First half of what i consider a one-shot. I didn't wanna put 7,000+ in one chapter.
"Ethan?"
His voice was strange, almost choked. A shiver went through him, and I glanced back, frowning. "What?"
"I'm sorry."
He turned, just as I did, and ran me through with his sword.
Sound cut out. Movement faded around us. My mouth gaped open, but nothing escaped but a strangled gasp. Keirran, standing very close, stared over my shoulder, one arm around my neck, the other near my gut. I looked down to see his hand gripping the sword hilt, held flush against my stomach.
No. This…couldn't be real; the blade didn't hurt that much. I looked up at Keirran, still staring at the horizon over my shoulder, and tried to say something. But my voice was frozen inside me.
"Keir…ran." Even that was excruciatingly difficult, and a warm stream of blood an down my neck from my mouth. "Why?" Keirran closed his eyes.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered and ripped the blade from my stomach. That brought on the pain I knew I should be feeling, a blaze of agony erupting from my middle, like the ribbons of blood arching into the air. I grabbed my stomach, feeling warmth spill over my fingers, making them slick. I glanced down to see my hands completely covered in red.
This isn't happening. The ground swayed beneath me. I fell to my knees, seeing blackness crawl along the edge of my vision. Looking up, I saw Keirran gazing down on me, the Lady standing behind him. His face was tormented, but as I watched, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath, and when he opened them again, Keirran was gone. The cold stranger stared down at me, his face a mask of stone.
"Goodbye, Ethan," he whispered, and the Lady put a hand on his shoulder and turned him away. I tried calling out, but the world tilted, and I collapsed, seeing only a skewed view of the distant horizon, shrinking rapidly at the end of a tunnel. Somewhere far away, I thought I heard hoofbeats, a faint rumble getting steadily closer. Then the tunnel closed, the blackness flooded in and I knew nothing more.
'To tear the veil asunder,
On the night of the full moon,
One must stand at the site of an ancient power and sacrifice the life of a mortal with the sight,
One who is bound by blood to all courts of Faery,
Kin to Summer,
Winter and now Iron.
With this sacrifice the veil will lift,
And mortals will be able to see the hidden world,
By the blood of the One. Sibling, brother-in-law…
Uncle. '
...Ash...
I slowed my horse to a stop, turning my head in confusion. The fey horse snorted, tossing it's head and pawing the ground, wanting to keep going. I couldn't help but get that feeling. The feeling that I was meant to be somewhere, and I was heading away from it by going to speak with my mother, to try smooth things over about the murder of the ancient Elemental that had kept the frozen wood frozen. I shook my head, trying to rid of the feeling.
It didn't seem to want to budge. I got hit with a massive headache all of a sudden. I groaned from the head rush, putting my head on the horses flank like it would help. The black steed shuffled on it's hoof's uncomfortably.
The only way to get rid of this is by finding the place I'm meant to be. I growled in frustration. The last time I'd gotten this feeling, it'd led me to meet a certain annoying prankster for the first time. Ignoring it hadn't helped me much back then either. I straightened and wheeled my horse around until the throbbing lessened ever so slightly.
Arcadia. Perfect.
I kicked the horse into a full sprint, heading more or less, towards the Seelie court. I couldn't think much on the way there, it just plain hurt way too much. So I kept riding, hardly able to think of where I was headed or why. Soon enough I came to a gen where the throbbing eased considerably. I could easily spot the mound of the Summer court not too far away. My mount, Winter by default, pranced around snorting, obviously not wanting to be here. I'd had to call a Winter horse to ride to Unseelie court. An iron one probably wouldn't have been received very well, and in all honesty, I prefer Winter horse anyway. Guess there are something's that are never meant to change.
I dismounted and let my mount run away, quickly disappearing into the forest we'd just come through. I sighed and glanced around. I had a feeling something big was about to come rumbling towards me, and once it started, nothing would stop it until it was complete.
Typical, that it would be literal. I heard snarls and howls behind me and spun to meet whatever it was with my sword drawn and ready.
Maybe it's Wolf, come to finally kill me. I had a split second before a shape came running through a bush, catching a tree root and tumbling to the ground a few feet from me. I blinked in shock. It was a Faery, getting torn to shreds by a pack of wolves made of branches and leaves. He was obviously trying to fight them off, but was almost completely spent of energy, his movements were getting slower and slower. I shook off my surprise and jumped into action, cutting and slicing the wolves to mulch. One managed to latch onto my arm but I threw it off and sent a ice shard through it's head. Two more jumped at me. I sidestepped, swinging my blade around and letting their own momentum impale themselves. I threw some more shards into the four trying to chew the fey on the ground. I glanced a lot of blood. Someone had obviously bitten off more then they could chew.
Oh. That was just horrible. That's something Puck would say. I shrugged off a shiver at how much I was beginning to sound like Puck. Again. One of them tried to bite my sword but that just ended with it having a frozen head. Something snarled behind me, and before I could turn it had it's jaw wrapped around my neck.
