“It’s like the storm that nearly capsized our ship,” Malek shouted over the wind. “How can he be doing this without the sea?”
Sabine shielded her eyes from the wind. Shattered crystals were spiraling through the air, hitting her skin with razor sharpness. “He must still have a hold on the city’s magic. I need to get to the treeheart to sever it.”
“Go! I’ll try to distract him from noticing you.”
“I protected all of you! You owe me your lives!” Marsious yelled into the storm. The wind whipped even more wildly, and Sabine could barely see in front of her.
“Stop this, Marsious! You’ll kill us!” Aberforth managed to shout over the screams of people being struck with broken pieces of shattered crystals. Blue blood ran down their arms and legs, and several of them collapsed.
Sabine struggled to walk against the wind, trying to reach the treeheart. It was too weak to fight without help, but she might be able to cut off Marsious’s access to the magic if she could figure out how he was tapping into it. She pressed her hands against the bark, searching for any ties Marsious might have to the magic of the city. There was nothing. Somehow, during the centuries of inhabiting this place, Marsious had managed to irrevocably entwine himself into the magic of Faerie itself.
This was why he’d gone mad, she realized with shocked horror. It wasn’t because he’d been separated from the sea, but he’d gone mad because he’d tried to steal Fae magic and bend it to his will. He’d somehow corrupted his own power. This madness was of his own design, and the corruption of the treeheart had been a symptom of it.
“Betrayer! You would seek to harm your own people?” Pearl demanded and lifted her hands, stealing the lightning from the storm and striking Marsious. But her efforts were clumsy, a sign the Merwoman was more weakened than she’d let on.
“You dare?” Blue lightning erupted from Marsious’s palms, and Pearl screamed when it struck her. She collapsed a moment later and remained motionless.
“Pearl!” Malek shouted, rushing toward the fallen woman. His skin began to glow from an impending shift.
“Malek, no!” Sabine yelled, desperate for him not to change forms. She couldn’t protect him from the magic of this place and also stop Marsious. She knew what needed to be done, and she needed Malek’s help. He turned toward her, their eyes meeting in a moment of perfect understanding.
He gave her a curt nod. “Do it! Now, Sabine!”
Sabine took a steadying breath and yanked hard on Malek’s magic through their shared bond. Wild heat filled her and pulsed through her blood, burning her from within. She gritted her teeth to fight through the pain. Her blood dripped onto the ground from where the crystals had sliced through her skin. The pain was a suitable sacrifice. It would have to be enough.
“This will not be!” Sabine shouted, lifting her hands and tapping into reserves of her power. Weaving Malek’s magic with her Seelie power, she shot it upward and into the sky, breaking through the threatening storm clouds overhead.
The treeheart glowed, pulsing even more wildly with changing colors as the magic grew in its intensity. Sabine flung out her hand toward the tree, mentally willing it to obey her command. It groaned, shifting in the wind. After reaching down with one of its branches, it grasped Marsious tightly and yanked him high into the air. He thrashed wildly against the restraining branches, a scream ripping from his throat.
“By blood and magic, and by my rights to both,” Sabine yelled, the wind whipping around her wildly as the elements obeyed her command. “You have been found guilty of destroying the balance and committing crimes against your brethren.”
“I’ll kill you all!” Marsious screeched, still trying to escape the treeheart.
“Faerie is under my protection, and you have violated her heart!” Sabine narrowed her eyes on the man responsible for so much corruption. With a flick of her wrist, she shot a crystal shard through the air and impaled the captive Elder through the chest. With a strangled cry, his face fell forward, his long silvered hair covering his chest as his blue blood dripped onto the ground.
The enormity of what she’d done crashed into her, and she took a shaky breath. She’d killed one of the True Folk Elders. It didn’t matter she’d done what was necessary to protect Faerie, she’d taken a life the Fae were forbidden to take.
