by Linsey Hall
As if she’d sensed it, the false queen appeared in the door. She hissed, her eyes flaring wide.
On either side of me, Tarron, Cass, Declan, and Aeri leapt to their feet.
The false queen strode into the room, raising her hands high. Behind her, six Unseelie rushed in and fanned out to attack.
Tarron raised a hand and shot a massive blast of flame at the group.
The false queen raised her hand and flicked her wrist. The huge fireball redirected its course and slammed against the wall.
The Unseelie guards raced toward us, weapons raised.
Cass, Declan, and Aeri charged, going for the guards. Aeri swung her mace, and Cass hurled her obsidian daggers, taking out two guards in quick succession. Declan wielded a sword with such fierce precision that it took only one blow for each Unseelie he encountered.
I reached into my pocket, going for the Aranthian Crystal.
I just have to hit her with it.
But the queen was too fast. Tarron’s magic surged again, but she beat him to it, throwing a massive blast of golden light at us. This time, I braced myself, ready to reflect it back at her.
The magic slammed into me, throwing me back against the wall. It didn't reflect off of me at the false queen—somehow, she had become immune to my gift. Pain spiked as I smashed into the stone, my mind going blank. I barely held on to consciousness, just enough to realize that Tarron had been hit too. He was slumped against the wall, hardly moving.
“Tarron!” I screamed as I tried to stagger upright. Next to me, the Aranthian Crystal glowed bright. I’d dropped it. Quickly, I snatched it up.
Cass, Declan, and Aeri had missed the direct hit and were still fighting the guards, but the false queen would go for them soon.
Tarron’s eyes opened and he jerked. I tried to drag myself upright, hating that I hadn’t been able to send her magic right back at her.
“See, daughter?” The false queen cackled as she dragged her gaze from the fight and narrowed it on me. “I’m so much stronger than I was.”
Tarron stayed down against the wall, but I could just barely feel his magic rising. He didn’t want to draw her attention before he could hit her with something.
Distract her.
My mind raced. “Why are you doing this?”
She looked at me like I was crazy, her brow furrowed. “Why?”
“Yeah, you speak English, right? Why?” I thought of the Aranthian Crystal still clutched in my hand. I didn’t want to raise my hand to throw it while she was looking at me so intently. She could hit me with her power before I released it.
And I definitely couldn’t fight her. My insides felt pulverized. I could barely support myself against this wall, much less attack her.
The crystal was my only hope.
On either side of her, Aeri, Declan, and Cass fought her minions, but she had eyes only for me.
“This is my destiny,” the false queen hissed.
“Okay, that’s just insane rambling.” I arched a brow, trying to look unimpressed.
Tarron’s magic flared brighter. He was about to hit her.
“If it was your destiny,” I said. “I wouldn’t be the true queen.”
She hissed, her eyes narrowing on me. “You are only half of me. Half of what you could be.”
To my left, Tarron raised his hand and hurled a blast of sunlight right at the false queen.
It hit her dead-on, and she shrieked. She didn’t go down as she once would have, but she was distracted enough that I could raise my hand and chuck the Aranthian Crystal right at her.
It slammed into her chest, surrounding her with red light. She froze solid, her eyes wide.
“Let’s get out of here!” Tarron shouted.
“I’ve got to take her out!” I staggered toward her, my legs weak from the hit I’d taken.
Cass and Aeri turned toward me, their eyes widening as they looked past me to the windows.
“The guard is coming!” Aeri shouted. “Look out the windows!”
My gaze flicked up, and I spun around, taking in every window in the room. Dozens of Unseelie guards were flying right toward us, and they were only ten feet from the windows.
Shit.
I looked toward my mother, still frozen, rage twisting her features.
“The portals!” Tarron shouted.
He yanked his golden apple out of the ether and hurled the fruit to the ground. It smashed, and magic sparked on the air.
Silver branches began to grow up from the ground, twisting to form an arch. It was slow going, and the queen’s guards crashed through the windows when it was only half formed.
Dozens of them charged us.
My heart thundered, panic surging.
Cass threw fireballs, while Tarron called upon the sunlight that was so abhorrent to the Unseelie. Each of them hurled their magic at the Unseelie, who fought back with their own blasts.
My mother stood, still frozen.
If I could only take her out…
But I didn’t have time to open my veins and create a new magic with which to attack her. The silver archway was nearly formed. With more Unseelie guards pouring in, we were going to have to run for it soon if we wanted to survive.
I dodged a blast of black smoke. A slender Unseelie woman with spikey black hair came at me with a sword, and I ducked low to avoid the blow. I called upon my own blade, then lashed out and delivered a cut to her arm. She shrieked and drew a dagger, hurling it so fast that I couldn’t avoid it entirely. The blade slammed into my shoulder, and I screamed, pain lancing me.
A blast of golden light shot from the left and hit the Unseelie.
Tarron.
