The Rise of the Spell Caster

"That was your stepfather?" asked Daniel to Grace.

"Yes."

Daniel chewed his cheek in thought. "He's very tall."

"Yes."

"Tell me about your mother," he asked when it became clear Grace was not going to say anything further. He had always wanted to ask her about her life in the Night fae realm, but it had never seemed appropriate. Now seemed like the right time.

"My mother is Rhiannon de Moroingi, Queen of the Night fae and the Unseelie Court. My younger sister is Morgaine de Moroingi. She is next in line for the throne."

"How is that possible? Shouldn't it be you?" asked Daniel.

"Yes."

Daniel stopped walking. "Would you stop!"

Grace stopped and turned to glare at him, saying nothing.

"Don't give me that!" snapped Daniel. The feeling of doom surrounding them had worn away his patience. "We are walking into the unknown here. I have been patiently not been pressing you for any details about your past. We are past that now. What are we walking into here? I need to know my circle will be okay. I trust you, Grace, but right now you are really pissing me off."

The expression on Grace's face went from anger to fear to something in between. Brian walked over to her.

"Lass. Tell them. They have a right to know. They've followed you here without complaint. Now we feel like we are walking into the dragon's den. Give them something. Something to understand."

Grace looked like she wanted to argue, but Daniel sent love down the bond he had with her. Grace's eyes went round, and she locked eyes on Daniel.

"Tell us, Grace. Please."

Grace lowered her head and stared at the floor. After a moment she looked up at all of them. She squatted down and they all followed her example and looked at her expectantly.

"I'll make this short. Mother has no patience so we must hurry. I am not fully Night fae. I am called a half-breed. Shunned by both Light and Night fae. My mother refused to tell me who my father is. Pywell wanted to hate my mother for conceiving me from another man, but he cannot hate the queen of the Night fae. It's simply not possible. So instead, he took it out on me. He made my life a living hell all the while doting on my stepsister. The more he tortured me the more he lavished love on his only true daughter. Mother once told me to suck it up. So I did. Then I escaped. It took me months in the darkness to make my way out of here. It was Morgaine that gave me the key."

Grace looked up as if remembering something. "I'll never forget my first moment outside the realm. The air smelled so sweet. The feeling of the wind startled me. Seeing trees and flowers was surreal. For a time, I was ecstatic. Then mother came after me. Trying to drag me back." She smiled. "My time under my stepfather's thumb made me strong. The months fighting in the deep tunnels had honed my skills. I was my own master for once in my life and I embraced it. I vanquished all she set before me. Until the day she sent my own sister after me."

Grace grew quiet, lost in thought.

Daniel waited and then coughed gently.

Grace looked up at him and smiled. "I would never have expected my stepsister to take my side. She appeared one day. We can... communicate in a unique way. She let me know she was there, and I allowed her to approach. Honestly, I thought I was done. She alone had the strength to pull me back. If she asked it, I would have followed. She didn't though." Grace grinned triumphantly at Daniel. "We sat and spoke for hours. In the end, she rose, hugged me, and went back home empty handed. Mother stopped chasing me after that. I even ventured back one time. I had to test her. See what she was capable of. She let me walk out and I've been free ever since. Since then, I formed a party and explored the world." She smiled at Brian and Jason. "I found happiness." She looked at Daniel and the girls. "And good friends."

"And now, Grace?" asked Daniel, gently. "What happens now that you are back?"

Grace stared long into Daniel's eyes. "I have no idea. I don't know what to expect. I suspect my mother might place me in chains. She might never let me leave now."

"That won't happen," declared Daniel. "We won't let it."

Grace chuckled, the sound strange in the dark tunnels. "You have no idea what strength my mother has. She rules the darkness. She alone makes the transition from life to death happen. This is her realm, and she is absolute."

Daniel shook his head. "It doesn't matter. No one will take you away from us. From me. We fight for those we love. Whatever the cost." Deep inside, Daniel felt the phoenix inside him agree, eager for a fight. Daniel frowned. The phoenix was starting to become more active inside him and it worried him.

Grace looked shocked and he wondered if she had felt the phoenix stir. She shook her head at him. "We will see. If it comes down to it, I will make sure you leave intact. I will not allow my friends to suffer because of my mother. She's insane in case you wondered. So is Titania. Insane from a human point of view. Perfectly sane from a fae one. The motivation of the fae is something you will never understand, Daniel Davies."

