47. Veyka

"Where is she?" I demanded as my feet pounded down the last few steps to the stone landing.

A stupid question. Percival had already said she was missing. But I was not thinking. Not about the words coming out of my mouth, at least.

I had brought her here.

If it were not for me, Isolde would still be safe in the faerie caves. She'd followed me to Avalon out of an ancient loyalty that I did not deserve.

My fault.

Lyrena was already striding my direction, the door to Isolde's room hanging half-open behind her. "I knocked on her door on the way down to the kitchens to see if she needed to eat."

Our suite of rooms was full. Elayne had given Isolde the next best thing, a room on the floor directly below ours.

"She could be somewhere else in the castle, exploring." Cyara said from behind me. Her voice was calm, but I heard the telltale rustling of her wings. We both knew that Lyrena would not raise the alarm if that were a possibility.

Lyrena pressed herself to the wall as I hurtled past, flinging the door open the rest of the way. My eyes took in the scene in a second. Cyara arrived at my shoulder, and I knew hers did the same.

There was the tray of food that Percival must have set down before running for us. The surge of gratitude I felt for the human was eclipsed by the rest of the scene. A chair flat on its back, one leg broken off entirely. Curtains in shreds—what had done that? Isolde's claws?

I inhaled deeply, instinctively searching for some clue. No coppery tang of blood met my nostrils, but something else did. Something earthy. Terrestrial.

"Cyara, stay here in case she comes back."

I did not have to order Lyrena to my side. She was already there, a half step behind my left shoulder.

"There were terrestrials in there," I said, hitting the stairs again. I tried to follow the scent, but even with my sharp senses it was too difficult. This was a terrestrial castle, everything blended together. "Where would they take her?"

"The towers are all occupied by the family," Lyrena answered. She'd explored the castle extensively as soon as we arrived—part of her goldstone training, to assess all potential threats. "Dungeons monitored by Elayne and Pant's guards. I doubt they would have taken her there."

"Why would they have taken her at all?" My voice was deceptively calm. I could feel the void pulling at my senses, my fingertips tingling. But I did not know where to go to find her. Right now, it was smarter to stay where I was, to walk these halls and courtyards looking for any clues to where my friend had been taken.

Isolde wasn't defenseless, precisely. Her tiny fingers were tipped with sharp claws, and we'd all seen the white flame she could summon. But she was not a warrior. She was a Faerie of the Fen—an Ancestors-damned legend. One I'd sworn myself to protect, if only within the silence of my own mind.

"Because the terrestrial bastards think they can take whatever they want," Lyrena growled behind me. The viciousness of it almost made me stumble.

She'd never shown any sign of distrust towards the terrestrials here or in Baylaur, beyond what was reasonable for strangers. If she held some personal prejudices, I'd never seen them. But the ire in her voice mirrored the rage in my soul—one of our own had been taken.

We hit the training courtyard. The cold air and wind whipping against my face did nothing to calm the blaze within me.

"Where?" I demanded again.

Lyrena's hand was tight around the hilt of her sword, knuckles bright white against her golden skin. Precious seconds passed as she considered, and I knew she counted every one of them. "There are old passageways in the walls around the outer ward. Most of the entrances are sealed. But it is more likely than taking her to someone's private chambers."

Because there would be no one to hear her cries for help.

I traded the rapier I'd grabbed for a dagger instead. It would be better for fighting in close quarters. "You start in the northwest corner. I will go to the southeast."

Lyrena did not wait for more. She was already running. But I knew she heard me when I said, "Show them no mercy."

I forced myself to stay on this plane. The void was faster, but I might miss something. Every step between me and the entrance Lyrena had pointed out felt like it lasted a lifetime. But I focused on the details—tried to catch a scent of burning embers on the wind or the crunch of brutality.

Nothing.

This was my fault.

I should have arranged for Isolde to stay with us, even if it had meant close quarters. We'd shared worse while camping and traveling. But like a stupid fool, I had believed we were safe here. Even after I'd found the threat carved into the staircase that led to our suite.

The entry to the passageways was partially walled off by a half-caved in stone wall that otherwise could have been mistaken for an accident. But there were tool marks, the scrapes faint but visible, where someone had used a metal blade to pry apart stones and enlarge the opening.

I'd reward Lyrena for her cleverness later.

I shimmied through the opening, slower that I wanted at the price of silence. Whoever had taken Isolde, they would not hear me coming.

It was dark, the only light seeping in from the opening I'd climbed through. Once I turned the corner that marked the southeast tower, even that would fade to nothing. But I knew the darkness like I knew my own soul.

I cleared the corner, no sounds from ahead or behind. I kept going, knowing that Lyrena would eventually sweep behind me.

Each step was a moment lost, and there were too many steps. The passageway curved with the edge of the island. The next turn was more of a slope, but there was still a tower. A larger opening that would mean more space for—

No. I did not let myself consider what torment they'd wreak on Isolde.

My ears captured their voices a half-breath before the faint flickering of light reached my eyes.

Males and females, hushed but excited.

I stepped around a pile of debris.

One, two, three separate voices.

I slowed my pace, inching around the curve with by back pressed into the stone wall. The shadows would not hide me for long, especially in these close confines. But they were distracted. There was a thud—were they jumping?

My breathing so shallow it was imperceptible, I was finally able to see why.

