Chapter 20
HEKLA
Belenus kissed the cheek that had melted the first snowflake. I hummed in delight and stared at my beautiful fae mate whose pointy ears and nose were starting to turn a little flushed from the cold.
He moved into a crouch and spread my legs to regard my sex. “Let’s see what the damage is…” he murmured, and I felt warmth bloom in my chest from his attentiveness. He was still sweet even after I’d cut the poor man to ribbons. “Just looks irritated from being stretched, my dear, but I’ll take care of that. You got lucky. No tears.”
Thank you, fear gorta?
I spread my legs to give him more room, and he placed his warm hands on the sore threshold of my sex. I sighed in relief as the pain faded but started and yelped when he replaced his hands with his lips, giving my entrance a kiss. I had not expected that! My heart raced, and he chuckled from my reaction before helping me off the ground .
“We should probably get going,” I said, regarding the surroundings. “Days are shorter in winter, and I have a feeling that above this cloud cover the Sun God will be going to sleep soon. That… confuses me so much, I don’t even want to begin to try to figure out how that works here.” I placed my hands on my cheeks. How could the Sun God possibly retire at different times?
Belenus, done dressing, threw on his gear. “Well, we did save several days of traveling already. We should find shelter at the very least.”
I dressed swiftly too, shivering even in the small patch of summer Belenus had created. I wished I could shift into Eventide; she could handle this winter without a problem, but she still needed rest. Rakel could probably handle this without even shifting, being from a colder climate.
“How are we going to know which way is north if the sky doesn’t clear?” I asked, looking up only to catch several snowflakes on my eyelashes. I brushed them off and tried again.
“We’ll worry about that after we’ve found shelter. I’ll try to think of a sol—” he said but paused and stared ahead at a log cabin we’d almost stumbled into from a sharp descent down a hill. Surrounded by a thicket and taller redwoods, it would have been harder to spot from any other angle. Since it was also made of birch, it was nigh impossible to detect amongst the snow.
“Should we knock?” I whispered, wondering about Belenus’s thoughtful expression.
“I’d normally say no, but if your luck is still going strong, this could be what we need…” He put a finger to his lips and tilted his head. With a shrug, he strolled down to rap his knuckles on the wooden door. I took a cursory glance into one of the cabin’s windows, but the off-white curtains were drawn tightly. The glow of a hearth and smoke coming from the chimney suggested that someone must be home.
“Someone’s coming,” I warned, hearing hasty steps on a wooden floor. The door opened, and my mouth hung open in astonishment.
“Talam?” Belenus sputtered and released a disbelieving laugh.
“Prince Belenus?” the fae who used to be my maid exclaimed. She looked at me, and her hands flew to her mouth. “Lady Hekla! What are ye both doing here? What happened to the engage— I’m so sorry, where are my manners? Please come in! Come in, come in!”
We followed Talam to some cushions by the hearth where we settled. Snow didn’t often come to my old pack’s territory, so it was easy to forget how intensely and easily its cold sank beneath flesh. I worked to shudder the chill from my body and allowed the heat from the fire to seep into my clothes and skin. When I could think of anything other than finally getting warm, I glanced up and found Talam waiting patiently. She scratched at the base of an antler while she waited for the entire story.
Once again, Belenus swore her to secrecy and caught her up on current events. She nodded along as she listened, occasionally gasping or muttering curses. She rose to fetch some refreshments, all the while shaking her head like a disappointed teacher.
“To think our queen has sunk so low. Seems as though my sisters and I left just in time…” she muttered, returning with some cider, a plate of cheese, and a loaf of freshly baked bread.
“Are you talking about Ushka and Spayr?” Belenus asked, a puzzled expression on his face. “I had no idea you were siblings. You look nothing alike.”
Talam’s grin spread, and for just a moment, I saw a flash of consideration in her knowing look. Something also shifted in her demeanor, and her presence seemed… bigger now. “Well, that is because we’re godlings, my dear Prince Belenus.”
I choked on my sweet cider until tears ran down my face.
“Oh dear,” Talam said, worrying over me and patting my back. “I should have said that after ye took a sip.”
I sputtered for a minute as I tried to clear the liquid from where it shouldn’t be. It took forcing several more coughs until I was mostly better, then I looked over to Belenus who was also patting me. He frowned after I gestured that I was fine, and he turned his attention back to our host. “Why… Talam, why would you three work as maids? Of all things? Especially under a queen who wasn’t doing you any favors…”
“Hardly a better place to keep an eye on the Summer Court during its time of need, don’t you think?” she asked seriously, sitting tall and confidently. “All those who live in the water, on the land, and in the air… don’t deserve to suffer another wretched queen.”
