Chapter 4

4

T he vaults were dark, dreary, and creepy as hell. I'd been given a tiny headlamp and one instruction. Make it through the maze of tunnels and reach the exit two hundred metres to the east. Easy peasy. No big deal.

I cast a glance over my shoulder at the cluster of fae watching me. Saoirse looked alarmed. The two ginger warriors looked smug. And Lugh? His expression screamed boredom. Not for the first time, I asked myself why I hadn't just stabbed him with my sword when I'd had the chance.

He saw me watching him, and his voice dripped with derision. "Last chance to back out. If you don't have the courage, speak up now."

I prickled at his words. This male was such a tosser. How he'd managed to worm his way into being the Master of a House was beyond me, let alone been given the title of King .

"Oh, I'm not bloody backing down now," I shot back. "Tell me though, Lugh, you ever fought dozens of Sluagh yourself?"

Saoirse shifted on her feet uncomfortably, and the warriors settled their hands on the hilts of their swords. But the bored expression on Lugh's face never wavered.

"Doubting your future king's abilities?"

"Well, I don't know much about you, do I?" I shrugged. "Maybe you're skilled in something like gardening, and you've never seen combat yourself."

His eyes flickered. "What a unique skill you've chosen to point out. I know there is a fae in the Morrigan's court who has a way with plant life. But there would be no way for you to know that, would there?"

Our gazes locked. Was he trying to imply something? Was he suspicious of my motives? If he was, why would he give me the chance to join his Court of Wraiths?

"Like I said. I did my research."

He stepped closer, ducking his head beneath the low stone doorway that led into the vaults. As he came closer, so did his magic. It wrapped around me like a too-tight hug, squeezing the air out of my lungs. "Yes, I can see that you are a fae who likes to be prepared. Is that why you're stalling now?"

"I'm not stalling," I hissed at him. "I just want to know who you are."

He dropped his face closer to mine and growled into my ear. "I am Lugh, King of the Court of Wraiths. And if you wish to become my subject, you must learn when to stop questioning me."

He stepped back, sucking all his body heat along with him. A part of me ached to pull him back. Just so I could punch him in the eye.

"Enough." Lugh ducked out of the vaults and flicked his fingers at the two warriors. They moved forward, grabbing the heavy wooden door and slamming it in my face. Heart beating, I stood there for a moment staring at it. Even though I'd known it was coming, I still didn't feel prepared. They'd shut me in with the Sluagh.

My hands clenched, and I turned to face the long stretch of corridor before me. The headlamp flickered, threatening to plunge me into darkness. I tapped it. The beam of light stayed strong. Blowing out a hot breath, I began to inch my way forward.

Lugh had explained that there would be several forks in the vaults. I was always to take the right, no matter what. So, when I came to the first bend and two tunnels stretched out on either side, I went right.

My feet splashed into deep puddles of water. Grime ran down the crumbling stone walls. The stench of mildew and rot swirled through the corridors, and I had to swallow down the need to gag.

Why the hell had Lugh made me do this? Hell, the entire court had chosen it. They'd seemed eager to see me sweat, almost like they were a Court of Wankers more than anything else. I had only been alive long enough to remember the mortal realm, this realm. But I'd heard stories of a time before this, when our kind held court in a different realm. The fae realm.

Back then, we'd been cruel. We'd been wicked. We'd been harsh.

The fae in this castle seemed to be remnants of that time. Especially Lugh. The bastard.

I came to another fork, and took the right again. My breath misted before me as I crept forward even more. This wasn't so bad. So far, I hadn't seen a single bloody Sluagh. Maybe they'd moved on from these vaults and found some other underground hellhole to stalk.

But just as my relief started to build, a strange scuttling noise whispered through the darkness. I paused, breath held. Flicking my ears toward the sound, I listened again. More scuttling, along with the hiss of papery breathing.

Terror speared my heart. That noise was unmistakable. The Sluagh were up ahead.

Maybe there was another way to tackle this Lugh problem. Maybe I could get the information we needed through a different kind of mission. I didn't need to risk my life to prove to Lugh that I was worthy of his acceptance. I could turn around right now and get the hell out of here.

But how would I take him down? He had clearly holed up in the castle. All of his secrets lay within. He'd made me sign a blood contract, for fuck's sake. If he went to those kind of lengths to protect himself, I'd never be able to get close to him without being a member of his court.

I sucked a deep breath in through my nose and steeled my nerves. I was Moira Talmhach, and I was a bloody good warrior. These Sluagh wouldn't stand a chance against me.

I inched forward, step after slow step. The Sluagh didn't have hearing as good as mine, so they likely didn't know I was down here with them yet. I wanted to keep it that way for as long as possible. The element of surprise was one of the only tricks I had in my bag, especially when I had no idea how many of them there were.

