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

by Rachel Morgan

  Saor sat forward and listened for the first time. “The power…”

  Eilidh’s mind raced as she considered the dreadful possibilities. “There would be no stopping him.”

  Beniss gave Saor a penetrating stare. “It is an ancient magic requiring a specific source stone. When unlocked, it grants the power to hold and preserve the hearts. It is extremely dangerous to the one trying to control it. Genoa said she read many warnings about the price to the faerie trying to complete the ritual. It would cost him much of his soul, even if it worked perfectly. The slightest misstep could cause a descent into madness. My only guess is that the blood faerie acquired the stone and with it, the instructions for completing the ritual. Even with the price paid, he could challenge the kingdom. With his own blood power enhanced to four times the strength of an azuri faerie bonded with a druid, plus the knowledge and mastery of every earth spell and incantation, who could stand against him? Even a hundred of your warriors could not defeat one so powerful.”

  Horror dawned on Saor’s face. “Powerful and mad. The conclave must be warned.”

  Eilidh decided not to mention she had tried that already. There had never been much chance they would listen to her. But Saor was right. The ritual must be stopped. “Munro is gifted with stone,” Eilidh said. “It is an uncommon gift. He could be in great danger.” Munro was not the only human who could be in danger. If kingdom faeries were indifferent to humans, the blood faerie seemed to show even less regard for them than he might an insect buzzing around his head. One so powerful and corrupt would devastate the human population.

  “I should hurry for Munro?”

  Eilidh was shocked at the bitterness in his voice. “The death of any true druid is a tragedy, and bonding with him may be my only hope of stopping the ritual. If he will consent, we may stand a chance. Otherwise, I’m not sure how much I can do.”

  Saor looked at Beniss. “What of the higher conclave? How far are they willing to go to stop this from happening?”

  “We’re not without sympathy, but it is not safe for those gifted with the forbidden talents to travel through the kingdom lands, as you well know. Every one of us would forfeit our lives. Until we have some assurance that our children and grandchildren would not be at risk, we will not leave Skye.”

  Saor’s eyes flashed with anger. “If the kingdom falls, do you think you would find a place in the new regime with the blood faerie?”

  Beniss ignored his insults and did not answer him.

  Eilidh understood, but it pained her that Saor could not. The kingdom rejected her kind, so what loyalty did any who followed the Path of the Azure owe them? It was unlikely the fae here were in any danger from the blood faerie. If she was going to stop this faerie, and she had every intention of doing so, it was not to save the kingdom, their society, or even the Faerie Queen herself. Eilidh would stop him because what he was doing was wrong. He took lives he had no right to, and he threatened those she loved. As she’d said to Imire, evil must be challenged.

  Saor snorted at Eilidh. “You too would turn your back on your people?”

  How could he be so blind to what they all faced?

  “You have forgotten who you are,” he said.

  “No, Saor. You, my friend, have forgotten who I am.” Eilidh reached out and placed her hand gently over his. “My gift is in the Path of the Azure. It always has been, from the moment I was born. This is not what I chose, but what I am. You would ask me to give it up, to become less, so you could maintain the fantasy that I am what you had hoped I would be. There was never a reality in that dream.”

  Saor stirred, and without another word, he went to gather his things from the room they’d shared the night before. He left the house without speaking to Beniss or thanking her for the hospitality. Eilidh understood his pain and silently spoke a prayer to the Great Mother for his safety. She hoped he would reach the conclave quickly and that they would listen to reason. But in her heart, she did not hold much hope.

  To Beniss she said, “You will not aid me in my quest to stop this ritual? What of the deaths of the druids? Do you not at least have an interest in seeing those tragedies ended?”

