War of Hearts(93)

As I neared almost unconsciousness with boredom, they brought the final prisoner forth.

She was human.

A beauty at that.

Since discovering Faerie, I’d found little attraction in humans so it was rare that one could catch my eye. The girl was dressed rather vulgar in leather leg coverings, as a man would wear. Leather strips, pieced together, made a vest that molded to her torso in a strangely becoming way. Her dark hair was held back from her face in long braids. There was an appealing boldness to her beauty. I soon noted I was not the only one to think so.

“We just caught this one, Your Highness.” A fae guard threw the girl forward, and she glared at him. He ignored her, holding up a sword. “She came through the gates armed and we caught her stealing from our fruit trees.”

The crowd gasped at the effrontery. It was common law among fae and human: you stole nothing from the fae to take back to our world. Unless it was freely given.

Aine eyed the young woman. “Name?”

The girl lifted her chin in defiance. “Catha.”

A rumble of displeasure moved around the room. I heard Andraste hiss, along with a few other fae females.

The guard pushed Catha. “You will address the queen with the proper respect.”

“She is not my queen,” Catha said recklessly.

The hissing grew in sound, restless feet moving closer to the girl.

Aine lifted a hand to silence the crowd. Her golden eyes peered intently into Catha’s. “Why did you venture into Faerie to steal from us?”

Catha shrugged off the guard’s touch and faced the queen with apparently no fear. “My family is starving. I hunt but the prey is dwindling. I heard the food of the fae lasts longer than mortal food, and I had hoped the fruit would see us through winter.”

“There are no men in your family to hunt?”

Catha shook her head. “My father died three winters ago. I am responsible for my mother and four sisters now.”

“You are the eldest?”

“No. The youngest.”

Aine dragged her gaze up and down the girl. “And a beauty. Are your sisters beautiful like you?”

“More so. But they are too poor to interest men with more wealth than our own.”

The queen scowled at that. “Humans and their lack of fealty to women is tedious. In my world, young Catha, you would be a warrior for you have a warrior’s heart.” She lifted a graceful hand to point toward the girl’s heart. “I sense it.”

The girl lost some of her defiance and she bowed her head slightly in thanks.

Aine lifted her eyes to the room. “I have called you all here for a reason. Before I make my announcement, I grant one last token to a race that often consternates but always amuses.” Her golden eyes drifted back to Catha. “You shall return to your world unharmed, young Catha, and when you do, you will find yourself the keeper of riches beyond your imagining. Your family will never suffer from poverty again. Your sisters shall marry well and you, if you wish it, will be a queen.”

Catha’s eyes darkened with intensity. “I wish it, Your Highness.”

With the queen’s nod, Catha was gone, presumably back to our world, to the astonishing gifts Aine had promised.

“Now,” Aine stood from her throne, “I fear I have unwelcome news for our guests.” A movement to my left drew my attention, and I noted a fae man sidling up to my brother. His face was … it was hazy, as though his features did not want to fall into place. And he seemed hunched. Eirik stiffened at the sight of him and the fae gave him a quick shake of his head to silence him. Whatever passed between them, my brother merely nodded and turned back to the queen.

As did I.

“It has come to my attention that humans have discovered the healing use of our blood.”

A gasp rippled around the room.

Eirik had brought the rumors with him and had told me a few days ago of this discovery. Apparently, fae blood could heal a human or supernatural from any wound or disease, even from the brink of death. There were murmurings that war bands of humans were gathering to steal fae back into the human world as their own constant source of immortality.

I had thought it mere ridiculous human posturing.

But the queen’s seer had declared it was beyond that.

“We are on the brink of war. Again. And I will not let beings we have so benevolently graced our gifts upon ruin our world. I am afraid the gate must close.”

Good. I wished to stay here.

“I am sending all non-fae back to their own world. Human, vampire, and werewolf alike. I am afraid you are no longer welcome on Faerie.”

Horror rooted me in place. I felt Andraste clasp at my hand as she whimpered.

No.

“Do you think”—Aine’s gaze drifted around the room and stopped upon certain individuals for a few deliberate seconds, before turning to Andraste and me—“I am not aware of the inappropriate bonds that have been forged between fae and non-fae?”

I stiffened.

She knew Andraste was my mate.

“There are matings in this room that should never have come to pass. The stars, however, choose as they see fit and I have let it stand so long as it has not caused injury to our world. First, there was Abellio and her wolf. The grief they caused Earrach when they killed one of their princes …” Aine’s eyes glistened with tears. “Now, a royal subject of Fómhar has given her blood to her human mate to save his life after he was injured in a human war. This is a grave threat to our home. So I am sorry … but for the sake of peace, you are all expelled from Faerie.”