by R L Medina
My eyes widened. Anger unfurled inside me. Didn’t approve? My magic was the only thing I had against the dangers. It was the only thing that had kept me alive through the trials. He couldn’t understand any of that and he had no right to condemn me for using it.
“I’ve done what I had to do.” I folded my arms across my chest.
B’Zahir grunted. “If you wanted a carriage, you only had to ask me.”
Heat washed over me as he waved a hand and summoned one from thin air. I gaped at him. How had he done that?
“You can release your friend now.”
I turned to face Sacha, forcing down my shame. I’d betrayed him for nothing. He looked through me, his hazel eyes dull and empty. I stretched out my hand over him and summoned more magic.
Forget this, please, Sacha. Don’t remember this.
As soon as I released him, a deep sigh escaped him. The power I’d felt before vanished, leaving me with an empty chill.
He blinked at me and glanced at B’Zahir. My heart raced, waiting for him to speak. Had it worked?
“Princess?” He turned to me, a frown on his handsome face. “What happened?”
My shoulders relaxed. “What?”
Sacha shook his head. “I feel like I just woke up. Weren’t we in the throne room? I don’t remember coming out here.”
Panic soared inside me.
“You don’t remember walking here?” My voice rose in pitch.
“Where are you taking the carriage?” B’Zahir interrupted.
I turned to him, happy for the distraction. “The Red Court.”
Sacha stiffened. “Princess Aubri wanted you to wait here, Princess.”
“We need to find out what’s going on, Sacha.”
I faced him again, searching his face for signs that his memory was returning. I’d have to tell him the truth, but I didn’t want to do it until we were alone again. When it was the right time, then I’d tell him.
“We will all go,” B’Zahir boomed.
My jaw dropped. “What?”
The Goblin King motioned toward the carriage. “I will accompany you. Scouting the Red Court is a good idea.”
Sacha shifted on his feet. “But Princess Aubri…”
“Isn’t here. She could be in danger too for all we know, Sacha.”
His lips flattened, and he gave me a nod—an assurance that he was on my side. Guilt needled me. Would he still be on my side when he discovered what I’d done?
Without another word, I scurried into the carriage and scooted over for Sacha to follow. Though his barrier was up, I could still hear his thoughts and doubts. He replayed his last memory again and again, trying to recall what had happened.
He didn’t suspect me.
Regret filled me as I turned to look out the window. I’d broken his trust for what? The carriage jostled as B’Zahir entered and settled himself opposite us. His giant frame looked ridiculous scrunched into my aunt’s carriage.
Silence surrounded us and I gripped the seat tightly as we took off. Nausea rolled through me as I tried to adjust. I settled against the side as the carriage slowed to a glide.
“Your father…”
My eyes snapped to the goblin.
“He is a warrior.”
I frowned. “I thought he was the stable guy.”
B’Zahir smiled. A frightening thing with all his sharp teeth and black gums.
“He was, but no human soul should have the power to remain entwined with mine. He’s held on all this time. For your mother. For you.”
His words startled me, and I had to look away to regain my composure. Held on? But how and why? We could never be a family again.
He was gone.
“Why are you telling me all this?” I cringed at how small and vulnerable my voice sounded.
He shrugged. “I thought you would want to know. It wasn’t my intention to break apart your family when I possessed your father.” He looked away. “I had to return. To bring justice. For Feylin.”
I blinked and digested his words. I wasn’t sure how to feel about this new revelation. All my childish dreams of having a father never included discovering his soul trapped in a goblin. Even if I wanted to know my dad, how could I reconcile the absurdity of it all? I sighed. When had my life become some tragic fantasy novel?
Sacha gave me a sad smile, a smile I didn’t deserve.
“He was a good man,” he added.
My chest tightened. Not the kind of man that approved of me using magic to control others. I pushed away my emotions. Using my power on Sacha had been a mistake. One I wouldn’t make again… unless absolutely necessary.
