The point where the Amulet had touched the ground exploded, sending a wave of mud and dead leaves flying in all directions. When the air inside the circle cleared, water started emerging from the ground. There were just drops at first, like rain rising in the absence of a gravitational field, then the drops became a puddle and the puddle became a six-foot column of restless streaks, melting into each other. They slowly began to take shape and, after a few moments, a beautiful young woman emerged.
She was slender and tall and her skin was white as paper and smooth as fine porcelain. Her white hair, which, Iris estimated, must have run down to her knees, was flowing around her shoulders in waves, like she was underwater. Her eyes were a dark shade of silver sparkling under the light of the moon. She looked at each and every one of the four presences in the forest and, when she got to Iris, she lingered for a moment, studying her. Then she moved to Dorian.
When she spoke, her ethereal voice echoed over the rumble of the shaking ground. "You who have summoned me here, are you certain you want to do this? Once you've voiced your request, there is no turning back, and some questions are best left unanswered."
Dorian's fist tightened around the Amulet. He nodded.
"Very well, then. What is it you wish to ask me?"
Cyrus took a step forward. That was as close as he could get without being pulverized again by the energy coming from the circle. "Dorian! Think about what you're doing."
Dorian looked at him. Iris could only see him from the side but she could still notice the flame in his eyes and she knew that whatever deal he'd made with Cyrus was no longer standing. He looked back up, straight into the Fountain's eyes. "I want you to show me the identity of the last member in the bloodline of the Fae that set in motion the events that led to my parents' deaths."
The Fountain raised her arms in front of her, palms up, a few inches apart. The air above her hands began to tremble, like heat waves on the surface of a road on a torrid summer day. For a while it was transparent, but then colors started to come together, gradually, faded at first then more and more intense, until Iris could clearly distinguish the portrait of a woman seen from behind. She had long, straight brown hair that fell on her back and out of frame like a waterfall. The image lingered for a while and Iris wondered if Dorian had formulated his question right since there was nothing particular that would point out the woman's identity. But then, the woman turned around and all four of them gasped at the same time, as Iris stared at herself in the mirror.
All eyes were on Iris, all filled with shock and confusion. She imagined that they all mirrored hers. Her feet had turned into gelatin and she fell to the ground. This time, Connor didn't hold her—he was probably too shocked himself to react.
Dorian turned to the Fountain. "It's… It's impossible. You're wrong. "
"I am never wrong."
"She's human. So are her ancestors. How could she possibly be the one I'm looking for?"
"You had the right to one question, which I have answered for you. If you wish to ask me another one, summon me again during the next Harvest Supermoon."
"This is not the right answer."
"I warned you that some questions are best left unanswered. This is the right answer. It just isn't what you were prepared to hear."
"But it doesn't make sense."
"To you, perhaps. But there are forces in the universe far greater than what your mind can comprehend."
She tilted her head and shifted her sparkling eyes to Iris, scrutinizing her. Iris wanted to speak but her jaw was clenched and her mouth was dry. It would have been useless anyway, since the Fountain only spoke to the one who'd summoned her.
Dorian fell to his knees, he too staring at Iris. The ring of light that enclosed him and the Fountain was beginning to shrink, little by little. When it reached the Fountain's feet, an explosion of light flashed through the trees around them, forcing everyone to shield their eyes, and then the Fountain was gone.
"Are you happy now?" Connor asked. He got up and stared at Dorian, who was still on the ground. "You've ruined countless lives, killed dozens of innocent people in your stupid quest for revenge. And in the end, you still haven't found what you were looking for. So tell me, Dorian, was it worth it?"
Dorian was staring at an invisible spot in front of him. When he spoke, his voice was a whisper. "No one is innocent."
"Marion was," Iris said. Her throat felt like sandpaper. "She had nothing to do with this world. She didn't deserve to die."
"She asked for it."
"I defended you against everything and everyone…"
"You shouldn't have."
