The moment she wished it, Elaby, Astrid and Duende appeared, floating within the circle in their ethereal gowns and flowing black hair. The three sisters were identical in every way—even in voice—as they peered down at her with peace and calm written across their faces.
“Shade, you have summoned us.”
“What can we do to ease your soul?”
The sisters’ simple dresses seemed to ripple in an unseen breeze as Shade tried to muster her courage. Their presence was calming, but she still felt watched, and the forest beyond the circle was dark and foreboding.
“I wanted to ask, why did Lana have to die? I feel like nothing I do makes anything better than it was. In fact, things are worse now than ever! That legion of things… whatever they were, there were so many of them! How could we possibly defeat such an army of dark creatures?”
She pulled in a breath as she paused, her heart still fluttering in pain as she remembered her grandmother. “If I give up now, will they eventually enter the human world? I need to protect my family, but I feel so insignificant. Why do I even have to be part of this?”
The three sisters watched her with sadness in their eyes which seemed to grow as they listened to her rant. Shade gulped back her tears. She sighed, knowing it probably wouldn’t do any good to cry here. It was only a dream.
“Can you tell me where Dylan is? Why hasn’t he returned? We are bound. How can he just leave me like that?” Her voice cracked, remembering the horror of seeing Dylan’s pain flash across his face because of Soap. Shade had never meant to hurt either of them, especially Dylan. Her heart felt like it had been ripped out with his absence. She wondered if the sisters even knew how to answer her, as their silence persisted.
Finally, one of them spoke. “Shade, some things cannot be known. The future is murky and unforeseeable. Only with your determination can Faerie hope to defeat a takeover of the dark powers of the Earth.” Elaby smiled slightly at her, even though her face filled with pain for Shade. Their hearts felt everything she felt.
“Dylan is far from here. But do not fret, Shade. You will see him again soon. That is all we can tell you. Some things should never be known of the future, for these are the things that will not change, no matter what you do.” Duende’s head hung down, her hands over her heart as Shade quivered with sadness, despair choking her breath.
“The one thing we can say is if you do not continue your journey to save Faerie from Queen Aveta, the war will spill into the human world, and many will die.” Astrid’s tears glistened on her pale cheeks as she spoke, beckoning Shade closer to them.
“What of my family, must I leave them exposed? I should be home with them. How do I protect them if Aveta and her armies hunt us down? I get a feeling that Corb will stop at nothing to get to me, even hurt the ones I love.” Shade’s panic replaced the melancholy rippling across her chest as her desperation grew.
“Yes, Shade. He will go after your family to get to you. Corb will stop at nothing to attain you for the Queen. But you mustn’t worry too much for them. Your mother is taking the correct steps to guard your sister and brothers well. Now that Benton has come into his powers, he will help her. You must not underestimate them. You must finish this, or we are doomed.”
The sister’s voices harmonized into one as they slowly drifted back, out of the circle and into the dark of the forest. Shade called out to them, but they didn’t answer back. She gulped, hugging her arms around her as a sudden chill passed through. The desolate night seemed to hover around and choke out the air. Shade’s fear grew as she stood alone, making her close her eyes. She silently prayed to wake up from what was now turning into a nightmare.
*****
BLINKING HER EYES, Shade glanced around slowly in the grey fog of dawn. The group had remained on the rocky shelters of the Raven Queen’s domain. Sitting up, she glanced around the silent camp. The fire had long since died, but a wisp of smoke floated up from it. Shade turned back in the direction of her grandmother’s house. The thick fog covered the forest and the land beyond, with only the sharp points of treetops protruding from the clouds.
She pulled out her blanket, the same one Dylan had given her, and wrapped it tightly around her body. Her breath puffed out in the cool morning air as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She waited for the rest of the group to rouse. Her sleep had been fitful, and the memory of her spirit guides’ words had left her exhausted, as if she hadn’t slept at all.
