by Unknown
“And you suspect that he's the one who killed King Liam?” Guirmean frowned.
“There are other suspects as well,” I quickly assured him. “We're just trying to rule them all out.”
“And there was that thing with Kael,” Arach reminded Guirmean quietly.
“Yes,” Guirmean's frown grew more pronounced. “I understand your concern but I know Sean and I can vouch for his character if not his whereabouts. He would no sooner kill a king to frame a queen than cut off his right arm. He's just not that kind of fey.”
“So he wasn't in anyway connected to Kael?” Arach pressed on. “He wouldn't have felt the need to avenge him or maybe even his sister?”
“No,” Guirmean declared with absolute confidence. “He could barely tolerate Kael, like most of us, and he didn't know Kael's sister at all. She lived in a home on the outskirts of Water.”
“Alright then,” Arach nodded. “I'll take your word for it and won't bother to question him. Unless you want to pursue this, Vervain?”
“No, I trust King Guirmean,” I smiled at him and Guirmean's face relaxed into friendly lines.
“I appreciate your trust,” he smiled back.
“Betray it and I'll turn you into sashimi,” I growled and both Guirmean and Arach turned startled faces toward me. I was able to hold my evil face for about three seconds before busting into laughter. “Just kidding. I don't even like raw fish.”
“Oh, Vervain,” Arach groaned and shook his head.
The rest of the meal was the usual exchange of food and pleasantry, then Arach and I headed home. When we got to the bottom of the trail to Castle Deuraich, and started down the Road of Neutrality that encircled the Forgetful Forest, I felt my magic tingle in my belly. I concentrated on it and realized that it had been churning there for awhile, just an undercurrent in response to the changing energies of Faerie. I'd forgotten all about being a goddess of the seasons as well as the land.
When I killed Demeter and took her magic, I became a triple goddess, the Goddess of Love, Lions, and Land. I knew there was a fertility aspect to the land magic as well, which was how I'd connected to our kingdom and recharged its fertility. What I hadn't tapped into yet or even analyzed the use of, was the seasonal magic. Demeter had been able to bring about each season and her magic had showed me pieces of its power when I'd first received it but really, I didn't understand what it was capable of.
“Stop the carriage!” I shouted and pounded the roof. The carriage came to a jerking halt.
“What is it?” Arach was following me out. “Another apple? I don't smell anything rotten.”
“I think I know what Faerie needs me to do,” I sat down in the middle of the road, earning several amused glances from our red caps and phookas.
“And you have to sit in the dirt to do it?” Arach came and stood beside me.
“I could have gone into the forest but I didn't feel like trudging through all the fallen leaves,” I shrugged and laid my hands to the packed earth.
“What are you going to do?” He crouched down beside me, arms braced against his knees.
“I'm going to try to work with the seasons,” I explained. “Take some of the stress off of Faerie and hopefully ease us into these changes.”
“Can you do that?” He gaped at me.
“I don't know,” I gave him a one-sided grin. “But Demeter's magic was of the seasons so there's a chance I can. I'm going to give it a try.”
I opened myself up to the magic that had been lying in wait inside me and let it flow through my arms and down into the Faerie Realm. I felt it recognize the change happening to Faerie, felt the whirlwind of dry leaves rustling inside me in response, and then the coming chill of winter. Once it recognized the seasons in Faerie, my magic was able to pull on it, take it in my mental hands, and work it like clay. I sensed that stopping the seasons would cause more damage than good, that they needed to return to Faerie to give the fey something physical to represent movement in their life, something that visually marked the passage of time. This was integral to the survival of the fey.
So I let the seasons continue their course but I urged them into less violent versions of themselves. Let the cold not be so biting, the wind not as harsh. Let the snow fall gently and lightly. The seasons heard me and lowered their intensity. I smiled in satisfaction and sunk my awareness deeper, seeking Faerie herself, the heart of her. I needed to know if this had helped or only put a bandage on the wound. I needed to know about that damn apple.
I found her easily, not that I expected her to try and hide from me but I had expected to have to search a bit more. Instead, it seemed that she was waiting for me, waiting to show me that the heart of her, that bright core of the Faerie Realm, was being consumed by darkness. There was still light, a glowing energy with power beyond my understanding, but within it, within its heart, was only blackness. It swirled and pulsed like a living thing, a parasite that needed to be removed. A rotten core.
And then the Darkness saw me.
I gasped as I came back to myself and would have pitched forward into the dirt if Arach hadn't caught me. My whole body shivered, a knot of fear filling my belly as I clutched at his tunic, crushing the fine fey velvet.
“Vervain!” He pushed the hair back from my terrified face. “A Thaisce, what happened?”
“The Darkness is back,” I whispered, “and it's inside Faerie.”
Chapter Seventeen
“This isn't possible,” Arach said for the fifth time as he paced back and forth in front of our bed.
I was bundled in blankets and still shivering, sitting in the middle of our huge silver bed. The black silk bed curtains shifted in a stray breeze, blotting out my vision for a second, and reminding me of my first interaction with the Darkness. The Darkness was loneliness, anger, and hatred, all the darker emotions given form. It was an all consuming hunger that had wanted to eat the fey energy inside me to fulfill its need for elements. I had been powerless against it, unable to even move past the fear that froze my limbs. I only survived because Torrent had been there to pull me away. Touching the Darkness had been the most terrifying experience of my life, and I've been chased by the Wild Hunt.
