by Joshua King
"Why did he take you?" Aurora asked. "He has everything in that collection. Why would he want to put you in it?"
My eyes slid over to her and she shrugged, obviously not caring how dismissive the question sounded. I was glad she’d asked it. Better her than me.
Brielle swayed slightly on her feet and I rushed to wrap an arm around her waist and hold her up.
"Maybe we can find a place to rest for a while. She can tell us more about herself then."
"We can’t leave him," Brielle said, gesturing toward the giant. "Not until he’s strong enough."
Knowing we wouldn’t be able to convince her to go with us if she had to leave the giant behind, I guided the group a few yards deeper into the woods and settled at the base of a huge tree. Moss made the ground soft and the shade caused by the wide, heavily leaf-covered branches created a cool, dark space that made me want to put my head down and go to sleep. Brielle sitting down beside me caught my attention and kept me focused on her with a blended sense of curiosity and instant attachment. I already knew she was supposed to be a part of our group. We were meant to find her. I knew we had to bring her back to the village, but something told me it wasn’t that easy. There was something more to this, another tangle we had to unravel.
"My family has known I was a healer since I was born," Brielle started. "There have been several in my bloodline."
"Are healing powers common in the Fae?" Bex asked.
Brielle shook her head.
"No. They are rare, but I am special even among those with these abilities. That’s why I was taken."
"What do you mean you are special among them?"
"My powers have been evident ever since I was very young, but as I got older, it was evident they were unlike those of other healers in the village, even those of my family. Nearly a year ago it was revealed that my healer abilities are the most powerful that have surfaced in my village in many generations. Only a few days later the Queen betrothed me to her son."
"Why would she do that?" Ashe asked.
"To meld their powers," Aurora answered, her voice softened.
"Yes," Brielle said. "Fae are not all the same. There are some abilities we all have, but like any other kind, each of us is unique. Our powers begin to show themselves soon after birth and develop as we get older. When we marry, the powers of each meld together. They become one. The powers of a healer are extremely desirable and blending them with those of a royal would create incredible power. The Queen wanted that for her son. So, she chose me to marry him."
"Chose you?" I asked, anger starting to build inside me. "That makes it sound like an honor. That’s not what this is. She was trying to force you into an arranged marriage. Do you even know her son?"
"The Prince? Of course, I know of him."
"You know of him, but do you know him?"
Her wide lavender eyes kept staring at me, sweet and intense at the same time. She didn’t seem to understand the emotion I was feeling.
"Why does that matter?"
"Why does it matter if you know the man you were supposed to marry?"
"It’s what the Queen wanted. She has absolute reign over the village."
"I’m sure if we thought about this for long enough, I could think of a more delicate way to ask it, but frankly, we don’t have time for all that, so I’m just going to do it," Ashe said and I cringed, bracing myself. This could go so poorly, so quickly. "I’ve been to your village. All of us have. That place is tiny. Why would a village that small need a Queen, much less a whole royal family?"
That wasn’t so bad. It could have been worse.
"It wasn’t always so small. There used to be many more of my kind. Our numbers dwindling was one of the strongest motivators for the Queen. With my powers and the powers of the Prince combined, my kind could fight back against the forces destroying us. That’s why the Dark Fae King captured me. He wanted to keep me from the village and prevent me from marrying the Prince. I resisted him, which is why he kept me in the glass. I was afraid that eventually he would have broken me and been able to use my powers for his benefit."
"I don’t understand. Why would he want your powers? What benefit would a healer’s powers have for the Dark Fae King?"
"The powers of a Fae healer can save, but they also have their opposition. Anyone with the power to heal has the power to destroy. With me under his control, he would be able to build an even stronger army and continue to spread his shadow across the forest."
