Nephele
"What have you promised us to do so early in the morning?" I complain to Eris as we trudge through Spring, hand in hand. The sun wasn't even up yet- I had no business being awake.
"We're here to help Tamlin," Eris tells me, unaffected by the morning. His brows furrow. "I thought that would please you."
"It would if I knew what exactly we were doing," I answer, rubbing my eyes.
"We're helping to erect a shield around his lands," he explains. "Living so close to the border, humans have begun to pillage his towns. His people have already lost faith in his ability to defend them. If they lose their homes... there will be nothing to keep them here."
"Doesn't a shield sort of diminish the whole idea of dissolving the barrier though?" I ask, brow furrowed. "What of the humans who wish to enter Prynthian?"
"The sheild is of ancient plan," he explains. "It takes four High Lords- or High Ladies- of seasonal affiliation to erect. It is meant to keep humans who wish the land harm from entering."
"And Eris knows about this because he's read every book from here to the isle," a familiar voice interjects as we enter rose hall. Lucien. "Good morning."
Eris rolls his eyes. "I can think of worse hobbies than reading," he looks his brother down. "Perhaps... pestering?"
Tamlin snorts, coming to stand beside Lucien. "I think I would call that more of a character trait, at this point," he teases, greeting me with a hug, Eris with a clap of the shoulder. "Thank you both for coming."
"I would say lovely to be here, but it's a bit too early in the morning for me to be jolly about it," I tell him.
Eris splays his arm over my grumpy posture. "The spell is meant to be done before Dawn," he explains.
"Nothing good and holy is meant to be done before Dawn," I look up at him, crinkling my nose. "I only count three High Fae of seasonal courts, by the way."
A snap of someone winnowing in.
"That's because Tarquin refused to wake up," Cressida says, lugging a massive and slouched male figure behind her.
Eris blinks. "Why is he soaking wet?"
"Like I said," Cress kicks him to stand upright. "He wouldn't wake up."
"Give me his hand," I yawn groggily, reaching for his fingers. I give him a small zap, just a dash past the equivalent of wearing rubbing one's socks on a rug, and he startled upright, eyes wide as Cress laughs.
"I could've used that ten minutes ago," she says as Tarquin rubs his hand.
"Are you sure we don't need Kalias for this," Tarquin complains. "I hate to have been taken from my bed for nothing."
"There's four High Fae of Seasonal courts here," Eris shrugs. "I guess we'll find out."
"Right, well, as much as I enjoy helping out a friend," Tarquin says, yawning. "What's in it for me? I reckon this spell will be no small strain on my magic."
"Certainly not to do it three times over," Eris responds. "We intend to fortify all of our courts this morning. It won't keep out any fae that wish us harm, but it will keep out non magical creatures. As the three most southern courts, I think it a good measure."
That's the Eris I know. As grateful as he is to Tamlin on Lucien's behalf, he'd never do something so kind simply just to do it. There had to be something in it for us. "Why hadn't anyone enacted this spell before?" I ask. Seems like a helpful sort of thing.
Eris shrugs. "With the barrier... I suppose there hadn't been a need," he answers. "The text had also been largely lost to time. It comes from an ancient age where the seasonal courts manifested this spell to protect themselves against the solar courts, who enslaved humans to wage war against them."
"That's why I'm here," Lucien pipes in. "When Eris had mentioned the wards to me, he had recognized the possibility that the solar courts might take the wards as an alliance against them considering historical precedent. But if an heir to day and a former emissary to night were to witness the nature of the spell... they couldn't very well be threatened by it."
"I see," Tarquin smirks, looking around. "So who wants to tell Rhysand?"
Eris smirks at my side, nudging his brother. "I'll leave that to Mr. Former Emissary."
Lucien rolls his eyes, but I glance at Eris. "You think Kalias won't mind being left out of such a spell?"
He shrugs. "I think he'd mind more if we bothered him about it," he replies. "But I'll be sure to express to him that we'd be more than happy to do the spell for him if he'd like- not that any human would willingly infiltrate Winter." True enough. It was far too cold to invade even for fae. I can't imagine a human trying to move on such lands.
