by R. A. Rock
Tessa raised her eyebrows.
A burn that bad and it could wait? He must really care about this woman.
“Right, so this isn’t going be easy,” Tess said with a sigh. “Not sure why I thought it would be. We need to make a plan to get in.”
“Why don’t you start at the beginning and tell us everything?” Tess said to Lorcan, folding her arms and leaning against the wall. “We’re not going to be able to help you if we don’t know the whole story.”
Lorcan nodded and began.
“Runa always contacts me the minute she arrives so that we have as much time as possible together. She sometimes has things to do so—”
“Wait a minute,” Tess said, holding up her hand. “Are you talking about Runa Byrne?”
He couldn’t be.
“I don’t know her last name,” Lorcan said, with a little shrug. “You know the Hundred Years Ball rules. Don’t ask which side someone’s one. Don’t even ask their last name.”
“Is that a rule?” she said to Finn.
Finn looked embarrassed.
Oh, it was a rule if you were having trysts.
“What happens at the Hundred Years Ball stays here,” Lorcan said unapologetically. “But Runa and I always meet. For centuries now. But she hasn’t contacted me and I’m worried about her.”
Tess and Finn exchanged a glance.
If it was Runa Byrne, Tess had a pretty good idea why she hadn’t contacted Lorcan.
“She usually contacts me on the first day. Once, it wasn’t until the morning of the second day. But that’s the latest she’s ever been. I really think that something’s wrong.”
Tess thought for a moment. Runa was usually busy on the first day because she was the one who did the Dark Queen’s dirty work, rounding up all the Fae that she wanted captured after the Truce spell was deactivated at the end of the week.
It wasn’t widely known but the Dark Queen always had dozens of cells filled with the Fae she hadn’t been able to catch throughout the previous century using her regular methods. With the entire population here at the castle, they were easy pickings and she always had them rounded up the first day.
Part of the reason that Tess had never had free time at the Ball was because someone had to guard the prisoners and the queen didn’t trust just anyone to do it. The Dark Queen wasn’t breaking the Truce spell but it certainly wasn’t an acceptable practice, which was why it was done in the utmost secrecy with only Ransetta’s most trusted soldiers doing the capturing and the guarding.
That was exactly the reason why Tess and Finn needed to be careful. They didn’t want to be thrown in the queen’s dungeons.
So, if Runa was at the Hundred Years Ball as usual, she ought to be done with the capturing already. It only took one squadron about a day to capture all the Fae with outstanding warrants. Then all it took was someone guarding them around the clock. So an orb ought to be able to find her.
Only thing was, the last time Tess had seen Runa, she had been in a deep sleep from a spell that Tess had used on her. She had a feeling that Runa had not woken up yet and that was why she wasn’t around for an orb to find.
“Right then, let’s get in here,” she said, suddenly remembering this particular door. She ran her hand over the runes carved into it that were in Raillta. But even though she didn’t read the ancient Fae language, she knew what they said. She knew the enchantment on this door. She had been here before, trying to arrest someone on the queen’s list who was unconscious when the Truce spell activated. Tess had not been successful.
This room was part of the spell of the castle. Any Fae that wasn’t healthy or was under some sort of spell was teleported here and kept safe until the Truce spell ended. People who couldn’t defend themselves were not to be captured or anything like that. And despite her best attempts, Tess hadn’t been able to get in before.
“I’ve tried to get through this door before,” she told the men. “And I wasn’t able to.”
“What about the ghost rings?” Finn suggested.
“You have ghost rings?” Lorcan said, surprised.
"We do," Tess said. "Good thinking, Finn."
She twisted the ring and walked through the wall, opening the door and letting the men in.
“Stars alive,” Lorcan breathed. Tess gave him a wink, and then she grabbed the orb that was still bumping against the door and trying to get through. She was in the infirmary as she had expected.
The room looked like a dormitory. There were rows and rows of beds. And on every bed, there was a Fae man or woman. Each one seemed to be sleeping.
