“The room, please. I’d have a word with my daughter alone before she goes to the Horde,” my mother said, while keeping her eyes to the floor. When everyone was gone, she pulled out a small silver dagger. “This was blessed by Danu, for the protection of the princesses of the realm. It is said to be the only thing that can kill the Horde…that can kill him,” she whispered in a hushed tone as if the Horde King was lurking behind the door.
“What the hell is this supposed to do? Pick his teeth after he eats my bones?” I asked, holding the small thin wisp of a dagger up. It was tiny! I’d seen toothpicks that were more impressive than this thing was. I raised my eyes to hers and caught her frowning.
“It’s small, Synthia, but it is enchanted. You only need to pierce his heart with it.”
“Do we even know if he has a heart?” I gave her a small smile, but it failed to help the seriousness of the situation. She helped me to tuck it away in the bodice of the dress.
“I should have gone to him when he offered for me. If I had, you wouldn’t be in this situation,” she said wiping angrily at the tears that formed in her eyes.
“I’m not some weak untrained warrior. If he tries to hurt me, I will find a way to kill him,” I replied guardedly. “We can’t undo the past…mother,” I hesitated calling her it, but the tears that fell freely made it easier. She was my mother. This woman had worried about me and my well-being the entire time I had been gone, and she had never given up on me. “We can only move forward. If I can find a way to come back to you, I will.”
She hesitated as she moved closer, but I once again held my arms open for her. I allowed her to hug me because right now, I needed it as much as she did. When she pulled away, her hand came up to cup my cheek before she pulled the veil over my face.
“You are stronger than anything I could have wished for in a child. You are a beautiful person, Synthia. Most would have tried to escape from us. You owe us nothing, and yet you still give us this. You deserve so much more and have endured too much for someone of your tender years. I wish I had more to give you, but know this, my daughter—I never stopped loving you; even when I was told you were lost to us forever. Deep in my heart, I knew that you would find your way home to me when the time was right.”
“Well, technically, I didn’t find you. If it hadn’t been for Cailean, Faolán probably would have killed me. Faolán might be your son, but he’s not on your side anymore. I know you don’t think him capable of it, but I’ve met him. I know it’s hard to think of your child doing something like this, but I can describe everything about him. He lives inside my nightmares and haunts me. He has since I was five years old.”
“I believe you, Synthia. He will be brought home to pay for his transgression.”
“Mother,” Caera said, coming into the room. “It’s time. The Horde and his retinue will be here soon.”
I chewed my bottom lip nervously. Where the hell was Ryder? He was a little late for scaling the damn walls. I turned and looked at my sister as she kept her eyes to the floor. She was afraid to look at me. I could sense it in her posture. “Caera, it was very nice to meet you.”
Well, that was about the lamest thing I could have said.
“I wish you well, I also wish you luck in what you are about to do, Sister,” she said, finally lifting her eyes to meet mine. Anger shone from her eyes. I smiled. Good, she hated this as much as I did.
“Don’t need luck, just need him to think he’s the better monster,” I replied with more bravado than I was really feeling.
The door behind us opened to reveal The Blood King. He smiled, but it failed to touch his eyes. Behind him were my brothers, and they were all dressed in suits. It still sort of freaked me out how human they looked, when dressed that way. “Ladies, we have to move to the hall where he will meet us.” My father and brothers were all stoic and resolute with what was about to happen. I could feel the undercurrent of anger and outrage with what they were being forced into. We walked slowly down the hall. No one spoke or made a sound. Not even the children as they clung to their mothers hands in fear of the arrival of the horrid Horde King.
I was supposed to kill the mythical Horde King, but the problem was, he would be on alert for treachery while here in the Blood realm. There was no chance in hell that I’d be able to take him out here, in front of his entire retinue of his people. I’d be slaughtered along with everyone else who stood inside the hall to bear witness to the gifting ceremony.
We rounded the corner together, and I stopped abruptly. There were hundreds of Fae in the throne room, all here to catch a glimpse of the elusive King. Just like I had witnessed at the other events, the Fae were turned out with a combination of contemporary formalwear, as well as the traditional robes or more medieval types of costumes. I turned and looked at the Blood King. He nodded, and together we walked the rest of the way to the back of the hall where the raised dais was for the Blood King’s throne. A thick carpet for me to kneel upon had replaced my father’s throne today.
I would be on my knees for him. Presented at his feet like some fucking animal. I stood in place as my family flanked my sides in a line of solidarity. I was pleasantly surprised and loving the looks of pride and anger that showed upon their faces. These people were doing what they had to because all other options had been taken away. But, it didn’t mean they would do it meekly. I looked at my father and saw why he was considered second only to the Horde King, when it came to being an alpha bad-ass. The man was, at this moment, absolutely courageous. He may have been dealt a really bad hand, but he was going to do what he had to with dignity. I felt a flash of pride for this man and the rest of my family.
It had been agreed that I would be presented to the people officially before the Horde King would claim me. I struggled to push down the butterflies of unease that were starting to kick into overdrive with what I had agreed to.
