by Kim Stokely
“I don’t like this,” he growled. “Not at all.”
“Nor do I.” My mother’s pale face mirrored his concern. “Alystrine, please reconsider.”
“There’s no time.” When I thought about the Fey I got a clear picture of the forest in my head. I sensed the evil palpitating within it, waiting to break out and destroy everything in its path.
Oded approached me, his voice a loud whisper. “Ride out with our army, Your Majesty. At least then you may have a chance to escape.”
I grinned at him. “I’m not looking for a way out.” I strode from the Elders’ tent with Geran and Kennis close behind me. “Where’s Quinn?”
“Here.”
My hand flew to my chest in a useless effort to slow my heart down. I turned to see the Portal standing next to me. “Don’t do that!” I tried to catch my breath. “You should warn people before you pop in like that.”
He bowed quickly. “Sorry. I’ve been monitoring the Black Guards’ advances but sensed you were back.” He surveyed my new appearance with awe. “What happened to you?”
I shook my head. “I wish I had the time to explain it all to you.” I glanced at Kennis and Geran. “When this is over, I’ll tell you everything.”
“When this is over?” My mother’s voice caught in her throat. “When this is over there may be nothing left of your sanity.” She pushed Geran forward. “Do something. Stop her from this madness.”
“Alystrine, you must reconsider. Your life–”
“Means nothing if the Elders are destroyed.” In my mind, the Black Guards pounded through the trees of the Fey. Evil spreading out from them like oil over water. “Don’t you understand? They’re too strong for us now. Without the Commoners, we can’t win.”
Lines deepened in Quinn’s forehead. “You have a plan.”
“You won’t like it either, so I’ll let Kennis tell you.” My mother’s devastated face broke my heart. “I know I’m doing the right thing.” I longed to give her a hug but knew she’d never let me go. “I’ll see you in Uz.”
Before any of them could stop me, I focused on the plains and transported myself there. The Fey stood angry and quiet before me, like a volcano about to erupt. A damp wind blew down from the mountains whipping my long hair in front of my face. Steel gray clouds raced across the sky as if fleeing from the coming horde.
I anchored myself to the ground and gathered what knowledge I’d gained over the last four days. Evil only had the power I gave it. The easy path isn’t always the right one. I have a purpose for being in Ayden and that purpose will give me the strength to do incredible things.
A great clap of thunder reverberated through the air. I studied the clouds. Although dreary, they didn’t appear to be the type to actually storm. The earth trembled. The vibrations ran up my legs and shook my chest.
Oded’s voice echoed through my mind. Your Majesty? Do you need help?
My family? Are they gone?
Yes. Please, my lady, let us come to your aid!
In front of me the trees vomited the evil host. Keep the children safe. The Black Guards are through. I blocked my mind from anymore messages, concentrating only on letting my fear go so it couldn’t be used against me.
One guard broke ahead of the pack and galloped up to me. He wore the leather mask that all Black Guards wore, which covered everything but his snout and purple lips. Even with the mask, I sensed he was the same beast that had carried me through the Fey the last time. He let out an unholy howl that made my stomach churn. I could tell he looked forward to another crack at breaking me.
The other beasts pulled their horses up and spread out in a circle around me. A rider trotted to my side. Too small to be one of the Black Guards, the robed figure waited to push back its hood before addressing me.
Sigal.
“What trick is this?” She asked as her eyes scanned the horizon.
I held my arms out. “No trick. I saw no reason to send Braedon’s demons among the Elders when we both actually want the same thing.”
She sneered at me. “Do we?”
“We both want the coronation to take place.” I stepped toward her horse and raised my hand. “Why don’t we ride together? I’m sure you and I could be great friends if we only took the time to know each other a little better.”
By her bark-like laugh, I think I actually managed to surprise the Portal. She shifted her head toward the Black Guard beside her. “I wouldn’t dream of denying Mahon of the pleasure.”
The beast reached down and grasped my arm. With a powerful twist, he pulled me up so that I rode in front of him, my legs hanging over one side of the horse. My skin itched as if worms crawled over my body.
