Servant of Earth

Chapter 8

8

The entrance to Light House was situated on what must have been one of the uppermost levels of the vast underground city. My legs were shaking with fatigue by the time we’d finished climbing a succession of marble steps and emerged into a hall lined with pillars. Lara wasn’t even winded—faeries were apparently more resilient than humans.

My eyes hurt at the radiance. The floor was white, the walls were white, the thick pillars that marched in lines down the chamber were white. Bright orbs of light drifted above, and torches and crystals flooded the space with brilliance. The stone beneath my feet was veined with gold.

“Are we going inside the house, my lady?” I wondered what horrible trap lay in wait for the enemies of Light House. Earth House drowned unwelcome visitors, Fire burned them…what would Light do?

“Of course not,” she said under her breath. “We’ll be in one of the outer chambers for entertaining guests.”

I breathed a sigh of relief.

A white-and-gold-clad servant emerged from a door at the far end of the hall. He glowed as if lit from within, and white feathered wings sprouted from his back. The hem of his snowy robe rippled around his feet. It was only when he drew close that I saw he had no mouth whatsoever, and his eyes were orbs of liquid gold.

The glow around him was partially caused by a circle of light that tracked him as he moved. I looked up to see where it was coming from. Eight enormous glass lenses had been set into the walls near the ceiling, and unnaturally strong faerie light poured through all of them to collect in a moving pool beneath his feet.

I’d seen what the boys in Tumbledown had done with an anthill and a fragment of glass. Was this how Light House defended itself? By intensifying that light until it burned through any intruders?

The servant stopped. Welcome, Lady Lara. The deep voice sounded inside my head. I jumped, but Lara didn’t seem alarmed by the mental communication. Please follow me.

He led us to a nearby door, and I was relieved when the light didn’t follow. It had stopped at the last pillar some ten feet away and gone no farther.

The room was full of Noble Fae.

I followed Lara for a few paces, then stopped after she gave me a cutting look. I retreated to the wall where other servants stood with bowed heads and clasped hands and adopted the same position, sneaking glances at the magnificent room.

It was like standing in a cloud. The floor felt soft beneath my feet, and puffs of mist drifted at ankle height. The bottom half of the walls glittered like snow in sunshine, and the top half faded into the pure blue of a clear winter sky. A golden chandelier easily twenty feet in diameter illuminated the room.

The Noble Fae glittered, too. They wore elaborate clothing in colors I now recognized as belonging to the five houses—the natural tones of Earth, the purple and rainbows of Illusion, the red and orange of Fire, and the harshly contrasting white and black of Light and Void. Lara joined a male faerie who wore a brown velvet jacket a few shades lighter than his skin. He bowed to her, and she smiled at him.

I had the sudden feeling someone was watching me. I looked around stealthily—and met eyes with Prince Drustan, who looked resplendent in a gold tunic highlighted in crimson. He was engaged in conversation with two faeries from Light House. He grinned, and I looked away hastily.

Someone else was watching me, too. The cold faerie from Void House, the killer who had been the cause for my current position as Lara’s servant. He looked like death in a long black coat held together by silver clasps, and the same opal brooch from yesterday was pinned to his chest. He was speaking to another member of Void House, but his eyes held mine.

A trickle of fear skated down my spine. This had to be the Void prince. Everything about his watchful pose and frigid gaze spoke of barely restrained power.

His attention moved on, and I was able to breathe again.

A bell rang, and the faeries gathered at a long dining table. An array of dishes appeared on the snowy tablecloth. The smell of roasted meat was mouthwatering; I hadn’t eaten anything since yesterday, too dazed by my new surroundings. I watched jealously as Lara lifted a spoon of steaming soup to her lips.

“Makes you hungry, doesn’t it?” The soft whisper came from my left.

The charcoal-haired Underfae standing next to me was also stealing a peek at the table. He was a few inches shorter than me and wore the red-and-yellow livery of a Fire servant. His skin was ash gray, and his irises were black with a hint of flickering orange fire.

I was wary, but he smiled at me so contagiously that I couldn’t help smiling back. “Are we allowed to talk?”

“No. But that never stops us.”

