The Stone Queen

by L. E. Bross

  If my weak plan failed, he would have it all.

  I’d given it to him on a silver platter.

  I skulked back to my room, but with everyone in the lower ballroom, I could have been visible and made it back unseen. The door to my room was open when I got back and the two old women were gone. I slipped in and hunkered down between the bed and far wall, desperate to get as far away from what I’d seen and heard as possible.

  “You looked everywhere? And she's not here?” Nephaste's angry voice boomed into the room. I released the spell I’d been holding and slowly rose up. I gripped the side of the bed, afraid my shaky legs wouldn't be able to hold me.

  “I’m right here.” My voice was reed thin and I tried to clear my throat.

  Nephaste swung around and stared at me, like he was trying to see through to the very center and find the lie. I swallowed against the sudden urge to cover myself, mentally and physically. Then he waved his hand in my direction and turned to look at the two women.

  They said something unintelligible, and he glared at them. “Obviously you didn't look close enough. She's here. You wasted my time, hags, and interrupted an important meeting. Just do what you're here for and do not bother me again.”

  He stared at me a moment longer and then stormed from the room. He had made Katrina tell him the truth—he could have done the same thing to me and found out my lie. Relief made my limbs feel weak, but somehow I remained standing. The first line of defense—Don't show weakness.

  When I looked up I had four eyes narrowed on me. With my chin lifted high, I stepped around the bed and stood in front of them.

  “Do what you need to do and then get out of my room and leave me alone.” I used the same tone as when some creepy guy would hit on my in the subway. Though we didn't speak the same language, I could tell by the way they both glared at me they got the gist of it.

  For the next hour I stood between the two of them as they pinned and lifted and sewed. Judging by the number of times a pin 'accidentally' found its way jabbed into my skin, I could honestly say they were both very peeved and did not for one second believe I had been in my room the whole time.

  By the time they had finished, I felt like a well used pincushion. As soon as the door closed, I fell into bed, mentally and physically exhausted. My dreams turned to nightmares, and I woke tangled in the sheets, covered in a filmy layer of sweat. The sky outside my window was just beginning to lighten with the dawn of a new day as I slipped from bed.

  I changed into the darkest clothing I could find, a garnet colored skirt that flowed to my feet and a matching halter that could barely be considered a bra. With gritted teeth I made my way to the door.

  I quickly twisted my hair into a side braid and fastened it with a matching ribbon, so it would be easier to move quickly without giving me away. I stood still and let the stillness of the night flow through me, until the sound of my breathing was barely a whisper.

  It seemed whatever magic I possessed stemmed from my sheer will to make something happen, so I concentrated on the door. When I heard it click, I turned the knob in disbelief. As soon as I stepped into the hall, I willed myself invisible. I planned to sneak in and free Aliana before anyone noticed me, then get back to my room without getting caught.

  Nephaste would never know it was me.

  If she were still alive.

  I couldn't think about that possibility. I had to get to her in time.

  The castle was eerily quiet as I crept out of my room and past the guard snoring in his chair. Tiptoeing down the stairs, I made my way back to the room I'd found earlier. The door gave a small squeak when I opened it and I froze, waiting for the guards to jump on me.

  When nothing happened I peeked inside the room and saw why. Everything from last night lay sprawled on the floor, and loud snores filling the air. I snuck in and quickly found the knot holding the gold cord in place. A quick tug and it was free. I lowered the cage to the floor right next to a passed out faery who still clutched his half-full cup.

  Hurrying into the middle of the room, I sidestepped bodies, careful not to touch any of them in case it woke them up. They had piled so haphazardly, in some places it was near impossible to get by. If I had enough confidence in myself, I would try to fly over them, but I'd only done it a few times and always with someone helping me.

  I had just reached the cage when I looked over at the elf lying on the other side of it. His eyes were wide open and staring right at me. My pulse leapt to life, and I crouched, ready to flee at the first sign of movement. Seconds passed and he didn't move, didn't even blink. I let my hand slowly reach towards the cage, ready to pull it back if needed.

