Arcane Rising: The Darkland Druids - Book One, R Nicole [suggested reading TXT] 📗

settle on a final outcome here and now,” Delilah said, rising. “All this talk about war and danger has unsettled the welcome you deserve, Elspeth. You carry the blood of your father and thus, are embraced by the Druids.”

I stared up at her, confused as hell. “I am?”

“It is already settled,” she replied. “You shall stay with us for the time being and learn how to control your Colour. Perhaps more answers surrounding your Fae heritage will manifest and then we shall all understand a little clearer.”

“What if I want to go home?” I asked.

Delilah frowned. “Returning to the surface now would only put you in danger. I fear the Chimera still search the city. They are ruthless creatures.”

“So, I’m stuck here?”

“Not stuck,” she murmured. “Just…waylaid.” She clapped her hands and grinned at me. “Shall we walk, Elspeth?”

It must have been her signal that the hearing was over because Shor huffed, clearly put out that he couldn’t question me further. Rowen was harder to read but nodded her acceptance. Delilah must have some serious clout around these parts.

The Elders seemed to disappear into thin air, and I looked around, stunned. Delilah rose and wandered through the library as if nothing had happened. I had to jog to catch up, almost falling out of my chair in the process.

“All the items you see in the cases were brought with us through the Darklands,” she explained. “The books came after…once we began to build the Warren.”

I peered into display cases, studying the items within—blades, crystals, and even clothing—and tried to scan spines of books as we passed.

“You must have other questions,” she added. “You may ask me some, if you wish.”

I sighed, knowing the answers I really wanted wouldn’t be forthcoming. Simple it was, then.

“Are all Fae bad?” I wondered.

“Not all are Dark,” Delilah explained. “There are two sides to every coin, and so it is with the Fae.”

“So not all of them want to kill you?”

She smiled and placed her hand on my shoulder. “Us.”

I drew in a shaky breath.

“You may be different, but you are one of us.”

“So my Fae half might not be Chimera?”

Delilah nodded. “Exactly. Things are not as dire as they seem, no?”

“I guess not.” I paused by a display case and studied the ornate silver knives within. Crystal points were set in the end of the handles, while runes had been carved along the length of the blades. “But what if I turn out to be one of the bad kind?”

The Druid placed her hand on my shoulder and smiled. “But what if you aren’t? There’s no way of knowing until we know, so worrying is only going to force your heart away from more pressing matters.”

I blinked, dazed at her philosophical way of explaining things. “Which are?”

“Embracing your birthright.” She laughed and we strolled towards the door. “Raurich has volunteered to be your neach-gleidhidh.”

“What is that exactly?” I asked.

“It’s Gaelic. In English it means a few things, but we use it as guardian.” She chuckled and shook her head. “Our language is a strange thing. We tend to adopt words from all the places we’ve been and twist them to suit our needs.”

“Rory said something to me in Irish Gaelic, but I’m afraid I never learned the Scottish, either. My dad, he…” He never spoke anything but English.

Delilah nodded. “I understand. Perhaps Raurich will teach you, though he takes a less scholarly approach to Druidism. Ah, here we are.”

We’d arrived at the library doors and she opened them, letting in a cool breeze from the cavern beyond.

“Go,” she said, gently nudging me forwards. “The Warren is yours to explore.”

Druids were milling about in the cavern, and as we stood there, we drew curious glances that made my shyness flare. Some were friendly, but some reminded me of the welcome Vanora had given me. Prejudice simmered under the surface and I was beginning to realise that this world wasn’t quite as magical as it first seemed.

Why did I have the feeling I’d just been taken in by the lesser evil? Perhaps it was like Rory had said about the Druids when they first came to Earth. I’d fallen into a new world, only to find myself in the middle of a war I didn’t understand. Now it seemed like my existence was an unexpected boon that could tip the balance. I would become a pawn, but only if I let them.

Maybe learning how to use my Colours was the only way I could take charge of my destiny. If I understood how to fight back, maybe I would win this time.

Well, there was only one way to find out.

I took a deep breath and stepped into the Warren.

11

I stood in the cavern, looking up at the tree and the artificial crystal sunlight. It really was something to see.

Birds played amongst the branches, chirping and carrying on. From the way their wings shimmered, I knew they were more of Delilah’s constructs.

Looking around, I realised Ignis hadn’t followed me from the library and for a moment, I considered going back for him, but then I remembered what Rory had said the day before. Constructs came and went as they pleased. When Ignis was ready, he’d find me.

A few Druids sat amongst the twist of roots underneath the canopy, reading and talking amongst themselves. Every now and then they’d glance my way or a passerby would do a double-take, but no one spoke to me and I lacked the courage to take the initiative.

I stood awkwardly, fighting off the embarrassment that threatened to flood my cheeks. I wasn’t sure what to do with myself. Craning my neck, I couldn’t see Rory anywhere. Awkward.

It’s time to stop being a scared girl and be a badarse woman, I thought, heaving a sigh. Be like Dad.

Seeing the sign for the kitchen, I decided I was hungry after all. Holding my head high, I strode through the cavern and down the tunnel. Confidence, Elspeth. But when I stepped into the kitchen, I