Page 13 of Deliverance

Suddenly, as though whipping away a blanket, the sensation goes, leaving behind only a glimmering aura around the prince. He was showing us what he was capable of. My hands tremble where they rest in my lap. Is Blaise as strong? I cannot imagine how we would survive if the two of them decided to attack us.

“First of all, Mayor,” Alaric begins, his voice cold and sharp, “I am a prince, and I expect a certain amount of respect. Secondly, it is not my court abducting your females.”

Court? He makes it sound as though there are factions within the fae, and the ones he is in control of are not behind the abductions. I have never really thought of the fae having rank or organisation.

The mayor doesn’t seem to pick up on this, though, his hostile glare aimed at the prince, indignant at the fae for expecting his deference. I watch as his hands ball into fists, and I am not sure what he would do if he did not have a physical barrier between them.

“Respect is earned,” the mayor snarls, only to be cut off as a blade is suddenly pressed to his jugular. Gasping and stuttering, he looks at the male holding the knife—Blaise.

“Youwillrespect my prince, or you shall lose your tongue.” All signs of amusement have fled his face. Instead, a deadly stillness settles over him as he threatens the mayor. It is a wickedly sharp blade, and as it gleams in the warm sunlight, I see the etchings on the side, so delicate and at odds with the violence it promises.

He moved so quickly that I didn’t even see him. He was simply at the back of the room one moment, and at the mayor’s side the next. Stories of the fae tell of incredible speed, but seeing it for myself is a whole other matter that I was notprepared for. The tension ricochets in the room, and all we need is a match to light it up.

“Blaise, enough. The humans are frightened. They do not know better,” Alaric says, ordering his companion away from the mayor. None of us miss the insult in his words, yet after that little display, I doubt anyone would be stupid enough to say anything.

The bearded fae does as instructed, if not reluctantly. In fact, he looked far too happy at the prospect of slitting the mayor’s throat. Clicking his tongue in disappointment, Blaise spins the blade in his hand, making the mayor flinch as he slowly moves back to his prince’s side.

“My apologies, Mayor Marshal. My companion is protective of me, and we value respect above all else in the fae realm.”

He does not need to say what we are all thinking—that the mayor had been anything but respectful. Honestly, I am surprised that the prince is apologising, but I suppose he is trying to create a positive relationship between our people. His apology also served to highlight the lack of civility shown by us. If I was not so afraid of war breaking out in this very room, then I might be impressed at his ability to apologise and insult in the same breath.

“There are two courts within fae territory,” Alaric begins, his voice smooth as he explains. “The Seelie and Unseelie Courts. The Seelie Court is whom we belong to. We focus on the light, assisting humans, and the growth of our people. For example, brownies and house sprites are some of the races within the Seelie Court, cleaning your house for a scrap of food. We can still be wicked when scorned or wronged, but we strive to grow and thrive as a race.” His green eyes sweep around the room, taking in our reactions. When his eyes land on me, an electric feeling zips through my body, and I swear I see a ghost of a smile on his lips. He quickly turns back to the others. “The Unseelie Courtis different. They are the court of darkness and fear. Boggarts, banshees, trolls, and kelpies are examples of the creatures who follow their dark rule. They prey on humans, feeding on their fear. This is how they sustain themselves. They are stealing your females.” His expression is dark, and his words are clipped, his dislike of these fae obvious. Even Blaise is gritting his teeth at the mention of them.

Unseelie. The fae I saw in the forest on the way here must be from that court. The hair on my arms stands on end as I think of how I felt when they attempted to call me into their grasp—an utterly terrifying experience. Their magic was so strong that I almost willingly walked straight to them. If what the prince says is true, I might have merrily gone to my own death.

Robert steps forward from his position behind me, having kept silent until now, a heavy hand resting on my shoulder. What should be a comforting gesture actually feels like an effort to control me, to keep me down and quiet. Could it be that he is trying to ensure I do not speak about their plan to tear down part of the forest? I wonder what the prince and his companion would think of that matter.

“I have never heard of these courts before,” Robert counters, drawing the attention of the room. “How do we know you are not lying to ensure we work with you?”

The prince’s emerald green eyes glimmer with repressed amusement, until his gaze moves to the hand on my shoulder. All traces of amusement disappear in an instant, replaced instead with a sharp intensity.

“Why would I be here wasting my time unless this alliance was something we both needed?” Although Alaric smiles as he asks the question, it is tinged with malice, not helped by the fact he bares his wicked fangs. “The Unseelie Court is out of control,” he continues, reining in his anger. “My people are sufferingjust as much as yours, only our plight has been going on for centuries.”

“Why now?”

Gods above, I cannot believe I asked that. Keep quiet and smile, show unity, that is what I am here for, and I just broke that unspoken rule. My body goes cold as everyone glances at me. I do not miss the looks of disapproval from many of the men from both sides of the room. However, the question has been burning in the back of my mind. Something must be driving the Seelie Court to ally with us, and what is suddenly driving the Unseelie to break from the forest?

The hunt begins.

That is what the cloaked male in the forest, my somewhat friend, said, and as these words ring in my mind, I cannot help but wonder if they are connected. I wish I could just slip into the forest and ask him, yet I know he will not be there. Besides, with the Unseelie fae lurking in the woods, it is not safe.

“The Unseelie Court is limited by certain rules and protections, the biggest one being that they are bound by the sun. They cannot step foot into the sunlight and mostly come out at night. Of course, this protects humans as most towns and villages are far away from the forest and the Unseelie cannot make it there and back before the sun rises.” Glancing around the room as he speaks, he pauses and meets my gaze once more, my skin tingling at his intensity. “This is something they want to change. Every fifty years, there is a grand rite. During this, the wards temporarily drop, allowing the Unseelie to leave the forest. During this time, they hunt for the doe.” Holding up his hand, he brushes off any of our questions before we can ask them. “It is an important story from fae lore that is too long to explain now, but the doe is a human female who is different from the others. The qualities that make her so different isnot quantifiable, only that she is extraordinary and immediately identifiable to the fae during the rite.”

A light tingle works its way down my spine as he speaks, and although he has turned his focus to the others in the room, I can still feel his attention on me. Blaise is watching me with interest, although I think he is doing it partially because he knows it makes me uncomfortable.

Alaric clears his throat, expression severe. “If the Unseelie find her and make her their queen, then they shall be able to roam in the sun forever more.”

Heavy silence follows his declaration as the implications of this settle over us. He does not need to explain why this would be catastrophic. Having creatures like kelpies and trolls able to stroll through human towns to terrorise and kill us… No, that cannot be allowed to happen.

Mayor Marshal seems to awaken from a trance, leaning back in his chair with a deep frown. “What are you suggesting then?” He looks between the fae and our human visitors. “Keep our females locked away?” Although I think he says this in jest, there is the slightest quiver to his voice. He is taking this threat seriously now.

Cocking his head, the prince looks the mayor over with an appraising eye, sizing him up. “We had a plan,” he confirms, “but none of that matters now.”

Jerking upright in his chair, the mayor looks shocked and outraged, slamming his hands down on his desk. “What? Why?”

Even Minister Karrow and the other human advisors seem shocked at this declaration, clearly having not been involved in the change of plan. Stepping forward, the minister tries to get Alaric’s attention, but he is not going to be moved from his position.

“The plan is redundant, as I have found the doe,” he announces proudly, his smile smug. He is enjoying every moment of shocking his companions.

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