Indeed, down the line I could see other servants whispering softly together, barely moving their lips. To my surprise, they spoke freely between houses—Illusion speaking to Fire, Light and Void sharing some piece of gossip. It was a sharp contrast to the table before us, where the Noble Fae sat in segregated clusters according to house.

If the servants shared information with one another, maybe I could start learning more about the immortality trials now. “I’m Kenna,” I said.

“The human who made it through the bog, right? My name is Aidan. I’m a Fire sprite.”

Weren’t sprites supposed to be tiny and evil? This one was much larger than I’d expected and seemed perfectly pleasant. I was willing to bet that, once again, the human legends had been wrong. “Nice to meet you. How did you hear about me?”

“Gossip travels fast between servants. Congratulations on surviving.”

I’d been so overwhelmed that I’d hardly had time to dwell on the memory of that frantic sprint for survival. It welled up now, an echo of visceral terror sliding through my veins. The dagger winding around my arm pulsed and pricked my skin, taking a small amount of my frantically coursing blood. Once again, I swore it sent me a feeling or thought. We won , it seemed to whisper. My heartbeat calmed, and I breathed deeply.

“The humans don’t know,” I said. Perhaps it was a risk to share my own confidences, but I needed to start building relationships. Besides, Aidan had greeted me with interest and friendliness, when so many of the faces around me looked hostile. “They don’t know that it’s just a game for the Fae. They think the humans are welcomed here and given a better life.”

Aidan winced. “I heard the solstice ritual once really did exist for the purpose of uniting the two species. But at least since the king’s been on the throne, it’s turned into entertainment.”

“How long has he ruled?”

“Eight hundred years.”

It was impossible to comprehend being ruled by the same king for that long. What were the Fae rules of succession? Did he have no heirs and no desire to relinquish the throne?

There was something else that had been bothering me. “How did all the other humans get here if no one ever makes it across the bog?”

“The king sends scouts out periodically to abduct them.” Aidan gave me a sympathetic look. “Sometimes for their beauty, sometimes for their strength, sometimes on a whim.”

A whim that tore out tongues and forced people into servitude. I’d never imagined that sort of evil.

The doors opened, and the Noble Fae rose as four purple-liveried soldiers bearing curved blades marched in. King Osric came after them, followed by more soldiers. As the king entered, the Noble Fae and servants bowed. I scrambled to follow their example, dipping into a curtsy so deep my legs shook.

King Osric stopped at the front of the room, a glittering vision in a full-length tunic of opalescent silk. His pale hair hung straight down his back, and once again rainbow mist drifted around him. He would have been the epitome of delicate beauty were it not for the cruel black crown adorning his head.

Hate filled me. This faerie was the reason Anya was dead. His whims ruined lives.

“Welcome to the first event of the trial season,” he said.

I stiffened. Was this the first trial already? What was Lara supposed to do? What was I supposed to do?

“There are nine candidates here today. Please stand.”

Lara stood, along with the brown-jacketed faerie she’d been speaking with earlier. In addition to the two Earth candidates, there were two wearing white, one in orange, two in black, and two in purple.

Surprisingly few candidates, considering Alodie had said the trials were held every decade or so. Maybe this was one thing Elder Holman had gotten partially right. He’d claimed faerie births were rare—one reason why the women offered on the solstice were so important. He’d never outright said they were meant to be breeding stock, but it had been implied.

The idea hadn’t sat well with me even before I’d come to Mistei and learned the truth. Now revulsion twisted my stomach—at the Fae, at Elder Holman, at every lie and perverse belief that had led me here.

“Soon you will undertake our kind’s most difficult tests,” Osric continued. “Six trials will be held over the coming months, each dedicated to a particular house and each designed to test a specific Fae virtue. At the end of the trials, we will learn which candidates are worthy of an immortal life and the gift of magic.”

I was relieved to realize this was just lunch, not a trial. It was interesting that there were six trials but only five existing houses; perhaps this tradition was the only thing that remained of Blood House.

“I hope you will all be worthy.” The king’s eyes lingered on the two Earth candidates. “But I know you won’t be.”

