Lord of the Hunt

by Shona Husk

He’d well and truly lost her. It had been her that had made him feel alive even as Annwyn died. In her arms he’d never had to scheme and plot and aim higher or fight harder to stay where he was. She’d given him a measure of peace and joy he’d never found anywhere else and he’d let it go.

  “Does it hurt?” The King looked at him with concern, as if he were struggling to give up the friendship they’d once had.

  “No. I feel nothing.”

  Chapter 21

  Taryn woke as if she were being dragged from the bottom of the ocean and had to fight her way to the surface. It would be all too easy to slide back to blissful unconsciousness. She blinked and blinked again to focus her eyes. She had no idea where she was. Not at home in Charleston or in her chamber in Annwyn. But she was in Annwyn. The ceiling was a tangle of branches and orange leaves, and draped around the bed were dark silks. She pushed up onto her elbow and her left side burned as if someone were tearing at her flesh.

  “Ah.” She lay down and pressed her hand to her side only to discover a fresh wound.

  “Don’t move. You are still healing.” Felan sat on the edge of the bed. “You’re lucky to be alive. I cleaned the poison from your wound.”

  Poison?

  “What happened?” The last she remembered, Felan had taken her to Ireland and had turned her into a deer. Then the details became sketchy.

  Felan didn’t answer. He pushed another couple cushions under her head and back, so she could sit up without hurting herself any further. Then he offered her what looked like an ancient horn. “Drink.”

  It was an ancient drinking horn, complete with a leather loop for attaching to a belt. Even before she touched it she could feel the magic. Inside was water. She turned her head away before she could drink. No one in Annwyn drank water.

  “The water is safe. This is the Cup of Life and the only way to cure a brush with the river of the damned.”

  Taryn looked at him, not sure she was understanding half of what he was saying. The cup of life was a ye olde horn that had seen better days. Then she caught up with the rest of what he’d said.

  “Someone poisoned me with the river?” She closed her eyes as images from the hunt returned. She remembered running from Verden, the King, and Felan, the hounds at her side urging her on as if they didn’t want her to be caught. “The dogs knew.”

  “The dogs knew what?”

  “The arrows were poisoned.” She opened her eyes. Someone had shot her. Her heart skipped a beat. “Who shot me?” Who had claimed her?

  For an answer, Felan held the cup out. “Just drink. It will heal the wound and you will need your strength.”

  “Oh God.” She was going to be sick. The King had won. “Where is Verden?”

  “The Queen has been arrested and confined to her quarters for poisoning the arrows. Her Lady Rhodia confirmed what had happened.” His fingers whitened on the cup.

  “Verden?” Fear swelled in her chest, closing around her heart with every beat.

  “The Queen is to be tried for treason.” He fixed her with his pale green stare. There was no hidden laughter, just cold certainty. “Do you know what this means for Annwyn? We go to war with ourselves and fall to winter.”

  “Just take the throne and be done with it.”

  “I don’t want to be miserable like my father. I want what you have with Verden. I saw the look on his face the moment he realized something was wrong. I have never seen a man die on his feet like that.”

  Her eyes widened and her heart was crushed to powder. “He’s dead?”

  “He attacked the King and broke the vows he’d sworn when he became Hunter. He is banished.” He watched her closely. “You love him. I see it in your eyes too.” Felan looked away and shook his head. “How could you be so careless with something so precious?”

  “We didn’t plan it.” And now he was trapped on the other side of the veil. Usually banishment was a worse penalty, a slow, wasting death after being cut off from Annwyn. But with the power shift so close, it would be a mercy, as exile meant instant death.

  “Obviously.”

  “What do I do? I need to see him. You need to bring him back.”

  Felan stood. “How am I supposed to do that when I am not King? I can’t lift banishments or grant pardons. If I could, I wouldn’t have needed you to get your father back.”

  “Take the throne and stop waiting.”

