Chapter 20

Caeda was exactlywho I expected she would be. Some called her the mad queen. It wasn't because she had burned a village or caused any real harm. It was because she was odd.

With the knowledge I had now, after spending my teenage years with Camila, I recognized that Caeda probably did have some mental health problems we would label on Earth. Maybe a personality disorder, maybe some type of mania. I wasn't a doctor, so I was in no place to diagnose her, but there was certainly something going on there.

But I didn't dislike her. In fact, I found her entertaining.

After she allowed us in her gates, she ushered us onto a shimmering platform. The soldiers had to walk, but those of us working directly with Laila and Jeremy got to ride the magic carpet. It lifted off the ground and floated us to her castle. I couldn't tell if the thing was all magic or if it was some type of metal decorated with a unique spell purely for the sake of aesthetics.

Aesthetics were important here, we learned, as Caeda showed us the beauty of her city. Which I was not used to. Most Fae weren't. We adorned ourselves beautifully, but more often than not, we were relatively conservative with material objects.

Not Caeda. She treated the city as if it were her personal art project.

Gems sparkled on cobblestone streets, while other roads were checkered with black and white stone. No matter the material, every road was dotted with streetlights. Not the ugly wooden posts I was used to on Earth, nor the gas-lamp sort of style I had seen on my one trip to Hell. The ones in Hell were comparable, maybe, but nothing so ornate.

These stood a story and a half tall, each one solid gold. Gems and crystals speckled every inch.

The shops and homes weren't much different. Where I came from, our roofs were thatched and our walls were made with dried mud. Here, they were all solid gold. Or silver. Elvan ore. Regardless, they were caked with jewels.

It sickened me. It was the only reason so far that I had a hard time respecting Caeda.

So much of this land was in peril. But here she stood. Guiding us through a city of riches. Flaunting those stars damned lamp posts, not thinking of the families she could feed with all those jewels.

"Have you eaten?" she asked as we flew. "You must eat, truly. What about sleep? Are you tired? How long have you been on the road? You didn't come all the way here from the capital in one stop, did you? Oh, I know you couldn't have. Iliantha must stop every hour at least. Drove me mad when we traveled together."

All that in a single breath.

"We were hoping to rest here for the night, if you'd allow it," Luci said. He sat beside her, allowing her to hold his hand. His posture was strong, however, jaw set. Apparently, he accepted his place as our speaker. "If not, we'll set up camp again."

"I wouldn't think of it." From my seat behind them, I saw her squeeze his thigh. So did Rain. "Of course you can stay here for the night. Perhaps two."

Avoiding her gaze, Luci looked at the city from left to right. "Suppose that depends on when and how we relay our information to one another."

Isn't she married?Rain's voice sounded in my mind.

She is.

She clearly wants to fuck him.

Clearly.

I thought this place was patriarchal. And this is allowed?

Patriarchy to us doesn't mean what it does to you. To us, it's any small steps that progress toward taking power from our matriarchal rulers. A few wrong moves, and we'll end up like the Angels or humans. Normally, men play no part in law or positions of power. Ailas does, and that's what makes us refer to them as such.

So… They're still way more sexually liberated than society on Earth.

Oh, yeah.

Caeda is polyamorous then.

When I was growing up, rumor was that she hosted a lot of orgies. So yeah, probably a safe descriptor.

"Hmm." Leaning back in her seat, Rain gave Caeda a once over. I think I like her.

That doesn't surprise me.

When we arrivedat the castle, we were ushered in through some rear doors. Caeda told us to hurry, so I didn't have much time to look at my surroundings. It didn't matter, anyway; this was likely a service entrance. It wasn't adorned beautifully. Just stone walls, stone floor, and a few torches.

After some twists and turns, we arrived at a small wooden door. So small, in fact, that even Rain had to crouch to get through it.

Clearly not the main entrance, then. This was confirmed by the set of arched double doors thar awaited us when we squeezed through the entry. They were at least two stories high, wooden with golden hinges, handles, and metalwork.

Like the trim all over, even the floor beneath our feet, the massive tabletop was coated in gold. Even the legs were gold. My eyes told me that this was real, but my basic reasoning had me wondering if it was a glamour. Because how the hell did you make a table that sat thirty out of solid gold? Each of the chairs perched around it were no different.

A chandelier as big as Jeremy's pterolycus, who politely waited outside, hung above it. Rather than utilizing the vertical space for fruit like Iliantha did, each of the four walls were lined with paintings. One of the queen and her husband, another of their five children, another of a giant winged wolf, and another of a dragon.

"Do you like it?" Caeda asked, calling my attention that way. Sure enough, her eyes were on me. She gestured to the painting of the dragon. "You seem to like it."

