by E. A. Copen
My throat was suddenly tight and full of sandpaper. I had a feeling I was in one of those situations where no matter what I said, she was going to hold it against me. “I’m kind of trying not to turn into a ghoul,” I said carefully watching her reaction for any signs I should shut the hell up. Her face remained blank, so I continued. “Odette and I are over.”
“And the child, do you intend to claim it?” She raised an eyebrow in weight.
I bit my tongue to keep from saying yes. I wanted to be involved. My own father had been a deadbeat drunk who beat his wife and kids. Pony Dee tried, but he wasn’t really father material. I didn’t want that for any child that was my own blood. It was as important to me as breathing. But if I was involved, it could get the kid killed. An Archon had already proven it was too easy to use my loved ones as leverage to get me to do whatever they wanted. Kidnap my son or daughter, hold a knife to their throat, and I’d have to comply or watch my kid die. It was inevitable. As long as I was the Pale Horseman, I couldn’t be a father. It was too dangerous for the child.
“No,” I said turning away. “It’s safer that way.”
Titania’s lovely battle-hardened face lit up with a smile. “Wonderful. Then we can proceed with the wedding as planned. Declan, bathe and dress our guest for the rehearsal. It begins at sundown.” With that, the queen gathered her skirt and swept out of the room, taking her guards with her.
I barely had time to process what she said before she left. “Wedding?” I looked to Declan who rose, dusting off his pants. “What wedding?”
***
Declan brought in a big, wooden tub shortly after and filled it with hot water he brought in bucket by bucket. He also brought a tray of cheese and apples. I made sure he knew not to bring any meat. As much as my body craved it, I didn’t want a repeat of my earlier behavior.
The bath and solid food gave me enough energy to stand on my own. I even put on the green tunic and pants that Declan brought me. Though I wasn’t fond of the floral embroidery, I had to admit the soft silken touch of the fabric felt pretty good. It reminded me of the spider silk suit The Baron had made for me.
The Baron…I hadn’t seen him in a while. I wondered what he would think of everything I’d done. Did he even care that I was missing?
I flexed a hand into a fist while Declan affixed a moss green cape to my shoulder. For all my work, I hadn’t been able to verify that the Archon Morningstar killed had been responsible for my sister’s death. It didn’t feel right. The Archon had chosen children with magical talent, and Lydia didn’t have any, at least not so far as I was aware. She’d also been killed nearly ten years before, the only victim. The Archon had needed twelve. Still, The Baron had told me an Archon was responsible. It didn’t mean that particular one had been behind it. There were more out there. Once I saw him again, I’d press The Baron for more information. I’d also force him to release Lydia’s soul. He’d held onto it long enough. Too long.
“There.” Declan stepped back. “Now you look presentable.”
I frowned and shrugged, shifting the weight of the cape. “I feel like an idiot. What happened to my other clothes?”
“Covered in blood, sir. The princess ordered them destroyed.”
Good on Odette. I could say that for her. She understood the basics of magic and how it might be used against me. She must’ve also understood I had enemies here who would’ve loved to get their hands on a sample of my blood. With that, it’d be easy to craft any number of nasty curses. Without my magic, I’d be helpless. I hoped word of that hadn’t gotten around.
I did still have my Horseman powers. I’d already tested them on Declan and found he had a soul of the brightest glowing viridian. The power to see and interact with souls was the one advantage I still had since surrendering my other magic to Anubis in exchange for twenty-four hours. I’d used the time to kick the Archon’s ass with help and save a few kids, but I’d also cheated Anubis by going to Faerie to hide out, the one realm he couldn’t enter. He was probably pissed, meaning I’d made yet another enemy. I had a feeling having the Egyptian god of the dead as an enemy was a bad move on my part.
Of course, it wouldn’t matter if I turned into a ghoul anyway.
“What about my staff?” I asked. I’d been using it as a focus for my magic, which meant it was useless now, but Pony had also implied it was a sort of badge of office. I was still the Pale Horseman, and the Pale Horseman needed his staff.
