by Cara E Holt
I jump I hadn’t seen my father come over. I jump down off the wall.
“I’m ready.”
I walk beside him as we walk through the warehouse back through the metal door.
“You get what you needed?” He asks me and I reply with a simple nod of my head. “No more starving yourself, you need to feed at least every three to four weeks.”
“I will. I Promise.” At least I wouldn’t need to do it every day or anything, so that was a plus.
“You miss him huh?” He asks me casually.
I flinch. I’m not sure I want to have this conversation with him about Kol. I just shrug my shoulders in response.
“It’s okay you know, to have feelings for two people. It happens.”
I nod. “It’s not like that. What I feel for Lorcen, well, nothing compares to that. I need Kol in my life though. He’s important to me.”
My Father remains silent. “Had I not hidden you, you would have grown up knowing him all your life. I think the two of you would have made a good pair.”
I smile. “Yeah, in another lifetime I think we would have.”
My father guides us back through the maze of shipping containers. “Give him time. He loves you in a way you can’t love him back. When he’s ready to, he’ll be a part of your life again.”
I sigh. “I hope so.” Honestly the thought of not seeing him again tears at my heart. Like it or not a small part of my heart belonged to him and I needed to have him around.
CHAPTER TWENTY.
The next day I wait nervously by Taylor’s locker. I had been rehearsing all morning how best to apologise, practising in the mirror. I see her blonde hair first and lean up slightly. She sees me and her steps slow before she puts her head down and walks to her locker. She opens it up and starts to swap books over, not giving me any eye contact.
“So, I was a real bitch yesterday.” She doesn’t react, so I carry on. “I know Lorcen told you why I was that way. I’m not trying to make excuses, well maybe I am, but you know I love you and that the normal me would never talk to you that way.”
I place a hand on her arm to stop her from ignoring me.
“You really hurt my feelings.” She tells me frowning.
“I know.” I groan. “I hate myself for it.” I hold out a Reese’s bar and wave it in front of her face. “I come bearing grovelling gifts.”
A half smile appears briefly on her face. I hold my other hand up and wave a Butterfinger bar. Her two favourite chocolate bars.
“I was hoping to buy your friendship back in chocolate.”
She full on grins then and rolling her eyes snatches the Reese’s bar from my hand.
“You know the way to my heart.” She opens it and takes a bite, moaning. She then holds out the packet to me. “Come on, friends share the calories.”
Laughing I take it from her and bite into it. “Just wait until I introduce you to real chocolate. Cadburys is the king of chocolate.”
She links her arm through mine and we walk together to first class.
“So are we okay?”
She nods. “We are okay, so long as hungry demon Ebony doesn’t come out to play again.”
I cross my heart with my fingers. “She is safely locked away.”
“So, Scott gave me his football jersey last night.”
I stop in my tracks. “Oh my god!” I exclaim. This was a big deal, and I could tell by the look on her face she was thrilled. I was still adapting to American life, but one thing I had learned very quickly is that sport in schools here was massive and that if a boy gave you his jersey, well it was his way of telling the world that you were his girl. “Okay, tonight I’m coming over and I want a blow-by-blow account.”
She squeals. “I can’t wait to fill you in.”
I yelp as the fae seamstress catches me with a sewing pin again. I swear one more jab and I was going to stomp on her fingers.
“My apologies your grace, but you really need to try and stand still.”
I guffaw and give Alana a look that says I’m going to kill this woman soon. I had been stood here for half an hour already and my legs were aching. I had huffed and moaned to Alana when she dragged me here. I could have glamoured a dress on the day using my magic, but no, my sister who was slowly turning into bridezilla wanted me to have a dress properly made. Alana was caught up in wedding fever. All she talked about these days was the dress or the ceremony. It was lovely to see her so happy and excited and even though I was bored stiff with wedding talk, I would smile and humour her. I was taking her to meet our Mother tomorrow. I had intended to take her sooner but trying to find a slot in her diary between school, training and wedding stuff had proved nigh on impossible.
