1. Chapter 1 #2
“And you’ve completed those tasks?” Ranger Z asked. “You’re all done?”
“Yes,” I said. “But I’ve come to understand that just because the channel is open, I still have work to do to figure out how to use it effectively. I haven’t suddenly become this all-powerful Fae Queen just because I survived the trials.”
“What does that mean for your training?” asked Lily. “I know you’ve been working diligently with Seer Goddard.”
“I’ll need to keep training, whether with him or alone.
I thought once I completed the trials that it would be more of an instantaneous burst of power, but it’s not.
I still struggle to read the language of the Fae Queens, for example.
I can do bigger things with my powers—take the Procession of Spirits, for example. I couldn’t have done that on my own.”
“Of course,” Lily said. “That makes sense.”
“I’m starting to be able to access powers that are larger than me, but it will take time and experience in order to be able to tap into the full extent of my ancestors’ powers. Time that I don’t know if we have.”
“That makes me wonder how the Procession of Spirits was felt in the underworld. Fae Queens are so naturally attuned to the spirit world,” Lily said, “it’s very likely that the procession tonight loosened some barriers between the worlds.
A lot of spirits passed through. That’s got to be felt across realms, especially a spirit realm like the underworld. ”
“I agree, although the wards are still functioning at some level,” Silas countered.
“If the veil between worlds were wide open, the Darkest Lord would’ve attacked already.
He’s cocky, but also worried. Alessia has completed the trials and is learning to access her ancestral powers.
It’s only a matter of time before she masters control of that channel, too, and then she really will be impossible for him to defeat.
He will leap at the first opportunity to attack.
He hasn’t yet only because he can’t. We need to keep things that way. ”
“Do we know his endgame?” I asked. “I understand he’s bitter about being the king of the spirit realm, but what is his goal in attacking?”
“He feels cheated. He’s a creature of malice and vengeance,” Silas said.
“The Darkest Lord can only exist in the underworld, among lost souls. He wants a throne here among the living. The underworld is a cold, dark place devoid of riches and luxury. He wants what any power-hungry man wants: riches, power, freedom.”
“How can he hope to achieve that?” I asked. “If he can’t exist here.”
“If he could find a way to embody himself and become an entity here on earth, taking over the castle, even,” Silas said, “he could set up a fortress here. The Darkest Lord isn’t Fae, so he can’t rule this court, but he can destroy it and move on to other places, bigger targets.
He will simply destroy until he is the most powerful and runs his kingdom unopposed. ”
“I’m tired of invaders,” Lily muttered. “We just want peace.”
“The Isle is a target because of its key location and rich magical history. The ley lines that crisscross beneath these lands are exceptionally strong, some of the strongest in the world,” Silas said.
“The magic here is vibrant and diverse, but the island is isolated, a strategic fortress—everything a conqueror could want.”
“So how do we stop him?” Lily asked. “If he does break through the barrier?”
“We’ll need Alessia’s powers, certainly,” Silas said, “but it won’t fall solely on her. If we can prevent the spirits from taking solid form, they’ll have a hard time attacking us. That should be the first priority.”
Ranger X was nodding along in agreement.
“We can do that by concentrating on the wards, certainly, as well as fortifying other methods of defense. And, of course, the last resort of ensuring we have a proper arsenal of weapons and spells, should the breach become inevitable. Lily will get a head start on that, as well as the Ranger scientists at the lab.”
“How can the spirits gain a solid form?” I said after pausing to consider. “Is this the ritual you all have been mentioning?”
“I believe so,” Silas said. “That is most likely the reason he needed the three fishermen, as innocent sacrifices. Which means if the spell is not already in motion, it will be soon.”
“Can we stop it?”
“I don’t know,” Silas said. “But he wouldn’t flaunt his spirits in such a brash display, like he did at the procession, unless he was confident in his plan moving forward.”
Lily drew a sharp breath. “That is not great.”
“I expect you’ll need some rest,” Ranger X said, “but after a short recess, I think it imperative you meet us at Ranger HQ, Alessia. Combining your Fae Queen magic with our extensive set of Ranger knowledge and skills could buy us time.”
“Yes,” I said. “I’ll be there.”
