by Liz de Jager
‘Thank you.’ She drops the cloak once more and I can actually hear Aiden swallow at the sight of so much perfect skin and voluptuous curves. ‘We don’t have far to go, fortunately. I made good time in my bear aspect.’
I walk up to both boys and lead them some distance away so that Nura can get changed without them ogling her as if she’s the last bit of glazed doughnut in the shop. Crow watches us, puzzled, but then grins wickedly at me when he realizes that human and Fae modesty mean very different things.
Chapter Fifty-Three
Nura’s pace through the forest is faster than Crow’s. She has no qualms about using her skill to clear a path for us and bends the forest to her will. Crow works with the forest, listening and taking care. He coasts, like his bird namesake, whereas Nura makes her own way.
I’m grateful for the amount of running I’ve been doing and I do my utmost to keep up with the statuesque Fae forester. Aiden has that look in his eye that tells me he’s smitten once more. He wears that same expression around Megan whenever she’s home, not that she ever actually notices. Dante’s incredibly quiet as he follows closely behind. His eyes are wide and I can tell he has a million questions about everything around him: about Crow, about Nura, about the forest. For almost the first time since I’ve known him, he looks dishevelled and not entirely in control. It’s a good look on him, as is the healthy flush that’s crept back into his face.
Nura took one look at him before we set off and with one hand on her heart she executed a small bow.
‘Your mother was a great lady, young Dante. She did not deserve the death that came for her.’ Dante tried asking questions but Nura shook her head. ‘Afterwards, there’ll be time for talking. Now, I have to lead you to the palace.’
We walk at a punishing pace but Nura ensures that we take regular breaks, drinking water and snacking on the fruits and nuts she scavenges. I watch Dante as he becomes aware of the residual power of the forest. He drops his glamour gradually and I grin at him when the small horns rise from his forehead once more. He spends a lot of time talking quietly to Aiden when we walk, and he seems to have shrugged off Aiden’s artless remarks about his father. There are real smiles there now, an easiness between them that makes me feel I’m seeing the start of true friendship.
The forest is verdant and teeming with wildlife, some of which I’m pretty sure has never been featured on National Geographic’s nature programmes. We stop briefly near midnight for a few hours’ sleep and Nura stands guard before hustling us on again.
When dawn comes round, we step out into a clearing and I let out a gasp as I look up – on the rise ahead, I see the edifice that’s been in my dreams for weeks now. It’s bigger than I’d imagined. It looks more like a fortress from down here than a palace, with a sturdy outer wall. Built of gold-coloured stone, the place looks warm and inviting and yet lonely. For all its solidness, its lines are elegant and beautiful, and I release a breath of relief that we’ve finally arrived. The town at its base, with its winding roads, is deserted. The buildings look a little Middle Eastern, a little Mediterranean.
‘What happened here?’ Dante asks as he draws level with us. ‘Where are all the people?’
‘They were all put to death for supporting the murder of their fellow Fae,’ Nura replies. ‘Those who weren’t killed were left behind to bury the dead. Most eventually died too, overcome with illnesses from handling the thousands of bodies of their dead. Few survived that, and those that did were shunned by Fae trying to rebuild their lives – after the destruction the Elder Gods and their followers had wrought. This place has been cursed ever since.’
‘No one comes here?’
Nura hesitates. ‘Those who come here are usually people who do not want to be found.’
‘Oh great.’ Aiden sighs. ‘So we have to fight them too?’
‘Maybe, it depends on this Faceless you seek. If he’s keeping the children up at the palace, he might have secured the town first.’
‘Let’s go,’ I say and motion for her to lead the way but she shakes her glossy head.
‘No, Lady Blackhart, this is as far as I go. My jurisdiction is the forest. I have no powers in the town. I will wait here for you as Crow asked me to. If you aren’t back by tomorrow night, sunset, I will leave.’ She turns and walks towards the forest and as she does she morphs back into her bear shape. Although I’ve seen her do it the other way around, a shiver still passes over me.
