The Seven Year King (The Faerie Ring #3) (19 page)

WHEN TIKI AWOKE, Larkin’s voice still echoed in her ears. She rubbed her forehead, wondering how they were ever going to find the cup. Still exhausted, she threw back her covers and climbed from bed.

LARKIN WAS AT the door to Tiki’s chambers when Tiki headed out to get something to eat. The faerie fell into step with her as if they hadn’t had a harsh word the day before.

“I was wondering if you were ever going to get up. I need a word.”

Tiki sighed, fighting the feeling she was forgetting something while at the same time wondering how she could escape from Larkin and whatever plans she’d made for her. As they neared the Great Hall they met Rieker walking the other direction and stopped to greet him.

“Good morning, ladies.” He bowed toward Tiki and kissed her hand. “You look beautiful, today.”

Larkin’s lips pursed in a peevish expression. “Isn’t it a little early for such blatant flattery?”

Rieker smiled. “The truth is the truth, regardless of the hour of the day. A hard lesson for some but one grows stronger facing the facts, wouldn’t you agree, Larkin?”

Larkin hissed in response. “Cheeky.”

Rieker laughed and tucked Tiki’s hand under his arm, turning to walk with them. He was clean-shaven and dressed much like the Macanna—trim dark trousers with a red and gold tunic. The contours of his muscled arms were revealed by the cut of his garments and Tiki couldn’t help but admire his trim physique.

He leaned forward to address Larkin “Any word on Dain? On where the White Tower might be?”

“No,” Larkin snapped. “We’ve got scouts scouring the countryside, and spies searching within the Plain of Starlight, but so far, Donegal has been successful in keeping the Tower hidden. I’m about to go looking for him myself,” she muttered.

“What of the
liche
?” Tiki asked. “Has he been sighted?”

Larkin hesitated for a split second. “Nothing confirmed.” She glanced at Tiki from the corners of her eyes. “He could be in London, but I’m not aware of any new deaths.”

Rieker snorted. “Is that supposed to be reassuring?”

Tiki frowned. “Where in London?”

They passed through the towering archways and entered the Great Hall. Several of the myriad mirrors reflected rays of sunlight and cast them through the room in a prism of light.

“I don’t know.” Larkin said. “He could be here in the Great Hall with us for all I know. Now, as I was about to say before we were interrupted—” she glared at Rieker—“the queen is needed at Court today, and there are some details with the kitchens we need to discuss.”

Tiki yawned and tried not to limp. She was still sore from so much riding. “Such as?” What she really wanted to talk about was what Larkin knew of the Cup of Plenty and if there was any other way to save Johnny. Fiona had told them that Larkin had made arrangements for her to continue to have mortal food and drink, but the girl’s health was clearly deteriorating, and Tiki knew she couldn’t allow Fiona to stay in Faerie much longer. But after Larkin’s rude dismissal of the matter last night, Tiki was hesitant to broach the subject again.

“First.” Larkin held up a slender finger. “We need some rules established on feeding the beggars. That creature you befriended has been wandering the halls ever since you left, looking for more free food, I suspect. It’s got to stop.”

An image of Ailléna’s bone-thin face filled Tiki’s head. There’d been too many nights when Tiki had wandered through London looking for food herself not to be sympathetic to the poor creature’s plight.

“It’s not too much to ask—” Rieker started.

“Second—” Larkin spoke over him— “There is a new lord to be inducted, Fintan McPhee—”

Tiki jerked to a stop, her mouth agape as she realized what had been nagging at her subconscious.

Larkin paused a few steps ahead and glanced back with a look of annoyance. “What is it now?”

“Where do we find Ailléna?” Tiki asked.

“Who?”

“The starving girl we met in the Night Garden. The one who…”

“Oh, the beggar.” Larkin gave a dismissive shrug. “Why should I know or care?”

“You said she’s been wandering the halls ever since I left. That means you’ve seen her.”

“True. She’s been underfoot much too often for my liking. ” Larkin turned away. “You might find her in the encampment.”

Tiki and Rieker exchanged glances. “What encampment?”

