Traitor (9 page)

I took that to mean, “It senses you’re not a Changeling,” and took five more steps back. I ran into another tree.

Where the knot had been, there was now a doorway. Dalbach opened it and turned to usher me in. “Get in, get in. We need to be out of…” he trailed off, his eyes lifting above me.

“Now what are yeh doin’ out here, Dalbach? I thought yeh were goin’ tah see Jamie.”

What I had thought was a tree was actually Aneas. It seemed he had been following us from a distance. I sucked in a horrified breath as he wrapped his thick, sausage-like fingers around my neck. He was unnaturally large and by the grip he was using to crush my windpipe, he was also unnaturally strong.

Dalbach took a step toward us. Aneas casually took a step back, pulling me with him. He lifted me into the air, seeming to use me as a prop and spoke to Dalbach, shaking me like a rag doll. I felt my back and neck pop a couple times. “Yeh know, I’ve always wondered about yeh, Dalbach. You’re just too tame. Not one uh’ us, not at all. Now you’ve gone an’ brought this lil’ bag of bones around an’ got one of us kilt. I don’t think I like whatever you’re up to, really.”

Dalbach blinked spastically. After a moment, he regained his composure. It was a good thing, as I was beginning to lose consciousness from lack of air. I kicked the air where I hung, hoping that I would connect with some part of Aneas. No dice. I sucked in a choking breath and hoped Dalbach had a plan. “Aneas, you’re the Gatekeeper. I understand that. However, you also need to understand that I do not answer to you, but to our mutual boss, Jamie. So if you wouldn’t mind, would you please quit choking the life out of my associate and let us carry on with the duties assigned to us?”

Aneas grunted in defiance, but loosened his grip on my neck. Blood surged to my head with the vice grip gone and left me seeing black spots in my vision. Still, I’d take this over strangling.

Dalbach reached out his right hand and glared at Aneas. He snapped his long fingers once impatiently. “Now please, Aneas. We don’t have all day.”

Aneas laughed. “Yeh know none of us have powers here, Dalbach. I’m not scared of yeh.”

Dalbach smiled. “Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong.”

Snapping his fingers once more, he flipped his hand over so fast that it was a blur. In a flicking motion that looked like he was shooing away a dog, Aneas flew backwards twenty feet. Unfortunately, he dragged me along for the ride.

We skidded across the dry ground and gravel bit into my skin. Both Aneas and I slammed into a real tree this time, and it buckled under Aneas’s enormous frame and crashed down, barely missing me. The ground rumbled below me from the tree’s weight and with a great
galumph
, the tree connected with Aneas’s head. His grip on my throat finally went slack. Blood dribbled from his nose and his limbs were in awkward positions. I leaned in close to him to search for any sign of life and looked to Dalbach. “Is he dead?”

Dalbach turned back around, acting as though nothing had happened. “You know, for just being strangled, you’re awful concerned about your attacker. Come on, come on, before he wakes up.”

Struggling out from under the dead weight of Aneas, I swayed from dizziness. I rubbed my head and watched as three Dalbachs danced and melded back into one. “Do you care to explain what that was about?”

“Not particularly,” Dalbach said shortly. “Let’s go.”

Waving his hand in front of him, the tree he had been working on now revealed a staircase that led underground. This just kept getting better and better. Walking forward, we descended into darkness. The steps twisted and turned beneath my feet as we went deeper and deeper into the bowels of Neamar. With each step, the air got colder. I was sure that with each exhale, mist formed in front of me.

There was no handrail; apparently safety wasn’t high on Changeling priorities. I placed one hand on the cool stone wall and extended another out in front of me, just to be sure I didn’t trip over Dalbach and cause us both to break our necks. The grooves in the wall were grainy and gritty and small pebbles broke away as my fingers grazed the surface. It felt like this place had been here for much, much longer than I could even begin to imagine.

Dalbach led the way and seemed sure of himself. His steps were quiet and quick, and I had to work to stay at his pace. He spoke without turning around to face me and it echoed against the walls. “When we reach the bottom, turn left at the fork. The man-child of that woman’s is down there, locked away. Your brother is to the right. I’ll secure him while you get the other one.”

My stomach dropped. “Why can’t I get Chris? He’s my brother.”

