I could understand his disbelief. Besides Ember, no one spoke to me in such a way. No one. They would not live long if they did, but I not only let her do it, I felt the repercussions of her query. I had looked the other way during that time. It hadn’t affected me, and with all my brother’s madness, I ignored the thousands of lives Aneira sentenced to death. Their lives had not meant enough for me to challenge the previous Seelie Queen.
My lids squeezed shut, the notion like an avalanche.
“Sir? Are you all right?” Travil’s words startled my eyes open.
“Yes.” I cleared my throat, letting the heaviness float away.
What was done could not be undone. But a heaviness still weighted my chest as I took steps to pursue Fionna. I used to be so sure in my decisions, whatever the outcome. I never had second thoughts concerning my choices. Lately, it seemed all the ghosts from those options were coming back for me.
Fionna led us to the castle, now closed to tourists for the day, as the security guards tried to hustle out the stragglers. I reached her side when I felt the icy fingers of someone watching me. Warning bells flicked on as they had earlier. My boots came to an abrupt halt, my head swiveling around, desperate to find the source of this unease.
“What?” Fionna sighed as though she really didn’t want to talk to me, but curiosity forced her to.
I shook my head, not fully able to put my weariness into words.
“Sir?” Goran went on defense, scouring the area for what sign he missed. “Fae?”
“Yes.” I nodded. At least I could feel that. Magic was extremely dense in Europe, and Prague all the more so, making it hard to decipher magic coming from a particular person.
“We don’t have long to get into the castle.” Fionna tugged on my sleeve. “They won’t put the alarms back on until everyone is out. We need to go now.”
My head bobbed, but I still couldn’t stop scanning every dark corner. What I thought I saw earlier had unnerved me. It was impossible. I knew it logically. Lack of sleep and enormity of the stress I had been under were affecting me and messing with my mind.
Groups heading to dinner or home moved around us in clumps. The darkness enveloped the city, beckoning in fog that made it hard to distinguish faces.
My gaze circled the square and stopped. Oxygen pulled sharply in my lungs. A figure stood in an alley across the plaza, drenched in shadows. His face was hidden by the darkness, but his yellow-green eyes burned through the mist, right into my own.
He stepped forward, and a streetlamp flicked over half his face. I froze. Could hardly breathe.
It couldn’t be. There was no way…
A sneer curled up on the man’s face, then he slipped back into the shadows and disappeared from view.
“No. Wait,” I muttered, my legs already moving without thought, desperate to reach him, to touch a solid person, to know I wasn’t going crazy. I bolted through the people, pushing and shoving anyone blocking my way. I could hear Fionna as well as my men call for me. But nothing stopped my pursuit. I reached the spot where the man had been and followed his only path out. The alley dumped out on another tourist-populated square.
So easy to dissolve into a crowd.
I stopped, spinning in a circle, searching to see anyone exiting the square with purpose and hoping to slip away. My gaze darted to groups, to singles, to couples. No one watched me or looked out of place. I couldn’t stop searching, making myself dizzy as I spun. He couldn’t disappear.
Not if he were solid flesh.
A queasy feeling rolled in my stomach, distress sinking in deep. My shoulders curled over, and I forced in gulps of air.
“Lars?” A hand touched me gently, and heat sparked down my spine. “What’s going on? Are you all right?” Fionna leaned over trying to see my face. I bolted up, turning away from her.
“Sir, I think we need to get you back to the hotel. You need to rest.”
I glowered at Goran.
“You haven’t slept in days…maybe weeks, my liege. You need to relax.”
“You are not my fucking mother, Goran,” I bit out.
“No, but I am here to protect you. Even if it’s from yourself.”
I moved, stepping up to him like a bull. “Do not forget yourself. I brought you in, saved your life. Do not get our roles mixed up.”
Goran’s teeth gritted. “I haven’t forgot, sir. Nor will I ever. I swore to protect you with my life, and I plan on keeping my promise till the day I die. Nothing will stop me from doing that.”
