A Kingdom of Lies (Realm of Fey #2)

CHAPTER 16

Fire hissed over Althea’s cuffless skin. It wrapped around her neck like jewellery of amber and ruby, dripping from her, leaving her clothes unmarked. Although the floor beneath her charred and cracked as though not worthy of her protection, flames destroying everything she desired.

“Ever the goddess I have known,” Briar strained, pushing herself from the ground to look at Althea. Her skin was stained with ash, her face red and blistered from the heat.

“Robin,” Althea commanded, not once taking her eyes from Briar where she cowered on the floor. “Come.”

I didn’t waste a moment for questions or thought. With haste I moved towards her, careful to dance around the fire and rubble which seemed to litter the room entirely. As I reached the broken entryway, I glanced back at Briar, and a smile of pure relief lifted my lips.

“Seems you have failed again,” I said, breathless from relief. “You should have given up the first time.”

Briar jeered, spit flying from her paled lips. But there was nothing for her to say. No words that could harm me now. Not with Althea between us, no longer weakened by iron.

But how?

Gyah was waiting in the corridor, eyes narrowed withintent. She spared me a sour glance, both hands curledinto fists, then flicked her gaze to the third person. Duncan, leaning against the wall upon one bent knee asthough a powerful fey didn’t ravage his fortress before him.

“You set her free,” I said, moving beside him; my legs felt shaky and weak. I leaned against the wall and coughed, trying to clear the smoke from my lungs, my eyes burning.

“I did. Only for a moment though,” Duncan said, revealing Althea’s cuff in his hand and spinning it with his fingers. “Once the threat is dealt with, her cuff will be returned. For now, do not distract me from the show.”

I looked back to the room, where Althea stalked forward, a figure bathed in flames. Her hands were contorted into claws at her sides, encouraging a line of fire to snake towards the outmatched assassin.

Briar choked on the smoke, tears streaming down the soot that covered her face in clear lines. Determination did not wither from her stare as she watched Althea, princess of flame and fury, walk towards her.

“I am glad you were foolish enough to come,” Althea began, head tilting to the side ever so slightly. “I have wasted many moments thinking of ways to reach you, but here you are. So effortless, so easy.”

“You hate me,” Briar groaned, conviction creasing her once trusting face. “And I do not blame you, though I hoped you would see that this is purely business, my darling. Nothing more.”

“I am not your anything .”

“You were once.” Briar was clawing into Althea’s emotions. “How have your feelings changed so quickly? Or perhaps they have not, deep down you must still love me.”

Gyah growled at my side, deep and guttural, with teeth bared in Briar’s direction. While Althea was free, Gyah still wore the iron cuff; it was the only thing stopping her from shifting into her beast and devouring Briar.

Down the corridor chaos distracted me as a wave of Hunters with drawn weapons ran into view.

Duncan sighed, pushed himself from his position, and raised a hand towards them. “Stop.”

They did, reluctantly, slowing their pace with confusion shared between them. A few carried on, looking between Duncan and us with disgust. “You let one of ’em go free! She’ll burn this entire place down before we get some control on them.”

“Do you second guess my intelligence, Stamon?” Duncan snarled, lip curling.

The man who had spoken stepped back, head down but eyes looking upwards. “No, General.”

“Search this fortress for any other intruders before I decide to point the blame on one of you for this cock up. Turn it upside down if you must.” Duncan looked back to us. “Leave these fey to me.”

The Hunters jumped at the scream that tore from the room. We all did. The Hunters turned on their heels and ran, a luxury I did not have.

Althea glowed a bright amber, skin molten fire and ruby hair shimmering. Her hand was outstretched, holding Briar by the throat where she dangled two feet from the ground, with eyes bulging and lips quivering.

The smell of burnt flesh thickened in my nose; there was no escaping the scent as it crawled down my throat and threatened to turn my stomach inside out.

Briar slapped and clawed at Althea as she pleaded for her life. But there was no stopping the princess, nor the flame that devoured Briar.

Briar’s hair singed, skin peeling back, blood boiling. Ash fell from her like darkened snow, fluttering gently to the ground below her dangling feet. The sounds of crackling flesh and the cries of terror would haunt me for a lifetime. Even after Briar became still and soundless, it still echoed within my mind.

It didn’t take long for Briar to die. Althea released her grip and the body crumpled to the ground in a heap of charred flesh and bone. She stood still, watching, as the fire died around her until not a lick of flame was left, extinguished with only the memory of smoke curling from the destruction within the room.

