Allegiance (42 page)

‘Because their leader is a king,’ I told her. ‘And he’s using his power to block your calls.’

A few minutes later the woman being fed from was returned to her cage. She still had a faint gleam, but looked weak. I wondered how many nights she’d been enduring this torture. The Shadow Fae went to a rough table and sat down. I waited a few seconds, then said, ‘Um… excuse me, I need to… you know… pee.’

They both stared at me.

‘I need to
relieve
myself,’ I clarified.

My pulse accelerated as the male moved to the cage and unlocked the gate. I wondered if he could hear the boom, boom, boom of my heart. Pretending to be even weaker than I was, I crawled slowly through the opening. He lost his patience after a few seconds and pulled me to my feet. I leaned heavily against him, trying to form a plan as he took me down the passage to a small cave. A red firelight shone above a stone bowl tucked into a groove in the wall, a pile of the soft and odour-killing bark from the avellia tree beside it. I bent low and went inside. The shadow creature squatted down at the entrance—only turning around after much pleading for privacy. His back to me, I did what I had to do so he wouldn’t suspect I’d been faking. I was just able to make out his key in the dim light. If I fell against him on the way back to the cage it should be easy enough to grab. I was just considering when would be the best time to do so when I realised if I took his key, he would notice it missing the moment he went to lock me in the cage again. I wanted to scream. How had we not thought of that?

‘Hurry!’ he growled from in front of me.

‘Sorry,’ I murmured. I fixed myself up and allowed him to lead me back. I had no idea what to do next. But realising this was my only chance, I started to beg. ‘
Please
don’t put me back inside the cage—it frightens me so… Feed from me if you like, but please don’t put me back.’

‘We are forbidden,’ he said, stopping outside the cage, opening the gate.

‘Oh, but I would never tell!
Please
, I can’t go back into the cage, and it would be my honour.’

‘Your honour?’

A tear slipped from my eye as I nodded and asked him his name. When he told me I said, ‘I know you
need
what I have, Antos. It’s not your fault.’

My captor shifted his attention to the female. ‘If we take care, how would he know? There is a wound… We could use it.’

‘And make another lower down,’ the female added. ‘Small… Take just a little.’

‘He would not know,’ Antos encouraged.

She watched him a moment then shook her head. ‘Dangerous.’

‘But Vishta, look—young and sweet, not yet immortal.’

‘Immortal is forbidden!’

‘But, come, smell the sun on her, fresh. And so willing!’

Vishta made a sound like a moan caught inside a sigh. ‘Oh, much enjoyable when there is no struggle… And the Sun King’s queen.’ She patted the fur beside her. ‘Bring her.’

Trembling, I ignored my terror and went quietly to the mattress. I was lowered almost lovingly. Leif’s encouragement flowed into my mind like honey—little snippets, giving me strength. Vishta brushed my hair away from the wound at my throat, ran the point of her fingernail along the length as Antos moved down and lifted my dress, tucked the fabric carefully out of his way. My trembling increased, easing slightly when Leif’s voice came into my mind.
Don’t watch, my love. Focus on your breathing. I am here with you and it will soon be over.
I closed my eyes—long breath in through the nose, out through the mouth. In and then out again. In and then out again. Twin stabs of pain a fraction of a second apart brought me crashing back to the moment. My eyes flew open as I clenched my teeth hard, barely a grunt slipping past them. I watched both Shadow Fae latch onto the wounds they’d just created and begin to suck. Within seconds they were moaning softly, stroking my body with long fingers that felt like insects crawling across my skin—utterly lost in the bliss of stealing my sun.

