Page 10 of The Light Falls
Waving my hand, I clean every speck of dirt off me, brush my hair and teeth, and put some make-up on so I don’t look so pale. Another wave, and I’m wearing my favorite lounge set.
When I turn around, Eris is standing in the entrance to the closet. “You’re not wearing that to the council meeting, are you?” A grin accompanies her dry remark.
“Good morning, Eris,” I greet her in return. “And no, I don’t know what to wear, so I thought I’d be comfortable until I could ask Solandis.” When she sniffs, I quickly add to my statement. “And you, of course.”
She immediately straightens to her full height of two feet. “I’ll pull together a few outfits. You and Solandis can decide which one is best suited for the first council meeting.” With those words, she starts zipping around the closet.
Strolling into the bedroom, I notice Solandis is on the balcony sipping her usual coffee. A flick of my wrist and sunglasses cover my eyes.
I bend down and place a kiss on her cheek. “Good morning.” Sliding into the chair on her right, I pluck the napkin off the plate in front of me and place it in my lap. “Mmm. This looks delicious. So many advantages to being queen.”
Instead of laughing, Solandis looks sad. “Having someone make breakfast for you isn’t a perk of being queen. It’s a simple, kind gesture.”
Shaking my head, I smile softly and remind her, “Not everyone can afford food. People go without every day. And I ate. Not this fancy, but I usually found something.” Too busy running my demonic guardian’s errands to do more than satisfy the rumblings of hunger.
Anger crosses her face. “You deserved more. And if I ever get my hands on the sorceress, she’ll pay for treating you so badly.” An eyebrow twitches. “Don’t look so worried. Her power isn’t even half of mine, and under this gorgeous exterior is a ruthless Fae. I can handle her.”
The flowers and plants in the large stone vase behind her instantly turn black and crumble. I blink.
She swivels to follow my gaze and chuckles. “Oops.” A wave of her elegant hand and everything inside comes roaring back to life. “Moving on. How did you sleep?”
The berry I’m chewing gets stuck in my throat. After coughing a few times, I finally swallow it down. “Good. Can’t remember most of it.” That’s the truth. “Eris is pulling some outfits for the council meeting.”
Solandis eyes my current clothes with disdain. “Oh, good. I wasn’t sure if you were intending to start a new trend or already rebelling against the aristocracy.” Pink manicured nails pinch the perfect pleat on her black pants as if to emphasize the need to dress well.
After taking a few more bites of breakfast, I push the plate away. My stomach is nervous enough without over stuffing it with food.
Solandis peers over the balcony. “We need to talk about Rivan.”
I glance below and see him walking in the garden. Dressed in black pants and a sleeveless black t-shirt, he looks much more comfortable than he did last night. The cut curve of his biceps is impressive. And when the sun’s rays touch him, his burnished skin gleams under the runes inked on its smooth surface.
Mmm, is there drool on my chin?
Unable to stop staring, I can’t help but notice that he is stopping every couple of feet to sweep the dirt with his boot.
What in the world is he doing?
He suddenly turns and looks directly at me.
Heat flares in my cheeks as I return his smoldering look, but I’m unable to look away.
“Oh dear,” Solandis murmurs beside me. “Are you sure you want to hear about the Fire Fae Rebellion right now?”
I swing my gaze guiltily back to her and away from the temptation below. “Yes, I do. Rivan’s… my friend, and I can’t help him if I don’t know what’s going on.”
She winces. “The rebellion took place almost three thousand years ago, not long after Nyssa took the throne. Led by the phoenix, the Fire Fae rebelled against the Dark and Light Fae Kingdoms. Phoenix, Salamanders, Embers, Fire Drakes, Firebirds, and several other Lesser Fae races make up the Fire Fae. Instead of living in one of the two kingdoms, most of the Fire Fae lived together in a fairly inhospitable land, filled with volcanoes, barren earth, and scorching heat, that straddled the two kingdoms.”
With an elegant lift of her shoulder, she continues. “They wanted the rights to the land and the ability to govern themselves, so they declared their independence. The Dark Fae King, Denir, and Nyssa sent several delegations to negotiate with them, but they refused to grant them what they wanted most. So, they declared war.”
Her turquoise eyes are dark with devastating memories. “The light and dark greatly underestimated what it would take to fight in a land filled with nothing but fire and dirt. And they failed to recognize the huge military advantage the phoenix brought to the table. How do you defeat a lightning-fast enemy who can repeatedly die and regenerate?”
She motions toward Rivan, who is still strolling through the garden. “Rivan’s father, Brixton, led the rebellion, and Rivan led the phoenix army. He might not look like it now, but he’s one of the most feared warriors in this kingdom. A fierce fighter and brilliant strategist, he commanded the entire Fire Fae army, but his biggest advantage was the elite squad he wielded with precision. His small band of lethal warriors were responsible for killing most of the Fae commanders, and because of Rivan, the phoenix killed more Fae than all the rest of the fire units combined.”
Speechless, I turn my head back to the man walking alone. It’s hard to picture him as the fierce warrior and leader Solandis is describing to me. He feels broken and adrift.
“How did they lose?”
“We took their children,” she murmurs in a strained voice. “When the rulers realized they couldn’t win without sustaining huge losses, they paid a group of witches to locate the hiding places of the women and children. The women were killed, and the children were held prisoner.”
