Rise of the Fae (Dragon's Gift

by Linsey Hall

He nodded. “It’s just trees. No changes.”

  “Well, this place changes. It modifies to suit each ruler, reflecting their personality.”

  I grimaced. “So you’re saying it’s going to be hell.”

  “We think so, yes.”

  “Great.”

  Tarron shifted. “Can’t say I’m surprised.”

  “Indeed not.” Brielle leaned forward. “To even attempt to find it, you’re going to have to be invisible. And you should search from the air. Easier to hide you so far from the eyes that might see you.”

  “You can use my ghost suit,” Aeri said.

  I nodded gratefully at her.

  “Not just invisible to the eye, which we can do with a potion,” Brielle said. “We must hide your magical signature from detection. Completely. Not just repress it like you normally do, but make it seem like it doesn’t exist at all. While allowing you to still use your magic.”

  Tarron made a low noise in his throat. “Sounds impossible.”

  “It was, until the Unseelie Hag joined us,” Brielle said. “She’s a powerful witch who had been living undercover in the castle until the false queen’s influence grew too strong. She’s fled to the forest to join us, and she has the magic to block your presence from the charms that would sense you.”

  “Let’s go immediately,” I said. “How many can we bring?”

  “Just two, I think,” Brielle said. “The Hag said that she has very little of the potion required to hide you.”

  “I’ll go,” Tarron said.

  I met his gaze. “Thank you.”

  Brielle stood. “Come. I’ll take you to The Hag.”

  We joined her, and she led us through the camp and into the forest.

  Aeri hugged me on the way out. “Be safe.”

  I hugged her back. “I’ll see you soon.”

  She nodded and joined Declan, who stayed behind with the rest to start making plans to launch an attack on the false queen. The exact nature of the final battle would depend on if I could destroy the well of power on my own, but we would need as much backup as we could get in case the fight would be a big one.

  Of course it will be a big one.

  I hurried to keep up with Brielle, who moved through the forest with the graceful swiftness of a doe. “She lives outside of the camp? Isn’t that dangerous?”

  “She refuses any other accommodation.” Brielle shrugged. “The Hag is a weirdo.”

  After a few minutes, we came upon a strange dwelling made of trees that had bent over at the trunks to form a ceiling with their branches. An arched doorway led into the dark interior, and Brielle gestured forward. “I told her to expect you.”

  I nodded and hurried forward with Tarron. A strange scent wafted from the door—spicy and delicious and gross at the same time. Ugh.

  Together, we stopped at the darkened doorway. There was no actual door, but the interior was so dark that it was impossible to see inside.

  “Um, Hag? Hello?” I called.

  “It is Mordaca, the true queen, and Tarron, King of the Seelie Fae,” Tarron said.

  I nudged him with my arm. “Smart. Better to introduce ourselves.”

  A low voice echoed from within, carrying with it the distinct sound of a smoker’s rasp. “Come in, come in.”

  I hurried in, anticipation and nerves making me jumpy.

  The woman who stood over the cauldron at the fire was definitely not what I’d expected. For one, she was drop-dead gorgeous. She was probably somewhere in her seventies from the look of the fine lines around her eyes, but she was one of the most beautiful, graceful women I’d ever seen.

  Slender and tall, her dark hair was threaded through with silver that glittered like diamonds. Her green eyes were unusual for an Unseelie Fae, but they contained a darkness that was riveting. Her black gown revealed the figure of a supermodel, and she moved toward us with the grace of the angels.

  “You’re The Hag?” I asked.

  “Indeed.” She smiled, her blood red lips parting to reveal perfect white teeth.

  “The name is an interesting choice.” I couldn’t help but look her up and down. “Normally that’s a name given to someone, not chosen.”

  “Well, I definitely chose it for myself.” She shrugged an elegant shoulder. “After all, hags are powerful and have no use for men. And since I am fabulous, I am The Hag. Capital T, capital H.”

  This was a woman after my own heart. “Fair enough.”