“Thanks!” I shouted, turning to search for Aeri. This was our only chance to try to take out my mother. I spotted Aeri on the other side of the room, swinging her mace at our attackers. Declan fought on the other side of her, making sure her back was covered.
“Aeri!” I raised my left palm up to face her, then sliced it with my sword.
She got the hint and sliced her own palm, holding it up to face me.
It was the strongest magic we had right now.
I called upon the lightning, feeling it crackle and burn inside me, coming to life. I gave it everything I had, letting it rise to the surface.
An enormous bolt of golden white lightning shot from my palm to Aeri’s, and we fought our way to the false queen.
An Unseelie man charged me, his sword raised high. Without dropping my lightning hand, I struck out with my own blade. I’d made sure to cut my non-dominant hand so I could keep fighting.
It took all my concentration to fend off the attacker while moving toward my mother with the lightning still flickering bright. The Unseelie landed a blow to my thigh that cut deep, and agony surged as I staggered forward.
I parried his next attack, then delivered a cut to his abdomen that had him staggering off. We were nearly to the false queen when a blast of fire hit me from behind. Heat and pain enveloped me, and I shrieked, nearly dropping my lightning hand.
“I’ve got you!” Tarron shouted.
A half second later, a cold blast of water hit my back, dousing the flames.
Finally, we reached the false queen. I was in so much pain that I could barely stand. Aeri and I moved our lightning toward her, and it caught her in the middle. The red glow that surrounded her from the Aranthian Crystal turned bright yellow. The false queen shrieked, her eyes flaring wide.
The red glow of the crystal began to fade. The false queen twitched.
“Oh shit!” I yanked my arm down, breaking the connection with Aeri. “We almost released her!”
That had been a bad plan.
For some reason, she liked the lightning.
A blast of smoke hit me in the shoulder from behind, making me stumble hard, nearly going to my knees. Aeri screamed as something slammed into her. Declan raced toward her, cutting down Unseelie as he ran.
“Time to go!” Tarron shouted.
Battle raged all around, more Unseelie flying in through the windows. There had to be three dozen of them now, and my friends were barely managing to stay alive. Everyone was covered with cuts and burns. I could barely walk. The false queen was moving like she might escape.
I sprinted for the archway of silver branches, digging into my pocket for the second Aranthian Crystal. As I neared the portal, I turned back to the false queen. I nearly chucked it at her, then stopped.
If the first couldn’t freeze her, the second wouldn’t do the trick. I shoved it back into my pocket. I’d save it.
Declan sprinted toward me, carrying Aeri, who clutched her wounded leg.
“Go!” Aeri shouted.
“After you!”
She glared at me as Declan carried her through the portal, knowing I wouldn’t go until she was gone. And that she had no choice, since Declan would carry her out of her no matter what.
An Unseelie charged, and I raised my sword, clashing with him.
Cass raced into the portal. “Come on, idiot!”
I grinned, kicking the Unseelie in the stomach to drive him back.
Across the room, my mother twitched. Fear spiked.
In a burst of magic, she broke free of the Aranthian Crystal. Her eyes lit with rage and she raised her hand. Magic exploded out from her palm before I could brace myself. Gold light twisted with black as it shot toward me.
Tarron appeared out of nowhere, diving in front of me and taking the hit straight to the chest. It was like he’d known I hadn’t had time to brace myself.
I screamed, terror sending ice through my veins. He collapsed, unconscious. I grabbed him, wrapping my arms around his waist and yanking him through the portal behind me.
My mother’s wild eyes were the last thing I saw as the ether sucked us in and spun us through space, then spit us out in the Willow Wood in Puck’s Glen. I staggered out onto the leafy ground, collapsing with Tarron. His limp body fell heavily to the ground, and he lay still. Panic sent my heart racing.
Cass, Aeri, and Declan fell to their knees beside me.
Claire, Nix, Del, and Connor converged on us.
“What’s wrong with him?” Claire shouted.
“Did you get her?” Nix demanded.
“Shit! Close the portal!” Del screamed.
I spun around to spot the archway of silver branches standing tall in the clearing behind me. An Unseelie guard was beginning to come through the portal.
The rest would follow.
Shit.
I lunged forward and shoved the Unseelie back through to his realm. I yanked at the silver branches, tearing them down. Everyone but the unconscious Tarron joined me. As they tore apart the arch, destroying the portal, I turned and fell to my knees at Tarron’s side.
He lay still, his eyes closed and his face pale. Tears streaked down my face as I shook his shoulders. “Tarron!”
Aeri joined me. “What’s wrong with him?”
“I don’t know. My mother hit him with her magic. She was aiming for me but he jumped in front.”
“She wants you badly.”
“Tarron!” I shook his shoulders.
He jerked, gasping. His eyes opened, and they shined gold and black.
“His eyes,” Aeri whispered.
The green was gone, and something dark now shined from within. They focused and landed on me.
