The duke was tall like Tiernan, his gray-blue eyes assessing his opponent.
“She may have been injured somewhere in this direction,” Lord Larkin said. “This is King Tiernan, of the hawk fae kingdom.”
The duke"s expression subtly changed. Was he trying to determine if Tiernan sat on a throne but never fought in any battle, like some kings were known to do? Truth be known, all the hawk fae heirs to the throne were well trained in battle while in exile. At least until they took the throne. Or maybe Duke Tully felt a little out of his league because he knew little about the hawk fae? Or that he was addressing a king of a major kingdom?
Though the duke appeared a congenial sort, he was still a mercenary at heart and was not to be trusted.
“My…my, and you have been alone with the lady all night long?” the duke asked, his tone more of a warning now. The dragon fae might not be allies with the lion fae, but all of a sudden a hawk fae from around the world steps in and might have compromised one of the noblewomen living in this hemisphere? “Queen Irenis will not like it.”
“The queen will not like that you had intended to take the lady hostage,” Tiernan growled, throwing the truth back at the duke.
No one said anything for a while as the sound of boots pounded on rock.
Duke Tully finally said, “When we find the lady—”
“King Tiernan,” Lord Larkin said, good naturedly, “will allow us to go on our way without any harm done.”
“He says this, does he?” The duke"s tone of voice was ripe with humor.
“Which member of the dragon fae court had Princess Ritasia locked in the dungeon?”
Tiernan asked, glowering over his shoulder at Duke Tully.
“Not any of us.” And for the first time since the amiable nobleman had spoken to him, Tiernan noted the disapproval and the wariness in the lord"s voice.
He must have finally suspected that where the lady was concerned, Tiernan would allow no quarter.
Again silence filled the air as Tiernan listened for any sounds that might indicate Ritasia was nearby.
Duke Tully finally cleared his throat. “Do you intend to marry the lady?”
Tiernan scowled at him. “"Tis none of your concern.”
The duke stiffened. “You are not of this region, yet you take a lady, a princess, no less, into an unsafe place and are with her unchaperoned for hours and you say it does not concern me?”
“You were going to take her hostage!” Tiernan roared.
No one said anything to that and Tiernan realized no matter that Duke Tully was a common thief, he was also noble by birth and seemed to stand by noble ways—as far as they suited him.
Duke Tully said, “I would have found a lady to accompany her until her mother paid up. I would not have compromised her.”
Tiernan snorted. Then he thought he heard some sound to their left and turned into another tunnel. This time, he found a door at the end of the tunnel. Expecting the door to be blocked or bolted, he shoved as hard as he could. The door was wedged against fallen timbers and left only a narrow passage to be traversed.
“Ritasia?” he called out. He squeezed between the door and the frame and scrambled over the debris in the cavernous room, devoid of all but half-demolished packing crates and ceiling joists and flooring from above that had fallen to the floor. He heard a moan off to his right in the dark and waved his fae light in that direction. “Ritasia!”
He couldn"t see her and could barely breathe from all the dust stirred up by the collapsed ceiling, particles floating in the air like tiny fairies on wing.
Before he could head in the direction he"d heard her moan, Duke Tully grabbed his arm and stopped him. Tiernan gave him a killing look, but the duke motioned to the ceiling. “More of it is ready to collapse, my lord.”
Tiernan glanced up and saw that the duke was right, that several timbers that had been holding the upper floor were leaning deep into the cavern and any slight movement could send them tumbling to the rocky floor.
Getting his temper under control, Tiernan nodded and moved to the perimeter. “Ritasia,”
Tiernan hollered, seeking any response.
She moaned again.
His heart nearly gave out. He skirted around the edge of the collapse, climbing over debris until he saw her. She was half buried in timbers and dirt, her nearly black hair red with dust, her ivory skin paler, her face pinched in pain. He scrambled over two fallen timbers and other remnants of the floor that would have been above their heads only minutes ago to get to her. Two of the other men were close on his heels.
