Throne of Silver (Silver Fae Book 1)

by KB Anne

  Nothing’s supposed to happen to him.

  A tear slipped out. I swiped it away. Tears were a sign of weakness, and I couldn’t be weak, not when Christian needed me. I yanked open his driver's side door and reached into the back for his laptop.

  My fingers tapped out a Morse code distress signal, as I waited for it to boot up. When his black home screen came on, I hit the internet icon and waited. And waited. And waited. Finally, a small pop-up screen appeared and told me there was no signal. I checked the little signal symbol to confirm the diagnostic was correct. Unfortunately, it was. Refusing to believe there was no signal, I walked out of the barn with the laptop. I lifted it up. Nothing. I stood on a tree stump. Nothing. I climbed up a fence post. Still nothing.

  Another tear slipped out. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t even know how we got here. Did we pass by any towns that might have service? I closed my eyes and concentrated on our journey to the cabin. Trees, mountains, barns, cabins, cars, street signs flashed one after another like a slide show before stopping on “Welcome to Bryson City.” They had to have internet service there.

  Back in the barn, I ripped through his glove compartment—car manual, registration, insurance cards, oil change coupons, New York state map, gas receipts, and finally, a North Carolina map. I searched the index for Bryson City. The small town sat about thirty miles west of Cherokee.

  With a destination in mind, I put the key in the ignition and hit the gas. As I reversed out of the barn, I caught sight of the horses and slammed on the brakes. I couldn’t leave them in the paddock with nothing to drink. I jogged over and opened the gate. Demon galloped out and abruptly came to a halt in front of me. He snorted at me and kicked the ground with his hooves. “Easy Demon.” I raised my hands. “I’m leaving.”

  He reared up and pawed the air. “Easy Demon,” I whispered backing away from him, but he continued to advance. I was tempted to turn and run, but I didn’t want him to plow me down. I kept backing up without taking my eyes off him. My heart pounded in my chest. If he sensed my fear, it would only make matters worse.

  My muscles tensed in anticipation of his inevitable charge. He cantered toward me, snorting as he stomped the ground. Suddenly, I backed into something hard. Shocked, I turned my head to find the side of a shiny silver horse trailer. The stable must have left it when they delivered the horses.

  Demon stopped his advance, and I breathed a sigh of relief. He thrusted his head at me and then trotted into the trailer. Little Miss followed behind him.

  Scratching my head, I stared at the side of the trailer: Lazy L Ranch, Shoal Creek Road, Whittier, North Carolina (555)555-5555.

  “Demon, I could just kiss you!” He snorted and retreated farther into the trailer. I closed the door behind them, hugged Christian’s keys to my chest, and ran back in the barn to get his granpappy’s pickup.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Nestled in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains, an enormous timber frame main lodge sat on top of a hill overlooking the stables and the horse pasture below. A thick layer of blue fog blanketed the top of the mountain peaks. Before long, the night sky would devour the entire range until morning, but for now, their silhouettes created a picture-perfect setting.

  I could just make out a cluster of large gray buildings far behind the main lodge. They reminded me an awful lot of army barracks.

  Army barracks, really Starr? Now you’re just being paranoid.

  Paranoid or not, I decided to park on the side of the barn to hide the truck from the main lodge. A quick flick of the wrist, and the horse trailer disconnected from the truck. Without the bulky attachment, I could hit the gas and fly out of here if I needed to.

  Feeling generous, Demon allowed me to lead him out of the trailer as if he were a gentle lamb instead of the cantankerous stallion he normally was. He must have been happy to be home.

  The main door of the barn was closed with a padlock. The security was excessive and unsafe in case of a fire, but what did I know? I knocked a couple times, but I only heard the quiet knickers of other horses.

  Little Miss, Demon, and I climbed the hill to the main lodge. I tied them with a quick knot to a fence post at the base of the walkway. I patted Little Miss on the muzzle. She neighed back, pushing her head into my hand. I made a move to pat Demon. He raised his head and snorted. So much for gentle lamb. “I’ll be right back, you two.”