Daniel considered that for a moment. He looked at his companions and saw they were all set on defending Grace. He smiled at her. "We'll see, won't we?"

Grace nodded once and rose. "Come. It's time I discovered who my real father is. I've had enough of being slighted and treated like an outcast. My mother has much to answer for, and this time I will demand those answers." She started to walk down the tunnel and then stopped as the others rose to their feet. "Thank you, my friends."

She turned away and waited for them to catch up before continuing the trek. Grace ignored hundreds of side passages and led them directly through the underground realm.

It was Daniel who caught the scent first. While the Light fae realm had smelled of Spring and life, the Night fae realm smelled of Fall and decay. It was cloy and stuck to the back of their throats. Human nature being what it is, the smell of decay unsettled them further. Even Brian, used to being underground as a dwarf, was not immune. After about six hours, Grace announced they were almost there.

The tunnel suddenly opened up into a massive rough chamber. Daniel and his circle almost cried out when they spotted the many Night fae watching them from beside the walls. Hundreds of them stood silently and watched them pass. Daniel's party clustered closer together with Grace out front leading the way with her shoulders back and her head held high.

Many Night fae hissed at her but Grace ignored them. Only through the bond could Daniel sense Grace's anger and shame. That made Daniel angry. No one should be treated poorly due to birth circumstances beyond their control. Daniel glared at the fae who hissed.

"Ignore them, Daniel," warned Grace. "They are beneath you."

This caused more hissing but then they were at their destination. A large set of stone double doors stood before them. Four guards in armour that gleamed like black oil, holding black halberds, stood before the doors, looking straight ahead.

Grace stopped before them. "I am Grace de Moroingi, eldest daughter of Rhiannon de Moroingi, Queen of the Night fae and the Unseelie Court. I have been summoned by my mother. Let me and my companions pass. We are expected."

All four heads snapped as one toward Grace and stared at her for a long moment. Then they snapped to a position of attention. The two closest guards moved to the doors and grasped the large ring handles. Daniel could see them strain as they pushed the doors open, swinging them into the chamber beyond. Then the guards returned to their places and went back to attention.

Grace strode forward, the others following. They passed through two more large double doors, until they reached what Daniel surmised was an audience chamber.

A large ornate throne made of gleaming obsidian rose up the back wall of the room. It was spiked and threatening. Easily twenty feet up sat the actual throne, and seated on the edge peering down at them was Rhiannon de Moroingi, Queen of the Night fae and the Unseelie Court. Standing before the throne, in front of a much smaller chair, was Pwyll, looking like he had just bitten into a lemon.

The sides of the audience chamber were lined with rows of seats, filled with Night fae nobles. They all glared at them as they marched forward. A large ornate circle was inlayed into the floor before the throne, and it was here that Grace stopped. She fell to one knee and hung her head.

The others followed her example. Daniel found the floor uncomfortable to his knee. He examined the stonework and sensed a power emanating from it that spoke to him. He felt he could reach out and claim it if he wanted. The phoenix in him seemed to perk up and pay attention. Daniel was getting very worried about his passenger. She was becoming more curious all the time and Daniel worried he would be powerless to stop whatever it was she wanted.

Calm down, he thought to the phoenix. He felt her pout, but she did as he asked, and Daniel's eyes went round. He felt her mirth.

After a minute passed, Daniel started to worry. The queen had said nothing and neither had Grace. One minute turned into two, and then five. Daniel wondered if this was some weird test.

"GRACE!" cried out a voice, and Daniel couldn't help himself. He looked up toward the voice. A Night fae, exquisite in her form and beauty had entered the audience chamber from some unseen entrance and was rushing to Grace's side.

The fae reached Grace, grabbed her by the shoulders, and pulled her upright to hug her. Through the bond, Daniel knew this had to be her sister, Morgaine. Grace's feeling of relief across the bond was profound.

"Hi, Morgaine," she said after Morgaine released her.

"It is so good to see you home! Mother has been worried and so have I!" Morgaine turned to the throne and ignored the buzzing of voices from the surrounding fae. "Mother why are you leaving them like this? It is unseemly and ungracious!"

Rhiannon rose with fury in her eyes from her throne and the room went silent. "Morgaine! You go too far! I am your queen, and you will address me as such! These people are interlopers and unwelcome in the realm of the Night fae."

