Chapter 16
KORMAC
I woke up from a dreamless sleep, shooting upright to meet sunlight streaming through the window.
Still on the damn ship.
“Hellpiss…” I muttered, my mouth dry.
I’d really not wanted to sleep, but my body had other ideas.
Rubbing at my chest where the itchy yellow woolen robes scratched, I got to my bare feet. Padded across the floorboards to the window.
The sea had calmed down overnight, the swells not as aggressive. The ship still bobbed and rocked under its will, though. It wasn’t exactly tranquil.
I really hated ships.
Sunlight sparkled on the waves, different from the sun of Summer.
Just like the sun of Autumn shone differently.
Apparently, back in the human realm to the far east, beyond the Summer Ocean, there were seasons.
Four of them. Each one taking over from the last in an endless cycle each year.
Covering countries throughout the whole realm, not split into four places like Faerie.
Seemed impossible to me. How could the same place with a blazing sun like Summer suddenly be smothered in snow a few months later?
I’d like to see it for myself, but that was an empty dream.
Humans who drifted here didn’t ever go back to that far away land.
They became slaves to seelie hellpissers or found a better life aligned to the unseelie.
Lasair promised better conditions for humans under unseelie rule.
But what now? What did Lord Florent think?
With a yawn, I returned to the bed. To sit and think and try not to give myself too much of a hard time for not coming up with a plan yet.
Deep breaths. Centering myself.
Why was I still on this ship? Why wasn’t I on dry land?
I’m sorry, Valance. I’m sorry I failed you.
No amount of controlled breathing stopped the pain in my heart. Every moment I sat here, I failed the prince again and again. He was suffering somewhere farther away now. Taken ashore, clearly.
The cabin door opened, the young and old fae from last night returning. The war-worn man aimed an arrow at me again while the other shackled me. They both looked tired.
I said nothing, let them do what they needed to do. Let them lead me out of the cabin, up the stairs to the deck.
“We’re getting into a smaller boat,” the young fae said. “Don’t try anything.”
“I won’t.”
“Good,” the older fae added. “The better you behave, the easier this will be.”
“Are you taking me to Spring Keep?” Of course, they were. I just wanted some reassurance.
“You have people waiting for you there.”
“Lasair?” I asked.
“Enough talking.”
I shut up, taken to the edge of the ship where a metal ladder descended to a small wooden boat moored to the ship. Big enough for three people.
There were a lot of Gentry fae still on the ship, watching me. My nerves prickled, and I kept my gaze away from anyone other than my handlers.
Damn them all to the rotten corners of the hells.
Hellpissing scum!
The older man went down the ladder first. Quickly. Once in the boat, he pointed the arrow at me again.
“Now you,” the young man said. “Climb down.”
“Can I climb shackled like this?”
“I thought you weren’t going to be difficult.”
“I’m not. I’m saying this won’t be easy.”
“You’ll have to manage,” he replied impatiently.
“What if I fall in?”
“We’re good swimmers. We’ll fish you out. But you’d better make sure that doesn’t happen. My friend down there won’t be happy to take a morning swim in that cold water.”
“I’ll try my best,” I said, grabbing hold of the edge of the ship.
“Do better than that. Now move.”
I managed to get down the ladder without taking a dip. Thank the gods. It wasn’t easy, every rung slippery and freezing cold. Holding those damn metal bars took every effort I could muster. But I sat in the boat, dry aside from the sweat.
The hellpissing yellow robe itched to the hells. I longed for my smelly, battered clothes.
The younger fae took up oars and churned the water with ease, moving across the water to the shore of Spring. I faced it, the best view in the boat.
Was Lasair in Spring waiting for me? What did she have in store?
I suppressed my anger, keeping still with my shackled hands resting in my lap.
By the gods, I’d have my moment to shine and slice. This was not heading for a conclusion I didn’t like. I’d make sure of it.
I can do this…
The closer to the sun-dappled shore we reached, the more I saw of the metal and rock keep.
Gray and black. Ominous. It was a cube shape with two towers jutting out of it, tall and completely symmetrical.
No curves. Fires burned at the top of the towers as beacons, flickering in the wind.
The lower half was embedded into the gray rocks, the rest of it above ground.
Spring Keep.
We reached the beach, the cliffs much higher close up. A tunnel in the rock shone with sunlight. Was that a portcullis I saw over it?
