The Iron Warrior
Page 59
“Please,” Annwyl whispered, her eyes filling with tears as she stared at me. “I’m begging you. One more time, Ethan Chase. He is your family, your blood. One last chance.”
I gazed across the field without answering. The knights, now joined by several fey of both Summer and Winter, had finally hacked their way through the bramble wall. As expected, Keirran was nowhere to be found. He’d probably slipped back into the Between as soon as he’d thrown up the distraction and was on his way to the Lady right now. Because we couldn’t stop him.
“You!”
I jumped as Titania’s furious voice rang over the field, but for once, it wasn’t directed at me. The Summer Queen strode across the field, her blazing glare fixed on Mab, who awaited her with ice spreading out from her feet.
“Curse you!” Titania spat, as the air around the two queens swirled into a dangerous cyclone. “Curse your interference, Mab! I had the Iron Prince where I wanted him. I could have stopped him tonight, had you not interfered!”
“That is my grandson,” Mab hissed in return. “The only kin of my last remaining child. I will not have him killed by the likes of you.”
“I warn you, Mab.” Titania drew herself up, eyes flashing. “You are moments from being at war with the Summer Court, as well.”
Mab sneered. “Is that a threat, Summer Queen? Do you think I am afraid of you and your pathetic court?” Her lips curled in a savage, dangerous smile. “Any time you wish to experience the wrath of Winter, we are happy to oblige.”
“Someone needs to stop this,” Kenzie whispered in a warning voice. I couldn’t agree more, but I didn’t want to be the one to step between two pissed-off Faery queens. Titania swelled with fury, wind and lightning screaming around her, and Mab straightened, too, icicles spearing out of the ground to claw the air. They each raised their arms, and the ground started to shake. I whispered a curse, then shoved away from Kenzie.
“Stop it!”
Both queens turned, pinning me with blazing, scary eyes. I strode forward, trying to put distance between myself and Kenzie in case a lightning bolt or ice storm suddenly came my way. “This isn’t the time to fight each other,” I said, glaring at the queens with more bravado than I felt. “If you declare war on the other court, you’ll just be helping the First Queen. You’ll be playing right into her hand, and she’ll be laughing at you all as she takes over the Nevernever and destroys the Veil. Is that what you want?”
“You dare, mortal?” Mab asked softly, and several sharp icicle points turned in my direction. “You dare speak to a queen of Faery like that?”
“Someone has to,” I heard myself saying, and gestured to the torn landscape, suddenly furious myself. “Look around us. If you haven’t noticed by now, Faery is being torn apart, the Veil is being shredded, and the First Queen is still out there while you two are having a pissing contest. I might just be mortal, but my world is being threatened, too. If the Veil goes down, it’ll be hell on earth for everyone, not just the Nevernever. So I’d kinda like to stop that before Keirran and the First Queen unleash the faery apocalypse. And the two of you aren’t helping by being at each other’s throats all the time!”
Several ice spears flew at me, insanely fast. My insides cringed, but I forced myself to stand tall, facing them as they veered off at the last second, sticking into the trees and mud behind me. Mab stared in surprise, and I used that pause to tell my heart it could start beating again.
“What is going on here?”
A surge of energy announced the arrival of the Iron Queen. Meghan strode through the crowd, Oberon beside her, and the throngs of fey quickly fell back. Ignoring Mab and Titania, Meghan walked straight to me, her gaze concerned as she gripped my arms, blue eyes searching.
“Ethan? Are you hurt? What happened?”
“Keirran,” I muttered, and Meghan went rock still. “He was here. I’m sorry, Meghan. I couldn’t stop him.”
“The Iron Prince has fled back to his Lady,” Titania announced, as Meghan squeezed my arms and straightened, turning to face the other rulers. “He has gone into the Between, and we must follow him. Open the Veil,” she ordered, looking at the Thin Man. “This has gone far enough. The Iron Prince and the First Queen will not hide from us any longer. We will go into the Between and find them ourselves. Open the Veil, Forgotten.”
“No,” the Thin Man answered. “I will not.”
Titania stiffened with fury and outrage, but Oberon raised his hand, silencing her outburst. “I will not hasten the destruction of the Veil any more than I already have,” the Thin Man continued. “Bringing any of you—” he gazed around at the four rulers “—into the Between will put too much strain on the Veil. It is already dangerously weak. A surge of power that strong could dissolve it completely.”
“Then what do you expect us to do?” Titania spat. “Sit here and wait for the Forgotten and the Iron Prince to attack again?”
