by R. A. Rock
And as far as Tessa knew, there was nothing like it anywhere in Esper or the Earthly Realm. The Hundred Years Ball was the biggest party anywhere in any realm.
Tess felt a small pang go through her at the thought that this is what it must have been like before the Severance. With all of her race simply Fae, not divided on one side or another. And yet even at the Hundred Years Ball. there was divisiveness.
She spotted the Dark Queen sitting on one side of the arena in her box that was lavishly appointed, where she was no doubt relaxing after all the work she had put into prepping the spell for the Ball.
The Dark Queen and the King spent months preparing the spell for the Hundred Years Ball. Someone had explained it to Tess once. There was a basic framework spell that constantly repeated itself every hundred years. But in order for the Hundred Years Ball to be the amazing, splendid week of wonder that it was, required considerable magical preparations on the part of the Dark Queen and the King. It was one of the few instances where either monarch did any actual work.
Tess turned her head and in another part of the arena, as far as he could get from her, was the King. She had heard it rumored that a faerie had displeased him and the offending Fae was spending the Ball in a small room in one corner of the castle. It didn't happen that often but occasionally the King did that sort of thing. She wondered what the faerie had done to deserve, what was generally thought of as a pretty harsh punishment.
Tess sighed. At least it wasn't her that had to miss the Ball this year. If the Dark Queen was on one end and the King was on the other then that meant that Tess was probably fine somewhere in the middle.
She looked for an empty spot in the seats but there were none. How had she never realized how popular the races were before this? In the past, she had never come. Just stayed in her chambers when she wasn’t on guard duty. Maybe when she was a child, she had attended but she would have been so starched and ironed that she wouldn’t have been able to enjoy it anyway.
Well, she was going to enjoy herself today.
Maybe she could stand at the railing on the mezzanine. She made her way up the stairs, avoiding people when she could and feeling weird when she passed through them.
A loud horn was blown and the audience quieted a little. A Fae she didn’t know made introductions and then the races started. There were heats and heats of flying races. The tiny faeries elbowing each other in this no-holds-barred race. The prize was a sack of gold and a bottle of Elixir, so well worth any bruises they might get.
Tessa felt in her pocket and took out the spectacles Finn had given her, which was a strange thing to do when you couldn’t see or feel yourself. She put them on her nonexistent face. Somehow even though she wasn’t there, she could still sense herself, her Starlight, the part of her that made her who she was.
With the glasses on, she could look at anything, no matter how far away, and see it up close. She checked the competitors of the next race and saw that Finn was getting closer to his turn. He was three or four heats back, waiting.
When he finally made it to the front for his race, she could see he had a look of determination on his little face. He said he won his heat every Hundred Years Ball but she had a hard time believing it.
The race began and Finn darted ahead, dodging this way and that and avoiding the hits of the other men in the race. Then the man ahead of him elbowed him hard in the gut and he went flying backward. People booed but Finn didn’t stop. He doubled down, ducking his head and tucking his arms for maximum aerodynamics. Soon, he was pulling ahead and the crowd cheered. Especially the Fae near the Dark Queen. The Unseelie Court loved an underdog, since they felt they had been shafted in the Severance.
He and the guy that had hit him were side by side, trying to knock each other out and fly at the same time. They rounded the part of the arena near the queen and then something strange started to happen.
Instead of flying straight along the track, Finn began veering away. What was he doing? The other guy laughed and pulled ahead. Tessa gazed through the spectacles at Finn, zooming them in even more until she could see his face closely. He had that funny look on it again. Like he had when he’d told her about the palm vow. As if he were being controlled by magic.
Yes, he definitely was flying crookedly now. Almost zigzagging as if he wanted to fly toward the queen but was fighting it.
Tess watched in dismay. She had to help him. She couldn’t allow him to be captured because of this.
She went into action, making her way as fast as she could down to the arena floor. She walked straight through people and seats, not bothering to act like she was normal, just passing through everything she could, like a ghost.
