Page 4

MELUSINE SNORTED DERISIVELY behind me, and anger laced my veins.

I glared up at her through tears as I stacked my hands and began chest compressions on Jasper’s sternum.

“Move,” she commanded.

Her fingers made nimble gestures, and jets of sunlight shot from her fingertips. Heat singed my arm as it zipped past me.

I slapped my hand over the slice in my shirt and fell back on my butt. “Ow.”

“Told you to move.”

Melusine’s magic split into tendrils that wound to Jasper’s head, entering his nostrils, mouth, ears, and even his eyes. Just like Eldon had done with his shadow magic when he’d tried to revive King Sebastian. That hadn’t worked, though.

I sat perfectly still, my breath dead in my dry throat and my eyes glued to Jasper’s chest.

Seconds ticked by, but he didn’t move.

“Please,” I exhaled, slumping. “Please, wake up.”

“Hush,” Melusine hissed irritably.

Magic like ribbons of sunlight continued to stream from the Fae witch to Jasper.

I started to shake my head and sucked in a breath that was more of a sob. It’d been too long. It wasn’t going to work. Jasper was gone, and—

His eyes popped wide, his back arched in an impossible angle, and he drank a loud lungful of air through his mouth. His body went limp, and he lay staring up at the sky, breathing hard. I crawled over to him, let my forehead fall to his chest, and lost it for a few seconds as I felt the glorious rise and fall of his breastbone and the thump of his heart.

His hand found my hair. “Hey. Why are you crying?”

I lifted my head and looked into his tri-colored eyes. “Because you were dead for about five minutes.” I swiped the backs of my hands across my cheeks, but a fresh wave of tears filled my eyes. “I was sure I’d lost . . .”

I couldn’t finish the sentence. Jasper sat up and folded me into his arms.

A ground-shaking blast jolted me from my misery. I looked up just in time to see a giant flaming ball of neon-yellow spitfire land only about ten yards away.

“Up with you,” Melusine barked, already gathering her skirts in her hands. “I didn’t bring you back from death only to have you die by spitfire.”

She lifted her hem and ran ahead of us toward the white castle of the Summerlands. Jasper and I scrambled to our feet and took off after Melusine. Finvarra’s lover abandoned modesty and joined us, sprinting naked with her sheet trailing behind her like a banner. She let out little shrieks each time a boom erupted through the air.

The portal jewel had brought us to the unprotected grounds surrounding Oberon and Titania’s stronghold, and we had about a quarter of a mile to go to reach the drawbridge that would take us into safety.

I stayed close to Jasper, fearing that after his ordeal this sudden strenuous burst might cause him to collapse. But he seemed as strong as ever. I wanted so badly to reach for his hand, but it would have slowed us down.

I kept Jasper in my line of vision while shouting over at the naked woman running next to me. “What’s your name?”

I flicked a glance at her when she didn’t respond. She looked wild-eyed and pale, her attention fully on the drawbridge ahead.

“Hey,” I said. “You’re going to be okay.”

She tore her gaze from the lowering doorway of salvation long enough to lock eyes with me. “Eunice.”

“Well, it’s your lucky day, Eunice,” I said, breathing hard. “You’re about to enter the protection of the High King Oberon.”

She let out a little relieved sob.

Avian screeches sounded overhead, and I looked up to find an impossibly huge hawk circling directly above us. I drew Aurora and pushed magic over my skin and into my weapon. Violet flames of power lit my fist, and the sword’s sunrise colors swelled. It wasn’t the same kind of connection I had with Mort, but pushing magic into Aurora seemed to heighten my strength and reflexes when I wielded it. The great sword almost seemed to anticipate my actions. I looked up again and stumbled. The hawk was at least twice as large as any Great Raven I’d ever seen. And its predatory, beady eyes were trained on us.

“What the hell is that?” I shouted.

Jasper had twisted to look up at the bird. His eyes narrowed.

“It’s Finvarra,” he said, his voice low. “He must have somehow figured out we came here. He’s coming for me.”

