When we had gathered in the courtyard of the palace, one of the goblins reached up to me with a dagger. I was about to kick him away when he motioned to the ropes. His face was expressionless, like he found all of this boring. It was business as usual for him, another boring day at the office caring for prisoners and untying them right before death was delivered.
He had tusks sticking up from his bottom jaw, up and out of his mouth. There were even stacks of rings decorating them along with several rings hanging from the septum of his nose. Though his attire was traditional for the Unseelie, it appeared dingy and well used. I held my breath as he cut through the ropes and tugged at me without really helping me get down off the horse. My wrists were still bound, so I had a h.e.l.l of a time swinging my leg over the saddle to land on the ground without toppling over. I stumbled, but managed to stay upright without breaking my neck.
A thud behind me followed by a yelp told me Paki wasn"t so fortunate. The goblin led the horses away to tie them up in the stable. I found Paki struggling to get up off the ground where he"d landed on his rear. Reaching over, I plucked him off the ground in one smooth pull.
He thanked me, but stared curiously at back, apparently shocked to find me doing much better than I"d looked earlier in the day.
"Glad to see you"re feeling much better than you did when you awoke, sir."
I nodded. "Must be magic, right?" I winked. "Oh, and Paki?"
"Yes?"
"Don"t call me "sir." It makes me feel like an old man or a teacher who"s been at the same school since my mother was a child."
He wrinkled his nose and looked terribly confused. I shook my head, breathing out as I sent a tiny string of fire magic down my arms to the wrist restraints and slowly cut the remaining rope ties with a fine sliver of fire. They should"ve thought better than to restrain a fire elemental with flammable ties. I grabbed Paki"s wrists and carefully singed a cut into his ties. The ropes fell to the ground in a scattered heap. He rubbed his wrists, looking grateful.
"Thank you, Benton."
"Hey, no problem. Do you know where they stashed our weapons?"
He motioned toward the front of the group where Oran"s lieutenants were being interrogated by Nyol"s guards. "The one with the stringy hair and long rings encircling his shoulders and arms has them. Apparently he"s not good for anything else but holding things; that pack on his back is filled with gear, including our swords."
I watched as the queen"s guards went through the guy"s pack, systematically laying out all the weapons. Mine was the fourth one pulled from the stack, and I stared at it hungrily. I felt naked without it.
"Time to get our stuff back."
"But, sir ... um, I mean Benton ... shouldn"t we wait until we reach the queen?"
I looked at my sword, a longing surged through my chest. After taking in the number of Unseelie still surrounding me, my shoulders slumped. "You"re right. If we try to get to them now, it"ll turn into mayhem."
Paki agreed, and we were immediately shoved from behind by a Draelik. I hated Draeliks, and the injury I"d recently gotten from one immediately started to ache as I was reminded of it. He pushed some of his dark magic into me through the blunt staff he used to shove us forward. At least he wasn"t touching us; that would be certain death. His poisonous talons were hidden under long, leather gloves. Most likely, the Unseelie didn"t want to accidently die from Draeliks either, so he probably had to cover them up while on duty. I got one glance at him and realized he was covered from head to toe, with only a pair of red, marble eyes peering out from a dingy black metal mask. At least I didn"t have to worry about his creepy, deathly touch, but I kept moving forward just in case he changed his mind on poisoning us. Paki followed suit.
We were led up the staircase and through familiar gardens where the crawling vines covered the walls with their creeping fingers, nearly covering the creamy stone underneath. Flower beds, vegetable patches and fruit orchids filled the inner levels of the palace grounds, and their attendants peered up at us as they finished their tasks for the evening, gathering their harvests. Most used magic to gather food, but there were some who were not as magically inclined and did it by hand. Some were humans, stolen from the mortal world and kept there all their lives as servants. Now, for those within the Scren, Shade had given them the freedom to leave if they wanted to. Most hadn"t. Their families were long dead in the human world, and a merciful ruler to tend to was the best job around.
