Escaping El Dorado

by Helen Scott

  "Help me put it on?" I asked as I nodded at the one Kai was still holding.

  He smiled in response which made me think I'd picked his preference of the gowns he had been holding. The sound of a zipper sliding down at the back surprised me. I'd expected something more old school. Hyperborea still confused me with the change from barely civilized to futuristic, but it wasn't my kingdom and I didn't have to stay here so I didn't really have to work to understand it that much. I just had to get by until we went somewhere else.

  Supporting me with one hand, Kai used the other to hold the dress-jumpsuit in front of me. I dropped the towel and noticed that same stillness come over Kai as had before when he first saw my back. I wasn't sure what it was, but I'd find out. Later though. Right now, I needed to get dressed and have some food.

  As he pulled the dress thing up my legs I realized how much smaller than me Ulrika must have been to begin with, and was surprised all over again by the fact that she'd survived. The long sleeves slid like silk over my skin and hid a multitude of bruises that the guards had left. When Kai zipped it up at the back I was surprised how well it fit considering I'd lost weight and it belonged to someone else. It was a little loose, enough that I would get it taken in if I were going to wear it for something on earth, but it would do for now. I was just thankful that my breasts hadn't deflated too much and could still support the neckline without it gaping open.

  I walked over and looked at myself in the mirror, happy with what I saw. The color had looked like a dark blue when Kai had been holding it up, but now that it was on I could see that it had a steely silver undertone, which was perfect because my spine had turned to steel in that tub and I was ready to kick Ailsa's pale white ass.

  17

  Tessa

  We'd had a meal and plenty of water to drink, but I kept my choices light and my portions small, not wanting to overwhelm my body after being starved for the last few weeks. The conversation had been stilted and seemed to have jagged edges about it as the guys all spoke with Ulrika commenting occasionally. I knew I should pay more attention but I couldn't, not yet, not until Ailsa had been dealt with.

  "Your Majesty, about your daughter..." Dresden started, but trailed off seeming to want to back out of whatever question he'd been about to pose.

  "She's not my daughter." Ulrika slashed her hand through the air and I could feel the magic roll over my skin right before a vase at the other end of the room shattered. I jumped what felt like a foot in the air and Ulrika looked at me with sorrow glimmering in her eyes. "Sorry, sweetheart, I'm still getting used to having my magic able to do things again."

  "It's okay," I said as I reached out and clasped her hand with my own. The feeling between the two of us was strange, almost sisterly. We had endured together, admittedly she had endured a lot longer than I had, but from what she had told me there was no torture for her, no beatings, unless she became a nuisance. Each of us had survived in our own way and would continue to do so.

  "I have sent a trusted guard to retrieve the necessary paperwork reinstating me as queen, along with a lawmaker to bear witness. All will be well. In the meantime however, you will need to travel to Valkyrie and speak with the priestesses. I'm sure that they will be waiting for you, and they are the ones that can help you find what you seek."

  "Will you be safe here?" I asked, unable to keep the concern from my voice.

  "I will, child. I will." Ulrika patted my hand and smiled at me. She was a beautiful woman and looked deadly with her crown and the cold that crept into her eyes when she thought I wasn't looking.

  "What about Ailsa?" Niall asked.

  I hadn't been able to have a moment alone with him to talk yet, but I wanted to know what had happened, why he'd left me, and how he'd found my men. There were so many questions I still had about everything, and more seemed to be added every day. And as much as I wanted to kick Ailsa's ass, I was tired. Exhausted. All I wanted was a few good night’s rest, but that wasn't going to happen any time soon.

  A knock at the door jarred me from my thoughts and had me grabbing the knife that had been sitting next to my plate. I slid the piece of metal up the sleeve of my dress so it was concealed from whoever was entering. No one else seemed worried but having something I could use to defend myself made me feel a whole lot better.

