Beezel entered and scrambled into a low bow.
“Enough of that.” Kian began pacing again, too restless to stand still. “Does she like her room? Do you think we should have put her in the one next to the library instead?”
The gnome’s accusing eyes took in the broken glass and the shattered mirror, but like the good servant he pretended to be, he kept his opinion to himself. Kian restrained the overwhelming urge to beat the gnome for the reproach he would never voice.
“I’m sure she’ll be fine, Your Highness. She doesn’t seem to care.”
“Doesn’t care?” Kian crossed to the trembling gnome, who edged closer to the open door. “Explain,” he growled.
Beezel hesitated. “She threw herself on the bed, sobbing, as soon as she entered. She doesn’t want to be here, none of us do.”
Kian stalked up and down the large room, pushing chairs and tables out of his way. “She’s staying.”
“Sire, I doubt your mother will let her.”
“My mother!” Kian crossed the room and picked up the gnome, shaking him hard until his arms and legs flew as if on strings. “You will not tell the queen. You will not tell anyone about this girl. Do you understand?”
“B-b-but, I must.” The gnome’s knees knocked together.
“Beezel—” Kian lowered his voice and drew close to the gnome “—if you do, I will kill you.”
“If I d-d-don’t the q-q-queen will do much worse.”
The reek of the gnome’s fear overwhelmed his sensitive wolf’s nose.
“Beezel, the queen is not here. I am. The strength of the spell confining me here has left her blind to whatever goes on within the confines of my prison. She’ll never know if you don’t tell her.” He lowered his voice and whispered into the gnome’s bumpy, pointed ear, “But I’ll know if you tell the queen and the girl is taken away from me. And I’m sure you will still be here for me to punish.”
He lowered Beezel to the ground and patted his bald head. “Beezel, what do you desire? Jewels? Gold? An underground palace such as this one?” Kian swung his arm wide. The warren was falling apart, but for a cavern gnome such as Beezel, it would be more lavish than any other home he would have in his lifetime. “Once I am released I can give you all of that, and more. But only once the witch has freed me from this curse that binds my form and my powers. If you tell the queen and she takes the witch, I will still be stuck here, but without a chance of freedom, and whatever hold she has over you will remain.” He paused, and sighed. “Trust me, she never lets go. If you do this, I’ll set you free and make sure you’re well rewarded.”
The little gnome avoided his gaze. “Well, Beezel? What’s it to be? Do I reward you, or do I have to kill you now to gain some time?” Kian pushed out a frustrated breath. “Are you in?”
Beezel moved his head in a slow nod.
Kian’s muscles relaxed in a rush of relief. He didn’t know what he would have done if the gnome had refused. He likely would have had to kill him, and who knew what the queen would send next.
“Good,” he said. “Swear to me you’ll not tell anyone about our visitor, anything about the girl, nor my endeavors.”
The gnome’s voice came out almost too low to hear, but Kian caught the words. “I swear.”
For the first time in too long, the tell-tale energizing upswing of joy and anticipation tingled along his nerves. Finally, after too many years in this dusty abandoned place, he would have his own shape, his powers, and his freedom.
An enticing aroma of cooked meats and strange spices had Bryanna’s mouth watering. Her stomach gurgled. She covered the blue silk with her palm and stepped inside the dining room. The wide room could easily have held the entire Albuquerque house in its walls, and yet, Beezel had called it the “second dining room”, which must mean there was a larger one somewhere within the maze of underground walls. A large table with a pristine white table cloth and chairs for twelve held center stage. Four silver candelabras clustered at the near end surrounded by an array of polished silver-covered dishes. And a place setting for one.
“Please come in.” The golden voice of her captor came from the far dark corner.
Bryanna startled.
In another time or place, his elegant vowels and consonants would have had her melting. She loved British accents. But he wasn’t some kilt-wearing Highlander in a Hollywood version of history. Despite the elegant dinner setting and her fairy-tale ball gown, he was her jailer and therefore, her enemy.
