⁂ Hello, my loves! I apologize for the long wait! You know how crazy it's been over here in the U.S., so I'm sure you can understand why it took me so long to get this chapter together. It IS on the longer side, however, so I hope that makes up for it. This chapter also marks the beginning of the end. That's right, my loves, this story is coming to a close, and there's only a few more chapters left. I'd like to finish it up before Rise of the Titans comes out, because you guys know that I'll go plot crazy and never finish this story, if I don't! Please enjoy, and I hope to update again soon.
Chapter Fifty-One
"—and she should be in bed no later than 8 a.m., okay?"
"Yes, Claire."
"And if she gets hungry, there are some jars of fruit and vegetable purées in the pantry in the kitchen. There's also some sweet roots and some venison jerky that she likes to chew on. And I left some breast milk in prepared bottles in the cooler. And—"
"Claire," Darci interrupted with a laugh, gently bouncing Ellie on her hip as the baby also laughed. "I have babysat her before, remember?"
"I know," Claire replied, biting her bottom lip anxiously. Jim was standing by the kitchen entryway of their cave with Douxie, both men each carrying a backpack loaded with various magical instruments that both Douxie and Merlin had insisted that they would need on hand. The older wizard had already gone on ahead with Toby to set up various wards around the forest, annoyed with Claire's and Jim's reluctance to leave their baby behind. "It's just… we don't know how long we'll be, and if something happens—"
"Nothing is going to happen," Jim interjected, his own anxiety rising as he considered the danger ahead of them. Yes, there was danger, but this was one annoying monster — they'd faced Gunmar, Morgana, Bular, and others and still come out on top. Not to mention Douxie's nine centuries of experience when it came to dealing with various creepy crawlies. "We've got this."
"I know, I know," Claire sighed, waving her hand dismissively toward Jim, and he chuckled, shaking his head. "Just… just be careful, okay? She's been having some magical control issues, and I don't want her to disappear on you."
Darci blinked, her amused expression faltering with shock. "…disappear?"
"I might have an idea as to how to help with that," Nari interjected from the floor. The "little magic plant lady," as Toby had dubbed her, was just as fascinated with Ellie's toys as Ellie herself was, and was kneeling amongst the blocks, stacking them into towers. She stood up on her spindly legs and walked over to Darci, gesturing for the girl to lean down with the baby. "A sealing rune will keep her from using her magic." She reached out grasp Ellie's left hand with both of hers, her fingers wrapping gently around the baby's wrist. There was a brief green glow beneath her hands and when she let go of the baby's arm, there was a small charm bracelet around her tiny wrist. It seemed simple enough — in fact, it looked like it was woven from grass — but Jim could sense the power emanating from the simple object. Nari looked over her work with a pleased hum, and then nodded. "Yes, this should work."
Ellie lifted her arm to her face, examining the object carefully, and then reached over with her other hand to try and tug it off. The little green band glowed slightly, but didn't budge. Whining, the baby shoved her arm back toward Nari with a pout. "No."
"Yes," Nari replied with a small laugh, tapping a long, black finger against the baby's nose. "You cannot remove it yourself. Only one of your parents will be able to remove it. Do not argue, child; it is for your own good."
"No," Ellie whined again, though her voice was less defiant and more forlorn, as if she had accepted her fate, even if she didn't like it. Sniffling, she turned in Darci's arms and tucked her face into the girl's neck.
"There, there," Darci laughed, standing to her full height again and rubbing Ellie's back soothingly. "It's not the end of the world." Glancing over toward Jim, Claire, Douxie, and Nari, she nodded her head toward the entrance, silently rocking and shushing the upset baby. "Go on, I've got her."
"Are you sure—" Claire started, but Jim grabbed her around the waist and hauled her up over his shoulder, much to Nari's amusement, who began giggling hysterically. "Jim!"
"The longer we hang around here, the longer it will take us to get back," Jim said, jostling his shoulder playfully, causing Claire to hang further down his back. She smacked his backside lightly in playful frustration.
"I would suggest you stay behind with your baby, but I've lived far too long to ever underestimate a determined sorceress," Douxie laughed, shaking his head in amusement.
Jim snickered, turning to press a chaste kiss to his mate's hip as they walked and Claire allowed him to carry her over his shoulder. "Never get in the way of the almighty Shadow Dancer."
"Shadowmancers are quite intimidating," Douxie mused, humming thoughtfully to himself. "Every time Morgan got mad at Merlin, the whole castle would erupt in random Shadow Portals. You'd be in the loo one second, and in the next, you'd be peeing upside down from the throne room ceiling." Douxie shuddered, clearly recalling a bad memory. "And believe me, Arthur did not think that was as funny as I did."
