Page 15 of Redemption (Deliverance Duet #2)
Chapter Fourteen
Iris
T he gentle movements of the horse beneath me are strangely calming. The rolling gait almost feels like being rocked in the arms of a loved one. The creature moves much faster than a horse from human lands, eating up the ground in such a pace that I should be clinging to its back for dear life. Instead, I am quite comfortably seated, with only the wind tearing at my hair and clothing serving as a reminder of how fast we’re moving.
My mount is named Estrella, which the stable hand told me means great star in ancient fae. I can see why she was named such. With a coat the colour of the purest snow, she looks much like that of a normal horse, only having four eyes instead of two, and a mane that moves with an ethereal life of its own, defying gravity and the wind. She is beautiful, her dark eyes holding far more intelligence than you would expect. There isn’t a speck of dirt on her, and even the longer hair around her hooves and tail are perfectly white. It should be impossible, but it seems that nothing in the land of the fae is impossible.
When we entered the inn, I was ushered to a room at the back as soon as their eyes landed on Ciaran. This meant that I didn’t get to see much of the fae or the inn itself, but I didn’t miss the respectful nods in Ciaran’s direction.
I’ve never bathed as fast as I did in that back room of the inn, fearing someone might stumble in at any point despite Ciaran’s assurances that I was safe and would be undisturbed. Thankfully, the owner of the inn had an old court dress she no longer used, so I had something to change into. The thought of having to climb back into the muddy, bloodstained dress hadn’t filled me with joy, so I was more than happy with the borrowed outfit. It’s a little big, so I tied a ribbon around my waist, and while it’s not the smartest of dresses, it’s miles better than the one I had.
The owner of the inn hummed and fretted about the fact the dress came to mid-calf, showing off my injured leg. I cleaned and dressed it to the best of my ability, but it is still pretty obvious thanks to the cut of the skirt. Eventually, I decided it was fine, and I was going to embrace it. If appearances mean everything like Ciaran says, then I want them to see I was attacked but am still here to tell the tale. They are expecting a weak human who is terrified of everything and unable to protect herself. That’s not what I’m going to show them. There is nothing weak about being injured—it shows I’m a survivor.
Ciaran effortlessly rides his horse beside me, making it look as though he was born to do this. He looks like the beautiful, vicious fae I was warned about. His face is set in a stern frown, and his pointed ears poke through his hair.
Something I’ve been pondering as we ride is that if everything has meaning, and I’m on a beautiful white horse, then what is the meaning behind Ciaran’s choice of mount? Even the stable hand looked awed as he helped us mount. As dark as a starless night, the stallion towers over my horse, his long mane moving with that same ethereal magic, giving it a life of its own. While my horse gently rides the rolling landscape, Ciaran’s stallion charges forward, carving a path wherever he roams. Each step of those powerful hooves is filled with purpose, bending the land to his will. Atop of this mighty creature, Ciaran looks as though he’s going to war. His shoulder-length, silver hair is tied back, and he managed to brush down his long jacket, looking more like the rogue lord they expect from him.
White is pure and virginal, while black is dark and dangerous.
Even if it wasn’t planned this way, he has to see the visual significance of our mounts. He told me that appearances are everything, so he must know how it will look—the innocent human on her white horse and the Unseelie lord on a pure black stallion. Standing side by side, the contrast between the two is stark, and even the slowest of wit would be able to see the significance.
After what I saw earlier, I have no idea what to expect of the Unseelie Court. I assumed it would be a dark and scary place with monsters around every corner, but so far, that’s not been the case. Ciaran’s warning still rings in my mind about this being home to dangerous fae, but I can’t help wondering if all of my assumptions about them were wrong.
My mount’s gait changes beneath me, and I see that we’re slowing down. Trees form a dense canopy above us, blocking out the sun and casting us in shadow, but small glowing lanterns light our path. When I first stepped into Unseelie territory, most of the trees were twisted, and many were bare of leaves, but the farther we ventured, the more life I have begun to see. The foliage and plants are all darker and look hardier, but they still carry their own beauty. Flowers even grow here. They are surrounded by thorns, but they are almost luminous and stunning in their own way.
The trees become denser, and lights appear through the trunks. The path beneath us has become a stone road, and I get the feeling that our destination is just beyond this group of trees. My heart speeds up as our horses slow down.
