Usurper

  Reynard swallowed hard. “Well, we can escort you home, too.” He gave the carriage behind me a longing look. “Part of the queen’s guard, we’ll be.”

  Brendan made a scoffing sound from somewhere behind us, but I nodded and said, “That’s a good idea. We’re outnumbered by the other courts. I think we can find a place for all of you. But you follow my orders from now on.” I mounted Dubh and turned him back toward our carriage.

  Reynard asked, “Or what?”

  I glanced over my shoulder with a smile but didn’t say a word.

  ***

  We made it past the Hollows without further incident, except for a lone crow circling us on occasion.

  “You can’t trust Reynard,” Vix hissed as we unpacked that evening.

  “I know that.”

  “Then why is he here?”

  “Because the others will follow him.”

  “The fools. He makes me sick, and I know he sends your skin crawling away from your flesh, too.”

  I turned to look at her. “You either trust me or you don’t. Make a choice, Vix.” I went to spend some time with my daughter before my head exploded.

  On my way, I noticed Reynard and his men lounging about while everyone else worked. There might have been servants, but everyone, even the kings, helped out when it came time to set up camp. One of Reynard’s men threw something at a passing soldier. Most of the others burst into laughter. The bald one watched everything in grim silence. His aqua-blue eyes were startling against his deep-toned skin. When Reynard tripped a servant who then crawled away in fear amidst the cruel teasing, I knew I had to do something.

  I stalked over to the group. “This is when we work. Move, or you don’t eat tonight. And if you pick on defenceless fae again, you’ll have me to answer to.”

  Reynard grinned at me but didn’t move. When I turned away, I heard him describe very loudly what he liked to do to bitchy upstarts. I decided to ignore him.

  Bran touched my arm. “I can deal with them. Just tell me what you want them to do.”

  I smiled. “I want to give them enough rope is all.”

  He looked confused, so I linked my arm with his and added, “Just make sure only the ones who work get to eat.”

  I secretly spied on the group after that. The first to get up was the bald man. Most of the others laughed at him, but a tall slender woman and an overweight young male with a multi-coloured mohawk soon followed him. The bald man moved so close to me that Bran reached for his weapon.

  I held my breath as the man passed, but as he did, he whispered, “The scouts still live.”

  After dinner, everyone clapped as Brendan ran around camp with Setanta on his shoulders and a giggling Scarlet tucked under his arm. Little Eithne chased him with a wooden sword, smacking the back of his knees whenever he slowed enough to let her. I was pretty sure the faery king was going through some kind of second childhood.

  “They’re kind of sweet, aren’t they?” Bran said. “The little ones, I mean.”

  “Well, I think so.”

  “They sort of make you forget how miserable this place makes you feel.”

  I gave him a sharp glance, wondering if one child in particular was the cause. Scarlet hadn’t shown any ill effects from being in the Darkside so far. Maybe I had been worrying for nothing.

  Reynard sat by the wheel of a wagon, staring greedily at the children, at Scarlet. His hands ran up and down his thighs. The look in his eyes was a warning I took note of. Something had to be done about the Fox.

  ***

  I lay awake long after everyone else had fallen asleep. I kept my eyes on the crow sitting in a nearby tree and watching Reynard’s group. Then again, I could have been imagining it. Maybe sometimes, a bird was just a bird.

  I had finally started to doze off when a cawing woke me. I sat up with a start to see the crow diving off its branch. I spotted Reynard’s white hair moving amongst the trees. The rest of his group was asleep in a tent; I could hear them snoring from all the way across camp. I slipped out of my pallet. Bekind stirred and watched me with cat’s eyes. I held my finger to my lips then moved on. I was still dressed in my black riding suit, with my fenris-scarred dagger in its scabbard.

  I avoided the guards then slipped between the trees to follow the Fox. He mumbled to himself as he half-staggered through the woods.

  During dinner, without food to sustain him, he had drunk himself into a stupor. As Bran got involved in the children’s play, and Reynard’s look grew more desperate, I had realised exactly what I was going to do about the Fox.

