Queen of Wands (The Tree of Ages Series Book 4)

by Sara C. Roethle

  “Not that anyone would let that happen,” Ouve chuckled, nodding toward Maarav.

  Spotting them, Maarav changed course and approached, his black garb seeming stark in the harsh light of day. “Lady Sìoda has agreed to extend the fortifications,” he explained upon reaching them. “New walls will be built on the outskirts of town.” He turned to stand at her other side, gazing out at the practicing mages. “Soon you will have a fortress to suit your army.”

  She shivered at the thought. “It’s happening so much more quickly than I could have believed. When Finn returns we will be able to protect her from this elusive other queen.” Who is not me, she added in her thoughts.

  Maarav smirked. “I wouldn’t be surprised if she returned with an army of her own, given her predeliction to pick up strays.” He glanced at Ouve, then back to Ealasaid. “Though you’ve picked up quite a few yourself.”

  Ouve scowled, then bowed his head to Ealasaid. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll have a talk with our potential general.”

  As soon as he was gone, Ealasaid glared at Maarav. “You shouldn’t tease him,” she chided. “He’s one of the few allies I’ve come to fully trust.”

  Maarav snorted. “It’s easy to trust someone who is entirely smitten with you.”

  “He is not,” Ealasaid grumbled, though she sensed Maarav was correct. “And anyway, what does it matter to you?”

  He placed his elbow on her shoulder, leaning a portion of his weight against her. “You’re just so young and innocent,” he teased. “I don’t want any of these swarthy mages taking advantage of you.”

  She furrowed her brow, not quite sure if he was teasing her, or if he was actually jealous. With Maarav it was impossible to tell. He’d been so kind with her when she’d broken down in the guard tower, then had proceeded to get bladdered with Tavish, leaving her alone for the rest of the evening with only her dark thoughts to keep her company.

  She slipped away from his offending elbow. “Why do you think Slàine is helping us?” she questioned abruptly, her gaze trained on the courtyard. She hadn’t forgotten Slàine’s misplaced suspicions, and couldn’t help but wonder if the woman planned on assassinating her. Slàine had already given her word that she’d help Finn, so the other queens would be her enemies by default.

  Maarav too turned his gaze back to the practicing mages. “Slàine’s reasons are her own. I doubt we’ll truly know them until it’s too late.”

  She whipped her gaze to him.

  “Oh don’t look so surprised,” he sighed, glancing over at her. “Slàine raised me up to be a bargaining tool once Finn resurfaced. I’ve known her nearly my entire life, yet she told me none of this until recently, after she attacked us. I would be a fool to assume I know her true motivations now.”

  Ealasaid shook her head. This man was utterly insane. “Then why are we working with her to begin with?”

  “Because it benefits us in the present.” He winked at her. “The partnership will continued until one of us finds it a detriment.”

  “But what if it ends with a dagger in your back?” she muttered in disbelief.

  He grinned. “Now, you wouldn’t let that happen to me, would you?”

  She glared at him. Could he never be serious? “And what of our partnership?” she asked boldly. “Are you simply waiting for a time when it becomes a detriment?”

  “You’re different,” he explained, patting her head as one would a dog. “You’re far too pretty to ever be a detriment.”

  With that, he ambled off, whistling a jovial tune. She briefly considered striking him with lightning, but he’d likely only tease her for losing control, even while the ground was still smoking around his feet.

  Anna gritted her teeth, thoroughly irritated with herself. She’d slept right through the entire night without entering the Gray Place. She knew it meant her body had desperately needed the rest, but she still felt guilty that Eywen, wounded and likely exhausted himself, had spent the night watching over her.

  “Did you see that?” he asked from his seat in front of her in the saddle.

  She silently cursed herself. Not only was she a monumental burden, she’d neglected to keep her eyes on their surroundings. “See what?” she hissed.

  He pointed. “A flash of color in the leaves. I think it was—” he cut off as something dove right for his face. He ducked, and the bright red blur passed by, then looped up in the air to circle around.

  “Blasted Pixies,” Eywen muttered, slowly straightening his back.

