25. Tahlia

Chapter 25

Tahlia

T he urge to follow the madman's command was like a terrible itch under Tahlia's skin. She set her jaw, refusing the crown's demand, pushing it away like her thoughts were giant palms in sand made of magic. I am Tahlia. I will not go down like this. I refuse anyone else's will being imposed on me. I have my own mind and I will use it. She chanted that inside her head. The magic shivered over her, but its influence weakened. She released her finger and glared at Durniad.

With a shout of pent-up rage, Marius launched himself at Durniad. He drove a fist into his throat. The crown went flying and freed Tahlia's body. She spun and hit the nearest guard with an elbow to the temple. Drawing her dagger, she watched Marius snag one of his blades from the floor in a blur of incredible speed. They cut the guards down, but Durniad rose behind them. He went for the crown that had skidded across the floor. He placed it on himself.

"Guards!" he called over the labyrinth. "Kill my enemies!"

A rush of boots sounded at the beginning of the labyrinth and soon guards were pouring into the walled space. Their eyes were glazed and their movements frantic as they came with swords, fists, and even objects that were never meant to serve as weapons—a set of manacles, what appeared to be a hair comb from one man's pocket, and a scroll one fellow brandished like a knife.

The guard who had helped Tahlia and Marius earlier swung a book at Tahlia. She ducked, set her head on the woman's hip, and grabbed the backs of the woman's knees. The guard went down with a grunt.

They couldn't maintain this level of fighting. The walls beckoned.

Tahlia kicked a man's stomach, throwing him back. She jumped off the back of a staggering, mostly collapsed guard whom Marius had hit and leapt onto the top of the labyrinth's walls.

"Up here!" she called down to Marius.

He bent his knees and jumped up beside her, and then they were running, dodging arrows, and leaping over sloppily tossed daggers.

The doorway into the chamber was empty. All the occupants within hearing range of the crown's influence must have already entered the labyrinth.

"What's our plan?" Tahlia asked as they jumped down and fled the chamber.

"Run like those cakes you love are at the end!"

Tahlia cackled as they swept up the stairs and ran out the side door of the fortress. There weren't any guards anywhere. The larger street they came out on was still flowing red with tomatoes, and people were dancing and playing pipes and lutes everywhere. Mugs were lifted and toasts shouted as Tahlia and Marius wove through the mess of humanity.

"We Fae should take a page from their books," Tahlia said loudly as they came to a meat pie cart that had been overturned in the ruckus.

Marius grabbed her wrist and turned them down an alleyway that headed roughly toward the city gates.

"I'm serious," she said, glancing at his scowling face. "They aren't worried about appearances. Only fun, fun, and more fun. Our kind could use some more of that."

She didn't feel odd saying our kind because she had been raised in the Realm of Lights as a Fae and had always considered herself Fae even though she was half. But looking around at the humans, she realized this was what she'd been missing. This pure and simple embracing of joy. This was part of what it meant to have human blood.

"Less talking. More running, Tahlia."

A now familiar voice carried on the wind, the words strung out as if shouted from afar.

"People of Midhampton, stop the white-haired Fae male and small half-Fae female if you see them. Use whatever means necessary to bring them alive to me."

The command held no spark of magic that Tahlia could feel, but that was likely only because Durniad hadn't directed the order at her. Or was it because she had fought the magic earlier and managed to break its hold?

"How does he know you are full Fae and I'm half?" she asked.

"I moved easily against him," Marius said. "Your movements were clearly hindered. I'm thinking he is simply very good at making judgment calls."

Marius led her to the edge of the main street with Bodwin Bridge in the near distance. The entire mass of humans dropped their hands to their sides and their smiles fell into flat looks of magical obedience.

They started toward Tahlia and Marius.

"Well, this is just fantastic. What's our new plan? Because running for cakes seems a tiny bit completely impossible at the moment."

They backed up as three men and a woman neared them, one with a pipe extended like a blade and the other two with hands outstretched.

Grimacing, Tahlia moved back another step and glanced over her shoulder, probably to check for more humans approaching. Thankfully, that side was clear.

"This would honestly be hilarious if they weren't trying to beat us up and hand us to an all-powerful madman," she whispered.

