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Lettie’s feet hurt. The vampiric shoes had rubbed them raw. And now she had to fight for her child—against the man who’d fought spiders for Nada and, against the odds, brought her beloved changeling back home.
Nada!
Lettie rushed to her changeling. Faer was at once achingly beautiful, and perfectly fickle, flicking from one form to the next. Never quite able to escape the magical silver cord Persephone had placed around faer foot.
A quick hug was all she could manage before a Quip dragged her to the queen. A sword was placed in her hand—the same one the Quips had taken from her when she was thrown into the labyrinth. An abomination of silver, far worse than the tiny amount the human had in her swords. “This is so wrong.” She gazed across at what had been a dance-floor. The centre was now clear, with boggarts and other Labyrinth citizens on one side of the circle, and Queen Persephone and her court on the other.
Zadie screamed at Lettie. “This is your fault. It’s always your fault. Why did you ever come back?”
Lettie shook her head. “You would never understand.”
“Well, Zadie is right,” Wyrden said. “You should have killed the humans earlier. Saved everyone a lot of trouble.”
“You should’ve stayed buried under a million barrels of rock,” Lettie answered.
“Draw your swords,” Wyrden said, pushing Lettie into the centre of the circle to join the humans and Zadie.
The humans put their hands to their hilts. “Not those swords!” One of Persephone’s entourage shouted at Keera and Aiden. Too late—the air rang with the tang of iron.
“How dare you pull cold iron in a faerie glade?” Zadie screamed, staggering backward. Persephone’s courtiers had also backed further away, giving them a wider circle in which to fight.
Lettie couldn’t blame them. The shiver from cold iron physically hurt, burning like ice. She hardened her heart. She had to do this for Nada. She raced forward, whirling the sword, Zadie by her side.
The woodwind in the orchestra accompanied her every move.
Keera stepped in to meet them, accompanied by the strings in the orchestra. Lettie danced back again. The shrill notes of her movements contrasting with the moody passion of the violins.
Testing herself, Lettie danced back and forth across the greensward, teasing her clumsy human foe, and trying to tire her out. Any time she got close; a cheer rose. It lifted her heart.
Keera’s gold earrings jingled. She moved like a cat, saving energy. Lettie darted closer, to elicit a reaction.
Keera’s sword flashed out. The combination of fae silver, gold and cold iron slicing the air made Lettie’s teeth itch. The blow hit, more painful than a brand, searing her skin. The crowd gasped as Lettie danced away, her dress slashed, beautiful blue spider-silk trailing from the cut. That was close. So much for clumsy human. She’d underestimated her foe.
“Watch out,” Zadie warned, swirling in with gusto and thrashing faer sword. A few onlookers clapped. Several tittered. Zadie had clearly never held a sword before. This was going to be up to Lettie alone.
“Get behind them. Threaten their backs,” Lettie said, stepping in.
“Good plan.” Zadie smiled. “I could have made something out of you, but you were always too soft.”
“Soft?” Lettie said. “You’re just a bully.”
She slashed at Keera.
Keera parried and slashed back, drawing blood again.
Pain flashed through Lettie’s sword arm. Damn I’m as good as dead. She gritted her teeth and gripped the sword harder, fingers tingling. Her vision narrowed.
Keera stepped in close. Lettie dashed away, colliding with the boggarts at the edge of the circle. Helpfully, they pushed her back into the ring—before she lost her nerve and fled. I cannot abandon Nada.
“Quick, she’s on the ropes,” Keera said.
Aiden pulled Keera back and whispered something. “But Ruby!” They both looked to poor Ruby trapped in her bones—so close, and so far away. “Love you,” Aiden yelled at the tousle-haired child, face streaked with dried tears.”
She didn’t respond, maybe she couldn’t hear over the screech of the orchestra and the roar of the crowd. There has to be a way.
Aiden put up a hand. “Truce. Parley.” He put his sword down in a show of good faith.
“There’s nothing in the rules against it,” Burcham said, as the crowd howled in dismay.
Wyrden scowled. “I’m going to get Silvertongue. You’re useless.”
Might as well figure out what they’re after. Lettie placed her sword in her corner and stepped in to see what Aiden thought he had to offer.
