Page 19 of The Dark Rises
I smile. “Let’s ask him.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
MERI
Unwilling to jeopardize Hyne’s standing with the Water Fae, we send a request to meet with him in a private location. He agrees with one caveat—mutual risk—I must be at the meeting. Based on their fierce expressions, neither Cormal nor Madoc like Hyne’s demand, but they know he won’t back down either.
Dark and musty, the basement of an old pub where the mouth of the Caraway River meets the Vasser Sea clearly gives the kraken a huge advantage. I snicker at the amount of water surrounding us at the moment.
The giant Fae with long shaggy brown hair the color of mud and a massive beard slips quietly into the basement. Dark, fathomless eyes peer intently at the three of us before he sits. Unlike the last time we met, his charming demeanor has been replaced with a somberness that is startling.
I raise an eyebrow. “Lot of water outside. You’re not scared of little old me, are you?” I’m the last worry on his mind, but the teasing nature of my tone settles his nerves.
A quiet, but hearty, laugh slips from his lips. “I am. You cheat.” With a sigh, he runs a hand down his thick beard. “The world is upside down and inside out. Lesser Fae fighting and murdering each other. Aristocratic Fae hiding behind their walls. The land is in chaos, and hope has vanished.”
He stares at my blank forehead. “And we have no queen to lead us.” He props his fist on his knee and motions to Madoc. “Who is he?”
“A friend.”
“Dark Fae,” he notes, raising an eyebrow. “Royalty.”
Madoc scowls at his words. “Don’t get your tentacles in a twist. I’m only here to help Meri and save Rivan.”
Hyne briefly switches his attention from me to him. “The one thing that would unite all of the light Fae is the dark Fae invading our land. You better be telling the truth.” From the depths of his dark eyes, a coldness rises that sends a chill down my spine.
“We need a diversion to draw the Phoenix from the Forbidden Sea,” I interject, bringing his attention from Madoc back to me. “Without inciting a war between the Water and Fire Fae.”
Before I’ve even finished, he’s already shaking his head. “We don’t have the resources or manpower to pull off something of that magnitude. Last count, there were seventeen ships in the Forbidden Sea. They would annihilate us.”
That’s the last thing I want. Maybe we need a way to set them off without involving the Water Fae.
“Fire Fae have already laid traps along the shores, right?” I ask, biting the inside of my cheek. “What if we simply set them off?” I look at Cormal. “Discreetly.”
He ponders my question for a second. “I might have a solution. He’s an extreme wild card, though, and needs supervision.”
Madoc tilts his head. “Are you talking about the small shadow demon?”
“Lux,” Cormal informs him, nodding his head. “Would your friend be willing to supervise?”
Both Hyne and I are swiveling our heads back and forth between the two.
“He needs that much supervision?” Madoc asks, raising an eyebrow.
Cormal grimaces. “He’s like a small child. Doesn’t know when to stop. Would destroy the world if I let him.”
An expression of alarm slides across Hyne’s face. “You want to let a psychotic shadow demon loose on the Fae? Are you crazy?”
“Possibly,” Cormal confirms. “Desperate times and all that.” He turns back to Madoc. “Once the Phoenix land, he’ll run. He isn’t a fan of fire.”
“Aamon will do it,” Madoc assures him. “If only to leave the Wilds.”
At the mention of the infamous territory, Hyne jumps up and plants his fists on his hips. “Not only do you want to unleash a shadow demon, but you’re planning on bringing a creature from the Wilds to supervise him?”
Madoc rolls his eyes. “Technically, he’s a monster from The Underworld. And likely the only one strong enough to supervise Cormal’s little demon.”
“No, no, no,” Hyne repeats emphatically, his voice strained as if is barely able to refrain from shouting. “There won’t be a world left for us to live in. Find another solution.” Water seeps from the cracks in the walls and starts pooling in the corners of the room.
I flash a “hurry up” look at Cormal.
