Ascent

by Bethany Adams

  “I have brought the prisoners as you commanded, Queen Lera.”

  Maddy frowned at that. The rumors about something being wrong with Queen Tatianella must be true if she wasn’t present for something this important. The princess had taken temporary control during the energy poisoning that had afflicted the energy fields for a time, but that poison had been stopped weeks ago. Didn’t anyone find the queen’s continued absence strange?

  “Thank you for your service, General Tobenn.”

  The queen’s voice rolled softly through the room, gentle but unyielding. Fairies and angels and cotton candy danced in that voice, but love and desire and life-dreams lined the edges. Queen Lera could have led humans of yore—and maybe present-day—to their doom in the underhill with a whispered command.

  It was far from reassuring.

  “Meren I already know,” the queen said, as placid and unfeeling as a rock. “But I admit to curiosity concerning our other visitor.”

  Visitor. Riiiiight.

  “Especially one who claims to be of the Clan Cairdai. Look up and state your full name, stranger, and do not bother to lie.”

  Maddy swallowed against the bile creeping up her throat and raised her eyes. Dammit, Queen Lera was as beautiful as she sounded—and every inch a Seelie Sidhe royal. From the silver crown twined into her golden braids to the elaborate green and gold gown, there was no question of her status.

  “I am Maddy a Shayan a Clairen of the Cairdai.”

  Whispers hissed and swayed around her, but Maddy didn’t take her eyes off the queen. Though the general had implied that the court would also judge her, the queen could and would overrule them if she saw fit. Her opinion was everything.

  Queen Lera studied her silently for a moment. “That is a heavy claim for one of your stature.”

  Yeah, she wasn’t talking about height. At least she hadn’t outright called Maddy a dirty faker. “Please forgive my current state. My mates and I were battling Meren when I was unexpectedly transported away. If my father’s petition for a formal introduction is granted, I will ensure my appearance is at an appropriate standard.”

  The queen’s mouth tightened. It might be foolish to throw that implication out there—that the royal court would already know Maddy if they hadn’t ignored Shayan’s request—but the point had to be made. And it could lessen any doubt that Maddy was who she claimed to be, since a complete outsider wouldn’t have thought to mention the petition, if they’d even known.

  “You claimed you were fighting Meren, but you were found helping him,” the queen said.

  Maddy nodded. “Both are true, I guess, depending on what you mean by ‘help.’ I’m a healer. I can’t sit there and watch someone die.”

  Queen Lera leaned forward slightly. “You stabbed someone and then healed them?”

  “I didn’t stab him on purpose. We were tossed together in combat, and he landed on the knife I was holding for my own protection.” Maddy sighed. She wasn’t entirely sure what had happened in the attack, so how could she explain it? “I didn’t know where I was when I woke up, but since I’m not a murderer, I decided to try to heal the wound.”

  A bad life choice, apparently.

  “That is a fine story,” the queen said. “But one we cannot accept without evidence. This will take investigation. Perhaps if the Cairdai support your claim to a blood connection, your words will hold more merit.”

  Silence fell, as heavy as the queen’s voice was sweet. Maddy glanced surreptitiously around the room, doing her best not to turn her head or appear hopeful. But none of the beautiful nobles in her line of sight stepped forward, and no voice called out support from behind. Oh, her father would be crushed when he learned of his family’s final betrayal. They’d never been supportive of his decision to marry a human woman, but they hadn’t openly disapproved, either. This, though. This was a final condemnation.

  Her heart dropped—and that was before Meren spoke.

  “She speaks the truth.”

  Maddy whipped her head around, unable to stop herself from gaping at him. Did he think he was helping? Why in the hell would the jerk come to her aid? He wasn’t even looking at her, but for a brief moment, he met her eyes. No kindness or repentance there, though. Only resolve.

  “A life debt repaid,” he said before returning his defiant gaze to the queen. “I give my word that she is no ally of mine.”

