“Welcome home,” she said, dark eyes flicking to me. “I see you have brought a friend. Pretty little thing, isn't she?”
Luthien crouched down beside me, her fingers against my cheeks, trailing along the tear tracks on my skin. I stiffened as she leant closer, her tongue darting out to lick my cheek as her grip on my face tightened.
“I know you,” she said softly, a whisper meant only for me. “I have tasted these tears before. It is your sister that haunts our castle, is it not?”
I nodded.
“Would that make you a little princess then?” Luthien continued, her voice daring me to answer, but I couldn't summon the courage to say anything. “Perhaps we should bow to you?”
I braced myself as I felt her fingers coil in my hair, her fingernails digging against my scalp as she dragged me to my feet. She held me so I stood on tiptoes, forcing me to circle with her as she showed me off to her court. They sneered as we turned, dipping their heads in a shameful parody of a bow.
“Tell me your name,” Luthien demanded, releasing my hair so I crashed to the floor.
“Teya,” I choked out, keeping my face low.
“How long has it been, Teya?”
“Ten years.”
I glanced up as Luthien swept past me in a ripple of silks, her smile as cold as her eyes. “Only ten? How fares your family, little Teya?”
“You left behind nothing but suicide and madness,” I breathed, flinching as she caught my face in her hands, forcing me to look up at her.
“You forgot courage,” Luthien sang, her lips against my cheek. “I do admire courage, Teya.”
“Do you admire it enough to grant me a wish?” I asked, my heart a violent crash against my chest.
She cocked her head, dark hair splaying across her bare shoulders. “A wish?”
“Just one.”
She raised one finger, pushing it against my lips. “Does your heart know what you truly want?”
“I want....”
“Shhhh,” she whispered, so close to me that her words were for me alone. “You came here to ask for your sister back, no? Ask yourself what you really want, little girl.”
“I just want Niven back,” I said, my words faltering and pathetic, and I knew she could taste the lies upon my lips.
“And what will you give me?”
I fought to keep her gaze, my offer falling meaningless from my mouth. “Ten years of my life.”
“To do with as I please?” Her question was a caress, suffocating.
I closed my eyes. “Yes.”
She rose with a boneless grace, leaving me on the ground with the twisted hope that perhaps she was willing to help me after all. That hope dwindled and died the moment she spun around to face Laphaniel, striking him so hard I heard something crack.
“How dare you bring your whore to me!” she cried, and outside the skies darkened and thunder purred in the distance. I felt the surrounding fey cower, each one making themselves smaller to avoid Luthien’s wrath.
“I still belong to this court,” Laphaniel replied calmly, speaking around the blood in his mouth. “It is my right to call upon you for your favour.”
“You left.”
“But I was not banished. You can choose to grant Teya's request or refuse it, but she belongs to me, she is not yours to break, Luthien.”
“You dare come to me, after all these years and beseech my help?” Luthien asked, splaying out her fingers so the candlelight flickered and waned. “For a human girl?”
“Yes.”
“Solitude has changed you,” she said, longing creeping into her voice. I watched as she reached out a hand and softly wiped at the blood dribbling from his lip.
“Time has not changed you,” Laphaniel replied, closing his eyes as she touched him, her hand lingering against his cheek until I had to force myself to look away.
“Tonight, we hold the Full Moon Ball. Join us in our revelry as once you did so long ago. I will consider what you ask after that,” Luthien ordered, allowing her red tipped fingers to drop. “Oonagh! Dress this wretched thing, she is filthy, and she reeks.”
Laughter shattered through the unease of the court, and before I could seek out Laphaniel, a woman dressed in blue silks dragged me from the halls.
Chapter Twenty-five
If you do not wish me to break your arm, then stop struggling,” Oonagh hissed, giving me a sharp tug as I strained my head to search for Laphaniel.
I couldn't see him anywhere, but I remembered his orders for me to stick beside him. I didn't know what I was supposed to do if we were separated.
