Chapter Thirty Four
There were no screams this time. Just a blinding light and the sound of shattering glass. The mountain shook around us. It felt as if all of Fairy trembled.
When the Light faded, the cavern went dark.
Tiernan summoned several fey light orbs and sent them floating through the cavern to illuminate bare rock.
The vast space was empty, not a single petal left.
Nothing but that oddly carved rock—Goddess-carved rock.
A part of me mourned the beautiful flowers, but beauty often hides a poisonous heart, and the Garden's heart had been full of toxic emotions.
“Seren!” Tiernan shouted.
I glanced at him and then followed his stare to the ceiling. A silver mist hung there, glowing softly. Where the light from Tiernan's spheres hit, it shifted and sparkled. Remembering the clouds that possessed our soldiers, I stepped back. Then it separated into two, and one-half of it condensed.
Tensing into a battle-stance, I watched the cloud take form.
At first, it was just humanoid, then it filled out—muscles bulging and masculine features forming a face.
Silver changed to sunlight, becoming pale Seelie skin, and platinum blond hair cascaded over a pair of broad shoulders.
I froze, seeing the King of the Somber Ones come to life, leaving behind his dark visage for one I had seen before—in a painting that hung in the Seelie Royal Gallery.
The truth had literally been staring me in the face the entire time.
“Solas,” I whispered.
“Do you like it?” The King stepped forward, arms outstretched. “He was the first flower in my garden.” He ran a hand over his jaw. “Is he handsome? I have a hard time judging these things.”
“I destroyed the Garden. How are you still here?”
Before he could answer, the remainder of the glittering mist fell to swirl around the King before it blasted apart and vanished.
“What the fuck?” I whispered.
The King ignored the explosion, speaking as if nothing had happened.
“I must thank you for destroying the Garden, Queen Seren.
Danu created the living crystal to hold all those dark emotions—only light can cage the dark.
Century after century, the emotions festered, and every new royal added their pain to the bitter nectar.
It blossomed into sentience—me. Centuries more passed, but it wasn't until there was a pause in the pain, a stop to the sowing, that I found the strength to seep past the Garden's confines.”
“Seren's right. You weren't starving,” Tiernan said. “It's all been a ruse to get us here.”
“Yes, of course. You're very wise, King Tiernan. I am a liar. I do apologize for the deceit, but it was the only way to get you to destroy the Garden. And you played along perfectly.” King Not-Solas bowed. “You followed my trail, and without Danu guiding you, you acted rashly.”
“Where is she?!” I growled. “What have you done with her?”
“I simply took a little more, but I've just given it all back.” He waved upward.
“The explosion,” I whispered.
“Yes, I returned her pain. But I am not her only concern. Things are rising from the heart of Fairy, and it is weakening the Goddess. I don't know where she is, but I imagine she's stuck there.”
“That's it.” I lifted my hands.
King Not-Solas laughed and opened his arms.
The Light blasted from my palms, engulfing the King. But when it withdrew, the King remained.
“Impossible,” Tiernan whispered.
“I am magic and pain.” Not-Solas lowered his arms. “But I am also forged of divine intelligence. I learn. I adapt. Every time you attacked me, I led you to believe you injured me.”
“The screams,” I whispered. “They were fake.”
“Yes.” Not-Solas sauntered over to me, but as he walked, he transformed.
His platinum hair darkened at the ends, as if dipped in ink.
It lengthened. His silver eyes grew an indigo ring around them.
A silver scar appeared, curling around the outer edge of his right eye and down along the top of his cheekbone.
By the time he stood before me, he was an exact copy of my husband.
“You never hurt me, my Queen,” Tiernan's voice came from the pretender, and his elegant hand lifted to cup my cheek.
“You taught me how to protect myself from you, and then you destroyed my cage. You freed me, Seren. Let me free you.”
Freed, yes. Transformed even. But there was still darkness inside the King of the Somber Ones. It entered me as he pulled me into an embrace. Paralyzed, I watched his head bend, and then his lips touched mine.
Every slight, every hurt, every heartache I had ever felt came rushing to the surface.
I had nothing with which to fight him. My knees buckled even as I heard Tiernan roar in fury.
Eyes open, I saw the Not-Tiernan lift a hand, and the real Tiernan flew backward to crash into the rock wall and fall in a heap.
Not-Tiernan lifted his head to meet my horrified stare. “First Seelie, then Unseelie, and finally, Twilight. You won't have to split your heart anymore, my love. You and I will rule all of Fairy.”
I screamed.