by Olivia Hart
“Where has the girl gone?” he asked again in that gravelly voice. A voice that sounded tinged by smoke and ash.
“Away. Stop chasing her. Tell Seraphina that she is dead, and everything can go on as it was.”
I shifted, putting my hands on the sheaths that held one dagger instead of two. Nyx didn’t know that I was without one of my daggers, and I wanted to keep it that way.
“I can’t do that. My honor does not allow it. I will follow the Queen’s commands as you should have done.”
“She’s a full fairy, Nyx. Of both bloodlines. She could be the next Dark Queen. I can’t kill someone that could fill the empty seat.”
He seemed to think for a moment before speaking as was his way. “Then step aside and let me do it. I will lie for you, Sebastian. This time.”
I shook my head. “I can’t do that either. I don’t want to fight you, but I will if you force it upon me.”
Nyx withdrew his daggers, and I gathered my strength, grateful that I’d been able to feed on Rose. This was not going to end well for either of us. Or for this city.
Without hesitation, I flicked my hand towards Nyx, and a dagger materialized from mist and flew towards him faster than a human eye could have seen. He shifted his head slightly, and the dagger didn’t even graze him.
As soon as it had passed him, it dematerialized once again. Nyx crossed the room in half a second, faster than any human could have done. Jumping backward, I dodged his first swing, but there would be another and another.
I would lose a knife fight with this man. His skin was thicker than mine, almost like a natural armor. And he was drastically stronger than me.
I turned and ran towards the simple glass window. I didn’t have time to shift through it, and I covered my head as I threw my weight against it. The window shattered, and I rolled on the ground, shedding most of the broken glass that had attached to my cloak.
Now that I was out of Ast’s bar, I touched a shadow and slid into the warren. As soon as my feet hit the tunnel floor, I was running, not bothering to wrap my boots in mist. There would be no hiding. Nyx was just as effective a shadow walker as I.
He entered the warren a half-second later, and my fingers grazed the wall. A rooftop. A place where my powers would be stronger, and there would be less damage during our fight.
I reappeared in the Mortal Realm next to a metal pole, slipping out of its shadow. I ran to the edge of the building and leaped, soaring through the air towards the next one. I smelled Nyx as I jumped, his scent impossible to mistake.
The scent of fire filled the air, and I had to twist as a spout of flames singed the side of my cloak. Mist cushioned my fall as I hit the next rooftop, becoming nearly water as I forced it into a tight block underneath my feet. Turning, I watched Nyx spray the roof with fire to slow his fall.
Pure fire left the palms of his hands. Bright orange, it filled the darkness around us with light, and I had to shade my eyes from the sudden brightness.
“You cannot run from me, Sebastian. Either stand and fight me or tell me where the girl is so that all of this can be over.”
“I won’t let you have her. She could save the Dark Court from Seraphina’s rule. Don’t you remember when we didn’t have to take orders from that bitch?”
Mists began to rise above the rooftop, and flames sprayed out from Nyx, burning them away. “You’re going to tear the Dark Court apart, Sebastian. When I kill you under Seraphina’s orders, they’ll rise up against her.”
“And they’ll die. All of them,” he continued. “You and I both know that there’s no other end to that battle.”
I snarled. “Then stop trying to fucking kill me, Nyx. They’re your people, too. Your guild is Dark Court. They’ll die just like the rest of them.”
“Seraphina has given my guild her protection. She will shelter us in the coming battle if I fulfill her command. I do not want this, but I don’t have any other options.”
I growled in frustration. She’d laid the trap well, that bitch. “Then I’d better not let you kill me,” I said.
I ducked behind a chimney, and fire hit the brick with a concussive explosion of heat and power. Closing my eyes, I combined my powers over mist and stone, shaping the mist into three exact replicas of myself.
Their daggers wouldn’t have the power that mine would. They would still be sharp, but Nyx’s wounds would heal almost instantly. I gave them the simple commands to rush him. One to run around the chimney, one to climb over it, and the third to sneak around.