  Niall got up and went to open the door. When an older man with a white wizard-like beard strode through the doorway the commander bowed deeply. The man's shrewd eyes seemed to take everything in and when he saw the queen they lit up with joy before he dropped into the lowest bow I'd ever seen.

  "Tommaso," the queen called, her voice filled with happiness, before standing and going around the end of the table to greet the other man with a hug and a kiss on each cheek.

  "Your Majesty, forgive me for dawdling, I thought your daughter was trying to trick me again," he said while holding her hand between both of his.

  "There is nothing to forgive, but do not call her my daughter again. You have the paperwork?"

  "My assistant is in the hall with it. May I call him in?"

  "Please do." The queen walked back to her seat but remained standing, her spine as straight as it could be and her shoulders squared against the first potentially non-friendly face that could be walking through the door.

  "Alfio, come here please." Tommaso's voice was warm and he sounded as though he was constantly about to laugh.

  A younger man appeared, his wide blue eyes took in the room and when they landed on the queen he gasped. His wings appeared from out of nowhere and reminded me of a starling, black or maybe a dark blue with brown touches on the edges. "I-I-I-I'm sorry, Your Majesty." He quickly rolled his shoulders and the wings seemed to disappear from view.

  My eyes cut to Dres. I couldn't help but wonder what his wings looked like, and why he'd never told me about them. His eyes met mine and he mouthed, 'Later.' I gave him a subtle nod to show I understood, but I would hold him to that. When he grinned I knew he'd picked up on that thought as well.

  A stack of papers was passed between Alfio and Tommaso before the older man set about signing them and handing them to Queen Ulrika, who then signed them herself.

  "May I ask what these are for?" My voice sounded steady to my ears, but I felt like I was interrupting a business meeting.

  "They are me disowning my daughter. As of this moment Ailsa is no longer a princess, nor does she have any claim to the throne, so it reverts back to me, naturally," Ulrika said, her voice flat and devoid of any emotion.

  I couldn't imagine what she must be feeling in that moment, but I wondered if it was at all similar to what I felt toward my mother. As I looked down at my burned hand, at the scars that twisted my flesh I remembered the wild eyes, the determination my mother had shown when she held me down and poured lighter fluid on my arm. I'd thought it was just water at first and that we were playing a game. It was only when she struck the match that I started to get scared.

  So much had happened that I couldn't even begin to guess where my glove was. Normally, I would have been panicking about being exposed, but with everything else that was going on what was a scar? Sure it was a horrific one, but no one other than my guys needed to know where it came from, and even then they didn't know the extent of it. I mentally sighed and rolled my shoulders, trying not to let the tension I felt when I thought about my scar seep back into my muscles.

  My mother had been put away, not in prison, just in a psych hospital for as long as necessary. It turned out that they couldn't keep her safe from herself and she committed suicide when I was a teenager. I still felt guilt for never trying to see her, but the truth was that to me she had died on the day that she burned me. I had forgiven her, learned as much as I could about psychology in an effort to understand her, but the woman I grieved wasn't the woman who killed herself in the asylum. The woman, the mother, that I missed had vanished long before that.

  It is similar. I loved Ailsa with my whole heart, but to me she changed the moment her fath
er died. It was like the small amount of goodness within her died that day as well, Ulrika's voice sounded in my head.

  I'm so sorry that you've had to go through all of this.

  I appreciate that, sweetheart, but you have endured and will probably have to endure more than I ever did.

  I didn't know what to say to that so I just gave her a tight-lipped smile. The queen returned her attention to the papers and finished signing before handing them back to Tommaso.

  "What will happen to Ailsa?" the older man asked.

  "For now, she's going to get a taste of her own medicine. While you are visiting with the priestesses she will be in the dungeon. When you return you can help me decide what to do with her based on the information that the priestesses give you."

  "What about her guards?" I asked quietly.

  "I would like to speak with any of them who laid a hand on Tessa," Kai said from across the table.