  The lodge reminded me of the inn in the Adirondacks, where Mom and Paul, my stepdad got married. The wedding was six years ago, but I remembered the place like it was yesterday. I took a deep breath to steady myself and stepped over the threshold.

  Show time.

  In the middle of the lobby, a large wagon wheel chandelier hung from the cathedral ceiling. A few plush armchairs were grouped together creating a cozy, at-home gathering place, but there was not a soul in sight. The log-paneled welcome desk in the far corner of the lobby had a little silver bell with a sign, Ring for service.

  I pressed the button and waited. A kind-looking old woman with the smile of a real grandmother, nothing like mine, shuffled out from behind a closed door. “May I help you dear?”

  Her gentle face put me at ease. “Yes ma'am, my friend rented a couple of horses a few days ago, and I wanted to return them.”

  She lifted her hand to her mouth. “Oh dear, the stable hands left hours ago. Customers can only drop off until 5:00 p.m.” She gestured to the grandfather clock whose hands pointed to 8:30 p.m. “Could you bring them back tomorrow?”

  Tomorrow?

  Was she out of her mind?

  “I’m leaving tonight.”

  “Oh,” she replied. “Oh dear, let me see if there’s anyone who can help.” She paused in midair with the phone in hand. Her eyes opened wide and her jaw dropped. Curious, I turned in time to see Demon gallop up the stairs and into the lobby. He eyed me wildly and galloped in my direction. With my back to the welcome desk, I had nowhere to go. I closed my eyes and braced myself. A protective shield formed around me. The flickering thing must be deeply rooted magic that I could somehow tap into during times of duress—or at least that was my current working theory. However it worked, I hoped it protected me from maniac charging horses.

  Hooves pounded across the floor getting louder and louder. A burst of air and heat rushed past me before disappearing. In the silence that followed, I opened my eyes. The woman and I stared at each other in disbelief.

  “I’ll get him,” I shouted and took off down the long, narrow hallway just in time to see Demon’s tail disappear around a corner. I needed to catch him and get out of here. That kind old woman and this ranch couldn’t possibly be connected to Christian’s disappearance. I was wasting time right now.

  With my mind preoccupied, I realized that the straightway ended two seconds too late. Obviously my fae magic didn’t include spidey sense. Before I could stop myself, my momentum threw me into the arms of a stranger. The two of us flew into the back wall. He grunted in pain absorbing most of the impact.

  I ran a quick inventory:

  Male

  Approximately 20 years old

  6’0’’, solid frame (A fact I am all too well aware of.)

  Tan, spends time outdoors

  Salmon golf shirt and khakis

  Another quick glance at his face confirmed my suspicion. He was there test day. He was a recruit.

  HYPOTHESIS: I was in deep shit, but Christian might be here.

  SOLUTION: Use surprise and status as a teenage girl to my advantage. Act like Sami. And remember Starr, deny, deny, DENY.

  I rested my hands against his chest longer than necessary before pushing myself away. “Sorry,” I said, trying to catch my breath, so it came out breathless. “Are you hurt?”

  He blinked a couple times before answering. “No, not at all.”

  “Good. I don’t know what I was thinking running down the hallway that fast. I’m just glad you were here to catch me.” I risked a glance at him.

  His body straightene
d, as he smiled down at me. “Lucky me. Is there something I can help you with?”

  Think Starr, Think!

  Eliminate the problem.

  “This question may seem strange, but did you see a horse run down the hallway?” I chewed the corner of my lip waiting for his answer.

  “A horse?” The skepticism in his voice rang loud and clear.

  “Yes, I was returning some horses, and one of them got away. Could you help me, please?”

  He shrugged his shoulders. “Sure.”

  I risked another shy smile. His pupils dilated with recognition. “Do I know you?”

  Oh, shit. Diversion Tactic. I tilted my head down the hallway. “I’ve really got to find that horse.”

  “Right, let’s go,” he said with a lot more enthusiasm than the task called for. “I’m Jude by the way.”

