Faery Queen (23 page)

“Ah, come on, Hugh? Where is my valiant knight, ready to save his family and friends at any cost to himself? He is like a brother to you, is he not? You grew up with him, trained beside him, fought with him. His only crime was falling in love with your sister and wanting to be a part of the precious Bellemare family.” Lucien chuckled. “Can you really let him give his soul to me, when you know I would have something far greater from you?”

Hugh opened his mouth, staring at his childhood friend, torn by their past and what he knew of the present. The words wouldn't come.

“The demon killed Lord Eadward,” Lucien continued, “not Nicholas. Are you going to let him suffer? Where is your honor, Lord Bellemare? He is your friend!”

Hugh still could not answer. He didn't trust Lucien to tell him the truth. For all he knew, Nicholas wasn't Nicholas but a demon—just like in the memories of the past Lucien had shown him. This was exactly why he hated this realm. Nothing was as it seemed.

“So be it,” Lucien said, when Hugh didn't answer. Nicholas pushed up from the ground, trying to stand.

Time appeared to stop. Leaves froze within the air and the faint sound of the wind through the trees turned silent. Nicholas collapsed on the ground, falling helplessly onto his back as he stared up at the trees. His sobbing ceased as he just lay there. Hugh had seen broken men and Nicholas had no will left to live. With one word, Hugh could stop Lucien, but at a great price. He swore that he'd find a way to free Nicholas' soul, but not at the cost of his own.

Lucien held out his hand, lifting it toward Nicholas. Fire came from his fingertips, deep red flames that wound through the air like smoke, curling a path to the fallen man's face. The color was strange against the gray hue of Lucien's colorless world. Hugh closed his eyes, trying not to look. But he found himself opening them to watch as the fire circled a petrified Nicholas' face.

Nicholas gasped as Lucien's power entered into his nose and eyes. His back arched and he convulsed. Hugh wanted to go to him, tried to, but his feet did not move.

“Cease,” the earl whispered, but Lucien only smiled.

And then it was done. Lucien drew the flames back toward him, letting them enter his eyes and nose as they had Nicholas. He jerked, gasping in what could only be called extreme pleasure. Nicholas lay on the ground, unmoving. The man hadn't even screamed, but Hugh could see that what happened hurt him.

“You were right about him,” Lucien said when he could again speak. “His soul was hardly worth the time it took to extract it. I am actually glad you did not trade for him. It would have been too disappointing for me to watch you fall for this unworthy one.”

“He was not unworthy.” Hugh stared at Nicholas' face and slack jaw. Perhaps now the man had some peace in death. “He was lost.”

“Arrrh!” Nicholas suddenly shot up, breathing heavily as he stood on his toes. With each harsh breath, an audible rasp resounded over the quiet forest. His voice a hiss, he said, “My king.”

“You did not think he was dead did you?” Lucien asked, as if reading Hugh's shocked expression. “The soul is gone, but the man lives on. No pain. No worries. No remorse or regret. Just base, primitive man in all his soulless glory.”

Nicholas looked at Hugh, his eyes hard dark pits. The earl felt a cold chill at the sounds he made.

“Go,” Lucien ordered. Nicholas was instantly sucked into the ground, disappearing from sight.

“I will repay you for this,” Hugh said.

“He asked for this, Lord Bellemare. I only gave him what he wanted—an end to the pain inside of him. How can you fault me for that?”

“He did not know what he was doing,” Hugh argued. “And it is your fault he was lost to begin with. You made him murder his father.”

“He knew well enough.” Lucien threaded his hands behind his back. “I gave him the demon that provided him with the strength to murder his father. I did not make him do anything he did not desire to do in his darkest fantasies. It was his words that called to me, begging anyone who could hear him to help end his pain, to make Juliana his. I answered his call when no one else would. If he did not truly want what I gave him, he should have taken more care with his words.”

“I am not listening to your lies, demon.”

“However will you live with this?” Lucien ignored Hugh's angry outburst.

Hugh said nothing.

“So you would not trade for Nicholas,” Lucien continued, “but what would you trade for?”

“You have nothing I want.”

