All around me fae cowered then knelt as the area of light shrunk down, becoming a hot nucleus of intense fae magic. The eye-scorching glow was much too intense for me to look at directly, so I turned away, shocked to see many of the graceful, dignified fae actually lying prone on the ground, their faces in the grass and the dirt.
I turned back, just able to make out the shape of a female inside the still painfully intense globe of light. Oh man, this wasn't good. This had to be the Fae Queen, Fionna.
The elders, Kennet, his sister and all of their children were the only fae able to remain standing, probably because they were of her bloodline. The others lay prone, seemingly frozen in terror.
Garrett pulled me tightly against him as Liam, Brina and Kaera moved in front of us to block the queen's view. Bridgett and Will had moved even farther away from our group as the ceremony had progressed and so I motioned for them to come closer, worried that they were unprotected. As usual, Bridgett ignored me.
I was happy to see that we shifters and vampires were not affected by the Queen's 'prostrate-yourself-before-me-magic, although I knew I was in grave danger. Philladre and Aedus were not in attendance, and at this point I was furiously wishing that I'd made that decision myself.
As the intense light faded, I peeked around Liam's shoulder at the fabled queen, too curious for my own good.
I blinked several times, unable to accept what I was seeing. The Fae Queen was a goddess, a being so lovely that I found myself terrified that if I couldn't touch her, if I couldn't capture at least one of her smiles, I would waste away on the spot. Every one of my cells screamed at me to move closer, because to simply touch the hem of her shimmering gown would forever bring me peace.
A lovely scent drifted past my nose, but I covered it with my hand, not wanting to be distracted from experiencing this miracle.
Still wrapped in Garrett's arms, my hand stretched out in her direction and I began to squirm, trying to get him to release me. Liam growled mentally."Jacqueline, pull up your shields. He was furious, his eyes blazing with golden fire, and it took me a few seconds to realize that it wasn't me he was angry with.
I was so confused. I wanted to move forward, to touch her, but that scent returned. I knew that scent. "Beauty can hide corruption. Shield yourself." A whispered warning inside my mind.
Holy Shit. I clamped down my mental shields tighter than I ever had before, nailing them to my skull with a nail gun loaded with iron nails and adhering them to my brain with a soldering iron. As soon as I did, my head cleared.
"I'm okay." I sent out to Garrett and Liam. I glanced at Bridgett, who seemed to be straining to hold onto her shields. They appeared to be working, thank goodness. Garrett was shielding both himself and William.
I could see the queen without glamour now. She stood almost as tall as Caelen, looking around the clearing with scornful pleasure at the kneeling and prone figures. Fae who'd always moved with elegance and dignity were now forced to grovel in the dirt before their ruler. I rechecked my shields, fortifying them with every megabyte of magic I could conjure up. They seemed stronger than ever, but I was too busy to wonder why.
I'd seen this kind of shit before. Like Eleanor, this bitch was all about the power she wielded. The leader of the fae people had no connection to the balanced life that my seelie allies lived on a daily basis.
But, oh my, she was exquisite. She shook out her glorious hair, allowing it to fall down past her shoulders in an incredible cascade of golden curls and waves. Her eyes were an iridescent shade of purple, more vibrant than any color I'd ever seen, and her body, covered in a shimmering silver fabric, made every person caught in her spell, tremble with lust.
Her sultry voice made you want to cut out your own tongue so that your vocal croak would never pollute the same ears.
"Caelen. Brother. I greet you." She spoke in perfect English without a hint of an accent.
"Your Grace." Lord Caelen bowed. "You honor us today with your presence." I knew Caelen well enough to read the tension written in his face and bunched in the muscles of his shoulders.
Her sweet laughter sent glorious tremors coursing throughout my body, bringing to mind what Isaiah had told me about her. "I see you are still a master at manipulating the truth. You know why I am here."
"I do not, Your Grace. I apologize for my ignorance." He wanted her to state her purpose out loud.
