Allegiance (38 page)

‘I’m glad you enjoyed it,’ she said, blinking at him, her glittery lashes flashing. And while she blinked she picked up his hand and lifted it to her mouth, pressing her lips to his palm. Then she closed her eyes in anticipation of the pleasure to come. And oh the burning when he gave it to her! I was going to combust! I didn’t know how Leif expected me to just sit here and put up
with it. I closed my own eyes and prayed for Haigen to disappear. Then I followed that prayer up with another of thanks—for Classin—because I didn’t know how I’d cope if I was in any real competition with this girl.

Classin came through the door to join us as Haigen released Leif, which was just as well because I was so close to throwing a tantrum I could feel it pressing at the back of my throat. With a flourish of his hand Classin said, ‘Be honoured all, for you are in the presence of the latest member of the King’s High Guard.’

‘What?’ Leif said, as Haigen’s eyes grew wide. ‘But you are so young. I have never known my father to choose one so young to lead his guard.’

‘I’m older than you!’

‘By a single year is all!’

Classin grinned, slung his arm around Haigen’s shoulder and winked. ‘Ah, but you see, I am most gifted and sought after, Leif.’

Leif’s surprise morphed into laughter.

‘Of course, it doesn’t hurt that I am also the future son-in-marriage to a member of the King’s Most High.’ Classin chuckled and pulled Haigen against him as I made the connection. Nian was Haigen’s father! Now that I knew it, I could see the resemblance.

‘So my friend, tell me—who have you replaced?’ Leif asked, when he had Classin’s attention again.

‘Astin—after he stepped into the role of King’s Most High.’

‘I wondered who would replace Sefton,’ Leif said. ‘I knew my father would not treat such deception lightly. Sefton is only lucky the king did not take his allegiance along with his markings.’

‘I don’t know how he dared keep his past a secret,’ Classin said.

‘Foolish,’ Leif said, shaking his head. ‘But his loss is Astin’s gain and therefore yours. So, when do you begin your duties?’

‘Tonight—I will be leading the patrol along the river Dorlan.’

‘Well then, heartiest congratulations, my friend, but you had better rest—you’ve a long night ahead.’

He patted Classin on the shoulder and hugged Haigen and, after they’d left, held his hand to me. With another of those glittery-eyed, oh-so-confident smiles, he asked if I wished to go with him to his room.

I told him I didn’t wish it at all and I was going to find my friends.

I found Jack and Hilary down by the lake surrounded by wildflowers and watching clouds wisp across the lavender sky. Hilary sat up and smiled when she noticed me. Jack stayed right where he was, head propped on one bent arm as he sucked the nectar from one of the blossoms. ‘This place is heaven,’ Hilary said as I dropped down beside her and plucked a flower from the ground.

‘You think?’ I asked. I peeled the first two petals away.
He loves me, he loves me not.

‘Don’t you?’

‘Leif and his harem,’ Jack told her before I could get a word in.

I frowned at him.

‘You’re worried about Leif’s effect on girls?’ Hilary asked.

I had no desire to discuss my stupid jealousy; I hated that part of myself and wished I could just turn it off. ‘It’s not only that,’ I told her. ‘It’s who I am here… I have all these people treating me like I’m something special and I’m just
not
. It makes me want to crawl into a cave.’

‘It’s just your way of protecting yourself,’ Jack said softly. ‘You’ve always reacted like that—completely understandable under the circumstances.’

‘But it doesn’t have to be the way you react
here
,’ Hilary said, shooting Jack a frustrated look. ‘Back home you had so many challenges. You were never really well and it’s made some of us…
most
of us, overprotective.’ She looked at Jack pointedly.

‘We had to be,’ Jack said, sitting up.

He loves me.

‘But we don’t have to be anymore,’ Hilary told him before looking back to me. ‘Marla, you’re strong here.’

‘No I’m not.’
He loves me not.

