After a time, we approached the edge of a forest. This one wasn’t nearly so dense as the one where we’d met the puca and the dullahan, at least not here on the periphery. The shuck skirted along the eaves, to my relief—even with a giant guard dog along, I didn’t want to try making my way through a forest in the middle of Alfheim. I’d probably accidentally offend a tree guardian and get eaten, or something. Then something caught my attention. Among the grasses, a short way ahead of us, was a cobblestone path, leading into the forest. The shuck’s ears perked, and it approached.
“Does this lead to a worldline, by any chance?” I asked hopefully. That would be lovely. At this point, I didn’t even care where in the mortal world we emerged. The middle of Siberia? Fine. Tibet? Great. I had no idea if worldlines worked like that, or if there was a correlation between Alfheim’s geography and Earth’s, but at that point it really didn’t seem to matter. So long as I was free of all things magical, I’d be fine.
At that moment, the shuck dropped one of its forelegs, sending me tumbling over its shoulder. I landed in a heap atop some ferns. “Hey!” I pushed myself upright and was surprised to feel no accompanying rise of dizziness. The shuck’s magic had done wonders for me, it seemed. I got slowly to my feet, brushing myself off. I took a couple of experimental steps while the shuck watched me with its impassive white eyes. Actually, now that I thought about it, I felt better than I had for days. “Did you… just get tired of carrying me?” I asked. “Which way are we going?”
The shuck didn’t move, but just stood there, watching me. At that moment, however, I heard hoofbeats coming from deeper in the forest. “Holy cow,” I muttered, darting over to the shuck. Its ears pricked. “Can we get out of here? Like, now?” I pushed against its shoulder, but it didn’t budge. In fact, its tail gave a single wag as it stared deeper into the forest. I hesitated. Surely its instincts were better than mine…?
A few moments later three horses came into view, each bearing a rider. A strange wolflike creature that stood erect like a human loped along beside them. I remembered reading an entry in Thomas’ book on that sort of creature (it’s called a wulver), but I wasn’t concerned with it; my attention was almost entirely centered on the riders. Their form was human, though even I couldn’t mistake them for mortals. A woman and two men, they were aglow with a faint, almost indiscernible light. They were inhumanly beautiful, with faces that would make an artist weep. I’d read about them, too, though the book had utterly failed to capture the sense of awe that the sight of them evoked. Aes sidhe, or, more commonly, Sidhe. Lords and ladies of the Irish fae. Very powerful. Very dangerous.
Their leader, who had hair so pale it was nearly white, raised a hand for his companions to stay back, then rode several paces nearer. Silver bells chimed on his horse’s harness. He looked at me appraisingly, and for a moment, I saw myself as he must: a weak and bedraggled mortal, clinging to a large dog like a child to its blanket. Compared to the innate grace and power that even I could sense in him, I felt about as worthy of his attention as a fleck of dust. Thomas had told me that the first rule of dealing with fae was to be polite, but even without that warning, I would have sensed that these beings deserved respect. I sank to one knee, lowering my gaze.
There was a silence. “Greetings,” he said at length, with a voice like tenor bells. “What is your business in obstructing the path of ridiri of Titania’s court?”
I swallowed, trying to get up the nerve to speak. I had no idea what ‘ridiri’ meant, but the fact that they hailed from the Seelie Court was definitely good news—there were Sidhe in both courts, according to the Bestiary, and it was good to know that these weren’t from the one that dismembered mortals for fun. “I seek aid,” I managed. The situation seemed to call for elevated diction. “Please. I need help.”
“Rise,” he said. I obeyed. He dismounted. Behind him, I could see the woman laying an arrow onto a short bow, watching me warily. I remembered Isana’s speed with a knife and forced myself to remain very still—I was certain if I made a single threatening movement, I’d be dead in an instant. I remained frozen as he approached, and the shuck stayed at my side, implacable. The Sidhe lord gently lifted my chin with a cold hand, looking searchingly into my eyes, though I noticed that he had angled himself such that the woman still had a clear shot at me. I resisted the urge to tear my gaze away from his; although his eyes lacked the cruelty present in Dietrich’s, that same inhuman quality was there.
