Caledonia Fae 04- Druid Lords (33 page)

“Will it take us home?” Demi asked.

“Yes. To the Druid Hall.” If she didn’t want to make the Halls of Mist home, she could leave someday, when they were safe. They’d work that out later.

Demi nodded. “Thank you,” she said.

“We have to hurry. Whatever is making the faeries sick appears to be getting worse, judging by the sounds outside.”

“What about Leocort?” she asked. “Where is he?”

Huck held out his hand, and she took it. After all they’d been through, the contact seemed natural. “We’ll look for him on the way out. But if he’s sick, we may have to leave him behind. I can’t carry him all the way to the portal.” He looked into her eyes. “If a day comes when he wants to join us, I promise we’ll make a place for him at the Druid Hall.”

She pursed her lips but nodded.

Huck offered to carry Jago, but both mother and son refused, so he held Demi’s hand as they left the chamber. The faeries who’d guarded the door lay unconscious on the floor. Huck frowned. Whatever the druids were doing, they weren’t supposed to kill everyone.

He retraced their steps to the main stairway, suspecting the floor above the Watcher’s keep was ground level and would have an exit.

They found Leocort at the stairwell, slumped in a corner. Huck released Demi’s hand and knelt beside the Watcher. “Are you okay?” he asked, wary of even touching the ailing faerie.

Leocort’s eyes fluttered open, but they stared out, glazed. “Our magic is gone,” he said. “We’ve been severed from the source.”

Huck’s mind raced. Severed? He’d heard of that. Severing was a punishment used to separate a faerie from their magic, usually done, as far as he remembered, just before an execution. He’d heard it was a painful, terrible experience. “All of you?” he asked.

Leocort nodded. “None I’ve seen are untouched.”

Huck worried for Jago. He had no idea what severing would do to a half-druid, half-fae child, but he was obviously in some distress. Worse, Huck had no clue if any damage caused was permanent, or if Jago and Leocort would be fine if Huck could get them to the Halls of Mist. “Come on,” Huck said. He leaned down and put his arm around Leocort’s mid-section, then pulled the faerie to his feet.

“No,” Leocort said. “I’ll slow you down.” His body was too weak to protest.

Huck didn’t want to argue. Half-carrying the faerie
would
slow him down, but Demi would never forgive him if he didn’t try to save the person who’d tried to save her. “Will you serve the Druid Hall?” Huck asked.

Leocort’s eyes rolled back in his head. “Yes,” he said.

“Then start by making an effort here. I’m not leaving you behind.”

The stairs were the worst, but once they got to the main landing, Leocort at least attempted to carry his own weight. He leaned on the druid as little as possible, but was unable to let go.

They passed many faeries as they hobbled towards the portal. Most were unconscious, but some sat, glassy-eyed, as though their souls had been ripped from their bodies.

The group took twice as long to return to the portal’s dais as Huck had needed to get to the castle in the first place. When they arrived, his hopes were crushed. The familiar blue glow of the shining portal had vanished. The dais stood empty. Those who guarded the kingdom lay motionless, like fallen soldiers.

Demi stared, her expression wild and desperate. “What will we do?” she said.

Huck exhaled. They would need half a day to travel to a gate to the human realm, even longer if Leocort’s strength faded. They had no food and no options. “We wait,” he said.

With a frown, Demi asked, “For what?” She began rocking Jago again.

“They know we’re here. They’ll open the portal again.”
If they can
, Huck thought.

Without waiting for Konstanze or the other queens, Munro stepped into the blue haze of the portal to the Halls of Mist. She clearly believed the shift in the portal marked compliance with her demands. Fortunately, he hadn’t said anything the others could interpret as a promise or admission.

The first face Munro saw was Keeper Oszlár’s. The ancient faerie was flanked by druids. They all stood strangely still. Aaron exhaled with relief when he caught sight of Munro, who was immediately followed by Tràth. Douglas clapped Rory on the back. The new arrivals strode directly to the other druids. Keeping his voice low, Munro hurried to explain. “Konstanze has threatened to kill Demi and Jago the moment she gets back to Ashkyne unless we abandon the Halls of Mist. Tell me you have a plan. She’s right behind us.”