They all watched us pa.s.s as we walked toward the palace entrance. The entrance was even more heavily guarded than the outside gates, but we entered without any opposition. I wondered if Shade knew the gravity of this situation. I was sure she didn"t yet know all the details, but she was sure to find out soon enough.
The ornate halls I had never quite called home before felt familiarly comforting as the palace"s magic welcomed me. I"d never paid attention to this welcome before and turned to find Paki with a slight grin on his face. He"d felt it as well, and it reenergized him as much as it had to me. I liked it and was thankful the Unseelie soldiers around us didn"t get any of the warm welcome. In fact, they looked downright spooked as they darted their eyes all around and constantly swatted at the air. I didn"t see what was tormenting them, but I was sure it had to do with the palace"s supernatural powers. Every palace had magic of its own, like they were living, breathing ent.i.ties. Only the chosen ruler of a palace could control and use these powers. I hoped Shade was using every resource she had right now; we were going to need it.
We entered into the main throne room, and I watched as Oran headed up the group, looking unfazed by the invisible powers of the palace. Nothing seemed to bother him much, but he could just excel at hiding emotions, like Seritus. I had to admit, he had an air of grace and absolute calm which emanated from him, like any other royal. This would be appreciated by my sister, but I was sure she"d be able to see past any facade he presented. The guy was tricky and conniving, that much was certain. It would take a miracle to get through whatever was going to happen to all of us. Even for a powerful Seelie queen like Shade, there would be challenges ahead.
This thought deflated the tiny spark of confidence I"d regained by healing and reentering the Scren grounds. The faces of the crowd told me my fears were confirmed. This wasn"t going to be a cut and dry thing, but it was going to be a very eye opening one. I just hoped it wouldn"t be the end of everything I loved.
Chapter Twenty-Four The Truce.
The Truce
Oran stood before Shade, looking fierce and calm, cool and confidant. He didn"t look like the same leery lord sitting back, relaxed and enjoying my duel of doom with Seritus. In fact, from his stance, he looked downright like a bona fide leader of something great. I hadn"t noticed how clean he kept his clothes compared to his filthy legions, but he was a king, after all, an Unseelie Sidhe, direct descendant of Arthas the Unseelie Ancient ruler of Faerie and rightful heir to the Unseelie throne. He was everything a leader should be, regardless of what realm he was heading up.
"Your Majesty." He bowed as my sister Shade appeared, along with Anna and Dylan. They turned first toward the audience before taking to their seats while the entire room bowed, even the Unseelie army. I was surprised they would present themselves with such respect to an opposing court. It was awe-inspiring, thrilling and chilling all at the same time to see the Unseelie horde bowing before my sister.
"State who you are and your business in my realm." Shade lowered her chin and drilled her eyes into Oran. I hoped the effect was working on him. She could make anyone feel pathetically miniscule from one icy glare. Oran appeared unaffected.
I wondered if she knew I was there. Before I could wave her down, she flicked her dark brown eyes at me and gave me a mental hug.
Hey, Bro, I"ve missed you. Where"ve you been? Shade asked.
Getting into s.h.i.t.
I see that.
I have to warn you of something ... Oran is going to try to make you break your vows to Dylan.
Shade"s eyes didn"t change, but she mentally paused as she listened to me. Not good.
Oran started his spiel and I immediately cringed. Here it comes ...
"I"m here on the premise of returning precious cargo to you, Your Majesty." He motioned toward Paki and me. The vile Draelik immediately poked us in the back with his staff. I swore under my breath as we walked forward that I was going to take great pleasure in shoving that staff so far through the Draelik"s chest, he wouldn"t be able to scream before he knew what had happened.
"Your brother, Benton, and one of your lieutenants have been under my care. I have come to deliver them and am rightfully allowed to ask for fair compensation."
