by G. K. DeRosa
“Absolutely,” he responded, his eyes flashing gold. “We would have never been able to kill Brazen without your help, and getting Declan and the remaining members of the Black Devils to fall in line was all thanks to you. If I hadn’t accomplished that, I doubt I would have ever been chosen Alpha.”
“I think he’s in,” said Marco.
“How about you, Marie?” asked Celeste. “The Queen knows you were the one that helped us into Fae last time. I don’t want to get you into anymore trouble.”
“As it turns out, having an ex-guardian for a dad can be pretty valuable, especially with everything that’s been going on lately. The Queen wouldn’t dare punish me now, and if she tries anything I’ll just go to Astor and hideout for awhile.”
Celeste could see the worry in Brian’s eyes, but he wanted to be here as badly as Marie did. They were both willing to risk it all for her.
Her gaze moved to Marco next and before she could even open her mouth, he said, “I’m in.” She shot him an appreciative smile and turned toward Roman and Nico.
“And you don’t even have to ask us,” said Nico. “We’re the three amigos, your fearsome sidekicks, the unbeatable trio—Batman, Robin and Alfred!”
Celeste couldn’t help but laugh. It was good to see Nico in such high spirits and they could all certainly use a little humor right now.
“So what’s the plan?” asked Brian.
“Marie leads us to the royal palace, we break in, find Astrid and get out of there as fast as we can,” answered Celeste.
“That’s it?”
“Well, we don’t know much about the royal palace since none of us has actually ever been inside. And without Stellan, we can’t rely on magic to help us locate her or portal in and out of Fae.”
“Okay, but again—why aren’t we telling Stellan about this?” continued Brian.
“Because he would never let us go,” explained Celeste, “and he has enough to worry about with Lilliana.”
“Maybe it would be better if you stayed here,” said Marie, putting her hand on Brian’s shoulder.
“No way. If you guys are all going, so am I—no matter how bad the plan is.”
Chapter 25
“This is it,” said Marie. They stopped under cover of a large willow tree, its multi-colored leaves providing camouflage for all seven of them. Directly in front of them loomed the impressive royal palace of the Fae adorned in gold leaf and glittering pillars made of solid gold. Beautiful flowering vines crawled up the towering columns, giving the sense that the monument itself was alive. Celeste stared up in awe at the domed turrets wondering how they were ever going to find their way inside the colossal structure.
“It kind of looks like a pimped out version of the Taj Mahal,” said Brian as he craned his neck for a better view.
“You should see the inside,” muttered Nico.
“Wait, you’ve been in the royal palace?” asked Celeste, spinning toward him.
“Maybe once or twice, a very long time ago,” he answered. His eyes took on a faraway expression as if he had been transported back to that very time and place.
Celeste bopped him on the side of the head. “How could you not tell us that before?”
“Ow,” he complained, rubbing his temple. “It’s not something I really talk about much. There was a fairy and we dated for a while … in secret of course.”
“You dated one of the royals?” asked Marie, her bright green eyes widening.
“Allegedly,” he responded with a smirk. Roman shot him a glare and Nico’s expression grew serious. “I can probably get us around once we’re in there.”
“Okay, well that’s great news,” said Celeste. “Now we just have to figure out how to get inside.”
A twenty-foot tall wrought iron gate encircled the royal palace with guards stationed every ten feet or so around the perimeter. The main entrance was most heavily guarded with a double line of sentinels lined up on either side of the gold leaf walkway. There was no way they’d be able to sneak past them without a cloaking spell, and even with one it would have been difficult.
“I thought iron was lethal to fairies,” said Brian as he stared at the sky-high gate.
“It is,” responded Marie, “which is exactly why the royals use it. It’s as much to keep fairies out as it is for other supernatural visitors.”
“So how did you get in and out of the palace when you came with your girlfriend?” Marco asked Nico.
“She used to portal us in. There’s a secret entrance in the staff’s quarters. That’s how they all get in and out. I just don’t know where the portal is on the outside.”
“Or even if the portal is still active on the inside,” said Roman.
“True.”
“I could probably detect a portal if I came close enough to one,” said Celeste. “The magic signature that a portal produces is rather unique.”
“Wow, your power really has gotten much stronger,” said Nico.
“That’s what three months in evil rehab with nothing but free time to work on your abilities will do for a person,” she said with a wry smile. “Marie, if we find the portal, do you think you’d be able to get through it?”
Marie shrugged biting her lower lip. “I’m not sure. Some portals are one way only, others are coded for just a specific person and still others are locked all together.”
“We have to try. It’s our only option right now,” said Celeste. “Marie and I should split up and search the perimeter of the gate on foot.” Most of the area was surrounded by lush forest, which would provide good cover and an excellent hiding spot for a secret portal. “Roman and Nico, why don’t you guys take to the sky and see if anything unusual catches your eye?”
“You mean like fairies disappearing into thin air?” asked Nico.
“Exactly. Maybe the staff still uses the portal to get in and out of the palace,” Roman chimed in.
“All right, then it’s settled,” said Celeste. “Marie, go with Brian and Brennan and head north around the gate and I’ll go south with Marco. We’ll meet behind the palace in the middle.”
