It had only been a few hours since I’d admitted that he wasn’t safe, and neither was anyone who entered his cage. The moment I’d exited his confinement and stepped into the hallway, I’d called in reinforcements and retired to my balcony to clear my head. The wind hadn’t gotten the message that I’d wanted time to calm my frayed nerves, and it howled angrily through the valley, whipping my hair against my face. The light dusting of snow from earlier had turned into a blizzard. The strange tingle of warning slithered up my spine, sinking sharp nails into my heart.
I glided my palm to my round belly, applying pressure to the tender muscles the babe kicked. A slight twist flowed over my lips, enjoying the spirited little urchin moving. He enjoyed keeping me up all night and the rich rumble of his father’s tone when he whispered to my belly. I hated that the anticipation I should have felt this close to bringing my son into the world was poisoned with tension over just how drastically my world was altering.
Power surged over my skin, and I turned toward the balcony doors. Erie slid her gaze to where my palms rested on my abdomen before she fixated on my face and grunted softly.
“You’re close to giving birth, aren’t you?” she queried.
“Soon, yes,” I countered, perusing her with my gaze. She was wearing a silvery-colored dress, which had slender straps that knotted behind her neck. Erie’s shoulders proudly displayed the blue ink that swirled in delicate billows over them, gliding down to the cuffs she wore on her biceps.
“Alden is draining the feeders,” she declared softly. “If he continues doing so, you’re going to need to decide if you’re willing to chance him murdering them or if he needs to be put down. I know that isn’t what you want to hear, but that isn’t the same man inside that cell, Syn. He wouldn’t want to live like that, either. You and I both know that. He’s not inside that body, and if it were me, I’d want you to end me.”
“You’re right, of course, but this is Alden we’re talking about. Until we exhaust every avenue, and try to bring him back or out of whatever is happening to him, I won’t consider putting him down like some rabid dog. He’s been there for me through everything, and I will not abandon him or give up.”
My heart compressed, and a throb thudded within my chest at what might have to be done to free Alden. The idea of ending his life sent a wave of fear rushing through me. Shaking off the idea of murdering Alden, I stared out over the night, wishing Ryder was here to tell me what to do with Alden. He’d been a parental figure to me for most of my life. I couldn’t make the choice for Alden alone without being biased about how to conduct what was required to be done.
“So, he cannot feed anymore?”
She bounced her shoulders, leaning her weight on the railing to stare down into the glacial spring that gurgled below us. Its water flowed through the courtyard in a steady stream, feeding the Tree of Life. I followed her gaze to the thriving tree, anxiously examining the crimson petals that mimicked blood dripping from the branches.
“My sisters are with Alden now. They’ve agreed to see if he can feed from a goddess or two.” She studied me, smiling softly before she added, “He shouldn’t be able to consume them, and if he does, then we’re all fucked. Just in case, I placed runes and added layers to the wards.”
“Thank you. Do you know what he’s saying? None of the guards have any idea, but they think it’s something archaic. I figured since you’re older than the dirt we built this palace on, you might have some idea,” I said, pushing hair away from my face while ignoring the biting, icy wind.
“I can understand his words, but you will not like what they are, Syn.”
“It matters little if I like it, Erie. He’s singing and freaking everyone out. I need to know what he’s saying. I can feel something coming, and this sense of unnatural weather and unease wrapping around everyone is becoming a larger problem.”
“It’s not that something is coming.” She expelled the air from her lungs, worrying her lip before continuing, “It’s who is coming and why they’re coming now. They’re coming to take back what your mother stole from them.”
“And what would that be?” I hedged.
“This world, Synthia,” she predicted without sugarcoating it at all. “They’re returning for Faery, and they aim to seize it by force.”
Chapter Two
Erie’s words echoed through my mind, and the storm and the sensations of something coming for us made a lot more sense. It also brought up more questions than it answered. Questions like who exactly was coming, and how long did we have left before they finally showed themselves? The hand resting on my belly tightened, and fear sparked in my mind. Erie only dropped her head back, chuckling softly without mirth.
“Your mother was a bitch, and she liked taking credit for everything, Syn.”
When she looked back at me, her brow had relaxed and there was a small smile on her lips.
“I’m fully aware of that, but I fail to see how that has anything to do with us or this world.”
She expelled a tired sigh, peering out over the darkening skies. “Danu didn’t create Faery. She came here and found it thriving with the people of the Etherlands, which was what this place was named before she seized control of it. She intended to rule over them, but they weren’t so agreeable to bowing to a goddess who demanded they worship her. Still, Danu planted the Tree of Life, which created an imbalance in the land. As you’re aware, the Tree of Life was Bilé and in order to free him, the tree’s roots had to reach the underworld so he could escort lost souls into the circles of the tree. The original inhabitants tried to rid the world of the tree, which . . . well, you can imagine it didn’t go well. Danu began executing the ones brave enough to argue against her or disagree with her claim on the world.”
My heart sank, and my stomach threatened to spew its meager contents. “You’re really saying that she stole Faery and murdered those who’d previously inhabited the realm?”
Her eyes sparkled with mirth, as if she found it funny. “Danu didn’t create Faery, not any more than she created Ireland.”
I groaned. “I guess it makes sense, considering how beautiful both Ireland and Faery are, and then how pathetically self-serving she was. I’m guessing she didn’t murder all who lived here before she seized the land?”
“No, but she did remove them from the land. Danu placed those who survived the initial invasion into a separate pocket dimension. To be certain they couldn’t return here, she placed a barrier around the walls of their new home, making it inescapable.”
“And now it’s unstable because the barrier I walked right through was linked to it.”
“Whether it happened when you escaped the prison or when she died, it doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. The barrier is weak enough for them to breakthrough now.”
“I just wish I knew what Danu had done, or fucked with before inheriting the mess she left us here.”
“Speaking of Danu,” Erie started, narrowing her gaze on me. “If I remember correctly, there were some ruins built into a rock formation, and they were rather beautiful.” Her head tilted, and she pursed her lips before continuing. “Have you seen them? It’s where the original races worshipped, and held ceremonies.”