I didn’t stop until I’d reached the top of the stairs where the guard on duty leaned around me and pulled the doors wide. I stepped inside, maintaining my facade until the doors closed behind me. Then I stopped and exhaled a long breath. There were at least two dark faeries in this place who I knew were loyal to Baen. One was a male called Darmon, the other a female called Naobe. She was a favourite of the Dark King and the one I was looking for.
To my right was the heavy stone door leading to the river that carried the Dark Fae from one dungeon to the next. Directly ahead was the curving staircase that led to long hallways and a maze of rooms, and to my left a curtain of deep red velvet overlaid with lengths of heavy chain. From behind it, I could hear sounds— laughter and protests, shrieks and groans.
Keeping my shoulders back, eyes straight ahead, I chose left. Silver chains rattled as I pushed the curtain aside and passed through the archway. All around the room, lanterns burned in shades of red and gold, and bowls of sweet and smouldering herbs sent spirals of smoke into the air, turning everything dusky. In the corner, a group of dark faeries were getting busy with each other. Closer, eight sat in a circle, their bodies dripping blood and eyes glued to a dagger revolving at their centre. Spin the bottle for Dark Fae I realised when the knife stopped. The dark faery the point had landed on started to cringe away, but one of the others jumped up and pounced on the blade—a scream as the unfortunate victim’s arm was slashed. Two left the game and sidled up to me—one male, one female. Fingers hovered over the bowl of fruit. They spoke in succession.
‘Where are you going, faery?’
‘What have you there?’
‘Treats is it?’
‘The King would not miss a bit.’
‘Better not touch,’ I said. The hand withdrew and from the floor another howl of pain followed by more laughter as the previously wounded faery got her own back.
‘For Naobe,’ I said, clutching the bowl tight and trying hard to sound like a zombie. ‘From the Dark King. Get her.’ If I’d learned anything about this place, it was that assertiveness showed power, and Rual’s orders were never ignored.
‘Always Naobe,’ the female growled. She leaned close then reached out and snatched up a thick slice of melon.
‘Naobe will tell the King,’ the male cried gleefully. ‘You will be punished.’ To me he said, ‘I’ll bring her.’ Then he turned and dashed from the room.
The dark faery stared longingly at the fruit in her hands, then stuck out her tongue and closed her eyes as she licked it from bottom to top. She couldn’t seem to resist taking a bite before returning it carefully to the bowl. Not a minute later, Naobe rushed into the room, her long black hair a tempest around her. She slapped the dark faery hard across the face, sending her reeling. Then she attempted to yank the bowl from my arms. I held tight. ‘Rual said in your chamber.’
Naobe scowled. ‘Always a price.’ She turned and led me back through the curtain and up the stairs. Inside her room, I gave her the bowl and watched her peel the skin from a mareena, hit with a burst of tangy citrus scent.
‘Naobe, it’s me, Marla.’
The dark faery looked up, a chunk of fruit hovering at her lips. ‘Marla?’ She shoved the fruit in her mouth, chewed.
‘I came with Baen … remember?’
She swallowed, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. ‘You look different.’
‘Because I don’t want Rual to recognise me. The Fae King Telophy is coming here to bargain with him.’
Naobe’s face held no surprise. ‘So, Rual has broken him.’
I frowned. ‘You know about this?’
She sat on the end of her bed, crossed one knee over the other. ‘Winning possession of the soul of your King Telophy is all Rual talks about.’
‘I need your help to stop it.’
She stretched both arms behind her and leaned into her hands, her foot bouncing. ‘What will you give me?’
‘If you don’t help me, Rual will have possession of the soul of a king and Baen will have no hope of defeating him. You’ll be stuck here forever.’
Her lip curled. ‘What do you need?’
‘I need you to get me within hearing distance of King Telophy and Rual when they make their bargain. Then I will use the telepathy I share with my former king to call him back from whatever trick Rual attempts to play on him—just like my betrothed did for me.’
She nodded slowly. ‘I will accept the food as payment. Agreed?’
