Beguiled

by Maureen Child

According to him, they were married. According to her, he was a lover she couldn’t completely trust. And that left them exactly nowhere.

  “We go to Casia,” Muldoon snapped.

  “Foolhardy to crash in without knowing where the girl is,” O’Hara pointed out.

  “We could get into Casia,” Ailish suggested with a glance at her commander. “Let them think we are unhappy with the new Queen. . . .”

  “Risky,” Audra said.

  “Especially if Mab sees you herself. She knows her guard well and won’t believe you,” Mac told her.

  “We must act,” Riley said. “Let it be known this will not be tolerated.”

  “And we will,” Quinn shouted. “But my daughter’s safety comes first.”

  “If somebody doesn’t find my baby fast, I’ll do it myself,” Nora threatened, and no one doubted her for an instant.

  “The problem is”—Maggie tried for calm, despite the images of Eileen’s face that kept rising in her mind—“we don’t have a clue where to start looking.”

  “We might.”

  Everyone turned as one to look down at Bezel. The pixie was furious. His long, silvery hair was practically writhing with the anger churning inside that squat little body. His eyes were chunks of ice and his mouth was fixed in a sneer. Though he had the attention of everyone in the room, he looked only at Maggie.

  “You’re not gonna like it.”

  “You found something,” Maggie whispered.

  Bezel nodded.

  “Who cares if she likes it,” Nora told him. “Just say it.”

  He nodded briskly. “I think your grandFae might know something about this.”

  “You think or you know?”

  Bezel scowled. “Pretty damn sure.”

  Jasic.

  Maggie’s insides frosted over and turned into a hard ball of ice. She should have thought of him right away. If she hadn’t been so completely freaked over Eileen’s disappearance, she would have. Ever since the day Jasic hadn’t been able to shift into her backyard, she’d been seriously worried about her grandFae. Claire’s spell had been very specific. Designed to keep out those who meant the Donovans harm.

  It had been right there in front of her and she hadn’t done anything about it beyond asking Culhane and Bezel to look into him. And with everything that had been going on, she and her warrior had pretty much forgotten all about Jasic in the bustle.

  Good thing Bezel hadn’t.

  Stupid. No excuse for this, she told herself. She should have paid closer attention. Hounded Bezel and Culhane for more information. If she had, Eileen would be safe right now.

  So where was Jasic? He should have heard Nora’s screams. Should have come to investigate. Instead, he’d made himself scarce.

  Coincidence? She didn’t think so.

  Maggie looked at Culhane. “Find him.”

  It didn’t take long.

  An hour later, Jasic was perched uneasily on the edge of a chair in the throne room, with a crowd of furious warriors surrounding him. He looked worried, which only made the knots in Maggie’s stomach even tighter.

  Sunlight speared through every window. One of those slices of golden light lay across Jasic and for the first time since she’d met him, Maggie thought he looked old.

  “We found him in an alehouse,” Muldoon said with a disgusted glance at Jasic.

  “Did you do this?” Nora spoke softly, and anyone who didn’t know her would assume she was calm and in control. Only Maggie recognized the danger in her tone when Nora approached the grandfather they’d recently found. “Did you steal my daughter?”

  “No!”

  He looked horrified by the very idea and if he wasn’t telling the truth, Maggie could only think, And the Oscar goes to . . .

  Nora wasn’t convinced. She grabbed hold of Jasic’s lapels and gave them a hard jerk as she pushed her face into his. “Do you know where she is, then? Who did you talk to about her? Who took her? Is she all right?”

  “I don’t know,” he muttered, unwilling to meet her gaze, but having nowhere safe to look instead. The features of each person surrounding him were studies in barely controlled rage. He had to know he was way outnumbered.

  “Talk, Fae,” Culhane ordered, carefully prying Nora’s hands off Jasic and turning her over into Quinn’s care. “Talk now and hope for the sake of your immortal life that you have something useful to say.”

  Unfortunately for him, Jasic fought past his fear and tried for bluster. Insulted, he sniffed, and asked, “Why do you all assume I am somehow at fault?”

