My Soul to Take (10 page)

Unfortunately, this only served to awaken my wolf and lioness, who both took offense to the dragon's behavior. I jerked in Arach's arms as claws struck inside me and my three beasts rolled together in a psychic battle which nonetheless felt very real. I felt a trickle of blood escape my lips, dripping down my chin. So maybe it was more physical than I'd thought.

“Vervain!” Arach's voice boomed in my ears.

“Mother!” Vidar shouted, something he rarely does.

“Mom?” Vali's voice dropped into terror territory. “What's wrong with her?”

And Dexter started howling again.

“Godhunter!” Another voice boomed even louder than the rest, this one filled with thunder. “Remember when you first claimed your lioness. Remember how you brought yourself back. Tame the beast with your humanity!”

My humanity? How much of that did I even have anymore? I had once hated the thought of killing animals but now, through my lioness, I knew that it was a natural thing. A cycle of life and death. I once believed that no one had the right to rule another but now, through my wolf, I saw the strength of a pack. I once despised torture but now, through my dragon, I knew that it was sometimes necessary. I had even come dangerously close to tasting human flesh. So where was my humanity?

I screamed as all of my beasts tore into me and into each other. My children screamed with me and it was the most terrible sound I'd ever heard; the agony of infants who sensed the pain of their mother. Even in my agony, they were paramount. I tried to hold back my screams so I wouldn't frighten them further.

Then a tiny hand touched my face.

Sound was abruptly muffled, like I'd been dropped into a lake. It all faded away to silence. Then I saw the flash of another beast; one with gold spots and creamy white fur. Somber eyes of soft brown regarded me. It was my nahual and she was in her original form, the way she'd looked before she joined my beasts together. But she was gone, left in Alfheim with the piece of my mother's fey essence which had lingered inside the magical jaguar.

The nahual roared and the sound shattered her own image. As the pieces of her scattered through my mind, I saw the altar again and felt the pain of sacrificing the last piece I had of my faerie mother. Why was Brevyn showing me this? What did that altar have to do with my beasts? But then I realized that just the single image of my jaguar had been startling enough to settle the animals inside me. They remembered her, remembered what she had done for us and the reason she had done it. We were one being and they needed to start acting like it again.

I inhaled sharply and found myself staring straight into Brevyn's eyes. They were so blue. They reminded me of Vidar when he was a baby. Vidar's eyes darkened as he got older but as an infant, they had looked just like Brevyn's... and they had stared at me in much the same way. Then Brevyn blinked and the intensity left his face. He was just a baby once more. He gurgled happily and waved a baby fist in the air.

Suddenly sound returned and I realized that Arach was still shouting and Dexter still howling. I looked up at my husband and he went quiet, his whole body shuddering as he laid his forehead to mine. Dexter whimpered and I heard a murmur of relief spread through the hall. Vali and Vidar laid relieved hands on my shoulders.

“Damn all the gods, Vervain,” Arach growled as he pulled away to look me over. He wiped the blood from my face and absently licked his fingers. “What was that?”

Oddly enough, the twins were perfectly calm now. Brevyn had actually fallen asleep. I looked down to them and Arach took a deep breath, calmed himself, and took Rian over to one of the overturned cribs. He righted the crib and Thor helped him replace the bedding so Arach could lay Rian down. Kaitlin had already set Brevyn's cradle up by the time Arach came back for him.

“I'll watch them,” Kaitlin said to Arach as he laid Brevyn into the cradle. “Go and see to Vervain.”

He nodded crisply and returned to me, crouching by my throne as the entire room focused their concern on us. My grown sons hadn't moved, they continued to grip my shoulders, one on each side of me, and stare down at me gravely. I gave them each a reassuring pat, and one to Dexter, before I looked out towards my faeries.

“I'm fine everyone,” I tried for a laugh but it came out more like a hiccup. “Just a small issue with my inner animals. I'm okay now, I assure you.”

The fire fey just stared at me balefully.

“Lighten up!” I called to them. “I'm your queen and we fire fey are bad asses, right? I can take a little internal scrapping.”

The fey cheered and the heavy feeling lifted. They went back to celebrating. But Arach continued to stare at me and my sons continued to stand at my back.

“It's because of your star?” Arach asked.

“Yes,” I whispered.

“We need to fix that.”

“Already noted.”

“Did my suggestion help at all?” Thor came up behind Arach.

“Not really,” I gave him an apologetic look. “But thank you for trying. It was a good suggestion.”

“Then what stopped them?” Arach asked.

