Chapter Thirty-Three
The King vanished as we reached the forest. I wasn't worried. I knew where he was going. But I couldn't go further as I was. Not if I didn't want to damage the forest.
My Demon magic gave me Djinn-level shapeshifting. I could be anything. Only my imagination limited me. But only I transformed, not my clothing. So, when I shifted back to myself, I had to add clothing and armor formed of Light. I wasn't about to face King Crybaby naked.
Holding his Light-coated sword aloft, Tiernan moved up beside me, and we entered the forest. I was a mini-sun in that leaf-dimmed world, shining on things that had never seen so much light.
Insects and small animals scurried off while birds took flight.
The scent of green things—both growing and decaying—filled my nose.
It calmed me. Without Danu, this was the closest I could get to her.
Real plant life, not darkness given form.
The King waited for us at the tunnel entrance, on the other side of my barrier.
Tiernan gave me a look.
“Yeah, I see it.” I motioned and released the magic. “At least I know it will stand for as long as I need it to.”
“Yes, it stood. It was just useless.”
I stuck my tongue out at him.
Tiernan's shocked and joyful expression made my chest twinge. Why was he so happy? Ah, yes. It was something I'd do when not numbed by the Garden. I grinned at him, but it felt forced, and his smile faded.
As did the King.
I looked from Tiernan to the empty cave and stepped forward. “All right, my King of Hearts, let's follow the White Rabbit.”
Tiernan took my hand. “Seren, what are you planning?”
“Go in and blast everything that's black?”
Tiernan chuckled. “Yes, I suppose that's the best we can do.”
“I'm hoping that striking at the source instead of these apparitions will cause permanent damage. After all, there is nowhere for the Garden to go.”
“I agree. You should be able to destroy it. I'm just concerned about what destroying it will do.”
“It's our only option.”
Tiernan brought my hand to his lips. “I'm sorry about last night. Seren, I love you. I don't want you to go back to feeling guilty. I wish you had told us.”
“Tiernan, I have told you. Maybe not so clearly, but I have told you.”
“Not about feeling unworthy of us.”
“I've let things slip to all of you, little by little, testing the waters.
It's never well-received.” I held up my hand when he started to speak.
“It doesn't matter. I've probably done similar things to you and not realized it. We take those we love for granted. I can forgive all of that. Al we can do is try harder in the future.” I squeezed his hand before releasing it.
“I know myself better now. I'll deal with it better.
I'm going to stop trying to live up to an image of what I think you want and accept the fact that I'll never be worthy of you, not any of you.”
“Seren—”
“No, that's okay, T. It's not about being worthy.
No one is worthy of what I have. I need to simply be thankful.
And I am. I have always been grateful for all of you.
That's what I should have been focusing on—what I have, not why I have it.
You're mine, and I won't feel guilty about it anymore.
I'm just going to enjoy being with you and love you back.”
“Seren, that's all I want.” Tiernan pulled me into a kiss so sweet and soul-shaking that it made the Light pulse. When he eased back, he said, “Let's go save our kingdom.”
“And all of Fairy.”
We stepped apart and then into the cave.
My armor and his sword drove the shadows back, sending the cold stone into sharp relief.
Prepared for any attack, we moved through the tunnel slowly.
When we came to the corner where the King had caught me, I sent a blast of Light around it.
We followed the Light, finding nothing waiting for us.
But whether that was because nothing had been there or because the Light had driven it back, I didn't know.
The comforting smell of the forest retreated, replaced by the mineral-rich scent of stone.
My boots of Light padded softly over the immaculate stone, not even a pebble to litter the ground.
Further in we went, deep into the mountain.
The only light came from us. Without it, we would have been in pitch black.
Until we reached the glow.
I saw it up ahead—soft and white. Glancing at Tiernan, I slowed my pace, gaze darting around the rock walls.
Nothing grew there. It couldn't. There was no water, the stone utterly dry with no earth to wick moisture.
I peered at the walls and then the floor, still trying to figure out why they were so clean.
“They've been carved!” Tiernan hissed in a tone you might use to describe child abuse.
I may have mentioned this before, but the Fey do not strike their planet.
They carved stones and wood, but only after they'd been offered those resources freely by Fairy—fallen trees, surface rocks, and such that could be taken without harming the planet.
Digging into a mountain like this was blasphemy.
“Are you sure it's carved?” I touched the wall. “I don't know, Tiernan.”
“Look at the shape of the tunnel, Seren.” He gestured at the ceiling's perfect arch. “It's nearly circular. This is not natural.”
“I'm not sure it's unnatural either. I don't see any tool marks.”
Tiernan scowled at the stone. “You're right. There are none, and yet it's not polished. This makes no sense.” His stare went to the end of the tunnel and the source of the glow. An opening there gave a glimpse of a cavern. “Let's not tarry. It knows we're here.”
“Yup.” I stepped forward, Light coating my sword as I unsheathed it. Entering the room with my sword-point first, I sang out, “Hello, Darkness, my old friend.”
Tiernan snorted a laugh and entered the cavern with me.
Then we lowered our swords and stared.
The magnitude of the space hit me first. It had to be at least the size of a football field.
