Page 18

IT TURNED OUT my abrasive half-sister knew a hell of a lot about how to navigate the three castles of the Daoine Sidhes’ Palace City. I tried to get her to tell me how she’d come by the expertise, but she’d just laughed loudly in my face. I managed not to punch her in the nose in response.

By the time Drifte arrived at the fortress, it was nearly midnight. While we’d waited, we fetched Eunice and explained our idea. She’d been more than eager to help. Maxen called for Vera, our top fashion and wardrobe expert, and she’d found suitable clothes for Eunice and Jasper. The outfits were simple and muted, clothes people with few means would wear. She’d also helped us with disguises. A short sandy-blonde bob wig and fake eyelashes long as a Sylph’s transformed me into someone I didn’t recognize when I looked in the mirror. For Jasper, she found a shaggy dark brown wig to go under a cap. Oliver grumbled about feeling ridiculous, but eventually accepted a wig with a dark ponytail at his nape. I wasn’t sure it was enough. His stature and the carved features of his face still seemed too distinct to me.

We were waiting for Vera to find cloaks for all of us, and then we’d be ready to depart.

Drifte—with his long hair the blue-black of ravens’ feathers, solid onyx eyes, and rustic garb—stood off to one side with Jasper. They conversed in low tones in a language I didn’t recognize. Bryna, uncharacteristically quiet, was studying the images of Palace City that Maxen had pulled up to project on the wall.

Oliver stood next to me and kept casting furtive looks at Jasper and the raven shifter.

“He makes you uncomfortable,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

“He’s Unseelie,” Oliver said. “How can we trust an Unseelie in these times?”

I frowned. “Are you talking about Jasper or Drifte?”

He grunted. “Maybe both.”

“I’ll tell you what Jasper told me.” My gaze locked on Jasper as I spoke to my father. “This was before he and I became . . . involved. Just so you know that had nothing to do with it. This was also before Finvarra was known to be in Faerie, and it was back when there were only the bare whisperings of the possible return of the Tuatha De Danann. Jasper said he believed the only way through, the only way Faerie would survive, was if we could rise above the Seelie-Unseelie divide. Basically, he said that what we were facing was more important than politics, than the past, than any other excuse the average Fae could come up with. I didn’t put much stock in it at first, though I admit his passion on the topic did snag my attention. But I’ve come to see that he’s right.”

I could feel Oliver’s attention on me, and I half-turned so I could look up into his eyes. “If someone like me, who wanted nothing more than to escape Faerie politics and drama, can see the sincerity and truth in Jasper’s motives, do you think that maybe you could give him the benefit of the doubt?”

I said it without a shred of impatience or judgment. I just put the question out there and watched my father’s face. The muscles of his jaw tightened and then released.

“I suppose I could do that,” he said finally.

I nodded. “As far as Drifte goes, I know he’s an odd character. But I believe he and Jasper are similarly motivated, different as they might appear on the surface.”

Oliver tipped his face my direction, and his eyes met mine. “You’ve changed so much, Petra.”

My lips parted, but I didn’t speak because I wasn’t immediately sure if his statement was meant as a compliment or criticism.

“I knew you had this potential in you,” my father continued. “I knew you had greatness in you. It started to come through when you took up Aurora and defended the Stone Order in Oberon’s arena. But still, I knew there was more. I saw another glimpse when you took the throne. And yet I knew there was even more to come. I always knew you had greatness in you.”

His voice began to falter, and I had to break eye contact as my throat began to close with the pressure of welling emotion. I stared at the floor and took a deep, slow breath before I dared look up.

“I don’t think I deserve all that. I’m an absolute shit queen, for starters.” I let out a quiet, rueful laugh. “But I appreciate your faith in me.”

“You survived the coronation. You achieved some level of peace in the fortress. You’ve done it under extremely difficult circumstances. There’s more to do, sure, but don’t forget to give yourself a bit of credit.”

My heart seemed to cramp in my chest as I once again remembered that Oliver wasn’t my blood father. For a fleeting moment, I wished more than anything that he was. But with the next breath I realized that our lack of blood connection didn’t truly mean anything. He’d raised me, loved me, and believed in me. What else mattered?

Vera bustled through the door, giving us a welcome excuse to focus elsewhere. Dark garments were heaped over both of her arms. She walked around the room, handing hooded cloaks to each of us.

Drifte wordlessly lifted his hand, declining Vera’s offer of a cloak. She edged away, her eyes wide. Bryna sidled over to where I stood as the rest of us arranged our cloaks over our respective weapons. I braced myself for animosity, but she seemed subdued.

