by Jaymin Eve
He trailed off, that wistful look back on his face. “I couldn’t let it go then. In the past, if a fae and Earthsider bred together, something crazy always came from it. Like when the fae and humans bred together so long ago … we got shifters. And if any fae was strong enough to overcome previous infertilities, it was me. I went to my mother, told her what I discovered. She was worried that if this child was mine, conceived with the queen of the shifters and basically born of two leaders filled with mecca, it could be powerful enough to take over everything.
“So I waited, and when Rosalina gave birth, I snuck back to Earth, only to find her mourning a dead shifter child. She held the still bundle in her arms, cried over it, and … I knew we had nothing to worry about.”
Cold bastard. That must have been my cousin. The Red Queen had switched babies with her sister, thereby making sure no one knew her child had survived. Her child with a fae. Me. My head was reeling.
“She hid you from me!” The arrogant fae was angry, his cool façade fading away. “Stole your fae essence with the help of magic born and passed off a dead young as her own.”
I’d never particularly known or liked the Red Queen. I would never have guessed she’d carried and birthed me. Even when she’d simply been my aunt, I’d never felt a bond. But I did know one thing, she had done everything in her power to protect me from this man.
“So how did you find out?”
I knew he was only freely divulging this information because they planned to kill me soon – good luck with that. They had no idea how hard I would fight to stay alive to get back to Kade and Finn, to my people.
Luca’s face was blank again, emotions suppressed back into that dark cavity in his chest where his heart should be. “I let her be for a long time. We still hoped to utilize the alliance I had been forming. When the bear king died, I knew it was time to start planning for a revisit. His people would be vulnerable with a new king. So after some time I surprised her with a visit. She was in her library and didn’t smell me coming. She had your fae essence locked in the container, and the moment I saw it, felt the familiar energy, I knew what had happened. She must have spelled you at birth, locked away the fae part of you so I would never sense you if I visited Earth. She had it all planned.”
“So you killed her and took my essence. Why didn’t your queen just break the jar like I did?”
He shook his head. “It’s your essence. You’re the only one who could release it and gift it to another.”
So many questions were answered now, but still I had a million more. “If you wanted my essence, why did you try and have me killed on the night of the queen’s death? You sent a hit out on all the vortexes. If I was dead you’d never get your essence.”
“I panicked. I had no idea what I had created, and I had no idea which of the heirs you were. At that point we thought our magic born could release the essence, so we didn’t need you.”
“So you just want my power?”
My entire life, a very small part of me had yearned for my father, to know him, to wonder if he would care more than my mother had. I didn’t exactly expect he would try to kill me the moment he found out I was alive. I mean … wasn’t that nature? Don’t kill your offspring?
He sneered. “I want my mother to have your power so we can take over the New York City mecca. She has promised that on that side of the veil I can reign supreme.”
Ah, that made sense. Mommy was promising him his own little kingdom to rule on the Earth side while she ruled the Otherworld. How cute. I was totally going to kill them both now.
I had to play this smart. As long as they thought I could and would give up my fae essence power, I could buy time.
“And the shifters in New York City?”
He shrugged. “The ones who survive can be of use to me somehow, I’m sure. I’ll need servants of course.”
I had to swallow hard to bite down the growl that wanted to rip from my throat.
“And if I transfer the magic, your mother will let me go? I’m not queen of the mecca anymore. I just want to get my friends and go. You’ll never see me again.”
I knew from the treeling that fae were incapable of lying, but they were very good at half-truths. He gave me a pitiful smile. “Transfer the magic and we’ll let you out of here.”
Hah. Clever. Let me out of this jail cell and then kill me. I pretended to be entranced by his promise, nodding lightly.
He seemed pleased. “Good girl. Now figure out how to transfer that power by morning or you and that child will both be in a world of pain.”
This time I couldn’t stop the growl from ripping from my throat. Bastard. He had said his piece – had his two minutes to brag about his role in everything – and now he turned his back on me and spoke to the guard.
“If she does anything suspicious, you know what to do,” Luca said. The man whittling his wood simply nodded, letting the light catch his blade.
I knew I could take this guard one on one, but if he alerted the others I would be in trouble. Without another word, the pale-haired fae spun on his heels and walked away. He didn’t look back once. Meanwhile I was in a mild panic. I needed to figure this out, needed to escape immediately. I had no idea where Kade was. Why couldn’t I talk to him or Finn? How the hell was I going to get out of here?
I was so screwed.
Chapter Nine
Freedom always has a price.
Over the next two hours I waited for a sign that the guard was tiring or losing focus. It had to be nearing the middle of the night now. But the stubborn bastard just kept whittling away like he was hooked up to a coffee IV.
I decided to test the waters. “I’m thirsty.”
If I could get him to come closer, I could lash out with mecca through the bars and hopefully knock him out close enough to reach his keys.
“You’ll live,” he replied curtly and kept whittling. Argh! I decided the best thing I could do would be to fake sleep. Curling up on the straw mat, I faced the wall and stared out of the little drain grate there. Inside of it, I could see a few frozen blades of grass, so I focused on them for over an hour, all the while pinching my inner thigh to keep myself from dozing off. I could not fall asleep first. Eventually, he would move, drift off, or pee. Right?