  I nodded at him before taking off. At the far end, there was an open door. “Oh no,” I groaned. “He ran outside.”

  There was just enough light from the lodge to silhouette Demon standing about ninety feet away from the building, almost as if waiting for me. Why didn’t he take off for the fields when he had the chance?

  “Hey, there he is,” Jude said with surprise.

  I turned to him. “You didn’t believe me?”

  “Well, not really. It seemed a little strange to chase a horse. I figured it was a training exercise.” His eyes grew wide as he realized he shared too much.

  Training exercise. Here? That’s what those buildings were up on the hill—they were barracks. I needed to find Christian and get out of here, but now I had Jude to deal with.

  “Hey, I do know you,” he said.

  As I was processing the information he unknowingly revealed to me, I overlooked the fact he was staring at me. When I didn’t reply, he continued, “You’re the girl from the test. You were supposed to be a part of our team, but you disappeared. We’re in training right now. Where have you been?”

  Think Starr, Think. What resources are at your disposal?

  “I was separated from my team on purpose. It’s all part of a training exercise to test your trustworthiness and loyalty to your team leader.” The falsehoods rolled off my tongue much easier than I imagined.

  My answer seemed to appease him. He stood still with a thoughtful expression on his face. “You’re quite beautiful if you don’t mind me saying.”

  I don’t think that’s appropriate to say to your team leader.

  “Thank you?” I replied as I tilted my head toward Demon to remind him of our mission. He nodded, and I ran after Demon. Jude followed behind. When we were about ten yards from Demon, he took off around the rear of the main lodge.

  Jude knocked away a clod of dirt Demon kicked up with his hooves, but another one must have hit him in the mouth, because he spit. He still managed to keep up with me though. Maybe their training included ways to continue running after eating dirt. Somehow I doubted it, but who knew how extensive the Organization’s training was. I certainly didn’t.

  Demon darted around the corner of another building. He was no longer in my line of sight, but I could hear his hooves echo off the hard ground. When Jude and I hit the bend, he took off again, cutting across the field toward the gray buildings in the distance.

  “Where’d you get that horse,” Jude gasped.

  “He’s from this dude ranch.”

  “Dude ranch?”

  I tried not to roll my eyes, but my sarcasm leaked out. I mean, I had little patience for idiotic questions on a daily basis when I wasn’t searching for a kidnapped boyfriend. My patience level was stretched to capacity. “You know, where they have horses and cowboys and rooms to rent?”

  “I know what a dude ranch is. This place is a training facility,” he paused, “for the Organization.”

  Jude officially confirmed my worst nightmare. Christian walked right into the hornet’s nest when he rented those horses. I wanted to throw up, but I couldn’t reveal my shock. I needed to find him and get out of here.

  The barracks were only two football fields away, and if he was here, that was where he’d be. Demon neighed for my attention and took off. I felt like he was leading me to Christian—although I found it difficult to give that much credit to a horse.

  “Some training exercise, huh?” Jude said.

  “You got that right.” I was well aware that if Christian wasn’t here, I would probably get caught, but my own safety was of little consequence if Christian’s life was in danger.

  We raced across the wide-open fields. The barracks were dark with the exception of a few poorly placed spotlights. Given the time of night, I doubted anyone could see us running across the field.

  My foot caught on something, and I fell to the ground with no one to catch me. I clamped my lips together so I didn’t scream. A rock gashed into my left knee ripping off the scabs from my tunnel escapades. A trickle of blood streamed down my leg.

  Jude bent down next to me, much too close for comfort. He smelled like fresh soap and hair gel. “Are you okay?”

  Nodding, I pushed myself up off the ground. Jude grabbed both of my shoulders to help me. He didn’t let me go even when I brushed off my legs. I stepped away from him, studying the ground. Shovels, rakes, and pitchforks were scattered everywhere, as if someone was playing a game of pick-up sticks with garden tools. “What are all these doing out here?” I whispered to him.

  He shrugged looking away.

  Guilty. He was guilty of something. I didn’t like it, not one bit.

