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Bienn-Theine: Book Two of the Daearen Realms
Bienn-Theine: Book Two of the Daearen Realms
Bienn-Theine: Book Two of the Daearen Realms
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Bienn-Theine: Book Two of the Daearen Realms

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Mathew has a lot on his plate. After finding out that his best friend Sarette is actually his cousin, a fairy, and destined to be queen, he also learns that he’s a prince and an heir to the Fire Fey throne. Now instead of applying to colleges and sucking down Boston Coolers in Michigan, he must travel through Daearen to Bienn-Theine, the fire realm, to claim his birthright and fight the dark magic threatening to take all that Mathew holds dear— the woman he has come to adore, Sarette and the family he just found, the fey he has come to love, and the land that becomes home. Mathew must become both a man and a prince to defeat the dark fey threatening the balance between good and evil, not only in the Daearen realms, but on earth as well.

LanguageEnglish
PublisherEmmy Gatrell
Release dateFeb 13, 2017
ISBN9781370663422
Bienn-Theine: Book Two of the Daearen Realms
Author

Emmy Gatrell

Emmy Gatrell is a Fantasy and Paranormal Romance writer ranging from Sweet (YA/NA) through four-flame +18.She grew up Metro-Detroit and went to Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan before moving to Georgia. After spending more than a decade there with her husband, kids, and dogs. Her family realized Georgia was still too cold, and now live in Costa Rica where it's summer all year and our seasons are; kind of dry, a little rainy, and deluge.Emmy has published the first three of six novels in the Daearen Realm series; Meanmna, Bienn-Theine, and Eitlean, book four is slated for a 2017 release. And she's published the first two novels of her Paranormal Shifter Romance series, The Lupinski Clan; Fate is a Mated Bitch and Forgiving Fate.Emmy’s love of her roots and traveling comes out in her writing as I create a new realm of existence with the Daearen Realms an entirely new breed of Shifter with the Lupinski Clan and whatever she comes up with next.

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    Bienn-Theine - Emmy Gatrell

    December 25th

    Merry Christmas, Mathew.

    When I heard the familiar voice coming from my left, I quickly turned around.

    Merry Christmas, Sarette! You look great. I guess being a queen agrees with you. Or is it mating? Seriously, you’re glowing, despite the ridiculous outfit.

    Sarette, my best friend and cousin, was truly beautiful. She had her father’s wavy brown hair and hazel eyes; from her mother, she had inherited beauty, brains, and curves. I had to raise an eye at her outfit, though. Sarette was wearing a floor-length red dress that hugged her figure, a gold and silver chained belt hanging off her hips, and a silver band across her forehead that served as a crown. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get used to seeing her dressed like she was on her way to a renaissance fair.

    Oh you just wait, Prince Mathew. Sarette batted her lashes at me, then giggled and stepped forward to give me a hug. Seriously, though, wait till you see some of the crap you’re going to have to wear. But hey, if anyfey could look good in tights, it’s you, stud.

    I rolled my eyes, eliciting another giggle from Sarette. She stepped back, eyeing me up and down.

    "I love you like a brother, but even I know you’re hot. I might make a calendar for a fundraiser, The Princes of Daearen. Unfortunately, you’ll need to pose for three months. There aren’t enough princes for the year."

    I knew Sarette was just teasing me, but even I had to admit I’d changed a lot over the past year. I grew to six-foot-three, my weight training finally caught up with me and I put on fifty pounds of muscle. My hair’s nothing special, just a mousy brown, but I never cared about that. It’s my eyes, a clear, aqua blue like my mom’s, that are my best feature. They’ve landed me more than one date, so they should be.

    The more recent changes were much harder to believe. Two weeks ago, Elwin, Sarette’s personal knight-slash-bodyguard-slash-love of her life-slash-eventual mate showed up and turned their world upside down. For one, Sarette found out fairies—the fey—were real, and that she’s one of them. Well, only a half-blood fey, but a princess nonetheless. My mama, Peggy, is her aunt and that made us cousins. It also made me a prince, a reality I had yet to fully embrace or understand.

    Our introduction to this new world was swift and overwhelming. Finding out that there was a parallel reality with magic and fairies would have been enough, but learning Sarette’s role in this other world had been mind-blowing. She was to become the Queen of the Spirit Fey. In Daearen, the Spirit Fey watches over and rules the other five realms and their elements: Bienn-Theine-fire; Hasani-water; Eitlean-air; Pozzolana-earth; and Meanmna-spirit. Only the Spirit Queen and King would wield the magic of spirit, making them the most powerful of all the fey.

    I’ve missed you so much, Sarette.

