Chapter Eleven
Brieanna
Lucien decided to spend the night, explaining that with so many High Fae and lesser faeries celebrating early for Calanmai, he didn't feel comfortable leaving us alone. I chose not to argue as Lilianna gave me a look that clearly said not mess this up for her. Not to mention that I could hear muted music playing somewhere in the distance and every once in a while groups of Fae would walk by our house laughing and shouting as if it were the middle of the day instead of well after midnight. Thankfully the latter hadn't happened before Lucien returned with my sister or I would've barricaded myself in one of the closets.
I wondered if Tamlin joined them in celebrating, certainly they wouldn't shun him the night before he performed the ritual to save them from dying of hunger. Several times I almost asked Lucien if we could join the festivities in hopes of finding Tamlin, but he was so engrossed in a conversation with Lilianna about Will o' the Wisps and something called a Suriel, I didn't want to interrupt. At some point I would have to have a private conversation with him to point out that Lilianna had a crush on him and he was only fueling the flames sitting so close to her on the couch and the innocent way he brushed the golden blond hair out of her eyes. She didn't want to believe in mates, laughing it off as joke whenever I casually mentioned Elain being Lucien's mate, but that didn't make it any less true.
She even came up with a theory that Elain couldn't possibly be Lucien's mate because the Caldron had been used for evil purposes, and therefore anything brought forth from it such as Elain being Lucien's mate would only serve to cause them pain and misery until they broke free from the unnatural bond. It was hard to find flaw with her theory. Lucien never gave any reason why she was perfect for him no matter how many times Lilianna brought the subject up, and to me it seemed as if he only wanted to be with her because the Caldron deemed it so. From what I'd gathered from our conversations, they hadn't had a single meaningful conversation since he realized she was his mate. It seemed impossible to me since I'd already had several conversations with Tamlin that I considered to be the foundation for a long happy life together. Or at least they would be once he realized we were meant to be together.
As I watched them I came to the decision that one day we would need to cross the border again so she could find a human man to fall in love with and eventually marry. There was no sense in trying to make a match for her amongst the Fae as she would grow old and withered while they remained almost frozen in time, aging so slowly it would take at least fifty years to notice a subtle change. One more reason why I preferred to stay close to the border.
New hauntingly beautiful music began to play at the celebration, and it quickly got under my skin, electrifying my nerves. It invaded my mind, sending all other thoughts scattering except the need to dance under the moonlight and starry sky. I couldn't sit still. I kept getting up from the couch to look out the window, squinting to see if I could find where the sound was coming from.
"Children of the Blessed must have joined the celebration," Lucien said from directly behind me, startling me. "Some Fae music is meant to entice humans to dance to their deaths. Feyre won't be happy when she learns of this."
"They'll die from dancing?"
"They won't be able to stop unless some High Fae takes pity on them. It's never happened before, but there's always a chance." Resting a hand on my shoulder, he gave it a little tug. "It's not safe for you to be near the window, Brie."
"A High Fae can stop them from dancing?" I said, turning to look at him and then Lilianna. She didn't appear even remotely interested in dancing to the music. Her full attention centered on Lucien, listening intently to his vague explanation as if she'd just heard something truly insightful. "Why isn't the music affecting Lilianna?"
"She doesn't hear the music. It's too far away, and her human senses –"
"I can hear the music," Lilianna interrupted, tapping at her ear. "I heard it before you started getting restless. Had I known the Fae were torturing humans, I would've said something." Pushing up off the couch, she crossed the room to look out the window then headed to the door. "We're going to free the humans."
"We can't," I said, wishing I was half as brave as she was. "They'll realize we're humans as well. We won't be saving them, we'll be joining them."
"Lucien, get my sister the blue cloak you brought for her," she said as if she hadn't heard me say we weren't going anywhere.
