Page 39 of Midnight Kingdom

BARON

Oronrel

Coming to the Unseelie Kingdom is the sort of batshit crazy thing I never would have done a few months back. Now, I find myself wondering what exactly possessed me to give a damn about these people who call themselves my allies. Somehow I’ve started tocareabout what happens after we stop Variant. I blame Pyre. If he hadn’t shown me what it means to have a real friend, I wouldn’t risk my neck to save two people I barely know. And, judging by the look Dragan gives me, he’s thinking along the same lines.

Noni sits on Dragan’s shoulder, holding on to his hand as we walk toward the front entrance of the palace. A light sweat begins to glisten on her forehead, and I wonder if we’re asking too much of the little brownie. But the look of determination on her freckled face says she wouldn’t take no for an answer, even if I tried to discourage her from coming with us. It must take a huge toll on her strength to keep all three of us invisible to the eyes of the soldiers.

We pass through the first gate and I’m absolutely stunned by the sheer lack of guards lining the walls. Theren’s arrogance is rivaled only by Variant’s. I scoff and hurry along. No need to push our luck, even if our enemy is surprisingly stupid. Noni keeps us invisible as I slowly open the door and slip inside. Dragan and I peer into the dark halls of the Unseelie Palace.

Oronrel is beautiful, even to a soulless vampire like me.

Petrified wood floors and stone walls are softly illuminated by black marble braziers that sit between enormous ornate columns. We pass through the main hall and step into the throne room. My eyes widen at the sight of obsidian floors so polished, I’d be able to see my reflection if I weren’t invisible at the moment. The throne of jagged shards of black onyx sits at the far end of the room, leaving an impression of majesty on anyone who enters. I am no different.

Noni leads us out of the throne room and into another corridor. With her guidance, we make our way down a flight of crumbling stairs to a large door fashioned from black tourmaline crystals. The key is nowhere in sight.

“Soul rune,” Noni whispers in my ear. “It judge your darkness. Don’t let light inside. Noni can’t open.” She points to Dragan, who clenches his jaw and shakes his head. But one pout from the house brownie has the big gargoyle pulling back the sleeve of his tunic and flattening his palm on the door.

Sharp blades shoot out from the rune. Dragan grits his teeth and sucks in a harsh breath as his blood pours down the crystal entrance to the dungeon. The runes flare to life and the lock begins to click and churn just before the door swings open. Dragan looks down at his hand and glares at me. I shrug and point to Noni. She smiles brightly, despite the menacing look that comes her way.

We move swiftly through the dungeon, checking each of the cells.

“Mr. Vampire,” Noni says as she whispers from beside Dragan’s ear. I frown at her and she blushes slightly. “Noni not sure if she can continue to make everyone invisible. She tired and has used much of her power. Noni don’t know if she can make Aima and Kolvar disappear too.”

“Don’t worry. We’ll fight our way out if we have to.”

The truth is that I have no interest in getting locked up in some Unseelie dungeon for the rest of my miserable existence.

Noni jumps from Dragan’s shoulder to mine, then climbs inside my cloak and peeks out over my shoulder as I walk along the aisles. Something in the very last cell catches my eye. Aima’s necklace twinkles in the faint light spilling in from the small window of the grimy little room. I remember it from the morning Raflamir betrayed us. She has a habit of toying with the chain. The moment I walk over to the gate, her eerie black eyes flicker up to mine. A sly smile curls her lips.

“You crazy son of a bitch,” she chuckles. “I never thought I’d be happy to see a vampire, but gods, am I glad you’re here.” She stands and moves closer to the bars as Dragan comes down the other end of the dungeon. The two of them share a nod of acknowledgment.

“Are you hurt?” I ask her.

“I’m fine,” she answers immediately. “Kolvar didn’t fare so well. And I’m not sure how you’re going to get him out. He’s heavy as hell, and most of the bones in his body are broken.”

“What the fuck happened?”

“He was stupid enough to save my life,” Aima replies reluctantly.

“Fucking fuck,” I say as I turn to face Dragan. “Our jobs just got harder. Kolvar can’t fucking walk.”

“Just get the damn door open and stop yapping,” Aima snorts and points to a mirror hanging on the wall. “You brave enough to stick your hand in there? ‘Cause that’s where the key is.”

“What’s it do?” Dragan asks.

“If you’re not one of Theren’s guards, the reflection will turn to liquid and it’ll burn you like acid.”

“Great.” Getting them out of here will be a lot harder than I’d thought. So much for a quick in-and-out mission. “Where are the guards?”

***

DRAGAN

Oronrel

Why the hell are we here? This has become a fucking death mission.

Revenant passes Noni to me and shuffles off to some dark place down the corridor, leaving me stuck babysitting the sarcastic Unseelie woman and Pyre’s house brownie. I run my hands along the bars, feeling ice accumulate the more I touch them. It’s a cold that almost feels hot against my skin. Only once before have I felt a spell like that, and that was long before Theren’s betrayal.

---