Page 34 of Dark Fae's Destiny

His mind is awhirl with madness as our gazes connect; it makes me wonder for the thousandth time if he’s even our ally. But he’s taken a blood-oath to Quinn; his empty, mad eyes shine as he stares at me, then looks away. I shiver as we march on through the mild autumn day.

Still, all are joined in our aims as we march on the Summer Fae Palace. As we make our way through the city center southwest towards the Arno river, approaching the palace grounds on the south bank, we do not meet resistance from the Summer Fae. No one wants fighting in the streets of Florence; many innocent Fae and other Lineages live here and would be caught in the middle of it.

As if sensing the impending battle, however, people have vanished from the streets. They gaze down at our forces from balconies, some waving blue-white dragonfly scarves as they sing softly high above.

Their voices drift down to us in the early morning; it’s a mourning song for Lucca Bellari, whose emblem they wave. It steals into my heart as we march; that strange, heartbreaking song imprints into my soul and all through every part of me.

Soon, I’m humming it, then singing the aching, lilting tune without words. Because rather than a proper song, this is a dirge, an ululation of sound.

A crying out of our true hearts for a Dark Fae who was a good Prince to us all.

Everyone knows Lucca’s been captured by his father now, sentenced to death. The first day of Lucca’s capture, word came from King Bellari that he would execute Lucca in three days, for High Treason against the Summer Fae. Today is that day; Lucca’s judgement and sentencing are at noon. As we cross the River Arno, I glance up at the sky.

And feel time run out.

Though we began our preparations at dawn and it’s only ten am, it feels like the clock is ticking its last seconds to noon already. I can feel Lucca somewhere down our truncated bond, still alive, but just barely.

Whatever that horrible spear of the Gold Eyes did to him, it bound his magic away from us, pouring a black sludge like concrete all through him, deep into our Fae bonds. Neither Quinn nor I can touch it, lest we become overtaken by it.

The Gold Eyes’ message via King Bellari is clear—we have to come in person to get Lucca back.

As Florence’s mourning song for Lucca pours through my mind and heart now, I feel it reach my very soul. Suddenly, our Music is tuning in a massive, heartbreaking wave as countless others of our people take up that song with me.

As Quinn joins us now, that song gains fire and wrath, for a good man done a terrible wrong. All the Summer Fae with us sing, as well; I feel it as their hearts open wide for their fallen Prince, their beloved city, and their people still trapped under the rule of this most heartless King.

Quinn had planned to raise the Music once we reached the palace’s gates; but as we arrive at the broad semi-circular entrance to the promenade grounds now, our Music is already seething through us.

Fae wings spread wide on every side now, as our hearts begin to synch from the love that binds us. It’s not just Quinn’s people, bound to him and me that feel it, but the Summer Fae that also tune with the Music now. Even the Dark Fae from the Hidden City of Venice surge with it, though none of them are bound to us.

Beside me, Alleno bristles with a furious, deep love as he sings the Music, going to war for a cousin he loves like a brother. Devi snarls the Music beside Quinn with her love of justice; Curio sings it with a crystalline, clarion tenor beside her as he proclaims his bright wrath against all who’ve wronged us.

My parents march behind me, setting their hands to my shoulders now as I grip Quinn’s hand; they sing the Music in proud, powerful voices for the Summer Fae they once protected and served so dearly.

Tears spring to my eyes to hear my father’s deep baritone ring out, full of those most ephemeral harmonies, and my mother’s roaring alto as she shreds the air in a voice that cuts across battlefields. The Music inundates us all now, as we sing Lucca’s song.

As gargantuan wings of darkfire spread from Quinn’s spine, truly vast wings of silver-gold and black rainbows surge from mine. The Dark Fae have their roaring wings spread wide, also; the Summer Fae meld with them in beautiful jewel tones of light, as the Vampires rush black and many-hued amongst that.

Even Gunther’s forces have been inspired to sing as they come into our defiance, booming with voices like cannons for the one who was betrayed. Eiseth’s warriors from Britain roar and pound their silver armor and bright shields with their weapons, as their Dark Fae and Vampire wings spread wide, chiming full of the Music.

I feel it as even the Spring Fae Vampire joins us now, singing in a clear, dew-like voice that cries for the people she’s lost. Even Bredei sings to herself, joining our Music as some deep emotion moves in her for a family and a way of life she lost ages ago, never to be returned.

As we arrive at the main gates of the Palace of Light, their wrought-golden reaches shut with a strong barricade of fighters holding their ground outside, countless more in the semi-circular drive of the palace, I feel only one voice who has not joined our Music. The tall, red-eyed once-Revenant only stares straight ahead as our forces halt before the palace gates, singing our hearts out as the Music sweeps us. No emotion comes from him except death, as he looks at me with those very red eyes.

But then I feel a voice in my mind as he speaks to me.

For the sanity I once had… that I have now lost.

I hear him begin to sing softly inside my mind, though he does not give it an actual voice. As he does, however, the Music explodes between all of us. It’s so strong now, it sweeps me with its power; I have to grip Quinn to steady myself as that incredible sound roars through us, weeping and blazing with the truest power of our hearts.

But Quinn is a million miles away now as we face off with the Summer Fae Brightwatch guarding the gates; I feel it as he looks into the otherworld.

Seeing the Ascendant Sigils we might create to win this day and get our Lucca back.

I feel Quinn’s frustration now that he can’t yet make those complex phrases of the Music manifest. Even with all this tremendous joining of hearts, we still don’t have enough control over the Music to work such incredible magics with our own intentions.

Without Lucca’s beautiful heart in our magic or Staphylogenes’ heart’s strength, we can’t work our truest will in the universe; as my own truth-telling magic rings inside me, I know what we need to do. The guards on the gates are already stunned by our Music; clasping Quinn’s hand, I focus on them now as I spiral deep within.

Singing the song of my truest heart—all the way into my soul.

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