Chapter Nine
“Destruction, hence like creation is
one of Nature’s mandates.”
—Marquis de Sade
The Kingdom of the DarkFae
“The time has come,” Alderon said quietly as he stared out upon his disciples. “Look around you my dark ones, see that we are finally close to achieving our dream. For over a thousand years we have waited for this moment. And it has arrived.”
The members of the Dark Fae Elder court had gathered in the great room of their leader’s castle. As all Dark Fae preferred cold colors, Alderon’s home was no different. His walls were cool grey stone, made of the same rock found in Stonehenge. The massive table that sat in the middle of the room was granite and circular, similar to that of King Arthur’s round table, and the chairs that surrounded the table were intricately carved out of an Elder tree, each one having its own sign, symbol, and meaning. Each chair was placed strategically as though the table was part of an ancient astral chart.
Each member of the Dark Fae stood behind one of the chairs of the round table, encompassing thirteen in all. Their children stood outside the room but could hear Alderon’s voice as it carried through the hall. Puck stood behind Alderon waiting to do his bidding.
Though he was not their true King, he was in many ways, their God. For he was the oldest of all the Elders and, more importantly, the one that understood the depths of their black soul. He was also the one that had sired the future King of the Dark Fae. The boy who made up half of the great prophecy.
They all stood in silence and tried to control their joy, but they could not contain their smiles. Alderon had just given them hope that they were on their way to ruling over the great kingdom. At last, the Light would fall.
“We are close,” Alderon said quietly. “Close to a celebration.”
He continued on, as every translucent eye in the room was upon him.
“Very close.”
He walked slowly around the table and made eye contact with each one of the Elders in the room. Once he was finished he stood behind the one empty chair. He reached his hands out, and a black light emerged from his fingertips. He began to draw lines on the table like a spider’s web that traced back to each one of the Elders. The light he drew in the table looked like the alignment of the planets in the solar system. He was done with his task within a moment. Each Elder placed their hands above the lit planet that was before them. Their energy radiated into Alderon’s, fused into one as they all began to speak without any barriers of fear blocking them.
Alderon closed his eyes and took a deep breath in as he felt all the energy in the room. When he opened his eyes, they were lit with black fire, his power so great, his feet were no longer on the ground but hovered in the air.
“As presiding Elder and in accordance to the laws written in the ancient manuscript, known to the humans as Voynich, known to the Fae as Ma Tua Nan, the dark laws of the crystal code, all Elders must be in agreement as we move forward,” his voice was strong, sure as he spoke. “The time has come for us to claim again what our very own brothers and sisters are trying to take away. For centuries we have waited, have acted within the laws that govern each and every Fae, but we will wait no longer. The Light, as they call themselves, wanted a war. They will want to end the souls of their own kind. Choosing human life over Fae. Can they call themselves true light by wanting to end what they perceived as dark?”
The Elders looked around at one another as the magnitude of Alderon’s words touched them to the core. The light from their palms grew stronger as the power in his voice reached their core.
“If they want our destruction, then I say we destroy them first. If it is battle they want, then battle we will give them. They wanted to see us suffer, but they will understand true suffering when we strike down with the power that has flowed in our veins for thousands of years. If they want war, I will rage a battle upon them that will silence them forever.” Alderon raised his hands above the stone until they were at his chest with the energy flowing beneath. The other Elders followed his lead.
“And HE, the one who will not be named, dreams of my destruction, but I won’t rest until I see the flicker of light that has consumed his soul blown out forever.”
Alderon turned to an area of the stone wall and pointed. The stones moved as someone began to slowly walk through.
“My brothers and sisters, I present to you, the esteemed member of the Kelpie clan, Patrick, The Seeker.”
A beautiful white stallion moved through the wall as the stones disappeared before the Elders’ eyes. The muscles along the body of this Trojan warrior were large and bulging, its legs were strong and beautifully shaped. But the real truth of its character rested in its eyes. Crimson in color, and ominous, clearly representing the blood bath that confronted its many victims.
