The Glass Mountain (Faerie Book 2)

by Jenna Grey

  “They’re Djinn,” another said. “Only Djinn don’t come out in daylight.”

  Lily shut her ears to their conversations, as they were only depressing her and looked around the room to see if there was somewhere to wash, even though she didn’t dare hope for anything as luxurious as hot water. Right now she’d settle for just cleaning her teeth; her mouth felt like a cesspit, her tongue furry and unpleasant. There was a large china basin on a small stand in the corner, with a jug beside it. She walked over to it and saw that it was filled with what looked like passably fresh water. It would have to do. She desperately needed a wee, but was afraid to ask if there was a loo, then she saw the tin bucket in the corner and gave a sigh.

  “I think we’re supposed to go in that,” Connor said, tipping his head towards the bucket.

  “Yes, I’d already worked that out. I suppose they expect us to throw it out of the window to get rid of it, like they did in Elizabethan times.” Connor smiled.

  “No, there’ll be a cesspit downstairs somewhere. We might be primitive here in Otherworld, but not that primitive.”

  Lily blushed.

  “Well, I’m not doing it with you looking at me. Turn your back.”

  “I’ll still hear you,” Connor said, giving her a wicked grin. Lily threw her boot at him and he ducked just in time.

  Lily did what she had to, still scarlet with embarrassment, and went and sat on the large soft bed, weary, but too tired to sleep. Every bone in her body was screaming at her, her face stinging and painful, so exhausted that even breathing seemed like a monumental effort.

  Lily picked up the holdall and put it on the bed, struggling with still numb fingers to open it and pulled out her toilet bag. As she pulled the bag out, the snow globe that Kieran had given her rolled out onto the bed. Lily caught sight of it from the corner of her eye, and reaching out, picked it up. She sat back down again on the bed, holding it in her lap, gazing down into its swirling snowy depths.

  Connor sat down next to her and closed his hand over hers.

  “I’m sure he’s all right, Lily. Kieran’s a tough kid ‒ a survivor.”

  “Yeah, course he is. He had a terrible childhood you know, he was abused by his father and his uncle, had a dreadful dreadful time until he came to live with us. I never really understood him, not until right at the end and I just wish I’d been nicer to him. He’s a good kid, and doesn’t deserve so much misery.”

  Lily gazed down at the globe, shook it, watching the little flakes of snow floating down. It seemed to trap her gaze, mesmerizing her and for a long moment she was lost in it. As she stared at it, the glass around it seemed to dissolve into nothingness, and the little flakes of tinsel turned to perfect snowflakes, fluttering down…

  ...and out of the confines of their glass prison.

  They floated down onto her hand, cold against her skin, and she watched each little flake melt as it touched the warmth of her hand.

  “Lily...” Connor said, his voice dreamy, holding up his hand and watching the snowflake settle.

  Lily stared hard at the great doors that led into the Citadel, and as she gazed at them she gave a little gasp, almost dropping the globe. The gates opened to her, and the more she gazed, the closer the gates came, until she could see through them. She could see the people inside, moving about, every little detail of them, There were elf guards standing proud inside the gate, spears and halberds at the ready to strike down any that should dare to try and enter. The scene in front of her seemed far too big for the tiny globe to hold it and she truly believed that if she tried hard enough she could pass right through those gates and into the Citadel.

  “You can see it too, can’t you?” she asked in a whisper. “We’re looking straight into the Citadel, the real Citadel. There’s enchantment working here, something impossible is happening,” she said, awestruck.

  Connor took the globe from her, breaking its hold over them both and put it back into the bag, turning to Lily and giving a huge grin.

  “I think we’ve found our way into the Castle.”