As soon as they moved, I slid into the shadow that ran behind the chimney. It would take Nyx a moment to realize what had happened. He would figure it out soon enough, though.
I needed something that would keep him from following my scent. Raising my arms, I filled the warren with mist. He would burn the mists away as soon as he slipped into the warren, but that wouldn’t change where my scent was. Everything would smell like me as my magic coated the very walls of the warren.
I ran down the tunnel, my fingers trailing against the wall. Images of London popping into my mind. Finally, after almost a minute, I found the place with the portal I was looking for.
The portal that not even Damian would think to look for me at. Only Ast would know where I was taking Rose.
I slid through the shadows and found myself in Hyde Park at almost three in the morning. I took a whiff of the misty London air. Rose’s scent was nearby. They’d be waiting at the portal. A portal I had made and hidden years and years ago.
I began running, not wanting to use any more magic than I’d already used. This chase was very possibly not over, and I had already used almost all of the power that I’d drained from Rose.
Thinking about Rose brought even more questions. Damian had said that it would take a century for me to fill that diamond. Rose had filled it in minutes. That was High Queen levels of power. Levels that I didn’t even think that Seraphina had.
She was still untrained, so it was nearly worthless to her. Nyx would have killed her in seconds. I understood now why Seraphina wanted her dead. If she had this much power without holding a seat, she would be terrifying when she finally took the throne.
Strong enough that Seraphina would be no match for her.
I found Ast and Rose standing around a simple oak tree. It was old. Far older than most of the trees in the area, but not ancient.
“Are you coming with us, Ast?” I questioned, feeling slightly out of breath.
She shook her head. “You’re going to have enough trouble keeping Rose safe as it is. The last thing you need is another person you have to keep safe from Nyx. I’ll be fine. I’ve been thinking about moving anyway.”
I nodded. “I’ll see you when this is all over. Don’t go back to your place. Nyx killed a human in plain sight. And, if he can’t track me through the portal, he’ll wait for you there. Might want to warn Damian as well since that diamond is still on the floor. I may be pissed at him, but I don’t really want him getting tortured by Nyx.”
“I’ll take care of myself and warn Damian, Bastian. Don’t worry about us. Get her out of here, and keep her safe.”
I gave her a quick hug, knowing that there was a very distinct possibility that one of us wouldn’t survive this. Then I picked Rose up and climbed the tree. At the top, a small piece of silver wire had been wrapped seven times.
I touched the silver and felt the pull of a permanent bridge, the portal to the Immortal Realm. No trail through the warrens for Nyx to follow. He’d have to find my trail to Hyde Park. Then he’d have to find the portal.
I prepared myself. If he found us, I wouldn’t be able to run again. Not with where I was taking us. No, if he found us, I would have to pit myself against a man who had never lost a fight. And I’d have to do it with only one dagger.
Chapter 17
Rose
We appeared in the middle of a field. It wasn’t all that different from the one with the unicorn. I took a deep breath and smelled flowers bloomin
g and the soft smell of pine. We were on the edge of a thick forest.
The grass was different here. More like the grass from the Mortal Realm. Except that it was darker. A deep purple rather than the mix of purple and green.
For the first time, I saw the Immortal Realm in the light. The sun hung on the horizon, turning the world orange. It felt like I hadn’t seen the sun in forever.
I reached behind me and felt my wings. They seemed more real now. Like they’d finally become solid. Astriel’s illusion must have worn off when we stepped into the Immortal Realm.
Sebastian stood beside me in his assassin’s cloak, and he looked me over, noticing my new outfit and the bag on my back full of new clothes. Why had he been worried about my clothes when he was getting chased by Nyx?
“How’d you get away from Nyx?”
“It’s complicated, but I’ll tell you later. Right now, we have a very short man to talk to.”
As if on cue, a man in a full beard ran out of the forest. “Sebastian!” he yelled as he ran on short little legs.
“Come on. It hurts me to see him run like that.” Sebastian grinned down at me as he pulled his arm away. He began to run, and I followed, happy to have my new clothes and especially my shoes.