"I do, your Majesty," I said, awkwardly tucking myself further behind a chair, closer to Rain on my right.

"I do not." Propping her elbow on the back of a chair, she leaned over it with her chin in her hand. "Look at the eyes. They're not right."

They looked completely fine to me. Just a big black dragon, like I had seen a thousand times. "Oh, what don't you like about it?"

"The eyes," she repeated. "They aren't right. It's a portrait, you know. I told the artist I wanted it to look just like my baby. It does not. Clearly. Look at those eyes. Does that look like something that is alive, something that I love, to you?"

Since it was a painting, no, it didn't look like it was alive. I wasn't all that familiar with the things she loved either, but it was an object, and that seemed to be exactly what she liked.

"I see what you mean," Laila said. "There's no emotion. No light in the eyes."

She snapped her finger excitedly. "Precisely. Thank you. I like her." She glanced at Iliantha. "Why is this the first time you're introducing us? No matter. What is your name, mil?"

Mil was a Fae term of endearment. Most often, women used it in reference to each other and children. A bit like honey or sweetie in American English.

"Laila," she answered.

"Of?"

"You wouldn't know them," Laila said.

"Oh, darling, I know all."

"I can assure you, you don't. That's why I'm here." Smiling, Laila pulled out a chair on the opposite side of the table and took a seat. "But thanks. I like you too."

Narrowing her eyes, Caeda took the seat across from her. She propped her elbows on the table and leaned forward, squinting in suspicion. "That's not usually the way people address the queen."

"Factually?"

"Yes. There are typically more pleasantries. ‘Apologies, your Majesty.' ‘Thank you, your Majesty.' ‘Anything you wish, your Majesty.' You don't address me that way. Is it because you're from the Earth realm? Are you unfamiliar with our customs?"

"No, my familiarity with our customs is exactly why I didn't say your Majesty. Do gràs. That's what we use for our royals."

"That's what the Fae use."

"That's what the Elves used to use," Laila said. "The Angels, they used ‘your Majesty.' I don't have much respect for them. So no, I'm not going to adopt their verbiage."

"But I'm the queen. It's what I wish to be called."

Little did Caeda realize that she was speaking to the queen above all queens. Although, given the way she felt about the gods, I doubted that would faze her.

"Have your subjects call you that, then. I'll address you as do gràs, because that is what you are. An Elvan queen is a Fae queen. I spent too much of my life trying to assimilate into the Angels' way, and I won't do it again."

Caeda let out a little, "hmm," and leaned back in her seat. "That is why. You rebuke the Angels."

"You don't?"

"Fucking stars, I'd kill them all if I could."

"Then you understand why I don't want to honor their culture."

"Fair enough." She studied her for a few heartbeats. Then she looked at the rest of us, face screwing up in confusion. "Why are you all still standing? Sit. Aeirth," she yelled toward the double doors, "wine and a late supper, please!" She turned back to Laila. "A mind of your own. I like that."

Slowly, looking between each other, we all did so.

We took up the entirety of the long table. Only Luci joined Caeda on the other side. Jeremy was it its end, Laila next to him, Iliantha beside her, then Connor, Naomi, Amara, and the rest of us. Ezra was beside Amara, Warren next to Ezra with Rain on his other side, and then me. Beside me, Ramona sat, giving me a wide-eyed glance.

Once we were seated, she bumped her elbow into mine. That was typically signal to drop into her thoughts, so I did. Aye?

Should we be scared?

Of Caeda?

No, of the unemotional dragon painting. Ramona shot me a look. Yeah, dumb ass. Of Caeda.

She's odd, but I don't think she's dangerous. As long as we keep our mouths shut, we should be fine.

Ramona harumphed. Sorta been my motto this whole trip.

"I like a friendly debate." Laila leaned back in her seat as well. "But maybe we should get to it then."

"Oh, no. Not yet." Caeda waved her off. "Everyone must introduce themselves. This is Laila. The defiant one. Iliantha. The old, silly friend who truly has no place ruling a queendom. Really, love, you ought to fuck a man and give us an heir already." She laughed, gesturing to her as well, and then to the man who sat beside her. "Luci, he said. The handsome Angel. The rest of you, I haven't a clue. Let's go around the table. Make yourselves known. Tell me something interesting. Give me a reason to like you."

Wow.

Alright, I understood why people didn't like her.

Was Iliantha the best queen? No. She wasn't. Although I had nothing but respect for queer people, this was one area where it became a problem. Because Iliantha had been ruler of the Deep North for thousands of years and had yet to produce an heir.

