Page 91 of The Dark Rises
“As you may have heard, any of you who wish to stay a part of the Dark Fae Kingdom, under King Madoc and Queen Meri’s rule, can come forward and claim a parcel of land for yourself, along with the voting rights it entails. That offer will only remain open until the battle begins,” I remind them, hoping some will stay and take advantage of it.
“For those of you who wish to be independent and free of the Dark Fae Kingdom, we offer you one solution. It’s an unusual offer, but it gives you complete freedom. It also provides viable land, ripe for agriculture and commerce, and as Queen Meri mentioned, the right to create your own government and laws.” I pause to let the benefits sink in because the next part is going to send them into an uproar.
“We believe Avalon is the answer,” I state in a firm voice. “The island is close to both Fae kingdoms, but entirely separate. This solution allows you complete autonomy from any government other than your own.”
An older Fire Fae, General Lai, who served under my father, stands. “Avalon will not work. Only descendants are allowed to settle on the island. Surely you jest.”
“As you’re aware, my father recently held me hostage there,” I state in a harsh tone. “Queen Meri came to save me and woke the island up. It welcomed her. She isn’t a descendant, but she bears the mark of one.”
Meri holds up her hand and turns in a circle for the crowd to see it.
“Both Aeris and I are descendants of Avalon, through our mother’s line, and with our blood and magic, we can tattoo each one of you with a mark. The island will accept you,” I assure them.
The general glances at Aeris. “Is this true?”
She turns a stunned face toward me. “We’re descendants and can use our blood and magic to tattoo runes on everyone, but I don’t know the island will accept us.”
“I don’t expect you to take my word for it. Have Aeris tattoo you with a rune. Travel to the island and test it out for yourselves,” I encourage them.
The entire chamber erupts. Jeering and whistling, they present a thumbs down and my heart sinks.
Meri holds up her hand. “Before you decide, you should know we have asked our allies to join this war, and they have agreed. Besides the Dark Fae Kingdom and its soldiers, you will face Lucifer and his Underworld army. Fallon and his elite Elven warriors. King Valerian and his squadrons of dragons. The Rowan and her coven of witches. King Torin and his dark Elven army. And, of course, the creatures of the Wilds, commanded by King Madoc.”
The silence is deafening.
She continues. “Do you realize that without a king on the throne of the Dark Fae Kingdom, the Wilds, including the creatures within it, will be free to escape its boundaries and run amok across the lands, terrorizing and eating anyone and anything in its path?”
Lady Brina stands with a malicious gleam in her eye. “That is a lie. Nothing happened when the Queen of the Light Faelosther crown.” Her voice echoes across the chamber.
The muscles in Meri’s jaw tighten for a second. “Isacrificedmy crown for family, and I would do it again and again. But I had that luxury. The light Fae ruler doesn’t hold the power of The Wild Hunt inside. The crown doesn’t demand allegiance to both the kingdom and Odin. The Dark Fae Kingdom does. Konnyr made a pact long ago, and to void it would be catastrophic, not only to the Fae but the universe.”
General Lai motions for Lady Brina to sit, and she glares at him but finds her seat.
He smiles at Meri. “Queen Meri, we are Fae. It is our desire to live with the Fae, not find a new home in Avalon.”
She stares at him. “If you wish to reside with the Fae, our other offer is still on the table. Feel free to take it and stay in this land. But if you want your freedom and the right to govern yourself, then you cannot do so here. Do you really think any ruler will allow you to take up residence in their land,enjoy the resources and protection they provide, and remain independent?” She lets the question sit there for a few minutes.
“We could withdraw from the battle and carve out a piece of the Light Fae Kingdom for ourselves,” Lady Brina says snidely.
Meri smiles at her in return. “You could try. We promised Hyne and the rest of the Water Fae, our full resources, as well as our allies, if you should decide to take that route. All you’ll do is move the battle lines and add more soldiers to our side.”
She snarls at Meri but is silenced by the council leader before she can say more.
“Nobody is asking you to give up your heritage,” I remind them. “The people of Avalon were still Fae.” I nod at Aeris. “This is a way for the Federation to have the freedom and rights you want right now without the astronomical cost of war. Think of how many families were devastated the last time. Mothers, fathers, siblings, and more. All gone.”
Aeris jeers at my statement. “Easy for you to say. You weren’t there. Instead, you gave up. Accepted the yoke of a queen and now I see nothing has changed.”
Meri opens her mouth, but I hold up a hand. “This isn’t about me, but if you want to know, as afreeman, I willingly pledged my allegiance to King Madoc and the Dark Fae Kingdom. I believe in him and the vision he has for the Fae, and I want to be a part of it.”
Taking a second to breathe, I get my temper under control. “Last time, you faced two inexperienced rulers who thought like traditional Fae and their equally inexperienced aristocratic Fae soldiers. I should know. I was there. This time, you face a king who will do anything to keep his kingdom intact, including the annihilation of your entire force. Have you trained your soldiers to fight against a lightning-fast vampire or the magical powers of a witch or sorceress? Do they know how to dodge a dragon’s fire? Can they stand one on one against Garrett or one of his elite?Or a demon? And this is just the surface. Who knows what lurks within the ranks of Lucifer’s soldiers?”
“We don’t expect an answer today,” I tell them. “You have one week. Go to the island. See for yourself. Give us your answer on the battlefield in one week’s time. We’ll send you the coordinates.”
Meri dips her head in the direction of the council and turns toward me.
Suddenly, the general shouts, and I turn to see a dagger hurtling directly at Meri. Before I can block it, a shadow reaches out and snatches it from the air, then hands it to me. Seconds later, serrated shadows erupt from the ground and brutally shred Lady Brina to pieces in less than a second. She doesn’t even have a chance to scream. What follows is scary. Each shadow grabs a remnant and disappears into the dirt, leaving no trace behind. Lux laughs behind me.
The soldier from earlier pulls his sword and rushes toward Meri. Aamon steps in front of her and grabs him around the neck. He lifts him up and snaps off his head with one hand. Shadows slither up from the ground and pull the two parts of his body underground. The crowd waits for the soldier to regenerate, but when he doesn’t, they start shouting.
