“I am more surprised that he would agree to work with them,” said the woman. “His disdain for mortals is well known.”
“He has the sense to know when to seize an advantage,” said Tisean. He glanced back at the lady. “Saorla, it seems that your skills may be of less use than we had hoped.”
“Only against the boy,” she—Saorla—said.
“Hang on,” I said. “He’s just an apprentice.”
“Aside from showing great potential, he has an immunity to the fae powers,” said Saorla flatly. “Most magical attacks have no impact on him whatsoever.”
That didn’t sound right. “Isana enthralled him once,” I said. But there had also been that moment when he’d stated that Dietrich couldn’t harm him…
“We do not know the exact reasons or limitations of his immunity,” said Tisean. “To my knowledge, no one does except for the boy himself, and possibly his master.”
“It does not matter,” said the other man. “A knife will end him as easily as any other mortal.”
I squeaked. Tisean glanced back at me. “I would prefer not to harm the sorcerers, if it can be avoided,” he said. “They have long been allies of our Court, and in fact I have worked alongside Mitchell to quell rebellious wild fae.” He turned his gaze to Saorla. “In any case, Saorla, your priority will be the Rhineland siren. Her abilities are less effective on women, but you will still need to strike quickly if you get an opportunity.”
“You’re planning to murder your competition?” I exclaimed, appalled. Tisean sent me a curious look.
“You did not know? Such is the nature of Aerenia’s contests.”
I stared at him. “What—kill off the other competitors?”
He nodded unconcernedly. “Often, yes. It would be dishonorable to attack them beforehand, of course, though there is no law against such action,” he added. I restrained a moan. Why hadn’t it occurred to me that I might be endangering Thomas with this information? And did everyone I’d met so far have a death wish? And then there was me, riding along to the site of the incipient bloodbath. I rubbed my forehead. At least this time I had some assurance that my companions weren’t planning anything nasty for me. I could only hope that Thomas had that much going for him as well. “We generally do not kill unless sorely provoked,” Tisean continued. “And it seems possible that your ally may not be willing to fight alongside the Alder Prince as things stands now. We shall see.”
A few moments later, the horses broke into a faster pace at a signal that I missed, and we turned away from the route that I’d taken to meet them, heading across rolling hills. I concentrated on not falling off the horse while the Sidhe (and on a few occasions, the wulver) conversed sporadically in what I assumed was Gaelic. I wasn’t overly concerned about what they were saying—Tisean couldn’t break his promise to me, so I was, for the moment, safe. Aside from that, I heard the word Erlprinz come up several times, so it was a good bet that they were debating strategies for the competition.
We wound through valleys between steep hills, moving through rocky terrain. We eventually encountered an area sparsely populated with trees, though there wasn’t nearly enough vegetation to call it a forest. As we pressed on, the trees became more bare, and after a time, they also grew gnarled and sickly. Tisean’s company fell silent, the only sound the horses’ hooves on rock and the dry branches creaking and rubbing against one another in the faint wind.
“Did the blight extend so far beyond her borders when last you were here?” Saorla asked quietly, after nearly an hour of eerie silence.
Tisean shook his head. “She is growing in power.” His voice was grim. He looked back at his companions, reigning in his horse. “Dismount,” he said. We all obeyed, excluding the wulver, which was already down. “There is no magical transportation beyond this point.”
Magical…? I turned to look at the horses. Before my eyes, they began to dissolve as if made of sand, little grains falling away in the breeze. In a few seconds all that remained was three piles of silvery dust, which gradually dispersed. I deliberately closed my mouth, which was hanging open a bit; magic was one thing, but magic that I hadn’t even recognized as such was quite another.
“Mortal, if you are ready, Saorla will escort you through.” I turned back to the front. Tisean strode further along the path, then vanished. I jumped, then felt oddly embarrassed, as if I should be used to this kind of thing by now. Saorla laid a hand between my shoulder blades, gently propelling me past the point where he’d disappeared.
For an instant I thought I’d gone blind, or insane, maybe. Wind screamed in my ears, and I hunched as icy cold bit into me. As far as I could see was the same swirling white blankness, and something wet and cold sprayed against my skin. We’d appeared in the middle of a blizzard. I turned back the way we’d come, but there was only more of the same icy tundra, as far as I could see. Worlds within worlds.