“It’s one of the places where the homeless faeries gather.”

“Lady Larkin.” A trio of muscular faeries crossed the Great Hall toward them. “A word, please.”

“This will have to wait,” Larkin said to Tiki and Rieker. “As you can see, I’m needed elsewhere.” She raised her chin with an important air and marched toward the men, her skirts twirling around her bare feet.

“Where’s the encampment?” Tiki called after her.

“On the far side of the Tor.” Larkin glanced over her shoulder. “And don’t be late for Fintan’s induction—it’s at noon in the High Chamber.” She gave Tiki a gloating grin. “I’ll save you a seat.”

“WHY ARE YOU so keen to find the beggar?” Rieker asked after Larkin had disappeared around a corner in the hallway.

“Really, William.” Tiki sounded like an odd echo of Larkin. “She has a name.”

“Sorry. Why are you so keen to find Ailléna?”

“Because.” Tiki put her hand on Rieker’s arm. Her eyes glowed with excitement. “Now that we’ve been to the border I’ve just realized she’s a goblin.
A Redcap
. Perhaps kicked out by her own kind?”

“LIFE HERE ISN’T so different from what we’ve seen in the slums of London,” Rieker said as they made their way through the gardens in the direction they’d been told to find the encampment. “Remember, Larkin mentioned there are those in need. How did she put it?
‘The squalor behind the court.’”

“Yes, but food appears to be bountiful here—at least in the Seelie Court—why would anyone go hungry?”

“I don’t know the answer, Teek. Maybe it’s gone on for so long, that those in power have forgotten to care.” They followed the curving path through a dense section of bushes. “I’m quite sure Donegal wouldn’t have done anything to help their plight. He likes to keep people at a disadvantage.”

Rieker rounded a corner and came to an abrupt stop. Tiki joined him to find they stood on the crest of a small ridge. Below, perched on a shelf of rock that appeared to be cut from the side of the Tor, was a teeming congregation of faeries. They covered the entire outcropping and in some cases, disappeared over the side, like ants in a hill.

Tiki squinted at the sight. “What is this?”

Rickety lean-to’s made of sticks and leaves dotted the outcropping, but most of the faeries sat out in the open, gathered in small groups. Some appeared to be lying where they’d dropped, apparently too weak to move. A few sat around small fires, wispy threads of smoke curling into the air, as if even the fires were too weak to burn properly. All were painfully thin, and dirty, nothing more than rags covering their bodies.

“I can’t believe it,” Tiki breathed. “Do you think Larkin knows of this?”

Rieker slid his hands into his pockets as he surveyed the scene, his voice oddly quiet. “She’s the one who told us where to find this place.”

“What can we do? We need to get food for them immediately.” Tiki pointed to a crumpled form. “Doesn’t that one look like a mortal?” As they surveyed the scene, a fight broke out in one corner of the camp and shouts echoed across the open air.

“Leave it, ya dirty scumbag faerie!” A familiar scratchy voice shouted. “I brought as much as I could—we ‘ave to share! Stop it! Stop I tell ya!” The grunts, thuds and whacks of a struggle could be heard as two faeries wrestled over the prize they both wanted.

Rieker held his hand out to Tiki. “I think we’ve just found Ailléna.”

As Tiki and Rieker picked their way through the edges of the encampment, the crowd began to realize there were strangers among them. Whispers started, as faeries nudged each other and slyly pointed. Movement ceased and one by one all eyes turned to the newcomers.

“Don’ .. make ..me beat ya ..with this bread,” Ailléna huffed as she pounded an old, frail man over the head with a stale bread roll. “I tol’ ya we had.. to.. share.” She gave one last resounding whack and straightened. At her feet, the whimpering faerie was on his knees with his hands clutched over his head for protection. “There. Now ya can ‘ave a small piece and we’ll spread the rest out as far as it will…oh!” The little goblin jumped when she saw Tiki and Rieker standing nearby watching her.

