Warrior

by Lori Brighton

  “We don’t have time for this,” she hissed. “We need to find the fairy magic and get back to our people.”

  “In a hurry to return home to your loving subjects?”

  The hurt in her gaze made me regret my sarcastic comment the moment I said the words. I sighed, frustrated with myself, with her, with the entire situation.

  “Queen Iduna controls the woods, Princess, we have time to do whatever she wants. If we don’t, she could deny us access, or worse.”

  “Worse?” she said.

  The queen continued to move through the woods, the trees curling back, open, welcoming, exposing a path that led into the dark forest. And those branches could close just as quickly, trapping us out or in.

  I’d heard tales of men and women who had disappeared in the mountains, never to be seen again. They’d found a better life with the wood folk, people claimed. I had my doubts. However, I had no choice but to follow.

  “Tell me the truth, Mak.” Shay gripped my arm. “I can tell when you lie, and you aren’t being honest.”

  I quirked a brow. “You know me that well?”

  “No. You’re just that bad of a liar. Your left eyebrow arches when you’re not telling me everything.”

  Did it? I smoothed out my features. How did she know that? She wasn’t going to follow the queen unless I told her what she wanted to know. Damnation.

  “Fine. You want me to be honest? Queen Iduna will tell us where the fairies are located.”

  She shook her head in confusion. “But you said…you’re supposed to…”

  My jaw clenched. I would not feel guilty. I would not.

  “You lied.” Her hands fisted, her face flushing pink. “You said you knew where to find the fairy magic!”

  “No.” I grabbed her hand and dragged her a few steps toward the trail, frantic to follow before those trees closed. She said war was coming. How soon? “I said I would take you to the fairy magic, and I am.”

  “Don’t touch me!” She jerked her hand away. “I trusted you!”

  Her words stung. I shouldn’t have cared if I hurt her, but I did. And I would dwell on my shame another time. The branches popped, crackling as they started to furl back into place. The woods were closing. If we didn’t move fast, we’d be locked out. I glanced back. I didn’t miss her two guards standing in the shadows. We had no choice.

  “I’ll apologize later, but if we don’t follow her now, we lose our chance.” I paused only a moment, letting the weight of my admission fall on her shoulders. “What will it be, Princess?”

  She looked at me, then the trail. I could see the hesitation in her gaze. She had two options: trust me, or head out on her own. “Tell me the truth, was this a set up so you could take me to your uncle?”

  “By the gods, Shay, she’s allied with your people, not mine. If anyone should be concerned, it should be me.”

  She wasn’t stupid. Angry, but not stupid. She took in a deep, trembling breath full of fury. “We follow her.”

  She didn’t wait for me, but surged into the trees as if determined to go it alone. As if she didn’t need me in the least. Maybe she didn’t. Hell, maybe I was here just to watch her succeed. The minor character to her story.

  The branches quivered, hissing in warning.

  “Shite.” I jumped onto the path right before the leaves uncurled, enclosing the forest. I spun around, staring hard at that wall of brambles. Her guards were gone. I couldn’t see the clearing. I couldn’t see our camp with our bags. I couldn’t see anything but shadows and vegetation.

  “Come along, children,” Queen Iduna called out from ahead, her voice like wind through icicles, delicate yet fierce. “You don’t want to get lost.”

  I caught up to Shay. She didn’t even glance in my direction. Her face was set, determined. If I hadn’t been able to feel the anger pulsing from her body, I would have thought she was completely unaware of my existence.

  The queen was just visible through the shadows, a flash of glowing gold and green every few seconds. Just enough to tempt and tease. “Nymphs are the worst of the natural beings. They had a falling out with humans centuries ago. Yes, she has a pact of some sort with Acadia, but do not trust her.”

  “Her?” Shay released a huff of a laugh. “The only person I don’t trust right now is you.” She slapped aside a branch, sending a shower of white flower petals into the air, no doubt imagining my face in place of that branch. “Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?”

  My irritation flared. She was being stubborn, ridiculous. I didn’t owe her anything. She was the enemy, for God’s sake. “I did warn you not to trust me.”

