Total pages in book: 162
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151630 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 758(@200wpm)___ 607(@250wpm)___ 505(@300wpm)
The one behind me moves to the queen’s side and his tongue lolls out, giving him a smiling expression. The queen practically melts as she starts to pet the creature.
I stroke the head on my lap and feel the oddest connection to the hound. “Are you saying you can get us into Faery without having to get past Myrddin’s guard?”
“I want to understand how she knew we were going to Faery at all.” The king stands close as though watching over the situation, but I see that Neil is behind us now. So we have a vampire king at our front and a werewolf on our six. As Rhys would call it. Rhys is a good soldier. Rhys is the one who follows commands and gets things done. At least he had before his power went insane. How hard is it for him?
Can I make it easier?
“While my master does not believe it to be safe for him to come to the Earth plane right now, he does keep up with what is happening here. After all, what happens here affects all of the planes. The inner planes are the working heart of the universe, though there is an outer plane that forms the…how would you say it…the engine of the universe. I believe you were recently there, Your Highness.”
The king nods. “Yes. My daughter, Summer, and her husband, Marcus, have taken their rightful places on that Fae plane.”
Matilda chuckles. “It’s closer to a celestial plane, but I doubt you’ve been on one of those.”
“Are you talking about Heaven?” Neil asks.
“Heaven is a human construct,” Matilda corrects. “Like what you would call Hell, Heaven is made of many different planes. The celestial planes.”
“This doesn’t answer my question.” The king is determined, but then I bet Sasha would be, too, if he was here.
“My master is a lord of the dead. Do you think he doesn’t have a network?” Matilda asks. “He keeps watch on what is happening here. On what is happening on all planes where he has a presence. He also has allies who exchange information with him. The underworlds are worried, Your Highness. They are worried about Myrddin.”
“I assure you Hell is not,” Neil says with a bitterness that can’t be denied. “They’re working with him.”
“Some of the Hell planes are,” Matilda allows. “Some are not. Some are ready to resist should Myrddin fulfill his plan to close off the planes. My master will not allow it. Cutting off the celestial planes will harm those in transition. It will cause millions to be stuck. So he will aid you in doing what you need to do, Your Highness.”
“I’m supposed to trust the man who nearly killed me so he could get high?” The king’s voice goes dangerously low.
“He would rather like to speak to you on that subject himself.” Matilda’s head lowers deferentially. “Your Highness, I cannot tell you how important the girl is. He would never place her in danger.”
“I’m not important.” I think I’m the only girl here. Not many people would call Zoey Donovan-Quinn a girl. She’s a badass woman queen. I’m just… Well, I’ve been trained and can take care of myself in a fight, mostly. But I feel like a girl.
Matilda gets to one shaky knee in front of me before I can stop her. “You are yr un sanctaidd, lost from our kingdom for millennia. The fact that you are resurrected in this time means something. You are here to save us, to be what you were created to be. You are walking death.”
The words bring tears to my eyes. I don’t know why. She’s not saying anything I don’t know.
Rhys is life, abundant and rich. I simply cling to shadows.
“You think I insult you,” Matilda says softly. “Because you do not know death, either. Come to the Faery plane and learn who you are, what you can do. Death is not the end. Death is change. There can be no rebirth without death. No end to suffering and hope of something new without death. You can see yourself as a cold, pointless thing, or as necessary and warm and loving as birth itself. Like all things, you decide how to see the world around you and by choosing your vision, you form reality. Come to meet my master and let him show you all the lies this world has told you. You are nothing to fear, Shahidi Davis. You are a miracle.”
“You mistake me for someone else.” She has to because I’m just a girl from Texas. Seeing and talking to the dead is the only thing special about me. I don’t have any power beyond a good gossip session with the recently deceased.
She straightens up. “The Cŵn Annwn do not make mistakes. They know you.” She turns to the king. “So what should I tell my master?”