by Alexia Purdy
Evangeline scowled as we approached. “What do you want?” She wasn’t known for her warm affections. In fact, she was as cold as ice and had been a great compliment to Corb, the former first lieutenant and Ice King, when he’d led the Unseelie army for Aveta. Now with him gone, she had Jack at her side, but his joking and warm demeanor was more down to earth and had yet to rub off on the dark witch’s mood.
“Just wanted to see if there was anything we could do to help with—you know—finding Zena,” Benton said.
Evangeline shook her head, but Jack spoke up before she could offer another frigid answer. “Yes, definitely! Benton, can you tell us about this girl with the Sight?”
Benton threw a satisfied glare at his aunt. “Well, Zena is eighteen years old, like me. She has dark maroon hair that comes to her middle back, white skin, some freckles along her nose, and emerald eyes. She’s about yea tall, and she wears a jade-colored stone around her neck that helps suppress her Sight and keeps her from seeing through the glamours of faeries.
“She still can, however, sense magicals when they are near and has been running from a bounty hunter who’s been on her and her mother’s trail for as long as she can remember. Rachel, her mother, has asylum with the Raven queen and her faeries right now and sent us to fetch Zena. Unfortunately, I mind-wiped her when I was Vegas a couple of months ago, so I had to give her back her memory before we returned to the Scren. She is supposedly the key to helping us find a cure for Queen Aluse’s brother, who suffers from a withering ailment. This bounty hunter somehow snuck into the Scren and stole her from right under our noses.” He paused, inhaling deeply before finishing. He held out the feather Zena had snapped in half. “Zena said the stones that help those with the Sight suppress their powers come from these feathers near the Teleen Caverns. We were on our way there when we stopped at the Scren Palace, and Zena was taken.”
He rubbed his eyes, and I noticed how stark they looked, with dark circles beneath them, and a sickly pallor to his skin. He’d been skipping sleep, that much I could tell. I decided I might slip him a sleeping potion from a recipe I had snatched from Braelynn in case I had bouts of insomnia. The stuff was awesome, and Braelynn had mentioned it was safe for human consumption, so it would work on Benton.
“I see.” Evangeline sighed, leaning forward on the table and pressing her mouth into a tight line. The rush of information had made her more businesslike. “This girl sounds like she’s important for more than just her gift of Sight. Is there any other reason you think this bounty hunter would want her?”
We both shook our heads, but then a thought jumped into my mind, something I’d almost forgotten.
“There is nothing out of the ordinary about Zena. She’s utterly magicless, and when Benton wiped her mind, the bounty hunter had one hell of time trying to find her. In fact, he didn’t find her the entire time she was unaware of her gift. It was only when we restored her memories that he came after her. I think it’s her Sight that causes the problems. It’d be silly to believe that it’s purely coincidence that she knows where the stones are. I think the bounty hunter wants the location buried with her.”
Evangeline nodded and straightened. “That’s plausible. I wouldn’t doubt that there’s something about these Sight stones we don’t know, and we should proceed with caution. Did she mention this location to you?”
“Yes. She said it was near the Haunted Forest, in the mountains high above a home of faeries. We assumed she meant the Teleen Caverns.”
“Good. We’ll go to the Teleen Caverns first, to ask for help from the Teleen. The bounty hunter will be expecting us, and we need people with knowledge of the terrain.”
We all murmured in agreement and waited for further instructions from Evangeline. She had the advantage now that Shade had put her in charge of this mission. I could tell it made Benton loathe the woman even more.
“There is one condition I must mention,” she said.
Benton lifted an eyebrow at his aunt. “What’s that?”
“You must stay here while Jack and I go to the Teleen Caverns with our army.”
“What? Why?” His hatred rose back to his face.
“You’re too emotionally invested in this girl. The hunter will use that against us.”
