Authors: Suzanne Lazear
Tags: #Juvenile Fiction, #Fantasy & Magic, #Steampunk
Innocent Darkness (38 page)
A Bad Bargain
As soon as a high pitched, soul-scraping scream came from Noli’s lips, Steven jumped to his feet. Queen Tiana’s face radiated pure joy as she relished in Noli’s pain.
“What are you doing, your majesty?” he yelped. All she needed to do was make it so; there was no need to hurt Noli.
But he hadn’t stated that in the agreement.
His stomach sank all the way to the carpet. What else had he left out?
Alight with glee and malice, her eyes riveted on his. “I’m doing you a favor. This way you won’t come to me in a decade when she starts to grow old.” Her hand still clutched Noli’s arm. “You’re my son; it’s the least I can do.”
“Stop. Please.” His voice choked.
“What, you mean you didn’t want me to change her?” She placed a hand over her mouth in mock horror. “Oops. You didn’t state that in your bargain.”
His knees threatened to give out. She was right. He hadn’t told her not to alter Noli. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. “What … what are you doing to her?”
How he wanted to cover his ears so he didn’t have to hear her pitiful screams, close his eyes so he didn’t have to see her writhe in pain. Instead, he took Noli’s hand. If he used magic to fight the queen, or even physically broke the connection, he could kill Noli.
“Making it so she can leave us, of course, and can come and go freely, like we do, oh, and so she can stay with you always—since I know that’s what you want.” Her lips curved into a cross between a sneer and a smirk.
“Stop, please. I beg of you, Mother.” Knees giving out, he sank to carpet neck to her stupid dog, Noli’s hand still in his. The queen was turning Noli into one of the Fae— and since they hadn’t specified it in the bargain, she’d get to choose what sort.
Her laugh came out cool and maniacal, eyes flashing with her own kind of insanity. “It’s better this way for both of you. Don’t worry; she’ll be earth court—and a pretty one, too. You rattled off all sorts of nonsense, but I know what men really want.”
Steven’s mind raced as he went through the list of earth court Fae. “Flying figs.”
The prettiest of the court folk, outside of their kind, also tended to be the stupidest. He remembered what she’d asked about what he loved best about Noli. It was as if he’d been run through with an iron sword. The queen not only was taking away Noli’s humanity, but everything he loved about her, everything that made her different, special— and he’d caused it by simply not stating that Noli needed to be returned as she was.
Truly, he was an idiot.
“I take it back,” he cried with such ferocity LuLu looked at him. “I take it back.”
“Too late.” Triumph etched on her regal face, Queen Tiana released Noli from her clutches. Noli slumped to the ground. Evil laughter tickled his ears as he gathered his love’s crumpled body into his arms.
The queen loomed over him, glowing with satisfaction. “Didn’t anyone ever teach you to be exceedingly careful when bargaining with the Fae? Also, never, ever bargain with a high queen. You’ll pay far more than your wish was ever worth.”
That was for certain.
Tears of betray—and for his love—welled up inside him, but he held firm. No weakness could be shown in front of hee. He’d shown far too much already.
“I’ll be in touch… son.” With another insane laugh, she left, mechanical dog at her heels.
Already, he could see the transformation taking place in Noli. He’d have a little time, but only a little. They needed to return to the House of Oak quickly.
Noli’s lifeless body in his arms, he ran out of the room, hoping James and Charlotte hadn’t wandered too far.
They were exactly where Steven expected, a nightblooming garden with a gazebo that had always been James’ favorite as a child. They’d come here often with their mother to visit her sister, back before she decided she wanted to be high queen. Actually, his mother wasn’t a very good high queen, but he’d never say that out loud. Not even to Noli, James, or Quinn. He valued his life far too much and the queen possessed ears everywhere. Even in the mortal realm.
James looked up with a start when he tore into the garden. His eyes fell on Noli. “By the Bright Lady, what happened?”
“I made a bad bargain.” Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. His mouth formed an “o” of horror. “You did it? Flying figs, I didn’t think you would.”
“I wish I hadn’t.” Steven pressed his lips against her pale forehead. “She wanted to go home; I didn’t know what other choice I had.”
James put a hand on his arm. “Only three people could help you in this situation.”
“
I know.
” But that didn’t make him feel better. “Approaching the Bright Lady or the magic itself would be even more fearsome.” James’ eyes flashed with fear. The queen, the magic, and the Bright Lady were a triumvirate of power, keeping the balance, keeping each other in check, each one representing a different aspect of the Otherworld and every one of them beautifully terrible. “I don’t understand.” Charlotte’s voice lowered as she looked at Noli’s still form.
“Steven and Noli asked the queen to free Noli so she could go home,” James explained. “You must word things carefully when dealing with the Fae.”
“I know.” Steven wanted to bang his head against a tree. “I made a list; I thought I’d covered everything.” His expression contorted as pain and regret exploded through him, threatening to tear him into a million pieces. “But I hadn’t … and stupidly I thought that, perhaps, deep down, she was still our mother.”
