Sarfina snorted.
“And why should I do that, Jastra?” Liri asked in lethal tones.
“I meant Aerith no harm. This was a test to see where her loyalties lie—with you or with Cirrus. You should be pleased. She fought off the male she believed to be Cirrus.”
Liri’s jaw twitched. A smile twisted up his cheeks. “I am pleased,” he acknowledged. Before Jastra could finish her sigh of relief, he added, “But Aerith is not.” Liri looked at each of his sisters. “Aerith is not a pet. She’s royalty, and, more importantly, a member of this family. She is not to be toyed with. Do I make myself clear?”
“Perfectly,” Sarfina said with a sneer in my direction.
“It won’t happen again,” Jastra promised.
“Clear as mud,” Teryani said.
Liri narrowed his eyes at his twin but made no further reprimand. “Very good, now leave us.”
“Why?” Sarfina looked from Liri to me suspiciously.
“Why do you think?” Teryani asked in a tone of boredom. “Come along, Sarfina. Jastra. Give these two their privacy.”
My face heated at her suggestive words, or maybe it was the faerie wine warming my cheeks like lanterns.
Jastra stormed out ahead rather than be led from the room by her white-haired older sister.
Sarfina followed, grumbling on the way out. “He better not fuck her in Cirrus’s bed.”
“He can do whatever he wants. He’s king,” Teryani returned. She closed the door on the way out.
As soon as they’d gone, there was only one person left to focus my glare on.
Liri wasn’t looking at me. He was frowning at the silk robe puddled over the rug beside my bed. Storm clouds gathered in his eyes. He ripped the crown from his head and threw it at a mirror. Unlike the mirror that had taken a hit by my necklace, this one cracked apart and shattered over the floor.
My body jerked at the sharp noise.
“I am going to gut that deceiver,” Liri bellowed. “He dares expose himself to you. Touch you.” He snarled, his teeth clenched.
My shoulders slumped. “How did you know I was here?” I asked.
Liri lifted his head, huffing at the overhead mirror. “Jastra informed me she’d seen you wander out drunk and that she was worried.” He lowered his head and shook it. “I should have known from the start that she set this up. Probably intended for me to walk in on you and—him.” His upper lip curled. A second later, he schooled his expression and turned to me. “Why did you come to your old room?” He didn’t look angry, merely perplexed. Curious.
“Old habit,” I answered honestly. I winced. “And too much faerie wine.”
“Ah, yes,” Liri said, cracking open a smile. “Lucky for you I have a potent elixir that will help clear up the effects within a quarter hour. I’d already ordered its delivery to your rooms in the south wing. May I take you there?”
“Yes,” I said, eager to escape the room of mirrors. I was even happy to accept the elixir from Liri, anything to settle my roiling stomach.
Liri strode to my armoire and retreated with a short cream robe. “This will have to do for now,” he said, helping me slip into the arms.
Unfortunately, we had to pass the ballroom on our way to the south wing. Guests were beginning to take their leave and stared openly as Liri escorted me past them in my lace negligee and short silk robe. By morning, everyone would think I’d succumbed to him. I stole a look at Liri, whose eyes were trained forward as he steered me toward the south wing. He didn’t gloat or acknowledge anyone we passed.
He didn’t speak again until we’d passed through the double doors into the silent open hall overlooking the lake now reflecting the moon and stars.
“My sisters are all terrors. You are the only female I’ve ever trusted.”
The truth and fervor of his words hit me like meteors. I felt like I was drifting through space the rest of the way to my room. Outside my door, Liri put his hands on my shoulders and gently turned me to face him. I was afraid if I looked into his eyes I would fall into their bottomless depths. Affection wasn’t a feeling I could afford around Liri. But without the crown he looked more sincere, less imposing.
“Do you trust me, Aerith?” he asked in a whisper.
“Yes.” I breathed out the truth. I despised him, but I trusted him. He’d always been honest with me—overly honest, but it was the best attribute a Fae could offer.
“May I come inside and see that your rooms are safe?” he asked.