‘That does not stop being the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen,’ Aiden says, shaking his head. ‘Do you think that when we come back she’ll be naked again?’
I shove him hard and he staggers dramatically, falling over his own feet, and is helped up by Dante, who looks both amused and horrified. ‘Stop being an idiot. Let’s get going.’
We climb through the town’s deserted streets. An eerie feeling that we’re being watched settled over me when we walked through the gate almost an hour ago, and I can’t shake it. I carry my sword and still feel exposed and uncomfortable. The town is much larger than I expected from the clearing. Probably several thousand people lived here before they were killed. As we pass the empty houses I’m struck by the personal items I see left behind. Pots and pans, a vase, someone’s loom.
It’s like a fairytale village caught in a hundred-year sleep. I almost expect to see heavy rose vines keeping us out of the palace, but the doors and windows are all gone and the only vines belong to thick growths of ivy. I gingerly step through the doorway and a weird sense of déjà vu overcomes me.
Here’s the palace I’ve dreamed of so often. It feels odd being here in reality when I’ve been here so often in my dreams, exploring its abandoned rooms and meeting with Thorn. I remember the presence I felt whenever we met up here and how he kept urging me to ‘keep her safe’, whoever ‘she’ was.
‘If you were a bad guy hiding kids, where would you hide them?’ Dante asks me.
He’s carrying his taser and I wonder if it will even work here. I consider passing him one of my knives but think he probably has a few of his own. Even so, he looks uncomfortably under-armed. Aiden, by comparison, is carrying a kukri and I am a bit jealous at how prettily the curved blade reflects the light.
‘Dungeon,’ Aiden and I answer at the same time.
Aiden grimaces. ‘The guy who lived here wasn’t exactly Prince Charming, was he? I mean, I expected more ugliness than this from him.’ He points to the still vivid murals of pastoral landscapes. ‘Seeing as this was the guy who supported the crazy Elder Gods, and we all know they were more about eating their followers than ruling them.’
A shiver tracks down my spine and I step into a shaft of sunlight to counter it, but even that doesn’t warm me.
I frown at him. ‘Okay, smarty pants, let’s go find ourselves some stairs that go down.’
He takes the lead and I bring up the rear with Dante between us. We move cautiously. In some places the roof’s fallen in completely and we have to skirt rubble. There are some rooms that are utterly untouched by time and it’s as if the occupants have only just left. Tapestries hang on the walls, defying age and time. Some floor tiles crumble to dust beneath our feet. My blade brushes a stone set in an archway as we pass through and gouges a chunk from it. I hurriedly step forward, concerned that the whole arch will crumble, but it miraculously stays up, keeping the remnants of the ceiling above us where they belong.
What I find strange about the whole place is how there are no birds or any other creatures to be seen or heard. After the living forest we walked through during the night, the absence of animals feels peculiar.
‘Is it just me or does it feel like we’re going to stumble into Sleeping Beauty’s bower any second now?’ Aiden asks over his shoulder. ‘Also, can this place be any creepier?’
‘There could be zombies,’ Dante says apparently without thinking. Then: ‘Zombies aren’t real, are they?’
Aiden shrugs. ‘Well, I’ve seen some ugly things crawl out of Milton’s some nights, so I can’t be sure.’
We wind down the stairs and, whereas the floors above still seemed in good, although derelict, order, the places we pass as we descend are less well kept. It’s as if whatever keeps the palace standing has no hold here in the dark musty depths.
The palace had been built on a rocky outcrop, not unlike the main city of Alba, the Citadel. The further we descend, the more it feels that we’re descending into the hill itself, and I wonder uncomfortably if we’ll be facing trolls again.
The last time I faced trolls in a cavern things had gone badly wrong and someone had lost their life. My thoughts are interrupted by Aiden coming to a halt.
‘I think we’re here.’
I edge past Aiden and spot the heavy iron gate blocking our way. Once upon a time it had been locked with a thick iron chain. Now that chain lies in brittle pieces on the floor.
