41. Chapter Forty One Rhowyn
Chapter Forty One: Rhowyn
I regarded her cautiously, her confident demeanor completely shaken, revealing her uncertainty. Her eyes remained wide as she shook her head as if trying to convince herself of something. She turned her back on me, rushing over to the side table and draining her drink.
Unable to wait any longer for her to pull herself together, I approached her slowly. “What's not possible?”
She whirled around to face me, startled to find me so close to her. She laughed nervously. “Nothing.” She waved a hand as if to swat away my doubts. “It's nothing to worry yourself about.”
If it hadn't been for the tremor in her hand, I might have believed her. “You saw something. What did you see?” I pressed her.
She laughed again. “It's nothing to concern yourself about, child.”
Her mouth opened to continue, but I cut her off, my temper flaring. “As much as you might think I'm some stupid child, I still know enough to understand that whatever you saw was clearly not nothing. What did you see?” I pressed again. Her hand raised again to wave me off, but I snapped, “Do not lie to me again. Your lies are convincing no one, least of all me. It's time I learned the truth.”
Her shoulders slumped with a sigh, all her protestations escaping like the air from her lungs. “I can't unlock your glamor or your magic. It must be undone by the one who locked them to begin with.”
I took a step closer to her, ready to shake the information from her despite the fact that she was clearly more powerful than me. She stepped back and continued nervously, her hands raised to placate me. “I can tell you who locked the magic. I recognize the signature, but you're not going to like it.”
“Continue,” I ground out through clenched teeth, my patience wearing thin with her games.
“Your magic was locked by your father.”
I froze, her words shaking me to my core. She continued, oblivious to my shock. “That memory I showed you was only part of the truth. I hid my part in it. I was the friend your father mentioned. I called the portal that sent you to Earth. I didn't know that he'd locked your magic, or that he'd given you this unbreakable glamor. It shouldn't have been possible. His magic was strong, but the amount he must have needed to do something like this...” she trailed off, pacing around the room. “He must have given a piece of himself permanently to the magic in order to hold it for so long,” she said, musing the puzzle out for herself, clearly not speaking to me.
I didn't dare move, keeping my breaths shallow in fear that I would startle her and she'd stop sharing this information with me. Information that I was desperate to hear. “The only way it could remain in place is if he was somehow still alive. But that's not possible. He was supposedly executed by the Queen.”
Unable to hold back anymore, I hissed out, “What?! ”
She whirled on me, facing me with hope in her eyes. “Your father is still alive, though no one has seen him in decades. Not a trace or a whisper, and believe me, we've all searched for him. Even the Ravens were sent to find the leader of the rebellion, but there was nothing to be found. It was as if he'd just disappeared into thin air. We all assumed he had been executed, but if his lock is still holding, he must still be alive somewhere.”
“Wait. You're not making much sense, start from the beginning. You were there when my mother and I went to Earth?”
She smiled at me gently, although it was tinged with sadness. “Yes, I was there the day your father resorted to such measures. He needed a portal, and I was the only one who could create them without the Queen knowing.”
“Why would you help him?”
“Once upon a time, I loved him. A male of such indescribable strength of mind and fortitude. He was charismatic and passionate about his beliefs. His kind heart was unable to stand the abuses that our people suffered under the new Queen's reign. I was never able to resist his requests, even knowing that his heart belonged to another.” A tear leaked from her eye as she recalled my father, her smile tinged with indescribable sadness. She still loved him, even to this day.
“He began an underground resistance which quickly grew to include the leaders of several seasons. Autumn being the biggest supporters, as the tyranny was affecting their lands more than the others, but it was only a matter of time until the other seasons were affected.
“We were making progress when we discovered we had been betrayed. Your father feared for your life, afraid of the retaliation that would occur should you be discovered. We kept your birth a secret; only those who were most loyal to your father ever learned of your existence. The plan was to send you two to Earth before our final battle. We planned to dethrone the Queen, convinced that the Queen had twisted Avalon's magic in a way that would end us all.”
She paused, her eyes widening in realization. She gasped, speaking in a whisper. “He knew.” Her hand went to cover her mouth, another tear leaking from her eye. “He thought that he wouldn't survive. He sent you to Earth as our final hope. What did he know? What is so different about you that he kept you secret at all costs?”
“What do you mean I'm the final hope?” I squeaked, my fear at that thought, at the responsibility that would be placed on my shoulders. I wasn't the person they needed. They needed someone more. Someone better.
