Chapter 6
THE FAIRY QUEEN
She is unsure what to make of the human.
His motives seemed singular enough. He needed a wish for reasons that were his own. The Fairy Queen had no reason to pry.
Now, after he had double-crossed her, she wondered if allowing him to keep secrets was unwise.
Finn had unhanded her shortly after they began walking along the path. She watches him stow the ornate dagger into a simple sheath along his hip. Feet pausing on the overgrown grass, he sweeps golden hair from his forehead.
A pale scar along his hairline glints in the light.
The human's smile is sheepish as it meets her glare. He is taller than her fairy guards, more muscular too. The Fairy Queen had felt those rippling muscles against her, and they had elicited an unfamiliar ache.
The same one stirred by his confident grins.
"I'm sorry for the whole blade-to-the-throat-thing, Queenie. Couldn't risk them coming after me."
The Queen merely raises a brow.
He is bold, this human. Few were bold enough to pull such a brazen act. In the short time they had known each other, the more Finn fascinated her. Indeed, he was to his very core intriguing.
And horrendously reckless. Honorable, too. She would give him that.
Dagger at her neck, notwithstanding.
In such a position, he could've demanded more. Taken it if he wanted to, given the weakened state of her magic, but he hadn't. Finn was willing to hold up his end of their bargain and help her find answers.
In theory, she could’ve fended him off. Despite her limited power, Elwood and her other scouts could’ve overpowered Finn had she wanted it.
At that moment, she had a choice to make.
She had wanted to go after the Void for decades. Finn had given her the opportunity to do so without Fren’s warnings and Elwood’s refusal to allow her into the danger. In a way, she was grateful to Finn for forcing them both into the Deadlands regardless of the danger.
This had to end.
The Fairy Queen was ready to face the enemy she had endured since before she was Queen. With her knowledge of the threat and Finn's bravery, there was a better chance of them finding answers if they worked together.
It was something she should've initially offered.
Not that she was going to offer that realization as they resume their heavy silence. The memory of the blade’s kiss on her throat causes anger to spark.
Flapping her wings, she glides forward through the air a few paces ahead of Finn. They quiver but support her weight.
Soft grass settles between her toes as she trudges forward into Meadowmist. Dew clings to the air. A gentle breeze teases her naked skin. Sun puddles decorate the ground, revealing sprawling hills and bountiful beds of flowers.
The guildtrees overhead glow from within.
Blue and purple light seep from their trunks and cover the ground in vibrant splashes of color. Their delicate leaves rustle in the mild wind. Mistbirds fly between the trees, while hares hop into concealed underground dens.
Soft bodies glide along her calves, eliciting a smile.
To think that something wants all this beauty to turn to rot sickens her. She will fight with her dying breath to end the Void and its Deadlands. Not one more blade of grass in Meadowmist will succumb to its evil.
The quiet stretches as they make their way through the overgrowth. It is uncomfortable, and truth be told, she didn't know Finn was capable of staying quiet for this long.
The Fairy Queen feels him at her back, his body heat slipping under her dress.
It teases memories of his touch. Despite the blade at her throat, the way he held her had been gentle—pleasant.
Finn was unlike any male she had ever seen, alluring and beautiful. Breakable and human. His touches were promises she couldn't accept. Not while her realm suffered.
Not when her intended's life had been claimed by the Void.
The firm press of Finn's shoulder rouses her from the dark memories. The Fairy Queen hadn't heard him approach. She remains fixed forward on the path as his shoulder bumps her again. With a sigh, she glances up.
The remorse in his gaze makes her chest tighten.
"I really am sorry, Queenie. I don't want you to hate me."
"Would it matter if I did?" Her wings pull back. "There is no need for us to be acquaintances. For all intents and purposes, you are my servant. One that leaves much to be desired when it comes to respect."
Finn bumps her again, and the touch sears into her bones. His grin spreads, and the icy walls that had been building between them for the past hour shatter. The Finn-induced ache spreads from her chest and settles in a pounding rhythm between her thighs.
"I have a high respect for your authority," he states, placing a hand over his heart.
"Could've fooled me."
"It's your guard I don't trust."
"Elwood is loyal. He—"
"Wants me dead, Queenie."
The Fairy Queen's feet snag on the grass. A pair of hares nuzzle into her ankles while a mistbird settles its pale body on her shoulder. Finn's blue eyes glow with wonder as he takes her in.
The burning need between her thighs grows the longer their eyes meet. The world around them turns silent. The trees and grass unfocus, and all she can see is Finn’s smile. Her eyes catalog every scar.
His words, his body—make her want things she shouldn't.
The Fairy Queen blinks. Elwood's disdain for him was merely a precaution against an outside threat.
Nothing more.
"Elwood does seem to have a particular dislike of you. I thought you agreeing to go into the Deadlands for us would've alleviated it."
Finn throws his head back. Golden hair snags on his collar. The strong column of his throat works with each deep chuckle. The harsh ridges of his chest muscles wink through the gap in his shirt.
The Fairy Queen’s heart pounds painfully against her ribs.
"And steal his chance to be your hero? No chance, Queenie." Blue eyes sparkle down at her. "When were you two last together?"
His words don't make sense. They were just together an hour ago before Finn dragged her into the woods. Her earlier worries about human memories seem to be—
The expectant look in his eyes makes the meaning dawn on her. Heat spreads along her cheeks as she shakes her head. The misbird burrows under her pink curls, nipping at her cheek.
"Elwood and I aren't together. He has made offers of marriage in the past, but I," she swallows thickly, "I'm not to be wed."
"Why?" Finn asks, holding up a low branch for her to pass underneath.
The forest grows dimmer the deeper they travel. The trees overlap like fingers, and the golden sunlight turns sporadic. Life still hums within the meadow. The scent of encroaching decay is faint. The hares at her feet scurry away, and the mistbird flies to safety in one of the taller trees.
"My betrothed was killed by the Void." The words taste like poison.
"The entity first entered our realm in the neighboring kingdom of Goldren.
It claimed the lives of the royal family.
Rot spread over the land, consuming everything without delay.
Those who managed to flee it initially said an obsidian tower fell from the sky, and from it the Void infected our world. "
Her steps pause, and Finn halts behind her.
Moisture burns in her eyes, but she blinks the errant tears away. Turning towards the path, she glances away from the human. Crying will do her no good. It will not save the ones she still has or bring back those she's lost.
"The Spirits had foretold that the King and Queen of Goldren’s son would be my mate. Together, we would unite our two fairy kingdoms as one. Ushering in a new era. With him killed as a babe, I honor the memory of what could've been by not marrying another."
If the Void had arrived after they had wed, would it have made a difference? Or would the Deadlands have claimed her just as it had him? These questions have plagued her for centuries.
For a moment, she allows herself to pretend he was here. If he were, she'd at least have someone to share the burden with.
The Fairy Queen has felt utterly alone in her plight. The Void has taken her family, her mate, she'll be damned if it takes her life too.
Finn has gone silent during her tale.
Turning back towards him, her breath catches. Blue eyes are wider than the moon, and his skin is as pale. Her brows lower as his hand falls to the hilt of his dagger.
Before she can form a question, he unsheaths the weapon. With a roar, Finn charges towards her, blade extended.