This was really happening to me. After everything I’d done to save people from the Fae, I was now to be gifted to the worst of them. It didn’t seem fair, or right, that this was happening to me, but it looked like I just might be the next one in a very long line of abused ‘gifts’. No one deserved this kind of medieval crap.
Trumpets sounded from what looked like a newly reopened entrance to the hall, and with the sound of the heralding trumpets came a short red headed male who was dressed in an awful color of green. He looked more like a Leprechaun, than he did Fae. He held a piece of paper in his hands as he read from it. “Yestereve, a blessed event took place. A knight of the royal Blood Fae returned something that was feared to be forever lost to us. Cailean, step forward,” he paused until the knight who had brought me here stepped forward. “What say you of this?” The short red-head asked.
“I returned Princess Sorcha to her home, to her parents,” Cailean answered. I could tell he was torn. He had saved me from Faolán, but turning me over to the Horde King wasn’t sitting well with him. He looked like he wanted to snatch me up and save me from this too.
“Does anyone argue this charge?” Shorty asked.
Silence greeted our ears as no one disagreed with them. I looked around and almost gasped when I spotted Adam beside his father across the room from us. His eyes were wide with alarm, and he was struggling against Kier and whatever he was telling him. I was relieved to see that they were both unharmed, and so happy to see Adam’s face.
I sent him reassurance through the bond. Or hoped I was doing it, since I wasn’t sure how to control the bond we shared yet. He must have felt it, because he stopped struggling and looked across the room at me. Anger and fear for me were clearly written on his face.
“Are you okay?” he lipped.
I smiled to reassure him, and hoped it showed in my eyes and convinced him, even though he could probably feel my current panic through our bond.
“Lasair, do you agree that this child is of your blood?” Shorty continued in a booming voice that sounded as it had come from an ogre, and not this tiny man.
“I
do. The bond has been restored now that we have been united,” my father said before giving me a gentle look.
“And you, state your rightful name for the people,” he said to me.
“I was named Sorcha on the day of my birth, Princess to the Blood King and Queen,” I replied obediently.
Adam’s jaw dropped as he watched me give my name. I couldn’t have said it, had it been a lie, and the look on Adam’s face said that he understood it as well. Pain flashed in his expressive eyes, but he quickly shielded it, which made relief filter through my soul. “Show no weakness,” I mouthed back at him, uncaring of who was watching us.
“You will now be presented to the royal castes, and then we shall begin the gifting ceremony,” Shorty continued.
Kings and Queens, along with their heirs, moved about unhurriedly as they formed a line in front of us. I’d lost sight of Adam in the mass of people as they moved around to make a path for the royals. There was a shit load of the nobility crammed in this room.
I met about thirty or more, before Tatiana stepped forward with a murderous glare aimed right at me.
“Madisyn,” she said smoothly in fake friendliness.
I raised an eyebrow at it until my mother shot one right back at her. “Tatiana, I was hoping you’d skip the celebrations.”
Well shit, this was going to be entertaining.
“I guess I should have realized she wasn’t mine,” Tatiana drawled bitterly.
“She does look significantly like you; she and her father have confirmed the bond,” Madisyn said with a sideways glance at me.
“I do so favor our mother,” Tatiana continued, and reached out to touch me. I leveled her with a killing glare, and she promptly stepped back. “Such a shame you have to give her up, now that you just got her back, Madisyn.”
“How is your husband, Tatiana?” My mother continued.
“He’s waiting for the Horde King; you know he awarded him our throne. Dresden would like to thank him in person this time. We plan to offer him any aid he may need.” Tatiana’s smiled was cold, as if she thought the Horde King was a god, and, truth be told, she probably did.
I struggled to keep the laugh in, but it was hopeless, and when it came, people rubber necked to see what had made me snicker.
“I’d say she needs a few lessons in etiquette,” Tatiana said, before she turned up her nose and walked away.
“Is she always like that?” I asked.
“Since the day my mother gave birth to the insufferable, two-faced, spoiled bitch,” my mother replied. “Kier, this is my daughter, Synthia. Synthia, this is Kier the King of the Dark Fae,” my mother said.
I wasn’t paying attention to them. Instead, I was smiling at Adam, who was moving up the line to stand beside his father.
“Adam!” I squeaked with happiness and threw myself in his arms. My poor outraged mother tried to pull me back.
“Synthia, you address him as Prince Cadeyrn, for he is the heir to the throne,” my mother chided.
Who gave a shit? I was about to be Horde kibble, and Adam was here!
“It’s quite all right, Madisyn. Adam is Synthia’s familiar. We had the pleasure of hosting her at the palace in hopes for her marriage to my son,” Kier said in his usual good natured manner.
“Ryder?” I looked hopefully at Adam who only shook his head no in reply. “He said he was coming,” I whispered.
“If he is, we don’t know anything about it. He left soon after you were taken and wouldn’t allow me to help search for you. My father sent out warriors to help, but then word came that the Blood Heir had been found, and my father said it’s like some sort of gigantic insult if we were not here for this,” he finished softly.
“He said he was coming,” I repeated.
“If he did, Syn, it was just hopeful thinking on his part. You haven’t seen what is going on outside. It looks like all of the Horde is here, well any that could travel fast enough to make it. Let’s hope he isn’t stupid enough to try anything right now. My father is going to barter for you with the Horde King. He has a plan,” Adam assured me, but I’d stopped listening.
