Door in the Garden of Shadows

by April Canavan

  “Christopher.” She looked at the fae king warily. He stood towering over her, as many of the higher echelons of fae did. True to his family line, he had platinum blonde hair and silver eyes. His skin was pale with the golden warmth of fae magic running along his skin. He shone with the power that flowed through his veins.

  “Mykah.” Chris inclined his head with the formality that he should be paying her sister, and then a smile lit his face as he broke custom and picked her up, spinning as he went.

  “Oomph, Chris put me down you monkey. You can’t do that anymore. You’re a king. Grow up.” When he didn’t put her down, she started to swat at him. “Come on, you have an image to keep up.”

  “Screw my image. When my dad died, it set me free. No one tells the king how to act. Now stop being a little girl. We’ll help you figure this out.” He stopped spinning and set her down to let the dizziness take over. After they had both caught their breath and the room had stopped spinning, she started to laugh.

  “I think she’s delirious. Someone hit her.” Dox looked at Chris and sincerely expected the fae king to hit her.

  “She’s fine. Mykah just needed to have a bit of fun. She knows it’s time to get down to business.” Chris spoke with all the authority a fae king was supposed to have.

  “I’ll get snacks like I said.” Peyton looked at the rest of them with the look of a general commanding her troops. “Why don’t you make sure that you have all of the magical tomes that could help us out and have them sent to her library. I figure some texts weren’t sent just because they don’t like the Malice Court. Maybe have some of Lorraine’s people spread the word.”

  “Maybe you should help Peyton. I don’t know if she’s actually going to need it. I’m sure the vampires or Winter have some more information they didn’t give the fae. Winter would be obligated to share it with you I’m sure.” The fae king looked hopeful as he spoke to the warlock. He knew what they were looking for. He had known the instant that her father had died and the magic had disappeared temporarily because it caused chaos in the fae world.

  She watched them, the men that had grown from boys with her. They were kings in their own rights. Even though the warlocks and witches didn’t necessarily have a royal family, Maddox was the most powerful to pass through their halls for centuries. They were bickering, two of the people responsible for ruling part of a magical empire. Fighting over who would take care of each of the small and petty things that needed attention before they all buried themselves in books for the foreseeable future. She couldn’t let them do it; she couldn’t allow these people to give up so much help.

  Before she could step forward and say anything, Christopher had wheeled around and shot her an iron look. “Shut up and sit down and let us discuss this.” Just like that, the fae king had dismissed her thoughts and turned back to Maddox to continue their discussion.

  Mykah sat there, not really understanding what they were trying to accomplish by helping. She had never been the one to ask or even accept help before, and still. Here they were, forcing her into it. Christopher hadn’t even given her a chance to reject his support. Once he had appeared, Mykah should have known it was a lost cause to try and argue with him. There were very few beings in any of the realms that were as stubborn as the ruler of the Concord Court.

  “Look, you guys don’t really have to do this.” She couldn’t sit there silently while they dictated everything, especially when they weren’t the ones who had something at stake. “As much as I appreciate you being here and offering, I don’t need to disrupt your lives, you have a month–long party to get to.” Mykah really didn’t want to have to explain what had happened the night in the old woods to these people, the ones who had such an impact on her life. None of the royals would let her get by without a complete explanation.

  “You should know this, Mykah. Even if our magic wasn’t tied together by the same magic that ties our people, I’d still be here forcing you to shut up and solve this problem together. You know that we’re going to want to help, all of us. We’ve grown up together. So just move your ass. It’s time that you grow up and handle your problems instead of running away to the mortal world and waiting to die. You shouldn’t be ready to sit down and let some ancient magic decide what you are worth. Fight it. For now, you take your stubborn ass to make sure there’s enough room for all of us in that tiny library.” He said it jokingly, but his intention was clear.

