by Ana Xavier
The Night Queen was not present when we arrived. I was taken to stand before a dais. The podium like the walls and floors of the palace shone as if they had been polished for my arrival. A throne bejeweled with all manner of precious stones sat in the middle of a dais. There were several similarly decorated chairs which were not quite as grand to the left and the right of the throne. The fae blaze tossed their light around the rooms, bouncing of the jewels and the floor. It was dazzling to behold.
Set squeezed my binding a bit tighter. "Have you not had enough sightseeing?"
A few of the Night Queen's Court members took their seats. There was good ol' Auntie Z at the left hand of the Queen. I searched for Tomas. The chair to the right of the Queen, which I thought should be his, was empty.
I felt the Night Queen before I saw her. Even Tomas' immense chakra had not readied me for the life energy that surged through the Queen. I didn't have to reach out to her to feel it or see it, it reached out to my shifter senses on its own. It beckoned me to look upon it and survey its glory. She rose from behind the dais, too smoothly to have been walking up steps, and settled in her throne.
The books had been right about her being beauty. Her skin was the color of night, not just the darkness of night, but also the light shining in the night sky. It shimmered. Her eyes were like none I'd ever seen. The cornea was as dark as the pupil and the Fae blaze that landed there seemed to ignite. Her black hair was pulled into a tight, regal bun, beneath a crown of what looked like diamonds. The crown was of simple design, little more than a tiara, but the workmanship was obvious even from where I was standing at least 10 feet away.
Her eyes fell on me and I knew immediately that she was also terrible. The weight of her gaze made me want to squirm and look away, but I knew that would make me look guilty. I waited to be addressed.
"You have stolen from us?" Her voice was both vast and quiet like the sound of waves rolling onto the shore.
"I have not."
The silence stretched on between us. Her skin, her chakra, her presence. All of it was becoming too much to bear.
"I have barely been out of Tomas' sight -” I began to prattle and was halted with a raise of her hand.
"The Prince. Prince Tomas. You will call him by his name. His name is Prince Tomas."
This was not going well. Set began to pulse the binds making it even harder to focus. I knew this was on purpose. I resisted speaking, even though I could feel the words bubbling up to the surface. I didn't know if I could stop myself if this silence continued.
"I allowed him to choose you, because the sibyl led him to believe you are his mate." She sniffed.
Mate? What was that about.
"Our Realm will celebrate the Winter Solstice as we have done for thousands of years. This news does not leave our Court". The Night Queen's voice carried like a melody through the room. "None of the Council Members are permitted to leave our Realm. None from the Realm of Men may enter or exit. Take her to her quarters." The Queen rose. "And bring the sibyl to me."
"I didn't steal anything. I don't even know what there is to steal. I -"
The queen raised her hand again. I immediately stopped speaking. She tilted her head slightly to the right as if she found me interesting, the Fae blaze still burning in the darkness of her eyes and she whispered, "Sleep." The sound of her voice, both soothing and chilling was the last thing I heard in that room.
18
I awoke in my room which was no longer in disarray. Remnants of chakra were still in the air. Whoever had straightened up had used their magic and from what I could tell their magic was in the common caste. The candles on the table were enough to tell me the dampening spell was back on in my ornate prison. I paced the room, convincing myself that Set was behind this and perhaps that other guy from this morning. I did my best to ignore the obvious. Where was Tomas?
At last there was a knock at my door. I rushed to open it. Expecting to see Tomas, I threw it open. Auntie Z was there, flanked by two guards and wearing a wry smile.
"Not who you were expecting?" she sing-songed walking past me into the sitting room and taking a seat at the now lifeless table. She motioned for me to join her.
Well this should be fun. I thought, not bothering to cover my thoughts. I didn't think she could read them and didn't care if she could. I had nothing to hide and Tomas to protect me.
"Have you had fun swooning after my nephew?" she asked conversationally. She motioned to the guards at the door. One of them came forward. "Bring us tea." She turned to look at me and questioned, "Have you had dinner?" She didn't wait for an answer before adding to her order, "Bring her dinner."
She turned back to me; a large fake smile pasted on her face. "Now, tell me what you've done with it."
I stared at her blankly. "Are you serious."
"Very."
Four attendants entered the room, bustling around us as they set the table. The food smelled delicious and I could always go for tea, so I ate. And she talked, and questioned, and talked some more. The gist of it was I had chased after her nephew like the Realm of Men trollop that I was, taken advantage of his kindness, stolen the Hallow, and was caught red handed. I looked at her over the steaming cup of tea. This was all quite entertaining, really.
"I see" I ventured when I could get a word in edgewise. "And what has Tomas said about all of this?"
"Tomas?" Auntie stirred her tea slowly, squinting her eyes like she was considering where she would go from here with utmost care. She was waiting, biding her time to drop a bomb on me and it was something that she thought would break me. "Oh, you haven't heard. Silly old me. I should have led with that."
"Led with what?" I asked the question she had been dying for me to ask. Better to just plow through this little pageant and get it over with. Maybe she would tire and leave me in peace.
"Tomas has been sent to the Court of Nightfall. They have use of his talents."
