Chapter Twenty-Six
Twenty-Six
The keep reminds me of Davien’s manor back in the Natural World. The architecture is incredibly similar even if it is significantly more dilapidated. This place has clearly been forgotten by man, though not by nature.
The small, crumbling castle overlooks a perfectly clear lake. I’ve never seen water so brilliantly blue in my life. Even underneath the orange sunset, it gives off an almost cerulean glow.
The skeletal trees of the foggy forest we left are gone. In their place are massive ancient sentries of wood and perseverance. Their trunks fan out at their base, making them look as if they wear flowing skirts beneath their bark. The mountains have also vanished.
I stare at the western horizon, blinking into the sunset. “I’ve never seen the sky so large and unbroken.”
“Me neither.” Davien’s voice is low with reverence. “And I’ve never seen anything so beautiful.”
I guide the horse over to the entrance of the keep. The doors have long since rotted off, and vines trellis around the opening in their place. We dismount and Davien walks to the water’s edge where it meets the castle wall.
“So what do we do now?”
“Let’s go inside,” he says and returns to me. “It’s getting late and there are some matters involving the ritual to finalize.”
“Finalize?” I ask.
“Vena was able to work out most of the ritual…but she admitted that we might be forced to adjust once we were in this space. Ritual is an art and we didn’t know what our canvas would look like.”
My heart sinks into the cold water of the lake and I shiver. The fae have made it clear how important ritual is for their magic to work properly and how difficult rituals can be to make and perfect.
“How long do you think the adjustments will take?”
“I hope no more than a day at the absolute most.” Davien begins unhooking the saddlebags. I lend a hand. “Fortunately, my horse was the one we carried on with, so I didn’t lose any of the supplies that Vena sent.”
“I can only imagine how much bloodier that scuffle would have been if we were also trying to get the saddlebags off my horse…poor girl.” I sigh, wishing I could go back and find the horse to give her a proper burial. I knew her for only a short time, but she served me well.
“Speaking of bloody, are you all right?” Davien’s hand touches my side. “I didn’t see this when we were riding.”
I look at my side where Allor nicked me with her blade.
“It was small and it’s already healed.” I press my fingers through the hole in my shirt to confirm what I suspected.
The skin has already knit together; there’s not the slightest sign of any trauma.
“Fast healing is one really nice thing about your Fae King powers. I’m going to miss having it. ”
He chuckles. “If I could let you keep a fraction of this power, I would.”
“Well, if I get to choose, then please give me the magic healing.” I focus on the saddlebags in an effort to hide my shock at the admission.
He shifts a little closer to me. “You have a deal, but only after I defeat the most bloodthirsty fae who have ever walked this earth.”
“I think that sounds fair.” I look up at him with a sly smile.
I hate how much his face makes me happy.
Even when the world is tough, even when death and danger lurks around every corner, there’s a lightness that his presence exudes.
I tear my eyes away from him before I’m lost in the heady emotions.
“We should go inside…see if our friends are waiting.” Hopefully not our enemies.
“I’ll keep the stallion saddled, just in case we need to make a fast escape.
One night with a saddle on shouldn’t hurt him. ”
“Good thinking.” His expression becomes serious as he looks up at the crumbling walls, scanning the dark windows.
If Shaye or Giles had made it here before us, they would’ve most certainly come to greet us by now.
It’s far more likely that if anyone is waiting, it’s an enemy.
“I’ll go first. Stay right at my side.” He holds out his hand and I take it.
We enter at the top of an L-shaped hallway. At our left is an antechamber that is completely overgrown by the vines and other greenery that was creeping up the front facade. Rounding the L reveals the main hall of the keep.
There’s a staircase at our right that goes up to the second floor and a gigantic hearth at our left.
A rectangular stone table positioned before the hearth is the only piece of furniture.
Opposite the hearth, three large windows cut into the wall overlook the lake.
Miraculously, the stained glass is still intact.
“It’s almost like the designs at your house.
” I keep my voice to a whisper as I cross over to one of the windows, yet my words still manage to echo around the pillars and into the giant rafters that support this cavernous room.