Sigal grinned, her raven hair whipping behind her with the wind. “The Lord Regent was very upset at Mahon’s failure to break you the last time you met. He’s giving him one more chance to redeem himself.”
I swallowed the bile fighting its way up my throat. “I’m afraid I have no intention of losing my mind today.” I looked up at the beast that held me, hoping sarcasm might bolster my bravery. “Sorry, Mahon.” The beast growled in my ear–a low, sensual sound that almost succeeded in undoing my nerves.
Sigal studied me for a moment. “It would go easier for both of you if you would not fight it this time.”
“I’m not looking for the easy way out.”
“As you wish.” She nodded toward the guard. “You have your orders.”
Whatever courage I had fled when Mahon’s arm pulled me closer to his body. The darkness within the beast seeped into me, turning my blood to ice. But as he kicked the horse beneath us to a gallop, I closed my eyes and concentrated on Ginessa’s Glade. Even as the beast pushed ever more vile images into my head, I clung to the overwhelming beauty of the world as it should have been. As it could have been if evil like the Black Guards never existed. And if they didn’t exist, I couldn’t see the tortures they wanted to inflict on me.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Help From an Old Friend
I couldn’t breathe.
I’d been cocooned in the memories of Ginessa’s Glade when, in an instant, all the air was pushed out of my lungs. I couldn’t inhale. I couldn’t exhale. My eyes flew open.
Mahon stood over me, his purple lips raised in a sneer. Several other guards dismounted and gathered around my prone body. I forced my lungs to suck in oxygen. Mahon reached down to grasp a handful of my gown. He pulled me up so I stood inches from his gaping mouth.
His breath stank. I gagged as he growled, the foul stench of rotting meat filling my nose and throat. Another beast stalked up behind me. His clawed hand raked over my body, snagging my dress and ripping it in several places.
I struggled to get free, but it was like wrestling with cement. Mahon was immovable. He bent his masked face down to my neck. His tongue scraped my skin like sandpaper. His hand grasped the pendant I wore from Josh. He yanked it off, the chain cutting my skin.
“Remember,” Sigal said. “No marks where they can be seen.”
Mahon grunted then tore the neck of my gown open.
I screamed and managed to stumble a few feet away from him. I spotted Sigal, still sitting on her horse. “You can’t do this!”
“You brought it on yourself, Alystrine.” Her violet eyes watched without compassion as Mahon lunged across the gap that separated us. “Unlike Faolan, I promised the Lord Regent I would not fail in breaking you.”
My fists beat against the Black Guard’s head, but did nothing to stop him. Mahon held his hand next to my face so I could watch his claws slide out. They were long, sharp and dirty. He sliced a line across my stomach. The wound burned. I wondered whether his claws were poisoned as I fell to my knees. I wrapped my arms around my waist but Mahon would have none of it. He pushed me onto my back, spread my arms apart and proceeded to lick my blood.
I focused every ounce of rational thought I had left and called out to Quinn. I couldn’t even put into words what I needed. I opened my eyes, le
tting the vision of the attack flow out from my mind.
“No one can help you.” Sigal rode over to where I could see her. “We are still within the Fey. There are no passages into its borders.” She shook her head as if she were actually sorry. “Or out. It is useless to try.”
I couldn’t stop the terror flowing through me. I knew the Black Guards drew power from it but this wasn’t like fighting the visions. If Mahon couldn’t break my mind then he would break my spirit. No matter what I had seen in Ginessa’s Glade, I knew I would never get over the horror of this attack if it went much further. The beast used one hand to pin both of my wrists above my head.
“God! Quinn!” I screamed out to the trees. “Someone help me!” The demons surrounding me roared like a pack of lions ready to feast.
Alystrine?
Quinn’s voice sounded distant. I had no time to explain. I pushed the images of the attack into his brain.
I sensed his reaction rather than heard anything from him. He felt my terror.
Find a passage!
I’m in the Fey.
