creepy hollow 02 - faerie prince

by Rachel Morgan

  “Oh, can you?” I allow delight to spread across my face. “Thank you so much!”

  We leave Poisyn and head down a tunnel. It’s wide and high, with doorways here and there and all manner of fae creatures loitering around. We turn a corner and pass a troll pulling a cart of dwarves behind him. This place is more like a network of streets than tunnels. We reach a fork and go right. Then take another turn, and another. I’m glad I can leave here via the faerie paths because I’m not sure if I’d know how to get back to Poisyn.

  The distant hum of music reaches my ears. “We’re almost there,” says my bald companion. We’ve barely spoken a word to one another. He’s obviously just as much of a conversationalist as I am. “So, this is it.” He gestures to an archway with white smoke billowing out beneath it. As we move forward, he puts an arm around my shoulders. His hand slides down and squeezes my butt.

  I grab the offending hand, spin him around, and pin him against the wall. I twist his arm hard behind his back. “Try that again, and I’ll break your hand.”

  “Okay,” he gasps, his face practically kissing the wall. “Wow. That was hot. Can you do that again?”

  Seriously? I drop his arm and step away from him. “You know what? I don’t think this is going to work out. You should go back to Poisyn. That girl behind the bar looked like she was into you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes.” Actually, she looked like she wanted to scratch the eyes out of anyone who dared ask for a drink, but maybe that’s just because she had a distinctly feline look to her.

  “Awesome.” The bald guy rotates his shoulder a few times before heading back down the tunnel.

  I walk beneath the archway and into Diviniti. There must be some kind of invisible barrier across the entrance because my fingertips tingle for a moment and the music suddenly becomes louder. The smoke clears enough for me to get a look at the room. It’s a lot darker than Poisyn, and there’s a lot less dancing happening. There are couches here and there with fae draped across them, drinking, smoking . . . and other things that make my face heat up. As I walk toward the bar, I can tell I’m being watched. For the first time this evening, I feel a little unsafe.

  A faerie with a circular piece of metal through his nose reaches me before I reach the bar. “I haven’t seen you around here before,” he says, his tone suggesting his words are a warning rather than another pick-up line.

  I decide to go with the truth. “I was sent here to look for someone. A man with ram’s horns.”

  One side of his mouth turns up. He reaches for the bottom of his T-shirt and peels it off over his head, revealing an impressive set of abs. Not as impressive as the abs belonging to Ryn, but, then, I’m probably biased. I’m about to ask this guy why he’s undressing, when he turns and shows me his back. Tattooed across the top half is a pair of large, curling ram horns.

  He pulls his T-shirt back on and says, “So, who are you?”

  “Um, my name is Violet.”

  “Violet.” The corners of his lips turn up ever so slightly as his gaze brushes over the length of my body. “I’ve been expecting you. Wait here.” He goes behind the bar and disappears through a door.

  I slide my hands into my jacket pockets and try not to make eye contact with anyone. When the ram-man returns, he hands me something small wrapped in brown paper. It feels hard. “Um, the person who gave you this,” I say. “Was it a man or a woman?”

  He gives me a curious look. “A woman.”

  “Great. Thanks.” I back away before he can ask any questions—and find myself hitting a wall of flesh. “Oh, I’m sorry,” I say as I turn. The giant of a man behind me must be half-troll because he is enormous—and really ugly.

  “Leaving so soon?” he asks. His voice is so deep I can almost feel it rumble. “You should stay awhile.” He raises his hand slowly toward my face. “Get to know us a little better.”

  I duck beneath his arm, jump onto the cushion of the nearest couch, leap over the back, and land beside the wall. I hurriedly write a doorway onto it and step inside, leaving the music, smoke and thundering laughter behind me.

  I walk into my bedroom and stare at the package in my hands. It really wasn’t all that difficult to retrieve. If that’s all it takes to prove my bravery to this mysterious woman, then she obviously has no idea what kind of scary situations I’ve got myself into in the past. This was like a third year assignment in comparison.

