The Heart Between Kingdoms

by Mary Dublin

  "I should hope so. I must admit I'm shocked by his behavior. Lord Aeron always struck me as the most… enthusiastic for our union."

  "His enthusiasm seems to go both ways," Esmae replied. "I knew him as a girl. He was reserved, but always kind. But this… this is something different."

  Suddenly, the bathwater felt ice cold on her skin. Looking outside, she found that the sun was barely visible past the tree line, leaving only a razor line of gold against the inky sky.

  "And what of his title?" Daniel demanded, his soft voice turned to something closer to a bark. "Wasn't he punished for this outrage?"

  "I don't know exactly. Brennan thinks my father intends to keep him under observation, if not strip him of flying privileges. He didn't mention that to you?"

  Daniel smiled oddly. "Er, no. We didn't speak long tonight. He seemed anxious to return to Tessa. He's staying the night, patrolling."

  Esmae let this wash over her. She straightened up, pulling out of Daniel's grasp reluctantly.

  "He told me he was returning to Evrosea tonight."

  Daniel arched an eyebrow. "His plans changed, I suppose."

  "But why? He doesn't have to… The castle is guarded, he knows that."

  Daniel's smile was widening and Esmae wasn't sure she liked what it implied. "Brennan's gone rather soft for Tessa, if you ask me. Haven't you noticed how he worries for her? The way he talks about her?"

  "He's being loyal to you, that's all. You're reading into something that's not there."

  Daniel chuckled, still looking far too pleased with himself. "I never asked him to stay overnight to look after her. She's quite pretty, and Brennan's still young enough…"

  "You're crazy." Giving his side a playful shove, Esmae stood and removed herself from the tub—or rather, she tried to.

  Without warning, Daniel's arms seized around her waist and pulled her back down. She crashed into him, their legs tangling. Water spilled over the sides and slapped on the tiles while her protesting giggles echoed through the chambers.

  "Stay. Five more minutes," he breathed in her ear. "The world won't burn in five minutes, Es."

  Relenting, she sighed and leaned back against him. "I suppose it won't."

  Tessa's breath caught. She snapped out of her slumber when a creak drifted through the room. She sat up and listened close, holding her breath. She was well hidden on the shelf, but no amount of concealment would ease her with an unknown human entering the room.

  The king and queen had long since retired to their bed after a fruitless hour of trying to engage her in conversation. She supposed she was grateful enough for their presence when it came to strangers sneaking past the door.

  But as she heard the shuffle of small feet and a sniffle, a wave of fear that was not her own washed over her. Shoulders slumping, Tessa pushed her hair out of her face.

  Another nightmare.

  Even with the influential fear churning through her, the fact that it was no stranger entering the room put her at ease. Avie had come to seek her parents' comfort. The poor girl. Just as Tessa was settling back onto her side on the handmade mattress, the shuffling directed itself toward her.

  "Tessa?" Aveline's tremulous voice pierced her heart. "A-are you awake?"

  It was rather polite of her to ask, considering her gift likely alerted her that Tessa was very much awake. Sitting back up, Tessa went to peer around the side of the farthest book and offered a soft, sympathetic smile.

  "Did those bad dreams come again, Princess?"

  "There was a new monster in this one. A demon." Aveline's voice was soft, as if worried the shadows were listening.

  As she came closer and knelt beside the shelf, Tessa could see that her eyes were grey and bloodshot, her skin pale as a specter's.

  These dreams are killing her, she thought grimly.

  "A demon?" Tessa repeated. "You're too young to know about such things."

  "It was one, I swear!" the girl persisted in a high voice. Tessa shushed her gently but Avie carried on. "It had yellow eyes a-and teeth… so many teeth! It said it was g-going to find me, it told me so."

  "There's no such thing," Tessa interjected. "It can't possibly do a thing like that because…"

  She cut off halfway as Aveline broke down into soft sobs. Tears fell in rivers down her pallid cheeks. They dripped down before Tessa like enormous drops of rain but she ran for the girl without hesitation, running her palms along Aveline's knees.

