Balaedras glanced behind her, but the fairy was gone. She let out a long sigh of relief, but didn’t leave the room just yet. She sat, collecting herself, and steadying her nerves. Willing her hands to stop shaking, and her breathing to become less erratic. She knew she was stronger than Gaeldos had ever been. She knew she was powerful and calculating, and strong. But she dared anyone to stay in the presence of glaon fairies without constantly thinking they were going to be eaten. She stood and walked calmly out of the room.
* * * *
Balaedras walked out from the stairwell that read “Delivery” above it. Her guards were waiting for her by the door and immediately flanked her. Her chief officer stood at attention as Balaedras walked closer. “Your highness,” the guard said, bowing low. “Your meeting went well?” the guard whispered, glancing around the lobby suspiciously.
Balaedras smiled with a slight nod. “Yes. I want eyes on the fairies, Captain. There were some things that this new queen, Thalutharoch, told me that I wasn’t aware of. That can’t happen again. I won’t go into a meeting with a fuckin’ fairy without being aware of everything beforehand. Is that understood?”
The captain bowed again as Balaedras walked away. Once Balaedras was in the lift with her bodyguards, the captain left the palace. It was easy for her to come and go as she pleased being the captain of the queen’s guard. She was saluted by many of the guards as she quickly made her way to her car waiting at the curb.
“The queen wants eyes on the fairies, Iliaturh,” she said to the guard holding the door open for her. “I’m going to speak with some of my informants about that. The queen is in her apartment. Make sure she’s well-guarded. I don’t trust the fairies.”
“Yes, Captain Jeahnisbahr.” The other guard saluted as Jeahnisbahr drove away.
She drove toward the east gates and out of the city. Glancing behind her in the rearview mirror, she made sure she wasn’t being followed. Then, pulling to the side of the road, she took a minute to use the small instrument that was created to remove the TCD implanted in her left temple. The instrument served two purposes. It removed the TCD, and it also re-implanted it. Sometimes the technology of Teveoch surprised even those most privy to it.
She travelled nonstop to the border of Zinvia. It took her four hours, and it would take another two to get to her destination. She would have to travel all night to make it back to the palace for duty. She had to be at her station before seven, or Balaedras would know something was up. Jeahnisbahr had so far operated under the radar of the palace. She’d done so with King Gaeldos, and she was doing so with Balaedras.
By the time she made it through the wild brush of the forest, and found the cave, it was dark. Half an hour later, she was traversing the winding paths within the cave coming into the clearing. Three figures turned and pointed tracer guns at her. They lowered them immediately at seeing who she was.
“That’s a good way of getting yourself shot, Jeahnisbahr, daughter of Alhatheon,” a tall man with blond, braided hair and a scruffy beard said to her, holstering his tracer. She knew him to be Vandarsian, son of Eud.
“Vandarsian,” she said with a nod. “I’m sorry about that. I’m in a hurry. I have to get back to the palace before seven.”
Another tall man nodded as he walked up to her with black, braided hair in a long ponytail down his back and deep brown eyes. She smiled broadly. “Commander Theoch. It’s good to see you’re alive, sir.”
“It’s good to be alive, then. Why are you here, Captain?”
“I couldn’t risk contacting you through TCD, Commander, once I learned you weren’t dead,” she said, reverting back to his guard rank. “The guard is monitoring everything. I left my TCD on by the side of the road that leads into the wildwoods where I know of a few fairy caves. It’s why I came, sir.”
“Theoch,” he said. “I’m no longer with the Teveoch royal guard. But if you wish, you can call me Ambassador Theoch. I’m attached to the Yaeltaran government now.”
Jeahnisbahr nodded. “I believe Queen Balaedras is in consort with the fairies, Ambassador.”
“The fairies? Why would you believe that?” Theoch asked. Jeahnisbahr glanced over at the other two men in the cave. Theoch followed her gaze. “You can trust them. I give you my word”
“Very well. I know that Balaedras met with a fairy earlier today.”
“That doesn’t make sense,” said another tall man, with light brown hair, green eyes, and a short beard. “What would Balaedras need with fairies?”
