The Darkling Lord: Court of the Banished book 1 (Annwyn Series 4)

by Shona Husk

  “Of course I did. I haven’t managed to live for over a century in the mortal world without picking up a few things.” He smiled and hoped he looked more confident than he felt. Here he had to appear more fairy than he was. That meant putting on a convincing performance. Darah had shown him the caliber that was expected.

  The Hunter looked as if she wanted to ask him something else, but then she changed her mind. “In.” She pointed to the cell.

  Henry bit back the sigh. He wasn’t going to be compliant…but he didn’t want to be difficult either. “I need to be in the mortal world. There are people who depend on me.”

  “I can’t help you. It is up to the King to determine your fate.”

  “Is he really trying to overhaul Annwyn? Darah said he has new ideas and it trying new things.” If King Felan was progressive, for a fairy, then his odds would certainly improve.

  She nodded and indicated again for him to step into the cell. As much as he didn’t want to, he forced himself over the threshold. Resisting wouldn’t help him, that was why he had gone with her instead of being dragged into Annwyn kicking and screaming—plus he had some pride—maybe the Hunter would put in a good word and mention how cooperative he was.

  He had no idea what the fairies expected from him now he was here. He was an oddity even to them. A creature who shouldn’t exist.

  The Hunter shut the cell door and locked it. He put his hands against the bars and she un-cuffed him. “You will be given food and water.”

  There was a trap for the unwary. Were they hoping he would fall? “I can’t eat or drink here. I know the rules.”

  The Hunter smiled. “Don’t dance either. You are trapped here until the King decides what to do with you. I wouldn’t run the risk of starving.”

  “I’ll be trapped here if fairy food or wine passed my lips.” Or he accidentally fell into rhythm with the music. “Can’t I have mortal food?”

  “You’re already trapped here. If the King decides you can return to the mortal world then it won’t matter if you have eaten or drunk the food as you already have fairy blood, you are already bound to the Court.” She shook her head. “Eat or don’t, your choice.” She walked away and left him in his treetop perch.

  From here he could see quite a bit of Annwyn. All the way to the river on one side, but not beyond the river as that was shrouded in mist, the bank seemed to curve then it was lost in forest. Part of the forest seemed neat and ordered, other parts wilder, darker. A reminder that not everything in Annwyn was controlled, or friendly.

  Nor was everything nice across the veil, but he knew where he’d rather be. It was almost enough to make him regret ordering the Mayor’s death. Almost. Detroit would be better off without MacGill. No doubt there would be some who thought it would be better off without him too.

  Darah ate breakfast alone. For the first time in her life she didn’t know how to act. What was the appropriate mask to wear? She was sure that no matter what she did someone would see through it and realize that she was the reason Henry was missing.

  But no one pointed at her and called her a traitor. Marlis was also missing and most assumed that they were together. They all knew that Marlis wasn’t coming back and the morning took on a subdued air of resignation.

  Marlis’s death only compounded her guilt. Had she been alone, or had Henry been with her? No one deserved to be alone at the moment of their passing, not even a Grey. And Marlis had been loyal to Henry, which is more than what Darah had been.

  Henry had known from the start what she was. However not even her reasoning made her feel better or eased the guilt. Over the last few weeks she’d come to believe in what Henry was doing, A few words from her and it was all going to unravel, then everyone, fairy and human would be worse off.

  How long did she have before the truth was revealed?

  She should leave before the Greys turned on her, but she couldn’t go, not yet.

  With Henry gone there was one thing she had to do. Something that Henry would want done. So she waited.

  Kaid gave her dark looks, as though he already knew that Henry had been arrested and taken to Annwyn before stalking off, and Weylin delivered careful sneers. She ignored them both. With each hour that passed the whispers about Henry grew louder. The sorrow became tension and people walked around her without making eye contact.

