Chapter 5
CHAPTER 5
T he clang of the heavy lock reverberated in Lila’s chest. Rattled, she glared at the steel door, as if it was at fault for her nerves. He’d been cool as ice, but then the mask slipped. What she’d just glimpsed was the stuff of nightmares. One Ademar already knew was real.
Lila spun and strode past the row of doors set into the gray walls. She wanted distance between herself and the werewolf. Questioning the beast had resolved nothing.
He’d broken into the way station and attacked her brother. Rabid dogs had to be put down. And yet that bite was only one of his offenses. He’d made outrageous allegations against her people, and something told her he was just getting started. If she hadn’t walked away, he would have kept spewing accusations about kidnappings and evil fae.
But that was the problem, wasn’t it? Hadn’t she been asking some of the same things? Lila slowed to catch her breath. Why was there a prison here, anyway? A way station was meant to be neutral ground, a place of peace. Not even traditionalist vampires had dungeons anymore—not when there were so many more creative ways to inconvenience the enemy .
Plus, this was a brand-new way station, so the cells weren’t relics of a previous era. Someone had meant to build a jail for a particular reason—and she doubted it was for the purpose of snatching a parade of werewolves sniffing around the valley. For one thing, what would one do with them? They weren’t exactly purse dogs.
For another, she’d lived in the city with its mix of shifters, witches, vampires, and every other supernatural species. Some were quick to pick a fight, but rarely wolves. The wolf’s story about looking for someone made more sense than an Alpha stirring up trouble just because.
What had she—and the rabid wolf—stumbled upon?
She continued hurrying past door after door, wishing she’d paid better attention when she’d entered the basement level. It was strange that she was alone—there were no guards keeping watch over the cells—but then what was normal in this place?
That nervous, queasy feeling in her gut rose up again, cresting before Lila ruthlessly slammed it down. By the Abyss, she shouldn’t have spoken with the wolf, whether or not her mother had asked it of her. Every time she got involved with her family or the fae in general, she ended up tangled in some complicated problem.
She stopped, suddenly winded. She’d been speed walking for—she wasn’t sure how long, but longer than it should have taken to reach the stairs to get out of this basement. Was she going the right way? She surveyed the doors on either side of the hall, wondering who was behind each one. Lord Teegar? The vampire? The wolf’s missing kin?
Retracing her steps, Lila nearly made a wrong turn into a side-corridor she hadn’t known was there. Or was it? The harder Lila concentrated, the more the angles of the walls seemed to shift, making her sway as if the earth itself was tilting. A throbbing headache crept in.
A confusion spell was at work. Her mother had warned her this level had magical wards against intruders. Whoever entered this part of the house wasn’t supposed to leave. Lila closed her eyes and pressed a hand to the hard, cold wall. Slowly, the ground beneath her feet grew still. She could figure this out.
Without looking, she used her fingertips to guide her down the corridor. Before she’d gone twenty steps, she found the stairway. About three steps up, a spell pushed her back hard enough she felt the pressure against her cheeks.
“ Aberethon ,” she whispered, sending a push of power into the barrier. The word was less important than the magic behind it, and her power was born of true Fernblade blood.
She hoped the small spell wouldn’t trigger a counterattack, and it didn’t. Lila ran up the stairs, her heart thudding. If she hadn’t been fae—if she hadn’t been powerful—she would have been stuck in the dismal place. Grateful for her escape, she grabbed the handle, fumbling because her palms were damp. The door swung open with a faint squeak. A moment later, she was back in the entry hall where Ademar had put Teegar to sleep.
It had still been dark when she’d entered the dungeon. It was just past dawn now, the sun spilling in through the tall windows. Given everything that had happened, the cheerful daylight didn’t seem real. Nothing did. Lila eyed the front door, which someone—presumably her mother’s servants—had repaired. There was no trace of Teegar’s violent entry, much less Teegar.
Her gaze turned to the view of the trees outside. In a matter of moments, she could be back in the forest, then back in her car, and on her way to her own snug apartment. She’d walked away from the insanity of the fae world before and been far happier for it.
But the first time she’d left, everyone had been fine. Now Ademar was hurt, vampires were knocking on Sala’s door, and her mother was exhausted. As strong as the pull to leave might be, Lila couldn’t turn her back on them. She had to understand what was happening .
She mounted the stairs and turned her steps toward her brother’s room. As soon as the doorway came into view, she stopped. Her mother stood just outside, speaking to one of the two hooded servants. Judging by Galeeta’s gestures, she was giving instructions. Lila hung back, a sense of foreboding creeping down her back. It wasn’t unusual for lesser fae—pixies, bogles, and the like—to serve their noble masters, but she would recognize their kind. She certainly wouldn’t fear them.
