by Plum Pascal
I shove down the twinge of jealousy that sparks in my chest. “Morrigan is a traitor to the Realms and every creature she once sought to protect. Silvanus has the answers we need, but finding him will be impossible with all of us scattered around like we are. So, we need a new plan,” I say.
Kolvar pokes at the fire with a large stick and smiles. “Once Pyre is able, he and the vampire can work toward sealin’ all of the portals so that only they will be able to open them. Let’s not have any more leaks that’ll kill everthin’ in sight, eh? While you lot are doin’ that, Eilish, Dragan, and I can go see the mercenary king. With my clan and whatever men he can spare, we’ll liberate the critters at the Threst so Variant can’t do anymore harvestin’.”
“I likes his plan,” Flumph says. “It actually make fuckin’ sense for a change.”
THIRTY-THREE
Eilish
The Veil
Silvanus warned me that Morrigan couldn’t be trusted, but I insisted that we save her from Variant’s palace. And that was a huge mistake. I’m just as guilty as Cambion in the destruction of Pyre’s home—I can’t blame Cambion for things that I contributed to indirectly. All of us have made mistakes, but mine won’t let me sleep through the night.
The others choose to believe in fate, but I struggle to believe that something out there is writing my story, that I don’t control the things that I do or say. My head hurts, but not as much as my leg. I feel just strong enough to heal the gash on my thigh, because I’m slowing us down. The realization of my role in all of this pains me more than I care to admit. And though I don’t know who took my memories or who killed my family, I know that whatever power rests inside me is responsible. The one who killed my mother and sister, the dark figure who haunts my dreams... he wants me for something.
And the Midnight Queen knows what that something is.
I’m upset she escaped, but maybe it’s for the best. I’m not sure I would have been able to control my impulse to kill her after Baron revealed that she’d been present the day he was killed. I care for the vampire deeply—so much that seeing him avenged would have brought me pleasure.
I kick a loose rock and stand up to pace between the trees. The fire from the campsite casts my shadow on the trunks of the living oak. Anger, guilt, and frustration war within me. So much blood has been spilled in the race for power, the race for the Throne of The Gods. But how powerful could the throne be, if all of the gods were slaughtered by Abedon?
Did none of them best him in combat? One being was strong enough to lay waste to the deities, and yet Silvanus was able to imprison Abedon almost single-handedly. A branch snaps to my left and I reach for my dagger. Baron holds his hands up defensively and winces as if the action summoned some sort of.... Of course. Anyone who has been stabbed to death with a dagger to the heart would be uneasy around an enchanted blade like the one Pyre gifted me.
“I’m sorry, Baron. I wasn’t thinking. The memory must still be fresh for you,” I say softly while sheathing the blade. “How did it feel? When the last piece clicked for you, I mean.”
“It was painful and enlightening.” He moves closer, leaning against the tree beside me. “I expected the memory or the knowledge to change me somehow, but then I remembered that those things had already happened to me, even if I couldn’t recall the details. Life doesn’t care about the details. It makes us who we are without much care for how we feel about the matter.”
“Will it be the same for me, you think?”
Baron shrugs. “You’re plagued by nightmares, Eilish. I’m not. And you’re constantly proving just how much of a contradiction you are. Who knows how you’ll be when you finally remember everything?” The vampire pulls me against him and just... holds me. Baron and I usually struggle with our burning hunger, but this is different. He tilts my head back and brushes my lips with his. I shudder and cling to him. There’s no lust, no seduction, and none of the urgency that usually flows through our kiss. It’s desperate and deep and so much more than a kiss should be.
His hands against my lower back make me feel safe and secure in his embrace, like I can face the dawn without fear of what might come next. Baron’s kiss feeds something in my soul, the part of me that yearns for Cambion’s light. It’s not enough from the vampire to allow the angel in me to flourish, but it’s enough to make me feel something that isn’t dictated by my succubus side. His hand moves further up my back and traces the lines that mark me as an angel. I twitch, but I don’t pull away from the embrace.
It feels intimate in a way I’ve never felt before.
“Pyre is training you to take his place,” I say as he nods. “That means you’ll stay here when all of this is over?”
“When all of this is over seems a long way off,” he answers with a shrug.