"Lili, your sister is right. You can't –"
"Get the cloak," she ordered, and there was something in her tone so strong and certain, he did as she asked. He went to the closet, pulled out the cloak, and brought it back to me. "Put it on and cover your head with the cowl." I opened my mouth to argue, saw the look of fierce determination in her golden brown eyes, and put on the beautifully detailed cloak, pulling wide furry cowl over my head. "If the most powerful High Lord in Prythian is eager to bend to your wishes, what do you think a bunch of High Fae and lesser faeries will do when you order them to stop harming the humans?"
"She'll need a display of power," Lucien said, now fully on board with her plan that most likely would get the three of us killed before the night is over. "Two High Fae were sent to help me prepare for Calanmai. Their names are Rodric and Tormon. Now you know who they are. Call out to them and use those names to find their families."
"You want me to harm innocent Fae?"
"No," Lilianna said, taking hold of my hand. "We want you to make them think you'll harm their families if they don't set the humans free."
"And what happens when you start dancing?" I said, shaking my head. "No, Lilibug. I won't risk your life – I just won't. I already watched you die once."
"If I was really dead, you wouldn't have been able to bring me back," she said, but I knew she'd died. I saw the spirit leave her body, leaving her frozen in death with her mouth slightly open. I fought whatever gods ferried the dead to another place, and yanked her back into her body. "I'm going, Brieanna. I had you to save me, but those innocent people have no one. If you don't want to go, give me the names of their families, and I'll pretend I'm you. It's not as if they know what you look like."
My eyes fell shut and I slowly counted to ten then to twenty. "Lucien, if anything happens to my sister –"
"I'll protect her with my life."
"You'd better."
"Humans dancing to death," Lilianna reminded us impatiently, pulling open the door. "If your mate is there –"
"He won't be," Lucien said, gently pushing her out the door. "And stop saying mate like it's a dirty word."
We followed Lucien through the village and into the woods. I held tight to Lilianna's hand, fearing if I let go she'd run off and start dancing with the other humans. Lucien and I kept asking her if the music was starting to take hold of her and again and again she told us no. Lucien caught my eye, nudged his head at her, and I shrugged. I couldn't explain it. Even with Fae blood running through my veins, I still felt the strong sway of the music, and yet I believed her.
We saw the hazy orange glow of what had to be a massive bonfire as we left the forest behind, and I almost turned around to run back to the safety of our home. Lilianna gave my hand a light squeeze, and pulled me forward. The closer we got to the bonfire, the more High Fae and lesser faeries we came across, and every time we passed by them Lucien would remind me to keep cowl of my cloak covering my face.
We stopped at the rise overlooking the bonfire, and Lucien turned to face me, and cupping my chin in his hand, his tilted my face to look up at him. "You need to look the part of the Dream Weaver. I once caught a glimpse of your mother at a party and she wore dark eyeshadow and iridescent jewels around her solid, fiery blue eyes. You have the power to do the same. Concentrate and give it a try."
I did as he asked, trying over and over again just to have him say start over. Finally after what seemed like hours, Lilianna let out a gasp of surprise and perhaps awe, and without have to see my face, I knew I'd done it.
"Arrogance is key," Lucien quietly instructed as we made our way down the hill. "Keep your chin up and look down your nose at them. Don't stammer. Speak clear and concise. Understand?"
"I think I'm going to throw up," I whispered, hot bile rising in my throat as I watched at least twenty humans dancing as fast as they could around the fire.
"No, you're not," Lilianna said. "You're going to pretend every single one of those men and women are me and you're going to save them."
"You can do this," Lucien said encouragingly, pulling Lilianna away from me and wrapping an arm around her to keep her from following me to the fire. "Command them to stop dancing, and then lower your cowl. If I'm right, panic should ensue."
I lift a brow. "And if you're wrong?"
"Well, then it was nice knowing you." Winking at me, he bobbed his head toward the fire. "If you fail call out to Tamlin in your mind and he'll come for you."
"She doesn't need a man to save her. She's the Dream Weaver," she said the last part loud enough that Fae nearby heard her, and then quickly dragged Lucien away as if frightened to be in my presence.
Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, I squared my shoulders, and walked down to the fire, stopping in the path of several dancing humans. Sweat ran down their tired faces, and as I glanced down I saw their feet were bleeding from rocks and debris around the huge fire.
"Stop dancing," I command in a loud, clear voice, and all around the fire men and women dropped to the ground in exhaustion. The music ended on a note as sour as my stomach. High Fae began shouting and cursing at me for ruining their fun and as Lucien instructed I grasped hold of the furry edges of the cowl and slowly lowered it revealing the sparkling jewels around my solid blue eyes. My mother's voice echoed through my mind, reminding me to stand tall and proud and to bring them to their knees. "The humans are free to go," I said, and more shouting began from the High Fae and lesser faeries on the rise. "Do you not recognize the Dream Weaver when you see her." That caused laughter to erupt through the crowd, and my mother urged me to show my power to them.
I blinked and my eyes turned fiery. "I see your face, Darmen," I said not quite sure where the name came from, but looked to the tall, lean High Fae with silver blond hair. "You will dream my dreams tonight and you will know the Dream Weaver has risen." My gaze strayed from him to the dark-haired man with dark scrolling tattoos on his muscular arms. "You as well will dream the nightmares of the Dream Weaver, Kalen." My knees were shaking so badly I feared they'd give out on me, but I kept my chin lifted as a murmur went through the crowd. "Bow before me."
"Her eyes are on fire," several people said, the panic in their tone evident. "Only the Dream Weaver's eyes burn when they look upon you."
Then one of the humans lifted his head, and whispered hoarsely, "Bless you, Dream Weaver." One by one the rest of the human men and woman joined in.
"My eyes have fallen upon you," I went on to say, looking from one Fae to the next, "May the Caldron have mercy on you as I will not."
"Mercy," Lucien called out from the back of the crowd and Lilianna joined in, "Please, Dream Weaver," he added, and he must've dropped to his knees to pretend to beg as one by one other Fae dropped down on one knee, leaving me the only one standing, and it was then I noticed Tamlin up on the rise rushing toward the crowd.
He couldn't see me like this, he couldn't see what I was or any chance I had to make him love me would be lost. I was going to lose him. I couldn't lose him – I couldn't. I couldn't. I pressed my eyes shut waiting for him to reach me. My ears were buzzing so loud I couldn't hear the calls for mercy any longer, and the longer I waited for the inevitable moment when all my hopes would be dashed, the more terrified I grew. I had to see his face. I had to look at him and try to explain about my mother.
Prying one eye open at a time, I saw only trees surrounding me. I spun around and around, confusion warring with panic. I didn't know where I was or how I'd gotten there. You winnowed, daughter, came my mother's voice through whatever bond we shared that allowed her to defy death to speak to me. Your fear and need to escape brought you to the woods beyond your village. Hearing her say I was alone in the woods where strange creatures lurked, I took off running in the direction she showed me in my mind. I made it home in a blur of speed and collapsed on the couch.
Lucien and Lilianna came stumbling through the door well over an hour later, laughing as if they had the best night of their lives while I couldn't stop shaking. Lilianna explained how they had to sneak away while Tamlin was arguing with several High Fae about me – no, not me. The Dream Weaver. They believed he'd used some dark power to bring my mother back to serve him, and in trying to help the innocent humans I'd only made matters worse for him. Now I could never tell him the truth, and if I couldn't tell him who I really was then any relationship we had would be built on a lie that would eventually destroy us from within.
XxXxXx
It took me forever to finally fall into a fitful sleep and it felt as if I just drifted off when Lilianna woke me. Humming softly to herself, she pulled opened the curtains letting in the bright sunlight, and I groan covering my head with the pillow. She yanked the pillow away from me, and threw it on top of the armoire then pulled off the blankets.
