Spirit of the Fae

by Linsey Hall

  “No.” She scowled. “Of course not. We just said we’ve sent you back in time. You can’t rejoin that time line or you would never appear here. Which means you would never be able to go back in time to rejoin your bodies in the first place.”

  “And I would never have died,” Tarron said.

  I sagged in my chair. “So the Eternal Flame would never be doused.”

  All the Seelie would die in the blaze. He’d died to save them—we couldn’t undo that.

  Shit.

  So, that was a dumb idea.

  I met the queen’s gaze. “We join with our bodies, and then there is another task, I presume?”

  She nodded. “Indeed. Within a very specific window of time. And if you do not, every dire thing that you can imagine will occur. This Eternal Flame thing will happen…whatever that is. And you’ll cease to exist.”

  I grimaced, sharing a quick glance with Tarron.

  “You can expect us back here within the window,” Tarron said. “But then what? How do we leave again?”

  “You need the Resurrection Stone of course,” the queen said. “Which we will give you. One of you.”

  I blinked. “One?”

  “There is only one.” The queen laughed, a mean little sound. “Did I not explain that earlier?”

  Shit.

  “There is one stone,” the king said. “And the magic it contains is only strong enough for one person to leave here.”

  “But you both will have mortal bodies.” The queen pointed with her knife again, and I wanted to yank it out of her hand and stab her with it. “Which means the one who stays behind will die. For good.”

  “Isn’t that our current situation?” Tarron asked.

  “Indeed, no.” The queen smiled, and I definitely didn’t like her anymore. Not that I’d liked her much to start with. “You are here, are you not? When you die in this realm—you are gone forever. Ankou will take you.”

  Shit, shit, shit. Not that bastard.

  I shared a look with Tarron, my heart thundering. This was so bad.

  No.

  Unacceptable.

  I hadn’t accepted that Tarron would die, and I wouldn’t accept this.

  I would find a way around out.

  “How do we get the Resurrection Stone?” I asked.

  “We give it to you, once you’ve retrieved the Aranthian Crystal for us.”

  “You’ve had the Resurrection Stone all this time?” I asked, appalled.

  The queen shrugged. “Yes. But you couldn’t leave here without a body, and of course you wanted your magic back.”

  I scowled. She had a point, but I hated that we’d been delayed by all this shit.

  “What is the Aranthian Crystal?” Tarron asked.

  “That’s none of your business.”

  “It is if we have to retrieve it.”

  The queen scrunched up her nose. “Is it, though? I think not. Just retrieve the crystal from the Dark Necromancer and bring it back here. Then one of you can leave, and the other can die.”

  Her grin made me want to punch her. I focused on that feeling instead of the sick surge inside my soul.

  There was no way that only one of us was escaping. I’d find a way around it.

  “Why do we need to fetch the Aranthian Crystal?” Tarron asked.

  “It is in a place that is far too dangerous for us to access. A place where only people with bodies can go.”

  It was all starting to make sense now. No wonder they’d let us go on this wild chase to leave their realm. They were using us for something.

  In a sense, it was comforting. I liked understanding people’s motivations.

  I nodded. “Fine. Bodies next, then the Aranthian Crystal. We can do that.”

  “You’re sure you wish to work together on this?” The queen’s gaze darted between us. “Considering that only one of you may leave.”

  “Together,” Tarron said, his voice firm.

  I nodded.

  “Fine.” The queen looked confused but delighted, as if she didn’t understand a twist in her favorite soap opera.

  “You’ll go in the morning,” the king said. “We need time to create the temporary portal to the scene of your death, as well as the potion that will transport you to your final task.”

  Tarron and I both nodded.

  The rest of the meal ended quickly, and I was grateful. I needed to get the hell away from these people.

  I relaxed just slightly when Elara appeared to escort us back to our rooms. I’d been hoping it would be her.

  Tarron was silent as we climbed the stairs back to our tower prison, but I made sure to chat with Elara. Just little things—enough to keep her close to me so she could hear my voice.

