Shelter of Sighs

by Bethan Johns

  “I will always love you Sierade” I said softly.

  She nodded “And I you Sylek. It is the only thing I have held on to all these years. When I lost the ability to dream for myself I followed yours instead. I am not even sure how long ago I lost myself.”

  I stood then and dragged her frail form to me, I held her tightly against my body. “I don’t want to let go.”

  I felt her shudder against me. “We’re immortal Sylek. I will see you again.” She pulled away and kissed me gently.

  Turning to Rislin, who had turned a light shade of pink she said “Take care of him.” Rislin swallowed and nodded, a few tears escaping her eyes.

  Siera turned back to me and smiled, a wry, witty smile and winked.

  She disappeared. Those last moments she had looked so much like her old self I fell to my knees letting a low sob escape my throat. Rislin moved and wrapped her arms around me as I cried lightly into her stomach.

  I knew it would be a very long time before I would see Sierade again.

  ✽✽✽

  Gaelen

  I stormed into the queen’s bedchamber to find her lying in her bed looking forlorn and broken down.

  “You have been her lover for a century?” I said staring down at the crumpled form on the bed.

  “I am in pain Gaelen, she just destroyed my fortress.”

  I entered her head and I saw that indeed her fortress was crumbling.

  I pulled back out. She winced.

  “She very nearly just killed your son.” I said in a low voice.

  Her eyes glanced up at me concerned for a moment and then went back to wincing in pain “Well obviously he is fine if you are not breaking apart planets looking for her.”

  I nodded “He is fine. She also delivered a message, the same message she said she delivered to you.”

  The Queen’s eyes flashed. “She told me herself once that she gambles, that she weighs her risks and rewards. I am calling her bluff.”

  “Don’t you see Aubliette? This is no bluff. She does not need to bluff. She could easily kill us all.” I moved across to stand near the end of the bed.

  “We will kill Sylek Darque” She said.

  I blasted out my golden power. I let the gold bleed from my eyes and the colours of the rainbow blast down my wings in quick pulses as I pointed at her.

  “You are competing against players that are much stronger than you Aubliette. If you so much as touch a hair on that male’s head, I will kill you myself. Sign the fucking peace treaty.”

  I walked out of the room; the guards at the door flinched when they saw my appearance. I kept it up, walking through the Faery courts and no one stood in my way.

  ...

  Two weeks later I stood at the Nephilim Keep with Reves.

  We looked down out of the window of his dining hall.

  “What are they?” he asked quietly.

  “They are Sierade’s creations.” I responded.

  There were countless numbers of them. The eerie soldiers without faces. They had only eyes, they had no tents, they made no noise. They merely stood there. They had appeared on every plane where any of the Queen’s armies were stationed. In total there were billions of them.

  They could never be defeated. I sighed, thinking back to Elatrin, thinking of the tapestry that now hung in a large gallery just off the main hall of Elliot’s compound.

  She had known what was coming. She had known what Sierade was capable of, probably better than even Siera herself knew.

  We had not seen them fight, but by their stance and the anger in their eyes you could tell they were trained and intelligent.

  They were not susceptible to psychic powers.

  “This is impossible.” Reves said.

  I shook my head. “She must have been working on them for a century”

  “This is what we will face if the queen does not surrender and sign the peace treaty?” He asked, quietly looking at me.

  I nodded “It is as Siera said it would be. She has left the

  queen no choice.”

  ✽✽✽

  It took only a month for the Queen to sign the treaty and for the war to be officially over. But three months later on the eve of the new year, the creatures still stood like silent sentinels.

  I rifted to the Rustlavayne base camp, looking for Sylek. “You have to help me find her,” I gasped after running all over hell’s half acre looking for him. The camp was in the midst of the celebrations.

  He shook his head. “She only just appeared.” He closed his eyes then opened them slowly and sadly. “She waits for you.” He whispered and held out his hand.

  I took it and after seeing her location I rifted.

  Landing on a Faery bridge, above a planet, I screamed at her; “Sierade!”

  I let every ounce of my power loose on her and she released hers at the same time. They slammed into one another nullifying each other.

  She was suddenly in front of me. She threw out her hand and I felt my body buckle underneath me, and I crumpled to the ground. I could feel her magic crushing me like I was nothing.

  “I have found your home, Gaelen.” She said softly as she walked out and stood with her toes curling around the edge of the Faery bridge looking down on the planet below us.

  “What do you intend to do with it?” I gasped.

