Faire Eve

by Catherine Stovall

  Wafting shadows emerged from the forest, black as pitch. They swam over his body like leeches. They sucked the blood of his desire, his hatred, and his poisoned mind. The darkness must have its due if the former fairy were to have his vengeance. Together, the darkness and its monster destroyed the innocent until only one remained. Abnoba stood as she had since Tiritchiq froze her.

  Crawling to her, he licked his lips. She was the chardonnay and the others had been ale. She was a delicacy worth savoring. She would be the final surge of power needed to conquer the world of Evalon in one fatal swoop.

  The throne room was like most other things in Evalon, a child’s fable come to life. A red carpet descended up the center of the room leading to two high backed thrones trimmed in gold. Painted portraits depicting the royal family throughout generations hung on the walls in gilded frames . Eve stared at dozens of golden eyes that matched hers and the sense of belonging swelled inside her.

  The trepidation she felt about approaching the throne left her. She felt she was where she belonged. It made no difference that her paternal blood was human.. Her grandmother was Queen Mave and her grandfather was King Midir. Eve fully recognized that she was no longer human. She could never return to the other world and be the mortal girl that she had been. Those were problems left to consider for after she had served her duty to Evalon.

  She stepped to the throne and sat upon its red velvet cushion. She looked down into Eldon’s face and her heart swelled. She could see him, someday, seated on the throne beside her. They could rule the kingdom together and raise their children in the land of Evalon. The thought was the catalyst for what came next.

  Eve felt a tingling start in her heart and swell out to engulf every inch of her body. Her mind lapsed into a peaceful and submissive state where she was aware of what took place, but felt no need to question the ball of light that suddenly appeared before her. Eve didn’t even find it strange that the shining orb sounded exactly like the secret voice that guided her through her trials.

  “Faire Eve, I am Sayella, the creator of this world and the ruler of all fates. I was born of the hearts and dreams of the fey. I am the guardian of their fears and desires. I choose who receives the gifts of magic and who will rule.”

  The light floated in a semi-circle as if to take in the others in the room.

  “Corrigan, my hearts own, I am pleased to see you here. Caleb and Eldon, my swords, I am proud you have brought Faire Eve home. What’s this? Faya, is it? You are not of my ilk but you are of my blood. You are a witch who does not know she is a fey. Welcome home my child, I embrace you.”

  Faya, despite her shock, kept quiet. She always suspected her powers came from the fey blood but she never dreamed the Creator would confirm those suspicions. The others stood meekly by as if a talking globe was not unusual. Of course, in a land of unicorns, fairies, and dragons, why would it be strange?

  Sayella turned her attention back to Eve and began the formalities. “I have been called here to test your heart and look inside it for any reason you should not take the throne and become the queen of the Sidhe. The others standing behind me are here to bear witness and give testimony to my decision. Time is short, so let us begin.”

  The minute stretched out and there was only silence. Eve felt as if she were sitting in an electric chair that held the charge of an eight-volt battery. The tingling electricity coursed through her, pausing in the place where she felt her magic the strongest. At last, the current subsided and Sayella spoke again.

  “I see both light and darkness within you, Faire Eve. There is uncertainty and fear but there is good and love as well. I see you are not purely good, as none of us are, but you have a greater capacity for each.”

  Eve’s heart rate spiked and she worried. She did not feel evil. She did not want to be evil. Her magic tended to overtake her. It seemed to demand she take swift and brutal action. She felt the darkness there, but she did not reach for it as Tiritchiq did.

  “Not to fear, my child. The darkness hiding within you is not void of light. It is not the coal black of the evil soul. The natural balance resides in all of us. In your case, the darkness is greater than the average fey. It has to be. You were born to fight the Tiritchiq. You are the child of destiny’s womb, built in every way to conquer those who would attempt to extinguish the flame and all of us who stand in it. The darkness inside you must be strong because his darkness is infinite. The light within you must be stronger or you will fall victim to the shadows. I am honored to crown you, Faire Eve, Sidhe Queen of Evalon.”

