“I haven’t used it since I was a boy,” Aengus muttered.
My pulse quickened at his lack of answer. I wanted to ask his age but feared that the answer would heighten my anxiety. The walls closed in on us, now consisting of finger bones and the skeletons of creatures as small as the oak sprite. Dry, powdery air filled my nostrils, and my mind conjured up the image of millennia-old bones, ground into dust.
Scraping footsteps sounded several feet above, mingled with the scratching claws of something larger than a rodent. Aengus crawled faster, his frantic gasps echoing across the walls.
Remembering his warning about the orchard, I kept my head down and quickened my pace, not wasting an ounce of breath on questions, not daring to open my mouth in case powdered bones spilled between my lips.
Something plucked out a single hair, then another and another until needle-pricks of pain dotted around on my scalp. I clenched my teeth and continued after Aengus, not speaking, not saying a sound.
At last, we turned a corner and reached a chink of light the size of a platter. Aengus grunted and squeezed himself through the gap in the wall, loosening tiny bones as he writhed free.
Pinpricks turned to scratches, which turned to tiny handfuls grasping at my hair. I lurched forward, crawling over Aengus’ feet, not breathing until I knelt ten feet clear of the wall of bones.
I scrambled backward and peered at the wall. Aengus pulled me to my feet, panting hard from and trembling as much as me.
“Those creatures weren’t there when I was a boy,” he said, his tone apologetic.
“A lot can happen in a thousand years.” I turned and met his pale features. A thick layer of dust covered his golden curls, making me shudder. “I’m sorry if I ruined things between you and your father.”
He shook his head. “I never thought the Dagda would stoop so low as attacking a female.” He gestured for me to walk at his side. “At least that’s one option we’ve exhausted.”
We continued through the orchard, the sounds of snuffling beasts a mere distraction compared to what we’d faced in those tunnels. Silver streaks tinged the white clouds overhead, making me wonder how much time had passed since we left the coach.
“It wasn’t a complete waste of time,” I said.
“How so?” he asked.
“I now have the means of creating a mating bond with King Drayce.”
His blond brows drew together. “Fulfilling the prophecy that he will be awakened by his mate?”
I nodded. In all the excitement about his broken staff, the Dagda had probably forgotten about the mating ring.
The light reflecting from the apple trees grew dim, and the guards who had confronted us in the orchard didn’t come out from behind their trees, and I was glad not to see them.
We passed the final tree, and the carriage came into sight. Aengus lowered his head and shook away the traces of dust. I followed his actions, promising myself a long soak in a bath the moment we returned to the palace.
Enbarr nickered at us from where he stood in front of the carriage. Excusing myself, I jogged over to the skeletal capall who tilted his head at me in question. Aengus continued toward the carriage and mounted the steps, seeming to want to avoid another confrontation.
“We’re going back to the palace,” I said to Enbarr. “The harp we wanted for Drayce wasn’t there.”
Red flared through his eye sockets, and a growl reverberated deep within his bones. I stepped back, holding up my palms. “We do have another option.”
Enbarr fell silent.
I held up the Dagda’s broken staff. “I saw someone use this to bring nine people back to life.” Enbarr made a harrumph of protest, but I spoke over him before he could start growling again. “Yes, it was broken when he raised them from the dead. If that doesn’t work, I have an enchanted ring, and if that doesn’t work, we’ll have to confront the Fear Dorcha ourselves.”
The capall stared at me, his red eyes the only expression in his elongated skull bone. I nodded, trying to reassure Enbarr of my intention, even though my power currently extended to shifting around the interior of a palace and opening rifts with my sword and blood.
Enbarr turned away, and I took that as my cue to step into the carriage.
As soon as the door closed behind me, Enbarr set the vehicle into motion, and we soared above the orchard to the clouds. I strode into the royal suite, where Rosalind and Nessa sat on the dining chairs turned toward the bed. My heart ached to see Drayce still lying helpless, and a mournful sigh slipped from my lips.
The two females rose from their seats and curtseyed, their eyes widening at the sight of my dusty armor. I murmured a greeting and rushed to Drayce’s side, clutching the broken staff.
