by Jocelyn Fox
Tess saw Vell press her mouth into a hard line.
“I directed Kyrim lower and thought that perhaps I could offer assistance without landing, but the Unseelie woman fell to the ground in shock at our appearance and we were forced to land to fend off the hounds.”
“And how exactly did you fend off the hounds, Laedrek?” asked Vell, her eyes glimmering.
The ghost of a smile touched Calliea’s mouth. “With my whip.”
“Did you maim or injure them?”
“Broke the leg of one hound and gave the others a lash or two, but nothing that they can’t survive,” Calliea said, stroking one finger down the curve of her coiled whip at her waist.
“And then?” prompted Vell.
“Then I extended my hand to the Unseelie woman, and she took it. I pulled her up before me on Kyrim, we returned to the sky and I brought her here.”
“Why not just let her continue on to the trees or to the forest beyond?”
Tess glanced at Vell in surprise at the question, but the Vyldretning wasn’t joking.
“Because…it was clear to me that she was in danger.”
“What danger? Did you not deter the hounds that were hunting her?”
“Mab would just send more,” Tess said in a low voice.
“The affairs of Queen Mab are not the affairs of the Vyldgard,” Vell growled.
“Then you would have had Calliea just leave Guinna to face the dangers of the wilds herself?” Tess asked.
Vell snorted. “The land around this city is hardly wild.”
“I think it’s a bit unfair to use the ulfdrengr standard to judge what is wild and what isn’t,” Tess returned.
“And there was a Glasidhe with her, my Queen,” Calliea added.
“So two runaways,” muttered Vell. She stood silently for a moment and then looked at Calliea, her gaze evaluating. “Go rest in your quarters before you collapse.”
Calliea bowed her head. “Aye.”
“Arrisyn.”
Merrick had turned to follow Calliea, but he halted at Vell’s voice. Tess frowned. Sometimes understanding her friend’s transformation into the High Queen was difficult for her to understand, and this was definitely one of those instances.
“Scry for the hounds at the border,” commanded Vell. “I want to know if any of them died from their wounds.” She paused and thought. “And then see if you can scry for the Unseelie Princess. See if Mab has shifted her focus from warding her stronghold from prying eyes.”
Merrick bowed his head in acknowledgement and then disappeared without another word. Tess hooked her finger through Gwyneth’s pendant, brushing her thumb over the rubies that had once been drops of her own blood. Neither the pendant nor the Sword seemed willing to impart any advice on the situation. Tess felt like she was trying to navigate the rickety wood-and-rope bridge over the Darinwel, every step shifting under her feet, the path swaying wildly. One moment she’d been thinking that perhaps the Courts would settle back into an uneasy equilibrium, and now the commander of the Valkyrie had rescued an Unseelie woman from Queen Mab’s own hunting hounds.
“I knew it was too quiet,” Vell said, almost to herself.
“It’s been strange,” said Tess in agreement.
“Then again, do we really know what peace feels like after so many centuries of war?” The High Queen sighed.
“I don’t know,” she answered truthfully. “But wanting peace doesn’t mean that the problem of Mab is going to go away. I was letting myself think that maybe it had all been exaggerated or she’d somehow gotten…better.” Tess shook her head. When she spoke her thoughts aloud, they seemed half-formed and illogical.
“The Vyldgard does not even have a home and we are being drawn into another conflict,” said Vell, shaking her head.
“Would you be able to live without guilt if you let Mab continue unchecked?” The words felt daring to Tess, but Vell merely shrugged.
“We will see what this Unseelie defector has to say. If it is merely tales of discontent and a firmer hand than they would like, I can’t justify risking Vyldgard lives.” Vell arched an eyebrow. “I can still read your face, Tess. You’re just as bad at hiding your emotions now as you were the day I found you soaked under the river tree.” She sighed. “You’re thinking that I sound very different from the mercenary woman who volunteered for your mission to the Seelie Court. And I suppose I am.” The simple golden circlet spun out of fire by the Crown of Bones gleamed against her dark hair. “I can’t throw myself headlong into everything anymore. I have to think of my people.”
