10. Smash

10

SMASH

M y Livingtree Valorhome is full to the brim this evening with Summer Fae who have joined our revolution. As I glance around, I’m humbled by those with me now; a top-level council of the Summer Fae, we sit in the largest living area inside the main trunk of my tree, which can hold the most people.

These Fae have come to be a part of a massive wave of revolution that’s building between the Fae, Dark Fae, and even the Vampires. It’s impressive, but this council isn’t just drawn from Summer Fae nobility. There are those here who have been important to the revolution since its inception, those who have saved Dark Fae for centuries.

Who come from all walks of Summer Fae life.

It’s everything I could have ever wanted in a revolution for the Summer Fae. Strangely, it’s been brought together now by the simple fact that I am no longer one of them.

In this room, regular Summer Fae sit or stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their Dark Summer Fae brethren, including comrades and families, finally reunited. It’s beautiful, and I pause a moment now, reveling in the gathering, though the council continues to address our revolution’s most pressing matters.

Our words are carried by the Livingtree to every ear here tonight; Valorhome is packed all through its inner galleries and upper floors, even far out onto its stout branches for this talk. Thanks to the tree’s echoing magic, anyone inside or even sitting upon its branches can listen to and speak in this council tonight.

Adding their thoughts to our revolution.

“Lucca?” Alleno interrupts me now as he looks at me from where he sits to my right at the massive table inside the hall. “If we can petition the Dark Fae at the Hidden City of Venice to send some people to our final muster, do you think they would?”

“I think they might consider it.” I nod, though Ariana has been the one most in touch with the Dark Fae there, ever since we came back. “Ariana is building a relationship with one Sage, a man named Gideon. He says the rest of the Sages were impressed by what we accomplished there, liberating ourselves from the Gold Eyes. It may take some convincing, but a few of them might join us once we’re ready to make a run on the Palace of Light to unseat my father. It’s an angle I’ll have her work on.”

“It might just give us the edge we need, in a pinch,” Illyria Amati says now, where she sits with Adicus Briarwick to my left. “Thanks to our operations, we have secured forty percent of the Summer Fae military who were Dark Fae in hiding, or had family who were. It’s a good amount, but not quite enough to battle King Bellari directly, if it comes to that.”

“The Darkwatch is similar,” Adicus says as he glances at his wife. “Nearly a full third of them have defected to us now, eschewing the Darkwatch itself, but still watching over their charges. Phelio and I have formed a new Darkwatch under a joint command with our united magic as its pinnacle.” Adicus nods to Alleno’s uncle Phelio Massi now, sitting near him. Phelio is the current Darkwatch leader, and a Dark Fae like my cousin.

“We need to get the families our Darkwatch protect to safety, lest King Bellari has the idea to attack those families and kill their Darkwatch protectors.” Phelio scowls now, dark. “And the Darkwatch we have are not enough to battle either the King’s still-loyal Brightwatch or the rest of the Darkwatch head-on.”

“The Magistros Courts are doing what we can to bring the issue of unlawfulness of the King’s reign to the people,” an aged Magistro says from where he sits to the right of Alleno. Dressed in long cobalt blue robes with silver embroidery, his grizzled form is ancient but kind with his bushy white eyebrows and long silver beard.

Serenitus Eldanni is one of the most important people here tonight; he’s been High Magistro of the Summer Fae Greater Court for centuries, ever since the reign of Quinn’s father. His piercing blue gaze takes us all in now, as he continues.

“As many of you now know, the Greater Court has found a precedent in our ancient past of a Summer Fae King being removed from his station when he refused to take the voice of his Courts into account in his rulings. It’s an ancient and little-known law, and has not been used in over ten thousand years. It’s there, however, and states that should a King or Queen give ten significant rulings in a row without consulting their Greater or Lesser Courts, that said Courts may take a vote to remove the monarch from their station. In such a case, the Courts would rule until the next suitable monarch could be found. By our count, the King has dismissed us on nine significant rulings in a row recently. One more, and we would have a lawful way to remove him from his high seat.”

