by LJ Rivers
“Oh, that’s right. Sorcerers will be allowed to walk the streets of Avalen and put their seeds in Fae bellies.”
“A substantial amount of Enchantium,” Pullhelli added.
“Thank you, Uncle Pulli. A substantial amount, of course.” There was amusement in the undertones of my father’s voice. I suspected it was a combination of him mocking the terms of the agreement and his obviously disrespectful use of the nickname.
“Do you have a counteroffer?” Morgana asked. “One that doesn’t include you ripping the very core out of Avalon?”
Auberon looked around, his eyes not settling on anyone in particular. He seemed almost bored when he spoke. “There’s always the matter of my princess.”
“Your princess? You mean Ruby?”
He smiled at her. “I have but one daughter, dear Aunt. You know, this is really a spectacular occasion in Gwyn Fanonian history. I am no lorekeeper, but I am known to have read a scroll or two. And I can’t seem to recall any point in time where such a family reunion has taken place. We have both the son of Merlin—the most powerful Sorcerer ever to roam the lands, until my return, that is—and Merlin’s brother, whom I am sorry to say does not live up to the family name. I mean no offence, Uncle, but I think you know I’m right. And the two of you, of course.” He held his arms out as if to welcome Morgana and me into an embrace. “The Morgana bloodline, powerful beyond belief. Ruby is the perfect combination of Merlin’s and Morgana’s blood.”
Here it comes.
“Maybe a solution would be for Ruby to rule all of Gwyn Fanon?”
My jaw unhinged, all but dropping to the forest floor. This was not what I had expected.
“What?” Gemma blurted.
“What?” Morgana echoed her outburst.
Somehow, I didn’t think their reactions were quite the same on the inside.
Auberon squared his shoulders. “It makes perfect sense when you think about it, really. She has both our bloodlines, her heart is just and true, and I’m sure you see the same qualities in her as I do.”
“I—I am shocked.” Morgana took a step back.
You and me both.
“Are you really, though? I have only the best intentions, dear Aunt. For my people. And whether you like it or not, I consider all Gwyn Fanonians my people. In fact, I think you should, too.”
Morgana cleared her throat. “Well, yes, in a way I guess you’re right. My sister married Merlin, connecting our two families by law.”
“My Queen!” I couldn’t believe what she was saying. Or about to say. “You can’t possibly agree with him!”
“One moment, Princess.” She patted my shoulder briefly. “I have agreed to nothing. I do, however, want to make sure this is a genuine offer.”
“Of course it is,” Auberon said. “Why would it not? Add to your terms in the agreement that Ruby shall be queen of all of Gwyn Fanon, and I will not march on Avalen.”
Morgana started pacing back and forth, Pullhelli following by her side. They stopped a few yards away, discussing behind cupped hands. Gemma had again stepped up to my father, tugging at his arm to get him to listen to her. He ignored her, his eyes—and wry smile—aimed at me.
“You can’t be serious,” I said. “I have no desire to be queen of anything.”
“Please address me properly, Princess Ruby,” he said calmly.
“And what would you consider a proper way? King or father?”
“Either one will do.”
Morgana and Pullhelli returned before I had time to respond, which was probably for the best. My next suggestion would have been ‘murderer’, and that might have been the proverbial wrench in the wheels of these so-called negotiations.
“I will need your guarantee, King Auberon.” Morgana’s voice had changed. Somehow, it bore an edge of finality, as if she was ready to sign the agreement.
This was madness.
“If I agree to your terms, we both resign our thrones, and Ruby is crowned Queen of Avalon and Mynydd Dewin.”
“Morg—!” I began.
“Gwyn Fanon,” Auberon interjected. “My claim to the throne of the entire realm still stands, and it therefore follows that Ruby’s reign will include the other territories.”
“I cannot negotiate on behalf of the Talani nor the Goblins of Awarnach. And then there are the tribes of Ygrenya Plains, whose leadership I think you’ll find it hard to discern.”
