Shade hadn’t gotten used to his more human appearance yet. How was it affecting him? Did he feel more human or just powerless? Either way, there was no way he could roam free now, he was just too dangerous to allow such freedoms. Especially with Aveta’s army closing in.
“Aveta’s coming. The summer court has prepped legions for her attack. Do you think she can beat us?” Shade joined him on the veranda, taking in the beauty of the sunset as it soaked the world in colors of gold and tangerine. “Do you think she’ll try to free you?”
“Evil is subjective. All I can tell you is that she’s not alone, and you’ll need the help of another Ancient to win. Otherwise, you will fail.” He turned toward her, taking in her face as he waited. “And she probably won’t try to save me. I’m useless to her now.” His light blue eyes drilled themselves into her, making her shift uncomfortably.
“Another Ancient? You mean Kilara.”
He nodded. His eagerness to broach the subject of the sleeping Summer Queen was obvious, especially with the way he seemed to perk up at the mention of her.
“You’d want me to wake her, even if it wasn’t for help with this. You’d do anything to have me wake her, so you can have her back.” Shade threw her own challenging stare back at him. She wasn’t so naïve anymore, she knew just what it was he wanted from all this. If he thought he could make her out as a fool, he was sorely mistaken. “I won’t do what you ask. I never will.”
Hatred burned in his eyes and she could tell he wanted to reach out and strangle her. Stepping away just enough so he would know that she was aware of his feelings, he wrangled them in just as fast. Turning his searing glare toward the sun, his jaw tightened as he remained silent. Shade could feel his anger burn away and an unnerving calm overtake the air around them.
Finally, he turned back, his face blank of all emotion as he spoke. “You will find one day that you will have to wake her, no matter how well you have things thought out. You will need her at your side, with or without me.” He pressed his lips tightly together, spun to leave her alone on the veranda. He was done speaking for now, and she knew his desires better than anyone else. Leaving his chambers, and not giving him another glance as she exited the enchanted chambers, she sighed with relief. He was increasingly shutting down and speaking less and less to her, but there was not much she could do about it. Not until Kilara awakens.
A knot of dread sat in her stomach as she pondered his words. He was right about needing to awaken Kilara, she knew it down to her marrow. Lana’s voice in her head assured her that the time will come when the Summer Ancient shall be awoken, but the time was not yet. She will know when, and when the time came, all hell will have broken loose and there would be no other choice.
Shade hoped it wouldn’t be too soon. Her tumultuous life needed a moment to breathe. Even if it’s just for a short while. Her soul needed to heal from everything which had happened in such a short amount of time to her. Scars needed to mend, and the love she felt for Dylan waited for a time where it could flourish. Couldn’t it be now? Couldn’t the war wait just for a while longer?
Joining her family for dinner, there was nothing more precious and fragile as time. She was going to cherish each moment, for the future looked bleak and the winter continued to consume the land in its wake. She’d find a way to stop it. She had to.
Part IV
The War of Faerie
Chapter Twenty-Four
FUNNY HOW LIFE plays tricks on you. Nothing ever lasts. Shade should know that by now. How dare she lapse into any kind of comfort mode when there was much going on in Faerie and the wards dropped in the perimeter around the land every day. Some days she wished for her simple life back home, watching TV and stuffing her face with pizza as the football games on TV ate up all the weekends. Now, here she was. Stuck at the Scren Palace without even Brisa to keep her company.
Where was that girl? She and Soap should’ve arrived ages ago but they’d yet to arrive. She hoped they hadn’t run into anything really bad. But, this was the Land of Faerie and anything goes when there is magic involved. Especially when her suspicions of Brisa’s and Soap’s relationship made her wonder if they were taking their time on purpose.
“Hey sis,” Benton tossed a fireball up and down as he joined her in the garden of the Scren Palace. “So what’s the agenda now? We’ve been sitting here for days and nothing is going on. I’m bored out of my mind. The only ones having fun are James and Anna, roaming the halls like it’s a treasure hunt.” He rolled his eyes as he absorbed the fire balls and glanced up toward her.
