My fear spiked. The ogre held a massive, deadly-looking ax. The sharpened edge caught the glint of the moon high in the sky. I shifted as one leg started to cramp, but when I did, the bushes around me rustled. In a normal night, within a normal landscape, the sound would have been a whisper. But in the eerie stillness of the night, it sounded like a thunderclap. The beast robotically turned to my hiding spot, his movements stiff and almost unnatural.
It stepped closer, sniffing the air. I held my breath, but I knew if he caught my scent, I’d be done for. The ogre snorted loudly before his eyes dropped to meet mine.
“Shit,” I whispered, scurrying backward. The ogre lifted his ax and swung it at the bushel of flowers in which I’d been hiding, revealing me with a swoosh as I scrambled away from his blade.
Terror pitted my stomach, and my limbs threatened to freeze up. The ogre swung his ax again, poised to swing and slice me in two. A roar sounded behind him loud enough to rattle my bones, but it didn’t even faze him.
“Olezka?” A massive, flaming figure bounded between the ogre and me. The flames licked at my skin, warming me but never harming. I took comfort in their heat. Tears prickled in my eyes.
Olezka lunged forward, swiping with deadly claws at the ogre, who kept relentlessly swinging his ax. He seemed determined to ignore the threat ahead of him in his single-minded focus to attack me. Maybe he realized Olezka’s only priority was to protect me and didn’t see him as much of an impediment. But that didn’t feel right.
Olezka’s flames expanded, licking higher and wider in the night air. Some of the flames danced around me before settling on the ground in a ring of fire. The flames grew high but never once burned me. Instead, they acted as a barrier to prevent anything from getting too close.
The ogre didn’t get past Olezka. With another swipe of his claws, he managed to detain the beast by knocking his ax out of his hands. Just then, two High fae wearing fighting leathers and armed with spears emerged from the castle to help.
Olezka shifted back to his human form and walked over to me. The clothes he had been wearing before he erupted into his fiery form were not fireproof. I looked up, trying to avoid his, um… well, to give him some privacy. He waved the flames around me away and grabbed my shoulders.
“Are you hurt?”
“No.”
He directed his next words to the guards who had arrived. “There are three other bodies near the wall. This one managed to get past me, so keep him alive. Take him down to the cells,” Olezka commanded the High fae. Then, he turned and pulled me close to his side. His skin was red hot as if flames were still coursing in his veins. “Come.”
Olezka led us back into the castle through the winding halls, and we returned to his room where he padded into the closet and emerged fully clothed again. He eyed a dagger hanging on the wall then lifted it and brought it over to me.
“I suspect we will not encounter further dangers tonight, but I would feel better if you kept this with you.” Olezka placed the dagger in my hand. It was heavier than I expected, but I tightened my grip and felt the heft in my hand. I didn’t know how to wield it but hoped, if it came down to it, I would find the strength to use it against an assailant.
Olezka wrapped an arm around my back and pulled me close. He pressed his forehead against mine. “I promise you will be safe here.”
“I trust you.”
“Good, that’s good. We must go. Erebus will be waiting for me.”
“You want me to come with you?”
“Nyet, Sixx. I need you to come with me.”
I nodded, letting him wrap me in his comforting embrace again. I wished I could be brave and say the events of tonight hadn’t affected me, but my insides felt chilled. My fingers tingled with pins and needles. My mind kept playing the fleeting scenes on repeat. I couldn’t stop seeing the glint of the ax in the moonlight, stained red with the blood it had spilled and eager for more. I shivered. Olezka tightened his hold around my shoulders, leaning down to press a quick kiss to my forehead. He must have kicked up the fire in his veins because warmth seeped back into my body.
“Thank you,” I whispered. He pressed his lips together and nodded. We took a similar route to the one we used to go to the banquet room, which I’d almost mastered. The hint of pride still couldn’t penetrate my bundled nerves. I breathed in and slowly released it, trying to untangle my anxious nerves.