I remembered what Aurora said about the division between the Fae and the Dark Fae was not as simple and easy to recognize as it would seem. What Brielle was telling us confirmed that for me more than anything else. Throwing fake voices around the trees to lead people astray, manipulating travelers, and playing cruel tricks were one thing. That could almost be described as mischievous in the same way as toddlers were described as spirited. Forcing people into marriage for no other reason than to take advantage of their power was another. But it wasn’t even the betrothal that was making my blood boil and the back of my neck burn. I hated the way the Fae talked about Brielle. When they talked about Ryu taking something of theirs, they spoke of it like an object. I went into the mission thinking we were sent to take back a relic or some sort of Fae art the Dark Fae king snatched from the palace. Now I realized it was this gorgeous woman they were talking about, treating her like a commodity rather than a person.
The rest of the group pulled away from the tense conversation and introduced themselves to Brielle, starting to tell her a little about us, but skirting around the main details. All of us were protective, defensive of our pieced-together family and what we were doing, and they weren’t yet at the point when they thought they could trust her. I didn’t join the conversation. My thoughts were too focused on the fury making my heart pound and my skin sting. Since the moment I first saw her trapped in that floating glass box, I knew Brielle was meant to be with us, and realizing that her own kind were far more concerned about what she could offer them than her safety made my stomach turn. Even worse was the reality that we had to bring her right back to them.
We stayed beneath the trees for another hour before the giant made a groaning sound, shifted, then suddenly jolted and hopped to his feet in a defensive crouch. Brielle rushed forward toward him again. She held up her hands and I expected more of the glow to burst from them, but after a few seconds realized she was trying to soothe him.
"It’s all right," she said quietly. "You’re not in any danger. You’re outside the fortress now."
The giant grunted again, and I wondered if he even understood her. After several seconds, his posture relaxed and the ferocious look on his face turned to something more inquisitive. His head tilted to the side as his eyes swept back and forth across us. Thick, scarred hands lifted to his face and touched his eyelids, then ran down his cheeks like his fingertips were mimicking tears.
"Are you real?" he asked.
Brielle nodded.
"Yes."
"All of you?"
Each of us nodded, taking cautious steps toward the enormous creature that had just realized he was able to see.
"Yes, all of us," she told him. "The discs are gone. No one can control what you see anymore."
His hands dropped away from his face and spread out in front of him, flipping back and forth like he was searching for the pieces of brass that once covered his knuckles.
"I’m free."
He said it more to himself than to us, but the words sank into all of us. I stepped up beside Brielle.
"I’m Hayden," I said.
"Erral."
"Hello, Erral." I introduced him to the rest of the group. "We have to leave for the Fae village across the woods. You can come with us if you’d like."
"I will continue working on healing you," Brielle promised him. "I don’t know how long it will take, but I will do everything I can for you, and hopefully soon you can go home."
"Home."
The word sighed out of his c
hest like he’d been holding it inside for as long as he’d been held within the fortress. I was curious about how long that was and what brought him there, but I didn’t ask. He was just now getting used to being able to actually see what was around him and move his hands without the brass holding them still. Now wasn’t the time to push his mind back into the fortress and ask him to relive what I was sure were horrifying memories. He didn’t say anything, but nodded as he climbed to his feet. I didn’t know how the Fae would react to a giant wandering into their village along with us, but Brielle didn’t say anything to discourage his joining us. Even if she had, it wouldn’t have changed anything. We wouldn’t leave him behind.
The journey back through the woods to the village was much faster than when we were heading to the fortress. It felt like the anticipation of earning our way through the portal was making our feet move faster, but I also knew part of me was pushed by the desire to confront the Queen for what she had done. We hadn't even arrived at the village yet when we encountered a group of young Fae roaming along one of the paths. Two women hung on the arms of a young man, while a second man trailed along slightly behind them. One of the women looked up as we approached, and I saw her eyes widen. Her steps faltered and the rest of the group went ahead a couple steps before stopping. They turned back to her and she gestured toward us.
"It's them," the man murmured.
"They have a giant with them," the second man said as if we hadn't noticed the massive man bringing up the rear of the group.
