The Tainted Web (The Godhunter, Book 7)

by Sumida, Amy

  “I thought I'd escort you back,” he grinned at me with a mouth full of sharp looking teeth. Not at all horse-like.

  “Oh, that's nice of you,” I smiled but inside, my stomach was clenching in alarm.

  What were the myths about kelpies? I remembered something about them drowning humans for fun but I think you had to climb on their back first and there was no way I was gonna let this guy give me a piggy-back ride. No matter how pretty his face was.

  “Shall we?” He held out an arm to me and I took it, letting him lead me away. “I must confess, I was sent to find you. My Queen asked me to bring you to her.”

  “Your Queen?” I thought back to my first visit in Faerie. I think I met the Water Queen. “Queen Dubheasa?”

  “Yes,” he smiled brightly. “You remember her.”

  “From my first visit,” I nodded. “What did she want to see me about?”

  “Oh, I'm not privy to that,” he laughed, “only the location of the privy. Would you come see her? This is supposed to be a visit of alliances, is it not? Maybe she has thoughts of forming one with you?”

  “She doesn't want to see King Arach as well?” I frowned.

  “I believe this has more to do with your god alliances than your Fire,” he smiled gently. “The last thing we want is a war with Fire and when King Arach and Queen Dubheasa get together, it can sometimes get,” he sighed, “steamy, and not in a good way.”

  “Ah, yes,” I laughed, “he can have that affect, even on his own fey. Okay then, take me to your leader.”

  “Right through here,” he led me out a side door and down a shell-covered path. At the end of the path was a beautiful garden, filled with night blooming flowers. They gave off a sweet fragrance and glowed white in the moonlight, just like the stunning woman who waited for me there.

  Queen Dubheasa turned to me, her light pink hair luminescent in the soft light, her skin glowing like mother-of-pearl. Actual pearls were strung around her slim throat and through her beautiful hair, their sheen set off by the muted blue of her long dress. On her brow was a crown made out of some kind of shimmering translucent material, set with sparkling blue stones in the shape of water droplets. She looked like a goddess emerging from the depths of a lake, more Aphrodite than I was and that just wasn't fair. I held Aphrodite's magic and yet I felt gaudy and crass standing in front of her but then I usually felt like the ugly stepsister when surrounded by goddesses, so the feeling was familiar.

  “Queen Vervain,” she smiled sweetly, just barely showing me the tips of her tiny, sharp teeth. “I'm so glad Kael found you.”

  “It's good to see you again, Queen Dubheasa,” I smiled back.

  “Alas,” she sighed, “you may not feel that way shortly. Kael,” she gestured and from the corner of my eyes I saw something flash, descending toward my chest.

  Before I could say a very eloquent huh, I was looking down at a long piece of wood, sticking out of my chest. I gasped for breath as my heart stuttered and I fell to my knees. The pain was searing and a bit nauseating. I felt like passing out and throwing up all at once.

  “Sorry,” Kael came into my line of sight. “Nothing personal.”

  “I cannot allow the race of dragon-sidhe to continue,” Dubheasa added in a bored tone. “Even more insulting if it's done through a human, full sidhe soul or not. Kael, take the ring.”

  My mind raced as I fell to my back, the pain almost overwhelming all thought. This wouldn't kill me but evidently, they didn't know that. So maybe if I just acted like I was dying, I'd be okay. As long as they didn't stick around to watch my last breaths.

  Kael said something in a language I didn't understand, as he yanked at the ring on my finger.

  “Then take her whole cursed finger,” Dubheasa snapped in English, probably for my benefit.

  Oh, I was gonna get that bitch, but first, oh please just slide off my finger, little ring. I promise, I'll find you again.

  Kael made a triumphant sound as the ring did as I asked.

  Then the snotty, mucous-covered mermaid snapped something in her language. There was a low rustling sound, possibly someone approaching, and her tone changed to one of concern. Kael spoke back to her in a low whisper and they conversed for another moment before subsiding into silence.

  I heard their footsteps furtively depart and I chanced a small breath which ended up becoming a moan. My heart was trying to heal itself but the small matter of a sharp piece of wood seemed to be in the way of that.