Light streaming in through the small window at the back of the carriage illuminated the barest of green highlights on the tips of Drayce’s hair. My heart plummeted, and my insides twisted into a series of knots.
I reached down, picked up a strand of his hair, and held it to the light. Instead of the darkest indigo, his hair was a green so deep that it might as well be black. The change was so subtle, I doubted that anyone else but me would have noticed the change. His eyes didn’t flicker underneath the lids.
“Did you get the harp, Your Majesty?” asked Rosalind from behind.
“No.” Inhaling a deep breath, I placed the short end of the Dagda’s staff, the end he used to revive his nine dead lovers, onto Drayce’s chest.
Nothing happened.
Searing pain lanced through my heart with an intensity that made me hiss. My knees buckled, and I sat on the edge of the bed, fighting off the onset of tears. I had thought… My chest tightened. I had thought that agreeing to the Dagda’s bargain might save Drayce.
“Your Majesty?” Rosalind’s voice was breathy with concern, and her footsteps approached.
I squeezed my eyes shut and exhaled my anger, frustration, and despair in an outward breath. We still had another option. Maybe the Dagda hadn’t been lying when he said I wasn’t mated to Drayce.
“The harp is in the Fomorian mist.” I rose to my feet, reached into the pocket of my leather skirt, and checked for the ring. Despite the runes etched on its surface, the cool metal felt smooth against my fingertips.
When I turned around, the two females stood together at the foot of the bed, Nessa short and round with Rosalind tall and winged. Each looked so fae, it was hard for me to see them as anything else, yet I felt for them the same level of trust as I would Father Donal or Eirnin the blacksmith.
“The Dagda told me something disturbing.” I turned my gaze to the shorter female. “Nessa, could you check that my mating bond with King Drayce still exists?”
The gruagach’s brows drew together, and she exchanged a wary glance with Rosalind. “Your Majesty?”
My throat dried. I didn’t want to repeat the Dagda’s words, as they were probably part of a larger manipulation, but I had to be sure in case he was right before I even considered using that ring. “He also told me our souls weren’t mated.”
Nessa bustled to the narrow walkway where I sat between the wall and Drayce’s side of the bed. She rubbed her large hands on her apron. “I need to hold both your hands to feel the bond.”
“Alright.” I placed my hand onto her leathery palm.
She wrapped her fingers around mine, squeezed her eyes shut, and sucked in a deep breath. Her thin lips moved, whispering an incantation over and over until it buzzed in my ears and sent tingles running up my arm and into my heart.
I glanced at Drayce, looking for signs that he might be feeling the same, but he remained unresponsive.
Nessa dropped our hands, and Drayce’s arm fell to the mattress. She turned to me, her features grim. “When the curse ejected his Majesty’s soul, it must have broken your bond.”
My eyes widened. “Can we pull it from the dream realm—”
“It’s too dangerous to dabble with that kind of magic, and we can’t risk losing you to the curse.” Nessa wrapped h
er hand around my wrist. “Please, Your Majesty. The Shadow Court has only just vacated the kingdom. If we lose you, darkness will spread across the whole of Bresail.”
“Nobody but his mate can break that curse.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out the ring. “The Dagda said Queen Melusina used something similar to form a bond with King Donn. Do you think this will work?”
“May I?” Nessa held out her hand.
I dropped the ring into her palm, just as the prickling sensation of passing over the Dagda’s wards ran over my skin. I glanced out of the window, into the darkness, and braced myself for an attack.
The carriage lurched forward, making us both stumble to the side. A howl reached my ears, but Enbarr moved at such an impressive speed that the sound quickly dimmed. Heartbeats later, we moved from darkness to shadow, and back to the field of mud and pigs.
Nessa and I exhaled long breaths. I slid my hand down Drayce’s cheekbone. His skin felt cooler than usual, and his breaths were shallower and less frequent.
I turned my gaze to Nessa, who stood against the wall. “Can you tell me anything about the ring?”