Declan’s head sank further down between his shoulders. “Mr. Morningstar delivered only pieces, sir. It looked like it’d shattered. Her Majesty has the pieces.”
Which meant not only was I stranded behind enemy lines without my most useful arsenal of spells, but the one badge of authority that reminded everyone not to fuck with me was gone.
I sighed. “Well, then let’s get this over with.”
Declan nodded and pulled open the door, holding it for me.
I stepped onto a stone walkway. Arches lined either side open to the air. Trees with brilliantly colored leaves of crimson, emerald, and goldenrod lined either side, branches swaying in a gentle breeze. The walkway bisected a garden with a gazebo overlooking a pond, complete with lily pads and floating purple flowers. In the distance, rolling green hills rose beyond parapets of mossy stone. Banners flapped lazily, obscuring part of the view.
It was like walking out of the tower of a medieval castle. The clothes just added to the effect. I half expected a dragon to swoop out of the sky or to pass two Hobbits with a magic ring.
The door swung closed loudly behind me and Declan padded out, sliding past me. “This way, sir.” He started down the walkway.
“You don’t have to call me ‘sir.’ Just Laz works.”
“Very well, Laz.”
We reached the end of the walkway, and he opened a set of wooden double doors that led into a small tower with a spiraling stairway. As we descended, I asked, “Does she mistreat all her subjects?”
Declan tilted his head to the side. “I wouldn’t say she mistreats us so much as she’s very strict. There are other queens I’d hate to serve.”
“Like Nyx?”
He stopped at the bottom of the stairs and paused with one hand on the handle to nod. “Queen Titania is kind by comparison. She’s harsh but fair. Honest, but unwavering. She’s also got no tolerance for brazen behavior and disrespectful words.”
“Brazen behavior?” I raised an eyebrow.
“I’m sorry, sir. I don’t know how else to say it without being vulgar. She doesn’t like a smart ass.”
I grinned and patted him on the back. “I think I’m starting to like you, Declan.”
He beamed ear to ear, his face literally glowing with the praise. “Thank you, sir.”
With an extra spring in his step, Declan pulled open the door and led me out into the garden. Several long tables had been laid out and covered with silken tablecloths. Declan passed them, turning right and heading for a wooden arch at the other end of the garden that was mostly hidden from view by a hedge.
Intense sun filtered through the flowering trees. Whenever I stepped into it, I could feel it burning into my skin with more ferocity than I normally associated with summer sunshine. Beyond the shade, I had to strain to see as the light stung my eyes.
Yet as we stepped around the hedge, my eyes went wide and my knees weak. There stood Odette in a lavender dress that was all ruffles and lace. The straps fell on her shoulders, and the neckline dipped scandalously low. A crown of woven white flowers sat on her head and gold dripped from her ears and around her neck. She clasped her hands around a very round stomach, the flattering bump from before now a heavy bubble about to burst.
She stood opposite a smiling man dressed in a tunic of red and gold. He had a man-bun, of all things, knotted up loosely on the back of his head, one of those hipster beards and…was that an earring in the shape of a rose?
I leaned into Declan. “Tell me that’s not the guy she’s marrying?”
De
clan opened his mouth, but I didn’t hear what he had to say. A blonde guy suddenly caused a lot of commotion by charging between Odette and the man-bun guy, a green cape flapping behind him. He grabbed Odette and pushed her to the ground about a half second before a spell split the air close enough to my face to leave it tingling. A lance of red energy hit the blonde in the chest with a dull thump. More red blossomed over his white tunic, spreading into a puddle.
Man-Bun let out a high-pitched screech.
The queen, who’d been standing behind the arch, pushed her way through to go to the injured man’s side.
The guy who’d taken the hit looked down at the red leaking from his chest before spitting blood and falling to his knees and pointing straight at me.
Every head in the garden turned to stare at me in horror, including the queen’s. She twisted her lips into a sneer. “He’s murdered the Summer Knight!”
Man, do I have bad timing or what?
