The HeartStone Path

The HeartStone Path cont.

CHAPTER 13

The morning of the wedding ceremony dawned cloudy and threatening to rain.  Low clouds obscured the tops of the mountains and carried a chill with them that promised an early winter.  I knew that several people were tempted to intervene with the weather in some way, but they refrained.  They decided to have faith in the Goddess that everything would work out the way we needed it to.  I was honestly impressed with their restraint.

The nervous energy built steadily in my rooms as the day wore on.  Meals were light and only water was brought up to drink.  Aine and Varina didn’t disappoint when it came to finally get dressed.  There were perfect white, shapeless dresses for us with heavy dark brown cloaks to hide us from view until the proper moment.

The flower crowns were brought up to us at dusk and were perfectly crafted, made from the wildflowers that could be found in the valleys high in the mountains.

While the order of the two lines of women that would follow the Princess was decided upon, I snuck a peek through my balcony doors down to the open area below to see how it had all been set up.  My gasp brought the women all crushing around me to get a look.

The gardens beyond the castle to the east were overflowing with people, noble and peasant alike.  There were the proper line of torches and stones interspersed with various offerings to the Goddess.  Tables were being set with simple food, nothing like the feast we had had the night before.  A sizeable wooden stage had been built so that everyone in attendance could watch the ceremony.  Everything that had been requested had been followed to the letter.  I had a suspicion that the servants and citizens of Tarvael had been pleased with the idea of an ancient binding.

High above the castle, in the mountains, around the city and on the walls, the combined Yova guards took their places.  I had been watching their flights nearly the entire day while everyone else had been fussing about their hair and other nonsense.  I had also seen arrow larks dipping around the gryphons as they flew. 

Flights over the area of the forest where I knew the Fae army was camped became more frequent and I took notice of the messages that were passing between the Tribes.  The Yova used the larks to pass messages to each other because of their speed and because the larks couldn’t be tracked by psychic tendrils or high jacked by magic.

More larks only meant one thing:  the Fae army was moving.

I got Boudicca’s attention as quietly as I could and pulled her to the balcony windows.  I couldn’t talk without someone hearing me, so I just nodded towards the air above the forest and hoped she understood.

It didn’t take her long.  Her eyes widened and her lips tightened into a thin line.  There was nothing we could do, though.  We had to depend on Lorcan and the others.

I tried to use my bond with Tristan to try to find out if he noticed anything in the castle or outside, but I was hit with empty blackness.  I felt hollowed out and alone.  I turned away from everyone in the room and clutched my chest, trying to control my breathing.  My power raged at not being able to reach Tristan.  It was the Fae, I told myself.  He couldn’t risk them noticing us using the bond.

Still, my power fought me after that no matter what I did.  I couldn’t even use the smallest spell without fear of something going horribly wrong.  I was right back to where I was before the Final Rites.  The only think I could so was to clamp down on my power like I used to and hope nothing happened. I just had to get through the wedding.  Get through the wedding and then down to Oryn’lea.

We watched as the clouds cleared just as the sun was beginning to set and the first stars began to wink in to being in the darkening sky.  The torches were being lit and people were settling on to the benches and blankets that had been spread out on the ground.  The king and Prince took their place and looked up at the sky, waiting for the moon to grace us with her presence.

When the night had completely draped the sky with it’s inky pallet of colors and the moon was nearly directly above us, we made our way down the servants stairs and down to the kitchens where we would have a direct line out to the clearing.

I felt strangely light and awkward with only a small knife on my left thigh.  I was a little envious of the men who were fully armed.

Our cloaks were settled over our bodies and the hoods set low to cover our faces.  As we stood in the dark, waiting for the signal, I wondered when the last time was that anyone present had seen this ceremony performed.

At the front, Boudicca finally nodded, and the procession began.  She took the first step, then the Princesses stepped out in to the night with their respective lines of ladies behind them.

Boudicca, the only one of us uncovered, drew the first gasps from the crowd.  She was dressed as the warrior aspect of the Goddess, a careful choice.  Over her simple, pure white gown, she wore a silver breast plate that glowed in the moonlight.  She carried an ancient broad sword in her left hand and a stone pine spear in her right hand with both weapons crossed in front of her.  She wore a crown of moon flowers over her unbound, fiery red waves.  I felt a smile tug at my lips when I saw the look on her Tuillaryn’s face.  Corbyn’s face was full of intense pride and respect for the woman he had been sworn to for centuries.

Behind our symbol of the Warrior, were our two cloaked lines of Maidens.  When we reached the edge of the gathered crowd, we let our plain brown cloaks fall to the ground and followed Boudicca to the platform.

Our hair was unbound and flowing down our backs.  Each brow was crowned with a simple wreath of wildflowers.  We carried a bundle of wheat bound in a red ribbon in our left hands to symbolize the abundance our Goddess had blessed us with.  In our right hands, we carried a pitcher of water to symbolize the gift of life she had given us all.  We were completely bare beneath the white gowns to symbolize our connection to the earth beneath us.

As we reached the middle of the aisle, older women, wives from the villages in similar white dresses, picked up the offerings on the sides of the crowd and fell in step behind us.  When we reached the platform, grooms wearing only leather trousers and white cotton shirts stepped out of the darkness leading horses and other animals to show our connection to every being in our Realms that the Goddess protected.

I had only read about this in books and I couldn’t believe it had been brought to life.  The gathered people from the city and villages, and those visiting, wept silently as they watched our progress.  I wish I knew why this ceremony had passed out of common use.

On the platform, the Prince stood waiting for us with a line of simply dressed men beside him to match our own line.  One look at the Prince told me that this was all worth it.  He had eyes only for his bride and the pride I saw there made me want to cry.  It may have been a rushed match, but it was the right one.

Boudicca took her place behind the man and woman that would officiate the ceremony, at an equal distance between them.  Princess Arianna took her place across from Prince Curren as we took our places in a line behind her.  The silence was broken by a pack of wolves that sent their mournful, chilling song down the mountain, filling the forest around us.  It was completely unplanned, and it sent a shiver down my spine.  I knew that She was watching us and had accepted our offerings.

The man and woman began to speak as one and the crown settled into their seats.  I noticed that Prince Aerron had managed to place himself right in my line of sight.  I tried not to look at him.  I could also see Tristan from where I stood, though it didn’t do much good to be in his line of sight.

When the ceremony was finished, sealed by blood, the crowd erupted in cheers.  Princess Arianna turned and beamed at us, purely happy and proud that we had accomplished what we had set out to do.  To prove that the Goddess would never leave this Realm and Her ways would never be forgotten.

The benches were cleared away and a group of villagers settled in with various instruments.  A few women began to sing after the first few notes drifted from the assembled instruments.  They weren’t letting this end without a party to celebrate the joining of two people.