  The Hag eyed Tarron, who stood at my side. “Although if you were running around the Unseelie Court, I can’t say that I would have given up men entirely.”

  “I’ll take that as a compliment.” He reached for my hand. “But as it stands, I’m taken.”

  The Hag’s eyes moved between the two of us. “I can see that.” She strolled to us, sniffing delicately at the air, as if to get a sense of our signatures. “Hmmmm. It will be difficult to conceal you.”

  “But not impossible?” I asked.

  “Nothing is impossible for me.” She gave a catlike grin and turned. “Come.”

  We followed her toward the cauldron, which had two chairs to the left. They hadn’t been there a moment ago. I hadn’t even seen her conjure them. I shot her a look, my brow raised.

  “I am a woman of many talents.” She turned and faced us. “Now, tell me your greatest fear.”

  “Uh, what?” She might as well have asked me to drop my pants. I’d probably have preferred it.

  Tarron frowned. “Why?”

  “Truth helps my magic.”

  I squinted at her. It helped her magic…or she was just curious.

  “I’m serious.” She went to her shelves and collected a glass jar and several clusters of dried herbs. “Take a moment to think of it.”

  My mind raced as she started chopping up the dried herbs.

  My greatest fear.

  There were so many, actually.

  Losing Tarron. Losing my sister. Not defeating the false queen. Failing the Fae.

  I shot a glance at Tarron.

  He didn’t seem even a little bit torn.

  I nudged him and whispered, “You know your fear?”

  “Of course. You don’t?”

  “I’ve got loads. How do I choose?”

  “One has to be stronger than all the others.” He nodded to The Hag. “Or she’s going to be very disappointed.”

  If she really needed my greatest fear and I didn’t come up with it, I was going to be disappointed because we’d never get the spell we needed.

  The Hag worked quickly, lighting the herbs on fire and collecting the smoke in a glass jar. It swirled with gray and green light, a sickly concoction that turned my stomach.

  Finally, she turned to us. “Have you thought of your greatest fear?”

  I pointed to Tarron. “He can go first.”

  He nodded.

  The Hag shot me a knowing look, but she approached Tarron and held the glass jar up. The smoke continued to swirl inside, never leaving the jar.

  She held it up to his face. “Speak your greatest fear into the smoke.”

  Tarron took the jar, held the lip of it up to his mouth, and spoke. “Losing Mari.”

  I blinked, surprised. Losing him was one of my great fears, too, but I hadn’t expected him to say it so easily. So confidently.

  But the words rang with truth.

  And the smoke seemed to know it. It brightened, turning to a brilliant blue that sparkled with life.

  The Hag smiled. “It seems that you spoke true.”

  “Easy enough.” Tarron handed the jar to me, meeting my gaze.

  The smoke swirled within, taunting me.

  “Um…” My mind raced. I feared so much. The idea of deciding who I was most terrified to lose—my sister or Tarron—made me want to vomit and then die. Not to mention the idea of failing all the Fae and allowing the false queen to stay in power. She’d suck the life from all of them.

  So, no pressure there.

  Listing them all would
n’t do it. She wanted the one great fear. The big one. And suddenly, it came to me.

  “I’m not enough.” I blurted it into the smoke. It flared even brighter blue, swirling with purple light and sparks.

  “You spoke true as well.” The Hag’s eyes sparked. “I had my doubts.”

  “It was easy.” After all, if I were strong enough, smart enough, quick enough, I could save them all. I wouldn’t have to lose them, or choose which was the one I couldn’t bear to be parted from.

  The Hag shot me a knowing look, then took the glass jar from us. She smashed it to the ground, chanting a spell in a language I didn’t recognize. Light flashed, and magic filled the air. The smoke expanded, swirling around Tarron and me as a tornado.

  It filled my lungs, making me cough and my skin tingle. My muscles were next, then my bones. My entire body vibrated.

  Tarron grimaced. “I presume it’s working?”

