appeared sad. “We were unprepared to lead,” Veleris said softly. “As the war turned against us, Bellum and I, along with a few others, sought aid from the kings and queens of the other fairy hills. They refused. The Duchess was the only one willing to help such low-caste fairies as ourselves. She sent dwarves and goblins, the same fairies who built her own kingdom, to help us hide. She demanded only two things. The first was loyalty.”
Which would explain why the Duchess knew they would help Danielle. “And the second?”
“That not a single fairy of noble blood accompany us,” said Bellum.
Danielle exhaled, thinking back to what the giant had described of their battles with humans. “To save yourselves, you had to leave them behind to die.”
“As if they’d have listened to a giant. They refused to give up their homeland. They would have led us all to our deaths.”
Instead, with the nobles dead, Bellum and Veleris had been forced into leadership of the fairy refugees… and by their bargain, the Duchess commanded Bellum and Veleris.
“It’s how she operates,” Veleris said. “Conquering not through warfare, but through favors and obligations, entangling all who bargain with her.”
Including Danielle, and through her, Jakob.
Chains rattled outside the door, which swung open a moment later. Gerta was on one knee, scratching the dragon’s chin. Talia was damp and bedraggled, but both she and Gerta appeared unhurt. Danielle raised her eyebrows, indicating Gerta with a tilt of her head.
“She’ll help us,” Talia said flatly.
Bellum stared. Even Veleris appeared surprised, asking, “What did you threaten her with to accomplish that?”
“Leaving her here with you,” Talia shot back.
Veleris chuckled. Bellum simply scowled.
Danielle stepped between Talia and the giant before things could progress any further. “Bellum, what help can you give us?”
“We’ve told you what you have to do,” Bellum grumbled. “It’s up to you to figure out how to get close enough to Snow to stop her.”
“You can offer me in trade,” Gerta said quietly. She appeared almost calm, making Danielle wonder anew what had happened between her and Talia. “Tell Snow you’re willing to give me up in exchange for Jakob. If it gets us close enough-”
“Close enough for her mirror wasps to enslave you all, you mean?” asked Bellum. “She’ll own you before you ever reach her palace.”
Danielle frowned. “You know of her palace?”
“We’ve hidden ourselves away from your world.” Veleris glanced at the metal cone in the wall. “That doesn’t mean we’ve stopped listening. A few sprites still wander the surface. We listen, and we wait.”
“She’s built her fortress to the north,” said Bellum. “Where the mountains split, there is a lake shaped like a curving teardrop. She’s hidden herself well from human magic, but not from fairy eyes. If your darkling carries you, you could make the journey within two days.”
Two days to plan. Two days to find another way, one which didn’t involve sacrificing Snow and Gerta.
“The longer we wait, the more people will die,” said Gerta softly. “I think I know the lake she means. West of the summer palace. We ran away once and spent the night on the shore. Our mother sent one of her Deathcrows to retrieve us.” Her voice trailed off, her lips set in a grim line.
“You’ll need supplies,” said Bellum. She grabbed an oversized pair of fur-lined mittens and stuffed them into a sack. Next she opened a barrel of dried fish and began piling them onto an old sheet of parchment.
“Thank you,” Danielle said, trying to hide her surprise.
“She’s just trying to hurry you on your way.” Veleris winked. “And she’s giving you the oldest, toughest meat. Here, let me do that.” She slapped Bellum’s hand away and took over the preparations. “You’ll leave in the morning. You’re far too exhausted to set out now.”
Danielle glanced at her companions. She wanted to argue, but the fatigue on Gerta’s face matched her own. “Weapons would also speed us along. And perhaps a change of clothes that didn’t smell like bandit sweat?”
Talia snatched one of the fish and took a bite.
“Gerta…” Danielle swallowed. Gerta’s red hair was damp, her face weary, but the panic was gone from her eyes and her movements. Danielle searched for something to say, anything that might bring comfort.
“It’s all right,” said Gerta. “She’s my sister. This is what I was made for.”
“There has to be a way to send the demon back to wherever it came from,” Danielle protested.
Gerta shook her head. “Even if I could duplicate the magic my mother used to summon the demon… even if I were willing to try that kind of magic… the demon is stronger now. It has Snow’s power as well as its own. We might be able to kill it-”
“Doubtful,” Bellum scoffed.
“-but control it? No.” Gerta’s hand moved, almost as if she were reaching for Talia, but she stopped herself.
Danielle swallowed. “How do we trap the demon long enough to kill it? Won’t it try to escape to another host?”
“Gerta and I talked about that on our way back.” Talia reached into her pocket and pulled out the broken blue chain Laurence had used to suppress Gerta’s powers, back at the palace.
“It won’t hold for very long,” said Gerta. “It wasn’t designed to contain a demon, but the chain follows the principles of a binding circle. If you can secure it around Snow, I think it will last long enough to… to do what you must.”
“Save these until you’re on the road,” said Veleris as she finished wrapping the rest of the fish.
“Thank you.” Danielle bowed. “We’re in your debt, and I give you my word as Princess of Lorindar that none of us will reveal your secret.”
Veleris smiled. “Princess Whiteshore, you never would have found us without your darkling friend. You couldn’t lead another soul here if you tried.”
“Not that I expect you to live long enough to come looking,” added Bellum.
CHAPTER 21
Danielle spent the night haunted by dreams of Jakob, trapped in an icy prison, searching and calling for her but unable to find her. When she tried to answer, her throat refused to obey, and her limbs were like stone. She awoke feeling even more exhausted than before.
Tommy guided them through the twisting tunnels to the surface. Danielle ate as she walked, forcing herself to finish a hard smoked roll that tasted of mushrooms and smoke and old meat.
The sun was low in the sky when they emerged, and Danielle shivered even within the bundled jacket and oversized mittens the giant had provided. Their weapons had also been returned, along with blankets, rope, and other supplies crammed into musty, dirt-stained packs.
Tommy jabbed his shovel to the northeast. “Head that way until you reach an old mining trail. It should take you the way you want to go.”
“Thank you,” said Danielle.
The knocker was already retreating through the small hole from which they had emerged. He raised his shovel in salute, then rapped it against the wooden frame of the entrance. The impact collapsed the drifted snow overhead, burying the way in.
Gerta used her boot to clear away the worst of the snow. She frowned, then dug deeper. Her efforts revealed nothing but snow and rock. “That’s a nice trick.”
The darkling shifted its form, becoming a pair of shadow-thin reindeer once more. Climbing onto the creature’s back was no less disturbing than the last time, but the darkling was the fastest way to reach the lake.
Danielle watched Gerta and Talia as they mounted the other reindeer, wondering what had happened in the