The moist air clung to her skin and hair as the mass of clouds rose around them. Everything felt wet. She wondered how the Raven Queen Aluse could like it up here. There was nothing but hard rock and wet air. At least it was safe. There were no routes that led to these shelters. They were so high up, the air felt thin and left her out of breath. Her stomach rumbled under the blanket as she remembered she hadn’t eaten in almost a day. She pressed her lips together. She didn’t have much to eat with her and wondered if the Ravens and winged-fey had anything to munch on up there. They have to eat too, right? She smiled, feeling less glum as the sun rose over the horizon.
As if Shade’s mind were on display, Queen Aluse came striding out of the entrance to one of the cavern shelters with a plate and cup in hand. She came to sit next to Shade, smiling at her as she placed a heaping plate of fruit, berries and strips of meat in front of Shade along with a cup full of water. Aluse motioned for Shade to dig in as she scanned the horizon. Her black hair seemed to absorb all the light into it, it was so dark. It touched the ground as she sat with her legs folded Indian style. Her wings also scraped the ground, but remained folded tight to her back in a mass of feathers, soft looking and shining an oily black. Shade fought the urge to reach out and stroke them, popping a few grapes into her mouth instead and savoring the juices.
“Your grandmother Lana was quite a woman.” Aluse turned toward Shade as she spoke, smiling with eyes which glinted a deep onyx. “She was my dearest and oldest friend. When she was exiled to this valley, I moved my flock here to oversee her safety and to keep her well-fed. Aveta stuck her in that bubble and left her for dead after finding out they couldn’t kill her. She was that powerful.” Aluse sighed, turning back to the glowing horizon. The clouds seemed to dissipate with the arrival of the sun. A slight heat began to warm Shade, and she let the blanket loosen around her. The Raven Queen didn’t even seem to feel the cold at all.
“It’s cold, isn’t it? I’m sure you feel it more than we do, since you’re part human. If it gets cold enough, we’ll feel it too. I’m afraid there are dark and colder days ahead of us, Shade. As Aveta grows stronger, her powers of winter and frost grow, too. She will bring death and starvation to our kind. We will have to flee south for the first time in millennia.” Her face had gone blank staring out across the valley. The Queen’s own uncertainty leaked out onto Shade, like a mood passing through her.
She pulled the blanket back around her as she polished off the plate of food and gulped down the water. That stupid Queen Aveta is ruining Faerie with every move she makes, she thought. “It must be nice to be able to fly, though,” she said, waving toward Aluse’s wings.
Aluse smiled, nodding. “Yes. If not for that, I’m sure my people would’ve succumbed to her treachery.” She stretched her arms out and let her wings extended out behind her. Standing up, she looked back down at Shade. “We are with you in your fight, Shade. Just let me know if you need anything at all, I mean it. I owe much to Lana, and now this is the only way I can repay her. I’m so privileged to have gotten to meet her granddaughter.”
Shade nodded, smiling up at the beautiful queen. “Thank you. I truly appreciate it,” she said as the Raven Queen gave her a quick nod and turned back toward the shelter caves.
Shade watched as the rest of the Ravens roused, came out of the caverns and went about busying themselves. They ruffled their feathers and flew out in pairs to go scouting. They were gorgeous, and she envied the way they could fly. She would love to be able to fly. It seemed like it would be a useful ability to h
ave here in Faerie.
Soap finally roused and came to sit next to Shade, occupying the spot Aluse had abandoned. He smiled as he glanced her way, running his hand through his loose hair. Shade thought he could pass for a model if he wanted a career in the human world. Her thoughts wandered to their kiss back at the Glass Castle and made her wonder if he ever thought about it, too. He had stuck with her through her rejection, and yet here he was, still smiling.
“Soap, I’m gonna go home. I have to make sure my family is okay.” She paused, studying his emerald green eyes. She was pretty sure he would do what she asked but felt a bit selfish for thinking so. “I would like it if you came with me.” She picked at the blanket as she waited for his reaction.
“Yeah, no problem. I told you once, and I still mean it, Shade.” His face turned incredibly serious as his eyes flashed with a ring of yellow surrounding his black pupils, embedded in the lush green. “I’ll follow you wherever you may go. I will always be there.”
