Chapter Twenty-One
I leaned against the wall for support, my eyes closed as I ran my hands slowly along the soft silk of the wedding dress I still wore. It was in tatters, ripped and coated in the blood of the innocents who had died today, along with Faolán’s. I’d taken off the heels, and now wore boots that were easier to maneuver in. My hair had been piled atop my head, giving an entirely new meaning to messy bun. It was still sticky with blood that had mixed with the glitter Madisyn had sprinkled in it for the wedding.
I hadn’t even stopped to wonder if she was okay, which probably made me the worst daughter in the world. I couldn’t. Focusing on the events of today would be debilitating if I allowed myself to do it, so it was best to try and focus on what was happening now. In light of everything that happened, I really wanted to sift into the Blood Kingdom and hold my babies while I cried for their father and what might be happening to him at this moment.
I hadn’t come this far to lose him, and I wouldn’t lose him, no matter what happened. I was going to get my guy back; I just had to figure out how. I opened my eyes to find Zahruk and Ristan watching me.
“I’m not going to start crying again,” I said with enough determination that I almost believed it.
“I know,” Zahruk replied casually, as if our world wasn’t sitting in the balance or in someone else’s hands at the moment. “You’re a fighter, we all know it. I have no doubt that you can lead us and get him back. I do, however, think you should retire that gown. It’s rather ruined.”
“Yeah, just give me a few and I’ll get right on that,” I sighed as I tried to close my eyes again, only to hear the shuffling of feet as Alden and Lucian made their entrance. I patiently waited as Alden cleared his throat, buying time as he considered what to say to me. I didn’t speak, just stared into the eyes of the man who had raised me. I knew he’d come, because this was the man who had raised me. No matter what happened, or how we had changed, he was my family.
I hadn’t sent word to him or asked him to come. I was just grateful he did, though. He had vast knowledge and understanding of the Guild, and that was priceless. I also had a feeling that helping us was something he needed to do to absolve himself of the guilt he felt for the part he played in the Guild’s plans so long ago, and possibly to try and help those that weren’t truly corrupted by the Mages, just being misled.
He exhaled and shook his head as he stared into my eyes. “It’s gone, isn’t it, kid?” he asked as he took a place against the wall beside me. “That last little shred of humanity you have been holding onto, it was stolen from you today. They took it from you, and the only way to get it back is to get him back, isn’t it?”
“I didn’t pick this fight. I don’t want them dead, but if that is what it takes to bring him back, so be it. I won’t lose him, Alden. I have given up enough of me to the Guild; they don’t get to do this to me or anyone else. Not anymore.”
“I know you didn’t, kid. It isn’t our Guild anymore; they’re playing by new rules now. They allowed evil within the ranks and we have to come to terms with that. Me more than you, but I’m here. I’m on your side. I have always been on your side, even when it didn’t seem like it. If they’ve woken the Original Witches, we have to assume the Mages have promised them something. There’s no way that they would help the Guild without expecting something in return, not when they know it played a huge part in taking them down. My guess is they’ve been promised more than just their freedom, and if they are still hell-bent on taking out the humans, we can’t allow that to happen.”
“Do you think they brought one of the Original Witches here, to Faery?” I asked.
“Who else would be able to take Ryder away from you on your wedding day, kid? He wouldn’t have been easy to grab. There was no sign of a struggle, so you tell me, who is strong enough to take the Horde King without a fight?”
“Honestly, I have no idea,” I groaned.
“Someone with enough power had to be brought here for that purpose,” Alden pressed.
“Why wouldn’t they just kill the Elders that woke them up outright? The Original Witches are powerful enough to; they’re Demi-Gods, like I was. Once they are out of stasis, why not just escape, why help them?”
“Because you have their sister, and the Elders probably told them as much. Look, I have no idea if the Elders woke one, several or all of the members of the coven that they had access to. I fear I may have spoken hastily about their connection, and what we assumed would happen, should one awaken. Not that it matters now, anyway. At the end of the day, the Elders turned those Witches against you as well as the Fae, so they took from you and Faery to get your attention.”
“I didn’t take their fucking sister,” I snapped. “I got slapped upside the head with that one. I sure as shit don’t want their sister, and I also don’t want them destroying the humans. I know they are low on the food chain lately, but that isn’t right. They don’t deserve to be punished for something that happened so long ago. These humans didn’t even have anything to do with it, much less know anything about it.”
