I liked that idea.
Nora spoke up. “The fae fear humans because humans fear them. The Binder told me that when I was a child, free and living with my parents outside Paris, before they took me, the humans flushed a small enclave of fae in the Lake District and killed them all with large guns.”
“How old are you?” I couldn’t help but ask. She’d lived in the real world, beyond curses and fae, for at least some of her life. How long had she been here, trapped?
“I am ninety-four.”
My mouth popped open. She looked thirty or thirty-five at the most. “What year did the fae capture you? Did they take your parents too? Were they mages?”
“They killed my parents because they had no magic. I inherited mine from my grandfather. It skipped a generation. I was taken in 1936.”
Hekla held up a hand and turned to walk away a few steps. “I need a minute.”
It was bananas. Nora had been taken into this kingdom right before World War II had broken out. Thinking of the horrors that had happened in the human world during that time, I thought maybe the fae weren’t completely stupid for wanting to escape real life.
Lucus watched Hekla walk to the fire. “We need to continue our discussion. I would guess Arleigh won’t allow us to talk as long as we might want to. The only way we’ll figure out if the curse is broken is by returning to the castle. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“Yeah. That makes sense. And I can’t help anyone escape if I die from magical zaps. So the first course of action is to get my power up and running properly so I’m an asset instead of a liability.”
Hekla returned, her face grim. “The guards are coming over here, y’all.”
Chapter 9
Sure enough, the stone-faced fae guards were heading our way, coming up over the rise, already close to the clearing where we’d eaten by the fire.
Nora grabbed my shirt and Lucus’s too, pulling us into a huddle. Kaippa and Hekla leaned in. “Let me do the talking. I’ll try to persuade them to allow us to train today, beyond the henge at the edge of the boundary. We’ll search for your kin, Lucus, and we’ll work on Coren’s magic.” She released us as the guards approached and called her name.
The first guard, a chestnut-haired male fae with vine wings covered in blood red ivy, apparently noticed Kaippa because he raised a hand and drew vines from the ground that wrapped the vampire’s ankle tightly. “Who is this? You haven’t been presented to Queen Arleigh.”
Nora got between the guard and Kaippa. “He’s with us. This fae,” she indicated Lucus, “told the queen about the vampire.”
The guard’s lip curled as he studied Kaippa’s bat wings. “We weren’t told he would be arriving. Vampires aren’t permitted in this kingdom.”
“We’ll take him to Princess Corliss,” the second guard said, narrowing blue eyes at Kaippa. He was a foot taller than the rest of us, which was saying a lot considering how large Lucus was. “The princess can decide what to do with him.”
Kaippa held out his hands. “Come on, men. What threat do I pose? You are far more powerful than me. Don’t bother Princess Corliss for such a lowly beast as myself.”
The guards traded a look, considering Kaippa’s words. If they took him to Corliss, she might imprison him or even kill him. If we figured out how to escape, would we have to find him first and possibly lose everyone in the attempt? Would Lucus risk that for Kaippa? The vampire had just saved his life.
The vine holding Kaippa released him, then the guards snatched his arms. Damn. Now we had that to deal with too.
The guard with the red ivy wings turned to Nora, Kaippa’s sleeve bunched between his fingers. “Queen Arleigh sent word you are to join the court for a feast tomorrow night to celebrate your upcoming binding to the Yew Bow, Mage Nora. The rest of you will come as well. Your presence is meant to entertain the court. Be ready.”
Nora raised her chin. “I need to take them beyond the silver pool to train near the henge so we don’t damage the central fae grounds.”
“We will ask Princess Corliss on your behalf. Wait here until you receive permission from our replacements.” They left with Kaippa in tow.
“I’ll grab some herbs and a magestone to get your magic running,” Nora said, rushing toward her chamber.
Lucus stared in the direction they’d taken Kaippa. The afternoon sun gilded his sharp cheekbones and dusted light along his forehead. I could almost see through his subtle glamour, could nearly glimpse the miniature leaves at the very edges of his eyelashes. “I suspect they will toy with him before killing him.”
My stomach rolled.
Frowning, Hekla hugged herself. “Are we going to save him? He saved you.”
“I’m no huge fan of his,” I said, “but yeah, it seems like we should.”
Lucus nodded. “I will do my best.”
“We’re with you,” Hekla said. She blinked like she’d surprised herself in saying so.
Nora was taking a while, so I walked over to her chamber to check and see if I could help with anything. I peered into her chamber, studying the walls of massive tree roots. A small chandelier made of hand-sized lightning bolts floated and flashed near the ceiling of the room. A red rug covered the floor, and the back wall showed a circle with magical runes painted in ocher.
Nora was on her knees, digging through a satchel and chucking stuff over her shoulder. “I could have sworn I had another magestone in here somewhere.” She threw a handful of stones and a small book, and I dodged them, ducking out of the chamber.
My eyes were drawn to the chamber beside hers. The chamber of the Binder.
Glancing at Nora to make sure she was still busy, I aimed for her magical neighbor’s abode.
The Binder’s