"Speak for yourself," Tarquin yawns. "I'll be sleeping in, thank you."
Cressida rolls her eyes. "The cauldron should've made me High Lord," she grumbles.
"I don't disagree," Tarquin gives her that little cousin grin. "I suppose I just look better in crowns than you."
...
"You all look pathetic," Cressida says, stroking my hair as I lay exhausted in her lap. After completing the wards three separate times, Lucien and her had so kindly winnowed us back to Rose Hall where we had all passed out on the refurbished lounge chairs Tamlin had only just recently obtained from his ruined estate. It wasn't fully restored on the interiors yet, but it was nice.
"Seriously," Lucien agrees, the two of them perfectly chipper. "I ought to tell the rest of Prynthian that three courts are without leadership for the foreseeable future and primed for the taking."
"You try completing probably one of the more draining spells a High Lord can do," Tarquin huffs, eyes shut. "Three times over."
"What I don't understand," Tamlin hedges, rolling over onto his side, leveling his gaze at Eris. "Is why he is still right side up."
It's true. Eris sits straight up, massaging my ankles in his hands while sipping on his tea, eyes undrooping. "He never gets tired," I tell Tamlin.
"I bet that comes in handy," Tarquin taunts me, earning a swat from me, a disgusted groan from Lucien, and a slight laugh under Eris' breath that earns him a kick in the ribs.
Eris clears his throat. "Despite contrary belief, I do get tired," he rolls his eyes. "I just don't really show it. That spell took the same toll on me as it did you three." If I didn't know for a fact where Eris laid his head to rest every night, I might've doubted it too. I just know Eris revolts the idea of looking weak in any capacity- he would never show his exhaustion.
"So he's basically telling you all to toughen up," Cressida translates.
"He knows better than to tell me that," I murmur groggily, my cheek still squished against Cress' thigh.
"How do we know the spell worked?" Tarquin asks, eyes still shut.
"We don't," Eris says. "We just have to wait."
"Actually," Lucien smirks. "I might know someone who can test the spell... but we might have to wait until nightfall."
...
"I'm feeling a very perverse power dynamic going on right now," Jurian says from across the border. Lucien had fetched him and Vassa to meet us at the border, and now, the seven of us stared at him from across the line between spring and the human lands.
I can see how it might feel a bit odd.
"Focus, Jurian," Lucien says. "I need you to be determined in your thinking: if you cross the border, you must intend with everything in you to cause me harm."
Jurian snorts. "That's not a hard readjustment," he says. "So if I can pass, I get to cause you harm?"
"Get?" Lucien echoes.
"Pretty much," Eris answers.
"I see," Jurian considers. "And what is classified as harm? A slap? A swift kick to the balls? Stabbing him in the shoulder?"
"Stabbing?" Lucien echoes, increasingly more worried.
"Any charge of serious pain should work," Eris answers. "Best if your intent isn't fatal though, for obvious reasons."
"I don't see why I'm the one that has to be harmed," Lucien pipes in.
Vassa shrugs. "You brought us here," she reminds him. "And I don't see why Jurian would wish to hurt any of the others besides you and maybe me, but I'd like to think he knows better than intend me any harm."
Lucien groans. "Whatever. Send him over."
Jurian grins. "On my way, red," he says, taking a step forward, only to meet an invisible barricade. He tries again, and again, he is blocked. Lucien laughs triumphantly. "Damnit."
"Looks like it worked," Eris says, not all that surprised. I like his confidence. "Jurian, you should be able to cross over pretty quickly by just deciding that you won't harm Lucien."
Jurian shuts his eyes. "Yeah, give me a second. That's easier said than done," he says, righting his breathing. "He can be quite annoying."
Tarquin and Tamlin buffer a laugh, and Lucien rolls his eyes, reaching across the barrier to pull Jurian through. He comes with only some resistance, his mind only part way made up. Vassa gives him a pat on the back. "You'll get him next time," she says assuringly, and I snort.
