by J. C. Diem
“We’ll fix that, your highness,” Olsa said briskly as she and Unwin appeared. Both were perched on the hound’s back. With a wave of her hand, the brownie repaired the dryad’s clothing.
“There,” Unwin said soothingly. “It’s all better now.”
“Did you kill the two brigands?” Dacrith asked, still keeping his distance from her.
“No,” Asha replied dully. “The trees stopped me before I could go after them.”
“They have my thanks then,” the warrior said and bowed to the still agitated trees. “We should avoid killing any of our foes or we’ll risk upsetting the balance even further.”
Asha gave him a haunted look. “I didn’t even care,” she admitted in a small voice. “When I turn into my goblin half, I want to kill everyone.”
He gave her a strained smile that didn’t reach his gray-gold eyes. “Then Hexam and I had better make sure to keep you safe so you aren’t required to succumb to your darker side again.”
They all knew that wasn’t going to be easy. They’d already encountered two bands of fairies who had tried to take Asha from him and they hadn’t even known who she was. Word was already spreading and after that attack, everyone would soon know of the girl who could turn into a hideous gray monster. The Unseelie warriors would know she was somewhere in the area and their search would increase. They had to reach the palace before they were discovered and an unscrupulous fairy didn’t try to make Asha his. If he did, she would kill him and even more chaos would be unleashed on the already unstable realm.
Chapter Ten
ASHA WAS SUBDUED AS they skirted around the battle site and continued their journey. Now that she was in the Unseelie realm, changing into her darker half affected her more strongly. If it hadn’t been for the intervention of the trees, she would have happily torn the two fairies apart. She wondered if Jake had enjoyed surrendering to his Unseelie side even though it had been so difficult for him to come back from it. She had a feeling that if she transformed for too long, she might find she didn’t want to change back.
Sensing her dismal mood, the Cerberus stayed close to her side. He brushed up against her every now and then to offer her comfort. Dalrin sent frequent guarded glances at her. He kept the hound between them, probably terrified that she would turn on him next.
When they came to an inn just after nightfall, the brownies once again escorted them through the servants’ entrance. Searching for a vacant room in the crowded building, a door opened just as Asha was walking past it. A group of Unseelie warriors were standing inside. Her gaze met the fairy’s standing in the doorway his mouth dropped open when he saw her amber, green and brown eyes. “You’re the Goblin King’s daughter!” he exclaimed.
Panicked, Asha took a step back and collided with Dalrin. His hands came to rest on her shoulders, preventing her from fleeing. “Unwin, if you please?” the hunter said in a calm voice. The brownie slammed the door shut, then locked it before any of the fairies could escape.
“Hey!” another brownie protested, appearing out of nowhere to stand on Hexam’s back. “You can’t lock our guests in their rooms like that! There are no dogs allowed in here either!” he added. The Cerberus looked at him with one of his heads, wearing an insulted expression at being called a mere dog.
“Do you know who she is?” Olsa asked as both she and her husband appeared next to the brownie.
She pointed at her mistress and he turned to look at her. His brown bark-like skin went a few shades paler. “Your majesty!” he stammered. “I didn’t realize it was you.”
“That’s okay,” she said with a tired smile, feeling strangely safe with Dalrin’s hands on her shoulders. “I guess we’d better leave before the warriors break out and arrest us.”
“Oh, they can’t leave their room, your highness,” Unwin told her. “Our magic always overrules our guests’ abilities when they stay in our inns. Especially now that the fairies are losing their power.”
“Is it just my kind that are losing their magic?” Dacrith asked, letting his hands drop to his sides. Asha was so tiny that her bones had felt fragile beneath his fingers. He knew she was far stronger than she looked, but she still brought out a strange protective urge inside him that he’d never felt before. Frankly, he didn’t know how to deal with these feelings, so he squashed them deep down inside his mind.
