“On the contrary,” the woman spoke, and it was like being tucked in at night by your grandma. “These two have given me claim here.”
“Fools! You have unbalanced Fairy!” the Queen of the Hot and Bright yelled, turning to look at us. “You have allowed the Winter Queen into the very Court of Summer.” She gestured upward at the pale, silver moon. “Turned the heart of Summer, the heart of the glowing eternal sun to the moon.”
“It was always inevitable, sister,” the Queen of the Cold and Dark said as she touched down onto the floor beside Kishi, her wings folding up behind her back in a flurry of white feathers. “Say what you will about the destructiveness of fire, but I’ve never seen someone put out a blizzard. Even the stars above burn only until they are swallowed by the unyielding dark.” She grinned and held out her hand to the other Queen. “Come with me, sister, let us plunge these lands into unyielding, unending winter. Let us fill their plains with snow and cover their rivers in ice.”
“That seems bad,” Kishi murmured and took a step away from the Queen of the Cold and Dark.
“You think?” the Summer Queen snarled, rushing forward, her hands glowing with sunlight. The Winter Queen cocked her head to the side as if contemplating a particularly interesting insect and snapped her fingers. The temperature seemed to drop a billion degrees in the space of a heartbeat. The Queen of the Hot and Bright fell sideways and slid across the floor, encased in a solid block of ice.
“How foolish you are, sister. I am here in your seat of power, beneath a wonderfully pale moon, and most of all, you forget one tiny trifle.” The Queen looked from Kishi to me and covered her mouth with her hand conspiratorially. “It’s November.”
Chapter 9
A few feet away, the Queen of the Hot and Bright stood motionless in her block of ice. Mist wafted off of it, covering the floor in ankle-deep fog. Her eyes stared outward, glaring holes at me, despite being frozen within the ice. I fidgeted and shifted to the side, and her gaze seemed to follow me. That was impossible right? She was encased in three feet of ice after all.
“So now that we’re locked up, what’s the plan?” I asked Kishi as she continued to pace back and forth in the small, ten by ten foot room.
“Break out, kill the Winter Queen, and rebalance Fairy,” she said for perhaps the fifteenth time.
“Repeating yourself isn’t as helpful as you’d think,” I said, waving my hands at the room.
“The rest is just details,” Kishi growled, never breaking stride.
I leaned back against the cool, white-marble walls and sighed. “Details are important, Kishi. Like the small detail that we’re in a prison in the middle of the Winter Court with no way out. That’s not a minor detail!” My words came out in white wisps of fog as I spoke.
“Well maybe if you didn’t unleash the eight sorrows on the Summer Queen we wouldn’t be in this mess.” Kishi turned and glared at me. “You should have known using a dark power like that in Summer’s seat of power would be a bad idea.”
“If you keep talking to me like that, I’m going to stop being your friend,” I replied, crossing my arms over my chest and turning my head away from her.
“Friend? So we’re friends now?” Kishi scoffed, putting her hands on her hips. “Friends don’t let friends get captured by evil fairies. Friends don’t send friends into creepy lakes alone. Friends don’t—”
“Quiet. I don’t have a lot of time.” Caleb’s voice cut through the room like a gunshot, silencing Kishi in mid-sentence. His short, blond hair was spiked up in that just fell out of bed way that I’ve long since known wasn’t as natural as he liked people to think. His maroon t-shirt was stretched nearly to the breaking point by his broad chest and his hands were shoved casually in his khaki shorts. The immense form of Incinerator, his broad sword, was slung over his back.
I wasn’t quite sure why he still carried it since he could control time and space. Maybe it was his comfort object? Maybe that giant, overcompensating broadsword was his version of a teddy bear. Then again, Caleb had never really been one to rely on magic when a more physical approach would do. Or maybe he just liked stabbing things.
Kishi glanced over at him, and her cheeks turned bright red. She tried to smile at him, but only wound up looking away sheepishly.
“Caleb!” I squealed and leapt on him, wrapping my arms around him and burying my face in his chest. He caught me, pulling me onto my tiptoes and leaning down to kiss me. I blushed as his lips touched mine, my knees going a little weak.