  “Because I saw you, you slug-eating piece of trollshit,” Bezel told him, scurrying up to Jasic as fast as his short legs would take him. He stabbed at the Fae with one long finger and said, “You think I’ve been doing nothing since we got back to Otherworld? I was watching you. The others, they were willing to give you a chance. And Culhane’s been busy. But me? I got time. I never did trust you, and turns out I was right. I saw you, meeting with a Pooka outside the tavern last night.”

  “Pooka?” Ailish turned a questioning glance at Culhane. “They should not be able to leave Casia.”

  “I know,” he said.

  Maggie frowned. She’d been studying the Fae lately, so she knew the Pooka were shape-shifting creatures, able to change their appearance from that of old men to flying horses with cloven, razor-sharp hooves, somewhat like the Dullahan. If the Pooka were roaming free of Casia, then their troubles had just multiplied.

  Culhane looked down at Bezel. “You should have come to me with this immediately.”

  Bezel snorted and shook his head. “Ifreann take me, I haven’t trusted this son of a troll since he showed up. Maggie asked me to watch him, so I did. I’ve been waiting to get some whatcha callit? Evidence on him. How was I s’posed to know they’d go after Eileen?”

  “It wasn’t your fault, little man,” Claire told him in a soft voice. “I should have seen this. Tried to focus my visions more.”

  “Witches don’t know everything,” Bezel told her in commiseration.

  “Neither one of you was at fault.” Maggie spoke up then, her gaze fixed on her grandfather.

  “Yeah well . . .” Clearly still disgusted, Bezel looked up at Culhane. “The spell around Casia’s wearing off, oh Great and Mighty Fenian Warrior. Which means we’re all in deep trollshit. I’m guessing Mab’s found a way to gather some power.”

  “Ifreann,” Quinn murmured.

  “Exactly,” Bezel snapped, clearly enjoying himself now as he turned his icy gaze back on Jasic. “So, how about you cut the crap and tell us where Eileen is.”

  “Do it.” Culhane spoke up then, his deep voice resonating with barely restrained venom. Laying one hand on Bezel’s shoulder, he nodded at the little man and when the pixie moved aside, Culhane took his place. “You have one chance, Jasic. Speak and tell us what you know or you will be spending the rest of your eternity in one of the iron cells beneath this palace.”

  Maggie would have interrupted, reminding him that she was the Queen here, but he was doing a damn fine job of intimidation and she really didn’t want to break his concentration. Besides, it didn’t matter who found Eileen. All that mattered was finding her.

  Jasic looked from one to the other of them, futilely searching for compassion. Understanding. Reason. Finally though, he gave it up and slumped his shoulders.

  “I meant no harm to the child,” he muttered.

  Nora inhaled sharply and clutched at Quinn’s big hand for support.

  Jasic looked at Maggie, then to Nora. “Why would I bring harm to the child? She is of my blood. As you are.”

  “Don’t remind me of that right now,” Nora said tightly.

  He winced. “I only meant to strike a deal with Mab. To use what knowledge I had about you and the palace. To ingratiate myself with Mab, in case Maggie didn’t finish this war in victory.”

  “Why?” Maggie demanded as she stepped up alongside Culhane and stared down at her grandfather. “Couldn’t you
figure out how dangerous she is? Why would you do that?”

  “To have this,” he snapped, waving both arms out, indicating the palace and the luxurious life he’d so recently become a part of. “To have the life I have always coveted. To be safe. To know that I could stay here, whichever one of you won your coming battle.”

  Bezel cursed and rushed Jasic. Muldoon grabbed hold of Bezel’s green velvet suit and held him in place where the pixie kicked and thrashed, trying to attack the Fae who’d endangered Eileen to save his own ass.

  Maggie knew just how her little friend felt. And maybe later, she’d indulge both of their desires for some heavy-duty physical revenge. But for now, she needed Jasic to get Eileen.

  She swallowed her disgust for the Fae as she looked at him through cold, hard eyes. “Do you know where they’re keeping her?”

  Lifting his miserable gaze to hers, he shook his head. He looked pitiful, old and alone. But damned if she could bring herself to feel sorry for him.

  “No,” he said. “I only know they took her to Casia.”

