by ERIN BEDFORD
“The human swears a blood oath to Teeth, to bring him a hundred biscuits from the human world via Trip in exchange for the human and her companions, Trip and Mop’s, passage into the UnSeelie Court and for his silence in regard to the human ever being here.” I held my breath as I finished my oath, hoping the wall hadn’t noticed my scheme.
There was silence for a heartbeat before Mop broke it with a chuckle. “All right ye toothy bastard, open up so we can be on our way.”
“Wait. That’s it? Don’t you need blood?” I didn’t really want to open a vein but it seemed too simple for a blood oath.
Mop snorted. “Ye don’t be needin’ to spill blood to make a blood oath. Ye words be the magic that binds ye. Now they be marked in ye blood. Can’t ye feel it?”
No. I didn’t feel anything. No tingles, nothing. Not that I was going to tell them that. “Uh, sure.”
“So let us out, we got places to be.” Mop turned back to Teeth with an impatient scowl.
“Keep your trousers on you filthy brownie.” His beady eyes focused on me. “I’ll be expecting my biscuits within a week’s time after you return to the human world.”
“Of course.” I forced a smile on my face as I hid my shaky hands inside my sleeves. I was almost out of there. I just had to hold on for a few more minutes.
Teeth’s face melded back into the wall, and in its place was a door where the key hole Mop had turned earlier had been. The moment he was gone, I could feel the tension draining out of not just me but Mop and Trip as well. I had gotten away with it. We were going to get out of the stupid wall’s head and without a single payment!
“Well, don’t just be standin’ there. The longer we dawdle the more Fae hear of ye presence.” Mop shoved passed me to the door, throwing it open without caution to what lay on the other side.
I placed a cautious hand on the side of the doorframe following behind Trip, who seemed more than eager to be out of there. Who could blame him? What lay on the other side was far more colorful than the blood red of Teeth’s inner workings.
Instead of the stone walls that surrounded the walkways at the beginning, we were surrounded by large emerald-green hedges. The melodious sounds of a flute playing could be heard somewhere off in the distance. Enraptured by the change of scenery, I didn’t notice my companions still figures until a deep silky voice met my ears.
“Well, look what we have here.”
5
The Prince
TRIP SQUEAKED AT the new voice, launching himself onto my body. I stumbled to keep my balance as his arms trapped mine. The fearless Mop turned into a frightened little boy. His brown eyes darted from the door back to my unseen foe. He grappled for the key on his large ring, his hands shaking.
Was the creature with such a captivating voice really so terrifying?
“Trip.” I struggled against his constricting grip. “You’re going to have to let me go sometime.”
“Yes, rodent, you can’t hide behind the human forever.” The silky voice turned snide as it moved closer to me.
Trip whimpered. His panic caused my heart to race. I tried not to think about what atrocity was awaiting me. I fought harder against Trip’s grip until a warm breath on my ear caused me to freeze.
“Do struggle some more, human.” The voice became smooth again and my body fought between fear and delight. “Your fear does excite me so.”
I shook my head to clear it of the fog his voice elicited. Thinking back to my self-defense classes, I jerked an arm free of Trip’s biting grasp and jabbed an elbow at my assailant. Instead of hitting what I hoped was his face, all I got was air. His dark laugh stroked something deep in my belly. He darted around to stay out of my sight as if it were all a game.
“Ye highness.” Mop stopped trying to get back in the door and stepped up to my unseen opponent.
Your highness? Could this be the ruler they were talking about?
“We weren’t tryin’ to smuggle her in. She followed us here.” Mop’s voice was shaky even as he tried to put on a brave face.
The delicious laughter halted. I stumbled when Trip was ripped from my body, allowing me the freedom to use my limbs again. Trip floated in the air before me, his eyes squeezed shut as he made his way from me to where the prince stood in his dark splendor.
From the deep ebony of his chest-length hair to his equally as black knee-high boots, he radiated temptation – and oh how I was tempted. Even the ice blue of his eyes glaring at my two companions only added to his appeal.