Gyah was the first to enter, wrapping her arms around Althea’s back like a shield. I tried to follow, but Duncan stopped me by putting his arm in my way.

“Do you see the destruction of your kind now?”

I couldn’t form an answer, not as Althea’s silence turned into sobs that shook her entire body. Without Gyah to hold her, she would have fallen to her knees; I was sure of it.

“Is that why you let her go free?” I asked. “To prove a point?”

“No,” Duncan said, slowly lowering his arm. “I didn’t know the limits of this Briar and her powers. For all I knew she could’ve caused a real headache for my men, and I would like to keep as many of them alive as I can. I think the saying is ‘fight fire with fire’? However, if anyone else asks, you can use your excuse if you prefer.”

With that, Duncan moved away from me, leaving me to my own confusion, as he wandered into the room with an iron cuff still held in his hands.

It pained me to watch Gyah quietly console Althea who trembled within her hold. The burned remains of Briar still hissed with smoke like the forgotten cinders in a hearth during a winter’s morning.

“Impressive,” Duncan said, standing before them both. “The Hand truly will be pleased to meet someone with power such as yours. Now, time to put this back on before my men return.”

Gyah glared at him, snarling protectively like a cat over a bowl of fresh cream. Her reaction was wasted, for Duncan didn’t flinch. Instead, he held the collar out with confidence and patience.

Althea looked over her shoulder at him, eyes red-rimmed and cheeks wet. “Do it before I have the chance to change my mind.”

Duncan smiled. “Your cooperation is gallant.”

“Now is our chance to go, Althea,” Gyah said, pleading with wide eyes. “We can leave.”

“Actually, now is not the time to be brave,” Duncan said slowly, reminding Gyah of who stood before her.

“I don’t have the energy,” Althea murmured, face pale and limbs shaking. She shifted out of Gyah’s hold and extended her neck for Duncan. I imagined her short time without the iron cuff would’ve helped her heal, that had to count for something.

I watched from the shadows of the broken doorway as Duncan clipped the iron cuff back in its place. From within his pocket he withdrew a key. He slipped it into a hole so small that if you didn’t know its location, it would have been impossible to find. Then, with one gentle turn, it was locked.

“Are you okay?” I joined Althea’s side, watching as the iron drained the colour from her skin. Even her eyes dulled as though the flame within was snuffed out, leaving her hollow.

“It had to be done. An Asp never gives up on a target and she would have continued looking for you.”

“Althea, she would not have needed another opportunity. If you had not come for me, she would have completed her task.” It was true. We all knew it. Even Duncan, who took the biggest gamble letting Althea free. A risk worth taking in my eyes, considering I had truly believed he had left me to meet my end. There would be a time for my thanks but now was not it.

“King Doran sent her for me, but she is not the only one on her way,” I told them, trying to stop myself from looking at the smouldering remains.

“Who else?” Gyah asked, voice deep and terrifying.

“Erix.”

The silence between the three of us piqued the interest of our captor.

“And who might be the man that can silence the three of you with only a name?”

Gyah straightened to match Duncan in height. “A berserker, a being capable of destroying this entire place without the requirement of magic and power.”

Duncan’s brow dipped and his jaw clenched as he regarded her. “And this makes you grin from ear-to-ear because?”

Gyah shrugged, focusing her attention on Althea as she wrapped an arm around her for support. “Can you take us back to our room now, Hunter? I think we should sit this visit out.”

Annoyed, Duncan waved his hand towards the corridor in guidance. “After you. Your room awaits.”

“How the tides have turned,” Duncan said after I told him the rest of my tragic tale, pressing his fingers to his head as he pinched his eyes closed. “If Erix was the one who killed your father, why would you go through all of this to petition for the king’s death?”

“I don’t expect you to understand.”

“And I don’t.” Duncan studied the view from Finstock, its surroundings cloaked in night and flaming sconces. “So, you loved this… man?”

The question made warmth flood my cheeks. “I cared for him enough to know that his actions were not actually his own.”

“Because he is a berserker?”

I nodded, focusing on pressing down the sickening worry that had embedded itself in my stomach. Briar was a person I had not wanted to see, for many reasons. But Erix… I would have rather taken Briar’s blade than see him again. “He is being controlled, body, soul and mind. Forced by a power I don’t quite understand due to his blood tie to King Doran. If he comes here, it will not be as simple as unleashing one of our powers to stop him. He is… a monster. We should leave before he finds us.”