But the Darkness had been at its full power then. It had taken all the elements it needed to complete itself and had become this unstoppable thing by the time I touched it. I'd gone back in time to the Faerie Realm and stopped it before it became complete but it had taken the help of all the royals of Faerie and Faerie herself. How would I stop it this time, when it was Faerie?
“We killed it, “ Arach kept pacing. “We all saw it die.”
“Did we?” I whispered and he stopped pacing to stare at me. “I know we saw it killed but really when it comes down to it, it's a type of fey, a part of Faerie that separated from her on its own. I once asked Faerie what happened to the fey when they died. Do you know what she told me?”
“That they return to the source?” He sat down heavily on the end of the bed.
“That they return to the source,” I nodded. “They return to her. We killed the Darkness, never thinking that it would simply return to Faerie and become a part of her again. No wonder she's been such a bitch.”
“Vervain,” Arach looked horrified.
“Well she has been,” I huffed. “Let's call a spade a spade.”
“No, I don't care about you calling her names,” he waved a hand. “This could have serious implications.”
“No kidding, thank you, Captain Obvious,” I rolled my eyes and he sighed, a whole wealth of suffering within the sound. “What are we going to do about it?”
“The Darkness separated from her on its own before,” he said hopefully, “maybe it will do so again.”
“And what kind of damage do you think a Faerie Realm tainted by Darkness will wreck while we wait for her to get better?”
“You're right,” he rubbed a hand over his dark red hair. “But there's only one problem.”
“What's that?”
; “I have no idea how to fix it.”
“Yeah,” I looked toward the mirror. “Maybe we should call in the reinforcements.”
“We need to visit Air anyway,” Arach nodded. “I'll call the High King and ask him to bring the other royals to Air for a meeting.”
“As long as I don't get attacked by any of your girlfriends again,” I made a face.
“She was an ex-girlfriend,” he sighed, “and she didn't attack you until later.”
“Thank goodness,” I huffed. “I might not have been able to change into a dragon if she'd thrown me into a never ending abyss when we'd first met.”
“I'm sure your ability was working then as well,” he waved a careless hand through the air but I knew my attempted murder had shaken him. “And it's not a never ending abyss.”
“It's a misty drop that doesn't end,” I rolled my eyes. “What would you call it?”
“The Air Kingdom.”
Chapter Eighteen
Isleen had another five thousand hot stones prepared for us, to give to the High King and Queen. I was grateful she had thought of it because I hadn't and showing up with stones for Air and none for Spirit would have probably been some kind of faerie faux pas. We took the stones with us to the meeting in the Air Kingdom, riding up to the floating islands in a boat carried by a leriewoag, an elegant creature with long sinuous limbs and delicate wings that looked impossible for flight. It gave a cry as we docked and we all climbed out of the double-prowed (or maybe it was doubled-sterned, I couldn't tell but both ends looked the same) air boat and made our way down to the Emerald City, ah I mean Castle Bláthaich.
The castle was all intricate flat-topped spires with air fey flying in and out of it, and it was made from a bright green stone that shown against the cold sky like a beacon. The grass was amazingly still green as well, though it was scattered with shifting piles of fallen gold leaves, and there were no flowers floating through the air. The bare trees looked starkly beautiful against the bright castle and colorful ground, and with the stone path(white not yellow brick unfortunately) running up to the castle, it really did look like the Emerald City of Oz to me. Especially since some of the air creatures looked remarkably like flying monkeys. It was a bit unsettling.
What was even more unsettling was the look Queen Aalish gave me when I walked from the tubular hallway into the meeting room. I ignored her and greeted the other royals there, smiling politely as Arach presented King Fionn and King Cian with the hot stones. Cian was especially surprised, as we'd given him no warning of the gift, and even though King Fionn had been prepared by Arach, I could tell that he was touched by the help we were offering his kingdom.
“The Kingdom of Air owes you a debt,” King Fionn said as dutifully as Guirmean had.
“You were kind enough to give me some air stones,” I shrugged. “Let's call this returning the favor.”
“This is hardly on the same level,” his black eyes widened. “Just know that we shall not forget the goodwill that has been extended to us.”
“We're happy to help our fellow fey,” Arach shook Fionn's hand and we all took our seats.
“No hot stones for us?” Aalish looked down her nose at me. She had to really lift her head to do it since we were both sitting but I'm sure she found the effort worth the snobbery. “Of course not.”
“Aalish, there's something I-” King Cahal put a hand on her arm but she spoke over him.
“Why should we expect goodwill from Fire, after all,” Aalish continued and I just let her go, digging her own grave. “Not after you murdered our King of Cats and then tried to blame it on me.”
“Aalish,” King Cahal growled.
“You are reprehensible,” she finished with a sneer.
“And you are misinformed,” Arach snarled. “We offered your kingdom hot stones and your husband refused, citing you as one of the reasons for the refusal. He didn't believe you'd want to take a gift from Fire.”
