I opened my eyes to darkness. I was lying on the cold ground, staring up into a dark, clouded sky. Someone was calling my name.
“Nor. Nor, wake up!”
I tried remembering where I was. I heard lilting music and the murmur of voices, but my mind was groggy. My eyelids felt heavy, and I desperately wanted to fall back asleep. Deep exhaustion penetrated my bones; even yawning felt like too much work.
“Nor, please wake up.”
It was Casper’s voice.
The numbing bliss ended in an instant as the fight in the mist came back to me. Casper and I had been separated. I had been caught by Pel’s brother, Elrik. He had pinned me to the ground before cutting my cheek, using blood magic to force me into an unnatural sleep. I sat up, desperate to find Casper. My vision tilted and a wave of nausea rolled over me. I stilled, closing my eyes and inhaling deeply through my nose, trying to get the world to stop spinning.
“Thank the Mother. Nor, you’re alive.”
A dozen steps away, Casper stood next to a long pole that stuck out of the ground. He and I were in a circular clearing, the perimeter marked by lit torches. By the flickering light of the torch fires, I could make out the tension in his face and body. And then I saw his restraint, a cruel faerie creation. Long, green vines grew from the top of the pole, hanging down the sides like ribbons, the structure resembling a village maypole. Except one of the vines was twisted around Casper’s neck, a living collar of leaves that kept him standing, lest he choke.
I scrambled to my feet, fighting past the nausea and fatigue, and tried to run to him, to find some way to cut down the cursed plant. I only made it a few steps before I was yanked back, hitting the ground hard.
“Chace’s chaos,” I swore, examining my own bonds. I had been too preoccupied to notice that thin vines encircled my wrists. Instead of growing from a pole, these vines sprung up directly from the ground, giving me only a few feet of movement. I yanked at the vines, convinced I could dig up such slender plants, but they held fast, as strong as chains.
“I tried that,” Casper said, pulling my attention back to him, his face pained. “These are not natural plants. But we are not in a natural place.” His eyes lifted from me, taking in our surroundings. I followed his gaze, registering the laughter beyond the circle.
I stared past the torches, a black sea. I heard the murmur of voices, the eerie, musical laughter that sent shivers down my spine, as my vision began to adjust to the darkness. I saw the eyes first, catlike eyes that reflected the light of the flames. I could make out the forms of dozens upon dozens of faeries. I inhaled sharply, realizing we were surrounded, on display for them.
“Casper, where are we?” I asked, the horror rising in me.
“You are in my court.” The voice was not Casper’s, but that of the Faerie Queen herself, Marasina. She stepped past the ring of torches and into the clearing where Casper and I were imprisoned. I froze at the sight of the warrior queen. Queen Marasina had led the raid that destroyed the cathedral at the Rose Palace, killing nobles and taking us prisoners. I could still clearly picture the imposing Faerie Queen covered in blood and mocking my trust of Pel.
This night, she wore a long silver dress studded with crystals, and it reminded me of her chain mail. Though she carried no sword, the hilt of a small dagger protruded from her braided belt. Her silver hair was loose under a crown of delicate strands of silver intertwined with living vines. Around her neck hung a glowing gold pendant that seemed to pulse, as though it were a tiny, beating heart.
“What are your intentions with us?” Casper asked, his voice firm, despite our predicament.
“To make an example of you, of course,” the queen said, her musical voice incongruent with her cruel words. “You humans stole my firstborn, my beloved son, away from me. Your father’s war killed my son, and that is a debt I will never forget. I should take your life for it.” Marasina took several steps toward Casper, relishing the moment. Casper silently met Marasina’s gaze, his head held high.
“No!” I cried, pulling with all my strength at the vines that imprisoned me, but they refused to budge.
She drew up to Casper, running her finger along the collar of vines around his neck. She was a head taller than him, and he had to look up to meet her eyes, but even then, he didn’t flinch. “But I am more merciful than you barbaric humans.” She turned from him, addressing the faeries beyond the clearing.
“Come, my loyal subjects, gather round for an evening’s entertainment.” Marasina’s sweet, strong voice rang out, and the fay immediately responded.
Even more eyes reflected in the flickering light, as the fay crowded around the circle. In the dark, I could only make out shifting silhouettes, catching glimpses of sharp, grinning teeth or the glimmer of dragonfly-like wings in the torchlight.
“Dance for us, little kingling. And give us a good show,” Marasina commanded, giving him a mocking smile.
Casper pressed his lips together, silently defying the Faerie Queen, as his hands formed tight fists by his side.