Angry, hushed voices filtered through an imposing, ornate door, barely cracked.
“I cannot show weakness. It’s bad enough Olezka’s mate is being targeted!” Erebus exclaimed.
Olezka didn’t wait to hear any more before crashing inside. The door slammed back to reveal a studious office with books lining one wall. The opposite wall was covered in territory maps along with star charts and other miscellaneous diagrams. A wide, circular desk sat in the middle of the room, fashioned from ebony wood that gleamed. It, too, held maps, bundles of teetering papers, and several open books on top of it. The back wall behind the desk boasted an expansive mural, the dark, moody colors a perfect complement to the studiousness of the room. While it was breathtaking, my appreciation for it would have to wait.
Olezka stepped farther inside.
“And that is because you brought her into this world before our mating was completed – placing her in danger and driving my instincts to the brink. What else did you expect?” Olezka growled, standing toe-to-toe with Erebus, the two equally matched in height.
“Olezka.” Timur took a cautioning step forward. Erebus lifted his hand, keeping the brother back.
“I expected my right hand to remain with me until my title was secure,” Erebus replied coldly, matching Olezka’s intensity.
“You know why I left. You agreed to it.”
“For a couple of years, yes, but you were gone almost a decade, Olezka.” Erebus sighed. “This is an argument we must save for a later date. Right now, I need to know why the Light fae have started to increase their attacks. Oidhche dhorcha is upon us; our peaceful period. If I cannot maintain that peace, I will look weak.”
I tasted the unfamiliar words on my tongue, wondering what Oidhche dhorcha meant. I resolved to ask Z about it the first chance I got.
“Oidhche dhorcha is only days away. You should focus on the festivities, my lord. Not on our guests. Allow them to return home,” Timur offered.
For just a second, something primal and fierce flashed over Erebus's face, which led me to believe Olezka and Timur were unaware of what Ana meant to him.
“No. Ana has drawn too much attention to herself and would be in more danger if she returned to the other side of the Veil where we cannot protect her. If I allow her to leave, the other fae will wonder why she is not at the festival. They will remain.”
Olezka growled. Erebus moved around the table to sit in one of the three chairs in the room. Timur stood, keeping one eye on Olezka as if fearful he would attack the King.
“Tell me of the attack,” Erebus demanded.
Timur turned his attention to me, entreating, “Come and sit, Sixx.” I hesitantly stepped into the room, and Timur led me to the chair closest to Olezka. I sat down gladly, taking the weight off my shaky legs. Ignoring me once again, the three males huddled closer around the table.
“They wore the same blank expression as the others from the last attack. I managed to take one alive; your guards took him to the cells.”
Erebus nodded. “Good. We will go down later and conduct our interrogation. Was it a mixture of fae again?”
“No, these were all Lower fae.”
My head started to pound as the adrenaline flushed out of my system. I curled my legs up onto the large chair and pressed my forehead against my knees, closing my eyes against the pain. The others kept speaking, a steady drone of noise that allowed my mind to drift. The terror of my attack began to leach from my body, and my muscles ached as exhaustion took over.
“You should have left her in your room,” Erebus chided.
My ear
s perked up, and I lifted my head, tucking my chin on top of my knees.
“I’m awake,” I muttered tiredly.
“Barely,” Timur said under his breath.
“I will take her back to the room she shares with Ana and return,” Olezka said, straightening from where he leaned on the table.
At first, I wondered why he brought me along, but then I realized he just needed me near. It wasn’t necessarily because he was worried I’d get into trouble but because I brought a bit of peace to his more beastly side.
“I can find my way back. We’re near the banquet hall. I’m used to the journey. Plus, it sounds like you guys still have a lot to go over.”
Olezka’s chin tipped up, and he put on his stubborn look, ready to argue.
“Don’t even start, Olezka. I’m already tired and cranky. I’m curious about this festival you guys are talking about, and don’t think I’ll forget it. But right now, I want to sleep.”
“At least, allow me to walk you back to the room.”