Lara’s gaze fell to the floor. I bit the inside of my cheek, wishing I could speak telepathically to her the way that Light servant had spoken to us. Don’t let them see , I would say. Lift your chin high. Fight the bastards .

“The trials begin in one week. In the meantime, let us celebrate.” The king grabbed a glass of wine from a servant and raised it. “To your success.”

The king left after the toast, and conversation started up again as soon as he was gone. The Noble Fae finished the meal in a buzz of excitement and stood from the table as music began to play. The used dishes vanished, along with the table.

“Do you know anything about the trials?” Aidan whispered.

“No, do you?”

He shook his head. “I’m manservant to Edric.” He nodded at the Fire candidate who was currently conversing with Drustan. “I’ve only served him for the last few months, and before that I was a household servant. I’ve never even witnessed the trials.”

I suppressed my disappointment. “Maybe Prince Drustan can tell him about them.” And then Aidan could tell me.

“About Fire’s trial, maybe. But not about the others.”

“Why not?”

“No one can remember the specifics of past trials. It’s part of the magic. Once the trial season ends, the memories just vanish.”

I gaped. “What?”

“It’s true. The magic is very old and very powerful. The house heads only know the details of whichever trial is associated with their house this year.”

I almost missed Lara’s upraised hand and the snap of her fingers. Aidan’s elbow in my ribs alerted me, and I rushed over.

Lara held out her empty glass, barely looking at me. “More wine.”

The two candidates she stood with—male faeries from Illusion and Light—watched avidly as I curtsied.

“It really is foul, isn’t it, Garrick?” the redheaded Illusion candidate asked loudly as I headed for the sideboard.

“An insult to the eyes,” Garrick agreed. The Light candidate was tall and broad-chested, with short, curling brown hair, pale skin, and a heavy jaw. The collar of his white tunic was as stiff and sharp as a blade. “What would happen to a human handmaiden in Illusion House, Markas?”

Markas grinned. “I’m sure someone would have fun with her. I can’t imagine Light House doing the same, though. You’re all so serious.”

Garrick smirked, but the look in his brown eyes as he studied me was chilling. “We don’t tolerate inferior beings in Light House.”

My hands trembled as I refilled Lara’s glass, but I forced my face into a calm mask before returning to her.

“My lady.” I curtsied deeply and handed her the glass.

“That will be all.”

“I’m not surprised the king gave it to you, Lara,” Garrick said. “Everyone knows you’re the weakest candidate. A human would be the only suitable handmaiden.”

My entire body stiffened as I stalked back to the wall. My cheeks heated with rising anger. I wanted to lunge at him, to bare my teeth and snap as I had at the bullies in Tumbledown. To strike him.

Aidan winced as I resumed my place with stone-faced dignity. This time I didn’t lower my head in submission. I kept my chin raised, my eyes fixed on Lara as she suffered through the escalating taunting.

“No wonder your father died,” Garrick told Lara as Markas giggled. “He was weak, too.”

Lara recoiled as if she’d been struck. “That’s enough, Garrick,” she said, the words assertive but the tone wavering.

Garrick wouldn’t be deterred. “At least he won’t see you fail. Perhaps his death was a mercy, to save him from the shame.” He glanced at me, then blinked as if startled to see me glaring at him. “Look at it.” He elbowed Markas. “It looks like a rabid animal.”

My display of defiance had gained the attention of others, as well. The Void prince looked at me with a faint smirk. Drustan, too, was watching. There was a gleam in his eyes, as if he approved of my anger.

Appearance is everything , I reminded myself, doing my best to relax my face and unclench my jaw.

My gaze lingered on Garrick for a second longer, and then I let my eyes drift away, as if I no longer found him interesting. At the same time, I formed my fingers into a rude gesture against my skirts.

The hiss of his indrawn breath was audible. I smiled and ducked my head again.

Lara stormed over a minute later and snapped her fingers. “We’re leaving.”

We exited the party to the sound of cruel laughter.

Lara didn’t speak to me for the rest of the day, other than a curt order to have food sent up to her rooms for dinner.

