Luminary (Faylinn Book 3), page 23
“It’s gone,” Sakari remarked, extinguishing his fire.
I blinked up at the sky that looked no different than when we started.
“You did it,” Kai said to me.
When the flames disappeared I stared wide-eyed at the unreal hollow flower. Lifting my gaze to them, Cameron and I locked eyes. His expression was like the day when I first showed him my wings, a mixture of astonishment and horror.
“Callie, you just funneled that nectar into the clouds,” he said, dumbfounded.
I giggled in disbelief. “I know.”
He recovered and raised his hand for a high five.
“What did they just do that for?” I heard Sakari ask.
“It’s a human thing,” Kai mumbled. “I don’t get it either.”
I turned to Kai and Sakari. “So, when we get back to the Oak, I just make it rain?”
“Yes,” Sakari confirmed. “It’ll give the nectar time to absorb into the clouds and fuse with the water.”
“Will it be enough?” I asked.
“From what I know, even the smallest drop of that nectar could cure any ailment,” Sakari said. “So, even in a diluted state it should work just fine. But we’ll only know by testing it.”
“We need to get to Declan so that he can get Lorelle to the Oak before we get there.”
When Kai’s head darted in my direction, I realized my mistake. “What are you talking about? What’s wrong with my mother?”
How could I have been so careless? I gazed at him apologetically. “She was one of the first to attempt to heal someone from another kingdom. Allura’s taking care of her now.”
“She’s been poisoned? Calliope, why didn’t you tell me? You should have told me,” Kai fumed. “We have to go.”
“I’m sorry. I know I should have, but what would you have done? There’s nothing you could have done for her. You’d worry for no reason. We needed you to help us find the purus.”
He grit his teeth in frustration.
“I’m sorry, Kai,” I repeated, moving closer to him. “I’ll call for Declan. We’ll tell him to get as many faeries to the Oak as possible. He’ll bring your mom.”
I could see the wear on Kai’s face as he sat down against a tree trunk and leaned his head back. His once disheveled, lush hair now hung limply across his forehead. I wanted to sweep it aside and comfort him, but I couldn’t do that now. I could never do that again. Turning away, I called to Declan, saying his given name.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
KAI
I needed to sit down. Not just because I was trying to save my energy, but because my whole body felt like it had been trampled by a thousand trolls, and my brain felt like pixies repeatedly bounced on it. What was happening to me? My head pounded. I could hardly even see straight.
The change was attacking my body too quickly, too violently. I should have known the faery inside of me would fight back aggressively. I bleakly laughed to myself. It was clear I wasn’t meant to be human, but I couldn’t give up the fight now. I needed the strength to help fight back when the time came.
It only took about a minute for Declan to get to us. He seemed out of breath, but I knew it was most likely because of tension, not exhaustion. He’d been trying to pick up my slack while I was away. I knew he would, but it was visibly taking a toll on him. I could see the strain in his eyes as he searched our faces for clues, and the weight of what might happen if we didn’t come through.
“Did you find it?” he asked.
“We did,” Calliope confirmed, and he exhaled in relief. “Who knows if it will work, but I need you to get as many poisoned faeries to the Waking Oak as you can. And those who can’t make it, at least get them outside.”
“How will you get the cure to everyone?”
“She’s going to make it rain,” I uttered, smirking. She’d come a long way from the curious girl wandering around the forest.
Declan’s brows furrowed, mirroring the look Calliope gave me when I told her what she should do.
“I’m going to try,” she said, still unsure of herself. “Sakari taught me a little bit about using the elements, so hopefully it works.”
I didn’t know why, after everything she’d conquered, she continued to doubt herself. This would work if she could just block out the insecurity.
“Well, if anyone can, it’s you, Calliope,” Declan said. “But I don’t know how easy it will be to get everyone there without alerting Adair, though I’ll make sure to get Lorelle there.”
“Thank you, Declan.”