“Do you think they’re okay? In the White Court? Should we go there first?” I glanced at my companions.
B’Zahir spoke first. “We should see what awaits in the Red Court and go from there.”
His head cocked and lips pursed, but I couldn’t penetrate his barrier to his thoughts, and I wasn’t so sure I wanted to hear them, anyway. I didn’t think he meant Aunt Cindra harm, but what if I was wrong? What if I was delivering danger right to her?
I frowned at him. “And what about my mom? Do you even care that she’s in danger?”
He stiffened. “I never meant for her to be here. Or you. It was a mistake.”
His words thundered in my mind. Mistake. If my father was a part of him did that mean he agreed? That he hadn’t wanted us to return either? The thought pierced me, though it shouldn’t matter what he thought about me or Mom.
“Then why didn’t you send her back?”
The Goblin King looked away. “She wouldn’t listen.” His eyes snapped back to meet mine. “She is responsible for her own choices just as you are responsible for yours. Just as any of us.”
Before I could find the words to reply, an ear-splitting shriek filled the sky.
I turned to look out the window. My heart leapt into my throat. Wyverns—five of them. They raced toward us, dark wings flapping in unison.
Sacha peered over me, his face so close, I could feel his heat and sense his fear.
“Tell me this carriage has a shield… or something.”
“Nothing that could withstand all of them.” Sacha’s voice rang through me.
Any other time his closeness would have been nice, welcomed even, but the sight of the large, inky bodies and snapping jaws hurtling for us halted all romantic thoughts.
“We will fall.” B’Zahir’s monotone voice interrupted us.
Sacha moved away, and I turned to face the goblin.
“Maybe I can talk to them?” I fought the urge to shudder at the idea.
B’Zahir shook his head. “You cannot control all their minds at once. It would damage your own.”
Heat flushed through me. “I wasn’t going to try to control them. Just talk to them and see if they’ll leave us alone. We haven’t done anything to them, why do they want to hurt us?”
“The elves killed all the wyverns.” He answered matter-of-factly, as if I should have known.
“They were trapped in the abyss,” Sacha added.
Dread filled my gut. Their presence only spelled more trouble. First the dragons and now the wyverns. What other creatures had been loosed from the abyss?
I glared at B’Zahir. “You have magic, why can’t you stop them?”
“I won’t use my power to hurt them, but I can shield us. Make the landing softer.”
Another piercing shriek echoed. An iciness filled me. They were close now. I turned back to the window and sucked in a breath.
We were surrounded.
Their sharp cries rang through me, striking every nerve. Wingbeats drowned out my pounding heart. One slammed into our carriage, making us reel. The others followed suit.
I gritted my teeth and braced myself. Nausea rose up as the carriage was jerked forward and back. The battering made my head spin. There was no escaping the onslaught.
They ripped the roof off and wind roared in.
Sacha shielded me as pieces
of bone flew around us. We shot down at an alarming speed.
My stomach dropped. I clenched my eyes shut and clung to him.
“Hold on, Princess.” Sacha’s voice echoed above the noise.
I pressed myself closer to him and braced myself, trying not to picture my bones shattering upon impact.
True to his word, B’Zahir kept the carriage from crashing. We landed with a soft thud and despite my throbbing head and sick stomach, I’d made it out okay.
Trees towered over us from the open roof. My heart leapt into my throat. The Gray Court.
Sacha climbed out after the goblin and turned to help me. I grabbed his arm and let him lift me out of the wreckage.
Above us, the wyverns screeched and circled. I held my breath, waiting to see what they would do. They took off in unison, satisfied with their work. I sighed in relief and smiled at Sacha.
He stared back at me and released my hand. Doubt clouded his face, and I fought the urge to delve into his mind. Did he remember what I’d done?
Heat crept up my neck and I looked away before he could see my guilt.
“Come.” B’Zahir’s deep voice interrupted us.
I straightened my shoulders and moved away from the wrecked carriage. Sacha followed me. The tree branches spread above us, creating a red-gold leafy canopy. Our footsteps echoed in the forest and when I reached out with my magic, dread unfurled inside me.