§
Music blasted, loud and sudden, so that Aiden could barely hear himself think, let alone talk. He was trying to tell the blue fae that he understood. That this whole thing was not her doing and, like her, all he wanted to do was save his child.
The fae turned to the children, then smiled at him, her wickedly sharp teeth gleaming in the moonlight. One of her eyes twitched weirdly as she lifted a hand clutching a short stick.
“Human fool,” Lettie shouted, green light flashing from her wand as she ran past. Aiden ducked away so the attack only glanced his shoulder. The searing pain running up his arm. He shook it and steadied himself for another attack. But Lettie wasn’t following up. She was running toward Queen Persephone’s side of the circle.
Why attack like that and not follow it up?
The cage. Ruby! Aiden raced after Lettie to protect his child.
He slashed at Lettie and she rounded on him, the green light from her wand surprisingly painful as it raked across his chest. The other fae was keeping Keera occupied. Unable to land a blow, she darted here and there with the lithe-fleet-footed grace that came so naturally to her.
This is not the sort of fight you win by fighting. It’s not the sort of fight you can win at all.
Aiden ploughed toward the cage.
As he was unarmed, none of the soldiers raised their swords. They just stepped aside.
The fae in the yellow and green dress grabbed Lettie and pulled her away from Ruby and the Changeling.
“No!” Lettie let out a howl of anguish.
§
“No!” Lettie screamed in frustration. She’d been a finger’s width away from her Nada before Zadie had ruthlessly pulled her away. It had been a clever ploy from the human to get them so close to the children. Damn it to Hades that Zadie had noticed. She’d failed her changeling once—she wasn’t going to fail again.
Easier said than done. Silver blood pouring down her shoulder, Zadie pulled Lettie back toward the fight. “Stop it, Lettie.” Zadie scowled. “What are you doing? We should be making Queen Persephone proud.”
Lettie struggled, thrashing her arm against Zadie’s grip. “Look!” she whispered. Zadie has to know this is wrong. Lettie pointed to Ruby and Nada. “Free them and this fight will be over.”
Zadie threw Lettie aside. “Be like that.” Fae darted past Aiden and the soldiers rushing to intercept him and plucked the human child from its cage. “Put down your swords.
Keera and Aiden both stopped. Keera threw down her sword, raising her arms in the air—slowly, so slowly.
“Die, human!” Zadie yelled. Fae ran at the woman, a child in one arm and a sword grasped in the other, as if it was a javelin to be thrown.
Keera stood motionless.
Lettie didn’t need to imagine how it felt to know your child was in mortal danger. Of wanting to do everything to protect them.
All around the court watched the drama. The musicians played breathy notes in a minor key, hinting at a move to a major chord, as if expecting celebration any minute.
“Please, Zadie.” Nada’s voice rang out clear as a bell.
The court gasped and Lettie’s heart swelled. There was no mistaking it. Nada had a will of her own. Lettie darted over to her charge.
“Dammit. Damn you all.” Zadie swerved. Releasing Ruby and faer sword, Zadie changed into flutter form and swooped out of the circle past Asterius’ forces, and into the deep dark forest. Lettie could only hope the elderfae would welcome faer after all this time in Persephone’s court.
Silver plates crashed, a harsh percussive accompaniment to the frantic battle music.
Zadie wasn’t the only one stepping away from Queen Persephone’s court. Many of the crowded fae followed her—throwing off their elegant forms and cheering with delight as they winged their way into the forest—slipping away into the darkness to where Lettie could only hope they’d find the true fairies, untouched by Queen Persephone and her monarchical madness.
Lettie yanked at the chain holding Nada.
Nothing.
Lettie glanced around at the angry fae.
This fight was only supposed to go one way. Now, without Zadie, Lettie had no doubt...she was going to lose.
But the parents weren’t attacking her. Aiden had gathered up their child, protected by Keera’s slashing sword. “Alice!” he yelled.
“This way!” Alice yelled back. Hand outstretched, she was waiting by Queen Persephone’s mirror.
Not that way! That way lies the Underworld! Lettie opened her mouth to yell. She let out a strangled wail as Hades stepped in close to Alice and shoved her through the silvery mirror. It rippled and Alice was gone, the reflected greenery wavering in her wake.
§
“Alice!” Aiden yelled again, his heart sinking.
