Daughter of the Red Dawn (The Lost Kingdom of Fallada) (15 page)

Rose beamed with pride and grasped Selena’s shoulder tightly. “She’s my girl,
Y
our
M
ajesty.
No matter what.”

Adrah gave another little smile. “Yes, she is. Now come, I wish to see you all settled and well rested. There will be time enough for politics in the morning.”

“With all due respect, Queen,” Selena objected, “we would like to return to our world as soon as possible.”

Adrah
nodded,
her eyes narrowed and thoughtful. “Yes, I am aware of this. We will talk later, I promise.
But first, rest and a warm bed for you and your family
,
as well as the Brothers Grimm.”

“My Queen, what of the traitor?”
Rothatin spoke for the first
time since entering the hall.

Adrah swiveled her cool gaze to Titus. “He will be brought to my chambers for questioning,” she commanded. “
F
irst, I want him released from his bonds.”

Rothantin’s eyes widened
,
and darkened to almost black
,
and his jaw hardened. “Your Majesty,
he
is very dangerous!”

Suddenly, the air around them grew icy cold and Adrah’s eyes swirled with iridescent color before going silver. If at all possible, she drew herself up to an even greater height as she stabbed Rothatin with a piercing glare.

“You dare to question me, General?”

Rothatin lowered his head, properly chastised.
“No,
m
y Queen.
Please forgive me.”

As quickly as it had come, Adrah’s anger melted away and her serenity had returned.

“You are forgiven. Now
,
please do as I have asked. Titus of Mollac and I have much to discuss.
”

~*~

Chapter
Eight

Her chambers were reflective of everything Queen Adrah represented.
Light and air were ever
present
in the room with open archways leading out to circular balconies overlooking Goldun at the height of Osbel tower, the castle inhabited by the
Fae
ruler. Furniture in shades of white and pale yellow adorned the chambers and billowing, sheer curtains shielded the bed and other sections of the quarters from view. Queen Adrah sat in a high-backed chair across from Titus, who sat stiffly on a matching couch. Everything about the room screamed serenity and calm, yet Titus felt turbulent and fearful.

Adrah was even more powerful than Eranna and her wrath was great when she chose to exercise it.
Titus hung his head, refusing the meet the
Fae
queen’s knowing
gaze. He had a feeling that if he did, the dam incasing his emotions would break and he would fall at her feet in a sobbing mass. He studied the intricate pattern of the yellow sunflower printed tiles beneath his feet instead.

“You must be thirsty,” she said once they were alone in the room. Her lyrical voice wrapped around him and echoed with resounding authority. She gestured toward the gleaming silver tea set laid out on the table between them. Titus shook his head in refusal.

“No,
Your
Majesty. I’m fine.”

“
Not one for pleasantries?” Adrah smirked and shrugged, pouring her own tea with refined movements. “Very well, young man, we shall
come straight to the point. I am told that you are possessed by the Queen of Mollac.”

Titus unconsciously reached for the back of his neck, running his fingers along the black, cursive letter E tattooed across his skin. The brand had seared itself there the day that he pledged his service to Eranna in exchange for his family’s freedom.

“Yes,” he admitted, knowing that the
Fae
queen was already aware of the truth.

She lifted a small teacup to her lips, her face fixed into an expression of thoughtfulness.

“The wolf packs of Mollac are now set against each other, with many of them taking refuge here in Goldun
.
W
hile the rest, like you, have chosen to serve on the side of evil.”

Titus did not miss the coolness that seeped into Adrah’s eyes, turning them into a very cool, wintry shade of green that bordered on shimmering white.

“I did what I thought was necessary for my family to survive,” he said, fighting down the growl that emerged in his throat. His canines throbbed and he felt the anger th
at
welled up in him
,
as if he were suddenly filled with molten lava.

In an instant, Adrah had crossed to sit on the couch beside him. She rested a hand on his knee, her eyes wide and piercing as she captured his gaze. Coldness rushed through him like an arctic blast and his anger abated as quickly as it had welled up. Adrah brought her warm palms up to his face. She held him, gazing deeply into his eyes as a rush of power flowed through him from her fingertips.

“Show me, Titus of Mollac, those things which I have not seen.”

A flash of light blinded him as the tentacles of Adrah’s powers seeped into his mind and latched on, giving her full access to his memories and he knew that she could see what he was seeing.
He felt tears filling his eyes as images of himself
,
running with his pack in wolf form
,
flitted through his mind’s eye. His father, the pack
Alpha
male,
ran alongside him. He
was muscular, proud,
and
covered in a pelt of mingl
ed
white, black
,
and gray
.
H
is sister and mother brought up the rear. The other wolves of the Awcan pack surrounded them, flurries of snow swirling around like fairy dust.

Another flash of light brought the image of Eranna’s Minotaurs, as they invaded the cavernous cliff where the Awcan pack
lived,
taking them all captive after a bloody fight that left many of his pack mates dead. He relived it all so that Adrah could see the
Witches
and
Sorcerers taking
him from the cell where his family was held and bringing him to Eranna, who’d offered him a deal. His skin tingled as he relived kneeling before Eranna and accepting the wicked queen’s mark. The rest followed in a speeding blur up until his arrival at Goldun with the Grimm brothers and Selena.