I nodded, certain she would have helped me whether I’d given her food or not. But then I felt a movement inside, soft as a butterfly’s beating wings, and a slip of my essence left my fingers and spiralled towards her. I jumped back trying to escape hers coming for me.
She frowned. ‘What’s wrong?’
The orange-tinged black seeped into my skin. ‘This is a bargain. I never said anything about a bargain!’
‘You asked for my help and agreed to my price—an exceedingly small price. You know how this works so what’s the problem?’
‘All right, no problem,’ I said, trying to get my head around what had just happened. But my heart was pounding. I needed to be a lot more careful.
‘Relax,’ she said, sitting forward again. ‘We both want the same thing. Now, about your king. If he’d already arrived, I’d know about it. Rual likes to play with his victims first so we have some time.’ She pressed her hands together and held them to her mouth. ‘Wait here,’ she said finally. ‘There’s something I need to do.’
She stood and went to the window. ‘You will be safe until I return.’ With that she launched herself over the ledge. I gasped and ran to the window to see her wings come to life just before she hit the ground, her sleek, coffee-coloured body disappearing into the dark.
Spots of colour just above the silver horizon of Faera captured my attention—red, orange, blue and green. I might have thought they were low-slung stars only they were flickering like sparklers and growing larger. Still some distance from the castle, the faeries descended and vanished. Eventually I moved away from the window, my fear of being seen getting the better of me.
I was sitting on the bed flicking through a book of spells I didn’t come close to understanding when Naobe returned, the wet flash of black wings vanishing as she came inside. I leapt to my feet with a gasp when she thrust a hand at me. Her fingers opened and a shower of glittery dust fell over me as I tripped and fell backwards, landing on my butt. ‘What is that?’ I cried.
‘Your mask,’ the dark faery, said, her tone matter-of-fact.
‘I already have a mask!’
‘You have a disguise not a mask—and not one that would fool Rual.’
I stood up and lifted an arm covered in gold flecks. ‘So what is this?’
‘A mask—like I said. Rual won’t see you. Aside from me no one will. Unless you wish them to and then you only need will it.’
A memory returned—Baen telling me not to trust his kind. A nauseating feeling clawed at my throat. ‘I didn’t agree to use dark magic. I only wanted you to hide me.’
‘And what did you think I would use to hide you?’
I glanced at my arm again. There was no way of knowing if this stuff would come off, or even if it did what she claimed it would.
Naobe must have seen my fear. ‘There is no trick in this, Marla. This is just me helping you because it suits me—and because I like fresh fruit.’
‘So when this is over, how do I get rid of this stuff?’
‘It will wear off eventually or wash off quickly.’ She started for the door. ‘But come, I have word your king has arrived. He is with Rual as we speak.’
I followed Naobe through the castle, hyper aware of my own presence and hardly believing those I passed didn’t know I was there. But they ignored me, only leered at the dark faery leading me. I slowed when I heard a couple talking about King Telophy, of the power he would soon gift to their king. When one sniffed the air and asked the other if he could smell something sweet
, I hurried on. Eventually we stopped outside an enormous sitting room, lavishly decorated. Naobe frowned. ‘I was sure he would bring him here first.’
She turned and carried on down the corridor.
‘Why’s this so important to you?’ I asked as we picked up the pace.
‘If you knew what I must endure, you would not ask that question.’
‘But can’t you just leave?’
‘You think I stay by choice?’ She scowled. ‘Rual has my mark.’
‘What does that mean?’
‘It means I gave myself to him blood and soul. It means if I stray further than he allows me, he will know and send his guards after me. It means like everyone else in this place, I have the illusion of freedom but nothing more.’
‘Why would you give him that power over you?’
‘I am the spoils of war, faery. I came here with Baen to challenge Rual. Rual won. He desired me and so let me live. The price was his ownership of me. I had to give to him a portion of my soul to tie us, and a portion of my blood so he could track me.’
‘Is there any way out of it?’
