The next evening was the Solstice Celebration, so we’d invited Liam to our room that afternoon and asked him what we should expect to see. Garrett and I were on the couch and Liam sat in the comfortable armchair across from us, dressed in his usual tunic and dark pants, smiling mischievously. It always amazed me that my fifteen-hundred-year old friend still looked to be no more than twenty, with his golden blonde hair gleaming and hanging down around his shoulders and his violet eyes sparkling with excitement as he described the evening’s events.
And yes, I did think of him as a friend, and not only my teacher or the friend of my mate. When he'd offered me his blade before the duel, he'd saved my life and endangered his own. We’d talked for hours on end about what it meant to be healers who had to fight against our own natures in order to kill, a quirk of our DNA that no one else shared or understood. Liam had become as important to me as the rest of my team of rogues.
“At the ceremony there are the usual rituals, delicious food and wine, a huge bonfire, lively dancing and singing. Sex is customary, but optional. It’s all delightfully hedonistic.” He smiled playfully watching for my reaction. Of course, my face heated up in its usual embarrassed blush. I kicked myself mentally.
“It sounds perfect,” said Garrett in his sultry way, kissing me on the cheek and looking a little wound up.
“You hedonist,” I teased.
“Vampire in love,” he teased back, pointing to his chest and warming my heart with his words.
Liam smiled as he continued. “The men wear something yellow or gold as a tribute to the sun, the women something green or blue as a tribute to the earth. I’ll have items brought over for you to choose from. The celebration is held over a three-day period, but tonight is the main event. You should be prepared for just about anything.” His large violet eyes turned serious as he looked at me directly. “It’s important that you bring Samson. Kennet will attend and he is in a dangerous mood.”
“I’m sure we can handle Kennet,” I shrugged, not sure at all but hating to seem weak, even around Liam.
He shook his head in irritation. “Perhaps you think of my race as beautiful and gentle, but we are also cruel and terrifying, as bloodthirsty as any vampire. We carry within us the ancient Wild Magicks. Here we are Seelie but our brothers in magic are banshee, goblin, selkie, slaugh, elf, kelpie and so many more. We are Seelie and Unseelie, born of one Mother, although many would deny it.”
Liam’s eyes suddenly shone black with dark magic. His teeth sharpened to fine points and saliva dripped down his sharpened chin. His body grew bulkier and glowed with a dark power that sent waves of ice-cold energy spearing through my chest, making the hair stand up on my arms. His hands turned to ugly stumps with sharp claws. Scales covered his visible skin. As the air in the room cooled, my body temperature began to drop dramatically.
A moment later the transformation reversed and Liam was himself again. I must have looked frightened. “I’m sorry, Jacqueline, but you always seem to need a practical demonstration before you believe what I tell you.” He smiled a little sheepishly. “Be aware, Kennet is dangerous.”
I looked from Liam to Garrett, who was doing his best not to break out laughing, and back again to Liam. “What the fuck, Liam! I almost wet myself.”
That did it. They both howled with laughter, Garrett so hard he almost fell off the couch. I scowled at them and walked over to where Samson was sprawled on the floor. “You’re supposed to protect me from these assholes, Samson. Go and bite them.” Instead, he rolled over onto his back, tongue lolling out, just begging for a belly scratch. “You’re a big help. You guys always stick together.” I sat down on the floor next to my canine traitor, leaned against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest.
“I will see you later.” Liam ducked out the door before I could yell at him again, leaving Garrett to bear the brunt. I glared daggers at my mate, who was rolling off the couch like a lizard and crawling toward me in supplication.
“I'm on my hands and knees begging for your forgiveness.” He moved with his usual animal grace, successfully distracting me—all part of his evil plan.
“Won't work.” I was forced to bite my lip to keep my mouth from twitching into a smile.
He laid his head in my lap so I’d have a good view of his handsome face. “You can hit me if you want.” His sapphire eyes glittered with mischief, a pink tear still shining at the corner of his left eye.