As my patience waned, I decided I would give it only a little longer, and then I would just lash out with mecca anyway. I’d have to use more if he was alert, hit him really hard. Hopefully the power wouldn’t get out of control and kill me.
A shadow moved in front of the drain grate then and I froze, blinking a few times as I waited to see what was entering the hole. What in the…? A large tan hand passed in front of the rectangular grate and I had to force myself not to move. If the guard was watching me, I still wanted him to think I was asleep. The hand passed a small paper note through the grate bars and held it there in midair, one tip of the finger poking it through the bars. My heart nearly stopped beating as I reached out slowly, keeping my back stiff to the guard, and took the note. I let my fingers graze against the other hand, so the person knew I was alive. Clearly this drain led to the outside world, and had thankfully been just large enough for the male to shove his note through. In a flash the hand was gone, and the frozen blades of grass became my only view again.
It was dark in the cell but not pitch black. The lights in the hallway outside my cell still shone. Slowly I unrolled the note and glanced down at it. I was relieved to see it was written in English, a rough masculine scrawl.
I’m Kade’s brother. I saw where they took him and I’m going to free him. My wife is waiting by the eastern gate where her brother is a guard. She has a horse for you and Kade. Break out and get there and you can be free. She can only wait until first light, then the changing of the guard happens.
Be well.
Kian
My heart was pounding in my throat as I gingerly folded the parchment and tucked it into my bra for safe keeping. Holy … holy crap! I had been right, Kade’s brother had been
living in the Otherworld this entire time. He had a wife and child. My mind was reeling.
I wasn’t sure if fae could sense heartbeats, so I closed my eyes for a few moments and just breathed to settle myself. Meditation always calmed me, so I drew on that training, and let my essence flow free, just enough to have my heart steady again and my mind relaxed. Well, some of it. The other part was mentally rereading that note.
Kade’s brother was on his way to rescue him, and I had an escape plan. This changed everything. I said a silent prayer then: Dear Universe, when I roll over, please let this man be asleep. Double please.
Ever so slowly, I craned my neck.
Mutha—
He was still cutting that stupid piece of wood. He seemed really into it though, because he didn’t notice I had moved. I slowly rolled my head back and stared at the wall. Okay, time for a new plan. I was proficient enough with mecca now that I was pretty sure I could manipulate the door lock – well, enough that I would be able to get out of this cell. Of course, then I would have to use more mecca to take out the whittler, and that might be too much channeling of energy in one day. Without Kade here to filter the mecca if it began to drown me, I could end up passed out or dead. I needed to conserve it and play this smart. Just when I had resolved myself to try using too much mecca, the man spoke.
“Girlie! You awake?”
I kept my breathing calm and even, feigning a deep sleep. Another few moments passed and then I heard rustling and the sound of retreating footsteps. The universe had just answered my call. I assumed he went to the bathroom, which meant there wasn’t a moment to waste. Flipping over I scanned the hall outside my cell and saw that he was indeed gone. As I popped up to my feet I was already calling the mecca to me. My hands warmed, and that intense new power inside of me flared to life.
Crossing the cell in a few swift steps, I held my hands over the lock, blasting it with power, purple sparks shooting out like a firework show. The metal immediately grew hot, changing from rusty brown to a deep glowing red. After a few moments, I cut off the mecca power and stepped back. With one hard kick the door burst open. Thank mecca. I was even more relieved that so far I didn’t have a headache from the use of my power.
First order of business, I needed a weapon and a disguise. Stepping out of the room I took a left, the same way the wood whittler had gone, the way out. I passed half a dozen cells, trying my best not to look into them. I wanted to save everyone here, but in doing so I would probably not escape myself. And then the other little girl would die. It was a hard choice, one I hated to make. Hopefully I’d figure out a way to help the prisoners of the winter queen.
I paused as I passed a small alcove. Maybe my luck was looking up, because nestled above the small outcropping of stone there was a sickle. The curved blade was large, the handle ornately carved from what looked like bone. It was a macabre display though, dried blood remained across the blade, but that was okay. It was a weapon.
Pulling it from the wall, I was surprised to see a glint of sharp steel shining under the grime. I wasn’t an expert or anything, but I was thinking this might be elven made. Perfect! Turning, I padded down the hall, before the sound of footsteps had me freezing and shrinking back into a small curved section of wall.
As the footsteps got louder, I raised the sickle and prepared to fight. I would not go back into that cage, I would not risk the life of a little girl. The whittler went by my alcove. He was stumbling a little, barely paying attention. He was almost passed, and I was just congratulating myself on the third piece of luck for the night, when he must have caught sight of me in his peripherals.
As he turned to better see inside the alcove, I leapt out. As much as I had the element of surprise, he was well trained and already prepared for the attack. His arm came up to protect his head and the sickle sank into the meat of his forearm with a thud. He grimaced and groaned, shooting out with his other arm, cracking me in the shoulder. I pulled the sickle back quickly and pivoted out of his reach. I had limited mobility in the confines of the hall, but there was enough room for now.