Even me. He didn’t have to say it. Even if his King turned mad and could no longer understand reason.
Like most of the men in my family had.
I gazed over his shoulder and searched for the mirror image I had seen twice now.
Was I going crazy? Seeing the dead image of my insane brother would kind of be ironic. Was my conscience using him as a symbol of my own descent into insanity?
I stepped back from Goran, massaging the spot between my eyes. “Leave me for a moment,” I ordered. Travil and Goran nodded, stepping far enough away I felt relieved from their constant presence.
“You too,” I sniped at Fionna.
“No.”
“No?”
“No,” she replied even firmer.
“You know I am a king,” I exclaimed. “Not just any king... but the King.”
“That’s nice for you.”
I groaned, leaning my head back. What the hell was wrong that I could not get this maddening woman to do anything I asked?
“Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I peered back down at her, her inquisitive eyes sparkling under the lights strung overhead.
“No, you’re not,” she huffed, folding her arms. “This is the second time today you’ve gotten spooked by something.” She shuffled closer, tipping her chin to look up at me. “Who did you see? Someone who scares you.” The way she said it came out blunt and direct. Just like her. I bristled at her awareness, feeling exposed.
“No one.” I tried to move around her, but she sidestepped, blocking me. “And no one scares me.”
“Tell me.”
“Don’t worry yourself about it,” I growled, shoving past her and heading back for the alley leading to the castle. “We have more important matters.”
Saying it out loud would confirm I was slipping. A king losing his grasp was a vulnerable king. I would be challenged at every turn. And the girl feigning concern was one of my top enemies. She was probably searching, waiting, and working me to find my liability. Of all the beings, I would not be brought down by a Druid.
She caught up with me. Goran and Travil flanked us, one slightly ahead, one slightly behind.
“The cauldron is hidden in the old royal palace?” I didn’t bother looking at her, my sight straight on the closed gate to the royal palace.
“The Treasury of St. Vitus Cathedral to be precise.”
I halted. “You mean to tell me one of the most powerful objects in the world is displayed for thousands of tourists to see every day? It is sitting in a glass box for anyone to steal? Please tell me you are joking, Ms. Cathbad.”
At Fionna’s silence I finally turned my head. Her cheeks were rosy from the cold. She knew I was staring at her but didn’t acknowledge me.
“Ms. Cathbad?”
“It is well guarded.”
“You are not answering my question.”
“Sometimes the best hiding spots are out in the open.”
She was far from stupid. In fact, she was extremely clever and shrewd, so much so she kept me on edge always trying to find her true motivation.
Piper was the only button I had to press, but I was still unsure Fionna wasn’t playing me in some way. I despised that feeling. My demon was already walking a thin line, which grew ever finer with each step we made toward the palace.
The building we needed stood behind the castle walls, was gated on three sides, and heavily alarmed.
We scaled the wall off a small g
arden on one side and slipped in to the least guarded gate inside.
“Guards patrol every ten minutes through this area.”
All of us tilted our heads, taken aback by her knowledge of their movement.
“What do you think I was doing on the plane?” She lifted her eyebrow at me. “I spent it breaking into the castle’s database. And what were you doing? Oh right.” She snapped her fingers.
My teeth ground together. What a fool I’d been to let myself lose control.
“Well, if you recall, Ms. Cathbad, I was unaware of where we were going until about ten minutes ago. I could have disabled the alarms had I known.”
She rolled her eyes back in exasperation. She motioned her hands over the gate and began to chant. The words rolled out low but strong, the Latin rumbling through me with its power. With a clunk the lock rolled over, the entrance squeaking softly as it opened for us.
“Not needed. But thanks for the offer.” She winked with snarky smugness, pushing through the opening and slinking into the darkness.
Aggravation torqued my muscles into knots. “That girl,” I grumbled.
“She’s the kind you either fuck or kill,” Travil said impassively. Both Goran and I twisted to look at him. He was not a man of many words and most of them were about fighting.
