by Jasmine Walt
“Yelp reviews?” My father scowled. “What are you babbling about?”
I choked back a laugh. “It’s a kind of…service…where people can look up a company to see what other people are saying—” I stopped explaining, seeing my father only looked more confused. “Never mind. That part’s not important.”
“No, it isn’t,” Maddock agreed. “In any case, even if I did kill or banish the Daire Coven, another would eventually move into its place. Closing off the channel was a good idea at the time, but it is no longer enough. We need to destroy it permanently.
“And you have a way to do this?” my father demanded.
Maddock nodded. “So long as Brooke can get close enough to deactivate the ward.”
My father pressed his lips together and raised his hand. “Not Brooke, though,” he said. “I will find you another shadow for this purpose.”
As he spoke, a memory popped into my mind. I was standing in a dark forest, my hands raised, chanting a spell in fae. Before my feet was some kind of portal, swirling with dark and light blue magic so powerful I could literally feel it trying to drag me forward. Sweat ran down my face as I held my ground and continued to chant the spell. A huge tree sprouted from the ground, roots spreading through the earth, and the trunk stretched and expanded to fill the hole. I worried the portal would simply suck the tree in, but it didn’t. Instead, the branches and leaves started to unfurl, the tree growing until it was fourteen feet tall and massive, its trunk so wide that not even a smidge of magic bled through from beneath.
Kneeling by the roots, I pressed my hands into the dirt and pushed my shadow magic deep into the ground, layering it over the power that pulsed beneath. Soon, the enormous magical signature had dimmed to a faint beacon…and then nothing at all. It was as if the portal didn’t exist, blended completely into the rest of the forest by the tree and my magic.
Nobody would be able to find it if they didn’t know what they were looking for.
“The Seelie Queen wasn’t the one who closed off the channel,” I said as the vision broke, sounding a little stunned. “I was. And that means you won’t find another shadow better suited to fix this mess.”
Everyone’s attention snapped to me. “What do ye mean, you were the one who did it?” Maddock demanded. “The Seelie Queen herself said she did, and the fae cannot lie.”
“Well, she must have twisted her words very carefully,” I snapped back, “because I’m the one who did it. I used Earth magic—your Earth magic,” I said, and Maddock’s eyes widened. “Guess that was the important thing I needed it for.”
He scowled. “Why did ye not just tell me that’s what it was for, then?” he insisted. “I would have happily closed off the portal myself had I known. It hadn’t been in existence that long.”
“How should I know?” I placed my hands on my hips. “I don’t remember everything about my past life, Maddock. Just the bits and pieces that come to me. But,” I said, blowing out a thin breath to try to steady my nerves, “clearly this was an important issue to me, and I’m not willing to let the Daire Coven have access to that much power unchecked.”
“Daughter,” my father began to protest.
“I have to do this, Father,” I said, leveling my gaze at him. “I’m the best chance we have.”
He opened his mouth as if to say something, but I stopped him before he could. I didn’t want him trying to talk me out of this.
“No, Father,” I said. “I know how you feel about helping, but this affects everyone, including you. I’m going back out to the human world. With or without your blessing.”
Chapter 14
My father didn’t agree with my proclamation, but he did concur to my request that Maddock not be thrown into the dungeons. Instead, he was brought to a guest bedroom, given servants and a healer to help dress his wounds and put him in fresh clothing so he could rest and heal.
Not wanting to look as though I was too eager to see Maddock, I spent the rest of the day practicing with some spells my father had taught me. I was grasping new spells quickly, my old memories resurfacing, but I was far from an expert.
I won’t be able to finish my training before I leave, I thought glumly as I sat on the hard floor. Pensive, I pulled out my enchanted dagger and ran my fingers over the jeweled pommel, exploring the various patterns, edges, and crevices. The realization was disappointing—I’d wanted to master my abilities, to level the playing field between the supernatural community and myself, so that I wasn’t constantly out of my depth every time I had an encounter.