  My fingers touched the thick wire and I laced them between the bands without taking my gaze off the elf. Either he was waiting until I tried to escape or he was dead. A soft snore sounded from between his lips, and I had to fight back the sign of relief. Asleep.

  I slowly lifted the cage, but the door was already open and Aliana was nowhere to be seen. Was I too late?

  The body closest to me shifted and moaned and I jumped to my feet. The room started coming alive with massive, groaning bodies and I darted out between them before they all awoke.

  Had something happened to Aliana last night? It wasn't like I could just ask Nephaste, because then he would know I snuck out. Then he would figure out how, and I wasn't ready for him to know I had found my powers again. Not yet. Maybe she escaped on her own and got away safely.

  The only other option was too horrific to even contemplate.

  Exhausted and in the hall, I let the cloaking slip away as I stood there, trying to catch my breath and figure out what to do next. I had to get back to my room soon, before anyone saw me.

  “I knew the old women weren’t lying,” a voice said behind me. “They have the Sight. I figured you must have discovered a way to sneak out. Invisibility. Clever. Except this is my house and I see everything, hidden or not.”

  Terror paralyzed me for a moment and I couldn't even take a breath. When I finally managed to move, I found Nephaste standing there, casually leaning on the wall. How long had he been there? Had he seen me with the cage?

  Looking at him, you'd never know he spent the night drinking and celebrating. His eyes were clear, his clothes perfect. Like he had the best night's sleep and was ready for the day.

  “I…ahh…” What could I say that wasn't a lie? “hoped you wouldn't mind.”

  Stupid.

  He smiled and pushed off the wall, taking my hand and tugging me down the hallway. Somehow his touch had shattered whatever magic I used because I saw my reflection in a mirror as we passed.

  “I would hate for anything to happen to you. Ogres have an affinity for the taste of beautiful faery, and if I'm not there to control them, well, it's in your best interest to be careful. Next time send for me, I'd be happy to give you a tour, or even invite you to our celebrations.”

  Low growling noises sounded from somewhere on the other side of the door and I unconsciously took a step closer to Nephaste. This place crawled with vile creatures. Being visible made me much more vulnerable and I was forced to rely on Nephaste for safety.

  We stopped in front of a small room, a library of sorts, and he ushered me in. I sat in a large wingback chair, waiting to see why he acted so friendly after I escaped from my room. He went over to a cart and poured a clear liquid into two faceted crystal glasses, then handed one to me.

  “Tell me, does your wedding dress meet with your satisfaction?” He lifted his glass and took a sip while he watched me over the rim.

  “I don't see the need for the show. I've been poked and prodded for days. Why can't I just give the throne to you and leave?” I was trying to stall as I tried to get my feet back under me.

  “There are formalities that must be adhered to. The ceremony has to take place at Alcaria with your people in attendance. You must bestow the throne to me with witnesses. As you already know.”

  He watched me carefully, and I took a
quick gulp from the cup, immediately wondering if he had poisoned me. When nothing happened, I set the glass on a shiny marble stand so I wouldn't drink it again.

  “There are rules of the realm you must follow. You do want everything in order so you can go back to your world and not worry about your safety ever again, don't you?”

  The thinly veiled threat hung in the air between us.

  “Of course I do. Why the hell else would I do any of this?”

  I glared at him, but he just raised his glass in a mock toast and sipped through his grin. I hated that he had the control and made the rules. My nails dug into my palms in an effort to keep from striking out at him—something I already knew would be useless.

  “I want to see my mother now.”

  “Yes, of course you do. You would make a wonderful Dark Royal, you know.” His heated gaze roved slowly down over me and I crossed my arms over my chest. “In the human world all these years, becoming so like them. Demanding gratification in an instant, taking what is not yours, entitlement that surpasses even those of us here. The humans are not unlike those of us who indulge our more basic urges. Lust, hate, revenge, ecstasy. All the finer things in life.”