He flicked a braid that trailed down the side of his face away to show glowing symbols that were identical to the ones in the cavern. I told myself my curiosity had everything to do with the marks and nothing to do with the lusciousness of his body. My eyes followed the swirls down his face, across his earring-filled pointed ear and down into the bottomless black of his open-chested button-up shirt. When there were no more symbols to follow my imagination ran wild, causing my face to overheat.
How far down did they go?
“Now, now. No excuses.” The prince tsked, waving a long pale finger at them like a mother lecturing her children. “You know the rules. No humans.” His eyes swept up and down my body, making my insides ignite further under his gaze. “No matter how appealing they may be.”
“But ye highness!” Mop choked out as if an invisible hand was tightening around his neck, picking him up off the ground. “We be sendin’ her back!”
Mop’s and Trip’s feet kicked in the air as they fought to breathe. Seeing them struggling knocked me out of whatever hold the prince had on me. I marched over to his royal deliciousness and jerked on his shoulder, causing him to drop the two to the ground.
“Hey! Stop that.”
“What do you think you are doing?” His icy gaze flickered between light and dark blue as he turned to me, grabbing the hand that had shoved him back.
“Let go!” I returned his glare with one of my own, trying to ignore the tingling sensation where his hand touched mine.
What was with this place? I’d never felt myself become so out of control of my feelings and actions as I did since the moment I’d darted out of my house after Trip. The weird part was I was starting to like the bold new me. That part of me marveled at the way the prince’s dark blue eyes contrasted with the angry glowing burn of swirls on his face.
“Or you will do what exactly?” His voice was a low dangerous growl.
As I stared into those mesmerizing eyes, I had the sudden urge to throw myself down at his feet to beg for mercy or death, whichever one would please him. I shook my head to rid myself of the thoughts and glared at him. He laughed at my silence and drew me closer.
“You are not in your world anymore. Sweet. Innocent. Kat.” My name coming from his lips caused my insides to clench. He was threatening me, and I was acting like a damn cat in heat. What the hell was wrong with me?
Mop swore under his breath. The fact that he already knew my name was not a surprise. I had practically shouted it when I got there. The question was what would he do with it? Would he make me his slave? Make me clean his throne, or worse, his toilet?
Bleh. I would rather die, though being his love slave was an appealing thought.
I tried to jerk my hand from his pinching grasp, but he held on tight, keeping me at an uncomfortably close distance. He had me at a disadvantage and I didn’t like my odds of escaping. That quiet insecure part of me tried to poke its wary head out. What could I do against an almighty Fae prince anyway?
The longer I gazed into his eyes, the more I felt something pressing down on me. It was like I was in a room with too little air. My lungs burned and my head felt like it was floating, as if more and more air was being sucked out every moment I stared into his dark penetrating eyes. Eyes that were starting to get a bit hazy.
“Ye highness!” Mop’s outcry broke the hold the prince had on me. I gasped taking a deep breath in. “Lady has made a blood oath with Teeth!”
As if remembering himself, the princ
e dropped my hand, and the glow of the glyphs on his face faded. I rubbed my wrist, breathing deeply as I stumbled back from him. He wasn’t like the others. Certainly, not like the grumpy Mop or the jovial Trip. His mere presence caused my insides to burn. I fought between fear and wanting him all at once. The other Fae I’d met definitely never sparked such a reaction. The only thing they had ever caused was a headache.
“Someone has been very naughty indeed.” The dark prince’s tone teased as he seemed to float around the courtyard. “How could you let a human follow you? I would think you would know better than that?” He eyed Trip who gave a pitiful whimper. “Certainly, you did troll?”
Mop didn’t even correct him but instead shot me a warning look when I opened my mouth to do so. Why would they let him treat them that way? Was he really so fearsome? Remembering how he made me feel just moments ago answered my question. Yes. Yes, he was.
