by Alexia Purdy
“To seal your own sarcophagus chamber takes almost as much magic as you possess. It’s a slow process. You must have it built, then, you must enchant guardians to watch over it, like Kilara did with the merfolk. Their descendants are bound to protect the chamber until the rightful heir of the Ancient comes and opens it.”
“If that’s so, why was I able to open the sarcophagus chamber of Arthas and Rowan, yet Rowan was awaken by Arthas? He’s not her descendant.”
“The only other way to awaken an Ancient is if another Ancient wakes them.”
I groaned. Why did I have to learn this? I wasn’t planning to slumber.
As though he had heard me, Corb’s eyes narrowed as he leaned closer, a frown on his fine lips. “You need to learn all this, trust me. You will regret it if you take any of these lessons for granted.”
I sucked in a breath, not wanting to anger him. Swallowing my pride was the hardest thing I’d done. I hoped he was right. I just didn’t want to be here anymore.
Shoving off from the table, I shot to my feet. “I’m tired of this place. I need warmth, and this frigid palace drains me.”
Corb lifted an eyebrow as he tilted his head, amused. “And where, Your Grace, would you like to go?”
Chapter Seventeen
Dylan
The waves lapped quietly against the boat as we drifted through the fog. We made our way across the channel from Rock Island to the mainland. The mist was thicker than before, making it hard to see land. The electricity along my skin, hidden beneath my glamour, crackled. Something awaited us in the fog. Something powerful.
“Dylan?”
I took a peek at James, who’d been unusually silent as we’d left the archives. He looked a bit green or pale… in the gloom, I wasn’t sure which.
“You all right, buddy?”
“We have to leave Faerie, don’t we?”
I nodded. “Yeah. Whatever is affecting Anna is probably starting to ail you as well.”
He frowned but gave me a tiny nod, closing his eyes. “Benton is waiting for us. He can help.”
I lifted an eyebrow and peered across the blanket of fog in our way. I knew Shade and her siblings could sense each other; it was part of their elemental magic. I was almost certain that they were far more powerful than just elementals. They were the most gifted humans I had ever met. It made me wonder what other powers lay beneath their exteriors. There was enough of a connection that none of them would ever leave the other’s sides for long.
I wished I had such a family myself. Missing Shade again, my heart protested. When would the pain stop? Probably never. If I survived losing her, it would be a miracle. My daughters were the reason I now lived. I couldn’t let that go nor did I want to. I had to take care of them. I needed to raise them, teach them, and remind them who their mother was before the magic of Faerie had changed her. I knew their aunt and uncles would help me do it.
Realization flurried in my head. I knew what I would have to do. I knew without a doubt that the magic in Faerie was fracturing. Soap had told me as much, and I had felt it crumbling around the Scren kingdom. How long would it take before Faerie suffered irreparable damage? What could stop it?
Shade could, I thought. But would she want to?
I sighed, squinting into the fog. It had laid a wet sheen across my skin which would have made me shiver had I not had my inner fire. Instead, it felt cool, heavenly, and calming. I turned toward James, who shivered beside me. His eyes remained closed. I reached out, knowing I would not harm him with my touch; he was immune to fire and heat. I warmed the air surrounding him, and he immediately stopped shivering but stayed still, his lips warming to a living pink once more.
“Hold on, James. We’re almost there. You’ll be home soon.”
“Ahoy there, land lubbers!” Benton’s voice echoed across the sound, the water amplifying his voice as the fog cleared and the beach appeared before us.
“Benton! We need to leave Faerie now! It’s James.”
His eyes widened. “Is he okay?” He stepped into the water up to his knees, stomping to get to the boat. Reaching it, he began tugging it toward the shore as I hopped out to help him. When it ran aground, Benton scooped his brother out and laid him on the sand.
“It’s happening to him as well,” Benton said flatly.
I breathed out a sigh of relief. He knew what was happening to his siblings. It was a miracle that he was here right when we needed him.
