by Plum Pascal
“Because we’ve been given sanctuary by the one who rules this world.”
This gives Theren pause. He raises his hand and I see Unseelie soldiers approach the rear entrance of the cottage. Hopefully, Dragan can defend the Midnight Queen and the others. True, I don’t trust Morrigan, but I recognize that she’s valuable, all the same.
Kolvar stands in the window of the upper floor of the cottage, glaring down at the Unseelie army. He’s most likely reliving the horrors of being tortured by the dark fae. Though he’s angry, I trust him to keep his head in the fight and defend Aima and Eilish if necessary.
“My patience withers, young angel. Give me the Midnight Queen and I will allow you to live to see another day. If you continue to show—”
“Theren, please,” Aima cuts in. The soldier beside Theren rears his arm back and lands a thundering slap across Aima’s face. She turns her head slowly and squares her shoulders, resting her hand on her sword with a dare in her eyes.
“You are not permitted to speak to the king!” the man yells at her. “Your insolence is disgraceful! You are a traitor worthy of the punishment of treason.”
“Hold your tongue, Gorondr, unless you wish to find it writhing on the ground after I cut it from your skull,” she says and steps closer to the Unseelie, but Eilish holds out her arm to stay Aima’s advance. Aima hesitates for a moment but then backs down, which is a great show of respect for a warrior of her status.
Interestingly, Theren has yet to look away from Eilish, as if he’s caught in a trance from which he can’t escape. I know that look... it’s the result of her warmth and arousal calling out for a lover. Theren licks his lips and arches a brow.
“You need to feed, little one.”
“Maybe, but not from you,” she retorts.
“Yet, you want me all the same.”
She swallows hard and appears uncomfortable. She clears her throat. “The Unseelie Court is corrupt, Theren. It’s time you realize you’ve been had by whoever is controlling you. Instead of fighting us, you should join us and rise up against whoever that person is.” She takes a deep breath. “Or you may find yourself a casualty of a war that should never have come to be.”
Theren glares at her. “You do not give up easily. I acknowledge your resilience, but you won’t sway me with your seduction or your pretty words. Either we leave here with the Midnight Queen or we take everything.”
Theren’s sneer echoes through the forest, drawing the creatures of The Veil even closer.
###
Dragan
The Veil
Footsteps approach. I can feel my wings itching to come out and play, but I dare not destroy Pyre’s home. The stench of Unseelie stings my nose. The race has never bred with another, valuing purity over the longevity of their kind. Only those with royal blood have the tawny complexions of Aima, Cambion, Theren, and a few others. The rest are ashen with large red eyes, dark silken manes, and pointed ears much longer than any other species of elf or fae. They wear circlets of thorn and leather armor adorned with plates of onyx and jade. Their ferocity in battle belies the ethereal beauty of their hawk-like features.
The footsteps grow louder as the door of the rear entrance pushes open. I can only hope Kolvar follows his instructions and doesn’t leave his post until the signal has been given. No matter what he hears, he’s not to come to my aid.
Fuck. At least half a dozen Unseelie creep through the lower level of the cottage. The first one appears in the doorway of the kitchens.
“King of The Shadows,” the soldier chuckles. “Looking a bit run down since last I saw you on the battlefield.”
“Fuck off, Lithenli.”
“Heard your companion Thoradin was slain. What a pity. I would have liked to hold his heart in my hand while he gasped for breath.”
“Instead, I will offer you the same.” The cruel bite to my words doesn’t faze him, but his eyes widen as I hold my arm out to the side and summon a blade of shadow. Two more soldiers appear in the doorway, flanking their leader as he advances. One by one, they circle me. Flumph, Noni, and Morrigan hide in the cellar hidden under the planks of wood beneath my feet.
I must keep the elves from reaching them or Kolvar. “I miss the days when the Unseelie had pride and honor. You were once a kingdom that slaughtered leaders if they abused their power. What changed?”