Jeahnisbahr shrugged. “I don’t know, but something is up. And it isn’t the first meeting she’s had with the fairies. One of the guards informed me that she’s had at least three other meetings with them since before Gaeldos’ death. I think the other kingdoms should strike now.”
Theoch shook his head as he stared into space seeming to think about the information she’d told him. “No. Negotiations are nowhere near the point we need them to be to make a move on Balaedras. Her army outnumbers the armies of Yaeltaran, Valwithia, Zinvia, and Balknae all put together. The wars waged by Gaeldos has wounded those kingdoms in more ways than one. We need time to gather strength. Together.”
Jeahnisbahr nodded. She looked shyly at Theoch. “Is it true, Ambassador? The rumors I’ve heard among some of the people? A true ruler of Ai? There is one?”
Theoch smiled. “Well, she isn’t quite here yet, but any day now. My daughter. Yes, it’s true.”
Jeahnisbahr’s excitement belied her stoic façade of the guard. “Then that’s all we need, isn’t it? Once people know that a true ruler has been born, they won’t let Balaedras continue to reign.”
“She will be born, but she’ll be a baby,” said Theoch. “There is no way I’ll risk her life, the life of my wife, or the life of my brother Draedon, while she’s too young to rule. It’ll be too easy for Balaedras to weave her web of deceit over the people. We have to wait for her to come of age. Or at least of age to rule through regent. Twelve years, Jeahnisbahr.”
“And until that time?”
“Until that time,” Theoch said with a heavy sigh. “We do whatever we can to unite the strongest of the kingdoms. We continue to sabotage her shipments of arms. We weaken her defensive lines at the lesser guarded borders. We make sure that the people of Teveoch know that the ancients were right. That there is a true ruler of Ai. And we fight wherever we can. But we can’t engage Balaedras in an all-out war. Not yet.”
“And the fairies?”
“I’m not sure what she could do with them. She couldn’t have them fight among her male soldiers out of fear of them being entranced. But I believe you. Something is going on. I’ve never trusted Balaedras. Gaeldos was cruel and sadistic, but Balaedras is evil and calculating. And the most frightening thing about her is that she’s patient. She’s willing to wait and let her poison fester until it’s ready to pop. Keep us informed, Jeahnisbahr.”
“Always, Ambassador.” She quickly left the cave. Hopefully the information she’d given them about the fairies will be useful, she thought as she made her way back to her car. But it was all worth it to hear that a true ruler, a true queen was about to be born. She prayed to the goddesses to protect the child’s essence, and smiled all the way back to Morhais.
She was thankful she made it back to the palace before duty. She even had time to stop along the road to retrieve her TCD. She would keep her ears open to anything the queen would do. But she knew in her heart that just as Gaeldos met his end, Balaedras would meet hers.
She walked toward throne room floor, taking a side hallway that would lead her to her station. Even with lack of sleep, her heart was full. It was going to be a good day. She immediately stood at attention at seeing the queen and her guards walking toward her.
“Your highness,” she said, snapping to attention.
“Captain,” Queen Balaedras said to her.
Pain. She felt intense pain searing into her belly, and looked down to see the queen holding onto the hilt of a golden dagger. H
er blood poured out of her abdomen, and she realized what had happened. Balaedras then turned the dagger, plunging it further into her body.
“Good morning,” was the last thing she heard out of the queen’s mouth before she died.
Chapter Eighteen
Trikyia sat out on her nana’s back porch as her family celebrated her Aunt Ochsandaryia’s birthday inside. Her father had brought his new girlfriend, Likye with him, which was fine if she weren’t five years older than Trikyia. She wanted her father to be happy, but her mother’s essence had only left her the year before. So she stayed out on the back porch so she didn’t have to deal with her father fawning over a twenty-year-old.
She turned to see her nana walk out of the back door and take a seat next to her. “I don’t know what goes through your father’s head. He’s my son, and I love him, but—”
“Springing the young piece of ass—”
“Trikyia!”