  “Oh yeah.” She gave me a tight smile. “What a saint.”

  I stepped in front of her, blocking her path, forcing her to stop and pay attention. “Face the facts, Princess, your people would never have listened to me if I’d told the truth. They would have immediately killed me. I had to save myself.”

  Her eyes narrowed, her hands fisted. For a moment, I thought she might hit me. Her ferocity would have been intimidating if not for that smudge of dirt on the bridge of her nose. Hell, but I wanted to laugh, or yell at her. I wasn’t sure which. The woman made me crazed.

  “You would have done the same,” I added.

  With a growl, she stepped around me and continued on. She knew I was right. Frustrated, I followed behind her. I’d never met a more annoying person in my life. The trail twisted and curled around the trees, darting this way and that, so we only caught glimpses of the queen ahead. The farther we traveled, the darker it became.

  What did Shay want from me?

  On either side of the path the woods were thick, the branches entwined like a fence. There was no escape. We were truly trapped until the queen allowed us to leave. By the gods, the quiet was driving me mad.

  “Are you angry with me, or with yourself for trusting me?” I hissed.

  She ducked under a branch and followed the path to the right, refusing to answer. Fine, if she wanted to act the child, so be it. We trudged after the queen in silence, both of us fuming in our righteousness. I was trying to save my kingdom, my sister, myself. If she had a family, she would do the same. Anyone would. I would not be the villain in this tale.

  We hadn’t traveled far when the path suddenly expanded and Queen Iduna’s world spread before us. A large open space cloaked by trees and capped with branches that tangled together, forming a natural roof. Peppering the branches were blossoms of purple, pink, blue and white, highlighted only by the lanterns that hung within the limbs. It was dark here, deep within the forest, although back in the clearing the sun had promised to be bright. I breathed deeply the sweet scent of eternal spring, and with that scent came a calmness I hadn’t felt in a long while.

  Around us, beautiful, ethereal beings sat on branches, resting on boughs, reclining on the soft grass. Talking, laughing, watching us with golden eyes that burned with curiosity. None seemed concerned with our arrival. Not one seemed anxious or afraid. They were secure within their power.

  If only I could be that sure of myself.

  When my parents had been alive, we’d entertained traveling minstrels who would sing tales of the natural kingdoms, but no one had truly known what lay within these walls. My uncle would have given his best army to hold a map to this place, to know Iduna’s secrets.

  The tales had underestimated the energy in the air, the perfection, the sense of peace and happiness that washed slowly over me, thick as tree sap. So slowly, that one almost wouldn’t notice. Trickery, I realized, although I was finding it hard to care. A spell.

  The queen paused in the middle of the clearing and faced us. “Welcome to my kingdom.”

  Like a bee drawn to sugar, Shay started toward her. Shay, who had never been warned about the natural beings. Who had no idea that the air was made of magic and enchantments that not even the strongest could ignore.

  I dredged up what little rationality remained deep within and latched onto her hand. “Princess, list
en to me, it’s very easy to lose track of time in the natural world. Humans can’t handle the magic.”

  She tore her attention from the glittering scenery to focus on me, but her gaze was hazy with wonder. The natural world had already taken hold. Someone started to play a fiddle, another a flute. “Do you truly think I’ll believe anything you say?”

  I ignored her irritation. “You can go to bed, wake up, and a week has gone by. Time is different here. We have to stay clear-headed, and for Merlin’s sake, don’t fall asleep.”

  She gave me a tight smile. “Go to hell, my lord.”

  I gritted my teeth and watched her walk away. She might have been drunk on fairy magic, but that harsh, biting Shay still remained. It should have made me feel better to know she wasn’t so far gone, it didn’t.

  With a flick of Queen Iduna’s wrist, the trees in the far corner curled back, and a long, wooden table appeared on the edge of the clearing. Candles highlighted the spread. The scent of roasting vegetables, sweet tarts and pies called to my cramped and empty belly. When was the last time we’d had a decent meal?

