Seven Wardens Omnibus

by Skye MacKinnon

  They carefully walked further into the wide space that stretched from the gate they'd come through to a large, tall building. It didn't quite look like Macey had imagined a fairy palace, but as the biggest house of them all, it had to be the place they were going to.

  No fairies were anywhere to be seen. Macey thought she could see some movements behind one of the cloudy windows of a building to her right, but maybe that was just a trick of the light. It was bright here, even though the sky was full of clouds. They weren't grey and foreboding clouds though, but friendly, white, fluffy ones. The kind of clouds children would draw.

  They reached the large building, but the doors were shut. There was still nobody that seemed to be expecting them.

  "Who did your little blue helper talk to?" Amber asked her almost-boyfriend and he grimaced.

  "He didn't say, but I assume it was one of their guards. I'm sure they're here right now, watching us. Shall we try if the doors are open?"

  Macey nodded and walked up the steps leading to the two silver doors. They were beautiful and intricately carved, showing sun rays shining down on a crowd of people who were reaching up for the sky. Were those sìth? The carvings were too small to distinguish sìth from humans. Not that Macey had ever seen a sìth, but she'd heard they had pointy ears and were a lot prettier than humans. Which didn't take much; most supernaturals were a lot more beautiful than any human would ever be.

  There were no door handles, so she tried pushing the doors inwards. Nothing happened.

  Looking back at her fellow Wardens for support - which they gave with a nod - she knocked on the doors as loud as she could.

  The silvery metal the doors were made of was surprisingly warm against her knuckles. It definitely wasn't a material she'd find on Earth, but that really shouldn't surprise her. They were in the queendom of the sìth after all. Everything here was going to be strange and unique.

  "Go away!" a high female voice called from the other side.

  "I'm afraid we can't do that," Macey replied loudly. "We're here on important business that cannot wait." She was using words she'd heard her father use at court, hoping that the sìth were using a similar flowery language here.

  "We're not interested in doing business with you!"

  Macey sighed. "We're not trying to sell you anything. We're here to offer you our help in return for you giving us some information."

  She was bluffing, of course, she didn't even know if the sìth needed any help with something. Maybe everything was fine here in the queendom. Maybe her men had misinterpreted the situation.

  "What help could a kelpie, a beithir, a mage and two wraiths give us?"

  Oh, so the sìth knew who they were. Or at least what they were. Did they know about Luch and Jared waiting on the other side of the gate as well?

  "How about you let us in and we discuss it face to face? I'd really love to make your acquaintance."

  No, she really wasn't, but a bit of flattery usually worked.

  "I don't. Please leave." The woman's voice was getting ever more high-pitched and angry.

  Macey sighed. "We've travelled a long way to get here. If you'd prefer to just talk to us women, the men can stay outside."

  The three male Wardens huffed behind her, but she ignored them. Amber and her had proven that they could look after themselves. After all, they'd escaped the Voice without their men's help.

  "I don't care if you're a woman or not. You're not welcome here, so go before I make you go."

  Suddenly, the silver doors began to sizzle with electricity and Macey jumped back. She turned to Amber who had her hands outstretched, pointing towards the entrance.

  "Amber, what's wrong?"

  "It's my magic. They're using my magic. It's like they're copying it and then using it for their own purpose. It's not draining me, but it's really uncomfortable."

  When Izban heard that, he put an arm around Amber, pressing her close. She gave him a small smile, but she kept her hands outstretched as if she was trying to defend herself.

  "Stop hurting my friend!" Macey shouted at the doors, anger bubbling up in her. All she'd wanted was to talk to the sìth. Weren't they supposed to be the nice ones? Or had they accidentally landed in the Unseelie Court, where the not-so-nice sìth lived?

  "Shhh, over here!" someone whispered from their left. It took Macey a moment to see the woman who was pressed against the cloudy wall of the building. She almost seemed to be part of the cloud herself: her white hair blended in perfectly with her surroundings and her pale skin made an ideal camouflage. She was thin as a wisp and looked as if the slightest gust of air could blow her away. Was that a fairy?

  "They won't talk to you but I know who will," the woman whispered. "Come with me."

  Macey looked at the other Wardens. Was it safe to trust this sìth? Or was this a trick intended to get rid of them?

  Amber shrugged. "I really want to get away from these doors, so let's see what she has to say."

  Even though Amber had said that the magic wasn't draining her, her cheeks had lost a bit of colour. Yes, getting away from here sounded like a good idea.

  "Let's follow her," Macey decided and ignored the doubtful looks her men were giving her. She was beginning to like the idea that the women in the queendom were in charge. Maybe it was contagious, maybe that's why she was suddenly feeling like it was best for her to make all the decisions. Of course, she'd felt like that before, but now she was actually acting on it.

  With one last wistful look at the closed silver doors, she walked towards the woman who was impatiently waiting for them. Now that they were closer, it was obvious that the woman was a little older than them. Well, in looks at least. Macey was well aware that her men were older than they looked, but this woman seemed in her mid-thirties perhaps, not twenties like herself and the rest of the Wardens. Amber was the youngest at eighteen, and she didn't know how old Izban was. Maybe the same age as Macey?