Dalbach created light that danced in the palm of his weatherworn hand and threw shadows across the walls. His face was serious. “Because he’s guarded heavily. Aiden is old news here and has caused his share of headaches for Ankou. He’s about run his course of usefulness.”

I took that to mean what it meant for dogs that had been in the pound too long. The look on Dalbach’s face confirmed it. I blanched, but Dalbach cut me off before I could argue. “Just get him. Put your hand to the lock and wave to the right. Only Changelings can open the cell. Let’s hope you can trick the system with whatever Changeling is left in you.”

With that, Dalbach hopped down the remaining stairs and disappeared to the right, leaving me all alone at the fork. Not wanting to be caught here on my own, I sighed and headed to the left. This was not a sane decision.

T
HE WALLS WERE
disgusting. Covered in wet mold, slime, and probably other foul things I’d never heard of, I tried to focus on continuing forward. It was a long hall, lit only by little bursts of blue light that weren’t unlike what I was capable of creating. They floated innocently a foot above my head in little alcoves carved out of the cement walls and cast long, haunting shadows in varying lengths. Finally after fifteen minutes, prison cells began to line the walls.

It was impossible to call the inhabitants of the cells people. They weren’t even Changelings. There was a vast array of creatures, each one more fantastical than the last. Some were beautiful, some horrifying. All of them held the menace and hatred that was the uniting theme in Neamar.

They all clanged on their cells as I clambered past. Some grunted, others screeched, and others just stared. I realized one inmate was a Merrow, his kelp-like hair in short tangles like a green mop. His teeth were sharpened just like Jamie’s were, and I shuddered at the sight of him. Those teeth had left a mark on me. This Merrow seemed to notice my reaction. He smiled deviously and reached a webbed hand out between the bars as an invitation for me to come closer. I abstained.

Arriving at the final cell, there was silence.

The person in the cell was hunched over in the corner of their quarters. I’d never seen a picture of Aiden, but this must be him since it was the only human in the line of cells. Bright red hair like my entire McVean family lit up what I could see of his head. He had a stub of a pencil in hand that was poised above a small, water-stained notepad he was holding. In a flash it was gone. Without looking up, he acknowledged me. His voice was hoarse and weak. “What do you want? I’ve told you that you’ll get nothing more from me. Just send me to the other side already.”

There was no reason to pay attention to his complaints when I was trying to save his life, so I waved my hand in the manner that Dalbach had instructed. Nothing happened. That wasn’t good.

Finally the figure stood up, crossing the cramped cell in one stride. He kept his head low, as though looking at me would cause him physical harm. “What’s wrong, body snatcher? Lost your touch?”

Once again ignoring him, I moved my hand in the same manner without even looking at him. Once again, nothing happened. The man laughed. It felt familiar, like home. “This is rich. They’ve sent a baby! You must be the dumbest Changeling I’ve ever met if you can’t even open my cell to beat me again.”

Slamming my hands against the bars, I startled him and caused a huge uproar from the other inmates. In the din, I leaned in to get closer to him, finally looking him in the eyes.

I had never seen Aiden, but I had seen this person before.

I was looking into the emerald green eyes of my father.

The air hitched in my throat. This had to be a cruel joke. Regaining my senses, I skittered backward, hit the slimy wall not two feet behind us, and slid down until I sat on the filthy ground. Dad laughed hatefully. I’d never seen this side of him. He was bitter, that much was obvious.

Words wouldn’t come coherently. “I – you – the ice! Aren’t you supposed to be dead?” Tears pooled in my eyes and spilled over. My heart pounded audibly in my ears and I felt like I couldn’t breathe. The ice cold water that clung to my clothes on that horrible winter day now doused my soul as I looked into Dad’s eyes. “I watched you die. You’re supposed to be dead. I
felt
you die.”

Dad laughed again, turning to go back to his corner. “You know I’d rather be dead than looking at you.”

The words stung. Then I realized he wasn’t talking to me as in Ashlyn; he was talking to the Changeling before him.

He had to know it was me. I did the only thing that made sense. It was also the most insane thing to do. I shifted.

Dad’s eyes were as huge as half dollars. He fell to the back of his cell. “You disgusting Changeling! How dare you change into my daughter! You’ve touched her? You’ve been near her? You’re dead! Just wait until you try to get near me again. I’ll make sure you’re nothing more than ash!”

