From my seat on the right side of the throne room, I watched Lukas speak quietly with the king, Korrigan, a male I recognized as one of the king’s advisors, and a female I didn’t know but who looked familiar. Their voices didn’t carry to me, but their solemn faces told me the conversation was not a pleasant one.
The advisor said something, and Lukas responded with a firm shake of his head. This prompted the female to turn her head and shoot me a look of angry resentment that was so much like another’s I knew immediately who she was. Dariyah’s mother, Marceline. That meant the male advisor beside her was Dariyah’s father, Tyrion.
I had heard Dariyah’s parents’ names mentioned numerous times in the week since the incident in the gardens. Word had spread quickly, and soon the entire court had been buzzing with the deliciously scandalous story. The people who didn’t like Dariyah – and there were many of them – were delighted to talk about her fall from grace and speculate on how it would affect her parents’ elevated positions at court.
By now, everyone had heard about how Lukas had run after me, thrown me over his shoulder, and carried me to his quarters. We had emerged a day and a half later and had spent every available hour together when he wasn’t dealing with court business.
I was too happy to care about the rampant gossip. I spent my nights with Lukas and woke up every morning in his arms. Soon, I’d complete the job Aedhna had given me, and the damage to both worlds would be repaired. I couldn’t wait to tell Lukas everything and bring him home to visit my family.
I met Lukas’s serious gaze as he crossed the room toward me. He sat beside me and leaned in to say in a low voice, “They are bringing her in now. It’ll be over soon.”
As he spoke, the king took his throne, and Korrigan stood behind him on his left. Dariyah’s parents moved to sit opposite from us on the other side of the room. Normally, every seat would be occupied for something like this, but King Oseron had limited it to only the people involved out of consideration for his friend Tyrion. As long as the end result was that I no longer had to deal with Dariyah, I didn’t care how it was done.
The door opened at the back of the room, and Dariyah entered escorted by Faolin. It was the first time I’d seen her in a week because she had been confined to her quarters. Her arrogant demeanor was gone, but she walked with her head high, her gaze straight ahead.
They stopped ten feet from the king, and she dropped into a graceful curtsy. When she rose, she lowered her eyes to the foot of the throne, and silence fell over the room as we waited for the king to speak.
“Dariyah.” King Oseron said her name as if he was speaking to a misbehaving child. “I have known you your whole life, and it saddens me greatly to have you before me like this today.”
I tensed at the familiarity with which he spoke to her. He didn’t sound like someone about to mete out a punishment.
Lukas’s hand covered mine, and I relaxed a little. He had assured me Dariyah would not get away with her actions this time, and I trusted him. I didn’t have the same faith in his father, who, until now, had favored Dariyah as a potential mate for Lukas.
“Fafnir confessed his part in your scheme and provided Faolin with the name of the elf servant who gave Jesse the drink laced with menak.” The king’s expression changed to one of censure. “Under interrogation, the servant admitted he was also the one to slip Jesse acca berries on her first night here, making her very ill. He said you had threatened his family with banishment when you became consort if he did not carry out your bidding.”
I gasped audibly. I wasn’t surprised to learn Dariyah was behind the acca berry incident, but to threaten banishment to a servant if he didn’t go along with her schemes was beyond cruel.
“As king, I have many responsibilities, but none are more important than protecting the welfare of every Unseelie citizen, no matter their station. Causing harm to another or using a position of power to threaten someone weaker than you are two things I cannot condone.”
Dariyah appeared to shrink under his reproachful stare. Watching her, I realized that until this moment, she thought she would get off with a slap on the wrist. Her father was a close friend and advisor to the king. She had been raised to believe she was better than most and groomed to become the consort one day. I would bet she had never been punished for a single wrongdoing in her life.
King Oseron pressed his lips together as if it pained him to say what came next. “You will leave here tomorrow morning and travel to your family’s estate in Galia. Henceforth, you are forbidden to return to this court.”
