For years as a child I was terrified of going to bed for fear that the amorphous shadow man would be there when I closed my eyes. Now I knew it was the essence from a Nuckalavee that had tormented me, and somehow the knowledge was empowering.
The thick inky cloud in the shape of a man hovered next to the bed menacingly. It began to vibrate with energy but before it could rush at me I lifted my hand and said, “No.” I threw as much power as I could into the command and the form twisted and writhed in agitation.
“I know you are powerless except to haunt my dreams, but I refuse to allow this to continue.” I closed my eyes and sought the place where my dark magic resided and pulled it to the surface, forming a protective barrier around me. As I did, I met resistance but I forced the Nuckalavee presence from my mind. It didn’t go easily, but I didn’t quit until the barrier between us was solid and impenetrable. Brick by brick, layer by layer, I mentally reconstructed the Great Wall of China with me safely inside its walls.
When I opened my eyes in the dream, the room was empty.
Two weeks’ worth of text messages and missed phone calls sat waiting for me the next morning. Most were unimportant, but my mom had started to get worried when she hadn’t heard from me so I called to let her know that I was alive.
I also had thirty-five texts from Cat, starting off casual and growing more concerned each day until she was yelling in all caps. Lochlan and I had discussed on my way home that it would be best for me to continue training before Beltane approached rather than return to work. Since I wouldn’t be seeing Cat at the museum, I dialed her number to find out what had been so urgent.
“Where the hell have you been?” Were the first words out of her mouth.
“Didn’t Fergus tell you I was on a work trip?” I asked innocently.
“Aye, he did but I didn’t believe a word of it, and he wouldn’t tell me the truth no matter what I said,” she snapped at me harshly.
I berated myself for not telling Cat where I was going—she was entirely too inquisitive to have followed along blindly with Fergus’ story. “I had to go do some training and I’m back now, but I can’t come in to work yet. If all goes well, I’ll be back at the museum the first week in May.” I left off the fact that if all didn’t go well, I’d likely be dead.
She was quiet for a moment but in the background I could hear her walking quickly and then the click of a door shutting. “I needed to talk to you because there’s been another prophesy by the oracle and it may concern you,” she whispered harshly. “She said, ‘Before the sun falls, should the nightingale squawk, it’s song will be quieted, by the powerful hawk. When the goodly fire shines, upon feathered wing, the hawk will be blinded, and Luscinia shall sing.’ We don’t have any idea what it all means so we’re hoping that you do.”
My heart started to race with uncertainty as I analyzed the words. The term ‘goodly fire’ stood out and I was almost certain that was what the guide had said was the meaning of Beltane. But who was Luscinia? Was Morgan the hawk? For that matter, how trustworthy was this oracle? Was I supposed to act on her words, supposing I even understood them correctly? “Cat, who is this oracle? How do I even know what she says is right?”
“Because, she’s never been wrong, Becca. Not that there’s been much to predict since I’ve been alive, but the woman is old and she’s always right. Do the words mean anything to you?” she asked, hope clearly written in her tone.
“Sort of, but not totally. Too bad she can’t just speak plainly—it’s like dealing with the Fae, they never just say what they mean. Let me write it down so I can mull it over.” I should have been grateful for any help I could get but adding a prophetic riddle to my problems was an unwanted frustration.
“I’ve got to get back to my desk. Keep me posted and next time, just tell me what’s going on instead of sneaking off, work trip my arse,” she grumbled before the line went dead.
I grinned at my young druid friend. She may have come off a bit mousy at first, but I’d grown to know Cat and timid she was not.
Once I was dressed, I crossed the hall to Lochlan’s room and started to knock on his door when I realized that he might not be alone. The realization jarred me and I froze with my fist in the air, mid-knock. There was a connection between us that had grown while we were in Faery, and he had intimated that I was more than someone he trained and fed from, but that certainly wasn’t an agreement to exclusivity. For all I knew, Lochlan could have a harem of women with which he had a ‘special connection.’
