Of Love and Shadows

The Answers

Thalia

It was nice to finally be in nice weather. It was warm here in the Day Court, I had to take off my cloak when we landed from winnowing. When I looked up, I thought I was in a castle in the clouds.

To say the Day Court was beautiful, would be an understatement.

We had come when the sun was just finished rising in the sky, it was about noon so the sun was bright and warm as it shined on Helion’s Court. The castle was atop a large hill in the distance, made of what looked to be mosly wood and glass so the warmth could fill the rooms. But we went into the city. Adults and children laughed and played in the streets, and laughter filled taverns and cafes as Azriel and Helion followed close behind me.

People stared and gushed at my magic that slithered freely around my body and wings.

I didn’t mind the stares, instead I smiled and waved at the fae and children that looked at me. Once they saw that the sword and dagger weren’t here to harm them, they waved and smiled at me. One small fae child came up to me and started to play with the light and shadows that slithered around my body. My light was happy and engulfed the child in warm, happy light before the child’s parents came and took him, apologizing to me for the inconvenience.

I had always wanted children, but I haven't talked to Azriel about that. I didn’t even know if he wanted kids, especially with the war. I haven’t bled in almost six months, so I knew my bleeding was coming and that I was ready for children, but was Azriel?

Was he ready to commit fully to me?

“Welcome to the Day Court, Thalia dear,” Helion said as we approached the biggest building in the city. The building was made out of reinforced brick, stronger than my old estate. The windows weren’t covered so I could see the book shelves lining the walls, even the ceiling. From where I stood I could see that there were children and adults in this library, some wearing Day Court attire, some from other Courts.

“It’s beautiful here,” I said as Helion reached into the pocket realm to get a large ring of keys. Each key was shaped differently and I wondered what each of them were for, or if all of them were for his many libraries.

“Thank you,” Helion said. “Many years ago, this city was living in poverty. I had openned these libraries to help my people. They use them for housing and even build their own families here.”

I smiled. “That is very kind of you,” I said as he unlocked the door with a golden skeleton key.

“That is only the beginning of what Helion has done for his people.” Azriel said. He laid a hand on the small of my back as we followed the High Lord into the library.

High Fae and lesser fae alike roamed the library, some sitting at tables, some in the bean bags by the windows. They all seemed happy as they read books in the common tongue and some in a language I couldn’t understand. Helion lead us deeper into the library, until we reached a hallway full of studies. We stopped at the end of the hallway and reached a door with Helion’s name written on a plague beside the door. His scent was all over everything as we entered.

“Here you can study your magic as long as you need.” Helion said as we walked into the warm room. “I need to talk to my advisor, so I will be back.”

“Thank you, Helion,” I said.

“Just ring the bell on the desk if you need me or one of the librarians to help you,” Helion said.

“Alright,” I said, nodding, as he left.

Azriel went over the the bookshelves lining the wall and grabbed a book with the title Curses of Prythian: Monsters and Saints and went over to the lounge to sit and read. I walked over to the desk with the books
Helion said he picked out for me and should help me find what I’m looking for.
Sitting in the chair at the desk and situating my wings so they could fit the chair, I began to read Starfall: The Night Court History.

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It took me hours to find anything. I had read so many things about the Night Court that my head hurt, but it wasn’t in the Night Court where I found what I was looking for. It was in the books of Prythian History, before the Courts were established. It was something about making a baby drink the Blood of the Mother and a ritual to Cauldron Bless the child.

When I told Azriel and Helion this, they started doing more research. I had a feeling that my birth mother, Amarantha, had something to do with this, but I didn’t tell them that.

"There are only two Vials of the Blood of the Mother," Azriel said as he skimmed the pages of the book I found the answers in. "It says one was buried away with the Cauldron and the other is still yet to be found."

Helion was taking down notes across from me at the desk. I wouldn't say it, but it was funny to see a High Lord taking notes.

"You are Amarantha's child, correct?" Helion asked me as he looked up from his paper and pen.

I nodded. "That's what Leon said."

I didn't feel comfortable calling that bastard my father anymore. He stopped being one when he locked me away from the world.

"Then we know how Amarantha got the Vial. When Hybern came across the Cauldron" --Azriel put the book back down on the desk and stood, beginning to pace-- "Amarantha had seen the Vial, probably know what it could do."

"She took it and used it on her child," Helion guessed.

"But why would she do that?" I asked, pulling my long black hair into a ponytail in the middle of my head.

"She may have wanted a War Child," Helion said and Azriel stopped pacing to glare at the High Lord. Helion disregarded his stare as he continued, "when I was Under the Mountain, I had heard her say she was looking for a Vessel."

"A vessel. She couldn't find one so she used me, her own child," I said.

I don't know how a mother could do that to her child. Just to have someone to fight in wars for her.

"Yes, but many of the children had gone missing while Under the Mountain," Helion quipped. "She must have been using them as test subjects."

"But she only had one Vial," I argued. "According to the book, it could only be used once."

"Maybe she had figured that out and decided to have her own child," Azriel grabbed the battered leather bound book once again and flipped the pages until he stopped on one certain page. "It says here, a child born on a night of ritual. That has to be Starfall."

It was silent for a moment, and I found my mind whirling.

It was a Helion who said, "Starfall has been around for thousands of millennia, that is your night of ritual. And since you were born on such night, Thalia, it was perfect for her to do the ritual with you."

"It's perfect," I said, as if I hadn't heard a word Helion had said. "Starfall is full of magic and what's better than to do the ritual on a night when the magic in Prythian is strongest."

"Thalia," Azriel said to catch my attention. "You know what this means, right?"

I nodded and sighed.

"It means that I'm the most powerful Fae in history."

"No," Helion said. "It means you're a God, Thalia."