Instead she asked, "Why is our baby brother held prisoner in this humiliating way?"
"Kennet is a traitor to the fae race, and to you, my queen."
She walked around Kennet, looking him over from head to toe, smiling mischievously. "Did he kill any pure blood fae?"
"His wives."
"This has been proven?"
"No, but..."
"Did you kill them, little brother?"
"No, Your Grace." He bowed as best he could, shackled as he was.
"What else, Caelen?" She looked around, her eyebrows rising when she saw Bridgett and William. Bridgett gasped, looking as if someone had punched her in the stomach, so William attempted to pull her in closer. Instead she pushed him behind her, almost looking like she was trying to hide him from the queen. He didn't fight her, but instead stepped in and wrapped his arms across her from behind, supporting her as she trembled.
"He imprisoned and tortured six of our people." Caelen tried to regain her attention.
"Did he personally do this, or did others?" Her eyes skimmed past my sister and her mate and locked on Liam, Kaera and Brina who stood directly in front of me and Garrett. They bowed smoothly, in unison, with hands on hearts, although their other hands all rested on the hilts of their blades.
"He hired werewolves..." Caelen continued as he followed her gaze, looking more worried with each passing second.
"So they lied and blamed our brother. Typical. Have they been eliminated?" She skimmed over the other elders and the children who were present, Farrell, Kellaine and Ashlyn, who all bowed deeply like the others. Kennet's sister and niece had backed away from the group, but also bowed when the queen caught their eye.
"Yes. Liam disposed of them."
"Is this true, Liam?"
"Yes, Your Grace."
"Good. I see your half-breed still has his uses. But brother, where is your pure-blood son and his pregnant consort?"
"Philladre is indisposed. She will be giving birth in ten days. I gave my permission for Aedus to attend her. Of course we did not know that you would be gracing us with..."
"I wish for them to greet me." Her tone was not to be argued with.
"Of course."
She looked at Kennet once more. "How else did our dear brother misbehave?"
"He tortured an ally."
"A non-fae?"
"Yes."
"Is the non-fae ally present?" He nodded, not giving away my location. It didn't make any difference however, because suddenly I was standing in front of the queen along with Garrett, Bridgett and William. She'd pulled us through the lines without any effort. Shit. I dug my fingers into Garrett's arm to steady myself.
Aedus and Philladre appeared next to us. They bowed deeply and the queen's attention turned in their direction. Although it was selfish, I was grateful for the reprieve. I took Bridgett's hand and tried to take this fleeting opportunity to take the rest of us home through the lines, but found that my magic was completely blocked.
"Ah, the two expectant parents have finally seen fit to make an appearance."
Philladre spoke. "Please forgive us, Your Grace, if we'd known..."
The queen interrupted again. "The child is Aedus'?"
"Yes, we are bound, Your Grace." He answered.
She shifted her attention to Lord Caelen's first born son. "Aedus." Her voice was sharp and commanding. "You are a fertile male. You will come to court and impregnate my daughter, Princess Zerian."
No one seemed to breathe for a few moments.
Aedus, his face pale and his eyes wide, fell gracefully to one knee before his Queen.
"Your Grace. This is an enormous honor, but my beloved mate is going to deliver the first full-blood fae child born in seventy-five human years. I humbly request that I may stay here for the birth and then to help raise my daughter."
She eyed Philladre who stood stoically, her emotions locked down tight like a perfect fae lady. If it was me, I would've been attempting to claw the bitch's eyes out.
"Surely my niece understands that the future of the entire realm is at stake. Correct, Philladre?"
Staring at the ground, she answered softly, already resigned to her fate. "Aedus and I—we will always do whatever is necessary for our race's future and continued security." She locked eyes with Aedus and the pain that passed between them was so intense, I had to look away.
"Your Grace. Sister." Lord Caelen had moved next to the Queen. "May I speak?"
"Of course."