  “Queen Vervain!” Soft footsteps hurried over and a small hand brushed my cheek. “Oh no, my lady, not when we've just found you. Fate cannot be so cruel.”

  I opened my eyes to reassure whoever it was that found me, and saw it was the little brownie woman who'd brought Queen Meara my ring. I tried to say something but as soon as she saw me open my eyes, she screamed, jumped up, and ran away like I'd become a zombie with a taste for faerie brains.

  “What the hell?” I gasped as I yanked out the stake. I bit back a scream as white hot pain flared through my chest, and sat there huffing through the worst aftershocks ever as my heart mended itself and my bones knitted together. That asshole had cracked my sternum and broke a couple ribs with the force of his blow. Didn't he know that the best way to get to the heart was with an upward stroke?

  I was still shaking, catching my breath, and staring down at the amazingly pristine dress I was wearing, not a mark on it or even a stain, when a swarm of crazy people rounded the corner and invaded the tranquility of my garden of doom.

  “Minn Elska,” Trevor was by my side instantly but my other men weren't far behind, including Arach who knelt by me and immediately started stroking my hair in relief.

  Azrael alighted before me, sword unsheathed and blazing bright. His wings were outstretched to their full span, at least ten feet to either side of him, and he looked like he was about to lay down some angelic vengeance.

  “I'm fine,” I patted the hands patting me, waved down my angelic warrior, and tried to look around them at the crowd.

  Sure enough, that bitch was there to gloat, probably thinking all the fuss was because I'd already been found dead. The look on her face was something I will treasure until the day I die... which would hopefully never happen.

  As soon as she recovered from her shock, Dubheasa hastily backed away and made a run for it.

  “Stop that murdering mermaid!” I screamed and pointed at her.

  My men pulled back and turned to stare in Dubheasa's direction, all as one. Then they, and several fey guards, were chasing after the Water Queen and her knight, Azrael actually taking to the sky again. I sat back with an exhausted huff.

  “How?” Arach had evidently felt that the others could handle things and had stayed back with me. I was a little surprised by that, I would have thought he'd be the first to hunt down someone who hurt me but then I got a good look at his face and realized he was in shock. Major shock. “How are you still alive? This is wood,” he held up the stake. “You should have been dead in seconds.”

  “Yeah, about that,” I took the stake back from him. “Why the hell would she put a stake in my heart? She knows I'm dragon not vampire, right?”

  “That wouldn't have even worked on a vampire,” Blue scoffed and I looked up to find him among the rapidly growing presence of my people.

  “Blue,” I smiled. “I think they might have different rules for their vampires here.”

  “Do they?” He looked over at Isleen, who I just noticed was standing super close to him. Hmmmm.

  “Not just vampires,” she answered, her eyes as big as Arach's.

  In fact, all of the fey surrounding me, which included the High King and Queen, were staring at me like I was the walking dead.

  “A Thaisce,” Arach took over. “What we were talking about earlier, how there is another way to kill faeries. Well, the surest, easiest way to kill a faerie, is to stab it through the heart with a tool made from an element not of their House.”

  “So to kill me?” />
  “Wood, ice, or a shaft of air would have worked,” he nodded. “Our House is immune to metal, anything forged by fire.”

  “They got away,” Trevor growled as he fell to the ground beside me, dropped by Arach who'd evidently been carrying him like a stork delivering a baby. A psychotic werewolf baby with a need for mermaid blood. Azrael alighted behind him, sword sheathed but face grim. “They jumped into a lake and disappeared. Are you alright? Do you need Teharon?”

  “I believe my services would be moot at this point,” Teharon smiled from the sidelines. “I can hear the strength of her heart from here.”

  “Yes, he's right,” I looked up at Kirill, Az, and Odin. “I'm fine, guys. Help me up.”

  “But how are you fine?” Arach got to his feet slower, looking up at me for a moment like I truly was a goddess. “I still don't understand this.”

  “Because she's not all fey,” Azrael explained gently. He was probably the only one who could have said it without starting a fight. His voice alone had a calming affect. “Her body is imbued with the immortality of a goddess and you can't kill a god with a wooden stake.”

