by Elle Cross
The seal that kept the bargain—and their fates—intertwined dissolved completely. Lord Brakka pinned Karina's shivering form against him, pulling his power tightly around him like a drawn cloak. He ran his hand down her back, triumphant, and I shook with barely controlled rage at the sight. "We have much to discuss your majesty."
The sight before me was galling. Seeing my queen in his arms was sickening.
While Lord Brakka crooned over his spoil, I calmly backed out of the chamber. Slowly, deliberately balancing the jar, I ensured that no one planned on jumping me as I left.
And then, as the elevator shimmered open a few feet away, Lord Brakka roared, the echoes of which caused the very air to ripple and quake.
From behind me, wrapped in shadows, Karina darted toward the portal and I was fast behind her.
Tendrils of Lard Brakka's power lashed out through the air and ricocheted harmlessly against the portal's magic. We crashed into the elevator, throwing our shields up in time to hold fast against Brakka's power as we were winked away.
The last thing we saw was Lord Brakka's seething face, contorted, and then nothing.
Damn that was close. Too close.
I stared at the jar in my hand. Pieces of my sister's soul in there. Soon, she will be whole once more. Karina would get us to her and the Oracles will take her into their fold. For now, this jar would be the key to get us into the River STX.
"Who was he again? What was his deal?"
“A lesser lord clamoring for power. Hoarding it more like. I'm sure that the other Power Brokers, especially the new one in New York, will appreciate knowing what he was doing—accepting bribes and favors in order to transport people through the veil as often as they want. It kind of ruins the idea of the exchange. Thank you, my queen, for letting me do this. It's most unexpected, but appreciated.”
She covered my hand with hers. “It was for all of us.”
I looked at her, and in that moment I knew that I loved her. A moment passed between us. "You were worried there for a moment."
"What do you mean? Worried that a freaky sociopath would have his way with me in the middle of the hall, and possibly wear my skin as clothing afterward? What would give you that impression?"
I smiled at the picture she painted, even though a bit of her slang was lost on me.
The elevator opened, and we were again facing the White Room. I held her hand tightly in mine.
"My queen. I don't think I ever mentioned this to you, but you ought to know. The Court from your Fold mourned you when you died. They commissioned the Vagari at least once a year to walk the paths for signs of you in case you were restless in death. I never thought that I'd actually bump into you while you walked the dreamscapes or have you call for help."
I led us through the White Room. For some reason, Karina became more pensive. I hoped that I hadn't upset her.
The hackles on my neck rose, and I felt like we were being watched. I pulled my queen closer toward me, and away from the unknown watcher. It didn’t seem to want anything from us, but I wasn’t about to linger.
The portal that led back to her Inner Circle lay before us. "Let's go home."
She stopped walking though. I looked at her in question.
"I hurt them.”
I looked at her and waited to see if she would say anymore.
"I didn't mean to hurt anyone. I never did. I just...needed to stop hurting. I just needed to leave. I felt like I would no longer be a burden to anyone if I would just leave. "
She looked at me with those eyes that held my entire universe.
"My queen. I can't possibly know what you had to go through. But please know that I am here for you now, and will follow you to the ends of the world and beyond. Whatever you need to feel safe and secure and loved, do it, and know that I will walk with you."
She was sad. She hadn't wanted everyone to know what she was feeling, but with the build-up of emotion and with the aftermath of dealing with Lord Brakka, she had forgotten to shield.
She had been forgetting more and more, and quite frankly, I loved it. A queen may need her private moments, but she should never need to shield herself from her Inner Circle. Not at all.
A quivering in my stomach that I was compelled to follow his orders was a pleasant surprise. I had never felt compelled to follow anyone before, not even my father. I respected him, of course, but I knew that I was destined to yield my authority to a queen and her alone. And if she happened to have a Primus or Consort, then to him, too.
I waited for her to adjust to the idea that they all knew that she chose to leave them, but that they were just waiting on her with love.
I extended my hand out to her. "Shall we, my queen."
She bit into her lush lower lip, worrying at it in a way that made my cock twitch and take notice.
Then finally, she met my gaze with her lovely violet eyes and I was lost in them again.
"Let's go home."
Karina
THE RIVER STX IS a nice association of Goblins that had the basic premise of overseeing a Soul Trade Exchange. But as Goblins do, as long as they got paid, they didn’t care what happened at their exchange. The reason why no one could pinpoint it was that it sailed in the sky over the streams of time.
With Lord Brakka's key and one of his soul jars for the exchange, we were able to gain admittance to the House he normally reserved as a Power Broker.
Even though he was minor, it was clear to me that the Power Brokers were the ones in charge no matter where you were. You could be the Queen of your court, but at the end of the day, if you needed to expand your territory or needed to trade or anything, you would be at the mercy of negotiating terms with a Power Broker.
