Courted by the Fae (The Dark Realms #4)

Prologue

FIANA

‘No, Mama!’

My mother closes her eyes for a moment. ‘You must!’

‘No!’

‘Listen to me, Fiana. Please!’

Her thin fingers cup my face. Her eyes shine in the gloom. She’s so thin. We all are after so many weeks in this dark, stone place.

‘I know it’s hard,’ she whispers. ‘I know you want to stay with me. But you can leave the cell. I’ve seen you do it.’

I grimace. She’s told me not to show anyone what I can do.

But she smiles at me. ‘Our magick doesn’t usually manifest so early. The humans didn’t think to bind any of the faelings’ power.’

My mama strokes my matted hair. ‘I knew you were special the moment you were placed in my arms as a babe. None of the others here have such a talent.’

She tries to stifle a hiccupping sob.

‘Can you bring any of the other faelings with you?’

I shake my head. ‘I tried to take Berameia yesterday. She couldn’t follow me through the wall.’

Mama nods, unsurprised. ‘Then you must go alone. Find a way out. Tell our warriors, whomever is left in the Underhill, where we are. I’m sorry to put such a thing upon you, but you’re our only hope, my love.’

She glances back at the other women and faelings, all huddled together in the cell.

‘Soon, we won’t have any magick left for him to take from us. When that happens, he won’t let us go free, Fiana, no matter what he says. Nixus is false, a deceiver.’ Her eyes harden. ‘As all humans are. Don’t trust any of them. Find fae to help you.’

She looks up at the door that’s always closed unless they’re coming to take our mothers to bleed them of their fae magick and kisses my cheek.

‘You can do it.’

She turns me and pushes me toward the wall. ‘Go now. Before they return.’

Tears run down my cheeks, but I do as she says. I walk through the thick stone.

It’s easy.

I emerge into a bright passage, and I turn, running blindly into the maze of catacombs that I've begun to learn. I come out here whenever I get bored, so I know where to go.

At a junction of five tunnels, I turn to the left and take the first passage. This one is unused. I can tell because the floor is caked in dried mud from when it last flooded and hasn’t been cleared.

I keep to the very edge so that my bare feet don’t leave prints that will be noticed by any of the human guards. At the end is another passage, which I know is one of a few that lead to where the humans congregate. I hear a couple of them talking in low tones and I follow the sound.

They must know a way out of here.

But what then? I don’t know how to get back home to the Underhill. What if I can’t find?—

No! Mama and the others are counting on me. I have to find a way, a Ring to take me back. Then, I can find our warriors. I can tell them where the females and the faelings are, and they can save the others.

I follow the sounds of humans and get to a clearly well used tunnel that I recognize from when they brought us here.

I look to the left and then the right. Which way?

The sounds are louder to the right, so that’s the direction I take. I don’t rush. Mama always says I go too fast and miss things.

I get to an old, thick, wooden door. There’s a square opening at the top with bars on it. Putting my foot carefully on one of the beams that go across, I hoist myself up and peer inside.

I stifle my gasp as I see Berameia’s mama. She was taken earlier by the humans. She’s strapped onto a table, sobbing quietly. An orb on a pedestal glows dimly and I hear a male curse.

‘It’s no use. I thought they had some left in them, but there’s not enough to extract anymore.’

I hear the low murmur of a male reply, but I can’t see the other person from where I am even when I crane my neck and press my cheek to the bars.

‘It’s time. I’ll have the young ones taken into the mountains. There’s a temple there where the priests are loyal. They might still have some use.’

‘The females?’ I hear the other male ask.

‘Do you want them for your fold?’

There’s a low laugh and the male speaks more loudly. ‘They’re loyal to the Underhill. They’re less use to me than they are to you.’

‘I’ll get rid of them then. The city is wound up, they think there are witches here. I’ll give them some.’

My gasp is audible.

‘What was that?’

I jump down from the door and run silently down the passage and back into the unused tunnel.

I crouch down in the dark and try not to cry. The humans of the Light are going to kill mama and the others! I have to help them!

Wiping my tears away, I begin to make my way back to them quickly. Perhaps when I tell Mama, she’ll be able to rally the others. Maybe if they know their fate, they’ll fight instead of languishing in the cells.

But as I near the opening, a shadow blocks the passage. The figure’s hand is hard as it hits me with such force that I’m thrown into the wall, the side of my head cracking against the stone.

I slide to the muddy floor, my mind in disarray. I need to get to Mama. I need…

It’s bright. I scrunch my eyes up and whimper. My head hurts.

‘There, there, little one. You’re safe,’ says a kindly male voice.

I start, sitting up and find myself staring into the face of a fae.

My eyes widen at the tall, thin male. His violet eyes are benevolent, I think.

‘You have to help me!’ I say. ‘Please! My mama and the other females and faelings of the Underhill. They were captured and taken to the Light. The humans are going to kill them!’

The fae sits back and regards me. ‘You’re of the Underhill?’

I nod vigorously despite the pain in my head.

‘Please, I need to get back home so that the fae warriors can?—’

He’s shaking his head. Why is he shaking his head?

‘Don’t you understand?’ I say. ‘The humans are going to…’

He looks so sadly at me that I stop talking.

‘No!’ I shriek.

‘Little one, I’m sorry. It’s too late.’

Tears come to my eyes. ‘But I was meant to save them,’ I whisper.

‘The humans worked quickly. No one could have saved them. I know. I tried. The Underhill is defeated.’ He looks away. ‘The fae who survived are scattered to the Dark Realms. The Underhill is no longer safe.’

Mama. My friends. Everyone. Gone.

I close my eyes tightly. ‘The humans of the Light killed them,’ I sob.

‘Yes. They wanted their magick. They have none of their own so they stole it from us. What is your name, little one?’

‘Fiana,’ I force out.

‘How did you escape? Were there any others?’

I shake my head. ‘My magick,’ I whisper. ‘Mama said mine came early. I went through the wall. I was meant to get help for the rest.’

My sobs begin anew. ‘I failed them.’

‘No,’ the fae male says, putting his hand on my shoulder. ‘You did everything you could. It was the humans. The Light. It’s their fault that this has happened.’

The fae stands. ‘I’ve brought you to a safe place, a fold I created. It’s small, but it will get bigger in time.’

He smiles down at me. ‘I’m going to save who I can of our kind and bring them here. When our numbers are great enough, we can crush the Light and destroy the humans who stole so much from us.’

I find myself nodding through my tears. The humans and the Light Realm killed Mama, and everyone I cared about. They need to pay.

‘Can I help?’ I ask, blinking up at him, my eyes drying.

He gives me another smile and nods. ‘Yes. You can help, Fiana. It will be a long road, but we will avenge the fallen of our kind. Rest now.’

He begins to move away.

‘Wait! What’s your name?’ I ask.

‘My name is Varrik.’