Chapter 15
Three months later…Winter Solstice
I STOOD IN my bedroom—or what had been my bedroom and what would now become Elan and Jason’s room—staring at myself in the mirror. Patrice was fluttering around me, talking up a storm as she tucked a handkerchief in my hand and then moved around to fasten the laces on my corset. I sucked in my stomach.
“Are you excited, milady?” She gritted her teeth as she pulled the laces taut, then let them out just a little before tying them off.
“Nervous, excited. I can’t decide which. Both, I guess.”
I couldn’t take my eyes off my reflection. I had never looked like this before. I was wearing a dress of deep indigo blue, with beading on the corset bodice. The beads—which I had found out were actual diamonds—also studded the waist of the corset and skirt, and a belt that draped around my waist. I had been terrified when Tam told me they were diamonds, but he quickly reassured me that in UnderBarrow, they were mere stones, like any other crystal.
The sweetheart neckline of the dress was strapless, and Patrice handed me long indigo gloves to slide on. They were satin, above the elbow, and once they were on, Patrice fastened a bracelet of pearls and diamonds around my wrist, then a pendant—a large emerald-cut sapphire set in silver filigree—around my neck.
“You won’t wear a crown until after you’re married—it will be placed on your head at the conclusion of the ceremony,” she told me.
Damh Varias had told me the same thing, but I was grateful that Patrice had bothered to find out for me. She held out silver ankle boots—sparkling and with three-inch heels—for me to slide my feet into, and then zipped them up the side. We had designed the dress after getting Damh Varias’s approval that it met the expectations of my soon-to-be station, and the raiding parties had scoured Seattle for the proper material that was still good, and boots and other accessories. The pendant had been a present from Tam, as was the bracelet and matching earrings.
Patrice had convinced me that on my wedding day, I didn’t need a slit in my dress to reach my whip, and I had given in. Hecate had told me the same thing and I finally let go of being Fury for a day and embraced being Kaeleen—the woman whom I thought I had lost long ago.
“You’re so beautiful, milady.” Patrice stepped back, offering me a bright smile. “I’m so glad you’re marrying Lord Tam.”
“Are you ready to be the queen’s maid, then?” I turned slightly, trying to get a good look at my back. The skirt swept out, a sheer silk organza overlay covering the satin skirt. The back of the skirt trailed behind by a good two or three feet.
Patrice draped a long velvet cloak around my shoulders. It met in front with a Celtic knotwork clasp. The cloak was a deep plum, complimenting my dress.
She stood back. “There, milady. And yes, I am ready to be the queen’s maid.” There was a touch of pride in her voice that seemed to spill over into her stature, and she straightened her shoulders, beaming. “You’re so beautiful. His Majesty will be pleased, I hope.”
“I think Lord Tam will be more than pleased.” I stood back, almost afraid to move because I didn’t want to mess up anything. My hair was a cascade of upswept curls and tendrils wisping down by my ears.
Patrice answered a knock at the door and Elan entered, followed by another maid. She was lovely, wearing an ice-blue dress that gently flowed over her swelling stomach. Her hair was braided back with holly tucked in through the plaits, and she was wearing a simple circlet of silver around her neck. She broke into a smile as she saw me.
“Fury, you’re such a beautiful bride.”
“You look good enough to eat, too.” I grinned back at her. “How’s Jason doing?”
“He’s all right. Still skittish and hesitant, but he’s growing stronger every day. He worked so hard to be able to walk you down the aisle. I’m so proud of him.” Her eyes clouded for a moment. They had had a rough patch, for sure.
When Jason had returned from the realm of Chaos, he couldn’t tell us how he had escaped, or how he managed to find his way into Limbo. As the months wore on, he stopped jumping at every noise, and he was able to carry on more of a conversation than just a few sentences.
Physically, he was unharmed, but his mind had broken just enough to leave him insecure and confused. The healers in UnderBarrow were working with him every day to help him regain his sense of self. Shevron still wasn’t talking to me, though she didn’t avoid me as much as she used to, and she and Elan took care of Jason and they were doing their best to avoid coddling him—the healers had said he needed to push himself, and be pushed.
He had recently shifted into a hawk for the first time since he returned, and flown for a good half an hour. It seemed to spur him on, and he was making faster strides now.
We had heard no more about Lyon, and in fact, the Order of the Black Mist had fled Seattle, leaving it to the ghosts and the zombies. If they were still active, we didn’t know, but communications between countries—and in fact towns and cities—was now spotty at best and we seldom received any news from the outside.
A shadow seemed to fill the room, deepening, and I shivered.
“What’s wrong?” Elan asked.
“A goose just walked over my grave, I suppose.” I gave myself one last look in the mirror, and turned. “I’m just jittery. I get to meet my in-laws today. That’s scary enough, I guess.”
