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Chapter Nine

ARABELLA

T he next morning, Hadeon was already gone when Arabella came down for breakfast, dressed in her leathers and full armor—including the syphen.

Once again, he’d refused to travel by teleportation with Vorkle and, according to Kazimir, wanted to get a head start toward the western tundra.

She shared an awkward breakfast with Jessamine, Breckett, Kazimir, and Waylen in the same sitting room from the day before.

After everyone had eaten quicker than would normally be considered polite, Kazimir stood and said, “The prince has ordered me to remain behind, and Waylen?—”

“Has refused to risk my neck to find fae who are better left not found,” Waylen interrupted. “I’d wish you luck, but… I hope your trip is far from fruitful. For the sake of everyone in the fae realms.”

As the water fae spoke, something akin to anger swirled in Arabella’s chest. “Are all water fae cowards, or just you?”

Waylen laughed, though it held no hint of humor. “I’m not so easily goaded, demi-fae .”

A response was on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it.

One more fae wasn’t going to make all that much difference against an army of shadow fae or a horde of demons.

Without another word, she turned and strode into the hallway where Vorkle waited.

The carpeted hallway was wide enough for three people to walk side by side comfortably. Like the sitting room, it had large windows with the shutters opened wide to reveal the early morning sunrise blossoming on the horizon. Around the house, there was a garden as well as some trees.

For a moment, she thought she sensed something in those trees.

As though she was being watched.

The sounds of Jessamine and Waylen’s bickering echoed out of the sitting room and drew Arabella’s thoughts back to the present.

“Good to see you again,” she said to Vorkle, whose face was utterly emotionless. “When this is over, I daresay I’ll owe you a drink.”

The goblin’s eyes shifted up to hers, his expression unchanging. “I’m under oath to serve Prince Hadeon and his inner circle in exchange for his protection. This is the consequence of your actions, Enchantress.”

By stealing the amplifier to try to protect Shadowbank, she’d put Elias’ castle and its secret occupants at risk. She wouldn’t try to deny the consequence of her actions.

“I’m trying to make this right,” she said. “But I’m curious—why Prince Hadeon? You could have gone anywhere in the mortal or fae realm. Why here? Why make a bargain with him ?”

More bickering echoed into the hallway, the sounds drawing closer.

Something sparked in Vorkle’s eyes, but he didn’t reply.

She crossed her arms. “He came to call in his bargain with me before yesterday, didn’t he? And you intercepted him.”

Vorkle shrugged. “I saw an opportunity and took it.”

Not for the first time, she wondered what arrangement the goblins had made with Hadeon, but she doubted Vorkle would tell her even if she asked outright.

Either way, Vorkle had found a way to speak to Hadeon without her realizing he’d even come to the castle.

But why had Hadeon left before speaking with her about the map?

Jessamine cleared her throat as she came to stand beside Arabella, apparently having tired of her verbal sparring with Waylen. The water fae turned and stormed off in the opposite direction without so much as a farewell.

Then Kazimir came into the hallway, satchels in his hands.

Breckett followed closely behind him.

Kazimir passed a satchel to each of them. “Be careful. Please keep the prince from doing anything too reckless.”

Arabella glanced inside.

Dried meats, a skin of water, a blanket, and various travel supplies. Given they had no notion what the underrealms were like outside of them being the home worlds to demons, it was smart to be prepared.

“You’re protective of Prince Hadeon,” she said, surprised that he inspired such loyalty. “I’ll see what I can do, but I doubt he’d heed my warning.”

Kazimir inclined his head to her. “You’re probably right.” Then he turned to Vorkle. “Take them to the western tundra. The prince should be there when you arrive.”

Distaste crossed Vorkle’s features—the first sign of emotion she’d seen from him that morning. “That is a cursed place.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but Jessamine spoke first. “Why?”

A slight stiffness lined Kazimir’s features as he said, “It’s where the last battle in the fae wars took place. It’s where most believe the shadow fae were wiped from existence. Even if it’s untrue, many died there.”

“Oh good,” Jessamine said, her tone dry. “I was hoping to piss off the dead today.”

Arabella pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger. “I suppose a gateway to an underrealm was unlikely to be in a friendlier location.”

“That’s the spirit,” Breckett said beside her, his voice laced with sarcasm.

Turning to him, she said, “Are you sure you want to come? You can stay here.”