  She understood, then. Meren wasn’t being nice—he was ensuring she had no hold on his honor. Fulfilling debts, or at least appearing to, was important to the Seelie. But he was a traitor. Why would they believe anything he said?

  The queen apparently agreed. “None here trust your sworn word.”

  “Am I not to be allowed to plead my case?” Meren asked, unflinching.

  Maddy turned back to face Queen Lera. Gods, this sucked. Her knees throbbed with pain from the hard stone floor, the only one who would vouch for her was the villain, and there was no sign of her mates. Or her father. Or mercy, for that matter.

  “Perhaps we will allow it once we have dispatched your companion to her new home,” the queen said. “General Tobenn, you may rebind Maddy a Shayan in the nobles’ hold and then escort her to the tower for further consideration.”

  Maddy went cold at that. Like any prison tower, a fair number of the prisoners who went in never came out. Sure, the queen wasn’t denying that Maddy might be part of the Cairdai family, but being locked up like a noble wasn’t much of a benefit. The only good thing was the shift in her bindings.

  The guard jerked her arm until she stumbled to her feet in front of the general, and Maddy barely managed to stay upright as blood prickled its way through her calves all the way to her toes. Then General Tobenn untied one of Maddy’s hands so that she could pull her arms in front of her instead of behind, and Maddy couldn’t stop her soft cry at the pleasure-pain of that.

  Relief and agony flooded her brain as more blood pulsed through her numb, neglected arms. Damn, even her fingertips hurt. If she had access to her magic, Maddy might have been able to ease the ache, but the bindings were re-secured before she could process the switch.

  The general gripped her other arm hard enough to leave a bruise, but before the woman could haul her away, Maddy inclined her head toward the queen. “Thank you for the audience, Your Majesty.”

  She barely had time to catch sight of Queen’s Lera’s startled expression before General Tobenn jerked Maddy around and started marching her toward the side door where they’d entered. They could deduce what they would of Maddy’s manners—she was going to act the way her parents had raised her.

  Then the double doors at the end of the room slammed open, and the effect was ruined.

  Chapter 34

  When his mother had said she would create a gate to the Seelie palace, Fen had envisioned something a little less…spectacular. A small, hidden alcove or a forgotten place in the basement. Nope. She’d set them down directly in front of the doors to the throne room. Fen had only moments to rush through and disable the two guards standing on each side, swords already clearing sheaths at the burst of magic.

  He could have killed them, but he hadn’t. Death didn’t have to be his purpose. Instead, he’d opened the floor beneath them for a split second and closed the stone around their feet. The huge double doors were so broad that Fen and Anna were able to walk between the floundering warriors without a scratch.

  Unfortunately, Fen misjudged the weight of the wood based on its size. It must have been enchanted, for the door flew open beneath his shove and cracked against the wall hard enough to rebound. Nothing like making a fucking entrance.

  Well, he might as well use it.

  The huge room was only half full, and an alarming number of the people inside were soldiers. But he could barely look at anyone except for Maddy. Fury flared inside him at the bruises on her face and upper arms, especially when Anna whimpered in alarm. Maybe he could deal a little death to the warrior hauling Maddy roughly across the room.


  “Release her,” Fen found himself commanding.

  Surprise crossed the guard’s face, but although she stopped, she didn’t loosen her grip on Maddy. “You dare to issue orders to me?”

  Around the room, more swords left sheaths, but Fen didn’t draw his own. “You dare to lay a hand on my mate?”

  “This incursion will cost you—”

  “Silence.”

  His gaze snapped to the holder of the voice. The queen? There were probably layers of meaning in each whirl of the woman’s crown and each stitch of embroidery on her dress, yet none of it had significance to him. But her power was unmistakable. At a softly spoken command, quiet had fallen, and as she rose with casual ease, the courtiers knelt without question.

  “You break our laws by entering uninvited,” the lady announced calmly.

  “By ancient pacts long-standing, an Unseelie royal may enter to seek redress for a wrongdoing, as you may also enter our court unscathed.”