“How is Allura?” I asked. I knew I was going to get an earful the moment she saw me. I couldn’t wait. I chuckled to myself.
“She’s fine; just taking care of your mother. And grateful you’re alive.”
“Who isn’t?” I said wryly, and a small smile formed on Declan’s face. A sharp pain ripped through my stomach. What is in there? Elves carving me from the inside out with their ears? I closed my eyes, trying to conceal my pained expression.
“I’ll go get Lorelle and Allura and meet you back at the Oak,” I heard Declan say, concern lacing his voice.
“Thank you,” Calliope replied.
After Declan left, I felt Calliope kneel in front of me. She rested her hands on my bent knees. “C’mon. Get on my back. We have to go.”
I struggled to open my eyes. When I managed to keep them open, her big green eyes watched me carefully. Just for a moment I wanted to stay like this. Forget the war. Forget Sakari. Forget the dying fae. Forget my depleting body. I just wanted to look at her beautiful face, so full of life and tenderness. My heart literally hurt. I yearned for her. Burned for her. After all of this, after everything we’d been through, this couldn’t be the end. There had to be something more.
I turned my hands into fists at my sides, struggling to keep them from reaching out to touch her face. Just a few days ago she was within reach. And now? Nothing? How could a few days change everything so drastically? Part of me wanted to touch her just to get a reaction out of Prince Twig-Up-His-Butt, but I didn’t want to ruin this small moment of whatever it was. I just wanted to be close to her. If this day was all we had left together, I wasn’t going to screw it up more than I already had.
“Can you make it?” she asked softly, reaching for my limp hands on the ground.
I nodded once and took her outstretched hand.
“Can you still hold on?”
Gruffly, I said, “Of course I can.” I wanted to hide my pain from her. I wanted to hide the weakness and prove to her I could do this. No matter the cost.
Calliope bent down and helped me onto her back. I couldn’t do it myself, and I couldn’t even muster up the energy to make a witty comment about my pathetic state. I winced when she wasn’t looking at me anymore and draped my arms around her neck. She surged into the trees.
We didn’t share a single word as she soared. There wasn’t really anything left to say. I was dying. Yeah, I was. Even a fool could figure that one out. And Calliope was lost to me forever.
What could I possibly say to better the situation? How could I still fight for her? I didn’t want to believe that there couldn’t be a way out of the bond, but I knew that was a lie. She was sealed to Sakari forever.
The only thing I could do now was fight for Faylinn as if this were the last day of my life.
Because let’s be honest. It just might be.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
SAKARI
The closer we got to the Waking Oak, the more fae we stumbled upon. It was as if they collapsed when they could no longer push forward. The majority of the kingdoms were around the Oak. No one was strong enough to move any farther.
“Dang,” Cameron whispered. “This is bad, isn’t it? Like really bad.”
“Yes, Cameron,” I confirmed. “It is.”
“How long do you think we’ll have before King Evil and his soldiers show after Calliope makes it rain?”
I sighed. “If they’re not already on their way, not long. My father has to know that we’re missing by now. There’s no way the kingdoms could defy him in this state. He was most likely waiting until they would be desperate enough for the cure.”
“I’d say they’re pretty desperate now,” he murmured. “Are they even alive?”
Gravely, I shook my head. “I don’t know, Cameron.”
“Where’s Sarai? Is she safe?” He was genuinely concerned.
“As far as I know, she’s safely locked away in her room.” At least she better be.
I scanned the valley, searching for Calliope’s father. If he got in contact with Elfland, we just might stand a chance against my father. But all I could see were thousands of faeries piled on top of one another. For miles all I could see were motionless figures. Whether they were dead or just unconscious, I couldn’t tell. We couldn’t even get within a hundred yards of the Waking Oak.
“Do you see my dad?” Calliope called as we leaped from limb to limb.
“Not yet,” I replied.
We settled up in a tree overlooking the valley. I set down Cameron, while Calliope propped Kai up against the trunk. With a grunt he situated himself, so he wouldn’t fall. He could still hold himself up, which I presumed was a good sign, but he kept his eyes closed and didn’t say a word. That unsettled me.
