The rose faeries danced an organised reel somewhat similar to a country dance or an old English dance from something like Tudor times, though it was difficult to completely characterise it. In the circular footpaths, orderly lines of faeries circled and twirled in perfect unison, dipping and bowing in a courtly way to each other. They were the size of small children, but had androgynous human features at the top half of their bodies and rose petal garments that swept to the ground on their lower halves. Their skins were varying hues of yellow, red, white and pink, like roses themselves, and the perfume Faye had smelled before – an intense scent of roses, sweet and earthy – filled the air. As they danced, the faeries sang a simple melody which was surprisingly mournful; in a strange way, it fitted the measured gravity of their dance. It wasn’t sad, but serious and regal.
Like before, the gold dust light appeared to rise from the rosebushes and float upwards like bubbles underwater or an upside-down sleet. Gabriel reached out his hand for it, but Faye pulled him back and shook her head.
They stood completely still, watching the faerie dance, knowing that if they moved even slightly, they might frighten the faeries away. Yet, when the dance ended, two of the faeries turned to them and held out their hands.
‘We shouldn’t,’ Faye warned, though the sudden wave of temptation that hit her when the fae’s attention diverted to them was difficult to ignore. ‘They’re dangerous. I don’t know where this leads, Gabriel. We might take their hand now and come back in fifty years. Or not at all.’
‘What do you suggest, then?’ Gabriel spoke out of the corner of his mouth. ‘We came here to summon Lyr. We can’t do it now they’re here.’
‘Why not?’ Faye turned to him, thinking fast. ‘These are his creatures. This is the earth realm. They can help us. Lend ustheir power, like we would ask in calling in the quarters. These fae are partly who we’re calling on every time we do that.’
She crouched down and undid her backpack, taking out her grandmother’s grimoire.
‘I brought this. It’s got a ritual for summoning faerie kings and queens in it. We can do it here.’
Gabriel looked at the rose faeries.
‘It seems a bit…rude, to ask them to stop their dancing so we can use their space,’ he whispered doubtfully.
‘It’s not rude,’ Faye whispered back with more confidence than she felt. Yet, she had power, and she could feel it rising up in her already. It was half the electric power of the fae and half her training as a witch; every time she worked magic now, she felt it growing, an unwieldy, explosive something that coiled in her belly, gold and ready to rise up in her like wings of fire.
‘We could…I don’t know…do the summoning somewhere else?’ Gabriel looked around.
‘Gabriel. Are you scared?’ Faye took his hand for a moment and searched his eyes. ‘There’s no need to be,’ she lied, but she thought she was probably good enough to convince him. Gabriel wanted to be convinced, anyway, she could tell.
‘Look. What point would there be doing it somewhere else when we made all this effort to break into the park? Just look at this, for goodness’ sake.’ She gestured to the golden light falling upwards, and to the rose-skirted fae creatures that had resumed their solemn dancing. ‘This is a place of power. We need somewhere like this if it’s just the two of us; we need the power. On the heath we had a whole coven. It might not work if we summoned him in some random back garden. So this is the place of power we’re going to use. And this is where we find Lyr again. Okay?’
18
The intention of the ritual written in Grandmother’s grimoire was to summon the different queens of the four faerie realms – Murias, Falias, Gorias and Finias – and to learn magic from them. The summoning had to be done at in-between places: tidelines, forests, in storms and with ritual fires – places where faerie and human could meet halfway between their worlds. Faye hoped that the spell would work for Lyr, a king and not a queen, and that the rose garden was a good enough place. It wasn’t the enchanted faerie forest, but this place seemed so dense with fae energy that she hoped it would work.
To summon Her from her home element, you must create a ritual space of high vibration. Ideally, conduct the summoning as close to the right element as possible.
Dance or pace out the circle clockwise and then pace into the centre of the circle as if in a spiral. When at the centre of the circle, call out her full name three times. Your calling should be urgent and passionate,from the heart. Repeat this process, walking the spiral in and out and calling the name, three times.
‘Lyr, High King of Falias, Faerie Kingdom of Earth; Master of Stone, Emperor of gnome and dryad kingdoms, come to me!’ she called at the centre of the circle; Gabriel echoed her, his low voice vibrant in the night air. They repeated the process once and then twice.
When you have called their name three times, entreat them to be with you,Grandmother’s book had instructed. Faye stood at the centre of the rose garden, drawing power up from the earth and into her body in a meshed haze of rose petal and earth, feeling it fill her, ground her into the earth.
Beloved of the Fae, King of your Element
I seek communion with you; I seek knowledge of you and your realm
Bestow your magic upon me, I am fain to know your secrets
I am open; fill me with your blessings. Lyr, Father, I call on you
Father, I beseech you, enter the space I have prepared for you
Father, I would love you with my mind, my heart and my body
Lyr, I summon you from your kingdom
I offer something of mine that I can give freely; this is the exchange
This is the promise between faerie and human
So mote it be.
