Thomas shook his head and stripped before putting the breeches on.
He was a sight to behold. My gaze wandered over his bare chest — more perfect than any sculpture — and drifted towards the breeches that hugged him like a second skin.
I growled appreciatively and wished we had a private party of our own to attend.
Thomas raised an eyebrow. “Your turn,” he said.
Oh, dear!
While Thomas called Joe to see if he could send someone out to ensure their safety, as well as ensure they didn’t make it to the party and blow our cover, I headed behind a tree to change.
I took a deep breath and smoothed down the blue dress purloined from the woman. The A-line gown had an open v-back that went lower than I’d normally dare. Spaghetti straps topped the beaded bodice, which made a heart shape out of my chest and played peek-a-boo with my bosom. I couldn’t help but feel conspicuous when I wanted to hide.
“I called Trystan as well,” Thomas said as he struggled with pushing the phone into his tight pocket. “He...”
“He what?”
“Wow. You look amazing.” As though sensing my unease in the dress, Thomas moved around me, wrapped his hands around my waist, and kissed the back of my neck.
I slipped around in his arm. “You like it?”
“I love it.”
“I love your outfit, too.” I ran my hands over his smooth chest and smiled.
“Think your jealousy can handle all the ladies looking at me?” Thomas pumped his eyebrows, causing me to laugh.
“You really have to stop that,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You have no idea how daft you look.”
“I’ll stop when you stop reacting.”
“Oh, it’s like that, is it?” I laughed and kissed him. “Then I guess you’ll look daft forever.”
“We’d better move,” Thomas said after pulling away a few moments later. “As hot as you’re making me, it’s actually starting to get pretty cold and I think it might rain.”
I looked to the darkening sky and saw darker clouds rolling in. Spring was always unpredictable: warm and sunny one second, with spring storms clearing the air the next.
“I think you’re right,” I said.
“There’s a first time for everything. Speaking of which, you were wrong.”
“Me wrong.” I mock gasped. “Never.”
“Ahh, but you were. It appears there is more to my outfit after all. Yours, too.”
I looked at him quizzically while he moved towards our car, opened the door and pulled out two masks.
“I found these while you were changing.”
Thomas pulled a leather mask over his face. It appeared to be lined with felt and painted black, with blue streaks making a pattern along the nose and around the eyes. Silver detailing highlighted pointy ears coming from the top.
“A fox,” I said, biting my lip. “The party must be a masked ball. How perfect is that? It will do a great job of hiding your face.”
“Yours is a little smaller.” Thomas handed me a beaded mask, resplendent with feathers and matched the colour of my dress.
I put it on and Thomas leaned in to kiss me.
“Perfect,” he said, as the nose of his mask tickled my cheek.
Chapter Seventeen
It seemed an eternity as we drove the car beneath an arch of ancient trees, along the winding country road. I resisted the urge to draw in their power and fill my body with energy, on the off chance someone inside the house had the ability to sense my using my magic, but I noted their presence and knew I could rely on their help should the need arise.
With every car that joined the cavalcade behind ours and every masked face I imagined lurking behind dark or tinted windows, my heart fluttered. I sat on edge, waiting for someone to stop our car and drag us to some dark and dank dungeon, locking us away from the world, never to be seen again. Perhaps, we’d find Rhys Roberts in the same dungeon.
I briefly wondered if the tightness of my gown, and the perceived courtly procession of fairies, either half-naked or dressed in their finest gowns, had made me a tad melodramatic and overwhelmed my normal level head.
Whatever lay ahead caused my heart rate to raise, and I had to take a deep breath to steady my nerves before exiting the car when Thomas pulled up outside the manor house steps. He presented our stolen invitation and handed a troll valet our keys before taking my hand in his and leading me up a set of stairs and through the well-kept gardens towards the majestic building. A pavilion covered table upon table of food. Hors d’oeuvres, cakes, and chocolate delights filled the air with their delicious aroma. Champagne fountains burbled their liquid decadence, and harp music rippled in merriment as we neared the building.
