The Last Lullaby (The Spellsinger Book 1) Page 7

  The castle was full of Shining Ones, and they all paused to watch our passage. They paused and bowed. Finbar was evidently a big deal. Not so surprising, since he was related to the king. Still, it was kind of weird walking beside him. I was getting even more attention than he was. The Shining Ones of the Sapphire Court looked at me like I was a celebrity. They probably thought I was human- gods know I looked it- which would cause them to wonder what their duke was doing with me. Or maybe they were speculating over the price I'd fetch. I'd heard rumors of slave markets in Tír na nÓg, sex slave markets full of humans stolen from Earth.

  I thought I'd be taken to some elaborate throne room, but Finbar led me up a spiral staircase, and into a wing of the castle that had significantly fewer people in it. Those who were there looked to be servants, and rushed away after bowing to Finbar.

  “Here we are.” Finbar pushed a door open, and ushered me into an opulent sitting room.

  I saw the dog first. At least, I think it was a dog. It was the size of a cat, with lavender fur, and so fluffy it would make a little girl squeal. It had sharply pointed ears, a sharply pointed muzzle, and a sharply pointed stare. That was one pointy pup, and it was looking at me like it wanted to gnaw my nose off.

  It sat on the lap of a woman whose massive dress seemed to mimic the fluff of her pet. The gown was also lavender, and so puffy, she was nearly lost in it. If she let go of that animal, it would probably disappear into the froth too. The woman was thin and willowy, as most fairy women are, with caramel skin and orange hair. Yep, orange. Orange like a pumpkin. And yet somehow, she pulled it off. It looked wonderful with her chartreuse eyes.

  “I've brought Lady Elaria Tanager to you, Brother,” Finbar declared grandly. “Lady Elaria, this is King Galen of Sapphire.”

  I followed Finbar's stare to another corner, tearing my eyes away from the softly smiling woman in her frothy frock. There sat a man who looked very similar to Finbar. Except this man's white hair ended in cerulean tips, and his features were a touch more masculine. Then there was the magic. It practically boiled off him. I could feel it like a vibration in the air. Or maybe I could hear it like the buzz of electricity. Or was that the taste of earth and salt in my mouth? Like licking a river stone. My senses were so confused for a moment, that I started nervously humming. Music calms me.

  All three of the fairies in the room tensed, until I calmed myself and stopped humming. The tune had seemed to correct my perception, and turned Galen into a normal guy. Well, not normal exactly, but not the magical vortex he seemed to be mere seconds before.

  “Sorry, Your Majesty.” I gave him an elegant curtsy. My mother made sure I was trained properly, able to walk into any gathering, in any of the worlds, and feel comfortable. I didn't have a problem with addressing kings. “Your magic confused me for a moment. I had to get my bearings.”

  “How intriguing.” The king stood, and cocked his head at me. “You could feel it?”

  “You can't?” I asked in surprise.

  Galen, King of Sapphire, burst into laughter, earning surprised looks from Finbar and the fluffy woman.

  “Of course I can.” King Galen held his hand out to me, and I placed mine in it. He lifted my fingertips to his lips and pressed a kiss to them before continuing. “I am its master, so I know the magic intimately, but usually it takes a great sapphire Shining One, one such as my brother or my bride”-he nodded to the woman, who smiled wider-“to be able to sense the flow of the sapphire power around me.”

  “Huh,” I took back my hand. “Weird.”

  “Yes, quite.” The woman laughed, and it was a high, tinkling sound.

  “This is Queen Ava.” Finbar nodded to the woman.

  “Your Majesty.” I curtsied to her.

  “Spellsinger,” she nodded, “it's lovely to meet you. I never thought I'd have the honor of speaking with one of your kind.”

  “You are the first spellsinger to enter Tír na nÓg,” King Galen added.

  “I am?” I lifted my brows.

  “Oh yes.” His smile turned wicked. “Most are too afraid we'd keep them. You know how much we treasure magic, art, and beauty. Spellsingers are full of magic, musically talented, and I'm told all of them are rare beauties. If you are a fair representation of your race, I'm inclined to believe the rumors.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty.” I bowed my head to him. Galen was much better at flattery than his brother. “And thank you for the charm.” I held up my hand to show off Finbar's ring. “Without it, I would not have risked a trip here. And now that I've seen Tír na nÓg, I can safely say that would have been a tragedy.”