"So what now? You're going to kill me too? Go ahead! That's why you're here. That's what you've been fighting for your whole life. You finally have the chance to get your revenge. So go ahead!" She got up and spread her arms.
Connor touched her shoulder. "Iris."
She shook off his hand, her eyes still fixed on Dorian. "Come on, what are you waiting for?!"
Dorian remained on his knees, his shoulders hunched, staring at her. There was something in his eyes that she couldn't identify. Slowly, he got up, his fists clenched to his sides. Connor took out his sword and took a step forward.
Iris fought back tears. "Come on!"
She saw a tear glimmer as it rolled down Dorian's cheek before she was thrown to the ground, a few feet behind. She'd landed on her broken hand and for a second she saw nothing but countless specks of white on a black background. As she lay there, she saw Connor and Dorian fly towards each other in midair. Connor's sword glowed blue as the Guardian fire lit up the forest. There was a whooshing sound and then the blade disappeared from her view, blocked by Connor's body. A second later, both boys fell to the ground. They stood there, staring at each other for a moment, two former friends, now mortal enemies.
Connor let go of his sword. Dorian took his hand to his chest then looked at it. His palm was a dark shade of crimson under the light of the full moon. He looked past Connor's shoulder in Iris' direction, and held her in his gaze for a few moments. His eyes sparkled right before he crumpled to the ground, and then everything went dark.
34
Aftermath
Iris opened her eyes to the warm light of the sunrise seeping through the wide windows of the Elwoods' living room. For the first time since she'd known them, their mansion was not invaded by the bright light of the many stylish candelabras hanging from the ceiling. She realized that she was lying on the couch and a bizarre, painful feeling of déjà-vu hit her like a tidal wave. She sat up and looked around, as recent memories flooded her mind. The room was impeccable, as it had always been. There was no sign of the invasion from the night before—not a chair out of place, not a single shard of broken glass, not even a speck of dust. It was as if it had never happened.
Heavy tears gathered in her eyes as she remembered Marion and then Dorian. She looked at her hand. It looked and felt as if it had never been broken at all and she suspected that she had Connor to thank for that, who'd probably forced his sister to heal Iris. One last act of kindness before they were all taken back to Aldera to face their punishment. For the first time since she'd entered the world of the Fae, Iris truly wished that the Elwoods' memory spell had worked on her, because she didn't know how to live with the memories after they were gone.
She realized that she was alone and jumped up, afraid that they'd already left. She opened the front door. The circular driveway was deserted. She ran into the kitchen, calling their names. A set of strong arms caught her just as she darted back into the foyer.
"Iris."
"Connor, thank God. I thought you were gone."
"We wouldn't have left without saying goodbye. How are you feeling?" He started walking towards the back door and she followed.
"I'm okay. Where are the others?"
"In the back with Cyrus."
"How bad is it?"
"I don't know yet. We've just started talking."
With the sun on
the opposite side of the house, the massive patio in the back, built and decorated in tone with the style of the rest of the Elwood mansion, was still dark and grey. Aeryn and Lorelai were seated at the big round table on the right, with Cyrus standing in front of them. To the left, a few feet away, Marion was lying on a bench. She looked like she was sleeping. A steel claw clenched around Iris' heart and she covered her chest with her hands.
"I couldn't get her inside the house," Connor said, his hand resting on Iris' shoulder. "I think the fight last night did something to the warding shield but we haven't had time to check."
"Oh look, the little human that could. Came to say goodbye or make sure we're gone?"
"Lorelai!" Aeryn looked at Iris. There was resignation in her eyes. "How are you feeling, Iris?"
"I'm okay." She lifted her recently broken wrist and looked at Lorelai. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me, thank Connor. He's the one who insisted that I heal you. Even though you've constantly sided with the enemy."
"Lorelai!" Connor led Iris to the table. They both sat down, facing Cyrus.
