Still, I wished I didn’t have to watch her walk away. I wanted to know more about her. Her jeans were snug and hugged her in all the right places, and I wanted to be the one escorting her in this crazy town at night. I followed her until the crowd swallowed her up. I let her go, no matter how much I didn’t want to lose sight of her.
Clenching my fists, I hurried through the crowd, hoping to find Sary and Braelynn. This time it wasn’t hard. They were sitting on a planter in the middle of the crowd as the show above us ended and the lights flickered back to stillness. Their worried looks told me everything, and that alone upped my glum spirits. When they asked what happened, I simply answered, “You’ll never guess who I ran into.”
Chapter Fifteen Temporary Asylum
Temporary Asylum
Approaching the gates of the Scren Palace never failed to impress me. This Seelie kingdom was the largest in the Southern Realm of the Land of Faerie, and it belonged to my older sister, Shade. I still couldn’t believe how much she’d accomplished within such a short period of time. She was queen of not only the Southern Seelie Realm but also temporary guardian of the treacherous Unseelie Realm since its psychotic rulers, Aveta and Arthas, were put to rest. It’d been just over a month since I’d last been to the palace, but it felt a world away.
It still made me cringe, thinking about the Unseelie castle. The Withering Palace made my skin crawl because it was a living, breathing entity. I’d snuck in and spent a day with the guard. An experience I’d rather not repeat, ever. Knowing my aunt Evangeline, who I never knew existed until about a few months earlier, was taking care of the Unseelie Realm with our friend Jack, a Teleen faery warrior, and gave me some reassurance that the Land of Faerie was stable for the moment.
The human realm was another story.
“So good to be back.” Sary let out a happy sigh as we crossed through the gates. I felt the blast of magic and shuddered. It wrapped around me like an entity, touching and caressing my skin and testing my own elemental magic. Did it do this to Shade? It creeped me out, the way it felt like something alive crawling across my skin. Sary and Braelynn didn’t seem bothered whatsoever by the magical inspection. I, on the other hand, felt like I needed a shower.
“Yes, the iron in the cities was starting to feel a bit oppressive.” Braelynn appeared visibly relaxed now that we were entering the castle. I wondered just how much the human world affected them. I guess I’ll never really know. Maybe I was just as uncomfortable here in Faerie as they were on my side of the tracks, but I doubted it. I think I had the better end of the deal.
“Benton!” Anna’s voice perked up my dull senses, weary from the journey. She was always a ball of energy, and seeing her again would definitely help fight my melancholy. I missed my sisters and James, my younger brother. I didn’t realize how much I had until they were crushing me in their ecstatic embraces.
“Whoa! Air … I need air.” I laughed as they didn’t let go. I didn’t want to let go either. As soon as they did, I held Anna out at arm’s length and stared at her. She’d changed, appeared more mature, and her skin was flawless. In fact, as I stared at my family, I felt a sadness creep through my stomach. The effects of living in Faerie were apparent on their faces.
“Well, well. Look who decided to grace us with his presence.” Shade approached, her long royal garb swishing about her as the train of her dress dragged behind her. She also had the same appearance as my siblings, and I fought the frown blooming on my face with a forced smile.
“Hey there, Sis. Holding down the fort without me?”
“You bet. What’s wrong with you? You look spooked.”
She cocked her head and narrowed her eyes. Damn. She already knew something was off. I couldn’t hide anything from her. Looking away down to James, I chuckled when I found him still clinging to my leg.
“I …” I sucked in a breath and studied them again. Yep, the changes were noticeably great, and I had to find out what was going on. “Why do you guys look so … different? Like, more like porcelain dolls than human? It’s not bad, it’s just … weird.”
“The longer humans spend in Faerie, the more they change. They turn immortal and become even more beautiful, like faeries. It’s the effect of magic on your bodies.”
I looked down at my drab, torn jeans and grimy shirt. I looked like a homeless person. Grit and dirt clung to my clothes and skin. Blood stained my jeans and hung under my nails along with lord knew what. I probably smelled pretty ripe by now and needed a shower promptly.
