by Unknown
“And rule beside him,” Faerie dropped that bomb and waited for it to explode.
“Fire and brimstone!” Nora exclaimed. “I didn't even think about that.”
“You can be my queen after all,” Guirmean's smile was radiant.”
“And stop moping around my kingdom,” Arach teased from over my shoulder.
“I got this,” Faerie tossed back at Arach and he smirked at us. “Now, you gonna stop being such a stubborn bitch and accept your destiny? It means you won't be Captain of the Phooka Guard anymore,” Faerie said that last part with a bit of snark.
“I think I'm okay with that,” Nora snarked back.
“Alright then, if you're sure,” Faerie smirked.
“We're sure,” Guirmean faced us with Nora.
“Sorry, Water King, you're gonna have to step back,” we shooed him away.
“I'll be fine,” Nora nodded to him as he backed up. “Alright, Faerie, please make me a water fey.”
“Oooooh, she even asks nicely,” Faerie laughed. “That must have been really hard for you.” Nora sighed and Faerie laughed harder. “Okay, okay!” She held up our hands. “Here we go.”
I felt magic flow through the star in my chest and then out through my hands. Powerful, bright magic that ran white but soon changed to blue. It gained weight, becoming thick and wet as it invaded Nora's body and changed her at the most basic level. She fell to her knees, her head dropping forward as the magic coursed through her, both destroying and creating as it went.
I hadn't noticed how destructive Transmutation was. How it worked in a similar fashion to a caterpillar becoming a butterfly. Basically, it reduced Nora's body to soup, a soup of cells that then reformed into a new pattern, a new element. The caterpillar reforms itself and becomes a completely different creature just as Nora was. How perfect that my love magic took the form of butterflies. Love was the most destructive and constructive magic there was... it was all about transformation.
When Faerie finally finished, Nora stayed on her knees, gasping for breath. We nodded to Guirmean and he rushed over to help her. I could already see the changes in her body. Her hair had taken on a purple tinge and her skin had paled to pure white. The hands she had spread on the floor had grown webbing between their fingers and the nails on them had become translucent and opalescent. Then she got to her feet and raised her head.
The whole room gasped as the new Nora was revealed. She looked much like the old Nora but there were now delicate gills in the sides of her neck and her face had thinned out a little. She'd had such a round, doll-like face to begin with that the thinning was barely noticeable though. It just made her look a little more sharp. Added to the slight change in face shape, there were fragile looking, lacey, purple extensions at her temples. I'd call them antennae but I don't think that's what they were. Oh, and she had fish eyes.
They were really pretty fish eyes, purple rim to rim, lightening to lavender at the middle, with black dots in their centers. She had nictating membranes which made it look like she was blinking twice, and she stared at me with horrified amazement.
“You are now the very first water phooka... you're welcome,” Faerie said in a huffy tone and then left.
I rushed forward and hugged Nora. She hugged me back ferociously and Guirmean surrounded us both. The room exploded into applause and I pulled back to see Nora's new fish eyes filling with tears.
“How do I look?” She asked Guirmean.
“Like a dream come true,” he whispered and kissed her. Those little lacey things on her head lowered and laid against Guirmean's face.
“Finally,” Arach sighed as his hand slid into mine. “Now maybe you two can take your bickering to the Water Kingdom.”
“We'll go tonight,” Nora nodded as they pulled slowly out of their kiss. “If I have the leave of my King and Queen,” she added quickly.
“Of course you do,” Arach grumbled. “Get the hell out of here.”
“Thank you,” Guirmean came over and shook Arach's hand before kissing mine. “If you'd have told me two years ago that I would feel a deep friendship with a fire fey, I would have called you a madman but here I am feeling it. You both are the greatest friends I've ever had and you've shown me unlimited kindness and patience. I can never repay it.”
“Just wait till we go to war with Earth again,” Arach chuckled and pounded Guirmean's back.
“I'll be there,” Guirmean laughed with him. “Any war, any time.”
“And so will I,” Nora added, shutting them both up. I gave her an approving wink but Guirmean's words unsettled me and I didn't know why.