Shade remained calm, as did Dylan, who leaned forward and studied the Unseelie ranks dividing to let us through as we approached. His grey, steely eyes reflected immediate uncertainty. It made me wonder if he"d figured out what Oran was up to or if Shade had brought him up to speed. I hoped they both had figured out a plan, or we"d be in a huge bucketload of trouble any minute now.
"What compensation do you want for them?" My sister"s posture straightened while her emotions became apparent on her face. It wasn"t fear showing in her eyes but a deep concern. So she knows now just what kind of dire straits we"re in, I thought. I was pretty sure Dylan had just filled her in on what Oran could demand.
"As you probably already know, I am the only heir to the Unseelie throne since the demise of Queen Aveta. I want my rightful lands returned to me, as it should be, but I also offer a truce between the courts for peace and prosperity." Oran spread out his arms as his speech grabbed the attention of everyone in the room. He had a smooth, enticing way with words, but it only made me cringe even more.
"The Unseelie Realm is under my command." Shade"s voice echoed across the room, most likely amplified by the palace"s magic. It vibrated my soul and made the entire army shift in their places. "I do not have to relinquish it to a banished Unseelie who claims to possess the blood of the royal Unseelie court. You have no proof."
Oran glared at Shade, a boiling hatred surfacing beneath his dark eyes. If he expected to marry Shade, she"d give him one miserable life. I wanted to laugh out loud, but held back my glee as I continued to watch them.
"I will show you my proof. Do you have an oath dagger?" Shade gave him a tiny nod and looked like she hadn"t expected him to respond in that manner. She turned to Dylan and waited while he produced a tiny, thin and ornate dagger from one of the guards near them. Stepping briskly down the marble steps of the dais, he approached Oran and held out the blade. Oran looked pleased with himself as he nonchalantly held out a hand, palm up, and his gaze never leaving Shade"s reddened face. He watched her with intense curiosity, narrowing his eyes and making it obvious he was overly confidant he"d pa.s.s the test.
Dylan took the dagger and pressed the sharpened blade into the skin of Oran"s palm, causing the flesh to spring open, and dark red blood began pooling in his hand. Only a few seconds pa.s.sed before the puddle of beaded blood started to drain back into the wound before knitting itself right back up. I stared in horror at the strange reaction before I glanced from Dylan to Shade and back to Oran. What did that result mean?
Dylan"s jaw clenched as he let go of Oran and turned back toward Shade, looking solemn as he walked back up to her. "The test proves he is of royal Unseelie blood. The cut has healed, and the claimant is still alive after being cut with the oath dagger." Dylan handed it back to the guard, who swiftly put it away while Shade grasped the arms of her chair even harder, her knuckles whitening.
My heart dropped.
"What do you want, Oran?" Shade sounded different, as though the affirmation of Oran"s claims had pushed her too far. She looked like she was done dealing with the expectations of being a royal. I knew she disliked it sometimes, but the way she appeared exhausted and fed up made it clear she was tired of this life with its rules and stipulations.
"Like I said, I want ruling power over the Unseelie Realm returned to me, which I"m rightfully owed. Then ..." He opened his arms, motioning toward the royal couple with a wicked grin. "I will also take a royal bride to seal a truce between our courts."
The Seelie patrons in the room gasped as well as the guards, who appeared frightened by such a proposal. Mutters of shock and surprise swelled in the room as I looked on. Shade was also stunned, but Dylan was already leaning toward her, his hand on hers for support as he quietly spoke into her ear.
Anna looked pale in her seat next to Shade and sank farther down into it. She"d been studying a lot of the faery laws and rules, so I bet she knew what this meant for Shade. I felt ready to burst as my rage started boiling over. This man couldn"t come into our home and act like he could do anything he wanted. No one ripped my family to pieces. No one.
