Aethan screamed again, the agony ripping my heart out of my chest and tearing it into tiny pieces. My fingers curled into fists as I drew in a ragged breath and forced myself up onto an elbow. Pain lanced through my side as I lifted my hand and aimed at Ebony.
She let out a delighted laugh as she arched backwards to gain momentum for her killing strike.
My lightning bolt struck her between the shoulder blades. The blast sent her tumbling like a limp doll in a gale-force wind; a large hole visible where her sternum had been.
Santanas shook his head. ‘If you want something done,’ he said.
‘No,’ I gasped. ‘Please, Father. No.’ My side screamed in agony as I crawled to Aethan.
Turos slumped to the ground. He sat propped against the boulder, Galanta’s body lying beside him. Blood washed down his throat onto his shirt. His eyes were glazed as he stared at me, but even then, I saw him struggle to rise.
‘Don’t,’ I choked out, shaking my head at him. Live. Please live.
He nodded, defeat in his eyes as he slumped back. He lifted a hand and pressed his palm to the wound in his neck.
‘You can’t save them both.’ Santanas wiggled his fingers at me. ‘Which one is it going to be? Which Prince will you save?’ He waved his hand between Aethan and Turos.
Tears tracked down my cheeks. He was right. I couldn’t save them both.
Aethan shuddered on the ground, his body convulsing as I reached him. I dragged myself on top of him. I knew it was useless, that I couldn’t shield him if Santanas decided to kill him, but I had to try.
Is that your final choice?’ Santanas cocked his head to this side.
‘Kill me,’ I whispered. ‘Take me. Not them.’
I heard a shout and Rako kicked the dead body of the last goblin out of the way. A flow of Guard followed him onto the outcrop.
‘Over there.’ Turos’s voice rasped as he pointed toward me. ‘She’s over there.’
I stared in horror at him. So much blood. It bubbled through his fingers and ran like a river down his body.
He was dying. The vitality leaching out of him. And all he was worried about was me.
I had to heal him. I knew it. But Aethan let out another moan as he writhed in pain beneath me.
‘This is most inconvenient.’ Santanas shook his head. ‘Till next time, Isadora.’ He flicked back the veil and vanished.
‘Turos,’ Rako barked. ‘Stay still, man. Dantus, get a healer. Now.’
That’s what we needed. A healer. Sabby. We needed Sabby.
My face was slick with tears as I clambered off Aethan. How had this happened? One minute they had both been gloriously alive. And now…now I might lose them both.
Aethan moaned and jammed his fingers into his eyelids. I pulled his hands from his head.
‘Izzy.’
I ignored the voice as I sent myself into Aethan, searching for something to heal. There was nothing. Nothing that I could detect.
‘Izzy.’ This time a shoulder shake accompanied the snappy voice. ‘What’s wrong with him?’
Pain radiated out from my rib cage and I struggled to catch my breath. ‘I don’t know,’ I gasped.
What had she done to him?
I pulled him up onto my lap and wrapped my arms around him. I smoothed back his hair as I stared at his white face. Pain pulled his lips into a grimace but this time no sound emerged. Was he getting better, or worse?
‘Dark Sky. What happened here? Turos. Turos, look at me.’ A small slapping noise accompanied Sabby’s voice. ‘Stay with me,’ she ordered. ‘Don’t you dare leave me. You stay with me you hear.’
‘Everything’s going to be okay,’ I whispered into Aethan’s hair. Please don’t let him die. ‘You’re going to be fine,’ I crooned, my lips brushing across his forehead. Great Dark Sky, please don’t take him. Please let him live.
I needed him. He had always been there for me. Ever since I was a small child. He had been my first love.
My true love…
And just like that, not as a bolt of lightning, but as the quiet rush of a warm summer breeze, the answer I had been searching for flowed into me.
I bent my head over him as I wept. Please don’t take him. Please. Take me instead.
I loved him. And it didn’t matter that he might not remember me as he once had. The foundation for our love was still there. Time would bring new stories. Time would make new memories. If we had any time.
His body relaxed in my arms, the racking spasms of pain leaching away till he was still.
