by ERIN BEDFORD
“Why are you telling me?” I crossed my arms and tried to look haughty. She couldn’t know I was a human, could she?
“I might be a little crazy, but I’m not stupid.” She rolled her eyes. “I know very well what you are and how you got here. It may have been a long time ago, but I haven’t forgotten.” Her eyes became sad and distant. “Not much to do but remember here.”
“If they are feeding off your dreams, why aren’t you dead yet?”
“It not like they are physically injuring us. It’s like a piece of our souls are being eaten away one tiny piece at a time. It is quite a long process.” She glanced off to the side as if she were examining her nails.
“Wait a second.” I put a hand up. “You are telling me that you guys are torturing them to appease the shadows? That’s barbaric!”
“Hardly! It’s survival. We could just kill them all and be done with it. This way they are giving back to their community. Besides,” he gestured at the other frames, “this saves so much more space, don’t you think?”
I wanted to punch the stupid grin off his face. I kept forgetting that I was dealing with Fae and not humans. Giving back to the community he said. Ha. It was torture. Didn’t they have any compassion for their fellow Fae? Apparently, not.
“That’s not funny.” I placed my hands on my hips and glowered at him. We humans had to stick together. Never mind that Alice didn’t constitute as human anymore.
“I agree. As one of those sacrifices, it is neither amusing nor practical.” Alice poked her lower lip out in a pout.
I began to ask her how long she had been in there when I heard shouting coming from the direction Chess and I had come from. The guards. They had found my empty cell.
“Time to go, Lady.” Chess grabbed my hand, trying to lead me away from the mirror.
“Wait!” I yanked my hand back. “What about the key? Mop said I needed a key to get to the orchard. And Alice–” I pointed at the startled face. “–has it.”
“Key?” Her blue eyes lit up. “You mean the faerie key?”
“Uh, sure.” I didn’t know what the faerie key was, but Mop said she had a key so that must be it. Besides, how many keys could she possibly have?
“I have it right here with me.” She rummaged around somewhere inside the mirror. “Ah! Here it is.” She gazed off to the side at something we couldn’t see. There was no way of knowing if she had the key or not. Not without being in her cell.
“Great. Can I borrow it?” My eyes darted to the corner we had come from, expecting the guards to be on us at any moment. I so didn’t want to get caught and thrown in one of those mirrors. I wouldn’t last one day being syphoned off by the shadows.
“Well, of course you can.” Her face scrunched up, frowning at the mirror. “The mirror does pose a problem, though.”
“Hurry up, my pet.” Chess gave my hand an anxious tug.
I glared at his impatience. Couldn’t he see this was my chance? I couldn’t go home without that key. Finding Alice had been a God send. I could skip the whole step of finding Hatter just so he could tell me she was here in the dungeon. But how was I supposed to get the key from her without having to go into the cell myself? I didn’t want to get anywhere near the Shadow Realm if I could help it.
I spoke what I had been thinking aloud, “How do we get you out?”
“Like the cat said, only the one who put me in can let me out.” Her voice took a condescending tone. So much for playing the innocent victim.
At that moment, a triad of guards spilled around the corner. One of the guards spotted us in an instant, pointing a finger in our direction. Fuck.
“There she is! Stop her!”
“No time for pleasantries, kitty Kat.” My rescuer pulled me away from the mirror and toward the end of the hall.
“But what about the key?” I gasped, trying to keep up with him. If I’d known I’d be running from more than my lack of social life I would have bought that treadmill my mother suggested.
“It’s not going anywhere.” Chess led me up a flight of stairs, stopping in front of a metal door. He didn’t open it immediately but stood there as if waiting for something.
“What are you waiting for? Open it.”
“I can’t.” He reached out to touch the handle, but then pulled away with a hiss as if it burned. “Iron hurts Fae.”
“Of course it does.” I moved passed him and grabbed the handle not expecting the tingling heat I got in return. Ignoring it, I shoved the door open. We spilled into the golden hallway as the guards hit the stairs. I slammed the door, trapping the cursing guards behind it.
I stood there trying to catch my breath as my other hand nursed a stitch in my side. The first thing I was doing when I got home was joining a gym. My stomach growled in protest. All right, the second thing.
I gave a cursory glance down at the hand that had opened the door. A pale pink, almost red rash had spread across it, as if the iron door had caused some kind of allergic reaction.
Curiouser and curiouser.
Putting the mystery that was my hand aside for later, I glanced down both sides of the corridor in search of an exit. Unlike the first time I stepped into the Seelie Court, there weren’t any tables or decorations of any kind.
Why did everything look the same? One could easily get lost in here. Seeing as it was where the door to the dungeon was, I imagined it was exactly what they wanted to happen.
“Which way?” I glanced down both of the identical halls.
“This way.” Chess headed down the right side, his tail swayed behind him as if he hadn’t just been running from the guards.
It was getting hard to keep up with the emotional rollercoaster that were the Fae men. The women I understood. They were all perpetually pissed off by one thing or another, but the men didn’t seem to know how they felt. It had to make that time of the month a frightening experience for everyone around.