Dariyah made a small choked sound and looked at her parents. Her father wore a grim expression, and her mother couldn’t have looked more devastated if the king had sentenced Dariyah to death. Lukas was right. This was the worst possible punishment Dariyah could have been given. It didn’t matter that she would live in luxury at her family estate and be able to come and go as she pleased. The one thing she wanted would be forever denied her.
“This will not sever your ties with your parents. They are free to visit you whenever they want,” King Oseron told her kindly, clearly misinterpreting the reason for her distress. “Your father is needed here now, but I will understand if he and your mother wish to live with you away from court after the barrier crisis is over.”
I watched Dariyah’s parents for their reaction. Tyrion’s expression hadn’t changed, but Marceline looked decidedly uncomfortable. Based on what I’d heard about her this week, she loved her prominent status at court, and she was quick to remind people that her mate was one of the king’s most trusted advisors. She was not giving that up for anyone, including her own daughter.
A wave of longing hit me. I wished I could hug my mom and tell her how lucky I was to have her as my mother. She was strong and loving, and she would do anything for her children. I couldn’t have asked for a better role model.
“Have you anything to say before you leave?” the king asked Dariyah.
“No, Your Majesty,” she answered in a subdued voice. Dariyah wasn’t stupid. She knew nothing she said now would change his ruling.
He nodded once. “You have the remainder of today to pack and make your farewells. You may go.”
It was over. Faolin escorted Dariyah out of the room, and the king rose from his throne to speak to her parents. Lukas stood and held out a hand to me. I took it, and we quietly left the room.
“I’m glad that’s done,” I said as we walked to Lukas’s quarters. “How far away is Galia?”
He chuckled. “Far enough. I suspect Dariyah will be spending more time in the human realm once travel is permitted again.”
My heart leapt. “When do you think that will happen?”
“I can’t say for certain, but our tests have shown a slight strengthening in the barrier since all portals were closed.”
I stopped abruptly to stare at him. “You are only telling me this now?”
“I learned of it this morning. We are waiting on Seelie’s tests results.” He smiled ruefully. “I should not have mentioned it until after they confirmed it.”
“I’m glad you did.” Elated, I resumed walking. The ke’tains were starting to repair the barrier. I wished more than anything I could tell Lukas the truth, but there was no way around the gag Aedhna had put on me. It felt wrong to start our life together on a lie, and I prayed that when all this was done, she would finally allow me to confide in him.
Queen Anwyn was due in four days for more discussions. Lukas had told me that they’d made little progress during the meetings in Seelie because the queen was still set on the idea of sealing the barrier for good. She couldn’t do it alone so they were at an impasse.
“What would you like to do today?” he asked when we neared the lift.
“You’re free?” The king had been pulling Lukas back into meetings the last few days to prepare for Seelie’s visit, so I had expected to not see him until dinner.
“I’m all yours for the rest of the day.”
“In that case…” I lowered my voice so the guards couldn’t hear me. “Can we stay in?”
His answering smile made my breath quicken. “I think we can arrange that.”
I winced at the pain in my wrist and shoulder as I dressed after my shower. It served me right for agreeing to spar with Parisa. That girl was a savage when you put a weapon in her hands, and she handled the staff like it was a part of her. Thank God I wasn’t practicing with blades, or she would have sliced me to ribbons.
I never thought the day would come when I’d wish I was training with Faolin. He and the others were busy preparing for Seelie’s visit tomorrow, which had left me training alone until Parisa had offered to show me some of her techniques. It was no wonder she was Roswen’s head of security.
Kaia growled softly and jumped off my bed to run out of the bedroom. Seconds later, the bell rang. I smiled at my reflection in the mirror and hurried after her. Lukas had said he’d be here for dinner, but his work must have finished up early. No matter how many times I told him he didn’t have to ring the bell, he did it anyway. It was all a part of the courting thing.
