There was only the music.
I crossed the floor and floated down the corridor, emerged in an enormous cavern seething with dancing dark faeries. But the beat was all for me, delicious tremors up and down my spine.
Boom, boom, boom.
The grind of metal in my ears, in my blood. Yes. Moving deep into the crowd, I tipped my face up to see swirling colours above, lights shining like stars. My whole body was awash with sensation. Dark faeries swayed around me, made love in the sky, limbs twisting. A red-winged faery was lit up with pleasure, his body arched over a narrow swing suspended from the ceiling and swaying gently. He strained under the teasing of three black-winged Dark Fae, every muscle tensed. An orange-winged faery watched the spectacle as though hypnotised. A sprinkling of unease—these were two of the four faeries who’d attempted to kill my former king.
Boom, boom, boom.
My unease evaporated with the soul-twisting music. Not one dark faery touched me or even seemed to know I was there.
And then, eyes like chips of fluorescent ice watching me—Rual. A guard, speaking into his ear behind a cupped hand.
Boom, boom, boom.
Music vibrated my blood, making me shiver, drawing me in again. Shoving my fingers hard into my ears, I made myself stare back at Rual. The crowd was going insane around me. The Dark King was up and heading my way. A nauseating sweet fragrance arrived with him, like violets mixed with oranges on the verge of overripe, and hiding beneath it, something putrid. Tainted by the odour of his punishment room. I kept my ears covered as he passed by and with a hooked finger told me to follow.
‘Don’t like my music?’ he asked after we’d pushed back through the crimson curtain. ‘Or, like it too much?’
Nerves bunched up in my throat. ‘You have my king.’
He smiled, his eyes arctic. ‘Come to rescue him, have you?’
Chills slid up and down my spine and the enchanted music called me. I couldn’t speak.
All fake mirth left the Dark King’s features. ‘What are you really doing here? And don’t lie to me.’
I focused on my breathing. ‘I’ve come to make sure he’s all right.’
‘You should be glad I have him. He destroyed your family from what I’ve seen.’
I wondered how far away Baen was. ‘Sometimes you think you know a person,’ I said, my voice little more than a whisper.
‘Do tell.’ He held a hand up. ‘Wait, don’t bother. I already know all there is to know about you and King Telophy, and your mother for that matter. Teasing little thing she is, leaving him all rampant. Then there’s your father …’
Physically Rual was no match for Baen. The dark master would take the king out in a second. What was taking him so long? ‘What do you know about Tobias?’
‘Tut, tut, trying to get something for nothing. What will you give me if I tell you what I know?’
‘I don’t know … I have to think.’
‘Well while you do that, come with me.’ He turned towards the stairs.
A rush of panic clawed at my throat. ‘Come where?’
He kept going but looked back over his shoulder. ‘To see your king of course. You just told me that’s why you came.’
I willed Baen to come through the front door with all my might. But I couldn’t wait any longer.
Rual led me through the castle, my heart filling with dread the deeper we went. Eventually we stopped in an enormous chamber filled with soulless Fae, each of whom, at some time, had lost a bargain with the Dark King. Dull faced and silent, they reclined on cushions or sat at tables lit with sunstones dimmed to almost night. King Telophy sat in a corner, alone and slumped over. My heart sank to see the numbness he was soaked in.
‘Here’s your king,’ Rual sang, leaning so close I could smell his treacle sweetness. ‘I mean your ex-king—safe and well.’
‘He’s been wounded,’ I accused. Bandages still covered where the arrows had been.
He slapped a hand to his chest. ‘Don’t blame me for that. And don’t worry, you’ll be happy to know the murderous culprits will pay the price.’ I wondered how long the orange- and red-winged faeries who’d come to kill King Telophy would still have their souls. The blue and green ones were in this very room, vacant and staring as they picked through a bowl of nuts and seeds.
Rual crossed the floor, stopping by a dark faery lounging in the midst of a group of drowsy Fae. I wondered what he was doing here as Rual leaned down and said, ‘Here you are, Gaege, sitting around as usual—such a lazy boy you are.’