A few of the Elders drew in deep breaths. Some smiled in anticipation at the mere site of this beautiful, monstrous creature. The others, who were schooled in concealing emotion, contained their expressions as they watched him. They knew that once this animal was released, he would wreak havoc, and it would set in motion a course of events that would never be overturned. For the Seeker would never be able to be contained. The mighty stallion bowed his head before the group of Elders.
“He will destroy the one that stands in our way,” Alderon said with finality.
“Alderon, we must all be in agreement. If we proceed, there is no going back,” Fenodoree spoke out. Her long black hair swirled magically around her face, and she could not hide the look of repulsion she had for the Kelpie.
Alderon was instantly upon her. He was enraged and could not hide it. “You doubt my judgment? After all that I have done for you!” He continued screaming, “When members of the Light Fae banished you for your hasty actions, who took you in? Who protected you?”
“You did,” she replied, but she continued to stare at him evenly, her courage having not fully deserted her.
“But there are laws that even you cannot break.”
Alderon smiled slowly at her.
“We live and perish by the book. And even you know that the book says that you cannot take a human from their world—”
“She is not human!”
“No. But she has human blood,” Fenodoree continued. “There must be a ruling by the court before she can be destroyed. You cannot take her from that world without knowing without a doubt that she has the blood of the Fae. And to realize that fully, she must bleed and we cannot be the cause of that.”
Alderon walked around her and started to clap.
“Thank you so much for that edifying lecture on our laws. I don’t know what we’d do without you here to remind us all of what we already know.”
Fenodoree’s eyes lit up in anger.
“When you speak of the Kelpie finding and destroying her—”
“Eventually destroying her,” Alderon said as his voice rose. “I know what laws govern our people! I know what will happen if we disregard those laws!”
Fenodoree turned her gaze away from Alderon’s wrath.
“I was only warning you.”
Alderon was upon her within a second. He could not contain his rage as he gazed down at her, his hands clenched into little balls at his side.
“I do not need your warnings. I am the law! Do not think to ever question me again. You are here because your age and powers have allowed you acceptance. But I can change that in a moment,” he whispered in her ear as he turned and faced the stallion.
“My friend will certainly find her,” Alderon said with a smile as the horse lowered his head in allegiance.
“You can all trust that she will be drawn to him,” he smiled as he slowly stroked the horse across his head.
“And my dear son won’t stand a chance.”
C
Breathing deep breaths, I kept my pace. I kept going and going, not sure of my direction. I just knew that if I ran toward the trees, I might be out of harm’s way. I was too scared to turn around knowing that he might be near and that I might somehow lose my balance and fall. I had to hide somewhere where he wouldn’t find me. And now as I fast approached the wooded area, I knew deep down that the large trees seemed like the safest place to go. I was pretty sure that he couldn’t locate me there. If only I could outrun him.
I wasn’t sure if I could keep up the pace. Running on fast crackling branches wasn’t as easy as I thought. The course was treacherous. And I knew that I couldn’t fall. If I did, it would be over. My life would be over.
It was, however, beginning to wear me out. The pace was too much for my body to handle.
Keep going. I told myself. Just keep going.
I wasn’t sure what he wanted, but from the look in his eyes, it didn’t seem good. If I could find a safe place, I would hide there all night and would try and return home at daylight. Maybe then there would be cars and people around. He would never take me around people—that would be too careless. I just had to remember to be quiet and pray that I would be safe.
Dear God, just let me be safe.
I ran around the large tree trunks, using my arms to forge forward as fast as I could. I saw the beautiful tree with the thick branches and knew that I could climb it. Maybe if I climbed my way to the top, he wouldn’t see me. I reached up and grabbed the lowest branch and lifted myself up. Following the branches like steps, I kept going and going.
I looked down and realized that I had climbed up high, and as I looked down upon the vast forest, I couldn’t see him. I breathed in a sigh of relief. I did it. I outran him. I allowed myself the moment as I caught my breath. I just had to be still and try and find some thick branches to cover me until daylight. If he didn’t look up, he would never see me.
I climbed up a few more branches until I found a thick mass and slowly inched my way toward it. Safety. At last.