  He laughed, and I stood, my hands on my hips. I should have been angry at the comparison, but he was right. What made that world any better than this one? It wasn't about choice, because I would not choose to live in squalor. Would not choose to go without food.

  At least the people here in Nephaste's court had made a choice. They chose to act like barbarians. They liked it. I turned before Nephaste could see the indecision in my eyes. Since when did I relate to the monsters downstairs?

  Was that what happened in the forest, when I stole life from the earth? Was I already becoming one of them, one of the Dark?

  “My mother,” I ground out to hide my new fear.

  “As you wish.”

  I whipped around when he said that. With a wave of his hand, a mirror sized void appeared in the room. It shimmered, distorting the room behind it until I saw a woman sitting in a rocking chair. She held a stuffed elephant and my heart thumped painfully slow in my chest. I knew her. She was the woman from the painting.

  My mother.

  Her voice reached through the veil and I heard a soft voice singing.

  It was a lullaby.

  A warm blanket of calm settled over my shoulders, and I closed my eyes. The smile danced over my lips as I hummed along with her. I knew the song. She sang it to me when I was a child. Memories swirled around in my head like clouds, fuzzy and unclear, but there.

  Then it was all gone and I sat staring at the empty space.

  “That's enough for now,” he said.

  The loss of contact rocked me to the core, and I fought the urge to throw myself at him. To drag my nails down his face until he told me how to bring her back. Instead my nails dug into my own palms as I tried to appear unaffected. If he knew how I yearned for her to be here, it would give him even more leverage over me.

  “Bring her back…”

  “Later, my dear. It's really for the best you know. You'll have to trust me on that,” he said.

  Trust him? As if.

  “She will be there, right? In the flesh. You promised me she would be.”

  “Of course. She will be seated in the place of honor right in front of the altar.”

  My plans seemed to fade away as he watched me. Nephaste was a very powerful elf, and I was not exactly a worthy adversary. I glanced at where the image of my mother had been. He wasn’t going to win. He may think I was weak, but I had something he didn't take into consideration. Something he’d never know until it was too late.

  I had ten years of street smarts and I was going to use every one of them to bring him to his knees.

  Chapter 16

  Nephaste came the next morning and asked me to join him outside.

  I went along warily. He seemed…joyful, almost too happy. Like he was a kid who was about to get everything he wanted for Christmas and knew it.

  We walked down the stairs and out a side door, ending up in a lavish garden. Colors I couldn't identify filled every inch of space, and the heady fragrance swirled around us, almost as if it were alive. When he motioned for me to sit on a carved stone bench, I did without thought, still trying to figure out what was going on.

  “I wanted to see if you would like to pick out flowers from our gardens for the ceremony tomorrow,” he said, walking a few steps away and picking a bright purple flower with wispy white tentacles that danced in the breeze.

  He brought it to me, and the aroma filled my lungs—sweet, spicy, a heady mixture that made my head spin. He stepped behind me, and his breath washed hot over my ear. I tried to hide the shiver and focus on what we were doing. Something about him made me fearful while simultaneously craving his nearness. Enchantment of some kind I was sure. I'd seen him use it on the red headed girl, but even though I knew, I couldn't stop myself from reacting.

  “I…it really doesn't matter to me.”

  Why was my voice breathless? Why was I envisioning Nephaste pressing his lips to my neck? Panic sent me to my feet, and I busied myself with pretending to look for more flowers. Why did his touch have to remind me so much of Torin?

  I hated him for it. Hated myself.

  “We could be very good together,” he whispered in my ear.

  When his fingers trailed along my arm, a wash of goose bumps appeared in the wake. I shivered and took a step away from him.

  “We have a deal,” I said. “I don't want this, I don't want to stay here. After tomorrow, I will go back and that will be that.”

