A dangerous look passed over Dietrich’s face. “You do not understand the game you play, mortal,” he said softly, his tone lethal. I shrunk back. “Do not compound your error.”
I swallowed. My mind jumped to the several occasions when both Mitchell and Thomas had warned me about bargaining with fae, what Thomas had said about how it always works against the mortal, and when Isana had told me I should release Dietrich from his promise. The fact that I hadn’t known what he was when I had struck the bargain was hardly relevant. But Thomas had said that fae were incapable of lying. So if I pressed the issue, he would have to answer, and honestly. If I could get up the nerve to push him.
“Is the word of the Alder Prince worth so little?” asked Thomas suddenly, before I could decide.
“Thomas,” barked Mitchell.
“Is it?” Thomas demanded, glaring at Dietrich. I looked from one to the other, alarmed. Dietrich locked gazes with Thomas, and they stared at each other, neither one backing down. The air had taken a heavy, weighted quality, as if a storm were building around us, with our little group right at the epicenter.
“You can’t hurt me,” said Thomas quietly. “Or had you forgotten?”
Cold fury crossed Dietrich’s face, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he turned to face me abruptly. “Ask your questions,” he said, voice steely.
I folded my hands together, trying to still them. Maybe Thomas thought that he was doing me a favor, but Dietrich’s expression suggested otherwise. I garnered my courage, my heart beating practically in my throat.
Two questions. I took a quick breath. “Why,” I asked, “is it so important that I accompany you to the Unseelie Court?”
Dietrich smiled. “Because, Samantha, if you did not, you would certainly die out here.”
“Oh, come on!” Thomas protested. “You know that isn’t what she meant!”
“That,” said Dietrich coolly, “is irrelevant.”
I gave myself a mental kick. He’d deliberately misinterpreted the intent behind the question, giving an answer that was undeniably true, but also useless to me. Experts at twisting meaning, Thomas had said. Fine, then. I still had one more question. I framed it very carefully, then said, “All right. What is your purpose in taking me to the Unseelie Court?”
Dietrich was very still. When he answered, it was with care equal to how I’d asked the question. “To gain an opportunity to protect the Rhineland from subjugation.”
“What—that—that’s got nothing to do with me!” I protested. I glanced at Thomas. “I thought you said they couldn’t lie!”
“That you do not understand something does not lessen its truthfulness,” said Dietrich easily. “Our bargain is concluded.” I stared at him. He was right. I hadn’t been very specific when we’d made the deal, and technically, he’d fulfilled all the terms. Thomas was looking quickly between Dietrich and me, with the air of someone doing some very quick thinking. Mitchell was watching Thomas, and there was pained worry in his gaze. Isana, however, was looking at the ground, acute misery written all over her features.
“What?” I asked her, voice low. She glanced at Dietrich, who shook his head in warning.
“She saved my life earlier, Dietrich,” Isana said, barely audible. Her hand traced the spot where I’d pulled the barbs free from her arm.
“She was compelled, as I told you,” he said shortly. “You owe her nothing.”
A rapid series of emotions passed over Isana’s face. She turned to face him directly, standing in the same motion. “Wir mussen sprechen,” she said. It took me a moment to comprehend the German. We need to talk.
Dietrich looked at her with a severe expression. “What is it?” he asked, also in German.
“Send her home,” she said, the words so rushed I almost missed the meaning. Dietrich stared at her, incredulity passing over his face.
“Entshuldigung?”
Isana stood stiff, every muscle in her body rigid. “This is wrong, Dietrich. Send her home.” She swallowed. “It is dangerous to continue dealing with her. Do you realize that she could claim a blood debt from you? I would not have been able to stop that first spriggan without her intervention.” What spriggan? The one I’d chucked a rock at? “It could have killed you.”
“That,” said Dietrich, “is unlikely. And your concern is unnecessary. She will survive this.”
“You cannot promise that,” Isana said, anger beginning to color her tone. “If we lose, she’ll be killed within a week.” I barely managed to keep my expression blank.
“If we lose, her fate will be the least of our concerns,” interjected Mitchell sharply. “We have no choice.”
