Wings of Shadow (The Underground Trilogy) Page 17

  Meghan felt bile rising in her throat.

  Kiernan rose. “Do not bother debating. Father is ruthless and will stop at nothing until he gets what he wants. I refuse to see any of you harmed. I caused these problems by sneaking into the village, and I will solve them by returning to Father.”

  Alannah motioned for him to sit. “I know Killian well. He will kill you for your disobedience.”

  “Probably in the most painful way possible,” Kiernan muttered. “I’m aware of that.”

  “And yet, you are still willing to sacrifice yourself,” Queen Alannah said softly. “My son, perhaps I have been hasty in my judgment. Being a leader does not always make one wise. We will stand together and hope that the Light will shine through the Dark.”

  Orin rose. “I trust my queen.”

  One by one, the other Council members stood.

  “The united waters of the seas are more powerful than the solitary trickle flowing through each creek,” Cait declared.

  “Our pack of Light Fae can overcome the fiercest predator,” Sirus snarled.

  “It is auspicious that this showdown occurs on Anya’s night of remembrance. May she overlook and protect us, as we protect the Light.” Selena murmured her prayer, but her usual spark was missing.

  Meghan couldn’t imagine how Selena would face this difficulty, confronting her own son. The Light Fae had decided to protect Kiernan.

  Avery cleared his throat. “I called this Council meeting for a specific reason, but with all the debate around Kiernan’s arrival, I never shared it. The Green Man came to the masquerade tonight.”

  The questions flowed quickly.

  “He sent a message?”

  “To whom?”

  “What did he say?”

  Avery raised his hand for silence. “He carried three messages. One for Kiernan, one for Meghan, and one for myself.”

  Meghan understood that her random encounter with the odd, oak-leaf masked man was more important then she had first realized. The Fae seemed to be searching through past memories.

  Orin shook his head, white hair flying from side to side. “This has never occurred before. Three messages delivered. It is most worrisome.”

  “I won’t let harm come to any of you. I’m going to meet Father.” Kiernan reached the door before Meghan could grab him.

  Alannah’s voice rang out, “What was your message, my son?”

  He paused. “It was gibberish. It made no sense.”

  “He was told that he was wearing the wrong costume, that winter was not his season,” Meghan said.

  Kiernan scowled. “What a useless message!”

  Selena moved to the doorway, blocking it. “Only if you do not understand its meaning. Winter is the representation of death.”

  “As I said before, all of the Light Fae must stand together, including you, my son.” Turning to Orin, Queen Alannah instructed, “Gather the other Light Fae together. Prepare them for this battle.”

  She moved to each of the Council members, giving them quiet directives. One by one, each left the building. Only Kiernan, Avery, and Meghan remained.

  Kiernan picked up a candlestick and threw it to the floor. “I should have never come here! I have put everyone in danger.”

  Avery was very quiet. After a long pause, he said, “Everything in the universe happens for a reason. You have much knowledge that you can share with the village. Your ideas tonight were the first innovative ones since I was given a seat on the Council.”

  “But if anyone is harmed...” Kiernan clutched his head. “He will try to hurt as many as possible. Father is heartless.”

  “You had to live with him for too many years, as it was. You should have grown up here, with your family and your village. We should have grown up together. None of it is right.” Avery seemed in as dark of a place as Kiernan.

  They could hear people in the distance. It was time.

  As Kiernan stepped out the door, Avery stopped him. “No matter what happens tonight, know that I consider you my true brother.” Avery threw his arms around Kiernan, who stood awkwardly for a moment, and then embraced Avery.

  The Sacrifice

  ~ 22 ~

  The Fae gathered in the moonlight, near the village boundary. The bonfire still burned behind them, its orange and yellow flames lighting the night. Meghan stood between Kiernan and Avery, facing the Dark Fae. The entire village was there, but the visiting faeries had fled to their homes. Wish seemed to have disappeared, too.

  Many of the villagers were still in their costumes, creating a strange sense of incongruity. The gaily-colored, festive costumes of the Light Fae contrasted with the line of Dark Fae, whose black clothing blended into the looming darkness of the night.

