by Amy Sumida
“Where's the key?” Ceanag asked Eileen.
“How the fuck would I know?” Eileen growled.
“Because you're the one who put them in the cage,” Declan said slowly as if Eileen were an imbecile.
“She says that she didn't kidnap the children,” I told Declan.
“What?” Declan asked with disbelief.
“I didn't!” Eileen hissed.
“We'll see about that,” Cerberus announced as he grabbed her from behind.
Eileen shrieked and kicked her legs in the air as Cer held her pinned.
“Just knock her out, Cer,” I said tiredly. “She's not going to tell us where her accomplices are.”
“I don't have any—” Eileen started to protest again.
Cerberus smacked his fist into the top of Eileen's head, and she went slack in his arms. He held her body out to Declan like an offering, and the Alexandrite King searched the pouches on Eileen's belt. It didn't take him long to find a set of keys. Declan held them up with a grimace.
“I think any doubt over Eileen's guilt can be laid to rest,” Declan announced as he tossed the keys to Caorall.
The redcap caught the keys and set them into the cage's lock. They fit perfectly, and the lock clicked open. Caorall sighed deeply and nodded to Declan.
“If the key fits.” I shook my head.
“As we said; the sidhe woman is the culprit,” Caorall announced. “I think we can stop worrying about Primeval now.”
“Let's get these barghests back to their families,” I suggested. “After that, we'll take this poisoning bitch out of Primeval and then out of existence entirely.”
Chapter Nineteen
We left the barghest children with the Trinity—who promised to see them home—and then we headed out of Primeval with Eileen. All of the Shining Ones and my close friends had traveling stones: fairy-made charms that moved people through the Veil that separated the realms. They weren't made to travel from place to place in one realm, though; you had to cross through the Veil to get anywhere. But, with some maneuvering, you could use it to travel through a realm. You just had to travel to another realm first; then you could come back to the same realm. We hadn't used the stones to travel into Primeval because you needed to know where you were traveling to. You had to either have been there before, seen a picture of the place, or have the exact coordinates for the magic to latch onto. In short; the stones required direction to work.
Now, that we were on our way out of Primeval, we could have used the stones to travel to the Human Realm, and then back to Kyanite Castle. But we still had most of our team heading toward the Amber Temple, and when we contacted them via contact charm, we discovered that they were nearby. We could have worked something out to get everyone home, but it was late afternoon, and Reyne had asked us to stay one more night in Primeval, to celebrate our victory.
So, we met our party halfway; at a goblin village. It was a joyous reunion full of relief over the health and safety of the forest as well as that of the kidnapped children. The only black cloud was Eileen's refusal to give up her cohorts and tell us what happened to the other missing fairies. But, the Trinity of Strengths had vowed to keep up the search for both the missing fairies and Eileen's partners in crime. So, we felt satisfied enough with the victories we did achieve.
The goblins were thrilled to hear our news as well and welcomed us with open—if rather warty—arms. Musicians began to play merry tunes, ale and wine began to flow, and a bonfire was lit in the middle of the village; both to roast a wild pig and to add some warmth to the party. The aroma of crackling pork mingled with wood-smoke and the crisp, resinous scent of the forest. It was perfect.
My kyanite knights offered to guard Eileen so that the rest of us could enjoy the festivities. They felt as if they hadn't contributed anything and were happy to do so now. I promised them a month off duty when we returned to Kyanite—because I was pleased that they had volunteered to go into Primeval, in the first place, and even more pleased that they were stepping up now.
Then I got sloppy drunk.
It was fantastic. I hadn't let loose like that in years. With all the work I had done with Cerberus—fixing people's lives (and sometimes ending them), then the Witch Relic, then becoming Queen of Kyanite, my life seemed like a never-ending list of responsibilities. I had been so focused on securing my future that I hadn't stopped to celebrate my present.
