by Alex Temples
“I sense trouble is brewing in our kingdom, Nia. I had a dream last night about Evrei. I’m worried the dark fae have something to do with this sickness plaguing the mortals.” Aelwen shook her head as she poured a drink from the decanter on her desk.
Nia’s eyes were wide with shock. “Do you think so, my lady?”
Aelwen nodded solemnly, tipping back the strong pear elixir and welcoming the calming effect of the cold liquid. “I need Aiden as soon as possible. You must find him. Do you understand?”
Nia’s concern was apparent, but she replied in a calm voice. “Yes. I understand. We’ll send the trackers to locate him at once.” She stood patiently, waiting to be dismissed.
Aelwen raised her eyes from her empty glass to look at Nia. They had been through much together, and Nia was one of her most trusted advisors. “Double the guard on all our castles and send Tristan to warn the Keepers.” The final order was given quietly. She hoped she was being overly cautious, but something in her gut told her differently.
The younger woman’s mouth opened in a silent gasp at the last order. There hadn’t been a threat to the half-fae guardians of the earth for twenty-five mortal years, since the night Aelwen has lost her king and Aiden had lost both of his parents.
“The Keepers are at risk?” Nia asked.
Aelwen nodded silently.
Nia’s brows knit with concern. She nodded. “Right away, my queen. Will there be anything else?”
Aelwen gave a slight shake of her head. “Tell Eirian I’ll see him now.”
Nia nodded and bowed before leaving the room in a swirl of skirts.
Aelwen was pouring another drink as Eirian came through the doors to her private quarters. At six and a half feet tall, with shining dark hair and bronze skin, he was exactly the tonic she needed right now.
He bowed. “My queen.” He greeted her, flashing a devilish smile. “How may I serve you?”
***
“Let go, Aelwen.” Eirian commanded. “Let me take you away.” A lock of black hair fell across his eyes. His face just inches from hers as he gazed at her, his hot breath kissing her face. Aelwen’s sigh was cut off as his warm mouth took hers, lighting a fire inside her.
Eirian was dark and dangerous and volatile, impossible to control. He was tall, built like a warrior, with a scar across one cheek that only served to enhance the deep black and blue pools of his eyes and set off the perpetual half smile he wore. He knew women, both mortal and fae yearned for him to look their way.
Aelwen stared up at his muscular length stretched over her, welcoming the mortal feeling of arousal, and the feeling of pleasure she seldom granted herself. She would take it while she could.
He pulled energy from her, siphoning off the excess burden she held. She twinned her legs around his hips as they moved together, relinquishing her control.
“That’s better love.” His voice was dark velvet, echoing around her.
Aelwen gasped in pleasure and threw back her head, embracing the feeling of letting go. It was hard for her to let someone else be in charge. She[LK2] hadn’t[LK3] trusted[LK4] anyone in 25 mortal years, and many hundreds of fae years. Time moved slower in Eden and so fae played a long game, both in love and war. She would never understand why mortals always wanted more time.
They spent blood, tears and ever more years in their pursuit of immortality, without understanding that their brief lifespans were a gift, an opportunity to live well and die before they ran out of ways to fill their days.
Aelwen enjoyed doing what fae did best, distracting herself with pleasure, for what else could one do with as many years as the goddess gifted them?
As they rocked faster, she felt the last bit of energy slip from her. She channeled the base mortal instinct she still possessed - the desire to be taken by another, consumed in a passionate fury, ruled by instinct rather than reason. Because while Eirian consumed her, the challenges of their world did not.
He siphoned the last trickle of energy from her as they were both reaching their peak, and when the world exploded into a million pieces, Aelwen shattered with it, rejoicing in the tingling pleasure that spread throughout her body. She collapsed into him, and they slept.
*
Hours later, stirring from a restless sleep, Aelwen sat up suddenly, sensing a wrongness in the air. Something bad was about to happen. She slid out from under Eirian and threw her legs over the edge of the bed.
