Curse And Craving

43

I could only assume they were talking about me, making fear and adrenaline rouse me fully. “That is not an option. I do not need to make an enemy of him. We all know what he did to his own sister. We shall have to leave him to his schemes.” The room was silent for a moment, and I wondered if they had quietly left. “I know you are awake, Rebecca. Open your eyes, and we shall talk.” s**t. Here goes nothing. I opened my eyes to a softly lit room. The man and woman studied me. As my eyes focused, my body tensed at the recognition of the man who had abducted me from my apartment. “You kidn*pped me,” I rasped, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. Pain shot through my skull, but I attempted to ignore it as I took in my surroundings. “You were not so much kidn*pped as summoned,” countered the woman. She was tall, around five-eight, with long red hair flowing in smooth waves nearly down to her waist. Her porcelain skin was dotted with freckles, and her eyes were almost too green to be real, like freshly sprouted spring grass or a field of summer clover. She wore a diaphanous long-sleeve gown of dark green silk that hugged her lithe frame. Her body might have been willowy, but her regal stature spoke to her strength and confidence. Like seeing a striking work of art for the first time, I stared unabashedly at her perfection. Eventually, my eyes slid to the bedroom around me, which was lavishly decorated in soft shades of blue. A painted vanity with a tall mirror sat on the same wall as the door while an ornate fireplace warmed the room from across the bed. Two large multipaned windows were framed by sheer white drapes cascading the length of the exceptionally tall walls and highlighting a comfortable sitting area. Beneath me, luxurious velour bedding felt softer to the touch than the most opulent of fabrics. The place was absolutely stunning, decorated with such luxury that I was totally overwhelmed. Every tiny detail of the room was crafted to perfection and designed to proclaim enviable wealth. “Where am I?” I couldn’t keep the awe from my voice. “You are in Faery—in Avalon to be precise,” spoke the woman, drawing my attention back to her. “And who are you?” My eyes flickered back and forth between them, unable to read anything of their intentions. “I am Queen Guinevere of the Seelie Court, and this is Durin. He assists me in … sensitive matters.” She gestured at the man standing next to her before continuing. “What you should be asking is why you have been brought here.” Her aristocratic brow arched as if she were painfully aware of my inferiority. My breaths grew shallow as her question sank in. “Why have I been brought here?” I asked, fighting my growing hysteria. “I wanted to see the half-human, half-Fae girl for myself. So here you are,” she offered smugly. My eyes jumped back to Durin. His hair was buzzed close to his scalp, and though he was short, his muscular frame was intimidating. I imagined he would pulverize anyone who challenged him in a fight, and I desperately hoped my situation didn't come to that. Guin drew my eyes back to her as she continued in a disinterested tone. “Merlin seems to think a war is approaching.” “A war?” I asked in confusion. Someone was opening portals, but no one had said anything about a war—not that I was going to say anything about any of it to Guin. Considering my luck, she’d probably blame the whole thing on me. “I disagree with him. My spies have been sent to the far reaches of my kingdom and beyond, and they have found no evidence of an uprising. Aside from my interest in your Fae abilities, the other reason I had you brought here was because Merlin also seems to think you have a role to play in this alleged war. I wanted to see who he was relying upon. While I have not found evidence of an amassing army or insurgence, I have not held the throne for over a thousand years by ignoring possible threats.” Her eyes gradually made their way down my frame and back up, clearly unimpressed. Dismissing me, she turned to Durin. “Merlin had better hope he is wrong. If there is a war coming, there is nothing this child could do about it.” Both of them turned for the door. “Wait!” I cried after them. “How long are you keeping me here?” “You will have dinner with us when the bell tolls, then you will be returned to your home,” Guin called from the doorway without turning back. Dinner. Okay, I can do dinner. I tried to relax and assure myself that I’d be back on Earth in no time. To keep my mind from panic, I examined the artwork and priceless objects casually placed throughout the room. A seemingly priceless silver-handled hairbrush inlaid with intricate scrollwork sat on the vanity. Every detail of the room was extraordinary, lest anyone forget they were in the queen's palace. The light coming through the windows indicated it was midafternoon if Faery daylight was comparable to Earth's. It had been nearly seven in the evening when I was taken, and I wondered if that meant I had been unconscious all night and morning. I started to panic until I remembered Ashley saying something about time not working the same in Faery as it did on Earth. I could have been gone from Belfast for days and not just a single night, or it could have been only hours. There was no way to know for sure. My room appeared to be on the second floor, with an amazing view of the vast gardens. Lush flowering plants and fruit trees dotted the landscape in intricate patterns. If I hadn't known better, I would have said that I was in France gazing out on the infamous gardens at the Palace of Versailles. I was clearly far from wintery Belfast. What was this place? A separate planet? Or perhaps a different dimension? It appeared unsettlingly similar to Earth. The building and décor, while fitting of a different era, were nonetheless familiar. If I hadn't met the austere queen myself, I would have said this was some kind of lavish joke at my expense. A soft knock sounded at my door, and after a quick debate, I opened it to peek at who had come calling. The woman on the other side offered a soft smile with warm eyes, but it was her greenish skin that took me by surprise. Not the green of an olive complexion or the pallor of illness—her skin was literally green, like a human-sized version of the little man in my apartment. She didn't appear threatening, so I smiled in return and pulled back the door.