Chapter 26

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

N imue felt the connection to Merlin break as the earth pulled her under. The blocks that Eli had made in her mind set into place, and she felt the drag of power that pulled her to the Aos Si. A traitorous sob broke out of her when she found herself on the ground in a circle of tall black stone monoliths.

Nimue knew how angry Merlin was going to be and wished there could've been another way. She hoped Eli could withstand his fury without his heart being broken. She swallowed the pain in her chest and composed herself, smearing dirt on her face as she tried to wipe the tears from it. The queen would've felt the portal being used, and no doubt, the trees around her would be reporting back.

Nimue climbed to her feet, taking note of all the changes that had occurred during her time away. The trees that had still been richly colored with golds and reds were now stripped of nearly all their leaves. The grass was frostbitten and dying, and the wind that had always smelled of autumn now had the unmistakable aroma of ice and wood smoke.

She didn't have long to wait before three riders appeared in the woods, their bows trained on her. She stopped walking, holding her hands up in surrender.

"If you have weapons, now is the time to reveal them," a golden-haired knight demanded. "The queen will not take it well if you bring anything from the man world into her court."

"I am as you see me. Please, take me to her. There is much I need to report, and it is of some urgency." Nimue bowed.

The golden-haired knight nodded to another rider who trotted up beside her and pulled her up behind him.

"You'd best not be lying. The queen is not easily pleased of late." Something in his voice made her look up at him. He was uneasy as he stared at the dead trees around them.

So she hasn't told them what is going on .

Nimue nodded, and they galloped down the white stone roads towards the entrance to the Court. As the forest flashed past them, Nimue watched the dead trees come back to their autumnal state the closer they came to the seat of the queen's power.

Soldiers were guarding all the gateways into the Court, but whether it was to keep people from getting in or out, Nimue could only guess. The common Seelie would be starting to worry. Most would've never seen a winter before or understood why their lands were suddenly dying.

As they crossed into the dark barrow, Nimue felt all her glamours strip off her. Her scars bothered her much less now that Merlin had seen them and kissed each one so tenderly. She allowed herself one last smile in the darkness where none of the others could see before putting her mental shields up.

Nimue thought that she'd be led to the main audience chamber of the Court, but the soldiers bypassed it and took her straight to the queen's chambers. She didn't want Nimue speaking too loudly and causing a panic. The queen was getting nervous, and it radiated through the entire palace. Nimue's stomach dropped as they came to the golden chamber doors.

She kept the panic from her face, hoping to appear humble and not show how frightened she was, for what true servant would be afraid of their beloved master? A smart servant, Merlin's voice, echoed inside of her.

The guards opened the doors for them, and Nimue was shoved inside before the doors shut behind her. Oh, no, they were not eager to be in the queen's presence any longer than what was needed.

"Come," her voice rolled through the chambers, the silk of her voice running up Nimue's spine. It was a glamour as much as the rest of her. Her voice, even with magic, had no comparison to Merlin. You should've asked him to sing to you more . Nimue crushed the thought, shutting all voices in her head down with iron.

She walked carefully through the chambers until she found the queen reclining on a chaise, her robes a vibrant red with gold embroidery that shimmered in the lamplights. Her hair hung loosely in rich waves around her shoulders, and the skin that she could see was pale and unmarred. The signs of aging were being held better at bay than when she'd pulled Nimue from the lake. Remembering herself, Nimue sank to her knees and placed her head against the rich carpet.

"My glorious queen," she murmured dutifully. "It pleases me to see you in such vibrant health."

"Does it now?" There was a swish of fabric, and Nimue felt cold fingers touch her shoulders. "Get up, girl. I cannot speak to you with your face on the floor."

Nimue obeyed dutifully. The queen gripped her by the face and studied her, feeling her out with her magic.

"What are you doing back here so soon?" she demanded.

"M-my queen, I didn't want to waste another moment in that world when the time for your victory is so near at hand. The last battle with your warriors has weakened the Seren Du. There's much bickering amongst the brothers, and their clans are not united. His children will not answer his summons. Only Leiddiad remains loyal to him."

"My warriors told me that you fought against them during the raid."

"I had to so that Bleddyn would trust me once more. I was wounded in the fight, and afterward, they believed I wasn't secretly working for you."

"I have not been able to touch your mind in weeks," the queen's eyes narrowed as she let Nimue go. "Why?"

"Bleddyn has placed strong wards around the boundaries of his lands. They are meant to be keeping any magical interference out. They do not fully understand what is happening here in the Aos Si, and I've denied all knowledge of a Win…"

The queen's hand slapped her hard across the face, and blood filled her mouth.

"Never speak that word in my presence," she hissed. "Winter will not return to my lands. Not now, not for another thousand years."

"Forgive me," Nimue looked at the floor, swallowing her blood. There was a clink of metal scraping against stone. She hadn't noticed when she came in, the queen's aura dominating the room, but there was someone chained to the wall in one of the dark corners of the room. Two blue eyes stared out at her, and they both quickly looked away, but it was too late.

"I see you've noticed my latest pet," the queen purred and closed in on the figure. He climbed to his feet as she stood in front of him.

Nimue cursed herself at drawing attention to him. He was tall and lithe, black hair hanging down to his bare chest. Nimue repressed a shudder when she saw the bruises on his skin, and when he lifted his face, she could see why the queen had chosen him. He was Unseelie, and worse still, he looked like Bleddyn.

"Isn't he beautiful? I found him among a pack of rebels trying to spread lies amongst the peasants." She ran a hand down his arm as if she was patting a horse's flank.

"He has a rare coloring. I can see why you admire him," Nimue said tactfully.

"And what of Bleddyn?" the queen asked, not taking her eyes off the Unseelie.

