by Angel Lawson
“What? What else?”
“There’s a fourth player in this, Nadya. A strong player that could change everything.”
“Who?” I asked but the uneasy feeling that had been nagging at me for weeks rose up. I’d been unsure from the start. Questioned loyalties. Squelched suspicions. Only one person seemed to know everything and everyone. The one person who had more ambition and undeniable power than anyone I’d met so far.
“Tell me Grace, is he working with me or against me.”
Grace finally looked up with her pale blue eyes but she bit her lip, unwilling to say his name. Fear and concern weighed heavy on her face and slumped shoulders. “It isn’t so simple, but remember he doesn’t hold all the cards, Nadya, even if he’s trying to stack the deck.”
I thought about our time in the Valley, when he couldn’t use his magic. The way the bond between us still existed. Surely, he was on my side. He had to be.
Chapter 35
Nadya
I sat in the parlor all night, waiting for Liam to come back to the castle, plotting what I should do next. Grace had offered no suggestion but sat across from me, drifting in and out of sleep. I was afraid to mention it to Mrs. Graves or Colleen, both unconditionally loyal to him.
Daylight broke, creeping through the leaded glass windows. A messenger appeared at dawn predicting Liam’s return at noon. Our guests should be here several hours after that.
Isla appeared with tea and coffee on a large silver tray. She laid it on the table and fixed my coffee the way I liked it. I’d only been here three days and she already knew. With an intense wave of emotion, I was reminded of the airport—how I knew the routines of our customers so well. I wanted to go back there. Away from all this. I didn’t even know how to make that happen.
“Thank you,” I said, taking the cup.
“At your service,” she replied with a small curtsey that made me roll my eyes.
“Isla, can I ask you something?”
“Anything.”
“Where did you go when Celeste died and my mother left Otherworld?”
“I am bound to the castle. So when it went away, I went with it.”
“Where is away, exactly?”
“Hmm…” She tilted her head in thought. Her features were small and I marveled at her tiny hands and feet. “It’s hard to explain. Sort of like a holding place. We were waiting for the land to be reclaimed.”
“So you just sort of were trapped in some sort of purgatory?”
She shrugged. “Maybe. It wasn’t unpleasant, but I do prefer this. I enjoy serving—it’s my duty.”
“You can’t do anything else?”
She frowned. “Why would I want to?”
I sighed and leaned back into the soft couch. Grace roused, rubbing her eyes to fully wake. Isla handed her a cup of tea. Apparently she knew her preferences as well.
“Anything else?” Isla asked. “Ariana will be here in a moment to clean up your nails. Then you can take a bath.”
“Uh, okay.” She lifted the tray and walked toward the door. I grabbed her arm to stop her. “One thing. Uh, what do you think about all this? Between me and the other kingdoms. Is this a bad idea? Am I in over my head?”
“Oh no,” she said. “Don’t underestimate yourself. I had the honor of serving Celeste and your mother, Claudia. They were both incredibly powerful Sidhe. They truly connected to the balance of nature, just like you do.”
“How do you know?”
“I can feel it. I can feel your energy, just like I felt theirs. You are the rightful heir to this land and you came at just the right time. Without you Otherworld would have wasted away.”
“But what about…” I wanted to say the other Queens or Liam but she cut me off.
“If I can be so bold to speak freely,” she said, and I nodded. “Do not be afraid of the others. They should be afraid of you. Make them beg for your mercy. Have them plead for your benevolence. This land is yours to command. All of it. Take what belongs to you—to your mother and her mother. Make them pay for their sins.”
“They killed Celeste,” I said.
“And your mother,” Grace added from across the room.
“What do I do?” I asked, not liking this change in tone. I thought I was here for peace. Not tyranny. “I’ve done things I’m not proud of—fought soldiers in self-defense. I’m not sure I could hurt people that are technically my family.”
“No,” Grace said, warming her hands on the tea cup. “But that’s not the only way to win this battle. I told you last night. Liam is a big part of this. You have to decide how to use him.”
