by J. S. Malcom
“Take one guess who else knows about our new veil witch friend,” I say.
I see in their expressions that they know the answer. Still, no one wants to be the first to say it.
So, I say it for them. “Right, Vintain. Well, at least Vintain when he was Grayson. Who not only knew Silas’s mother, but cast a spell upon her when she could have blown his cover.”
“Shit,” Cade says, his eyes going wide.
“Right, exactly,” I say. “A great big pile of it, and now I’m holding the shovel.”
The expressions on Revlen’s and Esras’s faces have shifted too. They still look confused, but less convinced that I’m crazy. Any way you slice and dice it, there’s just no way to ignore the coincidence.
And then we end up right back where we started. “But it makes no sense,” Revlen says, keeping her gaze squarely on mine. “Vintain is locked up.”
“His trial starts next month,” Esras says. “At which point the people of Faerie will decide his fate.”
“Well, when was the last time you guys talked to him?”
Esras and Revlen both frown.
“He’s under constant guard at Griffin Heights,” Revlen says.
“Griffin Heights? Sounds like a country club.” I picture Vintain sipping tea while reading a newspaper. Wait, this is Faerie. Someone probably recites the news from a scroll.
Revlen narrows her eyes. “In eight-hundred years, no one has ever escaped.”
Okay, I have to admit that’s an impressive track record. But still, we’re talking about Vintain. “We need to go there,” I say.
Esras raises his eyebrows. “Cassie, I assure you—”
I grit my teeth and say it again. “We need to go there. We need to do it now.”
~~~
I’m not sure if it’s because they decided to take me seriously, or if it’s just to humor me, but we ride out right after our meeting. I haven’t been on horseback since the last time I was here, but that part isn’t a problem. I’d like to think it comes back naturally—kind of like riding a bike—but it’s more about the horse than me. For one thing, horses in Faerie are smarter than most people I know. On top of that, I’m riding the same horse. Andor, who, of course, remembers me. Yes, I remember him too, from when he decided to hedge his bets by following centaur orders. Then again, it’s hard to stay mad at him. They were horse-people, after all. Well, that and I kind of forgot that he might need food or water. So, sue me. I’m a city girl.
The ride is longer than I expected, the prison nearly an hour outside of Scintillia, but I might be enjoying it if not for the edginess simmering in my core. That and my ass is killing me. I could swear Andor keeps the ride rough on purpose. Still, every time I call him out on it, he just turns and bats long lashes against big brown eyes. Faker.
As the prison comes into view, I see how Griffin Heights got its name. Looming figures perched at intervals atop the tall stone walls, that at first I take to be gargoyles, are actually living creatures watching our approach. Every so often one of them moves, tilting its eagle head or flexing massive wings attached to a lion’s body. They are, of course, griffins.
“Damn, and I thought the centaurs were creepy,” I say, glancing over at Esras who rides beside me. “Are there any mythological creatures you guys don’t have here?”
“They’re only mythological in your realm,” Revlen says, turning from where she rides in front next to Cade. “But to answer your question, we don’t have octopus or gorillas.”
“But those aren’t—” I stop speaking, her point sinking in. “Wait, you guys don’t have octopus?” Is that supposed to be octopi? I can never remember.
She shudders. “They’re terrifying to even think about.”
Geez, what’s terrifying about a giant creature with tentacles lurking beneath the water? My gaze goes to the griffins again as two of them take to the air. One circles a row of towers, while the other flies in low over the prison yard. “Are they doing what I think they’re doing?”
“Their vigilance is unparalleled,” Esras informs me. “Which is part of why no one has ever escaped.”
I know he’s trying to make me feel better, but it doesn’t quite work. “Are they the only guards?”
All three of my fellow riders turn to look at me, and I get it. I’m sure not much gets past the watchful gaze of flying eagle-cats with wings. At the same time, they’re just animals. Well, Faerie animals, so they’re probably members of Mensa. But still.
