by Cara E Holt
My unicorn swiftwing was a gift from Lorcen. “Why aren’t we flying to wherever it is?”
Lorcen grins. “Because I thought it would be fun to ride together again.”
I snort. “What so you can race me and beat me again?”
He laughs and wraps an arm around me from behind. He leans his chin on my shoulder. “As if I would.” I screech when he tickles me, worming to get out of his grip, which is of course futile. “Although I would beat you, because you know, best rider, best flyer, best soldier.” He gives me a confident wink.
I roll my eyes. “You know your ego should come with its own royal title.”
“That’s not a bad idea.” He grins as he sweeps me up and sits me astride Swiftwing.
“Be careful coming out the stables.” I tell him over my shoulder as we trot outside.”You know in case your head won’t fit through the doors.”
I hear his laugh behind me as he follows me out. We move at a leisurely pace until we reach open countryside and then we gallop. Lorcen races ahead of me, taunting me that I am slow. We ride for a good thirty minutes and then he suggests we stop and dismount. A large grey stone temple sits in amongst the trees. Four large grey pillars frame the entrance.
“What is this place?” I ask as he lifts me down from Swiftwing.
“It’s the family mausoleum. I wanted you to come and see my father.” He looks past me at the entrance with a sad look in his eyes. I take his hand in mine and his gaze comes back to me. I offer him a warm smile.
“Thank you for bringing me here.”
He smiles softly and tugs me forward. “Come and meet the ancestors.”
Inside the place is much bigger than I anticipated, with line after line of stone crypts. Each crypt has a marble statue of its inhabitants lying sleeping on top of the crypt. We stop at one that looks newer than the rest. Lorcen softly runs a hand down the arm of the formidable looking marble man lay here. “This is my father. Toren.”
I stop still beside him and examine the man carved here. “Wow. You are so like him.” I exclaim. Lorcen had the same angular jaw and nose. His father’s hair also has a slight curl to it. “It must be hard not having him around.”
Lorcen nods. “It is. You know when I was a kid I often resented him. He would push me hard, always wanting me to do better. I envied my brother for the freedom he had. He was left to do as he pleased. My father forced me to train and learn every day. Necessary he would say if I wanted to become a great leader.” He sighs and tucks me into his side. “Truth is I never wanted to be a king. I just wanted my father to be proud of me.”
“Hey.” I say softly pulling his attention to me as I gently pull his face down to mine. “He would be so proud. You are amazing. Your people adore you. I saw it clearly that day we shopped for presents in the village. You are fierce and good and you will make a great leader for your people someday.”
He turns so we are facing each other. “But only with my warrior queen at my side.”
I grin. “Well of course. Behind every great man is a greater woman.”He chuckles and leans down and nuzzles my ear. “Err, Lorc I don’t think here is the place to start making out.”
I feel his smile against my skin. “The dead can’t talk.”
I lean back and look into his eyes. “It’s disrespectful.” I take a step back and tug on his hand. “Come on. Tell me about all these great kings and queens.”
The big day has arrived. We are all awake early and Alana is a bundle of both nerves and excitement. We eat a small breakfast in our room and then Alana is whisked off to bathe and wash her hair.
“Does it bother you? You know, that you missed out on all of this?” Megan asks as we both sit on the bed, drinking tea.
I shake my head. “Honestly. No. I would have hated all this planning and pomp and ceremony. I’m glad it was just me and Lorcen and our small audience of four.”
Megan nods. “I get that. When Noah and I had our ceremony it was quite a grand affair. With him being a member of the royal court. I didn’t know three quarters of the people that attended.”
‘Ebs love. I need you here now in the great hall.’
My mates voice comes from nowhere down our bond. I frown. ‘Is something wrong?’
‘Yes, well maybe. Just get here and bring Megs.’
“We are needed in the great hall.” I tell her as I get up from the bed and throw a dressing robe over my t-shirt and shorts that I slept in.
Megan goes rigid, picking up on my concern. “Is something wrong?”
I shrug, brows creased as I chuck her a robe. “Not sure. Come on.”