A pause. ‘Not much more than death—unless he chose to release me. Which he wouldn’t.’ She glanced at me. ‘I work hard to keep my place among his favourites, but long for the day Baen challenges him again.’
I recalled the group of dark faeries who’d attacked Baen. Two had died trying to defeat him and he’d taken the essence and blood of the survivors. ‘I’m pretty sure I saw Baen doing the same as Rual’s done to you,’ I told her.
‘Of course, it is what ties us to those we call master. It is also what makes the master strong and able to lead his subjects. The difference is, Baen offers choice, Rual does not. To say no to Baen is to never enter his territory again. To say no to Rual is to die.’
The sound of laughter from an open doorway silenced me. Once we’d passed, I said, ‘What I don’t understand is how Baen got away after he challenged Rual.’
‘Rual tortured Baen in every way you could imagine, but never demanded his submission. He knew Baen would die first. And Rual would not want that.’
I frowned. ‘Why?’
‘Baen provides a game my king finds irresistible. When Rual was bored of torturing Baen, he burned his mark into his body and released him—fun for another day. It’s likely you did not need to bargain for Baen’s life when last he was here. I think my king also longs for the day Baen challenges him again.’
‘Next time Baen might win.’
‘One lives in hope.’
We came to the top of the stairs leading to Rual’s chambers. Halfway along the corridor were three burly guards. They ogled Naobe as she slunk on by, unaware I was practically glued to her back. We stopped at the door and I could just make out voices on the other side. ‘The things I have to do,’ Naobe muttered under her breath. Then she ran her fingers through her hair, took a deep breath and whispered for me to be ready to slide past her.
She knocked.
A few seconds later the door opened a crack and Rual peered around the edge, my stomach turning at the sight of him. ‘Naobe,’ he said, a sneaking smile on his face as he looked her up and down.
She slipped her fingers through the door and trailed them down his body. ‘You want me, Master?’ I was aware of the dark faeries a short distance away, watching.
Rual opened the door a little wider and slid a hand around the curve of her waist. ‘I always want you, treasure, you know that, but I’m busy right now.’
She wound an arm around his hip, tugging gently. ‘You would make me wait?’ she said, taking a step back. He followed her through the door, ice-coloured eyes flashing as his smile widened. I watched, revolted, as he used his body to press hers to the wall. Then he started making the kinds of promises that made me want to throw up. I gave her a look I hoped conveyed how sorry I was, then slipped through the door.
Chapter Twenty-nine
King Telophy sat in a corner, bathed in crimson light and shadows. His elbows were pressed to his knees and his face buried in his hands. My heart ached to see him so defeated. While I waited for Rual to return, I went over my plan—wait for the Dark King to connect with King Telophy’s soul, then use our shared telepathy to make contact. I would not let him get lost in whatever fantastical lie Rual dreamed up. I would pull him back to the real world, then together we would leave this disgusting room, with its cloying sweet scent far behind us. I looked out the balcony doors into the night, imagined flying back to Faera with King Telophy and Finelle.
I stayed just to the left of the doorway as Rual returned. ‘Just a little distraction,’ the Dark King said, adjusting his clothing as he came through the door. He perched on the end of his bed. ‘Back with you now.’
‘Get on with it then,’ King Telophy said, lifting his face from his hands.
The Dark King smirked. ‘Anxious to become one with me, King? Can’t say I blame you. But we have more to discuss.’
‘We have nothing to discuss.’
Rual slapped a hand to his heart, his eyes opening wide and golden curls bouncing. ‘But I’ve not yet agreed to anything.’
King Telophy’s face turned stormy. ‘You have spent more than a year sending Finelle to convince me.’
‘So what’s a few moments more? Go on, indulge me. Tell me what it was that swayed you in the end.’
King Telophy’s eyes simmered dangerously, his lips sealed tight.
‘I might have to reconsider, King, I quite enjoy your Finelle’s soul, and she’s so terribly compliant. Finelle, make my bed. Yes, Rual. Scratch my back. At once, Rual. Finelle, expose to me every detail of your relationship with the great Telophy. Immediately, Rual. What, Finelle, he did not have you? Is he a man or a small boy?’
