by Angel Lawson
“They’re guards. Like Liam, but for this side of the portal.”
“Oh.” At the mention of his name I wondered how quickly Liam would catch up to us. He’d been taxiing his plane as we crossed the portal.
A guard with a long red beard laid his hand on the base of his sword. His eyes shifted back and forth between the two of us but his focus lingered on me a little longer than felt comfortable. “Stand down,” he declared. “There is no approval for transport like yours on the schedule.”
“I’m here on orders from Eleanor,” Grace said, wings retracting. She pulled a roll of paper out of her pocket. “You can read them yourself.”
He took the paper and skimmed it. He glanced quickly at me, the weariness from before changed to outright curiosity. Guess they don’t get too many humans around here. Or half-humans. Without another word he passed back the paper and Grace rolled it back into a tight tube. He waved over several guards and said, “Escort these two to Ravenwood.”
“Escort?” I asked.
“It will make the journey go faster, as they know the roads and we won’t be stopped.” She looked at the sky behind her. “We need to leave quickly. We were being followed on the way here.”
The bearded guard frowned. “By who?”
“Liam Caldwell.”
His eyes widened. With another movement to the guards he said, “Get the horses and start on the road. You need to move swiftly.”
“I’m sorry, did you say horses?” I asked. Everyone moved quickly around me and sure enough, two horses were brought from behind the stone building. “Can’t we just do that flying thing again?”
“Nope, not without attracting the wrong kind of attention.”
“I don’t ride horses.”
“You do here,” Grace said with an amused smile. “Otherworld doesn’t have the same advancements as you do at home. No electricity. No automobiles. You’ll get used to it.”
“I doubt it,” I mumbled under my breath. Moving to the horse, I looked up at the giant gray and black flecked beast and tried to figure out the best way to get on. It didn’t matter; one of the guardsmen assisted me and I mounted the horse easily.
“Thank you,” I said.
“At your service,” he replied, eyes on the ground. I assessed the other guards. Several were openly gawking at me, but shifted their eyes quickly. Only Grace and the head guard would look me in the eye.
“We need to go,” Grace said, snapping her reins. I did the same, pretending to know something about riding a horse. It worked and the instant her horse started off, mine followed. The two guards and their horses traveled in the front and rear.
Once I’d sort of adjusted to my transportation, I called out, “So what’s Ravenwood?”
“That’s Eleanor’s Kingdom.
“Ravenwood? That sounds a bit ominous.”
“If anything it’s probably a little obvious. The whole dark/light thing. There’s no such thing as black and white in my opinion—it’s all varying shades of gray.”
“Light and dark?”
“It will all make sense when you meet the Queen. She’ll answer all your questions.” She flashed me a grin. “Trust me.”
As we rode through the thick forest, lush with vibrant life, I had time to question the blind faith I was putting in Grace. I knew coming here was risky but at the same time, comprehending an entire other world with different landscape, politics and rules wasn’t easy. I didn’t have much choice but to rely on her. A worrisome thought crossed my mind.
“Do you have indoor plumbing?”
“No, but we have servants.”
Any response to that was cut off by the guard at the back of our group rushing forward. “Someone is coming,” he said. “We need to move faster, Ravenwood is just over that hill.”
The sound of racing hoof beats echoed down the trail and the guard raised his hand, smacking the backside of my horse. It leaped forward and my body followed, lurching forward unexpectedly.
“Hurry,” Grace called, her body bouncing up and down on the horse. She had a measure of control, unlike myself. Each movement jarred my body sending shocks of pain down my arms and legs. This would suck later and I wouldn’t have Liam around to heal me.
I had a feeling if he caught up to us, healing me would be the last thing on his mind.
Grace turned around and looked over my shoulder. She threw powder into the air, much of it showering over me and my horse. “What was that?” I yelled.
She placed her finger to her lips to shush me. “A glamour. To cloak us visually. It will only last a couple of minutes and if Liam catches a hint of us,he can break it. I’m just hoping we can make to the Ravenwood gates first.”
Fear flittered through her eyes and I realized how afraid she was. Afraid of Liam. Personally, I knew he’d be pissed at me but would he hurt me? Doubtful. Would he hurt the girl that took me? In a heartbeat. Her fear was contagious but I fought against it, spurring the horse along with my heels.
We reached the top of the hill, and I almost fell off my horse at the sight before me. Ravenwood Castle stood before us, surrounded by a large stone wall. I could spot the peaks of the rooftop hulking behind the gate and a strong shudder rippled through my body. Ravenwood held the promise of power. I could feel it in every inch of my body.
“Nadya!” I heard my name called from behind us. “Do not go behind those walls.”
I looked behind me and saw Liam had caught up, barely three horse lengths behind. His beast, something between a horse and a dragon, burst through the glamour, scattering dust in all directions. He caught my eye.
The guard nearest me rushed at him with extreme speed. Liam reacted to his sword with one of his own, swiping it at the man. The blade cut the guard across the arm and Liam used his foot to kick him from his horse. He flew off, tumbling onto the dusty ground while his horse ran forward. Liam charged in my direction.
Once he was close enough he said, “Don’t do this.”
