by Alexia Purdy
Neither of us questioned him, relying on pure faith that the voice of the Withering Palace had told us the right way to get back to Dylan’s home. I wasn’t placing bets on it yet, but from what I could see, we’d made it that far without resistance. It made me smile to think Evangeline was probably losing her wits wondering where we’d gone. Even though we were technically kin, I had no plans on getting to know her. She was the last person I’d want to be related to if I’d had a choice.
We followed Dylan until I thought the darkness was never going to end. Maybe I didn’t want to know about these secret passages after all. There were probably many more of them—too many to keep them well-guarded. What sort of creatures could pop up behind our lines? And walking through Faerie this way made me feel hyper-claustrophobic. I wasn’t sure I wanted to do this on any regular basis, and with every step we took, more oxygen seemed to be sucked out of the air.
What was wrong with me? I wasn’t normally so tense. It was pathetic.
“Are we there yet?”
This time Dylan threw me a warning look to keep my trap shut. I turned back toward Soap, who shrugged and kept on without complaint. He seemed more tired than usual. I knew how he felt. A bit of conversation would have helped keep me awake, but no one appeared to be in the mood to chat. I had barely slept since we’d arrived at the Withering Palace, but thanks to Soap’s sleeping potion, I felt somewhat rested. However, dealing with Evangeline and getting tossed into the tower like a fairytale princess had rubbed me the wrong way, and the residual resentment had drained what little energy I’d gained.
The Withering Palace was no five-star hotel, that was for sure.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Benton
The outer branches of the Teleen Caverns were long stretches of nothingness. And they seemed unguarded. I wondered if they posed a threat to the faeries. Dylan didn’t seem too concerned, but I saw him light up as the passageways became more and more familiar. We didn’t even have to take the exit into the Haunted Forest; these tunnels led all the way through to the outer reaches of the caverns. We even started passing some guards posted in remote areas of the tunnels.
It was a relief to see the soldiers, for it’d taken a long time to get to this point. Plus, my feet were killing me. We’d just skipped untold miles through rough terrain, but I was concerned to realize that the Unseelie were but a tunnel trek away from directly infiltrating the Teleen. I cringed to think about how easily the caverns could be overtaken. Glancing at Soap, I saw that he had similar concerns.
Dylan had fallen back a bit now that we were in friendly territory. “Don’t worry, Soap,” he said, reading our thoughts. “The Withering Palace doesn’t just tell anyone how to wage war against the Seelie, even its own rulers. The palace wasn’t always the home of the evilest faeries in the land. There are rules the land of Faerie must follow, and overthrowing another clan just because there are back ways to this place isn’t allowed.”
“I find that really hard to believe,” I muttered.
“I was pretty skeptical myself, but Shade has had long chats with the castle, and she was quite surprised to find that the Withering Palace, hell, all the land of Faerie, was united at one point under one ruler. Not four, and not dozens like it is now. One.”
“And that worked out pretty well, right?” I scoffed. I wasn’t really expecting an answer. If it had been so wonderful to be under one ruler, why had it epically failed centuries before? Heck, even being ruled by four psychotic Ancients had done nothing but separate the realms even more, inserting large wedges into the already fragile and shaky lands. I doubted all of Faerie would ever be ruled by just one leader again, and my tone let Dylan know my opinion on that.
Dylan shook his head, rolled his eyes, and turned away. The cavern widened, opening into a cavernous room. No one spoke. We were all awed by the wonder of the beginnings of the Teleen Caverns. I’d forgotten how overwhelming they were, beautiful and haunting all at the same time.
We entered the outer edges of the faery dwelling and walked through a ward that tickled my senses more than it did the other two. I could tell, because they didn’t flinch at the zap we received when we passed through it.
Now I knew how they protected these outer reaches of the Teleen Caverns. If someone came along who wasn’t welcome, they would either bounce right off the ward or get themselves fried, depending on how much of a threat they posed. I shook off the crawling feeling of the barrier and eyed Soap and Dylan as they finally noticed my discomfort.