"His talents?" I asked.
"There's another stupid, Council lackey there. She has stars in her eyes just like you." She leaned forward as if we were two girlfriends catching up and were just getting to the best part of the gossip, "You see, that's why you were brought here."
I couldn't keep my eyes from widening with surprise as things became clear. I was brought here to take the fall. That little Q & A had been for the attendants and the guards.
All the seeming secrecy and half answered questions were part of their little charade. They hadn't even bothered to fully flush out a plan. They acquired my assistance from the Council with a half-assed story and the promise of coming to their realm. That was all it had taken. That and a gorgeous gigolo who had played me for a fool.
"Oh, I can see from the look on our face that you're finally catching on." She placed her teacup down carefully on the delicate looking dish. "Well" she said in her chipper sing-song voice, "I'll be off now."
I almost wanted her to stay. I'd rather be alone with her than my thoughts.
19
I turned on the water for the bath, sitting on the edge of the tub. The water was steaming hot and I couldn't wait to immerse myself in it. I sunk in in the water, leaning back and closing my eyes. The last hour's events replayed in my mind. The Night Queen's cool assessment of the situation, Auntie Z's visit and our little chat over tea, and the answer to where Tomas had gotten off to. Tamra was right, I didn't know who to trust. Luckily, I was just a danger to myself. I had managed not to harm anyone else with my stupidity.
I allowed myself to remember Tomas' hands on mine. The way our bodies had glowed in the astral plane. I sat up abruptly. I had been in the astral plane. I closed my eyes hoping the dampening spell couldn't keep me from the astral plane. Praying to gods my realm no longer believed in that Set had not blocked access. I called to Tamra. The one person I knew I could trust. I couldn't tell if it was blocked or she wasn't answering. The result was the same. I was on my own.
20
The party raged on outside. The voices of th
e Fae and the sounds of the musicians almost drowned out the knock at the door. I opened the door to two guards.
"Get dressed." The one on the right said. He had a mean little glint in his eye. "We're taking you to the dungeon."
"You have 5 minutes." The one on the left chimed in.
I closed the door quietly and headed to the bedroom to put on a pair of my new fighting leathers. They had been laundered and were the warmest things in my limited wardrobe. I was pretty sure the dungeon would be cold at night. My hands fell to where Speedy should be. I didn't care how stupid I had been. I was not going to go to anyone's dungeon.
I turned back to the door. They had sent only two guards for me. I would normally be insulted, but not tonight. I only had to get them both in the door and me in the hallway. The dampening spell would do the rest for me.
The hard knock I was expecting came.
"Almost done", I called.
The knock came again immediately, more hammering than knocking. I heard a turning of a key in the door, a physical key. I couldn't believe the luck. They had sent two guards with chakra castes so low they needed to use a key to break the dampening spell on this room. I heard the guards enter the room and poked my head around the door.
"Can't you wait a minute?" I called.
The one with the mean glint in his eye didn't bother to answer, he just charged into the sitting room. The other one was hesitant, entering slowly. They were big, but their life energy was low. Hopefully, Set hadn't sent a crack team to come get me. I was pretty sure he wouldn't have bothered.
The first one came blundering in the room and straight into the vase that I was holding. I didn't even lift it. He ran straight into it. I picked up one of the pieces and flung it at the guard coming in behind him. So far, the noise of the party goers was still drowning us out. As long as I could keep this quiet, I still had a chance. The guard easily dodged the piece of ceramics coming his way - holding both of his arms out and jumping backwards. I snatched the key from his left hand and ran at the door. He was right on my heels and the door was too far. I knelt in front of him abruptly, his speed carried him over my back, tumbling straight towards the doors opening. I grabbed his outstretched legs yanking him back in the room before he could cross the door. I couldn't have anyone outside of the room seeing his flailing arms.
The idiot in the bedroom was making his way towards us, I increased the flow of my chakra allowing it to spill over the points, touching the cells flanking the points of the flow. I pushed the air at them both, infusing it with force. The furniture and delicate dishes flew at the guards before the wind caught up and they went barreling towards the far wall of the bedroom. I didn't stay to watch them hit it.
I poked my head into the hallway. No one there. They really didn't think much of me, huh? I turned the key in the lock and tucked it above the door. I could hear them scrambling towards the door on the other side. They would have several hours before anyone would be able to hear them over the sounds of the festival.
I shored up my mind and made my way through the palace shifting into the attendant who had bought tea to Auntie Z. I dampened my chakra to common caste and headed for the nearest exit trying desperately to remember the course Tomas had taken me through that morning. I rounded the corner and saw four guards stationed at the palace door and wondered why I had not anticipated this. Of course, there would be security. It was a wonder this wasn't more of it. But the guards didn't seem to be concerned about security in the least. I could smell the wine before I saw it.
I decided to go for it. Putting my head down, I rushed through them like I was on a mission.
"Dana, where are you going in such a hurry." One of the guards called after me.
"Where they tell me." I said good naturedly as I rushed on hoping the voice, I gave sounded close enough to pass for their friend.