“Your people were all born in another Court,” Tess pointed out. They both knew the unspoken exceptions of Luca and Chael. “They swore their oath to you because they wanted a different life from that offered in their Courts, but do you think they’ll be happy to stand by and watch Mab’s madness destroy the Unseelie from within?”
“We need more information,” said Vell firmly. She jerked her chin toward Guinna, whom Sage escorted toward them. “And hopefully she’ll be willing to give it to us.”
“Let’s go to my quarters,” suggested Tess, the prickle of warning from the Sword echoing in the back of her mind.
Vell arched an eyebrow at her. “You still think it isn’t safe for her here, not even with the Bearer and the High Queen?”
“There are many others to consider,” said Tess. “I think that we need to assume Mab wouldn’t be shy about collateral damage, if she did choose to attack us here.”
Vell considered and then nodded decisively. “Very well. I’ll meet you there.”
As she turned to leave, Guinna leapt away from Sage in an abrupt spate of motion. The diminutive Unseelie woman threw herself to her knees in front of the High Queen. Tess heard herself gasp, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of the friend she remembered as so elegant and composed now kneeling with her hands clasped beseechingly before her. Shock washed over Vell’s face for a moment as she stopped and took half a step back. Then the High Queen’s expression smoothed into the composed mask that Tess had come to expect when Vell needed to make a decision as the Vyldretning.
“Please,” Guinna said raggedly, gazing up at Vell. “I beg refuge, High Queen.”
Sage stopped beside Tess, a Glasidhe clinging to the thumb of his cupped hand. Tess saw the Glasidhe’s aura out of the corner of her eye but she couldn’t tear her attention away from Guinna and Vell.
“Why do you beg refuge, Guinna of the Unseelie Court?” Vell’s voice rang out with formal firmness.
“I beg refuge from the death sentence imposed upon me by my Queen,” Guinna replied.
Horror bloomed coldly in Tess’s stomach.
“For what reason did your Queen pronounce this death sentence?” asked Vell.
“I do not know,” whispered Guinna. “I somehow displeased her. I still do not know, and I have raked through every act and word that I can remember for my offense.”
“Has your Queen sentenced any others to die in this manner?”
Tess wanted to ask Vell to stop and relocate to a safer place with less chance of being overheard, but she found herself transfixed, waiting for Guinna’s answer.
“Yes,” said Guinna brokenly.
“How many?”
“I do not know.” The Unseelie woman’s voice dropped to a whisper again and then strengthened as she went on. “Some say that no one has actually been put to death, and some say that dozens have been executed. All I know, High Queen, is that Queen Mab believes her own people despise her, and she has become increasingly cruel over the past weeks. She thinks all are plotting against her and she has directed her Guards to arrest any who say a word against her. Members of the Court disappear and we do not know where they are. Some say they are dead. Some say they are banished as the Exiles of old, the rebels who once tried to win their freedom.” She shook her head. “I do not know the truth of anything but my own story.” Guinna swallowed and when she spoke again, her voice rang out with conviction. “I ch
ose to run. I chose to fight rather than accept my fate, and my Queen set her hounds on my trail. I have no doubt that if your Valkyrie had not rescued me, my corpse would lie beyond the stones of the City’s wall.”
Tess couldn’t see Vell’s face, but she saw her friend straighten her shoulders in resolve. “I grant you refuge, Guinna of the Unseelie Court, and I will hear more of the state of your Court shortly.”
Guinna bowed her head. “Thank you, Majesty.”
For a moment, Tess thought Guinna was going to try to kiss Vell’s boots or the ground before her, but her old friend just folded in upon herself, covering her face with her hands. Vell hesitated and then touched Guinna lightly on the shoulder as she passed. “Your quarters, Bearer, in half an hour,” she said over her shoulder as she headed for the great doors of the healing ward.
“She doesn’t have any wounds beyond a few scrapes from her fall,” Sage said quietly to Tess, “and of course she’s in shock from the events of the day.” A shadow passed over his face. “I cannot imagine what it would be to live in such fear.”