  Lily found it hard to sleep, too overwhelmed by thoughts that filled every corner of her head. She was numb with weariness, barely able to string a sentence together when she finally staggered out of bed the next morning. This really was no way to face what they had to face in the coming hours. It was still dark outside, so could be no later than six o’ clock. Up here in the north the days were short and Lily would seriously have hated living here all the time. No wonder the King and Queen were such miserable buggers. She allowed herself a little smile, although she wasn’t quite sure what she had to smile about. The room was bitterly cold and Lily could see her breath; Milton obviously didn’t believe in spoiling his patrons. She pulled her cloak around herself and walked to the window, looking out onto the dark street below. It was still deserted and snowing again, the snow blown by the wind into small hillocks along the street. There were lights in some windows in the houses opposite, but most of the buildings still lay in darkness. Connor was grouching his way out of bed, with a cover around him, looking for his clothes.

  “I can’t believe that we had a portal into the Citadel all this time,” Lily said. “We could have used it back at the barn, if only we’d known.”

  Lily was pretty miffed at that. It really wouldn’t have hurt Hecate to tell her that they had the way into the Citadel even before they arrived in this world. She wondered if it was Hecate herself that had given the globe to Kieran. He never had told her where he’d got it from.

  “Perhaps that wasn’t the way we were supposed to do it. I mean,” Connor said, “if we’d gone straight to the Citadel would we really have been prepared? Think of all the things that have happened to us on the way, all the things we’ve learnt. And we have Nob and Cumudgeon… they’ve helped us already and I think they can help us again. Nob was King Grendel’s right hand man, and he’s known in the Castle. He has the credentials to speak for us and tell the King everything that has happened at Tunneltown ‒ if word hasn’t reached him already. The King has spies everywhere.”

  Lily gave a little ‘humf’.

  “The Queen might even know we’re here already. She’s so creepy, I really wouldn’t trust her further than I could throw an elephant. She’s just another Virginia. And I hate to point this out, but if we’d gone straight to the Citadel, we would still both have all of our power.”

  Connor gave her a less than friendly look.

  “And that band of goblins would still be roaming the countryside killing innocents, and worse, Rawhead and Bloody Bones would still be alive. Don’t you think that’s fair exchange for us suffering a little hardship?”

  Lily flushed scarlet and mumbled a ‘sorry, I didn’t think’.”

  Connor sighed, and came and put his arm around her, pressing his face to hers.

  “I’m sorry, I think we’re both living on our nerves at the moment. We’ve just got to keep going,” he said, and pushed her off the bed.

  “You bastard,” she said, laughing and scrambling back up to wrestle with him. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, a beddy kiss, but more than welcome.

  “I love you,” he said.

  “I love you more,” and they kissed for a few moments. Lily, finally dragging herself away from him, reached for her clothes.

  Connor stopped her.

  “No, not those ones, the others, the ones Nob gave us.”

  Lily paused for a moment, and then realised that of course he was right. If they were going to the court, then they needed all of their finery. Even if they didn’t have their power, just looking the part was going to help their case. Lily wondered if Adeline would even be able to sense that they had no power. Would it be possible to bluff her into believing they still did?

  Lily picked up the dress and held it against her. It really was the most beautiful brocade, gold satin with delicate embroidery decorating most of it. Lily couldn’t help but wonder where Mawgum had got it, but she thought that she really would
look like a queen in it. There was a soft white linen petticoat as well, which felt baby soft against her skin. She pulled the dress over her head and Connor fastened the back for her, pulling the lacing until the dress bodice fitted her perfectly. It was perhaps a little lower at the front than she would normally have felt comfortable wearing, showing a little too much décolletage, but when she turned and looked at herself in the cracked old mirror, she really did look like a queen.

  “All you need is a crown,” Connor said, pulling on the soft linen shirt and tucking it into his tight knee length britches. He had already pulled on knee high leather boots and Lily thought that he looked incredibly hot.

  “You look like a musketeer, or pirate,” she said, laughing.

  He grabbed the velvet jacket and slipped into it, grinning at her.

  “Doesn’t quite work with my hair, though, does it?”

  He was right, Connor’s hair was a hedgehog of dark brown tufts, sticking out in every direction. Lily picked up the brush and tried to flatten it down a bit, and eventually it did look passably neat.

  There was a timid knock at the door, and when Lily called them in, it was Nob, looking so neat and tidy that she hardly recognised him. He’d combed his hair into a top knot, and was wearing what looked like someone’s Sunday best, a tunic and breeches, shoes with bright buckles on.

