Rise of the Fae (Dragon's Gift

by Linsey Hall

  I drew in a deep breath. “This is as good as it’s going to get. It’s time to join the Resistance.”

  Aeri’s jaw firmed. “You’re stronger than you think you are, Mari. I know you didn’t get what you went for—not all of it, at least—but Perisea is right. There must be another way.”

  “What is it, then?” I asked, desperation fueling me.

  “You’ll find it.” Aeri gripped my arm, and I could feel her trying to feed a sense of comfort into me. “But until then, I’ve got your back. We all do.”

  “And we all need to head to the Unseelie Realm.” Declan looked at his watch. “We’ve about an hour until the sun rises there. The portal will open then.”

  I nodded, driving back the fear. It was time to fight.

  Tarron nodded. “I must visit my realm, if only briefly. I need to gather the rest of the palace guard. We’ll bring troops to the Unseelie realm.”

  I nodded. “I need to collect some things from my house. We’ll meet you at Puck’s Glen.”

  He nodded, then strode toward me. As he gripped my arms and pulled me to him, Aeri and Declan strode up the stairs to our house, giving us space.

  “You saved me.” His green eyes met mine. “Thank you, Mari.”

  I nodded, swallowing hard. My throat tightened as I spoke. “I’m just so glad it worked.”

  “I had faith in you.”

  “Otherwise you wouldn’t have come along.” He’d have locked himself away if he thought he were an unsalvageable risk to me or his people.

  “Yes.” He pressed a kiss to my lips, an urgency in him that I had never felt before. I fell into this kiss, wishing it could last forever. Finally, he pulled back, his gaze intense. “And if we survive what is to come, I want to spend a life with you.”

  My jaw slackened. “Really?”

  “You’re surprised?”

  Given the depth of feeling that surged within me, well… “No, actually. I love you, Tarron. More than I’ll ever love anyone.”

  He pressed one more kiss to my lips, then pulled back. “Good. I will see you at Puck’s Glen in thirty minutes.”

  I nodded, savoring the sight of him before he disappeared.

  Quickly, I turned and raced up the stairs to join Aeri and Declan. I could hear them in her apartment, and I headed to mine. As fast as I could, I changed clothes and repacked my potions bag. I checked to make sure that the Aranthian Crystal was still in there, and was grateful to see that it was. I didn’t know how exactly we’d use it against the false queen, but Perisea had been clear.

  Anyway, as strong as the false queen was, we were going to need all the weapons we could get.

  11

  Thirty minutes later, we met Tarron and his army in the clearing at Puck’s Glen. There had to be at least fifty Seelie Fae, all armed to the teeth. Serious expressions set their features into stern lines, and their clothing was meant for battle. Simple, with chain mail and leather armor.

  I strode to Tarron. “Ready?”

  “Ready. More of my troops are in the Unseelie realm with the Resistance. More will come once we know the lay of the land.”

  I nodded, then turned to the circle of rowan trees that surrounded us. We’d explored this glen before and found that each tree was marked with a knot of wood labeled with a number written in the Fae language. Once I found number one, it was easy to remember the order.

  “Sun is coming up.” Tarron pointed to the glow on the horizon.

  I could feel it in my bones, my Fae power announcing its arrival.

  As the rays of light began to shoot through the sky, I sliced my fingertip with my sharp thumbnail and swiped my black blood over the first tree knot. I moved from one tree to the next, going in order, until I’d rubbed my blood on each of the thirteen trees. Last, I moved to the huge flat stone in the middle of the clearing.

  Tarron joined me. As I spilled my blood on the stone, he began to chant, reciting the Fae words carved in the stone. Magic sparked on the air, and I stood, stepping back.

  Silver branches appeared, forming an archway. Dozens of golden apples dripped from the boughs, magic sparking from them.

  Tarron turned to his men, his voice ringing with authority. “Troop leaders, each take an apple as you enter. On the other side, it will create a portal if you need to leave the Unseelie realm.”

  The men nodded their understanding, and Tarron turned back to me. “Ready?”