  Lord Killian rode to the front of the line, mounted on a black stallion. Staring down at Meghan, he winked. Her stomach clenched in response, even though he was too far away to harm her.

  Queen Alannah strode to the front of the Light Fae crowd and faced Killian.

  “My darling Alannah, it has been far too long.” Lord Killian raised his fingers to his mouth and blew a kiss in the queen’s direction.

  “How I wish that I could say the same, Killian,” she replied, her voice tight.

  “I believe you have something of mine. Return it, and we will leave in peace.”

  “Our child is not a ‘something.’ Kiernan is old enough to decide which path he wants to follow. If he would like to remain with the Light Fae, we shall offer him a home.”

  Lord Killian’s face reddened. “Think carefully, Alannah. The treaty dictated that Kiernan was mine. By harboring him, you are in clear violation of the treaty. Are you really willing to risk the lives of your villagers?”

  Kiernan stepped forward. Meghan grasped his hand, and Avery placed an arm in front of him, but he was able to take another step. Suddenly, vines spread from a nearby oak tree, wrapping themselves around Kiernan’s ankles, holding him in place, despite his struggles.

  A raspy voice spoke softly, so only the three could hear. “Not your season.”

  Lord Killian’s voice boomed. “Have you made your decision?”

  Queen Alannah’s look was intent. “Kiernan will not be leaving with you. We offer him sanctuary.”

  Reaching into his coat pocket, Killian pulled out a pistol, pointed, and fired. Alannah tumbled, blood spilling from her head.

  As the villagers realized what had happened, they fell to the ground around their queen. She remained motionless. The collective shrieking and sobbing of the Fae rang through the air. On either side of Meghan, the brothers seemed frozen. They stared at each other, but neither could speak.

  Lord Killian’s laugh echoed through the clearing. “Wonderful invention, this gun. Quicker and less messy than the old sword. Humans can be so clever at times.” He laughed again. “Should have done that years ago. Darkness knows, I wanted to.”

  Orin’s voice quivered with surprise. “You have killed our queen.”

  “Well, I did give her fair warning.” Lord Killian looked around at the villagers. “Hmm, who should be next?” He pointed the gun first at Meghan, then toward Selena.

  Selena looked at him, cheeks streaked with tears. “My son, it does not have to be this way. You have your path, and we have ours. What is wrong with taking two different roads?”

  He kept the gun pointed at his mother. “I want my son. Give him to me, or I shoot.”

  The Light Fae seemed to be in shock without their leader. They looked at each other, but even the Council members sat by the queen’s side, weeping uncontrollably.

  Avery stepped forward, walking towards his father. Meghan’s hand flew to her mouth and she was nearly sick. She swallowed her building scream, terrified of what violence it might incite.

  When he reached his father’s side, Avery said, “I will leave with you on two conditions.”

  The vines had wrapped themselves further up Kiernan’s body, and a single vine wove around his head, acting as a gag. He fought to fr
ee himself, tried to yell, but to no avail.

  Lord Killian laughed. “You think you can demand conditions?”

  “Your intention was to slaughter Kiernan for his disobedience. He is useless to you as an heir.” Avery stared at his father.

  Killian looked more interested. “And you are offering?”

  “I will serve you, take his place as heir, follow your directives.” Avery continued to meet Lord Killian’s eyes.

  “This is an intriguing offer. A real heir is far more useful than a dead traitor.” Killian glared at Kiernan, who still struggled against the vines. “What are your conditions?”

  “You must promise to release all claims to Kiernan and Meghan, to do them no harm in any manner, not by your hand nor the hand of any other Dark Fae. And Solas must be left in peace. No further harm may be done to the Light Fae, tonight or any other night.”

  Lord Killian steadied his horse, looking toward the village. He studied Kiernan and Meghan, and then peered at Avery. “I accept your conditions. I must say that I am looking forward to having a proper heir. The last one was far too disobedient, really a complete waste of my time.”

