After that first week, they started letting me out to attend the evening meal, which was always stilted and formal. The only fae in attendance were the King and Key, and I had to fight the urge to roll my eyes at least fifty-eight times during each meal. I portrayed myself as subservient and compliant, which would have been a tip-off to anyone who truly knew me that I was not, in fact, subservient and compliant.
During that second week, I dutifully played my part. On the surface, at least. While playing nice with the King and Key, I started making friends with the Lower Fae. They wouldn’t even look in my direction initially, but once they realized I wasn’t trying to mess with them, they started opening up. The brownie assigned to my room became my best ally, mostly because I found out she loved sweets and shiny things.
So, if some dinnerware happened to disappear, well, I had no idea where it went. And if I managed to pocket some sweets for a midnight snack, even better.
“When will we be moving forward with our plans, my lord?” Key asked, sounding very prim and proper. Ever since cornering me during my failed escape attempt, I wasn’t comfortable around him. Not that I was before, but now I knew he had spies doing his dirty work yet was no closer to figuring out who they were.
“We will discuss that later. Anastasia, return to your room. Tomorrow, your training begins again.”
“Yes, Sire,” I replied, quiet as a mouse.
The less I was noticed, the better for me. I didn’t know his end goal because, quite frankly, the King didn’t seem like the fatherly type to me. I couldn’t imagine him going to all of this trouble just to form a relationship with his long-lost daughter. And if he had any love for my mother, it didn’t show in how he treated me. Plus, it was strange to think of him as my father when he looked the same age as Key, Erebus, and hell, even Olezka. If anything, he looked even younger because there was that unearthly glow about him.
The walk back to my room was quiet. I was dressed in the preferred Light Fae Court fashion, which consisted of wispy gowns that ranged from practically see-through with gossamer strips of fabric covering the important bits, to almost modest versions with multiple layers of silky drapes. What I wore was light and flowy, but not see-through. The neckline dipped between my breasts, and the bodice formed perfectly around them, giving the illusion of demure modesty. A thin golden belt clasped just below the bodice, and a diaphanous skirt attached to the empire waist flowed down to brush the tips of my soft heels. The fabric seemed to take on a life of its own as I walked, swishing and shimmering in my wake.
The clothing of the High Court ranged the color spectrum in a multitude of light shades, but mine were always unique to the colors that belonged to my father’s house, typically light, buttery soft yellows to fiery sunset oranges. Today’s was burnt orange with an ombré design that gradually faded to apricot. Irritatingly enough, it looked amazing against my golden skin and hair, which perfectly matched the King’s distinct coloring. The only thing that belonged to my mother was my eye color. His were blue, but mine were a striking shade of violet.
I slipped my hand into my pocket, which I’d convinced Silk, the Light Court’s seamstress, to sew into all my dresses. Technically, I still didn’t know what her name was, but that was what I’d started calling her, and she didn’t seem to mind. Silk’s furry skin was paler than the creamiest milk, and she had large black eyes that saw way too much but gave nothing away. Her wings were powdery white and fluffy, and I knew she would terrify Sixx. It made me laugh to think of my best friend’s irrational fear of moths. It was odd that the Dark Court’s seamstress resembled a spider, which terrified me, while the Light Court’s seamstress resembled a moth, which terrified Sixx.
Silk had nodded politely when I asked for the pockets but said nothing. She never did. The longer I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t recall seeing a mouth on her. I shuddered. Creepy.
I toyed with the napkin ring I’d stolen from tonight’s dinner. I hadn’t built up enough courage to steal away a knife or a fork yet. The spoon didn’t seem as dangerous, but I had to be discreet and subtle. Taking something from every meal, such as silverware or sweets, would attract too much attention. So tonight, it was the napkin ring that sparkled in the light and would entertain my new ally.
“Mistress is back! Mistress!” Dottie, as I’d nicknamed my brownie, hissed as I entered the room. She was excitable and always acted like every new event was the end of the world.
“Dots, calm down! You’ll wake the entire castle,” I chided as I entered my luxurious containment cell.
I would admit I missed my room at the Dark palace, but maybe that was because I could sneak away and bother a certain surly King. I tried to keep thoughts of Erebus pushed far, far, far in the back of my mind because I hated the sharp pang of loss I felt when I thought about him. For now, while I didn’t know what was happening outside of this palace, I suspected Erebus was hard at work, trying to rescue me. The best thing I could do in the meantime was to play my part as the dutiful daughter.
“Got any good news for me, Dots?”
The brownie dipped her head respectfully. “Got any good shines for me?” Dottie only stood about four feet, but she peeled back her narrow lips to reveal needle-thin, razor-sharp teeth. She had beautiful dreadlocks cascading down her back that looked like they were tied with twine, and her skin color reminded me of the first greenery of spring. She had bulbous eyes that twinkled when she got excited like now.
“Yeah, but first…”
She blew a raspberry, which she learned from me one time after I got annoyed with her. Rolling my eyes, I pulled out the ring and twirled it between my fingers, letting the light catch on the shiny band. She licked her lips and locked her focus on the resplendent silver.