I listened to music without magic, danced without care, and kissed my lovers without worrying about being judged. It was fucking amazing. Laughter filled my head and heart, with the joy of Primeval itself buoying me. I even danced with goblins. Yep; I was that drunk. Hell, most of us were.
Then I had to pee.
I stumbled through the trees and nearly off a cliff. I mean, come on; what the hell was a cliff doing in the middle of Primeval? I thought it was a flat forest. In the dark, with barely any moonlight making its way through the thick canopy of leaves overhead, I didn't see the drop until I had burst from the bushes and was blinded by the light of the moon. That was what saved me; the moonlight. I bumbled through the underbrush and had to stop to shield my eyes. After the darkness of Primeval at night—drunken me forgot to take a lantern—even moonlight became harsh. When I removed my arm, I saw that I was inches away from the edge. That sobered me up a little.
The cliff I had literally stumbled upon was incredibly high; so high that the enormous trees growing at its base couldn't surpass it. It gave me an unimpeded view of an expanse of rippled forest; all silver and black in the moonlight. A few hundred yards ahead, Primeval flowed up again; creating a rectangular valley. It was beautiful, but my heart was still racing from the realization that I could have easily tumbled to my death without even knowing what had happened.
“What a moron,” I whispered to myself as I peered over the side and down at the rocky base of the cliff. “Fuck; look at those rocks. I would have cracked my—”
Then I went tumbling over the side. No; I didn't fall. Someone had snuck up on me and pushed me. Wind whipped past me—flinging hair into my face—as my heart lurched into my throat; strangling the scream that rose within it. I was so high up that I had the precious seconds I needed to form coherent thought and try to save myself.
I started to sing.
Thank goodness for the Griffins. Without that flight to the Amber Temple, I wouldn't have had a song lurking in my mind for just such a moment. Granted, I didn't know if it would work, but I was out of options. R. Kelly's “I Believe I Can Fly” even started with the very words I needed. It was theoretically perfect; now for the application.
The magic burst from me; sped along by my fear. It burned away my inebriation and focused me immediately on my spell. I belted out the powerful song, desperation fueling it and shifting it into reality. The words were perfect just as they were; which helped even more. I didn't sprout wings (how incredible would that have been?) but the longing lyrics—true to the buried desires in my heart as well as my current needs—combined with the steady strength of the melody to give me what I had always wanted. My fall slowed and then stopped entirely. I held my arms out in wonder and laughed as I started to rise. I even did a little Peter Pan somersault. Well, slap my ass and call me a crazy cumulus; the song had worked. I really could fly.
Movement on the ledge above caught my eye, but it was too dark for me to see who was there. I kept singing, focusing on lifting myself back onto the cliff, and I began to move faster. Still, it wasn't fast enough to catch my assailant. I touched down on solid ground and froze; listening for any movement, but whoever had pushed me was gone.
The good news was; I didn't have to pee anymore.
Chapter Twenty
I ran back to the village; searching the forest for my attacker as I went, but saw no one along the way. Before I went to tell the others what had happened, I made a pit stop at the hut the goblins had provided my men and me with. I needed to change my pants. Call me vain, but it's hard to look serious—or be taken so—
with a wet crotch.
After I had changed my pants, I stopped to check on Eileen. I was worried that she had escaped and that it was she who had pushed me. But the kyanite knights said that Eileen was secure; she had eaten her dinner and then went to sleep. They assured me that they had eyes on her the entire night.
With my main suspect eliminated, I began to panic. Who else wanted me dead? The barghests had their children back, the Witches had no gripe with me, and I had just done the fairies a solid. It made no sense.
“Elaria?” Cerberus slurred my name as he used the side of a hut to steer himself in my direction. “You got something wrong with your face.” He scowled. “No; that's not right. I meant to say; you look upset, what's wrong?” He straightened and held his hands out in a concerned manner; tipping some ale out of his mug in the process. “Oh, fucking furies!” He exclaimed as he tried to brush off the ale that had splattered his pants, and nearly fell over.
“Someone just pushed me off a cliff, Cer,” I said in a low voice.