“If you’re godlings and feel so strongly about it, why did you leave?” Belenus asked, his question more curious than accusatory.
“Because we had to be here!” she said with another grin and spread her arms. “Er, I had to be, that is.”
I rubbed my temples, trying to wrap my head around everything that was being said. “Talam… you knew we were going to be here? Does that mean you’re Fate’s godlings?” I asked, furrowing my brows. I had so many questions… I thought that only Fate and the Moon Goddess knew what would come to pass.
“It’s possible,” she said with a shrug and didn’t seem to want to divulge more than that. I looked over to Belenus for his thoughts, growing more overwhelmed and tired by the heartbeat. He leaned into me, deep in thought, and grabbed both my hands to warm them. Talam just sat there patiently, nibbling on some cheese and bread.
“Is there a quicker way to the Night Court than walking, Talam?” I finally asked, nervous that there wouldn’t be. I was still so worried about Belenus’s situation. If we couldn’t get back in time… My task and the contract threatened to tear me in two. “And… do you know if there’s a way to break Belenus’s marriage contract?”
“Oh, I can’t help ye with the contract, but I can help ye get to the Unseelie Court in a couple hours,” she said.
“A couple hours?” Belenus exclaimed, blowing out a held breath and raking his hands through his hair. “That’s… blisterin’ quick. ”
I nodded wearily. That was obviously phenomenal news, but I was also so very tired. “I suppose we should take you up on your offer…” I said, trying not to slur my words. “When would you like to take us?”
“Probably now. Take advantage of yer luck while you have it,” she answered and cleared the food tray from the floor. I shouldn’t be surprised that she knew about the fear gorta. Talam returned and squatted before me with a cold, wet towel. She dabbed at my face and murmured, “I know yer tired. I’ll take ye straight to Spayr, ok? She’ll have a bed for ye.”
I smiled into the towel, appreciating her trying to perk me up like she would’ve as my maid. “I am wiped, Talam,” I agreed with a yawn, trying not to thank her. Belenus and I gathered our things and left the cabin with her. The godling seemed to have much more energy now, and I wondered how much of herself she’d had to suppress while she was playing maid. Had she felt like me when we both couldn’t be ourselves?
A swirl of light rushed about her, and Talam turned into a huge white hind. I balked and took a step back, not expecting something so large to appear so close to me. Belenus caught me, gave the deer a dubious look, and lifted me onto it.
I clutched at the short, bristly hair and hard, lean flesh. There was something very wrong with this picture; a wolf did not belong on a deer. This was the very picture of absurdity. It was also terrifying. It was one thing to have Eventide control any of our movements but to rely on an animal to carry me... that was a lot of trust to place in Talam. I swallowed hard and looked over the deer’s shoulder. I wasn’t afraid of heights, but... from atop a deer, my feet seemed too far from the ground. At least in a carriage the ground was hidden. I felt very, very vulnerable.
I waited for Belenus to adjust some of his gear and climb up behind me. At first, I didn’t know how he was going to get up, but he vaulted effortlessly onto the white deer like the strong, nimble fae he was. I had a very capable mate... virile and athletic. However, I was much too tired to be turned on .
“I have no idea how this is going to work,” Belenus grumbled as Talam started walking. “Deer cannot be ridden by ones such as us… their leaps are too jarring, and their spines are not meant to carry riders, not like how we’ve bred horses to carry us. Dig your heels in the best you can, my dear,” he said while wrapping his arms around my waist.
“Just trust in the godling,” I replied sluggishly, too fatigued to laugh stupidly about him saying dear while we were on a deer. I already couldn’t wait to get off Talam and sleep. I leaned forward to try to find some sort of grip on her back and made a silent prayer to the Sky Gods. Please don’t let me break my neck today.
Talam began trotting through the snow and evergreens, which was a little bumpy, and I was starting to realize what Belenus meant. I’d never ridden a horse before since they didn’t like shifters, but I could tell there was a lot more spring in a deer’s gait than there was in a horse’s. His arms tightened around me when the hind finally broke into a gallop, exposing his own nervousness.