“Remember your place,” Goran snarled. “And she’s a Druid.”
“Druid or not, I think she’s starting to grow on me.” Travil shrugged, reaching over his shoulder for his bow.
Amusement found me out of the blue, and a slight grin inched along my face.
“To even insinuate a fae King would—”
“No, Goran, he might be right.” I switched back, watching her sneak fluidly across the quad as if she were one with the shadows. The instant Travil put it out there, the demon woke up. Clawing. Wanting.
The problem was I didn’t know which one it wanted to do more.
Chapter Thirteen
Fionna
Nerves cavorted in my stomach similar to a hyper bunch of frogs.
What was I doing? Ignorance of your own foolishness was one thing, but when you were doing it outright and labeling it self-preservation, it was plain stupidity. What kept me going was my daughter and a small chance I could pull this off, though it could backfire with deadly results.
My jacket scraped against the white building. Not surprisingly the long, rounded tip of the structure was shaped like a penis. What was it with men that even their architecture needed to be erect?
Speaking of… The sensation of a body silently sliding up next to mine warmed half of me. I had to admit my experience with Lars thus far showed he didn’t shove his insincerity in my face or overly display his manhood. He didn’t need to, and I doubted he ever did, which was what made the incident on the plane seem odd. I didn’t really know him, but the blatantly loud sex, as though he wanted me to hear, seemed out of character for him. Even his men had acted bewildered by his actions.
“I’m going to pause the door alarm and the feed into the cameras. It will take a lot of energy from me, so get in as soon as I nod my head. All right?” I whispered to the men. This was not something easy to do, even for a Druid. In my line of work, it came in handy, but only worked on limited technology. Thankfully Prague’s system had not been updated since the fae war. In my “research” I learned guards watched sensory alarms and video cameras in a booth somewhere. If anyone dismantled them, it would be noticed right away. But if I “paused” them with magic, we had a chance of slipping in unnoticed.
“You’re giving us orders now?” Travil snarled, gripping his weapon.
“Yes. And you will follow them,” I replied flatly. I had no time for this shit.
Lars’s brow curved up, but he said nothing in response, only nodded at his men.
My shoulders hitched up as I drew in a deep breath. This was it. The spell forming on my lips coiled toward the door inside while my mind’s eye pushed it through the security system, wrapping around it like a python. This type of gray magic was not exactly bad or black, but its intent was certainly not good. Even more than black magic, I enjoyed gray the most. It fit me, not good, but not really bad either.
Electricity zapped back at me as the technology resisted my enchantment. A thump pulsed in my head as I shoved at it harder. Heat swirled under my jacket and hat, forming drops of perspiration that dampened my skin. Grunting, I squeezed my lids tighter, trying to keep each syllable clear and directed at its target. My legs shook, the muscles trembling under the pressure.
Lars moved in front of me, grabbing my elbows, taking some of my weight. My magic soared out and fiddled with the technology, learning it, trying to master it. My heart thumped in my ears, each syllable a little tougher to say perfectly. I grunted and Lars gripped me tighter, allowing me to lean more of my weight into him.
Then I felt my power dive into the cables, manipulating their energy.
“Ahhhh.” I bit down on my bottom lip. The spell skidded the electricity to a halt, as though a car slammed on its brakes. I sent out another hex, and the lock on the door turned over. “Go. It’s down.”
Travil and Goran didn’t hesitate racing for the door, but Lars still held on to me, his eyes watching me.
“Why are you still here? I said go.”
“Do not order me, Ms. Cathbad.” His grip dug painfully into my arms. “And you are being quite bossy for someone who is using me as a crutch.”
I tried to pull away from him but my legs bowed. Lars reached out and caught me, keeping me from landing on my arse. I took in a deep breath. “I am fine. Thank you.”
He lifted his eyebrow in mocking doubt.