  “As I have said, I will not have my family cross into kingdom lands as long as it would mean their deaths. A group of us, even a small one, moving through the forests could be seen as an invading army. The kingdom fae watch our borders closely.” She smiled sadly. “You crossed well and safely, but you were fortunate, and you had your earth Watcher to guide you. Others of our kind have not been so lucky. Even the death of a druid will not cause me to risk my children and grandchildren. What small security we have has cost us dearly. I would not have you face this thing alone and unprepared, however, so I will come with you myself.”

  Relief spread over Eilidh.

  “I cannot teach you everything you need to know, but I can give you a small chance. I wish you had come here decades ago. Even a year or a month would have made an enormous difference. I will try, but I cannot guarantee you will be prepared for what we are about to face, or that we two even stand a chance. There is some good news though.”

  “I would like to hear some good news,” Eilidh said with a wry smile.

  “You have thought all your life that you are weak, but I can assure you this is not the case. You’re strong, Eilidh. Stronger than most of our kind I have seen, both in your gifts and in your character. With time, and practice, and your stubborn determination, you will be strong enough to challenge anyone.”

  “If only we had time.”

  “Time I cannot provide. But what small benefit my years of experience can give you, I gladly offer.” Beniss put her hand to her freckled human face. Slowly the sun-dotted skin paled and became nearly translucent. Deep wrinkles slid into her face, and her rounded ears began to curl and spiral. It took only seconds for the illusion to disappear, but the effects were striking. Beniss had to be at least as ancient as Oron.

  Although Eilidh didn’t like to admit it, she felt an awe and respect that must’ve shown on her face, because Beniss responded with a laugh. “The first thing you should learn, my dear, is not to put so much trust in what you see. I will teach you to reliably cast an illusion, and then I will teach you to dispel one. Our gifts lie with the mind, and there is much more the mind can do than perhaps you realise. But most important, I will help you bind the true druid to yourself. As soon as you do that, all those decades of lessons in the Ways of Earth will bear fruit. We should start now. You have a long and dangerous journey ahead. And without your protection, your druid could be in great danger. He must survive.”

  ∞

  In the days that passed since he’d met with Frankie and the other druids, Munro didn’t have much time to himself. Frankie invited him more than once to meet his mentor, Cridhe, to learn about his new-found power. But nearly every person in the Tayside Police was working overtime these days, and Munro was no exception. The national media had gotten hold of the story, and some of the more sensational details had leaked out. The DI in charge of the case, Boyle, was apoplectic. He vowed to keep them all so busy that no one would have time to think, much less talk to a reporter. He’d been true to his word, and police visibility was at an all-time high.

  In addition to searches, interviewing, and re-interviewing witnesses, part of the job became crowd control. Media outlets from all over set up at various points, including the crime scenes, and that drew even more crowds. The small city of Perth, Scotland had turned into a media hive.

  Munro wouldn’t have expected to have a moment to think about Eilidh, but he hardly thought about anything else. She had been gone a full week. Although he wanted to trust her, he had a sinking feeling she might not come back. To be fair, why should she? That other faerie, Saor, certainly didn’t seem to give a toss about the deaths of a few lowly humans. Munro got the impression Saor’s attitude was usual for their kind. He contemplated Saor, who seemed to think he had a claim on Eilidh, and whether he’d been an idiot to let Eilidh go off
to the Isle of Skye alone with him. It wasn’t the best time to ask for leave, but with his recent medical issues, it wouldn’t have been a stretch. Plus, Munro knew the police efforts weren’t going to achieve anything. No amount of overtime would lead them to a faerie killing druids. All the hard graft and boots on the ground amounted to pointless hours that stretched an already taxed police force.

  Munro was thinking this through as he came to the end of another double shift. Without warning, he felt a familiar tug. Eilidh. If the intensity of the sensation was anything to go by, she was coming back and moving quickly. He had no way of knowing how long she would take, but it made his heart lighter to know he would see her soon.

  The rest of his boring, tedious day went much slower because of the anticipation, but the relief made it bearable. He had to admit he’d been afraid the kingdom fae had found her. If that had happened, she might not have been able to return, even if she wanted to.