I run my finger lightly along the dark outlines of the images.
Every other panel is a portrait of a man or woman wearing a shimmering crown made of glass almost identical to the one Davien wore on the night of the festival in Dreamsong.
“My home and this place were both made by and for the Aviness family.” Davien examines the glass as well. I can feel the warmth radiating off him as the castle becomes colder with the setting sun.
“There are women wearing the crown.”
“There were a few times in our history when, in the absence of a male heir, a woman took the throne.” Davien shrugs. “The last heir of the direct bloodline would have been a woman.”
“Everyone makes it sound like there have only been kings.”
“That has been the predominant way of it. And the Boltovs pass down the crown only to the men of their family. I think some forget that there were queens long ago.”
I pause before one man holding the crown rather than wearing it. “Why isn’t it on his brow?”
“He must be one of those who abdicated.” Davien strokes his chin thoughtfully.
“The glass crown can be worn only by a true heir. It’s part of the ritual placed on it long ago by the Aviness family.
When the original fae courts banded together to fight against the early elves and named Aviness their king, they swore fealty in a ritual that binds all fae to this day to the crown.
I hear Boltov began to wear the crown on his brow through some illusion or dark ritual in his attempt to claim I was not legitimate.
Though any fae would know the truth by sense alone. ”
“Sounds powerful,” I murmur, staring up at the man in the glass and trying to imagine myself pictured in a window someday, abdicating to Davien.
“It is, immensely. And the Boltovs can only tap into a fraction of it by claiming his throne on the hill of the high court. I’ve no doubt Boltov thinks if he can get the magic of the ancient kings, he could do far more regardless of whether I’m alive or dead.”
“Which is why we can never let him get it.” I look up at Davien and he gives a small nod that feels conspiratorial. Even though I know I am playing only a small and accidental part of this great story of Aviness, for the first time, I feel as though I am truly a part of it rather than a spectator.
“Indeed.” He starts for the fireplace behind us. “We should set up camp here tonight. We’ll do a quick search of the keep, set up an alarm ritual for any arrivals—friend or foe—and then barricade this room. Whenever Shaye and Giles arrive, they won’t be able to miss us.”
My chest tightens as I stare at his back.
I don’t know if Shaye and Giles are coming.
The thought nearly makes me sick. They were with us mere hours ago.
To think that right now they could be…I shudder and force the thought from my mind.
They’re strong. And if Davien has faith that they will come walking through that door, then so will I.
At the very least, I choose to believe they’ve turned back to Dreamsong to help protect it.
“I’ll make the fire,” I offer.
“You?” He seems startled. It elicits a laugh from me.
“I assure you, I’m perfectly capable of making a fire.
I did for my family most mornings. I did it in the safe house yesterday.
” I cross over to the hearth and check the flue.
From what I can see, it doesn’t look like there are any obstructions.
Even if there were, the ceiling is high enough in here and there are enough holes in the roof that I doubt we’d get smoked out.
“I can use magic,” he offers.
“Or you can begin your search. Unless you’d rather I search the rooms and corridors?”
Davien frowns. “I’d rather you stay at my side. But I can see the benefit of dividing and conquering.”
“I’ll shout if there’s any trouble.”
“Be sure you do. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.” He gives my shoulder a squeeze and heads up the stairs, leaving me to remind myself to breathe after a remark like that.
I rummage through the saddlebags, assessing our supplies.
There’s not a great deal, but there’s enough for us to be comfortable, at least for tonight.
Luckily, among all the other supplies are some flint and steel.
I retreat back to the antechamber and collect dead brush and twigs for kindling.
Shockingly, I find some split logs stacked and dry on the side of the fireplace.
I wonder if there’s some kind of old ritual on the closet they’re stored in, given that there’s no sign of rot.
Practical fae rituals to make my life easier when I return to the human world—those will be a must. I chuckle as I collect the wood, imagining the Fae King in my home charming a closet so my firewood is always dry and ready. It’s certainly a nice image.