We’d lost our disguises at the hands of Eldon’s magic. Finvarra knew who we were. All of the terror I’d felt while Jasper had lay dead in the grass flooded through me anew, but now I transformed it into fury and focus.

“Oh no he’s not,” I growled.

The bird folded its wings against its body and dove, a feathered missile aiming straight for us.

All of the emotions I’d shoved down over the past several days seemed to spring to life and pour into my veins. Mentally calculating the hawk’s trajectory, I sped up, darting ahead toward one of the many small rises that formed a field of little hills on the grounds. I let my armor fall away so I’d be lighter for a jump. I raced up the hill, and with a wild yell, I hurled off the top, using all of my inborn stone blood strength to gain unnatural height in the air.

For a couple of seconds, I flew, hurtling over Jasper and the woman as they ran past, ready to meet Finvarra in the air. The wind kicked up by the bird’s huge wings snatched at my clothes and hair. Everything seemed to slow as my sword appeared to be on a perfectly calculated collision course with the bird’s neck. At the last second, the hawk realized it was headed straight for my blade and wildly dipped one wing, trying to avoid me. I brought Aurora down like a hammer anyway.

The sword flared with orange light and sliced through the wing, hitting about a third of the way from the end. The hawk let out a deafening shriek of fury. Feathers spewed everywhere.

I fell, managing a clumsy roll to distribute the impact when I hit the ground. Aurora tore from my grasp. Pain screamed through my arm. In spite of my rolling landing, I still hit my shoulder hard enough to dislocate it.

Muffling a screech behind pursed lips, I scrambled after my sword, scooped it up, and raced to catch up with the others.

Jasper had skidded to a halt and was starting to run back toward me.

“Go, go.” I waved my sword at him.

He waited for me anyway.

“Are you all right?” I asked through gritted teeth.

He flashed me a tight smile, his tri-colored eyes sparking. “Aye, never better, Your Majesty.”

I looked over my shoulder to see the hawk making a lopsided retreat. The severed piece of wing lay on the grass where it’d fallen. It wasn’t a mortal wound—only Jasper could have killed Finvarra—but it was serious enough to give us a chance to make it into the castle.

Every step was jarring agony on my shoulder. I locked my eyes on the drawbridge and tried to block out everything else.

The guards at the gate must have been expecting us. Either that, or they recognized Melusine, who’d pulled ahead by about twenty yards. The drawbridge lowered rapidly, making crashing contact with the cobblestones just as we reached the moat.

Melusine and the Eunice made it into the castle first. Jasper and I crossed the bridge together. Once inside, I collapsed to my knees and let out an agonized cry through my teeth. Aurora fell from my hand.

Jasper knelt next to me. “What? What’s wrong?”

I cradled my damaged arm. “Dislocation.”

He quickly shifted around to that side, braced one hand against my shoulder, and grabbed my dislocated arm above the elbow. Without hesitation, he yanked.

I screamed and whacked him in the breastplate with my free fist. It hurt my knuckles enough to momentarily distract me from my shoulder. With heaving, ragged breaths, I folded over on myself and squeezed my eyes closed. The pain was already retreating.

“Sorry I punched you,” I mumbled.

He chuckled. “It hurt you more than it hurt me.”

With an arm slung around my lower back, he gently helped me stand.

I took a long, shuddering breath and tipped my gaze up to meet his.

“Don’t you ever, ever die on me again,” I said fiercely, my voice ragged with emotion.

He lowered his head and covered my mouth with his. The warmth of his lips on mine was exactly the reassurance I needed.

He pulled back, his golden eyes inches from mine. “I don’t plan to.”

King Oberon was sweeping into the grand entry, so Jasper stepped away from me so he could bend at the waist in a bow.

I swayed a little, feeling weak and lightheaded, but forced my spine straight. For gods’ sake, it was just a dislocated shoulder. Jasper was the one who’d come back from death.

“Your Majesty,” I greeted Oberon.

