by Dawn Ibanez
Gus looked at her mother. It was like staring at her sister. The woman in front of her had given Mel her green eyes and long thick hair. Tears filled her eyes as Gus looked at the mother she hadn’t seen since she was five. The anger that kept trying to elude her came back in full force. “What do I have to stay here for?” she said before turning and walking away.
“Augustina,” Rhiannon called.
She turned on her mother. “You don’t call me that. My name is Gus. My sister is Mel. You lost your rights to us the second you left us behind.”
Rhiannon stared at her. The heart broken expression she wore faded before she nodded and pointed to her left. “Queen Titania should be in her garden. You will have no problems finding her.” Rhiannon turned and left Gus standing in the center of the small walkway.
She wasn’t going to chase after her. There were too many hurtful memories attached to her mother. Gus could remember her father struggling to take care of two young girls in the years between her disappearance and his death. If her mom had been around, there was a solid chance he would have lived. Gus turned and followed the path Rhiannon indicated. She walked through the lush green landscape and tried to recall the last time she saw her father. Her eyes widened as she touched a tree branch.
She could remember the timber of his voice. She could remember the scent of spice that seemed to cling to him. But she couldn’t remember what he looked like. Gus stopped and tried to remember the other person in her life. The man that made her feel safe for the first time in countless years.
She could remember brown slicked back hair that she wanted to make messy. And a pair of chocolate colored eyes.
Gus clenched her fists and screamed in rage. The foliage around her caught fire as she tried to remember the man that held her as she took her last human breath. People surrounded her. Weapons were drawn and held at the ready. Gus looked at them all. If they were going to keep her prisoner here, she would make them as miserable as she was.
She jumped at the nearest spearman and brought him to the ground. As she ripped his weapon away, a flash of white light appeared in front of her.
Tati smiled sadly. “I had a feeling this would happen,” she said. She held her hand up and the spear in Gus’s hands disappeared. “There’s nothing to see here,” the smaller woman announced. She turned and looked at everyone. “Lady Gus is new and doesn’t know her own power. I will be fine.”
A man stepped forward. He didn’t bother to hide his sneer as he looked from Gus to Tati. “My Queen, she has spent most of her life as one of those mongrels. You can’t mean to bring her into your inner circle.”
Tati turned and lifted her hand to stop his words. “I will not have you speak this way about my guest. She is a warrior and skilled one. I am hoping she can change the scope of the world we are finding ourselves in.”
He frowned as he looked around the dying embers around them. “You depend too much on the old tales, My Queen. You cannot truly believe that we are destined to walk among mongrels and monsters because of a fire and lightning mage.”
A plastic smile crossed Tati’s face. “I grow tired of your objections, Mischa. Leave us before I decide I am also tired of you.”
The man bowed at the waist before cutting a glare at Gus. He then walked away from the garden. Tati sighed and lowered her head slightly. “There are some who refuse to understand the true scope of what is happening in the world.” She looked at the damage done around them and looked at Gus. “I am surprised you lasted this long. Most people have lost their memories while still in the pool.”
“What have you done to me?” Gus asked.
Tati waved her hand and the embers and ruined land was instantly replaced by lush greenery. “The short answer is, I saved you.” Tati knelt and touched one of the growing flower buds. “Lilliana struck you in the back, and you were dying. I offered to save you, and your loved ones all agreed.”
Gus wrapped her arms around her stomach. “I’m losing memories. I don’t remember what my father…” Gus shook her head as tears started to come to her eyes. “I don’t remember my father. Why can’t I remember him?”
Tati straightened and touched the sides of her face. “Gus, calm down. It will be fine. I won’t let you forget your father,” she said. “Tell me what you do remember, before you fell asleep.”
“I needed to protect a boy. I felt something scratch at my back, and then a man with beautiful eyes was saying something to me.” Gus shook her head. “I don’t know who these people are, but I think they’re important to me.”
“Do you remember Mel?”
A look of relief crossed Gus’s features. “She’s my sister.” Gus frowned as she moved away from Tati. “Do I remember her because she’s like me? Part Fae?”
“Yes and no.” Tati turned and sat on a freshly grown patch of grass. “She is half-Fae, so you will remember her. Since you are now full Fae, you and she now have slightly different qualities. Your senses are heightened. You’re stronger and faster. She is still anchored on the human plane. You are not.”
“What does that mean?”
“You are Beyond the Veil. Theoretically you no longer need to care about what happens on the human plane.” Tati held up her hand to stop whatever Gus was about to say. “I brought you here to give you a choice. And because I know you care about your sister, I am hoping you can agree to you my proposal.”
Gus paced around and ran her hands through her hair. “My scars are gone. You said in one breath I died, and in the next you asked what I remembered before falling asleep. Why?”
Tati leaned her chin on one hand and sighed. “Your scars are gone because only mortal wounds will scar Fae skin. With your rebirth, the only mark you have is the one on your back. As for my comment, I didn’t think you would appreciate me asking what was the last thing you remembered when you died. So, I rephrased the question. My apologies if you feel as if I misspoke. That was not my intention.”