More Gentry soldiers in copper armor, their red hair fire crowns on their heads, waited at the top of the beach with a horse and cart made of metal.
The cart, with huge wheels, was more of a cage than a fancy piece of transportation, crisscrossed with sturdy bars.
At least it had a cushioned seat inside.
The top of the beach was stone road running along the bottom of the cliffs, feeding into the tunnel that was definitely covered with a portcullis of black metal bars.
So much metal.
“Get in,” the young Gentry ordered. The twenty or so other men and women gathered around.
Now would be the perfect time for Valance to come running with his berserker head on.
No such luck.
I climbed into the cage-carriage, appreciating the white horse ready to pull it. Elegantly groomed, big, and well trained. Patient.
Beautiful.
The young Gentry slammed the cage door as I sat on the yellow cushioned seat, my heartbeat frantic.
Calm. Be calm.
Valance…
The horse moved, the big wheels turning with a heavy grind.
My minders walked either side of the carriage, our journey slow.
The black metal portcullis lifted, and we were inside a tunnel filled with sunlight.
I closed my eyes against the harsh glare, holding up a hand as a shield for added protection.
Colors. Blue and green. Stars. Shimmering across a dark and snowy landscape. I saw it all for less than a minute before the room blinked back into view.
What in the seven hells? Had I dozed off? Damn me!
We broke through the other side of the tunnel, passing under another portcullis. My eyes readjusted, able to take in the landscape before me.
By the gods. It was amazing.
Rolling hills and vibrant flowers released rich perfume into my nostrils. A land in full bloom with plenty of trees and plant life. The colors popped like a vibrant painting, the warmth of the sun pleasant, not sweltering like Summer.
A purple butterfly fluttered into the cage, landing on my hand. It flexed its wings for a few moments, then took off again.
There were so many butterflies and birds and flowers with bees busy working across them. A place teeming with life.
My nose tickled from the pollen, threatening to release a sneeze.
The road we followed went inland a short way, then curved back around up a hill toward the keep.
As we ascended higher, I saw more of this country. More colors, more of the coastline, distant buildings of villages and towns. I even saw sheep.
Somewhere out there were the famous forges where the Gentry’s metal-making skills were put to work. I didn’t see any hint of them, not one trace of smoke on the horizon.
Turning my attention to the keep, I waited, watching the ugly structure with knots in my stomach. Gods, it was such a blight on this green and pleasant land. But I suppose it worked to show the cold, horrible heart of the Gentry.
Perfect for a bunch of hellpissers who’d betrayed their prince.
You care so much.
I do…
And he was in there. I felt it. Somewhere deep and cold and dark and alone. Needing me.
I’m coming, Valance.
I’d lost myself to the binding magic, to him. Right now, I didn’t care. I had to see him, to get him to safety. Everything else could fuck off.
The keep really was huge, much bigger when you got up this close. A real statement building to remind the little people who ran the show in this country.
I’d pay good money. I didn’t have to see it fall.
Gentry guards lined the road, lurked in the building’s sparse windows, flanking the huge metal doors. Lots of bodies to contend with. Too many against this one.
The young fae opened the cage, even helped me step down. I wanted to crack his skull with mine. I resisted, allowing myself to be taken to the opening metal doors.
Into the belly of Spring.
An enormous hall greeted me, fires burning in huge pits, in sconces jutting from the walls.
Not one hint of sunlight or the warmth of the outside broke through.
Everything was metal and stone. No softness, not even a painting.
Metal latticework twisted across the ceiling, spreading down the stone walls. That was as artful as it got.
I shuddered, my feet not enjoying the cold stone floor.
“Move,” the young Gentry said, prodding me in the back with a finger.
What I wouldn’t give to snap that fucking finger.
Stone stairs waiting at the back of the hall. I got prodded again toward them. I walked, behaved, bided my time.
After walking up so many stairs in silence, I ended up in another huge room. Smaller than the entrance hall but still ridiculously huge.
This room, with more blazing torches and metal-work, at least had some furniture to give it something extra.
Row after row of cushioned seats, yellow and ugly, placed in a half-moon shape behind a massive throne sitting on a dais.
The throne was also yellow, with some fancy metal-work making up its back.
Another chair sat opposite the throne, the smallest one in the room. I was directed to sit on it.
The perfect seat for a prisoner to face his doom on.
More shackles were added to my legs, the chain on my collar attached to something in the floor under my chair.
I wasn’t going anywhere.
Yet.