by Linsey Hall
“Not quite,” Arrowen said. “The flame will be relatively close to them, but they don’t guard it personally. It’s too unpleasant. Hot as hell and the magic that guards it is vicious. The goddesses control that magic and decide where the flame will live, but they do not stay with the flame itself.”
“The flame itself moves?” Tarron asked.
“Indeed. There are many locations that have been the home of the Eternal Flame, all of them deadly. You must find the Guardians and ask where the flame is located.”
“Why couldn’t we just try to find the flame?” Aeri said.
“Only the goddesses can give you permission to access it, and even then, it will be a deadly journey. Without them, you will search forever, fruitlessly.”
“Which means that my mother must go to them first.”
Arrowen inclined her head. “Most likely.”
“We need to beat her there, then lay in wait.” Tarron turned his gaze to me. “You don’t know when this attack will happen, do you?”
“No. I couldn’t see that. But it felt very soon.” It might have been my fear of his death that made it feel that way, but I swore it was breathing down my neck.
Tarron turned to Arrowen. “Can you see when? Or where it will happen?”
“I’ll try.”
I stood, breath held, as Arrowen closed her eyes and her magic flared on the air.
Tension tightened the air in the room as we all waited.
Finally, she opened her eyes. Before she even spoke, I knew the answer.
“I could not see when or where.”
“Damn it.” If she was unable to see the location of the goddess of the Eternal Flame, we had no leads.
“Who are they?” Tarron asked. “Which goddesses?”
“Hestia, Vesta, Brigid, and Arinitti.” Arrowen frowned. “Though they may change with time, with other goddesses from different pantheons coming in to do their time guarding the flame.”
“These are the four you know of, so we’ll look for them.” I knew three of the names. Hestia was Greek, Vesta Roman, and Brigid Celtic. “But who is Arinitti?”
“Hittite sun goddess of the city Arinna.”
“Hittite?” Aeri asked. “The ancient culture that once lived in Turkey?”
“The very same.” Arrowen nodded. “Over three thousand years ago.”
Okay. That gave us something to work with.
I looked between Tarron and Aeri. “I’ll try my power. See if I can see something.”
“I’ll help,” Tarron said.
“Thanks.” He’d helped me practice my wings before, and his magic had made me stronger. Right now, we needed all the advantage we could get. “If I’m going to do this, it would help to have something to jumpstart my gift.” I looked around the room, spotting the big hearth. The weather was too temperate for a fire to be burning, but we could light one. “I’m probably closest to Brigid. She’s Irish, but she’s still a Celtic Goddess and we Unseelie are Celtic. And the Tuath Dé anann respect her.”
I’d never met the Irish Fae, but the connection in our blood and species couldn’t hurt.
“Do you want a weapon or something?” Aeri asked. “Isn’t she the goddess of smithing as well as fire?”
“You read my mind.” Like many of the ancient goddesses, Brigid had overseen many aspects of life. Not just flame, but also poetry, arts, and metalworking.
I met Tarron’s gaze. “Iron was most common around the Celts. I’m going to draw an iron blade, if you’ll permit it?”
Because the Fae were extra sensitive to iron—way more so than I—it felt polite to ask.
He nodded.
I went to the fire. Tarron grabbed a heavy chair from the table and carried it over in one hand. He set it down in front of the empty hearth, then thrust his hand toward it. His magic swelled on the air, and a fire burst to life, crackling merrily.
“Thanks.” I sat in the chair, calling an iron dagger from the ether. I gripped the hilt tight, my skin itching faintly. Maybe it was silly to hold it, but talismans often helped with magic.
I’d do whatever it took to find these damned goddesses in order to stop my mother. Just using this premonition magic—which I’d gotten from her, apparently—made me feel closer to her.
I hated it.
“I’m going to touch your shoulders, all right?” Tarron asked.
I nodded, already anticipating his touch.
Arrowen and Aeri stepped up alongside us as Tarron placed his large hands on my shoulders. Heat raced through me, and my world narrowed to just the place our bodies joined.
I sucked in a deep breath and yanked myself out of the trance.
Now was so not the time.
6
The flames flickered and danced in front of me. The iron burned. I focused on those things, shuddering slightly as Tarron fed his magic into my soul.
His power flowed through my veins, igniting my own. It was impossible not to feel a connection with him. Our fated mate bond, combined with sharing our magic, made me feel like we were attached on a soul-deep level.
I drew in an unsteady breath. His ability was spectacular. There was nothing he couldn’t accomplish with this.
And I could feel him. Who he was. The goodness in him. The ruthlessness. He’d sacrificed himself for his people when he’d taken on the role of king.
He’d do it again if he had to.
I could feel it.
And I was desperate to stop it. The future that barreled down on us was unbearable.
I used that desperation, calling up every bit of my magic.
It burst to life inside me, the power swelling up through my chest and filling my mind. My vision went black and I stood in the white room. Clouds rolled along the ground around me, filling the space.
Where is Brigid?
I asked the one concrete question that might help me stop all of this from happening.
