Veiled Shadows (The Age of Alandria: Book Two) (7 page)

They were not prepared for a war, nor did they want one. Discussions were getting heated, blame was being shifted around, and very few seemed to be fighting for peace anymore. Suddenly, there was a disturbance among the crowd of gatherers. A scream rent the air and in a blur of what seemed to be slow motion an arrow flew through the air straight toward the heart of her father.

He was shoved out of the way, thrown to the ground, and knocked out for what must have only been a minute, maybe two. He awoke to the sounds of anguish, screams of fear and hatred. Someone was on the ground near him, surrounded by the Faeries, the royal guards, and the royalty themselves. Blood pooling next to the slender figure in a sapphire blue dress. Sudden images flashed before his eyes: the arrow flying toward him with the intent of killing him; a tall, slender, beautiful Faerie woman with long, flowing chestnut brown hair and deep blue eyes wearing a long sapphire blue gown shoving him out of the way and putting herself in the way of the arrow’s kill shot... Eva... EVA! Crawling quickly towards her body, he threw himself between the crowds of people gathering around. Hearing someone with a deep anguish-filled voice screaming Eva’s name and “No” over and over until he realized it was coming from him. He made it to her side, grabbed her, and sobbed. Her father bared his soul before the courts of Elf and Faerie alike as they all watched. He heard her gasp as she was not yet gone. He looked into her eyes as she lay still, barely breathing, and gripped her hand so tight he thought he might break it. Her eyes full of love for him as she whispered her love for him and for him to protect her. His eyes, not able to contain the moisture, broke open bearing his love for all to see as he vowed he would protect the one she spoke of. Eva breathed her last and he let her go. He looked in the eyes of her father, who also knelt at her side, and saw a question in his eyes that went unspoken and an answer that passed silently between them.

At that very moment of grief, the torrents of darkness were unleashed and there was mass chaos along with hysteria. Those who could fight, did, as the sounds of battle rang out with the clash of metal against metal. There were those aligned with anarchy amongst those gathered for peace. Others fighting on behalf of the darkness stormed through the doors of the royal court room; sacred tradition destroyed in mere moments. Hunter along with Kaeleigh’s father raised their swords and jumped into the fray. The king of Feraánmar gathered his queen behind him, sheltering her at the back wall, his sword drawn. Others of the royal guard, elite members of the Ferrishyn, moved as swiftly as they could to get to their king and queen, to make their stand. Only to be too late. A flurry of arrows unleashed from the opposite corner of the court room volleyed straight into the king and queen, the royal guardians, the protectors of the Faeries. Both slain—blood staining the smooth stone floor, seeping into the very pores of their foundation, becoming one with what they lived for.

A primal cry of outrage erupted from the side of the room where the young Elf warrior guarded his lost love. One last look at Eva—he knew her people would provide a proper burial. Then another look spared towards his father fighting against his own combatants but clearly holding his own. At Hunter’s pained expression when he returned the glance, he said he understood, before his son raised his sword and began to fight his way out the front of the court room, swarmed, and never to be seen again.

Kaeleigh came out of the vision dripping with sweat and breathing heavily as if she had actually been there. Tears of great loss for those she never knew, as well as instant love for just the same, were streaming down her face. She was overcome with the burden of their grief as she doubled over, feeling the weight and pain in the center of her being. How did one process watching not only her mother die, but also grandparents, and many others in the crowd—a crowd of
her
people.
This is wrong. This should not have happened. It can’t happen again. I can’t let it. I won’t let it.
 

Eva hugged Kaeleigh tightly as tears fell from her eyes as well. Still crying, Kaeleigh held on to her mother like a small child, unable to let her go. Both just needed to hold onto each other to cherish a moment that held the whisper of the moments that they had never shared and would never get to again. Eva rocked her and pet her head, apologizing for showing her the vision.

“No, don’t apologize,” Kaeleigh stumbled out. “I needed to see. I wanted to know the truth. It’s painful but I need to know in order to find out who I am.”

With a determination rising up within her core, and an energy with a life of its own growing stronger and stronger inside her, Kaeleigh took deep breaths to calm her body’s physical reaction to what she saw. She raised her head to look into the heartbroken eyes of her mother. She knew her mother hadn’t wanted to show her that scene, but she knew she needed it to go forward, to understand.