  She bit the inside of her lip to keep from shouting her defense. She’d made a deal with the King. That wasn’t something she could back out of. Maybe she should’ve been with him when the Hunter came. But would that have changed anything?

  At midday there was a commotion in the lobby and the mother walked in carrying her daughter. “I need to see Henry.”

  It took a moment for Darah to realize she was the only fairy that the woman could see. The Greys didn’t waste magic to make themselves visible. Neither did Weylin.

  She was it, and this is what she’d been waiting for. “He isn’t here.”

  “He promised he’d help.”

  “I want to kiss you, Mommy.” Peri touched her mother’s face. Her words were pleading. “I’m so hungry.”

  A little Grey sat with the child and made soft cooing sounds that the mother didn’t hear and the child was too upset to take notice of. The Grey looked at Darah, pleading. There was no carefully neutral expression only outright concern tinged with panic.

  “She’s been like this since she woke up. She can’t walk. She’s too weak. What kind of mother doesn’t kiss her child?” The woman started crying.

  “One who wants to live.” Darah walked over. “Let me take her. I know what needs to be done.”

  Henry had wanted to help the girl and since it was because of her he wasn’t here, she was going to make sure that the darkling girl survived. It was the least she could do. All she could do while hoping Felan saw the good in Henry, not just deaths he’d caused.

  The mother hugged Peri closer. “I’ll go with you.”

  Darah thought about her reaction to Henry killing the cop with a kiss. There were some things a mother didn’t need to see her child do. Darah wished she could forget what Henry had looked like in those few seconds. She didn’t have a soul and it had still been terrifying.

  “She can’t hurt me. I will bring her back and she will be fine for another year. Yes?” Darah held out her arms. She was aware that the other Greys were watching her.

  “I want to kiss my Mommy.” Peri arched up she tried to grab her mother’s face. The child didn’t know that if she kissed her Mommy that Mommy would die. Net yet anyway. In another year, maybe two, she’d know and understand. That was a problem for another day. Darah pulled Peri away and the mother released her child.

  “You don’t want to hurt your Mommy. I know what you need.”

  Peri looked at Darah, her pale green eyes as piercing as any fairies. She looked confused for a moment. How had Henry survived as child, not knowing what he was only what he needed once a year? How close had he come to death? Peri leaned closer as if to kiss her, acting on instinct not thought.

  Darah let the child try.

  The mother gasped.

  Peri howled in frustration, tears streaming down her face.

  “She can’t hurt me. I have no soul. I’m fairy.” Darah looked at the mother. “I’m going to take Peri out, we’ll be back in an hour and she’ll be back to normal. Maybe we can have some birthday cake when we get back? It’s your birthday today isn’t it Peri?” Without looking up from the child Darah gave instructions. “Penn, can you arrange that?”

  Penn nodded. The mother looked at Darah like she was crazy then she looked around the room trying to see who Darah had spoken to.

  “There are other fairies here that you can’t see. You have to trust me on that. Don’t trust them and don’t make any promises to them.” She looked at Weylin. “No one is to interfere with the human woman.”

  Most nodded. Weylin curled his lips in disgust. Darah hoped that they’d listen and obey, and that Penn had as much pull as he se
emed to.

  The woman shivered and sat down. “One hour?”

  “One hour. I’ll bring her back. I promise.”

  Peri reached for her mother.

  Several of the Greys made murmurs and nodded their heads. Fairies always kept their word. Darah hoped she found a soul for Peri. That meant finding someone for the child to kill. Her stomach turned at the idea, but she had to do this. What would Henry have done? What had he said about choosing souls?

  How could she decided who should live and who should die?

  This was a taste of Henry went through every year, every time he was injured. For a moment she wanted to back out and leave the child with the crying mother. By morning one of them would be dead. She couldn’t do that either. Henry wouldn’t want that, even though he said that living as a darkling was hard.

  He hadn’t been exaggerating.

  Darah started walking toward the door. Peri called for her mother the only person nearby with a soul, but she didn’t have the strength to fight Darah’s embrace.