Dimly, she was aware of choked sobs coming from some of the injured people surrounding her. The pixies had retreated as soon as the storm had broken, hiding among the scarce foliage or in the branches of the treeheart. They creeped out from the underbrush, their eyes wide in fear and uncertainty.
Zander climbed to his feet, blood dripping from his cheek where a piece of crystal had struck him. He stumbled toward Sabine and said, “None here will hold you responsible for taking his life. We weren’t strong enough to face him down on our own, or we would have done it years ago.”
Sabine managed to nod, unsure how to respond. Malek was kneeling beside Pearl, who was sitting up, but the woman’s face was far too pale. A burn mark was etched on her chest, and her clothing was blackened and charred. Aberforth crouched beside her, using some sort of foreign magic on Pearl’s injuries.
Sabine walked toward them and asked, “Will she be all right?”
Aberforth nodded. “Yes. I have some skill with healing magic. I’ll send a runner back to the city and have the rest of the healers meet us here to treat everyone.”
Pearl winced when Aberforth’s hand brushed over an area where her skin was angry and raw. “I’ll recover faster once I return to the sea.”
Sabine stared up at the tree still holding onto the body. She could feel the tree’s aversion to having the Merfolk’s blood so close to its roots, but it wasn’t harming the heart.
“The True Folk owe you a great debt,” Pearl said, following her gaze upward to Marsious’s body. “You have no cause to worry about retaliation. He had been cast out of our ranks ages ago. With your permission, I will arrange to have our people cleanse the soil of Marsious’s taint.”
Sabine regarded Pearl with surprise. She inclined her head and said, “Your assistance would be welcome.”
Zander stared up at Marsious’s body and scowled. “I had no idea Marsious was the reason why we were forced into this hell and our families were unable to return to the sea. How could this have happened? Why did he lead our parents away from the ocean?”
Pearl brushed her hand against the injury on her chest, which still appeared to be causing her some pain. “Marsious was once one of our commanders. When the water dragons began attacking our cities, we sent a large group of our people with him to go into hiding. We had no intention of falling into the same trap as the Fae, so we divided our people rather than risk facing extinction. The Fae agreed to allow our people sanctuary within this city until they could establish another colony in a different part of the world. When the city was attacked and the Fae received the call to retreat, Marsious must have claimed this place for himself.”
Sabine swallowed and glanced at Malek. His jaw had clenched at the reminder of the dragons’ influence, but he remained silent. Sabine slipped her hand in his, and he jerked his head toward her. She gave him a reassuring smile to let him know she didn’t hold the past against him. Once again, he’d proven with his actions he was different from his predecessors. If it weren’t for his magic, she wasn’t sure she would have had the strength to stop Marsious’s attack. As an experienced Elder who had stolen Faerie magic, she’d needed a dragon’s power to destroy Marsious’s ties to her land.
Aberforth stood and then helped Pearl to her feet. “If this is true, you know our families didn’t have anything to do with Marsious’s treachery. Can you give us back our true forms? So we can return to the sea?”
Pearl winced, and she shook her head. “I cannot. What you ask is beyond my power. We are all servants to the phases of the moon. As powerful as I might be, none may circumvent the gods’ will.”
Malek squeezed her hand and nodded toward her wrist. She bi
t her lip, understanding what he was suggesting. She just hoped Lachlina would feel the same way. The goddess was proving to be more than a little unpredictable.
Sabine cleared her throat. “I might have a solution.”
Everyone turned to face her. Sabine whistled loudly, and Blossom appeared a moment later. “You’re okay?”
Blossom nodded. “A couple of the pixies had their wings torn during the storm, but we’re all okay. No main veins were broken, so they’ll heal up pretty quick.”
Sabine frowned. The pixies had gone through quite a bit, but hopefully they would be able to live in peace now. But first, she needed to resolve the Merfolk’s situation.
In a low voice, Sabine whispered, “I need to speak with Lachlina. Will you allow her to use your voice? It will mean revealing your ability to these people.”