“No, but they won’t see it like that. They’ve been in stasis, so for them, it was yesterday,” he countered. “And the Mages that are hiding within the ranks of the Guild don’t care about right or wrong or the body count; they only care about winning.”
“That’s brilliant when you think about it, the assholes. They have an enemy, so they wake up an enemy to attack their other enemy.”
“The enemy of my enemy is my friend.”
“Damn, why didn’t I think of that?” I whispered as I shook my head sadly.
“Back to your humanity, kid,” he said after a moment of silence. “I know you have a right to attack by force, and I understand why you would want to, but not all of them deserve to die. I’m not judging you if you decide to destroy them. I’m just asking you not to become the monster they think you are to get him back. Don’t let them take that sliver of humanity that’s left inside of you.”
“I didn’t lose it, it’s there. It just has to adapt to being in both worlds. I can’t abandon this one now, and I won’t. I won’t abandon that one either. We will fix the portals, and we will rebuild what we have lost, but not until I have him back. I won’t rest until he’s home.”
“Good; you’re going to need to keep a level head if you want to get him back,” he nodded as if he was satisfied with where my head was at.
Keir, Liam, Elijah, and Lasair approached solemnly. I waited with my breath stuck in my lungs as they looked at me. Lasair bowed almost imperceptibly, and inclined his head towards me.
“We’re in, Synthia. You are the key to this world, and without you, it will die faster than it already is. So, we’re in. I will send Liam and the Crimson Guard, and Keir will send his son, Adam, who will bring the Light Knights, as well as the Shadow Warriors. We found out this morning about a mess in the Light Kingdom that Princess Shea left behind. Evidently, she left her stewardship of the Light Kingdom a few weeks ago without warning or word. Adam had agreed to take over stewardship of the Light Kingdom after the wedding; however, the events of today have made alterations to our original plan for now.” Lasair swallowed; his solemn eyes didn’t condemn me, or judge.
“I guess Adam better get busy finding the real Light Heir then,” I mused. My eyes slowly found Adam where he stood, ramrod straight at my words. “But that’s a subject for another day. Right now, we have a bigger problem.”
“Synthia,” Zahruk interrupted. “There are a few leaders of the Horde outside the gates, waiting; they have demanded to speak to the…” He looked at Ristan in askance as the Demon grinned back at him, anticipating my reaction to what Zahruk was going to say next. “…pretender to the throne.”
“Then let’s not keep them,” I said as I glamoured on black leather pants, and a black corset that had daggers of every length inserted into clever sheaths that were reinforced along the boning of the corset. I also glamoured on a slender sword at each hip. The boots were the finishing touch, black to match my outfit, and comfortable enough to move in. Several times a week, Ryder and I had been sneaking away and practicing for this type of situation. Not that he ever dreamed that he would be taken, but he wanted to ensure that if, for any reason, I had to personally fight to get the respect of the Horde, I would be prepared. As for the blood that had been spattered in my hair and on my face, I didn’t bother to glamour it clean. I wanted these assholes to see it and hopefully understand that I wasn’t someone that they should underestimate.
“I’m ready,” I confirmed, and palmed my daggers as Zahruk and Ristan took their positions at my flank, just as they would have done for Ryder. The others fell in behind the captain of the Elite Guard and the Demon, and walked purposefully with us as we made our way through the castle. We walked because I needed the time to prepare mentally, and they knew it. It was also an important show of force and solidarity. The staff stopped and turned, watching as we made our way to the main gates. The four groups of warriors fell into step as we passed them in the hall. Elijah even signaled for the misfits to join us. Together, we walked towards the uncertainty of what awaited us.
There was no way of knowing if this was merely a challenge of my leadership, or if they’d try to overthrow us. It was the Horde—the deadliest, vilest creatures known to this world, as well as Tèrra. They were unpredictable at best and understood two things: power and death. Ryder had been dealing with small uprisings before this shit had happened, and now I had to figure out how to prove to them that I was worthy of sitting on his throne in his absence. I had to prove that I was powerful enough to keep them in check—and strong enough to punish them if they stepped out of line.
“Show no fear,” Zahruk whispered.
“Don’t let them talk over you, Flower. Don’t break eye contact first, no matter what they do. Head up, shoulders back, and show those fangs you’ve been hiding.”
“I plan to.”