  He was pissed that she wasn’t fighting. That she had hidden in the mortal world waiting to die. Of course, with his suggestion, he knew that Mykah’s library would be massive enough to hold them all. There were plenty of times that they had retreated there when their parents had met within in the walls of the Malice Court. Mykah had spent a lot of time there anyway and felt comfortable within its walls.

  “Oh shut up Christopher. I give up, it’s not like I can hide from all of you.” She turned and pointed at Maddox. “Just make sure you stay out of my underwear drawer.”

  “I don’t think it’s me you need to worry about. We all saw the way that vampire held you in his arms. If I were a gambler, I’d bet a lot of money that he’s marked you.” The warlock had undoubtedly tried to get any or all of the royals to place a wager on it as soon as it happened.

  Mykah could feel the heat rising up her chest and into her face, so before she made a fool of herself, she turned away. Walking away, she couldn’t help but retort, “Just don’t be late. I’d wear something comfortable since we all know you’re a whiny little girl when you don’t get your way,” over her shoulder. She walked away with her head held high, refusing to give them the satisfaction.

  The ballroom faded from her senses slowly. The bright lights grew dim, and the sounds drifted away. No one was in her immediate vicinity, and she could no longer smell the distinct mix of sweat and various perfumes. She could feel her body grow sluggish, and as she passed the center of the dance floor, she felt the majority of her energy drain from her body. She had to physically shake herself and barely made it to the courtyard before she was almost on her knees. Breathing deeply, she fell against the nearest wall and caught her head between her knees. The dizziness had overcome her at a terrible time, but the party guests probably assumed she was too drunk to walk. She was so engrossed in the fact that she could still breathe, Mykah hadn’t noticed that the vampire queen had joined her.

  “It’s hard, at times. You know, I almost didn’t notice how much it drained you.” Sarah was looking at her, knowing exactly what she was hiding. Mykah didn’t have to answer Sarah, and the vampire queen just kept talking. “Our court does the same thing now. It seems that once they select someone, there is no letting go. I can see why you might have left, but fae are not truly immortal. Once it finishes draining you, only a dried husk will remain. For me, it started after I was given the gift of true immortality and almost lost my life, so it just kept draining my power over and over to replenish what had been lost through the years. I accepted it as the cost of my son’s happiness.” Sarah paused, and she looked at Mykah. At that moment, she didn’t look like a queen. She didn’t look like a vampire either, she looked like a concerned mother who would do anything to make sure that her child was safe.

  “Your dizzy spells are just the beginning. The more time you spend in court; the more power it will drain from you. I’m not surprised you don’t have control of your magic anymore. Still, I can feel it pouring out of you.” She looked away and stared at her hands. “Did you know, as a mortal I wasn’t impressive at all.” Ignoring the snort that Mykah couldn’t hold back she said, “It’s true. Becoming a vampire didn’t change much about that. It wasn’t until I let Winter help me that I was able to become something more. Do you understand what I’m trying to say? Of course you do, you’re rational. I wouldn’t tell you what to do, Mykah. Instead, I’d have you know that you are not alone. You’re going to have to let someone in, and let them help you find an answer to this. I think if you can find an answer to your problem, that there might
be a snowball’s chance in hell of helping my realm as well. It may not matter much, but I felt my essence being drained continually. It isn’t pleasant, trust me. It’s my job to make sure that nothing like that ever happens in my kingdom again.” Sarah stopped talking and started fiddling with the chain around her neck.

  Mykah looked at what she was holding and suppressed a gasp. In the Blood Queen’s hands was a charred piece of jewelry. It was the key, the key that had once been rumored to contain the souls of all those that vampires had taken. She didn’t know what to say.

  “I think it all has to do with this. Or the magic in it. I don’t know. I had a dream about you needing it, and I’ve learned that I need to trust dreams, especially about magical beings. So here.” She held out her hand and waited for Mykah to catch up.

  Once her hands had caught up with her brain, Mykah gently cradled the key in the palm of her hand and couldn’t help but stare at it. It was the key that had saved the Blood Queen’s life and that had redefined the magical world. Without saying another word, Sarah turned and walked away.

