Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

BASH

We stood inside The Emerald and just outside the portal. My heart hammered in my chest with nerves. MoVaun was an entity that I did not want to mess with. And yet I couldn’t stop myself from putting one of those vials of blue flames in my pocket. I didn’t know what possessed me to take it. I knew there would be consequences. I had a pouch of powder with Venus’s name on it because she dared steal from MoVaun. Yet I couldn’t resist. Standing here now among our friends, I couldn’t help but feel guilty and a bit dirty. None of them would’ve taken it.

Perhaps MoVaun was right. Perhaps I was the poisonous seed from the poisonous tree.

Our friends surrounded us all, waiting to hear what MoVaun had said and what we were going to do next. I didn’t know if I was ready to step back into Third Realm, not after the torture was so fresh in my mind. It was one thing to face my mother in skirmishes here, but going to her home turf was a whole other story. The rest of our crew joined us for one last huddle before we stepped through that portal and into the frozen hell that used to be my home. Now, when I thought of what a home should be like, I could only picture the Bow home, not the frozen castle I grew up in.

Collins looked up at me. “Bash, we need some privacy.”

I held my hand open and let my magic flow. Black smoke surrounded us in a large bubble that blocked any unwanted eyes or ears from hearing about our plan. This would be a lot for any of them to take in. The plan was risky, the price even more risky, and we were unsure if the reward would bear the fruits of our labor.

Ellie and Stellan stood across from us with Weston and Shylock on either side of them. Savina was to our right, calmly waiting for us to tell them everything that happened. Jada and Sandra stood on either side of the portal in their full battle gear with their hands resting on their swords. The way they tightened their hands on the hilts told me they were both ready to go to battle for us. We all knew what would happen the moment we crossed into Third Realm. There was nothing safe about what we were about to do.

“What’s happening?” Sandra held her breath, waiting for Collins to start talking.

When we were all covered, I gave her a nod. “Go ahead.”

She sucked in a deep breath and closed her eyes, then blurted it out. “We’re going back into Third Realm.”

“Another bad idea.”

“I’m going too.”

“Why?”

“This is not smart.”

They all spoke at once, but when Collins held her hand up, they all went silent. “Neither of us want to go into Third Realm just yet, but we don’t have a choice. Riven won’t give us the answers we need and MoVaun will . . . and her price leads us back in there.”

“These bloody prices.” Stellan shifted from one foot to the other.

“She’s asking us for a stone from Crystal Henge. We have to go there and get it so that she will give us the information we need to break the bond.” Collins stepped in closer to me. “We’re so close. I can feel it.”

They all stood there silent for a moment.

Sandra sighed. “And Riven gave you nothing?”

She shook her head. “We tried. I even told him I would go to MoVaun and gave him the chance to tell us something. He won’t help us, so we have to do this.” Collin folded her hands in front of her and looked down at her fingers.

I reached over and took her hand in mine. “We’ve got this.”

Jada was the first to break the silence. “We all will because you aren’t going alone.”

“No way in hell are you going alone.” Savina nodded in agreement with Jada.

Collins glanced at me, and I could almost read her mind. She didn’t want to put anyone else in danger more than was necessary. “We can’t ask this of you all. My mother is strongest there.”

“As is Venus,” Collins added. “I wouldn’t be able to bear it if something happened to any of you. You’ve helped us so much already.”

“And we will continue helping.” Ellie crossed her arms and tiny puffs of purple magic drifted up from her hands. “Stone Keepers stick together.”

Sandra shook her head and set those long blonde locks flying around her face. “Not this time. Zuriel would kill us. We need you and Stellan to stay here.”

Stellan sighed and rocked back on his heels. “Right then. We will do what’s necessary to keep this realm safe and watch for you lot to come back.”

“Yeah, and keep an eye on Second Realm as well while I’m gone.” Savina grinned and winked at the two of us. “No objections to me coming along then?” When no one spoke, she gave a sinister smile. “Excellent.”

Weston and Shylock both straightened their stances and faced us. Shylock was the one to speak first. “No objections to two more guardians coming along?”

Sandra and Jada exchanged a look, but Sandra gave them each a nod. “We will need every sword we have at our disposal and the extra set of wings doesn’t hurt.”

A smile spread over Weston’s face. “Brilliant. I’m looking forward to getting a bit of mine back.”

“Bash and I have to focus on getting to Crystal Henge as best we can. We were hoping to get there under the radar.” She squeezed my hand. I knew she didn’t want to go back in there yet. She’d just lost her wings, and to walk back into the world that took them from her would be overwhelming.

“Then you’ll be needing a diversion. Something to hold Tephine’s attention.” Shylock shared a look with Weston. “We would be happy to do that for you both.”

