by Unknown
“You'd relish it?” I felt my mouth hanging open but I was powerless to close it. There was too much insanity in the air. “I know you enjoy the Hunt, I can even admit that you find pleasure in the kill, but I'd thought that was tempered now by compassion. I didn't think you would like the idea of war. Have you forgotten it was war that killed our parents?”
“Vervain, stop,” he held out a placating hand. “You're forgetting something.”
“What, that all faeries are whackadoos?”
“I'm sorry, what?”
“Loony, off their rockers, one fry short of a Happy Meal, bonkers, cuckoo, lost their marbles, nutso.... fucking crazy!”
“Are you done?” He lifted a brow at me, making me feel as if I was the crazy one. As if.
“Yes,” I sniffed.
“We're immortal,” he said simply.
“Uh huh,” I rolled my eyes. “So you'd think you'd treasure your lives more.”
“We do,” he sighed. “Vervain, fey wars are different than human wars. There are rules and the biggest of them is that there's no killing allowed.”
“What?” I stretched my jaw in an effort to pop my ears, obviously I wasn't hearing him correctly. The elevation must have been getting to me. “I'm sorry, I thought you just said there was no killing allowed in war.”
“Wars are fought to prove a point,” Arach sighed. “Fey egos are big and grudges last a long time here. It's thought to be best to work out any issues through warfare but our ancestors realized a long time ago that no one wants to kill their fellow fey, at least not permanently. We want to fight each other yes, to cut and bash and tear. We want the satisfaction of blood spilled and victory found but what would happen if Fire, for example, were to wipe out Earth?”
“We'd take over the Earth Kingdom?” I offered.
“And why would we want to do that?” He lifted his brows as if the answer were obvious.
“So if we didn't take it, the kingdom would fall into the hands of any surviving earth fey.”
“And the element of Earth would be weakened, disrupting the balance of Faerie,” he held out his hands. “We can't kill each other and we don't want each other's kingdoms. All we truly want is to be right,” he laughed but it was a self-recriminating laugh. “What fools we can be.”
“No kidding,” I griped. “So what, you beat on each other till one side can't get up?”
“We use swords but avoid blows to the heart or head,” Arach nodded. “The use of elemental magic is against the law. We seek only to cripple our opponents so that they must concede the win and then we allow each other to recover.”
“So you make your subjects go to war with other kingdoms because you feel slighted?”
“It's generally not a simple matter of a slight,” Arach shrugged. “There has to be a great grievance and stop looking at me like that. All creatures have the urge to defend, whether it be their family, their lives, their homes, or their beliefs. We especially are prone to violence if angered enough, and it's far better to have an outlet for that anger than to let it fester. Besides, we get bored.”
“You're all jack asses.”
“Well, maybe...” Arach stopped and stared at someone crossing the lawn behind us.
“What?” I looked over and saw a tall air-sidhe with blonde hair and moth wings.
“Craigor,” Arach said simply and strode off.
“Oh,” I shrugged at Fearghal and went after Arach.
“Craigor,” Arach had caught up with the fey easily.
“Fire King,” Craigor nodded, looking a little surprised. He was attractive, as most sidhe were, but there was something in the turn of his mouth or maybe the corners of his eyes, as if they were prone to narrow, that gave him a cruel look.
“It was reported to us that you went for a flight around the time King Liam was killed,” Arach got right to the point.
“Yes,” Craigor may have looked mean but he also looked innocent, I'll give him that.
“And no one saw you?” I asked.
“I don't know,” he shrugged, seeming to be unconcerned, but I saw a glimmer of something in his eyes when he focused on me. Anger possibly or maybe disdain.
“And you hold no ill will toward my wife?” Arach must have seen the glimmer too.
“Of course not,” Craigor frowned. “Why would I bear her ill will? Besides the fact that she's brought seasons to Faerie, that is.”
“Excuse me?” I gaped at him. I hadn't really expected him to come right out and admit to not liking me.