My hand lowered and my heart ached in my chest. The image of him with someone else was soul-crushing and I decided not to knock. Some would say it was cowardice, I was calling it self-preservation. Instead I pulled out the flip phone he had given me and began to type out a text to let him know about the oracle when the door swung open.
Lochlan looked down at me in surprise. “Did you need something?”
“Uh…yeah. You remember how I said I’ve met a couple druids?”
His eyes narrowed and he crossed his arms over his broad chest. “Yes,” he said somewhat impatiently.
“Well, one of the druids is a friend and she said that while we were gone their oracle woman gave a prophecy. I figured you all should know.” I handed over a copy of the prophesy I had written down for him and gave him a tight smile.
As he read the words a brunette popped out of one of the bunk rooms not far down the hall. Most of the guys had homes outside of the building but there were a few rooms available for emergencies or other nocturnal purposes. The woman had pouty, full lips and a curvy figure that swayed when she walked. As she neared where we stood, she gave a sultry smile and winked at Lochlan.
Immediately I whipped around and started to hurry back toward my apartment but was quickly halted when a hand grasped my arm and turned me back around.
“Oh, no you don’t,” he growled as he dragged me back inside his apartment and slammed the door shut, blocking it with his body. “I thought we already went over this.”
“We haven’t gone over anything except that I’m more than just a feeding to you. That doesn’t mean you don’t have several women you categorize in exactly the same way,” I countered with growing agitation.
He stepped forward getting right in my face and put his hands on his narrow hips. “Have I done anything to indicate that?”
“No, but maybe you’re good at keeping us separate. I don’t know, Lochlan. I’m not a mind reader.”
“You don’t have to be a mind reader to trust me.”
“How am I supposed to trust a man who’s lived a lifetime of casual sex and temporary relationships? Especially when the women he’s had sex with float around the building at all hours?”
“That’s not something I can answer for you, but if you can’t trust me, nothing I say or do will be enough. Someone like Ronan could spout all the pretty words in the world but that wouldn’t mean shit. Life is about actions—a man is not who he says he is, but the way he lives his life. See me, see my actions and decide if you can trust the man that I am because I’m not going to continue with the constant scrutiny.” He stepped back and opened the door, his face a hard mask, eyes cast over my head.
As if I didn’t have enough on my plate, he was giving me an ultimatum. I could recognize that my response was likely defensive in nature, but it didn’t stop the anger from welling up inside of me. Instead of saying something I would regret, I gritted my teeth and walked into the hallway just as the door slammed at my back.
21
That afternoon Alberich found me relaxing at home alone, preparing the dinner I had planned for that evening. He explained that opening portals to the Twilight Realm might be more difficult on Earth than it had been from the Shadow Lands because of the lower levels of naturally occurring magic. There was a park not far from the club where he wanted to take me to practice. I had concerns about someone seeing me perform magic but he assured me that it wouldn’t be an issue. I was more than happy to test my skills in the new environment s
o I wasn’t going to argue.
When we entered the lobby on our way out a short time later, Lochlan was leaning against a wall waiting for us. His eyes never strayed in my direction and neither of us said a word to the other.
Before Alberich eased himself into the car, he pulled the Sword of Light from a sheath on his back.
“Don’t you think that’s a little unnecessary?” I asked the Erlking of the Wild Hunt. Good Lord, why couldn’t I keep my mouth shut?
“You wouldn’t balk at a policeman carrying a gun—for us, this is no different.”
“I suppose that’s true, I didn‘t mean to be rude, it just seemed a bit much for a stroll in the park.”
My statement had not called for a response and therefore he gave none. I had wondered what had happened to the weapon and it made sense that the Erlking would keep it close. No one said another word as Lochlan drove us, and if Alberich was aware of the suffocating tension in the car, he was wise enough not to say anything.
