by Sumida, Amy
“Wood of the Earth with Water within,” Cian nodded, “Feather of Air and steel forged by Fire. An arrow that I must shoot into the heart of Darkness. Yes, that feels right.”
Because it is right. Duh.
King Cian's eyes went round and I groaned.
“You heard that, huh?” I gave him a pained expression.
“She...” King Cian blinked. “What is duh?”
“Um,” I faltered as Faerie laughed at me. “It's a sarcastic way of saying that something was obvious. Duh is the sound of stupidity.”
“Ah,” King Cian nodded, “duh.”
“So the weapon...” I tried to focus everyone again and tried very hard not to start laughing at the King of the Faeries saying duh.
“Yes,” King Cian nodded. “Everyone, go and gather the items we'll need and bring them to the Castle of Eight as quickly as you can. We've got an arrow to make.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
We'd rushed back to Castle Aithinne and sent red caps into the kingdom to warn everyone to stay indoors, to be on their highest guard for any kind of black fog or sludge, any kind of darkness that moved on its own. They were already on high alert but we wanted to make them aware that things had become worse, the Darkness would be coming for fire fey next.
Then we double checked the defenses we'd added to on the Castle after the air fey had been taken. Windows had been covered with shutters and the bridge over the moat raised. Everything looked secure but I had Neala, her pups, and Fionnaghal(the pregnant Hidden One) ensconced in the cave that housed our lava lake, guarded by red caps and Hidden Ones. We couldn't lose the children, that would be a crushing blow to the House of Fire, and this way the guards could keep an eye on the lava lake as well.
I wasn't sure what good any of it would do if the Darkness decided to come for our fey but it was better than doing nothing. I was comforted that at least the children were harder to get to and everyone else had promised to stay in large numbers so they wouldn't be easy pickings either.
Steel was gathered to take with us, along with tools for the shaping of the arrow head, and then we were back in the carriage and heading into the Forgetful Forest to the Castle of Eight. I watched as the drawbridge was raised behind us and the Castle closed up tight once more. I hated leaving the fire fey at such a risky time but hopefully we could get to Andrasta before she came for my fey.
The ride to the castle was eerie. The Forgetful Forest was quiet with hardly any movement to it beyond the breathing of the trees and even that seemed labored. The fey creatures who normally made their presence known in fabulous and frightening ways, were burrowed deep in the underbrush or perched high in the tree tops, surveying us with suspicious eyes as we rode by. Occasionally a screech or some other panicked sound would tear through the silence with shuddering glory, making me wince more than once, but other than that, the only sounds were of our own making.
I caught the eye of a creature who was pressed far back into a thick growth of thorny bush. He never even blinked, just stared steadily at me, the scent of his fear on the stuttering breeze. Even the wind barely stirred, as if it couldn't stand the sound of rustling leaves.
“Arach,” I whispered, not wanting to break the silence either.
“I know,” he surveyed the dark recesses of the forest as if he expected an attack at any moment. “The Forgetful Forest is afraid.”
When we finally reached the Castle of Eight, I gave a sigh of relief but it was short lived.
The ramparts were lined with guards, their intent gazes scanning the fearful forest. As soon as we were through the gate, a portcullis was lowered behind us and more guards strode forward to stand watch through its bars. I was glad to see that they were taking the threat seriously but then it occurred to me that ours wasn't the only fey the Darkness needed. Andrasta would need a fey of the House of Spirit to complete the collection and that meant a royal because I doubt the magic would accept a fey who was considered a part of the House of Spirit merely because it had joined the High Court. The High Queen was fire at heart so that left only one fey. The High King of Faerie was in danger.
No wonder the Castle of Eight was going crazy.
Once out of the entry tunnel, I could see what appeared to be the entire armory laid out on an expanse of lawn on our right. Racks of spears, pikes, and swords were set in orderly rows, sunlight flashing off the metal edges. Tables groaned under the weight of daggers, bows, arrows, armor, and assorted other weaponry that I couldn't identify. Fey guards strode among the rows, inspecting and assigning weapons with an air of haste.
