The rocks closed, revealing the carvings again, and Drozelle – or Crozelle – let her arms fall and shoulders droop as if she was exhausted, and standing upright was too much effort. Lee took a step toward the dark haired fee, hands grasping the handle of her axe.
Oberon gave me a long, assessing look before turning and making his way back. I didn't wait for an invitation, or for lee or the dark haired fee to give me any orders, but followed in his wake, trying to keep pace as best as possible in the dark, my shaking hand bracing against that rough stone wall, the carvings now taking a new meaning. Cells. They were cells.
I glanced back once at lee, but her lips were drawn in a thin line, her eyes shadowed as she watched the now closed rock cell, the dark haired twin breathing hard. Neither followed us, as if they were waiting for something to happen.
Chapter Thirty-Three
We emerged through a hidden panel in a wall facing tall arched windows. Brightness assaulted me, but despite being blinding, it was a welcome respite. Outside, I could see the towering trees atop the sloping hill where I'd first glimpsed the Seelie Castle, and from our elevated angle, deduced we were on an upper level, perhaps even high on a tower.
Oberon turned left and, with unsteady legs, I scrambled to keep up. To the right were the tall windows, to the left a whitewashed wall decorated with large paintings, unlit torches, and small elaborately-carved niches.
We passed a painting of a hillside, full of verdant trees and strange animals grazing by a clear, glittering stream. Another was of a white deer, munching on the bark of a tree, the woods behind it cast in twilight. And another painting was of a child playing with a pixie atop tall swaying grass and surrounded by colorful flowers. There were many, all scenic, peaceful, so calming. My fear dissipated as if sucked away by the paintings. The trembling of my hands took longer, but the drawings were many and Oberon let me linger at every single one without a word. Finally we reached the far side where a pixie waited, bobbing up and down as if she were floating in a swimming pool.
“Bennty will see you to your room. Rest, and I will send for you when it's time. If you need anything, she will provide it for you.” He inclined his head at the pixie, turned and left.
I followed Bennty up a set of wide stairs that curved more the higher we got, and finally emerged in a bright hall similar to the one below. The only difference was the elaborate honey doors instead of paintings. In front of each door was a tall window, the woods far, far below.
Bennty paused by the second door and it opened, presumably with magic. The pixie hovered by the entrance and waited for me to step inside before following behind.
Like I'd guessed it would be, it was a luxuriously decorated bedroom, adorned with exotic reds, sharp browns and intense blues. A huge canopied bed dominated the room, made of dark wood and sheer garnet-red drapes. A thick duvet with geometric patterns of blue, brown and red, covered the bed. On top were a dozen throw pillows in every color of the rainbow, along with a few colors I had no name for.
The floor was mahogany, polished to a glowing sheen, reflecting my silhouette like a mirror, with thick embroidered rugs covering a wide area around the bed. A carved dark wood bureau stood to one side and, through a half-closed door opposite the bed, I could see a sunken tub made of… gold? Or some yellow substance. Across from me the sheer ceiling-to-floor drapes danced from an unfelt breeze. It was there I walked to first, though I had no ultimate reason for the preference. On the other side of the drapes was a wide semi-round balcony and open air.
The sky was a deep blue with patches of pink and orange and yellow – the fused colors of a sunset, although I couldn't see any sun. I stepped onto the balcony, and the floor here was cold, made of a unusual dark rock with crisscrossing golden veins. I grasped the marble railing and looked down, and found… nothing. There was no ground below. A lonely cloud sailed nearby, moved by an unfelt current. My nails dug in until pain shot through my fingers.
I moved to the side of the balcony and peered up and down. There was nothing there, either. Nothing but the smooth stone of the castle, going as far up and down as the eyes could see. There were no windows, no balconies, no nothing. Nothing but smooth stone. It was like I was the only person standing in a world that was suddenly no longer.
Backing into the room, I discovered the pixie was gone, and so was the door that opened into the hall.
A prison then, I thought, sitting on the bed. I sank down a few inches and splayed my hands on both sides, through the soft material of the cover. A comfortable prison, but a prison nonetheless.