“What?” Cerberus roared; flinging out his arms and sending his mug flying into the forest. “What fucking cliff?”
The music and dancing stopped, and everyone paused to look over at us. When my consorts saw who Cer was shouting at, they came running. Then they saw my expression, and they drew in even closer.
“What's happened?” Torin asked anxiously.
“Did Eileen escape?” Declan added.
“Eileen is secure,” I said first. “But when I wandered off to relieve myself, someone pushed me over a cliff.”
“Hold on.” Banning held up a hand. “Back this up. You went to take a piss and were pushed off a cliff?”
“I was drunk.” I waved a hand at the drunken men as if daring those pots to call my kettle black. “I had to pee, and I wandered into the woods. I nearly walked off a cliff, but I stopped myself in time. While I stood there, reeling in my near-death experience, I was pushed from behind.”
“Are you all right?” Gage asked as his hands roamed my body. “Where are you hurt?”
“I'm not,” I said with a little smile. “That's the one bit of good news. I sang as I fell and was able to rise back to the top of the cliff.”
“You flew?” Torin asked in shock.
“I believed that I could.” I smirked.
“That song?” Banning chortled.
The other men scowled at him.
“It was a popular song,” Ban huffed, “I Believe I Can Fly. Everyone was singing it.”
“Oh, yeah,” I remember that one,” Cerberus said before he started singing it under his breath.
Cer gets easily distracted when he's drunk.
“You were able to fly using magic,” Declan whispered in awe. “That's fortunate.”
“Yes, it is,” Gage said impatiently. “But who pushed you, El?”
“Yeah!” Cerberus refocused. “Who the fuck pushed you?”
“I don't know,” I whispered. “I didn't see them, and by the time I got back to the top of the cliff, they were gone.”
My gaze wandered past the men to the rest of our group and the goblins. They were all drawing closer; curious looks on their faces.
“What's going on?” Rentar asked as he walked up with Odin and Reyne.
“Someone just tried to kill my mate,” Gage growled.
“What?” Odin snapped. “Someone tried to kill Elaria?Why?”
“I would love to know the answer to that.” I grimaced. “It wasn't Eileen; she's secure.”
“We need to get you out of here,” Torin growled. “Now! Facing an adversary is one thing, but defending against an unknown assassin is another.”
“I agree.” Odin nodded. “Take her out of this realm immediately. I'll make sure the rest of these soldiers get home.”
“I'll stay with the Griffins and watch over things too,” Rentar added. “Get your mate to safety, Brother.”
“I can obviously protect myself,” I grumbled.
They all just stared at me.
“I flew!”
They continued to stare.
“Fine; I'll go,” I huffed. “But I want the rest of our group to leave shortly afterward, and I want Eileen taken straight to a Coven prison cell.”
“A Coven cell?” Torin growled. “Elaria—”
“It has to be her accomplices, Torin,” I surmised. “I want Eileen somewhere they can't reach her.”
Torin blinked, processed, and called over his shoulder, “Sir Hugh!”
The blond knight rushed over to us. “Yes, Your Majesty?”
“We need to get Queen Elaria to safety,” Torin said. “There's been an attack.”
“What?” Hugh gaped at us. “On Her Majesty? But—”
“Yes, Hugh, keep up,” Torin growled.
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
“Prepare the prisoner for transport,” Torin instructed. “And be wary; we think her accomplices are nearby.”
During the exchange between Torin and Hugh, Banning called over his Blooders and gave one of them his traveling stone with instructions to transport everyone to Crouching Lion—the Kansas home of his gura.
“My dryads and I will watch over you as you depart,” Reyne promised. “But I believe Odin is right; you need to leave Primeval and let us handle this, Your Majesty. You've done your part, now let us see you safely home.”
“I'll take Eileen to Coven Cay myself,” Odin promised me. “Just get out of here now, Elaria. If they're after you, they won't give up with that one attempt. You're not just leaving yourself open for attack; you're also putting this village in danger.”
