A Cascade of Moments

by Cailee Francis

  “Oh Gods, Sorcha,” I cried out, and she glanced up at me, her hazel eyes enlivened with desire. I was hopelessly lost in the moments we shared, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way.

  I cried out hard as I started to come, Sorcha licking me all the while and burying her fingers tightly in my sex. I was putty in her hands, and she brought me to the most exquisite heights of pleasure, while my heart surged with love.

  Our moments shared were gentle and perfect, loving and blissful. We held each other as we watched the play of light against the curtains, almost like fireworks. With it came a feeling of acceptance, perhaps brought about by my feelings of peace and warmth. I realised that no matter what happened, whether we died at the hands of the unseelie or they were defeated – no matter what the world wrought upon us – nothing could take away the time we’d spent together and the love and passion we felt for one another. Even if we forgot everything, it wouldn’t make what we had here and now any the less real or precious.

  “You’re pretty damn awesome, you know that?” I asked Sorcha, smiling at her as we lay close together.

  “Mmmm, my love. Yes, I have noticed that.”

  Afternoon had faded into evening, and we’d worked up quite an appetite.

  “Maybe we should get something to eat,” I suggested.

  Sorcha seemed only too happy to oblige me.

  Chapter Five: Sapphires and Rubies

  Screams tore through the night air as the shield above us glowed an angry orange-red. Ordinarily you wouldn’t have known the shield was there at all. It had become more obvious when it was attacked, and then when it had yellowed from the dark tendrils of magic and flame. Now its state had worsened and I feared it might not hold.

  Its red glow leant the night a surreal quality, as though we stood in the light of a massive bonfire or the world had been painted in bloodied hues. I saw attack after attack pound against the embattled shield, and I willed it to hold. For the moment it did, and I stood in readiness, in case it became immediately necessary to draw my sword.

  I was surrounded by a small crowd of guards and armed fae outside the Insley mansion, keeping watch on the shield and our surroundings.

  Sorcha waited inside for the moment with many others, who didn’t deserve what was out there beyond the shield any more than we did. I could understand the reasons for the unseelie’s anger, especially in light of the fact they’d lost two thirds of their people during their successful escape. I still felt the peril we were placed in wasn’t justified – at least for us, but I could see why they viewed those on the island or among the numbers of the seelie as enemies.

  I knew enough about their history to understand that this wasn’t the first war to take place between the seelie and unseelie. The unseelie had also proven themselves a threat to humans in the mortal world. According to the history books, they’d created chaos, disorder, devastation, and they had killed mercilessly in their time. It was why I hadn’t questioned our faction’s motivations for exiling them, but it seemed they were angry and vengeful. They were out for blood and unfortunately, it was ours.

  The ground trembled, as if from an earthquake or a terrible explosion in the distance. There was no corresponding flash of fire or darkness upon the shield surface that I saw, though tendrils streaked its surface in silhouette like black climbing ivy.

  I glanced away – I can’t recall why, and then I heard gasps of dismay. I turned to see where one woman, named Lucinda, was pointing and soon I understood why. It was a sight that changed everything and besieged my heart with fear.

  I saw that hairline cracks were forming in the shield surface. At first they seemed thin and hardly noticeable at all, but then they deepened and widened across the dark red expanse of the shield. Somehow I knew that was it – game over, and the shield would soon fall.

  I obviously wasn’t the only one who drew this conclusion. Several fae took this as reason to run back into the mansion, but out of fear or a desire to carry the news to the King and Queen, I could not say. I would’ve returned indoors if I didn’t have a job to do, and if I thought it would make any difference at all.

  I was somewhat in a daze as a guard in the crowd drew our attention. He was a tall, well-built fae with dark hair, and he wasn’t someone I knew well.

  “Come with me,” he insisted, indicating me and several others, all of whom were armed with swords.

