We had a plan B of course, but it consisted mostly of Mitch meeting with the queen and ‘winging it’. In retrospect it seemed like the dumbest idea in the history of dumb ideas, but we’d had little time and hadn’t known what we were walking into. Because of that, we’d been unable to formulate a rock-solid plan which we were certain would save our asses. Mitch, however, had assured me he worked better on the fly. He had the difficult task in my opinion. He had to meet with the queen and there was no telling how that would pan out. I just had to rescue Donella. How hard could that be?
The disjointed voice said no more and all too soon, when we came to the edge of the wood, the palace came into view. What I hadn’t seen from the hill—because it had been hidden from view by the wood—was the small hamlet of log huts we had to pass through to get to the palace. The hamlet appeared to be deserted, but as we neared its centre, a large group of pixies danced around a roaring fire. They whispered to one another as we neared then ran to us, tugging on our hands, their high-pitched giggles sounding childlike.
“Uh, where are they taking us?” I asked as the pixies pulled us along the path towards one of the huts.
Brokk’s face contorted with anger and he roared at the pixies. “Leave us! We have no time for your games.”
With offended expressions and murmurs of outrage, they let go of our hands and ran off into the distance, the wings on their backs fluttering. I watched them go until they’d disappeared then noticed an old man watching us from the open doorway of the hut they’d been leading us to. He was studying us intently with an intelligent gaze, although Mitch and Brokk didn’t appear to have noticed him standing there.
I started to follow Mitch and the dwarf again, but my attention kept getting drawn back to the old man. He was human in appearance, his face rugged and world-weary. Long, straggly, dark hair fell loosely over his shoulders. He wore a floor-length, brown robe tied at the waist with a piece of rope. I’m not sure what made me go to him, but I was drawn to his side by the most potent compulsion and I felt powerless to do anything but surrender to the desire.
When I reached his hut, I climbed the four narrow steps up to his porch until I stood in front of him. He bowed low then straightened. He stood just a couple of inches taller than me.
“I am Foster,” he greeted holding out his hand. “Guardian of the forest. Welcome to my home.”
I looked down at his hand and reached out to take it without hesitation. “Pleased to meet—”
“Ashley!” I jumped at the sound of Mitch’s loud voice calling my name. “Jesus, there you are.”
I tore my hand away from Foster’s and it was only then I realised that he had given me something. I looked down to see a pale blue crystal as big as an apricot in my hand.
“A gift,” Foster whispered. “You will need it to regain what was lost.”
I turned to ask him what he meant by that, but the Fae was no longer standing beside me and the door to the hut was closed.
“What are you doing here?” Mitch asked, climbing the stairs to the porch. The lines on his handsome face were etched with worry and I was touched that he was so concerned about me. He looked at the door before bringing his attention back to me. “I turned to talk to you and you’d gone. Frightened the hell out of me.”
I opened my mouth to tell Mitch about the old man when Brokk appeared at the bottom of the steps. I closed it again and shook my head imperceptibly.
“Come on, come on,” Brokk said. “The queen doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
I nodded and jogged down the steps, slipping the crystal into the pocket of my jeans before I reached the dwarf. When I turned to see if Mitch was following I saw him frown and gaze back at the door one last time before joining us. We made it to the palace without further incident, but Mitch and I didn’t get a minute alone to talk so I couldn’t tell him about the crystal.
The strange and brief meeting with Foster went out of my mind as soon as we’d crossed the bridge over the moat and neared the palace and I got my first look at it up close. The building was enormous. Tall and imposing, built entirely of grey stone, it loomed over us.
Movement overhead caught my eye as we walked to the palace door and when I looked up, I saw several large, winged gargoyles sitting on the towers, watching our approach, their intent gazes shifting between Mitch and I as their wings flapped. A sliver of fear edged up my spine as I stared at them, but then the loud creak of the palace doors opening drew my attention. A harried-looking elf appeared in the doorway.
