blood 03 - blood chosen (25 page)

Tharell stilled, the Queen's pain was obvious to him, but not to those who were pure Sidhe. It was a minor talent he had, Discerner. He knew what ailed others. Not always, but usually. He knew what ailed his Queen, though she did not know he was privy. It might have gone quite wrong for him if she had. Tharell saw the way Queen Darcel looked upon the girl.

It would not end well.

It was the Rare One's blood, you see. Her blood would be needed to heal their Queen. And perhaps Julia Caldwell need not be alive for the properties it held to work against the sickness that all Sidhe feared. However much they enjoyed the prestige of their pure royal blood, it was not without cost. The desire of the Sidhe to interbreed for purity sake, had caused some distressing recessive genes to manifest. But in keeping with their need to appear better than all, like gods, those failings of exclusivity were not mentioned. Now their own Queen suffered the disease of worms.

It was a crude nickname, but apt. The worms stood for intestines. A normally immortal being died slowly due to its own lack of genetic diversity. Essentially, her guts were eating themselves. No amount of food nourished her body as the process went wild, never digesting but cannibalizing itself and ignoring outside nourishment. In the human world, they could claim insanity when cousins married cousins. Here, in the Unseelie court, Sidhe were beginning to fall to their choice to stay pure.

At the cost of their own immortality. Tharell knew all this as he released Julia's elbow. He understood her special blood might mean her death. For much would be needed to save the Queen's life.

“Come,” Darcel said and unconsciously brushed a hand across her concave abdomen with a small grimace. The Queen kept a brave face on the turmoil her existence caused her.

Julia looked at Tharell, his hand having just fallen away from her and gazed at the Queen. If she'd been easily impressed with beauty, then she'd be blown away. Because the Queen of the Unseelie fey was easily the most beautiful person Julia had ever seen- not female or male, just person. Or supernatural. Julia thought the Queen was tall but wasn't sure because she stood on a dais, which was by its very nature was raised. She watched as the Queen stepped down to stand in front of her.

Julia looked up, way up. She'd thought the guards were tall, and they were, but the Queen was nearly six feet, she estimated. Everyone towered over her, she was used to it by now.

Her skin was a white so pure it appeared almost gray, like a fine polished marble. And that was not exactly right. If Julia thought about it, it would be like the lightest tone of a gray pearl. Translucent, luminous. Darcel's skin seemed to shine from within. And her eyes matched that ethereal quality, they were a deep but pale green, as if somehow you could drown in them. Like the sea dwelled in those small circles in a face that would have been lovely if it weren't so chilly in its expression.

“So, you are the Rare One?”

Julia almost smiled, thinking of about ten different kinds of smart-ass responses but in the end, with this unknown group, she decided to keep it simple. “Yes.” After all, she had been kidnapped.

“Excellent.” She whirled, looking at the many fey. Julia also looked at each one briefly. They all resembled the queen. Beautiful, artificial... she decided she didn't like the Unseelie court. Julia wasn't much for artifice. It seemed like that's all this place was. It was a great distraction from the obvious: what they wanted from her. Because Julia was sure they did. There wasn't a group yet that hadn't.

“Behold, your new Princess,” Queen Darcel announced and Julia inhaled deeply in shock, looking around for a handy chair so she could sit down and put her head between her knees. Julia was so blown away she didn't have time to be scared.

Tact
, Julia,
tact,
she told herself. “Actually... I'm not really up for the job. And, I'm sort of already a Queen somewhere else. In fact,” Julia held up a finger in her defense. “They're probably freaking out about now that I'm not there. Y'know, that whole,
put everyone to sleep and steal me thing
has probably made everyone pretty mad.”

One of the beautiful people stood from their posed peacock perches that flooded down and away from the dais. They were all mini-thrones, carved and elegantly appointed and finished in colors which flattered those who sat on them. “Queen Darcel,” called one, her face pinched in irritation, swung away from Julia and landed on him. There was a beat of caged silence then she barked at him, “Speak, Rex.”

