Chapter 2270

Sorry? That's it? You killed thousands!

NO. Sylvan and Maeve did, were you not listening? This all started when Maeve allowed my egg to be removed from the Wilds. That's when my mate and I came up with this idea.

Daniel was looking at the others now and he could see their impatience even though only mere seconds had passed. Hold on guys. I'm trying to get all the details.

Grace scowled. What do you know so far?

Sylvan is a Wilds Child working for Maeve, and he trapped the female in the male egg when Yanwey was destroyed.

Glenda gasped.

Daniel had a thought. He extended his bond to the phoenix inside him. Immediately his party, including Glenda and Roger, moaned with the exquisite sexuality of the female phoenix across the bond.

Okay, phoenix, talk, started Daniel. Maeve allowed your egg to be removed from the Wilds. You ended up with me and my parents and then

put a copy of yourself in me?

More or less, yes. You were such a beautiful human child with such a good heart. My mate decided it would be best if I left a memory of me inside you. A failsafe, he called it. He's always so tactical and stuff. Over time, I empowered you with magic but had to wait until you discovered how to tap into it. Watching you masturbate was very stimulating. I enjoyed that. And now it's made you the strongest spell caster the world has ever seen. You should be thankful, really. It would only be polite.

Thankful? Do you not realise the harm that has happened? The fae are going to war early! Yanwe y was destroyed!This is horrible!

Yes, it is. I'll remind you that none of this is our fault. You want to blame someone? Blame Maeve. She wants all her fae children and the humans destroyed. Maeve's done with all the fighting. She wants to disappear into the world and live in peace and quiet. But it won't last. She's insane. She'll quickly become bored again. Then she'll pull more humans and fae into this world. Hard to say. She's hardly predictable.

She pulled the humans here?

Oh yes. She lured you here from across the Void and you heeded the siren call. She's not a very nice person. But you know that already.

Daniel felt lost in his thoughts. This was too much for him to process.

He turned his thoughts, instead, to his party. Guys, you heard. She says we have to grab the egg and take it to Yanwe y since the area is already destroyed. One of the phoenixes will emerge. Then the cycle restarts.

Jasmine snorted. This is all bullshit. Daniel, you HAD the egg before. You took it off Eric's corpse. Why didn't the phoenixes say, wow, great, okay, head to Yanwe y and let's do this now. Why all the rest of the crap we went through?

The phoenix laughed. Glenda over there understands. It had to happen this way because everything needs to line up correctly. That solution would not have changed fate. Maeve would still be seeking to wipe out everyone. This fateful path has an out for everyone.

Everyone looked at Glenda and she nodded once, her eyes on the fae leaders and Arbuckle. Maeve was scowling and looked pretty upset.

I hate to admit it, but she's correct, she sent. But I have no vision of what comes next other than Daniel surrounded by flame.

Grace nodded. I have also seen this. I am never wrong. Despite what that asshole said.

Daniel cursed. So how do we wrest the egg from Sylvan and get out of here? And deal with the fae and Sylvan? And Arbuckle. And Maeve. Dammit!

They all looked at Maeve, the fae leaders, Arbuckle, and Sylvan. Grace smiled at them."I think we have a problem," she said.

Titania and Rhiannon both raised their right eyebrows. Rhiannon spoke first.

"You don't say. Why are we gathered here undera flag of parlay? What is it you want?" She looked directly at Arbuckle."And what is this puny human and his pitiful army doing here with Maeve of all people? Interfering with the affairs of the fae is punishable by death."She grinned at him and licked her lips.

Arbuckle looked furious at her words, but Sylvan touched his arm and he immediately relaxed. Maeve moved closer to Sylvan, watching Daniel closely. Her eyes were

narrowed, and her point ed teeth exposed.

Daniel sent a question to his party. What do we tell them?

Grace ignored him."Mother, it appears events are out of your control and have accelerated the fae war. You've been duped into being here."

Rhiannon glared at Grace."Duped? By whom?"

Grace pointed at Maeve."Her."

Maeve mockingly smiled and did a poor imitation of a curtsey.

Rhiannon looked at Maeve, then Titania, and then back to Grace and then laughed."Too funny!As if I could ever be duped by the likes of her!"

