Fates Entwined: Halven Rising

The next morning, while soldiers gathered in preparation to take back New Kingdom, Reese trained with Ulric one last time, then went in search of Elena. She no longer feared that she lacked the skills to survive a fight with a Fae. Sparring with Ulric and Illa since drinking the tea proved she’d be able to hold her own.

Reese had always known who she was, and it wasn’t the debutante her mother had painted her. Or the quiet daughter her father hoped would stay out of his way. She wanted more for herself. It was why she pushed hard in school—why she trained in martial arts. She’d dreamed of becoming a blond Lara Croft when she was a kid, but practicality trumped those desires. College and graduate school became her adult ideals.

Until Tirnan.

Now Reese’s original dreams didn’t seem that far-fetched.

Elena had worked with Fae on the virus, and Reese wanted to take things a step further. If she could fight alongside Fae now—a.k.a. Halven Lara Croft asskicker—why not train with soldiers in Emain and protect her fellow half-bloods? She was a political science and philosophy double major. Becoming an Emain soldier would give her the physicality she craved, and she could apply her political science and philosophy background creating diplomacy with Halven, Fae, and humans. Besides, if things went down the way Ulric predicted, Keen would remain in Tirnan with his bride, and Reese would return to Emain and the Earth realm. She wouldn’t have to see him again, or be reminded of what he meant to her. Her memories of him were punishment enough.

After only a few wrong turns, Reese found the door to Elena’s bedroom and entered to discuss her new idea. If nothing else, it would keep her mind off weddings and battles.

Elena’s room looked just like Reese’s, except Derek lay across the bed, sound asleep, while Elena wrote at a desk in the corner.

“Looks like I caught you at a bad time,” Reese whispered.

Elena stood and ushered Reese out. “He hasn’t slept in twenty-four hours,” she said as they walked down the hallway. “He’s been working hard to get things arranged. Let’s go to Camille’s, where we can talk.”

They rapped on a door and Camille called out for them to enter. But once inside, Reese discovered Camille wasn’t alone either. She stood in the center of the room, speaking to several robed alchemists, including the one who’d given Reese the broth that had helped her heal from the Ancient Allon tea.

The alchemists glanced at Camille and, without a word, made their way to the door.

“They have prepared more null bombs,” Camille said after the alchemists left.

“What do you mean, null bombs?” Reese asked. “Elena called them guns before.”

Elena’s eyes lit up for the first time since her mother had been killed. “It’s my newest invention. And it’s wonderful, if I do say so myself.”

Elena described how she’d created the bombs, which went right over Reese’s head. Because science and chemistry. Blech.

“Newlander powers control nature,” Elena said. “That’s the one major advantage they have—we have, since I’m a Newlander too. We can cause an earthquake, create a fireball, or zap someone with lightning. All deadly and, at the very least, debilitating. Oldlanders can be equally lethal, but most mental abilities require proximity. Null guns give Oldlanders an even playing field by incapacitating the attacker until the soldier can get close. With null bombs, we can wipe out the elemental powers of an entire group in one blast. Genius, right?”

“Yes,” Reese said hesitantly. Bombs of any kind sounded bad, but Reese understood where Elena was going with this. If they neutralized Newlander elemental powers, the battle would be hand-to-hand combat—or sword-to-sword. That close, Oldlanders could also inflict their powers on the opposition, weakening them further.

“It’s really a necessity if we’re to have any hope of winning the battle,” Elena said. “I don’t trust how far Portia will go to maintain control.”

Reese thought back to a previous conversation she’d had with Keen, and most recently with Ulric. “Are you referring to the threat of a second disease?”

“Yes, and it’s completely disturbing.” Elena shook her head. “How can she even think of doing that again?”

“Because she’s Portia? Psychotic she-Fae?”

“The whisperings should not be taken lightly,” Camille said. “It’s why we are moving swiftly to stage a second attack.”

“How can we stop it if she decides to release the disease before we get to her?” Elena sounded desperate, and her emotions confirmed it. “I barely stopped the last virus in time. I can’t do it again—I can’t. Who knows how many people would die before I created a cure? It could take me days. And what if this one kills Halven too? I’m the last of the transmutation wielders. If I died and couldn’t cure it, what would happen?” Elena sank into a wooden chair. “I understand now why Leo spoke about breeding.”

“Excuse me?” Reese said.

Elena looked up in exasperation. “Leo, a scientist in Emain. He mentioned producing more Fae with transmutation abilities. After the havoc caused by the first disease, he seems open to breeding Halven with my ability.”

Reese stared at her. “You realize how that sounds?”

“Like I’m livestock they want to mate with their pure Fae studs? Yeah, I do, but that’s Leo. They try to keep the royal bloodlines strong, and they do it by any means necessary. Right now I have one of the most powerful abilities. They won’t risk losing it.”

“Are you seriously considering having babies with these people to produce another transmutation wielder?” Reese asked.

“Of course not, but at least I understand why Leo brought it up.”

“Well, get off that line of thought,” Reese said. “There are other ways to defend ourselves. Other ways to keep peace between the kingdoms. We just need to find them.”