  My head whipped toward him. I was beyond surprised to hear him talk to the queen, but something in me filled with... pride that he wouldn't be cowed by royalty. He was so strong and steadfast, polite and respectful, and like a tree branch he might bend in the wind, but he wouldn't break, or at least not easily.

  I'm worried about them all working together and overwhelming you, I said mentally, trying to project my thoughts to Ulrika without letting anyone else know what I was thinking.

  She smiled at me, the lines around her eyes crinkling and moisture glistening on the blue orbs. I appreciate that thought more than you know, but have faith in me. She will be in a separate area from her guards, and only guards loyal to me will be chosen to work the dungeon. In fact... The queen's thoughts trailed off and she said aloud, "Griffin, do you think you could set up a perimeter of fire across two doorways that would burn while you are away?"

  "Of course, Your Majesty, just show me where." My mate, God that was still weird to acknowledge, nodded and I knew that he could follow through. What I wasn't sure of was whether or not it would be a significant drain on his powers.

  "Good! Thank you. Now, you have everything you need, yes, Tommaso?" The other man nodded. "Thank you for your service. Could you send the guards in please?"

  "As my queen wishes, so shall it be done." The older man and his assistant made a quick exit and four guards appeared a moment later.

  "Gentlemen," the queen said as she addressed the guards. "There are three guards and Ailsa in the other room. Please escort Ailsa down to the oubliette and the guards to the regular cells." They all nodded and went to retrieve their prisoners. The queen turned to Griff and said, "I'll show you where I want those, if you'll follow me, and then we can get you all on your way."

  The queen and Griff stood, followed by everyone else shortly thereafter. When they started to walk toward the elevators, I followed, which seemed to surprise everyone.

  "You don't have to come down there with us, Dove," Griff said, his eyes drowning me in pity.

  I didn't want pity. I didn't want anyone feeling sorry for me, after all I survived, so I said, "I want to see Ailsa in the place she belongs, while I stand free and in a gorgeous dress." I sniffed and raised my chin a little higher as though I was daring him to tell me to stay behind. He didn't. Smart man.

  We all piled into the elevator and as it descended I felt nausea begin to grow in my belly. All that food suddenly seemed like a bad idea. I discreetly began breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth, taking long, steadying breaths so I could keep myself under control.

  The doors opened and somehow the guards with Ailsa were right in front of us. She sneered at me but kept her mouth shut, which was probably the best thing she could have done given the circumstances. I wasn't sure Griff would have been able to hold back if she'd started running her mouth. Then again the man had a surprising amount of control.

  I kept my head held high and my shoulders squared as we approached the oubliette, which was where Ulrika and I had been imprisoned. The two guards walked her back in and handed her a small pile of clothes. She stripped and changed in front of us, as though she was testing the boundaries of propriety. I stared at her the whole time.

  What I had thought was a pile of clothes was actually just a pair of boy-short styled underwear and a cropped tank top. Neither of which would have enough material for her to hurt herself if that was what she intended.

  The queen turned to Griff once the guards had left the immediate area of the cell and he made a movement with his hands that caused a line of flames to rise from the ground as though there was some kind of crack leading straight to the center of the earth there. The heat that billowed out was enough for me to start sweating as it was.

  "Fire? Really? One little puff of wind and I can put that out. What do you think it's going to do other than keep me nice and toasty warm?" Ailsa spat the words at us as though they were venomous.

  "Try it," Griff said. He crossed his arms over his chest and waited.

  Ailsa's lips formed a perfect circle as she blew toward the flames. It didn't blow them out though, it only fed them. The line of fire that had been knee high was now waist high and stronger than before.

  "I'll find a way," was all Ailsa said from the other side of her cage.

  "You can try, but the more the fire is tampered with the bigger and hotter the flames will get," Griff said with a note of satisfaction to his voice.

  "Now, let's go and do the same with the guards, then we'll get you up to the eagles," Ulrika said.

