Faery Realms: Ten Magical Titles: Multi-Author Bundle of Novels & Novellas

by Rachel Morgan

  “Please.” Beniss crossed her legs in her chair, gesturing for Eilidh to continue. “We still keep to the night.”

  Eilidh began slowly, finding it painful to recount her childhood fumbling with the Ways of Earth and how awkward she’d felt. Beniss waited with immaculate patience for Eilidh to continue. When it came time for Eilidh to reveal how she had discovered the illusion spells and the mindspeaking talents, she picked up the pace. She let loose the anger and frustration she’d experienced when her father tried to keep her from casting in certain ways, always returning her to the Ways of Earth, making her repeat uncooperative incantations over and over.

  If he thought he could drive her affinity with the Path of the Azure away by sheer stubborn will, Eilidh proved him wrong. She tried to be dutiful, accepting his explanation that certain spells and talents were forbidden, but small things kept popping up. She had an exceptional memory and could recount an event with the exact inflection of every speaker. Once, she found she could change someone’s mind with a suggestion. It was a small thing. An instructor gave her an afternoon off when he intended to keep her working long into the night.

  Her father, unfortunately, soon learned what she’d done. He punished her severely, but did not make her go back to the instructor. Imire told her she must never, ever influence another faerie’s mind again. He wove a story of the horrible consequences of robbing others of their free will. It made a lasting impression on her, and she never tried again, not even when her freedom was at stake.

  Saor turned his face away when she talked about her isolation, the death sentence, and finally her father’s plan for her escape.

  Beniss watched them both carefully. When Eilidh went silent she said, “And since leaving the kingdom? Have you discovered more of your talents?”

  Eilidh shook her head. “I do not cast the azure,” she said.

  Beniss narrowed her eyes in disapproval. “An entire youth wasted. Well, we can only work with what we have.” She looked from Eilidh to Saor and back. “You are tired. You’ve come a long way. I think you should rest now. The night is only half over, but I suspect you will sleep through the day. But tomorrow night is soon enough to sort out where you will live and when your training will begin.” With a nod to Saor she added, “I’m not sure how the others will feel about him staying amongst us, but we can talk about that tomorrow.”

  Eilidh stopped her. “You misunderstand. It’s not for myself that I am here.”

  Beniss raised a slim auburn eyebrow. “No?”

  “There is another who can cast the Path of the Azure. I do not know him, but he brings death with him. He has murdered at least two already.” Eilidh pushed through her weariness and told Beniss about the faerie who killed with blood shadows, how the kingdom conclave refused to help.

  They sat in silence for a time after Eilidh finished her story. Beniss frowned and appeared to weigh Eilidh’s words carefully. Finally, Beniss said, “I will speak to the High Conclave. You must go rest now. I insist. You look as though you would fall over.” When Eilidh began to protest Beniss said, “I promise I will speak well for you. I do not know what, if anything, we can do, but your news troubles me.”

  Eilidh’s heart sank. Another conclave that likely would do nothing. Had she wasted days on this journey for naught? She was too tired to protest. “Thank you, Beniss. You are kind to accept two strangers into your home.”

  Beniss smiled. “I hope you will be comfortable.” She stood and showed Eilidh and Saor to a room in the back of the cottage. It contained a wide swing bed suspended from a wooden frame. Even the blankets were hand-woven.

  It made Eilidh homesick all over again. “Thank you,” she said.

  “You are welcome here,” Beniss replied and left them alone to sleep.

  ∞

  The village of Comrie fell under Tayside Police’s Western Division. Minor crimes there would usually be handled by beat officers out of the Crieff station. However, the link to the Perth murders meant the Dewer task force got the call. In his role as POLSA, police search advisor, Sergeant Hallward called specialist searchers to the scene. Munro was grateful he’d taken on the extra training required to become part of that group. Otherwise, he never would have gotten near the scene, and once again, all his information would have come second-hand.

