Part 47 (1/2)
Ulrich but held her gaze, no admonishment, yet little compa.s.sion in his look.
”s.h.i.+nn had arranged our vows. It has been so for many Faery moons. We will wed...” I see.
She could not prevent a sigh. He could never understand, though it was his right to know all. ”Desideriel...does not favor me.”
”As I do,” he answered in the smallest voice.
”Yes, as you...do.” She smiled, but mirth slipped from her mouth so quickly, she felt the pain of its departure. Mortal touched meant that she was loved by this man, and she in turn loved him. ”But he is a good man. An excellent leader. s.h.i.+nn would want Desideriel to replace him as lord of Glamoursiege. It is necessary.”
”Yes.”
”Ulrich, I love you.”
”Ah?” A touch to her lip. Difficult to put off the exquisite feeling of being loved. ”So much that you would marry another?”
”I love Faery even more. It is the only home I have ever known. So much that I would offer my hand to a loveless marriage.”
”But if you return-did you not say you would age?”
”It is a chance I must risk.”
Cleaving together, the twosome kissed, and falling they went, falling, deep into oblivion. No need for words. This contact bonded them, soul to mortal soul, mortal heart to beating mortal heart. Light in Ulrich's arms. Light in this world.
Here is home.
To be kissed ever and anon by this kind, gentle man returned the smile to her lips. This feeling of safety and acceptance she could believe in ever after.
”Thought I'd try to convince you to remain,” he said, pulling back from their embrace. He sought her eyes. ”How did I do?”
”Very persuasive.” She touched his mouth. ”But-”
”Say not another word. I understand. Verity, is it? I am a better man for knowing you.”
And he stepped away, turning to acknowledge the changeling who waited beside Tor.
So simple as turning away one's head, their departure?
Yes, and keep it so.
Gossamyr clutched her chest. There is where it pained. Many men that she had loved, and all of them, taken from her. Was it fair that she must sacrifice so much to save a realm not her own? No.
Champions are made.
Indeed. And champions be as lonely as an innocent mortal woman coming into her own.
She gestured to Ulrich to bring the saddlebag to her. The two knelt in the meadow before Tor. Ulrich carefully extracted the wrapped alicorn from the leather bag and laid it upon the blades of boot-crunched gra.s.s.
”You do it,” he said to her. ”Unwrap it. It is not my place.” He looked to Dominique. ”Unless you wish to?”
Dominique nodded his head. ”Neither is it my place. Only the pure of heart may touch the alicorn without risking grave harm to the Enchantment pure. Lady d'Ange?”
How perfect that name felt. Not new, but always hers. Here did she belong, in the Otherside. Yet now she must sacrifice to make things right in Faery.
”I'm not so sure how pure I am.” She had kissed a man-two men. Did that not lessen her purity? Only a maiden could enthrall the unicorn. ”I am,” she murmured, ruefully, ”I am afraid. Besides, Ulrich, you must have your wish.”
A thick rusted brow arched aside the new bruise. ”You must do it. And you have overlooked the fact that I be no virgin, Faery Not. Would that I had realized such before I began this quest, eh?”
”But you have traveled far.”
”Truly, it is not right to bring back the dead. I must be satisfied with my memories and know that Rhiana did live for twenty-two years. Pray it was a good life.” Ulrich's hand on her shoulder anch.o.r.ed a rich warmth in her chest. ”You are the champion, Gossamyr of Glamoursiege. I bid you, Verity d'Ange, return Enchantment to this beast.”
She nodded, and as Ulrich stepped back to stand beside Dominique, she knelt before the alicorn and touched the wrapping. Beside her, Tor snorted softly; not impatient, but calming. Ready.
She held the ability to grant this beast a return to Faery. With him, Tor would bring s.h.i.+nn to rest in his rightful place. As well, Avenall would be returned to Rouge thorn.
Pulling back the cloth, she revealed the glittering alicorn. Dominique's gasp placed a smile to her face. Time to give back the gift of Faery and to seal the rift. And she? She would marry Desideriel and place a new lord upon the Glamoursiege throne.
All would be right, save her heart.
Standing, she bent and gripped the alicorn. The power of the object- Enchantment pure-susurrated through her arms and down her sides, stiffening her carriage and flexing her limbs straight out in surrender. Verity rode the wondrous wave of power for but a moment.
Not yours to possess. Return it!
Finding she could move, she placed the alicorn to the raw oval on the beast's forehead. It sealed. And the unicorn reared onto its hind legs, whinnying triumphantly. The witch locks that had once protected it from harm unwound and the lush long mane splayed out at neck and tail. Awareness tapped all creatures. Insects buzzed up from the green-ribbon gra.s.ses, clouding in a whoosh of wing and clacking sh.e.l.l. Squirrels chattered in the trees, and in the distance a lone fox howled.
And for a moment Verity saw the world in all the vibrant colors of Faery. The sky intensified and became like indigo gla.s.s, liquid and smooth. Clouds dissipated. The gra.s.ses swayed and sang a canorous song.
The unicorn's forelegs stomped the ground. The ba.s.s pulse of the earth echoed with each stomp. Verity, frozen in place, smiled as a soft wet nose nudged her face and a rough tongue lapped her chin. Kissed by Enchantment.
The last taste she might ever know.
To her side, Ulrich threaded his fingers into hers and Tor moved to stand before the soul shepherd. The unicorn bowed its head and pressed the length of its nose to Ulrich's face, a strange communion that held the man in a shuddering reverie. Shaking minutely, Ulrich stretched out both arms, releasing-and gaining. With a snap of its head Tor pulled back.
Ulrich collapsed forward onto the ground, palms catching in the gra.s.ses. In the next moment he exclaimed in effusive gasps, ”She is alive! My Rhiana! The unicorn bid me see her. She is-not safe-but yet lives! Oh, my, such dragon fire.”
The unicorn turned and, going down on one leg, bowed before Dominique. A dust of white-plumed mouse flies sifted skyward. The beast bristled and shook its head. Dominique bowed.
In a storm of lofting b.u.t.terflies and bees and scuttling field mice the unicorn took off at a gallop. It charged the meadow then turned and cantered toward s.h.i.+nn and Avenall. Powerful forelegs beating the earth, the sound of its pace drummed the air. A leap pa.s.sed the white stallion over the Faery lord's body. But it did not land the ground. One moment the unicorn beat down the gra.s.ses with powerful legs and dancing head- -the next moment it was gone.
Returned to Faery. Re-Enchanted.
s.h.i.+nn had gone to rest in the place of his origin. Avenall would be returned to Rougethorn.
Iridescent wings fluttered over Gossamyr's head. She tilted back her head, catching the sharp tinks of her crystallized tears upon her eyelids and cheeks. Contact softened them and salty liquid slid over her flesh. The sound of love lost cried out across the meadow.
Verity turned to find she stood before the blue marble castle. ”Oh.”
Flutter of the fetch's wings glittered in her peripheral view- but began to fade. All began to blur and soften at the edges like ripples on a pond distorting a reflection. Time here would be limited. Soon she would lose all sight of Faery, and in turn Faery would rob her of life.
Now, to find Desideriel.