‘Sixteen is no boy.’ Gaege watched me with eyes like shards of ice. He had to be the Dark King’s son.
Rual laughed. ‘I’ve brought you a gift—one you don’t need to be careful with.’ He looked my way. ‘Marla, sweet, why don’t you come over here and meet my … friend.’
Both pairs of cold eyes bored into mine as panic crawled across my skin. I straightened my shoulders but stayed where I was.
Rual opened his mouth to speak again but in the same moment the music stopped, revealing bellows and crashing, muffled through the walls.
‘Baen,’ Rual cried, his voice jubilant.
‘Mother told me she warned you not to release him,’ Gaege said, sounding almost bored as Baen went to the door.
Rual peered down the corridor and came back inside. ‘Up boy, best to be safe. You may take my gift with you.’
The sounds of battle were coming closer as Gaege stood, surprising me with just how tall and broad shouldered he was. How could he be only sixteen?
Rual was holding a hand to me. ‘Come to us, dear, don’t be afraid.’
‘Who’s afraid?’ I said, but it came out sounding choked. I cleared my throat and in a stronger voice said, ‘You can’t hurt me.’
Rual chuckled. ‘What say you Gaege—is she as unaffected as she would have us believe?’
I switched my attention to Gaege who was watching me with burning eyes. I gasped to see him lick his lips. ‘No.’
‘Thought as much,’ Rual said, then to me added, ‘Tell me faery, did you help Baen cook up this tussle being waged outside?’ The sounds of fighting went on—roars and the clash of weapons.
‘How would that have anything to do with me?’
‘I think it has. I think you’ve come here as a distraction—but I want you to know, your friend is going to pay when my guards get hold of him.’ He smiled. ‘I’ll let you watch if you want.’
‘You’re disgusting.’
The smile fell away from Rual’s face. ‘Tell me I’m wrong.’
Fear invaded me from my toes to my scalp. ‘I came to see my king.’
Every bit of pale blue leaked from his eyes. ‘You. Little. Liar.’ He lowered his voice to silky soft. ‘When Baen’s brought to me, you will watch his punishment—whether you like it or not.’ His lip curled. ‘I will peel the flesh from his bones while his heart still beats.’
The Dark King turned to Gaege and in a voice all business said, ‘She’s all yours, but take care. I want her fully aware and functional for the suffering I will inflict on her friend. After that, you may play with her as you please.’
I was still trying to convince myself Gaege couldn’t cross the line between Fae and Dark Fae violence as he came towards me when suddenly I realised the horrible truth—he wasn’t Dark Fae at all; he was Shadow Fae. Why else would the sunstones be set to dim other than to protect him from burning? And why else would he be spending his time hanging around soulless faeries but to steal their sun?
I turned and bolted out the door. Up ahead the battle had spilled into the corridor—swords crashing and blades stabbing as Baen’s warriors took on Rual’s. I sprinted for the narrow space between the wall and the fighting. Just as I was about to squeeze through, a dark faery fell in my path, a dagger in his chest. I hesitated. And fingers closed around my hair, tearing at the roots. I screamed and struggled to get free, but my captor was too strong. I was dragged back, shrieking with pain, sure my scalp would be torn from
my head.
I was back in the room and Gaege was yanking me to my feet. A huge arm came around me, tightening like an iron band. I couldn’t breathe. My head throbbed and my ears rang, every sound lost but Rual’s hysterical laughter. Gaege’s breath was on my neck, and I clenched my teeth as I waited for the bite.
But the pain didn’t come. Rual’s laughter died as he roared at Gaege not to kill me. Knowing it was my only shot, I let out a moan and slumped in his arms. Rual was there in a flash, commanding the shadow creature to let me breathe. As the shadow faery loosened his hold, the Dark King stopped, lifted my hand. ‘What’s this?’ He was staring at the image painted on the inside of my wrist. ‘You sneaky little …’ He turned to Gaege. ‘She’s being followed. You need to get out now.’
