by Riana Lucas
“Yes. Both of you are right. I guess I am just nervous. If something seems too good to be true, it usually is.”
Reed’s eyebrows quirk. “Why Poppy, is that a human saying you just used?”
"Shut up,” I growl.
“Come on you two. We don’t have time for this,” Holly says impatiently. She is bouncing lightly from foot to foot, bow at the ready with an arrow already notched in place. She is ready for a fight.
“Right, this way.” I cautiously began to make my way down the hall toward the king's throne room. I know this is where I will find the majority of the Unseelie warriors as well as Damien. There is no doubt in my mind that once the king died, Damien picked up the reins and proclaimed himself the new king of the Unseelie court. With his track record and already being the second-in-command, he would not have been questioned or challenged. The truth is, if there were anyone that could seamlessly step into the king's shoes, it would be Damien. He is just as cruel and vile as King Foxglove was. He would rule this court just as the king did. Too bad for him that his reign will be much shorter than the king’s was.
The halls are dark and cold, much like that of the dungeon. There are wall sconces burning lightly every few feet, but they are much too dim to see more than a few feet in front of you. The light they emit does not even reach to the next sconce. I have to rely mostly on my fae vision and my memory in order to guide us in the right direction. As I do so, I find myself wondering how I lived here before. I always knew to watch my back and to move with caution, but now it seems so unrealistic to live in such a place. I do not see how the Unseelie are actually happy here. I know their nature is not like that of the Seelie, but this way of life would be miserable to any normal fae.
But I never questioned it until I knew better. It is probably the same for the Unseelie here. They are only living the lives they have been taught. Hopefully once Damien is defeated their new leader will be able to find a new way of life for them. This thought jars me for just a moment. I am not sure of whom their new leader will be. Rightfully, by blood, it would be me. But I do not wish to be queen, and I definitely do not wish to rule the Unseelie court. My memories are too horrid for me to even think of making a life here. However, as the princess of this court as well as the one who will defeat Damien, it will be my job to either step up or appoint someone.
Since this is the first time the thought has crossed my mind, I definitely have no idea who this would even be. There is not a single Seelie fae that would move from the Seelie court to live here willingly. And there is no Unseelie fae that I would ever trust to step into the position of king or queen. I shake the thought away realizing that I am getting ahead of myself. One task at a time. First, we must fight the Unseelie and kill Damien. The rest will follow after.
As we continue down the hall, our steps are sure but slow. Not wanting to alert anyone to our presence causes us to take much longer to arrive at our final destination, but we finally do. As we stand outside of the closed doors to the throne room, my mind tries to assault me with the bad memories associated with this place. From receiving missions, to watching the king torment and torture, to the king and Rho’s deaths, they try to replay themselves in my mind. I have to force them back and keep them away. All those memories will not help me now.
I take a deep breath, glancing at my friends as well as the warriors beside and behind me. They are ready, weapons drawn, faces determined. I can easily see this on their faces, but they nod to let me know that they are ready. I reach out toward the closed wooden door with my hands. They are shaking. I pull them back quickly to take another breath as I try to calm my nerves.
“You can do this. We have been preparing and training for weeks. You have the best warriors at your back and your best friends at your side. Do not doubt yourself now. We will win this,” Reed whispers confidently in my mind. His words give me the last push I need. I take one final last breath, place my now-steady hands on the doorknob of the throne room, and shove the doors open.
9
I do not realize the force I am using when pushing the doors open until they crash against the walls behind them. The heavy doors slam so hard that the wood of one of them cracks and splinters. The sound is so loud that the fae within the throne room freeze, turning their eyes on us. They stand there in a stunned silence, frozen in mid-action with eyes wide and mouths hanging open, unsure of what is happening or what they should do.
We have no such problem.