“He’ll never go without a fight,” I say, even as I nod to High Magistro Eldanni for his input. “Though it gladdens my heart to know a law is in our books to remove a tyrant monarch, my father isn’t known for being defeated. He’s going to resist—and the Magistros need an army behind their ruling when it happens. We have some of that army now, but not enough, not yet.”

“More are coming to your banner every day. I’ve seen how they flock to the Red Letter Hotel Florence from the city and beyond. Even the common people are ready to fight for you, Lucca Bellari. And all the equality you represent.” Bello Bellissimo speaks up from halfway down the table, twirling his black mustachios. Sitting beside others from the Ilanti Rustico section of Florence, it turns out the area I’ve most loved in my beloved city also holds the largest population of Dark Fae in hiding.

Of which, Bello is their chosen spokesperson, leader of a clandestine Dark Fae saving operation through his pizza shop, for centuries.

“I won’t put regular citizens in harm’s way for a battle, Bello.” My voice is quiet, my look level as I regard him. “If fighting spills out into the streets of Florence or comes to the Red Letter Hotel again, it will be good if people are ready. But in order to make a run on the Palace of Light and secure a coup against my father, we need trained warriors. No offense.”

“None taken.” Bello gives an unflustered smile as he laces his fingers across his rotund belly. “Still. I do not believe you should dismiss the courage, magic, and heart of our regular people when push comes to shove. They will defend their home from a tyrant. And anyone else who comes to take it.”

“This council will most certainly keep that in mind.” I give Bello a deep nod of acknowledgment. “Adicus and I already have plans to make caches of weapons and protective charms for homes available throughout the city. We will not leave our people unaided. And we will give them the tools to fight, should it come to that.”

“Good.” Bello nods to me now, as he beams his big smile.

“We still need more support for a run on the palace,” Illyria says as her dark gaze pierces me. “Quinn has to leave a number of his Kissed Vampires and Dark Fae at the Red Letter Hotel Florence to protect it from the threat of the Vampire Council. Still, could he spare his three returned Revenants, for the day we attack the Palace of Light?”

“I can ask.” I frown now. “Those three have minds of their own, however, and though they are Kissed to Quinn now, those bonds are mostly just a formality. They are tremendously powerful; in the end, they will do only what they wish to. I do not think we can count on them… th ough I’m sure they would join Quinn in an attack on the Vampire Council. Just maybe not one upon the Summer Fae King.”

“We should plan without them.” Adicus steeples his fingertips, his elbows on his chair arms. “No good general counts on forces that are only loosely aligned with our aims. If they have no grievance with the Summer Fae King, they may not see it as imperative to support our invasion, though they respect Lucca and the Music. Speaking of… what chance do we have at using the Music to bolster our aims?”

“More than before.” I draw a deep breath. I can hear the faint singing of the Music inside my ears now, ever since the Gold Eyes’ influence was removed from us. It is there night and day now; but rather than be a hindrance, I find it soothing.

As I let that vast sound calm me now, I explain. “Quinn, Ariana, and I have removed the Gold Eyes’ connection to our Night magic. We can now use the Music at will, raising it between our trio. Though we can finally wield it with intention, it still makes Ascendant Sigils somewhat spontaneously—it’s not something we control yet, either what they say or how much energy they carry. Quinn and Ariana intend to fight with us the day we attack the Palace of Light, but we can’t count on the Music doing anything specific for us in battle just yet. We’ll raise it and sustain it… but it will do as it does, for now.”

“It will do.” Illyria smiles at me. She reaches out to grip my hand, and I feel her confident war-general’s energy flow into me, bolstering me. “You have a tremendous power in the Music, Lucca Bellari, do not gainsay it. Even acting spontaneously, it has already saved people dear to you many times; I believe that with your bright heart and Quinn’s and Ariana’s strong natures, that pattern will continue. If you learn how to control the Music to do something specific before our day comes, fine. But do not discount your power, simply because it is a wild card in the battle before us.”

Illyria’s words give me hope; drawing a deep breath, I smile my thanks, glad of her immense war-knowledge and support. I’m about to speak, when a massive concussion suddenly rocks the Livingtree.