“Straight ahead!” Saorla shouted over the wind, turning me to the front again as the rest of the party appeared, almost invisible in the driving snow. Fighting against the wind, we walked to join Tisean a few paces ahead. Two steps in, I could feel snow seeping into my shoes, melting into frigid water as it hit my feet.
“The Court is very close,” said Tisean loudly, once we’d all caught up. The wulver flattened its ears against the wind, looking miserable. “We will arrive in several minutes. Come, quickly.” With that, he turned and began forging ahead. He seemed to be fighting the wind, but I noticed that of the company, only the wulver and myself were leaving footprints in the snow. My teeth started chattering, and I folded my arms tightly, keeping close to Saorla. She turned to face me, suddenly placing a hand on my forehead. Warmth rushed over me, so quickly that I gasped in relief.
“Thanks,” I managed, once I stopped shivering. I wasn’t sure she could hear me over the wind, but she nodded. Within a few minutes, I saw a dark shape looming ahead through the snow. Squinting ahead, I decided that it had to be some sort of hill, or perhaps an enormous cairn.
“That is it,” Saorla confirmed. We continued to battle against the wind until at last we approached the front of the Unseelie keep. I wondered, for a moment, at the apparent lack of defenses, then decided that they probably didn’t need them, given the nasty reputation of the creatures native to the Court. Tisean approached the structure, running his hand over deep carvings in the stone. He stopped at one, pressing his hand against it, his head bowed in concentration. There was a pause, and then deep cracks appeared at his touch, and abruptly an arched hole appeared as the rocks shattered to the ground. Saorla hurried me forward, and we all made it through just as the stone began to reform. The sudden silence as the stone closed against the wind pressed against my ears. The wulver shook the snow out of its fur.
I looked around at the stone chamber we’d entered. It looked like an anteroom, with a high ceiling and intricately carved walls, lit by blazing torches. I didn’t have much interest in my surroundings, however, as my attention was rather taken up by the fact that Dietrich, Isana, Thomas and Mitchell were on the opposite side of the room.
I yelped and dodged behind Saorla. The wulver’s hackles rose as my former captors spun to face Tisean’s party. Abruptly, everyone in the room had a hand on a weapon.
“Oi! You can’t kill each other yet!” barked a gravelly voice. I jumped and looked around quickly, seeing nothing. Everyone else seemed to be looking at a point on the right side of the chamber, so I followed the collective gaze. Something moved, and I realized I was looking at a deformed little creature, about three feet high and as gray as the rest of the room. It moved towards us with a peculiar rocking gait.
“There’s no fighting in the Keep until the competition proper,” the little troll growled. “Now. What’s the problem?”
There was a long silence as the two groups eyed each other. “Forgive our indiscretion,” said Mitchell, after a look from Dietrich; presumably the son of the Erlking couldn’t be caught speaking to a lowly gatekeeper, I thought s
cathingly, since that seemed to be the creature’s role. “But it seems that the ridiri have acquired something that belongs to us.” I looked at Thomas. He had a curiously blank gaze. Enthralled. My heart sank. What had happened, since I left?
“The girl is under my protection,” said Tisean calmly. He turned his attention to Dietrich. “I am surprised to see you here, Alder Prince. It has been long since any of the Rhineland fae have been involved in matters of any significance.”
Isana tensed. “And longer,” Dietrich replied, “Since any of the Seelie have garnered the courage to meet a challenge within the confines of Aerenia’s court.” He motioned toward me. “Return the mortal, if you will.”
“I don’t believe she wishes to rejoin you.” Well, there was the understatement of the week. “As I said, she is under my protection.”
“You have no claim on her,” Dietrich said contemptuously.
“I think you will find otherwise.”
They eyed each other. “Perhaps we should discuss this in more privacy,” said Dietrich after a moment. Tisean nodded, walking to the center of the room. I made to follow, but Saorla held me back. “The dealings of fae lords are not for your ears,” she murmured. I took a breath, swallowing any number of retorts. I had to trust Tisean’s promise here.