“Brevyn,” I sent our son an amazed look. “He showed me another vision, though I don't know what it means.”

“Of the future?” Vali asked.

“No,” I frowned. “This one was of the past. He showed me my nahual.”

“The jaguar that held a piece of Aednat's essence?” Arach blinked in shock.

“Yes,” I nodded, “and he showed me the altar in Alfheim, where I released her.”

“How did that calm your animals?” Thor crouched down beside Arach.

“They used to be united under my nahual,” I shrugged. “They saw the vision too and it calmed them.”

“How did he know that would work?” Arach mused.

“I don't think he did,” I considered it all. “I think it was just his magic working, drawing out what I needed to see, just like the last time.”

“Perhaps,” Thor agreed and stood. He looked over at Brevyn thoughtfully. “I think we should speak to Odin about this.”

“I agree,” Vidar said simply.

“Not just Odin,” I sighed. “I think all of my men need to know what's going on.”

“Not about you, Vervain,” Thor corrected. “Though I do think your husbands should be told of your issue as well. I think Odin needs to be consulted about Brevyn's magic... and perhaps Trevor could help too.”

“Why is that?” Arach sent Thor a haughty look.

“Odin is very familiar with the occult, all aspects of it, from human to god and even a little faerie,” Thor explained.

“And Trevor is Froekn, they tend to be psychic,” Vali added.

I gaped up at Vali. How had I forgotten that about Trevor? We once had a huge fight because he was having dreams of a man who kept telling Trevor that I had been his (the man's) first. Trevor had thought it was Thor, the shadowy figure in his dreams had reminded him of my ex-boyfriend. But it had actually been Odin. Odin did indeed have me first, in another life, when I was Sabine. So Trevor's dream had been pretty spot on. But did he know anything about waking visions?

“There's always Rain,” Vidar offered a much better source of psychic information.

“Rain,” Thor nodded. “Yes, of course.”

“Rain?” Arach was getting seriously annoyed.

“Rain is the singer from Dark Horses
,
remember?” I asked Arach. “They performed for us that New Years when the time aligned between the realms.”

“The horse shifter?”

“That's him,” I nodded. “He's psychic, very psychic.”

“Irritatingly so,” Vali agreed.

“Fine, ask the Rain,” Arach huffed. “But I intend on seeking counsel here in Faerie.”

“What does that mean?” I asked warily.

“The gods aren't the only ones with psychics,” Arach said smugly.

“No,” I whispered.

“Yes.”

“I'm not going,” I crossed my arms.

“She'll have to see you in order to read you,” Arach reasoned.

“Nope, don't care,” I said stubbornly.

“What are you two talking about?” Thor glowered at us.

“It's not so enjoyable, is it?” Arach smirked at my ex. “Being out of the noose.”

Thor's jaw dropped in horror and confusion.

“Loop, dear,” I said to Arach. “Out of the
loop
.”

“Oh,” Arach considered it. “Yes, I suppose it wouldn't be fun at all to be the one within the noose.”

“No. Neither would it be fun to be the one speaking to a bean-nighe,” I grimaced.

“A bean-nighe?” Thor's face cleared. “The washer women?”

“They are also very psychic,” Arach nodded smugly. “One has helped us before.”

“No, she didn't,” I scowled. “She gave us a warning that we didn't need.”

“She was trying to help,” Arach said generously.

“We already knew the water element was unbalanced,” I huffed. “Even Faerie didn't think she helped all that much.”

Don't bring me into this.

“Oh there you are,” I grumbled. “Where were you when my inner menagerie was pulling a mutiny? Mutinying... mutinous... they were kicking my patootie.”

I couldn't help you,
she actually sounded upset.
But the bean-nighe might. You should go and see her.

“Wait a minute,” I sat up straight. “
You
can see into the future! Why do I have to go see a slimy bean-nighe when you could just tell me?”

The fire fey snickered.

“I'm sorry,” I held up my hands to the fey. “Do not repeat what I just said about the water fey.” More snickers. “I mean it!” They shut up. “Now, again I ask; why, Faerie?”

Silence.

“OMG, you don't know, do you?” I gasped.

Nothing.

“Faerie!”

No! Okay?
She shouted petulantly.
Ever since you broke your stupid star and your children broke their souls apart, your future has been murky. Neither I nor Alaric can see much. We get hazy images every now and then, that's it.

“I thought it was just Brevyn and Rian's future that had gone AWOL,” I whispered.

Nope.

“Damn,” I kept whispering.

