Tithe

by Chani Lynn Feener

  “If you’d wanted pizza so badly I could have gotten some for you,” Mavek continued. “You didn’t have to run off and eat it alone.”

  She thought he was messing with her, trying to get her to admit she hadn’t been alone. Looking at him though, she realized that he was being serious, which meant Cato hadn’t outed her after all. Why?

  “I hate it when you bring me regular food in front of the rest of them,” she told him. “It makes me feel like I’m getting special treatment.”

  “You are.” He stepped forward, coming to a stop on his side of the toadstools so that they stood toe to toe, with the large-capped mushrooms forming a line between them. “That’s a benefit of being my Heartless, Arden. That’s nothing to hide. One should always wield her power.”

  The problem was that she didn’t have any actual power. Seeing wasn’t a blessing; it was a curse. One that had driven her mother to madness, and one that would surely drive her and her sister to the same fate if she didn’t do something about it. She wasn’t proud of what she was, because there was nothing to be proud of. She hadn’t earned the ability. An ancestor hundreds of years ago pissed off the wrong fae and now here she was.

  Arden could still remember the first time the Unseelie had realized she was aware of them. Her mother had found her huddled in the corner of her nursery, screaming while six or seven brown creatures the size of cats crowded around her. They were chased off, and her mom had rocked her to sleep.

  She was only six.

  “I’ll see you tonight.” She tried to step backward but his hand shot out, grabbing her wrist as fast as lightning. She stopped, watching his eyes darken.

  “Come into the circle, Arden,” he whispered, tilting his head down toward hers. The green in his eyes began to glow.

  She hesitated and the corner of his mouth turned up wickedly. It was easy to understand where Tabby was coming from when Arden was standing close to him like this, alone in the middle of the woods. It was his ethereal beauty, the dark and dangerous air about him, and the way he could sway her with his eyes and mouth.

  His skin was as pale as moonlight, his hair inky and gleaming navy blue at the edges. A part of his tattoo, a single sharply drawn leaf with serrated edges, poked from beneath the collar of his black silk shirt. It wasn’t colored, just an empty outline, but she could picture the rest of it, shot with green and red. Being what he was, he could repel or enthrall, depending on his mood.

  She thought back to the other night in her kitchen, the test she’d almost failed, and attempted to shake away the memory.

  He chuckled, his hand sliding up her arm to press lightly against the spot between her shoulder blades. “You already have the sight, heart. What are you afraid of?”

  Arden wasn’t quite sure, so she shook her head. It was true; stepping into a faerie ring could grant a person temporary sight, if done properly and if one was accepted. But it could also do worse, much worse. There were tales of people losing their eyes altogether, or being trapped inside the ring forever.

  “Could it be that you think I’d ensnare you?” Mavek’s free hand reached up and tucked a strand of hair behind the same ear he’d tucked the rose in the other night. “There’s nothing to fear then, heart. The circle can only give us what we both already have.”

  She frowned, pursing her lips at his phrasing. Before she could think over what he meant or how she would respond, a rustling in the wind at her back silenced them both.

  Mavek’s eyes hardened, his mouth thinning into a displeased line whilst his arm around her tightened. “Come into the circle.”

  His clipped tone urged her into the ring with no more hesitation. Three inches forward and she was standing with him on the other side. He tugged her to the center, closer to the wide, ashy trunk.

  They both watched silently, waiting for whatever was coming. Three Unseelie, similar to the ones she’d seen in the parlor, burst through the trees. Their long gnarled limbs resembled the branches above, but their faces were very human, beautiful and innocent until they smiled, showing off rows of teeth like thorns. They didn’t look at the faerie ring as they moved past to another section of the forest.

  Just as Arden was about to relax, another creature appeared, this one different. She had a chain of daisies crowning her golden hair, and held a basket hooked over the curve of an arm. Her lips were blood red and she wore a dress of woven grass and animal hides. As she drew closer, Arden could see that the basket contained bits of twigs in the shape of hands and feet.

