Chapter 11
Chapter
Eleven
Riona started forward, and the crowd parted. Her and Aiden’s steps sounded unusually loud in the silence. Once they reached the dais, Aiden bowed, and Riona did the same.
“You may rise.” The queen met Riona’s nervous stare with one filled with curiosity. “Well met, Riona, daughter of Finella the Songbringer. Is my court all you hoped it would be?”
Riona swallowed before answering. She had so many questions, and the queen knew her mother. Riona’s mind swam with excitement, but instead of voicing any of her questions, she responded with the words the queen was surely waiting for, “It is more than I could have imagined.”
“You are in the court of dreams,” the queen paused, “and nightmares.”
There was a warning behind that statement, but Riona wasn’t sure what to make of it. She glanced at Aiden. He stood beside her almost protectively, but his face was an expressionless mask. Riona didn’t miss the tension in his shoulders. Neither did the queen. She smirked knowingly at Riona, mischief edging through the elegance. Then the queen glanced at the audience, watching their interaction. A frown creased her smooth forehead.
“What are you all staring at? Are the festivities not entertaining enough for you? Why are all of you enraptured by a simple conversation? Disperse.” The queen waved a hand, and everyone scattered. The music began again, and the dancers slowly filtered back onto the floor. The queen narrowed her eyes at Aiden. “You too.”
Aiden bristled at the queen’s order. He stayed rooted at Riona’s side. “My queen. Riona doesn’t know our ways, and our court is a new and strange place for her. I am hesitant to leave her side.” Riona’s heart warmed at Aiden’s concern.
“Touching. Now fuck off, Aiden. I give you my word that no harm shall come to her in my care. She will be safe.” Aiden still didn’t move. The queen scowled at him. “This isn’t a democracy. Go.” The queen’s voice changed on the last word. Aiden didn’t move but stared defiantly at his liege.
“I could use a drink!” Riona practically yelled. She pressed against Aiden’s shoulder for emphasis and shivered a little at the contact. Just casually touching him did things to her, especially when he was protective of her.
“I’ll be back shortly.” Aiden looked between the queen and Riona. Siobhan raised a well-plucked eyebrow at him and blew him a kiss.
“Don’t hurry. I have things to tell our little Riona, and they are not for you to hear.”
Aiden frowned, but Riona sent him a pleading glance. He slowly walked away as if waiting for Riona to call him back. Both women watched him leave, and then Siobhan fixed her purple gaze on Riona.
“Come, let’s take a walk.” The queen stood up from the throne and glided down the stairs of the dais. Her silver dress rustled behind her, but that was the only sound she made. When the queen reached Riona’s side, she stood almost a head taller. The queen smiled at Riona, and her white teeth flashed. Riona didn’t miss her pointed canines and had a pretty good idea of how a mouse felt when trapped by a cat.
The queen linked her arm through Riona’s and steered her to an alcove packed with strong-limbed women who were dressed in green and tan leathers with bows and spears strapped to their backs. One with short brown sun-kissed hair wore a diadem on her head that had a crescent moon. When they noticed Siobhan heading for their alcove, they quickly scurried away.
The women left behind the scent of the earth and pine needles in their wake. Siobhan settled herself on one of the plush stools and patted the one next to it. Hesitantly, Riona sat beside her. The queen smiled and stared off into the crowd.
“I used to be afraid of coming to parties like this. I never knew if I would leave them alive or unscathed. My father’s court was filled with cruelty and injustice,” the queen said softly. Riona noticed for the first time that small scars riddled the queen’s knuckles.
“I… I’m sorry,” Riona said lamely. She wasn’t sure how to respond to the queen’s confession.
“I’m not telling you that to get pity from you. It’s my court, and I have nothing to fear now. My father is dead. It was a pleasure watching the life drain from the bastard’s eyes. I’m telling you this because there was one thing that made me not afraid to come to the revels, and that was when your mother was here. Finella.”
Riona stayed silent, willing the queen to continue.
