Looking Back

Chapter 88

Avery

No sooner had I climbed on the Kelpie's back and then he submerged into the murky water. My first instinct was to panic, but his voice rang clear in my mind. Just relax, My Lady, I will bring you no harm. My shoulders dropped and I took in a breath somehow.

I can't see anything, it's too dark, I told him.

Close your eyes and call to the waters. Command them to reveal their secrets, banshee. They will obey

I had no idea what he meant, but I closed my eyes as he'd said and thought - Show me your secrets. Let me see what is hidden from me. When I opened my eyes, I gasped. Strange-looking fish-like creatures skimmed by not even glancing at us. The water was teeming with life and rock formations that seemed to go down for miles. It's beautiful.

The Kelpie dove deeper as I clung to its mane. Yes, my home is quite beautiful just as all of the Unseelie Court is once you actually see it. Darkness doesn't always mean evil, My Lady. There is beauty in the dark just as there is beauty in the light. You have to reconcile this within yourself to see your own power and beauty. Now, there is another I want you to meet. He is ancient, perhaps even as old as the Queen of Shadows herself. He may have answers for you.

The Kelpie surged forward diving deeper and deeper until we were zipping through a maze of caverns. When we stopped I felt a strong aura filling the area. It made my skin feel cool and I shivered.

"Whom have you brought to my den, horse?" The water pulsed with the sound of a deep voice. It was so powerful, I thought it was passing through my very bones.

"My Lady Banshee comes to seek your council, Master Serpent," the Kelpie said, lowering his head. Stay on my back, My Lady. If his mood is foul, we will leave hastily - he said in my mind. Well, that doesn't make me feel very confident.

If the sight of the Kelpie had shocked me, then I'm sure I looked like I was ready to faint as the large creature before me snaked his head out from the depths. He didn't even reveal his entire body, but I could tell it was massive just from his head and neck. He surveyed me, sniffing the air around me. I fought my instincts and held my place as his tongue flicked out, barely brushing my skin. "Hmmph, still young I see," he hissed. "What council could a child possibly seek from me?"

The Kelpie shifted nervously under me and I responded, "I seek information on the Queen of Shadows."

The serpent's eyes honed in on me, his entire demeanor shifting. "What business do you have with that demon?"

"She has targeted my family - my children. I need to understand her so that I can put the bitch in her place once and for all," I seethed. "I was hoping you could provide me with insights, Master Serpent."

His mouth opened and shut a few times, then he let out a rolling laugh, "Oh horse, you have found a treasure! I like this one!" I hoped he meant that in a good way. "Tell me banshee, have you seen battle before?"

"I don't know that you would call it battle per se, but I've known loss and fear. I lost my entire family and my best friend. I've been kidnapped and abused. I've been alone, but now I have a family and I'll be damned if I let her harm them!"

Faster than the Kelpie could react, the serpent reached out a claw and snatched me up. He brought me closer to his face, his hot breath fanning my face. I bit down a scream when his talon pierced my chest. "This is your humanity, little banshee. This is what makes you strong against her. She has no love, no compassion, only hunger." My heart was beating rapidly as his talon dug further inside. "Yet, you are at war with yourself. You have not accepted the Dark Fae in you fully. Why is this?"

"I...I just found out recently. I have no one to show me who or what I am. No one answers my questions. They just tell me it's different for each banshee." I couldn't lie to him. No matter how much I wanted to, I couldn't.

His tongue darted along my neck, "Do you know that Fae - both Light and Dark, cannot lie? Granted, we learn how to craft our words cunningly, but at the root, we cannot lie. It can even cause our deaths."

I gaped. I didn't know that. Was that why I just confessed all of that to him? Then I had a thought. "Is the Queen of Shadows part Fae?"

The serpent grinned, his rows of sharp teeth looking terrifying as he chuckled, "You catch on quickly, little banshee. Now, let me show you what the darkness feels like." Before I could ask what he meant, his talon sank deeper, making me cry out in pain. When my mouth opened, he blew in smoke that filled my lungs and made me feel dizzy and disoriented. "You and yours are welcome in my caverns any time, little banshee. Rest now. The horse will see you safely home."

I tried to say something, but my mind was clouded and soon darkness overtook me.

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