| |
––––––––
ASHA WAS SUBDUED AS they skirted around the battle site and continued their journey. Now that she was in the Unseelie realm, changing into her darker half affected her more strongly. If it hadn’t been for the intervention of the trees, she would have happily torn the two fairies apart. She wondered if Jake had enjoyed surrendering to his Unseelie side even though it had been so difficult for him to come back from it. She had a feeling that if she transformed for too long, she might find she didn’t want to change back.
Sensing her dismal mood, the Cerberus stayed close to her side. He brushed up against her every now and then to offer her comfort. Dalrin sent frequent guarded glances at her. He kept the hound between them, probably terrified that she would turn on him next.
When they came to an inn just after nightfall, the brownies once again escorted them through the servants’ entrance. Searching for a vacant room in the crowded building, a door opened just as Asha was walking past it. A group of Unseelie warriors were standing inside. Her gaze met the fairy’s standing in the doorway his mouth dropped open when he saw her amber, green and brown eyes. “You’re the Goblin King’s daughter!” he exclaimed.
Panicked, Asha took a step back and collided with Dalrin. His hands came to rest on her shoulders, preventing her from fleeing. “Unwin, if you please?” the hunter said in a calm voice. The brownie slammed the door shut, then locked it before any of the fairies could escape.
“Hey!” another brownie protested, appearing out of nowhere to stand on Hexam’s back. “You can’t lock our guests in their rooms like that! There are no dogs allowed in here either!” he added. The Cerberus looked at him with one of his heads, wearing an insulted expression at being called a mere dog.
“Do you know who she is?” Olsa asked as both she and her husband appeared next to the brownie.
She pointed at her mistress and he turned to look at her. His brown bark-like skin went a few shades paler. “Your majesty!” he stammered. “I didn’t realize it was you.”
“That’s okay,” she said with a tired smile, feeling strangely safe with Dalrin’s hands on her shoulders. “I guess we’d better leave before the warriors break out and arrest us.”
“Oh, they can’t leave their room, your highness,” Unwin told her. “Our magic always overrules our guests’ abilities when they stay in our inns. Especially now that the fairies are losing their power.”
“Is it just my kind that are losing their magic?” Dacrith asked, letting his hands drop to his sides. Asha was so tiny that her bones had felt fragile beneath his fingers. He knew she was far stronger than she looked, but she still brought out a strange protective urge inside him that he’d never felt before. Frankly, he didn’t know how to deal with these feelings, so he squashed them deep down inside his mind.
“No, master,” Olsa replied. “Other fae creatures are losing their power as well. Those with the darkest hearts seem to be losing their magic first. The rest of us who are forced to dwell in this realm will probably eventually lose our abilities as well.”
That was a disturbing thought, but at least they would be safe for now. “We should stay inside our room and leave before dawn,” the prince suggested.
“As you wish, master,” the brownie said. A door down the hall swung open, inviting them to enter.
When they were clean and dry again, the trio of travelers sat down to eat. Asha was drawn and quiet and barely touched her meal. Dacrith also didn’t have much of an appetite. His rage when he’d realized Asha had been taken from him had been far worse this time. None of their attackers had known who he was. If they had, they would have fled screaming. All knew of the warrior known as death. He was the most infamous and dangerous combatant who had existed in the goblin dungeon. Or he had been until Jake Everett had come along and usurped him from his dubious throne.
Climbing into the big, soft bed after the brownies changed her into her nightgown, Asha lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Dalrin lay on a thin mattress on the floor with Hexam sprawled at his feet. Her two guardians would make sure no one would harm her and the brownies would keep intruders out. Despite that, she felt uneasy.
They’d managed to survive the ambush intact, yet she knew their luck couldn’t hold. Dalrin was clearly an accomplished swordsman and Hexam was fierce in battle, but they would eventually encounter overwhelming odds. Cursed with bad karma from killing dozens of humans, she knew her punishment wouldn’t be delayed for much longer. She could practically feel her doom coming for her.
They were more careful when they resumed their journey just before dawn. Already, travelers were out and about. Dacrith asked Hexam to remain out of sight. He was too conspicuous and they needed to blend in. The Cerberus wasn’t happy, but he did as asked. He trotted along about two hundred yards away from the road. The storm made the realm dark and gloomy. It was perpetually twilight even at midday.