  Mykah hadn’t even gotten a chance to say anything to the other woman. The question of why everyone was offering to help her was starting to make sense. One life wasn’t worth the loss of thousands, but the life of a queen would be worth anything to her king. She looked down at the key in her hand. So small, and yet Mykah could feel the power within its confines pulsing like a heartbeat. Softly it pounded against her hand, offering a sense of relief from the constant drain on her body. She slipped it around her neck, and it laid to rest right above her heart. Immediately, she felt better. No wonder Sarah had kept it a secret.

  The key had saved her life, letting the Blood Queen come back to life after using all of her energy to destroy the father of her son. Giving her son a future was supposed to cost her the life that she could have had, but the key had saved her. It had restored her, but at a cost. It had been said that it was destroyed in the process. Now, she could feel its pulse getting stronger as it lay against her skin. The explanation seemed to form in her mind, coming from the key itself. When it had given Sarah another chance at life, it had completed its purpose with her and was merely waiting to be passed along. An ancient artifact with magic of its own, it could only be used by a magical being once. Sarah had drained it significantly, and passing it along to Mykah had granted it the reprieve that it needed to restore itself. It would keep her alive, and buy her time to find what she needed to.

  It wasn’t the answer to her puzzle though. It wasn’t explicitly constructed for her magical abilities, as the puzzle was. She sighed and pushed to her feet. Stretching, she started to walk back to her rooms. The smell of roses was carried on the wind, gently blowing the branches of the trees. Everything seemed more vibrant. Like it had been in the past, she could feel the trees and the very essence of life around her. Mykah still couldn’t reach out with her mind and touch it, but she felt more alive than she had in years.

  As she came upon her corridor, the vines reached out and touched her skin. She felt their love, felt the emotion that they held within their tangled leaves. She smiled as she walked through the doors to her room. She was still smiling as she stripped down and put on a pair of flannel pajama bottoms and a black t–shirt. She kept the necklace on. She left her hair falling down her back, and she glanced around the room. Everything was tidy, as it should be. Soon there would be a dozen royals walking through it to get to her library, though, and they would make a mess of things.

  She opened the door and inhaled wistfully. The smell of bound leather and memories swarmed her. So much time had been spent in this room. She didn’t even care that there was already someone sitting in the supple leather chairs. They were oversized, meant to fit even the tallest of the supernatural beings. This room had been designed for her group of friends and as an escape from the outside world. She didn’t need to count the seats to know that there were thirteen of them scattered throughout the room.

  A matching set of furniture including chairs and an assortment of tables were spread out in the large room. Originally intended to be the bedchamber, Mykah had repurposed it and turned the sitting room into the bedroom. This place had been lined wall to wall with bookcases and slowly filled. Gifts from family, friends, and eventually the mortal world filled the shelves. She had taken years to accumulate the collection that she had. She took it all in, the sanctuary she had created. It was her home, and it was the thing she missed about being in the fae realm. There were boxes and trunks filled with books scattered around the room, taking up some of the free space. She counted at least two dozen containers, with hundreds of texts and she was thankful that the others would be there to help a little. She really had no idea what she was looking for, but she knew that it was going to have to start with her telling the story of what had happened in its entirety. Unfortunately, she wasn’t alone in the room.

  Adam was staring at her, his turquoise eyes taking her every move in. He was cold and calculating. The opposition to his sister’s warmth, he and Aubrey ruled over the underworld in a balance of power. His hair was silver, like his sister’s and hung past his ears. If he were to stand, he would put even the tallest vampire to shame. At close to seven feet tall, he was intimidating and had the attitude of a man who spent an eternity in hell. He looked like he was 30, even though he was almost 300 years old. He and Aubrey had sat on the throne together since they were sixteen. He had refused to allow her to sit on it alone, and she had done the same. Their world had accepted the two rulers, and it had made them so that they didn’t devolve into ruthless couriers of the dead. He sat there and just looked at her, holding a book in his lap with a notepad underneath it. He must have been making notes about whatever he was reading.