“Don’t worry, Benton. You can be beautiful, too. I’ll have the workers draw you a nice rose petal bath.” Shade pulled me close, her arm around my shoulders as she stuck her tongue out at me before laughing.
There she was, still my sister. Underneath the magical faery mask, I could see her fiery spirit, strong and true. It’s what made her an excellent queen. I could see it in the workers and patrons of the palace. They watched her pass by with dedicated awe in their eyes. The power she emitted was definitely overwhelming, and I wondered how I’d ever compare to it. But that didn’t really matter to me. I wasn’t in competition with her. There was nothing that could make me happier than working for my sister. I’d taken on this mission willingly to help my family survive the magical world, and I wouldn’t ever ask for anything more.
“Thanks? Listen, there’s a ton of stuff we need to tell you.”
Shade listened patiently as the story poured out of the three of us. The meeting with Ferdinand, Lorell’s information and, last but not least, Oran’s habitation near our human home. She took it with grace, never flinching or interrupting until we were done.
“Have you returned to our Pyren?”
I shook my head. “No. We thought it best to warn you first. Then I wanted to head straight there with reinforcements, just in case.”
“I see.”
Shade sat back on the chair she’d occupied at the dinner table we now found ourselves at. In between bites of food, I listed out my concerns to her, hoping to find some sort of order in the chaos.
“We have to find out if he’s discovered the Pyren, but Braelynn’s confident that the wards we set with Mom should hold until we return. I can’t take on his tribe alone, so I’ll need some warriors to take with me, just in case of an ambush.” I rubbed the fatigue burning my eyes as I chewed. Taking a deep swig of water, I forced myself to slow down before my stomach made me sorely regret it. “I don’t want to attempt a meeting with Oran alone, but regardless, I need to find out what his intentions are, what he’s planning to do.”
Shade’s eyes widened at this, and she quickly shook her head. “I don’t think that’s a good idea. You shouldn’t engage him at all.”
I placed my glass down, staring at her in surprise. “Why not? We don’t know anything about this guy. He could be more powerful than Aveta was by now. He’s also a descendant of Arthas. Now that Aveta is dead and Arthas in hibernation again, Oran could’ve absorbed Aveta’s power. He’s probably the strongest opponent for the Unseelie throne right now.”
“I know. We must warn Evangeline and Jack at the Withering Palace. If he wants the throne, he’ll head there first.”
I nodded in agreement. “Yes, of course. Still. I need to check the Pyren as soon as possible.”
“That is a definite. But I don’t like the idea of you speaking to Oran, okay? He could have you killed for even being in his presence.”
“Then how do I find out what he’s up to if I can’t get closer to his tribe?”
Shade rubbed her fingers on the edges of the wooden arms of the chair, contemplating the situation. Even with the faery magic affecting her looks and smoothing them out, I could see the strain of the responsibilities she’d taken on etched on her face. It made me feel bad for not being of more help to her in the kingdom, but I couldn’t be tied down like that. I was a wild spirit, needing freedom and space. Caged, I’d wither faster than a dying faery.
“Very well. But …” She straightened up, her hard
ened brown eyes drilling into me. “You must take Camulus with you and remain close to him in case things go badly. He’ll be able to whisk you out of any situation in a flash.”
I groaned, not liking the idea of taking the elven-pixie teleporter with me. “Do I have to? He’s a known traitor …” My voice slipped away when I saw the same faery I was just speaking of step forward from the ranks of soldiers surrounding the table. I groaned even more because he most definitely must’ve heard me. He avoided my gaze, instead staring stoically ahead. Great.
“Camulus has atoned for his mistakes. I trust him fully to keep you safe.”
I huffed. “Let me guess. I get to take Ursad with me, too, right? Why not just throw in Arthas’s sleeping corpse while you’re at it?”
“Enough.” Shade’s voice echoed across the room, making Sary jump and drop her spoon onto the table with a clatter. “Ursad is in his own kingdom, cleaning up his own mess. Camulus goes with you or …”
“Or what?” I stood from the table, seething. I didn’t want to be mad on the first day back at the Scren Palace, but Shade was asking too much. “You’ll mind wipe me? You’ll throw me in the dungeon? I won’t have a traitor with me. He handed you over to the Ice King! What more do you need to not trust someone? You’re always letting people in. Sometimes you should block them out!”
