Shadow Wings (The Darkest Drae Book 2)(48)

“May we offer you some food?” the youngest asked.

I’d followed them into a dark place in the depths of a forest. I wasn’t quite stupid enough to eat their food. “No, thank you.”

The Phaetyn shrugged and popped a red berry from a bowl into his mouth.

The eldest one didn’t waste time beginning. “Our people are at a crossroads as I’m sure you’ve seen.”

Even a fool could see the civil unrest in their community. “Crossroads is putting it lightly.”

The oldest Phaetyn inclined his head. “Yes, you’re right.” He took a deep breath and asked, “Will you indulge me in a little history? I think this is the best way to describe our conflict.”

“Please,” I said. “I’d love to understand what’s going on.”

The youngest Phaetyn snickered, and the beefy one nudged him.

“Queen Luna partnered with Kaelan when she was very young, perhaps a hundred annum. They seemed happy for a time, but Luna didn’t produce an heir after several decades, and there were murmurings that Kaelan was not worthy to be her partner.

Our Luna was a soft ruler, not lazy or indifferent, but perhaps a little overly generous and kind. She enjoyed healing the land, saying it gave us purpose. Even when the rumors of Phaetyn being captured by the emperor came, she encouraged us to leave the sanctuary of Zivost and heal the land. She led this charge by example.

When Queen Luna left, she gave the responsibility of rule to her sister, Alani. Even though Luna was partnered with Kaelan, she left sometimes for weeks or months to do what she called the Phaetyn’s work. Perhaps this is what drove Alani and Kaelan together. Perhaps, it was the other way around.”

Holy Drae babies . . . or rather Phaetyn babies. This was the inside scoop. Alani and Kaelan got together while he was still with Luna? What a turd. But how much merit did the gossip have? What people saw and interpreted was not always truth, a lesson I’d learned in Irdelron’s castle. Still, Kaelan was a jerk, so I was inclined to believe it.

I nodded, not wanting to interrupt the story, letting the Phaetyn know I was listening.

“Alani acted as regent often, and the Phaetyn accepted their ruler’s choice. In truth, we thought nothing of it. Luna still set the rules, although there were very few, and on the rare occasion there was a dispute amongst our kind, she still passed judgment. But Luna’s trips out of Zivost increased in frequency and then in length. One day, she left and several annum passed without Queen Luna’s return. Almost two decades ago, her tree stopped growing.”

An odd sense of trepidation settled deep in my chest. I looked at the three Phaetyn and couldn’t help but feel like they were looking at me with eager anticipation in their eyes. “What do you think happened?”

The older Phaetyn furrowed his brow, and the air in the room grew heavy. “Initially, the Phaetyn thought her dead, but The Sacred Tree, Queen Luna's elm, did not wither and die like it should’ve had the queen’s power been extinguished. Even if Luna is gone, her power did not die with her. The rumor is she infused you or your mother with her magic, passing the ancestral force to you.”

“Do you think that’s true?” I hedged, not wanting to reveal anything.

The older Phaetyn shrugged. “It seems like it. You can talk to the trees, right?”

I shook my head in disbelief; news sure traveled fast. Maybe I could get some more answers from them. “So, why don’t the Phaetyn heal the land anymore? What happened with that?”

“Queen Luna erected the borders around Zivost when the Phaetyn started disappearing over a century ago. The border that cloaks the skies is the one that keeps us safe from the Drae, and the stone one around the forest protects us from humans. However, Luna dropped the physical wall regularly for the Phaetyn to visit other lands. Remember, she felt it our purpose to regenerate and renew the earth. Less than a decade after Luna’s disappearance, Queen Alani decreed the outside world unsafe for all the Phaetyn. She pointed to those captured and killed as reason for her decision. She insisted that if the wall had been up, her dear sister would’ve been safe. The majority of the Phaetyn supported Queen Alani’s decision for isolation, if for no other reason than their love for Luna.”

As I listened to the Phaetyn explain their history, I wanted to ring Kamoi’s neck. His grossly abbreviated history was rife with missing bits.

“The intent of our rebellion is not to protest Alani’s right to be queen. Luna gave her that right, and it was hers to give. But it is our calling and purpose to heal the land. Word has reached us of the need of the kingdoms in the Draecon Empire. We just want the choice to leave Zivost.”

“It’s not like there aren’t a few Phaetyn out there anyway. Or there were when Alani raised the wall. The emperor probably got them all by now,” the biggest Phaetyn said in a rumbling low voice.

“We want to leave, and she won’t let us,” the youngest of the three said.

“But if you leave, you might die,” I argued. “Isn’t she just trying to keep you safe?”

“Some want to leave to heal the land; some just don’t want to be trapped. Others want to look for their loved ones even if only to bring closure to their disappearance. They can lower and raise the wall, but they rarely let anyone leave. Very rarely.” The eldest Phaetyn gave me a sad smile. “Have you ever felt trapped?”