Chapter Six

To Save a Toad

Kela looked longingly out the window, letting out a slow, heavy sigh. She was meant to be studying the flow of magic through Tír na nOg, but she found herself dreadfully tired and unmotivated.

“Your Majesty, you need to get back to your readings. My father won’t be pleased if he hears I allowed you to grow distracted.” Deep spoke from next to her, gently nudging her shoulder. Kela turned to him, looking him over and smiling to herself. He looked far better than he had serving as a member of the Glamored. He was dressed in rich scarlet, the color of her own court, and he was clean, with his hair combed through.

“Deep, Cianán doesn’t frighten me. He’s not a man of any constitution, and he cannot move to punish me without my mother’s permission, which she will not give.” Kela waved her hand at him dismissively, grinning. “We should go outside, studying the currents of the magic outside is sure to be far more useful than reading about it in some stuffy old library.” Deep shook his head.

“You were asked to read this so that your understanding of where you summon the magic you use from could inform the use of your magic. It feels rather important that you do as you were told.” He looked around the library, a marble room filled with tall applewood shelves and comfortable chairs, the scent of ink and perfume hanging in the air. “And this library is quite nice, Kela.”

“It isn’t all that nice, you’ve just never been in a proper library before, Deep. Besides, I know how to use my magic.” Kela summoned a small ball of energy into her hand, watching as it flickered and shook, golden sparks falling from its rough, reddened edges. Deep’s eyes locked onto the ball as soon as she’d summoned it.

“No you don’t. Look at it, Kela, you’re barely holding onto it.” He gestured to the ball. “It’s meant to look solid, and that looks like you caught something out of the air.” Kela gasped, the ball disappearing, whatever energy she had summoned rushing back to fill the hole in the current that she’d left.

“Apologize.” She crossed her arms, looking at the ugly way his face was scrunched. She had no clue why he had to behave so disgustingly when something wasn’t to his liking.

“I won’t apologize! I’m right, your magic is sloppy, just like your classwork, because you just want to go outside and waltz through the gardens like you aren’t in line to rule the literal realm of magic!” He threw his hands up in exasperation. “Kela, you have to try for these things, it isn’t all just going to fall into place naturally! Prophecies do not fill themselves, and crowns do not simply come about, you have to work to maintain what you’ve been given! You can’t keep acting so stupid-” A large, sharply clawed hand rested gently on Deep’s shoulder, and Kela looked up to see her older sister, brow furrowed in anger.

“Kneel.” Sour spoke softly, her voice brimming with rage. Deep did as he was told, getting out of his chair and bending the knee, his eyes staying locked on the floor.

“Your Majesty, I-” Deep’s voice shook as he spoke, but Sour raised her hand, quieting him.

“Kela, why do you let him speak to you that way?” Sour looked at her sister, pupils narrowed to slits. Kela took a breath, reminding herself that her sister could, in moments of anger, be far more frightening than she intended to be.

“I like to hear him out before I correct him, Sour.” She gestured to Deep. “He is a fool, he knows no better.”

“If he knows no better, and you do not see it fit to teach him, I will. Deep, stand.” Sour grabbed Deep by the shoulder, wrenching him to his feet before he had the chance to follow her command. “At sundown, in our arena in the gardens. You had better learn how to apologize, because I am not as patient as my sister, and I am far more lethal.” Sour turned on her heel, stalking out of the library, tail lashing violently.

Deep turned to Kela, face ashen. He looked absolutely terrified. Kela giggled, trying to stifle it with a hand over her mouth at first, but eventually the thought of Deep trying to fight her sister overwhelmed her good sense, and she cackled openly.

“Don’t laugh! I’m going to die at sundown!” Deep’s wide eyes locked on Kela’s, and she felt a small pang of some sort of discomfort in her heart. He was afraid.

“You’ll be fine, Deep.” She spoke quietly, listening to the quiet din of whispers and pages turning. She hadn’t noticed Sour listening, but she was sure if someone heard her now, comforting someone like him, she’d get in some sort of trouble.

“No I will not! Your sister is eight feet tall, and she can turn into a dragon, Kela!” Deep stood, beginning his horrible little pattern of pacing and running his hands up and down his cheeks. He was going to get wrinkles, he aged far faster than she did.

“Deep, calm down. I’ll… here, we’ll go to my brother.” Kela stood, closing her untouched textbook and brushing her skirt off. Deep looked at her, face twisting in more terror.

“Not Titanyoung.” Deep’s face twisted into an anxious, pathetic pout. Kela rolled her eyes.

“Always with the dramatics, Deep. No, not Titan. We’ll be going to see Crater.” Kela took a deep breath, pulling from the place deep in her chest where she knew her magic sat. Titanyoung had taught them all how to create a blood gate once he’d discovered he could cast them, but she’d had trouble with summoning them. The magic, though similar to her own, was foreign to her body.