Vassa had already introduced herself to Cress, and despite the Princess' shyness, the fiery queen seemed to combat that with her chatter. I had smiled to myself, letting Cress winnow us to Rose Hall, the boys not too far behind us.
Tamlin had insisted we all stay for dinner to celebrate, and none of us seemed apt to turn him down, mostly too weak to travel back home. "And if I were to- spur of the moment- decide... to harm Lucien, would the spell toss me from the lands," I hear as the men winnow in.
"Jurian!"
"What?" The human man shrugs. "Just satisfy my curiosity."
Eris snorts. "No, once you've entered the land, you aren't without your free will," he explains. "The best it can do is prevent premeditated attacks and deter harm-wishers."
"A helpful thing when humans have begun to treat your land as a foot hold to the rest of Prynthian," Tamlin says warily.
Vassa shrugs as we all sit at the dining table. "It's human nature to explore, to push the bounds of what's known," she says. "It's only natural that they would arrive on your lands after the war."
"Yes, humans are as brave as they are stupid half the time," Lucien says, earning a bit of Jurian's free will.
"Yes, well with any exodus," Tamlin says as food snaps to the table. "It has also brought pillagers, traffickers, evil people. Frankly, I'm surprised that they haven't come to your door steps yet in Summer and Autumn."
Cress and I exchange a look. Then, I catch Eris' eye. "Admittedly, we've been dealing with some internal complication regarding Eris' brother and the mortal queens- the threat of mortal soldiers on our soil," I disclose. "We were able to force out of him their plans on Autumn though."
Vassa's eyes widen. "You didn't tell me this?" She says to Lucien.
He shrugs. "Because I knew it'd put you in a panic," he answers, cutting into his steak. "There was nothing to tell." Vassa's eyes flash red, the fire bird inside her flinting with rage.
"They didn't end up moving against us after we captured Darian," Eris assures Vassa. "We had uncovered where they meant to attack- Rio Ranja- and we sent several companies of men there and to our other port cities. It has been several days since they planned to attack, and nothing."
I nod, reaching for her hand. "Our spies report that they have turned their back on their original plan to establish a foothold in Autumn."
She shakes her head. "They seldom change their approach," she says, casting a nervous glance around the table. "If they have backed off Autumn, they will look elsewhere to establish a foothold."
The room goes silent, a chill breaking over us. Each High Lord looks wary, chewing on their food. All but my mate, who looks fairly mild, all things concerned.
"Which is why he insisted we do this spell today," I nod to my husband before facing him. Clever Bastard. "You wanted to block out any potential footholds in the south, where they'd be close enough to the mortal realms to stay well supplied."
Tarquin's eyes widen. "Why keep it from us?" He asks, shaking his head. "I might've complained less about getting out of bed this morning had you mentioned that bit."
Eris shrugs, a sheepish grin. "I have to have some fun," he says simply. "Besides, Autumn is fighting a war on both sides. I'd be remised if I didn't help secure the borders of my allies in any way I could."
Jurian blinks, catching my eye. "Your father?"
I nod simply. "We had an encounter last week- on the isle," I tell him. "He wanted my power. He got thunder instead. He's stronger than he was before, but he's at the end of a string."
Jurian nods. "Creagach awaits her queen," he says solemnly. I shift. "I had wondered what had changed in the land. Just two days ago, I had visited again, checking in on the human colonies, the lesser fae. They were restless, but none could articulate why. It was as if the isle was driving change through them."
My brow furrows. "Do you visit the isle often, Jurian?"
He nods. "Nearly every week when I can get this one to winnow me out," he nods to Lucien.
"We must meet soon," I tell him. "I feel as though I hardly know of things in my birth home. I'd love to discuss anything you've found or seen."
Jurian frowns. "Why not talk now?"
"Because we're eating," I say, filling up my glass with wine. "And the dining table is no place for politics, you animals."