Magic Underground: The Complete Collection (Magic Underground Anthologies Book 4)

by Melinda Kucsera

  Drokeh shoved back, separating them. Hope crept into Simith’s heart as they circled each other. This was no ploy. The troll king knew of the fairies’ deception. But did he know how Simith was being used now? Did he know the legion was on its way to surround his army at this very moment? Without thinking, he opened his mouth to tell him.

  Nothing came out. To Drokeh’s view, Simith must have appeared stunned into stillness.

  The king exhaled impatiently. “Don’t just stand there, pixie, or your fairy tyrants will suspect something.”

  He swung again. Simith side-stepped the move, adding a return thrust that Drokeh deflected with his hatchet.

  “My lookouts lost track of you and the fairies in the Jaded Grove. Disappeared, is what they told me, just before a contingent of those tricksters attacked our camp.” He grunted. “By then we were already on alert. What a twisted tale to hear the Thistle Court announce you dead, and then not dead, within the space of a night.”

  Simith clenched his teeth. He had so much to relay and too little time to do it. He dared not waste a single moment. When Drokeh feigned a strike with his long dagger, Simith stepped into it instead of dodging. The blade sliced his side. He ignored the sparks of pain, grabbing hold of Drokeh’s wrist and wedging his shield between them to pretend at grappling. Jeers and shouts came from the spectators.

  “What are you doing?” the king hissed. His lips curled back at Simith’s continued silence. “Why do you not speak?”

  Simith let his knee buckle, pushing up with his shield to propel Drokeh back. The king followed the move, inserting a pace of distance. He lifted his hatchet high, as though he triumphantly allowed his opponent a moment to recover. The jeers from the watching crowd intensified.

  Using the shield for cover, Simith swiped his hand over his bleeding side and wet the dirt at his knee. Then he carved into the bloodied mud. His fingers moved quickly and deftly. When he rose, he charged King Drokeh who, under the pretense of evasion, shifted around Simith, edging close to the place where he had kneeled. The troll’s bright eyes flicked to the ground.

  Yes, Simith willed him. See it. Understand it.

  Drokeh’s gaze met his, the set of his mouth grim around his fangs. He stepped forward, erasing what was there beneath the heel of his boot.

  Geas. Trap.

  “Ration your blood, Sun Fury,” he said gravely. “I’ll need more than this.”

  Chapter Six

  Glamour made her skin itch.

  Crouched in the tall grasses of a meadow just outside the Jaded Grove, Jessa gripped Simith’s blade tighter and forced herself to remain still. Beside her, Katie did the same as they gazed in apprehension to the west.

  “It’s getting louder,” Katie said, the white bunny ears and whiskers of the pooka glamour twitching with her nerves. Jessa wondered if hers did the same.

  They listened another moment to the distant rumbling.

  “Maybe it’s a herd of deer?” Jessa suggested.

  “No.” Katie gestured at the clear night sky. “Thunder without clouds. It’s horses running.”

  As the rancher between them, Jessa deferred to her wisdom.

  “Maybe they’re wild.”

  “Maybe,” Katie said, but didn’t sound convinced. “It’s hard to tell which direction they’re heading, but we’ll know soon. I’d say they’re a couple miles off.”

  “Should we go back by the trees?” she asked, though she didn’t relish the idea of returning there now that the sun had set. The forest unnerved her. It held the same trappings as any other woods—birds, grass, and small creatures scurrying along the branches—but Jessa felt watched the entire time. The doorway had led to the highest branches of a tree, disorienting her terribly after slipping into a hole in the ground. Every time she touched the bark on the long descent, she could swear it moved.

  “Relle said to wait here,” Katie answered her question.

  “That was half an hour ago.”

  “She was pretty intense about it. We should probably follow directions.”

  “Or go check on her.”

  Dizziness had afflicted Relle when they came through. If not for Katie’s quick grab, she might have plummeted from the treetop. She’d claimed it passed quickly, but after Ionia’s gruesome description of the curse, Jessa worried.