They were indeed in the base of the tower, a slight male with dark hair, a larger one who was turned away, and a female I'd definitely seen during the feasts in the great hall but could not place otherwise.

Isolde was above them—out of reach. Thank the Ancestors.

The ache in my heart eased slightly.

Somehow, she'd managed to get free and climb up where they could not reach her, using her size and those sharp claws to her advantage. Those claws were embedded in the wooden supports for the floor above. But the terrestrials were dragging over stones. No airborne shifters among them, then. Or none whose wingspans would fit in the tight space.

I tugged the other dagger from the scabbard at my waist, muscles poised to move. Then another terrestrial stepped into the light.

"Quite a little morsel you've found yourselves," Barkke said laconically. My heart beat out the question—friend or foe? His mace was in his belt, but he made no move to reach for it.

The smaller of the two males turned, baring his teeth at the much larger male. "She's ours. Find your own elemental to taste."

Barkke was, understandably, unimpressed. He was twice the other male's size. "Did your mother never tell you bedtime tales about the Faeries of the Fen? She's no elemental."

"She has fire," the bigger one said. He was the one climbing atop the stones, trying to reach Isolde. Who, for her part, was not quivering at bit. No, she was spitting like a cat up there in the rafters, brandishing her claws.

"There will be repercussions for this," Barkke said, flicking his emerald gaze up to Isolde. But it did not quite sound like a warning. More like advice—like he was telling his fellow terrestrials to do what they must, but be prepared for the consequences.

Barkke would be harder to kill. And I might even regret it, because he was a friend of Arran's. But I could not suffer a powerful warrior like him to live.

The big male jumped, nearly reaching Isolde's foot. She tugged it up, white eyes darting around for a way out. I saw her realize what I already had—she'd gotten away, but only temporarily. Eventually, they would reach her, and she was backed into a corner.

"I have heard the tales," the female terrestrial said, her voice dripping with poison. "Her kind are little more than animals."

Above them, Isolde hissed.

I had known, but I'd let myself forget. As I'd become close to Arran, accepted Gwen as my Goldstone, became friends with Osheen and adored Maisri, I'd forgotten the truth. The terrestrials hated us. We hated them.

And without Arran standing at my side, unified and strong and in command, they saw me as no more than an elemental interloper. And Isolde, by extension, as prey.

A stupid, stupid mistake.

But not as big as theirs.

My fingers twitched around my dagger, eager to be coated with their blood. But before I could move, Barkke did. The crunch of the spiked flanges of his mace against the male's skull reverberated against the walls. Another swing, and the male's head was on the ground.

I did not give the traitors a second to retaliate.

If Barkke was surprised by my sudden appearance, he did not show it. He did not even pause his next swing as he said, "Welcome to the fray, Majesty."

My reply was the spurt of terrestrial blood as I slashed my dagger over the female's throat.

Lyrena was there a few heartbeats later, drawn by the commotion. But there were no terrestrials left to fell. She took quick stock of the situation, the bodies on the ground, and climbed upon the pile of rocks to help Isolde down.

"Hissing like an animal was a nice touch," Barkke complimented with vague amusement when the white faerie was on solid ground once more.

She hissed again through her pointed teeth. "They did not deserve my regard."

I choked back an unhinged laugh and crouched down so I could speak directly to her. "Are you all right?"

Her white skin was unmarred, her braids wild but intact. If she'd had any wounds, she'd already healed them herself.

"They wanted to draw out their fun. Hurting me too soon would have spoiled it." Isolde inclined her head, white eyes glistening in the torchlight. "Thank you for coming for me, Majesty."

I reached for her hand, undeterred by the sharp claws, and held it tight. The dark centers of her pupils expanded in surprise, but she did not pull away. I held her hand while I counted the pulsing beats of her heart, letting my frayed nerves realize that she truly was all right.

When I straightened, my heartbeat had slowed to calm again. But the rage within me was hot. I kicked aside the terrestrials to make room for us to walk out.

Maybe I should have shown mercy. Left them injured but alive. Killing them like this was going to elicit a reaction, and I doubted it would be positive. But the terrestrials owed me their allegiance—and I would punish any who withheld it.

Arran would have known—who to kill, who to leave alive, how to spin it as an act of strength rather than wrath. But I was doing this alone, now.

Lyrena led Isolde back toward the exit. I inclined my head to Barkke. He lifted his fist and placed it over his heart—a sign of respect between terrestrial warriors. Arran had described it to me. Even in these small moments, I could not separate myself from my mate.

I lifted my own fist to my heart.

It beat harder in my chest.

Isolde and Lyrena's footsteps fell away. I waited until they were fully gone to give my order. "Spike their heads to the battlements and dump their bodies in the lake. No funeral services. No blessings from the priestess."

Barkke did not question his queen. "It shall be done."

A few minutes later, I followed Isolde and Lyrena back into the tower rooms. Isolde was on the bed with Cyara. From the look on the latter's face, I knew Lyrena had already related the events of the last few minutes.

Lyrena straightened when I entered, and I addressed my first order to her. "I am done wasting time. We are leaving for the amorite mines today." I turned to Cyara, one arm still tight around Isolde's shoulders. "Keep her close."

My friend nodded, her turquoise eyes solemn. I waited another half second as she turned her attention back to Isolde, who was still muttering curses under her breath.

I would not wait around another moment while those I cared for were in danger. Not when I could feel the enemies, from this realm and others, circling us ever closer.