Blinking, I cleared my throat. The tune had come into my head unbidden, I didn't remember it. Why would it matter anyway? It was just a little-
"Keep them locked up," Herk said as he came around us. "I shall send a transcribe to King Jordeek. He will be able to confirm if this is the real Layanna Fairling."
All four of us went to protest, but the mayor was out of the door before we could get to him.
The guards pushed us back, their swords extended in front of them. The main guard shrugged when I pleaded with him to help us get free. The humans were not inclined to help fae, which shouldn't have been a surprise.
Sarsia reached out and recited words that I had never heard before. The guards both laughed as they retreated, the sound of their hilarity filling the room.
Shaking his head, the main guard wiggled his finger at Sarsia. "I knew you were a witch, I could tell straight away. This building is neutral ground, you can't cast your magic here."
"Have a good rest," the other called as they backed out of the room and slammed the door behind them.
A collective sigh sounded as all four of us looked at one another.
Trenton straightened his over-shirt and reached for his boots. "If you ask me, you were far too kind to that man. Larnika could've cut him down easily. And the two guards..." Looking up, he shook his head at Sarsia. "We could be working our way through Loridon as we speak."
"I didn't ask you," Sarsia snapped. "If we gain enemies here, we'll constantly be running from everyone. We need friends in Althea if we're going to overthrow the king!"
"Sarsia's right." Going to Trenton, I took his hand in mine. "We have to give people hope that I'm real. If they know that we're trying to restore the rightful heir to the throne, they may aid us. We have to make Herk believe that I'm the princess."
"How?"
"The tune," I said, turning to Larnika. "You told me to hum the tune from yesterday."
Larnika swung away from me, his gait wooden as he paced the small room. I waited for him to answer, somehow knowing that he was building the courage to speak.
"Your father wrote a song for you when you were born. He would hum it to you every day. As I stood guard over the nursery, I heard it filter out to me."
Frowning, I moved closer to him, grabbing his arm when he went to pass me. "Why would Herk know the song?"
"Everyone knows the song," Trenton interrupted. "Your father hummed it wherever he went, causing all fae to absorb it into their minds. For years after you were swapped with a human child, the tune would bring sadness to every living creature in Althea. It became a spell that cast sorrow on those who heard it. Except..."
My skin prickled, the cold of the room seeping into my bones. I had hummed the tune as a child, but it had always bought me joy, not sadness. I had believed that my parents were the ones who had taught me the melody, but now the truth had been revealed.
"Except?" I asked cautiously.
"Except," Larnika said, his face contorted into a mask of pain. "When you sing, it's different. The spell of the song has been broken."
Sarsia stepped closer to Larnika and forced him to take her hand. She squeezed it as she ran her thumb over his. The tightness of his shoulders relaxed as he glanced at her, a smile of gratitude lighting his face.
"I sang that tune every night after your father died," Larnika told me as his eyes filled. "I failed him, and I believed that I'd failed you too."
Holding out my hand, I beckoned for him to take it. He placed his free hand onto my palm, a frown on his face. As soon as our skin touched, I closed my eyes. The image of the fae guard standing outside a pair of tall stain glass double doors with a smile on his face made me take a deep breath. Larnika had been carefree once, enjoying his job in the Althean Guard. The sorrow that laced his veins now was a stark contrast to how he used to be.
Releasing him, I opened my eyes. He bent to his knee, grabbing my hand back again. Kissing it, he placed my palm against his cheek. "Thank you for taking away my pain, Layanna. Your forgiveness means everything to me."
Of course I had forgiven him, he had done nothing wrong. When evil took over, people did cruel and unkind things. Jordeek was influenced by his father Pryon, a man who had no quarrels with harming others. Something inside the new king spoke to me on a deeper level. Was he as hard as his father?
"We need to escape." Sarsia had her gaze averted as Larnika got up from his position on the floor. "If Herk sends word that he's captured us, Jordeek will bring the whole Unseelie Court with him."
