Encouraging a herd of Kelpies into the water, after they had spent years racing on top of it, was more complicated than Tor had thought it would be.
Something had changed in the lake. The rocks surrounding the shore were exposed, revealing copper-colored lines where the water had once been. The previously hidden tunnels and rock caverns were all but exposed—though Elsbeth had had the foresight to block the ones visible from the shore.
Tor explained to Rian Swiftgait, and then to the other kelpies—still in equine form—that they would have to swim.
Something, it turned out, that they hadn’t done in years.
Once he had completed the arduous task of corralling an exhausted herd in the water, he had to convince them to travel through the Reeds.
Tor had been excited to see his home. The writhing dark tendrils formed a curtain over the carved-out underwater cliff. He hadn’t thought about what it would look like to a mass of already frightened wild Fae.
“Quickly!” Tormalugh craned his neck to see over the crowd. One hand disappeared into the Reeds, as the plants climbed over his wrist and probed him with their magic.
In the distance, past the coral fields, the water was darker than it should have been. Tormalugh had grown up with the Abyss surrounding Cruinn, visible for miles, but the shadows were different. The abyss seemed to be growing, expanding into the lake towards the Reeds.
The kelpies at the back of the crowd glanced back, following his gaze. Sensing the danger and Tor’s unease, they finally began to move.
Tormalugh pushed the reeds aside, ushering the wild fae through. Rian Swiftgait waited at his side until the last Kelpie disappeared through the barrier.
His shining city.
Tor stepped out onto the promenade, craning his neck to take in his home. Faelight flickered in each cavern, carved into the sheer rock face. At the center of it all stood the palace, formed of dark spiny rock, overlooking the city.
No other place in the Night Court—or perhaps the entire Aos Sí—was as attuned to his creed as the Reeds were. The younglings raced around the fountain, a curl of rainbow magic twisted in on itself, feeding the city’s protection. The elder Fae, in horse form, curled up in the sea grass lining the promenade. Asleep and unbothered by the new arrivals.
Tor did not wait for his guests, as he strode towards the castle, feeling the weight of the attention that followed his every step.
The promenade to the castle’s entrance felt all too long, and he did not look back to see if the others followed.
Tormalugh Shadowhock was King of the Reeds, and while his guests did not understand that yet, his subjects did—and protocol was protocol.
Kelpies seldom showed emotions on their faces, and many were adept at shielding their emotions from others in their creed. But Tor felt them nonetheless.
Fear. Confusion at the battalion of scarred and frightened guests that followed him. But above all, the relief their king had returned.
The doors to the castle opened, as expected, and Tor did not break stride as he swam through them into the foyer of his home.
He turned to the attendant nearest the door. A female Kelpie with an eye patch, a scar extending under the fabric. He waved her over. “Food.” He declared. “And inform my sister of my return.”
The attendant nodded once and swiftly swam away, before Tor heard the tinkling laugh of his younger sister from the other side of the room. Echoing down the spiraling staircase at the center of the entrance hall.
“No one needs to be informed of anything, brother.” Elsbeth Shadowhock pulled her hand over her mouth, attempting to wipe the smile from her face. “With that entrance like that? You’ve certainly gained the kingdom's attention.”
Elsbeth Shadowhock, living up to her name, dispersed in the water—showing a trick his family seldom pulled in front of others. She disappeared in a blink, unfurling like a butterfly in front of Tor.
The guests moved back in a wave. Their fear turned the water sour.
She paused, her eyes sweeping over the guests. They settled a moment too long on Rian Swiftgait, the only other kelpie on two legs. “Another group from the surrounding villages?”
Tor shook his head. “A lot has happened.”
Elsbeth sighed, waving to another attendant. A silent male peeled himself away from the wall. “Take these guests to the barracks, with the others. Ensure they are fed and receive medical treatment. Processing can wait until the morning.”
“The others?” Tor quirked a brow.
Sadness flashed over Elsbeth’s features, so quickly he almost missed it. “We have much to discuss, brother.”
His rooms were much the same as they had been when he left the Reeds many months before.