  "You're safe. You're all perfectly safe here, little Princess." Her own voice became choked with emotion. It wasn't until she touched a hand to her face that Tessa realized she was crying along with her.

  "I'm s-sorry," Avie whimpered. She put a hand around Tessa's back comfortingly.

  The pale fairy smiled sincerely through the confusing mess of emotions. "I'm quite alright," she said, dabbing at her eyes with her sleeve.

  Aveline wiped her face too, making an obvious effort to calm down despite her shallow, shuddering breaths. "Can you tell me a story, please? Something happy."

  "I can do more than that. Come, lie down with me."

  Aveline found a spare quilt in one of the chests scattered about the room. Moving quickly, she deposited it down on the floor by the fire along with her jeweled candlestick and a well-loved dragon made of velvet and linen.

  "Are you going to use your magic on me again? Avie whispered dutifully, settling down on the blanket. "I haven't told anyone about it. Just like you said."

  Guilt stabbed fiercely at Tessa, but she concealed it as best she could, trudging over the thick blanket to reach the girl's face as she laid her head down. She would make it up to her. "Thank you, Avie. I'll only use it if you want me to, of course."

  "I do, but… can you tell me why we have to hide it?"

  Tessa sighed, brushing her hand over a tear track staining Avie's cheek. "Because it's dangerous. I'm dangerous." Her throat tightened, but she held back the fresh tears that threatened to spill.

  "W-what? No, you're not! You're nice. You're helping me."

  "Whether I help or hurt, other fairies are afraid of what I can do. But no more of that, Princess. You need to sleep, and my story isn't a happy one. We can talk about it later, since you've done so well keeping it secret."

  The little girl sniffled, hugging her stuffed dragon close. "You promise?"

  "I do. I really do." She pressed a kiss to Avie's cheek and moved over to rest a hand on her forehead. "And I promise to make this demon leave you alone for the rest of the night. Close your eyes. Know you're safe."

  Tessa shut her eyes along with her and chanted under breath. Even behind her eyelids, she saw the soft green glow of her magic at work. She felt stronger this time, surer of herself and determined to set Aveline at ease. Like clockwork, the mess of emotions surrounding her blurred at the edges and faded.

  Soft, even breaths hit her outstretched arm like calm waves on a shore. Tessa opened her eyes, relaxing at the sight of Avie's closed ones. It was still several hours before sunrise, and she took pride in knowing those bags underneath her eyes would be eased with that time spent in a deep, dreamless sleep.

  Tessa pushed a strand of dark hair back from Avie's face as far back behind her ear as she could reach. Stepping close, she delicately leaned her forehead against Aveline's, indulging the urge to bask in her peace for a moment or two. The magic was faint while the girl was asleep, but still there. How wonderful it would be, she imagined, to always feel this way. Calm. Peaceful. Happy.

  It would be her luck that the feeling didn't last long at all.

  With a jerk, she drew away. Tessa scanned the darkness with narrowed eyes. She couldn't be certain how, but she was suddenly aware that she was not alone in the room.

  For several minutes, she only listened. She did not call out or move from Avie's side, trying to ascertain what had put her on edge. It couldn't be a human; the air didn't swirl with trembling steps or loud breathing. But the castle could contain any number of mice or rats—each easily big enoug
h to take a hefty bite out of a wingless fairy.

  A rustling noise resumed underneath the window sill, followed by a soft thump of something hitting the table. Too late, a cry caught in her throat as a fairy stepped into the moonlight.

  "What's going on here?"

  The man's voice was smooth as silk, but she wasn't naive enough to miss the threat hinted beneath.

  She kept her expression as innocent as possible. At least she didn't have to fake how startled she was. "Who are you?" she asked, her heart thudding in her ears. She recognized his voice from the other morning.

  His wings glinted in the firelight as he took to the air once more, and he stopped at a hover with Tessa positioned between him and Aveline. "I should ask you the same, miss."

  When he made no indication he would answer her question, Tessa cleared her throat. "I-I am a guardian. Watching over the princess."

  The blond man's eyes narrowed dangerously. "No. You're not. I would recognize you. Besides that, I am here to watch over the princess tonight."

