“Lokai! Come!”
The young Sidhe’s brown robe scarcely made a sound as he entered. He did not speak but simply bowed.
“Take this list and gather everything on it. Bring it back to me at once.”
Lokai bowed and rushed out to get the items without question.
Bodhe stormed out of the white city in hopes of catching some more Formyans trying to leech from the living. His skin was buzzing with apprehension. He could feel her and something was happening that was not part of this. He had to get to her soon, but how? If his most powerful Mage and his own mother could not, then there was truly no other way. But so help him if he felt her in any danger he would summon the Fire Elemental himself if he had to. Thank the Gods she at least had Amele. It was a small comfort but one that he held on to knowing that one of their most vicious warriors not only protected her, but cared for her too. Keiren had done well setting this all up.
Strolling towards the shadows he drew his sword and dared the leeches forth. “Come on you nasty bugs, come have a taste of some prince!”
~In the Corn Once More~
“That’s it! Again!”
After a few hours of grueling ‘thrust! spin! kick’, then flat on her back in the field again, Isabel felt the tension leaving her slightly. She was really getting quite good at this fighting stuff, who would’ve thought? She chuckled lightly to herself right before Amele came down with another heavy blow to her back.
“If I never see corn again in my life it will be too soon!” She shouted as she rose.
Amele laughed. “Awe halfling, you aren’t giving up so easily are you?”
Groaning, she rose again. “Never! You could kick my ass from here to eternity and I will still rise!”
“That’s my girl, damned if you don’t make me proud,” she grinned. Then she walloped her a good one again.
Isabel felt the frustrations of the past week release as she threw herself into the fight. Kicking and spinning with a finesse that shocked herself, she attacked her ancient friend, her eyes shining as gold as the field they were in. The sword Bodhe had given her truly was awesome. It was light as a stick and a million times more lethal. They circled each other for what seemed like forever, neither of them getting in what would be considered the match point.
Amele stopped her sword and winked at her. “Well done Bel, you’re sure taking after your Da’ alright. Shall we go see what the Uglies want for breakfast?”
“Lets,” she smiled, the sentiment of her father making her happy. Maybe he could live through her this way after all. I’ll make you both proud, I promise.
Isabel looked down at a bruise on her sword arm and saw it
flickering then turn to perfectly healed flesh. “What the…?”
Amele rushed over and grabbed her arm, the look on her face pure shock as she studied the already healed skin and then began inspecting the rest of her. “They’re all gone? This is happening too quickly Bel, you shouldn’t be able to heal yourself yet. There are still days until the Moon. For that matter, you shouldn’t have been able to control the demon either. He must have been very young. Even so, you should not have been able to hold him that long yet. There is something off with the timing of your gifts.”
She looked at her quizzically. “All evidence to the contrary. Are you sure there are still 4 days?”
Amele nodded. “Something is definitely wrong though girl, C’mon, let’s get back to the house and see what’s happening.”
She grabbed her and blinked back to the mansion, just in time for the doors to be run through by the Unseelie.
“Isabel! Sword!”
She didn’t need to be told twice. Yanking the sword from its sheath and pulling out her dagger she followed her downstairs. The place was overrun with the Grey ones and the shadow demons. All she could hear was the sound metal clashing and of bodies hitting the ground and she hoped that it was them. Amele dove into the heart of them, screaming for her to stay near, which was all but impossible. They were everywhere. Still high from fighting Amele, she cut through them with ease, making a considerable dent in the thick masses. The shadow demons were no match for her new sword and after she had dropped about twenty of them they stopped coming after her with such zeal. The Unseelie on the other hand were much less afraid of dying and she squealed every time one of them got their nasty hands on her. Right before she severed it of course.
She was so lost in the fight that she didn’t notice the structure of the chaos. There was reason to it and had she not been so enthralled, she would’ve seen the circle of them that watched from the side, waiting for an opportunity to get close. She had lost Amele in the thick of things and was fighting back to back with another female warrior that she couldn’t remember the name of. She remembered her from before though. She had been in the inner circle when they went out that first time and Isabel was being protected.
Suddenly she saw the circle of Unseelie in the corner and the Grey things parted perfectly that blocked it. As did that other warrior she had been fighting neck to neck with back away from her. And the funniest thing was that when the sea of uglies parted and the female stepped back to let the circle overcome her, she had looked at Isabel with total contempt. What the hell had she done to her?
“He is mine!” She shrieked right before she shouted a command to the Uglies to take the ring from her finger. Just then Amele’s dagger shot through her and she dropped to the ground. Amele was too far away to reach her through the crowd but she had at least heard her thoughts. One of the Grey things snatched the ring off her finger and then put a second wound to the newly mortal Rhonan. Isabel watched as her gaze turned and she smiled coldly before she stilled for eternity. But seriously, go Amele! I promise to never get angry at you again for listening!
It didn’t really matter that the traitor was killed though since she was being dragged through the crowd, completely engulfed in the circle of Grey. She couldn’t even move, it was like they had frozen her or something. The putrid white eyes glared at her but none struck her down. Why aren’t they killing me? This is just great. What is a fate worse than death? Being dragged into the unknown by the Uglies.
