Cursed Rebel, page 15
My hands shook and my stomach was in knots. Fin’s hold on my arm was the only thing keeping me from turning to run. I gathered all my strength and spoke to the King.
“Sir, I know why I’ve been brought here. I know what my grandmother did to you years ago. I don’t know her reasons, and I don’t condone her actions, but I beg you not to kill me for them. I was unaware of my power until I came here, to this world. I don’t know yet how to use it, but if you give me time, I can learn. I can figure out how to reverse what my grandmother did.”
His bright eyes narrowed. “Fallow, is this true? That she was unaware of her magic?”
Fin bowed his head. “Yes, Sir, I believe so.”
“Is her power as great as her grandmother’s?”
“Yes, Sir. Possibly greater.”
“Then, given time, she could do what she has claimed?”
Fin hesitated. “I…”
He gritted his teeth, and my heart sank. He couldn’t lie to his King, but he wanted to. I could see it. He wanted to say yes, he wanted to save me, but his Sithe blood prevented it.
“I don’t know, Sir. She has no knowledge of basic magic. It would take years, I believe…”
The King steepled his fingers, his brow furrowed. “I do not have years. The Queen plans to move against me soon. I need my power returned to me now. I cannot wait. Your request is denied, little witch-mage. Fallow, take her to the cells. She can wait there until the time of the execution upon sunset.”
** Fin **
Lucy awaited her death, alone in a cell, and he was the one who’d put her there. The guards had ushered him out of the prison block as soon as Lucy was behind bars. He wished he could be there to wait with her, comfort her. Better yet, he wished he could break the King’s face and steal Lucy away to the Tangle where she’d be safe.
There was nothing he could do but wait. Wait for the girl he loved to be put to death. He wasn’t sure how he would live after that, knowing it was his fault she was gone, knowing he’d been too weak to deny the King’s orders.
He sat in an alcove in a random hallway, his head buried in his hands, his mind churning. The sound of music floated up from the Great Hall, where a party was taking place, celebrating the coming return of the King’s power and the death of the Mage. It was almost unbearable to Fin.
“It’s unlike you to give up so easily, my friend.”
Fin jerked his head up to find Pan standing in front of him, his hands folded behind his back. “Pan…where have you been? Lucy is in the cells. There has to be a way to get her out. If you go down there—”
Pan clicked his tongue. “You and I both know the guards won’t let me near her.”
Fin’s face crumpled. “Bu there has to be a way.”
With a sigh, Pan sat down beside him in the alcove, his short goat legs dangling above the floor. “There is. The only way to save her is to kill her yourself.”
Fin blanched. “What? I’m not going to—”
“You have to. It’s the only way.”
“Pan!”
“Fallow! Do you really want her to face her death alone, at the hands of the King’s axeman?” Pan pointed out.
Fin pressed his hands to his eyes. He felt as if he was breaking apart inside. “No. I don’t want her to die at all.”
“Tough. There’s no way around it.” Pan took his hands form behind his back and held out a small, rough fruit, no bigger than a grape, but the colour of fresh blood speckled with green dots. It was a Corpse Berry. They were incredibly rare and hard to find—evidently, Pan had gone looking for one as soon as they’d returned from the Winter Castle.
“Take it. It’s the only way to save her.”
Fin gingerly picked up the berry and put it in his pocket. He closed his eyes and whispered, “Thank you, Pan.”
Pan grinned. “It’s what I do. Now, go and kill the love of your life before it’s too late.”
Chapter Twenty Four
** Lucy **
The cells in the Summer Palace were a little nicer than the ones in the Winter Castle. There was a wooden bench to sit on, and the bars were made of woven vines. The smell of pine and dirt hung in the air, and at least it was cosy. I was having less trouble breathing, too.
As anxious as I was not to die, I was exhausted, and the warmth was making me sleepy. I must have dozed off for a bit, because when I opened my eyes, Fin was standing on the other side of the bars, and he was smiling. For a moment, I thought I was dreaming.
