by R. A. Rock
It had been a horrific experience, but she had earned a promotion from the queen because of it—both for her prowess in defeating the monsters and for defying a superior. The queen didn’t generally like defiance in her troops, but she knew a leader when she saw one.
It had taken a while to move up the ranks and prove herself to the queen, but she had done it. Now Tessa had the queen’s ear and her trust. If she really thought about it, the event had probably landed her the position of Captain of the Guard. Which meant she had command of hundreds of warriors and was admired and/or feared by all her soldiers.
But it wasn’t smart to get cocky. Not in the Dark Court. And Ransetta would not be patient with Tessa hanging about in the shadows much longer—monster or no monster.
Tessa moved with precision until she reached her Queen’s side and stood there, avoiding everyone’s gaze. The vile murmuring in the room brushed against her, making her clench her jaw. Then, even knowing it was a mistake, she couldn’t help but slide her eyes over to the prisoner.
The man glanced up at the same time as she took her place next to the queen, and Tessa felt a surge of energy as their eyes met, followed by a wave of desire. This was so startling that she looked away from the man, blinking several times.
Tessa resolutely pushed down the sudden tingling she felt and her pity for the man, whose bluster seemed to simply be a cover for his terror. There was no use entertaining any sort of feelings for one who was clearly condemned. It would only go worse for him. The Captain of the Guard could not be showing interest, compassion, or pity for the prisoners.
The Dark Queen was like the most evil of cats and didn’t like anyone else playing with her mice. Tessa knew that it was better not to get attached. The prisoner would be dead soon enough. And probably in the most horrible of ways, which would give her nightmares for centuries to come.
The Queen always destroyed them.
It usually took the cleanup crew hours and hours to get the polished stone of the throne room clean again. Tessa focused on the far wall, her hands behind her back in a relaxed position, ignoring the prisoner and the scene unfolding before her. Breathing shallowly, she tried to avoid inhaling the scent of blood that always seemed to linger in the throne room, no matter how many times it was washed. She wished the queen would acknowledge her and let her give her report.
All she wanted was her bed.
Then her attention was drawn to the conversation, and she tuned in to what the prisoner was saying, trying to figure out what was going on.
“Bring your greatest warrior,” he said to the queen, a determined look in his eye that almost covered the fear. “I will fight him. And I will win.”
Tessa immediately wished she had been paying better attention. It wasn’t like her to zone out—especially when the queen was playing with a new toy. It didn’t do to be taken unawares by Ransetta.
The queen glanced up at her as if something was funny, and Tessa pasted a grin on her face, desperately wishing that she knew what was happening. Of course, she didn’t let any of her confusion show.
“She’s my greatest warrior, and you won’t last two minutes against her,” the Dark Queen said.
Finn couldn’t believe it. He had been caught by the Dark Queen’s Skransser. They had put a slave ring around his neck, attached to the chain that a guard was pulling on as if he was a dog. His hands were bound so tightly behind his back that he could feel the rope cutting into his skin.
The monster had tracked him down by following the magical trail, which all Fae leave behind. Then it had tricked him into agreeing to go with it by taking on the form of Finn’s sister. And once you agreed to go with a Skransser, you were at its mercy.
It could immobilize you, and then usually, it consumed your soul like you were the most delicious foie gras it had ever eaten. It was such a cliché that the monster used your loved ones against you, but the trap worked, time and again, which was probably why it continued to employ it.
It hadn’t eaten Finn’s soul because the evil thing had a deal with the Dark Queen. No one knew exactly what bargain she had with the creature, but it did her bidding. And everyone agreed that her connection to it contributed to her wickedness.
Whatever the deal was didn’t matter. What mattered was that Finn had been caught by the creature and held frozen until the queen’s guard came and picked him up.
He had tried to shift to his tiny, winged form and escape, but the soldiers had some sort of dust spell that, when sprinkled on a Fae, made it impossible for them to change forms. He didn’t know how long it lasted, but he still couldn’t shift, and it had taken them hours to walk to the castle.
It turned out that the Dark Queen’s advisor had a weakness for cards and betting, and Finn, not knowing who the man was, had thoroughly trounced him and taken all his money. Apparently, the royal advisor had taken exception to this and had told the Dark Queen that Finn stole his horse. Finn liked to call it borrowing, since he hadn’t kept the beast. The queen then agreed to send the Skransser out to look for Finn in order to make an example of him and to dissuade other horse thieves.
Now, he was being dragged into the middle of the Dark Court, beaten, his clothes torn off, covered in dirt, and so exhausted, he could hardly stand.
How had he ended up in the very place he had sworn to stay away from?
This was bad. This was very bad.
For him, because he would no doubt be tortured and killed if he couldn’t get away.
For the Dark Queen, because the magic of his vow would force Finn to kill her if he did get away.
The big guard pulled, the chain clanking, and Finn stumbled forward into the Dark Court throne room. The cuts on his wrists ached. Before him, the Dark Court was assembled. They wore various shades of black, dark purple, navy, and crimson. There wasn’t a white or pastel-colored outfit to be seen.
And their eyes.