Then, as we passed the arsenal, I caught a flash of light and looked back over my shoulder and out of the window to see a man on the rampart behind us, holding his hands up to the sky. I glanced left and right, to either side of us, and saw other men up on the battlements with hands raised as well. A few feet in front of them wavered a bright blue mist. It expanded out, down, and up, meeting above our heads in a glittering dome.
“The Mages of the House of Spirit,” Arach's eyes were narrowed on one of the men. “King Cian's elite guard. Nothing should be able to get past that ward without their approval.”
“Should?” I lifted a brow.
“Honestly,” he looked back at me, “it's hard to be certain of any defense at the moment.”
We stopped in front of the main steps of the castle and unloaded. Our red caps carried in the trunks that held the tools and supplies we needed to craft the arrowhead as Arach and I hurried inside where a nervous looking Danal was waiting to escort us to our rooms.
“King Arach,” Danal nodded, “Queen Vervain. I'll see you settled and then the royals are meeting in the smithy. They believe everything needs to be prepared together.”
“Yes, I concur,” Arach nodded and gestured for Danal to lead the way.
We were led into the heart of the castle, the very center of the tree at ground level, and Arach shot me a surprised look when we went through some very impressive looking doors. They curved up to a point and were made of pale white wood banded in silver. There were intricate carvings on them, also inlaid with silver, of all the different types of fey. They swung open on their own at Danal's approach so I knew they held magic but I wasn't sure why. It had to be more than a mere spell to open doors if it managed to impress Arach.
“Where are we going?” I gave Arach my own curious look.
“The High King and Queen want all the royals kept close in case of an attack,” Danal answered. “You and the other royals will be the first non-Spirit fey allowed to stay inside the family quarters of the House of Spirit. Ever. This is the first time I've even been allowed inside.”
“Sweet,” I nodded and then saw Arach's shocked expression. “Uh, very sweet?”
“It's very generous of the High Royals,” Arach took over for me.
“Yeah,” I smirked, “what he said.”
Inside the family quarters there was a whole different castle. The walls of the hallway we were led into were lapis lazuli, a deep blue stone with veins of gold running through it like comets across the night sky. I ran a finger along it and got a jolt of energy for my trouble. It didn't really hurt, it was more shocking than anything, but I got the hint: Don't touch.
“Lapis magnifies and protects the power of Spirit,” Danal said over his shoulder. “These walls have been collecting power for millennia, they're very strong.”
“No kidding,” I huffed and shot the strong walls a strong glare. “You couldn't have mentioned that sooner?”
“They keep out even the most powerful of magic,” Danal glanced back at me. “You'll be glad for them if the Darkness attacks.”
“I'm sure I will but if the Darkness gets past that ward the mages just set up, I doubt a little bit of lapis is going to make a difference.”
I looked back and saw that even the door was lined with the stone. Floors and ceilings were covered too, lapis lazuli seemed to coat the perimeter of the living quarters. Fey globes hovered around the ceiling,
brilliant against the deep blue backdrop. Their light glinted off the gold in the walls and brought out the bright, jewel tones of the silk carpets that lined the floor. The hallway curved in slightly, its beautiful and evidently powerful walls unmarred and unbroken. Then it ended in an open doorway.
Danal headed through and we followed him into an octagonal room. There was a seating area in the center of it, graceful pale blue couches set in a circle around a round coffee table made of one giant piece of polished emerald. There was a fire burning in a basin carved out of the emerald table and it provided most of the light in the room. There were a couple of fey lights near the ceiling but they seemed to be on dim mode and gave only the barest glimmer.
I went to stand in front of the table, drawn to the fire, and then slowly, I angled my head up to admire the ceiling. The room had murals painted on the walls, scenes from the different kingdoms of Faerie flowing seamlessly into each other, but its ceiling was the lapis lazuli once again. In the firelight it truly looked like the night sky and at the center of it was a single star, a nine-pointed star.
