Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
T he back of my neck prickles. Again. It takes all of my willpower to just keep walking casually down the street. I have already checked that I’m not being followed, but I still can’t help but feel as if I’m being watched.
Part of me wonders if it’s my subconscious trying to tell me that this is a stupid risk. That Kath was right and that Kyler has just listened to one too many bedtime stories in his life. Could there actually be another fae from the Seelie Court living in this city? If there is, then where did she come from? How did she get out of the Seelie Court? Is she a previous winner of the Atonement Trials who somehow managed to escape? But then why would she stay in the city?
That paranoia pulses through me again.
While continuing down the street, I cast a discreet glance over my shoulder.
But just as I already confirmed the last time I did that, Draven is in fact not lurking there behind me, waiting to catch me and drag me back to the castle.
After I pulled that stunt in his barracks a few days ago, and the incredible but very treasonous sex that followed it, Draven has kept a close eye on me. It wasn’t until today that he finally snuck away during the night when he thought I was sleeping. Luckily for me, Kath had managed to drop off instructions for me during those days when Draven was glued to my side. So now, I know where to find this mysterious fae woman. If she exists, that is.
I sweep my gaze over the street behind me again, but no Shadow of Death materializes from the darkness. And no other dragon shifters or humans either, for that matter. Only the trees that line the wide street stare back at me like silent sentries. Their barren branches rustle as a strong fall wind whirls between the houses.
Drawing my hood up further, I turn my gaze back to the road ahead.
The map that Kyler drew has led me to a part of Frostfell called Ember Hill, which, from the looks of it, appears to be one of the richer parts of the city. Grand houses, with actual lawns and fences around the property, tower over me on both sides of the street. During the summer, when all the trees that line this street are covered in vibrant leaves, this area is probably really beautiful. Now, with the barren trees and bushes on both the street and in the yards, it has an almost haunted atmosphere.
Glancing down, I check the hand-drawn map I’m carrying once more. According to Kyler, the mysterious fae woman is supposed to live in the white marble house with the blue door up ahead. I suppress the urge to yet again check the street behind me and instead continue walking until I reach the indicated house.
Just like the other houses on this street, there is a short stone wall around the property. Though it looks to be more for aesthetic purposes than to keep invaders out, because it’s low enough for me to jump over, if I want to. But seeing as that would be rather rude, I decide to use the small gate instead.
It swings open on silent hinges. I cast one last look over my shoulder to check that the street is still empty. It is. After drawing in a bracing breath, I turn back to the house and stride in through the gate.
The grass surrounding the mansion-like house is well-kept, and bushes and trees and flowerbeds have been placed in an artful pattern throughout the entire yard. Since it’s fall, none of them are in bloom. But it still makes me think that the person who lives here values nature. Could it actually be a fae?
Nervous apprehension sweeps over me as I close the final distance to the dark blue door. No light comes from the windows. Mabona’s tits, what am I even supposed to say? It’s the bloody middle of the night and I’m just showing up at her house unannounced. What if it’s a dragon shifter who lives here? What if she thinks I’m a burglar and has me arrested instead?
Coming to a halt right in front of the door, I lick my lips and draw in another long breath to steady my nerves.
This is a stupid risk. Coming here is an incredibly stupid risk.
But that still doesn’t change the fact that I need to do this.
If I’m going to get Isera, Lavendera, and Alistair out of this city, I need this mysterious fae woman.
Straightening my spine, I raise a determined hand and knock on the door.
Nothing happens.
I knock again.
For another few seconds, only a dark and silent house watches me.
Then flickering candlelight appears in one of the upstairs windows.
My heart lurches.
Standing there on the porch, I watch that flickering candlelight move to another room. Then it disappears for a little while before it appears again on the ground floor as the person who is carrying it walks towards the door.
Please be real, please be real, please be real , I beg silently in my mind.
The lock clicks.
I hold my breath.
Warm candlelight spills out into the darkness as the door opens. I blink against it while quickly trying to assess the person now standing before me in the hallway inside.
A blond woman frowns at me from the other side of the threshold. She looks to be somewhere between twenty-five and thirty, and she has that ethereal essence that both we and the dragon shifters have. Which means that she’s not human, at least. Though I could probably have guessed that from the size of this house. No humans live in places like this in Frostfell.
“Yes?” the woman asks, sounding confused.
Her flowing hair covers her ears, so the moment that my vision has adjusted somewhat to the light from the small candelabra that she is holding, I quickly study her eyes.
They look… dark blue. But they could also be a mix of dark blue and another similar color, like violet or black. It’s impossible to tell because of the murky darkness around us and the flickering light from the candles.
