by Amy Sumida
We stared at the rock silently, then I looked to Aoide in question.
“I haven't pissed off anyone recently.” Aoide shrugged. “I haven't even killed someone in the last century.”
“Fuck,” I growled. “First Cerberus and now you; this has to be about me. My friends and family are being targeted.”
“I'm going to call the spellsingers,” Aoide said decisively.
“No!” I nearly screeched.
She gave me a startled look.
“They're still mad at me,” my tone may have been a little petulant. “And then there's the issue of my power. What if it makes them even angrier?”
“Elaria, you're family; they'll get over it.” Aoide rolled her eyes.
“Let me handle this on my own for now,” I cajoled. “If I need more help, I'll call them myself.”
Aoide stared hard at me as Gage watched us both curiously. Finally, Aoide nodded.
“We all need help sometimes, Elaria,” Aoide said. “No one is omnipotent; not even the gods.”
“I know,” I said with relief, “and I do have help, Aunt Aoide.” I waved my hand toward Gage. “We also have the Coven assisting us.”
“All right,” she relented. “But be careful, Elaria. Anyone who can herd demons across the Veil is not someone to trifle with.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
I took Gage back to Coven Cay via Alexandrite again. There was still no sign of Declan when we made a pit stop in his chambers. But that wasn't odd; he had a kingdom to run and couldn't laze about in his bedroom all day. I was a little relieved that he wasn't there, actually. I wasn't ready for Declan to confront Gage; I'd already had a long night, and I just wanted to decompress.
“What have you done that has prompted someone to seek justice in such a manner?” Gage asked as soon as we were back on the witch's island.
“So many things,” I whispered.
“Like killing a pride of manticores?” He asked.
“How long were you standing there listening to Odin and me?” I shot back, already knowing the answer but curious whether he would be honest with me.
“Awhile,” he admitted. “I needed to know whether he was genuine or not.”
“You don't think Odin the Oathbreaker is genuine?” I asked with teasing sarcasm.
“If I can't be with you, I want you to have someone of worth,” he whispered.
“Wow, that was a punch in the gut.” I turned on my heels and started to walk away from him.
“Elaria, please.” Gage grabbed my hand and stopped me. “Try to understand that this is killing me.”
My shoulders slumped, and I suddenly felt horrible. This wasn't Gage's fault. He was a griffin; it was in his nature to want one mate for the rest of his life. And I had taken that away from him; the Rooster Spell and I. Damn it all, I should have killed Thomas more slowly... or maybe more quickly. But the vengeance hadn't been mine alone; I had to let the sirens take their piece. But now I was starting to realize that by giving them justice, I may have damned the men I loved, along with myself.
“I do understand,” I said as I turned back to him. “I really do. I don't hold any ill will towards you, Gage. In fact, I'm grateful that you came with me tonight. I'm even touched by your desire to see me with a good man. It was just a bit hard to hear... especially when you're shirtless.” I gave him a little grin.
I paused, wanting to ease Gage emotionally closer to me, but also wanting what was best for him. Should I manipulate him until he gave in? Was it better for him to be with his mate than alone? I believed that the spell would dull his alpha tendencies once we bonded, but I wasn't completely sure. Would Gage suffer more, having to share me, than he would if he gave me up and tried to exist on his own? I just didn't know, and I had grown to care enough about him that I didn't want to manipulate him anymore. It left a sour feeling in my stomach. I'd probably change my mind in a few hours—matters of the heart could make me so fickle—but for now, I was ready to walk away and give Gage his freedom.
“But if you want to let me go, then you need to commit to it. You need to relinquish your hold on me, Gage,” I said firmly. “Let go completely. Because this uncertainty is hurting us both.”
