by Noree Cosper
Colin raised one sculpted eyebrow at Dylan. “Well?”
“I need to do this,” Dylan said. “I need to make up for what I’ve done.”
“You were under Nimue’s spell,” I said. “You couldn’t help yourself.”
“But it was my stupid decision that got us there in the first place,” Dylan said. “Besides, I know Nimue’s palace.”
“You’ve said all this before,” Colin said. “That doesn’t mean you won’t turn on us when we get there.”
“Owen has already proven that Nimue’s hold over him is broken.” I looked to Dylan and bit my lip. “That doesn’t mean you couldn’t fall prey to her again, though.”
“Besides,” one of the triplets, most likely Leri, said. “We already have someone who can get us into the city. Lance is waiting for us to send him a message.”
“The city, maybe, but not her palace. I know how she runs the Dreamless.” Dylan’s green eyes met mine. “Please, Aneira.”
I glanced at Colin who sat glowering at me. He hated the idea, but Dylan had a point. Even if Lance could get us in the city, we needed a plan to get into her palace. Dylan probably even knew where Rhydian would be held.
“Fine,” I said. “But we need to come up with a plan, now before we get there.”
Dylan grinned at me. “That’s new coming from you.”
“Let’s just say I’ve been through a lot, and learned a few things.”
Dylan’s grin faded and his face grew serious. Colin gave us both a scowl and slouched in his chair.
Over the next couple of hours, the six of us discussed strategy. Aside from the various snipes between Colin and Dylan, or the triplets and me, we were able to get some semblance of a plan. We would have Lance bring up some sort of infraction with the Prince of Dreams that would call Nimue from her palace. While she was gone, we would to sneak in through the Dreamless’s exit and find Nimue’s power source.
I leaned against the back of the chair, rubbing my neck with a groan. “I think that’s all we can do.”
“When do we leave?” Dylan asked.
“I need a few days to send a message to Lance,” Leri said.
“Then we head out at dawn, three days from now,” Colin said.
“That gives you a chance to get some supplies together,” I said to Dylan as I stood up. “You didn’t really have anything in the grove from what I saw.”
“Aneira, could you stay a little longer?” Dylan asked.
My stomach did a flip-flop. “Sure.”
Colin cast us an inscrutable look before leaving with the triplets. I scuffed my foot against the floor and the wooden plank squeaked. I sat down on the edge of his bed and rested my elbows on my knees.
Dylan cleared his throat, adjusting the glass and bowl of half-eaten soup on his bedside table.
“I want to apologize again for everything I put you through,” he said.
I raised my hand at him. “For the thousandth time, you don’t have to apologize.”
“I do. If I hadn’t talked you into going to Nimue, we’d be out hunting and she’d be someone else’s problem.”
I shrugged. “Maybe these things happen for a reason.”
“You mean like meant to be?” His surprised laugh turned into a coughing fit.
As I rubbed his back, an image of the Sandman and the Well flitted through my mind and my voice softened. “I couldn’t keep hiding forever.”
He tilted his head at me as his brow furrowed. “Hiding? From what?”
“From the tough choices.” I gave him a smile. “Things were a lot simpler when we were just hunting and trading to the other Respites.”
His fingers brushed against my hand. “Maybe we could go back to that.”
I stiffened and leaned away from him, my chest tightening, like a hand was squeezing on my heart. “I don’t think that’s possible. Things are more complicated now.”
His hand dropped. “You mean Colin. There’s something going on between the two of you, isn’t there?”
“I…” My throat closed up on me and it was an effort getting the next few words out. “I’d lost you to Nimue and, I don’t know. I guess I was looking for some sort of comfort.”
“And now?” His voice had lowered.
“I don’t know.” I rubbed my eyes.
He seemed to wilt, falling onto the bed. He stared at the floor with his hands gripping his knees. His breath expelled in the form of a laugh.
“I guess this is just one of the consequences of my choice,” he said. “I thought you’d wait longer for me, though.”
