Sacrifice

by Nicola Chadwick

  “If no one has seen him in his true form, how do you know he will be at the ball?” I ask, unsure whether I really should be taking this information seriously.

  “He buys a ticket each year in his own name, but no one has seen him physically in years. As a Hunter though, I’m sure you will find it easy to discover if he is there or not. Be warned though, the Elder Fae are practically Gods amongst our race. Lykos, in particular, created an entire race, one you are very familiar with. The Lycans. So, retrieving this stone may be considerably more difficult than you can imagine.”

  Well Hell! It is just my luck it will be an impossible task, but if I don’t retrieve that stone, my life, and those of everyone I know, hangs in the balance.

  Chapter Fourteen

  When the queen decides she has given me enough information in exchange for my services, she returns me, with the scrolls and my sword, to the exact place I had been taken. From there, I make my way back to Rozen’s. As I walk along the back streets, I review everything the queen had said. Can I believe what she had said is true? Why did she trust that I’d keep her secret? Is this ‘chosen one’ thing bullshit? Could Jared really be a chosen one, and does that mean our bloodline was once linked to a God? What the hell did my dad do with The Death Stone?

  As I’m almost at Rozen’s, I see a tall figure in my peripheral vision. I quickly turn around, and I see, out of the corner of my eye, a blur of a man that looks so very similar to Aylesbury it floors me. I run to where the figure has just disappeared and look around but can’t see anything.

  I stand there for longer than I realize, just staring at the space where he was. Then I turn and flee to the protection of my room in Rozen’s house. When I reach it, I slam the door behind me, and sink to the floor, a loud sob escaping.

  I miss him so much. I barely know how many days have passed and the pain is still unbearable. I will kill Rozen for this, just as soon as I can break this blood oath.

  After a few miserable hours of wallowing in self-pity, the door is pushed open. I see Rozen framed by the light spilling into the room. Anger then overtakes my body and I launch myself at him, not thinking about the consequences, only thinking about my need for revenge. The need to replace this pain at the loss of my brother with something easier to deal with. My rage.

  Rozen doesn’t move as I sail towards him, the evil bastard just grins at me. When I’m inches from touching him, I fall to the floor and curl up as the pain of a thousand daggers lances my skin.

  Rozen leans in close as I writhe in pain at his feet. “You’ll report to me as soon as you can move, otherwise I’ll make the pain a lot worse.” I barely hear his menacing voice above my screams of agony.

  Eventually, the torture subsides enough so I can drag my ass downstairs to give Rozen the update he wants. As I enter the kitchen, he’s leaning against the counter facing the door, obviously awaiting my arrival. On the table in front of him, is a plate of cheese, fruit, and bread.

  He leans over the table and pushes the plate towards me. “Eat,” he demands.

  “You want your revenge against me. You are more than happy to cause me pain. You’ve made me sacrifice everything I know. Then, you feed me. I really don’t understand you sometimes, Rozen.” I really hope I never will understand him, because I am afraid if I did, it would humanize him, make him likeable.

  “I need you capable of doing the job. Don’t question my actions again. Now, report!” he practically roars the words at me.

  I ignore his tone for now. “I got into the archives and managed to appropriate a few scrolls, I’ve not looked them over yet, so I have no idea what’s in them. A contact did get me an invite to a ball. Apparently, I may find a lead to who currently has the stone there.”

  I cannot believe I am actually protecting the queen, and the blood oath is letting me. I suppose until I can confirm if she is friend or foe, right or wrong, then there was no point in making matters worse for everyone. By everyone, I mean me. I don’t want to be skinned alive. I feel a slight buzzing along my skin, like the oath knows I’m evading but can’t really do anything because I have answered him with the truth, even if a lot of it was held back.

  “And when is this ball?” he demands as I shovel the food into my mouth, not really tasting it.

  “No idea, the invite hasn’t arrived yet, has it?” I ask with my mouth half full.