  Tessa swallowed hard as he flew down closer. The unsettling sensation in the air thickened. She glanced back at Aveline and found the little girl's peaceful expression twitching. She flinched as she faced forward; the man had landed directly before her, bearing down on her with his glare.

  "Who are you?" he demanded. "You don't want to make me ask again."

  "No one," she said, voice quavering. "A visitor just passing through. The king and queen were gracious enough to offer shelter for the night. I'll be on my way soon." She shifted to the side, blocking the man's path to Aveline. Something was not right. "S-surely they would have mentioned if someone was coming to guard the princess tonight."

  "Perhaps you're beneath such information, then," he said matter-of-factly, as if he were talking about nothing more consequential than the weather. "I am here to assist with the dreadful nightmares little Aveline has been having."

  All at once, it hit her. Lord Aeron. She'd heard smatterings of conversation about him that evening. None of it good.

  "You're not supposed to be here," she murmured.

  But he was too preoccupied, staring at Aveline. It was a frightening sort of pause, and Tessa felt her knees go weak as his glower returned to her. "Something's been done to her. What have you been doing?"

  When she didn't answer, he shoved her aside. Avie's breaths were quick and frightened, her eyes squeezed shut. Aeron pressed his hand to her forehead and growled. "This magic… I know what you are, manipulator. Surely the king and queen would not provide shelter to the likes of you."

  Tessa struggled to find her voice, too stunned to make a move. "P-please…"

  "Unless… They don't know, do they?"

  Tears stung her eyes, and the lies that had once flowed forth so easily felt weak under his scrutiny.

  "A manipulator and a filthy liar besides," he scoffed, narrowing his attention back to the princess.

  "What do you want from her?" Tessa breathed. "Get your hands off her."

  "I suggest you attend to your own matters." His voice was silky again, sure of himself. "Unless you want that nasty truth of yours to come to light, that is. I'll only be a minute. Speak not a word of this to anyone, and you'll be safe."

  Her own heartbeat thundered in her ears as Aeron spun away from her, his hands spread on Avie's skin purposefully. She couldn't hear the spell he said under his breath, but Aveline reacted immediately—not waking, but making soft little whimpers deep in her throat.

  Tessa couldn't bear to watch.

  She balled her hands into fists, nails digging into her own skin. Magic bloomed like a green flame from the center of each hand. The tendrils crept along her arms as she focused harder, willing her strength towards the forbidden spell.

  Aeron caught sight of the light reflected against his gold-stitched sleeve. Stunned, he twisted to look at her over his shoulder.

  "I told you to get away from her," Tessa commanded, breathless from the power she held in limbo.

  Aeron Bogdan narrowed his eyes, studying her carefully. "You'll have nowhere to go once the royals find out about this," he reminded her in a sneer. "You'll be alone, left for dead." Keeping one hand pressed hard against Avie, he lifted the other towards Tessa. "Or perhaps I'll save dear Esmae the trouble and kill you now."

  Crimson light spread from the center of his palm, brilliant as sunlight itself. With shocking speed, the spell spread along the lines and grooves crisscrossing his skin until she could no longer make out the his hand at all beyond the radiance. The heat alone was blinding her, burning her eyes.

  A spell fired off, and Tessa flinched to the side with a cry, dodging just in time. It was only seconds later, when Aeron landed face down at her feet, that she realized the spell had not been aimed at her. The fairy lord's fine clothes were smoldering, the toned skin around his wings a most uncomfortable pink.

  "You've gone too far this time, my lord." Brennan's bellowed voice filled her with a curious mixture of relief and horror. A flash of black zipped out between two tomes on a higher shelf and circled down towards her.

  He saw, she thought with a gasp. Even as she ousted the magic in each of her hands, she knew he had been present for all of it. But for the moment, she was spared his rage. He landed and marched straight past her to grab Aeron by his collar.

  "You'll pay dearly this time." Brennan wrenched him to his feet with a murderous look in his eyes. "Pray that His Grace's punishment is kinder than what I'd like to do to you."