Shuddering it all the way down into its roots.

“What the—?!” I only rise halfway from my seat, when another massive concussion rocks the tree, then another. Everyone’s rising quickly now, those of us who were sitting—as my big tawny barn owl Altenni flies in fast through one vaulted window in the tree’s trunk.

Seizing my jerkin in her talons, Altenni tosses me up to land astride her feathered back as we rush back out the window. It’s not a moment too soon; as the Livingtree flares with a maelstrom of our protective magic, swirling up through every vault, branch, and dome of the tree’s blossoms and leaves, three more terrible concussions hammer the tree to its very roots.

Those who are with us tonight leap from windows and branches to their own trained hawks, eagles, and falcons, others spreading auric wings to surge up into the falling night. As Altenni wings me up high over the treehouse, I see a massive army seething through the forest’s silver leaves.

My father, the Summer Fae King’s army—who already has Valorhome surrounded.

I have no idea how they got this close, since hundreds of wards have been set up throughout the forest and fields for miles, to hide us from my father. But here are his armies, marching on us now with the shining silver armor of the Brightwatch, plus the deep grey shadow gear of his yet-loyal Darkwatch interspersed among them.

We have no time to coordinate a defense; our allies are simply pouring out of the Livingtree now, hammering volleys of bright magic down upon the invaders below.

But we’re already hemmed in. As Altenni takes me over the battle, I see a massive, coordinated strike of magic go off again from inside my father’s forces. Something about that lance of energy is wrong, as it strikes right at the Livingtree’s heartwood, blasting my nearby allies away like paper dolls .

As awful silver sap spills out of my ages-old tree, the massive thing giving a horrible shudder right down to its roots, I see some kind of black spiderweb of magic wrap around the Livingtree like a leviathan’s tentacles.

As another volley of wretched, black magic hammers my tree, I see that tentaculate hand crunch down and rip. It’s then that I know what my father’s forces are trying to do.

Bring down my treehouse—and smash our rebellion to bits along with it.

It’s a hard, brutal fight now as Royal Summer Fae from our rebellion fly down on auric wings, massive Faeanic spears lengthening from our hands, and attack. But with their clever, vicious drives of strangely black-hued magic raging from their tightly controlled attacks, the Brightwatch and Darkwatch assailing us have an almost impenetrable strength to their magic.

Though my people use guerrilla tactics, coordinated by Illyria and Adicus now in two fronts as they flash through the silver leaves of the Livingtree to clash with my father’s forces, we’re not united in our power like Quinn’s United Haven. Some of those here are bonded to me, like Alleno; but though I’m technically bonded to the United Haven of Florence, I’m not a master at calling upon that magic yet, not like Quinn.

I use what we have, however, plus my own commander’s skills, to lead a third front that flashes through the trees, led by myself and my owl. Alleno’s uncle leads half our Darkwatch in a fourth front, as we all avoid the strongest concentration of power from the invading army leveled at my tree.

Still, my father’s forces have some sort of magical edge, as I see our people get hammered back again and again. As the Music roars through me now, the fighting is furious and fast. The night rings with voices shouting and spears clashing, the falling darkness lit by blazes of every-color magic.

But I still feel something evil in this opposing force; as if some dark film lies upon my father’s best, there’s something uniting them in an ungodly way that isn’t normal for Summer Fae magic.

As my father’s army uses their combined power to blast my Livingtree again, I am suddenly able to see its black, oily magic. As the Music blazes through me, my auric wings spread wide and my visage already shifted to my animalistic Fae brutality for this hard, fast battle, I feel a terrible, dark sensation touch me.

I suddenly see roped strings and coils, tentacles of black magic strung throughout my father’s army like a thousand-limbed octopus, reaching out to bind them as one.

I feel the call of the void as everything goes wrathful inside me, and I understand what the Music is showing me; that somehow, the Gold Eyes has spread his taint through this entire army.

Bespelling them to fight like banshees against us—and devour our magic.

Even as I realize it, however, another blast goes off on my tree, making it groan as one entire swath of its roots pulls away from the onslaught, up out of the soil.

