Aerie pulled back and looked up at her mother. “So, you think it’s possible for me to always fight away the evil? To always be good?”
Asphodul smiled at her, holding her chin in her hand. “Of course it is. And I know without a doubt that you will always succeed in that. The dark is no place for you. Only the light has room in your heart.”
Aerie nodded, looking down at her half eaten bun. “I’m not so hungry anymore.”
Asphodul reached down and pulled Aerie from her chair. She squeezed her nose and hugged her tightly. “You have nothing to fear. It is your birthday, and I want you to put it out of your mind for today. Just think about the beautiful day outside. Come on, put on your boots and let’s go pick apples for your pie tonight. It will be the freshest birthday pie you will ever taste.”
Aerie giggled. “You say that every year.”
Asphodul swatted her butt as she hurried over to her boots laughing. “Yes, but have I ever been wrong?”
The two opened up the door, letting the beautiful light in. Asphodul picked up two baskets, hanging one on her right arm, and passing the other over to Aerie. They locked arms and laughed as they skipped through the yard, heading for the ripe orchard trees to the left along the back edges of the enchantment. They always grew bigger when they were closer to the magic.
Asphodul pointed up at the sky. “Look a Horn Bellow. See the yellow on its wings?”
Asphodul quickly realized that Aerie had unlocked arms and was standing three steps behind her, frozen in place. She followed Aerie’s stare to the back right corner of the enchantment, finding Nekane stepping out from the wood line, a bow and arrow in his hands. She quickly looked around for the dragons, but they had gone out to hunt and find a gift to bring to Aerie.
Immediately she dropped her basket and side stepped, standing in front of her daughter. “You there. You do not belong here. This is our land. If you are lost, we can show you the way out. But you need to leave, now.”
Nekane began to walk forward, tilting his head to the side. “I shall not leave. I have searched for eighteen years, and finally found you.”
Asphodul gritted her teeth. “Who are you? What business do you have with me?”
Nekane shook his head. “Not you.” He lifted his arm, pointing behind her at Aerie. “The Dead Child is who I have come for.”
Asphodul shook her head, beginning to pull her Fae energy into her chest. “You are mistaken. There is no Dead Child here. This is my daughter. Leave now or I will force you to by whatever means necessary.”
Nekane continued moving forward. “You are a Fae Queen, and this child is not. I have seen the visions. I have been shown the way. This child will be the end of all if I do not end her life.”
Asphodul growled. “You will do no such thing today sir.”
Aerie’s anger was bubbling up inside of her. She stepped from behind her mother and clenched her fists. Immediately a strong wind began to blow all around them. Aerie kept her post, staring angrily at the intruder. Asphodul shook her head, reaching for Aerie, whose eyes had begun to glow a bright red. “No, Aerie. Fight the anger. You don’t need to use your anger for this. Calm down. We can handle it.”
Nekane sneered and cocked his bow, pulling it up and releasing. The arrow flew straight for Aerie’s chest. Asphodul screamed out and dove to the side in front of her child. As she crossed her body, the bow pierced into Asphodul’s chest, lodging directly into her heart. She dropped mid-air to the ground, and cried out. Nekane’s face dropped. He never meant to kill the Queen of the Fae. He was there for the child and only the child.
Aerie reached out as her mother fell, grabbing her under her back and lowering herself down with her. “Mother. No.”
She laid Asphodul’s head in her lap and began to stroke her hair, tears streaming from her still glowing eyes. She gritted her teeth and wailed. “I will make him pay, mother. He will never know fear like I will show him.”
Her voice had become low and echoed across the clearing. Nekane stopped, watching the scene unfold. Aerie sniffled, tears running down her cheeks. “Mother, I can help you. If I have all of these powers, I can heal you. You can’t leave me here alone. I can’t keep the anger and the evil behind me without you here. I’ve always known, but I chose your kindness.”
Asphodul coughed, grunting. Blood trickled from her mouth and down her chin. She reached up slowly and caressed Aerie’s cheek. “My…beautiful daughter…you…were…meant for bigger…things. Listen to me closely. It’s all…inside…of you. Choose…kindness. Be…be…love.”