  “Nothing right now, I was merely curious.” She shrugged.

  I drew myself to my hands and knees, she stood watching me. I knew every movement I made was one she allowed. Such power. It could not be contained.

  “The Queen has signed the treaty. Remove your soldiers.”

  She nodded and snapped her fingers. I saw her eyes widen and then close, her chest rise and fall as a blast of silver blew out of her, it sent me flying across the bridge and sent her to her knees.

  She screamed. I stood shakily from where I had fallen and watched her wearily.

  She had just destroyed billions of creations, of her creations, just destroying thousands at once long ago had nearly destroyed me.

  I watched in awe as she stood, her eyes were nearly clear.

  “How did you withstand that?” I asked.

  “I didn’t.” she responded.

  Her hand was shaking as she lifted it, pointing to my planet.

  “I know your history Gaelen. I know your lineage. I know how you are so powerful, and why, like me, none of the rules apply to you. I have found your plane. The only plane left with any of your kin.”

  I swallowed and moved towards her. She threw out a wall of silver at me. My muscles contracted, my whole body froze. I dug deep inside of myself to try to find a way around it.

  “I am going to disappear for awhile, a planet might be destroyed here and there, but not like they have been for the past century. This plane here…” her hand still pointing at my home.

  I had no family left, but my people, the very last of my people were there. My heart hammered hard in my frozen body.

  “…is an example to show you what will happen to every plane you have ever stepped foot on if you hunt me or follow me.”

  She snapped her fingers and I could not even scream as my plane was reduced to shimmering dust.

  She let me go and I fell to my knees screaming in rage and pain. I clutched my chest and looked to find her, but she was gone.

  I rifted to Sylek “You must help me find her.”

  “She is gone.” He whispered. I saw tears flowing down his cheeks as he looked at me.

  “Gaelen, she is gone.” He repeated.

  I stared at him quietly a long moment and then rifted. I rifted onto my and Elliot’s beach in Faery and I let the air flow over me. I let my rage turn into despair. I do not know how long I stayed there. I felt time moving forward, but I let myself fall into oblivion.

  Sylek

  I looked into my mind to locate Sierade, and when I found her I looked to Gaelen sadly. “She waits for you.”

  I held out my hand and he took it. I felt his flash of f
ear as his rough fingers left mine to go to her.

  I screamed in pain with her when she destroyed her creations. I felt her heart shatter in that moment and I knew there was no getting her back, I lay silently on the floor, my own heart breaking as she dissipated Gaelen’s planet.

  She held no guilt over that, but I felt her despair at seeing him crumble like she had broken him beyond repair. I felt her grief that she had destroyed him.

  I then felt as she gave herself up to the Tundra, gave herself up so completely in a way I had not felt her let go since the first time she had merged.

  Gaelen appeared in front of me and yelled something at me “She is gone.” was all I could say.

  I would not be getting her back. “Gaelen, she is gone.”

  He left, and I sat on the floor and put my head in my hands and touched that spot in my heart where my own firedrake lay. I let a small amount free and it came out about the size of a small horse and wrapped its scaled body around me. Stroking me as I stroked it. Comforting my bleeding heart.

  ✽✽✽

  Sierade

  I watched as Gaelen crumpled to the ground screaming, I felt as Sylek’s heart broke through our bond. It was everything I could do to hold myself together at all after destroying my creations.

  Seeing Gaelen fall to the ground undid me and I felt Tundra catch me as I sank into the ground. Tundra carried me.

  I let it. I did not want to carry myself anymore. Let the power take control.

  Chapter 19 – Forked Pathways

  Year 10,657 AC

  Gaelen

  Peace, there has been peace for one hundred and fifty years now. There has still been no sign of the rightful queen. Queen Aubliette seems to have retained her powers. She has stopped trying to make ridiculous changes.

  I think she is afraid that the Chaos Goddess will come back and destroy her if she steps out of line.

  There seemed to be no issues with order falling back to the way it had been before; there were now two extra council seats each for the Howelltie and the Elfin. No other creation or Sidhe had come forward for want of one.

  I watched and waited. I knew that Sierade was out there somewhere. Once every few decades I would go and speak to Sylek to confirm that she still lived. Eventually he created a one-way bond between us so I could speak to him mind to mind and he could send me a letter or another sort of message in return.

  “Yes, she still lived. She still surfaced, but more rarely than ever before.” was all the messages would ever say.

  I watched for signs of her destruction, her words were true, she was no longer the planet destroyer on the scale she had once been, but there was still a trail of destruction following her.