Dot caved. “I know the identity of the spy to whom your fiancé has been speaking.”
I closed my fist around the ring, garnering her full attention, but she looked annoyed when I didn’t immediately hand it over.
“What? That’s huge! Why didn’t you start with that?” I admonished.
She had the good grace to look mildly abashed. “Oh, you know us fae… Until what we want is in sight and all that.”
As a matter of fact, I didn’t know because I hadn’t grown up with fae as Dottie well knew.
“Stop lying. That’s a you thing.”
Dottie blinked at me in that strange way of hers with her head semi-cocked like a confused owl.
So. Weird.
“Fae don’t lie,” she replied stiffly.
“Okay, and the sky is purple,” I said with a laugh. My Aunt Lola said that fae would do whatever they could to twist you into their ways. To me, that included lying.
Dottie took a step back like I was the weird one, her green skin paling. She twisted her spindly fingers together, staring at me. “Say another mistruth.”
I snorted. “I love being here, and I’m madly in love with Key.”
Dottie squeaked before jumping up and down, clapping. “You speak mistruths?”
“I do.”
Her smile grew.
“Alright, Dottie, now out with the information.”
“Oh, yes. With this lovely gift, you deserve mine.” Dottie gave me a creepy smile that made me slightly uncomfortable, but it didn’t compare to the rage I felt when she gave me the name.
****
“You promise this will work?”
Two days had passed since I learned the name of the spy Key had been using against me. I hated every miserable second that went by while I was stuck doing nothing but playing the part of an obedient daughter and willing heir. But Dottie told me time moved differently here than it did in the human realm. So, what might have been three days for me could have been five minutes for them, or it could have been a week. There was no telling, which made it even more important to get the information to Sixx as soon as possible.
“Yes, mistress.”
“I told you to call me Ana.”
“And I told you
that once we are free of the palace, I would.”
Brownies were strange fae that teetered on both ends of the Courts. Some lived here in the Light Kingdom, some in the Dark Kingdom; it depended on where they were born. Dottie said she always wanted to leave this side of the Court. I promised her that as soon as I busted this popsicle stand, I was taking her with me. Especially after this favor.
Dottie explained how it worked again. “Hold the mirror and think of the person with whom you’d like to speak.” When I gave her an unconvinced glare, she repeated, “Relax, and think of the male.”
I about snorted at that. How could I possibly relax when I’d been strung tighter than a coiled snake all week? Yeah, right. Fuck, I’d barely even slept. My thoughts were always racing, and when I finally managed to fall asleep, the second my mind started to break consciousness, they all flooded back in.
I breathed in and let my mind unfurl to the person to whom I needed to speak. My first thought flashed to Erebus, but I immediately pushed him away. Kallan had to come first. Unfortunately, Dottie said this would only work with High Fae, which meant he and Erebus were my only two options.
I recalled the face of the light blonde fae who had helped me in the beginning. Even though he knew about my heritage, he kept it a secret. I didn’t understand why, but I had to push my anger aside for Sixx’s sake right now. She was in danger.
A hazy view of Kallan came into view. Though his figure was partially obscured, it was him.
“Kallan?”
He was in the process of lifting his fist but stopped, cocking his head to the side to listen, so I called out again. This time, he turned his attention to the surface on which I must have appeared.
His eyes widened. “Anastasia?”
My words came out in a rush. “I don’t have long, and I don’t know how well you can hear me, but…”
“I can hear you!” he interrupted. “Are you okay?”
“Happy as a clam,” I replied drily.
He gave me a bland look and then stepped closer as if he could touch me. “You found a looking glass.” Kallan almost sounded proud.
“Yeah, and I feel super shaky using this,” I admitted. “I was told that if I pump too much magic into it, it will shatter. So let’s make this quick.”
“Go on.” Kallan looked like he wanted to add on a title, so I narrowed my eyes at him and spoke before he could.
“Sixx is in danger. You need to find her right now. When we escaped the palace, she brought along an incubus named Cyril.”
“Yes, Olezka told me of the male. He doesn’t trust him, but…”
“Cyril is working with Key, and Key is trying to use me for some plan to take over the Dark Fae Kingdom. If Cyril turns Sixx over to Key, he’ll use her against me, and I think you know I’ll do anything to keep my sister safe. Find her, Kallan.”
“I’m here at the house now to gather her. I will protect her, Anastasia.”
The fist clenched around my heart relaxed a fraction. “Thanks. Just know I still have a beef with you, but we’ll get to that later. Get Sixx now. I’ll stay on this link as long as I can.”
Kallan nodded before turning to Olezka’s door and knocking. We stood in silence for several minutes as he continued to knock.
When there was no answer, my heart plummeted.
Sixx was gone.
Chapter 16
Cyril waited impatiently while I changed into my “spy-wear.” Okay, so maybe it was just an oversized black knit sweater and black jeans, but I still felt pretty stealthy in it. I pulled my hair into a messy bun as I bounced down the stairs. Cyril shook his head at me, but a little thrill of excitement sparked through me. I hadn’t done this sort of thing on my home turf in what felt like forever. It would definitely be different without Ana, but I would be making a difference again. I would be an asset instead of an impediment, and that meant everything to me.