Asphodul’s arm went limp, dropping to the ground. Aerie sat, watching as the life force within in shook inside of her Fae body. Aerie laid her on the ground and scooted back as Asphodul’s whole being began to break apart into tiny shimmering pieces. They floated upward toward the sky, releasing a spray of magic over Aerie. It was meant to be her last calming attempt, but Aerie couldn’t feel a bit of it.
As the last of her mother’s body drifted up into the clouds, Aerie began to breath heavily. She gripped her fists tightly together, looking at the ground. Her teeth ground down and her eyes grew redder and redder by the second.
Nekane quickly put another arrow on his bow and pulled the string back. He aimed at Aerie’s head and let the arrow fly. Without looking, Aerie snapped her arm up and grabbed the arrow mid-flight. She brought it down in front of her and broke it in half, throwing each side down on the ground. Slowly she began to rise, standing taller and stronger than she had ever been before.
She rolled her neck and turned toward Nekane, a deep growl coming from her throat. With heaving breast, she began to take slow steps toward him, her eyes burning into his soul. He tripped backward and leveled himself, reaching back and pulling another arrow from his bag.
He pulled it up and aimed at her heart. “It isn’t your fault. But you must understand, if I let you live, you will destroy all living creatures. You will kill until there is nothing left.”
Aerie’s eyes narrowed and her body surged with power. You could see the heat begin to radiate off of her. He let the arrow fly, watching it plunge into her chest. She growled and ripped it out, no blood dripping from the wound. With a fierce strength she swiped her arm to the left. Nekane’s body lifted from the ground and flew through the air, slamming into a large ancient tree on the edge of the wood line. He hit hard, his shoulder cracking, and slid down into a pile on the ground.
Aerie balled both hands into fists and tilted her head back, screaming in a high pitched demon tone. The sound wave shook everything around her, including the ground that she stood upon. The spell surrounding the clearing wavered and shook before finally releasing. It exploded outward like glass, blowing shards of magic protection outward with the force of a bomb. Trees began to bend and fall, fire sparked into a roar around the edges of the perimeter.
The Dead Child continued forward, flicking her wrist and creating a whole in the fire to step through. As the flames closed, Nekane looked over, knowing that her anger would fuel the demise of the very world he knew.
Chapter Eighteen : A Rousing Celebration
The day had come, the day that everyone in the town was looking forward to, but those inside of the castle weren’t so excited about. It was the Anniversary of the Dead King, a day to celebrate the defeat of what could have very well been the last days of the realms. They celebrated the heroes of that day and those that sacrificed their lives to save the rest of the beings in the realm. It wasn’t just the Fae celebrating it was the rest of the realms as well. They all had reason for celebration.
Even those that had fought against the Fae were eventually pardoned as a people, and that was done on the third Anniversary. It gave everyone hope for a brighter future and a continuation of the peace of the land. Still, Ardontis, Coventina, Helena, Pike, Holland, Leonetta, and Elsworth were still. The sounds around them, the music, the laughter, the crackling of magic celebrations shook them with each blast and bang. Their nerves were a little more than
frayed.
Holland walked up to Leonetta, rubbing her shoulders. “Watch our beautiful children play. This is a very long day and we have just begun the celebration breakfast. We still have the events, and the ball to move through tonight. Let’s try to move forward in hopes we are wrong. And if we are right, let us enjoy the beauty of the life we made together.”
Leonetta turned around and pressed her lips to Holland. “You are always the voice of calm even if I am the embodiment of it.”
Holland chuckled as Pike and Helena walked up, standing tense and close to the Leonetta. Leonetta patted Hollands chest. “Nonetheless, we must be on guard. We can still enjoy, but be on guard.”
She turned to Pike and Helena. “I know this is not what you wanted your first visit in eighteen years to the Vale to be like. I am sorry. We have to be ready for anything. But Holland is also right. It will do us no good to stand around like statues. Enjoy but keep your wits about you at all times.”