“I said dance,” Marasina repeated, a sharp edge to her voice. When Casper remained motionless, she frowned. “I was hoping you would be more compliant.”
“Sorry to disappoint you,” Casper said through gritted teeth.
“If you wish to be difficult.” Marasina gave a tiny shrug before she placed one long, elegant hand on the pole. “Vive estringersi,” she commanded, not to Casper, but to the pole. The vines that sprouted from the top started shrinking, pulling back into the pole, including the one latched around Casper’s neck.
“No!” I screamed.
Casper felt the tug around his neck, his hands flying up to his collar. He clawed at the vine, desperate to free himself, even as it stretched up, hauling him to stand on tiptoes lest he choke. His eyes were wide with terror, the horror I saw there mimicked in my own pounding chest.
After a moment that lasted too many lifetimes, Marasina lifted her hand from the pole. The vines immediately stopped shrinking. Casper could breathe, but only as long as he kept his back to the pole, standing precariously on his toes.
“I said dance.” Marasina’s command was all threat.
Reluctantly, Casper began a court dance, though he had to remain on his toes, staying in place. He slowly raised one foot, twisting it in the air before switching to the other foot. The whole time his eyes burned at the Faerie Queen.
“Faster,” she demanded.
Casper’s steps became hops as he obliged. He stumbled, the vine collar choking him as he scrambled to regain his balance. The faeries laughed, an unnatural sound in the dark. I screamed, clawing at my own vine cuffs in a desperate attempt to free myself so I could get to Casper, but the vines held firm, chaffing my wrists.
Casper found his footing, coughing as he dragged in air. Queen Marasina stepped closer to him, patting him on the head as though he were a dog.
“What a pathetic creature you are, little kingling, without your army. Good sport only to amuse my subjects.” More faerie laughter came from beyond the torches.
Casper moved before I could understand what was going on. Almost as fast as a faerie, his arm shot out, yanking Marasina’s small dagger from her belt. He swiftly cut through the vine holding him hostage. Freed, he brought the blade to Marasina’s neck. The silver metal shone in the moonlight, Casper’s face determined as he held the dagger to the Faerie Queen’s throat. His other hand grabbed a fistful of her silver hair, pulling her head back to expose her neck as her crown toppled to the ground.
“How about now?” Casper’s voice was rough, desperate. Though his eyes were wide, dilated with fear, his hands were steady. The dagger pressed into the soft flesh at the queen’s throat, but not so deep as to draw blood, at least not yet. A hush settled on the watching fay, their eyes wide, reflecting the torchlight. There were no murmurs or snickering now.
I thought Marasina might scream or at least show some sort of fear. Instead, she laughed. The sound, silver bells and waterfalls, scared me more.
“Casper, what are you doing?” I was supposed to be the one with a rash temper and outrageous ideas.
“Getting us out of here.”
“Is that your plan, kingling?” Marasina asked, her voice still full of mockery.
“I wouldn’t argue if I were you,” Casper told her, his voice hard. “Not in the position you are now in.”
“And I suggest you release me now, little king. I might even show mercy. You are toying with powers beyond your meager understanding.” The humor had left the queen’s voice. I tried not to shiver.
“I demand you release us,” Casper yelled. I couldn’t tell if he spoke to Marasina or the fay court at large. No one moved. “Release Nor and clear a path for us or I kill your queen.” Still, no one moved. Their strange cat-eyes stared at us from beyond the flames.
“And what leverage would you have then, little king?” Marasina’s words were cold. Goosebumps rose on my arms. She was not worried. We were missing something.
“Don’t think I won’t,” Casper said, pressing down on the blade. A thin line of golden blood slid onto the dagger.
“Release me now, or you shall regret it.”
“Casper,” I strained against the vines, desperate to get to him. “Something isn’t right.”
“Release my betrothed. Now!” Casper yelled, his voice shaking from anxiety. The faeries didn’t move, continuing to stare at us with their strange eyes.
“I warned you.” Marasina smiled, raising her hand.
Casper, his focus on me, didn’t see her lips moving in an incantation. I was certain whatever magic she had in mind was as deadly as her grin, sharp teeth white in the moonlight. Her arm reached out toward the dagger.
Marasina instead gripped Casper’s arm, her brutal magic flowing into him. Immediately, Casper’s eyes bulged, and he clawed at his chest, as though he were trying to rip himself apart. I remembered the magic Pel had used on bandits in the woods, making them choke on their own blood. Somehow, this seemed even worse. If Marasina continued, she would kill Casper.