"Bring us to the Queen," I said. We didn't slow as we stalked down the path, forcing the cluster to split apart to let us through. As I passed, my eyes locked on the second man. "Yes, we have a giant with us. His name is Erral."
I didn't know why I felt so much protectiveness toward the monstrous man who not too long ago had tried to kill me. The dismissiveness and edge of fear in the man's voice somehow inspired me to defend him. The tree that pulled up out of the ground when he pushed against it told me he probably didn't need it.
News of our impending arrival had already gotten to the palace before we entered the village and as we approached the doors, they swung open. Attendants at each stared at us, trying not to make eye contact but obviously fascinated. I didn't know if it was Brielle or just the fact that we made it back to the village at all that held their attention so much. Erral crouched down to make his way through the door to the palace but backed out before he made it the rest of the way inside. His flat head shook.
"No," he said.
"You can't fit?"
He looked up at the sky, his eyes closing as he drew in a breath and let it out, so his shoulders dropped and hung in relief.
"I can fit. I just don't want to."
After however long he was stuck in the fortress, I could imagine he didn't.
"We'll be back."
We walked through the palace and came to a reflective metal door that came to a sharp point near the ceiling. Another attendant opened the door and we walked in. The Queen was standing in the middle of the room. She opened her arms as we walked toward her and gathered Brielle in an embrace. I noticed there was nothing warm about the hug, though the Queen was smiling as they stepped apart.
"Welcome home, Brielle," she said. "We were so worried about you."
And yet, not worried enough to go get her your damn self. I bit my tongue, trying to stop myself from letting out the words. As much as the anger and disgust toward this woman was bubbling up in me, I knew I had to keep it all inside. We were so close to making it through the portal and finally moving forward. The last thing we needed right now was for me to let it all spill out and ruin our chances.
"Thank you so much for bringing her back to us," the Queen said, looking at each of us.
The pointed seconds when her eyes locked on our faces were uncomfortable, too long and focused, like she was putting far too much effort into making us feel acknowledged.
"Who will bring us to the portal?" I asked.
She looked confused by the question.
"You can't leave right now," she said. "It's far too late and I'm sure you are exhausted. You'll stay. Rest. Join us for the celebration tomorrow."
My eyes narrowed at her. I didn't like the way that sounded.
"Celebration? What are you celebrating?"
The smile hadn't budged from the Queen's face.
"Brielle's return home, of course."
The healer's eyes slid briefly to mine.
10
The look in Brielle's eyes was still on my mind hours later as I lay in the same house where I'd slept with the women the night before. Bex had gone back to the house where he'd stayed and Erral was camped out under the stars at the edge of the village. The women were exhausted and had fallen asleep almost immediately, but I hadn't been able to will my eyes to stay closed. The indecipherable expression in Brielle's eyes melted into the smile on the Queen's face when she told us we couldn't miss the celebration. It hadn't changed. Nothing about the look had changed at all from the moment she stepped away from the chilly embrace with the healer she was supposedly so happy to see. Her eyes, a vibrant shade of fuchsia that contrasted harshly with the soft lavender of Brielle's, had remained wide and still, and the smile stretched across her lips didn't falter even for an instant. It was unnerving and left me worried about the beautiful, vulnerable woman we'd left behind in the palace.
The Queen had insisted she remain there, in the same chambers where she had slept in the weeks before Ryu captured her. Brielle hadn't seemed thrilled about it. I wondered about her family, and why she didn't just go home. No one mentioned them and when she didn't argue, there wasn't much choice but to accept another round of rehearsed, gushing thanks from the royals and allow the attendants to usher us out of the palace and back to the house.
I couldn't get the image out of my head or the crawling feeling off my skin. Finally, I got out of bed and started dressing again. Aurora sighed in her sleep and rolled over, reaching across the bed toward where I'd been lying. Feeling nothing but the empty space woke her up and she opened her eyes sleepily.
"Hayden? Is everything all right? What are you doing?"
I laced my boot and leaned over to kiss her.
