Reluctant Fae

by Margo Ryerkerk

  A chilly wind blasted me, tearing me back to the present. “Let’s get our prisoner.”

  Nathan released me and studied the area. “I see wagon tracks over there, past those ruins.”

  I followed the direction he was pointing to find that tracks, deep in the mud, stretched past the ruins and headed toward the west, in the direction of the afternoon sun. “People travel through here.” Blythe had told us that nomadic fae, usually elemental fae belonging to neither court, traded goods between the courts to make a living. As we approached, I realized the tracks were fresh and damp on the edges. “We need to convince someone to give us a ride and sneak us into the Winter lands.”

  “Merchants often visit the Winter palace, trading plants from the Summer Court. These things are considered forbidden in their court, but the underground trade still happens.”

  “And the wealthy partake.” A tingle of hope rose in my chest. “If we time it right, we might get to the palace at nightfall.”

  Nathan placed his hand on a lone stone wall covered in moss. “That’s a good plan. Less of a chance of detection. We’ll need to leave the palace early enough during the night for our vampire prisoner.”

  “Yes.” The last thing we needed was the sun to kill Lady Cardinal after we went through all the trouble of kidnapping her.

  The tracks we followed stretched into a full road. Nathan and I waited for at least an hour. Just as I started to wonder if wagons came through here more than once a week or so, the sounds of squeaking wheels echoed around the hills to the east.

  Nathan seized my arm and pulled me behind the wall of a ruined hut as the wagon approached. The hills hadn’t offered much warning, and a single spotted horse pulled a flat wagon with a blanket over whatever goods it was transporting toward us. At the front of the wagon, a woman with bluish-gray hair and matching wings sat beside a man with earthy brown hair and wings that were nearly black. Though the woman held the reins, both searched the surrounding landscape, wary, probably looking for thieves.

  They would attack us if we showed ourselves.

  Nathan nodded to me, and I knew what I needed to do.

  The wagon approached, coming around the curve, closing the last fifty feet of distance between us. You are calm. Safe, I thought. We are friendly. Look this way.

  The woman snapped her gaze to me and pulled on the reins, stopping the carriage. The old horse halted in the middle of the path and let out a grunt. The woman wore a patched dress, and the man’s trousers were in equally bad shape.

  “Who goes there?” the woman asked.

  I motioned Nathan out of the ruins. We stood side by side as the earth under my feet shifted. The woman appeared relaxed, but the man, I was guessing he was an elemental earth fae, turned his gaze to the ground.

  You are calm. We’re friendly, I thought, focusing on his forehead. The ground stabilized, and I let out a breath. “We need a ride to the palace. Are you going there?” I could not lie and had to word everything carefully.

  “We are hoping to sell our wares at the palace market,” the woman said.

  “We have a message for Princess Onyx and mean her no harm,” Nathan said with a friendly wave. “We mean no one in the Winter Court, or you, any harm. However, to keep things quiet, we would like to get in and out of the Winter lands, undetected by all, but Princess Onyx.”

  The man leaned forward. “We are neutral to both courts and do not wish to take sides or act as spies, but we’re open to making a bargain.”

  I tensed, knowing that even with my abilities there was no way around this. The merchant’s mind vibrated with determination and hunger. I nodded. “Hide us under your blanket, and we’ll ensure you sell your wares to a generous buyer.”

  “Do you promise?” the man asked. He was clearly the talker of the two. A greedy gleam filled his eyes, something I couldn’t blame him for given the condition of his clothes and horse.

  I nodded. “I promise. You will have a good buyer.”

  A tingle swept over me, letting me know the deal was done. I expected Nathan to give me a disapproving look, but he smiled, finally, allowing me to be in charge. I took his hand, and we got into the back of the cart.

  Chapter 21

  The merchants stayed true to their word. While we hid under the blanket of the cart, squeezing in beside furs, they transported us down the road and past mumbling guards. I helped them stay calm when the guards questioned them about what they were trading. Only furs. Same old. Same old. No danger.