“That may very well be, my lord, but let me show you what I have before you naysay my offer.” He held out his hand. Hugh refused to take it. “She is waiting for you to come and save her.”

Juliana? Hugh stiffened. Who else could he mean? He searched the Damned King's face, but knew he couldn't trust him. What else could he do, though? If there was a chance this monster had Juliana and would do to her what he'd done to Nicholas, he had to stop it. His sister was a good person, an innocent—Queen of the Unblessed or not. Nothing would ever convince Hugh otherwise.

Reaching forward, he took the king's hand. Fire burned him as they erupted into flames and he felt himself being sucked through blackness. Before long, he was dropped on the great hall floor of Lucien's palace. Orange firelight erupted over the dark stone, giving light to the entire place.

“Where is she?” Hugh demanded. “Where is Juliana?”

“Juliana?” Lucien laughed. “I did not say Juliana.”

“Then who?”

Lucien pointed to the fire pit. Hugh quickly circled it, hoping the king didn't mean inside the flames. Then he saw Tania, her small body on the floor, motionless. Everything about her had changed, but Hugh knew instantly who she was.

“Tania?” he whispered. Without thought, he ran to her. This is not what he'd wanted for her when he left. Lifting her shoulders, he pulled her head into his lap as he kneeled on the floor. Inside, he yelled in fury and fear as she didn't respond. “What did you do to her, Lucien? What did you do?”

“So you do care for her,” Lucien said. “I had wondered on that detail. Though one thing troubles me, how can a man such as you leave a woman he cares for to die?”

“I did not leave her to die,” Hugh said, pulling her into his arms. Her mouth was close to his neck and he felt her weak breath on his flesh. “I left her to find my family and bring them home.” He shook his head in disbelief, feeling along Tania's side for injuries. “Why do you do this? She is your ally!”

“My ally?” Lucien chuckled, loud and cruel. “The queen has never been my ally, Lord Bellemare.”

“But…?”

“Our dealing?” Lucien leisurely strolled, as if time had no meaning. “She made her pact with me out of desperation. There was no way for her to bring you here on her own.”

“Desperation?” Hugh stroked her soft cheek, willing her to look at him, to give a sign that she would live. Severe pain seized hold of his heart and squeezed it tight. He didn't want her dead, never dead. Sure, he'd been angry with her at what she'd done, but he didn't want this. He wanted her alive, so that he may always picture her in his mind. If fate wouldn't allow him to have her, then he would have the dream of her to carry with him.

“Love and duty will do that to a creature,” Lucien whispered. “Because of you she is dying. At first, I admit I was surprised by her desire for me to bring you here. The faery magic had been depleted for some time, allowing my demons into your precious home, and I never really understood what had caused the shift. And then I saw her face as you lay dying on her floor the day I brought you to her.

“She loves you and it is that unrequited love that is killing her. Tania knew this and did the only thing she could—she brought you here to love her. But you didn't love her, did you? Nay, I'll wager you resented her for having me kidnap you. But, before you left her to her fate, you took something from her, didn't you? You took her innocence, the sacrifice she must make to rule her people and keep the faery magic. In taking her maidenhead you struck the final blow to her heart. It is you who is killing the faery queen, Lord Bellemare, not I. My interest in her is so she may complete her end of the blood pact that brought you here. That is why she is at my palace.”

Hugh hugged her closer, rocking her in his arms. “Tania, wake up. Look at me.”

She didn't move.

“Faeries are creatures born of light. They do not fall in love easily, but once they do it is forever. Look at her, Hugh. Such a fragile creature cannot survive heartbreak. What she did, she did to save her people, but also to save Bellemare from me. There is no other to take her place, for a virgin faery is a rare creature indeed and because of you there is no such thing anymore.” Lucien held his hands to the side and laughed. “Do you not see what is happening? When Tania dies, her magic will die, taking all faeries with her unless they pledge themselves to me. Whatever faery magic remains will be under my control and my demons will march freely over the realms. Your precious Bellemare will fall. And, without faeries to tend the land, there will be no one to help nature, to grow, to plant, to tuck seedlings in at winter so that they may again spring to life. People will starve and in their desperation they will pledge allegiance to me or die.”