“Erebus, do you think I need a guide?” I asked, leaning to the side to peer at the King around my mate’s wide frame. Olezka lifted his top lip, obviously annoyed with me.
“I believe Ana explained the rules of our people to you,” Erebus began diplomatically. “Mates have top priority among all other things. Olezka is well within his rights to escort you if he feels you may be unsafe.”
“Does it work the other way around, too?” I asked.
Erebus narrowed his eyes at me, but from the slight twitch of the corner of his lips, I could tell he was amused.
“Yes.”
“Then, I determine as Olezka’s mate that it’s in the best interest for my safety, as well as that of this kingdom, that you stay here and figure out this attack while I go to bed and rest. If I’m in danger walking through this castle, then I certainly wouldn’t be safe in the room with Ana where the door locks from the outside, would I?”
I could tell Olezka didn’t like my logic. I stood, already feeling a little more awake, and stepped in front of Olezka. Craning my neck back, I stared up at his stormy face.
“I’ll be okay.” I clasped my hands over his cheeks and tugged him down to me as I lifted on my toes. I kissed him gently, and when he refused to take it further than the light brush, I knew he was mad. But if he had his way, I’d be tied to his side all night as they strategized and discussed the attack.
“Olezka…I…” Staring into his dark amber eyes, I hesitated, swallowing my intended words. “I’ll see you in the morning.”
Olezka nodded curtly. “Sleep well, Sixx.”
I walked out of the room stiffly, feeling three sets of eyes on my back as I quietly closed the door behind me. Though I pretended to be confident in my ability to navigate the path from the banquet hall to my bedroom, my directional skills were less than stellar. I started the journey confidently, but at some point, I got turned around and became hopelessly lost. Padding quietly down an unfamiliar hallway, I started to pass a room with the door firmly shut when I heard voices cut through as one got progressively angrier.
“I need that fucking human to disappear so I can draw Anastasia out. With her display of powers today, she is, without a doubt, the lost princess. I will have her,” the male seethed.
I took a step back, but it was right during a pause in the conversation, and the creak of the floor echoed throughout the otherwise silent hall. Frozen in place, I waited a second before my brain kicked in.
Run!
Chapter 16
An arm like a band of steel wrapped around my waist, and an unyielding hand clapped over my mouth. Dragged backward, I was pulled into the room roughly, and the door closed with sickening finality. My eyes widened as I tried to shake off the hand that held me prisoner. The sight of the closed door made my stomach plummet with dread.
“Ah, my little human pet. I’ve been wondering where you went off to.” The High fae with the striking white hair and terrifying gaze stepped into my sightlines.
Key, I remember he told Ana to call him Key. But wasn’t he trying to help Ana earlier? This doesn’t make sense! And his human pet? I don’t think so!
As I kicked up the intensity of my struggles, the arm that held me tightened painfully, bruising my ribs. I yelped into the hand that covered my mouth and stopped fighting.
“Your fire is so easily extinguished, human. It’s rather pitiful. But unfortunately, you are still needed,” Key said disgustedly.
“My lord… if we may continue?” another voice said from behind me, coming from farther away than where my captor stood.
“Yes, I will deal with the human momentarily,” Key scoffed, scorn evident in his tone. “I don’t know how long Erebus will be in his meeting, and I need you to resolve the other issue before he concludes. Why the hellhound didn’t kill the last ogre is beyond me,” Key said, waving his hand, frustrated.
I whimpered because I feared that dealing with me meant killing me. Then again, maybe this would be like in movies and TV shows where the bad guys revealed all of their plans before trying to kill their victim, but the heroine escaped to safety and captured them all. But this wasn’t the movies. Would I be able to escape?
“What is your plan, since the hellhound will be watching her more closely now?”