She faced me, her spine steeling as she approached me, her confidence returning. “The land is dying, child. It's only a matter of time before Avalon is no more. The magics that we once knew are no match, slowly draining and becoming weaker.”
“But what does that have to do with me?”
“The Queens of old are tied to Avalonia. They provide the needed balance, ensuring that all on these lands are able to thrive. Titania is twisting this balance in a way that we have not been able to determine. She's draining the land and Avalonia of their magics, and without that magic, both will die.”
“Okay, but that still doesn't explain why you think I am the only hope of fixing this. Surely, someone else would be better suited for this task. Someone who could actually access their magic.”
She gasped. “That's why he locked them away.” She rushed toward me, her hand landing on my chest, her magic probing me again before she started laughing wildly.
I watched as the once confident Lady who controlled everything about our meeting devolved into madness, her uncontrollable laughter causing tears to leak from her eyes, her hands wrapped around her middle as she gasped for air.
“Oh, Jonathan, you brilliant man,” she wheezed out, finally starting to get a hold of herself as I eyed her warily, afraid I had broken her somehow.
“Don't you see, child, he locked your magic away and sent you to Earth for more than just protection. He sent you there to keep your magic safe and bound it so it couldn't be drained even upon your return. He knew that you would eventually grow strong enough to break the locks and that when you finally did, you'd be the match to the Queen's strength that our people desperately need. He was just the distraction.”
Dumbfounded, I sorted through her words, everything falling into place. The men had told me over and over that I was stronger than they'd seen in a long time, but I hadn't believed them. The way my magic reacted to anyone trying to meddle with the lock, protecting my magic until I was ready. My jaw dropped at the realization that the thing I had been trying to fix since arriving in Avalon was the very thing keeping me safe.
The Lady giggled at my reaction, clapping her hands in excitement. “I've been waiting for the time to finally come, praying for someone to take a stand. When that time comes, call on me, and I will help in any way I can.”
“That's great and all, but that doesn't help me now. I need to complete the trials before I have any chance of changing anything. That is if I'm even selected as Queen,” I protested. I had thought being Queen was bad enough, and now here I was, being cast as the savior of fae kind. Surely, there was someone far better suited for the job than me. She had to be mistaken.
“That's easy, child.” She grinned at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “I'll simply remove the spell on your necklace. The one which has been draining you considerably of the access to your Consorts' magic.”
She raised a hand to touch the necklace, her magic surging around us. I snatched her hand before she could make contact. “Wait!”
She tilted her head in puzzlement, her brows furrowing in question. “Surely, you'd much rather be rid of such a trinket.”
I laughed maliciously, anger at the Queen for sabotaging me in such a way leaking into my words. “Trust me, I would absolutely love to have this monstrosity off me, but the Queen gifted it to me. If I were to return to Court without it, I'd be tipping my hand. She'd know that I was no longer under her spell and that I was onto her machinations. I can't afford to give so much away just yet. Especially, if I don't have full access to my magic.”
“Hmm....Good point.” The Lady turned and began pacing, trying to think through our new dilemma.
“Will it still drain me if I remove it? Or does it only work when I'm wearing it?” I asked her, trying to puzzle through the best way to proceed.
She came over, her magic caressing my neck where the piece of jewelry lay flush against my skin. “From best I can tell, the necklace must remain against your skin to drain. I can sense that the magic is being channeled to an external source. Most spells of this kind ensure that the magic becomes stored in the necklace, however this is acting as simply a conduit.”
“So, she'll know when I take it off? The drain will be interrupted if I'm not wearing it?”
“That's my understanding of it, although this is such a complicated spell. I'm quite gifted in enchantments, and yet this is of the same level, if not more intricate than something that I would ever weave together.” She leaned in to study the necklace more closely.
“There are layers here, each with their own triggers. If I were to simply interrupt the flow or break the spell, she's woven in a sort of magical backlash that could wind up killing either myself or you.”
“Well fuck. I'm screwed then,” I said out loud. My dilemma clear. I had to keep suffering the drain or risk tipping my hand. Or I could risk tampering with the spells and killing one or both of us. Either choice sucked.
“Such a succinct way of putting it, but yes, you are indeed screwed, as you would say,” the Lady said.
I tilted my head back, squeezing my eyes shut and clenching my jaw with a deep inhale, straining to find my patience and calm. I needed to think clearly if I was going to get out of this mess. Resigned to my fate for the time being, I changed the subject. “Any other ideas on what boon I could receive? Apparently, everything I've asked for has been impossible.”