‘You
are
. Look at the way you just volunteered to help catch this Shadow King.’

More petals disappeared—savagely. ‘Yeah, because I can’t resist wanting to make King Telophy happy!’

‘Oh come on, take some credit. You know there was more to it than that.’

‘Not really…’

‘Well, I do,’ Hilary said. ‘You can do anything you’re called to do—face anything that comes your way. All you need to do is have some faith in yourself—draw on your inner strength.’

If anyone knew about faith and inner strength it was Hilary. But where did a person even find these things? It was too hard. I sighed. ‘I just wish Leif was a normal guy.’

‘Well, he isn’t,’ Hilary said.

‘If it’s normal you need… I’m right here,’ Jack said.

Hilary frowned at him. ‘You can’t be her strength forever, Jack.’

Jack frowned right back. ‘I want to be more than her strength, Hilary.’
He loves me.

‘Really?’ she asked.

I lifted my eyes to Jack. He watched me back, but said no more.

I thrust what remained of the flower towards the lake.
He loves me not.

The next few days were filled with council meetings to discuss Jack’s nightly encounters with the Shadow Fae. Each evening, just before the sun went down, my friend would be left in a region of Telophy far from the night before. Despite not knowing where their new god would appear, the creatures began to gather in ever increasing numbers—at first watching him from the safety of the trees, but soon creeping from the dark on silent feet. After a few nights, they would come close, get down on their knees and lay gifts at his feet—crude weapons or dead animals or trinkets carved from bone. All of these Jack accepted, after which he would spend the next hour or so imparting pearls of wisdom and eventually the words of a plan dreamed up around King Telophy’s table.

Jack told the Shadow Fae the gods would soon be sending a prolonged darkness to Faera. It would be a time of great sun-gorging and the Shadow Fae would become powerful beacons, while the Fae would weaken and fade. The Fae needed to be punished, Jack declared, for they were but spoiled and pampered creatures with nothing to offer but the sun their bodies captured. The announcement received much cheering and rejoicing and over the next few nights, the news spread far and wide.

Celebrations continued amongst the Shadow Fae until a few days later when Jack told the creatures he’d had a terrible vision. He predicted that the great darkness would also bring a Fae King. The Fae would call him their Sun King and, unlike any other, he
would possess the power to sense the Shadow Fae. This new king would not only be able to follow the Shadow Fae to their daylight hiding places but he would be so fast they would not know his presence until he had them by the throat.

Chaos followed—shrieking and wailing and squabbling—until Jack held up his hands and hollered for silence. When not a murmur could be heard he told those gathered they were the
most
stupid creatures. Were they not in the presence of a most high and powerful deity—a being so gifted he could foresee the future and cause death with a single drop of his blood? Were they so dimwitted as to believe the solution to their dilemma was unknown to their god? They screeched to know what it was. And then Jack dropped the bomb. Did they really believe he would give the answer to
common
Shadow Fae? No, he told them, the answer to the problem was
only
for the ears of the Shadow King.

At first there were denials that such a being existed, but Jack threw his head back and roared, before lifting his arms to the sky. Then he became still and, in the loudest deepest voice he could muster, bellowed at the crowd, ‘Do you think me a fool? I know all! Your king is the son of the Fae King Mirren and I will speak only to him of how to defeat the Sun King. What do you think is the purpose of the Sun King coming? Why else but to kill the Shadow King! I should end all of your lives for your attempts to deceive me!’ Jack stepped forward, and clutching the hand of the nearest shadow creature made to stab his own wrist with one of her daggered fingernails.

The crowd slunk back, until one stepped forward. ‘The Shadow King knows all you say. Tell me where you will be tomorrow dark. I will bring him to you.’

Jack roared with laughter. ‘If your Shadow King wishes to meet with
me
, he must seek me for himself; I make no arrangements with your kind!’