“It all has to end some time,” I say.
He nods. “And when it does, yes, I do plan to remain here.”
“Then what will become of us?” I ask as I face him.
“I don’t know,” he answers. “But, let’s not worry about that now. Our focus needs to be on the immediate future, Eilish. We need to focus on defeating Morrigan.”
The sound of Kolvar’s laughter breaks the moment and Baron steps back. I stare into his eyes and feel like I’m drowning in a sea of emotions I don’t understand. Licking his lips, Baron takes my hand, leading me back to the camp where the others listen to Kolvar’s tales. Kolvar reveals how he and Cambion first met before the great battle.
“I was in the middle of a tavern brawl—of course, I were the one winnin’ and I’ll call anyone a liar if they say that ain’t true. Then the King of Some Fuckin’ fae realm comes inside and the whole place gets real quiet. He’s got that annoyin’ look on his face that’s a cross between constipation and amusement. You know the one.”
Everyone laughs and nods in agreement, but I bite the inside of my cheek and continue listening as Kolvar recants the tale. I can’t say I’m in a very jovial mood.
“Cambion looks right at me and says, ‘I could use someone with your skill, satyr.’ I swear by the gods that I laughed right in his smug face. Then he raises his hand and knocks me on my ass with a spell! That’s cheatin’ in a tavern brawl, you know? But Cambion don’t care one bit, just cocks his girly brow at me.”
“Then what? You kills him?” Flumph asks nonsensically. I roll my eyes and pinch the little sprite’s cheek. Noni laughs at Flumph’s poor attempt at humor and cuddles up with her master. Pyre shivers in his robes and Noni uses her magic to comfort him. A small smile tugs at the corner of his lips and he slowly drifts off to sleep as the story comes to an end—Kolvar and Cambion shared a few drinks after their fight came to an end and the large satyr agreed to help in the battle.
I find the story interesting, but I also think it shows more about Cambion than the others realize. “Cambion didn’t want to bring the Unseelie here,” I say suddenly, surprising myself with the weight of my own words. “There are deities tangled in this mess and other beings like Morrigan. Cambion, Variant, and Theren are all victims in my eyes. They’re being controlled by… something and shouldn’t be held accountable for—”
“No,” Dragan barks. “I won’t sit here and listen while you try to defend Cambion or any of the others. Eilish, Cambion may not have meant to bring the Unseelie army to our doorstep, but he deliberately went behind our backs and practically handed Theren everything he needed to find us.”
“Just listen for a second,” I argue. “You weren’t there when I was talking with Theren.” I stand up and look around the camp at my companions. “Cambion tried to help Aima and me. He argued on our behalf and begged Theren to see reason. And when I was connecting with him—”
“How do you know the connection was real?” Dragan cuts me off again. “After we trusted Morrigan when you told us about your vision, I can’t risk believing in him or her again. This group can’t afford any more hits. Until Cambion proves his worth, he’s as much an enemy to me as the others.”
“Don’t trust my vision, then, but trust my magic, Dragan. You’ve seen some of what I can do, but there’s more. I can use my magic to probe someone’s soul. Kolvar witnessed it, and so has Aima. And when Theren touched me in the clearing, he wasn’t alone there. The King of The Unseelie Court isn’t in control of himself. I don’t know what’s happened to him, but that person I met out there, that isn’t him,” I argue. “And neither is Variant. We need to help Cambion so he doesn’t end up like them, trapped in his own mind while Morrigan uses him as a puppet.”
“Morrigan has no power. Even Pyre couldn’t sense much of any strength inside the Midnight Queen.” Baron stands up and faces me boldly. “I’m not saying you’re wrong or right, but we can’t just go on another rescue mission when we don’t have all the answers. We have to assume that Cambion may already be corrupted. Let’s follow Kolvar’s plan, all right?” The vampire reaches for me, but I turn away from him and walk over to my corner of camp, keeping my back to all of them.
When the others fall asleep, I follow suit. I don’t know how long it is until Pyre wakes me. He limps off and I follow him as he points to another portal not far from where we stand. “That’s the main portal to the Unseelie Kingdom, one not even Noni knows of. You and I need to close it, Eilish. I can’t do it without your power.”