  Although it was after 9:00 p.m. when Munro arrived, the hazy summer light meant they would search the area that night. He passed the village, drove on to a place called the Twenty Shilling Woods, and stopped when he saw the line of police cars.

  He and another thirty officers were organised in a grid over the uneven ground surrounding a mound in the middle of a field. On the top of the mound were four standing stones. In the centre of the stones, CID had erected a crime scene tent to protect the body from the elements. The body had been removed, of course, before the searchers could assemble for their part of the process, but Munro didn’t need to see the corpse to learn what had happened.

  Munro was suddenly overwhelmed by a feeling of helplessness. He had information about the crime. Although he didn’t know the killer’s name and address, he knew who it was. Now he understood that his cousin Frankie and the other druids had information about the crimes. He knew he should tell Sergeant Hallward, but what evidence did he have that the druids were involved? None. All Munro had was suspicion, based on the fact that they knew the second victim and that Craig Laughlin had been a druid. A lot of people had probably known the guy. As Frankie said, everybody knew everybody in a place like Perth.

  “Waiting for an engraved invitation, PC Munro?” Hallward’s voice boomed through the eerie summer night.

  “No, Sarge.” Munro took his place at the edge of the search grid and began the long, tedious process of combing through every blade of grass in the field.

  The search was pointless. This whole sham of procedure rankled him, but he needed to find out what he could about the crime so he could tell Eilidh.

  Eilidh. He wondered where she was and if he’d ever see her again. He no longer felt the connection to her, and he couldn’t even feel the faint flicker of her presence. She’d said she was going to get help, and he had believed her. On the other hand, she’d also said she couldn’t face the blood faerie alone. If she couldn’t, he doubted his help was going to push her over the top of the power scale. He also didn’t dare hope she was coming back with the cavalry. What if she hadn’t even made it? It was a few hundred miles to Skye and back, and Eilidh and Saor were going to bloody run there.

  Munro shook his head and kept up the appearance of a careful search, all the while trying to convince himself that he wanted Eilidh back to stop the killings and not for personal, selfish reasons. Not because he wanted to sit and talk with her for hours, to find out every little thing about her. Not because he wanted nothing more than to show her every human invention, to teach her about his world and learn about hers. Not because she was mesmerizingly beautiful.

  By midnight, it was getting dark, so Hallward called off the search. The sun would make its reappearance around four the next morning, and Hallward wanted everyone back by five. As Munro walked across the already-searched field toward his car, he saw the faintest of glows. If he hadn’t been right on top of it, he never would have seen it. He walked over casually and crouched down to brush the grass aside. Nestled in the dirt, a flat, circular stone about the size of Munro’s palm lay half buried.

  It didn’t look like anything special, so Munro wasn’t surprised the searcher who’d covered this area hadn’t given it a second glance. Munro tugged the stone out of the loose ground, and flipped it over in his hand. One side was perfectly smooth, but the other bore intricate carvings with swirls and runes. An image of a burning sun covered the centre. It flashed briefly in his hand, and Munro nearly dropped the disk in surprise.

  “Munro, what the hell are you doing? If you find something, you aren’t supposed to touch it.” Hallward strode across the grass toward Munro.

  Munro stood and turned the rock to
show the flat side. “It’s nothing, Sarge. Just a rock.” He shrugged and tried to look sheepish, holding the stone up for Hallward to see.

  The sergeant seemed mollified, but he continued to walk toward Munro and examined the rock up close. Fortunately, he didn’t take it or turn it over.

  “Same as the others?” Munro said, gesturing toward the low mound where the body had been discovered.

  “Seems like it.”

  Something in his tone made Munro ask, “What’s different?”

  “Two victims.”

  “Two?” Munro didn’t know what to think about that.

  “Definitely our killer. One heart missing, one heart removed but destroyed. They’ve been out here a while, at least a week before Dewer. The second body had his throat cut.” Hallward nodded toward the white tent. “Doc says he must have had some kind of genetic disorder. Or maybe extensive plastic surgery. We’ll know more after the autopsy.” He paused for a moment, then added, “You’d better get going, Munro. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. Get some sleep while you can. This bastard isn’t going anywhere.”

