Guardians of Fire

by Alexia Purdy

  Shade huffed, breathing hard from the effects of The Heart’s magic as it transformed her into an Ancient Faery. My heart burst, watching all this. I couldn’t take it anymore but continued to watch helplessly from the other side of the barrier.

  “You’ve already haunted me for far too long, Kilara. It’s time I excise you forever.” Shade reached out and shoved the shard deeper into Kilara’s chest. “With this crystal infused with the magic of The Heart of Fire and Ice, and the blessing of the Land of Faerie, I end you, Kilara. You’re already withering. The magic will not save you no matter how far you go to stop it. Death’s embrace comes swiftly, gently. That’s more than you ever deserved. I am ready to take your place. Reluctantly so.”

  Kilara narrowed her eyes. They pinched shut and her nostrils flared as the pain became unbearable. Shade also seemed to be feeling the pain as she watched the crystal turn Kilara’s skin an ashen grey.

  Kilara could no longer move, and the stone-like coloring crept up out across her abdomen and down her legs. Her eyes snapped open once more, and she glared at Shade, her lips frowning, her rage burning in her eyes.

  Kilara’s rage softened as her life force drained. Her lips turned upward into a peaceful grin as she dropped to her knees, gasping for air as blood blossomed out of her mouth.

  “Thank you for this release, my descendent. You will be sorry for what you’ve done, for every memory and everything that I am will be yours now. Every burden, every sadness, and every torture are all yours. Mortality will never be yours again. You will see what kind of suffering eternity will cause you. Torturous eternity. All is yours now. But I offer you one last gift. One you owe me for your betrayal.”

  Kilara turned her neck, which was just about to be imbued with the crystals as they crawled upward. “Rylan would have been my servant, forevermore. He would have been safe in my care, but now, I can only curse him with eternal slumber. I take his consciousness with me, and you will never have him again.” She closed her eyes, her smile widening on her lips.

  Shade shook her head, eyes wide in horror. She turned to look at Soap as he collapsed, crumpling to the ground as a gasp escaped his lips. He lay perfectly still, unmoving, as I ran toward him.

  “No!” Shade couldn’t move. The crystals blocked her way as well. She screamed insensibly as she looked to me. “Help him, Dylan! Please!”

  Soap lay so perfectly motionless, I was afraid to touch him. His coloring drained rapidly until his skin was a grey shade, but the withering never came. She had said eternal slumber, not death, right? What could we do to wake him from this? We didn’t have the power to do so. Not on the dying words of an Ancient.

  “You see, Shade? Eternity is a long time to watch what you love wither away, no matter what you do.”

  With Kilara’s last breath, silence filled in the room as the rock grasped onto her face. She could no longer move her jaw or speak. I watched her as her eyes turned to black, icy stone and her hair froze into waves of darkness and obsidian. She was now a statute of dark black glass which could no longer move or breathe, because she was no longer her.

  The moment the stone sealed around her and she became one with the earth again, silence reigned for several moments. Then I felt her energy pummel right through me, sending everyone on the other side of the doorway backward and to the floor.

  Shade collapsed to her knees as the Ancients moved to the other side of the room, watching her and Kilara. Kilara had stopped moving, and the last of her crystallized before it exploded into a thousand fluttering bits of ash.

  Shade leaned over, her eyes shut tight while she heaved from the transition. I wanted to do nothing but to reach and hold her. “Shade! Are you okay?”

  She stared hard at the rain of ashes before her. The other Ancients stood together, watching her, but made no move to interrupt anything. Had they planned this? Had they manipulated Shade into coming here to end Kilara and take her place? What did it mean?

  Suddenly, a piercing pain ignited inside me, radiating up my left arm from my ring finger. I dropped to my knees just as I heard Soap groan in his sleep as well.

  “My ring! It’s burning!” I yelped and held my hand out away from me as if it would spontaneously combust. “My ring… it’s melting!”

  Everyone stood by, shocked and unsure about what to do as they watched my wedding band melt off my finger, the liquid metal trailing down my arm as I held it up, willing for it to cool down. It wouldn’t end, and the agony persisted as the fluid seared my skin, leaving trails of metal embedded into it, past my layers of glamour and onto my very body. Isolde held out Soap’s hand to keep it out of the molten puddle of metal forming under his arm, but it still drizzled down his arm up to his elbow, sizzling the flesh.

  He paled even more in his sleep. He’d felt it as much I had.

  I was on the floor, writhing in pain as the metal melted down into my skin. It steamed, sizzling as it finally cooled, leaving marks like a tattoo of metal on us both.

  The pain suddenly stopped, but the veins of metal trailing down our arms remained. I heaved, breathing in and out hard as I peered up through my tears and the barrier separating me from my beloved. Shade was still on her knees, Kilara’s blood on her hands as she shook, spasms rippling through her.

  “Shade!” I called, but my vision blurred, the agony draining the last of my magic to the point that I nearly passed out. I turned to look at Soap, who was fortunate to be passed out while the metal melded into his skin. The hall smelled faintly of burnt flesh and hair and acrid smoke. Benton stood over me, frantically pulling out ointments and herbal mashes to place on my injuries while also tossing supplies to Isolde, who was now aiding the unconscious Soap.