I looked around at the wide-eyed goblins in surprise. I hadn't considered that my being targeted had put my hosts in jeopardy.
“Make our goodbyes for us, please,” I said to Odin.
“We'll take care of it,” Odin nodded impatiently. “Just get the fuck to safety, Ellie. If you get hurt on my watch, your father will take my other eye.”
“I'll meet you at Coven Cay.” I pulled out my traveling stone. “You coming with us, Cer?”
“You're damn straight, I am,” Cerberus growled as he found his traveling stone. “I'm done with this fucking forest.”
My consorts pulled out their stones as well, and we all journeyed through the Veil and into the Human Realm.
Chapter Twenty-One
We stepped out of the Veil and onto Coven Cay; the Coven's island in Canada. The island had been in Witch hands for centuries, and it was where most Witches were buried after they died. We happened to appear on the road before the cemetery, and the sight of the graves made me pause. Not too long ago, I had called the dead Witches from their slumber and animated them to fight a basilisk which was attacking Coven Cay. It had been a terrifying and yet profoundly moving experience. After the battle had been won, the living Witches had lined the lane to the cemetery and bowed their heads in gratitude and respect to their ancestors as they marched back to their graves. It was a sight I'd never forget.
But now I was there seeking sanctuary. How had our victory changed so quickly to retreat? I scowled as we strode down the road to the main building. The men were quiet as well; we'd all sobered up too quickly, and under the hazy remnants of inebriation the situation seemed even more sinister. There was something bothering me that I couldn't put my finger on. My fuzzy brain just wouldn't focus. Something about Eileen and the Lesser Fey.
Actually, there was a lot of somethings.
“Why would Lesser Fey work with a noble sidhe?” I asked Torin.
“I have no idea,” Torin said. “Eileen must have offered them something they desperately wanted.”
“But then she poisoned Primeval,” I said. “And we still don't know how or why she would do such a thing. Or what happened to the other fairies she kidnapped.”
“Perhaps it was plain spite,” Declan said. “She could have planned to kill Primeval, then watch the taint spread slowly to the Jewel Kingdoms before she escaped to another realm. Isn't there a human saying about
not wanting anyone else to have something that is beyond your reach?”
“If I can't have it, no one will,” I whispered in revelation. “Yeah; she's just that kind of bitch. Fuck. I'm sorry, guys, but Shining Ones can be real assholes.”
Cerberus laughed boisterously. “Preach it!”
Declan and Torin glared at Cerberus.
“Hey; that's your woman.” Cer pointed at me. “Take it up with her.”
“This isn't the first time one of you has tried to destroy your realm,” I said. “It isn't even the second.”
Declan grimaced. “Fair enough.”
“If that was Eileen's intentions,” Torin murmured. “Recall, if you will, that Odin said such evil could result from black magic—as a side-effect.”
“So, what spell was she casting?” I asked. “We need to know what she was after. What was she trying to do in Primeval that nearly killed the entire world?”
“That's a damn good question,” Gage said.
It was still daylight in Canada—early afternoon, I was guessing—so there were several Witches wandering the grounds. They nodded respectfully to us as we passed, and I tried to nod back, but I was tired, sober after being sloppy drunk, dirty, and angry. I was pissed in so many ways—and yes that was a reference to peeing my pants. I'm trying to get over it, but pissing yourself as an adult is a deeply humiliating experience, even when no one witnesses it. I was nearly as mad over that as I was over my attempted murder. I mean; how horrible would it have been for them to find me; lying dead over those rocks, smelling of urine. Talk about adding insult to injury.
“I can't think of any reason why a bunch of Lesser Fey would help a sidhe destroy their home,” I went on. “Even if the taint was a side-effect of a spell, the fairies must have realized what was happening. Why would they continue to help Eileen?”
“Why does anyone do anything despicable?” Gage asked. “For profit. It must have profited them in some way; be it coin or land or safety. Eileen had something to offer them.”
