Sapphire Falls (The Lost Realm #2)

46. Chapter 45

Chapter 45

Morgan

M organ’s eyes adjusted to the warm, cheery firelight in a comfortable room. The scent of herbs hung in the air. On her left, Susan sat up in bed with a round, dark-skinned and dark-haired fae chatting contentedly with her. They were both drinking from an earthenware mug. Susan laughed harder than Morgan had ever heard her laugh and the other woman snorted back.

Morgan tried sitting up, but everything hurt. She and Susan had practiced their magic together for weeks now, but she hadn’t tried utilizing deep magic and connecting her magic to Susan’s before. The burst of power that they threw at that portal had nearly wiped her off the map.

“You’re awake!” Susan said. The other woman turned toward Morgan.

“Morgan? It’s nice to meet you,” she said, grasping Morgan’s shoulder in a tight squeeze. “I’m Hyacinth.”

“Nice to meet you,” Morgan croaked. Her throat was parched and she desperately needed a drink.

“Just one moment and I’ll have just what you need to restore your constitution,” Hyacinth said as she walked over to a kettle on a stove. She began pulling down bottles from her shelf, assessing each one in a manner that Morgan couldn’t figure out.

“She can sense what you need,” Susan said. “Hyacinth is the greatest healer in Aeritis.”

“Now, don’t be telling stories, girl! I’m good, but I’m not that good,” Hyacinth argued.

Susan chuckled. “She’s humble too!”

“I heard so much about you. It’s nice to know I’m in good hands!” Morgan said. Her head felt heavy and she gave in to the desire to lie back down.

“She’s the one I said could remove your scars if you want to,” Susan suggested, a friendly smile on her face.

Morgan bit her lip. Her scars had fueled her rage against these fae for months now. The scars were an ever-present reminder of what they could do to her, to never let her guard down. They also were a testament to her resilience. But part of her did wish she could erase them. Break down those barriers she’d sealed around herself.

No. She couldn’t do that yet. She couldn’t let go of everything that had happened when that monster ripped into her face, carrying her in his jaws back to that tunnel.

Maybe someday, but that day wasn’t today.

Morgan shook her head. “No. I’m good.”

“We all must walk our own journey, child. Yours will be full of hardships here. Wear your scars like armor and I will be here when you’re ready to remove that armor,” Hyacinth said, stirring various dried plants into a mug of hot water.

“Thank you,” Morgan whispered. She liked this no-nonsense, wise old fae already.

Hyacinth offered her the cup and Morgan sipped it, tasting notes of sage and juniper, clover and nutmeg, plus something else that she couldn’t discern. “How do you know what to put in each mug?” Morgan asked, taking another drink of the soothing elixir.

“My essence guides my hand, and it’s my essence that does the most healing. However, I can speak to what ails you in a way and the herbs or spices I choose for the cup reflect what your body craves. It makes taking the draught much easier to consume too.”

Morgan immediately felt her body growing stronger, less exhausted from when she woke. “Do you ever choose something that tastes bad?”

“Yes of course, but the recipient needs to drink it regardless for the healing to happen. I also heal directly with my essence. Some more challenging cases need more work as well. Your sister was wrapped up in a paste and left to sleep with it overnight when she couldn’t recover from her lung infection and fever. I dare say she didn’t find it too pleasant!”

Morgan’s eyes grew wide. “She was sick? How?”

Hyacinth bit her bottom lip. “I shouldn’t say. I’ll leave the story for her to tell.”

A knock on the door startled the three women, but Morgan heard her sister’s familiar voice and the unease disappeared. Avery walked into the room and went directly to Morgan, tugging her into a hug and kissing her on her scarred cheek. “I’m so happy you’re safe and you’re here!”

Morgan gave a weak smile and put her cup down before she spilled it in her sister’s next embrace. Avery slid into the bed next to her, crossing her legs and leaning close enough to touch Morgan. “I’ve missed you, Ave. I’m sorry I left the way I did. I just—I couldn’t stay here.”

Avery took Morgan’s hand in hers and gave it a squeeze. “It’s okay. I’m sorry too. I should have listened to you when you said you were uncomfortable with coming here. I was being selfish.”

“It’s okay. I think we were both being a little selfish at the time. I shouldn’t have abandoned you the way I did.” Morgan squeezed her sister’s hand back before bringing her fingers to the crown on Avery’s head. She didn’t even know what to think. Her irresponsible ski bum sister was now a queen. “Ave, wow.”