He groaned. Within the Fey. You’ve been there before.
I couldn’t think of anything but my panic.
Try, Alystrine! Think of a passage away from where you are!
It flashed into my head even as Mahon’s knee forced my legs apart and his free hand pushed the remnants of my gown above my waist. He pressed his body on top of mine. The stench of him filled my nose like raw sewage, but I saw the lake where I had once stopped and rested with the outlaw, Kyran. The beast must have sensed something within me because he howled with anger. His claws dug into my upper arms as I fought to find the current to take me away. The other Black Guards knelt around me but I pushed my thoughts out. Their cries followed me even as Mahon and I got sucked into a passage.
The beast’s claws ripped through my flesh as we sped through the air. I flailed against him as we landed. Disoriented, he stumbled, falling backwards over a fallen tree branch. I ran from the lake shore into the forest. I knew I’d never outrun him once he regained his balance. I snuck a peek over my shoulder. He was already on his knees.
Oh God, what do I do? What do I do?
Quinn’s voice sounded even more distant. We cannot help you until you’re out of the Fey. Find a way out!
I knew only one person who had no fear of the Fey, who had helped me navigate it before. With Mahon’s footsteps crashing behind me, I grabbed hold of a tree trunk, closed my eyes and found the passage to Kyran’s rabbit hole of a home.
A woman let out a startled cry.
I opened my eyes to see the brown-skinned man rising to his feet. He had no shirt on. A ragged pink scar marred the skin across his back. With one hand he held up his pants, with the other he brandished a dagger. A blonde woman sat up from under him. She pulled a blanket up to cover her bare chest.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “This was the only place I could think of to hide.”
“Kyran!” the blonde screeched as she whacked his leg. “Who is she?”
The soft glow that illuminated the space around us pulsated, turning from yellow to lilac. The light came from the Elderstone, a small crystal orb that rested in a niche in the wall opposite us. Kyran’s underground home was the only safe place I knew within the Fey. I hadn’t thought about the possibility of interrupting him during a romantic tryst.
I gave the woman an apologetic nod of my head. “I swear to you, there’s nothing going on between us.” I groaned at the fire in my belly and hugged my arms around my waist to try to slow the blood. “I need help.”
Kyran sheathed his dagger then pried the blonde from his leg. His dark eyes surveyed me as he laced up the top of his pants. “What has happened?”
My body shook. Wild spasms attacked every muscle and nerve. My voice cracked. “I think I’m in shock.”
He caught me before I collapsed to the ground then carried me over to his pallet. His light brown fingers seemed darker than I remembered against my pale skin. The woman grabbed a shirt from the floor and scurried into the corner.
Kyran laid me on the blankets. “Who did this to you?”
“Black Guards,” I said through chattering teeth. “When they couldn’t b-b-break me they decided to try . . . t-t-t-to . . . t-t-try and rape me.”
The blonde gasped. Kyran backed away. “What . . .” he dropped his gaze. “What can I do?”
I couldn’t keep my voice from shaking. “I need something to clean out these cuts. They burn.” I unclenched my arms so they could see the blood pouring from my stomach as well.
He spat out what I assumed was a curse under his breath, then hurried to the far wall of the cave. He came back a moment later with a bowl of water and a cloth. He hesitated as he stood over me. He called over his shoulder. “Fenella, help me.”
The blonde grumbled a bit as she finished tucking her blouse into her skirt. Kyran grabbed her arm with one hand and thrust the bowl to her with the other. “Fenella, this is Alystrine, the daughter of Queen Etain.”
The woman’s eyes glazed with confusion. “What?”
He let out a frustrated grunt. “She’s heir to the throne. She’s going to be your queen.”
“If I don’t bleed to death first.” I winced as I rolled on to my back. Kyran stepped away to give us privacy. I peeled my garment open so Fenella could see what to clean.
She hissed when she saw the wound in my stomach then set about wiping the blood away with gentle strokes. I turned my head and stared at the wall. “My family is waiting for me at the palace.” I sucked in a harsh breath when she pressed too hard against the cut.