“Are you nervous about tomorrow?” I ask, as the seamstress has me turn slightly.
She lifts her eyes from watching the seamstress at work.
“Big time nervous. I mean what if she doesn’t like me?”
I laugh. Was she serious?
“How could she not like you? You’re her daughter, she already loves you.”
She plays with a piece of her hair that has fallen from the messy bun on top of her head. This was her thing that she did whenever she was nervous or stressed. It saddened me that I was starting to know her quirks and mannerisms and yet I knew next to nothing about Leora. She was missing out on seeing her sister become soul bound and we would be missing out on being here for her as she has her first child. I thought about my absent sister often, and I know Alana did too. I also often thought about my niece or nephew and wondered if I would ever get to meet them. My sister had about a month of pregnancy to go and we wouldn’t be there for her.
“So, it’s the Hen party next Friday.” I waggle my eyebrows. Megan, Taylor and I had been busy planning the night.
“I can’t wait.” She claps her hands excitedly. “No strippers though, you promised.”
I give her a salute. “On my honour.”
Unlike me, my sister loved surprises. In fact, apart from the identical faces, we were like chalk and cheese. Alana was a social butterfly. She waltzed into social situations with grace and chatted so easily. Me, I hated social situations where any attention was on me. My sister approached everything she did with a quiet confidence whilst I battled with self-doubt and apprehension.
The seamstress tells me to step down and I do, relieved I was done for the day. I quickly glamour the gown off and use magic to dress myself back in my black leather trousers and green top. Alana had embraced the traditional fae female wear and wore dresses whenever she was here in the fae realm. I still rebelled and always wore trousers – tight ones and some sort of tunic top.
The Seelie castle was just as big as the unseelie one and it was easy to get lost amongst the many corridors. I sift us out into the courtyard. It was summer here in the seelie court and it was a warm and sunny day.
“God. That seamstress. I’m sure she was jabbing me with those needles on purpose.”
Alana chuckles. “Well you did do an awful lot of moaning about boring dress fittings in front of her.”
She had a point I guess. “Please tell me we are done with wedding stuff for the day?”
She nods I do an over-exaggerated fist pump in the air. “Come on let’s go and find our boys.”
We sift into the spectator stands of the sparring rings which are empty, thank goodness. I did get irritated by giggling fae girls swooning over my mate. Down in the ring I feast my eyes on Lorcen. He is shirtless and in fitted brown training trousers that compliment his glorious arse. He was glistening with sweat under the heat of the burning sun. As if sensing my presence he looks up and spots me.
‘You ogling me again mate?’ He teases through our mate bond.
‘I’ll ogle you all I want. Now get back sparring so I can drool in private.’
He laughs out loud and then continues to spar with Noah. Blaine is sparring with Drustan and I look over to find Alana watching him with a smile on her face.
“You’r
e drooling.” I tell her gesturing at her mouth.
She quickly puts her hand to her mouth and then glares at me. “Hardy-har.” She sighs and nudges me. “We are lucky though aren’t we? I mean look at our mates. They look like they belong in a GQ photoshoot.”
I nod. “They are the lucky ones. They get two goddesses as mates.”
I see Alana laugh and her lips move but I can’t hear her and that is when the world starts to slip away from me. I look around me trying to get my bearings and stop still when I see who is in front of me. Stood before me, is Devlon. He’s leaning over a table that is covered in maps.
“I wondered when you might drop by.” He says not looking up at me. He’s dressed leather trousers and a ripped white vest top, showing off his tattooed arms.
Okay, so he could see me. He lifts his head then and looks right at me. Yes, I was definitely visible.
“Hello Ebony. Out of the underworld I see.”
I frown. How did he know I was there in the first place?
“Devlon.” I grind out.
He moves around the table and comes to stand in front of me.
“I knew you’d find a way out. Such a clever girl.”
