Lockwood nodded. “He was the son of one of the highest ranking Seelie in the court … and he was murdered. What is it they say on Earth? ‘You do the math.’”
“Murdered?” I asked. “By who?”
Lockwood crossed his arms over his chest and stared at his feet again.
“Oh.” I understood what his silence meant. “An Unseelie, wasn’t it?”
Lockwood nodded.
“Well, no wonder the Seelie are angry,” I said. The aroma of rosemary was suddenly strong around me as a nurse walked by with a bowl of liquid. “I’d be mad if someone I’d been fighting for territory with just showed up and killed my son. Unless they caught him … did they know who did it?”
Lockwood closed his eyes. “Cassandra, you don’t understand the circumstances. These things are never cut and dried … especially with faeries.”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
“That man that you saw. Master Calvor. Tell me. What was your impression of him?”
I blinked. “Um … I don’t know. I felt like they need to mop up some puddles over there where everyone was drooling over him. Powerful, obviously. He seems like he wants justice for his son.”
“Anything else?” Lockwood asked.
I furrowed my brow.
“Come now, Cassandra. You’re a bright girl. Really look at him. What sort of man is he?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t know. He was vague? He didn’t really say anything straight—”
“Exactly,” Lockwood said. “Exactly! A classic sign of a politician, yes? But as a faerie, who cannot lie … he’s mastered the art of the half truth, the omission of the important facts. He’s dangerous, Cassandra. And his son … deserved to die.” His green eyes were bright, so alive—such a contrast to the dark thing he’d just said.
I stared up at Lockwood with a fresh fear. “You … you don’t actually mean that …”
“I do,” Lockwood said. “I do mean it. Calvor is a wicked man, and his son was the same. He …” He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly, to steady himself. “The things those two had done, Cassandra … they were despicable.”
He turned and looked at me right in the eye. “I will tell you a difficult truth, one you may not know as yet, but …” He looked around, slowly, carefully. “The people here … the Seelie … the faeries of Summer … in spite of how you may perceive them, of their beauty and seemingly fair appearance … they are like any other group. Not all of them—not nearly all—are good. And some …” His eyes were dark, muted, and a flash of anger ran across his face. “… some are simply … evil.”
Chapter 17
So. Not all Seelie were the good guys, hmm?
I wished it could have been a simple black-and-white, good-guys-versus-bad-guys situation. But no. It had to be shades of grey and ambiguity. Yuck.
At least with vampires you knew where you stood. Unless they didn’t try to bite your face off, they were evil.
“My deepest apologies,” said Lady Albus, appearing next to us from behind the pillar. Orianna trailed after, her wide eyes staring at me curiously. “I did not realize just how strained you all were. It was unfair of me to ask you to help the patients when you, yourselves need rest.”
“Lady Albus, it is quite all right,” Lockwood said, though if any of us were showing the strain, it was him. “We appreciate your kindness. I would be happy to sit with some of the patients. But perhaps my companions might find a quiet place to rest?”
Orianna and I glanced at each other.
“Of course,” Lady Albus said, inclining her head. “There is a small garden out back that we had erected for patients to relax. Please feel free to soak your wings in the spring. The water will help soothe your weariness.” She inclined her head toward me.
“Thank you very much,” I said, also nodding my head. “My wings are very, uh … weary. Why, I practically can’t even feel them, they’re so weary.” The best lies stay close to the truth, but I probably wove a little too close on that one.
Orianna was beside me in an instant, her arm laced through my own, leading me toward the back of the tent. I glanced over my shoulder at Lockwood, who was watching us leave with a look of apprehension.
I waved at him, smiling. He didn’t need to worry.
At least, I hoped he didn’t.
The garden was a wonder to behold. Like a Japanese spa, steam rose from the crystal clear pond in the middle of the ground, irregularly shaped. A strong smell of sulfur was in the air, clearing my sinuses and working its way into the back of my throat. “This is like one of those hot springs on Earth,” I muttered.
Orianna gave me a funny look. “How would you know?”
“I dunno,” I said. “Just … heard about them, I guess.”
Her gaze sharpened. “Hm… but we should go in. Like Lady Albus said it should help your wing.”
There were quite a few faeries in the garden with us. Some were seated on intricately carved wooden benches, inset with glowing crystals. Others were in the pond, enjoying the steam. I watched as one faerie, clothed in her white hospital tunic, rose from the water, not a drop of water on her.
“She’s totally dry,” I marveled.
“It wouldn’t do them much good to be all nice and warm and then freeze as soon as they get out, would it?” Orianna stared at me as though I were a fool. “Besides, who really wants to stay wet?”
I thought of my pool back home, and how on the few occasions I’d used it, I’d stepped out of the seventy degree water and felt my teeth chatter. Maybe magic wasn’t so bad after all.
Orianna wasted no time scampering over to the edge of the pond and walking right down the narrow steps inside, the steam obscuring her features.
I hesitated, then decided to dangle my feet in … just to feel it. It didn’t seem to affect Orianna’s glamour, so I assumed I was safe. I lowered myself down onto the edge of the pool, not far from another faerie with pale, rose-colored wings and long, braided hair.