Bathed in a golden light, the manor house shone like a beacon before us. A constant thrum of magical energy swam through the air, and I sensed a web-work of spells that set the building slightly outside of human reality.
I fidgeted in my gown and wondered how Thomas managed to stay so composed in just his breeches. He linked his elbow in mine, and together, we entered the party.
Inside, the music of a grand orchestra replaced the strumming of the harp. Supernatural creatures of all sorts danced around. Dressed in pink, blue, and yellow, they were a blur of motion that sparkled in the light from the chandelier. Eyes, hidden behind masks, twinkled in delight. But as I glanced around the room, I couldn’t help but note that although I’d spotted coblynau and bwbachod in the gardens, none had ventured indoors. Inside seemed reserved for the Tylwyth Teg and humans of a magical nature.
Without knowing how, Thomas and I were caught up by the dancers. Hands grabbed mine and swept me around the room in a series of twists and flourished.
“You are an exotic beauty,” said a tall fairy as he whirled me about. I felt conscious of his proximity and the bareness of his chest. “Might I have the pleasure of your name?”
My name!
He pressed against my body and I pulled away, only to be caught up by another dancer. There was something oddly familiar about his form and the way he moved, but I needed to break free. My head reeled, all sound became a nonsensical hum. I had to stop. Get away.
“I must leave,” I said. “Find...” I didn’t know what I had to find.
I tried to pull away, but he stopped me.
“Summer,” the man said with a note of concern in his voice. “It’s me.”
“I’m sorry. I don’t know you.”
“It’s Thomas.” He lifted his mask and stared into my eyes.
I placed one hand over my mouth. The other rested on my stomach to still its churning. I stared into Thomas’ eyes. Oh, please, no. Never, ever let me forget Thomas. I reached up to stroke his cheeks as tears rolled down my own.
“Everything’s going to be okay,” he said.
I nodded. “We have to find Rhys.”
Thomas replaced his mark and led me through the dancing throng. I noted fairies in purple uniforms lining the walls and standing guard at the exits. They held large wooden staffs and possessed the poised stance of trained fighters.
We joined others and purposefully strode up a staircase wide enough to permit a dump truck while I tried to still the turmoil that plagued my mind from my memory loss. However fleeting it had been, the thought that I could forget Thomas even for a millisecond tore at my soul. Time was definitely running out.
We broke from the group of revellers. Thomas pulled me against the banister of the mezzanine overlooking the ballroom below and held me close as though we were secret lovers.
“What do you think?” he asked, noting a final, solitary guard standing sentry at a door beyond the landing at the top of the stairs.
I shook my head. “It’s odd. There don’t seem to be any other guards on this floor.”
“Agreed.” Thomas studied the man. “I don’t think we can take him out without alerting the whole building.”
“Me either, but I sure would like to know what’s in that room.”
&n
bsp; He looked again at the guard, before flipping me around and landing a kiss on my lips. “Perhaps, we should take this to one of the other rooms,” he said, as his eyes flashed to a string of doors along the corridor. “Perhaps even to one of the fine balconies I saw from outside.”
“Sounds like a fabulous idea.” I smiled and kissed him back. His lips were soft, teasing, and I wished for the second time that evening for a private party of our own. I relished the taste of his lips, the familiar scent of his skin. I wanted to burn every detail of him into my soul and hold him there forever.
After a few breathless moments, we entered a room down the corridor from the guarded door. An ornate four-poster bed dominated the chamber, and two velvet draped doorways led out onto balconies on the far side of the room. Without hesitation, Thomas threw open one of the doors and went outside.
I looked out over the manor gardens. The uppermost area had a baroque flavour. It was immense with ornamental flower gardens laid out in box hedging, and centred with water fountains. Laughter and voices bubbled up from the lower garden where the pavilion housed the tables of food.