I gasped and fell back onto one of the couches, my hand going immediately to my chest where I felt the pulse of my own star. Arach and Danal rushed over to me, Arach slipping onto the couch beside me to take my hand.
“What is it?” He looked up at the ceiling and then at my face. “Are you ill?”
“The star,” I lifted my hand to point at it. “What does it mean?”
“It's the symbol of Faerie,” Arach glanced at it and then over to Danal.
“I'll go get the High King,” Danal nodded at Arach's unspoken request.
“No,” I stopped him, “really, I'm alright. I was just startled.” I got to my feet. Whatever it meant, I didn't want to make the mistake of involving the High King again. I needed to talk to Arach alone first.
“Queen Vervain,” Danal frowned. “Does the symbol mean something to you?”
“I've seen it before,” I waved away his questioning. “Could you just take us to our rooms, Danal? I think maybe all of this excitement has taken a toll on me.”
“Of course,” he nodded brusquely and then gestured to another door. “Right through here.”
He led us down another curving hallway, this one lined with amethyst and the stone seemed to calm me a little. I was able to enjoy the beauty around me. There was artwork on the walls, amazing paintings of fey people and landscapes as well as intricate tapestries. I studied them as we passed by, they all seemed to be done by different artists and the range of styles was fascinating.
Finally, we came to the suites. We passed a few doors before we arrived at one which Danal opened and led us through. It was a silver room. The walls were hammered silver and they curved up to a central point from which a crystal chandelier hung. Oh but this was a faerie crystal chandelier, not at all like the chandeliers I was used to. This one was a fall of crystal shards, starting with a large grouping near the top and tapering down to just a single clear quartz point at the bottom. This bottom piece hung low into the room, coming to about mid-chest on little five-foot-three me, making the chandelier more of a central art piece than a form of lighting.
Each crystal had a fey light inside it, so it glowed brilliantly and reflected off the silver walls, making me feel kind of like I was in the center of a light bulb. On top of that, all the furniture was made of polished silver, so everything was nice and shiny. From the central sitting area that enclosed the chandelier to the dining set off to the side, it was all too bright for me. Or maybe it just reminded me too much of Odin's silver Hall, either way, it was a little too much to take.
“Um, can we turn down the lights a bit?” I squinted at the chandelier.
“Of course,” Danal clapped briskly and the light lessened to a more comfortable level.
“Fey lights respond to clapping?” I was barely holding back my laughter.
“These do,” Danal frowned at me.
“Clap on, clap off,” I laughed at Danal's expression. “Never mind, it's a human thing.”
“Very well,” Danal sighed and headed for the door. “Your sleeping quarters are through there,” he gestured to a closed silver door to his right, and the bathing area is beyond that. As soon as you're ready, meet me back in the star room and I'll take you to the smithy.”
“Thank you, Danal,” Arach nodded and followed him out.
I went to look at the bedroom, wondering if it was as bright as the living room. Thankfully, it wasn't. The walls were stone, painted a deep blue, not lapis lazuli just blue. The bed was large and set into a black dais so that the top of the mattress was flush with the top of the dais. Sort of sunken and raised all at once. The linens were blue silk with silver stars embroidered on them and there were panels of the same star-embroidered silk hanging from the ceiling to enclose the bed.
Other than the bed, there was an armoire for clothing and a dressing table made of the same black stone that the bed's platform was made from. In the wall across from the foot of the bed was a fireplace, the black stone once more, going up into the wall in a smooth tube. The fire was already lit and I went to stand in front of it, holding my hands out to its warmth.
“Are you going to tell me what all that was about?” Arach came into the bedroom behind me and shut the door. Without the shine of the other room, the bedroom seemed much cozier, more like the star room. I parted the bed curtains and took a seat on the edge of the mattress, facing Arach.