Without any instruction from me, Estrella stops, and Ciaran’s mount does the same, standing close to one another as though seeking comfort. The ride to this point helped calm me, but now that we’ve stopped, my previous calm has evaporated. My fear threatens to petrify me like stone, my limbs freezing up. I’m afraid of what I’m about to face.
I’m also filled with determination though. There is too much at stake here—not just for myself and my mates, but the whole human and fae realm. My emotions will not get the better of me, no matter how scared I am. Ciaran will be by my side, and I know he will do his best to keep me safe. Besides, if what he said is true, and I am the one from their prophecy, then they can’t kill me because they need me.
Ciaran is watching me closely, searching my face for a clue. “Iris, how do you feel?”
Sick. I feel like I’m about to throw up from nerves. I won’t tell him that though. Instead, I force a small, shaky smile onto my lips. “I’m fine.”
It’s a lie, and he can see right through it, but he doesn’t challenge me on it. “We are about to enter the space where we hold court,” he explains, his face tight, but I see the concern in his eyes. “The queen has called for all to attend, so it will be busy in there. Don’t let the noises get to you. It’s all for show.”
The noises? What does he mean by that? He was trying to comfort me, but he has only made me feel more anxious. Fear of the unknown is something I struggle with, and this snippet of information is enough to cause my mind to go into overdrive.
Glancing at the road ahead of us, I search for hints of what I’m about to walk into. All I can see is the road leading into more trees and a large stone archway. It’s beautiful, carved with flowers and ethereal creatures, but it could use some care. Even from here, I see plants growing up the pillars and several crumbling pieces of stone on the ground. Beyond that though, I can’t see anything.
I look up, peering through the leaves for any sign of where court is being held. If the Unseelie have a society like Ciaran described, then I expected to be led to a castle, the place where the queen resides. There are no buildings here, and the only sign we’re about to enter somewhere different is the crumbling archway.
“Wait, Ciaran, is court held outside?”
I try not to sound too surprised, but I’m not sure I manage to pull it off. The last thing I want him to think is that I’m snubbing the Unseelie because they are conducting this meeting outside. At the Seelie Court, I was taken to a grand palace built into the side of a mountain. Even back in my small village on the edges of society, any official dealings were in the mayor’s large, pristine manor.
“The queen likes to hold court here in the ruins of our old castle, as a reminder.”
There’s a note in his voice that catches my attention, and I pull my gaze from the forest to focus on him, playing his words through my mind. He sounds like he’s on edge, as though there’s something he’s not telling me. With a spark of concern, I automatically reach out and take his hand in mine.
“A reminder of what—”
“Lord Ciaran, you have returned to us,” a beautiful but eerie voice calls out from nowhere, cutting me off before I can finish my question. Magic must be behind this, as there is no other way I could hear her so clearly when there’s no one in sight.
My spine goes rigid as dread courses through me as I turn on my saddle, searching for the speaker. I won’t see her, I know that, but I can’t help myself. Something brushes against my cheek, and I jerk away, blinking frantically until I realise it’s just Ciaran. Despite my shock, he doesn’t pull back, stroking my cheek before cupping the back of my head and pulling me forward. His lips press against my forehead, sending a strange wave of calm through me. Closing my eyes, I sink into the moment. I know this will be the last time we are alone for some time, so I want to bask in this feeling of calm.
“Be brave,” he whispers against my forehead. “Don’t let them see your fear.”
He’s demanding the impossible. Even in the best of situations I would be anxious about meeting the Queen of the Unseelie, and this is not the best of situations. How am I supposed to magically become brave and not feel fear? I am a human in the world of deadly creatures, and whether he likes it or not, fear is a human emotion. There is no way for me to banish it.
Wait. Something twitches in the back of my mind, making me pause and go over his words again. He said nothing about feeling fear, only not to let them see it. While not easy, that is something I can work on.
I don’t know if I’ve unconsciously reached out to my other mate or not, but I can feel Nyx’s presence in my chest. It feels as though he’s actively reaching for me through our bond. His shadows seem to move through my body, helping to hide my insecurities while soothing my soul. I wish he was here with us, but I know he is safe and will return soon, which is more than what can be said about Alaric. An ache pulses through me as I think of my Seelie mate. Our bond has been muted, and I have no idea where he is or how to get to him.