“I am afraid that is not a possibility. I do not run from your kind. We will wait and greet him upon his arrival. No point leaving all this protection if he is just going to follow. Unless he’s already here…”

My skin crawled at the thought. “Do you wish to cause me discomfort?”

“Is it that obvious?” he replied with a grin.

It was hard to discern what smile of his was genuine or forced. My mind screamed that Duncan was not to be trusted, but without him, I would have already been dead. I got the impression, to a point, he needed me alive. “Stay and wait to greet Erix, and those men you wish to keep alive will not survive long. Trust me, he is dangerous. More than I could explain.”

“I’ll think about it.”

“There isn’t time–”

“Patience, Robin.” Duncan turned to face me, back haloed by the silver glow of the moon that dominated the sky behind him. He toyed with the loose strings of his navy tunic which still hadn’t been pulled tight during the rush of the assassination attempt. His stare was heavy, I felt it on every inch of me, as though he studied the tones of my hair, the depth of my eyes. “You underestimate me. I’ve personally delivered many of your kind to the Hand, but never one as intriguing as you,” he purred, eyes racing up and down me. “You have kings, assassins and now a berserker following where you go.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel special?” I asked, frowning. “Because all it does is remind me that you are as much as a monster as I first believed you to be.”

“Then I’m not the only one with conflicting views. Do not get me wrong, I do not like you. Far from it, in fact, but being in your company is a thrill and one I have not had in a while. Your conversation is far more interesting than the Hunters who still search Finstock for another Asp or whatever that little stalker referred to herself as. Perhaps my interest has something to do with the fact that you can hold my stare, an equal match. I have been so used to having those around me do as I say all without catching my stare for longer than required. Whereas you… you demand it.”

I wanted nothing more than to look away. But instead, I fought to hold his gaze, not wanting to prove him wrong.

“I want you to know that I don’t care what you think of me,” I spat. “Your thoughts don’t affect me, nor do they change what I need from this agreement.”

“Agreement?” Duncan laughed. “Don’t get comfortable. You are still my prisoner, and we have no agreement. I am delivering you to the Hand because that is what I do. It is my job to send magic-blessed fey to the Below. It just so happens that our motives align with one another, that is all.”

No longer caring to be in his presence, I turned to the darkened corridor, facing the door which my friends dwelled behind. “Erix is not the only one coming for me. If you refuse to leave because of one man, perhaps you would heed my warning and leave before the Cedarfall army arrives. Otherwise, neither of us will be reaching the Hand, not alive anyhow.”

“You could be lying,” Duncan said.

I lifted my chin. “I’m not. Like you, I don’t play games.”

Duncan relaxed, leaning against the wall with a posture that irked me. “And what would you have me do? One man I can handle, but the idea of a fey army. I don’t think Finstock will survive it.”

I took a deep inhale. “Let Althea and Gyah go. Send them back towards Wychwood, prevent the army from reaching Finstock.”

“What about you?” Duncan asked, head tilting to the side. “Do you not wish to go with them?”

I shook my head, looking down at the floor. “As you said, Erix would just follow. It would threaten all of their lives if he did.”

There was another reason I couldn’t leave with Althea and Gyah. One more pressing. It was Duncan’s comment about the Below that reminded me. The fey who were left, with no army to come and save them.

They, like me, were alone. And I had to do something to help.

“So our lives don’t matter to you, but those of your friends do.”

“Well exactly,” I said, sarcasm dripping from my tone. “I don’t like you, Duncan. Did you think I do?”

I peered back at him, watching his lips purse in contemplation. The scar that ran down from his eye only enhanced his expression of deep wonder. The winter winds beyond the fortress walls ripped into the corridor, bringing with it the scent of Duncan. It was welcome, his smell, covering that of Briar’s burned flesh and my own stench from days without a wash.

It was pleasant.

“I will think on the matter of releasing your friends,” Duncan said, looking away from me for a brief moment. “No promises. As you can imagine, it will upset someone very important if I let a Cedarfall royal slip through my fingers… again.”

“There will come a time you will learn to trust me,” I said. “I only hope it is before everything burns around us because I am going to need you alive to get what I want. I’ve warned you, it’s up to you if you fail or not.”

Duncan watched as I reached for the door of our prison of comforts. Then he replied, voice echoing down the hallway and leaving its cold kiss upon the back of my neck. “I get the impression you are simply using me, Robin.”

“Then we do share something in common,” I replied slyly. “I just have not worked out what it is you want from me yet.”

“ If we make it to Lockinge you will find out.”