“We have the null bombs…” Camille said. “And now we have Deirdre.” She grinned, brimming with excitement. “Deirdre has been organizing Sunlanders willing to fight against Portia. It has taken a great deal of time, given their beliefs about violence, but she’s finally managed to convince them to join our cause. They’ve already used the Ancient Allon leaves I sent, and they arrive this evening. Between the Sunlanders, the Old Kingdom soldiers, additional Emain guards we’ve recruited, and the null bombs, we have the strength to stage an attack.”

Reese looked at Elena. “Who’s Deirdre?”

“My aunt. The last time I was here, I watched her take down an Oldlander soldier two times her size in under three seconds. She’s sweet, but vicious. We definitely have an advantage with her on our side. Her husband was my mother’s brother, who was also a transmutation wielder. He was the first one Marlon and Portia had killed. You could say Deirdre would do just about anything to get Portia out of power, even convince her fellow pacifist Sunlanders to help. Especially after what Portia did to my mother…”

“So she’ll be properly pissed,” Reese said to distract Elena from the sadness that washed over her. “But what about Keen? How will he and Illa survive if we go blasting in there with null bombs and taking out Portia’s military by any means necessary?”

Elena turned to Camille.

“No one wants to see Keen or your sister hurt,” Camille said, “but we will battle them if they fight against us.”

“And Keen would, the honorable bastard,” Reese muttered.

“It is about honor, yes,” Camille said. “But we are also bound by our word. It’s difficult to explain to a human or Halven who know of no such magic, but we physically cannot go against our word.”

“That makes it worse.” Reese feared what would happen when they attacked, knowing Keen would protect Portia with his life.

Elena walked over. “Have faith. Keen is on our side, whether he’s sworn fealty to Portia or not.”

“What about Illa and her father? What happens to them?”

“You mean your sister and your father?” Elena asked.

“He’s only my father in the technical sense. In every other way, he’s not been there for me.”

“We can argue about that later, but yes, they’ll have to decide which side they’re on, but at least they have a choice, unlike Keen.”

Elena was right. Keen had no choice whose side he was on. He’d given up that right after Reese had nearly died in the dungeon. And he’d done it to protect her.

“With this news about the Sunlanders, we can step up the timing of the attack and make it the night of the wedding. Derek’s been working to get everything in order by then, but now that we have Sunlanders, there’s no reason to hesitate. It’s the perfect time to access the palace. Portia is allowing some of us inside as a unifying measure; we’ll simply sneak in a few more.”

“Why has Hakon supported Keen and Illa taking Derek’s place? Is he that desperate to gain power?”

Elena rubbed her eyes. “It’s complicated. Hakon would have controlled Old Kingdom had Derek’s father not subdued him by murdering his family members. And if we’re speaking technically on that front, Keen has an even better claim to the throne.”

“And now that Derek’s father, Osulf Niall, is dead…” Reese said.

“Keen can rule if he gains enough support. And takes the kingdom from Derek,” Camille finished.

Elena’s eyes hardened. “But Keen would still be Portia’s puppet, and Derek won’t give up the throne to a cruel dictator.”

“Why not put Hakon in charge?” Reese’s biological father seemed like the best middleman.

Camille crossed the room and picked up an amulet. It was the same shape as the ouroboros on Reese’s wrist. “Hakon is no longer interested in politics and ruling the kingdom after Niall murdered most of his family to take control. As long as Niall’s heir doesn’t rule, Hakon is content to support another in charge.”

“But if Keen ruled, that still puts Portia indirectly in control,” Reese said.

“Along with Hakon’s daughter,” Camille agreed. She handed the amulet to Reese. It dangled from a gold chain similar to the one around her wrist. “Hakon wanted you to have this. It is the mate to the one you wear on your arm.”

The ouroboros was beautiful, with rubies for snake eyes. It should look creepy, but it was stunningly crafted and somehow elegant.

Hakon had given her a gift that connected her to his family. He wasn’t trying to pretend she didn’t exist, or pawn her off the way her father back home had done so many times in order to return to his work. The necklace was a sign to all that she was his daughter.

She blinked several times, pushing back what she hoped weren’t tears, but she feared they might be. “Tell him thank you.”

Camille gave her a light nod.

Reese cleared her throat. “So we storm the palace the night Illa and Keen marry, and imprison Portia?”

“That’s the plan,” Elena said. “Though only some of us will be allowed in. The rest will go via Camille’s portals.”

Camille grinned mischievously. “The Ancient Allon worked. I can now portal fifty men with ease, and do it several more times afterward. Not many can boast of such powers where I come from.”

“Aren’t you from Sunland?” Elena asked, holding up Reese’s new pendant and admiring it.

Reese sensed nervousness from the Fae woman. “Camille?”

“Yes, I’m from Sunland,” Camille finally said. “But originally I came from somewhere else.”

Whatever Camille was about to say was big. Her emotions were all over the place, spiking in panic and pain.

“What do you mean, somewhere else?” Elena asked, slowly handing Reese back her necklace. “There are only three kingdoms.”

Camille’s beautiful sky-blue eyes pierced them with her stare. “Not true. There is a fourth kingdom—one so unimaginable, many do not believe it exists. It’s located inside the Land of Ice, where the Dark Fae live.”