Closing my eyes, I focus on shelving those thoughts. I can’t go into this worrying about Alaric, as I will get distracted. After I get the information I need, I can reunite with Nyx and hunt for my missing mate. Working myself up into a state isn’t going to help anyone, including Alaric. Some might think this is cold-hearted, or that I’m pushing my thoughts away and denying them. That’s not the case. He is constantly in my thoughts, floating in the back of everything I do, tormenting me at every moment.
Ciaran is waiting for me. He wants to give me space to compose myself, yet he also knows we’re swiftly running out of time. Opening my eyes, I focus on his handsome face and nod my head, indicating that I’m ready for what we’re about to face. He watches me intently, trying to decide if he believes me or not. Huffing out a breath, he returns my gesture and sits back on his black stallion. He begins to move, my mount automatically following alongside.
As we get closer, I examine the crumbling stone archway. It’s beautiful, but in a sad, wistful way, reminding all who see it that we shall all eventually fall and turn to dust, no matter how strong we are.
Estrella steps through the archway, shoulder to shoulder with her dark counterpart, and a shimmer of magic settles over me. Glancing over at Ciaran, I see he’s looking straight ahead, a slight smirk on his face as he adopts the mask of Lord Ciaran, but he doesn’t react to the magic. Perhaps he can’t feel it, or he’s so used to it that it doesn’t faze him. It put me on edge though. Most likely it is just a protection spell to turn others away.
We follow the stone road, our horses’ hooves sounding loud against them, and I realise something has changed. Fae are watching us everywhere. My heart pounds in my chest at their sudden appearance. I should have seen them before now. While the fae are in the treeline on the side of the road, they are not exactly hiding.
Did the magic I feel cloak them from sight? How much of my moment with Ciaran did they see?
There isn’t time for me to be embarrassed, as the road is turning and winding through the trees to our right, leading to a semi-formed structure. These must be the ruins Ciaran spoke of.
When Alaric and Blaise took me to the human city, I was able to see a cathedral for the first time. I saw drawings of them back in Brine, but our small church was nothing in comparison. This ruin reminds me of that human cathedral. The light grey stone is weathered and streaked with grime from decades of standing in the forest, and most of the base structure of the building is still intact. Buttresses are spaced out along the walls, supporting them, and I suspect that’s part of the reason why most of the walls still stand. In the places they have crumbled away, the space opens up, making it seem larger.
Two large stone columns, which I assume once housed a set of grand wooden doors, are ahead, allowing me to see straight into the hall. The arches of several of the pointed windows still stand, although the glass within is long gone.
Glancing up at the remainder of the structure, I imagine the towers and spires reaching up to the sky, bursting through the tree canopy and reminding everyone of their presence.
Without any guidance, our horses step up to the entrance and enter the ruined building. Immediately, my eyes go straight to the back wall and the huge, magnificent window that once stood there. It is impossible not to notice, as the grand structure is in my direct line of sight. All that remains of the window is the decorative frame creating a gorgeous rose-shaped pattern. Did it once house stained glass?
Directly below is a large stone throne, and watching me expectantly is a beautiful female I assume is the queen. Her eyes move to my mount and then Ciaran’s. Something flashes in her gaze, but it’s gone before I can fully assess it. For a moment, I’m sure it was a surprise, but looking at her slow, smug smile, I think I must have imagined it. Although the horses continue to take us down the aisle towards the queen, it feels as though I’m frozen in place. The queen is dangerously beautiful, regal but fierce.
My gaze skims over the array of terrifying creatures waiting on either side of the aisle, growling, grunting, and screaming as we appear. I don’t take my eyes off the queen for more than a few seconds, though, as I get the feeling that she is the most dangerous one of them all. Many of the creatures are so awful to look at that my mind blocks out a lot of what I see, protecting me from the monsters I’ve been taught to fear. As we reach the back of the hall, I start to notice that many of the fae here look much like humans. Sure, their pointed ears and supernatural beauty tell me otherwise, but they are nothing like the creatures of nightmares littering the room.
The sound travels strangely without a roof, nature’s song joining in with the snarls and unusual noises the watching creatures make. I think that helps keep my nerves under control. Had the room been enclosed, that sound would have reverberated around, sounding louder and as though it was coming from all angles.
Seeing what must have been such a beautiful building in ruins like this makes my chest ache, and I realise why the queen returns here. It reminds everyone of their past and that even great empires can, and will, fall.