Jim laughed, nodding to Vex and Zadra at the cavern entrance. They had agreed to guard the entrance that night; apparently, Aja had a date with Steve, but Krel was with Toby and Merlin. Douxie had given the alien boy some task that was supposed to help them; at the very least, Krel had rushed off excitedly, mumbling to himself in various languages — none of which Jim understood. The two older aliens had both objected to Krel's involvement, but apparently, Douxie's charm was not limited to human females, and he'd managed to ease their concerns.
Claire laughed, swatting Jim's backside again, and he let her down, taking her hand in his as they continued to walk through the dim forest. They'd set out early enough that there was still a low, dusky light filtering through the trees and foliage. Being late September in the Northeast, the night was cool, almost bordering on too cold, but the day had been sunny, preventing the temperature from being downright chilly until much later in the night. Jim sincerely hoped that they would be done and home again before it hit that point, though he had packed a light coat in his pack for Claire, just in case.
"Did you get thrown in the dungeon?" Claire asked Douxie, still laughing a little.
"Ah," Douxie cringed, chuckling darkly as he lifted his left hand to absently grasp his right shoulder. "Yes, followed by thirty lashes. It would have been more, but Morgan heard what I was being punished for and told Arthur what happened. She took the remainder of my punishment, though I suspect it was harsher than I would have received."
"You make it sound like Morgana wasn't actually, well…" Claire began, struggling to find her words. "Morgana."
"She wasn't," Douxie sighed, shaking his head. "She was Morgan, then. A talented Shadowmancer with a compassionate heart and a fiery temper… not unlike yourself, fair Claire."
"Do not compare me to her," Claire snapped, her cheeks flushing pink in anger, and Jim squeezed her hand reassuringly.
Douxie laughed again, this time a soft, wistful sound. "It is true, though. I don't know what happened to change her. Merlin took her away for awhile — to help her control her Shadow magic, he said — but when Master came back, Morgan wasn't with him. The next time I saw her, she was side by side with Gunmar, terrorizing every living thing they came across."
Claire and Jim shared an uneasy glance, both of them being aware of what it was that had likely changed the witch, and the Amulet in Jim's pocket gave a warm thrum, as if to agree with their silent assessment.
"Were you close with her?" Jim asked, noting the fond nostalgia in the young wizard's voice as he spoke.
"Yes and no," Douxie shrugged, his gaze distant and staring off ahead as they walked. "We were friends — as much as what was allowed during that time, anyway. This was the 12th century, after all, so you have to remember that there were rules in place regarding the mingling of men and women, who were not promised to one another. Even with Morgan's status as a sorceress and as Merlin's apprentice, she was still required to have a handmaiden with her at all times, to act as chaperone. Actually," Douxie laughed, shooting an amused side glance toward Jim and Claire. "…her handmaiden's name was Eleanor. She was not quite as happy as your Eleanor, however. Morgan and I once cast her bloomers up the flagpole on the tallest tower of the castle; oh, she was furious! I got 20 lashings for that and Morgan was sentenced to scullery duty for a month, but the look on that woman's face when she saw her undergarments sailing in the wind!" Douxie shook his head, still laughing to himself.
"You can't really blame her for being angry about that!" Jim said, though the image that Douxie painted caused him to laugh, too.
"Aye," Douxie agreed, his laughter quieting to a few chuckles. "I suppose not. 'Twas really her own fault, though; being a handmaiden to a sorceress — let alone a Shadowmancer — frightened her terribly, and people are often cruelest when they are frightened. She called Morgan all sorts of horrid slurs, to say nothing of the lies she spread. Morgan became increasingly paranoid, convinced that everyone saw her as some evil Fae being. It was almost a relief when Merlin took her away. I thought that the freedom from Camelot and its host of gossipers and naysayers would clear her anxieties."
"I'm so sorry, Douxie," Claire said, frowning in thought. "I guess… I never realized how hard it was back then."
Douxie shrugged, his expression becoming uncomfortable. "Life is hard. We either make do and take it as it is, or… or, well… we turn into Morgana. You have one another and your family, though, and that makes all the difference."
"You never speak of your family, Douxie," Nari interjected, the little magic plant lady having been so silent during their walk that Jim jumped, having forgotten she was there. "You were not always alone."
"Well, I have Archie and now you," Douxie chuckled, reaching down to playfully tussle Nari's green hair. "You guys are my family."
"But…" Nari frowned, and a subtle green glow lit up briefly around her body, and Jim thought he saw small tendrils of light flicker just underneath the dirt and leaves at their feet. "Your soul is connected to others."