Nothing was there.
Where were all the animals and lesser fae? The forest should have been teeming with curious onlookers, but as I scanned the giant trees and overgrown underbrush, I found nothing.
We walked on, my magic spreading farther and farther as panic began to build. Something was wrong. I could sense it. My heart pounded and when I glanced at Sacha, I read the alarm in his eyes too.
Though it was bright and sunny, the empty forest was eerie and strange. Too quiet. Too still.
B’Zahir stopped and glanced around. “Something is wrong.”
Chills crawled over me. I rubbed my arms as if that would help, but it wasn’t a physical coldness that spread through me.
Whatever he sensed, I sensed it too. An indescribable wrongness that coated the air. I didn’t want to think of what that meant. Had the last seal been broken? If so, why did the forest remain untouched?
He continued, Sacha and I followed with a shared grimness. Sacha unsheathed his sword and moved closer to me. His presence was a comfort, but guilt chased away the pleasure of his nearness.
I didn’t deserve his loyalty.
Walking on in silence, I dismissed the dark thoughts and searched the trees for movement. Even with my magic spread, I couldn’t sense anyone there. I held the panic at bay, refusing to believe the worst.
They’re okay. Please be okay.
We’d get to Liberte and find everyone—scared, but safe. Or maybe Grimera had led everyone further into the woods, past the old tree burrow.
I cast a sidelong look at B’Zahir. Did my father’s soul remember this path? Did it sadden him to return like this, trapped in the goblin?
The path ended abruptly, and I stumbled into Sacha’s back with an oomph.
“What is it?” My whisper echoed around us.
Giggles filled the air. Fairies and imps flew and scuttled out from their hiding places. My eyes widened in surprise as they surrounded us.
“Careful, Princess,” Sacha warned me.
I frowned at him and glanced back at the fae. They blurred and for a moment, it looked like their faces had shifted. Their features were misaligned as if their faces had been copied and pasted on one too many times.
Dread coiled in my gut. Changelings. All of them.
I stepped closer to Sacha, fear filling me. There were so many.
More giggles erupted, the childish sound eerie as it bounced off the trees. My mind flashed to the last encounter I’d had with one. Des had been there to save me and now I had B’Zahir and Sacha, but the changelings outnumbered us.
We had nowhere to run.
4
I summoned my magic, letting it whirl around me. Could I use it against the creatures? Sacha shielded me with his body, his sword drawn and ready. B’Zahir stood, feet apart in a defensive stance.
My eyes traveled along the forest edge. More changelings emerged, creeping closer, their faces blurred as I tried to see through the glamour. I shuddered.
“What do we do?” I whispered to Sacha.
The changelings smiled through their masks, teeth sharp and bloody. My mind flashed to the one I’d seen in the Green Court. The eyeless head with nothing but a gaping hole and rows of teeth. Their hunger filled the air around us, drawing my attention. I couldn’t read their thoughts, but I sensed the very real danger we were in.
“What have you done with the fae?” B’Zahir’s voice roared above their creepy laughter.
They ignored him and crept closer. I trembled beside Sacha. Swallowing my fear, I raised my hands and summoned more power. The warmth spread through me, covering me like armor.
“Stay back!” I yelled, throwing my magic out and envisioning a wall between us.
The changelings hissed, moving toward us. My blood turned to ice.
“Why won’t my power work on them?”
Sacha stepped in front of me, holding his sword ready. “Their minds are strong when they’re together.”
“What do we do?” I glanced at B’Zahir.
Surely, there was something he could do. He was the Goblin King.
Without answering me, he raised his arms and closed his eyes, chanting in a strange language.
His power grew around him, enveloping us in coldness. I shivered as it crept over me. Whatever he was gearing up for, I hoped it was enough to scare off the creatures.
They paused, watching us.