I hated that using magic came with such exhausting consequences. Earth’s magic let us borrow from her but also made us pay for it. Healing spells restored others but did not replace a Druid’s energy. We had no time to wait for me to revive. We had to go now. Though I wasn’t sure why, I rushed into a place that might be my grave. I was going to do everything in my power not to allow that, but this plan was flimsy at best. Still, I plunged forward with gusto, not doing anything by halves.
Lars closed the door behind us. The curved windows at the top let in light from the illuminated castle outside. Exit signs and dim security lights led us easily to the room storing the treasures.
Gaudy was the one word I would use to describe the design of the building. With so much gold and marble, I could feel the weight of its décor. Rich colors and motifs loomed over us like they possessed their own power, making me feel small and insignificant.
The brown-and-cream diamond pattern running through the marble floor reminded me of the art piece Relativity by M.C. Escher, twisting the pattern into staircases going nowhere. Swirled white and gray marble, trimmed in gold, reached all the way up to the curved painted ceiling. It was beautiful, but far too ostentatious for me.
Lars’s men moved through the room, inspecting each case with scrutiny. My gaze landed on the middle case, knowing exactly what they would find in about thirty seconds. The time was now. No going back.
“Sir! Here it is,” Goran whispered hoarsely to his master, waving him over. Lars dashed toward him, his eyes glowing with longing. He pulled gloves from his pocket and slipped them on.
The Druid stood all but forgotten by the door. Just as I had planned.
The moment in his office the night of the attack, I understood what I was giving up. I knew what I had to do. Not that I would have ever been given a second chance to raise my daughter. This was a falsehood we both knew he was telling. This was how I would protect her and many others.
Inching back quietly, I knew I had only seconds before he touched it and figured out the truth. Distracted, the men hovered around the object under the glass, lifting the barrier around it, not noticing me retreating toward the door.
I did trust he wouldn’t hurt Piper. He might lie to her and tell her how awful I was, but I hoped deep in her heart she would sense the truth and find out what really happened when she
got older. I wanted her to be proud of my decision and me.
I’d rather never see my daughter again than be a coward. She would eventually realize I was doing the right thing. Guarding not just Druids, but the human race as well.
Keeping the Treasures of Tuatha Dé Danann from the fae was the most important thing I could do. We needed to stop history repeating itself. It was my sacrifice. My burden to carry.
Quietly, I spelled myself to disappear into the shadows. Lars would try to find me, but I had years of hiding from fae under my belt. I would not make it easy for him, but if the time ever came, then I would take my punishment.
The door was so close, freedom just steps away as I reached the doorway.
“Where do you think you are going, Ms. Cathbad?” Magic curled around my bones, stopping me in place like a giant boa constrictor circled around me, bending my ribs together.
Shite! No! My lips parted, a spell struggling to work itself up. If I struck him, I would have only one shot to get it right.
With a whoosh, my body flew back, slamming into a wall near him, ripping the air from my lungs. “Why are you sneaking out?” Rage clipped Lars’s tone, his eyes flashing.
I couldn’t speak or move.
Lars picked up the small cauldron, his gloved hands cupping it like a lover. He blinked, his fingers continuing to stroke the metal. His body went rigid, his green eyes finding mine through his lashes, darkening around the edges.
“This is a fake.”
My jaw locked down, though I didn’t break eye contact. No pleas of innocence or denial. I had made my bed, well aware of the outcome. His eyes turned black as he realized my conscious deception.
“You. Deceived. Me.” He growled so low the floor vibrated with his anger, his olive skin turning milky white. “You dare trick me?”
Neither my body nor my mouth moved an inch, my chin held high.
“You think you can fool me, girl?” He took a step toward me, the bones of his face pressed taut against his skin. As his energy took hold of the room, the air in my lungs faltered. Fury bucked off him like a horse, colliding with me. An invisible hand came up to my throat, tearing me off the ground, digging my back into the wall. My head cracked against the marble and knifed pain through my skull.
The Fall Of The King (Lightness Saga Book 3) Page 8