Helena smirked. “You know me, witty as they come.”
Pike choked on his drink, spitting it into the cup and laughing. “I don’t think that’s quite what she meant.”
Helena looked at Leonetta, thumbing at Pike over her shoulder. “Apparently neither Mer People or Wolf Kings know sarcasm.”
Pike rolled his eyes, reaching over and tickling Helena. She laughed loudly squirming around and slapping his hand. At that moment three elders walked by and Helena stood up straight, stepping hard on Pike’s foot. He leaned in and rested his chin on her shoulder, whispering into her ear. “Would you like to go for a walk with me in the gardens? They are roped off from the party since they have delicate blooms at the moment. It would be just the two of us.”
Helena shifted her eyes toward him, a smile twisting her lips even though she desperately tried to stop it. “I suppose so, as long as you don’t embarrass me to the rest of the kingdom.”
Pike put out his arm. “I will be the epitome of a gentleman.”
Helena huffed, sticking her arm through his. As soon as her skin met Pike’s a warm feeling tickled in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t felt that feeling in a very, very long time. Pike pulled her gently along as she picked up the front of her skirt and hurried to keep up his pace.
She grumbled as her dress got caught beneath her boot. “I hate the fact that I was forced to dress up today. I thought I was supposed to be ready for a battle. How am I supposed to battle in a corset and long skirt?”
Pike glanced down at her. “I think you look absolutely beautiful.”
Leonetta heard the compliment as they were walking away and giggled. Helena glanced back at her with narrowed eyes. Leonetta stood up straight and put her fingers to the corners of her mouth, pulling her lips into a smile. Helena rolled her eyes and gripped onto Pike’s arm as they walked through the doorway and began down the main staircase.
There were tons of people crowding the steps so they waited to talk until they were safely around the corner and past the guard into the garden. Helena squeezed his arm as they meandered through the flowers. “So, what have you been doing for the last eighteen years?”
Pike snickered. “Not as much as I’m sure everyone thinks. To be honest, I took a lot of time to myself. I walked for a very long time. I trailed across the realms, watching sunsets, camping under the stars, meeting people. But about a decade went by of me just wandering and I had to stop and think about why I couldn’t stop. In the end I realized that all the steps I had taken was just a slow jog, trying to run from the hurt and pain that I was feeling after the war. So, I found a piece of land, built a little cottage and did whatever I wanted. Sometimes I traveled, but I had a place to come back to. A home.”
Helena looked at him with sorrow in her eyes. “I am sorry I wasn’t there for you. I’m sorry it went on for ten years, that is such a long walk. I hope you’re not planning for this garden walk to be ten years. I didn’t bring the right shoes.”
Pike laughed. “No, but I don’t know if I would mind if it was. Anyway, what about you? What has the last eighteen years brought you?”
Helena let a deep breath out, puffing her cheeks. “Where do I start? I helped with the renewal of the realms. I met a Fae named Hunter. He was a wild trainer. We got married, had a few kids… twin girls and a boy and settled in here.”
Pike stopped and looked at her with concern. “Where is this Hunter? I would like to congratulate him. I didn’t know.”
Helena patted his arm, looking up into his eyes. “He was killed in an accident five years ago.”
Pike furrowed his brow. “Good Gods, Helena. I am so sorry. I am so sorry I wasn’t here for you. That had to be so hard.”
Helena nodded as they began to walk again. “It was hard, of course. But to be honest with you…it wasn’t what you would think.”
Pike was confused. “How so?”
Helena stopped and turned toward him. “Though I belonged to another, my heart was always somewhere else.”
Pike’s face went soft and his eyes grew dark. The stars sparkled and flashed above them in the night sky as the full moon lit up the garden. Pike stepped forward, bringing his hands up to her cheeks. He stared longingly into her eyes, feeling her bosom heaving against him. Slowly their faces inched toward the other. Helena closed her eyes and Pike looked at her for another moment before closing his as well. They could feel each other’s breath as their lips came just centimeters apart.