“Will you come with us to my quarters?” asked Tess. “I’d feel better if you were there, and your Glasidhe passenger seems to have no intention of finding another perch.”
Sage nodded, holding his hand carefully still. Tess couldn’t tell if the Glasidhe had fainted or simply didn’t have the strength to stand. She couldn’t make out the small Sidhe’s face.
“Glira,” said Guinna in a ragged voice. “Her name is Glira.”
Another shock rippled through Tess, though she thought again that she should be immune to such emotions at this point in her time as Bearer. “I met her in the mortal world. She had been assigned to follow Molly for a while in our world, before Molly knew the whole truth. We spoke to her before Finnead came to take Molly to Court.” Then she shook herself. “But there’ll be time to talk about that later. Guinna, I want to bring you to my quarters. They’re close to the High Queen’s and warded with my taebramh.”
“Safe from Mab?” Guinna asked with a humorless smile.
“Between the Bearer and the High Queen, yes,” said Tess firmly, taking Guinna’s arm. “Sage?”
“I’ll follow right behind you after I fetch my healing bag,” said Sage, shielding Glira with his free hand as he strode quickly back toward their workstation.
“Do you feel as though you can walk quickly?” Tess asked Guinna. Merrick had silently disappeared to follow the Vyldretning’s orders.
Guinna arched an eyebrow. “You forget, Lady Bearer, that I am stronger than I look…especially when I look as terrible as I must now.” She tucked her bedraggled hair behind her ears.
Tess smiled, encouraged by the fact that Guinna was speaking at all. The first glimpse of her friend had sparked worry that the Unseelie woman wouldn’t be able to engage in conversation for a few days, until she’d recovered from the events of the day. “You are indeed strong, Guinna. Come on, then. I’ll find some clothes for you. They may be a bit large though, coming from my wardrobe.”
They walked through the great doors of the healing hall. Tess glanced at the carvings and a chill ran down her spine as she saw the tableau: a Valkyrie on her winged mount fending off three great hounds with a whip. She’d have to speak to Vell about looking at the enchantment on the doors, though she didn’t understand how they’d missed it or why it had lain dormant until now.
“I can make one of your shirts into a dress,” quipped Guinna in agreement, following half a step behind Tess as they entered the passageways of the great cathedral. “A scandalously short dress, I think, but all the essentials would be covered.”
Tess chuckled. The Sword hummed in its sheath, a sound of warning, its power shifting in her chest and sinking its claws into her ribs. For once, she understood its meaning. She couldn’t let the unexpected joy of seeing one of her oldest friends in Faeortalam cloud her perception. Though she’d thought that the failed raid had breached the fragile peace, it had only hastened Mab’s descent into paranoia, focusing her rage internally. Guinna’s rescue was the first bold intervention by another Court. She hoped Guinna’s testimony would help Vell make a decision, but she didn’t envy the High Queen. The Vyldretning’s actions in the next days would determine the path of the three Courts and perhaps even the survival of the Unseelie Court. A tight knot gathered in Tess’s stomach as led Guinna toward her rooms, hoping that the High Queen’s Three, Arrisyn and Laedrek could provide wise counsel on such a momentous decision. They stood once again at the edge of a cliff, and Tess knew it was only a matter of time before they’d have to take a leap into the unknown.
Chapter 27
“Don’t you think it’s too quiet?” Ross peered out into the gathering dusk, sitting with Duke on the hanging swing on the front porch. A handful of citronella candles flickered in the shadows, set at intervals in a rough semi-circle around them.
“Maybe,” said Duke with a shrug that she felt rather than saw. He squeezed her shoulder lightly. “Hey, these candles count as romantic, don’t they?”
She chuckled. “Only in the South does bug repellant count as romance.”
“That’s a yes,” said Duke with a grin. “I set ‘em out myself, lit ‘em and everything.”
“You expecting a reward or something?”
“I wouldn’t say no to one,” he replied, leaning close.
Ross kissed him soundly, delighting again in the heat rushing through her at the touch of his lips. He pulled her closer, his low, wordless sound of want rippling through her like a physical sensation. She gently pulled away after another long, blissful moment.