“Frizz?”
He blinked into existence.
I lay down, patted the duvet in front of me, and Frizz snuggled in. Feeling somewhat calmer, I scratched his head, his back. Maybe they'd keep me for a century or so and I wouldn't have to face the clan again. The thought was numbing. I wasn't sure if I should be angry that I wouldn't have a chance to prove my innocence to the clan, or relieved that I wouldn't face execution if I couldn't.
Zantry had promised he'd come for me, but how would I know he'd come if I was locked in this room? Maybe someday, if I got too tired, I could leap from the balcony and end it all. Would I hit a surface or fall forever?
Chapter Thirty-Four
The sound of buzzing wings woke me up.
“Go away, Frizz,” I mumbled, shifting to the other side. The buzzing grew stronger, more insistent, followed by a whining pitch. I opened my eyes and sat up. Frizz would have gone away, not persisted. Awake and alert, I remembered I was in enemy camp.
Bennty, the pixie, hovered near my head, expression anxious. She flew to the foot of the bed and returned, then hopped to the edge of the bed, motioning to the long dress draped at the edge, made of some undeterminable material.
“You want me to change into that?” I asked dubiously.
Bennty's head bobbed up and down.
“Why?”
She replied in a garbled, high-pitched voice and flew to the dress and back again, floating a few inches away, arms crossed, tiny foot tapping air.
“Alright. Let me wash and take care of necessities first.”
The material of the dress was fleecy-soft, and felt and fit like a second skin. It was warm, silky, and I couldn't help but admire the way it felt. Simple and sleeveless, the V-necked garment flowed to my ankles. It bore on the side of gold, but shifted to green and yellow and a pale shade of brown before rippling back to a dark shade of gold that brightened and shifted to yellow and green again. The sandals Bennty passed me were also made of the same material as the dress, the soles thicker to cushion the steps.
The moment I finished dressing Bennty started working on my hair, pulling it up and weaving a thin thread of gold through my wavy locks.
I searched for a mirror, curious to see how I looked, but there was none, not even a reflective surface. I tried to see my reflection on the polished floor, but it was hard to make out anything more than my silhouette.
Bennty urged me out the door that hadn't been there earlier, an insistent buzz behind me. Every time I lagged, admiring a painting or a view beyond a window, the buzzing got louder and stronger, and the pixie would dash in front, only to hover before the doorway, motioning that I should follow, then return behind me.
Soon we entered the big room with the domed glass ceiling, and I stopped, unsure. It was no longer empty. There were others, dressed in court attire – shimmering, brilliant colors, reds, yellows, blues, whites. Like mine, some of the dresses shifted colors, but most didn't. The men were dressed in colorful formal suits, though some were in casual attire, like pants and dress shirts, or strange skirts and vests.
In the background was soft music, flutes and strings, the sound of laughter, tinkling glasses – the typical sounds of a room full of happy people.
Of which I knew none. Their aura was that shiny silver, everyone a beautiful star on his or her own.
I searched for Lee, Oberon, even Drozelle or Crozelle, saw no familiar faces. Behind me Bennt
y's buzz grew insistent, louder, but I didn't budge. Instead, I felt a strong urge to turn and leave before anyone spotted me.
So I did, deciding I'd rather be in my prison with no one but Frizz. And almost plowed through Lee. “Oh. Umm, sorry.”
Lee glanced at me, those green eyes as cold as ever, but no one could fault her beauty. She was dressed in a velvety burgundy dress with bell sleeves, the flowing skirt covered with sparkling sequins. Her hair was loose down her back, a cascade of fire, with colorful stones looped around random locks like painted beads. Precious stones? She inclined her head toward the room, a silent command for me to follow.
Head lowered, I turned and trailed behind her like a wayward child going to confession after a day filled with sinful deeds. Those we passed stopped talking and glanced over, murmuring behind their hands. No one greeted Lee or met her eyes. No, everyone lowered their heads, eyes downcast until she passed by. A sign of respect. A few even bowed or curtsied low.
We moved in a zigzag path toward the dais, the intricate throne empty, and with a bolt of anxiety, I realized I was being brought to the apex of attention, the center stage of the courtroom.