  “Ah, yes, there is no world like ours,” King Galen agreed. “And you are most welcome here. At least, in my court.”

  “Yes, Finbar has told me what this job entails.” I got to business, feeling more at ease talking shop than exchanging pleasantries with a Shining One. “I'm ready to head out whenever your group of musicians is.”

  “Oh, no, no, no.” Galen waved his hand. “First, we must celebrate your arrival. In the morning, you can set out with our faux troubadours.”

  “As you like,” I said stiffly.

  “Take her to a guest room, so that she may freshen up,” Galen said to his brother.

  Finbar nodded, and we began to leave.

  “And Lady Elaria,” King Galen called out.

  I turned back.

  “You have my deepest gratitude for bringing my family the justice that I could not supply.”

  “Don't thank me yet,” I said grimly. “I may not survive this.”

  Galen didn't bother to deny it.

  “Then thank you for trying,” he amended with sincerity.

  Chapter Nine

  Yep, fairies were perverts.

  Sweet gods, I thought they'd at least tone it down during dinner. But I guess a Welcome to Tír na nÓg feast was a time to bring out the serious kinks. And the sex slaves. I got a bird's-eye view of it all from my seat at the high table-literally high. Like we were on a pedestal practically. I had to climb a set of stairs to get to the platform that the high table was on. Then I had to sit beside Finbar. Yay. And endure his endless attempts at seduction. Yay.

  The rest of the dining room spread out before us in a surreal collection of mismatched tables, chairs, and china. There were round tables covered in fancy linen, with the finest silverware on them. There were also long, rectangular tables without tablecloths at all, to showcase the detailed carvings in the wood. There were chairs that appeared to be Victorian, and heavy wooden ones that looked like a lumberjack had made them. There were flying fairy globes emitting soft glows from above, as well as crystal chandeliers and modern art lamps. A plethora of carpets covered the stone floor at odd angles, like they'd been haphazardly thrown there. Persian, geometric, even-gasp shag. It was utterly bizarre and yet felt fantastical.

  Finbar explained that several fairy families lived at court, and in an effort to make them feel truly at home, King Galen had given them each carte blanche to decorate a small section of the dining room to their individual tastes. I nodded distractedly, contemplating this, as food was set before us, and the fun began.

  Thank goodness there were no children there. Oh, that's another misconception I should probably clear up. Humans seem to believe that fairies have an issue with fertility. That's complete BS. Fey females can get knocked up just as easily as any other woman. Hell, they could probably use their magic to get pregnant whenever they wanted. But they don't because they aren't stupid. They're immortals. If they had children willy-nilly, whenever they wanted, they'd overpopulate their world within a few generations. Shining Ones are very in tune with nature. They know the stress an immortal species can cause, and they try to mitigate it with fertility restrictions.

  For the most part, the Shining Ones used spells to prevent pregnancies. But every kingdom had a special season which came once every few hundred years, during which fairies could procreate. The only exception was royalty. Monarchs, with their strong m
agic bloodlines, were encouraged to have babies whenever they damn well felt like it. But what happened at that dinner had nothing to do with procreation, it was pure pleasure. A carnal display that would have made even the most jaded of porn stars blush.

  First, like an amuse bouche, the kissing began. I noticed a few couples here and there start some light make-out sessions. I shrugged- no big deal. I'd seen people make out in public before. Just a little kissy-face. I could ignore that. Then the first course arrived. Almost as if they'd timed it with the food, the couples started getting a little more serious. Naked humans were led into the room, made to kneel next to tables, and sometimes beneath them. Beside me, Galen started feeding his queen little pieces of food. She giggled, sucking on his fingers, and I began to squirm.

  Please, no. Please, if any gods can hear me in Tír na nÓg, make these paranormal perverts stop.

