Reluctant Fae

by Margo Ryerkerk

  “Cardinal has been moved. We need to fly to the palace.” Once again, he removed his cape and wrapped his arms around me. We rose as confused shouts broke out below.

  “When you came out so soon, I lost focus,” I blurted, heart pounding.

  Nathan didn’t miss a beat. “It’s okay. I should’ve known that we would not find any vampires in the normal dungeon.”

  Flakes spun around us as the wind picked up. We were above all the buildings on the mountain. “Are you sure?”

  “If this Onyx did in fact capture such a high-profile prisoner, then it makes sense to keep a very close eye on her,” Nathan shouted against the wind. I shivered, feeling cold everywhere, except where his chest and legs pressed into mine.

  I could see nothing but indistinct shapes around us. Edges of pines. Maybe the flat tops of buildings. How did Nathan know where we were going? His grasp remained strong despite the whistling wind, and at last, a solid wall of white marble and ice appeared from the swirling dark, illuminated by scores of hanging lanterns.

  The Winter palace.

  Nathan put us down on a narrow outcrop that reminded me of the landscape around Nocturnal Academy. The world plunged into a steep drop just a few feet away, and I grasped the wall to steady myself, which immediately sucked the warmth from my hand and made my fingers burn.

  “We need to be careful,” Nathan said. “I scouted the palace earlier, and there are many entrances that guards use. Follow me. There is one here.”

  As my shoes crunched fresh snow, I tried not to eye the abyss. My fingers closed around the scroll in my pocket, itching to open it to see the king’s new terms for Onyx. But even though my curiosity egged me on, I wouldn’t dare to break the seal. I couldn’t do anything to jeopardize my chance to get closer to King Peter and loosen the shackles he had on Nathan.

  I followed Nathan to a small wooden door set into hard, packed ice, which appeared to be locked on the inside. Nathan motioned for me to step closer. “I need your help.”

  “Okay.” Despite having no idea how I could make a guard believe there was a legitimate reason to let us in this side door, I extended my awareness into the palace and quickly found a patrol inside whose mind sparked with life. Someone had just started a guard shift or had drank a potion to stay awake. I seized that mind, forming a strong connection. You heard something outside this door. Check it out. Then I thought of a good explanation. It’s a secret shipment. A secret potion shipment. If you stay quiet, you might get something for free.

  Eager footsteps approached on the other side of the door, and Nathan’s shoulders hiked up, his hand going for his sword. I shook my head. The guard didn’t deserve to be thrown off the cliff, and if he could fly, he’d alert the other guards.

  When he opened the door, Nathan seized him and twisted the young guard’s hands behind his back. “You will not speak of us,” he said.

  The guard’s eyes popped wide open with terror and shock. We stepped into the palace and out of the wind. “What—” The guard started as I spied a narrow white hallway going deeper into the palace.

  “We won’t hurt you,” I said, leaning close to the young man. I transmitted calm to him. Hope. His expression relaxed. “We need the vampire. That’s all. And I need you to give this to Onyx.” I handed him the scroll.

  The guard took it and nodded. “I’ll tell you where to go. Do you need to speak to Lady Cardinal?”

  “Yes, where is she?” I pushed more calmness into his mind.

  “On the lower floor, in a secure cell,” the guard whispered. “That’s all I know. I’ve never been allowed near her. I’m not high enough in the ranks.”

  Nathan gave a curt nod. “I’ll go.” He lifted a hand to the guard’s neck, and with a quick motion, the guard’s eyes rolled into his head, and he slumped in Nathan’s grasp.

  “We promised not to hurt him,” I hissed.

  “He is merely knocked out and not in pain.” Nathan lowered the guard to the floor. “I can’t have you focused on him, in case other guards come.” He glanced down the corridor. “Can you sense any now?”

  I shook my head. “No. No guards.”

  “Then I’ll return with Cardinal shortly.”

  “Good luck. I’ll be with you.” Since I’d have to help Nathan with any other guards he’d encounter from here, I sent my full awareness down a floor. Three guards were almost directly under where I was standing. Nathan vanished around the corner of the marble corridor and his quiet footsteps told me he was descending a flight of stairs toward them.

