Usurper

  “Deorad was his one and only, and we all know how that turned out.” Bekind reached out and brushed Scarlet’s hair out of her face. “I believe he lost the stomach for siring more heirs.” She frowned. “Or perhaps his excesses in the human realm lost him the ability.”

  “You can’t let him take her.” Anya’s fingers opened and closed as though she were itching to yank my daughter out of my arms. “You can’t.”

  “I wasn’t even considering that.” I frowned. “I’m thinking about how far we can run with Scarlet.”

  Anya’s eyes widened with surprise. “You would turn down Brendan?”

  I looked down at my daughter. “We need to keep out of the mess between the courts. We’ll only get swallowed up in their politics.”

  “And those who live in Chaos? How will they fare if you run?” Bekind asked.

  “Do you care?” I asked.

  “I worry that your guilt would consume you, so yes, I do care. But we are playing with lives and listening to those who willingly deceive to get what they want. Who do you trust?”

  “He sounded concerned,” Granddad said. “He sounded like he spoke the truth. He’s worried about both of these other kings, not just the one.”

  “I know.” I held Scarlet a little closer as my eyes filled with tears. “I’m not going to run. You all are.”

  “Cara, what are you talking about?” Gran asked.

  “I’m going to go with Brendan. I don’t have a choice. It’s possible…” I took a deep breath. “It’s possible I can do something.” I glanced at the rings on my finger. “I’m still married to a king, technically. By the end, a lot of the Darksiders were actually nice to me.”

  “They won’t listen to you,” Anya said.

  “But they’ll stop looking for me in the human realm. They don’t know Scarlet. They won’t know where to look for her. There has to be a way to hide her from them long-term. In the meantime, my presence in the faery realm might be enough of a distraction, and the more favours I do, the more favours I’m owed. We could make Scarlet untouchable if I play this right.” I held Bekind’s gaze, seeing her acceptance. “We could spread word that she’s with me, when really, the rest of you will be getting a head-start.”

  Gran touched my arm. “You would leave her?”

  I gazed down at my sleeping daughter. “I would do anything to keep her safe, Gran. Whatever it takes.”

  She squeezed. “You have to keep yourself safe, too. She needs her mother.”

  “I know.” I brushed away a stray tear. “I’m going to put Scarlet to bed.”

  “I’ll do it,” Anya said.

  “No.” I breathed through clenched teeth. “She’s my daughter. I want to be alone with her for a bit.”

  I left them in the kitchen and headed upstairs. Scarlet made a whimpering sound that made my stomach do a flip. My mother had withheld her love to protect me from her husband. I would abandon my daughter to protect her from mine. Life was unfair, but I intended to even the odds. My real plan, the one I would keep close to my chest, was to get close to Sadler. I would finish what I started, and the other kings would be so relieved that they’d give me anything I wanted. Scarlet would be safe. All I had to do was raise the courage to go through with facing Sadler once and for all.

  I wasn’t surprised to see Vix sprawled out on my bed when I walked into the bedroom. I had been sensing her miserable presence for a while now.

  I walked over and laid Scarlet in her cot before speaking. “So he let you out of the dungeon.”

  “He needed me.” She flung a dagger in the air and caught it as it fell. “And I need you.”

  “There’s a queue. What are you doing here, Vix?”

  “Perhaps I’m here to steal back what belongs to the Chaos Court.” She looked at my bejewelled fingers. “Interesting.”

  “If you were going to take Scarlet, you would have done it any of those other times you’ve been hanging around this place.”

  She looked momentarily startled. “You didn’t give a thing away. I’m impressed, human.”

  I sat on the bed and held her dark gaze. “What do you want?”

  “We’re all going to die. If my king was unstable before, he’s lost his mind now to face off against two armies. We’ll hold them off for a time, but ultimately, most of us will die.”

  “How is he alive? He looked as though he was dying when I left.”