She nodded and pulled her eyes away from his handsome face. She leaned her head on his shoulder as he pulled her closer with his arms around her shoulders. He was radiating warmth, making her feel sad and safe at the same time. Somehow she knew he was telling her the truth.
She gave in to his hug, closing her eyes. Her exhaustion swam along her body, making her want to curl back onto her mat and sleep the day away. She fought it with all her strength and pulled away from Soap as she stretched and stood up. Looking down at Soap, she saw that he didn’t seem surprised at all when she’d pulled away. She studied his incredible eyes. They were full of so many unsaid things, things she was sure she couldn’t deal with right now but made her want to ask him about. Instead, she turned away and went in search of Camulus, hoping to hitch a teleport ride home.
Chapter Seventeen
ENTERING THE CAVE, Shade glanced around what seemed like a long, cavernous room, searching for Camulus. One of the Ravens had pointed her in this direction. They had last seen him there. As she scanned the room, the faery named Bibette came swaying toward her. Her smooth mane of light-brown hair lay like satin on her shoulders and flowed down her back. Her skin was not pixie green but a golden brown which irradiated a healthy glow. Shade thought she could pass for a magazine model. Bibette’s yellow-brown eyes glinted with mischief as she smiled inquisitively.
“Lost already, hun?” Bibette asked, her eyes curiously watching Shade. “I thought I saw you and that hunk of a Changeling outside. Let me know if you don’t want him anymore. I’d gladly pick up the pieces of him for you.” She licked her lips and winked at Shade, making her frown as her lips pressed into a tight line at the faery’s words. She’s just being friendly. Don’t be mean, Shade thought and bit her tongue.
“Have you seen Camulus?” Shade quietly asked. “Tor said he saw him in here. I need to talk to him. Oh, and thanks for saving us last night.”
At that, Bibette’s smile deepened. “Sure thing! I did just see him down at the other end. He was stocking supplies in his pack. He’s not so bad himself. If he was a bit more Pixie than Elven, I’d definitely stake my claim there!” She chuckled and twirled away, leaving Shade almost falling over giggling. The faery was silly and giddy with the new man-meat hanging around. She wondered if they were allowed out of the shelters often or not. She shrugged and headed to the other side of the long cavern.
Camulus was sifting through a pile of weapons and rations. His own weapons had been polished to a shine and were sheathed, waiting in the pile to be re-strapped onto his belt or pack. His green-tinged skin seemed to glow in the sunlight that reflected into the cavern with strategically placed mirrors. His fiery eyes looked up to greet her, and he gave her a slight nod. He’d been very quiet the last couple months between taking her to her grandmother’s house and back home. His flashing smile and little jokes seemed to have faded away. She wondered what was eating away at him, why his humor had faded.
“Hey, Camulus, how’s it going?” Shade plopped down on a wooden chair next to the stone shelf which he had splayed his weapons across. Camulus gazed toward her and studied her intensely, giving her a slight smile as he returned to his weapons.
“Okay. How are you, Shade? You feel alright after last night?” He glanced back and forth from what he was doing to Shade, observing her for any emotions. She looked up at him and gave her head a slight shake, sighing and staring out toward the sunlit cave entrance.
“Not really. I just can’t help but see my grandmother burning up in that house. It makes me sick. All the power I have, and I couldn’t unbind her and save her.” Shade bore her eyes into the ground, feeling a sting of tears behind them.
Camulus stood still for a moment as he watched her. He shuffled around and came to kneel in front of her, taking her hands into his.
“Shade, I know you feel like it’s your fault, but it’s not. Lana was near death, and a fey her age usually does not die in a fire. She chose to wither, chose to fade right before they came. Shade, I could feel her do it. You should not feel guilty. She died well before the house was set on fire. We are immortal, but we can choose to give up the immortality and die. Most of us don’t. The very old ones sometimes do. Living centuries and watching the ones we love die or get killed wears on us. It’s a blessing to be able to choose. Can you imagine having to live forever without an end? It would be more of a curse than anything else.” He sighed and rubbed her hands softly. “Take comfort, Shade. She will be watching over you for sure.”