“Come on. I want to get there before they leave,” Cyril groused irritably.
“I’m coming!” I placed my phone on vibrate and shoved it into my back pocket as we headed into the warm, mid-spring night. The stars sparkled in the clear skies, and I sucked in a fortifying breath.
I can do this.
****
Fudge.
I could not do this. Nope, nope, nope.
“You’re messing with me, right?”
“Why would I kid about scaling a building?” Cyril said, annoyed.
“Stop being stupid.” I craned my neck to look up at the enormous building in front of me.
It certainly wasn’t a skyscraper or as tall as the Nova complex, but it was still at least four stories tall. After driving us there in his bland, nondescript car, Cyril sprung the details of our latest adventure on me. Honestly, I had expected him to have a flashier car, given his moody, sexy vibe and all, but then I remembered he’d been stuck in the fighting rings for quite a while. That made me wonder where he got this one, but I decided it was best not to think about it too hard.
“It’s only a floor or two, and we’re going to use the fire escape. It’s not like I’m asking you to scale it like Spiderman,” Cyril added sarcastically. “Now, stop complaining and come on.” Without a backward glance to make sure I was following, he walked toward the side of the building.
Cyril claimed he received intel that confirmed his sister was being held in this building, which was being used as a temporary hideout for the people who hosted the fighting rings. In a sudden moment of clarity, I regretted all of my decisions up to this point, beginning with not insisting on bringing Olezka along. But we were there now, and it was best to try if he believed it was possible.
Ten minutes later, it was a miracle of pure magic that I managed to climb up the “fire escape” without dying. Cyril climbed up after me and promised he would try to catch me if I fell, which wasn’t very reassuring. We had to scale the building up to the second story before we found an open window to climb through. I opened the heavy window with a loud screech and scrambled inside where I hugged the ground for a solid minute before Cyril pushed me onward. We crept through the sleepy building, barely making a squeak on the cheap tile. The one time I did, Cyril glared at me and remained tense the rest of the way.
The place seemed abandoned, but there was a hollowness to the building that made it even creepier. The hallways were dark, but the space appeared to be laid out like an office building. Deserted cubicles were coated with a layer of dust that confirmed my belief that this place was left to rot.
After walking across the empty floor to the other side of the building, things started to look a tiny bit tidier. At least, it looked like someone had been in this part of the building within the past year. Dust was smeared and cleared in some places, and the cobwebs were a lot less frequent. I saw dark splotches on the commercial tile, which made me shudder when a sliver of moonlight hit it just right. I swallowed hard and twisted my fingers together as unease tripped up my spine.
Whoever had once occupied this part of the building seemed to be in the process of packing. Files were hastily thrown into white, cardboard boxes that lined the hallways on both sides. A loud noise ahead of us made me pause. I looked over at Cyril with wide eyes. With his jaw clenched tight, he stepped forward and cautiously checked the next corner.
“Shit!” he hissed, pushing me into one of the small offices.
I crouched down low under the wide window in the door while Cyril moved into the shadows. Other than an empty desk in the middle of the room, the space had already been emptied. Two paras walked past, speaking quietly but urgently. My heart pounded in my chest as I looked over at Cyril. We had to go.
Cyril seemed to feel the same sense of urgency because he motioned for me to stand up, and we were on the move again. We made it to the far end of the floor, but there was still no sign of his sister.
Cyril looked back at me, and his luminous green eyes seemed to pierce me in place. “Come on. I saw a sign for the stairwell back this way.”
We had
two more close encounters with patrolling paras on our way to the stairwell, which made my already crippling anxiety skyrocket to debilitating levels. If these paras worked for Key, they were bad news. We needed to stay out of sight. The moment we stepped onto the next floor, I felt the unmistakable prickling of magic against my neck.
“Oh, holy heck,” I whispered.
The entire floor had been converted to function as a laboratory. I saw a row of containment boxes with massive tubes running along the tops of their sleek, metal surfaces directly across from shiny, silver lab countertops with a mountain of vials and microscopes nestled between a tidy chain of high-tech computers. The unflattering fluorescent glow of overhead lights made me squint as I tried to take in everything around me, cataloging the details for future use. The computers were shut down, but data forms were scattered haphazardly across the countertops and whiteboards.
“Cyril?” a soft voice asked. I looked up to see his sister standing in a lab coat, watching him with wide eyes. She was alluringly beautiful, even more so in person. There was a softness to her that bled out and latched on. I wanted to trust her with every one of my secrets without even knowing why.
“Solace.”
Cyril rushed forward and hugged his sister before holding her shoulders and scanning her for injuries. I allowed them a private moment and wandered farther into the lab. I noticed that most of the equipment they were using was the same as what we used at Nova, which led me to conclude without a doubt that Key was producing Dreamscape here, too. What I didn’t understand was his end goal.
“What are you doing here, Cyril? And who is she?” his sister asked hesitantly. I turned back around to hear what Cyril would say.
He waved off her concern. “Don’t worry about it. We need to get you out of here.”
Sixx and the Incubus: The Sidekick Chronicles Page 11