It took a moment, as if the information were buried deep in the ether. I gripped the blade in my hand tightly, letting the iron burn me as I tried to forge a connection with the Celtic goddess who had Fae connections.
To my left, Burn woofed low in his throat.
I looked down, spotting the Thorn Wolf. He looked into the distance, eyes bright.
“Thanks, pal.” I moved in that direction, following the command of the animal who had become my familiar.
Tarron’s power stayed with me as I moved through the vision, giving me strength and clearing the clouds away even faster. They dissipated to reveal a beautiful red-haired woman. Her eyes were the same magnificent green as her dress.
“Brigid.” Of course she didn’t turn to look at me.
She stood on a tall plateau, the sun setting behind her. It burned like fire as it dropped low, casting the plateau in shadows. I searched for details, spotting strange carvings on the massive cliff upon which the plateau sat.
They looked like buildings, carved right into the stone, halfway up the cliff wall. They were ancient, a place I’d never seen. They looked like Petra, in Jordan. The famous site was a supernatural hot spot. But this was different.
Brigid stood on the plateau above, the sun illuminating her hair. Trees scattered around her, appearing to light on fire from the setting sun. The air smelled of smoke and fire.
I had no idea what this place was.
Panic lit in my chest. This could be so many places in the world. I ran forward, trying to find clues. I spotted ancient ruins. Greek or Roman, maybe. Others that were unfamiliar. They scattered about the landscape below the plateau, the strangest thing I’d ever seen.
But the most distinct thing about the place was the sun that lit it on fire.
It’s not enough.
I couldn't find her with just this.
If I couldn’t find her, Tarron would die.
Images flashed in my mind. A vision inside a vision.
Me, killing Tarron. Tears pouring down my face. Tarron, tortured. Determined.
Something y
anked on my shoulders, pulling me back.
I gasped, my mind torn from the premonition. Choking, I opened my eyes. The first thing I saw was fire.
Panic flared.
Someone swept me up.
Tarron.
I was in Tarron’s arms.
Big and strong, he gripped me tight, carrying me away from the fire. My breath heaved.
I was hyperventilating.
I was absolutely losing my shit.
It was unacceptable.
Determined, I drew in a ragged breath, trying to slow my heart rate and calm my mind. Get my act together. “You can put me down.”
“Are you sure?” Concern echoed in Tarron’s voice.
“Yes.”
He set me down on the other side of the room, and I stumbled back, running my hands down the front of my body, trying to straighten my clothes.
“Mari?” Aeri’s voice sounded from the other side of the room.
I looked over, trying to compose myself. I loathed freaking out and losing my composure in public. It just wasn’t me.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
“Fine.” My voice almost sounded brisk. I’d take it. “I saw some things. Hopefully enough.”
“Like what?” Tarron’s voice drew my attention to him, and I met his gaze.
The memory of stabbing him flashed in my mind.
I twitched.
Damn it, I was going to get nightmares from this.
I shoved the thought away. I would stop it.
A little voice whispered that I should tell him about it, but I knew it wouldn’t matter. We had to stop the queen. Tarron wouldn’t step away because of risk to himself.
“I saw Brigid. She stood on a plateau that was lit with a flaming sun.” I described everything I’d seen, searching the eyes of the three people around me, hoping for a glint of recognition.
When I saw it in Arrowen’s eyes, I nearly sagged with relief. “You recognize something.”
“The flaming planes, topped with a plateau lit by the sun.” She nodded. “This is a place, near the Lycian rock-cut tombs. It’s famous among our kind, and located in the ancient Anatolia.”
“Turkey?”
“The very same. It doesn’t surprise me that the Guardians of the Eternal Flame would make that their home.”
“What about all the archaeological ruins I saw there? I don’t know much about history, but they appeared to be from different cultures. Different kinds of stone were used, different construction.”
“Very likely the goddesses’ impact. They’d want to be among the familiar. It’s more than possible that what you saw acts as a guard for them. Protecting them.”
“Humans can’t go there, can they?” Aeri asked. “Their archaeologists would freak out if there were true ruins in places there shouldn’t be. Cultures sitting next to each other that never interacted.”
“Precisely,” Arrowen said.
“So just supernaturals. Us included.” I looked at Tarron. “When can we leave?”
“Immediately. We should have some potions on hand for energy. In case we cannot sleep.”
I nodded. “Good.”
We’d have to be careful. One couldn’t take too many of those potions without terrible effects. And we’d need to save our magic. The potions wouldn’t necessarily restore that the way true rest would.
I looked at Aeri. “Can I speak to you privately?”
Tarron’s brows rose, but I said nothing to him.
Aeri nodded, and we left the room, finding a discreet corner of the castle where a statue of a stag rose tall and proud. I tucked myself back behind the statue and pulled her in with me.
Then I did something I rarely did, and never while we were standing close together. I used my power to appear inside her mind. It was one of my oldest magics. The walls could have ears.
Aeri. I need a favor.
She nodded, eyes wide.
I keep seeing that prophecy of me killing Tarron. It won’t go away like I hoped it would. Can you try to find out why his magic might stop hers? It must be something about them both being Fae royalty, I think.