“Well, well…” The queen’s ethereal voice doesn’t match the powerful female sitting before me. Her head tilts to one side as she stares at me, giving me the impression that I’m not what she expected either. “You sure know how to make an entrance, Lord Ciaran.”
Although she’s speaking to Ciaran, she doesn’t look away from me, her stare boring right into me. Finally, after what feels like the longest aisle imaginable, we reach the wide open space before the queen. Jumping down from his stallion, Ciaran throws her a cheeky smile, bowing just enough to toe the line between respectful and condescending.
“I have always enjoyed surprising you, my queen.”
The smile and warmth he gives her is like a kick to my gut, surprising me with the force of the feeling. Before I can analyse what’s happening, he appears at my side and offers me his hand. No longer in the queen’s direct gaze, his eyes soften as he looks me over, sensing some of my distress. I’m not even really sure what has unsettled me so much about their exchange.
Accepting his hand, I dismount and take comfort in his presence as I steady myself. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long, as he steps away from me and walks over to the queen, placing a kiss on the back of her hand. Just what is the relationship between these two?
She hums with amusement, finally glancing at him with a familiarity that makes my blood warm. “Not only do you arrive with the human we all thought was dead, but on the twilight mounts nonetheless.”
Placing a hand on my horse for comfort, I tell myself that this sinking feeling in my stomach is simply my nerves and has nothing to do with Ciaran and the queen. Estrella huffs softly and twists her long neck to look at me, pressing her nose into my outstretched hand. She must be able to sense my emotions and need for comfort. Cooing, I stroke her velvet soft nose, grateful for something else to focus on.
Wait, what did she just call our horses? Frowning, I look up from Estrella and back to the throne where the queen is watching me intently. Ciaran slowly strolls towards me like he has all the time in the world, but our connection feels strained.
The queen must see the confusion on my face, as she clucks her tongue in disapproval, but her eyes glow with excitement. She’s enjoying this.
“I can see that my dear lord has been keeping things from you,” she purrs, leaning forward in her throne and readjusting the layers of her black dress. “The twilight mounts are creatures of legend.”
A hush seems to fall around us, and I look on either side of me to see the creatures of the Unseelie Court are silent as they lean forward, trying to capture every word the queen utters.
“We, the fae, believe that Estrella” —she gestures to my mount— “came from the goddess who created the Seelie, and the other” —she points to the stallion— “was created by her twin, the goddess who made us, the Unseelie. They represent balance in creation—good and bad, light and dark. The mounts haven’t been seen in centuries, ever since the two courts have been at war.” She tilts her head to one side, her stare boring into me. “What a coincidence that they would reappear now and let the two of you ride them.”
Suddenly, the weight of the court’s stare lands heavily on me.
The reality and implication of what all this means slowly sinks in. Ciaran said that appearances were everything. I thought he meant physically, but it goes so much deeper than that. He must have known what our mounts were and the significance of us riding them into the court. What does it mean that the mounts of legend have reappeared together now?
I glare at Ciaran. He left this bit of information out when he told me he had horses ready for us once I finished changing at the inn. Never once had I suspected that there was anything special about these creatures. Sure, they are gorgeous, but I thought he’d have told me that they were mythical beings.
I assumed they belonged to the stables, but that can’t be the case. How long had they been there? Is this all just a strange coincidence, or were they waiting for us?
I’m overwhelmed. Questions spin through my mind so quickly that I’m only getting snippets of them, leaving me even more confused. My heart pounds in my chest so fast and hard I’m sure everyone here is able to hear it.
The queen stands from her throne, slowly walking towards me. I have no idea what to do or what the protocol is. I glance at Ciaran for help, but I’m only greeted by his neutral expression.
Stopping before me, the queen places a hand on my mount and takes mine in her free one. Her cold fingers wrap around mine, her grip strong.
“Not only are you the one we’ve been waiting for to break the curse,” she announces, speaking to me but projecting her voice for all to hear, “but you could also be the one to end the war once and for all.”
My ears start ringing, and all other sounds disappear. This is all too much. Chest tight, I attempt to settle my breath and calm my thoughts, but the weight of everyone’s expectations is too much. My vision tunnels, and the last thing I see before I faint is Ciaran’s fear rippling across his face as he reaches for me.
The world goes dark.