In her frozen state she could hear Amele screaming commands but they had planned this perfectly. All of the heads of guard were being heavily attacked to keep them from her and they were all outnumbered at least twenty to one.
“Sift Amele! Get out of here!”
She heard the roar of frustration of her friend as she tried to sift in but was blocked by some force. So the Unseelie had magic too? Gross, what else did they do? Why wasn’t her amulet working? It should be protecting her from magic! She felt herself moving across the yard and she tried to scream, tried to move, but she was paralyzed. When she felt the freezing cold entrance of the portal as they slipped through it with her she began to get just a little bit afraid.
Looming like a nightmare in front of her was a Black castle and there was no sky to be seen. It was all charred as if flames constantly rose. Odd since it was so cold here. Well at least that explains the Unseelie’s nasty grey skin. The poor things could never get a decent tan here!
She realized that she could move her mouth and she stared up at her captures with an unnatural grin. “You are going to die a thousand deaths for this, and I’m going to get to watch.” Try as she might she couldn’t do the Sensati thing though. Maybe they had to actually be looking at her.
They didn’t seem to hear her threat, or they just didn’t care, heading straight for the foreboding black gates of hell. Just great.
Amele watched as the rest of the Unseelie fled, running into the portal or being struck down by the Sidhe. This was not at all part of the deal. The Unseelie were not included in the curse specifically, did that mean that they could hurt her? Oh Gods, she had to get in there. But as she flew for the shimmering space it closed tight and the only thing she got through was air.
Son of a…! She spat, grey blood all over her. “Guards! Who knew Rhonan? That li
ttle bitch betrayed us!”
There were silent murmurs in the crowd and then Loth came forward slowly, ringing his hands together and staring only at the floor.
“I knew her your majesty. She was my niece.”
“Care to elaborate on what the fuck just happened Loth?” her eyes were blazing amber and her stance firm.
“I-I have no idea,” he trembled. “It’s true she’s family, but we are not close as we should be your majesty.”
“And why not? Family is everything to Sidhe. How is it that you could not know your own niece?” It took every ounce of control to keep her voice from screaming.
His stance crumbled and his eyes shone with defeat and shame. “I thought she would come around, you must understand. We all tried to get her to stop going there but it was no use. From the moment she lay her young eyes on him in that forsaken battle she was lost! I swear on my life I had no idea about any of this, she hid her intentions well.”
“Loth so help me if you do not answer my question I will mark you as a traitor too! Where was she going and with whom?” Her eyes narrowed and anger rolled off of her in waves.
His head low and shoulders down he said very quietly, “To Albequen, to meet with Morkain as often as she could. She thought that he was her partner.”
Everyone in the room gasped and Loth fell to his knees putting his sword before him. “Please your majesty, forgive me, I knew nothing of this treachery and I love my people. Do not cast me out of Loveryn, I beg you. I would have stopped her myself by whatever means I had to if I had known this was coming to pass.”
She looked at him and listened to his thoughts. No he did not know of this. Though the anger steamed from her pores it was not Loth with whom she was angry. It was herself for not paying more attention to the guard. How had this female slipped back and forth without alerting the royals? How had she not heard her schemes? They were under the same roof for days! And for how long had this little arrangement been going on? If only she had not been killed by the Unseelie, she could torture and kill her again!
“Off your knees warrior, I do not hold you accountable for her treachery but I hold everyone in this room accountable for not protecting our charge, including myself! Do you all understand?” Silent nods and small grunts answered her.
“How long ago was that battle and when did she last see him Loth?”
He looked up, fighting back tears of shame. “It was the battle of the Rages and I cannot be entirely certain but I believe she saw him just before the Princess’s recent birthday.”
“This has been going on for a century! That bastard! Ugh!” she roared and stomped through the room. That was a nasty battle and she had been unable to attend because of her detainment with the dragons. The Rages had attacked the realms with fire, trying to burn all to the ground in their wake. It took four of the magic realms to stop them, and restore the damage that had been caused to their beloved forests. Sidhe and Elves fought side by side, their forces combined with the Dragons and the Teleth, the Dark Elves.
Rages were born of the Fire Elemental and were very difficult to kill because they were fire themselves. It took all the great mages and warriors months to exterminate them. How they ever got out of their own realm was anyone’s guess since the fire realm is all contained. Reisha’s little hoodlums are not allowed out of their cage so to speak. But did Reisha come help round them up when they escaped? Of course not. She probably set them free herself for fun.
Shaking the thoughts from her head she re-focused on the group before her. “Please tell me we have a Mage among us?”
“We do not your majesty. They are not required to travel with the guard and by the time we realized this was not a normal Unseelie visit, we were all trapped here.”
“Are there any sifters other than me?”
Again another no. Damn. She could go forward, but only in this realm so little good that would do now. She contemplated sifting back but the consequences would be her life if she changed anything.
“I need to think, I want men posted in the woods in case that portal opens again. The ring was the only way I could get to her!” Amele stalked off through the woods to figure out a plan. If only she could get a message to Loveryn. Dammit!