We sift into the great hall to find Queen Eira, Lorcen and Drustan as well as one of the elite guards.
“Everything okay?” I walk to Lorcen’s side and can see his face is etched with worry. He wraps an arm around my waist and drops a kiss on my forehead.
“We have received a message from Devlon. He wants us to meet with him at noon today.”
“But the ceremony is at two.”
Lorcen nods. “I know love but his message said that if we didn’t show up that we would miss out a momentous event in history.”
My heart beats faster in my chest. “You think he plans to awaken the cauldron?”
“Who knows but we can’t ignore this.”
I nod. He was right we would have to go. Lorcen looks to Drustan and the guard. “Are we prepared?”
“Yes. We have all our soldiers on standby. One ring of the tower bell and they will all report in for duty.”
Queen Eira has remained quiet, her hand resting on her chin. “We go prepared, in case this is some kind of trap. We take the first and second regiment.”
“What about Alana and Blaine? What do we tell them?”
Lorcen sighs. “The king and queen of the seelie court will need to be informed, so Blaine will know.”
I curse. This was supposed to be my sister’s special day. The bastard couldn’t even let us have this one day. “I’ll have to tell her. She will pick up on my anxiety.”
“Go ready the troops. I will alert the seelie court.” Queen Eira commands. With a swift nod Drustan and the guard sift out of the room. “It will be fine.” She tells me, offering me a smile that tries to reassure me. “We can be back here and ready for the ceremony.”
Lorcen’s mother sifts out, leaving Lorcen, Megan and I. “Go get ready. I’ll meet you in the courtyard.” He cups my chin in his hands and drops a kiss on my lips. “It will be okay.”
I nod, chewing fiercely on my lip. “It will.”
I sift back up to the bridal room with Megan. Alana is sat at the mirror having her hair styled for the ceremony. Her head lifts up when we enter. “There you are. I was beginning to think my two bridesmaids had abandoned me.”
Plastering on a smile, I ask the fae servant to leave us and walk up to Alana and put my hands on her shoulders. She sits and looks at me through the reflection in the large oval mirror in front of her.
“Oh god. He has changed his mind hasn’t he? He doesn’t want to bond with me.” Anguish crosses her face and she wrings her hands together anxiously.
“Don’t be silly. Blaine adores you and would have bond to you weeks ago if he had his way. Devlon has requested a meeting.”
Alana’s face drops. “Today? On our day? You have got to be fucking joking me?”
I wince at her reaction. “I know. It’s really crappy timing but we have to go. You don’t though. You can stay here and get ready.”
She raises a brow at me, arms folded. “Really? You think I’m likely to stay here pruning myself while you all go and meet the crazy dude. I don’t think so. I’m coming.”
I hold my hands up in defence. “Fine. I had a feeling you’d say that but we would have understood if you would have wanted to stay here.”
We all quickly magic on clothes. I go for black fitted trousers and black sturdy knee boots. My top half I dress in a black and grey tunic and a red cloak with the royal unseelie emblem on the back.
We sift out to the courtyard and find Lorcen and Blaine already there. Alana rushes over to Blaine and he wraps her in his arms.
“I’m so sorry. I hate that he is taking up part of our day.”
Alana brushes his cheek with her hand and smiles up at him sadly. “It’s not your fault and we will not let this spoil our day.” There is determined undertone to her voice.
Queen Eira sifts in, dressed head to toe in the royal colours, with a crown upon her head. “Let’s get this done with. I will create the portal once we are outside the castle grounds.”
We follow her out through the main castle gates. Lorcen grasps my hand in his. I can feel the tension rolling off him. “Where are we meeting him?”
His concerned eyes rest upon mine. “In the field of Moytura. In the city of Everlasting.”
A portal is created and we all walk through, followed by two regiments of soldiers. The seelie court would be meeting us there and they too were bringing two regiments of soldiers. We come out onto a wide green field that sits a mile or so away from the now derelict city of the fae.