Surprising Daniel, Morgaine laughed. "Nonsense! Grace has returned to us! We should celebrate! Your eldest daughter has returned!"

Pwyll roared in laughter breaking the silence that had descended with Morgaine's words. "Celebrate? Why would we celebrate the life of a half-breed, my dearest daughter? Instead, we should throw them all in our darkest pits and torture them until they embrace the final journey of death! Death awaits all! My queen, allow me to see them to their final resting place. It would be my honour."

Grace looked at Daniel and the others and beckoned them to rise, which they did after a moment's hesitation. Grace looked terrible. All her defences and strength were stripped bare. Without knowing why, Daniel urged his witches to move up next to Grace. The others followed until they stood in a long line looking up at Queen Rhiannon.

She looked beyond pissed. Rage covered her features giving her a foreboding look. The sense of doom they had all been feeling doubled. Daniel surged his power through the bond and pushed it to his witches. A thought occurred to him, and he pushed it to the others. Grace's head whipped to look at him, startled and looking afraid. Daniel grinned at her.

Grace stared at him for a long moment and then grinned back. He could feel her strength return. Thank you, she mouthed to him. She turned back to her mother.

"Mother. I have returned and I have news of the outside world you must be aware of."

"Who are you to dictate what I must know?"

"Your daughter who has travelled the outside world. While you must remain here in the mountains, I have seen events that require your attention."

Rhiannon threw her head back and laughed long and hard. "You know nothing, Grace de Moroingi."

Grace took a step forward and left the circle etched in the floor. Pwyll growled at her. "I know that Oberon is my father. Tell me, mother, why did you fuck a Light fae?"

The gasp from the surrounding Night fae was loud and unified. The air in the chamber seemed to reduce. Pwyll looked shocked, thought Daniel, but no one more so than Rhiannon. She stumbled back a step and landed on her ass on her throne, staring in disbelief at her daughter. Morgaine cried out, staring at Grace.

"Empty the chamber!" screeched Rhiannon, after a moment. When no one moved she stood and screeched. "OUT!"

In mere moments, the audience chamber emptied, and a dull thud was heard as the doors closed.

Daniel looked around. Other than The Circle, only the queen, Pwyll and Morgaine remained.

Rhiannon looked down at her daughter. Her former arrogance seemed greatly diminished. Her voice, when she finally spoke, seemed distant and sad. "How long have you known?"

"Since about two minutes ago. I always suspected. But now I know. Why? Why did you sleep with him? And why hide it from me?"

Daniel saw Rhiannon's anger flare. "Why do you think? They are our enemies."

"That doesn't explain why."

"Because he fucks better than anyone I ever met!"

Daniel glanced at Pwyll. He looked shocked and stared up at his wife in horror.

"Rhiannon?" whispered Pwyll.

Rhiannon snapped at him. "Oh, shut up. You don't care. You've fucked every Night fae in the realm. You're lucky you still have your head. And your balls."

Pwyll stepped back a step and glanced toward the exits. Then his shoulders slumped, and he sank into his little throne and looked down.

Rhiannon drummed the armrest of her throne with her long, black, and gleaming nails. She looked down at all of them, her expression unreadable. "Damn the gods, I never wanted you to learn of this."

Grace stepped forward again. "This is why Morgaine is next in line?"

"Of course!" snapped Rhiannon. "A Night and Light fae crossbreed cannot rule this realm."

Grace looked at Pwyll, who hadn't moved. "And allowing this fucktard to torture me for years?"

"My penance."

"YOUR penance? You fucking BITCH!" screamed Grace and stepped forward again.

"How dare you speak to me like that!" screamed Rhiannon, now back on her feet.

"I will speak to you whatever way I see fit! You made my life a living hell!"

"I only sought to hasten your return to the void. To the darkness."

"You could have just had me killed!"

"This was more entertaining," answered her mother.

Grace growled and then surprising everyone, she rushed Rhiannon. She made it three steps before Pwyll was there and Grace flew through the air to land hard on the ground in front of Daniel. Her wrist snapped audibly.

"Grace!" cried out Daniel. Amy was there in an instant and he felt her push healing into Grace. Daniel gave her power and so did Amber. Grace cried out as her bones knit back together in an instant.

"Mother!" shrieked Morgaine. "You can't treat her like this!"