“You do know it will draw my mother out? She will attack you and it will be violent.” I knew they knew her well enough but bringing them to my home felt like it needed to come with extra warning. “She will know the terrain better than any of you.”

“Except me.” Jada wagged her eyebrows. “I know that world better than anyone else, even Tephine.”

“Excellent, then you’ll join our ranks.” Shylock inclined his head toward her. “It’ll be enjoyable even.”

“Embracing your inner chaos?” Weston clapped him on the shoulder.

“When in Rome and all that.” Shylock smirked.

“We’ll need a big diversion. Something that will draw their attention away from Crystal Henge. Once Collins starts talking to the stones, they’re going to light up like a rainbow and my mother will be drawn there.”

“Not if she’s fighting a battle big enough to distract her.” Weston smirked. “Have you got some friends? Friends who might hold an interest in her death?”

I chuckled. “Who isn’t interested in my mother’s death? But yes, I think we have some fae in Third Realm we can count on for assistance.”

“Excellent.” Shylock nodded at the rest of us. “A frontal attack it is then.”

Collins’ eyes widened. “A straight-up attack?”

He shrugged. “It’ll be unexpected, we’ve never done it, and if you want a distraction, that’d be the best way to go about it.”

When she looked up at me with wide eyes, I cleared my throat, trying to find the words she didn’t want to express. “Is that the safest course of action? I mean, couldn’t the distraction be a bit less bold?”

“Not if you want it to work.” Shylock met my eye. “And you do want it to work?”

“Yes, of course.”

Weston snickered. “Then this will do it. It’s a bit wild, probably the most dangerous course of action, and we might all be a bit daft for it, but why the hell not? Plus, like you said, you’ve got some friends to join us.”

I nodded. “We do indeed.”

“Great! Then it’s settled.” Shylock rubbed his hands together.

Savina cracked her knuckles and turned toward Ellie. “I suppose it’s going to be even colder this time.”

Purple magic flowed from Ellie’s hands. “New sets of winter gear coming right up for everyone.”

Her magic flowed over us and flooded our little bubble. I felt my human clothing fade away, and in their place were my old fae clothing: a pair of leather pants with ties up the front, no shirt, and a fluffy fur coat. I wiggled my toes in my new combat boots. Weston and Shylock were back in their golden armor, and they too had thick warm fur coats on. She also gave Sandra and Jada coats to wear over their armor as well. Collins fought with a large white coat that seemed to swallow her whole.

“Ellie, not that I’m not grateful, but it’s too big for me to move in and kind of hurts.”

“I got you.” Ellie fired her magic at her once more and the coat melted over her white catsuit. “Better?”

Collins moved her arms and legs, showing off her fuzzy snow boots that went up to her knees. “It’s so light and warm.”

“You’re welcome. Now, everyone take these.” She held out a stack of gloves and hats to us.

Once we were all properly adorned in our winter gear, I let our bubble of privacy drop and we all stood outside the portal. Collin gave a little wink and leaned in next to me to whisper. “You do look good in your fae gear.”

I chuckled. “So you’ll keep me?”

“Oh, I’m keeping you for sure.”

“Let’s just focus, shall we?” Sandra walked past with Jada by her side to be the first two to enter Third Realm. She glanced over her shoulder at us. “Ready?”

No, not in the least . But I still nodded. Determination overcame me. We were so close to being rid of my mother. Collins slid her hand in mine and gave it a squeeze as if she knew I needed the backup.

“We’re ready, Sandra.”

Sandra pressed her hand to the portal and bright light flashed as it opened. Bitter cold flew through the portal, and I huddled in my coat before remembering I didn’t feel the cold the way the others would. I stood straight and squared my shoulders as snow and ice blasted through the doorway. We all moved as one, walking through the portal. Collins huddled in close to my side.

“This is hell. I’m convinced,” Collins muttered.

“It didn’t used to be.” But my mother sure as hell made it that way.

The sky was dark and covered with thick gray clouds. Heavy snow and ice fell all around us. It gave the whole realm a pink hue that made everything here visible. The crystal trees were no longer dazzling and beautiful with their multi-colored leaves. Everything was covered in thick ice. The floating islands no longer looked like islands. They were now ice cubes hanging in the air. They drifted even lower to the mainland than ever before. From a distance they’d looked smaller, but if one of them crashed to the ground, it would be catastrophic.

The snow was piled up past our knees as we walked, but we had to make our way to some kind of hidden safety.

Shylock wrinkled his nose and shook his head. “This is nearly apocalyptic. Who can survive this?”