  “I can see yer all ready then. My don’t yer look like the badger’s whiskers. Yer done yerselves proud. Oh… just needs the finishing touches I reckon.”

  Lily hadn’t noticed before, but Nob had been carrying a box, about the size of a shoe box. He held it out for Connor to take it. Connor opened it and gave a little gasp when he saw what was inside. He laid it on the bed, and from it he took two crowns, one delicate and fragile and the other more solid, obviously meant for a man.

  “Well, you can’t be a king and queen without a crown...”

  “Where did you get them from, Nob. They’re not stolen, are they?” Lily asked.

  Nob looked mortally offended.

  “Course they are!”

  Lily laughed, but pulled a face.

  “Don’t worry, they was stolen a long, long time ago. Us hobs have got treasures stored all over the place, just in case. Aint no-one gonna miss them.”

  Connor lifted the queen’s crown from the box and laid it on her head, gently tucking it into her hair and settling it.

  She walked to the mirror and stared, hardly believing it was her.

  “I don’t look like me any more,” she said, a little wistfully. “I’m still not sure that I want to be a queen.”

  “You’ll be the best queen ever,” Connor said, putting the crown on his own head and admiring his reflection. “We’ll do.”

  “Now, this is how we get yer inter the castle—”

  “No, sorry to interrupt, but we have found a way in…” Connor reached into the bag and pulled out the snow globe. “This is a portal, a way for us to get directly into the castle. But we still need you and Nob to meet us inside so that you can explain what happened in Tunneltown, and corroborate our story.”

  Nob looked at the globe and then at Connor, scratching his head.

  “Well, now, there’s a thing. I heard of them there magic doorways, but never thought I’d see one. Well, then this is what we do. Me and Cumby are gonna go inter the castle by the tradesman’s entrance and yer can meet us inside. My mate inside the castle is gonna announce us ter the court. You sure you’re gonna be all right going in like that. I was gonna sneak yer both in.”

  “I think this is the way we’re meant to get in, Nob. We’ll be fine, really.”

  “Well, this is it then. I’ll meet yer at the main entrance, by the stairs that lead up to the castle doors. Keep hidden til yer spots us.”

  Lily bent forwards and gave Nob a kiss on the top of his head.

  “Thank you for everything, Nob, we’ll never forget your kindness to us, and how brave and loyal you’ve been.”

  Nob turned scarlet and fidgeted about, wringing his cap in his hands.

  “Of we go then, see yer soon.”

  And with that he gave a low bow and was gone.

  Lily turned to Connor, who was still holding the globe, looking pale and harried.

  “So how do we do this? Just walk inside? I mean, that’s what it felt like, when I looked into it, that I could just step right through those gates and into the castle,” Lily said.

  “I reckon so. It’s pretty crazy.”

  Connor fastened on his sword, and they both put their cloaks back on, composing themselves.

  “Ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.”

  Lily, her heart pounding, her mouth as dry as dust, held up the snow globe and they both stared into its depths. They stared for some moments and nothing happened.

  “Perhaps you have to shake it?” Lily suggested.

  Lily did, and as the tinsel began to fall, the scene inside took on that same bright clarity; the moulded lines of the buildings, began to sharpen, the painted backdrop of sky brighten to the ice white of a winter sky. There in front of them were the gates of the Citadel, and as they stared harder, the gates opened for them and they felt themselves being pulled inside. Lily’s head began to swim, and she closed her eyes.

  When she opened them again they were standing in the courtyard, surrounded by dozens of scurrying, screaming people, all fleeing from the two phantoms that had just appeared in their midst.

  “I don’t think that anyone is going to have to announce us,” Connor said.

  Guards came rushing from every directions brandishing their weapons and calling for them to halt.

  They halted.

  “What manner of demon are you?” one of the guards asked: an elf by the look of him, slim and delicately handsome, wearing elf-made armour and carrying and elven spear. Despite his looks, Lily had no doubt that he could take care of himself.

