Fae (21 page)

After hours went by, I noticed that the sun was close to rising again; I decided to get out of bed and push open the doors that led to my balcony. I walked straight to the edge and then leaned in against the railings and pushed back as I let out a sigh of frustration. Running my hands through my hair, I began thinking about her.

It had certainly been a restless night for me, and I knew that it had been a restless night for her as well. Despite the fact that she walked away from me at Jordana's party, I knew that she cared. I knew that she couldn't deny that we had a connection. One that she would have to face as I had.

All in time. Even though it was definitely not on our side.

If I was of the right mind, maybe I could do something to change the course we were on. If I were to properly strategize, maybe I could tempt the fates and push them off their axis. It was a rare occurrence, but it had certainly been done before. I closed my eyes, and her face was immediately before me.

Whenever I looked into her beautiful eyes, it pained me. For all I truly thought of was the sorrow I would feel if I let her in and then was forced to let her go. I had to think this through.

All of it.

I took in a deep breath.
One step at a time
, I thought. If she was close, I could keep a watchful eye, and if she trusted me she would listen to me when the time was right. Once I knew she was safe and sound, I would then ensure that she went back to her normal life and find love in the arms of man who would keep her alive and well forever. A man who wasn't cursed as I was.

And I knew at that moment that I would do
whatever
it took to get her there.

“My son,” Odin said as he entered my room. “I was hoping to have a moment with you.”

“Of course.”

“Coffee?” Odin asked as he took in my rumpled appearance. I nodded as he snapped his fingers, and two maidens were before us pouring coffee into porcelain cups that stood on a new table that appeared in my room at that same instant they did.

“You need to eat as well,” Odin said. Suddenly the table held a basket full of fresh croissants, a tray of fruit, and all sorts of butter and jams. On another dish, eggs benedict.

“Let me make you a plate,” Odin said as he waved his hand. The maidens disappeared, and Odin walked over to me with a plate filled with all sorts of delicious items. Odin handed me the coffee and food. We both sat down in front of my fireplace, which instantly roared to life.

Odin looked at me.

“You seem out of sorts?”

“I feel powerless. Truly powerless.”

Odin reached out his hand and grasped my shoulder.

“Look at me.”

I was almost ashamed that I had spoken the words that had entangled my thoughts. I was a King. I should have been just that, a fearless leader.

“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”

“I don't think Shakespeare ever thought that our existence could be part of the world when he wrote
Henry IV
,” I said stoically.

“The same man wrote
A Midsummer Night's Dream
,” Odin smiled. “I say you give him more credit than that.”

I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes.

“Why is that whenever you speak to me I feel as though I can do anything?” I asked him.

“Because you can.” I watched the flames in the fire as he continued, “I know you can defeat your father. I know you can defeat the dark that lives within your soul, and I know you can let the light wash over you.
That
is your destiny.”

My eyes began to move through the flames as I pictured Caroline running into my arms. Her long hair flowed magically behind her, and she wore a rich purple muslin gown, the customary outfit of royalty in the fairy court. I watched as she threw herself in my arms and leaned back to look up in my eyes. I held her protectively, lifting her body off the ground. All the love in the world was in her eyes. I could feel my heart beat faster at the thought of such happiness.

I looked over at Odin quickly knowing that he had just made this scene appear before my eyes.

“Have you seen it?” I asked as I dared to hope for a moment that this could indeed be my life. Our life.

“You know that I have not.”

“Then why show me…” I began but chose not to finish my thoughts aloud. Why show me such happiness? Such
love
.

“Alderon has the advantage,” I told Odin as I continued to watch the flames, “he knows me. He knows what I'm made of. He knows my weaknesses, and he will play upon those.”

“He is only able to understand half the man you are. He is dark. Purely, utterly, completely dark. It motivates him. Drives him. He feeds off it. Covets it. But you, Devilyn,
you
are both sides. And you court the light. So it is
you
that has the advantage.”

“His powers are great, and he has the assistance of a league of evil.”

“You underestimate your abilities.”

“I hope you are right. Now more than ever.”

Odin countered with a knowing smile, “I am right.”

Odin stood up abruptly and looked down at me.

“If you have some time, I thought that it might be wise to pay a visit to Dana. She's expecting us,” he said as he reached out his hand.

Before I even had a second to answer, we were gone.

It was as if I had entered a dream. Odin and I stood at the end of a long corridor surrounded by beams of light. The beams sparkled against the crystal pathway that led to the queen's chamber creating a magical picture. Lemurian crystals, those of the great Atlantean ancestors, lined the pathway so when a member of the Fae walked through, they were reenergized with ancient mystical power. As I walked by the human sized crystals I felt a surge of inner peace.

We reached the giant doors to the chamber, and they opened on their own accord, and we stepped through. The room contained the most luxurious furnishings the world could ever offer. Bright flowers filled every opulent table, while large wax candles lit the room. Crystal platters, dishes of fruits and sweet desserts were displayed on the golden coffee table.

A small group had gathered, and they were all sitting around the fireplace. Before I could even blink my eyes Dana materialized in front of us. She looked like an angel.

Dana was the great goddess of the Light Fae, the first mother, the benevolent one, the spiritual leader of the Tuatha DéDanann. She kept court with the most enchanting and gifted of the Light Fae and was always surrounded by the sun. She was eternal. Loving. Gracious. Caring. Peaceful. The great mother of all the Fae in every essence of the word.

The others stood when she materialized and bowed their heads. Dana reached out her hand, and they all sat again, forever wanting everyone to be in peace. My eyes searched the familiar faces in the room, and I smiled in greeting when I recognized one Fae in particular that I had a soft spot for.