The water was not quite blistering, but it was definitely hot enough to make me wince. That didn’t last long, though. The heat seeped into my aching calf muscles, relaxing them to the point that they felt like someone had kneaded the aches and knots out of them. I sighed with contentment, swirling my feet around. Under the glamour, I was still wearing my sneakers, but somehow I didn’t even need to take them off to enjoy it.
“Feels wonderful, doesn’t it?” the pale-rose winged faerie to my right said.
“It does,” I said, a hum of happiness in my throat. “I can’t remember the last time I was this relaxed.”
The faerie had piercing blue eyes, the same color as a forget-me-not flower. But they were gentle, and wide. She was holding a small baby in her arms, its little wings wrapped around itself like a blanket.
“Oh, your little one …” I murmured, leaning a little closer. “So adorable!”
The faerie smiled. “Yes. He’s only six weeks old. Can’t even fly yet.”
“Neither can she.” Orianna had appeared, resting her arms on the side of the pool and staring up at the pink faerie and me. She gave me a mischievous look.
“Did you damage your wing?” the pink faerie asked.
I looked away. “I did, yeah.”
“Well, you’ve come to the right place,” the faerie said, adjusting the little one in her arms. He yawned and rolled more closely to her body. “This place has been our salvation. Ever since the Unseelie came to our village, we’ve had no place to go. My husband, he—”
The faerie’s eyes filled with large, sparkling tears, and she wiped them away hastily.
“My husband was trying to get them to leave, before the tension grew anymore. There had never been any hostility before then, never. But the Winter fae were livid, saying something about how they wanted the head of one of the court members who kept a home in the town.”
She shook her head. “But they were entirely mistaken. Court members hardly ever keep homes outside of the Golden City. I t
hink it was just an excuse to burn our village to the ground.”
My heart clenched within me, and I wanted to reach out and touch her arm, show her that she wasn’t alone. But my fear of the flickering glamour or whatever it was prevented me.
“We were nearly defenseless,” the pink faerie went on, bouncing the little faerie, who was growing fussy. “It wasn’t as if we had a great garrison of soldiers to protect us. My husband was one of three soldiers in the whole village.” The tears returned. “We lived in peace there for centuries. Why this war all of the sudden? Why must we suffer because of some ridiculous political scandal?”
Orianna had ducked her head into the water, and was blowing bubbles just below the surface like a child. It would have been funny if I hadn’t realized she was doing it because she was incredibly uncomfortable. Her eyes weren’t going anywhere near the pink faerie.
I could relate, though.
“I’m sorry,” the faerie said, smiling through her tears. “I know we all have our own burdens to bear. It isn’t kind of me to lay this upon you when you likely have tales of your own.”
“It’s fine,” I said. “Really. I hadn’t realized that things were this bad.”
“I was chased out of my town, too,” Orianna said unexpectedly, emerging from the water. “Said they were turning it into an outpost of some sort, headquarters, I don’t know. They killed everyone but me …” her eyes took on a vacant expression. “Told me I was the messenger, that I was the lucky one. I had to go and tell the nearest town to prepare for …” her voice drifted.
She submerged her shoulders again, drawing rippling circles on the surface with the tip of her finger. “I didn’t even live in that town. I was just passing through.”
I swallowed hard, the tiny hairs on my neck standing up, a small shiver racing down my spine. Orianna was Unseelie. She couldn’t lie, but she was far less likely to give the whole truth. Or so Lockwood said.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. It never was cut and dried, just like Lockwood said.
The pink faerie reached out and patted Orianna on the top of her head gently, smiling down at her. “You are a very brave girl. I hope that you can find peace now, moving past what you saw.”
I looked between them. If this fae’s tale was true, things were messier than Lockwood knew. Or maybe he already did know, and that was why he was so antsy all the time.
“I have experienced … something a little bit different than either of you,” I told them slowly. It didn’t feel right not saying anything. I wanted to encourage them, remind them that not everything was as awful as it looked. That faerie with her baby—she needed some hope.
I looked at both of them in turn. “I discovered a secret that was better left as a secret, and now that I have, I am in danger, constantly. I have made enemies of people in very high places, and it has cost me dearly …”
I thought about Jacquelyn, my friend from school in New York, and how my involvement with vampires had cost her her life … literally. Not to mention the respect and understanding of my parents.
“But, somehow, I’ve made it through. I have some very good friends who have protected me even when I didn’t deserve it, and I have held onto the fact that I am not at fault for what has happened. I’m doing what I can to fix things … to make things safe for me again.”
The other two were staring at me like I might be able to give them the answer to their problems … but I knew I couldn’t. Even Orianna had a very transparent, desperate sort of expression.
But my own words were resonating with me. Mill … Iona … Lockwood. Those three were my strength in the world of the vampires. And Xandra. She was my strength in my personal life where the vampires and Lockwood could not tread. I was protected on all sides.
“I am very lucky to have people who really care about me … like I said, I don’t deserve it.” I smiled a small smile. “But I am grateful for them, nonetheless.”
“Cassandra?”
I looked over my shoulder and saw Lockwood standing near the flap into the tent.