  By the time we reached our tower prison, her guard was definitely down.

  She unlocked the door and pushed it open, then smiled brightly. “Well, I guess I’ll just leave you here!”

  Before she had a chance to turn, I sliced my finger with my sharp thumbnail. Pain pinched and blood welled, a comforting reminder of my power. I shot my hand out and swiped my black blood across her forehead, then leaned in close and imbued my voice with my magic. “Leave the door unlocked and forget this moment.”

  Her eyes glazed over and she nodded, then she stepped back and went down the stairs. I watched her go, then turned to Tarron.

  “What are your plans?” he asked.

  “I want to use their magical fire to talk to my sister. I think it’s capable of contacting the outside world.”

  Understanding dawned in his eyes. “The face we first saw in the flames when we arrived here.”

  “Exactly. I want an update from here. I’m worried.”

  “Did you see something?”

  “In a vision? No. I tried. But there’s this heaviness.” I pressed a hand to my chest. “I’m worried. I can feel the need to check on her.”

  He nodded. “It’s getting late. In a few hours, the throne room should be empty.”

  “Exactly. Let’s rest, then we’ll sneak down there.”

  He nodded.

  Tension was thick in the air as we undressed for bed. We were only going to sleep—it was all we could do while we didn’t have bodies—but that didn’t mean I didn’t notice him. I couldn’t help it.

  He was so big and muscular. And right before we’d died, we’d share the best night of my life.

  Images played in my mind of everything he’d done to me. My breathing grew short and my skin hot.

  I climbed into bed next to him, wanting to fan myself but knowing it would do no good. And it would be embarrassing. Very.

  He shifted on the mattress, almost as if he were uncomfortable. Overly hot.

  Get it together.

  I drew in a deep breath and closed my eyes, trying to fall asleep.

  Of course, it took ages. And by the time sleep did finally steal over my mind, it brought with it dreams.

  Dreams of Tarron, kissing his way down my body. Of his weight pressing me into the bed. Of him touching me and driving me wild with pleasure. It felt so real—as if he were truly with me, instead of just a figment of my imagination. In the fantasy, he rose over me, muscular and beautiful.

  His heat covered me, and he bent low, pressing his warm lips against my neck. His tongue swiped against my skin, burning me with pleasure. I arched up into him, a moan torn from my throat. His strong hands swept down my sides, leaving trails of goosebumps in their wake.

  This was real.

  We couldn’t touch, but somehow, in this dream world, everything felt like it was actually happening.

  As waves of pleasure crashed over me, thoughts of reality faded. If this was all I had with him, I wanted to enjoy it. I rose up to meet Tarron, my hands gripping his strong shoulders as I wrapped my legs around his waist. His groan echoed in my ear, and I crushed my mouth to his, losing myself to desire.

  9

  I woke at four a.m., still hot from the dream that had felt all too real. As soon as I shifte
d, Tarron’s eyes opened. There was a heat in the green depths that made me shiver.

  “Good dreams?” I asked.

  “The best.” His voice was rough.

  “Were they about me?”

  He growled low in his throat and nodded. I felt my cheeks turn red—which was so not like me—and turned away. Maybe there was something in the air here. Something that made our dreams feel real—or brought us into each other’s dreams.

  Whatever the case, it didn’t matter right now.

  “We should go,” I said. “It’s super early, so no one should be awake. Perfect for this.” And the need to see her was weighing even more heavily.

  Together, we dressed, and I made sure to keep my eyes to myself. Now was not the time for distractions.

  I slipped through the unlocked door first, Tarron close behind.

  As soon as I stepped out of the prison room, I felt the prickle of protective magic fade. “I’m going to try transporting now that we’re no longer blocked by the room’s magic.”

  Though I doubted it would work, I had to try.

  He nodded, and I called upon my power, letting it swell to life inside me.

  It felt freaking amazing after not having it.

  I imagined the throne room, and made my attempt.

  Nothing.

