Tiernan took my hand. “Seren, what are you planning?”
“Go in and blast everything that's black?”
Tiernan chuckled. “Yes, I suppose that's the best we can do.”
“I'm hoping that striking at the source instead of these apparitions will cause permanent damage. After all, there is nowhere for the Garden to go.”
“I agree. You should be able to destroy it. I'm just concerned about what destroying it will do.”
“It's our only option.”
Tiernan brought my hand to his lips. “I'm sorry about last night. Seren, I love you. I don't want you to go back to feeling guilty. I wish you had told us.”
“Tiernan, I have told you. Maybe not so clearly, but I have told you.”
“Not about feeling unworthy of us.”
“I've let things slip to all of you, little by little, testing the waters. It's never well-received.” I held up my hand when he started to speak. “It doesn't matter. I've probably done similar things to you and not realized it. We take those we love for granted. I can forgive all of that. Al we can do is try harder in the future.” I squeezed his hand before releasing it. “I know myself better now. I'll deal with it better. I'm going to stop trying to live up to an image of what I think you want and accept the fact that I'll never be worthy of you, not any of you.”
“Seren—”
“No, that's okay, T. It's not about being worthy. No one is worthy of what I have. I need to simply be thankful. And I am. I have always been grateful for all of you. That's what I should have been focusing on—what I have, not why I have it. You're mine, and I won't feel guilty about it anymore. I'm just going to enjoy being with you and love you back.”
“Seren, that's all I want.” Tiernan pulled me into a kiss so sweet and soul-shaking that it made the Light pulse. When he eased back, he said, “Let's go save our kingdom.”
“And all of Fairy.”
We stepped apart and then into the cave. My armor and his sword drove the shadows back, sending the cold stone into sharp relief. Prepared for any attack, we moved through the tunnel slowly. When we came to the corner where the King had caught me, I sent a blast of Light around it. We followed the Light, finding nothing waiting for us. But whether that wasbecause nothing had been there or because the Light had driven it back, I didn't know.
The comforting smell of the forest retreated, replaced by the mineral-rich scent of stone. My boots of Light padded softly over the immaculate stone, not even a pebble to litter the ground. Further in we went, deep into the mountain. The only light came from us. Without it, we would have been in pitch black.
Until we reached the glow.
I saw it up ahead—soft and white. Glancing at Tiernan, I slowed my pace, gaze darting around the rock walls. Nothing grew there. It couldn't. There was no water, the stone utterly dry with no earth to wick moisture. I peered at the walls and then the floor, still trying to figure out why they were so clean.
“They've been carved!” Tiernan hissed in a tone you might use to describe child abuse.
I may have mentioned this before, but the Fey do not strike their planet. They carved stones and wood, but only after they'd been offered those resources freely by Fairy—fallen trees, surface rocks, and such that could be taken without harming the planet. Digging into a mountain like this was blasphemy.
“Are you sure it's carved?” I touched the wall. “I don't know, Tiernan.”
“Look at the shape of the tunnel, Seren.” He gestured at the ceiling's perfect arch. “It's nearly circular. This is not natural.”
“I'm not sure it's unnatural either. I don't see any tool marks.”
Tiernan scowled at the stone. “You're right. There are none, and yet it's not polished. This makes no sense.” His stare went to the end of the tunnel and the source of the glow. An opening there gave a glimpse of a cavern. “Let's not tarry. It knows we're here.”
“Yup.” I stepped forward, Light coating my sword as I unsheathed it. Entering the room with my sword-point first, I sang out, “Hello, Darkness, my old friend.”
Tiernan snorted a laugh and entered the cavern with me.
Then we lowered our swords and stared.
The magnitude of the space hit me first. It had to be at least the size of a football field. Covering the rocky ground were flowers, so many flowers, and more plant life crawled up the walls to cling to the ceiling, hundreds of feet above our heads. Vines trailed down like chandeliers, dripping tear-shaped blooms. They didn't just mimic chandeliers in appearance but also shed light. Every plant in the cavern glowed, light shining through crystalline leaves, stems, and petals. It was like stepping into a Swarovski wet dream. My dragon would have matched perfectly.
The bright crystal garden was especially shocking after facing King Crybaby and his Legion of Doom. I had an image in my head, preparing me for oily, black plants that coated the walls, perhaps dripping regret onto a greasy floor. Not this sparkling beauty. This opalescent jewel box of a garden. It was stunning.
I stepped forward, brandishing my sword before me, and hovered a hand over an exotic blossom. The glow wasn't as bright as my armor, but it bathed my hand in silvery light.Within the clear petals, a rainbow of colors swirled, reminding me of Hell's Light. But this wasn't an energy source. It was an energy drain.
