by Talia Jager
Kailani cut him off. “Um. Hello? What is a vessel?”
“A vessel is when the essence of a faerie is put into a human, and it travels down through the family line to keep the vessel going. Vessels are all over the world in the human realm. They help keep the balance of the elements and seasons. And when something happens that the fae essence recognizes, it comes forward to defend, help, or neutralize if needed. So all over the world, there are essences of Winter, Summer, Spring, and Autumn faeries. You are obviously a Winter vessel.”
“If that’s true, why don’t I look like you?”
Artin said, “You have to blend in here, look like everyone else. Where we come from, where your origins come from, we all look like this. We’re faeries. There’s no need to hide. If you come to our realm, the faerie essence in you would come forward, recognizing it was home, and could show its true self, no longer needing the human disguise. Your true faerie form would take the place of the human one it was born into.”
“This is insane!” Kailani shouted.
I glanced over at the sink behind her and moved some water our way.
“I believed what you were when you showed me, but there’s no way I can be a vessel or faerie or whatever you think.”
“How about I prove it?” I stood up and held the water in my hands above her head.
“How would you do that?”
“Don’t get wet.”
“What?”
“Look up.” I let the water drop toward Kailani.
Instinctively, she put her hands up, stopping the water and squeezing her eyes shut. After a few seconds, she peeked and saw the water still above her. Slowly she lowered her hands, and the water came down until it was eye level. Then she let it drop to the ground. “Okay. I believe you.”
“So enough proof?”
“Oh yeah.”
I put my arm around her and said, “You ready to pack some bags?”
“For what?”
“To come home.”
“You want me to go with you?”
“The faerie realm is your home too. We’re your ohana.”
“How do I leave everything I know?” she asked.
“Take a leap of faith.”
She twisted one of her earrings. “I don’t know, Rory. I’d like to, but…”
“You don’t have to stay there. Come and meet your family, and if you want to come back here, you can.”
She nodded. “Okay.”
Akoni walked in the back door just then and looked around. “What’s going on?”
After he sat down, I told him about my family emergency and how I had to go.
He ran his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry about your parents, Rory. I hope you can find peace and come back to us. Kailani won’t be able to deal with things without you—”
“Actually,” Kailani interrupted, “I’m going to go with her. She needs a friend to see her through this. Apparently Rory’s sister is out to get her because Rory inherits everything. I want to make sure nothing happens to her.”
Akoni’s jaw dropped. “Your sister is behind the attempt on your life?”
“It appears so.”
“That’s…mind-boggling! Ohana doesn’t do that to each other.”
“She definitely doesn’t belong in my ohana,” I stated.
“Will you be able to handle the shop?” Kailani asked her cousin.
“Sure.”
“I’m going to pack a bag.” Kailani stood and disappeared out the back.
“She’s never gone anywhere else,” Akoni told me. “You mean a lot to her.”
“I know. She means a lot to me too.”
“I regret not really trying to take you out now.”
I laughed. “You’re sweet, Akoni. Please take care of yourself.”
A few minutes later, Kailani stuck her head back in. “I’m ready.”
We all walked to the door. Akoni hugged and kissed Kailani. “Call when you get there.”
“We won’t be able to,” I said.
Akoni’s brow furrowed. “Why not?”
“It’s out in the middle of nowhere. No phone or Internet. That’s why I never used it here. I’ll keep her safe, and she’ll be in touch when she can.”
“We’ll keep each other safe,” Kailani added.
We walked to the door, and he kissed my hand. “A hui hou. Good-bye, until we meet again.”
“A hui hou,” I repeated.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Aurora
I stood with Artin, Jolup, Kailani, and our prisoner under an old oak tree.
“This is the entrance into Faerhaven?” Kailani said.
“Yes,” Jolup responded.
“How do we get in?” Kailani asked, examining the tree.
“It’s simple. We’ll guide you through,” Artin said. “Place your hand on the tree.”
Reaching out, I took Kailani’s hand. “Are you ready?”
“Never thought I’d be going through a portal in a tree to a faerie realm, but yeah, I’m ready.”
Artin and the prisoner went through first. One second they were standing next to us and the next, they were gone.
“Whoa…” Kailani’s eyes were wide.
“You go next,” Artin said to us.
Gripping Kailani’s hand, I placed my hand on the tree. The world started spinning and flashes of color swirled around me. I felt a whoosh, and then it all came screeching to a halt.
I stood silently, motionless, soaking in the surroundings. Suddenly it felt as if I had been away for decades. I gulped back the sobs threatening to come. Taking deep breaths, I calmed down, and then I felt it, the peace settling over me. I felt whole.
I kicked off my shoes, and as soon as my feet hit the ground, I could feel the pain of the land. My toes dug into the cool dirt, and I was saddened by the great loss of life that had happened.
My back tingled, and I looked up and to the right. There they were. My wings. My beautiful, wonderful wings. I flapped them a few times.
I had almost forgotten Kailani was with me until she let out a small gasp. She was staring at me with wide eyes. I felt my cheeks warm. “This is the real me,” I said.
“You’re beautiful,” she said softly.