  The blanket helped to stave off the cold as we crossed the border and so did lying beside Nathan between all the wares. Less and less light permeated through the blanket. Night was approaching. I wanted to peek and get a glimpse of the Winter lands, but doing so was too dangerous.

  Instead, I focused at the task ahead—kidnapping Cardinal. My grasp on my mental abilities was improving, which was good as I would no doubt need all I had learned when we reached Cardinal. I doubted she’d go willingly, and while Nathan could easily knock her out, dragging her body around would slow us down and also make it less likely we’d get a ride back to the area where Percival had placed us, and expected us to return.

  A shiver ran through me as I wondered if we’d even find that spot again. I had tried counting the minutes of how long we had traveled. Thirty minutes, maybe. But this would do me no good if the carriage returning us was faster or slower. I didn’t remember any unusual landmarks by which we could identify the area of the border we had portaled to other than the ruined houses. The more I thought about our plan, the more I saw all the ways it could go wrong. Did King Peter want us to fail? If I messed up, he could easily make a case that I had endangered the general. Once the media and public turned against me, it would only be a question of time before they hated us earthbound fae. If the breeding program came to be, they wouldn’t hesitate to put us into it to teach us a lesson. Bile rose into my throat at the thought.

  The horse’s hooves slowed. No longer plodding through the mud, they made gentle clicking noises against stone or ice. People muttered all around us as the cart shifted. We were moving up an incline, and I had to grab a rolled-up fur to avoid sliding down the cart. Nathan did the same.

  “Almost there,” he whispered, and a few minutes later, the carriage came to an abrupt halt.

  The merchant pulled back the furs. “Get out and fulfill your part of the bargain.”

  I blinked, inhaling the smell of straw. We were in a dark barn lined up with rows of carriages. No other fae were around. Good. No one had seen us so far, then.

  “Will do,” I said. “Where do you normally sell your wares?”

  “In the outer courtyard of the palace.”

  So the Winter palace was built like the Summer palace. “Excellent. Go ahead. I’ll help you from right here, but set up close to the barn so I can hear what’s going on.” I could see the dark bricks of an open courtyard from here and other merchants with tables, but the ceiling of the barn blocked everything else from view.

  The merchant narrowed his eyes at me, but the fae woman took his hand. “Come on,” she said softly.

  “I’ll tell them about the two of you if you don’t do as promised.” The merchant gave Nathan and me a good once over, committing to memory our features. While my wings were covered and this time, so were Nathan’s, our faces and the way the merchant had picked us up would arouse suspicion.

  Not taking the earth fae for a patient person, I wanted to get my part of the deal over quickly, but Nathan stopped me.

  “Do you mind if I explore while you help them?” Concern shone in Nathan’s gaze. “I need to know where the dungeon is.”

  I gave him a confident smile. “Go. I’ll be fine.” The less time we spent in the Winter Court, the better. I had a feeling that if any of the Winter fae caught us, they’d fire first and ask questions later. If at all. Just because Onyx wanted peace didn’t mean that the people who had served her father wanted it too.

  Nathan hurried off in the opposite dire
ction, weaving past carriages to another door, and I prayed he was careful and wouldn’t be caught. Separating was bad, but we had limited time. Nathan was one of the most stubborn men I’d ever met and sometimes the bane of my existence. Yet the thought alone that he might be hurt made my chest contract with agony. Despite my intention to remain polite and distant, I had come to care for the High Commander of the Summer Court.

  A whistling sounded, and the elemental fae motioned for me to follow him as he and the woman pulled the goods out. I got off the cart but stayed within the darkness of the barn. From my new position, I could see more than just the courtyard, which stood some distance from the icy palace I’d seen through the portal before. Night was falling, but lanterns hung everywhere. Smoke from cooking meat rose to the cloudy, darkening sky. At least a dozen merchant tents had been set up, but our merchants didn’t have one. They started putting up their furs in the open air, on a simple table. Even from here I could tell that all they’d done after capturing the animals was skin them. Whoever would buy those furs would have to commission a designer to make them into coats.