To my surprise, King Torrynd, and the other royals and nobles, joined in the clapping and dancing with everyone else.  I managed to stay next to Rhiannon on the sidelines for several songs.  Neither of us had any interest in dancing.

I couldn’t fend off a charming, handsome villager when he danced by and swung me in to his arms.  I laughed as he spun me away from Rhiannon and turned us in to the throng of dancers.  I was swept up with the joy and music, Rhiannon a step behind me.

I let myself be passed from villager to villager as the songs continued, losing myself in the music and abandoning the need to watch the perimeter of the crowd.  The Princesses were dancing in the middle of the crowd and I did everything I could to at least keep track of them.

Somehow, I found myself in Prince Aerron’s arms and there was no fighting it.  In the absence of Tristan, my power sent up a roar from deep inside of me and leapt in recognition of the power of the man who held me.  I tried to stamp it down.  I hated that I reacted that way.  I sent up a prayer to the Gods, thankful that it was a fast song and it didn’t require me to be held against his body.

As I danced with the Prince, I couldn’t ignore how quickly my body adapted to his movement and rhythm.  His power unfurled as we danced, curling around my own.  Oh, but it was dangerously luxurious.  Like a languid beast waking up and stretching its claws.  My own power stretched away from my tight control and that was it.  I was lost.  I no longer had control.

It was the beginning of the third song with Prince Aerron when he suddenly froze and pulled me close to him.  But his attention wasn’t on me.  It was on the forest south of the clearing.  I twisted in his arms a bit to see every other Fae and Elf frozen, straining to listen.  The villagers with the instruments noticed a moment later and fell silent.  A hush fell in the clearing.  I tried to focus on all of the sounds around us.  then I heard it.

Drums.

I looked up at the sky and saw gryphons streaking through the skies to and from aeries, and to the castle where the combined Tribes were racing to their posts and calling for others to join them.  The Fae army was moving, but those weren’t their drums.

Then Tristan was pulling me from the Prince’s arms.  He didn’t even try to fight him over it or have a harsh word to say.  He only stared at me, his eyes wide.

“Morrigan!  You have to get them inside,” Tristan said.  He was holding both sides of my face to make me look at him.  “Morrigan!”

The silvery blue color of his eyes struck me.  “What?”

My power roared at him, angry at his distance and angry that I needed him so completely.  I felt the bond between us tear open and my power latched on to it immediately, like a woman who had been given water in a desert.

Damn the bond.  Damn the Rites.

“The Princesses.  You need to get them inside.  Now!” Tristan yelled.

“But I can…” I started.

“No,” Prince Aerron cut me off, “he’s right.  You have to keep them safe.  And you aren’t armed.  Get your sisters and get the Princesses inside.”

I thought about arguing briefly and decided against it.  I let Prince Aerron pull me to his chest and kiss the top of my head before he pushed me away to where Rhiannon was waiting for me with the Princesses.

I joined them the same time that Aine and Boudicca ran up to us.  As we ran through the crowd, other women fell in step with us and Val appeared ahead to lead the way back to the castle.

A crash and shouts drew my attention to the north of the Shadow Keep as the Fae legion stepped out of the forest and headed for the crowd to surround them.  Soldiers poured out of the castle and began passing out armor and weapons.

Before we could get to the castle, demons poured over the wall and were between us and the castle.  Mixed in with the demons were people.  At least, they had very recently been normal people.  Their eyes were black, and the black was spreading.  Soon, those eyes would be full, flat black and their forms would begin to twist like their companions around them.  But for now, they looked normal.  So very like the people in the crowd behind us.

And they spoke the common tongue.

I realized that I couldn’t trust my magic, so I turned to Aine.  “Shield the Princesses and as many as you can and get to the castle.  No matter what.  Shield them and get them inside.  Don’t wait for us.”

Boudicca nodded.  “Do as she says.”

Aine nodded and a solid wall fell around her and the women pressed around her.  Princess Arianna added her own shield to it and the rushed the women ahead to the kitchen doors that were in view.

Boudicca, Rhiannon, Val and I picked up discarded swords and other weapons.  We charged the demons that were trying to chase the women and cut them off from the castle.  The first to fall under my sword had barely begun to turn.  He pleased with me to end his life when I hesitated.  Each swing after that got easier.  I didn’t hesitate.

We somehow cleared the courtyard and made it to the kitchen door that had been barred.  Boudicca pounded on it and yelled at whomever was on the other side to open it immediately.

The people in the kitchens stared at us.  More than a few vomited at the sight of us.  Only Aine, the Princesses and the ladies who had been inside the shield had been spared from the fighting.  The four of us were covered from head to toe in black ichor and red blood.  None of it our own, though I’m not quite sure how.

We reached my rooms out of breath and drenched in sweat.  Boudicca had used a thread of magic to rid us of the blood and gore, but the feeling of it remained on my skin.  I ignored it as I ripped off the once white dress and dove for my pants, shirt, bodice, boots and weapons.

My sisters changed and armed themselves, as well.  They even managed to dress and arm the Princesses and their ladies, at their request.  I barely noticed them, though.  My focus was on the armies below us.

Boudicca caught my arm as I reached for the handles of my balcony doors.  I spun out of her grip and faced her, shocked that she would try to stop me.

“We have to stay here,” she said calmly.

“There are people down there!” I screamed.

She closed her eyes briefly and held on to me.  “I know.  And there are others down there to protect them.  We have to protect the future in here.  The future of this Realm.”

I turned towards the two Princesses who were standing by the couch.  “But Tristan is down there,” I whispered, defeated.

“And so is Corbyn.  Our Tuillaryns are all down there.  They have a job to do and so do we,” she said.

I nodded and turned back towards my bedroom and the balcony.  Kai was watching me expectantly.  She would go anywhere I did.  I shook my head and threw open the barriers in my mind.  Tristan’s thoughts and feelings flooded me, and I braced myself as I waited for him to notice.

“What is it,” I finally asked.

“Demons.  It’s a full demon legion,” he answered.

I tried not to let my relief shine through that he had answered me.  “How many?”

“Nothing we can’t handle.  The Princesses?”

“Safe.  Don’t shut me out.”

“I won’t.”

“Swear it.”

“I swear it, Mor.  I will tell you if I need you.”

“Can you see the others?”

“At the moment.”

“Is the legion…”

“Mor, stop.  Please.”

I ground my teeth and forced myself to stop asking questions.  I hated being blind, cowering up in a room when the battle was below us.

“You are using the bond with Tristan,” Boudicca said.  It wasn’t a question.

I jumped, and, shamefully, squeaked at the sound of her voice so close to me.  “I’m sorry.  I needed to know what was happening down there.”

“We all do.  I’m not angry.  Just be discrete and keep me updated?” she asked.

I nodded.  “I’ll do my best.”

