His lips parted in surprise as she turned, hurrying down the hall where she closed herself in her room and let those tears fall. She’d lost a friend. The only close one she’d ever had. The one that lasted through childhood and then some. But she wasn’t a child anymore. She was a woman, and she had a choice to make. A home to build, either on Wickenvare or Ellesmere. She couldn’t have it both ways.
A knock on her door startled her, and she quickly wiped away her tears, knowing she wasn’t presentable enough to open it. “Who is it?” she called, doing her best to sound normal.
There was hesitation on the other side before Riven’s voice drifted through. “Tanith? May I come in?”
She paused, looking into the oval mirror on the wall above her vanity. Her eyes were puffy, nose runny.
“I’m changing!”
She heard him shift on the other side. “I can smell your tears,” he admitted.
With a sigh, Tanith approached the door, swinging it open and letting him through. “Is it done? Is the rumor planted?”
The silver-haired man nodded. “Yes, and it’s spread like wildfire. If they’re anywhere in the city, they’ll know by morning.” He scanned her. “Why are you upset?”
“I’m human,” she sniffed. “We cry sometimes.”
He smiled sadly. “Fae cry too, but not without reason. I imagine humans are the same way, so what happened to upset you?”
Tanith walked over to one of the dark green couches and dropped down on it, expecting him to take a seat on the one across from her. Instead, he sat right beside her, his presence a comfort.
“It’s Kent. We… I don’t think we’re friends anymore,” she told him, hating how childish it sounded.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that you both can work it out,” he insisted, resting his arm on the cushion at her back.
She shook her head. “That’s the thing. I don’t want to work it out. His skepticism is exhausting, and he’s been a menace since we got here. He doesn’t accept me, or my opinions and he’s never shown an interest in my hopes and plans for the future. Not in the way you have. He doesn’t even think I’d be a good queen if I returned to Ellesmere, but he refuses to accept that I might actually want to stay.”
“Do you?” he wondered. “Want to stay?”
Tanith let out a heavy breath. “Maybe. I haven’t ruled it out.”
“That’s better than a no,” he grinned.
“But it doesn’t solve my problem. My inability to choose thus far is part of the issue.”
Riven nodded slowly, thinking. “I wish I had more time to give you. Truly.”
She pressed her lips together in thought. “Is there a way to go back? If down the line, I don’t want to be fae anymore, could I go back to being human? Could you wipe my memory and send me off?”
The king paused for a second. “If you enter your land while humans still live on the soil, you’ll take on a human form. It’s part of our ability—to blend in, but you’d have to malnourish yourself like Leevi to actually age and eventually die. You’d still last a couple hundred years, and it would be painful, but that’s as close as you could come to returning to the way things were.”
Tanith hated the sound of it. “What if I want to grow old?”
Riven chuckled. “You will. The only difference between becoming old as a human as opposed to a fae is that your skin will wrinkle, and your body will fail you more and more as the days pass. Just because we don’t look old, doesn’t mean we haven’t lived,” he explained.
“Another tempting lean towards immortality,” she admitted. “What do I do with that?”
He tapped his fingers on his leg. “Take it into consideration. It’s all you can do for now.”
She watched his gray eyes study her, doing the same in return as she nodded in understanding. She could do that. She could note the pros and cons if it would lead her to a decision.
Riven moved the hand on the cushion behind her, reaching for a strand of her inky black hair and curling it around his finger. “You really do look stunning in that dress. If you stayed, you could wear pieces like that every day.”
“Tempting,” she replied dully. The gowns were beautiful no doubt, but she still missed her pants.
“You could wear nothing if you’d prefer,” he countered.
Her eyes widened slightly. “What?”
As though just registering that he’s spoken his thought aloud, the king dropped her hair and stood from the couch. “I have something I need to attend to,” he told her. Taking his first step towards the door.
