Blade of the Fae

by R. A. Rock

  “Of course I did,” Finn said, his voice tight. “But never mind. Just use the amulet. We need to grab the Scroll and get out of here before anything else arrives.”

  Tessa was pulling the amulet out of her shirt as three humanoid monsters with blue, translucent skin appeared, making a triangle around them with their arms.

  “Too late.”

  Whatever magic these monsters used, it seemed to slow time. Tessa made a run for the space between two of their hands, feeling as though she was moving through jelly. She let go of the amulet just as the three creatures lit up with blue light, freezing her only inches from breaking out of their triangle of death.

  In slow motion, she watched—unable to free herself—as the creatures linked and blue lightning shot from their fingertips. If she could have seen from above, they would have made a triangle with their arms and the blue lightning that arced in the space between their hands.

  Before either she or Finn could react, they were being shocked magically—like she imagined being hit with a lightning bolt would feel like—and she couldn’t talk, couldn’t move, couldn’t do anything except spasm in extreme agony.

  The pain coursed through her magical channels, overloading them again and again. It was like she was being dosed with too much magic in an endless loop of torment. No doubt the same thing was happening to Finn. And they couldn’t escape. They would be stuck here till they collapsed, and then the Dark Queen would have them.

  And yet, Tessa realized through her haze of pain that though she was unable to move, the amulet was still falling. In slow motion, she watched as the magical object gently floated down, down, down.

  With a shower of sparks and a sharp crack, the amulet hit the blue lightning, breaking the spell. The monsters shrieked in torment as their own lightning was blasted back into their bodies. Time sped up again. The three creatures collapsed immediately.

  Tessa felt her own legs giving out on her, and she took a couple steps away from the monsters before she sat down. Finn plopped down beside her with a moan of suffering when he jarred his broken wrist.

  “This could not get any worse,” Finn muttered, his face white.

  Suddenly, there was a shimmer of magic, and Runa Byrne stepped onto the platform out of nowhere, giving them a little smile. Tessa’s enemy looked good—a lot better than Tessa did at the moment. She had her black hair braided back, and her lips were painted a deep purple. Runa wore a brown warrior skirt and chest armor. She glanced around.

  “No soldiers or monsters? You have been busy, Callahan.” She pulled her sword from a sheath on her back. “Got time for a—let’s call it a chat—with me?”

  She flipped her blade and came into a fighting stance, her booted feet wide apart.

  “Had to say it, didn’t you?” Tessa gave Finn a disapproving look.

  “A chat?” Tessa asked, keeping her eyes on Runa’s sword. She got to her feet, stepping in front of Finn, but kept her hands holding the blades at her sides. For now.

  “You think you’re so great, Tessa,” Runa said with a sneer, prowling back and forth in front of them like a tigress. “It should have been me to become Captain of the Guard all those years ago. And you know it.” Runa shook her head a look of disbelief on her face. “The queen chose you. I don’t know why. You’re far too soft, always have been.”

  Tessa watched Runa, letting her say her piece.

  “So, for the good of the Dark Court, I had to take certain… steps… to ensure that you didn’t return from this ridiculous quest. It was time that a proper Dark Court Fae should become Captain of the Guard, not some interloper from Shadows know what part of the Valley.”

  “What are you saying, Runa?”

  The woman strode a few steps to the left and then back again, swinging her sword around idly. Tessa and Finn watched her warily.

  “What I’m saying is that you have been terribly hard to kill, Tessa. I will give you that.”

  “Hard to kill?” Tessa asked, confused.

  “Those who wear the X are fearsome warriors. The fact that they didn’t kill you when they were hired to? Twice? It shows you do have some fighting skills, I suppose.”

  Tessa and Finn exchanged a look.

  “But I was really impressed at how you got out of the monster cave,” she said, a calculating look in her eye. “I bet the queen doesn’t know that the blades can create portals, does she?”

  “Shadows take her,” Tessa murmured to Finn.

  “We should be so lucky,” Finn whispered.

  “She can’t tell the queen about that.”

  “No, that would be very bad.”