Eva smiled at her. “You are strong, Kaeleighnna. It is very courageous of you to look into the past.” She hesitated before what she said next. “It will make you even stronger for what is to come in the future.”

Kaeleigh perked up and looked intently into her mother’s eyes. She saw grief and pain and something else... fear? Fear for the future? Fear for her? “What do you mean, Mother?” Kaeleigh liked the way that rolled off her tongue so easily. She thought that once she found her family, if she ever did, that it would be an awkward adjustment that would take place over time. She was grateful for the instant love and connection she felt with Eva.

Eva hung her head with what appeared to be regret. “I do not see into the future as I suspect you are wondering, but I do get flashes from The Orchids when we are focused as a unit... The war has been quiet for several years, but something is stirring; a great darkness. There is fear as they cannot see what it is, the darkness is hiding from our sight and it is causing great uneasiness.”

Confused, Kaeleigh warily asked, “I’m confused... The Orchids? I’ve heard of them before, but what does this have to do with me? Wait, are you one of these Orchids?”

Staring with great depth into Kaeleigh, Eva took a deep breath and averted her eyes before bringing her gaze back to Kaeleigh with a new determination. “Kaeleighnna, my wish for you my daughter is to keep you safe and to shelter you from the evil wickedness that is in this world and the next, but time for that has run out.” She took a deep breath and steeled herself at all she needed to reveal to Kaeleigh before their time ran out. “There is an ancient prophecy and the time for its fulfillment has come. It is believed...
they
believe... that you are the one to bring this prophecy to fulfillment.” Relieved to have just said it, but still anticipating Kaeleigh’s reaction, Eva sat back and waited for her daughter to say something.

Unflinching, Kaeleigh diplomatically responded even though everything within her was turning upside down. Daegan had said as much to her, but she didn’t really believe it, but to have her mother—her dead mother in another realm—come to tell her the same thing... well, it was a good thing she hadn’t eaten anything in a while. “And what do you and my father believe?”

But she read in Eva’s soft, saddened yet proud eyes the answer to her question. She didn’t wait for her to respond. “Daegan mentioned something about a prophecy, but he didn’t...”

Eva interrupted her before she could finish. “Daegan... have faith in this one. There is much in him and he could be a great asset to you if he follows his path. Keep him close and the others as well, you will need them.” Although she was talking to Kaeleigh, she suddenly took on a distant look as if being in two places at once. Startled, she looked back to Kaeleigh. “My time is ending, I can feel their pull on me,” she said with anxiety. “Kaeleighnna, I must get this out quickly. You need to learn where I come from. Trust them. I do not know what this means for you but there is much danger and evil coming. Please be aware. Tell your grandfather—he will help instruct you in any way he can. You need to be trained in the way of the
Nithylríth
. He is a good man. Give him my love.” Suddenly her eyes grew wide and panicked as she gripped Kaeleigh’s hand. “I love you, my sweet child. I will always love you and be with you. Trust yourself. Listen to your heart...” Even as Eva spoke she began to fade.

In a panic, Kaeleigh tried to hold on to her mother’s hand. If she could keep a hold on her, maybe she could keep her grounded here like the way she had brought her in. “Wait!” she shouted. “I need more time!” Still shouting, tears streaming once more: “How do I get back?” She suddenly realized that she could be stuck here forever and started shaking with anxiety and fear of being left entirely and utterly
alone
for eternity... or perhaps not alone—that thought scared her even more; her mother said it was dangerous here.

Eva broke into her thoughts, causing her to focus. “Kaeleighnna! Focus. You can get home. As I am released from you, you must create a tether of emotion and thought leading you back to where you need to be.” Eva cupped Kaeleigh’s face with what little tangible essence she had left and gazed lovingly into her eyes as only a mother could do. “I have always loved you. You are my greatest accomplishment and gift. I will be with you... in your heart,” she said as she brought one of her hands to rest high on her chest where her heart was. “Be brave.
Listen
from your heart—for sometimes the voices carried on the wind will be your greatest allies.”

