“And the Basty had their sustenance taken from them. The blight basically starved them.”
“Yes. All fairies are unique. The blight affects them differently.” Tiernan took my hand. “I don't want you to suffer, Seren. But I want you to feel all that your soul needs you to feel.”
I nodded. “My soul. Yes, that's where emotions stem from, and taking those emotions, even if it's only the bad ones, is going against who I truly am. I am not myself right now. My soul has been pruned. But I will use this clarity against the Garden.” I looked out toward the forest. “We know where it's hiding, Tiernan. Now, we will be the unkind hunters.”
Chapter Thirty
After the Basty were healed, they were evacuated to a town further west. The blight had been heading east, likely for Castle Seelie, so we hoped they'd be safe in the west. While some of our soldiers saw to the evacuation, Tiernan and I went with his guards back to the cave.
Standing beside me, before the entrance to the Garden of Regret, Tiernan stared into the darkness as if he could hold back the blight with his will alone. “I don't think this will work, Seren.”
“Yes, I heard you the last two times.” I held out my hand and summoned the Light.
It took only a few seconds to lay a barrier of Light over the entrance. I breathed easier once its glow blocked the way, lighting the dark forest around us. But there were a few issues, all of which Tiernan had brought up on our way to the forest. I had never left a Light ward in place indefinitely, so I didn't know how long it would last. I had yet to see the garden, so I didn't know exactly where it was or how big it was. Without knowing the Garden's dimensions, it was nearly impossible to encapsulate it in a ward. Plus, the blight had already shownthat it could move through the soil, so a ward sealing the cave probably wouldn't be successful.
“It's better than nothing.” I sent the Light forth, forming a sheet of it to block the cave.
As I released the Light, inspiration hit, and I lifted my left hand. Darkness filled my palm. Without hesitation, I poured it into the sheet of Light. I had barely used Darkness. The acidic magic clung to its targets and ate through them—a much slower and far more vicious attack than Light. Better for torture than battle. But after my conversation with Tiernan, I was wondering if I'd been using the magic incorrectly. Maybe they weren't meant to be used one at a time. At least not always.
Darkness slithered over the bright surface Light had formed. Fairies gasped behind me, probably noting what I did—the similarities to the blight. I kept pushing, watching with the cool indifference of a scientist. This was the perfect opportunity to test my magic. I had a theory, and I wanted to know if it was correct.
Darkness merged with Light, seeping into the sheet to become a glowing shadow that spread into the earth and over the mountainside that housed the cave. When I released the Dark and lowered my hand, the ward solidified into a softly glowing barrier. With it being night, the glow lit the mountain and the nearest trees, casting long shadows. Our fey orbs bobbed above us as if they wanted to remind us they were our light source.
Eyes wide, Tiernan took my hand and pulled me away from the cave. With a flick of his free hand, he sent the fey orbs bobbing ahead to light our way. “All right, it's set. It may evenwork. But I still want you as far from here as possible. Let's go home.”
“Go home? I can't leave, Tiernan.”
“It's going to take some time for you to recover, Seren.”
“Yes, but I'm the only one who can drive the blight back.”
“You can laruk here in seconds if it escapes.”
“Without you. Will you be all right with that? Because I'm not leaving you here alone.”
Tiernan cursed under his breath, but kept leading me out of the forest. Only when we stood within the Basty village did he let go and face me. “Very well. We'll stay here.” He glanced at the forest. “Can you set a ward around the village?”
“Yes. That's a good idea. And I think I can drive it through the ground to enclose us fully.”
Tiernan let out a breath. “Good.”
He wasn't the only one relieved. All of our guards looked as if they would rest easier knowing the Light guarded us.
“Should we wait until the soldiers return from evacuating the Basty?” I asked.
“No, I told them to stay the night there. They won't be back until morning.”
“All right then.” I looked around the creepy village.
It should have been creepier now, at night and empty. But reason told me they were just buildings painted in dark colors, and the trees were bare because of the season. The true source ofthe ominous ambiance had been the Basty and their nightmare magic. And the Basty were gone. There was nothing to fear inside the village. My ward would keep it that way.
“Is everyone here?” Tiernan called to the soldiers who had remained with us.
“Yes, Your Majesty,” one of the soldiers said.
“All right. The Queen is going to set a ward to guard us while we sleep. Do not try to cross the ward.” He turned to me. “Uh, maybe just the Light, Seren. We don't know what that combined ward will do. Or if it will even stop the blight.”
“Yes, you're right,” I said, though I was sure the Light and Dark ward was ten times stronger than Light alone. I was sure, but it hadn't been proven yet. So, I would go with the proven ward. “It was all right to test it on the cave, but I don't want to risk our safety.”