“Don’t worry. The awkward sensation from the ward will wear off in a few minutes.”
“How come the ward didn’t affect you two? I feel like my skin was just flash frozen.”
“We grew up here,” Dylan explained. “We no longer even get tested by the wards. If you had entered through the main entrance, it wouldn’t have zapped you so much.” Dylan forced the smirk off his face, but I could tell he wanted to laugh his ass off. I wanted to throat punch him. “Since this is the back entrance, so to speak, it’s a lot more powerful and scrutinizing of those who enter. You’re not even a faery, so I’m surprised it didn’t knock you off your feet. Your elemental powers kept you stable enough to not get too much of a shock.”
“That’s comforting.” I grimaced and shook the eerie feeling off my body. Slowly, it faded until I didn’t feel like hurling my guts onto the floor anymore. I breathed in and out slowly, feeling much better. I muttered curses under my breath, but no one was listening. In fact, I was surprised to find Nautilus waiting for us at the edge of the large pools of water along both sides of the smooth rock pathway we were walking on. He was supposed to still be back at the Withering Palace. He must have left well ahead of us. Was he also part of Dylan and Shade’s plan?
“Nautilus.” Dylan gave him a nod as he paused and shook his hand. “Thanks for coming ahead of us to notify Queen Gretel and the guards of our arrival. I hope there was no trouble?”
“My pleasure, Dylan. Yes, I don’t believe Evangeline or Jack noticed my departure. The troops covered for me well.” He peered over Dylan’s shoulder and waved at Soap and me. “How was the trip?”
“Not bad,” Soap answered.
“Could’ve been shorter,” I muttered, rolling my shoulders and shifting my weight between both legs. They ached something fierce, and I was going to need a good, deep-tissue massage.
The merman laughed at my complaint as he let go of Dylan’s hand. “I’ve set up some sleeping quarters for you all. I’m sure you’re in need of some rest after that jaunt. It’s a shortcut, but it’s still rough on the legs. Also, dinner is set up for you as well. You must be starving.”
“I’m up for some food,” I answered, glad we would have a moment to recharge. I was famished. Even the cool water of the Teleen pools looked welcoming and calm, yet dark and ominous in the deeper parts. I pondered a swim later, after dinner, but decided against it. They appeared bottomless, and I wondered if one fell in and drowned, would they sink to the bottom forever, never to be retrieved? I studied my reflection in the still water, wondering what lay beneath the surface.
“These pools are where we get our fresh water,” Nautilus explained, seeing me peer into the water. “No one knows how deep they really are. They’re heated by geothermal activity, which keeps them warm year round. I’ll show you the bathing shallows after we eat; they’re not so overwhelming. Shade was quite fond of the swimming holes when she stayed here.”
At Nautilus’s mention of my sister, Dylan stiffened. I didn’t think he appreciated another man telling him what his wife liked or didn’t like. I’d seen Nautilus compete for Shade’s affections long before she and Dylan had married. Though not much threatened their relationship, it was obvious that my sister’s courtships continued, regardless of her union. Marriage had done little to keep guys like Soap and Nautilus away from her. I knew it had something to do with how few women there were in the Teleen clan.
It was unfortunate that the Teleen men could only mate wi
th women who had a fire affinity; otherwise they’d kill their mate. It made Shade more precious than gold in their eyes. I felt sorry not for them but for my sister. She had a lot to deal with, and I could see that no one was ready to give up on her. She’d been bombarded by gifts and offers of marriage before she was married, but the only ones worthy of her hand were still at her side, regardless of her choice. Dylan, Soap, and Nautilus all loved her. The poor girl still had a lot to contend with.
I wished I had that problem with women. There were no women pining for me in the caverns. They were already taken. Even though I had an affinity to fire, the women of the Teleen had no shortage of men. They could choose the ones they loved the most and even marry multiple men if they wished.