Lorelai went on. "Oh, for the love of God, would you stop defending her. It's time to open your eyes, Brother. She doesn't love you. All this time, while you've gone out of your way to protect her, she's gone out of her way to protect the enemy. And speaking of enemies, Cyrus, care to explain your relationship with Dorian?"
Cyrus' eyes were two black flames. "I don't like your tone."
"Really? What are you going to do? Threaten to execute us?"
"Lorelai!" Aeryn's voice was a whisper. She put her hand on the girl's arm but the latter seemed unmoved.
"I'll be sure to keep my tone in check when I tell the Council that you helped Dorian steal the Amulet and summon the Fountain." Everyone was silent. After a moment, Lorelai continued. "That's right, we may be doomed but I won't go down quietly. If we fall, you're coming with us." She was staring into Cyrus' eyes, like a fearless madwoman who had nothing left to lose. "What do you say, Cyrus? Care to renegotiate our punishments yet?"
Dorian had to make an effort to open his eyes. They hurt, like he had sand underneath his heavy eyelids, and every time he blinked the pounding in his temples increased to the point where it felt like someone was drilling into his brain. His chest was on fire. He couldn't tell whether the fire was on the inside or the outside, but it was overwhelming, more painful than any kind of pain he'd ever felt before in his life.
"Thank goodness you're awake." Raven's voice had a tone that Dorian had never heard before. "I really thought I'd lost you this time. Connor really did a number on you."
Dorian's throat hurt, so when he spoke his voice was so hoarse that he himself almost didn't recognize it. "What?"
"He nearly split you in two with Guardian fire. You have a gash the size of the Grand Canyon on your chest. You came this close to me gathering your insides and pushing them back inside you when I found you. If it hadn't been for that mark on your chest, you'd be long gone. What the hell happened? Did you manage to summon the Fountain? Did Cyrus tell you who the last member is?"
The events of the night before invaded his mind in flashes, making the drilling almost unbearable. Dorian closed his eyes, trying to push away the memory of Iris and the look in her eyes when she asked him about Marion, the fear that took over her when the Fountain revealed her identity.
"Dorian?" He opened his eyes and Raven sighed, relieved. "I thought you'd fainted again. So what happened? Who is it? The last member?"
"Iris."
"What? No, that's impossible. Cyrus must have been misinformed."
"The Fountain too?"
"What?"
"I asked the Fountain. She's the one who told me that Iris is the person I've been looking for. The last member in the bloodline of the Fae responsible for my parents' deaths."
"That can't be. She's human. I checked. Multiple times. The Fountain must be broken."
"It doesn't matter anymore now."
"Why? What did you do? Did you…" Raven stopped, as if he was afraid to put his thought into words, but Dorian knew what he wanted to say.
"I couldn't do it."
Raven sighed. It was barely there, a short breath that lasted less than a split second, but enough for Dorian to notice.
Dorian went on. "It was like killing myself. Worse even, because I was already prepared to die. Had it been anyone else, I would have had my revenge and died happy. But her… I don't know what's wrong with me. It's like… I'm… cursed."
They both remained silent for a long while. Eventually, Raven spoke. "What now?"
"There's nothing left for me here."
"Okay, where are we heading?"
"We are not heading anywhere. I am."
"What?"
"You're free now, Raven. You can go anywhere you want, do anything you want. I needed you to finish my mission. Now my mission is finished, regardless of the result. I don't need you anymore."
"No. We're friends. I'm staying with you."
"I don't want you to."
"Dorian—"
"We're not friends! I needed your services, now I don't need them anymore." He tried to sit up but a flash of fire shot through his chest, throwing him back.
Raven grabbed his shoulders holding him still, although at that point it was useless. Every breath required an excessive amount of energy that Dorian was already in very short supply of.
Eventually, Raven surrendered. "Okay, I'll leave. I promise. But not before you're healed. Right now you're more dead than alive. As soon as you can stand again, we'll part ways."
35
When You Realize You're Just a Pawn in a Universal Game of Chess
Everyone was staring at Cyrus. No one moved, no one said a word. Iris could hear the forest waking up under the soft touch of the morning breeze ruffling up its old canopies. When Cyrus spoke, his voice had the effect of a church bell in a cemetery.