"He already knows we're here," Trenton said as he stretched his arms up high. He had recovered quite well considering he had almost died.
"Yes, but-"
"But, nothing, witch, we need to get out of Loridon before he arrives."
Trenton was right. We didn't have time to be locked in a dungeon. The longer Jordeek had to reign fear over Althea, the less chance we had of getting the land back to its previous glory.
"Let's break out," I said, looking around the room for any means of escape.
The others stared at me before moving into action. Well, Sarsia and Larnika started to search the walls to see if there was a clue to our escape. Trenton sat his arse back on the table, swinging his legs up and going to lie down. Grabbing his shirt before he could, I shook him.
"What are you doing?"
A twinkle in his eye made me frown. What did he have planned? If he was resigning himself to the fact that we were trapped, I would throttle him.
"I'm getting ready to transform to my original size, Layanna." He winked at me. "The quickest way out of here is if I sneak under the door, return to my bigger size and unlock it from the outside."
The simplicity of his plan made me laugh. Slapping him playfully on the shoulder, I almost fell forward when his form changed, and he shrunk to his normal fairy size. His little wings appeared as he hovered in front of my face. The others joined us having heard Trenton's plan.
"I hate to admit it," Larnika said as he got out his sword. "But, sometimes simple is best."
Trenton's little shape flew away in a puff of bright yellow dust. Slipping through the gap between the bottom of the worn wooden door and the dirty stone ground, he disappeared from sight. Larnika approached the door, his sword held in front of him. As I watched his stance, I vowed that I would earn the right to own a sword. I longed for a scabbard slung around my hips like the other fae.
"Stay behind us," Sarsia said, readying her weapon. The blade was smaller than Larnika's but the glint of the light thrown from the candle caught the sharp edge, reflecting its power.
"I hate being powerless." Sighing, I kept back as the sound of the door unbolting from the other side reached us.
Looking over her shoulder, Sarsia raised one eyebrow. "You're only powerless if you believe that to be true of yourself. Your magic knows no bounds, but you have to accept who you are... fully."
The door swung open, revealing a full sized Trenton. "Are we ready to escape this place?"
Stepping aside, Trenton allowed Larnika and Sarsia to go first. I followed them, my heart pounding in my head. The guards would no doubt catch us, but I knew the others would be able to defeat them. Their deaths would be very much regretted. However, we had to get to the dragons.
"Layanna," Larnika said as we approached the end of the corridor. "Stay out of the way."
His request made me clench my hands. I was the weakest one of the group, which meant they always had to look out for me. That would change from now on. I would insist that Larnika keep training me to fight, both with a sword and without.
The clang of metal upon metal made Larnika jump out of the corridor to where the guards stood by the door. The clash of his metal sword made me jump, but I thrust forward, following them into the small area. One guard had engaged Larnika, swiping his sword towards him. I was about to step out of the way when the top of Larnika's sword entered into the man's throat, cutting it with a simple swipe. My breath stopped as I watched blood pump fro
m the slash in the guard's neck. His eyes rolled into the back of his head before he fell to his knees, his body collapsing on the ground.
"Halt!" The main guard glanced between Larnika and Sarsia.
The witch winked at him before lunging with her sword. He jumped back, undecided on who to attack when Larnika loomed close by. As Sarsia aimed her sword to the left, the guard countered it with a right swing. She grunted as the blades clashed, the sound reverberating through me. Trenton leant against the stone wall, his arms crossed over his chest. He was enjoying the dangerous scene playing out, even though a human had just died in front of our eyes.
"You will not go free!" the guard opened his mouth to shout.
Raising my hand, I uttered the word no. Ice suddenly appeared on the guard’s mouth. The cry he was about to release died in his throat as the element spread thick and fast, growing into his mouth and choking him. He dropped his sword as his cheeks turned bright red, the air around him growing stony cold.
"Leave him," Sarsia told Larnika when he went to plunge his sword into the guard's neck. "She needs to see this through."