I swung the door open, and my smile froze at the sight of the male standing there. “Your Majesty.”
“Hello, Jesse,” King Oseron said pleasantly. “May I come in?”
I came to my senses and moved aside for him. “Of course.”
He entered my quarters, and I noticed two of his personal guards standing behind him. They took up positions in the hallway, leaving me alone with the king of Unseelie.
“Would you like to sit?” I discreetly rubbed my damp palms on my pants. I could think of only one reason why he would visit me, and it wasn’t good.
In the weeks since Lukas and I had become an official couple and he’d informed his father he was done with the matchmaking, the king had been very quiet on the matter. I hadn’t believed he would give up that easily, but whenever I mentioned it to Lukas, he told me not to worry and that he would handle his father.
I trusted Lukas, but the fact that I hadn’t spoken to his parents since we got together told me the king was not happy about our relationship. Now, he was here to take matters into his own hands.
“Yes. Let us sit,” he said warmly. He took one of the large chairs and looked around him. “I have not visited private quarters on this level since before I was king. That was so very long ago.”
I perched on the edge of the couch, too anxious to relax. My throat had gone dry, and my stomach was twisted in knots.
If he noticed my emotional state, he did not show it. “Are you comfortable here?”
“Yes.”
“Faerie is very different from your old home in the human realm,” he noted. “You must miss it.”
I nodded. “I mostly miss my family.”
“The separation must be difficult for you. I am sorry about that.”
I heard the sincerity in his voice, and I managed a small smile. “I’m hoping I’ll be able to see them soon.”
“I hope that as well.” He settled back in his chair. “I have often wished I could visit that world. When I was young, I loved to travel. I would have been happy to do it my whole life if I had not become king. Did you know I was not the original heir to the throne?”
My mouth fell open at that revelation. “No.”
He smiled at my reaction. “I am not surprised. It was so long ago that most have either forgotten it or were born after that time in our history.” He touched the round eyranth medallion, which was only worn by the Unseelie king or queen. “Queen Belisande, the last monarch, is my mother, and she ruled Unseelie for eight hundred years. When she stepped down, my older brother Onagh became king.”
I didn’t say anything as my mind raced. Had Onagh died? What other reason was there for the current king to take his brother’s place on the throne?
“My brother had been groomed and trained his whole life to be king, and he did everything our mother asked of him but one,” the king went on. “Before she abdicated, she selected a high-born female to be his consort, but Onagh refused her. He was in love with a non-royal named Asherah, and he took her as his mate and consort.”
My stomach bunched into a knot because I knew where this story was headed. I said nothing, and he continued.
“Seven years after they mated, Asherah gave birth to a daughter, and Unseelie celebrated our new heir.” King Oseron sighed. “Fae infants are most vulnerable in their first three months, so she was under constant watch. Sadly, she did not thrive and died before she was a month old.”
“Oh, no.” I covered my mouth.
“It took fourteen years for Asherah to conceive again. She bore another girl, and this baby lived. We soon discovered, however, that the child’s magic was weak. A son came seven years later, and like his sister, his magic was not strong enough for him to be the next monarch.
“People soon began to worry because the strength of Unseelie depends on the strength of its leader. Onagh was strong, but he and Asherah were unable to provide a successor, which made our future uncertain. Fear spread, and there were calls for other high-born royals to challenge for the throne. There were some who were only too willing to wear the crown, but those challenges would have fractured Unseelie. We could not allow that to happen.”
“So Onagh abdicated to you?” I asked.
He nodded solemnly. “I ascended to the throne, and Onagh and his family went to live with our parents in one of the royal retreats. They prefer life away from court and have been happy there to this day.
“I vowed I would not make the same mistake my brother had. Though I loved another, I took the female my mother had chosen for Onagh, as my consort. Maurelle and I worked hard for years to bring back stability to Unseelie. Here at court, there were still rumblings from those who had wanted to challenge for the throne. It was not until Aedhna blessed us with a strong, healthy son that the people’s faith in their monarchy was fully restored.”