“How’s my sister?”
He grins and walks around me as if inspecting me. “She is good. She is ripe with my child in her belly.” He stops behind me and leans into my ear. “You would have looked better with my child inside you.”
I shudder. Creep. I look over at the table of maps. “Still looking for the sword are we?”
He chuckles then and walks back around to face me. “Actually I’m planning battle strategies.”
“Battle strategies?”
He looks at me as if I am simple. “Yes, for when I take over the fae realm.”
I shrug, trying to look nonchalant. “Bit premature don’t you think, given you don’t have the sword.”
He takes my chin in his hand. I try to pull away but he holds me in place. His eyes burn with excitement.
“She trains every day you know, despite being pregnant. She cannot wait to face you both on the battle field.”
“She won’t harm us.” I tell him resolutely.
He smirks. “She hates the both of you.”
“Because you have poisoned her against us.” I hiss.
He laughs. “Me? Now why would I do that?” He goes to stand back behind the table and I breathe a sigh of relief that there is some distance between us. “You know what I am most looking forward to? Removing my brother’s head from his shoulders. Then you will be free to be my Queen.”
I look at him in puzzlement. He really was deluded.
“And what of Leora?”
He shrugs. “What of her? You were always the end goal. She is a means to an end.”
Anger rolls through me. He doesn’t give a shit about her. She carries his child and he talks about her like she is a throw-away toy.
“I always want the best, and you, well you are the most powerful of the three. The Morrigan. The nightmare Queen. Naturally, you are the one I want.”
“I will kill you if you hurt her.” I tell him firmly, letting him know I mean every word.
“She was so broken when I met her you know. She had no one in this world she could trust or rely on. All her life she had moved from foster home to foster home. Whilst you two grew up in loving secure families.” He smiles that crazed grin. “She had never known love until I came along. She will do anything for me you know.”
He walks back over to me and flicks a strand of my chin length hair. “I don’t like it short.” He touches it and it grows long again. “Better.”
I glare at him. How dare he change my hair. He acts like he owns me.
“I will never be yours.”
He shrugs. “We shall see. Looks like you’re leaving. I’ll be seeing you very soon my love.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE.
I open my eyes to find my mates pale green ones hovering over me.
“She’s awake.” He states, relief clear in his voice. “You okay love?”
I shiver when he calls me that. Devlon had just referred to me by the same term of endearment. I sit up and see we are still sat in the spectator seats around the sparring ring.
Lorcen takes a piece of my hair in his hand. “Your hair has grown. How?”
I look down at my hair that now falls down to my belly. How much of that visit was real then?
“You okay? You look pale?”
I scoff. “I am pale.”
“Well paler than normal.”
I shrug. “I think I might need a kiss.”
He smirks. “Oh really?”
“Yep.” I reply grinning. He leans down and kisses me and I open up for him and our tongues explore each other.
“Better?”
“Much better.” I push my now long hair over my shoulder. “So, I just had a lovely chat with your brother.”
Lorcens jaw clenches at this news. “My brother. How?”
I shrug. “No idea how. But somehow I saw him. He was able to touch me and he did this to my hair.” I sigh. “He’s planning battle strategies Lorcen.”
Lorcen frowns. “Why when he hasn’t got the sword?”
“I don’t know but he was certain that he would be seeing us soon across a battlefield. He doesn’t care about her at all you know – my sister. He described her as a means to an end.”
“I swear I’ll kill him.” Alana threatens and I remember then that she is sat beside me.
“Get in the queue.” I tell her. I decided not to tell Lorcen about his brother’s threats to take his head or his continued infatuation with me, it would only rile him up and to what end? The visit had left a horrible feeling in my gut. War was coming. It wasn’t a case of if, but when.
Alana looks at me like I’m crazy as we stand before the lake that holds the entrance to the Tuatha realm.
“You want us to jump in there? You do know it is freezing cold right?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Well cold or not. That is the way in.”