Blossom’s eyes went round. She thought about it for a minute and then nodded. “Okay. I can do that if it’ll keep the other pixies safe. One goddess coming right up.”
Blossom’s wings fluttered rapidly and she began to glow, growing more and more brilliant with every movement of her wings. The people surrounding her gasped, and many of them slowly backed away. Even Pearl appeared startled by the change in Blossom.
“You seek my help twice in one day, my little silver flower? Although, I have enjoyed watching the events unfold. Well done.”
“Greetings again, Lachlina,” Sabine said, still somewhat unnerved by the goddess’s familiarity. Even though Lachlina had come to their aid with the treeheart, it would be a while before Sabine could forgive her for killing those innocent hunters. “Your assistance with the treeheart came at an opportune time; however, we could use your guidance again. Your people need you.”
Lachlina sighed. “My little silver flower, I know what you seek. But you do not reward those who try to kill you. Like a weed that is strangling the flower, you rip it out and crush it beneath your boots. They do not belong in your garden, Sabin’theoria. I thought you had learned better when you chose to punish that one.”
Sabine paused. The goddess had a point, but the other True Folk had been acting from a place of desperation. It didn’t make it right, but she could understand their point of view.
She glanced around at the True Folk who had been forced into giving up their homes, just like she had. What they’d done wasn’t much different from the thieving she’d done back in Akros. She couldn’t begrudge these people for doing what was necessary to survive. They’d been cut off from their home and had chosen to make the best out of their situation.
“Even a weed has a place in nature,” Sabine said, reminding the goddess that even stubborn plants have a purpose. “They are as much your children as I am. Their parents were betrayed by someone who should have protected them. Will you continue to punish them simply because they trusted the wrong person?”
A deafening silence greeted her at these words. Blossom continued to glow, her wings fluttering rapidly. Sabine waited, sensing Lachlina was trying to come to a decision.
“An exchange and a sacrifice,” Blossom intoned, her voice sounding even farther away. “The Pearl of the Sea shall be sacrificed to Sabin’theoria. In exchange, she will help forge a new path to the ocean. All those who are willing shall be returned to the sea’s embrace.”
Blossom’s glow quickly faded, and Sabine caught her before she could fall. The tiny pixie panted. “Ouchies. Rough landing. That one hurt.”
Sabine frowned. Lachlina must have used up most of her remaining magic. The goddess still hadn’t fully recovered, or something else was going on. Sabine placed Blossom on her shoulder, and the pixie grabbed her hair, scooting closer to her neck.
Turning toward Pearl, Sabine asked, “I’m assuming the Pearl of the Sea doesn’t mean you?”
Pearl smiled and shook her head. “No. It is one of the artifacts your dragon mate has been seeking. It was entrusted to us by Lachlina to seal the portal. It shall be yours, once you have forged a path to the sea.”
Sabine nodded. “Gather all of your people while I summon a doorway. Anyone who wishes to remain living in Faerie will be permitted to remain here. They will be subject to the laws of Faerie and become citizens of this city. If any of your people wish to be returned to the sea and embrace their true form, they will be allowed to do so.”
The group gathered around them and talked excitedly among themselves. A few of them fell to the ground, crying in relief. Others didn’t appear too sure what this meant, or they were in shock.
“Do we have to decide now?”
Sabine located the man who had asked the question. “Yes. This is the goddess’s gift, and I can’t promise it will be available later.”
Pearl turned toward the man and said, “If you are unsure, I suggest you choose the sea. It is within our power to return you to your human form, but we cannot give you the gift of the ocean.”
The man nodded, his shoulders relaxing. Several others appeared reassured by Pearl’s words.
Another of the True Folk called, “What if some of our family wants to stay here? Will we be allowed to see them?”
Sabine nodded. “Yes. This city shall remain open to all True Folk while they retain their human forms. You and your people will be free to trade, visit, or even live within the confines of the city.”
Pearl smiled. “Atlantia. This city was once called Atlantia, and that was its purpose centuries ago.”