So he'd laughed so hard he'd cried, huh? I scowled. “It's tempting, but it wouldn’t hurt you and you’d probably just get turned on. But let me tell you something, Mr. Cuvier, you’re not getting any tonight..”
He laughed again. “Tonight we’ll be under a Faerie spell.”
“Go feed from one of your pretty donors. I’m taking a shower.” I pushed his head roughly out of my lap and stalked off to the bathroom, hearing the sound of his laughter behind me.
The shower cooled down my temper, so by the time Farrell showed up to lead us to the ceremony, we trod the curved, flower-laden path hand in hand. It would only take a kiss for my resolve to shatter, so what was the point? Samson trotted happily behind us, stopping to sniff at trees and bark at creatures only he could see.
As Liam had described, all the fae that passed us on the way to the field were wearing something yellow or orange, green or blue. I had chosen a lovely turquoise flower which I wore in my blonde hair. The rest of my outfit consisted of my usual low rise jeans, a slinky sleeveless v-necked top, and sandals. Garrett wore a tan shirt, a rust colored vest that gave him an old world look, and jeans.
The path ended at an open field. A magical fire burned in the center, colored with streaks of faerie gold, rose red, the violet of fae eyes, and the teal of pixie wings. Sloping up from the field were rich green hills with multiple flat plateaus, where hundreds of fae gathered together to watch the proceedings in the clearing below. The four Fae Elders were seated in the ceremonial clearing along with a young-looking male and female fae. Those two were scantily clad and wearing wreaths of summer flowers. The male elders wore long saffron robes, their hair hanging loosely around their shoulders. The two female elders were dressed in similar robes in a rich blue shade, also with their hair unbound.
Farrell led us up a lush green sloping path, which ended at a lovely area fragrant with the scent of fresh herbs and flowers. Tables were laden with food and hand carved chairs were set out in a variety of arrangements so small groups could sit together and talk. Standing off to the left were Aedus and Lady Silvus, so Garrett and I made our way in that direction. They greeted us formally at first, then warmly invited us to sit where we could have a good view of the proceedings.
Liam strolled over to where we were sitting, squatted beside me and spoke softly. “Miss Jacqueline,” he teased. “I humbly ask you to accept my apology. I regret the way I behaved this afternoon. Please forgive me.”
He looked contrite and adorable so I sighed and gave him my hand like a medieval queen. “I accept your apology.” He kissed it gently and Garrett choked out a laugh. Liam’s eyes were sparkling with humor. “Please, no more demonstrations of what a badass you are.”
“As long as you take my advice seriously.” He shrugged. “My intention was not to frighten you.”
I pointed toward Samson who sat at attention near my feet, surveying the crowd. “Happy?”
“Your continued safety makes me happy.”
“Thank you, Liam. I know I’m a pain in the ass sometimes.”
“I won’t disagree with you.” I looked around for something to throw at him but instead had to settle for a glare. He smiled and twisted toward Garrett. “I’ll translate for you both tonight. Connect and I will speak to you at the same time. Also I strongly recommend you hold on to each other tightly. It can be rather overwhelming the first time.”
“Of course, thank you Liam.” Garrett was still laughing over Liam’s apology. He scooted his chair next to mine and wrapped his long arm over my shoulder while I leaned against him. I was nervous. I should have asked for a little more information about what this celebration entailed. Overwhelming? Was that in a good way?
The light in the field and on the individual plateaus began to dim as if the sun were setting quickly. A few scattered fae lights sprang to life around the perimeter, but other than the bonfire, most of the area was in darkness. A warm pinkish glow came to life on the central platform, spotlighting the young couple and the elders. The gathered fae grew very quiet, all their attentions drawn toward the central stage.
