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was out of there. The evening (the likes of which I had never experienced before) was
over!
As I took the stairs to my suite, I was so ready to pack it up and go home. I was never
a quitter though & so instead, when I got to my room, I did the very next best thing: I
threw myself on my bed and burst into tears.
~ Twelve ~
ETE & PAY ATTENTION to me. The queen lifted my chin and looked into my
eyes with a soft smile.
Yes, my Queen. I was daydreaming about my prince. I came back to reality with a
sigh.
I need you to concentrate on this.
What, my Queen?
We are going to use the Balor s Eye to look into the Dark Realm again, and your
power combined with mine will help.
I was both surprised and a little proud. I felt my eyes widen. Yes, my Queen.
I have the power to do this on a limited basis, and I also have the ability to look in
undetected, but it would drain me & for too long, and I must be at my sharpest in the
months to come so I need you, Ete.
What do you wish me to do?
I need you to keep up a shield around me while I scan the Dark Realm. We won t be
able to go in for long, because Queen Morrigu has put up shields around her palace that
are quite effective. I suspect she put them in place with the concern that the Dark King
might look in on her. A witless, useless effort. There is not a shield created that he can t
penetrate. She waved this off. I don t know if after this we will ever be able to go in
again, so we must get this mission right this time.
I will do whatever you ask, my Queen.
It will take a great deal out of you. You will feel fatigued and depleted afterwards.
If it took all of me, I would do as you ask, my Queen.
She hugged me to her then. My dear young Ete & beloved cousin.
She called Balor s Eye to the table and began the chant. I stood behind her and recited
the words she had taught me not so very long ago. The moment we entered the Dark
Realm of mist and shadows, I felt unwell, but I kept the shield up around us.
It was as though we fell into an abyss of fog, and then, we were in Queen Morrigu s
private chambers, and Gaiscioch was there.
Looking at him brought it all back to me. I felt a shiver shake me as I remembered
Gaiscioch s hands on me & taking me hostage not so long ago. I shook myself free of the
fear. I am a royal and as such have been trained for battle. A warrior who does not know
fear, however, does not know how to protect herself.
I looked at Aaibhe then. She was so beautiful. She was all light and goodness, and in
Balor s Eye, the Dark Palace was all gray and filled with malevolence. It was stark in
contrast to everything we are as Seelie Fae. However, I had to put such thoughts aside, as
I concentrated on the shield and watched my queen.
We Seelie Fae have the ability to produce a shield against intrusion. It was why we
cannot probe one another. However, we can read body language so much better than
humans can. I suppose longevity has taught us to understand the nuances the body
expresses when one is intent on disguising the truth. However, we also enjoy and utilize
illusion so often that truth sometimes is of no consequence.
I don t feel that way. I was taught to prize truth and to incorporate illusion cautiously.
My prince, my beloved Breslyn, is much the same.
However, I digress. What the queen did was study the scene.
Gais was using Morrigu, of that we were certain. He would have Morrigu believe that
he could be relied upon, and we both knew Gais looked at Queen Morrigu and wished her
dead.
I could see it in his eyes and the twitch to his lips when she purred for him, asked him
to return to her arms. He thought her insatiable. It was obvious from the expression on his
face. The wonder was that she did not see it. Indeed, humans say that love is often blind,
and I suspect that is true, even for the Fae.
Gaiscioch was anxiously running his hand over his long, slicked-back, midnight-
colored hair. He was scowling, and his movements were agitated. Living there in the
Dark Realm, after eons in our world of light and color & he must think himself in hell.
He moved away from their enormous bed and heedless of his nudity walked to stand
and stare out their balcony doors. There wasn t much to see out their glass doors. Their
world was one of shadows, lifeless, barren, twisted trees, dusk, and fog. The trees the
Dark King had once created here were left lifeless after his abominations sucked out all
their nutrients. They stood warped and as barren as the landscape. The sun was never
seen in the Dark Realm, and Gaiscioch s expression was one of disgust. I was absolutely
certain he despised this world and its inhabitants.
I had to wonder if he still thought it all worth it.
Queen Morrigu watched him with a lazy eye. She interested me. I have always heard
that she was one of us, a Seelie Fae that followed our Seelie king into the Dark Realm
when he mortally wounded our dear Queen Bridget. He was struck with remorse, and he
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