  As he was about to leave for home, his mobile rang. It was Frankie, once again inviting him out. “You sure have been a hard man to get a hold of lately, Eastwood.”

  “Aye. You wouldn’t believe everything that’s been going on at work because of these murders.”

  “I would. Me and the others are getting nervous, you know.” Frankie’s tone sounded strained and worried.

  “Has something happened?” Frankie had not admitted to Munro that all three of the victims had been druids, and one more had been fae. Over the past couple of days, Munro had only been able to talk to his cousin on the phone. Even in those conversations, Frankie hadn’t changed his story or given up any helpful information. Of course, the task force hadn’t discovered the connection between the four victims. Knowing didn’t make it easier for Munro, who worried his cousin might be next.

  “Not exactly. I don’t really want to talk about this on the phone. I’m at work. Can we meet up later? I think I might have some idea of what’s going on.”

  “Sure.” Bingo. “When do you get off?”

  “Nine. Come see me around ten?”

  “I’ll be there.” They said goodbye, and a sense of uneasiness settled over Munro. Frankie was scared of something, and Munro didn’t know if he could protect him. Maybe if they worked together. He didn’t know how strong a blood faerie would be. Hell, he didn’t even know what Eilidh could do beyond drying her own hair. But he had seen those druids with their hearts ripped out. Anyone who could do something like that, whether faerie or human, was not to be taken lightly. His eyes drifted to the north and he silently wished Eilidh would hurry.

  Chapter 17

  Eilidh clenched her fists on her lap. She did not know how Beniss had talked her into this. Riding in this machine was slower than running. This thing—this bus—rocked and screeched and growled. But Beniss insisted, claiming it would be safer and allow them time to talk. Beniss was concerned about encountering kingdom faeries, pointing out that kingdom fae would not go anywhere near a human vehicle.

  During the journey, few humans joined them on the bus. One or two got on in one town and off in another, but for the most part, they were not disturbed. Yet the uncomfortable sensations made it difficult for Eilidh to concentrate on what Beniss was saying. Over the years, Eilidh wondered what it would be like to be in one of these motorised machines. But she never thought she would actually do it, and certainly not at the request of another faerie.

  Despite her vague sense of motion sickness, Eilidh felt an underlying emotional calm. In the previous two days, she had come to understand more about magic than she had in her entire life of trying unsuccessfully to learn the Ways of Earth. Throughout her childhood, her father and other mentors attempted to teach her something alien to the way her mind naturally worked. Now that she had her first taste of what astral magic should feel like, she gained confidence. Beneath it twinged a layer of regret for all the wasted years, frustration, and deeply ingrained belief that she was somehow less than the other kingdom fae.

  Eilidh caught her own reflection in the bus window. The general shape of her face was her own, but Beniss had guided her through creating an illusion to round her ears, darken the shade of her hair and finely arched brows, and add a few flaws to her skin tone. It hardly took any energy for Eilidh to hold the illusion, but it still felt uncomfortable, like wearing a pair of shoes the wrong size. She couldn’t help but stare at herself, and she ran her hand over the top of her ears to be sure the spirals were still there, hidden beneath the illusion. Beniss told her that one day she would teach her how to perform an illusion that would fool the mind on a deeper level and make the ears feel as well as look round. For now, however, all they cared about was getting back to Perth without being noticed.

  Eilidh’s first lessons in astral magic consisted mostly of various types of illusions. Beniss said they were the easiest and most natural talents to have come out. Eilidh could fool the eye, as well as the ear, and had learned to mask herself even better than her Watcher training had taught. She told Beniss about the blood faerie being able to contact her with some kind of mind-speak and that it had happened when Eilidh opened herself to astral flows. But Beniss said teaching her that would take too long. Mind-speaking was a difficult talent, one that would give them little advantage over what they would soon face.