‘Noooooo.’ My sobs wracked my body and pain lanced through my rib cage. But it didn’t matter. My physical pain didn’t matter. My emotional pain had seen to that. It tore through me, ripping at the edges of my sanity. ‘Please. No.’ My hands trembled as I smoothed his hair back.
He looked so peaceful. So young with his face empty of pain.
Tears trickled off the end of my nose and splashed onto his cheek. ‘I love you,’ I whispered. ‘Don’t leave me.’
His eyelashes fluttered like a butterfly’s wings as his eyes slowly opened. I stared into the depths of his glorious eyes, too stunned to speak, too scared to believe it was real.
‘Correct me if I’m wrong,’ he said, his voice low and husky, ‘but aren’t you meant to be kissing me?’
‘What?’ I blinked rapidly as unshed tears blinded me.
‘Well, I was unconscious, and now I’m not. Normally when I wake up from being unconscious it’s to find you kissing me.’
‘Oh,’ I said. ‘You’re alive.’
He reached up a hand and trailed his fingers down my cheek. ‘I’m better than alive,’ he whispered. His other hand rose so that he was cradling my face. ‘Izzy,’ his voice held the warmth of an old, deep love, ‘I remember. I remember everything.’
‘Oh.’ My voice came out in a whisper. ‘So, if you remember, why aren’t you kissing me?’
His hands slid up around my neck as he pulled my head down towards him. His lips met mine in a fury of white hot heat as his soul seared itself to mine. I lost myself within him. My lips tasting the salt on his skin, my tongue feeling the warmth of his breath, my heart racing to keep up with the joy that fluttered through my veins.
I could feel him. Feel his energy mingling with mine as his arms wrapped around me. One hand moved to the nape of my neck, burrowing into my hair, while the other wrapped low around me, pulling me into him as he sat up. Suddenly I was on his lap, cradled in the certainty of him.
He knew everything about me, all my flaws, all my childish tendencies, and he still wanted me. His love filled me to overflowing, and the bud of an idea that had lodged in my mind, burst; the petals unfolding till it was a fully-blown flower.
And there, in the safety of his body, in the hunger of his lips, in the power of his love, I found my other answer.
He was alive. He remembered me. And I knew what I had to do.
The circle was complete.
15
Endings
‘They’re retreating.’ Rako nodded in satisfaction.
‘About time.’ Aethan squeezed my hand before letting it go. He walked over to stand beside Rako, staring out over the scene of carnage below.
I remained where I was, sitting next to Turos as I let Sabby fuss over me. She had healed my broken ribs, but one of the shards had pierced a lung and she was worried there might still be internal bleeding.
Thomas stood next to Sabby, staring down at the supine Turos with a worried expression.
‘He’s fine, Thomas,’ Sabby snapped for the third time.
‘He’s so white.’
‘He lost a lot of blood. He’ll be weak for a while.’
‘I’m healthy as a horse.’ Turos opened one eye and peered up at Thomas.
I winced at the lack of emotion in his voice.
A bubble wobbled up to Rako, encompassing his head and then popping a few second later. ‘Tamsonite reports they’re retreating down the valley towards us.’ A grin flash
ed over his face as he looked at me. ‘Your Goddess and the Ubanty are making them run for their lives.’
‘What about Wilfred? Did he mention Wilfred at all?’ Aethan put a hand up over his eyes as he stared at the end of the valley trying to see his best friend.
‘There was something about a red-haired berserker.’ Rako scratched at his cheek. ‘He could have been talking about Wilfred.’
I let out a snort, pushing out my mind to watch the fight from Emerald’s point of view.
Ulandes glowed like a beacon as she led the attack against the dark faeries. Wilfred and Samuel stood on either side of her, their tattoos lit up like cracks of lava as they slashed and stabbed. Wilfred was howling with laughter.
‘Oh yeah.’ I nodded my head. ‘It’s Wilfred all right.’
Aethan bounced up and down on his toes, staring into the distance. ‘So the question is,’ he said, ‘if they are retreating at both ends, where are they going?’
‘Through the veil.’ Rako scratched at his scar.
‘Dark Sky.’ Turos pushed himself up to a sitting position.
‘Relax Prince. They’re not making a run on London. Isla and Arthur are watching. They’re heading back home.’