  She waited until the golden-haired girl disappeared in the wake of the first Unseelie before gasping, “In her basket—was she—?”

  “Hunting them,” he confirmed. “The Erlking has arrived early.”

  Arden couldn’t suppress a shiver. They were a bloody and vicious people, but she’d never actually seen them harm one another. Mavek’s court had rules, and bloodshed was punishable by more blood.

  “I must go,” he said, still staring after the female Unseelie. “Head straight back to campus. I don’t know what else is out there.”

  The knives tucked into her boots seemed to call to her and her hands itched to take them out. Doing so, however, was much too risky. If she did stumble across one of them, a drawn weapon would be taken as a sign of aggression.

  “I almost forgot.” Mavek pulled away, reaching up into one of the thick oak branches. When he turned back to her, he was holding a plastic takeout container. Within the clear container was a single light brown cupcake with white frosting, topped with a bright orange carrot.

  Arden glanced at it, trying to mask her disappointment, and then back at him when he laughed at her.

  Setting the container at his feet, he went back to the tree and reached into a different branch. This time he came back with a container showcasing a crimson cake with the familiar candied rose at its center.

  “I always know when you’re lying,” he bragged, handing her the red velvet cupcake with a cocky grin.

  “Thank you.” She took it and inexplicably felt a little better.

  Arden hated dressing up, but she selected the nicest thing she owned—the black lace dress she’d worn to her mother’s funeral—and threw a leather jacket over it before biking to Rose Manor. Her bare legs were freezing in the night air, but she felt that making a good impression on the queen was paramount. She’d suffered through worse anyway.

  As she rode, she considered the text message Tabby had sent her earlier, still somewhat upset it wasn’t from Eskel. Her friend wanted the three of them to hang out, and Arden still wasn’t sure whether or not that was a good idea.

  On the one hand, letting Tabby join them would decrease the chance that someone would catch her alone with Eskel and get the wrong impression. She needed to speak with Cato, find out why he kept her meeting with Eskel a secret, but until then it was best to lie low. Which wouldn’t be easy considering she’d already agreed to breakfast tomorrow morning. On the other hand, letting Tabby join them would increase the chance that her best friend would become close to Eskel, growing attached. Wanting him around more often. The three of them could become friends, and then what would she do? She’d have to lie to them both.

  Then again, All Saints’ Eve was just around the corner. With any luck, she wouldn’t have to keep up the charade for long.

  By the time she got to Rose Manor she was even more upset than before she’d left her house, and she slammed her bike to the ground with more force than necessary. She entered through the front door, catching the eyes of faeries that looked more human than the tree sprits she and Mavek had encountered in the forest earlier.

  Two boys sat on a leather sofa by a roaring fireplace, their eyes gleaming gold. Purple and white flowers were strung through their thick hair. A girl, dressed in woven grass and fur like the one in the woods, twirled by a large bay window, the moonlight causing the tendrils of her red hair to flare like fire. They all watched her but they kept their distance. Few ever approached.

  Which was al
so why it was so annoying when the outlier stepped from the shadows and fell into an easy pace at her side.

  “Tonight will be difficult,” Cato warned, keeping his voice low, as if afraid to be overheard. They passed many as they walked straight through to the back of the house. “These aren’t the fae you’re used to seeing, Arden. The Midnight Prince has been keeping them from you, but his authority has come to an end with the queen’s return.”

  “What do you mean?” Mavek had kept her safe, sure, but he hadn’t entirely shielded her from the horrors of his world. She’d seen them tear living things apart with their teeth. And the girl from earlier, “hunting,” he’d said.

  She almost shivered again thinking about all of those limbs being snapped off. She wondered if the pain from breaking off their twig-like limbs was in any way comparable to the pain of ripping off a human limb.

  “Just tread carefully,” he urged.

  “I’ve been told that already.”

  He turned to her as they entered the backyard, which was already brimming with the Unseelie. “It warrants repeating.”