Worry pulses through me. I can’t tell if she’s fae or a dragon shifter.
The second stretches on.
Goddess damn it, I need to make a decision. Should I risk it?
The woman opens her mouth again to say something else, since I still haven’t replied.
“I’m looking for a fae woman who is supposed to live here,” I blurt out before she can get another word out.
She furrows her brows in even deeper confusion, and then lets out a small laugh while shaking her head. “A fae woman? The only fae I know are the ones who live in the Ice Palace.”
Defeat and disappointment sink into my stomach like a block of ice. Of course it was too good to be true.
“Oh,” I say, and begin turning away before she can realize that I am one of those fae she just mentioned. “Sorry, I must have?—”
Her hand shoots out and grabs my arm in a shockingly strong grip. I whip my head back to stare at her. She has moved the candelabra up higher, and now that the light is more directly in her face, I can tell that her eyes are indeed only one color. Dark blue.
“Your eyes,” she says, her voice suddenly sharp, as she moves the candelabra closer to my face.
For one brief second, I consider using my magic to lower the suspicion that must surely be burning inside her now. But I quickly discard that idea since it would only make my eyes glow, which would be clear proof that I am indeed fae.
“Yeah, sorry, I have pretty terrible eyesight,” I say instead while I try to discreetly pull my arm out of her grip. “I must have read the address wrong when?—”
“Lower your hood,” the woman demands.
Alarm spikes through me. “I really?—”
“You have five seconds to lower your hood before I scream like a banshee that you’re trying to rob me. And how do you think that will end for you?”
My heart pounds in my chest as I stare into her blue eyes, which are now filled with such merciless steel that I almost forget to breathe. She’s right. If she screams, it will wake the whole neighborhood. And I can’t fight my way out of here against this whole street of dragon shifters. But as long as it’s only this one woman, I still have a chance. So I decide to do as she says.
Slowly raising my hands, I lower my hood enough to show her my pointed ears.
She cocks her head, a sharp glint now present in her eyes. “Interesting. Very interesting.”
My stomach lurches as she suddenly yanks me towards her. I stumble across the threshold and into the hallway, almost toppling over when she releases her grip on my arm. While I quickly straighten again, she slams the front door shut behind us and locks it.
Dread pulses through my body. This cannot be good.
Reaching for my magic, I spin around to face the blond woman again.
But then I jerk back, shock crackling through my veins.
Because the blond woman is gone.
My mind spins and my mouth drops open as I stare at the person now standing before me instead.
It’s still a woman who looks to be between twenty-five and thirty with that timeless look that marks her as not human.
But her long blond hair is now black, and her eyes…
Her eyes are yellow and violet. Both colors mixed in both eyes like swirls of paint. Which means…
“You’re fae,” I blurt out.
She smiles a slow feline smile, which makes her look more like a smirking cat than a person, as she watches me. “And so are you.”
“B-but how…” I glance from side to side, but the elegant hallway is empty apart from us. I meet her eyes again while shaking my head. “The blond woman?”
“A glamour.” She lets out a smug chuckle and arches a dark eyebrow. “Very useful magical ability for someone such as me.”
“But I don’t understand. Who are you?”
“My name is Nysara.”
“No, I mean, who are you? How did you get here? Why do you live here? How did you even get out of the Seelie Court?”
Nysara gives me another one of those slow smiles. “Oh child, I am not from the Seelie Court.”
For a few seconds, all I can do is to just stand there on the pale wooden floorboards and stare at her. My pulse is thrumming so hard that I can hear it pounding in my ears. Then at last, my spinning mind catches up and I realize what she’s actually telling me.
“You’re from the Unseelie Court.” The words come out as little more than a whisper.
“Yes,” Nysara replies. She flicks her gaze up and down my body. “You look like you’re about to faint. Perhaps we should sit down.”
Before I can even open my mouth to respond, she is already walking towards the doorway to my left. Candlelight dances over the pale walls as she brings the candelabra with her. Giving my head a quick shake, I try to snap out of my stupor and scramble after her.
She leads me into an elegant dining room. A grand table with eight chairs around it takes up most of the floor space in the middle of the room. Nysara glides towards it and sets the candelabra down on the smooth tabletop. Then she claims a seat. I sit down opposite her while she reaches for a crystal decanter that is waiting on a silver tray beside where she set the candelabra.
“Wine?” she asks without even looking at me.
My first instinct is to politely decline since I don’t want to be troublesome. But I get the feeling that I’m going to need a glass of wine to help me through this conversation.
“Yes, please,” I reply.
A soft laugh ripples from her throat. “So polite.”