We were frozen by the windows, desperately trying to see what was happening outside.  I didn’t realize I was holding my breath until the sounds of battle grew louder and I lurched for the balcony doors again.  I stopped myself, remembering what Boudicca had said.  Instead, I pushed out tendrils of magic to try to feel for my Tuillaryn and others.

The raw power and energy filling the room was stifling.  I paced in front of my balcony doors, my chosen position, and did my best to calm down.  Then I remembered Kai.

I spun to find her watching me from the bed, her golden eyes tracking my every move as I paced the room.  I made the decision and tossed up a secondary ward across my balcony doors and flung them open before Boudicca could stop me.

“Watch over them,” I begged Kai.  “Please.”

A blur of black streaked past me and she was gone.  I knew when she reached the battle by the roar she sent up in to the night.

“I thought you were going to jump,” Boudicca said from next to me.

I turned to see everyone else watching me.  “I thought I was, too.”

She nodded and returned to her pacing in the front room.  The Princesses, to their credit, didn’t look scared, only worried for the people they cared for on the battlefield below.  Rhiannon joined me on the balcony and Aine went back to standing near the Princesses.  Val was standing by the front doors of my rooms, ready if anything should try to come through them.

“Why didn’t you go?” Rhiannon asked quietly.

“Boudicca is right.  Our place is here.  Protecting a future Queen,” I said flatly.

She nodded and went back to watching the battle, her own hands hovering over her blades.  It was harder on her, I suspected, than me to be stuck in the castle.  We had been born and bred for battle, for war.  I knew that now.  I could feel the sounds of the battle ringing in my blood, sliding along my bones, calling to me.

I was watching my sister when I felt a sudden pain in my left side, just below my ribs, and I fell to my knees.  Before anyone could react, I released the power I had been holding back.  The runes and symbols flared to life and danced on my skin.  There was a flare of blue in my room and down on the battlefield.  I held on while I pushed healing down the bond and waited for the pain to fade from Tristan and me.

“Why did you do that?” he shouted down the bond.

“Are you insane?” I yelled back.  “I felt that.  It was a mortal wound.”

“Not for us,” he growled.

“Yes, for us,” I shot back.  “I felt the poison.”

“The Fae king saw the runes again.  And it pulled demons to me,” he argued.

“Well, they can’t even graze your skin now,” I said angrily.  Ungrateful bastard.

“Thank you, Mor,” he conceded.

“Just be more careful,” I said.

“It’s gotten worse,” I ground out when Boudicca reached me, Val right behind her.

“I noticed,” she said dryly.  “Are you okay?  What happened?”

“Tristan.  Hiding my power left him vulnerable,” I breathed.

“Is he healed?” Val asked.

“Yes.  I’m not shutting it away again.  Not tonight,” I said.

“I don’t want you to,” Boudicca sighed.

Rhiannon and Aine knelt with me on the floor while I caught my breath, the sounds drifting up to us.  I wondered then if the Fae, Immortal Kindred, Yova, Elves and Humans would be enough to stop the legion.

Suddenly, I felt panic race down the bond, followed by unbridled rage.  The moment it reached me, Boudicca let out a heart rending wail and fell to her knees in the front room.

Val was there first to catch her and hold her to her chest as she screamed.  I felt the tears sliding down my face and the indescribable pain as I watched the woman who had always been invincible completely fall apart in her friend’s arms.

“Corbyn,” Tristan gasped.

“I know,” I sobbed.

“Kai is guarding him,” he told me.

“Help her,” I begged him.

“I am.  Boudicca?”

“You don’t want to know.”

Val looked over at me and tilted her head, asking me to help her.  I crossed the room and slid to my knees next to Boudicca.  No one had ever told us about this, what happened if we lost our Tuillaryn.  It was different for everyone.  I put my hand on her arm and she fell against me, her head and shoulders in my lap.

Time stopped as we sat there.  No one spoke or tried to move towards us.  Those who couldn’t hold back tears turned away, unable to face what was happening.

At some point, I was aware that the sounds below had stopped.  A Fae victory horn ripped through the night and told us everything we needed to know.  The legion was defeated, but at great cost.  There was no cheering below.  Aine and Rhiannon helped gather up the Princesses and their ladies to move them to their own rooms.

“We have him in a chamber between the Keep and the castle proper,” Tristan said after a while, his voice tired and strained.

“We will bring her down,” I told him.

I nodded to Val.  We worked together to get Boudicca to her feet.  As we made our way down the hallway and through the castle, my sisters fell in behind us.  Val and I practically carried Boudicca between us through the corridors as we followed the directions Tristan was giving me to the room where they had laid out Corbyn’s body.

We filed in to the room quietly.  Val and I brought Boudicca to the table where her Tuillaryn was laid out.  Kai was laying on the floor next to him, covered in blood and gore, both bright red and the sickening black ichor of demon.  I knew she had carried him out draped over her body. 

Prince Aerron stood with the kings, Princes and other nobles that were gathered on the other side of the room.  They were all dripping with the same gore and tired to the bone. 

Tristan was standing with the rest of our Tuillaryns by their fallen brother.  It was difficult not to cringe away from the blood covering them.

“I need to wash him,” Boudicca managed to whisper.

“Get them all out of here,” Val whispered to Rhiannon and Aine.  “This should be private.  Please bring back water and bandages.”

Rhiannon hesitated for a moment, unsure of why she was being ordered around by the blacksmith’s wife, but she moved to do as she was asked when I nodded to her to listen to Val. 

I moved to leave with the others, but Boudicca crushed my hand in her grip.  “Don’t leave me.  Please.”

“A pyre must be built in the circle,” Val whispered to Rafe as he passed her.

“It will be done,” he promised.

Val and I waited as everyone left the room.  We held Boudicca between us as servants brought in and left pitchers of water and cloth.  When they were all gone, we began the task of removing his armor and washing his body.  Mostly, it was Val holding Boudicca up as she worked and me cleaning the blood off of Kai.  She adamantly refused to leave the warrior’s side.

The wound across Corbyn’s chest didn’t make sense to me.  I shouldn’t have been a mortal wound.  There was no poison.  His body should have heeled immediately.

Hours later, as the first light of dawn began to fill the sky, we emerged from the chamber.  Rafe, Cam, Tristan and Prince Aerron carried Corbyn’s wrapped body on a litter between them.  A lone Druid was waiting for us and led the way up the hill to the stones. 

My heart thudded in my chest when I noticed other bodies being carried to more pyres that had been built on the side of the mountain.  More pyres had been built in the gardens that only hours before had held a beautiful celebration of life.

In the center of the stones was Corbyn’s pyre.  The only one of our Order to fall, his pyre was the only one inside of the stone circle.  Boudicca stumbled when she entered the circle and nearly fell when they placed her Tuillaryn’s body on the pyre.

Val and I struggled to hold her between us as torches were passed out among the people gathered.  Everyone held their torch quietly, patiently waiting for Boudicca to touch her torch to the pyre first.  King Torrynd made his way to her when he noticed that she refused to move.

