Wilfred scooted over onto the couch beside me and pulled me into him. It felt so good to have his brotherly arms wrapped around me. I had missed his calm, optimistic presence more than I had realised. I buried my head into his chest and let all the emotions I had been suppressing out.
It felt like I was deflating. The terror, the shame, the confusion, all draining out of me with my tears. And at the end of my crying torrent, all that was left was me. I felt smaller, and still fragile, but somehow, more resolute. As if, somehow, facing my fears and releasing them, had made me stronger.
I sat back up and wiped the backs of my hands across my eyes, sniffling as I did. Wilfred waved his hand in a flourish and a handkerchief appeared in his fingers.
‘Show off,’ Ulandes sighed as he handed it to me.
I stared at it for a second before taking it and blowing my nose noisily. ‘I hope they have a good laundry wherever this came from,’ I said.
‘It is just ethereal matter,’ Ulandes said. ‘My disciples,’ she shook her head at the word as if unbelieving that Wilfred was her disciple, ‘can manipulate it while we are here. It will disappear as soon as you leave. My gifts, on the other hand, will stay.’ She nodded her head at the armlets.
‘Is it going to be all right?’ I asked.
She smiled. ‘Child, even I don’t know that. I do know that you have a chance of succeeding.’
‘Where there’s a will there’s a way,’ Wilfred said, leaning back and crossing his arms behind his head.
‘Something like that.’ Her smile was wistful.
‘Will you help us?’ My voice held a pleading quality.
‘I will do what I can. But you have to understand, I can only intervene in world events if my followers are directly threatened.’
‘But, the Ubanty are coming.’ I crossed my fingers. I hoped they were coming. I couldn’t see the dark faeries leaving their servants behind. I mean who would put up their tents and cook their meals?
‘Yes, they are. But at the moment, they are not my followers. They need to choose me again. Then, and only then, will I be able to help.’
‘Where’s Samuel?’ Thinking of her people made me think of my one-time saviour.
She smiled. ‘I may have sent him back to be with his own people.’
A wave of understanding washed over me and relief quickly followed. She couldn’t act directly, but she was manipulating the situation to her advantage. She had sent her loyal disciple back to walk with his people and to show them the way.
She sat up straight and cocked her head to the side as if listening to something. ‘We don’t have much time,’ she said. ‘There is something you need to know.’
‘What?’ I was desperately hoping she was going to show me how to destroy Santanas.
‘The battle that is about to begin, will not determine the outcome of the war.’ She stood and crossed to stand in front of me. ‘The real battle is in here.’ She reached out and put her hand on my chest over my heart. ‘This is where victory or defeat is going to occur.’
My confusion must have been evident for she said, ‘I wish I could just give you the answer you seek, but that is not allowed. All through time, evil has clashed with all that is good. The people involved are just instruments, the outcome based on their purity. All I can tell you is that you must not let hate shadow your heart, for if you do, you will become an agent of the dark. And then the dark will triumph over the light. Always, always, the answer is to be found in love.’
She cocked her head again and said, ‘It is time. The battle is to be joined. Wilfred, you must take her back, but you must return.’ Her voice was cold stone as she said the last words. In this, she would not tolerate disobedience.
He nodded his head and took my hand, and suddenly we were back on the grass beside the sandy beach. ‘Will you give these to her?’ he asked, holding out the armbands to me.
‘Of course.’ I took them from him and then threw my arms around him. ‘I’ll see you soon?’
He nodded and rubbed his hands together. ‘As soon as I can, I’ll be there.’ He let out a laugh. ‘I’ve got a thing or two to show you.’
I smiled back, thinking about the mind trick Turos had taught me. ‘Oh good,’ I said. ‘Cause I’ve got a thing or two to show you.’
He rubbed has hands again, laughing as he said, ‘Game on,’ and then he was gone. Well, I guess it was me that was gone.
I could feel someone shaking my shoulder and could hear a bugle’s shrill notes echoing. Something had happened while I was sleeping. It was time to return to the real world.