Dark shadow magic encircled us, creating a barrier between us and the changelings. My eyes strained to see through the black mist, to see if our enemies had retreated. Silence filled the forest once more, and I sighed in relief.
I frowned at B’Zahir. “Why didn’t you make a barrier against the wyverns when we were in the carriage?”
Before he could answer me, a shrill cry tore through the trees.
Footsteps pounded on the forest floor. My heart leapt into my chest.
The changelings.
A face popped up beside me, through the barrier. I stumbled back with a scream as jaws snapped at me. Sacha dove in front of me and swung his sword. The head tumbled free from its body, mouth still grinning. Bile rose in my throat as I turned away from the gruesome scene.
B’Zahir shouted something I couldn’t understand, and his shadow magic swirled around us. I pressed in closer to Sacha, heart racing.
No longer using their glamour, the changelings attacked. Cavernous mouths and sharp teeth snapped at us through the barrier. On all sides, they came at us.
Sacha slashed at them with his sword and B’Zahir threw his magic, sending them flying backwards through the air. Still more came.
I was useless. Even if I’d had a weapon, I wouldn’t have known the first thing about using it. My heart pounded in my ears.
Go away. Leave us alone!
As much as I tried to push my magic at them, it didn’t work. It would only be a matter of time before they broke through the barrier and attacked us. I shuddered at the thought of their teeth sinking into my skin.
Help! Someone please help us. I sent my message into the air. Though I didn’t know if anyone was there to hear it. What had happened to all the fae and creatures? Fear numbed me.
Grimera and the others had to be safely hidden. They just had to. I couldn’t stand the thought of them gone forever.
A changeling charged through the barrier, startling me out of my thoughts. I shrank back against Sacha with a scream. He was busy wrestling with his own attacker. I threw up my arms to shield myself as it hurtled toward me.
B’Zahir stepped in, using his power to stop the creature. Dark tendrils of shadow magi
c shot out around its throat. It fell to the ground. Dead. Rage simmered in the air, the emotions of the other changelings breaking through my defenses. I rebuilt my barrier and stepped closer to Sacha.
They dove for us all at once. A scream ripped out of my throat. B’Zahir and Sacha leapt into action, but they couldn’t stop the onslaught.
The barrier collapsed.
Fear swept over me as they surrounded us. Instead of ripping us to shreds, they sauntered closer, blood dripping from their sinister grins. Fae blood? Anger pulsed inside me replaced with regret. We could do nothing against so many of them.
They’d won.
B’Zahir stood in front of me, his voice booming as he chanted with arms raised. Sacha stood behind me, the sound of his sword slicing flesh ringing in my air. Nausea rolled inside me. How long could they keep them away?
An icy wind blasted around us, making me shudder. Another voice rose above the noise. I stepped out from B’Zahir’s protection to see what was going on.
My heart leapt in surprise. The queen.
Her ice-blue eyes bore into mine. She lifted a pale, slender hand. For a second I thought she was going to strike me dead. I clenched my eyes shut, waiting for the killing blow. When it didn’t come, I opened my eyes, surprised to find a changeling behind me—frozen solid.
She’d saved me.
Before I could thank her, she turned and drove more of the creatures away. Ice coated them. Their skin turned blue and their bodies bulged. Then they exploded. All at once, their insides flying across the grass.
I shut my eyes and fought down the bile rising in my throat. The ghastly image was stained in my mind. Taking a deep breath, I covered my ears to block their shrill cries. My body trembled as I fought off their emotions shooting through me.
Anger. Fear. Pain.
The smell of decay filled the air. Like something had rotted and fermented. I didn’t dare open my eyes to find the source of the smell. Instead I covered my mouth and nose, my stomach queasy. As the screams faded, the emotions stopped.
I opened my eyes and glanced around. The changelings were dead—all of them. I turned away from the gruesome sight of their bodies. Sacha’s brow furrowed in concern, his hand moving toward me before pausing as he remembered the other’s presence. I gave him a reassuring smile though my heart continued to race.