Tanith reached out quickly, catching his hand and ceasing his departure. She smiled up at him as he looked back, eager to make his escape. “Do you really have somewhere to be, or are you stepping out because you’re embarrassed?”
Caught, the tension in his body eased, if only just slightly. “Both,” he confessed. The corner of his lips quirked up too. “Goodnight, Tanith.”
She let go of his hand. “Goodnight, Fae King.”
CHAPTER 26
It was the middle of the night when Tanith heard the scream—just one at first—an ear-piercing screech that ripped through the castle, saving her from a restless attempt at sleeping.
She ripped off the covers and stumbled out of bed as the sounds of other panicked shrieks met her ears. Guards. She recognized those heavy footsteps, the sound of their metal staffs hitting the floor. She was at her door in an instant, cracking it open and peeking through. They were clearing out the rooms—maids and servants rushing through the corridor, muttering to each other.
“It’s a fire in the north wing!” one woman cried, practically shoving Ardeen and Uhri forward. The princess of Larune was sleepy-eyed, but her barbarian man was wide awake, alert as he led the way.
“Where’s Tanith?” She heard the voice, nearly scowling at the sound of it.
“Admiral, you know your orders,” one guard with a deep voice barked, trying to stop Shaw from reaching her room.
The auburn-haired man didn’t appreciate the interruption as he stabbed the pointy end of his blue-silver staff through the guard’s boot, making him holler in pain.
Tanith gasped as Shaw ripped his staff free, the end covered in crimson as the guard lifted his leg, limping to the nearest wall with clenched teeth while he waited for it to heal. He shot a hateful look to Shaw as he strode forward, eyes trained on Tanith’s door before locking on her own. She opened it quickly, but he knew she’d been spying—assessing the situation.
“Is there really a fire?” she asked quickly.
He wrapped his fingers around her elbow, tugging her forward. “Yes, but there’s a fae with the gift of water manipulation on standby. Getting outside is more of a formality than anything, but better safe than sorry. Follow everyone to the fountain out front. I’ll be right behind you.”
As Shaw turned to walk back the way he came, Tanith paused. “Where are you going?”
“We’re not done clearing the rooms,” he said just as a half-dressed Kent opened his door, a guard finally ceasing his restless knocking.
“What? What’s happening?” Kent asked, blinking a few times and watching people flee to safety.
“Fire in the north wing. The king advises you evacuate immediately.”
The strawberry blond-haired man nodded, leaving his door open and returning with a shirt on. He started forward, noticing Tanith and Shaw. Bravely, he approached.
“Are you headed out?”
Shaw nodded once. “Momentarily. Go with Tanith,” he ordered as he started off again.
Almost as though asking permission, Kent looked at her.
She refused to meet his eyes. “It’ll be cold. Go ahead while I grab a cloak.”
He sighed in disappointment. “I can wait here for you.”
Coldly, she answered, “I don’t want you to.”
Without another word, Kent followed the crowd, and Tanith waited until he was out of view to turn her sights forward, watching Shaw’s auburn hair
turn the corner at the end of the hall.
It was the servant’s staircase, and she wondered why he was slipping through when he was supposed to be clearing bedrooms. Again, he’d succeeded in lying to her, but this time, she was going to catch him in the act. Determined she followed him, speeding past and ceasing only at the sound of a man hollering from the opposite end. “The fire is spreading!”
She sucked in a sharp breath. How bad was it?
“Where is the water faerie?” one guard called back.
The messenger shook his head in devastation. “It was a grease fire! He made it worse!”
Unable to risk waiting any longer, Tanith silently thanked the man for the update and started down the stairs. It was completely cleared out, all the servants on the night shift having made their way outside. She kept her footsteps quiet, thankful for her bare feet as she navigated the dark steps, though she gave a second look at every torch and lantern she passed.
Fire.