  I opened my eyes.

  Tarron frowned. “No luck?”

  “No. My power works, but it’s blocked by something in the castle.”

  “No surprise. Let’s go the old-fashioned way.”

  We crept down the stairs on silent feet. If I remembered correctly, the first guard should be just around the bend, right next to the first window.

  As expected, he stood straight as an arrow, gaze on the far wall. There were four more guards between us and the throne room, and we wouldn’t be able to take them all without at least one hearing the commotion and sounding an alarm.

  But this one was all on his own.

  Tarron leaned down and murmured to me, “Ready to pull your mind-control trick?”

  “Yep.”

  He nodded. “Come on.”

  With the confident stride of the king he was, he sauntered out into the hallway and approached the guard.

  The Fae twitched and turned to us, surprise on his face, as if to say, “Aren’t you the prisoners?”

  But Tarron was too fast. He sprinted forward with unnatural speed and grabbed the guard around the throat, swinging him around so his back pressed to his chest. He clamped a hand over his mouth, silencing any shouts.

  I hurried forward, slicing my finger with my thumbnail as I ran. Pain flared and blood welled, and I quickly swiped the black liquid over the guard’s forehead. His eyes widened and his skin paled.

  I leaned close and whispered, imbuing my voice with my magic. “Tell the other guards that it is time for a break and take them away from here. Return in thirty minutes.”

  His eyes unfocused and he nodded.

  “Release him,” I said.

  Tarron dropped the guard, who stumbled off down the hall.

  We waited a few moments, breath held, then continued on.

  I peered around the corner, spotting the retreating backs of all four guards as they disappeared down the hall.

  “Come on.” I raced forward on silent feet.

  As expected, the throne room was empty when we arrived, and the hearth was dead. There was nothing but embers within.

  I strode up and inspected it, frowning when I realized there was no wood.

  “I’ve got it.” Tarron’s magic swelled on the air, and flames burst to life within the hearth.

  There was a small golden box sitting upon the ornate mantel.

  I reached for it. “That has to be the powder that makes this thing work.” I picked it up and opened it, sniffing the powder just a bit. I frowned. “I don’t recognize the smell. It’s strange.”

  “They might use something different here.”

  I shrugged. “Maybe. Let’s try.”

  I took a pinch and tossed it into the flame. “Show me Aeri.”

  The flames danced, shadows flickering within. Slowly, an image formed.

  Aeri, crouching in a thick wooded area. The trees were gnarled and ancient, and great boulders peppered the landscape here and there. She hid in the shadow of one, panting. In the distance, I spotted Declan, her fallen angel boyfriend. He hid behind a similar boulder. He must have gone along on her hunt.

  “Aeri!” I whispered, relief surging through me.

  Her eyes widened and her head popped up. “Mari?”

  “Yeah. It’s me. Any news?”

  “We’ve found it. Are you alive?”

  “Not yet, but I’m getting there. Where are you?”

  Aeri nodded, her eyes dark. “We’ve found an entrance to her world, and it’s not good news, Mari.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “She’s strong. Stronger than she was when she attacked the Seelie kingdom. I can feel her magic through the portal.”

  “Have you seen her? Do you know what it is?”

  “No idea. And I haven’t seen her. Haven’t even gotten through the portal yet—I still need to figure out how. But I know it goes to her realm. You wouldn’t mistake this signature for anything.”

  Shit. She’d already been too strong for me to defeat last time. If she’d gotten even more powerful, I didn’t stand a chance.

  Cold fear threatened to overwhelm me, but I shoved it back. I’d defeated this fear when I’d worked to get my magic again. I wouldn’t let it take me a second time.

  “We’re in the Willow Wood in Puck’s Glen, on the west coast of Scotland,” she whispered. “I’m going to try to find out how to get into the Unseelie realm from here.”

  “No, don’t. It’s too dangerous. We’ll be out of here soon, Aeri. We’ll come and help—”

  A figure flashed behind the huge rock that hid her.