Avery grimaced. “It’s complicated, but basically this crown and the title of Queen was another thing forced on me by Althea. Don’t make too much out of it, okay?”

Morgan nodded. “Okay.”

“By the way, I’m sorry Savine attacked you when you landed here. I’m so angry at him, looking at him makes me furious.”

Morgan gritted her teeth. As far as she knew, Avery had always just casually dated. Now she’d bound her soul to a fae king and was already angry at him. To be fair, Morgan would be ready to slice Rylo’s throat if he laid a finger on Avery.

Hyacinth was already making a cup of tea for Avery with the remaining hot water from the kettle.

“Avery, dear, Susan shared that the portal nearly brought you back to your land. Did you consider going through and seeing if you could return back and forth?”

Avery shook her head. “I didn’t want to leave, plus there was a trap set up on the other side for when they pushed me through the portal.” Avery turned to Morgan, her mouth turned down. “We’ll figure out a way to get you back. I think I know how, too. We’ll need to return to Quartz Mountain after the snow melts. The quartz you gave me will guide you home.”

Morgan sighed and pressed her head to her palm. “A lot has happened since we’ve been apart, and I’m not ready to go home until I finish some tasks I agreed to do.”

Avery looked at Susan, then back to Morgan. “For Rylo? Did he send you here?”

Susan’s face was turned up in a mischievous smile. Morgan didn’t want her sharing that she’d become close to Rylo. She never liked sharing her private life with anyone, even Avery, and she didn’t have plans to start now. Besides, Rylo was furious at her for not disclosing how Elio died, and would probably continue to ignore her after she returned from Orofine.

Susan finally replied, “We were sent here by Rylo. I think Morgan has more details than I do on the full extent of why we are here. But, we need to include King Savine and his council in the conversation. Where’s Kyla? I expected to see her with you.”

Morgan let out a sigh of relief. Susan hadn’t disclosed her close connection to the Sun King.

Hyacinth let out a huff. “That girl is running herself ragged.”

At that moment, the door opened. Kyla and Rue came in, expressions serious.

“Look at us! All back together again!” Susan said, standing to hug Rue and Kyla.

“This room is too tight for everyone,” Hyacinth argued from the corner.

“I’d call it cozy, Hyacinth!” Susan called. She seemed so much lighter, so much more at ease, now that she was back with folk she knew. It made Morgan feel a bit envious of the way she’d seamlessly slid back into a familiar world.

Kyla spoke first. “I wish we could stay in here with Hyacinth, but I’m here to bring all of you to the council. We need to know why Morgan and Susan flew here, and what Rylo wants.”

Rue turned her face from Morgan’s gaze, her mouth set in a hard line. Morgan had never seen Rue look so angry. As they slipped from the room and into the stairway, Morgan wanted to ask Rue if she was okay. Wanted to reach out to her as a friend, but just couldn’t. It felt invasive to ask her what was bothering her. For all Morgan knew, it could be something caused by her presence in Orofine.

Morgan followed the other women through the weaving stairs and open air balconies of the treehouse palace. They finally entered a comfortable apartment set far above the city. Was this Avery’s new home?

She recognized the other fae in the room. There was Raikin, the white skinned fae, thin and tall with eyes as green as her own scowled at her and Susan as they took a seat. His soulmate, Jay, close by him with a cheerful smile and kind words for Susan. Kyla went across the room to her soulmate, Garnel. His size was still intimidating. Knowing that he could transform into a bear didn’t help either, but Morgan respected Kyla and trusted that her soulmate wouldn’t hurt her here.

As Morgan guessed, Avery took a seat between herself and Susan on a comfortable couch. Avery avoided Savine’s obvious attempts at eye contact.

“Morgan, Susan, welcome to my home,” Kyla said to Morgan and Susan. “The council of Latiah has gathered here to listen to your news together. We trust it is urgent, due to your unplanned arrival, but you are not the first to arrive unexpectedly from Nephel recently.”

Susan spoke up first, and Morgan felt relieved she didn’t have to address this group on her own. “I spoke with Selene before she left The Towers. I hope she’s not being punished for seeking out her soulmate. The will of the Goddess has never been superseded by borders.”

Savine spoke and Morgan felt the tension from her sister as he talked. “No harm has come to Selene, despite her always treating me poorly. I’m not one to come between the will of the Goddess, or a bond between soulmates.”

Rue let out a stifled cough, her eyes searing daggers at Savine. Clearly he’d angered more than just Avery lately.