“This way,” he said with a sweep of his hand. “The queen is expecting you.”
“I’ll leave you here,” Brokk said. “I’ll be waiting back at the village to escort you home.”
The hope in my chest swelled. That meant both dwarves would be out of the way. Now we just needed some time alone to snoop around the palace. “Thank you, Brokk,” I replied. “We’ll try not to keep you too long.”
He bowed low then took off in the direction we’d just come.
I followed Mitch into the entrance hall. “Actually,” I said to the elf, “it was Mitch who wanted to speak to the queen. I was hoping I might be able to take a look around this wonderful palace. It’s very beautiful. I’ve never seen anything quite like it.”
The elf puffed out his chest proudly. “I would be happy to give you a guided tour after you’ve met with the queen,” he returned. “She requires the attendance of all visitors to the palace.”
Damn and blast.
“Of course,” I responded, plastering a fake smile on my face. “It will give me something to look forward to.”
The elf beamed. “My name is Eldan. I’ll take you to see the queen now. She’s in the sun room. I’ll be waiting in the kitchen. Find me when you’ve finished your meeting and I’ll escort you around the palace.”
I chanced a glance at Mitch and when he looked back at me, it was with the faintest trace of a smile on his lips. If we were left alone to find the elf after our meeting with Orlaith then that would give us the perfect opportunity to find Donella. Still, I didn’t want to build up my hopes too much—we had to get through our audience with Orlaith first.
The entrance hallway was enormous. It had vaulted ceilings and a wide staircase sat in the middle, dominating the space. There was no furniture in sight or paintings on the walls. Nothing. It was like an empty shell and everything was white. The ceiling, the stairs, the walls, even the floor was a plain white marble. The harsh colour made the palace feel cold and uninviting. From the outside, the castle held a promise of luxury—antique furniture, thick rugs and rich tapestries. Inside, it went to the extreme of ‘contemporary living’. I couldn’t understand why the elf had been so eager to show me around. If the rest of the building looked like this then there would be nothing to see.
Eldan led us down a corridor then stopped in front of the first door he came to. He wrapped his knuckles on it once before pushing it open. Mitch and I waited outside.
“Your Majesty, your guests have arrived,” he announced.
“Show them in, Eldan,” the queen commanded. The cadence of her voice was deep and filled with authority. I could sense the strong buzz of magic in the air from our position outside the door.
Eldan reappeared and ushered us inside the room, taking off down the corridor before I could thank him.
“Your Majesty,” Mitch greeted smoothly. “It’s very good of you to see us today at such short notice.” His voice held a touch of reverence and when I turned to the queen, getting my first look at her, I sucked in a sharp breath.
Orlaith, the elfin queen of the Seelie Court, was breathtaking. I had never seen anyone who even came close to comparing to her beauty. It was ethereal. Fair-skinned like all elves, she had lustrous, white-blonde hair which fell in long waves down to her waist. Her ears were long and pointy and thin horns protruded from the hair on the top of her head. But it was her face which was the most spectacular. It was perfectly symmetrical with delicate features and her eyes
were the same pale blue as a cloudless sky on a hot summer’s day. Her entire body shone with an inner light which made her appear as otherworldly as in fact she was.
Orlaith was standing in front of a large window, framed by sunlight which shone on her tall, curvy body as if it were a spotlight trained on her. I felt the need to curtsy or bow before her and offer my undying allegiance. I resisted the urge—but only just. “Your Majesty,” I said instead.
The queen ignored me, keeping her gaze on Mitch, and when the unmistakable heat of lust flashed in her eyes, I felt an irrational pang of jealousy.
“It is no inconvenience,” she told Mitch. “You are more than welcome to visit me at my home. If I had known you were coming, I would have dressed for the occasion. You must forgive my casual attire.”
I looked over her white floor-length silk gown which clung to her body, outlining her every enviable curve, and tried not to roll my eyes.
“You’re perfect just as you are,” Mitch replied. “Your beauty is incomparable.”
