A Cascade of Moments Read online

  With a wince, I nodded, still considering the larger scope of what was happening and the Sergeant’s explanation. What had seemed like a distant possibility that might never come to pass felt more real, closer and more dangerous… not just to me but to those I loved and cared about.

  “When are they coming – our enemies?” I didn’t know if that only included the unseelie, or if the Kuresh would be with them.

  “Soon,” he admitted, his expression stoic. “We know they’ve commandeered several ships and a proportion of the population has escaped – around one third. They might hide out for a while and prepare their forces, but they know we’ll be looking for them, and we’ll attack them when we find them. That gives us reason to believe they may target us sooner rather than later. The islands of Navonne and Endrille are between them and us. Our forces there may help to stop them before they reach Insley Island, if that’s their intent, but we believe this is their primary target – or rather, King Auberon is.”

  It was worrying news. “There must be many more of us than them?” I asked, hoping for an answer that would reassure me.

  He shrugged. “Our people are spread out across the kingdom, and some are incarnated at the moment. There are more than enough unseelie to do a lot of damage, and maybe even take the island if they can’t be stopped.”

  I felt like I should’ve been able to come up with a lot of ideas, but I think I was still too stunned to think clearly. I had an idea about our resources, including the fact they extended into the magical – sorcerers and wards, and protective enchantments, but I didn’t know the specifics.

  “What about the portal between the pillars that leads through to the mortal world?”

  Sergeant Blackfield didn’t seem to understand what I was asking. “What about it?”

  I frowned, wondering if I had an incorrect understanding of it. “Couldn’t some of our people use it to escape?”

  I noticed that several of the fae guards glanced my way, but they seemed to lose interest when I paid greater attention to them.

  “We intend for the women and children to use it if they need to leave, and it may offer a last way out for us. The problem is if the unseelie break through our shield – which is being reinforced at the moment, they may be able to gain access to the mortal world as well. If that happens, they’re likely to start hunting our people down, and we won’t be as equipped or prepared there to defend ourselves and each other.”

  I couldn’t believe it had come to this. Yesterday everything seemed fine, but that must’ve been because I wasn’t ‘in the know’.

  “So you’re telling me there wasn’t some kind of backup plan in place? How is it there wasn’t some way to stop them from escaping altogether?”

  The Sergeant’s mouth was set in a grim line. “There was. Why do you think we’re only dealing with a third of the population?”

  “And the others?” I asked, feeling a bit like I’d overstepped my bounds in asking the question.

  “They won’t be following the rest of the unseelie,” he added succinctly.

  I took that to mean they were dead.

  “So what now?” I asked him, with an intensely uncomfortable feeling in the pit of my stomach.

  “Well, you’re not a sorcerer, and you’re not much of an archer either, so I’d suggest you get yourself a sword and be prepared to use it if you have to.”

  Chapter Four: Fire and Wrath

  There was nothing to do for the moment, because the unseelie weren’t here yet and they’d have a magical shield to contend with if or when they arrived, so I returned to my suite. I’d decided to spend some time alone to compose myself and sort out my feelings first, but Sorcha was waiting for me. She greeted me with a hug so warm it lit my darkened mood like few other things could. She glanced at the sheathed sword I had slung over my shoulder with concern, but I think in the end she reasoned it out the same way I did – I was better armed than not.

  “Celina, I was worried about you, and about to come looking for you. I heard all sorts of news, and I didn’t know what to believe. Is it true the unseelie are on their way?”

  I wasn’t entirely sure myself, but it sounded that way. I removed my sheathed sword, and set it down on the lounge. Then I drew Sorcha back into my arms.

  “I’m not sure if they are or not, but the Sergeant seems to think so. We’ve got sorcerers reinforcing the shield and the guard are recalling fae from the dance to help defend the island.”

  She gasped. “They’re doing what?”

  I nodded. “That’s what I said. They’re planning for fae here to reincarnate into the mortal world as a last means of escape, but they’re intending to send some of the women and children through first.”

  Her eyes widened. “They’re doing what now? That’s borderline idiotic.”

  I didn’t like it either, and I certainly didn’t want to reincarnate and leave Sorcha’s side, especially at a time like this. I wanted to stay with her and defend our home.

  “I guess all we can do is take it one step at a time,” I suggested.

  I meant the days to come and what they might bring, whether that was war or something far more preferable.

  She frowned at me and dropped down on to the lounge. “That’s easy for you to say!”

  Was it? “What on Earth makes you think that?” I asked, grimacing at my poor choice of words. “I don’t think it’s easy for anyone here, Sorcha.” I could tell she was upset and worried, and I knew I was too. Still, it was better she knew what was going on than not.

  “I don’t know,” she said sadly, leaning worriedly against the side of the lounge.

  I sat down beside her and she laid her head against me. I began to stroke her hair, attempting to soothe her. It had a relaxing effect on me too, and for now we dwelled in the moment, just enjoying each other’s simple, comforting presence. Somehow it made me feel that no matter what, everything would be alright, but I didn’t and couldn’t know that for sure.

