by Alison Pensy
"I like that idea," Henry said rubbing his daughter's hand. She offered him a small smile.
"We will set up headquarters here at the cottage," she continued.
"That idea, I'm not so sure about," Henry said, although, he couldn't hide the twinkle in his eye.
Faedra turned to her human friends and family. "Uncle Leo, could you, Nicki, Amy, and Zoe help set up the cottage? We'll need to feed quite a few people and also find places for them to sleep." They nodded.
"Good, thanks," Faedra said. She stood and turned to her husband. "We need your father."
Faen nodded. "When we have retrieved the ruby staff, we will bring him and my mother back here."
Faedra nodded before wrapping her arms around him. She could have happily lost herself in his arms and stayed there forever, but Etyran, at least, was showing good sense. He cleared his throat before tapping her on the shoulder. Faedra pulled away from her husband.
"Ready, mate?" Etyran asked.
Faen cupped Faedra's face and leaned down to place a kiss to her lips.
"Good luck," she whispered when he pulled away.
"I don't need luck," he said with a smile. "I've got Etyran."
Faedra choked down the urge to throw out some sarcastic remark, only because that had been the norm between her and Etyran ever since they first met. But now was not the time, and Faedra had to admit, the Lightbender could be pretty handy in a fight. She knew without a doubt, he would do anything in his power to keep her husband safe. She also knew her husband would do the same for his best friend.
Etyran rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the smirk that nudged the corner of his lips.
"Okay, let's do this," Etyran said, opening up his coat. "And don't go getting too cozy in there."
Faedra smiled. Thankful that even in such dire circumstances, the Lightbender could add a little humor to the proceedings and lighten the mood, if only just a tad.
Faen stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his friend. When he was situated, Etyran wrapped his coat around Faen. He held out a hand, and Faedra passed the emerald staff to him, her expression tense with anxiety.
"Don't worry, My Lady," Etyran winked, noticing Faedra bristle at his address. "I'll keep him safe."
Etyran and Faen disappeared from view.
Gasps were heard from the human side of the table. It wasn't the first time… doubtful it would be the last. Faedra caught herself wondering how many more times her friends would let out gasps of surprise before this whole debacle was over. More than a few, she would wager.
Tiny green lasers lights swirled like a slow moving vortex right where her husband and his best friend had been standing. Those, too, disappeared.
Faedra slumped back down into her chair. All she could do now, was wait.
***
"Cup of tea?"
Startled by the sudden touch to her shoulder, Faedra tore her gaze away from the window. Her dad was standing next to her holding a cup, its contents steaming.
His smile faltered. "I'm sorry, darling. I didn't mean to make you jump."
"It's okay, dad. It's not you, I'm just more jumpy than usual right now." She cupped the mug with her palm. "Thanks."
Turning back to the window, she stared out again. Although, mostly all she could see was her own reflection staring back at her, and now that of her dad who was standing beside her. It was dark outside. The window acted more like a mirror than a portal to the outside world. Behind them, she could hear the bustle of people in the room and the one next to it, moving furniture and making room to put up camp beds for all the extra guests to sleep on. Her uncle volunteered at the local adventure scout group and was able to borrow as many camp cots as they needed. They even had some tents available, should the potential inhabitants of the cottage expand to beyond what its ancient walls could hold.
"They'll be okay," her dad said, sensing Faedra's unwavering anxiety as to the whereabouts of her husband and his best friend.
Faedra dropped her unseeing gaze from the window to her steaming cup of tea. "They should be back by now. Something's happened."
Henry wrapped his arm around his daughter's shoulder. "They've only been gone an hour, love."
Faedra turned her head to face her dad. "An hour in our time is much longer in Azran. To them they've been there half the day already." She turned back to the window and lay her head on her dad's shoulder and spoke to his reflection. "I'll die if anything's happened to him, Dad."
"Nothing's going to happen to him, darling. I'm sure he and Etyran make a formidable team."