That was a new fact for me, something Dylan had mentioned as we walked through the pool caverns and into the main Teleen halls. I didn’t know how the other guys felt about it, but I was as monogamous as a person got. One woman was enough for me, and I wasn’t into sharing. How the Teleen men did it was a mystery, but I guessed that when it came down to it, there was no choice when there were only so many mates who could survive the fire power of the Teleen. I supposed sharing was better than nothing at all.
After a fabulous dinner of venison and a variety of fruits and vegetables—which left me wondering just how they procured them—and, of course, a generous amount of honey wine, Nautilus and Dylan led us to the guest quarters and showed us each into our own rooms. I didn’t particularly like my room; Shade had almost died in one of these guest rooms when she’s first visited the place. But it had a soft bed, clean linen, and a tub that I could soak my sore muscles in. And I needed to sleep; we all did. If we didn’t sleep, what good would we be to Zena or Aluse’s brother? So we each disappeared into our rooms, bathed, and turned down the sheets for the night.
It didn’t take long for me to pass out in the cool darkness of the stone-walled room. At first it was so quiet, I felt like I’d been tossed into the vacuum of space, but after a while, I began to notice the muffled roar of distant waterfall, vibrating through the solid rock. It was more soothing than anything I’d heard in ages, and I had soon passed out, lost in dreamland. We had an early start in the morning to find the sacred feather place.
One step closer to Zena was one step I’d take willingly. I knew I’d see her again.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Soap
I stared across the throne room where Dylan was speaking to Queen Gretel. The tiny queen was a sight: frail and thin, but with thick, long dark hair and large black eyes. Most Teleen had eyes like that, but not all, and they often looked human, with their glamour wrapped around them to hide the brilliant blue fire and electricity flaring under their skin. Some refused to wear the glamour and never left the caverns.
Those individuals adhered to the ancient ways and abhorred the thought of change. I didn’t blame them. After so long, why bother going out into the world, especially when it was so different from what they knew? With Shade as queen, the influence of human society was growing stronger, and it was quite different from the land they had once called home. But the change had begun even before Shade’s arrival. The younger generations of faeries were more attracted to the human realm and had brought back human culture, technology, and ideas.
“Hey, pal.” Nautilus came up next to me, slapping me on the shoulder.
I tipped my head toward him in greeting, but I wasn’t in the talking mood. If Benton was the king of brooding, I was his heir apparent.
“Not much. Just ready to get this mission over with and get back to the Scren.”
Nautilus threw me a curious look, narrowing his eyes. He stared long enough to make me fidget as I leaned against the pillar. “What? Got something to say?”
“You still love Shade, don’t you?”
I shrugged. Of course I did, but I wasn’t ready to discuss it with him. He was out of the running too, but I still considered him competition. I wasn’t going to give him anything to use against me.
When I didn’t answer, he continued regardless. “Hey, I was going to make a proposition… could you put in a good word about me to Anna? Shade is taken, but I still have a chance with her sister.”
I gave him a sideways glance; he’d caught my interest. “All right, I’ll bite, but I’m not volunteering for anything yet.”
Nautilus laughed, and it was a laugh a person couldn’t help but lighten up around. It was almost irritating how he could shake me out of my glum mood when I was just starting to enjoy it.
“Look, I was thinking. The women of the Teleen marry multiple partners because there are just not enough of them to go around. There are no available women at the moment here, so it’s getting to be a lonely existence for us men. I love Shade, but the competition is too stiff, especially since she already has Dylan and you.”
My shoulders slumped. “Has me?”
“Well, what I was going to suggest is this. If you talk me up to Anna, I’ll get out of the running for Shade. That way you can ask her to take you as a second husband, and you’ll be happy knowing I won’t try to get in the way.”
I was taken aback, my eyes widening as I turned to gape at Nautilus. “Are you insane?”
“Hey, you and I are both from Teleen. So is Dylan. I don’t see why this would be such a huge issue. Polygamy is common here.” He motioned toward the svelte queen, who was still talking with Dylan. “In fact, I’d bet Queen Gretel would even insist that Shade marry more than one man from Teleen, and Dylan wouldn’t be able to say one thing about it.”
