(Cambion 04) Have No Mercy, page 4
Chapter Six
A colorless sky filled the expanse of my vision when I opened my eyes. The pillow under my neck was a strangely familiar chest and all too comfortable. I shifted my weight, and Flynn's arm tightened around me.
"Where are you headed?" His voice sounded rough around the edges.
"Nowhere." And anywhere, I didn't add. I needed to get away from him. Our connection hadn't dulled during our nap in the haven we'd been left in.
I pried myself away. I couldn't be next to him unless I allow myself to feel, and I felt too much already. When I stood, I caught sight of the changes that had taken place in our slumber.
"Flynn," I gasped. He lay prone with one arm folded behind his head. His hair had grown out some, his faux Mohawk disappearing some in the length. Why was I noticing now?
I jerked my head back to the view the change in landscape not wanting to examine why I was taking in Flynn’s finer details.
"What the hell," he exclaimed. My headed volleyed back in his direction. He was up on his feet taking in the sight.
Our thoughts were in sync. Red leaves layered half of the ground before us including most of the circumference of the island oasis we'd found refuge on. But the barest edge behind where we'd lain was carpeted in what looked like blue crystals.
We didn't have long to decipher the sight before us when we heard thunderous hooves approaching us. We moved together, Flynn taking a protective step towards me. He angled his body in front of me prepared for war if his chilling gaze were any indicator.
A freaky red, black and gold ornate carriage straight out of the Cinderella fairytale came to a roaring stop in front of us but didn't cross the threshold on the dirt ground we stepped on. I ignored the sleek black beast with red eyes in favor of the red leaves being crushed under their weight of their hooves. It felt wrong for them to callously cause pain to the little guys as if their pain was my own.
Apparently, my disregard of the woman in voluminous red was a mistake. A shrill voice erupted from her mouth immediately snapping my attention to her face.
"What a wonderful day for guest." Her smile was disingenuous as it didn't reach past her cheekbones. Her dark eyes spoke of more insidious things. I glanced down to the bouquet of red roses that were draped around her as if they were a couture dress. All the color surrounding her made it abundantly clear she wasn’t the Lady in White I sought.
Flynn and I took a step back. We weren't scared as much as we had no idea of the enemy that was standing before us. The women with a mop of carrot colored curls atop her head took a proprietary step forward. She loomed over us and would have blotted out the sun if there had been one in the azure sky.
My neck craned back to take in the woman or fairy that stood before me. Her eyes swirled like golden fire lit them from inside.
"You absolutely must join me for dinner."
I found my footing matching Flynn's as we took another step in the opposite direction.
A cartoonish smile curved her mouth. In a deeper and sincere voice, she said with forced sincerity, "You have nothing to fear."
Intuition said otherwise. I was groping for words when I was saved by the now familiar sound of horses approaching from our flank. I turned to look behind me while Flynn kept his eyes forward.
A white carriage with light blue and gold leaf design inspired by the same fairytale as the other one carried a formidable woman at the reigns. She could only be described as an ice queen. She came to a stop with tinkles from what had to be the blue crystals under all their combined weight. She released the reigns and sprang to the ground. Dressed in a white gown made from delicate feathers, it poured all the way down her even her feet. Instantly, I guessed she was the woman we were looking for.
"Tatiana," The ice queen crooned. Her sapphire eyes glittered while she licked lips that were the faintly pink. And that was the only color anywhere on her. Her strapless dress dragged on the dirt floor as she moved perilously closer. Straight hair as white as freshly fallen snow covered milky skin that was ghostly pale and vampire like.
"Madeline," the fiery woman said no longer hiding her disgust.
My head flipped between them wondering who would win in a battle.
Tatiana continued not aware of my inner musings. "These are my guest under the rules of Fairy. Summer controls the lands and will do so for yet some time."
Madeline put a finger to her lips. A sharp nail tipped in ivory like claws edged the bottom of her nose. "Ah yes, dear sister. But it wasn't I that called me forth. I wouldn't have interfered if my lands hadn't been summoned to the forbidden desert."