“Allowing said, human, to be bound to one of our own.” The prince continued, tapping Mop hard on the forehead, causing the brownie to wince. “And of course, it had to be on today of all days!” He bent down and grabbed Mop by the front of his overalls. “You do remember what today is, don’t you troll?”
I gritted my teeth as I forced myself not to call foul on the prince. I painfully watched as fearless Mop cowered and stuttered before the royal.
“Of course, ye highness.”
“Then tell me, because I am confused as to why you thought it would be a good idea to leave the Underground on a day like today.” He rubbed his temple as if dealing with us was causing his head to ache.
Turning my eyes from the ever-curious prince, I waited to see if Mop would declare it all Trip’s fault. To my surprise, the brownie frowned down at the ground and mumbled an apology with no explanation. I peeked over at Trip to see if he was going to fess up, but he too only stared down at the ground in quiet repentance. Well, if they weren’t going to tell, who was I to snitch?
The Fae Prince’s anger pulsated around him and with it the symbols flared back to life. The prince’s eyes flashed dark blue before his fury was wiped from his face and a smile took its place. And I thought Brandi was two faced.
He strolled over to me, tapping a finger to his chin. “What to do? What to do? I could just kill you and be done with it.”
“No!” We shouted in unison.
“Are you sure? It would be a mercy over taking your heads.” He tilted his head to the side, causing his hair to cascade over the side of his face. I would have thought it was adorable had he not been offering to mercy kill me.
I snuck a look at my quiet companions. If it was possible, the likelihood of losing their heads caused Mop and Trip to be even more petrified than before. Mop took his hat off and wrung it between his hands while Trip gripped his ears in his paws, pulling them around him like a shield.
“But then again, I do not know what the human promised the teeth for brains, and I do not want to be stuck fulfilling it by killing you.” His lips twitched as his face filled with a cruel delight. “Besides, what fun would that be? There are so many more terrifying ways to die on your way out.”
He gripped my face in his hands. When my eyes locked with his, the familiar pressure threatened to take over me. I dug my nails into my hand, the pain pushing back the feeling of submission.
“If anything, one of the less welcoming Fae will get you and save me the trouble of dealing with you myself.” His icy voice matched his piercing eyes.
I had had enough. I hated bullies more than the coupon lady at the supermarket. Even if he was sinfully delicious, he couldn’t treat us like we were less than dirt.
I knocked his hand away from my face and snarled, “What crawled up your ass and died?”
“Lady!”
“No.” I ignored Mop’s horrified warning. “I want to know. You can’t just let him bully you.”
“Yea, he can. He can do what he likes.” Mop tried to pull me away from the prince, but I wouldn’t budge. I shoved down the chill crawling up my spine and waited for his answer.
The dark prince threw his head back and laughed, causing Mop and Trip to jump and quiver. He took a step closer to me, and I braced myself for whatever he had planned. He grabbed my hair in a painful grip, making me wince as he forced my face up to his.
“Tell me, dear Kat.” There was no teasing in his eyes now. They were hard and promised pain. “Would you really like to find out?”
“If that’s what it takes to get rid of you.” I all but spat in his face. My gaze was fierce and unyielding as he studied me for any signs of weakness. I tried not to flinch when he tightened his hold on my hair, causing a painful twinge in my neck.
Coming to his own conclusions, none pleasant I was sure, he laughed again before shoving me away. My feet failed me and crashed to the ground. I glared up at him, dying for something to chuck at him.
“Get out of my sight before I decide to show you.” The prince who I had yet to get a name for turned his back on me.
“So, Trip is not going to be punished, Trip is not?” Trip’s voice was hopeful but wary.
The prince snatched Trip up by his ears, causing the white creature to shriek. He yanked Mop up by the back of his trousers and brought them close to the manic grin on his face.
“Of course, you are. Do you think getting her out undetected will be easy?” He gave them a little shake. “I am not going to get blamed for your mess. Reaper only knows what that mad woman is thinking nowadays.”
Mop’s and Trip’s crestfallen faces perked up. As far as punishments went that wasn’t so bad. Maybe I misjudged the pointy-eared prince.
