Lady of Light and Shadows (45 page)

At Rain's word, Ellysetta ran forward and vaulted into place with a boost of Air. When she was seated, Rain drew back on his haunches and sprang into the sky. His wings unfurled, snapping taut as they caught the wind, pumping to gain height and speed.

The night air was warm and sweet, and the Mother's light gleamed like a beacon, calling the Fey home. Rain Tairen Soul's shadow raced over the moonlit ground, heading west towards the Fading Lands.

Bell:
hour

Chime:
minute

Dorn: Furry,
round, somnolent rodent. Eaten in stews. "Soggy dorn" is an idiom for someone who is spoiling someone else's fun. A party pooper.

Keflee: A
warm beverage that can act as a stimulant or aphrodisiac.

Lord Adelis:
God of light. While Celierians worship a pantheon of gods and goddesses (thirteen in all), the Church of Light worships Adelis, Lord of Light, above all others. He is considered the supreme god, with dominion over the other twelve.

Rultshart:
A vile, smelly, boar like animal.

Azrahn:
The soul magic forbidden by the Fey for its corrupting influence but used and mastered by the mages.

Primage:
master mage
Sulimage:
journeyman mage

Umagi:
a mage-claimed individual, subordinate to the will of his/her master

Key Fey Terms

Beylah
vo: thank you (literally, thanks to you)
Cha Baruk:
Dance of Knives

Chadin:
student in the Dance of Knives

Cha’kor:
Literal translation is "five knives." Fey word for "quintet.”

Chatok:
mentor in the Dance of Knives

Chatokkai:
First General. Leader of all Fey armies, second in

command to the Tairen Soul. Belliard vel Jelani is the chatokkai of the Fading Lands.

Chervil:
Fey expletive similar to bastard, as in "you smug chervil.”

Dahl'reisen:
Literally, "lost soul". Dahl'reisen are unmated Fey warriors who have been banished from the Fading Lands either for breaking Fey taboos or for choosing to walk the Shadowed Path rather than committing sheisan'dahlein, the honor death, when the weight of all the lives they have taken in defense of the Fey becomes too great for their own souls to bear. Dahl'reisen receive a physical scar when they make the kill that tips their souls into darkness.

E'tan:
beloved/husband/mate (of the heart, not the truemate of the soul)

E’tani:
beloved/wife/mate (of the heart, not the truemate of the soul)

E’tanitsa:
a chosen bond of the heart, not a truemate bond
Felah Baruk:
Dance of Joy

Fey'cha:
Fey throwing dagger. Fey'cha have either black handles or red handles. Red Fey'cha are deadly poison. Fey warriors carry dozens of each kind of Fey'cha in leather straps crisscrossed across their chest.

Feyreisa:
Tairen Soul's mate; Queen

Feyreisen:
Tairen Soul; King

Ke vo san: I
love you.

Kem’falla:
my lady

Kem'san:
My love/My heart

Krekk:
Fey expletive

Ku’shalah aiyah to nei:
Bid me yes or no.

Las:
peace, hush, calm

Maresk, mareska, mareskia:
friend (masculine, feminine, plural)

Mei felani. Bei santi. Nehtah, bas desrali:
Live well, love deep. Tomorrow, we (will) die.

Meicha:
A curving, scimitar-like blade. Each fey warrior carries two meicha, one at each hip.

Miora felah ti'Feyreisa:
Joy to the Feyreisa
Pacheeta:
A silly bird; not very smart.

Sel'dor:
Literally "black pain." A rare black metal found only in Eld that disrupts Fey magic.

Selkahr:
Black crystals used by Mages. Made from Azrahn-corrupted Tairen's Eye crystal.

Seyani:
Fey longsword. Fey warriors wear two seyani blades strapped to their back.

Sheisan'dahlein:
Fey honor death. Ceremonial suicide for the good of the Fey. All Fey warriors who do not truemate will either commit sheisan'dahlein or become dahl'reisen.

Shei'tan:
beloved/husband/truemate

Shei’tani:
beloved/wife/truemate

Shei’tanitsa:
the truemate bond, a mating of souls
Sieks'ta:
I have shame. (I'm sorry; I beg your pardon)

Tairen:
Flying catlike creatures that live in the Fading Lands. The Fey are the Tairenfolk, magical because of their close kinship with the Tairen.

Tairen Soul:
Rare Fey who can transform into tairen. Masters of all five Fey magics, they are feared and revered for their power. The oldest Tairen Soul becomes the Feyreisen, the Fey King.

Teska:
Please

Ver reisa ku'chae. Kern surah, shei’tani: Your
soul calls out. Mine answers, beloved.

For My Readers,

Thank you so much for picking up this book. I hope you've enjoyed meeting Rain and Ellie as much as I've enjoyed writing about them-and I hope you'll keep an eye out for the conclusion of their story,
King of Sword and Sky
and Queen
of Song and Souls,
coming in October & November 2008 from Leisure Books.

Please be sure to visit my Web site, www.clwilson.com to sign up for my private book announcement list, enter my online contests, and scour the site for hidden treasures and magical surprises. I hope you linger a while to learn more about the Fey and the Fading Lands-as well as other Fey tales and C. L. Wilson novels coming soon.

I'd love to hear from you. Please, send me a Spirit weave, or, if you prefer, you can take the nonmagical route and just e-mail me at [email protected].

Sincerely, C.
L. Wilson

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[Scanned and spell checked by slaingod from dt]