indigo court 05.5 - night shivers (10 page)

Eventually, we reached one of the burrows on the outside of the village. The Snow Hag knocked on the door and we took our places behind her. Regardless of whether I was the Queen, the Wilding Fae were stronger than any of us. I wasn’t even sure if the shamans could fight against them, should it ever come to that.

The door opened a crack. One pale green eye—as large as an orange—peered out from behind the door. The Snow Hag whispered again, and this time I caught her murmured voice on the slipstream.

Ulean, can you understand what they are saying? I can hear them talking but I do not understand the words.

They speak a dialect known solely to the Wilding Fae. I do not understand them either.

Ulean gusted around me, whirling the snowflakes into a vortex. I could create a tornado that could rip a town to shreds, I thought. But for me, it was dangerous to do so. My powers over the wind had grown incredibly strong, but my lack of control was still an issue. Until I learned how to master myself, there was always the chance that I could be taken over by the force and turn into a deadly Wind Queen, driving a tornado or gale or hurricane. Lainule had left before she could train me on how to use the fan that had given me the powers. Now, I didn’t even need it to call up the winds.

A moment later, and the door opened wide. The Snow Hag motioned for us to follow her and we entered the burrow. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it looked like a tidy little home. There were several chairs, a table, and a bed in the corner. A fireplace held a roaring fire. I haven’t seen any smoke emerging from the outside so I wasn’t sure how it was vented, but the chamber was clear of smoke so it had to filter out somewhere.

The Wilding Fae with the large eye was standing in the corner. He had two feet and two arms, but he was short and squat, and his head was bulbous. Like a cyclops, he had only the one eye—it was beautiful, an emerald green that shimmered with magic. Below, he had a tiny nose, and a rather large mouth in the shape of an “O” that was ringed with teeth.

The Snow Hag turned to me. “This is the one whom a Queen might seek, if she seeks the power of fire. There may be a problem with language and understanding. A Wilding Fae who can breathe a magical flame may not speak the same tongue as a Queen. Perhaps there is another within this room who might be willing to translate. Would a Queen be amiss if this were to happen?”

“A Queen would appreciate a translator.”

The Snow Hag turned to the Wilding Fae and began to speak. This time we all heard her, but I had no more understanding of what she was saying than I had when I heard her speaking through the slipstream. After a moment the one-eyed Wilding Fae answered back.

The Snow Hag laughed. “A Queen may call a Wilding Fae who can breathe fire the
Flammen.
And the Flammen is willing to make a deal with a Queen.”

“Perhaps a translator will ask a Flammen what sort of a deal he might wish to make.”

Another moment passed while she translated my request. I looked around the room. It was exceptionally tidy, as well as cozy, and had a snuggle factor that made me want to curl up in the corner and take a nap. There was something homey about this place, something welcoming about Whitecroft. I doubted most people would find it appealing, but to me it felt safe and secure, like a place you could come back to when you needed a safe haven.

She turned to me, smiling. “A deal might be struck with a Queen, and that deal would be a night of dancing and merriment in the Court chambers for the Wilding Fae.”

The request surprised me. But then again, everything about the Wilding Fae surprised me. They placed value on intangible things, and seemed content with their lives. I had no idea how much wealth any of them had, or whether riches really meant anything to them. In some ways, I thought they were happier than most people I had ever met.

“Once the task is over and the journey complete, a Queen would be most honored to host a night of dancing and merriment for the Wilding Fae at her Court. If a translator would pass along this answer, a Queen would be pleased.” It was a struggle to keep up the riddle-speak. But if I asked a direct question, it would be considered rude and, like as not, remain unanswered. The Wilding Fae spoke in riddles; this was their nature.

She relayed the information and within moments, we had struck a bargain. The Flammen would come to the Court and meet with my men, waiting for the moment when we found the gate. I would send a message to the Snow Hag when we set out to destroy it.

On our way home, Grieve talked to Captain Shell while I walked beside Check. The snow was falling fast and heavy now and we were in for a good blow.

“The snow never stops, does it? It just keeps on falling and piling up as the world grows up toward the sky.” I wondered aloud what would happen in one hundred years. Would the Eldburry Barrow vanish beneath the weight of the snow and ice?