A ghost of a smile appeared on Siobhan’s lips. “She was special. Somehow, even in the living nightmare that used to be the Unseelie Court, she was a bright light. She was pure and kind and good amongst... us. Finella could bring out the best in anyone. Even though my father was a better person around her, he was still my father. What he did to her. What he did to Fenir.” Siobhan closed her eyes tightly as if she were in pain, just remembering. The silence stretched out, but Riona waited patiently. The queen finally continued, “My only regret is that I couldn’t save Fenir, but I was able to save your mother. I was still young and not powerful enough to stand up to my father yet.”
“What happened?” Riona didn’t want to ask, but she had to know.
“When your mother performed, she was incomparable. No one could take their eyes off her. We all wanted to be her or be with her until my father decided he wanted her for his own. Finella was deeply in love with Fenir, and she spurned the king’s advances. He persisted to the point that it got ugly and public. When my father realized Finella would never accept him while Fenir was alive, he had them both hauled into the middle of the court.” Siobhan stopped and swallowed. Riona wanted to do something to comfort the queen but didn’t dare. The queen was lost in the memory, and Riona needed to know the end.
“He did something truly terrible, didn’t he? Your father.”
“Yes, he used his powers to unmake Fenir. He tore him apart and devoured his soul. That’s something my line can do. We have the power to take souls. It is brutal and completely ends another. There is no return from it. I’ve only done it once.” Siobhan’s voice was scratchy with emotion.
“What did he do after that?”
“My father dragged your mother away screaming. When I was able to get to her, she’d clawed the door of her prison to the point that her fingers were bleeding. I’m not going to tell you what he’d done to her. She was half mad with grief, and her body was almost broken beyond repair, but I got her out of there and to safety. When he discovered she was missing, he tore the castle apart looking for her, but I’d hidden her in a place that he would never think to look, among the humans.”
“Thank you for saving her. Did your father ever suspect you?”
“He suspected everyone, and the cracks of his sanity fractured. Slowly at first, until it became apparent to all what he’d become. Meanwhile, I waited and gathered my allies, and then when the time was right, I made my move and ended his reign.” Siobhan smiled grimly, and the hair on the back of Riona’s neck stood up. As kind as Siobhan was being to her, she was still the Unseelie Queen. “You don’t want to know about my coup, though. You have questions about your mother.”
“I have so many... Do I have any family in the court?”
“No. Finella’s mother, Eleni, died in childbirth, and she never told anyone who the father of her child was, though many think he was a married Sidhe based on her looks. Eleni had sisters, but they were estranged, and I have my suspicions why. The last I heard they resided on the Isle of Night.” Riona had never heard of the Isle of Night, but the name set her on edge.
“The Isle of Night?”
“Not a place for you, lovely.” The queen stroked a wayward strand of Riona’s hair and tucked it behind her ear. The gesture was almost sisterly.
“Why not?” Riona asked softly.
“The Isle of Night is somewhere even I hesitate to go. It is where the true monsters live.”
“So my family are monsters?”
“Not your mother or grandmother. Eleni’s sisters, on the other hand... Well, I’m not sure that you would be welcome among them, and if they did take you in, I would question their motives.”
Riona’s heart fell. She’d thought she might still have some family out there, but hearing she was related to monsters saddened her.
“Can you tell me anything else about my mother?”
“I can tell you many things about your mother. We were friends, after all.” There was a sad expression on Siobhan’s face. “You look so much like her it’s almost painful. You’re even wearing her dress. Her insignia was golden leaves, and she always incorporated them into her style. Even her lute had leaves she spent hours painting on by hand.”
“Is that why you’re being nice to me?” Riona was surprised at her boldness, but the queen only smiled at her question.
“In part. Aiden asked me to as well.”
“Aiden asked you to talk to me about my mother?”
“He did. He said that if I talked to you about her, he would owe me a favor. Favors from the Unraveller are rare, even for a queen. You mean a lot to him, it seems.”
Riona recoiled in surprise, but Siobhan only smiled. The queen tipped her chin at a familiar figure, and any questions Riona had died in her throat.
