Shrouded Kingdom
Page 9
I stood still, waiting for the King to make his move. When he eventually did, it was to turn back to me.
"You should be wise with the company you keep," he said, scratching his jaw. "They're not as innocent as they'll have you believe."
Glancing at Larnika, I frowned when he ducked his head, staring at the ground. The truth in Jordeek's words were proven by the inability of the other fae to look me in the eye.
"I'm here to bargain for Laliya, that's all. Will you hear my offer?" Reaching for the piece of paper in my cloak pocket, I paused when Jordeek turned to his guards.
"Leave us! Wait outside the gate and don't come back until I tell you to." Marching to his horse, he handed the reins to Jin. "Don't worry," he said when they hesitated. "I can take care of myself."
Slowly, the guard did as Jordeek commanded, leaving us alone with the King in the orchard. My frown met Jordeek's when the King indicated that we follow him further between the pretty trees.
Blossom fell around us, cascading in pretty waves. I nodded to Larnika when he raised his eyebrows. Could we trust Jordeek? Having the guards nearby had been an added layer of security. Without them there, we were vulnerable. Although, so was Jordeek.
"When I first entered this realm, I wondered why my father was so obsessed with it." Jordeek brushed his hand against a tree trunk, his attention barely on us as he came to a stop. "I could see the beauty, of course, but Falonia was just as beautiful, if not more so. In the Court of the Seelie, life was stiff, unwelcoming. My Unseelie friends scoffed at us, accusing my father of believing that he was better than them. I assured them that he only wanted to join the two courts in harmony."
"Join the courts? Unite Seelie and Unseelie?" Larnika almost laughed but stopped before he offended the King.
Raising his gaze, Jordeek looked between the pair of us. Pain had shone in his eyes when he'd first looked up, but it was quickly wiped away. A part of me saw the man that Jordeek wanted to be. Maybe he went deeper than anyone knew.
"Yes," he said, his spine straightening. "Why not?"
A high-pitched giggle nearby made me grab the hem of my cloak and pull it closer around me. We weren't alone in the orchard.
Larnika grabbed his sword out of its scabbard, the sound of metal grating loud as Jordeek grinned. A rush of wind flared around us, making the leaves and blossom dance in front of our faces. Swiping it away, I gasped when several creatures started to appear around Jordeek.
"These are my people. The Seelie are my people. We will live in harmony."
Some of the Unseelie Fae were little with big noses and hands. Others looked like us, tall and handsome, but not quite like the guard. Their clothes were dark, the material rough and worn. A man with pointy ears winked at me, causing me to step back several steps. Larnika was by my side, standing slightly in front of me.
"Do you know who this is?" Jordeek asked his friends, pointing in my direction.
A few snarls were followed with nods of heads. One pixie flew in the air and tried to approach us. Larnika swiped at him with his sword, threatening enough to send the little creature back.
The others had explained to me that Unseelie Fae had no conscience. The Seelie weren't perfect, but the Unseelie were unforgiving.
When a small person stepped forward, he glared up at Larnika. "You betrayed your people, too!"
"Back off, goblin," Larnika said. "You have no idea what you're talking about."
The Unseelie surged forward without warning. Larnika swung his sword, almost slicing off the arm of the small man that he had called goblin.
Jumping away, the man glanced around Larnika and blew me a kiss. Shuddering, I backed up when Larnika tried to fight them off. All they did was come closer, not actually doing anything to attack.
Don't be afraid, they'll smell it on you. Where had that thought come from? No, it hadn't been a thought, but someone speaking in my mind.
Larnika. It had been Larnika's voice in my mind. How was that even possible?
Fae are telepathic when connected to other Fae. You have to be careful with your thoughts.
At the same time as sending his words into my mind, Larnika was pushing forward, his sword ready for action.
Jordeek laughed as more and more Unseelie came into the orchard, their presence growing by the second. He wanted to intimidate me, but I wouldn't let him.
Stepping around Larnika before he could protest, I held up my hands. "I command you to stop!"