He looked grim. His gazes shifted to Eunice, and his eyes pinched with irritation. “Who is this? We cannot allow strangers within these walls.” He turned and beckoned to one of the guards. “Take her to the dungeon.”

“No,” I said, skirting a glance at Eunice. I hoped she appreciated what I was about to do. “She was an innocent bystander. I’ve promised her protection.”

He narrowed his eyes at me and brandished his index finger. “Then she is your responsibility. She will not be allowed to wander.”

I nodded.

“King Oberon, I regret that I failed in my mission to—” Jasper began.

“I know,” Oberon said, cutting him off. “We don’t have time. I’ve news of more Unseelie forces on the move and heading here.” He looked at me. “You must go to the fortress and take the throne. You can’t wait any longer. It’s time to oust Periclase from your kingdom.”

I inclined my head. I certainly couldn’t argue, though I didn’t have a plan for exactly how I would make things work back home.

The High King turned his attention to Jasper. “You must continue the search for a weapon that can help us against Finvarra’s Stone of Fal.”

Jasper’s jaw tightened, and I knew at that moment the only thing he wanted in the world was to make amends for his failure to kill Finvarra. The assassination mission had been a long shot, and we all knew it. But it was obvious to me that the outcome was eating at Jasper, and he couldn’t rest until he’d redeemed himself. That was the kind of man he was, and my heart ached as I realized it meant he and I might not see much of each other for a while.

“Do we know why he hasn’t invoked the Stone’s power?” I asked.

“We know he only gets three chances to use it. We believe he may be saving it for later, perhaps thinking that once the Summerlands has fallen and he’s taken the throne here, he’ll use it to force all of Faerie to be loyal to him,” Oberon said. His face turned darkly fierce. “Not that we have any intention of letting that happen.”

“I just need to gather some supplies, and I can depart,” Jasper said.

Oberon nodded. To me, he said, “Queen Vida and King Moreau are still here, but not for long. You should catch them to discuss the backup forces they promised you. I’ll leave you to your duties.”

I wanted to sit down, take a breath, and convince myself that Jasper was indeed alive and out of danger. But there was no time. And at that moment, Jasper and I didn’t have the luxury of privacy for a lingering goodbye.

He kissed me quickly. “Your people will accept you, Petra. But it may take time. In the meantime, watch your back.”

I clutched at his shirtsleeve, balling the fabric in my fist. “If you get hurt, I’ll kill you,” I said.

He quirked a small half-grin at me, and then I let go and he turned and strode away. I didn’t watch him go. I couldn’t stand to see him disappear around a corner.

Drawing a deep breath, I faced Melusine. I knew I needed to catch Vida and Moreau, but I had one problem that outweighed any need for brute force at my back.

“I can’t beat Eldon,” I said. “As long as Periclase has him there, I have no chance of ousting the Duergar from the fortress. I have no chance of anything at all if I go back in there. Eldon controlled me completely with his magic, so skillfully that no one could likely even tell that my actions weren’t my own. He moved my body, forced me to say words I never would have said. His magic was so perfect and so powerful I couldn’t imagine anything that might work against it. Until I saw you battling him. But I’m honestly not certain your power is enough against him, even if you weren’t holding the wards here.” I ended with a slight lift, implying a question.

And then I paused for effect. I was purposely trying to tap into her apparent need to compete with and better Eldon, sensing that might motivate her more than the idea of helping me. I frankly didn’t care what it took.

Her dark brows furrowed over her orange eyes, and for a second I thought she was going to be angry, finding insult in what I’d said. But when there was no outburst, I realized she might have taken my bait.

“I know you can’t leave the Summerlands for long,” I ventured. “I know that you need to use your energy to maintain the shields around this castle, but is there anything at all you can do to give me an edge against the Fae sorcerer’s enormous power?”

I wasn’t above begging. I would have granted any request that was within my power to grant. A blood oath. Whatever she wanted. Just about any price would be worth it.

Her face turned thoughtful. “You go and meet with your little king and queen friends. After, come to me.”

