Tanith’s impatient nod indicated her displeasure over further delays. I nodded to Giguhl. He grabbed the ancient vampire’s arms and led her to the side of the road so Adam could work his magic.
A split second before Adam’s whispered incantations dematerialized our bodies, a gun exploded from the tree line. Giguhl yelped, “Not again!” Then, just as suddenly, darkness and a rush of cold wind swept us away to the Seelie Court.
2
I’d never been to the Seelie Court before, but I knew it was located somewhere in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains. So when we materialized in a dank cave instead of on a forested mountainside, I was a tad surprised.
A wet roar echoed off the damp stone walls and low ceiling. Turning, I realized the sound came from the curtain of water covering the cave’s entrance. “Where are we exactly?” I shouted to Adam over the waterfall’s racket.
“The middle of nowhere.” He shot a meaningful look toward Tanith.
The Domina stood nearby, suffering Giguhl’s restraining claw with dignity. At Adam’s comment, a small smile quirked her lips.
I nodded, understanding he didn’t want the Domina to be able to find this place on her own later. “So where’s the court?”
He smiled and pointed to the wet, craggy wall on the far end of the cave. “Through there.”
I blinked at the solid stone. “Why not just flash us in there directly?”
“The walls are warded to prevent unexpected guests. Which means we have to wait for someone inside to open the portal.”
I relaxed a fraction. When we called Orpheus with the plan of kidnapping a Domina, he’d been pretty resistant at first. Said he didn’t want to risk losing us and Maisie. But in the end, Adam and I convinced him that bold action was our only hope. It didn’t hurt that he liked the idea of one-upping Lavinia, too. Once he’d given us a green light, we’d coordinated watches and plans so that once we arrived with our quarry, things would go smoothly.
“Is this gonna take long?” Giguhl said.
I frowned at the demon. “Why— you got somewhere else to be?”
He shot me a bitch-please look. “No but I’d like the record to state that getting shot in the ass still isn’t fun.” He shifted around to show me his left ass cheek where his black sweatpants now featured a perfectly round bullet hole. I couldn’t see any blood in the dim light, but I could smell it.
“Sheesh, G, again?” Adam said.
“Yes, Mr. Perfect, again. Lucky for you bitches I’m a fast healer.”
I was saved from having to respond to that when a tingle of magic rippled through the cave. The wall Adam pointed to earlier began to pulse and shimmer with flecks of light. The hair on my neck prickled, and the low thrum of magic made my stomach contract. One second the rock sparkled like fool’s gold, and the next it disappeared altogether. On the other side of the portal, the silhouette of a female appeared.
“Who seeks entrance to the realm of Queen Maeve, leader of the Truatha de Danan?”
Adam stepped forward. His relaxed posture hinted at familiarity with this ritual. Not a surprise, since he’d spent time there a few weeks ago to broker an alliance with the Queen on behalf of the Hekate Council. “Adam Lazarus, Pythian Guard for the ancient and venerable Hekate Council, and my companions Sabina Kane, High Priestess of the Blood Moon and granddaughter of the Hekatian oracle Ameritat Graecus— goddess protect her soul— and Alpha Domina Lavinia Kane; Tanith Severinus, Beta Domina and prisoner of the Hekate Council, and Giguhl, fifth-level Mischief demon from the Gizal region of Irkalla.”
I looked over my shoulder at Giguhl and rolled my eyes. But the faery on the other side of the portal followed the tongue-twisting protocol just fine.
“Knight Lazarus, you and your companions are expected. I, Calyx, keeper of the portal, on behalf of Queen Maeve, grant you entrance to the faery realm.”
The sheet of magic wavered and disappeared with a pop. All formalities gone, Calyx waved us through with frantic movements. “Quickly.”
Adam and I fell back so Giguhl and Tanith could go through first. By silent agreement, we both felt it important to get the Domina safely inside. Neither of us put it past the vamp to spring a last-minute trick on us.
Just beyond the opening, all I could see was darkness. Not a surprise, given it was nighttime, but I didn’t like the idea of just strolling through a magical portal without knowing what waited on the other side. But Adam’s firm hand on my back urged me through.
The second we’d cleared the plane separating the two worlds, the gateway snapped shut. I took a moment to survey my surroundings. On this side, the entrance was hidden in a sheer rock wall climbing hundreds of feet in the air. I was looking up the rock face when Giguhl nudged me on the back. “Red, check it out.”
I turned and stilled with my mouth hanging open. Looming ahead of us was a building that could only be described as the largest, most elaborate tree house in the history of ever. An engineering marvel made of glass and wood, the structure rose high above the forest floor.