Use him.
That didn’t feel right. One thing was for sure. Before this banquet I needed to speak to Liam alone and finally lay all the cards on the table.
***
I sent Grace back to her room with a stack of dresses and instructions to join me at the banquet. I needed whatever support I could get. Once my nails were dry Isla convinced me to take a bath, my first since leaving the Valley. The idea of baths was foreign to me. We were a shower-taking family back in the human world.
The process of filling the tub took time—I could have taken several showers in the same amount of time—and I thought about how much slower things went here. Traveling on horseback or by a fae beast like Camelot instead of cars. News traveled by messenger, not text or email. Oil lamps and candles provided light. It was quaint, but exhausting. The reliance on others felt awkward. I didn’t like it, but I also didn’t seem to have much choice. All of this intensified my homesickness.
I was in my room, waiting for the tub to fill, when I heard a knock on the door. Isla rushed to open it and I saw Liam on the other side. From his disheveled hair to the dark marks under his eyes, it was clear he was exhausted.
“Hi,” I said, noting Isla exit the room quietly. “How was your trip?”
He unbuttoned his jacket and tossed it on the back of a chair. Next he worked his way out of his boots. “Successful. They should both be here this afternoon willing to listen. Hopefully they’ll also be prepared to cooperate.”
“Did you have any troubles on the way?”
“No, I think everyone has hunkered down. The rebels are either here or on their way, and the soldiers at the other kingdoms are busy figuring out how to handle this.” He wiggled out of the last boot and kicked it aside. “Not that they have much choice.”
Liam crossed the room, bare feet padding across the cool stone floor. The information I learned about him earlier should make me wary, but now that he was back I was just happy to be near him again. Would this connection to him make me a weak leader? He reached for me and pressed his lips to mine. He smelled of sweat and dust, but tasted like the man I loved.
He eyed my robe. “We’re you getting ready to bathe? I’d be willing to join you.”
His fingers tugged at the belt tied to cinch my robe. The urges in my belly overwhelmed me, but I fought back, focusing on my goal. I kissed him again. The light flared between us and I offered enough power to restore his energy, enough to distract him. I pushed a little, trying to get a piece of his mind and concrete evidence of his actions during the time we’d been apart.
In a swirling flash of images I saw Liam on the road, riding Camelot into Ravenwood and Solar. I saw him meet with each Queen. One with coal black hair and the other golden yellow. A snarling black dog and a plate full of cherries. Both women cooed and taunted, leering with red lips and sharp nails. From the speck of memory I saw, he rejected them both. At least that was how it seemed. The images disappeared into a strangely familiar haze of black and silver light.
Liam’s hands gripped me tight and he kissed me hard, harder than ever before. Heat rose in my belly and I kissed him in return, passion fueled with something else. Distrust? Fear? I struggled against him and broke free.
Liam raised an eyebrow and he said, “If you wanted a summary of my visit you could have just asked.”
“Not that I got a clear picture anyhow,�
�� I said, arms crossed in defiance.
“Do you think they’d let you rifle through my memories? They are both too paranoid for that. I’m sure they managed to alter or cloak anything important.”
“Then tell me, Liam. What happened that I can’t see? What do I need to know?”
“Nothing happened. I delivered your message. They accepted. I came back to you.”
I stared at him trying to determine from his face if he thought I was that stupid. He looked sincere enough and the thought made me burst out laughing. “I may be naïve about a lot of this Liam, but you’ve taught me a lot of things. I know you went to Fiona and Eleanor marked. You’re the one blocking me from your memories.” In a quick move, I pulled apart the front of his shirt. I ran three fingers across the dark rune tattooed over his muscular chest. “This one is for cloaking right?”
“Very good.”
“And this one,” I said, touching the symbol of Awen. “What does it mean?”
“It means harmony. Balance between men, women and nature.”
