Halfling: The Shining Throne, #3

Copyright Linda McNabb 2024

www.lindamcnabb.com

Linda McNabb asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

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COVER ART COPYRIGHT: © Ateliersommerland | Dreamstime.com

Chapter One

A Deal

Irene peered into the shadowy depths of the Great Forest, its beauty marred by an underlying menace. Though she had been raised in a similar forest, this land felt perilously foreign. She didn't know the rules of this land and somewhere out there were at least two people, powerful fae, who wanted her dead.

One of them was her mother.

But this was her home now, and she pushed away memories of a different life that was gone forever. She would never see her cottage again nor walk the trails of the Deep Forest. There was nothing there to return to. A home to her had always been the people who shared it with her, and those people would not want to share a home with her again.

She tried to work out how long she had been in Faehame, but the best she could come up with was maybe a week. It was probably less, yet it seemed like she had been in the land of the fae for months.

Every remnant of her old life, the one she thought would be her only life, was gone. Stamped out by her mother's evil charm, which destroyed the memories of her foster parents. Her mother, Maeryn, had 'fixed' them so that they could not ruin her plans. Irene didn't know what those plans were, but she knew they probably involved taking control of the Shining Throne.

Had it already happened? Irene had been in the forest for several days now, so anything could have changed.

'Are you listening?'

A bored voice interrupted her thoughts, and she blinked as she drew her attention back to the dark-clad youth standing in front of the wooden hut.

The hut was meant for hunters to shelter in while tracking the wild and magical creatures in the Great Forest. Irene was not hunting, though. She was hiding.

'Sorry,' Irene replied with as much sincerity as she could muster. 'I will have to go back soon. I can only pretend to be lost in the forest for a few days without raising suspicion or learning how to lie.'

'So go back. Or stay.' Darach's voice showed his disinterest in whether she stayed. 'The human can always lie for you if you tell her too. That's one of their best uses.'

'Am I ready?' She asked. As for getting Riley to lie for her, that was unlikely. The servant girl was all but mute.

Darach's offer to tutor her in defence was a cold transaction, devoid of empathy or personal connection. He wanted something in return, but as with his usual fae trickery, he had left the payment unspecified. She had been in no position to argue with his proposal, and a niggling feeling told her the payment would be high indeed.

Darach just looked at her, raised one finger, and twisted it in a circle. A gust of wind whipped up from nowhere and hurtled towards Irene a dozen paces away.

Irene blinked as she tilted her head to the side and blocked the wind with an invisible barrier. She didn't need to do more than desire it, and it was there. No words passed her lips, and she did not raise a hand to make any flourishes.

It was barely big enough to encompass her and the wind howled past and on into the early morning forest. She watched the destruction with a mild interest before turning back to Darach.

'Perhaps I am,' she replied.

'That was just wind and it won't block a strong magical spell.'

Irene stared at the handsome but irritating shadow fae. His tone hinted at her lack of power, leaving her exposed and defenceless. Without moving, she sent the wind back, slamming it into him and sending the youth flying.

'Is that all you've got?' she asked, a hint of challenge in her voice as Darach dusted off his black cloak, a smirk playing on her lips.

A gleam in his eyes said he would like nothing better, but he just nodded. 'I suppose reflecting a charm back at the caster is enough to deter anyone trying to attack you twice. As long as you see it coming.'

Irene nodded. 'I know who it will come from at least so I will be warned if mother is near me.'

Darach looked like he wanted to argue that point, but he shrugged. 'Then keep her in sight at all times, or stay hidden within a crowd of friendly strangers. Never be alone.'

It was valuable advice, and Irene nodded in gratitude. 'Then I'm ready to go... home.'

The last word stuck in her throat. Faehame was not her home, and the only home she had known in this land had been burned to the ground by her mother. Everyone except Darach thought that she and her servant girl, Riley, had perished in the fire.

She looked over to where Riley sat by the hut. Ink lay a few paces away and the servant girl stared at the little dragon as if expecting him to attack at any second. The dragon, however, was almost comatose from eating ju-berries. There was a large patch of ju-berry bushes not far off and his muzzle was stained purple from his most recent binge. He was just like the little dragons back in the Deep Forest. Gorging on berries then sleeping all day!

'I assume our lessons will continue.'

'As agreed,' Darach said with a nod. 'I will send an airgate for you tomorrow at dusk, in the same place I send you to in a moment.'

'Riley. Ink,' Irene called. 'We're leaving.'

Gratitude welled up inside her for Darach, yet she couldn't endure any more of the sullen and critical shadow fae. Ready or not, she was going to rejoin her own kin.

She assumed Ink would come too. The little dragon was wild and had no reason to follow her around, but he was also her friend. He looked up at the mention of his name then returned to his indolent pose near Riley.

Neither Irene or Riley had any possessions to gather, so it was less than five minutes later that Darach's airgate stood before them.

'I have a question,' Irene said, pausing before the airgate.

Darach glanced up and his moody expression said what he didn't. Hurry up then.

'Why did you help me?' It seemed a simple question, but Darach's expression clouded over. 'I mean, why me? Just because I needed help didn't mean you had to do so. You could have just laughed and walked on past, leaving me to my fate.'