The thought of another Cirrus look-alike made me shudder. “Yes,” I said again.
While Liri inspected each room, I hurried and changed out of the cream negligee into a long black silk nightdress that was left draped across the purple bedcover. I had to admit I liked the cool feel of the silk more than the itchy lace, and I especially liked the complete skirt with no slit. I wanted to burn the negligee and spread its ashes over a tar pit.
Liri returned to the bedroom holding a blue glass vial between his fingers. “Drink the whole thing, and you’ll feel better. No side effects,” he added, handing it to me.
Knowing that Fae couldn't lie, I plucked a small cork from the top and swallowed the bitter liquid. I wrinkled my nose, but the bad taste quickly dissipated.
Liri smiled.
“Why did you do it?” I found myself asking. “Why did you kill Cirrus?” I nearly crushed the empty vial in my fist. I didn’t mourn Cirrus, but what kind of monster killed his own brother and father? I knew why he’d taken out his father—to become king—but Liri and Cirrus had seemed close in the beginning—friends even.
The smile vanished from Liri’s lips. One of his eyes twitched, making him appear annoyed. “He left me little choice. The fool made an attempt on my life.”
“What?” The word flew from my mouth. This was the first I’d heard of Cirrus going after Liri. “But he was already heir.”
“I imagine he wanted to keep it that way.” An amused smile pushed at Liri’s lips. “I also imagine he wanted to keep me from you. Perhaps he wasn’t such a fool after all.”
“When? How?” I demanded.
“The evening of the spring ball shortly after we danced a waltz together.” His eyes lightened as though delighting in the memory of our dance, then darkened to gray clouds when he continued. “A footman brought me a glass of sparkling wine, which I offered to a noble female who prattled on about her family’s three-day journey by carriage to Dahlquist. I offered her my glass to shut her up. Little did I know how effective it would be.” Liri’s wide grin showed all his teeth.
A gasp worked its way up my throat. “Lady Bryus?”
I remembered hearing of her death, but no details. Cirrus’s demise had followed so closely behind the noble female’s that it had been all but forgotten.
Liri nodded.
I shuddered. “That’s horrible.”
“Yes, who knew Cirrus could be so pitiless.”
But that wasn’t what I’d meant.
Liri ran his fingers through his silky white hair, brushing it back over his shoulder in an idle motion. “After the noble lady was found dead inside her chamber the next day, I tracked down the footman and made him confess the plot to end me. I had Galather take the servant to the lake and drown him. Then I repaid my brother with his lethal method of choice: poison.”
“What about your father?” I knew why, but I still wanted to hear Liri confess since he was in such a sharing mood.
“Naturally he wasn’t pleased I’d sent Cirrus off to the sky realm. He believed he was next and became excessively paranoid. In the end, it was either him or me.” Liri’s lashes fluttered on a sigh. “But let us not speak of the past. How do you like your new campaigne board?”
I regarded him for several seconds before offering the bland answer of, “It’s nice.”
Liri stood several feet from my bed, but he didn’t glance at it once. Now that we were closed inside the room together, he kept his distance, giving me plenty of space.
�
��Interesting setup you laid out,” he said. “We do not play this game in Faerie. Perhaps you will teach me sometime.”
The faerie wine still buzzed in my veins, but I trusted the elixir to do its work soon. I tossed the empty vial in the waste receptacle beside a tall potted plant and stared at Liri. He raised a brow.
“I’m not unique,” I blurted, ignoring his question. “You can trust other females. You just have to look for them. You’d probably have better luck outside of Faerie.”
“You are more unique than you realize, sweet Aerith,” Liri said. “My brother was a fool, but not when he went to the elven realms and chose you to be his mate.”
“You could do the same, you know.” When Liri’s eyes turned lambent, I hastened to add, “You could search for a bride in the elven realms. A female untouched, worthy of the role of queen.”
“A virgin?” he asked with amusement.
I nodded. Yes, exactly. He should find himself a doting, trustworthy virgin elf.
“I don’t want a virgin. I want you.”