  “It is indeed.” The Hag gestured to us. “Look at each other.”

  I looked at Tarron, whose form shimmered with light, turning nearly transparent.

  “You’ll be able to see each other, but you will be invisible to the rest of the world. Your signatures will disappear as well, until you are entirely undetectable to the protections on the queen’s palace.”

  “What’s the downside?” I asked.

  “It will last a bit less than two hours. So be quick. If the spell fades while you are in enemy territory, they will immediately sense you and attack.”

  “Thank you.”

  “What do we owe you?” Tarron asked.

  She looked aghast. “I do this for the Resistance.”

  “Then thank you.”

  She nodded. “Be victorious.”

  Strange. That was the same thing that Perisea had said to me.

  Tarron turned to leave, and I went to follow, but The Hag clutched my arm, leaning close enough to whisper in my ear. “Remember who you are, or you will lose all.”

  I frowned at her. “I was just told that by someone else.”

  “Someone wise.” Her eyes glinted with knowledge, then she pushed me gently. “Now go. You are running out of time.”

  I wanted to argue—to ask for more clarification—but she was right. We only had two hours.

  I hurried after Tarron, who waited outside. The forest was quiet in this part, eerily devoid of Fae or animals.

  “Let’s fly,” Tarron said.

  I called upon my wings, launching myself into the air. Cool wind welcomed me, and we skimmed over the treetops, heading toward the palace.

  The field that separated the forest from the city was empty at this hour. The broad stretch of grass was No Man’s Land between the Resistance and the palace.

  I flew faster, pushing toward answers. We soared over the field, and it prickled eerily, almost like the air were haunted. When we approached the castle walls, I called upon my shield from the ether.

  Tarron looked and me, and I shrugged. “Just in case.”

  He nodded, and called upon his own shield.

  I tensed as we neared the guard posts, praying that The Hag’s potion worked as she’d promised it would. I spotted the first guard positioned near the gatehouse. My heart thundered in my ears.

  He didn’t look up, even though he should have caught sight of us by now.

  Instead, he just leaned against the castle wall, staring idly out into space.

  The other guard didn’t see us, either, thank fates.

  My shoulders began to relax a bit once we crossed over the city walls. Until I noticed all the people.

  Were they moving slower?

  I flew closer to Tarron and whispered, “Do they seem slower?”

  He nodded. “A bit like robots. It’s worse than before.”

  “The false queen’s influence,” I hissed. “She is sucking the life from them, growing ever stronger with each one.” I couldn’t imagine being that power hungry.

  “She might not be queen long, at this rate.”

  “She’ll just find new territory—new people—to use.”

  “Not if we have anything to say about it.”

  I nodded, determined. I shoved aside the fear that I couldn’t take her on. It was strange, though. I’d never really suffered from insecurity. But one month with her and I was a wreck.

  As we neared the castle, the feeling of dark magic grew. I wrinkled my nose against the scent of brimstone and putrid night lilies, breathing shallowly through my mouth. A sense of despair crept over me.

  “You feel that?” I asked Tarron.

  “I do. But ignore it. It’s not real. Just her influence.”

  I shuddered and clung to the words. He was right—it was just the false queen’s magic. But damned if it didn’t feel real.

  The palace rose up from the ground, huge and ornate. The towers speared the sky like daggers, and the decorative carvings seemed to swirl with menace, almost like they were moving, searching the sky for a threat.

  I focused on my desire to find the well of power, calling upon my seeker sense.

  Come on, let it work.

  What was the point of having royal blood if it wouldn’t help me do this?

  Finally, it tugged. I pointed to the space behind the castle. “I think it’s back there.”

  Tarron nodded, and we flew in a wide circle around the towers. The windows glinted with cold light, and I peered into each as we passed. In each one, I searched for the false queen. Each time, I came up empty.

  Would I attack if I spotted her?

  It’d be hard not to, though we really needed to cut her supply from the well of power, first.