  “She’ll be all right,” Katie said, eyes trained on the distance.

  The feigned absence of concern had Jessa eyeing her friend sidelong. “Are you really mad at her? I understand if you are, but she can’t help what she is. She has to be careful who she tells.”

  “That’s not why I’m mad.” She ripped out a few blades of grass. “Relle’s lived with Ionia for two years. We know each other. I’m mad that she thought I wouldn’t like her if I knew the truth. I’m mad she didn’t trust me.”

  Jessa shook her head. “It’s a dangerous secret. Trust doesn’t work the same in every situation.”

  “And you’re the expert on trust?” Katie retorted. “You, who wanted to come here on your own even though you’re winded after a few steps?”

  “It’s gotten better since we arrived,” Jessa said, stung by the harsh reply.

  With a scoff, Katie grabbed and released Jessa’s hand. “Uh-huh. That’s why you’re still cold even though it’s so hot my deodorant’s about to fail.”

  Jessa wanted to point out that she’d improved a lot from the moment they entered Simith’s world but didn’t. The cold and the fatigue continued to worsen, just not as fast. She did feel winded, even standing still. And Katie was right. Despite her condition, she’d have preferred to come alone. She hadn’t meant that preference to seem hurtful though.

  “Katie.” Her tone went brittle. “I do trust you.”

  Katie looked at her. Her face softened. “You’re my best friend, and I love you, but you keep even me at arm’s length. You always think something bad will happen to me.”

  “Something bad did happen to you.”

  “And I came through it because you helped me.” She touched her arm. “Now, something’s happening to you, Jessa. Let me help you. That’s the trust I mean.” She sighed. “As for Relle, maybe you’re right. It’s not like I’m entitled to know all her secr—”

  The distant thunder rose to a sudden roar. The horses had turned into the meadow. Jessa tugged on Katie to signal her to back up toward the trees. Katie made an urgent gesture to wait, extending a finger to point upward. Under the sheen of moonlight, winged shapes flitted through the sky.

  Pixies.

  Riders on horseback followed beneath them. Jessa tried to get a glimpse as they galloped past, but it was too dark to catch many details beyond the clink of armor and the arch of bows strapped to their backs. They had to be fairies. This was the legion Simith told her about, the fighting force he’d been a part of for ten years. Was he among them now? She focused on his blade in her hand but felt no pull toward the droves rumbling past. An urge to go in the direction from which they’d come beckoned her instead.

  The minutes stretched on, and still their numbers swelled. Dread weighed in Jessa’s stomach. Where would a force this large be going in the dead of night? With all this cavalry and weapons, she doubted their mission was one of peace. Maybe Simith had failed to convince the troll king to meet with him again.

  Movement in her side vision made Jessa wheel around. Kneeling behind them, Relle clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle her gasp. Her silver eyes looked bloodshot as she gazed past them at the soldiers.

  She put a finger to her lips, waving for them to follow. “Stay low,” she mouthed.

  Back under the trees they went, hustling in a stoop to avoid being seen. Jessa did her best not to flinch at any fluttering leaves or creaking branches, the sensation of being watched skating over her skin. She almost preferred to travel crouched in the meadow, though her legs were wobbly enough without adding further strain. Relle, in contrast, looked utterly at ease here, brushing her fingers gracefully across the shadowy bark of the trunks sh
e passed. Despite the pooka glamour, her Fae side seemed to shine through, as though the magic in her blood could scarcely be hidden.

  The sounds of the legion’s passing faded away as they headed deeper into the wood. Jessa kept close to Katie, debating whether to ask where they were going or keep silent. She’d just made up her mind to speak when they stepped into a clearing in the woods. There, two saddled horses stood.

  “We’ll be able to move faster on these,” Relle said, gliding up to them.

  Katie laughed in surprise. “Where did you get them?”

  Jessa approached slowly. The animals didn’t look right. Their skin fluttered in the breeze. The closer she came, the more she saw these weren’t horses at all. They had the shape of one, four legs and a long, sturdy frame, but their flesh was made of leaves. Vines bound their green sinew together, with grassy manes, and a saddle of roots and twigs resting on their backs. They had no eyes.