Tears came to my eyes when the guard looked at me, his gaze pleading. I held my hand aloft, unable to bring it down. If I didn't end his life, he would call his companions to come and get us. He...
"You don't have to do this." Trenton's voice was quiet beside me.
Dropping my hand when the guard's eyes rolled into the back of his head, I gasped loudly, breathing hard. He slumped to the ground, near his friend. The ice was still lodged in his throat, but his chest rose and fell ever so gently. I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill the human just for doing his job.
"Let's go." Larnika's words brought me to attention.
Looking away from the guards who now lay on the ground, their faces blue, I drew my cloak around me. Trenton touched my elbow, guiding me to step up beside the others. Sarsia reached for the handle of the door, her skin pale as her fingers wrapped around the metal knocker.
"We need to be prepared for the guard outside." Edging in front of me, Larnika drew level with Sarsia.
Giving her a nod, he raised his sword, ready to slay anyone who threatened our escape. The witch blinked as she tugged on the handle. The door wouldn't budge. Sarsia ripped her hand away from the metal, hissing when she touched the burn mark on her palm.
"It's spelled shut!" she exclaimed.
Larnika swore as he tried to open the door himself, using every ounce of his strength. Although he didn't burn himself, he still couldn't get it open. Trenton pushed past, grabbing Sarsia's hand. I stood waiting, my breath caught in my throat as I looked over my shoulder to check that no one was coming.
"We're going to have to break the spell," Trenton said.
Nodding, Sarsia touched Larnika's hand gently. His grunt of frustration as he let go and stepped back made me smile. The fae was a strong man, someone who wanted to do his duty. It pained him when he couldn't do it. He would make a great captain of the Althean Guard again someday.
"Take my hand," Trenton told me.
Frowning, I looked between them, not quite understanding. Waving his fingers, Trenton insisted. Putting my hand in his, I almost cried out when heat enveloped, not just my skin, but my bones too.
"Our magic is connected." Trenton looked at Sarsia. "Do it!"
Placing her hand on the door while my heart played a drum in my chest, Sarsia started to chant under her breath. Larnika's hands came under my elbows, the touch hardly felt through my cloak. I watched Sarsia's hand, waiting for something to happen. A tightening of my chest made me breath heavier. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, just different to what I was used to.
"Someone's coming," Larnika said, breaking my staring spell.
Looking over my shoulder, I shuddered as the sound of footsteps approached. Sarsia clenched her spare hand into a fist as her eyebrows pulled low over her closed eyes. Her chant rose louder as I reached out and put my hand on the door. The vibrations moved my fingers as I pushed all of the warmth that I held inside me into the wood. I was about to remove my hand from the door when a click sounded.
"Well done!" Trenton was tugging on the door handle before I could think. Larnika had his sword extended as he guarded my back.
"They're almost here!"
Sarsia rushed through the door and onto the street, her sword in her hand. I followed with Trenton close behind. The guard was bending over a bucket of water nearby, his head emerged in the liquid.
"Go!" Larnika shoved me before he closed the door behind him.
The sun was going down on another day. The time had passed quickly inside, which was surprising considering how little there was to do.
"This way!"
A man suddenly appeared in the street ahead of us. He wore a long forest green tunic with black breeches. His boots were worn, the brown leather patchy. He had short hair, cropped to his scalp and stubble that highlighted his strong jaw. He was a human. A human with a big heart. I didn't know why I knew that, but I immediately trusted him.
"Follow him." Pushing Sarsia when she hesitated, I ran.
My skirts flew out as a shout behind us made me look over my shoulder. Larnika had his bow and arrow out, firing it towards the guards who were now hot on our trail.
"Cloak us from the guards!" Trenton shouted to Sarsia as we turned down a side street.
The human was a few steps ahead, leading us away from the entrance of the city. If he was a spy for the guards, he would take us straight back to them. However, he looked over his shoulder, smiling when our gaze met. My body was tired from little sleep and even less food. I couldn't stop running though, we had to get free of the mayor.
"It's just in the next street," the man called over his shoulder.