Very quickly though, I felt my seating grow more secure, and the ride felt less jolting. I blew out a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding and felt Belenus’s lips bob against my ear. “I think she’s smoothed out her gait for us, somehow, which is good because I don’t think I could have handled several hours of lurching about,” he said lowly. “On a deer, that is,” he amended with a chuckle.
“Are you going to be ok back there?” I whispered with a lazy huff of laughter.
“Bouncing into your fine, round rump for hours? Absolutely not. This promises to be the worst several hours of my life,” he grumbled into my ear.
“I have no control over that on this ride.” I snorted. “We could stop and switch spots?” I offered.
“No,” he said grumpily, wrapping one arm tighter around me while sliding his other hand up in a futile search of a way into my dress. “Because then I won’t have your breasts to keep me company,” he mumbled, sounding much crabbier than I knew he was.
I snorted in amusement, glad for the warmth at my back while the snowfall around us became a beautiful, speeding tunnel.
BELENUS
Hekla was nearly limp in my arms as the third hour neared. More than anything else, I worried about getting her to a place she could rest. It wasn’t like she was in danger; I just didn’t like seeing my mate so exhausted. Her head drooped a little, and I squeezed her tighter to keep her secure. My heart clenched; I just wanted to take care of her right now. She’d needed care so many times since arriving here, and I couldn’t fail her ever again.
Due to the speed of the godling, the snow now traveled horizontally, and the forest on each side blurred with green and white. I had to wonder how much of meeting the three godlings was from the fear gorta’s influence and how much was from Fate’s influence. Then again, Fate was superior to the fear gorta and likely put it in our path. I snorted and stopped thinking about things that would give me a headache. I’d leave that mystery to our philosophers.
Talam slowed as the pale grey clouds above stopped along an invisible barrier.We must be leaving the Winter Court now.Its weather could no longer follow us. Good. Neither Hekla nor I would miss its pervasive freeze.
And ahead of us? The Unseelie Court was a place I’d never stepped foot, and my very presence here felt unnatural. It was like I’d invaded an intimate, sacred space. My kind did not belong here and were not welcome.
As Talam moved deeper into the court, I noticed it was as gloomy as the Seelie Court was lively. Having Hekla as my mate, however, forced me into seeing this place differently than I would have months ago. My summer and seelie kin would find this place horrifying, but I tried to focus on the details, see what made this place normal for the unseelie. What was it about this place that felt like their version of home?
The sky was a little hazy, a little dark wherever the dull sun couldn’t touch, but the temperature was perfectly comfortable. The ground was dark and the mud was caked, but I did spy animal prints that proved wildlife thrived here. The trees, though twisted into gnarled shapes, still created life. They sprouted humble leaves, and some produced fruit. Strange and shadowy creatures roosted in their eaves just like our birds.
Whatever animals I did catch before they disappeared were bizarre in their form and movement. They would be considered far more ‘nightmarish’ than anything one would find in the other courts. A creature resembling a featherless, wingless crow with pincers and tarantula legs stalked through the underbrush, ignoring our passing entirely. A six-legged lizard clung to a particularly tangled spot on a large bramble, its face a blank, humanlike mask. The small faeries here appeared chaotic and mutated, and many were emaciated with wings so shredded that I wondered how they stayed in the air.
Yes, the strange invoked fear, but the strange was simply another form of diversity. I remained vigilant but became less stressed as I digested the new environment.I must look odd to them. Hekla entering my life, bringing new experiences and change, was a larger blessing than I could have ever imagined. My eyes were open, and the goddess’s words made more sense by the encounter.
Talam trotted through the bizarre, curling woods, occasionally disturbing the quiet sleep of witch’s hair lichen that hung from nearby branches. They swayed slowly, almost as if they moved in a different time than the rest of us. She eventually landed on a road and continued following it, putting us on a path southeast.
The trees thinned, and we entered an expansive pasture that contained a large herd of cattle. I was surprised to find that the bovine looked perfectly normal. There was nothing I’d consider ‘unseelie’ about them at all. A muzzled cù-sìth guarded the herd. It sat silently in its watch, but its eyes were fixated on our approach.
Talam turned and headed toward the top of the hill where a figure stood waiting. Under the dim light of the setting sun, I could see it was Spayr. “Oh, thank the Sun God,” I muttered and rubbed Hekla’s arms to perk her up a bit. “We’re here.”