  Munro’s chest tightened. Genetic disorder or plastic surgery? Something had looked odd about the body then. Munro knew in his gut the second victim was fae. Hurry, Eilidh.

  Chapter 15

  When Eilidh awoke late the next day, she found herself tangled in Saor’s arms, rocking softly in the suspended fae bed. He lay beside her, watching her. It felt so comfortable and familiar that Eilidh was tempted to stay there for hours. She smiled and stretched, extricating herself from his embrace. She had enjoyed the moment, but soon reality came crashing back. This wasn’t the old days, she wasn’t a kingdom fae, and Saor was no longer hers.

  “I’ve missed you,” Saor said and paused. “I know you’re angry with me because I didn’t visit you.”

  Eilidh squeezed his hand. “I’m not angry. I was confused for a time, but it soon became clear to me that you did the right thing. If you’d followed your heart and come to me, no good would come of it.”

  “None?”

  Part of Eilidh would have liked to condemn him for the choices he’d made decades ago, but it wouldn’t be fair. Although he hadn’t done what she would have, he’d made the right choice. Being tainted with her crimes would have done neither of them any good.

  “Have you thought about what we discussed before?”

  Of course she had. She found it difficult to think about much else. But last night, as Eilidh told their host about the blood faerie, the real dangers to so many people became clear in her mind. She realised that no matter what she may want for herself, she was unwilling to abandon the cause she and Munro had set out to tackle together. While most kingdom fae might not care about a few human deaths, she could no longer pretend they didn’t matter.

  Rather than answer the question, Eilidh changed the subject. “You seem to be feeling better. Can you feel the source?”

  “No. It feels as though colour has gone out of the world. But I think the night’s rest has done me good.” Saor reached for Eilidh, but she stirred and began to straighten her clothes.

  “Eilidh, you didn’t answer my question.”

  “Saor—”

  “I don’t blame you. You were born this way. I understand that. Especially after hearing you speak last night. I never appreciated the things you went through. I thought I knew you well, but perhaps that was my mistake. I didn’t understand how much you were holding back, hoping to protect me.” Saor watched Eilidh, his golden eyes swirling with emotion.

  “Saor, I don’t think there’s any going back for me.”

  “You would give up without even trying?”

  “First we should hear what Beniss has to say. I don’t hold out much hope. It sounds like this so-called higher conclave could be a lot like the kingdom conclave. After all, fae is fae. It was foolish of me to think they would behave differently. It must be in the blood.” Eilidh smiled sadly.

  Saor began to respond, but stopped when they heard footfalls coming toward their room. Beniss appeared, looking weary, as though while Eilidh and Saor slept, she found no rest at all. “Come,” she said. “The conclave wishes to meet you.”

  “Beniss,” Eilidh began. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you look human?”

  “Can’t you guess?” Beniss’ green eyes sparkled with amusement.

  It was Saor who answered. “Illusion.” He seemed distinctly uncomfortable.

  “Yes. And I will admit, it appeals to my sense of humour.” She shrugged. “We protect our little community. We live close to the human settlements, and it’s much easier to blend in if we can pass for them.” Beniss led them into the kitchen where she served a simple meal of fruit, bread, and honey. She seemed distracted and impatient, but she didn’t offer further comment.

  “How many of you live here?” Saor asked after a few moments of silence. “We were told three, but if there are enough of you to form a conclave, I would suppose we have been misinformed.”

  Beniss smiled. “That was true, at one time. Over the years, two more joined us. And we have been blessed.”

  Eilidh was aware that Beniss, her sister, and the third faerie exiled with them had been banished from the kingdom nearly a thousand years before. In that time, she supposed, it was feasible they’d produced one or two children per couple, and those children might have had children, but that could hardly be called a conclave, which traditionally needed at least twelve. There was little point in having a conclave of twelve to rule twelve, but any birth among the fae was something to be celebrated. “That’s wonderful,” she said. “Are your children gifted in the same way you are?”

