by Alexia Purdy
Sage rolled her eyes at her brother. “The tower. Where’s the damn tower you never told us about, Jax?”
“The one Astenos talks about?”
“Yes!” We all said in unison.
“I thought he was just a crazy old man. I didn’t think the tower gate was real.”
“Well, it is.” Dylan shook his head. Jax was too naïve to be a guard. Maybe he could take the guy under his wing and teach him a thing or two about how to make an excellent soldier.
“Look, all I know is that after years of yelling at me, he called me over to his porch one night and told me about it. He was very drunk, so I didn’t know if it was true or not. And besides, he never actually showed me where it was, but if it’s where he lives, then, yes. I do know how to get there.”
“Lead the way,” Sage grumbled, her long, gauzy dress flapping in the cool autumn breeze. Her crown was still upon her head but she also carried a small sack of her things, magically compressed to save space. “I can’t believe this is happening. All this time, it was right here?”
“I didn’t know it was real,” Jax said. “But even if I had told you, what difference would it have made. It’s locked, right?”
I turned to look at the slender faery queen as she scowled at her brother. “Your people’s magic boasts an immunity to iron and an affinity for botanicals, right?”
Sage nodded. “What does that have to do with any of this?”
“The land your people came from died after they left. Your magic kept it thriving. You can live in the city if you want, but this place, this realm of Faerie, is where you truly belong. You will see when we get there.”
“What would you know about it?” Sage muttered.
I didn’t answer; there was no point. It was something she had to see to believe. I only hoped Aveta wasn’t at the other side of the gate, ready to enslave these people. I’d make sure she wouldn’t. I’d lock her out of the realm once more if I had to, even away from her own love, if she pushed hard enough.
I glanced at Dylan and Soap, who helped the older faeries along with charms and magic to make the carts holding them move along smoothly. This made me smile. Their hearts knew no limits, and their kindness to others was endless. I was relieved my own humanity had returned, for feeling cold and desolate inside was worse than being in any prison cell. I felt like myself for the first time in months, and I hoped it stayed that way.
We arrived at Astenos’s street and approached his house with caution. Dylan and Nautilus would talk to him first, and he would hopefully agree that all these people had to be returned to the realm through the gate.
Sage crossed her arms and tapped her foot impatiently as we waited for the guys to return from the house. “This is absurd. Astenos isn’t to be trusted.” She threw her arms into the air in frustration.
“How do you know? Have you spoken to the guy?” I asked.
“No.” Sage made a disgusted face. “I don’t talk to such commoners.”
“Maybe you should. You are their queen, after all. You are the power that keeps them all safe, not just the inhabitants of the court. You should learn what the common people need or want; they will show you how to be the best queen you can be.”
Sage rolled these words over in her mind, and I could see the gears turning. I knew she would never admit I was right, but it was enough for me to see her considering my words.
Dylan and Nautilus waved us over as a tower appeared, rising high above us.
“I truly had no idea this was here,” Sage whispered, stunned at its sudden appearance.
“There’s so much to learn. Stay open,” I answered before I took Soap’s hand and led him toward Dylan.
Once inside, I turned toward my men and smiled, looking down at the gauntlets around their left arms. “I apologize for the pain I’ve caused you. I hope you can both find it inside yourselves to forgive me one day.”
Soap was the first to speak. “You don’t need to even ask. I am so glad to see you back.”
“I as well,” Dylan answered. “We lost you for far too long. You are always welcome to come home to the Scren.”
I looked into his eyes, wondering if he had truly forgiven me. His smile told me he was at least ready to try. It was all I could ask for.
“Okay. Let’s open the gate.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Shade
Standing at the gate in the tower, I wondered if this truly was the other entrance to the lost realm of Faerie, the Netherworld. I was impressed that no one on this side of the gate had discovered it before now. Something told me there was a reason for that, and I intended to find out why.
“Astenos,” I called out to the faery knight who’d stood guard at the tower for many years, “how long have you been here guarding the gate to the Netherworld?”