I stand in place and watch as my warriors begin to file into the room from behind me, advancing toward the enemy with their weapons ready and their intent clear. My gaze travels around the room quickly as I take everything in. The Unseelie fae are still stunned, not knowing how to react or what to do. It is a pleasing sight, one that I savor as I continue to look around the room searching for the one thing I came here for. My gaze finally zeros in on my one true target: Damien. He is sitting exactly where I thought he would be, on the throne of thorns, acting like king of the Unseelie court. We have caught him off guard as well. He is frozen, hands gripping the armrest of his throne, midway between sitting or standing. I am not sure which one. His eyes are wide and his mouth gaping open as well. It is almost comical. As soon as our eyes meet, however, he snaps out of it. He surges to his feet, mouth now in a grim line, eyes narrowed in fury. He steps to the edge of his dais and begins to shout out orders.
“Get them, you fools! What are you waiting for? Attack!” he bellows, his anger vibrating through the room and snapping his warriors out of their shock.
It is too late for many of them, though. Before they are even able to arm themselves my warriors are on them, slashing them down with their swords as if they were stalks of corn in a field. With the first line of Unseelie down, I begin to make my way toward the dais. I walk along the familiar narrow black carpet that leads to the base of the dais, the place I used to bow my respect to my king. The sounds of metal clanging and flesh ripping surround me. I see arrows whiz past my head and hear the grunts of my friends as they fight our enemy. The occasional fae slips past the ring of protection that has been formed around me by my warriors, but they are of no consequence. Reed slashes at them with his mighty Night Sword, killing them quickly before returning to my side. All this is in the background, only seen out of the corner of my eye or heard as a whisper in my ear. My focus remains solely on Damien as I make my way slowly and deliberately toward him.
My daggers are already drawn at my sides, my grip tightening on them with every step I take. My eyes are glued to Damien’s just as his are to mine. I can see his anger building as I get closer. I am sure that my confidence and the fact that his warriors are unable to reach me are not helping. As I reach the base of the dais, I stop. I stare up at Damien, allowing him to see the hatred and the determination in my eyes as well as my intent. I want him to know what is coming. I want him to be afraid.
He looks at me with the same determination in his own eyes, but a sudden outcry causes him to glance around quickly. I do not need to look to know what that sound was. It was the sound of another Unseelie being killed. My warriors are defeating his. He does not stand a chance, and by the glimmer of doubt I have just seen in his eyes, he knows it as well. He looks back down at me, and I can see that he is trying to mask his doubt. He straightens further, glaring at me with his most intimidating gaze, hoping that I will back down if I see that even though his warriors are failing, he will still stand and face me. He has that much confidence in himself and an equal lack of confidence in me. But he is forgetting one very important thing: I was trained by him, so my confidence is equal to his. I do not plan to back down either.
As I place one foot on the first step, still maintaining eye contact, everything around me fades completely away. I watch almost as if in slow motion as Damien’s hand reaches for his sword, pulling it smoothly from its sheath at his hip. The hiss of the metal causes my body to buzz in anticipation; my fingers become so tight on my daggers that they are throbbing. I grin evi
lly at Damien, allowing my Unseelie blood to show.
I take another step. Damien raises his sword, bracing for a fight. My blood begins to pump faster as I bring my arm back, bracing to strike as well.
I lift my foot to take the third step, only a few feet from Damien now. Just as I lift my arm, Damien turns and runs.
I am so shocked by this unexpected act that I do not move for a moment. I stand frozen, watching as Damien jumps down from the dais and runs through the crowd of fighting warriors toward the secret entrance at the back of the throne room. This is not what I expected. I knew he would not lie down and allow me to kill him, but I did not expect him to run like a coward.
“Umm…Poppy?” Reed’s hesitant voice next to my ear jars me from my shock.
I turn to him. “What just happened here?” I ask in disbelief as I gesture toward Damien’s disappearing form.
“I think he’s scared. Don’t you think we should go after him?” There is a hint of humor in his voice.
My smile is wicked when I answer. “Yes. I think we should.”