I looked down once more and kneeled against the thick trunk of the tree, resting my head against its hard surface. I took another deep breath and felt a small flutter of wind move across my face.
Fear instantly overtook me when I realized that his penetrating red eyes were upon me.
He had found me.
The black raven was upon me, and there was nowhere I could hide. So I did the only thing that was left to do, I screamed with all my might.
“Caroline!!”
My mother cried out as she opened my bedroom door and sat down next to me on my bed, deeply concerned. “Caroline, wake up!”
My breathing was labored, and I was drenched in sweat. Famous started barking in concern as he looked at my trembling body.
“Caroline, are you okay?” she continued. “You must have had a bad dream.”
I reached out my arms and Famous jumped right into them. I buried my face in his fur and tried to control the frantic beating of my heart.
“Mom, I was so scared.”
“I know sweetheart. We heard your screams all the way down the hall,” my mom said as she wrapped me up in her arms, trying so hard to comfort me. “It’s okay now. It was just a bad dream.”
“It was so real,” I said unsure of my surroundings. I couldn’t believe that I was actually sitting in my bed. “He was so real.”
“Who was?” my mom asked as she smoothed out my hair.
“He was—” I began, “a raven.” I knew how ridiculous it sounded once the words were out of my mouth, but there was no mistaking the menacing look that I saw before I woke up.
“It’s over now,” my mom said, rubbing my head. “You’re safe. There’s no raven here. And if there was, I think Famous would protect you.”
I got the shivers just thinking about my small dog within the raven’s grasp. I hugged him closer.
“There’s nothing here,” my mom said to me again. “You have nothing to be afraid of.”
“Promise?”
D
“I promise,” I said as I stood outside my balcony staring at the trees.
“I promise that I will protect you,” I whispered again. It was dawn, and the sun was slowly lighting up the trees. It had been a very long night. Once Caroline left, I went for a walk and had returned to the party later in the evening to check on Jordana. After everyone had gone home, I had taken her aside and had a long talk with her about the future of our “relationship.” Sometime after the reality of the situation resonated, she began sobbing uncontrollably for what felt like hours.
I honestly felt horrible about misleading her. It was never right to break someone’s heart, but the reality was that I needed her at the time to push Caroline away from me. She kept begging me to give her one more chance, to allow her to show me how compatible we really were. It was painful to watch, and even more painful to experience. After a few hours of the back-and-forth, I decided that the evening wouldn’t end if I didn’t do something.
Something that required magik.
I brought her in my arms and began whispering in her ear. Convincing her, ever so gently, that I wasn’t the man for her. That she was destined to be with Brian Baker. That he would make her truly happy. She shook her head in agreement, and in a flash, I was gone. This part of the game was over, and I was happy to be done with it.
I spent the better part of Sunday in bed, not sleeping, but in bed thinking and staring out of the window of my room. I didn’t move for hours and hours, just watching as the sun rose, the birds sang their songs, the wind blew about, dusk settled in, then darkness. I don’t think I even blinked. I was so deep in thought about my predicament. Here I was, after centuries of living alone, of knowing what was waiting for me, of building up a resistance to it, knowing what would happen if I didn’t, and finally succumbing to what every pore in my body warned me to stay away from. I realized how powerless I really was to my destiny. Or to what my soul recognized as its other half.
After hours went by, I noticed that the sun was close to rising again; I decided to get out of bed and push open the doors that led to my balcony. I walked straight to the edge and then leaned in against the railings and pushed back as I let out a sigh of frustration. Running my hands through my hair, I began thinking about her.
It had certainly been a restless night for me, and I knew that it had been a restless night for her as well. Despite the fact that she walked away from me at Jordana’s party, I knew that she cared. I knew that she couldn’t deny that we had a connection. One that she would have to face as I had.
All in time. Even though it was definitely not on our side.
If I was of the right mind, maybe I could do something to change the course we were on. If I were to properly strategize, maybe I could tempt the fates and push them off their axis. It was a rare occurrence, but it had certainly been done before. I closed my eyes, and her face was immediately before me.