    Sarette squeezed my arm. I've missed you too. You’re leaving tomorrow, are you ready for all this?

    I don’t really have a choice, do I? She shook her head no. It’s okay. I feel good mostly. Plus, no one knows about me yet and it’s not like my presence is going to change anything in the fire realm. I’m no threat.

    Another heir to the throne is always a threat, Mathew. You are a secret for now, but once someone—anyone—finds out about you, you’ll have as much trouble as I did getting here. You should know that already. Sarette narrowed her gaze at me. What exactly has Nora been teaching you?

    We did some fight training. We worked a little with swords, didn’t need much instruction since I remember what we did in drama.

    Sarette rolled her eyes at me. There’s a big difference between rapiers and swords, Mathew. Please tell me you didn’t just practice the positions and play fighting? When I didn’t say anything, Sarette sighed. Did you do much with the spirit blade? I shook my head no, and she let out another sigh; this one sounded angry.

    I’m really good with my crossbow, I said with a shrug. I wish I could have practiced magic, but I didn’t even have enough to get started. Nora says I’ll be able to access it once we get here. Sarette wrinkled her brow, managing to look concerned and angry at the same time. What’s going on, Sarette?

    Sarette shrugged too and changed the subject. I like this spot . . .

    Yeah, me too.

    I looked around our location, the one linked to our lavakite crystal. In Daearen, Sarette would be called my vaki; it’s kind of like a BFF in the earth realm, but much more significant. Vakis would lie down their lives for each other, much like the secret service does for the President, but without a medal or cool sunglasses. Fey are bonded through the lavakite crystal and can use it to visit with each other while in a dream state. It’s this connectedness through the crystals, and in life, that vakis share in Daearen.

    The vaki bond is rivaled only by the mazon bond between mates. The amazonite crystal is used for the mating bond; it allows the pair to travel to a dream state or physically enter the location linked to them through their crystal.

    Indeed, the site of our meeting today was amazing. We were on the top of a grassy plateau the size of a football field. To the east, there was a large, steep mountain rim; to the west, and from our vantage point, it looked like the land just dropped off into sheer nothingness. Without saying a word, we both headed in that direction.

    I held Sarette’s hand when we got to the edge and looked down. Below us was a lush valley filled with neon-colored flowers. The edges of the valley were lined with a thick evergreen forest. Directly below us, a stream worked its way to a sheared smaller mountain in the distance, wound around it like a moat, then stretched out as far as the eye could see. There were also roads cut into the valley from all different directions, each one leading to that mountain in the distance. The scene was what I always imagined when I listened to the Widespread Panic song, Surprise Valley.

    All of what you see here is the realm of Bienn-Theine. That mountain is actually an extinct volcano, Sarette said, pointing to the mountain. Most of the Fire fey population is located inside and your grandparents’ castle is in the very center. It’s really quite amazing, kind of like New York City, kind of.

    I looked at her in amazement. Do you think we could get down from here to get a closer look? I peered over the edge to see if there was a less steep angle.

    Sarette raised an eyebrow at me. We’re in a dream state, remember? We would’ve had to go to sleep with climbing gear. But you can see it in person tomorrow. Which reminds me, where is the Detroit cairn on that side?

    I shook my head. We’re leaving too early to see anything. The cairn is on Bel Isle—Nora said it’s hidden in plain sight in the flower maze. We moved perilously close to the edge and looked down again. Something I would never do in real life, but Sarette had told me that whatever happens in the dream state stays in the dream state. If I did happen to fall, it would be an absolutely horrific ten to fourteen seconds, but tomorrow I would still wake up safely in my bed. So is crossing over weird? What’s it feel like to go through the cairn and end up here?

    Sarette’s eyes shifted heavenward as she recalled her journey. Well, we used the one in Irish Hills, but I was a bit distracted because, you know, Elwin was dying. She smiled bravely, but I could tell how scared she had been. From what I remember, we walked around the cairn three times and then there was a shimmer that we walked into. When you do it, close your eyes; trust me. It feels like that ride at the fair that spins, the bottom drops out, and you feel like you want to puke. Then the spinning stops suddenly and you do drop. The Detroit cairn will let you out over there. Sarette pointed again, just to the right of the volcano. There was an isolated copse of trees with a hill in the middle. Ethan and Meghan will have someone waiting for you there. If we are right, and no one knows about you yet, you should have some time with your family. It’s going to take a couple of days for your magic and body to get used to this place, so you’ll sleep a lot. So, are you excited to meet your grandparents?

    I nodded, smiling. I can't wait; my cousin Nessa, too.