"Stop, Nari," Douxie begged in a quiet voice, his expression contorting in pain. "I don't want to talk about that."
"But—"
"There you are!" Toby's voice rung out, and they jumped in surprise as the short and pudgy boy appeared almost out of nowhere. Jim didn't miss the relieved look that crossed Douxie's face as Nari's line of questioning was diverted.
"Ah, Tobias!" Douxie exclaimed, a large, clearly fake smile adorning his expression as he called out their friend's name in greeting. "Did Krel meet up with you?"
"Yeah," Toby replied, his voice taking on an amusedly confused expression, his face scrunching in concern. "Uh… did you mean to give him a magic item? Because he's combined it with alien tech, and I'm a bit worried that we're going to end up blowing up half of New Jersey while trying to take out one monster."
"Not to worry," Douxie waved off Toby's concern. "In theory, the magic and technology should compliment each other nicely."
"In theory?" Jim repeated, raising a skeptical eyebrow at the young wizard.
Douxie laughed nervously at the look, shrugging slightly. "Well, I mean… I suppose there's a slight chance that things could go wrong, but Krel's smart."
"But he really doesn't know anything about magic," Claire added, a tone and look of worry coming from her as well.
"Oh, stop worrying so much," Douxie laughed, giving Claire one of his charming winks, which caused both Jim and Toby to roll their eyes. "You'll get frown lines, lovely."
"Think you could stop flirting with my mate?" Jim growled, unable to keep his protective — and, albeit, slightly jealous — instincts at bay.
Douxie laughed again. "You're mate-bonded, aren't you? You have nothing to worry about."
"I'm not worried," Jim countered, glaring at Douxie grumpily. "It's just rude."
"Down, boy," Claire teased, tightening her grip around Jim's fingers lightly. "I'm ignoring any and all flirtations, unless they come from you."
"Hm," Jim hummed petulantly, and the others laughed.
They continued to walk through the forest, the dusky light of early evening fading into darkness and the air becoming chillier. They had chosen to go deep into the forest, far away from both human civilization, as well as the caves where New Trollmarket was located. Since the Akiridions, Toby, Darci, and Nana lived just on the surface side of the cavern system, they were safe from any damage that might occur because of their plan. It also meant that they had to walk for at least 45 minutes before getting to their destination; as they walked, they chatted idly, talking about everyday stuff, — the weather, Toby's attempts to master calculus via online schooling (not going well, by the way), Krel's work in crafting a device that would create portals between points in space (making progress, but still a few major glitches to work out), Claire's morning sickness (triggered almost immediately by the scents of moldy sucks or peanut butter), Darci's attempt to use magic (spoiler alert: she had no magical ability whatsoever, much to her disappointment)…
Their casual conversation was also part of the plan; if, on the off chance, Leeds was watching them, he might just think that they were friends going for a walk. Granted, the creature knew that Jim and Toby, at the very least, were aware of his existence, and he must also know that Trollmarket as a whole was aware of him, as they had blown the entrance to his cavern of death and had posted guards at every other entrance that they knew of. There was also the possibility that the Jersey Devil knew other entrances to the caverns. Leeds had held dominion over the entirety of these woods for nearly 300 years, after all; chances were great that he knew every nook and cranny far better than they did. The only reason that Jim was not over his head with worry was because he suspected that there was something about the Heartstone that repelled Leeds — it had refused to grow into his cavern, after all, and there had been no evidence of any evil creatures dwelling within when they had first discovered the caverns and started constructing New Trollmarket. The creature had also made no attempts to break into or sneak into New Trollmarket since his discovery, which further confirmed Jim's suspicion. Leeds didn't even bother the scavenger trolls that went out for nightly trash raids (the local truck stop had really provided some awesome stuff, though — given its 24-hour service — it was not their first choice for scavenging), and all they carried with them were Glow Crystals. They would have thought that Leeds had made a run for it, but they had found various fresh human body parts scattered across the eastern parts of the forest two nights previously.
"There's Merlin and Krel," Douxie announced, pointing out into the distance. Ahead of them, a glowing blue light shed a dim light around the area, illuminating both Krel (in his human form) and Merlin, as well as a bit of the their surroundings. Jim was a little surprised to see nothing out of the ordinary, except for the small spot that was giving off the blue light.
"I thought you guys went ahead to set up traps?" Claire asked, coming to the same conclusion as Jim.
"This is the trap, my dear," Merlin said as they came up to the clearing, gesturing down to the little device on the ground.
"But… it's a Wisp…" Claire replied, bending down to gently touch the flickering, blue light. Quick as lightning, Krel's hand shot out and grabbed Claire's wrist, stopping her from touching the device.