"You've slept the whole morning away," she said as I grabbed the blankets and pulled them over myself, gripping hold of the edges so she couldn't remove them again. "Lucien brought you a dress to wear, and he'll be back in an hour to bring us to the celebration."
"What time is it?" I mumbled, brushing the hair out of my eyes.
"The sun is starting its decent in the sky. Lucien said I should wake you earlier, but since the festivities will last throughout the night, I thought you needed the rest."
"I don't want to go to the party."
"Yes, you do."
"No, I really don't. Because of me everyone thinks Tamlin brought back my mother to use her power against them."
"So what?" She shrugged unconcernedly. "You saved those people last night, Brie. You should be proud of yourself for doing something no other High Fae would do, and I'm not going to let you wallow away in this bedroom when your man is going to be at the Calanmai."
Any argument I gave her, she turned it around on me, and in the end I gave up and got ready for the party. The dress, if it could actually be called a dress with what little material it was made from, left me feeling almost embarrassing naked. Backless and with a neckline that plunged below my navel, it reminded me of something the whores who worked at the taverns in our village would wear. The only positive thing I could say about it was how the shimmering deep blue color matched my eyes, but that did little to make me feel comfortable about stepping outside in the curve hugging, breast revealing, thigh exposing dress Lucien picked out for me.
I kept touching the web of scars on my arm as Lilianna played with my hair, arranging it then rearranging it until she was pleased with how the thick braid looked with flowers, Lucien scavenged to find, woven through the plaits with loose tendrils framing my face. Lucien arrived a few minutes after she finished my makeup, and began insisting that we needed to get going leaving Lilianna with only a few minutes to put on the dress he brought her which by comparison to mine looked like a burlap sack. The floor-length silky mauve dress covered almost every inch of her body with its high neckline, long puffy sleeves and it flowed down her without giving a hint of the curves she possessed underneath. It looked ridiculous on her, but she shrugged it off and smiled sweetly at Lucien, patting his cheek as she headed out the door.
By the time we reached the rise where we stood the night before, I felt sick. Drums had begun to play, and they pounded in perfect sync with the headache forming behind my eyes. My cheeks flushed as Fae openly stared at me as they passed by us. All around me High Fae and lesser faeries were laughing and having a great time, and those drums kept pounding and pounding over and over again. Lucien and Lilianna wanted to join the others below, and after pleading with me to come with them, I told them I'd be fine where I was and to go have fun. I watched them run off then went to stand beneath the shade of an old gnarled tree.
My eyes darted from one Fae to the next searching for Tamlin's golden hair, but I didn't see him anywhere. Crowds gathered around the mouth of a cave, and as I watched I saw them lift their arms to pass a large dead white stag over their heads down the line until it reached the last few Faes and they set it on the ground to be gutted for the feast. My stomach rolled and churned at the sight of blood spilling onto the ground, and seeing enough of the celebration that involved killing a helpless animal, I turned to leave, and smacked straight into a tall, dark-haired Fae with blue – no, violet eyes.
"Are you enjoying Calanmai?" he said, his voice deep and rich.
"No – yes, I'm just feeling a little overwhelmed," I admitted, glancing over my shoulder at the men cutting away the stag's hide. "No one mentioned the stag . . . ."
"I'm sure they probably didn't mention most of what this celebrations entails." He causally tucked his hands into the pockets of his black jacket with silver and gold strands woven through it. "Tamlin will choose one of those women down there to take into the cave, and as he makes savage love to her, the power he takes into his body will be released into the earth renewing Spring once more." His eyes traveled down the length of me, and a smile pulled at his sensual lips. "Or perhaps they have told you everything and you are vying to be the one he beds tonight."
My hand reacted of its own accord, and the sound of the slap across his face drew more attention than I could've possibly imagined. The drums skipped several beats as the crowd below looked up at us, and my eyes honed in on Lucien shouting to me, but I couldn't hear what he said.
"It's nice to finally meet you, cousin."
In a blur of speed he grasped hold of me, and then everything disappeared but him.