Sarsia cast a spell, her words quick between huffed breaths. My skin tingled as the cloaking landed over me, bringing me comfort. Trenton linked his arm in mine to help me along. The small man was quite fast in his full size form.
Larnika was behind us, his footsteps loud on the dirty ground.
Swinging around the end of the street, the man guided us down the next one. People were on their way home after a day of work, their feet dragging. They frowned at us as we passed, their gazes unable to look away from the group that were clearly being pursued.
"Here!" The man opened a cracked wooden door in the middle of a small stone wall. The house was tiny, the sides brushing against its bigger counterparts either side. "This is where I live, you'll be safe here."
As we piled into the small downstairs area, I heaved a sigh. The door shut behind Larnika, although he stayed by it, watching through one of the cracks. The living area was as clean as it could be, but there was hardly anything in it.
"Down here!" Bending, the man lifted a fur rug, revealing a trap door.
Following him down the stone steps, we stayed silent as the cosy room opened up in front of us. A single bed was tucked in the corner, a lit torch above it. Rugs lined every part of the earthy floor. Candles were on the table and sideboard, lighting the small room sufficiently.
"You'll be safe here overnight," he said. "Then in the morning, I'll help you out of the city."
We glanced at one another, our eyebrows raised as we tried to even our breath. The human man was smiling as his chest rose and fell. It had been a mad dash across the city, but we had put our faith into someone we didn't know. A complete stranger.
"That's very kind of you," Trenton said as he checked the little room. "But, would you mind telling me who the bloody hell you are?"
A grin split the man's lips as a laugh escaped his chest. "Of course." Looking at me, he winked before he faced Trenton again. "My name is Daniel Smith. I'm human, but I know all about your kind."
"And, why are you helping us?" Larnika's hand rested on the hilt of his sword where it was safely tucked away on his hips.
"Because, I've made a dangerous bet with my father. I'm to prove that dragons are real, or he'll disown me from the family business. I know that you'
re on your way to meet with the dragons, so I want you to take me along too."
Chapter Fourteen
Jordeek
"Sire," the witch’s whisper came through my sleep fogged brain. "You're dreaming."
Batting away her insistent whine, I sunk back into the dream, my mind grasping at the moment I had just encountered.
"Jordeek," Layanna pleaded, her big brown eyes round as she watched me approach. "You need to free my kingdom."
"Your kingdom?" I spat.
Her hair flowed behind her, constantly moving in an invisible wind. The skirt of her dress shifted against her legs, highlighting the length of them. The emerald green of her gown was rich against her pale skin. I'd never seen such an elaborate gown before. It was a royal garment, meant only for rulers of Althea.
We stood in the orchard, the flowers of the blossom dancing around us. The trees hummed gently, the soft sound soothing my nerves. I had seen the princess only a handful of times, and yet, I could not get her out of my mind.
"You know in your heart what is right, my love."
My love? The words were sweet on her lips, but they should never have been aimed at me. I was King Jordeek, the ruler of the Seelie Court, friend to the Unseelie. Not someone to be flattered by a fraudulent heir to the throne.
"Your family name no longer belongs to the Althean throne. Only my children will inherit the kingdom from me."
A crack in my chest made me look down. Blood spilled through my tunic, the red staining the navy. It didn't hurt, but I ripped my tunic open to reveal a gaping hole.
Layanna came closer, reaching her hand towards me. Stepping back, I almost tripped as my head grew light.
"This isn't who you are." Her beauty sang to me, her words filtering into my bones.
Dropping to my knees, I grasped my chest, trying to stop the flow of blood. There was still no physical pain, but the anguish that gripped me made me clench my teeth. "You're breaking me apart."
Kneeling down in front of me, she touched her hand to my jaw, pressing gently. I wanted to pull away, but I couldn't. The anguish instantly left, warmth trailing through me. Her eyes, so wide, so beautiful, spoke to me more than words did. Releasing my bloody chest, I held her hand to my face, rubbing my skin against her cool fingers.
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