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Before the summer queen finish her thoughts, the girl known as Ren was already draining her till Aislinn felt nothing more than a puddle. Sinking further and further to the ground, her legs were folding beneath her but Ren managed to keep her upright as her nails dug into Aislinn's skin. Everything was getting fuzzy, her summer light and warmth was going out the last flicker of a flame about to be blown out. Her light was dimming, blinking in and out and her summer leaking away from her like a river flowing through a rapid dam. However the feeling was calming, her eyes were getting lazy, and fluttering closed. But her body was something else; it was growing colder than the winter's chill. With her skin turning pale and her fingers curling, she collapsed.
"No!" Seth was the first to charge at Ren, sprinting at a full head tackle when an arrow intervened. Striking Ren in the shoulder blade, she cursed and dropped the Summer Queen. Seth paused, slowing to sprint noticing the burned scars over the witch's hand. Good, he thought. And continued running forward anyway not caring the danger he was putting himself in.
Ren stared at her burned hands for a moment, before closing her eyes in pain. "You witch." Seth cradled Aislinn's limp form in his arms. She appeared human now, fragile and precious like she was to him. "What have you done-."
"She is not dead," Ren stated through a pain voice. Ignoring the pain in her hands, she rolled her shoulders. Darkness slithers around her pale skin crawling and swarming around her body till they reached the sources of discomfort. The moment the tips of shadowy darkness touched the arrow, it disintegrated. Turning to ash at her feet from behind, and the darkness continued slithering into the opening of the wound, healing till the hole was filled with skin once more.
Now who shot that arrow? Ren turned her eyes along with everyone else's on the Summer King. Standing and breathing heavily, with a bow at his side. "You…will not hurt my queen." Several rowans were holding him up, some their eyes on their own winter queen, pleading that they tried to restrain him.
The winter queen only nodded, "you are supposed to be rested, my summer king." Keenan's eyes lit up at the word 'my', but his face quickly fell at her forlorn expression. With a shake of his copper hair he met the girl's eyes.
"You say you took her power for love, what love do you speak of? The power of the Summer King and Queen are not enough for what you desire." He was weakening, his was almost kneeling and sweat was breaking out from his forehead. He was close to collapsing as well.
Ren regarded him with cooled eyes, and then nodded to someone from behind. "How about you find out, Summer King?" Rosetta waved her fan, and gust of wind flew the rowan faeries out of the vicinity.
Nail stepped in gathering darkness and summoning the hounds. The ground began rotting at his feet, and swarmed over to the witch queen, wind and darkness clashed as they were evenly matched.
"Finally some action," Faolan sighed bitterly, "I was getting bored". The boy cracked his knuckles, and tilted his neck side to side. Roots and flowers sprung forth from around him, a crow perched on his shoulder..
"I'll entertain you, boy." The Winter Queen slammed her staff on the ground, chilling the ground and freezing the roots at the boy's feet.
He pouted then his face turned into a wild grin, "you sure are purrty, queeny."
Donia's eyes only narrowed, blowing him a winter kiss. A winter blast escaped from her lips freezing Faolan eyelashes. He 'shrived. "But you sure are cold."
Seth gently set Aislinn down, and kissed her forehead. "I won't leave you." He stood fists balled and his skin glittering brilliantly. His skin was like a blindly white light, but Ren merely gathered more shadows. She heard a crunch as Aries stepped up to guard her, "make it quick Ren."
He always wanted to end the battle as quickly as possible unless the person really pissed him off then it was agonizing and slow death. However, she understands what he meant she would make it quick with a nod she drew her power. It was gathering, gathering to its fullest, like the water drawing back at a ocean as a tsunami began to make its entrance on a unfortunate town. The air around them shimmered and everyone felt it.
Seth raised a crooked eyebrow and looked around.
"Run!" The Summer King yelled. But it was useless; Ren was already there, her hair blowing wildly against her face.
"It's been lovely seeing you again, my dark king." Rose bowed, and spun disappearing in a gust of wind.
"Aww man and I was just having fun." Faolan and Donia were tangled in roots, vines and walls of ice but the battle was ending before it even started. With a quick peck on the winters queen cheek, leaving a muddy smear he sunk into the ground quickly like quicksand.
"Goodbye Seth Morgan," Ren whispered and her power was unleashed. It was like a thunderous black cloud rolling over everyone blackening the earth and taking everyone with them.
"Gather the summer monarchs." Someone shouted.
Blackness covered over the other monarchs consuming them in a dense fog. And when it cleared the Hidden Court was gone along with the Summer monarchs. As for the rest, they were out cold and not even the slightest hint of breathing could be detected.
A woman with a bloodied fingernails and a bird-like outfit stepped forward and laughed. "Pity, that I wasn't even invited to this blood bath." She lifted up a figure with the end of her boot, and kicked it across the clearing. The faerie of war and blood was licking her fingers with a wicked grin splayed across her face.