Titania joined in the laughter and soon their husbands joined them. Maeve grinned at Daniel and his companions and winked.

Daniel saw equal disbelief from his companions.

The phoenix spoke to his party across his bonds. You'll never convince them. They cannot fight the power and strength of Maeve. They are

her playthings.

Grace looked at Daniel but spoke to the phoenix. And what power is that?I have never understood it, and no one has ever explained it.

The phoenix answered to all of them, but pointedly to Grace. Sweet child. Maeve was the first of your kind. We remember when she was banished here to this world. Soon afterward, bored, she created the Light and Night fae. Then she created the cycle of life and death for her amusement. She watched you battle every hundred years. Everything happening here is part of her amusement.

Through the bond, Daniel could sense how this little titbit of information rocked Grace's world.

I-I thought she was equal to my mother and Titania? she sent.

No, replied the phoenix. Never equal. She is your creator. Daniel sensed the phoenix examining Grace closer. But you, Grace, are a mix of the two. And very powerful. You are closer to being Maeve's equal. This is how you resist her charms and games. Like Daniel, you produce mana. All others are consumers. Mana creates life. If you can create mana, you can create... other living things.

Lady Phoenix? asked Bitty. She sounded timid across the bond.

Yes, ancient one?

What did you just call me?

You are an ancient one. Like the phoenixes, gnomes are the original occupants of this world. I was pleased that Daniel was able to remove Maeve's curse from you and your kin. My mate and I were powerless to do anything as we watched Maeve curse your kind all those years ago. She knew you could stop her efforts to dominate the world. The bond between gnomes, what you call your network, thwarts her ability to sow deceit and cast illusions on weaker minds. She can't pull you into her world if you have a lifeline out of it.

Daniel jerked in place. Is this like the bond of a witches'circle?

Everyone felt the phoenix smile mentally. Perhaps.

Daniel smiled. Everyone, we need that fucking egg and we need to get it now and get the fuck out of here. How do we make that happen? We're surrounded by three gods-be-damned armies.

RHIANNON TURNED HER liger and started it moving away.

Grace called out."Wait, mother!Stop!We have to talk!”

Rhiannon didn't stop."I've heard enough. Seriously, what a complete waste of time. You disappoint me once again, daughter. Come, Pwyll. We have a war to wage."

"Yes, dear," replied Pwyll and his mountfollowed her.

Titania smirked at Grace and turned her stag back toward her army."Come along Oberon. Time for the adults to have their fun now."

Grace cried out."Please stop!This is insane!No one needs to die!Don't you see? This is pointless!This is all Maeve's doing!"

Maeve chortled from where she stood beside Sylvan."It's no use, half-breed. This is the cycle. You can't stop it. It's ordained. By me."

Grace whirled on Maeve."You dare call me half-breed when I am more like you than anyone else?”

Maeve's eyebrows shot up."Colour me impressed. How ever did you figure that out?"She glared at Glenda.

"It doesn't matter. Stop this! No one has to die!"

Maeve laughed."Of course they do!Everything here was created by me just so I could watch them all die!It's sooo much fun. I adore watching that last little gleam of hope in peoples'eyes fade away into nothing. That moment of recognition that everything they were, everything they knew and loved, will vanish in a moment. Death is a return to oblivion." Maeve exaggerated a full body shudder."Makes me wet!" She looked over at Daniel. "So do you, big boy."

She beckoned at him with a finger."Come here. I want another kiss."

Daniel shook his head.

"I said, come HERE!"

Daniel lurched forward a step and then stopped, clearly straining against the compulsion.

"Daniel!" called out his girls in unison.

Daniel struggled physically, but Maeve pulled

him closer, smirking. Each forced step saw his feet and legs shake with his effort to stop it. Jennifer pulled her sword and started toward Maeve, but Maeve shot her a look and Jennifer froze in place.

"Roger!Do something!"called out Glenda.

Roger lifted his bow and an arrow appeared in his right hand and he nocked it against the magic bowstring and sharply pulled back to a full draw. Maeve gestured, and the bowstring and arrow burst into sparks. Roger cursed and shook his hand where the sparks burnt him.