  I strained my mind to connect with the guards below. He needs to see Lady Cardinal. Where is she? As I sent these thoughts to the guards, a familiar voice behind me asked, “Virgie. What are you doing here?”

  I whirled, breaking my focus, to find a blond vampire standing at the corner where Nathan had been a minute before. Thorsten’s arctic blue eyes drilled into me as he towered over me. He wore a black and cobalt blue uniform much like the guards’, only with a blue sash that signified some kind of rank.

  “Thorsten,” I breathed. “We’re not here to hurt anybody. King Peter made us come to deliver a message to Onyx.” I motioned to the scroll in the unconscious guard’s hand. “I don’t know what it says. He also sent us to...to get information from Lady Cardinal.”

  Thorsten’s blue eyes narrowed, a hint of red creeping into his eyes. If he thought I was here to harm Onyx, he would attack. He would die for her.

  And Nathan…

  Nathan!

  I’d lost focus. I sent the mental shout out to him, but he’d already run up the stairs that were just around the corner. Thorsten whirled, raising a hand to defend himself when Nathan appeared around the corner, lifting his crystal sword.

  “Stop!” I pushed myself between the two men. “Thorsten is Onyx’s consort and a friend.”

  Nathan halted and slowly lowered his sword. “If you say so.” His voice was full of wariness.

  “Thorsten is with Onyx. He also doesn’t want a war,” I continued.

  Nathan took my arm and pulled me away from the vampire. Thorsten stood completely still for a moment, making it clear he wasn’t a danger. Then in a low voice, he said, “Lady Cardinal managed to escape yesterday. We have countless men searching for her, but so far we have nothing.” He ran a hand through his blond hair. “I have no idea how she pulled it off.” He sighed. “The Winter fae are disgruntled. They don’t trust Onyx as she’s the first to want to end the war for good. They think she’s going to allow the Summer Court to run them over. They want to move against the Summer Court while Petra and Preston are gone.”

  He trusts you, Nathan mind spoke, his voice ringing clear in my head for the first time.

  Yes, he does. I knew I had to tell him more. “Nathan, I was friends with Onyx back at Nocturnal Academy.”

  Nathan nodded. “I thought so. It’s why I worry about you so much. King Peter will see this as a weakness and use it against you.”

  Nathan had learned all he needed to know from my interactions with Onyx. Who else had noticed? Later. I’d worry about this later. I turned to Thorsten. “Lady Cardinal has no way back to Earth from here. Where do you think she could’ve gone? King Peter will be furious if we don’t return to the Summer Court with her.”

  Thorsten swallowed. “I’m worried about Onyx. She...she is planning to go into the wastelands. Not just for King Peter’s sake, but also because she feels guilty over doing nothing as her father was pulled into them after Petra.” Thorsten ran his hand once more through his hair. “Everything is getting out of control. I told Onyx that we need to negotiate with King Peter again, but she disagrees. I’m not letting her go to the wastelands. Take me to the Summer Court instead of Lady Cardinal. I will convince King Peter to work out a different peace bargain.”

  Chapter 23

  I should’ve been happy that we weren’t returning empty-handed and that Thorsten was determined to convince King Peter to make a more reasonable peace deal, but instead, trepidation perm
eated each of my cells. The feeling invaded like black poison, shaking my nerves and coiling in my core.

  “You can’t,” I said, but Thorsten’s set jaw told me I had no chance of convincing him to stay. He would give up everything for Onyx.

  “Take me to the Summer Court, now.” He offered his open hands as if we could handcuff him.

  “We need a high-profile prisoner,” Nathan said in a soft voice.

  “Shouldn’t we at least tell Onyx that you’re going to the Summer Court?” I tried again.

  “No.” Thorsten’s shoulders tensed. “If she knows, she’ll insist on coming with me. I don’t think King Peter will be happy with her returning to his court without making any progress on his conditions. He wants a vampire with intel. He will get one. Perhaps this is what is needed.”

  I nodded. That made sense. But I couldn’t do this to Onyx. She and Thorsten loved each other. Would I ever fall in love? My gaze darted to Nathan before I refocused on Thorsten. “What about Winter warriors? Do you want to bring any for protection?”