  Thank god his mother had made him practice that line a few times when she’d explained a few of the terms of the treaty between their peoples. Left to his own devices, he would’ve said “shit” again. This uppity crew of Seelie—Maddy excluded—didn’t seem the type to go for that sort of thing.

  “You are an Unseelie royal?” the probably-queen asked, a slight smile making her opinion of him more than clear. “A curious claim. Though I have met most of the royal family, I do not know you.”

  “I don’t know you, either.” Fen shrugged, which was only slightly better etiquette than pointing sarcastically at the circlet his mother had placed atop his head. “Queen Ara didn’t seem to feel we needed to meet before she named me her heir.”

  That didn’t go over well. The queen’s placid expression shifted into anger, and the soldier holding Maddy drew her sword. All around them, courtiers murmured in disgruntled tones, and he thought he caught a few whispers of “the lost prince” before the woman on the dais lifted her hand to silence them.

  “I am Queen Regent Lera, ruling with full authority in the name of my mother, Queen Tatianella. Name yourself, and verify this claim.”

  He almost asked her to verify her title, but he stopped himself from that temptation. Barely. “I am Crown Prince Feniarathen an Arafel, granted the Heir’s Crown by the Unseelie queen’s own hand.”

  Do not point upward. Do not point upward.

  “So the rumors about Ara are true,” the queen mused. “By what right do you intrude upon my court when your new ruler has yet to establish formal communication?”

  “You’re holding an Unseelie princess captive. It seems you’ve made your own introduction to me and thus my mother.”

  This time, the murmurs faded to delicious silence without the queen’s command. Even Maddy was looking at him like he’d lost his damned mind, and maybe he had. Honestly, he’d expected to feel awkward about confronting the Seelie monarch, but instead of the bravado he usually wore for such encounters, he was nothing more or less than himself.

  Without shame or fear—just himself.

  “Are you referring to Maddy a Shayan? She has made no claim to being Unseelie royalty.”

  Fen’s smile was purely for Maddy’s benefit. “She was unaware that becoming my mate would grant her the title.”

  Queen Lera studied him, then Anna and Maddy in turn. At this point, he had no clue if Lera was friend or foe, although they could certainly agree about their hatred for Meren. At least they had that bastard bound and guarded in the center of the room.

  “You are the mates she mentioned,” Queen Lera concluded after a long, tense moment. “I don’t suppose you can supply the reason she ended up in my palace?”

  Anna took a step forward. “A strong blast of my magic tossed Rianehd…I mean Meren into her, Your Majesty.”

  A ghost’s whisper could have qualified as a shout in the moment before all hell broke loose. For a solid minute, Fen, Anna, and Maddy were forgotten beneath a wave of raised voices and frightened demands. What was going on? Then some of the conversations around him clarified.

  “Rianehd?”

  “Not again. Not again.”

  “My own daughter died defending…”

  “She couldn’t mean it was Meren?”

  A slip of Anna’s tongue had revealed the traitor’s claim, and the court was far from ready to hear it. The crowd surged forward, trying to get to Meren, and the guards were forced to drive them back while keeping their prisoner contained. Even the warrior holding Maddy released her, apparently deciding she was no longer a threat.

  His mate shifted uncertainly on her feet as the angry cries swelled around her. Fen shared a quick glance with Anna, and as one, they hurried toward Maddy before the mood grew even more hostile. But no one was paying attention to her now. Fen untied the knots binding her and dropped the metallic-looking rope to the floor before tugging Maddy gently against him.

  She pulled away, an apologetic smile on her lips. “Armor isn’t made for cuddling.”

  Fen released her into Anna’s far more comfortable hold, and a moment’s peace filled him at the sight of their embrace before the chaos around them trickled back in. Only the queen’s authority settled the crowd into some semblance of containment, though even she was visibly shaken. Her voice held no sweetness now.

  “Where did you hear that name?”

  Anna released Maddy and shifted forward, partially blocking Maddy from the queen’s sight. “Meren approached me under the guise of offering training. He introduced himself as Lord Rianehd a Orsed.”