Ryder had said he was coming, and out of everyone I knew that said they would do something, and did it, it was Ryder. If the man said he was coming, he was, and I knew he’d die trying to protect me. Wouldn’t he? I swallowed past the tightness of my throat, and looked up into Adam’s eyes. “You have to find him, Adam, and make sure he doesn’t try to save me. He’s here somewhere; he said he would, he’s gotta be here.”
“Syn…”
“Please, do this for me. Don’t let him do something stupid to save me. We will figure out how to get me out of this later.”
“Okay,” he said grimly as he let me go and turned to look around the room as he stepped down from the dais with his father.
There were hundreds of people inside the room, and a vise tightened around my heart with the reality of the slim chance we had of finding Ryder and stopping him. I was presented to countless others, but I rudely ignored them as I searched the faces of the crowd for one man.
The trumpets erupted in front of us, and clapping ensued as the huge doors were opened and howls from wild animals ripped through the room. It wasn’t until the first creatures of the Horde entered that my stomach dropped to my feet as they started toward us. Where was Ryder? Unless he planned on killing the Horde King…oh shit. Knowing Ryder, which I did, would be exactly something he would do.
I peeked from beneath my lashes, watching the spectacle the Horde made as they entered. Creatures I had only seen as drawings in Guild books poured into the grand chamber. There was a large group of the Far Darrig, as well as Phoukas, Redcaps, Bogies, Hobgoblins, Brownies, Nymphs, Satyrs, Oakmen and the Banshee along with other creatures I had never seen before took up positions in the room, and my mind raced to remember what I knew about them. It wasn’t much, since these were the creatures that were kept inside of Faery for the protection of the humans. Many of the new arrivals first looked like beautiful Fae, until you caught a glimpse of the evil lingering beneath the masks they wore.
There were creatures with skin that melted against their face; sickly looking creatures with their eyes sunk into their skulls. Another that was in the front, had wicked horns, and metal pierced up his arms, and into his skin. Also, part of the Unseelie were the ancient Sluaghs. These evil creatures were haggard walking dead with leathery looking wings and just enough flesh on their bodies to keep them from being skeletons. Still, more came in—a woman who was completely white, minus her red glowing eyes. They kept filing in as the assembled Fae who had been in the room moved away from them as if the walls would hide them. Crap, and to think I once told Ryder that I’d rather be the Horde than Light Fae.
And then he was there walking toward me. I wavered on my feet as I felt a blast of his power roll into the room. This wasn’t happening. Not when I’d just found my family and had found love with my fucking Fairy. I may not have gotten to keep it, but I loved him. He made my heart race, and he could turn me to butter with as little as a look in my direction. I was losing it all; nothing could save me from this creature. Not even Ryder.
I was pushed to my knees by my parents. My palms were sweating, and I felt the urge to throw up pushing at my stomach, fighting to come up. I closed my eyes and pictured the golden eyes of the one thing I’d miss the most. Ryder; he was the one thing I didn’t want to live without. I’d go with the Horde King, but I’d try my damndest to make it back to him.
I opened my eyes and watched as a pair of bare feet walked to me and stopped. Loose black silk trousers flowed just past his ankles, but stopped short from covering the top of his foot. I wasn’t allowed to look up unless he said so. I was to be obedient to his every whim. As if.
“This is the true first born daughter of your blood?” The voice that came out was multi-layered and cold. The people around us gasped as I cringed.
“This is my first born daughter,” my father said as he removed his hand from m
y shoulder.
Power vibrated through the room, unlike anything I had ever felt. My hair stood up, even though my mother had ensured it was as soft as silk. I watched as the bare feet made their way up to the dais where I was kneeling on the floor. I could just make out obsidian black wings that slightly dragged and brushed upon the floor. He was an enormous darkness, as if the entire realm could not contain him; could not contain his darkness, or his powers.
I couldn’t take it anymore and risked a peek at him. He was far beyond anything I could ever imagine. The stories didn’t do him any justice. It made sense now why the entire realm of Faery feared him. He was taller than I had pictured. Black velvet wings had razor sharp spikes varying in size that were fused to the bone along the top ridge of his wings and deceptively peeked out from the feathers. These spikes could tear into anything, severing and killing it instantly. His hair was long, reaching just below his shoulders and so black and shiny it seemed like it was absorbing the light. His skin was alabaster pale and his muscular torso and arms displayed black brands that seemed to ripple with power. A silver torque threaded with obsidian that matched his brands was around his neck, and the only thing he wore, aside from the silky trousers. Black eyes filled with the constellation of a thousand burning stars stared down at me with interest. He was breathtakingly beautiful and, yet, terrifying at the same time.
It was surreal. I was sitting at the feet of the Horde King. Ryder had yet to show up, and my world was crashing down, endless waves rushing up to crush my dreams in one solid move. I could hear my siblings thinking—thinking that I was doomed. He’d take me to his bed tonight, and I was sure I wouldn’t walk away from it. I could see his anticipation in his lustrous eyes.
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