Remnant sighed. “The blood crystals did indeed disappear with Atlantis but they were not destroyed. Nor was the city. It was how I was able to come here from The Under.”
There was only one way that was possible.
“The whirlpool gateways are still active?” I said with awe.
“Apparently.” She shrugged.
I hummed. “That may come in handy.”
Remnant shook her head. “I’ve been told that they are only a one way portal now.”
Tyr whistled. “Should we expect an armada of angry water fae on our shores?”
“I did some house cleaning before I returned home.” I said carefully. “The water fae have taken a huge blow…I doubt they will be mounting an attack on us anytime soon. Our main focus should be stopping Deirdre from coming through the Sanguine gateway.”
Remnant crossed her arms when I ignored her inquisitive look. “I don’t know about water fae…” She narrowed her eyes with thought. “But I believe fortifying your shores against blood wraiths if able would be appropriate. There were almost a full score of them inside Atlantis when I escaped there.”
“Done.” Tyr snapped, no questions asked. I gave him a small smile. He respected her.
Penina cursed. “Do we know if the blood wraiths can use these crystals if they are in The Under?”
My brows furrowed. “Perhaps I may be able to find some answers about that in one of my texts.” I attempted to reassure them.
“Your majesty, if I may?” Jar’s bright blue eyes were full of unease.
I nodded in earnest.
The master healer stapled his fingers in front of him. “I feel that some truths need to be told behind the Sanguine. Truths that you will not find in the history books you love so much Daemon.” He paused, tapping his fingers, drawing our attention further in. “As you all know the Sanguine was more than just a power, it was also a court, the blood fae court.”
Nods of understanding came from around the room.
Jarquinn continued. “The blood fae held a tremendous power we now refer to as the Sanguine. With this power came the ability to control any living lifeform through their blood…like a puppet. They were the world's deadliest manipulators and often created mischief with other courts. Except this terrible power came with a terrible price…it drained the blood fae of their own immortality and they aged. Quite unlike the rest of us, who stop aging in our thirtieth year and become fully mature in our centum.”
“Let me guess…” Penina drawled. “They didn’t like that.”
Jar gave her a pointed look. “No. They did not. Nor would you if you had been in their place. Their power destroyed them. Imagine if shifting destroyed you.”
Penina’s lips thinned. “I get your point, healer.”
He nodded. “Be sure that you do, my cub.” He looked down at the table to me. “Their resentment of their own power turned onto the rest of us and they quickly found that they could quite literally suck our immortality by drinking our blood. Not only did they become youthful again but their power heightened.” Jar visibly shivered as if he were lost in an old memory. “The more powerful the fae they drank from, the longer their youth lasted. They started to become more animal than fae, hunting the ancients first as their favored blood source since our blood was more potent. It was dark times and I lost many loved ones from the blood fae’s unquenchable thirst. Including my beloved.” He looked sadlyover at Quinn. “Your mother was one of them. It was that moment that I turned my attention to healing rather than killing, a path that was too little too late for our family. I am sorry, my son.”
“I know you would have saved her if you could have, father.” Quinn said quietly.
The healer’s blue eyes sparkled with tears. “It wasn't until our most powerful and revered seer from the elemental court was slaughtered that we collectively reached our breaking point. The blood wars were the result of the shifter, elemental, and shadow court joining forces to stop the blood fae once and for all.”
“Who was the seer?” Penina twirled a piercing on her furrowed brow.
Jar looked at my soulmate. “Her name was Talgira.” He said solemnly.
“Deirdre’s mother.” Remnant breathed.
Jarquinn nodded. “Yes. Talgira was a wise and kind fae, with very powerful insight. She was able to see blood fae attacks and thwart their plans quite effectively. We all looked to her for safety but that also made her a target. She was sent into hiding, away from her family, with a powerful and brutal ancient shifter fae we all voted for as a guard for her. A shifter king we all know as Daemon’s father, Asher Windswift Strider.”
I inhaled sharply. “He never told me any of this.”
Jar gave me a sympathetic look. “Because to his greatest shame, your father failed although it was never his fault. As I said before, Talgira was a very powerful seer, an ancient like myself, and she was shown a vision. One of our world dying if she stayed in hiding. Those were the words she left behind hastily scrawled out on parchment before she drugged the shifter king into a deep sleep.” He bowed his head. “Her drained husk of a body was found a week later on our shores along with her newborn grandson protected tightly in her arms.”
Remnant looked out the sunlit window. “Deirdre’s son.”