“No,” I said, and stepped forward. “I’m going in after Keirran, right now.”
They all stared at me. “The Forgotten might still be retreating,” I went on. “If we hurry, we might be able to get to him before he reaches the First Queen.”
“We, Ethan Chase?” Mab wondered.
“Yeah.” I nodded at the small group around me. “Me, Annwyl, Kenzie and the Thin Man. We won’t pose a threat to the Veil, and hopefully we’ll be able to slip through the Between without the Forgotten noticing we’re there.”
Meghan frowned. “It’ll be the four of you against the Forgotten, Keirran and the First Queen,” she said. “If you’re discovered, you won’t have a chance. I don’t know if I can let you do this, Ethan.”
“I have to, Meghan.” I faced my sister tiredly. “It was always meant to be me and Keirran in the end. I can’t do anything about the First Queen, or the Forgotten, but I can try to save Keirran.” One way or another.
Meghan sighed. “Are you sure you can do this? Alone?”
“He won’t be alone,” came a deep voice, as Ash, Puck and the Wolf padded up together. I froze as Ash turned his cool gaze on us. “We’re going with him,” the dark faery said, his firm voice leaving no room for argument. “If we can find the First Queen, we might be able to stop her.”
“Yep,” Puck agreed, lacing his hands behind his skull. “And hopefully, our illustrious presence won’t make the Between go wonky and poof out of existence.” He glanced at the Thin Man. “That won’t be a problem, right, Slim Shady?”
The Thin Man frowned. “It might,” he said uncertainly. “Two legends and a former Winter prince? I don’t know if the Between will be able to take it.”
“Risk it,” Ash said, narrowing his eyes. “This is our best and only chance to reach Keirran and the First Queen. If she won’t come to us, we’ll have to go to her.”
“And if it destroys the Veil in the process?”
Someone yawned, loudly and mockingly, a few feet away.
“I do not think you have to worry about that,” purred Grimalkin, appearing on a nearby shattered stump. Curling his tail around his feet, he regarded us lazily. “The Veil will survive,” he stated in a bored voice. “Regardless of what he might believe, Robin Goodfellow is not going to be throwing around the power of a king or queen of Faery. The dog’s strength comes from story and legend. He has no magic of his own except the annoying ability to not die when he should. And the former Winter prince is no longer fey, not completely. Taking them into the Between will be a risk, but it might be your best option for any hope of victory tonight.”
I gazed across the field without answering. The knights, now joined by several fey of both Summer and Winter, had finally hacked their way through the bramble wall. As expected, Keirran was nowhere to be found. He’d probably slipped back into the Between as soon as he’d thrown up the distraction and was on his way to the Lady right now. Because we couldn’t stop him.
“You!”
I jumped as Titania’s furious voice rang over the field, but for once, it wasn’t directed at me. The Summer Queen strode across the field, her blazing glare fixed on Mab, who awaited her with ice spreading out from her feet.
“Curse you!” Titania spat, as the air around the two queens swirled into a dangerous cyclone. “Curse your interference, Mab! I had the Iron Prince where I wanted him. I could have stopped him tonight, had you not interfered!”
“That is my grandson,” Mab hissed in return. “The only kin of my last remaining child. I will not have him killed by the likes of you.”
“I warn you, Mab.” Titania drew herself up, eyes flashing. “You are moments from being at war with the Summer Court, as well.”
Mab sneered. “Is that a threat, Summer Queen? Do you think I am afraid of you and your pathetic court?” Her lips curled in a savage, dangerous smile. “Any time you wish to experience the wrath of Winter, we are happy to oblige.”
“Someone needs to stop this,” Kenzie whispered in a warning voice. I couldn’t agree more, but I didn’t want to be the one to step between two pissed-off Faery queens. Titania swelled with fury, wind and lightning screaming around her, and Mab straightened, too, icicles spearing out of the ground to claw the air. They each raised their arms, and the ground started to shake. I whispered a curse, then shoved away from Kenzie.
“Stop it!”
Both queens turned, pinning me with blazing, scary eyes. I strode forward, trying to put distance between myself and Kenzie in case a lightning bolt or ice storm suddenly came my way. “This isn’t the time to fight each other,” I said, glaring at the queens with more bravado than I felt. “If you declare war on the other court, you’ll just be helping the First Queen. You’ll be playing right into her hand, and she’ll be laughing at you all as she takes over the Nevernever and destroys the Veil. Is that what you want?”
“You dare, mortal?” Mab asked softly, and several sharp icicle points turned in my direction. “You dare speak to a queen of Faery like that?”