“Let’s not call it the end of the world just yet.” Weston walked up beside me. “Which way?”

I pointed slightly toward my left which would lead us to a patch of forest between us and the castle. I knew the castle was in the distance but not visible through the storm. There was almost comfort in being covered by the thick snow and ice. Weston gave me a nod and waved his arm. “Lead the way.”

My wings shot from my back and I gave them a little flutter, hoping they wouldn’t freeze over. I scooped Collins up into my arms and took off into the wind. Behind me Shylock carried Savina while the others flew in a tight protective circle around us. I tried to keep as close to the ground as possible in case Tephine showed up or the weather took us down. But we made it to the edge of the forest without incident. I dropped down just inside the tree line and gave the others a chance to catch up.

“The sooner we get this stone, the sooner we turn this place back into the oasis it should be: warm, colorful, sunny, pleasant. I’m thinking happy warm thoughts.” A shiver shook her from head to toe.

Sandra dusted herself off. “What are we doing here?”

“Getting the help we need.”

I walked deeper into the forest and the snow and ice began to get lighter under the cover of the frozen canopy of crystal trees. It was like one large igloo where nothing could penetrate the thick layer of ice that’d formed from the raging wings and storm. It was quieter here, so quiet I could hear my own footsteps in the snow. Flurries drifted down toward us in a light dance while the sound of the raging winds pelted the frozen canopy. The creaking of the trees was almost eerie, yet I found this place almost beautiful in the way it was frozen in time.

“It’s almost beautiful. If it wasn’t so Arctic.” Collins looked up into the trees. “I can feel the crystals wanting to be free of this, but also they’re kind of hibernating under the hold of the ice.”

“I don’t see anyone, Bash.” Shylock spun in a circle looking around.

When I looked to the trees, I spotted those gleaming little houses that were all built high in the air around the trunks of crystal trees. They were covered in thick layers of ice and snow that made them blend in with the tree trunks. The rope bridges that hung between each of them were not solid ice and didn’t sway with the wind. Instead, they looked like branches going from one home to another.

Sets of eyes peeked down from the windows at us all. I lifted my hand and gave them a slight wave. “We’ve returned and brought some friends with us.”

Dozens of fae rushed from the houses down to meet us. They were more heavily bundled than before in a thick fur coat with a hood and matching boots. I could no longer see their faces as they too were covered in winter gear and goggles. Their breaths came in puffs of smoke. Our names being whispered filtered through the air as they all surrounded us.

Collins leaned in closer to me. “I don’t really remember all of this.”

“You wouldn’t. You were kind of unconscious.” I didn’t want to think about the last time we were here and how rough a shape she’d been in.

“Ah, well at least I didn’t scare them off.”

I raised my voice just a tad so they all could hear me. “We’re looking for Aphid.”

“I am here, my prince.” Aphid stepped out from the rest of the village and pulled his hood and face covering off. He was taller than most, with dark skin that held a pearly sheen. His hair was a few shades darker than his skin and was cut tight to his head, revealing his pointed ears. He looked down at Collins. “Stone Keeper, it is lovely to see you well.”

“I’m sorry we didn’t get the chance to formally meet before.” She offered Aphid her hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Aphid.”

A wide smile spread across his face as he took her hand and shook it. “A pleasure.”

He took a step back and then others were almost drawn to Collins. They moved in closer to her, taking turns to shake her hand and give her a small bow. She spoke to the villagers, taking her time to meet each of them. It was never like this with my mother. They never wanted to know her, to meet her. With Collins here, there was a sense of hope about them.

Aphid walked to stand next to me. “She feels like there might be our future.”

Sandra smiled at him. “I’ve always known she would be.”

“I did too. From the moment I met her.” I couldn’t take my eyes off her. We were in the middle of the most dire mission of our lives, yet the wellbeing of her people still came first.

Aphid smirked in her direction. “So, my prince, what brings you here? And how can we help?”

“It’s a lot to ask.” I didn’t want to lie to them or make them think this would be safe in any way.

“We’re ready for it. We knew once she returned the battle would be hard fought.” He nodded in Collins’ direction. “We’re ready.”

“Glad to hear it, mate.” Sherlock moved to his other side. “Because we need to launch a full frontal attack on that castle to give Bash and Collins a chance to get to Crystal Henge undetected so that they can make a deal with an entity we’re not entirely sure can be trusted—all to break the bond that Tephine has made with your realm. Which means we can’t actually kill her, but we can maim and hurt her as much as possible. Frankly, it’d be helpful if we did.”

“Nothing like a large info dump on someone, mate.” Weston turned to Aphid. “What he really means to say is, we’d appreciate any help you could possibly give us.”