“I have to!” I cried. “I need to know the truth!”
I heard the metal gate wrench open, anticipating our arrival.
“You do. I owe you the truth. Let me give it to you.” His eyes shifted to the castle. “You will not get the truth there—not the kind you want.”
His voice contained sincerity—something I’d never heard from him before. Liam was always confident. Strong. Right now he looked terrified, from the strain in his face to the rigid tension of his muscles. To the contrary, I felt immense power course through my veins and every step my horse took toward the castle it wove deep, like vines looking to root. It clung to me like a dark cloud. The only thing that cut through it was the surging energy I received from Liam.
“You feel it,” he said, over the stampeding horses. “It’s not the kind of power you want. I may not have told you everything, but I haven’t lied to you. Not yet.”
But I’d made up my mind. I would go to Eleanor and hear her story. I would find out more about this power she had to offer and why her land filled me with a dark craving. I picked up my reins, prepared to lash them once more, but something flashed in my peripheral vision, a blinding light. My horse reared and threw me off. I fell hard on my side and heard the crack of bone. Grace shouted my name, but she was far away. I opened my eyes and saw her on the other side of the wall. She’d made it to the castle.
“Grace!” I shouted, hoping she’d come get me, but from my dazed spot on the ground I saw an enormous guard holding her back. Liam strode to the gate. The guard held his ground, but his fear was palpable. I rose and rushed forward on wobbly legs, just as the gate groaned and crashed with a ringing finality.
I lunged to the gate, feeling the magic coursing through the metal. It shocked like electricity and I jumped back, my hands blistered. Liam used the distraction to grab me grabbed me and flee.
It’s not like I had much choice. Ravenwood had closed its doors on me.
Chapter 28
Liam
To be honest, I’d
have expected more of a fight from Nadya when she was separated from Grace. The determination in her eyes along with the way Ravenwood’s magic identified her made me think this was a battle I would lose. The darkness called her in a way even my bond couldn’t compete with. I had to try, though. I couldn’t let her walk through that gate, so I bluffed.
I had approached the guard like I possessed the power to dominate him. I knew my reputation. It was well earned, but even I couldn’t enter Ravenwood without an invitation.
To my surprise, the gate shut her out. In the magic, even though it spoke to the blood in Nadya’s veins, there was something that pushed her away. What did Ravenwood fear?
Whatever it was it gave me the chance to take her back into my possession. I brought her back to the dwelling. My dwelling.
My Otherworld home.
The structure was tiny—the opposite of my home in Illinois. I rarely came here; it was mostly for sentiment that I even retained it. At the very base level it was a reminder of where I’d come from before I’d followed my father’s footsteps and entered the Guard. The dwelling was little more than one room with a fireplace, bed and a table. But it was close to Ravenwood and well camouflaged. No one would find us here.
Nadya sat across from me in a straight-backed, wooden chair. Her hands were bound behind her back. I couldn’t trust her after the last time we were together. When she’d almost killed me by sucking out every ounce of my essence. In my defense, she had been straddled across my legs and had her shirt off. I can’t say I wouldn’t be susceptible again under the same circumstances.
“Are you ready to do this?” I asked.
“Do what?”
“Be honest with one another.” Her eyes narrowed. She trusted me very little. Who knew what sort of lies Grace had told her. “I should have realized Grace was your friend, or at least that it was someone from Eleanor’s kingdom. She’s bound to do Eleanor’s bidding.”
“Why?”
I shrugged. “It’s how things work here. You’re aligned with one kingdom or the other, unless you’re a Guard.”
“Then who are you aligned with?”
“The land itself. I am loyal to Otherworld, not to either kingdom. Specifically, I protect the portal, which is used by both kingdoms as an entrance to your world.”
“So you’re Switzerland.”
“That’s a fairly accurate description.”
The fire in the fireplace cracked and popped and Nadya shifted her eyes from mine. “What is this place?”
“This is where I was born.”
“Like actually born?” I nodded. “Do you not have hospitals or doctors?”
“We have midwives and those gifted in healing.”
“Our kind of healing?”
“Similar—but it’s their true gift. Not one created by a bond.”
“So this is your home.” She studied the room closely, eyes lingering over the minimal space. Quite the opposite of my other home filled top to bottom with possessions. “Where is your family?”
“They’re gone. I am the only one left.”
“I’m sorry.”
I shook my head. “I’ve been alone for a long time, Nadya. I’m used to isolation other than in my work.”
She’d looked sad when I said I was alone. Even sadder when I mentioned my isolation. Her emotion made me uncomfortable. She straightened up, wincing at the binding on her wrists and said, “Tell me about the kingdoms.”
“Okay,” I replied, trying to figure out the best way to summarize. “Currently there are two, Ravenwood and Solar, but that has not always been the way. Long ago we were united under one kingdom.”
“What happened?”
“The Queen was born of the original Goddess, a perfect division of light and dark. For centuries this type of balanced ruler commanded our land, until she sired a daughter. Once the girl came into her full powers, she would replace the Queen.”
Nadya asked. “So like the yin and yang of royalty?