"No touching!"
"Krel—" Claire grumbled, rolling her eyes, but Douxie interrupted her, waving his hand in front of himself.
"It is meant to look like a Wisp, yes," he said as more than a dozen flickering blue orbs of magic formed in the air around them, Douxie's eyes, as well as his gauntlet, flashing briefly with his power. He held his hand in front of his face and blew gently, like how one might blow powder from their palm, and the orbs flew off in all directions. "We are using them as a lure — well, and Archie, too."
"Archie?" Jim asked, ashamed to realize that he had only just noticed that Douxie's constant feline-draconic companion was missing.
"Yes," Nari nodded sagely, sticking close to Douxie's side, reaching up with both hands to grip Douxie's unused hand. It was obvious — at least to Jim — that the little magic plant lady was very fond of Douxie. Based on the previous comments, however, Jim wondered whether or not their relationship would grow into a romantic one — not that it was any of his business, really. "He can transform into almost anything."
"Now, all we must do is wait," Merlin said, leaning into staff in a bored fashion. "I suggest we spread out, so that we are not caught vulnerable, should they come up from behind us."
Of course Jim and Claire immediately paired up with each other and claimed a spot facing East. Douxie and Nari stuck by each other and took up a position that faced South, while Toby and Krel partnered with each other and moved North. Unsurprisingly, Merlin was left on his own, and with an indignant grumble, marched off toward the West, disappearing into the darkness.
"Whew," Claire let out a relieved breath as she and Jim settled down into their chosen spot, a large tree on either side of them and a large bush guarding their backs. "I'm kind of glad that we're not running all over the place and waiting on him to come to us, instead. My feet are killing me after that walk."
"I would have carried you," Jim said, watching as Claire pulled off her shoes and socks and rubbed her feet. He was a bit surprised to see the swelling in her ankles and feet. "Wow, your feet didn't swell like that until you were about 7 months along, with Ellie."
"Yeah," Claire agreed, her eyes closing in bliss as she massaged her swollen feet. "At least my morning sickness isn't quite as bad as with her, but I think it's safe to say that this is just the way my body is going to react to my pregnancies. Barbara did tell us before that my body wasn't mature enough to really handle a perfectly healthy pregnancy. It'll probably be the same for a few more years."
"Maybe that's why there's such an age gap between Aiden and the twins," Jim mused, recalling the 6-year age gap between Aiden and his little brothers. "We'll decide to wait, I guess."
"Don't take this the wrong way, because I don't regret anything, but I think waiting for a few more years after Aiden will be for the best," she replied, sighing tiredly, and leaning into his side. "Especially since it'll be twins."
Jim chuckled lightly, pressing a kiss to the top of his mate's head. "I'll be on my best behavior, then."
"I doubt that," Claire laughed, rolling her eyes as she tilted her head back and caught his lips in a brief, chaste kiss. "I'm thinking I might just have to start taking birth control, instead."
"What, you don't think I can hold back?" Jim teased, sticking his tongue out.
"I know you can't," she said with another laugh, reaching down to gently tap his hand, which had slid under her shirt and was idly inching up her torso. "Mr. Handsy."
"You love it," Jim replied, but obediently moved his hand on top of her shirt and down to her hip.
She snickered, shaking her head. They sat in silence for a few minutes, gazing out at the faint lights cast by Douxie's fake Wisps, before she spoke again. "So… you think we might tell our parents about Aiden sometime soon?"
Jim sighed, grumbling discontentedly. "We could wait until he's born."
"Jim," Claire said in a hard tone. Sighing as well, she leaned into his side again, wrapping her arms around his stomach. "I know we have our differences with them all, but… they deserve to know."
"Your mom and dad, maybe," Jim shrugged, laughing bitterly. "Weird how things flipped around, this time. I'm more scared of my mom's reaction, than yours."
"Well, if it makes you feel better," Claire said with her own bitter chuckle. "Mom will probably freak, just like last time."
"Hey…" he replied, reaching over to gently finger the lightly glowing sapphire gem strung around his mate's neck. "What… what did she say about…?"
"I…" Claire started, her voice choked and her emotions becoming distraught as she reached up to touch the gem that had been their baby. She'd been overjoyed with the gift, as well as understandably emotional. She hadn't removed it since he had given it to her. "She was upset, definitely, but she didn't say anything to me. I think maybe she thought I was already being punished enough."
Jim let out an irritated growl, huffing indignantly. "We did nothing that would warrant any type of punishment. Losing him wasn't some divine intervention coming down upon us to punish us for being young parents. It was just… bad luck."
