Betrayals of Spring (Forever Fae #2)(49)
I speak loudly, addressing the entire village.
“I am Princess Meliantha of the Summer Court, and I am here to help you! Please don’t be afraid and show yourselves to me!”
A few minutes later the leprechauns begin to come forth. One by one they slowly make their way out of their hiding spots. They all wear the traditional red coats and red hats. The mortal realm classifies them by wearing green, but here that isn’t so. The women also wear the traditional red, but instead of wearing breeches, they wear long dresses that fall just below their calves, and cinched at the waist with a thick black belt.
They circle around us and with our height we tower over them all. Leprechauns usually only reach about three feet in height and are known to be excellent boot makers. I look down at their faces and they all look angry and scared. “What happened?” I ask the crowd, even though I have a good guess.
A rough, gravelly voice speaks.
“A man of great power swept through here and killed our land. Our once thriving village has now been poisoned with evil.”
He comes forward and I can tell he must be an elder by the sheer knowledge showing in his eyes.
“May I ask your name, elder leprechaun?” I ask.
He bows his head and replies warmly, “My name is Griffin, Your Highness, and I’m honored to meet you.” I wonder how he knows I am a royal.
I place my hand on his shoulder.
“As am I, Griffin.”
He smiles.
“I remember the day you were born. Word traveled fast that there was a purple-eyed fae among the Summer. We knew then that you were destined for great things.”
I look around the crowd and they all bow their heads. I look around at the land and it pains my heart to see it like this. I can fix it, but it’s going to take a huge amount of power, and I have never healed anything to this extent. As much as I hate to frighten the leprechauns, they have to know who they’re dealing with.
I announce sadly, “The evil that has corrupted your land is because of the dark sorcerer.” Gasps erupt from the crowd, but I continue, “He has finally returned again and is determined to destroy our lands, and take over the Land of the Fae. I can heal what has been done, but the evil won’t permanently be gone. The dark sorcerer is powerful and he’ll continue to raid our lands until we defeat him.”
“How will we protect ourselves?” Another leprechaun calls out. This time it’s an elder female leprechaun that has spoken.
I acknowledge her first and then glance back across the crowd.
“If you fear for your safety, I’ll gladly offer the protection of my court.” Shouts of appreciation sound off all around us and I take a deep breath before informing them of how dire the situation actually is. “You see, the man who destroyed your home isn’t only the dark sorcerer, but Prince Kalen of the Winter Court. The dark sorcerer has taken over the Prince’s body and is keeping him hostage. He has done this to keep us from completing our bond. Our bond is supposed to form the Spring Court just like my sister, Queen Calista and King Ryder, had formed the Fall Court. If we don’t complete the bond, the Land of the Fae will fall prey to the darkness.”
“What can we do to help?” Griffin, the elder leprechaun, asks. They all nod their heads enthusiastically hoping to help, but I honestly don’t think there is anything they can do. Their willingness to help warms my heart and I wish to the stars there was a way they could help.
A little leprechaun boy runs forward holding something in his hand. “What about this? Will this help?” he yells.
He puts something in my hand and I instantly recognize it as Kalen’s thistle birch cord. My eyes instantly water and I clutch the cord tightly in my hands. These brown leathery cords are made from thistle birch trees found in the Winter Court. They are supposed to provide strength and luck to warriors in battle. All of the Winter warriors wear them, and I know Kalen always wore his.
“Thank you, little one. This will most definitely help me along the way,” I answer with a smile. His grin is huge as he saunters off back into the crowd. I take the cord and I secure it around my wrist. This will give me strength and luck in my search for him. I turn my attention back to Griffin.
“Thank you, Griffin, for your help, but…” I hold my arm up where the cord is tied snugly to my wrist, “This right here is all the help I need.”
He nods his head and motions to the village.
“How can you fix what the dark sorcerer has done? The land is dead.”
I open my mouth to answer, but Ashur silently interrupts, “Can you really do this, Meliantha?”
I respond without looking at him. “I hope so.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll do all that I can,” I reply to the leprechaun.
I look around the crowd at their hopeful faces and I pray that I don’t let them down. Ashur and Finn look worried, but I smile to reassure them. I walk away from the crowd to the center of the village. The life and energy of the land is suffocating from the black magic. I can hear their screams as I bend down to touch the ground. It rips at my heart and the tears automatically begin to flow. The pain of the land is my pain, and it’s eating away at my soul.
With both hands placed firmly on the ground, I call upon my magic and it instantly begins to surge beneath my skin. The power blasts from my fingers and into the ground. I can see it spreading throughout the land and everything that had turned black from the poisonous touch of the dark sorcerer is now vibrantly green and splayed with flowers. The village bursts with color. The sounds of the leprechaun’s cheers bring me joy, and I revel in their happiness.