by Janelle Peel
“Of course! Come,” she patted the rock with her palm, “sit.”
Once I’d settled, she began.
“I will start at the beginning. Our plane was rife with magic, so much so you could create anything imaginable. My land was lush and fertile; we thrived.” Her tone hardened, “But, as with everything, there’s always a price. My Mate grew bored with our simple way of life. Seeking a release from the monotony of ruling our people, he strayed. The Fire Queen welcomed him into her bed with open arms. As she tired of him, she burned him alive and left him on the border of our kingdom for our people to find.” A single tear trickled down her cheek.
Rustling sounded behind us. Turning, I watched one green vine slither out and wrap around her shoulder in silent comfort. She visibly calmed at its touch and lowered her chin toward it. A thin cord sprung from its tip and caught the tear before it could fall. The vine snaked around its prize before retreating back into the foliage.
Slightly creeped out, I touched her hand in sympathy, “What happened?”
Sniffling, she continued, “I raged. Many Fae perished as our war reached a fever pitch. In an effort to stop our destruction, Air joined with Fire. Naturally, Water, joined with me. There came a point when everything stopped. Our plane was a barren landscape; devoid of life, of everything. Amadahy called a meeting. With Dax by her side, she flooded our world with water. The Fire Fae weakened and retreated to one desolate peak to lick their wounds. Air kept them company, but the damage was done. Our very existence was at stake. With the last of our magic, Amadahy and I created a Rune Gate and journeyed here with the last of our people.”
I interrupted, “How awful. I read about it in the Water book.”
She shook her head, “Weak as we were, we could only bury the Gate beneath the sea. Air came to Fire’s aid again and cocooned the remains of their people inside a pocket. They shot from the ocean and there was nothing we could do.” Bumping me with her shoulder, she sighed, “Your world was different than ours, so we adapted human shapes and quickly became distracted by your land. Worshipped as Gods by your ancestors, we lived. Eventually, even that ran its course.”
My brow furrowed, “How so?”
“We didn’t realize how petty the human race was. Our followers began fighting amongst themselves and sparked the war once again. The magic dwindled to almost nothing; as it had in our world. There was a faction amongst the humans. Able to change their shape into a single animal, they were the protectors of your Mages. One Mage stood out above all and sought the Fire Fae. She alone believed she could take their power for herself and achieve eternal life. As we warred, this Mage massacred many, including a vast number of Shifters. This gained the notice of your worlds deity. I believe you refer to her as the All Mother. Her intervention to punish the rogue Mage drained the remaining magic to the point where we could no longer survive. With the last of our power, we agreed to slumber.”
Silently, I connected all the dots. Mage Thais. Why was there no mention of the Fae in any of the Prophecies? Shrugging away the thought for later review, I asked, “How long ago did you wake?”
Her brows creased, “Roughly 200 of your human years. Amadahy and I took the people that had already awoken and settled in the forest where your Wolf resides. We were able to infuse the land with enough magic to sustain us. Its loss shattered our hold on your world. Now, we can only travel through the stone. But, as my anchor, you can come and go as you please.”
Gathering my courage, I asked, “And my father?”
She smiled, “I watched him through the onyx stone in flickers at first. He was kind. Eventually, I broke into his dreams. Fulfilling every fantasy, I appeared inside his home one night. I’ll spare you the details, but I became pregnant. I birthed you here, on the stone,” she jerked her chin toward the glossy slab. “But you had no magic. You were barely breathing. Left with no other choice, I returned you to your father. He was shocked at first, but eventually agreed. When the time came, he would tell you the truth. We spoke at length about my past and the possibilities of your magic.” The ground rumbled threateningly beneath our feet as her voice sharpened to a hiss, “On my next visit, I found only a note. He said he was taking you far away, and I’d never see you again. I searched for him, but he had found a way to shield you both from my sight.” The ground settled and she added, “It was another 19 years until you surfaced.”
Mentally, I slapped myself. She was following me. The earthquakes were her way of searching for me. They’d only begun after I had received my magic.