  They kept the plan simple. They would find the blood faerie and kill him. There would be no conversation, no negotiation, no attempts to reason with him. They had not arrived at the decision lightly, but with the help of the higher conclave, they concluded he would be impossible to restrain and unlikely to reform, especially if the Krostach Ritual had started to exact a price on the faerie’s mind. Even if he were perfectly sane, they said, what faerie would be willing to give up magic? Eilidh shuddered as she realised she had nearly been willing to do just that to please Saor.

  Every one of the azuri faeries would face death by the kingdom conclave, so it was no small thing for them to decide to take the life of someone whose crime was in his own magical talents. Yet the loss of four druids could not be tolerated. Bonding with a true druid went far beyond increasing a faerie’s power.

  Everyone, not least of all the higher conclave, had been shocked to learn that Munro had initiated the binding ceremony. That day in the woods when he’d said, “Dem’ontar-che” to Eilidh, he had unknowingly pledged his devotion. The fae on the Isle of Skye had grown excited, telling Eilidh she already had his consent to bind him. Eilidh disagreed. She didn’t know what magic had given him the words, but she would not let him cede his will to an incomprehensible magical force. The longer they were bonded, the more they would be inside each other’s heads. It was not a thing to ask lightly.

  Eilidh had to admit she was not certain about it either. She liked Munro, liked him very much. Her attraction for him had grown, despite everything she’d been taught about humans and fae. Not to mention that she found the possibility of mastering the Ways of Earth enticing. But to be so intimately aware of another person all the time, to have them etched into her mind, knowing there was no way to ever undo the ritual… Eilidh felt uncertain. Beniss seemed convinced that bonding with Munro would be vital to the success of finding and overcoming the blood faerie. Even knowing that, Eilidh would not complete the bond without his permission, not when she had so many doubts.

  Although Eilidh wanted to get off the bus once they came to parts of the country that were more inhabited by humans, and therefore safer from fae Watchers, Beniss insisted they ride all the way to the city. They sat in the back, and Beniss did her best to teach Eilidh what she could. She drilled Eilidh over and over, often frustrated by how rigid Eilidh’s mind had become after more than a century of resisting her talents.

  As they came closer to Perth, Eilidh forgot how much she disliked the bus and its mechanical smells and grew nervous about seeing Munro. She had considered how she would explain the bonding. She knew most of the benefits would be hers. He would live longer, aging nearly as slowly as she did, but to a short-lived species, the idea of a centurie
s-long existence might not be appealing. Especially considering all of his friends, his family, everyone he loved would die while he lived on. According to Beniss and the higher conclave, Munro’s magical abilities would probably not be enhanced. For him, the benefits were few, and the price might be more than he was willing to pay.

  Finally, they arrived in the city. Eilidh was happy to run the few miles to Munro’s house. Sitting for so long had made her legs ache and the movement helped clear her thoughts. Even the human smells of Perth were far more appealing than the enclosed air on the bus. She and Beniss ran, each step taking them closer to a conversation Eilidh was not quite ready to have. She told herself that she and Beniss would find a way to do what they must, even if Munro turned her down. But a place in her heart hoped he wouldn’t. The feelings confused her. She couldn’t put a name to them. They were certainly unlike the feelings she’d once had for Saor. When she told Beniss about it, Beniss said it was the power of the unfinished bonding ritual and that everything would become clear when the rite was complete.

  Eilidh smiled in the warm summer evening as she approached Munro’s neighbourhood. She realised how much she’d come to love the city and how much it felt like home. The higher conclave had urged her to return and complete her training, which could take many decades, but she had been reluctant to make promises. Someday she would, no doubt. The taste of casting the azure she’d gotten with Beniss left her hungry. But things were changing so fast. She wanted to be able to make commitments with a clear head, not in the shadow of peril.

  When they finally arrived at Munro’s house, Eilidh stopped in the front garden and stared at the door. Beniss reached down and took Eilidh’s hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. “You must do this,” she said.