  “Ready.” I drew my sword and shield from the ether and turned to the archway, stepping through without hesitation. The ether sucked me in and spun me through space. When it spat me out on the other side, the sun shined brightly through the trees, an odd welcome to the creepy forest that reeked of the false queen’s magic.

  Such a strange combo.

  I moved into the clearing, blade raised as I searched for Unseelie guards.

  Tarron appeared next to me, followed by Aeri and Declan.

  All three assumed fighting stances as they fanned out.

  “No one here,” I murmured. “Too good to be true.”

  A tall Fae stepped out from behind a tree about twenty feet away. “Depends on which side you’re on.”

  His dark hair and sharp features were distinctly Unseelie, but his eyes appeared to be clear of the false queen’s influence.

  “Are you with the Resistance?” I didn’t lower my sword.

  “I am.” His gaze traveled over me. “And you are our missing true queen.”

  “That I am.” Though I didn’t like the sound of it, I kept my mouth shut on that point. I searched the trees around him. “Where is Brielle, the Resistance leader? Or Claire, Connor? Luna, the Seelie Fae warrior?”

  The Fae raised his wrist to his lips and spoke softly into the charm. “They’ll be here in just a moment.”

  The tension didn’t fade from my shoulders as I waited. We were on enemy ground and we would be until I took out the false queen. It would never be safe. “Where are the Unseelie guards? The false queen’s warriors?”

  “We’ve driven them back from this turf.” His gaze flicked proudly around the clearing. “As she grows stronger, so, too, do we.”

  “More warriors?” Tarron asked. “More supplies?”

  “Both, thanks to the true queen.” He nodded at me. “And thanks to you. Your warrior Luna brought four dozen warriors with her.”

  “The rest will come, once we are assured that you are who you say you are,” Tarron said.

  The Fae grinned. “I am.”

  A moment later, three figures hurried into the clearing.

  Claire, Connor, and Luna. All looked tired but glad to see us.

  “Mari!” Claire said, her gaze flicking to Tarron. “How did it go?”

  “Well enough,” I said.

  Tarron stepped forward. “Mari has healed me.”

  “Though I’m not as strong as I’d hoped to be.” Worry tugged at me. The feeling of not being enough, if I were honest. No one needed to hear the true queen say that out loud, though. “But we’re out of time, I hear.”

  Claire’s eyes turned shadowed. “We’re definitely out of time. The false queen needs to be stopped—now.”

  “Then we need a plan.” I turned to Tarron. “I’d say it’s safe to bring the rest of your troops through.”

  He nodded. “I’ll be back.”

  “I’ll lead you to the camp once they’ve arrived,” the Fae guard said.

  Tarron nodded. “Thank you.”

  “Come on.” Claire gestured for us to follow. “We’ll lead you back.”

  Luna stayed back with Tarron, while Aeri, Declan, and I went with Connor and Claire. We strode down the forest path as a small group, our footsteps quiet on the leaves.

  Claire leaned close to talk in hushed tones. “The Resistance has grown, but we need you.”

  “Do you know what the false queen is up to, exactly?”

  “We have a guess, and the beginnings of a plan.”

  “Good.” I looked around, tension pulling at my shoulder
s. “This place is really safe?”

  “This section of the forest, yes. The Resistance cleared it of the queen’s minions and placed powerful spells on it to protect it. But they won’t last forever.”

  “No, that kind of magic is hard to maintain.”

  A few minutes later, we reached the same camp we’d visited last time. It was larger now, with more hammocks hung between the trees. The bird’s-nest style houses had multiplied as well, dotted here and there in the branches. Hundreds of faerie lights sparkled between the branches. A fire burned in the middle of the clearing, with several Fae hard at work on some kind of breakfast they stirred in one huge pot.

  Hundreds of pairs of eyes turned to look at us, and I spotted the old woman who’d taken us in her carriage into the castle on the last visit. She gave me an assessing look, and I hoped I lived up to expectation.

  Despite all the new faces, I only had eyes for my friends.