“Majesty.” Ailléna dropped into an awkward curtsy, sweeping the crust of bread to the side as if it were part of a voluminous skirt. ‘I did’na see ya there.” She peeked from under her eyelashes, her large hooked nose still pointed at the ground, frozen in her pose. “What are ya doin’
here
?”

“I need to talk to you.” Tiki held out her hand. “Could you come with us for a moment, please?”

Ailléna straightened with a frightened expression and handed Tiki the half-broken bread roll. “I did’na steal, Majesty, you said I could ‘ave the food and I thought I might share my good luck with a few friends.” She gestured at the open-mouthed faeries who stood circled around them at a safe distance.

“I don’t want your bread,” Tiki said gently. “It was the right thing to do to bring a loaf to share. We’ll find more bread for your friends, too.” She wiggled her fingers. “I meant to hold your hand.”

A gasp went up in the crowd followed by a buzz of whispers.

“You’d touch me?” Ailléna whispered.

“Of course,” Tiki said, trying not to sound impatient. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“It’s just that you’re the queen and I’m a …”

“Stop, Ailléna.” Tiki cut her off. “You are whatever you choose to be. Now take my hand and come along, please. We won’t be long.”

The little goblin tentatively slid her clawed fingers into Tiki’s warm grip. Tiki squeezed gently and a tremulous smile shook the corners of Ailléna’s mouth. Another buzz of whispers swept the crowd.

“She’s touchin’ her.”

“The goblin’s holdin’ the queen’s hand.”

“Are they
friends?”

“Where can we talk privately?” Rieker asked, glancing at the wizened little goblin as he fell into step beside Tiki.

“There’s a spot up there,” Ailléna pointed, “on top of the Tor.”

IT ONLY TOOK a few minutes to reach a secluded section in the gardens. Tiki marveled at how the landscape and atmosphere could change in such a short distance. Where they stood now was serene and lush, a beautiful garden where life was bountiful; the crag of the Tor where the homeless were camped was devoid of vegetation, nothing more than a rocky outcropping, covered by faeries in various stages of despair.

They found a stone bench and Tiki sat down, patting the spot next to her. Rieker remained standing, positioning himself on the far side of Tiki so as not to intimidate the little goblin.

“How can I serve you today, m’lady?” Ailléna asked, twisting her hands nervously together.

“I want you to know you’re not in trouble,” Tiki said slowly.

“I’m not?”

“No.” Tiki shook her head. “We just need some information. It’s very important that you tell us the truth, all right?”

Ailléna gulped as she bobbed her head up and down.

Tiki got right to the point. “We’re looking for a magical cup the Redcaps used to have.”

The little goblin’s eyes widened in horror.

“We’ve been told you might know something about its current location.”

She shook her head frantically from side to side.

“You’re a Redcap, aren’t you?” Tiki asked gently.

Ailléna hesitated then jerked her head up and down once. Her lower lip trembled, causing her oversized fang-like teeth to chatter.

Tiki tilted her head to look in the goblin’s eyes. “Tell me the truth, Ailléna, were you the one who lost the cup?”

For a second the little goblin looked like she might burst from the agony of her indecision. “I didn’t mean to do it,” she croaked hoarsely, her hands clenched in front of her chest as if she were begging for mercy. “It were a terrible mistake, it were.”

“Do you know where the cup is now?” Rieker asked.

Ailléna let out a terrified squeak, her eyes darting from side to side, as if looking for an escape route.

“You won’t be punished,” Tiki reassured her. “We need to find the cup to help a friend of ours, that’s all.”

A terrible sob erupted from her throat. “You’ll never find it,” she cried.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Tiki asked.

“It weren’t my fault,” she croaked— “well… not exactly…” She ran a clawed hand under her beak of a nose and gave a loud sniff. “We were just havin’ a bit o’fun, playing in the well an’ dancin’ a bit on the green. I set the cup down to keep it safe when ol’ MaGee brought out some wine…” she took a shuddering breath, “an’ next thing I knew—some mortal was runnin’ away with our cup. We chased ‘im and screamed—I even tried to pull it outta his hands, but he held fast,” she finished, looking downcast.

“Where was this at?” Tiki asked. “Do you recall the name of the well?”