Fire and Ice (37 page)

He laughed, a cruel a biting sound. “You've exhausted all other ways. Save one.”

“What is it?”

His silver eyes glinted with mischief, and he leaned toward me. “The only other way to take in the magic of the fey is to consume the raw flesh of one… freshly killed by an iron mortal blade. Devoured, from head to toe.” He paused, raising an eyebrow. “Shall I find you one?” His hand reached for his sword.

I recoiled. My stomach reeled at the thought of what he might do with the slightest encouragement. “No! Please, just… don't.”

He stared for a moment and then let his hand fall away with a shrug. “This is not something I ask for myself, Lorelei,” he said, arching his brows. “If I was at all interested in kissing you for any purpose other than the one at hand, I would have done so. A long time ago. But it is your choice. Accept this simple solution, or watch the Nevermore and your mother perish.”

Exhaling a sigh like a deflating balloon, my shoulders sank. He had won. I would have to do it his way. My gaze drifted to the window. The lifeless bird hung cocooned in a silvery web, while a spider the size of my fist drained its blood. It was all over for him. I thought of my mother, lying in a hospital bed. Adrius, Tilak, everyone in the Nevermore. And my father. What choice did I have?

“Have you decided then?” His voice felt cool against my cheek. “You haven't much time left.”

“I want your word nothing bad will happen. That you won't add any of your own magical twists to this.”

“You ask another favor of a fey. You must have much to give… or nothing to lose.”

“This isn't a favor, Zanthiel, it's a condition.” I flattened my palm against his chest. “Promise me. Do I have your word?” I insisted, wondering if the word of a Faerie was worth anything at all.

His eyes held mine and for a fraction of a second I thought I saw them soften. Like a flicker of kindness that faded before I could tell for sure.

"We have an accord then.” He moved closer, until I was pressed against the frosty wall. He towered over me with a satisfied grin. Were it not for the calculating look in his eyes and the hint of cruelty in the set of his lips, he would have been as beautiful as the others.

Long cool fingers stroked gently along my jaw. I stiffened, not from fear, but from cold. His eyes were as icy as his touch. The temperature plummeted and his voice slivered through the air, slicing across my skin like a serrated knife.

“I shall come for my repayment. I have ways, far more than you can fathom, to ensure you will not deny me. Even your elf will not be able to save you."

His eyes probed mine as he examined me for a long moment. “You are ready, then?”

I nodded as my hands balled into fists at my side, and my breathing became erratic.

Zanthiel smiled and lowered his head slowly until the chill of his breath fanned my face. “Are you certain?” he whispered. “There is no undoing that which cannot be undone.”

“Yes,” I whispered, terrified my voice would break.

I closed my eyes and swallowed. Wordlessly, he leaned in, and parting my mouth with his, he placed a kiss on my lips that chilled my spine. It was over within seconds. But the feeling lingered, as though his cold lips were still pressed to mine. I couldn't breathe. I felt the frostiness of his breath on the side of my face and my mind exploded in agony. It was like my soul was being torn from my body alive. A flush of heat rushed to my cheeks. I gasped for air, trying to shake free of him, even though he was now standing at least two feet away. I tried to speak but couldn't. I had no voice and no strength left to force it. My knees buckled.

A ghost of a smile touched his lips as he watched me. My forehead was clammy and slick with sweat, like waking after a bad dream. Only this wasn't a nightmare. I hadn't been dreaming this.

“What… did… you—” I dropped to the ground, my head throbbing in agony, as his voice blanketed the inside of my mind, drawing dark pictures, forcing his thoughts, trying to make his will my own. The pain intensified the more I resisted. But he was unrelenting, until it culminated with an ear-splintering scream that tore through my vocal chords. Only then did his voice stop. The pain subsided leaving nothing but the echo of silence.

Coherent thought evaporated. And then came back with startling clarity.

Sensation raced through me… sizzling. Electric. I could smell the colors, touch the music, taste the time of day, and hear the frost.

Zanthiel stared at me as I wrestled with the deafening whisper of his voice filling my head.

“You are mine. You have come to me at last as prophecy predicted,” it whispered. “
Ki vos amar… ki vos voluis… ki vos egeo… I love you… I want you… I need you
.” The words chanted in my head with the beat of my pulse, repeating over and over. His voice — or was it mine — grew more insistent with each utterance. “
Ve vic'te… Ve'dahni a'mi.
Come to me. Give yourself to me.”

I clamped my hands over my ears. “Do you think I can't hear you?” I hollered. “Stop right now. Over my dead body will I give myself to you!”

He drew back in surprise. “Never before has another, outside of the Shadow Sidhe, understood the unspoken tongue… Nor resisted the spell of compulsion.”

His echoing words filled my head once more, this time weaker, quieter. He tried to convince me of something I knew deep in my heart wasn't true, and yet, it was like some remote part of me
wanted
it to be true.

“Ameth-uil, Stay here with me
.”

“I will
never
stay with you,” I said prying my eyes open.