"I'm going to get Brielle."
The attendants were standing outside the doors to the palace just as they had been when we arrived earlier. I walked past them, moving around the side of the building when I was out of their sight. Trying to imagine the inside of the palace and how it would look from this vantage point, I walked around until I thought I was near where Brielle's chambers were located. There were few windows and the one that I thought was in her chamber was high off the ground. A long, narrow slit in the wall was much closer, and I focused on it. Moving back a few yards, I ran toward the building and channeled my vampire speed and strength to push myself up, so I scrambled along the wall the way I had in the alley when Ashe and I ran from the Shade. That thought was far in the back of my mind. It felt like it happened a lifetime ago even though it had only been a few weeks. My fingers grasped the edge of the narrow gap and I dragged myself up. My body scraped on the stone as I shoved myself through it and onto the floor. Getting to my feet as fast as I could, I glanced around to make sure no one had heard me. When I didn't hear any frantic footsteps coming my way, I oriented myself, remembering how the Queen had led Brielle to her chambers, us trailing behind like she wanted to prove to us she was bringing her somewhere comfortable. It was all pomp and circumstance; a show she didn't realize I had already figured out.
Moving as quickly and quietly as I could, I rushed down the hallways and up several short flights of stone steps that connected them until I found a wider corridor. A round door nearly blended into the wall, but I had seen the Queen open it. I found the latch and tried to push the door open. It wouldn't move. Pressing my hand against it, I leaned close.
"Brielle," I called through it, hoping she would be able to hear me even through the thick stone.
"Hayden
?" her voice finally responded. "Is that you?"
"Open the door."
"I can't. It locks from the outside."
A new surge of anger boiled inside me and twisted my stomach into a knot.
"Step back."
When enough time had passed for her to get out of the way, I focused a blast of magic into the latch. It made a deep grinding sound and a piece fell away. I pushed again and the door moved, letting me slip through and close it behind me. Brielle was standing in the center of the room wearing a gauzy white nightgown that skimmed her body. The fabric was thin enough for the light to shine through, letting me see her nipples and the dip at the apex of her thighs. Our eyes met and without a single word passing between us, we rushed forward to close the space between us. Her fingers dug into my hair and my hands slid around her waist onto her back as our mouths met. Our kiss was instantly hungry, desperate as we clung to each other. My tongue pressed against her lips and she parted them. She tasted sweet as I explored her mouth and gathered her gown in my fingers, so it pooled around her hips. Hers did the same at my waist, lifting the hem of my shirt until her hands brushed across the skin of my back. I pulled away from her just long enough for her to take my shirt off and drop it to the floor. As soon as her hands touched my shoulders again, I scooped her up and cradled her close. Brielle wrapped her legs around my hips, and I carried her over to the bed where I sat her down on the edge of the mattress and lowered myself to my knees in front of her.
Pressing her thighs apart and slightly up, I opened her up so I could take in every glistening inch of her center. Unable to resist, I ducked my head forward and drew my tongue through her folds, groaning at the taste of her. Brielle swept one hand through my hair to hold my head as I delved further. She gave herself over to my new exploration of her, unafraid of the touch of my hands running up and down her thighs or the slip of my tongue through every curve and dip. Bringing one hand down to where her hip met her thigh, I brushed the pad of my thumb over her swollen clit briefly before slipping two fingers deep inside her. Her body felt tight, squeezing hard around my fingers. Not wanting to hurt her, I slowed down and moved my hand carefully, gradually encouraging her walls to soften and open for me. As my tongue continued to swirl and trace around the edge of her sensitive pearl, I felt a rush of hot, slick fluid move down my fingers and onto my palm. Brielle's head fell back as she gasped, her thighs falling open even more to invite more of my touch. I couldn't wait anymore. My hand wrenched open my pants and I pushed them aside as I stood, guiding her back onto the bed. I stood at the edge of the bed and took her legs, giving her a hard tug so her hips slammed against me.