The faerie marched me from the halls, winding around corridors and up spiralling staircases that gleamed even in the absence of sunlight. Tapestries lined the walls, depicting pictures of enchanting maidens and bloodstained knights. Golden thread glittered throughout as strands of luminous hair, stitched to tumble over naked shoulders. Darker scarlet pooled around the embroidered bodies of fallen warriors, corpses sewn with fine detail amongst the appliquéd flowers and silken vines. Red seemed to be a dominant colour.
Oonagh's hand on my arm was cold, though her grip on me was far gentler than Luthien's had been, as she guided me past the tapestries and portraits. She was the only fey that hadn't bruised me.
Like all the other fey, she was stunning. Her silver hair trailed down over her hips, tied loosely at the nape of her pale neck, and when she turned to me, I noticed her eyes were the colour of crystal; pale and breath-taking.
“You will need to bathe first, I think,” Oonagh said, her nose wrinkling at the smell of me.
She opened a door, gesturing for me to enter. “Don't sit on anything until you are clean.”
I stood in the middle of the room, watching as Oonagh swooped around lighting the candles with a flick of her fingers. Balancing on tiptoes, she turned to me, her elegant fingers coaxing more flames to light in a chandelier that was dripping in black jewels.
We had entered a bedroom that was nothing like Laphaniel's rustic woodland room, and as wonderful as it was, I missed the simplicity. Black wallpaper lined every wall, shining with jewelled butterflies and creeping vines blooming with flowers. Huge serpents were painted against the black, green scales glimmering with real emeralds, their wings stretching out as a canopy for the bed that eclipsed the room.
I walked over to the enormous four-post bed, trailing my hands over the carvings etched into the woodwork. Tiny animals were carved up the posts one on top of the other, tails and claws wrapped around each other, so it looked as if they alone were holding the bed up. It would have been enchanting and whimsical, if not for the looks of horror and agony cut into their faces.
“You are a quiet little thing, aren't you?” Oonagh said behind me, making me jump and I flinched as she smacked my hand away. “I told you not to touch anything.”
“Sorry.”
“Hmmm.” Her eyes narrowed as she stared at me. “Where is your fight, girl? Where is your spirit?”
“Gone with my hope, I think.”
Oonagh smiled, her lips curling back as she grinned, her entire face lighting up. “No, it's here.”
She pressed her hands to my chest, splaying out her fingers as she cocked her head to listen, and I tensed.
“I can hear it screaming within your heartbeats. You are stronger than you would have us believe; he would not have chosen you otherwise.” Her smile faded, and she reached up to cup my cheek, her touch so gentle I wanted to weep.
“I thought I was strong enough to do this, now I'm not so sure.”
“It's a little late to change your mind,” Oonagh said softly.
“So I’ve been told.”
“It is dangerous to meddle in the lives of fey, Teya. Mortals seldom escape unscathed.”
I sighed, absently reaching towards the soft silk of the bed sheets. I caught myself before my dirty hands soiled it. “Are you warning me against Luthien or Laphaniel?”
She smiled, her lips lifted, but her eyes remained sad.
“I fear for the both of you. I fear you and he are going to tear each other apart.”
“Laphaniel wouldn't hurt me,” I said, bristling at her words. Oonagh tilted her head, fixing me with a knowing stare as her fingers came up to brush the hair from my face.
“Never underestimate the fragility of a human heart, Teya.”
“I would never hurt him, either,” I said, pulling away from her touch.
“Oh, but you already have, you just don't realise how much.”
“I don't even know where he is,” I said, as Oonagh turned and gestured for me to follow.
“Yes, you do,” she replied, leading me into a grand bathroom that glittered with the green and blue mosaics on the walls.
I closed my eyes, my heart aching at the thought of Laphaniel with Luthien. “Is he safe with her?”
“No one is safe with Luthien.”
Oonagh turned the taps on and filled the bath with scented water, steam rising from the brass. She filled it to the top, smiling to herself as the water lapped at the sides and poured down over the golden floor. The moment it splashed against the tiles, the mosaics on the walls began to shimmer and move, flowing into mermaids that swam over the walls.