“A lot happened while I was gone,” I sighed. “I'm not ready to talk about everything yet but there's something I should have mentioned. I've just been so focused on Andrasta that I haven't really had the chance.”
“Alright,” Arach took a seat beside me on the bed. “Go on.”
“I have a new magic,” I shrugged. “I'm now the Goddess of Love, Lions, and the Land.”
“A Triple Goddess?” Arach asked quietly and when I nodded he took a deep breath. “You have three triple aspects now? Has it changed you? Have you felt any shift or power surge? Anything to indicate that this third trinity has made a difference?”
“Yes,” I frowned. “I didn't actually think it was that big a deal. I just felt more complete, like if I had to, I could gather all my different aspects together and use them as one entity.”
“That alone is quite a skill,” Arach looked me over carefully. “But I have a feeling there's more to tell. Is this magic from the goddess you were talking about killing? The one whose magic you wanted to use to help Samantha?”
“Yes, and actually that's something else I need to tell you about,” I grimaced. “I found a way to help Sam conceive. I changed her eggs into Intare, so that the child would be born full Intare.”
“You changed her eggs? As in those inside her ovaries?” Arach looked equally horrified and fascinated.
“No, those in her refrigerator,” I rolled my eyes, “she wanted to make an Intare omelet.”
“Vervain,” Arach growled.
“Yes, those in her ovaries.”
“You transformed a piece of her into something else entirely? Transmutation. Do you know how powerful that is? Do you realize the possibilities this has for the fey? Vervain, you should have mentioned this immediately. It could mean... I don't know, a...”
“A change?” I smiled. “Maybe this is another way I can help change the fey. I don't know what it means either but this isn't the time to focus on the fertility magic. What I need to tell you about is what happened when I helped Samantha, when I used the magic for the first time.”
“Yes, of course,” Arach nodded. “You're right, tell me.”
“I experienced a sort of rush of energy. It sent me to the floor in spasms but it felt good. I could see inside of myself and I saw my triple aspects coming together. Each trinity formed a symbol of light with three points and then they all merged together and thickened, forming a nine-pointed-”
“Star,” Arach breathed. “By the flame, A Thaisce. What happened next?”
“It sort
of sank into my heart,” I shrugged. “That was it. I don't feel vastly different. Like I said, I just feel right, complete. But then I saw it on a book that Mimir gave Odin, and also when I looked on my true self in the mirror at Castle Deuraich I saw it laid over my heart, and then just now, on that ceiling. Why would that symbol be inside me, on some spellbook of Odin's, and on the ceiling of the ruling House of Faerie? This doesn't make any sense.”
“I don't know,” Arach frowned. “I need some time to think this through but I'm glad you didn't mention this in front of Danal. I'm not sure how King Cian would react to hearing that the symbol for Faerie herself has been branded into your heart.”
“I know, right?” I gave a grim laugh. “I figured after the last time, maybe I should be more careful.”
“Suddenly you're being careful?” He laughed. “You're wrong, Vervain, you were changed significantly.”
“Very funny, lizard lips,” I griped. “I figured that nine was the number of completion, so the nine-pointed star was merely a symbolic representation of my completion but now...”
“Now there seems to be more to the story,” Arach stared into the fire, the angles of his face getting sharper. “Have you asked Faerie about it?”
“Faerie?” I blinked. “No, I hadn't thought to. Normally she just pops into my head whenever she wants to answer a question but I haven't heard from her since Castle Deuraich.”
“Try it now,” he looked back at me intently.
“Okay,” I nodded and concentrated on contacting Faerie. I opened myself up to her, called her, and waited. Nothing happened. “Oh come on! You're not gonna talk to me now?”
You'll only complain that I speak in riddles.
“Why?” I smirked. “You're not planning on giving me a straight answer? Oh that's shocking.”
Then why ask me? She was laughing at me again.
“I have no idea,” I shrugged. “I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.”
You want to know about the star that is now your heart.
“Yes, I... what? It's become my heart? What does that mean?”