James’ eyes glistened as he shook his head slowly. “Me, too. But she isn’t, is she?”
“No.” He shifted Noli’s in his arms. “We have to get her home. Will you help me?”
“What do you think we can do? We can’t reverse anything the high queen does.”
“We have to do something. Noli wouldn’t want to be this way.” It was everything she fought against at that dreadful school, everything she fought against in society.
“What did she do?” Charlotte’s eyes filled with tears as she clutched James’ arm.
“James, what are the prettiest of the earth court Fae?” Right now he couldn’t think straight. His finger traced her ear, which held the slightest of points—not a good thing.
“Flying figs. Is she turning green?” James examined Noli’s hand. “If she turns green, she’ll be some sort of wood nymph.”
Wood nymphs were tied to a piece of land such as a tree, a hill, or a grove. If that were destroyed, they would be, too, and they couldn’t be gone from it long without getting ill.
“No. No green that I can see. Probably some sort of sprite.” James sighed in dismay. “Cruel, cruel woman.”
“I should have known better,” he whispered. His mother liked to keep sprites in her entourage as courtiers, despite their beauty, because they made her feel clever.
“I was the one who told you to go to her; I never thought she’d do this … ” James shook his head. “Come on. Let’s get Noli home.”
“Yes, let’s.” He planted a kiss on Noli’s cool forehead. “I’m so sorry, darling. I’ll fix this. I promise.” He wasn’t sure how much he could do, but he had to do something. Now.
Steven held Noli in his arms, the blanket pulled over them, as he dozed, waiting for her to wake. Over the past few days he and James had worked so hard to fight the transformation and try keep Noli’s mind and spirit intact. He could deal with her having the body of a sprite. Her having the mind of one would be hard on them all.
Not to mention, it would be difficult to return her to the mortal realm like this. He’d need to watch her constantly, take care of her, protect her. But he didn’t mind. He made this mess, and he wouldn’t abandon her. Eventually, they’d find a way to fix it, her.
He and James tried; they’d tried so hard. But they’d only made it worse. In his attempt to amend the queen’s spell, he’d managed to keep Noli’s memories, but he wasn’t sure what else. She hadn’t been awake from the transformation long enough for him to truly tell—though they were still trying, and he refused to stop.
If only her memories were intact, it would be beyond cruel—to remember how she’d been, but forced to act in a way that would be appalling by her own standards. Hopefully, they’d kept enough of her spirit that she’d be able to counteract those sprite instincts.
Even then, it would be difficult for her and she’d need him.
Sprites cared little about the past or future, living in the moment. Though not clever or intellectual, they certainly were fun and upbeat. They could also be vapid and frivolous, easily strayed by parties, dresses, and shiny things, much like the society girl Noli never wanted to be.
Her eyes fluttered open. “Hi, V.”
“I love you.” He gave her a kiss on her perfect nose. When she’d first woke she’d been appalled by her appearance, by her womanly curves and slender frame. Her wild curls straightened to more manageable waves and the color changed from chestnut to mahogany. She still looked like her, but incredibly beautiful in a classic sense. The biggest physical difference was the slight point on her ears, but it wasn’t very noticeable, especially if she continued to wear her hair unbound. The other differences, however …
She giggled at his kiss. Her eyes widened.
He pressed a finger to her lips. “I told you, we’ll figure this out. I’m going back with you; I’ll stay by your side. None of this changes how I feel about you.” He held up his hand. “By the Bright Lady, I promise.”
The war inside her played across her eyes like a moving picture. Hopefully they’d kept enough of her, otherwise it would it be a constant battle in her mind, her longing to be who she was but helpless to change herself. A horrible, terrible fate.
“I trust you.” She kissed him back.
He hoped he’d prove himself worthy of her trust—and that he could keep his promise.
Homecomings
Kevighn didn’t know where to go. Well, there was a place, but he wasn’t certain if they’d take him back after all this time.
First he needed to see it. It was a fool’s errand if there ever was one. His cabin, and everything in and around it, including the grove and his parent’s house, was gone, his right to have them taken away when she’d banished him.
Still …
When he emerged from the familiar gate, limping from his injuries the guards had inflicted when they’d cast him out, he’d expected to be greeted with pure chaos, wild magic replacing the familiar cabin.
A sharp gasp escaped his lips. The cabin stood there, awaiting his return as always.
Kevighn scrubbed his eyes. A trick?
He put his hand to the door of the cabin and it opened as always. A quick tour showed everything in its proper place. Bursting into the back gardens, he saw they—and Creideamh’s grove—still remained.
His parent’s land was gone. But that wasn’t important to him. Still … how? Why?
As he went inside to add a few things to his rucksack, he thought long and hard about this unexpected turn of events. There was only one person who would keep his lands intact. Really, he should go to him. If anyone would take him in, exile and all, it would be them.
But not yet.
He walked back out the front door, favorite bow slung over his shoulder, giving his cabin a long look, heart wrenching. If only things had been different. Eventually he’d return.
