Chapter 8
Reese calls for Duncan, his most trusted friend. He chose to make his home in the mountains of New Zealand. The black mountain has caverns shaped by the will of the Shadow King. Some of the rooms are made of ice, some formed of fire. Any Fae that chose to stay in the human world were welcome to train with them after meeting with Reese. As a protector of humanity, he searches the Fae to see if they are shadow or light. His goal was to make the transition easier and perhaps save souls.
Duncan arrives in a flash and Reese smiles. To the average eye, Duncan is a massive mountain of muscle. He stands at six foot five and weighs over two hundred fifty pounds. It is deceiving; for Duncan’s elemental gift is air. Speed, wind and air are his power and he wields them expertly.
He wears his hair, long and wavy to his shoulders. His blue eyes flash as he bows to his King. Reese saved him from despair. After losing his son to the shadows, Duncan lost his mind. He followed his son through the Vale, hoping to save him from the darkness, but he was too late. He could not return, and his wife had died years before his son. He started drinking, fighting, and stealing, whatever it took to survive. Reese remembers the night he met him.
He stumbled drunk out of a bar, stopping at the sound of a scream. Three men had surrounded a small female form on the ground. Reese watched from the shadows, deciding if he should help. He started to step in but stopped when the giant flashed from man to man. In a blink, Duncan had knocked them all unconscious.
Samantha’s visions had led her to him, but she did not know that she was the one who would need saving. As he lifted Sam into his arms, she smiled into his blue eyes and touched his cheek. “I have been looking for you.”
Before Reese can move, shadows of dark Fae begin creeping in from the darkness.
“Hold on, love,” Duncan says as he clutches her to his chest.
Sam whispers, “There are four, and a light watches from behind. They will attack two from the front, and two from the left. Throw me to the right!”
Duncan looks into her hazel eyes and finds they have gone white with her vision. He listens to her, throwing the small female to the right and fights. He has no weapon except his gifts, but that is all he needs. He draws on the element of wind and pushes a car into the two Dark Fae coming from the left. They may be shadows, but they still feel pain. Just before the other two evil Fae reach him, he lifts them into the air with a gust of wind and shoots them fifty yards away. With a laugh, he turns and his smile fades. Reese is holding Samantha.
“Tell me who you are? How is it that you still have your gifts?” Reese had demanded of Duncan.
“First, release her,” Duncan tells him with a light of fury in his eyes.
“Duncan,” Samantha calls softly from Reese’s arms, “he is the Shadow King.” Her soft voice stirs his heart. Duncan has found his mate and he is preparing to fight for her.
Reese smiles, because he has seen that look before. The Fae have only one mate. He slowly lowers Samantha’s feet to the ground. “She is fine. We need to go, more are coming.”
Samantha takes a step towards Duncan only to smile in joy when he snatches her into his arms away from the other male.
“There is no we! I am through with the Fae and their Vale!” Duncan yells at him.
Samantha looks at Reese saying, “I have seen what you do, Shadow King. I know where to find you. Duncan, he is right, we need to go!” She shows him the image of her home in his mind, he smiles into her green eyes, and they are gone.
“What’s wrong?” Duncan asks, shaking Reese from his memory. The King is nervous. Duncan only came to him after Samantha convinced him that it was safe. The alliance they have built has been forged through time. As a friend he knows what he asks is too much, but it must be done.
“I have some private business to attend to. I would ask that you go to the Vale and warn the King and Queen of the new threat for me.” Reese watches Duncan closely. He knows he has not been back since his son’s death.
“I know what I ask of you, Duncan, and I would not ask if I had another choice,” he assures him.
“It is time. Samantha warned me of this. I will take her with me, Reese.” Duncan replies looking away.
“The new Queen of the Fae, Caderyn was once human, Duncan. She saved our King and freed me from my enchantment. You can trust her. I would be wary, though. All is not well within the Vale. There are those who do not like that a human was given this honor,” Reese remarks watching Duncan.
“Will you take Nyssa with you?” Duncan asks.
“Not this time. I have to do this alone.” Grasping his hand in a warriors handshake Reese smiles.
“Do not worry. I will explain when I return. God speed brother,” Reese says.
After Duncan leaves, Reese returns to the bowl. Once again, he dips into the water. This time, he chants a spell and spins the water backwards.
In my mind, yet out of sight.
Guardian protectors take flight.
Wrap your wings around my charge,
Warm and loving, strong and large.
Keep her