Suddenly, a loud sound rang out through the trees and echoed against the Fae Castle. Pike and Helena both let go of each other and gasped, dropping to their knees and covering their ears. The windows in the castle all at once burst, blasting glass from outside to in. The people around them screamed in horror as they gripped tightly to their heads, trying to muffle the sound. It was excruciating and cut straight through to the soul.
Leonetta hurried out to the balcony and took in a deep breath, pulling the Fae energy toward her. She waved her arm through the air and up over her head. Streams of light burst from her fingertips, rising up over the entire kingdom and blanketing it in a bubble that broke the screeching sound and shielded them from further injury.
Slowly everyone began to stand up, apprehensively removing their hands from their ears. Helena and Pike breathed heavily as they stared at each other, grabbing onto each other’s arms. A swift wind blew, removing the cover of magic from the Kingdom but the sound had stopped. Instead, clouds began to blow in, faster than any storm they had ever seen.
The dark puffs of daunting coverage seemed to stop and hover over the Fae. Helena put her hand over her mouth as they turned from grey to a deep blood red. Day instantaneously descended into dusk and the entirety of the kingdom sat in a deep red glow. Helena took a deep breath and shook her head, hearing Leonetta inside of it. Look to me, Helena. Do not be frightened.
Helena took Pike by the arm and the two turned, walking back toward the castle. As they moved, Pike pointed upward to the balcony, Leonetta standing firm her hands clenched against the railing. Her face was serious but no fear leaked into her eyes even in the slightest. She knew what they had to do. She knew there was no turning back, and whatever was coming might have already arrived. She was the only vision of calm in the sea of screams and horror. Just like the strong Queen she was, she had taken charge of her own emotion and put herself in front of the people of the Vale.
Racing up next to Helena and Pike, Holland looked up at his wife. His son stepped up next to him, putting his hand on Holland’s shoulder. Ardontis and Coventina hurried through the downstairs corridor and out into the garden. Finding the others, they stared at them confused for a moment before following their eyes up to Leonetta. Even in the tint from reddened clouds, Leonetta’s eyes were a blistering blue and she had a glow that haloed around her.
She watched for a moment as the guests of the party raced inside, getting everyone out of the open and inside of the castle. When the doors were shut, she looked back down at the group. “Meet me in the Field of the Wild. There is no ti
me to lose.”
As soon as she disappeared into the castle the group took off, making their way up and over to the Field of the Wild. Several of the Wild dragons sat, staring up at the red clouds, their bodies tense with anticipation. Holland put out his hands, everyone standing in a circle in the field waiting for Leonetta to make it there. “We need to keep our heads on straight so everyone take a deep breath and calm yourselves.”
Pike pushed up the sleeves of his tunic and Helena groaned, looking down at her dress. “I knew this dress was a bad idea. Good thing I wore my boots despite objections from the designer.”
Leonetta came walking fast over the crest of the hill and through the field. She stepped up next to Holland. “Our daughter is fine. She is safely in the center of the castle.”
Holland nodded, looking nervous. “Tell them what you saw.”
Everyone turned to Leonetta. She glanced around, still completely calm. “While upstairs I had a small vision. I have seen the coming of evil. The Dead Child is a girl named Aerie, adopted in a way, by my sister Asphodul. She did not kill our sister, but now that she is dead, Aerie has lost control of her anger. She has let the Dead Child come through.”
Holland furrowed his brow. “She’s an eighteen year old girl. We should be able to get her calmed and control her.”
Leonetta’s eyes dropped and she closed her eyes, breathing deeply through her nose and out of her mouth. “I wish that were a possibility. This girl is stronger than any enemy we have ever faced. We are out of time. She is coming for us, for the entire realm.”
Chapter Nineteen : So Much Has Reached an End
The dragons landed one by one in a line. They sat perched on the ridge looking down into the large open fields in front of them. Leonetta and Helena rode their respectable dragons, Holland had shifted, and Pike charged forward, his wolf cloak tightly wrapped around his shoulders. They were miles and miles from the Vale, but that didn’t mean they weren’t in imminent danger.
War of the Realms Box Set Page 59