Finally, Revlen says, “There are fae guards as well, of course. Vintain has a detail assigned specifically to him, as does—” she catches herself before saying Queen—“Prisoner Abarrane.”
Right, she’s definitely not queen anymore. Would that make her Lady Abarrane? Not that Revlen is likely to use that title either.
Bells ring as we make our approach, our arrival expected because of a lingualawk Esras dispatched earlier. Nonetheless, more griffins lift to the air, circling as two monolithic steel gates swing inward to let us through. I can’t help but nervously glance up, my attention drawn by swishing tails, giant hooked beaks and razor sharp talons.
I ask quietly, “How do they know who we are?”
“They don’t,” Esras says. “They’ll kill anyone they’re ordered to kill.”
Comforting.
“They also eat them after,” he adds.
“Thanks for letting me know.”
As we enter the prison grounds, guards stand lined at attention along the walkway. Each guard is tall and broad-shouldered, wearing the same uniform of leather leggings and tunic. Each wears a baldric across his chest to support the sword at his hip. Many are of darker complexion, their hair brown and black. Others are pale and blonde, their irises hues of purple, sea green and orange.
I keep my voice low so that only Esras can hear. “There are Seelie guards?”
He nods toward the men we pass, speaking softly back to me. “Of course.”
“But they’re Seelie.”
Esras turns so that his eyes gaze mine. “So am I.”
He’s right, of course. Not all Seelies have a pale complexion and those otherworldly eyes. Just enough to consistently give me the creeps. Still, I never should have said it. “That’s not what I mean,” I say, trying to recover. “How do you know they’re not loyalists?”
“The loyalists fled,” Esras says. “You know that, Cassie. Thousands of them. Other than those who were caught, of course.”
My gut twists even more, since Esras’s father, mother and brother were among those apprehended. I can’t help but wonder if they might even be in this same prison. I hope not, or I’d hate myself for making him come here. I can’t imagine the pain he must feel, despite having been at odds with them for decades.
I resist the urge to reach for his hand. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” Esras says, the warmth returning to his voice. “You’re just trying to help your sister. Besides, I should have explained that all of the guards are new. To be on the safe side, those assigned here before were given new posts. There weren’t very many remaining.”
I feel a little better at hearing that, since hopefully the guards assigned here now have all been sufficiently vetted. Presumably, it’s safe to assume that none of the griffins were loyalists.
We soon reach another wall, lower this time, but still at least twenty feet tall. We’re escorted through more steel gates by a guard who’d been waiting to meet us.
“Keveris, how are you?” Revlen says, stopping to extend her hand. Clearly, these two know each other, since Keveris smiles warmly at seeing her. He’s barrel-chested and brawny, with curly dark hair. Almost certainly Unseelie, which Revlen confirms. “Keveris served the rebel cause bravely. He’s in charge of the guards here these days.” She turns her attention back to Keveris. “Thank you for your continued service.”
“Of course, Commander,” he says. “Right this way, please.”
We soon reach another wall with another gate, while ab
ove us two griffins keep circling. We enter another yard, yet again enclosed by a wall. The only thing in front of us this time is a tower rising high into the sky. It has be at least two-hundred feet tall.
Cade sidles up beside me. “They call it the Tower of Solitude.”
“Is that where…?” I can’t quite finish the sentence at the thought of being in Vintain’s presence again. Not just because of the vicious things he’s done, but because of the way he used me. When he posed as Grayson, I came close to falling in love with him. No wonder I’m messed up. At one point I wanted to bonk the same guy who was hoping to kill me. Another one to add to my therapy list.
“That’s where they keep him,” Cade says. “Notice anything unusual?”
At first I don’t, but then I try to think like Cade, a man who served the rebel cause as a professional burglar. I examine the tower again, observing many small barred windows rising to pointed arches in the usual fae architectural style. Then I realize that the only door is at the very top, one small, gray rectangle of stone.
