The Torn Wing (19 page)

Tiki mentally compared beautiful, blond Dain with the black-haired, scarred Sean and shook her head, unsure what all of it meant.

“Fascinating,” he said again.

“How did you recognize William?” Tiki asked.

“I didn’t recognize William. I recognized Larkin. She has used that glamour in my presence before.” Sean’s voice was even, not revealing anything beyond his words. “It didn’t take long to catch your reflections in the mirrors—then I recognized both of you.”

His gaze drifted to the fire and he stared into the flames for a long moment before he gave a sharp nod as if he’d made up his mind about something. He thumped the chair down on all four legs and waved his hand again. Before her eyes, Sean dissolved like the outer layer of an apple being peeled away. The rich smell of clover permeated the air and Dain sat before her, a mocking smile turning up the corners of his attractive mouth.

“You were right,” he said, “girl-who’s-not-sure-if-she’s-fey-but-can-see-through-glamours.” He smiled as if he’d made a joke. “I am Dain.”

Tiki covered her mouth with her hands. Dain’s blond hair framed a face that was beguiling in its beauty—his aristocratic nose was centered between well-defined cheekbones and above a strong chin. He was so handsome he made her breath catch—but that wasn’t what she found so shocking. She knew now, why Dain had looked familiar. He was a blurry image of Rieker.

Chapter Twenty-Seven

“N
ow that you know—will you keep my secret?” For a second, the look on his face made Tiki’s heart twist. He seemed defenseless—almost unsure. Far from the usual mocking arrogance that seemed innate to Dain. “Very few know of my dual existence. Not even William knows me as Dain—he’s only met me when I’m glamoured as Sean.”

“But why?” Tiki asked.

Dain pushed himself out of the chair and moved to stand before the fire. His broad shoulders and slim hips were a striking contrast to Sean’s willowy frame. “I live in the UnSeelie Court as Sean. I’m known in the Seelie Court as Dain.”

“You’re a spy.”

Dain stood frozen for a long moment, staring into the flames. Finally he turned and ran his hand through his hair, a gesture so familiar Tiki caught her breath. “Yes, I am. We are at war. The bloodiest, deadliest war this world has seen in many a millennia. I’ll reveal myself eventually to William, but for his sake and mine, it’s best that he doesn’t know yet.”

In a swift, graceful movement, he squatted next to her chair and took her hand in his. There was a raw honesty in his face, almost as if it pained him to admit the truth. Tiki thought of their conversation about his lack of family and wondered if he had no one else in which to confide. The warmth of his fingers seeped through the skin of Tiki’s cold hand and she realized she didn’t want to let go. Could she trust him? Was there anyone she could trust?

“I won’t tell,” she whispered. “I promise.”

Dain gave a slow nod. “For my work in the UnSeelie court I need to be glamoured, but I get sick of the shadows—” his voice became tinged with disgust— “of the decay, the depravity.” He sighed and stared past Tiki into the distance. “Sometimes I escape while I’m in London—to get some fresh air.” He smiled. “I need to become myself again, if only for a short while.”

Tiki searched his face. “Why did you reveal yourself to William in London?”

Dain’s expression went blank. “It’s better I keep that information to myself for now.”

“Are you working with Larkin?” A sense of urgency filled Tiki, as if the answers were finally within reach. “Is that why you’re following us? What is she planning?”

Dain held her gaze for a long moment, before he stood up. “You should sleep,” he suggested. “You need some rest before we continue.” Against her will, Tiki’s eyes became so heavy her lids kept closing and finally she gave in and let the darkness take her.

HER DREAMS WERE terrible—Rieker was there, his beautiful face unquestionably real. She was so relieved he was safe. He was whispering that he loved her when suddenly his mouth twitched and he was laughing—laughing at her, that she’d been so foolish to believe him. Then Larkin was there laughing too, her lovely features next to Rieker’s like they were a couple. They melted into an image of Clara crying and Tiki jerked awake.