Kaeleigh tried to savor the feel of her mother’s hands and brand the image of her mother’s face in her mind and sear it upon her heart. Eva was fading. There was almost nothing left of her and she couldn’t feel her anymore. Golden tears were silently streaming once more down her face, giving pause to the warm places where her mother’s fingers had just touched, and still hovered translucently above her cheeks. Her heart was breaking all over again, this time a much greater loss. Her mother was gone.

CHAPTER SIX

Kaeleigh fell to her knees, weeping. Devastated, she suddenly felt the icy chill of being alone, very alone. Everything was still. The very air around her was heavy with silence. She didn’t know how long she stayed like that, maybe a few minutes or maybe hours, but she cried all that she had in her to cry and was empty. 

Feeling the whisper of a sound starting to rise out of the white fog, she remembered that this was not a place she wanted to stay in any longer. Frantically looking around, searching for someone approaching her, she got to her feet and braced herself for what could be out there, though she didn’t see anyone or anything.

The sound, the whisper, was a voice spiraling toward her on a light breeze. Not one voice, she realized, but several. Voices she recognized. Chel, Finn, Hunter, a sound she didn’t recognize that sounded faintly like musical chimes... even Daegan. Their voices soft whispers surrounding her, caressing her, giving her warmth and comfort. Chanting, they were chanting something she couldn’t understand, but their intent was strong. They were calling her home. Kaeleigh remembered what her mother had said about focusing on getting back, creating a tether to their realm, to where they were, to their hearts. It pained her heart to think of her mother and how she was ripped so quickly from her, but then she thought of her friends—her
family
—that had stood by her, both older and newer alike. Their faces flashed before her and she felt their words and their love create bonds as she unabashedly visualized strong unbreakable cords of colors connecting her to each one of her friends. Orange for Chel. Green for Finn. Purple for Hunter. Brown for the stranger. Blue twisted with black for Daegan; she couldn’t describe why, but that’s what she saw. All those colors entwined and connected to her heart; she held on tightly and started to blindly walk to the other end of the cords that led into the white misty fog.

⚔⚔⚔

Surrounding the table where Kaeleigh lay unmoving but still breathing, Finn, Chel, Hunter, and Daegan held hands with a beautiful young girl with flaming red hair. They were chanting in another language something that the girl had told them say. It was very different from the words Hunter had used before. These words were more like musical tones than actual words. It was a chant with different vibrations of sound. The sounds were mostly mid to low range tones. It was quite beautiful. Magic was stirring in the little cottage, so much that Chel was afraid they were sending a glowing beacon into the entire realm of Alandria. Skin was prickling as magical essence swirled around the room.

Daegan couldn’t help staring at Kaeleigh’s face. He felt a deep prick of pain in his chest when several golden tears slid from her closed eyes. It was the only sign of life that had come from her in the last two days. It had taken him a while to find Andreinna. However, as soon as Daegan had found her and told her of Kaeleigh’s circumstance, she immediately charged her most trusted companion, Oliveaé,,with specific instructions that Daegan was not privy to.

There was so much tension in the room, but looking at each one of them he could tell they had no doubt that Kaeleigh would return. He admired their blind faith. Something was happening to her wherever she was. And he wasn’t there to spare her from harm. It was his job to protect her—he had given her his word. His heart was softening to this strange girl and he didn’t know what to do about it. It was driving him crazy.

Kaeleigh’s back arched up off the table and she screamed loudly. It sounded like she was in so much pain. Daegan’s eyes were wild—he didn’t know what to do, but then realized that he
wanted
to do something. He imagined everyone else’s eyes were doing the exact same thing. There was so much care for this one girl in this room. She was special. He had to do something. He looked to Oliveaé, willing her to understand, and maybe she did because she gave him a slight nod with an odd look in her eyes. Unwilling to break the circle in case it affected anything, he leaned in close to one of Kaeleigh’s ears. Softly yet commandingly he spoke to her. “Kaeleigh.” She slightly twitched as if hearing him. “Kaeleigh. It’s time to come home. Your friends need you.” Silently he surprised himself by adding
I need you.
He didn’t understand it, but he
felt
her energy respond to him.