Roman eyed Celeste skeptically. “I don’t like us all splitting up like this.”
“You’ll be right above us. If anything goes wrong you’ll have the perfect view to swoop down and save us.”
Roman gave her a grim nod. “Be careful.” He turned on his heel and he and Nico transformed into falcons right before their eyes. The two magnificent birds took off into the air, disappearing into the perfectly blue sky.
Celeste and Marco took off in one direction as Marie, Brian and Brennan headed in the opposite path. The plan was to stay along the inner edge of the woods, encircling the palace so that they could use the natural cover of the trees to their benefit. Celeste trekked through the forest in silence, opening her mind up to feel the magic all around her. Marco walked by her side, on alert with his crossbow armed with iron arrows swung over his shoulder. Celeste twisted the Albsurori ring around her finger and could feel the warmth emanating from the encrusted sapphire. She sensed the ring’s power coursing through her as she focused all of her energy on finding the portal.
“Anything?” asked Marco. It was obvious he was getting antsy from the prolonged silence.
“There’s magic everywhere in Fae so it’s hard to filter out the different types,” she explained.
“Duck!” hissed Marco as he grabbed her arm and pulled her to the forest floor. Seconds later she heard the heavy footfalls coming toward them. She and Marco were hidden behind a thick bush, both flat on their stomachs and neither daring to breathe. As the footsteps got closer, they could make out their conversation and it wasn’t good.
“I know I saw something,” said the guard with a long ponytail swinging across his muscular back. Celeste could see his sandaled feet through the bushes no more than a yard away and she stifled a gasp.
“You must be imagining things,” responded the other who had already lowered his golden spear. They walked around
in a circle, eyeing the trees suspiciously, but staying on the other side of the shrubbery, which was the only thing standing between Celeste and Marco and being discovered. The first guard made a move toward them and Celeste silently pulled the Wilder sword from its sheath to ready herself to strike.
“Come on, let’s get back to our post,” said the other guard. “There’s nothing out here.”
Celeste let out a huge sigh of relief as the pony-tailed guard turned on his heel and marched back toward his comrade. Once they were out of sight, Celeste sat up and began to breathe normally again. “We have to keep moving. That was way too close,” she said.
Marco nodded and got back up on his feet. He followed her lead, crouching low as they hugged the tree line. After passing a few minutes in tense silence, Celeste began to relax again. She tried to focus on the essence of magic and filter out that of the natural Fae one all around her. She suddenly stopped dead in her tracks as a peculiar scent filled her nostrils. She put her hand out to hold Marco back and sniffed the air curiously. It reminded her of charred wood and incense with a hint of ginger.
“What is it?” whispered Marco.
“Magic,” she said, as she took off toward the edge of the forest, keeping dangerously close to the perimeter of the iron fence.
Marco followed behind her, staying close and crouching low.
Just ahead, the dense trees cleared out to a pathway that led toward a small cavern emerging from the rocks. It was odd because there were no other caves in the area. It seemed as though this particular set of stones had been dropped out of nowhere right in the middle of the forest. “This is it!” cried Celeste as the concentrated sensation of magic intensified the closer she got to the opening.
Celeste reached her hand out to feel for the portal and then suddenly, she felt a sharp pain on the back of her head and everything went black.
Roman’s keen falcon eyesight witnessed the entire scene as if it were happening in slow motion, but no matter how fast he darted through the air, he wasn’t able to reach Celeste and Marco in time. Two royal guards had snuck up behind them, undoubtedly silencing the sound of their footsteps with fairy magic. They tossed the limp bodies over their broad shoulders and then disappeared through the portal into the Fae palace.
“Go find the others!” shouted Roman to Nico the minute their human feet touched the ground. “We have to find a way in, now.”
Nico took off as Roman anxiously circled the entrance of the portal. He kicked at a fallen twig and the dirt stirred up all around him. He knew he never should have left Celeste’s side. If anything happened to her, he would never forgive himself. Before he could continue his guilt-ridden reflections, Nico appeared with Marie, Brian and Brennan in tow.
“Marie, can you get us in?” asked Roman, not even letting the fairy catch her breath after the all-out run through the forest.
She stepped toward the opening in the rock and swiped her hand over it. The portal shimmered, expanding with a whooshing sound. “I can,” she said with a huge smile on her face. “We have to hurry though. There are royal sentinels everywhere around here.”
“They must be protecting the portal,” said Brennan. “Are you sure we’re going to be able to get in?”
“Yes,” she said nodding her head. “Not all the palace staff are Fae. I’ve heard they use other supernaturals who they’ve captured and force them to work.”
“Perfect,” said Brian.
“What are we waiting for?” asked Roman impatiently.
“Let me go first,” said Marie. “Wait five minutes and if I haven’t come back out that means it’s safe to come in.”
“You’re not going in there by yourself,” said Brian, grabbing her hand.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “If I get caught it’s much easier to explain why I’d be in there than a human, a werewolf and two vampires.”
“Be careful,” he said giving her a quick kiss before she disappeared inside the glimmering golden portal. As soon as she was gone, he glanced at his watch and set the timer for five minutes. It was going to be the longest three hundred seconds any of them would ever have to wait.