Thomas growled and banged on the balcony in frustration.
“What is?” I asked.
He pointed to the gap between our balcony and the neighbouring one. “I think I’ll be able to grip the wall and climb across, but not without being seen from below.”
I assessed the ancient stonework for hand and footholds. “I’ll be able to make it, too. Although, the dress could prove problematic.”
“That still leaves us exposed to any one of a hundred fairies who care to glance up.”
“Then I’ll have to make sure they don’t.” I folded the skirt of my dress up and pinned it at my waist, making a mini skirt.
“I estimate us to be around three balconies over from the guarded room. Do you think you can ensure no-one looks up for that long?”
I couldn’t, but I called forth the power of my Gort tattoo and blended dreams with reality. The power of ivy wrapped around our forms. Although Thomas and I could still see each other, our image was overlaid by one of the creeping plants.
Thomas shuddered. “When did you learn to do this?” he asked while staring at his arms.
“Just now. I got the idea from Trystan’s buzzard illusion. If the dragon can hide with his magic, why can’t I? Of course, I don’t think it would work well in daylight, or in the city, but with the fading light and shadows on this old building, we should remain undetected for now.” I resisted adding, I hope, and proceeded towards the edge of the balcony.
I slipped over the edge and clung to the wall like the ivy I appeared to be. With every movement of my hands and feet, I became more confident in my ability to climb to the next balcony. As long as I didn’t look down, I’d be fine. I made a mental note to incorporate some more exercise into my everyday life and continued on.
We paused long enough to check the rooms we passed, and through the breaks on each successive balcony, I watched the sky turn darker overhead, noted the light drops of moisture as they splattered against my skin, and wondered how much time we had before the rain started to fall in earnest.
The laughter and voices had mingled with the music below to create a continuous hum in my ears, but no sounds led me to believe our position had been compromised.
We knew we were in the right place as soon as we set foot on the third balcony. We crept to the edge of the doorway and peered inside.
The room beyond the door was huge. Its ceiling rose three times the height of the bedchamber we’d left moments before. A domed, glass roof, edged with marble, displayed the night sky above. Tapestries depicting tales from Welsh folklore adorned the walls, broken only by sconces, casting a pure crystal light around the room. In woven glory, I saw the tale of The Golden Harp, and the tone-death musician who wouldn’t stop playing and singing, King Arthur’s Cave, where the King sleeps with his knights, and The Country Under the Sea, where the beach hides the petrified remains of an ancient forest.
Dureth cut a dramatic figure, standing before a throne raised on a dais at the far end of the room. Unlike the other guests, he was fully clothed. A red velvet regency tailcoat topped a black, gold embroidered waistcoat and black trousers. Manon matched at his side in her signature red dress and lipstick.
A knock sounded at the door and two guards escorted Rhys Roberts into the room. His hair hung limp on his head, and his clothes were rumpled as though worn for days.
I tapped into the power of the fir and heightened the clarity of their voices. The door clicked shut, cutting off the music and voices of the party below, as three more guards entered. The only sound was the flutter of Thomas’ eyelashes when he blinked, the soft patter of a raindrop on my skin, and the tread of the guards’ steps as they escorted Rhys to Dureth.
Chapter Eighteen
One of the guards grabbed Rhys by the hair and flung him to the floor before Dureth.
“You have served me well, if reluctantly over the years.” Dureth’s condescending voice echoed around the room.
Rhys looked up and braved a sneer. I glanced at Thomas, uncertain. Both those responsible for the plight of my family were in the chamber before me, and I didn’t have the faintest idea how to react. I wanted to draw the magic from my tattoos and rip Dureth’s head off. Tentatively, I reached out to the trees in the ground, ready to call on their extra power if needed.
Dureth paced in circles around Rhys, tapping at his chin in a display of thinking. “I had hoped to renew our arrangement.”