“Love,” Val whispered to her, “you need to light the pyre.  We need to release him.”

“There is nothing to release,” Boudicca rasped out.  “It was a forbidden blade.  His soul is gone forever.”

It all made sense.  Why she was utterly broken and lost.  Why the wound didn’t heal immediately.  There was no hope of the soul of the man she had been bonded to, to be reborn.  The soul was trapped for eternity in the sword that stole his life.  I had never thought those blades were real.

We had no choice but to force her to walk to the pyre.  Val helped her hold the torch as she touched it to the dry wood.  The kindling took quickly, and the others helped get the fire going with their torches.  The flames reached up to the morning sky.  I knew someone was using their power to encourage the flames to burn hotter.  I silently thanked them for helping because I knew Boudicca would stand there until it burned to the ground.

The other people standing up there with us and around the other pyres slowly began to drift back to the castle for much needed sleep.  Aine and Rhiannon touched my arm as they passed by on their way to their rooms.  I wanted a bath myself, but I wasn’t going to leave Val holding up our sister.  So, we stood with her as the fire burned everything down and all that was left was ashes to be scattered by the wind.

At some point, Boudicca found the strength to stand on her own, but she still held on to us.  Corbyn’s sword was strapped across her back, crossed over her own.  His daggers hung at her hips, right next to hers that she had pushed back to make room.  She had refused to put them on the pyre with him. 

She finally stepped away from us and walked up to the black circle of ash.  I watched her carefully when she knelt down and placed a hand in the ashes.  I turned to Val, but she only shook her head.  Leave the woman be and let her vow her vengeance in peace.

A few moments later, she stood and turned to walk back to the castle.  Boudicca walked with her head held high and her shoulders squared, looking every inch the warrior I knew her to be.  I knew better than to say anything as we followed her back to the castle.

Val steered Boudicca towards her rooms, nodding her thanks to me as I opened my own doors.  In that moment, all I could think about was a bath and my bed.  In that order.  But it wasn’t meant to be.

I don’t know how he had gotten there, but Prince Aerron was in my front room standing in front of the fireplace.  I must have forgotten to seal my rooms and rekey the spell in the madness the night before.  He had had time to bathe and change and I immediately resented him for it.

“I’m not in the mood,” I said.  “I just want to wash and sleep.”

“How is she?” he asked.

“Why do you care?” I snapped and instantly wished I could take it back.

“I do care.  I’ve known both of them for a long time.  Corbyn’s loss is felt deeper than you know,” he said sadly.

“She’s as good as can be expected, I guess.  She walked back to her rooms on her own,” I sighed.

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked as he turned to face me.  His face was drawn and there were dark circles under his eyes that marred his golden skin.  He looked lost.

“I don’t think there is anything anyone can do but let her be for a while.  Val is with her,” I explained.

He nodded.  He took a step towards me and stopped.  “I lost sight of him.  I was beside him the whole time, then he was gone.  I don’t know how we got separated.  When I found him, Kai was standing over him, destroying anyone who came hear him,” he said quietly.

“I’m sorry, your grace.  I truly am.  I wish we had been down there to help,” I whispered as I sank in to one of my chairs.

“I’m glad you weren’t down there.  It was bad, Mor.  It…it was bad.  The losses we suffered,” he drifted off and turned back towards the fireplace again, bracing his hands on the mantle.

I didn’t say anything.  I knew I could have made a difference if I had been down there with Tristan, but I knew better than to say that or even think about that.  So, I just waited, forcing my eyes to stay open.

“I’m sorry.  I know you are tired.  Please let me know if there is anything I can do.  No matter what it is,” he said.  He turned around again and knelt down in front of me.

“I will tell her when I see her next,” I said.  I felt guilty for wanting so badly to bathe and sleep.

I didn’t move when he put his hands on the arms of the chair.  I could tell he wanted to put his hands on my knees, but he wasn’t sure if I would accept the touch.  “I was scared for you,” he breathed.  “I saw you, when you were taking the Princesses to the castle.  I saw what you faced.  I couldn’t get to you.  The rest of the legion arrived and cut us off.  I saw them attack you, then I saw you enter the castle…covered in blood.”

I hadn’t realized that anyone had seen us.  “We were safe.  The Princesses were safe.”

“I wasn’t worried about the Princesses,” he whispered.  He stood up slowly and placed a kiss on top of my head.  “Get some sleep, Mor.  We will be traveling soon.”

I waited until I heard the door close, then I was up and headed to the bathroom.  I stripped off weapons and clothes as I went, leaving a trail to the bathroom.  I flicked my hands at the curtains and windows as I passed, sealing the windows and closing the curtains tightly against the bright sun.  I was vaguely thankful that my power behaved itself.

I wanted to soak, but I also didn’t want to fall asleep in the bath, so I rushed through a shower and dried my hair as much as possible.  I barely made it into under clothes and the shirt Tristan had given me before I fell in to bed and was fast asleep.

CHAPTER 14

His face swam in front of me, frozen in anguish, his eyes not fully black yet.  The anger was gone from his eyes in the moment of lucidity that I had seen.  It was the moment that I had seen fear and pain and sorrow.  When he had begged me to end his life.  The faces of the other men around him came in to focus, their faces frozen in the snarls of rage.  Only the first man had held on to his Humanity long enough to beg for the end at my hand.  Had welcomed it.  The faces disappeared and his soul drifted to me again in the unforgiving blackness, where the sounds of battle echoed.  He bowed his insubstantial head at me and mouthed the words ‘thank you’.  Then I was alone.  Alone with the sounds of battle.  Until the faces appeared again.

I woke to Rhiannon and Aine sound asleep next to me in my bed, Kai draped across the foot of the bed and someone knocking on the front doors of my rooms.  I was disoriented for a moment.  Soft evening light tried to push its way through the curtains.  I grabbed a robe from the back of a chair and wrapped it around myself as I made my way to the door.  Whoever it was, was not leaving.

I opened the door to Boudicca standing with Val and Varina, all of them still in whatever they had been asleep in.  Val looked like she wanted to kill someone.

“What happened?” I asked, trying to cover up a wide yawn with my hand.

“The Gods forsaken Order and the High Seat, that’s what,” Val said angrily.

I looked to Varina, hoping for an answer.  She shrugged as if to say she didn’t know what was happening, either.  Then I noticed the rolled up piece of paper in Boudicca’s hand with the seal of the High Seat pressed neatly on to it.  That didn’t bode well.

“Should I get the Princesses?” Aine asked from the bedroom door.  She eyed Val cautiously. 

“No,” Boudicca said.  “This stays in this room for now.”  She settled herself on the overstuffed chair nearest to the door and rested her face in a hand.