"I suppose you're all familiar with the prophecy about the fall of the Council," he began.
"There have been hundreds of them, some thousands of years old," Aeryn said. "None have come true."
"This one will."
"Which prophecy are we talking about exactly?" Lorelai intervened.
"The one about the Traveler and the Dark Fae."
"Agatha's prophecy?" Aeryn's eyes became wider as she leaned forward and set her palms on the table.
"Yes."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Because I know the full version, beyond what was recorded in the Book of Prophecies. I know the details that Agatha wouldn't reveal to the Council so that they couldn't anticipate and prevent the events that would set the wheels in motion for the prophecy to be fulfilled."
"And the reason she was tortured and sentenced to death right before she fled," Aeryn said, more to herself.
"Yes, her refusal to reveal more drove the Council members mad. It also forced them to take drastic measures to prevent the prophecy from happening."
Lorelai massaged her temples. "I don't understand anything anymore."
Cyrus rested both his hands on his cane knob. "The prophecy, at least in the Book, says that a Traveler would lead an army of Dark Fae into the Palace and take down the Council of Seven. He would free the Fae from tyranny and open the door to a new era. A blood union between a Guardian and a Traveler would mark the beginning of the Council's fall."
"Is that why Guardian laws have become so strict lately?" asked Connor.
Cyrus nodded. "Yes. It's also why the Council keeps such a close eye on the Fountains. However, what the Book doesn't say, what Agatha refused to disclose to the Council, is when the prophecy would come true and who will make it happen."
"How do you know that?" Connor asked.
"Agatha told me. In fact, she's the one who's been working towards its fulfillment for the past two decades."
Aeryn leaned forward. Her voice fluttered when she spoke. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying that she's the reason why
we're all here right now."
"You mean… She knew that we would lose the Amulet?"
Cyrus nodded.
Lorelai scoffed. "You want us to believe that Agatha came to you to tell you something she wanted to hide from the Council. That doesn't make sense. You work for the Council. Why would she do that?"
"Why do Seers do what they do?"
Aeryn's eyes widened. "Because she saw you. She knew you would help."
Lorelai ran her hands through her hair. "Oh, please tell me you're not buying all this!"
"Why didn't she tell us? She and Grandma were friends," said Connor.
"I believe she wanted to protect you."
Lorelai rolled her eyes. "Yeah, a lot of good that did us."
"So if you're really working with Agatha, does that mean you don't work for the Council anymore?" Connor asked.
"Officially, yes, I still work for them. But I want the prophecy to come true. I agree that the rulers of Aldera have lost their ways. Between greed for fortunes and power, they have forgotten the main reason they were chosen to occupy the seven thrones in the Council Hall, which is to protect the wellbeing of their subjects. The people of Aldera used to be prosperous and happy. Now they're oppressed and afraid for their lives. Even the smallest trespassing is punished in the harshest of ways. At this rate, in a few hundred years there will be no one left to punish. I'm fading away—"
Connor and Lorelai reacted in unison. "You're dying?"
Iris gasped. For a split second everyone looked at her then they all returned to Cyrus.
"Yes. I suspect it is due to my many travels into the human world. My body is not equipped with the same level of resistance to the toxic elements here. That is why only my shadow is here with you today. I wouldn't have survived another trip. Nevertheless, I would like to go knowing that Aldera is again a land of freedom and prosperity."
For a few moments everyone remained silent. Iris remembered Lorelai's words. Do you know that Guardians are only allowed to marry other Guardians? It's supposed to make us stronger. When she'd heard them for the first time they sounded ridiculous but now they made sense. As did Dorian's when he first came to visit the Elwoods and saw Iris with Connor. Such a shame that she's a human, isn't it? You know, forbidden fruit and all.
The Fountain of Truth (Tales of the Dark Fae Book 1) Page 30
