Chapter 90
The memory of her escape by the whiskers swirled in Luna’s mind like the snakes writhing on Medusa’s head.
“How do you feel?” Helios’ kindly chirp broke Luna out of her reverie; the rabbit was rubbing the soft skin of his snout into her midriff in comfort after she’d just told him what she remembered.
Luna was sitting cross-legged on the lemon-green carpet grass, with the white rabbit tucked prudently in her lap.
“Like I’ve been under the icy depths a whole year.” Luna sighed, and Helios clucked like a mother hen, going around to rub Luna’s back reassuredly.
“It must be from when you fell; you were too big for me to catch, I’m afraid.” Helios sobbed, and then it was Luna’s turn to scratch his fur.
“It’s okay, Helios.” Luna promised, but she wasn’t completely sure that it was.
They were on the outskirts of the meadow, where the teal-colored stream had started to heal from Luna’s light magic.
She looked behind her; the shadow of darkness still hung heavily. Luna couldn’t tell if it was her imagination or if the darkness was growing and curdling.
She didn’t hear the cries of the Shadowlings anymore than her own rapid breathing, but it seemed that each time Luna blinked, the smoke of black fingers whisked closer, the high coconut trees cracking like popped foil as the darkness grew around them.
Luna tensed her jaw and stumbled determinedly to two unsteady feet, squaring her shoulders as she marched off toward the loom of terror.
“Luna! Don’t!” Helios screamed, hopping beside her to keep up with her quick march.
He tried gripping her legs with his small paws, but Luna shook him off, her cheeks red with rage.
She would not let this thing chase her from her home any longer!
Light energy crackled in Luna’s curved palm as she pushed the lightning away from her, gasping when it hit the wall of darkness that sent her tumbling back.
The brown-haired girl rose again, shuddering.
There was a vacuum opening in her core from using her energy too fast, but Luna persisted, raising her trembling hands once more before channeling the energy.
Light waves burst from the hollow of her palm, blowing the darkness back over the smoking, ashened trees and into the heart of the forest, before she felt something liquid pouring from her nose.
“Luna!” Helios screamed; his panicked voice sounded distant and scared, even to Luna’s ears.
“M-u-s-t, n-o-t, give up!” She cried, shaking from exertion and tasting the iron of blood in her mouth before her vision went white and she toppled into a long, soft body.
Two bright purple eyes were staring down a long, tapered nose at Luna when her eyes flickered open. Even in his arms, Luna could tell that he was tall.
The mane of the stranger’s yellow hair curled over his eyes and past the nape of his neck. He looked at Luna, who was positively angelic.
“Angel? Is that you? “Have you come to take me to the Elysians?” Luna gasped, giving the stranger puppy eyes.
“I am Cassius Luna, Leader of the Elves and Fairies of Arcadia, and Chief of the Queen’s Guards.” The majestic-looking stranger chuckled at Luna in a honeyed timbre, making her toes curl as she stared up at him.
He flexed his long, pointed ears slightly, the flush creeping up his ivory-white skin.
“We’re taking you home, lassie.” The elf king whispered, stroking Luna’s auburn hair, his blonde eyebrows squeezing together when she leaned into his touch, purring.
“Ahem!” Helios coughed, clearing the throat that Luna suspected did not need to be cleared.
“Luna Arkavis?” A woman’s voice called behind the royal, and Luna dragged herself up to check.
“Queen Ilona of Arcadia.” A freakishly tall human-looking woman with long ankle-length black hair said, smiling at Luna.
The people standing in a circle beside them had been charmed into silence by the queen’s beauty. Luna didn’t think she could believe anyone was more beautiful after seeing the Elf King, but she was wrong.
“Bow to Her Majesty!” Helios shrieked, slapping Luna lightly on her calf before touching his furry head to the grass.
“Long live Queen Ilona of Arcadia!” Luna chanted with the growing crowd of faeries, sniffing with dismay when she saw her mud-covered legs.
“At ease, people of Arcadia.” The queen’s soft inflection managed to be loud in the open field. Luna got the feeling the woman adored the sound of her own voice more than anything else.
It was the first time she’d appeared in public since the King left her, but her aquiline blue eyes were sharp with wisdom.
The Queen did not look mad to Luna, not like that peasant’s husband had described.
They watched as Queen Ilona, with her body of liquid gold, raised both her hands, sending a wave of light and earth pushing out to form an invisible ring of static around the darkness, trapping it.
Goosebumps broke out on Luna’s skin as the faeries murmured in shock and disbelief.
“The dark void has been contained; this area is henceforth off limits to all faeries and humans!” The queen announced loudly in her whiskey voice.
“Long live Ilona, Queen of Arcadia!” The excited crowd screeched, breaking into cheerful bickering as pale liliac leaves fell from the sky. It was the Queen’s earth magic working. The power to control land and green
Luna had heard how not even the King mastered all the element magic like the Queen, hence, her place as the overseer.
Luna shuddered; she couldn’t help but dream of what it would feel like.
All that power is running through her, thrumming at the tips of her fingers, waiting to do her bidding.
“Alright chickens! Back to your coops! Cassius thundered, clapping at the dispersing fae, as the Queen gracefully gathered her train of emerald green silk robe and climbed into her carriage, brushing mildew from the fur on her neck with a dainty finger.
“Come along now, girl!” He breathed behind her, the warmth climbing behind Luna’s ears as he pushed her up the gardenia-embossed steel carriage with a hand on the small of her back.
Helios hopped in beside her, and Luna scratched the soft fur under his ears fondly, giggling.
“You really scared me there, Luna.” “Don’t run off like that again.” Helios chided, poking Luna in the side with one paw.
“I won’t, sorry.” Luna whispered somberly, remembering Lucille’s similar warnings.
Her feet tended to have a mind of their own sometimes, and it was up to Luna to tame the ten-toed dragon.
The carriage bumped to a stop outside the columned golden gates of the Queen’s Castle.
Helios climbed into Luna’s lap, and together they watched fresh-faced maidens with their tarp scarves bustling in and out of the small side gate like clockwork.
She thought she spotted two mages, their arms full up to their foreheads with scrolls, pushing past the guards at the small entrance and into the castle.
“Welcome to the heart of Arcadia.” Cassius sang, the heat of his gaze warming Luna’s cold cheeks.
“Wow!” Luna gasped, craning her neck to gawk at the rows and rows of orange-garbed archer Elves and Centaurs—stout, muscled men with midriffs that disappeared into a goat’s rear—with their gleaming gold-plated armor throwing the sun from their chests.
The guards were perched like songbirds on the high, thickly set fences, which Luna realized were made out of birch tree trunks.
The gates creaked open slowly as the two carriages glided into the castle foyer with rhythmic squeaking compliance.
They were inside the Queen’s Castle, and all at once, Luna could see that there was a lot to be done.