The hall was quiet. We didn’t see guards, or any other Fae, as we made our way down the hall. Maybe the reason there weren’t any guards was because they knew there was no way out. It wasn’t a settling thought.
With no guards on our heels, it made me worry that perhaps they were stuck in the dungeon too. Certainly they had a way to communicate with those above? The White Queen wouldn’t leave them down there. Would she?
“Don’t worry, they’ll get out.” Chess spoke up as if he read my thoughts.
“How did you know I was worried?”
“You get a crinkle between your brow right here.” He stroked a finger between my eye brows. As usual, the gesture was more sensual than it really needed to be. “When you are thinking too hard.”
“You don’t know me well enough to have figured that out yet.” I crossed my arms under my breasts, causing them to push up and Chess’ eyes to wander down to them. I quickly dropped my arms back to my side with a slight blush.
“I don’t have to. Anyone could have figured it out if they paid enough attention.” He stopped in front of a mirror that was similar to the one in Chess’ house and turned to me, leaning in close, a smile on his lips. “And I pay very close attention.”
“Or I just think too much.” I leaned back from him, so I couldn’t breathe in his scent.
The big feline gave a masculine chuckle. The sound swept through me making my toes curl. He slid a claw down the side of the mirror, activating it. The surface rippled and gleamed like quicksilver.
“After you, Lady.” He swept his arm low in a bow, pretending to be the gentleman he wasn’t.
“Where are we going?” I stepped up to the mirror but didn’t go through. “I need that key, you know.”
“You’ll get your key, but first, we have to see Seer.” Chess laughed at his own pun.
I gave him a flat look. Everybody thought they were a comedian. It was hardly the time for jokes.
“And the seer will help us get Alice out?”
“Among other things.” Chess gave me a mysterious smile.
&
nbsp; I frowned at him. I didn’t like that smile. It meant he was keeping secrets from me, either for some mysterious agenda, or his own amusement.
“Come, come now, my peach.” He placed a clawed hand at my waist. “Have I ever steered you wrong?”
“Not yet, but the night is still young.” It sounded cynical even to me. Had I always been like that or was it another result of being in the Underground?
Nah. It was just me.
I stepped into the mirror, the silver surface caressing me like an old friend. I wondered how the mirrors worked. How did it know where to go? Did Chess have to just think about it and it knew or was there more mirrors spread throughout the Underground? Did certain ones only go to certain areas? I tried to turn back to ask him, but the liquid kept me on a fixed path forward.
No going back now.
14
Dreams & Satyrs
I STEPPED OUT of the mirror expecting to be back in the willow tree, but instead found myself back in the green hedges where I had first met the UnSeelie Prince. My eyes scanned the area, taking in the little alcove surrounded by thriving hedges that stood at least ten feet tall. The hard cobblestone beneath my feet was broken and cracked. A potential tripping hazard, especially with the ridiculous boots Chess had dressed me in.
Somewhere off in the distance was the sound of water falling. It wasn’t loud enough to be a waterfall, but unless there was a stream flowing through the middle of the maze, which was easily possible, it was probably some kind of fountain. Blending with the sound of water falling was the sound of music.
It sounded like it was coming from some kind of pipe instrument. The tones were deep and probing as if they were trying to find out who was listening. I could feel them deep in the pit of my stomach. It was a little unsettling.
Ignoring the music for a moment, I turned back to the mirror. My reflection was the only image visible in its surface. The cool solid glass pressed against my fingertips as I touched it.
Where was Chess? Had he gotten caught? Or did he expect me to go at it alone? Didn’t he say we needed to find the seer? I glanced around the small enclosed area and realized how utterly alone I was.
Since the beginning of this adventure I’d always had someone beside me leading the way. I prided myself on being independent, on never needing anyone to take care of me, but here in this unfamiliar place, I wanted someone beside me. I never would have guessed I would miss my reluctant companions until that moment. I’d have given anything to hear Mop complaining about what a nuisance I was or Trip clinging to me as if I were his only friend.
But they weren’t there. I was on my own. I could either wallow in it or move forward like I had always done.
Problem was I didn’t know where to go. I needed to get the key from Alice and to do that I had to find the seer. Whoever that was. I didn’t even know where to start. I could get lost in the hedge maze forever and never be any closer to finding the seer. How did I find someone by name alone?
The music from the pipes changed from searching to urging. It urged me forward to find it. Before I knew it, my feet began to move on their own.
I gritted my teeth, digging my nails into my hands as I tried to stop myself from moving. But the music became more persistent. It whispered inside my head.
If I found it, I wouldn’t be alone. Someone had to be playing the music, and I could ask them where the seer was. It was a good idea. It was even a rational idea, but it wasn’t the asking that was the problem. It was the thought of who could be behind that music. If they could make me come to them just from the sound of the pipes, then what else could they do?
Unfortunately, I didn’t have any other ideas at the moment. The urging had become annoyingly insistent, like a buzzing in my ears, but I was able to keep my feet firmly planted where they were. After a few moments, the player seemed to give up as if I wasn’t worth the hassle.
Of course, now that I was free to decide for myself I wanted to know who was trying so desperately to get me to come to them. I hoped they were willing to help me find my way. Happy with my plan, I exited the alcove and headed north toward the sound of the pipes.
