“Come.” The other witch—Alice—motioned for us to follow her to the edge of the crater. “We’ll take you inside, and bring you to the queen.”
There was a spell around the volcano to prevent anyone from teleporting into it. So we had to descend the old fashioned way—by an elevator-like contraption that used ropes as pulleys to bring us down. It was large enough to hold thirty or more people, so we all had lots of space.
Once we were below the crater, I realized why the volcano was called Mount Starlight. The ceilings and walls were covered in tiny white dots that glowed like stars.
“I’ve never seen magic like that before,” I said as I looked around, admiring the sparkling lights.
“That’s because it’s not magic at all,” Harper said. “Each of those lights is a glowworm.”
“You mean they’re alive?” Sage asked.
“They’re bioluminescent,” she said. “Which is basically a fancy way of saying they’re living creatures that glow.”
I continued admiring the glowworms as we were lowered into the magma chamber. Once we were what looked to be halfway down, I caught the familiar scents of vampires, witches, and humans.
Eventually the glowworms grew sparse, and the tube opened to reveal a spacious area that housed an entire village. It must have gone on for miles.
Stacks and stacks of stone houses were carved right into the rock wall. Bridges and steps crossed the abyss, providing paths to get from one area to another. And at the bottom of the chamber was a lake, so clear that I could see the colorful fish, coral, and plants inside.
Women chatted as they walked along the paths, many of them holding woven baskets of what smelled like a variety of fruits, breads, and meats. They all wore clothes of animal hides. A few of them glanced up as our elevator landed on the highest platform, but they didn’t pay us much more attention than that.
I’d expected that this deep in the Earth, it would be so dark that I wouldn’t be able to see my hand in front of my face. But a warm amber glow lit the kingdom from above. I looked up and saw orbs of amber colored magic floating near the ceiling, each one around thirty or so feet away from the next.
Harper’s gaze went to where I was looking. “The chamber is full of miniature suns,” she said. “They exist thanks to a Final Spell gifted to us by one of the original witches of Utopia. They’re timed with the actual sun, so they dim at dusk and brighten at dawn. But unlike the actual sun, their light isn’t harmful to vampires.”
“Wow.” I leaned against the rail of the pulley-elevator, taking in as much of the underground village as I could. “This is incredible. The whole kingdom… it’s just—wow.”
“Not many outsiders are granted permission to enter Mount Starlight,” Alice said. “Whatever you’re here for must be important.”
“It is,” Sage said, and I instantly felt guilty for enjoying myself while Selena was trapped in the Otherworld. “And as much as we’d love a tour, time is working against us on this mission. So we need to be brought to Queen Elizabeth immediately.”
16
Torrence
The witches brought us to the deepest part of the chamber. Across a stone bridge with no railings, a stunning vampire with long brown hair in a single braid sat on a throne.
The throne was inside of the open-mouthed skull of a dragon. It sat right where the dragon’s tongue would have been.
My mind spun. Dragons didn’t exist.
So how did this skull get there?
The people of Utopia have built it—sculpted it somehow. Yeah. That made sense.
“Sage Montgomery and Torrence Devereux,” the queen said, her voice echoing through the chamber. “Step forward.”
Sage and I crossed the bridge to stand in front of the queen. She wore many different types of animal skin layered on top of one another. On her head was a jagged crown made of bones and teeth. And most disturbingly, spherical things about the size of fists hung from her belts.
The spherical things looked like shrunken heads.
She must have noticed that I was staring, because she touched the top of one of the heads and stroked its hair lovingly. “The heads of my male lovers throughout the ages,” she said. “I keep them by my side, so they can be with me forever.”
It took every ounce of my willpower not to turn to Sage and give her a look that said we needed to get out of there, pronto.
“How thoughtful of you,” Sage said, as diplomatic as ever.
I swallowed down disgust, purposefully looking the queen straight in the eyes so I wouldn’t focus on the shrunken heads.