  “What in the name of all that is holy, are these things?” Katie voiced the unsettling sight perfectly.

  Relle’s excited smile had a child-like quality. “I made them. Can you believe it?” She plucked a dandelion off one’s neck. “It was so easy, too, and these will go much faster than a regular horse. I already used one to gather information we need. That’s why I was gone a while.”

  Katie exchanged a concerned look with Jessa. “Relle, you’re only supposed to use a little magic, remember? No big displays.”

  “This?” She dismissed it with a wave. “This isn’t a big display. I only made two figuring Jessa could go with you since she’s less experienced at riding, but it would’ve been a snap to make a dozen more. You have no idea how much power there is here.” She gazed at her hands. “My blood feels supercharged. Trust me, compared to what I could do, the curse won’t notice this at all.”

  “Still. You need to slow down. We can walk just as easily.”

  She shook her head gravely. “We don’t have the time. I found Simith.”

  Jessa’s heart leapt. “Where?”

  “About a mile west.” She pointed in the same direction where Simith’s blade had pulled on Jessa’s instincts.

  “That’s all? He’s so close,” Katie grinned. “We can pick him up and head for the doorway before the night is out.”

  “Getting there isn’t the problem. It’s getting him out. When I scouted around, I discovered him in the middle of a duel of some kind with the troll king.”

  “That can’t be,” Jessa said. “He was going to discuss peace with their leader. Why would he be fighting him?”

  “Oath-breaking is the word going around the spectators. It sounds like a fight to the death.” Relle’s expression was grave. “He’s not doing great either. When I left, he was bleeding all over the ground.”

  A chill washed over her. “He must have been forced into it. Maybe the fairies captured him when he got back. He wouldn’t do this.”

  “Why do you sound so sure?” Katie lifted a brow. “You just met him yesterday night.”

  Jessa averted her gaze. “Yes, but I…I just know.”

  She knew because she’d spent hours alongside Simith in her sleep, sharing his experiences, his friendships, his losses. She only just met him, but he was no longer a stranger. Jessa didn’t know how to explain how real the memories she saw in her dreams felt.

  “There’s something else you need to know,” Relle said, pulling their attention back to the matter at hand. “I rushed back when I saw the fairy legion marching away from their camp. I followed along for a bit to listen in. The fairies are using the fight as a distraction. They left on a circuitous route that will lead to where the trolls are camped. According to them, the legion greatly outnumbers the trolls. Once the king wins and goes back to camp, they’ll launch a surprise attack. After that…”

  She didn’t fill in the rest, but she didn’t have to. The trolls would be slaughtered.

  Katie ran a hand over her face. “These fairy people are clever cheaters, aren’t they?”

  Cold sweat formed on Jessa’s palms. They had to rescue Simith, but how could they stand by and do nothing while the fairies annihilated the trolls like this? And if the trolls discovered they’d been led into a trap, they likely assume Simith was part of the plot. That would be the end of any peace between their people, and since the fairies intended to begin all of it upon Simith’s defeat, it would also be the end of his life—and hers too. They had to get him out of that arena. But how? They couldn’t simply show up and drag him away.

  Jessa rotated Simith’s knife between her fingers. “Maybe we can use this information to our advantage.”

  Relle’s brows went up. “How so?”

  “Simith never broke any oaths. That has to be some mischief of the fairies so they could arrange this ambush. We need to tell the trolls that Simith was attacked on his way to meet them. If they knew this fight was just a setup to trap their army, they might let him go.”

  Relle considered. “He’s fought in this war a long time, hasn’t he? They might not let him go either way.”

  Simith’s memories flashed in her thoughts. He wasn’t just an enemy fighter to the trolls, but a notorious one. They might not care whether he was innocent of oath-breaking or not.

  “We have to try.” She sheathed his knife. “There aren’t other options.”