Lugh had mentioned dozens, if I were lucky. These vaults were the perfect playground for the walking dead. They were dark, musty, and full of rats. No sunlight could get to them here, and Sluagh tended to disintegrate when rays of sun touched their skin.

On that note...I flicked off the headlamp, and the world turned pitch black. No need to advertise I was here. Steadying my breathing, I focused my fae power on my sight. The world became a bit brighter but only just.

A Sluagh rounded the corner. It hissed, and I stumbled back. Even in the darkness, my enhanced sight gave me a full view of the creature. The skeletal frame hobbled toward me on feet that were half-covered in rotting flesh. It stank of disease, like a pile of excrement dipped in a vat of stagnant water. It reached out toward me and screamed, mouth open wide to reveal of pit of darkness inside.

Swallowing hard, I held up my sword before me. My heart ricocheted through my chest. My palms were slick with sweat. It had been a long-ass time since I'd seen one of these things, but the terror it brought was all the same.

It lurched toward me, and I whirled to the right. My side slammed into the slick wall, and pain radiated from the bruised skin. Gritting my teeth, I pushed off the wall and charged.

Magic swirled through my veins as I tightened my grip on the sword. My body became one with the steel; the feel of it hummed beneath my hands. Grinning, I stared down the Sluagh. It had slowed to a stop as my magic coursed through my body like an electric charge.

Before the creature could turn and run, I rushed forward. My sword arced through the air, and then made contact.

The Sluagh's rotting head fell to my feet.

One down. How many more to go? There was no telling.

After wiping my sword against my jeans—I refused to fight with the Sluagh's blackish blood on my weapon—I came to another damn fork in the path. How many tunnels did these vaults have? It was a fucking maze down here .

Just as I turned toward the right once again, my ears flicked. They caught some distant sound, coming from the left. Frowning, I paused. Somewhere, down the left path, the clanging of steel echoed.

Instinctively, I took a step toward it.

What the hell was going on? Had Lugh sent another recruit down here to complete the same damn trial as me?

The guy was a sociopathic jackass, but that didn't make much sense.

Another Sluagh lurched out of the tunnel to my right. Just in time, I swung my sword up to block the weapon it held in its hand. The steel of the creature's blade sang as it met mine. My heart thumped as I took a step back. That was a fae weapon. A gleaming sword that rippled with the magic coursing through its hilt.

Before the Sluagh could swing again and hit me with whatever magic lay within, I stabbed it right in the gut. Black blood oozed onto my blade as the creature fell into a bony heap.

The distant clang of steel met my ears again. Frowning, I took a step down the left path. A muffled grunt echoed toward me, and a strange scent filled my nose. Fire and something like pine cones, drifting along the musty wind. I cocked my head. Someone else was down here, alright, but who?

A loud screech shot through the darkness. I whirled on my feet to find five Sluagh now bearing down on me. They must have heard me fighting the others. And every single one of them had blades.

Gritting my teeth, I slashed at the first. It fell to the ground within seconds. I ducked low as the next rushed toward me, its vacant eyes staring right into my soul. They continued on. And I kept fighting. One after another, I sliced. Up ahead, in the distance, the tunnel on the right speared with light. I could see the doorway. I'd finally made it.

There were just ten bloody Sluagh in the way of safety.

I slowed to a stop, chest heaving. As I'd fought, I'd somehow made it into a domed room. Black blood caked the walls. Grime seeped into my boots. The exit door out of this hell sat on the opposite wall, light seeping through the cracks.

The Sluagh stared me down. Their mouths were opened wide, their clawed, bony fingers clutching tight to various blades. Some held daggers, carved in elaborate designs. Others held up swords, rippling with magic and danger.

I sucked in a deep breath and focused. More than ever, I needed my gift. Curling my hand tight around the golden hilt of my sword, I let my eyes drop shut, just for a moment. The steel sang to me, a brilliant sound that lit up every vein in my body. Adrenaline surged through me. Electricity shot through my core .

I opened my eyes. The Sluagh were coming for me. But I was ready.

I slashed through the first, and then the next. My body became a whirlwind, spinning so fast that I didn't even know the moves I made. I trusted in my gift, my magic. It would carry me through, even if nothing else could. I didn't think. I didn't even breathe.

All I did was fight.

Soon, all the Sluagh were dead. Chest heaving, I sucked in a deep lungful of blood-soaked air. I wiped the gunk off my blade and shoved it into the sheath around my waist. Up ahead, the exit door practically glowed like a beacon. I'd taken on this damn trial. And I'd won.

I tried not to look at the ground as I toed my way through the bloody pile of bodies. Some were merely crumpled heaps of bones. But some were far more than that. I didn't want to look into the eye of anyone who looked even remotely like the humans they'd once been.

When I reached the door, I let out a relieved sigh. This whole thing had sucked some serious ass, but it could have been a lot worse. I hadn't died, for one. And I hadn't lost a limb. A few scratches and bruises were nothing compared to what could have been.

