The Emerald Dagger

by Barbara Hodges

  With a chuckle, he took the jacket from her and tossed it across the top of a bush. "I will keep you warm." He nudged the horse forward.

  She found herself leaning back against him, his heat seeped into each pore of her skin. Soft lips touched the nape of her neck and she jerked.

  His breath teased her cheek as Darrian laughed. "I am bewitched. Do with me as you wish."

  "Are you real? Is this all a dream?"

  "My cottage is just ahead."

  Delilah glanced at the small house they rode toward. She could see it well, even in the darkness. It looked like a storybook cottage from the pages of a nursery rhyme book.

  As she watched, lights blossomed inside, and shone a welcome through the windows.

  He slid to the ground and then grasped her around her waist and lowered her to stand in front of him.

  "I can wait no longer," he whispered, lowering his head to capture her mouth with his own. His lips were firm and moved against hers like silk. She opened her mouth and his tongue slipped inside. Her arms reached up to twine around his neck.

  He lifted his head. "Inside."

  The door opened as they neared, but she gave it no thought. The night was magical, the man even more so. Maybe it was a dream? She found she did not care. The door closed behind them as they entered

  Chapter Fourteen

  A blacksmith's hammer striking an anvil rang in Angus' skull. Hands gripped his feet and arms, and his body swayed with each stumbling step of those who carried him.

  "Enough," a quarrelsome voice said, and Angus' booted feet hit the ground with a head-splitting thump.

  "Pick them up. At this rate we will never reach the cages."

  "I am not a pack mule for a stinking dwarf. I will not."

  Angus cracked his eyes open. He saw only trees above him. What had happened? A glint of silver fluttered by and a voice both tinkling and strident screamed. "It is awake and listens."

  "Awake? Then let him use his own two feet."

  His head, in the same ungentle way, joined his feet on the ground. Angus groaned and struggled to sit up.

  "Be careful. Be careful. It may attack."

  "Shut up, you stupid fairie."

  "Don't you call me stupid, you human brat."

  "That's enough from both of you. Shut up or I'll use the crystal."

  Human. Fairie. Slowly it came back to Angus. He opened his eyes wider. Healer Daemon, no, Thomas, stared down at him. Patrick Bannion glowered at the fairie flitting before him. Angus' body ached, and his head felt wrapped in wool. He tried to lift a hand to rub his pounding temple, but his arm felt like it was rooted to the ground.

  The fairie fluttered to Angus. "I'll shoot him with another dart."

  "No, Talix," Thomas said. "I refuse to carry him another inch. I've a better idea."

  He fumbled in the pocket of his gown and brought out the crystal. "See this?" Without waiting for a reply, he placed the crystal against Angus' shoulder. Searing pain knifed upward and the dwarf screamed.

  "As long as I hold it against you, you will scream, but not for long, because your heart will cease to beat." He removed the crystal and looked from it to Angus. "How long would you last? I've never used it on a dwarf before." He smiled and touched the crystal to Angus' hip. The dwarf yelled again and his body arced in pain.

  "Enough," Patrick said.

  Thomas whirled upon the boy. "You interrupt me?"

  "I'm cold and it's beginning to rain. And what will our master say if you kill him?"

  Angus licked his lips and tasted blood. Who was their master? His guts twisted, for he was afraid he knew the answer.

  Thomas took a deep breath. "You are right for once, boy. Our master will want to talk to this one himself."

  Talix flew to hover before Thomas. "The boy calls him master? He doesn't know who?—"

  "Quiet. I know what it will do to you." Thomas stretched the crystal toward the fairie.

  Talix back-winged away from the crystal. "You dare threaten me? I will have you—"

  "Have me what? You are nothing, dead to your kind." Thomas smiled.

  Patrick stepped between Thomas and the fairie. "He knows who the master is? And I don't? He's nothing but a stupid fairie. Why does he know?"

  Talix darted around Patrick's head. "A stupid fairie?" he screeched. "I am a prince."

  "You are a traitor," Thomas said, "a mewling goat who leads his own kind to their deaths."

  "I do his bidding, as you do," the fairie spat.