“A messenger came a few minutes ago with a letter from the High Keep and the High Seat,” Val explained needlessly.  She took the letter from Boudicca and handed it to me.  “He has gone too far this time.  You don’t have to bow to this.”

“Yes, I do,” Boudicca said without looking up.  “Just tell them.”

Val glared at her for a moment, then turned to the rest of us.  “He has given her an ultimatum.  Take a new Tuillaryn immediately and maintain her seat on the Inner Council or step down from the Ranger sect entirely and marry King Torrynd.  Still a servant of the Order, of course.”

No one said a word.  I don’t think anyone could.  It had to be a misunderstanding or a test.  The High Seat couldn’t be serious.  The Order already had a strong hold in Vahl’streal with the Shadow Keep literally attached to the castle.  Not to mention that Boudicca had been in charge of all of us in the Realm and had helped orchestrate the treaties that came out of the Conclave.

“This is why I left the Order when my Tuillaryn died,” Val said venomously.  “I started a life that wasn’t controlled by some corrupt old councils who think they can control all of the Realms at their whim.”

I didn’t blame her.  Val did have a nice life in Vahl’strael.  She was married to a good man and had three strong sons she was raising away from the influence of the Order, despite the presence of the Shadow Keep.

“This isn’t up for discussion,” Boudicca said with sudden force.  “This is signed and sealed by the High Seat and the Councils.  You know what could be coming.  Binding this kingdom to the Order would give it the strength it needs to survive should she be released.”

“Say whatever you need to make yourself feel better about accepting this load of horse s**t,” Val snapped at her friend.

“So, you will not stand with me?” Boudicca asked her.

“Of course, I stand with you,” Val said angrily.  “I’m not leaving you alone.  I will help all of you.  But if that man ever sets foot in this realm, he’s mine.”

“Val, you can’t say things like that,” Boudicca sighed.

“The f**k I can’t.  I don’t answer to that bastard anymore.  I am helping you by choice.  You have my loyalty.  The Order and that sorry excuse of a man does not,” Val sniped back.

We watched the exchange between them in silence.  I had never heard someone outright curse the Order and the High Seat before, nor had I ever seen Boudicca so…resigned.

“Are you really going to do this?” Aine asked as she read the letter for herself, holding it so Rhiannon could read over her shoulder.  “Another Tuillaryn can’t be that bad…”

Val stared her down.  “Can you even fathom replacing Rafe?” she asked my sister.  Aine paled and the letter fell from her hands.  “I thought not,” Val sneered.

“It’s an order,” Boudicca finally said.  “Corbyn is gone.” Her voice broke when she said his name and she had to take a moment to compose herself.  “He could have made me leave the Order completely.  He has never particularly liked me.  I don’t think he would have trouble convincing the Councils to agree with him.”

“I don’t like it,” Aine pouted.  “It’s not right.  They can’t tell us that we have to marry for alliances.  We aren’t some Princess or noble ladies to be bartered off.  What’s next?  Telling Morrigan that she must marry Prince Aerron?”

“Don’t tempt fate,” Varina mumbled.

“She’s right, you know,” Val said to Boudicca.

Boudicca stood and faced us.  “I am going to do this, and we are all going to accept it.  As a Queen and a wife, I will have more influence over things.  I will be able to stand against the High Seat as a Queen instead of a Ranger.  I will play his game for the time being because it suits what we need to do here.  We need to keep this Realm strong.  The Councils may not believe me, but I believe she is coming and she will come through that lost kingdom in the south.  From here, I can influence reinforcements from this kingdom instead of begging help from Councils with their own agenda who aren’t actually here to see what is happening.  And, when the time is right, I will tell that old man exactly what he can do with his orders.”

“Well, when you put it that way…” Val said.

“Who is this ‘she’ you keep referring to?” Aine asked.

Varina and Val froze, their eyes wide.  Boudicca had said far more than she intended to in front of Rhiannon and Aine.  I held my breath, unsure of how she would explain herself.

“I am referring to Hel,” Boudicca said, her head high.  “The legend says that when the heartstones are found and joined, the prison she and her legions are bound in will no longer be able to hold her and she will walk the Realms again.  When the second stone is found, the legions will be released.  When the third is found, the walls shall fall.  When they are joined together, she will have the power to wage war again.”

“What about the first stone?” Rhiannon asked.

Boudicca looked straight at her.  And lied.  “That has been lost to time.  Only pieces of the prophecies remain.”

“What does this have to do with us?” Aine asked.  “She is just a myth.  Something to scare children with and scare people in to behaving.”

“Then explain the legion last night,” Val challenged her.

Aine opened her mouth, then closed it again, a confused look on her face.  She didn’t have an answer for that.  Neither did Rhiannon, but she recovered faster.

“Then what do we do?” Rhiannon asked.

“You do what you were already told to do,” Boudicca said.  “You go south to Oryn’lea.  Protect the future Queen.  If you can, find out how the Queen was murdered.  For now, I need to call Bridgette and Tobin back.  They need to take our…my…place on the Inner Council. And I need to find King Torrynd and explain this,” she said, waving the paper in the air she had taken from Val.

“We can’t…” Aine started.

You can and you will.” Boudicca cut her off.  “When the time comes, whether in a month, a year, ten years, you are going to have to do what is necessary to save this Realm and the others from Hel.”

“I don’t know why you think we can do this,” I said.  “Aine is right.  We are barely out training.  We follow the orders.  Just like you do.”

“You are a terrible liar, Mor,” Boudicca said.  “But what will happen in the future is not what we are discussing right now.  Rest.  All of you.  I will find the king and show him the message.  Tomorrow, you are leaving.  You need to be up early and ready to travel.  This is just the beginning.  I need all of you to do what you are trained to do.”

We nodded in agreement, even if we didn’t want to.  She was right, though.  She would have more influence as a Queen.  For once, the High Seat’s greed had played in to her hands and she would use it as much as possible.

Everyone left for their own rooms to try to get some more sleep.  We would hear in the morning what the king said and how it was all going to work.  I planned on getting a few more hours of sleep before I had to pack my things.  Again.

I trudged back to my bed and fell in to it.  I somehow managed to stay awake long enough to wrap myself up in the blankets, savoring the warmth and softness.  I didn’t want to return to the nightmare, but I couldn’t stave off the exhaustion that was pulling on me.

CHAPTER 15

Nightmares had woven themselves into my normal dreams of the swirling darkness that felt like home.  It had made sleep restless and I woke many times, drenched in sweat and twisted in my sheets.  The pillows were strewn about the floor around the bed.  Kai had abandoned me for the rug in front of the fire.

The first soft light of dawn began to drift through the windows as I was finishing packing my belongings.  I was dressed in appropriate riding clothes for a lady; split skirts, a more flexible corset and a cloak to protect me against the weather.  It wasn’t raining, but the clouds on the horizon were ominous. 