“You should see yourself.”
“Why? What’s wrong with me?”
Smiling, I answered, “Nothing. Just look.” I motioned for her to look up and back. She jumped, seeing the wings fluttering behind her back. “They’re a part of you. Stretch them. Flap them. Love them.”
“How do I do that?”
“Can you feel them?”
“I feel a tingling.”
“That’s it.”
She bit on her lip as if she were concentrating, and seconds later, her wings flapped. “Wow…”
“You’ll need a mirror to see the rest,” I said. Her hair was now mostly purple with white underneath and a few streaks in her bangs and framing her face; her ears were pointed like mine. She kept her tan skin and dark eyes though.
Just then Jolup came through the portal, and before his feet even touched the ground, he was a centaur again.
Kailani stumbled back. “Whoa! That I did not expect.”
“Sorry. That was my fault. I should have told you. There are different species here. Centaurs, satyrs, elves, trolls, you name it, we probably have it.” I took another deep breath and turned to Artin. “Sorin?”
“He should be here, but there’s no time for that.”
“It’s been two years!”
“Two years you didn’t even remember him, so it’s not like you’ve been missing him all this time. You have duties to perform. We need to get you home and cleaned up so the coronation can take place, and you can get control again.”
“I can’t have five minutes—”
“Your parents are dead, Your Majesty! Your kingdom is in shambles, and you are worried about him?”
“I absolutely am.” I mashed my lips and stood my ground.
“W
ith all due respect, there are things you should know before you meet up with him.”
“Like what?”
“We should really get you home first. You’re not safe in the neutral land.”
Jolup cleared his throat. “With Eira free, she’s not safe anywhere.”
“True. Your Majesty, as your first order as queen, how would you like to handle the situation?” Artin asked.
“Take Eira into custody and any of those who stand in the way of you doing so. Don’t hurt her though.”
“Very well.” Artin retrieved a horse that had been hidden in the forest and plopped the prisoner on before getting on himself.
Jolup bent down. “You two can ride on me.”
I hoisted myself up and looked at Kailani. “Come on. It’s okay.” I outstretched my hand.
Taking it, she sat down in back of me. Jolup straightened up, and we started back to the kingdom.
As we approached the castle, Artin put his finger to his lips and quietly said, “We must capture Eira before she sees us.”
We reached the edge of the trees. A gasp escaped my lips when I saw my home. The right wall of the castle had fallen. “How long ago?” I nodded my head toward the castle.
“A month or so.”
Waiting at the tree line was my wolf. Seeing him brought more tears to my eyes. I whistled, and he came running. I slid off Jolup and knelt down. Rubbing his head, I said, “It’s good to see you, Zev.”
A group of faeries came out of the woods to the left of us. Upon seeing me, they all bowed. Artin handed over the prisoner. “Rollo and Yule, take him to a cell. The rest of us need to split up and find Eira. Take her into custody. The rightful queen has returned home.”
Quietly, they all dispersed, Artin included. I paced the edge of the forest, staying right behind the tree line, with Zev by my side. I didn’t like any of this. It was too quiet. Where was the music? Where were the faeries? I yearned to see Sorin, but I knew Artin was right. I needed to hear what my kingdom had to tell me. I wondered if my parents were killed before or after the destruction of the castle.
Impatient, I stomped my foot. This was taking too long. I marched toward the castle before anyone could stop me. The door I had stood in front of so many times had fallen off one of its hinges. It was heavy to move, but I pushed it open enough to get through. In the hall, my eyes shot over to a painting of my parents. It was crooked, but otherwise unharmed. I’d never see them again, never hear my father call me his lumière, never feel my mother’s arms around me. I blew out a long breath, dabbed my eyes, and glanced at the grand staircase, which didn’t look so grand anymore. I turned and walked into the great hall where I’d normally find my father, but he was gone. Missing were his chair and books. I crossed the room to the desk and found drawings of Faerhaven.
“Battle plans?” I muttered.
I left the room and checked the kitchen, which was in shambles. There were ingredients left out on the counters as if the cook had just up and fled. I headed up the backstairs and checked each of our chambers. Where would Eira be?
A thought crept into my mind. There was a secret room we used to play in when we were kids. I bolted down the stairs and opened the door in the back of the kitchen. It was full of cleaning supplies and stuff. I pushed through it and found the door at the back.
Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the handle and yanked it up. The room was empty. I turned and made my way back out into the kitchen and came face to face with Eira and her two guards. I recognized them: Ralph and Phelan. They were younger than I. “Did you really think I’d be in hiding?” Eira asked.
“I had hoped.”
“I figured you’d look for me in there—”
“So you were lying in wait?”
“Pretty much.”
Ralph took a couple of steps toward me, and I threw my hand out, hitting him in the chest with a stream of water. Phelan threw an icicle at me, and I ducked.
“You never could fight your own fights.”
“I don’t like getting my hands dirty.”
“But you have, Eira. It’s because of you that our parents are dead. It’s because of you our home is ruined.”
“No, sister, it’s because of you. You’re the one who fell in love with someone you weren’t supposed to.”