Sabine’s eyes widened. She’d heard of Atlantia, but she hadn’t realized this was the same place. The Fae had always thought it had been lost to the sea during the war. The rumors were true, but not as she’d imagined.
Pearl closed the distance between them and said, “You have done a great thing today. Our people were once allies, and I would see that relationship recognized once again. I would very much like to call you a friend, Sabine.”
“As would I.” Sabine held out her hand, and Pearl took it. “Both allies and friends.”
Malek chuckled. “I don’t suppose you’d consider a dragon in that description?”
Pearl smiled at him and held out her hand to him too. “Very strange alliances indeed.”
Sabine walked through the magical doorway and emerged on the beach, along with Malek, Blossom, Pearl, and hundreds of True Folk. Even some of the pixies had joined them, wanting to see Fae magic at work.
The stars still twinkled in the night sky, but dawn would soon be approaching on the horizon. They were a short distance from Malek’s ship, where Bane was waiting for her. It was tempting to reach out to her demon protector to let him know she was safe, but she needed to hurry while her magic was still strong.
Glancing at Malek, she asked, “Can you shield me?”
Malek nodded and placed his hand against her neck. Her family already knew she was still alive, but it wouldn’t be wise to keep advertising their location. She intended to make this a permanent doorway to Atlantia, and it would be better if her family wasn’t aware of its location. Once she’d entrusted the city to an Unseelie Fae of Balkin’s choosing, they could safeguard it to prevent the rest of her family from accessing it. Only those who were aligned with the Unseelie could ever know about this place.
Pearl stood on the other side of her and asked, “Are you ready?”
Sabine nodded and withdrew her knife. She cut her hand and allowed the blood to fall onto the sand before passing the weapon to Pearl. The Merfolk woman repeated the gesture and held out her hand to Sabine. She accepted Pearl’s hand, nearly staggering as the magic of both land and sea collided together in a tidal wave of power.
Sabine took a steadying breath. Kicking off her sandals, she focused on the connection she shared with the land. She was more than a part of this world. In addition to her power stemming directly from the land, she had also been appointed by the gods to forevermore serve as a caretaker for it. In exchange, the land offered her power beyond imagining. She was dimly aware of Pearl harnessing the power of the sea, and it cradled the Merfolk woman within its cool m
agical embrace.
They both simultaneously held out their hands, reaching toward the sea. The ground trembled, and Sabine cut a deep path directly to the sea from the doorway. Using her blood, she cemented the doorway into this reality. It would only be accessible to those who knew it was here. Once her Beastman protector installed a representative to act as her behalf, they would serve as its gatekeeper.
Sabine nodded at Pearl to indicate it was time. The Merfolk woman gave her a brilliant smile. Turning back toward the sea, Pearl opened her mouth and sang a wordless and haunting melody.
Water rushed through the chasm, lapping at the sand near Sabine’s feet. Pearl stopped singing and laughed, reaching down to splash the cold water on her face. The other True Folk shouted their exultation and danced in the surf, cheering and splashing each other like children. Tears filled Sabine’s eyes at the unrepressed joy these people had at once again being reunited with the sea.
Malek ran his thumb against her neck and murmured, “You did it. You really saved all of these people.”
“Not everyone, but it’s a beginning,” she said and wrapped her arms around Malek.
He kissed her hair and murmured, “A very promising beginning.”
Pearl turned toward her and asked, “You have Ilwan’s necklace?”
Sabine nodded and removed it from around her neck. She handed it to Pearl, and the woman closed her eyes. The necklace glowed, and Pearl turned back toward the waves, her eyes shining with unnamed emotion. “He comes.”
They didn’t have long to wait. Ilwan stepped out of the water in clothing similar to the style worn in Karga. Instead of his tail, he had two legs and very large feet.
“You’re safe,” Ilwan said with a wide grin.
Pearl laughed and leaped at him. He caught her midair, spun her around, and kissed her deeply.
By Blood and Magic Page 36