  I spotted the three FireSouls sitting at a table with Brielle, the leader of the Resistance. The Fae woman was small, with the trademark dark hair and luminous skin of the Unseelie.

  Cass, Del, and Nix all turned to face us. My heart leapt at the sight of my friends.

  They rose and hurried to us, Brielle at their side.

  I hugged each of the FireSouls in turn. “Thank you for coming.”

  “Of course.” Cass grinned. “We had a nap and are ready to go again.”

  I smiled. “If that’s all it takes.”

  “Were you successful?” Del asked. “How is Tarron?”

  “I healed him, but I didn’t get the magic I’d been hoping for.” I said the words quickly, wanting to spit them out.

  Nix shrugged. “Between all of us, I’m sure we can manage.”

  She wasn’t wrong—as a group, we were immensely powerful. If we could manipulate the battle so all of us faced the false queen at once, we might have a shot. It was just getting the battle to that point that I was worried about.

  Brielle’s gaze flicked to the forest behind me. “I see you’ve brought reinforcements.”

  I turned to see Tarron leading the group of fifty Seelie Fae into the camp. “He’ll bring more if we need them.”

  Brielle nodded. “We need our plan, first. Stealth may be more important than numbers.”

  “What do you know so far?”

  “Let’s have a seat and discuss it.” Brielle walked toward the wooden table where they’d been sitting when we’d first arrived.

  Tarron turned his men over to Luna, who set off to get everyone sorted. He joined us, and we all sat at the rough wooden table.

  Brielle leaned forward, her gaze intense. “We’ve been told that you have an Aranthian Crystal.”

  I nodded. “I had two. I tried to use one on the false queen, but it didn't work.”

  “No, she’s too powerful now.” Brielle spit on the ground, a distinctly un-Fae gesture. “But our reconnaissance suggests that she has a source of power that helps her maintain her mind control over the people of this realm.”

  My mind flashed back. “Like the dark crystal that she implanted into the Seelie court?”

  “The theory is the same, yes.” Brielle grinned. “You’re quite clever, for a future queen.”

  The way she said it suggested that she didn't like the idea of me being the future queen, and hope surged. But first, we needed to figure out our plan.

  Tarron seemed to agree, because he leaned forward. “So we need to destroy this crystal to destroy her hold on the people.”

  “It’s not quite so simple.” Brielle raised her hand and ticked off her points as she made them. “First, it’s not a crystal. It’s a well of power that is vital to all of the Unseelie. We cannot destroy it, or we will destroy much of the magic that keeps this place running.”

  “Oh, that makes this complicated.” I frowned, remembering what Perisea had said. “Hang on. Could we use the Aranthian Crystal to freeze the well of power and weaken her?”

  Brielle grinned widely. “Yes. If we can use it to freeze the well, it will temporarily disrupt her hold on the minds of the Fae here.”

  “Which would cut off its power to her,” Tarron said.

  “Giving us a chance to hopefully defeat her.” Hope surged in my chest. Maybe I didn't need to be as strong as her.

  “Exactly,” Brielle said. “Once she is destroyed, her magic will fade from the well, and everything will return to normal.”

  “We just need to get to the well,” Cass said. “Then get to her.”

  “And that’s the hard part,” Claire said. “We’ve been trying to perform some recon, and it’s going to be difficult.”

  “But with our increased troops, we stand a chance,” Brielle said. “Although we think she has something else planned. We don’t know what, exactly. But she’s moving towards completion.”

  “How can you tell?” Tarron asked.

  “Increased magic coming from the palace. It’s really ramping up.”

  “She wants me and my sister,” I said. “For our blood.”

  Brielle nodded. “Queen’s blood.”

  “No.” I shook my head. “Dragon Blood. I think that’s what she wants.”

  Brielle winced. “She’ll be too powerful with that. You cannot be captured.”

  “We won’t be.”

  Brielle frowned. “Hard to guarantee.”

  “Isn’t everything?”

  “You’re brave, I’ll give you that,” Brielle said. “Won’t be so bad, for a queen.”

  Aeri shot me a loaded look.

