Sign of the Throne: Book One in the Solas Beir Trilogy (14 page)

“So you mean like those antique maps that have sea monsters and mermaids on them?” Abby asked.

“Yes.”

“But with the mermaids—it’s just—what I’ve always heard is that sailors didn’t really see women with fish tails, they saw seals, or manatees, or whatever. And I guess they had been at sea too long or were really,
really
drunk…”

“And have
you
ever seen a manatee?” Eulalia asked.

“Yes—they have one at the university’s aquarium,” Abby said. “They’re huge! And not terribly attractive,” she added, laughing.

“Exactly. Do you really think someone would mistake
that
for a beautiful woman? That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard,” Eulalia laughed. “I also realize, however, that belief in creatures such as mermaids would be very frightening for some humans. I daresay it would shake the very foundation of their world. Sometimes it is easier for people to discount than to believe.”

“I see your point,” Abby nodded. “But then, where did the monsters go? I mean, humans have pretty much explored the entire planet, and with cameras you’d think there would be
some
kind of evidence.” Abby paused, thinking back to how she had felt telling Cassandra what was happening to her, worrying that Cassandra’s skepticism would keep her from believing the story. She realized she was sitting with her arms crossed. Abby didn’t want Eulalia to think she wasn’t open to belief, so she uncrossed her arms and placed them in her lap. When she looked up again, she found Eulalia watching her and hiding a small, amused smile, as if she understood what Abby was thinking. Abby sincerely hoped the queen could not read her mind.

“There is a reason for an absence of modern evidence,” Eulalia explained. “Long ago, both those who served the Light and those who walked in Darkness traversed freely through portals all over your world. But as the Darkness grew more powerful, the thirst of the Kruorumbrae became insatiable; the balance shifted. That shift in power was paid for by the humans—with their lives. It was not just that the Blood Shadows preyed on a few humans to survive. They became greedy. Some Shadows claimed to be gods, demanding human sacrifice. And, for the promise of power, there were those who were willing to pacify them, offering up their human brothers and sisters in droves. It was a time of great fear and bloodshed. A few opposed the slaughter and rebelled, but they were indiscriminant hunters, killing those in Darkness
and
those in the Light. Frightened men are quick to kill. To protect both the humans and those who serve the Light, the Solas Beir began closing portals.”

“In that case, isn’t fixing your portal a bad idea? Won’t the Shadows be able to travel freely again?”

“No, not this time. We will not open all of the portals, and those we open will be guarded closely. The portals themselves were not evil. Those places where our worlds intersected were magical places, hidden way stations where many who served the Light chose to abide. Humans who lived near those places soon learned that they were prosperous places, places where they were blessed by the presence of my people.

“Long ago in your world, there were two such humans, twin brothers who loved to explore seaside caves carved by wind and waves into the cliffs near their home. In one of these caves, they found a silver hand mirror that had the remarkable ability to transport a person from one place to another. At first, their journeys were short, no more than a trip from the cave to a faery ring in the forest outside their village. But soon, they found that they were able to travel greater distances within their world, which proved very profitable. They could journey from their homeland in Scotland to anywhere in your world in seconds, bringing back valuable goods, mostly from the Mediterranean, Africa, and Asia.

“Without a restraint on time or the perils of moving goods by ship, they had an advantage over any importer who had to rely on more conventional methods of trade. They were young and enterprising, and they longed for adventure, so they traveled the world and became very wealthy. Eventually, they immigrated to the place you know as Santa Linda, together with their younger sister. Although they were already very rich, they profited from others who had dreams of finding gold.

“And still, even in their great success, their wanderlust was insatiable. It was only a matter of time before their ever-widening circle of travel expanded so much that they broke through the membrane separating our worlds. They were welcome among those in the Light, but they were warned as well. The mirror had a dual nature—while it initially showered them with good fortune, sustained use would reveal its darker side.

“You see, my people had encountered the mirror before. It was created by the ancient one who first dwelt in Darkness and took pleasure in the destruction of others. The mirror, like the Sign, is alive in its own way and testifies to the nature of the one who made it. It seduces the traveler, and once the traveler falls under its spell of addiction, the mirror displays rather nasty tendencies.”

“What kind of tendencies?” Abby asked.

“The kind that lulls the traveler into a false sense of security, that he or she has control over the destination. Then, once the traveler gains this confidence, the mirror abandons the traveler in some savage land ruled by teeth and claws.”

Abby
cringed.

Eulalia shrugged. “You have a saying in your world
, ‘There is no such thing as a free lunch.’ Correct?”

The familiar saying sounded weird coming from Eulalia.

“Yes…” Abby acknowledged.

“Well, the same principle applies. Nothing is acquired without a price.”

“I guess so. What happened to those men?”

“The Solas Beir and the brothers made a covenant. He asked them to stop using the mirror out of fear that they would create a rift in time and space that would allow the Darkness to regain power in both our worlds. Instead, the Solas Beir would create another portal between our two worlds, and the men’s family would be charged with guarding it, in exchange for continued prosperity. Under the guidance of the Solas Beir, the brothers commissioned the construction of two mansions, side by side, one for each brother, and the stone circle was laid, establishing what has become Newcastle Beach.

“The first brother, Thaddeus, was able to forget about the mirror. He went on to live a long life, and had many descendents, whose collective wealth now spans the globe. Eventually the mansion was deeded to the community and became the inn.