“I’m sor—”
“Don’t. Just go. We need to concentrate on stopping Nimue, anyway.” He lay back on the bed and turned away from me.
I rushed from the room and out into the cold night. Snowflakes landed on my upturned face and melted, mixing with tears.
“I take it, your special time didn’t go how you wanted?” Colin asked from behind me. He was leaning against the outside of Owen’s house.
“Don’t start.” I shot him a glare and marched towards my room in the house at the end of the main road.
He followed behind me. “What? This isn’t a surprise. You go running back to him and forget everything between us.”
“You don’t know what you’re talking about.” I spun around and jabbed my finger at him. “And what was between us was just some meaningless fun.”
“I never thought that,” he said.
I crossed my arms and raised an eyebrow. “Seriously? So, you’re telling me it was love at first sight?”
“No, you’re too damn annoying for that. But we’ve been through a lot together. Discovered secrets we didn’t know about ourselves. Have you even told him who your father really is?”
I bit my lip and looked away. I’d tried several times during those last few weeks. The words had danced on my tongue only to disappear when I opened my mouth.
Colin gave me a triumphant smile. “You haven’t.”
“It doesn’t matter,” I threw my hand out at him. “Now that we’re here, you’ve gone back to your triplets and the other witches. Nothing has changed for you.”
“But it has. I don’t want them.” He stepped closer to me and put his hands on my shoulders. “I want you.”
His mouth descended on mine. A sense of urgency surrounded his kiss as he coaxed my lips apart. I melted against him as heat surged through my veins. I’d wanted this, missed it even, for weeks and I hadn’t even known. Guilt lanced through me at the thought that not far, Dylan was lying in bed. I pressed my palms against Colin’s chest and pushed away.
“I can’t do this. Not now,” I said, panting. “Maybe I’ll be able to figure things out after Nimue, but I just can’t now.”
I broke into a sprint towards my room and the safety of other witches, leaving him alone in the falling snow. Love was a dangerous thing. No wonder Nimue used it like a weapon.
25
Neither Colin nor Dylan spoke to me the remaining three days in the Respite and when we set out both continued to give me shoulders colder than the ice surrounding us. The sleighs had made it to the Respite, but didn’t have enough fuel for a trip to Arcadia, so we walked. Colin took the front with Leri at his side. Dylan chatted with Eryn and Gwen in the middle. Colin’s shoulders would stiffen every time one of them would laugh and he would speed up our trek. In the back, the official odd woman out, I got to watch the whole thing play out.
After a four-day trek, Arcadia rose above the horizon. While Bedlam was built from a mountain, Arcadia sat atop the plateau of one. The cyan blue of the dome surrounding the city glowed against the gray sky. It connected to a stone wall that was several stories high. The dome was created from the communal magic and protected the city and its denizens from the eternal winter outside.
I stared up at the tall towers rising up from under the dome and swallowed the sudden influx of moisture in my mouth as my stomach churned. I could count the times I’d been to the City of Dreams on one hand,
and the last one would always be burned in my mind. My gaze darted to Dylan and found him looking at me. He glanced away.
“It won’t be like before,” he said.
“Hopefully,” I muttered.
“Of course not. You have us.” Colin motioned to himself and the triplets.
“We’re going through the witches’ gate, right?” I asked. “Not like in Bedlam.”
“Yeah. I’m not making that mistake again. Lance will meet us there.” With a snort, Colin reached under the hood of his coat to pull the cap he wore over his pointed ears.
I tightened the straps on my backpack and started up the winding rocky trail that led to the gates. “Let’s get a move on. The sooner we get this over with, the sooner we can all move on with our lives.”
Whatever they would be.
The turnoff to the witches’ gate was around halfway up. Like the one at Bedlam, it had seen less care than the paths the Fae would take, so we had to pick our way through carefully, avoiding the falling rock. Lance, the blond Fae from the Pleasure Palace, stood outside the stone and metal gate next to a female Fae guard. She regarded us with narrowed eyes, her gaze lingering on Colin.