  There was no warmth in the autumn sun. The sky was dull with clouds that threatened rain and took turns in hiding the sun and creating shadows. She walked down the sidewalk with the crying child not entirely sure where she was going. She wasn’t used to holding children. They weren’t light, or even easy to hold. It was like holding a sack of annoyed snakes. Weighty, wriggly and awkward.

  Kaid crossed the road without even looking for traffic. She’d only seen a few working cars since arriving in Detroit. He was holding a blanket and a cell phone and he didn’t look pleased.

  He looked at the child. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m going to…we’re looking for…” it was really hard to say. If it was this hard to say would she really be able to do it? She’d given her word to the mother. She had to. “I’m finding her a soul.” Think of the soul not the body.

  Kaid considered her for a moment. “When you get back we need to talk.”

  “There’s nothing to say.”

  “You turned him in.”

  “I had no choice. I am a subject of Annwyn the same as all of you. Do not make the mistake of thinking it was easy.” She had to juggle the child who was doing her best to break free and go and find her own soul, even if that meant crawling.

  “Why are you helping?”

  “Henry wanted to help her. I believe in what he was doing. The person you should be watching is Weylin.”

  “Don’t tell me what my job is,” he snapped. His dark eyes as cold as any fairy’s.

  “Then let me do mine.” She took several steps away then turned to glance at Kaid. Maybe he could help. “Where should I go?”

  “Henry choses his mark weeks before, someone with a record as long as his.” He glanced at the child. There was no time to research a mark and find a criminal. “He’s not this weak on his birthday though.”

  “He’s older, maybe he used to be.” And some kind adult would’ve leaned in to help…

  Kaid’s face softened. “Don’t get her a criminal. Go to the hospital. In ICU there will be people close to death. Those souls will want a new home.”

  It sounded so easy. Too easy and Kaid spoke of it as if they were talking about which seeds to buy and which truck to steal. “Are you always so calm when talking about death?”

  He shrugged. “Death is a great equalizer.”

  There seemed to be a lot of it going around at the moment. “Where is the hospital?”

  He pointed in the opposite direction to where she’d been heading. “Let me call Henry’s driver. Do you have money to pay him?”

  She shook her head. “I promised the mother that we’d only be an hour.”

  “You have time.” Kaid placed the call and ten minutes later a man on a bicycle with a two-seater buggy on the back, that looked like it had been made out of car parts, turned up.

  Kaid paid him upfront and told him to wait and bring them back.

  “Thank you.” And she meant it. Deep down Kaid was actually a decent guy, horse. Whatever.

  “I’m doing it for Henry and the girl, not you.”

  Darah nodded. She didn’t care. The end result would be the same. Peri would get a new soul and another year of life.

  And maybe Darah would get a second chance with Henry.

  Chapter 17

  Darah had kept her promise with three minutes to spare. She’d glamoured their way into the hospital and just as Kaid had said she found someone in ICU who was barely hanging on. Peri had done the rest. She’d then started asking all kinds of awkward questions. Darah had tried to explain as best she could, but she was sure that Henry would’ve done a better job.

  When they’d returned to the casino there was birthday cake to celebrate, but Darah wasn’t in the mood. She didn’t want to do anything or speak to anyone. It was time she packed and left. Unfortunately Kaid had other ideas.

  He followed her to the elevator and leaned against the wall. “Everyone except Penn seems to think Weylin had a hand in Henry’s untimely visit to Annwyn.”

  “That’s unfortunate for Weylin.” She couldn’t even take the credit for that deception even though she wished she could. It was something she should’ve thought of instead of feeling sorry for herself while wallowing in guilt.

  “Very.” The elevator opened and she stepped inside. He put his hand on the door to stop it closing. “We both know that isn’t the case.”

  She didn’t confirm or deny. Kaid wanted something, and she wasn’t sure what.