  “Oh my God—” Nora’s voice broke off as she finally gave in to her fears, turned her face into Quinn’s chest and allowed him to hold her.

  “Where in Casia?” Culhane demanded.

  “I told you I don’t know!” Jasic shoved both hands through his hair, then folded them tightly together in his lap. “If I knew, I would tell you. I don’t want Eileen hurt any more than you do. I simply don’t know. They don’t trust me enough to tell me.”

  “Wonder why!” Bezel shouted.

  “Enough,” Culhane snapped, giving the pixie a glare. He understood Bezel’s outrage. It was beyond Culhane’s comprehension that any male could protect himself at the cost of his family. But that Jasic would allow a child to safeguard his own future was unthinkable.

  Culhane felt helpless and he didn’t like it. He felt trapped and wanted to strain against the invisible bonds holding him in place. In truth, Culhane wanted to do exactly what his friend the pixie was doing. Shout and curse and vent his rage on the closest target.

  But that wouldn’t help Eileen. Wouldn’t help Maggie. And right now, those two things were all that mattered. He glanced at his Queen and in her eyes he saw fear. Not for herself, but for the child they all loved. And he admired her more than ever. Even frightened, she was every inch a battle-ready sovereign.

  Culhane hated that there was a distance between them. Especially now, when they should be holding on to each other, feeding each other’s strength.

  Their problems would not be solved now, however. Now was the time for action. His warriors awaited commands. His own son stood to one side, waiting for Culhane to make this right. He would let none of them down. But he also wouldn’t repeat the mistake of acting without consulting his Queen.

  He glanced at Maggie, and waited for her to meet his gaze before he whispered, “Do we move or do we investigate further, my Queen?”

  She chewed at her bottom lip and cast one disgusted glance at her grandFae, sitting dejected in his chair. Her gaze slipped to Nora then and an aching love shone in her eyes before she looked back at Culhane. “We can’t fight Mab until we know Eileen’s safe.”

  “Agreed.” On this at least, they concurred. Eileen’s safety was paramount and there was no way they could attack Casia or try to put Mab’s fomenting rebellion down until they were sure Eileen wouldn’t be a casualty of a former queen’s twisted ambitions. Mab had fallen far. There had been a time when no Fae would ever threaten a child. Now, it seemed, they couldn’t trust that the former queen wouldn’t do whatever was necessary to gain her revenge.

  “So,” Maggie asked him quietly, “what do you think?”

  Honored that she would ask his opinion, trust him on this if not personally, he said, “We must know where they are keeping Eileen. I will go to Casia myself and find her.”

  “I will accompany you,” Quinn told him.

  Before Culhane could agree, Bezel spoke up. “That’s just stupid and you all know it. Warriors have to be here, getting ready to face that crazy bitch queen.” He looked up at Maggie, took a breath and blew it out. “I’ll go.”

  The pixie twisted loose of Muldoon’s grip, brushed at his suit and lifted his whiskered chin so that he could stare at both Maggie and Culhane. “Pixies can come and go most anywhere. The Fae—you guys or the rogues—don’t pay much attention to us.”

  True enough, Culhane thought, remembering the centuries of enmity between the races of Pixie and Fae. He and Bezel had long ago formed an unlikely friendship, but their relationship was the exception, not the rule. Mostly, the pixies were given a wide berth. Known as pranksters and troublemakers, most of the Fae deliberately ignored the pixies’ existence.

  Which could work in their favor. But this plan wasn’t without risk.

  “If they discover why you’re there . . .” Culhane’s warning faded off. Since they all knew what would happen to Bezel if he was caught, there was no point in saying it aloud.

  The tiny termagant would either be imprisoned or beheaded. Probably the latter.

  “Yeah, yeah,” Bezel said sourly. “I know. Don’t get your leathers in a bunch. Nobody catches me unless I let ’em.” With that, he threw an angry glare at Muldoon, the warrior who only moments ago had had a death grip on his fine suit.

  Culhane smiled to himself at the courage coiled inside such an unlikely package. But then, he’d long ago learned that Bezel, with all of his complaints and insults, was a male to be trusted. And he knew Maggie had learned the same lesson.