King Oseron stood. “Come with me.”
I followed him out to the balcony where he looked out at the valley for a long moment before he said, “It is beautiful, is it not?”
“Yes. It still takes my breath every time I see it.”
He turned to give me a warm smile that reached his eyes. “I love Unseelie almost as much as I love my children, and I would do anything in my power to protect them both. From Vaerik’s accounts of you, you would do no less for your family.”
“Yes.” I straightened my shoulders and tried to prepare myself for what was to come. He was going to order me to stay away from Lukas. Or maybe he planned to send me away to some distant town like he had with Dariyah.
He took one of my hands in his. “You have so many qualities I admire, Jesse, not the least of which are your courage and fortitude. I doubt there are many who could handle all you have been through with the same poise. I can see why my son loves you, and I can see that you love him.”
My chest squeezed painfully, and I whispered, “Yes.”
“As a father, I want more than anything for my children to be happy. As the king, I must also do what is best for Unseelie.” His eyes grew sad. “I have seen firsthand what happens when someone of weaker blood is chosen as consort. The future of Unseelie depends on a powerful line of succession. Vaerik’s magic is strong, but you are not Fae-born. There are those who will never accept you as consort and might challenge Vaerik because of it. If that does not happen, there is the high risk of you bearing weak heirs as Onagh and Asherah did.”
The pain in my chest spread through me and formed a hard, cold lump in my stomach. I had no argument to make because he was right. I could not change the circumstances of my birth, and I’d experienced enough disdain and condescension to know he spoke the truth about some people not accepting me. They were nice enough to me now that I was with Lukas, but what would they be like when I officially became his mate and the future consort?
“What are you going to do?” My voice nearly broke on the last word, but I held the emotion in.
“Nothing,” he answered softly. “Vaerik loves you, and he will choose you as his mate. I cannot prevent that any more than my mother could stop Onagh from choosing Asherah.”
“I don’t understand. Why did you come to see me if not to break us up?”
King Oseron looked at the valley and back to me. I saw the answer in his eyes before he said the words. “The only person who can stop Vaerik from making a choice that could destroy his future is you. I came here to tell you about Onagh in the hope that history will not repeat itself.”
I leaned against the rail, feeling as weak as the day Lukas had exposed me to iron. However, this time the chain was around my neck and pressing against my chest. The king wasn’t going to force me away from Lukas. He was asking me to walk away from the man I loved.
I felt a light squeeze on my hand, reminding me the king still held it. I looked up into his troubled eyes.
“You deserve to be happy after all you have endured, and I wish there was another way. The last thing I want is to hurt Vaerik or you.”
He released my hand and walked away. When the door closed, I sank to the floor, wrapped my arms around my knees, and let the tears come. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t give up Lukas and watch him take someone else as his mate.
When Aedhna’s arms encircled me, I curled against her like a little girl. She stroked my hair and hummed a soft melody as I cried until I had no tears left.
“I can take the pain away,” she offered gently.
My throat was so raw it hurt to speak. “Can you make it so Lukas and I can stay together?”
She shook her head. “That is a decision you and he must make.”
“But the king said there’s no other choice.”
“Oseron made sacrifices for his people, and his fear of unrest drives him to expect the same from his son. He forgets there is more to being a ruler than the ability to produce strong progeny. Onagh did not have the right strength to lead, but Oseron did. Vaerik possesses it, too.”
Hope kindled in my chest, and I lifted my head to look at her. “Does that mean no one would challenge him for the throne if I was his consort?”
She wiped away the wetness on my cheeks. “It means he could rise to the challenge as you rose to the one I gave you. You did not believe you were up to the tasks, yet here we are on the eve of the final one.”
My stomach fluttered with a mix of excitement and fear. “It’s tomorrow?”
“Yes.” She stood. “Come. I must prepare you.”