  Someone, a dark haired boy with blood-red claws, called Cato’s name.

  Cato bowed and moved away, mouthing, “Careful” as he did.

  “Is he concerned for you, flower?” an unfamiliar voice said, right before a boy her age stepped from behind a pillar of marble carved into a weeping angel. He was lean, with caramel-colored hair swept to the right and almond-shaped eyes that curled upward at the ends. He may or may not have been wearing eyeliner.

  The boy wore an old military jacket of pale green and gray jeans tucked into muddy boots. It was obvious by the way he held himself that he belonged here, but she couldn’t for the life of her discern what type of fae he was.

  The boy moved closer and then sniffed. “Oh. Not a flower at all, are you, Heartless? Where’s your emblem?”

  “Who are you?” Arden asked, unsure whether she should go find Mavek or stay put.

  All around them the revelry continued. There were plenty of witnesses, yet she had just been warned—yet again—to be wary. She’d left her iron blade at home because it wasn’t safe to bring it with this many Unseelie around, but she felt the silver one press against her ankle.

  “That’s a very rude question,” the boy said.

  “Victor, what are you up to?” a girl with red-tipped black hair approached. Silver glitter sparkled beneath both of her wide, green eyes.

  “Damn,” Victor cursed. “Well, there goes that game.”

  “I wasn’t interested in playing anyway,” Arden countered, watching the girl as she looped an arm through his.

  “This Heartless is no fun,” Victor told the dark-haired girl.

  “They rarely are,” she sighed. “Too aware of us to fall for the regular tricks, and yet also too aware of them to become like us.” She lifted a hand to her hair and plucked out a tiny periwinkle bloom.

  Arden tilted her head when the flower was offered, keeping her hands down at her sides. “I’ll accept your name instead.”

  “A name freely given?” The girl glanced teasingly at Victor, who was still moping over his spoiled fun. “All right. I’m Twila.” She dropped her hand and the flower turned to ash as it drifted down.

  “Arden.” There was no point in trying to hide it, everyone around here knew her already. These two would know soon as well. They had to have come with either Titania or the Erlking. She was tempted to ask, but didn’t want to seem too interested. Interest could breed, and they were already standing too close.

  “Do you know of any fun places in town, Heartless?”

  “There’s a cemetery on the west side. Off of Lawrence Street.” She shouldn’t be encouraging them, but it was better they get their kicks scaring the locals by pretending to be spirits than by causing any true harm.

  “Will you show us?” Twila moved closer and the firelight flickered over her smooth features.

  “I’m afraid she’s busy, children.” Mavek took her elbow, suddenly at her side, looking like the dark prince he was in his black silks and velvets. “Dinner is ready, Arden. We can’t keep them waiting.”

  She wasn’t sure if she’d rather stay with these two unknown fae over facing the two rulers in the dining room, but when Mavek moved away she went with him.

  The Erlking wore a torque of antlers around his neck and a coat of white leather that contrasted with the chocolate shade of his long hair. He had it tied back, showcasing his young face, like a stone carving from ancient Greece come to life. Gold rings adorned each of his fingers, and they flashed in the chandelier light as he tapped them around his crystal goblet.

  A tattoo of a single antler winged up from the corner of his right eye, the one that was as brown as his hair. The other eye was sky blue, with flecks of gold that mirrored his rings whenever he looked her way. Seated on the opposite side of the table from Arden, the Erlking’s glances came often, though she couldn’t tell if it was out of curiosity or calculation. Probably both.

  Titania sat at the head of the table, wearing a lavish gown of white lattice and silks covered with diamond shards. Her hair was pinned back with sprigs of gypsophila, the pinkish-white flowers a sharp contrast to the black pools of her eyes.

  Arden wasn’t ashamed to admit that the queen frightened her. The Unseelie all did in their own way. She’d been tugged into their world by the betrayal of an ancestor, and sometimes all she could think about was how badly she wished for a normal life, far removed from the fae world that posed a constant threat to her existence. This was something she was reminded of when she looked at the food.