“Yes. Of course I’ll work on that. I promise. And I’ll help find reinforcements for the Unseelie.”
I squeezed her hand tight. Thanks.
“I’m out of here.” She hugged me, then we parted ways.
I watched her walk down the hall, hope and worry tangling in my chest. We’d never failed at something we’d put our mind to.
I hoped now wouldn’t be the first time.
Tarron and I reconvened in the war room. Arrowen had left, and the room echoed hollowly.
“You’re hiding something,” he said.
“No.” Lies.
He frowned, and decided to ignore me.
“We need to get moving,” I said. “It could take a while to find the Guardians.”
He gave me a hard look, then nodded. “We’ll stop by the potions master and stock up. Then we’ll transport directly to Anatolia, near the Lycian tombs that Arrowen mentioned.”
I couldn’t argue with that plan.
He led me through the castle, down to a huge, airy room where the potions master worked. The Fae within was a slight figure, so pale she was nearly transparent. Her hair was so fine it appeared to float on the air, ethereal and pale. I browsed the supplies as Tarron collected what we needed. I was really quite impressed.
He returned to me. “Ready?”
“Ready.”
We left the room, and I called back a quick thanks over my shoulder. The Fae ignored me.
Outside, we each drank one of the potions, which actually tasted good. That was rare.
“Do you want to do the honors?” I asked.
“My transport powers don’t work like that,” he said.
“What do you mean?”
“I can only transport to my home.”
“But you once said you could transport to me.”
“Like I said.”
He considered me home? “It’s part of the fated mate thing, isn’t it?”
“Apparently so.”
I’d think on that later. I reached out my hand. He took it. As soon as his stronger palm closed around my own, I called upon my transport magic. I envisioned the place I’d seen, imagining the region in southern Turkey where we would appear. I tried to use a bit of my seeker sense as well, hoping to zero in on the goddesses’ location.
The ether sucked us in and pulled us through space, spitting us out in the middle of a landscape of pale dirt and small trees. The sun burned high overhead, bright and fierce. It was headed toward the horizon and would eventually set behind an enormous plateau.
“I’m going to try to transport us directly there.” I reached for Tarron’s hand.
He gripped mine, and I tried to get us closer. The ether resisted.
I dropped his palm. “No surprise.”
He studied the landscape in front of us. From here, we couldn't see any of the ancient ruins I’d seen in my vision, but they’d be here, nestled amongst the trees.
Together, we set off, tension high. There would be protections between us and the Guardians. We’d just have to manage to survive them.
I kept my senses alert as we walked, trying to feel the magic before it struck. When we came upon the first set of ancient ruins, I hesitated.
“Around or through?” Tarron asked.
“Um…through. There might be information within.” My seeker sense felt a bit of a tug, and I didn’t want to miss any clues or tricks for how to reach the goddesses. You could never tell what you might learn.
We approached the broken-down stone building, and I admired the crumbling architecture. The white stone and columns made it look vaguely Roman or Greek. The ruins were quite well preserved given their age. Most of the places I’d visited or seen pictures of were lacking their roofs, but not here.
We entered the structure on silent feet, passing by strange rooms with pits in the middle.
“Ro
man baths,” Tarron said.
“Ah, of course.” I’d have liked to have seen it when it was operational.
All the same, it was almost as if I could feel the ghosts of the past here, and I hurried, wanting to be done with this place. We reached the other side of the building, stepping through the archway that was now missing its door and into the forest beyond. From where I stood, I could see a path that had been trodden down in the dirt. It was faint, but definitely there, leading from the doorway into the thickening forest.
I used my seeker sense, hoping it would pick something up. It tugged in the direction that the path led.
Tarron knelt to study it. “Good idea to go through. We wouldn’t have seen this if we’d gone around.”
“Are those hoof prints?”
“Yes. From the gait, it looks like they belong to a two-footed beast.”
“A Satyr, perhaps?”
“That would be my guess.” He stood and started down the path.
I joined his side.
The path was quiet, with just the faintest sparkle of magic in the air.
“I don’t feel like we’re alone,” I murmured, inspecting the empty forest around us.
“I think there’s something we’re not seeing.”
Tension tightened my muscles as we walked. I didn’t dare draw a weapon yet—no need to provoke—but my fingers itched to.
Finally, we reached a clearing. A ruined coliseum stood in the middle of it. Not as big as the one in Rome, but impressive nonetheless.
“Head for it?” Tarron asked.
“Yes.” I started forward, eyes wary.
We reached the coliseum a few minutes later. I leaned back to look up at the towering walls. “I think we should enter.”
Tarron nodded. We found an entry and made our way through the darkened corridor to the front, where the area opened up into the sunlight. Empty stadium seating encircled a fighting ring, and I swore I could hear the clang of swords and the shouts of viewers.
I leaned toward Tarron and whispered, “Do you hear that?”
He stepped closer. “I do.”
“Let’s go to the top.” I didn’t know why I felt drawn there, but I couldn't resist it.
We climbed to the top, and I felt the rush of energy through the ancient stadium. “People are here. We just can’t see them.”