"Aedus, is my direct heir and one of our finest warriors. I need him here to protect the Cascade Sidhe and to continue to help me govern." I was shocked to see Lord Caelen's eyes begin to swirl with gold. He was her twin and so probably her equal in many ways.
"But Zerian has had several males. And so far..."
"Fionna." He'd used her name. The kid gloves were off. She glowered at his stern tone. "My son will stay where he belongs." Caelen took Aedus' arm and helped him stand then nudged him toward Philly. They embraced each other and backed away a few feet.
The Queen and her twin brother began to speak quickly in Fae.
"Too fast for me." Garrett sent.
Liam gave us the general idea. "She wants her daughter to bear a child, so now she's furious with my father. She's trying to bully him, saying she could have brought her guard with her, but chose not to. He's not budging on the Aedus issue. He's reminding her that when we broke away and settled in Cascade, the queen and my father made a binding agreement. She can't take anyone from Cascade to court with her without their consent. She also cannot harm those we protect. If she goes against the agreement she is forsworn and can lose her crown. Then her daughter would not inherit."
The queen looked away from her twin and locked eyes with Garrett. It was obvious that she was still furious and wanted to take it out on someone.
"Two vampires and two shifters? These are your allies? Rather pathetic, brother."
She sniffed at Garrett, tossing her head in an unnatural way. "An ancient bloodline mixed with cheetah. I suppose he could be useful." Garrett nodded to her in the fae way, but did not place his hand on his heart.
She moved to me and her eyebrows rose. "Ah. The tortured one. My brother's child? You should feel deeply honored." I didn't reply or nod. She attacked me mentally but my walls held, which made her furious. She grabbed my arm and hissed out, "Answer..."
We both cried out in pain and backed away from each other. Where she'd touched my forearm there was a burn in the shape of her fingers. Liam placed his palm above it, said three words in Fae and the pain disappeared.
Her eyes flared with a golden anger directed not at me, but at Kennet. The Queen of Faerie held her burned and blistered palm up for Kennet to see.
"You impregnated a demon whore, little brother? She is of the bitch, Naberia's, bloodline." She healed her hand with a whispered word, but that did nothing to ease her anger.
Kennet answered her, the sound of his voice making me sick. "My beloved queen, I was not injured when I touched her. She enjoyed my caresses very much." The queen scowled as I frowned and took a step in his direction, intending to rip out his lying heart. "My son will be powerful beyond imagining, Your Grace." He added, actually having the nerve to look proud.
Garrett and Liam each took a firm hold of one of my arms, keeping me in place. Of course my mouth was unfettered. "He whipped me until I was unconscious, then he raped me." She'd know instantly that I was telling the truth, although why I cared about her opinion was a mystery.
"You kept the child." She stared at my belly.
I placed a hand there, an instinct to protect. "He deserves a chance. He has the blood of my allies and friends." I smiled at Aedus and Philladre who were holding each other, unable to hide their relief.
"My blood as well, young mother. And who is this?" She locked eyes with Bridgett.
"My sister. She's working for Lady Dinestri here in Faerie." When the queen looked at the Lady, she nodded.
"This is true, sister. She is a trusted worker."
"And another demon. When they leave, you should cleanse this place of their stink." Finally the queen's eyes locked on William. "And this one?"
Garrett spoke up. "Bridgett's mate and a member of my nest."
"Another ally?" There was only silence at first.
"I am an ally and he is mine. You cannot..."
"Caelen will reacquaint you with the laws, vampire. Your property is not protected.
She swayed over to William and smiled. "My brother has not offered me refreshment and I'm famished."
The queen's appearance began to change drastically as claws sprouted from her fingers and vicious fangs burst from her gums . Her porcelain skin turned leathery and took on a greenish hue and her eyes glowed with golden flames. She hissed and I gasped out loud and took a step backward.
She looked like one of those demons in the mural.
"No, no please. Don't do this. Lord Caelen, please stop her." Bridgett was pushing her mate back as hard as she could. "Run, Will."