“It's beautiful,” I gasped, watching as they flipped over the ceiling and trailed down over the floor, darting past my feet. I flinched, before realising they were only paintings and were not going to drown me.
“There is more to this world than darkness,” Oonagh said, reaching up to unbutton my shirt.
“Hey! I can do that.”
“If you wish.”
“Could I have some privacy?"
“No,” Oonagh shook her head. “I have orders to have you cleaned. Undress now or I'll tear your clothes off.”
I stared at her, confused by her behaviour towards me, the soft touches, the gentle smiles followed by the subtle threats of violence. She wasn't as cold as the other fey I had met, but there was still a wicked glint to her iridescent eyes that made me heed her warning. Covering myself as best as I could, I took my clothes off, lowering my eyes to the floor as I huddled naked in the middle of the room.
“Stop that!” she snapped, and I jumped. “What have you to be shameful of? Keep that pretty head of yours held high, Teya. You will not survive us with your head cowed.”
“I don't know what I am going to do,” I said desperately as I climbed into the deep bath.
Oonagh passed me a washcloth as she got to work on my hair, lathering it up with a divine scented shampoo. I relaxed under her touch, her fingers kneading against my scalp. “Why would he bring you here?”
“He told me to go home; he tried to make me...” My voice cracked as I scrubbed the filth from my body. “He opened his home to me, but I wouldn't listen.”
“Oh.” The fey took back the cloth, running it over my back, scrubbing away the flakes of dried blood. “You foolish girl.”
“I know.”
“We all have regrets in life, Teya. Don't let it consume you.”
I nodded, feeling as if it already had. Forcing a smile, I accepted the towel Oonagh held out for me and stepped out of the bath, watching with a strange sadness as the mermaids stopped swimming and disappeared back into the mosaics on the walls.
Back in the bedroom, Oonagh turned to pull a dress from a mannequin, holding it up for me to step into. She hesitated, narrowing her pale eyes before placing the gown back and indicating I should stay wrapped in the towel.
“Have you eaten yet?” she asked. “I won’t have crumbs on that silk.”
I shook my head. “Laphaniel told me not to eat anything.”
“Wise words,” Oonagh said, gesturing for me to sit on a plush velvet chair. “But it is foolish to enter a ball on an empty stomach.”
She clapped her hands sharply, and two rake-thin faeries flittered into the room, pale pink hair floating around their heads like candyfloss. They sniffed at me as they passed, magenta eyes blinking as rapidly as their transparent wings behind them.
“Bring a platter of food,” Oonagh demanded, barely glancing up. “Now if you please.”
“Poisoned or not?” one said, her voice high and childlike.
Oonagh sighed. “I would think not.”
“I won’t eat anything they bring up,” I said, as the pink faeries drifted away. Oonagh lifted an eyebrow, not looking up from the glittering hairpins she was sorting through.
“You’ll do as you are told.”
“And if I don’t?”
She turned, a crackle of angry Glamour crackling around the room, though her face remained stoic and calm. “Would you like to find out?”
I shook my head, curling my legs up in the chair, resting my head against the soft velvet. Oonagh said nothing as she fiddled with pearls and bracelets, holding them up to the light before tossing them back into a drawer without care. She held up two huge diamonds, scowling as she noted that my ears weren’t pierced. I sincerely hoped she wasn’t going to offer to pierce them for me.
The buzzing pink faeries returned with a silver platter of food, and a jug of steaming silver liquid that filled the room with the delicate scent of fresh rain. They leant close as they placed it upon a table, pressing their faces into my hair to breathe deeply.
“Get out,” Oonagh snapped, shooing the faeries away with a wave of her hands, pouring two cups of the shining drink into goblets. “Eat and drink, Teya, we have much work to do.”
There was no point in arguing with her, so I took a tentative sip of my drink, gulping it down as the gentle bubbles burst upon my tongue. I picked at the strange cured meats, enjoying the odd sweetness. The grapes were fat and juicy, the cheese crumbly and strong, the bread still warm from the oven.
