The Faerie Ring

by Kiki Hamilton

“The first time I saw Larkin she had come through the woods to our estate. She told me that she lived nearby. Though there were no other houses close, as we owned hundreds of acres, she had a horse so I didn’t really question it. For months, on and off, she would appear. It was always when I was outside and alone, almost as if she knew I was there.” His voice became dark and bitter.

  “I saw Larkin the day before we left for Paris.” Rieker’s words came out low and intense. “I met her in the forest that surrounds our land. Our dog had disappeared into the trees and I was trying to find him. Instead, I happened upon Larkin. She said her horse had spooked at a snake and bucked her off before running away. I didn’t suspect anything. She was very pretty and…” His words died off, and he gave Tiki a guilty look.

  “I feel foolish now,” he continued, “but she wanted me to walk her back through the woods to her estate.” Rieker took a deep breath. “Even though I knew there were no houses close, I probably would have if Jimmy hadn’t come yelling toward the woods right then, looking for me to come home for supper. Larkin hurried away and disappeared before he reached us. I don’t think he even saw her.”

  Rieker started walking again, and Tiki hurried to keep up with him. “We left the next day for Paris. That night”—his voice dropped again, almost to a whisper—“the night of the storm, the night of the…” His voice died off, as though his memories overpowered his ability to speak.

  Tiki’s heart pounded a little harder, and she dreaded for him to say the words.

  “Our boat was taking on water,” he started again. “We were all up on deck, clinging to the rails. It was so black and cold. The wind was howling, and the waves kept crashing over the side, making it impossible to see. The salt water burned my eyes. Choked me.” Rieker’s eyes were unfocused, and Tiki knew that he was seeing that awful night again.

  “After a while, I realized I was alone. The deck became pitched at a steep angle as the boat took on more water and listed to the side. My arms and legs were so heavy, it was as though there were ropes tied to them, and someone was trying to pull me down into the water. I didn’t think I could hold on any longer, and then she was there, on the boat with me.” He gave Tiki a quick glance to see if she understood. “Larkin. She wrapped my arms around the railings and held me there. She kept my head above water until a rescue boat got there.” His whisper died away, and he stared into the distance, seeing his memory. “I was the only survivor.”

  “She saved you?” Tiki asked in surprise.

  “If that’s what you want to call it. All I know for sure is that she was the one who kept me out of the water,” Rieker replied. “When I came to, I asked about the blond girl, but nobody else had seen her. They all thought I was hallucinating from the shock.”

  “Could you have been?”

  “No.” Rieker shook his head. “She was there.”

  “Why did she save you, if she murdered the rest of your family?”

  “Kieran said she had been ordered by Donegal to murder my family but she didn’t let me drown because she had grá do dhuine básmhar. He said that she had been watching me for a long time.”

  “Grá do what? What does that mean?”

  Rieker’s lips tightened. “He said it meant love for a mortal.”

  Suddenly the memory of Clara’s little voice when Tiki was telling them the story of Tam Lin rang clear in Tiki’s ears: Can faeries and humans fall in love?

  Tiki choked back a gasp. “A faerie is in love with you?” A sting of jealousy burned through her, but his words didn’t surprise her. In truth, she already knew that Larkin was in love with him. And he knew it, too.

  “I don’t know.” Rieker looked uncomfortable. “That’s what Kieran said.”

  Tiki wondered at the pained expression on his face, and a new thought struck her. Was Rieker in love with Larkin?

  “You must be flattered.” Tiki tried to keep her voice even. “You’d better be careful, though, or she’ll steal you away to her world just like the Faerie Queen stole Tam Lin.”

  Rieker scowled at her. “There’s more to it than that. This isn’t some tale out of a storybook, Tiki. She wants something from me.” His words were short and clipped. “At first I didn’t know what it was. But now I do. She thinks because I grew up with Leo and Arthur, because I have access to Buckingham Palace, that I can get her the ring. I suspect that’s been her plan all along.”

  A twinge of guilt shot through Tiki. Why would she say something like that after Rieker had just told her that Larkin had murdered his family? Tiki nodded. “That’s what she told me, too. That maybe you could help me get the ring.”