She didn’t want to be wary of it, but if it was ravaging the palace…
“Mh!” she muffled her yelp as she stubbed her toe at the bottom, grabbing her foot as pain shot through it. She sat on the last step and studied it, seeing a drop of blood and a partially broken toenail. She held back her sigh and looked down the hallway, immediately backtracking and hiding around the corner at the sight of Shaw leaning against a wall further down.
His boot was pressed against the marble wall, his arms crossed as he stood and did nothing. Tanith wanted to scream at him. What the hell are you doing? Don’t you know the palace is on fire? Just as she was about to call him out, a tall, thin man appeared in the doorway at the end of the hall, seeing Shaw and approaching. His skin was pitch black, hair shaved on the sides and longer up top. There were royal blue and silver tattoos swirled along his forearms and neck, a pattern Tanith had seen before.
It was the man who followed Shaw onto Meelah’s ship. The one who sent the entire crew into an hours-long sleep at the snap of a finger, taking their memories in the process.
“Admiral,” he greeted, seeming jittery as he looked out the window at the people gathering below. “I don’t have time for this tonight.”
“Make time. This is important,” the red-haired man demanded.
“But not the most important thing at this time,” the man challenged. “If you were smart, you’d get out of here.”
“If I were smart, I wouldn’t disobey a king,” Shaw countered. “I want your word. If and when the time comes, fake it.”
“I already did that once,” the dark-skinned man said, frustrated. “I don’t take orders from you, and if it weren’t for your mother, I can’t say I wouldn’t have you pay the price. This is treason!”
“I know what it is,” Shaw ground out. “You think I’m not aware of the risks? I have to do this, but I need your help. Just in case.”
The man sighed, shaking his head. “I suppose it’s only a fifty-fifty shot,” he admitted finally, and Shaw let out an audible breath of relief, clapping the man on the shoulder.
“Thank you. I won’t forget this.”
They exchanged a few short words then, too quiet for Tanith to hear, not that she was listening that closely. She couldn’t bring herself to. Not when she smelled smoke.
Shaw must have smelled it too, because his head partially turned her way, aware of something, though he never took his eyes off his acquaintance. When the man nodded his head in goodbye, starting off, Tanith took a step forward to reveal herself, though it ended in vain.
There was a hand over her mouth, and an arm around her middle, pulling her back around the corner and out of sight. Though she struggled, she soon felt another pair of hands lifting her legs, carrying her into a storage closet as she kicked and punched wildly, her form sloppy.
“Ow! Ghods—Stop it, Tanith!” a familiar voice demanded. “It’s me!”
She ceased, frozen in disbelief as the door clicked closed and her feet hit the ground again, the hands behind her releasing their grip as she turned to face her kidnappers.
Their disguises did no good, despite the fact that the skin around their eyes had been painted black like a sloppy mask, their hoods pulled up and the rest of them covered in dark cloaks. Their attempt was notable, but no costume in all of Wickenvare could conceal two of the most recognizable men in the human world.
It was Ekko and Ward.
“What the hell are you two doing?” Tanith demanded, brushing herself off.
“We’re here to rescue you,” Ward answered quickly. “Where’s Ardeen?”
Her gut dropped. “Well, you didn’t have to grab me. I’ll forgive you, though, if you can find it in yourselves to forgive me too.”
Ekko’s brows drew together. “What are you talking about? We have to go, Tanith. There isn’t much time before the fire blocks off the remaining exit.”
She felt sick, silent for a moment before shaking her head. “Tell me you didn’t,” she whispered, a chill running through her body. Even from the closet, the smell of smoke burned her nose. She couldn’t imagine how out of control it had gotten, especially if the water had made it worse.
“It doesn’t matter,” Ward defended. “We have to go now. Where’s Ardeen?” he asked again, fidgeting.
Tanith smiled sadly. “She’s outside, and neither of us are leaving.”
“Now’s not the time to be stubborn,” Ekko chastised. “Are Kent and Shaw here with you?”
“Everything will be explained later, but for now, you should know we don’t need saving. I made up the rumor to get you here. It’s important.”