Covering the rocky ground were flowers, so many flowers, and more plant life crawled up the walls to cling to the ceiling, hundreds of feet above our heads.
Vines trailed down like chandeliers, dripping tear-shaped blooms. They didn't just mimic chandeliers in appearance but also shed light.
Every plant in the cavern glowed, light shining through crystalline leaves, stems, and petals.
It was like stepping into a Swarovski wet dream. My dragon would have matched perfectly.
The bright crystal garden was especially shocking after facing King Crybaby and his Legion of Doom.
I had an image in my head, preparing me for oily, black plants that coated the walls, perhaps dripping regret onto a greasy floor.
Not this sparkling beauty. This opalescent jewel box of a garden. It was stunning.
I stepped forward, brandishing my sword before me, and hovered a hand over an exotic blossom.
The glow wasn't as bright as my armor, but it bathed my hand in silvery light.
Within the clear petals, a rainbow of colors swirled, reminding me of Hell's Light.
But this wasn't an energy source. It was an energy drain.
“Seren, don't!” Tiernan hissed when I lowered my hand to touch the flower.
I jerked my hand back.
He took my wrist and eased it back. “Remember what Lady Mariya said. King Solas cut himself on a flower.”
“Welcome, Your Majesties. Don't fear the Garden. It won't hurt you. Please, touch the flowers. They've been ignored for so long.”
Tiernan and I spun toward the center of the cavern where the King stood, his darkness like a void in the middle of a million stars.
Beds of flowers grew around him in natural patches that somehow gave the impression of being tended.
Even with our enemy standing there, I couldn't tear my attention away from the beautiful garden.
“Why isn't it black?” I asked.
“The Garden of Regret feeds on dark emotion. It is not a dark emotion in itself. It is magic.” The King strolled toward us, his hand trailing over the flowers. “If you keep away from the sharp points, they won't cut you.”
The plants bent as normal plants would, but tinkled when they hit each other. Seeing that, I couldn't resist touching the flower I'd been admiring. I gently tapped the underside of a petal.
“It's soft!” I exclaimed.
“Seren!” Tiernan grabbed my wrist again and yanked it back. “Just because he says it's safe, it doesn't mean it is.”
“I don't think he has lied to us, Tiernan.”
“The Queen is correct.” The King of the Garden stopped several feet away from us. “I do not lie. I see no point in it.”
“You could be lying about not lying.”
The King inclined his head. “That is true.”
Tiernan shot me a warning look before he focused back on the King. “So, you appear dark because you are the manifestation of dark emotions?”
The King shrugged.
“If the Garden feeds on darkness, and it's starving, how can it manifest you?”
“It is not a feeding that destroys.” The King waved his hand out to indicate the glowing fields.
“Think of the Garden as a repository. It contains those emotions, and the emotions sustain the Garden. It is hungry because it was made to grow. It has languished too long, waiting for new blooms. Give us your pain, and we will give you a flower in the Garden.”
“A flower? A single flower?” I looked across the cavern. “How many kings and queens have you taken from?”
“The Garden did not start with the Seelie.” The King's face twitched.
“Who did it start with?” Tiernan demanded.
“Danu.”
Tiernan and I went still.
“What does that mean?” I asked.
“When the Gods were born, Danu claimed Fairy, and Anu left to create his own worlds. The Goddess suffered without her brother. She mourned his absence even though they remained connected. Her heartache hindered creation. So, she tucked her pain away, deep into Fairy. Here, where she felt a connection to her brother.”
“The Garden of Eden.”
“Yes, Your Majesty. The Twin Gods have always mirrored each other.
Anu created the Earth, and to rule it, he made humans.
I don't know the human story, but in a place bound to this one, Anu wept for his children.
That sorrow called to Danu's. She left her pain here, an echo of her brother's. It helped her focus on making the most wondrous races ever created.” He held a hand out toward Tiernan.
“So lovely and so monstrous.” He dropped his hand when Tiernan remained where he was.
“But the pain of a goddess cannot lie dormant. It grew into this.” He looked at the Garden.
“And then it called to Danu's children.” The King met my stare.
“So, you see. I am not your enemy. I am part of your goddess. Leave your pain with hers, and free her.”
“Free her?” I whispered. “Is Danu here?”
The King looked away.
“Where is she?!” I roared, causing the flowers to shiver and clink.
The King shrugged. “Where do goddesses live?”
“You're not starving,” I growled. “You're overgrown. Danu must have forgotten about you, as the Seelie did. And you summoned her. Somehow, you tricked her into coming here, and you trapped her in her sorrow.”
The King lifted his chin. “The Seelie saw the good in the Garden. They took the Goddess' gift. Their monarchs knew this was a path to Danu.”
“You're evading now.” I grimaced and looked at Tiernan. “Step into the tunnel, babe. It's time.”
Tiernan stepped backward without taking his eyes off the King of the Somber Ones. His fey feet knew the way, retracing his steps until he stood just beyond the cavern opening.
I faced the King.
“Queen Seren, it doesn't have to be like this.” The King came toward me.
I blasted a wave of Light through the cavern, strong enough to melt the darkest emotion and the brightest of magic.