“You are mortal?” he asked. I nodded.
He frowned. “Extend your hand.”
Again, I obeyed. He moved almost faster than sight, drawing a knife and whipping the blade across my palm. I yelped and jerked back, then stumbled; the shuck had vanished. My heart jumped as I realized that I was alone with four potentially lethal fae creatures. The Sidhe lord caught my wrist and brushed a finger against the thin line of blood on my palm. He flicked his hand hurriedly, as if the touch had pained him. I blinked. Iron. It seemed even a trace of it was uncomfortable to the fae.
“I am sorry for that,” he said, releasing my wrist as he sheathed the blade. “But I had to be certain of your nature. There is a residue of magic about you.” That would be from Thomas’ healing charms, I imagined. “What is your business here?” he asked.
I took a breath, trying to ignore the stinging in my palm. The shuck, for some reason, hadn’t been able to get me home, but it had left me in the company of these fae. I had to assume that there was a reason for that decision. “I don’t have any,” I replied. “I was brought here against my will.” His eyebrows flicked upward in surprise, and I wondered how often this happened these days. I felt perilously close to breaking down. “Please—can you help me? I just want to go home.”
He gestured for his companions to approach, then looked at me with consideration as they did so. “I do not know how we could assist you, young one,” he said finally. “We are far from any of the worldlines, and have not the time to accompany you to one.”
Dread settled in my stomach. “Please, I’ll be killed out here without protection! Isn’t there any way?”
“Tisean,” the woman said warningly as he hesitated. She was a good four inches taller than me, with rich brown hair and bright green eyes. She had left her bow and quiver with the horse, but she was still watching me closely. “Many more beyond her will die if we are unsuccessful. We have not the time.”
The leader—Tisean—frowned, then turned to me. “I fear she is correct. Our errand is simply too important to diverge from. I am sorry.”
I felt weak in the knees. “Please,” I whispered.
“Our mission is urgent. I hope you do not come to harm.” He turned away.
Mission… an idea born of desperation struck. “You’re not by any chance going to the Unseelie Court, are you?” Tisean spun to face me.
The second man was on me in an instant, pinning me against the nearest oak. “How come you to know of our quest?” he demanded.
“Just a guess,” I squeaked. “My kidnappers were heading there as well.” Though what they were doing now, I had no idea. Just how critical had my presence been?
He released me. I stumbled before getting my feet under me properly. I took a shuddering breath. I only had one chance here. I forced myself to stand straight. “Did you know that you’re going to be competing against the Alder Prince?”
The Sidhe all stiffened. “What did you say?” demanded Tisean. The wulver’s hackles rose.
“Dietrich, Prince of the Alder Wood,” I repeated. “He was responsible for kidnapping me. And he intends to compete in the Unseelie Court for Aerenia’s hand.”
“The Erlprinz has never left his own land,” the woman said sharply. “You are certain?”
“I saw him kill a buggane just by touching it,” I said, feeling a little sick at the recollection. “It’s him.”
They all stared at me wordlessly for a long moment. I rubbed my shoulder where the second Sidhe lord had slammed me against the tree. “Of course,
I’m sure you’re not worried about him,” I continued, forcing my tone to stay even. “Or his companions. You’re obviously a very capable bunch.” I shrugged. “Still, if it were me, I’d want to know who I was going to be dealing with. Forewarned is forearmed, and all that.”
Tisean frowned at me. “Do not play games, mortal. What is the price of your information?”
I swallowed, remembering Thomas’s warning not to bargain with fae unless it were a life-or-death situation. Well, if this didn’t qualify, I didn’t know what did. “I want to go home,” I repeated.
Tisean put his hands behind his back, watching me. The woman was looking at me with new consideration. “It would only be possible after the competition,” he said finally. “As I said, we have not the time now.”
