His sister had waited a hundred years. He couldn’t abandon her.
And he couldn’t let Cassie go on unprotected.
“Come on.” He got up and pulled her to her feet.
“What is it?”
“Get dressed.” He handed her her pile of clothing.
She clutched it, chain mail dripping from her hands, her face a study in bewilderment.
“We have to go.” He pulled on his pants and fastened them up. Reached for the shirt that went under his own armor.
“Where are we going? Your contact is coming in the morning. We have to be here.” Cassie dropped her clothes and grabbed his arm. “Bosco, what is going on?”
Her touch shuddered through him. “Cassie, you’re a human in an elvatian’s body. You have a Gift that wars have been fought over. You are unprotected and I won’t let you be so any longer. So get dressed.”
“I don’t understand. Where are we going?”
He gently shook her loose and sat down to pull on his boots. “We’re going to the Black Court.”
“Are you crazy? Why would you want to go there? The entire queen’s army will be descending on the court in the morning thinking that Kian is attacking.” She was still naked, her clothes at her feet. She stared at him as he finished getting dressed. “Your contact will be here in a few hours. She’ll take us to Kian, we’ll be safe and you’ll be able to rescue your sister. Why would you head into the one place we know the queen is planning to ambush the prince?”
He rose to his feet. “Don’t you understand? You’re heading into more danger than you ever have before. You need to be able to protect yourself. You need power, at least as much as a lower fae, if not more. And I have power, lots of it, hidden away at the Black Court.”
Siobhan would understand. He’d been deluding himself, thinking more and more magic would make him invulnerable. And the incredible thing was, he’d discovered he was more vulnerable than he’d ever been in his life.
Chapter Twenty-eight
Cassie walked out of the portal, emerging in a thicket of trees and bushes, well shielded from any prying eyes. The air was scented with flowers, a change from the deep woodsy smell of the forest. She held hands with Bosco, clinging tightly to his fingers. Other than a few flip-flops of her stomach she hadn’t had much trouble in the portal. What she’d seen in the mists was another matter. She’d have nightmares for weeks about the swirling purple grey mists forming podlike tentacles and reaching for her, as if they could pluck her away from Bosco and keep her to play their sick games.
“Are you alright?” Bosco eyed her with concern. He didn’t look affected by the portal mists in the least. But he, of course, was fae, and had been using them for years.
“Surprisingly, I feel fine. The first time I went into a portal I couldn’t walk afterwards.” When Haddon and the queen had taken her prisoner, the portal had been the first of many miseries they’d inflicted on her. She shuddered and pushed the memories away.
“I’d guess you aren’t really a human any more.”
It should have felt like a sucker punch, but surprisingly, it didn’t. She’d been living in this body for three months now and she’d almost forgotten what it was like to be her shorter, human self. This was who she was, for better or worse, and it felt right. “I guess there’s some benefit to what she did to me.”
“Princess, there are a lot of benefits.” He gave her a sweeping admiring glance and heat flushed her cheeks. “You’re gorgeous. Be thankful the queen didn’t turn you into a frog.”
Cassie shivered. The queen could have done anything to her. Instead she’d made her a taller, more elegant, and stronger version of herself. Not a bad deal, on the face of it.
“Are you ready?” Bosco had renewed their glamours and now he was the fair Alasdair and she, the black haired warrior.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.”
He pushed through the screen of bushes, leading her to a narrow, nearly hidden trail. “Stay on the path.”
“No worries.” He’d scared her enough with tales of bucking bogs and trolls to keep her close to his heels. They crossed a small stream and climbed over a tumbled wall of grey fieldstone. “Where is it? I can’t see it?”
“It’s right there.” He pointed to what looked like an enormous hedge, studded with sharp thorns.
“That’s it? That’s the Black Court? I thought it would be a fortress, more like the summer castle.”
“Parts of it are, but this side is more like a compound formed from nature herself. It blends into the land. It’s the easiest way to get in to the court proper. Once we’re inside, you’ll see the grandness of it, soon enough.”
