Etherea: The Lost Daughter

35

The Emerald Court

Maeve cursed at Torrin's unconscious form, he had not woken since he tumbled from his cage. She paced the room as he muttered incoherently, she could feel the terrors plaguing his mind. Maeve could take it no longer, her patience had worn thin; she grasped his clammy hand and shut her eyes, allowing her power to show her what tormented him. 

Torrin's father gripped him tightly, dread in his eyes. "You must come with me Torrin, I fear tomorrow will be too late. Whatever may become of me, I wanted to protect you all. You know what we are?" Liam feverishly asked the bewildered child as he dragged him through the Manor.  Torrin nodded as they entered his parents room; a room he still could not bring himself to enter. He watched in amazement as his father opened a door within a wall, he never would have noticed it. "Ciar has granted Duane the power to manipulate us, to enslave us. You must never reveal what you are. Never" Torrin had no time to reply as his father yanked him into the hidden room. 

Torrin looked up in wonder at the suit of armor standing proudly in the middle of the room. A glistening sword with a hilt of Sapphire and a matching shield rested in a case at its side "you must forsake all you want in this world. There is one thing we, as Faoladh, must do. Protect our Queen. You are her last true ally, you cannot fail her as I did. I pray that she returns within my lifetime, but I fear this is a foolish hope. You will be the last of us. To protect you I must do terrible things, please, forgive me" Torrin's father did not allow him time to question his words. Before Torrin could react a flurry of Sapphire encased him "when the time comes, you will remember your training. You will remember what you must do".

Torrin gasped awake, Maeve stumbled backwards. His father had been crazed, his eyes wild; a sickening realisation filled Torrin, Liam did not abandon him. Ciar turned him into a Faelcu. Maeve looked at him with pity as he struggled to sit up "rest Torrin, you have been through a great ordeal" he glared at the Emerald eyed woman as he pulled himself to his feet. Maeve ignored his sour look and rushed to his side as he slumped again. 

With Maeve to aid him, Torrin staggered to his parents room. "You cannot be serious" she groaned and pulled him towards the dining room "you will eat, bathe and rest before you go protecting Nia. Lest you have forgotten she does quite well alone" Maeve tsked as she sat Torrin down and fetched him food. Torrin grumbled a reply which she ignored "yes, yes, protector of the Queen, the last line of defense, I understand the burden you have been tasked with. What good will you do arriving in the Silver Court with shaking hands and knocking knees?" Torrin glared at her once more. Maeve shook her head and pulled a chair close to him.

He watched her wearily as she raised a spoonful of soup to his lips "I can feed myself" he muttered, her eyes narrowed in return. Torrin said no more as he opened his mouth and allowed her to feed him. Maeve sighed with relief as the color returned to his face "what happened to Rian?" Shame filled his eyes instantly. "I should have seen it coming. I was too focused on my own feelings to heed Abbán's warnings" Torrin scoffed "it seems to run in the family, Nessa offered Rian a cure and he is no longer himself." Maeve shook her head, she had said it once and she would say it again; that woman must be destroyed. 

"He is going to expose Nia to the Silver Court, he had me find one of my mothers journals; I don't know what he found in it" Maeve pursed her lips, if he did not look so desperate she might have called him stupid. She swallowed the insult and asked instead "where did he keep the journal?" Torrin stretched his aching muscles and pointed back where they had come "in his room" Maeve stood. "Eat more, go bathe, I will find his journal" Torrin scoffed, his strength had begun to return "are you implying I smell?" He asked, Maeve laughed as she left the room "like a wet dog" Torrin's brow creased, the dog! Where had Bronco gone? In the chaos of returning to his Court, he had forgotten about the poor hound. He distinctly remembered it chasing wisps around Abbán, perhaps it had stayed in the swamp. 

Torrin could have slapped himself for his selfishness, the hound had done nothing but protect Rian since they found it and he had shown it no kindness; of course he was not cruel, he could never hurt the silly hound, but he could have been nicer. He sighed before finishing his meal and retreated to his room, to relieve Maeve's nostrils of his stink. 

Maeve shivered in the silence as she returned to Rian's chambers, it was an easy search; as soon as she entered the room her eyes fell upon the thick leather book on his bedside table. Maeve ignored the uneasiness in her gut as she picked it up, unintelligible whispers flitted from the journal. Power radiated from the cool binding in her hands. Maeve flicked through the pages, her eyes widening with each line; prophecies, enchantments, battle-plans, it was all there. Torrin's mother had documented almost every vision Riona had, every spell she learned. Maeve's stomach churned as her eyes fell upon a dog-eared page. 

Her face blanched "how could he?" She whispered and without a second thought, Maeve bolted through the Manor. Torrin cursed as she pounded against his bedroom door, he had just left his bath. Still wrapped in his towel, he swung his door open "what now?" He sighed. Maeve paused, fist still raised, as her eyes traveled down his exposed chest. Torrin felt his cheeks burn as her tongue ran across her lips. Maeve shook her head and met his gaze, there was no time to ogle him; much to her dismay. Torrin watched her curiously as she caught her breath, absolute terror in her Emerald eyes as she opened her mouth to speak."I know what he is planning".