Hopefully, she’d find her way home. But now that she was gone, they had little hope of rescuing Ruby. Even if they could reach Queen Persephone’s mirror, without a guide they’d lose years, or be lost in those paths and never emerge at all. A terrible fate—but they had to try. There had to be hope.
The fae were closing in, all sharp teeth and long-legged grace. But one was worried about the changeling. Pulling at the silver chain. Slashing at it with the sword.
The changeling moved from form to form. Despair written in every shape it took from tear-drop butterfly wings to a bird with blood-splashed feathers.
Aiden might not be able to save himself or his small family, but he could at least rescue this one small creature from the grips of this mad court.
§
Lettie screamed as Aiden’s sword stabbed at her beloved Nada. She threw herself at the vile weapon.
With a clink, Nada’s silver chain attaching her to the dragon’s rib cage was sliced clean through. Lettie pulled back—too slow. She screamed, the sound interweaving with Keera’s shout of disbelief.
Burning pain pierced her shoulder. Silver blood cascaded down her chest, shimmering in the fae-light. Lettie fought back tears of excruciating pain as her heart lifted. Nada’s free.
The breeze from the soft wingbeats of a snowy owl figure brushed her face. Nada was swooping down to check on her. “No! Fly!” Lettie yelled. “Please, for me.”
Nada’s soft wingbeats changed, fae thrashed as clutching hands grabbed at faer wings. Mid-wingbeat, fae shifted into an eagle and soared up to join the fairy godmothers and freedom.
Lettie struggled to shift into flutter form and join her. She’d lost so much blood, the world spun.
“I’m so sorry,” Aiden was saying, standing over her. He shouldn’t be sorry. He’d saved Nada. Glancing down, she dipped her finger in the silver fluid and thought of their world. The place she’d met Wyrden meaning to kill the humans—the park bench tattered, the paint peeling. That would be a good place...to take the humans. I’m really going to do this?
They saved Nada. A life for a life.
Persephone shook with anger. “You are the most useless of fae. But I will not kill you. No, I will let you contemplate how horribly you failed before you die. It shall be as you deserve.”
What? How?
Best to ignore the queen. She focussed on Earth. On the Andersen’s house. The silver blood at her feet shimmered and rippled with inky darkness.
Earth!
Dizzying pathways split and split again. Sher thought she recognised the park, before the scene shifted to a dimly lit corridor.
Aiden scrambled toward it. “Ruby! Go!” He pushed Ruby toward the portal and then tried to follow, Keera by his side. But one of the Queen’s elegant fae grabbed his shoulders and held him back.
“Wait!” Queen Persephone yelled. “Alette. Thou art banished from Faerland. Thou will stay...”
A low hum could be heard from the fairy godmother contingent.
“...on Earth until you are dead, or Ruby is of age.”
Some of the fairy godmothers even cheered. It was alright for them, flying around in their carriage like royalty.
“What? No! Never!” Lettie yelled. “You can’t send me to Earth.”
Queen Persephone smiled wickedly. “Or thou could join these two in the demon mines.” She waved dismissively at Keera and Aiden.
The demon mines or Earth. There was no contest. Lettie jumped.
§
Aiden struggled to free himself but wiry hands dug into his flesh and pulled him back from the portal shimmering at Lettie’s feet.
Keera was caught, too. Held back by fae in silvery armour and unable to follow Ruby as she fell through the shifting silver pathways created by the puddle of blood—the blood of the fae who kept on rescuing him.
Frantically, they tried to make it to the threshold, through the pathway.
Ruby held her hand up on the other side. Her mouth moving so fast it was a blur.
Behind her, a little girl was running down the corridor, long, dark hair swirling behind her.
“Ruby!” Aiden cried as his little girl disappeared from sight and he and Keera were wrapped in spider-silk and dragged away.
§
“Who are you?” Ruby asked the girl with long glistening-black hair. “What are you doing in Mummy and Daddy’s house?”
“I’m Pearl,” the little girl replied. “Who are you?”
§
Once upon a time and happily ever after. That’s how the story is supposed to go. But mine ends here, on the banks of the river Lethe.
Ruby. If you get this. Take my tears, hear my story.
Find me.
The End
The Blood of the Fae continues in Into Brocéliande. Discover what happened to Alice and order your copy today.