“All right, Elaria”—Gage's expression fell into sorrowful lines—“I'll leave you be.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
It was late at night in Kansas, but that was the equivalent to midday for Banning's gura. They were up and about, filling the country club with the sound of conversation and laughter. Things were so much better there now that the ax that had been hanging over Banning's head was gone. He'd once been hunted by the European Falca for killing his old gheara, but that had all been forgiven now. Why King Sorin would think that Banning would want to go up against all of the Falcas, not just the European one, right after he had made nice with them, was beyond me. But I suppose that when you lived your life as Sorin had, power became something to collect—and the collection is never complete.
Banning wasn't like his blooded father; a fact that you'd think King Sorin would have learned by now. But Sorin was tenacious, as most blooders are, and I knew he'd keep trying to hand over his crown to Banning until he was forced to stop. It didn't matter, though; whatever Sorin did, it would never be enough to manipulate Banning into returning to Romania. I think Banning's gura knew this too; they had a bond with their gheara that most gura's didn't. Banning had gone against the norm and formed a family by tying his blooders to him with love and respect instead of the fear and ferocity that most ghearas employed. In my opinion, this made his gura stronger than any on Earth; even the one Sorin was forming in Romania. Because Banning's blooders would never desert him. The blooders of Lawrence, Kansas were more than content, they were happy.
Their gheara was not.
“A blooder wouldn't be strong enough to do this,” Banning pointed out in agitation. “So, it can't be a blooder from my old gura.”
“Banning, stop.” I laid a hand on his arm. “Let's leave this for another day; I'm just too tired.”
“All right, Ellie.” He pulled me into a hug. “But we're going to find this asshole and kill him.”
“Yes, Ban; we are.”
“And we're going to get that stupid griffin to accept you as you are,” he added.
I stayed quiet.
“El?” Banning eased back to look down at me. “Gage went with you tonight; that's huge. He wants you, and he cares about you; he's just fighting the details.”
“I know,” I whispered, “but I don't want him if he's going to be unhappy.”
“Elaria, this is about your life,” Banning hissed. “I don't give a fuck whether the bird is unhappy or not.”
“But I do,” I said gently. “I want all of you to be happy with me; otherwise, what's the point?”
“The point is that we love you, and sometimes love is hard—it requires compromise,” he growled. “There are times when you have to sacrifice for it, and times when it will make you miserable. But—like all the best things in life—it's worth it. There will be moments of sublime happiness that make up for the suffering. In fact, you cannot have one without the other; they would both pale into insignificance.”
“That's true... your truth, Banning,” I said. “Gage's truth may be different.”
“Truth is truth.” Banning shook his head. “I didn't make it up. If Gage gives up on you, he will look back on his decision and hate himself for it. That is the truth.”
“Perhaps,” I said evasively.
“You just need some rest,” he said. “Come with me.” Banning led me downstairs to his private suite. “We're going to take a hot bath together, I'm going to give you a massage, and then you're going to sleep.”
“Yes, sir.” I gave him a salute.
There ended up being one more step between the massage and sleep. It wasn't exactly relaxing and took us hours to complete, but once we did come to our mutual, screaming conclusions, we fell into dreams quickly, within each other's arms.
Banning was right; I just needed some rest. Things looked better in the morning, less dismal. Then Declan called and invited us to join him in Alexandrite. He said he had something to show us.
I'd contacted Declan the night before with my charm and filled him in on what had happened. I had mentioned that I'd stopped by Alexandrite twice, but he hadn't been in his chambers, and I didn't have the time to look for him. Declan said that he had been out of his kingdom entirely—so he wasn't upset that I hadn't tried to find him—but he didn't say why he had been out of his kingdom until Banning and I arrived in Alexandrite.
“I've been negotiating with the kyanite nobles,” Declan declared with a smirk.
“Negotiating?” I scowled at him. “Declan, what have you done?”
“You deserve a chance to connect with the kingdom,” Declan coaxed. “A shining one royal would be drawn to their kingdom, where they would connect with the land and claim it, but I believe it's different for you. You weren't born royal or a fairy, so the land isn't calling to you, and without an invitation, you technically can't try to connect with it.”
