61. Chapter Sixty-One
Chapter Sixty-One
Embla
Darkness fades to bright light that brings a hollowness with it. The light shines through my eyelids, and I struggle to peel them open. The emptiness inside of me is all consuming, and I blink my eyes open to find a wall of stained glass windows depicting four of the six winged faerie queens across from my bed. With a glance over my head, I can see where it continues, depicting the other four behind my headboard. The golden faerie’s window taking up the space above my head. There are no other beds in the room, and the only light shines in through the windows. The dark wooden headboard is carved into twisting lines and knots. My memories replay in my mind as I struggle to push myself into a seated position on the soft pillows. Hissing at the soreness I find at my center.
“Aine," I say, checking my sheets for any sign of the Kith, my hands flying to my neckline searching for my locket when I notice seven faeries surround me. They cast a rainbow of light through the room. My eyes meet each of their gazes as they fall on me.
“My Queen,” the red faerie says, her face round and jovial, surrounded by shoulder length white hair. Her skin glows with a red sheen, and her wings are the brightest part of her. All six of them are crimson red, spread flat against her back. She rushes to kneel beside my bed.
“I’m sorry?” I ask, confusion swirling as the room tilts slightly.
The rest of the faeries kneel around my bed. Each taking a knee and bowing their heads.
“You’ve returned to us,” the purple faerie with a slender, rectangular face says, raising her head. Long twin braids are twisted around a purple ribbon, and they fall down her back.
“Good to see you again,” the blue faerie speaks as she lifts her chin, baring her heart shaped cheeks and blazing blue eyes. I gasp at the familiarity.
“You were there that day in the woods,” I breathe and the blue faerie smiles knowingly. “Where is Aine?” I demand, my face hardening. I’m not going to give them anything that they want until I start getting some answers. The night before still replays in my mind, and I don’t know how I was so careless. I should’ve known better. I can still feel the fae male’s hands on my body.
“After you crossed the bridge and released your magic, she... changed,” the red faerie says, lifting her chin, “She’s outside the doors. She wouldn’t let anyone else watch over you. We had to sedate her to move you bo—”
“She’s alive?” Disbelief has me choking on a sob and the red faerie nods.
“Aine has accepted the spirit of the guardian,” her tone suggesting I should already be familiar with the name, but I don’t care.
“I need to see her now.” I clutch the blanket in between my hands so hard my knuckles turn white as I hold it against my chest. The red faerie nods, rising from the floor with a subtle flutter of her wings, and she’s out the door.
I check over myself, running my fingers through my white hair, and I lean forward to check the wounds on my back to find large wings that radiate a golden glow sprouted from the skin in between my shoulders. Before I can react, the red faerie flits back into the room and behind her pads a cat that rivals the size of a bear. Her coat is golden, her six legs are so thick around they rival a sapling from Myrr. Fluffy golden antennae curl from her head where her six eyes lay staring at me. Searching me for any sign of harm. Gold, brown, and white wings stretch from her back and flutter excitedly.
Is that you? I ask, holding out my hand, and she presses her forehead into my outstretched palm.
It's me , her voice whispers in my mind, I throw myself against her, circling her neck with my arms. I press my body to her, and I don’t ever want to let go. She is a piece of myself that I didn’t know was missing and when I thought something might have happened to her. I wanted to die too. She survived and that’s all that matters. The darkest nights are worth it if I come out with her by my side.
The red faerie reaches for me, and I flinch away. Choosing to settle back into the bed instead. Aine climbs up on the too small mattress. The bed frame groaning under her weight as she lays across my legs.
“What happened to you?” She retracts her hand. “You were covered in urine and blood among other things when you arrived,” she says softly, pulling up a chair from the foot of the bed.
“I don’t want to talk about it, can someone send for Thea or Roan?” I just want people I trust around me, and I don’t know any of these faeries. Except the blue one, but she is one who caused the worst pain of my childhood.
“Yes, my Queen,” the red faerie stands, she bows before flitting out of the room.
“Why do you keep calling me your Queen?” I ask. Every noise in the room stops. The birds chirping outside, the rustling of clothes. The faeries freeze in place, not even taking a breath.
The blue faerie takes a seat in the chair that was previously occupied by the red. “Do you know how faeries were created?”
I nod. I don’t dare open my mouth to explain I broke into their library and was using their castle for research purposes. Though if I’m a faerie, even a hidden one, that explains why the lions of the bridge let me cross.
“As a species, we’ve always been impulsive,” the purple faerie says, pulling up a chair to the unoccupied side of the bed. “And in the early days that would get us into trouble. Being an immortal surrounded by fae who die after a couple thousand years and replay their history over and over again can get a little boring.”
“It was decided that as high faeries we needed a leader with more humanity, compassion and kindness. When the first Queen passed on her power, and her life force, her successor became the first changeling Queen,” she says, carefully, as if she doesn’t want to leave anything out.
“And the golden faerie who was in the woods, she gave me her power, her title, when I was six.” I finish the story for her and the faerie nods. “Why me?”
“I don’t know how she made the decision,” the blue faerie says as she stands. “We checked you over for any external wounds, but any injury was healed when you healed Aine. So, when you’re ready, I’d like to move you out of the infirmary and into the Queen’s chambers.” My head swims and I wave the faeries out burying my face into Aine’s fur as tears stream from my eyes. I don’t deserve to be Queen. I’m supposed to be some kind of guardian of the forest when I can’t even keep myself safe. A deep self-loathing carves a hole out of my heart and makes itself at home. I’m disgusting, and eventually everyone will know.
You’re not any of those things, Aine whispers in my mind, but I don’t want to hear it. I don’t have anything to say to her. Making up my mind I stand wandering over to the cart containing medical supplies pulling out the first pair of scissors I can find.
I’m never going to be the same after this , I tell Aine before I hold the scissors up to my long white hair and cut it just above my shoulders. I leave the pile of tresses on the floor and climb back into the bed with Aine, pulling her close. Her warm vibrations comfort me as we sit like that together just breathing in each other’s presence.
“How’re you feeling?” the blue faerie asks, stepping into the infirmary followed by the other queens. They seem to go everywhere together.
“Better, I guess.” How else am I supposed to respond to that question? Tell them about how my mind continually replays the assault, and how I don’t feel safe anywhere except with Thea? I think not. “Why are you here?”
“Thea is unable to visit, she is on a mission for the fae King." Disappointment drags me further into my despair since she's the only person who could've made me feel safe. “You’ve been through something traumatic whether you will tell us what it is or not, we won’t force you to,” the orange Faerie speaks up, “But there are some things you need to know about the Bjartr Forest and what is expected of the role you will play here.” I sit back, crossing my arms while I wait for someone to continue.
“You are now the guardian of the forest, you’ll need to spend some time in it, and become one with the magic here. You will start combat training with one of us that includes aerial combat, and most importantly you can’t leave the forest. Not in the first couple of weeks of being here,” the blue faerie says down her nose.
“I’ll spend time in your forest and train with you, is there anything else?” My voice is cold, detached to my own ears. They’ve been hospitable and even helpful so far, but I can’t seem to get past the odd air they have about them. Something that makes them feel inhuman.
“It’s our forest. You are dismissed. Arielle will show you out of the castle. You’ll begin spending time with our forest today.” The blue faerie waves me out the door, and I can’t help but roll my eyes. “Don’t forget to take Aine,” her voice calls from behind me as I follow the pixie outside. I’m going to hate it here. I wonder if there is a way for me to get out of the whole queen thing, but maybe keep the wings? I like the idea of being able to soar the skies at Thea’s side. I’ll have to ask them when they are in a more humane mood.