  But then, who cared. Age was just a number.

  "Who are you?" Macey asked, but the woman just shook her head.

  "Later, follow me and be quick about it."

  Without further warning, she ran off, keeping close to the buildings on their right, the woman blending into the cloudy walls. Macey and the other Wardens had to stand out like dark spots on white linen. Everything here was so bright, so ethereal. It was beautiful and pure, but after her first encounter with the closed doors and the weird magic copying thing, she didn't trust the innocent looks of everything around them. Just like Cam had said, looks may be deceiving in this place.

  The woman floated, which was unsurprising really, given her appearance, and was moving surprisingly quickly. Even so, the Wardens managed to keep pace, though it was growing more and more difficult. The last time Macey had slept, she'd been in captivity. The same went for Amber. The men didn't look as fresh as they could be either. It was a good job they all had the superior strength of being more than human to keep themselves going, or they'd probably be dead.

  Maybe they all should be anyway. They'd been through a lot, and had several narrow escapes, none of which had left them completely whole. Mental torture took its toll too. And while Macey knew her and Amber had their own issues from the captivity to deal with, she was sure the men were suffering similarly for being away from them.

  "You know, I'm kind of getting tired of blindly following people I don't know," Flint chuntered.

  Macey didn't say anything. She could either agree with him, and risk turning their current host against them, or she could lie and tell him she wasn't fed up of that exact thing. Ever since she'd met her men, she'd been thrust into the position of being around people she didn't know. She was just lucky a lot of them had become her friends. More so than had become her enemies. Thankfully.

  As far as she was aware, there was just the Voice who was actually against them. Though knowing her luck, there'd be someone else along the way. Not to mention, someone could betray them at any moment. Cat-man hadn't been all that f
riendly towards her, she reckoned he could be turned against her still.

  "It's just for a little longer," Cam consoled him.

  "We have a time limit?" Macey blurted, without mulling it over in her head.

  She looked over her shoulder, and the guilty look on Cam's face said it all.

  "I-"

  "Why the fuck didn't you tell me?" she demanded.

  "We didn't know until we went to see Malan again. Before that, we just thought we were going up against how sick the Staran were getting. But he..."

  "How long have we got?" Amber asked, her voice soft and instantly calming the tensions rising between them all.

  "About three weeks," Cam added nervously.

  "Great. So, we're a Warden short, and still don’t have any idea what in the waves we should be doing, and we have three measly weeks to do it? Well, didn't this month just get better." Macey turned back towards their host, watching the cloud flooring skip by.

  "You might be closer than you think," the sìth in front to her said. "Sometimes answers are closer than you think," she added.

  "Unless you know where the Air Warden is, and he or she has all the answers, then I very much doubt we're closer than we think," Macey replied bitterly.

  "Have faith, kelpie. Have faith."

  The woman pushed open one of the shiny doors, and Macey cringed inwards, hoping to avoid touching it. The last thing she wanted was it stealing her powers like it had to Amber’s.

  Actually, that process reminded her a little of Luch, and what the mouse had done to destroy the barrier at the ceasg's pool.

  "Come in, then." The woman gestured wildly, and the Wardens hurried into the room.

  The walls were made of the same swirling cloud and Macey found herself completely distracted by a pattern on the back wall. There was something about it that called to her.

  "You're here," a male voice exclaimed from behind them. He sounded genuinely excited to see them. Which was both a relief, and slightly concerning.

  "Hi," Macey said in return, turning around to face the man. He was pretty much exactly what she'd expected. He was like a male version of the woman who'd brought them here. Thin and wisp like.

  And beautiful. Far more beautiful than anyone semi-translucent had any right to be.

  "I thought sìth were supposed to have pointy ears," she muttered to herself, quietly enough so that no one else should be able to hear.

  "We do, when we're in human form," the wispy man replied.

  Obviously, she hadn't been speaking quiet enough. She should think before she spoke. That was what her father had always taught her, and she was honestly a little ashamed that she hadn't remembered that in the first place.

  "Hello," Amber said nervously, looking at the man oddly.

  "Hi," he said, offering his hand for the beithir to take. She did, and he raised her hand to his mouth and kissed it.

  Amber giggled as his partly there lips brushed against her skin and Macey couldn't work out how she felt about the situation. Up until now, almost every man she'd come across had their attention on her first. Having another woman around was going to take some getting used to.

  Izban, on the other hand, had his emotions written all over his face. He was jealous. Macey smothered a smile. She was sure any of her men would have had the same expression if it was her getting the sìth's attention.

  At least this was more like the Izban she'd originally met, and not the man he'd apparently become in the months she'd been locked away. Of all the changes that had occurred, that was the most difficult one to fathom.

  "You wanted to see us?" she asked, interrupting the moment.

  Amber blushed, clashing horrendously with her hair. It must be one of the perils of being a redhead, as well as one of the reasons Macey was glad she wasn't. Clashing with her darker hair was certainly more difficult.