“Ritasia,” he said, pulling away the timbers as the other men helped to ease them away from her. “Are you hurt?” He knew she had to be from the look on her face. She was so pale, her face grimacing in pain as they moved every piece of wood off her.
“I broke my arm, I believe.” She sounded like she was annoyed with herself, and he almost smiled.
She was in pain, had to be bruised, maybe injured elsewhere other than her arm, but instead of being weak and acquiescent, she was highly pissed.
He and Duke Tully removed the rest of the debris from her as carefully as they could.
Then Tiernan drew her from the remaining flooring, careful with her arm as she held it close to her body, gritting her teeth as he lifted her from the floor.
“Come,” Duke Tully said. “We will lead you to the surface.”
Tiernan carried her in his arms, trying not to jar her too much. He felt the tension in her body, heard the moans she attempted to conceal, knew she was fighting valiantly not to reveal how much she was hurting. He suspected she was annoyed that they had to resort to dealing with Duke Tully and his men in the end.
Then they took off down the tunnel and walked and walked and walked some more. The way seemed to take forever, but when they reached the surface, Tiernan expected to see the digs.
Instead this trapdoor opened onto a rocky ledge with no way to go but to fae transport. No living soul except a bird or two could have made their way to and off this ledge as it looked out to the misty laden sea.
“He said he would actually kill us if we did not help him with finding and rescuing the princess,” Lord Larkin said with a grin.
“Did he now?” Duke Tully said with a return smile.
Their tone of voices warned Tiernan they were up to no good.
He called on his ability to transport Ritasia and himself back to the dark fae castle, when Sir Olaf clamped his leg with a fae iron.
Chapter 7
“The dragon fae are not to be trusted at any cost,” Tiernan growled, sitting on a brown wool blanket in front of a blazing fire crackling and popping, the flames lighting the area near it in an orange glow. The smell of wood smoke mixed with the crisp cold breeze. He glowered at Duke Tully, watching him from across the flickering orange-red flames, two other guards posted nearby.
Furious with himself, Tiernan should have known better. But he had been so relieved to take the princess out of the tunnels and so startled to see the cliffs and not the dig site when they climbed out, he hadn"t reacted quickly enough.
As if they were free-spirited wood nymphs, women dressed in forest green gowns, their long hair loose and wild cascading over their shoulders, danced to lilting flute music and the strum of a banjo around another campfire nearby. A couple of men spitted a wild boar over another fire some distance from the one Tiernan sat beside. Green canvas tents were scattered through the forest, and he wondered just how long Tully and his men…and women, lived here.
Or was it just a temporary camp? He couldn"t imagine anyone ransoming the wealthy for money, then living in the woods without being able to enjoy the finer amenities of life, food, housing, clothes that one could well afford.
He studied Ritasia, her skin milk-white, her coal black lashes fanning her cheeks, her long dark hair in curls, none of it bound any longer, framing her delicate face. Her broken arm was bound in green cloth as she slept on a mat some distance away, an olive
green wool blanket tucked under her arms, a pillow beneath her head. She was sleeping soundly, and he presumed they had given her some kind of sedative because of the pain.
Duke Tully motioned to Ritasia. “She would not leave you behind, though I gave her every opportunity to do so. She was free to go home. I would not keep the injured princess against her will.”
Tiernan continued to consider Ritasia, not sparing Tully a glance. The princess appeared to be comfortable. He couldn"t imagine why she wouldn"t have returned home, given the opportunity. She might have been able to bring an army to free him. Or maybe not. Maybe she didn"t have any clue as to where they were any more than he did. Or maybe Tully hadn"t given her the opportunity, as he said he had. The man was not to be trusted. He was a dragon fae, for one. And his occupation wasn"t honorable.
Tully poked a stick in the fire. “I am not the enemy.”
At that comment, Tiernan sliced him a glare.
