Wings of Shadow (The Underground Trilogy) (9 page)

“Thanks for being so understanding.” Meghan sighed. “Maybe I could see this mystery place before we head back.”

They reached the top of a mossy hill. In the dark of the night, the moss appeared as shades of gray, a carpet of shadows under the black sky. Avery threw himself down onto the moss, then signaled for her to join him.

Resting on the soft, sage-hued bed, she gasped. The night sky was beginning to fill with millions of stars. While she knew she was no closer to the stars than before, lying atop the hillside, Meghan felt as though she were near enough to reach out and grab one right out of a constellation.

She rolled on her side to face Avery. “This is wonderful! I’ve never seen so many stars in the sky before. They’re fainter in the city.”

“This is my secret hideaway, where I come to think and have time to myself.” He smiled. “It is nice to have somebody to share it with.”

She focused on the sky. “You can see Orion. Look, you can even spot the faint stars that form his sword.”

Avery perched on his elbow, looking intrigued. “Who is Orion?”

“The Hunter—one of the most famous constellations.” She pointed out the four bright stars that comprised his body. “And do you see those three stars right next to one another? They form Orion’s belt.”

He concentrated on the stars she indicated. “Interesting… the Fae tell different stories about the stars. We have another name for your hunter.”

“Can you tell me about it?” She needed to get her mind off the Council’s impending decision. Maybe a story, a genuine faerie tale, would help.

“Many years ago, Queen Anya ruled all the Fae. At that time, our people were not divided. The humans revered us, and encounters with Fae were considered auspicious. It was a time of peace.”

Meghan watched the stars glitter in the sky, captivated by the idea of humans and faeries interacting freely. The tale was even more enjoyable when told in Avery’s lilting accent. “What happened?”

“Darkness invaded the humans. Some of them garnered more control and gained more belongings. They were infected by the longing for property and power. Wars broke out amongst them, and much blood was spilled.”

Thinking back to her history lessons, Meghan could picture the battles. Men warring with one another was not surprising. “How did this affect the faeries?”

“The humans who knew of us craved our magic. They determined they could conquer all opponents by imprisoning a group of Fae and controlling them. A celebration, hosted by the humans, was held under the guise of peace. The Fae sent a large cohort, eager to end the fighting. But many were captured. A few Fae who tried to resist were slaughtered.”

“And Queen Anya,” Meghan said. “Was she captured?”

“She remained free. Queen Anya had such love for her people that she was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save them.” Avery leaned closer to Meghan.

“What was the sacrifice?”

“Her most prized possession… her wings. She sent her wings into the sky, and in exchange, the Fae were freed.”

“Who freed them?”

Avery shrugged. “You can never anticipate the response to a truly selfless sacrifice. Nature’s magic has curious ways of appearing. Whenever the dark looms too heavy, a small bit of Anya’s wings rub off, forming a new star to brighten the night.”

Meghan gazed at the stars, trying to find Queen Anya’s wings. Avery turned her body and pointed to the constellation of Orion. He seemed to be comfortable around her, not so hesitant to touch her. His warm hand felt good, resting against her arm.

“Look at your hunter in the sky. Now tilt your head while staring at him. The same four stars that form his body create the tips of Queen Anya’s wings. The three stars of his belt form the midsection of her wings.”

Meghan studied the constellation. Orion was so familiar, she had difficulty shifting the image in her mind. She relaxed, tilted her head, and waited. As her eyes refocused, Orion’s body transformed into a pair of wings flying vertically into the night.

“I see her wings!”

“We call this constellation ‘Anya’s Wings’ or ‘Wings of Light.’”

“Thanks for sharing your secret hideaway and telling the story. The sky seems so magical now.” She rolled toward him, feeling the cushion of the moss beneath her.

Avery faced her, lying on his side. “Thank you for trusting me.”

The memory of those words—
Trust me
—ruined the sweet moment. Needing distraction, she decided to ask something that had been puzzling her. “During the meeting, it sounded like they were saying Charles Darwin came to Solas.”

Avery nodded. “He did.”

“But the Council members were talking as though he visited the village during their lifetimes.”

“He did.”

She sat up. “Darwin died in the late 1800s.”

Avery looked down, rubbing his hands on his pants. “I forgot. You know almost nothing about us. The thing is, well… we live a little longer than humans.”

“How much is
a little longer
?” Meghan glared at him. Kiernan had kept so many secrets from her. She couldn’t help feeling annoyed at Avery, even though she knew he was not to blame.

“Typically, Fae live hundreds of years. My parents were married for many years before the Encounter.”

“The Encounter?”

“That is how we refer to Mr. Darwin’s visit. It was the first human-to-Fae meeting since Anya’s years.”

Meghan wondered if she had been crushing on a one-hundred-year-old. She quieted the repulsive images forming in her mind. “How old is Kiernan?”

“We are only twenty years in this world.”

“We?”

“Kiernan and I are twins.”

She wanted to ask more. If Avery couldn’t even remember Kiernan, they must have been young when they were separated. There was something tragic about twins being raised apart. She couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness for both brothers.

“… development happens on a similar timeline for faelings and human children. But when we enter the Grown Years, our mid-twenties, aging slows, and with each decade that passes, it slows even more.”

She heard the tinkle of chimes in the distance.

Avery rose. “The Council has made its decision. We must head to the cottage.”

They walked back in silence, close, but not touching. With each step, Meghan could feel her body tensing. “Please let me stay,” she silently wished over and over.

Avery appeared rigid, his muscles taut. She had been so focused on her own situation, she had forgotten what the Council’s decision would mean to him. He was willing to give up so much for helping her, and he barely knew her.