“She is a blood Singer.” Julia watched Queen Darcel roll her eyes as if bored. Rex twisted his dandy hat in hands that were so tense his knuckles were colorless. “She is not Sidhe and as such, should not be allowed a seat in the royalty.” Julia thought he was the plainest of all of them. But that was saying something because he was so handsome he hurt to look at. She couldn't believe these people. Oh...
fey
, she meant. They certainly didn't look human. They had noses, eyes... mouths. But everything about them was so different.

Rainbow people. “That's okay, really,” Julia began, helping the guy. After all, she hadn't signed up for this detail. “Anybody can have the job. I'm needed elsewhere.”

Darcel's head whipped back, her eyes pegging Julia's like a bird catching sight of a delicious fat worm. “You are needed where I tell you,” Darcel said slowly, and in a tone that expected compliance.

She reminded Julia of Jacqueline.
Like the world needed two of them?
Yeah.

Julia heard Cormack make a low chuckle and she was suddenly tired. Here was another group that wanted her, but only for what they could get from her. Not Julia, just her blood. Of course,
very consistent
, Julia thought, heaving out a sigh.

Rex the fey stated the obvious and Julia could have kissed him. “Queen Darcel...
please
,” he simpered, “the girl does not want to be here, she is not Sidhe, but... a human.”

“Nope. Not really, but go ahead,” Julia said, her shock making her bold with her comments.

Queen Darcel gave a small smile and inclined her head toward Julia. “And the
girl
makes my point for me, she is not truly human. That means, she can wed any Sidhe she wishes, and the offspring will throw pure. Without any of the... issues that have laid siege to our kind.”

Oh no
, Julia was
so
not cleaning up the fey gene pool. What was with everyone? And she thought the Singers were messed up? Ah—no. Clearly, messed up supernaturals were not exclusive to Singers.

“I think we should hold a vote,” Rex said and Julia did smile then. Nice to know he was so determined to get rid of her foul “human” existence at any cost in that wonderful, scheming way of the fey. She could already see how they operated. Wonderful.

“Rex, Rex,” Queen Darcel shook her head as if chastising him and looked at Cormack. “Cormack, Rex needs a lesson in obedience, talking out of turn and finally, believing he is the sole monarch.” Darcel’s gaze narrowed down on him. “If even for a moment.” Her eyes held his and he looked like a horse startled, primed to bolt. “The Unseelie fey, as you are very well aware, is not a democracy, Rex.”

Rex's eyes flitted to the large and dangerous figure of Cormack.

He licked his suddenly dry lips. “No... Queen Darcel, I thought...”

“You thought you had choice,” she said softly and he smiled in relief that she'd come to her senses.

“Why yes, that's true,” he said, nodding too quickly and Julia's stomach began to churn. Something bad was going to happen, she knew it and didn't have to be a Singer to feel the foreboding tremor in the air.

“But, it is not.” She held out her hand and Cormack put his palm into hers, raising it to his mouth, his golden hair sweeping forward. “I await my Queen's pleasure.”

“Discipline Rex.”

Cormack's eyelids lowered halfway as he met her upturned face over the curving swell of her arched hand. “To what extent?” His words breathed over her skin, his gaze glittering in anticipation and Julia wanted to be sick.

They stayed like that, wrapped in a moment of deliberating violence, and finally, Darcel whispered, “He will heal, for he is Sidhe.”

Oh no,
Julia thought. And the fey, his lovely sky blue skin raising in gooseflesh—turned and ran. Julia had an idea of what might happen next, but like a train wreck, she was helpless not to watch what came next. However, to see it unfold made her cry out. Julia hadn't seen Cormack move, he was that fast, almost vampiric in his speed. One moment he held the Queen's hand and the next he was straddling a squirming man as large as him, but soft.

So very soft.

Julia could only watch as Cormack took the small dagger from its sheath. With a whistling whine of leather and metal he sunk it hilt-deep into the belly of the offending Rex.

Julia jumped backward, then backed up until she ran into someone. She turned as blood leaked all over floors that were veined in black, their surface a swirled dove gray, now red. Tharell looked down at her and covered her open mouth with his finger, giving a very small shake of his head. Julia braced herself, turning around to face the destruction of someone who would stand up to the Queen.