“Then we’ll reconvene at noon to discuss the wards and plan our next steps.” Ranger X nodded, pushed back his chair with finality. “There’s plenty of work to do, but everyone needs to rest first.”
I knew he meant me most of all. It was my magic that they were counting on, at least in some way.
I’d just exhausted myself by releasing hundreds of spirits from our world; rest was a very good idea indeed.
Plus, we could all probably use a beat to process everything that had happened.
A quiet, private beat not existing in a war room or a castle.
We silently filed out of the castle, one after another. Several Rangers remained on guard, and I instructed them to listen for Liza and escort her to Wisteria Cottage if and when she woke if I hadn’t yet returned.
When I arrived back at Wisteria Cottage with Silas and Millie, we all filtered into the living room.
I sat down first on the couch, just plopped down in a very un-regal sort of way, the tiredness finally catching up to me.
Silas settled beside me, and Millie took the armchair across from us, crossing her legs delicately, as if this informal setting was new and uncomfortable to her.
“What can I do for you?” Millie finally asked. “You must have a lot of thoughts racing through your head. How can I help you prepare for what comes next?”
“Why don’t you get some rest, Millie?” I said quietly. “We’ll need your help in the coming days, but for now the best thing you can do is take a break and get some sleep, just like the rest of us.”
Millie nodded, looking relieved to have been given instructions of some variety. She wiped her hands on her skirt and stood. “Take care of yourselves. You’ll need energy too.”
Silas gave Millie a few moments to disappear from Wisteria Cottage before sliding an arm over my shoulders. He let my head rest against him, and the warmth of his body, the quiet stoicism of him beside me, was beyond comforting.
“She’s right, you know.” Silas nestled the words into my hair. “We should really get some rest.”
“Both of us,” I agreed, though neither of us moved toward the bedroom. “Silas, what do you think about all of this?”
“I think you need to be officially crowned queen.”
I stiffened, tilted my gaze up to see his dark eyes staring down at me. Reverent, kind, gentle. “That’s not what I thought you were going to say.”
“After tonight, it’s pretty much official that you’re a Fae Queen,” he said. “It will be useless to argue you’re not; the title belongs to you, and nobody can deny that with any credibility. You’ll need an official coronation ceremony.”
“I don’t know that ceremonies have a place at a time like this,” I hedged. “It feels celebratory and unnecessary.”
“Respectfully, I disagree,” Silas said. “Not only do we need a spark of hope and brightness in our lives, but the coronation ceremony comes with some concrete benefits.”
“What sort of benefits?”
“First, it’s a way to respect the traditions of your Fae Queen sisters.
Coronation ceremonies are ancient, beautiful ways to mark the passing of one queen and the crowning of the next.
” Silas gave me a slow, understanding smile.
“It’s not just about you wearing a gown and placing a crown on your head.
It’s about the entire island marking a historic moment as one united front. ”
“I get that,” I said. “But maybe it would be better received if we waited until after this business with the Darkest Lord has passed?”
“Once again, I respectfully disagree. There’s another part of the coronation ceremony when real power is transferred when you accept the crown,” Silas said, his voice somber.
“Before you argue, it’s not a one-way street.
You might be accepting the official title, but we as a court are collectively agreeing to accept you. There’s power in that.”
“Regular power?” I asked. “Or actual magic?”
“Both.” Silas clasped my hand in his, pressed it over my heart. “A crucial part of the Fae Queen coronation ceremony is the giving of a heartbeat. Any living thing on the island can voluntarily offer one of their heartbeats to their queen.”
“That sounds morbid.”
“It doesn’t hurt anyone. Usually,” Silas said.
“Not to mention, it’s completely voluntary.
It is a way of bonding the queen to the constituents of her court.
The people who live here will become a literal part of you.
You will hold a heartbeat from every individual in your court. It is a lifetime bond.”
“That’s a big responsibility.”
Silas gave a slow nod. “It’s part of the reason Fae Queens make for such wonderful and kind rulers. I am not a mother nor am I a woman, but I’ve heard it described as similar to motherhood, as if you have little pieces of your heart walking around the earth.”
I couldn’t help the sudden thought that my mother had missed that piece of parenting information, but, alas, now was not the time to dwell on what-ifs and past hurts.