As she focused on the thought, the gate began to pour open before her. A small shimmer at first, but it grew wider as she focused on it, the edges dripping and sparking with raw energy. Through the center, she began to see the wavering image of Crater’s cottage, and the beach that stretched from below the edge of the cliff it sat upon. The simple structure was surrounded by a lush garden, and the edges on the leaves grew sharper as Kela focused on them. She’d been to the cottage a few times before, and Titanyoung had said visualization was very important while summoning the gate. She took a deep breath, holding her focus, and gestured for Deep to step through.

“Where is that?” Deep looked through the gate, voice shaking a bit.

“Walk.” Kela gritted her teeth, eyes locked on the image in front of her as Deep stepped through the gate. His image blurred and shimmered as he crossed to the other side, and he turned to look back at her. She held her focus on the cottage behind him, stepping through the gate and feeling reality break across her skin like the surface of a cold bath.

The colors of the scenery became fuller around her, and she heard the quiet snap of the gate closing as her focus shifted. The air smelled of salt, and a cool mist hit her skin. Suddenly, the sharp ringing of steel clattered through the air, and Kela’s head turned sharply toward the sound.

A short ways away, on the edge of the cliff, Crater was slashing recklessly at his opponent, a wide grin splitting his face. His skin and hair were damp, with sweat or seafoam or something else entirely, and his laugh rang through the air as his opponent’s sword clattered against his tall, proud antler.

His husband, Sétanta, had his long black hair tied back at the nape of his neck, and his fighting was far more structured, eyes locked onto Crater’s form. They were both barefoot, dressed in only colorful loose shirts and breeches, and it was clear to Kela that for a fight like this, their swords would be dulled.

She glanced at Deep, smiling to herself at the dawning look of confusion on his face.

“That is his husband. My brother is in no danger. In fact, from what I know of him, this is probably his idea of a lovely day.” Kela bumped her shoulder against Deep’s before putting her hands to her mouth and calling out.

“Crater, I need your help, when you’re quite finished.” She watched her brother try to process whether or not the sound was coming from inside of his own mind or not, but by the time he’d placed his eyes on her, Sétanta had found his opening. She watched her brother-in-law grab his lover by the antler and push him roughly onto his back, quickly putting the tip of his sword to Crater’s chest. They were too far away for her to hear what Sétanta said, but she was certain it was something smug from the look he wore on his face.

Sétanta lowered his sword, offering his husband a hand. He helped Crater to his feet, speaking as he did. Kela watched her brother put a hand gently on Sétanta’s cheek, and quickly turned her eyes away as they leaned toward each other, feeling her cheeks flush.

Deep tapped her shoulder, and she looked up again as Crater and Sétanta walked toward them.

“What is your goal in this, Kela?” Deep spoke quietly, looking at Kela.

“I intend to have them teach you how to keep yourself from dying. Sour is strong enough that I can’t even win a sparring match against her, so you don’t stand a chance, but I would prefer that you live, at least.” Kela did not look at Deep as she spoke, certain that his expression would summon far more pity than she was currently willing to feel for him. He had, after all, gotten himself into this mess.

Crater wiped his hair from his forehead and sheathed his sword as he approached, but Sétanta kept his blade drawn. His mannerisms were perplexing, to Kela at least, but she had only met him a handful of times. The man may have just as well been a stranger as he was her brother-in-law.

“Kel, what is it?” Crater looked at his sister, eyes locked on hers. She took a deep breath.

“Deep was trying to get me to study, but he grew frustrated and raised his voice at me.” Kela paused and Sétanta lifted his blade to Deep’s chest.

“This boy?” Sétanta’s low, warm voice cut through the air like it was sharp, dulling all noise around him as he spoke. Kela could see Deep beginning to shake out of the corner of her eye.

“Yes, Sétanta. He is a member of my court, so please lower your weapon.” Kela continued, calmly clasping her hands as Sétanta sheathed his sword. “Sour overheard him and challenged him to combat at sundown. I do not wish death upon him, so I was hoping you could teach him to wield a sword enough that he remains alive.” She watched her brother’s measured expression shift as she spoke.

“Has he apologized?” Crater spoke simply and plainly, looking at Deep. Kela shook her head.

“No, he is far too stubborn. He likes to believe that he knows more about magic than I do.” She looked at Deep, whose face was flushed in embarrassment. He turned to look back at her, just for a moment, and immediately cast his eyes to the ground when he found her looking back.

“Why should we teach him, then? If he’s too good to apologize to royalty, he’s certainly better than to learn from the likes of us.” Sétanta stepped closer to Crater’s side.

“We’ll teach him, Kel. I make no guarantees for his safety.” Crater took Sétanta’s hand, examining Deep. Kela nodded to herself.

“I’d rather not be present for his training, so I suppose have him back at the palace by no later than an hour till sundown. I’ll need to find him some proper clothes, he can hardly be expected to withstand our sister in fabric alone.” Kela turned to Deep. “I expect you to listen well and do as you’re told. If I hear anything to the contrary, there will be consequences.” Deep nodded, keeping his eyes trained on the ground.

“Crater, Sétanta, I will take my leave. It was a pleasure seeing you, and thank you for your kindness in training this toad of a boy.” Kela nodded to her brother and his husband, not even glancing at Deep as she turned to go. He could fend for himself from here on out.