“You forgot the Nadredd,” Auberon said, a chuckle still lurking under his voice. He was having fun!
“The Nadredd?”
“Upon my return, I included Dewmas Islands in my kingdom, and have brought the Nadredd under my wing. They are fierce beasts, as I’m sure every Avalonian would agree.”
“They are children of the Nethers.” Pullhelli did the best impression of a sneer I thought he could muster.
“Be that as it may, they belong to me, and my Master of War has already reported excellent results from their training.”
“And Ruby would suddenly become their queen, is that what you’re saying?” Morgana scoffed. “What plans do you have for yourself and me, then? After we resign?”
“I cannot speak for you, but I would assume you would be dead by that time.”
Crap! I knew he had something up his sleeve.
Morgana slanted her head. “Pardon?”
“Oh, you didn’t think I would step down right at this moment, did you? Please, Aunt Morgana. I have spent decades in your shadow prison, travelled thousands of milepances and more than a thousand years back and forth. You have no idea what pain and suffering I have gone through after you banished me to an eternity in the darkness. Did you for a fleeting moment think I would forget all of that in mere weeks after I have finally returned to claim my rightful place on the throne?”
“Then what do you mean?” There was a slight tremble in the queen’s voice.
“I agree to all your terms, and you keep your position as Queen of Avalon until the day your essence is carried over to my mother’s lake. Meanwhile, Ruby takes her place next to me, as Princess of Gwyn Fanon. I will see to it that all other territories pledge their allegiance to me, King Auberon of Gwyn Fanon. We’ll work out some interim way of describing Gwyn Fanon without Avalon until you finally decide to die.” He waved his hand as if he were explaining to a waiter how he wanted the salad on the side. “Such details are best left to the learned servants, isn’t that right, Uncle Pulli?”
“You’re insane!” I shouted. “There is no way in all the burning flames of the Nethers I’ll ever sit by your side.”
Auberon held his palms up. “Easy now, Princess. I believe that is up to your queen, whose loyalty I hear you have pledged unconditionally.”
“You’ve been spying on me?”
It hit me like a fist to the gut. Rowan. It could only have been him.
“It makes no difference who has told him about your loyalty, Princess Ruby,” Morgana said. “What matters is, he’s right. You have pledged your loyalty to me, until your last gaze upon fair Avalon.”
Crap on top of crap!
“Have you not?”
I couldn’t believe this was happening.
“Princess?” Morgana pressed.
“I—I have.” My inner voice screamed.
“And did you mean it?”
What else could I say? “I did, Your Highness.” And I did. I had never expected her to demand such a sacrifice from me, but as I spoke the words, I realised I was prepared to make it.
Somehow it all came together. My penance. For everything I had set in motion since I started digging into Auberon and Colburn’s empire of crime and suffering. Since I connected with Nimue and stole the chalice she had used to speak to me. Since I led Auberon to the portal and opened it.
Since Mum.
“I meant it, and I will follow your command, My Queen,” I whispered.
“And I have pledged my loyalty to you, Princess. And to my people.” She placed her hands on her hips, eyes narrowed as she face
d my father. “Which is why I reject your terms, Sorcerer King.”
What?
“Wait, what?” I muttered. “Did you say—?”
“Ruby is the heiress to the throne of Avalon. A throne upon which you have no claim, Auberon of Merlin.” She reached out and snapped the parchment from Pullhelli’s hands. “I hereby retract my offer of a peaceful solution to our matters.”
She ripped the parchment to shreds and held the remains high in the air.
“Princess?”
“With pleasure.” I sighed a breath of relief and flicked a marble of flames at the last pieces of a dead deal.
Auberon blew out a puff of air. “Very well, Morgana. You have just sealed the fate of the Avalonian people.”
“That is my burden to bear, as their queen. They would have ashored me had I returned with an agreement that placed you on their throne, that much I can assure you. And just to make it clear, sisterson, you might have us outnumbered, but should you or your soldiers ever cross the line into my queendom without my permission, I will strike you down once more. And this time, there will be no shadow prison waiting for you.”