I would have assumed that that’s a good thing, but the way she says it makes it sound like an insult. However, I don’t have the brain capacity left to think about that, because there are a million other questions ringing inside my skull right now. Drawing in a long breath, I try to gather my wits enough to figure out which question to ask first. In the end, Nysara decides for me.
“So,” she begins while she pours dark red wine into two gleaming glasses. “You are one of the life slaves from the palace, and you have come here without a collar, which means that you are here to beg for my help to get out of the city. Am I right?”
“Yes. And no.”
She raises her eyebrows in surprise. After she has finished pouring the wine, she sets the crystal decanter down on the silver tray again. Then she slides one of the glasses towards me before picking up the other and taking a sip.
“Oh?” she asks.
“I’m here because I need you to get all of us out of the city,” I say, and then add, “Please.”
“All of you, huh? Then where are the others?”
“Still trapped in the castle. But I’m working on a way to get them out. I just need to know that we can get out of the city once we’re out of the palace.”
“I see.”
“So can you help? Please. I don’t really have any money or anything to give you in return, but…” Desperation leaks into my voice as I hold her gaze and pathetically repeat, “Please.”
Silence falls over the dining room. Nysara watches me with eyes I can’t read. Then she takes another sip of wine. Candlelight glitters in her yellow and violet eyes as she sets her glass down and cocks her head.
“Well, normally, I require something in return for my services.” She lifts her slender shoulders in a nonchalant shrug. “Or at least a little groveling.” Clicking her tongue, she brushes her long black hair back behind her shoulder. “But fortunately for you, my job is both to spy on the dragon shifters and to do everything I can to sabotage the Icehearts. And taking away all of their life slaves would certainly fall into that second category.”
Relief washes through me. Followed by confusion. “Wait, your job ?”
“Yes.” She raises her chin, pride lacing her tone as she looks down at me. “I am here on a mission from the Unseelie King himself.”
I blink at her, my mouth dropping open a little.
That seems to have been the reaction she was hoping for, because one of those smug feline smiles spreads across her lips as she leans back in her chair.
“The Unseelie King is alive?” I breathe.
“Yes.”
“What happened? To your court? After they conquered us, what happened to you?”
“Nothing. The Unseelie Court is still the majestic independent fae realm that it always has and always will be.”
My heart is slamming so hard against my ribs that Nysara must surely hear it. The Unseelie Court is free. The dragon shifters never conquered it. During all these millennia, while we have been trapped in the forest of thorns, the Unseelie Court has been out there.
And done… nothing.
“Why?” It comes out as little more than a whisper.
“Because our court is both stronger and smarter than yours.”
I drag my gaze back up to her face. “No, I mean, why didn’t you help us? If you have been free all this time, why did you never try to help us?”
She frowns, as if she’s genuinely confused why I would even ask that. Narrowing her eyes, she studies my face intently. “You must not know a lot about our history.”
“I know nothing of our history. The dragon shifters burned everything and killed everyone but the children when they conquered us.”
Clicking her tongue, she traces her finger along the rim of her glass. “Yes, well, that is unfortunate.”
“Unfortunate?” I snap, anger crackling through me, as I sit forward in my chair. “We have?—”
“Let’s get something straight.” That merciless steel creeps back into her eyes as she locks them on me. “You are in my home, begging for my help, so you do not raise your voice at me. Is that clear?”
With great effort, I swallow down my anger and sit back in my seat again. Lowering my chin slightly, I force out, “I’m sorry.”
“That’s better.”
Under the table, I squeeze my hand into a fist. But I keep my mouth shut. Because by Mabona, I really do need Nysara’s help.
“So, to answer your question,” she begins. “There are two reasons for why we have never tried to help you. The first one is because relations between our two courts have always been strained, to say the least. And the second, and most important, reason is because we do not get involved in other people’s problems. We protect our own realm. What everyone else does outside of it is not our concern.”
The most infuriating part of it all is that I actually understand her reasoning. Staying out of other people’s problems is most likely the reason why their court was never conquered in the first place. It still pisses me off, though.
But I can’t tell her that, so I force that rage down and instead decide to ask another question. A question that will be crucial for my plan to launch a successful rebellion and finally free our court too.
“I understand,” I reply in response to her explanation. Then I raise my gaze and meet her eyes again. “But since you know what actually happened back then, can you at least tell me how the dragon shifters managed to conquer us? If all of our ancestors were dragon riders who controlled them with dragon steel, then how did they manage to overthrow us? How did they manage to get the dragon steel off and kill us all?”
Once again, she frowns deeply in what looks like genuine confusion. “What do you mean all of you?”
I just stare back at her, equally bewildered. “How did they manage to conquer us when our ancestors controlled them all with dragon steel?”