She stared at her nana. “I’m sorry, Nana, but she is. He might try to fool himself, but he won’t fool me. Do you know what she said to me?” She felt the anger swell up inside of her again at thinking about it. “She told me that she can’t wait to be my mother. My mother, Nana,” she said sternly.
“Don’t worry, hon,” Glaeonawyn said, placing a comforting arm around Trikyia’s shoulder. “He’ll tire of her soon enough. He’s still in mourning over your mother. I just think he’s skipping from one young girl to the next to try and fill that emptiness he feels.”
“Well, maybe he can fill his emptiness in private instead of bringing her to family gatherings.” She put her head on her nana’s shoulder.
“I know,” said Glaeonawyn. “But that aside, there are family inside that would like to see you. Your father can’t be the only reason you’re hiding out.”
Trikyia shook her head. “It isn’t. I feel different, Nana.”
Glaeonawyn frowned at her. “Since you came back from helping Faeswyn? Sweetie, that’s to be expected. But I think I know what you mean. You seem…more mature to me. I’m not trying to say that it’s wrong, but you were a bit flighty before that.”
Trikyia nodded. “Exactly. I feel…more mature. But it’s something more than that, Nana.” She glanced at the door, still hearing the laughter and voices inside. “I feel this need to help or something. After I came back, I started thinking about what I did out there—”
“You saved her life, Trikyia,” Glaeonawyn said soothingly.
“Yeah, I know. That’s it. It felt like a cog has finally fit into the right space. My life, Nana. It felt like I was supposed to do that. Protect her. I wasn’t even afraid. I freakin’ faced off against witches and fairies, and I didn’t feel any fear. Isn’t that weird?”
Glaeonawyn shook her head. “No. No, it isn’t. You were lucky enough to have the DNA from two phenomenal familial traits. Mocmoran and Calthafae. Of course, it’s only the vaedra Mocmoran woman that have what we call special abilities or gifts. But the Calthafae are legendary for having gifts, or let’s just call them what they are…powers. Your skills come from both sides, but your lack of fear in the face of insurmountable circumstances… That’s all Calthafae. Use them. Your gifts. Your—your powers. Use them.”
Trikyia nodded. “I’m glad you said that, cuz I’ve been thinking about something. Nana, after I graduate, I’m going to join the military.”
“Drisa doesn’t have a military, honey.”
Trikyia was dreading what she was about to tell her nana. She’d been thinking nonstop about the course her life was taking. Her decision was something that felt right. “I know that.”
“The Teveoch military? No. Hell, no,” Glaeonawyn said, adamantly shaking her head.
Trikyia took a deep breath. “No. Not the Teveoch military. Not with Queen Balaedras in power. The…um…the Yaeltaran military. I met this guy when Daddy took me in to Daenisnae a couple of weeks ago. He was telling me how the Yaeltaran military will be opening up their recruitment again.”
Glaeonawyn abruptly stood up. “Trikyia Morningstar, I ought to… You are only fifteen, girl.”
“I’ll be sixteen in a few months, Nana. I’m not planning on running off to join right now. After I graduate. They don’t take recruits under the age of eighteen. But this is what I really want. I was thinking, maybe you could help me tell Daddy.”
Glaeonawyn stared at Trikyia with her hands on her wide hips. “Oh, I see.”
“Nana, I was meant for the military. For protecting people. I mean with my skills in defense, shooting, and my other gifts. Nana?” She lowered her voice, glancing toward the door once again. “I’m freakin’ immortal, kind of with how I can heal. How I can heal others? I’m meant for this. I know it. It’s like the dream I had.”
Glaeonawyn sat back down next to her. “What dream? Is there another gift you need to tell me about?”
Trikyia shook he head. “I’m not sure. It was a couple of nights ago. I know I was in Yaeltaran, because there were green mountains and hills all over the place. Faeswyn, Draeis, and Naihr were there. I was in this massive hall like place, standing behind this girl—woman. I knew she was younger than I was, but she seemed older. Like in her twenties. Is that weird? I was dressed in this uniform with leather straps, and… Oh! I wasn’t a girl, Nana. I was a woman, and I had big boobs.”
“Trikyia?”