He led her closer to the hedge.
“Why would you want to give me your power?” she asked, watching her footing over the sticks and stones and bumps of grass. “Don’t you need it to fight the White Queen and rescue your sister?”
“I realized I’ve been thinking that I needed more and more power. But I think I’ve known for a while that I have as much as I need. The queen is powerful, but I have enough to share. I’ll give you some to make you stronger, and I’ll use the rest. I’ll have what I need to fight the queen.”
“Are you sure it will it be enough to help you save Siobhan?”
“It will have to be.” His face was grim. “I won’t leave you vulnerable.”
They came around a clump of trees. Within a gap in the hedge was a closed gate. Two guards stood sentry outside, and she could see more past the long black bars moving around piling sand bags near the entrance.
“Damn it, I’d hoped she’d pull more of her forces to ambush the prince.”
“Can we get in?”
“No worries. Here, take this and follow my lead.” He poured a handful of sparkling powder into her palm. “And don’t inhale,” he whispered into her ear. They walked up to the gate, Cassie one step behind Bosco, her handful of dust clutched in her fist. He brazenly called a cheery hello to the guards. “Are we too late? We heard the battle will be here soon. We’re here to help defend the Court.”
“You’re just in time. We’re sealing this gate.” The guard swung the metal gate open a crack. “I’ll just check your credentials and you’ll be inside, quick as a bunny.”
“Here you go.” Cassie held her breath. Bosco held out his hand and blew a handful of the sparkling dust into the guard’s face. Before his companion could react, she blew her handful into the other’s.
“Of course you can go in. The more the merrier, what hey? Especially since we’ll all be dead come morning.”
The guard pulled the gate opened wide and they walked in. Everyone else was busy fortifying the courtyard and no one seemed to care about two extra warriors when the courtyard was thick with fighters. They moved out of the courtyard and Cassie quickly became lost in the labyrinth of stone walls and green hedges. The Black Court was nothing like she’d expected. “I really thought it would be a castle.”
“There is a castle. But it’s a ways that way.” He pointed. In the distance she could see towers and flags. “That’s where the queen has her prison. There’s a village over there, too, and the open air segment where the queen lives and holds court.” He got quiet and they passed a group of servants bustling to and fro with boxes and bags from a cozy little cottage over to a squat black carriage.
“Hurry up! I don’t want to be here when Prince Kian arrives.” The fattest faery Cassie had ever seen fluttered her wings and attempted to climb into the coach. Two of the servants seized her stout arms and shoved her inside. They passed by, listening to her harangue the servants until they were out of sight around another bend of hedge.
“You have to look for signposts, because the paths can change. Parts of it stay still, but the court is made up of the mists of Underhill, just as all the things here are. If not enough belief is used it will fall apart and fade back into the mists. The power of the queen and her followers holds it together. That’s why the courts need the strongest of the fa
e to rule.”
“How could you hide anything here? Aren’t you worried it will disappear? Or be discovered?”
“It’s the safest place in the world. Exactly where no one would think to hide anything.”
He led her past through the twists and turns. Cassie saw less and less people, until finally, she realized it had been at least half an hour since they’d seen anyone. This area of the complex looked dark and abandoned. The hedges had holes and gaps, and some of them were so overgrown she had to suck in her belly to squeeze past the wickedly sharp thorns.
Past a crumbled piece of wall overgrown with brambles was a large gap. “In here.” Bosco climbed into the gap and held out his hand to help her over. Inside was the edge of a wall and a huge set of sagging wooden doors. Even the faces in the ancient carvings looked sad.
“Where are we?”
“This is the old nursery wing.” He put his hand on the doors and whispered and they swung open, their hinges groaning in protest. They entered and he pulled the doors shut behind them, closing them into the open expanse of grass and overgrown garden.
“This is where you hid it?”