‘Till next time.’ Aethan let out a growl and smacked a fist into his other hand.
‘We have earned some breathing space,’ Rako said. ‘The goblins have lost their leader. It will take a while for them to choose another.’
‘And then Santanas will need to persuade them to help again.’ Aethan nodded in satisfaction. ‘We have six months, a year tops to prepare.’
I was silent during their political discussion. I wasn’t going to let it go six months. I was going to finish it that night.
Just me and Santanas.
It was the only way. It had always been the only way. I was embarrassed it had taken me this long to work it out.
Of course if any of them knew what I was planning they’d try to stop me. Or come with me. And while the thought of having support was seductive, I knew I would only risk losing someone I loved.
Turos stood up and flexed his head slowly from side-to-side.
‘Are you okay?’ I put a hand on his arm and peered up into his eyes.
‘My neck is fully healed. Tell her Sabby.’
‘Oh sure. Your neck is fine.’ She stressed the word neck as her eyes darted from Aethan to me.
‘Oh, ahhh, I, ahhh….’ I looked up at him.
‘So it’s not true what they say.’ His eyes also flickered over to Aethan before coming back to rest on me. He reached out and touched my shoulder. ‘The best man doesn’t always win.’ He smiled, but it didn’t make it to his eyes.
‘Ahhhhh.’ Dark Sky I felt awful. Only hours ago I had been considering the possibility of a life with him. But that was before, well, it was before everything.
It was almost inconceivable how far I was emotionally from where I’d been then.
‘I’m sorry.’ I pulled a face. It didn’t really cut it.
‘I’d like to say you are forgiven,’ he shrugged a shoulder, ‘but firstly, I’m not that nice, and secondly,’ he let out a sigh, ‘there’s nothing to forgive. You told me from the beginning how things were for you.’
‘Yes, but, then I….’ I could feel a blush start up on my cheeks. Dark Skies. The things I had done with him.
He shook his head. ‘It wasn’t you. Not really. It might have become if….’ He shrugged again. ‘It’s a moot point now. If wishes were fishes.’
‘I do love you,’ I whispered. I knew that much was true. ‘It’s just….’ Different? Not enough? Too late?
He smiled and reached out to brush his fingers down my cheek. ‘I know. I’ll be waiting,’ he raised his voice as he looked over to where Aethan stood, ‘just in case he screws up.’
I glanced over at Aethan, worried about how he might have taken that. But Aethan chuckled and shook his head. ‘That won’t be happening.’
‘You never know,’ Turos’s voice was conversational, ‘she may not want to be Queen.’
‘She’d be a Queen with you as well.’
‘Yes, but the Queen of a people with no lands has a lot less pressure on her.’
‘Izzy,’ Sabby pulled on my hand, ‘have Isla and Wilfred reunited yet?’
I closed my mouth and turned to face her. Queen? ‘Huh?’
‘Isla and Wilfred. Have they found each other yet?’
‘What?’ My mind was still whirling.
‘Isla and Wilfred.’ She put her hands on her hips and stamped her foot.
‘Oh. No. They haven’t.’ I turned and looked down the valley. Emerald and Lance circled lazily overhead but I couldn’t see Arthur anywhere. ‘They’re on the other side of the veil.’
‘All right people.’ Rako clapped his hands together. ‘It’s time to get camp sorted out.’
‘Do you want us back on the front?’ Aethan asked.
‘I think I’ve risked the heirs to the thrones enough for one day. Let’s not push it.’
I followed Thomas and Sabby back down the path, their hands linked as firmly as Aethan’s and mine. Turos walked ahead with Rako. As soon as we got to the bottom, Turos trotted off towards the dragons.
‘I’ll be with Sabby,’ I told Aethan.
‘I’ll be at the supply tent.’ He kissed me on the nose and then turned and followed Rako.
I saw Lance coming into land just before I reached the healers. He took off again almost immediately. Turos sat on his neck with Gladaline right behind him. She had a hand resting on his shoulder as she leant forwards to talk to him. I pushed away the guilt threatening to overwhelm me.
There was a flash of gold near them and then Arthur and Isla slid back into our plane of existence.