  “A lover’s spat?” Queen Iduna called out, missing nothing as she settled in a chair at the head of the table. Her nymph friends giggled from the trees. “How truly interesting. Beast, in love? And here your reputation paints you as such a spoiled lord who doesn’t know how to care about anyone but himself.”

  Shay snorted in disgust as she paused near the table. She didn’t wait to be given permission, but picked up a tart of some sort and bit into the crusty pie. I pressed my lips together to keep from calling out a warning. What if the food was enchanted?

  “Well, Beast, what do you have to say for yourself?”

  “I’m not…we are not in love,” I snapped. “And I apologize, Queen Iduna, but I don’t trust you in the least.”

  She laughed, leaning lazily back against her tall, golden throne of a chair. “That’s rich, coming from an animal like you.”

  I stiffened, my fingernails biting into my palms. That vicious part inside of me reared its ugly head. She knew how to goad, and I had no doubt she did it on purpose. Shay glanced curiously my way. I had to swallow the growl threatening to erupt.

  The queen lifted a brow and grinned. She knew there was a battle raging within me. She knew, and it amused her. “Come. Sit. Enjoy the feast. Only a bite, Prince Makaiden, what could it possibly hurt?”

  Just a bite? Indeed. We both knew nothing was that simple where she was concerned. Nymphs suddenly appeared near the queen, filling plates with roasted vegetables and goblets with sweet mead. They shared as they found seats along the table; one happy family. I wasn’t falling for their peaceful ways. In the blink of an eye she could have us hanging from the branches, begging for mercy, should she choose.

  “Oh Makaiden, why must you pout?” the queen murmured. “Your sour mood will ruin the meal.”

  Shay had wandered toward the middle of the clearing, her tart long since consumed. Her curious gaze attempted to take in everything at once, and she didn’t even try to hide her awe. I needed to get her alone. She had to understand how dangerous our situation. Fairy dust. We needed to find the location of the fairy dust and somehow escape this predicament.

  “So, no lover’s quarrel?” Her gaze slid to Shay. “You say you don’t care about the princess, but I see something else.”

  The queen’s softly spoken words seemed to startle the entire gathering. I wasn’t the only one who heard something nefarious in her tone. Nymphs froze mid-reach, even Shay turned curiously toward the queen. It was as if we all knew something was coming and waited with bated breath.

  A slow smile spread across the queen’s face. “There is an easy enough test to find out the truth.”

  A curse escaped my lips. I should have known she would use Shay against me. Desperate, I surged toward the princess. “Shay, come…”

  Suddenly a nymph appeared behind Shay. He wrapped a sinewy arm around her waist and pressed a dagger to her throat. I froze. Shay sucked in a sharp breath, her wide, pleading gaze on me. I didn’t dare move. A cold sweat broke out across my forehead.

  “Your deepest wish, Prince Makaiden,” the queen said as she leaned forward to fill her goblet. “Is to rule. To secure your kingdom, protect it. To be a strong and respected leader.”

  My body burned with an anger that bubbled up from deep, deep within the pits of my very being. An anger that roared with fury, that threatened to destroy everything within its wake. How dare she drag us here only to threaten me. To taunt and tempt me. To play her games while we tried to survive.

  “What if I granted your wish, Prince Makaiden?” She leaned back in her chair, and sipped her mead. “What if I told you where that fairy dust is located so that you might take control of your kingdom?”

  I didn’t react, to show any emotion, hope or despair. “And in return?”

  She gave a dismissive shrug. “You know the rules of the forest. There is always a give and take. In return for the fairy dust, her blood nourishes the earth. Her life for your kingdom. Her life for the lives of your people.”

  It could all be over. Suffering, pain, fear. All of it done.

  And then I made the mistake of looking at Shay.

  Her jaw was clenched, while her gaze burned, daring me to accept the offer. It was the hatred and fear I saw in her eyes that tore through the haze of magic, and grounded me into reality. I knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t beg. Shay would never beg. If I gave the nod and they killed her, she would die cursing me, but she would never plead for her life.

  “Careful Beast,” the queen called out. “Your eyes are glowing.”