Chapter Forty-Eight
About a month later, I was sitting in Castle Aithinne's library feeling very pleased with myself. I'd figured out how to get through long spans of time in the Faerie Realm. I simply used my ring to take me back to the God Realm for a few minutes, and a few quick kisses, then came back to the new advanced time in the Faerie Realm. This way, I could kind of hop forward in Faerie, while still returning to the God Realm at nearly the same time as I'd left it originally. I don't know why I hadn't thought of it sooner.
My pleasure was doused when Fearghal came running into the library, shouting about someone dying. I shot up from my seat and chased after him as he pounded down the stairs and through the halls of Castle Aithinne. We ran by confused fire fey, who I had to wave off so they wouldn't follow us. If Fearghal wanted an army, he would have called for one. I had a feeling this was something I needed to handle alone.
We came to a familiar door and it was thrown wide open, revealing a group of distraught dark-sidhe and one dark-sidhe king who was lying deathly still upon the bed. I immediately recognized the elegantly appointed room as Ciaran's. The last time I'd been in it was when I'd brought Ciaran a burned pixie girl to heal.
“What's happened?” I rushed inside. “Is that Rowan?”
“Yes, my Queen,” Manus, one of my red caps, answered grimly.
“What kind of spell was he hit with?” Ciaran asked and I followed his gaze to find Liatris standing with Angelica and Trillium, two other dark-sidhe.
“Spell?” I focused on Lia. “Liatris, what the hell happened?”
“It wasn't me,” She immediately protested. “It was a human witch I was... er..” she trailed off as she glanced at the others. “I was dating him and he found Rowan in my house. He threw a bottle at Rowan and this liquid splashed over him. Then Rowan just crumpled. Devon said it was only a protection spell, that he'd intended it to keep Rowan away from me for a few minutes.”
“A protection spell?” I went to stand beside Ciaran. I knew exactly who had done this to Rowan, that witch Lia had been with at Moonshine. “Have you ever seen a protection spell do this, Ciaran?”
“No, my Queen,” Ciaran answered. “It's simply not possible.”
“What color was the liquid, Liatris?” I turned to Lia and narrowed my eyes on her.
“Uh,” she frowned, “light green, I think.”
“That could be anything,” I thought it over, going through possible spells in my head. “Do you remember it having a smell?”
“There's a wet spot here, on his clothes,” Ciaran interrupted before Lia could answer.
“Let me see it,” I bent over Rowan and sniffed the spot, then straightened in surprise. “Sage and mullein,” I declared. “It was a protection spell.”
“Which would have no effect on a fey,” Ciaran announced. “Let me give him some blood and see if that will help.”
“Alright,” I nodded but something inside me knew that it wouldn't.
I glanced over and saw Liatris huddled with Angelica and Trillium. They held hands like scared children as Ciaran took a small knife and made a cut in his pointer finger. He slid the finger into Rowan's mouth, rubbed it over his gums, and then removed it. We all waited in tense silence but nothing else happened.
“This is not the work of a poison,” Ciaran frowned. “Nor is it a disease. My blood would have cured anything like that. As
far as I can tell, King Rowan is perfectly healthy.”
“Healthy?” Lia stepped forward. “Then why won't he wake up?”
“Perhaps the spell has put him to sleep,” Ciaran shrugged. “I can't say for certain but there's nothing more I can do for him. All we can do is wait.”
“Thank you for your efforts,” I patted Ciaran's shoulder and then turned to Fearghal. “Fearghal, can you take King Rowan to a guest room?”
“Yes, Queen Vervain,” my red cap Captain immediately picked Rowan up, cradling him like a child.
“Hold on now,” Trill stepped forward. “We need to get him home.”
“And what if there actually is something wrong with him and he needs a healer?” I lifted a brow at Trillium.
“I'll stay with him,” Lia said to Trillium. “Take Angelica home and I'll mirror you when there's any change.”
“No, if you're staying, I'm staying,” Trillium shook his head. I knew that look. Trillium was in love with Liatris too. Uh oh, that wouldn't end well.
