Awake (14 page)

“I think I will be fine,” I reassure her with a bit of my own briskness, aware that she may have just started to show me some concern on accident. With no time to dwell on this new development, I say to everyone, “Okay, same formation as earlier, but quicker. We are running out of time.” I gaze up through the treetops into the starry sky, gauging the time by the moon's height. My heart rate picks up as I begin to walk swiftly and quietly toward our destination. My friends need me and time is running short.

After what seems like an eternity, we finally reach the edge of the forest and the border that will lead us to the unseelie court. Although it seemed to take forever to reach this point, we were fortunate enough not to encounter any other fae over the remainder of our journey. Now with us so close to Reed and Rho, I hope we
do not
encounter any here.

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath. The horrible stench of the unseelie court and all of the fae within is familiar and makes my stomach roll in revulsion. This place is saturated with sinister thoughts and evil intentions that usually would only tickle my conscience but now almost make me sick. Having a problem with the way things are done in the unseelie court is not new for me, but this was my home and who I was, so I knew better than to question what I was taught. It was just the way of things.

The others line up next to me, and they too can sense the change in the air around us. Their noses wrinkle and brows furrow at the difference. At home in the seelie court, there is a sense of comfort and rightness, brought on by the bright colors and cheerfulness of the fae. Here they can only sense the wrongness that permeates the air. This dark and depressing place has nothing but sinister and evil feelings swirling in the air. Hopefully things will go as planned, and we can get out of this uncomfortable land quickly.

We all pushed hard to make up for the time we lost when fighting with the unclaimed, and the fatigue shows on their faces as well. Gideon notices me watching all of them closely and schools his features, squaring his shoulders. The others do the same. They do not want me to be aware that they are tired or uncomfortable, but I know they are
.
The only thing I can do now is get them back home as quickly as possible.

“All right,” I say while still gazing in the direction of the unseelie court. “We will stay together but travel as quickly as possible. Follow my lead, in the same formation we used to get here. Stay quiet, and hopefully we will go unnoticed. Keep Willow safe, and watch your backs. Understood?” I wait for a quiet confirmation from each of them before I nod. Time to go.

Moving swiftly through the remainder of the forest, I lead the way into unseelie territory. We are so close to our final destination that I can feel my body begin to quiver in anticipation but I fear that if anyone is near, we will be sensed. I tried to plan ahead so we would arrive at the right time of day, and I can only hope the timing is not too late or too early. If my calculations are correct, no one will be around the area we are going to sneak into. As we approach the king's court, I remove both of my daggers from their sheaths and crouch lower.

The spot I chose to enter their territory is very close to the entrance we will use to gain access to the castle. The location is a bit farther from the dungeon than I like, but entering the castle as soon as possible is imperative. We cannot be caught out in the open. Once we are in the castle, there will be more nooks and crannies we can slip into if need be. Out here, we are too exposed and therefore more vulnerable.

Thankfully, we have arrived at the perfect time I had hoped for, in spite of the encounter earlier in the evening. The unseelie court is always a busy place, but this time of night is close enough to morning that most are in bed, and it is still too early for any morning chores. All should be asleep, so hopefully we will not need to seek out any hiding places within the castle walls.

We make our way to one of the many secret passages we will use to gain entrance to the interior of the castle, allowing us to go unseen. Thankfully King Foxglove trusts no one; therefore these passages remain unguarded at all times. He thinks no one knows of them and they probably do not. I only stumbled upon them by accident; otherwise I would not know about them either. Making sure to stay aware and alert of every sound and every smell around us, we move slowly and quietly, taking only one step at a time. If the wind shifts, we stop moving to make sure the change around us is indeed only the wind. Our progress is agonizingly slow. As we get closer, my heart begins to beat more rapidly. Each step I take puts me closer to my friends, but I still feel as if I am miles away. Maybe if I make it inside all will be right. I hold my breath when I am only a few feet away, scared for the very first time of the possibility of being caught. All my other thoughts had been getting here and helping my friends. The idea of actually being caught had not seemed like a possibility at the time. Now the possibility is very real. To come this close, only to be discovered now and our mission failing would be devastating.