“It’s the symbol of the original Goddess,” I said. “Mrs. Graves told me. Why do you carry that on your flesh?”
Liam tilted his head, trying to read me. It was time for him to play his cards. All of them. In a low voice he said, “I fear you are not ready to know.”
“That isn’t the choice you get to make, Liam. Not now. Not with me.”
Without warning, I swiped my nails across his skin, tearing at the flesh. The skin seared and burned and he jumped back, shouting in pain.
“Nadya!
I held up my freshly manicured nail, sharp and pointed. “Now show me the truth.”
To my surprise, Liam relented, allowing me to kiss him deeply. His mouth parted and our tongues touched and blue light burst between us. While he used the opportunity to heal his wound, I reached into his mind, into his memories and found what I was looking for. The flood of information hit me hard, first Eleanor and then Fiona. Both women used seduction handily. Both seemed to know Liam intimately.
“I can taste my sister on your lips,” Fiona said, nibbling on Liam’s bottom lip. Her blonde hair held dozens of sparkling jewels. “Although I see you rejected her. Why? Are you coming back to me?”
“Hardly.”
“Don’t tell me you’ve convinced this little girl she’s something special.”
Liam froze, his face a mask of passivity.
“You have. And she believes you. I can tell.” She walked around Liam, eyeing him carefully. “Did she give you everything? Did she let you bury herself in her innocent body? Did she give you her strength? Her energy? She has no idea does she, of what you can do? How ultimately you have to choose.”
“Shut up, Fiona.”
“And you…you waited all this time. Was she worth it? Was it worth the years of game play and leading us on?” She tilted her head and ruffled the hair on the back of his head. Liam jerked away. “Was she better than me? Eleanor?”
“I’m only here to deliver a message. Nothing more.”
Fiona pouted and leveled her face to his. His chin jutted forward but she whispered close to his mouth. “Just one more taste, for old time’s sake.” He turned his head but she demanded a kiss anyway. Silver light burst between them, coating the two of them like a shining star.
Liam pulled away, just like he’d done with Eleanor. “Tomorrow afternoon,” he said, walking out of the room, away from her taunting accusations.
The memory ended and I pushed him away. He looked down at the wound on his chest. It hadn’t healed all the way. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“There’s nothing to tell, Nadya. I’ve never been untruthful with you.”
“No? You didn’t think it was relevant that the energy we share, the connection isn’t as unique as I thought?”
“It is unique. What I have with them isn’t the same—not by any measure. You’ve used it on others before. The humans at the bar. On Grace.”
“Bullshit. None of those had power to give in return.” I steadied myself in an attempt to protect my broken heart but it was useless. We were connected. He could feel it as much as I could feel the desperation and fear building in him. “So is that what this is all about? Seeing which Queen can get you the furthest?”
“You really have no clue, do you?”
That statement sent me in a rage and I screamed and picked up a vase, throwing it his direction. Liam dodged it easily and it smashed into pieces, shattering all over the floor. “Of course I don’t, you won’t tell me everything.”
The blood on his wound began to ooze again, soaking through his shirt. It should have healed during our kiss. I glanced down at my fingernails but he’d already closed the distance between us. “I love you, Nadya. I will fight by your side, always. I will love you and heal you and give you everything you desire.” He took a deep, wheezing breath. “Many years passed while we waited for you to ascend to the throne. Waiting to see if you would be the one. I never doubted it. Not once.”
“So you waited for me because you thought I would be the most powerful. Get you the furthest.”
“I have a role in all this just like you do. My fate hasn’t always been clear, and obstacles had to be faced to get us to today.”
“You had to make sure neither of them could give you what you wanted? That I was truly the most powerful?”
“It’s not like that. Otherworld is complex. We do not always have free will like humans do. There are prophecies and legacies…I have my own destiny which has always been tied to another.” He reached for my hands. “You are my true destiny.”
“Is your destiny waiting for the right time to take advantage of our combined powers and become the most powerful Sidhe in the land?” I asked. “Who needs a Queen when there’s an even more formidable King?”