Laughter filled the area as they continued to come forward. Of course, I wasn't the ruler of the Unseelie Court, which meant they wouldn't listen to me. No, they would do as Jordeek bid, even though he wasn't the ruler of the Unseelie court either. Was he?
Taking my wrist, Larnika pulled me behind him again. I swallowed the fear that rose up my throat. As much as we wanted to run, we couldn't. I had to lay out my bargain for Jordeek. We had a mission to retrieve Laliya. Not only that, but we were literally surrounded by Unseelie now. There was nowhere to run.
Holding his hands in the air, Jordeek clapped several times. The Unseelie creatures instantly retreated, going nearer to the King. Snarls lessened as Jordeek moved through them to stand in front of us. A smile lit his face as he indicated that I come out from behind my fae guard.
"Come now, Layanna," he said, his grey eyes boring into mine. "I'll hear your offer."
Larnika stayed in place, preventing me from standing in front of him. However, I wasn't going to let fear hold me back. Jordeek wasn't as powerful as he made out.
Guiding Larnika out of the way... I couldn't physically push him as he was as solid as a mountain... I faced Jordeek.
The gleam in his eyes made me clench my hands into fists. The creatures who stood around him watched me closely, their beady eyes making me shiver.
Taking out the piece of paper in my cloak, I cleared my throat as I opened it. My mouth went dry as I read the words, my insides going cold. Sarsia had made me swear not to read it before we were in front of Jordeek, but her bargain was all wrong.
"So?" Jordeek placed his hands on his hips as his head cocked to the side.
"Do what we came here to do," Larnika said when I glanced at him.
His stance was still strong, his sword raised and ready to fight, just in case they turned on us. It was possible, we were a threat after all.
"If you give us Laliya back, y-you..." I stuttered, unable to force out the words. "You can keep Larnika here."
The King looked at the fae man beside me, his gaze narrowing. Was he contemplating the offer? Larnika was wanted by the King for treason, but would he-?
"No." Jordeek straightened his spine, glancing at his Unseelie creatures. "SEIZE THEM!"
Many of them surged forward, their greedy eyes devouring me as their hands stretched out. Larnika swept in front of me, his sword raised and slashing. I grabbed the back of his tunic as a pixie flew overhead and hurled an arrow at me. Ducking, I gasped when the arrow moved my hair as it missed.
Larnika’s sword sliced through a creature’s arm, forcing it to screech as it backed away. I kept hold of his tunic the whole time, my arm shaking with the effort.
A wind picked up suddenly, sending leaves and blossom hurtling into the Unseelie’s faces, blocking their vision.
As the attack died down, I looked around Larnika.
Jordeek stood by the tree, his hand stroking the bark as he watched the onslaught. Our gaze met as he watched me, a frown on his face. The softness of his gaze as we stayed staring at one another made me swallow hard. There was more to Jordeek Glyneria than he let on. However, as a pixie shot an arrow straight into Larnika’s sword arm, my heart hardened.
"You'll pay for what you've done," I whispered without looking away from the King. "Oinkhead."
As both Larnika and myself disappeared from the orchard, an echo whispered in my ear. You can try, came Jordeek's voice in my head, but you'll never succeed.
Chapter Ten
Jordeek
Storming into the pa
lace, I threw my sword on the ground, the blood on it splattering over the stone floor. The open entrance-way was accessed by tall red stained-glass doors, the edges carved in wood from the trees that lined the forest around the castle... Had lined the forest around the castle. The trees were now dead.
"Where's Laliya?" I shouted at no one in particular.
A fae girl, dressed in a fine but simple dress, grabbed my sword and handed it to Jin, who strode through the door. Dropping to her knees, she scrubbed the blood from the floor.
On the way back from the orchard, my guards had come across a cow that had wandered onto the grey land. Only High Fae blood and Unseelie creatures could tolerate the death shroud that currently spread around the land just outside the palace. I had put the poor cow out of its misery instead of allowing it to wait out its slow and cruel death, its feet sunk into the black mud, burn marks spreading over its body.