“Yes. We need to leave Faerie.”
Benton nodded and waved toward an approaching figure. Camulus. He bowed courteously, his face stoic. “Your Grace.”
I bowed my head at him, relieved to see the green-skinned pixie. “Camulus, I’m so glad to see you.”
Benton smiled as he motioned Isolde, his girlfriend, over. “I brought our ride. You might want to hold on. Everyone, hang tight.”
We grabbed on to Camulus as we held each other in a circle. I gripped James’s arm as Benton took his other one. Isolde took hold as well as Camulus reached out to complete the circle.
“Hold on, and don’t let go,” he said.
We all nodded just before we jaunted into the oblivion of his teleportation magic.
Opening my eyes, I found Shade’s old human dwelling before us, surrounded by a magical shield-dome that only magicals could see.
“Home, sweet home!” Benton smiled as he held up his brother, who was coming to beside him but leaning his weight against his sibling. “Hey, there, James. How are you feeling?”
“Ugh.” James rubbed his face, shaking his head. “I feel better now, but I was in a bad way back there. It’s what happened to Anna, isn’t it?”
Benton nodded.
“Why did it affect her so much sooner?” I asked.
“Probably because she’s in the Unseelie castle,” Benton answered. “It reeks of evil, even with new rulers. It probably started to wear at her faster than James since he was on the Seelie side. Dark magic is… denser.”
I had to agree. Anna’s residence at the Withering Palace had slowly eaten away at her shields and power, creating an unusual illness. James had been spared the intensity of the siphoning. The longer he stood here in the human realm, the more color returned to his cheeks.
I had never felt more relieved in my entire life. James wouldn’t die on my watch.
“Come on, little brother.” Benton ruffled James’s unruly hair. “It’s time to come back home.”
James grinned, looking happy as his eyes took in his childhood home. “Yeah. It’s about time.”
Chapter Eighteen
Shade
I opened my eyes and looked up. Roots dangled down, reaching out of the dirt roof like a spider’s legs. I sat up, disorientated and unaware of where I was. I brushed my hair away from my face and blew out a breath. Where was Corb?
I jumped from the luxurious bed of silk sheets and comforter. It looked overly done, with the finest of furnishings. The dirt on the walls stayed in place somehow without crumbling to the floor. It had to be enchanted, but by who?
I walked toward the round wooden door embedded in the wall and jerked it open with all my strength. It nearly flew off the hinges, and I heard a gasp as a figure came tumbling into the room, nearly pelting right into me.
“Oh, dear!” The voice of the servant was nearly drowned out by the crash of the dishes she’d been carrying.
I looked down at the girl. She couldn’t be any older than my sister, Anna, but I felt nothing toward this little nymph of a girl. Her eyes widened as she watched my expression shift to disapproval, examining the mess before me.
“Apologies, Your Grace. I didn’t mean to be so clumsy.” The girl quickly began picking up the pieces of porcelain and placing them on the tray she’d dropped. She managed to pierce her skin with a sliver and squeaked in pain while she tried her best to continue with her task, even with blood smearing across the shards.
“Enough.” I waved my hand in the air, willing the mess away and replacing everyt
hing on the tray. It vanished and reappeared as a complete tea set. Biscuits sat in a perfect pile on the accompanying plate.
“Oh, wow.” The girl picked up the tray, her mouth shocked as she examined the finger where she’d cut it, now intact and clean. “Thank you, Your Grace.”
“Don’t thank me. Try not to be in such a rush.” I turned and headed out the door as the girl stuttered behind me.
“W-wait! Your tea and biscuits!”
“I’m not hungry. You may eat them.” I continued down the hall, tired of dealing with the servant. Why had she made me think of Anna? I suddenly gasped, swaying on my feet as a memory hit me like a hammer, emerging from the fog of my mind.
Anna. Was she okay? Was she still sick?
