Silver Flame (Vampire Girl #3)(26)

Varis nods. "I did, of course. We were bonded by the Spirits, just as we three are now bonded to each other, and to the remaining Druids of Water and Fire."

"But--Oren's dead, right? He can't come back, can he?" Sweat breaks out on my forehead and under my arms at the thought of the Fire Druid coming for me. The way he cut into me with his blade of fire. The pain that ravaged my body. It's a terror that lives deep in me now, burrowed into my core memories. Fen reaches for my hand to calm me as I take a deep breath.

"He is dead, yes, and the Fire Spirit will have chosen someone new, someone worthy. So we have Metsi, who has her own agenda for the Fae, and one unknown who we must find," Varis says.

"Tracking down wayward Druids isn't my job or priority," Fen says gruffly. "We need to reclaim Stonehill and stop Levi before he destroys both of our kingdoms."

Varis tilts his head. "I think you'll find that to do one we must do both. But first, we must travel to a place where Arianna can access her magic. Without further training, she will not be useful in the coming war. And you, Fenris Vane, must move past your blindness and embrace who you are. You are not only the Earth Druid, but the blood heir to the most powerful Wild One we've ever seen. Your mother was highly revered for her ancient magic and knowledge of the Old Ways. You have her blood and her Spirit… you are stronger than you know. Your people need you."

"And who are my people?" Fen asks. "I've been raised a Prince of Hell, a vampire demon hated and despised by your people. You think they will accept me as a Druid after my kind nearly destroyed your world?"

"Times are changing," Varis says softly. "Our Midnight Star is half human and aligned with the vampires. Our Earth Druid is a turned vampire. We don't even know who our Fire Druid is. There are many of the Fae who resist these changes, who want our blood to stay pure, but they don't understand the truth of the magic that flows within us. It is not bound by blood alone. For our people to survive… all of our people, we have to broaden our minds and embrace a new world. I think we need to rethink our choices." Varis looks at me, and I nod.

"Tell him," I say.

Varis nods. "You think the Fae have been decimated. That all who remain exist in the Outlands. But you're wrong."

"What do you mean?" Fen asks.

"There is another kingdom, one mostly hidden from your kind," Varis says. "It is called Avakiri. It is Ari's birthright as promised ruler. It is your birthright too, as a Fae and Druid."

"If you could see it, you would understand," I say. "It's magical. Beautiful. They have their own tribes, their own stories and cultures and communities. There's more to this world than you know."

Fen looks at me with an unreadable face. "When did you go there?"

"When they kidnapped me," I say. "That's where I trained with Varis. I wanted to tell you about it, but we've had a lot going on. You travel there through the Waystones. I tried to call you there with your demon mark."

He looks down at his wrist. "I think I found a Waystone. But I didn't know how to work it. But… it's a futile conversation. Even if I was willing to walk into the center of Fae power—which I'm not—Dean was right about one thing. He has to stay with Ari."

Varis nods. "Until we know his loyalties, he can't be given access to this information. We'll have to find another way. Another place to train."

Fen does not look happy by this conversation, and the clock is ticking. Plus, Es and Pete will be here soon, and I need to get to them before anyone else does. Lest they go into shock.

Fen and Varis trail me as I leave Sly's office and head to the door we first came in. "Would they arrive through here?" I ask Fen.

"There are other entrances," he says. "But this one is most used."

When we turn a corner, I hear Sly’s voice coming from the main ballroom. "Well, well, aren't you a lovely creature full of feistiness. The princess failed to mention how utterly delightful her friends are."

"The princess? What are you talking about?"

I recognize that fake southern drawl! I run around the corner and into the ballroom, and see Es and Pete standing close to each other staring around the room wide-eyed. When Es sees me, she gasps. "Ari? What happened to you?"

Crap. My illusion spell isn't active, so my Fae ears and hair are on full display. And I'm dressed like a medieval princess from a fairytale, thanks to Sly and his obsession with costumes and playing doll with his guests. "Es! Pete! I can explain. Kind of."

We three crash into each other in a mingle of arms and hugs, and the feel of these two solidly real, relatively normal people I've known for so long calms my soul in a way nothing else does. But they are here—and in danger—because of me.

"What is this place?" Pete asks, running a hand through his red mop of hair. He scans the room, mouth agape, taking in the strangeness of it all. "Is that—"

He's staring at Marasphyr. "Yes, she's a real mermaid. This place… it's a safe place for people from all over," I say awkwardly.

"Like a domestic violence shelter?" Es asks, though I can tell from her tone and expression she knows this isn't a shelter.

"More like a neutral zone for paranormal or magical beings from different worlds," I elaborate.