Page 55 of The Sacred and the Tormented

“They built alters and every day, the pair visited the highest mountain peak where they prayed and begged the gods for mercy.” Raevina snorted, but Conall ignored her and continued. “The gods answered and granted the male and female powers beyond their current ones. Afterward, the people collectively proclaimed them as their monarchs.

“The gods also brought forth what the male and female eventually named The Guardians. Fae that seemed dark yet weren’t. Small creatures accompanied them and they formed a pact with the male and The Divine. They agreed to protect them from the Dark Fae if they used their newfound powers to help drive evil creatures from the land.”

Arianna glanced at Rion. The Fairy Folk. The Fae in the mountains that hadn’t attacked them. Suddenly the statue in the royal city made sense. She was surprised Vairik hadn’t destroyed it. Maybe he enjoyed waving a piece of history in their faces.

“The gods also granted them a bond that would hold the pair together and let the other know if their partner were ever in danger.”

“The mating bond,” Arianna clarified.

Conall nodded. “It also helped Fae find those who would be better apt at producing offspring with one another. It wasn’t a guaranteed thing and it wasn’t the sole purpose of the bond, but after losing so many younglings, the Fae were glad for it.

“The world moved on as peacefully as it could. What you now call Nàdair was formed first as a stronghold while they beat back the Dark Fae. I’m sure if you looked in your underground libraries, you’d find pictures that detail the entire story.”

“Nàdair doesn’t have an underground library,” Rion said.

Conall gave him a look that told them otherwise.

“Overtime, the Dark Fae were driven back and the world expanded. Levea was built, then Purog, and finally Ashling. But the Fae weren’t separated by magic back then. The world worked in harmony with The Divine and her mate as the reigning monarchs. They lived for many, many centuries in peace before fading from the land hand in hand. Or so the legend state.”

Conall shook his head. “But even the Fae can be petty, sometimes worse than the humans they fled from. Without their monarchs to guide them, ridiculous skirmishes broke out and the four strongholds formed into their own countries. The Dark Fae began to reemerge and another Divine was needed to bring about peace again.

“As I’ve already mentioned, the male is always born first. It was a joyous occasion. Once he reached adulthood, the entire continent began searching for his mate.”

“How did they know this?” Arianna asked.

“The ancient texts. They were written by the gods through the original Divine as our instructions in case the world ever needed help again. The male was a benevolent king and used his powers to correct as many wrongs as he could before The Divine arrived. He was even the creator of Ruadhan.”

“And this is the same Divine that Vairik is so bent out of shape about?” Saoirse asked.

Conall nodded. “The King found her in a market buying something from one of the stalls. Their eyes met and the bond clicked into place instantly.”

“Again,” Saoirse said. “I understand being disgruntled, but what he’s done is—it’s like he thinks himself a god.”

“I think he does,” Gavin said, startling them all. Gavin looked up, seeming to shrink into himself for saying anything at all. “He’s … terrifying to say the least.”

Conall continued. “Vairik eventually killed the King. He did the same with The Divine once he realized she couldn’t be freed from the bond. It left the world in disarray and allowed the Dark Fae to breed across the land.”

“What then?” Arianna pressed. “If the Dark Fae were free, how come we haven’t seen them before now?”

“Because he’s been storing them away. Niall controlled some of the runes that kept them locked away.”

“Ellie mentioned something about cages,” Rion said.

“We fear he might be breeding them as well and using the strait along Fiadh’s western coast as a transport.”

“Hold up, what do you mean controlled the runes,” Saoirse said. “You haven’t even properly told us what those are.” Her eyes drifted to Rion’s arm again.

Sive took the chance to answer. “Weavers, or witches on this continent, are able to manipulate the land’s life force withwritten symbols we call runes. They’re an ancient language of sorts.”

“And anyone can use them?”

“Weavers are able to use them freely, but there are limits for everyone else. For Fae, the runes are directly tied to their magic. If that magic is cut off, the runes will cease to function.”

“What if their magic returns?”

“It wouldn’t matter, the tie has been severed. For humans, runes can only be used with their own blood. It’s that way with most half-breeds as well. The magic pulls from their life force instead of the land’s, which is why many human witches come across as sickly. Their runes cease to function when either the marks are erased or when their lives end.”

Raevina rubbed her temples. “I feel like I’m in history class.”

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