“You can’t really tell what he’s looking at,” she murmured to me without moving her lips. “Kind of freaks me out.”

I glanced at Drifte. “Yeah. It’s a little unsettling. You’ve never met him before, I take it?”

She gave a subtle shake of her head.

The door opened again, a page arriving with Eunice. The former consort had already come to our meeting room so we could explain what we had planned. She’d agreed to aid us and gone back to her quarters to change. Vera helped her with a cloak.

The page and Vera both departed, leaving only Maxen and the party that would set out for the Daoine realm.

“I believe we’re ready,” Jasper said. His hand shifted to the sheath that hid Gae Buide, though I guessed he wasn’t even aware of the movement.

“Before we go, I need a brief moment alone with Maxen,” I said.

I turned to the door and then looked back, beckoning to Maxen. His brows arched in curiosity, he followed me. We went into the small anteroom that adjoined the meeting room where we’d spent the last few hours. I shut the door and turned to him.

“We don’t have time to mince words, so I’m just going to be blunt. I wrote up a document that makes you the Carraig Sidhe head of state,” I said. He started to speak, but I held up a hand to stop him. “I know I can’t step down from the throne, but I’m not fit to lead a kingdom. Not as a true queen, anyway. I’ll lead in other ways, ones that allow me to use my sword. I understand the spirit of Oberon’s order, but he made a mistake. You need to be in charge. I’ll be queen in name only. I’m a warrior, not a royal. And I sure as hell am not any kind of politician. In spite of what Oberon has said, we do still have need for leaders with political savvy in Faerie. If I try to be a head of state, I’ll only screw things up even more for us. That much has become obvious over the past few days.”

“Petra—” Maxen halted, his mouth snapping shut, opening, and then closing again. Finally, he let out a long breath. “If it’s an order from the throne, you know I can’t refuse it.”

“That’s right,” I said.

I’d known exactly what I was doing in drawing up the official document. And unlike the other appointments I was making to fill positions in my court, where I wanted sincere buy-in from each candidate, Maxen was going to have to serve where I wanted him whether he loved it or hated it. I felt a small stab of guilt, knowing that I was taking advantage of his sincerity, of his track record as a faithful servant to his people. But I was putting him was where we—his people—needed him, within the confines of Oberon’s order that I wear the crown.

“Then I won’t argue,” he said with a grating edge to his voice.

“I know you’ll hold things together while we’re gone, and I truly appreciate it. More than you know, Maxen. We’ll work out the details after I return.”

Part of me wanted to apologize, to tell him I knew it was unfair that he wasn’t Marisol’s successor. Despite his humble service, I knew that was what he’d wanted, to eventually take the throne. His mother had been grooming him for it, had probably whispered in his ear since birth that someday he would be king of the realm she created. But did anyone’s life ever turn out exactly as planned? Mine sure as hell had taken a sharp turn off the course I’d foreseen for myself.

He gave me a tight nod, and my heart sank a little. It’d felt like Maxen and I had just started to take tenuous steps toward being on better terms, but my order had clearly set us back. I wasn’t surprised, and it couldn’t be helped, but it saddened me all the same.

“One more thing,” I said. “Morven told me to tell you that the answer to our questions about the Fomoire power running through our blood lies in some caves. He seemed to think you’d know exactly what he meant.”

Maxen squinted. “Caves?”

“Does it make any sense to you that the supposed god power running through our veins has something to do with caves or mines?”

“Maybe. I’ll look into it immediately.”

We rejoined Jasper, Oliver, Bryna, Eunice, and Drifte, who’d gathered at the back of the room where a doorway’s arch was painted on the wall.

“We’ll go to a remote spot of Drifte’s choosing first,” Jasper said. “There, we’ll be met with Great Ravens who will take us into the Daoine Sidhe kingdom.”

Eunice watched him with round eyes. She swallowed hard as Drifte stepped in front of the arch. Remembering what I’d said to Jasper about not taking anyone who couldn’t defend themselves, I tamped down my concern about dragging Eunice into this and gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile. Then, I placed my hand on the shoulder of the raven shifter. She only hesitated for a second before doing the same. Once the whole party had made physical contact with Drifte’s arms and shoulders, he raised his hand and began tracing sigils in the air.

Just before we stepped into the oblivion of the netherwhere, I glanced over my shoulder at Maxen who stood alone a few feet away. His sapphire blue eyes held my gaze for a fraction of a second before everything gave way to the void.

We all shuffled out of the netherwhere into the dark night of a realm with no artificial light. Stars glittered overhead, and I could see the plume of my own breath against the dark sky in the chilly air. Something about the place rang with familiarity. When I spotted the lazy curls of smoke rising from small, rustic abodes, I knew we’d come to Drifte’s settlement. Jasper and I had been there once before, when we’d been desperate to rescue Oberon from the Tuatha.

