“I hear you are experienced in healing, so we will leave that for now,” the dowager continued. “Tristan will help you hone your fire and warrior skills. Since you have found your water talent, I was going to start with that. But after hearing your story about Lilith and the portal you opened, I think we should concentrate on your spirit magic, which is the rarest and most dangerous if something goes wrong.”
I nodded.
“What you did for the pegasus should not have been possible. Opening a portal to another world is a rare talent, and usually you need at least ten experienced spirit-fae to combine their magic to open one. Your mother had that power, but even she should not have been able to do what she did for you that day when she opened a portal and sent you through. Now that I have met you and heard what you are capable of, I suspect your own magic aided your mother. It was your magic that made it possible for a single spirit-fae to open a portal of such magnitude. Your magic is more powerful than anything I have seen before, but for someone your age, such power can be detrimental to your mental health. You need discipline and you need training, otherwise you will never be the queen your people need you to be.”
As soon as I finished with the dowager, I ran back down to the training ground. Tristan was expecting me, and I didn’t want to be tardy and give him another reason to glare at me. The sun was setting on the hidden valley of the fae, and the Crystal Castle had lit up in orange and pink hues when I reached the grounds.
Tristan was shirtless in the middle of the training ring, his corded body perfectly chiseled like a statue of a Greek god. I tried not to stare as I stood on the sidelines watching him fight six fae-warriors at once with only a staff. He was magnificent, a lethal fighting machine. And although I had seen him fight before, I was mesmerized by his moves. Lithe and surefooted like a jungle cat, Tristan twirled his staff, knocking down three warriors at one time, and he didn’t seem to break a sweat.
Three more came at him, and he deflected the blows easily and expertly, knocking the other staffs out of his opponents’ hands in the blink of an eye. All around him fae-warriors lay on the ground, bruised and groaning.
He stopped when he noticed me and frowned. “You’re late.”
Behind him I saw Cade and another warrior moving toward Tristan. Cade put his finger to his lips. But before I could decide whether to warn Tristan or not, he turned swiftly, knocking them both down, his staff twirling faster than the mortal eye could see.
Cade groaned as he hit the ground. “I thought I had you this time.”
“You are going to have to do better than that, my friend.” Tristan held out his hand to Cade and his lips curved slightly.
At least something amused him.
Cade pulled himself up. “One day I am going to get you.”
“I look forward to it.” Tristan dismissed him.
Cade tried to mimic Tristan’s scowl as he walked over to me, but he wasn’t doing a great job of it. I couldn’t help laughing. Cade was too funny.
“How did it go with the dowager?” Cade asked me, putting on his sword belt.
“She’s nice. I like her very much, she’s direct and tells it like it is.”
“That’s probably the first and only time anyone has described my grandmother as nice,” Tristan snorted, coming up to me and thrusting a staff into my hand.
Cade laughed, obviously unable to sulk for more than a minute. “Most High Fae run when they see the dowager duchess. Even Izadora takes care not to get on her bad side.”
“But I don’t understand why my grandmother needs the fae elders to support her.” I gripped my staff and leaned on it. “I thought she was an absolute ruler in Elfi.”
“She is,” said Cade, “but only as long as the Elder Council supports her as queen. Every thousand years a new queen is chosen. And Izadora’s thousand years as ruler is nearly up. Of course, she does have another hundred years or so left, but for an immortal a hundred years is not much time. If she doesn’t choose an heir soon and get the support of the Elder Council, the Elders will choose for her.”
“What happens to the queen after a new queen is chosen?”
“The old queen can choose to join the council of Elders, or they can retire to the temple on the Forgotten Isles and join the priestesses of the Great Goddess,” said Cade.
“Who was the last queen before my grandmother?”
“You’ve already met her,” Cade replied, a smile tugging at his lips. “Rhiannon Nightshade, the Dowager Duchess of the Night Court, Tristan’s grandmother.”
Thwack. Tristan’s staff hit me.
“Ouch,” I ground out between clenched teeth, clutching my arm and glaring at Tristan. “What was that for?”
“Stop chatting.” Tristan twirled his staff. “Do you think Morgana is going to wait for you to finish your conversation?”
I gripped my staff and attacked Tristan. He whacked my staff out of my hand and hit me behind the knees with his, sending me flying to the ground.
“You are too slow, your defenses are dismal, you have no concentration, and you are as weak as a newborn colt,” Tristan said calmly. “When you fight, you need to have complete awareness of the space around you. Use your fae senses, tap into the magic of the ground under your feet and the air moving around you, use what you can, connect to it, and plan your attack. Only then will you be able to improve your fighting skills.”
“Fine,” I said, pushing myself up, wiping blood from my lip and picking up my staff. “Again.”
Tristan smiled.
The Ancient Fae
When the day of the full moon arrived, Skye told me to meet
