The forest was alive here—awake. Even I could feel that, and as we exited the trees and entered the circular grove where Grandmother Coyote made her home, the grass seemed to let out a long sigh. The lea that nestled in the circle of cedar and fir and oak shimmered, even though we were near the dark moon, and Grandmother Coyote stepped out from the other side of the glade. Her robes were gray-green, shrouding her body and head, but her hair peeked out from the sides of her hood, brilliant white in the evening dusk.
As Grandmother Coyote stared at our group, she let out a cackle.
“How far you have come since that first meeting, girl.” She turned to Camille. “How far you have all come.” Cloaked in gray, the Hag of Fate was old as the hills, old as the planet and beyond. Her face was a map of the roads she had followed, her eyes mirrored the eons she had seen, and her teeth were steel sharp in her mouth. The Hags of Fate lived outside of time, and they were bound to all realms. Immortal—only the Hags of Fate, the Harvestmen, and the Elemental Lords could claim true immortality—they were beyond the reach of all charm, all magic, every transition the planet watched go by. They were unchanging in a world of change, weaving the threads of fate and destiny without care, without opinion, without judgment.
Camille nodded. “It seems like so long ago and yet . . . and yet . . . we still have so far to go. I hope you don’t mind us traipsing through your portal.”
“That’s what it’s here for.” As the old woman stepped back, we filed through toward the portal in between the tree trunks. I glanced back at the group.
Chase was here with Astrid, and Iris and Bruce. Trillian, Morio, Smoky, and Shade stood behind them. Nerissa was by their side. And Rozurial and Vanzir were also with us. We neared the portal, and then, with me leading the way, Delilah and Camille and I walked through together, back home, back to where we had started our journey.
*
The Barrow Mounds of Elqaneve were busy with activity. Gone were the massive number of armed guards, and the reason was obvious when we saw a couple of dragons circling the skies. Carriages were there to take us into the city, and as we climbed in, everywhere were signs of activity. Men, though we had no idea if they really were men or dragons, were thick along the roads, rebuilding the cottages and houses that had been destroyed. Signs of life were springing up, and gone were the straggling nomads who had been displaced. I squinted; in the late-evening dusk, I could see what looked like a refugee camp, but it looked neat and tidy and people were sitting around eating dinner rather than staring forlornly at the road.
One of our escorts turned to me, his eyes bright. The elf had a look in his eyes that I had not seen for some time from a member of the Elfin race. Hope.
“The dragons sent the Builders, as they call them. I’m not sure what race they are—and we do not ask. But they have taken over and are quickly rebuilding across the land. I don’t know how many of them there are, but they seem to be everywhere, and the dragons themselves are guarding our lands from the skies while our capital city is being restored. I think a new age of alliance has been formed between the Elfin race and the Dragonkin.”
There was a lot to rebuild, and a lot of lives had been lost, but now they had some semblance of a future. We rode in silence the rest of the way until we reached Elqaneve. The grounds around the palace were in the same state of busy-ness, and all the rubble had been cleared and marble walls were once again beginning to rise from the foundation of the palace. Off to one side, a temporary courtyard had been erected, and as we clambered out of the carriages, Chase let out a cry and raced forward, Iris following behind him carrying Astrid. Sharah was standing there and she forgot her crown, forgot her royal dignity, and launched herself into his arms. As they held one another, Trenyth approached, but then he stopped and walked away, giving them the moment they so needed.
*
Trenyth listened to our story, then settled back. “So, we have hope once again. Just make certain when you find the last spirit seal, do not fit all of them together or you will rip open the realms, and that would be just what Shadow Wing wants. Keep them separate in their pendants, and find the Knights who can wield them. Camille is right. She must seek out the Keraastar Diamond. Without that, you cannot hope to command the Knights to the full extent you need to.”
She nodded. “I understand. Do you have any clue where to find the Diamond?”
“Pentangle would know; you are correct in that assumption. Go in search of her.” He paused. “You do realize that when you are one of the Fae Queens, you will have to give over to duty more than you might wish.”
“What do you mean?” Camille looked confused.