Check shook his head. “Remember, there is some melt in the spring and summer here. Enough to keep the world from becoming one vast blanket of snow.”

“You know, when I was fighting Myst, I couldn’t wait for the winter to be over. And now here I am, Queen
of
the winter. The irony is not lost on me. And while I miss the greenery of the Golden Wood, I’m starting to feel at home here. The snow and ice are my elements now, and I think I would feel uncomfortable without them around me if it was for more than a few days. I imagine my cousin feels the same about the warmth and heat and the summer sun.” And there it was—we were in transformation. Amber and jet for real. She was the sun, I was the moon. She was summer, I was winter.

“Your Majesty seems to be wandering deep in thought today. Is there something you wish for me to do?” Check was my personal bodyguard, but he was also my friend and I knew he was trying to find out if I was okay.

I smiled at him and placed a hand on his forearm as we walked along. “Everything’s fine, Check. I’m just thinking about the past year. I’m sure you realize how extreme this transformation has been for me.”

The guard nodded, a somber look on his face. “It cannot have been easy, Your Majesty. If you’ll permit me to say, I think both you and your cousin have made remarkable gains. I do not know many people—magic-born, Fae, or yummanii—who could have made a similar transformation. You will always have my support and my loyalty, and you know I would fall on my sword for you.”

“I know, and that is the greatest gift and compliment that you can give me.” And then, I fell silent, wandering within the confines of my thoughts until we reached the Barrow.

At the Barrow, Grieve and I took a break for dinner. Our men weren’t back yet, so there wasn’t much we could do until then. As we ate, Check tapped on our door, then peeked in.

“Your Majesty, your friend Luna, from New Forest, is here.”

I stiffened. Luna and I had not parted on the best of terms. She had rashly promised her life in exchange to her ancestors for their help in destroying Myst. I blamed myself for that—but there had been no help for it. Now, she was living on borrowed time.

Since Rhiannon and I had withdrawn to the Faerie Realms, I had seen Luna twice—once during Summer Solstice, when we held a remembrance ceremony in New Forest’s town square, and once again at Winter Solstice, when we held a midwinter festival there.

Rhia and I had decided to make the holidays a recurring event. It would be a good way to keep the Fae Courts connected to the town, and involved in what was going on. We couldn’t slide back into the old traditions of isolationism. That had led to disaster and vulnerability. But Luna… Luna and I had parted with strained emotions. Besides those two celebrations, I hadn’t seen or heard from her.

“Please, show her in and bring another place setting.” I glanced at Grieve, almost afraid. What if she was still furious at me? What if we would never be okay again?

And then, there she was, standing in the doorway. Luna, who was one of the yummanii—human. Luna, who was a bard, whose voice was her power. Her singing was brilliant and clear, scaling from soprano to alto depending on her whim. She could charm the birds with her song better than any Cinderella.

Luna, whom I had betrayed because I had no choice.
Sometimes war leaves us no options.

Luna was short and curvy, slightly plump with hair down to her lower back. It was brunet, only she had streaked it with blond since I last saw her, reminding me of tiger stripes. Her eyes were the color of hot chocolate, ringed with silver from the magic she wove.

She had taken over the magic shop I had intended to run when I first returned to New Forest—Wind Charms. And she was now leader of the Moon Spinners, a coven that I had temporarily led. Even though I was a Wind witch—a powerful one—my ascension to the throne had precluded me from ever being a part of the outer world again in any discernible manner.

As she entered the room, dressed in a thick parka over a long skirt and warm sweater, she pulled off her gloves and let out a long sigh, her breath forming a mist as it escaped her lips. “You really can sit there with no coat, in just shirtsleeves?”

It was the first thing I had heard from her in months, but it might as well have been a hug. I laughed. “We have a fire going—we’ll move the table next to it. Check, please?” I glanced at the guard and he nodded, instantly calling Fearless in to help him. I started, not expecting to see the guard back so soon.