  “Pixies?” Anna repeated in disbelief.

  She watched the red shape as it hovered back down toward them, slower this time. It stopped above their heads, just out of reach. Anna’s jaw fell open. It was a tiny woman with fiery red hair that matched her diaphanous wings. The wings were impossibly thin with visible veins, more like those of a dragonfly than a butterfly.

  “Travelers!” the tiny woman buzzed. “Were you attacked by the Dark Faie the evening before last?”

  Anna flicked her gaze to Eywen, wondering if they should answer the little woman, or squish her.

  “Don’t make any sudden movements,” Eywen muttered. “They may be small, but Pixies are deadly en masse.”

  Anna shivered at the thought of being swarmed by the tiny humanoids. “Why do you ask?” she questioned.

  The Pixie woman dipped in the air, then caught herself mid-fall to hover at Anna’s eye level. She placed her tiny hands on her tiny hips. “We have been sent by the Oak Queen to rescue those attacked by the Dark Faie. If you are those we seek, we shall safely escort you back to the Queen.”

  Anna shifted her gaze back to Eywen. “Oak Queen?”

  He seemed deep in thought for a moment, then nodded. “Yes, we were attacked by the Dark Faie. How far away is the Queen?”

  “A full day’s journey on horseback,” the Pixie explained, glancing down at their steed in seeming distaste. She turned her sneer to Eywen. “Had the Oak Queen not informed us there were Aos Sí among her companions, you would have been killed on sight.”

  “Then I am grateful I now serve a more magnanimous queen,” Eywen replied smoothly.

  The little woman accepted his response with a nod. She bobbed in the air, angling her wings just right so the vibrant red flashed in the sunlight. Hundreds of colorful flashes blinked in response from the trees above.

  “Follow us, please,” the Pixie instructed. She narrowed her gaze once more at the horse, then added, “And do try to keep up.”

  She rose back up toward the canopy, where all the other Pixies swarmed around her. As one, they headed north.

  Eywen nudged their mount into motion, tugging the reins in the direction the Pixies had gone.

  Anna leaned forward, hovering her chin over Eywen’s shoulder. “Would you please tell me what in the gods is going on?”

  “They’re taking us to Finn,” he replied. “It seems she has decided to claim the title of Faie Queen after all.”

  “But I thought Oighear was the Faie Queen,” Anna whispered.

  Eywen chuckled, though his laughter sounded wicked rather than mirthful. “Not for long, my friend. Not for long.”

  Anna gulped. Was this all happening because of that blasted prophecy? Would Finn truly go to war with the other two queens? Would Kai want to remain by Finn’s side, even now?

  Her fingers flexed around the edges of the saddle as she caught sight of the Pixies in the distance. It was futile to think of such questions. She was riding a horse with one of the Aos Sí, following a herd of Pixies to the Oak Queen, a woman she sometimes thought of as a friend.

  In a time when so many things beyond her wildest imagination could happen, there was no point guessing what might happen next. She’d most certainly be wrong.

  Bedelia crept out of bed with only a single candle to light her way. She felt fully recovered from her injuries, both old and new. If there was a time to make her move, it was now, but first she needed information.

  Keiren had been nothing but cor
dial, perhaps even loving. Her attitude was proof of only one thing: she wanted something, and Bedelia knew she was the most convenient tool to that end. Keiren might have loved her once, but had proven her love was only worth so much. She would never stake her life on that love again, especially since Keiren was holding her hostage in a room that locked from the outside.

  Her only option for escape was a thin iron nail she’d pried out of her bed frame. She had tested it earlier that day to make sure it would fit in the keyhole, and now she’d test whether or not it could turn the lock.

  Crossing the room, she tugged the waistband of her newly acquired breeches up, then knelt, slowly inserting the nail into the lock. If Keiren returned now, she’d be cooked.

  She cringed each time the nail clinked against the metal of the lock, then nearly collapsed in relief as she finally turned it just right, and the door swung outward.

  Quickly slipping the nail into her boot, she retrieved her candle and hurried out into the hall, looking both ways to ensure no one awaited her.