“What in the Chasm is this?” Finn said, shocked. Lorcan also seemed completely taken aback. Tess tried the door to make sure and it opened easily without burning her. Shutting it again, she let the orb go.
“It’s the infirmary,” Tess said, taking off after the orb. Then she glanced back at the men. “Come on. Let’s go find Runa.”
Chapter 10
As they began to search the infirmary, Tessa could see the moon rising through one of the windows. Its pale white light was scattered in frail pieces on the floor. It seemed this room was on an outside wall, which was fairly out of the ordinary. But then again, there wasn’t much that was ordinary about this place.
“We’re in the infirmary?” Finn said as he and Lorcan ran a little to catch up with Tessa, who was walking quickly down the main aisle between the beds. Her head turned this way and that, searching. “I’ve never heard of an infirmary at the castle. Because nobody can get hurt.”
“Trust me, we’re in the infirmary.” Tess sniffed. She hated the smell of sickness. “You both know how the castle spell works, right? When the Truce spell activates, it sets off the castle spell and the castle wakes up, so to speak.”
“Wakes up?” Lorcan said, his forehead wrinkled.
“I was here once when it happened,” Tess said, smiling at the memory. “It’s amazing. The castle is basically a ruin for the rest of the century and then once the castle spell activates, the walls reappear, the furnishings pop up, the trees and grass grow, the owls poof out of nowhere. It’s quite the sight.”
“Are you serious?” Finn said. “That sounds like really something.”
Tess gave a nod. “And anyone who isn’t already here is teleported.”
Lorcan put a hand on his stomach and made a face. “That happened to me. I was a couple miles away once and the spell teleported me to the castle. I was sick for the whole first day.”
Finn and Tess exchanged glances.
“Yeah, we heard it’s pretty uncomfortable,” Finn said, looking at Lorcan with a sympathetic expression.
“Well, anyways,” Tess said. “My point is that when everyone is teleported, there are people who aren’t healthy or who are incapacitated maybe by a spell.”
She exchanged another look with Finn, who then glanced nervously at Lorcan.
“And they’re brought here. The wards on the door are to protect those unconscious people.”
“But what about the Truce spell?” Lorcan said, confused. “Wouldn’t that protect them?”
“Think about it, Lorcan,” Tess said, gesturing around at the other beds. “These people couldn’t defend themselves and they could be captured by someone unscrupulous.”
“Right,” Lorcan said. “So every Fae who’s unconscious gets teleported here to this room?”
“Yes,” Tess said, turning suddenly into one of the rows.
They followed her and she stopped at a bed.
“Runa,” Lorcan said, rushing forward and dropping to his knees. Tess and Finn watched him.
He looked at them. “What’s wrong with her? Why is she unconscious?”
Tess shifted back and forth.
“How would we know?” Finn said, and at the same time, Tess blurted, “We might have had something to do with that.”
“What?” Lorcan said, scowling. “You said that this room protected these people.”
“Well, we kind of did it before
she was brought here.”
“What did you do?” Lorcan said, standing up and facing Finn and Tess as if he would defend Runa from them. “What’s wrong with her?”
Another look passed between Finn and Tessa.
“She’s got a sleeping spell on her,” Tess said, wincing. “We used it on her instead of killing her.”
She offered this last comment as if it were consolation.
“In our defense,” Finn said, holding up his hand, “she was trying to kill us.”
“So what do I do? How can I help her?” Lorcan sounded desperate. “You owe me that, Tessa.”
“Well, she’s sleeping, Lorcan. It’s usually a kiss that’ll wake a person who’s in that sort of spell.”
Lorcan seemed completely taken aback by the suggestion. “The kiss of true love? But I can’t… I mean, I don’t…”
“What?” Tess said, confused. “You don’t want to kiss her? I thought you were worried about her. And haven’t you two—”
“Yes, yes. We have.” Lorcan waved his hand. “I’ll kiss her. Might as well try it. If it doesn’t work—”
“Wait,” Tess interrupted. “I’d like to leave before you do that.”