I went to the kitchens to deliver the order and eat a small meal, then began acquainting myself with my temporary home. Earth House was cozy but not claustrophobic. The ceilings were tall, and greenery sprang up in every corner. Occasionally I stepped over a babbling brook or passed pools where ladies bathed while servants combed or oiled their hair. It felt like being outdoors, and I relaxed as my feet sank into moss and loamy soil. I’d noticed that many faeries didn’t wear shoes within the house; maybe I would try that tomorrow.

Eventually I found a comfortable room carpeted in grass. Sumptuous pillows were piled around a pond coated in water lilies, and brilliantly colored birds chirped from the branches of an overhanging tree.

I was sitting at the edge of the pond, dangling my feet in the water, when Lara’s younger brother, Selwyn, found me. He still wore a yellow rose, although now it peeped out from his pocket.

I scrambled to my feet, curtsying as he approached. “Forgive me, my lord. I don’t know if I’m allowed to be here.”

He smiled. “You’re allowed to be in any of the public areas unless asked to leave. Please, sit back down.”

I hesitantly sat on a tussock of soft grass and was surprised when he lowered himself to a pillow on the opposite side of the pond. We stared at each other across the water.

“I heard you were rude to Garrick at the luncheon,” he said. “He’s Prince Roland’s nephew, you know.”

Oh, wonderful. I’d insulted Light House royalty. “He was taunting Lara.”

He nodded. “I know. He’s like that to everyone. I’m happy you did it.”

“You are?” The response wasn’t what I’d expected from the young Earth lord.

“I’m sure my mother wouldn’t agree, but I like that you stood up for Lara.” His dimple popped out. He looked charming and sweet, so unlike the other faeries I’d met. Then again, he looked to be sixteen years old at most—perhaps he hadn’t acquired a sadistic streak yet.

“I didn’t do very much.”

“Yes, but you have to understand that we never do anything . Earth House is all about neutrality, poise, and appearances. We never glare or act rude.” His frustrated tone indicated he frequently received the same lecture Lara had about acting above the insults of others. He trailed a finger through the clear water. “I’m tired of it.”

I didn’t know what to say in response, so I looked into the pool. Curious orange fish had emerged from the depths to investigate the ripples.

“I’m worried about Lara,” Selwyn said after a long pause. “The trials are supposed to be really hard. Candidates fail every time.”

“I’m sure Lara will do fine.” Maybe.

Selwyn looked at me pleadingly. “Can you help her?”

“I’m going to try.”

“My mother said that because you’re human, you’ll be able to help in unexpected ways. Has she said anything to you?”

“Yes, we discussed it.” No need to mention his mother’s threats—or the fact that I had no idea how much information I’d be able to uncover.

He smiled, obviously relieved. Apparently the boy had more faith in my ability to help Lara than I did. “I’m so glad.” He stood, brushing off his trousers. “Anyway, I just wanted to say thank you. My sister’s…well, she’s all I have.” Looking embarrassed by the confession, he quickly walked away.

I smiled as I watched the darting fish, touched by the odd encounter and by Selwyn’s obvious affection for his sister. I’d thought the Noble Fae were all awful, but he’d seemed almost like a human boy, all idealism and gangly limbs. And if he loved Lara that much…

Maybe I should try to get to know her better.

After a few final moments with the birds, the fish, and the gentle lap of water against my toes, I rose, sighing. It was time to venture back into Mistei to learn more about my surroundings. My resolve to escape hadn’t wavered, and I needed to educate myself about the city’s geography as quickly as possible.

I now knew which corridors led to Light House and Fire House, and Alodie had shown me roughly where the entrances to Void House and Illusion House were so I could avoid those as well. But there were hundreds of other options, a seemingly infinite splintering of paths. I chose one at random. The dagger, still disguised as an armlet, hummed as we headed deeper underground, but the sensation felt encouraging, so I kept walking.

After long minutes on the sloping path, the light dimmed, the torches growing redder and the crystals above darkening until the ceiling spoke of twilight. I’d passed plenty of faeries at the start of my explorations, but the farther down I went, the emptier the corridors became. Eventually the walls became mottled gray-and-black stone, like a snowstorm at night, and the air grew heavy and stale. I was the only person in the corridor.