Thick lashes partially covered his icy gaze, glinting with smug satisfaction.

“You will reign, Queen of Fey, Lorelei. Whether you believe in prophecy or not is of no matter. This is not a war you can win.

“You have chosen the wrong side, and I don't have time for your games,” I said, as evenly as I could manage. Climbing to my feet, I ignored his outstretched hand. “There is no way I would be with you, ever. All of this is for one reason and one reason only. To save the people I love.”

His lips thinned into a harsh line. He spoke each word in a clipped voice. “It is not I who have chosen poorly, but
they
. Your misguided feelings for the
elves
have tainted your judgment. It is they who have started this war, but they will not win it. I am merely looking out for my own.

“You are looking out for
you
.” My voice was filled with detest. “The witch will bring her war to your doorstep if she wins. And you will find, someday soon, even a necromancer needs living allies.”

His voice took on an air of sarcasm. “But she won't win. Will she? You…” He pointed. “…are going to save the world.” With a grin, that no longer blinded me, but chilled me to my core, he said, “We are being summoned. It is time to go.”

His tattered wings fanned open, folding me within them. In a flurry of battering, we were gone, only to appear in another part of the Unseelie… A more ominous part, despite the room's celestial appearance. For before us stood the Queen of Air and Darkness, surrounded by at least a dozen soldiers of the shadow court in a vine-strangled room, with floating, crimson clouds in place of a ceiling. On the opposite side of the room stood Adrius, flanked by Julien, Amaryllis, and Tilak… and several of the Drakkon warriors I'd met in Tadaria. I'm not sure what we interrupted, but it looked like some kind of paranormal showdown. Both sides armed to the max with weapons and magic. Only now, I was one of them. I could feel the Faerie magic coursing through my veins, like an electric current buzzing below the surface of my skin.

Instinctively, I ran to Adrius. He embraced me, before placing himself protectively between me and the gothic winter fey.

The queen gave me a cutting scowl and sniffed. “There has been much fervor over nothing.”

Like none of the fey I had seen before, the queen had the same piercing eyes as Amaryllis, translucent cerulean of a still mountain lake. But her hair was long and dark, matching the shadows of the faces around her welcoming us with hungry stares.

“The half breed is fine.” She waved her hand dismissively in my direction. ”And now that she has been returned, you are all free to leave and put this ugly matter behind us,” she said.

Adrius stepped forward, but Julien held him back. His deeply frowned gaze narrowed to mere slits and swept dangerously over the fey of the Unseelie Court.

“Be careful, he's a seer,” a wild Faerie with shocking red hair and black eyes whispered from behind Zanthiel's back. I recognized her as one of the fey torturing the chained humans for her pleasure, and the whip dangling at her side was added proof.

Adrius drew in a slow breath, his hands clenched at his sides so tight the veins strained against his skin.

“I have come for Lorelei. It would not bode well for your court should it become known that one of your own has taken Mythlandria's future queen against her will.”

The heat of his gaze fell squarely on Zanthiel.

Silver eyes met his gaze with cool interest.

“Lord Adrius,” Zanthiel said with mock reverence. His eyes swept over the party. “Lord Julien.” He nodded. “
Dwarf
—” His gaze turned back to Adrius. “Interesting traveling companions indeed.”

“You have what you came for. The girl is free to leave,” the queen quickly added. “No need for any more unpleasantries. You may return to the Seelie Court unopposed, unless there is something further?”

Adrius slid his hand to his sword.

I sucked in a frigid gasp of air and froze.

Zanthiel's gaze followed his every movement.

“Adrius… Let's go,” I pleaded.

His muscles tightened then relaxed slightly and he nodded once.

A dark evil Faerie with piranha-like teeth inched forward, his clawed hand stretched for me as we passed by, catching my sleeve in his taloned nails. “Why leave so soon?” he hissed, spitting through his teeth.

I tried to yank free, but he held fast, his talons twisting into the fabric.

Zanthiel stepped toward the wild Faerie at the same time Adrius turned.

With a burst of flames, the tip of Adrius's blade pressed against the Faerie's throat. “Just give me a reason.” His voice scorched the room, smoldering waves of fury rolling off of him.

The Queen narrowed her gaze but said nothing. For a moment everyone froze, gawking in anticipation and dread.

The evil Faerie gulped loudly without budging then slowly lowered his arm and skulked back into the shadows.

“Go, Lorelei.” Adrius glowered.

I glanced at Amaryllis. “We're ready,” I said quickly, without looking at Zanthiel, though I could feel his gaze drilling into my back.

It was more than an understatement. With a hurricane of blinding pixie dust we were transported back to the balmy green glow of the Summer Court.

When we arrived outside my cottage, Adrius gave me a quick kiss on the forehead before storming off. I tried chasing after him, but Julien caught my arm.

“Let him go. He'll be back once he cools off.” Julien smirked, then he and Tilak took off for the shore, leaving me alone with Amaryllis.