Her name was Ella. For even the Fae, she was a stunning beauty. Her dark hair was long and curly, swirled around her face like a painting, and when she smiled she could literally light up a room. Ella was the purest of all the Fae, untouched by dark, forever believing in only the light. She was one of the few confidants I had ever had at court, one of the only ones that I could trust and lean on. Ella was also by far one of the most creative of all the Fae, and thus many members sought her out as a mentor. She often advised them and provided them with resolutions to their problems.

She smiled at Odin, stood, and lowered her head and body in a curtsey as she respectfully greeted the All-Father. As soon as she saw me her expressive eyes sparkled in pleasure.

“Devilyn. It is always nice to see you here.”

I bowed deeply and took Ella's hand.

“It is always a pleasure, Ella.”

She pulled me aside for a moment.

“And how are you, my friend?”

“I am well.”

“You are a poor liar, Devilyn,” she said with a smile. “I can see the strain.”

I tried to smile back. “I worry about what is to come.”

“You are surrounded by family that loves you. A family that will help you.”

I looked away from her knowing eyes.

“I know it.”

“You know that I am here if you ever need someone who will just listen,” Ella said quietly. “I will never judge you.”

“Thank you.” I knew the words came from her heart. “I know that I can always count on you.”

I then turned my attention to Iris who lifted her hands and brushed them softly against my cheek.

“My dear boy, we have been waiting for you,” she said to me in a soft voice. She was an Elder in the court, graced with staggering beauty.

Iris had a wisdom and love that radiated from the depths of her soul. She too was taken by my father at one point. Out of all the Fae, she had spent the most amount of time with Alderon. She knew him better than any one of us. My father believed she was dead, and Dana had gone to great lengths to ensure that he would never know of Iris's existence. Once she had escaped from him, she had asked Dana if she could disappear into nothingness. Dana had denied her wish and had instead given her an alternative: remain in her court forever and never leave its light, and Alderon would believe she was gone. Iris had agreed.

I hugged her and felt the warmth of her love. I was told that she had been my mother's best friend, and I was sure that if I ever asked, she would tell me all that there was to know about my mother.

But I had never wanted to know.

I knew that we would have to rely on Iris's knowledge and insight to give us the advantage we needed against Alderon, and I silently thanked her for not disappearing into oblivion, as she had once wanted to do.

I felt rejuvenated as I turned and smiled at Odin. He knew that Dana's court would offer me the solace that I had been seeking.

“Am I the only one to not get a greeting from our future King?” Dana's voice commanded as I turned to her and smiled.

“I don't care if you don't like to be called by your proper title. It is yours, chosen as you have been for all these years,” Dana told me as she read my mind.

I hugged her tightly.

“It is too heavy of a crown for me.”

Dana pulled away and looked at me. Her eyes glowed like Lemurian stones.

“When you realize how powerful your thoughts are Devilyn, you will become a free man.”

I nodded and went to find a seat at one of the chairs in the room when my eyes met Rowan's. He raised a brow at my look of surprise. Rowan was a renowned warrior in all the realms. He was eternally loyal to the Light Fae after suffering an unknown fate at the hands of Alderon and his followers. No one but Dana knew what had happened to the warrior as no one had the courage to ask. He always promised that if and when the time came, he would make the ultimate sacrifice.

“I'm so happy that you have both joined us today,” Dana smiled as she looked from Odin to me. She walked to stand in the center of the room, knowing that all eyes were on her. “Iris told me that you would arrive.”

Odin walked to the center of the room.

“I was recently enlightened of some events that are about to unfold,” Odin began. “I felt it was incumbent upon me to bring Devilyn here to seek your guidance and allegiance if and when the time came.”

“We are here for Devilyn,” Dana replied solemnly. “He has
always
had our support.”

I was humbled by her words.

“I am grateful for your loyalty,” I replied appreciatively. “I hope that I do not disappoint any of you.”

“You have already proven yourself to be a fearsome leader, and you have shown that despite one half of your heritage, you are a champion of humanity,” Dana said solemnly.

I hoped that one day I would be able to repay the loyalty and kindness they gave me. I stood up and put a hand over my heart. I bent down on one knee.

“All you must do is ask,” I vowed to her.

“I brought Devilyn here today to prove to him that he is not alone in his battle, that we are all here to ensure that the Light will prevail, and that he will one day take his rightful position on a throne that will unite the Fae,” Odin told the room.

“We are here to ensure that he is never alone. We are all family and must support each other, protect each other, and most importantly, love each other,” Dana countered with a knowing smile.

I immediately thought of Caroline. She was also part of my family. Support. Protect. Love. I would live by that motto for her until the day I died. As if she read my mind, Dana continued, “We will protect her Devilyn, just as we will protect
you
.”

“As always, I appreciate your strength and loyalty, but with the plans Alderon has in motion, it may end up being my sole duty to protect her,” I explained. I could not ask them to come up against what I was about to face.

“That is not necessarily true,” Ella responded with a smile. The young Faerie was already up and moving about the room. Suddenly full of energy.

“Alderon is sending Patrick, the Seeker,” I pointed out.

“The Seeker, although highly skilled, can often be confused,” Ella continued on as she stopped to stare at me. “Odin's cloak hides Caroline.”

“But for how long?” I could not keep the worry out of my voice. “How long will it shield her?”

“It has for sixteen years,” Dana said as she moved to stand in front of the fire. “For sixteen years he's kept her hidden. They never knew where she was. They still don't.”

“But I am in Roanoke now,” I told her.

“Roanoke is the natural home for all Fae. It is where our cultures intertwined in a fateful way. And when destiny began. Alderon would not believe that you would be so close. Remember your powers,” she said. “You can be where you need to be within the blink of an eye.”

“I do not use that gift.” She knew why.
Magik
was an aphrodisiac for me; the dark side could easily be mistaken for the light.