“What is it, my queen?” Eirian asked with concern.
“Don’t you feel it?” She replied, closing her eyes to try and locate the wrongness.
Eirian tilted his head, closing his eyes as he mimicked her. “No.” His deep voice was full of concern as he watched her dress. She slipped into a green silk and threw a cloak over her shoulders.
“We must hurry.”
Chapter Three
Stonehenge
Wiltshire, England
Early Morning
Aelwen and the members of her council stood on scorched earth, staring at the wreckage the dark fae had left behind. The towering monoliths of Stonehenge cast tall shadows as the suns dying rays disappeared beyond the horizon.
They were gone. Her Keepers, the guardians of the gate had been taken. This day reminded her of another day in the distant past when another group of keepers had been lost.
This group meant so much to her. She had hand-selected each member. Her own daughter, her only blood child, had been the leader of the group. Aelwen tried not to think of Rosaina as she walked through the rubble scattered among the stones.
The day she and King Peredur had installed the new Keepers to replace those taken by the dark fae, those called Jin, she thought it would be the last time she’d have to worry about the wall that kept Eden air and magic separate from the mortal realm.
She’d thought because the Keepers were now half fae and possessed some magic they would be better prepared to fend off an attack by the Jin. She’d thought that Peredur in all of his wisdom and calm would be by her side to fight off their enemies, to make plans and to fix what the Jin had broken. She was wrong on all counts.
Meurig, her cherished mentor, spoke first. “Aelwen, they are gone, but I sense they are not dead.”
Aelwen nodded in agreement. She turned to the other fae behind her. Nia and Eirian stood silently between the stones.
“I believe you are right, Meurig, but I fear what this means. If they took the keepers alive, it means they intend to do more harm. Whatever could they be planning?”
They all looked around the site. Stonehenge was a magical place, even for the fae who were used to being surrounded by magic. It was ancient, older even than they. The massive stones had stood witness to the actions of their ancestors, their goddess. They towered over all, arranged in a deliberate fashion, aligned with the movements of the sun and earth, truly tuned-in to nature.
It had been built by those who felt the hum of nature in everything they touched. Those who instinctively moved to the rhythm of the ocean as if it were the beat of a drum. Many beings, both mortal and fae had fallen or taken flight at Stonehenge. It was both baptismal font and burial ground, forever a sacred place.
Aelwen gasped as she suddenly realized what the Jin were planning.
Meurig met her eyes. He’d come to the realization at the same moment. “The Solstice ceremony. They’ve interrupted it and the sun has passed the crown portal.”
Aelwen nodded, dread tight in her gut. “The Earth Eden barrier has been fractured. The ceremony must be performed as soon as possible in order to keep the wall from weakening.”
Shocked as they realized the truth, Nia and Eirian both stared solemnly into the distance watching the fading sun. Once the barrier was fractured, it could not be repaired until the next solstice. That was a few months away.
The missing keepers weren’t their biggest problem. The wall was little more than a symbol to fae, who could enter and exit through the portals, but for mortals the wall protected them from exposure to the Ed
en air, which was toxic to all non-magical beings. Only those with a sufficient amount of magic in their blood could tolerate it. Unless the mortals received the Elixir of Eve to inoculate them against the potency of the magical air, they would sicken and die, some sooner than others.
“What can be done, my lady?” Nia asked.
Meurig answered for her. “There still exists a plant that the goddess left on earth to cure such a sickness. It is buried deep in the rainforests of the lush green southern continent.”
“Well, that sounds easy enough. I shall go retrieve it for you, my queen.” Eirian said.
“It is not that simple, Eirian.” Meurig shook his head. “Only a keeper can locate this plant.”
“They have taken all the keepers.” Nia answered. “What can we do? How can we locate the keepers in time if every day that slips by means the loss of more mortals?” She looked to Meurig in frustration.
Aelwen answered. “They haven’t taken all the keepers. There is one left who can locate the plant.”