  “And now,” Runa went on. “I see you’ve bested the soldiers and the monsters. I told the queen you would. Such a waste of resources.”

  “Wait, wait, wait,” Finn said, holding the hand on his good arm up, palm facing Runa. “Are you saying that it was you that was trying to kill us all along?”

  “Of course, Starshine,” she said in a voice you would use when speaking to a small child. “Try to keep up, okay?”

  Finn ignored her insult.

  “I’ve been watching you get beaten over and over again by my warriors and monsters,” Runa said in satisfaction.

  “Notice we’re still here, and they’re not,” Finn muttered. “And you’ve been watching everything.” Finn was puzzling it all out. “Was it you sending all those monsters? How?”

  “I was given a teleportation lantern to use.”

  “A teleportation lantern.” Finn’s mouth fell open, and Tessa gasped.

  “The kind that burn Elixir?”

  “That’s right,” Runa said, delighting in their horror.

  “How could you?” Finn asked, outraged. “Wasting Elixir like that?”

  “Foul magic,” Tessa said, disgusted. “I really didn’t want to kill you, Runa. But you’re making it awfully difficult.”

  “Kill me?” She laughed, though she did seem a little uncomfortable. “You’re not going to kill me. But if it makes you feel better, Callahan, it was the queen who ordered me to use the lantern.”

  “Told you,” Finn said.

  But Tessa was thinking out loud. “Those who wear the X, the tornado, the monster cave—”

  “Oh and don’t forget crossing the Chasm, Callahan.” Runa pointed at Tessa. “I especially enjoyed that one.”

  “Stars above, Runa. You really do block out the Starlight don’t you?”

  “Insults don’t bother me, Callahan. You’ll have to do better than that. I’m actually walking in Starlight all the time since my promotion.”

  “Promotion?” Tessa asked, not believing Runa for a moment. “She wouldn’t. Not you. Never you.”

  “Really?” Runa asked, laughing a little. “You’re wrong, Tessa. About so many things.”

  “What do you mean?” Tessa asked, feeling caught off guard. Had the Dark Queen really promoted Runa?

  “She’s made me Captain of the Guard—in light of your betrayal.”

  “She wouldn’t.”

  “After what you pulled? Killing the Keeper and coming for the Scroll yourself?” Runa gave her an incredulous look. “She certainly would.”

  “I didn’t kill the Keeper.”

  “Doesn’t matter. I’m the new Captain of the Guard. And I’m on my first mission.”

  “And what is that, Runa?”

  “I’m here to finally kill you, Callahan. And of course, your pet thief over there.” Finn narrowed his eyes at her as she inspected him. “Seems a shame. Waste of a pretty face.”

  “You know what?” Tessa asked, losing patience. “Shut it, Runa. I think we’re done chatting. I’m ready to take you out.”

  “As you wish,” she said, and without warning, she threw a red stone at Tessa that turned into a fireball as it flew.

  “Watch out,” Finn yelled, pushing Tessa to the side.

  It still caught Tessa on the thigh, and she screamed in pain at the magical burn—the acrid smoke making her cough.

  But
what was worse, the momentum from Finn’s push made her trip and fall hard on the stone, rolling over and over till she reached the edge of the platform and—unable to stop herself—she rolled right off the edge.

  Chapter 40

  Shadows and Chasm!

  With desperation, Tessa grabbed at the ledge and hung on with all her might. She scrabbled with her toes and found a small space to wedge her right foot into. Her leg screamed in agony because of the burn, but she ignored the pain. Using all her strength and focus, she pulled herself up and back over on to the platform, pushing with her feet to help and scraping her fingers raw in the process.

  She lay on her back, feeling grateful to still be alive. She took half a moment to catch her breath and stared up into the blue morning sky, wondering if she would live to see the afternoon.

  When she got up, she saw Finn on the other side of the platform. He kept his hurt arm close and fought Runa one handed. And damn it if he wasn’t holding his own, Tessa thought admiringly as she moved in.

