by KJ Baker
Those that were not in need of medical care had been housed in the east wing. After his initial horror at the suggestion, Carda had stepped valiantly into the role, personally inspecting every room to make sure none was overcrowded. I had directed the operation, with Ffion at my side to enforce my commands if needed. In truth, I couldn’t have done it without either of them.
I crossed the room to where Ffion was spooning soup to a small child who was sitting up in bed with one leg splinted. I had been more than surprised to see her gentle side. It seemed Raven’s sister wasn’t made entirely of thorns and glass after all.
“Thank you, Ffion.”
She glanced at me, seemed about to say something, and then thought better of it. She merely nodded. On impulse, I reached out and squeezed her shoulder. I was pleased when she didn’t object. Then I left her to her work.
I was so tired that I longed to return to the royal apartments, curl up in bed and drift into oblivion—preferably with Raven’s arms around me. But there was something I needed to do first. I approached a door and softly knocked. When there was no reply, I pushed it open and stepped inside.
Rillana, the priestess who had arrived with Hawk, lay sleeping. There had been no change since she’d been brought in and the healers still weren’t sure if she would ever wake. I sank wearily onto the chair by the side of her bed then reached out and took her hand. It was as cold as ice. Rillana did not stir. Her breathing was steady although it made a rattling sound that I didn’t like.
“Hello again,” I said to her. “I’m not sure if you can hear me but my name is Asha.” I’d heard that people in comas could sometimes still hear what was going on around them and it could help to talk to them. “You’re safe now. You’re in the Shadow Court and we could really do with you waking up.”
I needed to know what she knew. Some instinct whispered that she had a part to play in the intrigue that was unfolding around me. Why else would the Unseelie have tried to kill her? Did she know something they didn’t want getting out?
The commonly held belief that the Spire had been murdered by a human man just didn’t sit right with me. How could a mortal man, unaided and alone, kill a Fae with magic at her disposal that was every bit a match for Raven’s? I knew how fast Raven could move. He could teleport. Surely the Spire, the spiritual leader of the Fae people would be even more powerful? And yet she’d been murdered right at the very heart of her power. It didn’t add up.
Or maybe, I thought sourly, you just don’t want it to add up. Maybe you’re just clutching at straws because you don’t want a mortal to be to blame. Because you don’t want them to have another excuse to hate you.
Oh, hell. I propped my head on my chin and stared at Rillana’s sleeping form. I felt as wrung out as an old dishcloth. I had known this would be hard. I’d come here, to a world where I didn’t belong, because the alternative—living without Raven—had been unthinkable. I’d told myself I was prepared for the difficulty but now I realized I’d been lying to myself. I was lonely. Raven had the responsibilities of a king and could not be by my side every moment of every day. When I was alone—like now—a deep, aching homesickness came over me. I missed my shop. I missed Gracie, my best friend. Hell, I even missed things that used to bug the hell out of me like waiting in line at the grocery store or being stuck in a traffic jam.
Tears pricked the back of my eyes, gathering like diamonds on the ends of my lashes. “You’re a priestess, right?” I said to Rillana. “You have the ear of Him upstairs, right? Well, could you put in a word for me? Because right now I could use all the help I could get.”
There was no response, of course, and I felt a little stupid for saying such things out loud. It seemed somehow easier though to talk to a stranger. Dashing away the tears, I rose to my feet, folded Rillana’s hands gently on her chest, and then left the room.
I made my way back through the corridors of the palace—without waiting for Ffion for which I knew I would pay in the morning—and then up to the royal apartments. One of the servants had been in to light the candles and the richly appointed rooms were bright with warmth and candlelight. A large plate of food had been left on the table. There was no sign of Raven. I paused only long enough to stuff a few choice morsels into my mouth before flinging myself onto the bed.
I fell asleep in seconds.