Adrah snatched her hands away from his face and fell back onto the arm of the couch, her chest heaving with effort as she adjusted her draping gown’s neckline. She watched him pensively as he quickly swiped at the tears running down his cheeks. Titus sniffled and turned away, embarrassed.

“It is as I suspected,” Adrah said after a few minutes of silent reflection. “You have a strong heart
,
Titus. Circumstance has dealt you a
n
unfair turn, but I shall do all I can to see things put right.”

Titus couldn’t help the hope that blossomed as he met her gaze once again. “You do not wish to punish me?”

“These are desperate times, young Titus
,
and I cannot fault a young man for doing what he thought was best for his family. I do wish you had come to me first, but I am willing to forgive you the oversight. I will help you as much as I can, but first you much pledge your loyalty to me, King Endroth
,
and Goldun.”

“You have it!” Titus proclaimed emphatically, dropping swiftly to his knees and lowering his head.

Adrah’s laughter was sweet and not
condescending in the least as she reached out to ruffle Titus’ dark hair.

“The mark of a good wolf is his loyalty and I can see that you have plenty of that. It is no wonder she is so enamored of you.”

Titus shivered as Selena’s warm, brown eyes flashed through his thoughts. Adrah lifted his chin until their eyes met.

“She means to leave Fallada,” he said, his voice hitching and his breath racing at the thought of losing Selena forever. He wanted her to stay
;
not just for Fallada
,
but for him. Just as Fallada would be cast into darkness without the princess of Damu, so would Titus be flung into a lifetime of loneliness.

Adrah squeezed his chin gently, that half-smile curling at the corner of her lips once more. “Princess Eladria’s journey is not yet
complete
and all is not lost.
Now to deal with that pesky mark on your neck.”

Her hands were on his shoulders then, holding tightly as her eyes burned into his. The
mark on his neck warmed until Titus felt as it his skin were
on fire. He groaned and sank to his knees on the floor, taking Adrah with him. She merely tightened her grip, her eyes flashing white and searing Titus to his bones as she worked her magic within him to remove Eranna’s poison. It seeped out of his ears and nostrils like black smoke, curling around them before dissipating onto the air.

Titus collapsed onto the floor with relief when she was done, caressing the back of his neck to find it smooth and unblemished once more. Adrah stood and moved to leave the room in ethereally graceful motions.

“
You will find clothing on the bed; they should fit you perfectly. There is a bath prepared in the washroom adjacent to this one and I hope
,
after you are clean and suitably attired, you will join us for a celebration in the ballroom.”

“I’d be honored, Your Majesty.”

She paused in the doorway and flashed him her Mona Lisa smile. “Good. Never fear, young Titus. I have seen much through the Eye of Goldun. It may not seem like it now, but I promise you that in time, all will be well.”

~*~

“You look like a freakin’ Greek goddess!”

Selena tugged self-consciously on the skirt of the
soft
pink gown that had been provided
to
her by Adrah’s
Fae
servants. After leaving the house of the royal court, Rothatin and his flying warriors had escorted their party to Osbel tower, where they were promptly provided rooms. They’d indulged in tea—which had a very mysterious calming effect when Selena drank it—and hot baths filled with fragrant bubbles. The tub, which was more like a small swimming pool, was lined with hand-painted tiles bearing the images of exotic birds and plants. Selena had been reluctant to leave the hot water and invigorating bubbles, but Adrah’s beautiful
servants had coaxed her out by
showing her the gown she would be wearing and the promise of food.

Pink wa
sn’t exactly her favorite color
and she hardly ever wore dresses, but even she had to admit that she’d never looked better. The gown’s plunging neckline made her a bit self-conscious, but the silver clasps at her shoulders and matching belt at her waist were
stunning against her sun-kissed
skin. The dusky shade of pink complimented her coloring nicely and the sweeping, draped skirt of the gown made her feel as if she were floating
instead of
walking.

Her hair had been curled
and pinned up on top of her head
and decorated with silver combs sporting jeweled dragonflies.
A pair of silver earrings shaped like flat disks dangled from her ears. Zoe was outfitted in a similar dress in sky blue with gold accents rather than silver. Her blond bob was accentuated by a golden headband featuring a cluster of jeweled flowers. Selena wrapped her arm around her taller friend’s slim waist and pushed aside feelings of envy over Zoe’s full breast
s
and tiny middle.
Selena’s shorter, less slender frame was her own and she knew that she was pretty in her own way.

“We both look pretty awesome,” she admitted. “I won
der if they’ll let us take this stuff
home.”

Zoe pulled away from Selena’s embrace to lift an ornate silver hand mirror from the vanity table where they’d both had their hair done.

“Let us? Girl, I plan on slipping this dress, this headband, and this mirror into my purse!”

“You didn’t bring a purse.”

“I’m going to slip it somewhere,” she said as she replaced the mirror on the table. “Besides,
you
don’t exactly have to leave. I have a feeling that Queen Adrah would give you anything you asked for as long as you promise to be their savior.”

“I am not anybody’s savior,” Selena argued, an edge to her voice. Why couldn’t everyone just leave her be?

“
Anyways
, what would you and Gram do without me?”

“
I guess you’re right, but what about that hunk-a burnin’
Werewolf
down the hall? You can’t exactly take him back with you.”