‘What are the chances,’ I say, ‘that we’re walking into a trap?’
‘Of course we’re walking into a trap. We’ve not exactly been subtle about walking through the palace or about our intention to come here.’
I shrug. Aiden’s right. ‘Okay then, let’s go.’
Dante uses a piece of wood from the corner and pushes the gate open until it swings wide enough for us to pass through. Aiden and I follow him along the passage.
It’s darker here, more damp. I call my magic, creating two balls of softly glowing light. I tether one above and to the right of Aiden’s shoulder and do the same above me. That way they are giving light but not blinding us.
We move on, and once we’ve checked the first floor of cells (gross damp places full of rubble and glowing fungi), we move further down still.
I’ve lost count of how many floors we check over, cautiously stepping into each cell, expecting the worst, but there’s nothing. The fact that there’s nothing to fight or hurt is more tiring than I can actually explain. My nerves, already on edge, are drawn tight – so when we come to a halt, within what feels like the very basement of the palace, my hand holding the sword is sweaty and I’m breathing fast.
I dry my hands on my jeans. ‘I’ll take point,’ I say to Aiden, aware that I’m falling into Jamie’s military speak. ‘You bring up the rear. Keep Dante safe.’
It looks for a moment as if he wants to argue, also remembering a time when we had a third party to our duo and how we were instructed to keep him safe. The memory of Thorn makes me realize how much I miss him. The ache is unexpected and sharp but I push it aside, knowing that now is not the time for a mini-breakdown.
I hold back a sigh and gesture. Onwards.
There are no cells here. The passage is narrow and the ceiling is high. My light glints off thousands upon thousands of gems stuck into the basalt stone. I remember seeing similar stone in the trolls’ cave and wonder if we’ve somehow slipped between worlds again, and if the next door we’re going to find will lead us to London.
Aiden hears it before I do. He makes a barely audible clicking sound at the back of his throat and I stop. He brings a finger to his lips and taps his ear.
Above the sound of water dripping somewhere, is the sound of something moving. The sound is laborious and slow. I close my eyes and imagine scales and possibly a chain. A dragon? Could the palace be built on top of a dragon? I shudder. A giant snake, like in Conan? Or, my imagination reaches, the world serpent from Norse mythology?
Dante touches my arm lightly and shows me the palm of his hand. I frown in surprise. Ink-black marks have crept along his arm, winding their way around his wrist and onto his hand. I recognize sharp points as looking like the ivy we passed earlier.
‘My tattoo seems to be growing,’ he says, lifting his shirt and turning sideways so I can see the rest of it. I’m not even distracted by his abs because the tattoo is so absorbing, and I don’t remember it stretching over this much of his skin before.
Aiden mutters something and grabs Dante, turning him so he can look at the marks. ‘Bloody hell, Dante, what’s that?’
‘I have absolutely no idea. It doesn’t hurt at all, but I can feel it shifting and growing.’ Dante presses his hand against the almost imperceptibly moving ink. ‘It almost tickles.’
‘I don’t like this,’ I say, looking at Aiden. ‘Maybe we should get Dante out of here. We don’t know if his magic is reacting to this place or to whatever’s down here.’
‘Don’t be stupid, Kit. I’m your partner – we’re seeing this through together.’ Dante’s grumbling makes Aiden grin and he nods towards the changeling.
‘The man has a point.’
I give Aiden a filthy look before I turn to look back at Dante. ‘Don’t come crying to me if you turn into a hideous beast monster or something, okay?’
Dante rolls his eyes. ‘Lead the way, Blackhart.’
Chapter Fifty-Four
The passage narrows considerably for about a hundred metres before widening again. The steady sound of dripping is closer now and I wonder if we’re going to find another cavern at the end of this tunnel. What might there be in such a cavern?
‘I really don’t like being underground,’ Aiden admits unexpectedly. ‘It makes me think about weight of the earth above me. I can’t breathe properly.’
‘We’ll be out of here soon. Can you feel it? The path is going uphill now.’