It’s then that I understand the reason this army is trying to bring it down. It’s not just to smash us in the Livingtree’s falling trunk and branches, but to take the tree’s energy and harness it to their black, awful will by this terrible power they’re wielding.

Somehow, I know the longer we fight, the more our energy is being drained from us, just like my tree resisting that horrible tentaculate hand trying to bring it down.

It’s as if these are Vampires we’re fighting, rather than Fae. It’s a terrible sensation, like all the life and Light is being sucked right out of me as I suddenly know this is what allowed my father’s army to get past our every ward around this place tonight.

This is how our defense failed so spectacularly, to allow such a massive force of over a thousand fighters in this close. Our people number only a few hundred tonight; we’re badly outnumbered .

And terribly outmatched by this black magic running through my father’s army, draining us.

Pulling Altenni up hard now over the forest, I fetch a small Fae-whistle from my inner jerkin pocket. I blow a three-note command to retreat and heads snap up all around; I watch as all through the trees, our allied forces wing up hard now and haul ass out of the forest.

It’s not a moment too soon. As yet another massive wave of magic hammers my Livingtree right down to its deepest roots, making it groan and shudder from the strain of remaining in place now, I feel the Gold Eyes’ power drain it like a demon.

Furious in its desire to punish me for being free.

As the Livingtree groans its last resistance to that black hand of the Gold Eyes ripping it out, it gives a terrible sigh. I feel it as my tree finally gives in; the power of the Gold Eyes is nothing it can best, and all its branches and roots scream now as one final, furious blast of magic topples it.

The tree goes down with a thunderous crash, felling dozens of lesser trees all around it as its massive roots hurl dirt far up into the darkening sky. As I blow the three-note call again, to retreat to the Red Letter Hotel Florence, I hear Illyria’s whistle, Adicus’, and Alleno’s uncle echo it.

Urgent.

We’re on the move; our people are getting the fuck out now, those who are too tired or injured hitching a ride on the massive birds of prey many of us here have tonight. I take Altenni around fast, blowing my whistle for any who didn’t hear our call to wing up and away, now.

They do. We’re almost clear—but now that my tree has been felled, that terrible black magic of the Gold Eyes is drinking every bit of life left in it as it dies. That awful magic feeds my father’s forces, as they heave up hard into the air now, too.

Renewed by my Livingtree’s power.

Auric wings shine in the night with every color rainbows and black magic as my father’s forces fly up hard to catch us. My people are tired; I see in a moment that with the immense power the King’s army is acquiring from that black hand drinking my tree’s last life, we’re not going to be able to get away. Falling back on Altenni, I haul her around to face the oncoming army.

And open my heart—letting the Music do as it will.

As the Music sings like a bright cascade of spears all through me, bolstered by Quinn, Ariana, and the entire United Haven now, I feel an Ascendant Sigil write itself before me.

The sigil repel shines like dawn and quicksilver in the night, as it blazes with moonlight, then explodes, hammering back my father’s forces and sending them tumbling into the forest below.

It gives us the moment we need, giving my people a chance to escape through massive portals Quinn’s folk are opening for us now as I resist. But one man is not deterred, as I feel his furious intent focus on me now, like a lance in the night.

Riding an enormous red-tailed hawk, Commander Junius Alterri is on my ass like hot steel—bellowing his hawk to rush forward and attack. Before I know it, our birds are locked together in a death dive as they claw and bite, and try to rip out each other’s throats.

Junius and I are no better as we fight with spears and magic, even elbows and fists, hammering at each other with our boots; anything, as our birds freefall with us trapped upon them.

Altenni is big, but she’s nothing compared to Junius’ hawk; as his hawk rips a talon right through one of Altenni’s bright eyes, she screams, then gouges at Junius’ steed blindly with her beak.

We’re all caught now, tangled as the birds hit the ruined canopy, wrestling desperately to either get apart or kill each other as we bounce through the fallen leaves and branches of my felled Livingtree.

As we finally crash land upon the wrecked forest floor, Junius and I narrowly saving ourselves and our steeds from becoming mincemeat by two quick surges of magic, we scatter apart on the ripped-up loam.