Morgana turned on her heel and strode towards the opening in the trees, through which we had arrived. The rest of us hurried after her.
“Ruby!” Auberon bellowed. “Do not make the mistake of your life. Join me, and I will lay the entire world at your feet, as I promised I would.”
My heart was threatening to pound straight through my chest, but I didn’t so much as look over my shoulder. I took five quick steps to catch up with Morgana.
“He might be right, you know,” the queen whispered out of the corner of her mouth. “About this being a mistake.”
“After Da died—that is Dennis, the Don Hekal that proved to be the only proper father in my life—I used to sing a song to help me get through the pain of my loss. The words went: ‘What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.’ I think Avalon will emerge on the other side of this ordeal stronger than ever before.”
The trees surrounded us, and what little hint of light there had been in the glade, vanished. I could hear the call of the shadows, but ignored them. Maybe seeing my father had reminded me that the darkness was to be avoided. But no, it wasn’t seeing him. It was her. Gemma, the murdering fox.
Morgana took my hand. “I like that. You should consider having it engraved on your crown when one day you succeed me as queen.”
I said nothing, just kept walking, knowing peace was no longer on the table.
Chapter Thirteen
The sound of drums filled the dark night, and a sheet of stars twinkled above. Evonny was singing, her voice fierce and joyful, while the crowd gathered in the grove that looked a lot different from this morning. The packmaster’s mate wore a floor-length, light brown dress, and her mohawk was gone. Instead, her short hair lay in waves, combed from one side of her head to cascade down to her cheekbone on the other. A cloud of Pixies had gathered in the trees, all holding a tiny orb of healing light, which illuminated the canopies and gave the air a soothing quality.
The entire Gwyntali pack had come, along with Morgana and our company, all standing in front of an arrangement of twigs and branches, weaved together to form an arch about seven feet high and five feet wide. More Pixies sat within the arrangement, their combined lights bathing the open space within the construction. Naheena appeared on the other side of the arch, her silver hair loose and thick around her head. Her dress started from the gold band around her neck and was loosely fitted to her waist, then proceeded in a tight V-line that accentuated her hips. Two white ribbons were twined between her fingers when a man sauntered up to her. Naheena inclined her head at him as the drumbeat slowed. Evonny kept singing, hauntingly and serene, supported only by the sounds of the forest.
The wolves from my own pack kept their distance, though they were all watching with curious looks on their faces. Jen was still struggling with the alpha in her, and while Jack and Erica seemed to slide effortlessly into the Gwyntali pack, they stayed by their alpha’s side. I nodded at Jen, who smiled and flashed her teeth at me, before returning her attention to the arch.
Pullhelli stood among the other primes. He turned his head back to look at me, and gave me a slight nod. There was a quiet understanding between us. And though my head hadn’t quite caught up with the fact that he was family, I found I had come to appreciate him more after learning the truth.
Brendan leaned closer. “I kind of like this for a wedding. You think the Avalonians would accept a celebration like this for their future queen?”
I rolled my eyes, tugging gently at his beard. “Not this again.”
He grinned. “Am I not worthy?”
“You haven’t even asked me if I want to.”
“So, do you want me to ask?”
I shoved him playfully, though my heart sped up. Did I want him to ask? I was too young to get married, albeit maybe not from an Avalonian perspective. I knew he was joking, but since he kept bringing it up, it made me wonder if he was actually trying to find out what my answer would be if he did pop the question. And I loved Brendan, but one day soon we would return to Earth, and this strange fairy tale would be over. Assuming we lived long enough.
The assembly turned as the bride appeared in the treeline with two black wolves flanking her. Her sand-coloured linen dress was loose, fastened with a leather band around her waist. The ends of it brushed against the grass as she made her way through the crowd.
“Stunning, isn’t she?” Charlie said next to me, waving her fingers at Brendan, who nodded and took a step back.
I almost jumped out of my skin. “You’re talking to me again?”