I take a step, and there is a loud
thump, thump.
My heart beats so loud I cannot make out anything else. Another step…
thump, thump
. It is beating so loud now I glance around, sure the others can hear the noise, but the others are all peering into the darkness around them, watching for danger.
Thump, thump
. I take the last step as I reach my hand out and touch the cool stone of the castle wall. The texture of the stone under my fingers grounds me. We reached the next checkpoint in our plan, and the success helps pull me back from my fear. As I will my heart to slow down, I take a few deep breaths. There is no time for this, so I pull myself together as quickly as possible. The others are still surveying the darkness around them, listening for any signs of unwanted guests.

I slowly move my hands around, my palms flat on the stone wall, feeling for the protruding stone that will disengage the locking mechanism and open the wall. After a few passes, I find it. The device sticks out only about a half an inch from the rest of the stones and would easily be missed by anyone not knowing what to look for. Pushing down on the stone causes the wall to move to the right about two feet, leaving a very small opening only about two feet wide and four feet tall. It is enough to slip in and out, forcing each of us to crouch down and move in single file. Gideon and Thorne duck even farther down and shimmy in sideways, but we all enter with little difficulty.

Once inside, I feel for the stone that will release the wall and allow it to slide back into place. Although the opening is small and well-hidden, if someone stumbled upon the doorway, they would know in an instant the castle had been breached.

Still desperate to get to my friends, I take my place back in the lead of the group and begin to make my way through the back halls and hidden passages of the castle. I weave my way through as if no time has passed since the last time I was here. In reality, it has not been much time at all, even if it feels like years. We make our way as quietly and quickly as planned, finally reaching the stairway descending into the dungeon.

The dungeon is left dark with the only light coming from a lit torch at the top of the stairs. Usually the torch would be pulled from the sconce on the wall and carried down into the dungeon. Tonight we do not have the luxury of using this light source. Our vision is good in the dark. However, it will take a moment for our eyes to adjust. If there is a guard present, he will spot us before we see him.

I turn to Gideon, who is following behind me. “Stay here while I go down to make sure the area is safe,” I whisper.

His voice is just as quiet. “I don't think that's a good idea. We should stay together. We're stronger that way.”

“True, but if a guard is down there, he will spot us before we even know he's there. I do not wish for him to throw the alarm when he sees a group of us. If I am alone, he will think he can handle me, and then I can alert you. If there is no guard, I will come back up for the rest of you.”

He heaves a sigh. “You're right. If he saw all of us at once, he'd call for others.”

I nod, happy he is not arguing for once. Just as I turn to descend the stairs, Gideon grabs my shoulder, spinning me back to face him. “I do not think
you
should be the one to go down. It's my job to protect you. I'll go and either shout a warning or come back for you all.” Then he disappears, sweeping past me and descending the stairs fast but without any sound at all. As angry as I am for his handling of me, I am impressed with his stealth.

I check on the others. Thorne is ever-vigilant but there is a smirk on his face, Holly's eyes are narrowed and she is watching the dark shadows around us, and Willow shrugs and smiles at me. Satisfied with what I see, I turn to watch for Gideon's return. Within seconds, his form begins to appear out of the darkness. As soon as I'm able to make out his face, he gives a quick nod. Without hesitation, I lead the others downstairs to join him.

It's dark and musty, as you would assume all dungeons are, and just as cold and wet. The sound of dripping water somewhere in the darkness and the smell of mildew, makes me shiver and my nose crinkle in disgust. The dirty floor contains fallen stones, discarded garbage, and old food, making me cringe when I think about what else could be under my feet. The unseelie dungeon fits the image most would conjure when thinking of such a place. King Foxglove insists upon his prisoners being miserable and unkempt. Cells line both sides of the walkway, each of them small and even dirtier inside than they look on the outside. He never has them cleaned, not even when one prisoner is taken out and a new one is placed in the cell. There
are
no bathrooms or showers either, leaving the prisoners just as disgusting. It is a horrid and repulsive place. Seeing the horrible state around me intensifies my need to get to Reed and Rho causing my pace to pick up.

