Shadow Hunted: an Urban Fantasy Novel (Shadows of Salem Book 3) Page 9

  I had to force myself to stand my ground. With that evil smile still on her face, she whipped her cloak around her body, summoning a tornado of feathers once more. She rose into the air as a huge bird of prey, shooting me one last murderous look before snatching up the dead stag in her massive talons and soaring away on glossy black wings.

  And as I watched her go, I knew I’d made a lifelong enemy of one of the most powerful Unseelie in the fae realm.

  Chapter 10

  Since we no longer had a useable sleigh, Oscar and I were forced to turn back to the village. It took us a good hour to make the trek through the snow, but luckily, the wolf clan was happy to receive us.

  After a hearty meal of boar stew, Darun agreed to escort us to the Winter King’s lands. Once he changed into wolf form, we strapped him into the harness just as the stag had been. His big, powerful body was more than strong enough to carry us, and his wide paws acted like snowshoes as he bounded across the frozen terrain, dragging us behind him as if we weighed little more than a pair of rag dolls.

  We traveled like this for the next three days, flying across the snow during the day and huddling around campfires at night. Darun’s fur helped keep me warm as we slept under the canopy of stars, though he wouldn’t let Oscar take advantage of his snuggly coat. Even though he didn’t speak to us in his wolf form, he was still a comforting presence. I’d come to rely on him these past few days as a friend, and aside from Oscar and the other wolf fae I’d grown close with, I didn’t have many of those.

  Sighing, I rolled onto my back and stared up at the stars twinkling through the canopy of trees. We would reach the Hoarfrost Hills tomorrow, and I would come face to face with the man who’d sired me hundreds of years ago. It was so strange to think of him as my father since he wasn’t a part of the childhood I remembered, which was the one with my witch parents, and then Oscar, once they’d given me to him.

  Turning my head, I glanced toward Oscar, who was sitting on a log on the other side of the fire pit, keeping watch. His eyes met mine, and I knew he’d already been watching me for some time.

  “You should get some sleep, kid,” he said gruffly. “Tomorrow’s a big day.”

  “I know.” But my mind was far too restless. “I just can’t stop thinking.”

  “About what?”

  I sighed. “About home,” I admitted, hating the plaintive note in my voice. “About the fact that everyone I thought I could count on hates my guts now. Aside from you,” I amended with a small smile.

  Oscar shrugged. “They’re not your people, Brooke. Maddock Tremaine—” a sneer entered his voice as he spoke the name, “—is a Seelie fae, and the Seelie have never been able to look past their prejudices long enough to consider us as anything other than scum beneath their boots. They might be the ‘light’ court, but that light only blinds them from the truth, so far as I’m concerned. And Baxter is a human, one who has been manipulated to the point that he doesn’t know which way is up. I know you’re fond of him, kid,” he said when I opened my mouth to protest, “but that doesn’t change the fact he doesn’t belong in our world. He’s a human who was unfortunate enough to get caught up in that miserable excuse for a warlock who nearly killed you.” His silver eyes grew stormy. “You’re not a cop anymore, Brooke. You’re Riona Maoilriain, an Unseelie princess. And you’re also a shadow, which is a rarity in and of itself. You’re a prized commodity.”

  “Damn right. There’s only Brooke Chandler, you know.” I stuck my tongue out at him, and we shared a chuckle that lifted some of the anxious weight from my chest. I had no idea what lay ahead in the Hoarfrost Hills. But I knew Oscar, and despite our ups and downs, he’d always been there for me. I would be safe as long as he stayed at my side.

  I settled back down to sleep with Darun, sleepy at last. The next morning, we were up bright and early, just as dawn began to stretch its pale pink tendrils across the sky. After a meal of dried meat and fruit, we set out, flying across the snowy fields.

  We were lucky to have Darun with us. His huge form bounded across the terrain, his furry hind legs kicking up snow as he ran. We’d encountered a few animals along the way—two snow leopards, a fox, and a very nasty-tempered bear—but aside from the bear, who we were forced to use magic on, they’d all taken one look at Darun and went on their merry way. Like the boar we’d encountered, these weren’t ordinary animals—realization had dawned that most animals in Faerie were huge. Perhaps the magical nature of the place caused them to out-grow their earthly counterparts.