The forest wasn’t even a mile away, but Sebastian began to slow much earlier than I’d expected him to. This man had been able to sprint for almost thirty minutes when he’d taken me through the warrens for the first time. Now, he could barely make it a mile? What was wrong?
He was panting softly when we finally reached the short man in the beard. I looked down at him and couldn’t help but smile. This was a gnome. No question about it.
He wore a soft hat over a bald head. His beard went down almost to his waist. And he barely came up to my waist. Wearing brown linen pants and a green linen shirt, he looked like he belonged in the woods.
He had big bushy eyebrows, and under them, his eyes sparkled with energy. His lips were thicker, and small wrinkles creased his smiling face.
“Sebastian! It’s been so long!” He was out of breath, but his excitement must have been more important than breathing because he didn’t stop talking long enough to catch it.
“The village is doing so well. So very well. And we’ve kept it safe. This whole time.”
“Calm down Enivyn. Catch your breath, friend.” Sebastian smiled down at the gnome as he took big gasping breaths as fast as he could so that he could start talking again.
“Before you begin, Enivyn, this is Rose. She’s a friend.”
Enivyn looked up at me, and his brow furrowed. “But she’s a fairy. With wings. You said no fairies.”
“She’s a different kind of fairy, Enivyn. Trust me on this. One that will help rather than harm.”
Enivyn crossed his arms and glared at me, and I almost giggled. “I’ll be watching you, fairy. I trust Sebastian. I don’t trust you.”
“Come on Enivyn. Let’s get back under the trees. When is your brother coming to relieve you?” Enivyn turned and began walking back to the trees while we followed him, making sure that our steps were shorter than usual so that we didn’t pass the gnome up.
“Morning. It’s Sinivyn. He’ll have goodies. He always has goodies.” He paused and then turned back to look at Sebastian. “Did you bring goodies?”
“Not this time, friend. I was in a bit of a rush to get here this time.” Enivyn sighed. “We don’t get many goodies. And we never get chocolate. Or coffee. Or sugar. Or new silver needles. Cara says she only has two needles left. We need some goodies, Sebastian.”
Sebastian chuckled. “When this is all over, I’ll make sure to bring the village some supplies. Maybe even some chocolate.”
That made Enivyn smile, and his little legs moved just a bit faster. I felt like I should know what was going on a little more than I did, but I didn’t blame Sebastian for that.
It scared me that Sebastian had run from Nyx. After watching what Sebastian could do, I hated to think of how powerful Nyx must have been for Sebastian to decide that running was the better option.
“So what’s new with the village, Enivyn?” Sebastian asked.
“Lots. Kasia had her foals. She had two. A girl and a boy. They’re loud. And rude. But cute too. That’s how babies are. Even centaurs. They like to fight a lot. Thalena always makes Oreus cry. Thalena is the girl. Oreus is the boy. Anyway. That’s the big news.”
He seemed to talk in a rhythmic way, like every word was a tiny piece of a song that only he could hear. His body rocked back and forth as he walked in time with the words.
“You have horses?” I asked, confused.
“Centaurs. They escaped the Court of Light’s war pens. Centaurs are considered a far superior war mount in comparison to normal horses for good reason, so many of them have been enslaved for various ‘crimes’. I helped them find a home here instead of killing them as my contract stated.”
“Yes, Sebastian rescued all of us. Each. One. Of. Us. Except Cara. She was just his friend.”
“Sebastian sure has a lot of lady friends,” I said with a smirk.
“That’s because he makes ladies happy.” Sebastian winked at me, and I had a hard time not laughing. Enivyn was so serious about everything that it was hard to take any of it seriously.
When we got to the edge of the forest, Enivyn led us to a hut that had been made of grass and leaves in a way that it would be impossible to see from the field.
“Won’t Nyx just be able to follow our scent if we stay this close to the portal?”
Sebastian glanced at Enivyn, and Enivyn stood as proudly as the little man could. “I am a half-gnome with all the powers of the gnomes inside me. No one will be able to smell us. Not even a fairy bloodhound could smell us.”
