by Meara Platt
Cadeyrn had told her that Fae were demons. It was foolish of her to dismiss the danger simply because Cadeyrn and his Fae subjects took on human form. She knew Cadeyrn had the ability to shift his shape, as he’d shown when changing into a raven. All Fae probably had the ability. What if their true bodies were those of dragons and not humans? What if Cadeyrn had merely shifted into a human in order to … goodness, he’d done it perfectly, down to the last detail, for their bodies had fit together as though by Divine design.
She jumped as a large hand fell upon her shoulder. “Cadeyrn! I didn’t hear you—”
“Here, get dressed. Quickly!” He shoved the garments into her hand and crossed the room to tug on a bell pull by the door, his frown and the urgency of his manner all clear indications that something was terribly wrong.
He was back at her side in the next moment, tying the lacings of her gown and helping her to don stockings and shoes before those he had summoned marched in. As she ran her fingers through her hair to make it look presentable, he grabbed the sheet that had fallen onto the carpet and tossed it back onto his bed. “I’m not a dragon,” he said, sensing her gaze on him though his back was turned. “You see me as I am. All Fae have retained human form, though I don’t know how much longer it will be this way.”
He turned toward the door. “Enter!” he called, though Melody hadn’t heard anyone knock.
His council hurried in, Fiergrin leading the way. Ygraine was a step behind him. The last in was Edain, who took one look at the rumpled bed sheet and shot Melody a frown. Surely the others had noticed, though their expressions did not reveal it.
“Demons have invaded the vicarage. They’ve destroyed Melody’s bedchamber.”
“Were they sent to hunt for her? How is it possible that they entered without her permission?” the one she recognized as Lothair asked. He was a tall, earnest fellow, older than Cadeyrn but not as old as the elders, Ygraine and Fiergrin, who stood beside him.
“She must have invited them in,” Edain said. “Once in, they can’t be forced out.”
Melody turned to Cadeyrn. “I didn’t do it!”
He took her hand and gave it a light squeeze. “I know, but likely someone else did.”
“Who? My mother never would have and Vicar Axwell is a man of the Church. He …” Of course, it had to have been him. That he walked about in the trappings of good did not actually make him good. Indeed, he made her skin crawl.
“It could have been anyone,” Cadeyrn said, understanding the obvious path of her thoughts. “Even the prior inhabitants of the vicarage might have inadvertently done it.”
“Could a visitor to the vicarage?” She thought of Lord Babcock and his supposed affection for her.
“No, a mere visitor cannot invite evil into another man’s home.”
“Oh.” Was it possible Lord Babcock really did like her?
“The danger is greater than any of us realized,” Cadeyrn said, once more addressing his council. “Lord Brihann himself came after Melody earlier today. Fortunately, she survived the encounter.”
Fiergrin stepped forward. “By the Stone of Draloch! This explains why Lord Necros and Lord Bloodaxe attacked our borders in daylight. We feared their soldiers had learned to survive the light, but it clearly was not so. This wasn’t a test of newfound powers, but a ruse to draw us away from The Melody. A ruse to draw you, Your Majesty, as far away from St. Lodore’s as possible and leave her easy prey to Lord Brihann’s slaughter.”
Fiergrin knelt before her, soon followed by all others in the council, the last of them Edain, who appeared to be the most reluctant. “But it was you who conquered the High Dragon Lord! You who must have fought him off with …” He glanced at her hand and then at Cadeyrn’s sword.
“I had no weapon,” she began to explain.
“No weapon!” Beogrin, one of the younger members of Cadeyrn’s council, cried. She had been introduced to this handsome Fae the other night at Cadeyrn’s banquet.
“Then you are truly greater than all the dark forces now against us,” Ygraine said. “Praise The Melody, for she is our queen and will save us!”
“Praise The Melody!” Beogrin repeated, his gaze never leaving her face.
“Be silent!” Cadeyrn ordered as the others began to chant as well.