  “Not demons, Good Sir, but Lord and Lady Connor McAleister of the Seelie High Court, here on a matter of life or death. We need to see Their Majesties at once. Please take us to them.”

  Lily cautiously unfastened her cloak, so that it fell open and they could see her regal clothing. The elf looked them up and down and she could see that he had noted their crowns and finery, not to mention the faint few glow that surrounded them, only present in the highest She.

  “You’re not going anywhere, until you answer a few more questions. The crowns mean nothing. Anyone can wear a crown. First tell me what manner of folk you are, if you’re not demons.”

  “Feyfolk, like yourself, although not of your kind. We are here to aid, not to harm,” Connor said. The elf curled back his lip and pushed his spear just a little closer to them.

  “Say you, but when our Citadel is surrounded by the enemy, and you appear in our midst without word or warning, then you are not getting past me until I’m sure if you’re friend or foe.”

  There was a sudden commotion behind him, and they all turned their heads to look. Coming down the steps behind him was a slender and beautiful form.

  Queen Adeline.

  She stood at the bottom of the steps, a terrible figure, dressed in white, which made her almost invisible against the snow. On her head she wore a crown of diamond and silver. She looked every inch the Queen. The elf dropped to his knees and so did everyone around them. Lily looked to Connor to see if she should curtsey or something, but Connor didn’t move. She stood her ground.

  “Thank you, Ganymere,”Adeline said. “You’ve served your Queen well, but I have been expecting our two visitors for some time now.”

  Adeline smiled graciously at the elf, and walked down to meet Lily and Connor, although it was truer to say that she almost floated, gliding down the steps like a swan gliding over water. Lily had to resist the urge to look at Connor to see what he made of all this, but instead she thought:

  ‘I’ve got a very bad feeling about this.’

  “My dear, I understand your caution,” Adeline said, and Lily desperately
fought to keep from thinking ‘Oh great, she can read our thoughts.’ Too late, the words had popped into her head.

  ‘Shield yourself’’, Connor thought back to her, but Lily had no idea how to do that. Besides which, they had nothing to hide, did they? They were going to tell Adeline everything anyway. Mind you, Lily was pretty certain the sorceress knew everything there was to know already.

  “Please follow me. This is not the place to have confidential conversations,” Adeline said, and turned her back on them.

  Lily, tried desperately not to think of anything that might betray them; she never had been any good at subterfuge. She let images of Mawgum dead in the snow drift into her head, of the poor skinned creatures in Tunneltown, of her own village decimated by the Djinn, hoping that if Adeline did read her mind, she would realise just how terrible their plight really was. She could feel Connor’s thoughts and they mirrored hers.

  They followed Adeline up the steps that led up to the castle doors, and Lily couldn’t help but wonder just how over confident the reigning Queen must be to present her back so readily to them. Did she know that they no longer had any power? That cold back would be a pretty good indication that she did.

  Once at the top, Adeline led them into a grand hall, and Lily stifled a small gasp of awe as they entered. The hall was full of people, dressed in finery, all staring at her and Connor, as if they were something none of them had ever seen before. Truth was, Connor and Lily were something they had never seen before, but if Lily had been suffering from an inferiority complex before, now she felt like pond scum, wilting under their relentless stare.

  The crowd not only parted as they walked through, but knelt before their queen, heads bowed, in complete supplication to their monarch. Adeline didn’t so much as acknowledge them, but kept a steady pace through that great hall towards the ridiculously oversized marble staircase at the far end of the room. Lily didn’t have to worry about guarding her thoughts now, because she was totally overwhelmed by her surroundings, her senses only barely able to cope with what she could see, let alone have any thoughts about it. Everywhere there was the glint of gold, and the dazzle of jewels. Marble statues of wood spirits, nymphs and centaurs lined the aisle leading up to the staircase, and every single one of them seemed to accuse Lily as she passed them, asking her how she dare to set foot in a place like this, let alone lay claim to its throne. Even dressed in her new regalia Lily felt diminished, like Little Orphan Annie, in comparison to the least of those here.