He nodded as if that was that. I glanced at Sebastian and he grinned. “Gnomes have an instinctual ability to cover the magical scent of everyone in their area. Half-gnomes like Enivyn aren’t able to hide as much of an area, but they’re still incredibly helpful. They’re the only reason that the village is able to remain hidden in the Immortal Realm.”
I heard a soft humming coming from somewhere, and Enivyn jumped up. “Sinivyn and his snacks are here!” he announced. “We will eat well this morning!”
Enivyn opened the door to the hut, and Sebastian found himself a spot against the wall to sit. He leaned his head back, closing his eyes as he had done when we’d been at the field with the unicorn.
I sat next to him, watching as Enivyn and another half-gnome walked into the hut. “This is Sinivyn!” he announced.
Sinivyn wore similar clothes, but there was a darker look in his eyes. He had many more wrinkles, and they seemed to cut deeper in his cheeks and forehead.
The other half-gnome was not nearly as outspoken as Enivyn. He seemed more serious, and he dragged a bag nearly as large as himself behind him. “Sebastian, who is the fairy? Fairies aren’t supposed to be here.” He frowned just as Enivyn had.
“Sebastian says that she’s okay,” Enivyn said. “I don’t trust her. I trust Sebastian.”
Sinivyn nodded and walked into the hut, dropping the bag in the center of the room next to a ring of stones that was almost certainly a cookfire. Sinivyn sat down in a tall chair next to a window facing the area of the field that we’d appeared.
“That’s a big bag, Sinivyn,” I said, trying to build some kind of rapport with the half-gnomes.
“Not a bag, fairy. It’s a snatchel. A satchel for snacks.” He didn’t turn around, focusing all his attention on the field.
“Oh.”
Sebastian’s eyes cracked open, and he grinned at me. He was really enjoying how uncomfortable I made them. The minutes passed quietly, and Enivyn began building a fire in the ring of stones.
“Why are you staying?” Sinivyn asked. “You should go to the village.”
“Someone may be coming after us this time. I don’t want to be surprised.”
“Because of the fairy?”
“Yes. And beca
use I disobeyed the Queen.”
Sinivyn turned around in the chair, his brow furrowed even more. “Why?”
“Rose may be able to fill the empty seat, and Seraphina wants her dead.”
Sinivyn’s eyes moved from Sebastian to me as though he were really seeing me for the first time. “She has very dark wings,” he said softly. “And she smells strongly.”
“This is dangerous. Very dangerous. Why did you bring her here?”
Sebastian finally sat up and opened his eyes. “Because this is the safest place I can think of. I’m not asking you to protect her. I just need her away from everyone else so that I can begin training her before I bring her to Court.”
Enivyn had stopped building the fire, and he was staring at the two of them. Sinivyn stood up and reached into the snatchel, pulling out an apple that had small splotches of purple on it.
He took a bite as he continued to stare at Sebastian. “I understand. You saved us. You’re saving her. Each of us brought danger to the village. Not this much, but that does not matter. We will not be angry.” He nodded to Sebastian and then to me.
“I will trust you a little, fairy,” he said and turned back to stare out the window, quietly eating the apple that was nearly as big as his head.
Sebastian closed his eyes again and leaned back against the wall as Enivyn went back to building the fire.
This was the strangest experience I’d ever had. Even compared to everything else that I’d gone through. Even compared to being hunted by an assassin.
I didn’t know how I felt about Sebastian saying that he was going to bring me to the Dark Court. I hadn’t agreed to that. I’d agreed only to being brought somewhere safe, and from everything, and I mean everything, that Sebastian had said, the Dark Court was one of the least safe places in either of the Realms.
I set my jaw. That warning that had been screaming at me since I’d grown my wings told me that if this was what it took to learn how to use my powers, then this was what I needed to do. No matter what, I had to do that in order to survive in this new world. This world of purple grass and apples. A world with two moons. A world where half-gnomes telling me I smelled strongly was not unusual.