“You’re back from your family. How is…” I paused, not wanting to stir up worries, but I needed to know. If his mother had died, he would need time to mourn. As loyal as the guards were, personal tragedy always affected performance.

Fearless seemed to understand where I was going with my question. “Your Majesty, my mother passed. But I heard about the ship, and Check has filled me in on what happened at the shamans. I want to be here. I want to be useful. There’s nothing I can do for my mother now, but at least here, I can make a difference.”

The look on his face told me he needed to feel necessary. Death did that—death made a person want to wade in, to make a difference, because losing a loved one brought with it feelings of being out of control. I understood that all too well.

“You have my sympathy, Fearless. I’m truly sorry. You may return to your duties, but if you need time, please let us know. I have no problem with giving you mourning time.” We stood back while they moved the table near the fire, and stoked up the flames. I motioned for them to seat Luna closest to the hearth. “Druise, please bring her a warm robe.”

Druise dropped into a quick curtsey and dashed out of the room.

Luna tilted her head slightly, then laughed. “You’ve adapted to court life, Cicely. You may think you haven’t, but you have.” But there was no sarcasm in her voice, and I couldn’t detect any hostility.

“I’ve had to.” I paused while Druise returned with a warm dressing gown. “That will be less bulky, and actually warmer than your parka.”

Luna handed her jacket to Druise and slipped the gown on. As she sat down again, she looked surprised. “You’re right, it is.”

She leaned back to allow the servant to fill her plate. We were having a thick stew, and hearty bread and sliced cheese and apple pie.

Then—“I imagine you are wondering why I’m here.”

I stared at my plate, almost unable to breathe. “Yeah, actually. But…I’ve missed you. I’m glad you’re here, for whatever reason.”

Her lip twitched, but then she let out a long breath. “I came because I want you to know that I
do
understand why you did what you did. You hurt me. I felt so betrayed but, Cicely, I know things were desperate. I know how bad things were and how you had to absolutely have proof that we were loyal and not on Myst’s side.”

“Thank you.” The words came out barely a whisper. I couldn’t believe we were finally mending bridges.

“And I hope you understand that what I did, why I made the bargain with my ancestors—I wanted to make certain you know it wasn’t a reaction to what happened. You weren’t the only one terrified of what Myst was bringing to the table. My people—the yummanii—her Shadow Hunters were feeding on them, killing them. We were
all
in danger. We
all
had to do our part.”

I nodded, slowly and sadly, the terror of those last days washing over me once again. Everything had happened so fast and in such a blur. It was one long, protracted nightmare. The blood had run so thick and free, the snow had been painted crimson.

“I ask you now, please, forgive me as much as you can. I never meant to unearth your secrets, especially for Kaylin to see them.”

She closed her eyes and ducked her head. “Kaylin…” Then, looking up, she swallowed and I thought I saw the glimmer of tears in her eyes. “I miss him so much. I wish…I wish I hadn’t been so afraid of who he was becoming.”

“We all had our destinies to play out. I wonder where he is, and if he’s all right.”

“Sometimes, I feel him near me, Cicely. Sometimes, I think I can sense him outside my window…but when I look, there’s no one there. I suppose we won’t ever know.” She let out a long sigh. “But to answer. Yes, I forgive you. I suppose, looking back, it’s actually a good thing that I finally faced my memories. I’ve grown up a lot since then.”

And then—the air cleared. The past seemed to recede. We could never go back, but we were here, on a new playing field, moving into the future.

“So, how are things in New Forest? I miss the Veil House. I miss the town.” And it was then that I realized I was still homesick. I missed the only real home I had ever known.

“Rebuilding. The Shadow Hunters drove off so many people, but some are trickling back. Lannan and Regina are doing a great PR job on getting people to return.” She paused over Lannan’s name, eyeing me carefully. “Speaking of Lannan…”

I blushed. The vampire and I were still connected, and Grieve had come to accept it, but I had found a way to keep the peace.

“To answer your question, yes, Lannan and I still meet. We’ve agreed—two nights a year, on Midsummer and Midwinter. Who knows, it may peter itself out in the future. But in the end, he saved Grieve and he helped us destroy Myst. How can I turn my back on him now?”