Rual spat and smudged the mark with his thumb. But he was too late. There was movement at the door. Baen—covered in blood and gouge marks. Rual shouted at Gaege to run as Baen lunged at the Dark King’s guards who’d thrown themselves in his path. Gaege released me and shot out the door.
Baen was clearly exhausted. I’d seen him battle four dark faeries at once, but he was only just managing to hold off these two. Pressing back against the wall, Rual raised his hands in the direction of the warring faeries—a blast of power and the roof was crumbling, rock raining down. Deep concentration as he tried again to channel King Telophy’s power. Sunstones, furniture and coloured lanterns exploded as the Dark King cursed, his face gleaming with exertion.
Debris bounced harmlessly off the soulless faeries as though they were each in their own invisible cocoon. Baen held on, one eye swollen shut as he struggled against the Dark King’s guards. Again Rual thrust his hands in Baen’s direction. This time the burst of power sent the smallest of the two guards soaring, blood spilling as he hit the corner of a table with a sickening thud. Rual screamed at the unconscious guard to get up, finally drawing his own weapon and joining the fight.
The remaining guard struck, and Baen’s blade tumbled from his hand. Baen dove, tackling the guard to the floor. The two were locked together until finally Baen found the upper hand, heaving and groaning as he pinned the guard beneath him. A glint of light caught my eye—Rual raising his dagger. Aiming between Baen’s shoulder blades, he lunged. I leapt between them, sparks flying as Rual’s blade struck the invisible wall protecting me from Dark Fae violence. Rual hurtled backwards, weapon flying from his grip. Baen was right there, hands closing around the Dark King’s throat. Rual kicked and flailed, his face flaming red, then purple as the fight left him. His body twitched and went limp in Baen’s great hands as soul colours began to flow from the Dark King like rivers—orange and blue and green, purple and yellow and red. And finally, dazzling, sparkling white before a great thick cable of glistening black threads left Rual’s limp body, breaking apart to return once more to their dark faery owners.
Legs trembling, I pulled myself up and went to King Telophy, my vision misting, making the colours twinkle and blur as they curled towards the soulless Fae. I knelt before my former king and waited, my heart near bursting as the white light went into him and the life returned to his face. Slowly he opened his arms. I went to him with a sob and he brought me close. I clung to him with no words to express the relief pouring through me as all around us faeries began to return to themselves.
And then I felt myself thrust aside, King Telophy’s arm shooting up. In his hand he clasped a dagger by the blade, blood leaking from his hand. I turned to see the blue-winged assassin looking baffled.
I whipped my face back to King Telophy. ‘Take the confusion off those faeries now.’
‘It is done, Marla.’
I sensed someone standing over us and turned to see Baen. He was watching, hands on his hips, blood oozing from his wounds. ‘Rual is dead,’ Baen said, glancing towards the body. ‘I am the Dark King.’
Rual’s guards were already on their knees, foreheads touching the floor, hands stretched to Baen in submission as trembling faeries slowly began to make their way out and back home to Faera.
‘You remember our bargain,’ Baen said.
I snapped back to him, hardly believing my ears. ‘I saved your life. You’d be dead if I didn’t get between you and Rual.’
‘And your king would still be his.’
‘What do you speak of?’ King Telophy asked.
Baen turned to him. ‘A bargain, King—the one this faery agreed to.’
King Telophy looked to me, but I kept my attention on Baen. ‘You can’t seriously intend to do this. You once called me …’ I’d been going to say ‘your friend’ but even in my mind it sounded ridiculous. Baen was Dark Fae. He was without emotion, incapable of feeling. Something he’d warned me of himself. Of course he was going to do it.
Baen’s lip twitched. ‘Nothing personal, Marla but a deal’s a deal. Will you tell him or shall I?’
I let out a long sigh. ‘I’ll do it.’
‘Tell me what?’ King Telophy asked.
I turned my back to Baen. ‘I have to ask you to make a choice and before you do it, I want you to listen to everything I say.’
King Telophy nodded.
‘First, whatever happens, you must choose me. If you don’t choose me, I won’t be able to live with myself.’