King Telophy leapt to his feet.
‘Sit down,’ Rual commanded, uncrossing his legs. ‘She is mine and there is not a thing you can do—unless you tell me what convinced you.’
King Telophy sat back down, his temper evaporating. ‘You will find out for yourself soon enough.’
‘More fun to hear it from your lips than your mind.’
King Telophy sighed. ‘I discovered who she is to me.’
Rual clapped his hands together. ‘Oh, do tell!’
‘Finelle is the niece of my betrothed.’
‘Ah … she is family. How exquisite.’
‘Indeed, now release her, then you may spend eternity plundering my mind. But remember, the deal is I have time alone with her first.’
I stiffened, my chest tightening as I suddenly realised what was happening. King Telophy hadn’t come here to bargain with Rual at all. That had never been his intention. He’d come here to offer a trade—his soul for my mother’s.
Rual gave King Telophy a final lingering look, then got up and left the room. I leaned back against the wall, allowing it to hold me up as I tried to think what to do next. Rual had told King Telophy he might change his mind about freeing Finelle. But if a trade had been sworn, he wouldn’t have been able to do that. There was still time to salvage the situation. I had to try.
King Telophy never looked my way as I crossed the room, but when I reached out and touched his arm, he glanced down. I closed my fingers around him. ‘Who’s there?’ he said pulling away.
‘It’s me, Marla. I have been masked with dark magic.’
His eyes widened as I became visible to him. ‘Marla, what are you doing here? You look … different.’
I told him of my disguise.
The lines in his forehead deepened. ‘But why would you do that?’
‘So I could come here and help you.’
‘Help me?’ His face was a blend of different emotions— confusion, disbelief, panic. He stood. ‘You cannot help me, and you need to leave while you still can.’
‘You plan to trade your soul for my mother’s, but I know another way.’
‘There is no other way.’
‘But there is. You can bargain with Rual. He will try to trick you, but I
’ll call you back from him the way Leif did me. You’ll both be free—you and Finelle.’
‘Marla, a bargain has never been an option. The price for your mother’s soul has always been mine.’
‘But you have a plan, right?’ His silence was too long. ‘You’re not going to just let it happen!’
‘It’s the only way.’
He would lose his soul and that was it. I couldn’t speak, my whole body going tight. He lay a hand on my shoulder, snatching it away when there was movement at the door.
Rual appeared with my mother, one arm linked with hers. ‘Here she is, King,’ he cried, ‘your sweet Finelle!’
Don’t let him know you are here, King Telophy said. Don’t let either of them know you are here.
I watched my birth mother—the vacantness of her, a puppet and nothing more. I couldn’t bear the thought that the mighty King Telophy would soon be the same.
‘So it is time,’ Rual said, his smile dripping with cruelty. ‘I’m going to miss this sweet thing. So many wonderful tales tied up in her soul. Like the time you—’
‘Just release her and be done,’ King Telophy interrupted, his voice a growl.
Rual sighed dramatically. ‘Oh, very well.’ He let go of Finelle’s arm and held his hands aloft. I could barely breathe as I watched tendrils of pink begin to trail from the tips of his fingers. They twirled around my mother like spinning fairy floss, rapid and shimmering, pressing against her skin, vanishing inside. Her eyes closed. Seconds later a moan escaped her and she began to fall. King Telophy was there in a flash, catching her.
Her eyelids fluttered open. She was frowning, and looked only half aware, as though she’d woken in a strange bed and didn’t know how she’d got there. I wanted to call out to her. Instead I just watched, mesmerised as her eyes found King Telophy’s. Immediately a hand went to her mouth as a sob caught in her throat.
King Telophy turned to Rual who was rubbing his hands together, a greedy look in his pale eyes. ‘Leave us.’
The Dark King smirked as he went for the door. ‘Don’t keep me waiting too long.’
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