Wings of Fate: (Kingdoms of Faerie Book 1)

by Skye Horn

  “Come on, Thea.” Kieran’s feet shifted toward the burning structure, but Mica reached out to hold him back, pointing.

  At first, Kieran didn’t understand what was happening. The flames appeared to have parted around the stable’s doorway and a dark shape was coming through. Thea’s focused eyes and raised hands told Kieran that the flames moved under her control. Her hands shook, but only slightly, and Faylon walked behind her with a cloak draped over him. It appeared Thea had soaked her cloak in the snow before entering the building. The wet material now protected the unicorn from any flames that dared to reach for him.

  “She’s a fire user,” Mica said.

  “Possibly,” Kieran replied, voice thick with concern. He didn’t wait long, though. As soon as Thea was out of the doorway of the stable, he ran to her. Black smudges coated her skin, but she appeared uninjured. As soon as her hands dropped to her side, the rest of the roof of the stable caved in. She fell directly into Kieran’s arms, her eyes closing. “Thea!”

  He caught her easily, and Gwendolyn landed beside them. Iris quickly dismounted, running to where Kieran held a weakened Thea in his arms.

  “She saved us,” Iris muttered, astonishment all over her blackened face. “I don’t know how she did it, but she made it so Gwen and I could fly out of the stable…”

  “She used air magic?” Kieran asked.

  “No, she used earth! The ground shook so much that the burning pieces blocking us fell out of our way!” Iris breathed heavily, coughing up a black muck from her lungs. Mica quickly went to her side.

  “Help my aunt into the cottage,” Kieran told him.

  “She can control all the elements,” Iris said, continuing to stare at Thea as Mica tried to lead her away. “Only Ainé…”

  Mica urged Iris toward the cottage and Gwendolyn joined the rest of the herd of horses, far away from the flames. Faylon nudged the now-unconscious Thea with his muzzle before looking up at Kieran.

  “I’ll take care of her,” he told him and reached to take the soaked cloak from his back. The unicorn gave a thankful whinny, touched his warm nose to Thea’s cheek, and then followed Gwendolyn.

  Kieran lifted Thea into a familiar cradle and headed toward the cottage. Her body felt lighter than usual, but he figured that was due to the lack of a heavy dress. Soldiers’ uniforms were made lighter than most clothes so that they could move more easily. She controls all the elements, he repeated. He hadn’t seen her use water, but feeling the weight of the dripping cloak, he wondered if she’d also used magic for that. Whatever she’d done, it had exhausted her. He’d never met anyone who could control more than one element, let alone all four. He looked at her closed eyes and sighed. Her lips pulled down at the corners into a frown, and she stirred against him, as if frightened by something behind her own eyelids. He kissed her forehead gently when they reached the cottage door. Mica left it slightly open for him, so he pushed it with his shoulder and walked inside.

  Ethel immediately met him in the entryway. Large teardrops spilled from her eyes and dripped from her chin as she stared at Thea in his arms.

  “Oh no, oh Goddess above, she’s dead!” she cried. “I said such awful things to her, and now… now she—”

  “Ethel, she’s not dead!” Mica said, running into the room. Kieran looked down at Ethel with a caring smile.

  “She’s just sleeping,” he said.

  “AGAIN?”

  Everyone laughed, but it didn’t touch any of their eyes. Someone had sent them a message. Someone wanted them to know that they were coming for them.

  “We aren’t safe here,” Kieran told Iris as he laid Thea down on the couch in the den. Ethel followed behind him, still sniffling, and placed a blanket over Thea. She then sank to her knees on the floor, gripping Thea’s hand.

  “This is my home. I can’t just leave.” Iris said. “Cora’s father is still here. I can’t just abandon him.”

  Her eyes, red from the smoke, took in the cottage and its inhabitants slowly. “I can’t abandon any of you.”

  “No one is asking you to abandon anything.” Kieran said quietly. “If I take Thea away, they’ll follow us and—”

  “No.” Iris stood and placed her hand on the arm of her chair to steady herself. Her other hand rested on her hip. Kieran recognized the this-isn’t-up-for-discussion look she gave him from the many times he’d seen it in his childhood. He thought about his next words carefully before speaking.