The shroud death was growing stronger.
"She's in the throne room, Sire," the girl muttered when I opened my mouth to roar the question again.
Glancing around the entrance-way, I sighed. I'd asked the servants to scrub the grey that was spreading up the stain glass that lined the walls, but it had been impossible for them to get rid of it. The oval area had another set of tall gold stained glass doors across from the first pair, allowing entrance to the throne room. On either side of the entrance-way, a grand staircase, made of clear glass, rose up in a semi-circle to join above the throne room doors. The sight had been magical the first time I had beheld it.
"Sire?" Jin's voice was apprehensive.
He was right to be on edge. We had failed to capture the Fairling girl. Not that Jin had been there to try, he was too unreliable. In fact, his fate was hanging by a noose. If my guards were able to be commanded by her so easily, what use were they to me?
"Your fate will be decided later. Leave me be!"
My demand was met with an incline of the head as my second in command bowed. He had been loyal to me thus far, but when the fairy had alerted me to the guards’ inability to refuse her, the threat had sunk in. I would have to rely on the Unseelie more than I ever had. They would never be commanded by Layanna Fairling.
Marching across the floor, I slammed open the double doors of the throne room and stepped inside. Sitting on the arm of my throne was Laliya, my resident witch.
"What do you think you're doing?" I demanded as my boots trod up the red carpet that led to the platform where my throne sat.
The room was empty apart from the witch. The trees that rose high above us, forming an arch to the ceiling, were silent. For a long time, when I had first arrived with my father, they whispered malicious words. Ever since my father had died, they'd become silent.
Behind my throne, high on the platform, was a statue of the man who had overthrown the Fairling rulers of the Seelie. My father. He wielded his sword high above him, his face frozen in his famous scowl. The engraved stone statue had been heavy enough to need a hundred fae and their magic to move it into the throne room.
"Good morning, father," I greeted the stone statue as I drew nearer to the witch.
When Pryon had died, I'd had his bones buried in the ground, under the statue, as a reminder to all fae that he was the rightful Glyneria king. Now, as his son, I had taken his place as ruler of the Seelie Court.
"You're far too fond of a ghost," Laliya said, her dark eyes following me until I stood below the platform.
Her black hair and black eyes were in complete contrast to her sister. Some called them the good and evil twins, but they were just women, able to cast magic.
I may have kidnapped the more powerful of the two, but with good reason. I had to protect my land from those who threatened it.
"What are you doing in here? I allow you to roam the entrance-way, the library and your room, but everywhere else is forbidden." Clicking my fingers, I stayed where I was, below my throne.
The sun shone through the grey of the windows, stroking the blue stained glass of the throne. The shards of glass had been melded together to form a rugged, yet smooth, chair for kings of the Fae. My father had rejoiced in his taking of the throne. He'd even had a ceremony to not only crown him King of Althea, but to sit on the throne for the first time. I hadn't partaken in the same sort of pompous gallantry that my father enjoyed. My ceremony had been small, with just the Althean guard, and the elder fae noblemen as witnesses.
"You want me to work for you, and yet, you keep me locked up?" Laliya's pretty features screwed up as she slipped onto the throne.
My boot was on the first step of the platform when she propelled off the seat, rubbing her behind. "Ouch, that wasn't wise."
The corner of my lip quirked into my cheek. My father, being superstitious, had spelled the throne to seat only rulers of Althea. I rarely sat on the uncomfortable thing myself, preferring to be out in my kingdom, trying to lift the shroud.
"You will do a location spell to find Layanna Fairling."
My command went ignored as Laliya thumped down onto the step and stared at the cold stone floor. "My magic isn't as strong here. The energy is all... off kilter."
Biting my lip, I sat next to her. Pleasing her might be the only option I had. Force would make her refuse. I could already tell that she was used to getting her own way. Some witches were unbearable, others were more palatable.