  “Well, I never thought I'd be so happy that you aren't fully sidhe,” Arach gave a self-reproachful laugh and then pulled me into a hug. “I was scared. I haven't felt fear in a very long time.”

  “Not very fun, huh?” I smiled gently at him.

  “I don't ever want to feel it again.”

  “Find another woman then,” Trevor grimaced at him. “This one has a knack for finding trouble.”

  “Why did Queen Dubheasa try to kill you?” Queen Meara interjected before Arach could respond.

  “She said she couldn't allow the dragon-sidhe race to continue,” I frowned, then shouted, “And she took my ring!”

  “How did she even get it off your hand?” The King still looked all kind of troubled but at least the rest of the fey seemed calmer.

  “I asked it to go with her,” I grimaced. “I think she was going to cut off my finger to get it.”

  “We'll get it back,” Arach's face started to shift, his eyes burning brighter, and the scales on his face spreading down his cheeks.

  “The House of Spirit will aid you,” the High King nodded to Danal, who left in a rush.

  “The House of Earth is with you,” a man stepped forward, crowned with polished wood and emeralds shaped like leaves. His hair was deep brown but highlighted with muted greens and yellows, like the forest floor spotted with sunlight. “She tried to implicate us in the murder of royalty,” he lifted his head, his yellow eyes flashing with distaste. “I will have vengeance as well.”

  “The House of Air shall accompany you too,” a man with large monarch butterfly wings strode forward and smiled. “Just because we'd hate to be left behind and miss all the fun.”

  “Well, great,” I laughed and looked around at my god friends. “Any of you up for a walk through Faerie?”

  “You know we're with you,” Fenrir smiled like he could already feel Dubheasa's flesh between his teeth.

  “And all of us,” Pan shrugged and looked over to Horus. “Right?”

  “Do you not recall what I said when the Oathbreaker asked if we would stand with him?” Horus looked down his beak, er, nose at Pan.

  “I don't really pay attention to what you say,” Pan winked at me.

  “You memorize every word,” Horus looked Pan up and down, “so you can look them up in a dictionary later.”

  “Hey,” Pan floundered for a comeback.

  “But I'll repeat myself,” Horus stepped forward and looked me in the eye. “I have never run from a fight in all of my life and I have no intention of starting now.”

  “We are with you always, Tima,” Fallon nodded to the other lions who were already shifting forms while the fey around them stared in fascination.

  “Well then,” I looked at my men. “Let's go fishing.”

  Chapter Seven

  “Oh fuck,” I breathed as I looked up at the towering cliffs bordering the Road of Neutrality that encircled the Forgetful Forest and linked the four kingdoms.

  “What's the problem?” Arach looked from the waterfall tumbling over the cliff and thundering into a lake before us, and then back to me.

  “Vervain doesn't like water or heights,” Odin frowned up at the castle looming above us like a smirking siren. It perched on the edge of the cliff with the waterfall pouring straight through its main gate and around the sides, an overflow of the ocean behind it. “How do we get up there?”

  “There's a path,” Arach nodded to a ledge that climbed up the side of the cliff. “I'm not surprised by the aversion to water, a lot of us fire fey don't like it, but heights? I thought you wanted to fly?”

  “She loves to fly,” Azrael smiled at me, “under the right conditions.”

  “I know,” Arach looked the angel over speculatively. “I've taken her flying.”

  “In what form?” Az lifted a brow suggestively and smoke began to curl out of Arach's left nostril.

  “Stop it,” I growled, cutting them both off. “Remember what we're here for. That bitch took my father's ring and tried to take my life. Are you guys really going to stand here griping over who got to fuck me mid-flight?”

  “You had sex vith angel in air?” Kirill looked impressed and sent Az a raised brow.

  “It was fantastic,” Azrael grinned, “every time.”

  “You wanna give him a fist pound too, Kirill?” I narrowed my eyes on my lion. “When did you turn into a frat boy?”

  “Sorry, Tima,” Kirill looked chastised but I caught him giving Azrael a thumb's up. Boys.

