Bab 14: Stories of Queen Oriana's Court Part 1
Celeste
"Oriana finally completely broke a millennium of accords she had with the Seelie Court, massacring a hidden enclave of our kind whose existence should have stayed secret," I began. My eyebrow raised in question. "You might have heard about it?"
When Nick shook his head, I shrugged and continued; trying to recount the information matter-of-factly as if providing an official report. Maybe I could get through it if I treated it like that.
"Our forces retaliated on a small village that the vampires were known to control. We slaughtered everyone." I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, remembering the event. "Another of our towns was razed in retaliation and dozens were taken. We assumed to be turned and added to Oriana's army. They sent me to uncover her rumored plans to launch an all-out offensive against our territory."
I took a deep breath to regain my composure. Turning away from more tales of blood and guts to give myself a break, I refocused on why I had been chosen for the dangerous assignment when there were many other much more experienced operatives than me to choose from.
A half-smile played incongruously at one corner of my lips as I started the story from the beginning.
"As a very young child, I was found to have a gift for glamouring. I could glamour myself to look like anyone. It drove my parents and teachers crazy." My smile bloomed more fully on my mouth, remembering the trouble I had caused and without getting punished for as no one could prove it was me. "By the time I was grown, no one had been able to see past a glamor that I had created in years. So, I came to the attention of King Faelon's Shadowweavers early. They trained me as an operative as well as in combat magics."
Glancing at Nick, aflicker of pride, or something close to it, lit his handsome face, but his fingers sought his chest as if to soothe a lingering ache. I was usually adept at reading faces and feelings, but this vampire proved more difficult than most. I let the question float from my head before it planted itself too deeply.
I continued. "On this mission, I was tasked with posing as a vampire refugee seeking the Court's protection. We needed hard evidence of Oriana's intentions toward King Faelon's realm to have any hope of unifying the fractious Fae leaders against this threat."
When I paused again, gathering my thoughts, Nick handed me a mug of hot tea he'd been making while I had been slowly spiraling out my story. Wrapping my hands around the warmth, I held onto it like I'd been handed a lifeline on a stormy sea and sipped. His blue eyes pierced into my soul as if his life depended on hearing and retaining every detail of my tale, the expression on his face now completely enigmatic.
"I walked for days from a small vampire village in the mountain range across the valley. I almost turned around and went back when I first saw the black stone fortress looming over blasted wastelands. They must have been watching me for miles. There was nowhere for me to hide after all. But no one left the fortress to challenge me."
I sipped at the tea now cooling in my hands. "When I got up to the giant iron gates, I couldn't see faces in the gloom, but I could see glowing red eyes staring at me from the parapets. Locking my knees to keep from trembling under their glare, I stood still, holding my cloak tightly around me and wishing desperately for the swords I normally had sheathed across my back. I waited. And waited some more. The non-welcome stretched uneasily through my bones. When I couldn't take it anymore, I called upward to the eyes to let me in, trying to keep my voice pleading and submissive."
"Finally, the gates slowly swung open and a huge warrior in black leathers stood in front of me. Shockingly, his hard, handsome face creased into a disarming grin 'I am Commander Ryland Malachor. Welcome! Apologies for the hostile reception—we've grown wary of strangers, and my men have forgotten their manners.' He cocked an eyebrow at the guards who looked down on us from the parapet. They quickly slunk away. 'Are you lost, my dear?'
Nick suddenly sucked in a breath and sat up, his body rigid with tension. "Malachor? You're sure that was his name?"
I frowned at him. "Of course, I'm sure. Believe me, it wasn't the last time I heard it," I shot back, suppressing a shudder.
Nick ran a hand through his thick, dark hair in agitation. He obviously recognized the name. And by his expression, he wasn't happy to hear it. After several long moments, he looked at me again. "I'm sorry. Go on with your story."
"How do you…" I started to ask, but Nick gave a curt shake of his head. "Not now. Go on."
Studying him for another heartbeat, I decided to give him a pass. Now wasn't the time to pursue my questions. I needed to get my story out before I lost my nerve completely, so I began again. "As you can imagine, his friendliness sparked an immediate wariness in me, but I nodded and tried to look appropriately fearful. I didn't have to fake being exhausted. I'd been in a hurry to get there and was about to collapse where I stood, despite my Fae endurance and speed.
'No sir,' I'd replied meekly. My village was attacked.' I let my breath hitch like I was about to start crying. 'The Fae k-killed all the men and took most of the women and children. I barely escaped with my life.' I even allowed a tear to escape one eye. 'I didn't know where else to go for safety.'"
"He didn't try to compel you to test your honesty?" Nick asked, clearly skeptical that this Commander Malachor had just allowed me into the fortress without thorough questioning even though I appeared to be a simple female vampire from a vampire hamlet.
I hadn't really wanted to share this particular skill with my forced companion, but he'd figure it out sooner or later. I blew out a breath. "Did I forget to mention? I'm also immune to the vampire powers of suggestion and seduction."
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