And they danced and celebrated. Their laughter painted the darkening sky with joy and magick.
It is the ancient magick. Youve touched things here that have been sleeping for ages. None other has awakened the fey. None other had the ability, Sgiach spoke and then slowly, majestically, she bowed her head in homage to me.
Absolutely engulfed in the wonder of the five elements, I took the Queen of Skyes hand, noticing that my blood had stopped running the instant shed flung it around us. Can I share this with other fledglings? If you allow them to come in, can I teach a new generation how to reach the old magick?
She smiled at me through tears that I hoped were from happiness. Yes, Zoey. Because if you cant bridge the gap between the ancient and the modern worlds, I dont know who can. But for now, take this moment. The reality your blood has created will soon fade. Dance with them, young queen. Let them know there is hope that todays world has not completely forgotten the past.
Her words worked on me like a goad and, in time to the sound of bells and pipes and cymbals that I suddenly heard, I began to dance with the creatures my blood had solidified.
Looking back on it, I should have paid more attention to the sharp profile of horns that I glimpsed as I twirled and jumped, arm in arm with the fey. I should have noticed the color of the bulls coat and the gleam in his eye. I should have mentioned his presence to Sgiach. A lot might have been avoided, or at least anticipated, had I known better.
But that night I danced in innocence and the newness of ancient magick revealed, oblivious to any consequences more dire than me feeling tired and drained and needing a big dinner and a good eight hours of sleep.
* * *
You were right. It didnt last very long, I said, breathing heavily as I plopped down next to Sgiach on her moss boulder. Cant we do something to make them stay longer? They seemed so happy to be real.
The fey are elusive beings. They only owe allegiance to their element, or those who wield it.
I blinked in surprise. You mean theyre loyal to me?
I believe they are, though I cannot tell you for certain as I have no true affinity to an element, though I am an ally to water and wind, as I am protector and queen of this island.
Huh. So, can I call them to me, even if I leave Skye?
Sgiach smiled. And why would you ever want to do that?
I laughed with her, at that moment not understanding why in the world I would ever want to leave this magickal, mystical island.
Aye, if I followed the sound of wummens chattering, I knew Id be finding yous two.
Sgiachs smile grew and turned warm. Seoras joined us in the grove, moving to his queens side. She touched him just for a moment on his strong forearm, but that touch was filled with several lifetimes of love and trust and intimacy.
Hello, my Guardian. Did you bring the bow and arrows for her?
Seorass lips twisted. Aye, of course I did. The old Warrior turned and I could see that he held an intricately carved bow made of dark wood. The matching leather quiver filled with red-feathered arrows was slung across his shoulder.
Good. She smiled appreciation at him before turning her gaze to me. Zoey, youve learned much today. Your Guardian needs a lesson in believing in magick and Goddess-given gifts, too. Sgiach took the bow and arrows from Seoras and held them out to me. Take these to Stark. He has too long been without them.
You really think thats a good idea? I asked Sgiach, glancing askance at the bow and arrows.
What I think is that your Stark will not be complete unless he accepts his Goddess-given gifts.
He had a claymore in the Otherworld. Couldnt that be his weapon here, too?
Sgiach just looked at me, the shadow of the magick wed both just experienced still reflected in her green eyes.
I sighed.
And, reluctantly, held out my hand to take the bow and quiver of arrows from her.
Hes not really comfortable with this, I said.
Aye, but he should be, Seoras said.
You wouldnt say that if you knew everything that went along with this thing, I said.
If its that he cannae miss his mark that yur meanin, then, aye, I know that, as well as the guilt he carries about the death of his mentor, Seoras said.
He told you all about it.
He did.
And you still think he should get back into using his bow?
Its not so much Seoras thinking it as the fact that he knows, from centuries of experience, what happens when a Guardians Goddess-given gifts are ignored, Sgiach said.
What happens?
The same thing as happens if a High Priestess tries to turn from the path her Goddess has paved before her, Seoras said.
Like Neferet, I whispered.
