Chapter 29 Alfrie
Chapter twenty-nine
Alfrie
Thank the gods Leer interrupted my lesson with Zara when he did.
I’m such a fool. It was reckless enough to embrace her in my room this morning, but to reveal my scars in front of her?
Or tell her where they came from? Daft. I wonder if I would’ve been honest about how I got them had Leer not stepped in.
Perhaps. The way she wrapped her hands around my arm.
Her fingertips brushing over my skin so tenderly.
I practically melted like butter under her touch.
Fuck.
It was simply a moment. Nothing more. I’ll go to dinner and stand in the corner next to Alix, and Zara will go to dinner with her prince. All will be fine. I do need to be more cautious with my words. A lesson I have yet to master.
I stare out of the tiny window in my room and unbutton my shirt.
My gaze drifts to the scars that cover most of my left arm and travel along my side down to my hip.
Zara was right, of course. They’re claw marks from an animal.
But not just any animal. They’re the handywork of King Hardin in his bear form.
I don’t even remember what I did to be punished.
Maybe nothing. But Hardin thought it was a good idea to attack me after he shifted in hopes that I might fight back in one of my predatory shapes.
I didn’t give him the satisfaction. Enraged that I refused to play his little game, the massive bear tackled me to the ground, and I dropped into the fetal position, protecting myself with my arms covering my head as he swung and tore at me with his massive claws.
My skin still stings with a phantom pain, and I can hear the tearing of flesh each time I look at the scars.
I quickly dress and make my way down the stairs to the dining room, hoping to beat Leer and King Hardin so I can follow behind them like the servant I am.
As I pass by the windows on the main floor, I catch a glimpse of a bright orange light in my periphery.
I pause in front of the glass and squint into the darkness.
I spot another flash of light in the distance beyond the courtyard.
Before I can stop myself, I’m buttoning my coat and racing out into the evening. The sun has long since set below the horizon and there's a chill in the air. I suddenly wish that my dinner jacket was warmer, or that I hadn’t decided to take a detour through the gardens to chase a light.
I’m alone in the courtyard and do a quick circle to scan the area. I freeze mid-spin. A rush of silence sweeps in over the grounds and an eerie feeling of apprehension floods my senses. What once was a slight chill is now a blanket of ice smothering the courtyard.
Something is very, very wrong.
The palace grounds are empty except for me and the horses that are whinnying uncomfortably from their pens in the stables down the hill. I search the line of trees from the surrounding dense forest. I can’t see anything or anyone lurking, but I feel them. A lot of them.
I close my eyes and conjure an image of a hawk in my mind.
I take a deep breath, willing my body to change.
To take the shape of the predatory bird.
A rising heat moves through me from the ground up.
My legs are weightless as they shorten into thin stumps attached to massive three-clawed talons, and my arms scream at me as my fingers spread and elongate into large brown feathers.
My vision sharpens and my nose and mouth take on the form of a pointed beak.
The whole process is less than an instant, with only a hint of an ache, and suddenly, I’m flapping my wings to gain purchase in the sky.
The air is colder the higher I fly but I’m determined to find out what's creeping around in the Woodlands so close to court.
I soar above the green canopy and swoop lower for a better view.
I pull up swiftly when I see them. I was right.
There are dozens of heavily armed Fae soldiers moving through the forest toward the Court of Masseda.
Their armor is black to aid in camouflaging their attack, but to a hawk, they're easily spotted.
They must have traveled throughout the night and with no one allowed to leave the palace grounds, they arrived unseen. Without warning.
I bank hard to my left and beat my wings forcefully to return to the palace grounds. In one swift motion, I’m hurtling through the air, kicking my legs until I feel they are my own again. Then I hit the ground, landing in a tumble, but back into my Fae body.
I spin toward the line of trees, and take off running toward the doors as figures start to appear at the border between the woods and the palace grounds.
Closing in all around the castle. And me.
I swallow down the rising fear in my throat.
I can’t fight an army alone and everyone inside is completely unprepared for a battle.
My lungs burn with effort, but there’s no time to slow down and catch my breath.
If I don’t get inside and alert the guards, I’ll no longer have to worry about breathing anyway.
I thrust my body hard against the heavy wooden door of the servant’s entrance and sprint down the dark hallway yelling and waving frantically at everyone who I pass by to go and hide in their rooms.
As I near the throne room, the typical handful of courtiers lounge in the atrium, drinking and laughing.
They all stop and gawk at me when I race past them.
“Go! Get to your rooms! Get a weapon…something! We’re under attack!
” I scream as I fly by, but no one moves.
Instead, they all glance at each other confused. I keep running toward the dining room.
By the time I reach it, sweat drips from my forehead and I’m so out of breath that I can’t form a complete sentence. The guards at the doors stop my approach with their spears and one calls to someone inside the room.
Alix comes through the threshold. “It’s all right, that’s Prince Leer’s—Alfrie, are you okay?” He rushes over when he sees the state I’m in.
I double over, placing my hands on my knees taking in large gulps of air. “There. They…we are…” I pull in another large breath.
He helps me stand straight. “What is it?”
I open my mouth to try again, but it’s too late. A thunderous crash sounds from the atrium and screaming rips through the hall. Folks are running and crying out and the sound of steel scraping steel echoes into the dining room.