  I followed him with a last glance back at the mansion, before we hurried off through the garden – a group of six of us. It would’ve been almost entirely dark out, but the glowing shield above us lit our surroundings, and our movements were marked by long shadows on the grass.

  I sensed we were headed for the docks. I heard a shout from one of the men beside me and we slowed down, as several others among our group looked up at the shield. It was covered in a web of cracks now, like a lattice of fire, which opened up further as we watched. It seemed like it should’ve made a noise – like breaking ice, but other than the sizzle of explosions striking it, it was silent. A massive ball of flame was propelled from beyond the island’s edge. I bore silent witness as the shield was crushed in, sending sparks of flame in all directions. Shards of energy spun off into the night like massive fragments of broken glass, dissipating as they fell to the ground, as though they simply ceased to be.

  The rest of the shield remained in place at first, but then it split apart and I dove for cover as it seemed to fall down on those it was built to protect. It never hit us. It merely disappeared and then we were vulnerable to attack.

  I heard one of the men cry out, “Arm yourselves.”

  ***

  We hurried through the darkened woods, our swords in hand. We couldn’t see our surroundings with much clarity, except for when unnatural bursts of flame far above lit up the area. I tried not to think about where those balls of flame would come crashing down, now that the shield wouldn’t stop them. There were shouts and screams in the distance, and I found myself honing in on the direction, because I was worried about the people in the mansion. I soon realised they wouldn’t have originated there, and instead came from the direction of the docks. Perhaps I shouldn’t have been relieved by that, given that we were likely headed there, but I was.

  I continued on, following the others between tall trees, grassy clearings and over rocky patches of the forest floor, as we took an unfamiliar route in the direction of the docks. At least, I thought that was where we were still going. One moment I felt the crush of damp grass and firm soil beneath my shoes, and the next I was hit by a blast of some kind. It threw me back with such force that my vision faded for a moment, and then I recoiled in agonizing pain as my back struck the ground, twisting painfully as I landed on my sword’s back sheath. My sword fell from my hand, landing in the dirt beside me, but even before I tried to get up, I reached for the handle and grasped it, knowing my life might depend on that decision.

  I could only see two fae among our group still standing. The others were on the ground like I was. I couldn’t tell how injured they were, if they were alive at all, but unlike me they weren’t moving yet.

  I recognised Lucinda in the darkness; the fae I’d spoken to earlier. She was the nearest to me, laying on the ground.

  “Lucinda, are you alright?” I asked her quietly, not wanting to be overheard, but I wanted to know how she was.

  She groaned as she turned toward me, and I saw her wince in pain. Judging by Lucinda’s expression, her body was wracked with pain, just as mine was, but she was alive.

  “I think so.”

  I searched around us for signs of movement, but I couldn’t see any in the darkness.

  She climbed into a crouching position and I soon followed her lead.

  I noticed a sword lying on the ground, so I whispered to her. “Over there!”

  I didn’t know if it was hers, but she picked it up.

  “Thanks Celina. Do you know where they are?” Her voice was barely above a whisper.

  No sooner had she said m
y name, I saw a lightning fast movement toward one of the standing men. I couldn’t make out the shape or form of the person attacking, but I saw a thin blade burst through the man’s back. His head dropped forward and he fell moments later, right in front of us.

  The fae by his side immediately engaged the attacker. He fought bravely, but by the time Lucinda and I were on our feet and closer to the enemy, the second fae had also been murdered. I hadn’t seen fae die before, so I was shocked to the core as I charged the attackers.

  Our enemies looked like men – not animals or monsters, except perhaps through their actions, which condemned them. They tried to murder us, and in a rush of images I’d prefer to forget and never have invade my dreams, Lucinda and I were forced to defend ourselves. We worked together, and brought them down, but I know I didn’t feel victory from what we had to do. It was little more than slaughter.

  I was relieved to survive, but I still mourned our enemies, and the state of a world where they thought it was necessary to kill our people and put themselves in a position where we had to stop them. The way I saw it, they shouldn’t have had to die either, but they gave us no choice.

