Page 51 of A Dance with the Fae (Mistress of Magic #1)

‘You seem to have a human man with you, sidhe-leth .’ The voice laughed lightly, and the echo resonated in the quiet. ‘That stunt in the ballroom – it seems you have learned the faerie magic all too well.’

Levantiana stepped forward from a dark doorway and dropped her cowled hood. She was wearing a dark blue robe which covered her almost entirely.

‘Your brother kidnapped this man and brought him here as a punishment. If he wishes to punish me for supposedly being unfaithful to him, then I will stand his punishment. But Rav is blameless,’ she argued.

Levantiana arched a dark eyebrow. ‘What makes you think I will let you go? What makes you dare to ask me to ignore my brother’s wishes?

’ she intoned, and Faye felt the ice in her voice fill the hallway; the temperature dropped and Faye was sure she could see icicles forming at the edge of the windows, the glass frosting with an iridescent blue-white covering.

Nevertheless, she refused to drop the faerie queen’s gaze.

‘You thought that because I have taught you, that I have begun to show you the ways of the faerie realm of water, that I am your friend,’ she answered crisply. ‘Do not make that mistake. I am not.’

‘No, but?—’

‘My brother brought this one here for his own reasons. He will stay here until my brother sees fit to let him go.’

‘Since when do you let your brother rule you?’ Faye faced Levantiana, who returned her gaze steadily.

‘I do not expect him to find fault in my actions, and so I do not criticise his,’ Levantiana replied.

‘We made a bargain. I am your weapon against Lyr, when you need it,’ Faye countered, panicking now. And she was aware that they only had moments before her spell released all the faeries, and they would be caught.

Rav watched the exchange between them with hollow eyes. Faye could see that his ability to fight Finn’s power was weakening. He was as strong as an ox, which was how he had made it this far, but Finn was the king of the realm.

‘I do not see Lyr anywhere? And I have taught you magic in return. Our bargain is intact.’ Levantiana glared at Faye.

‘Please.’ Faye could hear movement in the great hall. ‘I’ll do anything. But I have to get Rav home.’

Levantiana looked away and pursed her lips. ‘You love this man?’

‘I care for him, and I don’t want him to be tortured by Finn for something that isn’t his fault.’ Faye looked down the hall, at shadows flickering wildly in the dim light.

‘If you have a great passion for this mortal man, then I do not hear it in your voice,’ the faerie queen sneered. She nodded to Rav, who was struggling to stand up.

‘Faye. Let’s get out of here,’ Rav mumbled. ‘Please.’

‘So you see, Faye Morgan, you have nothing left to bargain with, and I will not allow you to leave. Unless…’ Levantiana looked appraisingly at Faye and held out her hand. ‘There might be something. But you will not like it.’

Faye’s could hear the distant pounding of feet. Someone was coming.

‘If this is the only way, then I’ll do what has to be done,’ Faye answered grimly. ‘Will you help us get home? If I agree to your bargain?’

‘Of course.’ Levantiana’s smile twinkled brightly.

‘What is it? What do you want in return?’ Faye took Levantiana’s hand, and the queen waved her other hand at the approaching soldiers; they slowed as if they were running in syrup.

‘Something you can make, but I cannot. A child.’

Faye frowned in disbelief. ‘A child?’ she repeated. ‘What? No! That’s…inhuman.’

Levantiana laughed. ‘I am not human,’ she agreed.

‘Why…a child?’ Faye stammered.

‘I have my reasons.’ Levantiana regarded Faye impassively.

‘Or, I can wave my hand, and they will take you. And they will put you and your lover in the darkest place in this castle and leave you to rot there. It is your choice.’ She smiled icily.

‘And believe me, sidhe-leth , the dungeons here are filled with horrors you cannot comprehend.’

‘That is no choice!’ Faye cried. ‘Please don’t ask this of me.’

‘Another plea. You humans are full of wants, and yet when your pleas are answered, you do not like the solutions,’ Levantiana snapped.

‘You are human. You can have other babies; as many as you wish. You will not miss one. And I assure you that it will be well taken care of. It will live as a prince or princess of Murias.’ There was no compassion in Levantiana’s eyes; no understanding that a baby was anything other than a possession or a pet. ‘Choose. Quickly.’

I managed to get Rav away from Finn , Faye reasoned. So I can make this right, too. For now, I can agree to the pact. I don’t have to do it.

‘All right. I agree to your pact,’ she said. ‘Now. Get us out of here.’

Levantiana smiled. ‘You will have to leave a different way than you came in,’ she called over her shoulder as she hurried along, pulling her cloak around her. ‘He is watching the labyrinth.’ She stopped suddenly and opened a golden door in the wall where none had been before.

‘Through. Quickly,’ she chided. Faye helped Rav over the step of the golden door, and out onto the narrow crystal walkway to the Crystal Castle. He stumbled but managed to stay upright.

‘Are you going to be okay?’ Faye asked him in a low voice. He nodded.

‘I can do it. Let’s just go as fast as we can,’ he replied, his mouth set in a grim line of pain.

Levantiana raised her arms over her head and called out something in the language of faerie.

There was a ripple on top of the blue-black water, and the head of the black kelpie Faye had only half believed was real emerged from the water.

Though she had ridden it successfully once before, now the creature terrified Faye.

It had taken Rav from her; it had been Finn’s creature as easily as it had been hers.

‘Now. There is no time,’ Levantiana reprimanded. ‘Do not be afraid. It will do as I command.’ Full of misgiving, but knowing she had no other option, Faye climbed on the kelpie’s back and pulled Rav on with her.

‘Put the kelpie scale over the man’s nose and mouth,’ Levantiana called up to Faye. ‘It will enable him to breathe underwater.’

‘What about me?’ Faye shouted down from the kelpie’s back; it was rising up out of the water, readying to dive down into the blackness again.

‘Don’t worry, sidhe-leth ,’ Levantiana replied, unsmiling. ‘You will breathe without it. You did before.’