Riftkeepers: Prime

by Carrie Whitethorne

  He would have laughed if he hadn't known she meant it.

  Chapter 13

  Charlotte had never seen a sunrise like the one she was looking out at, not that she'd seen many. She rarely got up this early. The horizon to the east was brightening, the vivid orange light bleeding through as the sun peeked up over the horizon, gradually blending to the most vibrant pink, framed by the deep purple of the lingering night sky.

  Glancing to the white, triangular pillar she gripped the children by their hands as the cold wind whipped at their faces. It stood alone at the top of the hill like a sentinel watching over the island. Looking down, she could see forests and moorland for miles, but no obvious route up. Beyond was the coastline, somewhere down there was Lamlash but she wasn't familiar enough with the island to know which of the towns was which.

  Home.

  She looked back to the pillar.

  Tighvein, entrance to the fairy realm.

  They'd ported up. Dagda first with Charlotte. Callan followed with the children. Carlie had been waiting at the pillar when they arrived.

  Callan knelt to speak to the children. “Remember, it's a magical fairy palace. Everyone looks different but there's no need to be afraid. Everyone there loves you and are excited to meet you. They're your family and friends, just a bit different.”

  “Are they magic like us?” Enya asked excitedly.

  He kissed her cheek, and said, with a wink, “Not even close to as magic as you two are.”

  Rising he turned to Dagda and Carlie “You go ahead to meet them on the other side. I'll change now so they aren't surprised by your appearance.”

  “Watch,” he said, looking back at the children.

  Charlotte was as transfixed as they were. He went out of focus for a second or two then his features altered. His teeth elongated and ended in sharp points, his ears pointed, skin deepened in colour. His hair was blown back by the wind so all his face was visible. His cheekbones were more prominent, his eyes shone.

  I'll never get tired of that beautiful face.

  “Wow” Zander whispered, eyes wide.

  Enya was beaming up at him. “You're so pretty Daddy!”

  Carlie grinned, “That's one word for you.”

  He gave her a sarcastic smile then nodded to the pillar.

  Dagda and Carlie approached the pillar and disappeared.

  She smiled down at them and asked, “Ready you two?”

  “Yep,” Enya confirmed. They walked forwards together.

  It wasn't like porting. More like walking through an automatic door. Warm air blew down on her and she was standing in a large, marble hall that was flooded with bright sunlight. It was so warm after having stood on the mountain top just moments before, she took off her coat and the children did the same. Dagda and Carlie were a few feet away. In his Fae form Dagda was really something to look at. He had the same beauty that Callan had, but more physical presence, his bulging muscles much more prominent. She looked him up and down and flushed. “Sorry,” she mumbled as he raised a brow and smirked. Carlie bit her lip as she stifled a laugh.

  “Oi!” Callan said in her ear as he prodded her in the small of her back.

  Zander looked at them, confusion knotting his brows.

  “Ah, here you are. Hello my darlings,” Alayna appeared from nowhere and instantly knelt. The children ran at her and she took her in for a big cuddle. “I missed you.”

  “Are they waiting?” Callan asked. She nodded and gave him a wry smile.

  Why is he so nervous?

  Charlotte took a deep breath, and turned to the children. She said brightly, “Okay. We need to go for a meeting. Will you be okay with Aunty Alayna for a bit? She has a friend who wants to see how good you are at your magic. Can you go and show off while we're busy?”

  “When we're done, we can spend the rest of the day meeting your family,” Callan promised.

  “Yeah,” Zander answered, turning to leave. Enya was already tugging on Alayna's hand, chattering away.

  “See you soon,” Charlotte called after them.

  They walked quickly through the marble halls of the palace. There wasn't time to take in the architecture or artwork adorning the walls. What she did see was breath-taking.

  Callan maintained a firm grip on her hand as Dagda led them to the chamber.

  Chamber. Hell, it sounds like a court hearing. Maybe it is.

  Her stomach knotted.