“What, why?” Lorcan said, his eyes worried.
“Well, Runa and I weren’t exactly getting along last time I saw her. I mean, we’ve never really got along—”
“Tess, you can’t leave yet. What if it doesn’t work?” Lorcan’s tone was so despairing that she relented.
“Fine, but let me move away,” Tess said, backing up so that Runa wouldn’t see her. Finn joined her. Tess let him take her hand, finding comfort in how warm and strong it was. He squeezed and she squeezed back.
“I don’t see how this will work,” Lorcan said anxiously. “It’s just a kiss.”
Finn’s eyebrows nearly hit his hairline. “Based on your behavior so far,” Finn said, pursing his lips. “I’d say it’ll work.”
“What do you mean?” Lorcan said, bewildered.
“Just kiss her.”
Lorcan looked uncomfortable but bent over Runa and pressed a long, chaste kiss to her lips. Then he stepped back and they all watched her. Tess held her breath.
She saw the change in Runa’s face first. Her pale cheeks flushed and then she drew a deep breath. Her eyes opened next. When she saw Lorcan, she smiled.
“Lorcan?” Her voice was soft and happy. “What are you doing here?”
Then she sat up fast, her long black hair falling around her face.
“Where are they?” she asked.
“Who, Runa?” Lorcan said, moving toward her and blocking Tess and Finn so that she wouldn’t see them. He sat down beside her on the bed and hugged her.
“Tess and her pet thief,” she said, and her voice was completely different from the way she had spoken at first. She spat out Tess and Finn’s names as if they tasted bad.
“Never mind,” he said, wrapping his strong arms around her. “I was so worried about you.”
“Worried? Why? Where are we? And how are we together?” Runa was completely bewildered.
“It’s the Hundred Years Ball. I got worried when you didn’t come find me.”
Runa made a sound that could only be called a growl. Lorcan sat back, surprised.
“I’m going to destroy Tessa Callahan,” she said, pressing her lips together. “She’s the one that did this to me.”
“Runa, hey,” Lorcan said, trying to distract her from her fury. “It’s the Ball now. It’s our time. We won’t see each other again for another century. You don’t want to waste our week, do you?”
“Lorcan,” she said, gazing up into his eyes. She kissed him, hard. Then pulled back.
“Help me stand up. I have to kill her.”
“But Runa. The Truce spell.”
“Shadows takes me,” she swore, startling Lorcan again. Tessa guessed that he hadn’t seen this side of Runa before.
Tess and Finn’s gazes crossed and, as one, they began to step back away from the bed where Runa was seething and contemplating their demise. But Tess wasn’t looking where she was going and she bumped one of the beds.
“What’s that?” Runa said, suspicious.
“Nothing.”
“It’s not nothing. Move, Lorcan.”
He got up and stepped aside.
“Tessa? What the Chasm? And who’s that with you?” Runa tilted her head and squinted into the darkness because the orb was above her and Lorcan. “The thief? Are you kidding me? Come here. I’m going to throttle you both.”
“Runa, please,” Lorcan said, his tone pleading. “She’s the one who helped you to wake up.”
Runa frowned. “What? She’s the one who did this to me. Why would she help me wake up?”
“I didn’t want to kill you, Runa,” Tess said, staying back. Runa would probably be weak from the spell but she was awfully strong to begin with and Tess wouldn’t underestimate her. “I thought you’d rather wake up from a sleeping spell than not wake up at all.”
“Oh Chasm,” Runa said. “I just got the Captain of the Guard position. Where’s the queen? How long have I been out?”
Tess grimaced.
“It’s fine,” Lorcan said. “Only for a few days.”
“Days?” Runa said, her eyes meeting Tessa’s. “I’ve been away from my post for days?”
“It’s the Ball anyway, Runa,” Lorcan said, taking her hand and trying to calm her down. “Nobody’s working.”