Yes, damn. So maybe go and see if the bean-nighe can tell you something. Go and see that sexy horse-shifter too, while you're at it. Go and see every psychic you can find because your path has been washed away, Vervain. Your footsteps are gone, your breadcrumbs eaten by evil little birdies, your-

“Yes, I get it, thank you,” I huffed. “And my path is hardly gone, the Fates just took a look at it. I have three paths now, thank you very much. Maybe that's why you're having trouble.”

What?! And you didn't think this was something worth mentioning?

“I just did,” I smirked.

Before
, something mentioning
before
. Like when I was freaking the bleep out.

“Bleep?” I laughed.

There are children to consider,
she huffed.
I heard the Hunter episode.

“But they can't hear
you
,” I whispered dramatically.

Yes they can,
she dramatically whispered back.

“Oh,” I shut up.

Parenting lesson number one, Godhunter,
I could hear the smirk in her voice.
Children are always listening, especially when you think they're not.

“Sounds like someone else I know,” I muttered.

I heard that!

“And you've just made my spike,” I chuckled. “I mean point, you've just made my point.”

Arach rolled his eyes.

Vervain Lavine! What did the Fates say?

“Oh, nothing really,” I sighed. “They said my threads were frayed or something. I don't really remember.”

You don't remember?

“Well a lot has happened since then,” I huffed. “Mainly, they wanted to help me. They strengthened me, gave me more wisdom, and cut away some obstacles.”

When does the wisdom kick in?

“Shush!” I snapped at her.

And that's it?

“I'm sure they would have told me something if they could have,” I shrugged.

Well, at least we learned one thing.

“What's that?” Arach asked.

Psychics can see what I cannot.

“I bet that really burns your butt,” I giggled.

I do not have a butt.

“Uh-huh.”

But if I did, it might be smarting a bit.

“I'm still not going to see the bean-nighe,” I stated firmly.

“Vervain!” Arach growled as Faerie simultaneously groaned in my head.

So we went to see the bean-nighe.

I grumbled the whole way there, like a child. I wasn't a big fan of psychics to begin with. Their predictions usually got me into trouble and I've been known to cut off prophecies mid-proph. But Arach was insisting and Arach had the persistence of a dragon and a king. Which is to say that he was absolutely unbearable until he got what he wanted.

So we had mirrored King Guirmean, who was in the midst of preparations for his wedding but who still insisted we visit at our earliest convenience... despite my protests. It turned out that he wanted some wedding advice. So not only did we get to speak to a slimy bean-nighe, we got to give awkward suggestions about matrimony to the Water King.

Why awkward? Well, my marriage to Arach had been a little unconventional. I had been under Arach's forgetting spell at the time and had fallen in love with him under false pretenses. Arach has since offered to have another ceremony for us, since he now feels horrible about deceiving me. But I refused. Our marriage had become real and our wedding, despite being manipulative, had been heart-wrenchingly romantic and officiated by the High King himself. I saw no need to repeat it.

Frankly, nothing could top Arach dropping to his knees and proclaiming that all he had to live for now was me and my love, that he would forever be mine if I would have him. I sighed every time I thought about it and not once has the fact that I was under a forgetting spell at the time ever dampened my memories. Arach had done what he thought was necessary for his people and he'd wound up falling for me in the process. How could I hold a grudge over that? Ours was a dark romance but it was romance nonetheless.

Still, that didn't exactly make us the poster children for wedding advice.

“Stop pouting,” Arach slid me an amused glance. “We're almost there and I don't have time to pleasure that pout from your face.”

“There's always time for pout-removing pleasure,” I slid him a smile.

“Not the way I do it,” he chuckled. “That's better,” he took my hand. “You don't want Guirmean to see you looking like an impudent little urchin.”

“Not even an impudent little
sea
urchin?”

“That's not humorous,” his lips twitched.

“Because he's the Water King,” I nudged him. “The King of the Faerie Sea... and you said urchin. It
is
funny.”

“Now you've taken it too far and it's definitely not comedic,” he sighed.

“Sometimes you remind me of Odin,” I huffed. “And not the new, improved, back-from-the-Void, slightly-affected-by-Griffin Odin. You're like the stuffy Allfather Odin that has to lecture people to feel important.”

“Take that back,” he glared at me.

“Nope.”

“Vervain!”

“Nuh-uh. No takebacksies with the truth.”

“And now
you
are reminding me of Roarke,” he narrowed his dragon eyes on me. “And not the new, improved, responsible... well... slightly more responsible, father and King Roarke. You're like the old, rogue, philandering, impertinent, indecent, all around annoying Roarke.”