  The others drew in their breath to cheer but a mighty roar rocked the very foundations of Trig Na nOg castle, shattering the world. The beast was among them and the battle would commence. Eve stood from the throne. Her wings spread out, ready to carry her to those who needed her.

  Tiritchiq’s powerful jaws opened to seize the frozen Abnoba and crush her until the juices of her magic flowed down into his gullet. His forked tongue snaked out to taste the fear and loathing he expected to find penetrating the ice. Instead, he felt nothing. Abnoba’s spirit did not lie within the frozen body. She had escaped him. Her spirit brushed against his dark scales and he felt himself shiver. She could not harm him nor could he harm her. The rage filled him. She became another betrayal, another member of the fey standing in the way of his grandiose. The scream of fury echoed through Evalon.

  He took to the skies, his mass blocking out the purple and pink streaked light in the skies. He skimmed the ground low and the beating of his wings tore through the landscape like a hurricane. Dragging in a deep breath, Tiritchiq sprayed the valley between the two armies with a blue fire, freezing all it touched. The raging glacial stream encased any who were too close to the edge and turned them in to morbid ice sculptures.

  The dragon landed behind his troops. His massive wingspread encompassed the stretch of warriors who would fight to overtake Evalon and turn all to darkness.

  Raising his head, he called out to his enemies. “Bring forth your half blood queen. If she kneels before me, accepts me as the ruler of Evalon, and pledges herself to be my bride, then I will spare your lives. If she refuses, I will kill you all.”

  The dragon’s side of the valley cheered with weapons, claws, hooves, and sharp teeth held high. Those who fought for Trig Na nOg felt the unease of facing an enemy, both large and dangerous, creep in. They shifted and waiting in silence until three shadows crossed the valley. All who stood witness looked up into the twilight sky. Eve, Eldon, and Caleb were circling above.

  The distraction gave Faya time to set their haphazard plan into motion. She found Jaryn, Daryn, Heron, Vandel, Yath, Elsie, Edesia, and Bibesia on the front lines. Her initial shock of seeing her elderly mother in the head of a battle line faded quickly. She knew she could not dispute her mother’s choice. She knew Elsie held the most power of the non-fey and needed to be there. Vandel looked as if he would rather be anywhere but there, but he stood his ground turning paler by the minute.

  Eve, Eldon, and Caleb circled high above the ground for a few moments before Eve pulled up and hung in the air, using her wings the way Eldon told her. The trick took most of her concentration but she managed it with grace. Eldon and Caleb hovered in front of her, spaced only a few feet apart, leaving only a narrow space between them for Eve to launch her attack.

  The dragon shot a short burst of flame towards them, knowing he could not reach the altitude. He hoped to frighten the stupid girl. She didn’t budge, her warriors had calculated too carefully and she knew he would have to take to the skies in order to perfect his aim. He turned his attention back to the horde in front of him. If she would not come down on her own volition, he would put a few of her little followers on ice and force her to.

  Faya and the other’s stood ready, they only had one shot to make the plan work. The falling ice from the dragon’s stare fell on them in a cold sleet. The dragon’s eyes skimmed the front line as he drew in a killing breath. His arctic blue eyes fell on the Earthly Immortal
sisters and blazed. He would not freeze them. He did not care for their power. He knew he would have Eve’s. Such a puny attempt to thwart him would no doubt fail. Instead, he let out the battle cry his men were waiting for.

  The Daoine warriors raised their swords and the Ki’Lin lowered their horns. The fey who fought on the side of light did not charge. They waited. Drawing on her magic while hovering precisely took its toll, but Eve managed to create a ball of energy darker and larger than the one she had spun in the alley. She pushed everything she could into the orb and threw it with all her might. Eldon felt the zing of the ball pass him and the hairs on his arms scorched. Caleb faltered in his position as the thing zapped him with some form of static electricity as it passed by.

  The orb of magic soared passed Tiritchiq, shattering the sheet of ice dividing the two armies. The opposing fey attacked in a clamor of madness. Magic flew through the air in thick, purple smoke rising from below. Eve could clearly hear the sounds of death, victory, pain, and the battle below her. She wanted to swoop down and help her friends, but she was too late.

