by R. A. Rock
“Is that so?” the guardian said a sly look on her face. “Then why is his lip bleeding?”
Tess and Finn both scowled. What was going on?
“Not many people know this, but the Truce spell gets weaker the farther out from the castle you go until it disappears altogether,” the guardian said. “And the spell extends in all directions. Do you know how far underground we are?”
“No, and I don’t want to,” Tess said hurriedly. She didn’t want to think of all the earth above their heads. It made her antsy.
“So if it’s weaker down here, we can hurt each other?” Finn said.
“We can.” The guardian shrugged. “As is demonstrated by the scratch I gave you.”
Tess needed the woman to talk some more and maybe she would figure out who she was. Tess couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew this guardian. And that seemed strange, since she had supposedly been sitting on the King’s treasure chest for thousands of years.
“I cannot let you pass,” the guardian said and she wasn’t out of breath at all. How was that possible? Tess could see that Finn’s chest was still moving up and down rapidly from the exertion and he had to be in better shape than this old woman.
Unless she had magic. Powerful magic. That she was using to make her a better fighter and in better shape than she actually was.
That made sense.
“Why can’t you?” Tess said, studying her face carefully but not recognizing the features.
“Because I made a vow to the King,” she said, standing up straight and tall, her lined face stern. “And I will never break it.”
“What exactly did you vow?” Tessa said, trying to dig something out that would help her figure out what was going on.
“To kill all intruders.”
“But you can’t kill us because the Truce spell is in effect,” Finn said, finally getting his breath back.
This seemed to throw the Guardian for a moment as she thought about that.
“Look, you seem reasonable,” Finn said, holding his hand out, palm up. “We just need the crown. You can keep the rest.”
The guardian laughed. “You’re kidding me, right, Big Boy? The rest is junk. Baubles. The Crown of Visions is the only item of value in the chest.”
The answer niggled Tess, floating just out of reach. What was it about this woman?
“And you’re not getting it,” the guardian said, putting her hands on her hips.
There was a soft hoot and Tessa’s head whipped around, following the sound. It was a white owl sitting on an outcropping of rock in the tunnel. She stared at it, growing more and more suspicious.
“You’re not the guardian,” Tess said, turning back toward the woman.
“I am so the guardian,” the woman said, getting a pouty look on her face.
“What’s an owl doing down here? I’ve never heard of them in the wyrm tunnels before.”
“Must have flown in when you broke in,” the guardian said, flipping her braid back over her shoulder petulantly.
Tessa narrowed her eyes at the woman. “You are no guardian,” she said, unsheathing her sword. “Now, answer my question. Who in the name of Severance are you?”
Finn stepped up beside her, still holding his own sword.
The woman’s shoulders slumped. “Oh fine. You caught me,” she said, and with a flourish of her hand, she changed form.
“Perdira!”
The ancient Fae assumed the form she seemed to prefer, which was her former self in her early twenties. She wore a lovely white gown that was tied with a pink ribbon around her waist. Her hair was shiny and long. And this lovely young Perdira’s skin was as smooth and white as fresh cream.
“What in the Chasm?” Finn exclaimed.
“You Shadow-cursed Fae,” Tessa said, blown away by her trickery. “Why are you trying to stop us from getting the crown? I thought you wanted to help.”
“I did help,” she said, sulking. “I gave you the map. I made sure Isadore had the information you needed. I’m helping.”
“You are hindering as much as you are helping,” Tess said, exasperated that the ancient Fae honestly didn’t seem to see that. They both stowed their swords.
Perdira shrugged as if she didn’t much care.
“I told you. I’ve got to have my fun somehow. And since Finn obviously made a Joining vow with someone,” Perdira sent an annoyed glance Tessa’s way, “I guess I’m not going to be having it with him.”
“How do you know we made a Joining vow?” Tess said, suspicious.
“Oh, Starshine,” Perdira said, affecting a patronizing tone. “Other than the fact that you’re positively glowing?”
Tess frowned and held up her hand. She wasn’t glowing. “What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Perdira said, rolling her eyes, “I’ve never seen you so happy.”
“How can you tell if I’m happy or not?”
“I’m the Second, Tess. Remember? I have my ways.”
“Fine. Whatever.” Tess shook off the confusing conversation. “Yes, we’re Joined. So he’s off limits.”
Perdira gave Tess a considering look and raised her eyebrows. “My, aren’t we possessive?”
Finn had a half smile on his face as if he liked it and Tessa’s lips twitched as she held back a grin.
“Our completely boring love life aside—” Tessa started but Perdira cut in.
“Oh, I doubt your love life is boring with him in your bed,” she said, giving Finn a wink.
Tess ignored the comment and the wink and continued speaking. “We have to get the crown. As you well know. Because you’re helping us to end the Severance. Right?”
“Yes, of course,” Perdira said, her face innocent, eyes wide open.
“Perdira,” Finn said, scowling at her. “What aren’t you telling us?”
At that moment, Nyall came around the corner, sword drawn. He startled when he saw them and reacted by throwing an immobilizer spell. As she stood there, unable to move, all Tess could hear was Perdira’s slightly mad laughter.