“How do we get in?”
“Or out,” Cade says, arching an eyebrow.
“There must be charms,” I say. “Hidden doors.”
Cade shakes his head.
“Some sort of tunnel?”
He shakes his head again, saying nothing.
“Are you quizzing me?”
“Evidently,” Cade says. “So far you’re failing. Look for the obvious answer.”
At that same moment, a shadow falls over us. I look up to see those griffins still circling.
“No fucking way.”
“You guessed it,” Cade says. “Get ready.”
CHAPTER 22
At that same moment, Keveris blows hard into a whistle, the shrill noise making me jump. I didn’t realize he was standing right next to me, the sneaky bastard. What’s with this week and whistles?
Covering my ears in case he does it again, I stare up to make sure I’m not seeing things. As far as I can tell, the griffins have grabbed hold of something with their clawed front feet and they’re lifting it out from the side of the tower. No, I’m not seeing things. They’re grasping chains attached to a small wooden platform, letting it swing beneath them as they flap their way downward.
Esras tries to reassure me. “It’s not as bad as you think. Basically, it’s what you’d call an elevator in your realm.”
I look up again in the fading light. “On the outside of a building?”
He shrugs. “In this case, yes.”
“Powered by griffins?”
He shrugs. “Don’t worry. It has railings.”
That makes me feel way better. As long as I don’t fall off the puny wooden platform being hoisted into the sky by magical creatures, I should be fine. The griffins are still making their way down and my palms are already slick with sweat. But if I understand things correctly, and I'm pretty sure I do, there's no other way in or out of the tower. Great.
I jump as the platform slams to the ground. The griffins hold onto it by chains from above, their wings still flapping away. It’s either get in or go home. So, like an idiot, I get in along with everyone else. This involves climbing over metal pipes welded together to form the rails. Definitely glad I’m not wearing a skirt. From there, I drop myself onto what’s basically a shallow wooden box. No wonder no one ever escapes from this place. It’s just safer to stay inside.
“I have a question,” I say, looking up to where the griffins hover above us, presumably waiting for a command.
“Of course,” Keveris says.
“Have they ever dropped this thing?”
He looks up too, frowning as he thinks. “Those two? I don't think so.”
“Wait, are you saying—?”
I don't finish my question because Keveris blows his whistle right next to my ear. I stumble back, partly because of the pain, and partly because the platform tilts as we leave the ground. I pitch forward again as the griffins attempt to balance their load. My stomach lurches as they start soaring upward, and I grab hold of the rails with sweaty hands. Wonderful. I can barely keep my grip and I start sliding sideways. Didn’t anyone train the griffins on the concept of level? Or maybe these two haven’t dropped the elevator yet because it’s their first day on the job.
Cade grabs onto my arm to steady me, his eyes bright with excitement. “Isn't this amazing?”
Seriously? We’re not at Six Flags, we’re being yanked through the air on a board. “Yeah, it’s fantastic,” I mutter, doing my best not to hurl on his shoes. “By the way, couldn’t anyone order the griffins to take them up or down? How’s that a secure system?”
The platform tilts again, Cade grabbing onto me as I start sliding away. “There’s only one whistle, and it’s magically calibrated for the head guard. If anyone else blows into it, nothing happens.”
I let that sink in for a moment. “So, if something happens to the head guard or the whistle…”
Cade shrugs. “Yeah, I know. It’s kind of a dicey setup. By the way, forget about riding a griffin in any other way. Try to touch one of those bastards and they’ll bite your arm off.”
Well, that sure helps, not that I was thinking of riding a griffin. I close my eyes and hang onto Cade, contemplating just how many prison guards must have died over the years trapped in that tower. Cade had to be making up that part about the magical whistle.
A jolting thump forces me to open my eyes again as the griffins bounce us against stone. Wondering if we’re at the top, I make the mistake of looking down. Yeah, that’s definitely where we are. From up here, I see the tiny antlike forms of the prison guards patrolling the yards below. My stomach lurches again and I’m all but overwhelmed by a spell of dizziness. This time it’s Esras who grabs hold of me, his strong hands embracing my midsection.