Tam’s parents—the High King and Queen of the Bonny Fae—were in the building, so to speak. Or rather, in UnderBarrow. I hadn’t had the chance to meet them yet, and the reception would be the first time that I’d greet them. I wasn’t looking forward to it, given that I had no clue in the world what to say to them.
“It’s a day of change, all right.” Elan let out a soft breath.
Today, later after the ceremony, Tam would take her oath of fealty to UnderBarrow, officially severing her ties to Verdanya. Her father had ascended to the throne and immediately cut her off, disowning her for her treachery, and while the two Fae Courts kept civil discourse, we weren’t exactly best buddies and visiting between the two nations was highly discouraged.
“How’s your daughter?” I nodded to her stomach.
She broke into a bright glow. “She’s doing wonderfully. The midwife says I’ll be having her near the spring equinox, so she’ll be a March hare baby, it looks like. She’s kicking up a storm lately. I think she’s going to be a little fighter, like her mama.” She paused, then added, “Focusing on her helps Jason ground himself, I’ve noticed. She’s helping her daddy heal.”
“Then maybe she’ll be a healer,” I said, winking.
“Maybe. But I like to think she’ll join the guard like me. You know, a mother wants her daughter to follow in her footsteps.”
Patrice answered the door again as a discreet knock interrupted us. It was Vis and Mara, along with an honor guard, waiting to escort us to the wedding. Captain Varga was there, and Vis helped me up on his back. I would ride sidesaddle into my new life.
As Elan took her place in front of me, and Patrice walked by my side, I tried not to think of the past. The future was waiting, and that was the only direction we were headed in.
TAM WAITED IN the Grove of UnderBarrow—the official grove that was to the west of Willow Wood. Since the entire town, as well as the population of UnderBarrow, couldn’t fit in the throne room, Tam had ordered the grove fashioned for court functions where everybody would be present. While our marriage wasn’t a must-attend, most of Willow Wood and UnderBarrow were there, milling around, filling the makeshift bleachers even though it was barely thirty-two degrees and there was three feet of snow in the forest. Walkways had been cleared, and a large canopy covered the center podium where we were to be wed, but I still was impressed by the turnout, given the weather.
It was three p.m., and Tam stood on the large dais, dressed in his royal best. Beside him, Damh Varias and Hans waited, and his mother and father stood off to one side.
In the center of the dais Hecate stood, looking more beautiful than I had ever seen her. She was dressed in soft ivory with a pale plum overlay, and around her head she wore a headdress of silver snakes and knotwork. She was standing next to the Dagda—the official God of Willow Wood. Together, they would marry us—much to the chagrin of Damh Varias, who wanted only the gods from the Temple of the Sylvan Woodland. But Tam had firmly negated the idea, claiming that since I was pledged to Hecate, it would be sacrilegious for me to be married without her presence.
As we passed the band I caught my breath and my hand fluttered to my chest. Tommy Tee was there—with the rest of the band. He was playing his guitar, along with a harpist, two flautists, a drummer, and two musicians playing the bowed psaltery.
He bowed as I passed, the musician whom I had only ever known as a sweet-hearted addict. His eyes were clearer than I had ever seen them, and I blew him a kiss as the band struck up a delicate song that reminded me of unicorns and maidens, of doves flying over a frozen lake, of the Frostlings.
In fact, Naia and Derra, the two Frostlings who had guided us to Eleveanor a year before, were in attendance. Their frozen forms looked to be formed of ice, their features etched into their perfectly smooth glassine skin. They were living sculptures in ice, and they waited silently at the edges of the circle of our people. To another side, I saw Zhan—one of the hedgemites who served the Greenlings. He waved, smiling brightly as he saw me. I gave him a little wave back, thinking how strange my life had become. Even Queet was there, swirling in his mist, watching with a thumbs-up.
We were in the middle of a frozen Faerieland, in a forest where traffic and the dirt and grime of the city were only memories. And here I sat on Captain Varga’s back, on midwinter’s day, ready to wed the man of my dreams who was waiting to make me his queen.
Jason rode forward, astride a black stallion, looking nervous but sure. He leaned across to touch my cheek.
“Oh, Kae, you look so lovely.” He paused, his eyes watering. “Did you ever in a million years think…”
I closed my eyes as snowflakes drifted down to dust my hair. “I never really dreamed of anything beyond the present moment. I chased down Aboms. That’s what I did. I had daydreams, of course, but they were vague. But this…this is life. Everything changes and moves on. Life evolves, we evolve, the world evolves. We’re witnessing history as civilization crumbles again and…who knows what will replace it? But we’ll be here for a long time, watching and helping to shape the future.”
“You’re going to be a queen. Queen Fury.”
“Queen Kaeleen the Fury,” I said softly. “That will be my official title. I need to reclaim my past, as well as reach for my dreams. I’m Fury, through and through. But Tam reminds me that I’m also Kaeleen. I’m no longer just angry and seeking revenge.”