I’d left her in a human hospital, but as an Ancient of Faerie, I had not been able to stay long. The metal fumes of the human world affected me more strongly now, and I had felt them burn into my skin, even with a glamour of protection woven around my body. I’d left her there to heal without me.
The emptiness inside gave just a sliver, and my heart jumped for a moment. My sister had almost died, but she was safe now.
I continued down the hall, rubbing my hands up and down my arms. This place felt familiar, yet for some reason my memory of it was foggy. The confusion made me wary, but I brushed it off far too easily. Why it didn’t bother me more, I wished I knew.
The hall ran right into a large dining hall with a single table, and at it sat none other than Arthas, the Unseelie Ancient.
“Shade! So good to see you. I see you got some rest. Join me! You must be famished.” He waved me over to the table, which had just two chairs at it. Even so, it was adorned as though for a feast. I cast my eyes across the fresh fruit, steaming soups, roasted fowl, and loaves of bread. I even saw a tray of the biscuits I had just recreated for the clumsy servant girl.
“What are you doing here?”
He lifted his cup of wine and an eyebrow at the same time, unperturbed. “Why, Shade, you invited me. Remember?”
I racked my brain for the memory. I couldn’t imagine ever inviting him to this place. Wait… what was this place anyway?
“I did no such thing. Besides, I have no idea where we are.” I crossed my arms, scowling. He was messing with me again.
“You’re exactly where you want to be, Shade. I’ve not forced you to do anything.”
“Then why can’t I remember making this place or inviting you? You’re lying to me.” I sighed. No matter how hard I tried, my memory failed me. Wasn’t being an Ancient supposed to make me more powerful? Shouldn’t that include a sharp memory? I was finding more and more unsavory things about being this abomination of a creature, and they were starting to outweigh the good.
“It’s because you’re blocking yourself. Why else would you forget what you’ve created? Poor girl. I don’t envy the newness of your life. It takes a lot of adjusting.”
“How would you know? It’s been hundreds of years since you were in my position.”
His eyes darkened as he frowned, replacing the chicken leg he was about to eat back onto his plate. Folding his hands together, he leaned forward in his chair. “I’m not too angry that you abandoned me for Corb. I should be, but I’m not.”
It was nice of him to say that, but why didn’t I believe him?
“It may appear to you,” he continued, “that I wouldn’t be the best mentor for a new Ancient, but I think I have a lot to offer. Corb may have told you he would be the better choice to lead you into this new life, but I highly disagree. I remember everything very clearly. The horror, the pain, the loss… it’s burned into my memory like a brand on my brain. You think I am insanity personified, but I’d rather call it well weathered. I can show you things Corb would never even know how to explain. Don’t underestimate me, Shade. I could be your greatest ally or your worst enemy. Choose wisely.”
I swallowed, trying to keep my emotions flat and appear unconcerned by his words while my stomach tightened and my breath hitched. He was right. So far, he’d been nothing but straightforward and blunt, to my utter distaste. Corb hadn’t lied to me either, but his softer and slower approach to showing me the reins of this new life I was barely able to live was frustrating. Arthas was not my choice for a mentor, but I needed a crash course.
“Fine. First, tell me how do I stop suppressing my own memories? I don’t want to sabotage myself anymore.”
He waved me toward the empty chair on the other side of him, which I reluctantly took. I was far from hungry and watched in disgust as he began to gorge himself. How he was able to consume so much food appalled me, but I avoided looking at him too openly. Arthas was my least favorite person in the world, but I couldn’t deny how much I needed his help.
“All right, dear Shade.” He wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin before picking at his teeth with a toothpick. “You can stop sabotaging your memories by telling yourself you’re going to remember it all. The pain, the torment, the good things and the bad, the sweet and the bitter. You want it all. It’ll switch that mechanism in yourself to keep it all. I do warn you, though, that turning up your humanity can be detrimental unless you prepare yourself for the heartbreak it’ll bring and numb yourself against it.”
I scoffed. “Another thing to guard against? How am I supposed to do that?” The more he told me I had to bulk up my defenses, it seemed impossible.