“No, master,” Olsa replied. “Other fae creatures are losing their power as well. Those with the darkest hearts seem to be losing their magic first. The rest of us who are forced to dwell in this realm will probably eventually lose our abilities as well.”
That was a disturbing thought, but at least they would be safe for now. “We should stay inside our room and leave before dawn,” the prince suggested.
“As you wish, master,” the brownie said. A door down the hall swung open, inviting them to enter.
When they were clean and dry again, the trio of travelers sat down to eat. Asha was drawn and quiet and barely touched her meal. Dacrith also didn’t have much of an appetite. His rage when he’d realized Asha had been taken from him had been far worse this time. None of their attackers had known who he was. If they had, they would have fled screaming. All knew of the warrior known as death. He was the most infamous and dangerous combatant who had existed in the goblin dungeon. Or he had been until Jake Everett had come along and usurped him from his dubious throne.
Climbing into the big, soft bed after the brownies changed her into her nightgown, Asha lay awake, staring at the ceiling. Dalrin lay on a thin mattress on the floor with Hexam sprawled at his feet. Her two guardians would make sure no one would harm her and the brownies would keep intruders out. Despite that, she felt uneasy.
They’d managed to survive the ambush intact, yet she knew their luck couldn’t hold. Dalrin was clearly an accomplished swordsman and Hexam was fierce in battle, but they would eventually encounter overwhelming odds. Cursed with bad karma from killing dozens of humans, she knew her punishment wouldn’t be delayed for much longer. She could practically feel her doom coming for her.
They were more careful when they resumed their journey just before dawn. Already, travelers were out and about. Dacrith asked Hexam to remain out of sight. He was too conspicuous and they needed to blend in. The Cerberus wasn’t happy, but he did as asked. He trotted along about two hundred yards away from the road. The storm made the realm dark and gloomy. It was perpetually twilight even at midday.
This time when they were ambushed, they had no warning at all. A group of fifty Unseelie warriors suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Dalrin reached for his sword, but Asha put her hand on his. “Don’t,” she said in a resigned tone as one of the warriors strode forward. “You can’t fight that many soldiers.”
“Remove your hood,” the lead warrior commanded. Asha did as ordered, but Dalrin made no move to comply. They weren’t interested in him anyway and he was ignored. Studying her long blonde hair that was instantly soaked by the rain, the warrior nodded to himself when he saw her tri-colored eyes. “You are the one we’ve been seeking,” he confirmed. “We have been ordered by the advisors to the throne to bring you to the Unseelie palace immediately. Will you come with us willingly?”
Asha cast a look at Dalrin and saw his entire body was tense. He’d wanted to gain redemption by escorting her to the palace himself and they were about to steal his chance from him. “Dalrin has been my guide and my protector,” she said. “I would like him to accompany me.”
The warrior didn’t even spare the hunter a glance. “That was not my order, my lady. Only you are to be brought before the Court.”
“I’ll come for you, my Queen,” Dalrin promised just loudly enough for her to hear him. “We will be together again.” She turned to see his gray-gold eyes burning into hers and she knew he meant every word.
Before she could reply, magic welled up as the fairies pooled their strength. It was enough to enable them to teleport to a new location. Lurching a step when she found solid ground beneath her fee
t, Asha’s hair, face and clothing were dried by one of her personal brownies.
Palace brownies did the same for her unwanted escorts. She looked around to see she was in a foyer of what had to be the Unseelie palace. Black marble covered the floor. It was so shiny that her face was reflected back at her when she looked down. Candelabras hung every twenty or so feet. Magical candles were perpetually lit, but none dripped wax to the floor below.
Twin black doors barred their way. They swung open at an unseen signal and she was marched towards a long strip of blood red carpet. Above the warriors’ heads, she saw a raised dais with two black crystal thrones. Both were empty and the smaller one seemed to have been recently made. Six chairs were lined up in front of the platform, but she only caught glimpses of their occupants.
