Blood of the Skies and Shadows - Chapter Twenty

Hi everyone, more chapters, yay! Alright I have nothing much to say for this chapter except enjoy what is to come! The next chapter is most likely going to be from Ian because we have to check in with the hot sensitive bad boy and see if he is still alive of course. Anyhow enjoy, comment and tell me what you think!

Love from Caelia.
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Lexi.
When everything around me actually slowed down and my senses returned to me slowly, I was on the floor but resting in someone's arms.

"Welcome back, Lexi." Lady Rhyannon's melodic voice chimed gently above me. I blinked my eyes open, my vision was blurry for some reason. My cheeks felt wet so I reached up with one hand to touch them. There were tears streaming down my face. I looked up at Lady Rhyannon, her eyes weren't filled with pity or sympathy simply worry and sadness.

"It was a dream right?" I asked, my question coming out as a small whisper my voice sounded like that of a frightened child. She probably didn't even know what I was talking about. But she shook her head slowly.

"Sadly it was not. And I know that you do not believe it was a dream either." Her words would've sounded blunt and harsh but from her lips they just sounded sorrowful. I sat up and wiped my tears on the back of my hand.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you." I mumbled as she helped me to my feet. She rested her hand on my elbow and led me over to the marble edge of the garden bed near us. She sat me down first and took a seat beside me.

"You need not apologize Lexi. This evening is full of doubt and restlessness. I merely came out for a stroll to ease my mind." She murmured airily. Her eyes were kind and there was no hint of anything suspicious so maybe that's why I knew I could trust her.

"Lady Rhyannon...you knew those weren't dreams." I didn't phrase it as a question but she answered anyway since it was going to become one eventually.

"Yes. Those you saw were memories. Why you saw them, I do not understand." She looked into my eyes, serious and solemn. I nodded meekly.

"You know whose memories they were." Again not a question but she replied.

"Lucian's daughter. Lucia Valerian." Her sharp night blue eyes were clouded and unclear.

"I assume Lucian does not know of this matter." She commented inquisitively, but somehow not prying. I nodded again. Her long pale fingers brushed a lock of brown hair from my face as she spoke.

"I believe you and Lucia are linked somehow. Not just by her memories." Her words brought me back to the moment when I couldn't feel where she ended or where I started. I kept my mouth shut because I really didn't want to place my troubles on a faery queen no matter how much I trusted her. But she seemed to notice that. She smiled serenely and patted my hand which was, much to my surprise, clasping the marble edge we sat on. Submissively I let my hand go and faced her.

"Do not be afraid you will offend or trouble me, Lexi. Wisdom and knowledge is useless when gifted if it cannot be passed on." The grin of this tall elegant woman was beautiful and yet, still powerful. I smiled back, sort of relieved.

"When I see her memories, it's like there's this wall between me and her memories. I can't get to see things that seem important. Like someone is blocking me from it. But with Lucia herself, it's like I can't separate her from myself. Like we're sort of syncing into one person. Everything she feels is as if it's my own emotions. It's so strong that somehow no matter how hard I try to block it myself I can't." I explained, my eyes straying from her face to my hands resting in my lap. She studied my face for a moment and then she lifted her hand off mine and placed over my temple on the side of my head.

"Close your eyes and think of Lucia's memories." Her sharp eyes and the grave tone from her ethereal voice told me to do as I was told, so I immediately shut my eyes and thought hard to remember images and confusing feelings I didn't want to remember. The images and feelings flooded through me, but somehow something was pushing them to overwhelm me. Lady Rhyannon. My mind provided.

"Alright, you may open your eyes, Lexi." She murmured. I inhaled some air and opened my eyes. Her face was calculating and wondering as she stared off into the distance. I waited patiently, my frustration somehow gone while Lady Rhyannon was here.

"You were correct. Someone is indeed blocking the important parts of Lucia's memories from your memory. I do not know who because their brand is unfamiliar to me. But they aren't able to block Lucia's feelings and thoughts from you because there is most indeed a bond between the two of you. Again I do not know why." Lady Rhyannon murmured, like she was trying to understand it herself more than explain it to me. I sighed. My memory was being messed with. Okay so not my memory exactly but my head at least. As if she'd suddenly noticed me she smiled at me sadly.

"Do not fret, Lexi. There must be a reason whoever blocked Lucia's memories from you is doing this, so they will have to appear soon since you're uncovering more of her memories. Then you should be able to find your answers." She murmured and patted my hand again, like a comforting mother. I sighed and smiled back in defeat.

"In the end it always includes waiting." I grumbled more to myself than to her. She laughed softly, her laughter lyrical and majestic.

