Shadowfever
Page 98
What now? His fascinated gaze kept sliding between the frail woman in his arms and the interior of the dark fortress.
Now we head for the Silver in the kings boudoir, I said.
Why? I cant go through and neither can she.
I can. And I can get help and bring them back to the mirror to talk to you. Well make plans to get you out, figure out how and where to meet.
He cocked his head and studied me a moment. Theres a thing you should know, lass. My truth sensor works just fine here in the Unseelie prison.
So?
What you just said wasnt truth.
Im going to go through the mirror. Truth? I said impatiently.
He nodded.
And Im going to get help and bring them back for you. Truth?
He nodded again.
Then what the hell is the problem? I had a lot on my mind. Delays were untenable. Standing still, my mind began to think. I needed to keep moving. I couldnt bear to look at the woman in his arms. Couldnt handle thinking what looking at her made me think.
His eyes narrowed. They were full black again. There was a time when it would have made me nervous, but I doubted anything would make me nervous ever again. I was beyond stress, beyond fear, beyond reach.
Tell me you plan to save me, he ordered.
That was easy. With each passing day, I understood Jericho better. People didnt ask the right questions. And if you answered enough of their wrong ones, by the time they ever got around to a right one, you could just snap their head off and shut them up. How many times had he done that to me? I was developing a grudging respect for his tactics. Especially now that I had something to hide.
I plan to save you, I said, and I didnt need a truth detector to hear the ring of sincerity in my voice. And I will do it as quickly as possible. It will be my priority to get you out of here. It would. I needed him. More than Id ever understood.
Truth.
Then whats the problem?
I dont know. Something. He shifted the queen in his arms.
She wore a sparkling white gown. I knew that dress. Whod selected it for her? Had she chosen it? How and why? I refused to look at her. I snapped my gaze from her dress to Christians face.
Tell me again why you screamed, he fished.
He was getting too close for comfort. But I knew this game. Barrons had taught me well. I was frightened.
Truth. Why?
Oh, for heavens sake, Christian, I told you already! Are we going to stand here all day while you interrogate me, or are we going to get out of here? Beyond the fortress, the avalanche crashed and roared. It wasnothing like the roar I felt building in me. She wasnt what I expected, okay? That was certainly the truth! Even though you told me it was her in the coffin, I expected it to be the Unseelie King, I tossed, to get him off the scent.
There was just enough sincerity in what Id said to appease him. But barely. If youre somehow lying to me he warned.
Hed do what? By the time he figured out what I was doing, itd be too late. Besides, I really wasnt someone he wanted to be threatening, no matter who he was turning into or how powerful he was becoming. Id just found out I was way more terrifying than anything he could possibly be turning into.
The kings bedchamber is this way, I said coolly. And dont threaten me. Im sick of being used and pushed around.
Christian dallied. There was no other word for it. He was fascinated by the Unseelie Kings fortress, and his Keltar duties as Fae lorekeeper had been bred into him since birth, despite any misgivings he might have about what was happening to him. He took detailed mental notes on everything he saw, to pass on later to his clan. I was glad he didnt have pen or paper, or I might never have gotten him to the mirror. Look at this, Mac! What do you think it means?
I glanced unwillingly where he pointed. It was a door that was much smaller than the others. There was an inscription above the arch. It was a powerful ward. The king had kept things in there hed never wanted loosed on the world. The ward had been broken long ago. Great. I just hoped they werent on my world. I resumed walking, staring straight ahead, retracing my earlier steps. Unlike Christian, I didnt want to see a damned thing.
Youll have time to look around when Im gone, I said.
Ill need to stay close to the Silver to know when you return.
Well, move a little faster, okay? We have no idea how times passing out in the real world. You slow it down, I speed it up.
Maybe well split the difference.
Maybe. Would enough time have passed that Barrons would be alive again? Standing at the mirror, waiting for me? Or had so much time passed that hed have given up? Moved on to other tasks?
Id know in a few minutes.
Shes not breathing, he said.
Neither are we, I said drily.
But I think shes alive. I can feel her.
Good. We need her. Through here, I said.
Moments later I stepped into the comforting darkness of the Unseelie Kings boudoir, where the dark maker of the Court of Shadows had restedhed never sleptand fucked, and dreamed.