Claire shook her head, a slight whimper escaping her throat as she pressed her face into his side. He could feel her agony across their Soul Bond, and the wetness of her tears soaking through his shirt. "It still hurts."
"I know," Jim choked out, burying his face in her hair, his own tears masked by her dark brown tresses. "I'm so sorry that I wasn't there."
"That's not your fault," Claire replied with a watery laugh, leaning away from him to tilt her head and up and press a soft kiss to his chin. "Just more bad luck."
Before Jim could say anything in response, they were interrupted by a crackle of static coming from the walkie talkie that Claire had clipped to her belt. "Warhammer and DJ Kleb calling Shadow Dancer and Trollhunter. We have an emergency over here!"
"What is it, Toby?" Claire gasped, yanking the walkie talkie from her hip and bringing it up between them. "Do you see Leeds?"
"What?" came the confused reply, and then Toby barreled on, not giving anyone a chance to say anything else. "Oh! No, no, no! No, but we've still got a major situation!"
"Do you need help?" Jim asked, confused with the excited tone of voice that Toby was using.
"No, no, no!" Toby repeated. "But DJ Kleb needs either his head checked or courting advice."
"What?" Jim and Claire both said, even more confused than before.
"It is nothing," Krel interjected, his tone embarrassed. "I was merely making conversation and, per usual, Toby overreacted to something I said."
"He wants to ask Mary out!" Toby said, riding over anyone else's comments. "Mary! Our Mary!"
"Ooh," Claire cringed, half laughing. "Krel, that's probably a bad idea."
"What? Why?" Krel replied in an indignant voice.
"Mary's not too interested in commitment," Jim tried to explain, feeling slightly guilty for essentially bad mouthing one of their best friends. "I mean, she's a loyal friend, but she likes to, um… play the field… when it comes to lovers."
"See? I tried to tell you," Toby replied, keeping the line open to keep Jim and Claire in the conversation. "She's not exactly queen material."
"Aja is Queen," Krel said, his voice confused. "Mary would not be able to become Queen."
"Wait, but aren't you the King?" Claire asked, frowning deeply in thought.
"I am King-in-Waiting," Krel explained. "It only means that I hold the title of King in a temporary manor. Aja is oldest, and so she is first in line for the throne. While I would act as King by her side, it would only be until she married. Her husband, then, would be king."
"Woah, back up," Jim interjected, his eyes widening as a thought came to him. "Are you saying that there's a huge possibility that Steve is going to be King of an entire planet one day?"
"Yes and no," Krel laughed. "It would be more like… I believe the human's call it a 'prince consort.' He would be King, yes, and while he would be free to offer his input and opinions, any decision or decree can only be made by one of royal blood, which would be Aja, the Queen."
"Oi, you lot," Douxie's voice interjected, his cockney accent thickening with annoyance. "We're supposed to be on a stakeout, not a social call."
"Well, excuse us, Mister 900-Year-Old Virgin," Toby replied, his voice sarcastic. "We were just making conversation."
"First of all," Douxie quipped back, and Jim could practically hear the wizard's eyes rolling. "If you think I've been around for 9oo years and haven't had a roll in the hay in all that time, you are very naive. And secondly—"
"What is a roll in the hay?" Nari interrupted, and Jim and Claire both had to bite their lips to keep from laughing out loud. "Hay is rather stiff and itchy, isn't it? Why would anyone want to roll in it?"
"It's a metaphor, love," Douxie replied in an exasperated voice.
"A metaphor for wha—"
"Shut up!" Merlin's voice echoed through all of the walkie talkies, and Claire dropped theirs in shock when green magic sparked like electricity through the device.
"Douxie!" another voice shouted out, this time through the air, rather than through the communication devices. "Douxie! Douxie, it's right behind me!"
They all jumped up and and turned back toward the sound of the voice, which was coming in fast somewhere off to the Northeast. The sounds of crashing trees and vicious snarling was echoing through the forest, as well as the frantic flapping of small wings. Soon enough, Archie came zipping through the clearing, heading straight for the trap that resembled a Wisp. He circled the object a few times, low to the ground, and looking back in the direction that he had come from, and then hissed, his hair standing on end and his glasses nearly flying off of his face The Jersey Devil crashed into the clearing, eyes red with rage, barreling through the underbrush after his prey. Archie hissed again, but held his ground, looking around frantically, as if he weren't sure in which direction to fly off to, but just before Leeds lunged in his direction, Archie darted away, flying right into Douxie's outstretched arms.
Leeds landed on top of what he must have assumed was merely a Wisp, but then the trap exploded, engulfing the creature in a glowing blue bubble and magic and energy. Leeds writhed and screeched in fury, trying to kick, bite, and claw his way free, all to no avail. The bubble stretched to his every movement, never breaking.