“Tell me, what happened to your father?” Her lips lifted into a shark like grin, “I would like to pay him a visit.”
Numbly, I shook my head, “I don’t know. I have no memory until I was taken in by a Clutch of Vampires.”
Her upper lip lifted in disgust, “I have seen them through the stone.” Softening her tone, she grabbed my hand, “I am so sorry, Nat. I never would have left you if I’d had a choice.”
Meeting her jade gaze, I whispered, “I know. You would have died.”
Seeing the truth of my words, she nodded, “Do you have any other questions?”
Biting my lip, I pondered the best way to ask about the barrier. “There is one thing. How do I break the curse?”
She sighed, “I do not know why you’d want to.”
This was the tricky part. I had no way to know how she would react. Squeezing her fingers, I lifted my brows earnestly, “I’m cursed with them.”
“What?”
She stood so fast I almost fell from my perch on the rock.
Pacing a line from the trees and back, she trembled with barely contained rage, “My daughter? Impossible!” She vanished and reappeared in front of me. Taking me by the shoulders, she shook me once, “How?”
I stammered, “I wa-was bitten by a Shifter. I barely survived.” Swallowing, my fear, I added, “Then I came to the cursed forest. Please, Mother. Help me?”
Instantly, her face flipped to a tender expression. Releasing my shoulders, she cupped my cheek, “Anything for you, Tuwa. My child, anything.”
Her mood swings were so unpredictable, I just smiled. Tuwa, sure. Yup, that was my new name.
Turning on her heel, she stepped onto the black slab. Gesturing beside her, she patiently waited for me to join her. As I did, she spoke, “I need you to calm yourself, Tuwa. What I am going to show you may be shocking, but remember, nothing will happen to you here. Once we are finished, you will know everything there is to make your choice.”
Damn, I’d forgotten to ask. What was this choice business? Shrugging a shoulder, I added it to the growing list of unknowns and closed my eyes. Her palm touched my chest as a searing heat ripped through my body.
One moment I was there beside her, the next…
I was her.
Kane
“Please,” he begged. “You have to believe me. It’s the truth.”
Sora’s tone hardened, “First of all, I don’t have to do anything. Second, I want to speak with Nat.”
Frustration laced his reply, “She’s still in that place. What will it take for you to believe me?”
“Your oath.”
Her words sent chills down his spine. If even one thing he said wasn’t true, he would die. Sighing, he rumbled, “I swear to the Goddess we are all in very real danger. The Fae are not what they seem.”
Thunder crackled through the speaker in tandem with the shaking of his home’s walls.
Bex barked sharply from the other room in fear. Kane could hear Jet make soothing noises to the startled pup.
“It is done,” Sora answered. “What do you want me to do?”
Running his hand through his hair, he muttered, “I don’t know. Prepare, something. Anything.”
Sarcastically, she quipped, “It would help if I knew how. There is nothing we can do until Nat tells us what’s going on.”
Clenching his eyes closed, murmured, “Be ready for anything.”
“We’ll try,” she mutte
red, and promptly hung up on him.
It could have gone worse, he mused. After all, it was his decision that had placed Nat in danger in the first place.
Figuring Nat would be starving by the time she came back, he decided to cook. Grabbing the bottle of whiskey from the shelf, he took a long drink and began rummaging through the pantry.
The click of Bex’s sharp nails sounded on the hardwood as she stepped into the kitchen. Her inquisitive blue eyes met his worried gaze. Yipping softly, she brushed her fur against his thigh.
“Hey,” he whispered softly. Lowering to her level, he held out a bag of jerky.
Her ears pricked as he tore open the plastic. Tentatively, she sat.
Picking the biggest piece, he held it out to her.
Gingerly, she took the offering from his fingers with a chuff of thanks.
“I need a favor, Bex,” he tousled her ruff. “Do not, under any circumstances, shift. This is really important, okay?”
Snorting, she looked at him like he was an idiot.