“It’s all right,” Lance said. “These are the ones I told you about.”
“Purpose of the visit?” the guard asked.
“I’m bringing them in to fill out my temporary household while I wait for an audience with the Prince,” Lance said.
The guard stared at Colin for several more minutes before she nodded. “Fine. You have a Fae to vouch for you. You may enter.”
I stepped through the gate and a wave of warmth hit my face. I pulled my hood down and breathed in the sweet-scented air. Lance nodded us further into the city. We traveled along the sidewalk below the skyscrapers to a small pub. The air inside was hot and thick with a sugary smelling smoke. Small lamps hung over the tables, casting a red haze over the white tablecloths. Lance led us to a circular booth in the back. The music and laughs of the other patrons were muted in this darkened corner.
Lance glanced at the triplets. “Why don’t you order us some food and drinks?”
With a nod, they sauntered towards the bar. Colin stepped up to Lance and took his forearm in a brotherly shake. They ended with small laughs and pats on the back. I slid into the booth as did Dylan, though he kept space wide enough for two other people between us.
“It’s good to see you safe,” Lance said.
“As safe as I can be,” Colin said. “You still haven’t had an audience with the Prince?”
“Getting a meeting with him is near impossible.” Lance glanced around the pub and lowered his voice to a murmur. “And I fear to tell the truth of what this is about, lest it alert her. Rumor is she has his ear in every matter.”
I nodded. “We’ve heard the same. If you can’t get an audience, how do you plan to lure her away?”
Lance sighed and stared at Colin. “Your idea is insane. You should wait for me to gather forces.”
“And have the rest of the Fae come down on our heads for using their precious magic?” I asked.
Colin shot me a glare before looking back to Lance. “It’s better we go with a small number in secret.”
Lance sighed. “Fine. I’ve already sent a message to the Prince that I have some information pertaining to a Fae creating an army. Before I met you, I received a response to come to the Palace for dinner tonight.”
“The Prince discusses things like that over dinner?” I asked.
“Dad said he always liked to talk about anything important in a more private setting. He saved court for his declarations,” Colin said. “No doubt Nimue will be there as well.”
“So, tonight’s your chance,” Lance said. “Nimue’s Palace is closer to the center of the city. Unlike many of the other Fae who like the tower from old Earth, she still has an actual palace.”
I nodded. “I remember. It stuck out.”
The triplets returned with their hands full of mugs of mulled wine and a basket full of dark, speckled rolls. They laid out the offerings onto the table. I picked up a mug and drank half of it, enjoying the way the warm liquid chased away the last of the chill.
Dylan put his hand on my arm. “Don’t overdo it. We need to be alert.”
I shot him a look. “This will be my only drink, I swear.”
“That goes for all of us.” Colin raised his glass to his lips. “Let’s eat and relax a bit. Tonight, we’ll move.”
When the sky had darkened to the color of charcoal, we moved through the streets towards Nimue’s palace. It stood on a rolling green hill unlike the skyscrapers that sat close to their neighbors with only a few feet of sidewalk space between them. It was six stories tall with a round tower on one side of the cathedral-like front. The rest of the castle stretched beyond in a rectangle. The lights of the city cast a low glow over the gray stone.
While no wall surrounded it, Nimue had spelled the ground will lots of protections. However, Dylan knew of an underground passage that allowed Dreamless to slip in and out undetected by other Fae. Its entrance lay in a small two story house one block from her palace.
We huddled in an alley a few buildings away. Dylan crouched down against one of the walls. The triplets kept Colin between them as they scanned the street of passing Fae and witches. I peeked around the corner of the opposite wall and stared at the two Dreamless, both men, leaning against the railing of the front stoop of the passage house. Though they were dressed in normal attires, as opposed to the uniforms, they held themselves with a stiffness.