“You.” He hissed the word with such venom that I recoiled.
He lunged for me, reaching for my neck.
Horror iced my skin.
He means to kill me.
There was no mistaking the tone or the look.
His hands closed around my neck. Aeri lunged for him, shoving him back to the ground. He thrashed against her, and Declan joined in, holding him back. Tarron fought them both, trying to get to me, hatred in his now-golden eyes. Black swirled through the irises. He broke free and lunged again. Aeri punched him hard in the face. His head snapped back on his neck.
“Aeri!” I gasped, lurching toward them.
Tarron shook his head and turned back toward me. His eyes were green once more, his voice normal and confused. “What the hell happened?”
Declan loosened his grip on him, and Tarron rubbed his jaw, trying to shake the fog from his mind.
“You tried to kill me.”
“No.” Horror and confusion echoed in his voice.
“You did.” Aeri crowded in front of me, looking into his eyes. “Your eyes turned golden and black.”
“Black like my mother’s magic.”
“A curse,” Cass said.
Tarron shuddered, and his eyes turned gold and black once more. He growled and lunged for me, driven by such hate that it filled the air around us.
I scrambled back on the leaves, shocked. He broke past Aeri and surged forward, reaching out, hatred in his eyes.
Shit.
This couldn’t be. Not after we’d found each other. Saved each other.
I sucked in a breath and charged him, striking out with my fist. Just like Aeri had done to knock some sense into him. My stomach lurched as my fist smashed against his cheek and his head twisted. I hated hurting him.
Please work.
He shook his head, no doubt clearing his mind once more.
When his gaze met mine, it was still gold and black.
“No!” I gasped.
He hadn’t changed back to himself. He came at me again, a low growl in his throat.
Aeri and Declan hurtled toward him, grabbing both his arms and pulling him back. Del grabbed him from behind as well, with Claire and Connor joining. He fought, so strong that he nearly broke their hold.
I watched in horror as the man I loved fought to reach me. Fought to kill me.
Whatever allies we’d gained in the Unseelie realm, I’d lost far more.
I’d lost Tarron.
THANK YOU FOR READING!
I hope you enjoyed reading this book as much as I enjoyed writing it. Reviews are so helpful to authors. I really appreciate all reviews, both positive and negative. If you want to leave one, you can do so on Amazon or GoodReads.
Author’s Note
Thank you for reading Spirit of the Fae! If you’ve read any of my other books, you might know that I like to include historical places and mythological elements. I always discuss them in the author’s note.
Much of the mythology in Spirit of the Fae was borrowed from Celtic mythical monsters. The Ankou is the embodiment of death in Celtic folklore. He is often said to be driving a horse drawn cart into which he hurls the souls of the dead. He has helpers in the form of skeletons who accompany him. I modified the myth a bit to suit my story, but cold wind that precedes him is accurate.
The Slaugh that attack Tarron’s city are also borrowed from myth. They are the souls of evil Fae who haunt the night, flying through the air and terrorizing those who are still alive. In some Irish and Scottish myths,they are considered to be the souls of sinners who were rejected by the Celtic afterlife and also by earth, and thus are doomed to haunt the skies for eternity. They are said to generally come from the west, and therefor, people would often close their west-facing windows.
Puck’s glen is a real place in Western Scotland, and it is as amazing and magical as I tried to make it sound. It is located near the archaeologically rich region of Kilmartin, which played a pivotal role in Trial by Fae.
And last, the Sea Hag is a mythical monster from Lake Erie in the United States. The Earie Sea is my play on words for this. She is also known as the Storm Hag, likely because the storms on the Great Lakes are so fierce that sailors created mythical causes for them.
I think that’s it for the history and mythology in Spirit of the Fae. I hope you enjoyed it and will come back for more Mordaca and Aerdeca.
Acknowledgments
Thank you, Ben, for everything. There would be no books without you.
Thank you to Jena O’Connor and Lindsey Loucks for your excellent editing. The book is immensely better because of you! Thank y
ou to Aisha Panjwaneey for your helpful comments about typos.
Thank you to Orina Kafe for the beautiful cover art.
About Linsey
Before becoming a writer, Linsey Hall was a nautical archaeologist who studied shipwrecks from Hawaii and the Yukon to the UK and the Mediterranean. She credits fantasy and historical romances with her love of history and her career as an archaeologist. After a decade of tromping around the globe in search of old bits of stuff that people left lying about, she settled down and started penning her own romance novels. Her Dragon’s Gift series draws upon her love of history and the paranormal elements that she can't help but include.
Copyright
This is a work of fiction. All reference to events, persons, and locale are used fictitiously, except where documented in historical record. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
Copyright 2019 by Linsey Hall
Published by Bonnie Doon Press LLC
All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form, except in instances of quotation used in critical articles or book review. Where such permission is sufficient, the author grants the right to strip any DRM which may be applied to this work.
ISBN - 978-1-942085-91-1
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