Epilogue
Swatting sprite filled flowers away from his face, Edmeed ran as fast as his old bones would carry him. The king would be furious with him but there was no other choice. He had to find Sarah and her mate and convince them to help. It was the only way to protect his beloved Faerie from the Black Seel. Edmeed sucked in a breath as he reached the portal that would take him to Salisbury. He didn’t even bother to Feel for humans as he charged through, hitting the rough grass at a run and almost toppling over. He was getting too old for midnight missions to the human plane and too breathless, too.
He picked his robes up and held them against his waist as he ran down from the Power Stones, mentally swearing at himself for not changing to human attire before leaving the castle. There hadn’t been time for changing, but he regretted not making the time as his spindly naked legs shone a brilliant white in the moonlight. He hadn’t even bothered to reshape his ears, despite it being easy enough to do. He had panicked after reading Jarrah’s report and knew that there was no time to waste.
Jarrah had said in his note that the revolt had begun and the Black Seel had ordered the march to begin at first light. He had also added that he had been discovered by Adilyn and Edmeed knew all too well what happened when the nymphs got their teeth into someone. He had almost succumbed to Adilyn himself, in his younger days. Thankfully for him, she had been weak in her magic, otherwise, he wouldn’t have lived to tell the tale. Not that it was a tale that he told often or without cause. After all, the Keeper was supposed to be a pillar of the Fae community and was highly respected. It wouldn’t do for people to know that even a six-hundred and fifty-four-year-old man had needs that had almost cost him his life.
As he reached the road, he stopped and took a moment to catch his breath. Pulling his scrying charm out of his pocket, he waved his fingers in a figure of eight while thinking of the map he had left open on his bench. A moment later, an exact copy appeared in front of him. It was a little trick he had learned while reading an archived book on goblin magic, which allowed him to create an exact copy of something head left on his enchanted bench.
Dangling the scrying charm over the map, he thought of Sara and began to gently swirl the charm in a circle, while moving it around a few inches over the map. Suddenly, the charm pulled itself to the left and landed on the map. Edmeed smiled as he looked at the place the charm had indicated.
“She never could stay out of the forest.”
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“Are you sure, Aiden? It’s only been a few months and despite what you think, you’re doing a great job.”
Aiden nodded as he stared at the glowing embers of the log fire. He had been thinking about it for weeks and had even discussed it with Simon, McCabe and Charlie and they all supported his decision. “It’s too much all at once. It’s hard enough coming to terms with suddenly finding a home, a family, friends and a pack, let alone adding in the pressure of leading that pack. I can’t handle all the responsibility. Not yet, anyway. Combining the packs is the best option if you’ll allow it.”
“I just,” Ben sighed and thought about his wording before continuing. “I just don’t want you to have any regrets, that’s all. I can’t force you to stay on as Alpha, not if you really don’t want to, but I also don’t want you thinking you’ve failed because you haven’t.”
“I know. I know I haven’t failed. I just think it’s the best thing for the pack and for me too, for that matter. I have to learn how to fit in here and with you and Sarah and Charlie, too. I need to learn how to be part of a family, rather than how to rule one,” Aiden said.
“I understand. I’ll speak to the packs tomorrow and we can take it from there. I’m not sure what we’re going to do with the two villages though, but we will think of something.”
A braying on the Alpha house door sent Aiden and Ben running through the living room in a panic. As they reached the hallway, they saw Gabe pulling the door wide and an elderly man with long silver-grey hair walked in. Aiden took one look at his worn white robes, his overly high and extremely sharp cheekbones and the piercing blue eyes that were clearer than an imaginary sea, and stifled a laugh.
“What the bloody hell have you come here as?” He asked. “Gabe, have you arranged a secret Halloween party or something?”
Gabe smirked and shook his head as he closed the door behind the stranger.
“Gabe, call Sarah, right now. Tell her to move her arse and get down here,” Ben said, never taking his eyes off the stranger.
“Ben, I’m sorry to drop in unannounced but there was no time. There is no time, I mean. We need to hurry,” The stranger said.
“Hold on. Someone explain what the hell is going on. Who are you, what are you doing here and how do you know Ben?” Aiden said.
“Come, Edmeed. Let’s sit and wait for Sarah,” Ben said, leading Edmeed into the lounge.
“Thank you, Ben. In answer to your question, child, I am Edmeed, Keeper of Knowledge of the land of Faerie. I met Ben when he came to aid us with his pack and I’m here in the hopes that he will do so once more.”
“You’re a faery?” Aiden asked. He knew his eyes had widened to saucers and his eyebrows had taken up a new home on the top of his head, but he couldn’t help it.
“I’m an Elf, but yes. I guess you could say that I’m a faery in the sense that I’m of the Fae.”
“Edmeed! What are you doing here?” Sarah said as she came running into the lounge. “If father finds out you’ve come here, he will have you banished and bound and you know you won’t survive for long on this plane.”
“I fear I do not have long on either plane, not now. Please, sit. You are going to need firm support after hearing what I have to say. I received Jarrah’s report shortly after he met with Adilyn. It doesn’t bode well, child. The Black Seel. It has begun. Abraxas has made his move.”
“The revolt? It can’t be? Jarrah must be mistaken.”
The look on her face as she spoke told Aiden that even as she said it, she knew that she was wishful thinking. Her shoulders sank as she collapsed further into the chair and Aiden was by her side in an instant.
“Yes, my dear. I’m afraid so. If we have any hope of surviving a second rebellion…”
“I know,” she whispered.
“No, dear. I don’t think you do,” Edmeed said. Aiden saw his eyes were filled with sadness as he looked at Sarah and said, “If we have any hope of coming out of this alive, any of us, we need the son of the moon and the earth. We need Aiden.”