“Nyol is building the army still, training takes time, though faeries are fast learners. Once Aveta’s army heads this way, there will be no boredom.” Shade sat on one of the ornate cement benches lining the garden, admiring the array of colorful flowers lining the bushes and grass under her feet. She felt the most at home here, surrounded by nature than inside the concrete walls of the palace. It had been one of Lana’s favorite spots too, long ago, before she’d been banished.
“Can’t wait. I’m so ready to pulverize Aveta’s sluagh army. It will be the time of my life!” Benton laughed, moving around like he was sword fighting imaginary sluagh.
Shade rolled her eyes as she watched him live vicariously in his head. Benton was a lot less of a jerk now that they had a lot more in common with magic. Still, he was human, and she feared for her family in Faerie. Even if they were powerful Elemental Fire Witches. They could best a faery any day, and even were considered more powerful than some Fae. It still sent chills down her spin as she worried for their safety.
“I can wait.” She breathed in the fragrant air around them, hoping it would calm her nerves as they increased in jitteriness throughout the days. Nothing calmed them. She had become increasingly agitated as the days flew by, wondering and hoping the time was near to awaken Kilara.
“Shade!” Anna came running into the garden, out of breath but excited as she jumped up and down before settling down next to her.
“Anna, what is it?”
“Oh my gosh, you won’t believe it! Soap’s here! Brisa’s with him. They’re finally here.” She gasped, attempting to catch her breath. Shade had a suspicion she had run all the way from the other side of the castle.
“That’s great! Where are they? I have to go see them.” Shade stood up but stopped when Anna tugged on her shirt, shaking her head violently.
“Wait.” She sucked a breath in, hunching over as she slowed her breathing. “I have to tell you something first.”
“Well spit it out already!” Shade slipped back onto the bench, feeling her impatience building.
“Him and Brisa, they, they look mighty cozy for being just friends. Just had to let you know before you head that way. They look really, really close.” She gulped, staring back at Shade, her eyes filled with worry.
“What?” Shade whispered. She studied her sister’s sad eyes, knowing full well what she meant. She nodded, standing up and heading toward the castle, hoping she was ready for whatever she was going to find.
“Wait! We’re coming with you!” Benton pulled Anna off the bench and hurried behind her, though she didn’t hear them anymore. Her eyes filled with tears as she thought of Brisa in Soap’s arms. She should be okay with it, no? She’d seen it coming a thousand miles away. They’d been apart for so long and her love for Dylan had only amplified. So, this should be okay.
But, was it? Why did she feel so hurt? Her chest tightened as she got closer to the palace, choking up her breath as she swung the doors open and she flitted down the hall.
Why does it hurt so much?
Dylan was coming down the hall, obviously waiting for her. He came to a stop as he watched her approach, his face empty of emotion as he watched her for any. She paused, looking into his lovely steel gray eyes, feeling a calm slowly wrap itself around her as he closed in to embrace her. The knot unraveled in her throat and she could breathe again. His scent filled her nose and she wanted nothing but to remain melted
in his arms. The peace it gave her was all she needed now.
As the moment ticked by she straightened and pulled away, smiling at Dylan. He clasped his hand around hers and began walking toward the main foyer of the palace, where Soap and Brisa were most likely to be. With him holding her hand, she felt more ready to face anything.
Voices echoed down the hall and she could here Jade and Nyol speaking with someone. They got louder the closer they got.
“Shade!” Brisa’s exuberant voice shrieked and brought her closer to reality. She fell into her arms, squeezed tightly by her oldest friend. “Oh my gosh, thought we’d never get here!” She pulled back to look at her and admired the sparkling diamond tiara on her head. “Wow, you’re an amazing queen!” She pulled her back into another breath extinguishing hug.
