Guardian (10 page)

Ian bowed low before her.

I followed suit.

The black unicorn snorted and stomped one huge hoof, narrowly missing Ian’s booted foot.

He didn’t even flinch.

“How dare you return to these lands.”

Ian straightened and grinned. “You’re not happy to see me? I’m devastated.”

Faerydae stared at him coldly for a long moment. “You are still phenomenally stupid I see.”

Ian laughed. “It appears that I am.”

“What do you want?”

“I need to speak with you. In private.”

Faerydae stared at him a moment longer, apparently considering his request. Then she frowned, gave a single nod, and lifted a delicate hand over her head. Immediately the sound of hooves filled the air as one of her warriors galloped forward with two white horses in tow.

The warrior pulled his snorting mount up abruptly in front of us and flung down the reins for the extra horses. He glared at Ian before turning away and galloping back to his spot at the back of the mounted cavalcade.

Ian grabbed the reins of the largest horse and sprang onto its back, settling into the Elvin tooled leather saddle as if he were weightless.

I narrowed my gaze at the horse I assumed was mine. All eyes turned to me.

I just stood there, trying not to show my horror.

Horses and I don’t get along. And Elvin horses were especially difficult creatures, with higher intelligence and more than a little attitude to go with it.

I briefly considered handing the horse over to Ian, entering a wrinkle, and walking with them toward our destination but something about the little smirk on Ian’s handsome face kept me from doing it.

Finally I sighed and walked over to the snorting, stamping nightmare on hooves. As I reached for the reins the evil thing folded back its lips and lunged at my hand. Huge, white teeth clacked together barely a hair away from my skin.

As I snatched my hand back the elves around me laughed heartily.

Faerydae watched me with an Elvin gleam in her lovely blue eyes.

I bristled but ignored them as I snatched the reins and grabbed a handful of mane. I bent my knees and sprang upward, toward the thing’s sleek, well groomed back.

The horse trotted forward and I hit its rump hard, pinging off to land against Ian’s mount. I slid toward the ground in a less than graceful manner.

Renewed laughter exploded around me and the evil white horse turned a suspiciously sparkling brown eye in my direction. Ian pressed his lips tightly to keep from laughing.

I levered myself up from an unattractive puddle on the ground and narrowed my eyes at the nasty beast. It simply turned its head toward me and swished it’s thick, flawless tail disdainfully, lifting one rear foot in silent threat.

I grinned and, with a thought, entered a travel layer.

Murmuring ensued as the elves debated where I’d gone.

I stepped up to the horse quickly, before it could register that I’d disappeared, and grabbed a handful of mane, springing onto its back.

When I popped back into view on the back of the evil beast the elves laughed and a few clapped their hands.

The horse’s head flew up and it turned a wild eye toward me.

It hopped around a few times, snorting wildly, and spun in a circle in an effort to rid itself of me.

As a few of the elves called out congratulations for my handling of the horse, I took a slight bow from my unsteady spot in the flat, soft saddle.

But my victory was short lived.

The damnable creature threw up its head, bellowed its displeasure to the sky, spun around, and took off at a gallop back the way it had come.

The amused Elvin faces of Faerydae’s convoy flashed by like colorful blurs as I grabbed mane in both hands and wrapped my legs around the monster’s barrel, holding it in a death grip. The laughter of the convoy seemed to spur the evil horse on and he ran faster, until my eyes watered and my cheeks felt as if they were flapping around my ears.

I swore into the wind and promised myself, if I survived the ride to Faerydae’s castle, the first thing I’d do was apply an annihilation level of power to the stupid horse. And then dance on his still twitching body while he died.

The damnable thing headed straight for the largest waterfall in the center of the ridge, its head held high in outrage and its huge nostrils flared in temper. Legend held that Faerydae’s castle was hidden behind a wall of water, magically enmeshed within the heart of acres of rock.

I hoped legend knew what it was talking about.

I prayed the horse wasn’t stupid enough to plow into the waterfall and straight into rock, just to spite me.

I was pretty sure it wasn’t that stupid, but as the first pounding streams of water hit my head, driving into my skin painfully, I hunkered down over the thing’s neck just in case. I’d let the stupid animal soften the blow with its own stupid head.

The water drove into my head and shoulders, causing me to hunch lower onto the horse. The roar and rush of the water went on for what felt like hours. It pounded against my head and skin with bruising intensity.

I tried to hold my breath but after a few minutes of unending pressure from thousands of barrels of water driving into my body I finally gave in and sucked air. Fortunately for me I mostly got air and not water.

Choking and spitting the cupful of water I’d inhaled, I covered my head with my arms and prayed we’d reach the end of the water soon.

Suddenly the pounding stopped and soothing heat from a bright sun replaced the water beating on my back. The horse drew itself up to a slow trot and then a walk, snorting noisily and shaking its mane to spray water into my face.

I looked down and realized the water he’d sprayed came from me. Other than the water streaming off of me in liberal amounts, the damnable creature between my legs was completely dry. “What the hell!”

The horse stopped and turned as Faerydae and her convoy emerged from the falls. He stamped a foot, reared up dramatically, and called out before taking off again toward them.

“Oh shit!” I screamed as I went into the death grip again.
Please don’t let him go back through the falls!
I prayed silently.

But he simply returned to the spot beside Ian and his mount where he should have been all along.

I glared down at the stupid animal, pushing wet tangles out of my eyes and blowing water off my lips.

Ian’s grin couldn’t be repressed this time. “Is it raining, Monad?”

I had been tugging my clothing away from my body, wringing the loose bits to extract as much water as possible, but his words brought my head up. My mouth was open, ready to deliver a scathing response, when I caught sight of him and the Elvin queen.