“Someone has to,” I heard myself saying, and gestured to the torn landscape, suddenly furious myself. “Look around us. If you haven’t noticed by now, Faery is being torn apart, the Veil is being shredded, and the First Queen is still out there while you two are having a pissing contest. I might just be mortal, but my world is being threatened, too. If the Veil goes down, it’ll be hell on earth for everyone, not just the Nevernever. So I’d kinda like to stop that before Keirran and the First Queen unleash the faery apocalypse. And the two of you aren’t helping by being at each other’s throats all the time!”
Several ice spears flew at me, insanely fast. My insides cringed, but I forced myself to stand tall, facing them as they veered off at the last second, sticking into the trees and mud behind me. Mab stared in surprise, and I used that pause to tell my heart it could start beating again.
“What is going on here?”
A surge of energy announced the arrival of the Iron Queen. Meghan strode through the crowd, Oberon beside her, and the throngs of fey quickly fell back. Ignoring Mab and Titania, Meghan walked straight to me, her gaze concerned as she gripped my arms, blue eyes searching.
“Ethan? Are you hurt? What happened?”
“Keirran,” I muttered, and Meghan went rock still. “He was here. I’m sorry, Meghan. I couldn’t stop him.”
“The Iron Prince has fled back to his Lady,” Titania announced, as Meghan squeezed my arms and straightened, turning to face the other rulers. “He has gone into the Between, and we must follow him. Open the Veil,” she ordered, looking at the Thin Man. “This has gone far enough. The Iron Prince and the First Queen will not hide from us any longer. We will go into the Between and find them ourselves. Open the Veil, Forgotten.”
“No,” the Thin Man answered. “I will not.”
Titania stiffened with fury and outrage, but Oberon raised his hand, silencing her outburst. “I will not hasten the destruction of the Veil any more than I already have,” the Thin Man continued. “Bringing any of you—” he gazed around at the four rulers “—into the Between will put too much strain on the Veil. It is already dangerously weak. A surge of power that strong could dissolve it completely.”
“Then what do you expect us to do?” Titania spat. “Sit here and wait for the Forgotten and the Iron Prince to attack again?”
“No,” I said, and stepped forward. “I’m going in after Keirran, right now.”
They all stared at me. “The Forgotten might still be retreating,” I went on. “If we hurry, we might be able to get to him before he reaches the First Queen.”
“We, Ethan Chase?” Mab wondered.
“Yeah.” I nodded at the small group around me. “Me, Annwyl, Kenzie and the Thin Man. We won’t pose a threat to the Veil, and hopefully we’ll be able to slip through the Between without the Forgotten noticing we’re there.”
Meghan frowned. “It’ll be the four of you against the Forgotten, Keirran and the First Queen,” she said. “If you’re discovered, you won’t have a chance. I don’t know if I can let you do this, Ethan.”
“I have to, Meghan.” I faced my sister tiredly. “It was always meant to be me and Keirran in the end. I can’t do anything about the First Queen, or the Forgotten, but I can try to save Keirran.” One way or another.
Meghan sighed. “Are you sure you can do this? Alone?”
“He won’t be alone,” came a deep voice, as Ash, Puck and the Wolf padded up together. I froze as Ash turned his cool gaze on us. “We’re going with him,” the dark faery said, his firm voice leaving no room for argument. “If we can find the First Queen, we might be able to stop her.”
“Yep,” Puck agreed, lacing his hands behind his skull. “And hopefully, our illustrious presence won’t make the Between go wonky and poof out of existence.” He glanced at the Thin Man. “That won’t be a problem, right, Slim Shady?”
The Thin Man frowned. “It might,” he said uncertainly. “Two legends and a former Winter prince? I don’t know if the Between will be able to take it.”
“Risk it,” Ash said, narrowing his eyes. “This is our best and only chance to reach Keirran and the First Queen. If she won’t come to us, we’ll have to go to her.”
“And if it destroys the Veil in the process?”
Someone yawned, loudly and mockingly, a few feet away.
“I do not think you have to worry about that,” purred Grimalkin, appearing on a nearby shattered stump. Curling his tail around his feet, he regarded us lazily. “The Veil will survive,” he stated in a bored voice. “Regardless of what he might believe, Robin Goodfellow is not going to be throwing around the power of a king or queen of Faery. The dog’s strength comes from story and legend. He has no magic of his own except the annoying ability to not die when he should. And the former Winter prince is no longer fey, not completely. Taking them into the Between will be a risk, but it might be your best option for any hope of victory tonight.”