Aiden was stalking toward them, a hammered silver goblet in each hand. Siobhan smiled at him indulgently when he reached their alcove. She stretched out her hand and took a cup. Aiden handed the other one to Riona. She looked down and took a sip. The fruity wine was cool and sweet. Riona drained her drink.
“Riona, it was pleasant, but I must return to my throne. Is it really even a revel if their queen isn’t scowling down at her subjects and judging their every action?” Siobhan handed her glass to Riona with a smile and then rose and sauntered back to her dais. She leaned down and said something to a guard who immediately hurried off. Riona watched the queen sit back down on her impossibly tall ebony throne.
“She was smiling, so I’m assuming that whatever passed between the two of you was good?” Aiden asked. He settled into the seat Siobhan vacated.
“I think so. She was very nice to me. Much nicer than I would have expected.”
“You’re not a threat to her. You’re with me. And Finella was her friend. Siobhan admits friendship with very few people.”
“Ah.” Riona watched the revelers, this time wondering how many had been here while her mother was alive. She looked out amongst the crowd and wondered how many had counted Finella as a friend.
“Let’s dance.” Aiden stood up and offered Riona his hand.
She drained Siobhan’s goblet and took his hand. A few steps and they were whirling around the dance floor. Laughter and bodies swirled around them. Riona tried not to let Aiden’s closeness affect her, but their bodies were pressed together. His hand pressed against the small of her back sent tingles coursing through her. They moved together as one. Riona became trapped in his gaze, and time stopped. The other dancers faded away. There was only Aiden.
“Riona, stop looking at me like that.” Aiden laughed and twirled her away from him.
“Like what?” Riona asked as they came back together.
“Like I’m a treat you would like to devour.”
Riona glanced away from Aiden and into the crowd around them. They were free. Laughter almost overpowered the music. This was a place for freedom and no regrets. She could worry about the consequences in the morning.
“Maybe I do. What would you say then?”
“I would say that you’ve had too much wine and it’s gone to your head. Remember last night?”
Riona stopped dancing and frowned up at him. He let go of her, and she stepped back. “Why do you have to be such a spoilsport? Maybe I want to enjoy the evening, consequences be damned.”
A Fae male with long yellow hair and gossamer wings snaked his arm around her waist, and Riona whirled away from Aiden. As she glanced over her shoulder, she saw the look of surprise on Aiden’s face and laughed.
“Thank you,” Riona said to the man dancing with her. He dimpled at her. His eyes were shockingly light blue against his tanned skin. Laugh lines crinkled around his handsome face.
“I always try to help a damsel in distress, and you, my dear, were clearly in distress.”
Riona saw Aiden stalking them over the man’s shoulder. “We’re both about to be in distress. He’s behind you.”
The stranger laughed and spun her toward the edge of the dance floor. He let go and winked at her. “Best be on your way then.”
Riona gave her savior a conspiring wink and turned on her heel to speed off into the crowd. She giggled. Even over the cacophony of the revel, Aiden’s loud curse could be clearly heard behind her. Ahead, tables were set out with every kind of drink and food imaginable. Riona stopped in front of the drink table and helped herself to another goblet of wine. Everything was becoming much more enjoyable with each drink of wine. Maybe the man with the sparkly wings would dance with her again. He seemed nice, and he’d helped her escape Aiden, who seemed to be trying his best to ruin her fun. Riona finished the wine and turned back to the dance floor to find the Fae.
She ran right into a solid chest. One she recognized almost immediately. An arm wrapped around her waist like an iron band.
“We’re leaving. Now.” Angry eyes flashed at her.
Riona allowed Aiden to steer her through the massive crowd. Many smiled or smirked at her as they passed. One female Fae with rose gold hair started forward with a concerned look on her face, but the crowd swallowed her up before she could get closer. Before they left the room, Riona glanced over her shoulder to see the queen watching them with some amusement. She raised a hand in farewell, and the queen wiggled her fingers, and then they were traveling through the darker room. The one with the triad from earlier.