"We do not agree to this. You must ask for something else." Dylan was on his feet, standing strong and tall, looking enormous up on the dais. His steely eyes flashed with a blue fire as he shed his glamour, and the air around him quivered before it faded completely, revealing his Teleen fire. The blue flames licked and burned along his skin as he flexed his muscles and continued to fix Oran with his gaze. If anyone touched him who didn"t have an affinity to fire, they would disintegrate into soot and ash.
Oran didn"t look fazed. If anything, he looked happy. Why the h.e.l.l would he be so happy to face a Teleen warrior? He didn"t have an affinity to fire and would die faster than anyone, if you asked me.
I felt helpless standing there weaponless and surrounded by the Unseelie. I spotted the skinny soldier with the filthy, stringy hair standing two rows ahead of me. His pack wasn"t on him, so I had no hope of finding out where they"d stuffed my Empyrean blade. Scanning the soldiers around me for a weapon to s.n.a.t.c.h, I caught Nautilus near me in the crowd. He gave me a curt nod and lifted his long uniform jacket where my sword peaked out from his side. I was surprised he"d been able to retrieve it, but I met his eyes with the tiniest of nods before turning back toward Oran. At least if it all broke out into chaos, I"d be armed. I hoped it wouldn"t come to that.
Oran"s overly enthusiastic grin was starting to wear on me. He was obviously enjoying the tension in the room. Stepping forward toward Dylan, he made of show of not drawing his sword and kept a good radius around him. When he was close enough, he stopped laughing as he faced the ruling Seelie king with nothing but contempt flooding his features.
"This is the only thing I can ask. You know as well as I do that a truce is what the Land of Faerie wants. There"s nothing you can offer me that would be equal to that. I believe returning the queen"s brother alive and well is worthy of such a gift in exchange."
Dylan"s fire flared out even more, brightening the room with its blue-white light. "What do you want Shade to do?" Dylan knew the answer to that. He knew it as well as we all did, but I think he wanted Oran to say it out loud and voice his foolish demands. Nothing bit down deeper than hearing the truth from such a vile creature.
"She"ll break her vows to you and marry me. We will live in the Withering Palace as one. Therefore our realms will be at peace."
"You take the only ruler of the Seelie Realm. How is that a truce?" Dylan shook his head. His gleaming, steel-colored eyes filled with hate.
I glanced at Paki, who motioned for me to wait. Wait for what? Things were falling apart before our very eyes, and if we waited any longer, our kingdom would crumble and could fall into the hands of the Unseelie. Not going to happen while I could still walk amongst the living.
"I will never marry you." Shade was on her feet, heading straight toward the Unseelie lord and past Dylan. Her face was flaming red, and I"d not seen her that angry in a very long time. Her long dark hair streamed behind her as she rushed past her guards, who were scrambling to keep up with her. They knew better than to hold her back; she was a time bomb waiting to explode with almost unlimited magic. In fact, her ice powers were already slipping from her control and left a crackling trail of ice crystals with every step she took. Her fingers countered it with fire flickering in flames from the tips. She was a rare elemental who could focus any elemental magic and wield it to her desires.
She faced Oran, not quite even in stature, peering up into his flashing dark eyes. Her anger amused him, and he even appeared to soften as he got a better look at her up close. I shook my head, rolling my eyes as I sighed. Shade had that amorous effect on every guy she met who wasn"t family. It was sickening, really, how easily they melted for her. She was a powerful feminine flower, and men had fallen for her, sprawled to their knees to serve her. With charms like that, Oran was going to be sorely sorry for falling for her antics.
I almost chuckled out loud at my thoughts, but cleared my throat instead. The Unseelie soldiers surrounding me threw nasty glares in my direction as if I was disturbing the most important moment in history. I wanted to smack them on the sides of their heads to tell them they were doomed if Oran fell for Shade"s appeal, but I was all too happy to have her magic working on him. Maybe she could manipulate him for once, make him change his mind, mold his hardened heart.