Isana rounded on him. “You,” she spat, her tone suddenly venomous. “Forcing us to swear that we would not hurt the girl, as if we were the ones she should fear. I had thought, when we took her, that it would come to nothing, that you would put an end to it and send her home. You are sworn to protect mortals from fae who would do them harm, and yet—”
“Do you think I enjoy this?” Mitchell demanded. “That I want to see anyone put in danger? I’ve done what I can to prepare her, and now the best thing we can do for her and everyone else is ensure that we win!” He shook his head. “This is bigger than her, than any of us. You are losing sight of that.”
“And you have lost sight of your purpose,” she retorted. “What will your apprentice think, when he learns the truth? You are betraying your life’s work, and his trust.”
“Don’t you dare try to use him against me,” Mitchell snapped. “Or try to imply that you care more for a mortal’s fate than I do. How many have you killed purely for the amusement of it, Isana?”
“I have never—” She broke off, seeming to struggle to speak for a moment. “This is not about my actions,” she managed at last. “She is little more than a child, Mitchell!”
“I warned you not to become attached to her,” said Dietrich, irritated. “You are stronger than this, Isana, even if she reminds you of a time when you were not.”
“If by ‘stronger than this,’ you mean enough of a monster to lead an innocent girl to her death, then no, I am not, Dietrich,” Isana snapped. “I never have been.”
“Are you so confident of failure?” Dietrich demanded.
“Your father has been a thorn in Aerenia’s side for decades! You think she will allow you to win easily?”
“I think that she will be hard pressed to create an obstacle I cannot overcome,” he shot back. “You have sworn your allegiance. You have no choice now.”
“I swore to give assistance, to aid to the best of my ability,” hissed Isana. “But you will never have my allegiance. Never.”
There was a profound silence. “You would defy me?” Dietrich asked, his voice dangerous. “For her?”
“Perhaps I should,” said Isana, standing rigid. “This quest means nothing to me. It can only benefit me for the worldlines to fall!”
“And your daughter?” asked Dietrich, suddenly quiet. Isana flinched as if struck. Daughter? Dietrich shook his head. “Think of her, if your own life means so little.”
“Daughter? What are you talking about?” Mitchell asked sharply.
“This is not your concern!” Isana snapped at him at the same moment that Dietrich said coldly, “You asked me to take steps to ensure her obedience. I have done so.” Mitchell leaned back, a look of uneasy realization on his face. Dietrich returned his attention to Isana. “I assume my actions were sufficient?”
Isana slumped. A moment later she lifted her chin, her gaze pained. With a shock, I realized she was trembling. “Bitte, Dietrich,” she whispered. “Please.”
“No,” he said flatly. “We cannot deviate at such a late stage. What do you propose we do instead?” Without waiting for an answer, he added, “You will do as you are ordered, or you will both suffer the consequences. Do you understand?”
Isana bowed her head. There was still anger and fear on her face, but those emotions were mostly buried beneath a look of p
rofound helplessness. I fought to keep my clueless expression, reminding myself that I wasn’t supposed to understand any of this. Dietrich turned to face the rest of us. I looked at Thomas. I knew he hadn’t understood the conversation, but nonetheless, he was watching the three of them, perturbed.
What do you know? I desperately wanted to ask him. What was it that Mitchell had ‘let slip,’ that had disturbed him so much?
“We now face the problem,” Dietrich said, switching back to English as if there had been no interruption, “of arranging transportation for Samantha and Thomas. We cannot afford to wait for their recovery.” He turned to Mitchell. “Can you do more to heal them?”
“Thomas, yes. As for Samantha… it is likely that further direct exposure to magic would cause more harm than good. She is very fragile right now; it could send her into shock. Neither Thomas nor I are accomplished enough healers to risk it.”
“What about a black shuck?” Thomas asked abruptly. I turned and tried to signal him to be quiet, not to help this along, but Dietrich was already looking at him with a considering expression. “We could call one. Mitchell and I.” He glanced at me, then added, “Our request is part of its nature, so we wouldn’t be indebted, or need to place any compulsion on it.”
