by Unknown
“Be on guard for treachery!” I called out and heard my warning passed forward. “If someone strikes out to kill you, defend yourself by any means necessary!”
I felt a tremor of unease filter through our ranks as they realized what I had. This battle may be more serious than we all had thought. Then, almost as if my words had been the catalyst, I heard a terrible scream and knew we'd lost one of our own. I ran toward the sound as battle seemed to pause everywhere. My dragon was rising inside me and surprisingly enough, so were all my other magics. I could feel my skin filling with power and when I glanced down, I saw that I was glowing.
By the time I'd reached the front line, battle had started again but it was only the earth-sidhe who were attacking, all except those who had become rock fey. I watched as the rock fey exchanged grim looks with each other and then they simply backed out of the battle. They placed themselves within the forest, threw down their swords, and turned themselves into stone. The lesser fey of Earth just seemed to be confused, looking as if they hadn't got the memo. The barghests were whimpering, the fir-darrigs growling, and even the gigantic spriggans were backing away in horror.
At my feet lay Breck, my beautiful goblin girl, and around her were her fellow goblins, several of them personal admirers of hers. There was a wave of heat flowing around us, through us, and as if from a distance, I heard my husband roar his rage from the sky. I lifted my sword and felt his rage consume me. I shot past the point of caring what annihilation of a kingdom would do to the rest of Faerie. I wanted vengeance.
I roared, the alien sound of my merged beasts rising from me again, but this time it was full of pain and rage. A hush went momentarily over the battlefield, everyone turning toward me.
“Kill them all!” I screamed into the silence. “Burn them to ashes! Make them dust beneath our boots! For Breck! For vengeance! For Fire and Steam!” I just kept screaming, more and more horrible things falling from my lips as I tossed aside the barricades like they were tinfoil. My skin was glowing brighter and brighter and I could feel the star inside me flaring. Then the fire fey seemed to swell, steam rising from us all as our inner flames ignited, and everything exploded.
My well thought out fighting plan was thrown to the wind as all the rows of waiting fey ran forward, buoyed by the cry of their Queen and the roar of their King. I launched myself at the first sidhe I saw, taking his head in one swing of my sword and then throwing it in the direction of the Earth Royals. I started slashing my way towards them and they looked over to me, saw their deaths in my eyes, and reined their unicorns in. The beautiful beasts reared up, screaming in fright.
Earth-sidhe backed away from my advance, the glow from my skin turning their faces into horror masks of shadow and fear, but they didn't escape my blade. Any of them who crossed my path were cut down and left to bleed into the snow. The lesser fey were already gone, leaving the sidhe to defend their own folly, and I could hear the bark of fleeing barghests. High pitched screams melded with the barking and I glanced around me, just for a moment, to enjoy the chaos that we wrought.
Leanan-sidhe were tearing into their victims with teeth and nails, blood dripping over pale skin as they gorged themselves. Those were the lucky ones, they'd probably survive. The earth-sidhe who fell under the goblin onslaught were dead within moments, their bodies torn to pieces and consumed with a terrifying delight. Red caps soaked their hats in the blood of the fallen before replacing them on their heads and finding new victims but even their fury paled by comparison to the Hidden Ones.
Jaws snapped, claws tore, and jagged teeth shredded the flesh of any earth-sidhe unfortunate enough to be in the path of the wave of death that was the Hidden Ones. There were horrible chittering noises, gurgles, snarls, and crunching coming from their direction. Slurps were overlaid with pitiful screams and even worse, the wet popping sound of limbs being torn from bodies. Even in my red haze of rage, I couldn't bear to witness it and I had to turn away.
It was into this mayhem that the armies of Water and Air arrived. Later, I would be grateful for their timely arrival but at the moment it angered me because instead of joining the battle on our side, they set out separating our two armies and trying to stop the whole thing. They were successful at it and reason finally returned to me when Guirmean took me by the arms, shook me, and then pointed down to the line of bodies I'd left in my wake. Guirmean had been the only one with balls big enough to approach me, that brave and stupid man. Arach couldn't do it, he was still raining death down from the sky, and it took the sight of me dropping to my knees in regret, to get Arach to stop.