“Our world was better before you ruined it,” he sneered at me. “You're human blood has weakened us and disgraced the fey monarchy. No human should have ever been allowed onto a faerie throne.”
“So you admit to wanting her gone?” Arach raised a brow and focused his glowing dragon eyes on Craigor. “Enough to frame her for murder?”
“Enough to what?” Craigor lost his bluster, finally realizing what this was all about. “No, I may not like your wife but I wouldn't kill a king, one of our own, just to hurt her. That's insanity.”
“Is it?” Arach grabbed the front of Craigor's tunic and pulled him off his feet. It was impressive since Craigor was nearly as tall as Arach. “Let me tell you what else is insane. Thinking that you could try to hurt my wife without bringing my wrath down upon you. If you are the fey who tried to frame her for King Liam's murder, you will be pursued through the night by the Wild Hunt and when you are caught, I will let her kill you.” He threw Craigor into a random statue, sending both the air-sidhe and the statue tumbling down. “That was for saying she ruined our world and disgraced the fey monarchy. Show your face around her again and I will ruin your world.”
“My hero,” I sighed and fluttered my eyes at him.
Chapter Twenty
“My King, my Queen,” Isleen met us at the carriage. “Erm, there's been a strange occurrence.”
“Oh sweet singing pixies, what now?” I griped as Arach helped me down. It's hard to get out of a carriage in a long dress.
“Um, not a pixie but it does fly,” Isleen actually looked excited.
“What is it, Isleen?” Arach stopped and considered her.
“It's me!” Salem, the dragon who guards the entrance to Hell, popped out of the entrance to Castle Aithinne and ran across the drawbridge to us. “Vervain! This place is so amazing, I'm so excited, thank you for inviting me. I can't believe I'm here. Sweet succubus, I haven't been out of Shehaquim in centuries and the Faerie Realm? Damn, this place is beautiful, even prettier than the Garden of Eden if you ask me but don't tell Azrael I said so. He can be touchy about that garden but then his Daddy made it, so that's understandable.”
“Salem!” I finally shouted to get his attention.
“Oh, I'm sorry, I'm rambling,” he grinned wide, displaying a set of very well cared for dragon teeth. His bright green scales glistened under the setting sun and his yellow eyes practically glowed.
“Salem, I'm sorry we didn't meet you,” my mind was racing. What happened to the ten years? I glanced at Arach and saw that he was equally stunned.
“Oh, it's okay,” Salem shrugged. “This butterfly guy found me and led me to your kingdom.”
“Oh, good,” I nodded, wondering which of the Spirit knights on forest duty had found him. “We were at an important meeting and frankly, we didn't think you'd be here for like another ten years.”
“Ten years,” his dragon face was so expressive, it was almost cartoonish. “That's a long time to wait. Why would you think that?”
“The time difference between here and the God Realm,” I explained because Arach was still gaping up at the dragon. Granted, it was probably the first non-sidhe dragon he'd seen in fifteen thousand years. “Plus, I went back in time, remember?”
“Well yes,” Salem seemed to consider things, “but how long has the Faerie Realm been opened to the Human Realm?”
“Hell if I know,” I shrugged, “time has kinda gotten confusing for me,” I looked over to Arach for
assistance.
“Awhile,” was his succinct answer.
“Well it's probably evening out then,” Salem nodded his dragon head, up and down in a very exaggerated manner.
“Evened out?” I looked over to see Arach with a new expression, one of consideration. “I thought the Faerie Realm was always faster than the Human Realm?”
“That's actually a human misconception,” Arach explained with a sound of epiphany. “When humans were brought here they tended to stay awhile and we tended to keep them young to amuse ourselves, so when they finally went home...”
“It was like time had moved faster while they were away,” I finished.
“Exactly,” he nodded. “I'd forgotten that,” he huffed a laugh. “This is why we made items like your ring, Vervain, so we could go back and remember important things.”
“Like why you thought your realm was on a different timeline?” I huffed.
“Well it is,” Arach said and confused me once again. “When we're cut off from the other realms, our time becomes our own. It's just been so long that we were open to the Human Realm, that I've forgotten how it was.”