  ***

  The unseelie arrived before dawn, and Sorcha and I were awakened from sleep by the shouts of men outside.

  As soon as I made sense of the sounds, I knew what they must mean, even though I was still waking up. I didn’t know if the unseelie were on the island, but it seemed more likely they’d be outside the shield. What I did know was that they’d try to destroy what was precious to me if they could, because I belonged to the same faction who’d imprisoned them and I stood between them and the King.

  I’d hoped the seelie forces might’ve stopped them before they could reach Insley Island, but they apparently hadn’t. When I opened the curtains, I could already see disturbing streaks of red, like tendrils of bloody light surging along the almost-transparent shield above the island. It was terrifying. The shield hadn’t been visible to me before, but now it was. It seemed like a half-orb that encompassed everything within that the unseelie shouldn’t reach. It only occurred to me after a moment that the shield must have been spherical in order to protect the island in its entirety.

  Sorcha watched the window fearfully from our bed, and I knew from the look in her eyes that she realised what was going on.

  “They’re out there,” I told her, my voice far steadier than I felt it would be.

  “Do you know if they’ve broken through?”

  Though she asked, Sorcha seemed hesitant to know the answer to that question.

  She sat among the covers of our bed in her pale blue nightdress. She looked beautiful in it – the way the fabric clung to her curves. I was surprised it caught my attention at such a time.

  “The shield’s still protecting us,” I told her, and I closed the curtains, before returning to the bed to hold her. She seemed grateful for my presence, especially with the fear of what the day might bring.

  “We should get dressed,” I told her, “in case we have to leave the mansion. I might go down to the garrison in case my help is needed.”

  She held me, afraid to let me go, and I held her the same way. I
kissed her gently, and then much more deeply, as our cheeks grew damp with tears.

  It was hard to let her go in that moment, but I did what I had to. I dressed quickly and retrieved the sheathed sword I’d been given at the garrison. It may have been my imagination but it felt lighter in my hand today. It may have been because I felt more prepared to use it if I had to.

  “Stay safe, my love,” I told her. “Arm yourself with your daggers.”

  She nodded at that. “You stay safe as well, Celina. I’ll keep them close.”

  “That’s good,” I said, finding some relief in the fact. “You might not need them but it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

  I clasped her hand softly one more time before I steeled myself, and finally left our suite.

  It wasn’t long ago the mansion had seemed almost empty, but now the corridors were full of people. Guards, fae recalled from their mortal lives, and staff – likely those who’d travelled with the royal family when they returned from their diplomatic mission.

  I heard a familiar voice up ahead. “There’s nothing you can do for now,” the man exclaimed, encouraging a young girl to return to her room. “Unless you’re a sorceress,” he added, “in which case you can lend your power to the shield.”

  It was Lee, and I was relieved to see him. I already knew the girl he spoke to wouldn’t be a sorceress – she had cat-like eyes with elongated pupils; her people were graceful and dextrous, but their magical talent was latent and couldn’t be easily accessed. At her age she wouldn’t be able to use her magic. Some never learned, and even among fae such as myself who were descended in part from humans, some like me were without powers.

  “Lee, oh thank the Gods. What’s going on out there?”

  He grasped my shoulders reassuringly and guided me out of the way of the crowd in the hallway.

  “They’re holding position near the island. They’ve been attacking the shield for the last hour or two, but it’s holding strong for now. We think they’re testing it for weak spots, but they shouldn’t find any. We’re doing everything we can to bolster it, Celina.”

  I nodded. That didn’t sound all that bad, and yet, I knew it was. “What about reinforcements? Will any of the King’s forces be coming to attack them from outside the shield?”

  He looked hopeful. “I can only assume they’re on their way. I’ve been up here, trying to reassure people and minimise the panic. You could go down to the garrison, but you’d be as well to keep an eye out here and help protect the people in the mansion if they need it.”

  I was grateful for that, but it left me with a lot of uncertainty. “How will I know if it comes down to a fight?” I asked, and I realised the shield above would make that obvious.

  “If they break through, it’s only a matter of time.”

  I nodded, but my mind rebelled at the possibility.

  A black-uniformed servant with long dark hair and rich brown eyes approached Lee, taking him aside for a moment. I only heard a piece of their conversation, suggesting a request from the Queen.

  “I’ll see to it immediately,” Lee stated, and turned back to me. “I’ll be back later, Celina. Please encourage the sorcerers to go help bolster the shield, those who can fight to get weapons, and anyone else to stay in their rooms, at least for now.”

  I gave him a soft smile in an attempt to defuse the stress around us. “I’ll do that.”

  He looked grateful as he left with the servant.

  It left me wondering what task he might have been given, but I didn’t have a lot of spare time to think about it.

  It took me around twenty minutes, or maybe half an hour, before most people who’d left their rooms were directed on their way, though many kept returning for news. I didn’t have much, and while the mansion appeared safe, it occurred to me that it just might be one of the least safe places on the island, because it was where the unseelie expected to find the King and Queen. There was no chance of escaping to the green shores by boat now, not that I intended to, but the option of reincarnating was ever-present if it came down to it. It was an option I’d avoided for so long that I wanted to treat it as a last resort. It might take me away from Sorcha for a lifetime.