I’d known Kai nearly my whole life and never had he gone for long without making some sort of obnoxious comment or trying to make himself the center of attention. It had been far too long to not raise concern. While I didn’t actually care if he died, Calliope would. And that mattered to me.
“Do you see Declan anywhere?” she asked.
“We probably made it here before him.” Calliope fidgeted nervously at my side. “Breathe, Calla. It’ll be all right.”
“I want to believe you so badly,” she breathed.
“What happened to your conviction?” I turned to her. “Back at the castle you were determined to rip off my father’s head, and now you’re more anxious than a pixie without a purpose.”
She looked up at me, the blaze still alive, but masked with fear. “I haven’t lost my determination. There are just so many factors that need to come into play in order for this to work, and not all of them are in my control.”
“Nothing is ever going to be in your complete control. But you’re not doing this alone. You have support. Take a deep breath and focus. Focus on your love for your fae. Focus on your rage toward Rymidon. Focus on the fact that you can win. We,” I said, “can win.”
Calliope nodded. Her eyes calmed as they accepted my words. She inhaled deeply and exhaled. “We can win.”
I nodded. “And we will.”
She glanced over at Cameron behind me. He sat straddling the branch toward the end, facing the trunk. His legs dangled, sweeping back and forth as he glanced around with a distant look in his eyes.
“I need to talk with him.”
I nodded and stepped out of the way, so she could maneuver around me to get to him. I, in turn, moved closer to Kai to subtly keep an eye on him, while watching for anything more alarming in the ravine below. Kai still hadn’t moved an inch.
Chapter Forty
CALLIOPE
“You all right?” I asked, getting down to Cameron’s level.
With a chuckle, he said, “I don’t think I have a good answer to that.”
This was the only time I could say this to him, so I decided to take advantage. “When all hell breaks loose, promise me you’ll hide. I don’t care where; just get out of sight. Find a ditch or a hollowed-out tree. Whatever you need to do, you save your butt. You hear me? Don’t you dare try and fight.”
“That was my plan.” He nodded with a dry smirk. Everything about Cameron in this moment screamed dread, but he was trying to bury it, hide it from me, and the rest of this world. My hatred for Adair intensified. He did this. He put everyone I love in danger. Set fear into the hearts of those in my kingdom.
I swallowed. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, how all of this is going to pan out. Just know you’re the best friend I could have asked for. I’m so grateful for all of our years of friendship, and even though I wish more than anything that you were safe at home right now, I’m so grateful that you’re standing by my side, even now. Having you here has given me the strength and confidence I needed to fight back.”
“Stop talking to me like one of us is going to die.” Cameron set his jaw.
“No one is going to die.” I shook my head. I knew I couldn’t promise that, but I had to say it to believe it. “I just want you to know… just in case.”
He took my shoulders in his hands. “Cal, you’re going to live. You’re going to conquer this douchebag, Adair, and you’re going to rule over this world for the rest of your life. And I’m going to go back home, move on, and somehow forget this ever happened, that I was ever here. We’re going to live.”
I nodded, wanting so badly to believe him. He reached out and brushed away a tear that fell down my cheek.
“We’re going to live,” he repeated.
I nodded again, wanting so desperately for it to be true. “I love you, Cam.”
“I love you, too, Cal. Now stop talking like this is goodbye. It’s not.”
Startled by distant shouting, I looked around the woods. “Calliope,” Declan hollered. “Calliope, now!”
I jumped up and combed the trees for Declan, but I couldn’t see him. Why is he so frantic? Now, what?
“Make it rain, Calliope,” Kai murmured. I looked at him, and he subtly nodded once—encouragingly, but weak.
“Now, Calliope!” Declan shouted again from the trees, closer this time.