William looked confused, possibly assuming that the queen wanted some blood. He'd given blood to Eleanor hundreds of times, so he probably didn't think it was any big deal. He looked toward Garrett for instructions. Garrett responded quickly, pushing me into Brina's arms, hoping to get between the queen and his young vampire.
Liam and Kaera dragged him back forcefully before he'd taken even a few steps. "She'll end you without hesitation if you come between her and her—her kill. Jackie will be left alone and your son will grow up without a father. There is nothing you can do for him."
”Lady D—please, please stop her." Bridgett was sobbing, clinging to William's leg as the Queen took hold of his shirt and dragged him toward her. The blue cloth ripped under her claws, bloody shreds falling on the ground around Bridgett. Lady Dinestri was suddenly there, pulling Bridgett away from William's leg, holding her tightly against her body to shield her from what was to come.
He started to struggle, finally seeing his death in her eyes. She hissed at him again, "If you fight me, I'll make sure my people have a chance to meet your little mate personally. I know many who would like to play with a demon. Now say goodbye."
Will and Bridgett locked eyes one final time before the Queen ripped into his chest with her claws, pulling out his dead heart and throwing it aside. He screamed as she buried her face in the open wound and drank his blood as we all watched in horror, totally helpless.
Garrett bent at the waist and groaned in pain as the Queen of all Faerie drained the youngest member of his nest and then bit into William's flesh, actually tearing out chunks and swallowing them. I turned away and retched into the grass, losing my lunch and all of my respect for the fae queen. Garrett, despite his pain, crouched beside me, pulling back my hair and holding me steady. The warrior sisters had moved to stand beside their father, Lord Argon, waiting for instructions, but Liam still stood between us and the queen.
Bridgett screamed and shrieked, "No, stop. No, Will, Will, " against Lady Dinestri, trying to get back to her sweet young mate, to stop the queen, to help him, anything.
After half a minute, William stopped twitching and turned to dust. The queen rose, as graceful as ever, licking her lips and her fingers.
"Delicious. Older bloodlines are like fine wine. I should have kept him alive so I could savor it longer." With a motion of her hand the blood that had covered her face, hands and clothing disappeared and she looked once more like the exquisite goddess who'd first appeared only minutes ago.
She walked to Kennet and waved her hands once more. His chains disappeared and he smiled. "Come to
court, little brother. There's much to discuss." They vanished into the lines.
When I turned back to where my sister had stood, I saw she'd disappeared.
Realizing my magic had returned, I dissolved into the lines and followed her scent before anyone could stop me.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
"Bridgett, what are you doing?" It had taken me a few minutes, but I'd found her kneeling inside a circle of salt in a clearing outside of Faerie, reciting a spell.
"The fae killed him. I'm getting him back."
"The queen killed him. And you can't. He won't be the same." I took a step closer to her. "I'm so sorry this happened."
"This wasn't your fault." I reached out, only to realize that her circle had already closed. There was no way inside.
Her eyes were wild with anger. "The fucking fae will never take anything of mine again."
"It was the queen..."
"They're all the same."
"Lord Caelen...
"Is her fucking twin brother. He's no different, Jackie. He just stood there. They all did. You're blind to them because they've helped you out. But if you ever get in their way, they'll kill you and Garrett and take Charlie."
"That's not true."
"Sometimes you're so trusting, it's pathetic."
"You're hurting. I understand, but use your head. You'll be breaking your agreement with the elders."
"I know what I'm doing."
"You'll be executed." I was terrified for her.
"My ass is covered. I've made a new agreement." she sneered, holding up a ring I recognized.
"With Grandmother?" I was in shock.
"She summoned me a couple of weeks ago. Apparently I have a Summoning Name. She told me the fae would kill William just like they'd killed our birth mother and my adopted father."
"Bridgett, please...she lies."
"I was there when Liam killed my dad and we both watched them kill Will, so where's the lie? She told me that I couldn't keep Will from dying, but that if I came to her immediately after his death, she'd help me bring him back."
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