As he passed the courtiers, he noticed that their eyes were nearly all the same. Bored. Cruel. And perhaps slightly mad.
His heart started to pound as he neared the throne. The sound was so loud in his ears, he felt sure everyone could hear it. The Dark Queen was twisted away, but the next instant, she turned to face him, and their eyes met. He felt the urge to jump forward and wrap his hands around her neck, squeezing until she was dead. He clenched his fists, fighting against the magic of his vow.
An image of Emmy, laughing by the brook, popped into his mind. She would never do that again thanks to the Dark Queen. He felt his vow inside him, the magic urging him to violence, but he ignored it. No good would come of him attacking her here. He would just be killed instantly.
And besides, he didn’t want to kill her at all. That was the magic behind the vow talking and trying to convince him to do what he had sworn to do.
He couldn’t kill the Queen.
He needed to get away.
And he needed to be free so he could escape.
He was a good fighter, but he couldn’t fight the entire royal guard. An idea began to form in his mind, and he stifled a smile.
No, he couldn’t fight the entire royal guard, but he could fight one man.
“…and so, your majesty,” Finn finished. “I’d like to propose a wager.”
The blisteringly beautiful queen lifted one delicate eyebrow, her loveliness so perfect that it nearly blinded him.
“A wager? You wish to bet against me?” She seemed both truly taken aback and, at the same time, intrigued by the notion.
“Indeed. It would be amusing.”
“Your majesty,” the queen’s advisor blustered. “I object. Just kill the wretch.”
Finn gave the man a smile and a wink, enraging him even further.
“Want another game?” Finn asked the man. “If you win, she kills me. If I win, I go free.”
The queen gave Finn a look that ought to have melted the skin off his face, and he snapped his mouth shut. Then she turned to her advisor.
“Shut up, Barclay,” she said
, tilting her head back and forth. Considering Finn’s proposal, he hoped.
At that moment, the most beautiful Fae that Finn had ever seen stepped up and stood at the queen’s right. With chestnut ringlets tumbling around her stunning face and dark brown eyes he could get lost in, he was entranced for a moment. Then he realized who she must be. Only the Captain of the Guard stood in that position in court, with the queen’s royal advisor to the left. He didn’t know much about the Dark Court, but he knew that. Everyone knew that.
The woman, who must be the Captain of the Guard, met Finn’s gaze, and a shock went through him. They both looked away at the same time. He hadn’t felt anything like that since Emmy, and he immediately experienced a stab of intense guilt at the thought.
But Finn shook away the thoughts. He couldn’t be getting distracted by a pretty woman or by thinking about the pretty woman he had loved and who had died. He would need all his wits about him to avoid being killed in the next five minutes.
“What is your name, thief?” the queen asked, her voice sweet and, at the same time, like a dog gnashing its teeth.
“Finn Noble,” he said, hoping that this was progress.
“Hm.” She appeared to be considering his proposal. “Having you killed by the Skransser would be just as much fun, I think, Mr. Noble.”
“You’ve seen that a hundred times.” He assumed. “I guarantee, your majesty, this will be far more amusing than watching me die.”
She was silent a long moment.
“What are your terms?” The queen sat up and focused all her attention on him. It was absolutely terrifying.
He smiled broadly, hiding his fear. “You pit me against your greatest warrior,” he said, hitting his chest with his fist. The chest thump was rather over the top, Finn knew, but he wanted to come across as a stupid brawler.
“Really,” the queen said, looking amused. “You? Are going to fight my greatest warrior?”
“Yes,” he said, a little insulted.
And then the queen laughed. Finn was sure that at one time when she had laughed, all of Ahlenerra had laughed with her, even the trees, even the flowers, even the insects. Now when she laughed, it was enough to make the Stars weep.
“Oh, well, you’re right then. This is going to be amusing. But it won’t last very long.”
His sense of indignation deepened. “You don’t think I can fight?” he asked, trying not to be completely offended.
“You’re handsome,” she said, with a graceful lift of her pale, lovely shoulder. “I’ll give you that. And you look strong. Maybe you even have some skill. But my greatest warrior has been fighting for three hundred years and has never been bested.”
He nodded. “That’s perfect. I want to fight him.”
The queen smiled as if she was amused, and there was snickering from the courtiers. He wondered what was so funny.
“And what if you win this fight?” the queen asked, taking a goblet of wine that a servant offered her and sipping. The silver shone in the light, and he could smell the scent of wine. Finn’s mouth was dry and tasted nasty, but he ignored it all and focused on Ransetta.
“Then I am no longer your prisoner, and I may stay in the Dark Court. I could be of use to you.”
“Interesting. And if you lose?”
“Then you, yourself, have lost nothing. I will still be your prisoner to do with as you wish.”
He refrained from clenching his jaw at the thought.
He wouldn’t lose. He couldn’t lose. He would be a dead man if he did.
Or worse. Food for a Skransser.
“As I wish?” she asked, her eyes raking over his body with barely concealed desire.
Oh no. Not that. I’d rather fall into the Chasm of Severance.
He would rather be consumed by a Skransser than share a bed with Ransetta. He would cut his own throat first.