  Rieker raised his head in surprise. “When did she tell you that?”

  “Last night.”

  Rieker grabbed Tiki’s arm, forcing her to look at him. “You went out by yourself and found Larkin?”

  “I wanted to know if she had Clara or not.” Tiki was tempted to jerk her arm free, but she resisted. “You were the one who told me we could find her in Hyde Park. I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing.”

  “When I told you about the Ring, I didn’t think you’d be daft enough to go there by yourself.” His body was rigid with disbelief.

  “She is breathtaking to look at. Her beauty is mesmerizing,” Tiki said. “So much so that you just want to stare at her. But there’s something not quite right about her. She was barefoot and in a short-sleeve dress like she thought it was summer. She didn’t seem to feel the cold.”

  Rieker released her arm. “Faeries aren’t affected by our seasons. They don’t measure the passage of time like we do. In the Otherworld it is always now. For those of the Seelie court, it is always as warm as summer in the space they inhabit,” Rieker said. “Kieran told me that.”

  “One time I thought I saw wings. Beautiful, iridescent wings like a dragonfly’s. But it was only for a split second while she was twirling. Then she snarled at me like a vicious animal that wanted to rip me apart.” Tiki shuddered at the memory. “I think she was jealous. She called you ‘my Wills.’” As she repeated the words, an uncomfortable sensation clawed at her chest.

  Rieker stiffened beside her. When he spoke, his voice was so low that she had to lean close to hear him.

  “I didn’t pay attention to a lot of Kieran’s ramblings because I thought he was delirious at the time. So much of it didn’t make sense, I just let him talk to humor him.” His breath came out in white puffs as he spoke. “Some of it I still don’t understand.”

  They came to a fork in the path and stopped, standing close together under the canopy of bare limbs. Snowflakes drifted down from the sky like white feathers.

  “So you were helping Kieran survive, but really he was there to help you?” Tiki pulled her coat tighter around her waist to ward off the chill air.

  Rieker nodded. “I think so. I didn’t realize until after the ring was stolen what some of the things Kieran told me meant. He told me that unless I had the ring, or the royals had the ring, then the fey could attack mortals. And that they would attack those that matter the most to me.” His eyes fell on hers, and Tiki once again felt as though he had embraced her. “At the time, I didn’t realize there would be anyone else they could take from me that would matter.”

  He reached up and ran a finger along her jaw, his eyes dark. “I can’t bear to lose anyone else,” he whispered.

  Her eyes traced the contours of his face, the sculpted cheekbones, the straight nose, and the cut of his strong jaw. A few strands of his long, dark hair had been caught by the wind and blown against his face. Without thinking, she reached up and smoothed the strands away from his skin, wishing she could smooth away the pain etched there.

  Rieker lowered his head toward her. Tiki leaned into him, the physical pull between them more than she could deny. She rested her hand on his chest, a sudden yearning filling her. His fingers slipped behind her head as his lips descended on hers, warm and urgent, as though he wanted to claim her before she was snatched from him.

&n
bsp; Tiki wasn’t prepared for the onslaught to her senses. The smell of his skin, the warmth of his lips, the insistent pressure of his fingers against her neck, pulling her closer. All of it sent a craving through her body that she’d never experienced before. She’d known love, but this was something different. This was desire.

  “Tiki.” Rieker pulled back, his eyes locked on something in the distance. His voice was suddenly tight, sending a warning chill down her spine.

  “What?”

  “Run as fast as you can and hide. Go back to Charing Cross.” He shoved her behind him. “I’ll meet you later.”

  “Why?” Tiki swiveled her head around to identify the unknown danger.

  “Run! Now! I think that rider is Leo.”

  Tiki jerked in the direction he was looking and spied a lone horse and rider headed their direction at an alarming rate. “Damn.” Why now? The prince’s big black horse was recognizable, even if the prince’s features weren’t.

  She didn’t hesitate. She flew down the path, headed for the nearest tree to disappear behind, fear fueling her departure. Dressed as the street urchin that she was, Leo would certainly recognize her this time, both as Elizabeth and as the ragged boy he’d met in the park. Especially if he insisted on seeing her wrist. She feared he would arrest her straightaway.