Tatiana turned her deadly stare on us. I swallowed wondering how to handle this situation. "Is this true? Did you seek out the lands of Winter?"
How to answer? I considered putting a finger to my lips in thought. However, I didn't think Madeline would take kindly to the idea of being mocked.
"It is true. We did come to visit the Winter land." I was extremely proud that my voice didn’t shake.
Icy hands landed on both our shoulders freezing us for a second in place. A tug forced us to step backward towards the hum of the crystals. I wasn't sure how I knew the faint sound was coming from them other than it was a new one since we woke up to the change in our scenery.
Tatiana didn’t give up. She lunged forward, but Madeline had us on the blue crystals and out of reach in the nick of time. Unfortunately, we were out of the feral grip of the Summer Queen, but we weren’t exactly safe where we stood either. I glanced down to see blood leak out from a cut just above the knobby bone in my foot. And the vibration and hum from the blue crystals ratcheted up once as the red trailed over them.
"Come children, you carriage waits."
Madeline’s smile was huge and covered her face in victory. Her eyes glimmered in delight. I wasn't sure that was a good thing she was genuinely pleased to have us in her clutches.
"I didn't know you were forced to run errands these days, dear sister," Tatiana sneered and hovered on the border of the collision of the two lands.
"Awe yes, sister, but I came because you were here. Apparently you are running short of underlines."
Madeline held the door to the carriage open as we entered. It was round in the way of a pumpkin. As they continued friendly banter, I wondered just when midnight would come to turn our fairytale into a nightmare.
"I was out surveying my land ensuring the safety of those beneath me. What is your excuse sister?" Tatiana words although innocent made a slap worthy amount of impact.
Madeline’s face was mostly out of view by that time. However, from the slice of profile I could see, her features darkened in a way that broached no question regarding her hatred for the other woman before her.
"Your power wanes sister. Winter closes in on Summer long before the compass turns north. Soon, I will rule all of Fairy, and there will be no place for the Summer of old."
The door clicked closed with a loud thwack. A sharp thump landed above as Madeline mounted vampire quick. The wheels lurked forward, and I sat next to Flynn facing forward but unable to see anything outside. What had I’d gotten us into?
Chapter Seven
The inside of our sterile prison wasn’t lavishly appointed as I expected. It was simple draped in fabrics of white. The only difference was textures. But I ignored the interior in favor of assessing the kind of danger I’d placed us in and if it had been the right thing. I leaned my head instinctually on Flynn. He wrapped his arm around me with a grip that never wavered. I had to give it to him. He was a pillar of strength, and I was glad he'd forced his way to come with me. I didn't think I could have done this alone.
“It will be okay Clemency. You’ll always be granted a pardon with me.” He squeezed my shoulder.
I halfheartedly laughed and gazed up at him. “As much as I hate to admit this Nadir,” he chuckled at his name, probably having figured it out. “You’re one of the best guys I know.”
He grinned, and I felt slightly better about the situation. He wasn’t freaked, so maybe I shouldn’t be. “You only realize that now.”
“No,” I admitted. “But I wanted you to know you're like one of my best friends.”
His hands lifted up in a hold up gesture. “Tell me you did not just friend zone me.”
He tried to sound contrite making me laugh yet again and couldn’t look into his eyes anymore. I didn’t want him to see what was there. So I laid my head near his heart so I could listen to it beating. He pressed a kiss to the crown of my head and rubbed my shoulder as I tried to keep his tenderness from shattering the hard shell I’d erected around my emotions.
Thoughts swirled together as the carriage moved swiftly to our unknown fate. I closed my eyes as I pressed deeper into Flynn’s chest seeking comfort I didn't deserve.
Abruptly, we came to a halt. If not for Flynn's bracing hold, I would have tumbled forward face first into the seat in front of us.
