She shot Izban a meaningful look. It was supposed to tell him that she expected him to come up with a solution that didn't involve him sleeping with her or attacking her. The mage seemed clever, so surely he could find a way.
"The appearing thrones didn't make much sense either. Why would we need stone thrones in the future? I don't think the Staran will heal themselves by us looking regal."
Amber chuckled. "I quite like that none of us are human, though. That gives us an advantage over the previous Wardens. It has to count for something, there has to be a reason why suddenly supernaturals became the new Wardens."
Macey nodded. "The humans were only given their elemental power when they became a Warden. They had to learn how to use it. We already know how to, and we all have additional abilities. Amber and I can shift, Izban can do magic and has his little blue helper, Cam and Flint can travel the Staran and Jared... can have sex."
They all laughed, clearing up some of the tension and worry in Macey's chest.
"I'm a bit worried about the internal battles he spoke about," she admitted once they'd calmed down. "I think I can deal with outside battles better than with internal ones."
Amber chuckled bitterly. "I've had my share of internal battles these past few months. If I have to go through something like that again... I'm not sure I'll be able to cope."
Izban put an arm around his partner and pulled her close. She laid her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes.
Macey was hurting for her friend. It was obvious how vulnerable Amber was beneath her strong exterior. The girl wasn't going to keep up the pretense forever. They needed to get this over with before Amber crashed.
"We can help you both," Cam said, interrupting the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over the Wardens.
It was only then Macey realised Luch was missing. Where had the pesky mouse got to? And after the ex-Warden in her dream had revealed such interesting things about her role in fixing the Staran. Though Macey had no idea what actually entail. Hopefully the woman herself would know.
"I know you can," Macey acknowledged. "But that doesn't actually change what happened. We can make ourselves stronger but healing our scars will take longer.”
She exchanged a supportive glance with Amber, who smiled weakly. As much as she hated what the Voice had done to both of them, and wished it hadn't happened, she was glad she had someone else who could understand completely.
In time, the two of them would heal. But for now, it was better to repress the nightmares and the negative stuff surrounding them and concentrate on the task at hand.
"That's not a plan for now, though," Amber said, echoing Macey's thoughts.
"Where were the Staran created?" Macey asked absentmindedly. It might not make a difference. But often they said that the best way to fix something was to go to where the root of the problem was. It sounded like the right kind of plan to her. At least it gave them some kind of direction.
"No one really knows, but there's many rumours about it," Cam said.
"Don't tell me, Mount Olympus?" Macey asked, hoping to the very depth of the seas that she was wrong. As much as she wouldn't mind a quick trip to Greece, the thought terrified her. If most of what the humans thought was mere mythology existed in Scotland, then there was going to be some seriously bad things in the other country, and she didn't fancy her chances against sirens or minotaurs.
"No, not Olympus, you'll be glad to know that it literally is just a mountain," Cam said, sounding a little amused. At least her question had raised some spirits then. That was a start.
"So where?"
"This tiny island in the middle of the Northern Sea," Cam answered.
"Because that's a perfectly reasonable place for a travel system to be born," Izban muttered.
"Where would you pick? Somewhere obvious that anyone could find?" Cam bit back.
"Boys," Amber barked. "This is not the time to start arguing. Yes, Izban, it's a weird place. But Cam, he does have a point. If you're going to make something for people to travel on, don't you want them to actually be able to find it?"
"I suppose?" Cam seemed uneasy about the beithir's commanding tone.
"No, not supposing. The answer is yes. You don't put something on a tiny island unless you don't want people to find it." Amber rose to her feet and began to pace. "Which raises the question of why."
"But why wouldn't the creator want people to find them?" Macey asked. "Especially when there are other entry points. I mean, they're all over the place," she added, thinking back over all the times they'd travelled on them already.
"My guess is that they were never meant to be used by that. Maybe the person who created them, wanted to be the only person that could. And whenever they landed somewhere, they created another door? It would then open up the Staran to other people then too." Amber's tail swished from side to side as she paced, almost like it was thinking itself.
"She's not completely wrong," Luch said from the doorway, leaning on the frame and studying them all.
"Where does the completely come in?" Macey asked, wondering how long the mouse had been stood there.
"Assuming that it was just one person that created the Staran. They were originally a Unseelie invention. A way for them to travel around the world unchecked by everyone else. They just didn't catch on to the fact that a Seelie woman would uncover their plot. She changed the Staran, and opened them up to the world in general. Or at least, those of us who can see them." She looked straight at Macey, as if knowing she was one of the people that couldn't see them on their own.
"Are the Seelie really that powerful?" Amber asked, turning around so she faced the mouse. And, for the first time since raising to her feet, she stood still. Even her tail wasn't moving anymore.
"Not anymore, no," Luch admitted. "Their powers are constantly weakening. I think a part of them is tied to the Staran, and it's dying off along with it." She sounded sad. Not that Macey knew what she was going to do about that.
"Or is it the other way around?" Macey asked. "Are the Seelie weakening because the Staran are?"