Then I heard one of the guards say, “Hurry up. The execution is in half an hour. If you’ve got to feed her, feed her already.”
Fin turned his head, his smile fading quickly and said, “The King’s orders were to make sure she doesn’t die just yet. She looks like she might give up the ghost any second. Did you even give her water? She’s human. They’re a lot more fragile than we are. Go on, go get her some water!”
There was some shuffling and grumbling, then the sound of a door slamming. Fin turned his attention back to me and stuck his hand through a gap in the bars. He was holding a small platter with a cover over it. “Take it quickly, Snowdrop. I’m getting you out of here.”
I stood and took the platter, pulling off the cover. Underneath, there was one small red berry. I raised an eyebrow at Fin. “Yum?”
He snorted. “Eat it. The whole thing.”
Suspicious, I picked up the berry and sniffed it. It had a sharp smell. I nibbled the edge, and discovered it tasted just as sharp. I wrinkled my face, unimpressed. “How is this going to get me out of here?”
Footsteps sounded from the hallway. Fin hissed, “Just eat it. Now!”
I shoved the berry in my mouth and swallowed it, almost without chewing. Immediately, my hands went numb, and I dropped the platter. My vision blurred, and I could just make out the triumph on Fin’s face. You bastard, I thought. You played me. He’d never loved me, never intended to save me. He’d just killed me himself.
Grandma had been right, I shouldn’t have trusted him.
I fell to my knees, my chest constricting. I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t feel my body. My vision was going black. I felt as if I was floating in darkness, sounds echoing in my ears…and then nothingness.
** Fin **
He watched Lucy die on the floor of her cell, the betrayal on her face cutting him deep. She thought he’d killed her—technically he had, but not for long. The Corpse Berry was a temporary poison that stopped the heart just until the poison broke down in the body. Once the poison faded, her heart would start again. Hopefully, she would stay dead until he convinced the King the curse was broken, and he could remove Lucy’s body from the Palace.
The guard returned, carrying a wooden jug of water, but when he saw Lucy lying lifeless on the floor of her cell, he dropped the jug and rushed to the bars. He fumbled with his keys and unlocked the cell door, lunging inside. He checked Lucy’s pulse and breathing and turned horrified eyes on Fin.
“She’s dead! What happened?”
Fin tried to look surprised. “I don’t know! She ate the bread I gave her, and then she just collapsed!”
“The King is going to be so angry. You! You’re his messenger boy! You can tell him!”
“Me? But I—”
“Go now! Or I’ll tell him you poisoned her!”
Fin made a terrified face and scrambled away. He was loath to leave Lucy’s body with that oaf, but he had no choice. He had to tell the King his Mage was dead. He would go back for Lucy afterwards.
As the guard had predicted, the King was not happy to find out his Mage had died before he had a chance to publicly execute her. “I demand answers! You were supposed to be watching her! How did this happen?”
The Great Hall was empty, except for the King, the prison guard, and Fin. Lucy’s body lay on the floor in front of the throne. She was pale and limp, her hair spread out around her like an inky halo. Fin’s heart ached to see her that way—she had been so full of life, so ferocious, since the second he’d met her. It was unnatural for her to lie so quietly.
The guard stuttered. “I-I don’t know, Sir. I left the room for only a minute to get her some water.”
“You left the room!”
“I thought–”
“Who told you to think?” The King bellowed.
“Sir…” The guard squeaked.
“Leave me! Now!” he commanded.
The guard scurried out of the Hall as fast as he could.
The King turned his powerful glare on Fin. “Fallow! Tell me what happened!”
Fin straightened up and prepared to skirt around the truth, avoiding any actual lies, which would not pass his lips. “I went to the cells to check on the Mage. She collapsed suddenly, but the guard was out of the room. I could do nothing until the guard came back with the keys, and by then, it was clear she was dead. We couldn’t revive her.”
“So you have no idea why she dropped dead all of a sudden?” The King pressed.