For another few seconds, we only stare at each other. A strong fall wind sweeps past on the lawn outside, making the tree branches rattle and scrape against the window.
“Malachi’s balls,” she says at last, a curse using the name of our Goddess Mabona’s dark counterpart, Malachi, the King of Hell and Mabona’s former lover. “You really don’t know anything, do you?”
“What?” I demand, my heart now beating even harder.
She leans back in her seat again and watches me, as if she’s seeing me with new eyes. “Yes, most of the Seelie fae were dragon riders. But only a small portion of them used dragon steel to bend the shifters to their will. The rest were voluntary and mutually beneficial partnerships between fae and dragon shifters.”
I think my ears are ringing. “What… what are you saying?”
“Only a small minority used dragon steel. Mostly the disgruntled and entitled ones who had been deemed unworthy by the dragon shifters and been rejected when they asked them about a partnership the traditional way.”
“A small minority…” It feels as if someone set off an explosion right next to me, and I was just hit with the massive shock wave.
“Yes.”
“A small minority,” I repeat. My heart is pounding. It feels like my whole world is tilting on its axis, turning everything upside down, and I have to grip the edge of the table so that I don’t fall off the chair. “They have spent millennia punishing everyone in the Seelie Court because of something that a few entitled assholes did?”
“Well, to be fair, dragon shifters are among the most fierce and proud races, and they did not take kindly to being mind-controlled. And they have very long memories. If anyone can hold a grudge longer than an Unseelie fae, it’s a dragon shifter.”
But I can barely hear her over the sound of my own pounding heart and the shattering of my whole world view.
A sob rips from my chest. “I have suffered my entire life because of something that my ancestors might not even have done?”
All my life, people have been telling me things about myself. Telling me that I will only ever be able to have one child. That I am a descendant of wicked people. That all fae are inherently evil. That I am evil.
And I just… believed them.
I believed them when they told me all of that. I believed them when they told me that we broke a treaty and betrayed all the dragon shifters when we found the dragon steel. That the dragon shifters did the right thing when they punished all of our wicked ancestors.
Gripping the edge of the table harder, I suck in desperate breaths. But it barely feels as if any oxygen is making it into my lungs.
Every day, I find out something else that turns my world upside down. Every day, I learn that everything I thought I knew is false. That the world is different from what I have been taught.
Goddess above, I can’t breathe. I can’t?—
Loud pounding comes from the front door.
My heart leaps into my throat, and I jump up from the chair.
With great effort, I shove all of my panic and confusion and heartbreak over what Nysara has told me to the back of my mind. I can’t afford to think about that right now. I need to focus on what I came here to do. Isera, Lavendera, Alistair, and I need a way out of the city. That is what is most important right now. Not all the lies that I have been told about myself.
“Nysara,” a male voice calls from the other side of the door. He sounds worried rather than angry. “Are you there?”
“Malachi’s balls,” Nysara curses, annoyance flitting across her beautiful features as she gets to her feet. “It’s my neighbor. My overly worried and very much in love with me neighbor.” Raising a slender arm, she points towards the other side of the house while she strides back into the hallway. “Go out the back door.”
I scramble after her into the hallway. “But my request. Will you help us?—”
“Yes. If you can get here after you escape the castle, I can cast a temporary glamour to make you all look like dragon shifters so that you can get out of the city.”
Skidding to a halt on the floor of the hallway, I jerk back in shock as I find the blond dragon shifter woman from before standing there in front of me instead of Nysara.
However, her voice is still the same when she demands, “When are you escaping?”
“Nysara,” the man outside calls again. He sounds on the verge of hysteria. “Please say something. Are you injured? Do I need to break the door down?”
“I don’t know yet,” I reply to Nysara’s question.
“Then come back and tell me when you do.” She stabs a hand towards a door at the other end of the hall. “Now, get out.”
Loud pounding comes from the front door again.
I give Nysara a nod and then dart towards the back door. Pulling my hood up, I unlock the door and slip out.
“Karleus,” Nysara says from inside the house. Her voice is now husky and seductive. “What in Azaroth’s name are you doing here at this time of night?”
“I saw the light burning in your window,” the man, Karleus, replies. “And I thought you might have fallen ill or injured yourself or that you had forgotten to blow out the candles and I was worried that?—”
I quietly close the back door behind me and sprint across the lawn.
Cold night winds tug at my cloak as I jump over the small stone fence at the back of Nysara’s property and then disappear down the street in the other direction.
One mission done.
Once we get out of the castle, we now have a way out of the city.
But my work tonight is not finished. I’m going to turn this whole damn city into a boiling pot of anger and resentment, so that when the humans pull off their heist, it will be the spark that sets an entire rebellion ablaze.