What? Well, isn’t that just charming. My mouth fell open and I glared at Mitch, but he didn’t turn my way. He was enthralled with Orlaith, his face filled with rapture. It was then I realised that he was staring directly into the queen’s eyes. Crap. He was clearly under Orlaith’s glamour, or at least, I hoped he was. Mitch might be a terrible flirt, but I didn’t think he would normally be an insensitive jerk. I needed to do something and fast.
“We’re very sorry to bother you,” I began, taking a step forward. “And we don’t want to take up too much of your time. We’re very busy ourselves actually. We have all this work for the Hunters’ Council then we have our wedding to plan. It’s non-stop.”
The queen’s head snapped in my direction and her face, which had at first seemed unbearably beautiful, distorted with anger, giving a glimpse of some of the ugliness that was within. “Your wedding?”
I nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, we’re getting married soon, isn’t that right, honey?” I nudged Mitch hard in his side. “We’re trying to arrange the big day for before the baby arrives.” I patted my stomach and smiled sweetly at Mitch, willing him to get with the programme.
Mitch stared at me with confusion in his eyes then he shook his head a little and looked back at the queen. This time, I noticed, he kept his gaze lowered.
“That’s right,” he confirmed, sliding his arm around my waist. “I can hardly wait.”
Orlaith’s lips tightened into a thin line. She straightened her back then glided across the room to sit in a white chaise lounge.
“What can I do for you today, hunters?” The earlier warmth had disappeared from her voice to be replaced by a curt, frosty tone.
“We came on behalf of the Hunters’ Council,” Mitch said. “There is a war brewing between the angels and demons and we have been drafted in to help. We were hoping we could count on the Fae to stand at our sides.”
The queen snorted. “The Fae do not get involved in wars of any kind on the mortal realm.”
Mitch nodded. “Yes, but there are a lot of Fae living in the sanctuaries, so anything which goes on there concerns them too, doesn’t it?”
“I do not care about such trivial matters,” Orlaith spat. “If there are problems for the Fae in the mortal realm, I will welcome them back to the Seelie Court with open arms. They belong here. This is their home!”
Her fury exploded in the air around us, nearly knocking me off my feet. Mitch tightened his hold around my waist.
“Is that your final answer on the matter?” Mitch asked.
Orlaith jutted out her chin. “It is my only answer. The Fae will not get involved. If that’s everything, I have much to do.”
“It is,” Mitch replied. “We’ll leave you. Thank you for taking the time to see us.”
Orlaith nodded once then turned her head from us and it was clear we’d been dismissed.
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I said, taking hold of Mitch’s arm and leading him to the door. We exited the room and Mitch closed the door behind us. With quick steps, we strode down the corridor, turning the corner at the end.
“I’d say we have about ten minutes,” Mitch whispered. “Before they come looking for us.
I nodded. “Then let’s not waste it.” I made to continue down the corridor when Mitch pushed me against the wall and pressed his body to mine, kissing me hard. When he pulled back we were both breathing heavily.
“So we’re getting married, huh?” Mitch asked, his eyebrow cocked. “Did you just propose to me back there?”
I slapped his chest. “I should have left you to her, you were clearly happy to be there. ‘Your Majesty, your beauty is incomparable’,” I mimicked.
Mitch’s lips twitched. “Are you jealous?”
“Not at all,” I lied. “Come on, we need to find Donella.”
Mitch didn’t move. “It was the glamour, Ash,” he said softly, holding my gaze. “Just the glamour. She doesn’t hold a candle to you.”
I didn’t let it show on my face how pleased I was to hear him say that.
* * * *
Even though we followed Avery’s directions to get to the room where the queen had been holding Donella, the castle was so large that it took us over five minutes to get there. The door was unlocked and there were no guards posted outside. I couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or not. Mitch pushed open the door and we slipped into the room to find Donella sitting on the edge of a large, four-poster bed. Just as Avery had said, we had the same eye colour, but that was where the similarities ended. Like the Fae from the hamlet, Donella was human in appearance. She had long, light brown hair which hung in loose ringlets around her face. Her frame was long and slim, but she was hunched over. Her posture and demeanour reminded me of Avery. There was an air of hopelessness and defeat about her.