  It was something she’d wondered once upon a time, but she hadn’t contemplated it for a while. But in considering Saor’s wish for her to once again be a part of the kingdom, she thought about what it might mean to give birth to a faerie cursed with forbidden magic. But neither her parents nor grandparents had shown any signs of being afflicted by the Path of the Azure, so perhaps it was not inevitable.

  “Although the chance of azuri talents is much greater among our children, the Mother of the Earth and the Father of the Azure choose our strengths,” Beniss explained. “Our children who are gifted in the Path stay with us out of necessity. The others moved on. They could not be expected to remain where their gifts in the Ways of Earth could not manifest.

  “We have a few allies living among the kingdom who help us by taking in the children who need guidance in the Ways of Earth. After all, what faerie would not welcome a child in these days of dwindling numbers?” She saw that Eilidh and Saor had finished eating. “Come, you will meet the others.” She guided them outside, and they followed her down a path behind the small house. They walked for some time in silence, and Eilidh grew more agitated and nervous. Although the conclave would, she hoped, be kinder to her than the last one she faced, unwanted memories and feelings surfaced.

  Instead of going further into the woods, Beniss led them to a paved road, and they walked for several miles, coming close to a human village. Eilidh retrieved her small black hat from her pocket and covered her ears, and Saor lifted his hood.

  Eilidh expected to pass through the village or perhaps turn down a forgotten byway. Instead, they walked directly to a building marked Village Hall and entered. That was not the most surprising thing. The hall was full of what appeared at first glance to be humans. It didn’t take long for Eilidh to see that the human faces were an illusory facade. A moment later, her ears picked up the delicate sound of the ancient fae tongue. The voices speaking it had a pure, clear tone that could not be human.

  There were faeries of many ages, including a few small children who ran around the hall playing. But their appearance wasn’t what shocked her. What surprised her was their number. She counted at least forty in the room. In a thousand years, a fae couple might be blessed with one or two births, if any. But forty? Beniss had said that some of the children had chosen not to stay with them. Never in her life
could she have imagined this was possible.

  The sounds in the hall hushed. All but the children stopped and watched the newcomers. When the faeries saw Beniss, they relaxed. Most went back to what they were doing before Eilidh and Saor had arrived.

  Beniss motioned for the pair to follow her. She led them through the hall toward a back corridor. They left the bustling sounds behind and entered a small side room. Inside sat Galen and an elder fae. The elder, unlike the others, did not hide behind an illusion of humanity. Long white hair hung loose around his shoulders, and his face bore deep lines around his eyes and mouth, something that would take more than a thousand years for a kingdom fae. He smiled and waved the new arrivals inside.

  “Eilidh, Saor,” Beniss said. “Let me introduce you to the head of our conclave, Oron.”

  Eilidh was not surprised to learn that Oron held that position, one that traditionally went to the most powerful in a community, who was also often the eldest; however, she was surprised to see just how old he was. It was possible, she supposed, that the age on his face was an illusion, just as the youth and humanity on Beniss’ face. On the other hand, she couldn’t imagine a faerie with any self-respect doing such a thing.

  “Sit,” Oron said, pointing at some chairs along the back wall. The trio each grabbed a chair and sat as he’d requested. “I thought it might be a little easier to meet with me one-on-one,” he said. “From what Beniss has told me, it doesn’t sound like your previous encounter with a conclave was pleasant. Although it’s been a while, I grant you that I certainly remember the feeling.” Although his expression was open and friendly, all that changed when he turned his eyes on Saor. “You, kingdom faerie, have been allowed into our community on Beniss’ word that you have come here in good faith and that you are bound by friendship to one who follows the Path. However, take me at my word, if you ever betray us, our community, our location, our numbers, our strengths and weaknesses, I will learn of it, and you will regret it. Understood?”