Chapter 34

T he ball ended at the stroke of midnight, but many had left well before then, not wanting to be caught up in a tussle between the two teams. Cole's stabbing of Ashe had been the gossip of the ball, and all supposed that Ashe would have to retaliate soon, out of honour and shame.

The ball may have been off limits for violence, but all that ended when the clock struck twelve. When the teams vanished early from the hall, the fae became even more wild and raucous, the simple rebellion of school children whose teachers had left the classroom. Fae from the different kingdoms were engaged in passionate clinches all over the hall, and the dancing was lascivious and wanton. Clothing lay discarded on the floor trampled by uncaring feet, and everywhere Ember turned, fae were kissing, groping, touching, and enjoying each other.

The wine had caused several to pass out cold, and there were arguments too, and physical fights. A fae from the Stones beat a fae from the Seeds into a bloody mess before throwing him high over the ice wall into the tree. His shrieks as the fire consumed him were horrible, but the dancing didn't slow, and the rulers of the Stones and Seeds just shrugged and snapped their fingers for more wine.

Ember left the hall after that, shaky from watching the fae burn, a strange memory of meat sizzling on a black street nudging at her mind.

She showered when she returned to her room, cleansing herself of gold dust, spilled wine, and perspiration, and then slipped between cool sheets with a sigh.

"Sleep well," Mira said as she left. "The Winged Eagles take flight tomorrow."

"Already?"

"The Adjudicator has decided. We leave early. The game will take hours."

The second game and the Adjudicator had allowed hardly any time for Ashe to recover from his wound. Did that mean then, that he was secretly on Cole's side?

Ember fell asleep quickly, tired from the day, but her dreams were twisted and strange. Broude mounted on a stallion of fire, scooping her up as he galloped past. As she struggled to get free, he let her drop, down, down, down through the clouds, down into a pit of fire… she woke with a cry, covered with a light sheen of sweat, her hands twisted in the sheets.

Sleep was elusive and her stomach felt queasy after all the wine from the night before, and so she lay staring at the ceiling, a myriad of images marching through her head: the pendant, the tree, Lily exploding into dust, the mirror that showed her home - the mirror, if what Ashe had said so long ago was correct, that had first shown her to Cole. She lay, thinking and thinking, and then it was morning, and Mira came in with a breakfast tray and a medicated draught to settle her hangover.

A short time later, the guards escorted her to a gilded carriage pulled by two midnight black horses. Mira pointed out a range of rugged hills behind the castle, their destination for the second tournament. The maid settled inside with her, folding her wings in tight, while the guards got into formation on horseback, to the front and rear of the carriage.

It was the first time Ember had left the castle grounds, and she gazed out the window with interest. The land here had been settled by the common folk for ages upon ages, the maid told her, and the pastures were smooth rolling green, with sweet little thatched cottages dotted here and there, thick with climbing roses and honeysuckle. There were fields of herbs and vegetables, and plenty of grazing for cows, sheep, and goats. Tiny fairies swarmed the hedgerows, and toads as big as small children wandered about on two legs, dressed in tiny waistcoats and trousers, making Ember cover her mouth with a gasp, ducking behind the carriage curtain for fear they would take offence at her laughing at them. The toads were in charge of the waterways and ponds and held quite a high standing in the kingdom.

It all looked mellow and peaceful, but Mira assured her that danger lurked here, too. There were poisonous plants that could kill at a touch, and massive tawny birds flying overhead, with hooked beaks and sharp claws, which made the guards draw their bows and arrows lest the birds swoop down and carry them off. Fearsome beasties lurked in the pockets of wild forest, eager to snatch an unwary traveller, and there were other fae too, untamed and hostile.

Their destination wasn't far as the crow flies, but the road twisted and turned, adding extra time to the journey. The road soon climbed uphill, and the horses strained as they hauled the carriage up over the rutted, stony tracks. Soon Ember was told to climb out, that she'd have to walk the rest of the way. She didn't mind that so much— the carriage was beautiful and the cushions very luxurious, but it had been a bumpy ride, and her stomach was in no mood for it.

She held her skirts in one hand and followed the other fae up the track, wishing her shoes were a little more substantial than thin-soled satin. Mira, noticing Ember stumble over rocks and clods of earth, told a guard to carry her, and ignoring Ember's protests, the guard lifted her into his arms as though she were a sleepy child. She closed her eyes in embarrassment, the metal studs of his uniform digging into her side and causing her nearly as much discomfort as her shoes.