“I don't need you here, Trill,” Lia sighed. “I need you to return to the Dark Kingdom and keep everyone calm. You know this will cause problems.”
Trillium exchanged a look with Angelica and then sighed too. I think he knew as well as I did that he would never have Liatris.
“Alright,” he nodded, “we'll go but you call us if you need anything.”
“Of course,” Lia agreed.
Then I herded them out of the room and down the long corridors. When we reached the turn for the main entrance, Lia quickly said goodbye to the other dark-sidhe before following me and Fearghal up the main stairs.
“Ciaran is one of the few, male leanan-sidhe,” I glanced over my shoulder to Liatris as we climbed. “The leanan can all use their blood to heal but the males especially are talented at it. If Ciaran can't heal Rowan, then there's nothing to be healed.”
“But there must be something wrong with him,” her eyes kept straying to Rowan.
“Indeed,” Fearghal growled.
“Which is why I want to keep him here,” I agreed. “Just in case.”
We came out onto a landing and then I led them down a corridor toward an empty bedroom. I opened the door and directed Fearghal to deposit Rowan on the bed. It was hard to see him there like that, ill with no possible way of being healed. I fluffed his pillows and tried to make him comfortable but honestly, my thoughts were on my baby. I wasn't looking forward to going through this with my child. What would I do when he got sick or injured?
I'd blow some fire on him and heal him, I reminded myself. This was an unlikely scenario that I'd probably never experience with my son. That, at least, I had to be grateful for. I would never suffer the worries of a human mother. Of course there were all kinds of other things I'd have to worry about. I sighed and turned back to Fearghal.
“Could you please have someone bring us some refreshments?”
“Yes, my Queen,” he left the room and I turned to face Lia.
“Sit down, Liatris,” I motioned to a chair beside the bed. “You look exhausted.”
“This is all my fault,” she said like she was confessing to priest.
“How's that?” I sat in another chair and looked pointedly at the empty one.
“I shouldn't have dated Devon,” she sighed and sat down.
“Normally, dating a man doesn't lead to catastrophe,” I said with a smile. “Unless you're dating Roarke but most women know better than to do that. There's no way you could have foreseen what would happen.”
“Still,” she whispered and then blurted out. “What's wrong with him?”
“I think we've established that to be unknown,” I sighed. “Look, you're both welcome here for as long as it takes Rowan to wake up. We'll figure this out but you can't take the blame for it. That's ridiculous as well as pointless. Watch over him if it makes you feel better but don't waste your time on guilt.”
“Even if I deserve it?” She set her eyes on Rowan's face. “He had just told me he loved me. Right before Devon came in and did this.”
“Ah,” I smiled. “Then at least there's some happy news.”
“Happy news?” She looked at me like I was insane.
“Yes, happy,” I insisted. “Concentrate on that while you wait. Think about what you're going to say to him and where you want to go with your relationship.”
“But what if he never wakes up?”
“Even Sleeping Beauty eventually woke up,” I smirked, “and we're fey, those fairy tales were written about us.”
“Fairy tales,” she whispered. “Funny how I never felt like I was living in one until this moment.”
“Kiss him,” I whispered as I remembered what Roarke had told me.
“What? Why?” Lia gaped at me.
“Because love's true kiss and all that,” I huffed. “I seem to recall someone telling me that it actually does work to break spells.” That damn cat better be right.
“Love's true kiss?” She got up in a daze and stood staring down at Rowan. Finally, she lowered her face to his and kissed him gently. She stood up again and waited. We both held our breath but nothing happened.
“Oh, well,” I sighed. “I should have known. Ciaran did say it wasn't a spell.”
“You kiss him,” she said suddenly.
“What?” What the hell was wrong with this woman?
“Please, just kiss him,” she begged. “If he really loves you, then my kiss wouldn't help him.”
“He doesn't love me,” I growled, getting a little annoyed.
“Please,” she had that look on her face that clearly said she wouldn't stop begging until I relented.