***
‘Wake up.’ Isla gave me one more big shake and I opened my eyes. ‘Oh. Thank the Dark Sky. You gave me a fright. I thought something had…where did they come from?’ Her blue eyes, round with astonishment, were staring down at my hands.
I sat up and held the armlets out to her. ‘They’re for you. From Wilfred.’ I thought about it. ‘Well this one is from Wilfred,’ I shook the one in my right hand, ‘and this one is from Ulandes.’ I shook my left hand.
‘Wilfred?’ Her voice was a hushed whisper. ‘You saw him? You saw her?’ She said ‘her’ the same way that Ulandes had.
I stared at her while several pieces of a puzzle tumbled into place. ‘Oh Dark Sky,’ I said. ‘You’ve been praying to her.’
I’d never seen Isla blush before. She made up for that now. ‘She’s a Goddess.’ She shrugged her shoulders, and grimaced. ‘How could I not worship her?’
So not just praying. Worshipping. ‘Well, she seems to really like you,’ I said.
Her blush brightened and she ducked her head, a pleased smile on her face. ‘How is he?’
‘Same old,’ I said. ‘Giving poor Ulandes a run for her money. You should try them on. They made them for you.’
She looked at them properly for the first time, her eyes widening at their splendour. ‘Oh.’ It was a soft gasp. ‘They’re…they’re perfect.’ She slipped her arm into one and it rippled as it had when I had tried it on, moulding itself to her forearms. Her mouth made a silent ‘O’ and then she slipped on the second one. This time though, a blast of energy exploded from them, knocking Isla onto the floor and me back onto the bed.
‘Buzznuckle,’ I shrieked, throwing my hands up to shield my face. ‘Isla. Isla.’ I threw myself off the bed onto the floor beside her, expecting the worst. But her arms were still intact.
She held them above her face, turning them from side-to-side as she stared at them. The armlets were no longer there. Instead, golden tattoos, the same as Ulandes, graced her arms. The diamonds seemed to have been set into her skin, but when I reached out and ran a finger over them they were soft.
‘Great Dark Sky.’ I breathed out the words.
She sat up slowly, still staring at her arms. Tears trickled down her cheeks, but I could tell by the look on her face they were tears of joy. She didn’t say anything, and she didn’t have to. I knew why she was crying.
Most of her life she had been an outcast; the faery who had shamed the nation. Never to be married, never to be loved, she had thrown herself not into bitterness, but into servitude. Protecting those who scorned her, fighting for their lives and their freedom. And through all of that, she was barely even accepted by her own mother.
For the first time since Arracon had raped her, she had been judged and found worthy. And by the look of her forearms, not just worthy. It seemed she had been placed on a pedestal of her own. I could feel the joy bursting out of me as I placed my arms around her.
The bugle cried out again, and this time I could hear men shouting.
‘What’s happening?’ I asked.
‘They’ve started coming through the pass.’
They were coming. It was happening. It was time.
I pushed myself back to my feet and rubbed my hands nervously on the outside of my pants. I wasn’t ready for this. Would never be ready for this. I patted my hands over my arms and legs, the feel of the cold steel strapped there calming
my mind. ‘Where’s Sabby?’
‘She went to find Thomas.’
‘Izzy?’ Aethan’s head appeared in the tent flap. ‘We need to go. Now.’
Isla grabbed the dreamcatcher out from underneath my pillow and tucked it back in the bag, then she followed me out of the tent. Emerald, Lance and Arthur were waiting for us beyond the campfire. A group of Millenium stood off to the side.
Grams and Lionel, well recovered from his head injury, waited with Turos. General Tamsonite strode backwards and forwards, giving orders in a calmly-authorative voice. If he was worried, it didn’t show. I was happy he was in charge. I knew my voice would be quavering if I tried to talk at all. The thought of meeting my grandfather again was not filling me with any joy.
The three of us joined them, waiting for Tamsonite to give us his attention.
He finished yelling orders and turned to us. ‘We need to hold them off until the night faeries arrive. Can you bring down the pass?’ He directed the last question to Aethan.