  “About that,” I said. “I’m not qualified to be queen.”

  “Your mother isn’t either,” Brielle said.

  “Exactly.” I gave a wry grin. “I won’t be as bad as her. No one could be. But being ruler means making important decisions that I’m not equipped to make. Nor do I want to make them.”

  “You don’t want to be responsible for the lives and wellbeing of hundreds of Unseelie Fae?” Brielle asked.

  “Frankly, no.” I looked around, taking in all of the faces watching me. “I want to be here. I want to overthrow the false queen and end her reign of terror. I want to get to know my own kind. But I don’t need to pick up the mantle when she is done. There’s no reason I should be ruler. I think you could do that.”

  “Me?” Brielle asked, frowning.

  “All of you.” I gestured to the group. “Why not give democracy a try?”

  “We’re a monarchy,” Brielle said. “It’s written into our lore. Into our magic.”

  I shrugged. “So change it.”

  “We can’t.”

  I shifted, not liking where this was going. But there had to be a way around it. “Okay then, I’ll be queen, but in name only. I’ll wear the crown, do a ceremony or two. Whatever it takes to follow the traditions. But governance and rule of law will fall to the people.”

  Brielle frowned, but interest glinted in her eyes. “You’d agree to that?”

  I arched a brow. “Agree to it? Of course. I get a crown, a title, probably the nicest room in the castle. But I also have no responsibility besides the occasional party.”

  “Not a fan of responsibility, huh?” Brielle asked.

  “On the contrary, I’m quite a fan. But I have plenty of responsibilities back on earth. A whole life that I want to keep living. A job that I’m good at.” I was a freaking demon slayer, for fate’s sake, even though I’d been seriously neglecting my duties. I didn’t want to just quit that. Or my Blood Sorcery business. I loved both. They were me. “But you know what you need here in the Unseelie Court. What kind of lives you want to live and what the problems are. Therefore, I think you all should make the rules.”

  Brielle grinned. “I think I’m going to like you, Your Highness.”

  I smiled. “I can’t say I hate the title. But that’s as far as it goes. You all,”—I pointed to the whole crowd—“you need to find a way to make the decisions. Have a proper government that doesn’t involve a crazy despot.”

/>   Brielle nodded. “First we need to defeat the false queen.”

  “We can do that,” I said. And we could. I truly believed that we were going to take her down.

  I was just less sure about whether or not I was going to survive it.

  12

  We needed a plan to defeat the false queen, and it all seemed to revolve around the well of power.

  I leaned toward Brielle. “Do you know how to find the well of power?”

  “That’s the problem.” She scowled. “It’s hidden.”

  “You haven't found it, then?” Tarron asked.

  “We have not. We’ve looked. Set all our best people to it—even the FireSouls, now that they are here. But it is in a heavily protected part of the kingdom—one that is hidden from us.”

  “Is there a backup plan?” I asked.

  Brielle pointed to me. “You.”

  “I’m the backup plan?”

  “We hope so. We believe that you might be able to sense the well more easily than we can, given that you are of royal blood. It is hidden from the rest of us.”

  “This royal blood thing really is a big deal to the Unseelie, huh?”

  “Yes. I wouldn’t be opposed to abolishing the monarchy entirely—no offense intended—if it weren’t for the fact that the magic of the royal family is key to this place. It is built into the fiber of the earth.”

  Talk about responsibility. I repressed a shudder and focused on the task at hand. “I’ll find the well of power and I’ll deploy the Aranthian Crystal. Once she’s weakened, we can fight her.”

  “That might take an army,” Brielle said. “She’s so powerful.”

  “We’ll face that when it comes,” I said. “First, I’ll take out the well.”

  Brielle nodded. “You need to go undercover. It’s deep in enemy territory. Behind the palace, we think. In the royal grove.”

  “Like the royal grove in the Seelie Kingdom?” I asked. “The same one where the false queen planted the crystal obelisk?”

  “Not quite.” She looked at Tarron. “That place is relatively stable, correct? A forest full of big trees that don’t necessarily change?”