“We need an army as big as possible,” Tiorelle goes on. “The vampires and our fae will give you extra forces and that will help, but against a man such as you’ve described, we’re going to need much more. He seems to be the most powerful supernatural being in existence and if he can sap our power from us, that makes him even more dangerous. The tide of battle could turn in his favor if he finds a way to take us and use us.”
I bite my lip. I’m not sure I want to share this information, but I would feel guilty if I held it back. “Uh. I’m not sure how it works or the purpose of it, but the ritual that Roanac did on me did give me extra power.”
“It was supposed to kill her, but it seemed to have the opposite effect,” Cain adds.
North and Raven help me to my feet as Tiorelle gets off her throne and approaches me. I’m not sure what to do. Should I bow to her?
Tiorelle places her hands on my temple. Her fingers press into my skin, and I gasp. I feel connected to her. Like her soul is touching mine and seeing the very heart of me. It’s not a bad thing, though. I don’t feel violated. It feels safe, actually.
I almost want to cry. I haven’t been so connected to another pure-blood fae since I lost my parents and it feels like that grief is fresh in me all over again. I feel such joy and such sadness, all at once.
Tiorelle looks like she can feel it. Her hands move from my temples down to my cheeks, like she’s cradling me. “You’ve been so alone. But you’ve found us now.”
I just hope that I won’t lose my people now that I’ve just gotten back to them.
Tiorelle draws back, her eyes a little wide. Her hair gets streaks of pink in it for a second before settling back down to white. “Yes, it’s true, you have immense power. You’re descended from the ancient ones, and I can feel it sparking in your veins.”
I explain about my sort of trance, or whatever it was I went into, and how I could feel it starting up again when we took our portal to the fae village.
Tiorelle nods. “You seem to be able to tap into the minds of all the fae. Use that and call all of the fae to us.”
“Wait, really?” Cain blurts out.
“Yes.” Tiorelle is firm. “I would worry if you chose to do such a thing on your own, but you’ve been respectful with your power. You have my permission to summon all the fae here. This is their community, after all. They should get a chance to know about it.”
“All of the fae felt that wave, right?” North asks. “I know that we did, and we’re only half-fae. I’m sure the other fae will want to know about this so that they can come and fight for their freedom if they want to. I would want to, if it were me.”
Tiorelle nods in agreement. “Precisely. If you can hear the fae, Kiara, then chances are high that you can communicate with them. That you can speak in their minds just as they speak in yours.”
“Will it hurt her?” Raven growls.
As always, my mates’ first thoughts are for my safety. It comforts me to know that they’re always thinking about me.
“I don’t think so,” Tiorelle says. “Not any more than simply having this bond does, in any case. This is very new to us as well. We’re in uncharted territory here.”
“I can do it,” I insist. I’m not going to have anyone ever be able to say that I wasn’t strong enough, that I backed down from something. “I’ll send out the message.”
Leaning on North and Raven for support, I finally relax and open up the box at the back of my mind.
It’s instantaneous. All of the emotions, the thoughts, thefeelingof countless fae, right in my mind. It’s overwhelming, and I grit my teeth against the pain of so much information and emotion. I feel like I’ve been plugged into an electrical socket.
Okay, how do I do this? Do I just think it, and it happens? That can’t be right, or all of the fae around the world would be able to feel my very thoughts right this second, and I’m not getting that impression.
I visualize my words projecting into the minds of all the fae, written on their hearts, pumping through their souls just as I can feel all of them inside of me.
We’re in danger!
I know the moment everyone registers me, because the voices stop in confusion and then start up in a panic, asking who was that, what’s going on, what’s happening.
We’re in danger. Fae, we’re in danger.I know they can feel me. I know they can feel that I’m telling the truth.He’s coming for us. He’s coming for all of us.
I hold a clear image of Roanac in my mind, and the power that he wields. I can feel the ripple of fear that shifts through all the fae in response.
We have to fight back. We can’t let him destroy us!
I project an image of this village and the coordinates.Come here if you want to fight back. We’re not letting him take us without a fight! Join us!
Confusion, fear, and anger all swirl in me from the rest of the fae. I can feel that it’s not just the purebloods but hybrids, too. All fae, no matter what percentage of their heritage, are connected to me now, and they heard my message.