Faedra hoped so. She couldn't contemplate a world without Faen in it. Then out of nowhere, another thought penetrated her psyche, as random thoughts have the urge to do when one is suffering from shock. "Thanks for letting us use the cottage, Dad," she said. "I hate to do this to you, but its wards make it the safest place for everyone to congregate."
Henry rubbed his daughter's arm. "Darling, you don't need to thank me. This is your home, too. Truth be known, I find it all just a little exciting. Beats watching cricket on the tele."
Faedra pulled her head up and shot her dad an odd look.
"That's not to say I'm not dreadfully sorry about what happened to the king, you understand."
Faedra smiled and gave her head a subtle shake. Diplomacy never was his strong suit. She laid her head back on his shoulder.
"I know, Dad. I know."
***
Her mug was empty, the cool ceramic warmed only by the flesh of Faedra's palm. Arms crossed over her chest, Faedra held herself together by sheer will alone. Another hour had passed and she still stood at the window...waiting...hoping. She could hear the clanging of pots echo down the hallway from the kitchen, followed shortly thereafter, by the comforting aroma of stew and dumplings. It was getting late, and people were hungry. Her human family and friends had nipped home and changed into something more appropriate for managing a battle headquarters and plotting a counter-attack. Now they were in the kitchen with her dad, preparing something for everyone to eat.
Another reflection joined hers. Draconis.
"Staring out of that window isn't going to make them appear any sooner," he said.
Faedra swallowed but didn't respond. The last thing she needed right now was a dragon to drive the point home. She was disgusted at how weak and fragile she now was. Had she ever felt this helpless in her life? She didn't think so. If she'd had all her powers, she would have gone with them, made sure they were safe. She looked down at the diamond cuff, her lip curling with distaste.
"Don't worry, little one. The king of Alsius will pay for ordering this strike against your father and his realm. When we capture him, we will force him to release your powers from the cuff."
Faedra turned her face to look up at the dragon, his emerald eyes sparkled in the light from the sconce by his head. His handsome face blurred as her eyes glistened with unshed tears at the mention of her father. The image of his blood-soaked body swam in her mind.
"Is he...?"
"No, my child. We moved his body from your room. His pyre is complete. When your husband returns, we will give him the funeral he deserves."
A tear slid down Faedra's cheek, she brushed it away with her fingers. "Thank you," she whispered.
Draconis inclined his head. "It is the least we could do. Kenreth was noble and honorable, he was also a good friend to Zutherindal and deserves nothing less than our utmost respect." He paused for a moment, considering his words. "I also believe he has left his realm in good hands."
Faedra turned back to face the window. "Don't," she murmured, her gaze dropping to the floor. She still wore her pink fluffy slippers, as if they could shield her from the insurmountable responsibility that had, not more than a few hours ago, been planted squarely on her shoulders.
As if reading her mind, Draconis pushed the curtain of hair that shielded her face, behind her ear. It was an intimate gesture, one only a close friend would dare to make. "Fluffy slippers do not make y
ou any less a queen," he said. "Or the new ruler of Azran. Your people need you, Faedra, and no amount of wishing it away will do you, or them, any good whatsoever."
Faedra sniffed. He was right, of course. However much she wanted to curl up in a ball and hope this would all go away, she couldn't and it wouldn't.
She turned to face him again. "But, I don't know anything about war or winning battles. Without my powers, how can I possibly be of any use to anyone?"
"Little one, you are not alone in this. No one is expecting you to come up with a battle plan. We will form a council; you will have many of us who have experienced this kind of thing before and dealt with it. Rowan is an expert in this field, having helped lead the attack on Savu. Odin, another expert in his field. The druids, though not hostile, have much knowledge to share. King Derian would like nothing more than to see Zaven brought to his knees. I'm sure he will do anything in his power to help you. And then there is myself and my realm. Our resources are yours." He leaned in and cupped Faedra's cheek. "We will take Azran back and protect the World of Men. We will avenge your father. You have my promise."