“In here.” He led her across the grass to the large manor nearly covered over with ivy. “This is where the queen was raised, and Prince Kian after her. The Prince has been an adult for over two hundred years and the queen ordered it abandoned. In the natural way of things it would fade away, but I’ve fixed a spell on it to keep it stable. At least as long as I’m alive, it will stand.”
They entered the manor and walked across the marble-tiled floor, their steps clicking eerily in the silence. Past the ghosts of sheet-covered furniture and up the stairs. “The rooms on the second floor are the rooms for the royal children, nannies, and tutors. Third was for the lower servants.”
“A whole house just for children?” she asked as they made their way up the smaller stairs that led to the third floor. “How many were there?”
“Not many. Fae don’t have a lot of children, but we take a while to grow up. And there would have been child companions too. I’ve heard that Haddon was one of the queen’s companions. That might explain why she’s so dependent on him.”
He opened a door at the very end of the hall, tucked under the eaves. “This would have been a maid’s room.”
She looked around the small room. The walls were made of crumbling and cracked plaster and the floors were dusty. “It’s empty.”
“Not quite.” He smiled and waved his hand. The air in the room shimmered. Clean polished floors appeared, covered with a burgundy and blue oriental carpet. A single bed with fresh bedding and a nightstand with a small bud vase were in one corner, and a tall set of drawers in another.
“You glamoured it.” She laughed in delight. “You are so clever.”
“Why thank you, my lady.” He flourished a quick bow. “No one’s ever come here and even if they did, they wouldn’t see this. My glamour would hold.” He crossed to the exterior wall and passed his hand over it. A large hole appeared. He reached in and took out a handled round basket. Inside nested six pastel round objects, each the size of a softball and glowing a different color.
“Are these the power boluses?”
He nodded.
“They’re beautiful.”
“Yes they are. Pick one up.”
She took a lovely pink one in her hand. “It’s warm.”
“Three of these will boost your power and give you a way to defend yourself. That will leave three for me. With what I already have I’ll be able to head north. Once you have the power inside you, it’s yours. It can’t be transferred.”
“Why didn’t you use them before?”
“I took in enough power to make myself a lord, but not a powerful lord. It’s better to have others underestimate you. If I took in all six, I’d be as powerful as Prince Kian. Every one would know and that wouldn’t have suited me. It was better to wait until I needed them. Even my glamour would have trouble covering that kind of glow up. ”
She wanted the power. The ball throbbed softly on her palm, calling to her. Bosco said that with this, she’d be equal to a lower level fae. She’d have more magic than she’d ever dreamed of. Not enough to face the queen, but enough to fight off jerks like that rutting faun in the lower levels of the castle. But she wouldn’t take it if it meant Bosco couldn’t rescue his sister. “Are you sure? Are you very sure?”
He laughed, a sound so dark and bitter she recoiled.
“Don’t tempt me, Cassie. I should give you all six. That would be enough to make you a Lady of the Court, but I’m being selfish and keeping three for myself.”
“You’re not selfish. You’re saving your sister. Three for me is plenty.” She rolled the ball between her two hands. “So how do we do this?”
“Press the power bolus in your hand to your chest.”
Cassie took a deep breath. She held the ball up. A deep flush of anticipation went through her. She pulled it in close and pressed the warm ball to her chest. It throbbed and burned on her way into her chest. And she panicked. This couldn’t be right. But then it passed and a surge of pink glow rushed through the channels of her magic. “Oh, my.”
It was amazing.
“Pretty cool, huh?” Bosco held out the basket. “Take in another one.” She chose a softly glowing green. It went in cool, leaving her with the fresh taste of summer in her mouth.
“One more.”
The last was lavender and the color and smell reminded her of her mother gardening. At every house Theresa had planted lavender for luck and protection. She blinked back tears.
“Now it’s your turn.” She looked into the basket. Three glowing spheres left. “The rest are for you and Siobhan.”
The door flew open, hitting the wall with a bang.