I had no reply to that so I continued. “In Otherworld magic is the determination of power. The more you have the more respected you are. Those born from the line of the original Goddess have the strongest powers of all the Sidhe, although it can vary. It is usually not much of a challenge. Abilities manifest over time and the Queen prepares to hand over her throne to her daughter. This way of crowning a queen lasted for many generations, but then the unthinkable happened. The Queen birthed triplets.”
“Three at once!”
“Three incredibly strong choices and due to this, Queen Celeste watched them closely to see who carried the right balance of light and dark. One in particular caught her eye. Her magic was strong and pure, whereas the other two battled between light and dark. Each a little too heavy on one side or the other. You see, the strongest Sidhe balance the two. Too much dark leads to deceit and destruction—it’s like a drug addiction that cannot be sated. Too much lightness and the kingdom loses itself. Fun and gaity can be a wonderful thing, until there isn’t enough food for the people. Celeste had no choice but to choose the daughter with the best balance between the two.”
While I spoke Nadya stilled, listening to the story of her Sidhe background. I wondered if she could tell where the story would end—or rather, how it would end.
She asked, “How did Celeste decide?”
“She never got the chance. The night before the girls were supposed to exhibit their talents, she died.”
Nadya rolled her eyes. “Awfully convenient.”
“Wasn’t it? The kingdom awoke to find everyone in utter distress. People demanded that a new queen be crowned immediately, but there was on final problem. The princess expected to win the crown had gone missing—vanished completely from Otherworld.”
“Was she murdered, too?”
“No, not then, at least. The other two princesses were safe and sound. Their mother’s land refused to recognize them and they created their own kingdoms.”
Nayda’s eyes gleamed with interest. “So now we’re down to two heirs and we’ve got two kingdoms. Light and dark, Grace mentioned this. So where do Eleanor and Fiona fall in the legacy of all this?”
“Fiona and Eleanor are two of Celeste’s daughters.”
“Oh wow.” She slumped in her chair. I could see the wheels spinning. “I thought we were talking about ancient history.”
“Well, in human terms we are. Sidhe live much longer than humans; they have both been ruling for several centuries.”
“Neither of them have had daughters to take on the throne.”
“No.”
“So that’s how it is here, you live in Ravenwood or Solar and follow one queen or the other. What happened to Celeste’s kingdom?”
“The Goddess’s kingdom was magnificent. People respected the land and in return, it flourished and gave back to the Sidhe that lived there. Once Celeste died and Fiona and Eleanor left, it turned into a wasteland. It’s now called the Deadlands and every year the desolation and despair of the region inches closer and closer to the other kingdoms. The original kingdom must be reclaimed by the heir of the original Goddess.”
“Good luck with that,” she said.
“It’s not so farfetched. There’s a group—the Rebels—that have been searching for the third princess all these years with a wish to bring back a unified order and peace,” I explain.
Nadya snorted. “What kind of fool would come back to this? Surely she’d be killed on the spot by Eleanor and Fiona—I have a feeling they’re not keen to give up their kingdoms.”
“No, they aren’t. Not at all. It has always been dangerous for the princess to return home and those of us who guard the land have vowed our protection to her. We no longer have much choice. The Deadlands are encroaching on the other kingdoms, and if it continues our entire land, a large portion of Otherworld, will cease to exist.
The inclusion of the Guard and therefore myself brought curiosity to Nadya’s face. “You’ve been protecting the third princess?”
She tilted her head. “How did you fail?”
I moved for the first time from my seat to kneel before her. “Claudia was the third princess. Sister to Eleanor and Fiona.”
“Claudia? My mother? But she protects the portal.”
“She did once she left Otherworld and crossed over. My father swore allegiance to her and offered her safe passage. When he died it became my duty.”
“And when she died?” she asked, warily.
“You became my duty.”
Chapter 29
Nadya
I took a deep breath and fought against the ropes that bound my hands. If Liam hadn’t tied me down, I would have bolted halfway through his story. Long before he got to the part about me being Sidhe royalty.
Wanted royalty. With a price and bounty on my head.
It was pretty clear that I needed to get out of Otherworld and back on my home turf—maybe even a little further than that. If Liam’s fairy tale was true then I’d been a sitting duck at the airport for years. At the very least since my mother had been murdered. “So what you’re telling me,” I said to Liam, who still knelt before me, “Is that my mother was first in line to rule Otherworld and that’s why she was murdered?”
“Yes.”
“These are the same people that have been after me?”
“Yes,” he said. He had the nerve to look worried about me. He needed to worry about himself.
“And at no time did you think you should tell me this?”
“Of course I wanted to tell you. I promised your mother I wouldn’t.”
I laughed. “That’s rich. You’re blaming a dead woman for this?”
“Nadya, it is very dangerous for you to be here. I tried to explain that to you and I’ve done everything I could to keep you safe.” He raised an eyebrow. “Which has been made more difficult and absolutely infuriating by you doing everything you possibly could to disobey me.”
“I don’t take orders from you,” I snapped.
“Obviously.”
We stared at one another for a long, static filled moment. The rope binding my hands dug deep into my wrists. He finally asked, “If I untie you, will you stay put?”