  The Light Fae continued their mourning, singing prayers as they knelt in a circle around the queen. Some stared in sorrow at Avery. Nobody seemed to want to go against his wishes, except for Kiernan, who fought with the vines that completely encased his torso.

  No leaf gagged Meghan’s mouth. “You have to stop him! Lord Killian will ruin him!” she screamed at the villagers.

  “Avery is the successor to Queen Alannah. ‘Tis his right to make this choice,” Selena answered.

  “My condition is that we seal our contract with your initiation to the Underground.” Lord Killian dismounted and reached behind him. He pulled out a large silver sword. “The price of initiation is your wings.”

  Meghan fell to the ground next to Kiernan. The tears she had been trying to contain fell freely now. Kiernan was frantic. He dug at the vines, scratched the ground, and moaned, but they held him securely.

  Selena asked, “Killian, is this really necessary? He has pledged himself to you!”

  “Mother, do not interfere in matters you know nothing about. It is my condition. If Avery has intentions of honoring his contract, it will not matter when the initiation takes place.”

  “I accept your condition.” Avery raised the leaf-covered tunic over his head, and stood in the dim moonlight, his back fully exposed, his tangerine wings rising high above his shoulders.

  Music filled the air. The villagers had left Alannah’s side. They stood, hand-in-hand, facing the Dark Fae, singing hymns of hope and light and goodness.

  Lord Killian placed his hand on Avery’s bare shoulder, forcing him into a kneeling position. He raised his sword high.

  Meghan wanted to cover her eyes, but she couldn’t look away. Kiernan continued to struggle next to her, battling the vines that imprisoned him.

  A bright star began falling through the sky. She watched the dazzling ball of light as it grew closer to the earth. The singing grew louder, ringing throughout the clearing.

  The gleaming orb descended directly toward Avery. Lord Killian jumped back just before it made contact, engulfing Avery in a sheen of light. His tangerine wings became luminescent, glowing with an internal radiance.

  Selena’s voice rang out. “Praise the Light! Anya has blessed you for your sacrifice.”

  Killian sneered. “This changes nothing!” He raised the silver sword and swung. The clang rang through the clearing. Killian lifted the sword and brought it down again, but Avery’s wings could not be harmed.

  Avery turned to him. “You are right. It changes nothing. I made a commitment to you, and I intend to keep my promise, wings or no wings.”

  Lord Killian whistled sharply. Shade approached, holding the reins of another black stallion. Killian gestured for Avery to mount before he galloped away from the village.

  Avery met Meghan’s eyes and held her gaze for a long, silent moment. He rode off into the night, following his father. The Dark Fae marched behind him, in unison.

  The bonfire faded into embers, and clouds covered the moon. Darkness spread throughout Solas and within each of the villagers. Not an eye remained dry as they collectively mourned.

  Wings of Shadow

  ~ 23 ~

  Kiernan lay crumpled in front of the fire. He buried his head underneath his arms and wouldn’t speak. Meghan moved restlessly around Selena’s cottage. She had tried to talk to him, to sit by his side and comfort him. But nothing seemed to help.

  The vines had held Kiernan tight until the Dark Fae were gone. Without warning, they had released him, slithering back to the oak tree. He had allowed himself to be led back to the cottage, seemingly desperate to escape the mourning villagers. Once there, he had collapsed in front of the fire and had not spoken nor moved since.

  The door to the cottage creaked open, and Selena entered. She had been gone hours, tending to the despondent Fae. She entered quietly, put her herbs and tinctures back into their places, and approached Meghan. No words needed to be said. They stared at each other for a moment, and then Selena pulled Meghan into her arms, holding her tightly.

  “How is he?” Selena whispered, glancing at Kiernan.

  “Not good.”

  Sitting next to him, Selena placed her weathered hand on his lowered head, caressing his hair. He pulled away. She moved closer, running her hand down his back.

  Kiernan jerked away. He stood, glaring at Selena.

