by Unknown
His previously red hair was now dark gray, his golden skin was pale gray, and his eyes had gone so pale, the irises were barely discernible from the whites. There was a hazy glow around him and when he raised his hand in greeting, bits of it seemed to trail behind.
“Colm,” I went to the table and sat down across from him. “What's happened to you?”
“I don't know, my Queen,” he shrugged and the tops of his shoulders turned to mist, no, steam. He was steamy, I could feel the moist heat radiating off of him. “I felt odd last night and then when I woke up this morning, I was changed.”
“How do you mean odd?” Ciaran took a seat closer to Colm and Arach came to stand behind me with Caitir and Armadal.
“Well, I was very tired,” Colm rubbed at his head and more steam drifted off him. “And then I got cold,” Arach inhaled sharply. “Yes, my King,” Colm nodded. “It frightened me a bit but we'd been warned that the winter would bring changes, so I just went to bed with a hot stone in a dish nearby. I wrapped myself in blankets and fell asleep quickly. In the morning, my sheets were damp and my body was altered,” he held his hand out and made a flicking gesture. It turned completely translucent for a moment, like a ghost, and everyone gasped.
Except for me. Something about it all felt natural and there was a phrase that my father had said to me in passing that kept circulating through my mind. When we were talking about winter, he'd said how much the fire fey in particular had loved it but he'd also said that all the faeries loved winter and the changes it brought to them. To them. I hadn't caught it at the time, had thought it was just a turn of phrase meaning that winter brought changes to the land for the fey to enjoy, but I think what he was really saying was that the fey themselves changed during the colder months.
“I don't know how to cure this,” Ciaran announced, much to Colm's dismay.
“Hold on,” I held up a hand. “The fey are made of the elements. We are a part of nature, right?”
“We are,” Arach nodded. “I guess you could say we are nature.”
“And nature is going through a big change right now,” I looked Colm over critically. “Have you tried to use your fire at all yet?”
“Use my fire?” Colm looked to Arach to explain my insanity.
“To call upon your element,” Arach explained.
“Oh,” Colm looked surprised. “No, I hadn't thought of that.”
“Why don't you try it now?” I gestured to the hand that had gone back to looking solid.
“Yes, my Queen,” he nodded and held his hand out between us, palm up. His face settled into concentration and an eruption of steam shot upward. He flinched and pulled back away from his own hand.
“Easy,” I held my own hand out to him. “I suspect your element has been altered by winter, going from fire to steam. Congratulations, Colm, you're the first steam faerie.”
“Steam faerie?” He looked panicked. “I'm a fire fey. Where do steam fey belong?”
“You are still a fire fey,” I touched his hand and found it damp and hot. “You've just become something more for winter. Tis' the season.”
“So I'll return to normal after winter?” He looked at me with big hopeful eyes.
“Well, I would think so,” I was really guessing. “Let me ask Faerie. Faerie? You listening?”
Don't I always?
“Okay, so what do you think? Will Colm return to normal after winter ends?” I tried to be polite.
Of course he will, she huffed. It's winter that's brought the change and the end of winter will take it back. Tell him to man up and stop whining.
“So, Faerie says you'll definitely be back to normal after winter ends,” I said with forced gaiety.
You coddle them, be a Queen for once.
Oh damn. It was really hard for me to keep a straight face and not go off on her but Colm's relieved expression helped.
“Thank you, Faerie,” he whispered, “and thank you, Queen Vervain. I thought I was fading away.”
“You're welcome,” I smiled. “Now stop worrying and start experimenting with your new ability.”
“Experimenting?” Colm started to look hopeful. “I have new magic. This may be a good thing.”
“I think it is,” I smiled, thinking again of my father's words. “I think it may become something for you to look forward to every year.”
“I expect we'll have more fey altering,” Arach stood. “We'd best return and mirror the other towns to warn them.”
“Yeah,” I agreed as I stood, “and mirror the High King so he can warn the other kingdoms.”
You'd better hurry, Faerie said in a sing-song voice.
Chapter Twenty-Six
“Hurry up,” I whispered to Arach as we made our way through the village.
“What is it?” He picked up his pace.
“I don't know but Faerie very snidely told me to hurry in my warnings to the other kingdoms.”
“That can't be good,” Arach began to ran, leaving me and Ciaran to catch up. I have short legs, okay?
Halfway there, just as we were reaching the end of Weeping Woods, I heard a little mewling that stopped me short. Arach pulled up a few seconds later when he realized I wasn't following but I waved him on.
“Go, I'll catch up,” I shouted. “Go and warn them.”
He nodded but said something to Ciaran that had the leanan-sidhe turning around and coming back to me.
“He didn't trust me alone?” I rose a brow at Ciaran.
“You are his Queen,” Ciaran shrugged, “it's not you he doesn't trust.”
“Good answer,” I said, already searching the sparkling underbrush.
“Did you drop something?” Ciaran peered over my shoulder.
“No, I heard something. It sounded like an animal in distress,” I pushed aside a branch and found it. “Whoa, what is it?”