“Harper and Alice,” the queen said to the two witches standing behind us. “Bring forth the bread.”
Harper brought a bite-sized piece of bread to the queen, and Alice brought two similarly sized pieces to me and Sage. Once we all had our bread, the witches scurried back to their places behind us.
The queen popped her piece of bread into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. We did the same.
She nodded in approval. “Mary said in her fire message that you needed to see me regarding an issue of great importance,” she said. “While I don’t know either of you, I do trust Mary. So tell me what you seek.”
I’d been involved in this for longer than Sage, so I summarized everything that had happened up until now.
“We’re hoping one of your witches has the information we need,” Sage said once I’d finished.
The queen’s gaze flickered to the witches behind us. “Alice,” she said. “Step forward, face our guests, and speak your piece.”
Alice walked forward to stand next to the queen’s throne and turned to us. “My grandmother used to be the head witch of the Tower,” she said, her eyes darkening as she spoke the name of the most lawless vampire kingdom of them all. “Her name was Donatella. She escaped here to Utopia, where she lived in peace before passing on to the Beyond. But before she passed on, she left me a message. She told me that years ago, when I was a young child, the seer of the Haven came to see her.”
“Rosella,” Sage said.
“Yes.” Alice nodded. “Rosella told her that sometime in the future, I’d meet a shifter/vampire hybrid and a powerful teenage witch of your descriptions, and that you’d ask me this very question. I knew it was the two of you when you teleported in, but I had to bring you here to hear the words from your mouths, just to make sure. Rosella said the fate of the world depended on top secret information my grandmother was privy to as head witch of the Tower.”
“Your grandmother knew how to get to the Otherworld?” I bounced on my toes, eager for Alice to be out with it so we could get on with finding Selena.
“She knew that the king of the Tower—King Devin—went to the crossroads decades ago and met a faerie princess there,” she said. “He was infatuated with her. He visited her at the crossroads on every full moon for months. Eventually, they fell in love. He started to disappear for days at a time. During that time, my grandmother took advantage of his inattentiveness to the kingdom to escape. I don’t know if he still visits his faerie princess. I suspect not, because the Tower has become more and more violent over the past twenty years. But if anyone might know how to get to the Otherworld, it’s him.”
“The king of the most lawless vampire kingdom in the world.” Sage sighed. “Our alliance with the Tower is shaky, at best. Of course it’s him.”
“Important quests are rarely easy,” the queen said with a twinkle in her eye. “But Rosella wouldn’t have left this information for you if she didn’t think you could handle it.”
But visions of the future were never set in stone. The future was malleable. One bad choice, and the web could unravel, weaving into something new. Just because Rosella saw that we had a chance of pulling this off didn’t mean we would.
But at least we knew we had a shot.
“Thank you, Your Highness.” I bowed my head slightly to the queen. “And thank you, Alice and Harper.”
“You’re welcome,” the queen said
. “Now, get to the Tower, and figure out how to save the Earth Angel’s daughter.”
17
Torrence
I blinked Sage and me back to the Haven, so we could pick up the guys. Leena met us at the boundary and checked our blood again to confirm our identities.
Apparently, that hadn’t been a thing before the demons broke out of Hell and came to Earth. Extra precautions had been put into place since then.
Mary escorted us back into the tearoom, where Thomas and Reed were lounging and enjoying local faire that smelled positively delicious.
The guys silenced the moment we entered.
“Well?” Reed looked doubtful that we’d been successful.
Ugh. What an arrogant prick.
“We got a lead.” I smirked, glad to prove his doubts wrong. From there, I told them what we’d learned during our visit to Utopia.
Reed looked bored, continuing to enjoy his food as I spoke.
I hated him more and more the longer I was around him.
“We have to go to the Tower and speak to King Devin,” I said, turning to Mary. “Can you have a witch send him a fire message, like you did with Queen Elizabeth?”
