“What is the point?” Death asked. “I wished for them alive, and you admonished me for loneliness. I ask for them to join me in the ebirlloba, and you refuse. Why make them sleep forever?”
“You said yourself that Drekkoril and Roriethiel should be punished for their failure to turn around the issues. Allow us to not fully sever our connection to a childhood experiment we loved for many thousands of years,” Eternity pleaded.
“If Death is the only dissenting vote, then we need not further this discussion. Put them in an enchanted sleep until Eternity can convince one of us that a world is ready for them,” Courage decreed.
“Why do I have no say in the matter?” Death demanded. “Daravius has done nothing wrong.”
“Is there an imbalance with the Dark Fae having Zarasha?” Temperance asked.
“She has a soul, but it is bound to Xakiok and Daravius because of his spell. We cannot do anything about that. Zarasha’s state does not allow her to be counted when it comes to realm balance. Not that it truly matters any longer since the land will be destroyed,” Fate answered. “What we should be asking is what of the drekans? They are two strong animals with nowhere to go. The souls of the others are already reformed and prancing around other realms.” One strict rule of the goddesses was that no harm come to animals, and every spell protected them automatically.
“Roriethiel and Drekkoril earned them with their patience and caring. I vote we gift Daravius and Xakiok with ones of their own so the Fae leaders are equal,” Courage stated.
The gong was hit, and Life emerged. It took a moment to catch her up on current events. “For Xakiok, he shall have a drekan in the same stunning pink of his hair. And, for the leader of the Dark Fae, a black one with silvery swirls down his sides,” Life murmured, creating the beasts. “Shall we give the Fae wings to celebrate their beasts?”
“Gossamer ones,” Grace commented. “Entirely for show and not to be used to fly. They will not always be visible but hidden unless they show them off. The colors will match their eyes, and they will sparkle beautifully in the light. Zarasha as well should have them in the colors Xakiok gave her.”
“All this trouble just to put them in a magical sleep,” Death growled. “You give me no voice to save Daravius.”
“That is your punishment for creating elves without permission.”
“And what of your new project? Why was I not included in it?” Death asked. As usual, her sisters united against her and completely ignored the fact that it was Justice who’d first thought of elves. It was hopeless to argue, so Death moved on. “We cannot create new realms, so you are moving to planets and did not think to alert me?”
“It was a failure on our part not to include Death,” Innocence said. “We must allow her to make creations on our planet.”
“I have no argument,” Justice responded.
“Good, I have an idea. A race which can summon spirits creating undead.”
“Descend them from the warlocks,” Honor ordered. “I hope you will find them amusing, Death. What shall you call them?”
“Necromancers.”
To her distress, Daravius and the rest of the few remaining Fae were placed into a deep sleep and swept up to a cloud where they would stay until Eternity convinced at least one goddess—other than Death—present at the Tier’llomen that she had a plan for them. With the decisions of the day met, Courage called their meeting to an end, and Death met the eyes of Eternity. Before her sister could scuttle away, she teleported less than a foot from her. “I will never forget this, and I cannot trust you. I do not want your horrid Fae to wake, even if it means mine will forever sleep. I would advise you to stay far from not only the ebirlloba but our childhood castle. Should we meet again, you will face my wrath.”
Eternity teleported with fright in her eyes, and Death returned to her home. Her focus was on the new planet, but she vowed not to forget the Dark Fae she had let down.
Chapter 30
Rorie wasn’t sure what pulled him from sleep, but he yawned and shifted his arm to splay his fingers over Renny’s bare chest. The room shook, causing him to bolt upright, and his ears picked up shouting through the thick walls of the castle.
“What the fuck is going on?” Renny demanded.
Shoving his magic outward, Rorie lit up their space brighter than a summer’s day. An almost deafening boom followed a loud, sickening crack, and Renny stared at him wide-eyed. Pushing off the covers, Rorie jumped up and ran toward the end of the bed as he cast a quick spell to don his clothing.
“Get dressed. Something is amiss,” Rorie told Renny, who was climbing out of the blankets and had barely gotten dressed when someone pounded heavily on their door.
“Rorie. Renny. Are you guys okay?” Brogan shouted through the wood.
When he was almost knocked to the ground as another quake rattled, Renny grabbed Rorie’s hand.
“We’re okay. Is anyone hurt?”
“No, but rocks are starting to fall. Everyone needs to get the fuck out of the castle. Teleport outside the gates immediately. I need to get the shifters rounded up, so Dra’Kaedan can get them to safety.”
“We can help,” Renny countered, flinging open the door. “I can teleport too. So can other people. We’ll get everyone to safety quicker if it’s not just you corralling them.”
“That was my suggestion, but it was ignored,” Dra’Kaedan drawled, bracing himself as the castle shook again.