“Better?” Oonagh asked, plucking a piece of cheese from my plate and popping it into her mouth. “When was the last time you had food like that?”
“When Laphaniel cooked for me,” I answered, longing for that rustic kitchen with the worn table and tatty chair.
“The boy can cook?” Oonagh asked, smiling. “I did wonder. I couldn’t imagine he would let that foul demon prepare his meals.”
“Lily is dead.” I blurted.
“Oh, thank goodness,” she said. “Now, let’s get you dressed.”
The green silk glided over my body as if made for me alone, a shimmering mass of sheer fabric that fell to my feet in waves. The flowing sleeves billowed over my arms, held in place with golden thread tied to my fingers. Oonagh ordered me to grip the bedpost as she fastened the corset, yanking on the stays until my cleavage was on show.
“I can't breathe."
“If you can talk, you can still breathe,” she retorted pulling tighter. “It fits better than Laphaniel's clothing, does it not?”
I nodded, taking small breaths, already missing the feel of his shirt against my skin, the scent of him close to me. The irrevocable love I felt for him was threatening to overwhelm me; it had already changed me absolutely into someone I could scarcely recognise. There was an ever-growing part of me that wanted to be overwhelmed by it, to drown in it.
“It nearly broke you to refuse him, didn't it, Teya?” Oonagh said, her voice soft as she smoothed out the layers of fabric.
“How long have you known Laphaniel?” I asked, avoiding her question, but feeling it pinch at my heart all the same.
“Long enough to call him a friend. I have missed him.”
“Were you two ever...” I couldn't bring myself to finish the question, jumping slightly at Oonagh's quick bark of laughter.
“Lovers? Oh, my goodness no! The thought of it. Believe me, Teya, Laphaniel is not my type at all.”
“Did Luthien love him?”
“She still does,” Oonagh replied, twisting my hair off my face and fastening it with an ornate pin, curling loose tendrils to frame my face. “I am sorry, but Luthien will not allow you to leave here with him.”
“He told me he was going to rule beside her. He was to be your King.”
Oonagh smiled sadl
y. “That was a long time ago.”
“I can't compete with a Queen, Oonagh.”
Oonagh's strange eyes met mine as she fastened a velvet choker around my neck, an emerald dangling to sit against my breast. “Laphaniel walked away from Luthien, do not forget that. He chose to be with you. I fear she will not be able to compete with you.”
“What am I going to do?”
“I have no idea, but right at this moment, you will attend the Full Moon Ball with your head held high and after that, your fate will be decided." She paused. "Was she worth it?”
I knew she meant Niven, and I glared at her, furious that she had the nerve to ask the question I could not bear to ask myself.
“I thought not,” she breathed, her hand closing around mine as she led me from the room, and down the corridors to where the distant thrum of drums began to play.
Chapter Twenty-six
The music drifted around the ballroom like a cloud of hypnotic smoke, causing those who heard it to sway and bend as if pulled by invisible strings. Thousands of candles shone from golden chandeliers, their light streaking through the dripping crystal to paint rainbows on the floor.
Dancers glided over the polished floor, twisting together with elegant steps that no human could ever hope to accomplish. There was barely a breath between them, lips and hands locked together so it looked more like lovemaking.
I backed against a wall, overwhelmed by the wildness of it all. The rich scents of perfumes and sweets, cakes and breads and meats floated across the ballroom, making my head spin. I closed my eyes as my head hummed with the wild beating of the drums and the lulling pipes that were tempting my feet to move. I didn't dare. I knew that if I stepped foot on the dance floor, I would be swept away with the others, and who knew what would become of me after?
I turned to gaze out of the window where the gardens were lit by the moonlight, finding myself watching a couple kiss upon the dew-soaked lawn. The girl tipped her head back, mouth open as her skirt lifted. Hands wandered over her breasts, curling against her golden hair, until finally the man lowered himself over her, a sigh at his lips.
Darling, There Are Wolves in the Woods Page 20