Whenever I looked into her beautiful eyes, it pained me. For all I truly thought of was the sorrow I would feel if I let her in and then was forced to let her go. I had to think this through.
All of it.
I took in a deep breath. One step at a time, I thought. If she was close, I could keep a watchful eye, and if she trusted me she would listen to me when the time was right. Once I knew she was safe and sound, I would then ensure that she went back to her normal life and find love in the arms of man who would keep her alive and well forever. A man who wasn’t cursed as I was.
And I knew at that moment that I would do whatever it took to get her there.
“My son,” Odin said as he entered my room. “I was hoping to have a moment with you.”
“Of course.”
“Coffee?” Odin asked as he took in my rumpled appearance. I nodded as he snapped his fingers, and two maidens were before us pouring coffee into porcelain cups that stood on a new table that appeared in my room at that same instant they did.
“You need to eat as well,” Odin said. Suddenly the table held a basket full of fresh croissants, a tray of fruit, and all sorts of butter and jams. On another dish, eggs benedict.
“Let me make you a plate,” Odin said as he waved his hand. The maidens disappeared, and Odin walked over to me with a plate filled with all sorts of delicious items. Odin handed me the coffee and food. We both sat down in front of my fireplace, which instantly roared to life.
Odin looked at me.
“You seem out of sorts?”
“I feel powerless. Truly powerless.”
Odin reached out his hand and grasped my shoulder.
“Look at me.”
I was almost ashamed that I had spoken the words that had entangled my thoughts. I was a King. I should have been just that, a fearless leader.
“Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.”
“I don’t think Shakespeare ever thought that our existence could be part of the world when he wrote Henry IV,” I said stoically.
“The same man wrote A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” Odin smiled. “I say you give him more credit than that.”
I leaned back in the chair and closed my eyes.
“Why is that whenever you speak to me I feel as though I can do anything?” I asked him.
“Because you can.” I watched the flames in the fire as he continued, “I know you can defeat your father. I know you can defeat the dark that lives within your soul, and I know you can let the light wash over you. That is your destiny.”
My eyes began to move through the flames as I pictured Caroline running into my arms. Her long hair flowed magically behind her, and she wore a rich purple muslin gown, the customary outfit of royalty in the fairy court. I watched as she threw herself in my arms and leaned back to look up in my eyes. I held her protectively, lifting her body off the ground. All the love in the world was in her eyes. I could feel my heart beat faster at the thought of such happiness.
I looked over at Odin quickly knowing that he had just made this scene appear before my eyes.
“Have you seen it?” I asked as I dared to hope for a moment that this could indeed be my life. Our life.
“You know that I have not.”
“Then why show me…” I began but chose not to finish my thoughts aloud. Why show me such happiness? Such love.
“Alderon has the advantage,” I told Odin as I continued to watch the flames, “he knows me. He knows what I’m made of. He knows my weaknesses, and he will play upon those.”
“He is only able to understand half the man you are. He is dark. Purely, utterly, completely dark. It motivates him. Drives him. He feeds off it. Covets it. But you, Devilyn, you are both sides. And you court the light. So it is you that has the advantage.”
“His powers are great, and he has the assistance of a league of evil.”
“You underestimate your abilities.”
“I hope you are right. Now more than ever.”
Odin countered with a knowing smile, “I am right.”
Odin stood up abruptly and looked down at me.
“If you have some time, I thought that it might be wise to pay a visit to Dana. She’s expecting us,” he said as he reached out his hand.
Before I even had a second to answer, we were gone.
It was as if I had entered a dream. Odin and I stood at the end of a long corridor surrounded by beams of light. The beams sparkled against the crystal pathway that led to the queen’s chamber creating a magical picture. Lemurian crystals, those of the great Atlantean ancestors, lined the pathway so when a member of the Fae walked through, they were reenergized with ancient mystical power. As I walked by the human sized crystals I felt a surge of inner peace.