“Oh, my,” Eunice murmured. She shivered visibly and pulled her cloak tight around her shoulders.

“Wait here,” Jasper said. He and Drifte strode several feet away, and a moment later I heard the strange whistle Jasper used to call Great Ravens.

We were in a region so remote it wasn’t part of any civilized kingdom. My chest went icy when I remembered the snow-peaked mountains. I looked off to the horizon, and even in the dark of night, I could see the white tops of the distant ranges. It appeared the snow line had descended considerably since my last visit.

Snow in Faerie. I pulled my cloak tighter. More snow than before meant the Unseelie had gained a greater foothold in the balance of power. The reign of Oberon and the Summer Court had lasted for seemingly endless generations, and the Fae had basked in the warmth and abundance of eternal gentle breezes, blooming flowers, and warm sunshine. But this place was crisp and cold. Summer was over, here.

“There they are,” Bryna whispered. She pointed over the treetops of the forest to our left.

Just above the tree line, dark shapes were winging toward us. We all stood silently and watched the Great Ravens approach. Five of them, one for each in our party minus Drifte, landed in the clearing fifty yards off and then flapped and hopped toward us.

Oliver was shifting his weight and clenching and unclenching his hands. I moved to his side.

“I’ve ridden them several times,” I said in a low voice. “Great way to travel. You’ll get used to it.”

“I’m not wild about heights,” he said after a second’s hesitation.

“Keep your eyes on the horizon, use your thighs to stabilize your position, and hold those feathers for all your worth,” I advised.

Eunice had edged over to us and heard my suggestions.

“I’ve always dreamed of riding one, Your Majesty,” she said, her voice awed. “You have my gratitude for making this dream come true and for trusting me with such a vital mission.”

I suddenly wanted to hug her, even though I wasn’t the hugging type. “We are lucky to have you.”

“You’re a brave woman.” Oliver’s words came out gruff and ended in a grunt. I peered at him, surprised. The stone man wasn’t one to cast compliments around.

Eunice tittered with pleasure. “Oh, dear me, I do appreciate that coming from one such as yourself, my lord.” Her fingers came up to smooth her hair.

“It’s time,” Jasper called.

Bryna, Eunice, Oliver, and I joined Jasper. Drifte turned and headed off into the shadows of the trees. Jasper assigned each of us a Great Raven, and when I approached mine, a grin spread over my face as I recognized the spiky feathers poking up on top of the creature’s head.

“Hey, Mohawk,” I whispered, petting the bird’s sleek neck. I’d ridden this Raven a handful of times before.

Jasper got everyone else situated, and I mounted my bird, settling into the soft feathers and positioning my knees between the wings.

Something burst from the nearby treetops, and I swiveled around with my heart in my throat. Jasper raised a hand to the bird circling overhead, and I realized it was Drifte in his raven form.

Jasper climbed on top of his bird, and it hopped around to face us.

“They’ll take us through the netherwhere into the Daoine realm,” he said, his voice low but carrying in the quiet of the nearly deserted land. “The birds know to be stealthy. Just stay quiet in the air, keep low to your Raven’s back, and wait until they land before speaking.”

He whispered something to his bird, and the great creature hopped three times, flapped its wings hard, and took flight. The rest of the birds followed. Exhilaration blazed through me as Mohawk gained altitude. I lay over her neck, keeping my weight forward so I wouldn’t tumble back. A glance to either side revealed that Bryna, Eunice, and Oliver had managed to navigate the takeoff.

Freezing air streamed past my face, numbing my cheeks and bringing tears to my eyes. We continued to climb for another minute or two, and then Jasper and his bird winked out of existence. A few seconds later, Mohawk plunged us into the void, using one of the Great Raven doorways that were invisible to Fae.

We materialized back into the world, and Mohawk quietly winged through air considerably warmer than that of the realm we’d just left. Ahead, I spotted three identical pointed pinnacles, the tops of the tallest towers on each of the three Daoine palaces, jutting up past the horizon line to loom higher than the distant range of foothills. The palace towers were lit with spotlights that highlighted their golden sheen. As we drew nearer, small explosions burst in the air around Palace City. Mohawk dipped a wing in alarm, but the glitter of fireworks showered down harmlessly a mile in front of us.

Jasper’s Raven angled off to the right, toward a dark area of rolling hills that bordered one side of Palace City. The rest of the birds followed. We landed behind a low hill, except for Drifte, who continued to circle overhead.