Dietrich joined Tisean midway between our parties, and they began conversing quietly. After an agonizing period, Tisean looked back and beckoned me over with an inscrutable expression. I forced myself to obey, though I kept well out of Dietrich’s reach.
“I am sorry,” Tisean said. My heart stopped. That was not how I wanted him to start this conversation. “By fae law, it seems his party does hold the greater claim on you.”
I stared at him. “You—”
“Come,” said Dietrich.
“You lied,” I managed, still staring at Tisean.
“I did not, nor can I,” said Tisean quietly. “You are still under my protection, as agreed. I have the oath of the Alder Prince that none of his company shall harm you.”
“I’m not going back to them!” I almost shouted.
“You have no choice,” said Dietrich, glancing back toward Isana. I followed his gaze, then sent a frantic look back at Tisean.
“Stop this,” I pled. He shook his head.
“For her to temporarily enthrall you does not constitute harm. I suggest you make this easier on yourself.” With that, he turned away to return to his party.
I swallowed and looked back at Dietrich. He met my gaze coldly, then turned. I forced myself to follow him, and I rejoined my old company, feeling numb.
Chapter Twelve
“Right, that’s settled,” said the little troll. He looked me up and down. “Lot of fuss over a mortal. So it’s what you lost?” he asked Mitchell. He nodded. I sent him an unpleasant look, which he either missed or ignored. Thanks, Mitch. I’d been demoted to an ‘it’. The troll squinted up at me. “I’ve seen better,” he muttered. I fixed him with a glare that should have peeled his pebbled skin right off, but he just shrugged and said, “Right, then. You Sidhe will have to wait a few moments after the Rhinelanders have gone in.” He turned back to us. “Who do I announce, eh?”
Isana brushed my wrist as Mitchell gave their names. “Samantha,” she said softly. “I am glad to see you unharmed.”
I jerked my hand away. “Not so much that you plan to keep me that way, though. Am I right?” I snapped.
She winced. “Harming you is not our purpose in bringing you here.”
I snorted. Nice hedging, Isana. Telling someone you didn’t mean for them to be harmed was a lot different from telling them that they wouldn’t be. “Then why won’t you just tell me why I’m here?”
“Enough,” said Dietrich. I fell silent, simultaneously afraid and fuming. I forced myself to take a slow breath. I shouldn’t alienate Isana. She was the closest thing to an ally I had, with Thomas enthralled. Besides, I realized with a twinge of guilt, even if I didn’t know the specifics, I did know that she wasn’t acting of her own will. I looked over at Thomas, who was staring blankly ahead. My stomach clenched, and I turned to Mitchell. I didn’t dare speak, not with Dietrich already a half step from ordering Isana to enthrall me, but it didn’t stop me from fixing Mitchell with an accusatory stare. He met my eyes for a bare second, then looked determinedly away.
“All right, then.” Stubby walked to the far end of the chamber, then vanished. I thought I heard his voice saying something, as if from a great distance away, and then he reappeared—or rather, part of him did. His top half was leaning through the wall, leaving his body cut off sharply in the middle.
“All right, then,” he said again, taking a step toward us. As he did, the rest of him materialized, moving easily through the stone wall. Catching sight of my disbelieving stare, he asked, “You never seen a glamour before, girl?” and turned back to Dietrich. “Go on ahead. They’re ready for you.”
This turn of phrase struck me as ambiguous, with plenty of room for unpleasant interpretations, but Dietrich merely nodded and approached the back wall. Isana nudged me, and I started forward as well, dragging my feet. I glanced back at Mitchell, who was guiding Thomas, then turned to the front just as Dietrich vanished, apparently walking straight through the stone wall. I faltered.
“Go on,” said Isana softly. “It is a glamour, as the guardian said.”
That would be some sort of illusion, I took it. I swallowed and, resisting the urge to put my hands up in front of me, I stepped into the wall.