We reached the giant doors to the chamber, and they opened on their own accord, and we stepped through. The room contained the most luxurious furnishings the world could ever offer. Bright flowers filled every opulent table, while large wax candles lit the room. Crystal platters, dishes of fruits and sweet desserts were displayed on the golden coffee table.
A small group had gathered, and they were all sitting around the fireplace. Before I could even blink my eyes Dana materialized in front of us. She looked like an angel.
Dana was the great goddess of the Light Fae, the first mother, the benevolent one, the spiritual leader of the Tuatha DéDanann. She kept court with the most enchanting and gifted of the Light Fae and was always surrounded by the sun. She was eternal. Loving. Gracious. Caring. Peaceful. The great mother of all the Fae in every essence of the word.
The others stood when she materialized and bowed their heads. Dana reached out her hand, and they all sat again, forever wanting everyone to be in peace. My eyes searched the familiar faces in the room, and I smiled in greeting when I recognized one Fae in particular that I had a soft spot for.
Her name was Ella. For even the Fae, she was a stunning beauty. Her dark hair was long and curly, swirled around her face like a painting, and when she smiled she could literally light up a room. Ella was the purest of all the Fae, untouched by dark, forever believing in only the light. She was one of the few confidants I had ever had at court, one of the only ones that I could trust and lean on. Ella was also by far one of the most creative of all the Fae, and thus many members sought her out as a mentor. She often advised them and provided them with resolutions to their problems.
She smiled at Odin, stood, and lowered her head and body in a curtsey as she respectfully greeted the All-Father. As soon as she saw me her expressive eyes sparkled in pleasure.
“Devilyn. It is always nice to see you here.”
I bowed deeply and took Ella’s hand.
“It is always a pleasure, Ella.”
She pulled me aside for a moment.
“And how are you, my friend?”
“I am well.”
“You are a poor liar, Devilyn,” she said with a smile. “I can see the strain.”
I tried to smile back. “I worry about what is to come.”
“You are surrounded by family that loves you. A family that will help you.”
I looked away from her knowing eyes.
“I know it.”
“You know that I am here if you ever need someone who will just listen,” Ella said quietly. “I will never judge you.”
“Thank you.” I knew the words came from her heart. “I know that I can always count on you.”
I then turned my attention to Iris who lifted her hands and brushed them softly against my cheek.
“My dear boy, we have been waiting for you,” she said to me in a soft voice. She was an Elder in the court, graced with staggering beauty.
Iris had a wisdom and love that radiated from the depths of her soul. She too was taken by my father at one point. Out of all the Fae, she had spent the most amount of time with Alderon. She knew him better than any one of us. My father believed she was dead, and Dana had gone to great lengths to ensure that he would never know of Iris’s existence. Once she had escaped from him, she had asked Dana if she could disappear into nothingness. Dana had denied her wish and had instead given her an alternative: remain in her court forever and never leave its light, and Alderon would believe she was gone. Iris had agreed.
I hugged her and felt the warmth of her love. I was told that she had been my mother’s best friend, and I was sure that if I ever asked, she would tell me all that there was to know about my mother.
But I had never wanted to know.
I knew that we would have to rely on Iris’s knowledge and insight to give us the advantage we needed against Alderon, and I silently thanked her for not disappearing into oblivion, as she had once wanted to do.
I felt rejuvenated as I turned and smiled at Odin. He knew that Dana’s court would offer me the solace that I had been seeking.
“Am I the only one to not get a greeting from our future King?” Dana’s voice commanded as I turned to her and smiled.
“I don’t care if you don’t like to be called by your proper title. It is yours, chosen as you have been for all these years,” Dana told me as she read my mind.
I hugged her tightly.
“It is too heavy of a crown for me.”
Dana pulled away and looked at me. Her eyes glowed like Lemurian stones.
“When you realize how powerful your thoughts are Devilyn, you will become a free man.”
I nodded and went to find a seat at one of the chairs in the room when my eyes met Rowan’s. He raised a brow at my look of surprise. Rowan was a renowned warrior in all the realms. He was eternally loyal to the Light Fae after suffering an unknown fate at the hands of Alderon and his followers. No one but Dana knew what had happened to the warrior as no one had the courage to ask. He always promised that if and when the time came, he would make the ultimate sacrifice.