Chapter Two
Titania’s guards came from every direction, swords drawn to seize me.
The knight coughed, spitting more blood and said something I couldn’t make out. The queen leaned in close and listened to his whisper, her eyes fixed on me. A hand clamped down on my shoulder, and I waited for her to shout, “Off with his head.”
Instead, she gently lowered her knight to the ground and stood. Blood stained her gown in angry streaks.
Two more guards grabbed my arms and jerked them behind me. “You’re letting the real assassin get away, idiots.”
“Mother.” Odette grabbed her mother’s leg as she passed, drawing her attention. The princess’ face was pleading, which just made me feel angry. I didn’t need her to beg on my behalf.
The queen pulled her foot away and continued to walk up to me. She waved a hand, and the guards released me. “Get the princess and my knight to safety. Now. Rydar, search the garden. Seal the palace. No one comes, and no one goes.”
“My queen,” the guards said in unison and the ones not holding me back went to collect Odette. I watched them pick her up, surround her and rush her toward the nearest stone tower.
Heavy hands on my shoulders forced me to my knees. “I didn’t kill your knight,” I said through clenched teeth. “You’re wasting your time. What reason could I possibly have for hurting some guy I don’t even know?”
“That attack was meant for Odette,” said Titania. “Had William not done his duty and pushed her out of the way, she would be dying in his place.”
An icy chill crept up my spine and wrapped around my heart. Odette. Someone had tried to kill Odette. Why? At first glance, it was difficult to say. With Summer locked in a not-so-cold war against Shadow, it could’ve been them. It might also have been someone from Prince Charming’s family if they didn’t approve of the match, or any other fae who didn’t like the idea of their princess giving birth to one man’s child and marrying another. I didn’t have enough information to guess.
I did know one thing. Someone had tried to kill a pregnant woman, and they were going to pay for it if I caught up with them. Call it part of the caveman brain, but there’s a part of every man’s brain that goes crazy when faced with the possibility that someone he loves is threatened. My feelings for Odette were more complicated than love, and I didn’t know what the hell to feel about a kid that was half mine, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to let some asshole fuck with them. Even if I hadn’t gotten inadvertently blamed for the attempt, I’d have been angry at Titania for not immediately sending her guards into the woods to find whoever was responsible. The only reason I hadn’t turned to go after them myself was I had no idea where to look, and I hadn’t exactly had time.
“You have more reason than most to want her dead,” the Summer Queen said calmly. “She used you, lied to you, and now she’s to wed another.”
“Ancient history,” I growled back, though it wasn’t. It’d only been two months on Earth, though more time had passed in Faerie, and I still felt the pang of loss whenever I thought about her. Still, Odette and I had come to an agreement after I killed the Shadow Queen. We were over. I couldn’t fault her for moving on. Hell, I had too. “Besides, however I feel about Odette, she’s still the mother of my child.”
She quirked an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “A child you have no intention of claiming.”
She had me there. Time to play my ace. “I couldn’t have attacked her anyway,” I said lowering my head. “I gave up my magic to stay alive.”
The whole courtyard fell silent. Even the breeze stopped whispering through the trees. The queen’s sun-darkened face paled, and her eyes widened. “You traded your magic?” She said it shocked, as if I’d sold my firstborn a cigarette.
“I sort of wasn’t given a choice.”
“There is always a choice.” She turned to Declan who I’d forgotten was even there. The kid had a talent for fading into the background. “Declan, what did you see?”
He glanced up from the ground, searching my face before looking back to the ground. “The shot came from behind us, my queen. It looks to have grazed Mr. Kerrigan’s ear.”
Without warning, the queen reached out to jerk my face to the side by the chin, her nails digging into my cheeks. “It is rather red, isn’t it? And some hair appears singed, though it’s difficult to tell. You wouldn’t lie to me, would you, Declan?”
“No, my queen. Never!”
