Dante pursed his lips and let the air out through his teeth, creating a similar sound.
His birds had returned. A dozen finches flew down from the trees and landed on Dante’s outstretched hands, all chirping and talking at the same time as Dante’s face creased in concern. He sat there patiently and heard from every bird as we watched, waiting for him to translate. When they ceased their chatter, he pulled some seed from his pocket and they all had a feed.
“The winter queen and Dark Fae Lord are together. Which will help in taking both of them out at the same time,” Dante said, very quietly.
Okay. That was good news. The less time we spent on this mission, the better. I had a world to rebuild back in New York.
“The bad news…?” said Kade, picking up on what Dante wasn’t saying. His hand was resting on the dark staff as he stared with a hard expression at the fae.
Dante shifted his weight slightly, the only thing to betray any unease within him. “They are in the Dark Fae Lord’s realm, surrounded by the vilest creatures in existence.”
I didn’t even have a flicker of surprise within me. I’d expected nothing less. Ever since King Samson mentioned erchos, killians, and whatever else he’d said, I’d been waiting to meet those creatures. No way did the fae lord have such things in his army and not use them.
“Can you get us there?” I asked him, trying not to think of the oil-black ercho that had attacked me in central park.
Dante nodded. “I can.”
Kade stepped forward, his hand almost crushing the handle of the case he held. “How many creatures? What types?”
The birds flew off then, in unison, and Dante stood. “I have no idea how many, but I would guess a lot. Winged beasts, water beasts, and ones that were described that I cannot even put into words.”
We can do this. Kade sounded confident. I wasn’t so sure, but we had come too far to back out now.
“Kade and I are still going, but I understand if any of you want to turn back,” I offered. “We just need you to show us the way, Dante.”
He slammed a closed fist onto his chest. “It would complete my life’s work to aid in the death of the winter queen. I am all in.”
Shelley stepped forward. “You can use my gift to confuse any guards on the perimeter to keep the fight small.”
Tears welled in my eyes. “Thank you.”
Kian placed a hand on Shelley’s shoulder. “You have my sword also. Anything that will keep this war from spilling out onto the Earth and coming for our children.”
His words rang true. This was for Winnie and Nathanial, and all of the innocents.
Chapter Eleven
An unexpected alliance.
It turned out there was a secret gateway hidden between the Winter Court and the land of the Dark Fae Lord. Dante had learned this when he was imprisoned in the dungeon. He said it was guarded but that we shouldn’t have too much trouble getting through.
“No one thinks twice about talking in front of prisoners,” he told me when I expressed my surprise at his knowledge. “The moment you are locked up, you cease to be a living being to anyone. They have no respect for you. You become nothing more than a blight on their world. They see you as weak, powerless, and without identity. I learned much in my short time locked away.”
That was interesting. I’d never stopped and thought about it, I’d never been a prisoner before my time with the winter queen, but I could imagine that once you lost your freedom, a lot of your identity disappeared with it.
“What happened to the little girl, the one they hurt to try and force me to give the queen my powers?” I asked him when we were through the second portal and heading deep into the Winter Court.
“Despite being a winter fae, she has found her place in the Summer Court.” A sliver of a smile crossed his face. I hadn’t seen him smile a lot; he was kind of serious. To be expected in his line of work. “She’s staying in the palace under the care of those who raise our children.”
Just like in the shifter world, many of our young were collectively raised.
“She deserved a chance at happiness.” I had seen the fear in her eyes, but also the resignation. I had been reasonably sure that wasn’t the first time she’d found herself at the mercy of the Winter Court. Probably like Shelley, repaying a debt from a member of her family.
That was no life for a child.
Kade squeezed my hand, wrapping his love around me, all of that warmth and soothing energy, which eased the ache in my chest. Kids did it to me every single time; they were a soft spot for me that I would never be able to carve out of my being. I knew it was a weakness. I’d tried to harden myself to it so that no one could use it against me, but … I wasn’t the Red Queen. Or Isalinda.
I wasn’t my mother … or my grandmother … and I never would be.
Dante paused then, and all of us did the same. We were tuned into his actions by this stage. We were deep in a dark winter forest. This world was definitely more nature than anything else. Small villages, scattered amongst huge forests. I loved it.
My eyes flicked around; it was cold, snow thin on the ground — dirty already under our boots. I expanded my senses, used the extra sight I had as a fae and queen to try to see what had caused Dante to pause. He lifted both of his hands in front of him and started to feel across the air, almost like a mime. I stopped looking around and stared at his odd action.
What is he doing?
A sparkling navy light flashed right in front of Dante, almost hovering at his eyeline. He leaned closer, whispered something, and the light zipped away. “Come on,” Dante said, still using a low whisper.
He took off, chasing after the blue sparkle of energy, or whatever it was that had appeared before him. We kept pace, even though the densely-packed forest was not well suited to sprinting. I did my best to avoid the noisier undergrowth, staying almost as stealthy and silent as Dante.
The blue spark was really zipping, leading us deeper and deeper into the darkness. After some time, the only light around us came from that little navy speck. The cold increased dramatically.
I wished Violet was here. For a multitude of reasons. I really missed her, but she’d also be able to whip us up some light and warmer clothes.
Suddenly the speck let out a little squeak and disappeared.
Like poof, gone in a blink.
Dante stopped, and we all did the same. “We mean you no harm,” I heard him say.
Say what now? He was talking to the speck? The darkness hovered for a few moments, and it was so all-encompassing that I couldn’t make out anything except some movement of shadows, some rustling of branches.
I prepared myself for an attack. Hand on sword.