“Erm…” Kishi half-grunted, and I turned to look at her. I’m not sure what look was on my face, but Kishi, almost immediately, turned away.
“Anyway, I don’t have a lot of time. I have to get you two out of here before the distinction between the two realms of Fairy disintegrates entirely,” Caleb said, disengaging himself from me and taking a step toward the Queen of the Hot and Bright. “And I need to put her back in the fight.”
“Wait, what?” I asked.
“Whatever you two did has fundamentally unbalanced Fairy. Even now the Summer and Winter Courts are starting to merge. You need to leave before that happens. Trust me.” Caleb waved his hand at the block of ice. Flame leapt from his fingertips in a flash of heat that took my breath away and made me cringe. It was like standing too close to a campfire when someone decided to douse it with lighter fluid.
Crack!
The frozen block holding the Summer Queen erupted in a shower of ice and sleet. She took a step forward, stumbled, and fell into a heap on the ground. Caleb bent down and pulled her shivering form to her feet.
“You shouldn’t be here, Blue Prince.” The Queen’s voice was barely a whisper. Her once glowing and luminous body now seemed dull and drab, like a painting that had been bleached by the sun.
“I know,” Caleb said with a grin, his mouth stretching in that stupid way that made butterflies dance in my stomach.
“It is fall. My power ebbs every day and Winter’s power grows. If it were spring…” She stumbled, falling against Caleb, and he reached out to catch her, bracing her body against his. My eyes narrowed as he held her nearly-naked body in his arms. I knew it was ridiculous because he was just catching her, but still… that ribbon she was wearing barely qualified as clothing.
“If you’re through falling all over my boyfriend, we’ll be leaving now,” I snarled, and my tone surprised even me. Caleb’s eyes widened as he looked down at the Fairy Queen, his eyes running over her flesh. Pink spread across his cheeks as he took a step backward, holding her at arm’s length.
“You can’t leave,” the Queen of the Hot and Bright said and she coughed and wiped her mouth with the back of her arm leaving a crimson smear on her flesh. “You must help me subdue Winter. If you do not, it will be as the Prince said. Fairy will merge. You do not want that, and I cannot stop it alone. Not now. Not after you have killed my Breaker.”
“Why should we help you?” Kishi asked and, to be honest, I’d almost forgotten she was there, which was stupid.
“Because, if we merge, the earth will no longer have seasons. It will be the same always. Your crops will turn fallow, your rivers run dry—”
“I’m from Southern California. We don’t have seasons anyway,” I said, putting my hand on Caleb’s shoulder. “Let’s go.”
He glanced at me, and I could see thoughts churning behind his eyes. “Lillim, I don’t know what your problem is exactly. I’m sure it’s valid, but the Queen here is correct. You really should help her. I cannot. I am bound by the others not to interfere directly.”
“You’re interfering now,” I snapped and pointed at the Queen of the Hot and Bright. “She tried to kill us. She sicced her Breaker on Kishi and me.”
Caleb shut his eyes and ran his fingers over his face. It was the reaction he had when he was going to tell me something he knew I wouldn’t like.
“You’re both going to have to suck it up and help her anyway,” he said before turning back toward the Queen and sighing. “Do yo
u have another in mind to be your Breaker?”
“There is none other of my line. The Breaker was the last of my brothers. I am now alone.”
“Who killed the Breaker? Was it you, Lillim?” Caleb asked, picking the Queen up in his arms and cradling her like a baby.
“It was me. Why?” Kishi said, stepping toward him.
“Because you’ll have to take his place,” Caleb replied.
“I must not have heard you correctly because I’m pretty sure what you said was crazy,” Kishi said, this time taking a step away from him and the Queen of the Hot and Bright.
“If you killed the Breaker, some of his essence should have entered you when you killed him. Have you been feeling different? More bloodthirsty perhaps?”
Kishi stared at the ground at his feet and didn’t say anything. Silence fell over us like a big, uncomfortable blanket.
“I can feel the Breaker of Rage and Flame within her like a tiny spark. His essence is dwindling, but it is there.” The Queen reached her hand out toward Kishi and a small arc of electricity leapt from Kishi’s body, sizzling the air and leaving the smell of ozone in its wake.