"Your Majesty." Oran reached out a hand, which Shade accepted before he bowed his head, keeping his eyes focused on only her. "I do not mean to offend you in any way. I am honored to find I could be a prospect for a woman of such legendary integrity and loyalty, a chosen ruler of the Land of Faerie." Shade did not give any reply to his affections, even as he waited for her to answer him. After several moments, he let her pull her delicate hand away from his. Oran looked sorely disappointed, even saddened by her rejection.
Who the heck cared? I clenched my hands together and turned toward Nautilus again, who was looking paler with every second that pa.s.sed.
"I only wish to keep our people safe from war," Oran offered as he straightened. "This is the only way to do it. You know that as well as I do."
His voice came out soft, calming and almost apologetic. His liquid black eyes studied Shade"s face, and her scarlet skin slowly faded as she paused to consider his words, a muted look of disgust still corrupting her pretty features. I hoped she didn"t fall for his sudden concern. I didn"t think she would, but a sad defeat spilled into her eyes as she stared at Oran, with a sheen of tears welling up in her eyes.
"Please, don"t make me do this," she whispered to him. I barely heard what she said. Her despair was now plainly etched on her face as she paled, and the fire burning from her fingertips snuffed out. The room began to cool, and a flurry of snowflakes started to float softly from above, covering the expectant crowd. Everyone was in awe as they watched the flakes land on their faces and whirl about the room.
Oran"s face fell, and I could almost feel his empathy toward Shade. He looked genuinely disturbed as he shifted on his feet, looking like a child ready to confess his crimes. Her sadness changed the weather, turning it melancholy with a scattering of icy crystals.
"I"m sorry, Your Majesty," Oran said. "I must marry a Seelie royal to fix this disjointed world. I really just want to return to my home. I don"t want any more war." He reached out, placed his fingers under her chin and lifted her face gently. "I swear, Shade. I never meant to hurt you, but there is no other way. I know. I"ve spent months searching for it."
Shade pulled away from his hand, tears now glistening on her cheeks. The defeat written across her face made the entire room look glum. The snow kept falling, faster and thicker as her sadness grew. It made me shift on my feet. I was so ready to just grab my sword and finish the Unseelie leader in one blow, but seeing the number of warriors between him and me, there would be no way to get to him alive.
"Wait!" Anna"s voice made the entire room turn toward her. Peering over the ranks of guards, I watched as my little sister made her way down the stairs of the throne dais and toward Shade and Oran. I immediately knew what she was up to, and without thinking, I shoved forward, violently knocking down the soldiers as I moved.
"Anna, no!" I screamed through the murmurs of guards and civilians alike. They didn"t hold me back until I got to the front where Oran"s most trusted warriors stood. Immediately, Seritus blocked my way with his wide stance, and I stepped back away from the enormous faery. "You can"t let her do this," I pleaded to the Elder King. He stood there watching me with his stone cold eyes, emotionless. I hated them all that very moment and swore to see their downfall, even if it killed me.
Shade turned to meet our sister"s gaze as Anna approached them. She gave Shade a tight hug and pulled away, peering lovingly into her eyes with her own tears blossoming.
"It"s okay, Shade. I won"t let you part from your love. It"s my duty as your only sister to take your place. I read the rules of Faerie. Let me do this."
"What?" Shade"s eyes widened as her confusion morphed into horror. "What do you mean to do, Anna?"
Anna turned toward Oran, who was watching her curiously. He seemed impressed, if not just a bit stunned. Apparently, he"d not looked at Anna as a possible choice in marriage and appeared just as confused as the rest of us.
"I"ll marry you, Oran, but I"m not of faery blood. Still, I share blood with the Seelie queen of Faerie and am next in line for this throne as the only other female in our family. Therefore, I have the authority to accept your hand in marriage to fulfill the truce and satisfy the requirements set by Faerie. Leave my sister be."
"Anna ... no! I won"t allow it." Shade stepped forward, tugging on Anna"s dress, but she already held out her hand to stop Shade.