The park consisted of an open area with playground lined with several bright green trees waving in the gentle breeze and beyond that was a forested area marked with walking paths. We set off on one of the paths winding through the wooded area until we got to a small clearing. Not nearly as large as the one where I had faced the Sluagh, the space was filled with lush green grasses and a number of colorful wildflowers.
Alberich continued on to the far side of the clearing and disappeared behind the thick tree trunks while Lochlan and I remained in the middle of the clearing. The sun was blindingly bright to my sensitive eyes and now that I knew more about my powers, I could feel my energy drain from the sun. I walked back to a patch of shade near the tree line and Lochlan remained out in the open, his eyes trained off in the distance. Attempting to ignore his sullen presence, I lifted my hands to call forth my magic.
I recalled the precise power balance needed to open a portal, the push and pull of both light and dark, swirling them together at just the right proportions. Because the two repelled one another, I had to almost coax them into intertwining so that they were technically still separate but bound together like the plies of a rope.
Clearing my mind, I pictured the brilliant starlit sky of the Twilight Realm and pushed my magic out into the space in front of me. The magic stirred to life, but when I opened my eyes, nothing was happening. My control over the power instantly crumbled as I was haunted by the memory of those frustrating days of fruitless practices. Despite mastering the skill in Faery, I could barely create a spark now that I was on Earth. I felt like I was back to ground zero and that was enormously disheartening.
I tried two more times before I sat down in the grass in exasperation. What was I doing wrong? Merlin had said they needed to be opened outside, which I had done. Alberich had warned me that there was less magic on Earth and it could affect my abilities—could that mean I might not be able to open the portal at all? Would we need to go to Faery for me to open a portal, and if so, how would we make sure the timing was right?
A woman’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. I turned my head in search of its source but Lochlan was suddenly on his knees before me. He clasped my hands and his wide eyes bore into me intently. “Rebecca, listen to me carefully. It’s Morgan—Alberich is distracting her in the trees. This must be what the oracle meant, you have to stay invisible, no matter what.”
A rush of adrenaline sent me spiraling into a panic. My heart rate instantly skyrocketed and I struggled for air. “What do you mean? What’s happening?”
Those large, steady hands grasped my checks and he spoke to me in a calming tone. “There’s going to be a confrontation. The prophesy spoke of the nightingale singing before it was time to sing, before Beltane—it would be silenced by the hawk. You aren’t ready yet, you must stay invisible. Promise me, Rebecca.”
I nodded my head rapidly. “Okay, I’ll stay hidden.”
“Now.” He stood up and looked toward the trees, masking his features.
With a rush of power, I blanketed myself in the magic to make me invisible just as a blond woman with striking blue eyes stepped into the clearing with Alberich trailing behind her. Like Merlin had said, she looked nothing like the painting that bore her namesake. This woman was stunning, with a long thin neck and high cheekbones, equally as regal as the queen. However, she wore black skin-tight pants with a dark grey scoop-neck top falling off one shoulder and stylish black heeled booties—she was obviously well accustomed to human culture.
“Here he is, the boy who nearly started a war. I drew immense satisfaction from seeing Guin denied what she so desperately wanted when you fought her for the boy, Alberich. For that reason I had thought perhaps you and I would be allies; however, that was not to be.” She turned her attention back to Lochlan’s adoptive father and glared. “It wasn’t long after that I was comforting a dying woman as she told me how you had rejected your own son.”
Alberich wore a confused expression but he wasn’t given a chance to respond before she continued.
“Not to worry, I took in the poor boy and raised him as my own until he was ready to exact his revenge. For years he fed me information right under your nose, until your golden child killed him. How does it feel to know that a no-name bastard that was picked off the streets killed your own flesh and blood?” She hissed the last words, letting loose a taste of her bristling emotions simmering just below the surface.
“Ronan was not my son. I have no biological children,” Alberich barked at her harshly, recovering from his surprise and now back on the offensive. The two powerful Fae circled each other slowly and Alberich unsheathed the sword.