I stopped searching for him and took a deep breath as I lifted my gaze to the sky. Drawing on the moisture in the clouds, I combed for the nectar and water particles. Please let this work. Pure, sweet, clear, gooey, hydrating… I concentrated on anything I could think of to depict the rain and nectar. I lifted one hand. When I found my connection, I strained to free the liquid, projecting as much energy as I could. Nothing happened, but I didn’t lose the link; I merely worked harder to extract it.
Make it rain.
I imagined a storm, thinking of the pitter-patter and fresh smell. I extracted anything from my memories to bring down the rain. My knees buckled when I could no longer handle the power leaving my body. I let go.
Sakari grabbed my arm and reached around my waist to keep me from falling. When I righted myself, his arms remained as if he didn’t want to let go.
“Thank you,” I said.
He nodded, but said nothing before releasing me.
We waited in silence, our heartbeats pounding as one in anticipation. Nothing. “What if it doesn’t work?” I asked.
“It’ll work. It just might take a moment.”
A minute later the sky rumbled. I looked up as the opalescent nectar and water mixture began to descend upon us. But it didn’t just sprinkle onto the fae around the Oak, as I hoped. The clouds clapped with thunder and a downpour of rain gushed from the clouds as far as my naked eyes could see. A nectar storm assaulted the entire kingdom.
“I did it,” I uttered, skimming the landscape around the Oak, now doused with the liquid. “I did it!” I shouted, jumping into Sakari’s arms. He nestled his face into my neck. Somehow, even though I was his, it felt as though he longed for me, as if he knew the truth and simply wanted to hold on for a bit longer. I didn’t know what he was so concerned about. I wasn’t going anywhere.
I pulled back and scanned the fae who remained motionless. “Is it working? Are they moving?”
“Not yet,” Sakari said calmly.
“Great. Now we’re all sticky.” I couldn’t hold back my snicker and peered at Kai who was licking his lips. “We probably should have thought that one through.”
“Oh, I dunno. I think it was kind of brilliant. The nectar is delicious,” Cam said, smacking his lips.
Brushing my sticky fro back, I shifted my gaze over and saw Declan holding Lorelle’s frail body in the tree beside us. Allura stood beside him stroking her mom’s hair, murmuring into her ear. But still… nothing. Not a single faery on the ground made even the slightest movement.
“It’s not working. What if it doesn’t work?”
“Give it a moment,” Sakari said patiently.
“I did give it a moment, Sakari. It’s not working! I won’t be able to live with myself if it doesn’t work!”
“Breathe,” he said and took my hand firmly in his. “It’ll work.” He paused. “It has to,” he muttered to himself.
I exhaled and looked back down at the poisoned faeries below. When we were thirteen, Cameron climbed up into a tree in my yard. We’d gotten a Frisbee caught in its highest branches, so he made it his mission to save it. Once he reached the top, with one hand on the tree, he excitedly waved the other hand with the Frisbee in the air to show me he succeeded. But he lost his grip on the tree and dropped to the ground. I thought for sure he was dead. He lay immobile as I ran to him. Cameron was unconscious for only a minute, but it was the longest minute of my life. In comparison, I think this surpassed that.
“Mom?” Allura gasped. Our eyes darted to their tree. Seconds passed. “Mom!” she cried.
Lorelle sluggishly stirred in Declan’s arms. When I refocused on the ground, I noticed faeries slowly making movements. Is it working? Gradually, one by one, Auroralites, Callastonians, Oraelians stood, blinking up at the sky, wondering what in the world was coming out of the clouds.
“We did it!” I jumped up and threw my arms around Sakari’s neck again. His solid frame encompassed me, cocooning me in his arms. Like a live wire, his pride in my abilities spread.
“Didn’t I tell you that you were more powerful than you knew?”
I turned in Sakari’s arms and refocused on the faeries in the valley. They lifted their hands out, letting the droplets fall onto their skin and rubbed their fingers together. It wouldn’t last much longer. I could only pray it reached everyone who needed it. There wasn’t that much nectar.
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