“Before we begin,” Belzus said, steepling his fingers underneath his chin, “you should be aware of a few ground rules for visiting the faerie realm.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Ground rules? I thought anything went in faerie land.”
“First, don’t call it that,” he said, pointing a finger at me. “Any hint that you’re making light of them or their realm, and they will…well, let’s just say it’s best not to antagonize them.”
“Noted,” I said. “Anything else?”
“Don’t drink. Don’t eat. Don’t dance,” he said. “You will end up enchanted, and you will never want to leave.”
“Surely that doesn’t apply to me,” Anastasia said. “I’m a Daywalker. Not a mortal witch. And Dorian? He’s half-vamp.”
“Oh, they can certainly enchant you,” Belzus said with a smile. “And your emotions are ten times more intense than a mortal’s, so I’m sure they’d be eager to trap you there. If anything, you should seriously consider not coming with us at all. A Daywalker is no match for a fae.”
It was apparent to me that Belzus was poking Anastasia with a stick, trying to rile her up because who wouldn’t want to get under the vampire’s skin? And she looked ready to snap, like a dangerous snake stalking its prey. Of course, Belzus wasn’t anything even remotely close to prey. If it came down to a fight, I wasn’t entirely sure which of the two would win.
Both. Neither.
“They can try,” she said with a harsh smile. “And I will sink my teeth into their necks faster than they can blink.”
“One word of caution,” Belzus said, turning to me. “You will never win while you’re in the faerie realm. On your home turf, one-on-one, then maybe. I’ve seen you in action. You’re strong. But you will be surrounded by thousands of fae. Careful you keep your head on in there because I won’t be able to bail you out.”
“Why not?” I asked with a frown.
“There are…complications,” he said. “I can get you in, and I can get you out. But if you pick a fight with any of the lower fae, then I can only break it up. I cannot fight against them. We’re going into the Unseelie Court, and they would react badly to my taking sides with you.”
“You should have told us it was the Unseelies last night,” Dorian said with a sudden sharp growl. “We could have prepared for this differently.”
“And how would you have prepared?” Belzus raised his eyebrows. “Bring more weapons? They’ll confiscate them as soon as you pass through the gates. Prep Zoe on more spells? They will force food down your throat to trap you in the realm if they see a glow on your palms. The only way to interact with the Unseelie Court is to go in with nothing. No weapons, no magic, no fight.”
There were two courts in the faerie realm—the Seelies and the Unseelies. Belzus was of the former, or at least that was what I assumed. While they were still dangerous, they had an air of benevolence about them. The kinder of the two, and the wiser. They’d been the first to back off when so many kidnapping cases had proliferated the newspapers. The Unseelie, on the other hand, were harder to convince. They were cunning and cruel, and they’d do anything for a hit of power.
“Don’t look so worried,” Belzus said. “You’ll be fine. Just as long as you don’t give into what they want.”
We stepped through the veil, and day turned to night. I’d only had one experience in my life of leaving the human realm, and it hadn’t been a good one. Back when I’d been tracking Vincent, Professor Wagner’s accomplice, I’d found myself neck-deep in the demon world, a place full of darkness and shadows. All around me, there’d been nothing but black, like a void had opened up in the very fabric of the world.
The Unseelie’s part of the faerie realm was different but also eerily similar in a way that caused the back of my neck to prickle in alarm. Darkness seemed to permeate my skin as a fingernail-shaped moon hung low in the sky. Leafless trees rattled in the wind, and up ahead, a tall and spindly castle loomed like an oversized spider. We stood on a stone pathway that shifted underneath my feet when I took a step closer to Dorian, scuttling like crabs. I shivered. Maybe they weren’t stones at all.
“Welcome to the Land of the Fae,” Belzus said, opening his hands wide as he beamed. While everything around us felt dark and lifeless, Belzus radiated pure energy, his skin illuminated by whatever magic he carried inside his soul.
“Is it always this cold?” Laura asked as she shivered. “It’s like you’ve taken us to Alaska or something.”