Donella looked up as we entered and her eyes widened. “Who are you?”
“What is your name?” I asked for confirmation.
She stared at me a beat then said, “Donella.”
I nodded. “Do you want to go to Avery?” I had to ask the question. I wouldn’t have taken her to the prince if she’d been opposed to it. We’d just have to find some other way to get the grimoire and make Avery leave the sanctuary. I needn’t have worried. The hope on her face was evident.
“You can take me to him?” she breathed as if she was afraid to say the words aloud.
“We don’t have any time,” Mitch said. “You need to come with us, now.”
Donella stood quickly then paused. “Has the queen agreed to let me go?”
I glanced at Mitch, unsure how much we should tell her, but Mitch shared none of my reservation.
“No,” he replied honestly. “We don’t have much time, Donella. If you want to see Avery again, you need to come with us.”
Her hesitancy lasted for just a couple of seconds then she crossed the room. “If the queen discovers us, she will kill us all,” she informed us. I didn’t doubt it, but it wasn’t something I’d wanted or needed to hear.
“Then we’d better hope she doesn’t discover us,” I said.
Mitch checked the coast was clear before we exited the room. We were jogging back down the corridor when Donella said, “There are enchantments on my room. The queen will know that I’ve left it.”
I really hadn’t wanted to know that, but I wasn’t surprised by it. Getting Donella from the room had been too easy. As we neared the large staircase which led down to the entrance hall, the pounding of feet coming in our direction halted us.
Mitch cursed. “Is there another way down?”
“Yes, several,” she confirmed. “We can use the staff staircase, follow me.” I was impressed by her composure under pressure. She would know better than anyone what the queen was capable of.
Donella led us by room after room until we came to another staircase on the east side of the palace. We ran down the stairs as fast as we could, but the sounds of shouting and heavy footsteps behind us got louder wi
th each step. When we reached the bottom, Donella looked both ways as if trying to decide on the best route.
“Hurry,” Mitch hissed.
She nodded. “This way.”
We ran down another corridor then Donella came to an abrupt halt in front of one of the doors.
“Ashley, your knife,” Mitch said, retrieving his from a holster inside his shirt. “We need to be prepared.”
I pulled the iron blade from the waistband of my jeans and braced myself.
Donella gasped. “Is that…?”
Mitch and I ignored the question and Mitch pushed open the door and peered inside. “Empty,” he verified.
We entered the room and closed the door behind us. The room was a library with large patio doors leading out into the garden. As we hurried through the room, I noted that the varying shades on the spines of the many thousands of books present, was the most colour I’d seen in the entire palace. Mitch opened the patio doors and we rushed out into the garden.
“We need to get back to the caves,” Mitch said as we ran. “Can we get there without going through the village?”
“Yes,” Donella replied. “But we need to cross the drawbridge first. It’s the only way to avoid the moat.”
I’d thought as much, but I didn’t have time to worry about it as we ran around the perimeter of the palace. When the drawbridge came into sight, I was relieved to see that it was unguarded, but as we neared, the first arrow sailed past our heads.
“Faster!” Mitch urged.
I looked over my shoulder before we took off across the bridge and saw several elves following us, armed with bow and arrows. Mitch and I had the same speed as a vampire, which was unnaturally fast, but Donella had a difficult time keeping up so we slowed down to match her pace as more arrows sailed past.
“They’re poisonous,” Donella informed us. “If they hit us, we’ll be dead on impact.”
Wonderful. Another fact I really hadn’t wanted to know.
As soon as we’d made it to the other side of the bridge, we veered left towards the trees.
“You sure you can find your way to the caves from here?” Mitch asked.
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