His face betrayed nothing as his stoic features remained still. Only his eyes betrayed a spark of defiance. I could feel it ebbing from his bones. He’d guarded this place all right, and Ilarial had known about it. Why he’d not shown it to those in the Noruck Court long ago was a mystery to me. I would have to ask Ilarial what her part in all this had been.
“I’ve been guardian of the gate since it was closed, about five hundred years ago. I’ve been called away here and there, now and then, but for most of those five hundred years, I have been here almost continuously, keeping it hidden from human and fae alike, even as a city grew up around it.”
I glared at Astenos, digging my eyes into him as hard as I could. “But why? Why keep it from the Noruck Court?”
His mouth tightened, and I knew I had hit a nerve. When he refused to answer me, I cleared my throat. “What does Ilarial have to do with all this? Why would she choose this moment to tell us about it?”
“It was her idea. Closing it was necessary to keep the half-bloods from growing more powerful. There are more than just those of the Noruck Court spread out across the human world. Those immune to iron are dangerous to the fae. If they were allowed to return to the Netherworld, all of Faerie would be doomed.”
“Why do you say that? They are part faery as well. I am an Ancient of Faerie. It would be like you expelling me from my home.”
“Pardon my gruffness, Your Grace, but they are unlike either you or me.”
I started at Astenos, who glared at me with contempt. So, he was all for pure blooded faeries, but half-breeds like me were an abomination in his eyes. Even though many of the Noruck Court were pure fae, he apparently saw all of them the same way because of their iron immunity. They were tainted, and, in his mind, had spread that taint to the Land of Faerie. Still, if he had to be allies with one of us, I would be the one he’d choose.
I laughed. “How are they so different?” I asked, pressing him on the issue. Whatever he answered, it had better be good.
“Their iron affinity allows them to live in either realm. They wreak havoc on any realm they infiltrate. Do you think the land beyond the gate is beautiful? It was. Once. Then the iron-blooded fae began to multiply and destroyed it with their noxious blood. They multiplied quickly, ate all the crops, began building cities like the humans, and ruined the beauty of the Netherworld. Ilarial and I had to expel them somehow. Only when the magic of Faerie was threatened would we need to move some of them back into the realm to restore it. But not all of them.”
My eyes widened. This was very different from the story he had told Dylan and Nautilus. I’d only had a few minutes for them to fill me in, but it’d been enough. I’d learned that he’d talked about letting normal humans back into the Netherworld, but apparently the invitation did not extend to Queen Sage’s people. At least, not any more than was necessary.
“So there are more groups of iron-blooded?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yes. Not only are they hidden throughout the human realm, they are mucking up the magic of Faerie. If the mortal world has more magic in it than the Faerie world, Faerie starts to crumble. Hence why we must move some of them back in.”
“Lik
e scales of magic,” I whispered, understanding dawning on me as I stared at the gate. It was nothing but an arch made of stone surrounded by beautiful flowers and foliage lining the perimeter. To the human eye, it was nothing but a decorative garden piece, but when it was opened, it would allow entrance into Aveta’s hidden realm beyond the nightmarish labyrinth inside the Unseelie castle.
“And the other iron-blooded? If we need more to return, how do we find them?”
“I will show you how, if I must.” He held out a sword he’d pulled out of a scabbard secured to his belt. “When Ilarial made me guardian of this place, I knew I would never be able to leave until another took the sword from me. I must have the blood of an iron-blooded royal to use the sword as a homing device to find the other groups. I am sure they have scattered across the human realm to hide better. Groups like the Noruck Court are rare. Most live in small family units.”
“Whose blood do you need?”
He smirked. “Their queen’s would suffice.”
“He’s lying to you!”
The slender queen of the Noruck Court shoved through the group of iron-blooded behind us. Her face was purple with anger as she stomped forward.
“We did not destroy the Netherworld! And how dare you demand such a gift? None of my court will help you. You dare to imprison us again? You’ll have my blood over my dead body.”