Aphid’s jaw dropped and he looked from me to the others. He shook himself and scrubbed his hand down his face. “All right then.”

The others all stood in a loose circle around us. When Collins glanced my way, she gave me a small nod and hurried back to my side. “Aphid, anything you can do to help would be amazing, but if you don’t want to put anyone in danger, we understand.”

He shook his head. “We need to stand up to her. Now is the time.”

“Excellent.” Shylock smirked. “The additional forces will be most welcome.”

“With a few exceptions,” Collins chimed in.

Aphid grew deadly serious. “I can assure you we are all capable of doing what needs to be done, Stone Keeper.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Collins motioned to some of the villagers behind us. “Your supplies are low and I’m sure Tephine has ample supplies for all. While some of you attack, the rest can pillage the castle for supplies. Take what you can and bring it back for the village.”

Sandra smirked at Collins. “Excellent idea. I’ll lead the party to strip the castle down.”

“I’ll go with you. I spent more days in that castle than I care to admit.” Jada sighed. “I know where everything is.”

“That leaves Weston and me to help with the attack.” He glanced at Savina. “And you’ll be taking on Tephine if she shows.”

Savina nodded. “With pleasure.”

“Don’t forget us.” Aphid motioned to the villagers.

They pulled weapons fashioned from crystals from under their coats. Daggers and swords of all different colors shined in their hands. Some held bags of something I didn’t recognize. Others had long spears and even bow and arrows.

“I’ll get Collins to Crystal Henge as quickly as possible.” My heart hammered in my chest as I thought of holding her close and being her only line of defense.

“Right, don’t summon anything, Collins. At least not until the distraction starts.” Shylock pinched the bridge of his nose. “The only question is how to signal you that it’s started.”

Aphid smiled. “How about a great big explosion? Would that work?”

Collins chuckled and the sound sent goosebumps over my skin. “And how are you going to do that?”

“We’ve been waiting for you for a long time, Stone Keeper.” He winked. “I suppose this will be a proper welcome.”

“When shall we start?” Shylock looked to the rest of us. “There is a certain element of surprise that comes from acting now.”

I scooped Collins up into my arms and held her close to my chest. “Now it is.”

“Remember the sign,” Weston reminded as I started fluttering my wings.

“And stay as hidden as possible.” Sandra pressed her hand to Collins cheek, then took a step back.

“I will, Mom. Don’t worry.” Collins huddled in closer to me. “Let’s get this going. I’m freezing.”

“We’ll meet you all at the portal. Collins will shoot up a turquoise warning once we’ve got the crystal, and that’ll be your signal to retreat and meet us at the portal.” Once I got their agreements, I took off flying through the trees.

Only a few weeks ago I would’ve soared above the canopy to avoid all the branches, but if we were going to go undetected for as long as possible, I had to keep low to the ground and stay under the cover of the storm. The ice pelted against my skin, but growing up here gave me the immunities to the cold that Collins didn’t have. She huddled in close to my chest, pressing her face to my skin. Her body quaked and I wanted to slow down to make this easier on her, but nothing in the world would be easier for her. I pumped my wings faster, trying to get to Crystal Henge as quickly as possible.

When we got closer to the palace, I could hardly take my eyes off it. A quarter of it was missing. It’d crumbled down the side of the mountain it sat on top of after Collins and I had made our escape attempt. It now looked like a frozen avalanche out of the side of the castle.

Collins’ eyes widened as she took it all in. “We did that?”

I gave her nod, not daring to speak a word as we flew by as quickly as possible. When I glanced over my shoulder, I saw the others start to make their way from the forest toward the castle. A thrill went through me at the thought of the villagers finally standing up for themselves and getting a bit of their own revenge for the way they’d been oppressed and treated by my mother for years. In truth I hoped they’d be able to take out the rest of the castle. I only wished we’d be there to see it.

But we had our own mission, and it would be the most important part of our mission to take my mother down for good. We were by the castle in mere moments, and I let go of a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. My mother hadn’t come out to meet us. There was no sign of Venus either. I could only hope in all their overconfidence and audacity that they’d grown too comfortable in Third Realm, and it would leave them vulnerable to a surprise attack.

When we got closer to Crystal Henge, the snow got even deeper. I twisted and turned, making sure not to disturb the snow or anything else. I didn’t want to leave even a hint that we’d been there. Even if the snow would cover it, my paranoia forced me to be twice as careful.

The stones were covered in thick layers of ice hiding their beautiful colors under the pristine white snow. I’d been told that Crystal Henge was nearly an exact replica of Stonehenge in First Realm but I hadn’t seen it yet. They were all lined in a circle around us of all different shapes and sizes. I dropped down in the middle of it and let Collins slide down my body. The snow was up to my knees and up to Collins’ thighs.