But at the same time, I was beginning to get a little homesick. Even though there was a sense of familiarity about the castle, it wasn’t what I was used to. The huge four-poster bed and opulent suite wasn’t the small apartment I’d been subletting in Salem. The strange, exotic food they served here was delicious, but I was starting to get a real hankering for a slice of pizza or a juicy burger.
Maybe the past-life me, Riona Maoilriain, considered the Hoarfrost Hills her home. But the current me, Brooke Chandler, did not. My home was on Earth, and if that home was in danger, I needed to do everything in my power to defend it. Even if that meant giving up the safety and security of my father’s domain.
The next morning, I ate alone in my rooms. My father was dealing with some important business in the village, though I suspected he simply wasn’t ready to talk with me yet. It was clear that he hadn’t accepted my decision, and I couldn’t blame him. He’d only just gotten me back. But I wouldn’t allow myself to be kept prisoner here just because he didn’t want me to be hurt. I had to live my own life.
After allowing my maid to dress me in one of the many linen gowns hanging in my closet, I decided to pay Maddock a visit. His room was in the south wing—the opposite side of the castle from where my room was—and was a single room rather than a fancy suite like mine. Even so, it was well appointed, with a queen-sized bed piled high with pillows and blankets, thick rugs, and nice furnishings. A fire blazed in the hearth, and if not for the opaque walls, it wouldn’t be obvious we were in an ice castle. The ice had to be spelled against fire—otherwise, the castle would be far too easy to breach.
“Detective,” Maddock said, sitting up straighter in bed as I entered the room. His voice was heavy with sleep, but the color was back in his cheeks again. “Or should I be calling you Princess Riona now?”
“Detective is fine.” I pulled up a chair and sat next to the bed. “To be honest, the princess thing is starting to grate on me a bit.” I’d considered asking my father on more than one occasion to call me Brooke instead of Riona, but I knew that would offend him.
Maddock’s lips twitched. “I’m not surprised in the slightest.” He looked me up and down, the expression in his bright green eyes unreadable. “I cannae blame anyone for calling ye princess, though. Ye look every inch one. A beauty and a warrior.” His gaze dropped to the dagger strapped to my waist.
“Don’t try to distract me with flattery,” I said mildly, doing my best to ignore the blush heating my cheeks. Dammit, was he always going to affect me this way? “I know you too well to think I’ll ever be anything but a tool to you. As soon as the channel is closed—”
Maddock was suddenly out of the bed, his big hands clasping my shoulders. Suddenly, he was too large for the room, his presence taking up all available space, his exotic, masculine scent invading me, making me want to drink him in, and I couldn’t decide whether to back away, move in closer, or—
“Brooke,” he said, his voice achingly gentle. Those startling green eyes were brimming with emotion—guilt, anguish, regret—and I was momentarily struck dumb. “I cannae express how sorry I am for what I did to ye. I was wrong to turn my back on ye the way I did. It was unforgivable.”
I stared up at him, stunned into silence. Maddock Tremaine was apologizing? To me? What the hell was going on? Guilt wasn’t part of Maddock’s vocabulary. I couldn’t imagine him feeling anguish over anything unless it had directly happened to him. And regret�
��how could someone who was never wrong regret anything he’d done?
Except that he was wrong. And even though I’d never thought it was possible, he’d just admitted it. Out loud.
“Are you sure you’re all right?” I asked, pressing my hand against his forehead. “Maybe you need to go back to bed.”
“I didna fight my way through Unseelie territory to lie around in bed,” Maddock growled, swatting my hand away. “I came here because I need yer help…but also to set things right with ye.” His expression softened. “When the Morrigan told me ye’d been in cahoots with her the entire time, my ears stopped working. I didna realize she had bound ye to her by a debt. And I also didna ken that ye’d already refused to hand the artifacts over to her. Oscar told me about it afterward.”
I blinked. “Oscar talked to you?”