"He is tired, but defiant and afraid that you might bring a larger force with you in the next attack. Despite the inner conflicts of his family, their numbers are growing. It's one of the reasons that I have returned to warn you. If you attack them soon, they will not be prepared, and your victory would be guaranteed." Nimue took a deep breath and added, "If I may speak boldly, they can feel that some of their magic is returning to them, and you wouldn't want them to grow any stronger while you grow…less so."

"Do I look like I lack in power?" the queen said smugly. "I'm already working on the way to counteract whatever vile curse Rosa Wylt cast on us. Take my hand, study it."

Nimue stepped forward and took the queen's outstretched fingers. There was no sign of the spots that had marred them a few short weeks ago.

"It is perfect, my queen," Nimue said, kissing it softly.

"Sweet girl, you have your father's words as well as his lips." The queen's arms brought her close and kissed her, her mouth tasting of cherries and cinnamon. Nimue placed her hands on the queen's tiny waist and deepened the embrace, not flinching as her hand came up to squeeze her breast roughly. The queen broke away from the kiss, and Nimue let her go instantly.

"You honor me," she whispered dutifully.

"I miss your father," the queen sighed. "He wasn't made to be king, but he could satisfy me in ways others could not. He would've liked to see you now, free from all of Bleddyn's manipulations."

"My only wish is to serve you faithfully, my queen," Nimue swore and added, "in any way that I can."

The queen smiled magnanimously before she unhooked the Unseelie's chain.

"Come then, faithful one, and witness something truly great."

The queen pulled a cord, and part of the wall slid away. Through a haze of memories, Nimue recalled that door and being dragged down below. She swallowed her panic and followed the queen as she pulled the slave behind them. Nimue could feel the terror and pain radiating from the walls and smelled blood in the air.

The passageway was the access to the queen's dungeon, but they didn't linger in the hall of cells. Nimue kept her eyes firmly on the Unseelie's back and refused to glance to either side of her, afraid of what she might see. She had been tortured in this place, and her scars twinged with each step she took. The stone walls changed to earth, and the narrow passageway opened out to a large cavern. It was a hive of jail cells stretching high above them.

"Magnificent, isn't it? It's the most recent edition. Since this unfortunate mishap with my spell, I've taken it upon myself to capture every stray Unseelie I can and bring them here for safekeeping. I can't have them going about, stirring fear amongst their betters."

The smell in the place was enough to make Nimue's eyes water, and the further they walked, the stronger it became. She knew the smell but couldn't quite place it. It was a dark, evil thing that stuck to the back of her throat like tar.

The queen stopped next to a large stone table where a bronze dagger sat on crisp white linen. The floor fell away on one side of them, and Nimue struggled to contain her horror. She knew what the smell was. Beneath them, the pit was filled with the bodies of rotting Unseelie corpses.

"I see you are shocked, Nimue," the queen purred. "Indeed, it wasn't something that would've occurred to me if this crisis had not arisen." She laughed delightfully. "It was actually Bleddyn that gave me the idea. You see, he once weakened me by taking my blood, and I had to wait months for my powers to return." The queen picked up the knife from the table, pricking the tip of her finger thoughtfully. "Who would've thought power was held in the blood."

Without warning, the queen drove the knife into the Unseelie's chest. His blue eyes didn't even widen in surprise as he sank into the dirt. He held Nimue's gaze until the light behind his eyes disappeared.

"Now, child, it came to me that if power were held in the blood, then the heart would be its true source." The queen knelt beside the cooling body, and using the knife, she began carving her way into it until she let out a cry of triumph and pulled the glittering red organ from his chest. "Isn't it a beautiful thing? So simple. I took the Unseelie queen's heart out of spite all those years ago. I attributed my power growing to the killing of the kings, but I was wrong, so wrong. Bleddyn was right. It's always been about the blood."

Nimue gagged as the queen bit into the steaming red mess in her hands. Power rippled through the air, and the queen laughed, her mouth smeared in blood. Nimue stood shaking until every part of the heart was gone, and the queen was licking her fingers like a contented cat. "So you see, it doesn't matter if magic is going back to the Unseelie. Either way, the power will always come back to me. Now, servant, push this carcass into its pit."

Nimue bit her tongue, but knelt beside the body, took his ankles, and dragged him to the hole. She silently asked for his forgiveness as she pushed the body off the edge of the cliff and tried not to hear the slap of limbs as it hit the pile of bodies below. Nimue stood on shaking knees, and suddenly, the queen was beside her, bloody hand gripping her throat.

"You must think I'm a fool to believe that you would come back to warn me," the queen snarled. "All of your talk of Bleddyn's forces being low and fighting amongst them. You are holding back information from me like you always have."

"I haven't lied to you," Nimue gasped. "I swear it."

"You might not have lied, but you aren't telling me the truth. I can smell the lies on you, girl," she hissed. "One thing I know that is true of the Seren Du is that those brothers will unite together against any enemy. You try to fool me with saying otherwise, but I know Bleddyn, girl. He's been my enemy for three thousand years."

"My queen, I tell no lies, only what I have seen." Nimue's vision started to narrow as the hand around her throat tightened. The queen lifted her up off her feet and tossed her. Nimue was falling backward, her scream a ragged cry as she dropped down into the pit and slammed into the tangled mass of limbs. She screamed long and incoherently. Nimue scrambled to the sides of the hole, clawing at the earth above her.

"My queen! Do not do this! I've been nothing but faithful to you these last months. I tell you the truth."

"Scream all you wish," the queen's voice was a whip crack above her, "but use this time to think long and hard about what side you are on, Daughter of Ryn."

The Queen stepped back from the pit, the torches going out as she left Nimue to cry in the darkness.