Aethan scratched at his cheek while he considered the question. ‘There’s a constriction about half way down,’ he said. ‘It would be the best place to block it.’ He looked at me. ‘Could you do it?’
‘Do what?’ I had no idea what he was talking about.
‘Cause a landslide.’
‘Oh.’ I would do anything if it meant putting off a confrontation with Santanas for a little longer. ‘What would I be dealing with?’
‘Sheer cliffs standing about 50 yards apart.’
It was my turn to look thoughtful. ‘If I threw enough power at it I’d be able to take bites out of it. Even if the whole thing didn’t give, it would be enough rubble to make getting through difficult.’
‘Excellent.’ Tamsonite clapped his hands together. ‘Take who you need to get it done.’
‘Turos,’ Aethan said. ‘We’ll need you and your men to provide cover for us. If they’ve made it as far as the pass we’ll be under fire.’ He ran a hand through his hair and stared off to where the pass waited. ‘Just you and us,’ he said when he turned back to Turos. ‘If we come in force they’ll know we are attacking. If it’s just us, they may think we’re on their side.’
‘May think?’ Turos raised one eyebrow.
A grin flashed across Aethan’s face. ‘No guts no glory.’
Turos gave me a long look before he nodded and strode off towards Lance. The Millenium followed in his wake.
‘We’re coming,’ Grams said.
‘I don’t think so.’ I didn’t like the thought of her being anywhere near a goblin, let alone an army of them.
‘Think stink,’ she said. ‘Lionel and I will be able to deflect enemy fire. You won’t be able to hold a shield and bring down a mountain.’
‘She’s right.’ Aethan’s voice brooked no argument. ‘We need them.’
‘What about us?’ Isla had her gleaming forearms crossed across her chest.
Aethan turned to her, opened his mouth, and then stopped to stare at her arms. ‘Where did that come from?’ He reached out a finger to touch her skin but she slapped his hand away.
‘They were a present.’ She quirked an eyebrow at him as if daring him to ask more. ‘You were saying?’
It will be too dangerous for Arthur and Isla.
‘Emerald said it will be too dangerous for Arthur,’ I said.
She turned her steely gaze on me.
‘Hey. Don’t shoot the messenger.’ I raised my hands in the air.
‘You’re probably right.’ She shrugged her shoulders.
I stared at her suspiciously. ‘That’s it? No argument?’
‘No need to argue when you are right.’ She gave me her lightest, airiest smile and then walked over to Arthur, throwing her arms around his neck and rubbing at the nose he offered her. She showed him her arms and he sniffed at them a few times before letting out a pleased chuffing sound. She scrambled up and secured the bag to the harness behind her. ‘I’ll go join the rest of the dragons.’ They lifted into the air and disappeared in the direction of the field they had landed on.
‘You thinking what I’m thinking?’ I said to Aethan.
‘Yup. That was way too easy.’ He touched my arm lightly and I followed him over to Emerald.
Sabby and Thomas were waiting there with a half dozen Border Guard. I waved at the Guards, a couple of whom I recognised.
‘We’re not coming, are we?’ Sabby said.
I shook my head. ‘You’re too valuable to risk on this mission.’
She smiled as she shoved my shoulder. ‘You mean I’d be of no use.’
I pulled a face. ‘Healing on dragon back might be a tad difficult.’
She threw her arms around me. ‘Stay safe,’ she said.
I held onto her for a few moments, savouring the feel of my oldest, dearest friend. Then I gave Thomas a quick hug and scrambled up onto Emerald’s neck. Aethan was behind me a heartbeat later, keeping a respectable distance this time when he strapped himself in. I flashed him a smile, pleased he was taking our deal seriously.
I’m not going to be able to shield us, I said to Emerald. Not while I’m trying to cause a landslide.
Their spears and arrows will not harm Lance or me. Arthur would be another matter. His belly scales are still soft. He shouldn’t even be flying yet. Her words were tinged with a mixture of fear and pride.
He’s growing so quickly.
