The Changeling

Chapter XXXV- The Silence of Chaos

Ciardha:

My eyes flickered around the room- meeting the gaze of the five other men in power. Our meetings were the utmost of secrecy, even Étain and Niamh didn't know they existed, but that was undoubtedly for the best. Étain was Étain and Niamh was... broken. We always knew she was because of the loss of a mate, but we never knew the details until the other day.

Mate. my mate was at home alone and I... I was in an underground meeting to discuss her fate.

"Why don't you just mate with her now? Why haven't you already? We've waited centuries waiting- hell, I've spent years searching for my mate- only to learn that no matter how hard I looked I wouldn't find her because of some prophecy? I want my mate- and I won't have her until you ravish yours," Rafer, King of the wolves snarled. Grunts of approval echoed across the room.

I sat silently, my shadows gathering around me only amplifying the deafening sound of my silence.

"I agree- every minute we spend deciding what to do, or waiting for you to mate is another moment without our mate. And- despite our immortality, no one lives forever" Alvar agreed, but a little less threateningly, running his hands through his mass of hair.

Still, I said nothing, waiting, poised to strike at the right moment. I maintained the stone cold and unmoving expression on my face.

They were not wrong- the pain of being away from her- of not touching her was impossible to bear. I just- she couldn't know or understand the weight and magnitude of the bond while she was human, and I had no intention of forcing her to do anything. Hell- I was so goddamn smitten with that girl, she could take everything I had and I'd offer her more.

"Are you all mad?" A familiar voice scoffed, Brendan, that damn so called king of the fall court and his know it all voice may actually agree with me on something- color me shocked. "Did you just ignore the rest of prophecy? As soon as we all have our mates- and all the other stuff they listed happens- we will go to war. With our oldest enemies- who the hell could that be?" He said half to himself and half to the rest of us.

Despite him being the ruler of the court that priorities knowledge above all else- he seemed thoroughly dumbstruck.

"Oh why are we listening to those old crowns? Their prophecies did nothing to prevent the fall of the Earom court- they must have some ulterior motives," A final opinion was offered, and it just seemed to be the nail in the coffin.

The room broke into a chaos of bantering and arguing, while I sat utterly still, no expression on my face. Conrí may not have been fighting, but I saw the way his eyes flickered about the room.

I wasn't blind for his sake either- he seems to be infatuated with the merrow girl- god knows why- and the idea of getting a mate probably seems... tantalizing to him. Especially if it had any chance of being the merrow girl- if what I suspected is right in thinking he was an element of the 14 pieces of 7 wholes.

I decided the brash arguing had gotten to be enough, and I spoke slowly, not loud enough for them to necessarily hear me, but they could feel my power absorbing the sounds about the room and the shadows rolled in like an early morning fog.

"Silence." And that was all it took, "I am only going to say this once- you will not know when I have mated with my mate. I will not tell you when I plan on it. And I pray," I bared my teeth in a low snarl, " I pray for the man who decided to speak of any decisions in the intimacy between my mate and I."

I looked around the room and saw an adequate amount of penance and submission. To see the king of all alphas and the most powerful fae in the realm submit willingly was quite the sight, but, nothing new.

"As for the war that is prophesied on the

"You may leave."

***

Conrí and I didn't speak a word to each other as we made our way through the city of darkness back to the palace. For a moment- my imagination decided to envision what it would be like to stroll these streets with her at my side, under the stars, moon, and the twinkling lights of the city that only saw darkness.

What would our evening and afternoon have been like if those man-children didn't call a meeting? hah, if you could call it that.

"What do you think of this?" Conrí asked and I bristled at his question. Think of what, exactly? Having a mate?

But- I ultimately knew what he was talking about. I cast my eyes ahead definitely, "I don't think anything about this- I know. I know she's my mate. Mine," I tilted my head as I thought for a moment, "But I would like to know who her parents are, and if they are still alive here- I think that's a piece of the puzzle that is this mess we are lacking."

Conrí nodded, and we walked through the mosaic tile covered black marble floors that covered the castle.

Suddenly, a familiar smell hit my senses, Mint, jasmine and a hint of orange blossoms- a smell that should soothe me, but another smell mixed in made me move at a speed towards her- towards it- I had never moved before.

Mixed with Siofra's perfect smell was the undeniable metallic scent of blood. Her blood. 

Hi! sorry I haven't posted in a while- I've been reading alot and I've been very distracted. I won't leave you on this cliff hanger for too long though- I promise.