“So now it's what, adjusting?” I looked back and forth between Arach and Salem.
“It appears so,” Arach nodded, sharing a smile with Salem. “It explains why Autumn came early, Faerie is realigning herself with the Human Realm. When did you leave Shehaquim, Salem?”
“Mid November,” he said.
“November thirteenth,” I clarified.
“So winter will be here sooner than we thought,” Arach sobered.
“Winter?” Salem gave a mock shiver. “I don't know if I'll stay for that. I'm more of a tropical dragon.”
“Yeah, me too,” I laughed. “Oh, by the way, this is my husband Arach. Arach, this is Salem, Guardian Dragon of Hell.”
“Nice to meet you Fire King,” the dragon bobbed his head.
“Welcome to the Kingdom of Fire, Hell Dragon,” Arach greeted him seriously. “We are honored to have you here.”
Chapter Twenty-One
We set Salem up in a room on the ground floor of the castle. Most rooms in Castle Aithinne were dragon friendly but not so for the doors. We had to find him a room that not only fit his girth but also allowed him access into the room to begin with. It was on the opposite side of the castle from my bedroom, with a lovely view of the Kingdom of Fire through its new glass window, but Salem was just pleased to have a room period.
“My own space,” he sighed and looked out the window toward the Weeping Woods. “I haven't had my own space since I was living in the Human Realm and then it was only a cave.”
“Well, this is cave like,” I looked around the room, making sure he had everything he needed. There was a large pallet in the corner and a heavy table but that was all I could think to provide for him. “Do you need anything else? I don't know what dragon's like in their homes?”
“The bed is more than enough,” he went to the huge pallet on the floor, a fluffy stuffed mattress, and turned in a circle on it until he found the right spot. Then he settled into it with a sigh. “This is wonderful.”
“Don't you have a bed back home?” I frowned. If Luke was abusing his employee, I was going to have words with him.
“Nah, the ground is fine for me.”
“Obviously it isn't,” I waved at his prone body. “Take the mattress with you when you leave and I'll talk to Azrael about getting you some kind of home built next to the gate so you can have somewhere all your own again.”
“Vervain,” he sniffed and rubbed his face against the mattress. I made a mental note to have sheets brought down. “You're a good dragon, thank you.”
“You guard that gate non-stop,” I shook my head. “The least you should have is a lair.”
“Yeah, you're right,” he sat up and nodded. “I deserve it. Can we go flying now?”
“Absolutely,” I laughed at his abrupt subject change. “Come on, Arach's out back with the goblins, training.”
We went through the tunnels and out the back entrance to find a horde of goblins in neat rows, practicing their sword maneuvers. The bigger red caps were at the back but Fearghal was in front with Arach, helping him train the army. And that's what it was, I realized. He was preparing our army in case of war.
“Wow,” Salem sat beside where I was standing, “impressive.”
“Thank you,” I nodded and went up to Arach. “Our guest would like to take his first flight around Faerie. Did you want to join us?”
“Around Faerie?” A gleeful light lit his eyes. “Oh yes, I think that's a fabulous idea.”
“You want to fly him over the Earth Kingdom as a warning,” I lifted a brow, “don't you?”
“It may be just the thing to prevent a war,” Arach cocked his head at me. “Do you disagree?”
“No, as long as Salem enjoys himself,” I jerked my head in his direction. “Come on, let's go. He's so excited, I'm afraid he's going to pee himself.”
Arach followed me back over to Salem, stripping as he went, and Salem stood up, waving his wings in preparation for flight when he saw us coming. I went behind Salem and pulled off my clothes before I changed. I didn't need a whole army of goblins rhyming about my body parts.
I asked my dragon to come out and the magic washed over me in a tingling rush. Becoming a dragon was like stretching after a good night's sleep, there wasn't any pain to work out but it just felt good to let your muscles lengthen after the night's restriction. I gave a roaring cry to express this elation and was answered by two males in kind. My heart soared at the sound and soon I was soaring too, lifting high into the air above Faerie.