  Her hand trembled around the candle holder as she assessed her options. She was in the middle of a long hall she did not recognize. Though she’d been to many of Keiren’s fortresses, she’d never been to this one. She had no clue which way to go, all she knew was she needed to go down. Judging by the height of her window, she was at least five floors above the ground.

  She chose a direction at random and hurried down the long hall, taking turns blindly in the fleeting hope she’d come upon stairs. She kept her hand cupped around the candle’s small flame, lest she lose her way in the darkness.

  When she reached the first flight of stairs, she was so dizzy with fear she nearly toppled down them. Slowly regaining her composure, she crept down to the next floor. At the base she found a single, unlit torch in a wall sconce. With trembling hands she used her candle’s flame to coax the torch to life. She blew out the candle and left it behind, using the torch to light her way. It would make her easier to spot, but it would also allow her to run more swiftly without the flame going out.

  She hurried down another flight of stairs starting around the corner from the first, then nearly screamed in frustration as she reached the landing. No more stairs led downward. She’d have to find another way.

  With a shuddering breath she peered down one long corridor, then another, then took off at a jog.

  “Hey!” someone hissed almost instantly.

  She skidded to a halt, then froze. Her heart thundered in her ears, making it hard to hear. Had she imagined the voice?

  “Hey!” someone hissed again.

  She whipped her head in the direction of the voice, taking a few steps back. She’d passed a dark corridor, barely registering it, but now as she peered down it, dimly lit with a few wall sconces, she wasn’t sure how she’d missed it. The corridor was mostly one long cell with iron bars. Further down, she could not see.

  Quickly debating her options, she hurried down the dimly lit corridor, peeking through the bars to find the owner of the voice. Finally, a figure came into view, and it was one she recognized.

  “Thank the gods yer here too,” Sativola sighed, leaning his heavy frame against the iron bars. He reeked of old sweat and other more pungent smells, but didn’t seem to notice Bedelia’s distaste as he lifted a hand to rake through his golden curls.

  “What are you doing here?” she rasped, anxious to get on with her escape.

  “I was hopin’ ye could tell me,” he whispered. “The last thing I remember was those bloody creatures attackin’ us.” He lifted his hair to reveal a wound on his neck, caked with dried blood. The skin around the injured area had turned an unhealthy shade of gray.

  Her stomach turned. She knew Finn would want her to save Sativola if she could, but in his current state he would only slow her down.

  “This fortress belongs to Keiren Deashumhain,” she explained, her voice trembling. “I’ll find Finn and the others, then we shall rescue you.”

  “Will you?” a voice croaked from the other end of the cell, the corner shrouded in darkness.

  She lifted her torch, but could not make out who had spoken. She flicked her eyes to Sativola. “Is there someone in there with you?”

  “Some old, grump,” Sativola explained. “Please, don’t leave me here, lass. There must be a key nearby.”

  Before she could reply, the old grump hobbled forward into the light. “So ye know my daughter, do ye?” he croaked.

  His silver hair was in mats, and his face hollow from hunger, but she recognized him right away. “Àed!” she breathed without thinking.

  He eyed her up and down. “Do I know ye?”

  She bit her tongue. She’d been hiding in the foliage when he’d been turned into a tree, so he hadn’t seen her. She desperately wanted to ask him why he wasn’t a tree anymore, but it would only give her away as Keiren’s former ally.

  “I’m getting you both out of here,” she decided. She felt guilty that she’d been willing to leave Sativola behind just moments before, but she couldn’t resist the allure of rescuing Àed for Finn.

  Sativola opened his mouth to speak, then his eyes widened.

  Sensing a presence at her back, she whipped around, then nearly screamed. One of the Ceàrdaman stood there. No, not just any Ceàrdaman, the one who’d tossed that dust onto Finn, sending her into the in-between. Niklas.

  He steepled his fingers together and smiled at her, revealing glistening, sharp teeth. “I was just coming to find you. Thank you for making my task less difficult.”

  She backed away until her back pressed against the bars of the cell. “What do you want?” she demanded, keeping her voice low.