“Agreed then,” she said. “It’s a deal.”
“Palms,” Finn said, meeting her eyes, his face serious. The Captain of the Guard frowned.
The queen herself lifted her eyebrows in feigned innocence. “Don’t you trust me, Mr. Noble?”
He gave her what he hoped was a friendly smile and didn’t say anything, knowing he was pushing his luck.
“Palms then,” she said, setting the goblet down with a clink.
Finn stepped forward in relief. He was careful not to shrink back from her touch as he held out his hand and she placed hers against his.
Her skin was the smoothest he had ever touched—so smooth it made him want to shiver with disgust—but he controlled himself. A ripple of magic spread out from their hands and only when it was gone did he pull away.
A spot in the center of the hand concentrated magic, and on a Fae, there was always a small trickle of power from that point. If two Fae pressed their palms together, it was like shaking hands on a deal but with a magical component. The magic held each Fae to their word. If either of the parties were to break the agreement, there would be dire consequences enforced by the magic. Finn had made his vow to avenge Amelia’s death the same way, but he had pressed the palms of his own hands together.
Finn gave the queen a nod and stepped back, content for the moment.
“May the Shadows hide you, your majesty,” he said.
“And also you, bold thief.”
She gave him a beautiful smile that was so wicked, it turned his stomach.
“Bring your greatest warrior,” he said to the queen in what he hoped was a strong, confident voice. “I will fight him. And I will win.”
“She’s my greatest warrior,” Ransetta said, grinning up at the Captain of the Guard. “And you won’t last two minutes against her.”
Chapter 3
Who is this arrogant ass, Tessa wondered. And why is he challenging me?
She had walked into the Dark Queen’s throne room only minutes before. She hadn’t had her supper, and the scent of the roasting meat made her stomach grumble. She was very much ready for bed after her long journey, her muscles aching with fatigue.
And now this guy wanted to fight?
It figured.
But what was his game here? Obviously, he was trying to save his own life. But she sensed that there was something more than that.
Stars alight, I don’t have time for this nonsense.
She wished that this fight could have come at a more convenient time. She was so tired from traveling, and she could use a bath and a good night’s rest. But she had noticed in her hundreds of years of being in the queen’s guard that fights rarely came at your convenience.
And yet, you had to fight them anyway.
“Callahan?” the queen asked, her sweet voice cutting through her thoughts like a jagged shard of glass. She seemed to be asking Tessa if she was willing. But Tessa knew that saying no wasn’t an option. The queen liked to give the appearance of offering choices, while constantly getting her own way in every single situation. So, Tessa pushed down her misgivings and gave one nod.
The queen’s starkly beautiful face lit with her usual smile that never seemed to reach her violet eyes and always contained a hint of maliciousness. Her perfect pale skin was unbelievably smooth, and her light brown hair had been brushed till it shone and cascaded over her shoulders. She was no doubt the loveliest Fae in the land.
And yet…
And yet, Tessa knew that beauty covered a core so rotten, it was nauseating. Tessa was no longer deluded by the queen’s appearance. All she saw was the woman’s putrid insides.
“Finn Noble, meet Captain of the Guard, Tessa Callahan,” she said, taking a large swallow of her wine.
The prisoner, Finn—if that was his real name—nodded at her. Tessa nodded back. Then she undid her dark green cloak that was stained with mud, handing it to a nearby servant. She stepped down off the queen’s dais toward the man who thought he could beat her. Her hard-soled boots clicked on the marble steps.
The queen was right. He was handsome, in a dashing sort of way. He had warm brown
eyes that appeared both intelligent and good natured, and curly brown hair. He had a muscled body that brought a flush to her cheeks, in spite of her decision to remain aloof. In her defense, though, he was only wearing pants, and she couldn’t help but see all those chiseled muscles.
That she wasn’t interested in.
And anyway, she was going to beat him to a pulp, which meant that his pretty face wouldn’t be so good looking anymore. It would never do to get attached to an opponent, so she did what she always did since she had come to the Dark Court. She pushed all her feelings into a box and shoved the box deep down inside. Then she faced the man. She felt nothing. Emotionless, she stared him down, clenching her hands into fists, waiting for the fight to begin.
The members of the court backed off toward the walls, melting into the shadows and leaving a large open space. They all knew how messy Dark Court fights could get, and none of them wanted blood on their finery. There was murmuring as the betting started.
The queen stood up, her shimmering royal-blue dress displaying her flawless figure. She lifted her arms, and silence fell over the assembly.
“May the Shadows guide you both,” the queen said, giving the Dark Court blessing. “And let the fight begin.”
The crowd roared and Tessa moved toward the man, lifting her fists in front of her face to protect it.
“You sure you want to do this?” she asked the man.
He grinned and she hated the way her pulse picked up. The box of feelings popped open at the sight of that smile. Shadows and Chasm, why did he have to be so hot?
She didn’t want to beat that gorgeous face in. Taking a moment, she shoved her feelings back into the box again, but it wasn’t working like usual.
“I’m sure.”
Stars alive, but he is cocky. “All right. Then I’m sorry.”
“For what?” He appeared confused.