“I’ll be taking those.” Haddon stepped into the room, his long arms reaching for the basket. The tiny third-floor hall behind him was filled with the bristling pikestaffs and swords of Tuathan soldiers.
Cassie had no idea what to do. Power surged through her, but she was lost on how to use it. Her Gift went wild. Scenario after scenario of possible futures coursed through her mind, flashing so fast she seized onto just one of them, in order to hold herself stable.
It solidified, forming a future where Haddon moved fast, his sword slicing into Bosco first, then into herself. Both of them dying in pools of blood on the floor. She tossed it aside and another flew into her mind: Bosco killing Haddon, and the soldiers rushing in and stepping over the green man’s body to kill Bosco. She grabbed a third future. In this one she thrust herself between the two men just as Bosco stabbed toward Haddon. The agony of the sword point as it pierced her back felt so real she curled over, lost in a sea of pain.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Bosco thrust the basket at Cassie, shoving her in the direction of the bed. “Get back.”
She stumbled, blinking at him as if coming out of a fog and tripping over the footboard. She landed on the bed, cradling the basket in her arms and saving the last three balls from falling out.
Bosco pulled his sword. There were too many of them for him to fight all at once, but if he could keep them from coming into the room more than one at a time, he might stand a chance.
“It’s over, Bosco. You can stop hiding behind that pathetic glamour. I know you’re not Lord Alasdair.” Haddon sent out a pulse of magic.
Bosco raised his shield, reinforcing it with magic and deflecting the beam of light. It burnt a hole in the wall. The smell of singed plaster filled the room.
“You’re strong, I’ll give you that, but you’re not strong enough. You need those last few boluses, don’t you, Bosco? But you’re not going to have them.”
Haddon was right. Bosco needed the boluses. He’d wanted all six to take on the Winter Queen, but he’d realized three, in addition to the power he’d already taken in over the years, would do to rescue Siobhan. They were that powerful. Even one, and he’d be able to stand toe to toe with Haddon. Bu
t if Haddon got a bolus instead, Bosco shivered, then the queen’s advisor would be out of his league.
Haddon reached out long green fingers to Cassie, his voice low and wheedling. “Now, Princess, give the basket to me.”
“No way.” Cassie hugged the basket to her abdomen.
Bosco lunged while Haddon was distracted. He slashed the tip of his sword out, aiming for Haddon’s hand, but the advisor was too quick. He yanked his fingers back and shot a magical beam cut across the room. The magic grazed Bosco’s forearm, singeing the flesh.
He bit back a scream, and pulled on the power he’d accumulated over the years, shooting a bolt at Haddon. Their magics collided in a bright flash of blue and yellow-green. The sizzling smell of burnt magic rose between them.
“Good try, fool, but you’ll have to do better than that if you want to take me on.” Haddon beckoned to Cassie. “Come, my dear, your aunt misses you.”
“I’m not going with you.” Cassie’s eyes were wild. So much power pouring though her for the first time. He knew what taking in the boluses was like, it was an awesome experience. The power flowed through you, lifting the tiny hairs on your body and tingling in every nook and cranny. And he was fae with fae magic. What was it like for Cassie, with so much humanity, to have her magic increased tri-fold?
Haddon edged closer to Cassie, his fingers outstretched toward the basket. “Don’t be silly, my child. We’ll get you back where you belong. Tomorrow this will all seem like a dream.”
Bosco tried again, sending a bolt of power at Haddon and moving at the same time towards Cassie.
Haddon strengthened his wards. “I can hold you here, Bosco, long enough for me to take the rest of that power and eat it all up. Then you’ll be nothing to me. Everyone will be nothing to me.” He took another step closer to Cassie.
Cassie held up a hand. The tips of her fingers glowed with magic, but it had no focus. Bosco cursed. She was trying but she had no idea what to do with the new power.
“Focus, Cassie,” he said. “Think about where it needs to go.”
Enchanted: A Fae Fantasy Romance (Fae Magic Book 3) Page 21