Susan’s voice was unsure as she said, “That is good to hear. Now, for why we came all this way. King Rylo requests your military support against Goldoth.” Susan’s words were calm, authoritative in a way that Morgan didn’t expect she possessed.

Garnel let out a snort.

“There must be some kind of misunderstanding!” Jay said between belly laughs.

“Indeed,” Savine replied. “Last I spoke to the trees, rumors were that Rylo was going to Goldoth to seek an alliance.” He looked directly at Morgan as he added, “And you accompanied him.”

Morgan gulped and said, “We did. He had ulterior motives that supported Kyla’s mission to find the relics. Things went badly there, but we escaped with one of the Divine Five. Now Rylo needs your help before Goldoth retaliates.”

Savine raised his eyebrow. Nobody dared laugh now. The room fell silent, waiting for Morgan to share more. Avery reached out and squeezed her sister’s hand as she said, “Can you provide more details than that, Morgan?”

Morgan took a deep breath, nodded, and began to explain what she and Rylo experienced in Onyx Cavern. No one interrupted her story, even when she paused to ask for a drink of water to help her parched throat. She left out no detail, sharing Rylo’s story of the twins marked by Althea and their destructive power. Tears began streaming down her face as she explained how she escaped with the relic, even sharing that she used a spell to utilize Elio’s essence, accidentally draining him in the process. How the mines are filled with human slaves, forced to spend their whole existence underground, working in brutal conditions.

Finally, she put her hands to her head, exhaustion overcoming her. Avery rubbed her back in comforting circles. This wasn’t an easy story to tell, and Morgan felt thankful that Avery chose to be close to her before she began her story, supporting her without Morgan needing to ask for her support.

Avery continued rubbing her back as she whispered in English, “It’s okay now, Morgan. You’re safe. We’ll help you keep Nephel safe too.”

Savine’s fingers pinched the bridge of his nose, head held low. “The trees can never report to me about the true whisperings in Onyx Cavern and their network of other caves. I had no idea what they held. I don’t believe anyone outside Goldoth does.”

Raikin’s eyes narrowed. “Do we trust the word of a human, particularly one loyal to Nephel?”

“Don’t do this,” Avery said, her voice cutting with frustration. “Don’t accuse my sister of lying because she’s a human.”

“It is a reasonable question, and convenient that Rylo sent humans to share his request.”

Morgan shook her head. “Who else could he send? I was the only one who survived the mine! Rylo was alone when he saw the two witches' power, and as far as I know, he only told me what he witnessed. How could anyone else tell this story?”

“Perhaps we could test the validity of her story?” Garnel suggested. Morgan watched as Kyla gave his arm a squeeze, digging her nails into his bare skin.

Savine shook his head. “There is no need. Morgan, you have provided enough information. Thank you for sharing your story. I know that couldn’t be easy for you to do. But, I need time to make a decision. There are many factors to consider before I commit to bringing my folk into another war.”

Savine’s answer was not surprising, but Morgan couldn’t stay here waiting for him to make up his mind. Rylo could already be in danger, and she needed to be by his side. He came closer to her as she stood on wobbling legs. God, she was exhausted.

“Of course. Excuse me. I need to rest. Susan and I should head back to Nephel tomorrow morning while you deliberate. Will you have a way to share your decision with us?”

Savine’s brows furrowed and he glanced over to Rue. His voice dropped low as he leaned in close to her. “Selene will deliver the message. Look for her in one week.”

Kyla walked to Morgan’s other side. “Let me help you to our guest room,” Kyla offered as she stood and helped steady Morgan, guiding her down a hallway to a bedroom.

The fae lights illuminated a room with white washed walls and a wooden beam ceiling. The bed had large furs spread over a blanket and a mirror was on the opposite wall. Morgan looked at her reflection. The deep blue circles lining her puffy eyes. Her tangled black hair. She looked completely exhausted.

“I can help you sleep if you need some assistance,” Kyla suggested.

Morgan was so bone tired she didn’t think she’d need any help falling asleep, and shook her head. “I’m so tired, I should be fine. Thank you for the room though.”

“If it means anything, my brother believes you. Even though he hates Rylo, he won’t leave our borders threatened. It’s not in him to abandon the helpless, and we all know Nephel’s warriors won’t win against the full force of Goldoth.

It’s what Morgan hoped. She needed to return to Rylo with news that hope was on its way. If not, she’d be leaving all his folk vulnerable to an attack that she caused when she agreed to steal the relic.