I shook my head. “I can’t force her to marry me and neither can Queen Gretel. That’s never going to happen. If she does decide to marry me, I want her to do it because she wants to.”
Nautilus nodded. “Well, it’s worth thinking about. I might ask Queen Gretel to help me with Anna anyway.”
“Anna’s a human. She’s less likely agree to it than Shade. Plus, she has no obligation to follow Teleen orders.”
“You never know. Maybe I can figure out a way to have her marry me instead of that ogre, Oran.”
“Good luck with that,” I sighed, rubbing my temples and pushing my hair back away from my face. “I think I’d have more luck with Shade than you would with Anna. Hell, you might as well ask Shade to marry you also. It won’t matter.”
Nautilus brightened, and I immediately regretted suggesting it to him. “If you don’t mind, I might just do that.” He gave my shoulder another smack before turning toward Dylan. “Oh, by the way, I hope you’re ready. It’s a long trek to the top of the mountain, but we have steps to take that’ll get us there faster.” He winked and turned away once more.
I sighed, rubbing my face as I scolded myself for giving too much information to Nautilus. Damn. I had to learn to keep my mouth shut. I’d just added to my problems with one sentence. Good going, Soap.
Groaning, I straightened and checked my pack for medicine to kill the encroaching headache. I had slept, but it’d been fitful, full of strange images and flashes of blood accompanied by screaming. I wasn’t too worried that it’d been a premonition—I didn’t get them that often—but the feeling of unease had crept through me and had hindered my rest. At least breakfast had helped lighten my mood.
“Hey, Soap.” Dylan approached, finished speaking with the queen.
“Hey, pal. What’s up with Her Majesty? Anything we need to be concerned about?”
He shook his head. “No. Well, maybe. She’s extremely frail, and I think she’s actually considering stepping down from the throne.”
“What?” I peered over at the queen, who was attending to some of her subjects, speaking with them. “But she doesn’t have an heir.”
“She said that she’d have to choose her successor.”
“Wow. That’s insane. I’ve never known anyone but her as ruler.”
“Yeah, me neither.”
“Did she mention who she’s thinking of for the job?”
“She did. She mentioned Jack, but she�
��s afraid his duties at the Withering Palace might take precedence. The next time I see him, I’m to ask him to come speak with her.”
“Did you tell her that we weren’t exactly on speaking terms with Jack and Evangeline? They wanted to keep Benton and me as prisoners!”
“Yes, I told her.”
“And?”
“Well, she wanted to know if there were any others I’d suggest for the position.”
When he didn’t continue, I impatiently urged him on with my eyes. This was the most interesting news I’d heard in ages.
“I suggested she could ask Nautilus or even you.”
“Me?” My heart sped up. Wow. Dylan really wanted to get rid of me. That’s the only reason he’d suggest me for the position. “I’m only half Teleen. That wouldn’t go over well with the rest of the clan.”
He shrugged, uninterested in my dilemma. “I suggested it, so if she calls on you, you’ll know why.”
“You’re doing this to separate me from Shade.”
He stopped in his footsteps and slowly turned back to look at me, his gunmetal grey eyes darkening slightly. I didn’t find the malice I’d expected in his face, just a mask hiding his thoughts from me. I swallowed. There I was, not a minute after my conversation with Nautilus, sticking my foot in my mouth yet again.
“Why would you say that?”
“Because….” I shuffled back and forth on my feet. “We dated once. It’s no secret. You have to know by now I still have feelings for her.”
Dylan closed the space between us, and his hardened eyes drilled into me. I wasn’t afraid. I’d known Dylan all my life, and as the previous captain of the Teleen Guard, he’d been required to be fierce, unmoving, and unrelenting. I knew this was all a façade, an attempt to scare the wits out of me. It wasn’t going to work.
“Watch your words, Rylan. There are so many things you don’t know.”