Knowing the pup was probably right, he gave her another piece.
Nat
Faster and faster, the images came at me like a hurricane.
Coaxing a seed to take root.
The onyx stone flashed by. Just as I stopped to see it, the memory disappeared. She was hiding something… what was it?
The images flickered in a jumbled mess as I decided to leave it for later.
Suffocating an invading army deep inside a pocket of soil.
Flowers blooming beneath a blue sky.
My father’s face as he smiled. Nathan, Èriu whispered.
Fire scorching the walls of a castle.
Blood.
Death.
Decay.
Rot.
Life.
The Rune Gate at the bottom of the sea.
Wolves. Rage…
Vengeance against those that had stolen her new home. The Curse.
The fear of losing me as I was born.
Loneliness.
Amadahy’s anger.
Disgust at my world.
Hatred for humanity.
Jealousy.
Suffering on this plane while the few remnants of her people slumbered.
Through it all, one thing was made abundantly clear. Power, at any cost, was paramount. My world would burn to make way for her idea of perfection.
The realization slammed me back into myself so hard I crumbled to my knees with a scream.
Soothing words slowly penetrated the fog littering my mind as it expanded to make room for eons of experiences. “Shh, it’s okay. You’re fine. I know it’s a lot to take in, but your Fae side will assimilate it. Breathe.”
Blinking away the haze, I met Èriu’s worried green eyes. My voice was scratchy as I asked, “What choice?”
The corner of one lip lifted in approval, “Tuwa, you are strong. Stronger than I’d hoped. The world will be yours, to rule or to remake. The choice is yours. Stand with me and take what is rightfully ours.”
My brow furrowed, “Ours?”
She nodded, “These humans do not deserve it. We will thrive here. With you as my anchor, nothing will stand in our way.”
Swallowing against the dryness of my throat, I pressed, “Are there other anchors?”
The onyx stone shook briefly as her eyes flashed to the color of freshly turned soil, “If Fire or Air has made one, we will take care of it. Do not worry, Tuwa. All will be well.”
“And Water?”
She rolled a shoulder, “She may stay. Once she finds Dalis, we will be one happy family. Imagine it, Tuwa. You will be a Goddess of Earth. All will bow before you and worship the ground you walk upon. You will want for nothing and no one would dare to resist you. Accept your destiny, Daughter. Rule with me.”
Biting my lip, I half heard her words, “What will happen to the All Mother?”
She scoffed, “Without followers, she will cease to exist. She is a false Goddess, a blip on our horizon. You may keep your pet Wolf, of course. But that is the only allowance I am willing to entertain. Once you join me, our people will wake. Then, we can escape this place and live again.”
I frowned, “How does it work?” Flipping my lips to an insincere smile, I clarified, “Joining with you, I mean.”
“So many questions, Tuwa. I will allow this and two more, then you will decide. As my anchor, we will perform a ceremony here.” She waved a hand at the slate stone, “Then, we will be as one.”
One? Um, no. That was so not going to work for me. Keeping the fake smile, I asked, “Are we really unstoppable?”
“Yes! Only very strong magic can harm us. This is the reason everyone with power must be cleansed from our new world.”
Cleansed. The faces of my Clutch rotated on an endless circuit inside my mind. She would kill every single one to attain her dream. My life, my home, everyone I loved… The ground rumbled beneath us as rage lit every fiber of my being.
She clapped gleefully, “See! See how strong you are?”
Gritting my teeth, I jerked a nod. Now wasn’t the time to pick a fight. I needed to be smart. Lifting a hand, I gestured to the ground and whispered, “Stop.”
Instantly, the shaking settled as if it had never begun.
Standing, she held out her palm.
As I grasped her fingers and rose, a plan began to take shape. She needed me for this to work. The only way for her to travel to my world was through the stone. I could come and go at will… Schooling my face, I asked, “Mother? For my last question, I must ask… May I go back and say goodbye? I know it’s silly, but I’d really like to.”