The druids all stared at the portal, waiting. Interestingly, no one materialised immediately. Either something had delayed them, Munro thought, or Konstanze was taking the opportunity to proclaim victory before passing through.

“What’s happened? Why did the portal go down?” Munro asked.

“The whole thing was a battle, but if we’re right, we convinced the Stone to temporarily cut Ashkyne off from the Source.”

Munro blinked and looked to Oszlár. “What does that mean?”

The elder keeper appeared as serious and stoic as ever. “In truth, I don’t know. Your brothers and sister have awoken an aspect of the Stone we haven’t encountered before. In my thirteen hundred years of service to the Stone, I have never witnessed the artefact responding like this. We keepers are both astonished by what you have accomplished…and afraid.”

The concern in his voice alarmed Munro. Aaron quickly sketched out their encounter with the Stone and its response.

Munro started to ask the keeper whether the discovery was a good thing. Before he could speak, the wedding guests emerged through the portal in small clusters.

None would meet his eyes. As he feared, Konstanze must have announced that the druids were a bunch of frauds parading as draoidh and had convinced them to admit their deception. Konstanze arrived last.

“Are you sure her kingdom is cut off?” he asked the other druids quietly.

Aaron nodded. “None of us could reach Ashkyne when we tried, not even Oszlár.”

“Can you restore the connection?” Munro asked.

The other druids exchanged glances. Douglas said, “I think so.”

“Jesus,” Munro muttered. He didn’t know what would happen to a kingdom cut off from the Source Stone. It might be simply like shutting a door. On the other hand, Oszlár had always spoken about the Stone as a more than an artefact, but almost like an anchor. In truth, Ashkyne might have been dying.

Konstanze stood in front of the portal, other queens and dignitaries fanning out from her on either side. “I believe you have an announcement?” She smiled maliciously.

“Yes,” Munro said. “We do.” He nodded, taking the measure of the other queens. Some wore expressions of curiosity, while others appeared disdainful or even disappointed. After a long moment, he regarded Konstanze. “We Druid Lords believe it is, for the present time, acceptable for you to retain your throne. Our decision comes despite your disrespect to us, to the Keepers of the Stone, and your threats against one of our Hall.”

Konstanze barked an involuntary laugh, but stopped abruptly when she caught the expressions on all the druids’ faces. The other queens glanced at one another in astonished puzzlement.

“Return the Druid Lady Demi Hartmann to us now, along with her son, the leth-draoidh child Jago. Do this, and we will restore your kingdom to you.”

“Restore…” Her eyes flashed with anger. “Neither you nor the keepers have the right to deny any queen passage to her kingdom, nor even suggest taking her throne. The precepts of the Halls of Mist are inviolable. You have no authority.”

“And the will of the Source Stone?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

She gestured to the portal behind her. “I see no indication any gates are shifting. And why would they? I am one of the most powerful queens in the Otherworld. My position is secure.” She sneered. “Unlike yours.”

“We are draoidh,” Munro said.

She threw back her head and laughed. “You are not even shadows of the great fae sorcerers of old.” She glanced at the other queens. “I must take my leave. I have an execution to witness.”

Munro bowed to her. “As you wish. Go.
If you can
.”

Without even a trace of doubt on her face, she, her mate, and the others of her entourage turned back to the portal. Konstanze led them towards the shining globe of blue light and stepped inside. They remained on the platform, bathed in azure light. They looked at one another, confused. The other queens who watched murmured in shock.

Konstanze spun around, fury contorting her features. “What have you done?” she demanded.

“The Stone bends to the will of the draoidh,” Aaron said calmly.

The enraged queen stared at him in disbelief. “This is some kind of deception,” she said. “You discovered a trick to block the portal so none can pass through.”

Douglas chuckled. “Oh, anyone else can leave,
Your Majesty
,” he said. “Just not you, you great cow.”