“That makes me an asset to this mission. Use me as bait, I don’t care, but I will not remain here in this treacherous palace while you carry out my mission. I’m just as powerful as any of you, and I will not be left behind. I know Zena. You don’t. She won’t trust you.”
Evangeline inhaled sharply, ready to reject his suggestion from the look she was giving us. “I’m sorry, Benton, but you must stay here.” She turned toward me, and her eyes sharpened like an eagle staring at its prey. It was less than comforting, and I struggled to stop myself from fidgeting.
“Soap and Dylan will join us. Oran and Anna will remain here in command of the castle.”
Benton curled his fists, turning purple with rage as we listened to Evangeline. I was afraid he’d spontaneously combust if he withheld his anger any longer. “I won’t stay here. You can’t make me.”
“You will, and I will make you if you do not comply.” Evangeline slammed a fist on the large wooden table, her complexion turning bright red beneath her otherwise calm demeanor. “If you disobey, you force me to throw you into my dungeons. Is that clear, nephew?”
Benton flinched at the last word. He’d never heard her call him that, and it was definitely not in a friendly context. He backed away a couple of steps before he turned and left without another word.
It was obvious that fighting Evangeline would do no good, but I was going to have to make sure he didn’t do anything rash, or we’d end up prisoners in the Unseelie castle. Not exactly what I’d call a vacation.
Evangeline refocused her eyes on me as though she’d read my thoughts. “Keep an eye on him, Rylan. Don’t let him out of your sight.”
I nodded, giving her and Jack a slight bow. “Yes, Your Grace.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Benton
“She’s pure evil, and I hate her guts.”
“She’s still your aunt.”
“Half-aunt.”
I paced the room we’d been given for the night. We’d gone there only to be locked in, and this infuriated me even more. “She has no right to lock me up. Shade will hear about this, and she’ll strip her of her authority here.”
I ran to the door and pulled yet again on the handle. It didn’t budge. How dare they treat me this way?
“Screw you, Vange! You hear me, you witch? You’ll regret this!” I slammed my hand on the door then shook it in the air as I continued my tirade back and forth, wearing down a path in the stone floor.
“Don’t waste your energy, bro. We’ll get our chance to get out of here, and we’ll find Zena.”
“What about you?” I turned toward Soap, my eyes burning from a lack of sleep. “Why would she stick you in here too? She said you could go with them.”
“Maybe she wants to keep me locked up until we leave so I don’t try to help you escape.”
“This is ridiculous. I’m the most qualified to find Zena, and yet she refuses to make use of me. That infernal woman is going to pay for this.”
“Just calm down already. We’ll get this sorted out.”
I didn’t want to sort it out. I wanted out of there so I could find Zena. The whole place was giving me claustrophobia. There was no air to breath. If I lived to get out of that place, I decided I’d make the place burned to the ground. I’d enjoy watching the flames lick the sky after I set it afire.
You will not set me on fire. Shade would not like that.
I spun around and stared at Soap, who was sitting at the window seat and staring out at the troops below.
“What did you say?” I asked.
He turned and gave me a funny look. “I didn’t say anything, Benton.”
Damn. I had to get some sleep. I was hearing voices now.
“You all ri
ght, man?” Soap looked overly concerned about me, and I really couldn’t blame the guy.
“Yeah, I’m good. I’m going to try to get some rest. It’s not like there’s anything else to do around here. They aren’t leaving until tomorrow, right?”
“Right.”
“Maybe with some shuteye, I can figure something out. There has to be a way out of this place. I’ll go mad if I stay here one minute longer.”
Soap nodded. “Get some rest. I’ll keep an eye out and see if I can figure out the lock on the door too.”
I nodded, turning toward one of the two beds in the large room. “Thanks, man. I knew I could count on you.”
“This whole thing is crazy. I don’t know why Evangeline is being so irrational. Maybe she’s just being overprotective of her kin now. Her way of overcompensating for not being there for you all your life?”
“Maybe.” I couldn’t care less if she wanted to make up for things she shouldn’t even worry about. All I knew was that I was going to let her have it for ruining this mission for us.