"Patience, Lexi. You are unfortunately lacking in that area." She chided playfully. I shrugged back, a grin pulling at the corners of my mouth. Before we could start talking any further one of the twin fae warriors burst open the double glass doors. I don't know how I knew but I was sure it was Kalen. Flanking his sides were two unfamiliar younger fae warriors. Lucian glided in shortly after and without saying a word his weary eyes shifted to meet mine. I could feel something inside me twist uneasily and frighteningly. There was just something in Lucian's eyes that made me afraid of what might really be happening. At that both the queen and I launched to our feet immediately.

"My queen! The ward is breaking! We have sensed that it is demons! Kheelan has the warriors positioned!" Kalen cried, clutching his sword with one hand and a thick steel shield with the other.

"Alcaeus is trying to reform the ward that's breaking but the damage is permanent. It's only a matter of time before the demons break through." Lucian told us, his eyes grave and blood curdling. Lady Rhyannon's face was enraged and confused but not panicked.

"Hold the demons back for as long as possible! Tell Kheelan to gather any other archers of the fae and position them around the trees of the entrance! And take the fae people above ground to shelter. Kalen escort us to my private chambers. We must retrieve the angel's grimoire before the ward falls. Come!" She ordered. The warriors saluted and then flew off except for Kalen. He trailed slightly behind us as we jogged to Lady Rhyannon's chambers. His eyes were cautious and darted around dangerously. I clutched one of my knives held in its sheath on my sides warily. Lady Rhyannon turned into a long wide hallway which had no doors except for the double white doors at the very end of the path. She pushed the two doors open, revealing what seemed like a cross-section between a lounge, a study and bedroom. She beckoned us towards the bedroom impatiently. She moved hastily yet somehow still gracefully to the center of the bedroom. She grabbed Lucian by the wrist and held her hand out to Kalen. He pulled a blade from his belt and placed the handle in her palm. Her fingers closed around it and with the hand she had a hold on Lucian's wrist with she flipped it over so that his palm faced up.

Closing her eyes she murmured something in the fae language and the ceiling started rumbling. She let go of Lucian's wrist temporarily and slid the blade's edge over the meaty part of her palm until a thin line of crimson red appeared. She clenched her fist and dripped droplets of blood onto the wooden floorboards. Immediately after the blood stopped dripping she clasped Lucian's wrist again, sliced open his wrist and dripped his blood over hers. His face didn't change even in the slightest. His cold grave mask was still in place. The area of the ceiling above them slowly split into two rectangles, moved back and slid into the sides.

"Kalen." Lady Rhyannon's grave voice murmured as she wiped the blood on a handkerchief she'd pulled from somewhere. Kalen nodded and literally jumped into the black space above us. A few moments later there were battle cries. Continuous shouting, swords slashing, hissing and enraged roars. As if on cue to protect his queen Kalen leaped back down sharply, handed the book to me and in front of Lady Rhyannon, facing where the entrance was.

"We have to get out of here, Rhyannon." Lucian said urgently, his fierceness never hidden even in his tranquil manner. Rhyannon nodded, but pursed her lips.

"I understand. But the only way out of the eternal lands is the archway where you entered. You will not be able to conjure any movement spells because the eternal lands do not allow any magic from any being that is not of fae blood." She replied just as urgent. Kalen looked at me, his sky blue eyes exceptionally sharp and urging. Suddenly something clicked in my head. I nodded. He couldn't suggest it because she'd order Kalen to guard us as well as escort us to the archway and Lady Rhyannon couldn't be left unprotected so she would follow.

"We'll fight our way through then." I said simply, breaking the indecisive strong silence. Lucian hid a smile that had tugged at the corner of his mouth vigorously but I'd caught it before it had vanished. A slow impressed smile slowly spread over Lady Rhyannon's face, dimming the authority and power crackling around her and her momentarily forgotten celestial beauty washed over everyone in the room like a tsunami. No wonder she was queen of all faeries.

"I shall escort you." She murmured. Just as expected though. I jumped in before Kalen could say anything.

"No. You have to stay protected. Your warriors can't lose their queen, Lady Rhyannon. Besides Kalen would never forgive me if I let you charge into that battlefield just to send Lucian and I off." I smiled mischievously and nonchalantly, my eyes flickering over to Kalen whose head was lowered because it appeared he seemed to be hiding a possible smile. Lady Rhyannon pondered this momentarily, her lips pursed and clearly unsatisfied with this decision. She sighed and frowned with chagrin.

"I do not understand why I cannot rush into battle like my warriors just because I am a queen. But I see your logic Lexi. I accede to yours and Kalen's wishes. Mostly Kalen's though, as I see it." She sighed again and waived off my following argument.

"You have no time to waste. Hurry now." She murmured, her authority and power returning to the air around her.