Page 20 of Vengeance and Fire

“I can’t tell you what to do, my queen.”

I want to pull my hair out. This woman is making me crazy. Give me something, anything. Stop speaking in stupid riddles. I huff in frustration. “Then what can you tell me?” I plead. I don’t know what the point of all of this is. I need this to make sense, and I have a feeling this meeting is just beginning.

CHAPTERTHIRTEEN

CORDELIA

Isit on the ground of the cave with my leg stretched out in front of me. Adrian has his head on my lap as he’s stretched out on the floor beside me. Gale, like always, finds a wall to hold up. Torin is helping the seers move my father out of the water and onto a stone platform. Dravyn has mirrored my position, he’s so close that his arm brushes against mine. We have listened to the seer for what feels like hours, and the more I hear, the more the pieces of the puzzle come together.

I watch as Torin tucks a blanket over my father, and with one last look at him he joins us on the floor, followed by the other seers. Their sheer robes cling to their wet bodies but their long silver hair conceals their nudity from me and my men. Thank goodness for that. I don’t know how long we were going to be here, and I definitely won’t feel comfortable getting a peep show from the three ancient beings in the room. They step up next to their sister. I shift nervously, their white eyes land on me and me alone. There is something about the scrutiny of their gaze that gets my mouth to moving.

“Okay. Everyone originated from Earth. When the Human population got too large it caused major problems for the Supernaturals to live amongst them safely. So, the leaders of each group came together and decided that creating their own Realms would allow all to thrive and flourish without Human interference. Am I getting this right?” I throw out what I’ve learned so far. Anything to get the seers attention off me and back to the matter at hand.

“That is correct, my queen.” All three of them speak in unison, soliciting a tired groan from the men around me. I am sure they would rather be doing anything but this. I am sure Dravyn would rather be with his mother. I honestly would love for my father to wake so I could speak with him myself. But we are here for a reason. I don’t know if I am being selfish, but I don’t want to be the only one to bear all the weight of the things we have learned today. We are a team. Right? Or is this just another example of my lack of confidence in my new role? Of course, my men would tell me I am being ridiculous, but hey, just two months ago I was making soap. Not necessarily a queenly thing to do.

Clearing his throat, Gale pushes himself off the wall, and I know he is getting ready to ask more questions of his own. What would I do without all of them? I would be lost. I can admit that to myself right now.

“Why does Maurelle want to tear down all that was built? Why does she consider the Fae superior? What is the point of creating four Realms so we can all live separately but in harmony when one of us never wanted to play fair from the start?” Dravyn points at Gale as if he was wondering the same thing. Adrian raises his head off my lap, interested in the conversation now that the right questions are being asked. I look at the seers expectantly because this is the most important question of all.

“Power. The Fae tricked the Dragon queen at the time of the Realms creation. Earth was supposed to be a neutral zone. No Supernatural was supposed to have use of their magic when they crossed over. The Shifters, of course, could shift, but nothing more. What we all failed to see was the Fae didn’t relinquish their powers into the waters. Instead, the Fae queen at the time gave just enough. That act alone caused distrust and hostility amongst us,” the seer said to us. I gasp in shock, and my mouth opens wide at the revelation.

“Wait, so you're saying everyone’s power resides in the Waters of Elysium?” I rush out. No wonder they want to protect it. It holds the key to everything. This cave serves everyone, but the seers watch over it. That’s why they don’t interfere until they absolutely must. They are like a supernatural Switzerland.

“The waters both give and take, my queen. This is why we can call forth the Dragon spirits and take away their powers. This is why we could continue to heal your father. The waters are meant for all of us,” they all say together. I don’t know if I am ever going to get used to that, but I am too stunned to care about their disjointed voices.

“This is why the portals allowed everyone to pass through freely. It allowed everyone access to you three—to the waters,” Torin pipes up from the floor and we all gasp in unison.

“What changed?” I ask, finally feeling like it is all making sense now. All the puzzle pieces are coming together, I can see the bigger picture.

“The Fae are never happy,” my father croaks out from his position on the stone platform. I am on my feet and over to him in a flash. By the sound of the footsteps behind me I know my mates are not far behind. My father holds his arms out to me, and although we hadn’t gotten that far in our relationship for physical displays of affection before he died, I rush into his arms.

“Daughter. It appears we have more time after all,” he whispers to me, and of course, I lose it. For a moment I let the tears flow. My father holds me tight, patting my back to soothe me when he was the one who had suffered. Eventually the seers produce a robe for him out of nowhere and I untangle myself to allow him to dress. Turning my back to give him privacy while they assist him, my father continues. “Some Fae believe immortality makes us the superior species. The Fae are cunning, and deal in absolutes. All or nothing. We made deals and tricked theHumansaround us constantly because we felt they were nothing but cattle in our eyes. I was not always a good person. I followed my sister’s ideals of a Fae dominant world with gusto. I did terrible things in the name of her cause as her emissary, and I will live with that until I decide to pass on. Your mother changed that view for me. I saw things differently once I lived among the Dragons. But for Maurelle, her vision has been ingrained in her for centuries.” I raise my eyebrows in shock at the word centuries. How old is he?

“Yes, I said centuries. I am not as old as those three though.” He points to the seers as they stand there patiently waiting for him to finish speaking.

“With the destruction of Bestia, all of Maurelle’s manipulations by the way, it was the nail in the coffin between the Realms. Portals were closed, restrictions were put in place because the Fae could no longer be trusted. Again, I am not innocent. Entire Packs, and other species became extinct, forced to live on Earth without access to the magic that sustained them. It was brutal and cruel. Now, my sister wants to do the same to the Dragons, Druids, and the Mages.

“I guess this is where I come in, right?” I look around the room, and from the look on everyone's faces I am correct.

“More and more Shifters lose the ability to shift into their animal forms. Some Packs are dying out as fewer and fewer babies are born each year. My queen, you have the power to offer them hope. They are the alliance you will need in the days to come,” the seers say with urgency as they echo my father’s words from days ago.

“We can go whenever you’re ready,” Torin tells me from across the room. I can tell that they are all eager to make things happen. To right the wrongs that have been done. I turn and look at my father, but Gale speaks up from his perch against the wall.

“We can take him back to the palace and get him settled in. My mother will make sure he is OK while we are gone,” Gale says as he walks over to join us at the platform.

“My mother and her people are on their way there as well. Things are moving the way you want them to, Cordelia. You should be proud, my queen.” Dravyn winks and offers me a smile. Seeing him smile will never get old. So far so good on the decisions I have made, I just hope I continue to make the right calls for everyone’s sake.

“Well, it looks like we are going to Earth.” As soon as the words leave my mouth, my mates start to move. Gale and Dravyn go to help my father along, and I laugh as he shoos them away, stating he can walk on his own. Adrian follows behind, looking pensive, and I know that is something I will need to address later. Torin hangs back, but from the look he is getting from the seers he’s decided to join the rest as they make their way out of the cave.

“We will wait for you outside.” He looks over his shoulder giving me one last look and then walks beyond the archway. I turn, almost dreading looking back at the seers for fear that they are about to tell me the sky is going to fall.

“The sky is fine, my queen.” One of them tilts their head to the side, and I can help but laugh. I guess she is thinking I meant literally. “I didn’t mean”—OK, nope, not going there.

“Is there something else?” I ask. I really am nervous to be left alone with these women. I have to say I feel intimidated. They know so much. They have that freaky mind reading thing going for them.

“Remember that you are our hope for the future. You, my queen, represent us all.” They speak as one.

“A Shifter because you can change your form.”

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