  “You said it yourself—she is controlling all four elements.” Kieran heard Ethel gasp from her place on the floor. He motioned for her to wait before she started asking questions. Mirielle sat near Thea’s resting head, showing no sign of surprise at Kieran’s words. He watched her as she swept the hair away from Thea’s face. It had come loose from her braid at some point, as it usually did. He admired the way it curled around her chin and thought she looked delicate while she slept, vulnerable to whatever evil threatened her. “If her father discovers what she is capable of, he’ll stop at nothing to take her. We’ll have a lot more to worry about than a simple stable fire or Amara.”

  He never let his eyes leave Thea. He refused to bow to his aunt’s will on security issues, because this was his field of expertise and he knew what needed to be done. All the while, Thea slept, recovering from her magic-brought exhaustion. He tried to imagine the type of power it must have taken her to endure all four elements. Even wielding one could deplete the most well-trained soldiers' energy if used at that intensity. That was why all soldiers trained in both physical and magical combat, so that they never completely exhausted themselves. Kieran moved toward her, and Ethel scooted aside so that he could take her place. His wings shifted into uncomfortable angles as he kneeled beside Thea, but he did not mind; the room was too small to hold them all comfortably.

  “What do you say, seer?” he asked Mirielle without looking at her. Instead, he rested his hand on top of Thea’s and squeezed it gently. Thea stirred slightly but did not awaken. He knew it might be some time before she did, so he did the best that he could do and transferred some of his own energy into her by magic. He’d done it once before, after her first fight with Amara, but this time he needed to be ready for another assault, so he used the magic sparingly.

  Mirielle looked at both Kieran and Thea before closing her eyes. Silence engulfed the room as they all waited to see if Ainé would allow Mirielle to see any sort of guidance, but when she opened her eyes a moment later, she shook her head.

  “The future is clouded,” she said. “I see many outcomes, but even so, I believe Kieran is right.” She looked up at Iris, knowing that was where her opposition would come from. “If she wields all four elements, she is a greater hope for our people than we ever thought to have. The Goddess has chosen her.”

  Ethel looked at Thea with awe and worry.

  “She’s still a child,” Iris said, but her words did not carry their usual power.

  “No, she’s not,” both Ethel and Mica argued immediately. They glanced at each other with slight grins, and even Kieran smiled a little. Iris just scoffed at them.

  “Go watch the front in case of intruders,” Iris said to them, and with grumbling frowns, they both left the room.

  “They’re right, you know.” Kieran shrugged his shoulders and finally looked up at his aunt. “It doesn’t matter, though. I’m the head of her guard—”

  “She is not the queen yet! You’ll both get yourselves killed by leaving.”

  Kieran stood, facing his aunt, and squared his shoulders, his wings raised just enough for effect. However, his aunt was terrifying without wings.

  “I’m still charged with protecting her, and that’s what I’ll do. We planned on continuing her training anyway. The only difference is we’ll do it away from Grimwalde.”

  “And where exactly do you plan to go that you’ll be able to train safely?” She now had both hands on her hips, which when Kieran was younger would have immediately caused him to back down.

  “You
know that I can’t tell you that.”

  “My nephew has lost his mind!” Iris directed this last statement at Mirielle, as if she were looking for backup. Mirielle hesitated a moment and then spoke in a quiet voice.

  “We need to protect our children, Iris.” She looked toward the doorway that Mica and Ethel had disappeared through with a concerned frown. Iris’ hands lifted into the air while Kieran fought the urge to smile at Mirielle. He knew in his heart that this was the way it had to be, but he also knew how stubborn his aunt could be. She looked back at him, a cat ready to strike again, but said nothing. Their similar green eyes bore into each other until a sound from behind Kieran broke their silent glares.

  “Do I get a say in where I go?” Thea asked in a small voice. Kieran turned to see her half-sitting up and quickly returned to her side to assist her.