Aye, he said. Like the fallen High Priestess who tainted yur House of Night and caused the death of yur Consort.
Though in all truthfulness you should know that its not necessarily such a dire choice between good and evil when a Guardian, or a Warrior, ignores his gifts from his Goddess and turns from her appointed path. Sometimes that simply means a life unfulfilled and as mundane as is possible for a vampyre, Sgiach explained.
But if tis a Warrior whose gifts are powerful, or one who has faced Darkness, been touched by the fight against evilwell, that Warrior cannae fade so easily into obscurity, Seoras said.
And Stark is both, I said.
He is indeed. Continue to trust me, Zoey. It is better for your Guardian to walk the path meant for him than to slink around and, perhaps, get caught in the shadows, Sgiach said.
I see your point, but getting him to use his bow again isnt going to be easy.
Ach, well, yu have the magick of the ancients to call upon while yur here on our isle, dont you now?
I looked from Seoras to Sgiach. They were right. I felt it in my gut. Stark couldnt hide from the gifts Nyx had given him any more than I could deny my connection to the five elements. Okay, Ill convince him. Where is he anyway?
The laddie is restless, Seoras said. I saw him walkin by the shore side of the castle.
My heart squeezed. Wed just decided the day before that we were going to stay here on Skye, indefinitely. And after what had just happened with Sgiach and me, I could hardly bear thinking about leaving. But he seemed fine with staying, I spoke my thoughts aloud.
Whats wrong with him isna so much where he is, but who he is, Seoras said.
Huh? I said brilliantly.
Zoey, what Seoras means is that youll find your Guardians restlessness much improved when he is a whole Warrior again, Sgiach said.
And a whole Warrior uses all of his gifts, Seoras said with finality.
Go to him and help him become whole again, Sgiach said.
How? I asked.
Ach, wumman, use yur Goddess-given brains and figure that oot for yurself.
With a gentle push and a shooing motion, the queen and her Guardian sent me from the grove. I sighed, mentally scratched my head, and started toward the shoreline wondering just what the heck kind of word ach was.
CHAPTER TEN
Zoey
Distracted by thinking about Stark, I made my way down the slippery stone stairway that wound around the base of the castle, emptying out on the rocky shore from which Sgiachs edifice had been built straight up, so that it was cliff-like and totally imposing.
The sun was beginning to set, allowing the sky to retain some of its illumination, but I was glad for the rows of torches that jutted from the stone base of the castles foundation.
Stark was alone. His back was to me and I got to watch him as I picked my way across the shore to him. He held a large leather shield in one hand, and a long claymore in the other, and he was practicing thrusts and parries as if he were facing a dangerous, but invisible, enemy. I moved quietly, taking my time and enjoying the view.
Had he gotten taller all of a sudden? And more muscular? He was sweating and breathing hard, and he looked strong and very, very male and dangerous-ancient-Warrior-like in his kilt. I remembered how his body had felt against mine the night before, and how wed slept all pressed together, and my stomach gave a weird little lurch.
He makes me feel safe, and I love him.
I could stay here with him, away from the rest of the world, forever.
A chill passed over me with the thought and I shivered. At that moment Stark dropped his guard and turned. I saw the alert concern in his eyes that only faded when I smiled and waved at him. Then his gaze went to what I was holding in the hand I was waving, and his welcoming smile faded, even though he opened his arms to me, hugged me, and gave me a lingering kiss.
Hey, you look hot when you do that sword stuff, I said.
Its called training. And Im not supposed to look hot, Z. Im supposed to look intimidating.
Oh, you do, you do. I was practically scared to death. I put on my best bad, fakeSouthern belle accent and pressed the back of my hand to my forehead like I was gonna swoon.
Youre really not very good at accents, maam, he said in a seriously good fake-Southern accent. Then he took my hand and held it against his chest right over his heart, moving close to me. But if you want, Miss Zoey, I could try to teach you.
Okay, I know its silly, but his Southern gentleman accent made my knees feel all weakand then his words actually got through the lust fog I was brewing for him, and suddenly I knew how to start getting him comfortable with his bow again.