  Winter fae in thick coats walked past my hiding place, stopping occasionally at one of the tents to examine the wares. Guards milled around with spears and bows, decked out in black and cobalt blue uniforms. White, blue, and black wings surrounded me. A few Winter children ran between tents. Despite that, the Winter’s courtyard was much less busy than the Summer Court’s. Tiny snowflakes fell. While the guards wore scarfs and gloves and the ladies had coats with fur trimming, none of the citizens seemed cold or uncomfortable. I, on the other hand, despite Pierre’s creation, wouldn’t have minded to wrap myself in a few blankets and plop in front of a fire.

  Behind the courtyard, the spiky, sparkling Winter palace rose high into the sky. Shimmering and a brilliant white, its towers formed spikes and a frozen waterfall cut through the center of the palace, falling between us and the market. Two bridges made of dark brick connected the outer courtyard to the entrances on the palace, boxing in the frozen waterfall.

  Unlike the Summer castle, it didn’t require wings to be reached. However, from the incline I’d felt when I had been back in the carriage, I guessed that we were high up on a mountain.

  I stopped ogling the castle when a middle-aged fae stopped in front of the furs. “These furs would look great on you,” the earth fae said.

  She snorted and ran her hand down her fox coat. “I already have several winter coats.”

  From what I could see, they were much nicer than what the merchant had on offer. Still, she’d stopped, which meant she was interested. She eyed the biggest piece. For the house, I realized.

  The earth fae stared back at me, waiting for me to open my mouth and convince the potential customer.

  They would make great rugs and covers for chairs. Buy them all and get a great price, I whispered into her mind.

  The noble fae looked down her nose at the merchant. “How much for all of them?”

  His jaw dropped, but he quickly regained his composure. He steepled his fingers and tapped them against each other, then named a sum I didn’t hear. They haggled as I continued to feed the noble fae thoughts of how great the rugs would look in her home. Finally, after a few minutes, she bought all the rugs. The merchant and his helper wrapped them all up, accepted the bag of coins, and hurried back toward the carriage, as if they were afraid that their customer would change her mind.

  Since I’d fulfilled my end of the bargain, I turned around and walked into the direction Nathan had gone. Where was he? I didn’t want him to worry in case he returned to find me gone, but I was also tired of hiding behind the other carriages. Thus, I pulled up the hood on my cape and stepped into the courtyard, desperate to get a better glimpse at the magnificent castle and hoping, even though it was stupid, to somehow run into Onyx. If only I could warn her and explain how the Summer Court worked. But was she even here? She might be back on earth with Thorsten or already in the wastelands.

  A hand grabbed me from behind, and I reached automatically for my dagger. My attacker twirled me with one deft move so that I faced him and pressed the blade against his neck.

  “Virgie,” Nathan hissed, freezing as the cold metal touched his skin. His gaze went to the dagger. “Where did you get this from?”

  I shrugged and put the blade away. “You shouldn’t sneak up on me.”

  “You shouldn’t be standing in the courtyard where anyone can see you.” He pulled me into a shadowed alley, and for the first time, I realized there were other brick buildings nestled in the mountains. “You need to be careful with weapons.”

  I tilted my head. “I’m not an idiot. I’m not going to cut myself.”

  Nathan sighed. “I didn’t mean it like this.” He shook his head, then added, “I found the dungeons and the back exit. I need you to stand in front of it while I go in and get Cardinal.”

  It turned out there were stone buildings, some houses, some businesses, on this plateau of the mountain. I gulped as I followed Nathan deeper through the dark alleys made of brick. The snow was falling heavier now, and the visibility was getting worse. The chill penetrated my white suit. Nathan stopped abruptly, and I nearly crashed into him. Then I realized why he’d stopped. We had reached a dead end.

  “We need to fly the rest of the way,” he said.

  “Are you sure it’s a good idea to use your wings?” I eyed his cape.