  "I want to know who the master is," Patrick shouted. "You will tell me now."

  Thomas lifted the crystal and pointed it toward Patrick. At the same instant, Talix lifted his blowpipe to his lips.

  Angus settled back onto the ground. If this kept up they would kill each other and he would walk away; at least as soon as his legs would hold him, he would walk away. As he smiled at the thought, the middle of day suddenly became dim as twilight.

  All gazes jerked skyward. Three dragons flew between them and the wan sunlight. Talix squeaked and darted to hide behind a tree's trunk, while Thomas and Patrick paled visibly.

  "Did they see us?" Patrick whispered as the dragons moved on and sunlight filled the area again.

  "Of course they did," Thomas said, putting the crystal into his pocket.

  "Then they will circle back and —"

  "They might," Thomas said. He turned on Angus. "Stand, dwarf, or I will use the crystal on you again."

  Angus climbed unsteadily to his feet.

  "Don't try to run. Talix will have a dart in your hide before you take three steps." Thomas glanced at the sky again. "We must hurry."

  "They won't come back," Angus said.

  Thomas pivoted to face the dwarf. "How can you be sure?"

  "They go to destroy the fairies. They have no time for the likes of us."

  "What do you mean?" Thomas said.

  "Ask the boy. He knows."

  Thomas rounded on Patrick. "What do you know?"

  "The dwarf told Hafgan Zara blamed the fairies for the death of her son, and she was going to kill them all."

  "No," Talix darted from behind the tree. "It cannot happen. He promised me...."

  Angus laughed. "Do you think Dirkk cares?"

  Thomas' eyes narrowed. "So you know."

  "Who else would hold your leash?" Angus said, spitting into the dirt at Thomas' feet.

  "Dirkk?" Patrick said. "My father lives?"

  A red haze marred Angus' vision. "Father? You claim such hell-spawn as father?" He stretched his hands out toward the boy. "Better I break your neck now than let Rourk know of your words."

  Patrick scrambled behind Thomas. "Do not touch me. I am the son of your master-to-be. You will kneel to me before four more days pass."

  "I will spill every last drop of my blood upon the ground before that happens," Angus said, lurching forward.

  "Stop him," Thomas cried, and Angus felt the sting as a dart entered the skin of his cheek just above his beard.

  "Never," he muttered, then darkness overcame him.

  Angus woke to the eye-searing scent of ammonia. The soft sounds of breathing surrounded him. He rolled to the side and came up against cold iron. He explored the coldness with his hands. It was bars. He clasped them and pulled himself upright. His eyes searched the darkness to no avail. He waited, blinked, but time did not help; the stifling blackness was complete. He shifted onto his hands and knees.

  In the middle of the cage, his hands sank up to his wrist in a mound of cold ash. On the right was a chamber pot judging by the foul reek coming from its crusted sides; on the left he found a sleeping pad and two thin coverings. He reached through the bars and his fingertips touched another cage. He heard a sharp squeal and a scramble of feet.

  "Who are you?" he said. "Where is this place?"

  A growl warned and sharp teeth grazed his fingers.

  Angus jerked his hand back inside the cage.

  ""Silence," a feminine voice called from across the ro
om. "Your questions will be answered in the morning."

  Angus crawled back to the sleeping pad and lay down. He had no choice but to wait, at least for now.

  *****

  The brush on Kelsey's right quivered and she jumped to her feet, sword held ready. She relaxed as Rourk pushed a branch aside and slipped into the clearing.

  He shook his head. "Nothing."

  She frowned. "We still stay. This is where DaKar said the entrance to Dirkk's cave is."

  "It's too easy. Why haven't we seen any more of those wolf things?" Rourk rubbed the back of his neck.

  "I don't know." Kelsey shivered as a cool breeze ruffled her hair. They didn't have any blankets with them; they hadn't planned an outside overnighter. She wished they dared a fire, but suicide didn't appeal to her.

  Rourk stood silent and stared into the darkness around them. "Too damn quiet," he murmured.

  Freya stirred, whinnied and Kelsey crossed to her and stroked between the mare's ears. "Rourk, what's bothering her?"

