Chapter 5
CHAPTER FIVE
Deirdre
A piece of algae tangled around my leg as I clawed my way through the thick, murky water. The slimy strand tugged as I attempted to swim. Ducking back under the surface, I ripped the leafy restraint off me.
I have to get away from here.
Kane watched me in amusement. Did he think this was fun? That I was some toy to be played with?
My chest constricted with too many emotions to decipher. I didn't know where I was or which direction to run in and if I escaped, what then? How far would I make it before one of his fae minions dragged me back here?
Think, Deirdre.
There has to be a way out.
Don’t give up.
Crispin’s broken body flickered through my mind.
Our last moment before the world changed re-played, how he smiled, how he yelled at Boots, who brayed at the fact he was not invited in for breakfast.
“Just this once,” I said, reaching over and rubbing Crispin’s arm. “It is my birthday.”
“I have a better idea.” He tugged my chair forward until my knees bumped against his. “Take that donkey to the river for a wash while I hide your presents.”
Leaning over, he kissed right below my ear. “I’ll come join you as soon as I’m done.”
I pushed the image as far away as it could go, not wanting to remember.
I couldn't deal with the truth of what happened to him. Not now. His death would not be in vain. I’d escape this wicked place, bury my husband, and find some way to move on with my life without him in it.
Giant lily pads covered the pond. I grabbed one, surprised at the sheer size and thickness of it. Gripping the stem with my feet, I held on to the plant, using it to keep me afloat.
Slimy textures rubbed against my skin. Birds chirped too loud, zipping through the air around me. Humid heat pressed against my face as I breathed heavily.
A fat, bulbous beetle flew into my face, and I swatted the insect away, cringing at its abnormal size. Insects normally didn’t bother me, but that weevil had no right being that big!
Kane stood on the bank of the pond, arms folded, frowning at whatever the red-headed pixie said.
She flitted around Kane’s face, pointing a finger, wings fluttering in rapid succession.
The dark-haired one that I’d captured clung to the bars of the wooden cage, glaring, a wicked glint in her dark, wide-set eyes.
The shadowy crown on Kane’s head had vanished, and I wondered if he ever wore a crown in his domain.
Wind blew the rotted stench of the swamp around me.
This place is nothing like the tomes suggested.
Before Kane’s reign, humans were allowed here. Any tale recorded talked about moonlit gardens, forests glittering with pixie dust and will-o’-the-wisps, and music drifting through the afternoon like a songful breeze.
One of the books pictured a beautiful, white-domed gazebo, pulsing with intricate blue runes that glowed under the moonlight. I’d always hoped to see it in person.
This place?
How could they even be the same?
There was an odd decaying scent surrounding the pond, as if whatever lay at the bottom of the brackish water had been rotting for decades. Tall reeds lined the edges of the pond, making it appear not as deep as I feared.
Quickly, I swam farther away from Kane. He didn't follow or attempt to jump in the water after me, continuing to stand on the grass as if it was just another day. I didn't know whether to be grateful or terrified. Was there a reason he decided not to go into the pond after me?
I surveyed my surroundings, trying to understand the landscape. There were plenty of trees around that it would be difficult for Kane to transform into a dragon and chase me, and enough wood for me to at least block my retreating path.
But then what?
I knew Kane’s home was on the mountains, surrounded by magical woods. Though the forest was too dense in this area, Caste Castle was south of where I had come, which meant I needed to go north.
North, but not through the mountains. I’ll never survive the Crested Mountains in just this… but maybe I could go down the mountain and head toward Farrow’s Gate.
No matter which direction I chose, I knew I had to escape. I had no lingering childhood fantasies about being queen. Those died the moment I realized the Deathless One didn’t care for fulfilling any prophecy, and my entire life had been wasted.
If Kane could kill Crispin so easily, what would he do to the human who defied him?
The Deathless One would make an example out of me and prove to all of us humans who truly ruled Saol.
Could I kill him?
Grabbing another lily pad, I eyed Kane, treading water and ignoring the slimy textures rubbing against my legs.
If Crispin had still been alive, maybe I’d have a better chance to escape, but everyone referred to Kane as the Deathless One for a very good reason.
As a child, I'd heard many terrifying tales about the fae king.
Stories about someone chopping off Kane's head and it magically popping back onto his body like a balloon.
Others spoke about him being burned alive to ash and then magically reappearing the next day like the mystical phoenix.
I had always been curious about his immortality: how he attained it, was it a curse or a blessing? What would it be like to outlive everyone you knew?
Then, as a teenager, I dreamed about Kane and me getting married and how heartbroken he would be as I aged and passed away, how he would vow to never love again. It was a foolish dream and one that made me cringe when I thought about it now.
But didn't all girls fantasize about being a princess or queen?
For years, I saw the prophecy as a blessing, then that dream faded away like the leaves during autumn. Something that had been hope and beauty morphed into a fearful, terrifying thing. It wasn't just the rumors surrounding his deaths, but what started happening to humans.
Humans weren't allowed in any fae settlements, and those that dared to test that rule were quickly removed from the world.
As I grew from a young girl to a teenager to a young adult, I realized that being betrothed to Kane was a curse.
Was this part of the All Father’s great plan? For the child of prophecy to drown in a swamp while her supposed king watched?
Curse it all…
Even if I survived today, and Kane decided to really go through with this ridiculous arrangement, his kind had been trained to hate me, and I had no idea what they would do if I became their queen.
