“You can stop trying to sell me on it, big sis.” I squeezed her hands. “I’m already in.”
Did I take her words to heart? No. Not as much as I should have.
Magic swirled around the room, our hair billowing, the power of the spell scraping, leaching the strength from us. But still we pressed on, sitting in the middle of the floor, both of us gripping the sides of the pot, pouring what felt like our blood into it.
Every muscle and nerve of mine felt shredded. Sweat poured down my back, and my throat was raw from chanting over and over. Exhaustion shook my body as I tried to keep from falling over.
And still the cauldron sat lifeless. One moment, I thought I felt a pulse, a beat of life. That could have been more wishful thinking on my end.
“Take a break.” Fionna wiped her brow, sitting back. “You need to rest.”
“No, I swear I felt something last time.”
“No.” Fionna batted my hand away from the rim of the cauldron. “I won’t let you hurt yourself. You still have millions of people to protect. You are Queen.”
“And as Queen, I order you to stop bossing me around.”
“You’re not my Queen.” She winked. “Simply my annoying little sister.”
“You know I have dungeons below.” I tilted my head, sitting back on my heels.
“Damn, playing dirty.” She grinned, falling back on her butt, her face lined with fatigue. “Sounds like a true Cathbad.”
It still felt strange to think of myself as a Cathbad and not a Johnson. I was both. I knew that. But it also felt good to think I came from such a powerful family, born in Ireland to Keela and Reghan. My mother was the daughter of the infamous Cathbad, a Druid who gained such favor with the gods and royals he became more powerful than them.
That favor eventually became a threat. He was killed, along with millions of other Druids. Aneira created fear and hate which drove remaining Druids underground. My parents, deep in the black arts, hid my sister and me from Aneira, separating us for our safety. I grew up in Olympia, Washington, as Kennedy Johnson. A nerdy human girl.
It wasn’t until Lorcan and I infiltrated an extremist Druid group called the DLR that I was led to their general, my sister, and the truth of my biological family.
“Kennedy?” My name rang down the hallway, picking up my head. His voice was an instant energy boost to my heart. “Li’l druid?” Lorcan stepped in the room, a grin hooking up the side of his mouth, then it quickly dropped, his eyes moving over me and the cauldron.
“What are you two doing?”
I leaned over the pot to hide it.
“Nothing.” I blinked innocently, knowing he wouldn’t buy my crap for a moment.
“Ken…” He growled, putting his hands on his hips.
“She started it.” I pointed over my shoulder.
“Tattletale!” Fionna shot back. “Feck…you held out for what, a half second?”
“Nah-uh.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Is this what it would have been like to parent you two?” He rubbed his forehead. “Note for the future: have boys. I can’t handle girls.”
“Excuse me?” My eyebrows went up into my hairline. An arrow of panic stabbed my chest.
He gave a lazy, sexy grin. “Purely hypothetical, li’l bird. Unless you want to work on that right now.”
Fionna groaned, leaning back into the bed.
“It’s staying hypothetical.” I tilted my head in warning, but a strange warmth filled me. Lorcan, a father? Even with his past, I knew he’d be a great one. Me, on the other hand? I was not sure I could fathom being a mother. My attention was on my kingdom. I couldn’t handle anything more. Not that I had to worry about it. Fairy birth control was bulletproof.
“Answer my question.” He approached me, nodding at the cauldron. “Actually, don’t. I think I can figure it out.”
“We’re running out of choices. I’m going to do what I have to save my people.” I grasped for him. He helped me to my feet, my legs wobbling with weakness.
“I get it, but if it starts to harm you, then Project Cauldron is over.”
“I’m sorry?” I tugged from his grip. “You do not tell me what is over or not.”
He stepped up to me, looming over me.
“Puff yourself up all you want. You do not dictate what I do.” I met his eyes, not backing down. “I am—”
“If the next line out of your mouth is ‘I am Queen,” he leaned his face an inch from mine, “I’m going to take you over my knee and paddle your ass.”
Heat flared up my thighs, my spine tingling with a mix of fury and desire. “Do not treat me like a child.”