The instant the buzzer went off, Roman was the first through the portal with the rest of the crew following close behind. Unlike the watery portal they had traveled to Fae in last time, this one dropped them off in the corner of a long, quiet corridor. Brennan was last, and as soon as he came through Marie appeared from her hiding spot, a small utility closet around the corner.
“Everyone good?” she whispered. They all nodded. “Any idea where we are?”
“Yeah,” said Nico with a smile. “This is the same way she used to sneak me in through.”
“Are you ever going to tell us who this mysterious royal fairy is?” asked Marie.
“I can’t. I was sworn to secrecy,” he answered with a smirk.
“Come on, now is not the time for gossiping,” hissed Roman. “We have to find Celeste and Marco.”
“Okay,” said Nico, taking the lead. He glanced at the clock hanging just over their heads and looked pleased. “This is perfect. It’s just pass noon so most of the staff will be busy preparing the royal luncheon.”
“That’s convenient,” said Brian.
“So that means we just have to avoid the royal guards,” said Nico leading them through the narrow corridor.
“That’ll probably be a bit harder,” said Brennan as he perked up trying to make out any sounds of footsteps nearby.
“What are we going to do if we find some?” asked Brian.
“We’ll take them down,” answered Roman with a steely gaze.
Once they neared the end of the corridor, voices could be heard coming from the right side. “That’s the kitchen,” Nico whispered. “We’ll go this way.” He turned left and the others followed right behind him, moving quickly and silently. After a few minutes it was apparent that the section they had been in was the staff’s quarters because it was nothing in comparison to the luxury they now encountered. The dark, dingy hallway was replaced by a grand, elevated walkway with sky-high ceilings decorated with sparkling chandeliers. Below them was the main entrance of the palace marked by a double spiral staircase and a series of extravagantly adorned rooms.
“It can’t be that way,” said Marie, looking down at the magnificent chambers. “They wouldn’t put prisoners so close to the entrance.”
“She’s right,” said Roman. “If this were my home, I’d keep prisoners either on the very top floor or underneath the main building, like in a basement.”
“Or dungeon,” said Brian. “Do they have one of those?”
Marie shrugged. “I’m not sure.” She glanced over to Nico.
“Don’t look at me. The fairy princess and I weren’t into whips and chains.”
“We’re just going to have to split up again,” said Roman with a scowl. “Marie, you, Brian and Brennan head toward the roof and Nico and I will try to find the basement. We’ll text each other if we find anything.”
Everyone nodded and the group split up, heading in opposite directions.
***
Celeste could feel her head pounding as she slowly opened one eye and then the other. She tried to rub her aching head, but when she attempted to raise her hand she was met with cold, metallic resistance. Shaking off the stupor, she looked around and realized she was shackled to a chair with iron restraints around her wrists and ankles. She struggled for a moment, trying to shake herself loose, but it was no use. Glancing around the dark room in a panic, she caught a glimpse of a familiar figure slumped in an adjacent chair not ten feet away from her own.
“Marco!” she hissed. “Marco, are you okay?”
His head began to bob as he attempted to lift it off of his own shoulder. “Ow,” he complained as he began to come to. “Where are we?”
“It looks like a dungeon of some sort,” said Celeste, scanning the dark walls made of gigantic boulders all around them. There were no windows and not an ounce of natural light
streaming in from any direction. The only illumination in the grimy space came from a candle-lit lantern hung adjacent to the seemingly impenetrable iron door.
“Now what do we do?” asked Marco as he too tried to wriggle out of his restraints with no success.
“I just need to get my Wilder sword,” she said.
“But they took all of our weapons,” he said gloomily.
“I can get it back—I just need to focus.” Celeste closed her eyes and began to picture the feel of her sword in her hand as she felt the sapphires in the key around her neck and the ring on her finger tingle and heat up.
Suddenly, the iron door swung open with a loud clang. Celeste’s eyes shot up as the Queen and Astrid marched in along with four royal guards.
“I warned you to stay out of Fae matters, Guardian,” hissed the Queen as she paraded in front of her. “Now I’ve caught you trespassing in my lands once again, and I am presented with quite a dilemma.”
Celeste narrowed her eyes at the hateful woman. Astrid stood at her side, looking as smug as ever while mindlessly twisting a lock of her ivy green hair. “Astrid needs to be held responsible for what she did to my dad, and if you’re not going to be the one to see to it then I will.”
“Very brave words for a girl who is imprisoned deep within the heart of the royal prison,” retorted Elsbetta. A few of the guards snickered, but were immediately silenced by a glare from their queen.
“You can’t just keep us here,” said Marco. “The Council will realize we are missing and will come for us.”
“I hope to have matters handled well before they have any idea what has occurred.” She turned to her guards and began whispering.
Celeste didn’t like the sound of that. She tried focusing all of her power on her physical strength, trying to summon the energy to break free from the restraints. Even with the help of the Albsurori ring she simply wasn’t strong enough to get them to budge. And even if she had been, she doubted she could take on four guards, the Queen and Astrid all on her own. She knew their only hope was if Roman, Nico and the others found them.