Page 28 of Dark Fae's Destiny

Though my people use guerrilla tactics, coordinated by Illyria and Adicus now in two fronts as they flash through the silver leaves of the Livingtree to clash with my father’s forces, we’re not united in our power like Quinn’s United Haven. Some of those here are bonded to me, like Alleno; but though I’m technically bonded to the United Haven of Florence, I’m not a master at calling upon that magic yet, not like Quinn.

I use what we have, however, plus my own commander’s skills, to lead a third front that flashes through the trees, led by myself and my owl. Alleno’s uncle leads half our Darkwatch in a fourth front, as we all avoid the strongest concentration of power from the invading army leveled at my tree.

Still, my father’s forces have some sort of magical edge, as I see our people get hammered back again and again. As the Music roars through me now, the fighting is furious and fast. The night rings with voices shouting and spears clashing, the falling darkness lit by blazes of every-color magic.

But I still feel something evil in this opposing force; as if some dark film lies upon my father’s best, there’s something uniting them in an ungodly way that isn’t normal for Summer Fae magic.

As my father’s army uses their combined power to blast my Livingtree again, I am suddenly able to see its black, oily magic. As the Music blazes through me, my auric wings spread wide and my visage already shifted to my animalistic Fae brutality for this hard, fast battle, I feel a terrible, dark sensation touch me.

I suddenly see roped strings and coils, tentacles of black magic strung throughout my father’s army like a thousand-limbed octopus, reaching out to bind them as one.

I feel the call of the void as everything goes wrathful inside me, and I understand what the Music is showing me; that somehow, the Gold Eyes has spread his taint through this entire army.

Bespelling them to fight like banshees against us—and devour our magic.

Even as I realize it, however, another blast goes off on my tree, making it groan as one entire swath of its roots pulls away from the onslaught, up out of the soil.

It’s then that I understand the reason this army is trying to bring it down. It’s not just to smash us in the Livingtree’s falling trunk and branches, but to take the tree’s energy and harness it to their black, awful will by this terrible power they’re wielding.

Somehow, I know the longer we fight, the more our energy is being drained from us, just like my tree resisting that horrible tentaculate hand trying to bring it down.

It’s as if these are Vampires we’re fighting, rather than Fae. It’s a terrible sensation, like all the life and Light is being sucked right out of me as I suddenly know this is what allowed my father’s army to get past our every ward around this place tonight.

This is how our defense failed so spectacularly, to allow such a massive force of over a thousand fighters in this close. Our people number only a few hundred tonight; we’re badly outnumbered.

And terribly outmatched by this black magic running through my father’s army, draining us.

Pulling Altenni up hard now over the forest, I fetch a small Fae-whistle from my inner jerkin pocket. I blow a three-note command to retreat and heads snap up all around; I watch as all through the trees, our allied forces wing up hard now and haul ass out of the forest.

It’s not a moment too soon. As yet another massive wave of magic hammers my Livingtree right down to its deepest roots, making it groan and shudder from the strain of remaining in place now, I feel the Gold Eyes’ power drain it like a demon.

Furious in its desire to punish me for being free.

As the Livingtree groans its last resistance to that black hand of the Gold Eyes ripping it out, it gives a terrible sigh. I feel it as my tree finally gives in; the power of the Gold Eyes is nothing it can best, and all its branches and roots scream now as one final, furious blast of magic topples it.

The tree goes down with a thunderous crash, felling dozens of lesser trees all around it as its massive roots hurl dirt far up into the darkening sky. As I blow the three-note call again, to retreat to the Red Letter Hotel Florence, I hear Illyria’s whistle, Adicus’, and Alleno’s uncle echo it.

Urgent.

We’re on the move; our people are getting the fuck out now, those who are too tired or injured hitching a ride on the massive birds of prey many of us here have tonight. I take Altenni around fast, blowing my whistle for any who didn’t hear our call to wing up and away, now.

They do. We’re almost clear—but now that my tree has been felled, that terrible black magic of the Gold Eyes is drinking every bit of life left in it as it dies. That awful magic feeds my father’s forces, as they heave up hard into the air now, too.

Renewed by my Livingtree’s power.

Auric wings shine in the night with every color rainbows and black magic as my father’s forces fly up hard to catch us. My people are tired; I see in a moment that with the immense power the King’s army is acquiring from that black hand drinking my tree’s last life, we’re not going to be able to get away. Falling back on Altenni, I haul her around to face the oncoming army.

And open my heart—letting the Music do as it will.

As the Music sings like a bright cascade of spears all through me, bolstered by Quinn, Ariana, and the entire United Haven now, I feel an Ascendant Sigil write itself before me.

The sigil repel shines like dawn and quicksilver in the night, as it blazes with moonlight, then explodes, hammering back my father’s forces and sending them tumbling into the forest below.

It gives us the moment we need, giving my people a chance to escape through massive portals Quinn’s folk are opening for us now as I resist. But one man is not deterred, as I feel his furious intent focus on me now, like a lance in the night.

Riding an enormous red-tailed hawk, Commander Junius Alterri is on my ass like hot steel—bellowing his hawk to rush forward and attack. Before I know it, our birds are locked together in a death dive as they claw and bite, and try to rip out each other’s throats.

Junius and I are no better as we fight with spears and magic, even elbows and fists, hammering at each other with our boots; anything, as our birds freefall with us trapped upon them.

---