“Without an invitation from the land?” I asked with lifted brows.
“Yes, but in the instance that the land is ignorant, the nobles would be next in line,” Declan explained. “Not that there is precedence; this is simply what was decided in the meeting I had with the kyanite nobility.”
“You took a meeting concerning me, without me?” I growled.
“It was better that you weren't involved,” he said gently. “Things got heated, and I had to get firm with them.”
“As if that ever takes you long.” Banning chuckled.
“Banning, do you recall our talk where I instructed you to speak carefully in regards to me?” Declan gave Banning a beleaguered look.
“Too gay for you again?” Banning lifted a brow in challenge.
“You shouldn't have told him that it bothers you.” I shook my head at Declan. “Now, he's never going to stop.”
“I'm secure enough in my sexuality to talk about how long it takes another man to get it up.” Banning shrugged. “You feeling threatened, Declan? Maybe it's those fairy tendencies; the king doth protest too much, methinks.”
“Fine, Banning”—Declan threw his hands up—“go ahead and extol my manhood all you wish. I wasn't the one sounding as if I were interested in another man's cock.”
“Okay, that's enough from the cock collective,” I declared.
Yeah, I just wanted to say 'cock,' I admit it.
“Et tu, Brute?” Declan moaned.
“Tell me what you did, Declan,” I said pointedly.
“The kyanite nobles have invited you to walk the kingdom.” Declan beamed at me.
“Walk the kingdom?” I asked dryly. “So, after I told you that I didn't have time to claim a fucking Shining One kingdom, you went and set me up to claim a fucking Shining One kingdom?”
“That's a lot of fucking,” Banning murmured. “But then again, it's a kingdom full of fairies. So, yeah; valid.”
“Elaria”—Declan deflated—“you could use all the strength you can get, and a whole kingdom can offer you a lot of strength.”
“I'm not about to march a fairy army into the Human Realm to guard my loved ones,” I huffed. “That's overkill.”
“I'm not talking about their army, Ellie,” Declan's smile returned. “I'm talking about you establishing a link to the source of kyanite in Tír na nÓg. As I can reach for the power of Alexandrite whenever I wish, no matter the realm I'm in; you too would be able to access Kyanite's magic without limitations.”
“The power of communication and psychic ability,” Banning whispered. “Fuck; imagine how powerful you'd become, sweetheart.”
“If it's even a fraction of what I had with the relic, it's too much,” I protested, but a part of me was sitting up and fist-pumping. “I nearly lost myself to the witch relic.”
“But the relic wouldn't be in control this time,” Declan pointed out, “you would be.”
“I'm going with Declan on this one,” Banning said. “I think you should at least give it a try. Maybe you won't connect with Kyanite, but if you do, it means that the relic did intend for you to rule.”
“Well, look at the blooder figuring out Shining One politics,” Declan chuckled. “Nicely said, Declan.”
“Was that a compliment or an insult?” Banning asked me.
“I have no idea,” I said dryly. “Fucking fairies.”
“Fucking fairies,” Banning agreed.
“Yes; I am a mystery.” Declan rolled his eyes. “Now, will you accompany such a mysterious man into Kyanite and possibly become the queen you were meant to be?”
“I suppose.” I sighed.
Declan smiled brilliantly.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
The Kyanite Kingdom was one of the warmer Shining One lands. The wilderness around the developed areas was more jungle than forest, with vine-wrapped trees and large blooms in vibrant colors. The air was more humid than in Alexandrite, but just barely, and it was perfumed heavily with blossoming flowers, rich soil, and ripe fruit. Although it was right beside Alexandrite, it didn't touch the Sgàthan Sea; Alexandrite was the only kingdom that did. Instead, Kyanite ended in the Primeval; the ancient forest that surrounded the Shining One kingdoms. You could see a distinct difference in the trees of Kyanite versus the Primeval, and it created an obvious border. The most obvious change was the color; Kyanite's trees bore leaves of a more emerald green, where the Primeval's went a few shades lighter. But the Primeval trees were also tremendous in size; they soared above the jungle of Kyanite—a looming warning that the kingdom went no further, and neither should you.