“Oh, aye.” Maddock’s gaze darkened. “He was right pissed at me for letting ye get kidnapped, and when I told him about how I thought ye’d betrayed me, he near ripped me a new one, setting me straight.” Guilt flashed in his eyes again, and his grip on my shoulder tightened. “I never should have doubted ye.”
“You can’t help it,” I said, shrugging off his touch. Which was a lot harder than it should have been. I wanted so badly to forgive him, to accept his apology and move on from this. But actions spoke louder than words, and his actions of late… “You’re Seelie, and I’m half-Unseelie. You’re genetically predisposed to mistrust me.”
Maddock looked away, his jaw clenched. “I cannae argue that,” he said tightly. “But for ye, Brooke Chandler, I am willing to look past those differences.”
My heart swelled at that, and I tried to beat it into submission. But the damn thing grew wings and lodged itself into my throat, forcing me to blink back tears. Thank God Maddock wasn’t looking at me, and I had a chance to fight for composure again.
“I want to believe you,” I finally said, my voice quiet. “But it’s going to take time. And it doesn’t help that you’ve never trusted me, and you’ve always withheld information. Like I said, I’ll agree to help you this time, because it affects all of us. But I have other options now, as far as my training. You can’t hold that over my head anymore if you want to continue working together.” I lifted my chin.
Maddock’s eyes flashed. “I cannae divulge every single detail of my private affairs,” he began to argue.
“Nobody’s asking you to,” I snapped. “I’d just prefer to know what’s ahead every time you teleport me into a dangerous situation.”
A knock at the door interrupted us before I could continue, and a servant let himself in. “Lord Tremaine, Princess,” he said, inclining his head to both of us. “The chieftain wishes to see you in his study, immediately.”
Maddock and I exchanged a glance. “I’ll need to get dressed,” he said, gesturing to his simple cotton nightgown.
“I’ll wait for you in the hall.”
A few moments later, Maddock emerged, dressed in simple silver-and-white tunic with matching boots. It was so unlike anything I’d ever seen him wear that I knew my father must have provided the outfit, and I couldn’t stop staring.
“What?” Maddock asked irritably, and I realized I hadn’t even attempted to hide my wide-eyed gaze.
“It’s just…I never imagined the white-knight look would work so well on you.” I smirked. His tanned skin did contrast wonderfully against the fabric, as did the inky-black tresses brushing his shoulders. “Funnily enough, I also never imagined the Unseelie would wear white. And you tend to favor dark colors yourself.”
Maddock shrugged. “We are not defined by the color of clothing that we wear, but rather the type of magic we wield. There are plenty in the light court who cannot stand to wear pink or gold or white, just as there are members of the dark court, like your father, who prefer silver and white and pale blue. Those are, after all, the colors of winter,” he reminded me.
Right, I thought as we fell into step behind the guard, who escorted us to the study. If I’d learned anything during this trip to Faerie, it was that the faire folk could not be confined to typical stereotypes. There were good and evil Unseelie, and the same could probably be said for the Seelie Court as well.
We stepped into the study, my father studying us with his cold, enigmatic gaze from where he sat in a chair made of ice. He was positioned behind a desk made of antlers and topped in gem-encrusted silver. Maddock and I seated ourselves in his guest chairs, and though I tried to read my father’s expression, I couldn’t glean anything from it. Would he forbid me to leave the castle? A chill ran down my spine at the thought. I didn’t want to be trapped here for the rest of my life, especially now that I knew I was immortal. I needed to get back to the human world.
Sorana stood at my father’s side, her slender right hand resting on the back of his chair. Like him, her expression was completely unreadable. I couldn’t tell whether she was happy at the prospect of my leaving, or if she agreed with my father that I should stay.