Then she was on the floor of the arena, passing through crowds of faeries as she dashed toward Finn. His flying was becoming more erratic. When she was a few feet away from him, he headed straight for the Dark Queen who was sitting quite high up in the stands, as if he had lost the battle with the magic.
Tess darted at Finn, twisting her ring to reappear, and she immediately put on a strong glamour when she became visible again. The next second, she jumped forward and clapped her hands around him, trapping him.
There was a squeak and then he battered the inside of her hands. But Tess didn’t let him go, only awkwardly twisted the ring again with one finger, keeping her hands cupped. She had only been visible for about five seconds, so hopefully no one saw her. When she was invisible and insubstantial again, she got out of the arena as quickly as she could.
Tess arrived in the Keeper’s quarters, releasing Finn and turning visible again. He popped big again immediately.
Had he always been this tall? She didn’t remember him being so big and good looking when he was angry. Of course, she almost never saw him angry because he was generally good natured.
“Tessa Callahan,” he said, looming over her.
She looked up at him. “Yes?”
His face and eyes were dark with fury. “Why did you do that?”
“You were going toward the Dark Queen.”
“I wasn’t.” He took a step closer into her personal space.
“You certainly were. I could see you were fighting the vow, flying all crooked, and then you went straight for her, Finn.” Her voice sounded breathless as she spoke. Tess could smell the soap he had used in his bath and sweat from his exertion in the race. It was an intoxicating combination.
“Don’t you ever do that again,” he said, and suddenly, there was only an inch between them.
“What?” she said, raising her eyebrows and trying not to feel intimidated. He was very intimidating at this moment and she had to admit she liked it. “Save you?”
He took a harsh breath in.
“Fine,” she said in a saucy tone. “Duly noted.”
“Tess.”
“Finn.”
He closed the gap between them and kissed her, intense, demanding, and with all the pent-up emotions roiling in both of them. It was the hottest thing Tess had ever experienced.
Stars alight, what would it be like if they did more?
They would burn the place down.
Finn’s hands were on her hips, pulling her tightly against him, and his mouth claimed hers, his lips soft and warm. Tess liked being in control most of the time. It was how she had lived her entire life. But this? This was out of control. And she was loving it. She didn’t ever want to stop kissing Finn.
Eventually, he tore himself away, his eyes still dark and brooding. She hadn’t seen this side of him before but she definitely liked the powerful, demanding Finn who kissed her so passionately that she forgot her name.
Tess dropped down in a chair, her legs weak.
“I was worried about you,” she said softly. “I thought you were going to get yourself killed with that terrible palm vow you made.”
Finn’s demeanor changed and his shoulders sagged. He looked up and met her eyes, his face troubled.
“I was worried about me too.”
&nbs
p; Chapter 9
Finn had gone out to get some food from the market for lunch. The Table of Plenty made good fare but it wasn’t quite the same as food cooked without magic by faerie hands. He was starving after the flying race and he absolutely needed a roasted boar sandwich from his favorite booth. He was in the middle of the marketplace when he heard a voice behind him.
“Finn.”
Shadows take him, but that was Nyall’s voice. Finn began walking quickly away, hoping that Nyall wouldn’t follow.
“Finn,” the voice came again. He was following directly behind. “I know it’s you. The orb brought me straight to you and that glamour won’t work on me.”
He was right. Nyall was a powerful enough faerie that Finn couldn’t fool him with a crudely constructed glamour.
“Leave me alone, Nyall.” Finn reached for the ring.
“Please,” Nyall said, and if Finn didn’t know him better, he would have thought it sounded like he was pleading. Except Nyall didn’t plead. “It’s not for me. It’s for my brother.”
That made Finn pause in twisting the ring.
“I need to see Tessa,” Nyall said, again sounding almost like he was asking nicely, which confused Finn. Nyall had been nothing but a pompous jerk to him in the past. “Do you know where I can find her? The orb I used to find her led me to a dead end.”