“Many supernaturals of the Tower—especially the women—try escaping the Tower to come to the Haven,” she said gently. “Some are successful. Others are not. But as you can imagine, our two kingdoms are not on good terms. Luckily, we have our tiger shifters to protect us. Without them, I suspect the Tower would have tried decimating us centuries ago.”
“Oh.” I deflated. “So we should just… pop in?”
“I’m afraid that sounds like as good a plan as any.”
Thomas stood up, and Reed did the same—although Reed looked annoyed that he had to end his meal early. “The two of you are going to have to let Reed and me take the lead,” Thomas said.
Sage crossed her arms and stared him down. “You’re not going without us,” she said. “This isn’t Utopia we’re dealing with. This is the Tower. Four of us are stronger than two. We need as much manpower as possible.”
“I never said we were going without you,” Thomas said. “But you know how King Devin is.”
“Not firsthand.” Sage scowled. “I’d never dream of entering that place.”
“I’m guessing King Devin is as much of a sexist pig as they say,” I said.
“He is.” Thomas nodded. “He’s almost as conniving as the fae. The best way to efficiently get the information we need is to play by his rules.” He looked at Sage when he said that, since she was the Montgomery alpha. Sitting back was not natural for any alpha.
“We can do it,” I said firmly. “For Selena.”
“Yes.” Sage gave a pained smile. “For Selena, for the Earth Angel, and for everyone else on Avalon.”
18
Selena
Vesta walked me down to the foyer on the morning of the arena fight, where the other champions were already waiting. I was in a gown similar to the one I’d worn during the Selection Ceremony, and the golden wreath was on my head.
Octavia, Emmet, and Molly all wore golden gladiator outfits. Neither the female nor the male outfits left much to the imagination.
Emmet’s chest was bare, and a gladiator bottom hung from his waist. He had a chain crossing his chest and golden bands around his wrists, but that was it.
Octavia and Molly had similar bottoms as Emmet. Their tight tops exposed their stomachs and pushed up their breasts. They also wore the golden chains around their wrists. And all three of them wore flat gladiator sandals tied up to their knees.
In the movies from Earth that I’d watched on Avalon, it was a common joke that humans used Halloween as an excuse to wear an outfit too sexy for everyday life. These gladiator costumes reminded me of that.
Molly stood off to the side. She chewed on her lower lip, her face whiter than I’d ever seen it.
I walked over to her and took her hands in mine. She was trembling. “You’ve got this,” I said, speaking softly to avoid bringing attention to us.
“I know.” She glanced toward the doors, then back at me. “It just all feels so real now.”
“It’s going to be okay.” I couldn’t bring up our deal with everyone there, but she had to understand my reminder that the plan was good to go.
Just to be safe, I glanced at Emmet. He winked at me and Molly, as confident as ever. I squeezed Molly’s hands, as if saying, See? It’ll be fine.
She relaxed slightly, even managing a small smile.
“Comforting a champion you sent to the arena?” Octavia’s haughty voice filled the foyer. “How sweet of you.”
I dropped Molly’s hands and turned to face Octavia. Her ocean blue gaze was as fierce as ever.
“I didn’t realize you needed comforting,” I said. “All you needed to do was ask.”
The orbs circled excitedly above our heads. Interactions between Octavia and me seemed to be their favorite.
“Oh, I don’t.” She smirked. “And you should stop looking at me like I’m dead already. Because I’m going to survive. And then, I’m going to make the Games your own personal nightmare.”
Vesta sent us off in glass carriages like the one Cinderella took to the ball. Like Prince Devyn’s carriages, ours were pulled by winged horses.
I had a carriage to myself. The champions heading to the arena had one for the three of them. The others split off into groups. The golden orbs followed us into our carriages, as intent as ever to record our every move.
Julian sat with Bridget, which didn’t bother me. Bridget was all business when it came to the Games. I assumed they were using the time together to strategize.
Cassia shared a carriage with Felix. Octavia’s eyes narrowed as she watched Felix help Cassia up into the carriage, her upper lip curving up into a snarl.