We make our way through the darkness, our eyes having adjusted enough to follow the paths as they wind left and right. There do not seem to be any other prisoners, which is odd, but I allow the thought to pass. My focus is on my main objective.

As we near the area where I am sure Reed and Rho are being kept, I catch a faint noise, stopping me in my tracks. It sounds like sniffling, maybe even crying. I listen for a moment longer to make sure I do not hear any indication of guards hiding in the darkness. Then I quicken my pace to a full run. Gideon curses softly behind me, but he does not stop me. He and all the others remain close behind.

I sense Reed and Rho before I see them. We are about halfway down this particular corridor when I come to such a quick stop that Gideon has no other option but to slam into me. He has to wrap his hands around my waist to keep us both from falling, and I let him catch me, because I would not have been able to stop myself from hitting the ground. What is in front of me has caught my full attention.

My fae eyesight has adjusted enough now to allow me to see well enough that, as I peer through the cold, thick metal bars of a cell, I see Reed's narrowed blue eyes.

My breath catches in my throat. I cannot seem to release it as I stand there, staring into his eyes, with Gideon supporting me. I feel as if it has been an eternity since I last saw him. One part of my brain tells me he is the same as before. No real time has passed, therefore his appearance could not be any different. The other part, apparently the same part controlling my breathing, says differently.

His blue eyes—which are still narrowed in anger, but I cannot form the words to ask why—are much deeper and almost
mesmerizing
. They are similar to a great lake right before the sun sets, deep and bright but with a hint of darkness beginning to creep in. I do not recall them being like this before. His hair is a beautiful brown with golden streaks of blond running through it. The slight wave and almost shoulder length gives him a slight boyish appearance. It looks so soft and inviting, perfect for one to run their fingers through.

I jolt upright, taking a much needed deep breath. Where in the faery realm had
that
thought come from?
Run my fingers through…
? I must be lacking some oxygen to my brain, because I do
not
think whimsical and romantic thoughts. I am on a mission. Our lives are in danger. This is not the time, much less the place, to consider Reed in a romantic way.

I take a quick look away from Reed's eyes for the first time. To my horror, I realize he is bruised and wounded. My blood boils as I gaze past him to take in the huddled bundle shielded behind his body. The hunched figure is trying desperately to stifle her sobs. It is Rho. The fact that she is hiding tells me she is not aware that I am the one who has entered the dungeon. I glance back up at Reed and begin to speak, but I notice his eyes are still narrowed in anger. His gaze
is not
fixed on my face, though. Instead, he is staring at my waist, where Gideon still has his arms wrapped around me.

I roll my eyes, but inwardly my stomach gives a little turn at the thought of Reed being angry over witnessing another male's arm around me. I begin to pull away from Gideon, but he tightens his arm a bit. Turning my face up, I look at him sharply. My voice is a low warning when I speak. “It would be in your best interest if you released me this instant.”

He apparently got the point, because he pulls his arms away, even taking a step back. Thorne snickers, so I shoot him a warning look as well before turning back to face Reed. Rho scrambles out from behind him now, rushing over to the bars of the cell. Reed's eyes are still narrowed, but now they are focused on the group behind me. I am sure he is confused, seeing Holly and the others with me, but before I can say anything, Rho interrupts.

“Oh, Poppy! I knew you would come for us. I was so scared. Please get us out of here.” She begins to sob again. I reach through the bars of the cell to embrace her as best as I can. The fact she is crying is hard for me to grasp since it is something I have never witnessed before. Rho is almost as strong as I am. She may be girly, prissy, and romantic, but she is still a strong warrior who does not show fear or hurt, ever. I gaze at Reed, wanting to know what's happened, but he does not offer any answers to the questions
I am
sure he can read in my eyes.