I swallowed my revulsion and looked from one to the other, assessing their positions. The male was curled beside my left leg, drinking from a vein in my thigh. I could see his key but it was out of my reach. The female lay against my right side, her face buried in my neck, an arm slumped across my chest. She wore a scrap of thin fur around her hips and tying it in place was a length of vine. The key was nowhere to be seen but I could just see the top of the hook that held it falling behind her hip. Slowly, I brought my left hand up and slid it across my belly, inching closer and closer. I checked each of them. Neither of their faces could be seen, both buried in my flesh. With my attention flicking between the two creatures, I lifted my hand from my belly, brought it up slowly and let it hover over Vishta’s hip. Then very carefully I reached beyond the hook. It was like playing a deadly game of pick-up sticks. I was just about to lower my hand to where I imagined the key should be when Vishta moaned and shifted. I whipped my hand back as the key fell to the front of her hip, inches from my fingertips. My heart was pumping a million miles an hour.

Leif who’d been silent, said,
You’re doing well, Marla, now try again.

Without waiting a second longer, I closed the distance between my fingers and the key and pinched it carefully, then wove the key carefully from the hook, as though it was electrified, before closing it tight in my fist.

I’ve got it!

Well done, Marla! Now tell them you are fading and they won’t dare to feed longer.

It wasn’t a lie. ‘I’m weak, please stop now,’ I murmured. They stopped immediately and to my horror it was Vishta who moved to help me up. Before she had a chance, I collapsed against Antos. He caught me in his arms. ‘I’m sorry,’ I told him. ‘I think you’ll have to carry me.’

He frowned as he looked at his partner. ‘Taken too much,’ he said.

‘Quickly put her back,’ she said, fear creeping into her eyes.

Antos carried me to the cage, gently tucking me inside and locking the gate.

Now tell him you need to eat,
Leif said,
that you wish him to send the female to bring you food.
Leif proceeded to give me a long list of different fruits and nuts to ask for.
Tell him you need every one, that without them you will fade.

I did what he told me. A haze of sweat coated Antos’ brow as he discussed my request with Vishta. I didn’t know which of them looked more afraid, the trembling female or the perspiring male.

‘He will end us,’ Vishta murmured.

‘Only if he finds out,’ Antos responded.

She motioned to the starry sky. ‘You go, Antos, I will keep watch.’

I was about to tell her I felt safer with Antos, but before I had a chance, he said, ‘I am a hunter. I know not where to find such things.’ At once I knew why Leif had given me such a long list.

Vishta scowled and started to complain.

Antos cut her off. ‘Go, Vishta, quickly… or we both will die.’

A moment later she was flying out the roof.

I slumped against the bars, moaning. Antos wiped a hand across his brow then began to pace. The second his back was to me, I unlocked the gate, my moans disguising the click of the key turning in the lock. A thrill went through me as I told Leif it was done.

Wonderful,
he said.
Now have the woman beside you call to him. When they’re out of the room, come to me.

‘What’s your name?’ I whispered into the ear of the pregnant woman beside me, grateful we were jammed so tightly together.

‘Nyrie.’

The name was familiar and I quickly recalled why. I’d been to her home. Her husband was the one Leif had calmed with his power. ‘I need your help, Nyrie. Tell Antos over there you need to relieve yourself. Keep him away for as long as you can… Tell him you’ve got cramps or something.’

‘Why?’

Tell her she will see her betrothed tonight if she does exactly what you ask,
Leif said.

‘I met your betrothed, Nyrie.’

‘Brant.’ Tears filled her eyes.

‘He thinks he’s lost you, and the baby too. But if you do what I say, you’ll be back in his arms before sunrise. Now quickly, do it, and remember to keep him away as long as you can.’

As she opened her mouth, a visit to the parents of a missing girl popped into my head. I held up my hand. ‘Wait, before you go, is there a girl called Harp here?’

Nyrie pointed to a cage where a blonde girl lay curled sleeping.

My heart skipped with joy. ‘Call him now,’ I said.

Nyrie wiped the tears from her eyes then called Antos over and made her request. He looked at me and shook his head as he told her no.

‘Oh quickly, quickly!’ Nyrie cried as I told him I was all right. ‘I can’t wait.’ She held her pregnant belly in her arms, rocking.