“Well, well, well.” Nyall’s snide, pompous tone grated on Tessa’s last nerve. “Look what we have here.”
Perdira was still snorting with laughter and he frowned at her.
“Why isn’t the spell working on you?” he said, drawing his sword.
“I’m immune,” she said with a straight face.
Nyall scowled and raised the sword, so Perdira grinned and disappeared completely.
“What in the name of Severance?”
Tess could have told him what was going on but she was in the middle of a freezing spell that he had thrown at her. She figured it still had about a minute left before she would be able to move again and, when she could, she knew exactly what she would do.
Nyall shrugged and promptly forgot about Perdira’s existence, no doubt. That was a mistake. But Tess thought she would let him make it.
“My dear Tessa.” He pointed his sword at her and shook his head as if he was disappointed. “Why must we always be at odds of late?”
Uh, didn’t I just help your brother find his true love? And if we are, it’s because you’re becoming more of a jerk every day, she thought, but she couldn’t say anything because her lips were frozen.
“Tessa, because of our long friendship,” Nyall said, examining his nails as if checking to make sure they were clean, “I’m going to allow you to go when the immobility spell wears off. As long as you promise not to mess with Light Fae business anymore.”
If Tessa could talk, she would have said a lot of things. But she couldn’t. So she waited. How had Nyall gotten to be such a jerk? He hadn’t always been like this. Well, okay, he sort of had. But there had always seemed to be a good person underneath. Now she wasn’t so sure.
She tested her hand to see if it would move yet.
Nope. Nothing.
“I’m going to go get the chest with the crown as soon as you’re gone,” Nyall informed them. “And then I’m going to bring it t
o its owner, the King.”
When he said the word king, his lips twisted in bitterness.
"None of you have any right to touch his property,” he informed them as if it pained him to do so. “And you would do well to remember that.”
Tess would have frowned if she could have moved. Why was Nyall so upset with the King? She had never known him to be anything but loyal. It was a question that would have to stay a mystery because as soon as she was free of this spell, she was taking Nyall down.
She tried her hand again. Her pinky finger wiggled and she readied herself. It would only be a few seconds.
“Tessa dear,” Nyall began but she never got to find out what new condescending remark he would make next because at that moment the spell wore off.
Tess exploded at Nyall, grabbing the hilt of his sword. She twisted it and threw it away, disarming him. With a quick step, she was next to him with her back to his chest. Tess grabbed his arm and flipped him. He landed with a loud thump and she followed him to the ground, ripping open his bag while she had the element of surprise and snagging his magical cuffs. All soldiers of the Light Court carried rather innocuous looking leather straps that turned into magical handcuffs.
Tess held the piece of leather hidden in her hand as Nyall rolled her over so that he was sitting on her chest, still leaving her hands free. He straddled her, clearly not perceiving her as a threat in the least. That was another mistake. But again, she thought she would let him make it.
Nyall pushed his overly long blond hair back off his forehead and pursed his thin lips.
“Tessa Callahan,” he said in a disapproving tone. “I do not want to get my hands dirty.”
"Don't be ridiculous, Nyall. Your hands are always dirty."
"What are you talking about?"
"The King would never come down here to do his own dirty work. Because you always do it for him. You've always been the King's puppet, Nyall." Tess tilted her head and studied Nyall's angry face. "And what? That's starting to get to you? You don't like having your strings pulled anymore?"
“Shut up, Tess. I meant that I don't want to fight you."
She held up her hands in mock surrender.
"I don't want to fight you either."
Nyall was as uppity as they came, always worried about his clothes and his nails and his hair. But he was also a soldier. A good enough one to become a contender for the Captain of the Guard position in the Light Court. If he was getting his hands dirty, that meant a fight. And he was a worthy opponent. She knew that.
She also knew that she could best him. Easily. She was sure of that. But she didn’t want to. Because as much of a jerk as Nyall was, she still cared about him. And she didn’t want to kick his arrogant butt.
Not that she could because of the Truce spell.
“And anyway, there’s no use fighting unfortunately,” she said in a resigned tone. “We can’t hurt each other.”
“That’s a good point,” he said, clasping his hands together in front of him. “Perhaps we might strike a bargain. You leave. And I take the chest.”
It was the moment that Tess had been waiting for. She pulled out the magical cuffs that she had been hiding in her hand and whipped the leather on Nyall’s wrists with a snap. She let the magic do the rest as the strips of leather twisted around and tightened until he was bound with no possible chance of getting out of them.
The freezing spell finally wore off of Finn and he jumped on Nyall, tearing him off of her and shoving the Light Fae aside. Finn held his hand out to Tess and she took it, getting to her feet. Nyall had gotten up and was cursing and pulling at the innocent-looking strip of leather that was holding him bound with his hands in front of him.
“Don’t bother, Nyall,” Tess said, disgusted. “They’re your cuffs. You know you can’t remove them.”
“Finn, can you hook him up there so he won’t walk away on us?” Tess said, indicating a piece of rock that jutted out above Nyall’s head. Finn grinned. He lifted Nyall’s arms while the other man struggled. Finn pulled him up slightly, hooking Nyall’s hands over the piece of rock so that he was hugging it and couldn’t move anywhere.