Faedra offered him a weak smile. She opened her mouth to say something, but a light in her peripheral vision had her tearing her face from Draconis's hand to look out of the window. She put her face up against the cool glass and cupped her hands around her eyes.
"Laser lights," she murmured, as she saw a few red dots swirl on a spot a little further down the driveway. A second later, the few dots turned to masses, and, within another heartbeat, a swirling vortex of ruby spun on the gravel.
"They're back!" someone shouted from near the front door.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Dropping her empty mug on the soft pile carpet, Faedra tore past Draconis and dashed through the living room before bursting outside into the cool night air.
She hesitated for a moment, her gaze following that of the vicar and two Messengers who were looking down the driveway. She pushed her way gently between the vicar and one of the Messengers. Upon seeing her there, they stepped aside to let her through.
"Oh, thank God," Faedra whispered, as four figures materialized within the ruby vortex. Faen was holding onto the ruby staff and Etyran the emerald staff. They had completed their mission and gotten home safely. Behind her, she heard her new Guardian, Jocelyn, burst out of the house. There was a catch in the young fairy's breath as she stood next to Faedra. Faedra looked over at her friend and took hold of her hand.
"They're home, Jocelyn."
As soon as the red lights dissipated, Faedra and Jocelyn took off down the driveway towards their returning loved ones.
"Faen!" Faedra cried.
Faen handed the ruby staff to his father and took a step forward, his face lighting up with a broad grin. He held his arms open for his wife as she launched herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She buried her face in his neck as he held her around her waist and spun them both around.
When he came to a stop, she leaned back slightly and cupped his face in her hands, staring into his beautiful blue eyes and scanning his face as if committing to memory every last inch of it. "Oh, thank God, you're okay. I was so scared," she breathed before leaning in and kissing him like it might be her last chance. Faen loosened his grip on her and let her slide down his body until she was standing, then he brought his hands to her face, returning her kisses with as much passion as he possessed.
A man cleared his throat.
"Oh, Rowan," Janessa chastised, nudging her husband in the arm with her elbow. "Give them a minute. They're newlyweds. What do you expect? I can remember a time when you kissed me like that."
Faedra and Faen stopped their kiss at his mother's words. They smiled against each others lips. Encircled within his strong arms, Faedra laid her head against Faen's chest. She looked over to see Jocelyn in the exact same position within Etyran's arms. The two girls smiled at each other, a wordless acknowledgment of relief.
Faedra released her grip from around her husband's waist. As much as she wished she could stay there and never leave the safety of his embrace, she couldn't hide from the fact that there was a battle to be devised and a war to be won. She held her hand out to Rowan expecting him to shake it. "I'm so glad you are both safe."
To Faedra's surprise, Rowan took her hand and bowed low, grazing the back of her knuckles with his lips. "My lady," he said. "I am so very sorry to hear about the loss of your father."
Faedra swallowed. Of course, she was his queen now, and what she knew of Faen's father, he would follow proper etiquette to the ends of the earth. No amount of telling him not to would change his attitude. Feeling like a complete fraud, she waited until he finished and stood up again. As he rose, their eyes connected. Words failed Faedra at that moment, so she offered him a smile of thanks for his words of condolence.
Thankfully, Janessa was cut from a different cloth, one more like Faedra's own as she had since found out. Her mother-in-law was going to put up with no such etiquette. The lady threw her arms around her daughter-in-law and drew her into a hug like only a mother could.
"You poor, poor child," Janessa cooed, stroking the back of Faedra's head with soothing rhythmic strokes. It was all Faedra could do to keep the floodgates from opening up. She closed her eyes tight, bit back the tears. She was a queen now, there wasn't time for tears.
Faedra pulled back and looked the kindly woman in the eye. "I'm alright," she said, her voice small and childlike.