  Tiki didn’t slow down until she emerged at the far end of the park and crossed over Whitehall Road. There, she mingled with the crowd, her sides heaving from the exertion, sweat beaded above cheeks made rosy from the chill air. Leo! She knew that he often rode in St. James’s Park, but to be there today when there was no one else but them? What rotten luck! Had he recognized Rieker? And even more important, had the prince seen her?

  Chapter Thirty-one

  LEO stood up in the stirrups to stretch the muscles in his legs that were beginning to fatigue. His brain, on the other hand, felt as if it were on fire. What luck! The man walking alone on the path before him looked to be Wills. He knew his friend often walked great distances to wrestle with the ghosts of his past. Leo urged Diablo faster, not willing to let this opportunity get away.

  “Wills!” Leo hailed the young man, hoping to catch his eye. The other man had turned down a fork in the path heading away, but Leo turned Diablo across the field and headed straight for him.

  Hearing his name, Rieker stopped and waited as the prince approached.

  “Hello, Leo, what a pleasant surprise. From a distance that beast reminded me of your devil horse.”

  “What luck!” Leo pulled abreast of Wills as Diablo stamped and snorted clouds of smoke into the cool air, his sides heaving. “I’ve just come from your town house.”

  “Really?” Rieker asked. “And was I there?”

  “Funny.” Leo threw a leg over and dismounted. He walked around Diablo’s head and grabbed the reins, walking the horse to cool him down. Rieker fell in beside him. “Are you alone?” Leo glanced over his shoulder. “I thought I saw you talking with someone.”

  “Yes, quite alone. A street urchin was begging for spare change.”

  “Anyone you knew?”

  Rieker eyed the prince. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Leo nodded at Rieker’s clothes. “You’re dressed a bit like one yourself today.”

  Rieker shot a glance at the sky. “Didn’t see any reason to ruin perfectly good clothes walking in this weather. What are you about?”

  “There’s something suspicious going on, Wills. I think you need to be aware of the circumstances.” Leo gazed at his friend. “Tell me what you know about Elizabeth.”

  “Elizabeth?”

  “Yes.” Leo’s voice was tinged with excitement. “Elizabeth Dunbar. I want to know everything you know about her.”

  “Ah.” Rieker slid his hands into his pockets and hunched his shoulders. “The lovely Elizabeth.” He turned his dark head away and followed the path of two boys through the park. “She’s an interesting creature, Leo, I’ll give you that.”

  Leo rubbed the smooth leather of the reins between his fingers. That didn’t sound good. He’d known Wills his entire life. Handsome and kind, his tall, dark-haired friend always had the girls twittering when he came around.

  “What do you mean, ‘creature’?” Leo asked. Did Wills have any idea of Elizabeth’s double life?

  Rieker laughed. “She has her moods, Leo. One minute sweet and nice, like a lovable little kitten, the next she’d give you a pop in the jaw if you say the wrong thing.”

  “Oh. You sound like you know her well.” Leo had fallen in and out of love several times, and rather painfully once or twice, but as far as he knew, Wills had never given his heart to another. There were times when he wondered if Wills would ever allow himself to fall in love. But now, to fall in love with someone who might be a thief? He had to warn his friend.

  “Sometimes I think I know her as well as I know myself. We think the same way about many things,” Rieker said. “Then there are other times when she’s a complete mystery.”

  “That’s it exactly. There’s a mystery about that girl.” Leo was unsmiling as he looked at his friend. “I’ll tell you something, if you can promise to keep it to yourself. Something I think you need to know.”

  Rieker looked over at Leo. “Your secrets have always been safe with me, Leo. You know that.”

  Leo nodded. “And it’s a gift I’m grateful for. Arthur can get a little monotonous in his need to always be the older brother now and give me advice.”

  “So what is it you want to share?”

  “You’ve heard that one of Mother’s rings was stolen, no doubt?”

  “Yes, I’m aware of the ring gone missing.”

  “What you might not know is that the stolen ring is quite old. It’s rumored to have a connection to the world of the fey.” He checked Wills’s reaction.