  Rozen suddenly crowds my space, pulling me out of the chair, and pushing me against the wall. “You have given someone this address?”

  “Technically, no, but then my contact has ways. I would think you couldn’t care less who knows I’m here, after all, it’s not like I can reveal your nefarious plan,” I state, pushing him away.

  The morning light filters through the curtains as I’m woken by knocking on the front door, I scramble out of bed pulling the hem of my shirt down to make sure it covers my ass. I shout Rozen, he doesn’t answer, and the knocking continues.

  I practically fly down the stairs and yank the door open, freezing at the sight that greets me.

  What the hell is Jared doing here!

  I glance out of the corner of my eye and notice my hair’s blonde, so I’m in my Nymph form, I may get away with this. It is the only form that we don’t share. Jared looks more than a little puzzled, like he knows me, but can’t figure out why or where he’s seen me before.

  I recover quickly as I hear the back door bang closed. Rozen is here, I can’t let him see Jared. A buzzing in my head alerts me to how close I am to writhing in pain on the floor again.

  I notice the envelope he holds. “I take it that’s for me,” I state, plucking the thick paper from his hands while he still stares at me with his brows scrunched.

  “Thanks for the delivery,” I say a bit too quickly, and slam the door in his face just as Rozen makes his way to me.

  “Who was that?” he asks, plucking the envelope from my hand.

  “Delivery guy,” I answer a bit too breathless. He doesn’t notice my panic though.

  “It’s your invite,” he says, peering into the envelope.

  I snatch the paper from his hands and run back upstairs, hoping he doesn’t realize just how odd my behavior is.

  As I start to calm down I wonder what the hell Jared’s doing delivering invites to the ball when he’s a Hunter? Is he working for the queen? I stop my whirling mind and open the invite.

  The ball is tonight. Well hell!

  With nothing to wear, and questions about Jared I need answering. I can think of only one person who can help me.

  Chapter Fifteen

  I walk over to leave a message for Adam at the tavern, but as I walk through the door I see him chatting to the barman.

  As I move to sit on the bar stool at the side of him, he looks to his side and notices me. “Scarlet, what are you doing back here so soon?”

  I inch around on the stool to face him and say, “I need to ask you some questions about Jared.”

  He grabs my arm and propels me over to a table in the far back corner. There aren’t many people in here at the moment, only three other customers, but at least we won’t have to whisper back here.

  We sit down next to each other both with our backs to the far wall and angle ourselves, so we can both see the exit and each other.

  “Jared turned up on my doorstep. Will he start to remember me?”

  “That will depend on how well his mind was wiped.”

  “Shit,” I exclaim.

  “You’ll just have to wait and see if he turns up again, if he does, you’ll have to deal with it then,” he tells me, never taking his eyes off the door.

  If he does turn up again, I’m screwed. I am meant to have severed all ties with friends and family. I’m lucky the oath seems to view Adam as a contact to help me do the job with which I’ve been tasked, otherwise I’d have no hope.

  As I muse over things, I take a moment to admire Adam’s magnificent form, and realize this mating bond is making me desperate. Before, I’d genuinely appreciated Ad
am’s looks but never actually looked at him like I really wanted him. I shake myself. “Why would Jared be handing invites out for the Court of Dreams Masquerade Ball?”

  “He might have been assigned to help out with the ball, when there’s a lot going off over here Hunters can get reassigned to more menial tasks between jobs. He’ll probably be working security too,” he states.

  “Well, hell. I need to go to that ball, and while I know it’s a masque ball, I can’t have him recognize me and remember the memories he’s lost.”

  Adam finally takes his eyes off the door and looks at me. He must have been gradually upping his charm because I was beginning to think a lot less clear, and a lot more about other things. I squirm a little under his scrutiny.

  “The masks they wear in Faerie cover a lot more of your face than the tiny things worn at balls across the Vale. What are you planning on wearing?” he asks, returning his attention back to the door.