Janessa gave her a look that told Faedra she believed that about as much as she believed redcaps would do her laundry.
"Really...I am," Faedra said, infusing a little more conviction this time.
"Come on," Rowan said, taking charge. "Let us go inside and partake of some refreshment. It has been a long day, and we have much yet to discuss and many plans to make."
Faedra felt an arm slide around her back at the waist. Faen ushered her up the driveway. As the six of them wandered towards the house, Faedra's gaze was pulled to a large shadow that loomed with all its unfamiliarity above the grass in the middle of the yard beside the parking area. She stopped and turned to face it, tugging her husband to a stop, also. It was the funeral pyre standing about six feet tall. Logs and branches were stacked neatly, and upon them lay her father, the king.
She looked up at Faen, eyes glistening. "This is really happening, isn't it?"
A grave expression flashed across her husband's face. "Yes, Adkara. It is."
Faedra leaned her head on Faen's shoulder and took a moment of silence to let the image in front of her sink in. Then she remembered her father's request and pulled her head back to look at her husband. "Did you have a chance to see if Vivianna is okay?"
Faen nodded. "Yes, we did. She is fine, much to Zaven's annoyance. The wards your father put on her cell have kept her safe. It seems that not only do they prevent her escape, they also prevent anyone entering, and that includes any magical or other worldly powers. Vivianna's cell is the only thing in Azran that remains unfrozen. She is none too pleased with the situation as you can imagine, but for the time being, she is safe."
Faedra nodded. "Did she see you?"
"No. Etyran and I decided it would be wiser to stay invisible. We still do not know whose side she leans toward and did not want to risk her raising the alarm to gain favors with the enemy."
Faedra nodded again before resting her head back on his shoulder.
"Have you eaten today?" Faen asked.
Faedra shook her head against his shoulder. Her appetite had left her along with her powers, for all she knew, it had been sucked into the bracelet, too.
Faen steered her around towards the front door of the cottage. "Come, you must eat something. You need to keep your strength."
Strength? What strength? Faedra thought. Zaven might as well have sucked that into the cuff for how useless she actually felt. She didn't protest, though, and allowed her husband to escort her back into the cottage. She glanced, one last time, over his shoulder
at her father resting peacefully where he lay, before turning back and entering the house.
A gaggle of conversation ambushed Faedra’s ears as soon as they set foot in the living room. She looked through the open door into the dining room to see people crammed to bursting around the table. Jocelyn was talking with animated hand gestures to Etyran, who reached up and stroked her hair, taking a lock of it in his hand as he looked into her worried eyes. Draconis was deep in conversation with Rowan at one end of the table. The vicar, the Messengers, and the two other dragons were all listening intently as Rowan described what he, Faen, and Etyran had seen as they scouted about the castle and the city using the two staffs and the Lightbender's ability to be invisible to the naked eye. Etyran had obviously given the emerald staff back to its rightful owner, as it was now resting against the wall behind where Draconis was sitting. Faedra couldn't see Janessa, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out where she was. Faedra and Faen took the couple of steps up into the dining room. From there, she could see through another open door that led into the kitchen. Faedra smiled when she saw that Janessa had donned one of her dad's aprons and was directing the flow of traffic in the kitchen. Her human family, friends, and Alyssa were bustling about, following Janessa's instructions without question.
Faedra let go of Faen's hand and left him in the dining room as she wandered into the kitchen. Desperate to make herself useful, she asked. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
Janessa stopped what she was doing and wiped her floured hands on her apron before walking over to her daughter-in-law. "I believe we have this all under control, my love," she said, placing her hands on Faedra's shoulders. "You go back in the dining room and make sure everyone is seated. We will start bringing the food in soon. Your family and friends have done an excellent job putting together a meal for so many people under such terrible circumstances."
Faedra looked at her father. "Do as Janessa says," Henry confirmed. "We've got this under control, love. We'll join you in just a few moments."