Was this fate the thing that my mother was running from? Durga warned her not to let me enter this realm… is that why?I mindlessly grab for my mother’s necklace. A habit I’ve recently formed whenever I think of her.
Wait a second…
“You said this crest belonged to the royal house? It was my mother’s.” I pull the necklace out from under my dress to show them.
“I never said that to you…” Oleander’s eyes widen, “you must have read my thoughts.” She shakes her head, observing me carefully. “This proves she was of the House of Ether but it does not narrow down her direct lineage. Just as this clasp shows I am of the House of Fire. Although, that gem in the centre is rather peculiar…” She leans in a bit closer.Great, another dead end.
“So what are Marissa and I supposed to do about it? It doesn’t sound like you have enough information about what my purpose in all of this is… unless you’re hiding something,again.We can’t just hide out here forever,”I say, my annoyance at all of this is starting to get to me.Why us?
The conversation I overheard the lords having at Pyralis’ estate chimes in my mind, “wait didn’t you mention that The Wolf King kicked the owl guy off the throne because he was ignoring the warning signs that the land was sick?”
“Hemurderedour beloved King!” one of the fae calls out.
“Right, sorry…” I cringe, “well, I overheard these lords talking at Pyralis’ estate about droughts and strange fogs possibly causing crops to fail on the Continent. Similar climate events are happening back home. What if The Wolf is right? What if he just wants to open The Gates so the fae can help the humans fix what they have done? Ask Embrys, he was there!” I cross my arms, a smug little smile spreading across my face, feeling like I just solved everyone’s problems.
Oleander shakes her head and rolls her eyes.“Nuria, I am not hiding anything,” she says while looking me straight in the eye,go on look for yourself,she challenges me to scan her memories which I’m not even sure is something I can do on demand, or at all, so I scoff and break eye contact.
Oleander grunts then continues, “do you really think he would want toplay nicewith a race he sees asbeneathhim?” Her eyes dart to Marissa then back to me. “His first order as King was to create hierarchy and classes based on our magic!” Oleander stands, raising her voice so all the rebels can hear as she scans the room, looking like a mighty leader about to give a call to arms.
“He sanctioned the creatures-of-fae to be slaves, he has forsaken The Divine Mother! Even the creatures have magic to some degree. What do you think he will do to the magicless humans? Come on girl, use your brain.” She taps the side of her head, looking back down at me, “this is not an action of peace. It is an action of war and we must rise in the defense of the oppressed!” She finishes her speech by looking out to all those that have gathered and the group hoots and hollers in agreement, Marissa joining in the action by pumping her fist in the air, causing me to do a double take.
I look around the room and can see so many different types of creatures all fighting for their families’ freedom and my heart sinks at my selfish desires to just bury my head in the sand. Oleander’s reasoning means that my parents are at risk of succumbing to the wrath of this king as well if he figures out how to get those gates down, but I feel lost about how on Earth I could be of use.
What is it about my powers as an Etherealist that is so special? Surely there are other people out there like me.I crumple from my dread.
As the cave succumbs to the revving up of the rebels in their excitement about Oleander’s speech, I notice Fenrick is returning from wherever they are keeping Embrys and leans in to whisper something in Oleander’s ear.
She nods and looks down at me. “He has requested to see you, Nuria. Refuses to speak to anyone else… Well, he requestedI join but I might just let him flounder a bit longer,” she says, winking at Fenrick, at which a sly, foxy grin spreads across his face.
Fenrick waves for me to follow him and I look back at Marissa who is now dancing around the fire with some gnomes, a drink in hand.Are they giving my little sister alcohol too?I will have a word with Oleander later about some conditions that need to be met if we are to stay here. Not getting Marissa drunk will be high on that list.
Fenrick leads me down the tunnel on the left, it is much more illuminated than the entrance tunnel with free floating flames flickering in stone cut outs, carved into the walls themselves. I wonder if it is Oleander who is syphoning power into these little fires all the time and how tiring that must be for her just to give her fellow rebels light and warmth.
We walk on for a little while and I notice doorways leading to rooms with bunk beds, a room filled with books and comfier looking chairs and other rooms that are too dark to see what is inside. We turn down a tighter, less lit tunnel to the left and stop in front of a door made of iron bars.
“You guys have an actual jail in here?” I scoff, but am actually quite impressed at all the material they have managed to sneak through these caves.
“I’ll be just at the other end of the tunnel. Try to get him to tell you why Pyralis wanted to apprehend you. Call out if you need me,” Fenrick says, turning to leave.
“Wait, aren’t you going to open the door?” I call out and he tosses me the keys over his shoulder.
“Open at your own risk, like I said, I’ll be just at the other end of the hall,” he chuckles then disappears around the corner. I turn to the dark cell.Why would this be risky?Surely Embrys wouldn’t hurt me. Or perhaps I am thinking there is more toour bond then there actually is… I swear I saw shock on his face when he sliced my arm during our fight…
“Nuria, thank The Mother! Get me out of here, they won’t listen to me,” Embrys says from the dark at the back of the cell. “I need to see Oleander, did she come with you?”
“No, I don’t think she wants to speak with you just yet. What did you do to her that made her hate you so much?” I ask and he stumbles forward, coming into the light.
His hands are still restrained behind his back and I can see through the hole in his shirt where the arrow struck, it doesn’t look like his wound has healed yet. I also see he has some bruising starting to form under his eye making me think that Fenrick wasn’t over here just asking him questions.
“Shit Embrys, what did he do to you?” I ask, quickly unlocking the door. He wobbles on his feet as if he got up too fast. Our bodies collide as I lunge out to catch him, slowing him down as we both sink to the ground. I immediately regret my choice as his massive weight lands on my lap.Why am I helping this prick?I bristle at the memory of him stabbing me in the arm.
“What, this? It’s nothing,” he laughs, giving me his infuriating half grin as I try to push his weight off of me, which proves to be quite difficult with his hands tied back. He winces a bit when I grab his injured shoulder and give him a shove.
“I deserved it.” He looks over to me and I catch him studying my face for a reaction, but I give him none. He sighs and nods his head. “I didn’t protect Oleander when we were younger. She was only fifteen when The Wolf requested her to be married off to one of Gaelheart’s slimy sons… Something about the correct breeding of fire and air making something even stronger for his army. She was terrified and I just looked the other way, thinking it was the natural course of things which, I know now, it wasanything but. The rebels took her in and cared for her like I could not, I suppose.” He slumps forward in his shame.
“I’ve been searching for her for years. Not for my father’s sake, but for us… her and I. When Elora died we leaned on each other in our grief while my father pulled away from us completely. She is my baby sister and I would do anything to have her in my life again. I know I don’t deserve her but I will find a way to make up for it.” He looks up to meet my eye, the ghost of a tear streaks down his cheek.
A strong surge of yearning bores into my heart causing me to wonder if the emotion is his or mine to claim. I have to mentally restrain myself from brushing that tear away. He looks away, perhaps noting my internal struggle.