A hint of a smile brightened Tully"s naturally jovial face. “I have given you the perfect alibi. Instead of you being alone in the tunnels all night with the lady, you were my guests. As you can see,” he said, motioning to the ladies dancing so cheerily, silhouetted by the bright flames and dark night, “we have many lovely ladies in attendance who will attest to your good behavior concerning the princess.”
“You are still seeking a ransom?” Tiernan did not believe the man was that magnanimous.
“In due time,” the duke said. “One of my men said that Prince Deveron and his cousins Micala and Niall and a dozen trackers have found your fae dust trails in the tunnels. They have also found mine. They will know it hasn"t been long since we took you both hostage. But we have returned to the forests of our dragon fae kingdom. The queen can either send her men into the forests and hope to catch me but in so doing so alienate my king and threaten war, or she can besiege my king to order me to release you both into the queen"s care.”
“And?” Tiernan asked, not understanding the strange politics in this region.
“Well, that"s the mystery, now isn"t it? We have no way of knowing which way it will go. „Tis possible Queen Irenis will ask the king to order me to free you both while her son takes men to search for me in the interim.”
“I should have killed you all when I had the chance.”
Duke Tully smiled. “I have heard it rumored that the hawk fae kings are tyrants. Does the lady know this? Or is this just a myth created by parents who wish their little ones to fear the might of such a king?”
“It is true, and you should be conscious of that fact for your own health.” Tiernan rose from his seated position and folded his arms. “Send her back,” he growled.
Duke Tully chuckled. “Against her wishes? A tyrant who seeks the lady"s hand would not wish to be parted from her. I do not believe you are as much a despot as you wish me to believe.”
***
Ritasia listened to Duke Tully as he spoke to King Tiernan, while she pretended to sleep on the bedding. Although she was half asleep, unable to shake off the lethargy she was feeling.
What he said was true about her not wishing to return home alone without King Tiernan. She had no idea where they were, and she"d never be able to bring troops back here to free him. Though she didn"t remember Duke Tully giving her a choice. He might have. But she just couldn"t remember.
If she could get close enough to Tiernan, she could transport them both out of here, even though he was wearing the fae manacles.
But when Duke Tully said the hawk fae king was known to be a tyrant, that had given her pause. Was he? Around her own people, he seemed gracious, but among his men was he the devil?
He certainly didn"t seem that way, but then again, he was considering her as a bride choice and was probably on his best behavior.
Was that why he had to leave his homeland in search of a bride?
She considered her surroundings and the joy that filled the air—the laughter and singing, the jokes and good-hearted camaraderie. The aroma of the pork, wood smoke, pine needles, and crisp cold freshness scented the air. If she and the king were not prisoners, she would have enjoyed the festivities.
Now she understood why Duke Tully and his men were called the band of merry-hostage takers. Everyone seemed of good spirits. Except for Tiernan. She imagined he was the kind of warrior that did not take being captured by the enemy—any enemy—well.
She didn"t like it either, though. She had to admit her curiosity concerning the duke was satisfied, and she never wanted to make his acquaintance again. The king was probably also feeling remiss in keeping her out of the grasp of these men"s hands. But he wasn"t at fault.
Tiernan scowled at Duke Tully who appeared perfectly pleased with himself.
She thought of her mother and what she would want. She would wish Ritasia left the king behind and returned home at once. Or would she? If her mother wished to make an alliance with the hawk fae kingdom, she might not want Ritasia to leave the king at all.
If only everyone would go to sleep, then Ritasia would slip near him and grab his arm, and they"d be off! She was pretty sure she wasn"t wearing a fae shackle. A blanket covered her, but she didn"t feel a manacle around either of her ankles.
Someone had given her a healing draught and between that and her fae healing abilities, her arm was on the mend already. Although it would still take a couple of days before the bone was fully healed. But at least the pain had subsided a good deal. And she was lucky it was her left arm and not her right. Yet she felt…not quite herself, as if she wasn"t all here, exactly.