“The other brother, Samuel, met a very different fate. Perhaps it was because his home, the very place in which we stand, was the one housing the portal. Samuel traveled frequently between worlds, and instead of satisfying his curious nature, his journeys fueled his desire for discovery. At night, he could feel the mirror calling to him, seducing him to break his promise to the Solas Beir, even though it was locked away by his sister, Adelae.

“One night he could take it no more—he forced Adelae to give him the mirror, and with a mad wink, he disappeared. Unfortunately, it was then that the mirror chose to betray him. He found himself at the feet of the Western Oracle, who took the mirror for her own and consumed him as a lover.”

“Ewwww. So the half-dead men Cael saw, the ones in her mouth…one of them was…”

“Yes. One of them was Samuel Buchan.”

“Buchan? Like Riordan and Cassandra?” Abby asked, her mouth dropping open in shock.
It’s just another coincidence,
she told herself.

Eulalia nodded. “Yes, from the same clan.”

“Do they know about all this?”

“No. They know little about the family’s true history. The connection with my people has remained hidden from all but a select few from the Buchan lineage, most of whom have since passed on. However, there is the matter of the property itself. Currently, ownership of the mansion lies with Riordan’s aunt, but when she dies, it will fall to him.”

“I’m guessing she knows that, and that is why she is so nasty to him,” Abby said.

“It is possible.”

“But why hasn’t she done anything with this place? You know, fixed it up? Don’t you need someone to be living here, guarding things?”

“Someone
was
living here, up until the time the portal was destroyed.”

“Who?”

“Adelae. She blamed herself for Samuel’s disappearance, so she waited at the portal every night until her death. And while her visits to my world extended her years beyond the usual life expectancy for humans, her exposure to the mirror and her own guilt drove her mad. Quite mad. She became but another victim of the mirror.

“She died the night the portal was destroyed. When Lucia smashed the mirrored portal in the ballroom, the earth shook, and part of this mansion collapsed. Adelae was crushed in the rubble. That, in itself, was a sad end to a tragic life. But what is worse is that, in her madness, Adelae had distanced herself from her family. There was no one to mourn her. She had become a ghost of herself in life, and in death, her tale lived on through the stories children tell,” Eulalia concluded.

“The lady in white haunting the mansion? I guess I assumed you were the inspiration for that story, given your situation,” Abby noted.

“No, that story predates my haunting of this place, although it is a story I use to my advantage to keep humans away. It is an unhappy coincidence that we should share similar fates marred by evil.”

“So when did the Shadows come to Newcastle Beach? Or were they always here?” Abby queried.

“Those who serve the Darkness took up residence in this neighborhood between the time the portal was built and the time it was destroyed,” Eulalia said. “But evil has always existed in your world—humans can be just as ruthless as the Kruorumbrae.

“However, my people taught the humans how to keep this particular genus of evil at bay. Silver, as you already know, can be an effective weapon. Sea salt, or even common table salt, can also be helpful in creating circles of protection or blocking passage from windows and doors. And, while my people are satisfied with sustenance similar to the foods in your world, the feeding habits of those who dwell in Darkness are more complex. They feast on blood and flesh, but they are also parasites, and they feed off the psychic energy and fear of humans and those in the Light. The victim falls into a depressive state, and may develop suicidal or homicidal tendencies. As a preventative measure, gifts are presented to appease the appetites of these predators. Not any gift will do. It is tradition to offer milk and honey, as these foods are more potent than others, having been obtained from creatures who expended great energy in producing them.”

“It’s like the promised land,” Abby whispered to herself. She thought about what Riordan had said about his aunt and her offerings. It made so much sense now.

“What was that?” asked Eulalia.

“Nothing—just that this place is literally a land flowing with milk and honey,” Abby explained.

“I suppose it is. As the borderland between parallel worlds, it has been a promised land for many. And yet, there are some who have been less fortunate,” Eulalia noted.

“Like yourself.”

Eulalia nodded.

“So all these years, living in this place—how is it that you were—” Abby searched for the right word, “sustained?”

Eulalia smiled. “I’ve had friends. You met a few of them.”

Abby raised an eyebrow in question.

“The ravens have been my constant companions, guarding me and bringing me food. Granted, they never brought a feast, but it has been enough for me to survive.”

“Are they faeries?” Abby asked, wide-eyed.

Eulalia shook her head. “No, they are just very intelligent, perceptive animals with a talent for transcending the boundaries between worlds. Some say ravens can even pass through the veil of death, but this I have not seen. When the portal was destroyed here, they were no longer able to cross to my world, transcendent though they may be. Aside from visits from Fergal and dreamwalking with Cael, the only contact I’ve had with someone from my world is with Nysa, a water sprite who lives in the reflecting pool. She has been a loyal and comforting friend.”

Abby’s mouth dropped open. “No way. There’s a
mermaid
in the pond?”

Eulalia laughed. “She is actually a nixie—similar to a mermaid in that she is a water faery, but different in that she is a smaller shape-shifter. She can appear as a small girl or as a golden-orange koi. Sometimes in the middle of changing forms, she gets distracted and ends up half girl, half fish, and it is anyone’s guess which half will be the girl. Would you like to meet her?”

Abby’s eyes lit up. “Of course!”

“All right. But there are a few things you should know about nixies. Over the years, there has been a great deal of confusion in the human world regarding the nomenclature of the water faeries—that is, between nixies, mermaids, and their predatory cousins, the sirens. Nixies have gotten a bad reputation for singing songs and luring humans to a death by drowning. Understandably, nixies tend to be rather sensitive about this, since only sirens have such dark tendencies. Also, you should note that appearances are deceiving—she may look like a small child, but she is almost one hundred years older than you.”