  Third course. Couples turned into thruples, quadruples, quintuples, and whatever comes after that. They added partners and subtracted clothing. Hands disappeared up skirts and down bodices, popping back out with scraps of silk or mounds of flesh. Humans were draped across laps and tables. Legs spread and mouths descended. The silverware began to shiver. I gulped wine as Finbar leaned closer, and tried to look down my top. Moans began to filter up to us, and servants had to step over a few prone bodies, writhing away on the weird carpets.

  “Are you all right, Lady Elaria?” King Galen asked me casually, as he played with his wife's you-know-what. Right there! He was rubbing away at her frantically, her fluffy skirts flopping about so violently they nearly hit her in the face, all while he had a conversation with me.

  “Fine. It's fine. I'm fine,” I gulped, and tried to find a safe place to look. My plate-that was the only safe zone. Even the chandeliers were showing signs of debauchery; lacy underthings draped the glittering crystals.

  “My brother is an accomplished lover,” Galen offered. “And I believe he would be more than happy to see to your pleasure tonight.”

  “Thanks”-I cleared my throat-“but I'm good. Ah, I think I see a free female over there, Finbar.” I waved to a corner. “Maybe you could-no, never mind, they got her. Sorry, you might be alone tonight.”

  “You don't like sex?” Finbar was aghast.

  “Oh, I do.” I nodded. “I even like it with men. Just not men I barely know.”

  “How human of you.” Finbar frowned, and started scoping the crowd for a couple to join.

  “Actually, this is pretty much just a fairy thing.” I waved my hand at the undulating crowd. “I don't know a lot of other supernatural races who feel so . . . free about their sexuality. At least not in such numbers.”

  “We are celebrating.” Galen lifted his face from his wife's nipple, his mouth coming free with a popping sound. “Don't you celebrate with pleasurable pursuits?”

  “Sure,” I nodded. “A glass of wine, a good meal, maybe some chocolate cake for dessert. Dancing maybe. An orgy? Not so much. But don't let me stop you.”

  I stood, and they all gaped at me like I was the worst party pooper around.

  “Please, go back to what, er-who you were doing.” I waved toward the queen. “I'm going to retire for the night.”

  “I can walk you to your room,” Finbar offered with a gleam in his eyes, like maybe I was shy, and this was code for him to follow me.

  “Oh no.” I shook my head. “I wouldn't want to ruin your fun. You stay and enjoy.”

  “But this celebration is in your honor,” Finbar whined. “I was going to lick your little flower right here, beside the king.”

  “Very noble of you, Brother,” Galen muttered with his mouth full. You'd think a royal would have better table manners.

  “My little” I choked. “Back off, fey boy. I don't do this kinky shit, and you ain't getting anywhere near my little flower.”

  “You say that now”-Finbar slid up to me-“but when I'm lapping at your pleasure bud, you will scream my name.”

  “Oh my fucking fairy gods!” I nearly shouted. “I didn't know I needed a rape whistle in Tír na nÓg.”

  “My apologies.” Finbar immediately stiffened, and not in that way. That was already stiff. “I have offended you.”

  “Yeah you have.” I waved a finger in his face. “Go lap at someone else's bud. I'm going to bed. Alone!”

  I stomped from the hall, hoping I could remember how to get to my room and that I wouldn't have to murder a bunch of horny fairies along the way. Seeing them ravishing those enslaved humans didn't sit too well with me either. Part of me wanted to go back into that room, pull those fairies off those poor humans, and leave Tír na nÓg with them tonight. I could probably sing our way out of there. But that would mean murdering the entire court, because I definitely couldn't sway all of their minds at once. And then there would be the knights on guard duty to deal with. Not to mention the fact that I wasn't even sure if I could navigate my way out of the castle. I could just see me singing as I wandered lost through the Sapphire Castle with a line of naked humans behind me.

  Ironically, I may be facing that exact same situation when I kill the Onyx King. Just without the naked humans. Then again . . .

  That sobered me. I might have to kill lots of innocent fairies. Taking out a murderer was one thing, but his entire court? Why had I agreed to this? I dearly hoped that I'd be able to make a clean getaway without resorting to mass slaughter. Hadn't I killed my quota for the month? Damn it all, I shouldn't have taken this job. I shouldn't have let Banning get under my skin enough to send me running, and I definitely shouldn't have let that freaky Finbar sway me with his sad story.

