voice amazed. “Tania. Dear heart. Are you truly here, or is this but an illusion?”
“It’s definitely me,” Anita said. “Sort of.”
“I must see you more clearly,” said the King. Anita allowed herself to be led out into the open. Again, he scrutinized her face with wide, ecstatic eyes. “It is you, indeed,” he said. “And you are as I remembered—the very image and reflection of your mother.”
Anita smiled at this. All her life people had commented on the fact that she looked nothing like her parents. Now she understood why—her real parents were Faeries! Why hadn’t she thought of that before?
Because you’ve never been in such a crazy dream before, that’s why!
Oberon stepped away from her, his face transformed with elation. He tilted his head back, his mouth opening to let out a shout of pure joy. He lifted his arms up to the sky, his voice ringing out like a peal of bells.
A sphere of light appeared in his cupped hands, and as Anita stared up in amazement, the light surged out from between his fingers, bright and piercing, flashing like sapphires, burning like blue flame.
As the echo of his voice rolled back from the walls and battlements, Oberon slowly spread his arms, and as he did so the brightness poured up from him in a fountain of brilliant blue fire. The column of light gushed upward, fanning out, spreading rapidly overthe dark sky. It lifted like a great wave, curling and breaking at its peak, scattering and cascading down from horizon to horizon, banishing the darkness, bathing the whole world in a glorious burst of daylight.
Anita staggered backward, lifting her arms to shield her eyes.
She heard a sound like laughter rising around her. Deep, rumbling laughter, as if mountains were laughing; high, keening laughter that was like the cry of seagulls; a silvery, shivering laughter as of running water; and a sibilant, gusty laughter like the wind in tall trees.
Her ears still ringing, she stared around. The dull gray twilight world had been transformed. The sun was riding high in a clear, blue sky. The river sparkled as it ran swiftly between its banks. Sunlight glinted on the red-brick walls of the palace. The forest was a field of glittering emerald leaves, rustling gently, filled with birdsong. The heat of the sun warmed her face and a warm breeze ruffled her hair.
And at the center of this new-waked universe stood the Faerie King, smiling down at Anita as if she was the brightest thing in this bright new world.
She gasped. “How did you do that?”
“I am Oberon,” he said, as if that explained everything.
She turned in a slow circle. It was unbelievable. Stunning. Now she almost could believe that she was in the Realm of Faerie.
Gabriel was standing behind her. “Not alone did the King reawaken the light,” he said gently. “It is you, my lady, who is at the heart of this miracle.”
“And it was you, Lord Drake, who returned my daughter to me,” Oberon said. “Your rewards shall be as great as it is in my power to bestow.”
Gabriel dropped to one knee. “I ask nothing more than to be your most devoted servant,” he said, lowering his head. “All that I have done was done for your sake, and for the eternal Realm of Faerie.”
Oberon stepped forward and rested his hand on Gabriel’s head. “This I believe to be true,” he said, then his tone grew a little grimmer. “And in gratitude, I shall not ask by what dark arts you returned my daughter to me.” As Gabriel looked up at the King, Anita glimpsed a flash of apprehension in his silver-gray eyes.
“Rise, Lord Drake,” Oberon said. “In recognition of your service to me and to Faerie, I grant you the Earldom of Sinadon. From henceforward you shall be Lord Chancellor and sit at my right hand in my Council.”
“Your Grace honors me far beyond my desires or my merits,” Gabriel breathed as he rose to his feet.
“And now,” Oberon said, turning to Anita, “I wish to speak with my daughter.” He
“It’s definitely me,” Anita said. “Sort of.”
“I must see you more clearly,” said the King. Anita allowed herself to be led out into the open. Again, he scrutinized her face with wide, ecstatic eyes. “It is you, indeed,” he said. “And you are as I remembered—the very image and reflection of your mother.”
Anita smiled at this. All her life people had commented on the fact that she looked nothing like her parents. Now she understood why—her real parents were Faeries! Why hadn’t she thought of that before?
Because you’ve never been in such a crazy dream before, that’s why!
Oberon stepped away from her, his face transformed with elation. He tilted his head back, his mouth opening to let out a shout of pure joy. He lifted his arms up to the sky, his voice ringing out like a peal of bells.
A sphere of light appeared in his cupped hands, and as Anita stared up in amazement, the light surged out from between his fingers, bright and piercing, flashing like sapphires, burning like blue flame.
As the echo of his voice rolled back from the walls and battlements, Oberon slowly spread his arms, and as he did so the brightness poured up from him in a fountain of brilliant blue fire. The column of light gushed upward, fanning out, spreading rapidly overthe dark sky. It lifted like a great wave, curling and breaking at its peak, scattering and cascading down from horizon to horizon, banishing the darkness, bathing the whole world in a glorious burst of daylight.
Anita staggered backward, lifting her arms to shield her eyes.
She heard a sound like laughter rising around her. Deep, rumbling laughter, as if mountains were laughing; high, keening laughter that was like the cry of seagulls; a silvery, shivering laughter as of running water; and a sibilant, gusty laughter like the wind in tall trees.
Her ears still ringing, she stared around. The dull gray twilight world had been transformed. The sun was riding high in a clear, blue sky. The river sparkled as it ran swiftly between its banks. Sunlight glinted on the red-brick walls of the palace. The forest was a field of glittering emerald leaves, rustling gently, filled with birdsong. The heat of the sun warmed her face and a warm breeze ruffled her hair.
And at the center of this new-waked universe stood the Faerie King, smiling down at Anita as if she was the brightest thing in this bright new world.
She gasped. “How did you do that?”
“I am Oberon,” he said, as if that explained everything.
She turned in a slow circle. It was unbelievable. Stunning. Now she almost could believe that she was in the Realm of Faerie.
Gabriel was standing behind her. “Not alone did the King reawaken the light,” he said gently. “It is you, my lady, who is at the heart of this miracle.”
“And it was you, Lord Drake, who returned my daughter to me,” Oberon said. “Your rewards shall be as great as it is in my power to bestow.”
Gabriel dropped to one knee. “I ask nothing more than to be your most devoted servant,” he said, lowering his head. “All that I have done was done for your sake, and for the eternal Realm of Faerie.”
Oberon stepped forward and rested his hand on Gabriel’s head. “This I believe to be true,” he said, then his tone grew a little grimmer. “And in gratitude, I shall not ask by what dark arts you returned my daughter to me.” As Gabriel looked up at the King, Anita glimpsed a flash of apprehension in his silver-gray eyes.
“Rise, Lord Drake,” Oberon said. “In recognition of your service to me and to Faerie, I grant you the Earldom of Sinadon. From henceforward you shall be Lord Chancellor and sit at my right hand in my Council.”
“Your Grace honors me far beyond my desires or my merits,” Gabriel breathed as he rose to his feet.
“And now,” Oberon said, turning to Anita, “I wish to speak with my daughter.” He
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