Munro shot him a pointed glance, and the youngest druid shrugged but seemed abashed. Turning back to Konstanze, Munro said, “Feel free to try. The other queens are at liberty to travel to their kingdoms as always. But, until you order the release of the druid and her child, Ashkyne is cut off from the Halls of Mist…and the power of the Stone.”

“Release the human who murdered my brother?” she spat.

“We both know she didn’t kill him,” Munro said quietly.

She strode forward, away from the portal’s glow. “Someone must be held accountable.”

Munro tilted his head. “Ulrich was the architect of his own demise. We can either lay out his iniquities for all to judge, or you can let his memory rest with dignity. Why not allow your people to maintain whatever esteem they still hold for him…and your family.”

One of the other queens stepped closer. “My lord druid,” she said to Munro. “We have your leave to depart for our kingdoms?” She bowed to him, keeping her gaze low.

“Of course,” he said. “We have no wish to interfere with the kingdoms. We only seek to protect one of our own, wrongly accused, and the child Konstanze promised me she would kill alongside our sister druid.”

Gasps and chatter rippled through the crowd of onlookers.

“Thank you, my lord druid,” the queen said. She signalled to those near her. With some hesitation, they turned to the portal. With an intake of breath, she approached it. In mere seconds, she and her party vanished.

For the first time, Konstanze seemed concerned. She glared at Munro, then towards the other queens. “We must stand together,” she said. “We cannot allow these humans to dictate to us, to murder our families.”

Zdanye, Queen of Tvorskane, shook her head. “Now is the time for truth. Prince Ulrich was a vile faerie, Queen Konstanze. All who knew him have little trouble conceiving of that reality. If no evidence exists that this woman did wrong to him, and if she is a druid under the protection of their Hall, you have no claim.” With a bow to Munro, she said, “My lord druid, I take my leave. I wish blessings to you and your mate.”

Munro tilted his head, acknowledging her respect. “Thank you, Queen Zdanye.”

After the Tvorskane contingent departed, no others left the Halls of Mist. The queens and their contingents moved decidedly away from Konstanze, taking up positions on the opposite side of the courtyard.

Konstanze simmered. “I do not believe you,” she said. “You have merely performed a trick, like the illusions of an astral fae.”

Munro nodded, “It could be true, I suppose,” he said. “But tell me this. What if we speak the truth? How long do you think your people can survive, cut off from the Source of all magic? Days? Hours?” He paused. “Would you rather see your people die than bend, when you know you are in the wrong?”

She glowered at him. “I see nothing to indicate my people are in any jeopardy. All you have done is strand me and my royal party against our will, in direct violation of every precept of the Halls of Mist.”

Aaron spoke up. “We have done nothing but commune with the Stone. The Stone chooses according to the good of the fae. Is your response to abandon your people when they are isolated from the Source?”

Konstanze hesitated, turning her attention to the portal. “You claim you can bend the Stone?”

“Why do you dismiss the evidence of your own eyes?” Munro asked.

“If this is true, then allow us to pass. How can we even consider your claims with no proof what you say is true?” Her eyes gleamed with anger.

Aaron whispered to Munro. “I don’t trust her. If we let her pass, Demi’s as good as dead.”

“Agreed,” Munro replied quietly. He glanced at Oszlár, then back to Konstanze. “Then we are at an impasse,” he said. “You do not trust our word, but how could we ask the Stone to restore the portal without first receiving your guarantee of Demi and Jago’s release?”

Surprisingly, her smile returned. “This proves you false,” she said.

“In what way?” Munro asked.

“You claim my people are in immediate danger, severed from the Source. This cannot be the will of the Stone. The keepers have always maintained that the Stone acts for the good of the fae. Tell me, Keeper Oszlár, how would the death and suffering of hundreds of thousands of faeries benefit our race?” She looked at the other queens, then back to Munro. “Will you really condemn an entire nation to die? Do you wonder that a queen would defy you, when you hold an entire nation hostage if we do not meet your outrageous demands?”