The uncomfortable walk continued as they reached the village, where the streets were completely empty. Selena’s cottage remained lit. With a deep breath, Avery opened the wooden door and stepped inside. Meghan took a moment to steady the jitters that raced through her body, then she followed him.

Selena sat in front of the hearth. She gestured for them to join her.

“Grandmother, what was the decision?” Avery asked.

Selena patted his hand. “The Council never ceases to impress me with the wisdom of its decisions. They realized the rule of the Divide was not frivolously broken, and as a result, you were granted full pardon.”

Avery’s entire body seemed to loosen and unwind, fists unclenching, shoulders relaxing, back slackening. “Thank you, Grandmother.”

“It was not my decision, as you well know. ‘Twas the Council’s to make.”

“They came to consensus?” Avery asked.

She shook her head, long silver hair flowing from side to side. “Alannah and Orin were the holdouts, but there was a strong enough majority to pass the resolution without their agreement.”

His head drooped. “My mother stood against me?”

Selena took his hands and stroked them. “Only out of fear, I believe. ‘Tis an enormous responsibility to be the leader of one’s people. And she still blames the loss of her son and husband on the last encounter.”

“She was not the only one who lost somebody!” Avery stared into the fire. “And that loss did not make her wary of abandoning her other son.”

Meghan listened, not wanting to interrupt. A burning question lay on her tongue, begging to be asked.

Avery looked at her. “I have been so selfish, thinking only of myself and leaving you waiting.” Turning to Selena, he asked, “What about Meghan?”

Selena approached her. “My dear, the Council would like to offer you refuge within Solas for as long as you desire. We are most contrite for our cold greeting upon your arrival.”

Avery closed his eyes and murmured thanks. “Also not by consensus?”

“The same holdouts,” Selena acknowledged. “The remainder of the Council agreed that it was important to be accountable for all of our people. If Killian has sought to harm Meghan, then the village must provide sanctuary.”

“I don’t know how to thank you,” Meghan said.

“There is no need.” Selena rose and handed her a hand-pressed sheet of paper. The thick, rough texture felt unfamiliar. Meghan focused on the words scrawled across the paper.

While I would have loved to say goodbye

I greatly feared that I would cry

So this must be our parting lullaby

Wish

“Wish left without even saying goodbye?” She had so many things to thank him for.

Avery looked apologetic. “That is what Wish does. He comes in and out, like a feather blowing on the wind. Sometimes, he blows toward the Underground and sometimes he blows toward the village.”

Selena patted Megan on her shoulder. “He will blow back with time. He had a valid reason for leaving with haste. Killian musn’t learn that he was involved with your escape.”

Selena opened a small wardrobe carved from an old tree trunk. Knots and whirls covered the polished surface. She removed bedding from the cabinet and handed it to Meghan.

“Where should I sleep?” Meghan asked.

Selena indicated a ladder leading up to the loft. “My old legs no longer enjoy that climb. The loft is yours for the length of your stay. My chamber is in the back.”

Meghan looked toward the rear of the cottage. While the entire house only had one room, she noticed a little nook, just large enough for a single mattress. Selena had hung a hand-woven cloth panel that could be drawn for privacy.

“I appreciate you letting me stay here.”

“I know you do, my dear. And I will enjoy your company over the upcoming weeks.”

Avery departed, and Meghan made her way up the ladder to the tiny loft. Her backpack had been left on the wooden floor. A bare stuffed mattress, appearing handmade, lay on the wide, gnarled floorboards. She put on the clean bedding and prepared for bed.

Sinking into the pillowed softness of the mattress, she looked up at the thatched ceiling. The air was infused with the smells of fragrant flowers and herbs. She breathed in the perfume, and drifted to sleep.

~ 9 ~

The weeks glided by. Meghan soon adapted to the routine. As the village was self-sustained, everyone had a job to do: growing food, gathering fallen wood from the nearby forest, spinning and weaving fabric, or tending the sheep. All did their jobs with untiring perseverance and unrelenting cheerfulness.

She had been assigned to apprentice with Selena, helping her care for the flowers and vegetables, harvest the herbs, and extract healing remedies. Meghan loved her daily responsibilities. Being raised in a city, she had never gardened. Tending the plants, learning the names of each flower and herb, and spending her days in the outdoors underneath the autumn sun filled her with contentment.

“You are going to trim that poor bush into nothingness,” Selena chided, her voice soft.

“Oh, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to harm the poor elderberry.”

“My dear, ‘tis a hawthorn bush. Do you see how the berries are larger and reddish in color? The elderberry produces tiny indigo-colored berries.”

Focusing, Meghan recited, “The elderberries are used for treating influenza and other infection, but the hawthorn berries are used for circulation problems and heart health. Right?”

A smile spread across Selena’s face. “You are learning, Meghan. You are an astute student and an excellent tender of the gardens… when you are not daydreaming.”

“I love this. I wish herbology was an actual field of study at the university. I still don’t know what to major in.”

“It will come to you in due time, my child.” Selena bent to pick up the trimmed hawthorn twigs. “Today, I want to show you another use for the hawthorn—one that infuses magic within the branch.”

“Magic?” She gasped. Until that point, everything they had done in the gardens had been grounded in science: best growing conditions, genus classifications, the practical uses of differing species. But magic hadn’t been introduced.

“Hawthorn is known for its protective qualities. It is the protector of the vulnerable and the weak.”

Her perfect day in the garden was nearly ruined with the reminder that Lord Killian remained a threat. “Am I really safe here?” she asked for the hundredth time.