Jasper tipped his head back, raised his hand, and then blew a couple of short bursts into his whistle. Drifte took off toward the palaces.

“He’s going to scout the area for us,” Jasper explained, sliding to the ground. “He’ll let us know which way is best for us to enter. Then, Bryna will help us navigate Palace City.”

The sounds of music, laughter, and revelry drifted to us on a gentle updraft of warm night air.

“I hope that Elvish wine is making everyone lose their minds,” I muttered and began hiking up the small rise so I could get a view of the palaces.

The rest of my party trailed after me. I stopped before the crest so I wouldn’t be fully exposed on the chance anyone was looking our way. We were about a half mile from the nearest edge of Palace City. The three strongholds were surrounded by an octagon of battlement walls, and guards patrolled the parapet walks between towers. But even from our current distance I could see that several of the gates were thrown open. Revelers were streaming inside, with a few coming out. It didn’t look like a particularly locked-down situation from the outside, but if Finvarra was in there somewhere, there was certainly tight security surrounding him.

I turned to my half-sister, whose pale-blond hair glowed like spun silver in the light of the moon. “Where do you think they’re hiding him?”

She pursed her lips and frowned for a moment. “Probably in the most luxurious guest accommodations they have. That’d be between the avian palace and the reptilian palace.” She pointed between two of the three tall pinnacles.

“Is that Drifte?” Oliver asked, pointing at a dark shape darting toward us.

Jasper peered over the hilltop. “Aye, it’s him.”

My pulse quickened at the thought of finally getting some action, even if it was just walking the short distance to Palace City.

We set off in the direction Drifte took us. I walked next to Jasper and Eunice kept close behind us. Oliver and Bryna brought up the rear of our party. We moved quietly through the darkness shadowing the land that surrounded the brightly lit Palace City. Drifte led us by flying ahead a short distance, returning, and then darting ahead again. It appeared we were aiming for one of the main gates.

As we neared the bridge leading to the gate, I slowed and then halted before we reached the loose stream of people still flocking inside.

“It’s time to split up,” I said. “Jasper and Eunice will go ahead. The rest of us will trail you. Don’t look back. We’ll keep track of where you are.” The last part was for Eunice, as I could tell she was nervous about what was about to happen.

“Once we’re inside, you’ll want to start making your way to the left,” Bryna said. “There’s a public garden area where I know of an entrance to a passage that will get us close to the luxury guest quarters. Go there and linger until we catch up.”

Jasper brushed the back of my hand with his fingers. “We’ll see you in there.”

He was armed only with Gae Buide, as his Duergar short sword wouldn’t have blended with the persona he was attempting to portray. I’d also had to leave my primary weapon at home, and instead of Aurora, I carried a generic broadsword.

Eunice fell into step beside him, and the pair made their way out of the shadows, joining the line of people flowing toward the footbridge leading to the gate. I waited until a dozen guests filled in behind them.

“Okay, let’s go,” I said to Oliver and Bryna.

To cross the bridge, we had to pass under three arched barbicans, each of them uplit and flanked by guards posted on either side. The soldiers’ eyes roved the people moving toward the gate.

Most of the people ahead of and behind us appeared to already be in some state of inebriation, singing, joking, or laughing raucously. Our silence was making us stand out.

“We’re too quiet,” I muttered to my companions.

I threw one arm around Oliver’s waist and the other across Bryna’s shoulders. She shot me an irritated look but didn’t push me away. I pasted on a big smile and listed a little as I walked.

To my surprise, Bryna started singing a drinking song in a strong, clear voice. I managed to dredge up the words by the time she got to the chorus, and I joined in. By the time we reached the gate, most of the people around us were singing, too.

I kept the back of Jasper’s reddish-blond head in my sights and let out a little relieved breath when I saw that he and Eunice had made it inside. The guards at the gate didn’t seem concerned about weapons, as a woman with two short swords on her back sauntered right by them. It didn’t surprise me. The royal families and their courts would be tucked away in their palaces at their own private parties. They didn’t care if drunken commoners carved each other up. It was characteristic of many Unseelie kingdoms to expect and even revel in violence as part of their celebrations, something that harkened back to the days when the Unseelie tribes were more primitive and wild. Before Finvarra had stepped in to civilize them and unite them into kingdoms.

We spilled into the wide-open space of a bailey. Most of the guests veered to the right, toward the loud music, voices, and occasional holler or crash. I spotted a sign for the public gardens that pointed to the left. Jasper and Eunice were heading that way. They disappeared into a corridor.

I said a silent prayer to keep them safe and steered Oliver and Bryna that direction.