I set off after Damien but choose to take my time. My stride is purposeful but not rushed. Damien is not aware of the fact that the castle is completely surrounded. He will not get very far, and there is no need to overexert myself. I will need all my strength when I face him again. As I make my way toward the secret entrance that I am sure Damien has used, I glance around me to truly look at what is happening for the first time since I entered the throne room. The Seelie warriors are making quick work of the Unseelie. Not surprising considering we outnumber them two to one. I am also pleased to see that although there are a few injured Seelie, there do not seem to be any fallen ones. Only the bodies of the Unseelie litter the cool marble floor.
With the number of fighting Unseelie diminishing quickly, my friends, along with a few other Seelie warriors, follow me to the back of the throne room. Four of Damien’s guards are standing just in front of the secret entrance, swords drawn threateningly toward our approaching group. I hear Holly’s laughter and cannot help but join her with a snicker of my own. The thought of these four guards stopping us is laughable. There are eight of us to their four, and I am almost certain that our determination and purpose is much fiercer than theirs could ever be.
Before we reach them, I give them a chance to walk away alive. “I will give you until the count of three to drop your weapons and surrender. Otherwise, you will join your fellow fae in death.” I motion behind me at the fallen fae. “I do not wish to see this court diminished. I only wish to see your leader dead and this court under a different rule.”
One of the guards sneers at me. “You expect us to believe that if we drop our weapons you will let us live?” His laughter is mocking and short before he continues. “We know of you and the deception you have dealt. King Damien has told us of your intentions to annihilate the entire Unseelie race.”
I shake my head at his statement. Damien has obviously staked his claim here and worked quickly in his short time over this court to gain as many followers as possible. I really do not wish to kill them, but I also cannot allow these fae to stand against me, thinking they can question me and that I will answer. I may not be happy about it or wish to claim it, but the king was my father, and I am now the rightful queen here. They will show me the respect I require. “You will believe what you feel you must, however, Damien has lied to you all. I give my word that if you surrender you will be spared, but it is up to you. But know this, if you stand against me, I will not hesitate to kill you.” I pause briefly, giving a moment to let my words sink in. Then I begin my countdown.
“One.”
The three fae standing behind what appears to be the self-appointed leader of the group look at one another, gauging what each may do. The leader continues to sneer, sword ready, refusing to stand down.
“Two.”
I can see the indecision in the other three fae, unsure of whether they can trust me or not. I do not blame them. Having been raised in this court, you are taught to trust no one even if they have stated a vow. I would not trust anyone if I were in their situation; however, I cannot allow that to sway my decision. I look back at the leader. I see his hand tighten on the hilt of his sword as he prepares to fight. His determination and dedication are strong, he will not stand down, and I know now that I will have to kill him. Hopefully, he will be the only one of the group.
“Three.”
The three fae in the back drop their swords before quickly falling to one knee and bowing their heads. Hearing the clang of the metal hitting the marble floor, the leader of the group whirls around in disbelief. “You id—”
Without a second thought, my hand shoots out. My dagger glides through the air smoothly yet forcibly. The fae does not finish his sentence because my dagger slices through his neck like butter, cutting his head off. As his body drops to the ground, blood gushes everywhere. The other three fae lift their heads, eyes full of fear. Fear that I will go back on my vow and kill them just as easily.
“I made a vow, and I will keep it,” I say to them before turning to one of my warriors. “Ash, take these three to the dungeon along with any others that have sense enough to surrender. Once I am finished with Damien, I will decide what will be done with them and the rest of the Unseelie court.”
Ash bows his head slightly, fist over his heart as he does. “As you wish, my princess.” He raises his head, looking at me. “Good luck.” Then he begins instructing the Unseelie fae at my feet.
Although I did what needed to be done, I am a bit shaken by what has just happened. Knowing that I cannot show this, I turn my attention back to the wall containing the secret entrance that Damien just escaped through, the same one we used to escape just days before with Rho and Reed. I already know it will lead to the stables. The same stables where we met Dash for the first time.