  "Yes, I believe I have what you're looking for."

  "You have a person?" Macey blurted before she could help herself.

  "Sort of. What do you know about the Seelie?" he asked, drifting from side to side as he spoke.

  "That they're the good guys?" Macey shrugged, not too sure what he was expecting her to say.

  "I suppose in a sense. But you're not supposed to be able to see us. You only can now because we're wrapped ourselves in the clouds."

  That at least made some kind of sense. They did appear as if one wave of the hand would cut through them.

  "Makes sense. But what does that have to do with the Air Warden?" she asked. Though maybe she shouldn't have admitted that was their goal so soon.

  "The Air Warden isn't a person. It's something that must bond with one of you," the man said.

  "You mean, share one of our bodies with another soul?" Amber interrupted, pulling a face as she did.

  "No. It's not a soul, more of a power."

  "That's not unheard of," Cam reasoned. "And it makes sense if it's linked to the Seelie."

  "Indeed. Sometimes a voice can be heard on the wind, or a rustle in the trees, that could well be Air. But it is not a person. Just controlled by a person."

  "Oh." Macey didn't know what to make of that. How were they supposed to decide who would carry the extra power? And how would it interact with the powers each of them already had?

  "The question is, which one of you will it be?" the man asked, and the Wardens exchanged worried glances.

  This wasn't going to be an easy choice.

  Chapter 9

  "Are there any side effects?" Flint asked worriedly. Just like him, Macey was a little worried about this latest development. Having a seventh Warden would have been so much easier. There may have been some trouble fitting them into their current relationships - no one ever wanted to be the only one single in a group of couples... quads - but at least it would have been a living, breathing person. Macey could work with that. But having a new power... that was different.

  "I'm not sure a Seelie power has ever been bound to a non-fae before," the man said softly. His voice was calming and gentle, and Macey began to wish that he'd talk to her more, about anything, everything. His voice was to die for.

  "I cannot guarantee that it'll all go smoothly. But if you want your seventh Warden, there is only that one way."

  "Wait, how do you know about the Wardens?" Macey asked, suddenly suspicious despite his beautiful voice. "How do you know we're some of them?"

  "The very power that is going to bind with one of you told me," the woman said, a big smile on her face. "It also told me that it's met you before, Macey. It tried to warn you once, but you didn't listen."

  "What? I don't think I've ever..." A memory popped up in her head. Back at her brothers' house, when they lay unconscious outside, she'd heard a voice that told her to run. She didn't and ended up being kidnapped. Kind of. Although that was a good thing, otherwise she'd never have met her men. But wasn't there something else? She remembered how when she first woke, she'd been convinced that someone had hit her on the head. Cam had insisted that she'd fainted and she'd almost begun to believe that herself... But what if Air had warned her about whoever had attacked her, not about the kidnapping?

  "So, you can talk to it?" she asked, aching for more information.

  "Air talks to all of us," the man said with a grin. "We're made of the same element; you could probably call us family. Air whispers to us when humans are in need of us, and sometimes, we listen. Not as much now as we used to, but that's another story." His smile turned sour. "There are bad things going on all over the world, and many of them are connected. Even the Seelie court has not stayed untouched by evil. But let's not speak of that. You need to make a decision. Who of you will carry Air?"

  "Can we have a moment alone?" Cam asked the two sìth and with a nod, they disappeared from the room, leaving the five Wardens alone.

  "We shouldn't decide this without Jared," Flint said empathically. "It's a big decision and all six of us should be involved."

  "Do we have time for that?" Macey asked. "W
e still need to go and talk to the selkies from what Aunt Nessie said, and we only have three weeks in which to do it..."

  "It'll only take half an hour or so to go talk to him," Flint pointed out.

  "Will they let us back in if we leave?" Amber asked.

  Macey looked at the other woman, appreciating her acuteness. That was a very good question. The sìth, or at least some of them, were co-operating at the moment, but would that continue? If they said they needed to delay, then would they still be friendly?

  Sure, the Seelie Court was supposed to be the light one, but Macey doubted that was always the case. Every race had their decent folk, and their evil and twisted ones.

  "I'll do it," she said suddenly, before holding up her hand. "Before you say anything, it makes the most sense. I'm the one with most of the marks already, and that's got to mean something. So, it makes sense for me to take on Air."

  Macey didn't want to admit how worried that thought made her. But if it needed doing for the good of the Wardens, and the good of the world in general, then she'd do it. She needed to.

  "That might be true, but..." Flint started, only to stop speaking when Cam placed a hand on his shoulder.

  "It might be easiest for me to take the power. I'm Wind already, so Air would match my existing skill set."

  Macey walked up to him and cupped her hand around his cheek. "Can you promise me that's the case? That it wouldn't mess with your existing magic? Or that it would be painless? Because if you can't, then you're not doing it."

  "Macey..."

  "Don't Macey me. There's a reason this all set in motion when I showed up. And why the marks are appearing on my back and not on anyone else's."