"Ah!" I yelped, before driving my weapon through the wolf. It turned back to a bunch of leaves and branches falling to the ground, and I stumbled, my vision blurred. I managed to dodge a few more attacks, before my vision cleared enough for me to go on the attack again. I hacked into some more wolves until they turned and ran back the way they'd come, howling and crying the whole way. I stood for a moment, confused by their sudden exit. The fey they'd torn groaned in the grass. I sheathed my sword and went to kneel next to them. His thick brown hoodie was shredded, so were his hunter-green pants, both covered in lots of blood. Mind you, I most likely didn't look much better. I wiped some of the red off my neck then I turned him over, trying to be gentle, but he slipped when I realized who it was. He winced, unconscious.
"Puck," I breathed, my eyes wide in surprise. He was extremely pale and his breathing came in ragged fits. Those wolves must have been in some serious numbers before they'd stumbled into me for them to have done this much to Puck. "Shit," I cursed lowly. I quickly looked around to see if I could spot any healing fruits or dryads nearby. There was nothing.
I looked down to Puck and tried to wake him up.
"Goodfellow, wake up." He didn't so much as twitch in response. "Puck get up!" I tried again. Still nothing. I tried shaking him but it only got the same result as before. I cursed under my breath, something that Meghan would have slapped me for saying. This was Summer, I had no sway here, I wasn't even meant to be anywhere near here. I sank back on my haunches, trying to remember some of the places we'd gone to heal our wounds, back when we thought we could take on the world, Puck and me. The amount of times we'd gotten out of scrapes no one has any right to be in, unscathed, was rather unbelievable. But then there were the other times when we'd been so close to dying, we were as the saying goes, 'knocking on deaths door', but still lived, that number was simply unimaginable.
Something flashed to mind, once when Puck had broken his arm and I my ankle, with many other injuries beside those, we'd limped to a tiny hut lying next to a waterfall. Well, more like Puck had dragged me there. There was a Faery there who helped us. She was someone from Goodfellow's past, I could tell that much. I may have been rather full of the herbs she stuffed me with, but I could easily tell by the way he looked at her and watched her that they had a history. Well, that, and when I asked him afterwards who she was to him, he turned scary Puck. Like freaking scary Puck. I know I danced around him for the next few days and it was not because of my ankle.
Something moving in the corner of my eye brought me back to the present. It was only a blue butterfly fluttering in the grass. I checked on Puck. He was still alive at least. I quickly glanced around to get my bearings. It looked like it was only about half a day's walk from here.
Good. The sooner this is done with the faster I can get to Mab to try fix things a bit. I made a makeshift bandage for myself then attempted to stop most of Puck's bleeding.I stood up then stooped down to pick Puck up, bridal style. His head hung loose on his shoulders and his arm swung limp beside him. I started walking.
Why do I get the airy feeling this has something to do with Keirran?
"Damn boy. Worse then me and Goodfellow put together," I muttered angrily. It reminded me of something else that made me laugh. "With his mothers stubbornness thrown in for good measure."
I half expected Puck to jump in and say something. When he didn't, I felt like a stone had settled in my stomach. They must have messed him up pretty bad. I'd almost forgotten the throbbing in my head, but in the silence of the forest it was all I was really aware of. I could hardly hear anything. I think in the state I was in I might have completely missed the hut if I hadn't nearly walked into a tree. I stopped short, waking myself up. I was vaguely aware of a trickling sound. I shook myself and then the rumbling of a massive amount of water finally registered. I went straight for the sound. I stumbled out into an extremely green tiny glen. The waterfall tumbled down just to the left of the hut, the same breath taking sight I remembered when we'd first come here. It was almost like the sky was falling, to land in a shallow slow moving pool, then make its way sluggishly to reunite with the rushing river a few leagues down. I went as fast as I could towards the hut.
Throwing any kind of manners aside, I kicked open the door, stepping over the threshold with Puck in my arms. It was the same as ever. An open fire to the left, a couch on the right and a small two person table with two chairs shoved in the corner. Red rug covering most of the floor and a collection of daggers and knives all over the walls. The door to the bedroom and kitchen was closed at the end of the couch.
"Nevada!" I yelled. I stood for a moment, trying to listen for her anywhere in the house. It sounded empty. "Nevada! I need help!" I bellowed, trying to find her. "Nevada, Puck's i-"
I felt something solid connect with the back of my head. Darkness overwhelmed me, but I was distantly aware of someone gasping then kneeling next to me. Then everything was gone.
My senses slowly started flowing back in. The warmth of a fire, the comfort of the seat I was lying on, too soft to be the floor. Voices. One I knew well, and the other I vaguely recollected.
"…no, I mean. Uggh. It's hard to explain." She chuckled at his unsureness. I found the very sound mesmerizing, like the sweetest birdsong I'd ever heard. I could imagine her smiling.
"It's okay, I wasn't really expecting an answer. But, it does seem as though your going through a lot for this kid," she said lowly. I felt a faint tingle, like she put a venomous spin on the end of her words. Puck sighed.