  I sit on the edge of my bed and unwrap the brown paper. Inside I find two rectangular pieces of clear glass, about the same size as my amber. Great. I have no idea what I’m supposed to do with these. I place them on my bedside table and begin pulling the feathers out of my hair, which now smells like smoke.

  I take a step toward my bathing room, but stop when I hear a buzzing sound on my bedside table. One of the glass pieces is vibrating, moving slowly toward the edge of the table. I lunge and catch it before it falls off. Two dark grey words stare at me from the surface of the glass.

  Hello, Violet.

  I grab my stylus and perch on the edge of the bed. Is this D? I write.

  Yes. Well done for getting to Diviniti.

  Does this glass work like amber?

  Yes. New technology. The manufacturers call them comm-glass.

  Why did you give me two?

  In case you break one.

  Fair enough. I suppose that happens when you make communication devices out of glass. So what happens now?

  You will hear from me in three days’ time as soon as I know when and how Zell plans to make his attack on the Guilds. Goodnight.

  Goodnight? Is that it? After a few minutes, it’s clear that whoever is at the other end of this comm-glass doesn’t plan to send any more messages.

  I soak in my bathing pool for a while, letting the waterfall wash the smoke out of my hair. When I get out, I find a message from Ryn on my amber.

  I miss my Sexy Pixie. Mom heard you in my room last night. She’s now using words like ‘inappropriate under my roof’ and ‘please leave your door open’. So . . . meet me at the gargan tree?

  With a smile, I get dressed and head out.

  *

  “You’re hiding something from me,” Ryn says. Most of the time, his ability works pretty well for us—I never have to actually tell him what I’m feeling, which is completely fine with me—but right now it sucks that he can figure me out so easily. “Your mood is different, and you definitely got nervous when I asked how your evening was.”

  Okay, time to come clean. I may be able to keep a secret from Ryn, but I definitely can’t lie to him. Especially not when I’m sitting on his lap and he won’t let me look anywhere except into his eyes. “You’re right. I have been hiding something from you.” I place my hands on his shoulders. “But only because I know you’ll get all protective and worry about my safety and try to stop me.”

  Ryn raises both eyebrows. “If that was you attempting to put my mind at ease, you did a terrible job.”

  “It’s not hugely dangerous. It’s just something I want to do on my own so that I can prove myself to Councilor Starkweather.”

  “And this ‘something’ is?”

  I slide my fingers down his arms and take his hands in mine. “Someone at the Unseelie Court contacted me to say she wants to tell me all Zell’s plans regarding his imminent attack on the Guilds. She saw me at his masquerade and obviously thought I’d be a good person to pass the information to.”

  Ryn’s expression turns wary. “V, that sounds like a trap. Zell still wants you, remember?”

  “Look, this person already gave me information that turned out to be true. She told me there would be a fire at the London Guild. I thought it was a joke, so I ignored it. Then the fire really happened.”

  “So? It could still be someone trying to trick you into handing yourself over.”

  “I know. The thought has occurred to me. But I’ll be careful. I won’t meet her anywhere secluded. And if things do go wrong, well, I’m a guardian. I won
’t exactly be helpless.”

  After a long pause, Ryn says, “If you meet her, I want to go with you.”

  “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. She may not give me any info if she sees I’m not alone. She probably doesn’t want anyone to know who she is in case it gets back to Zell.”

  “She doesn’t have to know I’m there.”

  “Ryn . . .” I tilt my head to the side and try pleading with my eyes.

  “I’m sorry, V.” He shakes his head. “If you had any idea how much you mean to me, you’d know that I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you.”

  “And nothing is going to happen to me.” I squeeze his hands with mine. “I really appreciate that you want to take care of me, but you don’t need to. I want to do this on my own. You need to trust that I can.”

  Ryn is quiet as his eyes search my face. He knows how stubborn I am, so he should know I’m not going to give in on this. On the other hand, I know how stubborn he can be, so it’s possible we’re heading into a big argument here.