We take up position and are soon joined by The seelie court and King Faolan and Queen Arliss. We all stand together at the centre and anxiously wait for his arrival. A portal opens up across the field and at first it is a shadowy outline of a person but I tense when I see Devlon walk forward his hand held by my sister. Behind them comes an army of trolls and other fae creatures. Devlon comes to a stop.
“Devlon.” Queen Eira steps forward. “You asked to meet. What is this about?”
Devlon smiles. “Well hello to you to dear mother.” His eyes are void of emotion as they rest on his mothers. “I just wanted you all to be here to witness a momentous event.”
I can’t take my eyes off my sister. Leora stands besides Devlon. Her long blonde hair hangs to her waist. Her stomach is what captures my gaze though. Her belly is round and ripe with pregnancy. She rest one hand on the top of her bump, while Devlon holds her other. Leora looks from Alana to me. Pure hate is the best way to describe the look she gives us. I look down when I feel a hand take mine and Alana gives me a smile. She like me understands how much it hurts to have our sister look at us with such venom.
I jump when I see a portal of fire open to my right. My breath falters when a figure I know all too well walks through and comes to a standstill on the field. Lucifer was here, but why?
“Lucifer.” I say out loud, feeling increasingly confused about what was happening. He pulls his arm out from behind him to reveal the sword. The sword of Nuada. His dark eyes fall on me and he winks. It is a wink that sends a shiver down my spine. Why the hell was Lucifer here? A dark sense of foreboding settles in my stomach.
“Ah good. Everyone’s here.” Devlon announces with a smile that reeks of cunning. Lucifer walks towards Devlon, swinging the sword playfully as he goes. He comes to a stop at his side and they face each other.
“Do we still have a deal?” Devlon asks him. Lucifer simply nods. Devlon pulls a small dagger from his pocket and cuts his palm. Lucifer then does the same and they shake hands. I see Leora furrow her brow confused. Devlon turns to Leora and cups her cheeks in his hands. He talks to her softly so we cannot hear but I use my demon sense of superb hearing to listen in.
“I’m sorry my girl but you know that in war we must make sacrifices.” Leora frowns but nods. Devlon lifts his head and looks back at Lucifer and then time stops as I witness the most horrifying thing in my life. Devlon holds a dagger out and slices sharply across my sister’s swollen belly. She screams as do Alana and I. She begins to fall to the floor and Devlon places his hand under her head and ensures she lands softly on her back.
I cannot breathe. I lie on the floor beside my sister, who turns her head to the side to the side and meet my painful face. The agony is all consuming in my stomach. I use all my strength to push myself up and look across the field. Devlon cuts across again, deepening the wound but this time with the sword and the three of us scream at the same time. Lorcen is by my side, asking me what he can do but I can’t answer him. I can’t take my eyes off the horror unfolding across from me. He reaches into her tummy and pulls out a bloody and quiet baby, but it’s what happens next that curdles my blood. He holds out the baby that has now begun wailing to Lucifer. Holding his arms out Lucifer takes my Niece in his arms and then holds out the sword to Devlon. He takes the sword in his hands and gazes at it with love and awe, oblivious to my sister that lies at his feet, bleeding out.
“No.” I scream. Anger so powerful rages inside me. I watch as Lucifer opens a fire portal and with one last smirk at me his disappears taking my sisters baby with him. Somehow and I don’t know how, I manage to kneel up. I feel Lorcen’s hands on my arms and I think he asks if I am okay. I shrug him off and wobbly stand to my feet. I roar in anger. I feel my eyes flare red, as my vision homes in on Devlon. My wings unfold and open wide behind me. I fly up into the air and fire erupts from my hands. I throw a ball of fire towards the man I needed to end, but he deflects it sending it to the ground. I flap my wings back and with a scream propel them forward intending to shoot across the field and take him out but what happens next floors me. From my black wings a cloud of black smoke releases and then a flock of black birds take flight across the field towards the source of my anger. Devlon suddenly looks uncertain and opens a portal behind him, he quickly dips down to my sister who lies lifeless and wipes some more of her blood on the sword. I take off and dart towards him at a speed that would make my mate proud. He disappears through the portal just as I am within reach of him. I scream in anger as I land and gaze at the disappearing portal. I was too late. I stand there fists clench breathing through my nose, so full of anger and then I hear a whimper and I crouch beside my sister. There is blood everywhere and her eyes meet mine and I can see the life fading out of her eyes.