This silent, looming servant wasn’t any more reassuring in daylight than it had been last night. A moment later, the figure turned and strode away in the opposite direction from where Lila stood, the robes billowing around its feet. Were those talons? The thing moved too fast to be sure.
Her mother looked up, then beckoned Lila to approach.
After a moment’s hesitation, Lila complied. “What are those creatures?”
“Gargoyles,” Galeeta replied with a dismissive shrug. “A special breed of the species. They’ve proven themselves invaluable.”
“They’re terrifying. Why not use your regular staff?”
“These two don’t gossip.”
“About what?”
Her mother’s silence said that was all the answer Lila would get. For now , Lila thought to herself. Strategic was better than stubborn where her mother was concerned. Lila had played that game often enough.
She changed the topic. “How is Ademar?”
“He sleeps, which is the best thing for him.” Her mother closed the bedroom door, leaving them standing in the hallway. The spark in her eyes had dimmed with fatigue, and tendrils of hair had slipped from their pins. “I want to hear what you learned from the wolf. Follow me. You need to eat.”
Lila tried to remember the last time her mother had suggested something as mundane as food. It had been her father who never turned down a good meal and far preferred wine and old books to the political games and derring-do that were his wife’s breath and blood. It was no surprise that he wasn’t in the thick of the action, but still…
“Did you have a chance to reach Father?”
“I’m glad you asked.” Galeeta put her hand on Lila’s shoulder, the light touch lasting but a second. “I wish to speak of him, among other things.”
Curiosity sparked, but so did apprehension. Something in Galeeta’s tone promised nothing good.
They came to the same room where Lila had found Ademar waiting in the dark last night. With the blinds drawn, the room remained plunged in shadows. Lila hesitated on the threshold, seized by a sudden urge to return to brighter light. Galeeta gave Lila a gentle push and then followed her inside.
Someone—presumably the mysterious servants—had laid out food. Tall white candles flickered on the coffee table, framing a tray of cut fruit, soft cheeses, jams, and pastries. A carafe of hot water and a selection of herbal teas stood next to a stack of fine china cups. The rich array of food jarred her senses after the night’s bloodshed. And yet, her stomach grumbled a complaint.
“Please, help yourself.” Her mother sat in the armchair closest to the window, releasing a sigh of fatigue. “I’ll fetch some tea for myself in a moment.”
Lila, used to being around humans and their vices, wished for strong, black coffee. Again, an image of her father crossed her mind, leaving an ache behind. He’d love the city’s cafés, but had never found time to visit once she’d moved there.
Forcing her shoulders to relax, she crossed the room and picked up a plate, filling it with morsels of everything. “I have a lot of questions.”
“Then ask them.”
Her first impulse was to ask again about her father, but she stopped herself. Galeeta rarely offered information, and this might be her one chance. She had to pose her questions in a logical order and keep them brief. “I know I’m out of touch with the family, and I’m sorry about that.”
“You haven’t been back to a fae territory since you left,” Galeeta replied. “It’s been two years.”
“Well, I’m sorry to be so blunt, but I need to catch up now. First question: Is Ademar in some kind of trouble?”
“Whatever gives you that idea?” Galeeta countered.
“Sala sent me to check on him. Apparently, vampires went to her place, looking for Ademar. She was alarmed.”
Galeeta couldn’t quite hide the slight widening of her eyes—a tell that she was far more upset by that news than she was letting on. “Is that all?”
“There was the captain of the guard who broke in waving a sword.” Lila replied, putting a final wisp of pastry on a plate and handing it to her mother, along with a cup of Galeeta’s favorite tea. “Here. You need to eat as much as I do.”
“Thank you.” Her mother took the refreshments gratefully. “But tea doesn’t erase the fact that sarcasm is unbecoming in a daughter.”
Lila served herself and settled into the chair across from where her mother sat. A ball of anxiety lodged in her stomach. “Forget decorum. It’s time we spoke frankly. I can’t help if I don’t understand what’s going on.”
“Ademar is not in trouble,” Galeeta said in a chilly tone. “He is a warrior, and he was performing his duty. He has done nothing wrong. What is your next question?”
“Who built this way station and why?”
“The other way stations are well known and hardly secure. Lord Farras made this one in secret for King Elroth, to ensure the king could travel without risk.”
Farras again. His name was coming up a great deal. “Who else was involved? There had to be others to help him set the spell.” Magic did not always survive its creator. No one took chances with something as large as a way station, so it would be anchored to a group for safety’s sake.
Galeeta gave a slight shrug. “I don’t know the answer to that, but Lord Farras has many powerful friends to call upon for that. Is there anything else you want to know?”