  “Fine,” he says eventually. He places his hands on either side of my face and makes sure I’m looking at him. “If you won’t let me go with you, then you have to promise me something else.”

  I narrow my eyes. “Promise you what?”

  His hands slip away from my face and settle on my shoulders. “You’ll wear the eternity necklace.”

  “Wait, you still have that thing? I thought you were going to destroy it.”

  “I tried. It wouldn’t break. Now promise me.”

  “Jeez, it’s not like anyone’s going to try and kill me, Ryn. Zell actually wants me alive, remember?”

  “Exactly. And the last time Zell tried to capture you and you made a desperate escape, you were washed out the side of a mountain and almost died. So promise me you’ll wear the necklace.”

  Ryn has a point. I lean forward and kiss him gently on the lips. “I promise,” I whisper into his ear before dragging my lips down the side of his neck.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

  Jay, Asami and I receive our next assignment the following morning. An elf walked into a restaurant in the Creepy Hollow Shoppers’ Clearing last night and attacked a young faerie girl. Then he ran off into the forest and disappeared. This morning another attack was reported by someone coming off the Tip-Top Path. Fortunately, her boyfriend was there to save her, but the elf got away once again. Now it’s our job to track him down and make sure he never attacks anyone else.

  We need to interview witnesses to try and establish who the elf is, why he’d want to attack these girls, and where he might be now. It takes time, which is good, because I need a distraction. I need something to keep me from counting down the time until Zell is supposed to meet with his followers to share his plans.

  Ryn and I spend every evening in the gargan tree, which is how I end up missing a visit from Dad. I wanted to kick myself when I got home and saw his note lying on my bed. He apologized for not being able to visit sooner and said he had no idea when he’d get the opportunity to come again. Something big is going on, he wrote. Stay safe. I wish I could tell him about D and that I’ll soon know when the big showdown is happening. Surely he can come out of hiding then and help us fight?

  On the day of Zell’s meeting with his followers, I keep the comm-glass in my pocket wherever I go. I just have to be careful not to sit on it. The entire time I’m with Ryn in the gargan tree, I expect the glass to buzz in my pocket. It doesn’t. I get home and stare at it for a while, but still it doesn’t buzz. Squirrel-shaped Filigree looks at me oddly from the foot of the bed, as if to say, Why is the light still on? When can we sleep?

  “I’m not sleeping until I’ve heard something from D,” I tell him. “You’re welcome to go and sleep in another room where it’s dark, if you want.”

  With an annoyed sniff, he jumps to the ground and scurries under the bed.

  “Or you could sleep under the bed, I guess.” I continue staring at the comm-glass until my neck starts to get sore. I lie down and place the comm-glass on the pillow beside me. I won’t sleep, I won’t sleep, I won’t sleep.

  The next thing I know, I’m lying on my back, the grey light of dawn is peeking through my enchanted skylight, and there’s a frenzied buzzing beside my ear. I sit up in fright and clutch the comm-glass tightly, blinking sleep away.

  I know everything. Come to the Rose Hall.

  I reach for my stylus on the bedside table. Coming now.

  I pull on my boots, stuff my stylus into one of them, throw the eternity necklace over my head, and hurry into a faerie path. Rose Hall is situated at one end of the Creepy Hollow Shoppers’ Clearing. A market is held inside there once a week, and the hall is also used for large functions sometimes, like parties. Otherwise, it remains empty.

  I walk along the empty path running between the store fronts. Rose Hall is built into the stocky widdern tree at the end of the lane. There’s no doorway carved into the trunk like some of the shops here, but the words ‘Rose Hall’ are written on a sign hammered into the ground right next to it.

  Will I be able to open a doorway into the hall? I’ve never tried before, so I don’t know if it has the same protective magic our homes have. I don’t see why it should, since there isn’t much inside to steal. I hold my stylus against the trunk of the tree and hesitate. I look around, remembering that I told Ryn I wouldn’t meet D in a secluded spot. Oops. I was in such a rush that I didn’t think about that until now.