The room went quiet as Aalish turned slowly to her husband. She was red-faced with rage but he stared at her calmly.
“I tried to tell you,” he shook his head at her. “Once again, you let your temper control you.”
“You could have told me before we arrived,” she snapped.
“Enough!” King Cian shouted, surprising everyone except his wife, who only smiled delightedly at him. “I am done with this childish behavior. We have been brought together to meet and discuss what's happening with Faerie and I suggest you cull your desire to insult each other and focus. King Arach, if you will begin?”
“Yes, High King,” Arach nodded. “My wife used her god magic, which is associated with the seasons, to diminish the power of the coming winter this year. While she was doing that, she delved into the heart of Faerie to see if this had a positive affect on her.”
“Were you successful in mitigating the effects of winter?” Guirmean looked at me with hope filled eyes.
“I was,” I nodded. “The magic revealed to me that the seasons are vital to the progression of the fey. We need to see a physical change in our surroundings, something to mark the passing years and help us remember that change can be good. So I wasn't able to free us from the seasons completely but I did lessen the impact. The winter will not be as harsh as it would have been.”
“How would we even know if that's true?” Aalish scoffed. “It's not like we have any previous winters to judge it by.”
“We will trust the word of the Fire Queen,” King Cian scowled at Aalish and she fell silent.
“After she performed this bit of exceptional magic, which none of us would have been capable of,” Arach narrowed his eyes on Aalish and I had to hide a giggle. “She, as I was saying, delved into the heart of Faerie and there she found the Darkness.”
“The Darkness?” King Cian sat forward. “The Darkness that we killed?”
“What happens to fey when they die?” I prompted the High King.
“No,” King Cian whispered. “I never considered. I assumed because Faerie had helped defeat it herself, that it was gone for good.”
“Energy can't be destroyed,” I sighed. “It returned to the source and now it's twisting Faerie from within.”
“That's why she spoke so harshly,” Cian looked to his wife and she nodded. “Our land has been corrupted. We need to find a way to weed out the Darkness and purify her.”
“Exactly why we called you all here,” Arach agreed. “Any suggestions?”
“Is there any way we can combine our elements again and use it to separate the Darkness from Faerie?” I asked and the royals gave me thoughtful looks.
“I'll ask the history keepers,” King Cian nodded. “Maybe they can find a spell or a reference to a similar occurrence.”
“I doubt you'll find something similar to this,” King Fionn said respectfully.
“Our history is a long one,” King Cian shrugged. “It may surprise you what we've forgotten.”
“The coming winter may prove to be a good thing,” Queen Breana mused, her green eyes bright against the backdrop of her black skin.
“How so?” Queen Meara asked.
“Maybe the cold will slow the Darkness and give us more time,” Breana offered.
“Anything's possible,” I frowned, realizing that the royals had about as much insight into the situation as I did.
“Except she's gone and lessened the effects,” huffed Aalish.
“She did that for our benefit,” Arach growled.
“I could alter them back but I don't think that's going to help,” I said to King Cian.
“No, leave the seasons as they are,” Cian shook his head, his gold eyes flashing. “We have no idea if the cold will have any effect at all. It's far better to ease our people into their first winter. For now, I want everyone to search their own archives for anything that may help us.”
“Stand up for her if you want,” Aalish gave me a haughty look. “But I know who's to blame for all of this; the seasons returning, Liam's murder, and Faerie's
taint, even if you're all to blind to see it. None of this would have happened if she'd never invaded our home. It's her fault and I'm going to make sure that my people at least know the truth!” She stormed out of the room because really, who wants to stick around after dropping a bomb like that?
“As much as I know my wife can behave irrationally at times,” King Cahal stood. “In this, I support her. It may not have been you're intention, Queen Vervain, but you have brought only death and chaos to our lands. We shall search our histories to see if we can find something to help but other than that, don't expect any contact from us. If you receive it, it won't be beneficent.” And then he followed his wife out.
“Now that,” I blinked wide eyes after him. “I didn't see coming.”
“Did it seem to anyone else that King Cahal wasn't all that supportive of his wife in the beginning of this meeting,” Arach mused, “but he did a remarkable turn about at the end?”
“Isn't that what I just said?” I smirked at him.
“I admit, I'd thought King Cahal to be more reasonable,” King Cian frowned. “That was odd behavior for him.”
“Odd?” Guirmean looked from royal to royal. “He all but declared war on Fire. Did no one else hear that veiled threat?”
“I heard it,” I exchanged a serious look with Arach. “Loud and clear.”
Chapter Nineteen
“So the High King doesn't care if we all go to war?” I asked as we waited for the leriewoag to come back for us. We had rung the bell to summon it but sometimes it took awhile for it to circle back through the mists.
After King Cahal had left and Guirmean made his observation, King Cian had practically given his blessing for war between our kingdoms. I was speechless. Yeah, I couldn't believe it either, but I'd just gaped at the High King until Arach had made our goodbyes and ushered us from the room.
“He cares but fey believe that war is honorable,” Arach shook his head. “Normally, I'd relish the thought of a fight but we don't need this kind of distraction right now.”