“Not a king, dear Nadya. I am your true half. The God to your Goddess Once we consummate our relationship for real, outside of protective sanctuary, we shall revert to our predetermined fates.”
“A God,” I whispered. “You’ve lost your mind.”
Liam opened his mouth to react but no words came. His hand moved to this chest, to the bloody spot where I’d scratched his rune. He slumped forward, sliding toward the floor and I ran forward and caught him before he hit his head.
“Liam!” I pressed my mouth to his, seeking the connection that ran through us during healing but found nothing. I took a deep breath and screamed, “Help! Someone help us!”
A moment later a guard burst through the door, followed by Colleen and Brayden. They raced over and tore off his shirt, looking at the bloody wound. Colleen asked, “What happened?”
“I don’t know. He’s not healing. I think he’s been poisoned.”
Brayden and Colleen shared a tense look. Isla ran over with a cloth and a small clear glass bottle filled with salve or cream. A guard pulled me away from his body and I watched as they cleaned the wound. It only opened up again, this time bleeding more profusely. It wouldn’t work, I wanted to tell them. I knew it wouldn’t. If I couldn’t heal him no one could.
***
“Maybe we should take him home and have a doctor look at him,” I said, pacing Liam’s suite. Guards, loyal to their commander, surrounded the room, while healers, summoned from around the kingdom, did what they could. I could barely look at him lying unconscious on the bed. What had I done?
“Human doctors do not have the necessary tools to heal this kind of Sidhe inflicted wound,” said Mrs. Graves. Deep lines of worry crossed her forehead. “He’s in capable hands. Do you have any idea how this happened?”
When everyone rushed in and pulled me away, I’d done the unthinkable. I swiped the nail polish from the tray in the bathroom and dropped it in a vase holding flowers near the bathtub. What else could it have been?
Either one of the servants did this to him or Grace—someone that had been in this room during my manicure—but I wanted to find out who first. And why? Did they intend for this to be used on Liam o
r someone else? Maybe they’d wanted to assassinate me.
“No,” I said to Mrs. Graves. “He was bleeding when he got here.”
She pursed her lips into a thin line but also beckoned Isla over. “The banquet will begin soon. Please help Nayda get ready.”
“We’re still having this meeting?”
“Of course.”
“But…” What did I plan to say? That I needed him by my side? I’d already accused him of betrayal. With Liam out of the way, this meeting may be even more successful.
“You’re wasting precious time,” Mrs. Graves declared. “Take her to her room.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Isla said, looking toward the door. I left, followed by two guards and Isla, and walked down the dark hallway to my room where she immediately pointed to the bath. In all the commotion I’d never actually taken it.
The guards stood outside the door while I undressed and slipped into the still warm water. Someone must have heated it. Or maybe someone had the kind of magic to heat the water. There was so much I didn’t know about this world. And now, with Liam injured and possibly dying… I dropped my head to my hands and cried.
“Your Highness?” Isla peered into the room. “Are you injured? Hurt?”
“No,” I said, wiping my nose with a cloth. “Let’s just get ready for this event.”
After bathing, I got ready in silence. Isla assisted, buttoning the long row of buttons up my back, while another girl came into fix my hair. I didn’t care how it looked but was impressed when she revealed intricate braids winding around the sides and back of my head until they fell into a long tail down my neck. Tiny jewels were scattered through the braids that sparkled off the purple highlights when the light hit the correct way. Another girl emerged and completed my makeup, something I’d never done much more than using massive amounts of black eye-liner and mascara to complete the goth look that drove my father mad.
“How do you like it?” the girl asked.
I faced the shimmery mirror and held back a gasp. My eyelids were coated in a glittery light blue that matched my dress and my lips were a pale pink. The entire look was ultra-feminine, the complete opposite of how I normally dressed. “It’s lovely,” I said. “But, um, sort of girlish.”