  They stopped before huge wooden doors. They were beautifully carved with trees and animals of all descriptions, birds perched in trees and in flight, deer walking through a forest. She didn't have time to study it in detail. Silver handles and hangings flashed in the brilliant sunlight.

  Dagda put an arm around her shoulders and gave her a squeeze. “Relax. You're here to help. Without you we're all stuck. Remember that.” He raised a hand and the doors swung open silently.

  The chamber was immense. It's white marble floor glimmered in the sunlight that streamed through the floor to ceiling windows forming the entire back wall of the room. The other walls housed books, thousands, and thousands of books. She gazed around the room in awe.

  This place is amazing. It's more like a library. I could get lost in these books for years.

  Callan led her towards a circular, carved ash table in the centre of the room. The four carved chairs closest to them were empty.

  “Father,” his voice was low as he greeted him. Dagda and Callan bent their heads. Carlie gave a small curtsy. Charlotte stood with her mouth slightly open, eyes flicking around the room.

  The king rose from his seat and walked around the table. Charlotte watched him as he approached. He was just as he'd been in the photograph Callan had showed her. He wore his platinum hair down around his shoulders, a simple silver crown atop his head, adorned with bright blue gems the only indication of his status. His eyes were the palest blue.

  He clapped his sons each on the shoulder, kissed Carlie's cheek and kept moving until he stood before her.

  He's a fairy king. I'm being greeted by The Fairy King.

  “A pleasure to finally meet you. Callan has been rather protective of you over the last few weeks.” He leaned and pressed a gentle kiss on her cheek and murmured, “I'm looking forward to meeting your beautiful children.”

  She bowed her head and replied softly, “Thank you.”

  “But first, we have some important matters to discuss,” he boomed, turning away and returning to his place at the table.

  As she sat in the chair to the far left, the members looked at her with interest. She shrank under their inspection. They were all tall, strikingly handsome and wore well-tailored suits. Ten of them, including the king.

  Not out of place here at all, Charlotte.

  They began the meeting by skimming over the events of the last seven years. Apparently, power had been drained from eight sites.

  That naturally led to who was believed to be responsible. The only person known to go around hunting natural power sources was her father and so the whole tale had to be retold for the nobles gathered here.

  Carlie did amazingly well. Dagda kept his head bowed as she recounted everything she had learned. Charlotte was grateful she hadn't been asked to speak.

  The king called for refreshments and time for reflection after Carlie had spoken. Dagda remained seated and shared a rushed, murmured conversation with her before striding over to his father. Carlie left the room as Callan excused himself and joined his father and brother.

  Alone at the table she sipped water from a cut crystal glass. She watched tiny rainbows dance over her hand as the sunlight streamed through the window, hitting the sharp angles of the tumbler, a prism in her hand.

  “May I?” a smooth voice purred in her ear. She turned her head slightly, looking out of the corner of her eye.

  He straightened, head tilted to one side and looked down on her with eyes that were pools of glinting silver. Lost in his eyes for a moment, she didn't respond. He was less muscled than
Callan and Dagda but equally as tall. His glistening black hair was tied back neatly revealing more narrow, chiselled features. His full lips, pink against his pale complexion, were slightly parted and she could see the sharp, white points of his teeth. He wore a long sleeved black shirt, open at the neck with no jacket or tie. A small smile played around his mouth.

  “Umm, yes, of course,” she managed to stammer.

  He sat and turned in his seat slightly.

  “Dane,” he said by way of introduction. “You must be the lovely Charlotte everyone is buzzing about.” He looked her up and down as he spoke. She felt heat rise in her cheeks.

  His voice was a direct contrast to Callan's. He had that soft Gaelic lilt but Dane, he was clearly southern English.

  “I hate these things,” he said quietly leaning toward her. “It goes on and on when all we need is a brief run down, a quick chat and decide what to do about it.”

  She smirked. She wasn't expecting this level of informality. “Your accent?” she asked.

  “Oxfordshire. My mother's family were the protectors of the Rollright stones. You grew up near Graycroft?” His silver eyes danced as he looked her over again.