This time when they were ambushed, they had no warning at all. A group of fifty Unseelie warriors suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Dalrin reached for his sword, but Asha put her hand on his. “Don’t,” she said in a resigned tone as one of the warriors strode forward. “You can’t fight that many soldiers.”
“Remove your hood,” the lead warrior commanded. Asha did as ordered, but Dalrin made no move to comply. They weren’t interested in him anyway and he was ignored. Studying her long blonde hair that was instantly soaked by the rain, the warrior nodded to himself when he saw her tri-colored eyes. “You are the one we’ve been seeking,” he confirmed. “We have been ordered by the advisors to the throne to bring you to the Unseelie palace immediately. Will you come with us willingly?”
Asha cast a look at Dalrin and saw his entire body was tense. He’d wanted to gain redemption by escorting her to the palace himself and they were about to steal his chance from him. “Dalrin has been my guide and my protector,” she said. “I would like him to accompany me.”
The warrior didn’t even spare the hunter a glance. “That was not my order, my lady. Only you are to be brought before the Court.”
“I’ll come for you, my Queen,” Dalrin promised just loudly enough for her to hear him. “We will be together again.” She turned to see his gray-gold eyes burning into hers and she knew he meant every word.
Before she could reply, magic welled up as the fairies pooled their strength. It was enough to enable them to teleport to a new location. Lurching a step when she found solid ground beneath her feet, Asha’s hair, face and clothing were dried by one of her personal brownies.
Palace brownies did the same for her unwanted escorts. She looked around to see she was in a foyer of what had to be the Unseelie palace. Black marble covered the floor. It was so shiny that her face was reflected back at her when she looked down. Candelabras hung every twenty or so feet. Magical candles were perpetually lit, but none dripped wax to the floor below.
Twin black doors barred their way. They swung open at an unseen signal and she was marched towards a long strip of blood red carpet. Above the warriors’ heads, she saw a raised dais with two black crystal thrones. Both were empty and the smaller one seemed to have been recently made. Six chairs were lined up in front of the platform, but she only caught glimpses of their occupants.
Her escorts towered over her, blocking her from view and her sight of the throng that was crowded into the throne room. Whispers and nasty titters sounded. The little she saw of the courtiers warned her that she was horribly underdressed. They wore beautiful dresses and tailored tunics and pants. She was still dressed in her traveling clothes and cloak. Her sword had vanished upon her arrival, leaving her feeling vulnerable.
They came to a stop at the end of the carpet. Her escorts parted, then peeled off to reveal her to the Unseelie Court. She recognized Lord Nicolaia immediately. Jake was the spitting image of his father. They shared the same dark brown hair, stormy dark blue eyes and ridiculously handsome face.
Her gaze ran across the male and female advisors, then came to a stop on the hunched, twisted little being that was perched on the final chair. King Lod was even uglier than she’d expected. His silver eyes gleamed and he grinned to show his pointed, sharp teeth. “Daughter,” he said in his native language. While the others wore dresses, or tunics and trousers, he wore a shapeless black smock.
“Father,” she responded in the same tongue.
A warrior stood near the advisors, studying her insolently. She assumed he was the fairy they’d chosen to become her husband. “This is the woman you expect me to wed?” he asked derisively. “She looks like a child. You can’t expect me to bed a skinny little thing like her for the rest of my life.” About average height for a fairy, he had ash blond hair with blotches of brown, giving him a strangely mottled look. His eyes were mostly brown with yellow flecks.
Snide laughter broke out. Lord Nicolaia and King Lod exchanged a look, then glowered at the man who would be king.
“You must be Corvine,” Asha said dourly. “Don’t worry, you won’t ever have to sleep with me. I’ve heard about your reputation and I would never marry someone who enjoys abusing women.”
Silence descended at her pronouncement, then the six advisors shifted their focus to her. They were ancient and were probably considered to be wise. She was only six decades old and knew little about their world. They’d expected her to bow to their demands, but she wasn’t going to comply if it meant becoming chained to Corvine. From the dark look the warrior flashed at her, she’d just made herself an enemy.