  Her face fell. “The doctor returned from the hole he had been hiding in. He was just in time, as it turns out. What was done to Deorad is being done to others. Sadler makes no secret of that now. But none are as strong, so he keeps adding more. There are two dozen missing fae, all of them blood of Deorad. Most of us aren’t allowed on the upper floors anymore, so I have no doubt the doctor’s running his experiments there.” She rose and crossed the room to the cot. “I don’t sense the taint in her. She escaped from that, too?”

  “Kind of. One eye is… different. But she’s fine otherwise.”

  “She’s able to withstand the poison,” she said as if talking to herself. She looked up at me. “You know this will be seen as another miracle.”

  “It won’t be seen at all. I can’t let him near her. Not ever.”

  “You’re right. He believes she alone, apart from the Silver King, will be able to withstand the doctor’s magic. He wishes to use her to sustain himself.” She glanced at the cot again. “He may be right. She’s not like the other children.”

  “She’s not Deorad’s,” I reminded her. “And she was born in neutral territory.”

  “Still. You should be careful. He’s reaching out, trying to kill all of the birds with a mountain. You destroyed what sustained him, embarrassed him, and even managed to turn some of his court against him. He despises you, and he will seek his revenge. A quick death would be lucky.”

  “What are you doing, warning me?”

  She shrugged. “You made a difference to us. You blunted his edge, made him consider his actions.”

  “He killed people for no reason while I was next to him, Vix.”

  “It could have been worse. You tempered him somehow. It was as if you had a kind of power over him. And the court itself changed. Colour returned. Food came. Hope. And that flower grows in the gardens no matter how many times Sadler tries to destroy it. You made your mark. You must return.”

  “To die?”

  “To save us. The Silver King is unlikely to war on his own daughter, and the child is still the Green King’s heir. If you have their protection, then so do we. The Darksiders believe in you, think you are blessed. Whether it’s true or not, I don’t care. If Sadler pursues this war, we will die. Darksiders fled in droves after you escaped, but they, too, will die when the other armies come for us. The Darkside is dying. Perhaps the entire realm is dying, but you understand the kings. You could sway them.”

  “Are you asking me for help?”

  “I believe I’m desperate.”

  “What are you not telling me, Vix?”

  She blew out a breath, her expression changing to one of relief. “The court is truly in Chaos. Sadler no longer attends to his duties. He spends his days locked in the tower room with the doctor. He keeps telling us that help will join us soon. I fear he has made a deal of some kind, that someone is coming.”

  “Like who?”

  “The doctor’s people, perhaps. He’s a terrible creature who doesn’t belong in our land. Rat overheard mention of a fleet of ships.”

  “Reinforcements from across the water?”

  “Nothing good comes from across the water. It’s a mistake. We must save Sadler from himself,” she whispered. “For all our sakes.”

  Chapter Three

  I called in sick at work and refused to let Scarlet out of my sight. Whatever was happening in the faery realm, all sides were desperate for a child to change the tide. Brendan might have assumed that Scarlet would make a positive difference, but I dreaded what would happen if Sadler got his hands on my daughter. The thought of
her being kept as Deorad had been sickened me. I had to make sure Scarlet stayed out of his reach. I had allowed the fae to use me, but I would do whatever I could to save Scarlet from the same fate.

  My grandparents, Zoe, Bekind, and Anya gathered in the living room with me. Scarlet slept in my arms. We had spent the last few days discussing our options, over and over again. I hadn’t told any of them that a Darksider had been in the house. Vix had said she couldn’t sense the taint from Scarlet. I wondered whether that meant we had escaped in time or if Scarlet was somehow immune. I had to find out more, and the only place I could do that was in the faery realm.

  “You must be crazy,” Zoe said. “You can’t go back there, Cara. Not after everything you told me.”

  I could tell by her worried expression that she feared I wouldn’t be able to handle it. But I had unfinished business, and I needed Sadler’s shadow to lift off my shoulders. “If I do, Scarlet will be safe for a little longer. I have a plan. I know what I’m doing. And this is going to end.”

  Bekind stared at me. “I hope you understand the stakes.”