When he came for me again, I feigned left and he took the bait, shifting his weight that way. He was strong and well trained, but speed was not his strength. With that in mind, I switched directions, and using every ounce of my wolf prowess, slammed the sickle into his neck, cutting halfway through, and he fell to his knees, gurgling. Not one for prolonged and painful deaths, I shoved the sickle further in and ended him.
Dragging his limp body into the alcove, I quickly searched him, taking a ring of keys and his sword, leaving the sickle behind. I would have loved his jacket but it was covered in blood. I would have to find another disguise. Stepping back out into the hallway, I came face to face with a prisoner, a very tall, dirty-blond, male fae. He had the high aristocratic features that I associated with royalty in this world, his eyes a mix of blues and greens.
He was up against his cell bars, those stunning eyes wide, having watched what I had just done. He was wearing an ankle-length warm-gray woolen cloak. I held out the keys in my hand.
“Give me your cloak and I’ll give you the keys. Just promise me that you will wait one hour to escape, and you will free every other innocent prisoner in here.”
He was a highborn fae, and my nose told me he was from the Summer Court. Somehow I could detect the slightest difference in the floral scent. I hoped he would know who was innocent and who wasn’t in this hellhole.
“I promise I will do exactly as you’ve asked. You have my word,” he said as he ripped his cloak off and shoved it through the bars.
As I grabbed the warm garment, I dropped the keys at his feet. “There’s a slave entrance that leads to the woods. It’s only guarded by one man,” I whispered. “That’s your best way out. Don’t leave any children behind.”
He gave me a nod, and returned my whisper, “They will be safe in the Summer Court.” I had been right. Looked like I was slowly connecting to the fae side of myself.
He reached down and snagged the keys, tucking them deep in his pants. I turned to leave, before pausing to say, “Oh, and the queen was planning on using a little girl as leverage against me. She’s about five or six, and they cut her face.” I pointed to the spot on my own forehead. “If you see her at any point, please take her with you.”
He nodded again, but spoke no more. I had a good gut instinct about people, and my gut was saying to trust him. Slipping the cloak over my shoulders, sword on my hip, I ran the rest of the way down the hall to my freedom.
I’m coming for you, Kade.
I made it through the castle and out into the courtyard without seeing anyone. I had been lucky. It was nighttime and it seemed only a minimum staff were around. Most of those were servants, and they were neither observant or trained in detecting escaped prisoners. No alert had sounded, which meant the guard had not been discovered yet, but I knew I was on borrowed time.
The moment I was free of the castle grounds, I called out for Finn and Kade. There was a flicker of something at the end of our bond, but neither of them responded, which freaked me out. Of course, there was no time for any sort of breakdown – and I was long overdue for one – so I decided to stick with the plan and hopefully everything would work out. The winter queen must have done something to me when I was passed out, blocked or suppressed communication of my bonded mates. Or maybe the magic born blanketed the entire city. Either way, I was on my own, which wasn’t ideal, but I would trust in Kian.
Speaking of, his note had said that he would rescue Kade and that I needed to meet his wife with the getaway cart. With that in mind, I headed east, slipping my way through the shadows of the winter village. Even though it was quite dark, just a few lit fires on poles, I had no problem seeing obstacles in my path. I was used to having great vision, but this was even better than usual. I was changed, no doubt about it, so I needed to learn how to utilize my new skills. I needed to speak with a fae, preferably one who wasn’t stark raving mad, and find out what exact
ly I should expect from this new energy inside of me.
When I figured I was about halfway to the gate, I had to hide behind some carts as a bunch of drunk men stumbled out of a tavern-looking building. It was more than a little frustrating hiding like a rat in the straw, but it was the best solution for now. Taking on a dozen idiots would be cathartic, but I had no time for that.
As the last male emerged, and the door slammed shut, I was preparing myself to start moving again when I caught sight of a familiar face. Shit! It was Kian, and he looked absolutely wasted as he slung an arm around a dirty looking ogre. Everything in my world went a little red around the edges then. I had to fight my wolf with more effort than ever before to stop her shifting and attacking the bear. His note had said he was going to free Kade, so what was he doing here, drunk, cozying up to the fae?
Had he already rescued Kade and this was a distraction? Or had the entire thing been some sort of setup to get me to leave without my mate. Either way, I couldn’t risk it.
Kade! I tried again, my mind pushing and searching. But again, nothing. With an almost inaudible sigh, I followed the drunken fae, all of them laughing and singing through the streets. They were slow, so it was very easy to stay with them and not leave the cover of the shadows. I kept my eyes locked firmly on Kian. The moment he was alone, I was going to show him that it was unwise to mess with a wolf. Especially one who was missing her bonded mate.
One by one, the fae stumbled into their homes. It was like a drop-off service, but the slow and on foot kind. Eventually there was only Kian and the ogre left, and I had reached the end of my very limited-to-begin-with patience. I did a few quick steps and slipped in behind a bushy garden, about three feet from the pair. They had stopped right in the middle of the cobbled street. Kian started to speak and my heart literally ached at the sound. He sounded so much like Kade – that deep rumbly gruffness that sent chills up my spine.