  My heart beat frantically in my chest, the decision weighing heavily upon me. Everything. I could have everything I’d always wanted…it was within grasp. It would be so very easy to say yes.

  “Well?” the queen asked, her voice cutting through my turmoil. “What will it be?”

  Who the hell was I kidding? I knew what I would do the moment she gave me the ultimatum. Desperate, I surged forward. My fist swept by Shay and slammed into the nymph’s face. He stumbled back with a growl, releasing Shay in the process. Without pause, I shoved the princess behind me.

  “Or I could kill you all,” I snapped.

  And I knew I could. In that moment, I realized I could very well let go, give into temptation, and destroy them all. Every nymph, every tree, every magical being. But then I might destroy Shay in the process.

  The queen clucked her tongue, reaching for an apple. “Very rude indeed, threatening me in my own home.”

  I didn’t have time to prepare. Five nymphs were on me at once. I was thrown to the ground so hard, the air knocked from my lungs. The branches wavered in and out of focus above me. Stunned, angry, I lay their gasping for breath, staring up at the furious faces of the woodland creatures. The animal within me roared in protest. My fingers dug into the dirt, sharp nails piercing the ground.

  No. Not here. Not now, I told myself.

  “Which is it, Prince Makaiden?” the queen trilled from her chair where she still reclined. “The princess or your kingdom?”

  “The princess,” I growled.

  Shay was tossed toward me, as if a prize I had won. I caught her as she fell, holding her close, even as she glared down at me. The queen laughed in delight. In her opinion, she’d been proven correct. From somewhere within the trees, music started.

  “Why?” Shay asked, just loud enough for me to hear. “Why did you choose me?”

  Slowly, I stood, pulling her to her feet. Why indeed. “Maybe because you’re more valuable alive.”

  All around us the nymphs danced, laughed and drank, but I was barely aware because she was looking at me. Looking at me like she was slowly putting the pieces together, slowly figuring me out, and it made me more nervous than I wanted to admit.

  “You already used that excuse, Prince Makaiden.”

  I grabbed a goblet from the table and drank deeply, the mead burning a path down my throat.
“Well then,” I snapped. “It must be true.”

  ****

  “Where have you been?”

  Shay settled in the chair next to me, her sweet scent swirling through the air, better than any flower blooming in the trees. It called to me, that scent. Branded me. Invaded my clothing, my hair, my skin. Hell, when had I become a bloody poet? Maybe I was drunk. On mead or fairy magic, I wasn’t sure. It was the only reasonable explanation.

  “Why aren’t you dancing?” she prodded.

  “I was dancing, I think.” I frowned, staring hard into my empty goblet. We’d arrived not long ago. We’d argued. Then eaten. Then danced together. Hadn’t we? I glanced up at her. “Wasn’t I? Weren’t we?”

  She looked thoughtful, her brows drawing together. “I don’t remember.” She took my hand, her fingers warm and delicate and so utterly feminine. “But we can now.”

  We were getting dangerously close to staying too long in this magical realm between reality and fantasy. Even in my hazy state I knew that. Yet, I didn’t resist as she pulled me into the clearing. Sometimes I wondered if I would be able to resist her anything.

  Around us the nymphs twirled, spinning so fast it made a person dizzy just watching them. But Shay had a different dance in mind. She rested my hands on her hips and then wrapped her arms around my neck. With a grin, she stepped close, so close her body molded to mine.

  We didn’t twirl or spin, only swayed with our bodies pressed tightly together. So tight, her soft curves fit perfectly to my hard muscles. I hadn’t a clue what kind of dance we did, but I enjoyed it. Too much.

  “Why does she call you Beast?”

  I forced myself to smile. “I don’t know. Teasing, I suppose. We aren’t enemies with the Nymphs, but we have no alliance either. Not like your people. We have an uneasy truce.”

  She didn’t look convinced, and she was searching my face so thoroughly that I feared she would read the truth. “At times I swear your eyes glow.”

  Startled, I released a harsh laugh. “Only when I’m very angry. Am I not angry at you?”