Without meaning too, my thoughts must have reached him because he whispers softly in my mind, “I am here when you need me.”
His reassuring words are exactly what I need to steady myself as I reach out to the cool marble wall and engage the locking mechanism that opens the doorway.
The door whooshes open sending a burst of frigid air in my face. It smells of mold and is not refreshing in the least. The corridor is as dark as night, forcing me to rely on my enhanced faery vision once again. As I walk, I can hear tiny squeaks and the scurrying of small creatures on the floor as well as the dripping of water somewhere off in the distance. I ignore all of this as I make my way through the threshold and down the corridor in pursuit of Damien.
There are a few bends and turns, but we do not encounter any obstacles. It does not take us long to reach the end of the passage, where we are greeted by another wall just as before, this one made of stone instead of marble like the walls in the interior of the castle. This one is also cold and slimy from mold, algae, and other things that I do not wish to even think of. Ignoring this, I quickly locate the locking mechanism once again. The door swings open into the stables. The smell of hay and horse are an instant assault on my senses. This time, an image of Rho comes to mind. Her lifeless body lying on the hay-covered ground. I quickly shake it away as I step through the doorway.
As we enter the stable, my group instantly breaks apart into sets of two, each going a different direction in search of Damien. There is always a possibility that Damien is here hiding, but I am confident that he has tried to flee the Court entirely, which is why I am making my way toward the stable entrance with Reed at my side. Just as we are reaching the doorway, Damien steps out of the shadows and directly into our path. Reed and I both stop mid stride. Damien’s eyes are menacing. I can see the pure hatred he has for me in their black depths. I grip my daggers and return the look. I take a careful step toward him, sure that his intentions are to attack Reed and I, but then Skye steps out of the dark shadows as well. His sword is drawn and pointed only inches from Damien’s throat.
Damien’s eyes flit over to Skye quickly, and I see his facade
slip for just a fraction of a second. What I see gives me a strong feeling that it is not the sword that is keeping Damien in place, but the unclaimed fae holding it. Damien is quick to confirm my suspicions that he is well aware of the fact that Skye is unclaimed. And although he is still glaring at me, his voice a growl when he speaks, I know that he is scared. “Having the unclaimed do your bidding for you? How weak of you,” he says with a sneer.
I snort at his remark. “You are one to talk of weakness. I believe it was you that just moments ago ran like the coward you are when faced with little old me,” I say too innocently. Damien’s eye narrow, a low growl slipping from his throat as he moves to take a step toward me. He does not like to be insulted.
“Ah ah ah,"”Skye tsks mockingly at him while he moves his sword the few inches he needs in order to touch the skin at Damien’s throat. Damien freezes. “You might want to stay right where you are. If you value your life, that is.” Skye’s voice may be very soft and teasing, but there is no way to hide the sincerity of the threat.
I feel the others move in behind me, having heard the commotion. They remain silent at my side and at my back, offering their support in case I need it. I see Damien’s eyes widen slightly as he finally starts to realize the situation he is in.
I quirk one eyebrow at him. “You were saying?”
“I will kill you for this.” He is seething. I can feel the fury rolling off him, but it only feeds my own.
I take a step toward him, Reed right by my side. “I do not think you are in a position to make threats, Damien.” I spit his name out like it is poison on my tongue.
“And you think you are?” He laughs mockingly at me as if he knows something I do not. Not this time. “This unclaimed is not loyal to you. He will turn his hand at any time, especially if the offer is good enough.” Damien turns toward Skye now, careful to keep from being cut by his sword. “What is she offering you? I will give you more. Name your price. Let me go, help me kill them, and I will give you anything you desire, just name it.” Damien’s voice is confident now, his stance relaxed. Damien thinks himself king of the Unseelie after all. He believes his resources are endless.