A balance must be maintained across the veils, and with various boltholes anchoring the veils of the universe together, there was no need to stress those areas with strange power tugging on the veils around that opening.
We walked into a beautiful manor house, which made no sense considering the layout of the room. I had to believe that this was purposely designed to look like a surreal daydream.
We were able to find our rooms, and the concierge, Cordell, who was dressed in a dignified butler’s gray suit, helped us get situated into the room. Before he left, he stated that he would be our private concierge for our stay, and if I needed anything, that he would be happy to assist us. I appreciated that a lot considering I barely knew the layout of the River STX, nor the protocols.
"My queen, you'll be fine. You are a royal, and they will want to make sure you're happily spending your money. You mustn't feel like you ought to know everything. There's a first time for everything."
I bit my lip.
Enver came to me, and made me look up at him by the strength of his will. So magnetic. He kissed me on the nose, and made me smile which was his intent.
"You worry for nothing. We are here to support you, be your shield if needed, provide for your needs. Whatever those needs are." He waggled his brows, and made me laugh even more.
West ran his fingers through my hair, while Taran was there to rub my back. It was Havoc, though, who voiced the consensus of the group. "We know a surefire way to get you to stop worrying." He kissed me, and I was swept away by hands, mouths, and there was only sensation.
Karina
Navigating the River STX and its shadow spaces was like walking through dreamscapes and nightmares. There were bits of broken languages here and there, pockets of forgotten cities and realms here. Places that shouldn't exist. I was kind of getting the lay of the land, though, so that made me feel a bit better.
Ranek had connections, and soon we had our own suite with our own stylist so that we would look legit, and not like poor paupers.
The popinjay of a man styling me buzzed and twirled. "Darling, don't worry. Anyone traveling with the group that you're traveling will know that you're more than just a little Goblin or Human. That you'd be something more."
The stylist kept saying that like it's a good thing. More.
"And how do we know that we'll fit in." I eyeballed a group of otherworldly creatures wearing really odd frills and shiny bits of metal. Like they had dipped themselves in glue and rolled around the discount craft bin in a hobby store.
"Darling. Your Majesty. You're in Armani. Of course you'll fit in."
The men nodded at his wisdom.
I sighed, and held out my arms as his assistants hovered around me, flitting in and out like the costumed hummingbirds they were. "Don't worry, your majesty. You'll be the star."
"But understated and elegant."
Well, as long as I had easy access to weapons and freedom of movement to run, I didn't mind.
We arrived at the landing pad ahead of schedule, and they gave us a minimal pat down and check. Apparently, the ones deemed riff raff were the ones who were given a more thorough look over. Note to self: It's all about how you present yourself, and the best weapon is sometimes the one that will hide you from prying eyes.
Plus, the stylist was right. We fit right in with a group of extravagantly dressed people. They weren't necessarily richer looking, only that they were more flamboyant. It made us seem more dapper and elegant in comparison. I hoped it was a good thing.
The great thing about this place was that time had no effect here. I felt it slipping as the river flowed over the sides of the island. It was one of those Ever Now pockets.
This made sense. Oracles were in an Ever Now state, seeing both past and future events in the present.
Now we needed to find the right key that would take us to the right audience, that of the person who traded souls. Problem was, even though you could literally trade for whatever at the market, no one wanted to admit to putting out a bounty for Oracles' souls, let alone trading them.
And those who would were part of those clandestine houses, the type to indulge in freaky behavior like hunting and eating unicorn meat or secretly loved doing taxes or something. I basically needed to find the craziest people there and get them to tell me where they hung out. Shouldn't be too difficult. At least I hoped not.
The right key and the right audience.
"Holy hells. This is impossible. How many houses are there here? And then each house is a freaking rat trap with crazy dead ends and doors to nowhere! How in the world am I supposed to find just the right one that is hosting just the right auction for me to trade?"
I was tired and dejected from all the foot work and not a lot to show for it except for an empty stomach and a bad mood.
Cordell the concierge entered the room to refresh our clothes and room. "If I do say so, your majesty, you do not look well."
"I'm pissed," I snarled at him.
To his credit, he answered me with a cordial smile. “Oh, I am most sorry. What can I help you find?”
I deflated, hating to take my temper out on someone like him. "No, I’m the one who’s sorry. I don't think you can help me, Cordell."
"Sure I can. Try me." He was the picture of crisp, butlerian efficiency.
"I'm trying to find an auction house and I can't figure out where to go."
"Do you need a map, your majesty?"
No, not a map. I needed a location in order to find it on the map.
"Oh! What were you looking for?"
I blinked at him, glossing over the fact that he had picked out a thought in my mind. I described the type of auction I was looking for, and because I felt a little trustworthy, I gave the descriptions of the Oracles I was looking for.
"Oh, you are looking for the special auctions."
I whipped my head toward him. "What?"