Dante’s right and the gradient’s increasing too. I’m already puffing and out of breath when the passage opens wide and we spill out into a large room held up by stone arches and solid columns. I stop to catch my breath and turn to check that Dante and Aiden are okay. As I do, I spot the man sitting casually on a small chair, watching us with interest.
His features are pleasantly bland, almost unremarkable, and he’s dressed in boots, a tunic and comfortable-looking trousers. He watches us without alarm and seems unsurprised by our presence, but even so I can almost feel the weight of his regard. The guys notice him too and Dante murmurs something ugly but I grab hold of his arm before he can run at the guy.
‘You actually found us,’ the man says, sounding impressed. ‘I wondered when you would. I have been waiting to see you for a very long time.’ He nods at me and I know he has to be Brixi; I recognize him from my weird little time-slip adventure at the estate. ‘I didn’t think you had it in you, but then you sent my men packing and I had to reassess your abilities.’
I glance around as casually as I can as I move towards him. ‘What have you done with the kids?’
‘They are here, sleeping, of course.’
‘We are here to take them back.’
At my words both Aiden and Dante walk forward so that they flank me. It’s a neat move but it doesn’t seem to impress Brixi at all.
‘You can try, but I don’t think you’ll be able to.’ He stands up from the small chair. ‘Come, let me show you. I know you’re dying to see what this is all about.’
Both Aiden and Dante shoot a glance at me and I can practically hear them telling me it’s a trap. But I nod anyway and we follow him.
Brixi makes sure his hands stay visible as he walks ahead. We soon come to another room, smaller than before, but we don’t stop. It’s a labyrinth down here and all the rooms look alike, with vaulted ceilings and archways.
However, the atmosphere is fresh rather than musty, which means that there’s enough air getting in here from somewhere. This cheers me up because it means that if air can come in, we have a way out.
We don’t go far at all, even if the journey is a confusing one. Brixi pushes open a massive wooden door banded with silver and beckons us in. He enters the room without waiting to see if we’re following. Aiden puts his shoulder to the door and pushes it all the way open while Dante blocks the door fr
om shutting on us with a small boulder.
The room looks like the outer chamber to a wealthy noblewoman’s room, but everything is on a larger scale. When I say larger scale, I mean very big. Gossamer curtains stir in the air and flutter towards us in the softest of breezes. Brixi puts his finger to his lips and leads us through the curtains into the chamber beyond.
It isn’t possible to miss the sleeping giant dozing in the middle of the room. Nor is it possible not to notice the thirteen beds spaced around her, each one holding a sleeping child. A soft haze hangs over the scene and there’s a silence to this place that reminds me of being alone in a large cathedral.
The figure at the centre of the room is female and draped with soft cloths. I can’t see her features because the slab she’s lying on is raised too high, so all I can make out is her sleeping form. There are steps that lead up to the dais; if I could climb these, I’d be able to look down on her.
Aiden nudges me and frowns questioningly at the scene. How would I know what’s going on here? I mime back in annoyance before moving forwards. A soft pressure prevents me from getting too close, no matter how much I try to push through. The haze looks like watery mist but it doesn’t feel damp or unpleasant against my skin. My magic buzzes happily, not at all alarmed by the shield in place. The way it pushes me back reminds me of when I tried to gain access to little Tia’s apartment but couldn’t. Dante’s next to me and he presses his hand into the barrier before pulling back.
‘Is this what you felt back on the estate at Tia’s parents’ flat?’ he asks me, looking surprised. ‘So, it was you, all along?’ His gaze finds Brixi, who’s watching us with a watchful expression. ‘Then it was you who prevented Kit from gaining access to Tia’s home . . . Were you also responsible for making me sick?’
‘I might have been overzealous with my offensive spell, but look how that turned out,’ Brixi said, gesturing at him. ‘Although you were waking up to who you were already. Lady Blackhart had already triggered the demise of your glamour. It was interesting to watch, but then kisses from maidens always carried the utmost power and intent.’