As a person, I cared deeply for Iliantha. She was my queen all my life, of course. And she was a beautiful woman, an excellent woman. But she was too passive for her role. It took her far too long to address even the famine on our land, let alone all the other issues. Fifty years ago, she could have gone to Earth, made a contract of some kind with an important government, and started addressing our food problem. Instead, she waited around for the gods to return.

In that regard, I did have to respect Caeda. Unorthodox, she may have been. A bit mad, perhaps. Far too materialistic for my taste.

But no one was starving on the street on our way here.

All that to say, Caeda wasn't an awful queen. Just not a kind person.

One by one, we introduced ourselves. Caeda was an active audience, poking and prodding for details, harrumphing at answers that didn't interest her.

Some, she seemed to like more than others. Warren met her with his usual charm, and she ate that shit up.

"And why are you here, Warren Copperfield?" she asked.

"Apparently, I'm a valuable tool. Being able to raise the dead and all." He sipped from the chalice that a maid had brought out a few moments ago. "Excellent wine, by the way."

"A necromancer." Caeda clapped before her face, shimmying her shoulders from side to side. "Excellent. The only ones I've met are Angels. You are not. You have a bit of our blood in you, don't you?"

"Not to my knowledge, but if I smell like one, I believe you."

"I can't smell what you are, silly." She giggled. "Tell me about your friends now." Caeda gestured to Ezra. "Husband, I presume."

"Partner," Ezra answered, taking Warren's hand atop the table. "We can't get married back home, so that's the term we use."

"Aww, I am sorry to hear that. Humans don't make a lick of sense to me." She made a rolling motion, as if to tell Ezra to go on. "A doctor, Iliantha said. What I consider a healer, then?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I will have to pick your brain one of these days." She smiled wide. "I just love learning."

"You and I have that in common," Ezra said. "Being here, learning about this place, it's been so fascinating for me."

"I bet it has. I'd be fascinated to learn about your culture as well. Our inflections, they aren't that different, are they?"

"Yours is closer to what I would call Queen's English," he said. "But no, not that different at all. I wonder why that is. Why our accents match one another's."

"It's a fascinating story, actually," she said. "Many of my people moved to your world a few hundred years ago. From my understanding, they landed in places where our dialects were most common. They adapted to the language there, and either migrated back here by choice or were forced back by Angels. Over time, the accents just began molding. That's why the old bat over there doesn't sound quite like we do." Caeda nodded to Iliantha. "She tries to duplicate it, but it's not quite right, is it, Iliantha?"

"Everyone's dialect is influenced by the people they're around." Maintaining her regal composure, Iliantha only sipped from her chalice. "It's not necessarily an attempt to duplicate anything."

"So she claims." Caeda laughed, turning to Rain. "And what of you? Who might you be? Any interesting stories?"

"Rain Carter." She wiped some wine from her lip. "I'm from Minnesota."

"I must assume that is a place in America."

"It is, yeah." She shrugged. "The most interesting thing about me is that I have three partners." Which wasn't true, but I saw what Rain was doing. She wanted to learn more about what polyamory was like here, so she was attempting to relate to the queen. "Aside from that, I'm just a Witch. Grew up really poor, didn't go to college, and lied to humans for a living about their dead loved ones. Said that they were talking from the other side when they weren't. Gotta pay the bills, you know?"

"Only three?" She looked over us all. "Decent choices, even the leeches, but why only three?"

"She mixes up our names now," I said. "If she had anymore, she'd probably get hoarse before she got the right one."

Caeda laughed, pointing at me. "You're just darling. But I'm not speaking with you right now, so." She pinched her lips together and tapped them.

Holding up a hand in surrender, I took a gulp from my chalice as well. Stars damn it, was it good. I was too young to drink alcohol when I moved to Earth. Occasionally, I had stolen a sip of my parents' mead, but I'd always wanted to try Fae wine.

I couldn't tell which berry it was made from. Although orange in color, it wasn't citrusy. It almost resembled a strawberry in flavor, but much sweeter. There was an earthy tone as well, like tea.

"Why only three, love?" she asked Rain.

"Because they're all I need," Rain said. "Our dynamic is perfect. I wouldn't change a thing about it."

"How sweet." She looked us over again. "But no women."

"Nope. No women."

Caeda propped her chin in her hand, gazing quizzically at Rain. "And why not?"

"I just don't like women."

"Well, that's a shameful thing to say. Especially on a world like ours. Especially coming from a woman."

With red cheeks, Rain shook her head. "I just mean… sexually. I love women. I'm just, you know, not attracted to them."

"How do you know? Have you ever tried?"

Warren laughed.

"Why is that funny?" There was genuine confusion in her voice. "Did you know that you liked men before you had sex with one?"

