The Dormant: The Elemental Witches (Book Two)

Chapter 14: The Calaquendi

~Author Point of View~

Aine was casually lounging outside in one of her numerous inner gardens on a pink ottoman. Her bare feet propped up casually lounging as her ivory and gold-colored dress flared all around her. She took deep breaths watching a group of small Fae children playing their instruments. One had a lute, and another fae, a little banshee, was playing the harp. Aine gave thanks to the spark of nature, that the child wasn't singing, as banshees were universally known for their rather loud, unappealing shrieks. The last one was a small fairy from the ruling kind. He was lazily playing the flute, and she thought he wasn't rather good yet, but soon he would become exceptional.

She took a deep breath as the young creatures began playing a beautiful aria. Another kid, a pixie, had joined them with a curtsey of her small head. Aine sweetly smiled at her, and she began singing. The pixie had a fantastic voice.

The smell of ylang-ylang and tangerines permeated the area, giving this particular garden an almost intoxicating hypnotic perfume. She turned her head, her eyes almost shedding tears as the pixie singing began the second repetition of her tune.

All around them, different creatures went about their day picking up fruit and flowers from the garden, some were lost in thought, sitting around her watching the beautiful quartet giving their talent to their queen.

Brigit was lazily sitting down beside her on the floor, her knees beneath her as she clapped enthusiastically as the child singing managed to hit a complicated high note.

As the kids continued their music. The Goddess and the nymph inside their heads were having a conversation of their own about the recently departed elven royals. ¨I can just feel it. They don't know it yet and, it is so very fashionable elven, to resist bonds, but those two together would be unstoppable.¨ Aine sat up a little bit straighter, hearing Brigit speaking on her head. ¨You are going soft, my nymph. The way you talk about those two, it sounds like you are developing feelings for the princess.¨

Brigit shrugged her arms, putting a hand beneath her chin. ¨I have feelings for each one of those girls, even Danielle, before I knew she was other than human. I even had a strong feeling for young Patrick.¨ She stopped talking, her eyes glimmering as she darted her face to the other side, trying not to shed tears. ¨I am so sorry, Brigit.¨ Aine squeezed her shoulder, knowing how the death of the younger Addam human had affected the nymph. Brigit had practically raised him, and she felt like a damn fool for not being able to protect him.

¨Either way.¨ Brigit changed subjects, suddenly trying to put the memories in the back of her mind. ¨Having two descendants of light elven ancestry mate is a remarkable feat even for you. Not only speaking about their blood but both of them being firstborn. If they managed to put their differences behind them and do what is already written, together they could manipulate magical nature in an astounding way.¨ Brigit acknowledged, as Aine gave her a quizzical look, trying to figure out if the change of subject was because she cared about what was happening between the elven couple or only for them to stop speaking about the matter of the Addams family.

She decided to let it go and continue the conversation. ¨Indeed my sparkling nymph, if they finally end up accepting what is for everyone else to see, they would manage to not only change their world but any realm they happen to be in. The strength is in their magic combined as one, and if they one day reproduce, their heir would be the closest I would get to a demi-god for myself.¨

Brigit nodded enthusiastically. She had been part of this plan for as many years as she could count. Hellbound, Brigit had earned her spot as one of Aine's first lady maids by taking so much care of the children she had entrusted to her. Still, Brigit didn't mind she had lived long enough, and twenty years of her life had been nothing compared to the happiness they had brought her. Seeing them grow up, and fall in love.

Sometimes she felt like a proud mama hen with the three girls. Her only mistake was that night, leaving young Patrick in that house to go search for help from the wolves.

She was the one that had given the wolves the feeling to come and get the girls at once. She hoped the vampires would attack the party. She hadn't bothered to hide their scent anymore, but help came too late. It was her fault , she was the protector and she had failed in everything.

The vampires attacked sooner than she expected and attacked the wrong house. She felt it, she felt as the kid died, and for a month or so, she had to retrieve herself into a feral nymph existence, lost in her own grief. That's why she took the beta too. He was the love of one of those girls, and she couldn't bear another heartache to happen to the girls she helped raise.

Brigit was taken away from her thoughts as she heard a loud rustle from the living quarters. She huffed and turned towards Aine. The music had lolly her as she had her eyes closed. Aine moved and stirred at hearing the loud noise too. Brigit put a hand over the hand of the queen. ¨I should go, you stay here and rest, My Queen.¨ Aine nodded as she placed a hand lazily under her cheek and rested her head.

Brigit stood up, scoffing at the sound. ¨Damn trolls, they must have a perfectly damn good reason to be making quite a ruckus.¨ Her legs began walking fast as she neared the sound, but what was causing it was not some mere fae creatures. Her face ashen when she saw the unmistakable shadow approaching her. It was the shadow of death, swallowing the creatures it touched even before they knew it was taking them.

¨Aine!¨ Brigit screamed inside the mind-link. Aine appeared in front of her in a second, her delicate features jerking as she realized what was happening around them. It was supposed to be safe in the haven, the darkness couldn't find Aine there. They had to have help from the inside, someone had let them in. ¨Mot.¨ Aine whispered the one word. He had finally found them, grabbing Brigit's hand hard before the demon shadow swallowed them both too.

They appeared in front of the elven realm door. Aine quickly opened it up as the small window of time they had procured apparating now seemed to end. The shadow they heard was now on the other side of the ballroom. ¨I need you to take Poppy and Thalion to earth. There my sisters can protect them. They are at the Calandequi door. After they are on earth, I need you to seal the door, my nymph. I need to stay here and seal each one of these doors so as not to let him take my realms, but it is a matter of time before he finds that one too. We cannot let the unnatural enter the kingdoms. He had help from the inside.¨

Brigit shook her head. ¨I can help you seal from this side we can….¨ She knew the implications. Without Aine's nature, magic darkness would fall in every realm known to magic creatures. If Mot got a hand on her mistress, everything would be dark and bleak. Her magic triggered the day. She was needed for the seasons to change for the day to come.