“We aren’t the only ones at the house,” she murmured.
“Don’t care,” he replied, capturing her mouth again.
She laughed into his kiss and let him make his point. When he leaned back, his eyes glimmered with satisfaction.
“I’ll finish what we started later,” he said with a wink.
Ross raised her eyebrows.
“That’s a promise,” Duke said firmly.
She felt her mouth twist in a smile. Then she winced as one of her legs began to cramp. She slid off the porch swing and stretched, staying close to one of the citronella candles. “We had a long call today,” she explained. “Overhaul took forever.”
Duke grunted. “You’re probably still dehydrated if you spent awhile in your turnout gear.”
“Why do you think I’ve been slugging water all night?” she retorted, switching to her other leg just to even things out.
“Beer is mostly water,” he replied with a grin.
“And go in with a hangover during my third week? No thanks.” Ross shook her head. “I’m not as sore as I thought I’d be, because I was training so hard. I’m still training hard. But I can’t afford any distractions.”
“Isn’t all this a distraction?” drawled Duke. “Usin’ V’s house as the Fae’s forward operating base?”
“And the bone sorcerer on the loose with Corsica,” said Ross.
“Plus Molly goin’ rogue,” Duke said with a nod.
“Life happens.” Ross shrugged. “What I’m saying is, I control what I can. And drinking more beer than I should in an attempt to rehydrate after a long day sounds like a recipe for disaster.”
“Hey, don’t knock it ‘til you’ve tried it,” he replied.
“I have a feeling you’ve tried it more than once,” she said dryly.
“Admit nothing, deny everything and make counteraccusations.” Duke saluted her with an imaginary beer.
Ross finished stretching and stepped over a candle to reclaim her seat on the swing. They swayed gently, the chains creaking at their mooring points overhead, the rising song of crickets and frogs thickening as the night deepened. The night air hung heavily about them, the humidity as thick as a blanket draped around their shoulders.
“I just can’t figure out why the bone sorcerer is keeping such a low profile,” said Ross thoughtfully. “He possessed that poor guy from the gas station alm
ost as soon as this thing started and then he attacked when Tess showed up. Now he’s off the radar for almost two weeks?” She shook her head. “It just makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.”
“You and me both,” said Duke. “Wonder when Tess is gonna show up again to finish the job.”
“I thought she said that she’d be back soon, but maybe something held her up.”
“From my experience, that’s usually not a good thing in the Fae world.”
“From your experience?” repeated Ross teasingly. “Didn’t you always say that anyone who uses that phrase is just trying to make themselves sound important?”
“I am important, darlin’, no pretending here,” Duke replied with a half smile.
They both sobered.
“Wish Jess had stuck around a little longer,” Duke commented.
“He needed to go see his daughters,” Ross said firmly.
“Probably only one of ‘em,” said Duke.
Ross pressed her mouth together. “You really think that his older daughter wouldn’t want to know?”
“It’s not a matter of wantin’ to know, it’s a matter of thinkin’ about how they’re going to react.”
“What, did you guys talk about keeping secrets or something before he left?”
Duke shrugged. “That’s kind of our reality now.”
They’d taken four of the gold coins to a reputable antiquities dealer recommended by one of Vivian’s professors. After examining the coins thoroughly, the man had quietly offered them a sum that made the bottom drop out of Ross’s stomach. He’d even agreed to pay them in cash. Despite Duke walking right beside her, ballcap pulled low over his eyes and a concealed pistol in his holster clipped into the waistband of his jeans, she still felt nauseous carrying around that much money in her nondescript messenger bag. Ross had bought a replacement for her torched truck and had the wreck towed, and they’d also purchased a nondescript used car for Jess. Ross had put five hundred dollars in the glove box in an unmarked envelope, hidden beneath the owner’s manual and insurance printout. She’d known that Jess would refuse to take their money, despite the fact that he didn’t have a dime to his name, because she would have done the same. He’d left a few days prior, and she’d texted him about the hidden money when he was far enough away on the road to make turning around impractical.