Darach pursed his lips as if the answer wanted to come out, but he didn't want to release it, so Irene continued.

'I'm not your kin, nor anyone you owe a favour to, which seems to be more important than kin here.' She left the query hanging and wondered if the reclusive shadow fae would even answer.

Darach looked uncomfortable for a moment, then spoke.

'Without my help, you would be stamped from existence without the chance to rise up.'

She just nodded in agreement as she thought through his words. By the bitter expression, he wasn't just talking about her. He was describing his own upbringing and the desire to have had someone help him. She was about to say she understood when he took a deep breath and let out a sigh.

'You're easy pickings for favours. That's all.'

'Fair enough,' Irene said, seeing that he had no desire to discuss his personal life. She put just her head through the open airgate and looked around. All she heard were birds and the occasional snuffling small forest animal. The sun twinkled through the canopy above the forest and there was nobody around.

'It's all clear, Riley.' She stepped through the large misty circle which hung just above the ground and tugged Riley after her. Ink followed them and the little white dragon did a quick loop around the area, then settled on a branch nearby to watch them.

The young servant girl did not resist but also did not look as if she knew what was happening. Irene glanced at the human girl and frowned. Her expression was flat and her eyes dull and lifeless. It had been that way ever since the fire at the mansion two days ago.

Irene understood the girl had reached her breaking point when Irene had offered a way out of a life of servitude to the fae, only to snatch it away again. The shock of it all had seen Riley withdraw into her mind and function only by command. She did what she was asked to do, went where she was told to go, but did not offer any responses, even when prompted. There was just the dull and empty expression that Irene could not break through.

Breaking through Riley's emotional bubble wasn't a good idea, anyway. If she returned to the blubbering, howling state she had been in before the fire, then it would cause problems for everyone!

Irene was also having trouble adjusting to everything that had happened in the last few days. It seemed years since she lived happily in the Deep Forest, back in the human world. Mama J and Papa had been her whole life, but now even they did not remember her. It was as if her life had been wiped from existence, but Irene refused to sink into the abyss that Riley had fallen into.

'Thanks, Darach.' Irene said, nodding back through the airgate to where the black-clad shadow fae stood.

'It's all part of the deal.' Darach's response was typical of everything she knew about him. He looked neither happy nor sad to see the two of them leave.

'Won't anyone have missed you the last two days?' Irene watched him for any signs of an ability to lie.

He shrugged. 'I doubt it. I keep to myself most of the time.'

Irene felt a pang of pity for him, as this dark-haired youth was another person she could not get through to. He seemed ready to make deals and keep his end of any bargain, but apart from that, he was emotionally empty.

She knew he had the better end of the most recent bargain they had struck, but her choices had been very limited and, given the chance, she would do the same again.

Defence was what she needed. Sure, she had plenty of magic of her own, but no knowledge or practice using it. Darach had taught her how to protect herself, for now at least. He nodded once in farewell, and the gate vanished.

Irene sighed and looked around at the trees. It was nothing like her forest back at the cottage where she grew up, but it was beautiful all the same. One thing that she would miss was the seasons. Here it seemed eternally summer and the leaves never turned brown and even branches did not wither and drop to the ground. It made for a very soft undergrowth and was perfect for sneaking around unheard, but it was different and Irene could tell that it wasn't her own forest.

No, Irene corrected herself, this was her forest now. Faehame was now her life, and she had better get used to it, fast. There was nothing left for her back in the human world, and she had no desire to go back there. She did regret not being able to send Riley back as she had promised, but the gate back to that land was gone and Riley would not have survived on her own any better than she did here.

She hoped Riley would see that one day and forgive her for her unkept promise. It wasn't as if she could take Riley back to her parents and they could care for her. The young girl had no memories of living back there and therefore, no memories of her parents, either.

She and Riley had lost the same things, but here in Faehame, that would not be enough to help them bond. Fae and servants, or pets, as the fae called them, would never be equal. She reminded herself what her last attempt at friendship with Riley had done and acknowledged that another attempt would end the same.

The airgate provided by Darach had brought them to the apple tree that Irene had created in her first magic lesson. They stood only a few dozen steps from the previous site of the king's estate and Irene wondered if the trees still smouldered. The house had been razed to the ground and burned a good section of forest too.

'Come on,' she said to Riley. She gave a gentle tap on the girl's back and set her in a forward motion towards the burned trees. Ink followed, flitting from one tree to the next and appearing to be acting as a lookout.

The apple tree had grown to fit into the forest and looked as if it had been there forever. Irene rested her hand on the rough bark, then continued on.

After a minute, she paused and looked around. She should have reached the damaged section of the forest by now, but there was no sign of it. If it wasn't for the apple tree, she would doubt her own sense of direction or Darach's placement of the airgate.

Using the apple tree as her only reference, she recalled the direction the unicorn had taken when they went to the feast at Shining Hill. Darach knew very little about what the shining fae were up to, but he knew that the king had moved back into the hill.

