The Gatekeeper's Trials: The Complete Trilogy

by Emma L. Adams

  “Can’t you just ask them?” I said. “I mean, they can’t lie.”

  Her expression turned frosty. “If that were a barrier to deceit, there would be no traitors, Gatekeeper.”

  Touché.

  “Then spy on them,” I said, undeterred. “You can order them to stay in the palace for the duration of the trials, can’t you? There’s more than enough rooms, and you can ask the brownies and sprites who work here to keep an eye out for trouble.”

  “We already have everyone under close watch,” she said. “However, we cannot easily challenge the participants’ actions during the trials themselves, and it may be that the culprit made their arrangements before they arrived at the palace.”

  I frowned. “What, you want to nominate an insider? Tell one of the participants to keep an eye out for spies? Is there anyone you absolutely trust?”

  The sprite landed on my shoulder. “You made it to the end of the maze, Hazel. You and Darrow.”

  “What?” I twisted my head to look down at him. “What are you saying?”

  He had to be kidding me. Please say he didn’t mean what I thought he did.

  “You both completed the trial,” said Swift. “According to the rules, that means both of you are on the list of contenders.”

  “We weren’t on the list to begin with,” I pointed out. “This isn’t going to work.”

  “It might,” said Lady Aiten. “The magic binding the contenders would allow you to enter the next trial as a spy and track down the person responsible for summoning the wraith.”

  “Look, you must know that if the other Sidhe find out I’m taking part, they’ll know I’m a spy,” I told her. “A human can’t rule a Court. Or a half-faerie, either. Have you told Darrow?”

  “Bring him to me,” she commanded. “We will sort this out.”

  The sprite flew alongside me as I walked through the crowd, my thoughts whirling. A contender? The Sidhe would try to slit my throat in my sleep if they found out a human was taking part in the next challenge. Look at that guy in the maze who’d tried to take my talisman.

  I can’t be in line for the throne. No way.

  “This is ridiculous,” I said. “Darrow isn’t even from this Court. And I’m human, not to mention the wielder of—”

  “The Erlking’s talisman,” said the sprite. “You were chosen.”

  “I was claimed by the talisman,” I corrected. “For its own reasons, none of which involve me being a good leader. I don’t want a throne. I never have.”

  I’d wanted to do a decent job as Gatekeeper because I wasn’t qualified to do anything else. A lifetime in training for the position had given me a decent level of advantages over most humans, but a crown and a throne had never been involved in my plans. I’d rather break the Gatekeeper’s curse and get the hell out of here, thanks.

  “You must join the other contenders,” Swift insisted. “Regardless of your wishes, the maze’s magic has recognised you as among the Sidhe. Unless I break the binding vow the Erlking placed upon me, I must treat you as one of the participants.”

  “You didn’t tell that to Lady Aiten?” I cast a glance over my shoulder. “She’d never have agreed if she knew I was in with a real shot of winning.” In theory, at least.

  I spotted Darrow standing beside the statue, speaking to his sprite, Hummingbird.

  “Lurking in corners again?” I hurried over to him, and his sprite vanished in a flash of light. “I have bad news. We both made it to the end of the maze, which means we’re in the running for the Erlking’s throne. Not my idea, believe me.”

  “That’s absurd,” he said. “We can’t be contenders.”

  “We are,” I said. “Lady Aiten thinks there’s a spy for the Seelie Queen among the other participants, and conveniently, the two of us count as participants because we were first through the doors of the maze.”

  “Until the binding of the trials unravels, you’ll be marked as a competitor,” said Swift. “Both of you.”

  Darrow’s face was a mask of disbelief as we walked, once again, to Lady Aiten. Lord Raivan stood beside her, his head bent to listen to her speak.

  The sprite flew ahead, fluttering down in front of the two of them. “I have brought you the other contenders.”

  “A human and a half-blood?” said Lord Raivan. “They cannot be allowed to participate. This will not stand.”

  “As I said,” Lady Aiten interjected, “we need spies on the inside, in case the traitor remains among the contenders.”

  “But think of the impression we’re sending,” said Lord Raivan. “That humans and half-Sidhe are our equals.”