“It's a nurial,” Ciaran whispered as he edged back. “Slowly back away from it, my Queen. It's very dangerous.”
“It's very hurt and very little,” I stayed right where I was.
It was about six inches long, with sleek black fur and a long tail. Its body was shaped a little like a lion, thick haunches and powerful legs, though those legs were too long for a lion and there were six of them. Its neck was long and elegant, allowing it to curl around itself, head laid on its belly, tail draped over its head, and long ears drooping about its fox-like face. There was a small ruff around that face, starting as long sideburns, then thickening into a mane at the top where it trailed down its neck to disappear at its shoulders. It whimpered once more and lifted that head gracefully to look at me. Its eyes were bright red but as I watched, they faded, color leeching out of them until they became a very pale blue.
I heard Ciaran gasp behind me and the animal narrowed its eyes on him.
“Okay, it's alright,” I crooned to it. “You're changing, huh? Looks like its happening all over the kingdom.”
Its eyes focused back on me and its labored breathing seemed to slow even further. The tips of its fur started to lighten, first gray and then white, fading until it was completely white. It shook its head, ears flopping about, and whined.
“It's going to be okay,” I crept closer and held a hand out to it. Ciaran was very quiet behind me. Then its wet nose found my hand and snuffled before settling into my palm. “You're okay, it will pass.” I slowly moved my hand up to stroke its face and it nipped me. I froze, letting it sniff me again, then gasped as a burning pain went down my arm.
“I told you they're dangerous,” Ciaran said softly. “They have poison in their fangs.”
“You could have been more specific to begin with,” I rode out the pain as the little nurial watched me carefully.
“It's just a baby,” Ciaran reassured me. “Th effects will wear off quickly. If I had been fearful for your life, I would have dragged you away.”
“Why do you think it's here alone?” I looked around carefully. Where there are babies, there are usually mommies.
&nbs
p; “I don't know,” he looked around too and then back at the whimpering animal. “Nurial mothers are usually quite protective of their young.”
“Do you think it was abandoned because it started to change?”
“It's a possibility,” Ciaran said grimly. “The mother may have sensed the changes and bolted. It will die without her.”
“Well shit,” I whispered and looked the nurial in the eye. “Okay, here's the deal, you're in a tough spot here and technically you're my subject, so I'm supposed to take care of you. If you promise not to bite me again, I'll promise to do my best to look after you. Deal?” I turned my hand so my palm faced up.
The nurial regarded that palm for a few minutes more while its body shivered through the last of the changes. It snorted a little puff of steam and then edged forward to lay its head in my hand. Such an act of trust, that tiny head fit perfectly in my palm. I could have crushed it with one squeeze. So of course, I slid my other hand below its body and lifted it to my chest, where I wrapped my cloak around it and accepted the knowledge that another piece of my heart had just been claimed.
“So many babies in the castle now,” I sighed and started walking home, “and none of them are really mine. You want to apply for the position?” I looked down at the little nurial and it let out a gravely rumble.
“What is that sound?” Ciaran peered at it.
“I think its purring.” I smiled down at it. I did so love an animal who purred.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“There's been attacks,” Arach said as I walked into our bedroom. “Some of the—what the hell is that?” He stared at the nurial and it let out an angry screech.
“Stop it, you're scaring it,” I admonished and laid it down on the bed.
“What have you done now, Vervain?” Arach sighed heavily and came over to inspect the baby.
“Is that a nurial?” He looked closer and it bared its teeth at him.
“Hey now,” I pointed my finger at the nurial and it looked instantly cowed. “Be nice, that's my husband and your King.” It let out a whimper.
“They're usually black,” he said thoughtfully, not even caring about the teeth thing.
“I know, I watched as it changed,” I sat down beside it on the bed and it nestled against me. I could feel wet heat rolling off of it and I was sure it went through the same change that Colm did. “I think its mother abandoned it because the change scared her.”
“Him,” Arach said absently as he studied the nurial.
“What?”
“It's a him,” he pointed to two little nubs almost lost within the ruff of fur around its head. “Males have horns.”
“Of course they do,” I rolled my eyes as I stroked its soft fur. It was so tiny, like a kitten.
“Haven't you brought home enough orphans?” Arach sighed and sat beside us. “You know they're poisonous?”
“Yes, he bit me,” I admitted, “it was before we made a deal.”
“You made a deal with a baby nurial?” Arach shook his head and then asked facetiously. “Did you shake on it?”
“Actually,” I grinned as I thought about how he'd put his head in my hand, “we kind of did.”
“Only you, A Thaisce,” Arach huffed a laugh. “Do you even know how to care for it? What it eats?”
“I assume it'll eat chicken,” I shrugged. “Everyone loves chicken.”
“We don't have chickens in the Faerie Realm.”
“Of course we do,” I scoffed. “We had it for dinner last night.”
“That wasn't chicken, that was-”
“Never mind, I get it, everything tastes like chicken,” I huffed. “Do you know what it eats?”
“Mirtens will do,” Arach nodded. “And milk since it's a baby.”
“Mirtens?”