Chapter 6
RAVEN
The palace was alive with whispers. As I hurried towards the meeting hall, Hawk by my side, I could hear the hurried conversations that followed us sighing through the corridors like the sound of leaves in a breeze. At every junction, in every room and hallway, people were standing in groups, speaking in hushed tones. Hawk’s arrival, bringing with him the survivors of the Moon Court, could mean only one thing and my people knew it.
The Unseelie would soon be at our gates.
I didn’t blame my people for being scared. Spire help me, it was all I could do to stop the nerves from tightening my stomach as I walked, but I knew I had to appear calm, in control. I was the king. People would look to me for leadership and I had to give it to them, even though dread swirled through my gut like acid.
We arrived at the meeting room to find the others there ahead of us. There were only four seated at the table that dominated the small, private room. No grand hall for this meeting, oh no. The fewer who knew of what we discussed here, the better. Hawk and I stepped inside and closed the heavy doors behind us, shutting out the rest of the palace and its whispers.
I slid into my seat, Hawk taking the one by my side. I looked around the room. Bowen was there, of course. As the leader of my scouts, his skills would be critical in the days ahead. Mariana Slate sat opposite me, commander of the Shadow Guard whose job it was to guard the Court. She had a stern visage and black eyes that watched me coolly. Mariana had been Ffion’s best student and had the same calm and steely resolve as my sister. Good. That, too, would be needed in the coming days. That left Anander Onyx and Verim Stone, the commanders of my forces. They were both hard men, grizzled warriors and the veterans of many campaigns. Both had reputations as master tacticians and ruthless opponents—reputations that were well earned.
It was largely due to the people in this room that the Shadow Court had been the dominant power in the Summerlands these many years. Some people might claim that it was my rule that had made it so. The mighty King Arion, Lord of the Shadow Court. An illusion. It was these people to which the Shadow Court owed its strength.
Nobody said a word, waiting for me to speak. I met each of their gazes in turn and drew a deep breath.
“You all know what happened today, so I won’t waste time going over it again. What we are here to decide is how the Shadow Court responds.”
Nobody spoke. Then Anander Onyx leaned forward, placing his big hands on the table. A snarl pulled his lips away from his teeth and his startling green eyes flashed with anger.
“What is there to discuss? We stop the Unseelie horde at the border. We don’t let a single one of those murdering scum cross into the Shadow Court. If they want a war, we’ll give them one!”
I had expected nothing less of Anander. He had a temper like a mountain bear and had taken it as a personal affront that the Unseelie would even consider marching against us. Verim Stone said nothing. He met my gaze, his appraisal shrewd. He had a much cooler temperament than Anander and took his time to think things through before speaking.
“I think it would be wise to have all the facts before we decide on a plan,” he said. “Prince Firian, you were there. What can you tell us of the Unseelie horde?”
Hawk shifted in his seat. “They’re well armed and well trained. They wore the livery of the Court of the Sun but I think that was a ruse. There were far too many warriors for them all to be from the Sun Court. It’s my guess that at least two other of the Unseelie Courts have joined them. Probably the Court of Earth and the Court of Fire.”
“And the Court of Stars?” asked Mariana Slate. “Have we heard from them?”
I shook my head. “Not yet. Officially, none of the other Unseelie Courts have supported the Court of the Sun. Whatever they are doing, it is covertly. I’m not sure why.”
“I am,” Hawk replied. “Isn’t it obvious? They’re waiting to see whether the Sun Court overcomes us. We’re the last bastion standing before this tide. If we fall, there will be nothing to stop the Unseelie devouring the whole of the Summerlands. But if we prevail, if we defeat the Sun Court, the other Unseelie are afraid we will turn on them next. They are hedging their bets, and you mark my words, they’ll then join whichever side is the victor.”
“And the Seelie?” Mariana pressed, looking directly at me. “Are they any better? Or are they too scared to act as well? Has the fall of the Court of the Moon jolted them out of their stupor and made them agree to stand with us?”
