Beauty (A Faery Story 3)

Shim felt his heart clench. How long had he waited to hear those words? Lach stood beside him, his big brother, lending him strength. “Thank you, father.”

His father looked him in the eye, as though trying to send his will into his son. “I mean it, Shim. You were steadfast. You knew the truth and you and Lach held it and despite everything I threw at you, you brought back your sister and you…you honored your brother.” Fergus stopped, emotion choking him. “When this is all done, we’re finding Duffy and bringing him home. He belongs in the family crypt with his mother and his ancestors. He did us all proud.”

Roan walked up behind their father. “Your Highnesses, we stand ready to fight. We are a small force compared to what we’re up against, but we’re strong. Julian Lodge and his business partner, Stefan Talbot, paid to have us outfitted with the finest in weaponry and they’ve come along.”

Cousin Julian gave him a broad smile. “You know I never miss the chance to shed a little blood.”

They were here. His whole family. His whole kingdom. The ones who’d thought he was defective now stood behind him. Something opened wide in Shim and was full for the first time in his life—pride.

That feeling was quickly replaced with panic. “It’s good to have an army, but we need to get them moving. Bron is ready.”

Beckett and Cian stood in the middle of the square, speaking to the villagers. Meg was hugging Kaja and Dante. Beckett looked to Shim. “I told you, we’ll ride the winds. This war will be won today, thanks to my sister. I hear she is well.”

Shim moved closer. “She was. She’s been shielding. I worry she’s hiding from us.”

“I know she’s hiding. I saw what the hag wanted from her.” Lach shuddered a little. “She won’t kill Bron for a day or two, but she’ll torture her. I can’t imagine what Bron’s been through. We’ve waited. She’s ready. I’m not willing to leave her there one moment more. I’ll sprint all the way if I have to.”

Cian put a hand on Lach’s shoulder. “You won’t have to sprint. We have a plan. Beck’s been practicing. But you have to listen. He’s been working on his speech.”

Beck slapped at his brother’s shoulder. “It’s not a speech.”

Cian smirked back at him. “It’s a speech.”

Beck hopped onto the fountain and looked over the crowd. A great cheer went up as Cian joined him and reached out to help his wife up. Queen Meg stood in between her husbands, her face beaming out at the crowd. She was ready just like Bron was ready.

Shim was ready. He’d only just realized it. He was ready to fight and to win because he wasn’t about to lose at this point.

Beck held a hand up and all talking ceased. His voice rang out over the courtyard and beyond. “I want to thank you all for being with us on this day. ’Tis a long time coming. You, my people, have suffered much since my uncle stole my father’s crown, but I am here to tell you, you are not alone. There are others waiting to join us. Today we march on the palace and we take back what belongs to me, to my brother and my wife, and most importantly we take back what belongs to you. Your kingdom, your rights, your lives, and if blood spills, then it will be righteous. We will be outnumbered and we will win.”

A long shout went up, threatening to shake the ground.

“That was a speech,” Lach said with a shake of his head as though he couldn’t think of anything worse for a king to do.

It appeared Shim would have the speechmaking duties in their future kingdom. But for that kingdom to work, they needed their queen. “We’re a day’s march from her. What if the hags kill her?”

Beck leapt down and walked to Shim. “We aren’t more than an hour from our sweet sister. I told you. We will ride the winds.”

An eddy wind would be the fastest way to travel, but first Beck would have to find one and catch it, and finding one big enough would be a huge challenge. This army was at least a thousand men and women. They would need more than one eddy cloud. “King Beckett, shouldn’t we begin the march and try to find eddy clouds along the way?”

Beck grinned broadly. “I don’t have to find an eddy cloud, my brother. I will simply make one. I am the master of storms and I can bring a cloud to carry us all.”

Beck opened his arms and the sky clouded over, the largest eddy cloud Shim had ever seen coalescing right above them.

“Show-off,” Queen Meg said. She grimaced. “I’ve only tried this once before and it was worse than anything Six Flags had to offer.”

Kaja was brimming with excitement. “I enjoy it. Except that my mate tends to get a bit ill.”

Dellacourt held up a small bag. “I have barf bags for everyone!”

Beck looked at his brother, a long moment passing between them. “Let us go and see our sister once more.”

Cian nodded, his hand on his heart.

Cian and Meg disappeared, pulled up by the eddy cloud, and all around him the warriors of their ragtag army were pulled up by the cloud and the will of the Storm Lord.

“Let’s go and claim our wife,” Shim said, reaching a hand to his brother.

Lach took it, their wills as one now.