Quickly door opened, but this time it wasn't Madeline’s face that greeted us. A handsome guy in ivory garb of a simple shirt and pants tucked into high ivory boots held out a hand directed specifically at me. He ignored Flynn, who was closer to the door. My eyes focused on the bow tie at his neck. It wasn't what one would traditionally call a bow tie of two triangles knotted at the middle. No, his bow tie resembled what would look like shoelaces tied together by a black ribbon. It gave the appearance as if he was a gift to someone. The way he stared at me with glittering eyes, one could think he was a present to me.
Reluctantly, because the stoic man didn't move an inch when I made no move towards him, I gave him my hand. He gently pulled me forward. I soon stepped out onto a marble tiled outdoor floor.
Madeline appeared to Flynn's right as he exited next to me. The footman never letting go of my hand gave me the barest of smiles as he nodded to me. He held my hand high like he was helping me upstairs yet I just moved forward. Flynn stayed by my side as we took in the sight in front of us.
A stone canopy was held up by Roman like columns over a long table where a dozen or so perfect sculptures sat as a work of art. I studied one statue that held up a teacup to her lips as if frozen in a moment during a party. It was all quite stunning.
Madeline moved her head causing me to glance in her direction. My hand was immediately released. The footman was gone before I could offer thanks and a torrent of hooves left in his wake. One of the statues stood catching my eye and caused me to squeak in shock.
"Mother," the standing statue said. I took in the perfect man. He had a cluster of black hair reminiscent of the French emperor Napoleon. I shuttered thinking about the historical figure we studied in history. The statue, who apparently was Madeline’s son, flicked eyes black as coal between Madeline and me, skipping over Flynn.
A hand was held up in the living statue's direction. Whatever words he was about to speak halted.
Madeline stepped in front of us. So close without Tatiana nearby, I took in her frosty appearance. As flawless as her face appeared, it seemed to be made of snowflakes as weird as it sounds. It was perfect in the way lace was.
Where the footman and Madeline’s son had eyes for me, Madeline ignored me fiercely. She stood in front of us with her cobalt eyes focused solely on Flynn. She sucked in a breath and seemed to close her eyes in pleasure. Her face held a faint glow of delight when she opened her eyes. She clapped her hands before creating a teepee shape as she pressed them against her lips. With a movement almost too fast for the human eye, she flicked a fingernail towards Flynn's face. He flinched and a tear drop of crimson budded from his cheek before trailblazing towards the ground.
Anger flashed in my eyes as I turned them on Madeline ready to lash out with all I had. She may crush me, but the need to protect built like a kindling for a fire.
From between her thin lips, she sucked on her nail tasting Flynn's blood. I felt the disgust color my features. "I knew it," she declared, quickly stifling anything I might have said. What did she know?
She clapped her hands again and turned towards the long table that held over a dozen Fey and not sculptures. They all moved as if reacting to something she’d yet said. They turned to themselves and murmured words I couldn't hear.
Facing us again, Madeline declared, "He is of royal blood."
My face screwed up in a mask of confusion. "Royal what?" My words sounded as if maybe there was humor to them.
When her steadfast gaze met mine, I second guessed the wisdom of gaining her attention.
"Human," her voice was imperious. "Our kind mixed with yours millennia ago. Every human that walks your lands has at least a drop of Fey blood running through their veins." She sounded as if this was common knowledge. "I knew when I saw the perfection of his features he was one of ours."
A groan helplessly left my mouth. It couldn't possibly happen. The Fey with all their inhuman flawlessness seemed to be in agreement with her statement that Flynn was beautiful. As if his ego needed any more boosting. For him to know he was now considered stunning by other immortal creatures, was going to make him impossible to deal with.
Flynn grinned and turned his pearly whites on me. Of course, he did. I rolled my eyes unable to help myself.
"And what about me?" I asked petulantly.
She gave me a look a mother would give a misbehaving child. "You are of common blood." She flicked her eyes to disregard me, but I wasn't taking that.
"How do you know? You didn't taste me." That sounded gross coming from my own ears, but it was too late to take the words back.