I winced. The anger in Mariana’s voice was justified. For too long, the Shadow Court had stood alone against the Unseelie. For too long, the other courts had followed a policy of appeasement, hoping that if they didn’t challenge the Court of the Sun, then maybe they would be left alone. It was idiocy, and I had told the other leaders of the Seelie as much many times, but my words had fallen on deaf ears. My argument wasn’t helped, of course, by the fact that a mortal had killed the Spire. Many of the Seelie whispered that this act alone made the Unseelie right to want revenge on the mortal realm. Fools, the lot of them.
“I’ve summoned the leaders of the Seelie Courts,” I replied. “We’ll convene here in three day’s time for a summit. I hope we will be able to thrash out an alliance.”
Mariana snorted. “Three days? Do we have that long?”
Bowen stirred. “My trackers report that the Unseelie have not yet left the Moon Court. They’re waiting for resupply from the Sun Court. I don’t think they’ll be ready to march for at least a week.”
I nodded. This was the first bit of good news I’d had all day. “Nevertheless, I want the border garrison strengthened. Anander, send the fifth legion to the border. Coordinate with Bowen to set up a relay system with his trackers and have fast messengers on standby between here and the border. If the Unseelie horde even so much as farts, I want to know about it.”
Anander nodded. “Yes, Majesty.”
“Sending the fifth legion as a vanguard is a sound strategy,” Verim Stone said. “But I also suggest beginning mobilization of the rest of the army immediately. The only route open to the Unseelie is from the north, through our border with the Court of the Moon. They will try to overrun the border garrison through sheer force of numbers and force us back from the passes where the terrain will be more favorable for a pitched battle. We must not allow that to happen. If we lose the high ground, then we hand them the advantage. I suggest putting the army on high alert and moving the majority of our forces out onto the plain, ready to move to whichever part of the border they choose to attack.”
I thought about this for a moment. It was a risky strategy. It would leave our southern border unprotected, relying on our allies at the Court of the Wind to protect our flank, and seeing as the Court of the Wind had been decidedly slow in offering their support against the Unseelie, relying on their protection was highly dubious. But I also saw Verim’s point. If we kept the army here, waiting to see which part of our long northern border the Unseelie marched on, we ran the risk of the border garrison and the fifth legion being overrun before the main body of the army could relieve them.
I glanced at Hawk. He nodded. I glanced at Mariana Slate. She also nodded.
I let out a long breath. “Very well. Verim, Anander, you will begin mobilization of the army. Bowen, you will coordinate the trackers. Mariana, you will double the guard on the palace and make plans to evacuate the outlying settlements should the Unseelie break through.” I gazed around at them all and they nodded, accepting their charges without comment. I was glad of their strength. I had a feeling I was going to need it.
“Good. We all know what we need to do. You’re dismissed.”
Hawk rose as the others began to file out, but I caught my brother’s arm. “Stay.”
Only when the others had left and closed the door behind them did Hawk say, “What is it?”
I met his gaze squarely. He looked exhausted and a slightly haunted look flickered in his eyes. I knew he’d taken the loss of the Moon Court hard.
“What do you know about the priestess who came with you?”
“Rillana? Only what I’ve told you. She arrived at the Moon Court about four days ago. How she got through the Unseelie lines, I’ll never know. There’s steel in that woman, I can tell you. Why?”
“Something Asha said. She’s not convinced about a mortal killing the Spire and thinks there’s more to this priestess than we realize.”
Hawk nodded. “I think Asha is right. Rillana was hiding something, I’m sure of it. She seemed frightened—and it was more than being stuck in a court besieged by the Unseelie. She wouldn’t tell me why she’d left the Spire, but I got the impression that something happened there, something she didn’t like.”
I frowned. “That’s odd in itself. Since when did the Spire become involved in politics? Why would they send a priestess to intervene in a war between courts?”
Hawk shook his head. “I don’t know. What I do know is that this whole business stinks. There is more going on here than we realize, Arion.”