  Is this a trap? An ambush? Is Rose Hall full of Unseelie faeries waiting to attack and capture me? Perhaps the notes and the comm-glass were from Zell himself. Perhaps this whole thing is just his elaborate way of getting me to come willingly to him.

  I close my eyes and take a deep breath. Trap or not, I can’t back out now. I need to know what’s inside this hall. So I take a moment to gather enough power from my core to stun a faerie or two. I hold the swirling ball of power above one hand while I write a doorway onto the tree with the other.

  It works.

  A section of the tree melts away. I take a few careful steps forward into the darkened hall. The only light in here is the pale light of dawn filtering through an enchanted stained-glass window at the far end of the hall. I slip my stylus away and create an orb of light. I send it up to the ceiling where it illuminates an empty hall.

  There is no one here.

  Was this a joke, after all? No, it couldn’t be. How would D have known about the fire if she wasn’t part of Zell’s inner circle? I turn slowly on the spot. There’s nothing in here except for a few scattered leaves and . . . What is that? My eyes fall on a cylindrical shape on the floor in the far corner of the hall. I walk toward it, making sure to stay constantly alert for any movements or sounds.

  I reach the corner of the hall and bend over to pick up the object. It’s a scroll. A small spike of adrenaline shoots through my veins. This must be it. Why else would a scroll be lying here if not for me to pick up? I absorb the ball of power back through my hand, then pull the string away from the scroll and hastily uncurl the pages.

  Yes! This is it!

  It mentions all the Guilds, as well as the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. Wow, is Zell going to try and take over everything in one night? Does he have an army big enough? I scan through the pages quickly—details, details, details—searching for the most important piece of information. When is this going to happen? Finally, I find it, and ice freezes in my blood when I see the number.

  Three days.

  In three days our whole world is going to erupt.

  *

  I run across the foyer of the Guild—protective enchantments in the domed ceiling? Check—and up the stairway. Up and up until I reach the Council members’ level. I fly along the corridors toward Councilor Starkweather’s office. I skid to a halt in front of her door and rap my knuckles against it. No answer. I try again. Still no answer. She isn’t here. And of course she isn’t, I realize, because even though she’s a workaholic, it’s five o’fr
eaking clock in the morning.

  With a frustrated groan, I stride back down the passage. This is just fantastic. I finally get my moment to prove to Councilor Starkweather how useful I can be, and she isn’t even around. And I can’t wait until she gets here because I need to show this to someone now. It’s beyond urgent.

  I wonder if there’s any chance Tora is here this early. She’ll know who I should give this information to. I jog back down the stairs and hurry along her corridor. I’m about to knock on her door when I see someone even better. “Bran!” I run up to him. “You’re part of the team that’s investigating Zell, right?”

  With a sigh he says, “You know I am, Vi. You’ve already interrogated me, and I’ve told you I can’t give you any details.”

  “I know, I know, but you need to see this.” I shove the scroll into his hand. “It’s from someone at the Unseelie Court. She sent me a letter and said she wants to take Zell down just as badly as we do.”

  Bran scans the first page with a frown on his face before looking up at me. “Is this a joke?”

  “That’s what I thought when I got the first note from her, but it isn’t. She told me there would be a fire at the London Guild, and there was. Then she sent me this glass thing so she’d be able to contact me when she had all the information.” I pull the comm-glass out of my pocket and show it to him.

  He takes it from me. “I haven’t seen one of these before,” he mutters, turning it over several times. “She contacted you before the London Guild fire?”

  “Yes. The day before.”

  “And you haven’t told anyone about this until now?”

  “Well, no.”

  “Violet! Why not?”

  “I’m sorry. I know it’s childish, but I was so mad that Councilor Starkweather refused to involve me in the Zell investigation. I wanted to prove that my input could be valuable and that she was wrong not to include me, so—”