  Thorsten gave me a mirthless smile. “No. It will be enough if you both swear that I will not be harmed by either you or anything else, including the sun in the Summer Court.

  “I swear,” I said, immediately, and the tingling, oath-sealing magic raced through me.

  Nathan glared at me. You have to be more careful with your promises.

  I glared right back. He’s taking a big risk. He deserves some guarantees.

  Nathan straightened, maintaining his composure. “Thorsten, I swear that you will not be harmed by either me or anything else, including the sun in the Summer Court.”

  Thorsten gave us both a grim smile. “Thank you. Shall we?”

  I still didn’t like the situation. Lady Cardinal was missing. She was the one King Peter had specifically asked for. “Isn’t there another way? Bringing a vampire to the Summer Court—”

  “You two will be with me, won’t you?” Thorsten cut me off.

  I nodded.

  “Thorsten is right,” Nathan said. “With Cardinal gone, we must try to renegotiate the conditions for peace. Virgie, I cannot guarantee we will not have war, but I will do my best to ensure that we suffer no more bloodshed.” For a moment, emotions shone in Nathan’s eyes, but in front of Thorsten, he did not reach out for my hand.

  “I’ll get us a carriage,” Thorsten said.

  “What about the guard?” I motioned to the unconscious young man lying on the floor, King Peter’s scroll next to him.

  “He’ll be fine in an hour or so,” Nathan said.

  “I can smell that. If I thought you had truly hurt him, I would’ve attacked.” Thorsten’s nostrils flared. “Follow me. I will get us a carriage.”

  The Winter fae must’ve accepted Thorsten’s consort position, because he marched us through the Winter palace confidently. The corridors widened as we traveled toward the front of the palace. Archways of shining icicles, reflecting every light of the rainbow, hung and covered the ceiling. Chandeliers of dark stone contrasted well with the ice. I tensed as two guards stared at us from the periphery, both armed with spears, but Thorsten held up a hand, silently ordering them to stand down. Both obeyed.

  I swallowed. I was about to betray their ruler. Thorsten might be going with us on his own, but Onyx wouldn’t be happy once she discovered that we had taken him.

  Even as Nathan told Thorsten where we had to go—a place near the set of ruins—I could barely listen, my nerves tighter than a violin’s strings. Thorsten walked with determination. He wanted to fix this for Onyx, no matter the cost.

  We arrived at the front of the palace, which had an open balcony like that of the Summer castle. Snow came down heavy. We were in the midst of a mountain blizzard. “Wait here. I’ll get a carriage,” Thorsten said.

  Since I had exhausted all my arguments, I stood back and watched as Thorsten flew off the balcony and vanished into the storm.

  “He can fly?” Nathan’s jaw was slack with shock.

  “Yes. The ability runs in the Steinberg vampire line. Onyx never told me that Thorsten had mastered it already.”

  Nathan extended his arm. I let him wrap it and his cape around me for warmth. The gesture wasn’t lost. The High Commander was turning a corner. He was on my side. Together, we’d keep Thorsten safe. “Youth does not preclude talent or skill. Some must grow up quickly,” he said quietly, and I was glad that he could see the similarities between himself and Thorsten, instead of focusing on their differences.

  No one checked the balcony, but still I waited for fae guards or warriors to intercept us and protest Thorsten’s actions. “The Winter fae won’t be happy with the consort of their future queen taking such a big risk.”

  Nathan nodded. “In difficult times, difficult decisions must be made.”

  I wanted to push more for Thorsten to bring Winter fae with him, but didn’t dare to out of fear that they would take this opportunity to execute Percival. If they planned to strike the Summer Court when it was at its weakest, they wouldn’t think twice about killing Percival, the last true heir of King Peter. If they discovered his location, he was pretty much dead. As much as I hated the kid, he didn’t deserve to die, and I didn’t want to witness the hell King Peter would unleash if his last, legitimate child was butchered.

  A cobalt carriage with painted silver trim landed on the balcony, pulled by a storm gray Pegasi. Thorsten opened the door from the outside, and we got in. No one spoke as we took off, and Nathan’s forehead furrowed as he stared at the passing landscape. It all looked the same to me, but clearly, Nathan expected he’d recognize the spot of the borderlands where Percival had portaled us to.