Kishi stumbled backward, hitting the marble wall. Her eyes went wide as the fog around her ankles evaporated. She reached out, steadying herself against the wall and steam curled off her fingertips.
“What… what did you do?” Kishi croaked, but her voice sounded different. There was a fine tremor running along it that reminded me of a desert wind.
“She claimed you as her Breaker.” Caleb’s voice was flat and empty as he spoke.
“What’s that mean?” I asked, running over to Kishi and reaching out to touch her.
Caleb was between us in a flash. He moved so fast that he must have stopped time. He held the Queen easily in one arm while his other reached out to hold me back if it became necessary.
“You can’t touch her until the transformation is complete. She isn’t a fairy, becoming the Breaker may not work. If you touch her, some of that energy could leap into you.” He tried to smile but it never really reached his eyes. “You don’t want that, trust me.”
Kishi collapsed to the floor, her hand sliding along the marble wall as she fell. Caleb set the Queen of the Hot and Bright next to her. The Queen reached out, her skin already a little less drab, a little more vibrant and pulled herself on top of Kishi and settled there like a napping cat. Kishi’s body shuddered once and a small tremor wracked her.
“This is not good,” I said, narrowing my eyes at Caleb.
“No. It isn’t.” Caleb sighed and held out a large, blue sack out to me. I hadn’t seen it a moment ago, so where had it come from.
“What’s that?” I asked, taking the bag and opening it before he could reply. Inside were the twin blades of Shirajirashii, my Beretta, and my shotgun. “Well… isn’t that a dainty dish to set before the Queen,” I said.
“Yeah, I thought you’d want those.” He grinned at me and leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head and his lips met my cheek.
“Don’t think I’m not still mad at you,” I said before turning into his kiss. The feel of his lips on mine sent a small shiver down my spine, and before I realized what I was doing, I’d wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling my body against his. His eyes opened wide as I forced him backward against the wall. My hands ran down the front of his shirt, feeling the hard muscle beneath. I had the sudden urge to rip the clothing from him, to run my hands along the warm flesh beneath.
“Stop,” he choked out and raised his arms to try and push me back. His eyes were open wide in shock.
“I want you, Caleb,” I said, and my voice was husky and raw.
He shut his eyes as my fingers slipped under the back of his shirt, my nails running up his spine and a soft sound escaped his lips. His hands settled on top of my armor-covered shoulders, as if unsure of what to do. I glanced over at his hands, so big on my tiny frame and wished I had taken off the armor. If only I was still wearing my dress… If only Caleb could see me in the dress…
The Queen of the Hot and Bright was watching us with half-lidded eyes. Her tongue flicked out over her lips before she settled her face back onto Kishi’s chest, nuzzling her in that same way a cat might.
“Don’t stop on my account,” she purred, and her voice was like honey and silk. It swam over my body and made my knees go weak. I fell forward against Caleb, and he caught me in his arms, pulling my body against his. Even through the armor, I could feel his heat. I tore my gaze away from the Queen and looked back up at him.
“I think she’s doing this to us,” I said, and it was very nearly the hardest thing I’ve ever done. The only thing I wanted was to feel his warm flesh pressed against mine. I tried to swallow, but my mouth was dry.
Caleb’s eyes narrowed, glancing from me to the Queen. A blue sheen that reminded me of sapphires fell over his skin. His eyes glowed with blue-white flame, and he pushed me away, not roughly, but forcefully enough that I wouldn’t have been able to stop him without serious effort.
His hands fell to his sides as he took a step toward the Queen. The moment he stopped touching me was like waking up from a dream. I could think again, and a blush spread across my cheeks. I banished all the thoughts that had taken over my brain behind the heat of embarrassment.
“You dare to try and use your power on me?” Caleb’s voice was like crackling thunder, and it boomed in the tiny space. “I am the seat of emotion, the essence of all the darkest thoughts and pettiest desires. Your power stems from mine, not the other way around, fairy.”
