Chapter Three

 

 

 

 

Dylan

 

The ceremony had gone off without a hitch. It’d been to officially announce that I was now the sole ruler of the Scren Palace, a fact which stung, but there were laws to adhere to in Faerie. One law stated that I must now find a new queen for the Southern Realm of Faerie. My firstborn daughter was officially the heir of the palace, but she was too young to rule. If anything happened to me, a new wife would be the interim ruler until my daughter was of age.

I didn’t want or need a new wife. The ache of fiery pain still tingled at the site of the molten metal on my hand and forearm, a constant reminder of what I had lost.

Trying to change my train of thought, I mingled with my people. They were gracious, bowing and curtsying as I passed. In the crowded room, I felt more alone than I ever had before. My twins were sleeping and had avoided coming to the ceremony. I envied them with every bone in my body.

“Dylan,” a familiar voice called out to me, and I turned to find Ilarial, the oracle from the Guildrin Court. My mood immediately elevated at seeing her. She always was such a great help to Shade and me in our times of need. There was nothing she wouldn’t have done to keep Shade safe. Now, without my wife around, she seemed as lost as I felt.

“Ilarial. It’s so good to see you.” I reached out to hug her. She let me, though she didn’t usually hug many people. Holding her at arm’s length, I beamed. “What brings you to the Scren?”

“I wanted to see how you were holding up. And I’d hoped to catch a glimpse of your beautiful children.”

“Well, they missed the party tonight. Sleeping beauties, you know? How long are you staying? I’m sure they’ll be wide awake come morning.”

“I’m staying a few days. I wanted to speak to you about Soap. Any changes?”

My smile dropped. I understood her concern, but frankly, Soap was the last thing I wanted to talk about. I shook my head. “There’s been no change. Apparently, Kilara’s curse is solid. I haven’t found any faeries able to break his sleeping spell.”

“Does Shade know what state he’s in?”

“Of course. She swore she would search for a cure, but I don’t know how much I can depend on her now.”

“I see.” Ilarial looked tired, as though this very problem had kept her awake for days. “Shade is not herself, you know.”

“Yes, I know, but it’s still hard to accept.”

She placed a pale, thin hand on my shoulder, giving me an empathetic smile. “I understand. She’s an Ancient now, and that comes with its own struggles. She’s had to adjust to many things as well. Every memory of her ancestor is going to torment her until she wrangles it under control. Kilara was alive for many centuries. It’s going to take everything Shade has to come out on top. Give her some time; she’ll come around.”

“How do you know that?” I shook off her hand, anger bubbling up inside me. I tried to hold it, but it was too much. “She left us. She left her children! Her own flesh and blood. What sort of a mother does that?”

“She’s not just any sort of mother. She’s an Ancient.”

“I don’t care what she is. The old Shade would have never done such a thing. She is dead to me now.”

“She’s still in there, Dylan. She’s fighting to surface, I promise you. I can sense her struggle. I see it, and I can feel it.”

“Well, I can’t feel or see her anymore. She made sure of that.” I held up the metal gauntlet on my left arm, the constant reminder that Shade was gone. I no longer felt her heartbeat within me like before. I couldn’t tell if she was happy, sad, angry, or lonely. I couldn’t feel her at all, and I was willing to bet she couldn’t feel Soap or me either.

“Dylan—”

I held up a hand. “I can’t listen to any more about Shade. If you have anything to talk about besides her, please do so. I can’t do this anymore. It’s time to move on.”

Her sadness penetrated into my heart like icicles. I tried to shake it off.

“I understand,” she said. “Truly. I’m here to offer any assistance you need. The Guildrin Court is doing well at the moment, and I have not had much to do. I can stay on here for a while, help train the twins with their magic if need be. They’ll start showing within a year but need to feel comfortable around it. I’m sure they’re fine right now, but it’ll start to affect them soon.”

I nodded. “Thank you. I appreciate that. I think that’ll be a great help. Thanks for thinking of them. That hadn’t crossed my mind yet.”

She nodded, a kind smile gracing her face once more. Ilarial was an important ally, and I felt awful that I had snapped at her.

“You’re welcome, Dylan. I’m here if you need to talk about anything. I’m truly looking forward to being with the twins. I feel that they possess much more than anyone will ever expect.”

Again, I tipped my head her way as she excused herself and disappeared, the crowd folding around her. I felt reassured after her encounter. She had a way of calming people if they were feeling anxious. Shade used to call her walking Xanax. I could see what she meant. Had she just used some of her potent magic on me? I felt looser and even happier for the first time in months.

I was betting she had. Maybe it was exactly what she had come for. I sighed, momentarily relieved of my burden of disappointment, sadness, and loneliness. Grinning sheepishly, as though tipsy on honey wine, I wove through the crowd, happy to chat with anyone who greeted me. I noted their names, their stories, their faces. I wanted to know everyone in the court. Life was dismal, and these people were now my only remedy against the untamed elements out in Faerie. Together we would stand against the world, and something told me that one day, I was going to need them more than anything.

Their warm hearts were what I needed now.