The laughter behind me told me that I was safe for now. I rushed into the streets, mixing into the crowd as quickly as I could. I couldn't afford for the real Dana to appear and bring up questions.
Once I knew that I was thoroughly hidden in the crowd, I chanced another shift. This time into a Fae I spotted just as I was leaving the castle, I danced my way through the crowd. I just needed to create enough space to take flight. I knew exactly where I was going. The Night Queen had shut down all means of transportation to my Realm, but not even she could control the Anubis.
Flying in the Fae form was delightful even in this situation. The feeling of soaring in a form so close to my resting form was exhilarating beyond anything I'd ever felt in flight. I passed a few other Fae in the sky their wings taking on the purple and pink hues of the solstice. They all soared right past be, not even acknowledging my presence in the sky. I rushed on fighting the need to slow to a more leisurely pace and enjoy this moment, these sights, and the smell of whatever the Fae were cooking in the pyres scattered through the cities' parks.
I soared closer to the area of protection and began my descent being careful not to get close enough for that the Hell Cats to catch my scent before I was prepared for them. The moment my feet touched the ground, I sensed his presence. Set was here.
21
I kept my eyes closed, concentrating on the flow of chakra allowing it to run wilder and more forcefully. The light in my mind’s eye began chasing itself through the points, skittering around the corners sloppily and sloshing onto the cells around the points. I could feel him closing in from behind as any coward would.
"I know there's no sneaking up on you." His tone was equal parts suspicion and amusement.
"Enough with the ear jokes already." I poked the bear hoping that he would keep running his mouth giving me more time to transform my body.
"Surely, you must know that I sensed the changes in you the moment you started making them."
I made no reply. He sensed the change but was stupid enough to let me continue powering up. I didn't think so. He sensed a change, but not this.
He was no less arrogant than the first time we met. I felt him snaking around the barrier to my thoughts. His presence in my head was like oil on water, floating at the surface unable to go any further. I could feel him pressing, but I wasn't giving an inch.
I felt him withdraw from my mind. I faced him. He was only about 4 feet away from me. He was wearing his fighting leathers. His hand rested gently on the hilt of a broad sword.
"Are you planning to use that thing on me?" I looked at him expectantly and plastered the biggest smile I could muster.
He smiled back. I think it was a genuine smile which only made it that much more appalling. "I am going to enjoy carving you up." Pulling his sword from its sheath he continued in a low voice, "The Prince can have his pick of the pieces."
Oh, this was the game he was playing. It was going to take more than the mention of Tomas to make me fall apart. His little girlfriend had already played that song and I was over that tune.
"I think I know what parts you'll choose." I teased, running my fingers lightly over my lips. "I see how you look at me."
His eyes narrowed in disgust, "You certainly cannot read the room, Dyana."
It was my turn to laugh. The guy did have some pretty funny barbs, too bad he couldn't stop being a bastard.
He stepped closer affecting a casual posture, but I could see he was positioning to strike, sense him gathering his life force. I could see the path of the line of chakra in his body. The current thick, full, and bright rushed around the loop.
I raised my hand slowly, calling Speedy from the cosmos between the worlds. I could sense my curling blade coming towards me and opened my hand to receive it. My fingers closed along Speedy's brass hilt. Her two blades curled up to half their length about 2.5 feet long.
"Learned some new tricks, I see." Set released the guise of casual conversationalist, shifting his weight to his toes and bending his knees.
"I wouldn't call them new." I mused. I could see I was getting under his skin, so I continued, "I mean, really. Is there anythi
ng new underneath the sun?"
Set lunged forward, swinging his sword at my midsection. He really did intend to slice me up. I dodged his first lunge and allowed him to reset.
"I thought you were learning to like me." I side stepped his second swing. My movements in this form with this level of chakra were so quick it was like teleporting. It was dizzying to me, I wondered if it was having a similar effect on him. I had begun this fight thinking there was a fair chance that I could get out of this, but I should have trained in this body. The quickness of my Fae form was disorienting. This could end badly.
I felt him at my back and shifted away quickly not wasting time trying to figure out where he would strike. I needed to get distance. I flicked my wrist fully extending Speedy and began the dance.
I whipped the curling blade out, the sand billowing as the blades kissed the surface of the ground and whirled back into the air arcing behind me and over my head. I could feel him coming before I saw him. Whirling to my right, I pulled the blades through the air in front of me. The dispersing of the sand under my blades creating a smoky cloud around me. I didn't have to see Set; I could feel him. His chakra pulsed within him, his anger stalling the flow, throwing him off kilter as we fought. He chased me, barely managing to stay out of reach of the blades.
I weaved to my left lifting my right arm overhead allowing the blades to uncurl their full 5 feet, quickly snapping my wrist. I caught the right of his neck. I couldn't see the welts forming where my blades had struck, but imagining his blood running down his neck made me smile. He threw his sword down and rushed me. I flung Speedy straight out aiming for his eyes, but he threw up his arm, allowing Speedy to wrap around his forearm and pulled.
I lurched forward, unwilling to let go of my weapon, and his fist connected with my jaw in an explosion of pain. The hit was head on. The force of it spinning my body, head leading the way, to the right. I thudded to the ground.