  “Why didn’t you stop him?” he screamed. “I was tethered, but you were free. You should have stopped him from turning himself over to Father.”

  Selena waited until he finished. “Have you ever stopped a weed from growing? You can pull it, but it comes back the following week. You can dig out most of the roots, and still it regrows. And the bigger it grows, the more it spreads its seeds around the garden.”

  He poked the fire in frustration and opened his mouth, as if to yell again.

  “Ideas are much like weeds. Once you get an idea in your mind, it is hard to eradicate it. Avery was convinced of his path. I could not have stopped him even if I tried.”

  “Why didn’t the villagers fight? My father cold-bloodedly murdered my mother, and everyone… just sat there.” Kiernan threw down the poker. It clanged against the stone of the hearth.

  “You must understand that the Fae are all one family. We are all connected. If we attacked our brothers, due to Killian’s mistakes, we would be striking down the very spirit of the Light.”

  “But you would be protecting yourselves.”

  “At what cost, Kiernan? What good is fighting the darkness, if the fight itself fills our people with darkness?”

  “But Avery is so good! Father is going to break him, ruin him. And, it will be my fault.” Kiernan covered his face again.

  Selena took his hands. “You are not ruined, despite years of living with Killian. The Light still shines from within you.”

  Meghan had been questioning something since returning to the cottage. “Do you know what the Green Man’s message was to Avery? We never found out.”

  Selena held her wings stiffly, as she nodded. “He shared his message with me on the way to the Council meeting. I was the only one who knew, for he did not want to burden anyone with it.”

  “Will you share it with us now?” Meghan asked.

  “The Green Man told him, ‘To fully understand the Light, you must experience the Darkness.”

  Kiernan flinched. “He knew he would go to the Underground?”

  “He suspected,” Selena answered.

  Megan began to make sense of Avery’s actions: his cryptic messages to her and Kiernan, his seriousness throughout the ball, his quickness in volunteering himself to Lord Killian. She blinked back tears, thinking of his sacrifice.

  The three sat, needing to watch the dancing flames while they combated the darkness that loomed all around them.

  *

  The days pas
sed faster than Meghan could imagine. She escaped to the garden frequently, where she found refuge in the bright colors and aromatic odors. She sat in the brightest patch of sunlight while she was working.

  “Out here again? I would have guessed you would spend your final days differently.” Selena joined her in the sunshine.

  “I know what I’m going to study when I return home. I was reading through the different options for majors, and I found the perfect one.”

  “My dear, what wonderful news! I know you spent many days fretting about the decision.” Selena patted her hand. “So, what path are you going to embark on?”

  “Ethnobotany. It focuses on the relationships between people from different cultures and plants. I can study traditional cures from healers around the world.”

  “As we have done together.”

  “I can only hope it will be like that. Thank you for guiding me to the right path.” Meghan embraced Selena.

  “I have always wished to be gifted with a granddaughter. I believe my wish was finally granted.”

  Meghan could only squeeze her harder.

  *

  Meghan sat at the table in the cottage, surrounded by small glass bowls of water, each holding different types of flower petals floating upon the surface. She had allowed the sunlight to infiltrate for three full hours and was in the careful process of straining and decanting the water. Tiny brown bottles, half-filled with elderberry brandy, awaited the flower essences.

  She was making goodbye presents, personal flower-essence blends for each person she had grown to love: gentium, larch, and crab apple for Kiernan, to reduce despair and self-blame; cherry plum for Selena, to maintain strong faith; red clover and scotch broom for Avery, to lift his spirit and bring him back from the dark side. She wished she could actually give it to him. A small bottle sat ready for Wish, who had not returned to the village.

  As she finished the last bottle, a knock sounded at the door. Kiernan remained in front of the fire, seeming to ignore the noise. He had sat there for days, staring at the flames, barely talking or interacting with her or Selena. The old Kiernan had been pouty and negative, but those dark moments had been interspersed with teasing, flirty, tender moments. Meghan felt as though the new Kiernan wallowed in self-pity and seemed to be trying to shut out the world.