  Fury shuddered across the queen’s frame as she descended from the dais and marched toward Meren. “Sooner or later, you will die for that claim.”

  For one heart-stopping moment, Fen thought Queen Lera was talking to Anna, but Lera’s gaze was locked on Meren. Fen couldn’t see the other man’s expression, but even on his knees, Meren didn’t give the appearance of cowering. He’s been waiting for this. Meren might not have planned the circumstances, but he’d wanted this confrontation for some time.

  A thought that was more than a little worrying.

  Something was wrong. Couldn’t anyone else feel it?

  Anna scanned the crowd, anxious to find the source. Nobles argued amongst themselves or shouted at Meren, who had two of the guards’ swords crossed at his neck. Based on the queen’s expression, Meren might not have a head much longer. But the conflict unfolding there wasn’t the source. Was it?

  Then again—

  She stretched out her hand to catch at the sudden flow of water magic, but she wasn’t quick enough. In a blink, Meren’s bonds fell away, and he slipped backward like an errant wave before the swords could dig into his skin. The warriors’ blades clanged together, and in that moment of distraction, Meren stood. Mist spiraled around him with an ominous orange glow.

  “Water has a way of escaping any barrier,” Maddy whispered.

  Anna frowned at her. “What?”

  “He said that in the holding room, but I didn’t know he meant it literally.” Maddy rubbed at her wrists, a haunted expression in her eyes. “That rope blocked my powers. I didn’t think water could get around that.”

  Though Anna wasn’t close enough to touch Meren’s spell, it thrummed against her senses until she wanted to cover her ears. A useless instinct, since there was no actual sound. Could she do anything against this spell? She’d learned how to ground out some of the water magic she gathered, but she had no clue how to deal with something that might be toxic.

  “I am Rianehd a Orsed,” Meren announced. “And I will have this throne.”

  Queen Lera tipped up her nose. “Insanity. All know you are the eldest son of Nuall.”

  Fen leaned close, dropping his voice low so that only Maddy and Anna could hear. “Should we slip out of here while everyone’s distracted, or nah?”

  Maddy lifted her brows, and Anna elbowed him. “Fen!”

  “Guess that’s a ‘nah,’” he said, and drew his sword.

  “Oh, fuck,” Maddy br
eathed.

  Anna glanced her way. “Why—”

  “That’s steel, love,” her mate whispered near her ear. “Not peresten. If anyone else notices…”

  Anna shivered. Many of the Sidhe were allergic to iron—and thus steel—so their weapons were made from peresten, a metal mined on Moranaia. Yet Fen had come armed with a weapon the Seelie would consider poison. He really hadn’t been exaggerating when he told his mother he might get them into a war.

  “What are you doing?” Anna sent to Fen.

  “At this point, it seems like this is a royal Seelie problem, and I was hoping to get Maddy out of here while the queen and royal guard dealt with Meren.” Fen’s hand shifted on the hilt of his sword as he eased forward. “But I get why you both think we should stay, so I’m going to end this party early.”

  “Fen—”

  “That’s impossible,” the queen cried, her fury piercing Anna’s thoughts. “Nuall would have noticed that you weren’t of his blood.”

  Meren lifted a hand, and the mist thickened. “Nuall was a fool, easily deceived by my mother. I am Tatianella’s older brother. The uncle finally ready to depose you.”

  “You are a bastard!”

  Wind whipped around Lera’s body, twisting her skirt around her legs as she cast the air toward Meren. Wind and water—elements that could destroy easily depending on how they were joined. Would the queen defeat her foe, or would they create a hurricane in the middle of the throne room?

  Glowing shields snapped around the two guards who had held Meren, and they rushed forward with furious intent. But when the first one swung his sword toward Meren’s midriff, the blade slowed as it caught in the mist and began to dissolve. Meren reached through the magical shield and grabbed the guard by the neck as the sword’s hilt clattered against the floor.