“Well, let me see,” he said, scratching his chin. He’d let the stubble grow out, and I watched his fingers scrap across his nascent beard, hypnotized by the mundane movements which made him appear more human.
I shook it off and looked away. Arthas was as far from human as any faery could be. How had he felt anything in his entire existence? This was useless.
“First of all, you’ll need to realize that this is going to take some time. We’re not as far away from mortal concerns as you think we are. Painful memories hurt and sear us to the bone. There is only one thing that can cure hurts like that, even in faeries.”
“What’s that?”
“Time. Time is magic itself. Like the powers of Faerie, time is not governed by anything. It can be nonlinear, stop in a moment of dismay, speed up when we least want it to. It cures all ailments by either lessening the pain or through death. It is the only thing which conquers all.”
“Time? Is that it?”
“Of course not. You wish it were that simple.” He laughed as I groaned.
“I’m leaving.” I pushed up off the chair as he straightened. He was playing with me again.
“Sit down, Your Grace.”
I turned to Arthas as he slammed his fist onto the table, cracking it down the middle. Amazingly, the dishes remained on it, unspilled. His eyes had darkened to a solid black as he glared at me. In that darkness, his power spilled out, circling around the table and my chair and up my spine, clamping around my wrists and tying me to the chair.
I sat back down, feeling the chill of his Unseelie magic burning my veins. I felt it force my head to turn in his direction as though his hands were on my skull, keeping it locked in place. My eyes hovered on him as the first real fear I’d felt as an Ancient quivered through me.
“Arthas…?”
“No. I’ve been quite patient with you, Shade. You’ve done nothing but mock me and view me with disgust. I will have no more of that.” He snapped, and my dress, a long, light blue one I had no memory of, turned to a deep red. The same color as Arthas’s magic.
“There, now, where were we?”
I felt my wrists release, but my legs were still bound to the chair. Feeling a heaviness on my head, I reached up to touch my hair and found a crown resting there.
“Let me go,” I whispered, my throat raw from whatever suppression magic Arthas was using on me. I felt weak, as though I were an insect pinned to a frame. How could he do that?
“You think me abhorrent. What? You thought I wouldn’t notice? Of course I noticed. Since the moment I met you in Aveta’s castle, I could feel your hatred.
But I like to see you loathe me. It makes my day.”
“You’re sick.”
His eyes narrowed as he stood up and came over to my chair, leaning on the arms of it. I pressed my spine to the back of the chair, willing myself somewhere else. Anywhere but here. Yes, I thought Arthas was a pathetic excuse for an Ancient, but he still scared the bejeezus out of me, even though I was now his equal.
His magic curled up my spine and wrapped around my neck.
“Do you think you’re immortal now, Shade?”
I gasped as the magic squeezed my throat. I reached up, touching nothing but air. There was nothing to grasp onto, and I sucked in ragged breaths, my heart racing.
“Arthas,” I managed to whisper, “let me go.”
“The one thing about being an immortal—a true immortal, I mean, not a pathetic faery, but one of us—is that we can never die. Only the Heart of Fire and Ice can transfer the magic within us to our heirs. Yes, an Ancient can be tormented over and over again, and death never comes. Did you know that, Shade?”
I shook my head, choking as the magic tightened its grip.
“I’d rather not put you through such torture, but you need to be reminded of just who you’re dealing with. I offered my help not from the kindness of my dead, cold heart, but because I wanted a partner. A powerful one. Yes, you’re quite powerful for a new Ancient, but I can see that you need something more. Some sort of rehabilitation to squeeze the past out of that beautiful head of yours. You need your humanity to function, something I could only dream of needing. Very well. If that is what you need, then so be it. I’ll help you find it, but it won’t be pleasant. You can trust me on that.”
“Why would you help me?” I whispered, my throat barely able to breathe out the words.
“Don’t you know? It’s the only way you’ll ever trust me and truly rule by my side.”