The following night the crowd was the biggest yet and a tension rippled amongst it—something felt rather than seen, like a rip in the ocean. Then, as Jack was giving an explanation as to how the stars were kept lit, the Shadow King arrived, pushing his way through the sea of Shadow Fae to the front. Jack knew his identity immediately but paid no attention, just continued explaining that the angels stoked the lanterns in the sky with feathers plucked from their own wings. When he was finished, Jack beckoned the Shadow King forward. ‘Have you come to pay your respects to me?’

‘I have come to meet with you and learn of the Sun King,’ Mirresen replied.

‘And what is it you wish to know?’

‘When the Sun King will come.’

‘The Sun King will come with the Great Dark—the exact night is unknown. Surely your Shadow Fae must have told you of my prediction.’ Mirresen agreed they had. Jack frowned. ‘What is it you really want?’

‘I wish to know how to defeat him,’ the Shadow King said, stepping up onto the rock that was elevating Jack.

‘Why do you not kneel? Do you think I would give you anything if you do not show proper respect?’

The Shadow King watched Jack, who returned his steady gaze with a steely one of his own despite the creature’s much greater height.

Inside, Jack was getting ready to call King Telophy when the Shadow King said, ‘How do I know you have the powers you speak of? How do I know
any
of what you say is true?’

‘Have you not heard of the power in my blood?’ Jack said.

‘Mere rumour.’

Jack stepped down from the rock and tore a blade from the neck of a nearby creature using it to pierce his own finger. At the
sight of his blood the crowd shrank back. ‘Are you brave enough to test it?’ Jack asked, smiling at Mirresen.

The Shadow King jumped down from the rock and, reaching behind him, grabbed a victim from the crowd. ‘Show me,’ he demanded as the child he’d captured struggled to get away.

‘You realise she will die,’ Jack said swallowing his horror. He tried to remind himself of the terrible things these creatures did to the Fae. But this one was so young—crying in the direction of a female who was so distressed she could only be the mother.

The Shadow King squeezed the girl’s cheeks with bony fingers, forcing her mouth open.

Jack turned his eyes to the crowd and said, ‘Your king asks me to take the life of this girl, do you believe this just?’ But his words had the opposite effect.

While her mother clawed to get at the captured girl, the rest of the crowd cheered, holding the woman back. And before Jack could say another word Mirresen grabbed his hand and squeezed the blood into the child’s wailing mouth.

Everyone watched, the child writhing and shrieking before shrivelling and turning to flakes of ash that drifted into the sky.

The Shadow King stepped back from Jack, his eyes and mouth agape.

‘Satisfied?’ Jack said.

When the Shadow King had pulled himself together, he said, ‘This only proves one of your powers.’

‘Your people tried to hide you from me, did they not? But it did no good. I knew of your existence—King Mirren’s Shadow son.’

Mirresen became utterly silent, then a moment later, he was on his knees. Jack shifted his foot forward and the Shadow King took the hint and began kissing his feet. ‘Enough,’ Jack said after a while and Mirresen returned to his knees.

Jack paused in the telling of his tale and King Telophy leaned towards him. ‘What happened then?’ he asked.

‘I commanded the rest of the crowd to leave us. When they were gone, I told Mirresen that each night for the next six nights he was to present a gift to me—for I esteemed gifts highly. I might be anywhere—it was his duty to find me. He must lay the gift at my feet and most properly show his respect.
If
I considered the gift worthy, I would give him one piece of information or one item he would need to defeat the Sun King.’ It was clear from Jack’s grin that he was proud of himself.

‘Jack, I congratulate you. You have done exceedingly well,’ King Telophy said.

‘All my drama lessons have paid off. Now we just need to think of six things we can give to the Shadow King to defeat this mystical and powerful Sun King.’

‘Why six?’ Nian asked.

‘It was just the number that popped into my head really. But it’ll give us some time to gain his trust because I was thinking the sixth thing could be the Sun King’s betrothed. We could tell him she must be kept safe as she will be the lure to trap the Sun King.’