  Demon neighed for me. I walked slowly toward him with my hands out in front of me, quietly saying, “ Easy Demon. Easy.” When I was close enough that I could lunge at him, he curved away and rounded a corner of one of the outlying barracks. I took off after him rounding the corner at a sprint and narrowly missed crashing into his hindquarters.

  Over his shoulder, I saw the most horrifying sight I’d ever seen in my entire life. Christian was hanging from a cross or something with his arms stretched out to the sides. His clothes were shredded and covered with blood. His head hung limp in defeat. He reminded me of a fallen angel, my fallen angel.

  “Christian!” I cried out before realizing my mistake.

  “Figures,” I heard behind me. “I helped you find him.” The way Jude said “him” made my stomach wretch.

  “No, I was after the horse.” My eyes darted back and forth between Christian and Jude. I wanted to run to Christian, but I needed to take care of Jude—he was a potential risk. In the end, the heart wanted what the heart wanted. I hurried over to Christian, who still hadn’t looked up.

  “Christian?” I asked hesitant this time. He glanced up and briefly smiled, before his face crumbled in pain. I needed to get him out of here.

  I tried to untie his arm from the post, but the ropes were too tight. I kept fumbling with the knots but couldn’t loosen them. I wished I had a knife or something.

  “I got it,” Jude said. He pulled out a large hunting knife and sliced the rope from Christian’s legs first. Then he cut the rope from his arms. Christian dropped into my arms his weight crushing me to the ground.

  I turned to Jude, who still had the knife in his hand. I eyed the knife and then him. “Will you help me get him out of here?” I pleaded, shifting my body under Christian’s arm to support him. I flashed him my best “I would truly appreciate all your help, I’m a hopeless girl” smile. His jaw loosened just a bit, but it was all the encouragement I needed.

  “Please,” I begged once more. Jude was selected to be on my team for a number of reasons including loyalty and trustworthiness.

  He assessed me for a minute. “This isn’t a training exercise, is it?”

  The noose tightened around my neck. I needed to get Christian out of here now. Every second I wasted brought me closer to the General, but I needed Jude on my side. He was vital to the operation.

  The time for games was over. I needed to tell him the truth. “It’s not a training exercise. I did leave the day of the test. I did
n’t want to be a part of an organization that murders innocent people and makes their own rules.”

  He gripped the knife tighter. “The Organization isn’t like that. The Organization is good and wants to spread goodness all over the world.”

  There was a sense of urgency zipping through the air. I couldn’t delay much longer, but I needed his help to get Christian to safety. “Do you remember the two girls with me on test day?”

  “Yes.”

  “They were killed in a car accident on their way home from the test.”

  My eyes darted from Jude to the knife to my surroundings. I didn’t see or hear anybody, but that didn’t mean we hadn’t been spotted. I considered kicking the knife away from him, but I’d have to drop Christian and scurry to get the knife before Jude got it, and let’s face it, I didn’t have the stomach to use it against him. Plus, I wasn’t a ninja warrior although I had watched my fair share of action adventure movies with strong heroines. Given the circumstances I could probably pull it off if I wasn’t holding Christian. And if I left Jude, he’d raise the alarm before we made it across the field. Force was not the way to win him.

  “Car accidents happen all the time. The Organization could not have, would not have killed those girls,” he replied though the resolve in his voice was failing. I would use his weakening to my advantage.

  “Car accidents do happen all the time. The General told me my friends were to be eliminated, and just by showing up for the test, I was committing to the Organization. I had no choice.”

  Surprise flashed across his face. I zeroed in for the kill—after all that’s what the Organization wanted me for. “I choose not to be a part of a group that destroys lives to get what they want. I don’t believe in, ‘By any means necessary.’” I let the full impact of my words sink in, before finishing him off. “I understand if you’re confused. It’s a lot of take in when you want to believe in something so badly.” I flashed him a sympathetic tight-lipped smile. “But now that you know the truth, you can come with us.” I swallowed hard and choked out the lie. “You can come with me.”