"Well, that was exciting, wasn't it?" Marlin said in a bored tine as they all cautiously walked up to the bubble containing the monster. Archie was sitting on Douxie's shoulder, meticulously licking his tail… which seemed to have a bald spot in it. "Ah, Archibald… got too close, did it?"
"It snuck up on me," Douxie replied indignantly, sticking his nose up in the air.
"What is this?" Leeds screeched, making a slash toward Archie, but the bubble prevented the creature from escaping. "Let me go, and I will allow one of thee to live."
"Not likely, mate," Douxie laughed, waving a finger at Leeds as if he were a naughty child. "You're not getting out of that. Now, what to do with you, hm?"
"Jim pulls Daylight on him, duh," Toby said, rolling his eyes. "Problem solved."
"I could also send him to Limbo," Douxie added, waving his hands in a specific pattern, his gauntlet lighting up with magic. A second later, a small, swirling black void started to open up in the ground, below where Leeds' bubble was hovering.
"Is that the Shadow Realm?" Claire gasped, taking a nervous step back.
"Not quite," Merlin answered, tapping the butt of his staff against the ground a couple of times. The emerald at the top gave a slight glow, and Douxie's portal snapped closed with a puff of green mist. Douxie shot Merlin a dirty look, which the old man ignored. "Limbo is just what you think it is — a place between realms. It might be a little weak to hold such a creature as this, however."
"Let me go!" Leeds demanded again, snarling at Jim this time. "I have left thy Trolls alone, yes? Let me have the humans. You don't want them. I will take them." His eyes shifted to Claire, the red glow glinting dangerously as he licked his lips. "Yes, yes… cometh, young woman. Come forward and free me. Trolls don't want thee, but I doth, aye. Come, come!"
Jim thought Claire would roll her eyes at this, but then he registered an odd disconnected feeling, intermingled with slight panic coming from her end of their Soul Bond, and when he looked down toward her, her eyes were glazed over, and she had already taken three steps forward, her arms raising toward Leeds' bubble.
"Claire!" They all shouted her name, and Jim leapt forward, grabbing his mate around the waist and dragging her back several yards, until Leeds and the others appeared small in the distance.
"Wha… what…?" Claire's voice was weak and shaky as Jim felt the disconnected feeling dissipate and his wife came back to herself. She shook her head slightly, placing a hand at her temple, like she was warding off a headache. "He was… controlling me…"
"Yes," Jim agreed, growling in anger as he glared back in Leeds' direction. Sighing, he turned back to Claire and sat her down on the ground, at the base of a large oak, pressing the Amulet into her palm. "Stay here, okay?"
"Okay," she nodded, still rubbing her head and cringing like she was in pain. The Amulet covered her in a protective, blue mist, and Jim heard Ywain's reassurances echo in his head.
Worried about his mate, but more determined than ever to get rid of this menace now, Jim hurried back to the others, growling in a dangerous manner as he resisted the urge to pull Leeds from his prison and beat the crap out of him. "You just made the biggest mistake of your life."
Leeds whined, snarling and shaking his head in frustration. "Let me go."
"Of all of our options, I think we can safely say that that's not anywhere in the plans, mate," Douxie laughed, rolling his eyes.
"I shall bid thee secrets, if thee doth free me," Leeds tried to bargain, and they all rolled their eyes at that one.
"Tell you what," Toby said with a laugh. "Tell us the secrets first, and then we'll consider it."
"I am not dull, bacon-fed knave."
"Back up, did you just insult me?"
"I am astounded that thou had wits about thee enough to recognize that."
"Yo, man, my best friends are Shakespeare nerds, so I think I'm capable of recognizing some of the lame ass insults from the Old English dictionary. At least I don't look like my mother slept with a donkey."
"You insolent—"
"That is quite enough."
They all jumped in surprise as a soft, but firm female voice interjected — even Leeds, though he obviously couldn't go anywhere. The voice had come out of nowhere, but then there was a slight shimmer in the space of air beside Merlin. A moment later, Queen Una materialized in front of them, her expression serious as she gazed upon the trapped Leeds.
"You Majesty," Jim greeted nervously, bowing slightly in her direction. The others followed suit, except for Nari, who was hidden behind Douxie's legs, but Jim noticed the calculating gaze that the little woman was watching the Fae Queen with.
"Hello, Young Trollhunter," Una greeted, nodding back to him, but pretty much ignoring the others. She turned her gaze back to Leeds, scrutinizing him closely. "And hello to you, my child."
Leeds hissed dangerously, his red eyes flashing with rage, and he attempted another futile kick to break his prison. "Witch! Demon woman! It is thy fault for mine torturous existence!"