  He's done his homework.

  “Yeah. Quiet little village. Nothing ever happened. It was nice.”

  Until that monster…

  “Hello Dane,” Callan said from behind them, his tone clipped.

  Are his shoulders squared? What did Alayna say?

  “Charlotte, I see you've met my… colleague?” He spoke softly but eyed the Fae beside her warily.

  “Yes, he came to…”

  “I came to keep her company since everyone left her here alone. But, here you are,” he said smoothly. “I'll go and mingle until we get back to whatever it is we're meant to be doing here. Charlotte.” He inclined his head as he left the seat beside her. She smiled warmly as he strode away.

  “What did he want?” he asked, curtly.

  Oh, my god. Jealousy?

  “Like he said. You all left me, he said hello,” she whispered, annoyed at his display of dominance.

  Callan nodded to the table as the other lords took their seats. Carlie hadn't come back.

  We'll discuss this later. Not sure who he thinks he is!

  The king spoke. “Now we have the matter of the young Prince and Princess.” His eyes flicked her way and the knot in her stomach tightened.

  He nodded to Callan, inviting him to speak. She didn't look at him. She was trying not to look at anyone at all, focusing on her glass.

  “Thank you, father. We have no idea why, given what we know of our two races, but, it has emerged that Enya is extremely gifted with power over water. More remarkably, Zander controls the earth element.”

  Murmurs sprang up around the table causing Charlotte to look up. Callan was stooping, whispering to Dagda.

  Each member of the council murmured to their neighbours. All except Dane. He watched her intently, his silver eyes holding her just a second too long. A glass tinkled as it was tapped and her eyes shifted toward the king. The murmurs died down and attention turned back to the King.

  “They have begun their training, is that correct?” The king asked swiftly.

  Callan continued, strengthening his voice over the echoing murmurs of the council. “Yes. As I have said, they're each incredibly gifted and their control is already at a level far greater than the average Fae at the same age. Blair has taken on the task of teaching them to wield their elements safely. Obviously, Zander's very rare gift is relatively unknown to us so it's a learning curve all round.” He bowed his head and took his seat. He reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

  None of them know a damn thing about it? Well, this is reassuring.

  She took back her hand and scanned the room again. All eyes were on the King.

  “Our second problem correlates to the first. Our Warlock is gaining power with every site he reaps and is growing in confidence. The power these people usually seek lies within the portal to the underworld. We can only assume this will be his eventual target. As we are all aware, our Brothers of the Un-Seelie Court keep that portal. Dane.”

  Is he explaining more for my benefit?

  She looked toward the dark-haired Fae. He glanced her way and smiled.

  Rising fluidly, he looked to each of the lords in turn, his silver eyes gleaming in the bright sunlight. His gaze lingered as he reached her again. “Yes. Our portal is a target and with most of us wielding shadow we are weak against a Warlock attack. The existing wards are weakening with age and, we fear a breach would be possible should he reach the portal. The wyverns are restless. They sense the disturbance each time a site is drained.” He paused, looking around the table again his eyes eventually settling back on Charlotte. “Once we have the strength of the Earth Wielder to bolster the fortifications I'm sure that things will settle down.”

  Charlotte visibly paled.

  Strength of the earth wielder? That's my baby! He can't be expected to defend the gates to hell. This is ridiculous!

  She stood. Callan reached for her but she shoved his hand away.

  “I'm sorry, Dane. Are you suggesting that a child, my child, should be used as a line of defence against the monster that…” she couldn't find the word, “sired me?” She cocked her head as she asked the question, her cold stare setting his lips twitching.

  “Yes,” he said, simply. “He's the only one who can fortify the ground wards that surround the portal. They haven't been properly reinforced in thousands of years.” His flippant tone sent a wave of fury through her.

  “You obviously don't understand. He is a child.” Gripping the edge of the table, she leaned toward him. “So no, he cannot fortify the ground around your portal. Sit down, Callan!” She turned and snapped as she felt him rise beside her. She heard Dagda try to disguise his snigger with a cough.