At least boots were entirely acceptable.  I was able to get away with wearing my favorite pair boots with a knife tucked in to each one.  I silently thanked Aine again for the spell woven in to my saddle bags before we left the High Keep.  I hit my important trunks within them again and set the rest of the trunks by the door.

I was waiting for the servants a while later when they arrived to carry my luggage down to the wagons.  I draped my saddle bags over my shoulder and grabbed the bundle of weapons I had left out to be secured to my saddle.  After one last look around the rooms, I followed the servants down to the courtyard.

The main courtyard was chaos.  The group leaving for Oryn’lea weren’t the only ones preparing to leave.  The Fae were leaving first.  Prince Aerron was having a heated discussion with his father.  It was enough that the Fae around them looked incredibly uncomfortable.  I did feel a little sympathy for the Prince in that moment.

I made my way to Rhoca and began securing my saddle bags and weapons.  I watched the front steps of the castle where Prince Curren was talking with King Torrynd and Boudicca, Princess Arianna on his arm.  Princess Vendora hugged both of them tightly.  I turned away after that.  Their goodbyes were private.

Boudicca wove her way towards me after a moment.  “Are you ready, Mor?” she asked me quietly.

I nodded and patted the book she had given me that was tucked in to a pocket of my riding jacket.  “As I will ever be.”

“Did you make it up to the tower to say goodbye this morning?”

“I did,” I told her.  “Lorcan and Lord Raghnall took me to the nearest aerie.”

“I am sorry things happened this way, Morrigan,” she said sadly.

I gave her an incredulous look.  “None of this is your fault.  I’m guessing you talked to the king?”

She nodded, the look of confidence returning to her face.  “He was amenable.”  She slipped a letter into my hand that I quickly tucked in next to the book.  “Try to keep Rhiannon and Aine on task.  Especially Aine.  Life in court has a strong draw for her.”

“I will try,” I said.  I forced a smile on to my face.

“Corbyn and I have known King Torrynd for many years, Mor.  Don’t feel bad for me,” she whispered.

“I trust you,” I told her.  I was watching the steps again where people were saying their final goodbyes.  The Prince and Princess stepped away and were making their way to their horses.  Princess Arianna’s horse was right next to mine.

“Take care of her,” Boudicca said.  “Promise me.”

“How many more promises are you going to wring out of me before I leave?” I teased.

Boudicca pulled me in to a tight hug.  “I trust you, too, Morrigan.”

She left me to say her goodbyes to Rhiannon, Aine and their Tuillaryns.  I tracked the Princess as she walked towards me.  I watched the smile fade from her face and be replaced by exhaustion and worry.

Tristan was ahead of me, waiting for the Prince and holding the reins of the Prince’s dappled grey gelding.  He had been resolutely ignoring me since the end of the battle.  I was honestly too tired to even try.

Princess Arianna reached her grey mare, waiting patiently next to Rhoca, and nodded towards the carriage ahead of us.  Her ladies preferred to ride in comfort while she preferred to ride.  I liked that about her.  “We are taking the Sky Road instead.  King Torrynd received a lark in the night.  News of the battle has weakened my father even more.  We will take the Sky Road until the city nearest to the capital.  It is important that my people see me arrive with my new husband.”

I nodded my understanding.  I could hear the news trickling down the line of people behind me.  The Sky Fae rarely involved themselves with the Races who lived on the ground.  Occasionally, if the need was dire, they would allow people to use their roads.  Arrogant as they were, they wouldn’t deny a child reaching her dying father as quickly as possible.

Prince Aerron led his ebony stallion over to the other side of Rhoca and vaulted in to the saddle.  His sworn settled in to the end of the party to help watch for potential attacks.  Rhiannon was talking quietly with Cam just behind me on their large war horses that were both white with mottled black spots and long hair around their giant hooves.  Just behind them, Aine and Rafe sat in comfortable silence on their horses, watching the footmen and guards check the wagons one last time.

Overhead, I watched the members of Oryn’lea’s Tribe who had traveled with the Princess take to the skies, their arrow larks weaving around them.  Somewhere up there, were the pair of larks that Kaerrigan had gifted me earlier that morning.  Like Kai, they would find me in the capital.  I wished my travel could have been as free as theirs.

Rhoca shifted under me, anxious to get going.  I was in no mood to talk to anybody else, and, thankfully, no one tried to talk to me.  The Princess settled in to her saddle next to me and motioned for Rhiannon and Aine to join her next to me.  The Prince moved his horse forward to ride next to Prince Curren as Tristan drifted back to ride with Cam and Rafe.

A guard waved from the wall above the gates.  The Sky Fae were ready for us.  Instead of riding in to the city, we would leave the gate and follow a shimmering road up in to the clouds.  I had always dreamed of seeing and using a Sky Road, but this is not what I had in mind.

Instead of the normal several days of hard travel, only one full day of travel brought us to the city nearest to Coer’duin.  We found a comfortable inn with rooms for everyone and prepared to enter the capital the next day.

Princess Arianna and her ladies sat up with us for hours, drilling us on the names of the members of her court and their houses.  Her ladies, who had been with her since childhood, explained what would be expected of us as guests of the royal household.  The more they explained, the more I felt removed from my training as a Ranger.

The next morning, I had to hand Rhoca’s reins off to a squire and resign myself to riding in the carriage with the Princess and the other ladies.  We were due to arrive in Coer’duin a little after midday and appearances were everything.  I was tempted to ride my horse anyway, but the dress I was wearing made it impossible.

We were all dressed according to the fashion currently popular in Princess Arianna’s court, which meant anything with full skirts, billowing sleeves and impossibly tight corsets.  Translation – torture.  So, I sighed, picked up Kai (who had wandered up to me when we walked out of the inn that morning) and let myself be lifted in to the carriage.

The ride provided time for our own thoughts, at least.  The Princess tried a few times to start a conversation, but her heart wasn’t in it.  I could tell she was preparing herself to face her people and her court when we arrived.  Those who hadn’t been in Vahl’strael expected a blushing, happy bride, and that was what she was determined to give them.  I didn’t know how these women hid behind so many masks all of the time.

I tried the bond with Tristan one more time, out of sheer stubbornness, around mid-morning.  I guess I needed proof that he had well and truly shut me out.  When I was met with empty, stony silence, I slammed the door shut from my end.  Outside on the road, I saw Tristan flinch and close his eyes briefly.  His face maintained its permanent mask of emotionless determination, though.  I wanted to throw Kai at him.

Next to Tristan, Prince Aerron raised an eyebrow at him, then turned to look at me.  I shot him a nasty glare, too, for good measure.

“What is it?” Rhiannon whispered.

“He completely shut me out,” I whispered back.

Rhiannon looked to Aine, who only shrugged back.  “Why?”

“What do you mean ‘shut you out’?” Princess Arianna asked me.