Rolling over, I faced the far wall and concentrated on the rough nicks and cracks inlaid in the dark grey bricks, hoping sleep would come to me. It seemed like it would stay away forever.
“Hey, maybe a nice honey wine will settle you down. Here.” Soap handed me a mugful of the sweet wine. I accepted it, downing it with just a couple swallows before handing it back to him.
A few moments later, the world faded away, and my body relaxed into sleep.
***
When I awoke, night had fallen. The only light was coming from the window. Moonlight and starlight danced and lit up the stone floor of my prison, and I hopped to my feet and walked over to the glass to peer down at the fires of our army below. On one side of them was a cliff that disappeared into an inky black darkness. The river ravine swallowed all the light without letting any of it reflect back from its deep maw.
Soft breathing came from the other side of the room where Soap lay sprawled on his back, on top of the blankets. We’d both been exhausted from our recent travels and had needed sleep more than we’d known. I was glad I’d gotten some, but a residual taste of a sleeping potion lingered on my tongue. I’d mixed the darn potion enough times to know what it tasted like, and I threw Soap a glare for drugging me.
I sighed. I couldn’t hold it against him. I really had needed to wind down and rest. Now, refreshed and ready to go, I was feeling antsy once more.
I crossed the room and turned the doorknob; I found it still locked.
“Dammit,” I cursed. Who was I, Rapunzel? I wondered if Dylan had known about this plan and had condoned it. If he had, he was going to be on my shitlist right along with plenty others, including Jack.
“How the hell are we getting out of this…?” I muttered to myself.
Suddenly, the door handle jiggled, and I stepped away, half expecting an Unseelie soldier or even the wicked witch Evangeline herself to enter. If it was her, I was ready to give her an earful. Instead, Dylan’s head came into view.
“Benton? Whoa, it’s me.”
I put down my blade, which I had snatched off the nightstand, ready to slice open whoever came through the door. I motioned him in, and he opened the door all the way. I heard Soap sit up behind me.
“Hey man, what’s up?” Soap yawned and rubbed his face. “What time is it?”
“It’s late.” Dylan closed the door behind him and breathed out hard. “Look, all I can say is that we need to move now. Get your stuff; we’re leaving the Withering Palace.”
“Wait, what?” I returned to my bed, still unsure what was going on, but I slipped my boots back on just in case and slid my sword into its scabbard. “Jailbreak?”
Dylan nodded and tossed each of us a dark, hooded cloak. “I sent word that I didn’t agree with Evangeline’s decision to keep you here while they try to find Zena. She’d even changed her mind about you, Soap. She was going to leave without you. I guess she sensed you were too loyal to Benton. But you two know the mission better than any of the Unseelie. Shade was afraid something like this might happen, but she still wants Evangeline’s support. So while they go about their own search, we’ll trek ahead to check out this place with the feathers.”
I donned the cloak, wrapping its warm, soft cloth around my body and snapping together the metal clip which was designed to look like a leaf.
“I’m all for sneaking out of this place. It gives me the creeps. You know it supposedly speaks to Shade? Like in weird whispers?” I shuddered.
Dylan nodded then placed a finger to his lips. I immediately quieted and glanced at Soap, who’d already donned his shoes, travel bag, and cloak. All three of us were ready for travel, but the trick was going to be getting out. The place was crawling with guards.
“Um, Dylan?” I whispered.
“What?”
“Any chance Shade told you about some secret passage to get out of here?”
He tilted his head toward me, a sly smile painted on his face. The bastard had a plan, and I was betting my sister was all behind it.
“Just try to keep up.” He opened the door slightly and peered into the hall. “All right, all clear.” He swung the door open, and we went out one by one into the torch-lit hall. I could hear the echoing voices of soldiers bouncing off the stone walls.