“I have thought long and hard about your desire to leave, Riona,” my father said at last, his voice stern. “And of the news you’ve brought, Lord Tremaine. And as much as I would prefer to keep you here, safe within these walls, the problem must be dealt with. I would send Oracion in your stead, since as a shadow, he is just as capable, if not more so,” he said to me. “But he is on another errand, and besides, I would not cage you here like a bird with clipped wings.” His voice softened. “You are my daughter, not my pet, and attempting to control you has never gone well. I only ask that you come back soon, so that we may continue your training, and that you send me messages as often as possible, so I know you are safe.” After a long pause, he added, “I don’t want to lose you again.”
“I appreciate that more than you know, Father,” I told him, my chest swelling with gratitude and affection.
“That is not the only condition I have regarding your departure.” His voice hardened as he turned his wintry gaze to Maddock. “If I am to entrust my daughter into your care, I require an oath that you will not harm her, and that you will protect her to the best of your ability while she is in the human realm.”
“Of course,” Maddock began, but my father cut him off.
“On your own magic, Lord Tremaine.”
“What does that mean?” I demanded as Maddock’s face turned pale.
“It means,” my father said, his gaze firmly fixed on Maddock, “that should this Seelie lord renege on his promise, his magic is forfeit. It will automatically go to me, and he will never again be able to wield it.”
“Jesus.” I stared at Maddock. That was an extremely high price to pay, and there was no way his pride would allow—
“I’ll do it.”
“What?” My mouth dropped open, and Sorana looked surprised as well. “Maddock, you don’t—”
“If that is the price to ensure the safety of our realm, I will gladly pay it.” Jaw flexing, Maddock got to his feet. He conjured a dagger from thin air, then sliced his palm. Blood began to well from the cut as he handed the knife to my father, who did the same. The blood that dripped to the ice-stone floors evaporated on contact as they closed distance between their hands. When their bloody hands finally came together, they locked gazes the way two bulls might lock horns.
“Swear it,” my father said, his voice whisper soft.
“On the magic that runs through my veins, I swear I will not harm the Princess Riona Maiolriain, also known as Brooke Chandler, and I will protect her to the best of my ability while she remains in the human realm.”
A golden glow burst from Maddock’s body, supercharging the air with magic. It hummed for just a moment, then transferred itself into my father. His face contorted briefly into a grimace as he absorbed the magic, and then both men relaxed as the glow faded away.
My father nodded with satisfaction. “It is done.”
“I must say I was not expecting that,” Sorana said as I stared dumbly at them. “I would never have thought a Seelie lord woul
d give such a binding oath to protect an Unseelie, never mind a hybrid.” My father gave her a sharp glance, which she ignored. “Perhaps the Seelie are not all as bad as we have been led to believe.”
“They aren’t,” my father said irritably. “At least, not all of them. That is why I once tried to strike a treaty with them.” He turned back to me. “I suppose you will want to be on your way now?”
I smiled apologetically. “Under the circumstances, I don’t think we can afford to hang around.” Time passed more slowly in Faerie than it did in the human world, and I had no idea how many days, weeks, or even months had gone by since the Morrigan had kidnapped me.
“Very well. But I have one more condition before the two of you depart.”
“And what is that?” I asked, apprehension welling up inside me.
My father gave me one of his rare smiles. “Come outside, and you shall see.”
We did as he asked, donning warm cloaks before following him. Standing at the front steps, my father lifted his hand to his mouth and let out a piercing whistle that echoed across the hills. Almost immediately, a huge, fur-covered shape bounded over the edge of the cliff-side—and I gasped.
“Darun!” I cried, elation soaring in my chest. I rushed out into the snow to meet the enormous wolf, flinging my arms around his massive neck. He nuzzled me with his big, wet nose, then licked the side of my face. “What are you doing here?”
“I summoned him back,” my father said, “to act as your companion.” He closed the distance between us, then lifted the fang necklace resting against my chest. “The fang Chieftain Cano has can be used to summon Darun at will, and the two of you will also be able to communicate telepathically.”
“I’m not exactly looking forward to spending all my time in wolf form,” Darun said dryly in my head, and I started. “But we wolf fae aren’t very good at glamour, so it will be difficult to disguise myself in human form.”