My heart was racing, but I immediately felt like a total ass.
Shade’s lips went tight. I could tell she was holding back every single scalding word I deserved, but I wasn’t going to take the damn traitor with me, useful or not.
Nautilus stepped forward, another of Shade’s ex suitors, distracting us from the tension. “I’ll go with Benton, Your Majesty. I can take the teleporting stone with me so Camulus can monitor our status. If he doesn’t come through, we’ll figure something else out.” I was impressed with his suggestion and gave him a curt nod. This seemed to satisfy Shade.
“Thank you, Nautilus. That will help us a lot.”
He bowed and looked like he wanted to bust out in a dance. His long, dark dreadlocks hung over his shoulders, hanging like curtains framing his tanned face and steel and aqua colored eyes. They weren’t as steely grey as Dylan’s, Shade’s husband, who was also Teleen, but they were definitely unusual.
I wondered why Nautilus was still there, serving on the Queen’s Guard after losing the fight to win Shade’s heart. He had remained in the Scren Palace since leaving Teleen to help protect her. I wondered why he stayed, even if there was no chance he’d ever win Shade’s heart now that she’d married Dylan, who now ruled as the king of the Scren Palace.
The thought of Dylan had me wondering where the guy was, for I hadn’t yet seen him around. Shade stood up and walked toward Nautilus, holding her arms out for a snug embrace. She didn’t linger too long, or I would’ve gotten suspicious with Dylan’s absence.
“Nautilus, you have given so much already. Are you certain you want to do this?”
He nodded and gave her a sheepish grin. His gaze shifted, and his shiny steel turquoise eyes found my sister Anna at the table. I noticed her blushing as he met her eyes.
Ah. So that’s why he was sticking around. Another sister to court. I scowled.
“It would be my honor to help protect your family in any way that I can, Your Majesty.” He bowed, making me want to throw a fistful of iron bolts at him. But they wouldn’t do a thing to him, would they? Being a Teleen faery, he was impervious to the iron effects because of his affinity to fire and electrical currents. Underneath the glamoured exterior he had to wear at all times to protect others, his appearance was that of blue fire and lightning crawling across his skin. It was freaky seeing him without glamour, but it made them a rare and powerful line of faeries.
Shade smiled at him, her anger had already dissipated. He grinned back, enjoying her attention. Oh, he still had feelings for her, and she’d be an idiot not to notice. I guess he’d take Anna if he couldn’t get Shade. Either way, I hated the guy already. Especially since I found his dreadlocks hideous. Plus, he was part merman, which was kind of strange.
Shade turned back to me and lifted her eyebrow, as if asking me for approval. I caved.
“Fine. I’ll compromise with the fiery merman. Anyone else you can spare would be great.” I glared at Camulus, whose eyes remained on the floor. “Anyone but the traitor.”
“That’s enough of that, Benton. We all make mistakes.”
“To err is to be human, right?” I continued my stare at the elven-pixie, who obviously didn’t feel privileged enough to look us in the eyes. He peered up toward Shade, but never met my gaze. He was still punishing himself. Good. “But, so is to be fey.”
“Nautilus will choose some of my men from the guard. Nyol and Paki, my lieutenants, will go with you, too.” The head of the guard stepped forward, saluting her before they turned to gather the forces. This I was fine with. They’d do.
“Thanks.” I pushed off from the table and turned to Sary and Braelynn, who’d been eating and silently watching it all pan out. “I think I need to get some sleep before we head back out.”
Sary and Braelynn glanced at each other, a secret look bouncing between them.
“We won’t be going with you,” Sary said.
“WH—what?” I hadn’t even considered not going on without them. Seemed I’d gotten used to their company. I was left stunned and at a loss for words.
Sary stood up and slipped her hand into mine. “Walk with me. I’ll take you to your room.”
She tugged, and I complied, too tired to argue any further.