I whipped my eyes back to Astenos, who now held the sword out toward the svelte queen. “What are you lying about? What does she mean by ‘imprison’?” I asked, my heart pounding. I realized what it meant before Astenos answered me.
His face contorted. “The Netherworld was used as the prison of Faerie. For thousands of years, unwanted humans and fae alike were tossed in there by the Unseelie. There was no way out except the entrance in the Unseelie palace. Once it was cursed to keep anyone from being able to leave, they grew desperate. This gate was created to lure them all out into the world when the Unseelie blocked the exit to the castle, and Ilarial and I had to balance the power in the human world.”
“You and Ilarial did this? You emptied a faery prison into the human world?” I grimaced. What mayhem had occurred when that had happened? I was glad it’d been hundreds of years ago and not right now. That kind of chaos would have been unimaginable. “You guys are insane! I’ll have words with Ilarial after this, that’s for sure.” I hated to think the oracle had done something so treacherous. “And now you’ve arranged to put them back into the prison? Have you no morals?”
“We had no choice! They grew too powerful there, too numerous. It was only a matter of time before they found a way to break free from their realm and conquer all of Faerie.
“But the human world proved to be an even better prison. Here, they were completely cut off from the rest of the Land of Faerie. We didn’t foresee that the Netherworld would suffer so greatly from their absence. But now there are too many here in the human realm. They have to be sent back to restore the balance. Some of them, at least.” He smirked. “We had other plans for the rest.”
My face flushed in anger as my love for Ilarial waned. How could she do such things? She was older than I thought and far more devious. It was supposedly all for the love of Faerie, but how deep did that love run?
I shook my head. I couldn’t think of that right now. I had to place these people back into the Netherworld whether they liked it or not.
“Mother! Don’t give them your blood. They’ll just betray us again like they did our ancestors all those years ago.” A young woman with the blackest of hair came forward. Flanking her were two large black panthers, growling their displeasure. “I hurried back as quickly as I could. We won’t go. You can’t make us.” She held out her sword, pointing it at Astenos, anger glowing in the brightest blue eyes I had ever seen.
“Attia! Stop.” The queen placed her hand on her daughter’s shoulder, shaking her head frantically.
The panthers roared behind them, eyeing us with saliva dripping from their mouths. Their teeth were the size of my fingers. I felt no fear from them, for they wouldn’t be able to hurt me. It was everyone else I was worried about. Especially Dylan and Soap.
“They won’t go willingly,” Astenos whispered to me. “You’re going to have to make them, Your Grace.”
I threw him a disbelieving look before shaking my head. “Are you mad?”
“You’re the only one who can make them. The rest of us will die otherwise. You got them out of the mall. They’ll do as you say. No one defies an Ancient of Faerie.”
“I won’t force them.”
Astenos frowned. “Then the realms will shatter, and trust me, the chaos released will be the undoing of us all.”
I pressed my lips tightly as I felt Soap and Dylan weave their fingers through my hands, encouraging me with their closeness.
“You have to, Shade. You heard Astenos. Ilarial wouldn’t do this unless it was necessary.” Dylan squeezed my hand.
“I’ll be imprisoning them all again,” I muttered. “How could I live with myself?”
“It’ll be all right,” Soap whispered on the opposite side, squeezing my hand as well. “It won’t be a prison. You can make it a paradise again. You can see that it thrives again. You’re an Ancient of Faerie, and you can do anything.”
I glanced at each of them, feeling my heart pound at the sight of my loves. I was truly blessed at this moment. They were right. As an Ancient of Faerie, I could help them create a paradise in the Netherworld unlike any they’d had in the mortal realm. And the relationship between these fae and the other courts could be mended. I would see to it personally. I nodded and faced the queen of the Noruck.