This time, the room was more crowded. Naked flesh was on display everywhere, and Riona took it all in with excitement this time. The stranger who’d saved her before was caressing his human partner lovingly. Riona had been surprised, but she’d spotted a few humans among the Fae. Her friend winked at her and re-focused his attention on his companion, a man with a mop of curly red hair and a smattering of freckles on his face. Something about the way the two interacted with each other had a familiarity. The way that they touched each other was almost reverent. They were in love.
Riona stumbled on a cushion, but Aiden was there to right her, and she leaned against him. She closed her eyes for a second, and the image of Aiden and her kissing flashed in her mind. She thought about how good it would feel if his hand left her arm and traveled lower.
Why not? A small voice in her mind asked. He could hurt you. Riona tuned out the rational voice in her mind and stopped walking.
Her eyes traveled up to Aiden’s. “Let’s stay.”
Something flashed in Aiden’s eyes, and then he frowned. “Let’s go home. You’ve had too much to drink, and you’ll regret anything we do.”
“Will I?” Riona let all the lust she was feeling flow into her look, and he shivered. He was the one looking at her like she was the treat now, and that made Riona’s body pool with pleasure.
“You’re not making this easy for me. Riona, you’re not in your right mind,” he said gently.
Something about the way he spoke cleared her mind of her lusty thoughts. He was right. She was taking things too far.
“This isn’t me, is it?” The wine she’d drunk no longer gave her a warm fuzzy feeling. Now she was just incredibly tired, and her head was starting to hurt.
“You’re filled with drink and not thinking rationally. Perhaps some other time when you have a clearer head.” There was a wistfulness in Aiden’s voice that Riona didn’t miss.
Riona watched the couple nearby. The friendly stranger’s teeth were bared as he drove into his companion. The other man’s head was thrown back, and his eyes were closed. Their coupling was savage but beautiful. They clung to each other almost frantically as if they were afraid to be separated. None of Riona’s past encounters had driven her to gnash her teeth or close her eyes against the sheer pleasure of the act. Nor did she have a deep connection to her past lover like the couple did to each other. She tore her eyes away from the pair. What they had, she wanted.
She let Aiden lead her through the room and into a different one. A bright white orb floated in the middle of the room. A small group of Fae stepped into it and disappeared. Aiden settled her on a soft couch and brought her a cup of water from a large ornate bowl nearby. Others milled around them, apparently waiting for their turn at the central portal. Many of them eyed Aiden, expecting him to go next, but he waved them off and sat beside Riona. His face was etched with concern.
The cool, crisp water tasted better than any drink she’d ever had. Her vision sharpened, and her head didn’t feel so fuzzy anymore.
“Is this magical in some way? I feel much better.”
“It does have healing properties.”
“Thank you.”
Aiden nodded, and they sat for a little while longer until Riona stood up, testing her legs. She felt fine. Whatever was in the water did wonders.
“Are you ready to try the portal again?”
“I think so. Hopefully it will treat me more kindly this time than the last.”
They started forward, but an authoritative voice halted them.
“Riona, Finella’s daughter,” the voice called out. All her thoughts fractured, and she turned to the voice. A man in the queen’s guard uniform hurried toward them. He stopped a few feet away, and it was then that Riona noticed that the guard had an object in his hand.
Riona’s breath caught in her throat, and tears threatened to fall. He was holding a worn leather-bound book. No one needed to tell her whose book this had been. He held it out to her, and very gingerly, she took her mother’s songbook.
A memory of her mother teased her mind. She could almost hear her voice.
“Since you are not in a state to play tonight, the queen requests that you might come back tomorrow night and play.”
Riona nodded her head, unable to say words as she was so overcome with emotion. That seemed a good enough answer because the guard left them. Aiden stood beside her in silence. His presence somehow offered her solace. She leaned against him. The world no longer spun. She looked down at the precious object in her hands and then at Aiden, realizing that the book wasn’t the only thing that she cared deeply for.
“Let’s go home.”