While his invisibility could be a useful tool, he’d been ill-equipped to face the ogres. She had a suspicion he’d be equally unadept at facing demons in an underrealm.

“Not with my knife in your possession, and not when there’s something I can do to help Elias,” the erox said.

She nodded before turning back to Vorkle.

With obvious distaste, the goblin extended a hand toward her. She took it, and Jessamine slipped a hand into hers.

Stepping forward, Breckett accepted Vorkle’s other hand, shifting his satchel over his shoulder.

“Stay alert, and trust nothing,” Kazimir said. “Anything that walks in the underrealms is deprived of life and light. They will try to take yours.”

“Are you quite finished?” Vorkle said.

There was a flash of movement in the trees’ shadows beyond the window, and she frowned. Her own shadows hummed at her feet, as though they, too, sensed the disturbance.

A sudden shouting sounded outside the house.

The hairs on Arabella’s arms stood on end, and she knew in an instant something was very wrong.

Kazimir pulled his sword free of its scabbard, his eyes locking with Arabella’s. “Get out of here, now .”

Brows furrowing, she shook her head.

Something was coming. She couldn’t leave them behind without helping.

There was a shifting in the shadows farther down the hallway, as though they flickered. Her own shadows hummed to life.

Erox.

Somehow, she knew. It was like a strange humming from the dark, as though the shadows had a mind and will of their own. As though they somehow communicated with her.

“Go!” Kazimir shouted as he charged down the hallway.

“Wait—” she began, but they were already portalling.

In the time it took her to blink, they had reappeared in a treeless land with sloping grassy hills dotted with boulders. In the far distance, there was a line of mountains with snow-dusted peaks.

She had no idea how far the western tundra was from the Twilight Court, but she couldn’t spot the castle in any direction, nor did she recall seeing mountains near the capital. Had they just teleported to the opposite side of the fae realm?

“Erox. Those were Magnus’ erox, I’m sure of it,” she breathed and turned to look down at Vorkle. “You can’t let him see you or the other goblins.”

Vorkle released her hand.

“We suspected the sorcerer would come sniffing around the estate after we rescued you from the castle,” Vorkle said, entirely too calm. “Fear not. We know how to remain out of sight.”

Despite his outward appearance of indifference, she could sense his eagerness to be off. But rather than disappearing, he hesitated.

“Goblins cannot teleport to the underrealms or within them.” Vorkle swallowed visibly even as he clung to his indignation.

“But we have skirted along the border to the lands of the undead. Something lurks there. A devouring darkness that slumbers. Whatever you do, don’t wake it.

” He scrubbed his palms against his trousers.

“I intend to curse your name each night before I rest for forcing the goblins out of hiding, but… The master would wish for you to be safe.”

“I appreciate the insight.” A sad smile crept over her lips. “I’ll get him back, Vorkle. Whether or not the Abyss is the answer, I’ll find a way. And when I do, when he’s safe, you’ll have the choice whether you wish to be under his protection again.”

If the goblins could get out of their bargain with Hadeon.

Vorkle harrumphed and then disappeared.

“Prickly little bastard,” Jessamine muttered.

Power blossomed above Arabella, and she looked up.

Black wings filled her vision before the ground trembled as the prince of the Twilight Court landed beside her in a crouch. As he stood, his gaze turned to Jessamine. His eyes swept over her clean leathers before taking in her blonde waves, which she’d tied out of her face.

Hadeon’s gaze lingered for a moment too long before he nodded to Breckett. Then he turned to Arabella. “Any progress on the map?”

With a sigh, she pulled the parchment from an inner jacket pocket. “None.”

The fae scrubbed a hand through his short black hair, making it stick up in mussed spikes.

“You should know—Magnus’ erox arrived at your estate when we were leaving,” she said, wondering how they’d found her so quickly.

Hadeon nodded before saying, “Kazimir is prepared.”

Before she could respond, something tugged at her chest—sharp and persistent—and she gasped.

Elias.

He was awake.

While she could still feel his emotions pulsing down their bond, they weren’t as pronounced—as though the distance had impacted it somehow. Even with the bond being somewhat muted, a single emotion rippled down it. Then a sudden wave of a deeper emotion swept over her.

Staggering forward, she clutched her chest.

Shame , she realized. But why? What was happening?

Before, he’d been experiencing pain and fear, but this… This somehow felt worse.

I’m running out of time, she thought. I have to hurry.