"Let me do this for you," Anna said. Her eyes pleaded with a sorrowful smile as she stepped closer to Oran.
"Anna!" I hollered across the room, staring up at Seritus while I narrowed my eyes. "Move out of the way, Elder King. Do not cross me again." I shoved at the guy, but he didn"t budge. He didn"t fight back, either, so I gave him another good push, making him move a couple inches back, but he didn"t relent. It made me angrier, my blood boiling as I got ready to light his a.s.s on fire, when someone tapped me on shoulder.
"Benton ... here." Nautilus handed over my sword, and the room erupted into chaos as the Unseelie realized he"d broken their ranks with weaponry. He barely got to hand Paki a sword before the group was upon us. My Empyrean blade ignited, and a few Unseelie screamed as the fire penetrated their armor and burned through their clothes like rice paper. I was grinning ear to ear, loving the feel of my blade and more than ready for the fight.
I scooted around Seritus-who was now pulling Seelie warriors off him like spiders-getting closer to Oran and my sisters. Dylan was already behind Shade, handing her a sword as the room roared to life. I didn"t get why the Unseelie would want to face these kinds of odds. They were terribly outnumbered but overly confidant. It made them careless and overzealous as I pummeled through them like soft cheese.
I managed to stab one winged Unseelie in the jaw, feeling his head knock about before a dark green blood spewed from his mouth. He dropped like a bag of bricks, and another replaced him. It was taking me too long to get to my sisters, and I yelled out in frustration. It was a struggle to get a good view of where the royals were at the moment.
Finally, the crowd parted, and I could see Shade arguing with someone while Dylan fought back a growing line of Unseelie. They weren"t trying too hard; all Dylan had to do was swing every now and then to keep them back. I think they were more of a defense for Oran, who was standing next to Anna, whose tears streamed down her face. He avoided touching her, but seemed as annoyed at the fighting going on around them as everyone else.
What the h.e.l.l?
"Get out of my way!" I hissed at another guard who had jumped into my line of vision and decided he could swipe at me with a short sword. I backed up enough for it to breeze right on by. "Dude, really?" I shook my head, smirking, before I thumped him in the nose with the palm of my hand, making it crack and explode in a splash of red, oozing blood. The guy wobbled away, clutching his face before I finally got through to my sisters.
"Get away from my family! I won"t allow this. Anna, get over here right now!" Shade was practically turning purple in the face and reached out toward our younger sister, but Anna stepped farther away, out of Shade"s reach.
"You know I have to do this. It"s the only way." Anna"s tiny voice felt like a stab in the heart.
Shade"s shoulders slumped.
"Oran, stop this insanity," I said. "If you care enough for a truce, make your troops stop fighting, or we"ll all be dead and Faerie will be at war forever."
Oran"s eyes hardened as they focused on me. I matched it with a mocking glare. I didn"t want to set him off, but I couldn"t help myself. Shade threw me a dirty look before her eyes widened. I"d forgotten how I must"ve looked like h.e.l.l with my disgusting torn-up and bloodied clothes because even Anna sent a horrified look my way.
"Benton! Are you all right?" Shade reached out for me, and I groaned as her magic spilled straight into me to check on my injuries. She immediately retreated, baffled as to why I looked so bad but was fine and healed inside. Satisfied I was as healthy as a horse, her magic let me go.
"I"m fine, but this guy ..." I pointed at Oran who furrowed his brows with a scowl on his face. "He needs to get the h.e.l.l out of our territory."
Oran wasn"t one bit impressed. He shook his head, frowning further before he held up his arm and turned his wrist in a circular motion.
Time froze. No, really. Everyone stopped moving, and the room was just a display of characters locked in their last positions of fighting. There were bodies everywhere, midair, along the floor, in mid-move while they fought to the death. Everyone was deathly still except for the five of us in Oran"s bubble.