Salem’s feet slow as he reaches the gate with my head lolling over his forearm. “It’s nearly dusk. Ye know ye can’t lock us in here!”
My heart thuds in my chest when I turn my head just enough to see the terror.
The iron gate that’s been open for the victims to go free is now shut, and by the looks of the panic striking everyone as they throw their body’s weight against it, the thing must be locked, too.
When I was a little girl, there were high expectations put on my education. It wasn’t enough to pass my tests, which was a struggle for me; I had to get the best grade. I rarely got more than half credit, since I could only complete the written exams, and not the practical ones that pushed me to form plants I still can’t make.
Instead of accepting the flunky I was, there were consequences. Since I couldn’t do a lick of magic, the General decided to motivate me with nontraditional methods. Oh, how I longed to please him. I would have done anything to make him proud, but I simply couldn’t.
Milly was a nice girl. Quiet and kept mostly to herself on the playground. She was just plain better at cardinal charms than I was, so she earned the most impressive grade in the class. Everyone else finished well above me, leaving me dead last.
The night after he learned I failed yet another big exam, my dinner was given to the dogs. I was reacquainted with the switch that cracked across my little trembling hands. Worst of all, I was locked in the study, where I wasn’t let out until the next morning for school. I’m sure other children have it worse, but for me, being locked in any room by myself was frightening. I cried for hours, sobbed at the door as I begged the General to let me out. But he didn’t budge. And in the morning, it was not him who liberated me, but our cook, who promptly quit later that day.
Staring at the General’s firm glare now through the few inches of space between the iron posts, I know that no matter how hard we beg, that gate will not open. He will do as he does, because that’s the power the world has granted him.
I guess King Fairbucks didn’t lock the General up for more than a day, if he followed through on his word at all. I scold myself for being shocked that bad men do bad things.
Lexi gasps, and my eyes follow the direction of his and land on a body strewn in a bloody mess a few yards behind the General. “Is that… Did you murder Trey? Did you kill the man we just brought back to life?”
The General laughs. “Your go-between? Indeed, I did. No one is coming back for you now. The liberated will go on to seek out new lives, and no one will think to check back here for days. You know how self-absorbed our people can be.”
“Your daughter is in here, you monster!” Lexi cries, thinking of me when his own neck is also on the line.
“Then it seems I’ve solved two of your father’s problems in one go, and rid the world of a filthy shifter as a bonus. Did you really think old Fairbucks would lock me up for good? Shame on you for being so stupid as to think I’ll ever get more than a slap on the wrist. I’m too valuable to the throne. Much more than you.” He snarls at my husband, and it’s then I see that the General is all alone. There are no soldiers who would go along with this, and that small concession gives me hope. “King Fairbucks’ insipid reign will end by morning when his son is found turned to stone. Then the fae will see a new family put on the throne. One that doesn’t allow our people to be polluted by lesser beings. You are reckless, Alexavier, but your father is foolish to have let you get away with this much hoodwinking. You’ve always been a slippery one, and I’ve decided the people won’t suffer through another minute of your silly ideals. I’ve seen enough of your future. And it seems you have, too.”
Salem’s arms are vibrating with rage. “Unlock the gate!”
General Klein snickers at Salem, which is just about the most obnoxious thing he could do. “Without you to look after your people, they’ll soon die off. When they do, their wasteland will be ours. Oh, the things we could do with Jacoba. A well in every city I think is a good start.”
I don’t say a word to my father’s taunting because I know it will do no good.
Then General Klein summons up the nerve to grin and wink. “Enjoy your last sunset, kids.”
Salem sets me on the grass and throws his body against the gate. It’s a testament to the fine fae craftsmanship that it doesn’t bend or bow under his massive girth. The wire overtop is barbed and far too dangerous to try climbing.
The General ignores Salem’s attempts at escape and crouches down near where I’m lying. He cannot reach me, not even with a sword, but Lexi draws his knife just in case, and moves to stand near my feet. I don’t know what he could possibly say to me after everything that’s happened.
When his wicked eyes twinkle with triumph, I know my father will always be the man who loathes me most. His words come out slow and soft, like he’s saying something sweet. “After all these years, you are still my biggest problem.”
My heart thunders as devastation, fury and madness combine until something precious breaks inside of me. The fae woman who guarded her children from the beast gave her life for them. My father will stop at nothing to take my life from me.
Then my father walks away, his white uniform spotless in the fading sunlight.
21
Sacrifice
Alexavier
“We cannot get over it, Salem!” I shout at my deranged friend.
“I can climb anything!” he roars in my face after falling for the fifth time.
“Alright, if you can, good for you, but Lily can’t. The others can’t. I can’t. This thing was designed for the Gorgonell not to be able to climb out and spread its plague to the rest of the territory. We need a different plan.”
Lily can’t lift her head yet, which is no small worry. When we first started, she didn’t need more than a minute or two to recover, but this is going on ten minutes, and she’s utterly limp still. I’m kneeling by her side, gripping her hand, but there’s no indication she can feel me.