“In the Unseelie Court, it’s always this cold. The sun only shines for two hours a day, even in the height of your summer…which is to say, it’s always winter here.”
“That sounds depressing,” I said.
“Only depressing if you aren’t Unseelie,” he said with a shrug. “They would find it depressing to be stuck in sunlight all day.”
“I don’t mind it. The air is kind of refreshing,” Anastasia said as she took a deep breath and smiled. “Crisp.”
“Now, come along,” Belzus said. “We shouldn’t waste much time here.”
We followed Belzus down the shifting pathway toward the castle. I didn’t dare ask what the rocks were or why they moved when we stepped on them. Instead, I focused on the building before us. Six skinny towers sat in a circular formation around the center spiral whose top peak jutted into the thick rolling clouds. A tall, thick gate surrounded the grounds, sharp spikes slicing into the darkness every few feet. There appeared to be a dark liquid dripping from a few of them. Something reddish black that fell like splotches onto the ground. Swallowing hard, I glanced away.
Belzus stopped when we were only a few feet from the gate. “Everyone stay quiet and don’t get involved. I have a special relationship with the King, but his guards will be quick to turn us away if any of you say or do anything to offend them.” He gave me a pointed look.
“Wait a minute,” Laura said. “King?”
“Oh, that’s right.” Belzus’s face lit up in a smile. “Did I not mention? The fae who cast the illusion for that shadow mage is the King of the Unseelie Court.”
Chapter 8
Oberon sat on a crown of frozen thorns. He stared down at us, his expression as hard as the rocks beneath our feet. His skin glowed with the same incandescent light as Belzus’s, his long, dark hair curling on his shoulders. His eyes were bright and green, flicking across us with curiosity. Or hunger. It was impossible to tell because I couldn’t keep my eyes on his face. There was something about him that made it extremely difficult to look at him for any longer than a fleeting moment.
“Belzus, I’m intrigued,” Oberon finally said. His voice was musical and deep, like the bass chords of a piano. “Not only has it been an age and a half since you’ve visited, but you also seem to have brought some gifts. My birthday isn’t for another four years or so. What’s the occasion?”
“King Oberon,” Belzus said with a slight nod of his head. Interesting. He didn’t bow, which suggested I was correct in my assumptions that Belzus belonged to the Seelie Court rather than this one. It made me feel a bit better about this entire journey, being in the company of one of the more sane faeries. “I’m afraid I haven’t come bearing gifts. These are, ah, companions of a sort. I believe you have some information that may be of some use to them.”
“Of some use to them?” Oberon barked out a laugh, but it wasn’t one of happiness. “Have you forgotten that I am a King, Belzus? Mortals do not come to me and make demands.”
Clearing my throat, I stepped forward. “We’re not making a demand. We just have some questions we need to ask you.”
Belzus shot me a look of disapproval. “Forgive Zoe. She’s never been to the faerie realm and has no knowledge of our customs.”
“It’s fine,” Oberon said with a flick of his fingers as his eyes bored deeper into mine. “This one. She is a shadow mage, no? It has been a long, long time since I’ve seen one of you.”
Swallowing hard, I nodded. “Yes, and I have an illusion over my mark.” I
flipped down my collar to show him the fake bone mark that everyone saw instead of the truth hidden underneath.
“Ah,” Oberon said with a knowing smile, settling against the hard, prickly back of his throne. “You shadows sure do like your illusions.”
“Well, that’s what we came to ask you about,” I said. “There’s another shadow out there like me, isn’t there? One who has an illusion over her mark?”
“I dare say there is more than just the one,” Oberon said, lifting his eyebrows to his perfect hairline. “Shadows have long had a history of duplicity in order to infiltrate other covens.”
“That was many moons ago, Oberon,” Belzus said. “The mages of the Shadow Coven prefer isolation these days. It has been a long time since they were involved in inter-coven issues.”