  “Look,” Oscar said, nudging me from my thoughts. “We’re here.”

  I turned my gaze north and gasped. An ornate fence that seemed to be sculpted entirely of snow loomed ahead. It stretched endlessly in either direction, cutting through the dark forest on our left and continuing as far as the eye could see. Beyond were a sea of snowy hills, growing progressively larger farther out. Covering those hills were trees that looked to be entirely made of ice. They were translucent, reflecting the late morning sun, and glittered brightly.

  “What’s that blue glow coming from the fence?” I asked, noticing it as I looked closer.

  “Wards,” Oscar explained. “They prevent anyone from teleporting into the area of the Hoarfrost Hills, even the Winter King himself.”

  “Oh.” Well, there went the theory I’d been here before the time I’d accidentally stumbled into Faerie while chasing after Maddock. Then again, I was pretty sure I’d have noticed an ice forest if I’d ended up in the Hoarfrost Hills.

  Darun came to a stop outside the fence, and Oscar and I climbed out of the sleigh and hefted our heavy packs onto our backs. I released Darun from his harness, then gave him a tight hug.

  “I appreciate you bringing us all this way,” I said into his thick fur.

  He licked my face with his gigantic tongue, then turned tail and raced back across the forest. Without the sleigh to hamper him, he was lighting fast, gone before I could call a final farewell. A pang of sadness hit me—I wished we didn’t have to say goodbye. But Darun didn’t belong to me—he belonged with his clan, tucked safely away in their mountain village.

  “All right, kid.” Oscar patted me gently on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”

  Walking past me, he pulled off one of his gloves, then pressed his bare right hand against the metal of the gate and commanded it to open. The strange white metal briefly flared blue, then swung open on silent hinges.

  “Can you open the gate at any point?” I asked, noticing nothing on the white gate looked like an entrance.

  Oscar nodded. “The Winter King decided to make it that way so none of our people would be left out defenseless, should they need entry. Only a clan member can open the gate in this manner—everyone else must receive an invitation.”

  We passed through, the section swinging shut behind us as silent as falling snowflakes. The glittering forest awaited us, and I shielded my face against the blinding glare, wondering how we were going to manage to walk around.

  “Here,” Oscar said, conjuring a pair of sunglasses out of thin air. “Try these.”

  I took them, noticing he’d already donned his own pair. “Much better,” I said with a sigh of relief—they dimmed the glare noticeably, so that I could look at the trees without enduring stabbing pains behind my eyeballs. “A bit modern for Faerie, don’t you think?”

  Oscar shrugged. “Maybe, but they do the job. These trees are the second line of defense, after the gate itself. The light they reflect makes it hard for an encroaching army to see what they’re doing.”

  “No kidding.” Even with the glasses on, walking through the forest was uncomfortable. But as my eyes adjusted, I started to appreciate the beauty of the ice forest. The trees were slender and elegant, the branches looping and twisting into beautiful designs. They were covered in gorgeous ice leaves similar to the ones I’d seen the last time I’d been in Faerie. Curious, I broke off one of the leaves. A harsh, chime-like sound immediately echoed through the forest, and I jumped back
, startled.

  Oscar chuckled. “The trees don’t like it when you take their leaves,” he said. “That chiming sound will have carried all the way to the Winter Castle. If the king didn’t know we were here, he does now.”

  “Huh.” I glanced at the leaf in my hand. It was shaped like a birch leaf, and as I poked its edges, the wicked sharp points pricked my fingertip. “You could use these like weapons.”

  The trees weren’t the only things in the forest, not by a long shot. As we trekked deeper within, signs of animal life appeared. Tiny, ice-black birds twittered from their perches high above as we passed, and a trio of powder-blue squirrels chased each other through the icy tree branches. I wondered how this forest could sustain life, but then noticed some of the bushes and trees bore fruit and nuts. They seemed to be made of colored ice, but when I plucked one of the berries and brought it to my lips, I immediately caught a sweet scent.