I followed her inside where she gave me instructions as she had the first two times. Then she removed all evidence of my emotional meltdown and left a second before the door opened and Lukas came in.
“All ready for tomorrow?” I asked, surprised by how composed I sounded when I was anything but.
“Yes.” He came over to join me on the couch. “I’m sorry I’ve left you on your own the last few days. I won’t see much of you while Seelie is here.”
I moved over to snuggle against his side. “I understand. Hopefully, soon you won’t need to have any more of these meetings with Seelie.”
“I hope so, too.” He wrapped an arm around me. “How do you feel about a change of scenery after Seelie leaves? I have a private retreat in the Daerig Mountains where we could get away from all of this for a week.”
“That sounds amazing.” The thought of going away with him made me instantly feel lighter.
Lukas leaned in to press a light kiss to my mouth. “I’ll tell Faolin to prepare for a trip in three days.”
I smiled at him and rested my head in the crook of his shoulder. Aedhna had given me a sliver of hope about my future with him, and time away from court was exactly what I needed to figure things out. I understood the king’s concerns, but I wasn’t giving up my prince. Not without a fight.
I hurried along the tunnel that wound in a wide circle down into the rock beneath the temple. It led to a room where portals were created by people coming to the island, and I hoped there were no visitors until I got out of the tunnel. There wasn’t room here for someone to pass without bumping into me.
I reached the portal room, which was nothing more than a cave with sconces high on the walls. It looked like a dead end until I walked to the left side and found the slab of rock that Aedhna had told me about. It blended with the wall unless you were standing beside it, and behind it was a space so narrow I wasn’t sure I would fit inside.
Squeezing behind the slab, I had to contort my body to get through the cramped space. Six feet in, it opened up into a tiny cave with water dribbling down the sides. I sniffed the air and picked up the smell of seaweed and brine. I was under the ocean.
I went to the dry section of wall and touched the ke’tain to it. The wall rippled, and the outline of a doorway appeared in it with steps leading down into the darkness. I shook my head in wonder. No matter how many times I witnessed magic like this, I would never get used to it.
Here I go. I took out my laevik crystal and descended the long flight of stairs. At the bottom, wind whistled, and there was enough light to see without my crystal. I was in what appeared to be a tall rock crevice inside a mountain. The air was warm, so I ruled out the Duergar Mountains, but I was definitely no longer on the island.
I walked toward a sliver of daylight up ahead. A few minutes later, I emerged in a place so beautiful I wasn’t sure I could find the words to do it justice.
I was in a small green valley beneath a sky so blue, it hurt my eyes to look at it after the gloom of the tunnel. The valley was ringed with snow-capped mountains, but here it was warm and smelled of flowers, fruit, and sunshine.
Shielding my eyes, I looked toward a lake sparkling in the sun, and I did a double take at the sight of a small herd of kelpies grazing beside it. Closer to me, a pair of fluffy, white hamas romped in the grass, and a nixie began to sing from her perch in a tree.
I turned in a half circle to take in my surroundings and stopped when my gaze landed on a pristine, white stone building with thick columns that reminded me of an ancient Greek temple. I walked toward the building, and as I drew closer, I could make out some of the interior through the wide arched entrance. The building appeared to have only one room with tall windows and a raised dais at the far end on which stood a throne.
A ninny drew my gaze back to the lake where a white kelpie stood slightly apart from the rest, looking at me. As I walked toward it, I remembered the night in the East River when I’d nearly been drowned by a kelpie before I’d grabbed the goddess stone from her mane. That night felt like a decade ago.
The kelpie walked out to meet me when I neared the lake. It was smaller than the rest of the herd, which told me it was still a foal. For a second, I wondered if it might be the same foal that had lain beside me and kept me warm through the night on North Brother Island. There was no way to know, but wouldn’t that be something?