“What about Baron?” I ask.
“He isn’t a strong enough spellcaster just yet. Please.” Pyre begins walking toward the portal, leaving me no choice but to follow him. His steps are careful, so as to not cause himself more pain than necessary. “I agree with you, by the way. The others do as well, but it’s still too soon for them to properly process what they saw in that clearing. I know Cambion wasn’t acting freely and he did what he thought was best. It’ll take the others time to see that. Give them that time.”
We close the portal much more easily than I’d expected and make our way back before the others are the wiser. I lay beside Dragan. Though we’ve argued over Cambion, I still find myself seeking his comfort. Baron reaches for me subconsciously in his sleep and I tangle my fingers with his and close my eyes. But, of course, the dreams return…
Go, now, Eilish, run!
The voice grows more insistent, panicking even. I don’t know where it’s coming from, if someone I can’t see is talking to me or if the voice is just in my head. Or if I’m just imagining the whole thing.
“I can’t... run anymore,” I say out loud, panting with the exertion it takes to speak. My voice sounds strangely foreign—high-pitched and terrified. Inhaling, I shake my head as I face the road ahead of me—asphalt that stretches for what seems like miles, with only the loneliness of a dark forest on either side to keep it company. And the occasional broken-down car, mostly reduced to a skeletal, rusted frame.
It’s coming, the voice warns. I can hear it. Tree limbs snap behind me, accompanied by growling and the sound of something sniffing, catching my scent on the wind. Move, Eilish!
My heart beats like a frightened bird trapped in a tiny cage. The chills are growing stronger now, refusing to let go. Beneath my armpits, my shirt is soaked, and still more beads of perspiration bleed from my hairline. I’m so exhausted, the idea of continuing on makes me want to pass out.
If it finds you, it will rip you to pieces, the voice cautions.
My eyes open just as the sun begins to rise. What was the beast chasing me in the forest? No. Not a beast, a man. I know it wasn’t a beast, though it growled like one. Whoever he was, Morrigan didn’t want him to catch me. Was it out of concern, or something more malicious?
THIRTY-FOUR
Flumph
The Veil
My skin prickin’ like a son o’ a bitch when I sleepin’. Everythin’ begin to spin around, like when that fuckin’ dragon show up an’ starts burnin’ shit. It were real scary. One minute, I helpin’ the shadow dick fight the Unseelie jerks, an’ then the fightin’ turn real crazy. Harpies—big fuckers with pretty faces an’ ugly-ass wingses—just swoop down an’ picks up soldiers like they don’t weigh nothin’ at all! It scare the shit outta me an’ I was screamin’! I ain’t afraid to says it.
There be some things in life us sprites ain’t ‘pose to see. An’ a giant dragon be one o’ them.
I thought my heart was gonna fall outta my anus-hole when the ground were shakin’ an’ rumblin’ all scary-like. The growlin’ an’ breathin’ fire weren’t no fun, neither. Then the lightnin’! HOLY FUCK! Since when do them big lizards do that, huh? I ain’t never seens it before. Then again, I ain’t never really seen a dragon before, either, so I don’t really knows exactly what they like. But breathin’ fire an’ lightnin’ ain’t fair. ‘Specially when I were already injured. There I was with my body all hurtin’, an’ then suddenly I was over by the window, watchin’ all hell break loose in The Veil.
Ain’t nothin’ scarier than a fuckin’ dragon, and that’s that! I’ll never sleeps agin without that big ‘ol thing poppin’ into my brain all creepy-like. If not for Noni, I don’t ‘pose I’d be here. She a good one. She don’t piss me off as much as she used ta. Now, we sorta friends an’ I ain’t all that uncomfortable with it no more. Not when she save me every times I get my ass blown off or skewered onto somethin’ sharp an’ pointy. I owe her a hug or somethin’, but that it. I ain’t all lovey-dovey.
But there been a real naggin’ thing in my brain that won’t go away. I gotta talks to Pretty soon as possible. She the only one who wantin’ to figure out what goin’ on with the elf. If it was my choice—which I knows it ain’t—he’d be sinkin’ to the bottoms of some ocean with rocks tied to him’s foots. Fuck him an’ his perfect fuckin’ hair. Unseelie an’ Seelie can both suck a greasy dick!