My lips parted. I wanted to ask for details but then thought better of it. I nodded and then turned and scurried away before I could accidentally do or say anything that might piss her off and make her change her mind.

Once I rounded a corner, I pumped my fist and let out a quiet, victorious, “Yes!”

“Your Majesty!” called a male voice behind me.

I turned to find two people running after me. One was a castle page trying to flag me down, a young man wearing the Summerlands livery. The other was the naked woman who’d come through the portal jewel’s doorway. She wasn’t naked, but the poor woman still had only the sheet to cover herself.

I bit back a groan. I’d completely forgotten about Eunice and frankly didn’t have time to deal with her.

“Your Majesty,” the page said, breathless from hauling ass down the hallway. “Let me take you to your quarters. You can quickly freshen up before your meeting with Queen Vida and King Moreau.”

He looked pointedly at my clothes. A glance down showed a ripped sleeve, a neat slice in my shirt, mud and grass caked onto the shoulder I’d dislocated, and dirt-stained knees on my pants. I didn’t even have to lift a hand to my hair to know it was a wind-whipped mess.

“Are you positive they they’re able to wait while I change?” I asked.

I was all for being presentable, but not if it cost me an important meeting.

He nodded vigorously. “Yes, Your Majesty. They aren’t due to depart for another hour, and they both want to speak to you.”

He stepped in front of Eunice, who’d been standing nearby listening to our exchange. She’d let out a little gasp when he’d addressed me as a ruler.

“Wait,” I said. “I need to speak to this woman. I’ll be quick.”

She tried to perform a clumsy curtsy, the sheet wrapped around her body and slung around one shoulder like a toga.

“I didn’t know you were royalty, Your Highness,” she said, her eyes fearful. She curtsied again. “My deepest apologies, Your Highness.”

I held up a hand, irritated that no one had come to take care of her. “It’s okay. We’ll get you some clothes and food, and then you can go home. Where are you from?”

Even in disarray, she was quite lovely, with golden skin, a slim waist, an ample bust, and a sculpted face. But I couldn’t guess her bloodlines in her features, as there was nothing terribly distinct in them, despite her beauty.

She began to shake her head. “No, Your Majesty,” she whispered. “Please, I beg you, don’t send me away. The Unseelie High King will kill me. He’ll find me and kill me.”

I’d forgotten her pleas back in the fortress. I didn’t think she was trying to take advantage of me. Real fear filled her wide, violet eyes.

The page shifted his weight impatiently, but I suddenly realized that not only might this woman genuinely need protection, but she also might be able to help us, if she’d been close to Finvarra for any length of time.

“Why do you believe he’ll kill you?” I asked. “You did nothing wrong.”

“Because there was another woman who was . . . with him when there was an attempt on his life. I know for a fact she had nothing to do with it.” Teary sadness replaced the fear in her eyes. “But he had her executed.”

“Okay,” I said crisply. “I won’t send you away. Come with me, and while I change you will tell me what you know about the Unseelie High King.”

She wilted in relief and then curtsied again. “Whatever you wish, Your Majesty. I’m forever in your debt.”

My page led the way, walking with quick, irritated swiftness, and took us to my quarters. There, he left us to fetch clothes for Eunice. I left the door to my dressing room partway open so I could talk to the woman.

“Now,” I said as I began peeling off my clothes. “I want to know everything you know about Finvarra, Eldon, Periclase, and anyone else who’s an enemy of the Seelie.”

“Oh my,” she said in a fretful tone. “I’m not sure I have much to offer.”

“That’s okay,” I said, trying to be patient. “Just tell me whatever comes to mind.”

I heard her take a deep breath. “Well, for one thing I don’t think the Fae sorcerer Eldon is truly on the side of the Unseelie. I don’t think he wants to be helping the Unseelie High King and his buddies at all.”

I blinked and froze with one leg in a fresh pair of pants.

“Why do you think that?” I asked carefully.

“Well, because he said so.”

I stuck my other leg into my pants, pulled them up, and leaned around the corner. I crooked my index finger at her. “Why don’t you come in here and tell me more?”