He smiled as he pushed back the strands of hair dangling in her eyes. She looked up at his kind face. It was one which had been so blank lately but was now full of compassion. She nodded as they hugged, holding back the tears that threatened to spill, willing them away.
“Thanks, Camulus. You have no idea how much that helps me. I feel better, really.” She slowly pulled away, grinning and feeling relieved. She continued to watch him as he resumed putting his equipment away. He gave intermittent smiles toward her as he slipped some of his weapons onto his belt and put some into his pack, which he finally strapped tightly on. As he finished, he turned back to her and held his hand out.
“I get the feeling you might want to return home. When do you want to leave? I’m ready when you are.”
“Yes! I do. But wait. Soap is coming with me. I just want to check up on my family. Where is Andraste? I didn’t ask him yet if he wanted to come along,” Shade said as she took his hand and followed him out of the cavern.
“Andraste has already returned to Prince Lotinar’s castle to join Draden. I took him there last night after we settled in here. Their legions are readying as we speak for a full on attack on Queen Aveta’s domain. It is still weeks away, but it must be done.”
They pushed through a group of Raven Fey as they neared the entrance of the cavern. Shade squinted her eyes as the light from the mid-morning sun made her pupils contract in slight pain as she scanned the crowd for Soap. The winged faeries seemed to have multiplied since the morning. This was obviously the main gathering place. She didn’t remember seeing that many of them there the night before. She spotted Soap near the edge of the plateau, his long hair whipping up in the vibrant gust of air which flowed over the edge of the rock, looking as stunning as usual. He stared off into the distance as she approached his side.
“Hey, Soap, ready to go? I found Camulus to give us a ride.” Shade stopped, realizing how extremely serious Soap’s face had remained, and he hadn’t yet looked at her. She followed his gaze to the horizon toward the east. Her eyes widened with surprise, seeing skyscrapers and smog from a nearby human city. She could’ve sworn she hadn’t seen it before, but the fog might’ve concealed it in the early hours. “Is that a city? Which one are we near? I can see the buildings and even some of the cars reflecting the sun! I didn’t know we were so close to one. Can they see us?” She gulped as she waited for Soap to answer. Somehow his still face made her more than apprehensive.
Soap shook his head and looked at her. “No, they can’t see us yet
, but the wards on the borders of Faerie are growing weak. I think the upset in the balance of powers in Faerie are going to cause a lot of disturbances in the wards shielding our world. If we can see the cities now instead of clouds and mountains, I bet they will be able to see us soon. That would be really bad for everyone involved. I think Aveta is working on breaking the wards and invading the human realms. If she does, your world could be in grave danger. Humans will become enslaved or killed. Aveta will stop at nothing.” He paused, watching Shade’s reaction. “We have to stop her, sooner rather than later.”
Shade’s eyes widened in terror. Her breathing quickened as she stared at the city streets and buildings. They didn’t seem that far away. In fact, they seemed almost too close. She hoped Aveta didn’t complete her treachery any time soon. Shade spoke solemnly as she thought of their situation. “Everyone tells me I’m the key to her destruction, but I haven’t a clue how that’s gonna happen. I haven’t an inkling of how to destroy her. The one vision of her gave me the creeps. She’s powerful. No way could I ever defeat her.” She took a deep breath, her heart racing against the words which had slipped from her mouth.
I have to remain positive. I can’t give up!
“It’s okay, Shade. I’m sure we’ll figure something out.” Soap embraced her, pulling her close, not wanting to let go. Shade felt her heart flutter at his touch. His warmth seeped onto her cool skin, making her want to just sink into it and let it claim her. She liked him a lot, but her thoughts jerked back to Dylan, wishing he were here to embrace her instead. She shook her head as she pulled away from him, smiling to cover her feelings. It was mean of her to think that way when Soap had done nothing but help her. She still wondered what the secret was that he was hiding from her. She hadn’t bothered to inquire about it again since leaving the Glass Castle. She’d wait until her curiosity could not bear it anymore, then she would risk asking him what Dylan had meant by saying Soap was not all that he seemed to be.