I'd hoped she would leave as well. I wanted to be alone. My stomach was unsettled, like I'd eaten something that didn't agree with me. It could have been nerves, but right now I wasn't in the mood for chitchat.

She hadn't said a word the entire time, but her eyes had never left mine. It was obvious she suspected what had happened in the shadow court.

“Is there something on your mind, Amaryllis?” I bristled, still feeling raw from…
everything
. My fingers fluttered up to my lips, which even now were cold and vaguely numb.

Her feline eyes shifted left and right, and then she leaned toward me. “There are none who have survived a kiss of the dark fey with their sanity intact.” Her wide eyes filled with wonder and her voice held a slight tremor. “Can I bring you anything?”

“Yes. My sanity, if you can find it.” I sounded harsher than I wanted to. “As you can see I'm not enslaved,” I said, holding out my arms.

“Does Adrius know?” My voice dropped to a whisper.

She shook her head and I gave her a look that warned her to keep it that way.

“I won't say anything. I give you my word, but…” She looked around sheepishly, making sure the house brownies weren't listening.

“What is it?” I snapped, letting my impatience show. I moved to the door, and rested my hand on the glass knob, hoping she'd take the hint already.

“What was it like, will you tell me?” she whispered.

Looking into her innocent childlike face and wide questioning eyes, I searched for the right word.

“Bitter.”

I turned the handle to let Amaryllis out and came face to face with Adrius.

“I wanted to say good night. And give you these.” He handed me a bouquet of wildflowers matching the blooms of my bracelet. “Sorry about my mood. I'm relieved you didn't do anything crazy in the Unseelie Court. Who knows what kind of depraved bargain Zanthiel would have tried to manipulate you into. Good thing we arrived just in time.”

My stomach somersaulted. Adrius could never find out about what really happened with Zanthiel in the Shadow Court. I shifted my weight from one foot back to the other, tightening my grip on the doorknob.

“Yeah,” I whispered hoarsely. “…Just in time.”

Returning to Mythlandria felt strangely like coming home. I hadn't realized how comfortable I'd become here amidst the feathered green leaves and soft golden rays. It was a scene that had always bathed me in a feeling of warmth and belonging. Today, an empty chill pervaded.

Standing on my veranda, staring at the moonless sky, the cold air burned my lungs. I stared into the sky and shivered, my breath puffing in the air. Undaunted by the impending deep freeze, the stars lit up the night like ten million fireflies.

“You seem nervous.” Adrius's voice came softly from behind. I whirled around as he leapt over the balcony rail, his hair tousled from the wind.

“Really? Huh. That's strange. What have I got to be nervous about? Just a blade-wielding Faerie trying to possess my mind and a psychotic witch trying to steal my soul. No biggie.” I shrugged.

Adrius laughed, drawing me in for a kiss. My fingers locked behind his neck, as I sank into his warmth, forgetting for a moment my fate. But this kiss was different. There was an edge to it, a tension which conveyed the fears he would never voice. I pulled away trying to clear my mind. It was difficult enough to try to understand his thoughts without the added distraction of his touch.

Removing his hand from my waist, his warm fingertip traced the lines of my lips as he spoke. “You know, you could change your mind. Make a sane choice for once.”

“I'm not worried, Adrius.” It wasn't completely a lie. At least now I knew I had the awakened Faerie magic on my side, even if I had no idea how to use it.

“Of course you're not,” he said dryly.

“There isn't anything Octãhvia can do that I won't be able to see.”

He gave a short laugh. “Too much confidence can be equally as dangerous as too little. Possibly worse.”

“Losing faith in me already?”

He placed his hands on either side of my face, compelling me to look at him. “You know that's not it. I only wish I could convince you there might be another way.”

I blinked to regain my focus. “We've exhausted all the other ways, Adrius. And after what I went through in Faery and the Shadow Court…”

His smile hardened into a tight line.

“Well, it would all be in vain if I don't at least try.” My coy smile was a feeble attempt at mimicking his perfectly-honed art of persuasion. I shouldn't have even tried. It was something which only worked for gorgeous immortals.

“Besides,” I continued. “I'll have you at my side. Not to mention the entire Elven guard of Elyssium and the Drakkon warriors.” There were few more skilled in battle than the Elven warriors. I'd witnessed that for myself. “There's nothing to worry about. We're going to win.”

He sighed. “I'm not worried about winning, Lorelei. I'm worried about you. You called up the magic once. You've never even used the prahna to its full strength. We have no way of knowing what it will do to you, what adverse effects it might have if it does work. Winning this war, at the expense of losing you—” His voice tightened and he shook his head. “That is no victory.”

I stared up into the breathtaking face I knew like the back of my hand. The face I saw in my dreams night after night. “You have to trust me, Adrius, trust the
prophecy
. I will be fine. I know it.”

His hands squeezed my shoulders. “How do you know?”

“I can't tell you
how
I know, I just know.”

He shook his head lightly, pursing his lips “Why am I not surprised?”