Soap stood quietly behind her, watching their exchange and smiling. He looked genuinely pleased to see her and waited his turn to come in for a hug. She squeezed his slender frame, his familiar scent filling her mind with a pleasant array of memories.
“Hey, beautiful. You finally have the crown you deserve.” He admired the tiara too and grinned unbearably handsome. Shade smiled, still feeling a bit shocked to see them together but the sadness had weaned away, being filled with happiness to see them both.
She suddenly didn’t care that they were together. If anyone deserved each other, it was both of them. This revelation set her at ease, making the reunion much more sweet than bitter. Nothing was better than to have everyone she loved under one roof. She hugged them over and over again, knowing that it wouldn’t last, but it was pure bliss for now.
Chapter Twenty-Five
THE ALARM RANG in the early morning hours, jolting Shade from her slumber. It echoed across the cobblestone streets and through the towers of the palace like a fire alarm, waking the kingdom into full alert within minutes. Panic didn’t ensue, but an organized assembly of guards and people gathered on the grounds, readied for anything.
Shade had wrapped her robe around her frame when Nyol burst into her room. He looked wide awake, as though he never slept and was ready at a moment’s heartbeat. In full armored gear he approached her, concern flashing in his eyes.
“The Unseelie army is approaching. We are readied to send our defenses against them now and are in place to effectively damage their ranks. I’m not sure how big their hoard is, but from the looks of it, it’s vast.” Nothing could veil the concern behind Nyol’s eyes, which sent a shiver down Shade’s spine.
She nodded. “Get me some armor.”
Hesitating, Nyol’s confused face only made her more determined. “Please, I’m fighting with my people. I won’t stand up here and watch them fight for me from afar. I have powers and I need to use them for this. I was meant for this. It’s always been for this. They need me, Nyol.” Shade waited, her patience waning as she watched understanding float across his features.
“Of course, your majesty. I’ll send a squire and servants immediately to help you.” He turned and rushed off down the hall. His uneasiness made her stomach churn as she paced back and forth in her room. She could do this, she had to. Everything had been built up to this moment. Her strength, her powers, it was always for this war in Faerie. She was meant to fight with her people, no matter what. And she would.
Servant’s poured in, arms filled with leathers, chain mail and weapons. Floating about her as they took in her measurements and began dressing her with the armor, Shade tried to calm her nerves, breathing slowly in and out and going over in her head Lana’s dire instructions on engaging in a full out war. To observers, she looked crazy, nodding every now and then, confirming a maneuver or two in her head, but no one questioned her and in no time, she was fully dressed and armed to the T.
Clasping the hilt of her sword, she glanced down at the chain mail and faerie armor clasped around her body. The metal was lighter than armor made by humans would’ve been but the weight of it and the chain mail felt oddly comforting to her. She headed out of her room and into the foyer, where she found Jade and Benton awaiting, already fully dressed for fighting too.
“Where are you going?” Jade inquired, narrowing her eyes at the armor she was wearing. “You’re the queen, you don’t go out and fight.”
“I will be there with my people and I will be fighting. They need me, you know this.” Shade held her ground and only stirred from the spot when Dylan came running into the room, followed by Soap. They were also dressed and fully armed and waited for further instructions as they gathered around her.
“Where’s Nyol?” Shade glanced around looking for the NicScren guard’s leader.
“He’s at the gates, already transporting legions to the outer gates of the palace. He said he will be waiting for you.” Paki offered as he stepped past the others and came to kneel before her. Afterwards, he stood and motioned them forward to follow him through the doors and out past the gardens.
This is it, thought Shade. Her nervous stomach gave way to a dangerous calm. Shutting off her feelings, she knew she was out for blood. This was for everything she’d been through up til now, so there would be no mercy, only death and blood.
Transported to the outside gates, she saw her army filtering though openings that were only accessible to leave the grounds. A one way portal. Pulling out her sword, she kept close to Dylan and her mother, hoping things would not be as bad as she thought they would be. The last time she was surrounded by the sluagh hoard of Aveta’s, they’d been marked for death. This time, she was determined to never fall into such a vulnerable trap again. Following Paki, who led them right behind Nyol, she made her way to the front and stepped through one of the many one way portals.