  I was feeling like a chump. Big-time.

  Chapter Ten

  The morning brought a repentant Finbar to my door.

  I had made it safely back to my room the night before, then had locked and barricaded my door. You can never be too safe. I'd slept relatively well after that. I didn't hold it against Finbar. As I may have mentioned before, fairies are freaks. It was just his culture. His freaky, debauched, sex-slave-owning culture. After sleeping undisturbed for eight hours, I was able to see everything clearer, and get over the previous night.

  But I wasn't looking forward to singing in another fairy court. Hopefully they wouldn't be celebrating anything. Well, I suppose when I was done, the only party they'd be having would involve burying their dead.

  “I deeply regret any offense I offered you last night,” Finbar said.

  “It's okay, Finbar,” I gave his shoulder a pat. “I get it. It's your thing. I'm just not into that.”

  “Good.” He sighed in relief. “I was worried you might refuse to do the job.”

  “I'm a professional,” I chided him. “I wouldn't walk away like that. Especially not after getting paid up front.”

  “Excellent.” Finbar recovered. “I mean, yes, of course. Uh, the musicians are waiting in the courtyard. As soon as you break your fast, you may leave . . . if you're ready.”

  “So ready.” I nodded, and we headed down to the dining hall. “And thanks for the dress and shoes.” I waved a hand down the blue cotton dress I was wearing. It was plain, but I figured that was the point. I couldn't blend in with a group of traveling musicians if I was wearing silk. And it also had some convenient pockets in its full skirts. My iPod, earbuds, and lipstick were stuffed into them. The shoes were more like boots and would make running far easier than my heels.

  “My pleasure.” Finbar nodded.

  There were a lot fewer people roaming Sapphire Castle so early, and that was a blessing in my opinion. I ate quickly, then Finbar led me out through the labyrinthine passages. The musicians were an assorted group of stone users instead of being solely sapphire, so they wouldn't raise any alarms when we rolled into Onyx. They were sprawled among their instruments in the back of a horse-drawn cart (I'm not even kidding), and there was a spot next to the driver saved for me. I shrugged and climbed aboard. I've traveled in worse conditions.

  As we pulled around the turnabout, Finbar w
aved goodbye, and I waved back, happy to see this thing started. After getting a taste of King Galen's magic the day before, I knew for certain that I couldn't face that kind of power in a fair fight. On an even playing field, the Sapphire King would probably wipe my blood up with my own face. I doubted that the Onyx King would be any less powerful. Which also made me doubt whether I could kill him, even with the element of surprise. People in my line of work didn't last long unless they were very good at what they did and very smart in how they did it. A mistake could mean the end of your career and your life. There was a significant chance that I had made that fatal mistake.

  But there was nothing to be done about it now. I was committed. So I pushed away thoughts of my potential, gory death, and concentrated on the plan. If I followed the plan, the king wouldn't be able to make even a single strike against me.

  I had a song chosen, and Finbar had given the sheet music to the musicians the previous night, before dinner thankfully. They had practiced, and were confident they could play the song perfectly. We were selling ourselves as a band of fey musicians with a human singer they'd magically enslaved. There was the allure of humanity as well as the appeal of otherworldly music. I'd prepared something sexy, but deadly. A climatic kill. Meg Myers's “Desire.”

  What I hadn't known was that it would take three days to reach the Onyx Kingdom. It was obvious once I thought about it. It would be a hell of a coincidence if the Sapphire Kingdom was set directly beside Onyx, and even then, we'd still have to cross an entire kingdom to reach it. Kingdoms are generally large. And Tír na nÓg had tons of kingdoms. Luckily, there were shortcuts for us to take that would lessen our traveling time a bit. Still, we had a fair amount of a journey ahead of us.

  The Jewel Kingdoms of Tír na nÓg were oddly shaped, and depending on which road you took, you could cross varying quantities of them while covering the same distance. This was explained to me while we passed through a thin strip of the Garnet Kingdom. The borders between the kingdoms were abrupt and obvious, due to the extreme differences in their landscapes. So it wasn't difficult to see the odd layouts that the guitarist, Alex, told me about.