  “Adam, I missed you.” She didn’t know what to expect, every perception that she had about the people she had grown up with had been shattered tonight. Mykah knew that he was the less emotional of the two forsaken rulers, but when he smiled, she forgot to breathe. It was a magnificent sight. His eyes were literally shining, and his hair seemed brighter. He set the book aside and stood, sweeping her into an embrace.

  “Oh, princess. You shouldn’t have to do this alone.” He pulled her close, and she didn’t realize how close she had been to losing control of herself all night until the tears started falling onto his shoulder. “Just let it out. Don’t worry; no one else will be here for some time.” He held her tighter and started rubbing her back. The tears kept falling. Mykah lost track of time while she let him hold her, and she released all of her anger and fear, silently crying and sniffling occasionally. She had a death grip on his shoulders, and slowly the tears stopped.

  Pulling back, he looked her directly in the eyes. Turquoise met Amber in an aggressive play as they both sent the message that no one else was to know about their emotional moment. Nodding abruptly, he let go of her. She stepped back and wiped her nose on the back of her arm like she had done as a child. Coughing, she rubbed her eyes as well.

  “I know you’re going to want to know the whole story, but could we please wait until everyone is here. I don’t want to have to tell it again.” She was pleading with him, just a few more moments of silence where she could live in the world she had created for herself.

  “Of course, princess.” The endearment was one they had all adopted with her. Even though they were all royalty, she was the only one of their group who would never hold a throne, so as children they had all called her by her permanent title. She hadn’t minded one bit. Adam reached over and squeezed her hand gently before turning and settling back into the chair he had been occupying. His tall frame overflowed in it, but he didn’t look uncomfortable in the slightest. Just like that, he ignored her presence and went back to the book he was reading.

  It wasn’t long before his sister came through the door. She was taller than Mykah and had the same silver hair as her brother. Her eyes were brown and held all the warmth that was missing from Adam. She was slender, though, naturally thin. Sh
e was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top, both dark purple. Her porcelain skin was vibrant against the colors she had chosen, and her hair was swept up in a messy bun atop her head.

  “I hear we’re pulling an all–nighter. I went ahead and made arrangements for all of our rooms to be moved to this corridor. I have a feeling we’re not going to be leaving this room that much. We’re on our own for snacks though.” Matter of fact, like always. Aubrey was still the taskmaster. She was pulled into the forsaken beauty’s arms, and Mykah felt the warmth from the Queen of the Damned spread throughout her body.

  “Thank you, I know how much you like being in charge.” Mykah had a smile on her face and let go of her friend. They would have a lot to catch up on, no doubt. Aubrey had always wanted to spend time in the human world but hadn’t had the chance. “You know how to make yourself comfortable, no doubt.” With a wink, they all turned to see who was coming through the door now.

  Lachlan, Ben, and Anaid all came in together. Anaid wore blue as always. As the last of the water elementals, she was both proud and straightforward. She had navy colored hair with jade eyes, and skin that was the color of seaweed. She was full–figured and stood at exactly five feet tall. The first of her sisters, she had been born to the royal family who all happened to be fire elementals.

  The Goblin King was eyeing her warily, as though he really were concerned that she would try to take the Shadowlands from him. “Oh don’t worry you big pansy. I don’t want to rule anything, let alone the goblin horde, I mean it, Lachlan. Besides, I don’t want to have to fight you for the right.” She said it to reassure him, and saw his demeanor relax remarkably. He was around six feet tall, but by far had the most muscular frame of their party. Since he had to fight to prove his ability to keep the goblin horde under control, he had been continuously under attack, and therefore remained in peak physical form. Unlike the others, he had gray eyes and hair that was a darker shade of black than seemed possible. It was as though the shadows themselves were attached to his body. He nodded in her direction and sat down with a beer in his hand. Anaid sat with him and giggled at the look on his face when she turned his beer to water.