“I’m all for winter wonderland, but this is awful. This place was beautiful with the different colors.” She placed her hand on the stone in the center of it all and whipped away the layer of snow on top of it.

I rested my hand over hers. “We will restore it all to its former beauty.”

“Damn straight.” She pulled her hand from mine and spun in a circle. Her turquoise magic flew from her hands down to the ground. “The sorrow is great here.”

“What do you mean?” I would never be able to understand how she communicated with the crystals. But I would help her in any way I could.

“They feel the pain of the fae here. They mourn the land. They know exactly what’s happening, and they want it to end.” Her turquoise eyes sparkled with unshed tears when she turned to face me. “The stones are sad, angry, and desperate to feel the joy of the earth again.”

“And we shall give it to them.” I glanced back in the direction of the castle, waiting for the signal. “But first the hematite crystal. We take this one step at a time, and we will get there and give this world the peace it deserves.”

Just then a large explosion rocked the side of the castle, the boom echoing off the mountains. In a world of white and gray, that one bomb lit it up in a bright-orange. Black smoke billowed up toward the sky.

Collins sucked in a sharp breath. “Holy shit.”

“Now, Collins! Now!”

She turned and slapped her hand down on the stone at the center, and they all flared to life. Bright colors burst from below the thick ice covering. The crystals vibrated around us. The ice cracked and broke with the vibrations, and the colors grew even brighter. I looked over my shoulder toward the castle, praying we’d go unnoticed. A blast of wind shot through Crystal Henge, forcing the snow away from us. It shot up around us and formed a bubble. For a moment it looked like we stood in the middle of a snow globe. Everything was so still even the snowflakes hovered in the air.

Crystals of all shapes and sizes shot from the ground and up into the air around us. They too hovered there in the air around us. Each one twinkled like stars in the sky. The braids blew back from Collins’ face and she threw her head back. Her eyes glowed that bright aquamarine color. I didn’t know what kind of communication was happening, but I knew Collins wasn’t here with me. The hair on the back of my neck stood at attention and I felt like we were here for too long, even though it’d only been moments. I twisted my ring and my sword sprang to life in my hand. Energy built around us and sizzled in the air. The floating crystals grew brighter, and the lights reflected on the snow around us.

In the distance, the sound of explosions and yelling echoed, and I knew the battle with Tephine was in full swing.

The stone in front of Collins split wide open and a black hematite crystal emerged from the depth of it. It was the size of a small ball but not smooth. It was raw and jagged with different facets to each side. It seemed to glow from within. Collins opened her hand, and when the stone fell into it, she closed her eyes and whispered to the crystals around her.

“Thank you. And we will return soon.” She closed her fingers around the stone and turned toward me. “Let’s go.”

She hurried toward me and the floating crystals around us grew even brighter. She raised her hand, and they shot straight up into the air. They spun like a tornado and grew even brighter. When they rose high enough into the sky, they burst with her glowing aquamarine power, signaling the others that we got the stone. I swooped her up in my arms and fluttered my wings, taking off as fast as I could. The world zoomed by us. I flew faster, trying to get as far from our signal as I could. I didn’t want to draw attention to us, but it was our only way of letting them know it was time to get the hell out of there.

When we were far enough, I started to slow my pace. Collins had one hand wrapped in my jacket and the other holding the stone close to her chest. We made it close enough to the portal that I felt we could stop and wait for the others. Collins placed her feet down in the snow and looked up at me.

“Seriously.” She shook from head to toe. “No one flies that quickly.”

I turned back to look at the castle, hoping the others would emerge. But there in the distance were those blue flames that I’d seen in MoVaun’s home. I froze, my eyes locked on those flames. It was like they called to me. Something inside me was pulled toward them. I needed to see it up close.

“Bash!” Collins snapped. “Are you listening?”

I needed to touch it.

“We have to keep moving but maybe not so fast this time.”

I wondered what it would feel like to hold the blue flame in my hand.

She hit my arm. “Bash, come on.”

I needed to know more . . . to see more.

She wrapped her hand in my jacket and gave it a tug. “Bash, we have to go. I’m freezing.”

I pulled my jacket from my shoulders and wrapped it around her. I glanced around and sensed nothing was amiss. “You should be safe here.”

Her brow furrowed in confusion. “What are you talking about? Bash, this isn’t the plan.”

I heard her words, but they didn’t register. I needed to know where the flames came from. “Stay here, stay hidden, I just need to see where these blue flames lead.”

And then I took off with my wings carrying me as fast as they could.