“Are you staying here?” I asked her.
She shook her head, still pulling at me as I dragged behind, hating to sound needy. I just didn’t want things to be over with us quite yet. Why couldn’t I just come out and tell her that I didn’t want to leave without her? Her company was soothing, and amazingly, I wasn’t anxious to return to my lonely ways.
We followed the long halls down into the sleeping quarters in the west wing of the palace, and Sary came to a stop in front of one of the intricate bedroom suite doors. It was my room, the one Shade kept ready for me whenever I did come around.
“I’m returning to Vyn. I have much to discuss with my family about Ferdinand. Maybe I can get the banishment lifted.”
“Isn’t it up to the Land of Faerie whether he can return or not? Some supernatural bull crap if you ask me.”
She nodded, playing gently with my fingers. Dirt was embedded in my skin and probably permanently staining it. It made me cringe as she studied my rough hands. “I need to figure out a way. There must be one.”
“You sure you can’t come with me?” She shook her head. “Okay, well … I’ll miss you. It’s been … interesting.” I cleared my throat, full of nervous energy, and she peered up to meet my gaze, her green eyes shining under the skylights. She was so beautiful, it killed me to hold back a tight embrace and dive into kissing her perfect, pouty lips. Being surrounded by beautiful women was going to be the end of me.
“I’ll miss you, too. You’re truly a tenacious warrior. I admire your family greatly and hope mine can be half as strong as yours.” She reached up and pushed a dusty strand of my hair out of my face. Her touch flitted across the skin on my face with a soft caress. It sped up my heartbeat, making it hard to even breathe, let alone keep my emotional turmoil hidden.
“You’re beautiful,” I managed to squeak out, sending my self-confidence into the toilet. “Do you really have to go already?” I found myself playing with her fingers. They were delicate and smooth, like nothing harsh could ever touch them.
She beamed, looking even more gorgeous in the darkened hallway. Her hesitation upped my hope that she’d decide to stay. Maybe we could get past all the obstacles between us. Maybe there was something here worth fighting for, and we’d regret not letting it play out.
So I waited for her answer and prayed she’d change her mind, even though I’d be in so much trouble if she did stay.
Her shining eye
s studied my face, taking it in like she’d never get enough of it. It made me flustered, and the hall, once cool and temperate, was now sweltering.
“I’m sorry, Benton. I can’t stay. This can never happen between us. Even if it was remotely possible. You’re human. My people would never allow it. You must understand.”
What a way to freeze me cold with so few words. I didn’t even know what to say to that. A mixture of hurt, confusion and disappointment fought to overtake my senses.
“So that’s it? You don’t want to be with me because I’m human? That’s pretty narrow-minded of your people.” I tried to bite back the pain.
She frowned and stepped away. “It is not the way of Vyn royalty. I’m really sorry.”
“I think you’re using your royal lineage to hold yourself back. It’s a perfect way to avoid things like love, isn’t it? You didn’t care for it much before.”
Her eyes hardened, and a sheen of tears began to form over those jewels I’d loved so dearly a moment before. How could she do this to me? She wouldn’t fight for us. Why?
“Maybe in another lifetime, this could’ve been more, Benton. I am truly sorry.”
She squeezed my hands and spun around, trotting down the hall until she disappeared around a corner, never looking back.
That’s it? She’d left me with my heart in my throat and a million words left unsaid. I stared down the way where she’d disappeared and swallowed my pride like a dry, thorny ball making its way back down. My stomach was a knot, and my heart might as well have been torn from my chest to be dragged behind her along the rough stone walkways.
Shoving all this away, I felt the exhaustion creep up on me again. Every bone ached, every muscle fiber screamed for rest. I kicked the door open and let it slam behind me as I stomped into the room, ready to burst. Breathing slowly, I found my pack and sword lying on a table in the middle of the room where the servants had left them for me. A new set of clothes was already laid out across the bed along with a towel and robe. I shifted into auto-pilot, feeling numb inside while I slowly peeled the clinging layer of dirty clothes off my skin and grabbed the towel, heading to the bathroom.