  “You have the heart of a warrior, my little friend,” Culhane said softly.

  Bezel snorted. “No time to be insulting me, Fenian.” Maggie went down on one knee so she could look the pixie in the eye. “You’re sure about this?”

  The pixie frowned again, but nodded. “I’ll find her. Not that I care about the kid or anything, you understand. It’s just that I’m sorta used to having her around, you know? And I’ll be cursed in Ifreann before I let Mab get her.”

  Maggie smiled knowingly at Bezel. “Yeah, I know.”

  Culhane hid a smile. The pixie would die before he would admit to loving a part-Fae child. But he cared for Eileen as much as the rest of them. Clearly, Maggie was aware of the truth as well. But even more, Culhane knew that Bezel would do all in his considerable power to see the young girl safe again.

  “Well, don’t go getting all gooey on me or anything,” Bezel warned gruffly, and wiped the back of his hand under his long, hooked nose. “I’ll find her. Be back tomorrow at the latest. Then we can figure out what we’re gonna do.”

  He shifted instantly and the small crowd in the palace fell into an uneasy silence.

  Eileen curled up in a corner of the dark, dirty room and tried to make herself as small as she could. Outside these walls, she heard laughter and music and a lot of shouting. Every once in a while, a loud crash sounded out like something heavy breaking. And every time that happened, the wall behind her back trembled in response, as if the whole place were going to come falling down.

  Her stomach was turning and tears kept filling up her eyes, making everything look blurry. Since she had been grabbed in the garden, she’d been in this place. Nobody had come to talk to her since the ugly kidnapper locked her in.

  She was pretty happy about that. In fact, she was kind of hoping they’d all forget about her.

  But the chances of that were pretty slim. “Probably only about two or three percent,” she whispered to herself.

  Something crashed into the locked door across the room. Eileen jumped, the wall behind her shuddered and she tucked her face into her knees and wrapped her arms around her legs.

  “Mom. Aunt Maggie. Somebody come find me, please, come find me.” Rocking, whispering to herself, she thought about everyone at the palace. Besides her mom and Aunt Maggie, there were Quinn and Culhane and Bezel, too. They’d all be looking for her, wouldn’t they? But what if they didn’t know she was gone yet? What if Devon was hurt really
bad and hadn’t been able to go for help? After he hit that tree, he’d been so still.

  Worry had her chewing at her thumbnail and watching the locked door through slitted eyes. Devon was okay; she knew he was. He was a warrior, so he was strong and stuff. So he probably went right to Culhane and they were all looking for her now. Of course they were.

  One candle burned in the room and the tiny flame danced and jigged in the darkness. Crazy shadows spun on the walls and Eileen tried really hard not to cry.

  Her mom wouldn’t cry. Aunt Maggie wouldn’t, either. Mom always told her, Donovans don’t get scared. They get mad.

  Eileen would rather be mad than scared, anyway. Why’d that guy take her? Where did he take her? There was only one window in the room and it was so high up, she couldn’t see anything out of it but a small piece of dark sky with stars. Why was she in this place? Why couldn’t she go home?

  Why didn’t anybody come?

  She heard a key turning in the lock and held her breath and watched as the door slowly swung open. Instantly, the noise from the other room was twice as loud. People shouting and cussing and laughing and singing. There was another crash and some strange music played loudly over everything.

  Eileen jolted, squirmed farther into the corner where she was already trying to disappear; then a woman stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

  “Mab.” Eileen whispered the ex-Queen’s name on a pent-up breath.

  “That’s right, my little part-Fae.” Mab strolled toward her, with tiny steps, as if she were afraid to get dirty by walking on that nasty floor. She frowned at the tiny room, shook her head and clucked her tongue. “One candle?” She huffed out a breath. “The Sluagh are not the most congenial hosts, are they?”

  Eileen didn’t know what the Sluagh were and really didn’t want to know, either. All she wanted was to go home. “Why am I here?”

  Mab tossed her golden hair back over her shoulders, went down into a crouch and gave Eileen a sunny, bright smile. Her silvery eyes were sparkling in the single light of the candle. “To help me, of course,” she said.