  “Princess, you should be resting.”

  “Cut the crap,” she replied to him with a tired but playful smile. He cocked his head at her strange saying, but at least now Iris was looking at her instead. “Kieran is right. My being here is a danger to you all.”

  She caught sight of Iris beginning to argue and raised her hand to stop her, sitting herself up straight.

  “And before you argue with me, I know this might sound a little crazy, but I know where we’ll be safe.”

  “And how could you know where it might be safe?” Iris asked accusingly.

  “Ainé told me.” Thea lifted her chin, and iris had to steady herself once more, sinking back into the chair. “I know Kieran has told you about the voice I’ve been hearing in my head.”

  Kieran looked down, embarrassed, but Thea didn’t notice. He had told them about those voices and his concern that if Ainé could speak to Thea, so could Morrigan.

  “She came to me in a dream and told me that—”

  “Enough.” Iris held up her hands. “If Ainé told you where to go, you need to keep it from us.”

  She glanced at Kieran with a frown, but he was noticing something else as he looked at Thea. Her cheeks had grown hollower since arriving in Grimwalde. He frowned, angry with himself for not noticing sooner. He’d felt how light she was when he lifted her, but had shrugged it off as mere coincidence connected to her new attire. The truth beamed at him clearly in the form of a thinning young woman on his aunt’s couch. Her body had been rejecting the magic—that was why she seemed so exhausted all the time. How could he have been so stupid not to realize?

  “Why are you looking at me like that?” Thea asked with a raised eyebrow. She stared at him, her beautiful gray eyes full of a steady determination he’d grown to recognize since her arrival, but the way she looked beyond those determined eyes scared him. If her body rejected the magic, she could die. It didn’t happen often, but with someone who mastered all four elements, it amazed him suddenly to think she’d lasted this long.

  “How are you feeling?” he asked.

  “Tired,” she said, timidly looking around the room at everyone. “That’s normal, though.” She didn’t mean it as a question, but her voice rose an octave anyway.

  “Kieran…” Iris said, seeming to understand where he was going with his questioning.

  “We are leaving tonight,” he said without any inflection. If her body was rejecting the magic, he refused to argue with anyone anymore. She needed to learn to control it, so that hopefully… He didn’t even want to finish the thought in his own head. The idea of her withering away made him want to throw something across the room.

  Thea didn’t argue, despite the look of confusion on her face. Kieran saw defeat in his aunt’s eyes as she fell back into her chair. He heard faint whispers in the hallway where Mica and Ethel clearly stood eavesdropping on their conversation. Iris, still weak from the amount of smoke she’d inhaled, looked toward the hallway and seemed to debate whether or not to scold the two adolescents.

  “If you won’t do what I said, you can at least go pack up the leftover bread and stew for Kieran and Thea. They’ll need food for their journey,” she said loud enough for them to hear. Two pairs of feet scuttled down the hall too quickly.

  Thea appeared to relax back into the couch. She tucked her feet beneath her and pulled the blanket over her lap, watching the room with careful consideration. Meanwhile, Kieran went to kneel before his aunt’s chair, resting his hand on her leg. He didn’t need to apologize for making this decision, but he apologized anyway through the silent gesture. She nodded her head in understanding, patting his hand. After losing his parents at such a young age, Kieran looked up to Iris. She hadn’t taken his mother’s place, but she’d taken care of him as if he were her own child, and he knew from experience that the look she gave Thea now was the same motherly look she’d often given him as a boy. Iris wanted to protect them all, but at some point, he’d grown up right in front of her.

  “You’ll have to take care of him,” Iris told Thea. Her lips pulled up into a smile, accenting her sallow face. Kieran’s heart sank.

  “Always,” Thea replied, but she watched Kieran with a look that told him she knew they were not telling her something. He wondered if she really thought the exhaustion was normal, or if she was only putting a brave face on for them. He hoped she knew better than to hide things from him, but if he was being honest, he couldn’t say he wouldn’t do the same to protect her. Whatever was developing between them was becoming more and more complicated by the second.