Now we head for the Silver in the kings boudoir, I said.
Why? I cant go through and neither can she.
I can. And I can get help and bring them back to the mirror to talk to you. Well make plans to get you out, figure out how and where to meet.
He cocked his head and studied me a moment. Theres a thing you should know, lass. My truth sensor works just fine here in the Unseelie prison.
So?
What you just said wasnt truth.
Im going to go through the mirror. Truth? I said impatiently.
He nodded.
And Im going to get help and bring them back for you. Truth?
He nodded again.
Then what the hell is the problem? I had a lot on my mind. Delays were untenable. Standing still, my mind began to think. I needed to keep moving. I couldnt bear to look at the woman in his arms. Couldnt handle thinking what looking at her made me think.
His eyes narrowed. They were full black again. There was a time when it would have made me nervous, but I doubted anything would make me nervous ever again. I was beyond stress, beyond fear, beyond reach.
Tell me you plan to save me, he ordered.
That was easy. With each passing day, I understood Jericho better. People didnt ask the right questions. And if you answered enough of their wrong ones, by the time they ever got around to a right one, you could just snap their head off and shut them up. How many times had he done that to me? I was developing a grudging respect for his tactics. Especially now that I had something to hide.
I plan to save you, I said, and I didnt need a truth detector to hear the ring of sincerity in my voice. And I will do it as quickly as possible. It will be my priority to get you out of here. It would. I needed him. More than Id ever understood.
Truth.
Then whats the problem?
I dont know. Something. He shifted the queen in his arms.
She wore a sparkling white gown. I knew that dress. Whod selected it for her? Had she chosen it? How and why? I refused to look at her. I snapped my gaze from her dress to Christians face.
Tell me again why you screamed, he fished.
He was getting too close for comfort. But I knew this game. Barrons had taught me well. I was frightened.
Truth. Why?
Oh, for heavens sake, Christian, I told you already! Are we going to stand here all day while you interrogate me, or are we going to get out of here? Beyond the fortress, the avalanche crashed and roared. It wasnothing like the roar I felt building in me. She wasnt what I expected, okay? That was certainly the truth! Even though you told me it was her in the coffin, I expected it to be the Unseelie King, I tossed, to get him off the scent.
There was just enough sincerity in what Id said to appease him. But barely. If youre somehow lying to me he warned.
Hed do what? By the time he figured out what I was doing, itd be too late. Besides, I really wasnt someone he wanted to be threatening, no matter who he was turning into or how powerful he was becoming. Id just found out I was way more terrifying than anything he could possibly be turning into.
The kings bedchamber is this way, I said coolly. And dont threaten me. Im sick of being used and pushed around.
Christian dallied. There was no other word for it. He was fascinated by the Unseelie Kings fortress, and his Keltar duties as Fae lorekeeper had been bred into him since birth, despite any misgivings he might have about what was happening to him. He took detailed mental notes on everything he saw, to pass on later to his clan. I was glad he didnt have pen or paper, or I might never have gotten him to the mirror. Look at this, Mac! What do you think it means?
I glanced unwillingly where he pointed. It was a door that was much smaller than the others. There was an inscription above the arch. It was a powerful ward. The king had kept things in there hed never wanted loosed on the world. The ward had been broken long ago. Great. I just hoped they werent on my world. I resumed walking, staring straight ahead, retracing my earlier steps. Unlike Christian, I didnt want to see a damned thing.
Youll have time to look around when Im gone, I said.
Ill need to stay close to the Silver to know when you return.
Well, move a little faster, okay? We have no idea how times passing out in the real world. You slow it down, I speed it up.
Maybe well split the difference.
Maybe. Would enough time have passed that Barrons would be alive again? Standing at the mirror, waiting for me? Or had so much time passed that hed have given up? Moved on to other tasks?
Id know in a few minutes.
Shes not breathing, he said.
Neither are we, I said drily.
But I think shes alive. I can feel her.
Good. We need her. Through here, I said.
Moments later I stepped into the comforting darkness of the Unseelie Kings boudoir, where the dark maker of the Court of Shadows had restedhed never sleptand fucked, and dreamed.