I could work with that. Better than being left out here, anyway. “All right. I tell you what you want to know about them, and you take me under your protection until you return me to America.”
He shook his head. “We have no way to make the long passage to your land,” he said.
“To the mortal world, then. Ireland.” I could manage the rest. Somehow.
Tisean considered this. “Tisean,” the other lord said, caution in his voice. “A mortal, in the Unseelie Court…”
“I know,” Tisean said, frowning. Then he nodded, as if coming to a decision. “Aerenia may be able to disregard the Pact at will, but she cannot be so indifferent to her own law. The rules of hospitality will keep the girl from harm if we announce her as our guest.” He turned back to me. “I accept, mortal. You will be protected from physical harm until you are returned to your own world.” He glanced at the others, nodding toward the horses. Relief flooded through me. For the first time since this nightmare had started, I had a chance of getting home.
Chapter Eleven
“Come, mortal,” said the lady, extending a hand. I put a foot in the stirrup and took her hand hesitantly, and she pulled me up behind her onto the horse without any apparent strain.
“Samantha,” I said. “Please.” I suspected that being called ‘mortal’ and ‘young one’ would get old quickly. I almost asked for her name, but decided against it. Mitchell had mentioned that names had a deeper significance to the fae than to humans, so I thought that there might be some etiquette on that point that I was as yet unaware of. The last thing I wanted was to offend my new guardians.
Without any obvious signal from the Sidhe, the horses broke into an easy canter, moving quickly but smoothly. I was surprised; in my admittedly limited experience (during which I had stayed on the horse about five minutes before falling off sideways), horseback riding was roughly akin to sitting on a jackhammer. This was much more pleasant. The wulver ran alongside the path, keeping pace with the horses easily.
“What can you tell us of the Alder Prince’s company?” Tisean asked. We were heading back the way I’d come from with the shuck, when it had finally picked a direction. I remembered what Tisean had said about having no way to make the crossing to America. It seemed there was a correlation between Earth and Alfheim’s geography. Was that what had thrown the shuck’s ability to lead me home? “How many are they?”
“Four,” I said. “Two mortals and two fae.”
Tisean sent me an amused look over his shoulder. “We do not fear mortals. Tell us of his fae companion.”
“All right,” I said with a twinge of annoyance. I was getting tired of being constantly reminded that I was the only one walking around Alfheim who had to be afraid of everything. “The name she gave was Isana.” There was no reaction to that, so I continued, “She appears human, but she’s able to enthrall people very easily.” I remembered the fight with the spriggans. “And she’s very quick with a knife.”
Tisean’s hands were gripping his horse’s reins tightly. “This… Isana,” he said slowly. “What more do you know of her?”
“One of the mortals described her as a sort of siren. She’s sworn to assist Dietrich, but she isn’t doing it willingly,” I said. “I don’t know the details, but he has a very tight hold on her. She enthralled him once, and he almost killed her for it. She didn’t act up again after that.” Except to stand up for me briefly. I felt sick, remembering the look of vulnerability and resignation on Isana’s face. What did Dietrich have over her to ensure her obedience? He’d mentioned a daughter, but…
“Hold,” said the woman. “This fae, she enthralled the Alder Prince?”
“Only for a moment. But yes.”
The Sidhe exchanged glances. “Lorelei,” the woman muttered.
“You think it is her?” asked Tisean.
“It must be,” said the woman grimly. “I’d hoped the rumors of her death were true. They must be determined, if they have allowed that snake to return.”
Good grief. Had Isana infuriated everyone in this world? “You know her?” I asked cautiously.
“By reputation only,” said Tisean. He shook his head. “I had thought she’d been executed, that the rumors of her survival in the mortal world were only that.”
“It cannot be the Lorelei. Why would the Erlking have shown her mercy?” asked the other man.