I dropped my head into my hands as I realized that this was not the fault of the Earth army, this was the responsibility of their leaders. I took a calming breath, the glow fading from my skin, then stood up and shouted for everyone to stand down. That's when I saw the armored phooka horse stomping the frozen ground behind Guirmean.
“Nora?” I asked and the horse gave a dramatic nod, tossing its mane as sparks flew from its red tips.
“She carried me over to you,” Guirmean's hand reached out to stroke Nora's neck. “I wouldn't have been able to get through your army without her.”
“Thanks, Nora,” I nodded to her and she gave me a small nod back.
Then Arach descended between the armies of Earth and Fire. The Water and Air armies were flanking us warily. Arach's dragon body tromped over the bloody churned up snow, heading straight toward the Earth Royals. The royals of Air and Water ran after him and I was about to attend them, when I felt something large land behind me. It was Salem.
“A cat,” he hissed. “A cat's snuck into the castle, V. He can't be up to any good.”
“Gods damn it!” I swore and started running for the castle with Salem.
By the time we made it within, there was no sign of the cat but I lifted my face to the air and took a good whiff. His scent was easy to find, an earth cat in a fire house, it's not like he could hide his musk. I ran after the trail, my heart going cold as I realized where he was heading.
“The caverns,” I gasped. “He's going for the lava lake.”
Hidden in a cave at the back of the labyrinth of tunnels below Castle Aithinne, was a small pond of lava. Arach called it a lava lake but I didn't see how that was accurate as it was only about ten feet across. The pool was an access point to our entire kingdom and anything done to it would affect all of the fire fey. It was a direct vein to the heart of my people and if someone wanted to hurt all of us at once, he could do it very easily there.
Salem had no idea what I was talking about but he could sense the fear in my voice. He picked me up, threw me onto his back, and raced through the halls as I clung to his neck. Thanks to him, we made it to the cavern of the Hidden Ones in record time. He let me down and I ran forward, hoping it had been fast enough. As I entered the back tunnels, the maze that led to sleeping quarters for the Hidden Ones and then finally to the pool of lava, I heard a terrifying sound.
The scream of babies.
“No,” I whispered and put on more speed. “No!”
I got to Fionnaghal's room just as a body was thrown out of it. It hit the wall beside me with the sound of breaking bones and slid to the floor in a groaning heap. I pulled up short, my hands already turned into claws, and grabbed the intruder, skewering him in the process. He screamed again, lifting his head as he did so, and I dropped him in surprise. I gaped down at the man, staring in shock at a face I knew well but thought to never see again.
“Liam?” I whispered as Fionnaghal filled the doorway, a babe in each arm and Dexter perched on her horns in puffed up glory.
“Kill him, Queen Vervain,” she growled. “Or I shall. That cat came after my babes.”
“I wasn't after your children, you stupid beast,” Liam hissed and struggled to his feet.
“No, you were after the pool,” I said calmly as it all clicked into place. “What were you going to put in it?”
“Sap,” he grinned maliciously. “Sap from a living tree
in the heart of Earth.”
“To poison my entire kingdom,” I narrowed my eyes on him as both Fionnaghal and Salem gasped. Then I struck him across the face. “That's for calling Fionnaghal a stupid beast, you psychopath.”
“You're all stupid beasts,” he licked the blood from his lips and glared at me. “Faerie would be better off without you.”
“Faerie would collapse without Fire,” I shook my head at him. “You're the fool here, blinded by your anger, but as foolish as you are, you've had moments of brilliance. How exactly did you manage to trick us with that body?”
“It was a human,” he laughed. “Someone I killed in the Human Realm and brought here. I put my ring on him and set him on fire. It was so easy.”
“How? Did you use god magic?” My gut churned, knowing that he'd taken some poor guy from the Human Realm and killed him for something that had nothing to do with him.