He continued to yell as I put my hands up in submission. “Dad! Dad! It’s me. Ashlyn. For real. Chris is down here somewhere with Aiden and MaKenna. I can bridge the gaps. Memaw told me everything.”

His eyes shined with tears. It seemed like he wanted to believe, but thought better of it. He stayed near the back of the cell and started pacing. “When’s my birthday?”

“December fifth.”

“What’s my favorite food?”

“Grilled salmon with crushed red pepper on top. You always wrapped it in aluminum foil in the summer. Had us put our seasonings on it however we liked along with you.”

He looked shocked, but continued with the questions. “What’s your mother’s middle name?”

“Ann. Memaw’s middle name is Barbara, Chris’s middle name is Andrew, and mine is Marie. My birthday is December eleventh and my favorite color is purple. We had been planning a trip to Ireland before you…” I trailed off, not knowing what to call whatever it was that had happened. It was obvious he didn’t die. I looked at the ground, fighting to control the tears that were threatening to emerge.

He’d died in my arms. I watched the light leave his eyes, felt his last breath. The pain that I had felt every day of him being gone was magnified now that I was looking at him again. The nights I woke up dreaming of drowning in the pond instead of him, wishing I had an opportunity to get back at Jamie and Ankou for wrecking my family. The tears I shed only in the shower when no one was around. Everything, every emotion, every tear, every nightmare I’d had since Dad died came crashing down on me.

I fell into the bars that separated Dad and me and I cried.

His hands gently wrapped around mine. “Ashlyn, I love you.”

I laughed through the sobs that wracked my body and looked up at him. Tears spilled over in his eyes. His familiar smile, his cedar and soap smell, his rough hands. It all overwhelmed me. He leaned down and his dehydrated lips kissed my fingers through the bars. “God, I’ve missed you so much. I’ve missed your mother and Chris and Memaw. Why on earth are you here?”

As I opened my mouth to respond, Dalbach hissed behind me. “What are you doing? Do you want to get us both killed? Change back now!”

Dad’s face returned to the hateful glare it had been when I first arrived. “Changeling, don’t you dare talk to my daughter that way!” He punched his open hand against the bars, as though that was a viable threat.

Dalbach laughed. “Peter, I’m not going to hurt Ashlyn. I
am
surprised to see you in this wing, though. When did they change your quarters?”

Dad spit through the bars, but Dalbach jumped back in time. “It shouldn’t matter to you what they do to me, now should it, you nasty leech!”

“No, it shouldn’t. However you’re in the quarters that Aiden once called home, and that concerns me. We’re looking for him.”

My stomach was lead. Dalbach knew my dad was here? Why hadn’t he said anything? This was starting to feel like a trick. I snapped my fingers and brought the purple flame to Dalbach’s face. “You’re going to explain yourself now.”

Dad looked like he might faint. “Ashlyn, how did you…? What are you?”

Dalbach shrunk away from my headlock. His words weren’t a request, but an order. “Change. Then we’ll talk. Away from here.”

I glanced at Dad once more. He nodded slightly in acknowledgment to the question I hadn’t asked. As I sighed, the purple flame disappeared and I became the same size as Dalbach once more. I awkwardly loped over to Dad and put one of my gnarled hands on his. He didn’t shrink away. It was surprising. “Dad, I’ll come back for you.”

He smiled sadly. “Ash, just get out of here and never come back.”

Dalbach cracked his knuckles behind us. “Company is calling. Good luck, Peter.”

He ran toward me and pulled my hand away from Dad’s, yanking us along the slippery hallway. I slipped and stumbled along the wet floor with my hand in Dalbach’s as he towed me down the hallway. I stole a glance backward in time to see a shadow that resembled Aneas’s large frame. Dalbach pulled me harder and forced me to look away. “You don’t want to see what’s going to happen.”

As he finished his sentence, Aneas’s laughter rang out, followed by a yell that sounded too much like Dad’s.

***

Tears flew off my cheeks as we wound our way up the inside of another gnarled tree with a lightning pace. The wooden stairs were rickety and groaned under our weight, but there was no time to worry about it. A red haze was beginning to form about ten feet away, which would be our exit from this hellhole of a dungeon. It blazed a crimson red through my closed eyelids as we jumped through and I felt the familiar tendrils of smoke wrap themselves around my ankles and wrists. It spit us out on the other side and I became a crumpled mess on the dead grass. There had been too much on my plate for too long. This was more than enough.