  “I haven’t got a clue.”

  “Excellent, I know just the place, and I really can’t be seen here much longer.”

  “Why?” Well that explains why he is watching the door so intently.

  “I’m meant to be elsewhere right now. Private stuff,” he states as he grabs my arm and pulls me out of the seat.

  “Now I think about it, what are you doing this side of the Vale?” I ask as he pushes me along and through the back exit.

  “If I told you, you’d be in even more trouble with The Guild than you already are.”

  Interesting. Maybe I’ll get to solve the mystery that is Adam one day.

  A short walk and a few minutes later, Adam is settled on a chaise longue in front of a dressing room. I’m being harassed by the minion of the shop we are currently in. A tall odd-looking Fae woman with pale grey skin walks around the racks, plucking various outfits from the rails, and draping them over her arm. She then motions for me to enter the curtained-off room. As I walk into it, I shoot a helpless look at Adam. He grins at me as the woman closes the curtains.

  I absolutely hate messing about trying clothes on. You just simply buy clothes in your size, I can’t understand the need to try things on to make sure they fit. I grimace as the grey lady starts tutting because I haven’t yet started to strip out of my clothes. As soon as I strip off my trousers she decides that I need help and uses her magic to remove the remainder of my garments and replace them with the first gown and mask.

  “Are you dressed yet?” Adam calls out, humor in his voice. “I can always come in and help you?”

  “You certainly will not,” I say as I open the curtain and step out.

  I’m no further than my first step before Adam says with disgust, “No.” Then motions with his fingers to turn around and go back in.

  I look down at the deep red gown unsure what his issue is, it looks fine to me. Within a second of my closing the curtain I am magically changed again. I sigh and turn straight back around, opening the curtain again.

  Adam stands up and walks over to me, motioning for me to turn around. I spin on the spot as he nods his approval.

  “Scarlet, change into one of your other forms,” he asks with a quirk of his brow.

  I am currently in my hideous Fae form. I don’t really like to go traipsing around Faerie any other way. I walk over to stand near a mirror and watch as my dark red hair shimmers out to be exchanged with the dark almost black hair of my Human form. Both are long and straight. My eyes turn from a soulless light grey to their normal blue. This is my most familiar form, the one I have tried so hard to stay in all my life, the one more accepted back home.

  The gown I’m wearing is dark green, strapless, and molded to my body from my breasts to the knee, where it flares out before resting just off the floor. The mask is the same color, adorned with glistening light green jewels and black feathers. It is designed to mimic a court jester but with a more macabre feel than happy.

  I turn back to Adam. “No, try your Nymph form,” he says

  I turn back to the mirror and watch as my hair turns blonde, the curls emphasized by the forest-green streaks throughout. My eyes turn green and my ivy vine appears, curling down my arm and across the top of my breast. I am happy to see the part of the vine that had been broken and shredded near my neck when I was attacked by Warren had a single bud growing from it, just near the base of my neck. Eventually, it will hide the faint scarring I now have.

  I turn back to Adam and he whistles. “If that Lycan of yours was here right now, you’d no longer be partially mated.”

  I feel a stab of pain at that. I’ve been doing so well trying to forget about everybody else. I look back in the mirror and think I’ll be better attending in this form, at least it will stop a lot of Fae approaching me and wasting my time. While Nymphs have similar traits to the Fae they are not from Faerie, so the Fae tend to turn their nose up at what they consider a lesser being.

  I move back into the changing area, and once the grey lady has me out of the gown she leaves me to get dressed. The uppity cow could have at least used her magic to dress me again.

  Once I am dressed Adam walks over and hands me the packaged-up outfit. “It’s on me, love.”

  “Why? What do you want in return?” I ask, eyeing him warily.

  “Can’t a friend buy things for their friend,” he states simply as we walk out of the shop.

  At the word friend the dull headache starts up again.