The four Council Elders rose and began to sing in a language alien to me, yet exquisitely beautiful to the ear. The song’s rhythms and melodies constantly changed—becoming musical dances with harmonies so perfect they made me yearn to move closer to the singers so I could catch every nuance. The elders swayed to the song and lifted their hands in invocation. I was entranced.
“The song is about life energy renewing itself each year. We believe in the Balance in all things. These three days represent the peak of life energy before nature begins its first steps toward a symbolic death at the winter solstice. The song that the elders sing calls up our ancient vision of the sun. The sun represents the male aspect of nature’s balance.”
The feel of the energy in my chest and the smell of the magic being tossed around the clearing were so strong I was afraid to take a deep breath. “Is it all right for me to be breathing in all of this potent magic, Liam?”
“You should be fine.”
“But this is more intense than anything...” An amazing vibration hummed and pulsed steadily throughout my body, even my toes buzzed with energy.
“Relax and enjoy it. You may never have another chance. It’s a unique experience.” A lovely redheaded female fae slipped next to Liam, giving him a sweet kiss on the cheek in greeting. He took her hand with a warm smile as Garrett held me a little tighter.
The expressive singing stopped when the sun’s avatar appeared above the bonfire. It pulsed with the rhythm of the ley lines and sent out three strong rays. One fell on the young man sitting on the platform, making him stand up gracefully and begin his own lovely song. After a few minutes another ray fell on the two male Elders and the third ray split into many pieces and lit up each fae male. They all joined the young man in his song. Their song was as beautiful as the first, dipping and rising and making me tremble with sorrow. I felt Garrett hug me even tighter so I turned, surprised to see that he was also bathed in yellow light. A single pink tear trickled down his cheek so I squeezed his hand and gently kissed it away.
“The men sing of their search. They search for balance and purpose.” Liam continued. “They call to the earth to help them. The earth represents the female aspect.” I noticed that Liam and his female friend were glowing slightly. In fact, the entire area was full of couples holding hands and shining as the males sang.
I gasped as a vibrant green and blue earth appeared to spin beside the sun and the male voices died away. The earth sent out blue/green waves of magic to touch the young woman on the platform, causing her to stand and sing, the sound of her voice creating its own magic. A few minutes passed as her song hypnotized us all and then wave after wave of blue/green magic was sent out to the two female Elders and to every female in the crowd, including me. I felt the energy enter my body in a rush of power and warm me from head to toe with a glowing urgency. The women joined the song.
“The women sing of their need to create balance and their search for a companion to help them achieve it.” At first, the music brought great sadness, because I was lost and empty. Then the men joined the women in song and the effect was astonishing. Multi colored magic was flowing through my mind and my body at a speed I’d never experienced. I clung to Garrett as our physical forms dissolved and together we became the currents and eddies of the ley lines. Our souls burned with fire and ice, pleasure and pain, the light and the dark, birth and death. Garrett and I were delivered into the magic along with countless fae: all of us searching alone then blending together to form a union with the earth and the sun. Somewhere in my head I saw the two avatars over the bonfire joining to become something else—something glorious in its simplicity. Something so right, it made my heart melt with joy.
I felt my true body’s senses slowly returning and then Garrett was kissing me and I was kissing him back. We were on my cliff with the multi-hued power crashing down below us against the rocky shore and we were lost in passion. I couldn’t tell if this was happening only in our minds or if we were really making love on the grass on that hill above the bonfire. I didn’t care. I was on fire and his touch cooled me with icy pleasure. He filled me with his powerful magic and I created the Balance, finally releasing it back to the earth and the sun and the universe.
At the end I seemed to be floating for a few moments, or maybe a few hours. When I opened my eyes, everything was exactly as it had been. The fae were all standing in couples: singing and glowing. Garrett and I were still holding each other, dressed and not disheveled in the least. Liam was still holding hands with the pretty fae female. Their eyes had morphed to a solid gold, but other than that he looked the same.
“I think we might have had an out of body experience,” I whispered mentally.