Lithenli shakes his head with a bark of laughter. “Much has changed since you lost the war, gargoyle. And you’ve been gone so long, you still don’t know the Shadow Realm has been overrun by demons and orcs, taken by Variant and used as a place to breed his unholy army. Any gargoyles left either joined him or were returned to stone.”
“Is that so? Well, I’ll just add that to my list of reasons to kill Variant.”
“The Unseelie hold no allegiance to the false king,” Lithenli says and I’m surprised. He reaches into his belt and unsheathes his sword. “This is nothing personal, Dragan, just survival in the new world.” Lithenli lunges, slashing with his blade in a wide arc that causes me to drop to the ground to avoid having my head severed. The others follow his lead. Axes, daggers, swords, and hammers batter my body as I fight against their numbers.
I kick a soldier back and drive my blade into him. He screams in terror and the others pause for a moment, shocked by the sight of my shadow blades. Their pause buys me enough time to gather my wits and strategize against the onslaught of attacks. Another Unseelie falls, but is soon replaced with another as more flood the cottage. If I can’t defend our sanctuary, there’s nothing to stop Theren from harming Eilish.
Something squeaks and I catch Flumph squeezing through the floorboards behind the soldiers. He shoots bolts from his crossbow, trying to help me even the odds. We come back to back, but the sprite’s wing is injured. Still, he covers me as I hack and stab away at the Unseelie soldiers. One of the elves knocks Flumph to the ground, causing the sprite to fall unconscious. I cleave the soldier in two. Blood sprays across my face and I roar, causing the windows of the cottage to tremble.
Lithenli buries a dagger between the joints of my armor, going for my heart, but I thrash from side to side, causing him to miss my heart by a few inches. I can feel blood oozing between the plates, soaking my tunic beneath. My shadow blade is replaced by a wicked knife with a hooded curve at the tip. Lithenli’s eyes bulge as I dig the weapon into the underside of his chin. I watch the light leave his gaze as he gasps for air that never comes.
“Thoradin’s death was not in vain. He died with honor. Did you?” I demand.
I allow his body to crumple to the ground. The Unseelie continue to attack with fury. My body aches and I bash my head into the skull of a soldier. In the back of my mind is Eilish.
She needs me. I can’t die here.
Flumph crawls up the stairs, and I’m glad he made it to safety. He’s proven himself to be a worthy companion. Not that I will ever say that to his face. I’m quite happy with our banter, and watching the sprite tremble each time I walk into a room. Even so, if at least one life is spared by my efforts, then I will consider it a success.
My thoughts return to the fight. An axe swings through the air, but gets caught in the wall beside the fireplace. “Mind the furniture, dick. You don’t have to deal with the owner.”
TWENTY-SEVEN
Cambion
The Veil
“Theren, please. At least try to see reason,” I say when I’m finally able to free myself from the fucking gag around my mouth. “Morrigan is of no use to you without her power.”
My lips are swollen from the beatings at the hands of my brother’s men, but I don’t care. At this point, I want Dragan and the others to know I’m still on their side. I never sought to be the one to bring us to the brink of destruction, to be the one who allowed enemies to enter The Veil. This forest was once my escape from the horrors of reality, but now I see that I’ve been running from my problems and leaving the others to clean up my mess. This is not who I am. I’m not a coward, but now I’m
no better than Dragan when he allowed Lamia to seduce him.
The others warned me, as I’d warned him that fateful day. I can no longer hold his past against him when I’ve done the same.
Theren ignores my pleas and walks closer to Eilish, slotting his body between hers and Aima’s. I watch Aima’s jaw clench as Theren circles the succubus.
“We could rule together, Eilish,” I hear him say. “No more foolish demands from a girl trying her best to be a woman. I’ve seen the things you fight to unveil in your mind.”
“How?” Eilish demands. “What things?”
He shrugs. “I see into the mirrors of the past, present, and future.”
His words remind me of the mirror in my pocket. Thankfully, the Unseelie soldiers didn’t take it—only because they didn’t realize it was there, probably owing to its small size.
