by Rye Brewer
There was nothing I could say.
Even Scott seemed mollified. He remained silent, as did I.
Fane observed our reaction and seemed satisfied with it. “All right. Now that you know, it’s time for us to get to Shadowsbane.”
36
Felicity
It was good to be home, to smell the fresh air and feel the presence of so much lush beauty around me. Only when I traveled outside of Avellane could I fully appreciate its beauty.
Gregor took a deep breath and smiled broadly. He was happy, too, for reasons far different from my own. I couldn’t help but smile when I saw him this way. He was like a different man. Yes, he still strode with purpose, with his head held high, arms swinging like a man determined to get where he was going. That would never change. But there was a lightness to him that hadn’t been there before. A joyfulness. A spring in his step. He was a man in love.
I followed behind as quickly as I could, both of us heading for the entrance connecting Avellane with the human world.
“What do you plan to do now?” I asked. It wasn’t unusual for me to ask probing questions, though I’d never asked one as personal as this. There had never been reason to.
Gregor chuckled, shrugging. “Whatever she wants. I have her back, and that’s all that matters. This is much more than I was ever able to hope for, you understand. It would feel like—I don’t know—asking for far too much if I dared try to control what happens next. All I know is, I would like her to stay here.”
“In Avellane? Permanently?”
He nodded, not bothering to look over his shoulder to where I struggled to keep up with his long strides through the tall grass. I had traveled that way with Allonic, I realized, outside the thickest growth of trees where we made our home. Only I hadn’t been close to an all-out run at that time.
“Do you think she’ll want to?” I asked, more out of curiosity than anything else.
I had no doubt she’d be accepted among us—not only did Gregor’s word mean about as much as any law ever could among my people, but they’d all be as glad as I was to see him happy. And Tabitha was so lovely, so gentle and sweet. She would fit in perfectly.
“I don’t know, but it’s worth asking,” he said with a hearty laugh.
I was so unaccustomed to hearing him laugh like that.
We reached the entrance, and Gregor stepped through without hesitation. I decided to follow him through, though he might have wished I wouldn’t. I didn’t want him to be alone at that moment. There was nothing worse than being alone. He would simply have to put up with my questions because I couldn’t quell my curiosity.
He paced impatiently, shaking his head, muttering to himself. “I don’t like this. It’s taking too long. I should’ve gone with her.”
“She’ll be all right,” I assured him. “ShadesRealm is her home, after all. There’s nowhere else she’d be safer.”
“She’s not a shade,” he reminded me sourly.
“She has shade blood in her now,” I countered.
Her skin wasn’t nearly as dark as Allonic’s, but it was darker than Anissa’s. The difference was obvious.
“That doesn’t mean anything to a shade,” he muttered. “I’ll be much happier and more satisfied when she’s safe in Avellane.” It wasn’t easy for a man like him to be at the mercy of outside forces. He always had to be in control. It was the only way he knew how to live.
I held my tongue and agreed silently that things would be much easier when she was there, safe, under his protection. One less way for him to drive me crazy.
A figure approached from the distance, and the way Gregor froze in place told me he thought it might be her.
It was clearly not—this was a man, a tall one, with much darker skin than Tabitha’s. My heart skipped a beat, and my cheeks grew warm.
“Who’s that?” Gregor asked. “Allonic?”
I nodded. I didn’t trust my voice.
“Hmm.” There was humor I had never heard before in that simple sound. “It seems as though he has an effect on you, doesn’t it?”
I glared at him in panic, ready to beg him to keep his teasing to himself, but there was no time to say a word. Allonic was already upon us, having coursed his way across the landscape.
“Hello.” His eyes glowed as warmly as ever, and my cheeks burned even warmer.
Gregor cleared his throat. “Allonic. I’m sorry to break in on this moment, but I wanted the chance to greet you properly. I didn’t have the opportunity earlier.”
“No,” Allonic agreed in that deep, rumbling voice of his. “You seemed to be in a rush to speak to Anissa, if I remember correctly. You nearly pulled her from the room before we had the chance to become acquainted.”
Gregor nodded, looking embarrassed. “It was a surprise, seeing you, the way you resemble your mother. I knew right away you had to be her son, but that made no sense at the time—I thought she was dead, you understand.”
“Of course. I’m sure it was a shock.”
“To say the least. I owe you an apology, then. It was terribly rude of me.”
This was something new. It was rare for Gregor to admit wrongdoing, and even rarer still for him to ask for forgiveness. Tabitha had truly helped him turn over a new leaf—or, more likely, had helped him rediscover part of himself which he’d buried in the wake of losing her.
Allonic merely smiled. “Not at all. You were gracious enough not to expel me from Avellane the moment you discovered my presence, and I owe you a great debt of gratitude.”
Seeing them getting along so well pleased me in a way I couldn’t put my finger on. Gregor wasn’t my father. He was barely even a friend. Only someone I worked alongside, somebody I advised. But we had been together for a long time, and it was inevitable in the face of such a span of time that some sort of bond would form. He was the closest thing to family I’d had in a long time, too. It meant a lot, watching them speak so warmly to each other.