Rhiannon was watching Daniel and his witches closely now. She had felt the surge in power from them. She slowly turned her eyes toward Morgaine. "Silence. I can treat her anyway I want. She is MY daughter. I own her."

Daniel helped Grace to her feet. Grace thanked him and stepped toward her mother.

"I hate you," she hissed, then she gestured to Pwyll. "And this fucktard even more. That was a lucky strike, Pwyll." She spat on the floor. "You both sicken me. Fuck, Titania was nicer to me than you two. Figures. All my life, I suffered decades of abuse. I was lucky to escape!"

Rhiannon sighed. "You weren't lucky. I let you go. I let slip to Morgaine where I hid the key. She did what I knew she would."

Daniel felt Grace rock back mentally.

"What?" said Grace and Morgaine at the same time.

"I let you escape. I made Pwyll do what he did. You needed to get stronger and then leave. You are neither Night nor Light fae. You are something in between. An unknown. I couldn't risk you remaining and jeopardise the cycle of life and death. And you posed too great a threat to my rule. You have powers no Night fae has ever held."

"What? No, I don't."

"Yes, you do. You survived in the deepest depth of my realm. You faced creatures never vanquished in all our history. You have the strength of the Night and Light fae. You know how we naturally detest the Light fae, and they us. It's our very nature. How could I truly love you? Now, you are powerful beyond compare." Rhiannon glared at Daniel "Until this human appeared, that is. You have the female phoenix inside you. How did this occur? It should not be possible."

Grace vibrated with anger. "How could you love me? You loved a Light fae, didn't you? How hard was it to spread your legs to that asshole and allow him to pump his seed into your womb? Huh?"

Rhiannon rolled her eyes. "It was a phase. An itch. He was my captive for a time. I exploited it a little."

"I'm the result of an itch?"

Daniel pulled the power from his circle and sent love and adoration to Grace. He saw her back go straighter and felt her thanks return down the thread. Daniel was starting to understand his powers a little more. And how the circle functioned. He felt a small hand take his and looked down to see Bitty smiling up at him and nodding.

"YES! A fucking itch! I fucked him and loved it! Okay? Is that what you want to hear?"

Grace looked at Pwyll and then her mother. "He had to be better than this fuck."

Rhiannon looked in shock at Grace and then started laughing. She laughed for far longer than was comfortable. Daniel found it hard to feel sorry for Pwyll. He had only just met him, but he already detested the asshole.

"An arranged marriage. I had hoped to find something within him, but alas, it was never meant to be. He's petty and vain. But enough of that. You," she said pointing at Daniel. "You have the essence of the female phoenix inside you. I would know how this happened."

Daniel looked at Grace and she smiled at him, and Grace answered her mother. "He spent some time with the egg after it was stolen from Maeve's Wilds. I suspect it bonded with him. Perhaps it sensed what was to occur? We will likely never know. But one thing is clear, a portion of the female phoenix resides within him."

Rhiannon stared at Daniel. "She is awakening. Is this not true, Daniel? You can feel her now."

Daniel nodded and his girls gasped and clung to him.

"Can you sense the male egg? Do you know where it lies?" asked Rhiannon.

Daniel shook his head.

"I had tasked you, Grace to bring the egg to me."

"Arbuckle no longer had it. He accused me of stealing it."

"Did you?"

"What? No. I would have brought it to you had I recovered it."

"So, the male egg is missing. The female egg is missing, and Daniel has a portion of the female phoenix inside him. This is beyond worrisome." Rhiannon looked at the party, and seemingly noticed the others for the first time. "A fighter and a formerly enslaved gnome travel with you. How strange. And Syn sees fit to send a cleric and a paladin to my realm. We long ago had an accord that the gods of this world would not interfere in the dealings of the fae. Explain yourselves."

Jennifer smiled up at the queen. "Syn sends her thanks to the Queen of the Night fae and the Unseelie Court. Brian and I are here at her request. Not for you and the fae, but to ensure that Daniel and the witches reach their full potential. She has witnessed the destruction of Yanwey, and this evil has caused her to seek a greater role in the world. Forces have been unleashed that unless stopped will end the entire world. But you know this, Rhiannon de Moroingi. Just as Titania is aware. You are being forced into an early war and never once have you questioned how this comes to be. The balance is upset. Daniel and his witches will be instrumental in resolving this crisis. Syn is certain."