  “Not when that friend is a Fae con artist who likes to turn each situation around to his own master plan,” I say truthfully.

  He just grins and carries on walking.

  Chapter Sixteen

  I realize once I’m dressed and ready for the ball that the dress I’m wearing makes wearing a sword practically impossible. Thankfully, she comes to me when summoned. I make sure to position her under the dressing table, so no one will tamper with her in case she is needed. I just have to hope there are no null spells at the ball.

  I pick up the invitation and note the ball starts in five minutes. I don’t have long to get there. I note the room number and as I have no clue where that is, I will have to scout the area out, losing some of the precious time I have to find Lykos.

  I quickly scan back over the scrolls, some of them contain small bits of information regarding the stones. But mostly, it just corroborated what the queen had told me. The only really fascinating bit was the one that listed the Gods that created them. It didn’t list who had created what, only their names, Lykonos, Erina, Tera, and Storm.

  I figure because the queen’s stone has stayed in her bloodline that Lykos is related to Lykonos the God. My assumption stems more from their similar names than anything else though. So, the only real information I have is from the queen. While some of it has been confirmed by the scrolls, the rest, I just have to hope, is true. The sooner I get Rozen the stone the sooner I can attempt to end this.

  I head downstairs to find Rozen at the door in a tux. As much as it pains me to even think this, it actually looks good on him. Very good.

  “You had better not be entertaining the idea of accompanying me to the ball,” I tell him.

  “Don’t worry, precious, I have no intention of attending that pathetic Fae gathering. Now, if you weren’t hunting for information there I would be tempted to poison the food, or even blow the place up. But, at the moment, my end game is you finding that stone,” he tells me, reaching for the door, moving through it, and slamming it behind him.

  “No, Scarlet, I’m not attending.” I mock to the door. “Over explain much, dickhead.”

  “I can still hear you,” Rozen shouts through the door before I open it to him standing on the step.

  I roll my eyes at him and make sure my mask is firmly in place before heading out into the night.

  When I arrive outside the building hosting the ball, even I have to admit it looks amazing. All manner of glowing flora and fauna have been arranged in a tunnel that guides you to the door. Sound has been blocked out from the Fae city and the sounds
of the jungle at night play softly in the background. It’s probably the first time I’ve been happy to queue for anything in my life. I’m not the most patient of people normally.

  Once I reach the foyer, and my name and ticket are taken, I start to explore the venue, hoping to quickly find the room I need to lure Bryn and Bronwyn to.

  The foyer is quite bright, but once I head into the next room, the light is a lot dimmer. I look to the ceiling to see they have transformed it into what looks like a thousand twinkling stars in a dark sky. Amongst more of the glowing plants are giant sconces lit with torches, their flames flickering at random intervals across the room. The grand staircase is the only thing that you can truly see with ease. My plan is to unmask there, to hopefully lure the twins to me.

  The next room is the grand ballroom, decorated the same, except the torches float above the dance floor, casting swirling shadows of the dancers upon the floor.

  I walk through a number of rooms the same, all full of Fae laughing, dancing, and eating. I’ve even done a quick reconnaissance of the food, there are things in there I have never seen before. My one rule for eating in Faerie is, if you don’t know what it is, don’t eat it. Anything can happen if you eat something in Faerie that you shouldn’t, the stories I’ve heard are shocking.

  As I reach the room with the grand staircase again, I realize there are no more rooms to explore down here, so I head up the long sweeping steps to look for the queen’s designated room.

  The theme of the night is also liberally applied upstairs, but the lighting even dimmer. There are also semi-private nooks dotted along the expansive corridor, some of them already occupied. From the noises coming from them I don’t think I want to know what is happening inside some of them.

  As I walk to the far end of the corridor, I find the room I’m looking for in a large alcove, far enough away from prying eyes that no one would think to accidentally venture in. Satisfied that I know where I’m going, I head back downstairs to scout the people.