“What’s a black shuck?” I asked, nervous.
“A wild fae creature, not bound to either Court. They have a dual nature; in a lot of stories they’re said to be an evil omen, foretelling death to those who see them—” Great. We were summoning a walking death omen. It could be friends with Dietrich. “—but they’re also protective of travelers, particularly women. They’ve been known to accompany mortals to their destination, warding off harm.”
Yeah, about that. I didn’t want to be accompanied to my destination. I looked sideways at Isana, who was still standing with her head bowed. My trepidation must have shown on my face, because Thomas said, “Trust me, Sam. A shuck can help you.” I started to speak, but he shook his head quickly. “Just trust me.” I quieted, looking from him to the others. Trust him? Could I? Did I have a choice? He turned back to Mitchell and Dietrich. “What do you think?”
Dietrich gave a nod of approval, and Mitchell helped Thomas to his feet. “Are you sure you can manage this?” Mitchell asked. Thomas glanced at me. Determination set in his face, and he nodded, though his face was already pale from exertion. Mitchell hesitated, then said, “All right. You quest out towards the south; I will take the north.” They walked a short distance away, sitting on the grass back to back. They both closed their eyes. They stayed that way for what felt like an eternity, until even Isana shifted impatiently.
“Should we rouse them?” she asked. “They may not succeed.”
“You might wish as much. Nonetheless, we cannot,” said Dietrich, frowning. “They are elsewhere.”
Elsewhere? I looked at the two sorcerers again. They were both unnaturally still. It took me several seconds to determine that they were indeed breathing.
After what seemed like half an age, Thomas slumped. Mitchell jerked to awareness, catching his arm. They rose, Thomas leaning heavily on Mitchell, and returned to the rest of us.
“I found one,” Thomas managed. “It’s not far. Help is coming.” My stomach sank. I’d been hoping for a report of failure.
“Sehr gut,” said Dietrich. “Then we should prepare to leave.”
Mitchell nodded and began gathering up what supplies had made their way out of packs in the short time we’d been camped there. I laid back down, letting him get on with it; even the simple act of remaining upright had drained me. The fact that my stomach was churning with anxiety over what I’d heard was helping nothing, especially now that I had zero chance of escaping. Just as Mitchell was finishing, Isana said, “There.”
I sat halfway up, looking in the direction she was facing. In the distance, running over the rolling hills at a rapid pace, was an enormous black dog, easily the size of a horse. It moved gracefully, its long legs covering ground impossibly fast.
“Call it in, Thomas,” said Mitchell. Thomas eased himself to his feet, raising one hand high above his head. The shuck changed direction slightly, homing in on him. Within a few seconds it had reached him. It stood head and shoulders above him, even on all fours. Thomas inclined his head briefly, laying his hand against the shuck’s chest. It stepped back after a long moment, and Thomas pointed to me.
I watched in stunned silence as the shuck approached me. I’d thought of it as a dog earlier, but at this distance, I thought the comparison was almost insulting. The shuck was long-limbed and carried itself with a grace that no mortal creature could ever approach. It was ink black except for a white patch on its chest, and for its glowing white eyes. The shuck bowed its head, its nose almost touching mine. Feeling strangely unafraid, I raised my hand and touched the side of the shuck’s neck. It leaned into the slight pressure, and before I realized what I was doing, I had twined my fingers into its long, silky fur. The shuck backed up a few paces, lifting me into an upright position. It kept going, and suddenly I found myself standing. I swayed, then leaned against the shuck. A sense of deep peace settled over me as I rested against the creature’s shoulder, my hand still wrapped in its fur.
“Excellent,” said Dietrich, moving forward. The shuck pivoted, positioning itself between Dietrich and me. A vibration ran up my arm, and I realized with a start that the shuck was growling at him, its teeth bared. Dietrich stopped, eyeing it.
“Very well,” he said after a moment. I looked to Isana; she was watching the shuck with something like sadness in her gaze. “Samantha, Thomas, you must begin walking. It will not move unless it believes you are ready.”
