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AFTER SEVERAL DAYS of traveling, they were weary, dirty and in desperate need of a warm, dry place to rest. Camping out on the open fields had been a nightmare. Dacrith’s magic only worked sometimes. On the nights it failed to create a shield from the weather, they huddled next to Hexam, who grew large enough to at least act as a windbreak. Asha had been delighted the first time the Cerberus had grown to the size of an elephant. Even after seeing him grow and shrink at will a few times, she was still fascinated by his abilities.
They’d tried to cut down on the length of their journey by travelling in a straight line towards the palace. It was becoming increasingly difficult to slog across the muddy ground through the relentless rain. Dacrith angled them towards one of the roads that had been built when the realm had been young. Not all creatures and beings could teleport, so the roads had been created by the dark goblins. They’d chosen to use black volcanic rocks, so the paths looked like inky veins spread out across the land.
They made better time when they reached the road, but they weren’t the only ones utilizing the pathways. Fae creatures and other fairies were also on foot, muttering darkly about their inability to teleport. Dacrith was relieved that it wasn’t just his magic that was being affected. He hadn’t tried to teleport since meeting Asha and he now wondered if it was even still possible.
Keeping their hoods over their faces, they instinctively avoided the other travelers. Asha had always been shy and introverted. She had no wish to mingle or attempt to make friends with these beings. They were Unseelie fairies and they couldn’t be trusted. Dalrin had warned her not to advertise who and what she was to anyone else. There were apparently factions within the realm who wanted to take control of the realm. If they learned what her fate was meant to be, they might take it upon themselves to snatch her and form a new Court.
That warning had been enough for Asha to keep quiet. It hadn’t even occurred to her that there might be parties who would want to use her to form another kingdom. Queen Wysterial hadn’t said specifically that she would become the queen of the Unseelie palace. For all she knew, she could end up as the next goblin queen after Lod’s reign came to an end.
Seeing Asha shudder, Dacrith wondered what she was thinking. The girl had an active imagination. It had been honed after a decade being held prisoner in an asylum with nothing to keep her occupied. Rage threatened to overwhelm him that the now dead human therapist had dared keep his future wife captive.
Asha hadn’t told him in detail about the experiments that had been performed on her and he hadn’t pressed her for the information. It was clear her time being incarcerated hadn’t been pleasant, which was something they had in common. At least she hadn’t been forced to kill for the entertainment of the Unseelie Court like he had.
As the afternoon wore on and nightfall became imminent, he began to worry about where they would shelter for the night. Camping out on the edge of the road would only invite trouble.
“Is that a light up ahead?” Asha asked, lifting her hand to point.
Dacrith peered out from beneath his hood to see a lantern beckoning them. His eyesight was just as sharp as hers and he made out a sign saying there was an inn nearby. “We should see if the inn has any rooms to spare,” he said and they hurried along the road.
“Do you have any money, or whatever passes for currency here?” she asked.
Reaching into a pocket he’d made inside his cloak, he jingled a purse that he’d stolen from a traveler he’d deliberately bumped into earlier. The fairy had been so shocked to see the Cerberus that was accompanying them that he hadn’t noticed the theft. “I should have coins enough for us both,” he replied.
“I guess I’d better not speak when we’re in there,” Asha said. “Everyone will know I’m not from around here when they hear me talking.”
He tilted his hood back far enough for her to be able to see his grin. “I was wondering when you would notice, but you still haven’t realized, it seems.”
“Notice what?” she asked, pushing her hood back far enough to see the rest of his face.
“We’ve been speaking several languages during our journey, my lady. It would appear you have the same gift of understanding other tongues that most fae beings bear.”
Her mouth dropped open and he laughed huskily. “How did I not notice?” she asked, only now realizing the words she was speaking weren’t English.
“We are all born with the gift. It is as natural as breathing,” he explained, then gestured at the inn that they could now see clearly. Lights blazed from all four floors and he could hear raucous laughter coming from within. “I fear this is not the type of place dryad royalty usually inhabits.”
“It beats being locked up in a nuthatch,” Asha replied and preceded him through the gate. The path was cobbled and worn from eons of use. The ancient building was made of dark gray stone. She sensed greed, ambition, lust and many other mixed emotions emanating from the stones. This land was magical and the customers’ thoughts had seeped into the inn itself. It would be dangerous inside, but the hunter would keep her safe.
Dacrith stopped for a moment to speak to Hexam. “Keep watch outside,” he ordered the hound. “Bark to give me some warning if danger approaches.” The hound cocked all three heads and sent a dubious look at the inn. They both knew the inhabitants within were dangerous in their own way. “Just bark if you see any Unseelie soldiers,” he amended. Hexam could easily recognize the warriors. They all wore black armor shaped like leaves. He nodded, then turned and loped off into the darkness.
“Will he be okay?” Asha asked in concern. She didn’t like being separated from the beast. She trusted him far more than she did her fae companion.
“Hexam can look after himself,” he replied. “We should be more worried about ourselves.” He tugged her hood further over her face. “Don’t take your hood off. Speak to no one and act meek.”
“That shouldn’t be hard,” she agreed, then followed him inside.
Heat and the odor of unwashed bodies and freshly cooked meat greeted them when they entered. No one seemed to pay them any mind as they wended their way through the crowd of fairies and other creatures to a small vacant table. Asha saw the legs and hooves of several goat-like creatures as she followed Dalrin. She was tempted to take a better look at them, but kept her head down. Not all of these beings were fairies and she was curious to know what sort of other creatures lived in this realm.
Taking a seat, Dacrith withdrew a gold coin from the pouch he’d stolen and placed it on the table. “I want food and beverages for myself and my companion and a room for the night,” he said. The coin just sat there, so he added another one. Still nothing happened. He heaved a sigh and added a third coin to the stack. They vanished and two platters appeared in front of them, heaped with meat and vegetables.
Asha jumped a little when she felt a spell cover her, but it was just brownies cleaning her and her clothing. She murmured her thanks automatically and received strange looks from those close enough to hear her. Dalrin nudged her foot with his own in warning. He lifted his head far enough to send her a frown. It was a reminder that she needed to try to blend in or her true identity would be discovered.