She took a breath, gathered her skirts, and stepped into the room. The doors closed behind her, and she heard the lock turn.
Her palms went damp.
“It’s traditional to curtsey.”
Her chin shot up. “I thought you said you weren’t a king?”
“I’m not.” His shadowy figure seemed to grow taller. “But I am a Lord of the Fae, and you are naught but a witch.”
Her heart squeezed tight. He was not just her captor, and possibly insane, but he was also one of her family’s assailants. An elf.
“I may be nothing but a witch, but you won’t catch me bowing to an elf.” She hid her clenched fists in the folds of her skirt. “The fae have brought us nothing but trouble and murder.”
She braced for anger. Instead, his breath sighed through the room, bringing with it a deep feeling of melancholy.
“Let’s start over.” His voice was smooth and calm. “While I know your people use that term, it’s insulting. I’d prefer you stick to fae, elvatian, or my name. I am Kian.”
“Just Kian? Not Lord Kian? Or Your Highness?” She couldn’t help the note of sarcasm.
“For now, we’ll just go with Kian.”
She detected a slight undertone of humor that she didn’t understand and frowned.
“Sit down and enjoy your dinner,” he continued, gesturing at the table. “Beezel has worked hard to provide you with suitable food.”
“Aren’t you eating with me?” She took a cautious step and peered across the room where his dark cloaked shape lurked in the corner.
“No. I don’t think it would be wise. But you go ahead. I’m sure you must be starved.”
The tantalizing odor rising from the covered dishes had her stomach rumbling, but hesitated. “You’re not eating. Any of it?”
“I ate earlier.”
“Look, I don’t want to be rude but if this is Underhill maybe I shouldn’t eat the food. It could be magic or poisoned.”
He chuckled. “What reason would I have to poison you. I could kill you with my bare hands. It would have saved Beezel the trouble of cooking. And poison is messy and difficult to watch. I prefer cleaner ways of killing.”
It wasn’t reassuring, but he was right. He could have killed her as soon as he saw her. Why go to the trouble of poison?
“What about the magic? Some say you shouldn’t eat in Underhill, if you do you have to stay forever.”
“Those people are fools. If someone has the power to keep you forever, they will, and nothing you eat, or don’t eat, will change that. Be assured, your eating has nothing to do with my ability to keep you here.”
Even though she believed him, she felt less reassured than before. But the food smelled delicious, and she didn’t know when she might see it again. A lifetime of having to pick up and run had taught her to be practical. Escape on an empty stomach would be difficult. Escape while starving, impossible.
“At least come sit with me. It seems odd to be eating here, with you over there.” And maybe she’d learn more about him so she could get out of here.
“As you wish.”
She approached the near end of the table where her place had been set, but he stayed far away, seating himself at the opposite end where the light from the parade of silver candlesticks didn’t quite reach. She pulled out a chair and sat. The blue froth of her dress poofed out around her as she took her place at the gleaming table. The oddly-shaped forks and spoons were heavy, ornate silver, and she had no idea of which ones to use. T
here was more money laid out for her to eat off of than she had ever had access to in her entire life. She ran a finger along the fat line of gold that edged the goblets and examined the strange blue and gold picture of a stag in the center of her plate.
“I’m afraid you’ll have to serve yourself. I’ve sent Beezel away. I wanted to be alone with you.”
She pulled her starry wrap closer. She wasn’t sure if her shiver was from the icy cold that crept into the thin soles of her slippers, or the fact that she was alone with this strange man in a locked room where no one would come to her rescue.
She lifted the heavy silver lid off of the first dish, releasing a waft of savory herbs and meat. Colorful vegetables she couldn’t identify and warm bread and butter soon filled her plate, but she hesitated and glanced at her captor, a wash of hunger nearly making her faint.
“It’s all right, you may eat.”
“It feels weird, eating alone. Are you sure you won’t join me?”
A hollow laugh escaped from under his hood. “Thank you, no. But you should. Be welcome at my table, Bryanna.”
“Thank you.”