When we reached the steps that led up to the throne we stopped, and Lee glanced toward the tall double doors on the opposite side. As if on cue, they opened by an invisible force; trumpets sounded, though I could see no trumpeter. Like magic, the crowd retreated to both sides of the room, leaving a wide open aisle in the middle. There was no red carpet, no guards to call order to the room or to hold back the crowd, and I wondered if Queen Titania was too revered or too feared.
A moment later, a woman in a flowing dark purple gown holding a black staff glided into the room, radiating a beckoning light from within. For the first time in my life, I was able to see an aura from afar, and although hers was just like everyone else's, hers resonated with power and wisdom.
In unison, everyone in the room knelt and bowed their heads, including Lee. I started following suit before I remembered Zantry's instructions. I lowered my head instead and remained standing, and it was like shining a huge spotlight on my head, or painting a red X on my back; I felt so exposed. My stomach quivered with every heartbeat, my hands shook uncontrollably. I balled them into fists, realized I looked like I was ready to punch someone, and decided clasping them together looked less threatening.
Queen Titania's footsteps were silent, as if she glided on air instead of the floor. She exuded an air of authority, a wave of strength bathed in sunlight and fragrance, something that could turn lethal at a moment's notice. Lilies and night-blooming jasmine.
The hem of the purple gown appeared ahead and I almost raised my head before I recalled Zantry's warning to wait for permission. After a moment, the hem disappeared from view, and I exhaled.
“Rise,” commanded a melodious voice high from the left.
Everyone stood, the sound almost one, and Lee glanced at me before shifting to her queen.
I caught Titania's nod before Lee motioned me forward, up the steps. I paused on the last one, per Zantry's invaluable instructions: never go up the steps of the throne unless invited, and never take the last one. I fixed my gaze on Titania's nose, because I was to give my full attention but never look her in the eyes.
“Your highness,” I said in a breathy voice I hated instantly.
Titania's eyes were a turquoise-green so deep, they reminded me of the ocean. Her skin was smooth and golden, the shape of her eyes like big almonds. Her lips were full and red, her chin oval. Her rich-honey hair was long and wavy, twisted around a thick tiara made of sunlight and gold. She looked like she was in her mid-twenties, blazing with robust health and inner light.
Despite the radiance, however, there was a chilliness in her demeanor, a ruthlessness, an unfeeling emptiness like that of a cold-blooded shark.
Titania studied me, her expression portraying nothing. Oberon stepped beside me, took the last step, and moved to stand beside his queen, his posture relaxed, regal. On Queen Titania's other side stood Lee, and all three now scrutinized me, the stares unnerving. And I wasn't counting all the eyes drilling holes into my back. I was the sole focus of the entire Seelie court.
If I stayed this nervous, I'd either puke or start hyperventilating, so I began to breathe through my mouth, trying to keep a calm façade while never looking away from Titania's nose.
“This is the promised child, the one denied to us many cycles ago,” Titania announced, addressing the crowd. Chills raced up and down my spine. I was brought here to this gathering so that everyone could bear witness to what Lee saving me from the Low Lands had cost me. “She is Dhiultadh Yoncey Fosch's daughter.”
Murmurs rippled through a now-tense crowd. Did they know? Were they aware of what role I was to play?
Titania waited a few seconds to speak, drawing out the suspense. “She has come forth to offer compensation for a debt owed. All debts shall be paid, all justice shall be met.”
The crowd roared with approval and Titania leaned back on her throne with a satisfied smirk.
Oh God. I should have run.
Anything that made a crowd cheer with so much enthusiasm couldn't bode well for me. My heart squeezed with a stabbing pain and I knew my poker face wasn't hiding my turmoil and fear.
Lee strolled forward and looked down at me, eyes as cold as her queen's.
“Roxanne Fosch, daughter of Dhiultadh Yoncey Fosch, promised child.” Her voice was loud and crisp. “I hereforth call for the payment of our bargain, beholden to the terms you set. Do you agree to pay it?”