Betrayal flashed in Ward’s eyes. “You made it all up?”
She nodded. “I had to. I’m sorry, but we have to take care of the fire first.”
“We don’t have to do anything except get out of here,” Ward snapped. “I don’t know what illusions you’ve been dealing with, but it isn’t safe here.”
“It is,” she insisted. “Or it was until you brought the palace up in flames. We have to put it out!”
The door flung open, making all three of them jump in surprise. It was Ekko who sighed in relief. “Shaw. There you are. Talk some sense into her, will you? She doesn’t want to leave.”
Shaw’s brown eyes raked down Tanith, assessing her well-being before flitting back to the princes. “You two have a lot to catch up on, but she’s right. The only thing she was wrong about was staying inside when I told her and Kent to get the hell out of here.”
Ward sighed. “They got to you too. Listen, we only have—”
There was a deafening boom, the sound of glass shattering down the hall that made Tanith gulp.
“We have to get outside,” she insisted. “Maybe we can help put the fire out from there.”
Shaw frowned, stepping out and glancing down the hall before shaking his head. “I can hear them. The front exits are all blocked off and the flames have spread through the palace. They’re separating us from the back too.”
“What about the sides?” Tanith asked.
He shook his head again. “There are no side doors. It’s a safety precaution.”
“Not in case of a fire,” she challenged in frustration. “What about windows?”
Shaw hesitated. “Windows,” he agreed, eye twinkling in approval. “I think we can find a window.”
“Preferably one that isn’t shattered,” Ekko added.
“And one out of sight of the others waiting out front,” Ward finished.
Tanith nearly rolled her eyes. They hadn’t listened to a word she’d said. “We have to go with everyone else. They’ll probably be doing a headcount.”
“So?” Ward drawled. “We can’t just—”
“Shut the fuck up,” Shaw barked. “The fire is crawling down the hall. We need to go now.” He turned on a dime, storming out. They had no other option than to follow.
Surely enough, the orange and yellow flames of the fire had crept onto the second floor, and Tanith felt the hungry element sucking the a
ir from the room as they neared it. Hot. So hot she’d begun sweating.
Shaw pointed to the farthest window. There were three in the passage hallway, one broken and consumed by fire, a middle window far enough away that they had a few minutes to save themselves, and a third by the other end, the outside almost entirely covered by vines.
“Grab the curtain tie-backs. We’ll knot them together and use them to lower ourselves down.”
She nodded and started towards the black tulle fabric, tugging at the silver rope wrapped around it. The ends had tassels, and they were each no thicker than one of her fingers, but it would have to do.
When she had both in hand, she ran back to Shaw as he started tying his two together, handing him the additional ropes and praying they’d be strong enough to save them.
“Those things are only five feet long,” Ekko noted in concern. “Twenty feet of rope won’t get us to the ground.”
“We don’t need to reach the ground,” Shaw told him. “We just need to get close enough to the vines at the bottom of this window and they’ll take us the rest of the way.”
Ward glanced back down the hall. “What’s wrong with that window? It has vines over it.”
“That window doesn’t open. The ones on the end never do, but if you’re willing to break it and crawl through shards of glass…”
“Never mind,” Ward sighed, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead. “We’ll use the ropes.”
The fire had gained ground by the time Shaw had finished, no less than six feet away, reaching, holding out its flickering hands as though it were eager to ravish the royals.
Shaw stepped onto the sill, tying the rope around the curtain rod before swinging the window open and holding out his hand. “You first, Tanith,” he ordered.
She would have had the decency to argue if the fire wasn’t raging too close. Instead, she took a deep breath and let Shaw help her onto the ledge.
“Take these,” he said quickly, handing her his gloves. “For your grip.”
Nodding, she slipped the black leather over her fingers. They were too big, but they would have to do.
Tanith & Shaw (The Fealty of Firstborns Series Book 1) Page 22