“We are?” she asked drowsily and wiggled to sit a little taller. I pointed over to where Spayr waited, and she was now waving at us. Once Talam came to a stop, I jumped off and helped Hekla dismount. She slid down with her arms wrapped around me and wouldn’t let go, so I just decided to carry her and save my tired mate some energy, despite my own fatigue.
Talam returned to her folk fae form and embraced her sister. I strode up to her and smiled in greeting. “You really left the castle, didn’t you?” I asked Spayr with a chuckle. “You quit your job all the way to the Unseelie Court.”
“Well, I’m sure my sisters have said the same thing about it as I would. Not another wretch— Oh, you told them about us, Tri?” Spayr asked, looking over at her sister who’d nudged her.
“Yes. Let’s get them a place to rest. I’ll update ye on what they’ve told me. I’m sure they don’t care to repeat it for the third time,” Talam said, smiling over at me and Hekla.
“Tri?” I asked.
“Oh, Talam is not my real name,” Tri said. It dawned on me who they were, and I tilted my head skyward, parting my lips in thought. I nodded slowly, needing to be a little more awake to completely process this disclosure. How had I not guessed this before?
“Belenus?” Hekla asked drowsily. I didn’t know if she was sensing my stupefaction or if she just wanted to get to a bed.
I looked over at “Spayr” and said, guessing her true name, “Understood. Might you have a place we could spend the night... Lion? ”
Lion grinned and gestured for us to follow. Yes… Spayr was Lion. That could only mean one thing for their other sister.
We marched over the hill toward a ranch sitting adjacent to an inn. A few other homes populated the small community, but it was fairly quiet, and no one was in sight. Instead of taking us to the ranch or inn, Lion turned onto another path and brought us to a small blue house with a thatched roof. Dozens of bird feeders hung from overhangs, and tiny wood houses were scattered about the eaves, tucked away in dark corners. It seemed like the garden was a sanctuary for all types of flying creatures. That made sense to me now.
Lion welcomed us in and showed us to a cozy little guest room. “Make yourselves at home,” Lion said. “There’s water and cups in the kitchen, help yourself to the pantry as you need, but let me know if you require anything else. Hekla, my dear lady, you look about ready to pass out. Get your mate to bed, Prince Belenus,” she said and curtseyed. She looked as her sister did now; Lion’s very presence swelled grander than her size dictated.
“Oh, by the Sun God, please don’t curtsey. You’re a godling!” Hekla protested, perking up a little in dismay. Hekla’s words echoed my thoughts. It didn’t feel right for them to show us deference.
“And godlings do what they want,” Tri said, popping her head in the doorway. “Good night. I’m off to discuss matters with my sister.” The two godlings walked out, closing the door behind them.
I placed Hekla on the bed and took her bag from her. She immediately tossed her shoes off and crawled under the thick cotton blankets, groaning in satisfaction. After I fetched some water and snacks for my mate, I relieved myself of my gear and most of my clothes and followed my mate under the sheets. She whined wolfishly once she finished eating and settled her head on my chest.
“Long day…” I said quietly and stroked her hair. It’d felt like a blistering we ek.
“I have hundreds of questions,” she mumbled.
“I’ll answer them tomorrow so you’ll actually remember the answers,” I murmured, chuckling lightly. My heart swelled with warmth, with love, as she wrapped her arm over me and nuzzled sweetly. I whispered, “I wish you the most beautiful of dreams, my mate. Ones as beautiful as you.”
·
Lion woke us to break our fast, and after eating, we readied ourselves for the trek to the Night Court. “Where’s Talam?” Hekla asked, yawning and downing the last of her tea.
“Her name is actually Tri, Hekla. And Spayr is Lion,” I corrected. She probably didn’t recall much of last night, having been nigh dead to the world upon our arrival.
Lion passed her a roll of parchment. “She departed earlier this morning but left this for you.”
Hekla licked her lips and unrolled the paper. I leaned over to discover that it was actually a map of the fae realm—an odd version of it. There were no location names, only spiral symbols that had been drawn with heavier lines, and I assumed these were noteworthy destinations.
“What are these swirls, Lion?” I asked, furrowing my brows as I studied the map over my she-wolf’s shoulder.
“They’re connected doors that only fae can use. It’s the only way to enter the Night Court,” she answered, picking at a stick of spiced beef jerky.
Hekla traced her finger along the border of the Night Court. “What are they trying to keep out of there? Maybe that’s the threat to the Sky Gods’ children…”
“It’s what they’re trying to keep in there,” Lion said, ripping into a piece of jerky. Hekla hummed and tapped on several swirls as she pondered.