  He moved to the mare and, cupped her head between his hands, looked into her eyes. "Freya scents something strange."

  "The wolves?"

  "No, it's different."

  The hair at Kelsey's nape rose and goose bumps erupted on her arms. Shifting her hold on her sword, she scanned the darkness. "Where's DaKar?"

  Rourk shook his head. "We separated, and I haven't seen him since." He moved to the backpacks lying on the ground and pulled out a linen-wrapped square.

  "Eat," he said, offering her a dried square of trail food.

  Kelsey paced the length of the clearing as she chewed. Her eyes searched first left and then right. She touched the pendant at her neck and silently called to Regan. Where are you? Why don't you answer?

  "Be still, Kelsey," Rourk said. "You will wear yourself out and be no good in a fight."

  She bristled, but knew he was right. She moved to sit beside him, and then jumped as she felt his hands massage her shoulders.

  "We can do nothing until dawn."

  She stared upward. The stars glinted like the pointed ends of silver knives in the blackness. "I wonder how Peter is."

  "We can only pray he is well."

  "We are watched," came into Kelsey's head. She jerked away from Rourk and jumped to her feet. DaKar stood in the middle of the clearing. "What? How did you…?"

  She heard Rourk's soft chuckle. "Unicorns are not seen or heard if they don't wish to be. What is he saying?"

  "We're being watched."

  Rourk stood. "By what?"

  "Fairie demons."

  "Fairie what?" Kelsey said.

  "They surround you."

  Kelsey turned in a slow circle, her eyes searching, but she still saw nothing. "Then why don't they attack?"

  "Kelsey…?"

  "Fairie demons, all around us."

  Rourk pulled his knife from the sheath strapped to his leg.

  "They were told to watch, guard. You have not tried to enter the cave."

  "If we had…?" Kelsey sent.

  "You would be dead."

  "Does Dirkk know we are here?" Rourk asked.

  "I do not know. I did not try to talk to them. They do not sense me."

  Kelsey shifted her sword from hand to hand. "DaKar doesn't know if Dirkk knows about us or not. What do we do?"

  "We wait until daylight."

  "Why?..."

  "They see in the night as if it is day. Do you?"

  "Damn." She waved her hand as Rourk started to speak. "They have night vision. We have to wait until light."

  Rourk frowned. "What if they attack?"

  She stared down at her booted feet for a moment. "They do only what they are told. Dirkk doesn't know we are here, or he would have had them attack us already."

  Rourk still held the trail food in his spare hand. He took another bite and then handed it to her. "Then we wait and watch."

  "What do they look like, these fairie demons," she asked DaKar.

  "Smaller then you, but covered with hair. They have wings and long talons like the dragons. The talons are poisonous to everything living."

  "Can they fly?"

  "No, they are too heavy for the wings."

  Rourk's eyes narrowed as Kelsey repeated what the unicorn said. "It explains what is happening to the missing fairies."

  "Looks like Zara had it right." Kelsey's lips thinned. "But she can't kill all of the fairies."

  "Three dragons? Yes, they can." Rourk placed his hand on her shoulder. "First we take care of Dirkk, then the dragons. All will be fine."

  "Dragons come," DaKar sent.

  "What?" Kelsey said, looking up into the night sky. Three dark shapes blotted out the stars.

  "Zara is angry. Talk to her, you of Thea's blood."

  "Me?"

  The unicorn shook his mane in response. Kelsey closed her eyes and sent a thought into the night sky. "Zara."

  Two of the dragons circled back.

  "What do you want, human?"

  "Zara?"

  "No. It is I, Lilith. Zara will not speak to humans this eve, not even those of Thea's blood."

  "Why is Zara angry?" Kelsey sent.

  "The fairies hide from us like frightened mice."

  "Then you have not killed them?"

  "We have destroyed and burned their village."

  Zara's roar blotted out Lilith's words.

  "Llyr tires. We go back to the cave, but tomorrow we will destroy the remaining fairie villages, and the fairies also. We have time. They cannot hide forever."

  The dragons flew on, and stars once again dotted the sky.

  "What?" Rourk said.