They quieted immediately. Melody was relieved, for they seemed to be worshiping her more as a pagan demi-goddess than a queen. She wasn’t comfortable being admired as a queen. But to be admired as a goddess? No, it was wrong. “Melody did not conquer Lord Brihann. She hid from him. That is an important difference, one you must never forget. Melody needs our protection. She can never be left alone, not even in the light of day.”
Cadeyrn ran a hand roughly through his hair. “I had hoped for longer,” he said, so quietly she expected he was merely talking to himself. “Fiergrin, take your soldiers and put the vicarage back in order. If the vicar and his wife are innocent, there is no need to alarm them.”
“My mother is innocent,” Melody insisted, curling her hands into fists.
“I’m sure of it,” Cadeyrn agreed, though he might have said it merely to calm her. “My concern is with the vicar. If he is one of Lord Brihann’s henchmen, we’ll likely know it by his expression when he returns to find all in order and you looking well.”
“What will you do to him then?” Though she disliked Vicar Axwell, he was her mother’s husband. For her mother’s sake, she wouldn’t allow Cadeyrn to kill him and leave her mother to deal with the corpse. She shivered. Goodness, all this talk of death was most unsettling.
“I’ll have him carefully watched. That’s all. It is just as likely Lord Brihann told him nothing of what he had planned for you. I do not trust the vicar, but Lord Brihann may not fully trust him either. Such is the way with weak souls. They’re driven by greed, not hatred, and therefore can be bought by the offer of more gold. Lord Brihann may have bought his services, but men such as the vicar can be persuaded to betray him.”
Cadeyrn put his hands on Melody’s shoulders. “We won’t be gone long. Stay here with Ygraine.”
“You’re leaving me behind?”
He nodded. “It isn’t safe for you at the vicarage.”
“It’s my home. I want to go with you.” Not to mention that she wanted to be with him, near him, for that’s where she felt most protected.
“As you command, m’lady,” Edain said and bowed before her, a mark of respect that Melody did not trust for a moment. “After all, we have no right to deprive you of the comforts of your home.”
“Your Majesty,” Ygraine said, stepping forward to address Cadeyrn. “You say that The Melody hid from Lord Brihann, but it is also possible she was invisible to him. This may yet be another of her powers. Perhaps she ought to return to the vicarage. I’ll stay close by her side. If I am there, Lord Brihann cannot come upon her by surprise.”
“No,” Cadeyrn said, though the others in his council seemed to take Ygraine’s side. “It is night and his demons are still about.”
“Surely they must be searching elsewhere for her now. They are stupid creatures and will not think to retrace their steps. More important, it is The Melody’s wish.”
Cadeyrn sighed as he turned back to Ygraine. “She spoke on instinct rather than deliberate contemplation.”
“All the more reason to let it be done. She speaks with her heart as none of us can.”
Melody saw the twitch of Cadeyrn’s clenched jaw, a mark of his displeasure. She understood that he only meant to protect her, but there was truth in Ygraine’s words. Since she had met Cadeyrn, nothing had seemed logical.
Indeed, impossible things had happened.
She had survived dragons, demons, and soul catchers, had given her body to Cadeyrn, and did not regret it. Perhaps she had to trust her instincts. Perhaps they all had to trust her. If there was truth to their prophecy, then it was important to let happen whatever needed to happen in order to have it come true. “Ygraine, why is it that Lord Brihan
n cannot come upon me by surprise if you are near?”
Cadeyrn stepped between her and the elder. “Very well, come with us. Stay close to me and Ygraine. If demons attack, don’t start asking questions. Just do as I say.”
She nodded.
Cadeyrn frowned at Ygraine. “Take her through the portal, but you’re to go last and not until Beogrin returns to tell you it is safe.”
“As you command, Majesty.”
The council members took a moment to secure their weapons and then all followed Cadeyrn through a doorway that was not visible to Melody. Ygraine wrapped her arm about Melody’s waist as the others disappeared into the air. “When our turn comes, you must hold onto me as tightly as you can. I’m not as strong as our king.”
“What did you mean about Lord Brihann? Why can he not come upon you by surprise?”