Hey, I am hopeless at accents, but there is something you could teach me.
Aye, wumman, theres lots I could be teachin yu the now, he leered, sounding totally like Seoras.
I smacked him. Be good. Im talking about this. I raised the bow. Ive always thought archery was cool, but I really dont know much about it. Could you teach me? Please?
Stark took a step away from me, giving the bow a wary glance. Zoey, you know I shouldnt shoot that.
No. What you shouldnt do is aim for something thats alive. Well, that is unless the alive thing needs to be un-alive. But Im not asking you to shoot it. Im asking you to teach me how to shoot it.
Why do you all of a sudden want to learn?
Well, it makes sense. Were going to be staying here, right?
Right.
And Warriors have been trained here for, like, zillions of years. Right?
Right again.
I grinned at him, trying to lighten things up. I really like it when you admit that Im right. Again. Anyway, youre a Warrior. Were here. Id like to learn some kind of Warrior skill. Thats too darn heavy for me. I pointed at the claymore. Plus, this is pretty. I lifted the elegant-looking bow.
No matter how pretty it is, you need to remember its a weapon. It can kill, especially if I fire it.
If you fire it and aim to kill, I said.
Sometimes mistakes happen, he said, looking haunted by memories from his past.
I rested my hand on his arm. Youre older now. Smarter. You wont make the same mistakes again. He just stared at me without speaking, so I lifted the bow again and went on. Okay, show me how this works.
We dont have a target.
Sure we do. I thumped the worn leather shield hed laid on the ground when Id joined him. Prop this between a couple rocks down the beach a little way. Ill try to shoot itafter you prop it up and get back here out of my line of fire, of course.
Oh, of course, he said.
Looking resigned and miserable, he walked a few paces away from us, hefted some rocks around until he had the shield held semi-steady between two of them, then came back to me. Reluctantly, he took the bow and set the quiver of arrows at our feet.
This is how you hold it. He demonstrated gripping the grip-thingie while I watched. And the arrow goes here. He rested it across the side of the bow, point down and away from us. You nock it like this. These arrows make it easy to know which way to do it because the black ones should be turned like this, with the one red one up this way. As he talked Stark began to relax. His hands knew the bow, and knew the arrow. It was obvious that he could do what he was showing me with his eyes shutdo it quickly and well. Plant your legs firmly, about hip-width apart, like this. He demonstrated and I checked out his excellent legs, which was one of the many reasons I liked the fact that hed started wearing the kilt all the time.
And then you lift the bow and, holding the arrow between your first two fingers, pull the string back, taut. He explained what I was supposed to do, but hed stopped demonstrating. Sight down the arrow, but aim a little low. That will help adjust for distance and the breeze. When youre ready, let loose. Be careful to bow your left arm or youll smack it and give yourself a nasty bruise. He held the bow out to me. Go ahead. Try it.
Show me, I said simply.
Zoey, I dont think I should.
Stark, the target is a leather shield. Its not alive. Theres nothing alive even vaguely attached to it. Just aim for the center of the shield and show me how its done. He hesitated. I rested my hand on his chest and leaned forward. He met me halfway. Our kiss was sweet, but I could feel the tension in his body. Hey, I said softly, still touching his chest. Try to trust yourself as much as I trust you. Youre my Warrior, my Guardian. You need to use the bow because its your Goddess-given gift. I know youll use it wisely. I know it because I know you. Youre good. Youve fought to be good, and youve won.
But Im not all good, Z, he said, looking totally frustrated. Ive seen the bad part of me. It was thererealin the Otherworld.
And you defeated it, I said.
Forever? I dont think so. I dont think thats possible.
Hey, no ones all good. Not even me. I mean, if some smart kid left his test out in geometry, Im telling youId look.
He smiled for a breath of a moment, then the tension was back in his face. You joke about it, but its different for me. I think its different for all of the red fledglings and even Stevie Rae. Once youve known Darkness, real Darkness, theres always a shadow on your soul.