The green walls of the maze became a blur with each turn I took. Besides the occasional opening, every wall and pathway looked the same. The next turn left me staring at a dead end.
Growling at the wall, I plopped down on the stone floor. I could hear the sound of the pipes on the other side of the dead end, just a gigantic hedge away from me. I wanted to lean back against the hedge, but a flash back to a particular movie where the foliage ate people kept me at a cautious distance. I settled for laying my head onto my knees as I tried to think of a plan.
The music became a soothing melody. It made me think of swaying palm trees and swinging hammocks. The night’s adventure began to weigh on me. My eyes felt heavy and threatened to close at any moment.
It’d been well past nine o’clock when I left the house. I felt like I’d been in the Underground for days, when in fact, it had probably only been a few hours. My body told me it was well past my bedtime, not that I could tell by the sky.
Time must work differently in the Underground than at home. There was no sun for me to calculate the time, but the short time I had been in my cell had been enough for the sky to brighten to blue again. I wished I’d had the forethought to grab my phone before I left, then I could at least tell the time.
I glanced down at the ground and pondered how safe it would be to take a nap there. At least I was somewhat hidden away from view. I didn’t want to be out in the open and wake up inside somebody’s stew.
I wasn’t sure what to do next. I couldn’t get to the person playing the music. I didn’t know how to get out of the maze, and it didn’t look like anyone was going to save me anytime soon. Not that I needed saving. Maybe if I just laid here for a minute something would come to me.
I lay back on the hard stone, the coolness of it sinking into the thin material on my back. Staring up at the sky, I wished there were some kind of clouds to watch float by. My eyes felt heavy with that thought. I vaguely remember the hedges behind me starting to shudder as my eyes fluttered open and then closed, and then there was nothing.
I WAS DREAMING. I don’t know how I knew I was dreaming. It felt more real and vivid than the hard stone I had fallen asleep on.
The dark forest lay before me. I was in the clearing where Hatter’s tea party cackled and writhed, except this time there was no laughter. No rhyming Fae creatures obsessed with tea. The table lay barren. The seats empty. The table cleared. Only the ripped and stained tablecloth remained. How that made any sense was beyond me, but then again, it was my dream.
It seemed so long ago – a lifetime ago – that I had been sitting at that table watching them fight over the tea that may or may not have been drugged. Bat’s gleaming eyes as he ruined each and every ploy his companions tried to use.
Back then, the creatures of the forest, the ones that hid in the shadows, had frightened me. But now, now in my dream state, I relished in them. I stifled the laughter building up in my throat as they whispered to me.
“Hurry, before he catches you.”
That’s right, I was running; running from someone.
My skirts swished around my ankles, the weight of them heavy against my waist. The sleeves of the dress wrapped around my arms, leaving my neck and shoulders bare to the night air. With every step I took the bushes and branches blocking the way seemed to clear a path for my slipper-covered feet. I could feel my heart beating a rapid cadence in my chest, but not from fear. It was excitement. As if it was all a game. The point wasn’t to get away but to be caught.
Running past Hatter’s Tea party and into the woods beyond, I dashed behind a large tree, my back pressed against its base as I tried to catch my breath. My chest heaved up and down, pressing my breasts up against the pale blue top of my gown.
I could hear him now. His footsteps were heavy on the ground, even though I knew he could be quiet as a mouse if he
wanted to be.
“Come out. Come out wherever you are.” His voice was filled with a dark promise of events to come, the kind no one dared speak of in polite circles. The ones only lovers did in the cover of night. I wanted what he promised. Even as my blood thrummed in my ears and adrenaline pumped in my veins, my body ached for it.
As he approached my hiding spot, time stopped. I held my breath, waiting for him to find me. I wanted him to find me. The thrill of it made the blood in my veins pound deliciously against the surface. My thighs pressed together at the thought of what he would do when he found me, of what we would do.
He made a small sound of pleasure, no doubt smelling the difference in my scent. Did he want me as much as I wanted him? Did I make his palms sweat? His heart race? His scent, like his face, never gave away his true feelings. The only way I would know for sure was if I were to come out and face him.
The last thought wasn’t my own. He was projecting into my head, trying to get me to give in to him. But that wasn’t part of the game. It was a match of wills.
Whose was stronger? Who could last the longest? I couldn’t give in so easily. I couldn’t be the first one to admit it, even if my body betrayed me.
“You can’t hide forever, my love.” His words were a deep caress beneath my skin, and then it settled low in the pit of my belly.
He was closer now. On the other side of the tree. I was sure of it. I could probably reach my hand around and touch him if I wanted to. And I did. I wanted to touch him more than anything in the Underground, but I couldn’t be the one that started it.
It had to be him.
He didn’t though. He didn’t move from his spot on the other side of the tree; the only barrier between us. There always seemed to be something between us – politics, people, realms. Something always got in the way, but not tonight. Tonight it was just us.
“Who’s hiding?” My voice was a soft whisper, though I knew he could hear me. Eyes closed, I leaned my head back against the tree, angling my head to the side, listening. Would he make the first move? Did he know he was supposed to?