  He chuckled and dragged the flower down over my arm, the soft fingers caressing my skin in a way that a lover would. “The option to come back is always open, Princess Merigold Hope K'Alil.”

  When he said my name a warmth started in my gut and spread outward, filling my veins, my muscles, every fiber in my body. I ached. For him.

  “Stop,” I ground out, though even I could hear the lack of surety in my voice.

  He was much more powerful today, and forcing his will out of my mind was a challenge. The heady aroma of the flower filled my lungs and goose bumps covered my skin.

  “Passiflora incarnata. Passion flower,” he whispered in my ear. “Intoxicating isn’t it?”

  His fingers caressed my face and despite myself, I leaned into his touch. When his lips brushed close over mine, the scream lodged in my throat, squeezing out as only a pitiful mewl. I braced for the ice or warmth, but nothing slithered down my throat.

  “I could coerce you. I could make you do anything I desire when and where I wanted. And you would do it.” His voice was low and husky. Breath hot against my lips. He hadn't kissed me yet but everything in me pleaded with him to do it. “But I find it so much…sweeter when the consent is freely given. To watch the play of emotions across your face. That moment when you make the decision, and the light inside your soul goes dark. So very…delicious.”

  “I hate you,” I whispered, even as my body screamed with want.

  “And I could have you on your knees in front of me doing anything I bid. Do not forget that.”

  He tossed the flower away and I yanked myself away, scrubbing at my lips even though he had not done anything to them. His eyes glinted with cruelty. He had enjoyed intimidating me. Making me feel things I would never without being forced.

  “I will never agree to join you. The only reason I am even here is for my freedom. For my mother.”

  Instead of being angry, he chuckled. “We shall see my dear. Now let's go inside and enjoy some of the foods being prepared for tomorrow night. I think you will be pleased at what we are offering our guests.”

  As if the moments before had not happened, he twined his arm with mine, a steel grip that dared me to pull away. I walked beside him, reminding myself it was almost over. After tomorrow night I could go back and never see any of these things again. Never have to stand beside Nephaste and pretend. A new life with m
y real mother. What I'd craved my entire life. Family.

  Dawn filtered through the window the next morning in streams of pink and yellow and orange, bathing the room in a magical kaleidoscope of colors. I was exhausted, but not tired. Excitement and dread pulsed through my veins. The time had come. In a matter of hours, it would all be over.

  My wedding day.

  I would be free or dead.

  Which though remained to be seen.

  The door burst open and the boggart staggered in under an enormous silver tray. I pulled the covers to my neck as he placed it on the table, then directed a huge Ogre through the doorway with a trunk the size of my bed.

  For a moment I thought Nephaste meant to stuff me inside it, but when the two old women shuffled through the door and threw it open, I saw it was full of clothing. One by one garments were held up and discarded.

  Finally they seemed to reach a consensus. I was tugged from bed and led into the bathing chamber. Despite my protests they stripped me naked and the water cascaded from the ceiling. They rubbed scented oils into my skin until I glowed.

  The material they wrapped around my chest was a sheer creamy white. The gossamer fabric clung like second skin. Another was wound low on my hips, creating the illusion of undergarments. Then they stepped closer and draped the see through white wedding dress over my shoulder. They pinned and tucked and tighened until every inch of material was perfectly in place.

  They tackled my hair next, twisting it into an elaborate curls that hung down my back, tiny seeded pearls woven into the strands. When they were done, the boggart stepped forward with a wooden box in its hands. One of the women took it and flipped the latch. A delicate crown the sparkled with diamonds and rubies and emeralds sat on a soft cushion of silk. I stepped away when they lifted it free but the women were much stronger than they looked. Thei fingers were like vises, holding me in place as they positioned the crown with a teardrop shaped diamond hanging on my forehead.

  Wire bracelets would up my arms from wrist to elbow, the metal so thin I could barely feel it on my skin. The finishing touch was an anklet of miniscule bells that created a background chorus everytime I took a step.