A stone archway opened on my right. A snarling beast with enormous fangs had been carved into the capstone, and the room beyond was pitch black. I shivered at the cold emanating from it and started to walk past, only to be stopped by a stinging pain on my arm.

“Ouch!” I shoved up my sleeve to glare at the dagger armband. The red jewel pulsed faintly. “Do you have to keep doing that?”

Yes , came the faint reply.

I started. That had definitely been a voice in my head, not just an impression of feeling or instinct. It was metallic and genderless and echoed as if coming from far away. The same voice that had told me to run in the bog.

I tried to suppress my shock. “Why? What are you?”

Whatever I wish . The metal shifted, and at first I thought it was just the flicker of torchlight on steel, but then I realized it had liquefied and was now writhing snakelike up my arm. It flowed from my shoulder to my neck. I raised my hands, frightened as it wrapped around my throat, but then it solidified into a necklace. The red jewel was positioned precisely in the hollow of my throat.

“Are you some kind of faerie?” I asked. What if it was one of the Nasties?

No . It seemed amused. Different . It sent me an impression of magic made solid, power strong enough to be alive.

“Why do you keep cutting me?”

I drink.

“Why?”

It is my way.

It wasn’t an answer, but the necklace…dagger…armband…seemed disinclined to share more specifics. “Does it have to be my blood?”

If you won’t feed me other blood, yes .

The answer sent chills through me. “Are you going to kill me?” I asked hoarsely.

No.

The answer was vehement. I swallowed, feeling the heavy shift of the jewel at my throat. “How long will you stay with me?” Was this a permanent situation, or was it looking for another host? I liked carrying a weapon and it had helped me through the bog, but now that it was speaking…now that it was regularly consuming small amounts of my blood…I didn’t know.

The dagger didn’t answer, but it flowed back down my arm and settled into the familiar spiral around my bicep, as if sensing my discomfort at having it wrapped around my throat. Apparently it could take whatever form it wanted—or perhaps whichever form I wanted. It would turn into a dagger again if that was what I needed.

It thrummed in agreement, and I knew it enjoyed being a dagger best of all. Flashes of violence rose in my mind—blood spraying, warm and rich and so very delicious…

I shook my head to dispel the vision, feeling disturbed. I started heading back down the path, but the dagger bit me again.

“Stop that!” I glared at it.

Then I heard it. Footsteps, coming from the path behind me. The dagger was warning me about someone.

I ducked into the pitch-black room. The alternating black-and-white stone tiles beneath my feet, barely visible in the reflected glow from the corridor, were carved with more nightmarish monsters. The stale air held a faint hint of spice. I braced myself, but nothing moved in the blackness.

The footsteps drew closer. I edged back until I was cloaked in darkness.

It was the deadly Void prince and another black-clad faerie. Based on their matching dark eyes, pale skin, and the raven’s-wing sheen of their hair, they were probably related, but while the prince projected cold menace, his longer-haired companion gave an impression of ferocity and barely leashed violence. His movements were sharp and restless, and his hand hovered over the hilt of his dagger.

“…would be foolish,” the long-haired one was saying.

“Regardless, Fire has made its decision,” the prince said calmly. “We must—” He paused, stopping dead in the corridor. His head snapped to the side, and he looked into the room. I held my breath, suddenly terrified he could see me. Could Void faeries see in the dark? Was that one of their talents? I cursed myself for not asking Drustan.

“What is it?” The long-haired one started turning to look as well, but the prince smoothly ushered him along.

“Nothing. Sometimes I swear that hall echoes with ghosts.”

The long-haired one laughed. “If only ghosts could wield swords.”

“Let’s talk about the labyrinth,” the prince said as they disappeared from view. “We’re almost prepared…” I strained to hear the rest, but his voice faded into nothingness.

I waited for long, anxious minutes until I felt sure they weren’t coming back. My neck prickled with unease, both at what I’d overheard and at the yawning blackness behind me. Whatever this echoing room was, with its ghosts and cold air and the subtle hint of spice, I couldn’t let anyone know I’d come here.

Never , the dagger agreed.