  Amusement danced in Dane's eyes as he took her in. “Very well. What do you suggest, Charlotte?”

  The question threw her off her stride.

  What do I suggest? How am I supposed to suggest anything? I don't even know what any of this entails. If he's hurt…

  “I don't know. But I will not allow you to throw my child in harm's way,” she said, losing some of her fire. Emotion took over as the thought of him being hurt flashed into her mind.

  Dane maintained eye contact with her across the table, his features softening as he said, “Forgive me, I didn't mean to offend.” Clearing his throat, he turned to the King. “Our side is secure, for the time being.”

  The other Lords at the table muttered amongst themselves for a few moments. Charlotte shot Dane a scathing look as he took his seat, and turned her attention back to her glass, not daring to look at Callan.

  The King rose again, his face grave. “Charlotte is, obviously, right. The boy is far too inexperienced and as such he must be trained and kept safe.” He paused, and addressed her directly, “Charlotte, may I suggest that he and his sister kept safe amongst us. We have ways of ensuring your relocation is kept secret. We cannot risk your father learning of the children. He could manipulate their power to destroy rather than heal and protect. Is that agreeable?” His eyes were soft, kind, as he waited for her to weigh his suggestion.

  “Yes. Of course,” she said in a low murmur, “their safety is my priority. Thank you.” She looked down at her hands and picked at her nails.

  Oh, god we're moving here! I'm expected to live among these people indefinitely. What will I tell Ferne? What about work?

  He addressed the whole council, “The family will remain here with us, hidden and warded. The children will be trained, nurtured, and given time to understand their power. In the meantime, we continue to track the activities of the warlock. Does anyone have anything to add?” He scanned the table. When no-one accepted the invitation, he dismissed the meeting. Everyone made to leave the chamber.

  “You were brilliant,” Dagda murmured in her ear. “I told you she was going to be a handful,” h
e laughed, walking past Callan, and elbowing him in the ribs.

  Sticking with Dagda, she left the chamber. Callan was close beside her but she ignored him until they were away from the rest of the council. “I assume I have a room? I need to visit it.”

  “We have a suite. I'll take you up,” he said gently, leading her away.

  She looked over her shoulder at Dagda as she followed Callan down another long hallway. He smiled and waved as he turned into another room.

  In less of a hurry now, she took in the halls she walked through. White marble floors stretched before her. Windows, dressed with flowing organza, were thrown open to allow the warm air to circulate, a warm breeze bringing in the scent of cut grass and lavender. It smelled like summer.

  The walls were made from a smooth, white stone, paintings and carvings hung at regular intervals. The simple beauty of the place was breath-taking.

  Callan led her up a sweeping marble staircase. The silver rail felt cold as she ran her hand along it. Callan had stopped before the open door to their suite and gestured for her to enter first.

  She entered a modern sitting room. A large black sofa took up the centre of the room, facing a wall mounted TV, a stark contrast against the white of the floor and walls. In one corner was a black marble dining table.

  She walked to the window and parted the sheer organza panels, looking out over a beautiful walled garden. It was a hive of colour, shrubs, climbers, flower beds, elegant stone statues, fountains, and gravel pathways all perfectly tended. Dragonflies, butterflies, and all kinds of birds busied themselves around the flowers and ornaments.

  Zander will love it out there.

  She allowed the panel to drop and turned to Callan. “Bedroom?” she asked in a clipped tone. “Is my bag here?”

  “It was collected this morning and will be on the bed,” he looked at her, his brows pulled in, unsure as to the reason for her change of mood.

  He led her into one of the rooms off to the right of the main door. The forest green carpet was inches thick. The walls were painted a deep green and rich cream, heavy curtains framing the large window. The wrought iron bed, layered with pillows and quilts, was massive. The dark wood furnishings looked antique, wardrobes and chests taking up an entire wall, a matching dressing table filled another.