Luch considered her words for a moment. "Possible. Or it could be as simple as an imbalance between the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. No one, even they, aren't sure how the balance actually works."
"One question," Flint interrupted. "What's this got to do with us?"
Everyone turned to face him, and Macey added a questioning look. She had no idea what he was trying to get at.
Flint shrugged. "We're not Seelie or Unseelie. In fact, we're hardly anything but a bunch of misfits. What do we have do with their Courts and the battle between good and bad?"
"It's not a battle," Luch corrected. "It's a balance. Just like the elements you all represent are all about balance. The world couldn't survive without fire. Nor without water, or air, or any of the others. To think that the two things aren't connected is a failure on your parts. This world is nothing but connections."
Flint nodded. "Okay then, that does make a little bit of sense."
"It makes a lot of sense," Macey added. "Except that there's seven of us."
"Balance can be had between any number," Luch pointed out. "For example, are you not balanced within the Wardens as two relationships? Everyone has someone else they can rely on. No one is left on their own."
"So, it's normal for relationships to occur within the Wardens?" Macey asked softly, wondering what that could mean for them all. Did it take away from their relationship if they were predestined to be?
"It happens," Luch shrugged. "But it's not a given. Sometimes the Wardens hate each other and only come together if they absolutely must. It's very rare for all six of the Wardens to be in a relationship."
"If the Seelie know what's going on with the Staran, why didn't they want us to come and help? They could have told us about their origin, about where to find them. Why didn't they?"
"The woman who helped us said something about evil reaching their queendom," Cam mentioned. "Maybe they're no l
onger all on the same side. Maybe the Unseelie have more influence in their court than the balance should allow."
"It seems we have to do it on our own," Flint said with a huff. "Yet again, it's all down to us. Why can't people just be nice and give us some more information?"
Luch chuckled. "It's not in people's nature to be helpful. Nor is it in that of mice." She grinned cheekily. "But I'm an exception. I'm nice, so I'm going to tell you where to go. It's a pretty place, actually, I haven't been in years. I'm going to think of this as a holiday. You can do the work and I'll enjoy the scenery."
Macey grimaced. Luch was proving once again that the mouse knew far more than she let on.
"Where is it?" she asked.
"St Kilda. The last islands before there's nothing until you reach America. An archipelago with the highest sea cliffs in all of Britain. It's a beautiful set of islands, you'll like it."
"Is anyone still living there?" Jared asked and Luch tsked.
"Don't you know your history, incubus? The last humans left in 1930. Until then, the islands had been inhabited for over two thousand years. Long enough for the people there to grow used to guarding the Staran. But over time, their tasks became legends and the younger generations no longer knew what to do. So, the Staran became weaker, missing the monthly rituals that kept it pure and alive. Missionaries arrived in the middle ages, and while spreading their religious message, they also destroyed some of the knowledge that had been collected about the Staran and the island’s mythological origins."
"How do you know all that?" Macey was impressed by the mouse's knowledge, but at the same time, she was wondering why she hadn't told them before.
"I know a lot more, but it's not time yet to divulge all my secrets. Once our story comes closer to its end, I will. I promise."
"Does that mean we have to go to St Kilda now?" Amber asked. Tiredness had left dark shadows below her eyes, but she was smiling in excitement.
"I think I'd like to have a chat with Nessie first. She's got a lot to explain," Macey growled, failing to hide the anger once again bubbling up in her. The talk of the Staran and St Kilda had almost distracted her from the big revelation about her family, but she was not getting it quite out of her mind, and she was sure she wouldn't until she'd confronted her aunt... or whatever Nessie was to her.
"I'm not sure we'll have time," Izban began but Amber elbowed him again.
"Put yourself in Macey's shoes," the beithir scoffed. "Wouldn't you want to know as well? I don't think she'll be able to focus on anything until she finds out if Nessie is her mother."
There was no accusation in Amber's voice, just sympathy. Macey gave her a thankful smile.
"Do you think the Staran can get us to her or are they too weak?" Izban asked the two wraiths and Macey's smile disappeared. She could see the barb in the mage's question. He was trying to make her feel guilty for using the Staran and she didn't like that at all. Maybe because in her mind, she knew he was right, while hear heart was telling her to race to Nessie without delay.
"We could split up," Macey suggested diplomatically. "I could go find Nessie and then join you on St Kilda. Although I'd need Cam or Flint to help me travel."
"No, all of you need to be there together," Luch said sternly. "It won't work otherwise."
"What won't work?" Cam asked, suspicion lacing his voice. "What aren't you telling us?"
Luch didn't even look embarrassed or uncomfortable. She just shrugged and said, "I've told you too much already. I've been helping you more than I should. So, don't ask me any more questions, just believe me when I say that all of you need to arrive on Hirta together."
"Hirta?"
Luch sighed. "So, you don't just need to brush up on your history, but also on geography. It's the largest island in the St Kilda archipelago and our destination. It's where the very first Warden lived, before it was decided that more than one was needed. Her house, the Taigh na Banaghaisgeich, is where we want to go."