There was a sudden constricting sensation, but it vanished almost immediately just as dazzling light hit my eyes. I blinked, trying to get my brain to accept what my eyes were relaying of my first glimpse of the Unseelie Court. I think, after hearing about all the dark types of fae that were its subjects, I was subconsciously envisioning darkened twisting passageways full of loathsome creatures, maybe with furniture carved of human bones for good measure.
The truth was much different. The Unseelie Court was—well, beautiful. A bright light shone from the ceiling, thousands of colors reflecting from an ice-formed chandelier. Snow fell in languid gusts from the ceiling, though it vanished several inches before hitting the floor. From our position at the top of a sweeping white marble staircase, I could see hundreds of fae, dancing with unbelievable grace to unearthly, evocative music. The room was huge, far larger than the outside size of the cairn would lead one to believe was possible. The walls were pure white marble, gilded with silver and inlaid with sapphires.
Dietrich glanced back at us.
“If you are all ready…” he said, his gaze lingering on Isana. She dipped her head, almost low enough to be considered a bow. With him leading, we descended the staircase. I ran my hand along the banister; it was carved stone, with long icicles clinging to the underside. As we came lower, my breath began to cloud in front of me, though I didn’t feel the cold; whatever Saorla had done to me to protect me from it was still in effect, it seemed.
As we walked through the gathered fae, a bubble of space formed around us. Several of the Unseelie sent me, Mitchell, and Thomas peculiar looks, though it seemed no one wanted to get within arm’s reach of Dietrich. For once, I was glad of his proximity, but my anxiety didn’t stop me from looking around. There were fae of every possible description: the incredibly beautiful Sidhe lords and ladies, hulking trolls that meandered through the crowd, small sprite-like creatures, hobgoblins scampering underfoot in every direction. Creatures of striking beauty, creatures of repulsive ugliness. Fae I recognized from stories and Mitchell’s tutoring, fae that had no names in our world. The least human of them stalked around the periphery of the Court, wearing a variety of terrifying forms. Isana kept a hand on the crook of my arm. I didn’t object; I had no desire to be seen as fair game to any of the Unseelie.
Dietrich turned to face us. “Watch the mortal,” he instructed Isana as a three-headed bird swooped through the air above us, trailing sparks from its wings. “I am going to attempt to learn who else is com
peting.” With that, he turned and disappeared into the throng.
“Samantha,” said Mitchell, scanning the crowd around us with a sharp, wary gaze. “Did you learn anything of value in your time with the ridiri?”
Oh, look who wants questions answered now, I thought. I sent him a scathing look. “I wouldn’t tell you anything even if I knew,” I said flatly. “Which I don’t, by the way. I was only with them for a few hours before they handed me back to you guys.”
“The ridiri will not be a problem,” said Isana, voice carrying a hint of disdain. “The Seelie are hardly renowned as fighters.”
“You haven’t seen Sir Tisean in action,” said Mitchell, frowning. He kept a hand on Thomas’ shoulder. “I cannot understand why they are here. I was given to understand that Titania would not be sending a delegation.”
“It was foolish of her to do so,” said Isana. “A knight of the Seelie Court… Aerenia will never allow such a union. The Courts have been divided since the earth was formed.”
I mulled this over for a moment. That didn’t sound good for me. “So she won’t let him compete?” I asked.
Isana gave a dark smile. “Oh, she will not deny him the right to do so.” She looked off toward the staircase, in the direction where we’d last seen Tisean. “But she can make the contest… interesting for him.”
Brilliant, I thought glumly. Treachery from the get-go. I caught a glimpse of the aforementioned knight and his entourage through the crowd, far across the room. The group that my captors would likely be trying to kill in a few hours. The thought of him dying made me cringe internally, but for purely selfish reasons; although I was certainly angry with him for handing me back to Dietrich, he couldn’t very well fulfill his promise to get me back to the mortal world if he was dead. I thought about Dietrich’s easy dispatch of the buggane. I did not like Tisean’s odds, and by extension, my own. But it wasn’t as if there was anything I could do to help the situation. I edged a bit closer to Isana, watching a skeletal fear gorta move past, dancing easily with a banshee, whose hair was so long it trailed on the ground behind her. Amazing what you can get used to; a few days ago the sight probably would have had me fainting. Dietrich would be so proud of my progress.
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