“You mean avoid fulfilling your side of the bargain,” Rhys said. “You failed with Carys and you failed with her daughter, Summer. Why am I still bound by an oath you failed to deliver on?”
Thomas stiffened. I placed a stilling hand on his arm but held my magic close.
Dureth fixed his eyes on Rhys and smiled. “Dylan was ripped from Carys’ arms and the curse plagues their abomination as we speak. I do not consider that a failure and the fact that you are still bound by your oath proves as such.”
He crouched down in front of Rhys and moved his mouth close to his ear. “Very soon, when the curse completes its task, you will be free from my service. You should be happy.”
Anguish flared on Rhys’ face as his eyes fixed on the floor. “How can I be happy with all that I’ve done to Carys and her family?”
“You should have thought of that before you bargained with me. Now, I tire of this conversation. I thank you for your loyal service, but I have a party to host.”
Dureth walked to Manon, held out his arm for her to take. He paused by the door. “You should leave,” he said to Rhys without turning to look at him. “I never want to see your face again.”
Rhys clenched his jaw and beat at the floor. But in a moment, his head rose and he sprang to his feet. “Wait,” he yelled and moved towards Dureth.
A guard lowered his staff to stop him.
Dureth turned. “Did I not say I was tired of this conversation?”
“But... but what if there was another way.” Rhys voice was desperate and pleading. “We could make another agreement. I could serve you —” My heart sank, what was he doing? Was he so desperate to work for the Tylwyth Teg he’d sell his soul a second time? “—If you spare the girl, spare Carys’ daughter. I’ll use my powers for you forever. I’ll show you what investments to make, who to trust, who not to. You said I’d served you well. I still can.”
I held my breath and realised what Rhys was saying. He intended to bind himself to Dureth, again, to save my life. I wanted to run in the room and tell him not to do it. My eyes nearly popped from my head as I strained to see every detail of his face past the drapes. The expression on his face was one of determination and resolve.
Dureth turned abruptly, nearly knocking Manon from her feet. He lurched forwards with fists clenched and a vein cording in his neck. “Never,” he said, his voice restrained and cold. “The abomination dies and her pet human suffers; forever.”
“But why
?” Rhys said. “How can you do this? She’s your niece!”
A giddiness overtook me and I turned from the room. I misheard, I had to have. Either that or they weren’t talking about me. My breath stilled, and despite being outside, I suddenly felt surrounded, as though the universe were pressing down on me... as though someone was sitting on my chest.
All became silent. No noise drifted on the air, no birds sang, or animals shuffled through the grass. Even the voices and music from the party had disappeared. It was almost as though the world was frozen.
“Summer... Summer.” Thomas’s voice broke through my daze. His perfect eyes looked into mine as he brushed the hair from my face. “We need to move.”
I nodded.
Thomas pulled me from the floor. “Do you think you can make it back?” He asked.
I fed myself the energy gathered from the fir tree. That, along with the refreshing power of the birch and the sturdiness of the oak, cleared my mind and gave strength to my body, but still, as we climbed back across the balconies my unease grew.
“What do we do?” I asked as soon as we were safely in the room.
“We have to find Rhys? Dureth mentioned locking him upstairs. We have to find him before it’s too late?”
“What do you mean, Dureth said he was free to go?”
“You didn’t hear.” Thomas shook his head and gripped my hand. “That was before Rhys tried to bargain for your life.”
I froze as anger built in my chest. “And now what? What did Dureth say?”
Thomas’ phone vibrated in his pocket, so he spent a few seconds trying to pull it free. “It’s a text.” A smile lit his face. “Trystan’s on his way. He’s found someone who might be able to help. This is great news.”
Thomas lifted me and swung me around, but I found it hard to join in his merriment.
“What about Rhys?” I asked when my feet touched the ground again. “What is Dureth going to do with Rhys?” I couldn’t help but think of the man who’d been willing to bind his powers to Dureth’s bidding in order to save my life. A man with a family, a daughter, who needed him.
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