Gregor extended his hand to shake Allonic’s, which Allonic accepted. “I want you to know something. As Tabitha’s son, and Anissa’s brother, you’re always welcome in Avellane.”
I could’ve exploded with happiness then—and the way Gregor’s eyes drifted toward mine, the way one corner of his mouth quirked up in a little smile, told me he understood.
“Thank you.” Allonic looked at me as well. “I have the feeling I’ll be a frequent visitor.” I hoped the chills running up and down my spine at the sound of that weren’t obvious, but had the feeling they were.
37
Allonic
When I had my power—or, rather, Valerius’s power—nothing could stop me from taking my rightful place among my kind. And no one would dare stop me from making my life with Felicity. Looking at her, when Gregor offered an open invitation to Avellane, and her eyes lit up, left no doubt in my mind she was the one I needed to be with for the rest of my life.
The only problem left was a small one, almost amusing, but no less critical: my lack of experience when it came to courting a woman. I had never done it before. Even if there had been anyone special, they would never have taken me seriously as a suitor. I had been content with my work, convincing myself there was nothing else necessary to live a fulfilling existence.
I was wrong then. How could I ever have imagined that life without someone like Felicity would be worth living?
Her eyes shone as she gazed up at me, and my heart was fuller than it had ever been. Full of words unspoken, words I wanted so very much to share with her.
But I couldn’t, not in front of Gregor.
“May I have a moment of your time?” I asked, suddenly tongue-tied.
I sensed his gentle amusement, so different from his attitude when I first woke up in the Hermitage.
Felicity hesitated, shooting a glance Gregor’s way.
He chuckled, waving us off. “Go, go, both of you. Have your time together. I’ll be fine right here.” He was still chuckling as Felicity took my hand and I coursed awa
y with her before there were any more interruptions. I’d never felt quite so embarrassed and elated all at once.
She squeezed my hand tightly as we coursed, and I wondered what it was like for her to discover an entirely new world. Was she experiencing the same joyful, wild, wonderful excitement I was? I tried to observe what was so common for me through her eyes, flying over the landscape, the world melting away behind us as we did. It was like seeing it all again for the first time.
It would be morning again in a matter of hours, but we had plenty of time. Nobody would be awake to find two strangers seated on the roof of a barn on a hill, looking out over the land. I had noticed it on the way in from ShadesRealm and immediately thought of Felicity. It wasn’t quite like the sort of natural beauty that was such a vital part of her world, but it was a start.
“This is remarkable!” She turned in a full circle, smiling from ear to ear. If I could only keep her smiling like this every day, all day, my life would mean something.
And she was right. It was remarkable. From our vantage point, rolling farmland for miles in every direction was visible to us. In the distance, a silvery stream cut through the lush, green grass and sparkled in the moonlight. Even the trees looked like silver from where we sat, shimmering a little whenever a breeze stirred the leaves. Farmhouses dotted the landscape, here and there, and the deep, vital scent of life hung heavy around us.
“See? There’s beauty outside of Avellane, too.” I’d wanted to take her to Manhattan, to show her buildings taller than the tallest trees in her realm, to see the flashing lights reflected in her eyes, but she would seem out of place there.
“I suppose there is,” she admitted with a chuckle. “I never would’ve guessed.” Once she was finished taking everything in, she sat beside me.
I was intensely aware of her—the warmth of her body, although we weren’t touching. The way her dress brushed against my skin. The enticing scent of her.
When she turned to smile at me, her eyes so full of life and light and warmth and hope, there was nothing I could do but stroke the side of her face as I bent to touch my lips to hers.
Even the slightest contact sent a thrill through me and made me understand why love was so highly regarded. I’d never understood before I met her. Nobody else could’ve made me understand.
She was smiling softly when our kiss ended. I wondered if she understood a fraction of what was happening inside my mind. Was it the same for her? Was that the sort of question a man asked a woman? I was so new, fumbling hopelessly as I attempted to affect an air of calm.
“I have something to ask you,” I whispered, reaching out to tuck a strand of white hair behind her ear. It was so soft.
“What is it?”
I took a deep breath. It was important for me to do things right. I didn’t want to make the wrong move and ruin anything between us. I had to get this out of the way, although my heart nearly burst from apprehension. “May I court you?”
She blinked. “Court me?” One eyebrow arched.
“Yes.” She had no idea how she was crushing me.
She couldn’t possibly. Just as she couldn’t possibly know how much courage it had taken for me to ask. I could slay monsters, but asking this tiny woman to let me court her had put me in quite a state.
When she laughed—a light, tinkling laugh—the devastating disappointment only grew worse. She must have noticed the look on my face and drawn the correct conclusion, as her eyes widened in panic.
“No, no, please! I’m not laughing at you! It’s only that I hadn’t heard that expression in many, many… many years. People don’t court anymore, you see. But I think it’s so sweet you would ask.” Her hand covered mine. “Everything about you is so sweet.”