  We crept farther into the forest, him humming an off-key melody. He pissed against a tree, fortunately with his back to me. I could easily draw blood with my dagger, could easily punish a man who was capable of terrible things. A man I had watched eye my daughter with a sick kind of glee in his stare. A man who had turned even Vix into a ball of nerves. He had done something to her, I was sure. Reynard had to go, and I had to be the one to do it. But I froze, and the moment passed.

  I leaned against a tree and held my breath. I couldn’t do it. No matter how much I hated him, I couldn’t kill him like that, not in cold blood. And if I couldn’t deal with Reynard, then what the hell was I going to do about Sadler?

  I turned back toward camp, wondering where Reynard was headed. I crept from tree to tree, feeling unsettled. Then I felt a whoosh of air behind me, and I was suddenly pinned against Reynard, my back to his chest. His palm pressed against my mouth, partially covering my nose.

  “There we go,” he whispered. “We’ve been dancing too long. I’m a bloody warrior. Do you think a little girl is going to creep up on me? I led you far enough away from camp that nobody will hear you scream your lungs out.” He took his hand from my mouth. “Now what are your orders? Want to try telling me what to do again? I think it’s time you learned who’s in charge here.”

  “Is that you? Pathetic little creep.”

  He tried to slam his hand over my mouth again. I twisted my head before he made contact and bit down hard on the meat of his palm.

  He yanked his hand away, spun me around, and backed me against the tree, his knee between my legs. “A stupid little tart until the end.”

  His rancid breath blew into my face, making me recoil. He laughed and reached up with both hands to squeeze my breasts. He leaned forward and bit my neck, his shoulders shaking with unbridled glee.

  I closed my eyes, not even feeling the pain anymore. He slobbered all over me as he ripped my top open, apparently not noticing that I wasn’t fighting back. I surreptitiously unsheathed my dagger and held it behind my back.

  “You should have killed me when I was with Brendan and no guards were around,” I whispered. “Those arrows didn’t even come close.”

  “What are you on about now? Blathering on like an idiot. Quiet, now.”

  “I warned you. Back in the Dark Court, I warned you not to fuck with me.”

  He grabbed a fistful of my hair and whacked my head against the tree. “I’ll knock out your teeth if you don’t shut your mouth. There, now we’ve both been warned. Shut the—”

  I brought the dagger forward and slid the blade into his stomach. I was surprised by how easily it slipped through the skin and flesh. He was wearing a cloth shirt that gave him nothing in the way of protection. His eyes widened, and he made an odd sound. I pushed him away from me, but he didn’t fall.

  He gazed down at the wound in surprise, then his eyes moved to the bloody dagger in my hand. To my surprise, he threw back his head and laughed. “You’ll need more than that to get rid of me.”

  His fist flew out and caught me in the side of the face, though I moved in time to deflect the full power of the blow. As he swung again, I ducked and made a run for it. In the moment, I lost my way and ran away from the camp. He couldn’t catch me. I was too fast, and he was injured.

  Still, he came, his throaty laughter filling the air. He enjoyed the hunt.

  Once I had put some distance between us, I
scurried up a tree and moved out onto a low branch. When Reynard came blustering through the undergrowth beneath me, I gripped the limb tightly then swung my body down, ripping the skin from my palms. I kicked him in the back of the head with both feet. He fell to his knees. I jumped down next to him. In my peripheral vision, I caught sight of a crow flying low around us.

  Reynard rose to his knees, and I kicked him again. He grunted but managed to grab my foot and yank hard enough to pull me down to the ground. I struggled to free my foot. He moved his hands up my legs and past my waist. Clambering on top of me, he pinned my hands. Breathing heavily, he let go to wrap his hands around my neck. Hands freed, I found his wound and shoved my fingers inside, tearing the cut even more.

  He howled and reared back with one fist. I rolled, knocking him off balance, and he hit the ground beside my head. I scrambled out from underneath him and unsheathed my dagger. Swearing, he leapt at me. I swiped my blade across his chest as I spun to the side to avoid his charge. He flew into a rage, calling me every name under the sun, as he tried to catch me.