Dylan walked confidently, pausing at times, and I could have sworn someone was whispering directions to him via an earpiece. I wanted to ask him about it but didn’t want us to make any unnecessary noise.
Dylan stopped at what appeared to be an indention in the wall and reached out, pressing his hand against one particular stone. It sank in, and the entire wall slid away into a hidden slot. He turned toward us and waved us on.
I threw him a curious glance before heading through the hole after Soap. Once Dylan joined us, he pressed another stone against the perpendicular wall, and the slat of stones replaced itself quietly, all without drawing the attention of the guards.
“Okay, now we don’t have to be as quiet, but I suggest you keep your voices low,” Dylan said as he started into the darkness, but not before grabbing a cobweb-covered torch sitting in a sconce and lighting it with his inner fire, which he let spark from his fingertips.
“What the hell was that, man? Fess up.”
“What do you mean?” Dylan walked casually, holding the torch high in front of him as we made our way past swaths of web. It stuck to my hair and clothes, and the sensation of a thousand tiny spiders crawling over my skin made me shudder.
“You know. How did you know about this passage?”
It suddenly dawned on me just how he’d done it. It did little to comfort me as we walked down the lonely passageway.
“Shade controls this castle, even though Evangeline and Jack have command of the Unseelie realm.”
“So she gets the castle to sneak us out of here?” I studied the walls, swiping away another cobweb.
“Yeah. She gave it an order to show me how we could get out. It definitely obeys its rightful ruler. It told me exactly where to go, when to stop, and where to find the hidden release in the wall.”
“Freaky,” I muttered. The place was as alive as I was. As any of us. I didn’t know what to think about that. “So it talks to you now?”
“Yes, but only because Shade commanded it to.”
I nodded, more to myself than to Dylan, since he was ahead of me. I wondered if it disturbed him to hear the castle talking to him in his head. I thought it was the weirdest thing. How did Shade tolerate it? She did have experience when it came to hearing voices. She’d had spirit guides muttering crap in her ears as long as she could remember. Only recently had she banished them from her mind, silencing them. What if this place had driven all the previous rulers insane? I hoped not. The thought of it made me shiver.
“So… what’s the plan once we get out of here?” Soap inquired.
“There are ways to get into the Teleen Caverns that only people who live there know about. We can make
most of the journey underground from here, without being seen.”
“No kidding?” I laughed. It wasn’t every day I found out I could actually walk through Faerie without being seen. If I’d known there were secret passages all around, I would have asked for the map to them long time ago. “How do you not know that, Soap?”
He shrugged. “Well, I’ve always known there were ways to get to the Teleen Caverns besides through the forest, but only the royal guards ever used those entrances.”
Soap frowned, and I knew he really hadn’t known about these passageways. Dylan used to be captain of the guard, so it was more than likely he was privy to information that Soap hadn’t had access to. Regardless, it was obvious he felt as out of the loop as I did.
“I’d love to know more about these hidden passages,” I said. “If I don’t have to walk one more step through Faerie, I’ll never complain about anything ever again.”
“There’s a lot about Faerie that you don’t know, Benton,” Dylan said, pausing to look down the hall and sweeping the torch around to check out a branch leading off in another direction. “Some things you want to know, like secret passages. Other things you don’t want to know, like what the Unseelie do to those with the Sight, or how many humans disappear yearly because of Unseelie faeries kidnapping them, or—”
“Wait… what?” I was beginning to suspect Dylan was trying to get me all riled up. I shot daggers toward the back of his head, digging my eyes into his hair and imagining I was stabbing his brain with little pricks. The guy had a dry sense of humor. He was always brooding, quiet, and driving people mad with his poor attitude, but the guy really had some sick sense of humor. Even I wasn’t that narcissistic.
“Here.” Dylan pointed toward the branch splitting off from the hallway. “I’m told to go down this way, and it’ll let out at the bottom of the mountain, right into the Haunted Forest. It’s a shortcut to the outside perimeter of the Teleen Caverns.”