“Of course,” Liam smirked.
“Who taught you? How did you even find the spell?”
“Thoth,” he grinned wider.
“Thoth?” I gaped and blinked. “Thoth, the Egyptian God?”
“Of course Thoth the Egyptian God,” he rolled his eyes. “I prayed and he answered.”
“You prayed?” This was getting stranger and stranger.
“I thought, what better way to get revenge upon you than to use your friends,” he laughed maniacally. “I prayed for knowledge and he answered, thinking I was just a Faerie King who wanted to learn.”
“Thoth is a god of knowledge,” I whispered as it started to make sense. “Did you tell him what you'd do with the magic?”
“I told him I wanted it to help my kingdom,” he laughed more, “and he actually believed me.”
“Well, at least he didn't do it to get back at me,” I grumbled.
“You're not friends?” His brow lifted.
“Nope,” I gave a little chuckle. “You could have probably just asked him to help you destroy me and he would have. Thoth doesn't like me at all. Most gods don't.”
“I thought you were one of them?”
“I am,” I rolled my eyes. “I'm also the Godhunter, you idiot.”
“Well curse it,” he frowned. “Oh well, what's done is done.”
“What's done is done?” I huffed. “You would have killed everyone because of a stupid insult.”
“And you would have killed everyone because of a stupid goblin!”
I punched him. In the face. Very hard.
“See?” He laughed. “You know exactly how vengeance can move you to act without thought.”
“Yeah but you had plenty of time to think it over,” I growled. “I was caught in the heat of battle. Plus, I was only killing sidhe.”
“You stole my child,” he sneered.
“No, Liam,” I smiled. “You all but gave him to me.”
“It's King Liam!”
“Not anymore it's not,” I grinned. “You see, you're dead. I could kill you now and no one would ever know. It's like double jeopardy,” he blanched. “It would save Roarke the horror of hunting his own father.”
“Roarke is the whole reason that I knew to come down here,” Liam said with cold calculation. “It was the only thing he told us about all of you. The lava lake protected by the Hidden Ones. He probably thought it was useless information, that we wouldn't risk it with the Hidden Ones down here, but start a war and-”
“And the Hidden Ones come out of hiding,” I finished for him. “You're trying to use him to the last, aren't you? Well guess what? It doesn't matter what he told you back when he was trying to be a good son. He's a king now, with his own child to look after.”
“What are you talking about?” Liam's face went blank.
“Oh, Anna didn't tell you?” I lifted a brow casually. “Interesting. Yes, you're a grandfather. The babe was born a fire cat so his mother brought him here and left him on our doorstep with a little note attached. Very sweet and very sad.”
“Him?” Liam's voice went soft.
“His name is Hunter and he's beautiful,” I watched Liam's face carefully.
“Hunter, what kind of name is that?” He scoffed but it was a half-hearted effort. I could tell he was shaken. “And how dare she abandon my grandson? He's a Prince in the Earth Kingdom.”
“He's a Prince of the Fire Kingdom,” I considered him. Was there enough good left in him to save? But no, it didn't matter what I thought, he was guilty of murder and of trying to frame me for it. He'd be sentenced to the Wild Hunt.
“Prince of the Fire Cats,” he huffed. “What a mighty court of, what is it now, five? Mutants, every last one of them. Abominations.”
“Hardly an abomination if Faerie herself not only helped create them but put into motion the events that would lead to their creation. And as far as their numbers go, all things must have a beginning,” I narrowed my eyes on him, “and an end.”
“But you could prove your innocence with him, my Queen,” Fionnaghal reasoned.
“Oh,” I sighed, “maybe you're right. Wait, I know, I could just keep his head.”
“But then they'll know you killed him,” Salem pointed out.
“Have you seen the battlefield?” I looked over at Salem with menace in my eyes and retracted my claws. “He could have been killed at any time. Besides, I have an agreement with King Cian. I let him hold me prisoner awhile back in exchange for him allowing me kill the true culprit if I ever caught him. Well, I caught him.” I pulled my sword. “Unless there was something you wanted to say to your son first?”