She nodded and closed her eyes again. “The magic in the ring is slippery and ancient. It’s used by those who wish to steal power from others.”
My throat spasmed. “Why would the Dagda say it created a mating bond?”
Her amethyst eye opened but the eye of smoke remained shut. “He wasn’t lying about that. Mating bonds are the only way most faeries can exchange thoughts and power. This ring can create the bond, but if you put it on the finger of a person who doesn’t love you, they can steal your power and leave you a husk.”
I stared down at Drayce. “If I slipped it on his finger, would I be sucked into his dream?”
“Your Majesty.” Nessa’s voice was sharp. “If King Drayce doesn’t love you—”
“He does,” I said.
Nessa turned her gaze to Rosalind, who stood at the foot of the bed, her head bowed. They were probably worried about Bresail being ruled by Death and the resurgence of the Shadow Court, but they didn’t know Drayce.
“Tread carefully, Your Majesty,” said Nessa.
I held out my hand. “When we reach the palace, I’ll decide what to do next.”
She inclined her head, dropped the ring into my palm, and retreated back to the other end of the coach with Rosalind at her side.
Leaning down to Drayce, I pressed a kiss on his cool brow. “Enbarr found us.” I smoothed down his hair. “He’s worried about you, and so am I. If you can hear me, you need to fight what’s happening. I’ll do what I can to help.”
An echo of his voice reached my ears, reminding me to stick a dagger in his heart. I squeezed my eyes shut.
Stabbing wasn’t an option. Not yet. Not while I wasn’t his bonded mate. Not until we had exhausted every magical means of rousing Drayce.
I rose to my feet and turned away, my heart clenching at the thought of causing him pain. Again. Outside, we passed through a meadow of tall wildflowers. A pair of emerald eyes stared out at me belonging to a yellow-eared doe with a matching tail.
My mouth fell open, and a gasp escaped my lungs. I had met that creature before—the last time I entered Drayce’s dreamscape, the doe had rested her head on the lap of that dark figure.
I rushed through the royal suite, bumping into the dining chairs left by the table, through the narrow hallway that linked both compartments, and flung open the door that led to the others.
Rosalind, Aengus, and Cliach stood. In the large window behind them, Enbarr galloped several feet above the meadow and toward a copse of gnarled oaks that stretched toward the wall of black on our right. The morning sun rose from behind us, casting the woodland bordering the meadow in shadow.
“Stop the carriage,” I said. “We need to capture a doe.”
Chapter 15
Someone in front must have heard my instructions because the carriage turned around, facing the wildflower meadow and the mountains beyond. The sun emerged from behind the clouds, illuminating the sprinkling of poppies like drops of blood.
I glanced from left to right, looking for signs of yellow ears or a mustard-colored tail, but the doe had either lain flat or had already disappeared into the shadows.
“Where’s the deer?” Aengus stood at the front window and glanced from left to right.
Nessa emerged from behind the counter, clutching a pot of steaming porridge. “What’s so special about it, Your Majesty?”
“I think it’s linked to the curse on King Drayce.” Still keeping my eye on the front window for signs of the doe, I turned to Rosalind. “How fast can you fly?”
“Not as fast as a deer.” She raised her head. “Aengus, can you—”
“Ready the capall to give chase?” He pressed his palm on the window. A door swung open, and he stepped inside.
Rosalind pursed her lips but didn’t comment on his interruption. I hurried after Aengus with my companion on my heels and stepped into the front carriage.
The scent of leather and hay and horses filled my nostrils as I took in my surroundings. This compartment was twice the size of the royal suite, with wooden stalls running down one length and an enclosure that I assumed contained the living area of the driver and soldiers on the other. A pair of males in silver I recognized from the stables opened one of the enclosures and eased out an ivory capall with a braided mane.
On my immediate left, four of the guards sat around a table for eight, playing cards. They rose to their feet and bent into low bows. Up ahead and through the window, Enbarr raced toward the doe, who froze in place, her emerald eyes wide.
Aengus already sat atop a white capall whose cream-colored wings folded behind his back. One of the soldiers slid open the hatch with a groan of wood, then Aengus and the capall leaped out.