  He spun and stared down at her. He ran his fingers through his usually neat hair. “I need a woman I can trust, one I can put on the throne and know she won’t be corrupted. You think I can stroll through the mortal world and find half a dozen?” he sighed. “I had it and I lost it. I have no idea how to get her back.”

  “How long has it been?”

  “Seven years.”

  “You were going to take the throne seven years ago?”

  He nodded. Her parents, and she, would have been dead already. He looked at her and saw the horror on her face. “Don’t worry. I’d made plans for your family.”

  “Why is my family special?”

  “Because your father works for me. Caspian is my son.”

  There was a pause as she let the words settle. The changeling her parents served was the Prince’s son. That explained why they were so dedicated…and why there’d been so much recent trouble with Greys at the house. Yet her parents had never breathed a word to her. She raised one eyebrow, knowing Felan’s secrets would come with a price. “And why are you telling me this?”

  “Because I want you to work for me, to swear loyalty to me and my father.”

  That was far more than a straight deal. For how long had her parents been the Prince’s loyal subjects? Were they spies as well as Brownies? It was no wonder Felan wanted her father pardoned. But this wasn’t about her parents. This was about her, and there was only one thing she wanted. “What do I get in return? You can’t bring Verden back until you are king.”

  And there was no guarantee that he would become king. That threat alone was almost enough to make her vow her support. The idea that the Queen’s chosen would rule Annwyn was a scary prospect.

  “I kept my promise to keep you alive. Is that not enough to trust me?”

  She turned her head away and realized that she must be in Felan’s room judging from the fine clothing draped over chairs and the desk. What gossip would that start? Or was that part of his plan?

  There was a knock on the door. “Is the Lady up? The King is calling Court.”

  “She is and will be down presently,” Felan called out without even looking at her.

  “Drink and get dressed. I have no wish to see you or Verden come to harm—unless you make plans against me of course.” He smiled like a cat asking a canary if they were tasty.

  “My only plan is to be with Verden.”

  “Getting yourself banished will help no one. Think bigger, Taryn. You still hold a deal with the King and you have me willing to support you if you support me.”

  She drank the rest of the cup. The water tasted sweet and strange, but immediately the pain in her side dulled to a burn instead of a tearing sensation. With a sheet gathered around her, she got up. Felan pointed to a pile of clothes.

  “These aren’t my clothes.”

  “They are now.”

  More gifts she couldn’t afford to take. “What do you want from me?”

  “The Queen didn’t plan on being arrested. She hoped to force my father from the throne, but you lived and I know who she supports instead of me.”

  “Sulia,” Taryn whispered the name.

  Felan nodded. “My father needs a Hunter until I take the throne.” He looked at her. “He’s going to name you.”

  “Me?”

  “Accept and we can fix everything. My father wants me to step up, but I need time. I need to win back Jacquie. Buy me that time. Be my father’s Hunter, help me win the throne, and I will make sure you and Verden get whatever you want.”

  “I want him un-banished, and I want to be free of Court.
”

  “None of which can happen right now.”

  “And if I refuse?” She didn’t want more deals. She didn’t want to be bound to Annwyn by being the temporary Hunter. She wanted Verden and she wanted to go home.

  “No one else will be Hunter when my father’s rule is all but over, as that will preclude them from a position on my Council. Without a Queen and a Hunter, my father can’t rule.”

  Ah. Now she saw. Because she had no plans to stay, she was the winner by default. Great.

  “You have a Hunter in mind but no Queen.”

  Felan inclined his head. “I know who I want to be Queen. I just have to win back her heart.” He turned his back. “Dress. We don’t have long.”

  Taryn pulled on the greenish-yellow dress that was split to the hip on both sides and showed more leg than she was comfortable with. “What would you do if you were me?”

  “Take what is on offer. As Hunter you would have the freedom to cross the veil whenever you wanted…there is no rule requiring the Hunter to live in Annwyn.”

  Taryn paused in her search for more clothes and looked at the Prince’s back. “I could live in the mortal world?” She could be with Verden and be Hunter, get her father’s pardon, and get Felan on the throne. Everything would be fine.