  It was more spaced out.

  I had grieved for my planet for many years. I continue to do so.

  I let the rage roil around inside my body when I think of Sierade Gwaynten.

  I would some day destroy her, for what she had done.

  ✽✽✽

  Sylek

  Year 10,799 AC

  I walked alone back to my small log cabin atop the mountain, the one in the small village that acted as a way point.

  It was hard to get here. That was why I had chosen it. I had solitude.

  When I walked through my door from the cold, a hooded figure stood in my entry way.

  I searched, but I could find no indication of where her mind was. It was like she simply did not exist.

  She turned and lowered her hood. I did not recognize her. Her eyes glowed neon blue from her pale red skin. Her ears were delicately pointed, and her hair flowed in long crimson tangles down her back.

  “Sylek” she said softly. Her voice like gentle wind chimes.

  “Yes.” I whispered

  “I have a message for you.” She spoke in a language I did not know, but her words made perfect sense.

  I swallowed and nodded. Her eyes drifted to my throat, noting the movement.

  “You will call Gaelen Stormcleaver to you, you will tell him he must go speak to Sierade Gwaynten about his first prophecy. You will find her for him, and he will go alone.” She turned and walked out the door.

  I turned after her and looked out into the snow, but she was gone.

  I quickly sent out a psychic message to pass across many lines

  “Gaelen Stormcleaver, come to see Sylek Darque.”

  I knew it would arrive to him within a few hours, maybe less, and that he would be here by morning.

  I sighed and sat in my chair trying to find Sierade, but she was still in the ether, it had been a long while since she surfaced.

  ✽✽✽

  Gaelen

  I walked across the blasted freezing mountaintop to Sylek’s cabin. Every time I came here I envied him his silent retreat. It was peaceful. I wondered cautiously why he had called me. His message had a sense of urgency to it.

  His door opened for me before I even knocked, and I entered savouring the warmth that instantly enveloped me.

  “Sylek.” I said as I strode up to his familiar figure standing before the fire.

  He turned and embraced me. “Gaelen.”

  “Why did you call?” I asked him.

  He gestured I sit. I did. I created drinks for both of us and he held his warm ale gratefully

  “I had a prophetess appear in my home last night.” He said

  I raised my eyebrows, most Fae would go their entire immortal lives without meeting a prophet.

  “What did she have to say?” I asked cautiously.

  “That I was to call you and tell you to go to Sierade Gwaynten and speak to her about your first prophecy.” He raised his brows at me.

  “You have certainly kept that information very classified” He said quietly.

  “That I have the gift of prophecy?” I said “Yes, only three living know, now four.” I inclined my head to him. “I would appreciate your discretion.”

  He nodded. “Without question.”

  I sat back in my chair and thought of the prophecy of which he spoke, shaking my head.

  “Do you know where she is?”

  “No.” he responded.

  I laughed. “Of course not,” I thought for a moment.

  “Would you be willing to come and stay with the Prince and I for a time, so you could tell me when she appears?”

  “I will gladly accept your invitation.” He responded.

  I let him gather some things and then we walked through the blistering cold to the rift – ward line where I rifted us both back to the Prince’s house.

  ...

  It took nearly a year, and a few misfires but he caught her at one point and I went as quickly as I could.

  I ended up on the beach in Faery where Elliot and I spent so much time together.

  Looking around me, I saw her at the same time as she spotted me.

  I walked towards her and noted that her silver energy was dampened.

  “Gaelen?” she spoke, her voice hardly more than a whisper. She looked like a wraith, ethereal.

  It seemed as though she was unsure if I was real.

  I wondered when the last time she had spoken to another being was.

  “I have been sent here to speak to you about my first prophecy.” I said simply.

  I tried to bury the hatred I could feel burning inside of me at the sight of her, but I knew she could see it in my eyes when she winced as they met hers.

  I saw that great abyss that was her power flowing behind her eyes again now.

  Her body straightened, and her chin lifted suddenly. “Speak the words to me Gaelen Stormcleaver.”

  I paced. “Born, pure of Tundra twin to frozen queen. Transformed by power and the places in between. Blood shall cleanse the lone one’s slate, same blood shall bring it back once more. A final act of wretched bloodshed, true power to restore. Only a heart free from wicked hate can seal the wicked’s fate.”

  She nodded slowly. “This is the destiny I spoke to you about so many years ago. It is time Gael
en.”

  I shook my head. “I still don’t understand. Is this prophecy about you?”