King Jeffery and Queen Elara are already out of their chairs, Elara clinging to her husband’s arm.
Alix unsheathes the sword at his side, and barks orders to the other guardsmen.
He turns on his heel and yells at a guard on the opposite end of the dining room.
“Take the king and queen below the palace! You,” Alix points to me, “Find Leer and Hardin and bring them through the servants’ quarters.
You’ll see an alcove near the kitchens. Push hard on the stone wall to get to the basement. Now, go!”
I jump into action and take off running again, toward the north wing to find Leer and Hardin.
There’s more shouting coming from behind me, and the familiar screams of pain from those who weren’t quick enough to escape the blades of the Unseelie soldiers pierce my soul.
I want nothing more than to turn around and help them, but I need to get to Leer. And to Zara.
“Alfrie!” A voice shouts my name, and I halt immediately, thanking the gods that she’s alive. Zara races up to me, fear etched on her face. I grab her by the hand and we take off down the hall. “What’s happening?” Her voice shakes, and tears gather in her eyes.
“Unseelie soldiers. We need to find Leer and King Hardin.” Heat blasts over us as a flaming arrow flies above our heads.
I throw Zara to the ground, covering her with my body, as another arrow soars lower.
I cry out in pain as it knicks my shoulder before lodging into the red velvet curtains, setting them ablaze.
I stand and pull Zara up with me, flames engulfing most of the left side of the hallway. “We’ve got to move now!”
“Your shoulder—” She reaches for me, but I grab her wrist and drag her as quickly as I can away from the flames. “Wait, I have to get to Emlyn! We can’t leave her!”
“There’s no time.” I start down the hallway, but she yanks against my hold and the pained look on her face wrecks me.
Gods help us. “Okay, let’s go get Emlyn, but we have to be quick.
” I follow her through an alcove and into a servants' tunnel.
We slip through the door and carefully close it, as to not draw attention from the soldiers who are killing their way through the palace.
The hidden tunnel system is dimly lit with a couple of hanging lanterns and we both duck slightly to avoid hitting our heads on the arched stone ceiling.
My shoulder screams and I tentatively touch the wound, a bright green liquid covering my fingertips.
Shit. Zara's ahead of me leading the way toward Emlyn’s rooms and I slow a bit.
I take off my coat and tear a piece of the sleeve to wrap around my shoulder and torso.
Hopefully it’s just a graze and the poison hasn’t gotten into my bloodstream.
Zara stops up ahead and is pressing her pointed ear against a wooden door on the right. “This is the entrance to the hall where our rooms are. I don’t hear anything.” She pushes her weight against the heavy door, and I hold my hand out blocking her exit from the tunnel.
“Let me go out first.” I poke my head through the doorway and step out into the hall. There’s no sign of attack in this wing. In fact, there doesn’t seem to be anyone up here, including guards.
Not yet, anyway.
I take her hand, leading her out of the tunnel and we start toward Emlyn’s room.
She scans the corridor, her eyes flitting everywhere. "Something doesn’t feel right.” She grips my hand tighter and leans into my arm as we walk to the end of the hall.
It's quiet. Too quiet.
A crash erupts from the end of the annex, and Alix flees from Emlyn’s room, cradling her in his arms. An Unseelie soldier is close behind them, an axe held above its head.
Zara and I race toward Alix, and he sets Emlyn down on her feet when he nears us. I grab Emlyn by the arm and run with the two females back toward the tunnel in the alcove. I glance back at Alix who is in the midst of a fight with a soldier nearly double his size and who has a much bigger weapon.
“Take Emlyn into the tunnel and go to the basement. Your parents will be there,” I order Zara, practically pushing them both into the tunnel, and pull the door closed behind me.
In an instant, I’m rushing the Unseelie soldier on all fours as a brown bear.
I snarl and stand on my hind legs, pushing Alix out of the way with my massive paw.
The soldier watches me for a moment with its soulless black eyes.
“Alfrie—”
I ignore Alix and stalk toward the soldier. The Unseelie takes the helmet from its head, and I growl at the sight of its hideousness. I recognize the beast from long ago.
I think it recognizes me too.
The soldier raises its axe high above its head and my claws are out. Before it can swing the weapon, it roars in pain and topples forward, narrowly missing my head with the axe before the hunk of metal falls to the floor.
Alix stands behind the soldier, a bloodied sword in his hands. His chest heaves, and he nods to me. The Unseelie soldier wails on the floor and I shift back to my given form.
“Go to the tunnel. I sent Zara and Emlyn through there to get to the basement.” My voice sounds far away, and my vision tunnels. I fall to my knees, and reach for my wrapped shoulder. Blood and poison have soaked through my makeshift bandage and cover my hand.
Alix lifts me from the ground. The Unseelie soldier is still writhing on the stone floor, but I know it'll get up and attack again if we don’t get out of here.
“You’ve got to run! Leave me. Please. Go help Zara…and find Leer.” My body is limp, and I lean into Alix’s shoulder. “I’ll be fine. Leave me and get to the royals.” I don’t know if my words are coming out clearly. Or even coming out at all.
Everything is fuzzy. I think I’m being dragged. Maybe I’m still walking. My vision fades in and out until, finally, blackness takes ahold of me.