She hunched her shoulders, staring at her feet. “I’ve been a total dimwit. Do you forgive me?”
Pulling her into my arms, I kissed the top of her head. “My little digiwitch.” I stroked her hair gently. “I’m so sorry about Rowan.”
She didn’t reply, just hugged me more tightly.
I kept my arms around her as the bride passed us, and we both gazed at her in pure amazement. Her amber-coloured hair was loose and wavy, with a myriad of tiny braids in between. She beamed as she locked eyes with her intended, who appeared just as full of joy as she did.
When the bride reached the arch, Evonny stopped singing, and Naheena cleared her throat.
“Today, under the hunter’s moon, a day when we run and hunt and make love under the stars, we witness the union of these two young lovers.” Naheena’s voice seemed to amplify in the night, her words lingering in the air. “The hunter’s moon teaches us to be patient, and to consider our actions. We mate for life, and it is not a decision made lightly. This is a day of celebration and magic, when we are stronger, and our hearts fuller.” Naheena levelled her gaze on the couple. “In hearts and minds, you will join. As one, you shall roam the forest, as one you shall howl and hunt, as one you shall struggle and persevere, and as one you shall build and grow roots, for your home, for your family, for your pack and for each other. Because from today you are joined under the hunter’s moon.” Naheena raised the bands and began binding them loosely around the couple’s wrists.
“May your bond withstand the storm, may it hold when the earth trembles below your feet, and may it carry you in times of sorrow. May your bond lift the other up, may it bind you and hold you, may it give support and guidance. By this bond, you are no longer one, apart, but one unit, together.”
The black wolves behind the bride howled, their heads turned to the sky. Around me the pack started shifting, the power of their magic infusing the air. I could feel it deep in my bones as I looked up at the moon. It was a perfect full moon, aside from the light that should have shone from it. Instead, it was more like a grey disc in the sky, reminding me that it had been a month and a half since Lili’s passing. I missed her, but as I stood here, among the wolves, my friends, and with Morgana by my side, I felt a renewed sense of hope. The peace talks had ended badly, and there would be a war. But at lea
st I wasn’t alone. What did my father have? Subjects, not friends. Power, not love. That was no way to live.
I tightened my grip around Charlie, hugging her to me. She giggled, and I put my chin on her shoulder, inhaling the scent of strawberries on her skin.
The couple who had just been joined shifted into a pair of magnificent wolves, one grey, one amber. The bands around their wrists were oddly still bound to their front paws as they set off in a synchronised run, disappearing into the treeline. In seconds, the entire crowd of wolves sprinted after the couple and the glade was nearly empty. Jen looked to her own pack, and the three of them dropped their clothes, shifting together in fluid motions, before joining the Gwyntali wolves.
Naheena approached Morgana, who stood next to Brendan. “I will run with my pack tonight, and we will not require to eat as you do. We will feast in the forest as wolves. Please, help yourselves to what we have prepared for you, and take the night to rest. You have a long journey home.”
Morgana took Naheena’s hands in hers. “Run true, my friend.”
Naheena nodded, turned, and clicked open the gold band around her neck. The entire dress fell off, and I reached out to cover Brendan’s eyes. He smirked, bowing his head. It wouldn’t have mattered, though, because as soon as the dress dropped, Naheena’s body changed, silver fur sprouting from her skin, and in another moment she was all wolf. A stunning one at that.
Another wolf padded up to her, and I instantly recognised her as Evonny. It was the eyes which gave her away. The pair nestled their heads together, then exploded into a run and vanished in the darkness.
“I haven’t witnessed a hunters’ union for years,” Morgana breathed. “It is a privilege.”
“Is it always like this?” Brendan raked his fingers through his beard.
“Yes. And it is as breathtakingly beautiful every time.”
“What now?” Charlie asked. “We stay here tonight, then return to Avalen?”
Morgana had that faraway look in her eyes again. “That would seem the sensible course of action, wouldn’t it?”