“I ought not tell you. It is obvious that King Cadeyrn does not wish you to know yet.”
“But you feel it is important. Ygraine, please. He didn’t expressly forbid you and I think he would have done so had he truly wished to take the decision out of your hands.”
“Perhaps.”
“There’s another reason. I haven’t told anyone about it yet … I’m not even certain it actually happened … I thought it was a dream, but now I’m not so sure. I think Lord Brihann or one of his creatures entered my bedchamber another time, while I slept.”
Ygraine paused for a very long moment and gave a wistful shake of her head. “Very well,” she finally said. “He was Fae, once.”
“Lord Brihann?”
Ygraine nodded. “King Cadeyrn prefers not to reveal too much of our past, for he fears it will frighten you. I think it is important that you know, for how can you save us if you have no understanding of what we Fae are? Lord Brihann was one of us, born a Fae prince. He walked beside me in the ancient time.”
“Walked beside you,” Melody repeated, trying to make sense of that expression. “Does that mean he was related to you? Or special to you in some way?”
She cast Melody a mirthless smile. “I thought so. He was my husband. That is why I know his scent. I will never forget it, though he has long since forgotten mine.”
“Your husband! Ygraine, you must tell me of this ancient time. What happened to change him into this dark creature? I—”
Beogrin emerged through the portal, bringing their conversation to a halt. “It is safe. Come, I’ll lead the way.”
Ygraine secured her hold on Melody, surprising Melody by the strength of her grip. Though she appeared thin and fragile, she was no frail, elderly being. Melody had no doubt that Ygraine could hold her own in any battle.
Beogrin waited patiently for them to step into the portal. He seemed to admire Ygraine, as did the other council members. Cadeyrn obviously valued her above all others.
Melody admired her as well. She looked forward to learning as much about Fae lore as possible in the time they would be given. She now regretted making a fuss about being left behind, for this would have been a perfect time to start her learning. However, within the blink of an eye they were through the Fae portal and standing in Melody’s bedchamber at the vicarage.
“Goodness,” Ygraine said, glancing around.
“Goodness, indeed!” Melody had expected to find the room disturbed, but the chaotic state of it sent her heart shooting into her throat. The bedcovers and mattress were ripped to tatters, her night stand was upended, and the ewer and basin usually upon it were smashed and scattered in pieces on the floor.
Melody’s gowns were shredded and also strewn about, the delicate fabrics stained with that filthy, green ooze she’d seen in her first battle with Brihann’s demons. The rancid odor emanating from that ooze struck her nostrils with the force of a battering ram, causing her to gag. “Beogrin, open a window,” Cadeyrn commanded, and then turned to her. “It will take but a moment for the evening breeze to chase away the foul odor.”
He followed her gaze around the room. “I did not wish you to see the damage they wreaked, but since you are here, let’s walk through the vicarage. Show me where everything belongs. As for your gowns, they must be destroyed. Soul catchers lurk within the ooze and will use the contact to your skin to—”
“You needn’t remind me,” she said with a shudder. “I know what they can do.”
“Be careful where you step.”
As she glanced down at her walking shoes, she noticed the dove gray gown she was wearing. He’d brought it back for her after their coupling. “How did this gown avoid the fate of the others? It appears undamaged.”
He nodded.
“It isn’t mine, is it? You conjured it. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“There wasn’t time.” He sighed in response to her frown. “I didn’t wish to distress you more than you were already.”
She shook her head. “I don’t think I can ever sleep in here again.”
“Of course not,” Fiergrin said. “From this night forward, your place is in our king’s bed.”
“It is foretold in The Prophecy,” Beogrin added unhelpfully, and the other men of his council agreed. “Praise this night’s coupling and the many that shall follow!”
Melody stifled a groan.
“Praise their coupling!”
She put a hand to her cheek. Her face was hot again.
“Enough! Melody shall decide where she belongs.” Cadeyrn turned to her, his gaze and complete attention now on her, as though they were alone in the room. “As you are mine, I am yours. You will always be welcome in my bed.”