I swallowed through a lump in my throat. “Yes,” I croaked. “Yes,” I repeated louder.
Lee scanned the crowd, making sure everyone had heard my answer before addressing me next. “Roxanne Fosch, daughter of Fosch, promised child, I call on you the broken bargain your father dishonored. You shall fulfill the role you were destined to fill all these many years ago.”
The crowd went mad with cheers and shouts, and nausea churned in my stomach, making me feel dizzy. As my vision began to dim, I gritted my teeth and forced myself to take even breaths.
Lee stepped back to the side of the throne and Titania dismissed her subjects with a wave of a hand, before focusing her gaze on me.
Unable to help myself, I hugged my stomach, my hands clenched into tight fists. It was a vulnerable position, but who was I kidding? I was a kitten in a den of rabid wolves.
“She does not amount to much,” Queen Titania observed in that rich, melodious voice.
“Nay, but she is the promised child,” Oberon stated.
“Perhaps it is because she was not raised in this court,” Lee offered.
Titania drummed razor-sharp nails on the armrest of her throne as she regarded me coldly. “Images are often misleading. But I do not sense strength in this one. We cannot afford to waste time.”
“It is on purpose she lacks strength. Otherwise, she would not be ours today,” Oberon said.
Titania glared at him. “Had not Fosch dishonored his word, she would have been ours to nurture. Do you think naught what will happen if you are wrong?”
Oberon bowed his head subserviently, but didn't back down. “Forgive me, my wisest queen, but she is the promised child, even if we do not sense strength. She is Fosch's scion and we do not sense him in her.”
Titania's eyes returned to me, her expression frightening. She leaned forward and asked, “Do you know who you are, child?”
I opened my mouth, ready to give my name, but swallowed hard. I had a hunch – considering the context of their conversation – that telling her my name would only anger her, insolence to be punished. “Your highness, I apologize, but I don't know if I understand what you mean… your highness.” Titania cocked her head and leaned back on her throne, her nails tapping, the black staff still held in her other hand. “Has she seen it yet?”
“Aye, my queen. She recognized what it means, if not who it was as well.”
“It lives?”
“Nay, my quee
n, we have disposed of the abomination.”
They were talking about Fin. Up until that moment, I'd managed not to think about what had been wrong with him, but now? I'd seen this corruption before I'd come to this land, before I'd joined the Hunters, even before I'd met Lee in the Low Lands. I'd seen it more than once. With the Edmond brothers – the bad-boy team – back when they had ambushed me in that no-name motel. I'd witnessed the corruption in Dr. Dean's eyes and in the eyes of Remo's guard back in the MGM Casino.
Titania read the trepidation in my eyes and understood this was not the first “abomination” I'd seen.
“Do you know what it is?” she demanded.
I shook my head, my eyes focused on her chin. “But I've seen it before.”
She was about to say something else when Oberon pressed a hand on her shoulder and motioned behind me. She glanced up, inclined her head once. A pixie flew straight to her, stopping beside her ears and motioning agitatedly. Something fleeting crossed Titania's expression, an emotion I couldn't read. She nodded to the pixie, motioned Lee toward me. “We will discuss this further in the morn.”
Lee stepped forward and began descending the stairs. “Come, child,” she said, the words clipped, but there was an air of speculation about her, of excited expectancy.
I made my way down, feeling lightheaded. What had I gotten myself into? Why did they have one of Remo's minions in their dungeons? Oberon had given me a speech about the Sidhe being some kind of barrier between earth and other dimensions. He'd delivered a veiled threat about earth suffering if the Sidhe became preoccupied with other duties. He'd wanted me to recognize Fin, or what the corruption meant, had ordered me to pay attention. Was Fin some sort of threat as well, what the Sidhe would let rampage on earth if I didn't comply with the demands?
Or maybe it was nothing so sinister… They often demanded someone's firstborn to breed with them, to produce pure-blooded Seelie after a few generations, before infertility kicked in. Was that it? Maybe they needed more warriors to prevent the corruption that had infested Fin from spreading to earth and I was their breeding mare? Or maybe they had a bargain with Remo and I was their payment?
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