Finn turned around and barely held back his distaste at seeing Nyall again. The man had helped save Tess and, for that, he would always be grateful. But did he have to be such a damn pain in the butt all the time? Why was he such a jerk?
“And if I knew where she was,” Finn said, tilting his head and examining Nyall, “why would I bring you to her? You probably want to turn both her and me in to the King, don’t you?”
Nyall smug smile dropped and his expression turned to one of smoldering anger. “The King and I don’t exactly see eye to eye right now,” he said, his voice tight. “You can tell her it’s for Lorcan. My brother needs her help.”
“Is he as much of a jerk as you?” Finn said. Just then, a man walked up to them. He was tall and handsome and somehow looked helpful.
“Actually, I’m not,” the man said, his tone earnest. Nyall gave him a dirty look, which made Finn grin. “And I really could use Tessa’s help. If you’ll give her the message, I’m sure she’ll want to see me. We’ve been friends since we were children.”
Finn eyed Nyall’s brother. “You’re Lorcan?”
“Yes.”
“Finn.” He held out his forearm and Lorcan pressed his own against it.
“May the Stars shine upon you.”
“And also on you,” Finn replied. “If I was to run into her, what’s the message?”
“Just tell her that Lorcan needs her help.”
“Sure. If I see her, I’ll tell her.”
“Thank you. It’s a matter of some importance, so the sooner the better.”
Finn lifted a shoulder again. “If I see her, I’ll tell her,” he repeated.
“Thank you,” Lorcan said, and he and Nyall turned at the same time and walked away.
Now what in the name of Severance was that all about?
When he got back to the Keeper’s quarters with the sandwiches and gave Tess the message, she seemed thoughtful.
“So Lorcan needs my help,” she said, pondering. “We need to go to him. I haven’t heard from him in years. If he’s asking me, then it’s for a very good reason. Come on.”
“But can we trust him and Nyall?”
Tess considered this. “How about we’ll use the rings and listen in on them? We’ll see what they’re talking about before we reveal ourselves. Once we know that he truly needs my help, we’ll show ourselves. Does that suit you?”
“Fine.”
She twisted her ring and walked through the wall. Finn shook his head and did the same.
What else did he have to do anyway?
Tess and Finn used an orb to find Lorcan and Nyall. Then they walked through the wall into one of their rooms. Tess backed up until she was against the wall and stayed as quiet as possible, listening to their conversation.
“Nyall, she should have contacted me by now,” Lorcan said, pacing back and forth in what Tessa guessed were Nyall’s sumptuous quarters. Nyall liked the best of everything and he usually got what he wanted in Tessa’s experience. “I need Tessa’s help. But we really don’t know if that Finn knows where she is and whether he’ll give her the message. If Tess won’t help us find her, then maybe we need to try to find her ourselves. Who knows what might have happened to her.”
Tess wondered who this her was.
"Who's he talking about?" Tess asked Finn as softly as she could.
"Some woman he's looking for. That's what he needs your help with. Finding her."
“She's your tryst. You need to find her yourself,” Nyall corrected him. “And Lorcan, honestly I think you’re being ridiculous. I’m sure she’s fine. She’s one of them. Who knows what she’s doing? Sleeping around? Killing puppies? Tricking small children by giving them sweets that actually taste like dirt? Whatever it is that they do.”
Lorcan ignored Nyall’s snide comment and continued speaking. “Nyall, she should have contacted me by now. I know something’s wrong. Where could she be? You’re a soldier like her. Think.”
“I am nothing like her,” Nyall said in his usual pompous tone. Stars above, Tess had once been best friends with Nyall but she sure had a hard time liking him of late. As he grew older, he had become more and more prejudiced, high and mighty, and set in his ways. It was too much to take sometimes. “And why are you so worried about that particular Fae? Just find another pretty woman to have a tryst with.”
“Nyall,” he said sharply. “I don’t want a tryst with anyone else.”