She felt her bones turn to pudding, glad that Cadeyrn had taken her hands into his, for his grasp was the only thing holding her up.
“Your Majesty, thank you.” That probably was an idiotic response, but she hadn’t been thinking clearly for some time now and didn’t know what else to say. In the mere span of a day, she had been hunted by a black dragon, she had been poisoned by soul catchers, her bedchamber had been ransacked by demons, and she had surrendered her maidenhead to a Fae king.
The thought of returning to her relations in Portsmouth crossed her mind. Life was much simpler there. Life was safer there.
“Running to Portsmouth will not save you from Lord Brihann,” Cadeyrn said with a shake of his head, once again responding as though she’d said the words aloud. “Come, enough of this chatter. Let’s finish here.”
He led her downstairs to inventory the damage to the rest of the house. Ygraine followed closely behind. “Melody knows who Lord Brihann is to me,” Ygraine said as they crossed the entry hall and walked into the dining room.
Cadeyrn spared her a glance. “Was. Lord Brihann may have once been your husband, but he is now a soulless creature who recalls nothing of the ancient time. He does not know you, Ygraine. Do not be tricked into believing he does.”
“I do not forget him,” she said quietly.
Melody took her hand and gave it a comforting pat. Their eyes met, and though neither woman spoke, Melody knew that they understood each other. Ygraine still carried Lord Brihann in her heart.
How awful to carry that ache for thousands of years!
In that moment, Melody realized she was equally at risk. Though her ache would only last a human lifespan, another fifty years at most, she would carry Cadeyrn in her heart until her dying breath. Cadeyrn was the first to claim her. The first and possibly the last, for a poor vicar’s daughter was hardly a desirable commodity. No dowry, no important family connections, and only passably good looks to recommend her.
It took less than an hour for the house to be put back in order. She, Cadeyrn, and the council members assembled once more in her bedchamber, but Melody noticed that more Fae were walking about the vicarage grounds.
“They’re on patrol,” Ygraine explained. “This is what we do each night, stand guard against the demon armies. All Fae are enlisted, for the demons now outnumber us. Most of us rest during the day, while smaller units patrol the Woodlands in the daylight hours. There’s little danger t
o us while the sun is out, but we’re always on alert. One day the demons will adapt to sunlight. Then we shall all be lost.”
“Yet you dance and feast each night.”
She shrugged. “What else are we supposed to do? Cower in dread as blackness falls? King Cadeyrn believes it is important to maintain the sense of a normal life. He also believes it is important to keep this simple pleasure, this remnant of our human tradition, alive. Otherwise, we are just another army of demons waiting to fight and die. Has he told you yet?”
“Told me what?”
“The secret of The Prophecy.”
Cadeyrn scowled at Ygraine. “Not yet. I wished to share it with her after the coupling, but the damage the demons wreaked on the vicarage demanded my immediate attention. I will tell her soon.”
“Before your next coupling?”
Melody blushed. “Will you kindly stop speaking of that.”
Not that it mattered, for all Fae must have heard about their lovemaking by now. Cadeyrn’s soldiers knew it. She could tell by the gleam in their eyes whenever they glanced her way.
“I’ll show you the Stone of Draloch when we return to my castle. First, I must finish with my council.”
She nodded. That his secret was connected to the Stone of Draloch did not surprise her. His every breath, his every thought and action were connected to its prophecy. He’d promised to tell her. Other kings might break their oaths, but she knew Cadeyrn would not, no matter how much he obviously wished to hide the truth from her.
Was there something dreadful in the prophecy? A horrible fate designed just for her?
Her head began to spin and she suddenly felt herself yanked into a powerful, swirling abyss, dragged downward with terrifying force, deeper and deeper, trapped and unable to breathe for the crushing weight of her fear. That same feeling had overcome her as she was being chased by Lord Brihann. What had he said to her? That she was to die? Violently?
She cried out for Cadeyrn.
“I have you, Melody. I won’t let you go.”
“Not ever?”
“Your Majesty,” Ygraine said, “you mustn’t lie to her. The Prophecy says—”