“I’m only telling you about the dream. So I was standing behind her, and I knew in the dream that I was her protector. There was something about our relationship that I knew I would die for her. She was very important, and I was put in charge of protecting her. When she left the hall, I was with her, and other guards stood to the side and saluted me when we passed.”
“And?”
Trikyia shrugged. “And that’s it. But, balsthemar, I had a body!”
“I seriously hate that word you younger people use. Fine,” Glaeonawyn said, standing up. She nodded to Trikyia. “I’ll speak with your father. But when I do, I might have to tell him about your gifts if only to ease his worry.”
Trikyia almost jumped into her nana’s arms. “Thank you, Nana. I love you so much.”
“I love you, too, ‘Kyia.”
Singing. She heard singing. Trikyia pulled away from Glaeonawyn, frowning at the sound. “What is that?”
Glaeonawyn stared at her. “What is what?”
“I hear… Is someone singing?”
Glaeonawyn started to walk into the house. “You’re probably hearing it from inside.”
It was possible, Trikyia thought. But there was something about the singing that made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. Something that raised her suspicions. And as realization began to seep into her pores, she turned to stare at Glaeonawyn with wide eyes.
“Fairies,” Trikyia whispered. She remembered then why the singing seemed eerily familiar and ominous. Her mother had taught her about her skills, how to use them, how to hone her abilities, and certain things to listen for that could save her life. Fairy song was one. It’s what she was hearing. She didn’t know why she was able to hear it. Humans weren’t supposed to hear it. It was supposed to be heard only by fairies as a war cry of sorts. But she heard it. It was hidden in the soft still of the night air, in the silence of comfort, in the ignorance of those that remained locked in a world of well-being. A world where creatures never preyed on them. A world where they never had to worry about the terrors of witches taking their friends, and fairies threatening their lives. She used to be that ignorant. She wasn’t any longer.
“Fairy song,” she said quietly. “Nana, hide,” she said, staring at her grandmother in horror. “Get as many as you can, and—”
The last word was lost in her throat as she watched fairies light on the ground like lightning from the sky in front of the house. She pulled the knife from the sheath she’d strapped to her leg only three days earlier, when she’d gone to Faeswyn’s to practice. There were also several throwing knives sheathed to her other ankle. The knives she’d used to kill several fa
iries at the witches’ camp.
Glaeonawyn was still standing on the porch with her. “Nana, move!”
Glaeonawyn ran into the house, leaving Trikyia out on the porch alone. She’d killed eight fairies in the forest. Eight fairies and three witches. She’d dispatched them without much thought. But this was different. She watched as more than fifty fairies rushed toward the house so fast, it looked as though lightening were steaking through the grasses.
The fairies were of different colors, as fairies were. Hues of greens, blues, reds, orange, purple, yellow, and white. A yellow fairy was suddenly in front of her, her mouth open wide showing row upon row of sharp, shark-like teeth. Trikyia didn’t think about what to do. She just sprang into action, slitting the fairies throat with her knife. She vaulted over the railing of the porch, kicking out at one fairy as another pulled her hair from behind. She back-kicked at the fairy, and at the same time punched the other before using her knife and disemboweling her.
It was then that she heard the screams from inside the house. She lost her focus for a second. But that’s all it took for two fairies to jump her. One buried her teeth into Trikyia’s shoulder, while the other tried to rip out her belly. Trikyia flipped the one fairy at her shoulder over her back with more strength that she knew she was capable of, quickly using her knife on the fairy, and then sliced the other’s throat. The bite on her shoulder quickly healed over, and she started to run back to the house from where she’d been dealing with the fairies in the yard.
Three fairies tackled her before she made it inside. It was a knockdown, drag out street fight for a while. Trikyia punched and kicked at the fairies. Using one fairy as a weapon, she threw her at the other two. And then she did something she’d never done before. She grabbed one of the fairies by the neck with both hands, and wrenched it quickly to an impossible angle as she snapped it. It was simple and seemed efficient. She used her knife on the other two, only sustaining a few bites in the process.
Faeswyn [The Maidens of Mocmoran 2] (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 16