"I mean, valid point honestly," Warren said. "It did take me a while to admit it, but I think the attraction was always there."

"Well, it wasn't for me," Caeda said. "Not until I did it. It could be the same for you, Rain Carter. We could find out, if you'd like."

Iliantha snorted. "Stars, Caeda."

"What? It's a very reasonable question."

"It's intrusive. As is the rest of this conversation," Iliantha said. "We came here for a purpose, and you've abated it since we've arrived. Can you not get to the stars damned point already? You've gone round and round the table?—"

"I told you. I want to meet them all before I agree to anything." She waved Iliantha off, then turned back to Rain. "Is that a yes, love?"

Cheeks as bright as apples, Rain opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. My snort matched Iliantha's, and she managed to direct a pointed glare at me despite her embarrassment. Finally, Rain re-found the power of speech, and began her profuse and polite apology. "I appreciate the offer, but I think I'll pass. I don't mean any offense, I just?—"

"You bore me." Again, she waved her off and turned to me. "Well, come on now, little Fae lad. Tell me about yourself. You're from here, are you not?"

"I am. Dinora. Born here, migrated to Earth as a teenager, and returned now to help my people."

"Ah, a journeyman. I do admire that." She sprawled back in her chair, lifting her legs over the arm on one side. "And what is it that you're helping us with?"

I hadn't intended for it to come out so pointed, but… "The ruthless bastards using the magic you possess to live forever."

Forehead dropping down into her gaze, she clicked her tongue. "I do hope that you are stating that as a fact and not as an insult."

"I was. Stating it as a fact, I mean."

"Are you sure about that?" Caeda sat up in her chair, facing me properly, dropping her casual demeanor. "Because I do know how Fae feel about me. About all of my kind. And it's funny, because a few moments ago, one of your seemingly prominent leaders made certain to point out that we are both Fae folk. Are we not, lad?"

"We are, your Majesty. And I am sure about that. I meant no offense."

"I believe you did," she said. "I believe you don't like me one bit. But if you expect an apology from me, I won't give it to you. Utilizing the tools in front of me is not shameful. My using the dark spells causes no harm. I kill people who deserve it to attain a longer life. What am I expected to do, lad? Do you think I should wait around for a goddess who may or may never appear until I die? I believe myself fit for eternity. I believe myself a good queen. Do you disagree?"

Shite. This was going to be a problem. "No, your Majesty. I agree with everything you said."

"Allow me to ask another question." Rather than that silly, maniacal look in her wide eyes, they were stone cold serious now. Passionate. Nostrils flaring, her cheeks flamed. "Did they ever come when you prayed? Did they ever help you? These gods, who haven't been seen in thousands of years. The one who promised you eternity, does she answer your prayers? Or did she abandon you, like she abandoned the rest of us? And what of Nix? You've surely lost people in this war, the one you've come back to fight. Did you pray to him? Did he come? Did he bring them back?"

Tracing my tongue along my teeth, I looked at her, and then I looked at Laila and Jeremy. They wouldn't meet my gaze. Iliantha, however, shook her head. Still, I heard myself saying, "They did."

"They did what?"

"They came when I prayed," I said. "They helped me. But that conversation might be too vast for you to wrap your mind around, your Majesty."

She laughed in disbelief. "Oh, did they now?"

"They did."

"Well, if that's so, I hope they come when you call tonight. Because you're going to need all the help you can get. You all will." She looked around the table. "If you want to discuss theair an tagadh, we will. In the morning. After you've made it through the maze."

"The maze?" Laila asked.

"What maze?" Iliantha asked.

"The one in my arena," Caeda said. "You can choose not to enter it. In which case, I will ask you to leave, but I will need at least ten of you to enter it if you want to work together. The wine you drank will make it particularly challenging. You did notice that earthy taste, did you not?"

I looked down at my empty chalice on the table.

And it breathed.

It floated in toward me, getting bigger, then shrunk down small again. Back and forth, growing and shrinking, closer then farther away.

"You drugged us," I said. She still looked the same, but much like the chalice, her figure seemed to ripple. "Mushrooms?"

She smiled. "Very good, lad. Yes, I did."

"What in the actual fuck?" Laila asked. "You don't drug somebody without their knowledge. Especially not with hallucinogens. We're gonna trip a hell of a lot harder because we weren't prepared for it."

"That's the point." Laughing, Caeda stood. "You make it out of this maze alive by morning, and I will have a good way of judging your intellect. I expect my allies to be strong. Strong enough to withstand something far worse than this, and at the behest of an actual enemy. You won't even be in real danger.

"Honestly, you just seem like a bunch of children to me now. Powerful children, but children nonetheless. If you expect my help with anything, you'll have to prove yourselves."