‘Sabby.’ I looked over to where Sabby was healing a human with a leg wound. ‘Isla’s back.’
‘Oooooh.’
The man whose leg she was probing said, ‘Who’s Isla?’
‘The Faery Princess. Can you bend it?’
He flexed his leg and straightened it again. ‘The one that looks like her sister?’ He nodded his head at me.
‘That’s the one. She’s in love with one of the Guards.’
He sat up and put some weight onto his leg. ‘That’s a bit beneath her isn’t it?’
Sabby pursed her lips while she watched him walk back and forth. ‘I don’t think so. Anyway he died and….’
‘Oh, so it’s a sad story.’ The soldier put his hands on his hips. ‘Do you think after a day like today we need a sad story?’
A couple of the soldiers waiting to be healed let out a, ‘Here, here.’
Sabby sighed. ‘Of course it’s not a sad story. If you shut up for a minute I’ll tell you.’
I took my hands off the Guard I was working on. He took a deep breath and rolled his shoulder. ‘Oh that feels better. What’d you do?’
‘Put your clavicle back together.’
‘So he died,’ Sabby continued, ‘but a Goddess brought him back to life and took him to be her personal soldier.’
The soldier barked out a laugh. ‘Now you’re pulling my leg.’
‘I’m not.’ Sabby moved down the row to the next in line. ‘Tell him Izzy.’
‘She’s not.’ I also moved onto the next waiting in my line. ‘We were on a mission to bring home the dark faery Princess.’
The soldier turned and spat onto the ground. ‘Dirty traitors.’
I nodded as I continued. ‘Anyway, there were some pretty nasty monsters after us and one of them ripped out Wilfred’s throat.’ I paused while I regained control of myself. It had been one of the darkest moments of my life. ‘But we were in Ulandes’ sanctuary, and the Ubanty we were with was one of her worshippers.’
‘Wait,’ the Guard I had healed put his hand up, ‘the Ubanty are the ones who rebelled?’
‘The dark faeries had turned them into slaves. Anyway Samuel called Ulandes and she healed Wilfred and then claimed him.’
‘So, where
is he now?’ the man I was working on asked. He winced as I probed his broken arm.
‘He’s over there.’ I nodded down the valley. ‘He, Samuel and Ulandes are leading the revolt. They’ve beaten the dark faeries.’
‘So…you’re telling me there’s a freakin’ Goddess down there?’ The first soldier turned and pointed.
‘Yes. And she’s glowing like the sun.’ I opened my eyes and released the previously broken arm.
‘And this Wilfred? Has he seen the Princess yet?’ The man I’d healed flexed his arm slowly.
‘Exactly,’ Sabby said. ‘That’s exactly what I’ve been trying to find out.’
All of a sudden, every person within hearing distance turned towards me. ‘So what happens?’ The first soldier said.
‘It hasn’t happened yet.’
‘But, how will we know?’
A wave of energy flowed over me. Hope glowed in the tent. The indomitable human spirit. You hold it down under water, and it pops right back up again.
‘Well…,’ I looked around the tent, ‘I might be able to see.’
There was dead silence for a few beats and then cheering broke out in the tent. ‘Go on love,’ the Guard I sat in front of said, ‘I can wait.’
I closed my eyes and reached for Emerald, seeing the ground below as she did.
The dark faeries had given up fighting. Now they scrambled forwards, pulling each other back in their attempts to get away. The Ubanty still pursued them, but their efforts were half-hearted. There’s no sport in killing a fleeing foe.
Ulandes’ swords were gone. She walked amongst her people, touching a hand here, a cheek there. They knelt before her with heads bowed.
Samuel walked by her right hand side, but Wilfred wasn’t there. Where was he?
Where’s Wilfred?
Emerald’s head pivoted as she searched for him.
I let out a laugh as her search showed me Tiny. He was alive and unharmed, and walking behind the fleeing foe, shushing them forwards with his hands. I saw him bend and upright a fallen dark faery.
Finally, Emerald found Wilfred. He was pushing through his army, his head pivoted up as he stared at the sky.
‘Oh,’ I said. ‘He sees her.’
Faery Revenge Page 39