"I guess."
"What do you think will happen now?"
"I don't know. I, seriously have no clue. But, we're all fucked. I do know that much," Puck muttered the last part. He seemed rather subdued for Goodfellow. Calm. And quietly angry. It clicked that this was what he was like with no walls of anything. This was Puck, raw. He sounded, raw and tired. Sometimes I forget he's older then me. "But he did do a truly stupid thing." He sighed again. "I just hope Ethan and Kenzie are alright."
"She is human, and she was hit by lightening. From Titania of all people. Sorry if my heights aren't set that high for her survival."
"What?!" I bolted upright at that. The throbbing returned with a vengeance. Nevada looked at me slightly surprised but Puck just looked at tired as he sounded. He was sitting at the table with her, his head resting on his arms atop the table. She was in her usual light green skirt, showing off her tanned legs, and a white top with faint leaves beneath it. Her eyes were the same as ever, beautiful moons, white and wide with a faint glow, the very things she was named after. Nevada, as Puck had once informed me, means moon. But then again that was just the same as telling me that Ash is a type of tree.
Nevada looked between me and Goodfellow, then stood up and went out the front door. I don't think Puck even noticed she left. I got up and took her seat across from him.
"What, happened," I demanded to know. He didn't respond immediately, his emerald eyes were looking straight into the fire. They somehow managed to seem colder then my eyes had ever been. "Puck?"
He shifted, surprised I think by my use of his nickname. He finally looked up at me, sighing. He ran a hand through his haphazard red hair.
"Your kid, has managed to screw up worse than we ever thought possible." He shifted again and sat up properly, looking rather grave. I sat waiting for him to continue. "I didn't see all of it, I was too busy trying to get away from cook, but. From what I could tell, Titania said No to lifting Annwyl's banishment. Keirran lost it. Ethan and Kenzie must have been trying to stop him and a lightning bolt meant for your son hit Kenzie square in the back. Grim led them out while I led the hounds elsewhere. And you know how well that ended," he shrugged. I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd held. This was simply horrible.
Keirran had directly attacked the Seelie Queen in her own home, after, killing the Elemental in the frozen wood. Mab would be absolutely pissed when she found out, and I'd turned away from crowd control to follow a hunch. Titania would be reveling in it. She'd set it up. She's set us all up. No dought she would run to Oberon whining, and they would easily declare war on Iron. Mab would happily join them on account of a common enemy. It would rekindle the war between Iron, Summer and Winter and it would never stop. Millions would die, but unlike a Summer vs. Winter war, this would never be able to be halted by a truce. Things were uneasy as it was.
"So, those were Titania's hounds," I said at last. I guessed Puck had been waiting for a reaction from me. He wasn't going to get one. He'd done more then I could have ever asked of him. No, I'm saving any reaction I have for Keirran. My fists clenched in pent up rage.
That boy is going to have hell to pay when I find him.
"Yup, they were. Suppose you've gotta be proud in a way. Even I've never had the entire pack sent after me. First try and everything," Puck said flippantly. I'm pretty sure he was about as pissed as me at Keirran.
"Hmh," I snorted. Least he was beginning to sound like himself again. He got up from his chair and stretched, getting his lanky limbs somehow longer then they already were.
"I'm gunna try get some rest." Something in his back clicked quite loudly. "Ow," he cringed. I smirked. He must have seen it, because before I could move he slapped me really hard on the back, sending a sore crack sound through the hut, making my back click too.
"Ow," I hissed through my teeth.
"Pay-backs a bitch," he smirked. I shot him a glare, rolling my shoulder to try get some feeling back. He disappeared through the door to the bedroom before I could hit him back. I smiled grimly at the door. At least he hadn't gone Scary Puck. Close to, but not completely.
I heaved a sigh and went to lie back on the couch. I noticed my neck and arm had already been seen to, most likely by Nevada. She was a healer of sorts and quite good at it too. But that was still only a guess. Neither of them seemed willing to tell me how they knew eachother. Puck seemed completely at ease with her, so they certainly knew eachother well. I just had no clue how. I let my thoughts wonder, across all manner of random things.
Keirran. Meghan. If there was a war… I honesty have no idea how they would cope with it. Meghan would of course fight. I know there would be no way I could stop her. I couldn't even stop her from fighting when she'd been pregnant, or when we fought alongside the rebels at Machina's tower. She was just to headstrong and stubborn for her own good. But I guess, I couldn't really complain. I'm in love with her. I knew exactly what I was getting when I'd fallen for her too. Keirran. Him in war? It would be a massacre. Summer, Winter and Iron in one body. And soul on top of all that. Not to mention ¾ human. I cringed at the thought. Maybe the oracle had offered them a good deal when she offered to take Keirran and automatically prevent all the horrid futures with him at the centre.
No! He is Meghan and mine's son. There was no way she was ever going to get her claws on Keirran...But if something happened to Meghan because of all this-
I don't know what I would do.