Alana glamours herself into a swimsuit.
“What?” She asks when she sees me staring at her, a brow cocked. “What? There’s no point in getting a nice dress wet.”
“You’re a goddess. You can dry yourself instantly with magic.” I point out and she ignores me and takes Blaine’s hand in hers “You ready to meet the Mother-in-Law?”
Blaine lets out a nervous laugh. “Not really.”
“Okay, just follow us down to the centre of the lake.” I tell them both. Holding Lorcens hand we step into the water and wade in until we are waist deep. We dive under the surface and swim down to the glowing light at the bottom of the water. A second later we are stood on a sandy beach.
“Wow.” Lorcen exclaims as he takes in the idealic view.
“Gorgeous isn’t it?”
Alana and Blaine come up behind us.
“Wow.” Alana comments.
“That’s what he said. Well, welcome to the realm of the Tuatha gods and goddesses.”
We start walking across the beach and I release a big smile when my mother appears on the sand ahead of us.
“Is that..?”
“Yes. That is our Mum.”
Our Mother stands waiting for us. She is dressed in a white Grecian type dress and her dark hair is piled on her head with some type of gold rope weaved through it. She is stunningly beautiful and doesn’t look much older than we do. We walk until we reach her and she smiles warmly at us all.
“Hello Mother.” I greet her and hug her.
“It is so good to see you again.” She tells me, patting my cheek gently.
I pull back and my Mothers eyes then fall on Alana. Her eyes water up. She holds out a hand to Alana who nervously steps forward and places her hand in hers.
“It has been a long time daughter of mine.” Our Mother looks from me to Alana. “So alike. Mirror images.” She takes a strand of my sister’s hair between her fingers. “Such a radiant colour.”
> Alana stands there quietly taking our Mother in. I had never known her so quiet and uncertain.
“I have waited so long for this day. Two of my girls together at last.” She leans in and kisses Alana on both cheeks. “Welcome to my home.” Her gaze moves to Lorcen. “You must be Lorcen?”
My mate nods and steps forward and bows to my Mother. “It is an honour to meet you.”
“No Bows. We are all family now.” She tells him smiling and gesturing for him to lift himself up. “Blaine?” She asks as she turns her attention to him.
He goes to bow and then remembers she said no ceremony. So instead he offers out his hand. “Pleased to meet you.” She leans over and drops a kiss on both their cheeks. With her hand still holding Alana’s, she offers out her other one to me. “Now let’s introduce you to the family.”
We walk along the path until we come to the clearing that reveals the court of the gods. Even having already seen it once, it is still a sight to behold. I look over to Alana to see her gazing in awe at the place. The building was all glass. The sunlight hits it at angle’s that creates a glistening, rainbow effect.
We enter inside and the three of them take in the trees and flowers that grow inside of here. The place is remarkable. It makes you feel like you are still outside. Fae who are going about their daily business, bow to us as we pass.
“There are fae here?” Lorcen asks me, the surprise clear in his voice.
I nod. “Those who were loyal to the Tuatha chose to come with them and build a life here.”
We enter the large circular room I remember from last time I was here. The room is already full of my family. Each large marble chair around the circular room has a god or goddess sat on it. Lugh with his big black beard and piercing grey eyes watches us as we enter the room. Lugh was the god of the sun. He ensured that crops grew in the fae world. Over the centuries though the crops had started to dwindle as the fae had stopped believing and worshipping their own gods. Ernmas – my mother, was goddess of sleep and dreams. My grandmother Banba smiles at me as my eyes meet hers. It was strange to call a woman who did not look a day over twenty-five my grandma. Banba was goddess of fertility. Each person sitting in this room had a role to play in the prosperity of the fae lands. I was hoping whilst I was here to learn more about my ancestor, the one I supposedly replaced - the Morrigan. I wanted to learn more about what she was capable of. If we were to truly win the war I was sure was still coming, then I needed to use every power and skill I held inside of me.