  “Don’t eat that,” Oscar warned, flicking it out of my hand. “Those berries are hallucinogenic. Only good for the birds.”

  “Huh.” Disappointed, I moved on. “Are there any other animals living here?”

  “We’ve got bears living in the ice caves,” Oscar said. “Plenty of birds and rabbits hiding about—they feast off the ice plants and fruit. And there are lots of deer that roam in the tundra, which you can’t see from here. The stag is our clan’s sacred animal. We take special care of them and use them as mounts.”

  As if on cue, the crack of hooves striking against hard ground interrupted our conversation. Oscar grabbed my arm and immediately hauled me to the side as a group of ten fae came around the bend. All of them wore pale blue tunics, shining armor, and swords, and they were mounted on silver stags. My gaze was immediately drawn to the most magnificent stag amongst them, which stood a head and a half taller than its peers. Sitting atop it was the man I’d seen in my memories, and in the fire pit back at the wolf clan.

  “Father,” I whispered, immediately dropping onto one knee and lowering my head.

  The move was instinctive, as natural as breathing. I wasn’t sure if it was ingrained into me from my past life, or if the Winter King’s presence alone had inspired it. The memories and the fire encounter had not prepared me for this meeting—in the flesh, he was larger than life and emanated such raw power that my body instantly bowed to it. Like a submissive wolf in the presence of an alpha, I thought dimly as the party stopped just a few feet away from us.

  “Rise, my daughter,” the Winter King said, his sonorous voice echoing through the now-silent forest.

  My body seemed to obey the command before my brain had translated it—I was on my feet in an instant. Oscar rose as well, and I realized he’d dropped into a kneel the same as I had.

  The Winter King dismounted from his stag, and the two knights flanking him did as well. The rest of them remained mounted as the king approached me with his two bodyguards, his ice-blue eyes drinking me in. His pale face was stern, but joy blazed so fiercely in those eyes that they glowed. An answering joy bloomed in my chest. Suddenly, my heart was so full that tears began to gather in the corners of my eyes.

  A part of me, one buried deep and still mostly out of reach, knew this man. Loved him. And was overjoyed to see him.

  “Daughter,” he said again, embracing me. His snow-white cloak enveloped us as he wrapped his strong arms around me, and I found myself hugging him back fiercely. An intense sense of belonging, of coming home, swept through me, and it was as startling as it was lovely. “It has been too long since you’ve last walked the Hoarfrost Hills.”

  I lifted my gaze to him, blinking back tears. “I wish I could remember what it was like the last time I walked them,” I said in a quiet voice.

  He nodded, his gaze filled with understanding. “It will take time for your memories to return,” he said. “Some fae never fully recover their pasts. But let us not dwell on this,” he said, turning me to face the rest of his entourage. “Our home awaits.”

  Mounts were brought forth for Oscar and me to ride back to the castle. The stag I was given was absolutely gorgeous—a male with glowing amber eyes and a white star on his forehead. I was drawn to him instantly, as if he were a long-lost friend, my hands sliding into his thick fur as I stroked him. He nuzzled my side with his snout in greeting, and a memory popped into my head of galloping across frozen tundra astride the stag, icy wind whipping through my hair. Sunlight glinted off his silver coat, and exhilaration rushed through me as I gripped his reins and rode like the wind with him.

  “This is Morning Star,” my father said as the memory fell away. “You’ve been riding him since you were a small child.”

  “Well, that explains a lot.” My fingers found a spot between his antlers, and Morning Star let out a grunt of pleasure as I scratched him there. “It’s good to see you again, buddy.”

  The stag let out a huff of agreement, then pulled away so that I could mount. With a little help from one of the knights, I was soon in the saddle, riding at my father’s side. Since I’d never ridden before as Brooke Chandler, it was a little awkward, but my past-life instincts seemed to take over after a bit.