She dove in, devouring meat that was possibly deer or elk with a flavorful, unique sauce that tingled on her tongue and, just before she swallowed, burst into an unfamiliar citrus. She ate until she wished she could loosen her corset strings, washing it down with cool, clear water, and avoiding the large goblet of ruby red wine. Finally, she wiped her lips with the white linen napkin and laid it down next to her plate.
“It was delicious, thank you.”
“I’ll tell Beezel you said so.”
“Is he the cook?”
He snorted. “Of a sort. Kitchen magic is one thing Beezel has been granted use of. And the goblins sometimes help.”
She frowned. “Those white things?” Her food roiled in her stomach at the thought of the rubbery ghouls creating her food, and suddenly she wished she hadn’t eaten so much.
“Oh, those are just the hobgoblins, they’re more pests than anything else. The other goblins are more help, when they show up. Enough about the kitchens. Is your room comfortable?”
“Yes...thank you.” She laid a hand on her stomach and tried to convince it that goblin- made food was just food.
“Good. I want you to be comfortable.”
Bryanna played with her fork and wondered how to again broach the subject of her leaving. It seemed rude to do it now as she enjoyed his hospitality, but she needed to do it sometime. The complex was deep underground and the twisting stone hallways and corridors were confusing. She’d yet to see any sign of a door or a window that led out. If she wasn’t to be lost in the dark, she’d need a guide to find the exit.
“You’re one of the Seven Traveler Tribes? A witch, correct?” he asked. “Have you been Underhill before? Tell me about your experiences.”
“I’m not sure I should. I don’t know where you stand with the Faery Queen.”
“Once again, you seem confused. You act as if there is only one Queen of the Fae, but there are several. Each with their own court and demesne. We’re actually on the outskirts of the demesne of the White Queen. Is she the one who troubles you?”
“I don’t know.”
“She’s a bitch, but she usually stays to her own neck of the woods, as long as the locals bring her a young man every so often.”
“They bring her one of their own? Why would they do that?”
“They have peace and security for a hundred years. It’s a fair trade.”
His matter of fact attitude about people paying tribute in their own flesh and blood chilled her. “That’s horrible.”
“Perhaps, but young men are prone to accidents anyway, and I hear she’s very generous to those that please her.”
“Do they get to come home afterward?”
He laughed. “Now Bryanna, what kind of a sacrifice would that be?”
Her food twisted in her stomach. She was unsure of her ground in this conversation. He knew so much more about Underhill than she did. If there was more than one queen, maybe everything she thought she knew about this place was wrong.
“Well, since you’re unfamiliar with the White Queen, maybe you could tell me your troubles and we can identify the perpetrator.”
“I don’t trust you.”
“I need you, Bryanna.” He leaned forward, and a waft of his warm, gingery scent came across the room. She inhaled. It was like dessert after dinner and it warmed her inside. “I’ve been trapped here fifteen of your human years and while I’ll live centuries longer than you it is grinding on my bones.” His smooth, accent slid out and caressed her worries, easing her closer to trust.
“If I tell you, you must promise never to use any of it against me.”
“You would bargain with me?”
“You’re the one who can help me leave this place and find my family.”
The candle light gleamed off the silver serving dishes as he leaned back. She could feel him contemplating her from under his hood. Bryanna folded her slick hands together under the table. She was lost, and alone, and desperate. And he held all the game pieces.
“I’ll give you a gift, something for free, my witch.” He leaned back in his chair. “The fae cannot lie. We can mistake, mislead, and misguide, but we cannot tell an outright lie. So, if I give you my word I will not use your story against you, you’ll know my word is true.”
Bryanna blew out a breath. She didn’t trust him, but she had to take the risk or she might never win free of this place. “My name is Bryanna MacElvy.”
He stilled. Even the candle flames stopped their flickering.
The unfamiliar food in Bryanna’s stomach grew heavy. “You know my last name?”