“Roarke?”
“No, your other son that defected to Fire,” I rolled my eyes.
“I... yes, I would like to say something to him. Please.”
It was the please that got me. Dragged from the depths of him, a bid at being polite to his worst enemy so that he could see his son one more time. That must have cost Liam a lot. I nodded and turned to Salem.
“Would you mind getting Roarke off the battlefield?”
“No problem,” Salem hurried off, his giant strides taking him there much faster than my little ones would have managed.
It still took a little longer than I expected for Roarke and Salem to come rushing into the tunnel and when they did, I saw exactly why. Roarke had gone to fetch Hunter first. I looked over at Liam and saw his face change from one of anger and hatred to longing and regret. His eyes glistened with tears as Roarke stopped in front of him and looked at his father with a mixture of relief, shock, and anger.
“Hello, Father,” Roarke finally said.
“Roarke,” Liam swallowed with some difficulty and leaned forward a little to get a better look at Hunter. The boy was smiling, pumping his fists up and down excitedly, completely unaware of the drama unfolding between his father and grandfather. “Hunter, eh? He's...” he looked away and wiped the tears from his eyes. “He's beautiful, a miracle. Looks just like you.”
“I know,” Roarke gave a half-hearted attempt at humor. “He's a very lucky child.”
“Anna never told me,” Liam's eyes were jumping back and forth between the babe and Roarke. “She must have hid it from everyone.”
“I should like to thank her for that sometime,” Roarke looked down at his son and smiled.
“I'm sorry, Roarke,” Liam focused his eyes on his son.
“How could you do this to my House?” Roarke frowned at his father. “Now that I'm a father, now that I know what it's like to have this little person who's a part of me and yet not me. To know how this kind of love feels, its overwhelming desire to protect and the equally huge fear of failing to do so. I can't even begin to comprehend how you could try to damage me so dearly.”
“Not you,” Liam shook his head. “This was about anger over you. I was so angry that I had lost you and I blamed Queen Vervain for it. I wanted my revenge and those feelings you speak of, those of a father, were what prompted me to such viciousness. I never wanted to see you hurt.”
“Hurting the Queen of my House hurts me,�
�� Roarke shook his head. “She's my closest friend and you would have seen her banished from Faerie or perhaps executed.”
“I know,” Liam looked longingly at Hunter. “Could you forgive me enough to let me hold the child? She means to kill me anyway,” he nodded to me. “Let me at least hold my grandchild before I die.”
Roarke gave me a look and I frowned. As much as King Cian had given me the right to kill whomever was behind this, I could take that right to its contrary meaning and decide not to kill Liam. If Liam was no longer out to destroy me, I really saw no point in destroying him. Plus, I really hate having to kill my friend's parents.
“If you give me your word to never come against me or the House of Fire again,” I slowly transferred my gaze to Liam. “And to not oppose but instead support the decision of any earth cats who would like to make the transition to Fire, I will forgive your actions against me and mine.”
“V,” Roarke sighed and looked over to his father. “Do you see it now?”
“She's a better Queen than I gave her credit for,” Liam conceded.
“And a better friend,” Roarke handed Hunter over to his grandfather and Liam began to cry. “You know it wasn't royalty that saved your life today, it was friendship.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
I strode out of the castle with Roarke and Liam behind me, Salem bringing up the rear. A wave of silence flowed over the gathering as we went.
“Missing something?” I waved a hand toward Liam and damn if they all didn't look shocked, even the Earth Royals.
“Liam?” Queen Aalish gaped at him. “How did you... what in Faerie is going on here?”
“I was going to ask you that,” I frowned at her. “Are you trying to tell me you had nothing to do with this? You didn't know Liam framed me for his own murder and then came here today to poison my entire kingdom with sap?” So many sap jokes but it wasn't the time.