“I'm totally okay with that,” I smiled smugly. “Sometimes I miss that Roarke.”

Arach began to growl.

“Oh look, we're here. Better put on your king face.” I waved out the window to the view of the soaring, pearly Castle Deuraich, its first floor split by the rushing waters of the Faerie Sea. The Sea continued over the cliff we'd just journeyed up, turning into a waterfall.

“A child,” Arach mumbled as he climbed out of the carriage. “I've married a child.”

“That would make you a pedo-”

“Don't push your luck,” he snapped as he helped me out.

“Welcome,” King Guirmean came out to meet us with his fiance, Nora, by his side.

Nora was once a fire fey, a phooka to be exact, and the Captain of the Fire Calvary (basically phookas who pulled our carriages and carried us into battle while in their horse form). But Faerie had transmuted Nora into the first water phooka and now Nora's ebony hair was tinged with aubergine and she had delicate matching antennas extending from her temples. The antennae waved gently in the air like seaweed in the water. Her skin was paler now and her hands were webbed, tipped in opal talons. Oh, and then there were her eyes; deep amethyst, lightening to lavender at the center. They were beautiful but a little unnerving since they were more fish than faerie and there were no whites to them at all. Just all that purple surrounding large black pupils.

“Thank you,” Arach shook Guirmean's hand as I went over to hug Nora.

“He's driving me mad,” she whispered in my ear and I pulled back to blink at her in surprise. “Help me!”

“Okay,” I cleared my throat and turned towards her fiance. “Hello, King Guirmean. We're so sorry to bother you in the middle of such a busy time and if you'd like us to come back later-”

“Nonsense,” Guirmean waved his hand and cut me off. “We needed a break from the planning.”

“Definitely,” Nora grimaced and then she looked around at our entourage of phookas and red caps. “You didn't bring the twins?”

“No, we didn't want to be a bother,” I shook my head. “But I was hoping to see Prince Morgan.”

“He's with Lorna,” Guirmean smiled. “We can visit them after lunch.”

“I really wanted to see the twins,” Nora sighed.

“Well, come and visit us sometime,” I offered.

“Oh! Yes, I think I need to do that,” Nora said immediately. “How about tomorrow?”

“Darling, we have to go over the menu tomorrow, remember?” Guirmean's turquoise eyes filled with worry.

“Right,” Nora deflated.

“Maybe the day after?” I offered.

“We are choosing the music, the day after,” Guirmean added.

“Okay, perhaps after the wedding,” I gave Nora a reassuring smile. “When's the happy day?”

“We're not sure yet,” Nora ground out.

“We've been having trouble arranging things,” Guirmean sighed. “Why don't we all go inside and sit down. We can discuss this over our meal.”

“Very good,” Arach nodded. A dragon never turned down food.

We went into the airy entry hall of Castle Deuraich. It was devoid of any furniture, just the river rushing through the center of it. To either side of the river were stairs leading to the second floor and since we had entered on the right side of the castle, we took the set on the right. I couldn't resist sliding my hand over the mother-of-pearl walls as we climbed the stairs. They were so pretty, all swirling pinks and blues, and cool to the touch. It was like walking through a giant oyster. Or a nautilus shell.

We got to the top of the stairs and I glanced left, where a walkway connected our side of the castle to the other. There were portraits hanging on the wall there; a gallery of past rulers of the Water Kingdom. The last ruler though, Queen Dubheasa, wasn't there. Her portrait had been removed after she'd been declared a traitor of the realm (she tried to kill me, long story). Now a portrait of Guirmean hung in its place and I wandered over to admire it.

The others had seen where I'd veered off to and followed me. I stood before the painting, appreciating the way the artist had caught the strength in Guirmean's face. His head was held straight, proud, with the silver crown of water on his head. Azure gems in the shape of water droplets adorned the crown and paired well with the indigo of Guirmean's skin. His mint green hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail and his bright eyes looked out of the painting with confidence. He looked every inch the king.

“This is wonderful,” I said to Guirmean. “I love it.”

“Thank you,” he blushed a little and Nora chuckled.

“He's so embarrassed to have his portrait up there,” Nora slid her arm through Guirmean's. “I told him if he wanted me to adjust to becoming a monarch, he'd better give me a good example to follow.”

I blinked, a little shocked that I'd completely forgotten how Guirmean, just like Nora, had not been born a noble. Guirmean had been a soldier when I'd first met him and his help had ensured the capture of his previous queen. That may sound traitorous to you but in Faerie, your loyalty was given to the High Court first and then to your own court. Plus, Dubheasa had been a bitch. Her own people hated her.