Lila set her plate aside, her breakfast untouched. “Mother, why is there a magic-infested dungeon in the basement?” Do other children ask this kind of thing?
Galeeta blinked. “For prisoners, of course. By now, you’ve figured out this is not an ordinary station.” Her mother sipped her tea, her expression carefully blank. “As I said, it was created explicitly for the king’s safety. There is a struggle for the throne. Lord Farras is the king’s cousin and his supporter.”
“Then what was Captain Teegar doing here?”
“The captain hails from a rival clan. Farras believes he is part of a conspiracy against King Elroth’s life. If such a plot succeeds, every light fae will be forced to pick a side.”
Lila’s stomach lurched. “Civil war.”
“Exactly. And then the dark fae will move in to take advantage of the chaos.”
“As they do,” Lila added dryly. “We love blaming them for wrecks of our own making.”
Galeeta shot her a sharp look. “This is serious. The fate of all the fae hangs in the balance. You saw Teegar break down the door to the way station, sword drawn. What if the king had been here?”
Lila wasn’t sure of the answer. “Well, thanks to Ademar, Teegar is in the dungeon.”
Galeeta nodded again, her expression satisfied. “Yes, he is.”
“The Sleeping Beauty spell can be fatal.”
“It can, but I won’t let Captain Teegar die.” Galeeta picked a purple grape from her plate and popped it into her mouth. “His ultimate fate is not up to us.”
“Then what will you do?”
“We will take the fae prisoners with us once Lord Farras arrives. We’ll join King Elroth in Gilden Wood, and once we are there, Teegar will kneel before his sovereign. He will be exposed for the traitor he is, as we shall be on the side of his captors. It never hurts to remind royalty who supports them, and who does not.”
That scene was likely to end with an execution. Lila picked up her plate again, needing something to distract herself from that image. She bit into a slice of apple, but was too distracted to taste it. “What are you going to do with the other prisoners?”
“What did you learn from the wolf?”
Lila shivered at the memory of his fingers on her wrist.
“You look frozen, my dear.” Galeeta rose, setting her cup and plate on the table. Then she pulled up the blinds of one window. A rectangle of light fell across her, turning her golden hair to pale fire. “The one drawback of my new servants is that they can’t abide the light or heat of the sun.”
Lila stifled a sigh of relief. Daylight made her feel safer. “I spoke to the prisoner. He said other wolves came into the valley looking for a criminal. They never returned home, so he and the vampire came to investigate. He thought we killed or kidnapped them.”
“That’s a lie.” Galeeta turned to face Lila. “As one would expect. No matter which face they wear, shifters are mere beasts.”
Rafe—tall, dark, and wild—rose up in her imagination. “There is nothing mere about this one.”
“I will question the vampire. Go back and question the wolf again.”
“I just left him.”
“Get the truth this time. Lord Farras will be here shortly. ”
“So, the lord will arrive now that Captain Teegar is safely under lock and key?” Sarcasm again, but Lila couldn’t help it.
“Lord Farras is our good friend,” Galeeta chided. “Ademar is his protégé. He has paid many of our debts. You’d do well to remember what our family owes him.”
She remembered all too well. House Fernblade had been fading in wealth and power, until the king’s cousin had bestowed his friendship. At one time there had even been talk of betrothing Lila to the lord, but her father had insisted she’d been too young.
A lucky escape. She set down her tea, her stomach too upset to drink it.
“Are all your questions answered now?” Galeeta asked.
Lila met her gaze, refusing to look away. “Some.”
Galeeta’s eyebrows rose, gently mocking her daughter. “What did I miss?”
Lila pushed to her feet, needing to pace. “Why put yourself and Ademar in the middle of this mess? Why not leave court for a while?”
“I’m afraid there’s not much chance of that.” For the first time, panic leaked into her mother’s voice. “I didn’t want to talk about this until the time was right. Your father urgently needs the king’s help.”
“Father? Why?”
Dread crept over Lila. Something told her this was what Galeeta really wanted to tell her, why she’d plied her with tea and breakfast nibbles. Answering questions had been a means to gain her trust. Even with her own children, Galeeta calculated every move.
Except now, her mother’s face had drained of color. Something was genuinely wrong. Lila rose and knelt by her mother’s chair, and Galeeta gripped her hand.
“Why does Father need the king’s help?” Lila asked. “He’s not the type to make enemies, much less ask for royal favors. ”
Her mother’s chin wobbled. “He’s still a player at court, or enough of one to make himself a pawn.”
Lila watched in horror as her mother blinked back tears. “What does that mean?”
For the first time in the conversation, a flush of anger rose in Galeeta’s pale cheeks. “Teegar’s faction is holding him hostage. If we walk away from this fight, we forfeit your father’s life.”