If I’m worried, there’s a whole other word for what Salem is. He’s on the border of unhinged as he slides back down the mere ten inches of purchase he gained. He’s panicking, which sets my mind into planning mode.
My key was in Trey’s pocket, for him to let himself in and out when he took the next carriage full of fae to the safety of the nearest village.
I can hear the snort of the bull in the distance, his grunts coming from the cave. I’ve never seen the Gorgonell, of course, only drawings of what some of the fence’s builders saw of the sleeping beast when they were installing the barrier. A bull. A massive bull who turns people to stone with a single glance.
We can do this. Come on, Alex. Think!
“We don’t have much more than a few minutes of daylight!” One of the liberated shouts. “You’ve set us free only to let us be captured again!”
Well, how do you like that?
I shove down my attitude and lift Lily up in my arms, seeking what shelter we can find. We only need to make it through the night. Then we can… I don’t have an answer to what happens next, but now that the field has more room to run, I can see my options a little clearer in the dying sunlight. “The houses!” I call to the others. “Let’s find a house we can wait out the night inside.”
Though their muscles haven’t been used in too many months, they dash full-force toward the few houses in the distance. We’re half a mile away from shelter, but it’s our only hope, so we make the most of the few minutes we have left. Even Salem abandons the hope that we can make it over the fence tonight, and turns to run with us.
I’m sweating, not just from the exertion of running while carrying a full-grown woman in my arms; it’s anxiety that chokes me around the throat. “Salem, Brother, you have to take her. If the bull catches me, it doesn’t matter. You and Lily have to make it to the house together. You’re the people who can bring us all back if we’re turned to stone!”
Lily lets out a bleat of fear that tugs at my heart, but Salem sees my point and sl
ows for the tradeoff. I draw my knife to protect them as best I know how, running alongside them to block view of my family with my body.
My family.
Salem’s always been my brother, but now I have a wife. I have a wife who can’t lift her head. I have a wife who could be turned to stone in a matter of minutes because her father is a murderous villain.
And also because I allowed this entire venture. I secured the horses and brought us to this awful place. If she turns to stone, I will be the man who led her here. This whole thing is my fault. She was living a normal-ish life in Neutral Territory before I convinced her to marry Des.
If anything happens to Lily on my watch, Des is going to throttle me.
The sound of the bull’s call across the field sounds like he’s taunting us, telling us he knows we’re here. It’s been a while since he’s had fresh playthings. Our fences have worked in keeping him sequestered from the rest of the populace.
“Eyes on the houses!” Salem calls out to the others, warning them that the goal is nearing. All we have to do is be faster than the Gorgonell. Faster than a charging bull.
The sun vanishes, and my heart sinks. I hate the words that spill from my lips, but I’ve never had such clarity. This is the choice. This is the way I can protect my family. “If we cannot make it, I’ll draw the bull away. Get her into the house and stay there until morning.”
“No!” Lily screams.
She loves me. I can hear it in her heartbreak. I try to force nonchalance into my tone, which is a true feat while I’m running with all my might and, you know, terrified. “You and Salem can free me in the morning. Promise me you won’t come out until dawn.”
“I promise, Brother,” Salem replies, and I can tell he’s working to the same conclusion I landed on—that Lily and he are irreplaceable on this mission, but I am not. I am expendable, and I’m okay with that.
Hooves hit the ground with a heavy pounding that makes my chest vibrate. I’m tempted to look to the left to view the massive girth that must be this elusive Gorgonell, but the goal is still to outrun the beast, not draw a true-to-life rendering.
The two in the lead splinter off, each checking a different house to play our odds at finding an open home we can hide inside. I cry out when I see both front doors fling open, relieved that my people will be safe.
The hooves are too close now. A statue hits the ground too near us. Without looking, I know we will not make it. Salem can only run so fast with Lily in his arms.
I swallow hard. “I love you,” I tell them both. It’s a promise that I will return, a sad reminder that I must vanish for a time if they are to live.
“Lexi, no!” Lily sobs in time with Salem letting out an agonized cry.
The sound of my wife’s anguish has an odd effect on me, simultaneously breaking me and rallying my last vestiges of strength. A burst of energy shoots through my body as I turn, keeping my gaze downward so I can see the beast’s meaty legs. They’re brown and dripping with a wet, black oil-like substance.
I do what I can to draw his attention from the others, who are reaching safety one person at a time.
This is what I want. This is the plan. He’s turning towards me and leaving the others, giving them the time to find their shelter.
As I run, I reach down and touch the ground, sprouting a tree that grows slower than I would like. My hope is to trip the Gorgonell up, even to set up small obstacles that might make him lose momentum. Though, each attempt slows me by a second or two, which is time I don’t have to spare.
My arms pump as I race through the night, dodging between stone statues. I make a wide circle and try to make my way back toward the houses. I’m so very far now, but I give it all I’ve got.
Lily’s in the house. Salem’s in the house. He’s standing in the doorway with his back to us, listening without being tempted to look accidentally.
Though my footsteps swallow the divide between me and my family, I know I cannot outrun a charging bull. I can either be gored to death or turned to stone.
“Barricade the door and close the shades!” I call to Salem, taking my last few steps before angling my chin over my shoulder.
