Chapter 22 #2
As we walked back to the cottages to prepare to leave the hidden city and head to the City of Fire, everyone quieted.
“Did you have a family, Niall?” I asked.
“The King killed my parents, but my wife walked away on her own,” Niall said, his voice trembling at the end. “Some fairy women who didn’t want to endure the harsh war conditions of this realm escaped into the human realm and wed human men.”
He swallowed hard.
Whatever this man was about to say, it affected him so much that he needed a moment.
“My wife begged me to let her go into the human realm about five years ago, and I eventually agreed after seeing her suffer living in the fairy castle, witnessing the King’s brutality. She didn’t agree with me serving the King.”
Niall’s pained expression spoke of the regret he’d been harboring in his soul.
“I should have left the castle a long time ago,” he said, looking at me. “But at least you’re here now, and I’ll have a chance to finally stand up to him.”
I didn’t know what we would face in the fairy castle, but with Niall taking us there, our chances of finding Willa improved.
The two realms were inextricably intertwined, with beings of all kinds coexisting—even if humans remained blissfully unaware.
That thought brought a smile to my lips. There was something comforting about that.
I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling that gnawed at my insides as we neared Tinias, the City of Fire and North.
I found it odd that no dark fairies attacked us on our journey. We only encountered demonic dogs and spiders, which we dealt with swiftly.
We even slept one night under the moonlight, taking turns to guard, but still nothing. Was it a bad omen? Could they be expecting us?
“We're close now," Niall said.
Ashton had gladly stayed behind in the hidden fairy city when we told him we had a new guide. Ever since the day Ashton led us to the wrong city, breaking our trust, he had not appeared before us.
Seraphina and several of her men joined us on our journey to the fairy castle, but even with her men, there were only about a dozen of us versus who knew how many dark fairies at the fairy castle.
While walking, I couldn't help but glance at the fairy man who had been bedridden not long ago. Now he was a picture of strength and vitality, his gray eyes radiating a sharp intensity.
The difference in his attire from the rest of our crew only added to his commanding presence—a tight, black leather suit, belts for his sword and daggers, and metallic gloves with talon-like fingertips on his left hand.
The same metal plates he had on his shoulders, engraved with intricate vine-like patterns, also protected his knees.
Niall’s long gray hair was tied in a low ponytail.
He told us this was the outfit he used to wear while serving the fairy King.
Strolling out of the forest, we stepped onto a different landscape. The temperature increased significantly, reminding me of the desert-like weather in the human realm.
The golden sands stretched into the distance, shimmering like a sea of melted gold under the blazing sunlight. After we passed through a metal arch, a path unfolded ahead, leading into the heart of the desert. The air burned like flames, making breathing hard.
The paved narrow street we took led us toward the city square. We weren’t hiding our presence, as Niall had convinced us that it would be difficult to do so with twelve people. We had no intention of initiating a war with the dark fairies, given our limited number of warriors.
Before leaving, we’d devised a plan to have Niall challenge the fairy King—a common practice that werewolves shared with fairies, it seemed. The strongest and fittest to survive would emerge as the next leader. Then, Torin, Robert, and I would split up to locate and release Willa from jail.
As we ventured farther, we approached a massive metal pit in the center of the city. It curved upward, forming what appeared to be the shape of the earth. A fierce flame burned within, its source unknown.
“It's the symbol of Tinias—the eternal flame," Niall said. “This city was once bustling with life. Although fairies live here, the city is also corrupted by dark magic and in ruins.”
We continued our trek towards the King's castle, its shadows looming over the city. I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched and that unseen eyes monitored our every step. My heart pounded in my chest, and I fought the urge to shudder.
“The fairies who chose to serve the King reside in the castle. But also in the city." Niall paused, his jaw clenching. "At least they’re surviving here, although at a steep price. The fairies who chose to stay here or in the castle were given a choice—serve the King or die."
Everything I’d heard about the fairy King so far raised my hackles and accelerated my pulse.
As we passed through the city, the fairies who lived here gave us curious glances with tired expressions and dull eyes. Their bodies, shirts, and pants looked as worn out as the ones the vampire brothers and I wore.
They were the families of the dark fairies loyal to the King, but their lives didn’t appear easy. Some of them carried heavy buckets in their hands. Others sat at the steps of their barely standing cottages, clenching pieces of what looked like dry bread in their hands.
The stiffness in my neck and jaw intensified. I swallowed hard, forcing myself to focus on our mission. We had come this far, and there was no turning back now.
Silenced stretched uncomfortably as we crossed the city. Sometimes, the rustling of curtains sounded from within the fairies’ homes. Behind the town, nestled within the shadows, stood the castle.
I expected attacks by fairy warriors and raised drawbridges. Instead, the massive iron gates were wide open for us to march inside. Did they expect us? Were we marching into their trap?
I wondered if the other destroyed fairy cities once had similar castles before their ruin. The one before us had black stones, as if flames had at one time engulfed the structure but didn’t burn it down. Its twisted spires reached the cloudless sky. The lack of windows made me shudder.
After walking through the massive front doors, we navigated dimmed hallways. The stones on the inside were gray and bare.
“No shifting floors that become a confusing maze,” I said, remembering Victoria’s castle . “No holes that will lead to our demise?”
Niall furrowed his brows. “The King thinks he is invincible and arrogant. He welcomes challengers,” he said. “But there weren’t many who opposed him because no one dared, and no one thought they could stand a chance against—”
Echoes of metal hitting metal surrounded us, and exchanging wary glances, we increased our pace.
Niall led us to engraved doors. “The throne room.”
As I pushed the doors open, I noticed dark fairies hurrying around. It took me a moment to comprehend the chaotic sight before me. The King’s men appeared to be engaged in a struggle, divided into two opposing factions. As we drew nearer, I realized that they were fighting each other.
“That’s where the guards were,” Niall said in a low, deep voice, but I heard him just fine with my sensitive ears, even above the sound of the clanging swords, anguished grunts, and flesh hitting flesh.
An eerie red light bathed the grand hall, casting shadows that flickered like living things along the towering walls.
I realized the red glow came from the sunrays reflecting off the bloodbath splattered in the throne room.
The metallic scent of iron filled the air, mingling with the distant cries of pain and the clash of steel.
The moment my gaze fell on the fighters in the middle of the room, my breath caught in my throat. Two figures were engaged in a fierce battle, their movements swift and deadly.
When I spotted Hayden, my heart stuttered. His now white-blond hair fell past his shoulders, his ears had grown long and pointed, and the intricate tribal tattoos, matching mine, covered his body. His appearance stirred a fiery sensation in my veins.
"The Prince is fighting the King,” Niall murmured from behind me. “Hayden must have challenged his father.”