  “The fey?”

  “The world of Faerie.” He held up his hand. “Don’t laugh. I didn’t believe it at first, either, but there have been things that are occurring … consequences … it’s enough to make a person believe.” Leo stopped as Diablo put his head down to pull at a tuft of grass.

  “But that’s not what I want to warn you of. It’s who I think is involved in the theft of the ring that’s the problem.”

  Rieker faced Leo. “And who might that be?”

  “Elizabeth.”

  Rieker smiled, as if amused at the idea.

  “Have you seen the mark on her arm?”

  “I have, Leo. It’s a birthmark, I believe.”

  “A birthmark that is associated with the fey.” Leo paused to let his words sink in. Then he continued in a low voice, “Just like the ring. Which makes perfect sense, because the missing ring holds a truce with the faeries.” Leo’s voice rose with excitement. “One they’d like to destroy.”

  “Truce?” Rieker cocked his head to look at Leo. “Are we at war? Perhaps Elizabeth is a spy.”

  “I’m not joking, Wills.” Leo’s tone was sharp. “Elizabeth is more than what she appears to be. Shortly after the ring was stolen, I met a beggar boy here in the park. I thought I saw him with something.” Leo gestured, causing his horse to jerk his head back. “It could have been Mother’s ring. And listen to this: He had the same mark on his wrist as Elizabeth.”

  Rieker seemed unimpressed. “Do you think the boy was her brother?”

  “Brother?” Leo cried. “No, I think it was Elizabeth. That’s why I dropped my wineglass the night of the ball. I recognized her.”

  Rieker tilted his head back and laughed out loud. “That’s a good one, Leo. Did it take you long to think this up? Tell me, do you think Elizabeth was disguised as a beggar or the beggar was disguised as Elizabeth?” Tears of laughter glistened in the corners of his eyes as he waited for Leo’s response.

  “Laugh all you want, but a ransom note was delivered for the ring. It was written in exactly the manner I had discussed with Elizabeth. We’ve talked of having her arrested. That’s how sure we are that she’s involved in this.”r />
  “Arrested?” Rieker’s laughter dissolved into an angry frown. “You can’t be serious. Did you pay the reward?”

  “Well, no. But—”

  Rieker jerked away and walked down the path, his shoulders rigid with anger. Leo pulled Diablo’s head and hurried to catch up.

  “I’m trying to warn you, Wills. At the ball, after I danced with Elizabeth, all she wanted to talk about was the ring. I don’t even know how she knew of its existence, let alone its disappearance.”

  Rieker glanced over at him. “You think Elizabeth stole your mother’s ring? Is that it?”

  “Yes,” Leo said grudgingly. “There’s something suspicious about her. I can feel it. And that mark…”

  Rieker snorted in disgust. “I’d like to see Elizabeth dressed like a beggar boy. She looked enchantingly feminine to me at the ball.” He slid his hands into his pockets and kicked angrily at a pile of leaves. “Why didn’t you pay the reward?”

  Leo hesitated.

  “Well?”

  “The thief’s note said that the ring was hidden in the palace.” Leo threw his hands in the air. “They wanted us to leave the money without even giving us the ring in return.”

  Rieker jerked to a stop and turned to face the prince. Leo took a step back at the scowl on his friend’s face. “Let me get this straight. The ring is in the palace, yet you want to charge Elizabeth with stealing it? Are you completely mad?”

  “Yes, well…” Leo forced a laugh. “You have a point. But I wanted you to be aware of our suspicions. I can’t tell you the hours I’ve spent pondering the whole situation. How could two people have an identical mark as unusual as that unless they are one and the same? And by the way…” He turned his scrutiny to Rieker again. “Was Elizabeth your guest? I didn’t see her name on the guest list.”

  “Yes, she came with me.”

  “Then why did you introduce yourself to her?”

  Rieker gave Leo a stern look. “Now you’ll have to keep one of my secrets. It was, shall we say, a private joke?” He smiled. “She was nervous about not knowing anyone, and I told her I would introduce her to several handsome men. So I introduced myself to her.” Rieker cleared his throat. “Several times.”