  “I’m going to assume control here until Henry gets back, and you should go and make sure he comes back.” While his words weren’t threatening there was something in the way he said them and the way he stood that made it clear she wasn’t welcome here anymore.

  She hadn’t planned on staying, but she didn’t want to be thrown out either.

  “I don’t have that power.” If she had that kind of sway, Henry wouldn’t even be in Annwyn.

  Kaid shook his head. “That’s not my problem. It’s yours, since you created this mess.”

  “I didn’t create anything. I was told to find out what was going on. There are over twenty Greys in Detroit now, and they are just the ones staying in the casino. How many more are going to arrive? How many exiled are going to come here and vie for power and stir things up like Weylin? This isn’t simple anymore. It’s not just about Henry wanting to help rebuild the city. There is more at stake.”

  “Only for Annwyn. For everyone else it’s business as usual. Annwyn is the one with the problem. Not us. Think on that, Lady Darah.” He stepped back and let the door close.

  She hadn’t been given permission to return to Annwyn yet. The Hunter had told her to stay here. They didn’t need her here, or want her here. Penn and Kaid could easily turn ambivalence to hate and have her hounded out of Detroit. Kaid had reinforced what she’d already been thinking; Henry needed her in Annwyn to plead his case.

  She thought over her conversations with the Hunter, but there had been no outright order or commitment made .It was a loophole, but exploiting them was what fairies did best.

  Only this time she wasn’t acting in her own self-interest. There was a bigger game at play and while she wasn’t sure how she fit in or what outcome she desired, she knew that Henry belonged on this side of the veil and she was going to do her best to make sure that happened.

  The elevator doors opened and she stepped out on her floor. For the first time in her life she was going to disobey Annwyn and obey her heart.

  Annwyn hadn’t changed much in the time she’d been in the mortal world. The ground was still covered in sparse grass, trees were still budding and the grounds around the castle were still oddly empty. Less than a handful of fairies were near the castle, and none of them would be staying there as Court was closed.

  The old pastime of watching the main doorway between the worlds was obviously a hard habit to break. Unlike before though, no one rushed off to inform who had just arrived. She walked across the grass i
n her mortal clothes. When she’d first put them on, these clothes had felt odd, rough and restrictive, now she couldn’t imagine going back to wearing the gowns she had once worn. They were clothes from a different time, Court had been different…she had been different.

  Darah walked into the castle and no one stopped her. A few shadow servants still glided down the empty halls, but far less than there had been. Felan had obviously been busy dealing with them, freeing them if they were fairy or letting them pass over if they were human souls. Instead of ignoring them, or treating them with the disdain she once had, she spared them a smile. It wouldn’t mean much, but she knew what it was like to be faceless and all but invisible.

  She made her way through the castle toward her old chamber, hoping that it would still be hers. It had been a long time since she’d used it. A year and a day as a shadow. Plus the couple of months spent across the veil.

  Maybe there were more buds on the trees than there had been and summer was closer than she’d thought. If summer was close, that meant the Queen must be ready to give birth. Then the Court would re-open. The castle would once again be full of fairies. She smiled but it quickly faded.

  Full of fairies doing what exactly?

  Her aim for so long had been to get on the Council and be part of the small group that assisted the King and Queen in ruling Annwyn and all fairies, but compared to what she’d seen in the mortal world, what she’d done in the mortal world, it didn’t seem like a worthy goal to have. So little actually changed in Annwyn.

  Yet this was her home. She was supposed to want to be here. Power was what she’d always wanted. What all fairies wanted. She swept aside the curtain of her old bedchamber. It was exactly as it had been before she’d become a shadow servant. Her old clothes, in the dark colors of winter, hung on the branches. Her bed was neatly made as always. She dropped her bag on the bed and looked around. Instead of feeling happy to be here she was twitchy as if she had better things to be doing.

  How many days were sliding by in the mortal world while she stood here remembering the past?