The Seven Year King (The Faerie Ring #3) (29 page)

She turned her ear toward him. “I’m sorry—what?”

Muffled by the mask, it sounded like Dain cleared his throat. “I can’t remove the mask—it’s held on by magic.”

It was a relief to hear his voice, but the porcelain facade made Tiki uncomfortable. She couldn’t see his eyes through the sockets, giving her the eerie sensation there was no one behind the frozen face, but at the same time, she got the feeling he was staring at her with great intensity.

“Surely, there must be a way to get it off.” She looked to Rieker for ideas, glad to turn away from his unsettling countenance.

“It’s the least of our worries right now,” Rieker said in a gruff voice. “Getting out of here is what we need to focus on.”

A rueful chuckle came from behind the mask. “The mask comes off at Samhain—when I’m dead.”

“Don’t talk like that,” Tiki said. She could see how thin he was. His clothes, which appeared to be the same garments he’d been wearing when she’d seen him tethered behind the throne in the Palace of Mirrors, hung on his frame. Brownish-red splotches covered the once-white shirt and Tiki had a terrible suspicion the marks were dried blood. Ghastly purple bruises covered his hands and Tiki wondered what they’d done to him.

Rieker stepped closer and motioned to the mask. “May I?”

“Be my guest.” Dain put his hands behind his back as Rieker ran his fingers over the edge of the porcelain face searching for a release. No ribbons could be seen in the back nor was there any sort of connection at all. The mask was attached firmly to Dain’s face as though it had grown there.

“Can you see to walk?” Rieker asked.

“I can manage.”

“Then, let’s go. We’ll figure out a way to get the mask off later.” Rieker reached for Tiki’s hand and led the way out the door. “There’s a winding staircase and then we actually have to swim for it,” he said over his shoulder. “You can swim, can’t you?”

A muffled grunt came from behind them followed by a loud
thud
. Rieker ran back up the steps as Dain picked himself off the floor.

“What happened?”

“When I tried to go through the doorway, it was as if I walked into a wall. It knocked me off my feet.” Dain approached the doorway with his hands outstretched. “Can you see anything?”

“No, there’s nothing,” Rieker said, waving his hands through the open portal. On the other side, Dain stopped at the doorway and tried to reach through, but his palms appeared to be pressed against an invisible wall.

“It would appear that I’m locked in,” he finally said. “There must be an enchantment around the room that won’t allow me to leave.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

T
he moon hung high in the night sky by the time Tiki and Rieker accepted the fact that Dain could not exit from the room in which Donegal had imprisoned him.

“We’ll figure out something.” Tiki tried to project confidence, but inside she wanted to cry. How could they possibly save Dain if they couldn’t even get him out of this room? A spasm of coughing hit her until she doubled over.

“Have you talked to Larkin?” Dain asked in a voice that was too casual. “She might have some ideas.”

“Yes,” Rieker replied. “We’re working with Larkin to figure out the best way to free you. How often does Donegal have someone check on you?”

Dain gave a half-laugh. “He doesn’t. He tried to beat information out of me and when I didn’t give him what he wanted, he left me here to starve. If it hadn’t been for a friend who lives in the Wychwood, I would probably already be dead.

“Gestle showed us your system. We can bring food too.”

Dain turned his sightless eyes toward Tiki. “That’s nice of you, but I’m sure as queen you have better things to occupy your time.”

“But I don’t,” Rieker said. “As a half-breed, this is probably the most important task I’ll be assigned.”

Dain swung his head toward Rieker. “Half-breed?”

“Apparently, the members of the Seelie court can tell by looking at me that I have mortal blood as well as faerie blood. The common opinion seems to be that I’m not good enough to wipe the queen’s boots.”

Dain tilted his head, the feathers surrounding the mask shimmying with the movement. “I see.”

Tiki had a hard time looking at the empty, black eyes of the mask. It was as if Dain was some strange, unseeing creature, and she found herself staring at the stone floor to avoid the unnatural quality of his masked face.

“Tell me, what news do you have of the Courts?” Dain asked. Tiki told him of their successful search for the Cup of Plenty, only to find they were too late to save Johnny.

“You actually found the Cup?” Amazement was rich in Dain’s voice. “The Tara Stone and the Cup of Plenty? You’ve found two of the Four Treasures within months of each other—it’s almost as if someone wanted you to find them.”

“Yes, Larkin mentioned that too,” Tiki said. “But what are the Four Treasures? What do they do?”

Dain chuckled. “Imagine, a Seelie queen who doesn’t know what the Four Treasures are—now, that’s ironic.”

“Go on, then,” Tiki said with a hint of annoyance. “Enlighten us.”

“Certainly, Majesty.” Dain started to give a mock bow then stopped as if he were in pain and slowly straightened. “The Four Treasures of Faerie date back to the earliest days of the Otherworld, when only the Seelie Court ruled the land. The Treasures are said to be the most powerful magical objects that exist in our world, though even to this day, their location and ownership have been shrouded in mystery. The stories say the Four Treasures will appear—or be found—when Faerie is in greatest need. Those who wield the treasures will have the power to rule the Otherworld and join the Courts together as one. A rebirth, if you will.”

“What could possibly be that powerful?” Rieker asked.

“The first treasure was the
Cloch na Teamhrach
, the Stone of Tara, whose roar would mark a true high queen or king.” He held his hand out toward Tiki. “A necessary first step to identify who would lead us to our new world order.”

“Don’t point at me,” Tiki said, giving Rieker an alarmed look. “I’m the least qualified to lead.”

