27. Roots

27

ROOTS

I stand with Alleno in the late-summer field, and gaze upon the ruins of my treehouse. A Fae’s Livingtree is never finished; but this one is now, felled in the battle of the Summer Fae that claimed it.

Standing with my hands on my hips, I take it in, this beautiful tree which had stood since time immemorial. It is dead now, uprooted and fallen over, its spreading limbs crushed and its flowers all fallen. Everything of my once-home is gone, except for a few personal items Alleno has recovered in the past few days as he scoured it. But the tree itself is dead.

And it is never coming back.

With a deep breath, I move forward, setting my hands on its massive fallen trunk. I close my eyes in the late afternoon, feeling for the very heart of the tree which once sang so loudly I could hear it day and night. Now, it is a tired thing, only the barest whisper of that ancient song left. But just as Alleno said, there is yet a whisper of this tree alive.

And a whisper is all I need.

“Where did you say the roots were still in the ground?” I turn to Alleno as I open my eyes. In his charcoal Darkwatch attire, he stands in the late afternoon shadows of the glade and nods me towards the far left of the gargantuan root bundle, which thrusts far up into the clear blue sky.

“This way,” Alleno says, as he leads the way.

We traverse our way around the tree’s towering roots, using our Fae magic to leap up onto broken roots high as houses, then down into their gulleys as we search for the root bundle Alleno mentioned.

Finally, we find it. As we jump into a deep pit within the earth now where the very heartwood of the tree was dug up as it fell, along with its deepest, most entrenched roots, I see it.

Just a slender, long side-root, it’s still buried in the loose soil that was thrown about when the tree thundered over during the battle. It’s there that I see it; the smallest sapling, it’s only a hand’s width high.

Shining with bright silver-green leaves and a small cluster of moon-white flowers right at the very top.

“There you are…!” Joy cascades all through me to know this tree is not completely lost. For the old tree has put every ounce of its dying song into this new sproutlet; fierce, I feel the renewal of that surviving sapling roar through my ears now, deep into my heart as I approach it.

I kneel in my tawny Fae leathers, touching the sprout’s leaves. It shivers at my touch, singing brighter now that it knows I have come to claim it.

Giving me permission to dig it from the earth—and make this Livingtree once again mine.

I place my hands on my heart. Going into a light trance, I say a heartfelt prayer for the life of the tree, for the lives of those who will enjoy it, and for the lives of the Fae and the earth and all others who walk upon it.

The tree feels my prayer; I feel its song brighten more for me to take it. I reach down into the loose soil as I spread my auric power wide; my Dark Summer Fae wings roll from me in a beautiful spread as I kneel on both knees now in the late afternoon, to draw the new tree from the earth.

My bright rainbows cascade a deeper color, shimmering with gold and cobalt, finally balanced in my Light and Night. As an autumn breeze freshens the late afternoon air, I feel it bolster me, making my power flow into the little tree, helping it live.

All at once, the tree resonates with my power. Singing fills it as I give it my revelry; it grows seven hand-span in an instant, rushing up into a true sapling now.

It spreads out with long limbs and shining leaves, and shimmering white flowers all over it. Joy fills me, as I know this tree is to be mine.

Like its parent tree before it, it will come home with me and be a haven for my beloveds, as the old tree was in its time. I slide my hands deeper into the soil to feel where the nearly dead roots of the old tree have grown the new tree’s roots deep into the soil. With care, I untangle them, asking them to come unwound.

As I thank the old tree for its life—and allow it to sing its last.

I witness, as the old tree passes what’s left of its life force into the new sapling, giving the new tree its song. The new tree brightens a hundredfold; shooting up now, it grows into a strong young tree that stands a few feet above my head.

It fills out with leaves and flowers as the trunk thickens in an instant. The roots grow longer, deep into the soil. At last, I nod at Alleno, who stands ready with a tree-gathering cloth of the Summer Fae, a shimmering white wrap made especially for transplanting Livingtrees such as this.

As Alleno spreads his Fae-aura and sinks his hands into the soil all around us, clearing it away but leaving the tree’s roots intact, I lift the young tree up from beneath. It comes gladly, ready to be mine, though it still clings to some of its old soil and parent roots.

Alleno and I move it over, settling it upon the shimmering white cloth. The young tree sings for the new life it will have, as I feel the old tree breathe its last. As some final energy leaves the gargantuan behemoth, several limbs crack and fall, enormous roots tumbling with them to rest upon the forest floor.

But Alleno and I, and the young tree, are unharmed as we gather up the edges of the cloth, cinching them into a ball via a wide silver-gold ribbon threaded through the margins of the cloth. The tree is ready to travel; heaving it up on our auric wings, we fly back up to one of the highest, oldest roots.