Sean stood on the other side of the small room, leaning against the stone wall, watching her. His lips were pressed into a thin line, pulling the puckered skin of his face. He looked angry.

“We need to keep moving. Once we leave the Wychwood it’s still a day’s ride into London.”

Tiki pushed herself out of the chair, stretching her stiffened muscles. From this distance she couldn’t see his eyes clearly and he seemed to be every inch Sean. Had she dreamed that he’d removed his glamour and revealed himself to be Dain? Unsettled, she turned away to warm her hands by the fire, but the grate was cold, only a few dead leaves resting on the cold bricks.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“Only a few hours, but we can’t delay any longer. Donegal’s men are searching for you. One has tracked us into the forest.” A look of regret creased his face. “I should have removed your skirt earlier. We left a trail.”

She cast a startled glance over her shoulder. “How do you know?”

“I did some reconnaissance while you slept. Are you ready?”

He had left her alone? Tiki tried not to react. She could take care of herself if she needed to. “Any sign of Riek—er..William?”

Dain pushed off the wall, stepping toward the door. “He’s probably in London, wondering where we are.” He pulled the door open and motioned for Tiki to exit. As she approached, the vines unraveled and she slid through the small opening unscathed. She ignored her pang of disappointment. He hadn’t seen Rieker. Had he escaped? A second thought came unbidden to her mind. Had Larkin?

The same shadows as before lingered in the forest. How could the UnSeelies stand to live constantly in this darkness? As they walked, Tiki noticed Sean now had a sword and other weapons strung from his belt as well as a quiver of arrows tied to his back, with a bow slung over one shoulder. She turned her head uneasily, searching her surroundings, then hurried to catch up with Sean’s long strides.

“If you won’t answer my questions about William and Larkin, the least you can do is tell me about you. You said you’re a spy in the UnSeelie court?”

Sean whipped around and before Tiki could blink his scarred face was next to hers, his fingers pressed tight against her mouth. His eyes were slits in his face and she could hear the anger in his voice. “Watch what you say, for these woods truly do have ears. Don’t say it again,” he whispered. “
Ever.”

Tiki nodded, her eyes wide. Sean stepped back and motioned for her to walk alongside him as the trail had widened. They walked in silence until Tiki heard the slow, steady sound of hoof beats echoing behind them. She turned and saw two young horses, heads bobbing as they plodded along, keeping pace with them.

“Sean,” she cried, tugging at his arm, “look, there are horses— do you think we could catch them?”

The faerie never slowed in his walking, nor did he look back. “Are they wet?”

“Wet?” Tiki repeated, peered over her shoulder again. “It looks like their manes are dripping. Why?”

“Kelpies. They’ll let you ride—right into the bog where they’ll drown you.”

Tiki swallowed a gasp and hurried to stay close to Sean, glancing once more over her shoulder at the horses, who looked perfectly normal to her.

“They’ll give up after awhile,” he said. “They won’t stray too far from the water.” Ten minutes later when Tiki looked again the horses were gone.

“Larkin said there were all sorts of fey in the Wychwood, is that true?”

“More than you can imagine and then some.” Sean’s expression was grim. “Did you notice those pictures on the ceiling of the Great Hall?” Images of those horrific scenes flashed before Tiki’s eyes. “All replicas of actual events.” His voice turned grim. “Donegal takes pride in his subjects.”

As if to prove his point, a sudden rustling came from the bushes and trees ahead. Sean jerked to a stop. He already held his bow in his hands, though pointed at the ground, an arrow cocked and ready to be released.

“Name yourself,” he called out.

The wind sighed through the trees, sounding like faraway whispers. Tiki stopped close to him and cocked her head to hear better, but the words were just beyond her ability to understand.

A gust blew through the branches and three women fluttered onto the trail. They stood abreast of each other, blocking the way. Their skin was weathered and brown, their leaf-like dresses revealing seductive bits of legs and arms and most of their bare chests. Long, soft hair trailed from their heads, like bits of moss, twisting in the breeze.