Of course, she had been paying attention.  “My bond with Tristan, your grace,” I said quietly.

She nodded.  “I remember.  What of it?”

“He closed her off completely,” Rhiannon explained.  “She can’t reach him at all.”

“What? Why?” the Princess demanded.

“I don’t know,” I said honestly.  “It doesn’t matter.  Not everyone gets along all of the time.”

“Is it because of Prince Aerron?” the Princess asked.

I didn’t want to admit it, but she was probably right.  Or he was just being cautious.  Either way, it bothered me and it hurt.  “Who knows?” I shrugged.  “Male egos are so easily bruised.”

The ladies in the carriage with me echoed the sentiment and let the topic drop.

It was purposely vague, and I was sure the Princess didn’t buy it for one moment, but I didn’t have any other way to explain it.  I couldn’t say that we weren’t that close to begin with because I knew that Princess Vendora had told her all about how she thought we were in love with each other.

We were still almost an hour from the city when the castle itself came in to view.  Though I had read about it in books, like I had Gryphon Aerie, it did not prepare me for actually seeing the castle and the city of Coer’duin.

The castle and it’s buildings sat above the city on a defensible plateau.  From what I could see, the castle and it’s buildings had been built from the granite and other stones that had been pulled from the surrounding lands millennia ago as they were easily the oldest buildings on the plains.

Like Gryphon Aerie, there were towers jutting up in to the sky at varying places along the walls for the plains gryphons and their riders.  There was the main building of the castle, that I knew the royal family and nobles lived, and where the council chambers were located.  After a few more miles, I could pick out a second residence building that was attached to the main building through a corridor that ran above the courtyard between the two buildings.  Then there were the guard houses and towers.  I wasn’t sure what the other buildings were used for, but I would find out eventually.

Down in the actual city, I could see a tall university that looked like it had been built from lighter stone and had fallen in to disrepair.  Interesting.  Why weren’t the people and the Princess making use of the university?  The three universities in Keirhold and the one in Tarvael had been teeming with activity.  This one wasn’t far from the castle hill, either.

I could easily pick out the industrial part of the city.  There were many factories working and pumping great plumes of smoke in to the sky.  Something the kingdom was known for, I remembered.  Which meant I could find…there.  The slums that inevitably accompanied such work places.  I wondered why the Princess let it continue.  Why the king had let it continue.

The edges of the city were lined with sprawling villas, estates and farms.  All made from bright stone and wood, and worked by clean, well-cared for people.  Further in to the city, would be the town houses, sure to be brightly colored and closer to the more expensive markets.  The slums would be closer to the factories and would have its own set of markets and shops.  There was no hiding that part of the city.

Cheers and applause greeted us as we passed through the gates into the city proper.  A dark part of me wondered how many of them truly cared that their Princess had returned.  The people lined up along the main road that led to the castle to try to catch a glimpse of their Princess and her new husband, were rewarded with winning smiles and coins tossed in to the crowds.  A tradition, one of the ladies told me.

Women and children rushed forward to hand us flowers and other blessings for a happy marriage for the Princess and her Prince.  Princess Arianna made sure to smile at everyone and thank them.  Somehow, I knew that she would have gotten out of the carriage and walked among her people if she had been allowed to.  By the time we reached the gates of the castle grounds, the carriage was filled with tokens from the city.

Before Princess Arianna greeted her court, she pulled a few maids aside.  “Please make sure all of these flowers are put in to water and take the rest of the tokens to my suite.”  The maids dropped easy curtsies and gathered up the tokens.  “That was the easy part,” she whispered to us.

Her oldest lady, Sybal, nodded sympathetically.  “Smile, nod, and watch for anything amiss.  Most of the court are kind, but they are vying for a position in the Princess’s new court.  The rumors have been flying that the king will step down soon and hand the crown to his daughter.”

Another of her ladies, Temda, sighed.  “I hope we don’t have to deal with it for too much longer.  I don’t know why they are so worried.  The Princess is comfortable with her father’s court.”

“Not Lady Gemadine and her father, though,” Felicadyn admonished.  “Her father has been a thorn in the king’s side for years.  Ever since they opened up those three new mines on his lands.”

“We will face it as we always have,” Princess Arianna said, leaning towards the open door of the carriage.  “The Mineralage family knows it’s place.  They had better remember it.”

The Princess took her new husband’s hand and stepped towards the gathered nobles.  There was a flurry of activity as the court rushed to welcome the Princess home and welcome the Prince to their kingdom.  It was completely exhausting to wade through all of the introductions, pretend to care about the inane chest puffing, and then the tour of the castle proper that ended in our rooms, situated on the same floor as the Princess and arranged around her to provide a buffer between her and the rest of the castle.

In the tradition of the kingdom, the Prince would have his own rooms separate from the Princess that would remain their rooms even after they accepted the crown from the king.  It would be up to them if they chose to spend their nights together and when.  The whole arrangement was antiquated, and I didn’t think it was going to last long with the two of them.

Our rooms were lavish and overdone in the deep pine green, royal blue and silver colors of the royal family.  Even more so than the simple beauty of the castle in the north.  Each suite consisted of a front room, which held a large grey and white marble fireplace, oak shelves built in to the walls, oversized and overstuffed chairs and couch arranged around the fireplace, a small dining table with four chairs, expensive tapestries and rugs, and a painting of the royal family over the fireplace.

What was it with royals and portraits?

The bedroom held an oversized poster bed made from rosewood.  There were two armoires, a dresser and two night stands, one on either side of the bed, all rosewood.  A bathroom with a half inset bathtub that had the ledge round the exposed pat of the tub, stand alone shower in a corner surrounded by clouded glass, a large grey mottled marble sink and counter that took up one whole wall with a mirror above it, and a toilet in it’s little separate closed off space.

Lastly, there was an office like space that was attached to my bedroom through a door that was on the other side of the room from the bathroom door.  The office was my favorite space.  Every wall was lined with inset shelves, a beautifully carved stone pine desk was waiting with fresh ink wells, quills, paper and everything else one would need for correspondence. 

Instead of overpowering light fixtures that dominated the other rooms, the office had gentle overhead light and various lamps set around the room that could be used to provide a little extra light if one needed it while reading.

After our little tour of our rooms from the maids that had been assigned to us, we were left alone to unpack.  We were not expected to attend the Princess until it was time to go down for the formal dinner, at which point our duties would begin.

The first thing I did was to cover my rooms in a ward that would protect me from anyone trying to see in to my rooms by any means and I would know the instant someone crossed the boundary of the wards.  I added blood runes to the wards to prevent another Fae excursion in to my room, as well.  I braced myself for the inevitable backlash from my gifts, but when nothing happened I wasn’t sure if I should be relieved or worried.