“You try to save your image before your chosen son, but I know the truth, how she came to you with your son and you cast her out on the streets.” More and more she lashed out, her anger evident.
“No such thing happened, but even if he had been my son, he was a traitor, a disgrace,” he growled at her.
She bared her teeth at him and screamed in rage before disappearing and tracing in behind Lochlan, a blade held tightly to his throat as she schooled her features. “It’s only fair, a son for a son,” she said in an eerily calm voice.
I wasn’t but five feet from where they stood and with all the training I had in combat, I knew I could unsteady her enough for Lochlan to get away. Blood began to trickle down his neck and adrenaline laced panic coursed through my veins as I rose unsteadily to my feet. I couldn’t lose him.
But before I could make a move, his hand nearest me that hung down by his side curled in all but his pointer finger, which slowly shook back and forth. He was telling me no, reminding me of my promise. My heart lurched in rebellion. How could I stand by and watch as he was killed? Like a movie scene, the moment played out in slow motion, me watching on as the people I cared about were in danger of dying and I was helpless to save them.
“Morgan don’t do this,” Alberich warned her.
“Why not? You took my son, all of you, and you should have to pay.”
“You’re angry with me, then take me, I’ll pay the price.” Alberich threw down the sword and dropped to his knees, his eyes determined.
“No, Alberich!” yelled Lochlan and then his body stilled so completely he appeared to be petrified in stone. For all intents and purposes he had been, Morgan had used magic to paralyze him. I hadn’t thought someone as skilled as Lochlan could be immobilized to thoroughly, but Morgan’s powers were exceptional.
A vile grin spread across Morgan’s face, her head tilting in curiosity. “You would do this? Give yourself for the boy?”
“I’m the one who wronged you, I should be the one who pays,” he said with a lift of his chin.
The next moments would haunt me for the rest of my life. I would forever wonder if there was more I could have done. Had it been the right thing to do nothing? How had the situation gone so wrong?
Morgan traced in behind Alberich and wrapped her hands around his head and with a vicious twist that I would have thought imposs
ible, she pulled his head clean off his shoulders. Blood spurted everywhere and bile rose in my throat, the only thing keeping it down was the terror that Morgan was not done.
Alberich’s body dropped to the ground with a thud and Lochlan roared with fury. As soon as she had traced away from him, her magical hold had been released and he was seething mad.
Morgan tossed Alberich’s head to the ground and whirled to grab the sword, holding it outward on guard toward Lochlan. “I’d say it’s nothing personal, but it was. I will bring down Guin’s walls and her reign, and there is nothing you can do to stop me.”
And then she was gone.
Lochlan raced to Alberich but stopped cold, his eyes bouncing between head and body. He tipped back his head and released an agonizing scream, arms held wide and fists clenched.
Tears streamed down my face and the sob that had lodged in my throat earlier broke free. I dropped to my knees and cried as my broken warrior grieved for his slain father.
Lochlan removed his shirt and wrapped it gently around Alberich’s head, holding the bundle gingerly to his chest. I approached slowly and looked into Lochlan’s devastated eyes as I offered to hold the bundle. We would need to get the body back to the car and he couldn’t do it alone. Together, we carried the late Erlking out of the park and drove in silence back to the Huntsman.
22
Michael met us at the front of the building and the two men carried their fallen leader inside. As much as I had been a part of their lives in recent months, for this event, I was an outsider. I left them to whatever rituals they would perform and went to shower back at my apartment.
After I rinsed the blood from my body, I sat under the spray and cried for a man I had not known long but that I had learned to respect. I cried for the raw pain I had witnessed in Lochlan’s eyes and the knowledge that he would always feel that his father’s death was on his hands. Once my eyes were sore and I was certain there were no more tears to cry, I toweled off and curled up in my bed.
Twilight Siege: A Dark Fantasy Novel (The Fae Games Book 2) Page 21
