“And if the seal is broken?”
“If it is broken, not only will the way to Evenfall be opened once more, but it will also release all the memories of the Nightmare King and the Evenfey,” the Lady replied. “Obviously, we cannot allow that to happen. So we will hide it, and hope that it is never discovered.”
The silver-haired noble gazed down at the dais, frowning at the complex sigils and runes carved into the stone. “These are dangerous, complicated signs,” he said in a grim voice. “The glamour they require will be immense, and there are but three of us left. Will that be sufficient power for what we plan to do here?”
“It must be,” the Lady said. “Evenfall is here. The Nightmare King himself is at the threshold of the Nevernever. All of Faery is counting on us. We cannot afford to fail.”
“No, you cannot,” said a slow, familiar voice, coming from overhead. We glanced up, and two glowing golden eyes appeared in the tangle of branches above, peering down at us haughtily.
It took a step forward, and a large gray creature dropped out of the branches to crouch atop a broken pillar. A cat, but many times larger than a simple feline, with extremely shaggy fur and long tufted ears. Its legs and tail were banded with black stripes, giving it a wild look, and huge claws curled from its pads as it settled atop the column, watching us with primeval glowing eyes.
“Foolish two-legs,” the enormous cait sith said, as the shock of seeing a much older, wilder Grimalkin rippled through me. “We warned you about the danger of meddling with Faery. You have started something that cannot be undone. And now we must all face the consequences.”
“I should have killed the lot of you,” growled a deep voice, as a massive shadow prowled toward us through the shadows, stopping at the edge of the light. Even in the darkness, however, the terrifying head and muzzle of an enormous black wolf glared at us across the stones. Its fur was spiky, its fangs almost too big for its jaws. And the feral light shining from its green eyes could make even the oldest fey cold with terror. “You should have left well enough alone,” the Wolf told us. “Evenfall would have been content and peaceful had you not decided to antagonize them. But now the Nightmare King is aware, and on his way to destroy the Nevernever. The way to Evenfall must be closed. So be it.” The Wolf bared his fangs, sharp teeth gleaming in the darkness. “We will seal away the Nightmare King and doom the Evenfey to oblivion. You will get your wish, but you will need our strength to make it happen.”
“Yes,” agreed the cait sith, leaping up to perch on the rock. “A terrible decision, but one you have brought on yourselves. Evenfall must be closed, and the memories of the Evenfey and the Nightmare King stripped from the minds of every living creature. Such a task will not be easy—I have my doubts that you will be able to accomplish it.” He gave a sniff, sounding dubious. “I do not even think you have realized the true extent of your decision.”
“It will work,” the Lady insisted. “With your aid, the three of us together will be enough to complete the ritual. We will be able to save the Nevernever.”
“At what cost, though?” Grimalkin glanced down at the circle of runes and symbols, and the fur on his tail bristled. “Be aware—a spell of this power is dangerous, and the Nevernever itself might react poorly. It is possible that some of you may forfeit your very existence, but it cannot be helped now. You wished for this to come to pass, and now we must follow this road to the end. So...” Those eyes narrowed, glaring down at us all. “Shall we begin?”
And so, we did.
Beyond this point, the memories grew hazy, fragmented bits of color and emotion pulsing through my head. How long we stood there, chanting words I couldn’t quite understand, pouring glamour and magic into the circle at our feet, I didn’t know. It might have been hours, or days. I could feel my magic being drained, sucked away by the circle of glowing runes, as the symbols in the rock changed from white to blue to bloodred. I could feel my body fading, growing exhausted, and still, the circle demanded more. More magic, more glamour and energy, a seemingly endless amount.
I blinked, and suddenly, I couldn’t remember where I was anymore, or what I was doing. There were two figures standing to either side of me, chanting over a glowing circle of power, but I didn’t know them. With a start, I realized I didn’t know my own name. But, though I was aware of all of this, I knew that what I was doing was vitally important. I was compelled to finish, no matter the cost.
A deep snarl came from somewhere behind me, raising the hairs on the back of my neck, though I couldn’t turn to see what made it.
Too much, I thought, even as the chanting reached a crescendo, my voice rising along with the others. It’s too much. I can’t stop. What’s happening to me? Why am I here? Who—who am...I?
The light flared, and for a few seconds, everything went white.
And then, there was nothing.
* * *
The Lady opened her eyes.
She blinked, gazing around in confusion. A misty grove surrounded her, fog drifting over the grass to coil away in the breeze, eerily beautiful under the light of the full moon. She recognized this meadow, one of her favorites in the wyldwood, but she couldn’t remember how she had come here. The last thing she remembered was traveling rather urgently through the wyldwood, on her way to...
She couldn’t remember that, either. Strange.
Rising to her feet, she frowned, trying to recall the events that brought her here. Something had happened, she thought. Something big. The world felt...unstable. The Nevernever itself was in turmoil, though she didn’t know the reason. She could feel the anger and confusion in the air, flashes of panic and desperation, as if all of Faery was reacting to some unknown catastrophe. Subconsciously, she turned her thoughts to the land, to the Nevernever itself, trying to understand.
So much chaos. What has happened? What can I do?
She wasn’t expecting an answer, but for just a moment, it was as if she could hear everyone’s voices, feel all of Faery’s terror and confusion. She gasped, one hand going to her face, as the voices screamed in her head, a torrent of noise and emotion. Just as quickly, the maelstrom faded, leaving her breathless and gasping in the center of the grove. She knew, suddenly, what Faery wanted.
Her shoulders felt heavy with the weight of power they bore, the responsibility dropped at her feet. Whatever had happened, it had caused the structure of the Nevernever to be uprooted, and everything was drowning in uncertainty. If Faery was to survive, it needed someone to step forward, to unite everyone under a single banner. The lesser fey needed someone to follow, or they would succumb to their fear and tear each other apart. She would be that for them. The beacon of hope that held Faery together. The symbol of authority that they would come to love...or fear.
She would be content with either.