  Tiritchiq took to the skies. The massive dark bulk of his body blocked out everything below her. She saw only the gaping abyss of his open mouth. Eve shot a globe of energy, turned, and sped away. A moving target would be much more difficult to kill. The globe bounced off the dragon’s chest and the smell of sulfur filled the air.

  Caleb and Eldon moved to intercept the monster but a shot of blue fire sent them careening away. The fire missed Eve by inches, leaving a cold frost to settle on her wings. Caleb darted up on the dragon’s right flank, intending to cut one of the massive membranous wings. Eldon dived from the left as a distraction. Having fought alongside each other through many battles, the ability to work perfectly with each other was instinctual.

  Tiritchiq was ready for them. In a simple spinning gesture, the talon of his left wing struck Eldon in the chest and the spikes on his powerful tail shredded Caleb’s sword arm. Eve heard Eldon scream and felt his pain spike through her own body. She whipped around and drove directly towards Tiritchiq. She saw her warriors fall, catapulting towards the ground. The balls of energy came without need for concentration as she unloaded her fury on the dragon.

  Tiritchiq spun on her. She was so close that she could feel his breath on her skin. The globe of light in her hands held enough power to level the kingdom. She let the wind carry her upward and cocked her arm to smash the thing into Tiritchiq’s face. She would win the battle and the dragon would die. The Nádcha Večný would cease and those affected would be revived. The helpless and frozen would wake by the blood of the dragon.

  Vandel stood in the center of a battlefield soaked with the shimmering blood of slain brothers. Fey he recognized lay in pools of filth and death. A hobgoblin rushed him with a heavy club aimed to smash his head. A quick death met the creature when Vandel’s sword sliced his head from his shoulders. The rush of the kill filled him and for the first time, since he was a child, the darkness called to him.

  It sang to him of the wrongness of a changeling child ruling a world of fey. The pureblooded should have the right and not some half human. The Sidhe and the standards of Trig Na nOg were weakening Evalon. The darkness would reopen the gates and allow the fey the magic their ancestors once possessed before the Sidhe took control. All Vandel must do is kill the girl. Kill… kill the girl… kill… kill her… kill… Faire Eve.

  Vandel let loose of the arrow and watched it soar through the sky. Only seconds before it hit his mark, he realized what he had done. Eve was a small blur in the sky, her figure dark behind the glaring light in her hands. The arrow could not find her heart but it pierced her wing. He watched as the girl fell, spinning out of control.

  Eve felt the pain tearing through her lovely black wing seconds before she plummeted. The world alternated between ground and sky for what seemed forever but could not have been more than seconds. She tried to catch herself, tried to regain flight before she hit the ground. She forgot Tiritchiq while the immediate danger overtook her and her mind spun faster than her body.

  She saw the ground and expected in the next turn to see the sky. Instead, sharp incisors filled her vision and Eve screamed. She landed with a wet thud in the mouth of the dragon. His laugh rumbled and she could feel the sensation of triumph rolling out of him. Eve conceded to defeat. She would never see her mother and father again. Never marry or have children. She would die in the jaws of an enemy greater than herself.

  In the last moments, the darkness first spoke to her in clarity. It called her out of her dismal acceptance. It taunted her with what she could have. It told her to destroy the Tiritchiq and she could take its place. She could change forms to be anything she wanted. She could rule any realm she wished. The darkness promised her it would give her anything her heart desired.

  She let her mind settle on the last word, desire. Eldon’s face came into her mind. She saw his blue eyes and crooked smile. She felt his protective arms and soft lips. The darkness cheered. Yes, it could provide the warrior’s heart as well. She could have him or as many warriors as she wished to warm her bed and her black heart.

  The idea of poisoning her love for Eldon with the dank treachery offered to her by the unseen enemy revived Eve. She saw the world as it should befilled with light and warmth. Not filled with darkness and fear. She reached deep inside herself and found her magic quivering in its special place. She pulled with everything she had. The magic came like an endless fount.