Chapter 14
Her knees scraped along the jagged stone as they drug her down the dark corridor. If there was truly a hell, she had just been brought in to it. Just as she thought that all the flesh was gone and bone would soon be scraping along the damp stones a door opened in front of them and she was thrown into a small room with no windows or furniture, the only door was that from which she came. Wood protested and metal screamed as it slammed shut.
She could move again and got into a crouched position, ready to pounce on whatever came at her. Thieves took her dagger and her sword! Was she strong enough to fight without them? She looked down at her bloodied legs and watched in momentary amazement as they healed, the torn flesh repairing at rapid speeds. This new healing thing rocked, even if she didn’t know the full extent of what injuries she could live through. Covered in grey and red blood she began to think of the hopelessness of the situation before her. The words kept echoing in her head he is mine, he is mine. Anger and confusion threatened to push her over the brink of insanity’s sharp edge for awhile.
Oh! What if I go to sleep! Then I will return to Loveryn! I’ll kill Bodhe when I get there, but at least I’ll get out of this forsaken land!
She lay down on the cold stone and curled herself into a small ball. Closing her eyes she stayed there for a long time counting backwards from a hundred. Twice. By the middle of her third attempt she had fallen asleep and slipped rather un-peacefully into the darkness.
“Well aren’t you an interesting Mortal,” came a harsh voice behind her. Her eyes opened to the same dark room. Why hadn’t she gone to Loveryn? When she turned and saw the creature behind her she reached instinctively for her dagger, which was gone.
“Now now, you really don’t think I would let you keep that while you’re a guest in my home, do you? And there are no dreams in the Unseelie Realm, as you have now realized. But I do hope you enjoyed your nap,” he grinned at her with rotten teeth.
Her stomach clenched. She assumed it was a he anyway that grinned because of the tone of the voice but really she couldn’t tell the difference between the two sexes in this race. They were all Grey and long and lanky and had patches of hair in odd places. Not to mention the sunken white eyes that were simply repulsive. Her skin was crawling just being this close.
“So you can see me, can you? I wonder how that is? You are not yet immortal and we kill the ones who are born with sight as to not affect our feeding,” she looked at him with her mouth agape, anger rising at the thought of innocent babies being murdered.
“You know, I was not always so repulsive. It has been so long now that my vanity has gone completely though and I no longer care. But little mortal, once I was a being that you would have offered your first born child to with one glance of my beauty.”
“I think not. And you are forgetting that I am an immortal, born of two powerful warriors. And you will be hunted for this, whoever you are.”
He rose what she thought were his eyebrows. “You are not immortal yet you little vixen, and I have doubts that you will ever get the pleasure of the turning. Oh, forgive me. I suppose it is rude that I didn’t introduce myself. I am Fieren, King of the Unseelie and ruler of this realm. And presently your host, at least until the Blood Moon rises and I suck you dry of all your lovely little feelings.”
She moved back away from him, only stopping because the wall would not let her go further.
“Ah child, there’s no need to fear me yet, there are still days before the Moon and time passes much slower here in my Kingdom. It will feel like weeks,” he smiled grotesquely again. “So if you promise to behave I shall let you out of this chamber and offer you one more suitable for a princess? It seems only fair since you shall never have what should have been yours in the othe
r realms. Deal?”
All she could do was stare at him incredulously. Was he for real? Sorry Isabel, I am going to kill you, but why don’t you hang out and see some sites before I do? Seriously?
“I would not suggest seeing the sites beyond the castle actually. The Unseelie that roam out there are starving for affection, if you know what I mean. You wouldn’t make it a hundred yards before they consumed you completely. You may explore within the castle but beyond that I cannot guarantee your safety. By all means however, if you’re feeling brave, you may try it,” he winked with one of his sunken white eyes.
“Great, so you can hear me too. That’s just freaking lovely. Why are you doing this Fieren? You have a whole Kingdom of your Ug- Unseelie to rule over, why do you want my world too?”
“But it is not your world halfling. And it so happens that when you die and the crown is destroyed in both the Sidhe and Albequen realms, those will be for the taking too. I will have a bartering chip to regain my former self and have beauty again.”
“So much for vanity being gone,” she mumbled.
“Do not overstep my hospitality Isabel, I could just as soon kill you now as wait and I’m sure you are ripe with emotions between the Prince and Morkain. Do not tempt my anger.”
She raised her hands in defeat. “Alright. So what am I to do as I await my death your majesty?”
He stared at her incredulously for a moment, grey face raised in a shocked expression and what she thought may have been a smile from the upturning of his barely there lips.
“Follow me. I shall take you to a more suitable room. The Queen is eager to meet you as well and not to worry, I promise she won’t bite. Yet.”
Isabel got up off the floor and followed the ragged beast. Really, what other choice did she have? Without her weapons she had no chance to fight her way out of here, not that she could even get out without a portal anyway. She would need a better place to think. At least she was not being dragged this time, she thought.
Immortal Dreams Page 15