"Partly, yes," Una replied, a sad expression coming to her face. "Had I known that your human mother would twist my gift so, I would have been more careful with you. I am so sorry for the curse that was put upon you because of her actions and my inattention. I have come to rectify that."
"I doth not want your pity, wench!" Leeds snarled, and then screeched in alarm and began struggling in his bubble as Una stepped forward, her arms raised, a bright, white glow at her fingertips. "Get thee away!"
Inside his bubble, Leeds writhed and cried out, his tail and legs flailing about desperately, and his red eyes bugging out of his head in panic. Suddenly, the light that Una held disappeared from her hands, and then Leeds' body began to glow with same blinging light. The light grew, as did Leeds' screaming, until the point where Jim and the others were forced to look away or be blinded. There was a sudden flash, and then it was dark again. When they looked back, golden clockwork parts, infused with flickering and sparking Akiridion energy and Douxie's magic lay broken in pieces on the ground. Leeds and his bubble were both gone, and in their place was a Wisp — a real Wisp, rather than the illusionary ones that Douxie had conjured. The little blue light swirled happily around them a few times, and then disappeared in a puff of blue mist.
"You could not do that before and save us all this trouble?" Krel asked in a flat voice, his expression deadpan as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and glared at the Fae Queen.
"I wanted to see how you would handle him," Una replayed with a gentle smile. "It pleases me that you did not choose to kill him outright. He was an innocent soul, in the beginning."
"So, what happened to him, then?" Toby asked. "Was that Wisp him?"
"Indeed," Una replied, nodding with a kind, motherly smile directed toward the red-head. "Wisps are the embodiment of the lost souls that I protect, after all."
"So… all the people he murdered for three centuries…" Merlin started, rolling his eyes. "He just gets away with all that, then? Right."
"You dare lecture my decrees, when your king—"
"Oh, here we go, again—"
"Una, my child, I do believe this argument has played out a dozen times before, has it not?" Nari interrupted in an amused voice, and to everyone's surprise Una gasped in surprise, her face paling even more that her usual color, making her look sickly. She looked around frantically, and then her gaze landed on Nari, her eyes becoming wide and slightly fearful.
"M-My Lady!" Queen Una gasped, and everyone gaped in shock as the Fae Queen threw herself down to the ground, kneeling and bowing as low as she could toward Nari, who was looking very uncomfortable with the sudden groveling. "I… I am so sorry. I beg your forgiveness! I - I failed to sense your presence — not that I—"
"Una, stop," Nari said in a soft, kind voice, bending to grasp the fairy woman's hands in her own and pulling her up into a sitting position on her knees. "There's no need for you to prostrate yourself like this."
"Yeah, what's up with that?" Toby laughed, giving Una an amused look. "Our Nari is chill; why are you acting like—"
"Foolish human," Una hissed her eyes glowing with an orange sheen in anger, causing them all to take a nervous step back. "Do you not know who you stand before? Lady Nari is of the Arcane Order."
"Una—" Nari mumbled, her expression somewhat embarrassed, but Toby interrupted before Nari could elaborate on Una's statement.
"People keep throwing that name out," Toby said, shrugging. "Who are they? And supposedly Nari isn't part of them, anymore."
"The Arcane Order is the group of beings who are the first magical beings in existence," Merlin explained with a flat, grumbling voice and an annoyed expression. "She can walk away from them all she likes, but that will never change who and what she is: Nari of the Eternal Forest and foremother to all magic bearers, Fae and human alike."
"What? Really?" Jim asked, looking at Nari in a new light. Sure, he could sense her quiet power, but she looked so unassuming and innocent. Una's reaction gave the impression that Nari was more powerful than all of them combined.
"But you acted like they were bad people," Krel said, cocking his head to the side and growing in confused consideration. "If they are the first magical beings, and therefore the creators of all other magical beings, then why would they turn against everyone?"
"Not everyone," Nari said, her shoulders slumping in defeat, a deep, sad sigh in her voice. "For millennia, we only oversaw the balance between magical and non-magical beings. We did not interact directly, but over time, the actions of humans tipped the balance. Magical beings were chased into the shadows and other dimensions, for if they remained in the open, they were persecuted and hunted for being born different than a human."
Douxie sighted, shaking his head sadly, and giving the others a darkly amused look. "A common human outlook, unfortunately; anyone different is wrong and wrong must be eliminated."