Eirian and Nia looked at her in confusion, but Meurig nodded his understanding. Alewen continued. “There is one keeper free who can find the plant. One they do not know of. In fact, she herself does not know what she is.”
“How is that possible?” Nia asked, tilting her head to the side, her dark eyes slanted.
“As you know, Nia, when Peredur and I installed the keepers, we created a new magical rule that all Keepers must be part fae and part human, descended from the original twelve women, the magic passed from mother to daughter. The only exception given if one failed to produce a suitable replacement, or if they were lost in battle, in which case I could appoint another.” Aelwen lowered her eyes in sorrow.
Nia instinctively placed her hand on Aelwen’s arm, knowing her queen’s thoughts had drifted back to a similar day, twenty-five years ago, when they had lost another keeper, one named Siani.
That same day, Aelwen had also lost her king and Aiden had lost both parents. It was Nia who had forced her to live so that her children would have a mother, her kingdom a leader. It was a day of great tragedy to all in Eden.
“You all know that the day we lost Siani, I sent my own daughter, our beloved Rosaina to the sacred circle to lead the keepers.”
Eirian and Nia nodded.
Eirian placed a hand on Aelwen’s shoulder in solidarity. It was not lost to them that Rosaina had been taken prisoner with the other Keepers.
"But Rosaina didn't have a daughter." Eirian pointed out gently, moving to stand beside her.
Aelwen swallowed her sorrow and found Meurig’s eyes. He was the only one who knew the truth.
“Rosaina gave birth to a daughter twenty-four years ago.” Aelwen revealed, taking in their expressions of disbelief and betrayal.
Nia was the first to speak. “A daughter, my queen?” She looked lost. “I’ve never been told of a daughter.”
“Nor have I.” Eirian spoke, seeming a bit hurt, as he was privy to most of her secrets. “Why does this matter now? I thought the only one who could find this plant is a keeper?”
He and Nia looked at her expectantly.
Meurig, knowing the secret, nodded to Aelwen. It was time to tell them.
“Rosaina’s daughter calls a mortal father. She is therefore, a Keeper by blood, and our only chance at saving the mortals from certain death.”
***
Tea cups clinked and the low din of fae chatter filled the room as Aelwen and Meurig discussed their next move. The council chamber was filled quickly as the news of the Jin attack spread.
Short, dainty women served steaming cups of tea infused with lavender and drizzled with honey. Tea was an important part of their culture. The tiny women were wood nymphs – the best makers of tea to be found in the whole of earth or Eden.
Meurig swirled a spoon in his tea slowly, a pensive expression on his face.
“She hasn’t been exposed to magic at all?” He asked, setting the spoon down on the oak table and bringing the cup to his lips. He waited expectantly, his ancient eyes seeing the answer before she spoke it.
“No, not since she was an infant.” Aelwen admitted, inhaling the lavender steam rising from her cup.
“How can we expect that she will react favorably to our proposal, or even believe the truth when it is presented to her?
Aelwen had wondered the same thing, but she had a gut feeling the girl had a more open mind than most mortals. “I have someone watching her. I didn’t want to leave her alone in the hands of mortals. He’s been watching her for some time and from his reports, she seems to sense some otherness in herself.”
“Indeed.” The older man gestured to the nearest wood nymph, a cheerfully plump brunette with sparkling violet eyes and she fluttered over to pour him more tea.
Aelwen waited, nodding silently as the nymph offered her more tea. It was Meurig who spoke first.
“Rosaina’s daughter can locate the plant, but what about the golden tablets needed to create the elixir? What of the magic?”
Aelwen sat silently, knowing his questions were rhetorical. Meurig rarely gave answers. He led others to their own truths.
“How can we expose her to the threat of Gethin and the other dark fae, when she is not only untested in battle, but oblivious to their existence?” Aelwen asked.
Meurig met her eyes silently and she saw empathy there. He knew as she did that Gethin would destroy them all if they didn’t restore the keepers.