As soon as our carriage rolled onto Kyanite soil, I began to feel a tickle in my throat. The further in we went, the stronger the tickle became until it turned into a shiver and spread throughout my entire body. I closed my eyes and tried to breathe through the odd sensation. I felt like a guitar whose strings had just been strongly strummed; the vibration of sound coursing through me.
“Elaria?” Declan asked in concern. “Do you want me to stop the carriage?”
I just nodded, unable to speak. Declan pounded on the carriage roof, and the conveyance rolled to a stop. Banning helped me out onto the packed dirt road, but I let go of him immediately, to wander into the velvety grass edging the path. I fell forward knees and then leaned onto my hands, hanging my head and breathing deeply. The clean scent of wet, crushed grass sharpened my senses. There was something just beneath me, pulsing with life. I needed to reach it; to touch it. I dug my fingers into the soil and focused on finding that living energy.
A jolt rushed up my arms, straight to the sliver of kyanite in my throat. I gasped around the choking power and tried to push it down with a more solid breath. Tingling heat burst downward, into my belly, and then out to my limbs, as my inner sight filled with a deep, clear blue. I was suddenly at peace, but it only lasted a moment before the magic took over again. Every cell in my body seemed to wake from slumber. It felt a lot like it had when I first put on the relic, but this time, the energy went further—deeper. This magic wasn't using me as an avatar; it was bargaining with me for an alliance. Its message was vibrantly clear; Together, we can accomplish great things. I could share in its magic if I shared mine. I wondered if this were how it was with other shining one monarchs, and as soon as the thought entered my mind, it was answered. No; other monarchs were born with gemstone magic, I was not. I may have kyanite within me now, but it was witch magic, not shining one. I had power and a connection to the stone; basically, I had an introduction. But to get access to the massive amount of magic that Kyanite held, I had to offer it something in return. And it just so happened that I had something Kyanite wanted.
I got to my feet slowly and lifted my head as I welcomed the gemstone's energy further into me, deep inside my chest, where we could share our magic forever. Once that decision was made, it seemed as
if everything else came easier. Cerulean light collected around my heart and strengthened the magic that was already there. My spellsinging merged with Kyanite in a brilliant burst of white that blinded me momentarily. Then my vision went awash with gold and blue; a pulsing fist of power with streams of light bleeding off it. The fist opened, and the merged magic launched itself upward; rushing out of my throat like a tidal wave.
I didn't choose the song; Kyanite did. It knew what we would be to each other and pulled the perfect music from my mind. “Legendary” by Welshly Arms; a powerful, slow roll that I could hear inside me, even without my iPod playing. I sang a capella, the melody thudding like a heartbeat inside my head... and then the sound seeped out. As I sang the words that cemented my bond to Kyanite, the music burst into being around me; Kyanite's part of our duet. The hypnotic sound pulsed outward from my heart as if I had become a speaker or possibly an antenna; a doorway for the music to pass through. This was what Kyanite had craved; a way to communicate to more than its monarch. Kyanite simply wanted to be heard.
My voice rang out across the kingdom with Kyanite's music and power amplifying it. We'd been searching for each other—Kyanite and I—and we hadn't even known it. We were a different type of soul mates; two pieces that fit together perfectly and formed something better than its parts. Together, we would rise; our power becoming the stuff of legends. Our song was a challenge or maybe even a warning. The words seemed to seep into the very air and the soil beneath my feet. Music and magic trembled through every blade of grass, every rock and creature in Kyanite, and they all became mine as I became theirs. I heard the stone's voice then; a deep, masculine rumble lifting in harmony with mine, and our magic merged even further until I couldn't tell one from the other. My soul seeped into the stones, and the jewel saturated me; Kyanite sang, and my blood turned golden-blue.