Quiet reigned. There was no sound of my heartbeat or my breathing. Cold seeped into my flesh and settled in my bones. It felt like the Ice Giants had returned and covered me in a river of frozen water.
Then a sweet fragrance swept over me.
Roses.
My sister was preparing me for my death.
Her tears fell as she covered me with rose petals. From time to time, she mumbled to herself, and I couldn’t distinguish her words. Not until she raised her voice, singing and praying.
‘Twas the banshee voice she was using and it trembled through my bones like fire.
“Ye shall not die, my sweet Eire. Nor shall your sons, Benen and Ambros. There shall be sleep and rest, until you be safe. This cave will be sheltered and protected by my own spell and none will be able to break it.”
A shower of rose petals fell upon me and I heard her wince. Then something fell upon my lips, thick and rich, carrying a coppery scent.
She had plucked herself with the rose thorns and her own blood had fallen upon my lips. She was using the Old Ways of the vampiric Leanan Sidhe. Even though we were not of that Clan, their blood magic was the strongest of all.
“My blood shall feed you, dear Eire. It shall sustain you, Benen and Ambros. I will raise up loyal Duine from an honorable house to serve you, for a millennium and more. As long as you sleep, they shall tend and feed you, and you will know them by the roses they bring as an offering. Their blood shall sustain you. You will not see their faces or know their names, but they will serve the great Queen Eire until that day when her strength returns. Kingdoms will rise and fall, but the kingdom of Eire will prevail. The moon may grow weary of her journey across the heavens, but the Duine house that serves you will never tire of their service to you. And on that final blessed day, dear sister, you and your sons shall awake. Your destiny shall continue. You will prevail against your enemies, my sister. You will survive.”
My heart was lifted.
“You will recognize your Guardians by the crest on their tunics, for they shall proudly wear a wreath of roses in your memory.”
But my sister had one more thing to add to her spell. Something that surprised me as much as her husband’s betrayal.
“You shall not awaken until the time of your true love has come.”
She had kept her oath to her husband. She never touched me and she left before the moon set over the mountains. I know because Faelan never returned to the cave, carrying his own children in his arms.
My sister protected both my House and hers.
I will miss her until the stars fall and the great and horrible Faery Cavalcade carries me away.