“Tam’s waiting for you. We should begin,” Jason said. “May I escort you to your future?”
As we road down the path, the players switched to an ancient song—the melody haunting and weaving around us. “Irish Handfasting” had been the song played at every Winter Court wedding. I wasn’t the only one reclaiming the past. Tam had renamed his court UnderBarrow of the Winter Court, with his parents’ blessing. Together, we were blending the past and the present to create a new future.
We rode up the aisle to the dais, and Jason slipped off his horse to lift me down. The music beckoned us on and, when we reached the platform, Jason held my hand as I ascended the steps.
And there he was, Tam, Prince of the Winter Fae, Lord of the Bonny Fae, the keeper of my heart. His hair billowed down his shoulders, black as night, and his eyes were glowing silver as he held out his hands to me. I took them, letting him pull me in.
Hecate and the Dagda bound our hands with a silver, black, and blue plaited cord, and they took our vows. We pledged life, love, and heart, blending our oaths, blending our lives, and the music poured on in the background, sweeping us into our future, as I wed the man of my dreams.
“Take me,” I whispered. “Take me, make me your queen, hold my heart forever.”
“I pledge to you my life, my heart, my soul, my protection and eternal devotion. You are queen of my world, my Kaeleen…my Fury.” And as Tam leaned down to kiss me, the world shifted again.
The Dagda set the crown atop my head and Tam and I turned to gaze out over our people. We were on the verge of a new age, a new era, and together we’d lead them through the ice and snow, through the forest, into the world that was waiting for us.
Three and a half years later…
WILLOW WOOD WAS thriving.
The winter had given way into spring, and Elan had her baby daughter. She named her Aila, which meant “from the strong place” and the girl was growing like a weed. She had inherited her father’s ability to shift into a hawk, and her mother’s prowess and speed.
Elan and I were walking by Reflection Lake, watching as the weavers hunted for the supple reeds that were still pliable enough for basket weaving. I was leading two classes a year at the training center, teaching others to hunt down Abominations, and now there were more than fifty others who had returned to their homes, able to fight against the demons from Pandoriam who drifted in off the World Trees. More were coming for a new class starting in a few weeks, and I was looking forward to the work.
The Devani had mysteriously vanished from Seattle, and we had no idea what had happened to them. Reports filtered in that they were gathering down in what had been Atlantea, but it was impossible to verify them. Seattle was truly a city of ghosts, echoing with the secrets of the past, and becoming more dangerous to enter every day.
I sat on a bench and Elan sat next to me. “How’s Jason really doing?”
Jason had reopened his store, and seemed to be healed, though Elan had confided that at times he got night terrors so badly he would wake up screaming. We didn’t have much chance to just hang out anymore, but we had reestablished a tradition and now, every week, we all gathered for dinner in a private dining chamber—Elan and Jason, Hans and Greta, and Tam and me.
“He’s all right. I don’t think he’ll ever quite be the man he was, but maybe that’s a good thing. He’s a lot more flexible now about the weaknesses of others. Leonard, especially.”
Leonard had done well with the guards, and Shevron had finally accepted the fact that her son was a warrior—and a damned good one—and she was proud as punch of him. She had warmed back up to me, though I had my doubts we’d ever be as close as we used to. She couldn’t quite forgive how much I had played into her son and brother’s lives.
I sucked in a deep breath as I looked at the sky. It was the color of pale lemon chiffon, and we would be getting rain later this afternoon. I had learned to read the signs of the clouds as well as any weather prognosticator.
“What about you?” Elan asked. “Do you miss your old life?”
I shrugged after a moment. “Sometimes. But the last raiding party said Seattle’s unrecognizable. It’s been months since we heard from anybody farther than Bend. Who knows what’s happening elsewhere. If Tigra manages to return from her trip, we’ll know more.”
Tigra and a group of scouts had taken off on a cross-country trip to assess what remained of our nation. Well, nation was a misnomer. Of civilization, rather. They had left a year ago, and we hoped to hear from them within the next year. Whenever I thought of her, I felt unsettled, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what she’d have to say.
Life now was peaceful, for the most part, with the occasional roust from a pack of lycanthropes or the like. Mostly, we lived our lives day to day, and every month or so, I was even able to kill an Abom that had wandered up this way from the World Tree. But the Greenlings had spread out through the forests, and they kept watch also.
A fat raindrop hit my nose. “We’d better get back. I have to talk to Hecate about the incoming class, and I think you’re due on guard duty in an hour or so.”
Elan picked up the basket of early watercress she had been gathering. “Yeah, it looks that way.”
But as we headed back to Willow Wood, I couldn’t help but feel that a force was out there, waiting and watching. And when it broke, I had the sense it would bring a storm such as we had never before seen. But for now, there was work to do, and Tam to love, and UnderBarrow to rule. And for now, that was enough.
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