Moon Shimmers(46)
I often wondered if I’d meet any of Smoky’s siblings, but wasn’t sure I wanted to. Out of two clutches, only a younger brother and three sisters survived. Hyto was to thank for their mortality rate, as well.
“What was the outcome? Will they support me when the Great Fae Lords wake? Will they support Talamh Lonrach Oll?” That’s what it all came down to.
“They will support you, and me. The debate was heated, but Mother pointed out that times have changed. Shadow Wing is on the fly, and the spirit seals have been found. We’re already backing you in the demonic war. This is one step further. The world will change. All of the realms will, regardless of what they want. We are coming to a crossroads in history, as we did with the Great Divide.”
I nodded, my eyes on the road. “Yeah, we are. And I need to pass my thanks on to Vishana. Having your people behind me means so much. As bad as Shadow Wing is, I have no idea what to expect with the Fae Lords.”
“I know, my love. I know.” A tendril of Smoky’s hair rose and slowly stroked my shoulders.
From the backseat, Morio let out a sigh. “I confess, I have a strong fear that when you find the Keraastar Diamond and bring the Knights to bear, it will somehow trigger the path for Shadow Wing to come barreling through so the prophecy can be completed. There’s no real basis for my fear, but it’s there nonetheless.”
“I thought of that myself,” I said, turning onto a two-lane highway. We were headed into the wilds now. In the short time that Aeval and Titania had established the Sovereign Fae Nation, it was as though the land had taken new life, with trees and shrubs bursting forth with a massive amount of new growth.
Talamh Lonrach Oll stood at two thousand acres and Aeval had recently put in a bid on another fifteen hundred. The government had ordered a limit of five thousand acres for now, and I had no doubt within a year we’d be at that number. I also had the sneaking suspicion that Aeval and Titania were working magic to push the boundaries on that limit.
As we approached the ten-foot-tall silver-plated gates, I could feel the rush of earth energy. The elementals were happy, and the land was thick with life. Cedar and fir abounded, and stands of birch and maple. The Fae had planted an oak grove last year and the trees were springing up so incredibly fast. The ferns were waist high, and huckleberry bushes abounded, along with salmonberry and blackberry brambles and—unfortunately—stinging nettles. Skunk cabbage lined the stream that flowed through the reserve, and hostas and moss covered the ground.
No electricity was allowed within the borders of the gates, but magic was rife and energy itself thick and available. There were plenty of amenities, but they weren’t powered by the outer world. No outsiders were allowed in without good reason, though occasionally Titania and Aeval would host days when guests could apply to visit, and a limited number of passes were granted.
I slowed as we approached the gates. Guards, ten of them, were watching the gate. The Fae militia was deadly and accurate in their aim. The guards motioned for us to pull in. The road curved toward the left, into a large parking lot. There were a number of cars here, most belonging to the Fae who lived on this land. This was as far as motorized vehicles were allowed to go. From here, it was either hoof it or take a horse and carriage.
Speaking of which, two carriages were waiting, each drawn by a pair of gorgeous horses. Friesians, the horses were a good sixteen hands high, black as the inky night. They were strong and muscled, with a curling mane that rivaled Fabio’s hair. Feathers flowed off the fetlocks, trimmed neatly so it billowed as they ran but didn’t drag on the ground.
Smoky, Morio, and I took one carriage, while Menolly, Delilah, and Vanzir rode in the other. The lack of noise from the outer world—no electrical wires humming, no cars, no televisions or stereos playing—lulled me, calming my nerves. The sound of birdsong still echoed even though dusk had fallen and twilight was nearing. As I leaned back and closed my eyes, the pinpricks of magic skittered over my skin. This was old, deep magic. Fae magic, that saturated the land and everything on it.
Usually, when we came here, we had to borrow the carriage and drive ourselves, but from now on, that would be different. Ever since the proclamation went out about my impending ascent to the throne, I had always found a driver waiting for me, even on the visits where I hadn’t let them know in advance that I was coming.
“How many do you think live out here now?” Smoky asked, keeping his voice soft.
“I don’t know, but now that they are increasing the acreage to thirty-five hundred, I think that there will be quite a few Fae coming out here.” I fell silent again, listening to the click-clack of the horses’ hooves as they lightly trotted over the cobblestone path. Talamh Lonrach Oll was a wending maze of paths, with a lake at the center. The houses here were single story. No two-story houses were permitted, and absolutely no skyscrapers or apartment towers of any kind. The power that fueled the stoves and refrigerators came from geothermal energy, from the wind and the sun, and from magic.