I stripped down to my underthings and walked to the water with the ke’tain in my hand and the foal beside me. At the water’s edge, I grabbed a handful of the kelpie’s mane, and we entered the water. I held on while the kelpie swam to the center of the lake.
The lake wasn’t wide, but it was deep, and the water was so clear I could see all the way to the bottom. We stopped at the deepest part of the lake, and far below was a dim yellow glow.
I looked at the kelpie. “I’m ready if you are.”
He sank below the surface, and I sucked in a deep breath before he took me down with him. It was a reflex action because Aedhna had said the goddess stone would help me breathe in this lake. Even so, I held the air in my lungs as long as I could before I had to let it out.
Down, down we went into the eerie underwater world where schools of colorful fishes darted away from us. Once, I thought I saw the flash of a large silver tail, but whatever it was disappeared before I got a better look.
The ke’tain began to pulse, and it grew stronger the deeper we went. By the time we reached the bottom, it was emitting a soft blue glow, and it thrummed with so much energy my fingers started to feel numb.
The yellow glow came from below the surface of the soft mud. I let go of the kelpie, and it swam away as if it knew what was about to happen. I wished I could go with it because I had a feeling this last pairing was going to hurt a lot.
Bracing myself, I lowered my hand until it hovered a few inches above the glow. Then I laid the ke’tain on top of the one in the mud.
A bright green flash lit up the lake bed a second before a shockwave slammed into me. Excruciating pain enveloped me, and it felt like every bone in my body had been crushed. I welcomed the blessed oblivion that followed.
When I came to, I was floating on my back on the surface of the lake with the kelpie beside me. My body no longer hurt, and I moved my arms and legs to make sure everything worked. I stared at the sky, still dazed. That blast should have killed me.
It took me a minute to notice the strange glow surrounding me. I looked down and sucked in a mouthful of water. The entire lake glowed bright green, and I could no longer see the bottom or the ke’tain. I hoped that meant it was doing what it was supposed to, and I hadn’t accidently turned the lake radioactive.
The shockwave hadn’t killed me, but I felt weaker, and I soon grew tired treading water. The kelpie must have sensed it because he nudged me until I wrapped an arm around his neck. Eventually, I nodded off.
His ninny woke me, and the first thing I noticed was that the green glow was gone except for one spot far below. I watched it until it faded away to a soft blue.
The kelpie turned his head toward me in a silent question. I let go of his neck and took hold of his mane. “Let’s go.”
This time, I didn’t take in a gulp of air first. We dived down, and my eyes were too focused on the blue glow to enjoy the view. My feet hit the bottom, and I wasted no time reaching for the ke’tain without stopping to wonder if it might be too powerful for me to touch now.
A painful tingle rushed from my fingertips to my shoulder, and I almost dropped the ke’tain. I held the stone tightly in my fist until the pain lessened to a dull ache. It was then that I felt a faint vibration at the back of my head. I reached up with my other hand to touch the quivering goddess stone. It had to be somehow absorbing the power from the ke’tain to protect me.
I turned to where I’d left the kelpie, and let out a small scream. Floating a dozen feet away from me were two sirens. Their long hair swirled around them to below their waist where their tails began, and their large eyes resembled those of a Disney princess. Their features were beautiful but so sharp they looked cruel. One had silver hair, and the other’s hair was a darker shade of red than mine.
The red-haired siren motioned at my braid with her webbed hand. Realizing what she wanted, I unraveled my braid so my hair flowed free like theirs. I didn’t move when she swam over and ran her fingers through my hair. She spoke to her friend, and it sounded like dolphin speech. Her friend responded, and I shivered when I saw pointed teeth like those of a shark.
The kelpie was suddenly beside me even though neither of the sirens had shown aggression. I didn’t know if he was being protective or possessive, but his bared teeth were enough to send the sirens racing away through the water.