  Finally, we reached the woods behind the castle. They were creepy and dark, the trees all twisted, tiny things. Imbued with evil, unable to grow. Dark mist wafted up from the forest, and I made sure to fly above it. Thank fates we’d come by air. It would have taken too long to make it through the city on foot.

  There was no sign of the well of power, though.

  I squinted into the distance, catching sight of a huge field of shrubbery. Thick bushes were cropped low to the ground, calling to me.

  I flew closer, spotting telltale passages through the bushes.

  “A hedge maze,” I said.

  “Where?”

  Tarron flew closer to me, and I pointed to it.

  “I just see more woods.”

  “No way. You have to be able to see the hedge maze. It’s right there.”

  He shook his head. “Just more trees.”

  “Weird.” I flew closer, the sense of knowledge tugging harder at me.

  The well was inside the maze. I could feel it as easily as I could feel my own heartbeat. We were nearly to it when Tarron grunted in pain.

  “What is it?” I demanded, studying his face.

  He blinked, his eyes widening. “I see the maze now.”

  I looked back toward it. We were almost over top of the first row of green bushes. “It was hidden. We must have crossed over the barrier.”

  “And only you could see it before.”

  “You have royal blood, too.”

  “Not Unseelie, though. It must make a difference.”

  I nodded, then turned my attention to the maze below. The hedges seemed to shift as I flew, changing course. I pointed. “Do you see that?”

  “I do.” He frowned.

  I flew toward the middle, flying faster, my heart thundering.

  A few moments later, I spotted it…

  The well looked like any other well. Gray stones, short, rustic. The dark smoke that wafted up from it was definitely weird, but it was otherwise totally normal. Boring, even.

  “I’m going for it.” I flew down toward it.

  “I’ve got your back.”

  I nodded, reaching into the ether for my potion bag. I plunged my hand in, and my fingers closed over the Aranthian Crystal. I pulled it out, clutching it close.

  The well was about twenty yards away when the air began to prickle more fiercely. Protection
charms.

  I gritted my teeth and pushed myself harder, trying to get past. Soon, the prickles became a fierce sense of pain—as if I were being stabbed.

  Tears stung my eyes.

  “Come back,” Tarron shouted.

  “No!” I flew harder, trying to force myself past the barrier.

  “Let me,” he said. “It’s too dangerous.”

  As if the barrier had heard him and wanted to agree, it threw up an invisible wall in front of me. I plowed into it, feeling like I was being hit in the face with a sledgehammer. It was all I could do to retain my grip on the Aranthian crystal.

  I can’t lose it.

  I cried out, unable to help myself, and flew backward. The farther away I got, the more normal the air felt.

  Tarron reached for my hand, pulling me away from the barrier. Finally, the pain stopped.

  Panting, I looked at him. “Well, that didn't work.”

  “She’d never let anyone approach via the air.”

  “We’ll need to approach by land.” Which sucked.

  “At least we know where it is, now. We’d never have made it this far on foot.”

  He looked at the sky. “The sun says we’ve only got about thirty minutes left on this potion. We need to get out of here.”

  Fates, that might not be enough time. We had to make it back to tell everyone where the well was. We needed backup to finish this.

  I gave it one last look, then flew back toward the palace. To keep it safe, I shoved the Aranthian crystal back into my potion bag in the ether.

  “Faster,” Tarron urged.

  I pushed my wings harder, already starting to feel the same strange chill that had come over me when The Hag’s potion had first gone into effect.

  We cut a closer circle around the castle, strapped for time. Again, I searched for the false queen in the windows, but didn’t spot her. I could smell her, though, and it turned my stomach.

  As we flew overhead, the city looked just as it had the first time, with the same tired, robotic Fae going about their daily lives. A few of them glanced toward the sky, but didn’t seem to see us.

  The strangest sensation came over me as we neared the guards at the wall, and I whispered to Tarron, “The potion is wearing off faster.”

  “I feel it.”

  The guards began to shift, looking around.

  “They can sense our magic,” Tarron murmured.