"I didn't have to," she said without looking at me. "I smelled it a winter away."
"But," I stammered.
"This one smelled of royal blood. I had to be sure."
Well, so much for whatever else I was about to say.
"Guards." A couple of footmen appeared out of the mist that dissipated as quickly as it formed. It wasn't like how Sebastian appeared and disappeared. I wasn't sure how I knew. It was more like this area was cloaked, and when she called to whomever, they stepped through whatever was cloaking our reality.
"Mother." Everyone turned towards the far better looking Napoleon wanna be. "I want her."
He felt younger than the others at the table save one. It wasn't so much as he looked boyish, more that he wasn't as old as the others. Maybe it was just because he called Madeline, his mom. I wasn't sure. But there was another boy sitting just left of a man whose other side held an empty chair. One I presumed belonged to Madeline as there wasn't another empty seat, and it was dead center. The quite handsome yet haggard man slumped with one arm propped on the table holding his head as if he were bored with it all. His hair was either dusted in gray or maybe snowflakes. We were too far away for me to discern.
It was the boy on the man’s other side with golden hair, unlike the white or black the others sported that drew my attention. His hair was shaggy with coiled curls that reminded me of Luke. My heart did a double take for a second until blue nearly gray eyes met mine. Only then did my heart slow and take in his features. He wasn't the beauty the rest of the Fey were. It wasn't that he was unattractive, just that he lack something other than the sadness that emitted from him.
That had to be Tristrom with his father to the right of him.
Flynn moved with predatory swiftness bringing my focus back to what was happening right in front of me. His arm went around my waist possessively. Other times I might have balked at his forwardness. Yet, his words left me mute. "You can't have her. She's mine," he declared.
Madeline spoke first with an arched brow. "Human relationship customs mean nothing here."
Flynn didn't miss a beat. "She's my wife."
Madeline’s shifted eyes barely opened more than a slit. When her gaze landed on me, Flynn went into protective mode and dragged my back to his front. Both of his arm wrapped around me, however, position of everything put my chest on display. I felt my cheeks color more self-conscious than ever about my body.
Madeline was flawlessness and proportion down to every curve. I felt like a circus freak, but I didn't dare move. Somehow I knew Flynn was the only one keeping me out the hands of the Napoleon look alike and the waiting guards.
Cold snaked over my skin even before Madeline’s hand yank mine forward. Her finger burned a trail across my finger towards the pearl ring Luke gave me. The corner of her eyes crinkled, and she turned that blue fire on me. I held my ground as she stepped to Flynn's side. She was a tiny bit taller than he and easily whispered in his ear. Although I was a head shorter, I was close enough where I should have heard what she said. But I didn't. With my head angled awkwardly based on my position, I saw Flynn's eyes widened when she pulled away in triumph.
"Do we have a deal?" she asked wickedly.
Flynn only took a moment before giving a stunned nod.
The footman appeared from the fog. “Queen Mab.”
Although I was puzzled by the name the footman had given her, I used the free moment to quiz Flynn. "What did you agree too?"
Flynn ignored me while Madeline clapped her hands after quickly dismissing her servant. The clap must have been a summons of a different kind. A gaggle of girls appeared in Elizabethan worthy gowns. The bodices were tight and cinch tiny waist with hemlines that swept to the marble below.
"Take her," Madeline declared.
A shiver ran through me. It had been cold here. My breaths had condensed in clouds before my face. But it wasn't until this moment, I felt it.
"You promised." Flynn’s statement was flat but firm.
Madeline nodded and gave Flynn a cougar worthy smile. "She won't be harmed.” Her eyes said something different. “However, she must be dressed appropriately. Your dear fragile wife could catch frostbite." She said frostbite like it was the common cold. I shuttered.
“What?” I exclaimed when Flynn released me. The gaggle of girls surrounded me. Somehow as they circled me like a bad after-school special, I moved further away from Flynn without taking a step. Fear and not for myself clawed at my throat. "What did you do to him?" I protested.
