Page 21 of Shadows of Air and Earth
When the soft chirp of a chickadee fluttered nearby and my shadows blocked my penetrating stare at the lac, I looked between them both with raised brows. "I know what you both are trying to tell me," I said wistfully. The shadows gently brushed against my face while the bird above chirped again. "We haven't spoken for so long. I don’t know if she would even respond."
Time was funny for immortals. Decades felt like only months, centuries like years but even with that said, the last time I had spoken to my mother, Lady Eve Dark, leader of the shadow fae court, felt like a distant memory. A painfully distant one.
When a song broke out, I looked up to glare at the warbling bird. "For goddess sake, you're going to alert every living thing that I am here! Yes, yes, I get it already but there is no guarantee that she will even know what the goddess this shit is—"
"So we are talking to birds now are we?" Xi called, her voice tense and sharp.
The shadows shimmered around me, swirling over my head as my gaze snapped back down to the approaching fae. Xi's face was flushed but it was not the complexion of a fae who was in love. No—it was one of continued hurt and anger and beside her, Riley followed in his own defeat. His shoulders slumped, fists clenched at his sides, the air stirring his hair agitatedly.
Inwardly I groaned. Goddess help me, theystillhad not worked their shit out and it took just one look at the crossed arms of the stubborn earth elemental in front of me to understand why. Damn elementals.
"Birds, shadows," I jerked my chin up to the chickadee that chirped one more time before retreating to the skies. "It doesn't matter, I listen to all of Faerie."
Xi tilted her head, her white hair falling back over her stunning grey eyes and flawless olive skin. Her fitted green shirt and brown leathers were all back in order as well, minus hergauntlets she must have discarded. "But that is a bird, not the goddess, am I missing something?"
Twirling my hands within the smokey tendrils of the shadows, they followed the ink of my tattoos, reminding me of my vows to the darkness that were etched into my skin. Biting at my lip with indecision before I answered. "Faerie is within all…even just a bird. A wise fae will heed her voice no matter how small or distant they may be."
Xi snorted, "And what is this voice telling you then?"
I sniffed, turning back towards the thick tropical trees bordering the lac. "I need to contact my mother…and there is something not right about this jungle. A chickadee hardly ever chooses open skies rather than the cover of the woods."
Together, we all peered into the thick foliage where huge, moss-covered trees with thick vines hanging from their boughs and white butterflies peeking between their dense leaves stretched wide and far. It called to us in a haunting way, one that should have made us turn back in the other direction…but that wasn't an option now. We were here and we had to go through this jungle to get to Lacail.
"So what about the trolls?" Riley drawled, tilting his head to the side, the slight strain to his power crinkling at the corner of his eyes. So he did have limits, this was good to know, a fae that did not, was a fae easily corrupted by power. I had about enough of those.
I sighed heavily, turning back towards the bobbing trolls, "I was hoping that whatever was controlling them would have worn off by now but it seems that isn't the case."
"What is it exactly?" Xi demanded from behind me.
Ignoring her crossness, I summoned the shadows, quickly scribbling a hasty note upon parchment, and tossing it back into the void. The message was simple, straightforward, and lacked any flattery or sincere, heartfelt proclamations to Lady Eve ofthe Night Court. "I don’t know and that is what bothers me. I am hoping my mother will have some answers but we won't have them in time for these poor creatures. We must get moving, reaching Lacail is of great importance and we must hurry. I have a feeling the town will not be very safe for much longer."
Xi sighed, "You think the seal is in Lacail, don't you?"
I watched the trolls with sadness in my eyes for the decision I would have to make here today. Whatever this power was, it was not their fault but they would pay the price. "I do."
A warm hand encased my shoulder and I dragged my eyes from the ridiculous yet sad scene and into sincere hazel ones. "I know you do not want to harm them, General, but whatever this power is, they are already suffering, at this point killing them is a mercy."
Reaching across, I placed my hand on Riley’s, patting it gently. "I know. Please keep the air around them, without it the shadows cannot do their task, and if they cannot then their deaths will not be swift and painless.”
He grunted, dropping his hand. "I can do it if you need me to, General. It can be as if they are falling asleep."
I shook my head. "No my friend, I'd rather not have the bloodshed of the innocent be on your hands." Dropping my voice low, I added, "You've had enough of that already."
He nodded, searching my gaze and seeing in them my understanding and acceptance of his past. Riley Dragoon would never need to convince me why he had done what he had—because I would have done the same.
"Keep the air around them please." I exhaled harshly, waving to the shadows and watching them open wide their monstrous jaws of darkness. The troll’s angry roars and fearful screeches were muffled but I could see the glint of fear of their impending doom in their feral red eyes. The herd of camphor had since disappeared into the sparkling Lac Asrai, seekingrefuge beneath the surface while the shadows snapped shut around Riley's air prison, silencing the trolls forever.
"Goddess," Xi whispered, "that was just as fucking terrifying as the last time and it's just trolls."
"Not helping Xi," Riley hissed over his shoulder.
Biting the inside of my cheek until I felt the sharp pain of the soft flesh breaking and tasted blood seeping into my mouth, I turned away towards the jungle. "No need to defend me or them, Riley. I know what I am and so do the shadows. I deal in death and they relish in making a terrifying show of it."
"You may deal in death, Remnant Dark, but you are not immune to the pain it causes. How many times do you bleed inside when you take a life?"
Startled, I looked up at him in shock. "Enough that the scars are so thick that I barely feel it anymore," I replied honestly, watching as the shadows slimmed, floating up to me gracefully. "Well done my loves. Now go, send word to my mother, give her the note and await her answer before you return."
The shadows popped out of existence, and I swallowed hard against the bitter sadness welling inside and the sharp metallic taste of blood in my mouth.