  “Perish the thought,” I said, and both of them scowled at me. “Look, I’m not keen on the idea, either. Can’t you change the rules?”

  “You have no authority to make those decisions, Gatekeeper,” said Lady Aiten.

  “But you think I have the authority to rule a Court?” I said. “Because if the Seelie Queen meddles in the next two trials and I end up having to use the talisman’s magic, I can’t control the consequences. I didn’t plan this, Lady Aiten. You told me—”

  “I told you to go into the maze, yes,” said Lady Aiten, her face pinching as though she was in pain.

  “I suppose the Erlking’s spell assumes that anyone who enters the maze is a contender,” I guessed. “We have to take part in the task no matter what, so I guess we’re going in as spies.”

  Lord Raivan looked as though I’d told him he’d been transferred to the Arctic Circle. “This cannot be.”

  “It is the rules,” said the sprite. “All those who exit the maze are elevated to the second stage. The spell doesn’t account for their status.”

  “In that case, we will find a solution,” said Lady Aiten. “In the meantime, the celebrations for the victors of the first round of trials will commence.”

  She and Lord Raivan turned and walked away, leaving Darrow and me alone with the sprite—and a whole room of Sidhe who might kill us if they found out the Erlking’s spell had recognised us as their equals.

  5

  “Of course there’s a party.” I rolled my eyes. “What’s the betting Lady Aiten dives headfirst into the fountain to avoid the humiliation of having to admit a human is among the contenders for the Erlking’s throne?”

  “I doubt it,” said Darrow. “She did what she felt was best for her Court.”

  “You don’t seem surprised to have been chosen,” I said. “Aren’t you worried the Sidhe will smite you for it?”

  “There are a number of other, far more pertinent reasons they might turn on me,” he said. “My suitability to rule a Court is the least of them.”

  “How did you get into the maze, anyway?” I asked. “I know you could have glamoured the security guards, but the maze was a magical creation.”

  “Precisely,” he said. “It was a simple matter of trickery to get inside, but the other tests will be designed for Sidhe, so the chances of either of us being victorious are slim.”

  “I bloody hope so, or else I’m dead,” I said. “Not only did I claim the Erlking’s talisman, I’m in the running for his throne, too. They’d never believe both were total accidents. Imagine that—a human ruler of Faerie.”

  “There are worse notions,” said Darrow.

  “The only time a human has sat near a throne has been when a Sidhe ruler has taken them as a pet,” I said. “Also, at any point during my training did you ever think I was fit to run anything? I spend all my time getting into arguments with the Sidhe. I have the diplomatic skills of a rabid wolf shifter.”

  He tilted his head. “You have the right knowledge and skills to work with the Sidhe. You spent your life preparing for it.”

  “I’m human!” I said. “And proud of it, too. Furthermore, I stole the Erlking’s talisman and can’t hold a conversation with anyone in this Court without pissing them off.”

  “I’d say the fault lies with them more than you,” he said. “From my observations, the Sidhe get equal
ly angry with each other for perceived faults.”

  “Won’t make diplomatic missions any easier.” I shook my head. “You can’t tell me you’re thinking of playing to win, either. What would Etaina say?”

  His mouth parted. “She would not view it as a betrayal if she understood how we came to be in the running, but if I held a position of power in Summer, I would not be allowed to enter my home again.”

  You might not be anyway, in the end. He’d all but severed ties with his people, and while he hadn’t been close to any of his fellow Aes Sidhe in a long while, it must hurt to leave his home behind. I knew how it felt to be adrift between more than one world and not belong in any of them.

  Darrow’s gaze shifted to a point over my shoulder. “Your sister’s here.”

  I scanned the room. The crowd had thickened, groups of Sidhe mingling with half-faeries and other beings as more of Faerie’s inhabitants had arrived to join in the party. Purple-winged piskies flitted above a band of wire-thin fae playing instruments made of what looked like human hair. Nymphs lounged in the fountain, satyrs danced on cloven feet, while two half-Sidhe herded a group of fire-juggling imps off the premises.