Fin chose his words carefully. “Humans are so fragile. And, after her run-in with the Queen, I noticed she was coughing up blood. There are any number of things which could have caused the Mage to die.” All true.
The King growled. “The Queen. This is her doing, I’m sure. She did something to the girl,” he grumbled.
Fin said nothing, choosing to let the King make his own conclusions.
“Evil bitch. Always ruining my plans.”
“Sir,” Fin said cautiously, “if I may? Although her death was untimely, there is no getting around the fact that the Mage is dead, therefore, your curse is broken.”
The King brightened. “Yes, you’re right. I almost forgot. I should test my power to be sure, of course. Bring that guard back in here.” A cold smile curled the King’s lips.
Fin felt a little sick, but went to the doors of the Hall and found the guard standing just outside, trembling. “His Majesty wishes to see you again.”
The guard looked terrified, as he should, but he followed Fin back into the Great Hall anyway. As he stopped at the edge of the dais, the King lifted a hand and flicked it at the guard without warning. In an instant, the guard was replaced with a spindly-legged Arachnirat—a cross between a tarantula and a rat. Hideous creatures, they were.
The Arachnirat, which had been a guard a moment before, scuttled away into the shadows under the dais. The King belly laughed, the sound booming around the Hall. “Brilliant! Let’s see the Queen try to overthrow me this year! I’ll turn her into the same horrible creature!”
Fin forced a smile. “Very good, Sir. It’s good to see you back to full power.”
Pleased, the King wriggled his fingers. “Yes, it feels good. I appreciate your help, Fallow. You have been a faithful servant all these painful years. I believe you are due for a small break. Remove this corpse and take a week to yourself. You are dismissed.”
Fin bowed gratefully and lifted Lucy’s body into his arms. She weighed hardly anything, despite being—no pun intended—dead weight. He carried her out of a servant exit and across the Palace grounds, eager to reach the Tangle, where they would both be safe.
Chapter Twenty Five
** Lucy **
I was indubitably surprised to wake up with a blue-skinned pixie in my face. In fact, I was somewhat surprised to wake up at all. I blinked, and the pixie made a shrill sound before disappearing in a puff of blue smoke.
“Fallow, she’s awake!”
I sat up slowly, feeling groggy and weak, but most definitely alive. Pan was crouching a few feet away, looking relieved.
He smiled at me. “Hello, sleepy head.”
I tried to smile back, but my mouth felt numb, as if I’d been to the dentist. “Hi, Pan.”
“Take it easy. The effects are still wearing off,” he warned.
“Effects of what?” Frowning, I tried to remember what had happened. The last thing I remembered was…being in a cell…and Fin making me eat some weird fruit.
Pan fiddled with the panpipes around his neck. “The Corpse Berry. It stopped your heart for long enough to make the King think you were dead—for good. Fin got you out.”
“Wait, what?” I rubbed my face. “My heart stopped? I was dead?”
Pan shrugged sheepishly. “Only temporarily.”
Fin appeared from the trees, looking tired and worried. His red hair was a mess of leaves, as if he’d been rolling in the dirt. “Snowdrop,” he breathed.
I glared at him. “You killed me!”
He made the same sheepish face Pan had. “Only temporarily.”
I growled. “If I had the energy right now, I would slap you. Both of you!”
Surprisingly, Fin laughed. His eyes creased at the corners, and he bent double. “It’s…so good to see you…awake again,” he rasped between chuckles.
His laughter made me smile, and I rolled my eyes. He knelt in front of me and placed his hands on my face. His eyes shone. “I mean it. It was agony seeing you without life. I don’t know what I’d have done if you hadn’t woken up.”
I blushed, knowing Pan was still within earshot. “How long was I out?”
“Just over two days.”
“Wow.” I wondered how long had passed in the human world. Surely, a few days at least. My mother would be frantic. But I couldn’t leave yet. I had a promise to keep.
I raised my eyes to Fin’s. “Fallow,” I whispered. “It’s time to break your curse.”
He blinked. “How?”