“I am nothing special,” I tried again.
“Sweet Aerith, the more you say that, the more special you become to me.”
I scowled, which made him laugh.
“I will leave you to slumber in peace,” he announced, sweeping by me toward the door. “And I will station a guard outside. You needn’t worry about being disturbed.”
“Thank you,” I said.
Liri paused at the door, meeting my gaze. “Rest up, Aerith. Tomorrow I request your council on a most urgent matter.”
“Oh?”
Rather than elaborate, Liri took his leave, closing me in alone.
Cryptic much? Well, I’d find out soon enough. With a loud sigh, I padded toward the purple bed, but before I could pull back the covers, I felt a nagging sense to check the campaigne board.
Picking up a single lit candle, I walked into the sitting room and held the flame near the game, noticing it wasn’t as I’d left it. I knelt down and studied the changes Liri had made. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed he’d switched the marble archer for one carved out of onyx and placed it beside the dark king. I glanced over my shoulder, half expecting to see him standing behind me—a Cheshire grin on his lips.
Verifying I was still alone, I returned my attention to the board. In addition to switching the marble archer for onyx, he’d placed two dark shrubs in front of my piece, as though they were protecting me. He probably meant for them to represent Galather and Folas. I would have used two dark towers for the twins and placed them with the king, not the archer.
I huffed out a breath. Not only had he taken over my life, now he was trying to take over my game board.
One by one, I set the pieces in their rightful spots to begin afresh. Tomorrow was a new day. A new start. One step deeper into purgatory.
I’d underestimated Liri’s resolve.
He wasn’t just out to capture me.
He wanted to make sure I remained on the board indefinitely.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Melarue
Shopkeepers were opening their doors for the day when I arrived at Bilkin’s travel shop in my favorite blue coat, sword sheathed at my side, and a pack stuffed to the gills with clothing and five full money purses hidden at the bottom.
The sign outside boasted: No Realm Out of Reach.
I was the first-and-only client to enter the travel shop this early. Faded posters papered the curved walls at odd angles. A yellowish one with exotic striped and spotted animals announced: Africa. Take a trip on the wild side in the human realms. Beside Africa there was a poster of a tall gray tower that shot up like an arrow into the sky. It read: Paris. The most beautiful city in the mortal world. And beside Paris: Australia. For an unforgettable adventure a realm Down Under.
If my sister hadn’t been kidnapped by Fae, I would have totally gone to any of those amazing destinations. All of them!
Below the posters, there were shelves filled with travel essentials such as fake rounded ears to slip on for visits to the human realms. The shop also offered a variety of hats from knitted ones that slipped over the ears to baseball caps and safari hats.
There were very few items for traveling to Faerie besides a metal tree that dangled with charms meant for protection. A bright, vibrant poster, four times the size of the mortal realm ones, showed a scene with lush, green rolling hills, a shimmering lake, and bright ribbons tied from branches of trees. A castle could be seen in the distance. I almost felt as though I could step into the poster and walk toward the castle. There were no words on this poster, but it was obvious the scene was from Faerie.
I passed all the curiosities that called out for fun amongst mortals, striding straight back to where Mr. Bilkin bent beside a tea kettle over a small open flame.
“Good morning, sir.” My voice boomed out in the quiet.
He remained bent over, not standing until he’d poured steaming tea into a mug. Mr. Bilkin’s bones looked like they were groaning as he slowly rose and turned around. He wasn’t tall enough to straighten much. He peered at me from behind thick round spectacles with wire rims.
“Good morning, young lady. You are calling early,” he said as though I’d disturbed him during the breakfast hour at his cottage.
“Yep, all ready to head to Faerie,” I chirped, patting the sword on my hip. “Dahlquist, to be specific. Round trip with passage for a second elf on the way back.”
Mr. Bilkin grimaced, squeezing his eyes shut in his old wrinkled face. “My agent to the Faerie realms never returned from his last trip,” he grumbled.
“I don’t need an agent. Just point me to the nearest portal.”