  During the twenty-minute ride back, my father asked many questions. Oscar referred to him as Chieftain Rhys, which made sense—he might be known as the Winter King, but he wasn’t actually a king anymore. We told him in detail about how I’d escaped from the Morrigan’s cursed island, about my time with the wolf clan, and about fending off the Morrigan’s attack when she finally did catch up with us.

  “As much as I hate that you were trapped on that forsaken island all this time,” my father said when we were done, “I think it has done you some good. Being in Faerie has awakened your powers, and I believe you are at full strength now. We will simply need to train you so that you can harness your abilities effectively.”

  “I would like that very much,” I said. “I’m not completely certain what all my abilities are, to be honest.”

  “By the time Oscar and I are through with you, you will be in command of all your talents,” my father assured me.

  After another few minutes, the trees thinned out, and we found ourselves in a huge valley—the tundra. A herd of deer were grazing, their noses buried in the frozen ground as they hunted for grass, but they lifted their great heads as we passed.

  At the other side of the valley, atop an enormous hill, stood a castle constructed entirely of opaque ice. Like the forest trees, it was dazzling to look at, its twisting towers and turrets reflecting the sun hanging high above us. I couldn’t stare at it too long, but the brief glimpse I’d caught told me it was easily twice the size of the Morrigan’s castle, maybe even larger. And the intensity of the power emanating from my father told me that even though the Morrigan insisted they were of equal rank, my father could easily kick her ass in a one-on-one fight.

  On our way to the castle, we passed through a large village, several times the size of the wolf clan’s. The buildings here were constructed of opaque blocks of ice, much like stacked stone houses, and I was surprised to see not only homes, but businesses, too. It was a real town, not merely a row of houses, and as people spilled out to watch us pass, it became apparent the clan was quite large.

  Unlike the wolf clan with their rugged, almost savage features, the Unseelie here were more delicate-looking. Many of them had silver or white hair, though some were raven-haired, and they had sharp, elegant features that reminded me of elves, though they lacked the pointy ears. Their skin was pale, like mine, and though they wore long tunics and dresses and cloaks, they weren’t heavily bundled up the way a normal person would be in such icy conditions. No, the people here were comfortable in the cold, as I was.

  My people, a voice in my head murmured, filling me with a sense of pride and affection that was at odds with the awkward and uncomfortable feeling sitting in my chest.

  The fae lining the streets all bowed their heads in reverence as we passed. Behind me, cries of ‘Welcome back, Princess!’ echoed. The excitement in
the crowd was palpable and infectious, and renewed energy hummed in my veins. By the time we reached the castle gates, I could hardly wait to fling myself off my horse. I wanted to explore the castle, to re-familiarize myself with my long-lost home!

  But as the gates swung open, and the guards saluted us with their spears, I reminded myself that I was a princess. And I had to act like one if I wanted respect.

  As we approached the front entrance of the castle, the huge double doors swung open, and a fae woman glided out, guards at her side. She was absolutely stunning, dressed in a glittering white gown that clung to her tall, willowy form, it skirts flowing about her in the chilly wind. Her raven hair was left loose except for a few pieces around her face that had been pulled back, and tiny white jewels twinkled in her inky locks. Even from this distance, I could sense the power gathered around her—she wasn’t as powerful as my father, but she was definitely an alpha fae in her own right.

  “Welcome back, darling,” she greeted my father in an intimate voice as he dismounted. They embraced, and I turned my attention toward dismounting myself—I didn’t really need to see my father kissing his…what? Wife? Mistress? Consort?

  “Her name is Sorana,” Oscar murmured in my ear as my feet touched the ground. “She has been your father’s consort for the last couple of hundred years.”

  “Gotcha.” That explained why I didn’t find her familiar at all—she’d shown up after I’d died. Putting on a smile, I approached her, determined to be friendly. The last thing I wanted was to end up in a Cinderella-type situation. I’d already had enough of scrubbing floors.

  “Sorana,” my father said, pulling away to smile at me. “This is my daughter, Princess Riona.”

  “But of course she is,” Sorana said, smiling. She stepped toward me with her hands outstretched, her dark eyes taking me in. “She looks so much like you, my love.”