Walk? He had to be joking. The shuck turned its head, looking at me with those strange, sightless eyes as Thomas carefully took his position at the shuck’s other shoulder. I took a slow breath, then carefully lifted one foot and set it down a pace ahead, as did Thomas. The creature moved with us, and again I felt that strange sense of well-being wash over me. I took another step, leaning most of my weight against the shuck’s broad shoulder. Again, it moved with me, but at that second my head began spinning. I staggered.
“I think you’d better ride,” said Thomas. “Spriggan venom is nasty stuff—even the shuck’s magic won’t help right away.”
“I can do that?” I asked, surprised.
“I think so—yes,” he said as the shuck suddenly dropped to the ground. I hesitated, then clambered onto its back with Thomas’ help. The shuck rose smoothly to its feet, and Thomas grabbed my hand. “Sam,” he said quietly. “Think of home. Keep it in your mind.”
“Thomas,” said Mitchell. I looked over to him. His brow was furrowed. “What are you doing?”
Thomas’s hand on mine tightened for just a moment. There was pain in his face—no, more than pain. Betrayal. “You told me that we would protect her,” he said, voice shaking. Dietrich stepped forward, and the shuck snarled in warning. “So that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Thomas—!” began Mitchell.
“Go!” Thomas shouted, and threw himself away from the shuck.
The creature bolted. I yelped and wrapped my hands in its fur, clinging for my life as it reached a dead run. My erstwhile companions were shouting, and I tried to look back, but the shuck put on an extra burst of speed, forcing me to flatten myself almost to its neck. I held fast, only able to pray that Thomas knew what he was doing as the shuck carried me deeper into the Alfheim wilds.
Chapter Ten
The shuck didn’t slow its pace until what felt like hours later. The creature’s supernatural stamina meant that we were probably a day’s travel on foot from my captors, so I’d had plenty of time to think.
Thomas had figured out what the others had planned for me. That much was clear. And he must have decided that Dietrich’s stated purpose—protecting the fae of his homeland—didn’t justify whatever they were planning. I shivered. Whatever it was, it had to be bad, for Thomas to decide to defy Mitchell. Really bad.
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Not, I realized glumly, that I was in a much better position now. Alone in the wilds of the fae realm. I’d been camping a grand total of once in my life—I wouldn’t last long in a normal wilderness, let alone here.
I shook my head, trying to dislodge that thought. Think of home, Thomas had said. I refocused my thoughts, envisioning my tiny apartment, depressing as the image was. I didn’t know anything about black shucks beyond what Thomas had told me, but I assumed it needed me to think about our destination in order to guide me there. The shuck had decreased its pace by then to a slow walk, though I still kept a tight grip on its fur in case it started running again. It was only a few seconds, however, before my thoughts wandered back to Thomas. Would he be all right? He’d openly defied Dietrich and Mitchell, derailing their plan. Would he be punished? Could Mitchell protect Thomas if Dietrich’s anger got the better of him? Would he? A quiet, despondent noise escaped me. The shuck stopped, looking over its shoulder questioningly.
“I’m fine,” I managed, though I had no idea if it could understand me. “Sorry.” I forced myself to think of home again. The shuck continued on. We were in a large open moor, pink and purple with heather. Small yellow flowers shone like pricks of sunlight among the tall grass, and insects trilled loudly. We came to a narrow stream, which the shuck bounded over in one stride. It listed to the north, its pace dropping even further. Its head turned slowly from side to side to side, and it sniffed the air. It took a few steps to one side, then stopped. It gave a low whine, lowering its head as it paced back and forth.
“What?” I asked it, frowning. The shuck turned in a wide circle, the tall grasses brushing my legs as we moved. It started to head back to the north, then stopped. Great. I’d gotten a shuck with a faulty internal compass. I groaned under my breath, redoubling my efforts to envision home. “I’m going to die out here, aren’t I?” I muttered.
Abruptly the shuck’s head rose, and it cut to the east at a brisk trot. I grabbed its fur, holding tight as it lengthened its stride. Well, that was something, anyway.
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