  How could he protect her if he was blind to her? How could he be her soldier, her guardian, if she made him weak in the knees when he was around her? These were constant questions for him, but only one question ever really stuck in his mind.

  What will they do to her when they realize she wants me? This questioned felt etched into his soul.

  He knew the laws, which clearly drew a line between royal Fae and common Fae. He was the son of a handmaiden and blacksmith. Although both of his parents had been Fae, that did not make him good enough for the princess. In fact, even if he were royal, he still didn’t imagine he could ever be good enough for her.

  Chapter 13

  “We’re leaving before sunrise,” Kieran told Mirielle as she excused herself from the den. She promised to return before they left.

  In the meantime, Iris left to pack Thea a bag of clothing, reassuring her that it would include plenty of pants. Kieran didn’t bother to tell his aunt to rest. He knew she was giving him and Thea space to speak freely. However, he wasn’t sure what to say once he and Thea were alone in the room. It was unusual that he felt nervous around her, but their change in behavior brought an unfamiliar wave of nerves.

  “So, Ainé wants us to go to Lake Wysteria,” Thea whispered, eyeing the open door with uncertainty. Kieran was sure no one was listening to them, but Thea’s new information surprised him.

  “Lake Wysteria is the largest lake in Faerie. My mother used to tell me that if I was ever lost in the forest, all I needed to do was follow the river because every river led back to Lake Wysteria; it’s the source of all four kingdoms’ water supply.”

  “Why do you think she wants us to go there?” Thea asked.

  “Well, you were unconscious the last time we were there, but that’s the location of the Threshold. She came to you in a dream?”

  Thea nodded her head and patted the spot next to her.

  “You don’t have to sit on the floor, you know.” Her usual playfulness had returned, but the same nervousness that he felt seemed to reverberate in her tone. “I won’t bite.”

  “Of course not.” Kieran moved to sit beside Thea, knowing he was being ridiculous. He’d sat beside her multiple times before without feeling this way, but something had shifted between them. Despite the fact that they’d been at the funeral of an ex-boyfriend only hours earlier, Kieran didn’t feel the intense jealousy he’d experienced before their conversation.

  How could he be jealous when she was looking at him like that? It made his heart race.

  “I seem to be unconscious a lot lately,” she said, seeming p
leased by his new spot on the couch.

  “Yes, about that—”

  “Something is wrong with me, isn’t it?” She looked at him guiltily, answering his previous questions. She knew the exhaustion wasn’t normal, and she’d been hiding it from him. “I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, of course. It’s just that none of you collapse every time you use magic.” Her eyebrows furrowed, frustration lining her face.

  “It appears you can control all four elements, which, no, is not normal.”

  “So, I’m a freak in the human world and a freak in the Faerie world.”

  Kieran saw through her amusement to the underlying concern.

  “You’re not a freak in any world,” he said seriously, pulling her against his side. She rested her head on his shoulder while his wings blanketed her shoulders. When she reached out to stroke their feathers with her fingertips he shuddered, his eyelids fluttering closed. “You really shouldn’t do that.”

  “Oh?” she questioned, but her fingers didn’t stop. The hairs on the back of his neck and arms rose, but not how they did when he was scouting something dangerous. This unfamiliar feeling drove his heart into a freeze against his chest and made him wish he could pull her onto his lap. Those thoughts, of course, he couldn’t voice, but she continued to tease him anyway.

  A throat cleared in the room and his eyes snapped open. Ethel stood, blushing, in the doorway.

  Mica was a few feet behind her, grinning at Kieran, and they both carried linen sacks.

  “Got your supplies for the trip,” Ethel said too quietly. Kieran straightened up a little, but didn’t move Thea away from his side. “Could I talk to Thea for a minute?”

  Kieran did not particularly want to get up at the moment, but the look on Ethel’s face was enough to convince him. He nodded then kissed Thea’s forehead, which only broadened the grin on Mica’s face. The boy started to say something but then yelped as Ethel stomped on his foot. Both Kieran and Thea laughed.