“With a little magic,” I said.
“But how do you know—”
“I just do. I can feel it. Hold out your hand.”
He did as I said, holding out his right hand, palm up.
“Do you have a knife?” I asked.
Fin pulled out a short dagger from the sheath on his hip. I took it and gently sliced a line across his palm, just deep enough to draw a few drops of blood. Then I did the same to my hand. I clasped my fingers through his, our blood mixing, and closed my eyes. I felt the magic rising inside me, like a wave of adrenaline. I didn’t know where it had come from, or how I suddenly knew how to use it—it was like dying temporarily had triggered something inside me.
I felt the magic spread along my arms and into Fin’s hand and body. I knew exactly how to work it, how to make it do what I wanted. It was as natural as breathing.
I let go of Fin’s hand and sat back.
He opened his eyes and asked warily, “What did you just do?”
I shrugged. “I mixed your magic with mine to dilute the King’s power over you. He can use your True Name all he likes, and you’ll feel it when he does, but he won’t be able to control you with it.”
He looked sceptical. I sighed. “Do something you couldn’t do before. Tell me about my Grandma, or how you—”
“I love you.”
“—and Ryder became…wait, what? What did you just say?” My eyes widened as his words registered.
Fin looked as surprised as I did. “I said…I love you. I couldn’t say it before. It was true, but I couldn’t say it. The King’s order stopped me…” He let out a startled laugh. “You did it. Whatever you did, it worked. I love you.”
I covered my mouth with my hand. “You mean it? Stupid question, of course you do. You can’t lie.”
He leaned forward and kissed me briefly. “Yes, I mean it. I love you, Snowdrop. And now I’m free. I never have to steal innocent girls away from their homes again.” He sounded so happy.
I forced a smile. “I guess it’s time for me to go home then.”
He stopped smiling suddenly. “What? Why? I’m free! You’re free! We can be together. Unless…you don’t feel…”
I touched his face. “Fin…of course I love you too. But this isn’t my world. I can’t stay here. I need to go home to my family, my friends and school…”
Fin sighed. “I know…I’d just hoped that after everything, you’d want to stay.”
“This place isn’t safe for me, and we both know it. If I stayed, how long would it be until the King found out I’m not really dead? How long until Ryder found me again? Or some other creature tricked me or killed me? I need to go, Fin. But I still want to see you again.”
He nodded. “I’ll visit you every week. I promise.”
He’d promised. He couldn’t break that promise. I smiled. “Good. I have to admit, I might actually miss this place…”
“You know,” Fin said, his eyes taking on a wicked gleam, “It’s only been a few hours on Earth. Your mother hasn’t even noticed you’re gone. Sunrise isn’t for another half hour…that’s like two days here.”
I bit my lip. “In that case, I might be able to stay…just a little longer.”
He smirked. “Mm-hmm,” he murmured.
He leaned forward, and my heart started racing in anticipation. My eyes fluttered shut as his lips met mine. This time, there was nothing in our way.
I may have broken my promise to my Grandmother, the promise that I’d never go with a faery. But somehow, I didn’t think she’d mind.
Epilogue
** Lucy **
It had been three months since my trip to the Faery world, and my mother was finally letting me out of the house again. Apparently while I’d spent weeks in the Fae world, it had been two days in the Human world. Mum had called every friend, and the school, looking for me. Even the police got involved – I’m not sure they really bought my excuse that I’d gone to sleepover with a friend, and that I had no idea how the note I’d left had gone missing.
Of course, my alibi was shaky since I couldn’t give them an address for the Fae world, but I did manage to get Finn to corroborate my story, by saying he was the friend I was camping with, and – for my mum’s benefit – that he was also entirely gay.
While she was suspicious at first, Mum soon took to Finn. How could anyone not like him? He was gorgeous, charming, funny...
I had to struggle not to laugh every time he came round and Mum asked him if he’d gotten himself a boyfriend yet. To his credit, Finn was very good at pretending to be gay...at least until we were alone.