To wait for Altenni, whom I can feel coming to us.

My enormous tawny barn owl sweeps in on silent wings as the first shadows of evening settle. With a soft hoot, she nuzzles me with her beak; preening my hair affectionately, she head bumps me, then has one for Alleno.

As she lets us tie the tree to a saddle I rarely use on her, she preens gore from between her massive talons with her beak. Though one of her bright eyes is gone now, it hasn’t hampered her one bit. Altenni went out hunting while we were looking for the new tree; she must have caught something large, like a deer or stag, her demeanor pleased as we load her up.

As the young tree is secured, Alleno and I vault up to Altenni’s broad back. We grab fistfuls of her tawny back-feathers as I click my tongue and she flares her wings.

Heaving up into the sky.

It’s not a long flight over the silver forest, back to the glade. As Altenni touches down, I hop off, patting her tawny feathers and glancing up at Alleno, still astride her back. “You good to get this tree over to the Altvie residence?”

“Of course.” Alleno flashes me a smile. “It’s only a five-mile flight. Altenni won’t tire of me and this tree that quickly and dump us.”

“You know Altenni would never dump you.” Still, I give my owl the eyeball and she hoots. She has, occasionally, dumped people I asked her to fly somewhere, if they weren’t with me.

“You headed back to the Palace of Light to rendezvous with Ariana’s parents?” Alleno asks me now before he takes off.

“Quinn’s place.” I shake my head. “Ariana’s parents are with her at the Altvie estate, helping get the inheritance paperwork signed with her so she can take over her family’s old home. The Summer Fae Council meetings are concluded for the next two weeks. So I’ll be at Ariana’s… after I go pick up Quinn at the Red Letter Hotel Florence.”

“End of an era.” Alleno chuckles now as he gazes down at me, smiling but also wistful. “Like your dead Livingtree, so many things are changing now.”

“And we have to change with it.” I nod, as I feel the truth of Alleno’s words.

He pauses, then lifts his chin at me. “Are you going to live full time at Ariana’s? Or are you going to take up a place in the Illanti Rustico? Bello is rebuilding his pizzeria, which he expects will be a hit with both the Vampires and Fae, not to mention the Dark Fae, now that the city is blended in its Light and Night. Apparently, he’ll have some luxurious apartments for sale on the upper floors.”

“Perhaps.” I cock my head now, knowing I’m once again a nomad, since I’ve been living in Quinn’s cathedral apartments at the Hotel, but knowing we’re both being moved out of there as of midnight tonight. “Ariana offered for Quinn and me to stay at her new manor. Though some part of me feels like I might want to keep an extra place in Florence… I don’t know.”

“You’re ready to settle down.” Alleno’s smile is softer now, kind, as his emerald eyes shine in the lowering sun. “I see it written throughout your aura, once-Prince of the Summer Fae. You used to be the consummate bachelor, always fucking around with whomever struck your fancy. Now, you’re a family man with Quinn and Ariana. And it couldn’t suit you better.”

“I don’t feel like I’ve settled ,” I say as I feel a smile blossom all through me. “I feel like I’ve won.”

“You have.” Alleno is serious now as he watches me. “Your beloveds and most of our allies survived not only vanquishing your father for the Summer Fae but also fighting the Vampire Council of Rome, and the Gold Eyes. You’re thrice blessed, Lucca Bellari… and now you get to have yo ur happily ever after. Even though the rest of your life will be filled with political agendas, of course.”

Alleno smiles at this last bit, knowing how extremely busy Ariana, Quinn, and I will be, sitting on our various Councils. Because I’m on the Summer Fae Council now, while Ariana has a seat on the newly formed Dark Fae Alliance with Master Ilyov and Lady Eiseth. Quinn now sits on the reformed, and quite a lot more egalitarian, Vampire Council of Rome, which includes Gunther Spielmann, that Asian Mistress who helped us, and many more who once attended his annual Meeting of the Havens.

Alleno sits the Summer Fae Council with me, along with his uncle Phelio Massi, who is still the pinnacle of the Darkwatch. Ariana’s parents do, as well, along with Commander Junius, Bello Bellissimo, and others who were sympathetic to the rebellion.

Though monarchy has been abolished amongst the Summer Fae, and Rome reopened to us, thanks to our new understanding with the Vampires, the tide of revolution has begun to sweep other Fae Lineages, as well. Many have sent emissaries to us, either to requisition our help to abolish monarchy in their own Lineage, or simply see how it’s working out for us.

The Summer Fae Council, which has taken over the Palace of Light here in Florence, includes seats for elected members from the Royal Houses, the High Houses, and the Low. Magistros seats mix with Scuola seats, Darkwatch shadows sit side-by-side with Brightwatch commanders, and neighborhood leaders from all over Florence.