  I led him in a circle. He grew slower by the minute, and weaker, judging by his panting. The blood had spread across his shirt and was starting to drip down the front of his trousers.

  “You’re going to die, Fox,” I taunted. “An insignificant human bested you. Remember that when you’re stuck in the Fade. The likes of you should never find peace.”

  When he roared, I waggled my finger at him. “You said it yourself. We’re too far from camp. They won’t hear you shout for help. Or mercy.”

  He dove at me, throwing his entire weight on me and knocking me to the ground with him on top. He gripped my neck again, his desperation and anger giving him strength. Struggling for air, I shoved the dagger into the side of his neck. He gurgled, his fingers reaching for my eyes. I yanked the knife away, and his blood spurted. He fell to the side, and I scrambled out from under his legs. As he lay dying, I cut away a chunk of his bloodied white hair.

  He was still alive when I walked away, but he wouldn’t last much longer. I had heard the slick, wet sounds of death approaching. I returned to camp, bloody and trembling, and went straight to Reynard’s tent.

  I found the bald man’s pallet and straddled him, the dagger and the clump of hair in my hands. He woke up. In his eyes, I saw confusion give way to realisation, which was then replaced with a mixture of fear and respect.

  I laid the hair on his chest. “He didn’t obey me,” I whispered. “Make sure I don’t have to deal with any of you personally again.”

  “I follow orders,” he replied. “And I despised the Fox. I’m yours now.”

  “No. You belong to the princess. But until she’s old enough, I speak for her. Darksiders are going to stand alongside the Green and Silver soldiers. Fae like Reynard have no place there.”

  He nodded, still looking as though he couldn’t quite believe his eyes. Exhausted, I left him and went to wash in the nearby spring. I was scrubbing at the blood, so I barely noticed Rumble approach.

  “I would have done it,” he said.

  “Sometimes, it has to be me.”

  “It’s a hard choice.”

  “It’s not the first time I’ve had blood on my hands.” I thought of the mirror again. “And it won’t be the last.” A crow cawed then flew away.

  “In times of war, nobody’s hands remain unbloodied.”

  I let out a sob as the blood stained the water with streaks of red.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  I avoided holding Scarlet the next morning. I let Anya take care of her because I didn’t want to taint her with my murderous hands. I sat alone and avoided looking anyone in the eye. I had gone after Reynard with the intention of confronting him, of causing him harm. I had allowed the darkness to take over and let myself become the person I was sure I had to be to survive. Bekind came over and mewled when she saw my face. She shifted into her human form and gingerly touched my cheek. I flinched a little.

  “You’re bruised,” she said. “Why did you risk yourself?”

  “I know what I’m doing.”

  “Do you?”

  My shoulders sagged. “I’m okay, and I’ve shown those ignorant arsehole Darksiders what I’m capable of. They still think of me as just a human, Bekind. I have to prove myself.” And I had to prove to myself that I didn’t need to be rescued.

  “Where does it end?”

  With Sadler. I gave her a weak smile. “If I’m going to pretend to be a faery queen, then I have to act like one some of the time.”

  She snorted. “As if a faery queen does her own dirty work.”

  “A powerless one does.”

  She considered that. “Next time, let me help you.”

  “Of course,” I lied. “Now get ready. We’ve a long day ahead of us.”

  I knew she wasn’t satisfied, but she left it alone. I walked around camp to make sure Reynard’s faeries didn’t cause any problems, but all of them were working hard. Most of them laboured sullenly, but at least they were on their feet. The bald one had taken charge. He wore Reynard’s hair around his neck like a trophy. I thought that was weird but decided not to comment. Mohawk nodded at me when he passed then seemed to have second thoughts and executed a half-bow.

  The sole female of the group approached me, keeping her eyes downcast. “Donncha wanted me to let you know that we’re all available if you need anything.”

  “Donncha?”

  “The captain. He’s… um… replaced the old captain.”

  “What’s your name?”