Wow, Tess thought, Lorcan is really worried about this woman. And he cared about her apparently. As more than just another Hundred Years Ball conquest. Tessa was faintly surprised. The Ball was hardly the place to find a mate. Most people kept it light—nothing too serious.
Nyall frowned, gave a sigh, and then actually turned his mind to the problem. “Fine. If she’s not around and she usually comes to see you right away, then the first thing I’d think is that she can’t come. Of course, maybe she just isn’t interested in you anymore.”
Lorcan breathed out forcefully.
“But assuming she is,” Nyall continued. “If she hasn’t come, then maybe she can’t.”
“But she must be here,” Lorcan said. “Everyone is here.”
“Just because she’s here, it doesn’t mean that she isn’t ill or captured and tied up. Or whatever.”
“Right,” Lorcan said, thinking hard. “So what should I do?”
“Why don’t you just use an orb? See where that leads.”
“I tried that already. It led to a blank wall, like when you went looking for Tessa.”
“Come on,” Tess whispered to Finn.
They passed through the wall and turned their rings. Once she was solid again, Tess knocked.
“Hey, Lorcan,” Tess said when he opened the door. “I happen to have a way through blank walls.”
“How did you…” He looked back and forth from Tess to Finn.
“Never mind,” Tess said. “You want to find her or not?”
Lorcan smiled broadly and pulled Tess into a hug. “Yes. I do.”
He let her go and grabbed the orb hanging above the door, whispering a command to it. All Tessa heard was the last word, which was hurry.
By the time they had arrived at a deserted part of the castle, Tess vehemently wished that Lorcan hadn’t told the orb to hurry. The command had seemed to make it faster even than a regular finding spell. They had to run to keep up and almost lost it at least three times. But they were here now. The orb had stopped outside a blank wall.
“What now?” Lorcan said, looking at Tess and Finn.
“It’s probably not a wall. Finn?” Tess looked at his satchel. “You have something in your bag of
wonders that can break an illusion spell?”
Finn considered, then gave one nod, digging into his satchel. There was the sound of glass and metal clinking. Eventually, he pulled out a bottle. He took it and began to spray the wall with whatever potion was inside. As they watched, a door began to appear.
“That’s amazing,” Lorcan said in awe. Tess loved that he still seemed so good. So untouched by the darkness of life. She loved that he hadn’t become hardened and jaded like everyone else. Like her.
When Finn was finished, the entire door was revealed and it looked like it could withstand a battering ram.
“It’s one of the warded doors in the castle. There are a few of them. I think I’ve seen this one before but I don’t quite remember what’s behind it.”
“Well, one way to find out,” Finn said. “Let’s go in.”
“Wait,” Lorcan said, holding up his hand. “Are you sure we should do that? I mean, who knows what might be in there? And what’s she doing hanging out in there anyway? There’s absolutely no one in this part of the castle. It’s completely deserted. I just don’t understand.”
“And you won’t understand what’s happening unless we go through this door,” Finn said, tiring of Lorcan’s waffling.
“Look, Finn,” Tessa explained. “Lorcan’s an artist—a painter—not a soldier. He’s used to quiet days with his paints.” She turned toward Lorcan. “If you don’t want to go in, we don’t have to, Lorcan. What do you want to do?”
Lorcan stared at the door. “I want to find her,” he said, putting on a brave face. “I may not be a fighter, but I’m no coward.”
He reached out and turned the door handle. The next second, he wrenched his hand away as the doorknob turned red hot.
“What in the Chasm?” he said, cradling his burned hand to his chest.
“Stars and shadows,” Tess said, grabbing his hand and inspecting it. She felt bad. She should have remembered about the knobs. She should have warned Lorcan not to touch it. “You should have this looked at by a healer. Immediately.”
Lorcan shook his head. “It can wait. Don’t touch the handle,” he warned them, as if they hadn’t just seen the skin burned off his palm.