“Nobody’s working?” she repeated, staring at him uncomprehendingly. “Lorcan, you have no idea. I have to go.”
Tess watched her try to walk and nearly collapse. Lorcan caught her. She felt for the woman. Ransetta was not going to be happy. And she didn’t forgive. Anything.
“Runa, let me help you.”
“Lorcan,” she said, and she sounded like she was going to cry. Tess felt even worse. “Do you know how long I have wanted that position?”
Lorcan picked her up and sat down on the bed with her. She pressed her face to his chest and the sound of muffled sobbing pushed Tess farther out of the room.
They didn’t belong here.
She walked quickly away and Finn kept pace beside her. They needed to get back to the secret passageway and the Keeper’s quarters before Runa got her strength back.
This was an unexpected turn of events.
She had wanted to help Lorcan. But she shouldn’t have. She saw that now. This newfound kindness was not doing her any good.
Runa was awake.
She was angry.
And she had a huge grudge against Tess and Finn.
Just add it to the list.
What difference did one unsurmountable problem, more or less, matter after all?
Chapter 11
“I can’t believe that worked,” Tess said, as she flopped down on the blue couch in the Keeper’s quarters. They had returned quickly after they left Lorcan and Runa, not talking much. “I’m hungry. Want lunch?”
“You can’t believe what worked?” Finn asked, ignoring her comment about eating, though he was hungry.
“The kiss, of course. It was a long shot.”
“Are you kidding me?” Finn said, incredulous.
“What? You thought it would work?”
“I knew it would,” Finn said in disbelief. “Couldn’t you see it?”
“See what?” She pulled off her boots and curled up in a corner of the couch, tucking her feet under her.
“See how much he loves her,” Finn said as if it was obvious. Tess snagged the blue afghan on the back of the couch and wrapped it around her shoulders.
“No.” It was Tessa’s turn to be incredulous. “Lorcan loves Runa? What? Are you sure?”
“Uh, yes. That guy has it bad.”
“But they only see each other once a century,” Tess said, trying to digest what he was telling her. “And Runa’s… well, she’s Runa. How?”
“You don’t get to choose who you love,” Finn said and, all of a sudden, his
face was serious. “Speaking of which, Tess, we need to talk. About us.”
“Yes, I agree,” Tess said, her face troubled. “But can it wait?”
Finn frowned.
Tess poked her hands out of the afghan and took his hand in both of hers.
“Finn, I want to talk about us. I do. But we really have more important things to figure out. And we don’t have much time.”
“You’re right,” he said, not happy about it. “I know.”
“This whole thing with Runa is about to blow up in our faces. I know our goal is to read the Scroll and stop the Severance before the Truce spell ends and the King and Dark Queen get us. But we have to get on top of this thing with Runa before it spirals out of control.”
“I agree.”
“We need to find out what she’s going to do and we need to stop her.”
“How?”
“Follow her. We’ll use the rings. As soon as we know what she plans to do, we can make a counterplan. Because there is no doubt that she’s planning something. Runa is always scheming. And she’s always hated me.”
“Even before we put a sleeping spell on her?”
“I’m afraid so. We’ve been rivals since the first day I arrived in the Dark Court.”
Finn sighed. “Can we at least eat first?”
“Sure,” Tess said, bouncing off the bed and zipping to the table. She closed her eyes and a plate of crispy bacon and fresh tomatoes slices appeared in front of her.
Finn sat down opposite her and closed his own eyes. When he opened them, there was a plate of roast chicken, done to perfection, and a steaming pile of mashed potatoes that was covered in thick gravy.
“I could seriously get used to this kind of life,” he said and Tess nodded, her mouth full of bacon.
Finn and Tess stood across from the chamber that Ransetta was using as a throne room. The door was open and they were invisible so they could see perfectly. Of course, Tess had figured that Runa would try to see the queen. There wasn’t anything else she would do. And she was glad her guesswork had paid off.