“My body was very much involved in what just happened. It was beyond all words.”
I definitely had to agree. “Beyond all words pretty much sums it up.” We laughed softly so as not to disturb anyone else’s hot dream date and spent the next few minutes curled around each other enjoying the incredible music and the euphoric afterglow of magical sex in Faerie.
When the singing stopped, I noticed that most of the fae pairs had started drifting away, probably to pick up where their visions had left off. I was happy to see Liam and his sweet redhead were gone, too. The images of the sun and the earth had disappeared, but the bonfire was stronger and more colorful than ever. A multitude of flowers, berry laden bushes and fruit trees had sprouted from the meadow’s soil during the ceremony. I thought I could see creatures crouching or peeking out from behind some of them: gnomes, sprites, dwarfs? I shook my head and they were gone.
I was experiencing some side effects as a result of taking in so much fae magic. My body buzzed with the power that I’d breathed into my lungs and soaked into my pores while traveling inside the lines. I mused that I'd become a magical generator that could keep a family warm all winter, or a battery to jumpstart a car. I sent Garrett a picture of myself attached to a car radiator on a snowy day and he had to cover his mouth to keep from exploding in laughter.
When things got back to normal, or as close as a Fae Midsummer Solstice Ceremony can be to normal, I was corralled by several fae and asked lots of questions. The fae were very interested in how we liked the ceremony and when we might be coming back. Lady Erin sat with me and told some funny stories about Liam, who still hadn't returned, and Lord Caelen graciously invited us to join them for the fall festival in September. Garrett and I looked at each other and said we’d let him know.
Aedus handed Garrett an envelope containing all the information they had accumulated regarding the disappearance of Brina, Kaera's missing sister. While they spoke quietly together I walked to the far edge of the plateau and sat in a chair watching the different families and clans interact and enjoy the night. The lights had come up again so my view of the various gatherings was very good.
I was sad to see that there were no children. There were fae that seemed younger, like Farrell and the couple who had been on the platform and were probably off somewhere very private right now. But there were no little ones. What had Liam said? The last time a child was born was seventy-five human years ago?
Although practically immortal, no children meant no real future for the fae: a great loss for them all. The ceremony suddenly took on more meaning, because creating balance and the renewal of life energy was all tied in to the birth of a child. If a child or two were the result of tonight’s ceremony, then all of Faerie would truly celebrate.
Samson, my furry shadow, lifted his head off his paws and growled. I looked down the hill and there on the platform was Kennet. He was speaking to Lady Jorrenn, but he must have felt my eyes on him because he slowly turned and looked for me on the hill. Our gazes locked together causing an icy sweat to form along my hairline. A cold jab pushed me out of my chair and had me teetering for a second on the edge of the plateau. I slammed up my wall while Samson snatched at the leg of my jeans to pull me away from the steep drop.
Once I was steady on my feet and out of danger, Samson growled more fiercely, his fangs dripping with saliva and his eyes actually tinting with red. Kennet sneered and mouthed, “Soon”. The malice in his expression had me backing away, feeling nauseous and afraid that I might lose my meal.
Garrett appeared and nudged me behind him. He hissed at Kennet, his fangs out and his eyes instantly turning a solid silver. Kennet laughed out loud and turned to walk away, but Liam was suddenly in front of him, his enchanted blade at the seelie lord’s throat. He snarled something in fae, then Kennet shouted back angrily. They were staring each other down when Lady Jorrenn snapped at them furiously, forcing Liam to sheath his blade. Taking one last glance in my direction, Kennet smirked and walked away.
I was shaken, but with Kennet gone, the rest of the night’s festivities continued without another disturbance. Garrett encouraged me to try out some of the fae dances, the delightful music making me light on my feet. I ate my fill of delicious food, and both Garrett and I probably drank a little too much wine. It must have been nearly dawn when we finally crawled into bed and drifted off to sleep.