The only thing that could imprison the unnatural in a prison of light was the now death god Him, in combination with his mate Bastet, who guarded the prison they built for the creature. Now she was too weak for her magic to keep guarding. There were not enough felines. Demons would slowly come out of their underground realm and, finally, he would have a stake in everything, everyone.

He hadn't been able to exit yet. That would be the end of every realm, even earth, but he had managed to send its dark nature out. Aine smiled at her, and without asking, she pushed Brigit through the door.

Brigit found herself at the opening of the Elven realm and tried to conjure the door back again. She needed to help her mistress. Brigit was failing miserably at her job once again. As she took out her dagger and cut her hands, this was the only way to summon a portal quickly, Fae's sacrifice.

The door didn't appear. It had already been sealed, and as Brigit was about to apparate in front of the Calaquendi door, she looked up at the sky. What had once had a pink, orange, and mallow color had now begun darkening without any of the clouds that littered the beautiful elven sky.

Brigit took a deep breath, drowning back tears. She would have time to cry afterward, but right now, she had to follow orders.

She apparated in front of the royals. Brigit looked at the stunned faces of the three elven in front of her. Thalion was standing beside Poppy, his dagger out, about to make an incision on her delicate hand. Aradhel was on the other side of the Calanquedi Pool. Her violet eyes turned big as Brigit appeared in front of them.

With the sternest voice she could muster, Brigit raised her chin, knowing the princess in front of her was the stubbornest royal she had ever met. Suitable for a ruler but bad when she had to follow orders. Trying to relay the seriousness of the information she was about to give them, she slowly spoke the words. ¨The safe haven has fallen. Queen Aine's last wish before she was taken was for the royals to travel to the earthly realm.¨

Thalion raked a hand on his hair, his brown-colored braid coming unloose by the action. ¨Then what are we doing here? Why didn't she call us? We can travel immediately over there and help.¨ He turned towards Poppy. ¨ Poppy, cut your hand and think about Queen Aines palace while letting your blood drip on the pool.¨ Brigit internally rolled her eyes. ¨Royals…¨ She mumbled, appearing in front of the pool herself, to be more accurate between Poppy and Thalion. ¨You won't be able to do anything about it. The kingdom has already fallen, and you need to get out and seal this door before the darkness finds it and destroys the earth's realm. This is one of the only doors that can travel from any realm.¨

Thalion scrounged his face in a grimace. ¨Then we would stay and fight for our land.¨ Brigit turned to look at him straight into his eyes. He would have a mission, a more critical mission than his land. ¨The only way to save Aine is by doing it from the earth realm, and the only ones who can do this are you.¨

He finally realized the gravity of the situation. ¨ Is it like the fable of the dark lord?¨ Brigit nodded once, making the two seasoned elven loudly gasp. Poppy raised her hand unsurely. ¨What are you talking about?¨

The prince took her hand in a tight grip. ¨I would explain later, but right now, Alfirin, we need to leave. Think of any place on earth you know well.¨ Poppy nodded as Thalion pressed the knife into the elven princess's palm, drawing a thick line of blood.

A few blood drops landed inside the pool, and it began swirling with purple and silvery colors.

Thalion grabbed Poppy's hand, twisting and lightly kissing her palm where the cut was now closing. Then he turned towards his sister and the nymph. ¨Aradhel would close the door and break the key.¨ He stated, making Brigit shake her head again. ¨Let her leave with you. Once sealed, you will not be able to enter until the queen is rescued. It will be a really dark age until that happens and I am afraid for Aradhel´s safety.¨ ¨But my dad?¨ Poppy cried as she looked back. ¨He is safe in the fairy kingdom, but Aradhel, I feel, is in grave danger if she stays here.¨ Brigit finished prompting the three of them.

Thalion looked at his sister, who stood beside him, grabbing his hand. ¨Who would close the door then if only one of us can?¨ Brigit smiled at them, choking up tears but trying to sound as strong as she could. ¨I should take that honor, my prince. You can close a realm door, but to seal it, that pleasure lies with the nymph kind.¨ He gave Brigit a nod, and slowly, the two females beside him entered the door.

Poppy turned her head towards Brigit, her cherry hair in an intricate elven braid and her violet eyes pleading for information. For the first time in her life, Brigit gave the elven girl a reassuring smile and prompted her to follow the other royals. Slowly they disappeared on the silvery purple waters of the Calaquendi door. ¨I love you, my stubborn child.¨ She let out a sob as she knew this was the last time her eyes would see the girl she had helped raise, and in Brigit's own way, gotten to love.

Brigit turned as she heard a noise coming from the corridors that traveled the castle. She wasn't sure who the traitor was, but it must have been elven if Aine asked her to come here. They knew about this place. She waited until the sound came closer.

Instead of the suspect, she had in mind, Degorion. Elbereth, his daughter, appeared with a few guards. ¨Nymph where are they?¨ The wicked elven commanded, making Brigit give her a sweet smile, a tear escaping her eye as she quickly grabbed the dagger she was carrying and pressed it against the skin of her neck, making a deep gash.

She fell in the middle of the pool, her blood spilling from the mortal wound she inflicted on herself. Slowly what had been liquid around her began to solidify. Trapping her body for eternity on the threshold of the door. Her magic spilled to the fullest in it and now mixed with the magic of countless before her. She had sacrificed her mortal form. She had died so she could become the protector of the door.