  He must have used a power spell. He had mentioned that he had a couple in his wonderful little satchel and that he often used them when he was losing a fight. The sound of Finn’s blade colliding with Runa’s sword echoed off the mountainside.

  Tessa felt reluctant as she drew her own blades and ran toward them. She really didn’t want to kill Runa. The woman was conniving, ruthless, and ambitious. But Tessa didn’t think she was all bad. Just corrupted by the influence of the Dark Queen.

  It was unfortunate they probably would have to kill her to stop her from killing them. Immediately, the thought of the potion Finn had brought popped into Tessa’s head. All it would take was a cut if she used the potion he had snagged at her aunt’s. And then she wouldn’t have to kill Runa.

  Tessa transferred both blades to one hand and, with the other, withdrew the potion from her pocket, pulling off the cork with her teeth. She spat it out and dumped the entire contents of the vial onto both blades. She dropped the vial with a clink as the glass bottle hit the stone without breaking. Then she checked the blades. They seemed perfectly dry, but one cut from either of them, and the victim would fall into a deep and endless sleep.

  Perfect.

  Tessa looked up and saw that Runa was pushing Finn backward toward the edge of the platform.

  Oh no. That was not happening.

  Tessa ran along the edge of the platform, and bending forward as she passed Finn, she slammed her shoulder into Runa’s torso, smashing her back into the mountain. Runa’s head hit pretty hard, but she got back up, looking stunned.

  Tessa pressed her advantage and sliced several times with the blades. But Runa recovered quickly and blocked every attack with ease. She even twisted her sword at one point and nearly disarmed Tessa. Runa had always been better at defense than offense; Tessa remembered from their sparring days. At that thought, Tessa had an idea. Maybe she should be drawing her into attacking and allow her to think she had the advantage. Then when she thought she was winning, Tessa could surprise her because her guard would be down.

  Tessa took a step back, and Runa surged forward with her sword, making big wide slashes at Tessa. Tessa bobbed left, then right. She dodged and then tucked and rolled as a huge overhead strike nearly hit her. She smacked her head on a stone and felt momentarily unable to move.

  Shadows take me. This wasn’t the plan.

  Runa grinned and lifted her sword in two hands, preparing to give the killing blow. At the very last moment, Tessa rolled desperately out of the way, and Runa hit her sword on the stone, rattling every bone in her body by the looks of the way her arms had gone slack.

  This was it.

  Tessa jumped up and slashed for the other woman’s exposed outer arm. It would make a cut that would put her to sleep, but Tessa wouldn’t have to kill her. Unfortunately, Runa moved at the same time, and Tessa had to change her swing a bit to avoid hitting her jugular. So, instead, she slashed across Runa’s face, cutting from temple to chin.

  Runa gave an ear-splitting scream.

  And the next moment, she fell to the ground completely unconscious.

  Tessa pulled her own handkerchief from her pocket and wrapped the wound on Runa’s face so it would stop bleeding. The crimson blood soaked through the white cloth and gave Tessa a troubled feeling.

  Damn. The woman was going to be seriously pissed when she woke up. But there was nothing Tessa could do about that now.

  “What did you do?” Finn demanded. “She’s not dead.”

  “Put her into an endless sleep,” Tessa said, lifting one shoulder while she put pressure on the bandage to stop the bleeding.

  “Endless?”

  “Well, you know, she probably needs a kiss or something to wake her up, but generally endless until that happens, yes.”

  “Why?”

  “It was better than killing her, wasn’t it?” Tessa asked.

  “Guess so,” Finn said doubtfully. “I have a feeling that’s going to come back to haunt you.”

  Tessa huffed out her breath, unreasonably upset that Finn was questioning her decision to put Runa to sleep. She was a terrible person. And maybe even deserved to die. She had been trying to kill the both of them, after all. And Tessa would have been well within her rights if she had killed her. Instead, she had merely put her to sleep. She had been merciful. How was that a bad thing?

  He was right, of course. If Runa ever woke up, she was going to have an even worse cause for vengeance than before. Too late for regrets now, though. She would worry about Runa later.