Antos watched me a moment longer then unlocked her cage. The moment they were in the tunnel, I was out of the gate and across the room, scrabbling through what remained of Leif’s pants. I found the blade in a small pocket in the seam. I took it out and gripped it between my teeth as I heaved the crate beneath Leif’s feet and got up. He lifted his knees and, using his body as a ladder, I climbed up to reach his hands. My arms were weak, my head spinning, panic blurring my vision as I sawed at the vines like crazy.

I can’t do it, Leif!

You can, my darling, just relax.

I could hear Antos coming back down the passage, heard Nyrie stumble and curse, giving me extra seconds. I sawed as fast I could, the last piece of vine finally snapping. Leif landed on his feet with a grimace, hands still tightly bound. A beat later Antos appeared with Nyrie, but before he had time to even open his mouth, Leif was across the cave, his arms around the Shadow Fae’s neck. A moment later, Antos collapsed to the floor.

Leif came back and held his arms before me and, as I worked to release him, he said, ‘When you’re done, Marla, help me unlock the cages, but tell the occupants to remain inside.’

When the bonds finally fell away Leif took the key from Antos’ body and together we set the captives free.

‘Do any of you have use of your wings?’ Leif asked the near hysterical Fae.

They all answered they did not.

Leif released an exasperated sigh. ‘In a moment I’m going to call King Telophy. The Shadow King won’t be far away and will sense my father coming but he will believe the cages locked still and you will be safe.’

Leif hid me beneath the crate before propping Antos’ body against it. Then he called for his father, body tensed as he waited. A fraction of a moment later, Mirresen appeared from above, face snarling and wings pulsing and glittering with Leif’s blood, obliterating the starlight above him. A group of Shadow Fae came through the roof after him.

‘Seize the girl!’ the Shadow King roared as he flew at Leif, dagger in hand—not Jack’s dagger, I noticed. He retracted his wings as he dove to the floor, attempting to stab Leif’s left foot, his blade glistening with Betadine. Leif leapt out of reach, dancing around him. But the Shadow King was relentless and
soon found his mark. Leif hollered as the blade skewered his foot. Mirresen hesitated, giving Leif a window of opportunity. With an almighty roar, Leif kicked Mirresen in the face, sending him hurtling across the cave. I had a moment’s relief but then the Shadow King was back, bellowing at his men to hurry up and find me. He’d given up on Leif’s feet now and was stabbing at his body indiscriminately. Leif cried out each time the blade met with his flesh, more and more blood running down his body. Knowing it would make it worse for him if I was found I wiggled further into the shadows under the crate, a hand clasped to my mouth to stop myself from screaming.

When the Shadow Fae realised I wasn’t in any of the cages, they began searching tunnels and tearing the room apart—leaves and furs flew everywhere as they tipped up bench seats and overturned tables. And then a Shadow Fae’s eyes met mine through the gaps in the wood. I had been discovered.

As he lurched towards me, a Fae man stumbled out of his cage, launching himself at the creature and throwing his arms around its neck. The monster tried to shake free but the angry man only tightened his grasp, wrapping his legs around its body. With a mighty heave the Shadow Fae threw his shoulders back, but before the Fae man could fall, Harp was out of her cage, tearing the diamond from the creature’s neck and thrusting it into its throat.

The Fae were leaving their cages to take on the Shadow Fae and help their prince. Soon the only one not fighting was the pregnant Nyrie, who’d returned to her cage and was rocking and holding her belly. The Fae fought their way to the Shadow King, who was forced to flick them aside like insects as they attacked, giving Leif more time.

But my betrothed was weakening. I could see it in his movements and hear it in his groans. After a while he wasn’t
even fighting back, but just trying to shield his body. When the Shadow King kicked him to his back and all Leif could do was hold up a hand I couldn’t stop myself from throwing off the crate and running to him. I screamed as the Shadow King lifted the dagger and thrust it towards Leif’s heart. But before the blade could penetrate my betrothed’s flesh, lightning struck beside him and King Telophy was there, the Shadow King’s arm dangling from his hand. The king loomed enormous above Mirresen, who was writhing on the floor of the cave as he tried to staunch the flow of blood from his shoulder.