  We never made it to the docks. We didn’t die – of course, otherwise I wouldn’t be in a position to tell this story. We fell in with a unit of retreating guards, who told us the unseelie fae had broken through the lines. That much we already knew, otherwise we wouldn’t have encountered them.

  We were asked to join the defence perimeter around the mansion, and so we fought our way back there, unsure of what awaited us or whether one of the massive fireballs propelled by cannons or sorcerers aboard their airships might have struck the mansion by now.

  I prayed Sorcha was alright, but something in my heart – some feeling, told me that she was okay, and that I would see her again soon. I didn’t know that Insley Mansion was protected by additional magical wards, but in retrospect I should’ve known. It was one of the safest places on the whole island, even though it housed the main targets for the unseelie.

  There were more guards than I could remember seeing before gathered between the woods and the mansion, with barricades in place offering cover to our side, should we need it. The area was near-dark, with no lights revealing our presence to the enemy, yet somehow Lee found me.

  “Celina! Thank the Gods you’re alright.”

  I felt his hands steady me in the darkness, though I don’t believe I wavered on my feet. He might have been reassuring himself that I was real, though Lee could be tactile at times. I wanted to tell him about what happened in the woods – about the men who’d killed some of our group and who I’d fought and killed in turn, but somehow the words wouldn’t come.

  “What is it?” I eventually asked, my voice sounding strange to my ears.

  “You need to go back to the mansion and find Sorcha. The Queen has a mission for you.”

  I was perplexed, but I would go as he asked. “Is it for me specifically, or for Sorcha and I?”

  After a moment searching the darkness, he turned back to me. “Both of you. Be safe, Celina. These are worrying times.”

  I wasn’t sure if he knew something I didn’t about our intended mission, but I nodded. “You too, Lee. Be careful and safe.”

  I felt strange returning to the mansion – almost like I was abandoning a fight, but I knew that wasn’t the case. Another fireball lit up the night sky before I entered the mansion, but if its target was us, then it missed. I hurried inside, noticing faces firm with resolve, and others worried and fearful. I’d sheathed my sword once I was near the mansion, but I hadn’t realised I was covered in blood until I stood in the full light of the entrance hall.

  I answered a woman’s concerned gasp with some confidence. “Don’t worry, milady. I’m fairly sure it isn’t mine.”

  I received a few stares from onlookers – most of whom I didn’t know – as I hurried up the stairs toward my suite, not sure whether Sorcha would be there or somewhere else in the mansion. It occurred to me that she might be with the Queen. I realised it might not be appropriate to meet the Queen for the first time dressed and blood-stained as I was now, but I also knew time might be short.

  I tried our suite first and I was pleased to find Sorcha there waiting for me.

  “Celina, oh thank goodness, I was so worried.” She stepped closer to hug me, and then gasped at the blood.

  “Oh my Gods. What’s that?” She grasped my shirt, pulling on it to check for a wound. I caught her hands and stopped her there.

  “I’m not that hurt. I had to defend myself and kill someone.”

  Her jaw dropped. “What do you mean, kill someone?” Her voice had risen in pitch, and she looked like she was living through her worst nightmare.

  “Two unseelie attacked our group in the dark. Lucinda and I had to stop them otherwise they’d have killed us. We did what we had to do, Sorcha.”

  She burst into tears and I held her, though I tried not to stain her top.

  “I’m so glad you’re alright,” she exclaimed, holding me tightly. “I was afraid you wouldn’t come back to me. I told Queen Carisse I wouldn’t do what she wants unless you were with me. I’m sorry, but I hope that’s alright.”

  I wasn’t sure what was going on, so I had to ask. “What does the Queen want you to do? I mean, what does she want us to do?” It seemed to me that it mustn’t be something good.

  “She wants us to protect Saphira,” Sorcha explained. “Only not here. She wants us to go through to the mortal world with her.”