Next, I settled in to the task of unpacking.  We had no idea how long we were going to be in Oryn’lea, so I unpacked everything.  To my delight, the office could be locked, so I set to putting my own books on the shelves.  My armor was carefully set on a stand in the corner with some of my weapons arranged around it.  The books the Master had given to me were locked in to a hidden drawer I found in the desk and I tucked the key in to my bodice until I could find a better hiding place later.

After I finished with my little office, I put the rest of my things away in my bedroom and bathroom.  My favorite dagger that I kept on my right thigh would fit perfectly under my pillow when I slept.  This meant I could replace the daggers I kept on my body with the twin blades that Prince Aerron had given me.  Another blade was put in each night stand and my secondary sword was propped up next to the bedroom door that led out to the front room.

There were fresh towels and robes already neatly folded on the shelves in the bathroom.  I wondered how the maids had known my favorite colors as I ran my fingers over a plush dark robe that would cover me from head to toe.  The front room was easier.  I put out the books I didn’t mind people seeing and filled the space on the shelves.

My meager belongings were unpacked quickly.  I stood in the front room for a while, admiring how I had managed to make it look a little like my room in the High Keep.  I had opened up the balcony doors in my bedroom to air out the rooms.  The breeze that blew through was warmer than the air had been in Vahl’strael and it carried a flowering smell that I inhaled deeply.  I was about to settle in to one of the chairs in front of the fireplace when I heard my sisters at my door.

“Up for some company?” Aine asked when I let them in.

Since when did they ask?  “Of course,” I answered.  “How are your rooms?”

“Almost exactly like yours,” Rhiannon answered.  “Except you have a balcony and Aine’s room connects to the Princess’s chambers.”

“I don’t envy you that,” I said.

Aine only shrugged her shoulders.  “I don’t mind.  She should have a place she can hide when she wants to.  What does your balcony over look?”

“Go see,” I said, waiving my hand towards the open doors.  “I think it’s one of the gardens.”

Both of my sisters brushed past me on their way to the balcony and pulled me in their wake.  It was honestly a lovely view.  My room was on a corner of the main building of the castle proper on the fourth floor.  It over looked a large, meticulously manicured garden filled with every flower and bush and tree that would bloom in this region.  There were three fountains with benches set around them and an archway covered in vines that led to a labyrinth shaped by towering bushes beyond.

“You have the best view,” Aine sighed.

“No, she doesn’t” Rhiannon said quietly.

We both turned to her, waiting for an explanation.  “My view is beyond that wall,” she said and pointed to the far said of the garden that ended in an imposing stone wall.  “On the other side of the wall, are the training yards but also a private garden.   I saw a tunnel entrance on the other end of the garden.”

“She wins,” Aine groaned.

“I don’t care about a bunch of sweaty men waking me up every morning,” Rhiannon huffed.

“We could trade, dear sister,” Aine purred at her.

“Not a chance,” Rhiannon said.  “I don’t want to be next to the Princess like that.”

“You would switch with Mor,” Aine countered.

“No, she could not,” I said quickly.

Both of them turned to me like I had said something crazy.

“I like my view,” I said simply.  “I like the gardens and the fountains.  It’s peaceful.”

“Sure, it is,” Aine said, rolling her eyes.

Both of them walked back in to the front room and I followed behind them.  Aine stopped at the table where the maid had left a tray of food for me to nibble on before the dinner we had to attend.  Rhi continued on to the book shelves.

We were all silent for a while.  Aine was staring at nothing, I assumed, out through my window by the table.  Rhiannon was looking through one of the books she had pulled down from the shelf nearest her.

“I still see him,” she said quietly.

I froze, a book in my hands.  I knew what she meant.

“The man who hadn’t turned yet.  I see him when I close my eyes at night,” she whispered.  She was holding the book open, but she wasn’t really looking at it.

I took a step closer to her, but I didn’t take the book from her.  “I see him, too,” I told her.

“I hear him, too.  I hear him ask you to end it.  I see all of them that hadn’t turned yet,” she managed to say.  I shuddered as a tear slipped down her cheek.

“I see them, too,” I whispered.  I saw Aine reach out to grasp the edge of the table.  “I hear his voice every night.”

“How were they there,” she asked hoarsely.  “In the legion.  How were people who haven’t turned even there?”

“I don’t know,” I told her.  I was fighting my own tears.  Aine couldn’t even look at us, but I could see her shoulders shaking.  I took another step towards Rhiannon and she let me take the book out of her hands.  “I think I have an idea, though.”

Rhiannon looked up at me, then.  “What do you think it is?”

“Maybe it’s the second heart stone,” I said, finding the strength to talk again.  “Maybe that is giving her more strength to call more people to her.  Or…”

“Or what,” Aine said flatly.  She finally turned to look at us.

“Or she has help,” I finally said.  “She has had help.  This whole time.”

“What are you saying,” Rhiannon whispered.

“I’ve been thinking about what Boudicca said.  And what we have learned,” I said. “And what we have seen so far in the legion attacks.  There has been demon activity and small attacks for millennia.  It’s why we exist.  To maintain the balance, right?  If the dark goddess and her legions were imprisoned, how could there have been demon activity this whole time if either some weren’t imprisoned when she was or some have been escaping over time or there are others that have been aiding her while she has been locked away.”

“The bigger force Boudicca mentioned,” Aine whispered.

I nodded.  “Even with an ancient relic to boost her power, how can one goddess reignite the War?  Against the Goddess herself?  She has her legions.  She is capable of bringing more to her side.  We have enough written proof of that left over from the Wars.  But that surely can’t be enough.   Not with The Order of Ebon Lys, other Races, an entire pantheon of Gods and who knows how many other beings that would go to the Mother’s aide.  It doesn’t make sense.”

“So, the people at the wedding.  The ones who hadn’t turned yet,” Rhiannon pushed.

“There has to be someone, or some…thing, here already.  A member of her legion or another dark entity that is working for her.  Those people still had a portion of their souls left.  They hadn’t completely given them up,” I said.

“They were just fodder,” Rhiannon said, horrified.  “Expendable soldiers to test our strength.”

I nodded sadly.  “It must be what she is doing in all of the realms.  Testing us.”

“Or distracting us,” Aine said.  “She is looking for the third heart stone.  So, is the Order, right?  We can’t be looking for it if we are fighting off her legions.”

We both stared at her.  “Brilliant,” Rhiannon breathed.  “That’s exactly what I would do.”

Aine beamed at her.  “We need to tell Boudicca and our sisters.  And they need to tell the realms.  If Mor is right, and she has help, then we need to think about this a totally different way.”

“Right now, we have to get ready,” Rhiannon said, ever the responsible one.  “We are expected outside the Princess’s rooms in an hour.”

Aine sighed.  “All work and no play…”

“Don’t finish that sentence,” Rhiannon warned.

I couldn’t hold in my laugh and relaxed a little when my sisters joined in.  It was the first time we had teased each other since…I wasn’t sure when.