  “I do.” I held Scarlet a little tighter. “I understand everything.”

  “Fine,” Zoe said. “I’ll go with Scarlet.”

  “What?” Anya scowled. “I’ll be taking Scarlet.”

  “Actually,” I said, “I need all of you to take care of Scarlet for me. If I don’t return… she’ll need every one of you.”

  “Of course we’ll take care of her,” Gran said.

  “You can’t go on the run,” I told Gran. “You two need to stay here and reconnect with my mother. She needs you, whether she wants to admit it or not. And you need your daughter back. You can’t get involved in the faery stuff.”

  “I was born involved,” Granddad reminded me. He might have come from Bekind and the leanan sídhe’s bloodlines, but he had escaped unharmed. He had told me his stories, but they sounded like adventures rather than the terror I had experienced as a child. Perhaps it was different for the women in the family. Or maybe he’d just had better luck.

  “The fae involved me at every turn,” I said. “I have to see this out. If I don’t…” I shook my head, unwilling to share my deepest worries.

  “You have it all worked out,” Bekind said in a cold voice. “Walk right into danger and forget everything else. Good plan, Cara.”

  I glared at her. “Stop it. This is going to be hard enough. I have nobody on my side this time. I have to miss out on my daughter for who knows how long. And I have to be around people I—” I lowered my head for a moment. “They won’t leave us alone unless I do something. You know that. If this works out, we could all be free. Forever. Bekind, look me in the eye and tell me you have any other plan that can do that.”

  The clock chimed. It had been exactly three days since Brendan first appeared. I couldn’t see a way out. I had to be cold-hearted, I had to abandon my child, and I had to instigate the murder of yet another one of her blood relatives. I needed to set us free. I was desperate and sick of looking over my shoulder.

  Bekind shuddered. “He’s here.”

  I kissed Scarlet and handed her to Zoe. Anya slipped her hand into mine and walked outside with me. In the yard, Brendan was waiting with Arlen. The warrior was almost as large as Brendan, over six feet tall, and the massive broadsword at his waist probably weighed more than I did. He appeared as stern as always until he saw Anya. The look he gave her softened his features, and for an instant, I caught a glimpse of the man behind the duty.

  Anya squealed and ran to him. He lifted her off the ground with ease and just gazed at her for a long moment. My breath hitched at their reunion. They would have married ages ago but for me.

  I caught Brendan looking at me expectantly. “You’re not taking my daughter,” I said then held up my hand when he made to interrupt. “I’m going in her place. In the meantime, we can pretend she’s with us, but if you get me in front of the Darksider army, I’ll talk to them. I’ll talk to Sadler, too. I’ll do whatever it takes, but Scarlet is not going to the faery realm. She’s not going near the Darkside.”

  “Will they listen?” Brendan asked.

  “Only one way to find out.”

  “I’m staying,” Anya said.

  “What?” Arlen sounded furious as he set her down.

  “She needs me,” Anya said stubbornly. “And I need to keep Scarlet safe.”

  Arlen scowled. “But she’s just a human.”

  Anya stepped back and folded her arms. “And I’m just a pixie. Has that ever made a difference to Cara? She’s blessed by the Mother. She’s been chosen for something. And Scarlet grew in the womb in the Darkside. Do you know how children in the Darkside end up? But not Scarlet. She’s special, and I have to—”

  Arlen grabbed her arm. “You’re coming back with me.”

  She yanked her arm from his grasp. “I’m free.” She turned on her heel and stormed back inside.

  I fidgeted nervously, embarrassed. I felt Arlen’s angry gaze on me.

  “Return,” Brendan told him. “Make preparations.”

  Arlen gave me one last glare before stomping off.

  Brendan looked down at me. “He wouldn’t harm you.”

  “Not really the point. I’ve been the cause of everything bad. He’s not going to forgive me so easily.”

  “Bring your daughter and Anya, then. I’ll protect her from Sadler.”

  I gave a weary shake of my head. “I’m not being a bitch, but I’ve heard all that before. You couldn’t help us out of fear of starting a war, and now one has come anyway.”