The Queen waved her hand dismissively. She stretched, her body unfurling like a cat after a long nap. She moved slowly, languidly, pulling herself away from Kishi’s and crawled toward him, head slightly bowed. She rubbed her face against his thigh, her skin brushing against the fabric of his shorts.
“How can I make amends, Blue Prince?” She smiled, her skin glistening despite the obvious lack of sunlight in the room. “What would you have me do?” she cooed.
“I’m going to shoot her.” My voice was cold as I pressed the barrel of the Beretta into the back of her head. “Back up right now, Queenie, or I swear to god, the only part of you touching my boyfriend will be the bits of goo between your ears.”
The Summer Queen sat back on her haunches, her wings wrapping around her like a cloak. She waved one hand at me while pushing the barrel of my gun away with her other hand. Her skin sizzled at the touch of the barrel and the scent of burning meat filled the air.
“Don’t worry, my dear,” she cooed, and her sugary voice nearly gave me cavities. “I have forbidden my kind to deal with virgins. Your boyfriend’s virtue is safe from me.” She grinned and her mouth was spread so wide that I wasn’t sure how it fit on her face.
Caleb blushed so hard that it looked as though he had gotten a sunburn. He stepped back from her shaking his head and spluttering. I looked up from the Queen and stared at him, my head cocked slightly to the side.
He looked away from me, and I fought the urge to reach out and tell him it was okay. Honestly, I hadn’t thought about it for even a second and now that I was thinking about it, I didn’t really care.
I shook my head at him and gave him my best smile, the one that really makes my eyes pop. “That doesn’t matter to me,” I said.
Caleb seemed to deflate a little, and an expression I’ve never seen before settled on his face. “It’s different,” he said, and his voice was a little choked.
“No, it’s not,” I said, reaching out toward him. He grabbed my hand before I could touch him and held it. His skin was so hot that it reminded me of trying to blow out a flaming marshmallow.
“Yes it is. I’m a boy. I’m not supposed to be a nineteen-year-old virgin. If we did wind up… well…” He blushed and swallowed so hard that I could see his throat move. “I want it to be good, be special, ya know?”
“Caleb, it will be special. If it’s with you then it would be special,” I said, smiling at him.
“Specia
l is different from good,” he replied.
The Summer Queen cackled, tongue snaking out to lick her lips, and I had the sudden urge to shoot her. “Does the poor Blue Prince have performance anxiety? Want a few pointers?”
“No!” he snapped, turning toward her, hands wreathed in blue-flame as he took a menacing step toward her. “I want you to shut the hell up before I unmake you.”
The Queen smirked and crossed her arms over her chest. “Okay,” she said.
Caleb’s eyes narrowed, blue fire dancing up his arms like little ballerinas. “Stop thinking too.”
“No,” the Queen replied, teeth barely opening to reveal a flash of tongue.
“What’s going on, Caleb?” I asked, reaching toward him but stopping just short of actually touching him because, well, he was one fire.
“Nothing,” Caleb said, his eyes growing distant as he stared off into the corner of the room. He opened his mouth to say something, but closed it without speaking. “Lillim, I have to go!” he said, turning toward me as the flame died out.
He wrapped his huge arms around me and pulled me against him. Heat swam through my body as he leaned down and kissed me. A moment later, he released me and I almost fell forward into him, eyes a little dazed as he smiled. “Good luck,” he said and vanished in an explosion of blue-fire.
Chapter 10
“And that’s pretty much when Caleb left,” I finished.
“So I haven’t missed a whole lot then.” Kishi sighed and shook her head. “What are we supposed to do about that anyway,” she added, jerking her thumb back at the Queen of the Hot and Bright.
“I am not a that. I am the sunlight that kisses flesh, the heat between two lovers, the lightning that chases away the darkness,” the Queen snapped and put her hands on her hips, turning her head up in an effort to snub us. She was standing behind Kishi, and I was pretty sure that Kishi hadn’t even noticed her movements.
“Yeah, yeah,” Kishi muttered, turning to face the Sidhe Queen. “That really doesn’t help a whole lot.”
Fairy Tale: An Urban Fantasy Novel (The Lillim Callina Chronicles Book 3) Page 7