The Immortal Realm by Frewin Jones

the town and onto the cliffs as swiftly as may be.”
    â€œWe will, sire,” said the two lords.
    â€œPlease come quickly, Father,” Tania urged the King. “You have to do something now or more people will die.”
    The King strode rapidly toward the quarantine ship. “I have no cure for this malady, Tania,” he said. “You must reconcile yourself to that. But mayhap I can thwart death for a while….”
    They came up onto the ship. Eden was huddled by the bed, her head fallen forward, her hands spread on the earl’s chest.
    â€œStand back, my child,” said the King. “It is time for the Gildensleep.”
    Eden looked up, a new hope in her eyes. She got to her feet and stepped away from the bed.
    Oberon reached out one spread-fingered handover the earl. A deep stillness came over Faerie. Even the seagulls were silenced, and Tania could no longer hear the creak of timbers or the slap of waves on the hull.
    Oberon’s hand began to glow. Drops of gold fell like honey from his fingertips. They splashed just above the earl’s chest as though they were hitting an invisible glass dome. The golden drops ran down to either side in curved streams, spreading and forking into a fine filigree of shining threads. And then Tania saw the earl’s thin body rise slowly from the bed. The threads of golden light spun beneath him so that he was cocooned in their radiance.
    Eden let out a gasp of amazement as the shell of golden strands twined and twisted together, completely encompassing the earl, his floating body still visible through the corona of light.
    Tania looked into the King’s face. He was frowning and his mouth was tight, as though the enchantment was putting a strain on him. He let his hand fall. The cocoon of glowing golden threads hung still in the air.
    â€œThere, ’tis done.” The King gasped. “The earl will slumber deeply now in the embrace of the Gildensleep. No evil will come nigh him. The despoliation of his body is halted.” Tania saw that a serenity had come over the earl’s face now—as if the pain had been drawn away from him.
    Tania gazed at her father in awe. “That’s totallyamazing!” she said. “You’ve put him in some kind of cryogenic suspension.”
    â€œI do not know the words you use, daughter.”
    â€œYou’ve frozen him, haven’t you?” said Tania. “He’ll stay like that till we find a cure.”
    â€œOr until I can no longer keep the enchantment alive,” said Oberon.
    â€œIs it hard, then?” Tania asked. “It looked hard.”
    â€œHard?” The King looked pensively at her. “Nay, the charm did not tax me overmuch, child—but it will only last so long as I remain wakeful.”
    â€œFor the Gildensleep to exist, the King must not drowse,” said Eden.
    Tania looked up at him. “How long can you stay awake?” she asked uneasily.
    Oberon didn’t reply.
    â€œMy Lord Father,” said Eden, taking the King’s hand. “Others are on the threshold of death belowdecks. Can you bring aid to them also?”
    â€œI can.” The King went to the hatch and climbed down.
    Tania looked at her sister. “How long can he stay awake?” she asked.
    â€œI do not know,” Eden replied. “But the enchantment of the Gildensleep will quickly drain his strength.” She looked at Tania. “And the more of our folk he has to protect, then the swifter will he tire.”
    â€œThen we probably have a few days at most?”
    â€œAye, mayhap—but with each new victim, our timedwindles.” She touched her hand against the golden cocoon and it glided silently and smoothly through the air. “Come now, sister. The sooner we are all within the walls of Veraglad, the sooner will the folk of this town be safe from danger.”
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    The interior of Veraglad Palace was delicate and graceful beyond