  “Cara, I’m—” He froze and pulled me close to him, putting his free hand on his sword.

  “I mean no harm,” Líle called from the shadows. “I knew you left the faery realm and that you would come to Cara. I need to speak with her. That’s all.”

  Brendan bristled. “On Drake’s orders?”

  “I’m a free fae, and I won’t work for Death. You should know this. I came alone, for… me. May I speak with her?”

  “I want to,” I said.

  Brendan hesitated then nodded. “I’ll be nearby.”

  “I’ll be quick.” Tears filled my eyes. “I just need to say goodbye to my daughter.”

  “You love her,” he said as if that were something odd.

  “She’s my baby.”

  He vanished, and Líle approached me slowly, her expression grim. Her eyes and veins were still ash grey, and the colour of her normally fiery hair had dulled. She hadn’t recovered, even after so much time.

  I wasn’t sure how to speak to her anymore, how to get through to the person looking at me as if I were a stranger. “What’s up?”

  “I owe you a debt.”

  “You don’t owe me a thing,” I said. “You helped me.”

  “I only live because of you. I’m only free because of you. And the fact that you still live is just a testament to our Mother’s influence. I owe you, Cara Kelly, and I want to be free of this debt. I will kill her for you.”

  “What?”

  “I told you once that I would kill Sorcha if you asked me to. Just say the word, and she will die.”

  I took a step back. “What are you on about?”

  “If she dies, Drake is free to… follow his heart. Your child would be safe. You would be safe. You could find what you’ve been looking for. All it takes is the banshee’s death.”

  A million possible scenarios ran through my mind. “No,” I said. “I can’t…”

  “She tried to kill you once. What if that happens again?”

  I straightened. “Then I’ll fight back. But I don’t want you to assassinate your queen just so I can… I can’t ask you for this, Líle.”

  She looked anguished. “But I owe you. I can’t be indebted to you any longer. I can’t bear it.”

  I bit my lip. “Do you really need to end ties with me?”

  “Yes! I wish to be free of all debts. I’m no longer the person you knew. I… it’s only a matter of ti
me before my life ends. I wish to clear my slate first.”

  Was she contemplating suicide? “Okay,” I said, desperately trying to think of something that would prolong her life rather than end it. “I have something I need from you.”

  “What is it?” she asked eagerly. “Ask, and it will be done.”

  “Go with my daughter,” I said. “Protect her for me. I might die this time, and I really need to know she’s safe.”

  “You trust me with her life?”

  I reached out and took her hand. “I know you’ll keep her safe.”

  She stared at our joined hands. “I will honour this request. I vow my life to your daughter’s safety. But Cara….” She caught my eye, and I saw a flicker of her old self in there. “Be careful.”

  I gave her a weak smile. “Always.”

  “When do we leave?”

  “I’m going with Brendan after I say my goodbyes. You’ll leave with the others as soon as you can. Zoe, Bekind, and Anya will be with you.”

  “You should break the news to Anya first,” Líle said with a wry smile. “She’s not so fond of me anymore.”

  “I’ll deal with Anya. You just be prepared to kick some faery arse whenever necessary. And when all of this is over, I’ll see you again.”

  I hugged her then went inside and began my goodbyes. My grandparents hugged me.

  “We’ll miss you,” Gran said.

  “You’ll see us all again. Someday, things will be different.” I hoped I sounded as though I believed it.

  “Should I wake Scarlet?” Zoe asked.

  “Let her sleep. I can’t watch her watch me leave, you know?”

  “I’m going to take care of her,” Zoe said. “Auntie Zoe, remember?”

  “I know you will. I can’t know where you’re taking her, just in case, but be gone by morning. Make arrangements to travel tonight. Once I leave, I can’t guarantee… anything. Líle’s going with you. She’s going to help protect Scarlet. She’s a warrior, so listen to her, okay? Especially you, Anya.”

  Anya scowled. “I won’t take orders from that traitor.”