  Then I spotted two familiar faces heading towards me: River and Ilsa. Darrow stepped back to allow me to talk to them.

  “What’re you doing here?” I strode forward to greet my sister.

  “Did you really think the Gatekeeper’s family wouldn’t get an invite?” Ilsa smiled. “We arrived a bit late because River had to deal with another zombie situation in Edinburgh.”

  “How much did you miss?” I asked.

  “We saw the wraith,” said Ilsa. “Nice job handling that, by the way.”

  “The Seelie Queen’s fault, of course.” I dropped my voice. “She has an insider somewhere here, who’s probably advanced to the next stage. Whoever opened the doorway to the Vale did it in the middle of the task itself without being seen.”

  River swore under his breath. “I thought so. The timing was a little too suspect.”

  “Does Lady Aiten think the insider might have advanced to the next round?” said Ilsa.

  “She reckons there’s a chance they did,” I said. “It also turns out Darrow and I are contenders for the throne, thanks to our entering the maze in the middle of the task. So the Sidhe want us to go in as spies and root out the Seelie Queen’s person.”

  Ilsa’s eyes widened. “Shit, really? You’re in line for the throne? You?”

  “Hell, no, and neither is Darrow…” I looked for him, only to find he’d disappeared into the crowd of dancing, laughing Sidhe.

  “A Sidhe who isn’t from the Summer Court is a contender?” said River. “That seems a major flaw in the Erlking’s spell.”

  “Guess the spell thinks the Aes Sidhe count as part of Summer,” I said. “Speaking of whom…”

  I told them about the Seelie Queen’s attack and Darrow’s new mission. He wouldn’t be pleased with me for clueing River in on the existence of his Court, but I’d already told my siblings and I had the distinct impression the entire Summer Court would have to face up to the Aes Sidhe’s existence soon enough.

  River gave a low whistle. “Etaina must be confident he can take down the Seelie Queen.”

  “That, or she’s just angry at him for giving away their existence to begin with,” I added. “I mean, the Seelie Queen thought they died out, too. If he hadn’t been forced to use his glamour on her in the Vale, she wouldn’t have known.”

  A spasm of guilt struck me. He’d exposed his glamour for my sake and as a result, he’d drawn his Court into the crossfire of the Seelie Queen’s army.

  “You think that?” asked Ilsa. “That she might be trying to punish him?”

  I screwed up my forehead. “I don’t know. We didn’t have time to chat about it. Anyway, we’re both stuck here for the time being. I don’t know anything about the next two rounds of tests, so we’re the underdogs in a major way.”

  “No kidding,” said Ilsa. “Hey—your friend is here, and she looks like she needs your help.”

  Coral made her way across the room, her eyes wide with panic and her cape billowing around her legs.

  “Hey.” I hurried over to meet her. “What is it?”

  “The Sea Kingdom suffered an attack,” said Coral. “I have to go. My mother needs me to defend the throne.”

  Shit. “Is it the Seelie Queen’s army?”

  “I don’t know,” she said. “Hazel—you have to stay here. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Of course.” I gave her a quick hug. “Don’t hesitate to call on me if you need me. I owe you for all the times you’ve saved my neck.”

  “Will do.” She gave a smile, then walked away towards the oak doors. River and Ilsa had pulled back, speaking in low voices, while the Sidhe kept a noticeable distance from me. Naturally, nobody wanted to get too close to the talisman. They feared its touch even more than iron, if possible.

  I’d never felt less in the party spirit in my life, but I made for the nearest buffet table and grabbed a wine glass, applying the usual test for poison. Darrow approached the table, his silver hair gleaming under the light of the fireflies which had drifted in from outside as night fell. It didn’t seem that long since the task had started, but in Faerie, time was malleable, and if the Sidhe wanted a sunset party, the Court provided the atmosphere.

  “What was wrong with Coral?” Darrow asked.

  “Her kingdom’s under attack,” I told him. “I don’t know if it’s the Seelie Queen, but it wouldn’t surprise me. First the Aes Sidhe, now the Sea Court. Is she going after all the independent Courts at once?”