Something brushed against my side, peeling me from my thoughts. I spun around in the water, my feet kicking.
What was that?
When I backpedaled, my dress caught on a submerged branch. I ducked under the water to grab hold of it and tugged.
Something poked my hip, and I yelped, breaching the surface and screaming.
I glanced back at Kane. The easy grin on his face had been replaced with something slightly more sinister.
He knew something.
What was in here with me?
“Get out of the water!” the red-headed pixie screamed.
Kane growled and moved to grab her, but she darted out of the way. His shadows lassoed around the pixie, stopping her flight.
Another pixie, this one with light-brown hair, hovered near the edge of the pond. Though she said nothing, she motioned with her hand for me to move to my right.
“Ella,” Kane said in a low tone, and the brown-haired pixie zipped away, disappearing into one of the nearby trees.
At least not everyone wants to kill me.
If I can get free of Kane’s reach, maybe the two pixies would help.
The damp heat continued to press around me, making the water feel stagnant other than refreshing. Clouds of gnats hovered around areas of the water, making me wish I had run in a different direction.
This wasn’t a swamp, yet every aspect reminded me of the bogs I had read about in the temple.
Something grabbed my leg, bringing me under.
In a fit of panic, I kicked at whatever wrapped its sinewy hands around me and kept swimming to the opposite side of where Kane stood. If I could just make it out of here, I might have a chance of using the surrounding foliage to create a wall between Kane and me.
Faster I swam, kicking and moving as quickly as I could.
Giant lily pads blocked my path, and I shoved the impossibly large plant aside.
A creature leaped out of the water and over my head, landing on the bank in front of me.
I don't know if I was too shocked to scream or the terror had frozen me completely, but I stopped swimming, my feet treading water as I gaped in horror at the creature propped on the grass.
The muddy brown fae crouched on the moss, sitting like a bullfrog, knees bent, hands in front of it. There was no nose that I could see. Two holes, a wide mouth, two giant black eyes, and pointy ears that stuck out of its hairless head.
It blinked, eyes switching from black to gold.
What is that?
Some type of fae creature, but what? A brownie? A sprite?
It stared at me, cocking its head to the side. A long tongue flicked out of its mouth, forked like a snake. Its limbs were skinny like twigs, its body fat and bulbous. It opened its mouth and croaked just like a bullfrog.
Maybe that's what it is? Some type of brownie bullfrog?
Part of the reason my mother had left me at the temple at such a young age was that I would be trained and taught on all manners of fae. Everything from brownies to the high-born city elves to the dark fae that lived below the surface in the Underground, to the pixies that fluttered around Kane.
The Deathless One said nothing, waiting for me to either die or beg to be rescued, but I would never ask him for help.
“Nice frog, brownie creature. I'm sorry. I don't know what you are.” Cautiously, I started sidestroking away from the creature. It didn't move at first. Just followed me with its yellow gaze.
Maybe it's harmless.
I had run into a few different fae creatures in my village. There was a very polite gnome merchant who would travel and bring the most beautiful carvings to the temple.
I wouldn't judge this creature just because it was in Kane’s court. The creature allowed me to swim to the bank. Giving myself a moment to breathe, I pulled myself out of the pond. My dress weighed heavy, full of water and pond scum.
The creature turned slightly, tilting its heart-shaped face at me.
Then it hopped forward.
A sluggish sensation filled my limbs, every movement draining me more.
I couldn’t tell if my magic was at its limits or if the non-stop fight-or-flight movement was wearing me down.
I had used a lot of power, and I didn't want to use any right now when I still had to fight off Kane.
I glanced around for anything that I could grab.
But I didn't want to seem threatening. Not if I needn't be.
The strange creature hopped again until it was just an arm's length away from me.
Too close for my comfort.
“I'm sorry if I disturbed your pond,” I said in my softest tone. “I'm just going to be on my way now.”
That forked tongue flicked out again, long and wide, and then it opened its mouth to croak. Green gas poured out and onto my face.
I choked on the gaseous liquid. It stung my throat, my eyes, the inside of my nose. I coughed again, struggling to catch my breath.
A strange tingling started through my limbs. I quickly stood, meaning to put distance between this thing and me. I stumbled, attempting to get on my feet, but suddenly I couldn't feel them anymore. The numbing sensation traveled through my body.
What's happening to me?
Colors blurred around me, and the deep green of the swamp melted with the night sky, blending into one blurred image.
The tiny bumps on my tongue soured, burning with a tartness that turned my whole mouth numb.
“What’s… happening…?”
Staring at my hands, I moved them, slowly, almost as if some unseen force surrounded them in a thick substance.
I couldn't feel myself fall, though I knew it was happening by the change in scenery.
I splashed into the pond, floating on the surface.
The brown creature hopped onto my stomach and pushed me down into the water.
The world around me wavered, the light disappearing.
Without the ability to move, there was no chance of escape.
Crispin…
How can it end like this?
Was my entire existence worthless?
Would Crispin be happy to see me on the other side? Or would he be disappointed that I gave up, that the sacrifice of his life had been for nothing?
If he were here, I know I could fight enough to get through this, but without him, everything was starting to feel more and more hopeless, and as I sank deeper into the water, I prayed for death.
At least it wouldn't be at Kane's hands. In fact, death such as this might be my only chance at revenge.