Dry.

Water-free and perfectly coiffed.

“Son of a demon!”

Faerydae’s mouth curled up and her eyes sparkled. “We’ve played you a dirty trick I’m afraid, Monad, the falls are magicked for those we aid. We neglected to engage the magic when you went barreling through. I fear your abrupt departure discombobulated us.”

Around us, soft chuckling ensued at my expense.

I glared at her, wondering if “we” were using the royal plural, or if the other elves were capable of this magick.

“Shall we continue?”

The horses started walking again and I slumped in the uncomfortable saddle, dripping and fuming. I shook my head occasionally so that water droplets sprayed Ian, just to be mean.

Finally I got bored with pouting and started taking in my surroundings. I’d heard the expression ‘faeryland’ all my life. But I had never really understood the meaning of the word.

It all became clear to me in that place.

Moving toward Faerydae’s castle at that moment, it suddenly clicked. This was faeryland. This was what the ancient human faerytales were based on. This was a magical land.

In the distance, built upon a small mountain, Faerydae’s castle rose above us, with pristine white towers that climbed to the sky and sparkled in the sun. Pink domed turrets graced the long walls of the castle at regular intervals, a faery flag undulating from the top of each one. The walls were dissected by regular rows of large windows and every third window had a balcony beneath it, which overflowed with vibrant flowers. The castle rose above a perfect lake, and was surrounded by an enormous green park.

It was a beautiful thing. A magic place. It could easily have been created by an artist, pulled from a hopeful place in his fertile mind.

As we rode forward, and I began to dry and warm in a welcoming sun, it became harder to stay cranky. Against my will, I soon found my good spirits returning.

We climbed the winding road toward the castle in narrow bands. I’d gotten pushed behind Ian and Faerydae due to the narrowness of the road so I watched them carefully as we rode. Though the Elvin queen’s greeting of Ian had been hostile at best, her body language as they conversed was anything but.

She leaned toward him as he spoke to her, nodding and smiling easily. I’d even seen her reach across the space between their horses once or twice to touch his forearm. They were a decidedly handsome couple and I wondered suddenly about the nature of their relationship.

As we rounded the last curve and the castle exploded into view before us, it was all I could do not to gasp. Where it had seemed a beautiful and magical place from a distance, it was even more impressive close up.

The castle was enormous, spreading across the mountain on either side almost as far as the eye could see. It was a beehive of activity. Servants and Elvin folk alike strolled the grassy walkways and skimmed across the pristine surface of the lake on Elvin boats. Riders on horseback walked and trotted the grounds and filled the streets of the city nestled in the shadow of Faerydae’s castle.

We continued climbing until we reached the castle. There, in a wide, pink bricked courtyard beyond the gates to the castle, we dismounted. My evil mount actually turned its head and nuzzled me hopefully, looking for a treat. I fondled my weapon in its sheath and the horse jerked its head back and lifted a rear foot.

I stepped quickly away and bumped up against Ian. “You have quite a way with animals.” His handsome face in its warm, brown tones looked tense. A far cry from the playful and charming façade I’d been witnessing all the way to the castle.

I stepped closer and murmured so no one else could hear. “What’s wrong?”

He gave a quick negative jerk of his head. “We’ll talk later. When we have privacy.”

“Well, well, well. The faery killer pays us another visit.”

My head jerked around at the familiar voice. Ian’s head turned more slowly and I noticed he wore a smug smile. Quite the actor, this one.

“Aubrie, I’m surprised to see you here.”

The elf stopped before us and smiled meanly. “I’ll wager you are, half-breed.”

Ian tensed beside me. But when I glanced at his face there was no sign that the insult had stung. “Did you run home to tattle on me, elf-child?”

Aubrie wasn’t quite as good at hiding his emotions. His power aura sprang to life around him, hissing and throwing sparks into the air.

I grabbed my weapon.

Around me the sound of dozens of bows being nocked split the silence.

Aubrie turned to look at me. His long golden hair swung in a pale and silky arc around his head, only to settle back around his biceps as he smiled. “I see you’ve brought a concubine with you, half-breed. Although she’s rather disheveled and…damp…, she looks rather tasty. Perhaps you’ll share?” He lifted a golden eyebrow in question and I forced myself to remain calm.

With a couple hundred fire arrows pointed at me I really had no choice. “Bring it elf. I haven’t killed a rapist in a while, I could use the practice.”

Beside me, Ian appeared to be choking.

The skin around Aubrie’s eyes tightened in sudden anger but he laughed. “Spicy meat, yum.”

“Enough of this brutish behavior.” Faerydae stepped between Aubrie and us, her impossibly beautiful face dark with anger. She turned to Ian. “Come. Say your piece and then leave. Your presence here breeds naught but trouble.”

Faerydae turned and glided into the castle. Ian jerked his head for me to follow and took off after her.

I glanced at Aubrie and found him watching me with narrowed eyes. “We’ll finish this later, elf.”

He gave me a slight bow, “I await that opportunity with great anticipation, spirit.”

I started after Ian, conscious of the need to stay close to him.

“How did you enjoy our little meeting, spirit?”

My pulse jumped but I forced myself to keep walking, ignoring him.

He fell into step beside me. “Was that you who brought him to his knees?”

This time I jerked guiltily, he’d completely caught me off guard with that one. I’d have to watch myself around the elf, he was far too perceptive. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, elf. Have you saturated yourself in Elvin wine?”

“Yet there was recognition in your eyes when first you saw me here today. And I read your electronic signature on the air in the meeting room. What devilry is it that allows you to bring the half-breed to his knees? I wish to make use of it myself.”