“We offer you shelter from the storm,” the first one said, opening her long arms to Sean.

“We offer you rest from your weary travels,” the second one said, cocking her leg in a seductive pose.

“We’ll take your companion in exchange for passage,” said the third, her long branch-like fingers pointing at Tiki.

In a languid movement, Sean drew two more arrows from his back and threaded them into his bow along with the first, though he didn’t raise the weapon. His voice was calm as he responded.

“Though a tempting offer, ladies, we must decline. We need to continue on our way.”

“The restless wind brings us messages from distant forests,” the first one said, taking a step closer.

The second ran her fingers over her dark breasts, an inviting look on her face. She held her hand out for Sean to take. “We hear whispers of one who was meant to die at the hand of our sister but was raised instead by dark magic. Come to me and I will tell you more.” The wind gusted and she floated closer.

The third one continued to glare in a threatening way, her eyes like dark knotholes in her rough and woody face. “For that—” her malevolent gaze was locked on Tiki with a hungry look— “we are owed a replacement.”

“I already know of the
liche
,” Sean said in a conversational tone. “That your sister, Ash, missed his heart and could not kill the creature is no concern of mine.” He raised the bow ever so slightly. “Nor is the act of raising the undead. Unless you offer me a way to stop him, then I must once again decline your fine offers and continue on our way.”

The women’s expressions grew dark and their arms began to wave, like branches being blown in a storm. “How dare you speak to us with such insolence,” the third one rasped. “We are the heart of the forest—you shall do our bidding.”

Tiki took a step behind Sean. Could they outrun these woodland creatures? In what looked like slow motion, Sean raised his bow but to Tiki’s surprise, he pointed the arrows away from the women, towards the forest.

He raised his voice to be heard over the blustery wind and thrashing of nearby branches. “I spy a thorny plum, an oak and an elder tree—should I bury my arrows in their trunks to buy the answer and our passage?”

Shrieks of horror split the air that had suddenly become a whirlwind of dead leaves and twigs.

“How dare you?” screamed the second woman.

“There is only one way to kill the
liche
now—you must burn his body on a branch of Ash,” the first whispered.

“Wicked UnSeelie fey.” The third woman growled in a guttural voice. “Be gone from our sight.” In a fierce gust of wind the three women were swept up and blown back into the forest, disappearing into the trees.

Sean lowered his bow, though he did not un-notch his arrows and motioned for Tiki to walk forward. She dashed down the trail, eager to be away from this haunted place.

“Who were they?”

“Tree Dryads,” Sean said, catching up with her. “I spotted their trunks before they tried to stop us. On their own, they’re shy, but the thorny plum, oak and elder together can be a deadly combination. We were lucky today.”

“They knew of the
liche
that Donegal has raised.”

“Yes. The entire forest is aware of the
liche
.” Sean adjusted his quiver on his back and walked with his bow gripped in his hand. He scanned the area around them as they walked. “He is as feared here as he is there.”

“He’s the creature who attacked Prince Leopold? The creature that Donegal has sent to London to kill the Queen?” Sean turned at a fork in the trail. Tiki glanced down the other path, but the trees and underbrush looked identical to the path they’d chosen.

“The
liche
hunts in either world,” Sean said in a grim voice. “Kings and queens, mortal or fey. He’s not selective with his prey, though legend has it he prefers young humans. Opportunity is his master.”

Tiki gulped. An assassin who killed in both worlds? “Does he have a name?”

“His name was Sionnach when he murdered the Seelie King. Translated to English, I believe he would be known as Mr. Fox.” Sean moved in front of her on the trail, his head swiveling to survey the trees up ahead. “That was a helpful bit of knowledge the one shared today: burn the
liche’s
body on a branch of Ash. We’d best keep out eyes peeled for an Ash tree.”