"But what about Nessie?" Macey asked quietly. Her wish for personal closure was fighting her need to help the Wardens. Was this the first inner battle she'd been warned about? Or was a lot worse to come?
"Once we're done exploring St Kilda, you may have more things to discuss with Nessie," Luch said, and Macey was tempted to strangle her. How many more mysteries and unanswered questions were there going to be?
Yes, she was in the mood to go to an island, but one with beaches and sun and peace, where she could stretch out and read, maybe sleep a little, play on the sand with her men. Not an island full of legends and problems.
It took all her inner strength to bury her desire to talk to - or better, confront - Nessie and instead focus on the greater good.
"Let's go," she said and got up before she could change her mind. Let's go to Hirta."
13
St Kilda looked a bit like Macey imagined Avalon. A group of green islands, shrouded in mist. High cliffs were rising from the sea, where foamy waves were battering the dark stone. Tiny white dots signaled the presence of sheep who'd somehow stayed behind when the last residents were evacuated. Seabirds, mainly gulls and gannets, were circling far overhead, curiously looking down at the newcomers.
Tourists came here regularly, that much was clear from the information boards and the metal bin by the pier, but right now, there didn't seem to be anyone else on the island.
They'd stepped out of the Staran in the imaginatively named Village Bay, at least that's what it said on the map Macey was looking at.
Some of the stone houses around them had turned into ruins, but some still looked habitable, with complete roofs and unbroken windows. Somewhere here was the Taigh na Banaghaisgeich, the female warrior's house. Oh yes, there it was. The map called it the Amazon's House, which was intriguing. Macey wouldn't have associated a remote Scottish archipelago with a warrior woman.
It probably wasn't even anyone Scottish that had named the place. It sounded like the kind of thing a foreigner would have come up with.
"This way," Flint said, turning them up a small dirt track to the left.
"How do you know?" Macey huffed, feeling terribly unfit. She was going to blame her stint in the Voice's keep for that. She'd been in much better shape before that. Though she hadn't shifted properly since they'd been at the ceasg's home, and that hardly counted. She hadn't been in kelpie form for long, and she'd been fighting for Amber's life. Or thought she had been. The exact details of that were a little hazy.
"I don't know, just a feeling."
She didn't like that idea much. Feelings had normally turned out to be bad so far. And ended in them being trapped places they shouldn't, with people who got angry at them for the oddest of reasons.
Even so, she stuck with it, and they all climbed the very basic path without saying a word. Too much concentration was needed to navigate the rocky path. Why no one kept it clearer of the pebbles and other debris that were strewn over it, Macey had no idea. It was like everything about this world was out to get them.
"It's a pile of stones," Jared huffed as the Amazon's house came into view.
Macey didn't voice her opinion out loud, but she couldn't help but agree with Jared. It was just a pile of stones. Though she could see where the house would once have stood. It was a shame really, the shape of it made it seem like the structure would have been a sight to behold.
"Oh ye of little faith," Luch said, amusement colouring her voice.
She cleared her throat and opened her mouth, music beginning the moment she did so. Macey stared in awe at the mouse. This was the last thing she'd expected.
“By the steam so cool and clear,
And thro' the caves where breezes languish,
Soothing still my tender anguish,
Hoping still to find my lover,
I have wander'd far and near:
O where shall I the youth discover?”
By the time Luch had finished the verse, tears were falling down her face, as she watched the place where the hom
e had once stood. Her expression changed from one of sadness, to joy.
Confused, Macey turned back to the ruins, only to discover a beautiful stone building rising in front of them. It was simple in appearance, but clearly built with love and care. The doorway was arched, created from interlocking stones, and it hardly looked as if it had been touched by time at all. It was exactly the kind of thing Macey had expected, just with a few centuries less of weathering.
“Sleeps he in your breezy shade,
Ye rocks with moss and ivy waving,
On some bank where wild waves laving,
Murmur through the twisted willow?
On that bank, O were I laid,
How soft should be my lover's pillow!”
Macey jumped as the male voice replied to Luch's song. It wasn't what she'd expected. It had an ethereal note to it. Almost like Fedelm when she'd been speaking. But that would mean...
"Bradaigh," Luch exclaimed, jumping into action and running down to the entrance of the Amazon's home.
Macey followed her down, not at all surprised to find her greeting a translucent man. A man who was looking at Luch like she was the only woman in the world.
"It's been a long time, Luch," the man said now he'd stopped singing.
"I'm sorry, Bradaigh. It's taken me this long to find them," Luch replied, reaching her hand up as if to try and touch the ghostly face of the man.
"I know, I've been watching when I can. Except from when you were in that horrible dark place." He shuddered, sending a shimmering light through him. It was an odd thing to watch. Almost like sunlight when it rippled through the surface of the water back in Macey's Loch.
How she missed that place. Before her adventure, it had seemed small and confining. Now, she almost wished she was back in the cool, calm waters, surrounding by the people she'd known since birth. Even if that did mean facing Aunt Nessie again. The only thing stopping her from running right back home and denying anything had ever happened, was the fact she wouldn't have her men if things had gone any differently.
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