Perhaps, if I’m taken from The Veil once more, Pyre can use the mirror to track my whereabouts. But that’s only if he desires to do so. I wouldn’t argue against my fate if the others deemed me too tainted to join their quest once more.
And now I hear that we have a collective name. The Rebel Lords of the Vindication, I believe it was? An appropriate moniker for a band of misfits fighting for the most just of causes. I don’t know why it’s now that I begin to think of myself as one of them. Perhaps it’s the nagging sense of guilt I feel or the sting of my brother’s betrayal that weakens me once again.
The sound of fighting reverberates through the forest. Theren grins widely, leaning in to whisper something in Eilish’s ear. He lifts a hand to brush a strand of black hair from her shoulder and I see her flinch. His hand moves down her hair and he traces the line of her neck, down to one of her breasts. She doesn’t stop him and his fingers spread across her large breast, plying the flesh beneath. Even though I can see that he sickens her, I can also see the longing in her beautiful eyes.
Theren drops his hand as he casts Aima a look of irritation over the top of Eilish’s head.
“Is all of this worth your defiance, Aima?” he asks. “Your allies are being slain within the walls of their pitiful little refuge despite your efforts to protect them.”
“We won’t fall to your intimidation,” Eilish says as she boldly grabs Theren’s arm and stares him in the eyes. My brother’s brow furrows. He struggles to grab his sleeve with his free hand but manages and then yanks the fabric away. Sweat beads on his brow. One of Eilish’s eyes turns black as night while the other remains blue.
“Leave here now, or we will not be responsible for the lives lost within this clearing,” she says.
Just then, the sound of tortured screams fills the air. Heads turn to search for the new enemy, but there’s nothing to be seen. Theren sends a burst of magic into Eilish that highlights her whole body. As I watch, he forces her to kneel at his feet. She fights his compulsion and the glow surrounding her body begins to fade. She makes it back up to her feet and Aima assists her as my brother tosses his head back and expels red smoke from his lungs.
I move in front of him and shove him back with my shoulder, unable to use my bound hands. “Calm yourself, Brother! Don’t you sense the spirits in the forest?” I demand.
Theren stills. He eyes me suspiciously, then probes the forest with his magic. I can feel the tendrils of darkness creeping around me. When he tears his gaze away, I know he senses them, too. Theren returns to his place before Eilish and Aima.
“You will call off the spirits that approach,” he demands.
“I can’t call off the spirits,” Eilish responds as she glares up at him, still humbled by his magic. “This isn’t my world. The spirits only answer to the Guardian.”
“Then call him to me.” Theren paces. He tilts his head and arrows soar through the sky. Eilish doesn’t move and neither does Aima. The arrows form a perfect circle around them. Theren turns back to face Eilish.
“I can’t,” she says.
“You walk through his land without limit,” he says, glaring at her. “So don’t bother lying to me. Call the Guardian of The Veil and I will deal with him myself.”
“No.”
“No?” Theren growls as he moves to stand directly in front of her, trying to make her cower by the fact that he’s so much larger than she is
“No,” she answers.
“You don’t understand the danger you face, Eilish.” He grabs Aima and forces her to her knees, then holds a shard of mirror to his former lover’s throat. “If you don’t care what happens to you, then I can’t convince you otherwise. But I see it in your eyes that you care for the others.”
“Theren,” Eilish says as her eyes narrow on him.
“Must they all die?” he asks.
“It’s not only spirits on their way to remove you,” Eilish replies as a soldier runs to his king’s side. I barely make out what the young warrior says, but I catch the end as clear as day. Dread fills my gut.
“Some of the soldiers along the east end of the forest were slaughtered, others possessed by spirits,” the soldier says, his eyes wide. I don’t know why Pyre and the others are fighting back. It’s foolish. They have no hope of winning against Theren’s numbers... not unless Pyre has another trick up his sleeve.