“I thought for a moment you were appalled I’d asked,” I admitted with a shaky chuckle.
“Does this answer your question?” She leaned in and kissed me again, harder than before.
I sank my hands into her hair and marveled at the feel of it, the feel of her, and she sighed. Something deep inside my soul sprang to life, knowing her feelings ran along the same route as mine. We wanted the same thing. There was nothing in the world as right as this.
We continued looking out over the land, with her head against my shoulder, content to sit in silence for a while. Only there was so much I wanted to know about her. Everything, in fact. All she could share.
“Who are you?” I murmured, unaware I’d even spoken the question aloud until a soft giggle filled the air.
“I’m me. Just me.”
“But who is that?” I pressed. “I want to know you.”
“I wish I could tell you there was anything worth knowing.”
“We all feel that way about ourselves, don’t we?”
“I suppose. My life has never felt very interesting to me. I’m an advisor to Gregor. I serve as his mage-fae.”
“How does one train for such a position?” I asked. “I mean, how was it decided you would be the one to serve? Were you born with abilities?”
She shook her head. “It’s a matter of bloodline. My abilities hadn’t presented themselves when my mother died.”
She seemed to stumble over the words, and my heart clenched for her.
“I’m sorry.”
She nodded. “I was very young. Too young to understand many things. I didn’t understand why I’d just lost her. I didn’t understand that I had to take her place. It was something to do, I suppose—my training, I mean. I went to Hallowthorn Landing and trained with a witch there. I had little time to ponder my mother’s loss. A blessing.”
“Were you very lonely there?”
“A striking understatement. I was miserable, confused, angry most of the time. It was too early for me to train, you see. I never would have if Mother had survived her illness. I might have gone in a very different direction, too, if it hadn’t been for the patience of the witch consigned with my training. She could’ve been hard on me. She could’ve punished me for my insolence. Instead, she was nothing but patient. Endlessly patient. And she taught me how to exhibit that same level of understanding. I owe her everything, I suppose. My life would’ve turned out far differently if it hadn’t been for her.”
“Then, you came back to serve Gregor.”
“That’s right. He had only just come into power after his father’s passing. We had that in common. But he was older, more like a father figure than anything else. He had already learned everything he needed to know in order to lead our kingdom. But there was no way to teach him patience. I’ve been trying to do that for years, against his stubbornness.”
I chuckled. “My sister inherited that trait.” We shared a laugh.
“That was rough going at first, too. I went back to my old, angry ways when I first arrived. I had powers Gregor could never hope to attain, yet he was the one bossing me around in that callous nature of his. I wanted, more than once, to show him who was really in charge. It would’ve been a terrible mistake, of course. We said—and screamed—more than a few choice words at each other back in those days.”
“But you both came around. You seem quite close now,” I pointed out.
“I wouldn’t call us close, exactly. Friendly? Maybe. Stuck with each other? Yes.” She laughed, shaking her head. “Things could be much worse, I suppose. Now that he’s happy, he’ll be easier to deal with.”
I didn’t know what she meant, exactly. What did he have to be happy about?
She continued before I had the chance to voice my question. “Since then, my entire life has been devoted to my duty, you could say. I’ve been happy enough in my role—but I suppose that was only because I didn’t know anything else existed.”
She glanced shyly up at me, and I smiled in understanding of what she was trying to say.
I knew how she felt, since I’d been wrestling with the same revelations. I hadn’t known anything like her existed.
“Speaking of Gregor, why were you waiting outside Avellane with him? Were you wait
ing for me, and he was your chaperone?” I teased.
She laughed. “Yes, because this is the early twentieth century. Of course not. I wasn’t waiting for you—I’m glad you came, I had hoped you’d come, but I didn’t expect you so soon. We were waiting for your mother, in fact.”
“My mother?” That was unexpected.
“Yes. She’ll be staying in Avellane for a while.”
“When did all of this happen?”
“Just today… at least, I believe so. Traveling between dimensions can confuse my sense of time. At any rate, they met up in Hallowthorn Landing when Gregor found out she was still alive, and they both seem very happy. I’ve never seen him like this, to be honest.”
So that was why he’d been so welcoming toward me. It explained his shift in attitude. If they were happy, I was happy for them. Amazing, really, how my own attitude had shifted. I wanted my mother to experience the same deep, boundless joy as me.
“Just think,” Felicity continued with a saucy grin, “you’ll have even more of a reason to visit me now, with your mother staying there. It could be a long-term situation. As far as Gregor’s concerned, she never needs to leave.”
I slid an arm around her shoulders and pulled her a bit closer. Not close enough as far as I was concerned, but closer. “You’re all the reason I need to visit Avellane.” Her satisfied sigh was enough for me.
Even so, something she’d said didn’t sit well with me. It teased at the corners of my mind until I gave voice to it. “So, you were waiting at the entrance to Avellane for her to come?”
“That’s right.”
“But… you found her in Hallowthorn Landing.”
“Also correct.”