Peace reigns with the Council’s new edicts, opening up communication, trade, and repairing relations not just with the Forbidden Lineages, but quite a lot more. An age of progress has begun for the Summer Fae.

And we’re all going to be crazy busy figuring it out.

“I don’t mind a bit of political squabbling for my last many centuries.” I grin now, feeling excited at the prospect of it. “Even though we no longer have our Music, I feel Quinn’s influence inside me even more than ever before, with how close we’ve bonded these past months. I feel like it’s high time I got to give a few political lashings with my tongue to those who are still being stubborn about modernization.”

“Combined with Ariana’s convincing soul-presence and your most passionate heart.” Alleno shakes his head now, grinning. “A formidable combination to any who oppose you. Truly.”

“Truly.” I grin back at him as I laugh. It feels good to laugh and have so much joy after all the hardship I’ve endured in my life. I laugh again, just because it feels amazing, making me feel free and mighty all at once.

As I do, my massive Dark Summer Fae aura spreads from me in a surging wave through the glade. Darker than my bright rainbows used to be, they’re more beautiful now, dazzling through the late afternoon sunlight as they shift all through with midnight cobalt, silver, sky-blue, and gold.

Alleno watches it for a long moment, smiling. He looks at me, and so much is in his eyes, as we understand each other.

“Feels good to be free,” Alleno says as he stares down at me from atop Altenni. Unconcerned by our talk, she’s fluffed down in the tall grass of the glade, waiting out our conversation until it’s time to take off.

“Feels amazing,” I concur, nodding. I jut my chin at Alleno as I set my hands on my hips. “Are you going to stay in the Darkwatch?”

“Am I always going to be a barnacle on your ass, watching out for you?” Alleno counters with a knowing smile, lifting an eyebrow at me. “Yes. As for remaining in the Darkwatch, though… I don’t know. Adicus said he’s moving all his horses and hounds to Ariana’s property, since they’re basically moving the entire farm into the Twilight Realm. Said he’ll need someone to look after them, since he’ll be at the Palace so much, working with the Council. I’m thinking about it.”

“You’d be good with Adicus’ animals. Someone needs to oversee the Summers manor when Adicus and Illyria aren’t there. You’d have the place to yourself. Except for when your lovely Devi visits, as you know she would frequently, to check up on Quinn. And you.”

I know Alleno feels nearly as nomadic as I do right now, since he’s barely been at his old apartments in the palace at all since everything went down.

Now that I’m no longer there, he doesn’t feel any reason to stay among the Council and their families, who have taken up residence at the Palace of Light. I know he’s been sleeping out in the forest more nights than not, staring up at the stars, like the ancient Fae of old.

At least, the nights he’s not at Devi’s apartment at the Hotel, getting fucked rotten.

“In any case, I should get going.” Alleno juts his chin at Altenni, fluffed so far down now, her good eye has slipped closed, her beak tucked into her chest as he chuckles affectionately. “She’s going to pass out before I can even get her to the Altvie estate with this tree. Lazy owl.”

“Hey, it’s still technically her sleep hours.” I grin at him. “She’s doing us a favor to be up at this time of day.”

I cluck my tongue at Altenni and she straightens so fast, she nearly makes Alleno fall off backwards.

They’re ready to go now, however, as I stroke Altenni’s neck feathers and give her a good scratch.

“Remember,” I say as I eyeball Alleno, “Don’t put the tree anywhere Ariana will see it. Not before it’s time.”

“I’m not a complete idiot.” He chuckles as he gets a fistful of Altenni’s feathers, ready to fly. “I’ll make sure the tree is well-hidden before you get there. I do have the perfect magic for that, you know.”

“I do know.” I give Altenni a firm pat. “Okay, get going. I’ll see you there later tonight.”

“Sounds good.”

Alleno gives Altenni a firm cluck with his tongue, and they’re off. With a powerful thrust of her massive wings, she takes them up, soaring effortlessly through the deepening blue sky as they fly back towards the Altvie manor in Florence.

I head back to a white Maserati now, parked at the edge of the glade, one Alleno brought. As I lift the passenger door, I see a change of clothing, just as I asked him to bring.

A light sand-colored men’s three-piece suit in the style of the Summer Fae, with russet men’s shoes, I slip it on. All my most elegant yet tasteful men’s jewelry from the palace is here, too, wrist-bands of gold and a torque of gold with aquamarine and sapphire in it, perfect for a casual night out.

I don everything, take a moment to style my hair in the rearview mirror, and I’m ready to go. Hopping in the driver’s side, I fire it up.

Then pull out—roaring over the grass of the glade to a place where I catch a crushed stone road.

Heading into the city.