Seth lifted up his wounded body, its felt heavy to him surprised to have survived such an ordeal. He watched as the War fae kick Niall out of the way. Blood was falling into his face, and dripping into his eyes. Before his head fell back to the earth, he saw two feet enter his line of vision, however he was already unconscious.
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It was quick, the travel between to realms. With Keenan and Aislinn unconscious she had Aries and Faolan escort them both to a room. Ren was tripping over own feet, her body swaying before Aries caught her. Every time she unleashed that amount of power, she was always left exhausted. Her arm swung over Aries neck before she collapsed into him, breathing heavily. Faolan was strong enough to carry more than two-hundred pounds his weight, he nodded towards Aries and cared them off.
"Next time, just leave. You don't have to make a big scene." His voice was dead to her, not emotion but underneath she sensed paranoia.
"I…felt…her." Ren was gasping, as if she was suffocating.
Aries raised an eyebrow, carried her to the main hall which was high ceiling with stone walls on all sides. A stained glass window of a person with their back towards the viewers was integrated into the ceiling. Aries never understood Ren's taste in art and decoration, it didn't match nor did it make sense.
He carried her over to a couple cushions that were scatted on the ground, seated in a circle around a fire place. While he detached her arm from his neck he stood, and fetched her a drink. With her support gone, she fell back against the cushions breathing heavily.
When he returned he put an arm around his shoulders and gathered her close tipping the drink into her lips. She drank slowly, breathing again. Her head flopped close to his dead heart; it wasn't beating not anymore but…
"Who did you feel?" Aries interrupted her thoughts. "A woman?"
She breathed slowly through her nose, before she looked up at his dark face but her eyes were fluttering closed and sunk deep into darkness where she knew she belonged.
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When Aislinn opened her eyes, her throat felt thick like she swallowed a cup of sand. She swallowed her dry throat, and stood swaying slightly till two arms caught her. She wretched away from the unfamiliar grip, "let me go, "her voice hoarse.
"Aislinn, shh. It's me." When she peeled her heavily lids open she saw Keenan, but it wasn't Keenan. His skin didn't hold that healthy glow that she remembered. The glow of summer and light, and his hair was a sandier color than she remembered. Wasn't it copper and metallic? And his eyes they were a deep shade of green, but she didn't see any orchids or flowers blooming. It was like Keenan was human.
"Keenan?" She reached up with a tentative hand and stroked his cheek.
"Shocking isn't it?" Even is voice was human, simple not alluring or warm.
"Did she-?"
He shrugged, but he smiled leaning into her touch, "but this helps."
She pulled away knowing not to let this get out of hand, she couldn't let him think that she was interested. So instead her eyes gazed around the room, it was small walls painted brown with a single mattress and blanket in the middle of the floor.
"You take the bed." Keenan muttered, "The floor for me." There weren't any windows, just a single door made of steel.
She looked at it for a moment but Keenan grabbed her arm. "Neither you nor I can break down that door, our strength is completely depleted."
"But, then what do we do?" She was helpless and worse of all Seth wasn't here.
"We wait."
Aislinn stared up at him, his eyes hard and stern. He looked just as tired as she did, "maybe you should lie down." She suggested. Keenan tore his eyes away from the door and stared at her.
"Shouldn't I be saying that?" He ran his thumb under her eyes, tracing the shadows underneath them. She blinked drowsily, believing his summer and his light was entering her skin filling her up with joy. She shook her head.
"No, I'm fine." She lied.
"Your face tells me otherwise, rest and I'll stand watch over you." Aislinn stared up at him watching her defenseless king protect her with nothing more than his weak mortal shell.
"Don't worry, if they wanted us dead they would have done it by now."
With a nod, she crawled over to the dusty mattress her hands searched for the blanket when Keenan covered her and tucked it close to her chin. In a second her eyes were closed and she breathing deeply. Keenan's lips gently pressed against the girl's forehead and watched as his queen lulled to sleep.
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He didn't know how much time as passed when his head began nodding off. With is body up against the wall sitting crossed leg, sleep was taking over him as well. He looked over the girl that was sleeping soundly, wishing they could touch her. Didn't she know that he needed her? Without his queen he was nothing; powerless, weak, mortal. He shuddered at the thought of mortal or human. In this state he was weak and thus nothing. Nothing he could do would protect her from the wrath of this court, and it dreaded him.
Instead of dreading how he couldn't protect her , he thought of how to regain his power and how to break out of this being mortal. Even though mortals were weak they did have their uses…
Something clicked from the other side of the door. Keenan made a move to stand, Aislinn was out neither did she twitch or stir. She was just as weak as he was. The door swung open with a loud metal sound, Aislinn peeled back her eyes when she saw the door was open she flung out of bed tossing the covers to the side. She dashed forward not caring who entered. Two hands clamped over her wrists, "this makes it easier, we needed you anyway."
The Summer King launched from his position, but an invisible force pushed him back.
"Keenan! Help me! Keenan!" She called out his name, but the King was useless to save her.
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