  “Are your people ready to make the ascent?” King Cian was decked out in some shining battle armor. With his white hair and golden skin, it made him really hard to look at him.

  “We're ready, right?” I looked at the men hard and they all nodded. “Yes, how would you like to do this, High King?”

  “The entrance to the Water Kingdom is through Castle Deuraich,” he pointed to the waterfall wonder. “I doubt that Dubheasa will make it easy for us by waiting in the castle. She's probably gone deep into the kingdom, which means we'll have to go through the castle and down into the tunnels of glass. From there we can search the Water Kingdom. King Fionn of the House of Air has fashioned amulets which will create an aura of fresh air around the wearer and will allow us to go deeper into the ocean if we need to.”

  “Into the ocean?” I swallowed hard past the lump of fear in my throat.

  “Hopefully, we will find her in the Under city and not have to go looking in Water city,” King Fionn said as his thin wings shivered.

  “Under...Water, isn't it all underwater?” I asked.

  “The layered cities of Under and Water are made up of two parts,” King Cian explained. “The top of the city, the Water city, is open to the sea. It encapsulates the lower city, the Under city, which is filled with air. This allows the fey with air breathing ability to choose whether they'd like to live in water or not. A lot of them prefer to live in air and only journey out into the water occasionally. Queen Dubheasa however, lives in the top most spire of her underwater castle in Water city, when she is not holding court at Deuraich.”

  “Of course she does, motherfucking murdering mermaid,” I grimaced. Yes, I enjoyed saying it.

  “I do not relish the idea of being under all that water either but rest assured,” King Fionn handed me a smooth cold stone, a hail stone though it didn't melt. “Simply breathe onto this stone of air and water, and you will find your path through water yielded to you by the presence of air.”

  “Thank you,” I stuck the stone in the pocket of my jeans.

  “My pleasure,” he nodded. “I only wish we could launch an air attack but at least I can contribute in this way.”

  “This is a valuable contribution,” King Cian nodded. “Now after we enter the Under city, we shall split into four units, each composed of members from each of our groups, so that we can utilize all of our skills and el
ements if necessary.”

  “Smart,” I nodded. “Who will I be with?”

  “I'm sure I won't be able to separate you from your consorts,” King Cian looked over at my men, who all gave him various forms of agreement. “So all of you and King Arach shall be together with Danal, a few of his knights, some of your fire fey, some trolls and earth sidhe, and whomever from your lions and wolves that you'd like.”

  “Well, I'll allow my first born to guard Vervain and I'll lead some Froekn with another group,” Fenrir stepped up next to us. “My second born, TryggulfR and my third, UnnúlfR, will lead a unit of Froekn in separate groups as well.”

  It went that way for a few minutes, each deciding which group they'd like to go with, before we finally got things settled and headed up the winding road. Those who could fly, did so, becoming scouts for the rest of us, and by the time we made it to the outcropping in front of the castle, the sound of fighting was already filtering down to us.

  “Damn, maybe we got lucky and she is up here,” I ran forward with my men.

  There were two doors, one on each side of the outcropping, divided by a rushing river coming through the middle of the castle itself. We took the right hand door, as we were on that side of the castle already and I didn't feel like wasting time by going over the bridge joining the two sides.

  Inside, the fighting was almost over but Queen Dubheasa was nowhere to be found. I sighed dramatically and let my shoulders droop. Nope, not my lucky day but then again, I was still alive.

  “They've retreated,” Danal said, he'd been one of the flying fey who'd taken the castle. “We've restrained the survivors and locked them in a chamber. The way to the tunnels is clear now, my King.”

  “Well done, Danal,” King Cian nodded. “Everyone split into your units and be sure to have your amulet ready. Our group will lead the way and then once inside Under city, we will split into the four directions, clear the city, and meet at the base of the castle at its center.”

  The High King turned and led the way through the castle, Queen Meara by his side, dressed in shiny red armor. I took a deep breath and followed. We walked straight back, alongside the river, and out to another outcropping behind the castle. Here, the little islands angled downwards into two tubes of thick glass, the tubes themselves descending into a vast sea.