  Katie held up a hand. “I hate to ruin a decent sounding plan, but we’re dressed like bunnies, here. I can barely take myself seriously looking like this. Who’s going to believe us?”

  Jessa blew out a breath. A frustrated lump formed in her throat. Katie was right. No one would take their word on this.

  She stilled. One person might.

  “Come on,” she said, starting forward. “I know someone who will help.”

  She couldn’t find Rimthea anywhere.

  When they’d neared the arena, they left the horses behind and made the rest of the way on foot. By the torches lining one side and the shadows banking the other, it was clear which end belonged to the trolls.

  Reaching the back of the fairy crowd, they decided to split up to search more quickly. Jessa was grateful the bellowing spectators clustered around the stone ring blocked her view of the fight. She smelled blood on the air. They had to find Rim and relay this information. If anyone knew how to use it to free Simith, it was her.

  “What does she look like?” Relle asked before they separated.

  “She has bright blond hair,” Jessa told them. “White-blond more than yellow, and dark eyes.”

  “I’m supposed to see dark eyes at night?” Katie muttered.

  Jessa dredged up more description. “She’ll have a bow with her, hooked over her shoulder, and she has a really intimidating glare when she spots something out of the ordinary.”

  Relle snorted. “Three pookas wandering around here will definitely be that.”

  Katie squinted at her. “How do you know this pixie-girl?”

  “She’s Simith’s best friend. His sister, really and...” It struck her suddenly that Rimthea didn’t know her. Jessa had seen her with such frequency and familiarity through Simith’s memories, she’d nearly forgotten this was someone she’d never met. Katie eyed her strangely. Jessa struggled for a neutral expression. “She’ll be suspicious, but if we tell her it’s for Simith’s sake, she’ll hear us out.”

  “You’re sure?”

  “I can’t think of anyone else we can trust.”

  Dividing the area into thirds, they parted. Jessa searched the middle section, scanning the faces for the one she knew. Every minute she couldn’t find her, every cheer and curse from the crowd, made her stomach turn with apprehension. Katie and Relle were already making their way back to her from their ends. She caught the eye of each in turn, and they shook their heads. Desperation gnawed at her. Deciding to take the risk, she wormed her way through the tense crowd to see if she might find Rim somewhere toward the front.

  She didn’t. Instead, Jessa found a clear view of the arena. The sight pulled a smal
l cry from her throat.

  Simith, dressed in armor as white as summer clouds, struggled to keep his sword and shield up against a fearsome troll. Blood from multiple cuts painted his pale leather in streaks of scarlet. The troll advanced on him, a terrifying spectacle as he struck hard with his hatchet. Simith blocked it with his shield, pushing forward with a return thrust that seemed clumsy at best. Jessa squinted in confusion. She’d seen him perform that move in his memories. Even injured, it was always much faster and at an angle that should’ve gotten under the troll’s guard. Maybe he was worse than she realized. His hair was damp with sweat, and he favored his left side. Yet, his eyes seemed clear when he faced her direction. And the troll king, his lips were moving. Posturing, or something else? Simith gave no reply, but his gaze shone with urgency and determination, not malice. She’d seen that look in the greenhouse. A plan at work—if he could hold out long enough.

  She rushed back into the crowd, pushing her way out again. Katie and Relle waited for her when she emerged.

  “Anything?” she asked them.

  Relle shook her head. “No one by that description. In fact, we didn’t find any pixies here at all.”

  “None?”

  “Maybe they were all deployed.”

  Or the fairies didn’t trust them after Simith’s betrayal. Helm Firo had said the pixies might question the fairies’ plans if they knew he’d been trying to negotiate peace. Maybe the pixies didn’t even know he was alive.

  She put a hand to her brow. “Rimthea must be with the rest of them.”

  Relle took them each by the arm. “Keep moving. We can’t stand around here.”

  She drew them outside the reach of the torchlight. Jessa glanced over her shoulder. Some of the fairies at the back sent far too curious glances their direction. Relle blew a quick breath toward them, like extinguishing a candle. The fairies’ expressions blanked. They turned back around.