“What is that proposal you mentioned? Will it let me go back to my sister?”
“If you agree, you will be sent back to the human plane.”
“What do I have to do?”
Tati patted the grass next to her. “I want to speak with you about your role in the grand scheme of things,” she said. She waited until Gus was sitting next to her. Tati leaned forward and brushed Gus’s hair away from her face. “You are a warrior. You come from a line of warriors. As such, you would be perfect to join a military unit I managed to put together.”
“What would I be doing?”
“Do you remember the woman who killed you? Do you remember why you were chasing her?”
Gus remembered a woman in a black cloak with matching hair and vibrant eyes. They fought against each other, but Gus hadn’t been quick enough to move against her. She tried to think back and frowned when her head started to ache and throb. “It has something to do with Mel. And others like us. Half-Fae people in the sector. She was hunting them and nearly killed Mel in the process.”
Tati touched her hand and nodded. “Her name is Lilliana. She escaped from a prison we have here and ran back to the human plane.”
“Why?”
“Because her lover was killed. She was tortured and the child she carried had been murdered. She blames all of the Fae for her misery and believes that if she couldn’t have her child, why should anyone else have theirs.”
Gus stood and paced around the small clearing. “Why can’t you?” she asked. “You fought when we were attacked.”
“And here is where my hands are tied as Queen.” Tati looked over her shoulder and sighed. “I don’t have an heir. My generals don’t want me to rush off to find a single criminal. And a few nobles have noted that because of Lilliana’s familial ties, if I personally get involved it could be viewed as an act of war on the various noble houses.” Tati shook her head. “What others are refusing to see is times are changing. And that change is sometimes a good thing, even if it disrupts everything we hold dear.”
“In a way, yes. You aren’t the only one. There are others, but none of them have your skills in a fighting arena. I know only one other that comes close to your power with magic.”
“What happens if I say no?”
Tati looked up at Gus and folded her hands in her lap. “If you say no, nothing will happen. I will return your memories of your father, and you can live your life however you see fit.”
“And if I accept? That man with the brown eyes feels important to me. If I said yes, could I go and be with him?”
“His name is Elijah,” Tati said as she stood. She dusted off her gown and faced Gus on level ground. “He is the ruler of the North Sector. If you carry on any sort of relationship with him, you are opening yourself up to a lifetime of difficulties. Are you sure that is something you want?”
Gus rubbed her face and blew out a breath. “You can’t expect me to answer that now,” she said shaking her head. “I don’t remember him. Not like I should.”
Tati nodded. “We will discuss that later,” she said lowly. She took Gus’s hand and led her back the way she came. “For the time being, I would like you to stay in the palace as my guest. That idiot from before will be around, but I will order him to leave you alone. At least until you make your decision.”
Gus frowned as she took in the view around them. It mirrored many of the cities she lived in. Children played while adults spoke quietly with each other. A boy and a girl had sticks that they were mimicking swordplay with. Gus stopped and watched them.
There had been a time when she was like them. But her sword had been real, and she hadn’t been playing. “Why?” she asked in a whisper.
Tati wrapped her arms around one of Gus’s. “Because as my general, you mother didn’t want to be seen as weak. She left your family when I was under attack by an unknown house. We were on the brink of war, and there was no one else I trusted to be at my side. She came back, knowing what she was leaving behind.”
“Did you know what happened to us?” Gus looked at her with hard, tear-filled eyes. “Did you know what we went through?”
Tati took Gus’s hands into her own. “Breathe,” she ordered. When Gus tried to pull her hand away, she tightened her grip. “There are innocents in this area. I don’t want you to hurt them. Control the rage.”
Gus closed her eyes and trembled. She and her sister had been through hell because their mother left. Their father had done the best he could with two daughters he needed to protect, but in the end, it hadn’t been enough. He died, while the woman he pledged his life to lived out of his reach.
Gus pulled away from Tati and glared at her. “I will not serve you. Not while she’s here as your general.” She stormed off in a random direction, not caring where she was going. If she would be trapped here, so be it. But she would not work for anyone who helped destroy her family.
Chapter 19
She wandered for hours. Eventually, Gus found herself overlooking the small city Beyond the Veil. She could admit that it was something out of a storybook. She sat on the cliff’s edge and tried to slow her breathing. She didn’t know why she was so angry, and that only added on to her frustration. She wanted to go and speak with Tati, but she couldn’t.
Speaking with Tati was what made her angry. She didn’t want to deal with the Queen, or the man that called her a mongrel. Little did he know, she could have gutted him like a fish before the next insult passed his lips.
The sound of footsteps made her look up. Gus frowned as she looked at her mother. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“I received reports of the woman of rage and fire coming up here. I figured you should have had enough time to calm.”
“I didn’t. And it’s only worse now. I don’t remember why I’m so angry. And that feeds into it, making it worse. But I don’t want to hurt anyone because they had nothing to do with whatever it is that made me feel this way.” Gus wrapped a blade of grass around her finger and released it. “Tati should have let me die.”