The air stills in my lungs as gray eyes bigger than my fist bore into mine. I want to cry out, but my mouth won’t move. My legs fill quickly with the heaviest molten rock, slowing my steps until all I can do is wobble to the side so the Gorgonell doesn’t pierce me with his three-foot-long horns.
I stumble and fall, my arm outstretched toward the night sky. Lily calls my name in the dark, but I cannot answer her.
I cannot move.
22
Lily’s Magic
Salem
My muscles are locked down as my back rests against the bookshelf. I’ve barricaded all possible points of entry, but the Gorgonell keeps trying to push his way in. He’s too wide for the doorway, but all he needs to do is gain an opening to get his eyes on us. The bed frame has been turned on its end and pressed to the window. The bedroom has been shut tight. We’re all huddled in the main room, listening to the sounds of sobbing and the occasional scream when the Gorgonell throws its weight against the walls. Even during the periods of silence, they’re all huddled against the far wall tha has no windows or doors. I’m a dirty, violent shifter, and they’ve been taught not to get near me. Normally tha stuff doesn’t bother me. I’m not overly fond of fae anyway. But being tha I just helped free them, I’m more than a little disappointed they can’t see past our differences, even in a crisis like this.
Lily has no qualms being near me. In fact, her rail-thin body burrowing into my side is just about the only thing keeping me sane. Alex is out there, a sacrificial stone statue so we could escape. I hate tha I left him, but I still can’t find a way around the logic. I’m a shifter, so only I can perform the charm tha draws out a poison. Lily’s the only one who can rid the world of a person’s curse. It seems fate was trying to keep the solution to so many problems away from us by keeping our races divided.
Now we have a chance.
One of us is rocking back and forth, but I can’t tell which. I experience my woman’s panic as sharply as I feel my own.
Grain. There’s a tin of grain in the cupboard, along with a bottle of olive oil. No water, but one of them can use their magic to conjure some water from their hands. They can sprout plants to eat. We won’t starve if it takes us longer than a few days to make it out of this place.
“Come over here,” one of the fae shout-whispers to Lily. “Let her go,” he commands me in what I’m sure is supposed to be a voice of authority, the pipsqueak. Alex trains with me every now and then, so he’s got more muscle than your average waif of a fae. This lad’s probably my age, and off his nutter if he thinks he’s going to tell me what to do.
Then it dawns on me. “Ye think I captured Lily. Ye think I’m going to hurt her.”
“Let her go, and I won’t think that,” the man replies.
Fair point, but still no. I’m not capable of releasing her. If the Gorgonell bursts into the house, I’ll be able to shield her with my body.
Lily’s voice sounds exactly like a lass who’s trying to keep her cool through being abducted. My woman’s terrified, and this moron is making her uncomfortable. “This is Prince Salem of Jacoba. He’s my boyfriend.”
At this new label, my chest expands with permanence tha feels almost painful, like my body can barely contain the joy it feels at being linked with her in her language. For me, it’s mating. For her, we’re dating. I love it.
The concept is so strange to all five of them who are huddled in the far corner tha they cease all whimpering to gawk at us. Let them stare. Let them see how she glues herself to my body when she’s scared. Let them wish they understood what we have.
“You passed out back there, bringing us back to life. You must’ve hit your head. Come here, girl,” the man beckons. “What’s your name?”
I’m confused when she stands, her legs unsteady. I’m worried tha she might actual
ly go to them to appease their prejudices. Her fists are shaking at her sides, and I know this is the last thing she wants to deal with right now, what with Alex frozen outside. “The world is changing. You’ve been gone for quite some time, so be patient with yourselves when you integrate back into a society that doesn’t hold the same prejudices you were raised revering.”
Jays, she’s perfect. Even though I know she’s trembling on the inside, her words come out clear and focused.
Lily’s eyes are filled with compassion. “Not everything is as it should be, but not everything is as it was. The territories are starting down the road to uniting.”
“Uniting?” A shriek tumbles from the gob of one of the lasses. “What are you talking about? Uniting with shifters?”
“So far, we have a peace treaty with Drexdenberg, but yes, Jacoba is next. This is a good thing, no matter how it sounds.”
I listen to her explain with passion to rival the most enthusiastic saleswoman all the ways tha unity will benefit all three territories. She tells them of her marriage to Des, which is so shocking to them, they don’t jerk at all when the Gorgonell pummels the side of the house. She’s unapologetic about her marriage to Alex, and assures them tha all four of us couldn’t be happier tha she and I are mated.
Mated. Never thought I’d see the day.
When she finishes her speech, they are not convinced, but they don’t question her either. She’s spoken with such authority and kindness tha I can’t imagine how idiotic a person would have to be to try to tear apart her logic.
When she makes for the bedroom, I stiffen. “Stay in here, Lily. I can’t be sure everything’s boarded up properly in there. Some of the windows were only blocked with sheets and stacked boxes.”
“I’ll be quick,” she promises. “And I’ll keep my eyes on the floor, just in case.”
Wicked Prince: Book Two in the Territorial Mates Series Page 15