“You’ll pay for this, Tess,” Nyall said, and she was pretty sure he was more mad about looking foolish than he was about not getting the crown. “I saved your life and this is how you treat me?”
“Settle down, Nyall,” she ordered, using her Captain of the Guard voice. “You won’t be harmed. And we’ll be right back.”
She and Finn headed for the golden doorway, leaving Nyall muttering furiously behind them. Suddenly, Perdira reappeared, clapping her hands.
“Nicely done, Tessa.”
“Thanks,” Tess said, not sure what exactly she was thanking the irritatingly mischievous Fae for. “Maybe I don’t even need your help after all, Perdira.”
Tess shook her head and headed toward the room that held the chest.
“Oh, I wouldn’t go in there, Tess,” Perdira said but Tess ignored her.
“Of course, I’m going to go in there,” she said, irked with Perdira and her helping. “That’s where the crown is.”
As she stepped across the threshold, Finn followed right behind. A second later, a golden gate slammed down, preventing anyone else from entering.
“Still think you don’t need my help, Tessa?”
Chapter 23
The golden gate smashed down to the floor and they were trapped in the golden room containing the chest that held the Crown of Visions. And all this before breakfast time.
Great.
Tess sighed and Finn pressed his lips together hard, trying not to smile. She probably should have listened to Perdira. The ancient Fae was sort of, kind of, a little bit helping. And Tessa didn’t need to anger a Faerie that was nearly as powerful as the King and the Dark Queen.
Tess was smart but she also thought she could do everything alone, her confession to Finn about needing him notwithstanding. That had been out of character for her. And this was just another example of her desire to do it all by herself.
Now what were they going to do?
He turned to survey the room and saw the chest sitting on an altar against the wall at the far side of the room. So, the chest wasn’t buried after all.
Perdira was standing outside the gate laughing again, the sound like tiny silver bells.
“You do like to do things the hard way, don’t you, Tessa?”
Tessa was glowering at her gilded cage and didn’t answer. Finn put his hands on the bars and shook. They didn’t even rattle, they were so solid.
“I guess that’s as good a way as any to keep the crown from being taken, just trap the thief for all eternity,” Nyall called from down the tunnel. He sounded smug.
“We don’t need to hear from you,” Finn called back to the annoying Light Fae. “Keep kissing that stone.”
“Perdira,” Tessa said, her tone indicating that she was barely holding on to her temper.
“What, Starshine?”
Tess didn’t say anything.
“Now, now, Tess,” Perdira said in a chiding tone. “You have to learn to ask for what you need and not try and do everything all by your lonesome.”
Finn happened to agree with Perdira’s assessment, though he would never say so. Although she had asked for what she needed last night and now they were Joined. So maybe she was learning.
“Perdira, will you help us get the crown?” Tess ground out.
“I am helping, Starshine.”
Tess took a deep breath and tried again. “How do I open this gate?”
“You can’t. It’s locked. Forever. And there are a million wards that prevent any magical ways in and out as well.”
“Perdira,” Finn said, putting on his friendliest expression. “Do you see how this isn’t helpful?”
Perdira’s pretty eyebrows drew together and she made her favorite expression—a pout.
“Maybe,” she conceded. “Isn’t it obvious, though? If you can’t get out the gate,
then you have to get out some other way. And you don’t even have the chest yet, so why do you need to get out?”
The maddening Fae had a point.
“I suppose she’s right, Tess,” he said and she shot a nasty look his way. “We need to get the chest.”
Tess and Finn turned around and Tess moved forward, examining the room.
“Watch out for booby traps,” Perdira called. Then she looked directly at Finn. “See how helpful I am?”
Tess stopped moving.
“Right, Izzie mentioned the booby traps,” Finn said, remembering.
“Of course,” Perdira said. “The King might not have left a guardian, but he didn’t leave such a valuable object without protection. Although they’re pretty rudimentary, if I’m being honest. Not that interesting really.”
“You stay there, Finn,” Tess said, not looking at him as she cautiously made her way forward. “Then if I get into trouble, you can help me out.”
Finn had opened his mouth to protest but then closed it again as she finished her sentence.
“Fine,” he said, not happy about being left behind but willing to be her backup. “But be careful.”
The chest sat at the back of the golden room in a small alcove. Tess began to make her way toward it, moving slowly and carefully. Her head swiveled this way and that, looking for traps.
Perdira suddenly appeared in the room. She had walked right through the golden gate.
“Ah, that’s better,” she said. “Now I can see.”
“Wait,” Tess said, her forehead wrinkled as she stared at the Fae, completely perplexed. “If there are a million wards on this room, how did you get in?”
“I’m the Second, so magic is a bit different for me,” Perdira said, lifting one lovely shoulder and dropping it again. “When I look around, I see the magic hanging everywhere, glowing inside all of you. You know? On this room, there are wards and they’re like a curtain of magic hanging all around the room and wrapping under. I just parted the curtains and walked through. There’s a hole in the wards right there.” She pointed to the gate.
“Oh,” Tess said. It was the first time Perdira had actually explained anything to them and she thought that might be significant at some point.