“I’ll think of something. The true King will not see me without Anastasia. I need a way to draw her to the Light Kingdom. That fool, Erebus, claims that bringing the human here was his plan all along, but there is something else there. I don’t know his end game, but the hound will not heel to him. It’s as if she means a great deal to him,” he said with an agitated jerk of his head toward me. “I had assumed Erebus sent the hound to the other side of the Veil to watch over Anastasia. Maybe I was incorrect.” Key had been pacing around the room, speaking directly to the other para and ignoring me as if I were a speck of dust on his heel. To him, I probably was.
The one who held me didn’t move me from facing the doorway, nor did he loosen his grip. My ribs hurt from his too-tight hold, and I winced when he twisted us to face another wall. We were in someone’s bedroom, but this one was much smaller than Olezka’s or the one I shared with Ana. My eyes darted around the space, trying to remember small details in case I managed to find my way out of this situation unharmed.
Key stepped closer and eyed me carefully.
“Human.” His voice took on a hypnotic tone, and my mind went blissfully blank. “You will not scream. You will answer every question I ask of you. Is that understood?”
Like heck I will! I fought against his Lure and gave him my best screw you look. He didn’t seem amused; instead, he nodded to my captor to unpeel his hand from my face. I meant to scream the moment my mouth was freed, which was why I was stunned when I couldn’t even part my lips.
“What significance do you hold to the hellhound?”
My heart raced as I tried to think of an answer. I couldn’t tell him Olezka was my mate or it would put us both in more danger. But since he didn’t specify which hellhound, I latched onto his omission.
“N-n-none.”
Key narrowed his eyes at me.
“You are avoiding the question I asked. Clever, human. I will allow you that. Does Erebus know Anastasia’s true identity?”
“I don’t know.”
The white-haired fae struck fast, gripping my face in his bony fingers, his pointed nails biting into my skin.
“What good are you, human, besides a bargaining chip?” Key released his grip with a quick shove before looking over my shoulder at the man who held me. “It is time to leave. Let me finish with this pest. Then, we have an ogre to dispose of.”
My body shook with fear, and my mouth went dry. As much as I hated it, hot tears pricked at the corners of my eyes.
Key stepped close to me, and his eyes began to swirl hypnotically. He opened his mouth. “Sixx…”
****
My head pounded as I stumbled down the hallway back to the room I shared with Ana.
/> The meeting with Olezka, Timur, and Erebus must have taken more out of me than I thought. Or maybe it was the attack in the garden. I need to remember to find Tess at some point and apologize to her for ruining her beautiful outdoor space. She must have put so much time and effort into the gardens. We didn’t ask to be attacked, but it didn’t ease my guilt.
I yawned as I wobbled in front of the familiar door, guarded by the same fae who was entranced by Ana earlier. Why would Erebus allow him to guard the room after he attacked her? The guard didn’t even glance down at me. I pushed the door open to find Ana tying together the bedsheets.
She glanced up guiltily when the door opened with her tongue poking out of the side of her mouth and her brows pinched together. She dropped the sheets she was tying together and ran forward.
“Oh, my gods; I’m going to kill Erebus!” Ana screamed as she wrapped her arms around me.
I hugged her back, my headache spiking and my ribs tender, probably from my run-in with the ogre in the garden. “And why would you be killing your man?” I asked with a smile.
“After he intervened, even though I had everything under control,” she said, “he told me he sent you to their healer. When Olezka heard that, he lost his damned mind. After he stormed off to find you, Erebus told me you would be returned to our room tomorrow, unharmed. I told him I wouldn’t wait that long, which is why you caught me doing this.”
I laughed, raising my brows and jerking my chin in the direction of her escape route. “I don’t think that works in real life, Ana.”
She rolled her eyes at me and shrugged her shoulders as if it was nothing.
“I have magic, too. If this didn’t work, I would’ve tried something else.”
“Well, thanks anyway for trying to come after me.” I yawned again as my headache spiked once more, the stabbing needles of a migraine emblazoned across my temples. I tried to smooth my expression so Ana wouldn’t notice.
“So, tell me what happened after we got separated,” Ana asked as she pulled me over to the bed to sit down.
The Sidekick Chronicles: Sixx and the Fae Page 11