Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)
Surprisingly, it wasn’t Tarian who answered her.
Fae are mirrors of Faerie, Stratow murmured, using words this time. As a whole, they are the light and the dark and the in-between. They are, in themselves, a balance. Some are effervescent and pure, too sweet for the senses, and some are the reapers of death and destruction. But most are both. They are vile and vicious and willing to slit a throat for their own gain, but in a society that lives forever, that is necessary for population control. They also practice moderation and goodwill. That is how the kingdoms thrive. It is how the society grows. Most fae pretend at constant cruelty, and members of the court are unpardonably egotistical and priggish, but most fae will surprise you when you most need to be surprised.
She nodded, turning her head so the side of her face rested against Tarian’s neck. His palm gently cradled her face, his thumb wiping away a tear. He didn’t speak, and the air around them was subdued, as if he were fascinated by her turn of emotions. As if he had to wipe away her tears, used to seeing her so strong, so determined, and doubting they were real. In awe of her allowing him to see her walls crack and break away. His nose traced a line on her cheek before his lips softly pressed against her temple. His actions soothed her frayed edges. She could feel him all around her. His strength. His comforting touch.
She understood what Stratow had said. It was how the human world worked, after all. Good people and bad, with the mostly insufferable Demigods to rule over it all. On the magical side, at least. She didn’t really know how the Chester side worked other than in theory.
The same, Tarian said. I’ve had dealings with both. They are not so very different creatures, magical and non-magical humans. The issue is power. Chesters view magic as power, and they fear it. They work hard to defend themselves against it. They create borders and bombs and weapons. They do not realize that, in their innovation, they have become equally powerful. Their weapons could create so much more destruction—from a distance—than a Demigod and their army. But of course, one on one, it is another story. Very at odds, that realm. It’s fascinating to learn about. I greatly enjoy my time there.
No one else enjoys your time there, she grumbled without thinking.
The rumbling started again. Stratow liked it when she picked on Tarian.
Yes, he does, Tarian said dryly.
They fell into silence for a while, the wind drying Daisy’s eyes as she contemplated what was to come. She needed to prepare. She needed more information. And so, she requested from Tarian all he knew. He complied by filling her head to bursting with images and anecdotes and names and appearances, political maneuvering and how he’d been playing the game. There was so much complex information that she shut her eyes again, focusing solely on that and forgetting everything else around them.
That was…until the storms came.
4
Daisy
“What’s…” Daisy’s face went slack as dark clouds churned and boiled nearby. Light flared from within before jagged forks of lightning crackled between them. The wind picked up, whipping her hair even from within Tarian’s protective magical cocoon. Thunder rumbled with a bone-rattling growl, so similar in pitch and cadence to Stratow’s growling laugh.
“Are we under attack?” she asked hopefully, probably barely heard above the howling wind.
Kieran could do this. He could create weather like this. Dylan could supply the lightning so precisely that he could kill Tarian without harming her. He could knock them all down from the sky. Before she hit the ground, Donovan could catch her with his magic. Together, they had the skill to save her. They had the ability. Their power, as a group, was great enough.
No, but that is very interesting to know about the might of your crew, Tarian said. It’s always been believed that the Celestials are much more powerful than the Demigods of your world, but after meeting one of them, I always wondered if that was actually the case.
He’d met Lydia, a Demigod of Hades who had tried a power play by making a deal with the fae. She hadn’t fulfilled her end of the bargain, whatever it was, and had lost her life for it. She was the reason Tarian had needed a distraction at the Demigod Summit. A distraction that had nearly killed Daisy and her family.
Lydia was a fool and not the best of her class, Daisy said, ignoring the anger from the past. That was behind her. If she needed a reason to kill this fae, she had plenty.
Gotcha. But once again, no, this is not an attack. You can’t bring a stormback down with lightning or winds or anything to do with storms. They create the storms that invigorate Faerie. The rain nurtures plant growth and fills the streams. The lightning’s destruction clears out old growth and leaves room for rebirth. The thunder…well, that’s just scary, I guess.