She drew her hand back. “Sorry.”
“It’s all right.” I tried not to let my pain register in my voice. “I need to get word to them about what happened.”
Kyran spoke from the far wall. “I can ride out and tell them.”
“There isn’t time.”
“Why not?” he asked.
My fingers clawed at the cave floor as Fenella moved to tend the wounds on my arms. “Braedon has a friend of mine in the prison. He’ll torture him if I’m not at the palace by tomorrow.” I turned my head to face him.
He couldn’t meet my eyes. “What do you propose to do?”
“Use the Elderstone to tell the Elders what’s happened.” I swallowed a cry of pain before going on. “If you can get me outside of the Fey, I think I can find a passage to Uz.”
He looked at me then, but just my face. “You’re a Portal?”
“How do you think I got here?”
He shrugged. “I thought we didn’t notice you coming in.”
Fenella stepped back. “I’ve cleaned them, but I can’t get the bleeding to stop.”
I sat up and slipped off the tattered remains of my dress, crossing my arms to cover my chest. “Rip this up and use it as a bandage.”
She stared at me blankly. “Then what will you wear?”
Kyran snatched my gown from the floor and tore it into shreds. “Your clothes.”
Fenella put her hands on her hips. “What?”
Pulling my hair over my shoulder, I turned away from them. Kyran knelt behind me. I lifted my arms and he bound the fabric around my stomach. Although he bandaged me tightly, his touch was gentle. He paused for a moment, his fingers brushing against my shoulder.
“The arrow wound . . . where is it?”
“Healed,” I said. My back tingled as his fingers searched for a scar.
“How?”
I glanced behind me. “Ginessa’s Glade.”
His eyes held mine. “You’ve seen it?”
I nodded.
He blinked and broke the strange connection between us, then went to work binding the ragged wounds on my arms as well. He stepped back as soon as he secured the ends of the fabric. He spoke in soft tones to Fenella, as if he instructed a child. “Be a good girl and give Alystrine your skirt. I promise, I’ll buy you a new one when we get back to town.”
The blonde sounded petulant. “Wh
y not buy her a new skirt?”
Kyran sighed. “There isn’t time, my love. She needs to get out of here. Now.”
“But what will I do?” Fenella whined.
I wrapped one of Kyran’s blankets around my shoulders as I watched the little drama in front of me unfold, glad to have something distract me from what had happened. I sensed his frustration at Fenella’s cluelessness. He placed his hands on her shoulders. “You’ll wait here for me, Darling. I won’t be long.” He combed his fingers through her long hair. “We can finish what we started.”
I wanted to gag when the blonde giggled. I didn’t understand the power some men had over women. I couldn’t deny Kyran was handsome and he’d certainly proven to be brave, but I had no desire to fawn over him like some rock star. I groaned and leaned my back against the wall.
Kyran gave me his spare shirt to wear as Fenella took off her skirt. He turned away when I stood to get dressed. “Do you think they still seek you in the Fey?”
I tucked the shirt in. “I’m sure they do.”
“Then we’ll have to disguise your smell.” He walked over to a shelf in the cave wall and came back with a large pouch. He lifted an eyebrow as he uncorked it. “You owe me, Your Majesty. This was very expensive wine.”
“I owe you for a lot more than that and believe me, I won’t forget.”
He shook his head. “I can’t tell you how much this pains me to do.” He held his thumb over the mouth of the skin and showered me in the burgundy liquid. I grabbed the wine and took several swallows, hoping to stop the trembling throughout my body. He drank from it himself when I handed it back then stopped and tilted his head, a funny expression on his face.
“What is it?” I asked.
“Your hair . . . it wasn’t this long before.”
I laughed and grimaced at the same time. “You just noticed? You’re so observant.”
He frowned. “You’ll have to cover it somehow.”
I sat down. After braiding it, I tied my hair into a knot at the nape of my neck. I found a leftover square of fabric from my gown and made a kerchief to cover my head. “How’s that?”