    Sarette’s face lit up. Nessa is awesome. You’re going to love her. She’ll be coming to live in Meanmna soon, but it’s not safe enough for her just yet. She’s a scholar, not a fighter.

    "This is all so weird. One minute we are living our boring lives, then, boom, we’re royalty from another realm! I mean, who even knew there were other realms? And you’re a fairy queen, I’m a fairy prince—we have cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, magic powers, you’re told to leave your mother forever, a bunch of fey want you dead, and the girl I thought might be the one doesn’t actually exist . . ." I stopped before I said anything else.

    What’s wrong with you and Steph-Nora? she asked, and started playing with her sleeve.

    I had been dating Steph for a week when she told me who and what she really was; that her name was actually Nora and she was Elwin’s sister and vaki. She had come to the earth realm to be my knight, bodyguard and trainer for my journey through Daearen. Elwin had done the same for Sarette, and they had turned out to be mates, or mazons. I was hoping for the same with Steph-Nora, as Sarette and I now referred to her. I'm not sure what's going on. I like her, and—you were there—she said she was falling for me too. But her feelings come second to her mission. I asked her if her feelings have changed, and she said we should have a better understanding of ‘us’ when we get here. I shook my head. I don’t know. Maybe I’m over-thinking the whole thing.

    Sarette shot me a sympathetic look. I'm sorry, Mathew, I know you really liked her. Maybe she’s right and you just need to get your inner fey mojo up to par and then see what fate has decided. Or maybe she’s not your mate. You’ll find out soon enough. Sighing, she turned to look off into Surprise Valley.

    You know something, I said, narrowing my eyes at her, so spill. She still wouldn’t look at me, and an uneasy feeling settled in my stomach. Sarette, please tell me what’s bothering you.

    "That’s what is bothering me. I literally can’t talk to you or anyfey else about this."

    There’s really no one else you can confide in?

    I have a couple of advisors, sort of. I’d rather talk to you, but I can’t, at least, not yet. Part of my job is making sure things happen when they are supposed to, like that whole ‘a butterfly farts in Hawaii and there’s a typhoon in Thailand’ thing.

    I smiled. Now she sounded more like the old Sarette. You’re being very mysterious. That’s not really the thing, as you put it, but I’m picking up what you’re putting down. I took a moment to study her. Can’t you give me a little hint on what I should be worried about?

    The only worry you should have is getting here in one piece. Be careful, something’s going on with the cairns and the areas around them.

    What else should I be worried about?

    Butterfly farts, Mathew. Frowning, Sarette scooted back from the edge and stood up.

    I stood up next to her. Okay, I get it. But you said it could be soon, as long as I get through some steps first. Sarette nodded. And it’s absolutely killing you not to tell me anything. She nodded. Well, I guess there’s a downside to your Secret Spirit Queen Super Powers.

    Sarette nodded again, but she was smiling. Okay, I’ve got to go before I say too much. Love ya, Mathew. Sarette walked into my arms and gave me a hug.

    I kissed the top of her head. Love ya back.

    As much as I hate to ditch you . . . She stood akimbo, widened her stance and put her fists on her hips like Superman. But with my Secret Spirit Queen Super Powers, I don’t have to fall asleep to get out of here. You, on the other hand, have two options. You can fall asleep—

    "I am so not tired. What’s the second option?"

    You can take a flying leap and wake up tomorrow in your bed. Gotta go, love ya, miss ya, bye! Sarette gave me a wicked smile and disappeared.

    I peered over the ledge again. Damn.

    Two

    December 26th

    When I noticed Nora sitting in her car, watching my house, my first instinct was to go outside and ask her what was going on. Halfway to the door, I turned, went back into the kitchen, refilled my coffee, and waited. I didn’t know Nora very well; but I could tell something was on her mind and I was in no rush to confront her, or my own feelings. I did like Nora, sort of. But my feelings for her were nothing like Sarette, Mom, and Mama had said they felt when they met their mates.

    I took a few more sips, then set my coffee cup down and walked back to the front window just in time to see Nora square her shoulders and reach for the car door handle. My bag was on a chair nearby and I quickly grabbed it and opened the front door to stop her from coming up the walk. Then, taking one last look around the house I had grown up in, I walked out and shut the door quietly behind me.

    Nora had gotten out of the car and was standing beside it with her arms crossed. No big send-off? She asked over the hood of her car.

    I’m ready. We had a big tear fest last night. Mom and Mama said they couldn’t watch this again. Open the trunk, please. She reached inside the car and pressed a button. The trunk flew open and I put my bag and crossbow inside. I was already wearing my spirit blade and broadsword, and my wand was in its pocket.

    Do you mind if I drive? I asked as I shut the trunk. This is possibly the last drive of my life.

