His eyes go glossy, and he looks as near to weeping as me. He scans the crowd, their silent faces, the way they collectively lean forward to be closer to him. And then he jumps down in front of me. He walks forward on the pedestal, and I know in my heart he will do this. He will do this for me. "Thank you, Yami—"
"What does it matter?" booms a voice, rough and harsh.
Yami flinches, skittering back, hiding behind my dress.
A new man, larger than any Fae I have ever seen, stands in the entrance, his body covered in red and gold armor. A white powder of sorts, maybe ash, paints his hands and forearms. His beard is burgundy and reaches down to his waist. Dark red tattoos swirl over his arms and neck and bald head. A Druid.
"What does it matter if she is High Fae?" His voice is low, rumbling, powerful even when quiet. "They failed us before. And they will fail us again."
Varis steps toward the man. "Oren, please…"
Oren glances at Varis, studying him, and sneers. "Who is it that led us at the time of the Unraveling? Who is it that lost battle after battle?"
"The High Fae," someone yells.
Oren walks forward, addressing the crowd, bones knitted into his beard and jewelry rattling with each step. "The High Fae." He stops, and glares at me, his dark red eyes burning with rage. "The Midnight Star."
Madrid rushes down the pedestal, standing between me and the Druid. She lifts up her hand. "Oren, please…"
For a moment, the Druid's eyes turn soft, but then he looks away. "I will not follow the High Fae again. I will lead my own war against the demons. Who will join me?"
Agreement moves through the crowd. "I!" "And I." "I will join you."
A new voice, soft and cold like freezing water enters the hall. "And I." A woman saunters into the ballroom, her long turquoise gown rippling behind her. Her skin is dark, covered in silver tattoos. Her head is bald. A light blue and green serpent, its body scaled, its teeth long and sharp, twists around her right arm, slithering up and down in her grasp. When she speaks, a chill flows through the room. "We have been awoken. What other need is there for the Midnight Star?"
Whispers move through the crowd.
Varis frowns. "Metsi, this is not our way—"
Metsi's serpent snaps at the Air Druid. Metsi chuckles, petting her snake on the head. "Now, now, little one, where are our manners? This foolish man doesn't deserve such hate."
She walks past Varis, standing beside Oren at the base of the pedestal. "We will keep the Midnight Star safe. But she will be no leader."
Varis dashes to their side, his face full of anger, the wind roaring around the hall. "Yami is the one who binds us. He is life. He is death."
"He is weak," says Metsi. "The Yami we knew died in the Unraveling. What is he now?" She glances up at me, her eyebrows curious.
She wants me to summon Yami for all to see. I tremble, my hands covered in sweat. My mouth is dry. Yami sits under my dress, shaking against my leg. "I… I…"
Oren laughs. "She can't even control him." He points at me with a giant ashen finger. "Take heed girl, if you do not tame the spirit, it will tame you."
He turns back to the crowd, and pulls a ruby necklace from behind his beard. He whispers to the gem, and it begins to glow. The floating lights flicker and glow brighter. Oren holds out his hand and snaps his fingers. They spark, and from the sparks erupts a bird of red flame. It sits on his arm and roars.
"I am Oren, Druid of the Flame, Keeper of Riku, Spirit of Fire."
The dark skinned woman lifts her right arm, and her serpent screeches, spikes standing up on its back. Water begins to float around the hall, leaving goblets and bowls. A man drops his plate, trembling at the clear water filling the air before him. A streak of wine glides past me, and I run my hand through it, tearing it in two. The serpent snaps at me.
Its master smiles. "I am Metsi, Druid of the Waves, Keeper of Wadu, Spirit of Water." She turns to the crowd. "Join us. Tomorrow, we march on the demons."
The Fae roar with rage and bloodlust.
A gust of wind shoots through them, knocking men and women down to their feet, quieting all. Varis jumps, gliding through the air, and lands on the pedestal beside me. "What does Lianna think of this? You are but two of the five."
Lianna. The last of us. The Earth Druid.
Oren shrugs. "I have heard no news of her. Nor do I see her here. Apparently, she was more clever than I, not honoring this charade with her presence."
Varis frowns, glances at the door, seemingly hoping for the final Druid to arrive. No one comes. He points to me. "The Midnight Star unites us. Unites the Four Tribes. And she will bring peace between us and the demons."
Oren spits at us. "How can you speak of peace, when my own sister is a slave to vampires? We cannot make peace with monsters." He points to Asher. "Why does this one still live?"
A silence fills the room, and a nervous edge. The rage in Oren's eyes fills his body. He won't let this be. He—
I run for Asher.
Oren throws his arm forward, flinging Riku at the prince. The phoenix becomes a streak of flame, bright as the sun.
I leap to the side, pushing Asher out of the way, throwing myself in front of the blaze. The heat singes my skin. Blinds my eyes. My lungs burn. My tongue tastes ash.
And then…
Cool. Soft wind. Fresh air in my lungs. I open my tearing eyes.