We rose to the surface, and on the way back to the shore, I couldn’t stop thinking about the sirens’ behavior. It wasn’t until my feet touched the rocky bottom that it occurred to me the sirens had never seen a red-haired faerie. They must have wondered what the heck this creature was with red hair and the legs of a land walker. I smiled to myself. I couldn’t wait to tell Mom and Dad about this.
The other kelpies watched us curiously when we walked out of the lake. For the first time since coming to Faerie, I wished I had a camera. No one back home would ever believe me when I told them I’d seen a whole herd of the creatures.
I picked up my coat to tuck the ke’tain away in the pocket, and I was overcome with euphoria. I did it. The ke’tain had been restored, and now Faerie could heal itself.
Throwing up my arms, I let out a whoop and laughed when some of the kelpies snorted and neighed in response. They were probably snickering at the crazy female dancing in her underwear, but I didn’t care.
I waited a few minutes for the sun to dry my skin before I got dressed. My hair was still damp when I braided it again. It would dry by the time I got back to the temple.
The kelpie foal walked up to me when I was fully dressed. I stroked his nose, and he sniffed my face.
“I guess this is goodbye. Thank you for helping me.” I gave him one last pat and turned to walk back to the crevice in the rock. I stopped when I saw the white building, torn between my desire to see inside and my pressing need to return the ke’tain to the temple. Need won, and I entered the crevice, leaving the valley behind.
Ten minutes later, I silently descended the stairs into the main room of the temple. My eyes and ears were alert for any movement from the guards as I crossed the room and passed through the wards around the altar. Standing behind it, I took a few slow breaths to calm my nerves. This didn’t get any less nerve-racking no matter how often I did it. Thank God this was the last time.
Casting another glance at the guards, I pushed out the illusion surrounding me to blanket the altar. This was my least favorite part, and I never forgot how close I’d come to getting caught the first time I’d done it.
I took the ke’tain from my pocket. It shocked me again, but I was ready for it. I reached out and deftly switched it with the fake one on the altar.
Noises came from the antechamber above. I froze as two blond males appeared in the entrance and started down the stairs. One I’d never seen before. The other male I didn’t know by name, but I’d recognize him anywhere. He was one of Queen Anwyn’s personal guards.
My heart began to pound. What was he doing here? He should be with the queen in Unseelie.
I withdrew my shaking hand and pressed it to my chest as the two males approached the altar and stopped outside the wards. My eyes were fixed on the queen’s guard, so I didn’t miss the way his gaze moved over the altar and the space around it. To the guards behind him, his stance was relaxed, but they didn’t see the calculating gleam in his eyes when he studied the ke’tain. He was up to something.
Surely, Queen Anwyn wouldn’t attempt to steal the ke’tain again. If the barrier failed, Seelie would be destroyed along with the rest of Faerie.
I glanced toward the two Seelie guards on duty. One look at their faces told me they were as surprised as I was to see the queen’s guard here.
My gaze slid to the other newcomer, who was looking reverently at the fake ke’tain without a hint of suspicious behavior. Maybe he and the queen’s guard weren’t together, and they had merely arrived at the same time.
Maybe I was so on edge I was making something out of nothing. Tennin had told me once that it would take four or five strong court faeries to get past the ward that protected the ke’tain. And that was before more powerful wards had been added after the ke’tain was returned. I was able to pass through them only because of my goddess stone.
The queen’s guard lifted his eyes from the altar and looked straight at the spot where I stood. His mouth barely moved when he said, “Well?”
I tensed. Was he talking to me?
“It will work,” the other male murmured quietly. “It has to be an older one and the hide must be fresh. The scales will fall off after a day, and it will lose its magic.”
Hide? Scales? Bile rose in my throat. Drakkans were impervious to wards. Gus was able to come and go through the powerful ward Lukas had put on my apartment, and he’d only been a young drakkan.
What if someone managed to kill an older drakkan, wrapped themselves in the hide, and were able to walk right past the wards? They’d have to knock out the guards first, but then the ke’tain would be theirs for the taking.