It was Gethin who led the dark army of fae, the Jin, and he despised mortals. He had spent the centuries capturing them to enslave them. Gethin often visited the earth, taking on different personas as they pleased him. One century, he was a fascist leader, riling up militants to fight against their government. The next, he was an explorer, setting sail to rob the indigenous peoples of their riches.
“How can we locate this tablet, Meurig?” Aelwen sipped the tea, willing the lavender to take effect.
Meurig adjusted his brown silks and considered her for a moment.
“I think you know the answer to this, if you look deep inside, Aelwen.” He stared at her, waiting patiently for her to give him the answer she sought.
Aelwen did know the answer. She wished she didn’t, but she knew what he was pointing her towards.
She had to send someone to guide this lost Keeper on her journey. She had to send someone who had the magic this girl lacked, one who was familiar with the mortal world and with Eden and it couldn’t just be anyone. She had to send the one with the power to connect with the girl. She couldn’t go herself. She had to lead Eden through this time of weakness. She had to discover where the Keepers were hidden and recover her daughter, to assembly an army before it was too late. There was only one person she could send on this mission.
Her mind made up, Aelwen turned to Meurig and nodded.
“I’ll send him today.”
Chapter Four
The Dark Castle
Northern Luxembourg
Early Morning
“They don’t know it was you, my lord. You must take credit.” Gethin spat.
Evrei turned to his mentor and eyed him appraisingly, considering his next move as his eyes roamed the cold, stone walls of the dark castle. The stronghold of the dark fae suited it’s leader to a tee.
Gethin de Grange was a rough looking man, and yet, not a man at all. Pure fae blood ran through his veins. He was descended from an ancient royal house, one of Adhamh’s people who had not been banished to earth.
His long, thin nose gave him a hawkish appearance that intimidated his underlings. His eyes were sharp and black, his skin ruddy and pock-marked. Despite this, he was not an unattractive man. There was a hardness to him that both attracted and repelled.
Evrei frowned. He had long waited for this day. Twenty-five years ago he had lived through the worst day of his existence. How could they expect anything more from him after what had happened? This was what he was – darkness, a man filled with hatred.
He pa
ced the narrow room, his tall, black boots thudding heavily on the cold stone floor. He wore the attire of the dark fae, the same as Gethin – black skins and silks. Capturing the Keepers was the first step in his plan to bring down the Crystal court. The light fae were his enemy now.
He could hear the hushed whispers of his prisoners in the next room. Enhanced hearing has always been one of his special abilities. He listened as a mouse scuffling along the floor several hallways over, then there was a scrape of a crow’s claws on the window sill of the tower. Finally, he heard her voice amongst all the others. He regretted having to take her, but at this point, the end goal was greater than any one being.
He had to destroy the barrier so that fae could take back their rightful place, ruling over mortals. Mortals were a destructive plague upon the earth, scorching the very ground upon which they walked. Mortals had been disgracing the goddess for thousands of years, and it was at a point where he could no longer tolerate it.
They valued little what they had. They realized not how privileged they were to live in such a lush paradise. They no longer respected the knowledge of their elders. They no longer worked with one another – always at war. They no longer listened to the whispers of the wind, the sound of the waves crashing against the cliffs, the trickle of water flowing from river to ocean. All of their technology, all of their noise drowned out any appreciation they could have had for the goddess’s gifts. They were shallow, stupid beings only interested in their own welfare.
Evrei’s anger burned bright. He clenched his fists thinking about how wasteful and ungrateful mortals were. They didn’t deserve their freedom.
He himself had been born to one of the royal houses of Eden, a light fae sworn to protect the lesser beings of earth, to maintain the earth Eden barrier. He had forsaken his vow. He had joined the dark fae in their quest to tear down the wall. Mortals no longer deserved his protection.
Twenty-five years ago, a mortal had destroyed all he held dear. A mortal had shown him his blindness. Now he understood what must be done. Gethin’s methods were harsh.