  “Oh, I want a lot of things,” he purred. “I want to help your mistress,” he chuckled, “well, both of them actually. If only they could realize their goals are nearly the same.”

  Bedelia shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

  He smirked. “You do not need to. I will help you escape, but you will owe me a favor in return.”

  Her thoughts raced. Perhaps she could get him to release Sativola and Àed to escape with her, but then she’d owe him an even larger favor. Keiren had always cautioned her against making deals with the Ceàrdaman.

  “We will escape on our own,” she muttered. “We do not require your help.”

  “I’ll take that deal,” Sativola interrupted. “Get me out of here and I’ll do ye any blasted favor ye want. The lass was willing to leave me just a few moments ago.”

  Niklas raised his strange eyes to Sativola. “You are not important,” he sneered, “and half dead by the looks of it.” He turned his gaze back to Bedelia. “I assure you, you cannot escape without my help. Keiren has warded all of the exits to hold you in while she’s away.”

  Relief flooded through her at hearing Keiren was away, though she had no idea how she’d get through her magical wards. “I don’t believe you,” she boldly replied. “I’ll climb out one of the windows if I have to.”

  Niklas shook his head. “You know the Ceàrdaman cannot tell lies.”

  “But you twist your words,” she countered. “You’re tricksters.”

  He glared at her. “Let me explain things quite clearly, since you seem to be rather dense. You cannot escape without my help, and the Mountebank’s power is not great enough to aid you. The one and only way for you to escape your prison is through death. You do not have the power to break through Keiren’s wards, and none of your friends will find you here. Ever.”

  Well when he put it like that . . . perhaps owing a favor would not be so bad. Anything was better than waiting here for Keiren to return.

  She glanced back at the two men in the cell. Àed muttered something about not being a Mountebank, but seemed to have no other opinion on the offer.

  She turned back to Niklas. “I will agree on two conditions,” she stated boldly. “First, Sativola, Àed and I must escape together. Second, you must heal Sativola’s wounds before we depart.”

  “
I will agree to the first,” Niklas quickly agreed, “but not the second. This man,” he gestured behind her to Sativola, “has been touched by Dark Faie, and I will not have their stain upon me.”

  She glanced at Sativola, who nodded for her to agree. “Just get us out of here, lass. I’ll be fine.”

  She doubted his assurances, but it was still a better deal than she’d hoped for. She turned back to Niklas and nodded.

  He grinned, steepling his fingers back in front of his face. “Excellent. Gather whatever supplies you wish. I will ready horses for your departure.” He withdrew a large iron keyring from within his shapeless robes and unlocked the cell.

  She moved into the cell to support Sativola, breathing shallowly as his odor assaulted her. They waited as Àed hobbled out ahead of him, seeming about a million years old.

  “Quickly now,” Niklas instructed. “You must depart before dawn.”

  Bedelia nodded as she helped Sativola stumble out of the cell. Supplies and horses were far more than she could have hoped for, along with the discovery of Àed. Niklas wanted to ensure her survival, and perhaps her gratitude, for one reason, the favor he planned to ask. She shuddered, fearing just what that favor might be.

  She could only hope her survival would be worth it.

  Finn sat next to Iseult by the fire. It had been an exciting day, to say the least, and there’d been no discussion of the kiss they’d shared the previous night. She wanted discussion, but Iseult, even at the best of times, was a man of few words.

  She stared into the flickering flames, listening intently for sounds of Faie in the surrounding forest. Iseult had seemed uneasy since she’d made her pact with the Trow and Pixies. She couldn’t blame him, most did not trust the Faie, including her, but the Trow had always been kind to her. She’d only had one other interaction with Pixies where she’d met Corcra, a Pixie she deemed a friend, even if the Pixies’ penchant for blood was unnerving.

  “Do you think they’ll find everyone?” she asked finally, anxious to break the silence.

  Iseult shifted in his seat. “Perhaps.”

  She frowned. Infuriating man. She was sure he had more experience with romantic endeavors than she, so why could he not take the lead? Then again, she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted him to. He’d made clear his role in regards to her.