Irene guided Riley towards where she thought the hill should be and they plodded through the forest. Irene blinked several times as the surrounding forest changed and moved. It was like seeing someone run past in the corner of your eye, but when you turned, they were gone. If she stood still and focused on a single tree, it remained unchanged. However, a blink and a turn of her head revealed an entirely different landscape before them.

'Enough.' Irene snapped. She felt a little silly addressing the forest, but without Ink to show them the way, she was sure she'd have been lost within a dozen steps.

Ink turned with a puzzled look, but when Irene simply waved him forward, he continued leading the way. Only two paces later, Irene stepped out into the clearing surrounding the hill of the Shining Throne.

The sight that met her differed from the last time she had been here. Back then, it had been night, and the area was illuminated by small fairies trapped in jars. The entire fae world, it seemed, had gathered to marvel at the newest member of the royal family

Now, though, it was daytime, and it looked more like a small village, with a hill in the middle. Small shacks and even a couple of farmlets had sprung up around the hill, tucked into the trees and extending into the clearing around the hill.

It looked as if it had been that way for years, with well-trodden tracks wending their way through the small community.

Irene stood and stared at it for a full minute before going any further. Ink faded from sight, but Irene called to him.

'We're no longer hiding, Ink.'

He winked back into view and hovered just in front of the two young girls, as if to protect them from this new village.

'Head high. Play the part,' Irene muttered to herself as she put a comforting hand on Riley's shoulder. She did not know what sort of reception she would get from her mother, but she planned to arrive in full view of as many people as possible to prevent Maeryn from trying to destroy her.

What her future held was unknown, and she had no plans beyond surviving and learning more magic to stay alive.

Fae folk were out and about starting their day and several noticed her and gawped.

Irene waited until at least a dozen of the fae and other folk of the shining throne had seen her before she began the short trek along the path past their cottages and small holdings. A young boy ran ahead of her, sent to spread the news, and that suited Irene.

Muttering followed her, but nobody spoke to her. Ink flew circles around them as they walked and hissed small jets of flame at anyone within several paces.

Irene knew where the door to the hill was, as she'd been there before with Darach and Finian, and it was only a few minutes before she stood a dozen paces from it.

The large wooden doors stood open now and light blazed from within.

Irene was aware of her burnt dress, but she held her head high as she waited. Would her mother come out to greet her as if nothing had happened or perhaps Irene would be left standing out here, unacknowledged and ignored?

Chapter Two

The Hill

Her anticipation was short-lived as hurried steps echoed from within the hill.

'Irene!' It was the king who emerged from the hill, resplendent in flowing red robes. He was clearly startled and stared at her for several seconds.

The first thing Irene noticed was that he no longer looked tired or weak. There were no telltale signs of weakness around his clear and bright eyes.

'I was lost in the forest,' Irene answered his unspoken question.

Another figure came forth from within the hill. Maeryn.

Irene's mother and the king stared at her, speechless, for another few seconds. The pause stretched uncomfortably as Irene waited to see what reception she would get.

The king broke the awkward silence.

'You poor child!'

Maeryn's expression showed her mother was in shock and Irene was not surprised. She thought she had disposed of Irene; for the second time.

The king strode forward with a concerned frown and looked her over from head to toe. His expression turned grim as he took in her charred clothing.

'Those darklings will pay for this!' His voice did not rise, but his tone was full of hatred.

So, Irene thought, the king thinks the shadow fae were responsible for the fire. She supposed it was a logical conclusion given recent events. There was no reason for him to suspect his own daughter.

'It might have been an accident,' Irene suggested.

War between the shining and shadow fae was unlikely to help anything right now.

'Or an inexperienced mageling.' Maeryn stepped forward and looked directly at Irene with no hint of guilt.

A flicker of something dark—fear, hatred—crossed her mother's eyes before being masked by a facade of concern

The king's brows furrowed at Maeryn's suggestion then he waved it away. 'I have people looking into it. We will find out soon enough.'

Maeryn did not look pleased by this, and she changed the subject.

'Must we welcome her home so publicly?' Irene's mother indicated the quiet crowd watching.

'Of course, how rude to keep her on the doorstep of her new home for so long.' The king's attention was immediately diverted as he waved his hands to show off the spectacular entrance hall. 'Come in. Come in.'

As Irene took a step towards the entrance, a disembodied voice rang out. 'Welcome back, daughter of the daughter of the house of light!'

Everyone froze for a second, but Irene knew that voice. She looked at the wooden doors that stretched so tall and saw the face in the wood staring at her.

'Thank you,' Irene replied as if a talking door was a normal daily event. She hurried into the hill, with Riley and Ink following, before anyone could question why the door thought she had been here before.

'Ah, I see you have a pet,' The king said, nodding at the dragon. 'Is it tame?'

Tame? Irene wasn't sure how to answer that. No, she had not tamed him, yet it was the answer her grandfather wanted.

'Ink will not attack anyone without provocation.' It was the best answer she could think of on the spot.

'Did you find him in the forest?' the king asked as Ink landed on Irene's shoulder and wrapped his tail around her neck.

Irene was pleased that the king had not specified which forest, just 'the' forest.

'Yes,