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Anxiety pours through me as I ask Edlynne, “What else?”
Her silver eyes almost seem to flicker as she watches me, lightening and darkening as she goes through a wide range of emotions. She swallows, setting her cup of coffee down and then gently placing her hands in her lap.
“We’re the Lyke faeries.”
I’ve heard the term before, but I can’t remember where. Instead of asking, I let her continue.
“The gods locked us away… In a realm hidden amongst the stars to keep us safe, but we were put there against our will.” She leans forward and her eyes blaze bright silver. “I believe our memories are returning because we knowthisplace. Sky Court was our home, long ago, when the Tartarus monarchy hunted us. Our powers expand far beyond those of regular fae, and we were a valuable prize for the monarchy at the time.”
I’m feeling shock and disbelief. The gods knew we would end up back here the entire time. They released these people not to me, but back to their homeland. “How could the monarchy use your powers?”
Edlynne’s face is grim as she twiddles her thumbs in her lap. “They possessed enchanted stones, and they were capable of draining our powers into them. We cease to exist if our powers are completely drained from our bodies. We die. Lyke faeries have more power reserves than the average fae, and we recharge faster. Sunlight feeds our bodies, allowing us to strengthen our reserves with the power of the sun. On a full moon, or close to a full moon, we’re able to do the same thing at night with moonlight.”
“Lyke faeries feed off the sun and moon?” I breathe.
I’ve never heard of this, and it barely seems possible, although there are a lot of recent events I would have never thought to be possible.
She nods, her eyes narrowing on me. “In the ancient language, ‘Lyke’ translates to ‘dawn.’ We are the dawn fae.”
My heart thumps against my chest. It’s all coming together now. It’s all coming full circle.
Every decision I’ve made was decided by the gods long before I existed. I’m high lady of Sky Court, and the dawn fae are my people. They fuel their power with the moon and the sun. Everything makes sense now.
Edlynne looks concerned by my lack of words, but she continues as the thoughts spill out of her. “Lyke faeries were locked into the realm as living entities, merely mind and soul, but no body. We’ve been trapped for over seven hundred years, and every one hundred years the gods allowed us a short glimpse of what life in Tartarus looked like at that time. It was always horrible to see the corrupt monarchy worsen every one hundred years, and we quickly lost hope of ever returning to this land.”
“And then they released you shortly after I killed the king…” I say, trailing off deep in thought.
They’ve been trapped as living entities with no bodies for seven hundred years. They had nowhere to go, and there was no way out. They couldn’t even fight their way out because it was physically impossible. The gods kept them hidden from the world for their own protection, but is that not a more cruel form of punishment than death?
What will be the long-term effects of being held against their will for seven hundred years when their memories return? Will they turn on the gods?
“We had no idea what was going on down here. We were somewhere halfway between glimpses of Tartarus, and we weren’t aware of your existence or your purpose.” Edlynne grabs for the hand I’ve been using to cup my mouth, shielding her from my utter shock. She draws it toward her, holding it between her two hands. “You are our savior, Adeena Devna. We owe you our lives.”
She may feel that way, but what about everyone else? Will they be angry with me for not saving them sooner? If I had known they were locked away, is there something I could have done about it?
My head is spinning as she smiles at me through the silver eyes that closely match my own.
I do my best to collect myself, straightening my back as I sit up. “I think it’s time for a Sky Court meeting… witheveryone.”
Edlynne bows her head as she plants a kiss on the top of my hand. “I agree.”
* * *
An old crackedmirror in the main bed chambers struggles to hold itself together as I watch my reflection. I didn’t pack any gowns in my luggage because I chose functionality and comfort over formality, but Lyra sure had. The second I told her of the Sky Court meeting she began rummaging through the assortment of gowns she brought to Northford. Her jade green eyes lit as she found the perfect one, pulling it off the rack and shoving it toward me as the excitement rolled through her.
Word of the meeting is being spread throughout the village, and everyone is on their way to the yard behind the manor. There’s a grand balcony overlooking the yard, and I’ll use it as a podium to speak to them once they’re all here.
“Fit for a queen,” Lyra gasps as she returns to the main bed chambers.
I roll my eyes, laughing lightly. “Or a high lady.”
The gown she chose is vibrant, perfectly highlighting the colors of the most jaw-dropping dawn. Pinks, oranges, and purples mix amongst white fabric, and there’s a shimmery gold dust that lightly coats the tulle strips extending from my waist down to the floor. It hugs my chest and stomach tightly but flows freely from my hips, exposing the stars on my upper thighs through wide slits in the fabric. My ashy blonde hair is twisted away from my face and gathered at the top of my head where it’s secured by a gold band. Lyra helped me apply black coal liner to my eyes after she insisted it was necessary to smudge a light pink balm over my lips.
“It’s practically the same thing,” Lyra smiles with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes.
The gods must been whispering in Lyra’s ear, telling her what to pack in her luggage because she is wearing the most gorgeous navy blue gown. Silver and white glitter dust coat the tulle strips in the same way the gold covers my gown. Silver beads bring light to the thick braid running down her back.
She’s a midnight queen.