A flash of light enveloped her and after a millisecond of that and a slight jolt, she was surrounded by deafening screams and thousands and thousands of fighting sluagh, Unseelie fey and NicScren soldiers. There were fallen all over the place, covering the ground with blood and bodies. She rushed forward, slamming into a dark fey warrior who was about to dig his spear into a NicScren soldier who had fallen to the ground.
She groaned as her breath knocked out of her, but she had done what she’d intended. The dark faery landed on his back, but jumped right back up, narrowing their gaze onto her. Smiling maliciously, it ran toward her, aiming the spear at her chest.
But Shade was already expecting it and swung her sword to smack the spear out of its hand before sending a fire ball right into its chest. The deafening screech it let out as the fire consumed its skin so rapidly, made her skin crawl. It collapsed to the ground, already still and unmoving. Shade turned to find another replacing its fallen comrade and began sparring with the creature, hitting it hard with the sword, causing black blood to squirt into the air but not damaging the creature enough to bring it down.
What the hell was it? It looked like a combination of a goblin and salamander, making her skin crawl as its black blood streaked across her armor. With one final stab, she caught it in the neck and it quivered right before falling lifelessly to the ground.
“Shade!” Dylan fought his way toward her and took to cover her back. “Nyol’s army is gaining ground, but taking heavy casualties.” He updated her as he decapitated another dark faerie who had plunged through the line of sluagh and had targeted them.
“What can I do?” She kicked at an Orc which had stomped over swinging it’s mallet in her direction. It was slow and easy to dodge, making it a swift job to maneuver around its swinging arms and stabbed it in the throat. Dark red blood gushed from the wound as she pulled her sword back out. It made the hilt sticky and slippery, but she didn’t have time to get grossed out, for another and another Unseelie warrior pounced onto her with unrelenting force.
Dylan yanked one off her back, sending it crashing into a group of four others. He had his own battle to fight as she continued pummeling through sluagh forming around her.
They kept coming, and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to last forever, considering she was a mortal and they were most l
ikely all immortals.
Great.
The fight became a blur of dark, black-red blood and filth. Shade barely felt the slashes across her arms and legs, barely registering the fall of NicScren soldiers around her. She had lost sight of Dylan, her mother and Benton and saw nothing but her own need for blood vengeance. It filled her with exuberance she’d never felt before. It was dangerous to feel this way, but right now, it was all she needed.
A wall of NicScren soldiers pushed the Unseelie army back and she found herself picking off the few that made it through the line. Breathing hard and beginning to feel the exhaustion from the constant fight, she glanced around, one sight catching her eyes like a stiff, sharp pain. It sent a stifling ache which seized her chest as she ran through the field of bodies of the fallen, almost tripping over them as she stumbled forward.
On the ground, her neck twisted at an odd angle, laid Jade. Blood spattered across her stomach and her sword was still gripped in her lifeless hand.
No.
“No, no, no…” Shade dropped her own sword as she scooped up her mother, clutching her to her chest and checking her thoroughly for any sign of life. Closing her eyes, she sent her healing magic deep into mother’s body, feeling around for any spark of life to grip onto and brighten once more.
But there was none. And the fingers of her power could find nothing to heal anymore.
“No, mom, come on, mom.” She shook her mother’s body, not realizing the tears and sobs that filled her choked breathing. Her blood mixed with that of the dark army’s remains smudged across both their armors and skin. Shade’s body trembled as she cried, screaming for her mother to awaken and make it all alright once more. But, she didn’t move. Her skin paler and free of the blush a life force gives a body. Her long brown hair was pulled back in a braid, now matted with drying blood and bits of gore from the fight. Shade pushed a few strands of her hair away from her mother’s face. Afraid to let go, afraid to realize this was all real and not some godforsaken nightmare she tended to think was life now.