“For now. It's impossible for now,” the Lady corrected. I barely resisted rolling my eyes in annoyance. I agreed, but I needed something to give the Bitch Queen. I couldn't return empty handed.
As if sensing my annoyance, she continued, “I may just have something for you. It's one of the last pieces I enchanted. While not as powerful as Excalibur, this one is a little more discreet and may prove more useful for one such as yourself.”
She flitted across the room, disappearing into an alcove where thumps and grunts of effort carried through the air to me. Curiosity got the best of me, and I followed her, stopping when I turned the corner to find her in what I could best describe as a vault. The power from this room pulsed against my skin as I stood in the doorway, watching the Lady rifle through the items strewn haphazardly all around. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason for their resting places, simply resting on the available surfaces, everything from weapons of every imaginable type, books, mirrors and combs, and cups. There were so many items, I didn't know where to look first.
“Aha!” the Lady exclaimed, popping her head out of a pile that almost swallowed her whole. She beamed at me broadly, holding a long item that was iridescently black. “Here it is.”
She held the item out to me, revealing a black dagger in its sheath. Intricate carvings of knots and vines weaved across the sheath and hilt, gleaming in purples, greens, and blues as the light reflected off the onyx metal. Unable to resist such beauty, I held out a finger about to trace the lines, only just stopping myself. “It's yours,” she told me, pushing it toward me again.
“It's absolutely stunning, but I couldn’t,” I said in awe. The magic called to me, feeling made just for me, even though I didn't feel as though I deserved such a gift.
“Oh, it's more than just beautiful. Like yourself, it can be quite deadly. In fact, it was enchanted so that only one user could ever hold it. No one could ever steal the blade from the owner, use it against them, or harm them with it. The blade will only strike true for the owner. All they need do is strike with intention and the blade will ensure it is so.”
I gaped at her. “Are you sure?” I asked her.
“It's the least I could do for Jonathan's only daughter, the one he hung all his hopes and dreams on,” she told me gently, offering me the blade.
I took it in my hand, a tingle of magic racing up my arm and I knew that we were connected now. “Gee, no pressure or anything,” I snarked.
She laughed. “With great power comes great responsibility.”
“Did you just quote Spiderman to me?” As if my brain could take any more revelations.
“Sweet child, I do still enjoy the pleasures and fun of Earth and journey there frequently. Their movies are quite delightful.”
I listened to her go on about her favorite movies, but my attention was on the blade. Turning it this way and that, I couldn't wait to have the opportunity to test it out. Just then, it dawned on me. “Wait.”
“What, child?”
“There's no way I can give this to the Queen. I don’t even want her to know I have it. I need something else to present to her to prove my success in this mission.”
“Ah. One moment.” She disappeared into her vault, which I was starting to see was like Aladdin's cave. She flitted around, stopping at one pile or another to pick up an item, only to discard it a second later.
“Here we go. This should do.” She came back with a gold cup that was encrusted with rubies and diamonds. “This is a fairly weak enchantment, but it should suffice as your boon. It's rather useless in the hands of the Queen, but she can't say that you've failed.”
“Great. What does it do exactly?”
She laughed. “Well, it simply ensures that the cup will never run empty of whatever is put into it. Although it can only be used for one liquid.”
“Sounds pretty benign,” I said, taking the cup from her hands.
I was about to ask her another question when she let out a little huff of exasperation. “Seems you've brought others to my door.”
“Not me. Avalonia. She sent us here as one of our trials,” I clarified, not ready to piss off such a beneficial ally.
“Well, the sooner I deal with these Chosen, the sooner I can relocate.” She made a twirling motion with her hand, and I knew our time was done.
“Wait. One more thing.”
Clearly growing annoyed with me, she paused in her movements to glare at me. “What else could you possibly need?”
“How will I find you if you relocate?”
“Ask the water, and it will lead you to me. ”
“What does that even...” I started to ask her only to find myself being tossed through space. Remembering the portal I had passed through from Earth to Avalon, I felt like I was moving through the same viscous nothingness. It was light and heavy all at once. Just as I was starting to adjust to the skin-crawling feeling, I was tossed through air, landing on my feet. My knees buckled under the impact, and I fell straight on my ass.
“Thank Avalonia, you're okay.” Baer's hoarse voice greeted my ears, but I didn't respond. The whole experience had left me shaken, and I needed a moment to parse through what all had just happened.