She drifted off, but woke when it grew completely quiet in the camp, no more music or dancing, no more conversations, just the breeze ruffling the tree branches and the crackling of the campfires.
Ritasia chanced a glance in Tiernan"s direction again. He was studying her. She didn"t know if he could see her very well in the dark as far away as she was from him. He was still sitting beside the red-flamed fire, and she could see his anxious expression. And then, his eyes widened a bit, and she believed he could see she was looking at him.
She glanced over at the fire to see who else was sitting around it. Duke Tully was nowhere in sight. But two of his men were watching the fire and Tiernan still.
“Want some more ale?” the one guard said to the other, taking his eyes off the fire and Tiernan for a minute.
“Aye. I"ll watch the prisoner.”
One guard would always be posted, Ritasia thought. She didn"t believe she would have a better chance at rescuing Tiernan and herself with only one instead of two guards posted. She sat up, but felt her world spinning and closed her eyes. What had they given her?
No matter. She had to attempt this now. She concentrated on Tiernan, his eyes widening even further, but he quickly looked back at the guard and she did, too. The guard grabbed another log for the fire and tossed it on top, sending orange sparks flying through the dark night and a barrage of fresh crackling noises erupted.
Ritasia meant to transport next to the king, grab his arm, and take him away. Instead, she vanished and reappeared in the woods some distance from the camp, realizing at once the king still had her boots. She heard low voices somewhere in the camp from here, saw the campfires glowing through the woods, knew she wasn"t too far away from where Tiernan sat. But if anyone noticed she"d vanished…
Cursing herself for her inability to control her movement, she hoped Tiernan didn"t believe she"d left him behind and went home.
But maybe that was a good thing. Maybe, if the guard noticed she"d left, they"d think no one could rescue Tiernan, and they wouldn"t be on guard so much. She took a deep breath, still couldn"t get her dizziness under control, and tried to transport near the fire again, hoping she didn"t land in it, the way her mind seemed so unwilling to focus.
She appeared next to a dark green tent, glad she hadn"t landed on top of it and squished the sleeping occupant. A black dragon flag waved proudly in the cool breeze beside it, and she figured it was Duke Tully"s tent since no flag
s flew near other tents in the vicinity.
Great.
She"d try once more, and if that didn"t work, she was just walking over to where King Tiernan sat beside the fire, wherever it was from the duke"s tent. Even though she was certain her stocking feet would protest. She would run, but she felt so dizzy, she didn"t think she"d get very far before she stumbled over her own feet. Walking seemed a safer mode of transportation.
If she could just grab Tiernan"s arm, she could transport him to the woods nearby, or somewhere else. Just anywhere. And she could keep transporting them until she was far enough away to make their escape. Maybe.
At least she wasn"t giving up trying.
Footfalls headed in her direction, nearly giving her a seizure. Someone stalked toward Duke Tully"s tent at a fast pace, and she crouched down behind it, nearly falling she felt so out of it, so discombobulated.
She could see a smidgeon of the guard in the dark. He was tall, fierce, and his expression angry. He was the guard who"d left the campfire to fetch ale, leaving the other alone to watch King Tiernan. “My lord,” the man said, his voice urgent, concerned, as he stood next to the opening of the duke"s tent. “The princess has vanished.”
Her heart flipped over. They knew. And now Duke Tully would be warned while she crouched next to his tent in the dark shadows.
Duke Tully didn"t answer.
“My lord,” the man said a little louder this time.
“What?” Duke Tully asked, sounding tired and grouchy.
“Princess Ritasia, my lord. She"s vanished.”
Movement inside the tent followed, and then the duke walked out of his tent, wearing only his breeches. “What? The drug should have kept her asleep.”
They had drugged her. Well, they might have intended for it to keep her asleep. But she was very much awake. Kind of.
“Let me get dressed. Wake the healer. I want to know what effect the drug will have on her transporting herself somewhere else. If she"s close by, we need to find her at once.”