Marius grunted, his gaze darting to the buildings surrounding them. "Let's climb."

"Don't have to tell me twice." Tahlia grabbed the closest downspout and began scrambling up the side of a tailor's shop.

Using his full Fae strength and agility, Marius jumped onto a low balcony, then reached up to swing onto a second balcony above that one. Soon, they were both on the roof, looking down at the nightmare this day had become.

The people of the city lifted their heads as one to watch Marius and Tahlia. Durniad stood on one of the many temporary wooden stages the city had erected for the festival. The crown shimmered on his brow and he lifted a bronze speaking tube to his lips.

"Climb, you idiots!" Durniad shouted. "Shoot arrows at them if you can. Just don't kill them. Not yet!"

"Can they do that? I mean, with half-human blood, I can't do what you did on those balconies. They are fully human; surely they can't scale this…"

Her words faded from her tongue as a slender brown-haired human man began to climb the building next to the one they were on. He used the jutting spots of plaster and planks of wood support to rise higher and higher. Slowly but surely, more followed the man. They would be overrun in a matter of minutes.

"Marius. Listen. I broke the crown's hold on my mind by reminding myself who I was. I pushed the urge to obey the crown away. Maybe I can help everyone do that too?"

"They're human. You have Fae blood. You were able to do that because of your Fae blood."

"I don't think so. I think it was my human blood fighting something that threatened its freedom. Humans enjoy doing exactly what they want to do."

"And Fae don't?"

"Fae are more instinctive. Don't you agree?"

Marius tipped his head to one side and shrugged. The movement meant he saw her point but didn't love it.

"I'm going to talk to them." She stepped even closer to the front edge of the building.

Marius was right beside her. "They will be here in a moment. We must figure out a way across to the building behind us. Just there. Then perhaps we can find a way to the city wall and down."

"And maybe I'll sprout wings. Come on, Marius. We are completely toasted here. No chance unless I make this work."

"Tahlia."

Tahlia paused, the tone in his voice tugging at her heart. "What's really wrong? You're acting off." She spoke quickly. They were about to be overrun with attackers, so there really wasn't time for this, but… "Something is bothering you. I mean, aside from all this." Waving her hand around, she indicated their current situation.

"You don't realize how simultaneously weak and evil humans are."

That actually hurt a bit. "I think I do. I am half one of them."

He shook his head like there was a bee in his ear. "You're not truly, though. When they killed Bellona…" His throat moved and his eyes shuttered briefly.

Her chest went tight and she gripped his forearm. "Oh." She finally understood what he'd been dealing with during this mission. "Marius, you know, deep down, that the humans are good and bad and everything in between. Just as the Fae are. We are all faulty and kind and cruel and beautiful. We are all complicated creatures."

He exhaled roughly, his gaze going to the ledge. "We can talk more when we aren't in mortal danger."

"Agreed." Not waiting for him to say more, she lifted her arms. "Hello, humans! I am half-human and I've enjoyed watching you embrace life in all its messy glory. Break the hold Durniad has on you by reminding yourself that you are you and you have the freedom to do exactly as you see fit. Find your center. Imagine pushing Durniad's magical influence away from you."

A few here and there blinked and frowned as if they were hearing her, but not quite understanding. She repeated her words.

"No tyrant will control us! No tyrant will control us!" She shouted the phrase again and again and soon the festival-drunk crowd was echoing her, joining in on the chant, their faces clearing of enchantment and showing anger as they turned to face Durniad.

Marius stood beside Tahlia, his mouth parted in shock.

Tahlia squeezed his hand. "They are not the villains here. They are victims."

Nodding, Marius stared and stared.

Durniad shouted at his guards.

Tahlia squinted at a shape some guards appeared to be pulling from a space between two buildings. "What is that?"

Carted on two large wheels, the contraption had wooden arms and a complicated system of ropes.

"I'm not sure, but that is definitely a giant crossbow bolt," Marius said.

"Aw, is that for us? Durniad, the gift giver."

"I doubt it's for us, actually." Marius turned and looked into the cloudy sky.

As Tahlia lifted her face, a thrilling blend of hope and fear shot through her veins.