“How do these doors work? Do they go to the ones you target? Do they go to one that’s adjacent? Do they go back to the human realm, and you have to find the corresponding one from the human realm?” I asked.
Lion leaned forward and gestured. “They’re connected. Look closer at the spirals.”
Hekla saw it first, the subtle, matching symbols that indicated which doors were connected.
“So these are kind of like shortcuts too…” I murmured, already trying to sort out the fastest way back to the Summer Court’s castle.
“There are more in the sky and in the water, but you only require Tri’s map. The winter fae and unseelie only know about the ones by the Night Court.” The godling held out a hand and grinned. “If anyone else looks at this map, it’ll be blank, so if you lose it, the locations will remain secret. Do you promise to not share these locations with anyone else, Belenus and Hekla?”
I accepted her hand and shook it. “I promise to not disclose the locations of these doors.” Hekla repeated my words and actions, fully satisfying Lion’s demand.
“Then let’s get going, shall we?” the godling suggested and gestured to the front door. We filed out and let her lead us to a quiet section of the pasture, away from all the cattle. I could only wonder how Lion was going to take us to the border, and I prayed for anything but another deer.
The peace of the moment shattered. A colossal crashing, as startling as a thunderclap, came from about a mile away, buried in the woods, but once it sounded, it did not cease. The cracking and rustling loudened and headed in our direction.
Lion’s eyes widened, she whirled to us, and waved frantically. “Get on, get on, get on, get on!” she yelled and shape-shifted into a colossal black-and-white bird with enormous webbed claws. Well, that was the largest boobrie I’d ever seen in my life.
She crouched as low as possible and spread a black cormorant’s wing, inviting us up the feathered ramp and onto her back. I hauled Hekla over my shoulder to save time, bound up onto the bird’s back, and settled my mate between my legs.
I prayed to the Sky Gods as I panicked, not knowing how Hekla and I were going to stay on this creature. All I could do was gather a handful of coal-black feathers in each hand and accepted it wasn’t the time to be gentle.
“Go, go, go!” I shouted as I dug my heels in and sandwiched Hekla tight between Lion and me, knowing we had a very steep launch ahead of us. Lion scuttled into a run and flapped desperately to become skyborne, the muscles beneath Hekla and me flexing monstrously, fed by the godling’s might. The cattle parted ahead of us, startled by the noise and the colossal bird headed in their direction.
Over the din of trees getting trampled, I could make out the sound of four massive hooves and two sweeping limbs, like hands parting the woods. The thundering came right behind us now, and I wasn’t sure if I could bring myself to look.
I knew what it was, and it was something no fae ever hoped to see in their lifetime.
Lion was jolted violently and roared the boobrie’s horrifying, bull-like bellow out of pain. I had to look back to check, and I knew I’d have nightmares for years, but I was the only one here who could help.
As feared, the monstrous nuckelavee was there, in all its horror, towering larger than a barn—a demon of muscles, bones, and every other tissue but skin. It was a disturbing union of horse and rider, combined as one. The flayed rider’s torso came straight out of the horse’s back, the rider’s arms long enough to drag on the ground, a reach lethal even for sky creatures.
Like the one we were on.
It’d tried to snatch Lion but had only managed to pluck several large tail feathers. Hekla tried to turn and look, but I snapped, “Don’t look, Hekla! Eyes ahead!” I didn’t want her seeing it. I wouldn’t allow her to have any more nightmares than she already had.
Once she complied, I searched inward to find my pure summer essence. Of all the courts, the nuckelavee could not enter the Summer Court, and I had to take advantage of that weakness, even if it would drain me. I wound up as much of my summer magic as I could and waited for the right moment. The nuckelavee swiped violently to knock us out of the air, but I released a concentrated blast of broiling sunlight and knocked its hand away from Lion. It recoiled in rage and glared up at us as we escaped east toward the Night Court. Two horse eyes, two rider eyes—radiating hate as scalding as my magic.
I patted Lion and yelled over the wind, “We’re clear!” She bobbed her head in acknowledgment, and I wrapped my arms around Hekla to steady us both. I leaned into her slightly, growing more ill by the second from losing so much of my natural magic. It’d be hard to regenerate out of the Summer Court. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, trying to accept that Hekla’s good luck had finally run its course. We were now being hunted by a nuckelavee.