I reached for the door and screamed. A fleshy hand had wrapped itself around my ankle, squeezing so tight I swore my bone would pop. It yanked with a terrifying strength, pulling me to the ground. I fell hard and my teeth slammed together.

It took a second for me to get my bearings.

A second too long. The Sluagh scrabbled on top of me and pinned me down on the stone. I writhed, twisting and turning and trying to knock the thing off. It stank of rot, and I gagged.

As I threw my weight upward at the Sluagh, it barely budged. This creature was strong. Too strong. The only way I was going to get out of this was with my sword. Gritting my teeth, I twisted my arm toward my sheath, but the scrabbling Sluagh made it impossible for me to do anything but claw at the dirt.

I stared up at its hollow eyes. There couldn't be much intelligence in there. Time to try a different option.

I reached up and grabbed the back of its head. Sucking in a deep breath, I slammed my forehead against the Sluagh's. Pain licked through my face, but I'd achieved my mission. The Sluagh stilled, swaying back and forth like a lifeless doll.

I grabbed the Sluagh and flipped over, straddling its gruesome form. Now there was nothing standing between me and my sword. I reached for it, but another bony hand closed around my skin. Another Sluagh had appeared. It wrenched me away from the one I'd trapped and threw me toward the wall with a frightening force.

I hit the wall hard. My head smacked against the stone. I fell into a heap, legs twisting beneath me. Several more Sluagh stormed into the vaults. And they were heading right for me.

The one who had thrown me jumped on top of my reeling body and pinned me to the ground. Another joined it. And then another. Soon, I was stuck, and bony hands wrapped around my throat.

I thrashed and thrashed but it was no use. I couldn't move. I definitely couldn't breathe. I choked against their fingers, gasping for air. Darkness crept into the corners of my vision, threatening to pull me under. Tears stung my eyes.

I was going to die here. Down in the filth. All alone. The way I'd always feared I would go. Pinned down, trapped, with no one but me.

My consciousness slipped away until all I could see was the rage-filled face of the Sluagh who was killing me. And then the silver-tipped spear that sliced through its skull.

C oughing, I rolled over and cracked open my eyes. My throat was on fire. It felt like a million tiny daggers had raked down my oesophagus. I lifted my hand to my skin and felt the indention of fingers. Memories suddenly flooded my mind. The Sluagh choking me. The spear that had slammed into its head.

I was on my unsteady feet within seconds. My hands found my sword. I raised it before me. The half dozen Sluagh who had pinned me to the ground now lay dead all around my feet.

My heart thumped hard as I glanced around me. What the hell had happened? Where had that spear disappeared to? And where the hell had it come from?

Gingerly, I stepped over the bodies, still glancing from one mottled face to the next. Not a single one of these Sluagh had a spear sticking through its skull. Someone had been down here. They had killed the Sluagh. And then they'd fled.

But who ?

I didn't have time to dwell on it because another scuttling sound shot out of the darkness.

"Don't bloody tell me there's another one of these things," I muttered out loud.

And sure enough, there came another Sluagh, creeping along like a wraith in the night. I held up my sword and narrowed my eyes.

"Yeah, I don't think so, mate. I am so done with this damn trial. You come near me, and your head will be on that floor with the rest of the dead."

Unfortunately for the creature, it took no heed of my warning. It still wanted to eat me. So, as soon as it stepped foot within the swing of my sword, I whirled. Steel met flesh, and it fell. The head thumped with a sickening crunch.

In the distance, the rush of scuttling Sluagh feet answered .

"Yeah, no. Fuck this." I shook my head. "That is it. "

Maybe my Spear Friend was still out there, watching and waiting, but I wasn't going to stick around to find out. Plus, I could save myself, thank you very much. All I had to do was open that damn door.

With my sword still clutched in my hands, I booked it across the room. I grabbed the handle and ripped open the door. Four pairs of eyes peered down from above. The door opened into a brick wall, with a platform all the way up to my eye level.

I cast a glance over my shoulder as the rush of scuttling feet grew louder.

"I see you're alive...just barely." Lugh's voice was as apathetic as ever. "Why have you opened the door? It sounds like there are several more Sluagh down there who are eager to fight you."

Narrowing my eyes, I sheathed my sword and reached for the platform edge. "You said my task was to get through this hellhole of a maze without dying. Well, I've made it. I refuse to stay down here for even a second longer."

Surprisingly, he didn't argue. He took my hand in his and pulled me out of the vaults. I hated how strong and steady he felt, and I especially hated how relieved I was to see him.

"You look like shite," he said with a grin as he pulled me out of the vaults just in time. He slammed the door shut behind me, trapping the Sluagh inside.

I glared at him.

His voice was smooth, like syrup. "Welcome to the Court of Wraiths."