“I’m inclined to agree. When you were at the Moon Court, did you hear any rumors of Taviel’s return? Or of the Orb of Tir turning up?”
“Nothing,” Hawk replied. “Not a whisper.”
My jaw tightened. “I don’t like it. I’m sure Taviel would have taken the Orb straight to the Unseelie command. Why haven’t they used it? They want to bring down the Veil and invade the mortal realm. Why wait?”
“Because of us,” Hawk replied with a shrug. “They know that if they invade the mortal realm before the Court of Shadow is subdued, they’ll have us at their backs at the same time they’ll be battling the mortals. No army wants to fight on two fronts.”
“Perhaps.”
I did not like the thought that my kingdom was the only thing standing between the Unseelie and an invasion of the mortal realm. It was too heavy a responsibility. What if my forces failed? What then? Would I be responsible for the destruction of Asha’s world? Or, more likely, the destruction of my own?
Hawk’s gaze softened. He patted me on the shoulder. “There’s nothing more to be done tonight. Why don’t you go to Asha? I know if I’d found my fated mate, I wouldn’t be spending my time down here talking to you. I’d be up there with her doing...other things.” He gave me a wicked smile.
I snorted a laugh. “You’ve always had a way with words. But you’re right. I’ve been away from her too long already.” I hadn’t seen Asha since this morning. She’d been a ball of restless energy in the back of my head all day, but now she’d gone quiet. I rose to my feet.
“Your rooms are ready for you,” I told Hawk. “Go take some rest. That’s an order from your king.”
He gave me a mocking salute. “As you command, my liege.”
I left the room and made my way back through the palace and up to the royal apartments. The guards on the doors snapped to attention as I approached. I stopped in front of the door, laying my hand against the wood. I could sense Asha close by, just beyond. A ribbon of heat unwound inside me and the tension I’d felt all day lifted. Just a little.
I turned to the guards. “Tell anyone who comes looking for me that I’m not to be disturbed until morning.”
I planned on being just Raven for the rest of the evening. I planned on forgetting everything happening around me and spending some time with my mate. I smiled to myself at the thought, my grin every bit as wicked as Hawk’s had been.
Chapter 7
ASHA
I did not want to get out of bed. I had that Saturday morning feeling, all sluggish and content. The bed was unaccountably warm and comfortable and the man lying by my side, well,
who would want to get out of a bed he occupied?
“What?” Raven asked me, smiling. He was leaning on one elbow, looking down at me. His dark hair fell forward, screening his face.
I smiled back. “Oh, nothing. I was just thinking how I could get used to this.”
“So get used to it. This is how it will be, Asha, for the rest of our lives. Just you and me.”
Oh, how I wished that was true. How I wished it was just me and Raven, like it had been when we’d been on the trail of Dark Hair and Blond. Things had been simple then, even though we’d been in danger for our lives much of the time. Now things were...complicated...and I knew that no matter how I wished it otherwise, it was no longer just me and Raven. There was his people to think of for a start. I still couldn’t bring myself to think of them as my people. I wondered if I ever would.
My sudden unease must have echoed through the bond as Raven’s eyebrows pinched into a frown. “What is it? What’s wrong?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. I’m just pissed that we can’t stay in bed a bit longer. That we can’t enact an action replay of last night.” My toes curled as I remembered what Raven and I had spent most of the night doing.
He raised an eyebrow. “Oh, you think? We’ll see about that.”
He leaned down and kissed me. His lips sent a thrill like electricity right through my body. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer. My belly tightened. Maybe we had a little time after all. Maybe we could—
“Arion? Asha? Aren’t you up yet?” Ffion’s annoyed voice accompanied a sudden furious pounding on the door.
Raven scowled, flicking a glance at the door. “Sometimes, I really, really hate being a king.”
I smiled wryly. “Sometimes I really, really hate your sister.”
He snorted, then rolled away from me and rose from the bed. He held out a hand to pull me up. “What is that term I heard in the mortal realm? Time and tide waits for no man?’“