###
Morrigan
The Veil
Boots pound against the slab of wood above my head. The sprite appears concerned, which is surprising as he usually acts as though he doesn't care about his companions. But the sound of Unseelie soldiers entering the cottage puts him on edge. I shift backwards, moving further into the darkness, and lower myself to the sacks of flour against the back wall.
Closing my eyes, I project my soul to Variant’s palace.
Variant is not in the throne room. I float through the corridors until I stumble on a faint light spilling beneath the door of his study. The sounds beyond the door make my skin crawl. My palm vibrates as I attempt to push myself through the wood, but I flinch away from the wards. They are similar to the ones used on my bedchamber in the tower.
“Variant, open the door.”
The sounds stop instantly. It takes more time than I would like for Variant to crack the door open. I step inside and look around, not seeing anything out of place, which makes me suspicious.
“What do you want, Morrigan? Your habit of showing up unannounced is growing tedious. I can’t work if you insist on interrupting, can I?”
“Enough of your complaining! Theren has entered The Veil,” I snap. He whirls around to face me and I see a light mark peeking out from beneath the hair near his ear. I'm not close enough to see it properly, but it looks like some sort of rune.
“And?”
“If Theren is successful in claiming the power of this world, then you're no longer useful to me.” My threats rarely have an impact on Variant because I’ve trained him to think I’m powerless, that I serve him and that his actions are his own. But I see the anger rise within him.
“Do you think Theren has the guts to do what I've done for you?” Variant insists. “All the blood on my hands... Never mind. Don’t trust Theren to do this. He'll keep that power for himself, Morrigan…”
Variant's knees buckle.
He collapses against his desk, face pale and sweat-dampened. I run over to him, unable to touch him, but I try to siphon my power into him. What little power I still have left. My corporeal form flickers. “You should have told me the spell was wearing off,” I whisper. “I'm giving you some of my strength for now, but you must hurry. Get to Oronrel unseen and make sure you can make it through the portal before it closes. They have something big planned and we don’t need to run into trouble before we get my power back.”
“I will do as you ask…”
“Good. What news do you have of Silvanus?”
“His magic triggered our alarms near the temple where the sacrifice is to be made. If he figures out our plans, then we may end up fighting him before we're ready.” Variant stands up straighter as my magic reinforces the spells within him. That kingly
arrogance returns in the blink of an eye.
“The talisman is complete, Morrigan. You must find a way to escape. And once you do, go to the Threst and see the artificer.”
“I am pleased to hear this, Variant. I will do my best to find a way out of this place. We shall meet again soon.”
I return to my body, where the sounds of battle echo through the small cottage. Blood trickles through the floorboards. Fluff flies over to the corner and crawls out of the cellar, squeezing his little body between the wooden slats. I am alone at last, able to think without worry of being watched. Variant’s spell is weakening, so there’s no telling how lucid Theren is at the moment.
Back when I first came to Variant and Theren in search of allies, they turned me away, refusing to disturb the balance in favor of chaos. And I did not take that rejection kindly. A spell that seemed so simple at the time had nearly drained the last of my power, depleting the reserves left after Silvanus’ betrayal. It was a spell that separated good and evil within an individual, forcing the goodness to retreat to the back of the mind while darkness prevailed.
What I wouldn’t give to cast such a spell again…
But I should soon be able to.
If the talisman works as the artificer promised, then I will have nearly enough power to destroy the one who holds my power captive and to take back what’s mine. My hands brush along the seams of the floor, looking for a way out that won’t alert the Unseelie soldiers to my presence. If Theren’s spell has worn thin, he may demand my capture.
A few boards are loose beneath the apothecary closet near the kitchens.
I search the cellar for a way to pry the wood free and find a few dull blades that appear to have once been used for cooking. My fingers tremble as I wedge the knife between the boards and attempt to force them open. A slab nearly hits me in the head, but I catch it in time, causing the knife to rattle to the floor. An Unseelie soldier stops nearby. I hold my breath and wait for him to attack Dragan with the others, using the noise to cover my progress.