  It actually showed great faith in us that Queen Carisse trusted us with her daughter’s wellbeing. I was glad that Sorcha had a way of escaping the battle, but I saw a problem with the Queen’s plan.

  “If we go through and we reincarnate into human lives, we likely won’t know to protect Saphira. We won’t even know who she is, or who we truly are, will we?”

  I took Sorcha’s hand and held it warmly in my own. No matter what we had to do, I’d love her forever.

  “She has a way. There are rings the royal family use to enhance their memories and connections between lifetimes. The Queen’s refusing to leave, but she won’t risk her daughter’s life here, and she wants us to look after her.”

  The prospect of returning to the mortal world and retaining more of our memories was an interesting one. It didn’t sound as bad, if it were possible.

  “When does she want us to do this?” I asked Sorcha nervously.

  “As soon as we’re ready to go. She thinks they could attack the mansion at any time. I don’t want to walk away from our life here together, Celina, but it seems like if we don’t go we may die here. Someone will need to go with Saphira, so it might as well be us.”

  I continued to hold Sorcha’s hand, reassuring myself as much as her. “We’ll be alright and we’ll find each other there. That’s a promise and I intend to keep it. Maybe when we come back here, this war – or whatever it is – will be over.”

  She nodded, and both of us held back tears as we stood together and pondered the future.

  After a few minutes coming to terms with our decision and changing my bloodied dress to a more appropriate pink one, I followed Sorcha toward the door, leaving everything we weren’t wearing behind. I wore the heart pendant I’d once found waiting for me in my old suite, and which had ties to my past. Somehow it felt more appropriate to wear it than leave it behind here, when the fate of the mansion would be unknown.

  We didn’t take any other possessions with us, besides what we wore, though I wondered about the rings. If I was more suspicious by nature, I might’ve thought them an invention of the Queen to make us decide against our desire to stay, but did I truly believe the royal family possessed such rings? Yes. I thought they were real, and the Queen obviously wanted her daughter protected. Without a heightened ability to retain memories of who we were, we all would’ve been more vulnerable in the human world.

  “Where are the rings?” I asked Sorcha, as we closed the door behind us with finality, and
made our way down the corridor toward the staircase.

  Sorcha took careful note of our surroundings as we descended the stairs. “The Queen gave them to Saphira. She’s in the Steward’s office downstairs. She wasn’t too happy about her mother’s decision, though I can understand why Queen Carisse would choose to stay.”

  Sorcha’s breath caught and she looked at me meaningfully. “We’re really going to do this, aren’t we?”

  I nodded, but I wanted her to know I was with her. “We are, but it will be alright. We’ll make it through, Sorcha, and we’ll do our best. It’s all we can do. Our people do this all the time and return here. We will too.” I only hoped there would be a ‘here’ to return to, and that the unseelie didn’t come looking for us in the mortal world.

  “I hope you’re right,” she said softly, before we made our way to the Steward’s door and knocked.

  Queen Carisse was waiting inside with her daughter, Princess Saphira. I’d never met the Queen before that I could remember, but I had no doubt about her identity. Her hair was dark like her daughter’s, and she had a similar frame – strong but more athletic than curvy. She wasn’t wearing a crown, and her gown was more subdued than many a fae’s. She looked in her thirties, but I knew she was thousands of years old and particularly adept at magic. I think her queenly aspect was in her bearing, and the way she watched over her daughter like a mother bear protecting her cub. I sensed she would rip any threat to shreds, given a chance. I’m not sure if that was why, but I liked her at once. Had I stayed longer, I think we probably would’ve got on well. For all I knew, before I’d lost my memories we might’ve done.

  “Celina – Sorcha, good,” the Queen exclaimed, clearly pleased by our arrival.

  “Your Majesty,” I greeted her with a curtsey, and turning to Princess Saphira, “Your Highness.”