Nari nodded in agreement. "Yes. Around the twelfth century, King Arthur's actions and open war against magical beings came to a head. Una took the majority of them and created a pocket dimension where they could seek refuge and be safe. Those that chose to stay in the Living Realm faced persecution and merciless death at the hands of Arthur's knights and army. We…" Nari's expression twisted with guilt, and she hung her head in shame. "We saw the devastation and decided that humanity was a lost cause, a plague upon the world. We decided that the only way to rectify this was to wipe them from the planet. At the same time, Gunmar was rising to power. During all of this, the young sorceress Morgan sought us out; she told us her master and only protector had betrayed her in the most horrific of ways, and she had nowhere left to turn."
"What?" Douxie asked, startled, looking between Nari and Merlin with a horrified expression. "What does that mean? Master?"
Merlin opened his mouth and closed it again, unable to look his former pupil in the eyes. "I… Hisirdoux… I…"
"What?" Douxie demanded, his hands clenching at his sides, his eyes taking on a slight, blue glow. "What did you do?!"
"Douxie," Nari said in a gentle voice, reaching up to take his hand in hers. "Many bad choices were made, my own included. Do not condemn your master before you've heard my own sins, as well."
"But, Nari, you—"
"Shh, let me finish," Nari soothed, much like a mother would soothe her grumpy toddler. Jim watched as Douxie bit his lip, his expression angry, but he nodded and kept silent. "Thank you. When Morgan came to us, we viewed both her and Gunmar as tools to use in our plans. Gunmar had an army and Morgan had the natural ability of Shadowmancy to allow the trolls to fight, even during the day. We enhanced her abilities and sent her to fight at Gunmar's side against the humans. Even Merlin's Trollhunters could not stand up to their power, and many fell to them. Finally, a great three way battle raged, between humans, magical beings, and the trolls of Dwoza Trollmarket against Gunmar and Morgana's army. We saw this as our moment, and even we joined the battle… but we did not anticipate the spell that Merlin, Douxie, and the Trollhunter Deya concocted to trap Gunmar and his minions in the Darklands. By the time the battle was called, Killahead had been activated and sealed, Gunmar and the Gumm-Gumms gone, and both Merlin and Morgan were gone, as well; we assumed that they destroyed themselves. The humans were the clear victors, despite the fact that Arthur had fallen in battle. Their numbers and force were just too much." Nari sighed, taking a deep, shaky breath after her confessions, chlorophyl tears beading up in the corner of her eyes. "Bellroc and Skrael suggested we retreat and come up with a better plan to eliminate the humans… but the loss was too great for me. So many souls snuffed out in a single moment… I could no longer justify our actions to myself, but the others wouldn't listen. They were — they are — steadfast in their goals. However, we are only at our absolute strongest when we are together; to prevent them from going further with their plans, I left them, and I have been running and hiding ever since."
"Bellroc and Skrael are cruel," Una said, her voice timid as she remained kneeled on the forest floor. "While humans have most definitely disrupted the balance between magical and non-magical beings, that does not mean they should be sentenced to genocide. Just as there are evil magical beings, there are evil humans, too. Neither of us deserve extinction. I… My Lady, I cannot believe that you would have gone along with such a plan."
"I am so sorry," Nari choked out, kneeling down in front of Una and bowing low, her forehead touching the ground. "I saw the beings I created being persecuted and subjugated, and it broke my heart. I was filled with such fury and despair that Bellroc and Skrael were able to convince me that genocide was our only option. It is all my fault, Una — all of it. Every ounce of suffering on both sides is due to the choices that I made in anger."
"That's not true," Douxie said, shaking his head, his voice choked. He leaned down to place a gentle hand on Nari's shoulder. "We create a lot of our own suffering, you know. You made bad choices, made in justified anger, but it all worked out. Jim defeated Gunmar, Bular, and the Gumm-Gumms, and Claire defeated Morgana."
"Oh, Douxie," Nari sighed, shaking her head sadly. Her chlorophyl tears dripped down into the leaf litter, and glowing, green vines and small flowers sprouted up from their droplets. "Do not be so naïve as to believe that Gunmar and Morgan were our only plans. We unleashed unthinkable horrors upon the Living Realm in our efforts to eliminate the humans."
Jim gasped, his heart jumping into his throat as what Nari had admitted struck a thought into his mind. "You… what kind of horrors? Please tell me that you aren't the ones who released the Draknagoth?"
Nari kept her head down, refusing to meet his gaze, and Jim's heart pounded harder at the unspoken admission.
"What?" Toby yelped, and even Merlin looked at the little magic plant lady in shocked horror. "That thing's on the warpath, and you're saying you are the one who set it loose?!"
Nari whimpered, clenching her eyes shut tight, causing more chlorophyl tears to streak down her face. "Y-yes."
To be continued...
✧ ✩ PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW! ✩ ✧