  Tessa strode over to the column, her footfalls echoing in the quiet morning.

  “Right. Better do this while I can. I don’t think the queen would have sent anyone else.”

  Finn joined her, and she took the amulet off, preparing to drop it—much less carefully this time—into the stone. But at that very moment, the amulet disappeared.

  Tessa gasped.

  A moment later, all the bodies were gone from the platform too, but that was of no consequence.

  “What in the Chasm?”

  “Where did it go?” she asked, staring at him.

  “It’s right here,” came a voice from the other side of the platform.

  Tessa froze at the sound, then pivoted slowly.

  The Dark Queen was standing on the very edge of the platform, wearing a dress as black as death. She appeared completely unconcerned about the thousand-foot drop behind her.

  And she was holding the amulet.

  Chapter 41

  “Tessa Callahan,” the queen said, the amulet hanging from one thin finger. “You disappoint me.”

  The Dark Queen, Tessa, and Finn stood on the platform in the bright sunshine, the wind ruffling their hair. Runa was in an endless sleep on the stones. There were puddles of monster blood here and there. Tessa had a pretty bad burn on her leg that must hurt terribly and a few nicks and cuts from the battle with the monsters, soldiers, and Runa. Finn, of course, had his own monster bite, broken wrist, and various injuries.

  But all that paled compared to the evil before them.

  The Dark Queen was here.

  She was furious.

  And Tessa and Finn would be her new playthings to torture.

  “She didn’t send anyone else,” Finn muttered. “She came herself. That can’t be good.”

  “Ransetta,” Tessa said, not pleading yet, but trying to appeal to the queen’s reason. Finn stepped up beside her. She watched the amulet that the queen had begun swinging back and forth. “This has gone on long enough. We need to end the Severance. You have to let me.”

  “I don’t have to do anything, Callahan. I am the Dark Queen. I am the First. I have almost infinite power. And now I have the amulet that is going to make the King suffer more than he could ever imagine.”

  Finn mumbled something about a woman scorned, and Tessa elbowed him.

  “Ransetta,” Tessa tried again, her tone of voice slightly more distraught. “Think about your people. From both the Seelie
and Unseelie Courts. They deserve to have their land back. Undivided. They deserve that. You deserve to have all your power back. You could rule over the entire land, instead of just this half.”

  The queen wasn’t swayed in the least. “You think the King would actually let me rule, Callahan? Then you’re more of a fool than I thought.”

  “My queen,” Tessa started again, but Finn knew it was useless to argue anymore.

  “Enough talk,” Ransetta snapped, her eyes dark with rage and betrayal. “I am clearly not your queen anymore, Callahan. If I ever was.”

  Tessa winced at this mention of her deception and treachery.

  The queen removed a wooden staff from an Otherworld sheath, and Finn and Tessa took advantage of her momentary distraction to pull their own weapons.

  “If you catch a magical blast when you’re spinning the blades, it will deflect it,” Finn whispered, beginning to flip one blade in his good hand as the queen slowly approached.

  “You never told me that.”

  Finn shrugged, keeping an eye on the queen who was whipping her staff around like she definitely knew what to do with it.

  “You never asked.” He grinned at her. “The more velocity they have, the greater the blast they can withstand.”

  “Well, make sure you don’t get hit. If she captures us, we’ll never see the light of day again.”

  The queen stopped about twenty feet away and planted her feet. Finn wondered why she was stopping. Obviously if she was going to fight them with a staff, it would have to be in close quarters.

  “Shadows take me,” Finn said with a pretend frown. “I knew I should have had more breakfast. And to think, that cookie might have been my last meal.”

  Tessa rolled her eyes, and Finn winked.

  “I like daylight,” Finn said, feeling determined. “She’s not going to capture us. Not today.”

  Tessa began spinning her blades, faster and faster. The queen lifted the staff and pointed it straight at Tessa. Then Finn realized why she hadn’t come closer. She was going to fight with magic. Of course. He should have known. He could see a charge building on the end of the staff, and a few seconds later, she let fly a huge red blast.