This time, Mr. Bilkin groaned aloud. “How about a trip to the mortal worlds? I have several reliable agents that regularly take travelers to the human realm.” He leaned forward, smiling a little. “I bet you’d enjoy London and New York. I can book you the big city package.”
“I want to go to Faerie.” I stomped my foot.
“But—”
“Name your price. I’ll pay it.”
Mr. Bilkin glowered from behind his spectacles. “I cannot snap my fingers and send you to Faerie. You have to wait until a portal is opened, and those are rarely scheduled.”
“So when’s the next one?” I demanded.
“There are no portals currently scheduled.” Mr. Bilkin growled in frustration.
I growled back. “Fine, then at least tell me the location of the portal.”
“It changes all the time.”
“Then how am I supposed to get to Faerie?”
“Believe me; you’re better off not going. It’s highly overrated. If it’s castles you want to see, try Europe.”
“I don’t care about castles,” I snarled. “I need to find my sister.”
“Sorry, can’t help you right now. Try back next month or next year.”
I was too stunned to even be angry at first. “What kind of travel shop is this? Your sign says ‘no realm out of reach.’”
Mr. Bilkin lifted his chin. “It isn’t—when the timing is right.”
Done with the useless codger, I stomped out of the shop, tempted to knock over the messy stack of rubber ears on my way out. I shoved the front door open and stepped outside into the chilly morning. My breath fogged the air as I grumbled. “Oh pits.” Now what?
“Going somewhere?” a husky voice drawled. Devdan leaned against the outer wall of the shop. He ran his hand through the thick patch of hair on the top of his head, which didn’t even muss it up. So unfair.
“Trying to,” I said as I headed back in the direction of my cottage.
Devdan fell into step beside me. “Where?”
“Faerie, but the old geezer can’t get me there.”
The playful smile on Devdan’s lips turned over the moment I mentioned the “F” word. I didn’t blame him there. Faerie definitely wasn’t where I wanted to begin my grand adventure. Give me lions and tigers over Fae any day. When I was li
ttle, my mom had given me a book of Earth’s most exotic animals and I’d dreamed of seeing them all ever since.
“Why?” he asked in a low voice.
“Because the Fae stole my sister, again, and this time it’s all my fault!” I kicked a pebble off the ground. It sailed through the air and landed in the cobbled street roughly six paces away.
“What do you mean?” Devdan asked.
I continued toward the cottage, explaining everything I knew to Devdan along the way, starting with the twin faeries who had approached me after we parted ways at the market. Okay, so I didn’t tell him absolutely everything. He didn’t need to know how much they’d paid me for the diamond choker, only that they’d bought it from me.
“They were after Aerith. I know it,” I said. “And even though I didn’t see them, I know the bastards followed me home. I had this burning sensation in my body. I even broke out into a fever by the time I reached the cottage. Master Brygwyn told me that was my fire magic warning me of personal danger to me or my family. They took her the next night. I didn’t even hear them.”
That’s what angered me the most. I’d been in the next room, and I hadn’t heard a thing. I’d led the damn Fae straight to my sister and slept soundly while she struggled to fight them off. The next morning, when she hadn’t risen as usual, I’d gone inside her room and seen the bedcovers tossed aside and the dagger lying on the ground. I’d known right then that she’d been kidnapped, but it wasn’t until I’d gone over every detail leading up to her abduction with Keerla and Master Brygwyn that I’d put two and two together.
“Why would the Fae take her?” Devdan’s face pinched in worry. He sounded genuinely concerned, which made me want to kiss him, only I wasn’t going to get smoochy until I rescued my sister and had her safely home.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I’ve reread all of the letters Aerith sent me during her time in Dahlquist, looking for clues. I always got the feeling she was careful with her words, like she was afraid her mate was reading them before he had the notes delivered, or our Father was, or both. Probably both.” I scowled at my hands as though they were pages Aerith had taken painstaking care to write to me without giving too much away. She’d been imprisoned on so many levels, and now she’d been dragged back to that pit hole.
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