“A long time to the human realm is not a long time to the Unseelie Court,” Oberon said slowly, gazing across our group with the kind of disdain that suggested the fae felt themselves to be higher and better than those who lived in the human world. They had always felt that way, though they’d been more obvious about their disregard for mortal life in previous generations. At one point in the supernatural history books, the writers had believed the fae wanted to rule over humans and to take this land for their own. But the fae had decided it was too lacking in magic to interest them for long and had retreated back into their strange world instead.
“Regardless,” Belzus continued, getting the conversation back on track—or at least I hoped he was. “There is a particular shadow mage who came to you, is there not? I believe it was several ages ago?”
“Hmm.” Oberon rubbed his chin as if in deep thought. “Yes, I believe you’re right. A young girl who somehow found her way into the faerie realm and who begged for help. I almost didn’t want to help her. She reeked of shadows, and I’ll admit, I was tempted to devour her energy.”
Alarmed, I glanced at Belzus. Devour her energy? I’d never heard of a faerie doing that to a mage, though the Unseelies had a penchant for violence at times.
“Don’t worry,” Belzus said without turning my way, almost as if he could sense my unease. “Oberon won’t touch you as long as you are my guest. It’s only the unsuspecting innocents who wander in that he decides to hunt like prey. Only an animal would treat others like animals. Isn’t that right, Oberon?”
Oberon narrowed his eyes. “I might not be your King, but you will treat me with respect when you stand there before my throne asking me for help. We may have been friends at one time, Belzus, but I will not take insults to my character.”
“Forgive me, Oberon,” Belzus said as he bowed before the King, though there was something about his stance and his voice that came across as more mocking than deference. “I obviously have great respect for your current status. All I meant was to provide my dear friend here some comfort in this strange world she finds herself in.”
“The woman you’re asking about was named Mabel Bennett,” Oberon said in a gruff voice as he crossed his arms over his chest. “That’s what you wanted to know, isn’t it? Now, get out of here and back into your precious human realm. Next time you visit, don’t bring any mages with you, or I’ll turn you away at the door after I eat their energy whole.”
My heart hammered hard as Belzus put a hand to my elbow to escort me down the long stone hallway toward the front castle doors. But my feet were rooted to the spot, the blood roaring in my ears. Oberon had already turned away from us, but I stared up at his retreating back, desperate to clarify what he’d just said. Because there was no way in hell I’d heard him right.
“Mabel Bennett?” I asked. “Are you sure the mage was named Mabel Bennett?”
Oberon paused and turned my way with arched eyebrows. “Belzus, did I not dismiss you and your annoying mage friends?”
“Just answer my question, and I’ll leave you alone,” I said.
“Zoe, I think it’s best we—”
“Just answer it,” I said, my voice going harsh. I didn’t care if he was a king or a pauper, I needed answers, and I wouldn’t leave until I had them.
“Yes,” King Oberon replied, cocking his head to the side to stare at me like I was a glassed creature at a zoo. “Her name was Mabel Bennett.”
“What kind of mark did she get over the shadow one?” I asked.
“Do you want to know what we do with visitors who are not welcome in our court?” Oberon asked with a vicious smile. “It’s quite entertaining for me and my court, though not so entertaining for the ones who end up on the receiving end. Perhaps we should add you to the line-up for the next feast. It’s coming up in a week. I’m sure the court would love to see you dancing on strings.”
“Come on, Zoe,” Belzus said, tugging on my elbow. “He answered our question, and he’s asked us to leave. We cannot stay.”
“I’m not leaving until I know about the mark,” I said, jerking my arm out of his grasp.
“This is all very fascinating,” Oberon said. “Why is this so important to you? It’s ancient history according to your people. It happened a few fae ages ago, but it must be fifty in your years.”
“She would have been twenty,” I murmured more to myself than anyone else. The timelines added up. If Grams had come to the fae to get an illusion to hide her mark, it would have been around the time she’d come into her powers, and twenty tended to be the age that happened for most of us.
Out of the corner of my eye, I could feel Dorian’s gaze locked on my face. He probably wondered what the hell I was up to. As far as I knew, he’d never heard Grams’s actual name, so he wouldn’t know that was who the King was speaking of.
“You know this mage,” the King murmured with a nod. “Ah, it all makes sense now.”