  We all filed out and as I followed I couldn't help but wonder what she meant by eagles. Were we sending messages to the priestesses and the eagles were like carrier pigeons? I wasn't sure, but I would find out soon enough, and I couldn't wait to get out of the dungeons again. Although as we entered the area where the guards were being kept I realized that they had much nicer spaces, with light and windows and cots that weren't falling apart, and even blankets to keep the cold away. All it did was add salt to the wound of where Ailsa had put me and strengthen my resolve to destroy her.

  18

  Tessa

  When the elevator went past the floor marked for the penthouse suite I couldn't deny that I was more curious than ever before. I mean it made sense that these eagles were on the roof, I just hadn't expected it to be accessible for us.

  When the doors slid open I froze in place. These weren't some run of the mill eagles, oh no. These were some fucking Tolkien sized eagles that were ready to fly to the rescue of some hobbits and a wizard. One of them strode up to the queen, shuffling its folded wings back and forth as though it was excited to see her.

  Its body was mostly covered with creamy-white feathers over the chest, with speckles of brown showing through here and there, and its back was the opposite being primarily brown with just a few flecks of white feathers. It had eyes the color of molten gold and a beak that was hooked and looked wickedly sharp. I couldn't have been more surprised by the smile on the queen's face as this giant bird approached her.

  When it reached her and I saw it standing in front of her and eyeing the guards suspiciously, I realized just how big it really was. The thing was massive. It towered over the queen as she waved at the guards to back up. As soon as there was a comfortable distance between them the bird trilled and ducked its head to nuzzle the queen with its beak.

  "Tessa, I'd like you to meet Gale. He's one of the palace’s eagles, and if he likes you then he'll take you to the priestesses. Won't you, baby boy?" she asked while rubbing the feathers on the bird's cheek.

  Before I could process the thought that this massive bird was going to be carrying me, Gale swung his massive head toward me. His nictitating membranes flicked over the golden irises and for some reason I felt like I needed to curtsy to him, so I did. It wasn't very graceful, but when I stood and extended my hand I was greeted by the softest feathers as he rubbed his head along my outstretched fingers.

  "He likes you!" The queen sounded beyond happy by that development which made me grin. The woman hadn't had enough h
appiness in her life, at least it seemed that way to me.

  Two other birds approached behind Gale. The queen made clucking noises and they quickly trotted up. The first was all black with black eyes and a yellow and gray beak. The only spot of color on it, other than its beak, was its yellow feet which had vicious looking talons. The second was mostly black with white feathers on its legs, tail, and the top of its wings. Similarly to the other bird, its only color was its beak and feet but they were more of an orange color than yellow.

  "Gus and Winnie," the queen said pointing first to the all black one and then to the black and white one. "Where's Fluffy?" she asked peering around the two birds that were in front of her while simultaneously scratching their necks and cooing sweet nothings at them.

  A bird's head popped up from somewhere behind the small crowd. Its face was gray and it had long feathers at the top of its head that were getting blown about and made it look like the thing had bunny ears. Its dark eyes scanned the crowd and when they fell on me I couldn't help but shudder a little, which made Gale turn and look. When he saw the other bird he let out a squawk that sounded unhappy, but who was I to judge an eagle's noises? For all I knew he could be happy to see his friend.

  The queen followed Gale's line of sight and sighed. "Fluffy, come out here and see me," she said her tone similar to that a mother uses to a child that she is affectionately reprimanding.

  The bird seemed to grow in height as it towered over the others, pushing its way through to the queen. It had a white speckled underbelly and legs similar to Gale, but its back was much darker, closer to the black of the other two birds. Its face was a pale gray, making its black eyes stand out even more.

  As the queen shifted her attention between the three of them I saw other bird heads pop up behind them, but they all stayed somewhat toward the back of the flat area the elevator had opened out on to. The more I looked around the more I realized that this was where the eagles lived. They hadn't just arrived here, but they had nests here, possibly even young.