  His expression turned grave. “It would make sense if her goal was to bring all the other Courts under her submission. It’s a given that she’d go after the Sea Kingdom, as she was responsible for luring its heir onto her side and bringing about his death, but the Aes Sidhe are a different matter. They will not bend so easily.”

  “Nor will the Sea Court.” Not if I had anything to do with it, anyway. “You know, I might just go back to the—”

  A scream shattered the sound of celebrations. Then a blast of light engulfed the room, and a faerie with long tangled white hair and wings tinted in colours of the rainbow appeared in the middle of the hall.

  The memory-eater.

  “She should be dead.” Darrow’s hand dropped to the knife at his waist. “I killed her.”

  No kidding. I’d seen him stab her with his blade and turn her to mist and fog. Granted, she might have other powers as well as the ability to absorb the memories of anyone who went near her, but death should be absolute. Even here in Faerie.

  Her gaze skimmed the room and landed on Darrow and me. With a beat of rainbow wings, she flew in front of us. Clouds of mist billowed from her fingertips. “Hello, mortals.”

  “I killed you,” said Darrow. “You shouldn’t be here.”

  “I returned,” she said. “I am here for the Gatekeeper.”

  Shit. I guess she’s come to call in her favour.

  I’d promised her a favour in exchange for a memory that turned out to be no use whatsoever. Since Darrow had killed her not long after, I’d forgotten our bargain, but plainly she hadn’t.

  My hands clenched around the staff. “If you want to talk to me, we can do this elsewhere. Your creepy mist is ruining the atmosphere.”

  “Are you under the impression that I came alone?” A delighted laugh escaped her, and a cold breeze whipped through the room.

  Wraiths emerged from the mist curling on the ceiling, and sluagh, and other shapeless monsters. The sounds of merriment turned to cries of outrage; the clank of weapons being drawn echoed off the walls.

  Darrow’s hands ignited, blasting the memory-eater backwards into a tapestry. She flipped over, shrieking, wings tangled in the fraying fabric. Hissing, she freed her wings and backed into the secret passageway behind the tapestry which Coral and I had once used to flee a group of angry Sidhe.

  “Get back h
ere!” I jumped after her into the passageway, brandishing the staff.

  “The Summer Court requires a new leader,” she said. “But you are not the leader they desire, are you?”

  “Quit reading my thoughts and tell me what the hell you want with me.” I gave a swipe, sending a wave of shadows at her. Her wings beat, carrying her out of range, and mist flew from her fingertips. Darrow and I dodged her attack, following her deeper into the passage.

  “It’s me you want,” added Darrow. “I’m the one who killed you.”

  “Oh, but you killed me for her.” She cackled, the sound echoing creepily in the narrow passageway. “For this fragile human, who holds so many others’ fates in her hands.”

  “You have no leverage over me,” I said to her. “The Court knows the truth. They know I have this.”

  I lifted the staff and flung a web of shadows at her. The memory-eater dodged, threads of mist curling around my ankles and forcing me to back out of reach.

  She laughed. “Why, little mortal, I have such plans for you. You are the first I have met in countless lifetimes whose future I cannot divine. The paths resulting from your decisions are as murky as the shadows you wield.”

  I batted at the misty tendrils with the talisman’s shadowy magic, sending them shrinking towards their owner. “Were you ever really dead, or was it a trick?”

  “I walked the paths of the dead, human,” she purred. “I passed the sluagh and the restless dead, I heard the howls of the Wild Hunt, and I saw things that would drive you to madness to look upon, human.”

  “Enough games,” snapped Darrow. “Tell us what you want with us, or I will eliminate you again.”

  “The Gatekeeper knows why I am here.” She grinned at me with jagged teeth. “My mistress desires to speak with you.”

  She’s working with the Seelie Queen. Of course she is.

  “Tell her I said to go fuck yourself.” I raised the staff, blasting a wave of shadows at her.

  The memory-eater cackled, her wings beating, carrying her out of the passageway and into the night. I gave chase, ducking out into the back garden. Several Sidhe ran through the exit, doing battle with a group of oncoming wraiths.