  The table was covered in a lavish spread of fruits, vegetables, and breads. Honey dripped over the tops of sweet loaves, and plump orange globes overflowed from a basket set before the Erlking. Her eyes kept wandering to the luscious looking fruit while they ate, and she had to tear her gaze away, knowing the kinds of things goblin fruit would do to her if ingested.

  At her side, Mavek remained cool and collected, eating gingerly as if he were a gentleman from the eighteenth century. Both he and Titania were picking at the pale meat of a bird Arden didn’t recognize.

  She ate nothing, though it was supposedly safe for her, since she was a Heartless. Because the law protected Arden, she could eat certain foods without fear of being controlled or hypnotized afterward. Mavek had, however, warned her about certain foods, like anything brought by the Erlking and his trooping faeries.

  All she’d had today, in fact, was the coffee from this morning and the cupcake Mavek had brought her earlier. Now that she was here, among all this food she didn’t feel comfortable eating, she cursed her stupidity. At least she had a full fridge back home.

  Shaking herself free of prolonged self-pity, she gazed out of the windows at the party still in full swing, the bright flickering flames of the bonfires dancing in rhythm with the raucous Unseelie. Through the open balcony doors their laughter harmonized with the evening breeze.

  Five others dined at the same table with them, but she doubted that the other two Heartless were among them. She’d already searched the entire party and determined that she was the only human in attendance. The Unseelie couldn’t recruit one of their own to be the tithe, or so she’d been told. She wouldn’t be running into her competition tonight.

  Aside from the glances, Arden was ignored, and after forty minutes of basically torture, she was relieved when Titania settled back in her chair. She hoped it meant that the feast was finally over.

  “Mavek, darling,” Titania curled a finger tipped with white polish through her silver hair, “play us something, won’t you?” Her eyes tracked him as he stood.

  Arden was surprised to find Victor standing in the corner, and even more so when he held out Mavek’s violin, keeping his gaze downcast as he did. The faerie kept his hands clasped before him after that, and as Mavek turned to face his audience, Victor lifted his gaze and winked at her.

  Mavek moved to the other side of the table toward the open space
between two lounge chairs. He tuned his violin before settling into a soothing song that sounded of loss and sorrow. The music drifted in the air, seemingly catching in the corners of the room as the feel of the song burrowed into Arden’s chest.

  When he met her gaze and held it, she felt a slight buzzing at the base of her skull. Laughter from her left drew her attention away, and she frowned when she saw both Titania and the Erlking leaning toward one another, openly grinning at her.

  For a second their faces seemed to stretch, and then the antlers around the Erlking’s throat were attached to his head, sprouting from his temples. Then the antlers zapped back to being a necklace, but his eyes were glowing red, and when she blinked in a poor attempt to clear her vision, she found that Titania’s white-tipped nails had transformed into two-inch, bone-like claws.

  As Mavek continued to play, their shapes continued to alter. At times, they were both unrecognizable, more creature than person. At other times, their features remained human-like but became so sharp that they emitted light, and Arden desperately wanted to close her eyes, or at the very least, look away. With a sickening horror she found she couldn’t, and the tears that she stubbornly held back prickled at the corners of her eyes.

  Why the hell was Mavek still playing that damn violin? Couldn’t he tell something was wrong with her?

  A growl traveled up the back of her throat when she realized that, obviously, he could. It was his music causing her to feel this way, done at the behest of his queen. Had this been the plan all along? Was it another test? To see how susceptible she was to their mind control tricks?

  Just as she was beginning to think she couldn’t take anymore, that she was surely going to fail, the world turned shadowy at the edges. And then everything went black and Arden felt herself falling.

  Her head was still buzzing. That was the first thing Arden noticed when she woke. The second was that it was day. Sunlight spilled through the open windows, bringing with it a warm breeze that caused her hair to tickle her cheek. Beneath her was a soft cushion, and she moaned and lifted herself onto her hands, blinking down at the crimson sheets.