“Guess it’s time for us to go,” I told the pink faerie.
Orianna groaned in protest, submerging her head once more before pushing herself toward the stairs.
I reached out and put my hand on top of the pink faerie’s. To my relief, the world remained as it was, and her baby wiggled in her arms, making a cooing sound. “I wish you and your little one all the best,” I said. “I hope that you both find peace and comfort.”
She smiled. “I hope so, too.”
I withdrew my feet from the water, aware that all of my aches and pains from all over my body had gone, and walked with Orianna over to where Lockwood was standing.
“They’ve found a place for us to put our tent up for the night,” Lockwood said, “and Lady Albus has prepared a meal for us. I thought you might be hungry.”
“Starving,” Orianna said.
“Did you get any rest, Cassandra?” he asked, ignoring Orianna.
I nodded. “I did. And met a really nice Seelie girl who lost her husband in an Unseelie raid.”
Lockwood’s face fell. “Well … I am hoping our time at the court will help turn all of this around.”
That sounded funny to me. “You really think us meeting with the court is going to have any effect on this war?”
He nodded. “If I have anything to say about it, then yes. Come.” And I followed him out, the feeling of temporary peace coming with me as I left the hot springs behind.
Chapter 18
That morning in Faerie was everything I wanted a morning on Earth to be. I woke up feeling refreshed, and found a large breakfast of fruits and breads waiting for me. I had the most glorious tea, a steaming cup brimming with flower petals and what looked little flakes of copper swirling around inside. It was sweet, delicate, and energizing. I made a note to ask Lockwood to keep me stocked up on the stuff.
Lady Albus had provided Lockwood with a fresh supply of food. She asked me again about my wings, which I had already forgotten about. I lied smoothly and said that the fountain had done wonders, though I still would need some time to rest them. Orianna gave me a sideways look, knowing full well that I hadn’t actually fully submerged myself, but still … I did feel infinitely better than I had the day before.
We left the hospital early, just before the first sun had risen above the horizon. I had never been a morning person, but seeing the beauty all around, dawn lighting the lands in golden glow, made me want to be. I wanted to appreciate everything around me more, use my time more wisely …
I guess that was easier to think about when there wasn’t a constant threat of vampires appearing at my window or killing my family.
Lady Albus seemed reluctant to see Lockwood go, insisting that he would be doing the Seelie a great service by remaining there and using his talents to help patients.
“Thank you,” Lockwood said, “but I’m afraid I’m needed elsewhere.”
“Should you ever change your mind, we will be here,” Lady Albus said with a deep bow.
It didn’t surprise me that Lockwood was good at healing. How often had I struggled with injuries and he had magically (literally) known the way to help? Salves, tonics … he even knew how to take care of the vampires.
Our farewells made, we set out upon the road, the morning breeze like a pleasant balm on my skin. The sun was warm but not hot, and it seemed to make the road glow before us.
“We are only a day or so from the Seelie border,” Lockwood said, trudging along. “We will stop somewhere tonight, and in the morning, we will behold the lands of Summer.” His expression hinted at both nervousness and excitement, though I supposed that those two emotions were just opposite sides of the same coin.
“That’s not far,” I said. My feet felt infinitely better, and I figured I could walk another day or two before they started to hurt again. Or at least I hoped so.
“Indeed it is not, Lady Cassandra,” Lockwood said with a muted smile. He turned his
gaze ahead, setting the pace as Orianna and I followed behind at a slower pace.
I had been looking at Orianna in a different light since the talk with her at the hot spring. She hadn’t been lying … she couldn’t have. But it seemed obvious she had been omitting something important. It wasn’t like I hadn’t during my tale, either, because I hadn’t mentioned the word vampire once while talking, but to be the only person who had survived a massacre like that … and at the hands of her own people …
“So …” Orianna said, “Why do you let him call you Cassandra?” She kept her voice low enough that I wasn’t sure Lockwood even heard her.
I looked at her, frowning. The sunlight was bright overhead, and the green, glowing haze of the forest remained in the distance. The trees were dense along the road, and the only patch of sky that could be seen was directly overhead, like a winding river in the sky.
“Why does it matter?” I asked. “I like Cassie.”
“You avoided my question,” Orianna said. “You let him call you Cassandra.” She pointed at Lockwood’s back.
Lockwood glanced over his shoulder, smirking. I guess he had heard.
“I … don’t know …” I said. “He just used it once, and I never corrected him. Besides, he caught me off guard with it. He also used Lady, and I was more concerned about that. And … I don’t know …” My cheeks turned pink. “I guess it’s special when he uses it. He doesn’t use it like my parents did, which was when I was in trouble. It’s like … your grandfather calling you by your middle name, and he’s the only one who does it.”
Orianna arched an eyebrow at me, but Lockwood’s smirk grew, and there was a new brightness in his eyes.
I shrugged. “It’s just different with him.”
“Is he your lover?” she asked. “He is, isn’t he? I’m not an idiot, you know.”
“All evidence to the contrary,” I said. “No, I have a … partner,” I said. Did faeries have boyfriends? “His name is Mill.”
“Mill?” Orianna said, tapping her chin. “What an odd name.”
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