My little feets carry me over to wheres Pretty sleepin’. I tap her cheek, but she don’t wakes up. She havin’ one o’ them dreams again. I go back to bed an’ let her sleep more. But in the mornin’, we already packin’ up an’ movin’ out like I ain’t in needs o’ some beauty rest after all this shit. I overwhelmed by all the fightin’ an’ dyin’ an’ betrayin’. These giants gonna be the deaths o’ me, I swear it. An’ when I do finally die, I don’t wants no necromancer bringin’ my sexy bones back to life.
When the group leavin’ the forest, I hear them fuckin’ harpies again an’ nearly fall offa the Shadow King’s shoulder. He glare at me all pissy-like, so I goes to climb up Pretty so we can talks ‘bout stuff. Real important stuffs.
“Don’t looks at me or let ‘em know we talkin’,” I whisper, real quiet, in her ear. She just nod her head an’ get to listenin’ real good. “So, the Mother Heifer was doin’ that creepy shit when she leave her body again. An’ when she don’t thinks I listenin’, I really really listenin’, you know?”
She nod again.
“Well, she say somethin’ ‘bout her lover, Abbey, not so long after she babblin’ ‘bout a great dark power or somethin’ like that,” I say. “Now, I thinkin’ they one an’ the same, you know? She been talkin’ ‘bout inefebles power an’ whatsnot for a long time now. Then she escapin’ not too long after. Coincidences? I don’t thunk so.”
Pretty lookin’ real confused, so I tell her all the stuffs I hears the Mother Heifer say. She look like she ate somethin’ real bitter an’ that mean she thinkin’, soze I leaves her to it an’ flys over to Assface. The enormous Satyr cast a shadow on the Ashland ground bigger an’ wider than the fuckin’ mountain we gettin’ closer to. He swattin’ at me likes I some sorta fly or somethin’.
“Hey, you mean what you say when you say you wantin’ to library them fae like me?” I ask him.
“Liberate,” he grate through him’s teeth. “And, yeah, I meant what I said. Worry not, pest. I’ll free the faeries and make sure Variant and every sort like him are dead and gone soon enough.”
Them words makin’ me happy, so I flys by the satyr for a while longer, but when we gets to the fuckin’ mountain, I gotta rest my wings. Shadow King still lettin’ me sits on him from time to time, an’ that make me even happier.<
br />
Then he go ahead an’ make me gag real hard-like when he say, “Thank you for fighting beside me in the cottage, Flumph.” Shadow Dick go all quiet then, makin’ me real awkward, an’ I don’t know whats to say so I just say somethin’ real random.
“How ‘bout them fuckin’ spirits possessin’ the soldiers?”
He snort an’ I knows he know what I doin’. I thinks it funny how we talks ‘bout them creatures like we ain’t similar to them. Heck, for all the Shadow King know, he might be from this place! Not much known ‘bout The Veil. Then he tell me what he reads in the library ‘bout him’s kind, lookin’ all sad. Guss he ain’t from here. Some witch did somethin’ to some rocks an’ he was born or some shit... I don’t know, I gave up listenin’ after a while. ‘Specially when we get to the Echoin’ Spire.
That thing is huge!! Bigger than even Masky—an’ that sayin’ somethin’, ‘cause he real big. I don’t likes the ones in the robes, though. They fuckin’ scary.
EPILOGUE
Cambion
Oronrel
I stand in my study. The balance is in shambles and Variant has all but taken over what’s left of the three realms. My hands tremble slightly as I grip the tankard of mead delivered to my door by one of the faerie servants in my employ. They will all leave soon enough if Variant has his way, for we’re on the brink of war and destruction. I drain the mead from my cup and slam it onto the surface of my desk. It has been many years since I’ve partaken in such activities. My body was once a temple.
A sharp knock sounds on the door. “Enter,” I shout, thinking it’s one of the servants. But it’s not. Instead of a fae creature, something else entirely steps into my study. Her pale locks and even paler skin practically glow in the faint light cast by the fire. My eyes devour her as the subtle curves barely concealed beneath the confines of her clothes beg to be appreciated fully.