“So why didn’t she spell this place as well?” Eryn asked.
“The non-detection magic she has up would clash with any detection spells,” Dylan said. “Kind of like the two opposing spells would cancel each other out.”
“So, she has Dreamless guarding instead,” Dylan said.
Eryn raised her eyebrow. “She has an army, right? How does she get them in and out from this tiny house?”
“They don’t,” Dylan said. “Most of the time Nimue opens gates to the Wyrdlands to move large amounts Dreamless.”
“You sure remember a lot,” Colin said.
Dylan shifted in his crouched position as an uncomfortable look crossed his face. “I’ve been trying to focus my thoughts to remember some of the pertinent information.”
“Hmrph.” Colin stepped next to me and glanced around the street. “I only see those two.”
“She’s probably not expecting witches to invade,” I said. “She probably still thinks I’m on the run.”
I glanced at the scattering of Fae and witches that walked down the street or sat in cars. “So, the non-detection spell is cast on the whole stoop?”
“Anyone not looking for the building or not directly paying attention to it should pass it by without a second glance.”
“What happens if we attack?” I asked.
Dylan frowned. “It should hold. Most likely no one will pay us any attention.”
“But, you’re not sure?” Colin crossed his arms.
“Let’s have a little insurance.” I glanced to Colin. “Would you be so kind as to cast an illusion over the house and Dreamless?”
Colin stared at the street and the blue of his eyes shimmered, darkening like a cloud passed in front of their light. I blinked and looked at the street, trying to focus my gaze at the house. Try as I might, my attention kept being diverted. Colin’s fingers brushed over my eyes with a wisp of warmth and cinnamon. I opened my eyes and the two Dreamless slipped into my view. Colin did the same for the rest of our group.
“This should be easy, then,” Eryn said. “Come on, Leri.”
Eryn pulled her sisters along the sidewalk with a loud tittering laugh. Both sashayed up to the Dreamless and stopped at the bottom of the steps. The men stood up straighter and stared down at the women. Leri said something and one crossed his arms as he responded. The sound of their voices drifted to me, but I couldn’t make out their words.
Moving simultaneously
, Eryn and Leri flicked their arms forward. The men’s eyes widened as a metal throwing knife embedded in each of their throats. They tipped forward, disappearing behind the railing.
For once, I felt a little uneasy at being on the triplets’ bad side. I whistled under my breath and jogged to the building along with the others. Any more Dreamless would be inside. Leri and Eryn were dragging one of the men up the stoop with a huff of breath. When we reached the house, Dylan and I grabbed the other and hauled him through the door. It was smart to move them inside instead of leaving them and depending on the spells to keep them hidden.
Inside was a foyer with falling apart furniture. I sneezed at the dust that clogged my nose.
“Jeez,” Colin said. “You’d think that this place would be cleaner with people going in and out.”
“Probably a waste of time,” I said. “It’s not like they actually live here.”
“Come on,” Dylan said. “The passage is in the basement.”
“Typical,” I said.
“Cliché,” Colin said.
I hid a smile as I followed Dylan down the steps. Colin was back to his quips, so maybe he wasn’t as mad at me anymore.
The basement held a door to a cavernous tunnel wide enough for two people to walk side by side. Dylan took the lead with Eryn. Colin hesitated for a moment with a hooded gaze at me before he took the middle with Leri, leaving me to take the back. He was still angry, after all.
Dylan pulled out a flashlight from his backpack and guided our way through a path of twisting tunnels. The passage seemed to go on forever. I couldn’t even believe the city was this big for there to be so much room underground. After hours of walking, he stopped in a large cave with two exits ahead of us.
“The entrance is close,” he said. “Once we’re there we head down to the dungeons.”
“And below that is her sacred space?” I asked.
He nodded. “She never let us go in there, so I don’t know what’s down there.”
I stretched my neck to one side and then the other. “We’ll figure it out.”