"I appreciate your efforts, but you must-"
"I can't!" Her lip poked out as she side-eyed me. "And, why would I want to?"
Heat, as hot as the flames that flickered in the fireplaces on either side of the platform, surged through me. Grabbing her arm, I dragged her up from her seat and marched her across the cold stone floor. Her feet tripped as she struggled against me, her defiance fierce. Her mouth opened, ready to spit in my face. Extending my arm, I slapped her across the cheek, causing her head to snap to the side. She glared at me, her teeth bared.
"Do that again, and I'll put a hex on you."
Squeezing her arm bones so her skin was almost melded to them, I snarled in her face. "I'm the King of Althea. You will do as I command!"
Her silence made me continue our walk out of the doors of the throne room. Two guards stood by the front doors, their backs straight, their eyes averted. They had been trained well by the last king. My father had worked hard at making them a little more formidable. Fae royalty had grown soft, preferring to keep away from humans. Their peoples’ cunning ways didn't just disappear. Seelie Fae would sneak out of Althea to meet humans, making them companions and lovers. The Fairlings tried to stop them, wanting to create a new type of Seelie.
The Unseelie were more ruthless with their pursuit of fun. They didn't have a conscience, instead treating humans, and each other, with malicious intent.
"You won't get away with this for long," Laliya muttered under her breath.
She had relinquished her fight. Her shoulders dropped and her feet walked steadily as we ascended the stairs. She had already tried to cast a spell in an attempt to stop the shroud spreading. As much as the Seelie Court thought I didn't care, I didn't want my land ravished by an evil death that was killing the earth and everything that touched the scorched area.
“The high-born guards are still safe on the shroud, but I’m worried that will change,” I said, shoving her through the library doors.
The tall walls full of books held no interest to me. Laliya had used this place as her base since she'd arrived two days ago. I knew only too well the distractions that surrounded her, however, she needed somewhere to cast her spells without interruption and no one came here anymore. Not since my father had killed the human child within the walls of the room.
"I'm glad your servants are not dying when they step onto the scorched death, unlike the low-born Seelie." She sneered.
"Enough!" My temper was wearing thin.
The witch was part of my court, even if she lived outside the boundaries. She would do as I commanded or be sent to the dungeons. I was tired of playing nice.
Wandering over to the big oak table in the centre of the library, Laliya tapped her fingers on the surface. A map of the world started to carve itself on the wood. I joined her, my gaze tracing the border between Althea and Falonia. A border that I was determined to eradicate.
Closing her eyes, Laliya chanted an incantation, her hands held high over the map. Her limbs started to shake as the sun grew dark outside, making it almost impossible to see inside. She paused in her spell to click her fingers. Candles in their sconces on the wall flared to life, as did the ones sitting on the edge of the table.
"I can't feel her energy." She sighed heavily, dropping her arms to her sides. "They're cloaking her somehow."
Gripping the edge of the table in an attempt not to lash out at the witch, I stared at the woods where I'd last seen them near the village of Mediya. My guards had persuaded me not to raze the village to the ground, instead insisting that I put all my efforts into finding the impostor princess.
A part of me was tempted to kill her parents, just for allowing her to live all this time. Surely, they would have known she was a changeling. The human child that had been taken in Layanna's place had lived for a while, but my father had managed to kill her when sneaking into the palace. It was his way of protecting the realm from future generations. Once dead, the human child didn't disappear into the earth, like fae royalty did. Layanna's parents disappeared as soon as I'd had them buried. The child's bones still remained under a rose bush in the gardens of the palace. We had tried to keep the secret, but staff had spread the rumour that Layanna was still alive, living as a changeling. When the nursemaid’s journal had been found, the suspicion had been confirmed. Which had led to this moment.
My anger returned when Laliya went to walk away. Taking hold of her, I wrapped my fingers around her throat and pushed her towards the table. Her back hit it as her hands tried desperately to dislodge mine. Her eyes were wide as she struggled to breathe.