Given its overwhelming size, I could only register flashes of details. Like how the moonlight glinted off hundreds of round windows. How the wooden bridges spanned between towers like spider silk. And how the carved balconies seemed to float on air.
As my eyes lowered, I finally noticed the line of fae guards forming a crescent behind Calyx. Two came forward immediately to take custody of Tanith. The ancient vampiress endured the exchange before saying, “I demand to see Queen Maeve this instant.”
While her imperious tone was not a surprise, her impatience was ironic, given the complexity and length of most vampire protocol. Vampire Sabbath alone took four hours. And don’t get me started on the red tape and time wasting at the Dominae’s Under Council meetings. They made the IRS look efficient.
Anyway, half the guards turned and ushered Tanith away before I had a chance to argue. Although I wasn’t really in a position to do so anyway. Our job had been to get the kidnapped Domina there. I didn’t have much say in what the Hekate Council and the Queen did with her. Unfortunately.
I originally had assumed the other guards hung around to protect us. Until one came to stand next to me and another beside Giguhl. They didn’t touch us, but it was apparent they weren’t just being friendly. I opened my mouth to demand an explanation when Adam cleared his throat.
I shot him a glare.
“Keep it together, Red,” Adam said. “The Queen isn’t as flexible or forgiving as Orpheus.”
I sighed and forced my shoulders to relax. Orpheus— or rather, High Councilman Orpheus of the Ancient and Venerable Hekate Council— was not what I would consider a flexible male. Sure, he’d been like a father to Maisie and had eventually warmed to me, but he also tended to be a tad impatient about my tendency to question any and all authority. And judging from Adam’s comment, the Queen— who already wasn’t my biggest fan— wouldn’t find my smart mouth or rebellious ways charming, either. Gods save me from touchy leaders with their demands for “respect.”
“Hurry,” Calyx said. “We must not keep the Queen waiting.”
I sucked in a breath and pasted a smile on my face. “Lead the way!”
Adam shot me a look that indicated I’d overdone it with the false cheer. Whatever. I just wanted to get inside and find out how to get my sister back. If that meant enduring persnickety regents and courtly etiquette, I’d deal.
Ten minutes and eleventy thousand steps later, we emerged from the spiral staircase hidden inside the massive tree that led from the forest floor up to the fortress. I guess the faeries decided if all their other security measures didn’t work, they’d exhaust their enemies before they made it inside.
From the tree staircase, we emerged into a great hall. Tall convex windows curved up to a blond wood ceiling carved with elaborate Celtic designs. The effect was like standing in a bubble balanced in the tree canopy. Braziers set into the support posts around the room glowed warmly from some light source I couldn’t name. Not fire, obviously, given the extremely flammable nature of the structure. But something else, some kind of faery magic.
Hundreds of faeries in all shapes and sizes representing the many species of fae filled the space. Despite the cultural variations in costume, they all wore jewel tones— the deep, saturated colors of rubies, amethysts, sapphires, emeralds, and topaz. I dismissed the eye-pleasing but oddly coordinated color scheme and focused on the familiar faces that broke free from the crowd.
Orpheus led a small procession of what was left of the Hekate Council. If we’d been in New York and in the Council’s ceremonial chambers, they’d all have worn white Greek chitons that indicated their status. But since we were in the Queen’s domain, they wore outfits reflecting their status as visiting diplomats instead— black slacks and different-colored Nehru-style jackets. The overall effect was very Star Trek, but I figured no one wanted to hear that opinion right then.
Behind the four members of the Council, Adam’s aunt Rhea— who served as my magical mentor back in New York— followed with two Pythian Guards, who were the mage version of the secret service and special ops rolled into one. The small mage contingent approached Tanith and her fae guards with grim expressions.
Terse nods were shared before a loud knocking boomed through the cavernous room. Tension rose as everyone snapped to attention. The sea of fall colors began to part, opening a wide aisle down the center of the great room.
“Bow for Her Magnificence, Queen Maeve, defender of the Fae, sovereign of the Seelie Court, and most honorable Mother of Autumn.” The tall, reedy male wearing an emerald green robe looked around the room expectantly. A heavy gold chain with a medallion hung on his chest. His regalia marked him as a very important faery, but the female who appeared from a door on the side of the room commanded everyone’s attention.
As one, the entire room lowered into submissive bows. I didn’t like kowtowing to anyone but went along with it to avoid inviting attention. Of course, that didn’t keep me from peeking beneath my hair to gawk at the regent.