The Aether

Nightmares of the Unseelie Court lingered in the back of my head once I awakened and prepared for the journey between realms.

Though it was true that the dark faeries of Rune weren’t as terrifying as the creatures of The Veil, it did not lessen my fear of them.

Sprites, imps, corsus, and weyrs didn’t haunt my dreams. The faeries who forced my family from our home did.

The fact that they exiled my family for wanting to unite with the Seelie Court worried me. My return would not be well received. I was from the Unseelie Court, and I was about to do the one thing they despised.

Kala stood watch outside of the tent as I scrubbed my face with a rag soaked in hot water. I still felt filthy, and the prospect of a warm bath made me even more eager to reach the palace as soon as possible.

I raked my fingers through golden tangles and pulled my hair into a knot at the back of my head. Dressed in the tunic and pants Queen Sorcha had given me, I pulled on my fur-lined cloak and boots and went out into the bitter cold.

Prince Ewan stood before my grandmother in her wolf form.

Her white fur rustled in the wind as she eyed him, unblinking, making him visibly uncomfortable.

He was as handsome as the night before, dressed warmly in heavy furs and leather. His hood was up; his long black hair pulled back. Still, wild strands flew free and crossed his face as he smirked at me.

“Morning, princess.” With his hand on the pommel of the sword at his side, he was the picture of a dashing knight, ready for battle.

My hands tingled. I yearned for a sword.

Amongst the many secret training my grandmother gave me during my imprisonment, the use of a sword was one of my favorites.

Queen Sorcha chose to fight with her wit and intellect. I, on the other hand, preferred a sharp blade.

“Morning,” I repeated, though it was still so dark one wouldn’t know the difference between day and night in this part of the world.

“Did you sleep well?”

“Yes,” I lied.

I’d barely slept at all. The nightmares of fairies with purple hair, and glittering eyes had kept me up most of the night. They’d threatened to destroy us if we ever returned, and here I was—returning.

“Lovely, let’s get a move on then, shall we? You only stand face to face with weyrs once in your life, right? Well, this would be my second time.”

Nervous, I accepted his hand and he tucked it into the small of his elbow and led me to the ship. The mention of weyrs caught me off guard.

“Do you truly think we will see any?”

“No, I was just fooling with you. I didn’t see any on my way across the first time. We’ll be fine.”

Something told me not to completely trust those words. I knew more than anyone that things rarely went the way you expected them to.

Kala had told me that the war probably wouldn’t last more than a year. I stopped hoping after five passed by without any word.

“Just keep your eyes and ears open, and stick with me. I won’t let anything happen to you,” he said, which calmed me, if only for a moment.

The frozen sea worried me. I’d seen it from the sky and knew that below the thick ice were dark depths that I didn’t care to explore. I held onto him, tightly and gingerly stepped across the slick ice. Each step was a risk, but we managed to make our way across the solid portion and to the ship.

Prince Ewan gave me a lift to climb the rope ladder that led up onto deck.

My eyes kept glancing down at the slush that gathered at the base of the ship and the dark water lapping at it.

“Celeste, my dear,” Queen Sorcha said, reaching out her hands toward me once I was safely on deck.

Her red hair was braided that morning, a stark contrast to her black hood.

“Come. I want to give you something.”

Prince Ewan fell into step beside me as we crossed the slick deck. The soldiers and ship crew prepared for our departure, shouting orders and pulling ropes for the sail. They scrubbed the deck of any remaining ice and barely gave me more than a second glance.

My eyes were cast toward the shimmering film stretched ahead of us. Every so often, you could see a flicker of light and the movement of the air like smoke or a mist rising from the sea. The Veil was mostly invisible, but it had a distinctive feel to it. The air grew tight as we crossed the boundary and entered the realm of the dead. Nothing changed, visually, but the pressure made my head feel as though it would explode.

I couldn’t see anything, but, I sensed eyes on me. The presence of a few forgotten—and perhaps curious—spirits lingering this close to the human realm made my skin crawl with dread.

Thank the Guardians I wasn’t given the power to see the spirits, or I would have kept my eyes closed and hoped for the best that we’d make it out alive.

Queen Sorcha sat on a bench and motioned for us to join her on either side.

I sat down and felt the cold on my bottom. Crossing my legs and wrapping my arms around myself, I caught a glimpse of seomthing right before me. I jumped. The tiny hairs inside my ears tickled me and the air grew thick.

“Did you see that?”

“I did. Just ignore it,” Queen Sorcha said. “All it wants is attention.”

Another flicker of light danced across my eyes and I coiled back as a translucent figure flashed before me. “What is it?”

“A pixie spirit. No need to worry. They are curious, but harmless,” she said.

Pursing my lips, I tried to ignore the constant attempts to get my attention as Queen Sorcha pulled two medallions from a pouch. It was small, with a heart shaped face and cold, black eyes and silver wings.

What’s your name?

I tensed when it’s faint voice permeated into my brain.

I can keep a secret. Tell me your name.

I shuddered.

“Here,” Queen Sorcha said, and I had to turn away from the spirit to get it to leave me alone. “This is your official Allandrian charms. Keep it with you at all times and you’ll be protected from any dark spirits or weyrs that might be lurking about.”

I snatched mine from her hand and pulled the chain over my head and around my neck.

Prince Ewan chuckled and pulled his from under his shirt. “I’ll be keeping mine on even when we are free of The Veil.”

My cheeks reddened. “Pardon my manners,” I mumbled. “Thank you.” I was just grateful to have something to ward off any evil.

She patted my hand and stood. “Of course, dear. Now, we should arrive in Allandria within a day or two.”

I lifted a brow. “It’s that close?”

“Indeed. But, Allandria is vast and covers much of faerie territory. You’ll soon see.”

She stood and cracked her delicate little knuckles.

Kala flew onto the ship in the form of an eagle and shifted back into her wolf-form before our eyes.

“To admit that I am terribly jealous of your abilities would be a bit of an understatement,” Queen Sorcha said.

Kala tilted her head upward. “It does have its advantages. Without my gift, I wouldn’t have survived the takeover of Mordigan by that fiend and her army.”

“Yes. You have been blessed, Dowager Queen,” Queen Sorcha said, nodding.

“One day, Celeste will have the ability to shift as well.”

The queen’s eyes shot to mine. Her brows furrowed. “You mean, she hasn’t been able to yet?”

“No. It will come, with time.”

“I see,” she said. “No matter. It’s in her blood. I made sure of that.”

Something in her eyes worried me as she looked me up and down.

I tensed and watched her walk away without another word.

“I hope I haven’t disappointed her,” I said to Kala.

“She will get over it,” she replied, and curled at my feet. “They can’t expect you to be everything at all times. You’re still just a girl.”

She was right. Sometimes even I forgot that. I was seventeen, and the fate of the world rested on my shoulders. It was a heavy weight for such a small girl.

Prince Ewan gave my shoulder a squeeze. “You’ll come to see that Queen Sorcha simply has high standards for everyone. Prince Stellan can attest to her eagerness for perfection.”

That name was familiar. Tucking a fallen strand behind my ear, I turned to him. “Who is Stellan?”

“Oh,” Prince Ewan said, rubbing his chin. “He’s her son.”

Son? My eyes widened. My old playmate.

How could I forget the fun we’d had as children? Queen Sorcha had brought him along when she’d visited my parents and I. Though she’d taken a sample of my blood, the shock of it was remedied by playing with the wild, fearless little red-haired boy.

“I remember him, now,” I said under my breath. “He always loved the lake behind my grandmother’s estate.”

He nodded. “Makes sense. He is the water element, after all.”