“Nay.” Hugh would not let Lucien win.

“What do you propose, Earl? Sir Nicholas' soul was not enough to persuade you, but what about Tania's life, the life of Bellemare, of your realm?” Lucien sped forward with unholy speed to grab Hugh by the face. “I told you that we would not always be enemies. I told you one day you would come to me, beg to join me. This is your chance to make things right by Tania. Give yourself to me to save her. You love her, I can feel it, even as I can feel you do not want to love her. I can take away the confusion and fear. I can give you pleasure. After, if you still want her, I will give her to you. She will be your bride, at your side on the new throne of Bellemare where you will lead my armies over the mortal realm.”

“And my family?” Hugh shook.

“Safe,” Lucien promised. He patted Hugh's hair, stroking it. “And right where you would have them—at home, at Bellemare with you. I can give you the power to protect them. You cannot protect them now, can you? Juliana is lost and you nearly lost your brothers. It is so hard keeping them safe, but it does not have to be. I offer you, I offer them, an eternity of life. You never have to worry about their safety again—so long as you all pledge to me.”

“I…” Hugh looked down at Tania, unable to think what to say. He was scared for her and didn't want to see Lucien sucking the soul from her as he did Nicholas. His heart would never recover from such a loss. Aye, he'd been angry with her, but only because he loved her and the thought of her betrayal had hurt.

He loved her.

Hugh hadn't wanted to admit it because the admission only brought pain and fear. They were from different realms with duties and responsibilities. What they had could never be and by admitting he loved her, he had to face the fear of never having her. But, each time he told himself how different they were, how useless it was to love her, the less it seemed to matter.

“It is so easy,” Lucien whispered, tempting him to give in. “Just say ‘aye'.”

Hugh ignored Lucien, as he leaned over to kiss Tania's lips. Keeping his mouth close, he whispered, “Come back to me, my love. Do not let the darkness have you. Do not let Lucien win. I never meant to hurt you. If I had understood, if I had known, I would not have left you like this. You must forgive me, my love, I do not know this world of yours. I do not understand it, but I know now that I love you. I've loved you since the first. We'll find a way to be together, even as I must remain at Bellemare and you at Feia. We will find a way to make it work. Ladies in the mortal realm see their husbands off to battle, separated for years and they all find a way to make it work. We can work this out, Tania, but first you must awaken.”

“What are you doing?” Lucien demanded. “Do you really think saying the words now will help your cause?”

“I love you, Tania, come back to me. Please,” Hugh said.

Lucien growled, storming around him with a look of desperation. “You can never go back to Bellemare! Even if she does hear you, she made sure of that when she sent me. Ask me of the blood pact. Ask me what I get out of it. I'll tell you! She is going to allow me into the mortal realm so long as I brought you here and did not harm your family for a fortnight, not forever but a mere fortnight. That is who you claim to love.”

“First you'd have me believe her a saint that I should trade my soul for and now she is unworthy?” Hugh asked logically. “Which is it Lucien? Or do you even know in all your manipulations?”

“If you go back to Bellemare without joining me, you will die,” Lucien said. “She sent me not only to get you, but to make sure you could never leave. You were bitten by the walking dead in the stables, were you not? If you leave this world, you will become like the corpse you fought—dead and possessed.”

“That is why you told me I'd die if I went back to Bellemare,” Hugh said softly to Tania. “You were trying to warn me.”

“Warn you?” Lucien kneeled in front of them, lifting his hands as if he would touch Hugh, only to pull back. “She did it.”

“You control the demons,” Hugh said, in a moment of vivid clarity. He wasn't sure how, but he felt as if a warm heat came over him where he held Tania. “I do not believe you, Lucien. I see your deceits for what they are. I have dealt with mortal men like you. Deceit is deceit, no matter the realm. I see that now.”

Lucien made a weak, angry noise. Hugh looked down. His hands had a soft glow where he held her, matching the glow on her body. As the glow spread, the darkness on her disappeared. The black vines turned to a white, wintry blue and the black ran off her hair like water, trailing toward Lucien's knees as he stayed kneeling before them on the floor.