“But if you fail and the Queen finds out.” The prince flashed his canines. “You will wish I had killed you.”
I hadn’t.
“But that’s not fair!” I stomped my foot in protest.
“You know what is not fair?” The prince’s cold eyes focused back on me. “Being stuck in this God-forsaken place when I should be lounging in the palace!” His eye twitched as his rage triggered the swirls on his body. He gave a harsh laugh and waved us away. “Go. Be on your way.”
Mop and Trip ushered me toward one of the archways, but we paused when the prince called out again, “Oh, and one more thing. Stay out of the Seelie Court and away from that damn cat.”
Before I could ask what he meant my guides shoved me out of the hedged maze and toward a dark and ominous forest. I watched behind me as the prince’s shoulders slumped down, and he ran a tired hand through his hair. Maybe there was more to him than I originally thought.
AN OWL HOOTED in the distance as we made our way out of the hedges and into the eerie forest. The trees were snarled, blocking out any light from above, leaving us in a false twilight. The ground was mushy beneath the feet I couldn’t see because of a thick fog that rolled across the ground. Was there no place that wasn’t set up for a horror movie?
“Do you even know where we are going?” I picked a foot up and frowned down at the brown muddy mess my tennis shoes had become.
Mop stopped at a tree and dug into a hiding place in the trunk. He shoved items around and threw a few out of the hole – a book, a miniature shovel, etc. Finally, he popped his head out of the hole.
“Aha!” He held up a large object almost twice his size. “Here be what we need – a lantern.”
“I can see that.” Hands on my hips, I tapped my foot. “What I want to know is how we are going to get out of this place?” My shoulders tensed when laughter from beyond the trees filled the air. “What other terrifying ways was he talking about?”
Mop snorted, “Bah, don’t listen to him. He just be tryin’ to scare ye.”
“Well, it’s working.”
Trip and I followed behind Mop, jumping at every sound and shadow. There were far too many eyes peeping out from the fog to feel safe, even with a lantern.
It reminded me of the time I got talked into going to Scary Manor, a haunted house carnival that happened every Halloween. I almost ended up
with an assault charge when a guy with a chainsaw jumped out of the bushes. It was safe to say I was never invited back again, which was fine by me since my idea of fun was curling up with a good book, a glass of wine and surrounded by a warm quilt. There was something certifiably wrong with people that paid to be scared. I was beginning to feel like I did back at the haunted house – irritated and altogether pissed off. I did not do scared well.
“Lady is right to be afraid, Lady is.” Trip gripped my hand. “His highness is unpredictable, he is. Might not kill Lady today, but might kill Lady tomorrow.”
“Is that why he’s so….” I trailed off not sure how to describe his split personality. I clenched my fists to keep from screaming as something moved in the bushes near me. Trip squeaked and I loosened my grip.
“Wishy-washy? Nah.” Mop shook his head. “He can’t be helpin’ that; that be due to the magic bindin’ him.”
“Oh, you mean the symbols on his face.” I really wished I had some paper to copy or my phone to take a picture. The one time it wasn’t permanently glued to my hand and I actually needed it.
I tilted my head a little as my companions gaped at me. “What?”
“Ye can see them?”
“You mean the swirly-glowy symbols running down his face.” I gestured to the left side of my own face. “Yeah. Can’t you?”
“Well, yea. ‘Course.” Mop scratched his head. “We be Fae, but ye just a human. Ye shouldn’t be able to see them.”
“But I could see them back at the cavern too. All over the ground and walls.”
“Aha!” A smile spread onto Trip’s face, and his tail whipped around behind him. “Trip not lead Lady to Underground. Lady finds it on her own, Lady did.” Trip hopped around me, making me dizzy from tracking him. “It not Trip’s fault, it’s not! His highness may let Trip and Mop go. His highness might!”
“I doubt it. He wouldn’t care whose fault it be, only that we be there. So, we be gettin’ the blame.” Mop turned back to the path only he could see.