It is unprecedented. Now, just pride.
Lance threw back his head and took a couple of hopping steps, thrusting his enormous wings out to the side in a giant sweep. He jumped into the air as his wings pushed down again, and then he was flapping up into the sky, away from us.
It is so much easier to take off from a mountain top, Emerald said, a wistful sigh in her thoughts. Then she followed Lance’s example, running forwards as she gained speed and momentum before finally becoming airborne.
I spent the rest of the trip worrying. If they had already made it far enough down the pass it would be two dragons and a collection of twenty witches, faeries and Milleniums taking on the whole damned goblin army. I wondered if the Giants would be there. Because that would seriously affect how low we could fly if we were having to worry about Giants. An adult giant could possibly grab the foot of a low flying dragon, causing it to crash into the sides of the pass.
The looming mountains changed from a gloomy darkness in the distance to large sentinels rearing ahead of us. Lance altered direction, heading toward the break in the long line of peaks. The air grew colder and I wrapped my arms around myself to try and hold in some body heat.
And then we were close enough to see them; a black stain on the earth ahead, flowing out of the mouth of the pass like a putrid tidal wave. I heard Aethan swear behind me. They were even further ahead than we had thought. They had already cleared the pass. This was going to be dangerous.
Turos wants to link, Emerald said. It will make communicating easier.
I knew he was right, but I reached out towards him and Lance with trepidation. Our minds touched and then flowed together and all of a sudden I had four wings, four arms, twelve legs and scales.
Why do you always go too far? I could feel Turos sighing. Pull back a little. If you’re this deep you won’t be able to concentrate on what you need to do.
I pulled back into my own body as Emerald said, She can’t help it. She’s an overachiever.
Obviously. I felt rather than heard Turos chuckle. We need to stay high for as long as possible. Gives them less chance to attack us.
I nodded, realised he couldn’t see me and then said, Let’s do it.
The warriors on Lance’s back readied their bows as we sped towards the beginning of the pass. Goblins pointed and turned to watch us go, but none of them raised weapons in our direction. It seemed Aethan’s gamble had paid off. I wasn’t that surprised. Dragons did look pretty bad-ass, and all the other bad-ass creatures were already working with Santanas.
We sped through the pass, my enjoyment of
the trip blending with Emerald’s, Lance’s and Turos’s. It required steep navigation in parts but it had nothing on the entry to the breeding caves.
‘Woo hoo,’ Grams hollered behind me.
After a few minutes, my enjoyment was dulled by what I saw below. Goblins jammed the pass beneath us, their bodies pressing forwards in a tide of death towards our army. I gritted my teeth and narrowed my eyes. We had to stop them. We had to give the night faeries time to get to us.
It took us about five minutes to reach the constriction in the pass. A fifty yard section where the two mountain ranges closed on each other as if to fight or dance. Lance turned sideways to flit through the gap and then flew upwards into a loop.
‘What do you think?’ Turos and Aethan asked me the same question at once.
I turned to stare at the narrowing as we whipped through it. Two smooth walls faced each other. There were no boulders or outcrops or ledges of any kind.
‘It may take a while,’ I informed them at the same time.
I saw the warriors on Lance’s back ready their bows and felt Aethan moving behind me. Emerald slowed her motion and twisted in the air, heading back towards the narrowing.
I lifted my hands and shot a blast of lightning into the mouth of the pass. Goblins were lifted from their feet, flying backwards into their brethren. Rocks exploded from the cliffs on either side of them, raining sharp shrapnel down upon them. But the cliffs themselves stood like sentinels. I fired two blasts of energy down to the right as we flew through the pass. A crack appeared in the smooth wall, fissuring upwards a few feet. It wasn’t much, but it was a start.
Goblins can be stupid, but not so stupid as to not realise we were the enemy. They roared and began pulling crude bows off their backs. I could feel Lance and Turos sweeping down behind me and knew the warriors with them were laying down covering fire.
Lance flew high as Emerald turned, then he swooped in right behind us.
Faery Revenge Page 27