“Believe me, it would be for adults only.” He gritted his jaw. “You are my equal, not my Queen. You need to stop acting as if you can rule me too. What you do involves me as well.”
Had I been doing that? “And what I do affects thousands, if not millions. I’m sorry I am not the sweet, docile girl you fell in love with, but I cannot afford to be.”
“You think I fell in love with a sweet, docile girl?” He snorted.
“Everything rides on my choices…on my decisions. Not yours. Not anyone else. Not even Lars. Me.” I stabbed my chest, trying to bite back the tears. “So if I decide hurting myself to restore the cauldron or sacrificing myself to Stavros or the stone to save my people is the right decision, I will do it. Not you.”
He leaned back, his eyes trailing over me, his head bobbing slightly. “Yes, Your Majesty.” He stepped away, turning for the door, then stopped and turned back to me. “You think you are sitting by yourself up there, but you’re not. You have a lot of people sitting with you, ready to fight at your side.” He drummed his palm against the doorjamb. “You seem to forget I know what it’s like to be leader. You aren’t the only leader in this castle who feels the weight of each of their decisions, to know their choice may have gotten people killed or hurt. Maybe you should be using them instead of pushing them away.” He inhaled. “And call me selfish, but I will do everything in my power not to lose you.” With that, he strode from the room.
I closed my eyes and tipped my head forward. “Dammit,” I muttered, feeling the pull in my gut to run after him.
“Wanker’s got a point,” Fionna said, causing my head to snap to her. “You know me. I would never defend a fae, especially a dweller, but I’ve learned with Lars that they’re not being masochistic. Simply protective. And you can’t deny you feel just as possessive of him. I know when Stavros almost killed Lars, I was about to take out the entire world. Don’t tell me you wouldn’t do the same for Lorcan.”
“Of course I would.” My response came out softly.
“He’s also right that you aren’t alone, Kennedy. I was a general of the DRL, and you have two alpha dark dwellers. Everyone here is a leader in their own right. Don’t play into Stavros’s hand.”
“What do you mean?”
“I know him better than anyone here. He would love nothing more than for us to break ourselves down. Make it easy pickings. We isolate each other, turn on each other…then we have no hope.”
“I really am in Star Wars, aren’t I? Except I don’t have a smart-alecky robot as a sidekick.”
As if on cue, I heard a squawk from the windowsill. Fionna and I jumped.
“Grimmel.” My hand plastered against my chest.
“Light. Trade winds bring more idiots.” The black raven’s talons clicked along the ledge.
“Never mind, there’s my R2-D2. Or are you more a C-3PO?”
Grimmel tipped his head from side to side, as though I were nuts. Which was highly possible.
“Light is hazy. Too long around witless.”
“Yoda!” I snapped my fingers. “You’re a Yoda.”
“Wow, you really are a geek.” Fionna pushed herself onto the mattress, her legs shaky.
“A proud one.” I scrubbed my head, trying to rouse some energy. “I better go find Lorcan and apologize.”
“Uh-huh.” Fionna grinn
ed. “Apologize, huh? I know how that goes.”
I stared at my sister, aware she was touching her stomach. Lars.
“Besides this being really weird right now,” I nodded at her hand, “did I tell you how happy I am for you? For Lars. I’m still shocked... but ecstatic you guys found each other. You both deserve love.”
“You’re surprised.” For the first time ever, a deep blush coated Fionna’s cheeks, her gaze going to the bed, a joyful smile playing on her mouth. “Do you think I ever thought I would fall in love with any fae, much less the frickin’ Unseelie King at that?” She chuckled. “Fate really wanted to bite me in the arse with that one.”
“My lady?” Torin’s voice hollered into the room. My First Knight poked his head in with a slight bow.
“Yes, Torin?”
“We have guests of pirates at the dock.”
“Thank you.” Ah…the “idiots” the trade winds brought.
“If Light listened. Already told.” Grimmel fluttered up in the air with annoyance, flying off.
“Bird hunting is legal here, right?” Fionna clutched the poster bed, pulling herself up to her feet.