“It's what we had for dinner last night,” he laughed.
“So chicken then,” I grimaced. “Hey, did you say there's been attacks?” I just registered what he'd been saying when I first walked in.
“Oh! Damn but you're a distraction,” he shook his head. “Every time I leave you alone for a second, you find more trouble.”
“Stop it, you're starting to sound like Trevor.”
“Well now I know why he was such dickhead to me when we first met.”
“Did you just call Trevor a dickhead?” I fake gasped.
“You gave me the movies to watch,” he shrugged, “It's not my fault that I absorb information easily.”
“Maybe I should give you some Discovery Channel specials,” I muttered. “Hey, now you distracted me. The attacks?”
“There's been other fey that have changed,” he got serious. “Some of the unaltered fey didn't respond well to their changed brethren. They attacked the changed ones or cast them out.”
“What?”
“King Cian himself had the changed fey in the House of Spirit quarantined.”
“Did you tell him there's nothing to fear?”
“I did but he says he's keeping them segregated for their own good and only temporarily. He fears that they too will be targeted.”
“Why are they being attacked?”
“You said it yourself,” he shook his head. “We are of nature. Well nature can be cruel, mutations are seen as weak, and it's a natural reaction to cull out the weak.”
“Or fear what you don't understand,” I added.
“Yes, and a natural reaction to fear is confrontation.”
“Fight or flight,” I nodded.
“What's that?”
“It's a human term for the natural response to danger,” I explained. “Your body wants to either attack or run away.”
“Yes, that's a very good way to describe it,” he smiled. “Fight or flight, though for us dragons, they can be the same thing sometimes. Well, all the time since a dragon would never flee.”
“But if the fey respond in the same manner as humans, wanting to attack what is abnormal or makes them afraid, why haven't the Hidden Ones ever been attacked?”
“The Hidden Ones were made to be that way,” he shook his head and smiled. “Besides, what kind of an insane faerie would attack a Hidden One?”
“There is that,” I grinned. Oh, I wanted to tell him what my father had told me, about the Hidden Ones being some of the first fey created, but it probably wasn't the best time to mention that I'd gone against his advice.
“I think the fey are anxious right now and these changes have disturbed them even more than they normally would have,” Arach continued. “Look at your nurial there. His own mother may have abandoned him. That is nature's way.”
“That's a bunch of bullshit,” I crossed my arms over my chest.
“King Cian is going to contact the other kingdoms and explain the situation. Hopefully he can prevent any further assaults.”
“Guirmean,” I whispered and rushed to the mirror.
“King Cian will contact him,” Arach came up behind me.
“I want to do it now,” I shook my head as I grabbed a handful of eyebright and rubbed it over the dresser mirror. “King Guirmean of the House of Water!”
The mirror clouded and then cleared to reveal Guirmean standing in his beautiful bedroom. He was pacing and looked very upset.
“Queen Vervain,” he nodded as he approached the mirror. “I'm glad you mirrored. There's been-”
“Changes in the fey, yes,” I nodded, “I know. Faerie says it's only temporary, they'll return to normal once winter is gone.”
“Oh, thank you,” he sighed. “That's a great relief. I've had several of my fey turn into... I'm not sure what but they were freezing the water around them, turning into giant blocks of ice and falling to the ocean's floor. They had to be dragged from the sea and brought to shore to be revived. After we chiseled them out, that is.”
“Shit,” I whispered. “Ice fey.”
“What's that?”
“We have steam fey,” I explained. “And now I know why. Heat meets cold and what happens?”
“Steam,” Arach said from behind me. “Of course.”
“Water meets cold and...?” I lifted a brow.
“And you have ice,” Guirmean sighed. “Yes, that makes sense. My changed fey seem to have calmed a bit now that they're on dry land but their appearances have changed drastically and their breath freezes anything it touches. They're scared.”
“Go and comfort them,” I paused. “I hope no one has attacked them?”
“Of course not,” he angled his head to the side. “Why would they? They've only caused harm to themselves, not others.”
“There have been attacks in Air, Earth, and Spirit,” Arach reported.
“I'll go and speak to my people,” King Guirmean nodded. “Make sure they know not to fear this and that it's only temporary. Thank you so much for mirroring.”
“Good luck,” I nodded and brushed more eyebright over the mirror to clear the glass. “Hopefully you won't need it.”
“He will,” Arach looked back over to the nurial, who was now sleeping soundly in a nest he'd made of the blankets. The blankets were looking a little moist. “Now, what are you going to name him?”
“You know me so well,” I grinned. “How about Norbert?”
“Didn't you call me that once?”
“It's a Harry Potter thing,” I nodded. “Have you watched those yet?”
“No,” he eyed me warily.
“Oh, they're excellent, you should.”
“Who was Norbert?”
“A dragon of course,” I rolled my eyes. “A baby dragon.”
“You called me a baby dragon?” Arach's brows went up, as his voice did.
“Shh,” I said. “You'll wake Norbert.”
“I oppose that name on principle.”
“What principle?”
“The principle that you named me thus, first.”