Eventually, they came to the white pavilion set up on a bluff overlooking a vast valley below. A black pavilion stood on the opposite side of the valley, so far away that it was impossible to make out anyone in particular. The ravine wasn't the placid, gentle dip of the gully at the training grounds. Jagged scars from rockfall pocked the steep sides, heaped rubble lined the base of the ravine, far below. Already ensconced in his throne at the far end of the tent, Cole sat, eyes closed, fingers resting lightly in his lap. A pulsating cloud surrounded him, presumably about to burst forth in a web of white lightning.

Broude and the rest of his Winged Eagles waited along the edge of the bluff. The horses were gleaming, perfectly groomed, stamping and tossing their heads, in an impatience to be off, and the fae who rode them were eager and alert, checking bowstrings and pannier straps. Peaks lay all around, each with an apple tree growing on top, each loaded with golden apples that twinkled in the light. The game was simple. A point per apple, and the team with the most apples won.

Ember approached the throne, wondering if Cole was too focused on his team to notice she had arrived, but he opened his eyes as she drew close and the guards surrounding him let her through. The thick mist drifted and whispered about him, and she had a fancy that it was coiling about to look at her.

"Darling." His voice was faint and far away, as though he was somewhere else. "How exquisite you are."

"I came to wish you good fortune, Your Highness." She gave as graceful a curtsey as she could manage.

He smiled, and she wondered if his teeth had always been that sharp, if his features had always been so narrow and pointed, like a white rat, and she immediately banished the thought from her mind lest he could somehow read it.

"I hear you danced with my cousin last night," he said, and she blanched.

"Did I? I had no idea! With all the masks and things." Her voice sounded nervous and unconvincing to her own ears, and she hoped Cole would take it as confusion for accidentally consorting with the enemy rather than a deliberate choice. "How dare he! He is utterly without honour. He knows I belong to you." She stroked her collar, giving him a glowing look from under her lashes, hoping to distract him.

The mist took on a grey tinge, writhing about him, and he smiled. "I've missed you. When the games are over, I shall devote all my energies to you."

"I look forward to it," she said, and watched dispassionately as his smile grew wider.

"Away with you, kitten. I can't possibly concentrate with you looking so … appealing."

She swept another curtsey and sauntered away into the crowd, wondering if he was watching her, but when she snuck a look back, his eyes were closed, his guards back in position to prevent anyone else coming close.

She let out a shuddering sigh and started as a hand clamped onto her shoulder. Lissa was glaring at her. "Quite the little performance."

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Ember's heart was still thudding in her chest, her hands clammy. Lissa's barbs were nothing compared to her relief at discovering that although Cole knew she'd danced with Ashe, he was apparently unaware she'd also begged Ashe to take her away.

"Shouldn't you be with the rest of your teammates? Cheering them on and whatnot?"

Lissa gave an irritated huff. "I'm sick to the back teeth of all of them. We've been in each other's pockets for weeks, months. After our match is done, I swear I'll not so much as speak to any of them ever again."

It amused Ember to see Lissa dropping her guard. Perhaps she and Lissa had reached some kind of understanding. They were both lovers of the prince, and both had suffered under his hand. That gave them something in common. They might even be friends.

"You're nervous?"

Lissa raised an eyebrow. "How human of you. Fae would never ask that."

Ember frowned. Perhaps not. "I apologise if I offended."

"I am …" Lissa paused, thinking, and finally said, "I am eager to be done with the games. Eager to see the back of the Adjudicator and all his little red sycophants. And proud to serve the Sword afterwards. The prince has said I might take on a greater role in his rule."

"Like … on a council or something?"

Ember wasn't sure if the Kingdom actually had a council. So far, she'd only seen Cole rule, with everyone else scurrying to do his bidding. His voice was their voice. His whim was their pleasure to serve. A dictatorship.

"Esha isn't the only world served by the Sword."

Lissa's smile was sly, and with a faint incline of her head, she slipped away into the crowd, leaving Ember to wonder what she meant.

The gong sounded with a crash, and the fae roared in anticipation, surging to the front of the pavilion. The white shroud around Cole spread like a blob of watercolours being blown by a straw into spidery lines shooting through the roof and toward the winged fae and their horses.

Everyone was occupied. Everyone was in thrall to the game.

Everyone except Ember.