I could speak in dragon form now but nothing could compare to the feeling of roaring out my delight in simply being alive and being able to fly. Something in my blood came to life when I looked at the two dragons beside me. I don't know what it was, cell memory or some deep desire to be with others like myself, but flying in a group made me feel like I was a part of something important. I'd flown with Arach before but this was different, being three changed us from a couple to a... to a dread of dragons. That was the term for it, a dread of dragons, like a murder of crows or a murmuration of starlings. The knowledge filled my bones and lifted my spirits even higher.
We were a dread of dragons.
I kept repeating that thought over and over, like a song that I couldn't get out of my head, and I knew that once, a very long time ago, the skies of Faerie had been filled with dragons and dread was exactly what you felt if ever they turned their attention toward you. My heart ached for the loss of them, for the dragons I would never know or get the chance to fly beside, and for the first time, I felt the desire for children. For sons and daughters to fly beside us and help us fill the sky with dread again.
I breathed in deep, filling my lungs with cold air that I immediately changed to flame, and blew out a stream of fire before me. The males shifted to fly through the fire, rolling in delight. I flew straight up and then dived down between the waiting males, one red and one green, such a beautiful compliment to each other. They shifted apart gracefully, turning in a loop to catch up to me as I made my way across the Forgetful Forest.
The branches of all the massive trees were bare now and my dragon eyesight was able to pick up the slowed breathing of their trunks. I think the trees were preparing to hibernate, like bears, withdrawing into themselves to sleep. The bright colors of the leaf fall around their roots looked like a blanket from high above and I had the sweetest feeling of peace come over me. I shouldn't have worried about the land, the land had needed the change too, craved the respite it would bring.
I cried in delight, happy that at least one part of Faerie was doing well with the seasons. I watched the animals scurrying about, gathering food and taking it back to their little burrows, as I passed over the forest completely and entered the Kingdom of Earth's airspace. I'd never flown over the Earth Kingdom before, only seen it from a distance or from the ground. It was even more b
eautiful from my new vantage point.
Earth housed every type of terrain there was, from deserts to lush tropical forests, everything could be found there. Flying above it was like looking over a scientific model showcasing different types of landscapes. It felt like there should be signs proclaiming each zone. The Mountains, The Deserts, The Grassy Plains, The Swamp, The Valleys etc. I shot a happy look at Salem and he gave me a quick screech of delight. Then I saw something startling.
“Are those...” I flew up beside Arach, staring down at a meadow filled with a herd of beautiful white beasts.
“Unicorns,” he confirmed.
“The Earth Kingdom has unicorns?” I nearly screeched at him. “How is that fair? Why don't we have unicorns?”
“Because they're earth creatures,” Arach looked over at me with a cocked head. “Why do you want unicorns?”
“Every little girl dreams about riding a unicorn,” even I could hear the pouting in my voice. “I just can't believe that bitch gets to and I don't.”
“I highly doubt Queen Aalish spends her days riding unicorns,” Arach was laughing at me. He just didn't understand the magical appeal they had for humans. Human women... okay girls. And some gay men.
Seeing them called up all those childhood memories of unicorn figurines, stuffed animals, and posters on my lavender walls. It was a symbol of sweet innocence for me and I couldn't have imagined them to be anymore beautiful than they were. I dove lower, unfortunately startling them a bit, but I had to take a closer look. They weren't exactly what I'd been expecting.
Oh they were definitely horses with horns in the center of their foreheads but they weren't all the typical white usually portrayed in art. They were all sorts of colors, ranging from black to the purest white, but the colors were enhanced. The black was tinted blue, the white had hints of silver, and the brown had a golden sheen. The horns weren't the traditional spiral shape either, instead they curved up smoothly into a sharp looking tip, going from ivory at the bottom to jet black at the top. I got a little too close and one of them thrashed its head at me, giving me a good warning with that sharp horn. Arach laughed his dragon ass off when I pulled up, startled.