“Well, you've become a king so successfully, that I've forgotten you weren't always one,” I smiled at him.

“Thank you,” he bowed to me. “And may I say the same for you, Queen Vervain?”

“Thank you,” I preened. “And now that this meeting of the Mutual Admiration Society has begun, let's get to that lunch.”

“I couldn't have said it better myself,” Arach huffed, annoyed at having his meal delayed.

We walked into the dining room and I stopped short again. Guirmean's dining room used to be decorated in what I referred to as Victorian Pirate. Now the room was all crystal and marble. The chandelier was still there but the strands of pearls which used to hang from it were gone, leaving the fey lights to sparkle off the crystal shards without impediment. The wallpaper, with its gilded seashells, was gone too and in its place was a curving aquarium.

Yes, a giant aquarium had been fitted into the walls, curving at the corners so that it almost felt like we were the fish within the bowl. The tank started at the door we had entered and ended at the door on our left, a door which led to the kitchen. The small space of wall between the kitchen door and the hallway door, was painted deep blue; a nice neutral background.

“Sweet swimming selkies,” I whispered as I walked into the room.

My heels clicked on the inky marble floor, swirled with veins of lapis. In the center of the room, beneath the sparkling chandelier, a crystal table sat, nearly as faceted and dazzling as the chandelier. Around it were gathered silver chairs cushioned in sapphire velvet, and atop the table were silver plates with matching silverware. The glasses were crystal and the centerpiece was a crystal statue of a wave. It was a lot of sparkle but I'm a bit of a crow and I love the sparklies. Yet even with all those glittering facets, I couldn't stop staring at the tank.

Frothy seaweed in forest green swayed gently as fascinating fishes swam by. Buttercup yellow, acid green, vibrant violet, striking scarlet, and even neon blue adorned the exotic sea creatures. Some glowed with their own light and some were completely camouflaged until they moved. I couldn't seem to lift my jaw as I stared at them.

They were all on the smaller size, I assume there was some purpose to that, probably something to do with keeping them happy in their fey-made environment. But because they were little, I hadn't really seen any of them before. I'd walked and swam through the twin cities of Under and Water, witnessing a plethora of unusual water fey but it was the large ones which understandably caught my attention. I hadn't focused on the schools of little fish flitting by. Now I wish I had because they were entrancing.

One little guy broke from his pack and swished back and forth before me as if preening under my perusal. I stepped closer to the glass and his slick silver form fanned out, a fragile looking collar of crimson flicking around his face like a ruff around an Elizabethan royal. I laughed as his friends came back for him and his fronds got put away so he could resume his swimming.

And the fishes weren't the only sea life within the tank. Complicated arrangements of coral curled and spread across the sand in muted colors of pink, yellow, and green. Over these natural constructions climbed crustaceans with spiked, spotted, and sometimes even furry shells. Their claws picked through crevices, searching for little tidbits to bring to their mouths.

A little, red slug-like creature undulated daintily through the water and lightly grazed what appeared to be a bouquet of flowers. As soon as he touched the collection of brightly petaled blooms, the startled petals swirled like the blades on a helicopter and flew upwards out of their stems. Delicate tentacles were revealed, streaming beneath the underwater flowers like the bottom of a jellyfish. They sparked, lights running down the transparent cords, and my forehead thumped into the glass.

“Ouch,” I absently rubbed my head and continued to gape at the fishes.

“I forgot that it's been awhile since you've dined with us,” Guirmean joined me. “If you recall, I told you the décor didn't suit my tastes. I had the castle redone with a little help from Nora.”

“It's amazing,” I said as I kept my eyes on the floral jellyfish. “Everywhere I look something unusual pops up... even the sand,” I pointed to a set of long black stalks poking out of the sand, there were little eyes on the tips of them.

“It helps me get used to the sea life without actually going into the sea,” Nora added.

“You're scared of the water?” I teased.

“You've been in the Faerie Sea, what do you think?” She grimaced at me.

“Valid,” I grimaced back.

“Shall we?” Guirmean gestured to the table and the men went forward to pull chairs out for us ladies. Ah chivalry.

As soon as we sat, water faeries began bringing out elaborate dishes and soon we were dining on delicious food whose ingredients were mostly unknown to me... and hopefully would remain that way. After we'd all had a little time to enjoy the meal, Guirmean brought up the wedding again and Nora rolled her eyes.