‘Go on.’
‘Atara needs you. If you don’t return to her, I’m worried she’ll fade.’
‘Marla, what is your point?’ King Telophy said, a world of weight in his voice.
‘You wouldn’t want to be responsible for her death.’ It was harsh, but I was desperate.
King Telophy frowned. ‘Worry not for my wife, Marla. She has Bryn. Did you not see her reaction to him?’
I shook my head; we were too far off track. ‘I hear you, but right now none of that matters. I need you to trust me. Please. I’m about to give you a choice, and you have to tell Baen you choose me.’ My tongue burned to tell him the truth.
‘So tell me.’
‘Your soul or mine.’ Quickly I added, ‘But you must choose me.’
His shoulders fell. ‘You know I can’t do that.’
‘But I’m asking you to. Please,’ I begged.
King Telophy reached out and cupped my face in his hand. ‘Marla, I could never tell this new Dark King to take your soul.’
He turned to Baen, but I covered his mouth with my hand. ‘Please, King Telophy … If you don’t choose me, all my effort to free you will have been for nothing.’
Baen turned to King Telophy. ‘I have vowed to refrain from using your power for evil, King. No more would I wish to. So tell me, what is your decision?’
King Telophy gently peeled my fingers from his mouth. ‘Me,’ he said quietly, his eyes glued to mine. ‘Of course, me.’
‘Done,’ Baen said, and then told King Telophy the truth of the deal.
King Telophy turned away, head bowed.
My insides felt like they were tearing apart. I’d been so close. We could have been picking up Linden and Finelle and all flying home together.
‘You still have the favour,’ Baen said.
I dragged my eyes from King Telophy. ‘What?’
‘The favour I owe you—keep it and come back to visit with me again.’
I wanted to say something cold, but the truth of the situation stopped me—Rual had possessed many souls and shown none of Baen’s warmth. Besides, visiting often was my intention. ‘Will you be here?’ I asked.
‘I have things to do, subjects to organise, but yes, I’ll be relocating here.’ He smiled on one side of his face. ‘Bargain or not, it’s been a pleasure.’
‘A pleasure.’ I shook my head. ‘Would you have done it if I hadn’t agreed to the bargain?’
‘I like you, Marla.’
I gave a long sigh. ‘What does that even mean?’
He shrugged. ‘It means I have no wish to hurt you.’
‘Why should you care?’ I said bitterly. ‘You can’t even feel.’
‘That’s true,’ he said with a nod. �
��But for my kind there are certain experiences which give light to the dark.’ He lifted his hands and let them fall. ‘For me you are such an experience. On my own I don’t have the capacity for love and caring, but through you I understand it, remember it. Why would I wish to injure that which benefits me?’
Everything came back to what I could do for him. That was fine—he was without spirit and couldn’t be blamed for that. But I had to know the truth, even if it did hurt and so I persisted. ‘Would you have agreed to challenge Rual without a bargain?’
‘Your help in overcoming Rual would have been too great an enticement to reject.’
My heart sank. If only I’d thought to test him—to refuse the bargain and just turn and walk away. I wondered how far I would have got before he called me back.
‘I will leave you to say goodbye to your king,’ Baen said.
I watched him go before turning to King Telophy. I could have asked him why he’d refused to trust me. But I already knew the answer. Pride. Baen had realised King Telophy’s faery king nature would get in the way of trusting my judgement over his own, so why hadn’t I? I could also have asked him how he’d thought it was okay to have his own life snuffed out so my birth mother could be free. But I knew the answer to that too. Shame. Saving Finelle had been King Telophy’s shot at redemption. So I decided only to explain the things I’d said to him. ‘I don’t really think Atara will fade, King Telophy.’ He lifted his face from his hands. ‘She’ll wait for you … She loves you.’
‘Tell her I don’t wish her to wait. Tell her to go to the man she was born for … I don’t deserve her.’
‘That’s not true,’ I said, my heart aching for him. ‘And one day you’ll be free and all this will be behind us.’
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