One of the Unseelie guards on duty shifted restlessly, his watchful eyes trained on the two visitors, who had been standing in front of the altar a little too long. The queen’s guard smiled, and the sight made my stomach lurch. He turned away from the altar and ascended the stairs as if he hadn’t a care. Ten seconds later, his co-conspirator followed him.
I looked down at the ke’tain and pressed my lips together. I was not going to give Queen Anwyn another chance to destroy everything I loved.
I needed to warn the king about what she was up to, and I had to do it without revealing how I’d come by this information. I’d worry about that part later. First, I had to take the ke’tain and hide it somewhere safe – like that hidden cave in the mountains. It was a long trip, but no one would ever find it there.
I extended the hand that held the replica, and I had to pull it back because it was shaking. I took a few deep, calming breaths. Get it together, Jesse.
My hand was steady when I tried again, but I was distracted by what had happened, and I forgot to brace myself for the jolt when I touched the ke’tain. Hot needles of pain shot from my fingertips to my shoulder, and I barely managed to bite back a cry.
For a second, I lost all feeling in my hand, long enough for the ke’tain to slip from my grip. It landed in its spot on the altar with a soft thump that might as well have been a gunshot in the tomblike room.
The four guards came to life and rushed toward the altar. I barely breathed as the Unseelie guards scanned one side of the altar, and the Seelie guards checked the other side.
“Do you see anything?” one of the Unseelie guards asked.
“No,” replied a Seelie guard. “You all heard the noise?”
The second Unseelie guard craned his neck, trying to peer around the altar. “Yes, but I can see nothing out of place.”
“I do not like this.” The first Unseelie guard looked at the two from Seelie. He was the same guard I’d seen watching the visitors like a hawk, and he did not try to hide his suspicion. “I am going to send for Korrigan.”
My body went cold, and sweat broke out on my upper lip. If Korrigan came, so would Bauchan, the queen’s head of security. More guards would accompany them, and I’d be trapped here. The glamour made me invisible, but they could still touch me. If they took down the wards to investigate, I was done for.
“Then I will send for Bauchan,” said one of the Seelie guards, who looked anything but happy about it. He followed the Unseelie guard who had already started up the stairs.
I looked at the ke’tain as indecision flooded me. If I left it here, I risked Queen Anwyn getting her hands on it. If I tried to take it, I risked getting caught.
I bit the inside of my cheek. The chances of the queen’s men managing to hunt and kill an adult drakkan by tomorrow were slim. But the odds of me being imprisoned if I was caught were much higher. If that happened, I wouldn’t be able to protect the ke’tain from the queen.
Resigned, I quietly returned the fake ke’tain to my pocket. I kept a close eye on the two remaining guards, who stood facing the altar, as I crept around it. I had to hug the wall to sneak past the Unseelie guard, and I was afraid to breathe until I was halfway up the stairs. In the antechamber, I paused to listen for the presence of others. I released a shaky breath. That had been too close.
I jumped at a sound to my left, and I whirled to see a stone-faced Korrigan stepping out of the tunnel. Behind him were the guard who had been on temple duty and several others I couldn’t see. Damn it. They’d gotten here fast, which meant the Seelie people would arrive any second. It was about to get crowded in here, and I needed to get out before that happened.
More people spilled from the tunnel, and at the front was a blond male with a glacial expression. I saw why the Seelie guards had been so afraid to summon Queen Anwyn’s head of security. Up close, he was terrifying. I suddenly felt like a mouse dropped into a cage with a cobra.
I darted to the steps that led outside. In my haste, I brushed against the bowl of crystals atop the pedestal in the center of the room. The glass bowl rocked, and the crystals clinked against the sides.
I took two more steps before someone slammed into me, taking me down hard to the cold stone floor. Black dots swam before my eyes as I was rolled roughly onto my back and found myself looking up at Faolin’s shocked face.