  Once the snow thinned, the Pegasi lowered us to the ground with a soft thud. The air went from frigid to chilly, and I flexed my fingers, relishing the sensation of blood returning to them. The Pegasi pulled us along a bumpy path and dark shapes, outlined by stars, slowly crept past. We were close. I too began to study our surroundings, not wanting to be completely useless, even though the ominous feeling that we were doing something awful refused to leave me.

  “Stop the carriage,” Nathan shouted, and we came to an abrupt halt. He jumped out, and I realized why when I saw a tiny blob of green flickering in a field. The dark shapes of the ruins stood against the night sky. We had returned to the right place. Percival had just opened the portal and if he saw we were not there, he would close it.

  “Percival!” Nathan broke into a full run as the orb closed.

  “Was that the portal?” Thorsten rose from his seat.

  I groaned. “It was.” Staying in the carriage in one spot for another hour wasn’t a good idea. All kinds of things could go wrong. But then the air began to shimmer, and the green orb rematerialized. It grew to the size of a full-body mirror. Even from fifty feet away, I could see that night had fallen in the Summer Court with fireflies buzzing about and stars twinkling in the sky.

  “Stay there,” Nathan ordered whoever was on the other side of the portal. “Percival. We have our vampire.”

  Thorsten and I got out of the carriage, but I grabbed his hand before he stepped toward the portal. “Are you sure about this? I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

  He balled his fists. “I have no choice. I can’t let Onyx go to the wastelands, and I can’t let the Winter generals attack the Summer Court. I need to renegotiate the terms.” He avoided my gaze. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one wallowing in guilt and dread.

  “But how will we work out peace?” I breathed. “The king is furious that two of his children are dead.”

  Thorsten lifted his chin. “King Peter is a greedy bastard. I know how to navigate the world of the greedy. If we give him some territory, he’ll agree to peace.”

  I swallowed hard. “The Winter Court won’t be happy with that.”

  Thorsten shrugged. “They will once the conditions for them improve because they’re no longer in a cold war.”

  I bit my lip, unable to stay as optimistic as Thor
sten was. “What if King Peter decides that he wants more of the Winter Court?”

  “Then we’ll fight back.”

  “So you’re okay with war as long as you don’t start it?”

  “We must hurry,” Nathan said from the portal.

  Thorsten put his hand on my back and nudged me toward the portal. “I don’t have all the answers. But the first step to resolving issues is communication.”

  Nathan was motioning at us impatiently, and I picked up my step as I realized that Percival’s face was scrunched up with exhaustion as he studied me. He held up a lantern, illuminating his features. He was already suspicious of me. He couldn’t discover that I was convincing Thorsten not to come to us. He couldn’t tell King Peter that my loyalty was split. For all of our sakes, I had to pretend that I full-heartedly supported King Peter.

  As we stepped closer, I pretended to use my mental abilities on Thorsten, staring hard at him.

  “That is not Lady Cardinal,” were Percival’s first words as we stepped through the portal and into the Summer Court, landing onto the front balcony of the palace that was lit up from the inside.

  “Lord Steinberg is coming in lieu of Lady Cardinal,” Nathan said, somehow, managing to stay polite to the brat. “Thank you for working the portal for us. You did a great job, Percival.”

  Percival puffed out his chest, and I really wished Nathan didn’t inflate the kid’s already humongous self-esteem. Nathan glanced at the sky. “The sun didn’t set too long ago. We should still be able to get an audience with the king.”

  Thorsten nodded. “Excellent. I’d prefer it if I could return before sunrise.”

  Since we had sworn that the sun wouldn’t harm him, I guessed this preference was due to not wanting to worry Onyx.

  Percival said nothing. He and his guards were at the top of our procession as we headed into the castle. A few lights flashed even this late in the night and several media fae swirled around me.

  “Who is the vampire, Virgie?”

  “Why have you brought him here?”

  I glanced at Nathan, who gave a tiny shake of the head. Fine with me. I didn’t particularly want to talk to the media. Let them speculate.