“I’m so happy that you have both joined us today,” Dana smiled as she looked from Odin to me. She walked to stand in the center of the room, knowing that all eyes were on her. “Iris told me that you would arrive.”
Odin walked to the center of the room.
“I was recently enlightened of some events that are about to unfold,” Odin began. “I felt it was incumbent upon me to bring Devilyn here to seek your guidance and allegiance if and when the time came.”
“We are here for Devilyn,” Dana replied solemnly. “He has always had our support.”
I was humbled by her words.
“I am grateful for your loyalty,” I replied appreciatively. “I hope that I do not disappoint any of you.”
“You have already proven yourself to be a fearsome leader, and you have shown that despite one half of your heritage, you are a champion of humanity,” Dana said solemnly.
I hoped that one day I would be able to repay the loyalty and kindness they gave me. I stood up and put a hand over my heart. I bent down on one knee.
“All you must do is ask,” I vowed to her.
“I brought Devilyn here today to prove to him that he is not alone in his battle, that we are all here to ensure that the Light will prevail, and that he will one day take his rightful position on a throne that will unite the Fae,” Odin told the room.
“We are here to ensure that he is never alone. We are all family and must support each other, protect each other, and most importantly, love each other,” Dana countered with a knowing smile.
I immediately thought of Caroline. She was also part of my family. Support. Protect. Love. I would live by that motto for her until the day I died. As if she read my mind, Dana continued, “We will protect her Devilyn, just as we will protect you.”
“As always, I appreciate your strength and loyalty, but with the plans Alderon has in motion, it may end up being my sole duty to protect her,” I explained. I could not ask them to come up against what I was about to face.
“That is not necessarily true,” Ella responded with a smile. The young Faerie was already up and moving about the room. Suddenly full of energy.
“Alderon is sending Patrick, the Seeker,” I pointed out.
“The Seeker, although highly skilled, can often be confused,” Ella continued on as she stopped to stare at me. “Odin’s cloak hides Caroline.”
“But for how long?” I could not keep the worry out of my voice. “How long will it shield her?”
“It has for sixteen years,” Dana said as she moved to stand in front of the fire. “For sixteen years he’s kept her hidden. They never knew where she was. They still don’t.”
“But I am in Roanoke now,” I told her.
“Roanoke is the natural home for all Fae. It is where our cultures intertwined in a fateful way. And when destiny began. Alderon would not believe that you would be so close. Remember your powers,” she said. “You can be where you need to be within the blink of an eye.”
“I do not use that gift.” She knew why. Magik was an aphrodisiac for me; the dark side could easily be mistaken for the light.
“He does not know that,” Odin interjected.
“They come now because she is of age. The prophecy states—” Ella began.
“I know what the prophecy states.” I did not want to hear it again; I knew my voice had been harsh. “I’m sorry.”
“You are forgiven,” Ella said softly. “See how easy it is?”
Dana watched me closely. “Alderon would never think that you would keep yourself close to her. He knows you, and he knows that the best way to protect her is to shield her from our world. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
“What does that mean?”
“Keep her as close to you as possible. I know your initial plan was to make her dislike you, even though you know that is impossible.”
“It is not impossible.”
“You were made for one another,” Dana said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world.
“We will be nearby watching the forest. If she enters, we will protect her,” Rowan spoke out. The look of gratitude was written all over my face. It was undeniable. They would protect her. I knew if I failed, they would take her away. Odin nodded his head, and I knew that it was time to leave.
“Until we meet again,” Dana said as she watched Odin lift his hand.
“Good bye, my King,” Ella called out. Before I could answer, we were gone and back in my room.
I pulled a sweater over my head and smiled in anticipation. I dared myself to have a little hope. I grabbed my schoolbooks, ran down the stairs, and headed out to my car. As I drove to school, I couldn’t remove the grin of hope on my face. It would be a good day.
But things didn’t go exactly as I had planned.