Chapter Thirty-Five
“I, Tiernan Shadowcall, King of Seelie, call unto those who have gone before me!” Tiernan's voice rang out, filling the cavern.
The Not-Tiernan straightened, setting me on my feet. I swayed and blinked, focusing on the real Tiernan. He was glowing, his hair lifting in the currents of magic.
“Come to me, you honorable dead. Kings, queens, and all who chose to bind themselves in service to Danu. Seelie, Unseelie, and Twilight Fey. I call upon you to defend us against this foul enemy who threatens our world. Come to me now, Shining Ones of Fairy!”
It was a long summoning, but I felt every word vibrate through my bones. The vibration they created shook the dark cobwebs from my mind. Even as the world rumbled around me, I found my footing. Strength returned to me.
Meanwhile, Not-Tiernan's eyes widened, and his hands fell away. Freed of him, I backed up. He didn't notice. Those stolen eyes darted around the cavern as a new light drove away the darkness.
I eased over to stand beside the real Tiernan.
His silver eyes glowed, but he kept them locked on the impostor as he took my hand.
He was so handsome that it should have been hard to look away from him.
But it was impossible not to look at the men and women who appeared around us.
Thousands of them. They filled the cavern.
Seelie, Unseelie, and Twilight. All the races of Fairy.
So many fairies had chosen service beyond death, and their souls shone with the honor of that act.
They stood proudly around us and before us, circling the impostor king and protecting us from his darkness.
Glowing with golden, silver, and lavender light, the Shining Ones did not draw weapons. They were the weapon. But only a portion of them closed in around the King, leaving the others to guard us and bear witness.
“Tiernan,” I whispered.
“They're beautiful.” His eyes overflowed with tears as he looked upon the Shining Ones.
From Sidhe to Brownies, they were all there.
Even a few Pixies flew above the ranks, their little faces as proud as the others to be summoned at last. It was impossible not to look upon the Shining Ones without feeling the weight of loyalty and love that bound them to us.
To serve Danu and Fairy even after death—it was humbling.
Even I didn't want to do that. It was hard enough to serve the Gods while living.
“Dear Danu,” I whispered. “Is that who I think it is?”
Among the Shining Ones were faces I recognized, and several surprised me.
Queen Iseabal, my grandmother and also the woman I killed to take the throne of Seelie, turned and looked at me with a peaceful expression I'd never seen her wear in life.
She inclined her head to me, with her husband standing on her left and her son on her right.
And there was Moire! Duchess Moire Thorn of Unseelie, my aunt and Bress's mother, stood beside . . .
“Holy shit,” I whispered. “It's Uisdean. Uisdean is a fucking Shining One!”
Beside my evil Uncle Uisdean stood the wife he had risked everything for—Rue.
It was sort of romantic, except that Rue had been a mad, murderous bitch when she was alive.
Not really her fault though. Uisdean made her that way when he summoned her back to life.
I wondered if she'd been a Shining One then.
Had he pulled her from these illustrious ranks and forced her into a new body?
Or had Rue chosen this after her second death?
Perhaps to make amends for what she'd done.
Then I saw someone I actually cared about.
Someone whose death nearly started a war and still haunted me.
Tears poured down my cheeks as I met the bright stare of King Zhayu of the Court of Nine Sons.
A Sea Dragon among the Shining Ones. What would his court think?
They had a shaky relationship with Danu.
Evidently, dying had renewed Zhayu's faith.
He grinned broadly at me and bowed.
I set a hand to my heart and returned his bow.
“Father,” Tiernan whispered.
I jerked up and followed Tiernan's gaze to see Diocail Shadowcall standing among those who had held back.
Tiernan had his father's eyes, though Diocail's facial features were harsher and his pin-straight hair was midnight black.
Their twin stares were locked, father and son reunited while one still lived.
Diocail had been a harsh man in life, but now, he wore the peaceful yet prideful expression of a Shining One.
Through that peace, shone love for his son.
And then Diocail turned to face our enemy.
“Father,” Tiernan said again, this time in a tone of wonder.
I squeezed Tiernan's hand, and we watched in awe as Danu's children defended her.
None of those whom I knew were among the inner circle that drew in tightly around the King of the Somber Ones.
No, those were all Seelie and all unknown to me.
Oh, wait. There was one face I recognized, but only because the King had worn it.
King Solas Airestrachan stood at the innermost part of the circle, staring at King Crybaby as if he knew the bastard had stolen his face.
Although this group was only a small portion of the Shining Ones, their circle was six people deep.
They stretched out their hands, peaceful expressions turning grim, and the Impostor King began to scream.
Black drops seeped from the King's pale skin and gathered into ribbons that streamed to the Shining Ones and seeped into their raised palms. Chins lifted, they pulled the darkness out of him, each Seelie monarch reclaiming what they'd given the Garden.
As they drew their dark emotions forth, the ground shuddered.
Then I felt a shudder inside me.
“Seren,” Tiernan whispered.
“You feel it too?” I looked over at him.
“We must reclaim what he took.”
Still holding hands, Tiernan and I strode to the center of the cavern. The Shining Ones parted to let us through. As we passed Diocail, his glowing hand reached out and stroked Tiernan's cheek.
“I love you too,” Tiernan said.
But we kept going, passing the outer group and going to the inner circle. They parted as well and then closed behind us, gently moving us to the center. I stopped at the innermost ring, glancing at Solas before focusing on the dying king.
Withered into a skeletal husk, the King of the Garden knelt before the old and new kings and queens of Seelie.
Black ribbons still connected the old monarchs to him, pulsing like arteries.
Tiernan and I raised our hands, and two more ribbons lashed out from the shell of the King to connect with our palms. I braced myself for a pain that never came.
My emotions returned to me gently, with a feeling of rightness.
They slid into the hollow spots they'd left, completing my history, filling the holes in my heart, and returning the strength I'd gained from them.
The King of the Garden shrunk, his emaciated body becoming the size of a Brownie. Then a Pixie. His stare met mine, and in a tiny, hollow voice, he declared, “Danu is lost, and Fairy awakens. Without me, you won't survive.”
“We'll take our chances.” I yanked my darkness back to where it belonged.
The last of the stolen emotions returned to their owners, making the Shining Ones whole, and the King of the Garden of Regret winked out of existence.