Rhiannon sat next to her. “I spoke with the Queen. She told me what happened when you walked off. You’re angry with me, and you have every right to be.” She looked out at the sky. “I am General Rhiannon Fleur Luz. Or at least I was before you were born. I was a high ranked Sanguis in the Fae army. I served under Queen Mab and King Oberon before the Veil split. I wasn’t supposed to get trapped by a mage’s spell one solstice night. But I did. I freed myself, and during my escape I ran into a man named Raul Vega. He knew what I was running from, hid me in his home to regain my strength and magic. I wasn’t able to travel Beyond the Veil until after the next solstice, so he kept me safe, and over time, we fell in love. When I could come back, I was pregnant with you. Queen Titania found me and said I earned my happiness. She wanted me to stay and protect my family. I had you and your sister, and Raul and I were happy. Then, I received word that there was trouble here. I couldn’t throw away millennia of service by not coming back. So, I did return.”
“You left us.” Gus felt a strange sensation on her cheeks and wiped at her face. She stared at her hands as she realized she was crying. “You left. We went through hell.” Gus gasped and clutched at her head. “Why won’t this headache go away?” she cried out.
Rhiannon gathered her into a hug. “Because you’ve forgotten important parts of your past. Things that are linked to memories you can’t forget.” She touched Gus’s hair and sighed. “I was the same way.”
Gus looked up at her mother. “What?”
“Once I was back here, I helped fight for the throne. I secured the Queen’s rule and when I left, I returned to a dead husband and missing children.”
Gus trembled as she pulled away from Rhiannon. “You came back?”
Rhiannon nodded. “I was too late. I went to the ruling Chevalier and found out what happened to my husband. They didn’t have any records of our daughters. A few of the people from the neighborhood told me that they figured you and your sister had been taken south of the border.”
A sob escaped Gus as her head throbbed. Her mother had looked for her.
“When I found out where that vampire lived, I raided his home to get you both back. Only you weren’t there. And that particular Chevalier was dead.”
Gus screamed in pain as the memories tried to come to her, but something held them back. She collapsed back and Rhiannon was there over her. She grabbed the collar of her mother’s jerkin. “What did you do?”
“I need to take you to the Queen.”
“I don’t want to see Tati.”
Rhiannon touched the sides of Gus’s face. “So much like your father,” she whispered.
The throbbing in her head worsened. “Does this stop?” she asked in a moan.
“If you stop thinking about the past, yes. If not, no. Only the Queen can reverse the magic of the healing waters.”
Gus wiped at her face again and saw the traces of blood on her hand. “I won’t stay over here. This place, it’s not me.”
Rhiannon nodded and helped her to her feet. “I know.”
Gus leaned on her as they made their way down from the cliff. She closed her eyes when Rhiannon sat her against a rock. She wiped at her nose again and frowned at the blood there. “Why did you stop looking for us?” she asked.
Rhiannon frowned. “This is not the time to reminisce, Gus-Gus,” she said pulling something out of her pocket.
It was the nickname her mother had always called her. The side of her mouth tiled up in a smile. “This is the perfect time, General Light Flower.”
Rhiannon sighed and shook her head. “Because I was arrested by my own men. I was brought back here and given the healing waters as punishment.”
Gus watched a small flair of light shoot from her mother’s hand into the sky. She leaned her head back and groaned when her neck protested any movement. “You went through this?”
“A little while back, yes. But the Queen healed my memories b
efore I could get this far.” Rhiannon laid Gus on the ground. “Take it easy, she’ll be here in a moment.”
In a flash of light, Tati appeared at Gus’s side. She fell to her knees and touched the sides of her face. “Why was I not called the moment you found her, General Vega?” Tati asked.
“I wanted a moment to speak freely with my daughter, my Queen.”
“General Vega?”
Tati nodded. “When she returned to my side, we changed her house name to Vega.” She made a shushing sound and closed her eyes.
Gus gasped when Tati’s finger landed on a vein in her temple. The sensation of being dunked under water washed over her. Gus grabbed Tatis’s arms as she felt the memories that had been held back flooded into her mind.
Her father’s training.
Their neighbor running with them in tow, sacrificing his life for two little girls.
The fighting pits.
The cruel, evil things De Leon did and made them do in turn.
Killing De Leon.
Their escape.
Running around until they finally reached the North Sector.
Elijah.
Gus felt her body go limp against the ground. She opened her eyes and saw Tati leaning over her with a concerned look. “Next time, give the proposal before wiping the memories. Things make more sense that way.”
The side of her mouth tilted up in a smile. “I’ll try. No promises though. The healing waters are tricky that way.” Tati looked at Rhiannon and her smile fell. “Thank you, General. I wouldn’t have been able to find her in time if not for you.”
Rhiannon nodded as she moved to help Gus stand. She checked her daughter over and sighed. “You know I would do anything for her and her sister, my Queen.”
Tati looked up at Rhiannon. “Will you ever forgive me, Rhi? Gus is more than fit to be a Sanguis. Mel is really good too, but I don’t know if she’s ready to see you. I found your girls.”
Rhiannon’s eyes remained focused on Gus as they filled with tears. “Stay with the Queen. She will tell you what you’re up against with Lilliana.”