I’m up fast, but Junius is faster. Something inside me just feels so drained as we rush together; I miss my parry of his drive, and his spear thrusts right through my upper thigh.

Blazing agony devours me; with a cry, I’m down, instinctually rolling away and blocking with my own spear, so I can stave off any mortal strikes. But something about that spear thrust has undone me. A cold darkness sears through the wound, viciously awful, as it saps me of all energy now.

I shiver and shake on the ground. I can’t move, can’t raise my spear; striding towards me, Junius whistles sharply as I see his big hawk get a deep bite on Altenni’s neck.

Ready to finish her.

“Don’t kill her. She’s a good owl. We may need her.” Junius is curt as he commands his hawk to stop. It’s the only thing I’m grateful for, as he stares down at me now in our ruined copse of massive, upheaved roots and broken branches, withered flowers still raining down around us in the night.

“What did you do to me?” I gasp, barely able to lift my head now from the ruined moss. I try to send a quick thought to Quinn and Ariana about my predicament; but my bonds to them feel like mud inside me, heavy.

Though my bonds to them are still there, my message to them just isn’t getting through; we’ve gotten in the habit of closing off our connection to each other when we’re in conferences, because of the vast confusion that assails us, listening to so many conversations at once.

I know our folly now, however, as I can only hope Quinn and Ariana felt my desperate roar of the Music when I dug into the United Haven to support me in this battle.

Now, I glance at Junius’ spear, even as he does—knowing that strike paralyzed my ability to use my bonds, just as much as it paralyzed my own magic and my body.

Terrible black sigils spiral all through the white-silver wood of the Faeanic spear, like nothing I’ve ever seen. They’re forbidding, ghastly in the night.

And I know where I’ve experienced magic like that before .

“Your father told me to use this,” Junius says with a complex gaze now as he hefts the spear in his hand, then looks at me. “He said I might need it if you tried to escape.”

“So that’s all this was? A revenge mission to come get me?” I growl now, livid. But the weight of my head is too heavy; it plunks to the ground, no matter how hard I try to lift it.

The Music finally silences within me, along with the rest of my power.

“He did a deal with the devil, Junius,” I say now, even as my breaths become labored from how deeply this horrible wound is draining me. “My father did a deal with the Gold Eyes, the Descendant Staphylogenes… and now all your army has the Gold Eyes’ terrible magic running through them, including you. And it all focuses… inside that spear.”

As my eyes flick to it, I know I’m right. Because even though the Music no longer sings inside me, I see a flash of how the cold, void bonds inside Junius stream towards that spear, along with all his other fighters, elsewhere in the night.

Not to mention the black tentacles that still drain my Livingtree to death.

“It doesn’t matter.” Junius’ voice is soft as he plants the spear in the ruined loam and hunkers beside me. “I’m to take you back to your father, Lucca, willing or no. So you can answer for the crimes you have committed against the Summer Fae… not to mention leading this rebellion that made criminals of our best people, driving a vast schism deep into the Summer Fae’s heart.”

“That schism was already there, created by my father. It was him who unleashed such terrible pogroms against the Dark Summer Fae, his own people. He divided our families and killed our loved ones, thanks to the Gold Eyes’ influence goading him. It wasn’t me who started this war. It was them,” I say, rasping now, even as I fight to keep my eyes open and my voice moving.

Heavy and cold, it’s like I’m succumbing to a slow paralysis, as everything inside me gradually drains. I feel it as the very last of my Livingtree’s life is sapped now, channeled into the black spear Junius holds via those awful tentacles of black magic.

All of that energy courses through me now, struck into me by the spear. All the power of two armies, Valorhome, and those who were killed tonight are pouring through me now, silencing every last bit of magic inside me, thanks to the Gold Eyes’ terrible sways.

At last, I can’t move. I can’t even speak anymore as Junius kneels beside me, watching me succumb. Something in his gaze is troubled, however, since I’ve mentioned the Gold Eyes. For the first time, I see doubt flash in his eyes for my father’s reign.

But my eyelids are too heavy.

They close—and I’m gone.