Rosalind rushed to the ivory capall, mounted without a saddle, and turned to me with her hand outstretched.
“Your Majesty?” asked a green-haired soldier with eyes as bright as copper coins.
I climbed up behind Rosalind and glanced down at the soldier. “We need to capture that doe.”
Rosalind’s capall trotted across the sawdust to the exit and raced six feet above the meadow. The wind roared in our ears, blowing a cloud of pollen into our faces. I turned my head from the onslaught and held my breath. By the time the air calmed, the doe was already sprinting halfway to the shaded forest, her yellow tail curled towards her head.
“How do you know it’s linked to the curse?” Rosalind shouted over the wind.
“Have you ever seen a deer with green eyes and yellow ears?” I shouted back.
“Never,” she replied.
“I saw that doe in King Drayce’s dream,” I yelled above the roar of the wind. “Let’s hurry before it reaches the woods.”
Rosalind’s capall soared into the sky, its mighty wings slicing through the air and propelling us forward. I clung to the female’s back and clenched my teeth. The darkness stood a mere three hundred feet away, casting its long shadow over the woods. Beneath us, the doe raced toward the trees with Aengus and four soldiers on winged mounts in pursuit.
“Don’t hurt it,” I shouted down to the riders. “We need that doe alive.”
“Do you think it contains Prince Drayce’s soul?” Rosalind asked as we overtook the doe.
“I don’t know, but we’re not letting that doe return to the Summer Court.”
“This could be a trap,” said Rosalind.
“That’s why we’ve got to catch it now.”
Fifty feet before the trees started, Rosalind turned our capall and swooped down toward the doe. A pair of soldiers pursuing the deer had already taken to the skies and surrounded her on both sides. With Aengus and two riders behind, the two on her left and right, and us flying down toward her, she was trapped.
The doe raised her head and wailed, an ear-piercing sound that made my skin tremble. Behind us, the trees shook from several answering howls seeming to emanate from de
ep within the wall of black.
Rosalind shuddered. “That sounds like—”
“Whatever’s lurking in the Summer Court knows where to find its next prey,” I answered. “We’ve got to grab it, now.”
We closed in around the doe, who ran in circles, seeming to look for an escape. I reached for the Dullahan’s whip, which I kept coiled on the back of my belt and snatched my hand away. That weapon would cleave the creature in half. I didn’t know if it was Drayce or not, but deep in my bones, I knew the doe would lead me to breaking his curse.
One of the soldiers pulled out a rope with a noose at the end. He threw it toward the doe, who darted to the side. Another soldier threw his own rope, and the doe evaded that one, too.
“Rosalind,” I shouted. “Can you move those ropes with your magic?”
She lifted a hand, and the ropes rose into the air, snaking after the doe, who wailed her distress. My heart clenched, and the memory of Queen Melusina’s wild hunt rolled to the front of my mind. Huntsmen made clean kills, they didn’t hound their prey with ropes and horses. Biting my tongue, I swallowed back my guilt and watched Rosalind and the soldiers try to ensnare the doe with ropes.
A snarl reverberated from the dark, making one of the capall screech and soar into the sky.
My heart jumped into the back of my throat, and I turned in the direction of the Summer Court. “What was that?”
“I don’t know.” Rosalind’s voice shook. “But we need to leave in case it attacks.”
I glanced down at the doe, snarling at how it ducked and darted and dashed away from the ropes. The soldiers ran tighter circles around her as she ran toward the mountains, the rising sun illuminating the tips of her ears like spun gold. No matter how much Rosalind and the others tried, the doe evaded every attempt to ensnare her.
The next growl sounded from within the trees. I twisted around to see something emerging from between two trunks.
Something as green and shaggy and large as a cow glared up at us through silver eyes the size of teacups.
I snatched my gaze away and shuddered as all the blood drained from my face, leaving me light-headed and nauseous with terror. I dug the fingers of my left hand into Rosalind’s side, making her flinch.
Mate of the Fae King (Dark Faerie Court Book 2) Page 13