“I would call it open season right now, if my lady would let me,” Torin replied, a ghost of a smile on his face.
“Holy nerf-herder. First, was that a joke? And second, is that a smile I see?” My mouth parted. “What is going on?”
“Nothing, my lady.” He cleared his throat, dropping the grin, but I saw a lightness I hadn’t seen in his eyes in a long time. Something was up with him, but I didn’t have time to figure it out.
My castle had been invaded by pirates.
Excuse me—tradesmen.
“No! No, there can’t be more of these swashbuckets.” Sprig hugged his arms to his chest, stomping his foot into Ryker’s shoulder. “One buttaneer is enough.”
“I think our friendship just came to an end, monkey man.” Cal flapped around. His eyes were wide and dazed, like he was meeting his favorite rock band. “These are my people. Do you know how much juniper juice they have? Barrels and barrels of it. They are gods.”
Sprig’s eyes grew enormous. “Ohhh, do you think they brought honey too?”
“No.” Ryker shook his head. “No more for you.”
“Oh, look who is the Viking parent now.” Sprig stuck out his tongue at Ryker, then turned to Cal, fake whispering, “Viking is code for dickhead.”
“Then that dweller is a massive Viking.” Cal nodded at Eli.
A large group of us had descended on the docks, welcoming the new visitors. There weren’t as many as I hoped, only eight ships, about twenty men on each boat, but it was more than we had before.
“Croygen, how the hell are you?” The tall man had long, wavy, dirty blond hair, tattoos covering his arms, and wore aviator sunglasses, leather pants, and a dark blue shirt. He peeled off his glasses, showing his vivid blue eyes, winking at Annabeth as he passed by. He looked more like a rock star than a pirate. He was good-looking and he knew it. He even walked with a swagger and a permanent smug smile.
I rolled my eyes at his pretension, so obnoxious compared to the dark dwellers who didn’t have to try and be sexy and alluring. They simply were. They’d eat him for breakfast.
“Jack!” Croygen gave him a hug, patting him on the back. “Been a long time.”
“Yeah, since the Orient. Man, did we have good times… The women we went through—”
“Yeah. That was a long time ago.” Croygen cleared his throat, cutting him off. So quickly, I almost missed it when his gaze slid to Lexie, then back to Jack.
Irritation washed over Lexie’s features before she shoved her feelings back, folding her arms.
“Please, you haven’t curbed your ways. How many women do you have just in this port?” Jack laughed, slapping Croygen on the shoulder. “I already see a dozen here I’d love to be introduced to.”
“Times have changed.” Croygen shook his head, standing tall. Unconsciously or consciously, he took a step in front of Lexie, which only directed Jack’s attention to the girl.
“Holy shit, aren’t you exquisite?” He stepped past Croygen, taking Lexie’s hand in his and kissing it.
“Not here. And not her.” Croygen growled, moving until he was barricading her.
Jack’s eyebrow’s shot up, looking between the two.
“Whoa, has the notorious womanizer settled down?”
“Jack, let me introduce you to Her Majesty. You know…the reason you’re here.” Croygen yanked Jack’s arm, directing him toward me.
“Majesty.” Jack’s eyes lit up, moving over me. “So much beauty for one Queen.” He took my hand, his eyes locking on mine as his lips brushed the skin of my knuckles. Quickly his attention flickered to Ember, Rez, and Fionna next to me, his eyes bugging out, like a kid locked in a candy store.
“Damn...” He shook his head, reaching for Ember’s hand. “Shit, I’ve never seen a dae in person before. You’re so fucking hot.”
“You touch me and you will truly become a pirate.” She smiled flakily. “Your girlfriend becomes a hook…”
Too bad for him, not only was the candy unreachable, but it would kill him.
He jerked upright, taking a step back from Ember.
“He’s just the type I enjoy.” Rez leaned into Ember, a smile growing in her face at the pirate. “Maybe we can go for a swim later? Won’t that be fun, Jack?”
He started to shake his head back and forth as he realized what Rez was, and he walked backward away from us.