“It was no mercy, to condemn her to the mortal realm,” said the woman grimly. “To feel yourself cut off from the magic that sustains you, to slowly slip into weakness, then death…”
I thought back to Isana’s reaction upon crossing the worldline, her excitement when we’d reached Alfheim. This had been a homecoming of sorts for her, then? I remembered that first conversation I’d overheard between her and Dietrich, when she’d accused him of sentencing her to a slow and lingering death, and a shiver ran over me.
“And yet she now works alongside the one who condemned her.” Tisean was staring straight ahead, jaw tight. “It would seem that the Erlking wants this union between Aerenia and his son very, very badly.”
“Um… what did she do, to earn banishment?” I asked, timid. My track record for getting questions answered over the last few days was not good.
“She murdered half the court of the Erlking,” said the woman flatly. I swallowed. Oh. That would do it. “Or so the rumors say. The Erlking hardly wanted the details to be known.”
“She… she didn’t seem like that sort of person to me,” I said cautiously. Were we talking about the same woman here? The one who had argued against putting me in danger, risking retaliation from Dietrich to do so?
Tisean sighed. “She is a complicated being, and possibly unique in her nature. It’s not even entirely clear if she can truly be called fae. She was born mortal, about two centuries ago.”
What? “How could she be born mortal and now be… what she is?” I asked, confused.
“Such things are rare,” said Tisean. “But if the stories are to be believed, she was born in a small village off the River Rhine. As a young woman, her heart was broken by a faithless lover, and in her grief, she attempted to take her own life by throwing herself into the river.”
“The Rhine runs directly across a rift between the worlds,” added the woman. “The magic seeping through… it’s almost unknown for such a thing to happen, but in the instant that she would have died, it transformed her.”
“And maddened her,” said Tisean. “Newly powerful, but still drowning in her own grief and rage… For many years, she was the scourge of the Rhineland. She lured dozens to their deaths with her voice.” He looked at me sideways. “Quite frankly, mortal, you are fortunate to be alive. Traveling with the Erlprinz and the Lorelei is not a position I would envy. They are both prolific killers.”
I swallowed. I was gaining a new appreciation for Thomas’ warnings. Dietrich was one thing, but Isana… she was unnerving, sure, but I really hadn’t thought she was that bad. “You said she killed members of Dietrich’s court?”
“It is unclear precisely what happened,” said Tisean. “But some time after her transformation, after it became evident how powerful she was growing, she was invited to visit the Erlking in his domain. Within a few days, sh
e had set half the court against the other, playing off their rivalries to enthrall them into turning on one another. Many fae died.”
“Why would she…” I was still trying to reconcile this information with the Isana I had met. “I don’t understand,” I said.
“You are not alone in that,” said the woman. “None outside of the Erlking’s court know the details. All that is known for certain is that she visited, many died, and she disappeared from the fae realm. Until now.”
“They must have offered her clemency in return for her help,” said the other man. “I cannot think why else she would aid the Alder Prince. She clearly has no love for him, or his kin.”
“She would have been very weak, after living in the mortal world for so long,” said Tisean, nodding. “Perhaps even near death. It would stand to reason that she would be desperate enough to bargain with him.”
There was a silence. “These are ill tidings,” said the other man after a moment. “I had not thought to compete against such as the Alder Prince and the Lorelei.”
“Perhaps not so ill,” said the woman, “if a lone mortal could escape them.” She glanced back at me, raising an inquiring eyebrow.
I sighed. “I had help.” I explained about Thomas and, by extension, Mitchell.
Rather than laugh at the prospect of competing against mortals, however, my new companions grew very quiet. I stopped midway through my description. “Let me guess,” I said to their grim expressions. “You know them, too.”
“They have a strong reputation, even here. I have seen Ian Mitchell’s work at very close range.” Huh. I hadn’t realized that Mitchell was his last name, not first. Of course, no one had bothered to ask my last name either (it’s Bauer). If they had, though, they might not have been so certain in their assumption that I couldn’t understand German. Tisean was frowning thoughtfully. “But I cannot imagine why they would willingly work with such as the Alder Prince. For the Septagonal to cooperate with such dark fae…” He shook his head. “There are factors at work here that I do not understand.”
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