Her escorts towered over her, blocking her from view and her sight of the throng that was crowded into the throne room. Whispers and nasty titters sounded. The little she saw of the courtiers warned her that she was horribly underdressed. They wore beautiful dresses and tailored tunics and pants. She was still dressed in her traveling clothes and cloak. Her sword had vanished upon her arrival, leaving her feeling vulnerable.
They came to a stop at the end of the carpet. Her escorts parted, then peeled off to reveal her to the Unseelie Court. She recognized Lord Nicolaia immediately. Jake was the spitting image of his father. They shared the same dark brown hair, stormy dark blue eyes and ridiculously handsome face.
Her gaze ran across the male and female advisors, then came to a stop on the hunched, twisted little being that was perched on the final chair. King Lod was even uglier than she’d expected. His silver eyes gleamed and he grinned to show his pointed, sharp teeth. “Daughter,” he said in his native language. While the others wore dresses, or tunics and trousers, he wore a shapeless black smock.
“Father,” she responded in the same tongue.
A warrior stood near the advisors, studying her insolently. She assumed he was the fairy they’d chosen to become her husband. “This is the woman you expect me to wed?” he asked derisively. “She looks like a child. You can’t expect me to bed a skinny little thing like her for the rest of my life.” About average height for a fairy, he had ash blond hair with blotches of brown, giving him a strangely mottled look. His eyes were mostly brown with yellow flecks.
Snide laughter broke out. Lord Nicolaia and King Lod exchanged a look, then glowered at the man who would be king.
“You must be Corvine,” Asha said dourly. “Don’t worry, you won’t ever have to sleep with me. I’ve heard about your reputation and I would never marry someone who enjoys abusing women.”
Silence descended at her pronouncement, then the six advisors shifted their focus to her. They were ancient and were probably considered to be wise. She was only six decades old and knew little about their world. They’d expected her to bow to their demands, but she wasn’t going to comply if it meant becoming chained to Corvine. From the dark look the warrior flashed at her, she’d just made herself an enemy.
Chapter Eleven
DACRITH CURSED FOULLY when the warriors vanished with Asha in tow. Hexam came bounding over and looked at him accusingly. “What did you expect me to do?” the prince asked in exasperation. “Take on all fifty soldiers alone?” The hound shook one of his heads reproachfully. “Even with your help, we wouldn’t have prevailed against so many,” Dacrith pointed out.
Harnessing his dwindling power, he attempted to teleport after the group and failed. They were still several weeks away from the palace on foot. By the time he arrived, Asha could already have become bonded to Corvine. His upper lip lifted in a snarl and his hand went to the pommel of his sword. The thought of that brute bedding the dryad against her will was almost enough to make him lose his control. He’d seen firsthand how her defenses could protect her. He’d warned her what Corvine was like, so it was doubtful she would allow him to touch her, yet he was still worried.
Goblins had the darkest hearts of all creatures within the Unseelie realm, yet their magic was also some of the strongest. King Lod’s power would surely fail along with everyone else’s, but he might still have spells that could force his daughter into compliance. “We need to get to the palace and rescue Asha before it’s too late,” he said.
Hexam heard the worry in his tone and shared his fear. Growing larger, he grabbed hold of the fairy by the arm with his left head and tossed him onto his back. Dacrith barely had time to clutch onto him with his legs before he took off. Moving far faster than the warrior would have been able to, the hound raced along the road through the torrential rain.
Lightning flickered, intermittently illuminating the other pedestrians. They leaped out of the way when they saw or sensed the pair coming. The Cerberus galloped for hours. It was long after nightfall when he came to one of the many inns along their path and had to rest. Dacrith was stiff and his muscles were sore when he slid to the ground as the hound shrank down to his usual size. His legs almost buckled, but he managed to catch his balance. At the rate they’d just travelled, it would only take them about ten or so days to reach the palace, yet he feared it wouldn’t be soon enough.
“Wait here until I can procure a room,” he said to his companion. Hexam panted for air as he flopped onto his side to wait. His fur was so dark that he blended into the shadows next to the road.