"Oh yes, they would be the special auctions. You will be wanting to go to Labyrinth House." He turned around as he put away clothes and various sundries.
My men and I exchanged looks.
"Actually, they would." He waved his hands over the air, and the look of the building came up. And wouldn't you know it, the fucking logo was there and everything. Something out of M.C. Escher's wheelhouse with the geometric designs and the surreal infinity staircases.
I didn't think that looked like a lot of fun to run around on in real life.
"No I don't suppose it would be fun, your majesty. There really are a lot of twists and turns and plenty of people have died trying to navigate it properly."
"I'm not going to comment on the fact that you clearly hear everything that we're saying, even if it's through our bond. So, I'm going to instead ask how in the world is anyone supposed to sneak around Labyrinth House?"
"Well, aside from an invitation, of course—"
"Of course."
"Might I recommend using the ghosts that are only happy to serve you, your majesty?"
That made me stop a little. "Ghosts? Here?"
And then I realized that I hadn't seen or felt ghosts in a long time. I actually thought that I'd stopped seeing them. "And even if I find them, how can I get them to be on my side?"
He smiled at me, solemn and full of something I couldn't name. "If I may be so bold, your majesty, any ghost here would yield to you. And as far as getting help, well, I would say it is the same as anything in life—just ask, and they will answer."
Then, he looked at me so expectantly. And I just had a stupid realization.
"Cordell."
"Yes your majesty?"
I opened my mouth to speak a couple of times before I found my voice. "Would you be able to show me where I need to go to find the souls I seek?"
"Of course. It will be dangerous, though. But I would suggest this route." He mapped out a route in bright red on the display that he brought to life from the miniature city map in the room. “It will be easier with a master key, of course. Even though a ghost would be more than happy to help you, there are several things that like to hide in the shadows that may be faster than a ghost to come to your aid."
The tingles of prophecy trilled down my spine. It felt like the very air around me shifted to accommodate the words he spoke. I nodded, acknowledging his words.
Cordell taught us the various places and things to do and see. And then, as the questions wore on, he became more and more transparent, until I felt a pressing against my heart, and knew that it was time for him to go.
He smiled and bowed his head. "It was a pleasure to serve you, your majesty. Don't worry, I'll make sure that all preparations shall be made, including tickets to the Goblin Dance."
With that final bit of admonition, he bowed and walked away, fading through the door.
Karina
I HADEN’T SEEN CORDELL since he left, but I still managed to wake the next morning. It was odd being in an Ever Now. The only way we even knew that it was day versus night were the series of chimes around the River STX.
And, of course, Cordell, who was missing.
Sticking to our plan, we prepped ourselves for the Goblin Dance. I wondered if it was as literal as it sounded or that it was some random euphemism. Like a gladiator event or a weird contest. Usually if it could be bartered, gambled on, or whatever, the Goblins would have a hand in it.
But, as it said, and based on the rumors, it was an elaborate dance, complete with dre
ssing up. It was the only time that the Labyrinth House would be open to the general public outside of an auction or one of their gambling invitationals.
Sometime as I got ready, invitations to the dance appeared. I wondered if this was Cordell's final act, and if he now walked in the Fade.
My dress was one befitting a young queen of a young court in the Shadow Realm. I didn't want to just wear black, even though it was one of my favorite colors. I wanted to show what powers I could have, and so I arranged my dress's colors to be a golden purple, so that it reflected the night sky as it transitioned from twilight into true night.
The colors were one thing. The cut was another altogether. It was slashed strategically so it looked like I was half naked, at least from the side. There were gauzy panels so that you had a clear view of my ribs and down the sides of my legs. The sigils on my ribs were pronounced and easy to see. They were the magical equivalent of ‘Fuck Off.’
I wanted to keep my hair down, seeing that my Inner Circle loved my hair long and wrapped around my body, but I thought it hid the rest of my body too much, especially the plunging back that revealed more of the power that marked my body. The one that coiled around my hairline and met at the nape of my neck to cascade down my spine was something that I enjoyed. It seemed to resonate with my heart beat.
Cordell, or those with whom he worked, even gave me jewels that resonated with each of my men. I loved it. I was able to have a ring for each of my two middle fingers on each hand for West, Havoc, Taran and Ranek, and around my neck on a thin fairy chain, was a diamond the size of robin's egg. It was ebon black at its core, with what appeared to be blue fire emanating out of it. It was the perfect copy to the darklight that Enver controlled.
The rest of the men dressed up, outfitted to match each other while also accounting for their style and the weapons they planned on carrying. It was generally common practice that there wouldn't be any weapons, so everyone of course tried to sneak in as many as possible.
Ranek, my gushing teddy bear, was the first to compliment me. "Wow, my queen, that's one way to hide a sword." The razor sword fit so well with the snake belt that went with my dress. It hung loosely around my hips, accentuating the gentle curves there.