  “Fuck! This is out of control!” Benton cursed. “Dylan?”

  “What?” I grunted, squeezing my eyes through the pain as he pressed his treatments onto my wounds.

  “We need to find a way to get in the chamber. Do you know of any spell or charms we could use?”

  “You forget, I’m not a warlock or a witch. That’s your domain, isn’t it?” I continued to huff out breaths, blinking often to clear my eyes so I could keep Shade in my sight.

  “Crap, I don’t know any that can help.” Benton cursed again. I felt for him. He felt as helpless I did. As all of us did. This was insanity amplified.

  “Shade… I need to help her.” I tried to get up, but Benton held me down, eyes widening.

  “No way, man, your arm… it’s actually burned! I can’t believe it. I thought Teleen didn’t burn.”

  “Our magic is worthless here. We are practically humans.”

  “I need to wrap this up. It—it’s bad.”

  Isolde worked on Soap as I watched for movement inside the chamber. I felt the agony still sizzling throughout my body, like I’d something vital had been severed. I could no longer feel Shade’s heartbeat in rhythm with mine.

  “Wait.” I jerked to the left, trying to drag myself closer to Shade. “I can’t feel her anymore.”

  “You can’t feel what?” Benton eyed me, a wild confusion in his eyes.

  I strained to clear my vision, shaking my head as I sucked in a breath. “I can’t feel Shade anymore. Our bond… our bond is broken!”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Shade

  I felt the loss of my connections to Dylan and Soap immediately, but I dared not speak. The magic from Kilara’s corpse and The Heart was seeping into me. They both pulsated through me, a magical vortex I’d never felt the likes of before. I could barely keep my kneeling position without falling over while it drove into me, filling the now empty spaces where my bonds had been. They had kept me alive and happy for the past year of my life. What would I do without them?

  But the worry dissipated. I suddenly felt euphoric. It was like a joy I’d never known before. I could feel the heartbeats of my children, safe and protected from the onslaught of magic inside my womb. I had accepted the position of Summer Ancient of Faerie. Though I had known it would entail so m
uch more than I was prepared for, I hadn’t known it would so violently severe my bonds to Dylan and Soap.

  Soap. Was he dead?

  I squeezed my eyes as my body involuntarily twitched. I could feel a faint life force within his pale body. He was there, but forever slumbering. It’d been all my fault. I should have shut Kilara’s mouth before she could say anything more and curse my fiancé with this eternal sleep. Now, even with my new powers, I knew I’d never be able to wake him from the curse. At least, not alone.

  One day, I’ll fix this. I’ll fix everything.

  I felt the three other entities in the room lining the rear wall, watching as the magic poured into me. I would now spend an eternity either hating or loving these three beings, for they would be my only companions for all of time. It was a duty I had accepted along with all the consequences that accompanied it. I had known there would be some. Nothing ever came cheaply in Faerie, not even to the Ancients in command of the four realms.

  I was one of them now. Forevermore. I had my children, at least, but as Kilara’s memories flooded my mind and fused with my own, I knew I would carry them, bear them, love them, wean them, and then give them away for another mother to love. Ancients did not raise their offspring. We could reproduce to create heirs for our lineage in case something like this ever happened, but we were not destined to raise them.

  We were not meant for family, or love, or any kind of permanence except in the castles we created for ourselves to inhabit. We were keepers of the realms, guardians of fire, ice, earth, and water, servants to the will of Faerie.

  Duty over love and family. Always.

  I cried as the power finished its infusion. I felt completely different—elated, sad, overwhelmed, yet calm and confident. I cried because I knew that when we all left this place, the center of magic in Faerie, I would no longer be married to Dylan and no longer engaged to Soap. They’d be better off without me. So would my children. When the time came, I would take them back to The Scren and leave them where they rightfully belonged, without me.

  Each tear sliding down my cheeks represented one of these sacrifices as I rose to my feet and stared at my brother, watching me through the barrier.

  Goodbye, Benton. Take care of James and Anna for me. It’s over. I promise. It’s all over.

  He mouthed “no,” furiously shaking his head as he begged me to stop. I could no longer hear his or anyone else’s yells through the solidifying barrier. I turned toward Dylan, who had barely gotten to his feet and was being held up by my brother.

  I love you, Dylan. I always will. I’ll see you again one day, but maybe not for a long time.

  He shook his head, mouthing protests, but I had, with a mere thought, stopped any sound from penetrating the barrier, afraid each call would change my mind. There was no turning back. I knew this now.

  “Come, Shade,” Arthas said gently. “I’ll take you to where you can rest. This has been a harrowing day, and you are now one of us. We four may not always get along, but we are the only family any of us can ever have.” He helped me to my feet, holding me upright as he slid his arm over my shoulders, and I numbingly walked with him, turning away from the now completely opaque entrance to the chamber.

  “Why should I go with you? Why not Rowan or Corb?” I turned toward them and found them gone. They had left the chamber without another word. “They left me here. They didn’t care to see me out? What the hell?” My bitter voice choked, but Arthas held me tight and pulled me into his embrace as my sobs began. I didn’t even know why I cried for them; they were not my friends, I was not theirs. Why would it matter?