  The fury in his voice made Tessa shiver, though it wasn't directed at her. It would very well soon be. For now, she was glad to not be alone in protecting Aveline. The poor girl's breathing was still short and whimpery, as though she were in a nightmare. Her gift sent out the same brand of fear that she had come to Tessa with that night.

  To her horror, Aeron smiled. "I'm afraid you won't know the satisfaction, boy."

  The energy about him was unnerving, but there was little time to process it. He hissed under his breath through the pain, igniting his hands once more in deadly crimson light. Brennan didn't hesitate to twist the man away from Aveline and attempt to neutralize the spell with his own.

  Tessa shielded her eyes from the burst of light, shocked to find Brennan staggering back from the collision of magic. While he was still recovering, Aeron raised his hands for another crippling spell.

  "No!" Tessa called upon her magic swiftly, green light joining the fray and intercepting Aeron's red.

  The spells burned wildly against each other rather than fizzle out, sending sparks into the air as each caster fought to gain the upper hand. Tessa's muscles tightened painfully from the effort, arms shaking. She was out of practice, while Aeron was coated in a power she could not comprehend. His magic inched closer and closer, a breath away from snuffing her spell out and taking her along with it.

  In an instant, the pressure became easier to bear. Her racing mind panicked for a moment, waiting for the pain to swell at an exponential rate. But another spell was on her side, pushing back. She dared to glance away from the light, catching Brennan in the corner of her eye. His teeth were bared as he strained through his spell. For the moment, they had a common enemy.

  "You're fighting the wrong man, Brennan!" Aeron bellowed through the din. "I'm one of your own. You should be helping me with this cause. "

  Brennan gave a cry and the magic simmering in the air around him shot forward. In a brilliant shower of gold and blood red sparks, Aeron's fatal magic was burnt up in one final thrust of Brennan and Tessa's combined strength.

  "If you think I'm going to help you attack a child and an innocent woman, you're more insane than you look." Brennan stalked closer while the fairy lord backed away. Tessa felt a strange burst of confidence, having him by her side.

  And he called me innocent.

  In desperation, Aeron threw himself before Aveline—as though he was shielding her. His fine leather boots squelched in the puddles of tears the princess had lost during her fitful sleep.
Though winded, Brennan obviously didn't intend to leave without Aeron in his custody. He lifted his hands, magic meant to paralyze swirling at his fingertips.

  "Brennan, wait!" Tessa grabbed hold of his shoulder and yanked him back hard. "Don't. You'll hit her!"

  She felt his arm twitch, ready to disobey her. But at the same time, he looked to Avie's face and softened imperceptibly. His silence told Aeron all he needed to know.

  The man wore a smug smile as he reached back and laid a hand on Aveline's forehead. Tessa bristled along with Brennan as the unnerving energy flowed into the air once more. He had come for a purpose, and every moment that passed gave her a sinking feeling of what that was. He needed to be stopped, but projectile spells were too risky. The growing tension in Brennan's arm told her that he couldn't witness this and make himself hold back much longer.

  The sound of a massive creak came from the adjacent chamber, effectively distracting Aeron.

  Daniel's deep, groggy voice followed. "Tessa?"

  Aeron glanced away for only a moment, but that was all Tessa needed. Forgoing all sense of self-preservation, she released Brennan and threw herself at Aeron, hands flying to either side of his head as her fingers burst with green light. He retaliated with a furious shout, and his strange energy pulsed sharply—into her.

  She heard Brennan cry her name as her own spell was redirected and sent her sprawling. Aeron staggered from the effort, but it wasn't enough. The floor shook with rapidly approaching footsteps, while the air shook with equally forceful voices that Tessa couldn't single out from the ringing in her ears.

  Through bleary vision, she saw Brennan charge. Another hasty, desperate burst of red light, and he was on the carpet as well. Red beams crackled around his wings, restraining him from flight as he struggled the right himself, wheezing. A short gust stirred as another pair of wings took off, leaving them.

  Tessa fought viciously to keep from fading. By the time she managed to keep her heavy eyes open for good, Aeron was gone. The firelight illuminated two enormous figures looming over her and Brennan before the hearth. Avie was in her father's arms as her parents examined their sleeping child worriedly.