At least Octavia wouldn’t be here after this week to set her sights on Cassia, too. Although I tried not to think about it, since “not being here” meant she’d be dead.
My chest tightened at the reminder. Because as much as I hated Octavia, I didn’t want her dead. I didn’t want any of the other champions dead.
The only thing keeping me sane was knowing that my father was coming with the Nephilim army to put a stop to this madness.
I just had to stay alive until he did.
The half-blood flying my carriage gave me a respectful nod, although he didn’t acknowledge me after that. He couldn’t, since the public wasn’t allowed to interfere with the Games. The gods had put a spell on everyone living in the Otherworld to ensure it. Which meant I rode the entire way to the city in silence.
After about an hour, the stone, Roman-style buildings with vines and flowers curling around them grew denser. I leaned forward and pressed my hand against the glass, watching as we approached the capital. Despite being a prisoner in the Otherworld, I couldn’t deny that the realm was beautiful.
If things had been different, I might have loved it. But after what I’d been through, it would be forever tainted.
Eventually, we descended toward the building that I’d recognize anywhere—the Coliseum. But other than its shape, this Coliseum was nothing like the one in my Ancient History 101 textbook. It was bright white marble, and like every other building in the Otherworld, green, flowery vines wrapped around its many columns and arches. A gold awning covered the top of the building nearly to the center, blocking me from seeing inside.
Faeries and half-bloods alike were packed on the streets, in line to enter the giant building.
Once we were flying about twelve feet over the ground, my carriage and the carriages holding the majority of the champions turned left around the arena. The one with the three players I’d selected to send to the arena turned right.
We landed on a wooden dock above the crowds, on the second floor of the arena. A beautiful faerie woman waited for us.
She had long platinum hair similar to my own, although the pointed tips of her ears stuck out beneath it. Her eyes were somehow every shade of bl
ue at once. She wore a white floor-length dress embellished with pearls, the fronts of her glass heels peeking out from the bottom. A pearl crown that must have been a foot tall rested on her head, and her wings sparkled like diamonds. No other faerie had wings like those.
Despite being petite, she had a presence that would make anyone fall to their knees.
The Empress of the Otherworld. Sorcha.
She waited with her hands clasped in front of her as we exited our carriages and lined up to face her.
As Empress of the Villa, I took my spot in the center of the semi-circle.
Compared to Sorcha’s stunning pearl crown, my Empress of the Villa wreath looked like a joke. A mockery of power.
That was exactly what it was meant to be. But I held my head high, not wanting to appear intimidated. Intimidation would be taken as weakness. And I couldn’t afford to look weak.
Once we were lined up, our carriages flew off, leaving us alone with the empress.
A group of fae gathered below the dock. They looked up at us and pointed like we were celebrities.
“Welcome to the Coliseum.” Sorcha gave us a pleasant, closed-lip smile. “And congratulations, Selena, for winning the first Emperor of the Villa competition.”
I nearly said thank you, but caught myself before I did. Thanking a fae was the equivalent of owing them a debt. I needed to be careful with my words.
“I did my best.” I lowered my eyes slightly, not wanting to say or do anything that might anger the empress. That would be nearly as bad as angering the gods.
“You did well,” she said, and I lifted my gaze to meet hers again. If she felt anything other than serenity and peace, I never would have known.
“I’m honored that you think so.”
Apparently satisfied with my response, she gave me a slight nod and turned her focus back to the group. “This dock leads straight to the Royal Box, to keep you separated from the public during the fight,” she said, motioning to the double doors behind her. Her voice was like music, somehow managing to be authoritative, calm, and soothing all at once. “Follow me inside, but remain in the back of the box. Once I’m standing in front of my throne, proceed forward to stand in front of your seats. As Empress of the Week, Selena will take the smaller throne next to mine. I’ll sit, you’ll sit, and then, the arena battle will begin.”
The Faerie Pawn (Dark World: The Faerie Games Book 2) Page 6