“Are you okay?”
I look into his eyes as the dizziness subsides. Then I start to feel something else. Oh no, this can’t really be happening. Not up here, and not right now. But I can’t deny it as a wave of pleasure runs through me. A warm vibration ripples up my ribcage and across my chest, as well as down to, well…
I step out of his embrace, feeling the heat rise to my face. “I’m fine now, thanks.”
Esras’s eyes linger on mine, but his expression remains only one of concern. Does he really not know? He has to, right?
“Okay, here we are.”
I snap out of it at the sound of Keveris’s voice, and then I turn to see that the door I spotted from below has swung open. Another guard stands inside waiting for us to enter. I guess when the griffins bashed us into the side of the tower, that was their way of knocking. Then I notice that Keveris has opened a gate to let us get off. There was a gate? Why the hell did we climb over the rails?
Keveris gestures toward the tower door. “Watch your step, now.”
Talk about an understatement. He says it casually, like we’re about to climb onto an escalator. Meanwhile, the platform still wobbles as the griffins flap their wings above us. There’s also at least a two-foot gap between the platform and the door. Slipping through means plunging to your death. And my imagination, always my best friend, ponders whether griffins eat all dead people or just those they kill. I really can’t wait to do this again. If it wasn’t for the Esras-induced wave of horniness relieving me of my vertigo, there’s no doubt I’d completely freak out. As it is, I’m still pretty shaky.
“Watch me,” Revlen says. “I’ll go first.”
Of course she’ll go first. She’s as gutsy as they come. She steps off the vibrating platform and into the tower like it’s nothing. Which, to her, I guess it is. She’s been staring death in the face since she was ten.
“Okay, who’s next?” Keveris says.
Do I catch a note of impatience in his voice? I could swear I do, but Cade nimbly hops over the gap. Showoff. But he’s had years of scaling the sides of buildings as part of his burglar routine to prepare for this moment.
Wait, can I levitate? Actually,
no. Not because I don’t have magic—I’m sure I do—but because there’s no way I’m taking that risk. That would just be idiotic.
“Here, let me help you,” Esras says, holding his hand out.
Normally, I wouldn’t think of relying on a man for courage—and I don’t this time either—but I figure a euphoric boost can’t hurt.
I step in front of him, and then look back over my shoulder. “Sure, if you could just…”
Esras grips me on both sides of my midriff. “I’ve got you,” he says.
Oh, yes he does. Damn. In fact, I hate to leave, but I take advantage of his fear-numbing touch to leap through the door like a mountain goat.
Cade’s eyes go wide from where he waits beside Revlen inside. “Nice,” he says. “I thought you were scared.”
I shake my head. “Scared? Nah. Just distracted.”
“Right behind you,” Esras says, touching me on the shoulder. I briefly think about arching back into him, but I might knock him out of the tower.
Then the door slams closed behind us, plunging us into darkness. That must be one thick door, because I just barely hear Keveris blow his whistle on the other side, commanding the griffins to take him down. So, at least that part goes well.
As my eyes adjust, I see that we stand within a torchlit chamber. It has two doors, each on opposite walls. Beside one of them, a guard stands waiting. He’s thin and fair, with dark violet eyes. Presumably, Seelie. He regards us with a serious expression, nodding first to Esras and then Revlen in recognition of their status.
“I’m Loctulan,” he says. “I’ve been asked to escort you to the prisoner’s cell. Please follow me.”
With that, he turns and starts walking, guiding us down a narrow hall. The walls hold torches lighting our way, their flames reminding me that the Seelie used to light their rooms with magic. Which brings to mind something I’ve been meaning to dig into a little deeper.
I turn to Revlen, who walks beside me. “You said Vintain remains without access to magic. How can you be sure?”