“The second was
Corn na bhFuíoll
—the Cup of Plenty—said to offer the four essences of life: healing, wisdom, inspiration and sustenance to those in need.”

Tiki frowned. “Sustenance?”

“The third is the Ring of
Ériu
, named after Ireland, herself—a secret-keeper of kings and queens—whose own location is a secret.” He motioned at the gold chain that hung around Rieker’s neck, the ring at its end balanced against his bare, muscled chest. “I’ve never heard a description of the ring, but who knows? It could be as simple as the one you wear, though I’d wager to say the ring of
Ériu
hasn’t seen the light of day for many a century.” Dain shrugged. “For all we know, the ring could already be lost forever.”

Tiki and Rieker exchanged a glance.

“And the fourth?” Rieker asked.

“Ah, the mysterious fourth treasure.” Dain lifted his palms. “I cannot tell you what it is. The legends are so old they’ve practically become myth over time. There are a variety of items whispered to be the fourth treasure—swords and spears, to name a few, but I don’t think anyone knows for sure, anymore. The paradox of the Treasures is that you must possess the first three to find the fourth.”

“What do you mean?” Tiki asked.

Dain paced to the window and stared out past the iron bars. “The secret of the fourth is held within the third—the ring—but you must use the wisdom and inspiration of the second—the cup—to procure the secret from the ring, and only a king or queen, named by the first—the stone—may retrieve the information. And so it remains—only those in possession of the first three Treasures can unlock the mystery surrounding the fourth. Many millenia have passed since the stone last roared, so the promise of the Four Treasures has faded with time.”

Dain turned from the barred window where the sky outside had darkened, filling the room with shadows. The blank eyes of his mask stared at Tiki in an unnerving fashion. “Since the Stone has roared for you, Tara, perhaps you are the seeker who shall reunite all of Faerie.”

IT WAS ALL but impossible to leave Dain, but both Tiki and Rieker knew they couldn’t continue to risk their own safety by staying up in the Tower any longer. Assuring him they would continue to work to release him, as well as to send more food, they descended back down the stairs into darkness.

The swim out was challenging, as night had fallen and there was little light to guide them as they swam. Fragmented pieces of moonlight that danced upon the surface of the water led them to the exit of the cave. Shivering, they climbed onto the rocks, made slippery by the water dripping from their bodies, and carefully worked their way back up to the top of the cliff where Callan waited with their horses.

Tiki could see the guard pacing furiously one way, then the other, clearly distraught at being left behind and unable to protect her. A twinge of guilt twisted her stomach at his evident relief when he heard their approach.

“Majesty,” he cried, running up to her and snatching his cloak from his shoulders to wrap around her shivering shoulders. “Please don’t ever do that to me again. Every minute was torture, being forced to stay here with the horses like a common stable boy, when my duty is to be with you.”

“I..I’m s..sorry, C..Callan,” Tiki stuttered. “I..if you would a..agree not to stop me w..whenever I w..want to do something…” the rest of her sentence was lost in a spasm of coughing.

“Sit in front of me, Teek,” Rieker insisted, as he helped her on Aeveen. “I can keep you warmer that way on our return.”

Rieker wrapped his arms around Tiki, trying to share his own warmth, but he’d been chilled by the cool water, too, and the night air did little to warm either.

THEY RODE HALF the night before Rieker insisted they stop. By that time, Tiki was so chilled she couldn’t stop shaking. She’d tried to wrap a blanket from Rieker’s bed roll around her shoulders, but it had been impossible to keep it wrapped around her shoulders while they rode, so persistent was the wind at peeling it from her grip.

Rieker quickly made a fire then came to sit by Tiki’s side. He wrapped her in the blanket, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her to lean against him. Behind them in the darkness, Callan kept watch.

“Maybe you should transport directly to the Palace. I can return with Aeveen tomorrow.”

“No.” Tiki’s tone left no doubt she wasn’t going to negotiate. “We stay together.”

THEY LEFT AT dawn and continued their journey. The trek seemed to take forever and by the time they arrived at the Palace of Mirrors night was falling once again. They left Aeveen with a guard to brush down and return to the pasture. Rieker held Tiki’s hand as they hurried through a side entrance, hoping to avoid being seen. They were almost to Tiki’s chambers when a familiar voice stopped them.

“You return empty-handed,
again
, I see.”

They both whirled around to face Larkin. She wore a gown of softest green, the color of the first leaves in spring. Her golden hair hung in a loose braid on one side, with curling wisps framing her exquisite face.

Rieker responded first. “And you’ve returned to the Palace, I see—with the intent to help us, I hope.”

Larkin tilted her head, her eyes narrowing in a sly expression. “Yes, well, you do know how it works, William—you help me and I’ll help you.”

“It’s not always about
you
,” Tiki snapped. She was cold, wet, sick and worried—the last thing she wanted was to deal with was Larkin’s political machinations. “There are others in this kingdom in desperate need. Can’t you for
once
think about them?”

The change in Larkin was instantaneous. She was furious and made no effort to hide it. Her words started in a growl. “I have been risking my life, YET AGAIN, on behalf of this kingdom—of which you know so little, yet
think
you are qualified to rule—and I have important news to share. Since I no longer have a study of my own, I am happy to shout it for all to hear in this bloody hallway. THE WAR HAS STARTED. DONEGAL IS ON THE MOVE.” She stabbed her finger in Tiki’s direction. “YOU ARE HIS TARGET.”

Her voice dropped to almost a whisper and a sneer twisted her lips, erasing her beauty. “I’ve told you before there are other relationships we need to discuss. I think now is the time.”