“That’s my grandmother’s name,” I said, deciding that being frank in here would get me much further than keeping the information to myself.
“Your grandmother?” Oberon raised his eyebrows and barked out a laugh. “Well, well, well. It turns out the desire for illusions runs in the family.”
“Zoe, is this true?” Belzus asked. For once, he actually looked surprised, as if these events had never been part of his cunning plan.
I nodded. “I mean, I think it is. Her name is Mabel Bennett, and fifty years ago she would have been the right age to need a way to hide her mark from the world.” I turned back to Oberon. “But just to confirm, what kind of mark did she ask for?”
“A bone mark,” he said with a smile. “Sounds like it was your grandmother after all.”
Chapter 9
We left the dim sunlight of the Unseelie Court behind and entered a new world of darkness—home. Hours had passed since we’d stepped through the veil and into the faerie realm, and shadows now clung to the graveyard, the moon blotted out by bloated clouds.
“How long were we in there?” I asked when Belzus stepped through and brushed the dark coat that now hung from his wide shoulders.
“Approximately twelve hours,” he said. “Time passes more quickly in the faerie realm. It’s why I rarely go there these days. If I get sidetracked too long, I might miss a night here. And it’s important I’m here each night to guard my graves.”
“Right, well, thanks for the help,” I said with a frown. “Not that it actually helped. We’re still stuck at square one.”
“Or maybe dear old Grams stole the blade,” Anastasia said.
I narrowed my eyes and clenched my jaw. “How would you feel if I accused Christian Dogaru of trying to destroy life as we know it?”
“My father usually has good reasons for everything he does,” Anastasia said with a shrug of her shoulders. “I’d simply go and ask him why he was trying to do such a thing. And then listen to his explanation. Reasonably. He’s my father, after all. Without him, I wouldn’t be here.”
Christian Dogaru wasn’t technically Anastasia’s father. As a member of his Clan, she was a direct descendent, but there would be many generations in between her birth and his. Still, every Dogaru vampire considered Chris
tian their father. He was the oldest, the wisest, and the fiercest, and he led them all.
“Well, I can’t very well go and ask her now, can I?” I snapped. “She’s out there somewhere looking for me. Not trying to cut holes in the veil and bring demons into this realm.”
“Both of you. Stop your bickering,” Belzus said in a tight voice. “Something is wrong.”
We turned toward him, and he pointed a long and slender finger toward the distant tree-line. Past it, lightning shot through the darkness and a boom shook the earth. Flashing red lights filled the sky along with the sound of distant screams. Through our bond, I felt a dash of alarm from Dorian, followed quickly by angry determination.
“Could just be a car crash,” Laura said in a hopeful wobble. “That would explain the flashing lights and the screams. Right?”
“That’s not a car crash,” Anastasia breathed quietly as she cocked her head to the side, listening to the distant chaos. “Underneath the screams, I heard a hiss. The kind of sound that only a demon can make.”
I didn’t know where we were going, so I couldn’t use my travel spell to get us there. Instead, we ran. Our feet thundered on the concrete while buildings rushed by, the graveyard vanishing into a small point behind us. Belzus couldn’t come, but right now, the world didn’t need a fae. It needed me.
When the blaring sirens grew louder, we turned the corner to find a scene of chaos on a busy street that cut through the heart of South Boston. Cars were lined up on each side of the road, doors flung open and lights flashing. A few people were scattered through the sea of cars, hunkering down between stalled metal. And, at the front of the line, two giant shapes flapped their wings, sending gusts of soot streaming over the neighborhood. Their bodies rippled as they moved along the top of the cars, eyes cast on the pavement. They were looking for survivors. For what? I didn’t know. And I didn’t want to wait to find out.
“There are some survivors over there,” I said, pointing my finger at a young couple whose backs were pressed hard against the door of a red Porsche before turning my gaze to a mother and two sons cowering at the rear bumper of a pickup truck. “And some more over there. You three go get them while I take down those demons.”
The Bone Coven Chronicles: The Complete Series Page 63