“Fine,” I stomped over to the bed and smashed my mouth on his. Then I stood up and put my hands on my hips. “See?”
“Yes, I see very clearly,” Arach's voice came from the doorway and my stomach clenched in panic as my eyes went round. “I see that we're about to have a dead dark-sidhe laying in one of our beds.”
“Arach!” I gasped. “That was... Well you see what happened is...”
“I asked her to kiss him,” Liatris came to my rescue.
“And why would you do that?” Arach turned his glare on her.
“Because I thought Rowan was in love with her and her kiss might wake him from this sleep,” she whimpered.
“And yet he continues to slumber,” Arach observed.
“Yeah because Rowan doesn't love me,” I rolled my eyes.
“Alright,” Arach nodded.
“Alright?” Liatris asked in disbelief.
“Well, it's obvious that he's in no state to pursue my wife,” Arach shrugged. “So I see no reason for you to lie to me. I accept your explanation.”
“Miracles never cease,” I snorted.
“Yes, I am proof of the miraculous,” Arach agreed in a serious tone. “Now, did either of you two think of asking Faerie for help?”
“Faerie!” I looked over to Liatris in shock. “I'm such an idiot.”
You took the words right out of my mouth. Faerie's voice rang through my head.
“You don't have a mouth,” I rolled my eyes again.
“What's happening to Rowan?” Lia asked anxiously. Wow, I guess Faerie was deigning to speak to Lia too.
Little Lia, Faerie tsked, You already know the answer.
“Damn it, you unconscionable fey consciousness! Just tell us straight,” I snarled.
I'd just about had it with her after the whole Guirmean and Nora debacle. She could have saved us all months of frustration if she'd only come out and told us she could transmutate one of them.
The Dark King will be fine, she huffed. Just give him some time to hibernate.
“Hibernate,” Lia whispered, as if experiencing an epiphany. “He's changing, isn't he?”
I told you, you already knew, Faerie sounded smug.
“Changing into what?” Arach frowned down at Rowan.
Something that will make even you happy, Fire King, the smugness turned to glee.
“Faerie!” I growled.
You'll just have to wait and see... it's going to be fabulous! Then she was gone.
“Son of a bean-sidhe!” I screamed in frustration.
“At least you know he'll live,” Arach said to Lia.
“Yes but as what?” Liatris looked back at Rowan and we all fell silent.
Chapter Forty-Nine
“It's been two days,” Arach said grimly. “I don't think he's going to wake up.”
“Faerie said he'd be okay,” I frowned as I ran my brush through my hair.
I felt so bad for Liatris, she just sat in that room with Rowan all day, looking miserable and guilty. I tried to spend time with her but I felt so useless and helpless. Plus, I kinda had to do queen stuff, mainly royal baby stuff, so I didn't have lots of time to spare. That left her alone a lot.
The rest of the castle was so excited about the news of my pregnancy that going from Rowan's room back out into it was a little jarring and returning to the room was depressing. Still, I went everyday to make sure Liatris was at least eating. Love, even when you were lucky enough to have it returned to you, could still find a way to destroy you.
“Faerie could be wrong,” Arach drew my attention back to him. “Maybe we should have him moved back to his own kingdom.”
“Arach,” I huffed. “I said they could stay here until he got better and he will.”
“Fine,” he held up his hands in surrender. “Whatever the mother of my child wishes.”
He'd taken to calling me that and it made me roll my eyes every time but it also made a bright spot of joy burst open inside my chest. I was just about to tell Arach that I wasn't the mother of his child yet, when a roar rang through the castle, shocking us both. We stared at each other for one long second and then ran out the door towards the sound of the roar. I didn't have to follow the sound though, I knew instinctively where it had come from.
Rowan's room.
We entered the room to see Rowan standing before Liatris as she reached out to touch his cheek. It wasn't the same Rowan though. He was larger, more muscled, and had a pair of leathery wings sprouting from his back. His tunic hung around his waist in shreds and a long tail swung through the remnants on the stone floor. He glanced over at us and revealed that although his eyes were the same deep blue, they now had slit pupils like Arach's.