  My heart rate spiked. “Aeri! Behind you!”

  Her eyes widened and she spun, but she was too late.

  The figure—an Unseelie male with dark hair and black eyes—was upon her. He raised a hand and hit her with a blast of black energy that threw her backward. She crashed to the ground, unconscious.

  The man swept her up and gave me an evil grin. “The queen will be pleased with this one.”

  Shit! I lunged for the fire, temporarily losing my mind.

  Tarron grabbed me, pulling me back.

  The man disappeared, Aeri in his arms.

  Declan!

  I glanced over toward the boulder where her boyfriend had been hiding. He lay unconscious amongst the rocks, clearly hit by an unexpected spell.

  He couldn’t save her.

  An Unseelie approached him, ready to drag him off like they’d done with Aeri.

  My skin grew cold and my chest hollowed out. I looked at Tarron. “They’ve got her. We distracted her, and her guard was down. And now they’ve got her. And Declan.”

  This was why I’d been afraid—that nagging feeling that had weighed on me. My premonition gift hadn’t worked fully, but it’d been trying to warn me of this.

  “We’ll get them back.”

  Terror like I’d never known suffused me, threatening to drown me.

  No. No, this couldn’t be real.

  I wanted to wail, to scream, to kill.

  And I was fucking trapped here!

  Shaking, I reached for the powder tin again, chucking some more into the fire. “Show me Claire.”

  The flams flickered and danced, slower this time.

  “Come on!” I hissed, throwing more powder in.

  Claire’s face appeared a moment later. Her dark hair was messy, and blood streaked her face, a slash across her cheek that was totally badass. “Mordaca? What’s going on? We haven’t heard from you since the battle. Where are you?”

  Through my terror for Aeri, I briefly registered that as weird since she should think I was dead, then plowed onward. “Aeri has been abducted by the False Un
seelie Queen.”

  Claire frowned. “False?”

  Of course she didn’t know the truth yet.

  A commotion sounded down the hall, and Tarron grabbed my arm. “Someone is coming.”

  “Abducted. Willow Wood in Puck’s Glen. Portal to Unseelie Realm. Help her.” The words rolled off my tongue so fast I prayed she understood them.

  Her eyes brightened and she nodded. “We’ll try. But where—”

  Tarron grabbed my arm and yanked me away. “Come on. We can’t save your sister if we never get out of here.”

  He was right, damn it. We couldn’t get on the bad side of the king and queen now. I gave Claire one last look, then raced away, following Tarron.

  His wings appeared, the lightning-bright appendages flaring wide behind his back. I called upon my own wings, feeling them burst free. I launched myself into the air behind Tarron, and we flew swiftly from the room and through the wide, abandoned hallway. I could hear footsteps in the distance, and my heart thundered.

  We needed to make it back to the room.

  Finally, we reached the stairs. It was too narrow to fly upward, so we landed and sprinted up , taking them two at a time. We reached our chamber a few minutes later and hurtled inside. Tarron spun around and shut the door.

  “Holy fates, Aeri,” I moaned, leaning against the wall.

  Fear chilled me. Had this been what she’d felt when I’d been abducted? Because if so, it fucking sucked.

  “We’ll get her,” Tarron said.

  “We have to.” Rage lit a fire in my chest. This was what assholes did. They threatened that which you loved most.

  I was going to get my sister back and kill any bastard who hurt her.

  “Shhhh,” Tarron said. “There’s someone on the stairs.”

  I stiffened, anger flashing through me. Irritation at the fact that I was trapped here while my sister was in danger on earth. I resented the fact that I had to fight my way out of here before I could even start to try to save her.

  But the king and queen were about to send us back in time to the battle that had killed us. Could I warn her at the battle, perhaps? I probably wasn’t supposed to change the course of history, but this wasn’t such a big thing.

  If I played my cards right, I could see her soon and warn her.

  The thought gave me just enough control that I could draw a deep breath and turn to face the door with a semblance of calm.