  “Orlaith. I’m Donncha’s second-in-command.” She caught my eye. “If you don’t have any objections,” she added hurriedly.

  “You’re not one of Deorad’s,” I said, noting her fair hair.

  “No. Sadler recruited us after the queens fell and the courts disintegrated.”

  “Any grudges against anyone here?”

  “We’re Darksiders now. Others are the ones with grudges.”

  “Fair enough.” I gestured at the rest of her group. “Anyone need watching, Orlaith?”

  “Donncha will deal with them,” she said, sounding confident.

  “What’s the one with the mohawk called?”

  “The boy?” She screwed up her nose. “That’s just Oisín. He’s nobody.”

  “No such thing as nobody.” When she looked confused, I waved my hand. “Carry on. Looks like you’ll all earn dinner tonight.”

  She gave me a fleeting smile before heading back.

  Vix came over next. “Did he suffer?” she asked.

  I refused to look at her. “Yes.”

  “Good.”

  And that was it.

  ***

  “Riding again?” Brendan asked as he kept pace with Dubh.

  “Yep.” I didn’t explain why I was avoiding my own child.

  He pointed at my cheek. “That looks nasty. What happened?”

  “Hit a branch in the dark. Stupid, eh?”

  He frowned. “Have Bran take a lamp next time.”

  “I’d like a couple moments of privacy every now and then.”

  He smiled then looked behind us at where Donncha and the rest of the latest additions were marching. “They look uneasy today.” He put a hand above his eyes to shield them from the sun. “Wait. Where’s Reynard?”

  “Gone.”

  He studied me for a moment. “One of Drake’s?”

  I kept my eyes straight ahead. “Nope.”

  “Ah.” He relaxed. “A Darksider then.”

  “Yes,” I said. “A Darksider dealt with him.”

  “Are you all right? You seem… uptight today.”

  “I’m a little nervous. We’re getting close now.”

  Once we left the Hollows, we stayed near the River Garbh in case the water fae kept their word and brought us messages. The more time that passed, the less assured I felt of their loyalty.

  He glanced at me. “We need to be prepared that this might not go as we planned. Are you sure you
can handle that?”

  “What’s the worst-case scenario?”

  “Everyone dies,” he said dryly.

  “Shut up.”

  “This won’t be bloodless. Nothing ever is. We’re not even sure we can affect the situation at all. I just want you to be ready to run if it comes to that.”

  “You won’t run.”

  He grinned. “I wasn’t talking about me, was I?”

  I tried on a smile for size. “We’re slowly stealing all of Sadler’s subjects. What could possibly go wrong?”

  Brendan launched into some anecdotes from his past.

  “You were such an arse,” I said after one tale, trying not to laugh. “How did anyone put up with you?”

  “I was very charming. And, you know, royal.”

  “Oh, yeah. There’s that. Pity it doesn’t work anymore. Royals are dropping like flies.”

  He winced. “Let’s hope we’re not flies.”

  “I’m not royal.”

  “Like it or not, you’re royal now. A king married you. Nobody will care about the circumstances after a time.”

  “What if I just went home again?”

  He looked away. “Don’t.”

  “Would anyone try and stop me?”

  “No. But I don’t want you to.”

  “Why?”

  He glanced at me, a frown creasing the scar across his forehead. “Friends make this life bearable. Kings tend to be short on friends.”

  “You told me before that you would forget me.”

  “I don’t remember saying that.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t those exact words, but—”

  “You were gone for over a year. Did I forget you?”

  “You needed me.”

  His lips twitched. “Did I?”

  “You needed the things Sadler wanted. He wants the things you need. It’s a self-perpetuating, never-ending circle of madness.”

  “Are you angry with me?”

  I sighed. “It’s hard to be angry with you.”

  “You sound disappointed.”

  “It’s kind of a pain.”

  The troop was quieter than usual. Jackie and his boys were hanging from one carriage. Bekind and Vix were atop Scarlet’s carriage, the two of them sharing space in an uneasy silence. Rumble, Dymphna, and Conn rode alongside, and inside, the children were being taken care of by Fiadh and Anya.