  "Llyr got tired so they only destroyed one fairie village and no fairies. They were all gone."

  "Thank the Goddess," Rourk said.

  "But they're going back tomorrow, and the next day, until they find them and kill them all."

  "The alliance will not let them. There will be war."

  Kelsey closed her eyes. "And I'm the one who released them."

  *****

  Peter stood on the balcony and stared into the darkness. I have to do something. I cannot just wait here while Dirkk has my wife and son. In the room behind him, Catherine stirred, and he went to stand beside her. His daughter. She was so beautiful, so innocent. His lips tightened. She would not be raised without a mother or brother. He would not let it happen. He closed his eyes and sought the Power. Yes, it was restored, even that used to heal Margeaux. He took a deep breath and winced. Too bad he couldn't heal himself. A knock sounded.

  "Enter."

  Queen Tessa came into the room, her face pale and tense.

  "What is it, my queen?"

  "A fairie runner arrived. The dragons are free and have attacked one of their villages."

  "No," Peter said, "It cannot be. Regan has imprisoned Zara and Lilith, and Llyr is too ill to do so."

  Tessa shook her head. "They leveled and burned it."

  "The fairies?"

  Her smile was without humor. "King Truthspeak doesn't set much store by my words. He'd had the village abandoned."

  "Then who saw? How do they know?"

  "Truthspeak witnessed it with his own eyes. It was the dragons."

  Peter's legs trembled, and he was afraid they would drop him to the floor. "What do we do now?"

  Tessa closed her eyes for a moment, and then opened them. "We can't let them go on like this. We have no choice. They must be stopped." She inhaled deeply. "I have sent runners to Hafgan and the other lords. You will use the Power."

  "No," he said. "There has to be another way."

  "Provide me another way," she snapped.

  "Regan—"

  "Is not here." She glared at him. "How did Zara get free? Is Regan more Thea than Regan?"

  "What do you mean?" Then he blanched as her question became clear. "No, Regan did not free Zara and Lilith. She would not."

  "Then who? Who else mind-speaks dragons and has the Power?"

  "Dirkk
has Regan."

  "Yes, Regan is with Dirkk."

  "Do not say it, Tessa," he said. "Do not even think it."

  "I know not a mother's love, but I know the love I feel for my people. It sometimes overwhelms me. And I am told a mother's love is even stronger. A woman will do anything to protect her child," she said.

  "Dirkk would not destroy the fairies. He needs them."

  "Who needs the fairies if dragons can be used instead?"

  "No," Peter said. "Regan is true to you and Daradawn."

  "She released Dirkk before when she had the chance to destroy him." Tessa began to pace.

  "It was for our people, to honor their bodies," he insisted.

  "Their souls were free. A body is only a shell."

  "Tessa, Regan loves you and Daradawn."

  The queen turned on her heels and walked toward the door. "You will use the Power to serve me. I am your queen and I order it so. We leave at daybreak."

  Peter watched the door close and then pounded his fists against his legs. "It is not so."

  Behind him, Catherine cried out. He moved to her and scooped her into his arms. Unable to speak, he kissed her soft cheek and jostled her gently. What was he to do? Catherine's eyes opened and she stared into his. He felt the Power inside of him surge. With a cry he broke the eye contact with his daughter. "Oh, little one. It is strong within you and we must guard against it until we teach you control."

  Yes, a voice inside his head said, so strong that Regan could not stand against the two of you if, in truth, she has aligned with Dirkk.

  He shook his head. "It is not true."

  "What isn't true?" Ben stood framed inside the doorway.

  "Nothing," Peter said. "How is Margeaux?"

  "Thanks to you, she is fine. We're going to be leaving in a few minutes. I just came to check on you before we go."

  "Leave?" Peter's brow wrinkled in puzzlement. "Where are you going? It is time to retire for the night, not leave."

  "Margeaux senses something wrong with Darrian," Ben said. "We are riding to Vilsathor. We can be there in a few hours."

  "What is wrong with the young prince?" Peter looked puzzled.

  "Margeaux doesn't know, but he's in an emotional mess." He stared hard into Peter's face. "Are you all right?"