  Eldon was in the sky. His chest felt as if a cold fire were spreading from the puncture where Tiritchiq’s talon had entered him. Blood poured from him and made him weak. He still tore through the space between the dragon and himself. He could see Eve lying helpless in the cage of the dragon’s teeth. He would die to save her or die beside her.

  Tiritchiq felt the power building. He was waiting for such a moment. He wanted to end her life while she held her magical force close to the surface. So much sweeter would be the juices laced with defeat and anger. So much more delicious would be his victory when he sucked every morsel out of her all the way down to the marrow of her bones.

  He bit down and Eve felt the sharp edge of Tiritchiq’s canine slid into her side. Organ’s bursting and blood swelled out. The dragon’s tongue convulsed, ecstasy filled him. Using the last of her power and strength, Eve formed one final orb of power. Not a shining and bright thing, the orb was unlike the others. The black thundercloud inside the invisible globe churned roughly.

  Eve pushed with all her might and the sphere hit the back of the dragon’s throat with a force so violent several teeth shattered and fell away. Tiritchiq howled in pain, releasing Eve from the prison of his mouth. She fell quietly away. Her mind was silent and her wounds did not hurt. She fell without worry of the ground looming quickly up towards her. She saw the light of goodness and knew she had saved Evalon and those she loved. She could feel the ancient power of the Sidhe inside her. She was both darkness and light.

  Eldon caught her in his arms. The impact sent them spiraling. Eldon cradled Eve’s head in the crook of his arm and clung to her, refusing to let go. He could feel the tiny spark of life left in her and he was determined she would survive. Inches from the ground, he gained his balance and landed roughly.

  The dragon roared and the battle stopped and every eye turned towards the sky. They watched Tiritchiq spin and claw at his throat. He choked on his own flames as his body convulsed. They saw Eldon catch Eve and carry her down as the dragon fell. Tiritchiq’s wings failed him and he nosed dive hundreds of feet to the hard Evalon ground.

  The plummeting carnage trapped several of the fey beneath it. The others could do nothing to help them. The people of Evalon would honor their sacrifice in the years to come. The earth caved and cracked across the valley leaving a gaping crevice. Blood poured forth from the dying Tiritchiq. A river of black metallic fluid filled the fissure, causing it to widen and spread.

  The river spread throughout all of Evalon, from top to botto
m. The raging fluid cut its way through the land with the force of Trig Na nOg’s magic.

  Those who fought on the side of darkness fell to their knees blinded by a light no one else could see. A cold wind blew from the mouth of the dragon and Trig Na nOg’s enemies turned to stone. Not one of them spared. Even, Vandel whose heart did not know its own darkness until those last moments, stood incased in granite.

  Eldon watched nothing but the dying light in Eve’s eyes. As her life’s blood seeped from her body, the golden hues faded. Her wings began to decay rapidly, thin dusty spirals trailing away in the breeze. Her skin was ashen and her lips blue. Tears streamed down his face, leaving little crystal droplets on her once fair flesh.

  The other’s came to stand beside them and watch their little queen fade into the afterlife. They had won the war but at the cost of a priceless life. The beating of the Valkyrie Kilaun sounded in the distance. The guardians were coming to claim the warriors and take them home to Asgaurd. Those who loved the ones lost, said their goodbyes. The grieving smiled through their tears, knowing the dead would go onto a good place.

  Eldon bent and kissed Eve’s lips, not caring that no breath still clung to them. The others laid their hands on her lifeless body and wished her well on her journey to the other side. Bibesia and Edesia stood quietly and sent prayers to their Gods. They asked them to help the girl find her way through the dim cloud of death to the light of the other side.

  Aibell appeared before them, her face stricken with grief. She knew Eve would return to the hall someday but she had not expected it to be so soon. She looked to the carcass of the enemy who took her friend, the Sidhe queen, away. She cursed it in true Aibell fashion, proving even the transcendence to priestess could not take the fire from her. As if her words carried power in themselves, Tiritchiq’s body began to crumble away.