“No!” I strained against my bonds, desperate to get to Casper. His eyes were rolling up into his head, his hands going limp as he dropped the blade, and a wave of panic crashed over me. Heat burned in my chest, as though Marasina’s magic was burning into my heart as well. I pushed with everything I had against the vines, the fire spreading down my arms, through my fingers. At that moment, I felt the vines holding me snap. I raced to Casper, needing to get him out of Marasina’s grasp. I collided with him, effectively freeing him from Marasina as I landed in a heap on top of him.
“Casper!” I rolled off of him, giving him space to breathe. He lay motionless on the ground. “Can you hear me? By the merciful Mother, be all right.” I leaned over him. He was breathing, and the pressure around my own chest loosened. “You’re going to be fine. Just breathe. It’s all going to be fine,” I promised over and over, having no idea how any of this would be fine. Casper’s eyes cracked open, and I swallowed a sob of relief.
“Nor,” Casper started, but even that one word was a struggle for him.
“Shh.” I cradled him in my arms on the ground. Outside the torch ring, faerie eyes stared down at us. I ignored them. I had to ensure Casper would live. Then I would deal with the fay. For a few precious seconds, the world narrowed to only Casper in my arms. As his breathing steadied, I felt my own heartbeat return to normal. I hadn’t realized how fast it had been racing.
“Well, that was quite the theatrics.” I looked up to see Marasina staring down at us, her face serene, her silver dagger back in her hand.
“You tried to kill him.” I had nothing to fight this queen, but my voice was fierce.
“Only after he threatened me.” She wiped at the cut on her neck. Already her luminous skin was knitting together, leaving only a drizzle of shiny blood and a small scar. She stared at the blood on her finger for a long moment, as though making a decision; one I was sure I wouldn’t like. “I don’t appreciate being threatened.” She nodded to a cluster of faeries outside the ring. “Take them to the Aqueno Prison.”
Before I could react, several faeries stepped into the circle, guards or soldiers by the looks of them, wearing thick leather armor. Two of them yanked me up to my feet, ripping me away from Casper. Two more guards hauled up Casper, dragging him, as he didn’t have the strength to stand on his own. I struggled against my captors, tried to kick and claw, anything to break their hold, but it was useless.
“They say humans make lovely entertainment,” the queen said, appraising us. “But I already grow weary of them.” Marasina turned to her guards. “Take them away. There is no trusting their kind.” She ran her finger along the small scar on her neck, which had healed to little more than a scratch. The guards started to drag us toward the torches.
“Wait.”
Elrik stepped into the circle. The faerie guards’ grip on my arms kept me from flinching away from the dangerous fay, the one who had tortured and taunted me in the woods. It was all I could do to stay silent. I dreaded the idea of a fay prison, but I also wasn’t so foolish as to think Elrik cared at all for our wellbeing. I wondered if Pel had stood next to his brother, watched our punishment and humiliation. Marasina raised one elegant eyebrow at Elrik. I couldn’t tell if she was pleased or annoyed at his outburst, but she let him continue.
“Elenora Molnár had nothing to do with the attack. That was all the little king. Perhaps it would be better if she stayed here.”
“I’m not leaving Casper,” I said, feeling a rush of defiance. If they took Casper somewhere far from here, I might not be able to find him.
“Nor, don’t be so noble,” Casper said. I turned to him. He was struggling to stand even as the faeries gripped his arms, ready to drag him to their prison.
“The Magia Sange brothers seem to have developed quite a soft spot for this female human. It’s not becoming.” Marasina stepped in the direction Elrik stood. Though he was tall, she was taller still, looking down at him with sapphire eyes.
I doubted Elrik would try to disobey his queen, not the way Pel had. In the moments after the battle at the Rose Palace, Pel had tried to allow me to go free. Instead, the queen had commanded him with his true name to take me prisoner. It was then that I also learned his true name, Rumpelstiltskin, and the power one had over the fay if one possessed such knowledge.
Use a faerie’s true name, and one could force them to do anything.
“I would never disobey you, my queen, I only humbly request that you spare her, as she did not come at you with a blade.” Elrik gave a deep bow, his golden hair falling over his brow.
“I would have if given the chance!” I snapped, but Casper shushed me. Not that anyone was paying the humans any attention. The full focus of the crowd was on Marasina and Elrik. I couldn’t understand why he was risking her wrath for me. Only a few weeks ago he had tried to kidnap me to bring me to Queen Marasina.
“I have no wish for the paramour of this human king to sully my court. She can go to the Aqueno Prison as well.” Marasina waved the guards off and they began to drag Casper and myself toward the darkness beyond the clearing.