Page 48 of The Fae Lord

She comes without warning, appearing in the doorway a figure from a nightmare. Tall and regal, with hair the colour of moonlight and eyes that glitter like chips of ice. I know her, though I have never seen her before. Know her by the power that radiates from her like a bitter cold.

The Lady of Luminael.

She moves into the room like a spectre, her eyes fixed on Alana.

Farrow splays his hands, and steps in front of me. But one glance from the powerful Sunborne ruler has him hang his head in deference.

“Give her to me.” Her voice is soft, but there is no mistaking the command in her tone. She is staring at the baby.

“She belongs with her mother.” I am not afraid of this woman. I have lived too many years to fear death.

The Sunborne fae turns her head slowly to look at me. Her lips curve in a smile that holds no warmth. “Her mother was simply the vessel,” she says. “A means to an end. The child’s true purpose lies beyond this village, beyond anything you can imagine.”

She reaches out, and I feel the air tremble with the force of her power.

“You will not touch that child.” Farrow’s wings flare, and his eyes flash.

The Lady of Luminael breathes a long, slow sigh. “The father?” she asks.

Farrow does not reply.

“Do you know what your daughter is?” she asks.

“I do,” he says. “She is an empath.”

“Correct. But do you know why she is an empath? Why an empath would be born to two ordinary Leafborne fae?”

“I do not,” Farrow replies through gritted teeth.

“She is this way because I made her this way. When your wife came to visit me, I knew your child was what we needed. What we all needed.” She draws herself up to her full height. Her wings are pure black. “I gave your daughter her powers.” She looks down at the sleeping Alana. “And one day I will return to claim them.”

The lady laughs, a sound like the cracking of ice. “Keep her, for now,” she says. “Raise her and keep her safe. But know this, old one. Her path is already set. The wheels of fate are turning, and when the time comes, nothing you do will stop them.”

As Farrow scoops Alana into his arms and holds her tight, the leader of Luminael leans closer to me, her breath cold against my cheek. “Watch her,” she whispers. “For she is the key to everything. Her parents cannot be trusted to see what she truly is. But you are wise, Maura Leafborne. You know I speak the truth.” She draws back and meets my eyes. “This child is the harbinger of a new age. And when she is ready, when she has come into her power, she will be the one to save us all...”

And with those words, she is gone, vanishing as suddenly as she appeared. Leaving us alone with the child.

I look at Alana, at her strange, otherworldly glow. And I feel a chill run through me, a sense of dread that I cannot shake.

This child is not one of us. She is something else, something I don’t understand. The Lady of Luminael might believe she created a being that will be our salvation, but I fear that Alana’s presence here will bring nothing but darkness and sorrow.

I fear she may ruin us.

TWENTY-ONE

Eldrion

Smoke and shadows swirl around my feet and drift up into the air. The entire room is full of them. They congeal in the air, press down upon me, cloud my vision.

But what does it matter?

There is nothing here that could help me.

“Show yourself again,” I shout into the void. “Now I know your secret, come here and explain what you did. Explain what it means.”

I wait for my mother’s voice, or her face, or her presence to appear. But nothing comes.

I am alone, clutching her diary, reading the words over and over.