  Felan gave a casual shrug. “As long as the job is getting done I would not see a problem and I doubt my father would either.”

  “But if you fail to secure the throne, I go down with you.”

  He half turned and looked over his shoulder. “If I fail, half of Annwyn goes down and the mortal world won’t have time to realize what has happened as the old gods start walking the earth and making demands.”

  “You’ve learned of her plans.”

  “No, but I know what my mother and Sulia are like. Will you accept and become Hunter?”

  “I know nothing about hunting.” And she hadn’t spent years trying to scheme her way into the position. No, but others would think she had. Most assume that the Prince had her well and truly bought, and in a way he did. Only he had the power to help Verden once he was King.

  “It’s not about hunting; it’s about loyalty. It’s why my father had to punish Verden.” Felan glanced at her. “Become my father’s last Hunter. Help me take the throne.” He smiled as if everything were simple.

  Did she really have any other choice? If she didn’t, she might as well put Sulia on the throne. “I don’t know how to be the Hunter.”

  “It’s not that hard. Given the way things are, it’s really just a formality.”

  “You swear to un-banish Verden once you are King?”

  He paused before answering.

  “What?”

  “Verden needs to agree to serve me first.”

  Taryn snagged a pair of pants from the clothing pile. They were pale green and looked like they might go with the dress—at any rate, they were women’s clothes, not men’s. “Can you not just agree and make life easy for once?”

  “I will do everything I can to see you and Verden back together, how’s that?”

  “I don’t want to be banished.” She grimaced as her side pulled.

  “Please, Taryn. Make my life easy and agree. I have so much going on at the moment and so much to do in a short amount of time that I need people who will help me.”

  “You barely know me.”

  “I know your father and mother. I know you don’t crave power, and I know you love Verden. That you are capable of that kind of love is all I need to know.”

  She smoothed the dress and hoped she looked okay. “You are asking a lot.”

  “And I am expected to do more while I watch my father die.” For a moment, the Prince looked grief stricken, but he pulled himself together fast.

  “I’m sorry.” She touched his arm.

  “I knew it was coming, but I thought there’d be a time where I was King and he wasn’t, where we could bridge the separation that has formed.”

  “You can still do that.”

  Felan shook his head. “No. My priority has to be Jacquie. Without her, all is lost.”

  “Does she know of your plans for her?”

  He grimaced. “Not in as many words. We had a falling out.”

  “Then how do you know she still wants you?”

  “I don’t.”

  “Plan B?”

  Felan was silent. Oh geez. There was no plan B. He had no backup Queen.

  “If Jacquie won’t have me, then who I chose doesn’t matter.” He offered her his arm. “Come. They will be waiting.”

  The Hall of Judgment was full. It hadn’t even been this full when she had first arrived. This time she walked in on Felan’s arm with her head high. She wondered what rumors they had all heard. Within seconds, it was obvious that Verden and the Queen were missing. She wasn’t the only one to notice and there were whispers that she couldn’t make out, but lips were moving.

  The King beckoned her forward to stand at his side. He wasn’t sitting in his throne. He was standing, his back rigid, sword hanging at his hip, his clothing darkest purple, almost black. Felan stood on the other side.

  Her breath caught in her throat. This was no simple judgment. There was finality about it.

  The King lifted his hand and silence immediately followed. “Thank you for gathering at short notice. Before rumors have a chance to take hold, I would like to clear up a few matters. Verden ap Hollis is no longer Lord of the Hunt.”

  There were a few gasps and whisperings. Sulia smiled, surrounded by the Queen’s Ladies, as if she were ready to be crowned Queen.

  The King waited a moment. “I will not be stepping down as King as I have a new Hunter.”

  Sulia’s eyes widened. There were a few gasps as people tried to work out who would take such a precarious job. Apparently only one person was dumb and desperate enough. Her.

  “The Lady of the Hunt will be Taryn merch Arlea merch Cerela.”