Jacqueline had tried to kill Julia. But it would have been a gentle death compared to the violence that Queen Darcel offered in the Unseelie court. Being a Princess sounded worse by the moment. Julia watched Cormack twist and grind the knife while his victim gurgled underneath him and her gorge rose. She swallowed quickly, holding back being sick as the sound of meat being rendered reached her ears. The tang of metal rising in the air like copper fumes made Julia sway where she stood.

Suddenly, she felt the warmth of Tharell's breath on her face before he spoke. “He will heal,” he whispered.

Julia swallowed hard, feeling suddenly very alone.

The Queen stared at Julia while Darcel's guard gutted her subject and Julia could only stare back.

She had escaped one nightmare only to fall prey to another.

*

Jacqueline

Oh how the glorious chips may fall!
Jacqueline chortled to herself, delighted by the turn of events. She led the group, the trail of fey dust easy for her to follow. It was like a melody in her blood. If only they understood how truly powerful it was to be of mixed lineage. She was happy to hide who she really was no longer. It had brought her many advantages while she pretended to be a pure blood Singer. Marcus was such a prude, prattling on about how their royal blood would die out because of her deceit.
Really?
She sniffed at that. It had not been a concern when he rutted above her in the hopes of a Combatant offspring. Which he now had, and one who was soul mate to the Rare One? He should stop his petulance before she thought of something distasteful to do to him.

Jacqueline glanced to her left and there Anthony was beside her. The brute trudged along without complaint.
My he is a tough sort
, Jacqueline thought, having been rendered twice immobile. Once by herself, this caused a smile to form on her hawkish face, then by his own offspring. Jacqueline would be able to keep him distracted enough with coming events that he might not assault other women while in her charge.
We shall see,
she thought to herself. It was very hard to retrain the demented.

She would know. Jacqueline's secret smile widened.

“Jacqueline, how much further?” Marcus inquired, wondering upon her strange expression. How she could find humor in a possible fey takeover and rescue attempt for their true Queen was beyond him. Her confidence in the unknown was unsettling.

She sighed in annoyance.
Could they not see the mound?
It was as her great-grandmother had told her it would be. In secret. For the farce of pure royal Singer blood would be maintained against everything.

“Just ahead,” she responded lightly.

Tony leaned beside her. “Is this a ruse, Singer?”

“Always, but they know nothing yet.”

“How can I stay safe?” he asked.

Good question
, Jacqueline wondered. Then she remembered a fragment of a tale her grandmother had read to her at bedtime.

She spoke in a low voice but Anthony heard it easily. “There be a terrible thistle of thorns, which comes alive and tears at those who mean wrong doing, or who are not fey.”

“Swell news, Jacqueline. Tell me something useful.”

Jacqueline wrinkled her nose. “Dolt.” Insufferable fool. “Stay close to me and we shall pass them by.”

Tony nodded in understanding as they came before the mound. When Jacqueline stretched her hand out to touch the door, it appeared to the others and the symbol Julia had watched burn like a torch hours ago, came to life. It was so hot and bright it hurt to gaze upon it for those who were closest to the mound.

Slash turned to Adi. “Adi, stay by me.”

She rolled her eyes. “It'll be fine, Slash.”

“It most certainly will
not
be fine.” Slash allowed his wolf to come to the surface of his skin. It might be that when things went wrong, as they were bound to do, being in animal form might prove to be safest.

Slash turned, seeing the other faces, those of his den, two vampires, a handful of Singers and the hateful but necessary pairing of Tony and Jacqueline. If they hadn’t been as desperate as sin, there'd been no way that they would've used that viper of a royal.

One minute, Slash saw Jacqueline raise her arm to touch something he couldn't see in thin air. And the next, a small symbol of a dragon guarding an egg began to fill their sight, the brightness of it made the wolf inside him shy from the surface and he nudged it back deep inside himself.

Slash didn't need his wolf right now. His eyes flicked to Adi. Her false bravado had become a trembling thing. Good, she was too cavalier about the unknown.

Jacqueline looked behind her at Marcus. “Come, follow me.”

“Be of care,” Marcus said to Scott and he nodded once.