Page 49 of Deliverance

“Gods above,” Blaise curses, his expression hard despite the tremble in his voice.

That frightens me more than anything. Following his gaze, I spot what has him so concerned. Blinking, I shake my head, not understanding the significance nor why I am instinctively so fearful.

Slowly, the sun is blocked by the moon, and an eclipse throws us into darkness.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

The sun disappears behind the moon, the darkness feeling cold and jarring compared to the warmth and light just a moment ago. A natural eclipse should pass within a few minutes, but as the moon reaches its apex, it appears to freeze, confirming that this is no natural occurrence. Suspicion echoes through me, and I become watchful, my body on alert. Something bad is about to happen.

Blaise is at my side in an instant, all traces of humour gone from his face. If Blaise is worried, then I know there is something to be afraid of. The guards in the courtyard are all staring up at the eclipse, their hands hovering over their weapons.

A hand grips my arm tightly, and I gasp, attempting to pull away, but I quickly realise it’s only Blaise. Instead of amusement at the fact he caught me off guard, his eyes are hard. “We need to get you somewhere safe,now,” he explains gruffly as he pulls me across the courtyard and towards the steps up to the castle.

Stumbling to keep up, I look around for the cause of his disturbance. “What’s happening?”

Looking at me over his shoulder, he appears distinctly fae as his sharp teeth shine in the moonlight. “There is only one group of fae who can control the moon that way.”

Cold, creeping fear slithers through my veins, contaminating everything it touches in my body until I feel brittle and fragile, like I am made of ice and all it would take is one tap to make me crack apart. “The Unseelie,” I whisper, feeling the truth of it deep in my soul.

As though summoned by my voice, an eerie howl fills the air that strikes fear through me. Everything feels heightened, the sounds around me so much louder and every touch much more intense. The howls make my knees shake, the noise so terrifying I want to run as fast as I physically can, my human survival instincts warning me that whatever made the noise would make an easy meal out of me.

“Dread hounds,” Blaise curses, his face paling slightly. “They are like sniffer dogs but ten times faster and more vicious. Once they are given a target, they won’t stop until they find them.”

While he doesn’t say as much, his silence says it all—I’m the target.

Shouts and screams start to sound from the city, high-pitched and full of terror. The Unseelie are here.

They can’t leave their land other than during the night, and with the eclipse, they just gave themselves some extra time. It is the perfect time for them to attack, because none of us were expecting it, and they caught us unaware. While I knew they were a race that flourished during the night and worshipped the moon, I had no idea they had the power to influence the moon. This makes them a much larger threat than I ever imagined.

Dark shapes move in the corner of my eye, but when I spin to look, I find nothing there. Paranoia is plaguing me, especially knowing how fast some of these creatures can be. Am I imagining things, or am I simply not fast enough to see them?I hear my ragged breathing in my ears, blocking out all other sounds. Blaise pulls on my arm again, and I realise he’s been talking to me, but I’ve not heard a word.

“We’re out of time, we need to go!” His shouted order finally gets through as he practically drags me forward.

I stumble, afraid and confused as I attempt to keep up. “Where?”

Out of the corner of my eye, another dark shadow flickers in the distinct shape of a person. I know I didn’t imagine that. Somehow, the Unseelie are already in the castle grounds.

“Into the castle, to Alaric. There are more spells of protection there.” Blaise picks me up, and I am thrown over his shoulder as he speeds up the steps to the castle doors. “The Unseelie are here for you, Iris. My main priority is getting you somewhere safe where they can’t get to you.” Putting me down, he gestures for me to enter the castle. I pause at the doorway and watch as he turns to address the guards filing into the courtyard. “Man the gates! Shoot to kill, take no prisoners, and protect the royals!” he shouts and attempts to push me into the castle.

“Not so fast, Blaise.”

The cool, cultured voice is magnified, sounding as clear as a bell despite the fact that the new arrival is standing at the gates on the opposite side of the courtyard. The voice is one I hear in my dreams, coaxing me to him, so I would know exactly who it is without having to see him—Ciaran.

Leaning against the gate as though he has all the time in the world, he looks down at his smart dark blue jacket and picks off an invisible piece of lint. He seems completely at ease here in the middle of his enemies’ territory. However, as his eyes meet mine, I see supressed emotion that I suspect only I am able to perceive.

Blaise bristles as he faces the Unseelie lord, ready to spring into action. Taking a step forward, he positions his body in aprotective stance before me. He really means to protect me, and while I am thankful, that thought also causes fear. It was all well and good before, but I consider him my friend now, and if anything were to happen to him, it would break me.

Ciaran pushes away from the gate, and with a wave of his hand, tall, piercing vines burst from the ground with thorns as sharp as knives glinting as they wrap around the guards. Every guard in the courtyard has been enveloped in living bindings, any movement they make cutting in their skin.

Bile burns in the back of my throat as I watch in horror. Ciaran took down all of the guards with one flick of his hand, leaving only Blaise and me standing. My gaze keeps being drawn to the brambles that trap the guards, the plants twisted and unnatural. There is something wrong about them. They give off an energy that feels erroneous. If Ciaran is that powerful, then what is he going to do with me? I don’t stand a chance.

Pausing at the base of the stairs, Ciaran looks up at us, his pale hair shining silver in the moonlight. He appears so civilised, you would never believe what he is capable of.

“You didn’t want to stick around and say hello, old friend?” Pressing his pale hand to his chest, Ciaran looks at Blaise with disappointment. “I’m offended.”

He’s clearly trying to get a rise out of my friend, and it’s easy to see that the two of them have history.

Taking a deep breath, Blaise rolls back his shoulders and takes a step forward, mustering up every ounce of authority he possesses. “I am sure you’ll live, unfortunately,” he replies dryly. Resting his hands on the top of the stone staircase to the lord’s path, he clears his throat. “You are trespassing on Seelie territory and have attacked our people. That is an act of war. Leave now before you make the situation worse.”

---