Her perfect brows dropped into a v as she sighed. “I suppose, Tuwa. But make it quick. I am anxious to wake our people.”
My face took on a genuine grin, “You have made me very happy, Mother.”
“Such a quick learner,” she praised. “Go. Off with you. I need to tell Amadahy the good news.”
With one last look, I ignited my flames and memorized the face of the woman I would need to kill in the very near future.
Sucking in a deep breath, I lifted my head from the arm of the loveseat and wiped the drool running down my chin. Gross.
Kane’s soft snore drew my attention to his reclined state on the opposite couch. Careful not to wake him, I quietly got to my feet.
Where was Bex?
Padding into the kitchen, no flash of white greeted my searching eyes. Figuring she might be upstairs, I took the steps two at a time to our room. “Bex?”
A soft woof sounded as she dropped from the mattress. Tail wagging, she approached with a canine grin.
Relieved she was safe and sound, I didn’t care one bit that Jet was sprawled across our bed.
Crouching to her level, I took her excited frame into my arms and inhaled; home. This was where I belonged. Not off ruling the world with some whack job because she was lucky enough to have seduced my father. It was then that I realized the music had stopped. Thank the Goddess!
Breathing in her scent one last time, I released her.
Tipping her head to the side, her pale blue eyes met mine with a curious expression.
I smiled, “Let’s go eat, then I’ll fill you in. Whatever you do, don’t shift.”
Rolling her eyes, she chuffed in acknowledgement before trotting down the hall.
Kane’s face could have been carved from granite as he met us at the bottom of the stairs.
My brow lowered, “Hey, what’s wrong?”
He sighed in frustration, “You were gone.”
Ah, he was worried. “Sorry, I needed to see Bex.”
The mask softened a fraction as he took in the pup near my hip. Nodding to himself, he mumbled, “If you’re hungry, there’s a plate in the oven. Bex didn’t eat her normal amount yet, so there’s extra.”
Spirits raised with the promise of food, we followed him into the kitchen.
Twenty minutes later, I was stuffed to the gills. Two perfectly seared steaks, yum! K
ane had waited as patiently as he could, but by the imploring looks he kept giving me, I knew my time was up.
He grunted, “I called Sora.”
My brows met my hairline, “And?”
“She didn’t believe me.”
Letting loose a quick bark of laughter, I snorted, “Of course she didn’t. She doesn’t know you. Plus, you did kidnap me, so there’s that.” His answering glare didn’t faze me one bit. Funny how things had changed, I mused. Just the other day, I’d hated him. The mere thought of my kidnapping had sent me into a rage. If I was honest with myself, Èriu probably would have zeroed in on my location sooner or later. It was a blessing in disguise it happened here, and not where my family would be placed in danger.
Sobering at the reminder, I pushed my plate away and adopted a monotone, “To sum it up, Èriu and the other Fae are trapped there. They can make short visits to our world through the stone, but without an anchor to join with, they cannot stay. Amadahy’s anchor is Bex. If she catches her and Bex agrees to join her, then she can walk freely here.”
Bex snorted as her blue eyes flashed to shards of ice.
“I know, sweets. You would never do such a thing.” Leaning over, I rubbed the soft fur lining her ear before continuing, “This brings me to the next bit of bad news. If they do gain a foothold here, everyone and everything will die. Èriu has complete control over Earth, and the same with Amadahy, only her power is over Water. Neither of them knows what has come of Fire or Air, only that they are here.”
Kane growled as his eyes flashed to amber, “They will not have you.”
Rolling my eyes, I plucked my phone from the table. “Now, if you’ll excuse me. I really need to call Sora.”
He tipped his head in acknowledgement but made no move to leave my side.
Gritting my teeth in annoyance, I dialed home.
An hour later, Daisy and Viv had joined the conversation and were arguing with one another about how to proceed. Slapping my hand on the table, I rumbled, “ENOUGH! I alone will make this decision. This is not a debate. Once I break the curse, I will go back to their plane and kill her.”
Silence rent the air as everyone digested my words.
