Macey screamed, frustrated and angry. Bad news kept overwhelming here and there was no end in sight. Didn't she deserve a break? Some time with her men? A moment to recuperate from the time she'd spent as a prisoner?
One of the six people got up. His face stayed in the shadows, but it was clear that he was a man. His broad shoulders reminded her of Flint, but he looked older, even though she could just see his body.
"I'm sorry," he said calmly with a deep, gentle voice. "We're not used to talking to outsiders. We didn't want to anger you."
"You didn't," Macey tried to backpedal. "It's just that I never seem to get good news, it's always doom and gloom. And with every answer we find, ten more questions pop up. It's so frustrating."
The man chuckled softly. "I remember that feeling. It seems not much has changed for the next generation of Wardens. But don't despair, there is always hope. As long as the seven of you are together, there is still a chance to fulfil your purpose."
"I don't have all the marks yet," Macey admitted.
"You will have them, soon. But you won't need them until the very end, so don't worry."
"So they're important?"
The man laughed again. "Oh yes, they're very important. Right now, though, you should focus on something else. The Sta
ran won't let you travel on them for much longer. You need to stabilise them before you can proceed to deal with the other issues. A certain mouse should be able to help you."
"Luch? But she's not said anything about the Staran so far?"
"She? Is she pretending to be a woman this time?"
Macey nodded, remembering how surprised she was when Luch had first appeared in her human form. As a mouse, she didn't have a defined gender, but if Macey'd had to choose back then, she'd said it was a male mouse.
"Luch shows itself as whatever it wants to be. It must be in a feminine mood at the moment, or maybe it didn't want to look like competition to your husbands."
"Wait, they're not my husbands," Macey interrupted. "We're not married. I only met them... well, not long ago."
"Oh, I'm sorry, sometimes it's hard to keep the present and future apart." The man cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Although we see many futures, and only one of them will come to pass."
"So, you can see a future where I'm married to my men?" Macey asked, wide-eyed.
"Yes, in several of them. The ones in which you win."
Macey smiled grimly. "How do I win? Who do I need to fight?"
"That will very much depend on the path you choose to take," the man answered.
"Helpful," Macey muttered. Even though this was a dream, and there'd be no way of hiding her thoughts and feelings.
"I know. I remember being in your position. Nothing seems to help, and everything seems to get more complicated by the minute."
"You can say that again," Macey said darkly.
"Though I'll admit, I only had one man to deal with, rather than three." The man chuckled to himself. "You really did make things that bit more complicated for yourself."
"They're the least complicated bit," she protested. "With them I know where I stand. They love me, I love them," she admitted, before realising it was the first time she'd ever said it out loud. She'd tell them about it later though. Right in the middle of the most stressful situation of their entire lives.
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