“Your Majesty, I apologize for the sudden uprooting of your kingdom, but however your people originally got there, the Netherworld is your home. I will help you make it the paradise it once was. We need your help to restore the magic of Faerie and that of the mortal world. Without your return to the Netherworld, Faerie shatters.” I held out my hand to her, letting go of Dylan and Soap. Just knowing they were at my side was enough for me to do what I had to do.
“Lies! You make empty promises,” Attia growled as her panthers grumbled beside her. They were ready to pounce and would do so at the first command from the princess. She was a true warrior, and I could tell she did everything to protect her court and would kill whoever threatened her people.
“I swear on the Land of Faerie that I will do everything I can to make the Netherworld the paradise your people once had. It will not be a prison, but a world all your own. And you will be able to come and go at will.”
“What?” Astenos’s eyes widened as he stepped back, flabbergasted. “Are you insane? They need to be either killed or locked up! The iron-blooded are unnatural. They aren’t even true fae.”
“Silence!” I snapped, glaring at the knight. “They’re as fae as I am and deserve their freedom. We simply are giving them a secure home in Faerie, where the magic will embrace them.” I turned back to the queen and waited, hoping my oath would be enough for her.
Attia’s eyes burned in rage. It wouldn’t be enough for her, but as she lowered her sword and her mother straightened, I could tell it might just work.
“Since you bind yourself to your word that we are not prisoners, I accept.”
The queen stepped forward and held her hand out to Astenos. “Your sword, knight.”
Astenos, with a scornful look, reluctantly handed over the sword. The queen ran its blade along her palm and smeared her crimson blood across the metal. It sizzled, absorbing the blood, hungry for more. Her hand healed quickly as she held the blade out to me, her eyes bold and hopeful.
“Here. Use it to find the rest of my people. I take it you’ll find a suitable warrior for the quest?”
I nodded, smiling at the queen for the first time. “I will. I swear it.”
She gave me a curt nod and let go of the hilt. “Very well. I entrust our future to you.”
I turned toward Dylan and Soap, who watched with great
interest. “Your rings… I didn’t know my pain would unlock another world by forging your rings into keys to a forgotten realm at the Heart of Fire and Ice, but our sacrifice was enough to be given this gift. It’s time to open the gate.”
They nodded and stepped forward. As they neared it, Astenos grabbed the sword from my grip and yelled out, swinging it back toward Dylan and Soap’s arms. They manage to dodge him, and I was about to use my magic on him when he suddenly stopped and dropped the sword. Another blade stuck out of his chest, where Attia had shoved it.
“You are not worthy to guard the gate any longer,” Attia snapped, jerking her sword out of his chest. He was dead before his body hit the ground, blood gurgling from his mouth.
Staring down at the knight, I wondered who our enemies truly were now that the magic of Faerie would balance out. Even in a time of peace, there was always someone who wanted to steer the direction of things. Why Ilarial had been part of this, I intended to find out. There had to be a purpose. Balancing the power of Faerie couldn’t have been the only reason she and Astenos had kept the gate a secret for so long. Astenos’s reaction had told me plenty. He’d spun a series of lies to keep me from learning the truth. Ilarial never did anything without a good reason, and now I knew there had to be more than one.
Dylan looked up at me, and I nodded for them to proceed. With the entire Noruck Court silently watching, Dylan and Soap reached the arch and held their arms into the air. At first, nothing happened, but a second later, the air ignited in a flash. Sparks ran up their arms, crackling with electricity as the forest that we could see through the gate wavered. It blinked out to reveal the forgotten land that lay beyond.
Aveta was standing on the other side, Cranston at her side. “Ah, Shade. You never fail to impress. You did it.” She turned toward the queen of the Noruck. “Welcome home, Vitya, my dear sister.”
“Aveta! I knew this was too good to be true,” the queen scowled in disgust.
“You disappeared into the labyrinth that fateful day so long ago. Did you think you could escape forever? I followed you in, but I was too young. My nursemaid helped me get through the traps of the maze, and I still couldn’t find you. How you eluded me all this time is truly amazing.”