Striding over to the door, Dacrith entered the inn and found it just as packed as the others had been. “Did you hear?” he heard a satyr ask his fairy companion. “King Lod’s daughter has been found. In three days, she will be wed to Corvine, the new General of the Unseelie soldiers.”
“How did a half-goblin get chosen to become our Queen?” the fairy sneered. “I don’t care if her other half is a dryad. She’s an abomination.” Dacrith’s back stiffened at that insult and he almost drew his sword to skewer the man. He forced himself to sit down at a nearby table so he could continue to listen to their conversation.
“A deal was made between the Goblin King and the other advisors to the throne would be my guess,” the satyr said craftily. “They conspired to get rid of Sindarian. Freeing the Dark Prince’s exiled son from the dungeon was a stroke of genius. Who knew he’d made a bargain with a dragon, the only creature powerful enough to utterly destroy a fairy of his father’s might and power?”
“Where is his son now, that’s what I want to know?” the fairy said. “Sindarian was bad enough as a ruler. Can you imagine how dire things would become if death was seated on the throne?” They shared a mutual shudder at that prospect. “He’d have to be insane after eons of imprisonment. He’d be the ruin of our entire realm.”
“I hate to point it out to you, but the Unseelie lands are already in chaos,” the goat-like creature said. “It won’t take much more to tip the balance even further.”
“What’ll happen then?” the fairy asked.
“I don’t even want to know,” his companion replied, then placed another coin on their table. Tankards of ale appeared and both men drank deeply.
Keeping his hood up to hide his face, Dacrith ordered his own meal and wine. He murmured a request for a room and for Hexam to be shown inside and to be fed. His money vanished, which he hoped meant his request was being carried out. He assumed it had when the water and grime vanished from his clothing.
He took his time to eat and listened to the various gossip that was being exchanged. Most of it was about the upcoming nuptials between the soon to be king and queen. It was rumored that their joining would somehow restore the balance and the realm would stabilize, but no one believed it. Magic was fading from the realm and it would take more than a royal wedding to fix it.
Finally retiring to his room, Dacrith entered the first door that swung open for him. He strode inside, then couldn’t help but grin when he saw Hexam sprawled on the bed. The hound had been freshly scrubbed and was sporting not a speck of dirt. He opened one orange eye, thumped his tail in greeting, then succumbed to slumber again.
Dacrith
lay down on the thin mattress that appeared. He was getting used to having something other than the bare ground to sleep on, but it still felt strange to have a pillow to rest his head on. The brownies made his clothing disappear and put him in a pair of loose-fitting pants. It wasn’t easy for him to drift off. His thoughts kept returning to Asha, wondering how she was faring among the vicious, vain and self-absorbed courtiers.
Hexam woke him by slobbering on his face a few hours later. Making a noise of disgust, Dacrith pushed the beast away. Thankfully, a brownie cleaned the saliva off him. Grinning and apparently feeling refreshed, the hound dived on the long platter that appeared on the floor. All three heads fought and snapped over the food as Dacrith was clothed by his unseen helpers. Breakfast appeared on the table and he sat down to eat.
Dawn hadn’t quite arrived when the pair departed through the servants’ quarters. An invisible brownie let them out, then shut the secret door again. Dacrith waited for the Cerberus to grow, then climbed onto his back. He held onto his hood with one hand to shield his face from the rain and grasped a handful of black fur with the other. The hound raced through the unceasing storm, dodging around startled pedestrians or leaping over them when he had to.
In two more days, Asha would be forced into marriage with Corvine. There was no way they would make it to the palace in time, but Dacrith wasn’t about to give up. He was the rightful heir to the throne and he was determined that no other man would sit beside his bride.
Chapter Twelve
AFTER ASHA ANNOUNCED that she wouldn’t marry Corvine, the courtiers erupted into quiet murmurs. This seemingly young girl was defying the six advisors to the throne, one of whom was purportedly her father.