“I know of the MacElvys.” His voice was quiet and she had to strain to hear him speak. She wished for the ticking of a clock, or the whir of air conditioning, anything to make this unbearable silence go away. But there was nothing but the overloud sound of her own breath as she inhaled and took the leap forward into the gap.
“Then you must know that the Faery Queen is systematically killing our tribe. My mother, my sister, and I are the only ones left.”
She left out Trina. If her cousin could have come home, she would have. Trina was dead. Or good as dead. Bryanna swallowed past the lump of grief in her throat. Her cousin might be lost, but her mother and sister were out there somewhere. And they needed her to be strong.
“I’m sorry,” he said, sounding genuinely contrite. “I’m afraid I had no idea that things had progressed that far. The queen is indeed on a vendetta.”
“You know which queen now?”
“Oh yes. I know which queen.” The candles flickered and danced between them as Bryanna waited for his answer.
“Well, which one? White? Black? Turquoise?”
“It is no joke, Bryanna. You have the misfortune of being at the mercy of the Black Queen.”
“The same one who cursed you.”
“Yes.” The animosity in that one word lifted her up. “The very same queen who keeps me here year after year after year, thinking she can bend me to her will.” He rose, lurching across the room, the breeze of his passage blowing out most of the candles, until the walls were wrapped in more shadow than light. His cloak billowed out in a black cloud as he leaned behind her chair in the semi-darkness and breathed into her ear, “Now you have another reason to help me. Release me from my curse, Bryanna MacElvy, and I will take on the Black Queen.”
“You would do this?” she whispered back, unable to summon a louder voice.
He leaned closer. “The Black Queen owes me a great debt for keeping me here, and I would collect,” he said savagely, his breath hot on her cheek.
She trembled. At his words, at her fear, or in an odd unexpected brush of arousal at the touch of his emotion on her skin, she didn’t know.
“If you know of our family and the queen’s vicious quest, you must realize the urgency of finding my sister and mother. They’re all alone, and sh
e hunts for them. If they’re in Underhill, like I am, she will be that much closer.” Bryanna turned her head. He was close, so close she could hear his harsh breathing under the concealing hood. She had a sudden urge to see his eyes as she begged for her freedom. She reached for him. “Please, let me go.”
“No!” A shaggy, brown paw with talon-like claws came around her, slammed onto the table, and rattled the china. “You must cure me of my curse, or there’s no hope for you. No hope for your mother or your sister or anyone you love.” His claws dug into the wood, gouging deep lines as he dragged his paw back under his cloak.
Wax dripped from shaking flames as Bryanna shrank back into her chair, every nerve screaming at her to get up and run.
“I’m sorry,” he said panting out the words. He pulled away, shoulders hunched. She could read the desperation in every cloaked line of his body as he moved further back. “Say you will at least try to help me. I pledge to you, once free, I will take on the Black Queen and do my best to save the remainder of the MacElvys from her destruction.”
“Will you release me?”
“If you succeed in helping me lift this curse, I will release you.”
“Not good enough.” How could she lift a faery queen’s curse? Her Gift was weak. She struggled to cure migraines and soothe fevers. Goddess only knew what his curse was, but she couldn’t cure it, and she refused to be stuck here forever while her family was hunted down one by one. “I’m not that kind of witch. I’m not a conjurer or a spell caster. I’m a healer.” She ducked her chin thinking of all her failures. “And a bad one, at that,” she added.
His voice dropped low, echoing around the chamber, and something swirled through the air around them, something fae and magical and beyond her ken. “Bryanna MacElvy, I pledge to you that if you try, and are still unable to cure my curse, I will release you.”
The hairs on Bryanna’s arm rose.
“Do you accept this bargain?”
She shouldn’t. There was something she’d forgotten, something important about bargains with the fae, but she was desperate. She would try, and then he would have to let her go.
“I accept.”
The air pressure in the room snapped, and a gust of wind blew through the chamber. Bryanna let go of the breath she didn’t know she’d been holding.
Cursed: A Fae Fantasy Romance (Fae Magic Book 2) Page 4