  “We’ll blend in.” He was right. With our white getups and with the heavy snowfall, it was unlikely anyone would see us. Plus, it was dusk. The best time. The sun no longer illuminated the landscape, but besides the outer courtyard, most of the lanterns hadn’t flickered on yet.

  Nathan wrapped his arms around my waist and removed his cape so that his golden wings spread out. I welcomed his touch and pressed into him as we rose through the falling snow, the ground vanishing below.

  Now that my anger had cooled off, I realized how much I’d missed him this last week. I was catching feelings, and as much as I hated to admit it, Nathan’s dedication to his people was to blame. Growing up with a courtesan mother and grandmother, I’d been taught that men wanted one thing only. But Nathan was different. He wasn’t someone who lost himself in carnal pleasures, and while his workaholism could be annoying, it was mostly admirable. He truly wanted to positively impact his court. He wasn’t after riches or fame.

  Much too soon, Nathan landed us in an alley and released me from his embrace. I groaned inwardly at my thoughts. I was not supposed to fall for him. It would only complicate everything. I couldn’t think of love when I might very well find myself in the midst of a war.

  “Virgie?” Nathan pushed a strand of my dark hair out of my face, and I realized he must’ve said my name before. “Are you ready?”

  I nodded. “What do I do?” Far down the alley, past many closed wooden doors, two men patrolled in front of a gate made of ice bars that covered a way into a low, dark cave with an entrance bordered with dark bricks. The space beyond was black and clearly not welcoming. Only a few weak lanterns lit the way into the stone corridor.

  The dungeons.

  “Can you sense how many minds are inside?”

  I strained my powers, trying to reach out to the dungeon. Nothing, nothing, and then at last, I sensed sparks of life. “Five inactive ones, and six active ones, similar to the two guards outside.”

  Nathan nodded. “So, maybe five prisoners, and eight guards in total. That’s not too bad. Can you convince the guards at the front that I’m an interrogator and to let me in? Then you’ll need to do it with the other guards. I’ll use telepathy so that you know where I am and what I need you to mind speak.”

  I stumbled backward. “But…what if I can’t? What’s the backup plan? Don’t you at least have a fake letter?” Nathan shook his head, making me realize with horror that I was plan A and there was no room for failure.

  Nathan took my hands. “Don’t worry. If something goes wrong, I can take eight men. I’ve experienced wors
e in battles.”

  I didn’t want Nathan to face eight men on his own. “Let me go with you.”

  “It’s too risky. Think about it, it’s much more likely they’ll send a guy to question a prisoner and break his bones if necessary.”

  I had to agree with that. My mind powers worked, but I could not make people believe the ridiculous. “Please be careful.” And before my head could catch up with my body, I pressed my lips against his, then pulled away just as quickly. “I’m sorry.”

  Now, it was Nathan’s turn to be speechless. Finally, he said, “That was unexpected.”

  “You need to focus on the guards and so do I.” I bit my lip. “We’ll talk about this back at home.” Or not at all.

  Nathan nodded and started toward the guards. It was showtime. Putting my crazy outburst out of my mind, I focused and imagined two invisible threads going from my mind to the guards’. Let him pass. He’s here to interrogate a high-level prisoner.

  Chapter 22

  He’s here to interrogate a high-level prisoner.

  I sent the thought over and over to the two guards. Nathan strode to them with confidence and said some words I could not hear from my position behind the alcove.

  They stepped aside. One pulled open the gate, and Nathan vanished into the darkness.

  I held my breath, extending my focus past these guards and into the dungeons themselves. The space wasn’t large, judging from how far apart the minds were. He’s here to interrogate the vampire prisoner. Splitting my awareness between six guards caused a mild headache to bloom on each of my temples, but I ignored it and maintained my focus.

  A minute later, Nathan stepped out of the dungeon, empty-handed. In my shock, I almost lost mental influence on the two guards standing outside. One nudged the other and pointed to Nathan, clearly confused, but before I could extend out more mental tendrils to them, Nathan upped his pace and reached me.