    Sure, no problem, Nora said with a shrug.

    I opened the passenger side door for her. She walked over, stopped in front of me, and looked up. As I scanned her beautiful face, I wished once again that she could be the one. Nora was fierce: five-six, with blackish-red hair and bright green eyes. I’d been attracted to her the minute I saw her. God, she looked cute in her gear, too. She had on brightly-colored neon cammo pants and a fitted long-john shirt that showed off her curves. Even the broadsword on her hip was incredibly sexy. But if the eyes truly are the windows to the soul, I had to admit that right now, hers were saying that she had come to the same conclusion I did. We were just not meant to be.

    I should man up and say something so she doesn’t have to, I thought.

    I was about to do just that when Nora smiled, got into the car, and shut the door, kind of in my face.

    As I walked around the car, I saw Nora lower the window, allowing a bug to fly in. Since it’s extremely rare for any flying bugs to survive a Michigan winter, I knew this creature had to be a fey. And judging from Nora’s expression, it had delivered some very bad news. I reluctantly got into the car and faced her.

    The bug flew out and Nora rolled the window back up; she was breathing deeply, as if trying to calm herself. Finally, she turned to me. The cairn in Bienn-Theine just exploded. We need to get to Irish Hills, now.

    What? Should we really go to Irish Hills? Won’t they be expecting that after Sarette and Elwin used it?

    We could use the Toledo cairn, but it’s too risky. It would let us out in the Earth fey realm and that’s a too far of distance to safety, through hostile territory. Not only do we not have time to get to Tennessee to use the cairn that would let us out in Meanmna, we also cannot risk anything evil from Daearen coming here to hunt you down. Nora looked around frantically, as if the answer would magically appear in front of her. When it didn’t, she turned to me and screamed. "What are you waiting for? Go to Irish Hills, now!"

    I threw the car in drive and took off. So I’m guessing I’m not a secret anymore.

    Apparently not; Elwin just told me there’s a traitor either in the Meanmna or Bienn-Theine castles. Only a very few fey knew about you and even less knew when you were coming, or from where. She smiled a small smile and said, This just might be the break we need.

    A break? How could our lives being in exponentially more danger be a good thing?

    Always look on the bright side of life. That’s what I always say, Nora said with a nod and a wink.

    Monte Python said that first, but it’s awesome that you’re a fan. I couldn’t help but think there might be hope for us yet.

    Nora shrugged. Actually, I don’t find them very funny.

    Never mind, there’s no hope for us.

    Three

    I sped as fast as I could to Irish Hills and skidded into the spot Nora pointed to, just to the side of the Prehistoric Forest. We got out of the car and I went to the trunk to grab our gear while Nora pulled out a white tarp and covered the car, throwing some snow on it for good measure. Then we took off running to the cairn, a giant hill in the middle of a small clearing. We ran around it three times, and then Nora put her hand out to me. I clasped her hand with my free one, surprised that it was shaking. Nora usually had an air of calm about her, but not now.

    A shimmer formed on the hill and Nora stepped in, dragging me behind her. It felt like my body was caught in a tornado and, remembering Sarette’s advice, I shut my eyes tight. The tornado grew even more violent and I held onto Nora’s hand for dear life. It felt like we might be ripped apart at any second; then, as suddenly as it began, it just stopped and we both dropped with a huff.

    It took several seconds for my stomach to stop turning, then I opened my eyes and I sprang to my feet. I put my hand out for Nora but she pushed it away.

    Just go, Mathew! she yelled. I twisted my ankle and you need to get to safety.

    I’m not leaving without you. I can carry you. I knelt to pick her up, but she quickly stood.

    I think I just need to put some weight on it. It’ll be fine. I’m right behind you, just go.

    I put my hand out to her again and she shot me an evil look before taking her backpack off my shoulder and placing it on her own. Fine, I’m just trying to look out for you, Mathew. Finally, she put her hand loosely in mine. We broke into a run but had only taken ten steps before I saw a disco ball of black light, a foot in diameter, coming right for us.

    I tried to pull Nora from the path, but she pulled the opposite way, resulting in a human tug-of-war. The ball of light hit Nora in the middle of her chest. I tried to hold onto her, but the blow knocked her out of my hand and into the side of the cairn.

    My mouth hanging open in horror, I watched as Nora’s whole body was enveloped by the black disco shimmer. It grew larger and larger, until it completely engulfed the cairn. The shimmer turned solid and collapsed in on itself like a black hole. It shrunk to the size of basketball then exploded into a million flashes of black light and smoke. Terrified and half-blind, I was thrown away from the cairn from the

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