AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I inhaled deeply, then raised the chalice to my lips, hoping that whatever was in there wouldn't kill me. A swallow, and the taste of bittersweet mead ran down my throat. Honey and musky yeast, and rich apple. Blood and mugwort and cannabis. And… the faintest taste of mushrooms in the background.
As the liqueur rolled down my throat, an icy fire began to churn in my stomach, radiating out—javelins of pain and pleasure racing through my veins to lick at my toes, to flutter in my heart, to spread throughout my body like a butterfly unfurling its wings for the first time.
I looked up to see a web radiating between Titania, Morgaine, and me. It was forged of thousands of droplets of energy, and I realized we'd created our own version of the Ionyc Sea right here, to bridge the gap between our separate powers. I could feel them: Titania, relieved that she was recovering her essential self. She was angry at Morgaine, but she would work with her for the greater good. Morgaine was greedy, hungry to increase her strength, but her purpose was clear, and there was no love of Demonkin in her soul. She might be power hungry, but she wasn't going to hand us over to the enemy.
"Look at that. Can you see it?" Chase's whisper cut through the silence, and all three of us turned to stare at him, a warning to keep silent. Chase's eyes widened, and he backed up a step, but Smoky put his hand on the detective's shoulder to steady him.
I gazed into Smoky's eyes, and his lip twitched. He said nothing, but he pursed his lips and blew me an irreverent kiss. A halo of energy surrounded him. Mist rose from the hem of his trench coat, and within that mist I could see the swirls of dragon energy coiling, twisting, waiting for me.
As my gaze lightly passed from Smoky to Morio, to my sisters, I could see each in turn, the powers inherent within their souls cloaking their physical form. I loved them all, I realized. In differing ways, but even Chase, who showed a small pinkish halo of energy that told me he had some sort of power, even if he didn't know it yet. Human, yes, but still—he was an unrealized canvas.
"Are you ready?" Titania asked.
I turned back to the Fae Queen emeritus. "Let me prepare the horn."
She nodded.
I felt in my pocket for the horn of the Black Unicorn, and as I touched it, a sudden flare of fear and pain crashed through me. Feddrah-Dahns! I whirled to the others. "Feddrah-Dahns is out there, and he's in trouble. Go help him, now! I must stay here, but go find him. The demons are on the land."
Smoky took the lead, his long trench flowing in his wake, followed by Menolly and Delilah. Morio gave me a torn glance, then turned to Chase. "You stay here. With demons and will-o'-the-wisps out there in the dark, you don't stand a chance."
"He's right, Chase." I said. "Park it and get ready in case somebody barges into the cave."
Chase let out a deep sigh but merely gave me a quick nod as he watched the rest of them race out the door. He pulled out his nunchakus and crouched, facing the entrance to the cave.
I grasped the horn. We were almost out of time. No more time to ponder, to worry, to doubt. As my hand clasped the crystal spire, I thrust my essence inside the horn, seeking the chamber of mirrors. One second, two… and I was standing in the center, all four Elementals waiting for me. Eriskel was standing there, watching carefully.
"I need all four of you to shore my powers up. Strengthen my energy," I said. "I'm about to break an incredibly strong and ancient spell cast by Elemental Lords. I need the power to break through the wards and guards."
They bowed, without a word, and I felt their energy begin to stream through me. Kind of like being plugged into four different outlets at once.
I leapt out of the horn, back to my body, and to my surprise, the web of energy connecting me to Morgaine and Titania was now thick with colored beads. Earth mana, water energy, the power of air, the swords of fire—and all the energy was flowing directly into me.
Without a word, Titania handed me the sword. I stared at the spirit seal. The amethyst was set in a pendant that was affixed to the hilt, and the lights within the gem danced, sparking like a broken power line. The seal was alive, it knew I was here, and it was ready for use. For just a second, I was tempted to reach out, to tap into the seal and forge it to my own will, to make it my own. Then reason prevailed, and I turned my attention to the crystal spike within which Aeval had rested for so many thousands of years.
I raised the sword and focused on the crystalline grave. One swing, and it connected. "Wake!"
A loud hum filled the air, and I pulled back and swung again. "Break!" Again, silver and steel kissed crystal, and the chamber began to reverberate with harmonics as a loud ringing rippled through the cave.
"Third time's the charm!" I brought the sword across the crystal again.
There was a pause, a moment muffled in silence, and then the crystal began to shatter, shards of quartz shooting out like ammo from an AK-47. I stared as a vein spread like a spider web through the huge spike, and then there was one loud, thundering crack, and the rest of the crystal exploded.
As a howling wind rose to shake the cavern, I dropped the sword and fell to my knees. Titania and Morgaine went flying back as the explosion rebounded on us. The shock waves cascaded through my body like a series of punches. I raised my head, my ribs aching like a son of a bitch.
A swirl began to form around Aeval, a vortex of breath and life and magic. The fingers of mist touched her lips, parting them, and slid into her mouth. Her body convulsed as she sucked the mist into her lungs, swallowing it like some primal elixir. And then, Aeval's eyes fluttered—the color of snow and frost—and she opened them wide. Clad in a gown the color of the indigo night sky, she stepped out of the remains of the crystal like a ballerina dancing on toe point.
Tall she was, and dangerously beautiful. Her lips quirked in the faintest of grins as she surveyed her surroundings. Her gaze fell on Titania, and she let out a low trill of laughter.
"Well, and so I am free. And so are you. I take it we did not win the war?" She looked at me. "And who are you? Fae and yet…" She sniffed. "Half-breed. And not any sort of Fae that I've ever met."
Titania was on her feet in seconds, followed by Morgaine. "Aeval, there's no time to waste. We must reawaken the Courts. The balance is at stake."
Morgaine looked uncomfortable. "And what of me? I was willing to—"
"Hush…" Aeval brushed her hand over her lips as she looked at Morgaine, and Morgaine fell silent.
I glanced at my cousin. She hadn't shut up because Aeval asked her to. No, Aeval had cast a subtle spell, one that could instantly silence Morgaine. As I watched the Unseelie Queen, I began to realize that her powers hadn't been muted at all, merely frozen in time. And she was a very deadly woman. I backed up as her gaze turned to me.