“Girlie, don’t scare the pirate away.” Cal flew near Jack, guarding him. “He’s brought nectar from the gods. He’s a floating distillery. A giant sink of happiness.”
“Sweet nectar of the golden gods.” Sprig rang out, making Jack swear and jump back.
“What the fuck is that?” Jack’s mouth dipped open.
“I asked the same thing looking at your face.” Sprig glared at the new guy, nudging Ryker’s neck. “We can vote this one off the island, right? There should be a law against too many buttlickers in one place. We already have one, and I’d love for you to take him back.”
“I’m all for it,” Ryker replied gruffly.
“It-it talks.” Jack glanced around at all of us, as if we should be shocked too.
“Very good,” Sprig replied. “I also poop on pillows and in boots. Ask that boot-humper.” Sprig pointed at Croygen.
“He does.” Croygen nodded. “Watch your socks too.”
“Missing the point here.” Cal waved his arms. “He. Has. Juniper. Juice.”
“Was that a point?” Ember smirked.
“All the point I need,” Cal responded.
“Besides being an asshole,” Croygen patted Jack’s shoulder, “do you have any news? Underground mumblings?”
“Mumblings.” Jack laughed. “It’s more like screams. Everyone is talking about Stavros and the fight coming. The Eastern bloc is getting even more restless to cut all ties to this. They don’t want anything to do with any of it, but our biggest concern is the reports of a fleet coming from the south. Lawson, the captain of the ship coming in now, said he saw over two dozen more heading this way.”
“How far?” I stepped up to Jack. I noticed all flirtation was gone. His expression serious.
“In three days. Less if the winds change.”
My hands rolled into fists. Stavros had told us his forces would be coming by sea and land, but I hoped we’d have more time. We needed more fighters…on our side.
“I’m gonna go talk to Garrett.” Rez turned. “See if I can get another message to my mother.”
I nodded, Rez jogging away to run her errand. West watched her go but stayed with his brothers.
“Majesty, many are fleeing; no one wants another war. They’re ready to go into hiding and deal with the aftermath of the results. I tried to get more ships…few were willing to volunteer for this battle.” Jack’s sober tone only piled weight on my shoulders. What he didn’t say was that no one believed in m
e enough to fight or thought I couldn’t win. They’d rather be neutral and deal with whomever was leader when the dust settled than pick a side.
The pirates might hate Stavros, but they didn’t care for me either, so why fight? Didn’t they understand what he would do to the world? He would settle for nothing but being a complete dictator. Rights, even for fae, would eventually disappear.
“Okay,” I set my shoulders, “I’m sure your men need rest and refreshments. But in an hour, I want all the captains to assemble and go over the plan.”
Jack bowed his head.
“That last ship better hurry, we’ll be closing the shield soon.” Torin pointed to the water, where a small ship slipped through the channel from sea to the lake.
Jack shielded his eyes from the sun, staring back at the vessel, his eyebrows crunching.
“It’s not one of ours.”
My head snapped to the boat, sailing quickly toward the port. “What?”
“Not any flag I recognize.” Jack continued to stare. “Doesn’t belong to us.”
Crap times a million.
Torin responded instantly. Yells and orders bellowed around me to stop the vessel and close the harbor. Guards ran to boats, jetting them out to the unknown vessel.
“Fuck.” Lorcan moved in next to me, his gaze on the craft.
“What?” I looked to him, then back out to the water, panic rising in my chest.
“No... no…” Ember ambled forward until her boots hit the edge of the pier. Her eyes squinting and locked forward.
“What!” I exclaimed, but after a moment, I didn’t need their response, my sight had been getting better, along with my powers. I hardly needed the glasses but wore them more from habit than anything.
Tied to the mast of the ship, two figures were bound and gagged.
“No! Kate!” Annabeth screamed, her body lurching forward. Cooper grabbed her, dragging her back to him.
Kate and Nic struggled against their binds as Stavros stood at the hull, his arms open, as if he were being welcomed home.
He had the audacity to come here to claim my territory as his, bringing “gifts” to solidify his stance in the kingdom.
Rise From the Embers (Lightness Saga #4) Page 22