“Look hold on okay. Don’t you dare fucking die on me you hear.” I feel bodies beside me, Alana kneels beside me.
“Oh my god there’s so much blood.” She looks wide-eyed and afraid.
I nod, placing my hands over her stomach. “We have to heal her Al.”
Alana shakes her head. “There’s too much blood.”
I grab her arm and glare into her eyes. “We can do it and we will. Now.” My voice is forceful and she nods and places her hands on our sister’s bloody stomach next to me. I close my eyes and call upon every ounce of power that flows through me. I will it with every bone in my body to heal my sister. I can hear voices talking around us, but I shut it all out. I had to give this everything. I had to save my sister. Without her I would never be whole, she was a part of me and I needed her like I needed air to breathe. I feel sweat bead on my forehead as I pour my healing essence into her.
“It’s working.” I tell Alana urging to her to keep going. It was a slow and tiring job but we were doing it. I open my eyes and the wound has closed and my sister’s complexion looks a little brighter. My vision goes all blurry and I feel two arms grasp under my arms and then everything goes dark.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE.
I wake up slowly, I feel weak in all my joints. My hand goes to my tummy remembering the intense soul gripping pain I had felt. Leora! I sit up and look about me. Realising I am in a bed, I throw the covers off me and go to stand but wobble.
“Woah, woah. Back in bed.” Lorcen is before me his hands on my waist as he props me up and pushes back in bed.
I push on his arms. “Leora. Where is she? Is she alive? Did we heal her?”
Lorcen puts a hand over my mouth to shut me up. “Okay. Get in bed and I will answer your questions. You need rest.”
Groaning at his fussing, I slide back into the bed and cross my arms. “Well go on?”
He smiles at me. “I love it when you get narky.”
“I do not get narky. Shut-up and tell me please.” I demand, the flirty smile disappearing from my face when the angst over my sister returns.
“She’s okay. You and Alana healed her, but it wiped you both out
. She’s in the next room recovering.” He strokes the palm of my hand, soothing me. “We have had her checked over and she will be fine after some rest.”
I sigh. “Physically she will be okay, but mentally? She was betrayed by the person she loved. Her baby has been taken from her. How does someone get over that?”
Lorcen shakes his head. “I don’t know love, but she has two sisters who will love her and get her through this.”
A sob rips from me. “Lorc this is all my fault. I gave the sword to Lucifer. I caused all of this. My sister has lost her baby because of me and now the cauldron will be awakened.” Tears streak down my face.
Lorcen places an arm around my waist and pulls me onto his lap. “Stop this right now love. You are NOT to blame for any of this. Devlon and Lucifer are to blame for this whole shit-show and I won’t have you blaming yourself for this. Look at me.” He gently lifts my chin so I am looking at him. “I won’t hear another word about any of this being your fault. Okay?”
I nod and rest my forehead against his, closing my eyes. “What are we going to do? Everything has gone to shit. I can’t get over what Devlon did to her? He cut her open and gave away their baby, like it meant nothing to him.”
“I can’t believe that my brother could be capable of something like that.” A world of hurt crosses his face. “I mean we were never close, but he’s my brother. We grew up together.”
I hadn’t really thought about how he felt about the situation with Devlon and that made me feel like a really selfish idiot. How could I not have considered how hard this all was for him? I had paled at the thought of having to fight against my sister and he was going to have to do the very same and go up against his own brother. I place my hand on his cheek. “This must be so hard on you.”
He shrugs, brushing off my comment. I reach forward and touch his lips with mine and kiss him softly, letting him know that I understand and that I will be there for him. He places a hand behind my head and deepens the kiss pushing me back down on the bed. I break away and put a finger on his lips. “I thought you said I needed rest?”