  “Shh… it’s all right, Shade. They both have their own business to attend to. I am here for you now. I’ll show you what you need to know about ruling Faerie. Trust me, it won’t be that bad. You’ll love it. I promise. Don’t worry, it’ll all be all right.”

  “But you… you’re not the one who’s supposed to help me.” I sniffled, afraid to look up and meet Arthas’s gaze, but he moved his hand under my chin and forced to look into his dark, obsidian eyes. They were full of Unseelie magic. He was no longer bound to me, and the iron bracelet was now absent from his wrist. He was at full power and wide awake, with no one to control him.

  “You’ll go with me because I know all the ways of the Ancients. I can tell you everything you want to know. I swear that I will leave nothing out. Not like the others, who like to toy with you. I am an open book to you. I will do anything you want if you go with me. Anything you wish, it shall be yours.”

  My lips trembled. I was too tired to argue, but I wanted reassurances.

  “I’ll go with you, but only if you return all my friends to The Scren so that they can get help and… and… there’s something else. Something you must do to prove your loyalty to me.”

  He smirked, amused by my demands. “Speak, and it shall be done.”

  I straightened, wiping my face and clearing my throat. For the first time in forever, I felt even more powerful than any of the other three Ancients. I knew what the Land of Faerie wanted me to ask Arthas. I knew it was the right thing to do. I just didn’t know how Arthas would feel about it. Still, he’d killed one of his own heirs before, what would be one more?

  “I want you to eliminate Oran. I will not allow my sister to marry him. She loves another, and she deserves to have what I never could. She must marry Nautilus, not Oran.”

  “The strongest of my heirs… you want me to kill him?”

  I nodded, daring him to reject the idea.

  He laughed, throwing his head back and grinning as though I’d just told him the world’s funniest joke. “All you desire, Your Majesty, shall be done. I swear my allegiance to you, Shade. Forever.”

  Epilogue

  Shade

  This isn’t over. Far from it. I sit on my throne and watch the world go by, for time means nothing to me. Human lives fade in but the blink of an eye. I will watch, and when the Land of Faerie calls to me, I will answer the call. I will see my offspring grow strong and tall. I will watch and ponder how long one of my two loves will slumber, cursed and lost to the world until the right magic comes along to awaken him once more. Until then, I vow never to return to the world unless I have a solution.

  I only hope those I left behind can live without me. Perhaps they will find the magic to awaken Soap. Dylan rules The Scren, and I hope he will move on in the wake of all that has happened. I no longer feel his turmoil. It is best this way.

  The world is not for Ancients of Faerie. It’s for faeries and mortals. I am but a lurker in the forest, waiting for the next adventure. But duty to the Land of Faerie comes first.

  Always.

  Acknowledgments

  Alexia Purdy

  This story was a difficult undertaking for me in more ways than one. I struggled with it and it fought me the whole way through. It being the eighth book in my Dark Faerie Tale world, I didn’t want to fail fans or rush the story in any way. So, with the help of many people, I tore this story apart, bit by tiny bit, and slapped it back together into something that resembled a story I wanted to tell. My characters deserved to be honored with the best world I could create and this is the result of blood, sweat, and tons of tears.

  To acknowledge those who helped me along the way, I owe so much to you guys! To my beta readers: Stacy Harkins, Sherry Christianson, Janine Porter, and Rebecca Willing, your words of encouragement kept me going when I wanted to give up. Thanks for the motivation you threw my way and thoughts on the story. You rock.

  And to my brainstorming partner in crime, Michael K. Rose who helped me dissect this story more and pull it together, and keep it together, thanks for your endless support.

  About the Author

  Alexia Purdy

  Alexia is a USA Today Bestselling author who currently lives in Las Vegas and loves spending every free moment writing or hanging out with her four rambunctious kids. Writing is the ultimate getaway for her since she's always lost in her head. She is best known for her aw
ard-winning Reign of Blood series, and A Dark Faerie Tale Series.

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  More books by Alexia Purdy:

  The ArcKnight Chronicles:

  ArcKnight

  Sovereignty

  Reign of Blood Series

  Reign of Blood

  Disarming (Reign of Blood #2)

  Elijah (The Miel Chronicles):

  A Reign of Blood Companion Story

  Amplified (Reign of Blood #3)

  A Dark Faerie Tale Series

  The Withering Palace (A Dark Faerie Tale #0.1)

  Evangeline (A Dark Faerie Tale #0.5)

  Ever Shade (A Dark Faerie Tale #1)

  Ever Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #2)

  Ever Winter (A Dark Faerie Tale #3)

  The Cursed (A Dark Faerie Tale #3.5)

  Ever Wrath (A Dark Faerie Tale #4)

  Without Armor (A Dark Faerie Tale #4.5)

  History of Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #5)

  Ever Dead (A Dark Faerie Tale #6)

  Legends of Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #7)

  Guardians of Fire (A Dark Faerie Tale #8)

  Other Stories

  The Fall of Sky

  Papercut Doll

  Wicked Grove

  Short Stories

  Never Say Such Things