She took her hands away, leaving tiny scratches on my face. “I would insist you swear an oath decrying your involvement, but such an oath means nothing to a mundane human with no magic.” The queen stepped back, frowning, and gestured for the guards to let me go. “Well, I think it’s time for you to go. See Mr. Kerrigan safely back to Earth.”
“Wait a minute!” I surged forward when she turned her back on me only to find myself staring down two crossed blades in front of me. “What about the deal you cut with Morningstar? I was told I’d be able to stay in Summer until the Revel.”
Titania paused in her retreat to half turn around and steeple her fingers. “I agreed to let the Pale Horseman stay. Without your magic, you’re just another mouth to feed. Another liability. You don’t belong here.”
One of the knights grabbed me. I pulled my arm away and ducked under the crossed sword in an ungraceful roll before staggering, dizzy to my feet. “I’m still the Pale Horseman! I can still see and touch souls.”
She stopped and looked over her shoulder. “Prove it.”
“How?”
I realized my mistake as soon as I asked. Titania turned around, a wicked grin on her face. “Declan, show our guest to the throne room while I find someone suitable for him to demonstrate his powers on.”
“I’m not pulling anybody’s soul out,” I protested, but my words fell on deaf ears.
The queen walked away, and the remaining guards marched forward to block my path after her, scowling at me from behind their helmets.
“Sir?” Declan said, his face ashen.
I didn’t answer him. I couldn’t. My anger had boiled over, and I was too busy clenching both my fists and my jaw. To keep myself from yelling at him, which he didn’t deserve, I turned my back and found myself looking into the forest gardens. Trees of varying age and size populated the area with many colored leaves, all of them vibrant and alive. As I watched, I could’ve sworn I saw one tree moving as if it were alive. I took a step toward the forest.
“Sir, the throne room is this way. You don’t want to keep her waiting, especially if she’s already in a bad mood.”
Just then, the knight she’d sent to search the gardens returned, sliding his sword back into its sheath.
“What’s out there?” I asked him as he passed.
His answer was a grunt followed by a single word. “Nothing.”
I turned to ask him more questions but saw Declan waiting for me, his eyes wide with worry. If I didn’t show up, she’d blame him. “Whatever’s out there is long gone,” he said quietly as I went to join him. “Any smart person would
’ve fled the moment they knew they’d failed.”
He was right, of course. Whoever had taken a shot at Odette was either already over the castle wall to safety by now, or at least as far as they could get. Their attempt had failed, and they had to know the queen would be out for blood.
If I had my powers, maybe I could’ve done something. I cursed myself and stole a glance back at the forest, this time activating my Soul Vision, searching for any signs of life out there. Even with it on, I saw nothing but trees.
Declan walked me through the courtyard to an interior wall with yet another wooden door. He slid open the heavy metal gate in front of the door and gave the wood a series of patterned knocks. It slid open after a moment, and the most delicious smells wafted out. The warm buttery scent of freshly baked bread, savory spices, and the faint hint of roasting garlic hit me with a seductive caress, and I found my legs carrying me forward of their own accord, mouth watering.
The door slammed suddenly in my face, and I blinked, shaking my head. Somehow, I’d gotten ahold of Declan by the shirt. The poor boy was looking up at me, terrified. “Sir?” he squeaked.
I let him go and turned away, despite the protests of my stomach. “Maybe it’s best if we don’t go through the kitchens.”
“Right. I’ll take you around front then.”
He led me around the stone wall to another wall with another arch and another garden. A sea of green leaves with waves of colored flowers stretched in front of me. Birds sang in the trees and bees buzzed from flower to flower. Just like everywhere else I’d seen in Summer so far, it looked like a perfect storybook garden in full bloom. My interactions with the Summer fae, however, had been anything but storybook simple. I’d been awake less than an hour and already been threatened, accused of murdering the Summer Knight, and now I had a feeling I was being led somewhere to rip the soul out of some innocent person. Beneath all the green and the sweet smell of flowers, the Summer Court was as rotten as the rest of Faerie and full of scheming, selfish fae. I was starting to think I’d have been better off just becoming a ghoul.