  I returned to the suite I shared with Sorcha soon after, my sheathed sword still slung across my back. I didn’t see her, but then I noticed the balcony door was open and the curtains swayed softly in the breeze. I walked out into the sunshine, and saw her standing on the balcony, staring up at the shield. The sight was at once incredible and disturbing. I’d noticed the attacks on the shield earlier for the first time, but now it glowed a bright and unnatural gold. Black and red blasts impacted against its surface, then dissipated in showers of sparks and shards of stone.

  Sorcha glanced over at me, and then extended her hand, which I approached her to take. We stared up at the sight together, hand in hand, and I felt like this might be the end of the world we were witnessing together.

  It filled me with awe and the deepest, most heartfelt sadness. It was a reminder that the world and the destiny of the fae was so much bigger than us, and that we didn’t have as much control as we liked to convince ourselves.

  “There’s something I haven’t told you,” Sorcha admitted as we watched the soundless, bright flashes against the shield.

  There was no sign of the unseelie – in fact I had no idea what they even looked like yet. I wondered what Sorcha hadn’t told me, and why.

  “What’s that?” I asked her, my gaze meeting hers for mere moments before she spoke again.

  “Oh, it’s nothing bad… I think. My powers have started to come back to me; just a little for now, but I remember things. I was a powerful sorceress once.”

  I smiled at that. “No, that’s good. It means you could probably help strengthen the shield and defend people if you need to. They’re looking for sorcerers.”

  She nodded at that. “I’ll go down there soon,” she promised, all too aware of the glowing shield above us.

  I didn’t think it was close to breaking, but it was hard to tell. “Maybe I should go with you. I want to get a good look at what’s going on. If there’s a chance I’m going to have to make decisions that affect our future, then I want to see what it’s about for myself.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t say that…”

  I stopped there, but we both knew what might happen, no matter how much we wanted to avoid it. Kissing her forehead, I held her softly, wincing briefly as I heard energy sizzle of the surface of the shield. Goosebumps rose along my arms, and down my back, and a strange feeling overcame me, as if the world around me wasn’t quite real.

  “Tell me more about what you remembered. About the magic–” I asked her, wondering how long ago the memories had returned.

  Sorcha fidgeted for a moment, and then seemed to relax more as her mind returned to the past.

  “I was working with the church – not at first, but I’d got myself into a situation that seemed innocuous from the outset, but wasn’t. There was a man who I was working for. He was handsome and charismatic, but I came to realise that he didn’t have boundaries like other people had – boundaries that were there for a very good reason.”

  I wasn’t sure what I was expecting Sorcha to say, but this surprised me.

  “Oh?” I asked, my eyebrow rising as my curiosity was peaked.

  “He was… I’m not sure how to describe it but he was skilled with magic. Not magic tricks, but real magic, and as far as I can figure it now he seemed human, just very… dark. Maybe he was unseelie; I don’t know. He wasn’t evil at first, but then he let me into his world, and showed me things… and who he was, a piece at a time. I know he killed someone, but by that time I was learning magic from him.”

  “He was the one who drove you into the water and tried to kill you?” I asked gently.

  I remembered those details from a conversation we’d had about her memories when I’d come to Prince Eldran’s estate for the Grand Masquerade.

  “Yes, I think so,�
�� she told me with unease. “Some of my memories are just flashes, but the closest I can make of it, I turned to the church for help after I saw him kill someone, and they sent me back to him. They wanted me to lead him into a trap in order to prove his guilt, but I don’t know what happened. I think somehow he knew what I was planning. I think he must’ve been human though, because he expected the water to kill me.

  Prince Eldran was watching – I know that now, and he guided me to the Grand Masquerade. I remember him holding my hand after I left my mortal body. I have a feeling that we were together and he was waiting for me.”

  She looked up at me worriedly. “I hope that doesn’t upset you, but… I really think that he and I were partners. He didn’t say anything after I returned with my memories gone, or after you and I got together. Even after all these years, living in the same house at times, he hasn’t said anything. I wonder if he might’ve been waiting for the memories to return to me of their own accord.”

  It surprised me, and yet it didn’t seem out of place at all. I couldn’t have said why or how, but somehow I knew she spoke the truth about their past.

  I wondered why no one else had said a word, because some would’ve known. Perhaps it was the way of fae not to interfere.

  “Maybe he was just content that you were back here and well, and happy with me. Even if it meant you were no longer together.” I’d seen nothing but acceptance from the Prince. “Perhaps that’s the very definition of love, Sorcha, and it may have been a reason why he gave us permission to remain here together at his mansion.”

  I wondered where he was now, but then I recalled that he hadn’t returned to the mansion with the rest of the royal family. He was still out there somewhere, beyond the shield. Maybe he was safe or perhaps he’d engaged the enemy in battle. It was hard to know, although the King or Queen might.