She was right. “Okay, maybe it began with me. But this isn’t how it should have ended. Family should be there for each other. Love one another. Take care of each other. You destroyed our family.”
Eira narrowed her eyes, and she threw ice at me. I redirected it by swinging my arm. The guards came at me, and I froze their feet to the ground.
Eira sneered. “You never wanted to be queen. You disgraced our family. You were banished. You have no right to the crown. You should have been killed so the crown would be mine.”
Even though I knew she felt this way, it hurt to hear her say the words. “You don’t know how I feel. But the crown will never be yours. I’ll make sure of that.”
“Why couldn’t you have just died?”
“Did you really think I would go down easy? My ability with water is the strongest in our land. I was always much stronger than you physically and a far better fighter than you. Unlike you, I trained more than the minimum. You just couldn’t stand that I was better than you in every way. And now our parents are dead, Eira. Dead! All because you wanted power.”
“You’ll be wishing you had never come back.”
“You just can’t stand that your conniving ways failed. And you know what? When I’m done with you, I’m going to send word for Sorin. And when I see him, I’m going to kiss him. One day I will marry him and love him the rest of my very long, long, long life, and you know why? Because I’m queen and with the help of Sorin and other leaders, I’m going to abolish that stupid law so that no one ever suffers like this again.”
She screamed and threw snow at me. In one graceful swift move, I turned and swung my arms, turning the snow into water and flinging it at her feet. Then I raised my arms, shooting ice from the ground, trapping her in an ice prison so small she couldn’t move her hands to free herself.
Artin burst into the kitchen followed by a handful of guards. After assessing the situation, they relaxed.
I looked at the guards and said, “Arrest her for treason and conspiracy to commit murder and attempted murder.” I kept adding charges. “Make sure you lock a bracelet on her and put her in a cell until I decide her fate.” I clenched my fists to keep them from shaking. I was scared, nervous, and mad, but I didn’t want everyone to see.
“Yes, my queen. And the other two?”
“Place them in cells for now as well.”
Three guards slapped bracelets on Eira and her henchmen and then led them out of the room.
“And have someone summon the Summer king.”
“We can’t,” Artin responded.
I narrowed my eyes. “Why not?”
“The courts have been at war for years now. If we are found on their land, they’ll kill us, no questions asked. Same goes the other way around. If they come here, they’d be in danger.”
“That needs to end.”
“May I make a suggestion?”
“Of course.”
“Have a very public coronation, and end the war on our side. Others will follow suit. However, we really need to fill you in on everything before you do that.”
Seeing Sorin couldn’t wait days. I had to see him, and deep down, I knew he was feeling the same. “Are Sorin’s parents…?”
“Dead.”
“The other royals?”
“In hiding.”
“So Sorin’s the Summer king?” I chewed on my lip. “He will end the war on his side too, if he hasn’t already. Send a carriage. If anyone stops you, tell them to take you to the Summer king.”
“I’m not leaving here, Your Majesty, but I will send someone.”
“Okay. Can we do the coronation today?”
“It won’t be a huge celebration.”
<
br /> “It doesn’t need to be. And Artin?”
“Yes, my queen?”
“Where’s Lumi?”
“In hiding. Eira tried to get rid of her many times. Tannon held up his promise. He protected her, Prince Neige, and Raina.”
“Good.” I closed my eyes in relief. “Can you get word to them?”
“Yes.”
“Do it. I’m sorry. I’m dumping all of this on you. Is there someone else? Where’s Birch?”
“He’s passed on.”
I closed my eyes for a second as I thought about all the years Birch had spent protecting me. “Where is the High Knight?”
“Rufus is locked up, Your Majesty.”
My eyes popped open. “In a cell?”
“Eira put him there.”
“Get him out, please. And anyone else who shouldn’t be in there.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
I smiled. “Thank you.”
After Artin left, I went outside and took a few deep breaths. Kailani ran up to me. “Are you okay? You were there and then gone, and I didn’t know where you went—”
“I’m so sorry. I had to find Eira and deal with her.”
“Is that who they led out of the castle?”
“Yes. They’re putting her down in the dungeon.”
Faeries were beginning to gather, and I looked down at my clothing. It was the first time in two years I felt a little odd about what I was wearing.
“Let’s go inside.” I led her into the foyer. “I’m sorry it’s such a mess.” I blinked away the tears.
“It’s okay. There’s been a war. A war. I can’t believe I’m saying that. I’m in a world full of creatures I’ve tattooed on people but never really knew existed.”
“And that you were one.” I gestured to the broken mirror that hung on the wall.
Slowly, Kailani approached the mirror. I gave her space as she examined herself. Her fingers ran over her ears and then she reached up and felt her wings. “Soft…” she said. “I have wings.”
“There’s so much here I can’t wait to show you, but it’ll have to wait until some things are taken care of.”
“Sorin?”
Just hearing his name made me smile. “He’s the love of my life. We’re complete opposites and yet made for each other. He’s loving, kind, funny, honest, everything I always wanted, except he’s from Summer Land, and that made him forbidden. But we fell in love anyway, and we were trying to talk our parents into changing that law when my sister Eira turned us in.”