  If Felan hadn’t told her beforehand, she’d have died on the spot. As it was, she had to force the smile and hope no one could hear the rapid patter of her heart. She was deep in the race for the throne now, enmeshed in Annwyn politics. How had that happened to her, a fairy raised in the mortal world?

  Sulia glared at her, no doubt thinking she slept her way to the top—which couldn’t be further from the truth—and in the process proven herself to be aligned with the King and Felan, not the Queen as Sulia had thought.

  A silver sword was produced and Gwyn laid it in her hands. “Do you swear to uphold the security of Annwyn at all times?”

  She swallowed; this was Verden’s sword. She needed to see him. Did he have any idea what was going down in Annwyn?

  “I do.” Her words came out clear and sure, which wasn’t what she was feeling. She didn’t know what to do with a sword. Sulia looked like she wanted to drive it straight through Taryn’s heart. Another enemy. Would she live long enough to see Verden again?

  “Do you swear loyalty to me?”

  She wanted to look at Felan but she didn’t. She kept her gaze on Gwyn. “I do.”

  He released the sword, and people clapped, some more enthusiastically than others. Some looked like they were about to choke.

  The King lifted one hand and silence fell again. “The Queen will no longer be attending Court. She is confined to her rooms for committing treason.”

  If Taryn being named Hunter had caused a shiver of whispers, this brought the house down. Noise erupted like battle was about to break out. The whole time Gwyn stood there calm and emotionless. He glanced once at his son, and Felan bowed his head as if he knew what was coming. Taryn saw the look in the Prince’s eye and all she could feel was sorrow for him. Forced to take the throne before he was ready, unsure of who would sit by his side, and aching for a lost love.

  The King waited for the noise died down. “I name Felan ap Gwyn ap Nudd as my heir, to take the throne in two mortal weeks.”

  Felan held his head high, looking every part the willing Prince, but s
he knew he must be dying inside. Two weeks to find a woman to sit beside him for an eternity. Then she realized she would only be Hunter for two weeks.

  “I will hand the crown over without bloodshed. There will be no war.” He paused and looked at all of the Lords and Ladies. “No war. No winter. Not again.”

  Every single person lowered their heads. Out of respect or to hide their betrayal?

  Felan stepped forward. “Today brings no joy to me.” He bowed to his father. “Thank you for agreeing to step down. In the next two weeks, I will be looking to appoint a Guardian of the Veil and a Hunter. My Queen is waiting safely in the mortal world.” He smiled like he truly had her—even Taryn almost believed the lie. “Any act against her will be considered an act of treason and I shall take all measures to quash it and the leaders. This will be a bloodless change.” He echoed his father’s words.

  But bloodless didn’t mean painless. There were some who didn’t look thrilled by the idea. Yet none spoke out, not here—they wouldn’t dare. Tonight there would be new deals made and plots constructed. Sulia would be busy.

  The King walked off the dais and Felan and Taryn followed. Her heart was beating loud in her chest, but no one stopped her. No one said anything even though they all watched.

  “Follow.” Gwyn walked toward his private rooms, ones he would have once shared with Eyra. He sent the shadow servants away and then shut the door. “Sit, both of you.”

  Taryn sat on the nearest seat. She didn’t want to piss the King off anymore. He wasn’t just tightly wound today; he had started to crack.

  When he turned, his expression was unreadable. “I trust you are better, Taryn?”

  She nodded, her tongue like sandpaper.

  “How big was the lie, son? Have you even chosen a woman to be your Queen?”

  “I will be ready.”

  “You’d better be. We don’t have the luxury of love.” The King looked at Taryn. “You should have told me you loved Verden.”

  “Would it have made a difference?”

  The King nodded. “I am not as cruel as my wife.”

  “Yet you left him in the mortal world.”

  “I had no choice. I have to keep control. Any sign of weakness and there will be uprising. As a Grey, he is safe from the power shift.” Gwyn paced with his hands behind his back. “And there is still the matter of our deal. I will keep my word. If your father agrees to swallow his pride and be a shadow servant, I will grant full pardon instead.”